SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/14/2021 Bruins Islanders cont'd 1215748 OBF: Bruins’ loss gets us one step closer to bad ‘ol days 1215779 Islanders outplay Lightning in Game 1 victory 1215749 Loss of Brandon Carlo the turning for Bruins 1215780 A dominating 1- game? That’s how the Islanders get it 1215750 Report: Providence Bruins Leach Interviewed For Coyotes done, as they showed in Game 1 Gig 1215781 Islanders Send Message with Relentless Game 1 Effort vs Defending Champs Carolina Hurricanes 1215782 Rapid React: Relentless Islanders Upset Lightning in 1215751 The Hurricanes have signed a free agent defenseman to a Game 1 two-way contract 1215783 Islanders goaltending Will Make or Break Quest for Fifth 1215752 Hurricanes protected list: Who stays and who goes in the Kraken expansion draft? 1215784 NYHN Daily: Time for Islanders to Face Lightning Yet Again Chicago Blackhawks 1215753 Prospect Lukas Reichel is ready for his fast track to the Penguins Chicago Blackhawks — and so is his Eisbären Berlin c 1215785 Stars defenseman Stephen Johns of Wampum announces retirement 1215786 Penguins A to Z: Teddy Blueger should be a leading 1215754 Avalanche Roundtable: Recapping playoff exit, offering offseason priority offseason suggestions 1215755 Avalanche offseason: Who’s under contract and who will enter free agency this summer? 1215787 Islanders gain early edge on Lightning in Stanley Cup 1215756 If Seth Jones wants to come to the Avs, they should try to semifinals get him 1215788 Lightning may not be the smartest kids in the class in this series 1215789 Lightning-Islanders Game 1 report card: Turnabout is fair 1215757 Michael Arace: How can Blue Jackets truly contend? A play major rebuild is one way to do it 1215790 Lightning can’t be as reliant on power play if they want to 1215758 Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Give Brad Larsen a survive Islanders chance, realistic expectations, expansion draft update 1215792 Lightning say there’s ‘no panic’ after Game 1 loss but Islanders should have their attention Stars 1215759 ‘The next chapter starts tomorrow’: Maple Leafs defenseman Stephen Johns announces retirement 1215793 HORNBY: was a hero in the air and on the ice Detroit Red Wings 1215760 Detroit Red Wings 2016 draft review: Still waiting for class Vegas Golden Knights to greatly impact rebuild 1215794 Rookie Cole Caufield provides postseason spark for Canadiens 1215795 Max Pacioretty downplays matchup against team that 1215761 Habs GM Bergevin deserves credit for making the traded him Canadiens a playoff contender 1215796 Golden Knights must devise new game plan on defense 1215762 Canadiens Notebook: GM Marc Bergevin's moves are for Canadiens finally paying off 1215797 Golden Knights bettors facing steep prices against 1215763 Legault pushing to allow larger crowds at Bell Canadiens 1215764 Vegas odds are stacked against the Canadiens in Stanley 1215798 Alex Pietrangelo raises play during Knights’ playoff run Cup semifinal 1215799 ‘Little pit bull’ Jonathan Marchessault comes through in 1215765 Stu Cowan: Don't bet on Canadiens to win in Vegas clutch 1215766 Jack Todd: Showdown between Price and Fleury shaping 1215800 Golden Knights’ Alec Martinez practices for first time in up to be a gripping spectacle 1215767 Canadiens playoff notebook: Spending big on goalies, 1215801 Golden Knights-Montreal Canadiens NHL semifinal Max Pacioretty faces his former centre, thriving as an un preview 1215768 Relax, it’s Carey Price: Tales of the ‘super easygoing 1215802 Canadiens and their rich history face NHL newcomers, dude’ leading the Canadiens into Las Vegas Vegas 1215803 Golden Knights’ aggressive roster-building again has them in Stanley Cup semifinals 1215769 For the Islanders, the Good Times Really Are Here Again 1215770 Islanders turn in complete performance to take 1-0 road lead off Lightning 1215804 Who are the Caps' most likely expansion draft targets? 1215771 Semyon Varlamov outduels NHL’s ‘best’ in Websites 1215772 Islanders represent rude awakening for Lightning 1215805 The Athletic / Relax, it’s Carey Price: Tales of the ‘super 1215773 Islanders hold off Lightning in massive Game 1 win easygoing dude’ leading the Canadiens into Las Veg 1215774 NHL bettors can score with this Islanders-Lightning prop 1215806 .ca / Islanders manage playoff intensity to 1215775 Mathew Barzal stays hot, scores first goal of Islanders' perfection in Game 1 win over Lightning Game 1 win 1215807 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Bergevin appears reinvigorated 1215776 In Game 1, 'V' stood for Varlamov and victory, not after challenging 2021 season Vasilevskiy SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1215777 Ryan Pulock's playoff resurgence continues with big Game 1 goal in Islanders' win 1215778 Islanders-Lightning Game 1 recap: Winning goal, key stat and more 1215748 enough. Playing for the “Big, Bad Bruins” with a torn labrum would get you a guest spot on “Cheers” or at least a cameo on “Ally McBeal.”

Boston was so thirsty for a title that Ray Bourque flew in from Colorado OBF: Bruins’ loss gets us one step closer to bad ‘ol days with the Stanley Cup just so the city could drink it all in.

Amid Rask’s claims that he ignores the noise during the Bruins post- By BILL SPEROS | June 13, 2021 at 5:56 a.m. mortem press-gaggle on Friday, the goalie admitted — without naming names — that Tom Brady has made life flat-out miserable for every other professional athlete who plays in the Bay State or will do so for the next 20 years. Turns out “Tuukka Rask” is Finnish for “Charlie Brown.” “The Patriots definitely haven’t helped anybody in that regard, because Both are loyal, lovable and, unfortunately, often on life’s losing end. they won championships every year it seemed like. This city only They even share the same colors. recognizes champions as their heroes,” Rask said. “I feel like I’ve played good hockey and given us a chance. It’s tough to win. Very few guys can While Charlie Brown has Lucy perpetually pulling away that dreaded win it. It’s not easy. We’ve definitely tried. I just haven’t been able to football at the last moment, Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard continues to close the deal, and that’s the way it is. You just must deal with it. Maybe hold Lord Stanley’s silver chalice at arm’s length away from the Bruins it’ll happen, who knows.” , with some help, of course. (Rask did hoist the cup in 2011 as Tim Thomas’ backup). “I feel like I’ve played good hockey.”

Rask has been under a cloud of doom since Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley “It’s tough to win.” Cup Finals. His “Great Pumpkin” moment returned in Game 7 of the “We definitely tried.” Finals at TD Garden, when he allowed two goals off the first four shots he faced. After that loss, Rask and the Bruins partied like hell at The We were served even weaker sauce after the Celtics were obliterated by Grand. The rest of us were left holding a bag of rocks. Brooklyn.

Rask and the Bruins were emasculated by the Nassau County Islanders Last season, Belichick offered nearly every excuse that he had mocked during their Eastern Conference semifinal series in just six games. The others for using over the previous 20 years to explain his inability to Bruins were, to paraphrase one Bill Belichick, “outplayed and outcoached adopt to a post-Brady universe. in all phases.” Instead of Gronk spiking beers, we’re stuck with athletes and coaches The post-defeat fallout landed particularly hard on Rask, as it usually shedding metaphorical tears. does. Is this the new old standard? Rask played with a torn labrum, which was a physical explanation for his uneven and laborious play in Games 5 and 6 against the Islanders. Have we returned to the “Good Job, Good Effort” era of Boston Hockey players take the ice with injuries that would routinely sideline professional sports? athletes in other sports. One can never fault anyone for wanting to play Is “Loserville” back as the final stop on the Red Line? while hurt, even if it’s not in the best overall interest of the team. Props to Rask for wanting to play and toughing it out. It may indeed be time to gas up the Swan Boats.

This was coach Bruce Cassidy’s failure. He lacked either the will or The longest trophy gap during the “Score of Success” was 1,099 days, judgment to pull his goalie in favor of the future and Jeremy Swayman. from the Celtics’ rout of the Lakers in Game 6 of 2008 NBA Finals to Tim Thomas’ Game 7 shutout of the Canucks on June 15, 2011. Rask has hardly the lone reason why the Bruins are playing golf this weekend. The so-called Perfection line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Super Bowl XLVI comes 1,106 days after Brady and the Patriots won Bergeron and David Pastrnak was damn-near perfect. The rest of the Super Bowl LIII in , the region’s most-recent championship. team was smothered like a plate of Pollo Parmigiana at Lucia’s. If the Red Sox (+2200 at DraftKings) don’t win the 2021 World Series, Boston’s blueliners were diminished in numbers, dwarfed in size, and New England will officially clinch its longest title drought since “Varitek often double-crossed by the officials. Cassidy failed to make necessary split the uprights.” line adjustments to counter the lethal matchups the Islanders threw at Boston in Uniondale. Taylor Hall and David Krejci disappeared for Good grief. multiple shifts at a time. Boston Herald LOADED: 06.14.2021 Like the featured character of “Peanuts” fame, Rask has plenty of sympathetic support. His teammates have been unwavering in their loyalty, even after he botched it against the Blackhawks, bungled it against the Blues, or burst his team’s hopes by tapping out of the NHL Bubble.

Bruins center Charlie Coyle has South Shore roots. Coyle was one of many with Rask’s back Friday and likened the goalie’s critics to the famous TV clown “Bozo.” The Bruins were minus-8 with Coyle on the ice at even-strength against the Islanders.

“For anyone to criticize him is — someone used the word ‘Bozo’ before — it’s just stupid,” Coyle said. “Tuukka is one of the best goalies and he’s been doing it for however long now, playing through stuff. Most people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes and what guys go through, what he goes through, what he plays through. And he does it well. We love Tuukka. We all know what he brings every day. I think Tuukka knows that, and that’s all he needs.”

“Bozo?”

I was more of a “Rex Trailer” kid myself.

For more than 15 years until 2001, the Boston pro sports scene was “Charlie Brown” and “Bozo” combined. The Bay State did not celebrate a home-grown championship from the 1986 NBA Finals through the final gun of Super Bowl XXXVI. Back then, trying was more than good 1215749 Boston Bruins All three known concussions came in situations where he was retrieving pucks along the end boards. Carlo might tweak his approach in that situation.

Loss of Brandon Carlo the turning point for Bruins “Maybe I initiate body contact while I’m going back on that puck,” said Carlo. “I’ve got to say, (the Islanders) did a hell of a job putting those pucks in the right position. There’s times where it goes to the goalie but it just seemed like it was slowing up in that gray area where you don’t want By STEVE CONROY | June 13, 2021 at 5:07 a.m. (Tuukka Rask) coming out to play it. It’s kind of a long way to go back for the defenseman and you’re trying to scan the ice as you’re doing it. It’s not an easy task, but the only thing I can say, from even watching other The value of some players can jump out at you. It takes little time at all to playoff games, just trying to maybe initiate contact there first. But I’m not see the skill level that a Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak brings is eye- going to change the play. I go back and I get hit like that. It just ended up popping. to be an unfortunate hit. Overall, I think I have a job to do with moving the puck. I’m very comfortable with making a play and taking a hit. I think, For others, it is their absence from the lineup that really drives home their just in that situation, my head just hit the boards and it was unfortunate, worth. but I’m fine with that.” Put Brandon Carlo in that category. Boston Herald LOADED: 06.14.2021 The Great Bruin Goalie Debate will understandably dominate at least the early part of the offseason, but the series against the Islanders took the most dramatic turn when Carlo went down.

At the time Carlo’s head was bounced off the glass on a clean Cal Clutterbuck check in the third period of Game 3, the Bruins appeared to be very much the equal of the New York Islanders through the first three games of the series, even without Kevan Miller in the lineup. The B’s were clearly the better team in Game 1, they lost Game 2 on an overtime mistake and, after Carlo left in Game 3, they managed to eke out an overtime win on Marchand’s seeing-eye .

Without Carlo in the lineup the rest of the way, the B’s did not win another game. There were times when they applied plenty of offensive pressure, such as in the first period of Game 5. But when it came time to defend in their own zone, especially on the kill, the B’s simply could not do it from shift to shift. A healthy Carlo would have helped, perhaps even been a difference-maker in this series.

Carlo’s contract is now up. He will be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer. His lack of big offensive numbers means he shouldn’t exactly break the bank for the B’s, but since the 2018-19 season through 2020- 21, he’s averaged 20:23 of ice time for a team that has had the NHL’s second-best goals against average in that time period. Carlo should get a decent raise from his $2.85 million salary. The guess here is that it takes him over the $4 million mark.

And with the futures of fellow righties Miller and Connor Clifton up in the air — Miller because of his health, Clifton due to the upcoming expansion draft — locking up Carlo is of even greater importance.

Carlo did not address his contract status in his exit interview with reporters on Friday, but he did talk about his ongoing health issues. This is the second time he was concussed this season, the first being on a decidedly unclean hit by Washington’s Tom Wilson, and at least his third overall. His rookie season ended on an Alex Ovechkin hit in the last game of the regular season.

The 6-foot-5 defenseman is not overly concerned with the number of head injuries he’s had.

“No, not at this point, not at all,” said Carlo. “I think this year was obviously a struggle through these injuries (he also suffered an oblique injury that kept him out a few weeks). It’s no fun, but I’m not going to sit here and get discouraged or think that my career is heading down a wrong path because of a couple concussions. I hope this is the last one of my career and hopefully I can play as long as possible, but for how I’ve recovered from these, I don’t feel like there’s any issue there.”

As optimistic as Carlo is about his long-term health, it sounded like he would not have been ready to play a potential Game 7. He tried skating on Monday morning before Game 5, but the results weren’t great.

“Definitely questionable if I was able to make it through the protocol steps,” said Carlo. “That’s what we were working towards, but I’m not sure with how I was feeling on the ice that day that I skated, just from dizziness and whatnot from the hit, how that would have gone. Overall, I’m feeling very good off the ice. I went and saw one of the specialists here and kind of did some stuff. I feel like the dizziness is starting to subside. Feeling good and encouraged that with this time off I’ll be more than 100% going into camp and everything. It’s obviously disappointing, but not sure if I would’ve been able to make it in there just with the protocol steps.” 1215750 Boston Bruins

Report: Providence Bruins Leach Interviewed For Coyotes Gig

Published 17 hours ago on June 13, 2021By Joe Haggerty

The Boston Bruins have done a solid job developing their own talent over the years as attested by an NHL roster that is overflowing with homegrown talent.

Young stars like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman all did some time at the AHL level with the Providence like other top B’s prospects, and up-and-coming NHLers like Jeremy Lauzon, Trent Frederic and Connor Clifton have done the same. So, it’s not a surprise to see a report from Arizona Coyotes Insider Craig Morgan that Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach has interviewed for the vacant Coyotes head coaching gig in Arizona.

Can also report that Providence Bruins (AHL) coach Jay Leach has interviewed for the Coyotes job.

Leach and Arizona Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong have history together through ties with Providence and with Leach playing for him in the ECHL, and the former NHLer has done a solid job guiding the P-Bruins over the last few seasons as well.

Leach actually referenced Armstrong when talking about initially seeking out advice when he was a rookie AHL head coach just a few years ago.

“I can’t remember who I was talking to – it might have been (former P- Bruins coach) Billy Armstrong – and he said you’ll learn more in your first year as a head coach than you’ll ever learn at any other time in pro hockey,” said Leach, who played 70 games in the NHL for the Bruins, Lightning, Canadiens and Devils over the course of his 11-year pro hockey career. “I believe it. You’re thrown into so many different situations and so quickly that it challenges you.”

In the last two seasons, Leach has a pair of back-to-back first place finishes with the Providence Bruins team even as COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with the AHL seasons.

Leach has four years’ experience in Providence and has worked as an assistant to head coaches like Mike Sullivan and Geoff Ward in the past, so there is some pretty good pedigree there for a fairly young guy in the 41-year-old Leach, who just retired at the end of the 2012-13 NHL season. Certainly, it will be big shoes to fill for the B’s at the AHL level if Leach bolts Providence for an NHL head coaching gig. But it also sounds like he’s on the radar as a young up-and-coming NHL coaching prospect sooner rather than later after cutting his coaching teeth in the B’s organization over the last few years.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215751 Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have signed a free agent defenseman to a two-way contract

BY JUSTIN PELLETIER

JUNE 13, 2021 06:29 PM

The Carolina Hurricanes have already started to tinker with their roster this offseason, adding to the mix a veteran defender who’s most recently played in Europe.

In a release Sunday afternoon, Canes GM Don Waddell announced the team has signed rangy defenseman Eric Gelinas to a one-year, two-way deal with $750,000 at the NHL level, and $100,000 at the AHL level. The contract includes $125,000 in guaranteed money.

“Eric is a veteran defenseman with NHL experience,” Waddell said in a news release. “He had a strong season in a leadership role in Sweden last year, and adding him helps solidify our defensive depth.”

Gelinas, 30, had 34 points, including 26 assists, in 46 games last season with Rögle BK of the in 2020-21, which was good for fourth among all SHL defenders. His plus-22 rating was second overall in the league. His past two years have also included a stop in the Russian-based KHL.

Gelinas has 55 points in 189 career NHL games with and Colorado from 2013-17, most recently playing for the Avalanche. He’s also played 236 AHL games. During his rookie season in the AHL in 2011-12, he led the league in goals by a defenseman with 16.

A second-round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft by New Jersey, Gelinas skated for three teams in the Major Junior Hockey League before turning pro, scoring 133 points in 244 games. In his final junior stop in Saint John, New Brunswick, Gelinas helped the Sea Dogs capture the league title and the .

The Canes, meanwhile, were thin on defense during the playoffs this past season after suffering a few key injuries. Jaccod Slavin was the team’s biggest absence, and at times the Canes used Maxime Lajoie and Jake Gardner to spell Slavin.

There is also uncertainty surrounding the Canes’ blue line moving forward. Offensive defenseman Dougie Hamilton is a pending unrestricted free agent, as is Jani Hakanpaa, whom the Hurricanes acquired midseason from the Ducks. Jake Bean is hitting his restricted free agency offseason, as is Lajoie. Both of those defenders make less than $1 million.

Slavin, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce are the team’s cornerstone defenders of the near future, each locked up through 2023-24. Gardner is under contract for two more years at a hefty $4.05 million, and could be a candidate for a or a buyout this offseason after being used sparingly in 2020-21.

News Observer LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215752 Carolina Hurricanes Sebastian Aho: The Canes didn’t give him up to Montreal. They’re not going to give him up to Seattle.

Teuvo Teravainen: Aho if Teravainen goes to Seattle: Hurricanes protected list: Who stays and who goes in the Kraken Andrei Svechnikov: “I would love to stay here forever,” Svechnikov said expansion draft? three days ago.

Vincent Trocheck: I don’t know if the Canes or any of you expected By Sara Civian Jun 13, 2021 Trocheck to be on this list when they first traded for him, but he’s played his way into the hearts of everybody for good reason. At times during the regular season, he was the Canes’ leading goal scorer, and he got them through tough stretches and provided the long-elusive secondary The Carolina Hurricanes bowed out of the playoffs less than a week ago, scoring. He and coach Rod Brind’Amour have huge respect for each and GM Don Waddell has until only July 17 to submit his list of protected other, and that was on display when Trocheck played through a sprained players before the July 21 expansion draft. medial collateral ligament in Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s tough to project this before key unrestricted free agents — Dougie Trocheck doesn’t need surgery, only a few weeks of recovery. Losing Hamilton, Jordan Martinook, Brock McGinn among them — are signed. him to Seattle would be a huge setback when the Hurricanes’ biggest But we’re basically at the one-month mark until Waddell has to submit his issue of the second round was scoring goals. list. I am just speculating, but I don’t see Hamilton’s deal getting done in that time. I don’t know if the Canes will manage to sign both Martinook Nino Niederreiter: Speaking of the biggest issue of the second round … and McGinn in their budget, but let’s say they sign one before the Trocheck and Niederreiter’s injuries really elucidated how important expansion draft. In that event, they protect that guy over Morgan Geekie they’ve been for the emerging X-factor of this team. Niederreiter has in the projection below. Done. been admittedly streaky throughout his career, and he’s taking up a considerable amount of cap space with his $5.25 million average annual With the season ending and players showing us all they could, let’s value, but his 20 goals in 56 games are worth the money, and his injury update the Hurricanes’ projected list of protected players: was a one-off. Projecting the Carolina Hurricanes' protected players I’d also argue that Niederreiter is a sneaky great, defensively sound FORWARDS DEFENSE GOALIES forward. And as the second round exposed, you can’t replace his net- front presence. I’d understand exposing him only if there was some sort Nino Niederreiter of replacement plan with the cap space the Canes would get, but when he’s hot, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with his particular set of Brett Pesce skills. Alex Nedeljkovic (RFA) Morgan Geekie: Obviously, this is the most controversial/fringe pick of Sebastian Aho them all, and I don’t know if he would’ve been my pick before the playoffs. But seeing the Lightning’s third and fourth lines show up the Jaccob Slavin way they did in the playoffs while making less money than the Jeremy Helvig (RFA) Hurricanes’ bottom six has my wheels spinning. Say what you will about the Lightning and their cap situation, but if you look at the prices of their Andrei Svechnikov (RFA) bottom six and what those players are able to do, you reconsider a few things. Brady Skjei As much as protecting Geekie and exposing Jesper Fast is about money Warren Foegele (RFA) (Geekie is a restricted free agent, but Fast is signed through 2023 at a $2 Jake Bean (RFA) million AAV), there’s more.

Martin Necas Per expansion draft rules, you have to expose at least two forwards and one defenseman who are under contract for 2021-22 and played in at Jake Gardiner least 27 NHL games in the most recent season or a combined 54 in the most recent two seasons. Fast fills that requirement and would take $2 Jordan Staal (NMC) million off the cap hit if he were selected. Geekie does not fill that Joey Keane requirement.

Vincent Trocheck You know who else meets that requirement? Steven Lorentz, who played 45 games in 2020-21. So that eliminates the otherwise difficult decision Maxime Lajoie (RFA) of whether to protect Geekie or Lorentz.

Jesper Fast Protected defensemen

Steven Lorentz Jaccob Slavin: Is there anyone in the entire with a better value-to-contract ratio? One of the best defensemen in the Morgan Geekie (RFA) league for $5.3 million AAV until 2026? Slavin is one of the most loyal Available people around and has settled down in Raleigh with his wife and daughter. Fire anyone who even thinks about exposing Slavin. Teuvo Teravainen Brett Pesce: Another great contract at $4.025 million AAV through 2024, Protected Pesce took a huge step during these playoffs in leadership and versatility. Pesce is a favorite in the locker room, and in an offseason full Ryan Suzuki of tough decisions, you want to keep that spirit as much as you can. Exempt Another no-brainer.

Protected forwards Brady Skjei (?): I liked what I saw from Skjei as the season went on, and especially in the playoffs. I said no UFAs would be included in this list Jordan Staal (no-movement clause): Even if the Canes could persuade because no UFAs have been signed yet, but in my eyes, if you’re Staal to waive his no-move clause, that would be a silly slap in the face seriously planning to re-sign Hamilton, you expose Skjei and his $5.25 to the . He’s adored around the team for his ability to lead by million cap hit. Re-signing Hamilton and letting Jake Bean further develop example, and he had a hand in at least 70 percent of the Hurricanes’ big makes sense in that context. But it’s tough to imagine this blue line plays this postseason. Staal is the perfect guy to keep around as the rest without Dougie and Skjei next season, unless, again, there’s an of the young core develops into leaders. He also had 16 goals and 38 adequate backup plan. points in 53 games — one of his strongest regular-season stat lines in recent memory. Protected goalie Alex Nedeljkovic: Nedeljkovic was once a placeholder in these projections, because he was the only NHL-caliber goalie not becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2021, and hey, maybe he’ll do something cool.

Folks, he did something cool.

“There’s always that little bit of uncertainty when you don’t have a deal. It’s a little different as an RFA since there’s one team to focus on,” he said. “I’m excited. I’ve loved living in North Carolina. The time I had in Charlotte (in the AHL) was great. It was an awesome city. Being able to spend time in Raleigh this year was great, learning more about the city and area. Living here and meeting the people. These are some great fans.”

Jeremy Helvig is eligible for exposure.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215753 Chicago Blackhawks “Until then, I will vacation for one or two weeks, then I’ll get back to work and work with my dad (and) maybe work with the Eisbären team in Berlin,” Reichel said.

Prospect Lukas Reichel is ready for his fast track to the Chicago For all his growth — not just this season but the last two years — he still Blackhawks — and so is his Eisbären Berlin coach: ‘He has a great shot has a long way to go in some areas. One big box to check is his with a sneaky release’ physique, and it’s likely he’ll get acquainted with Hawks strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman.

Aubin remembers when he first met Reichel. By PHIL THOMPSON “We got him and he was very rough,” Aubin said. “He was this young JUN 13, 2021 AT 7:00 AM man, about 160 pounds. When he first came to camp, I wasn’t sure he was going to make our team. And then quickly I realized he really has a

special ability with his skating. Eisbären Berlin coach Serge Aubin remembers trying to get under Lukas “He’s a phenomenal skater.” Reichel’s skin, just to see what would happen. Aubin said Reichel also showed he has a good hockey IQ but didn’t want During an Oct. 31, 2019, game against the Nurnberg Ice Tigers, Aubin to expose him to quickly, so he played him on a line with , felt as if Reichel was mailing it in a bit, not playing up to his level. a former 10-year NHL veteran who played with Montreal Canadiens and “And I’m like, that’s not good enough for him,” Aubin said. “I sat him , among other teams. whole third period. I didn’t play him one shift. I didn’t play him in overtime. “I was trying to hide him, take him away from very very difficult The game got to a shootout and I’m like, ‘OK, kid, let’s see what you got.’ situations,” Aubin said. “And he ended up scoring the game-winner. He went out there and it He also wanted Lapierre to show Reichel how an NHL player conducts didn’t bother him. He was really able to put it behind him.” himself. Reichel, speaking to Chicago media Friday for the first time since signing The skating, however, just came naturally. a three-year, $4 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, remembers that game from his first season with the Polar Bears, who compete in the “It’s something that it’s really hard to teach. Some guys just have it,” , Germany’s top professional league. Aubin said. “His edge work, he can change direction really quickly. He can make really good reads within the game, even if the game is played “I played not so good the first shift, and then coach said … he just wants at a high speed, because he can change up direction in no time. the best from me, just wants that I give my best on the ice,” Reichel said. “It’s hockey. Sometimes you have bad games. I scored the winning goal “Within a split-second he can adjust. He just flows on the ice, and it’s in the shootout, that was good too. After that, everything was fine.” effortless. When you’re beside him, he doesn’t look like working that hard, then suddenly you realize he’s gone. And you like, ‘OK.’ ” Added Aubin with a laugh: “I’m sure I was not his best friend at (that) point in time.” Aubin recalled that Reichel admires deceptively fast Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, and he’s a “big big fan of Patrick Kane,” Aubin said he occasionally would push Reichel “to see if he could reach another smooth skater. this new level that I was looking for,” and more often than not, Reichel did. But Reichel’s response on the ice wasn’t the only thing Aubin was “(Reichel’s) not like (former winger Marian) Gaborik in my scrutinizing. time, but he’s got that type of game-breaking speed,” Aubin said. “I don’t think he’s learned to use it to his full potential yet.” “I was just looking at his body language to see if I could see any type of weaknesses,” said Aubin, who played for the Colorado Avalanche, Aubin also said he wished Reichel would be a little more selfish Columbus Blue Jackets and in the late 1990s and offensively. early 2000s. “He just stuck with it. We had to create leadership in our locker room, so that definitely helped.” “He has a great shot with a sneaky release,” he said.

Reichel already has passed one test for the Hawks, who selected the After the Hawks drafted Reichel, he took a leap in his second year in forward with the 17th pick in the 2020 draft. Berlin beyond just the raw offensive numbers.

He was on a two-year trajectory to reach the NHL, and after a strong “This year was a different story in the sense that I increased his season in Germany — 10 goals and 17 assists in 38 regular-season responsibility a lot,” Aubin said. “First of all, he played as a centerman all games for Eisbären, two goals and three assists in nine playoff games year, which increased his responsibilities all over the ice. and two goals and four assists in the IIHF World Championship — he “He did quite well, he got stronger. He played against a top line all year looks like a solid bet to make the roster a year ahead of schedule. — last minute, first shift after a goal, all these critical moments that you “I’m so excited,” Reichel told Chicago reporters Friday. “I’m really looking need to learn as a player.” forward to the future with the Blackhawks.” Riechel was very receptive to criticism, Aubin added. However, at the Said Hawks president of hockey operations Stan Bowman last month: NHL level, “I think he’s more of a winger.” “Style-wise, he’s going to fit in really nicely with our team. We’re going to “We put him at center for the sole purpose of having him taking more be aware of the fact he’s only 19 years old. I’m not putting high responsibility and having to work down low in the (defensive) zone. He expectations on him.” really did a good job at opening up ice in the neutral zone with his speed Asked whether he believes he accelerated his timeline to get to Chicago, as a centerman.” Reichel said, “Yeah, I think so. Reichel said the work at center helped his game. Because of his skating, “I played a good season with Eisbären and the national team. So I’m understanding and composure, he rarely was caught out of position really looking forward and I’ll give it my best in training camp next season defensively. and this summer, too, and then we’ll see what happens.” “It’s good for me,” Reichel said. “The Blackhawks said it’s good to have Reichel wasn’t sure when he’ll arrive in Chicago. more positions. I learned more how to play in the D-zone, and that (helped) me a lot the last season.” “I can’t wait to come over,” he said. “It’s a great city and a great organization. It’s like a dream for me to play for Chicago, and I can’t The Hawks have been shepherding a rebuild and last season devoted wait.” more top minutes to rookies and second-year players than usual. So it was important to the organization for Reichel to add and refine his skills. He’s set to have meetings with Hawks staff next week to plan his summer. “He plays the pursuit-type game that we’re looking for,” Bowman said last month. “He’s a pretty active player. You notice him, even when he’s not scoring, he’s involved in the play, down low in his own end or even in the offensive zone.

“He’s good at retrieving the puck or pressuring the puck to get it back, and then he has enough skill to make plays.”

While Reichel keeps building on his skill set, everyone involved knows he needs to keep building his frame. Aubin believes Reichel put on about 15 pounds since he first met him. “He’s still not a big kid but I think he grew an inch and a half since last year,” Aubin said.

Reichel is listed at 6 feet and said he was at 163 pounds last season, and just before this season he tipped the scales at about 178 pounds.

Aubin said Eisbären strength coach Jake Jensen took over Reichel’s regimen and made sure he was eating enough food and making healthier choices.

“As you grow you tend to gain a little bit of mass … so I wouldn’t be surprised if he played at 190 pounds in a year or two,” Aubin said.

Reichel is aware he needs to continue bulking up to stand up to the rigors of the NHL.

“I still want to gain weight,” Reichel said. “The ice is smaller and the league is tougher. It’s small battles in the corners, but I have to prepare for that.

“That’s why I want to get stronger this summer.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215754 Colorado Avalanche But that’s precisely the cold dollars and cents calculation Sakic must now make on his captain.

RO: A bad team with salary-cap space like Los Angeles or Anaheim Avalanche Roundtable: Recapping playoff exit, offering offseason looking for a heart-and-guts leader like Landeskog will give him an offer suggestions he can’t/shouldn’t turn down. It was painful watching The Captain through most parts of the Vegas series. Barely had any shots on goal. Tried to bring some snarl to the proceedings, but wasn’t very successful. Spending too much time in the Avs’ zone. If Landeskog departs, the next By MIKE CHAMBERS |, MARK KISZLA | and RYAN O’HALLORAN | | captain is an easy choice: Mikko Rantanen. The Denver Post 3. Another player who had a train-wreck series was defenseman Sam June 13, 2021 at 5:45 a.m. Girard (minus-7 rating). He is signed though, gulp, 2026-27. Do the Avs have any options with a player who proved he was overwhelmed physically by a bigger/stronger Vegas team? Two weeks ago, the Avalanche won its 10th consecutive game bridging the regular season and playoffs in a 7-1 rout of a wheezing Vegas MC: Girard has another six years at a $5 million annual cap hit. But he’s Golden Knights club that was fresh off a seven-game battle against just 23 and I think the Avs will work with him on his game instead of Minnesota. moving him. When play was much more wide open in the regular season, Girard was outstanding. When things got tight against Vegas, he failed But the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup hopes fell apart and thudded to a halt miserably. He probably can’t put that much more muscle on his 5-foot-10, Thursday when Vegas completed a six-game second-round series 170-pound frame but his technique when things get tight in the D-zone victory with its fourth straight win over the Avs. can be addressed.

