SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/15/17 1083245 Sakic has fond memories of Kariya, Selanne with 1083281 Blue Jackets | Sonny Milano tries to learn while playing Avalanche less 1083246 Ducks' injuries give Derek Grant an opportunity to get in 1083282 Blue Jackets | Oliver Bjorkstrand’s play draws coach’s center of the action praise 1083247 Chris Wagner, Derek Grant stepping up for injury-plagued 1083283 Blue Jackets | Team looking for its identity, coach and Ducks players say 1083248 Miller: Kevin Bieksa’s wife shares household fame with 1083284 Blue Jackets | Goalie dreams drive David Savard to block Ducks defenseman shots 1083285 Blue Jackets 2, Canadiens 1, OT | Sergei Bobrovsky delivers again in win 1083249 NHL pundits slam Arizona Coyotes as 'terrible,' ghastly,' 'just bad' Dallas Stars 1083250 Arizona Coyotes trade to 1083286 Here's the message Ken Hitchcock is trying to get across Lightning to his Stars amid road woes 1083251 Coyotes become first team in NHL history to go first 20 1083287 Stars couldn't give the 60 minutes Ken Hitchcock wanted games without regulation win in 4-3 loss to Florida 1083252 Preview: Coyotes at Jets, 5:30 p.m., FOX Sports Arizona 1083288 Trocheck scores shootout winner as Panthers edge Stars 1083253 Coyotes trade Louis Domingue to 1083254 Hellebuyck’s 32 saves lead Jets over Arizona Coyotes 1083255 Arizona Coyotes trade Louis Domingue to Tampa Bay 1083289 Red Wings preach 'high level of urgency' on power plays; Lightning PK looks good 1083256 Coyotes’ crazy travel schedule presents challenges for 1083290 Detroit Red Wings' Martin Frk could miss a week with training staff tweaked groin 1083291 Detroit Red Wings vs. : Time, TV, radio information 1083257 David Krejci a game-time decision for Bruins 1083292 Red Wings finally rising on special teams 1083258 Dressing multiple rookies can make life hard for the Bruins 1083293 Red Wings’ scoring threat Martin Frk out vs. Flames 1083259 Coyotes trade Domingue to Lightning for McGinn, 1083294 Red Wings' Martin Frk might be out a week Leighton 1083260 Bruins prospect Peter Cehlarik gets call from Providence, Edmonton Oilers ready to face Ducks tonight 1083295 Oilers prepare for game against 1083261 DeBrusk ready to 'calm down and play hockey' after 1083296 Edmonton's other NHL owner: Booster Juice founder healthy scratch snaps up share in Vegas Golden Knights, new arena 1083262 Morning Skate: Jagr the dressing room DJ 1083263 Fallen Bruins ignoring traditional Thanksgiving benchmark 1083297 Panthers power play searches for results through recent struggles 1083264 Show of camaraderie by Sabres' stars goes for naught 1083298 Curtis Valk to center Panthers' fourth line in NHL debut on 1083265 The Wraparound: Penguins 5, Sabres 4 (OT) Tuesday 1083266 Sabres Notebook: Gorges fights for physicality; Bailey's 1083299 Panthers beat Stars in shootout to win for second time in play 'dipped'; turkey drive three games 1083267 Big hits mean fights, much to the delight of Sabres' Gorges Los Angeles Kings 1083268 Sabres hope Bailey rediscovers urgency in latest trip to 1083300 Kings headed in wrong direction in loss to Canucks Rochester 1083301 King trade Michael Cammalleri to Edmonton for Jussi 1083269 Five Things to Know as Sabres visit Jokinen 1083302 Whicker: Another loss, another seed of doubt for Kings Calgary Flames 1083303 Canucks send Kings to 3rd straight loss 1083270 Smith stays home as Flames jet off to Detroit 1083304 TONY GASPARINI SHARES PROSPECT UPDATES ON HULTS, ANDERSON AND EYSSIMONT 1083305 NOVEMBER 14 MORNING SKATE NOTES: KINGS 1083271 Hurricanes find goals from a badly needed source RECALL CRESCENZI 1083306 Ted Sandeen/Iowa Wild Chicago Blackhawks 1083307 BLAKE DISCUSSES JOKINEN/CAMMALLERI SWAP, 1083272 Shift from center to wing is paying off so far for GABORIK, KEMPE, CARTER, IAFALLO Blackhawks' Nick Schmaltz 1083308 NOVEMBER 14 POSTGAME NOTES 1083273 Ex-NHL enforcer John Scott tries acting: 'I'm just trying to 1083309 NOVEMBER 14 POSTGAME QUOTES: MARTINEZ, take it as things come' PEARSON 1083274 Wednesday's preview: Rangers at Blackhawks 1083310 NOVEMBER 14 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS 1083275 Blackhawks say farewell to Johnny’s, hello to new practice 1083311 GAME 18: LOS ANGELES VS VANCOUVER facility 1083312 KINGS TRADE CAMMALLERI TO OILERS, ACQUIRE 1083276 Column: Change Bowman promised made JOKINEN. WHY? Blackhawks look different — but not better 1083277 Blackhawks’ Ryan Hartman eager to get back to his gritty, gutty game 1083278 With a fun practice, Chicago Blackhawks say goodbye to Johnny's IceHouse 1083279 Blackhawks say goodbye to Johnny’s IceHouse West 1083280 Alex DeBrincat has played well all year, but now the goals are coming and that's good for the Blackhawks 1083313 Wild's Charlie Coyle back on skates five weeks after 1083346 Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick continues to make progress; breaking leg Andrew MacDonald will skate Wednesday 1083314 , Bruce Boudreau primed for home- 1083347 Flyers-Wild preview: Philly looking for revenge against hot and-home finish against the Philadelphia Flyers goalie, hotter winger 1083315 Minnesota Wild's second periods need work, but 1083348 Observations from the Flyers 3-0 loss to Minnesota everything else seems to be clicking 1083349 Flyers blanked again by Wild's Devan Dubnyk 1083316 Wild-Philadelphia game recap 1083350 Flyers rookie Robert Hagg showing poise beyond his 1083317 Wild, Dubnyk stop Flyers for third in a row years 1083318 Wild’s Marcus Foligno is keeping mother’s legacy alive 1083351 Best of NHL: Teuvo Teravainen hat trick in 3rd period 1083319 Wild’s Charlie Coyle returns to practice enough for Hurricanes 1083320 Devan Dubnyk notches third straight shutout, Wild earn 1083352 Flyers' scoreless streak extended with another Wild 3-0 win over Flyers shutout 1083353 Flyers-Wild observations: On the wrong end of another shutout 1083321 Zach Werenski scores overtime winner as Blue Jackets 1083354 Bigger goalies like Wild's Devan Dubnyk pose problem for top Canadiens Flyers 1083322 About last night ... Columbus beats Canadiens 2-1 in OT 1083355 Flyers’ Sean Couturier growing his game off the ice as 1083323 Lindgren solid, offence stalls as Habs lose 2-1 in OT to well as on Blue Jackets 1083356 Flyers at Wild: 3 things to watch in Game 18 1083324 Liveblog: Columbus at Canadiens 1083357 5 takeaways: Why the Flyers’ scoring ineptitude is making 1083325 The goalie insists his lower-body injury is still "minor" and history that he won't be out much longer. But how long r 1083326 Game Day: Canadiens goalie Carey Price no longer Pittsburgh Penguins skating 1083358 Penguins notebook: Sullivan wants team to take fewer 1083327 Blue Jackets at Canadiens: Five things you should know penalites 1083359 Penguins find right mix; Sidney Crosby breaks scoring Nashville Predators slump in OT win 1083328 Predators' Scott Hartnell, Yannick Weber out weeks with 1083360 Penguins unveil camo warmup jerseys lower-body injuries 1083361 Jason Botterill will be back in Pittsburgh Tuesday with his 1083329 Nashville Predators 6, Washington Capitals 3: 3 things we Buffalo Sabres. 