The question after a third second-round exit for the Avalanche’s core: Kiz: There’s some wizardry in Girard’s game. But doesn’t Cale Makar Now what? bring all the wizardry the Avalanche needs on the blue line? We agree this team could use more weight in the lineup when push comes to shove In this Avalanche roundtable, beat writer Mike Chambers, columnist Mark during the playoffs. Well, far be it from me to tell Sakic how to do his job. Kiszla and staff writer Ryan O’Halloran address five questions about the But as perhaps you’ve noticed, I’m not shy about speaking my mind. With Avs’ postseason and offseason: little salary cap wiggle room, it might behoove Sakic to see what the 1. After the Avalanche was eliminated by Vegas on Thursday, center trade market is for Girard. If he has value that could help Colorado Nathan MacKinnon was asked about 2021-22 and the team’s window reshape its roster in a significant way, I wouldn’t be opposed to moving and said: “I’m going into my ninth year next year and haven’t won Girard. (squat).” A frustrated star player after a collapse or was he sending a RO: I would have benched Girard early in Game 6 even if it meant message to management that the Avs better not run it back with this grinding Makar and Devon Toews into a figurative nub. If a team looking group? for an offensive boost from the blue line calls, Sakic should listen Mike Chambers: I think MacKinnon really liked this group and was because the Avs could use some salary cap flexibility for Makar’s second frustrated like everyone about how the Avs couldn’t play their game after contract. If they keep Girard, the Avs need to sign a physical defenseman the first period of Game 2 through most of Game 4. But perhaps he was like Dallas’ Jamie Oleksiak who can let him do his thing offensively. thinking about something he thought the team should have added at the 4. As the Vegas series was falling apart, what adjustment didn’t coach trade deadline and did not — probably more heaviness knowing forward Jared Bednar make that could have made a difference? Matt Calvert and defenseman Erik Johnson would not return. MC: I don’t put the collapse on the coaching staff. They helped this team Mark Kiszla: I’m beginning to get the same vibe from MacKinnon I felt turn it around in Games 5 and 6 when the Avs outshot and mostly from John Elway after his early disappointments in the Super Bowl. outplayed the Knights. I think Bednar and his staff did a good job of Elway got to the point where he wanted more say in how the Broncos did game-planning after things fell apart in Game 3. They were better in their business. Joe Sakic and the Avalanche might be wise to treat Game 4 and looked like themselves in Games 5 and 6. MacKinnon more like a partner than an employee going forward. But as talented as he is, I also think MacKinnon tends to be a bit of a diva. Kiz: Bednar was blessed with a finalist for the Hart (MacKinnon), Vezina Approaching his 26th birthday, MacK is no Kid. It might be time for him to (Philipp Grubauer) and Norris (Makar) trophies. OK, so the Avs were grow up a bit as a leader. eliminated by Vegas, which might well win the Stanley Cup. But do I blame Bednar for failure to capitalize on an immensely talented roster? Ryan O’Halloran: I’ll chalk it up to equal parts frustration (losing to Vegas Absolutely. Bednar could’ve benched Patrik Nemeth, one of his personal was no sin) and sending a message (we weren’t deep enough, Mr. favorites, for Bo Byram, a defenseman who could’ve provided a spark. General Manager). The Avalanche inexplicably don’t have a “break- Why was Carl Soderberg ever on the ice? And why didn’t Logan down/wrap-up” media availability like most teams after the playoffs, so O’Connor get more playing time? we won’t get a chance to hear a cooled-off MacKinnon this week to rehash the season. That comment is all we’ll get from No. 29 until RO: One major objection to how Bednar handled the Vegas series: He training camp, which will allow us to read between his words. I’m with should have shuffled the lines, including breaking up the top unit of Kiz: MacKinnon should provide input to Sakic about how this roster MacKinnon-Rantanen-Landeskog entering Game 3 because the Knights should be altered. began to take over in Game 2 (even though the Avs won) and Bednar knew the Mark Stone line would be matched exclusively against 2. Captain Gabe Landeskog made $5.57 million in the final year of his MacKinnon. contract but disappeared for nearly all of the Vegas series. After that kind of flop does Colorado re-sign him or allow him to test the market and 5. Looking ahead, there is the expansion draft (the Avalanche loses one leave? player) and the NHL draft. But let’s say general manager Joe Sakic wants to shake up the ship with a blockbuster trade or free-agent signing. MC: Landeskog was a stud in the St. Louis series and I remember Who should he target? And if it’s a trade, what does he have to offer? thinking then he would absolutely be the free-agent priority signing. Not so sure now. Right now, the club might make him a take-it-or-leave-it MC: The target: Heaviness. A third-line power forward like Vegas’ Alex offer of around $5 million annually and not at his preferred length in Tuch (a unicorn of sorts) and a big, heavy defenseman because the Avs years. Gabe will turn 29 in November. He’s married with two young won’t re-sign Nemeth and they’ll probably lose Ryan Graves in the children at home. He does not want to move. He wants to retire here. But expansion draft. I don’t think Colorado will part with any top prospects. it all depends on how deeply disappointed management is with his Youngsters are set to replace the free agents and allow the team to pay performance against Vegas. Makar now and MacKinnon in two years. In a cap world, you have to balance your expensive star veterans with the young guys playing on Kiz: Have said it many times. And will happily say it again: Landeskog is their modest, entry-level contracts. among the most outstanding people I’ve met during my 38 years of chatting with athletes with every professional sports team in Denver. That Kiz: Chambers snatched the daydream of Tuch wearing an Avs sweater being said, I’m beginning to wonder if Landy is a notch below what the right out of my knucklehead. But Tuch isn’t going to happen for Colorado, Avs need in a true top-line forward. Is that judgment too harsh? Perhaps. we all know that. So can I persuade you to indulge another fantasy? Those of us with a long hockey history in Denver have known Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones since he was Popeye’s kid skating circles around youngsters in the Rocky Mountains. He’s only 26 years old. His cap hit is a (relatively) reasonable $5.4 million. I’d trade Girard for him in a heartbeat (although Columbus might be a wee bit more hesitant to do that deal).

RO: Two words: Jack Eichel. The Avalanche should offer two prospects and two first-round picks as the starter package for the elite Buffalo center, who could slot in behind MacKinnon and let teams pick their poison. But more realistically, I would target some sandpaper forward types like Montreal’s Phillip Danault or Toronto’s . On defense, I love Kiz’s idea about Jones — he could project as the Avs’ version of Vegas blue-liner Alex Pietrangelo.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215755 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche offseason: Who’s under contract and who will enter free agency this summer?

By MIKE CHAMBERS | June 13, 2021 at 5:45 a.m.

After yet another second-round exit in the , the Colorado Avalanche will be faced with some difficult decisions this offseason. The following is a look at the franchise’s salary commitments in the 2021-22 season:

Under contract (2021-22 cap hit*)

FORWARDS — Mikko Rantanen ($9.2 million); Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3 million); Andre Burakovsky ($4.9 million); Nazem Kadri ($4.5 million); Joonas Donskoi ($3.9 million); J.T. Compher ($3.5 million); Valeri Nishushkin ($2.5 million); Logan O’Connor ($725,000); Alex Newhook ($908,333); Sampo Ranta ($925,000)

Comment: A good chunk of the core group is accounted for. Rookies Newhook and Ranta remain in their modest entry-level contracts and will likely replace two of the unrestricted free agents to save on cap space. They, along with O’Connor, are exempt from the expansion draft. Other young depth forwards under contract include former first-round draft picks Martin Kaut and Shane Bowers.

DEFENSEMEN — Erik Johnson ($6 million); Sam Girard ($5 million); Devon Toews ($4.1 million); Ryan Graves ($3.2 million); Bo Byram ($894,167); Jacob MacDonald ($725,000)

Comment: Johnson, limited to just four games because of injuries, is expected to waive his no-movement clause to allow the Avs to protect Girard, Toews and restricted free agent Cale Makar in the expansion draft. Graves is a prime target for the Seattle Kraken. Byram is exempt from the draft, along with signed prospects Justin Barron and Nate Clurman.

GOALIES — Pavel Francouz ($2 million); Justus Annunen ($880,833)

Comment: Francouz missed the entire season with a hip injury that required surgery. He should be back at 100%. Annunen, 21, is the club’s top young prospect at the position.

Unrestricted free agents (2020-21 cap hit*)

FORWARDS — Gabe Landeskog ($5.6 million); Brandon Saad ($5 million); Matt Calvert ($2.8 million); Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.8 million); Carl Soderberg ($1 million)

DEFENSEMEN — Patrik Nemeth ($1.5 million); Dan Renouf ($700,000)

GOALIES — Philipp Grubauer ($3.3 million); Devan Dubnyk ($2.2 million); Jonas Johansson ($700,000)

Comment: Re-signing Landeskog and Grubauer is the priority, but both require big money the team may not have. Saad will probably be replaced by a young player, along with Calvert, Bellemare, Soderberg, Nemeth, Dubnyk and Johansson.

Restricted free agents (2020-21 cap hit*)

FORWARDS — Tyson Jost ($874,125); Kiefer Sherwood ($750,000)

DEFENSEMEN — Cale Makar ($880,833); Conor Timmins ($925,000)

GOALIE — Adam Werner ($842,500)

Comment: Jost is a keeper and will get a handsome raise, although it might be determined by an arbitrator. Makar is bound to get big money — somewhere between what Rantanen and MacKinnon are making, which is partly why the Avs must go with young players on their entry-level contracts. They will likely also make qualifying RFA offers to Sherwood, Timmins and Werner.

*Source: CapFriendly.com

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215756 Colorado Avalanche

If Seth Jones wants to come to the Avs, they should try to get him

Published 9 hours ago on June 13, 2021By Adrian Dater

When it comes to anything reported by , take it to the bank. Elliotte said on “Hockey Night in ” Hot Stove last night that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones would “love” to be traded to either Colorado or Dallas. Jones has already informed the Blue Jackets that he is not interested in signing a long-term extension with Columbus. He has one year left on his contract.

Jones played lots of youth hockey in Denver, along with Dallas. His father, Popeye, played for the Denver Nuggets and befriended Joe Sakic and other Avs players in his time with the Nugs. Jones was in the same draft class as Nathan MacKinnon, in 2013.

Seth Jones is one heck of a defenseman, and he’d look great in an Avs sweater. Of course, the question is: what would it cost?

I’d say it would cost something on the order of a Nazem Kadri/Tyson Jost/J.T. Compher, a first-round pick and a prospect like a Conor Timmins or a Justin Barron. Something like that. I wouldn’t give up a Bo Byram to get him, yet I’m sure that’s the kind of guy Columbus would ask for. And, maybe I could be talked into giving up Byram for Jones.

Seth Jones is a proven D-man. Byram is not. Not yet, anyway. The Avs still seem like they need more size on the back end. Jones would give that.

I would expect Joe Sakic to at least talk with Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen about this. If Seth Jones is on the open market, you owe it to yourself to at least kick the tires.

Especially, after another second-round playoff exit.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215757 Columbus Blue Jackets What is Kekalainen's vision? Is there a player he absolutely loves — and can he get him?

My frame of reference here is Jim Rutherford, who won one Stanley Cup Michael Arace: How can Blue Jackets truly contend? A major rebuild is with the Carolina Hurricanes and two with the . Way one way to do it back when, Rutherford had to trade — and he got a big, young center, Keith Primeau, in return. The pursuit did not end there.

Michael Arace The guy Rutherford chased and chased for years and years was Rod Brind’Amour, another hard-nosed, two-way center. Rutherford had to have him. Ultimately, he flipped Primeau for Brind’Amour, who was a cornerstone of a 2002 Cup finalist and a 2006 Cup champion. Friday morning, when Brad Larsen was introduced as the next coach of the Blue Jackets, the news conference was attended by a group of Does Kekalainen, when he dreams, see a certain center — and can he players. Among them were Cam Atkinson, Gus Nyquist, Patrik Laine, get him? Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins. They were there to show support for their new coach and because, of course, they love the media. I'd keep Bjorkstrand and Merzlikins, let Atkinson and Jenner make their own call — and let it be known throughout the league that anyone else Seth Jones wasn’t there. Symbolic? Maybe Jones wants to lay low right could be had for the right price. But that's me. What players do you love? now, or maybe he’s just out-of-state. Reputedly, he’s a staunch supporter They don't have to be All-Stars. They have to be guys who fit, exquisitely, of Larsen, for whatever that’s worth. the puzzle you are assembling. Your Stanley Cup plan.

Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Zach Werenski weren’t there, The Jackets have nine picks, including three first-rounders, in the either. (Vacationing, presumably.) Like Jones, they were part of a upcoming draft (July 23-24). They have deals they can cut prior to the “leadership group” that sat down with general manager Jarmo expansion draft. (“Want a late-first-round pick? We can help shield you Kekalainen in May. They talked about the team’s future. Certainly, from Seattle. Just give us this 20-year-old defenseman we love.”) Larsen’s name came up then, a month ago. They have assets to market, beginning with Jones. Does Werenski still This sort of mingling of players with management — in Friday’s case, on want to be here? If not ... a public stage — is good to see if you are a Blue Jackets fan. There needs to be a healthier relationship between the locker room and the With vision, strategy and audacity, a ground-up rebuild can be a game- front office. Presenting a united front is good for business, especially if it's changer in Columbus. It might take a year or more, but a true Cup not phony. contender can be assembled. And that is when the culture in Columbus changes truly. Those in whom much has been invested need to feel vested. That doesn’t mean players get to veto personnel transactions, or that fans get Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.14.2021 to run the power play (insert your own Larsen joke here). It’s just to say that a franchise is healthier when everyone feels they're pulling in the same direction. Even the Crew know this.

We can spend hours parsing through the cases of every player who has walked out the door since the Jackets loaded up to win a playoff round. Every situation is different, but the overarching point is this: If more players believed they had a chance to win a Stanley Cup in Columbus, more talent would have been retained and the Blue Jackets would be in a much better place than they are today.

Case in point: Recently, word came that Jones, the All-Star defenseman and next-captain material, has decided he will test the free-agent market in 2022 rather than sign a contract extension. Jones is not saying he can make more money elsewhere, because he probably can’t. What he is saying is that he thinks that, over the next nine years, he has a better chance of winning somewhere else. Think about that.

It follows, then, that Jones has to be traded. Unless he has a change of heart, he is an asset that has to be leveraged — and sooner rather than later, for optimum return. Period.

If that happens — and it probably will — then a key piece of a “reload” or “reset,” or whatever management wants to call it, is being removed. And if it is, then Columbus is a less attractive place for high-end players who can’t see a quick turnaround happening here.

Kekalainen gently pushed back at this notion Friday:

“We’ve talked about the expectations, and we’ve talked about a little bit of a reset (beginning) at the trade deadline (when Nick Foligno and David Savard were traded for future assets). So, we’re going to grow.

“We’re going to grow together with a new coach. And we’re going to grow as an organization. I think we’ll get a lot of internal growth, and we’re going to have an exciting summer ahead of us to be better once the season starts. But we expect to compete to make the playoffs, and once you make the playoffs, you compete to win the Stanley Cup.”

Playoffs? Did he say playoffs? One supposes it’s possible. Kekalainen has a lot of faith in the young players he has drafted and developed, or acquired. There is a new voice in Larsen. Maybe they can aspire to leap from bad to mediocre.

That said, the smart play isn’t hard to read. The Jackets have bottomed out, or are in the process of bottoming out. It’s all about leveraging assets for futures now, like with Jones. It's a longer game now. 1215758 Columbus Blue Jackets back No. 1 overall picks (Myles Garrett in 2017, Baker Mayfield in 2018) before Stefanski arrived.

The process of stocking the Blue Jackets’ roster with high draft picks has Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Give Brad Larsen a chance, realistic only just begun, starting with the No. 5 pick next month. expectations, expansion draft update Item No. 2: Bite down hard

One of the reasons Larsen’s hiring was received so harshly by some By Aaron Portzline Jun 13, 2021 Blue Jackets fans is the club hasn’t done a great job of setting proper expectations for what’s ahead.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen insisted for most of April and May COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations, and that this would be a quick-fix “reload,” that this awful season was just an did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Blue unfortunate hiccup and the Blue Jackets would be a competitive club — Jackets: maybe a playoff team — in 2021-22.

Item No. 1: On the Brad Larsen hiring If that were truly the expectation, a win-now coach like Gerard Gallant would have made sense and would have appeased the fan base. Gallant Before this week, the last time an NHL assistant coach was promoted to would have absolutely loved a return to Columbus, by the way. head coach within the same organization during an offseason — in other words, not in-season after the head coach was fired — was after the But that’s not what’s coming. The Blue Jackets are in a full-blown, take-it- 2018 season when it happened twice. down-to-the-wood rebuild, and everybody knows it.

One was Todd Reirden, who took over the Washington Capitals after That started to come into focus when John Davidson, who has made a they won the Stanley Cup. He lasted two seasons and got fired. third career out of flipping NHL houses, rejoined the Blue Jackets as president of hockey operations in May. It became clearer when The other coach, a former player, had been an assistant with the club for defenseman Seth Jones told the club last month that he wouldn’t sign an seven seasons, and he was in charge of the power play during that time. extension. It’s crystal clear now, with the hiring of Larsen. In those seven seasons combined, the power play was ranked 30th out of 31 NHL clubs at a lowly 16.8 percent, ahead of only Florida (16.6). Now the Blue Jackets are starting to get their public messaging aligned accordingly, though we can acknowledge the balancing act between a That coach: Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes, now one of the willingness to be realistic and a desire to sell tickets. most admired coaches in the NHL and one of three finalists this season for the Jack Adams Trophy, given annually to the league’s best coach. From the Blue Jackets’ perspective, this is not the time to spend $3 million-plus on a coach. But hiring Larsen accomplishes two goals: On Thursday, the Blue Jackets hired Brad Larsen to much outrage and vitriol from a portion of the fan base. Larsen, an assistant for seven 1. They have a young, energetic coach who can be an effective teacher seasons in Columbus, has overseen a power play that ranks 26th (17.8 for a roster that’s only going to get younger in the coming months. percent) in the NHL during that time. 2. They’ve hired a coach the players really respect, an important step in This is not to say that Larsen, 43, will enjoy the same immediate success repairing a fractured relationship between the dressing room and the as Brind’Amour has had with Carolina. The 2018-19 Hurricanes were in a front office. far different spot than the one the Blue Jackets are in. Larsen may look to some like a sacrificial lamb. There are surprises But it is to make two points in the wake of Larsen’s hiring by the Blue every year in the NHL, of course, and you can’t expect Larsen and the Jackets: players to perform according to the script. They’ll try to win every game.

First, judging an NHL assistant coach solely by the special-teams unit But Columbus likely won’t be built to compete in 2021-22 or 2022-23, and they coach is rather shortsighted. Yes, the power play or penalty kill Larsen’s three-year contract could be expiring right about the time the success rate is a very public number, maybe the only way fans have to Blue Jackets begin to see the fruits of their suffering. quantify assistants. If you’re Larsen, though, landing an NHL coaching job, no matter the “They’re looking at a very small thing,” said Blue Jackets forward Cam situation, is a dream come true. Atkinson, one of Larsen’s main proponents. “It’s the players who go out and have to execute. It doesn’t matter who is telling you what to do. The alternative to accepting this position would have been to join the open market of former NHL assistants looking for work, and who knows if “I mean, we had Marty St. Louis helping us out (one year). There’s only he’d ever get another head-coaching opportunity again in the league? so much they can do and say and put on the board. It’s the players who have to execute. If anything, we should take the blame … we should and “We have a long, hard, good, very interesting summer ahead of us to try we have taken the blame.” and build a stronger roster,” Davidson said at Larsen’s introductory news conference. “We’re going to roll up our sleeves. That I can promise you.” Larsen also was in charge of aspects of games that aren’t so easily quantified: hammering home former coach John Tortorella’s system, An NHL truism: Everybody wants to have rebuilt; nobody wants to teaching defensive-zone coverage and away-from-the-puck play to rebuild. The process is just beginning in Columbus. forwards, etc. Item No. 3: A small issue before the expansion draft Until it all fell to pieces this season — the Blue Jackets had the fourth- The NHL expansion draft is just 5 1/2 weeks away, and the Blue Jackets worst record in the NHL and allowed the seventh-most goals (3.29 per remain in much better shape than they were four years ago, when they game) — Columbus was regarded as one of the top checking clubs in surrendered center William Karlsson to the Vegas Golden Knights. the league under Tortorella and his staff. The Blue Jackets seem likely to lose one of three players — forward Eric Second, that it’s not always easy to see a good coach coming. Robinson, defenseman Dean Kukan or goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks — In January 2020, a long-suffering NFL team went looking for a coach. It to the Seattle Kraken in the July 21 draft. But there is still some work to had just endured its 12th consecutive losing season under a first-time be done, specifically with the Blue Jackets’ forward list. head coach who lasted only one season, and many in the fan base The Jackets won’t have any trouble finding seven forwards to protect. wanted the next coach to have head-coaching experience. Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Max Domi, Boone Jenner, Patrik Laine, Gus Instead, the Browns hired Kevin Stefanski, who had spent 14 Nyquist, Robinson and Jack Roslovic would all require it, but they need seasons — an eternity in pro sports — as an assistant with the two forwards who meet the criteria to expose to Seattle for selection. Minnesota Vikings. The Browns went 11-5 and made the playoffs for the The criteria: The forward must be under contract in 2021-22, and he must first time since 2002, and Stefanski was named NFL coach of the year. have played at least 27 NHL games in the prior season or 54 games over Which is not to say that Larsen should expect the same immediate the prior two seasons. success as Stefanski enjoyed with the Browns. The Browns had back-to- One of the eight names listed above will have to be exposed, so that’s one of the two slots. But the Blue Jackets will need to get creative or make a transaction in the next month or so to fill the other.

Kekalainen could sign pending restricted free agent Kevin Stenlund to a new contract between now and the draft, then expose him to Seattle.

Stenlund, 24, doesn’t have a ton of leverage — he’s been a so-so player in 64 games with the Blue Jackets the past two seasons — but he does have arbitration rights, which adds a certain wrinkle to contract talks.

Or the Blue Jackets could make a minor trade with another club to acquire a player who meets the criteria to be exposed. (Hell, for that matter, they could make a major trade that blows all of this into the ether.)

Or the Blue Jackets could expose Nyquist, who missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, or Domi, who will miss the start of next season after having shoulder surgery earlier this month.

Snacks

• Larsen put together a list of potential assistants during his interview with the Blue Jackets, but he didn’t dare start contacting those candidates until after his hiring became official. “That’s putting the cart before the horse,” he said. The process now begins in earnest with the coaching carousel is now fully revved and running. Larsen will be looking for two bench coaches, one to run the power play and one for the penalty kill. Goaltending coach Manny Legace and coaches Kenny McCudden and Jared Boll are already in place.

• One name to keep in mind for Larsen’s staff is former Blue Jackets forward Kevin Dineen, who has spent the past two seasons as coach of AHL San Diego in the organization. Dineen was Larsen’s coach with AHL Portland in 2009-10, his final pro season as a player. (Also on that team: Nathan Gerbe.) It wouldn’t be an easy decision to leave San Diego, where it’s always sunny and 76 degrees, but Dineen may be ready for an NHL return, especially after Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins was recently assured that he’ll be back next season.

• When the Blue Jackets drafted forward Yegor Chinakhov at No. 21 last year, there was a collective “uh, who?” among even some draft experts. But everybody knows Chinakhov’s name now. The 20-year-old this week was awarded the KHL’s Alexei Cherepanov Award as rookie of the year. In 32 games with Avangard, Chinakhov had 10 goals and 17 points.

• Expect an announcement “soon,” per Kekalainen, on a new title and role for Josef Boumedienne, who relocated his family from Sweden to Columbus earlier this offseason. Boumedienne joined the Blue Jackets as a scout in 2013 and was promoted to director of European scouting in 2016. This could be part of a larger shuffling in the front office.

• Chris Morehouse is expected to remain with the as director of amateur scouting for now. But it won’t surprise anybody if he eventually returns to the Blue Jackets, for whom he served as co-director of amateur scouting (with Ville Siren) for four seasons. Morehouse is Davidson’s son-in-law.

• No, really, that Grégory Hofmann contract is just about finished. (Don’t elephants have shorter gestation periods?) The Swiss outlet Sport.ch reports that Hofmann’s one-way deal with the Blue Jackets will be worth roughly $900,000.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215759 Dallas Stars

‘The next chapter starts tomorrow’: Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns announces retirement

By SportsDay Staff 9:43 PM on Jun 13, 2021 CDT

After six seasons in the NHL, Stephen Johns is hanging up his skates.

The 29-year-old Stars defenseman announced his retirement in an Instagram post on Sunday. Johns, who has detailed his battles with depression, plans to travel the country to help others struggling with their mental health.

“I’m writing this post because I’m tired of letting depression destroy my life,” Johns said in the post. “The realization that my career has come to an end has really [expletive] with my identity... What I’ll miss most about the game of hockey is providing inspiration. So, I’ve decided to rollerblade and road-trip across the country to hopefully help others facing their own battles.

“I’ll be documenting along the way, to share my full story, because I know what it feels like to be alone. If I can still inspire one person to climb out of their hole, then that’s a successful trip and exactly what I’m aiming for.”

An unrestricted free agent, Johns did not play this past season and missed the final 23 games of the Stars’ 2020 postseason run. Johns missed the entire 2018-19 season due to post-traumatic headaches and returned to the ice in January 2020, playing in 17 regular season games. He went on to be named a Masterton Trophy finalist, which is awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Johns was selected 60th overall by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2010 NHL draft. He was traded to Dallas in July 2015, where he logged 167 career games.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215760 Detroit Red Wings in three fights this season, one of which was against Florida’s Riley Stillman in retaliation for a hit on Larkin. Would have been interesting to see what Smith would have done had he been in the lineup either of the two games against the Stars immediately following Jamie Benn’s Detroit Red Wings 2016 draft review: Still waiting for class to greatly season-ending cheap shot on Larkin. Smith brings a physical dimension impact rebuild the Wings lack.

STICK AROUND: Wings must consider a larger role for Givani Smith. Here's why HELENE ST. JAMES In hindsight: Defenseman Adam Fox (66th, Calgary Flames) played 70

games as a rookie in 2019-20. He led all NHL defensemen with 42 In 2016, the Detroit Red Wings were a playoff team with a roster that was assists this season and is a finalist for the Norris Trophy. worth gambling a bit with the future to improve the present. D Filip Hronek It was that summer Pavel Datsyuk announced he was leaving with a year Drafted: 53rd. left on his contract, leaving then-general manager Ken Holland with a $7.5 million, salary-cap headache. Draft year: Four assists in 40 games with Hradec Kralove in the top Czech league. Holland’s solution was to unload the contract on the Arizona Coyotes in a deal that saw the teams flip first-round picks, and the Wings gain the Scouting report: Good skater, competitive and strong on the puck. Coyotes’ second-round pick. Wingspan: This was who the Wings selected with the Coyotes' pick. The deal was made during the first round. Holland wanted the cap space Hronek, 23, is a top-four defenseman who plays with a grit beyond his 6- to pursue Steven Stamkos, who at that time was a few days from foot, 183-pound frame. He’s a good passer and shooter. He led the team unrestricted free agency. The Wings were looking to shore up a roster with 26 points this season, and while he also had a team-worst minus-8 that included veterans Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, rating, that reflects being tasked with playing against opposing top lines. Niklas Kronwall and Mike Green, and youngsters Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou. D Alfons Malmstrom

Stamkos ended up staying with Tampa Bay Lightning and the Wings Drafted: 107th. instead signed Frans Nielsen. While that decision hasn’t held up well — Draft year: Two goals, six assists for eight points in 41 games with Nielsen has struggled the past three seasons — the saving grace of Orebro in junior league. flipping the contract was who the Wings got in the second round. Scouting report: Good mobility. This is the first of a five-part series evaluating the most recent drafts leading up to the 2021 event. As is the benefit with hindsight, there are Wingspan: No longer in the system. instances where the Wings could have made a better choice. Hindsight: Defenseman Noah Gregor (111th, ) has 11 Drafted: 20th. points in 58 games.

Draft year: 12 goals, 28 assists for 40 points with Chilliwack (British D Jordan Sambrook Columbia Hockey League), and four goals, 11 assists in 20 playoff games. Drafted: 137th.

Scouting report: Smooth skater with high-end offensive abilities. Draft year: Nine goals, 18 assists for 27 points in 67 games with Erie ( Hockey League). Wingspan: Cholowski made the opening lineup in 2018, and at Christmas ranked second among team defensemen with 14 points — and first on Scouting report: Steady, decent puck mover. the team with a minus-11 rating. He finished that season in Grand Wingspan: No longer in the system. Rapids. His 2019-20 play reflected what an awful season it was for the team (the Wings finished 17-49-5, in last place), with Cholowski In hindsight: Forward Jesper Bratt (162nd, ) has 130 recording eight points and a minus-26 rating in 36 games. He appeared points in 231 career games. in just 16 games (three points, minus-1) this season, spending a chunk of it on the taxi squad and otherwise playing 13 games (10 points) with the G Filip Larsson Griffins. Cholowski has 27 points and a minus-47 rating in 104 career Drafted: 167th. games. Draft year: 3.86 goals-against average and .872 save percentage in 19 Cholowski is an NHL-caliber skater who can make plays with the puck, games for Djurgardens jr. team. but the issue has been his ability to recognize when a play is too much of a risk. He’s repeatedly been told he needs to show more assertiveness. Scouting report: Technically sound.

General manager Steve Yzerman will have to decide if Cholowski is Wingspan: There was talk early on that Larsson had the goods to make it worth protecting in the Seattle expansion draft. There’s certainly still to the NHL, but that’s faded. After a solid season (1.95 goals-against promise there, and it’s worth remembering Cholowski is still only 23. It average, .932 save percentage) at University of Denver in 2018-19, takes some players longer than others to figure out things. Larsson was supposed to battle for the starting job in Grand Rapids in 2019-20. He struggled to find his groove, posting a 4.01 GAA and .83 In hindsight: The Coyotes used the pick they got from the Wings, at No. save percentage in just seven appearances, and recorded a 2.72 GAA 16, on defenseman Jacob Chychrun. He has 121 points and a minus-26 and .910 save percentage in 10 games with the Toledo Walleye. He split rating in 290 games. The best pick made after the Wings selected at No. this past season between lower levels in Scandinavia, posting a .883 20 is forward Alex DeBrincat (39th, Chicago Blackhawks). The save percentage in six games with Altuma (Sweden) and a .889 save Farmington Hills native scored 41 goals in 2018-19, and 32 in 2020-21. percentage in 10 games with Frederikshavn (Denmark). Of his 56 points this past season, 11 were against the Wings. In hindsight: Not much to choose from, but defenseman Jeremy Davies F Givani Smith (192nd, ) appeared in 16 games in 2021, recording Drafted: 46th. one assist and a plus-3 rating.

Draft year: 23 goals, 19 assists for 42 points, along 146 penalty minutes, F Mattias Elfstrom in 65 games with Guelph (). Drafted: 197th.

Scouting report: Physical player with infectious attitude and energy. Draft year: 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 43 games with Malmo Wingspan: He has appeared in 37 games over the past two seasons, J20 (junior league in Sweden). Played 5 games for Malmo’s top Swedish recording three goals, four assists and 30 penalty minutes. He engaged league club. Scouting report: Good size (6-4, 197 pounds).

Wingspan: No longer in the system.

In hindsight: Joachim Blichfeld (210th, San Jose Sharks) led San Jose's AHL affiliate, the Barracuda, with 22 points and scored a goal in five appearances with the Sharks.

Need a gift for Father's Day?

What: “The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings.”

Author: Helene St. James, who has covered the Red Wings at the Detroit Free Press since 1996. Foreword by Chris Osgood, winner of three Stanley Cups as a Wings goaltender.

Publisher: Triumph Books.

Pages: 336 pages (paperback).

Price: $16.95.

Availability: Available in leading bookstores and online from booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the book: “The Big 50” brings to life the men and moments that made the Red Wings such a dynamic and iconic franchise for nearly a century. The book features never-before-told stories about the greats such as Howe, Yzerman, Lidstrom and Lindsay, the near-greats beloved by fans and the great memories of Fight Night, the Fabulous Fifties, the Team for the Ages, the Grind Line, The Joe and much more.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215761 Montreal Canadiens you have to seize the moment and make the best of it. That’s what the message was, and the response has been very good so far.”

Montreal hopes to make its first appearance in the Stanley Cup final Habs GM Bergevin deserves credit for making the Canadiens a playoff since 1993, when it captured its 24th championship. With a victory over contender Vegas, it can become the first Canadian franchise to reach the Stanley Cup final since Vancouver in 2011.

The Canadiens will need to be as good or better than they were against PUBLISHED JUNE 13, 2021 the Maple Leafs and Jets, and will need a dominant performance out of goaltender Carey Price. His matchup in net with Marc-André Fleury of the UPDATED JUNE 13, 2021 Golden Knights, a fellow future Hall of Famer, is one for the ages. PAUL CHIASSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS “There is no doubt in my mind every single player in the league knows Carey is the best goalie in the league, and that he can steal you a game,” said Paul Byron, the Montreal forward. “That rubs off on the rest of us.” He looks resplendent in a red suit, but Marc Bergevin has more than a great flare for fashion. Since he took over as general manager of the Critics argue that the Canadiens emerged as the best team in the Canadiens in May of 2012, the teams he has constructed have enjoyed weakest division in the NHL. Bergevin says there was nothing easy about more playoff success than any other in Canada. playing in the North. Among other things, the travel was far more difficult than in any of the other three. Overall the group is a weak lot, but in those nine years Montreal has won a combined five playoff rounds. The Jets and “So far being the underdog hasn’t hurt us,” Bergevin said. “We are have won three each, the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and happy, but we are not satisfied. We have some unfinished business and Vancouver Canucks have each won one, and the Toronto Maple Leafs it starts in Vegas on Monday night.” none. Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.14.2021 It takes four rounds to win the Stanley Cup, so that says something about the meagre achievements of the organizations in our home and native land. The Canadiens were Canada’s last team to hoist the trophy – and it was in 1993. It is so long ago that Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner weren’t born.

The chances are it won’t happen again this year, but Montreal is making a nice go of it. The Canadiens won seven games in a row to eliminate Toronto and Winnipeg and begin the Stanley Cup semi-finals against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Monday night. The Canadiens were ranked the lowest among the 16 teams that reached the postseason, while Vegas is the top remaining seed. It is the third time in the franchise’s four years to get this far, which is irksome to more established organizations – see Toronto – and a model for the expansion Seattle Kraken, which will begin play in the NHL this fall.

Bergevin presided over a news conference over the weekend in advance of Game 1 and he spoke about the team’s unusual route to this point. After a fast start, the Canadiens hit a lull, had players sidelined and games suspended because of COVID-19, seemingly backed into the last playoff spot in the all-Canadian North Division and have since gone on a surprising roll.

“It was difficult,” said Bergevin, who has worn the same red suit now for seven consecutive game days. “I saw players who cared but were mentally and physically really tired. It was tough, but they battled through it. We got in [to the playoffs] and I have always said once you are in, anything is possible.

“We are sitting here today excited about the challenge of facing the Golden Knights and we are well aware we are the underdog and we don’t care.”

At this point, a tip of the cap to Bergevin is in order. He has made a handful of moves that significantly bolstered Montreal’s lineup – adding Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson in the offseason and bringing in Corey Perry and Eric Staal later on.

Toffoli won a Stanley Cup with the and led the Canadiens with 28 goals during the regular season. Anderson’s 17 goals were the second-most on the team. Perry, who is 36, won a Stanley Cup in 2007 with Anaheim and has been a force for Montreal during the playoffs. Staal, also 36, won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and has created lots of mayhem while teaming with Perry on the fourth line.

“The guys who won a Stanley Cup were not brought in here by accident,” Bergevin said. “They were brought in by design, and I think it is paying off now. We have some young kids, but we have strong leaders that have been through all the battles. We knew we were bringing in guys with character.

“The message they have given the team is that if you go to the conference final or Stanley Cup final it doesn’t automatically mean you will be back there a year from now. It is a privilege to be where we are today. It takes a long time sometimes to be in the position we are in, so 1215762 Montreal Canadiens Defenceman Jeff Petry, who missed Game 4 against the Jets with what is believed to be a hand injury, skated Sunday in Las Vegas but isn’t expected to play in Game 1.

Canadiens Notebook: GM Marc Bergevin's moves are finally paying off “To know exactly when he’s going to be, for example, on the ice to practise with the whole team, it could be any time,” Ducharme said about Petry. “But he’s getting closer and we’ll see. It might be tomorrow, might be Tuesday, we’ll see.” Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette Forward Jake Evans, who is recovering from a concussion, and injured Publishing date:Jun 13, 2021 • 8 hours ago defenceman Jon Merrill also aren’t expected to play in Game 1.

The Canadiens are big underdogs heading into the series after finishing Marc Bergevin was a busy man during the off-season last year. 23 points behind the Golden Knights during the regular season.

The Canadiens general manager added goalie Jake Allen, defenceman “Every team’s different and when you get to the final four like this you’re Joel Edmundson and forwards Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, Corey Perry going to be playing a good team,” Ducharme said. “We got to be going and Michael Frolik to the team while spending right up to the US$81.5- back to the things that we do well. I think we played some pretty million NHL salary cap. complete games, solid on defence and being dynamic and active on the offensive side with a really good goaltender. Again, we got to go back to Things looked great when the Canadiens got off to a 7-1-2 start before using our strength and controlling what we can control and that’s our the wheels started to fall off. Head coach Claude Julien and associate main focus.” coach Kirk Muller were both fired when the team had a 9-5-4 record, replaced by Dominique Ducharme and Alex Burrows. Six days later, Goalie showdown goalie coach Stéphane Waite was fired during the middle of a game, The Canadiens-Golden Knights series will feature a goaltending replaced by Sean Burke. showdown between Carey Price and Marc-André Fleury, who have both The wheels were still rattling before the NHL trade deadline, when been outstanding during the playoffs. Bergevin acquired veteran centre Eric Staal, along with defencemen Jon Price has an 8-3-0 record with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .935 Merrill and Erik Gustafsson. The Canadiens were then forced to play save percentage for the Canadiens, while Fleury is 8-4-1 with a 1.91 their final 25 regular-season games in 44 days after Joel Armia tested GAA and a .923 save percentage for the Golden Knights. positive for COVID-19 and they limped into the playoffs on a five-game winless streak. “Flower, he’s an awesome goaltender and he’s an awesome dude,” Price said Sunday about Fleury. “I had the opportunity to skate with him a few Now, after eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the times and his work ethic speaks for itself. As far as trying to solve him, I first round and sweeping the in the second round, the don’t think there’s any secrets. It’s going to be traffic and deflections and Canadiens head into a Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Vegas getting to the net. His résumé speaks for itself.” Golden Knights on a seven-game winning streak. The Canadiens never won more than three consecutive games during the regular season. Fleury won three Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is a finalist this season for the Vézina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender Game 1 against the Golden Knights is Monday in Las Vegas (9 p.m., after posting a 26-10-0 record with a 1.98 goals-against average and a CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). The New York .928 save percentage. Price, who has never won the Stanley Cup, Islanders beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 1 of the second struggled during the regular season with a 12-7-5 record, a 2.64 GAA semifinal series Sunday afternoon. and a .901 save percentage. “The guys we brought in, sometimes it does work, sometimes it doesn’t “You can kind of see it in his demeanour right now,” teammate Brendan work,” Bergevin said during a video conference Saturday. “But we knew Gallagher said about Price. “He’s locked in, he’s ready for any we were bringing guys with character. Like I mentioned to our team in our challenge.” first meeting in Toronto before the season started … these guys who won Stanley Cups they were not brought in here by accident, but by design. I Gallagher and Price are the only two players who were with the think it’s paying off now. We have some young kids, but we have some Canadiens the last time they made it to the Stanley Cup semifinals in strong leadership that have been through the battles of winning a Stanley 2014, losing in six games to the New York Rangers. Price suffered a Cup. Just a year ago, Corey Perry was in the final with the Dallas Stars.” knee injury in Game 1 when Rangers forward Chris Kreider crashed into him and he was knocked out of the series. Allen, Edmundson, Toffoli, Perry, Frolik and Staal all have Stanley Cup rings. Perry and Staal both addressed their teammates after the “Going back to last time we were here it was a big disappointment for him Canadiens fell behind 3-1 in their first-round playoff series against the getting injured in Game 1 and then having to watch us eventually lose,” Leafs. Gallagher said about Price. “You can see he’s definitely excited, definitely hungry for the opportunity and it’s pretty nice to play in front of a “The message I believe they told the guys — and I’ve lived it myself — it guy with that mentality.” doesn’t mean you go to the conference final or Stanley Cup final that you’ll automatically be back here a year or two from now,” Bergevin said. Price said it was exciting to be back in the semifinals. “It’s a privilege to be where we are today. It takes a long time sometimes to go back to be in the position we are today. So seize the moment and “This time of year is just the most fun time to play,” he said. “It’s the most make the best of it and that’s what I believe the message was and the challenging, it’s the most difficult mentally, it’s what makes it so exciting.” response so far has been very good.” First time for Weber The Canadiens will have gone six days without playing a game before Canadiens captain Shea Weber is in his 16th NHL season but this marks facing the Golden Knights in Game 1. the first time he has advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals. “It’s a tricky situation,” Ducharme said Sunday about the long break. “It’s great,” he said “Excited for it. Really excited.” “Managing the physical part, which is getting some rest. Obviously, we used that for our team fairly well. The guys are energized now and the As for the team the Canadiens will be facing, Weber said about the challenge is more on the mental side. So we kept our guys busy and Golden Knights: “They’re a deep team. They play well up and down the connected to the game with meetings on days that we were not skating, lineup. The defencemen are good, mobile, steady and, obviously, great not every day. Short ones, but just building it up as we are getting closer goaltending. It’s going to be a challenge for us, just like the other series to tomorrow. Giving them key points in guys’ minds and things that will were. Different challenges in different ways and we’re going to prepare help us and focusing on those things instead of looking too far ahead or accordingly and be ready for tomorrow.” looking more at the bigger picture. Just smaller things so we can focus on those and really control those things.” Alex Pietrangelo is the No. 1 defencemen with the Golden Knights after signing a seven-year, US$61.1-million contract with Vegas as a free agent last October following 12 seasons with the St. Louis Blues. Weber and Pietrangelo were teammates with Team Canada at the 2014 Olympics, winning a gold medal.

“He’s a great defenceman and it was a lot of fun playing with him and I played a lot against him when he was in St Louis as well,” Weber said. “He’s a great player and a guy that we’re going to have to get after and challenge him as he’s going to be getting after our top guys as well.”

Peaks and valleys

Bergevin spoke Saturday about the grind of the NHL’s condensed 56- game regular season and the toll it took on his players.

“A schedule, regular season, there’s peaks and valleys,” he said. “There always is. Even if it’s an 82-game season or 56, there’s ups and downs. And, of course, for us once we got hit with the COVID we took that seven to eight days off and that schedule got really cramped up.

“It was difficult because I saw players caring, but mentally and physically being really tired and, plus, we were getting guys who were injured at the same time, key players,” the GM added. “So it was tough, but they battled through it. We got in (the playoffs) and I always said once you’re in anything’s possible and we’re sitting here today excited about the challenge of facing the Golden Knights.”

Bergevin also disagreed with people who are suggesting the Canadiens only got into the playoffs because they were playing in a weak all- Canadian North Division. The Canadiens (24-21-11) had the worst record of the 16 teams who got into the playoffs.

“As far as the Canadian division, I’m not sure where that comes from,” Bergevin said. “There was not any easy nights in our division. Travel was hard. Even the last-place team — or close to last-place team — Ottawa Senators, they finished pretty strong and the whole year if it wasn’t for their start they’d probably be battling for a playoff spot. So there was no easy nights in our division. Whoever said it was an easy division, you could ask all the players on the Canadian teams, it was not an easy division. I can’t speak for the other ones, but I know here and, plus, hockey in Canada you’re in the spotlight every night. So it was a tough division and hockey was at its best. Every team almost had superstars and it was not easy.

“For us, we’re happy but we’re not satisfied,” the GM added about his team’s current position. “We have some unfinished business and it’s going to start Monday in Vegas.”

Defending Maurice

Before taking questions from the media on Saturday, Bergevin defended Jets head coach Paul Maurice, who didn’t shake hands with the Canadiens players after the second-round series.

“There was rumours or there were sayings around the media that Paul Maurice lacked respect for the Montreal Canadiens for not shaking the players’ hands,” Bergevin said. “It’s not at all. It’s a coach’s decision. They shook hands between each other (Maurice and Ducharme) and that’s the right thing to do and after that it’s up to the coaches if they want to do the players or not. But Paul Maurice has been in the league a long time and there’s no way that he showed the Montreal Canadiens any disrespect. Like me and Chevy (Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff) we shook hands and that’s how it works. GM-GM, coaches-coaches and players- players.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215763 Montreal Canadiens

Legault pushing to allow larger crowds at Bell Centre

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:Jun 13, 2021 • 8 hours ago

As the Montreal Canadiens begin a best-of-seven semifinal playoff series on Monday, Quebec Premier François Legault is looking at whether capacity at the Bell Centre can be increased from its current 2,500 to get more fans in.

Legault said on Sunday he had raised the issue with public health director Horacio Arruda. COVID-19 health guidelines currently restrict the crowd to 2,500, with no more than 250 per independent section, as with other venues.

“I’m pushing Dr. Arruda, but we have to be fair,” he said, noting that many festivals have been cancelled or curtailed because of the pandemic and the Bell Centre should not receive special treatment.

“We have to look if we can (have) more people (while) respecting the rules that are necessary, because we need to go gradually in order not to see a bump in the next few weeks,” he said.

The Vegas Golden Knights, the Canadiens’ opponent, don’t have the same capacity limitation and are playing in front of more than 18,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena. Legault said Montreal’s crowd capacity at the Bell Centre gives Vegas a stronger home advantage.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215764 Montreal Canadiens “We’re well aware we’re the underdogs,” Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Saturday. “Like Tyler (Toffoli) said, we don’t care. We’re going over there and we’ll be ready to face the challenge on Monday night. Vegas odds are stacked against the Canadiens in Stanley Cup semifinal “So far the underdog hasn’t hurt us at all,” the GM added.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.14.2021 Stu Cowan Publishing date:Jun 13, 2021 • 10 hours ago

The Canadiens are big underdogs heading into their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Golden Knights that begins Monday night in Las Vegas (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

How big?

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Golden Knights were the biggest favourites in a Stanley Cup semifinal series in 31 years after the odds were listed at -450/+375 at the Westgate, -450/+350 at BetMGM and -435/+350 at Circa Sports.

The -450/+375 odds at the Westgate suggest the Golden Knights have an 81.82 per cent chance of winning the series. You would need to wager $450 to win $100 on the Golden Knights to win the series, while a $100 bet on the Canadiens would net $375 if they pull off the upset.

“I can’t remember a price like this in the semifinals,” Westgate vice- president Ed Salmons told the Review-Journal. “Usually, you don’t see weak teams get to the final four. On paper, it looks like a complete mismatch. It’s hockey. If one team struggles to score and a goalie plays out of his mind, that always gives you a chance. But it would be shocking to me if the Knights didn’t win this series.”

The odds don’t concern the Canadiens’ Brendan Gallagher.

“That would be a problem if we didn’t have a belief in our locker room,” Gallagher said Sunday when asked about the Canadiens being big underdogs. “I think when we started this whole thing at the start of the year we had the same goal in mind and every single guy believed in it regardless of what outside our room might have thought. We got off to a great start (7-1-2 to start the season) and I think people started to believe in us. Went through a dip in the middle of the season and a lot of people probably jumped off the bandwagon. But for us in the room, the belief stayed the same, the goal stayed the same. And then starting the playoffs off it was kind of the same way.

“People may have doubted us, but for us in the locker room, we had belief in each other,” Gallagher added. “It’s the same thing going into this series. We know what type of team that we are, we know how we have to play to have success and then this whole week leading up to this has been making sure that we’re going to be sharp and pick up where we left off. The perception of our group doesn’t mean a whole lot outside the locker room. It’s more so just how we feel inside it and, as of now, we have a lot of belief and hopefully that continues going forward.”

When asked Sunday if the Canadiens were looking to prove people wrong in this series, Paul Byron said: “It’s not something you think about every day. You just know that people doubt your team, people always doubt us. But I think all our guys on the team have internal fuel on their own. It’s not just about proving wrong, but it’s about proving yourself right, proving your teammates right, showing up to work every day, working for them, doing what you can to help the team win.

“It doesn’t really matter what’s said outside the room,” Byron added. “We’ve always had internal belief in ourselves, what we can do as a group. You look around the room, the players that we have, Shea (Weber) and Corey (Perry) and Gally, Phil (Danault), Cole (Caufield) now, Eric (Staal). We have guys that have won, we have young guys, lots of great role players. It’s not too often you have a team of our calibre right now and a chance like we have on our table, so we want to make the most of that. It’s the best time of year. You work all year for this moment and it’s time to get started.”

The Golden Knights had a 40-14-2 record during the regular season, finishing 23 points ahead of the Canadiens, who were 24-21-11. The Golden Knights beat the Minnesota Wild in seven games in the first round of the best-of-seven playoffs and eliminated the Colorado Avalanche in six games in the second round, winning the last four games. The Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the first round and swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round and are now on a seven-game winning streak. 1215765 Montreal Canadiens 13-4 record. The Avalanche and Golden Knights both had 82 points, but Colorado won the tie-breaker with more regulation-time wins (35-30).

I picked the Leafs to beat the Canadiens in five games in the first round Stu Cowan: Don't bet on Canadiens to win in Vegas of the playoffs and came within a Nick Suzuki overtime goal of possibly getting that right. In the second round, I picked the Canadiens to beat the Jets in six games, but they only needed four to take that series.

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette As I said, I’d love to pick the Canadiens to beat the Golden Knights in this series but, unfortunately, I just can’t see it happening. Publishing date:Jun 13, 2021 • 10 hours ago Golden Knights in six — but I wouldn’t mind being wrong on this one.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.14.2021 I’d love to predict the Canadiens will beat the Golden Knights in their Stanley Cup semifinal series that begins Monday night in Las Vegas (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

A trip to the Stanley Cup final would be a great boost for the city of Montreal as it starts to come back to life after COVID-19 lockdown with bars and restaurants re-opening, and for a Canadiens franchise that hasn’t been to the final since winning its record 24th championship in 1993. It would also be great for hockey in this country, since no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens 28 long years ago. Since then only four Canadian franchises have even made it to the final and none since the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in 2011. The Canucks also made it to the final in 1994, losing to the New York Rangers; the Calgary Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004; the Edmonton Oilers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006; and the Ottawa Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.

The last time the Canadiens even made it to the semifinals was 2014. They lost in six games to the Rangers after goalie Carey Price was knocked out of the series with a knee injury when New York forward Chris Kreider crashed into him in Game 1.

Only two members of that Canadiens team are still with the club: Price and Brendan Gallagher.

For the Golden Knights, this is their second straight trip to the semifinals after making it to the final in their first season as an expansion team in 2017-18, when they lost to the Washington Capitals. During their four seasons in the NHL, the Golden Knights have made the playoffs every year, losing in the first round in 2019. Since entering the NHL four years ago, the Golden Knights have an overall regular-season record of 173- 94-24. The Canadiens’ record for the last four seasons is 128-122-41.

This season, the Golden Knights had a 40-14-2 record, finishing 23 points ahead of the Canadiens, who were 24-21-11. The Golden Knights had a league-best goal differential of plus-67, while the Canadiens were minus-9. The Golden Knights’ Mark Stone (21-40-61) and Max Pacioretty (24-27-51) both finished with more points than Tyler Toffoli (28-16-44), who led the Canadiens in scoring.

The Golden Knights’ Marc-André Fleury had a 26-10-0 record with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage during the regular season and is a finalist for the Vézina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie. Price had a 12-7-5 record with a 2.64 GAA and a .901 save percentage during the regular season. In the playoffs, Price’s stats (1.97 GAA, .935 save percentage) are about the same as Fleury’s (1.91 GAA, .923 save percentage), which is the main reason why the Canadiens might have a chance against the Golden Knights. Fleury does have three Stanley Cup rings from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Price has none.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that every single player in this league knows that Carey Price is the best goalie in the league and at any given point he can steal you a game,” the Canadiens’ Paul Byron said Sunday. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing with him, against him, you know he’s capable of that. … He’s a huge part of our team. His work ethic, his attitude, the calmness gives our team a lot of focus and calm, too. It rubs off on everybody. At the same time, you look around the room and you see the players we’ve acquired, the depth of our team. We’ve always had a big belief in this team since Day 1 of the year.

“Right now everyone’s playing pretty well, so it’s going to take that kind of effort again from everybody going forward,” Byron added. “You don’t want to be the weak link right now.”

The Canadiens are on a roll coming into this series, having won seven straight games while eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. The Golden Knights are also on a roll, having won four straight against the Avalanche and outscoring them 17-8 after losing the first two games of their West Division final in Colorado. The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team during the regular season with a 39- 1215766 Montreal Canadiens But the Canadiens can play, too. The regular season means about as much now as the price of garlic in the markets of Marseille. It is difficult for any team to play better than Montreal has over the past seven games, especially during that sweep of a pretty good Winnipeg team with an Jack Todd: Showdown between Price and Fleury shaping up to be a outstanding goaltender of its own. gripping spectacle Las Vegas made it this far, in part, because Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer had a playoff meltdown. That isn’t going to happen this time out, not with Price playing the way he is. The Canadiens are getting Jack Todd • Publishing date:Jun 13, 2021 • 7 hours ago scoring up and down the lineup (including, most surprisingly, the Old Fellers line of Corey Perry, Eric Staal and youngish punk Joel Armia). Shea Weber, Ben Chiarot and Joel Edmundson are showing why Marc Before Game 1 of the Toronto series back on May 20, the Hockey Night Bergevin had faith in his stay-at-home defencemen, and Phillip Danault’s in Canada cameras took a break from drooling over Auston Matthews to line can check any scoring line in the league. show Carey Price in the Montreal crease. That’s why it says here the Canadiens are going to win it in six. Price was skating back and forth, digging in with his skate blades, staring down the ice. Nothing unusual about that. But he had a haircut that Heroes: The Canadiens. looked like it had been executed by an army barber in the back of a troop Zeros:Mark Scheifele, David Samson and Jeffrey Loria. transport on D-Day, 1944. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.14.2021 And he looked downright pissed off.

It was not a look we’ve seen from Price very often. Price is, to use his own word, one chill dude, nearly as unflappable as Ken Dryden himself. Maybe it was the haircut, but Price appeared ready to catch pucks in his teeth and spit them back at any Leaf who came near his crease.

Price was clearly on a mission. There is a missing plank in his career resumé, the one where you enter the Stanley Cup ring, and he is plainly sick of hearing about it. If the Canadiens were going to be ousted from the playoffs as everyone anticipated, it wasn’t going to be because of Carey Price.

Thanks to Price and a goal for the ages from Paul Byron, the Canadiens took that first game 2-1. They would stumble for three games before this rocket took off in Game 5, and you know the rest: Seven straight wins later, the Canadiens are in the NHL semifinals beginning Monday evening in Las Vegas, a city melting under what is expected to be an epic heat wave, with high temperatures between 44 and 47 degrees Celsius (111.2 and 116.6 Fahrenheit) for the next week.

Only could look at temperatures like that and think “,” but you play the hand you’re dealt and hope the ice crew is up to it and the air conditioning doesn’t break down.

There are a half-dozen fascinating subplots in this series, including the return to Montreal of Max, Prince of Denmark, another get-acquainted session with Mark Microfracture and the rise of Nick Suzuki. Other than Price, no player has more to prove here than Max Pacioretty. Often a tormented soul during his lengthy stint in Montreal, Pacioretty has actually improved at an age when many snipers are fading, making the trade that brought Suzuki and Tomas Tatar to Montreal (and Mattias Norlinder at some future date) pretty even.

But there is nothing quite as gripping as the spectacle of future Hall of Famers Price and Marc-André Fleury going head-to-head in nets — the titan from British Columbia who became the premier goaltender of his time vs. the kid from Sorel who became the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft and married his childhood sweetheart.

Quebec hockey fans know Fleury as well as they know Price — better in some ways, because the affable, easygoing Fleury is a more open book than the aloof, sometimes surly Price. They know about his star turn with the Cape Breton Eagles, the three Stanley Cup rings, the foolish decision the Penguins made when they let him get away, the death of his father in 2019 at the age of 63.

The collision between Price and Fleury is rare at this stage of the playoffs. The common wisdom in recent years (with the exception of Andrei Vasilevskiy last year) is that teams win with less-than-stellar who magically put it together for a single playoff run, then melt away like ice cream on a Vegas sidewalk.

Not only are the 33-year-old Price and the 36-year-old Fleury among the best of their generation, they come into this series in superb form. Fleury has a 1.91 goals-against average for the playoffs while Price is at 1.97. Price has the better save percentage at .935 to Fleury’s .923.

There is far more to this than the goalies. Behind the glitter, the NHL pyramid scheme that created an instant contender in the desert, the cheerleaders and the preposterous moniker lies a solid hockey organization and a very, very good team. 1215767 Montreal Canadiens Andrei Vasilevskiy is the third-highest paid goaltender in the NHL after Price and , and the Tampa Bay Lightning gave him that contract despite having other big salaries already on the payroll. But when he signed, Vasilevskiy was much younger than Price was in 2017, Canadiens playoff notebook: Spending big on goalies, Max Pacioretty and that he already looked like the next best goalie in the world made faces his former centre, thriving as an underdog him a sound investment.

When Price signed his big contract, he was still at the zenith of his career, but the team in front of him was far from what the Lightning are By Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin Jun 14, 2021 today. The paradox that came out of that signing was that the Canadiens couldn’t afford to lose him, but also couldn’t afford to properly surround him once he got paid so much. We often hear how teams should not devote too much of their salary cap space to goaltending, a theory heard most often in Montreal because the “There was no reason to let him leave so he can go succeed in another Canadiens invest the highest percentage of their cap to the position organization,” Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Saturday. (more than 21 percent) and Carey Price’s performance in the regular “Hey is a key player for us. It was a decision we thought hard about, but season over the past four years has essentially been replacement level. still today it was the best decision we could have made.”

There are numerous arguments in support of the theory: several teams In Vegas, despite the pandemic having already hit and the knowledge it have won the Stanley Cup with an inexpensive goalie, a goalie’s would lead to several years of a flat salary cap, the Golden Knights performance can be less of a determining factor than a team’s defensive decided on Oct. 3, 2020, to sign Robin Lehner to be their backup goalie system, more goalies run hot and cold today than the ones who are for five years at $5 million a season, which added to the $7 million consistently dominant from year to year, and finally, in the regular season committed to Marc-André Fleury through the end of next season. Fleury’s the return on investment is lessened because goalies don’t play every 2019-20 was filled with ups and downs, and having Lehner around game. seemed like a good insurance policy.

Having said all that, this year’s final four teams remaining in the playoffs The calculation made by the Golden Knights was not that different than shed a different light on this theory considering where they find the one made by the Canadiens when they acquired Jake Allen, themselves on this list (which includes the salaries of all goalies who especially with the unusual season that was to come. A compressed were on the roster or the taxi squad this season). schedule, the threat of COVID-19, the expansion draft at the end of the season, all of it made it so having two high-calibre goaltenders around Highest NHL goaltending spenders had increased value.

TEAM SALARY As for the New York Islanders, the amount they devote to the position will surely climb next season, at least if we are working under the assumption Montreal Canadiens they will keep Semyon Varlamov. Ilya Sorokin is a rookie, but he is also 17,180,833 25 and will be a restricted free agent eligible for arbitration this offseason. He will be due a significant raise after the season he just had. There is something counterintuitive about giving goalies a lot of money, 13,175,000 but according to Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon, that decision is Vegas Golden Knights most justifiable in the playoffs.

12,800,000 “When you look at Varlamov, Vasilevsky, Carey Price, Marc-André Fleury, those are really, really good goaltenders,” McCrimmon said Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday. “In a time of year where you have very tight margins, you’ve got a lot of 3-2 hockey games, when you play good teams, they’re going 12,200,000 to get chances. You’re not going to play teams where you hold them to Boston Bruins 20 shots and they had three or four scoring chances at the end of the night. They’re going to get chances. 11,625,000 “And that’s where those guys are difference-makers.” Winnipeg Jets Pacioretty extends his list of unheralded centres he has played with 9,824,999 Over the last 10 seasons, Max Pacioretty is seventh in the NHL in goals Arizona Coyotes with 284. He is part of the offensive elite.

9,550,000 Who have been his primary centres since 2011? David Desharnais, Phillip Danault, Paul Stastny and Chandler Stephenson. With the New York Islanders exception of Stastny, who had a very good season in Vegas in 2018-19 8,425,000 but who had already shown evidence of decline by then, it would be difficult to say the former Canadiens captain has benefited from playing Anaheim Ducks with high-end offensive centres over his career.

8,150,000 But Pacioretty has never hesitated to stick up for his centres, to tell everyone how talented they were and go to bat for them, as he did for Toronto Maple Leafs Desharnais for years. 8,025,000 Over his final few seasons in Montreal, Pacioretty did the same for We can’t really say the arguments supporting the theory have prevented Danault and made no effort to hide how much he liked playing with him. the four semifinalists from having success in these playoffs. He sometimes called Danault 7-Eleven (“because he’s always open”) or “Tird” because Danault had trouble pronouncing the word “third” in Price became the first player in NHL history to reach this stage of the English. playoffs with a salary of $10 million or more. His inconsistency in the regular season is difficult to ignore, but that he raises his game in the “Phil Danault is a great player, he’s had a lot of success in different playoffs can’t simply be tossed aside, either. In the first round against the roles,” said a somewhat guarded Pacioretty on Sunday. “He’s kind of a Toronto Maple Leafs, Price sure seemed like a better investment than Swiss Army knife in the sense where he can really be reliable in his own Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner, two players who have had much end, and then has the skating ability to take that and go offensively. He’s better regular seasons than Price. a player that I really enjoyed playing with.

A team is no better off if their top-paid player can’t be a difference-maker “There’s a reason why he’s had a lot of success and he means a lot to in the playoffs, and that is not limited to goalies. that organization. I’ll probably play against him a lot in this series, and I’m looking forward to it.” So it should come as no surprise today that Pacioretty is able to speak Luckily, Samir Nurmohamed, an assistant professor of management at about his unheralded centre in Vegas the same way and pump the tires The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has done of Stephenson, who plays between him and Mark Stone on the Golden extensive research on the subject as it applies in the workplace, Knights’ top line. essentially examining how employees perform when there is some doubt cast on their ability to succeed. “I don’t think there’s a single physical skill on the team that he doesn’t do the best that I’ve seen; he’s the fastest guy on the team, his shot is His research appears to hinge on one factor, that an underdog status is unbelievable, his hands are great, he’s got really good poise, good only beneficial to performance if the expectations placed on that group vision… He does it all,” Pacioretty said. “As soon as he came in here, he are seen as coming from a group that lacks credibility, which makes the had the confidence that he could be not only a top-six player, but one of low expectations themselves lack credibility. the best centremen in the league on one of the better lines.” In this case, “outside the room” represents the source of the low When he played in Montreal, it was clear Pacioretty would not get to play expectations. So, the media, hockey fans in general, all of whom would with an elite centre, and it just so turned out that he got traded to a team be pretty easy for the Canadiens to find lack some degree of credibility. where the same reality exists. The difference in Pacioretty’s play in This is what made Bergevin defending how difficult it was to play in the Vegas does not necessarily come from his centre as much as it does North Division this season so interesting, because he knew there was a playing with Stone, the perfect complement to regain possession of the narrative out there that it was the worst division in the league. So he puck and feed it to him as a shooter. made of point of stating how many superstar players there were in the division, how it had by far the most travel, how there were no easy The theory behind how the Canadiens thrive as underdogs games with the improvement of the Ottawa Senators over the course of Everyone loves a good underdog story, and the Canadiens have been the season. Basically, how that perception by people “outside the room” the underdog since the very start of the playoffs. lacked credibility.

Except the Canadiens are a very unique underdog story because they Now read what Nurmohamed wrote in the Harvard Business Review in are also the oldest and most successful franchise in the history of the January 2020 in an article entitled “The Upside of Being an Underdog” NHL and, as a result, have a certain arrogance about that glorious past based on his research. despite not winning the Stanley Cup in 28 years. “If you want to stay motivated in the face of underdog expectations, you So while people generally enjoy rooting for an underdog, the Canadiens need to think about why those expectations aren’t credible,” he wrote. are clearly not a typical underdog. “Consider why observers who see you as an underdog might not have an accurate picture of how effective you are or why you can be successful. If But after scoring the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 4 against you are the leader, you want to make sure your employees know that you the Winnipeg Jets, Tyler Toffoli, all on his own, suggested that no one think others’ low expectations are not credible. You can even undermine believes in the Canadiens and they don’t particularly care. their credibility by pointing to ways in which they were wrong in the past.”

Then, just prior to the start of this third-round series against the Vegas The Canadiens have clearly embraced this narrative. Yes, they have Golden Knights, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin was asked belief in themselves, and that is the most important thing. But in the how he was feeling watching his team get this far. And he too, all on his playoffs, especially at this stage, every tiny edge a team can exploit own, went to the underdog narrative. grows exponentially in importance.

“We got in, and I always said once you’re in, anything’s possible,” This, whether the Canadiens want to say it or not, is one they have right Bergevin said. “We’re sitting here today excited about the challenge of now. facing the Golden Knights, which is one of, if not the top team in the NHL. They just beat the Avalanche and they finished pretty close, 82 points “The perception of our group doesn’t mean a whole lot outside the locker each for the Presidents’ Trophy. room, it’s how we feel inside it,” Brendan Gallagher said. “As of now we have a lot of belief and hopefully that continues going forward.” “So, we’re well aware we’re the underdog, but like Tyler said, we don’t care.” Price and Weber are super duper excited about this opportunity

Hmmm. Shea Weber has never reached this stage of the Stanley Cup playoffs in his long, distinguished NHL career. This is Carey Price’s third trip, but he There is something to be said about a team embracing the underdog was the backup his first time here in 2010 and was knocked out in Game role, using it to thrive and to motivate and to find a level of focus that 1 his second time here in 2014. might not otherwise be there. This is not all that uncommon in the sports world, and no matter how much a team might write off what others may How excited are they? Extremely excited. But don’t take our word for it, think of them, it always seems to be sitting in the background, having we thought simply quoting them would not do their excitement justice, so some sort of impact on the group. we would show it to you instead.