1 learned 1083362 Pregame: Penguins have a friendly upcoming schedule, starting with Buffalo 1083363 Crosby busts out of funk against Sabres 1083330 Kevin Shattenkirk Finds His Groove, and the Rangers Find 1083364 Third line of Sheary, Sheahan and Hornqvist comes Theirs through for Penguins in win 1083331 What Travis Zajac needs to be ready to play for Devils 1083365 Penguins top the Sabres, 5-4, on Sheary's OT winner 1083332 Devils' Miles Wood finds surprise in locker after 1st hat trick (PHOTO) 1083333 Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller has fractured collarbone 1083366 Tehama County shootings kill five, wound 10; victims were | What it means random targets 1083334 Lessons keep coming for young Devils 1083367 Sharks notes: Ailing Thornton taking advantage of small 1083335 How will lines look when Travis Zajac rejoins Devils' break in schedule lineup? 1083368 Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne was the ultimate Sharks 1083336 Travis Zajac likely to return to Devils' lineup Thursday villain 1083337 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 14 St Louis Blues New York Islanders 1083369 Blues ship Bennett to Chicago of AHL 1083338 Henrik Lundqvist’s heavy workload explained 1083370 Maryland Heights backs new Blues practice facility near 1083339 John Tavares, Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy make quite casino an impression on school kids 1083371 Blues prospects Kyrou, Thomas tearing it up in juniors 1083372 3 days in Edmonton: Ideal for some Blues 1083340 It’s clear what Rick Nash wants out of uncertain Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning future 1083373 Lightning emphatically answers power-play question 1083341 Rangers pack momentum for brief road swing 1083342 Warrenspiece: Senators must make room for returning Bobby Ryan 1083343 Health the No. 1 priority for Clarke MacArthur, Sens GM says 1083344 Chabot and White trying to get solid 1083345 How the Senators can deal with a very tough upcoming schedule Toronto Maple Leafs Websites 1083374 Carey Price to miss more time but insists injury is minor 1083410 The Athletic / LeBrun Notebook: Looking ahead to the 1083375 Leafs call up Nikita Soshnikov, keeping him in the 2018 Hall of Fame class, Lightning and Penguins' needs organization 1083411 The Athletic / Under-25 Core Rankings: Which teams are 1083376 NHLers due for scheduled maintenance: Feschuk set up best for the future? 1083377 Leafs recall Nikita Soshnikov from Marlies 1083412 The Athletic / Nick and Marcus Foligno proving the old 1083378 Over the Boards: Fasel still frustrated with Bettman over adage: Like father, like son(s) Olympic no-show 1083413 The Athletic / As NHL retreats from Olympics, IIHF 1083379 Carey Price remains out of Canadiens’ lineup but says president Rene Fasel becomes more ambitious injury’s no big deal 1083414 The Athletic / Devan Dubnyk's third straight shutout comes 1083380 Snapshots: Maple Leafs' Rielly not consumed by offensive on a night with a much deeper meaning to him numbers 1083415 .ca / Oilers act fast in bringing in Cammalleri, 1083381 Leafs recall Nikita Soshnikov, send Gauthier to Marlies moving out Jokinen 1083382 Leafs bring their best game to vets at Sunnybrook 1083416 Sportsnet.ca / Three reasons why the Oilers offence 1083383 Poor drafting, collusion and one vocal rookie GM: Inside continues to sputter the Leafs fantasy football league 1083417 Sportsnet.ca / ’ win over Kings as odd 1083384 Nikita Soshnikov's call-up about more than just a contract as it was impressive clause 1083418 Sportsnet.ca / Gates finally open for Oilers’ offence in win 1083385 Ron Hainsey is killing a ridiculous amount of penalties for over Golden Knights the Leafs this season 1083419 Sportsnet.ca / Jets’ depth gets the job done against Coyotes Vancouver Canucks 1083420 Sportsnet.ca / Montreal Canadiens left frustrated by 1083405 Kuzma: Communication key in ongoing education of Jake Sergei Bobrovsky’s brilliance Virtanen 1083421 Sportsnet.ca / Dale Hawerchuk reflects on perfect fit with 1083406 Canucks Game Day: Tough task ahead to dethrone the Kings 1083422 Sportsnet.ca / Carey Price should’ve learned from 1083407 Canucks Post Game: The power-play call, the Boeser dot, 2015-16 and not played through injury the bounce back, Dorsett being Dorsett 1083423 Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown: Four NHL GMs on 1083408 Canucks 3 Kings 2: Push back, resilience and an actual smoking-hot seats first power play unit 1083424 TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Oilers, Kings swap 1083409 The Canucks need Jake Virtanen's unique skill set in the veteran wingers lineup 1083425 TSN.CA / Craig’s List: Dahlin dominating, one Canadian in Top 10 Vegas Golden Knights 1083426 TSN.CA / Hot Button Issues: Get ready for Jack Hughes 1083386 How to watch the Knights vs. Oilers, Canucks and Kings 1083427 TSN.CA / Vancouver’s power play a work in progress this week 1083428 USA TODAY / New Jersey Devils ride , skill, youth 1083387 Jon Merrill replaces Luca Sbisa for Golden Knights vs. to surprise start Oilers 1083388 Golden Knights drop road game to Oilers, 8-2 Winnipeg Jets 1083397 Hockey was 'hard' for Laine two weeks ago... now it 'feels Washington Capitals like a lot of fun' 1083389 After missing 13 games, Matt Niskanen is back in Caps’ 1083398 Secondary scoring, Helle's hot hand help Jets beat lineup against Predators Coyotes 4-1 1083390 Braden Holtby besieged as Capitals are drubbed in 6-3 1083399 Hawerchuk takes trip down memory lane as 'Ducky' goes loss to Predators into Jets Hall of Fame 1083391 Game 19: Capitals at Predators Date, Time, How to 1083400 Jets overcome slow start to beat Coyotes Watch, Game Thread 1083401 Current Jets put boots to former Jets 1083392 Caps waiting for an update on injured rookie defenseman 1083402 Laine on a roll as Jets face bottom-feeding Coyotes Christian Djoos 1083403 What is the problem with Winnipeg's kill? 1083393 3 reasons why the Caps lost to the Predators 1083404 Bourne: On evaluating hockey, even the tape can lie, as 1083394 Tarik's three stars: Oshie, Carlson not enough against our brains are bias-riddled jerks surging Predators SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1083395 Why Nashville's first should not have counted 1083396 What does Matt Niskanen's return mean for the Caps' lineup? 1083245 Anaheim Ducks LA Times: LOADED: 11.15.2017