Contrast what Paul Byron says about embracing the underdog role with How will Price top that level of excitement? Let’s find out. an NHL coach that has a lot of experience in playing that same role. Can you feel the excitement?

“I mean, that’s not something you think about every day, you just know Joking aside, the muted excitement from both Weber and Price is a clear that people doubt your team. People always doubt us,” Byron said sign they are both aware nothing has been accomplished yet, and they Sunday. “But I think a lot of guys on the team have an internal fuel on both know how much work is left ahead of them when they will be facing their own. It’s not just about proving (people) wrong, it’s about proving the best competition they have seen to date in the playoffs. yourself right, about proving your teammates right, showing up to work every day, working for them, doing what you can to help the team win. That is a good perspective for each of them to have.

“It doesn’t really matter what’s said outside the room, we’ve always had But just reaching this stage of the playoffs shows the Canadiens have internal belief in ourselves and what we can do as a group.” been able to accomplish something that was long in doubt, which is to arrive at a point where they are getting contributions from their young Here is New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz on the same topic. When players while Price and Weber were still significant contributors to the asked if he has ever used his team’s underdog status as a tactic in team’s success. getting his team ready for a playoff series, he was a bit more direct and to the point. Price enters the third round with the top save percentage in the league at .935 and is second only to his Golden Knights counterpart in goal, Fleury, “I think probably every coach that ever lived has used that tactic,” Trotz in goals-against average at 1.97. Plus, there is the part of Price you can’t said. quite quantify, which is the confidence he gives his teammates.

We have grown so accustomed to underdog scenarios in sports that we “There’s no doubt in my mind that every player in this league knows that rarely, if ever, stop to consider what dynamics are truly at play here. Carey Price is the best goalie in the league,” Byron said. “At any given What can make that status of underdog beneficial to a team? Why did point he can steal you a game. Doesn’t matter if you’re playing with him Toffoli and Bergevin bring it up unprovoked? or against him, you know he’s capable of that.” Weber arrives in the third round leading the Canadiens in average ice time at 25:28; in fact, no one still playing at this stage of the playoffs plays more on average than Weber. And he has paired with Ben Chiarot to be on the ice for the fewest goals against at five-on-five per 60 minutes of ice time among the team’s defencemen despite facing the toughest competition every night.

“Solid game, fast game, they play perfect in their position,” Alexander Romanov said of Weber and Chiarot the other day. “How many scores they lose? Maybe two? Maybe one? That’s perfect game by them and how they play.”

Price and Weber are a big reason why the Canadiens are here, just as Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are as well. That marriage of young and old at the same place at the same time that looked doubtful for so long appears to have arrived.

And Price and Weber are excited about it. Just ask them.

Dominique Ducharme waves to his family after eliminating the Winnipeg Jets. (Eric Bolte / USA Today)

No former players behind the bench in the semifinal

For the first time since 1986 — we all remember what happened that year — none of the four coaches in the semifinal ever played a single game in the NHL.

At the end of the regular season, 11 of the 31 NHL teams were coached by someone who was a former player, even if the majority of them played at levels lower than the NHL. The proportion of former players as coaches has dipped slightly since 1986, when nine of the 21 coaches had never played in the NHL.

Jon Cooper remembers his first season coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning. He would sit in the front of the bus, but he would make sure to get off the bus last because he didn’t always know where the road dressing room was in the building he was visiting.

Being a former player has its benefits, he says, but not being a player doesn’t make coaches like him any less effective.

“The growth of how to deal with people, how to manage players, whether they’re the 23rd player or the No. 1 player, or however you want to describe guys, there is a lot that goes into that,” Cooper said. “I look at the coaches that are left and they’re all really good communicators, and they’ve had success with teams prior to getting here.

“But you just can’t blanket that on the four that are left because Rod Brind’Amour — who we just played — played in the league and he is up for the Jack Adams for a rightful reason, because he’s a hell of a coach and he does a great job with his team. Joel Quenneville, another one up for the Jack Adams. Dean Evason. These guys are great coaches. I just think there’s a lot more to it than having had that player experience. But do I think it probably helps them in the room a little bit? I’m sure it does. But once you’re around a team and you have a couple of years under your belt, I think that all goes away.”

Dominique Ducharme is the newest kid on this block, a rookie NHL coach and the youngest of the four remaining. But like Pete DeBoer, his counterpart on the Golden Knights, Ducharme climbed the ranks through junior hockey to finally reach the NHL.

Like Cooper — and Islanders coach Barry Trotz would surely agree — DeBoer said communication is the primary skill needed for today’s NHL coach.

“If you coach junior hockey for an extended period — I was almost 15 years and I think Dom was probably at least 10 — you’re dealing with young kids and the message has to be simple and straightforward and has to get to the point,” DeBoer said. “And I think those are tools you take with you when you move on to the NHL.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for guys that kind of pay their dues on the way up, and he’s one of those guys. He hasn’t skipped a level and hasn’t been in a rush and done it right everywhere he’s been.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215768 Montreal Canadiens Vey: You could just see the look in his eye. He’d swat the puck away, and then he’d make sure he got you the next time. I don’t remember him being a swear-er. I just remember, when you did beat him, you could just sense the disgust in him, in his eyes. He’d swat the puck away. And the Relax, it’s Carey Price: Tales of the ‘super easygoing dude’ leading the next time, he’d make sure he’d bear right down and didn’t let you score. Canadiens into Las Vegas Aldred: He was too good for junior, to be honest, and just kind of proved it the more he’s been playing — through Hamilton and through Montreal.

Sean Fitz-Gerald Jun 13, 2021 Zack Stortini, forward, Hamilton Bulldogs (2006-07): I remember him playing his first game, and it was like, “Wow, this guy is unbelievable.”

Corey Locke, forward, Hamilton (2006-08): I remember him coming in for Jay Baruchel, the Canadian actor, was calling from somewhere deep in the last weekend of the season. We had three games in three days. We the Canadian wilderness, and he was talking about hockey. Specifically, clinched a playoff spot, but we were fighting with Rochester for home ice. he was near Kingston, Ont., and much more specifically, he was He played on the Friday night against Grand Rapids at home. I recall this discussing the fate of his beloved Montreal Canadiens. five-on-three power-play that Grand Rapids had. They were just zipping it “This is what sucks the hardest: Until this morning, it was just like, around, going cross-box, seam and all this stuff. He made three or four ‘Everything is gravy, we have no expectations of winning — whatever unbelievable saves. I was just like, “Wow, that’s pretty impressive.” happens, rock and roll, baby,’” he said with a laugh. “Now, all of the Yann Danis, goaltender, Hamilton (2006-08): That was my third year sudden, like fucking clockwork, it’s like, ‘No, now my life depends on there. I had played just over half the games. I was hoping to get the this.’” chance to play in the playoffs. Actually, I was told that I was going to play The Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Colorado Avalanche the night in the playoffs. And then things changed. If I’m honest, I wasn’t too before, setting up a surprising Stanley Cup semifinal series with thrilled with how things went down at the time. Montreal. The Canadiens emerged as playoff champions of the NHL’s Locke: I just remember being like, “How did this kid lose in Tri-City in the North Division with a comeback win over Toronto, and a grinding, playoffs?” lunchpail sweep of Winnipeg. Danis: He was respectful. I think he felt a little bad, obviously. But I didn’t Montreal has gone from playoff longshot to within eight wins of a Stanley blame him for anything. Obviously that wasn’t his fault. He came in, and Cup title, and much of it is thanks to goaltender Carey Price, who leads he was asked to play. He did, and he played well. all playoff goalies this season with a .935 save percentage and is third with a 1.97 goals-against average entering the semifinal round. NHL all-time playoff GAA leaders

“I’m going to be sick to my stomach through every single game,” said RANK GOALIE YEARS GAA TOI Baruchel. 1 He has confidence in the players, he said, and the system in which they play. He also has confidence in their goaltender. Baruchel co-starred in a Turk Broda commercial with Price, and they have known each other socially through 1937-1952 the years. 1.97 “I only ever see him in super-weird, specific places like awards shows,” he said. “There’s a bunch of nice guys in hockey, but Carey is a super, 6386:03 super easygoing dude.” 2 Ahead of the Stanley Cup semifinal, The Athletic called 11 former teammates (along with mentors and co-stars) to ask about a goalie who Dominik Hasek rarely seems rattled by the bright lights and big stages. (Years in 1991-2008 parentheses show the time period the player was teammates with Price.) 2.02 Price held the Maple Leafs, the North Division’s top-scoring team, to six goals over the final three games of their first-round series as Montreal 7316:53 rallied from 3-1 down for a surprising win. (John E. Sokolowski / USA Today) 3

Mike Weaver, defenceman, Montreal Canadiens (2013-15): I’d never met Martin Brodeur a normal goalie until I met Carey Price. 1992-2012

Shaun Vey, forward, Tri-City Americans (2004-07): He’s pretty calm. I 2.02 think that might be one of his biggest strengths, and why he’s lasted in Montreal as long as he has. 12717:01

Weaver: Anybody who stands in front of 100 mile-per-hour shots 4 consistently is a little off. Goalies typically keep to themselves. They’re Chris Osgood just a little different. But I’m telling you: Carey Price is just as normal as they come. 1994-2009

Olaf Kolzig, former NHL goaltender: It’s his demeanour. He’s the perfect 2.09 person to play that position in Montreal. The pressure just kind of rolls off his back. 7650:58

Alex Aldred, forward, Tri-City (2005-07): He was the cornerstone of the 5 team. Jacques Plante Kolzig: He always wanted to get in a scrap in practice with me. And I 1953-1973 don’t know if he was just trying to see where he was at. But he was fun that way. 2.12

Vey: He hated getting scored on in practice. Visibly angry. 6645:43

Brett Festerling, defenceman, Tri-City (2002-05): You can tell it irks him. 6 He hated — hated — getting beat. Braden Holtby 2012-2020 lie, he was so calm and cool. He kept pressing the buttons, looked at me and goes: “That’s it? That’s all I got to do? OK.” And then, two months 2.13 later, he’s MVP and we won the .

6012:47 Stortini: There was a time I took a penalty. They scored on it. I felt awful. 7 He just gave me a little pat: “Don’t worry about it.” It just shows his incredible leadership at that age. Ed Belfour Festerling: He’s just a good, salt-of-the-earth, small-town boy. He 1990-2004 reminds me of home, his personality. Super-quiet. Big family guy. Still loves the farm and the country. 2.17 Aldred: I think he’s got a close circle of friends that he probably opens up 9943:24 a little bit to. If you’re in the dressing room, he’s not really saying too 8 much. He’s not a rah-rah guy. You know he’s definitely a team guy, and if things aren’t going our way, he would definitely voice his opinion. It Tuukka Rask wasn’t all the time. When he’s talking, everybody listens.

2010-2021 Vey: Carey doesn’t talk a lot about himself. That’s my experience with him. So when we get together, we don’t talk about hockey. If I’m really 2.22 interested in something, I’ll ask him something. It’s his personality. He 6540:42 doesn’t like to talk about himself. He would rather talk about family and other passions, and put hockey aside and leave that at the rink. 9 Kolzig: He’s even more calm now than back in junior. That obviously Jonathan Quick comes with maturity. I mean, he was a calm guy at 17. But to play all those years in such a pressure-packed city. … I remember the time they 2010-2018 traded (Jaroslav) Halak (in the 2010 offseason). It was a preseason 2.23 game, and they didn’t play really well. This was after Halak did what he did to Washington in the playoffs. And I remember the quote: Carey 5250:11 goes, “Relax, it’s just preseason.” I don’t think people really took it that 10 well. But if you know Carey, it’s exactly what he means. It’s like, “Hey, I’ll be there when the pressure’s really on.” Patrick Roy Weaver: When I was there, (Michel) Therrien was coach. It was a simple 1986-2003 drill. The puck would get dumped in by the forward. The defenceman would turn around and go behind the net. The goalie would set it up, and 2.30 they would leave it and go in front of the net. I would pick it up and pass it 15205:18 to the forward who came down low. That forward would just skate down the ice and, at the red line, dump it in, and it would start at that end. 11 We’re in playoffs. It’s supposed to be a calm drill. A warm-up drill. Carey started throwing it into my feet, from not even three feet away. He Henrik Lundqvist thought it was funny … it turned into tradition. Every time we did that drill, 2006-2020 all the coaches started laughing.

2.30 Baruchel: When you throw a non-actor onto set, and you put them in front of cameras and crew and lights, I don’t care how many stadiums 7935:25 they’ve played in, it is more focused and intimate. It’s a hurdle that I still have to trick myself into getting past, and I’ve been doing this since 1995. 12 For a lot of people who have never really done it, it can reasonably and Carey Price understandably freak them the fuck out. And to ask them to then not look like they’re stressed, and not stare into the camera, but also ask them to 2008-2021 come up with shit to say? That’s insane. I mention all of this because we sit down and shoot with Carey, and he rolls in, ice-water in his veins and 2.36 is quite self-deprecating. 4850:18 Baines: He’s goofy. He’s got a great sense of humour. He’s not afraid to Min. 4500 TOI laugh and smile at any time.

Ajay Baines, forward, Hamilton (2006-08): He comes in, and he’s staying Baruchel: I’m a bit of an asshole with ad-libbing. I always do it. Whether at the hotel. I lived with Ryan O’Byrne, Matt D’Agostini and Kyle or not they use it, it’s up to them. I’m sure it’s to the chagrin of a lot of the Chipchura. I was the old guy with the three young guys. We lived in an people who have hired me. But it’s there. It’s always there. I just can’t apartment, and we’d always have dinner together. We told Carey after help it. And so I always start fucking about. And goddammit, man, he was practice, “We’ll pick you up at the hotel: Come have dinner with us up for it. tonight and hang out.” Aldred: Can we be surprised by anything that Carey Price does now? If Duncan Milroy, forward, Hamilton (2006-08): He didn’t come across as he were to get a shutout it, it’s like, “Yeah, that’s Carey Price.” an arrogant, cocky young kid, where “this is just a pit stop for me.” He Milroy: Out of all the people you’re talking to, I’d be shocked if you told came in with the intention of, “I’m going to be a part of this team, and I’m me somebody said anything bad about him. going to get along.” Danis: A lot of people were talking in recent years that maybe his play Baines: Carey’s over. We’re just hanging out. Chipper had a PlayStation. wasn’t up to the same level. In Montreal, they’re quick to turn around. They’re playing FIFA soccer. I had a buddy, Steve Gainey. His dad, Bob, Now? You see the Carey Price who is in the zone. And when he’s that was general manager in Montreal. Steve was assistant coach of the way, there’s no doubt he’s still the best goalie in the league. I don’t think (Kamloops) Blazers that year in the WHL. He called and said, “I’ve got to anybody comes close to that level. He can literally win games for you. tell you an interesting story. In 1985, Montreal called up a 19-year-old goalie to their farm team. They threw him in the net for the playoffs, and Milroy: It’s fun to see. If anything, it can be a little annoying because they went and won the Calder Cup and the goalie got MVP.” I said, “Let everybody knows I played with Carey Price, so I get text messages, and I me guess: Patrick Roy?” I pulled the phone down from my face. Carey get phone calls. At work, people keep asking me about Carey. It’s like and Chipchura were playing PlayStation. I go, “Carey, you hear that? In they think I’ve got him on speed dial and I can talk to him. 1985, the Habs called up a 19-year-old goalie to their farm team and he went in the net and won the Cup and MVP of the playoffs.” No word of a Kolzig: I texted him after the Toronto series, after Game 7. I said, “What a game, what a hell of a series.” He texted me back: “It’s funny, this hockey thing.” It wasn’t anything like, “Aw yeah, thanks man. It’s just unbelievable.” It’s just ho-hum, onto the next series. It’s great to watch.

Danis: I have my oldest kid, who’s a big fan. We’re watching the games together. He’s got his Carey Price jersey. He’s a big Carey Price fan.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215769 New York Islanders 76th birthday at the time, and though he had been free to stay with the Leafs — “at my leisure,” as he put it — the Islanders co-owner Scott Malkin pushed hard to bring him on board.

For the Islanders, the Good Times Really Are Here Again “Out of respect, I talked to Scott,” Lamoriello said. “I was impressed with his vision and his commitment.”

He added, referring to the owners of the Devils during his time as general By Ken Campbell manager there: “The job description is what I had in New Jersey for years under John McMullen and . To be able to do things, June 13, 2021 you have to be able to make some hard decisions, and you have to make them without worrying about going through a lot of red tape. That was the key factor.” There are scenes you almost never see at a N.H.L. arena, unless everything is going right. Paramount among those decisions was the hiring in 2018 of Barry Trotz, who had just coached the Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup before With the Islanders one game away from advancing to the N.H.L.’s final leaving in a contract dispute. After years of instability, poor management four for the second consecutive season, Nicole Raviv made it halfway and subpar results, the Islanders suddenly had one of the best front- through the second line of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the crowd office tandems in the league. of 12,000 in on Wednesday took over. “There’s not many things that really give me the chills anymore, being in the league As the veteran Islanders wing Cal Clutterbuck put it: “As cliché as it 12 years,” wing Matt Martin said, “but the national anthem really sends sounds, you always hear it always starts at the top. And it really does.” those chills down your spine.” Mathew Barzal, who won the Calder Trophy as the N.H.L.’s top rookie in Four nights earlier, the Hall of Fame forward Clark Gillies, a feared force the 2017-18 season and was the only Islander to place among the top of nature on the teams that won four straight Stanley Cups in the 1980s, 100 scorers in the league this past season, has noticed the difference. had chugged a beer and then crushed the can against his head for all to “The biggest thing is the detail and the professionalism, that day-in and see on the scoreboard screen. And on Wednesday, after the Islanders day-out,” he said. “Whether that’s having short hair and clean facial hair had defeated the favored Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the second round, throughout the regular season or details on the ice like changing hard, Jon Ledecky, a co-owner of the team, made his way into a mob in the coming hard to the bench, practicing hard. Just being a pro, whether arena concourse and hugged fans as they chanted his name. you’re going out for dinner on the road or coming to the airplane, you’ve But like the crowd that broke into a spontaneous rendition of “Piano Man” got be a pro 24-7, and they’ve really implemented that.” in the parking lot, they are scenes as commonplace on these This button-down approach has shown up on the ice. Lamoriello kept a days as Billy Joel himself. It turns out that fans of the Islanders just good portion of the team’s core intact and made significant deals at the needed a reason to cheer again. trade deadlines, getting Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Ottawa Senators For a second straight year, the Islanders have made it to the third round last season and picking up Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and for a second straight year, they face the Devils in 2021. Lamoriello also signed goalie Semyon Varlamov as a free enormous task of taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning to clear a path to agent in 2019, and Varlamov was joined this season by Ilya Sorokin, a the Cup finals. All of it — the on-ice success, the engagement of the fan 2014 draft pick who starred in ’s Kontinental Hockey League until base, the optimism that the organization is hoping to ride into the new he was 25 years old. UBS Arena at Belmont Park next season — seemed distant not that long Lamoriello and Trotz insist on trust, teamwork and defense. That should ago. come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Lamoriello from his The Islanders and their fans thought they had said goodbye to Nassau days with the Devils, who won championships by shutting down Coliseum for good in 2015, when the team moved 30 miles west to opponents’ offenses. Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a plan that fit the suburban organization like The season before Lamoriello arrived, the Islanders were the worst a tweed suit on a 90-degree day. And three years ago, the team lost its defensive team in the league. But in the 2018-19 season, they were the captain and franchise player, John Tavares, when he signed with his best, and this season, they finished second to the Vegas Golden Knights hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. in goals against. Trotz and Lamoriello credit the players. The Islanders But the franchise’s follies date back even further. are not without offensive stars, but their strength is in coming at their opponents in waves and grinding down more talented teams. They extend to 1996, when John Spano, an underfunded businessman turned felon, tried to buy the team and, thanks to a merely cursory “I’ve probably said this to every team I’ve had: If you want to go background check by the N.H.L., almost pulled it off. Or to , somewhere fast, go by yourself; if you want to go somewhere far, go with the general manager from 1995 to 2006, who earned the nickname Mad the group,” Trotz said after the Islanders had upset the Pittsburgh Mike for outrageous personnel moves like signing Alexei Yashin, a player Penguins in the first round. “This group believes in the group, the for whom he had traded the future Hall of Fame defenseman Zdeno strength of the group.” Chara and whom he signed to a deal that resulted in the Islanders’ The Islanders will need to summon all of that esprit de corps and more to buying out the underperforming Yashin’s contract and effectively paying beat the Lightning. Tampa Bay knocked them out of the Eastern him $2.2 million a year for eight years not to play for them. Conference finals last season and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Not to be outdone, Milbury’s successor, Garth Snow, gave goaltender Islanders had a strong start, winning Sunday’s series-opener, 2-1, in Rick DiPietro a 15-year, $67.5 million contract in 2006. Since 2013, Tampa behind goals by Barzal and Ryan Pulock and 30 saves by DiPietro has received $1.5 million a year, and he will continue to do so Varlamov. until 2029. Measured in pure talent, it is not a close matchup. The Lightning have The follies also encompass the former owner Charles Wang, who fought some of the most dynamic offensive players in the league, including valiantly to keep the Islanders from moving to Quebec City or Seattle or Steven Stamkos, a past league-leading goal scorer, and Nikita Kucherov, Kansas City and in 2012 struck an ill-conceived 25-year deal with a past Hart Trophy winner who leads the playoffs in scoring. Kucherov Barclays Center to do it. The team returned last spring for the playoffs to missed the entire regular season while recovering from hip surgery, and await the new arena. Stamkos missed 18 games with a lower-body injury, but both have returned for the playoffs. Now, though, the Islanders are on a steady rise. And much can be credited to other N.H.L. organizations that made two of hockey’s The Islanders have heard from the doubters before. And they are sharpest minds available to them. undeterred. They have a minimum of two games, and possibly as many as seven, remaining at the Nassau Coliseum before they say goodbye to In the summer of 2018, the Maple Leafs pushed aside their general the arena for good. All that matters, Lamoriello said, “is when you win manager, , to make room for Kyle Dubas, a wunderkind your last game of the season.” who has assembled a startling level of individual talent that has yet to lead the team to a playoff-round victory. Lamoriello was approaching his He continued: “Everything along the way is the process toward it. But for me, the only thing is winning the prize.”

New York Times LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215770 New York Islanders “Any time you play a team like Tampa or Boston or anyone with a lethal power play, you don’t wanna be in the box all night because you’re just asking for a loss,” Barzal said.

Islanders turn in complete performance to take 1-0 road lead off Barzal’s second period goal had been coming, though, as Tampa Lightning mismanaged the puck and the visitors’ chances mounted.

“Our work ethic was there. Our compete was there. Our minds weren’t there,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Some of our decisions were By PAT LEONARD poor.”

JUN 13, 2021 AT 6:55 PM Bailey already had hit a crossbar off a Lightning giveaway. Anthony Beauvillier had nearly finished on a backhand. And Barzal — bouncing

back from a huge first period neutral zone hit from Killorn — had In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals, the Islanders struck Lightning. undressed top Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman for a chance in close.

Top center Mathew Barzal and defenseman Ryan Pulock scored in a 2-1 The shots ended up an even 31 apiece for the game, but Trotz’s team win at Tampa Bay that justly reflected the road team’s dominance of this was the better 5-on-5 club. series opener, anchored by the stout Semyon Varlamov’s 30 saves. “I think number one was just managing the puck,” Trotz said. “Two, we Lightning sniper Brayden Point ruined the shutout bid with 53.7 seconds were disciplined. And three, we didn’t take a lot of unnecessary risk. I remaining on a 6-on-4 power play with Andrei Vasilevskiy pulled, earned thought we made pretty good decisions. Even though we only got two on a late Brock Nelson high-sticking penalty. goals I thought we managed the game pretty well.”

But Barry Trotz’s Isles set the pace. They mostly stayed out of the The Isles immediately established they were up to the task with a strong penalty box against the NHL’s top playoff power play. And they flustered first period, outshooting Tampa 14-11, including 13-4 in the final 12 the reigning Stanley Cup champions into sloppy puck management that minutes. had the Amalie Arena crowd groaning. Their own power play was a poor 0-for-3 for the game, including two They are now a leg up on avenging last year’s six-game elimination at fruitless advantages in the first. And Vasilevskiy robbed Palmieri with his the Lightning’s hands in this semifinal round, a series in which they fell glove 9:21 in on even strength. Then he stopped a Casey Cizikas behind, 2-0. Game 2 is Tuesday night. deflection of a Nick Leddy point shot with his right pad at 17:16.

“Getting the first one is huge,” Barzal said. “I thought early on they were But Varlamov made a few big early saves. The series’ physicality was pressing. When you’re playing against them it sucks, because you’re established right away, with the Isles’ Matt Martin and Tampa’s Barclay chasing the puck. They’re so skilled. But I thought when we had a Goodrow drawing matching minors for unsportsmanlike conduct just chance to make the right play, we did, and we didn’t give them too eight seconds in. much.” Cooper quipped when asked if the Islanders had frustrated his team: Barzal, the tip of the Islanders’ spear the last couple weeks, flicked one “This is no different than the team we basically beat in the bubble. We through Vasilevskiy’s five-hole to open the scoring 12:32 into the second just made too many mistakes.” with defenseman Jan Rutta on his hip. Barzal got the lead pass for his But that underplayed how effectively the Islanders commanded this game fourth goal in five games from Josh Bailey after a Steven Stamkos and took control of this series. They were the better team on Sunday, offensive zone turnover. and it wasn’t close. Then Pulock punctured the previously dazzling Vasilevskiy’s armor with a New York Daily News LOADED: 06.14.2021 48-foot slap shot off an assist from 5:36 into the third, after Eberle and Leo Komarov won a half-wall battle.

It was a nice shot by Pulock under the goalie’s right arm, but there was no screen, and it was a terribly soft goal allowed from Vasilevskiy, a Vezina Trophy finalist for a fourth straight year who’d played every bit up to that status through two periods.

By contrast, Varlamov continued his excellent play in winning his fourth straight playoff start and his fifth of six. The only loss in that stretch was an overtime defeat to Boston.

[More Sports] Islanders beat Bruins in Game 6, win series and advance to meet defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning »

He made a big stop on David Savard seven minutes into the second period and another on Alex Killorn 3:47 into the third, among many poised stops to stem the tide.

“We think Varly is one of the best goalies in the league,” Eberle said.

Varlamov and Trotz both correctly pinpointed the Islanders’ “discipline,” in the coach’s words, as a reason for Sunday’s result.

“We didn’t give up stupid penalties,” Varlamov said. “This team is playing very well on the power play. They only had two power plays today, which is great.”

Indeed, the Lightning entered the series with 15 power play goals and a 28.1% success rate (15 out of 36), both league-highs this postseason. But the Isles gave them only two man advantages and killed off the first straddling the second intermission on a Kyle Palmieri offensive zone interference.

[More Sports] Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy fined $25,000 for criticizing refs after Game 5 loss to Islanders » 1215771 New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov outduels NHL’s ‘best’ in Andrei Vasilevskiy

By Mollie WalkerJune 13, 2021 | 10:53pm | Updated

TAMPA — The evidence that Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov was snubbed in the Vezina Trophy voting continues to mount.

As Varlamov went save-for-save with the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, one of the three finalists for the award, the Islanders were able to pull out a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals at Amalie Arena on Sunday. Varlamov was on the cusp of a shutout until 19:06 of the third period, when Brayden Point capitalized on the Lightning’s six-on-four power play to make it a one-goal game.

“Vasilevskiy, to me, he’s the best goalie in the NHL,” Varlamov said of his fellow countryman after his sixth win of the postseason. “He’s been the best goalie in the NHL the last couple of years. He’s outstanding and then he’s also a great person, very humble guy. But now we play against each other. He’s a very big goalie, very athletic, won the Cup last year. I mean, what can I say? I can say a lot of great things about him.”

The two Russian goalies dazzled through a scoreless first period, alerting each team that it was going to take a lot more to get the puck past them. Varlamov survived the Islanders’ first power-play, which didn’t look much like a man-advantage as the Lightning had three shorthanded shots on goal.

Semyon Varlamov

Varlamov, who finished with 30 saves on 31 shots, robbed Alex Killorn on at least three of the Lightning second-line winger’s four shots throughout the game.

“In our minds, Varly is one of the best goalies in the league,” said Jordan Eberle, who assisted on Ryan Pulock’s game-winning goal in the third period. “It’s no surprise. He’s been there all year for us.”

Mathew Barzal has goals in four of the Islanders’ past five games after going scoreless through the first eight games of the postseason.

“I’d say it’s more so just I’m actually putting the puck in the net,” he said after the win. “I think my chances throughout the whole season, or in the playoffs, are always there. It’s just a matter of beating the goalie. I thought during the Pittsburgh series, when I didn’t score, [I was] still playing well and playing the right way.”

Oliver Wahlstrom took pregame warmups for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Penguins, but he was scratched and missed an eighth straight game.

After scoring two goals Sunday, the Islanders lead the NHL with 45 goals this postseason. Their 3.46 goals per game average is the highest in the league among the final four teams.

Out of their current lineup, aside from the goalies, only five players have yet to score this postseason.

“That’s part of our DNA,” Josh Bailey said prior to the series. “We need all lines firing, every pair going great goaltending, which we’ve got. Guys contributing, everyone has their own ingredient they bring to the team and no one is bigger or better than the other. I think we rely on each other and that’s what makes our group special.”

The series marks just the second time in the last 20 years that two NHL teams have met in consecutive semifinals.

New York Post LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215772 New York Islanders Boston generally likes to create off cycle plays and through grinding shifts of down-low possession. Tampa Bay is a team that flourishes off the rush. Not in this one. Not at all.

Islanders represent rude awakening for Lightning “They’ve got a lot of skill and forwards who like to make plays off the rush and I think you have to give a lot of credit to our forwards to keeping that high guy and tracking back to allow us to keep out gaps,” said Pulock, who drew the primary match against the Point line with partner Adam By Larry BrooksJune 13, 2021 | 9:22pm | Updated Pelech. “We didn’t give them much time and space.”

This was one game, only one. The Lightning can be expected to amp it If it is true that the Lightning represent a step up in class for the up Tuesday for Game 2. They will have to, facing their best and most Islanders, the inverse is equally true, if not quite equally apparent. Yes, dangerous opponent yet. folks, the Islanders represent a step up in class for the Lightning just as New York Post LOADED: 06.14.2021 well.

And it was the Islanders who elevated in Sunday’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals in Tampa, playing their most stingy, disciplined and controlled match of the postseason in recording a 2-1 victory to get a head start on a trip to the final.

There is not much separating these two teams, which are engaging in the first Eastern final four rematch since the Penguins knocked off the Bruins in both 1991 and 1992. Tracking back to last year’s encounter under the Edmonton bubble, the teams have split their past six playoff meetings, with Tampa Bay holding an aggregate 13-12 edge in goals.

They might go about it a little differently, there is a little more flash and dash in the champs’ lineup, but that doesn’t faze the Islanders a bit. Indeed, the Lightning’s 38 attempted shots at five-on-five represented the fewest the Islanders have allowed in their 13 tournament matches.

“No. 1, was managing the puck, No. 2, we were disciplined, No. 3, we didn’t unnecessary risk,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said after the earned result was threatened only by the Lightning’s frantic push over the final minute that included a 6-on-4 manpower power-play goal. “I thought we managed the game pretty well.”

Everywhere the Lightning’s talent turned, the Islanders were right there with them, getting into lanes, having great sticks, cutting down angles and limiting time and space. The Islanders’ relentless tracking of the puck helped limit the splendid top line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov to a sum of four shots and nine attempts, three of which were blocked.

The Islanders, 51-percent at the dots coming into the match, dominated on faceoffs, winning 28 of 46 (60.8 percent), with Jean-Gabriel Pageau taking 14 of 21. Winger Leo Komarov beat Point on a right-wing draw that led to Ryan Pulock’s 2-0 goal at 5:36 of the third period that ultimately became the winner.

Details and discipline are what the Islanders feast on. They took care of the details and they were disciplined enough to limit the Lightning — a mighty 41.7 percentage with the man-advantage — to just two power plays, with both of them actually appearing somewhat sketchy after the Islanders had drawn the first three power-play opportunities of the match.

“We were focusing on our game and I thought that’s why we had success,” said Semyon Varlamov, one save better than Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was a teammate on Team Russia for the 2016 World Cup. “We played hard, we played physical, we didn’t give up stupid penalties. Only two power plays, which is just great.”

Everyone knows the Lightning bulked up as a predicate to winning last season after having been kayoed in a sweep in the previous year’s first round by the more physical Blue Jackets. Everyone knows they became tougher in the one-on-one’s, harder to play against.

But in this one, the Islanders came away with the puck in those 50-50 instances far more often than not. Indeed, it was Jordan Eberle coming away with the puck on a 2-on-2 battle that featured Komarov, Point and Palat preceding the Pulock goal. Eberle did not earn his five-year, $27 million contract extension during the summer of 2019 because of his ability to win battles. But here he is and here he was, winning this one throughout an afternoon in which the Islanders had the upper hand on the walls and harried their foes into turnovers.

Such as the one into which they forced Steven Stamkos — who did not have much a game at all — that served as a prelude to Josh Bailey’s headman pass that sprung Mat Barzal for the game-opening goal at 12:32 of the first period. 1215773 New York Islanders

Islanders hold off Lightning in massive Game 1 win

By Mollie WalkerJune 13, 2021 | 5:42pm | Updated

TAMPA — Coach Barry Trotz said his Islanders’ series-opening blowout loss to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals last season wasn’t a fair fight, after his team was thrown onto the ice the day after traveling between the NHL’s bubbles.

A rested Islanders squad had no such troubles Sunday in Game 1 of this season’s Stanley Cup semifinals, as they took a convincing 2-1 win and a 1-0 series lead over the Lightning in front of a disheartened home crowd at Amalie Arena.

“I thought today was more reminiscent of Games 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 from last year,” Trotz said after the win, referring to how the Islanders were only outscored by two goals after the 8-2 drubbing the Lightning handed them in Game 1 last season.

“Both teams are pretty well the same as they were last year. Systematically, we’re pretty similar. There hasn’t been any overhaul, I don’t think, on both sides. So pretty well what we expected and in some ways that was good. There was a [familiarity] with a team that you haven’t played for six months or whatever, it was a good start for us.”

If there were any doubts the Islanders could keep up with the Lightning, they should be expunged after Game 1. The Islanders relied on their lockdown structure, had a stick in every play and were responsible with the puck, which left the Tampa Bay crowd barely anything to root for.

Mat Barzal celebrates his goal Sunday.

Mathew Barzal opened the scoring at 12:32 of the second period, taking a spot-on stretch pass from Josh Bailey and beating Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy five-hole. The Islanders were able to protect their lead while also keeping up the offensive pressure — which hasn’t always been their strong suit this postseason.

Ryan Pulock then sent a blast from the top of the zone to make it 2-0 at 5:36 of the third. It was Pulock’s fourth goal of the postseason and his third game-winner.

It wasn’t until the Lightning earned a six-on-four power-play, with their net empty, that they were able to get on the board. Top-line center Brayden Point made it a one-goal game with 53.7 seconds left on the clock.

“I think we were comfortable in that spot,” Pulock said. “Obviously they got that goal, but we stayed composed, we didn’t get too worried, we just continued to battle. The guys did a great job in front, blocking some shots and staying hard on pucks and not giving them those looks.”

After facing a less-than-mediocre Tristan Jarry of the Penguins and an injured Tuukka Rask of the Bruins in goal in the first two rounds, the Islanders quickly realized that Vasilevskiy is going to be a problem.

The Islanders were able to get to the crease more often than expected throughout the game, but Vasilevskiy was quick and always in the right position. In the first period, the Vezina Trophy finalist made a save on Jean-Gabriel Pageau at the left post before denying Kyle Palmieri’s rebound attempt at the right post.

Vasilevskiy stymied Anthony Beauvillier twice early in the second. When Barzal turned Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman inside out to get a shot off, Vasilevskiy didn’t give an opening.

While Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves on 31 shots, Semyon Varlamov was just as impressive. En route to a 30-save night and his sixth win of the playoffs, the Islanders goalie made a dynamic pad save on Lightning second-line winger Alex Killorn at 3:47 of the third.

Less than two minutes later, Pulock potted the eventual game-winner.

“Their goaltender made some big saves for them,” Trotz said. “When we were up 1-0, I thought we had a couple of really good looks to get ahead and then finally we did. But we had to get a save from our goaltender.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215774 New York Islanders

NHL bettors can score with this Islanders-Lightning prop

By Andy MacNeil, VSiNJune 13, 2021 | 11:00am

Want even more betting news? Sign up for VSiN’s free daily newsletter. Listen Live to VSiN’s sports betting shows.

The New York Islanders will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup semifinals for the second consecutive season, and once again the former are sizable underdogs. The Lightning defeated the Islanders in six games as -185 series favorites last summer in the Edmonton bubble, and this time they’re carrying even more chalk.

DraftKings lists the Lightning as -265 favorites with the Islanders at +220, which suggests Tampa Bay will win the series approximately 70 percent of the time, and I don’t believe there’s much value in betting either of those lines.

By my estimation, the Lightning will win the series about 74 percent of the time and that equates to odds of -285. There is some value in betting them to win the series, but shop around and try to find the best available odds. BetMGM is offering the Lightning at -275, but they are available at FanDuel at -250.

The same goes if you’re looking to bet the underdog here. Don’t take the first price you see. At William Hill, there’s an odds boost on the Islanders to win the series at +275. The max bet might only be $100 but that is plenty for most bettors and it beats the prices that you’ll find at other shops by quite a bit. It’s a bet that’s likely to lose given the implied 30- percent chance that the Islanders have, so bettors might as well get the best available odds. If there’s ever a time to shop around and take advantage of the many options that are available, it’s now when there are so few betting opportunities. However, while one sportsbook might offer bettors great series odds relative to the rest of the shops around, don’t count the rest out. There are good bets to find at every sportsbook.

I estimate the Lightning will win the series 4-2 about 21 percent of the time which works out to odds of +375. FanDuel is offering Lightning in six +380, which isn’t worth betting, but William Hill and Bet MGM are both offering 4/1, which is worth considering. Don’t stop there, though, as you’ll find DraftKings lists the prop at +425. That’s a good bet in which I perceive myself to have a two-percent edge over the bookmaker.

Steven Stamkos

There are many different ways that a best-of-seven series can play out, and this is a rather specific and unlikely pick, but it’s a bet that should win more than any shop’s odds imply. With that being said, how much value you get depends on the price. Just like the other options available, simply comparing odds across sportsbooks before betting will put a bettor in a more favorable position long term.

Sportsbooks offer a variety of markets, and at BetMGM, bettors can wager on the series’ top goal scorer. The favorite is Nikita Kucherov at 11/2 but Brayden Point isn’t far behind at 15/2. Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal are each listed at 8/1.

Point offers the best value of those four players. He’s been a force in the playoffs and, according to Evolving Hockey, he’s tied for first in goals per 60 minutes with Kyle Palmieri, who has really caught fire. Palmieri is listed at 22/1 to score the most goals in the series. Don’t look past Steven Stamkos at 12/1, though.

The Lightning likely will score more goals in the series than the Islanders, and Stamkos scored goals at a higher rate than any Islanders player during the regular season. Only Point, Palmieri and Alex Killorn have scored at a higher rate in the playoffs and I didn’t mention the latter at 14/1 because he’s been finding the back of the net at twice the rate he was in the regular season and it’s probably not sustainable.

New York Post LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215775 New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal stays hot, scores first goal of Islanders' Game 1 win

By Colin Stephenson

Updated June 14, 2021 1:19 AM

Mathew Barzal insists he isn’t doing anything differently, or better, in the last five games he’s played in this postseason than he did in the first eight. He hasn’t tweaked anything, he said. He hasn’t stepped up his effort in any particular way.

Certainly, though, the results have changed. Through the first eight games of the playoffs, the Islanders’ star center had no goals. In the last five, he’s had four — including the first of the game Sunday in the Islanders’ 2-1 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their NHL semifinal series at Amalie Arena.

"I’d say it’s more so just I’m actually putting the puck in the net,’’ Barzal said of the difference in his recent production. "I think my chances throughout the whole season, or in the playoffs, are always there. It’s just a matter of beating the goalie. In the Pittsburgh series, when I didn’t score, [I was] still playing well, and playing the right way.

"This is the playoffs. So sometimes in some games we’ve played . . . I don’t need to get the fifth goal when we’re up 4-1, you know? So it’s just a matter of trying to be there for the boys when they need me and doing the right things.’’

Island Ice Ep. 98: Isles-Lightning Game 1 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' Game 1 win over Tampa Bay in the NHL semifinals.

The Islanders managed to win five of their first eight playoff games without a goal from Barzal, their No. 1 center and leading scorer in the regular season. But with him scoring now, they’ve won four in a row.

They needed him to break open a scoreless game that had been back- and-forth for the first period-and-a-half Sunday. He came off the bench on a line change, accepted a home run pass up the middle from Josh Bailey at the Tampa Bay blue line, curled up the right side, cut to the middle and slid a shot between the pads of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 12:32 of the second period.

Ryan Pulock’s goal gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead at 5:36 of the third period before Tampa Bay got on the board with a six-on-four power-play goal by Brayden Point in the final minute of the game.

Barzal, who has four goals and six points in his last five playoff games, is creeping up the list of Islanders scorers. His 10 points (four goals, six assists) through 13 games is tied for fourth with Brock Nelson, who has six goals and four assists.

"Obviously, you want to come out and get the first one,’’ Barzal said. "I thought early on [the Lightning] definitely were pressing, [and] every time you’re on the ice with them, you know how much skill they have and puck possession.

"They’re such a nice team to watch. And when you’re playing against them, it sucks, just because . . . you’re chasing the puck and whatnot. But I thought for the most part, when we had a chance to make the right play, we did.’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215776 New York Islanders Now it is Vasilevskiy’s turn to try to solve the pesky Islanders. Varlamov knows the Islanders will not overcome his counterpart easily.

Varlamov, 33, and Vasilevskiy, 26, were teammates for Russia in the In Game 1, 'V' stood for Varlamov and victory, not Vasilevskiy 2016 World Cup. The latter was only 22, which is why Varlamov still calls him a kid. (Sergei Bobrovsky ended up starting for Russia in that event.) But Vasilevskiy is all grown up now.

Updated June 14, 2021 1:38 AM "He’s a very big goalie, very athletic," Varlamov said. "Won the Cup last year, and the Vezina Trophy. What can I say? I can say a lot of great By Neil Best things about him."

Here is something we can say about Varlamov that we cannot about "Vasilevskiy, to me, he’s the best goalie in the NHL," a veteran observer Vasilevskiy: He is seven victories from a Stanley Cup. of professional goaltending was saying early on Sunday evening. "He’s Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.14.2021 been the best goalie in the NHL the last couple of years. He’s outstanding.

"He’s also a great person, very humble guy. I like this kid."

Sure enough, Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning was the Vezina Trophy winner in 2019, won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and is the Vezina favorite in 2021.

But just as surely, when he faced the Islanders in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup semifinal in Tampa on Sunday, something went awry, as it has for other goalies against the Islanders in these playoffs.

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' Game 1 win over Tampa Bay in the NHL semifinals.

And the Islanders being the Islanders, the guy who outplayed him — and who said those nice things above — was the supposedly lesser goalie entering the series.

The one who did not even get named a Vezina finalist after leading the league with seven shutouts and allowing a mere 2.04 goals per game in the regular season.

That would be Semyon Varlamov, who did not yield a goal until the final minute of a 2-1 win, and then only when the Lightning were skating six- on-four and Brayden Point found a tiny window over his left shoulder.

Vasilevskiy, meanwhile, allowed two goals on seemingly more stoppable shots.

Mathew Barzal beat him for the game’s first score when the goalie appeared to anticipate a move to the backhand and Barzal cleverly shoved the puck between his legs.

Ryan Pulock beat him for the second on a long shot that did not appear to be bothered by a screen or deflection.

The Pulock goal came shortly after Varlamov had made a nice right pad save on Alex Killorn.

"Goaltending, it’s all about timely saves, and we’ve got two that have done that for us," coach Barry Trotz said. "Varly’s done that not only through the playoffs, but [he and Ilya Sorokin], they’ve done it all year for us."

Asked about Varlamov outdueling Vasilevskiy, Jordan Eberle said, "In our minds, Varly’s one of the best goalies in the league, so it’s no surprise.

"He’s been there all year for us, him and Soroky, so we try to limit the chances that we get against him. But when there is a chance, he’s been there all year for us. So, not a surprise."

Game 1 did not have the intensity of the second-round series against the Bruins, as the Islanders put a lid on Tampa Bay’s high-powered attack and the Lightning seemed disengaged until the frantic final minutes.

The challenge figures to get tougher from here, but Varlamov is not an easily rattled type. Trotz repeatedly has praised his low-maintenance personality and ability to go with the flow.

He has had a strange route through the playoffs so far, missing Game 1 against the Penguins with an injury — an Isles win — then returning to lose Games 2 and 3, then getting benched for Sorokin, then returning again for Game 2 against Boston.

He outplayed the Bruins’ Tuukka Rask, who was not fully healthy, in that series, just as Sorokin had outplayed Tristan Jarry against the Penguins. 1215777 New York Islanders

Ryan Pulock's playoff resurgence continues with big Game 1 goal in Islanders' win

By Andrew Gross

Updated June 13, 2021 8:01 PM

TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Pulock’s postseason continues to be vastly different than his regular season, even if he’s not doing much differently.

The defenseman with the booming righthanded shot scored the third- period goal that gave the Islanders a two-goal lead in their 2-1 victory over the Lightning in Game 1 of their NHL semifinals on Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena.

It was Pulock’s fourth postseason goal and his third winning goal. This after notching just two regular-season goals in 56 games, a career low in a full season and a bit of a surprise after he matched a career high with 10 goals in 2019-20.

"He’s playing a really solid game, like he has all year, pucks are just going in," coach Barry Trotz said. "I think early in the year, or during the year, he was actually trying to score and now he’s just putting pucks to the net and they’re going in. I don’t think there’s any change in his game. He’s had a real solid season from game one right to the end of the season."

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' Game 1 win over Tampa Bay in the NHL semifinals.

Pulock has said that not scoring with frequency during the regular season did weigh on him.

"I try to not let that bother me during the regular season," Pulock said. "Just keep playing my game, play the right way, play good defensively and I knew it would come. But come playoff time, it’s nice to contribute in that way and help out offensively. Every goal is huge in the playoffs. I just want to keep that going."

Wahlstrom update

Oliver Wahlstrom was out of the lineup for the eighth game in a row. But he participated in pregame warmups for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury against the Penguins in Game 5 of the first round.

That indicates he is now available and no longer day to day.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215778 New York Islanders

Islanders-Lightning Game 1 recap: Winning goal, key stat and more

By Andrew Gross

Updated June 13, 2021 7:17 PM

Winning goal: Ryan Pulock beat Andre Vasilevskiy with an unscreened shot from the right point to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead at 5:36 of the third period.

Key statistic: The Lightning are now 16-for-37 on the power play (43.2%) in the postseason and that accounts for 41.0% of their 39 playoff goals.

Turning point: The Islanders’ penalty kill held the Lightning to one-power play shot over the first 1:24 of the third period, then Semyon Varlamov turned aside Alex Killorn from the slot at 3:47 to keep the Lightning from tying the game and setting up Pulock’s winner.

Did you notice? Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky was in the stands at Amalie Arena for Game 1, taking selfies with fans. He’ll also be rooting for his niece, Katie Ledecky, this week as she competes in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' Game 1 win over Tampa Bay in the NHL semifinals.

Injury report: None for either team.

Other news: The Lightning allowed the first goal for just the third time in 12 playoff games … C Jean-Gabriel Pageau went 14-of-21 (57%) on faceoffs and the Islanders were 28-of-46 (61%) overall … Islanders D Scott Mayfield blocked a game-high four shots … The Islanders had five shots combined on their three unsuccessful power plays while giving up four shorthanded shots … The Lightning outhit the Islanders, 41-40.

Three stars

1. Semyon Varlamov (Islanders) – Stops 30 shots and comes within 54 seconds of his fifth career playoff shutout

2. Mathew Barzal (Islanders) – Scores his fourth goal in five games

3. Ryan Pulock (Islanders) – Scores his third winner of the postseason

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215779 New York Islanders Both goalies showed early that goals likely will be at a premium in this series.

Vasilevskiy stopped Jean-Gabriel Pageau at the left post and Kyle Islanders outplay Lightning in Game 1 victory Palmieri off the right post at 9:21 of the first period as part of his 14 saves in the period. Varlamov stopped 11 first-period shots, including sticking inside Alex Killorn’s slap shot from the slot at 16:44.

By Andrew Gross The teams set a chippy tone that is likely to intensify in the series. Matt Martin caught defenseman David Savard with a heavy check eight Updated June 14, 2021 1:28 AM seconds into the game and Cal Clutterbuck got involved with defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Killorn then leveled Barzal in the neutral zone at 8:05 of the first period. TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning are the defending Stanley Cup champions. But even as they cited their own mental errors and mistakes as a Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.14.2021 significant factor in Sunday’s result, it was clear the Islanders were the better team.

They controlled five-on-five play and Semyon Varlamov outdueled Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy as the Islanders won a physical Game 1 of the NHL semifinal series — a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals won by the Lightning in six games — 2-1 at Amalie Arena before a mostly subdued crowd of 14,513.

"If you look at the way the playoffs are going for us, our games just continue to get better as it’s gone along, and that’s what you want out of your group," Jordan Eberle said. "You’re in the final four, you should have confidence. This is a good start for us but we know they’re going to come out pushing next game and it just gets harder and harder."

Game 2 is Tuesday night before the series returns to Nassau Coliseum for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' Game 1 win over Tampa Bay in the NHL semifinals.

Varlamov made 30 saves but was denied his fifth career playoff shutout on Brayden Point’s power-play goal with 53.7 seconds left in regulation as the Lightning skated six-on-four with Vasilevskiy (29 saves) off for an extra skater.

Still, the Islanders held the Lightning’s potent top trio of Point between Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov to three shots.

"We had a good start today," Varlamov said. "We played well the entire game. We played hard, physical. We were focusing on our game today and that’s why we had success. We didn’t give up stupid penalties."

The Lightning went 1-for-2 on the power play.

"Our work ethic was there," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose team had been idle since eliminating the Hurricanes on Tuesday. "Our compete was there. Our minds weren’t there. Some of our decisions were off."

The Islanders wrapped up their six-game win over the Bruins on Wednesday.

"Just the intensity from everybody tonight," Mathew Barzal said. "Our defense, they closed the door on a lot of plays, a lot of rushes. I really liked how we all played tonight."

Defenseman Ryan Pulock gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead at 5:36 of the third period with a hard shot from the right point that may have been Vasilevskiy’s only mistake of the game as he had a good look.

The Islanders started creating chances by forcing turnovers in the second period. Josh Bailey stole the puck and took it to the crease before lifting a backhander off the crossbar at 2:31. Anthony Beauvillier took the puck from Point and Vasilevskiy stopped his backhander at 5:56. levskiy through his pads to give the Isles a 1-0 lead at 12:32.

The game was the first for either team this season played outside of their own division.

"Both teams are pretty well the same as they were last year," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "Systematically we’re pretty similar. There hasn’t been any overhaul on both sides. Pretty well what we expected and, in some ways, that was good. It was a good start for us.

"I actually thought there would be a feeling-out process for at least a period, maybe half a game," Trotz added. "But it didn’t seem that way. It seemed like both teams were familiar and both teams went at it." 1215780 New York Islanders after Komarov and Jordan Eberle won a two-on-three wall battle to get the puck to Pulock.

If the Islanders go all the way, Barzal will be the biggest name among his A dominating 1-goal game? That’s how the Islanders get it done, as they teammates on a Conn Smythe ballot for playoff MVP. He’ll have earned showed in Game 1 some votes. But his recognition of taking what each playoff game gives him is growing round by round, and that isn’t only good for the Islanders in the moment; it’s also huge for the future.

By Arthur Staple Jun 14, 2021 D-pairs mixing and matching effectively

Trotz’s subtle coaching decisions during games sometimes take a bit of time to notice, but when you do see what he and his coaching staff are The words “Islanders” and “dominating” don’t spend much time together. up to, it’s usually something that’s working. Since the playoffs began — When Barry Trotz’s team wins, it’s usually a battle the Islanders pull out and even at key times in the regular season — Trotz has split up Adam or pull away from. Pelech and Pulock, especially when Noah Dobson is out of the six-man Game 1 of the NHL semifinals Sunday was a one-goal game, so there’s defensive rotation for a shift. nothing new about that, with the Islanders beating the Lightning 2-1. In You’ll see Pelech hop on with Scott Mayfield or Dobson, then Nick Leddy the Trotz era, the Islanders have played 43 playoff games, and this was or Andy Greene with Pulock. It’s generated a real comfort level among the 22nd one-goal result. But if there’s such a thing as a dominating one- the defensemen and perhaps throws off the forward rotation of the goal game, the Islanders played it. Naturally, they prevailed. opponent who will be looking to get its top line away from Pelech and Our takeaways on the Islanders’ best series-opening game of the Pulock. playoffs: It’s especially been key on the road, where the Islanders aren’t going to Shutting down the big boys get their favored matchups too often, especially in the second period with the long change. Pulock played eight minutes at five-on-five with Pelech, The Islanders gave Tampa Bay’s top-six forwards very little, especially 5:40 with Greene and 2:46 with Leddy on Sunday; Pelech got 3:46 with off the rush. Dobson and 2:58 with Scott Mayfield.

Even better than preventing any rush chances, the Islanders generated That means more time with one of the Isles’ best defensemen on the ice. most of theirs on Lightning turnovers. Steven Stamkos committed the They don’t have three, as the Lightning do in Hedman, Ryan McDonagh biggest one, forcing a lateral pass just inside the Islanders’ line in the and Mikhail Sergachev, but the mixing and matching make it seem like second that Josh Bailey easily picked off and sent ahead to Mathew Trotz has more ice time for his top pair. Barzal for the opening goal, but Tampa Bay’s top forwards were either forcing plays or simply not making any. Ten minutes to enjoy it

Nikita Kucherov was never a factor. Stamkos was on for a couple of A common Trotz-ism is that his team gets to enjoy a satisfying playoff win decent Lightning chances but didn’t affect the outcome other than on his for the above-mentioned 10 minutes and then it’s on to the next one. You turnover. The Lightning players who generated the most pucks on can be sure the Lightning won’t be so out of sorts again this series; Semyon Varlamov, five apiece, were Barclay Goodrow and David perhaps the Islanders will get dinged for more than two penalties, which Savard. means all bets are off for five-on-five play if Tampa gets to use its power play more. The Islanders will take that as often as they can in this series. The Islanders don’t dominate games or series, so Game 2 will be a big Varly outplays Vasy hill to climb. They should be used to the grind by now.

Varlamov has a soft spot for Andrei Vasilevskiy, his fellow Russian The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 goalie. “I like this kid,” Varlamov said after the game. “To me, he’s the best goalie in the NHL. … He’s also a great person, very humble guy.”

And on Sunday, Vasilevskiy was in the rare position of being the second- best goalie on the ice. He turned aside a few good Islanders chances in the opening two periods with his length and athleticism that’s unmatched for a guy who’s 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds.

But the difference in the game was Ryan Pulock’s third-period goal, and that was one Vasilevskiy shouldn’t give up. No good NHL goalie should: It was a heavy Pulock slapper, yes, but other than Leo Komarov’s attempt at a deflection that missed, nothing was between goalie and shooter. It simply snuck through Vasilevskiy, something you don’t see often.

Varlamov was up to the task in Game 1, his fourth consecutive strong game in the playoffs — fifth, really, if you toss out Brad Marchand’s no- angle overtime winner in Game 3 against the Bruins. Varlamov did not have to be spectacular thanks to his teammates, but he was in good position all game and made his best stop going post to post to deny Stamkos on a rebound with 2:03 left and the Isles up 2-0.

A most dangerous game for Barzal

For two playoff rounds, Barzal was dumped every chance the Penguins and Bruins got. They were in his face and on his tail game after game, and Barzal, to his credit, pushed through to make himself a factor in games 3, 4 and 5 against the Bruins when the Islanders turned that series in their favor.

He had more room to operate in Game 1 against Tampa Bay than he seemingly had all postseason and took advantage. He do-si-doed Victor Hedman for a great chance in the second that Vasilevskiy got with his arm a few minutes before Barzal’s goal. Barzal saw Hedman the most at even strength and owned the matchup, with the Isles producing a 6-1 shots on goal edge with those two on the ice and both Islanders goals 1215781 New York Islanders dangerous, which cost Varlamov a shutout with 57 seconds left in the game.

New York did handle Tampa’s lethal power play earlier, closing out the Islanders Send Message with Relentless Game 1 Effort vs Defending 1:23 that they had to start the second period with relative ease. Champs “We just continued to battle and guys did a good job in front blocking some shots, staying hard on pucks, and not giving those looks.”

Published 8 hours ago on June 13, 2021By Christian Arnold “I think we’re comfortable in that spot. Teams make a push there,” Ryan Pulock said. “They get an extra attacker, they had that power play, it’s tough. They got that goal but we stayed composed, we didn’t get too worried.” The New York Islanders talked about unfinished business in the lead-up to Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and while they tried to The Islanders will need to replicate that effort for the rest of the series assert that the comments weren’t aimed at their Stanley Cup Semifinals and without question, Tampa Bay will make adjustments ahead of Game opponent, they certainly looked like they were playing to prove a point on 2 on Tuesday. Sunday. Casey Cizikas told reporters before Game 1 that Tampa Bay was going The Islanders put on a clinical performance against the defending to have to beat the Islanders and they wouldn’t beat themselves. On Stanley Cup Champions in their 2-1 series-opening win. New York was Sunday, the Islanders lived up to his words. the better team on Sunday, to the surprise of just about anyone not located on Long Island. NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.14.2021

And when the final buzzer sounded that point was clear.

Game 1 had been New York’s game right from the opening puck drop and as the afternoon continued they got settled into their style. The Islanders outplayed Tampa Bay five-on-five and in the battle between the pipes, it was Semyon Varlamov that prevailed over Andrei Vasilevskiy.

“The intensity from everybody tonight. Our defense today, they closed the door on a lot of plays and a lot of rushes. Just really liked how we all played tonight.”

“It’s growing. If you look at the way the playoffs are going for us, our games continue to get better as they go along,” Jordan Eberle said. “That’s what you want out of our group. There’s still pieces we can continue to build on but you’re in the conference final, you’re in the final four. You should have confidence. This is a good start for us.”

On Sunday the New York played “Islanders hockey” by frustrating their opponent with their physical style and forcing them to make errors. It was a bad turnover by Steven Stamkos in the second period that led to the Islanders’ first goal of the night. At the time that had been just the latest forced turnover that New York created a scoring chance off of.

Anthony Beauvillier had stripped Brayden Point of the puck earlier in the period and forced Vasilevskiy to make a tough save. In the end, Tampa Bay had turned over the puck seven times on Sunday compared to the one lone turnover by the Islanders.

It was an uncharacteristic effort from Tampa Bay, to say the least.

Rapid React: Relentless Islanders Upset Lightning in Game 1

“Our work ethic was there, our compete with there, our minds weren’t there,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Some of our decisions were poor. So that happens when you get this deep into the playoffs and there’s only four teams left. You have to have everything working in unison and we just weren’t quite there.”

A large part of that had to do with the Islanders stifling defensive effort in Game 1. The Islanders held Tampa Bay to 20 shots through the first 40 minutes and the always dangerous trio of Ondrej Palat, Point and Nikita Kucherov were held to a combined three shots on net.

Steven Stamkos’ impact on the game was kept to the bare minimum and he registered just one shot.

While Tampa Bay generated 29 scoring chances to the Islanders 20 five- on-five, New York held the edge in high danger chances 9-8 through the game.

“Today was reminiscent of Games 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 last year,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said harkening back to last year’s series in the bubble. “We’re pretty similar. There hasn’t been any overhaul on both sides. Pretty much what we expected. In some ways, that was good. Being familiar with a team you haven’t played for six months or whatever, it was good. Good start for us.”

The Islanders managed to stick to their formula in Game 1 except for the pair of penalties that they took inopportunely late in the first period and at the end of the game. That was where Tampa Bay was at its most 1215782 New York Islanders

Rapid React: Relentless Islanders Upset Lightning in Game 1

Published 11 hours ago on June 13, 2021By Christian Arnold

The New York Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals on Sunday at Amalie Arena. The Islanders hold a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven series.

How it Happened: Mathew Barzal opened the scoring for the Islanders and the series in the second period. Steven Stamkos’s ugly turnover at the offensive blue line allowed Josh Bailey to spring Barzal for a breakaway. Barzal put the puck through Andrei Vasilevskiy’s five-hole at 12:32 of the second.

After Not scoring a goal through the first eight games of the postseason, Barzal has now scored in four of the Islanders’ last five games.

The New York Islanders doubled their lead in the opening minutes of the third period off a blast from Ryan Pulock at the blue line. Brayden Point found the back of the net in the closing minutes of the game with Tampa Bay on the power play to cut New York’s lead to one.

Goaltender Duel: The story of this series will be goaltending, and that certainly held true on Sunday. Semyon Varlamov got the better of Vasilevskiy in Game 1. Varlamov made 30 saves in the win, and he was 53 seconds away from his first shutout of the playoffs. Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots but missed the two that hurt the most for Tampa Bay, including a shot from Pulock that he should have had. Varlamov’s only goal against came with Tampa Bay on the power play, and their goaltender pulled. Varlamov went save-for-save against the Vezina Trophy finalist, which included a sharp save on Brayden Point followed by Stopping the rebound chance by Steven Stamkos seconds later.

Turnovers Galore: Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of Sunday’s Game 1 was the miscues by Tampa Bay. Stamkos’s turnover led to the New York Islanders’ first goal of the game, but in the second period, there were more than a few that led to chances for the Islanders. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Tampa Bay had turned over the puck seven times compared to just one by the Islanders.

Up Next: The series remains in Tampa Bay for Game 2 on Tuesday (8 p.m.) at Amalie Arena.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215783 New York Islanders “It’s funny some teams play different with different goalies in,” Trotz said. “I know my time in Washington, Philipp Grubauer, he was a really good goaltender. You’re looking at him. You’re watching him and the eye test was saying this guy is on. But we could never score when he was in the Islanders goaltending Will Make or Break Quest for Fifth Stanley Cup net, even though we had a pretty good offense. We never gave him much run support and then Brayden (Holtby) would go in and we’d give

him lots of run support. Published 17 hours ago on June 13, 2021By Christian Arnold After Missing ’20 ECF, Czikas Itching for a Crack at Lightning

“It was funny that way for a while the first year and then the next year it When the puck drops on the New York Islanders Stanley Cup Semifinals sort of flip-flopped a little bit. We look at the other teams’ style, we look series with the Tampa Bay Lightning there will be one part of their game analytically where their heat maps are, where they shoot from, how they that will make or break the series. get the pucks to certain areas and that sort of thing.”

Everyone knows the Islanders can score. They’ve scored 43 goals during The decision is a well-thought-out one, according to Trotz, and there is the playoffs, which is the highest among any team in the postseason. no question so far the methodical approach he and his coaching staff And everyone knows that the Islanders are a strong defensive team, have employed has been working. that’s their bread and butter. However, against a high-powered offense like Tampa Bay and a Vezina What will shape the series won’t be whether or not Mathew Barzal lights finalist in Vasilevskiy, that decision-making process will be put to the up the lamp or Oliver Wahlstrom returns to the lineup. Don’t get me ultimate test. Its effectiveness will ultimately help sway the series for wrong those things will matter, of course, but when it’s all said and done better or worse. it will be the play of the New York Islanders goaltenders that will make or NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.14.2021 break the Islanders’ quest for a fifth Stanley Cup.

It’s been that way since the playoffs began.

When the Islanders needed life in the First Round, head coach Barry Trotz turned to Ilya Sorokin in net after a couple of bumpy starts from Semyon Varlamov. When Sorokin struggled early in the Islanders series against Boston in the Second Round, the return of Varlamov and his strong play helped swing the pendulum for New York.

“Goaltending has been huge. I think you look at every team that is left and all of them have a top goalie, maybe even top two goalies,” Scott Mayfield said on Saturday. “It’s a huge piece. It’s important five on five, it’s important for the kill. With either goalie we have in net, Varly or Sorokin, we’re happy with it and we’re extremely confident to play in front of them. We know what they can do and I think they’ve stolen a couple of games, that’s for sure. It’s been huge for us.”

There was no better example of just how crucial a goaltender can be than in the First Round against Pittsburgh when Sorokin made 48 saves as the Islanders stole a 3-2 Game 5 win in double overtime. They would go on to win Game 6 handily after that.

Varlamov, while he surrendered the first goal on a number of occasions, produced similar game-saving or stealing performances against Boston.

Head-to-Head: Islanders in Familiar Role, Eager Underdog

But New York won’t be going up against a young Tristan Jarry that was clearly shaken by the time Game 6 rolled around. And they won’t face a Tuukka Rask who was clearly hurt more than Boston had led on as the series came to a close.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is a Vezina Trophy finalist for a reason. Not even Trotz could disagree over the merits that Vasilevskiy had to earn the nomination, even as the Islanders head coach lobbied for Varlamov to be among those candidates.

His performances in the playoffs have been top-notch and with a .934 save percentage and a 2.24 goals against average he’s tough to beat. That means on the other end of the ice, Varlamov (or Sorokin) will have to match that performance.

This also means among the already tough choices Trotz has to make during the playoffs, which goaltender he puts in net will take on extra significance. So does that put any added pressure on the New York Islanders bench boss?