Sakic has fond memories of Kariya, Selanne with Avalanche

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register

TORONTO – Sometimes the best laid plans don’t come to fruition. And the plan hatched by Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne to join forces with a stacked team to win a Stanley Cup ended in failure. It doesn’t mean the memory of what could have been is a bad one. That’s the feeling Joe Sakic has. “You know what?” said Sakic, who watched Kariya and Selanne join him in the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. “It was unbelievable what they did. At that time, they both wanted to come. “We had a fun team and they wanted to be part of that. We’re really lucky that they decided to come. Unfortunately, injuries to really both of them made it harder that year.” Sakic, the captain of that 2003-04 Avalanche squad, still views that season as “one of the best years we had.” It was a stacked group, with Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay and Milan Hejduk up front and Rob Blake and Adam Foote leading the defense. And then it was loaded with Kariya and Selanne coming in, stunning the hockey world by signing with the Avs for salaries well below pre-salary cap market value. Kariya’s time in Anaheim ended with the left wing and the Ducks at odds over a contract extension. Selanne declined an option to stay with San Jose and also became a free agent. This was many years before the current trend of NBA superstars like LeBron James or Kevin Durant looking to join up with other superstars to create a super team. Colorado was supposed to rule the NHL and claim its third Cup. Kariya and Selanne wanted one. They could do it with Sakic and Blake, with whom they were already friends. It didn’t work and it became a one-year oddity on their glistening resumes. Kariya hurt his wrist and played in only 51 games. Selanne played in 78 but essentially on one leg with his right knee in constant pain. Forsberg suited up in only 39 contests. And Patrick Roy was no longer around, having retired. Now the general manager of the Avalanche and a franchise icon, Sakic thinks back and says it was only one of two games at the start of the season where what they dreamed of was actually taking place. He recalled how they were “buzzing and going” in the first game as linemates. “And then Paul got hurt and Teemu, his knee was hurting him all year but he battled through it,” Sakic said. “Never complained. Then he finally got it fixed and when he went to Anaheim, he had an outstanding career.” The friendship between the three has only grown closer after their playing days ended. Sakic and Kariya sat next to each other in a Honda Center suite for Selanne’s final regular-season home game with the Ducks. They’ve become surfing buddies. Sakic and Kariya especially so, though the two were impressed with how easily Selanne conquered the board even as he had a fear of sharks. At a recent lunch, Kariya told the story of how his car keys managed to fall and disappear into the ocean off San Onofre State Beach. “It’s not my fault,” Sakic said, laughing. “The wave came and hit us at the wrong time. … He needed to suck it up. He was mad because he missed out on a half-hour of surf. I can’t believe he said that. He made him drive him all the way to Tustin Ranch.” It has been a joy for Sakic to see them both enter the Hall and have something else to bond over. The legendary center known for his lightning-quick release and pinpoint wrist shot marvels at the people they’ve become, with their banter and humor on full display when together. “Paul was very driven, very focused,” Sakic said. “He had his routine. I‘m not sure Teemu had a routine going into the game. Teemu just – he prepared his way. He came at it like, let’s go and have fun and do my thing. And that’s what got him going. “Opposites attract, they say. For two guys that couldn’t be any different off the ice, when they got on the ice, they were on the same page. Those two together – it was magic.” 1083246 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks' injuries give Derek Grant an opportunity to get in center of the action

Derek Grant

With great loss comes great opportunity, if someone is there to capitalize. And luckily for the Ducks, a few players have stepped up, but perhaps none more so than Derek Grant. With top centers Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler sidelined, the longtime minor leaguer has unexpectedly found himself playing major minutes. It has been a struggle for Grant, a Michigan State product, to stay in an NHL lineup for an extended period of time. But there he was playing pivot on the top-scoring line. The Canadian signed a one-year, $650,000 contract to join the Ducks this summer, hardly a deal designed for a top-line center. But Grant earned the spot, at least in the interim, with his responsible defensive play, as well as his offensive output (three goals, nine points in 17 games). Two of the team's best scoring chances in Sunday’s defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning materialized on the end of Grant’s stick. First, there was a breakaway, and then a two-on-one dish from Corey Perry. He finished neither of those plays, but to be in this position seemed like a pipedream just a few months ago. “Obviously when you’re 27 years old and still unable to fully crack a lineup, those [doubts] always come into your head a little bit,” Grant said following Tuesday’s practice. “But there’s opportunities everywhere; there’s injuries everywhere and coming here, there were a couple holes at center, especially to start the year … and I was able to come in and show what I can do.” The 6-foot-3 center was drafted in the fourth round by the Ottawa Senators in 2008. Since then, he’s bounced around the NHL, with stops in Calgary, Buffalo and Nashville over the last two seasons (61 games between the three teams). Now, he’s skating between Rickard Rakell (who led the Ducks with 33 goals last season) and Perry, a two-time All-Star. Once Getzlaf and Kesler are back in the fold, Grant surely will be relegated to a less important role, but in Ducks coach Randy Carlyle’s mind that will only strengthen the squad — a silver lining amid a season clouded by injuries. “At the American [Hockey] League level I was able to produce offensively,” Grant said, “but obviously I wanted to bring that to the NHL and so far things have been pretty good.” Injury update Winger Ondrej Kase has been missing from the lineup since he suffered a head injury against the Kings last week. He didn’t skate Tuesday, and is ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins. The 22- year-old did work out off ice. No. 2 goalie Ryan Miller also is on the mend with a day-to-day injury, but he’s closer to returning than Kase, according to Carlyle. Miller worked out on the ice individually Tuesday. The coach is hopeful top-pair defenseman Cam Fowler (knee injury) will resume skating before the end of the week. NEXT UP VS. BOSTON When: Wednesday, 7 p.m. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Update: The Ducks aren’t the only squad strained by a slew of injuries. Boston enters the contest without top-line wingers Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork, who were injured in Sunday’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. No. 2 center David Krejci practiced Tuesday and could return. David Backes, Ryan Spooner and Adam McQuaid are on injured reserve. … Ducks center Antoine Vermette will suit up in his 1,000th NHL contest. LA Times: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083247 Anaheim Ducks