“Of course they do,” Trotz responded. “Any decision, if I make a right decision or a wrong decision, you get criticized for it one way or complimented on it. Yeah, there’s some pressure, but it’s belief and understanding.”

As for what he is looking for when it comes to choosing one netminder over the other, Trotz explained that it comes down to two things. The eye test and then the style of the team.

Trotz recalled his experience in Washington when he explained what he meant by the “style of the team.” 1215784 New York Islanders thoughts don’t in any way affect the outcome of a game. That’s also why they pay those other guys and gals the big bucks. What they decide matters a lot. So when Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer decided to start Robin Lehner for Game One against the Colorado NYHN Daily: Time for Islanders to Face Lightning Yet Again Avalanche, I definitely had some thoughts. (Vegas Hockey Now)

San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson couldn’t have been clearer in his exit interview. “The 3C spot,” Wilson said last month, Published 21 hours ago on June 13, 2021By Stefen Rosner “certainly we have to look at and explore.” (San Jose Hockey Now)

The New York Islanders must remain disciplined in series with the The Islanders for the second straight season face the Lightning in the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they need to limit Tampa’s power play. On the semi-finals. Game 1 is today at 3 PM EST on NBC. The Islanders are flip side, the Lightning cannot get frustrated against the Islanders and looking forward to this matchup, in that underdog role yet again, These must remain patient. (NHL) stories and more in today’s daily links! Carey Price is the most valuable player at the midpoint of the 2021 The Islanders will face the Lightning for the fourth time in franchise Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens goalie received 37 of a history in the playoffs and the second consecutive year in a row in the possible 45 points from a panel of 15 NHL.com staff members. (NHL) Stanley Cup Semifinals. Tampa knocked out the Islanders in six games Peter DeBoer said the Vegas Golden Knights have to be careful not to last year in a spirited series in the playoff bubble in Edmonton. (NYI underestimate the Montreal Canadiens when they meet in the Stanley Hockey Now) Cup Semifinals. “You’re foolish if you look at their record and make a When the New York Islanders were in the thick of some of their toughest judgment,” the Vegas coach said Saturday. (NHL) battles against the Tampa Bay Lightning last year in the Eastern The Stanley Cup Semifinals include some unexpected qualifiers among Conference Finals, Casey Cizikas was stuck watching from afar. He’s not the final four teams left standing. The NHL.com staff gives their missing this series this year. (NYI Hockey Now) predictions on the outcomes. (NHL) The rest of the NHL may be surprised that the New York Islanders are Jake Evans could be available to the Montreal Canadiens at some point back in the Stanley Cup Semi-Final but Matt Martin, part of “the best during the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the Vegas Golden Knights, fourth line in hockey,” is not surprised his team got this far and has a with Game 1 at Vegas on Monday. The forward sustained a concussion chance to go further. (NYI Hockey Now) when he was checked by Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele in Game We can hear the words echoing as you see this link on the Isles page. 1 of the Stanley Cup Second Round on June 2. (NHL) The team is about to begin its semifinal series against the Lightning, the The Tampa Bay Lightning power play is making a lot of noise in the Coliseum crowds are delirious and all is right in the Isles universe. But Stanley Cup Playoffs because the band is finally together, and all five the offseason still looms large, especially the list that Lou Lamoriello will pieces are playing in harmony. (NHL) be submitting on July 17 in advance of the July 21 expansion draft for Seattle. (The Athletic) The National Hockey League announced today that it will reveal winners of 2021 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone throughout the 2021 They called Bill Torrey “the Architect,” which fit the guy who built the Stanley Cup Semifinals and Stanley Cup Final. Beginning this Monday, Islanders from scratch into a dynasty in less than a decade. So what June 14, NBC Sports, Sportsnet and TVA Sports will announce winners about Lou Lamoriello? (Newsday) during their pregame or in-game windows for the 2021 Stanley Cup Rookie forward Oliver Wahlstrom skated with the Islanders at practice Semifinals. Those announcements will be followed by media availabilities Saturday and is “getting very close to be available,’’ according to with each winner during the first intermission of the respective games. Islanders coach Barry Trotz, but he added that Wahlstrom may not step (NHL) right back into the lineup as soon as he is ready. (Newsday) There’s more than a spot in the Stanley Cup Final at stake in the New Give longtime Boston Bruins center David Krejci credit; while his media York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Semifinals. Nassau scrums can be vague at times, they’re always honest. Speaking in his County Executive Laura Curran and Tampa mayor Jane Castor end of the season media Zoom session recently, a clearly pensive and announced a friendly wager on the series with the spoils including food, yet conflicted David Krejci laid it on the line when it comes to his future beer and cigars. (NHL) with the only NHL team he’s known since being drafted by the Boston NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.14.2021 Bruins 33rd overall at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Boston Hockey Now) The phrase “copycat league” is used, abused, and has reached cliche status. It’s akin to saying, “it’s tough to win in this league.” As if there’s a league where wins come easy. But the roster construction of the final four teams in the NHL playoffs can and should send a clear message to the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Joel Quenneville is the latest member of the Florida Panthers to be nominated for an NHL award this season as he was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award on Friday morning. Quenneville, despite being a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, has only won the Adams one time — in 2000 while head coach of the St. Louis Blues. (Florida Hockey Now)

Perhaps this summer Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman should take a page from the Clark Griswold playbook and go on a European vacation when it comes to signing free agents. Forward Mathias Brome is the latest European free agent that didn’t work out for the Wings. After one NHL season in which he produced a goal and an assist in 26 games, Brome is heading back across the pond. He’ll play next season for Davos in the Swiss League. (Detroit Hockey Now)

Like most of you who frequent this site, I’m still trying to process just what in the heck happened in the past few days with the Colorado Avalanche writes Adrian Dater. Here are his final thoughts. (Colorado Hockey Now)

One of the awesome things about being a fan, writer, or broadcaster of any sport is that we can speculate until the cows come home but our 1215785 Pittsburgh Penguins

Stars defenseman Stephen Johns of Wampum announces retirement

SETH RORABAUGH | Sunday, June 13, 2021 10:59 p.m.

In 167 career games, former Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns scored 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists).

NHL defenseman Stephen Johns, a native of Wampum, has retired from professional hockey.

The 29-year-old announced his decision via social media.

In the post, Johns touched on his battles with depression and plans to Rollerblade across the country.

Johns wrote:

“Someone asked me the other day what I like to do for fun… and I didn’t give him an answer, because I didn’t have one. I’m writing this post because I’m tired of letting depression destroy my life. The realization that my career has come to an end has really (expletive) with my identity… What I’ll miss most about the game of hockey is providing inspiration. So, I’ve decided to rollerblade and road-trip across the country to hopefully help others facing their own battles. I’ll be documenting along the way, to share my full story, because I know what it feels like to be alone. For me, I watched one video and it changed my life and made me want to do this crazy thing. If I can still inspire one person to climb out of their hole, then that’s a successful trip and exactly what I’m aiming for. Peace & Love.”

Johns’ career was disrupted largely due to concussion issues that began in October of 2017.

A second-round pick (No. 60 overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Johns was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2015 and played all 167 games of his NHL career with that organization over parts of four seasons.

After missing parts of three seasons due to his concussion issues - including the entire 2018-19 season - Johns returned to Dallas’ lineup in 2019-20 and was a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, an honor that recognizes the player who best “exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

Johns couldn’t fully shake his lingering concussion woes and was on long-term injured reserve for the duration of the 2020-21 season, the final year of his contract.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander was an alumnus of the former Pittsburgh Hornets youth program.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215786 Pittsburgh Penguins The future: Even as a restricted free agent, the case could be made that Blueger is the Penguins’ most pressing free agent that needs to be re- signed this upcoming offseason (with apologies to unrestricted free agent defenseman Cody Ceci). Penguins A to Z: Teddy Blueger should be a leading offseason priority As obsessive as any NHL player in the finer points of his vocation, Blueger typically offers a fundamentally perfect game to a team that demands precision on every inch on the ice. SETH RORABAUGH | Sunday, June 13, 2021 8:01 a.m. And with the likes of as well as Malkin each now in their

mid-30s, Blueger represents a fairly reliable presence in the lineup In 43 games this past season, Penguins forward Teddy Blueger had 22 should one of the top two centers be incapacitated (as will likely be the points (seven goals, 15 assists). case with Malkin at the start of the 2021-22 season due to his chronic right knee injury). With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 49 players currently under NHL contracts to the With the salary cap remaining flat, it won’t be easy for the Penguins to organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari find a way to sign Blueger to a long-term contract and address their other to top-six winger Jason Zucker. needs. They could always sign him to a one-year deal and wait until the NHL’s finances rebound and the salary cap rises before investing in him Teddy Blueger for more than one season.

Position: Center Then there is the matter of next month’s expansion draft. Blueger is hardly a guarantee to be included on the team’s protected list. And given Shoots: Left his age, his contract status and skill set, Blueger could be an inviting Age: 26 player for the Seattle Kraken to select.

Height: 6-foot Either way, Blueger should be on the Penguins’ leading offseason priorities, even if their options to keep him are limited. Weight: 185 pounds Tribune Review LOADED: 06.14.2021 2020-21 NHL statistics: 43 games, 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists)

Contract: Second year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $750,000. Pending restricted free agent this offseason

Acquired: Second-round draft pick (No. 52 overall), June 23, 2012

2020-21 season: After a steady but hardly spectacular 2019-20 campaign, there were elevated expectations for Teddy Blueger entering 2020-21. And he largely exceeded them, even if he did miss several weeks due to injury.

At the onset of the season, he found himself on the fourth line but not with his regular linemates as Zach Aston-Reese was on injured reserve recovering from offseason surgery to his left shoulder while Brandon Tanev was elevated to the third line.

Instead, Blueger opened the season with Sam Lafferty and Colton Sceviour on his flanks.

That experiment didn’t last long as coaches quickly lost faith in using Mark Janowski as the third-line center and elevated Blueger to that station by the sixth game of the season with Tanev and Jared McCann on his wings.

By Feb. 11, Aston-Reese was fully recuperated and reunited with Blueger and Tanev. That trio combined for a goal during a 4-3 road win against the New York Islanders.

Blueger was on pace to surpass modest career-bests in goals (nine) and points (22) before he suffered an undisclosed injury March 15 thanks to a cross-check to the ribs from Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi.

Missing 13 games, Blueger returned to the lineup by April 11.

With the additions of Jeff Carter on April 12 (via trade) and on May 3 (via partial recovery from a right knee injury), Blueger found himself back on the fourth line in a dynamic that provided the Penguins the depth at center they have long pursued.

In addition to boosting his overall offensive production on a game-to- game basis, Blueger had three short-handed scores, tied for fourth-most in the entire NHL.

Additionally, he saw a modest improvement over his faceoff success rate, rising from 45.1% to 48.7%. And in an odd twist, the typically even- keeled “Terrible” Teddy Blueger led the combat-challenged Penguins in fighting majors with two.

In the playoffs, Blueger pivoted the Penguins’ fourth line between Aston- Reese and Tanev. While Blueger went scoreless in six games, his line was usually assigned to the Islanders’ top line and held the trio of Leo Komarov, Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle to one even-strength goal in six games. 1215787 Tampa Bay Lightning “A lot of times, just driving pucks deep and getting into our cycle game and get some shot-and-scramble game going, that’s when it opens up, maybe (creates) a seam pass here or there,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “But too many times (Sunday), for sure, we Islanders gain early edge on Lightning in Stanley Cup semifinals mismanaged with the puck on our stick.”

New York went up 2-0 just 5:36 into the third period on defenseman Ryan Pulock’s goal on an unobstructed shot from the point. The By Eduardo A. Encina Lightning’s Brayden Point scored on the power play with 53.7 seconds Published Yesterday remaining in the game.

Updated Yesterday Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov had 30 saves; Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots.

“It’s frustrating to lose, so I think that’s the frustrating part,” Cooper said. TAMPA — The Lightning know the Islanders well enough to realize how “But this (Islanders team) is no different than the team we basically had much they thrive on capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes. beaten in the bubble. And we just made too many mistakes. Managing the puck is a big thing against this team, and they managed better than The Islanders don’t give teams much space, but they stay in front of us, and they got one extra break.” opponents and tempt them into bad passes. When opponents make one, they jump into the lane, and opponents are left watching them skate into Contact Eduardo A. Encina at [email protected]. Follow their zone. @EddieintheYard.

The Lightning were reminded of the Islanders’ style the hard way in their Islanders 0-1-1—2 2-1 loss in Game 1 of their league semifinal at Amalie Arena in front of an announced crowd of 14,513 Sunday. Lightning 0-0-1—1

“Our work ethic was there. Our compete with there. Our minds weren’t First Period—None. Penalties—Goodrow, TB (Unsportsmanlike there,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Some of our decisions were Conduct), 0:08; Martin, NYI (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 0:08; poor. So that happens when you get this deep into the playoffs and McDonagh, TB (Tripping), 3:22; Goodrow, TB (Roughing), 9:21. there’s only four teams left. You have to have everything working in Second Period—1, N.Y. Islanders, Barzal 4 (Bailey), 12:32. Penalties— unison, and we just weren’t quite there.” Cernak, TB (Tripping), 16:41; Palmieri, NYI (Interference), 19:23. The Lightning had seven giveaways, including a turnover by Steven Third Period—2, N.Y. Islanders, Pulock 4 (Eberle), 5:36. 3, Tampa Bay, Stamkos that led to forward Mathew Barzal’s goal with 7:18 remaining in Point 9 (Killorn, Kucherov), 19:07. Penalties—Nelson, NYI (High the second period that gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead. Sticking), 18:22. It has been nine months since the Lightning beat the Islanders in 2020′s Shots on Goal—N.Y. Islanders 14-9-8_31. Tampa Bay 11-9-11_31. Eastern Conference final, and Tampa Bay struggled feeling out its first Power-play opportunities—N.Y. Islanders 0 of 3; Tampa Bay 0 of 2. non-Central Division foe this season. The Lightning have seen Goalies—N.Y. Islanders, Varlamov 5-3-0 (31 shots-30 saves). Tampa contrasting styles in these playoffs, from the Panthers’ up-tempo run- Bay, Vasilevskiy 8-4-0 (31-29). A—14,513 (19,092). T—2:20. Referees— and-gun to the Hurricanes’ hard-pressing, tight-checking play. Eric Furlatt, Kelly Sutherland. Linesmen—David Brisebois, Jonny Murray. “This team (Islanders), it definitely defends really well,” forward Alex Sign up for Lightning Strikes, a weekly newsletter from Bolts beat writer Killorn said. “They play so tight in the zone, even though we have the Eduardo A. Encina that brings you closer to the ice. puck for large amount of times, it’s tough to get really high-chance scoring opportunities. But these are all adjustments we’ll make, just like Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida we did against Florida, just like we did against Carolina.” college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on and Facebook. In the previous two rounds, the Lightning took 2-0 leads on the road. This was the first time they started the postseason with home-ice advantage. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.14.2021 Last year, the Lightning lost Game 1 to the Stars in the Stanley Cup final last year in the Edmonton bubble before beating Dallas in six games, and they lost their second-round opener to the Bruins before winning four straight.

“We’re fine in this position,” Stamkos said. “It’s not ideal, but (the Islanders) did what we’ve done to teams so far (this postseason) and get one on the road. So we’ve got to respond with another game at home in front of our fans, and then we’ll take it from there.

“There’s no panic in the room. We’ll make some adjustments, and we’ll come back even hungrier.”

On Barzal’s goal, Stamkos had the puck against the far wall at the blue line, and instead of dumping it in, he sent the puck over the middle of the ice. Islanders forward Josh Bailey picked it off and fed Barzal through the neutral zone. Barzal got a step on Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta, charged to the net and slid the puck between goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s legs.

“I’m just trying to make a play there, and you see what can happen,” Stamkos said. “They can go the other way and score, and it can be the difference in a game. I know I need to be better in that situation. I think our team realizes how patient we are going to have to be, both teams, so it can be one play, it can be one bounce out there.”

The Lightning’s vaunted power play — which led all teams in the postseason with a 41.7 percent success rate entering the game — was kept off the ice until 37 seconds were left in the second period. And it got just one shot on goal then.

The Lightning had just two power plays in the game. 1215788 Tampa Bay Lightning But the bottom line is Tampa Bay needs more production out of its top line. Between them, Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat have 10 power-play goals, which is outstanding, but only six in 5-on-5 situations. For comparison, Tampa Bay’s fourth line (Tyler Johnson, Lightning may not be the smartest kids in the class in this series Ross Colton and Pat Maroon) has five evenhanded goals in about half of the ice time.

“We’ve relied on our power play, for sure, in the first two series’,” forward By John Romano Alex Killorn said. “Our 5-on-5 play was pretty good as well, but I think Published Earlier today we’re going to have to take it up a notch. Make sure every line gets in the game. We can just roll the lines, kind of build some momentum that way.” Updated Earlier today Killorn ain’t kidding. The Lightning are going to have to take it up a notch, because the Islanders are not going to give them power plays the way the Panthers and Hurricanes did. New York led the NHL in fewest TAMPA – Well, that was interesting. If you’re a Lightning fan, it wasn’t penalties taken in the regular season, and it’s hard to imagine the particularly riveting, inspiring or encouraging, but it was interesting. Islanders getting more careless in the postseason. Tampa Bay lost the opening game of the Stanley Cup semifinals against The Lightning are certainly capable of rebounding, and it’s true they have the Islanders 2-1 on Sunday, and the best thing you can say is that the not lost back-to-back in more than 30 postseason games. But they can’t Lightning didn’t play terribly. In some ways, that’s also the worst thing afford even minor screwups in this series, because the Islanders don’t you can say. look like they’ll be making many mistakes themselves. You see, there’s no smoking gun here. No obvious cause of Game 1′s Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.14.2021 death. Yes, the Lightning made a few mistakes, but there were no egregious shortcomings. They were just beaten by a team with greater discipline. Greater patience. Dare we say it, greater cool.

And that’s a little disconcerting.

The Islanders played a near-flawless game, but you get the feeling that it wasn’t a fluke. That’s who they are. And if the Lightning are to survive this round, they’re going to need to figure out a way to rattle that team or play just as flawlessly themselves.

“We weren’t using our heads the way we normally do. We’re playing a different team than we did last week,” coach Jon Cooper said. “The Islanders do what they do, and they do it extremely well. We saw. Now it’s on us to pick it apart.”

The Lightning may have rolled through the first two rounds of the postseason with their usual panache, but the truth is Florida and Carolina contributed to their own demise. The Panthers were on the penalty kill 3.33 times per game. Carolina averaged 12 giveaways a game.

New York is not going to approach those numbers. The Islanders took two penalties on Sunday, but both were pretty sketchy. And they had one giveaway the entire game. One! Which explains why you never saw the Lightning offense get any odd-man rushes.

“It’s exactly what we thought it was going to be,” said captain Steven Stamkos. “It’s going to be a tight-checking, not a lot of room out there, low-scoring series. We have to be comfortable with that and continue to get better with that.”

Of course, a little perspective helps. Meaning Tampa Bay is not doomed, or even in grave danger.

The Lightning lost the opening game in two (Boston and Dallas) of their matchups last postseason. They went on to win the next four games in a row against the Bruins and four of the next five against the Stars. So, yeah, they know how it’s done.

And if you compare them position by position, you would probably come to the conclusion that the Lightning are a more talented team than New York.

But there are a few worrisome signs, and you don’t have to look too hard to find them.

The most obvious is Tampa Bay’s lack of production in 5-on-5 situations. And it’s not just that New York outscored the Lightning 2-0 when evenhanded on Sunday. The Lightning have been less-than-impressive all postseason in those situations.

Including Game 1 against the Islanders, Tampa Bay has outscored the opposition 19-18 when 5-on-5 in the playoffs. For a team with as much scoring clout as the Lightning, that’s a bit jarring. For comparison, the Lightning outscored Columbus, Boston, New York and Dallas 54-35 in last year’s postseason in 5-on-5 situations. That’s an enormous discrepancy from one year to the next.

Now, maybe you could say the Lightning’s power play has been so efficient that they have been able to dial it back in 5-on-5 and play a more conservative game. There’s probably some legitimacy to that idea. 1215789 Tampa Bay Lightning No cause for concern Surface-level analysis: Vasilevskiy was outplayed by the Islanders’

Semyon Varlamov and should have stopped one, if not both, of the goals Lightning-Islanders Game 1 report card: Turnabout is fair play scored against him.

Deeper dive: Vasilevkiy, who stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced, bailed out his teammates with big saves for much of the game and faced more By Frank Pastor difficult chances than his counterpart in net.

Published Earlier today No question, Vasilevskiy would have liked to have Ryan Pulock’s game- winning goal back, a shot from the right point that Vasilevskiy saw Updated Earlier today clearly. But his teammates hung him out to dry on Barzal’s goal, and the Lightning only stayed as close as they did for most of the game because Vasilevskiy: What a difference a season makes. • Made a right pad save on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau one-timer from low in Nine months after trouncing the Islanders 8-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern the left circle, then stretched to his left to get a glove on a Kyle Palmieri Conference final inside the Edmonton bubble, the Lightning fell 2-1 to chance from in front after Pageau fed him the puck from below the goal New York in the opening game of their Stanley Cup semifinal series line in the first period. Sunday at Amalie Arena. • Deflected a Casey Cizikas redirection of a Nick Leddy shot from the left If you’re counting, that’s a seven-goal swing from one series-opener to point with Ross Colton obstructing his view later in the period. the next. • Stopped an Anthony Beauvillier backhander after a Point turnover at the Brayden Point scored the first Tampa Bay goal in both games. A year Lightning blue line early in the second. ago, it happened just over a minute into the contest. Sunday, it came in the final minute. • Made a blocker save on Barzal in the second after Barzal beat Victor Hedman with an inside-outside move. To name a few. Of course, the opening game of last season’s series was an anomaly, as four of the six games in the series were decided by two goals or fewer, There’s no reason to worry about the Lightning goaltender. He still gives the final two in overtime. them their biggest edge in the series.

Games against the Islanders typically are tight-checking, low-scoring Grade: B affairs, and Sunday’s was no exception. Wall of blue New York has good structure, is aggressive in all three zones and plays The Lightning penalty kill did an outstanding job, shutting out the well with a lead. Rather than stepping up, it’s defense sags, limiting the Islanders on all three of their chances with the man-advantage. chances of chipping the puck behind them and creating odd-man rushes. It pressures the puck and thrives on turnovers. Tampa Bay stood up four players at its blue line — one up and three back — causing New York to repeatedly turn over the puck on its first two For much of Game 1, Tampa Bay played into the Islanders’ hands, with power plays. After managing just a single shot on goal during their first seven giveaways to New York’s one. power play, the Islanders improved their entries midway through their The Islanders managed the puck better than the Lightning, which made second opportunity, getting a dump-in that led to more zone time and too many poor decisions, and mostly stayed out of the penalty box, four shots on goal. allowing Tampa Bay to get its league-best power-play unit on the ice only New York adjusted yet again on its third power play, moving the puck twice, the second time in the final minute. back and forth around the boards to relieve some of the pressure and The loss could partly be attributed to rust — the Lightning hadn’t played spread out the Tampa Bay defense. But the best scoring opportunity was since Tuesday, their longest stretch without a game this postseason. A a shorthanded chance for the Lightning’s Alex Killorn, who drove to the more likely explanation might be difficulty adjusting to a new opponent net after Rutta blocked a shot in the Tampa Bay zone and passed the with a different style of play in a new series, particularly one it hadn’t puck up the boards to Killorn. seen all season. It was more great work from a unit that has been outshined too often this Tampa Bay will make adjustments as the series moves forward, but postseason by its own power play. clearly this isn’t the way it wanted to start. Grade: A Grade: C-minus Sign up for Lightning Strikes, a weekly newsletter from Bolts beat writer Here’s how we graded the rest of the Lightning’s performance in Game 1 Eduardo A. Encina that brings you closer to the ice. : Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida Chain lightning college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook. Steven Stamkos’ inability to get the puck deep into the Islanders’ zone was one of the first links in a chain that led to Mathew Barzal’s game- Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.14.2021 opening goal late in the second period.

Stamkos tried to make a play from just inside the offensive blue line but turned the puck over to Josh Bailey. Bailey fired the puck up the ice to Barzal, who got a step on Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta and beat Andrei Vasilevskiy between the legs as the goaltender tried to poke the puck off his stick.

But the opportunity was created even earlier for New York, during a line change.

Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh came off the ice, leaving the whole right side of the ice open. Barzal jumped on in place of Brock Nelson, and Bailey connected with Barzal with a tape-to-tape pass as he hit the ice with a head of steam.

Lightning fast, the puck was in the back of the net.

Grade: D 1215790 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning can’t be as reliant on power play if they want to survive Islanders

By Mari Faiello

Published Earlier today

Updated Earlier today

TAMPA — If Sunday’s loss was any indication, the Lightning might not be able to lean on their lethal power-play unit as much against the Islanders as they’ve grown accustomed to this postseason.

Tampa Bay entered the Stanley Cup semifinals with the postseason’s top-ranked power-play unit, scoring at a 41.7-percent success rate.

But it’s only a factor if it can get on the ice.

Of the four remaining teams, the Islanders have averaged the least amount of penalty minutes this postseason (6.9). Through 13 games, they’ve sat in the box all of 90 minutes.

The Lightning had just two power-play chances in Game 1, getting their first opportunity with 37 seconds left in the second period. By that time, Tampa Bay had already killed three penalties of its own.

The Lightning, who entered the gamer averaging 3.27 power-play opportunities (36 through 11 games) this postseason, will have to adjust to not getting quite that many chances.

As time trickled down in the third period, the Lightning’s top power-play unit took the ice trailing by two. With goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy pulled for an extra attacker, giving Tampa Bay a 6-on-4 advantage, Brayden Point scored with 54 seconds remaining to bring the Lightning back to within a goal.

The lack of man-advantage chances heightens the urgency for better 5- on-5 play for the Lightning.

“We’ve relied on our power-play for sure in the first two series,” said forward Alex Killorn. “Our five-on-five play was pretty good, as well, but I think we’re going to have to take it up a notch.”

Varlamov’s performance ‘no surprise’

The Lightning knew what to expect against the Islanders, and seeing Semyon Varlamov between the posts was far from surprising.

The 33-year-old goaltender faced Tampa Bay all six times during last season’s Eastern Conference final, helping his team to two wins.

Sunday, Varlamov stopped 30 of 31 shots. He was less than a minute from his first shutout of the postseason when Point scored. Varlamov’s seven shutouts during the regular season tied Colorado’s Philipp Grubauer for most in the league.

Varlamov made a key stop on Killorn early in the third period before Ryan Pulock scored at the other end of the ice for what eventually became the winning goal.

“In our minds, Varly is one of the best goalies in the league,” Islanders forward Jordan Eberle said. “It’s no surprise (he did well). He’s been there all year for us.”

While Varlamov has one win in the books, he and his teammates know things won’t be easy with four-time Vasilevskiy at the other end of the ice.

The four-time Vezina finalist stopped 29 of 31 shots in losing for just the fourth time this postseason. Trotz said Vasilevskiy made some “big saves” after New York went ahead by a goal.

“Vasilevskiy, to me, he’s the best goalie in the NHL,” Varlamov said. “He’s been the best goalie in the NHL for the past couple of years. He’s outstanding, and he’s also a great person, a very humble guy. I mean, I like this kid. But now we’re playing against each other”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215791 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning can’t be as reliant on power play if they want to survive Islanders

By Mari Faiello

Published Earlier today

Updated Earlier today

TAMPA — If Sunday’s loss was any indication, the Lightning might not be able to lean on their lethal power-play unit as much against the Islanders as they’ve grown accustomed to this postseason.

Tampa Bay entered the Stanley Cup semifinals with the postseason’s top-ranked power-play unit, scoring at a 41.7-percent success rate.

But it’s only a factor if it can get on the ice.

Of the four remaining teams, the Islanders have averaged the least amount of penalty minutes this postseason (6.9). Through 13 games, they’ve sat in the box all of 90 minutes.

The Lightning had just two power-play chances in Game 1, getting their first opportunity with 37 seconds left in the second period. By that time, Tampa Bay had already killed three penalties of its own.

The Lightning, who entered the gamer averaging 3.27 power-play opportunities (36 through 11 games) this postseason, will have to adjust to not getting quite that many chances.

As time trickled down in the third period, the Lightning’s top power-play unit took the ice trailing by two. With goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy pulled for an extra attacker, giving Tampa Bay a 6-on-4 advantage, Brayden Point scored with 54 seconds remaining to bring the Lightning back to within a goal.

The lack of man-advantage chances heightens the urgency for better 5- on-5 play for the Lightning.

“We’ve relied on our power-play for sure in the first two series,” said forward Alex Killorn. “Our five-on-five play was pretty good, as well, but I think we’re going to have to take it up a notch.”

Varlamov’s performance ‘no surprise’

The Lightning knew what to expect against the Islanders, and seeing Semyon Varlamov between the posts was far from surprising.

The 33-year-old goaltender faced Tampa Bay all six times during last season’s Eastern Conference final, helping his team to two wins.

Sunday, Varlamov stopped 30 of 31 shots. He was less than a minute from his first shutout of the postseason when Point scored. Varlamov’s seven shutouts during the regular season tied Colorado’s Philipp Grubauer for most in the league.

Varlamov made a key stop on Killorn early in the third period before Ryan Pulock scored at the other end of the ice for what eventually became the winning goal.

“In our minds, Varly is one of the best goalies in the league,” Islanders forward Jordan Eberle said. “It’s no surprise (he did well). He’s been there all year for us.”

While Varlamov has one win in the books, he and his teammates know things won’t be easy with four-time Vasilevskiy at the other end of the ice.

The four-time Vezina finalist stopped 29 of 31 shots in losing for just the fourth time this postseason. Trotz said Vasilevskiy made some “big saves” after New York went ahead by a goal.

“Vasilevskiy, to me, he’s the best goalie in the NHL,” Varlamov said. “He’s been the best goalie in the NHL for the past couple of years. He’s outstanding, and he’s also a great person, a very humble guy. I mean, I like this kid. But now we’re playing against each other”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215792 Tampa Bay Lightning It’s not like the Lightning were blown out of their own building, even though the 14,500-plus were forced to be a bit quieter than usual due to what happened on the ice. Tampa Bay held the edge in scoring chances (37-27), high danger chances (14-10), including 29-20 in scoring chances Lightning say there’s ‘no panic’ after Game 1 loss but Islanders should at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. have their attention Overall, their lines fare fine at five-on-five.

But the Islanders executed at a much higher level. Whether that was in By Joe Smith Jun 13, 2021 the faceoff circle, with New York winning 61 percent (including two in Tampa Bay’s final-minute six-on-five opportunity). It was the Lightning

who took two first-period penalties, both by Barclay Goodrow, that Lightning captain Steven Stamkos was wrapping up a 67-second shift zapped them of some momentum, as the shots went from 7-1 Tampa just past the midway point of the second period Sunday, his team Bay to a 13-2 Islanders run. deadlocked in a 0-0 tie with the tight-checking Islanders. And what was most stunning was that the Lightning had zero rush Turnovers had nearly cost the Cup champs in the first half of the game, chances. Zero. The Islanders had nine. but goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy bailed them out like he often has. “Mentally, you could tell by their first shift, they were coming to play,” On this pivotal play, Stamkos skated toward his bench and accepted a Killorn said. “Mentally, we’ve got to be a little bit sharper. It’s a series. We pass from Erik Cernak up the wall. All the veteran forward had to do was understand there are seven games, it’s not like we’re really mad about dump it in, rim it around the boards and let Anthony Cirelli chase it. Live the way we played, we need to better. This team is not going to give us to play another day. much. We’ve got to make sure we don’t give them as many.”

Instead, Stamkos tried — not once but twice — to make a play across Killorn said the Islanders’ defense often sags back and lets them carry the ice, the first attempt blocked by Islanders defenseman Andy Greene. the puck across the blue line, lulling them into a false sense of security The second one, a pass across the top of the zone, was right to Josh that they’ll create offense. Tampa Bay’s strength is its forecheck and Bailey. As Stamkos exited the ice, Islanders star Mathew Barzal was peppering its opponent with pressure. It is also able to roll line after line. sprung on a rush, beating Vasilevskiy to make it 1-0. The Islanders didn’t give them a ton, nor were there a bounty of second chances. Stamkos remained on the bench for the next seven minutes, only returning when Tampa Bay got its much-awaited first power play of the “You realize how patient you have to be,” Stamkos said. “One play or one game near the end of the period. Perhaps this was a message from bounce there (can cost you). We knew it’d be extremely tough. We’ve coach Jon Cooper on the mental mistakes that cost them in Game 1 — a been in this position before. There’s definitely no panic in this room. But 2-1 loss — and could cost them the series if this keeps up. you realize it’s going to be an extremely tight series.”

“You just have to stick with the grinding game,” Stamkos said. “I’m trying Now to one of the more surprising parts, that the Islanders’ Russian to make a play there, and you see what happens. It can be the difference goaltender Semyon Varlamov outplayed Tampa Bay’s Russian, in the game. I need to be better in that situation.” Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy is the likely Vezina Trophy winner and was on my Hart Trophy ballot for a reason. He’s been a difference-maker all Stamkos wasn’t the only Lightning player to cough up the puck — his playoffs, so this is not pinning this loss on him. was just the only giveaway that cost them a goal. There’s no panic in the Tampa Bay dressing room, especially not for a championship team that But the Islanders’ goals, specifically the second one by Ryan Pulock, are hasn’t lost back-to-back playoff games the last two seasons. But the ones that Vasilevskiy usually stops. The Pulock shot from the point didn’t Islanders sure as hell have the Lightning’s attention now after playing a appear to be deflected, nor was there much traffic, and it beat Vasilevskiy near-perfect road game, relentlessly executing their game plan and five-hole. frustrating Tampa Bay. But how did Pulock get that opportunity? The Islanders won a puck battle It’s not like Barry Trotz’s team surprised the Lightning with what it did, on the boards, even getting outnumbered 3-2 by Jan Rutta, Brayden from its strong structure and fierce forecheck and — well, its “Saints” like Point and Ondrej Palat, and Jordan Eberle dug it out and got it to Pulock. play (Tampa Bay got just two power plays). Veteran forward Casey Trotz said the keys for the Islanders were managing the puck, staying Cizikas said going into the series that the Lightning “are going to have to disciplined and making good decisions offensively. They managed the beat us. We’re not going to beat ourselves.” game well, which Trotz said was more similar to Games 2-6 in last year’s It was the Lightning who beat themselves Sunday. They had seven Eastern Conference finals. giveaways; the Islanders had one. “We know who we are and we just have to play the way we have to,” “Our work ethic was there, our compete was there,” Cooper said. “Our Trotz said. “It’s good for our confidence. It’s not a revelation or big minds were not there.” surprise. Guys were dialed in and knew what we had to do and got it done.” The Lightning talked all week on how they expected a hard-fought series, how they had to be patient offensively. It’s been a calling card of this The Lightning have lost home-ice advantage, which is no small thing team ever since it overcame that stunning sweep by the Blue Jackets in considering the atmosphere at Nassau Coliseum. They’ve lost Game 1s April 2019. They went from the “greatest show on ice” to a blend of skill, before, including in last year’s Stanley Cup Final against Dallas. In the will and composure. It’s how they beat Columbus in five overtimes in the second round last season, they lost Game 1 to Boston before reeling off first game of the playoffs last year and why they ultimately won the Cup. four straight wins to take the series.

But it didn’t seem like the Lightning were willing to bide their time in this The key here will be making the right adjustments and better decisions one, unlike the Islanders, who were content to take advantage of their next game, as they’re in for the toughest fight of their quest for a historic opponent’s miscues. This wasn’t going to be a fast-break style game, not repeat. against New York, which has a unique style compared to the Panthers “The Islanders do what they do, and they do it extremely well,” Cooper and Hurricanes. said. “We saw it. Now it’s our job to pick it apart.” “It’s been a very different team than we’ve played so far,” winger Alex The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 Killorn said. “Florida, they were run and gun. They’re trying to play up and down the ice and Carolina was the opposite. This team defends really well, their D sag, and they play so tight in the zone that even though we have the puck for a large amount of times, it’s tough to get a high (danger) scoring opportunity.

“These are all adjustments we can make, like we did in Florida and Carolina.”

They better make them fast. 1215793 Toronto Maple Leafs After some close calls in the sky locating enemy positions, Fredrickson was recalled to serve in England, but the transport he sailed on was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. Fredrickson and others were adrift on a lifeboat a few days — Frank was able to save his violin — before being HORNBY: Frank Fredrickson was a hero in the air and on the ice rescued.

He eventually made it back to “Blighty” — as he called Great Britain in his diary — and became an instructor and test pilot. En route to Canada in Lance Hornby 1919, he made an emotional stop in Iceland, where he became the first Publishing date:Jun 12, 2021 • 1 day ago • pilot of native blood to take off from Icelandic soil.

He returned to the European continent the next year, this time holding a different kind of stick. He’d helped reform the Falcons, who won the Allan Frank Fredrickson led a double life as hockey star and Canadian war Cup senior title to represent Canada at the 1920 Olympics, the first to hero. feature ice hockey. On the liner to the Games in Antwerp, Belgium, he fell out of his bunk and cut his head, but still led the team in scoring en The first part is an open book that earned him Hall of Fame honours as route to the gold, topped by seven goals in a 12-1 win over Sweden. the first man to win the Stanley Cup, the Olympic gold medal and the . He initially made his name as a centre and captain of the Now a well-known athlete (also a 1920 national shot put champ), he was famed Winnipeg Falcons, a team of all-Icelandic ancestry. enticed from the Falcons by Lester Patrick, along with Haldor “Slim” Halderson, to join Patrick’s Victoria Cougars, a Western League rival of Yet only now — by a most circuitous route — are his exploits from First the NHL. Their six-year stay included Fredrickson’s 39 goals in 30 games World War truly coming to light. in 1922-23 and the 1925 Stanley Cup triumph over the Montreal We take you to St. Louis, Mo., more than 40 years ago, where a military Canadiens. Later, Fredrickson played in the NHL for Detroit, Boston and antiques collector (call him Mr. Smith, as he wishes to remain the short-lived Pittsburgh Pirates, while Halderson spent a year for the anonymous) was alerted to a unique memento from the 1914-18 conflict. newly named Maple Leafs in 1927. Advertised on a community bulletin board was a wooden plane propeller Time as a husband, father and behind the bench was Fredrickson’s next shaft with a clock built into its centre being offered by Fredrickson’s calling. He coached the Falcons, Princeton University and the University daughter-in-law, Alix. of British Columbia. But the outbreak of war again in 1939 saw him re- Wanting to make this unique addition to his trove of guns, swords, enlist to train pilots, finding time to coach RCAF teams in Vancouver, duelling pistols, navy diving suits and army surgical equipment, Smith Calgary and St. Catharines, Ont. travelled to her home to retrieve it. She told him the clock was fashioned “Allan Cup gold-medallist, Stanley Cup champion, coach, war hero … from one of the scout planes Fredrickson flew for the Royal Air Force in what did this guy do in his spare time?” marvelled Pritchard. Egypt in the war’s Middle East theatre and later on the Western front. Part of the story was that Fredrickson had been shot down at least once. After 1945, Fredrickson continued in aircraft-related businesses, was an Alderman in Vancouver, coached soccer and lacrosse, occasionally sat “In the same closet as the clock, on the upper shelf, I noticed a box of in with the Winnipeg Orchestra and wrote a newspaper sports column in other stuff,” Smith recalled to the Sun. “She said, ‘Take it, I need to clear that city. He passed away in Toronto’s Riverdale Hospital in 1979. this out, too.’ ” Once the Hall re-opens later this summer, Pritchard will see what It was only recently that Smith took a good look at the box’s contents: Fredrickson artifacts might lend themselves to display, perhaps linked to Two dozen artifacts that fully laid out Fredrickson’s dedication to duty and Team Canada at the coming 2022 Winter Games, with Johannesson’s his hockey career before, during and after the war. 1920 sweater. They included 10 of Fredrickson’s carefully written or typed war diaries, a After Hall staff gets a chance to examine all of the Fredrickson material commendation from King George V when he was named lieutenant, a for its hockey connections, Pritchard says he’ll likely forward some items tactics handbook for “Fighting In The Air,” pictures, notebooks and to the Canadian War Museum, as he’s sure Smith would approve. hockey newspaper clippings. There was also a signal honour of his prowess on the ice — a pass by his commanding officer granting him a “We get a lot of anonymous donations and it’s great to have historians week’s leave to play hockey. out there. As few and far between as they are around the world, they all stick together, they all believe in their cause, whether it’s war, hockey or Smith knows nothing about hockey, but discerned Fredrickson was from whatever. They want to preserve, they don’t want money or recognition. Winnipeg and a Hall member and thus these items rightfully belonged in When we get stuff that’s not hockey-related, we try and find a home for Canada. He got in touch with Hall vice-president/curator and “Keeper of it.” the Cup” Phil Pritchard and shipped the artifacts north. Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.14.2021 Such information and personal objects on players from more than 100 years ago are rare finds for the Hall.

“This is incredible,” said Pritchard as he laid out Fredrickson’s documents at the Hall’s Toronto resource centre. “We think of how great a player he was and it’s great he has a plaque in the Hall, but this is another life entirely that he dedicated to his country.

“To think (Smith) wanted the clock and these were throw-ins, like a future draft pick.”

Fredrickson was a staunch member of his church and community, working through his early life to ease ethnic tensions between Icelandics and other multicultural groups in Winnipeg. Born in 1895, he learned to skate on the family backyard rink and captained the University of Manitoba Law School team, playing violin in a dance orchestra to help finance his education.

Still in his teens, he was wearing the ‘C’ for the Falcons in 1916 when the war intensified. He enlisted in the 223rd Battalion of mostly Nordic heritage with several teammates. They were allowed to play together in the city’s “Patriotic League” before shipping overseas.

Reaching England, Fredrickson transferred to the new Royal Flying Corps, where he completed his officer’s training and joined close friend Konrad “Konnie” Johannesson in Egypt. 1215794 Vegas Golden Knights

Rookie Cole Caufield provides postseason spark for Canadiens

By David Schoen

June 13, 2021 - 8:48 PM

J.J. Watt turned out to be right.

The Arizona Cardinals defensive end is an avid hockey fan and wrote on his Twitter account May 20 that the playoff game between Toronto and Montreal “could use some Cole Caufield.”

The Canadiens’ rookie spark plug was scratched that night for the series opener and didn’t play in Game 2, either. But with the former University of Wisconsin standout in the lineup, Montreal has gone 7-2 and is one step from playing for the Stanley Cup.

Standing in the Canadiens’ way are the Golden Knights, with Game 1 of the NHL semifinal series Monday at T-Mobile Arena.

“Since he’s been called up to our group, he’s been watching, he’s been learning, listening to everything that the coaches have told him,” Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher said. “And he’s been effective. He’s helped our team. We obviously put him in a position where we rely on him now, and he’s been performing.”

Caufield had a record-setting career with the U.S. National Team Development Program and was selected 15th overall in the 2019 draft, two picks ahead of Golden Knights prospect Peyton Krebs.

As a sophomore at Wisconsin this season, he led the nation with 30 goals and 52 points in 31 games and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey.

The Canadiens signed the 5-foot-7-inch Caufield in March, and he bagged four goals in 10 regular-season games after being called up from the .

He has yet to score in nine postseason appearances, but has four assists skating almost 16 minutes per game on a line with leading scorers Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki.

“I read a quote, I believe it was after the Toronto series, it might have been (Maple Leafs coach) Sheldon Keefe or somebody, about the impact when they inserted Caufield and (Jesperi) Kotkaniemi into the lineup how that changed the dynamics of their line,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said Sunday. “He’s a world-class player, and one of many on that team, and someone we’re going to have to be aware of.”

Watt, who also attended Wisconsin, tweeted “you’re welcome” at the Canadiens’ account after Caufield set up Suzuki’s overtime winner against the Maple Leafs in Game 5 on May 27.

Montreal went on to win two more games over Toronto and rallied from a 3-1 series deficit, then swept Winnipeg in the second round.

“Caufield has been an absolute playmaker since being added to the lineup. Great call by whoever suggested that,” Watt tweeted at the Canadiens’ account June 7 after Game 3 of the second round.

Along with his offensive skill, Caufield also brought a youthful energy to the Canadiens’ locker room, and his attitude has quickly made him a fan favorite in Montreal.

The team’s social media account used a photo of a grinning Caufield as its profile picture for 22 hours (he wears No. 22) on Friday.

“The energy that he brings to our group, we can feed off that,” Gallagher said. “Just a happy kid. Smile on his face, comes ready to work. You can never have too much of that.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215795 Vegas Golden Knights to show that Montreal made the right decision by bringing me over. I want to do everything I can for this franchise. It was more about proving Marc right to want me in the deal.”

Max Pacioretty downplays matchup against team that traded him Pacioretty was injured May 1 and missed the final six games of the regular season. He came back at less than 100 percent for Game 7 against Minnesota and scored the go-ahead goal.

By David Schoen In the second-round victory over Colorado, Pacioretty finished with three goals and four assists and enters the series against Montreal on a seven- June 13, 2021 - 6:44 PM game point streak.

“It’s going to be extra motivation for him, for sure,” Knights winger Max Pacioretty saw it coming like a cross-ice pass through the slot and Jonathan Marchessault said. “It shows here how good of a guy he is, and was ready with his counter move. we definitely want to battle for a guy like him because he would do the same when we were in that position.” The Golden Knights forward is a central protagonist in the Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Montreal Canadiens, with the hockey gods LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 cruelly placing the team Pacioretty once captained in his way of playing for the ultimate prize for the first time.

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world …

But Pacioretty downplayed his emotions Sunday on the eve of Game 1 at T-Mobile Arena and carefully chose his words while discussing the best- of-seven series against his former club.

“I don’t think it makes any difference who you play in the playoffs,” Pacioretty said. “It’s no different if you’re playing the first team in the league, a team that you played for in the past. They’re all the same in the playoffs, and you have to approach them all the same way.”

Pacioretty spent 10 seasons in Montreal after he was drafted in the first round in 2007 and produced five 30-goal seasons. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy — given to the player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey — in 2012 after returning from a broken neck before he was named captain Sept. 18, 2015.

But as the Canadiens started to falter, Pacioretty was saddled with much of the blame. Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin said Pacioretty requested to be traded in 2018, a claim that Pacioretty and his agent denied.

He was sent to the Knights on Sept. 9, 2018, for forwards Tomas Tatar and Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick in the 2019 draft.

“I’m sure there’s a lot to unpack there. The motivation is obvious, on both ends,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think any time you move on from a team, you always have better memories once you’re removed from some time’s passed and gone by. I know talking to (Pacioretty), he has great memories of Montreal and his time there, great respect for the organization.”

Pacioretty, who signed a four-year, $28 million contract extension after the trade, started slowly until he was put on a line with winger Mark Stone following a trade with Ottawa. Last season, Pacioretty cracked 30 goals for the sixth time in his career and finished with a team-leading 66 points in 71 games before the schedule was paused because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pacioretty was second on the Knights behind Stone with 51 points in 48 games, including his 300th career goal April 12 against Los Angeles.

“I’ve had a lot of fun and success both in Montreal and in Vegas as well,” Pacioretty said. “It sounds like the (media’s) tone is, ‘Life is just so much easier in Vegas rather than in Montreal,’ and I know people want to say that, and it sounds great. … I’m very happy about how I performed when I was there and same thing with my game here in Vegas.”

Suzuki, 21, was the centerpiece of the deal and is an emerging two-way standout. The first-round pick in 2017 (No. 13 overall) centers the Canadiens’ second line with leading goal scorer Tyler Toffoli and rookie Cole Caufield.

In his first NHL season, Suzuki produced 13 goals and 41 points in 71 games. This season, he was third on the Canadiens with 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) and appeared in all 56 games.

Tatar led the Canadiens in scoring last season. This year, he had 10 goals and 30 points during the regular season but was a healthy scratch for the past six playoff games.

“It worked out for both teams,” Suzuki said. “When Marc (Bergevin) called me and said that I was a big piece that they wanted, I just wanted 1215796 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights must devise new game plan on defense for Canadiens

By David Schoen

June 13, 2021 - 5:39 PM

The Golden Knights spent the first two rounds of the postseason holding the opposition’s star players in check.

They will have to devise a different game plan against Montreal.

The Canadiens lack an elite talent at forward and present a different challenge for the NHL’s top defense during the Stanley Cup semifinals, which begin Monday at T-Mobile Arena.

“Every team brings a few different things,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think when I look at this team, they’ve got a nice blend of physicality on defense and a world-class goalie. And speed and pressure up front.”

The Knights allowed a league-low 2.18 goals per game during the regular season and are fourth in the postseason at 2.38 through 13 games.

In the first round against the Minnesota Wild, they didn’t pass up an opportunity to pound forward Kirill Kaprizov and limited the rookie of the year finalist to three points (two goals, one assist) in seven games.

DeBoer used the line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith frequently against Kaprizov’s line at five-on-five. Defenseman Shea Theodore also was matched against Kaprizov often and used his skating to keep up when the Wild’s leading scorer had the puck in the offensive zone.

Kaprizov managed one assist in the first four games as the Knights took a 3-1 series lead before he scored in Games 5 and 7.

To slow Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon in the West Division final, the Knights used the line featuring Selke Trophy finalist Mark Stone with the last change at home.

MacKinnon was allowed to roam free through the neutral zone in Game 1 and caught defenseman Nic Hague flat-footed in the second period before scoring his second goal in a 7-1 thumping.

From that point on in the series, the Knights focused their efforts on containing the MVP candidate and had someone waiting in the neutral zone to reroute MacKinnon when he carried the puck.

Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar received similar attention from the Knights after his four-point showing in Game 1. Whenever Makar tried to make a move at the point, the Knights defense collapsed and forced him to give up the puck.

Montreal sets up differently, with winger Tyler Toffoli the primary scoring threat. He was seventh in the league during the regular season with 28 goals and tops the Canadiens with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the playoffs, but will not be mistaken for MacKinnon or Kaprizov.

Phillip Danault centers the No. 1 line that serves in a shutdown role for coach Dominique Ducharme. The Canadiens rank 11th in the postseason in scoring at 2.55 goals per game.

Meanwhile, Montreal’s most prominent players are on defense (Shea Weber and Jeff Petry) and in goal, where former Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price resides.

“We’ll prep as best we can, and we’ll be ready to play our game,” Smith said. “Obviously, a few adjustments playing Montreal, but I think when we’re at our best we’re really focused on what we do and letting other teams adjust to that.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215797 Vegas Golden Knights The Knights are the -105 favorites to win the Stanley Cup at Circa after the New York Islanders beat the Tampa Bay Lighting 2-1 in Game 1 of their semifinal series Sunday. The Lightning are still next at +235, followed by the Islanders at 5-1 and Canadiens at +1,225. Golden Knights bettors facing steep prices against Canadiens The Lightning are now -120 at Circa to win the series over the Islanders.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 By Jim Barnes

June 13, 2021 - 5:18 PM

Sportsbooks aren’t making it easy to back the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

The Knights are -505 (wager $505 to win $100) at Circa Sports to win their series against Montreal, which starts Monday. But that doesn’t mean bettors should go looking for value with the Canadiens at +400.

“Value teams usually end up getting their tickets ripped up,” handicapper Dana Lane (@DanaLaneSports) said.

The lowest price on the Knights in Las Vegas is -500 at BetMGM, the Golden Nugget, the South Point and William Hill. The best price on the Canadiens is +450 at Boyd Gaming.

For Game 1, Circa has the best price on the Knights at -258; the other books are at -270 or higher. The best price on Montreal is +250 at Boyd Gaming.

A popular bet probably will be the Knights -1½ goals on the puck line. That is available mostly at even money and as high as +114 at Boyd.

“Covering the puck line will be big,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said via text message.

The -505 price on the Knights implies an 83.5 percent chance of winning the series. According to SportsOddsHistory.com, the Knights are the biggest favorites in the Stanley Cup semifinal round since 1989, when Calgary (-1,500) beat Chicago 4-1 and Montreal (-600) beat 4-2. Boston beat Washington 4-0 in 1990 as a -450 favorite.

When the Knights eliminated the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, Vegas opened at -450 or lower to beat Montreal. Bogdanovich and Circa sportsbook manager Chris Bennett said they took money on the Knights even at those prices, forcing the number up.

It’s easy to see why bettors believe the Knights will cruise past the Canadiens. Vegas tied with Colorado for the best record in the NHL and just dispatched the Avalanche, who had been the Stanley Cup favorites. Montreal has won seven straight games, climbing out of a 3-1 hole against Toronto and sweeping Winnipeg, but the Canadiens squeaked into the playoffs as the fourth seed in the North Division and would not have reached the postseason under the usual format.

Sunset Station sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said he knows he will be facing one-sided action from the public throughout the series.

“Even against Colorado, we had most tickets on the Knights’ side and puck line and (parlayed) to other things,” he said. “Vegas was able to win down 2-0 to what most people thought was the best team in hockey.”

And that’s why Lane said he won’t consider backing the Canadiens.

“I’ve never been a guy who wants to take a shot with a team,” he said. “… They can’t match line to line with Vegas. That’s for sure.”

The case for Montreal revolves around the stellar play of goaltender Carey Price, who has allowed two goals or fewer in six of the Canadiens’ eight postseason victories. But even there, Lane said he prefers Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to Price.

Lane said he is looking at under 5½ in Game 1 as the teams feel each other out in their first meeting this season. He’s not betting a side but would only consider the Knights -1½ on the puck line.

Bettors daunted by the heavy price on the Knights can dig into the growing prop menu available at sportsbooks. Options include team totals, whether the game will go into overtime, who will score the first goal and whether individual players will score in the game.

“Even if you don’t like either team, there are so many ways to bet the board,” Esposito said, and all of the options are available through the sportsbooks’ betting apps as well. 1215798 Vegas Golden Knights And if the Knights can do so with Pietrangelo helping lead the way — be it this season or next or eventually over the course of his deal — it all will have been worth it.

Alex Pietrangelo raises play during Knights’ playoff run Great ones understand

His regular-season struggles. The contract. Trading one of the team’s most popular players (Nate Schmidt) and a top-six center (Paul Stastny) By Ed Graney to make financial room for it. Playing short in critical games this season because of salary cap issues caused by it. June 13, 2021 - 4:45 PM If the Knights win the Cup, none of it matters.

“I played 10 years before I ever got to the finals,” Pietrangelo said. “It’s I’m not a big believer in supreme athletes entering any type of contrived not easy. It takes everybody. I’ve always said I’m not the flashiest player. zone, and that has nothing to do with Syracuse basketball befuddling That’s fine with me. My job is to go out and get the job done, regardless opponents for decades. of whether it’s pretty or not.” I just think the best ones naturally raise their game when winning is What he has been lately is the team’s best player. paramount. Not because of any zone. Sort of like what Alex Pietrangelo is doing for the Golden Knights. Because the great ones just naturally understand when it’s time. Winning The weight of expectation can be burdensome. The presumption of how is everything. a player will — and perhaps should — perform upon signing a free agent contract for seven years and $61.6 million is immense. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 This is the reality from which a world-class defenseman in Pietrangelo arrived this season.

“I’m sure from the outside there were expectations from people in regard to the contract,” he said. “I put pressure on myself to perform, and I was brought here to play at a certain level. It’s my job to do that and provide that type of leadership.

“Outside noise and what people say doesn’t really matter to me. What matters is what the group in the locker room thinks of my play.”

That group thinks it’s pretty good right now.

A deep dive

The Knights open a best-of-seven NHL semifinal series against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena, and it’s not a stretch to say Pietrangelo has been his team’s best player through two rounds. He assuredly was in the six-game elimination of the Colorado Avalanche.

A quick glance at numbers tells you Pietrangelo underperformed during the regular season, his 41-game totals of seven goals and 16 assists not near assumed production. Lots of mishaps at the blue line.

Knights coach Pete DeBoer, however, suggests a deeper dive into the analytical pool of Pietrangelo’s output. It sure doesn’t paint a picture of someone drowning.

At five-on-five, the team had a 53.58 scoring-chance percentage and 54.00 high-danger scoring chance percentage with Pietrangelo on the ice.

St. Louis, the team for which Pietrangelo captained to a Stanley Cup title in 2019-20, had a 53.27 scoring-chance percentage and a 50.58 high- danger scoring chance percentage with him on the ice at five-on-five.

Pietrangelo was plus-8 at five-on-five for the Blues that season.

He was plus-13 at five-on-five for the Knights this season.

He also is tied for second in points (eight) in the playoffs for the Knights and is logging a team-high average of 23:59 of ice time.

“Maybe one of the things that’s not visible to people just watching the game is the poise, confidence, calmness he brings to a team is really valuable,” Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “I don’t underestimate what a person gains in experience by being a champion.”

There it is. The holy grail.

Nobody knows how Pietrangelo’s contract will be viewed, say, four years from now. He will be 35. Maybe he’s just as good or better. Maybe not. Maybe it’s thought a worthy one. Maybe a terrible one.

But for this particular section of society, for players and coaches and management, nothing means more than winning the Stanley Cup. It’s an indescribable emotion for those chasing it. 1215799 Vegas Golden Knights

‘Little pit bull’ Jonathan Marchessault comes through in clutch

By Ben Gotz

June 13, 2021 - 4:14 PM

When general manager Kelly McCrimmon built the Golden Knights’ roster, he wanted players throughout the lineup who were capable of contributing during the postseason.

It’s showing in the playoffs. For example, when the Knights needed a goal down 1-0 in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, left wing Jonathan Marchessault scored one. When the team needed a goal in the third period of Game 3 against the Colorado Avalanche to avoid going down 3-0, Marchessault delivered again.

And when the Knights had their eyes on a Game 4 victory against the Avalanche to tie the series 2-2 … well, that was also Marchessault who recorded his first postseason hat trick.

The team has gotten more production from up and down its lineup than any other club in the playoffs. But when the Knights have needed a big goal, so often it has seemed as if Marchessault has come through.

The Knights hope that continues when the Quebec native takes on the Montreal Canadiens, the team he grew up watching, in the NHL semifinals. Game 1 is Monday at T-Mobile Arena.

“He’s a little pit bull, and he’s a dressing room glue guy,” coach Pete DeBoer said of Marchessault, who is listed at 5 feet 9 inches. “He’s always talking. You hear him coming before you ever see him round the corner. He’s got a great energy around the rink, loves it, and it’s contagious to our group. When the puck drops, he’s an absolute pit bull. He’s willing to do anything to win a game.”

Marchessault is making important playoff contributions less than a year after he said he was “not really good” in the Knights’ run to the 2020 Western Conference Final.

The 30-year-old had 10 points in 20 games last postseason. He had two in the Knights’ final 11 playoff games, as the team nearly blew a 3-1 second-round lead and lost in five games to the Dallas Stars in the third round.

“I would not like to be a guy that is good in the regular season, and when you come to the playoffs, it’s a tough situation,” Marchessault said. “I worked a lot on myself on being ready for the playoffs, and I take a lot of pride to be ready every game.”

Marchessault’s efforts have paid off. He leads the Knights in goals in the postseason with six and is tied for second on the team with eight points.

Only six players have more goals than Marchessault in the playoffs.

What’s even more impressive about his tallies is how much of an impact they’ve had. Marchessault has a game-tying goal in every game he’s scored in. He erased third-period deficits against Colorado in Game 3 and Game 5.

The Knights could be in similar situations against a Montreal team that has been stingy defensively and has an excellent goaltender. If that happens, they know they have someone they can count on.

“He’s the big-game player,” right wing Reilly Smith said. “He had three goals in that one game, but I think each one of them was really important and relieves a lot of stress on our team. We’ll need something like that in this next series, and I’m sure he’s up to the task.”

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Golden Knights’ Alec Martinez practices for first time in playoffs

By Ben Gotz

June 13, 2021 - 3:29 PM

The Golden Knights had something happen Sunday that has occurred less often than one of their players recording a hat trick this postseason.

Defenseman Alec Martinez practiced with the team on the eve of Game 1 of an NHL semifinal series against the Montreal Canadiens at T-Mobile Arena.

Martinez has appeared in every playoff game, but had yet to take part in a morning skate or rare on-ice, off-day workout. The 32-year-old, who led the NHL in blocked shots in the regular season and leads the league again in the postseason, was injured late in the regular season and missed the final two games.

The injury seemed to linger into the playoffs. Coach Pete DeBoer said all of Martinez’s missed practice time “gives you an idea of what he’s been dealing with.”

Martinez’s ability to play through pain has led teammates to call him a “warrior” throughout the season. But it’s a label the two-time Stanley Cup winner could do without.

“As far as the nickname stuff, I hate it,” Martinez said. “But if it brings the guys together, and they get a good laugh, then so be it. But it’s not just me. It’s everyone that’s putting their body on the line, and that’s what you’ve got to do this time of year.”

Martinez isn’t wrong to credit his teammates. The Knights lead the NHL in blocked shots in the playoffs with 249, 51 more than the second-place New York Islanders entering Sunday. They ranked second in blocked shots per 60 minutes (19.00) to Minnesota (19.84).

Martinez has a central role in that. He had 40 more blocked shots than any other player in the regular season, and he has 16 more than anyone else in the postseason despite operating at less than 100 percent.

Whether he likes it or not, that’s how he earned his nickname. It inspires his teammates to follow his example.

“That creeps into the game for the rest of us,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said during the Colorado series. “We all kind of get on board with that, try to do the same thing. It’s pretty special to see what he does and next game just gears up.”

Minnesota comparisons

Several Knights players have drawn comparisons between the Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild, the team’s first-round opponent.

Both teams have big blue lines and tight coverage in the defensive zone. The Knights can draw on their seven-game series against the Wild for examples on how they might have to approach Montreal.

“They have a really good defensive team,” left wing William Carrier said. “They play tight. They don’t give you much. … It’s going to be a little bit like Minnesota. Big battles in the corner. Guys are big. Guys use their bodies. I’m expecting a pretty physical series.”

Nosek returns

Knights forward Tomas Nosek skated with the team Sunday for the first time since getting injured in Game 2 against Minnesota on May 18. DeBoer said Nosek would be a game-time decision for Monday’s game.

With Nosek and Martinez practicing, the team had its full complement of skaters available for the first time this postseason.

“It’s rare that you would get healthier as the playoffs go through,” DeBoer said. “It’s usually the other way around, but I’m not going to complain.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215801 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights-Montreal Canadiens NHL semifinal preview

By Ben Gotz

June 13, 2021 - 2:36 PM

Series schedule

Game 1 — 6 p.m. Monday, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN

Game 2 — 6 p.m. Wednesday, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN

Game 3 — 5 p.m. Friday, Bell Centre, USA

Game 4 — 5 p.m. Sunday, Bell Centre, NBCSN

Game 5 — 6 p.m. June 22, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN*

Game 6 — 5 p.m. June 24, Bell Centre, USA*

Game 7 — 5 p.m. June 26, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN*

* If necessary

Key matchup

Top line vs. top line.

The Golden Knights’ group of left wing Max Pacioretty, center Chandler Stephenson and right wing Mark Stone has outscored opponents 5-2 at five-on-five this postseason despite drawing difficult matchups. They will get tested again against Montreal’s defensive unit of left wing Artturi Lehkonen, center Phillip Danault and right wing Brendan Gallagher.

Danault’s line doesn’t pile up a lot of points — Gallagher leads the three with four in the playoffs — but it excels at shutting down the opposition. Danault and Gallagher haven’t given up a five-on-five goal this postseason in 106:48 of ice time together.

Expect Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme to seek out this matchup at home. And look for Knights coach Pete DeBoer to avoid it at T-Mobile Arena, much as he did in the first round with Minnesota center Joel Eriksson Ek’s line.

Key stats

437:53 — The amount of time since the Canadiens last trailed. Montreal has yet to fall behind during its seven-game winning streak.

16 — The number of Knights players with a goal this postseason, most among playoff teams. Twenty of the 23 skaters the Knights have used have recorded at least a point.

.935 — Canadiens goaltender Carey Price’s save percentage, which leads the NHL this postseason.

1.91 — Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s goals-against average, which ranks second in the playoffs behind Toronto’s Jack Campbell.

Knights quotable

“I compare it a little bit to Minnesota when you look at the quality of those top four defensemen that Montreal have. … And then I think real good balance up front from the forward group. Confidence. Speed. Well coached by Dominique Ducharme. And those are things that I think we’ll need to deal with.” — Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon

Habs quotable

“We expect it to be a hotly contested series. … The further you advance, the greater the challenge. We’ll be ready for the challenge.” — Ducharme

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215802 Vegas Golden Knights Both teams feature balanced four-line attacks, with the the Golden Knights placing an emphasis on transition and speed, and the Canadiens featuring more of a puck-control and defensive style.

Canadiens and their rich history face NHL newcomers, Vegas Montreal faces the added pressure of being Canada’s final playoff representative, and the attention that comes with the nation’s Stanley Cup drought. A Canadian team hasn’t won since Montreal in 1993, when the Canadiens set a playoff record by winning 10 games in overtime. By Associated Press This year’s team is 3-0 in OT. Sunday, June 13, 2021 | 6:55 p.m. “If we can have seven more, we will be in pretty good position,” said Ducharme, who was 20 when the Canadiens last won. “You look back at those guys, it’s special. But, yeah, there’s something special in our Growing up in Quebec, Marc-Andre Fleury has such respect for the group. Now can we write our own story?” Canadiens’ rich history, the Golden Knights goalie uses the formal, “mister,” when referencing Montreal’s notable stars. THE OTHER HOMECOMING

Such was the case Saturday upon being informed the the team invited Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki had yet to play an NHL game with Vegas former Montreal forward and GM Bob Gainey to address the Canadiens when he was dealt to Montreal as part of the Pacioretty trade in in preparation of their Stanley Cup semifinal series, which opens at September 2018. He was selected 13th overall by the Golden Knights in Vegas on Monday. their first NHL draft.