Chris Wagner, Derek Grant stepping up for injury-plagued Ducks

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register

If there is a silver lining to the Ducks’ myriad of injury issues, it is that Chris Wagner and Derek Grant are getting increased roles and instilling belief that they can handle them until the ailing return. The two have been accustomed to playing fourth-line grinding roles throughout their careers, but have been elevated to the top two center spots because of the long-term absences of Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. In Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay, Wagner had an assist on the Ducks’ only goal, and it gave him eight points in 17 games. Before this season, the forward had only nine points in his previous 69 contests over three seasons. Grant has taken advantage of the opportunities presented in Anaheim after failing to stick in other locales. He has his first three NHL goals this season, and his nine points are more than he totaled over four other seasons shuttling between the NHL and the minors. “This is an opportunity for those two guys,” Carlyle said. “There was going to be positions available for people to jump and grab, and those players have stepped up. Both players have climbed the depth chart ladder in doing so.” Being the top two centers isn’t going to last forever. Carlyle threw in the realism that once Getzlaf and Kesler return, Grant and Wagner will move back down in the lineup. But what the Ducks hope this experience does is make them better players and provide quality depth among their forward corps. “Yes, they’re playing those minutes, but historically they’ve been more checking-type players,” Carlyle said. “They’re moved up the lineup. They’re playing with more skilled players, so they have the opportunity to create more offense.” SILVER STREAKING After going the first 10 games without scoring, Jakob Silfverberg has five goals in his last seven contests. “I just think that he’s getting the puck in the critical areas,” Carlyle said. “If you look at where his goals have been scored, he’s a release guy, he’s a shooter, and he’s got the puck in those areas and shot the puck.” During his season-opening dry spell, Silfverberg acknowledged that it was tougher than expected making the transition to playing with someone other than Kesler, who has started to do some light skating but still isn’t expected to be ready to play in games before Christmas. “We’ve probably struggled with trying to find a fit, and right now Wagner seems to be a fit there,” Carlyle ssaid. “And now we’re getting more of a complete game from that threesome. Thus, Silvy seems to have found the net, and helpfully that continues for us.” ON THE MEND Goalie Ryan Miller skated before practice but has not resumed on-ice activities with the team. It means that Reto Berra should again back up John Gibson for Wednesday’s game against Boston. “I would say he’s a couple days away from joining us for a regular practice,” Carlyle said of Miller. “It’s just always these nagging injuries. We just have enough of them.” Carlyle said Cam Fowler might start skating by the end of this week. It would be the first time since hurting his right knee on Oct. 20 against Montreal. Ondrej Kase, who was injured Nov. 7, worked out off the ice but has not been able to practice. “That’ll be the first step for him coming back to our group, if he skates,” Carlyle said. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083248 Anaheim Ducks “It took me a little while to adjust to everything,” she said. “I think we, as a family, were very confused and almost miserable for the first few months that we were here. Miller: Kevin Bieksa’s wife shares household fame with Ducks “Then, we went home for Christmas. It was freezing cold. Everyone got defenseman sick. When we came back, it was 75 and sunny and I said, ‘OK, I’m never leaving.’ We’re very well-adjusted now.” By JEFF MILLER | [email protected] | Orange County Register Once “Newport Jane” was published this summer, the next obstacle became marketing the book. Looking to attract women, the Bieksas recruited a bunch of men, hockey players to be exact. ANAHEIM — He leads the Ducks in penalty minutes, is an experienced It began on an Instagram account with Kevin jokingly photographed fighter on the ice and last month dropped an opponent using an MMA- reading the book while shirtless at a lake. style superman punch. Using #hotguysreadingmybook, those who followed with similar topless Kevin Bieksa’s sudden flattening of Radko Gudas of the Flyers was appearances included Ryan Kesler, Drew Doughty and Ryan Getzlaf. among his greatest hits in more ways than one, the various YouTube videos of the one-blow bout drawing in excess of 300,000 views. Also participating was Andrew Cogliano, who proudly displayed his prominent abs but decided to go without his two missing front teeth. And then, on Tuesday, there Bieksa sat, up on a small stage, reading a children’s book to a roomful of grade-schoolers. “They’re all in great shape, so why not?” Katie said. “It’s a women’s fiction book. So that obviously had it’s appeal. It was all in fun.” That’s the thing with hockey players. Only the goalies wear masks. But every one of them is capable of emerging from behind a scary game For her next effort, she’s working on something a little deeper, “a face. psychological thriller” that Katie hopes to have finished in the spring. “I think he’s smarter than I am,” Bieksa’s wife, Katie, said. “We each have By then, Kevin and the Ducks will be well into writing the story of their our strengths. He’s so good at math and I’m not. I can barely do fifth- season, the Bieksas certainly hoping everything that turns out well for the grade math. That’s just not how my brain works.” family isn’t just a work of fiction. Katie was up on that stage, too, joining her husband and Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.15.2017 defenseman Korbinian Holzer as part of the team’s “Reading is the Goal Day,” a community outreach program that stopped at Centralia Elementary. As opposed to Kevin with numbers, Katie’s strength is letters, her first attempt as an author resulting in “Newport Jane,” a work of fiction influenced by her experiences moving from Canada to Orange County. Though Kevin is in his 13th NHL season and third with the Ducks, he’s no longer the only member of the household receiving interview requests or bracing for negative press. Katie recently met with a couple studios possibly interested in making “Newport Jane” into a movie, roughly the writer’s equivalent of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. Impressive, particularly for a rookie. “It probably won’t go anywhere past that,” said Katie, who has a degree in English and a master’s from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. “I guess there’s a tiny chance. But just to know that they’re reading it is pretty cool.” Also impressive is the fact that Katie, when she started, wasn’t even sure what she was writing would be a book. Only when she finished her initial draft – after sharing it with a few friends and one of her former professors – was she convinced that it could be published. “Maybe in the back of my mind I thought, ‘OK, if I’m lucky,’ ” she said. “So, as I was writing it, I was really relaxed and uncaged and just having fun. Now, when people read it, I sort of think, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ ” That’s because – as Kevin likes to joke – “there’s all those sex scenes in there.” OK, that is a slight exaggeration, but, it should be understood, “Newport Jane” is not a children’s book. It is a novel aimed at women, one meant to be a lighter, summer-type read that can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on one’s perspective. It chronicles the life and reflections of a character named Ellen, who is attempting to find herself and fill an abundance of idle time after moving from a small Canadian town to California to follow her husband, a doctor. “You write what you know, a first-time writer especially,” Katie said. “I hope the people reading it realize that it’s fiction. But I’d be lying if I said it had nothing to do with me. Of course, it does. It came from my head.” In real life, the Bieksas both grew up in Grimsby, a town of about 27,000 located an hour’s drive south of Toronto. They lived in Vancouver for 10 years while Kevin played for the Canucks before he joined the Ducks in 2015. Soon after arriving, Katie found herself existing in a world that felt a lot like “Desperate Housewives,” the U.S. and Canada seeming to share nothing more than a border. 1083249 Arizona Coyotes Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.15.2017

NHL pundits slam Arizona Coyotes as 'terrible,' ghastly,' 'just bad'

Jeremy Cluff, azcentral sports Published 12:13 p.m. MT Nov. 14, 2017 | Updated 1:26 p.m. MT Nov. 14, 2017

The Arizona Coyotes are 2-14-3 on the season. They have just seven points 19 games into the season. It's been a very difficult start to the season for the club, which is on pace for just 30 points this season...which would be one of the worst seasons in NHL history. NHL pundits haven't been afraid to discuss the team's terrible start to the season. Here's what they are saying about the Arizona Coyotes: Wall Street Journal: For the Arizona Coyotes, It’s Been a Run of Bad Puck Eric Eisenberg writes: "Nearly six weeks into the season, the Arizona Coyotes are remarkably still looking for their first win in regulation. At just 2-14-3, Arizona is on pace for just 30 points over a full 82-game schedule, which would represent the sport's worst record in a generation. It took 12 games for the team to get a win of any sort, on a goal with just 15 seconds left in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers. Their second victory came five nights later in a shootout over the Carolina Hurricanes." The Wall St. Journal took note of the Arizona Coyotes' William Grigsby writes: "What hasn’t seemed to occur just yet, is a losing culture which was on display a few seasons ago when the team fell to historic depths of failure finishing with a mere 58 points. If one were to project their season-ending record at the pace they are currently following, it wouldn’t be pretty. Try 30 points. They are currently at a .184 winning percentage. That doesn’t bring fans out to the arena to watch a hockey game. If this team wants to attract new fans, as the new owner Andrew Barroway stated, they had better start winning. Nothing brings fans through the turnstiles like winning. Conversely, nothing keeps them away from the arena like losing." USA TODAY Sports: Coyotes worst team in NHL Kevin Allen writes: "With the personnel that the Coyotes have on the blue line, they should not be giving up almost four goals per game." CBS Sports: Coyotes improving? Cody Benjamin writes: "Somehow, six regulation losses in their past 10 games actually seems like a step forward." NBC Sports: These Coyotes are really something Adam Gretz writes: "In their first 19 games of the season the Arizona Coyotes have exactly zero wins in regulation. Their only two wins, as of Monday, coming by way of overtime or a shootout. That is … really something." ESPN.com: Coyotes are terrible Greg Wyshynski writes: "We'd recap all the ways Arizona is terrible, from a ghastly regulation record to a minus-26 goal differential; alas, we have only 140 charac..." SI.com: Some stability to help Coyotes? Jeremy Fuchs writes: "A bit more competitive of late and that coincides with the return of . Some stability in net should improve things a bit." ocregister.com: Coyotes are just bad Eric Stephens writes: "They’re among the bottom five in offense, defense, power play, penalty killing and faceoffs. It’s no longer a horrible start. They’re just bad." sportingnews.com: Coyotes are ... Blech! Jim Cerny writes: "A minus 26 goal differential already. Blech!" FIND A GAME: 2017-18 Arizona Coyotes schedule For more from The Heat Index, go to heatindex.azcentral.com. Follow Jeremy Cluff on Twitter. 1083250 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes trade goaltender Louis Domingue to Lightning

Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 11:01 a.m. MT Nov. 14, 2017 | Updated 3:33 p.m. MT Nov. 14, 2017

The Coyotes have traded goaltender Louis Domingue to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Tye McGinn and goalie . Both McGinn and Leighton have been playing with the (AHL) this season. The 25-year-old Domingue began the season as the backup to Antti Raanta but was placed on waivers on Oct. 29 and sent to AHL-level Tucson once he cleared. Domingue was later recalled for cap purposes and sent back down a week later. He neither played nor skated with the team during his final stint with the big club. Domingue had accrued a 27-41-7 over parts of four seasons with the Coyotes along with a 3.00 goals allowed average and a .906 save percentage. McGinn, who played in 18 games with Arizona in 2014-15, has posted five points in 11 games with the Crunch this season. Originally a fourth- round pick by the Flyers in 2010, the 27-year-old has totaled nine goals and 17 points in 89 career NHL games with the Lightning, Coyotes, Sharks and Flyers. Leighton, 36, owns a 3-3-2 record to go along with a 3.03 goals against average and an .868 save percentage in nine games with the Crunch this season. In 110 career NHL games with the Hurricanes, Blackhawks, Flyers and Predators, Leighton has posted a 2.98 goals allowed average and a .900 save percentage. The Coyotes have allowed an NHL-worst 75 goals this season, 20 more than the team with the next highest goals allowed. Their 3.89 goals allowed average is also worst in the league. Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083251 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes become first team in NHL history to go first 20 games without regulation win