“They have such a huge history behind that team. They’ve won many “I think it worked out for both teams,” said the 21-year-old, who is tied for times before. It’s nice for them to have guys like Mr. Gainey coming back the team lead with four playoff goals. “I just wanted to show that Montreal and talking to them,” Fleury said of the Canadiens' five-time Cup winner. made the right decision in bringing me over, and I wanted to do everything I can for this franchise.” “But I don’t know, the game is still played on the ice. It doesn’t matter if you have 24 Cups,” he added. “I think you’ve got to be able to play in the GETTING HEALTHY moment.” Golden Knights F Tomas Nosek, sidelined since sustaining an The Canadiens, founded in 1909, might predate Las Vegas’ incorporation undisclosed injury in Game 2 in the first round, practiced Sunday is as a city by two years, and yet history only gets you so far in a series the considered a game-time decision. Golden Knights are considered heavy favorites. Canadiens D Jeff Petry, who hurt his left hand in Game 3 against Vegas makes its third semifinals appearance in its fourth year of Winnipeg, could be cleared to practice with team as early as Monday. C existence. The team finished the regular season with 16 more wins and Jake Evans (concussion) and D Jon Merrill (undisclosed) traveled with 23 more points than Montreal. Following a seven-game first-round victory the team, but are not expected to play Monday. over Minnesota, the Golden Knights overcame a 2-0 series deficit to win NICKNAME NIX four straight against President’s Trophy-winning Colorado. Vegas defenseman Alec Martinez is not a big fan of the “Warrior” The Canadiens, whose 24-21-11 record was the worst among the 16 nickname he’s picked up for his fearless shot-blocking ability. playoff qualifiers, are accustomed to being overlooked and proudly embrace being underdogs. “I hate it,” Martinez said of the nickname that stuck following a comment by Coach DeBoer. “But if it brings the guys together and they get a good “We believe in ourselves," interim coach Dominique Ducharme said. "Not laugh, then so be it.” too many people did starting the playoffs. We don’t care if it changes or not.” BY THE NUMBERS

Montreal's confidence stems from the puck-smothering play of goalie The teams have met six times, with Montreal owning a 5-1 edge overall, Carey Price, who has allowed 12 goals during a seven-game winning and 3-0 at home, including a 5-4 shootout victory in their last meeting, streak which began after the Canadiens fell behind 3-1 in their first-round Jan. 18, 2020. ... Vegas has 16 players who have scored at least one series to Toronto. Montreal, coming off a four-game sweep of Winnipeg, goal this postseason, while the Canadiens have 12. ... Montreal is 7-1 hasn't trailed in a span of 437 minutes and 53 seconds, the NHL"s when scoring first, while Vegas is 5-4 when allowing the first goal. second-longest playoff run, and 50:45 short of the record Montreal set in 1960. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.14.2021

“There’s no doubt in my mind that every single player in this league knows that Carey Price is the best goalie in the league,” forward Paul Byron said. “At any point he can steal a game.”

The Golden Knights aren’t dismissing Montreal.

“You’re foolish if you look at their record and make a judgement on them,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “The last seven games they’ve been lights out.”

The first playoff meeting between the NHL’s oldest and youngest franchises features several subplots, including former Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty facing his former team three years since being traded to Vegas.

Pacioretty played down the significance, saying it makes no difference who the Golden Knights face. And yet, he took exception to a question about life being easier in Las Vegas as compared to the spotlight of playing in the hockey hotbed of Montreal.

“I’m very happy about how I performed while I was there. And the same thing with my game here," Pacioretty said. "It makes no difference whether you’re under the microscope or not.”

The eight-time 20-goal-scorer was knocked in in Montreal for his production falling off in the postseason. Pacioretty had 10 goals and 19 points in 38 postseason games with the Canadiens. He already has 14 goals and 27 points in 30 playoff games with Vegas, including three game-winners this year. 1215803 Vegas Golden Knights “If we just did what was easy we wouldn’t be sitting here today having beaten the Colorado Avalanche.”

In a sport with a hard salary cap, getting players like that costs money. Golden Knights’ aggressive roster-building again has them in Stanley Stone ($9.5 million), Pietrangelo ($8.8 million) and Pacioretty ($7 million, Cup semifinals tied with Fleury) have the highest cap hits on the team, so when they come in, other players have to go out. Since the end of the 2018-19 season, Vegas has dealt away Erik Haula, Colin Miller, Nikita Gusev, Cody Eakin, Nate Schmidt and Stastny in moves spurred by the cap. By Justin Emerson It’s the cost of dealing in high-talent and high-priced players, but the Sunday, June 13, 2021 | 2 a.m. Golden Knights’ mere presence in the semifinals speaks to its effectiveness.

There was a magic to the Golden Knights’ inaugural season that may After all, letting those top players walk out the door hurts a team arguably never be recaptured in sports. as much acquiring them helps it.

With the exception of Marc-Andre Fleury in net, there weren’t too many Vegas coach Pete DeBoer remembers what losing captain Zach Parise stars on the rag-tag group of “Golden Misfits” that captured the hearts of did to the 2012-13 Devils, who went from the Stanley Cup Final the Las Vegas and the hockey world. previous year to missing the playoffs the next. Ditto when he was in Florida and Jay Bouwmeester left. Joe Pavelski left the Sharks after the The thing about a magical season is that it’s hard to do again. 2018-19 season, and DeBoer was fired two months into the season.

The Golden Knights haven’t been back to Stanley Cup Final, but they’ve “The addition of one great player like that to anybody’s team makes a twice reached the semifinals, where they host Montreal Monday in the huge difference, or the subtraction of one great player,” DeBoer said. third round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena. “The right player and those types of players change the trajectory of your franchise.” The Golden Knights didn’t sit on their first-year laurels, and instead went out and acquired one big name after another to load up an already-strong Some players are harder to lose than others — the Golden Knights’ roster. They’ve never been afraid to make a splashy move, and it has angst at trading Schmidt to make room for Pietrangelo was obvious. But them once again eight wins away from winning the Cup. Vegas has also done a good job of honing in on the players it believes can help deliver a Cup and locking them up. For instance, Stone, “In that season most guys had their best career (year) ever, right?” Fleury Karlsson and Pietrangelo are all signed for six more years after this one, said. “From there on I thought we had a good core, and we were able to while Pacioretty was handed a four-year extension the day he arrived. get some experienced guys, some guys to help in the next years after that had a huge impact on our team since they debuted with us.” The Golden Knights have never failed to acquire a star player when they have the chance. It makes for an interesting team to follow in the Fleury was the face of the 2017-18 team, and several players — William offseason and the trade deadline, but also a fun one for fans to cheer for, Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith — enjoyed breakout knowing how singularly focused the front office is on bringing the Cup to campaigns. the Strip. But that initial Golden Knights squad did feature some good players, “Management has done it time and time again where they try, pretty even if they weren’t necessarily all-stars. James Neal came with more much, to pick up the best player available whenever they get the than 200 career goals to his name. David Perron was a consistent 40- opportunity to do that,” forward Reilly Smith said. “We’ve always had a point player. Even Tomas Tatar came with a strong pedigree when he winning mentality here and I don’t see that changing any time soon.” came over at the trade deadline. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.14.2021 Neal and Perron both left to free agency, and while some would have elected to tinker around the edges with a team that was close to a title, the Golden Knights went hard in the other direction.

They signed Paul Stastny and traded for Montreal captain Max Pacioretty.

They were just getting started with significant acquisitions, dealing for eventual captain Mark Stone minutes before the 2019 trade deadline and signing him to an eight-year contract extension.

He is the best skater the Golden Knights have ever acquired, and the move established them as a Stanley Cup contender for years to come.

“From the time we added Mark Stone, that really, to me, moved us from being a nice story to being a contender,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said.

The Golden Knights didn’t slow down after that, acquiring Robin Lehner and Alec Martinez at the next trade deadline, both of whom played key roles in helping the Golden Knights reach the 2020 conference final. Vegas lost that series and, never satisfied, pulled off another Stone-level splash with the signing of Alex Pietrangelo in October.

The Golden Knights do have players like Karlsson, Alex Tuch, Shea Theodore and others who, while not homegrown in the traditional sense, established themselves as NHL regulars once they came to Vegas. Look no further than the Game 5 overtime winner though — Stone from Pacioretty and Pietrangelo — as evidence that star power is a major key to postseason success.

“We’ve had a lot of situations in our four years where it would have been easy and justifiable to do nothing, and we’ve never approached it that way,” McCrimmon said. “We think we know what a championship team needs to look like, what’s required. It’s involved making hard decisions along the way, which, again, aren’t easy. 1215804 Washington Capitals hit of $7.8 million at a time when a flat salary cap is forcing teams to look to shed salary.

If the Caps can get value in a trade then you would have to think Who are the Caps' most likely expansion draft targets? MacLellan would seek that option if he is willing to move on from Kuznetsov. If Kuznetsov's trade value is too low, however, then Seattle suddenly appears to be a viable option.

BY J.J. REGAN Losing a player like Kuznetsov for nothing is not an ideal scenario, but for a team desperate to shed salary, moving a $7.8 million cap hit is not a

total loss and Kuznetsov is good enough that I'm not sure Seattle could When looking at the Capitals offseason plans, one of the big questions is pass on him. how the team will approach July's expansion draft. The NHL officially T.J. Oshie added a 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken, and to fill out its roster, Seattle will select one player from every team except the Vegas Golden Knights Following the season, MacLellan said of Oshie: "I thought he had a great who are exempt as a relatively new expansion franchise in the draft. year, one of his best years. He continues to produce, he continues to be a big part of what's going on in the room and on the ice. He's a big part of This is both good and bad news for the Capitals. our organization. It would hurt our team and our organization if we lost Yes, Washington is going to lose a player, but, on the other hand, this is him in the expansion draft. I don't know that we've fully made any a team in desperate need of clearing cap space. In that sense, this could decisions on that, but ideally we'd like to keep him around." also be an opportunity. Clearly, MacLellan does not want to lose Oshie to the expansion draft, So what is general manager Brian MacLellan thinking now that the but if the Caps leave Oshie exposed it will not be because they want to, offseason is here? We don't really know. but rather because the team felt it needed to.

At the team's final media availability of the season, MacLellan really only Oshie is 34 years old and has four years remaining on a contract that really addressed the expansion draft once when asked about T.J. Oshie carries a cap hit of $5.75 million. He was born in Washington state, is a (more on that later). top-six forward, a fan favorite and a locker room leader. In short, he is exactly the kind of player who could be the face of a new franchise. The expansion draft will take place on July 21. Let's take a look now at where the Caps stand heading into the offseason in regard to Seattle and MacLellan was pretty clear that he does not want to lose Oshie (and who some of the most likely targets for the Kraken will be (in no particular Oshie also made it clear he wanted to stay with the Capitals), but the GM order). did not exactly slam the door shut on the possibility of him going to Seattle either. Long shots: Nic Dowd, Trevor van Riemsdyk The team's salary cap situation is going to force MacLellan to make some Dowd and van Riemsdyk are included on this list because the nature of tough decisions. You have to wonder if Oshie could be one of those their positions makes them more valuable. Dowd, a center, scored a decisions. career-high 11 goals in an abbreviated 56-game season and has a cap hit of only $750,000. Van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, is a right defenseman Vitek Vanecek who does not turn 30 until July and has a cap hit of only $950,000. The expansion draft rules allow for teams to only protect one goalie and I Seattle is going to have better options available to them and I doubt believe that goalie will be Ilya Samsonov for Washington. That will leave either player gets taken, but chances are both players will be exposed Vanecek exposed. and I would consider both to be wild cards. Vanecek is only 25, has a cap hit of less than $717,000, and won 21 Brenden Dillon games in his rookie season. That's reason enough to generate some interest from Seattle, but I actually do not think Vanecek will be high on Dillon is only one year into a four-year contract with Washington, but the the Kraken's list. Caps will only be able to protect three defensemen and I expect two of those defensemen will be John Carlson and Justin Schultz. The question With the NHL moving more and more towards goalie tandems, there are is whether the team protects Dillon or Dmitry Orlov with their third pick going to be a number of quality goalies available to Seattle to pick up. and, after the playoffs where I thought Orlov was the team's best Carolina, Columbus, Florida, Detroit, Montreal, both New Yorks, defenseman, I believe Dillon will be left exposed. Vancouver and Vegas are all teams with two quality goalies who will be stuck having to expose one to Seattle. I am not sure how much interest Dillon is a 30-year-old defenseman who can play in the top four, can Vanecek will generate when compared to goalies like Robin Lehner and definitely be a locker room leader and is not afraid to drop his gloves. Alexander Georgiev who are just two of the possible goalies the Kraken With those qualities, he is definitely someone who can generate some may be able to pick from. interest. He is also a native of British Columbia which is right across the border from Seattle. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.14.2021

Nick Jensen

Jensen was one of the most improved players on the Caps in the 2021 season playing alongside Zdeno Chara. He is a right defenseman, which is always a sought-after position, and his cap hit is a modest $2.5 million. People in Washington may view that as an overpay for a third-pair player, but that won't be an issue for a Seattle team starting from scratch.

Evgeny Kuznetsov

There has been plenty of talk about the future of Kuznetsov in Washington after yet another inconsistent season. When asked about possibly trading Kuznetsov MacLellan said, "I think we're always open to trading people if it makes sense for what's going on. If it's going to make our team better, I think we're open to it. I don't think anybody's off the table. We're not going to trade [Alex Ovechkin] or [Nicklas Backstrom] and those type of people, but I think you have to be open on anything. We would talk to anybody about any player."

So with that answer, assuming that MacLellan would be open to moving Kuznetsov for the right opportunity, what is the market for him? He may be a top-line center, but he is also inconsistent, has had issues on and off the ice, has a modified no-trade clause, is 29 years old and has a cap 1215805 Websites Vey: You could just see the look in his eye. He’d swat the puck away, and then he’d make sure he got you the next time. I don’t remember him being a swear-er. I just remember, when you did beat him, you could just sense the disgust in him, in his eyes. He’d swat the puck away. And the The Athletic / Relax, it’s Carey Price: Tales of the ‘super easygoing dude’ next time, he’d make sure he’d bear right down and didn’t let you score. leading the Canadiens into Las Vegas Aldred: He was too good for junior, to be honest, and just kind of proved it the more he’s been playing — through Hamilton and through Montreal.

Sean Fitz-Gerald Jun 13, 2021 Zack Stortini, forward, Hamilton Bulldogs (2006-07): I remember him playing his first game, and it was like, “Wow, this guy is unbelievable.”

Corey Locke, forward, Hamilton (2006-08): I remember him coming in for Jay Baruchel, the Canadian actor, was calling from somewhere deep in the last weekend of the season. We had three games in three days. We the Canadian wilderness, and he was talking about hockey. Specifically, clinched a playoff spot, but we were fighting with Rochester for home ice. he was near Kingston, Ont., and much more specifically, he was He played on the Friday night against Grand Rapids at home. I recall this discussing the fate of his beloved Montreal Canadiens. five-on-three power-play that Grand Rapids had. They were just zipping it “This is what sucks the hardest: Until this morning, it was just like, around, going cross-box, seam and all this stuff. He made three or four ‘Everything is gravy, we have no expectations of winning — whatever unbelievable saves. I was just like, “Wow, that’s pretty impressive.” happens, rock and roll, baby,’” he said with a laugh. “Now, all of the Yann Danis, goaltender, Hamilton (2006-08): That was my third year sudden, like fucking clockwork, it’s like, ‘No, now my life depends on there. I had played just over half the games. I was hoping to get the this.’” chance to play in the playoffs. Actually, I was told that I was going to play The Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Colorado Avalanche the night in the playoffs. And then things changed. If I’m honest, I wasn’t too before, setting up a surprising Stanley Cup semifinal series with thrilled with how things went down at the time. Montreal. The Canadiens emerged as playoff champions of the NHL’s Locke: I just remember being like, “How did this kid lose in Tri-City in the North Division with a comeback win over Toronto, and a grinding, playoffs?” lunchpail sweep of Winnipeg. Danis: He was respectful. I think he felt a little bad, obviously. But I didn’t Montreal has gone from playoff longshot to within eight wins of a Stanley blame him for anything. Obviously that wasn’t his fault. He came in, and Cup title, and much of it is thanks to goaltender Carey Price, who leads he was asked to play. He did, and he played well. all playoff goalies this season with a .935 save percentage and is third with a 1.97 goals-against average entering the semifinal round. NHL all-time playoff GAA leaders

“I’m going to be sick to my stomach through every single game,” said RANK GOALIE YEARS GAA TOI Baruchel. 1 He has confidence in the players, he said, and the system in which they play. He also has confidence in their goaltender. Baruchel co-starred in a Turk Broda commercial with Price, and they have known each other socially through 1937-1952 the years. 1.97 “I only ever see him in super-weird, specific places like awards shows,” he said. “There’s a bunch of nice guys in hockey, but Carey is a super, 6386:03 super easygoing dude.” 2 Ahead of the Stanley Cup semifinal, The Athletic called 11 former teammates (along with mentors and co-stars) to ask about a goalie who Dominik Hasek rarely seems rattled by the bright lights and big stages. (Years in 1991-2008 parentheses show the time period the player was teammates with Price.) 2.02 Price held the Maple Leafs, the North Division’s top-scoring team, to six goals over the final three games of their first-round series as Montreal 7316:53 rallied from 3-1 down for a surprising win. (John E. Sokolowski / USA Today) 3

Mike Weaver, defenceman, Montreal Canadiens (2013-15): I’d never met Martin Brodeur a normal goalie until I met Carey Price. 1992-2012

Shaun Vey, forward, Tri-City Americans (2004-07): He’s pretty calm. I 2.02 think that might be one of his biggest strengths, and why he’s lasted in Montreal as long as he has. 12717:01

Weaver: Anybody who stands in front of 100 mile-per-hour shots 4 consistently is a little off. Goalies typically keep to themselves. They’re Chris Osgood just a little different. But I’m telling you: Carey Price is just as normal as they come. 1994-2009

Olaf Kolzig, former NHL goaltender: It’s his demeanour. He’s the perfect 2.09 person to play that position in Montreal. The pressure just kind of rolls off his back. 7650:58

Alex Aldred, forward, Tri-City (2005-07): He was the cornerstone of the 5 team. Jacques Plante Kolzig: He always wanted to get in a scrap in practice with me. And I 1953-1973 don’t know if he was just trying to see where he was at. But he was fun that way. 2.12

Vey: He hated getting scored on in practice. Visibly angry. 6645:43

Brett Festerling, defenceman, Tri-City (2002-05): You can tell it irks him. 6 He hated — hated — getting beat. Braden Holtby 2012-2020 lie, he was so calm and cool. He kept pressing the buttons, looked at me and goes: “That’s it? That’s all I got to do? OK.” And then, two months 2.13 later, he’s MVP and we won the Calder Cup.

6012:47 Stortini: There was a time I took a penalty. They scored on it. I felt awful. 7 He just gave me a little pat: “Don’t worry about it.” It just shows his incredible leadership at that age. Ed Belfour Festerling: He’s just a good, salt-of-the-earth, small-town boy. He 1990-2004 reminds me of home, his personality. Super-quiet. Big family guy. Still loves the farm and the country. 2.17 Aldred: I think he’s got a close circle of friends that he probably opens up 9943:24 a little bit to. If you’re in the dressing room, he’s not really saying too 8 much. He’s not a rah-rah guy. You know he’s definitely a team guy, and if things aren’t going our way, he would definitely voice his opinion. It Tuukka Rask wasn’t all the time. When he’s talking, everybody listens.

2010-2021 Vey: Carey doesn’t talk a lot about himself. That’s my experience with him. So when we get together, we don’t talk about hockey. If I’m really 2.22 interested in something, I’ll ask him something. It’s his personality. He 6540:42 doesn’t like to talk about himself. He would rather talk about family and other passions, and put hockey aside and leave that at the rink. 9 Kolzig: He’s even more calm now than back in junior. That obviously Jonathan Quick comes with maturity. I mean, he was a calm guy at 17. But to play all those years in such a pressure-packed city. … I remember the time they 2010-2018 traded (Jaroslav) Halak (in the 2010 offseason). It was a preseason 2.23 game, and they didn’t play really well. This was after Halak did what he did to Washington in the playoffs. And I remember the quote: Carey 5250:11 goes, “Relax, it’s just preseason.” I don’t think people really took it that 10 well. But if you know Carey, it’s exactly what he means. It’s like, “Hey, I’ll be there when the pressure’s really on.” Patrick Roy Weaver: When I was there, (Michel) Therrien was coach. It was a simple 1986-2003 drill. The puck would get dumped in by the forward. The defenceman would turn around and go behind the net. The goalie would set it up, and 2.30 they would leave it and go in front of the net. I would pick it up and pass it 15205:18 to the forward who came down low. That forward would just skate down the ice and, at the red line, dump it in, and it would start at that end. 11 We’re in playoffs. It’s supposed to be a calm drill. A warm-up drill. Carey started throwing it into my feet, from not even three feet away. He Henrik Lundqvist thought it was funny … it turned into tradition. Every time we did that drill, 2006-2020 all the coaches started laughing.

2.30 Baruchel: When you throw a non-actor onto set, and you put them in front of cameras and crew and lights, I don’t care how many stadiums 7935:25 they’ve played in, it is more focused and intimate. It’s a hurdle that I still have to trick myself into getting past, and I’ve been doing this since 1995. 12 For a lot of people who have never really done it, it can reasonably and Carey Price understandably freak them the fuck out. And to ask them to then not look like they’re stressed, and not stare into the camera, but also ask them to 2008-2021 come up with shit to say? That’s insane. I mention all of this because we sit down and shoot with Carey, and he rolls in, ice-water in his veins and 2.36 is quite self-deprecating. 4850:18 Baines: He’s goofy. He’s got a great sense of humour. He’s not afraid to Min. 4500 TOI laugh and smile at any time.

Ajay Baines, forward, Hamilton (2006-08): He comes in, and he’s staying Baruchel: I’m a bit of an asshole with ad-libbing. I always do it. Whether at the hotel. I lived with Ryan O’Byrne, Matt D’Agostini and Kyle or not they use it, it’s up to them. I’m sure it’s to the chagrin of a lot of the Chipchura. I was the old guy with the three young guys. We lived in an people who have hired me. But it’s there. It’s always there. I just can’t apartment, and we’d always have dinner together. We told Carey after help it. And so I always start fucking about. And goddammit, man, he was practice, “We’ll pick you up at the hotel: Come have dinner with us up for it. tonight and hang out.” Aldred: Can we be surprised by anything that Carey Price does now? If Duncan Milroy, forward, Hamilton (2006-08): He didn’t come across as he were to get a shutout it, it’s like, “Yeah, that’s Carey Price.” an arrogant, cocky young kid, where “this is just a pit stop for me.” He Milroy: Out of all the people you’re talking to, I’d be shocked if you told came in with the intention of, “I’m going to be a part of this team, and I’m me somebody said anything bad about him. going to get along.” Danis: A lot of people were talking in recent years that maybe his play Baines: Carey’s over. We’re just hanging out. Chipper had a PlayStation. wasn’t up to the same level. In Montreal, they’re quick to turn around. They’re playing FIFA soccer. I had a buddy, Steve Gainey. His dad, Bob, Now? You see the Carey Price who is in the zone. And when he’s that was general manager in Montreal. Steve was assistant coach of the way, there’s no doubt he’s still the best goalie in the league. I don’t think (Kamloops) Blazers that year in the WHL. He called and said, “I’ve got to anybody comes close to that level. He can literally win games for you. tell you an interesting story. In 1985, Montreal called up a 19-year-old goalie to their farm team. They threw him in the net for the playoffs, and Milroy: It’s fun to see. If anything, it can be a little annoying because they went and won the Calder Cup and the goalie got MVP.” I said, “Let everybody knows I played with Carey Price, so I get text messages, and I me guess: Patrick Roy?” I pulled the phone down from my face. Carey get phone calls. At work, people keep asking me about Carey. It’s like and Chipchura were playing PlayStation. I go, “Carey, you hear that? In they think I’ve got him on speed dial and I can talk to him. 1985, the Habs called up a 19-year-old goalie to their farm team and he went in the net and won the Cup and MVP of the playoffs.” No word of a Kolzig: I texted him after the Toronto series, after Game 7. I said, “What a game, what a hell of a series.” He texted me back: “It’s funny, this hockey thing.” It wasn’t anything like, “Aw yeah, thanks man. It’s just unbelievable.” It’s just ho-hum, onto the next series. It’s great to watch.

Danis: I have my oldest kid, who’s a big fan. We’re watching the games together. He’s got his Carey Price jersey. He’s a big Carey Price fan.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.14.2021 1215806 Websites “I mean Vasilevskiy, to me he’s the best goalie in the NHL,” said Varlamov. “He’s been the best goalie in the NHL the last couple of years, he’s outstanding. He’s also a great person, a very humble guy.

Sportsnet.ca / Islanders manage playoff intensity to perfection in Game 1 “I like this kid, but now we play against each other.” win over Lightning This Stanley Cup semifinal series looks like it will be a close one and a long one. The Islanders understand they’re still facing an uphill climb, but took a big step by claiming a road victory directly out of the gate. Chris Johnston June 13, 2021, 7:42 PM That makes it more likely they’ll get the chance to play three games in front of their ice-tilting, raucous Coliseum crowd during this best-of- seven. For the NHL’s ultimate underdogs, this was a moment worth savouring. They’ve also received a boost of confidence by meeting the moment in In their first look at the Tampa Bay Lighting since last year’s Eastern their first game against Tampa since Sept. 17. It’s a sure sign that their Conference Final, the New York Islanders landed a solid counter-punch own championship intentions remain intact. by bottling up the defending champs with a 2-1 victory to open this third- round rematch. “It’s not necessarily the trophy, it’s the journey to the trophy. Those are the important things,” said Trotz. “Then at the end if you get something Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock scored the only goals Semyon you put on the shelf, that’s great, but you’ll remember all the moments Varlamov needed to secure the Islanders a win nine months in the and you’ll remember the journey.” making. That’s how long they’ve had to stew on a six-game defeat at the hands of Tampa inside the Edmonton bubble last fall. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.14.2021 “Both teams were familiar [with each other] and both teams went at it,” said Islanders coach Barry Trotz.

“They’re the standard of the league, I would say,” added Barzal.

And yet New York was full value for its win at Amalie Arena, keeping the Lightning’s most dangerous shooters at a safe distance. Brayden Point broke Varlamov’s shutout bid in the final minute, but he, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos were held to just four total shots in the game.

Taking only two minor penalties was critical in that success because of Tampa’s world-beating power play.

But the Islanders also managed the playoff intensity to perfection, avoiding any unnecessary risk and completely nullifying the Lightning’s ability to attack off the rush.

“I think we played the right way,” said Pulock.

This is what we’ve come to expect of a team that consistently fights above its weight class and befuddles bookmakers. The Islanders were once again listed as underdogs entering a series — that didn’t keep them from eliminating Pittsburgh and Boston already this spring — and Trotz acknowledged that it’s a label the group draws on for additional motivation.

“I think probably every coach that ever lived used that tactic,” he said.

They are also looking to make good on a second opportunity to take out the Lightning and reach the Stanley Cup Final.

*I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time.

The first step went much better than a year ago, when the Islanders faced a tight turnaround after relocating from the Toronto bubble to the Edmonton bubble and faceplanted with an 8-2 loss in the series opener. It was much tighter the rest of the way in.

“Last year I didn’t think it was fair at all,” said Trotz. “I thought today was more reminiscent of Games 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 from last year. Both teams are pretty well the same as they were last year.”

Barzal opened the scoring in Sunday’s game, jumping on the ice for a line change just as Josh Bailey found him with a stretch pass. He was in a puck race with Jan Rutta and opened up Andrei Vasilevskiy’s legs just enough to stuff a shot through the five-hole.

Pulock made it 2-0 early in the third period by hammering a point shot past Vasilevskiy’s blocker.

That gave the Islanders enough breathing room to get through a frantic final two minutes that included Point’s power-play marker. But even after limiting Tampa to just eight high-danger chances in Game 1 the respect from the visitor’s side was evident.

“Every time you’re on the ice with them you know how much skill they have and puck possession,” said Barzal. “Such a nice team to watch. When you’re playing against them, it sucks, just because you’re chasing the puck and whatnot.”

Varlamov had kind words for his countryman after besting him with a 30- save effort. 1215807 Websites And since sources recently informed me a lucrative, three-year deal was on offer — something neither Bergevin nor Molson will confirm — I’ve started to shift from believing the soon-to-be 56-year-old might not want to continue that long to wondering if he’ll push for more time and more Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Bergevin appears reinvigorated after money. challenging 2021 season If we’re to take Bergevin at his word, he didn’t quite suffer through the peaks and valleys of this season the way some — including yours truly — thought he might have. Eric Engels June 12, 2021, 2:39 PM “I believed in this team since the beginning, and even in January I said

we had built a team for the playoffs,” he said on Saturday, just hours MONTREAL — I can’t be the only one who’s been wondering what this before the Canadiens departed for Las Vegas to take on the Golden year has been like for Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Knights come Monday. Bergevin. “But during the season, there were ups and downs, and I won’t hide from It promised a unique experience for everyone, but he couldn’t have the fact that the schedule of 25 games over 44 days did a lot of damage possibly envisioned how complicated and trying it would be — especially physically, but also mentally,” Bergevin added. “In the Canadian Division, after a highly successful off-season he came out of feeling like he had we were the division with the most travel between east and west, too, addressed every need his team had. and that factored in for the players. Personally, I stayed calm. We were aware of certain veterans who stood up in our room. I think the Corey Bergevin picked up Jake Allen to give Carey Price the rest he’d need to Perrys and Eric Staals, Jake Allen and Eddie and (Shea Weber) Weby perform the way he’s performing right now, he signed Joel Edmundson to had things to say that were important. It also takes some luck, and we further offer his defence a nastiness that has helped carry it to the final won’t deny that, but everything seemed to go alright. And with the way four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he brought in Tyler Toffoli, Josh we’re performing right now, I’m very proud of our team.” Anderson and Corey Perry to diversify the dimension of his offence and offer a balance that could mitigate its lack of superstar presence, and Bergevin’s confidence in his work, too, has been reinforced on this run. then he asserted that the Canadiens are “here to win,” that they “mean “The guys we brought in — sometimes it does work, sometimes it doesn’t business,” and that they “can play any way you want.” work,” he said, “but we knew we were bringing guys with character, and The GM had eight years of experience on the job prior. He had gone like I mentioned to our team in our first meeting in Toronto before the through every high and low, lived the excitement of guiding a team deep season started, these guys who won Stanley Cups, they were not into the playoffs and suffered through the pain that comes with resetting brought in by accident but by design. And I think it’s paying off now.” the roster and not witnessing a post-season game at the Bell Centre Bergevin reminded the Canadiens are only halfway to where they want to since 2017. But nothing could have prepared him for what he’d have to be, but he also said they have no intention of stopping here. endure during this unprecedented season. “Our team, regardless of all the trials we went through, we were able to Stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Sportsnet NOW overcome them,” he said. “Today, and over the last few months, I’ve Bergevin watched the team he believed so much in, and the team he sensed a team that’s together, a team that been strengthened and a invested so much in, set fire to a 7-1-2 start. He relieved Claude Julien team that’s really enjoying playing with each other. The enthusiasm in the and Kirk Muller of their coaching duties with the Canadiens sitting on a 9- room really feels special between our veterans and our youngsters.” 5-4 record and he appointed Dominique Ducharme head coach and It’s there in the front office, too, in spite of all the different ways 2021 has promoted Alex Burrows as an assistant to extinguish the flames challenged Bergevin. immediately. When they weren’t able to, he fired goaltending coach Stephane Waite and promoted scout Sean Burke to get Price back to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.14.2021 where he was expected to be.

Right as the Canadiens appeared to be straightening out, COVID-19 hit, shut the team down for a week and forced them to close out the season with 25 games in 44 days. If Bergevin had hoped they’d show their true colours then, they failed him — losing 14 of their final 21 games and backing into the playoffs with the worst record of any team participating.

And as they appeared to be bowing out meekly, down 3-1 in their first- round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, I had an impossible time envisioning him wanting to continue on in a job that would even test the Dalai Lama’s unshakeable Zen.

But seeing the passion and enthusiasm with which Bergevin met his players after they won their seventh consecutive game of these playoffs to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets and stamp their ticket to the semifinal, I’m having an even harder time seeing him relinquish his role.

“It’s great to see,” said Ducharme on Friday. “He’s working hard… he’s heart-and-soul about the Canadiens and having success. We’re all in this together — players, coaches, management — we all want the same thing. To see him as happy as us… he’s maybe a little bit more expressive, but we’re all in this together. I think he was known as a player to be a team guy, to be a player that you want to have on your side in any fight. And he’s the same in the management as a GM, he’s the same way. He’s there on your side, too, as a coach to help me out, to support me if I need anything. So, it’s great to see.”

Canadiens owner Geoff Molson recognized it long ago and stood by Bergevin after his worst stint as GM, in 2018. When I spoke with Molson prior to this season, his excitement about the work Bergevin had done in the years since — and particularly in the months before the puck dropped in January — came through loud and clear over the phone. So, when Elliotte Friedman reported in early May that discussions on a new contract had begun, with Bergevin under term for just one more season after this one, it hardly came across as a surprise.