By The Associated Press

Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves and the Winnipeg Jets defeated Arizona 4-1 on Tuesday night for their second victory over the struggling Coyotes in four days. According to Sportsnet, the Coyotes (2-15-3) became the first team in NHL history to not have a regulation win through its first 20 games of a season. #Coyotes become the first team in NHL history without a regulation win through their first 20 games of a season — Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 15, 2017 On a night when the Jets inducted Dale Hawerchuk into their Hall of Fame and lifted his No. 10 banner to the rafters, the home team easily handled the franchise that moved from Winnipeg to Arizona 21 years ago. Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored in the second period for the Jets (10-4-3), who also beat the Coyotes in Arizona last weekend to finish a three-game road trip. Andrew Copp opened the scoring. Hellebuyck, who began the season as the Jets’ No. 2 goalie, improved to 9-1-2. His stellar play has turned him into the unequivocal starter. Alex Goligoski’s goal 5:21 into the third spoiled Hellebuyck’s bid for his first shutout of the season. Antti Raanta made 10 saves on 13 shots for Arizona before being chased from the game after Little’s breakaway goal 5:08 into the second. Scott Wedgewood stopped 16 of 17 shots in relief. The Coyotes lost their fifth straight game and have dropped seven of eight. Winnipeg has won three of four. The Jets killed off three straight penalties in the first period, when Arizona outshot Winnipeg 13-9. Tuesday’s game Coyotes at Jets When: 6 p.m. Where: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg. TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620). Outlook: The Coyotes (2-14-3) begin a four-game road trip when they take on the Jets (9-4-3) for the second game of a home-and-home series in Winnipeg. The Coyotes suffered a 4-1 loss to the Jets on Saturday at Gila River Arena, the team’s fourth straight defeat in just their third home game in 11 contests. The Jets have just one regulation loss in their past 11 games, compared with seven regulation losses by the Coyotes over the same stretch of games. The Jets have picked up at least one point in each of their past seven games, while the Coyotes are still seeking their first regulation win of the season. … After Jets backup goaltender Steve Mason drew the start on Saturday, starting netminder Connor Hellebuyck (8-1-0, 2.44 GAA) is expected between the pipes on Tuesday. Hellebuyck is tied for the fewest losses among all NHL goalies with a minimum of 11 games played. The Coyotes, who could start first-strong goalie Antti Raanta or backup Scott Wedgewood, have allowed 75 goals this season, most in the Western Conference by 20 goals. … Coyotes rookie Clayton Keller, who leads both teams with 11 goals, has not registered a point in three straight games. Jets forward Blake Wheeler leads both teams with 23 points, while center Mark Scheifele (21 points) looks to repeat his offensive productivity from Saturday’s win in Arizona (one goal, one assist). Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083252 Arizona Coyotes

Preview: Coyotes at Jets, 5:30 p.m., FOX Sports Arizona

FOX Sports Arizona

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Arizona Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets will play the second half of a back-to-back on Tuesday night, swapping locations from Gila River Arena to Bell MTS Place. The Jets (9-4-3), who will induct Dale Hawerchuk into the team’s Hall of Fame during a pre-game ceremony, defeated the Coyotes 4-1 in Glendale on Saturday night. The Coyotes are 2-14-3 and still looking for their first victory of the season in regulation time. They have played 11 of their first 19 games on the road, and have 10 of the next 14 away from home as well — including four on this cross-Canada trip that will take them from Winnipeg to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. “I would be surprised to see another schedule like ours,” defenseman Luke Schenn told ArizonaCoyotes.com. “I know teams do go away for long trips, but not three of them within a month. It seems a little bit crazy switching time zones, but it’s the cards we were dealt.” Coach Rick Tocchet wasn’t overly discouraged after Saturday’s loss, telling a media scrum after practice Monday that he liked his team’s effort. The difference was the Jets buried their chances in the third period, scoring three times, and his charges didn’t. “We were in good shape after the second period, we didn’t give them much,” he said. “I think they had 11 shots on goal with three or four minutes left in the second. They’ve got some high-end guys and they put it in the net in the third.” Tocchet said he’ll likely juggle his lines for the rematch. “We’ve just got to find some guys who can make some plays when it’s crunch time,” he said. Antti Raanta is expected to start in goal again for the Coyotes, who are 0- 5-2 in Winnipeg since the Jets relocated there in 2011. Niklas Hjalmarsson did accompany the team on the road trip, which will include four Canadian stops over seven days, but is expected to miss his eighth consecutive game because of an upper-body injury. Second-year winger Patrik Laine has goals in five consecutive games for Winnipeg and nine on the season. Blake Wheeler leads the Jets with 23 points, and Mark Scheifele has 21 points and a team-leading 10 goals. Steve Mason was in goal for Saturday’s victory, his first of the season after signing with the Jets as a free agent, but Connor Hellebuyck is the likely starter in the rematch. Mason has struggled mightily with his new team, compiling a 3.76 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage in five starts. The Coyotes received some sad news when it was announced that former co-owner George Gosbee died suddenly at age 48 on Sunday. foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083253 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes trade Louis Domingue to Tampa Bay Lightning

FOX Sports Arizona

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes have traded goalie Louis Domingue to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Tye McGinn and goalie Michael Leighton. The trade, announced on Tuesday, ends Domingue’s mixed tenure with the Coyotes. Domingue played well at times as Mike Smith’s backup last season, but struggled this season when new No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta suffered a pair of lower-body injuries. Domingue went 0-6-0 with a 4.33 goals-against average before Arizona acquired Scott Wedgewood in a trade with New Jersey. In 84 career games with the Coyotes, he compiled a 27-41-7 record, 3.00 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. McGinn, 27, has nine goals and eight assists in 89 career NHL games with four teams, including Arizona in 2014-15. He was playing for the Syracuse Crunch of the this season and had recorded two goals and three assists in 11 games. Leighton, 36, has appeared in 110 NHL games with Carolina, Chicago, Philadelphia and Nashville, going 37-43-14 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. He had a 3-3-2 record this season for Syracuse with a 3.03 goals-against average and an .868 save percentage. foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083254 Arizona Coyotes

Hellebuyck’s 32 saves lead Jets over Arizona Coyotes

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves and the Winnipeg Jets defeated Arizona 4-1 on Tuesday night for their second victory over the struggling Coyotes in four days. On a night when the Jets inducted Dale Hawerchuk into their Hall of Fame and lifted his No. 10 banner to the rafters, the home team easily handled the franchise that moved from Winnipeg to Arizona 21 years ago. Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored in the second period for the Jets (10-4-3), who also beat the Coyotes in Arizona last weekend to finish a three-game road trip. Andrew Copp opened the scoring. Hellebuyck, who began the season as the Jets’ No. 2 goalie, improved to 9-1-2. His stellar play has turned him into the unequivocal starter. Alex Goligoski’s goal 5:21 into the third spoiled Hellebuyck’s bid for his first shutout of the season. Antti Raanta made 10 saves on 13 shots for Arizona (2-15-3) before being chased from the game after Little’s breakaway goal 5:08 into the second. Scott Wedgewood stopped 16 of 17 shots in relief. The Coyotes lost their fifth straight game and have dropped seven of eight. Winnipeg has won three of four. The Jets killed off three straight penalties in the first period, when Arizona outshot Winnipeg 13-9. UP NEXT Coyotes: Make their second stop on a four-game road trip Thursday in Montreal. Jets: Continue a three-game homestand Thursday against Philadelphia. Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083255 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes trade Louis Domingue to Tampa Bay Lightning

BY MATT LAYMAN | NOVEMBER 14, 2017 AT 10:19 AM

The Arizona Coyotes announced on Tuesday they had traded goaltender Louis Domingue to the Tampa Bay Lightning for two players. Michael Leighton, a 36-year-old netminder with 110 games of NHL experience, and Tye McGinn, a winger who played 18 games for the Coyotes in 2014-15, are the return pieces to Arizona. Domingue last appeared in a Coyotes game on Oct. 12 and has since been demoted to the AHL, though he never reported there, he told Canada’s TVA Sports. The Quebec native explained his predicament with the Coyotes organization, where he’s been in limbo in recent weeks without a team to practice with. That same report said Domingue spent a week and a half training with former teammate Shane Doan before going home to train with the QMJHL’s . Domingue also told TVA that it’s “exciting” to play in Arizona, “but you can not blame the fans for not showing up at the games. We do not win. What’s the point of coming to see us play?” The 25-year-old spent parts of four seasons with Arizona’s NHL team and had a .856 save percentage this year. His best season came in 2015-16 when he had a .912 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average, appearing in 39 games as the backup for Mike Smith. Coyotes GM John Chayka: “Happy to find an opportunity to give Louis a fresh start. It's a deal that creates some flexibility for us. We have three good young goalies in Tucson that we think are great prospects. It's a good problem to have, but we need to manage it properly.” — Craig Morgan (@craigsmorgan) November 14, 2017 Arizona already has Antti Raanta and Scott Wedgewood as the on its roster, but the Coyotes’ affiliate, the , already has three goaltenders on its roster: Adin Hill, Marek Langhamer and Hunter Miska. It wasn’t immediately known where Leighton and McGinn would report. With goalies Adin Hill, Hunter Miska and Marek Langhamer already in Tucson, the Coyotes are still sorting out where their new acquisitions will report. — Craig Morgan (@craigsmorgan) November 14, 2017 McGinn also has been with the Crunch this season. He is the brother of former Coyotes forward Jamie McGinn, who is now with the Florida Panthers. Leighton, McGinn and Domingue are all on contracts that expire after this season, at which point the trio will all be UFAs. It should be noted that Lightning GM Steve Yzerman was reportedly in attendance for the Coyotes’ game on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets in Arizona, according to Jets reporter Ken Wiebe. Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083256 Arizona Coyotes “That’s one area we’ve made incredible strides in is what we offer on the plane. We’ve always offered good portion sizes but in terms of the quality, we stretched our budget with that specific goal in mind to Coyotes’ crazy travel schedule presents challenges for training staff increase the quality of our airline food,” Major said. “A lot of times, the problem is keeping weight on guys in the season. If guys maintain close to the body composition they started with and maintain their weight, we’re doing a pretty good job. BY CRAIG MORGAN | NOVEMBER 14, 2017 AT 6:01 AM “We can’t monitor everything they eat of course, but we’re providing breakfast most of the days they are with us, lunch for most of the days and on game days we do dinner so if they’re eating the meals with us GLENDALE, Ariz. –The Coyotes play 21 of their first 33 games on the they’re eating high-quality foods and the right quantities and they’re road, 16 of those in the Central or Eastern time zones, and FOX Sports getting all their vitamins with our supplements. We’re putting them in Arizona reported that the team will travel a total of 22,333 miles by Dec. position to be successful. It’s up to them to come the other 50 yards.” 10. Major said all of the Coyotes are in terrific shape, as should be expected That dizzying travel schedule creates problems for Rick Tocchet’s of professional athletes, but aside from workout freak Jakob Chychrun, coaching staff and a young team that needs practice time to learn and Major also identified defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson as a player with grow. It also creates challenges for a training staff trying to help those impressive stats. players compete at optimal performance levels. “He’s just got an engine that is unbelievable,” Major said. “His level of “Travel in itself always causes issues,” Coyotes Strength and fitness is unreal.” Conditioning coach J.P. Major said. “There are so many variables and you just can’t account for all of them. It’s always read and react; have a While the demands of the travel schedule are taking their toll on the great plan but plan to adapt because there are some things that just go Coyotes in other ways, Major sees one positive. wrong and you have to adjust accordingly.” “It’s actually probably better off on the front end of the season when the The Coyotes employ a load tracking system for their players called guys aren’t as banged up and still kind of fresh,” he said. “Then again, Firstbeat, which uses heartbeat data to provide insight on stress, our March is pretty tough, too. We have 17 games in March so I guess exercise and sleep. Major’s staff uses that data to communicate daily we’ll get it on the back end, too.” with the coaching staff and the medical staff on the individual needs and the best approach for each player. Coyotes at Jets “Stress is cumulative,” Major said. “The travel and the practice and the When: 6 p.m., Tuesday games and different hotels, those things are all different stressers so if we can manage each one just a little bit that helps us. Where: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba “We’ll look at our game schedule prior to the season and say, ‘OK, we TV: FOX Sports Arizona need an off-day here, we need a really light practice here, or here’s Radio: ESPN 620 AM where we can get a little more work in’ and our coaches have been awesome with that. Toc has such a great feel for it because they used a similar load tracking technology in Pittsburgh (his former team) so we’re speaking the same language.” Records: Coyotes — 2-14-3. Jets — 9-4-3. Major said his staff uses TRIMP (Training impulse), as a method to Injury report: Coyotes — D Jakob Chychrun (knee) is out indefinitely. D quantify training load. TRIMP takes into consideration the intensity of Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body) is day-to-day. Jets — F Mathieu exercise as calculated by the heart rate reserve method (the difference Perreault (knee) has resumed skating but is day-to-day. between your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate) and the Jets scouting report: Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal vs. the Coyotes. duration of exercise. … The Jets assigned LW Brendan Lemieux to the of “A 45-minute practice might be a 20-40 TRIMP as a group average. That the American Hockey League on Monday. … F Blake Wheeler is fifth in would be a good light practice day,” Major explained. “A lot of times in the NHL points with 23. past, teams would intentionally go in with a 90 TRIMP practice to put a Coyotes scouting report: D Niklas Hjalmarsson traveled with the team. little bit of work on their team and it turned out being a 150. Or they want There’s a chance he’ll play at some point on the four-game Canadian to be a 25 as a group and then they look at the data and it’s a 50 or 60 so trip. D Jakob Chychrun should join the team at some point to practice, it helps us really regulate what they’re doing. but he won’t play on the trip. “It’s not the definitive answer to say every time we’re on the road and Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.15.2017 we’ve got we’ve got a game the next day that we have to get to this number. We just use it as another piece of the puzzle and it varies from guy to guy. It’s really more read and react.” The Coyotes conduct fitness testing, and strength and conditioning testing at the start of the season to identify individual needs. They also conduct a functional movement screening at the start of the season that provides data on each player and identifies potential red flags. “If a guy is going to have shoulder issues, or hip or knee issues, it will help us say, ‘OK, I need to attack this,” Major said. “This will be one of my priorities in his program this season.'” Aside from those metrics, Major is paying attention to the basics such as weight training, diet, hydration and sleep. Even on the road, players who don’t log as many minutes (or any) in a game may go for a workout after games, or on off-days. “Diet is a huge concern,” Major said. “We do a lot of education on the front end of the season just to let them know what helps in terms of postgame, pregame, during the game, how to fuel properly for travel days and off-days and game days. “Hydration is another big piece. We have some general guidelines. For every hour on the plane we say they should drink a bottle of water and we use a variety of NSF certified supplements and we ask that all of them take a multi-vitamin.” The Coyotes have taken much of the dietary needs of their players into their owns hands. 1083257 Boston Bruins

David Krejci a game-time decision for Bruins

By Kevin Paul Dupont

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bright sun, warm weather, and the gently sway of palm trees didn’t produce any magical healing powers for the banged-up Bruins. Injured forwards Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork, both of whom remained in Boston, were ruled out of the next two games by coach Bruce Cassidy following the club’s off-day workout Tuesday afternoon at Honda Center. “They may join us Friday,” mused Cassidy, his Black-and-Gold roster a constant churn of bumps and bruises, “if they are better.” Meanwhile, David Krejci, unable to suit up since Oct. 19, took contact and made it through the entire workout in preparation of Wednesday night’s game vs. the Ducks. If he’s a go, he is expected to have Danton Heinen and Frank Vatrano as his wingers. “He felt good, said Cassidy, “but he’ll be a game-time decision.” “[Wednesday’s] going to be a big day,” offered Krejci, noting that he’ll know more following the traditional day-of-game morning skate. “We’ll talk to the doctors and go from there.” Krejci, in keeping with club policy, would not divulge the nature of his injury, which is widely believed to be a wonky back. “I was surprised, once I found out what it is,” said the veteran pivot, asked if he was surprised to be sidelined now for the better part of a month. “I was frustrated when I heard.” Jordan Szwarz will fill in if Krejci is unable to play vs. Anaheim. Meanwhile, Peter Cehlarik, called up on Monday, filled in for Marchand at left wing on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. “Big body, quick hands,” said Cassidy, noting the Czech wingers primary assets. “He gives us some of what Marshy does — recover pucks and puts them to good spots.” The 6-foot-2-inch Cehlarik only recently made it back into the AHL Providence lineup after needing months to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. In his six game with the WannaB’s, he delivered a 3- 3—6 line. “Kind of surprised to get called up,” he said. “I’ll try to adjust quickly.” Cehlarik played 11 games with the varsity last season and exhibited flashes of creativity, but failed to put a puck in the net (0-2—2). He did put a one in the net in a game out here vs. the Kings (Thursday’s opponent), only to have it negated for an offside, back in the day the league placed such calls under forensic review. Switch on the power The No. 1 power-play unit Tuesday had Cehlarik joining Heinen, Bergeron, and Pastrnak in the four-forward set, backed by Torey Krug. The No. 2 unit employed team captain Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy at the points, fronted by ex-Quacker Matt Beleskey (12 games, 0-0—0), Szwarz, and Vatrano . . . Paul Postma or Rob O’Gara will fill the No. 6 blueliner role . . . Jake DeBrusk, assigned to the press box Saturday night, should be back in the lineup, likely riding with Beleskey and Sean Kuraly at even strength. “We don’t have built-in synergy with that second [power-play] group,” noted Cassidy. “So let’s get it to the net and see if we can get some ugly goals.” . . . The Cali trip wraps Saturday night in San Jose against Jumbo Joe Thornton’s Sharks . . . The Bruins have lost a season-high three straight (0-2-1), scoring only five times during the dry spell . . . Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin will split the tending chores over the next two games. Cassidy will decide the rotation Wednesday morning. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083258 Boston Bruins team had just one rookie among its skaters: former Boston College forward Alex Tuch. Vegas, safely within the West’s top eight, is proof that even expansion franchises can absorb the presence of a lone rookie Dressing multiple rookies can make life hard for the Bruins sprinkled into a veteran lineup. Experienced players such as David Perron, James Neal, and ex-Bruin Reilly Smith can give coach Gerard Gallant smoother shifts. By Fluto Shinzawa Cassidy, meanwhile, has to weather a nightly cluster of sometimes erratic performances from his youngsters. Because of injuries, he has just one dependable three-zone forward combination in Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Even the 21-year-old Pastrnak had some of his third- Superstars such as Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron deliver period shifts taken away against Minnesota because of his softness on excellent performances every game. Zdeno Chara and Kevan Miller do the puck. not always go on the attack, but their coaches can depend on shutdown defensive play on each shift. Even a career AHLer such as Jordan This is where Cassidy needs his secondary tier of veterans — Miller, Szwarz has grown to the point where he meets reasonable expectations Torey Krug, Riley Nash, Tim Schaller — to elevate their games, both to on most of his journeys over the boards for the Bruins. support Bergeron and make up for the rookies’ jagged play. Then there are rookies. “That’s when it helps that a guy like Szwarz comes up and gives us some good, solid minutes,” Cassidy said. “That’s where Riley Nash has to step Coaches love consistency. It’s one of the most elusive characteristics for up in penalty-kill and shutdown situations. NHL newbies to master. “Sean Kuraly has done a pretty good job. Early in the year, he was Charlie McAvoy is an exception. The 19-year-old is already on track to be having a tough time. Now he’s settled in and given us some good energy, one of the best defensemen from his draft class. But most young players, had his chances to score most nights, added some secondary scoring. in their pursuit of consistency, encounter peaks and valleys — often more We rely on those guys a little more than you normally would.” of the latter than former. The Bruins are fully boarded on the youth train. It rarely travels in a Jake DeBrusk knows this well. straight line. This past Saturday, the 21-year-old left wing wore a suit and tie at a Boston Globe LOADED: 11.15.2017 game for the first time this season. Coach Bruce Cassidy believed DeBrusk’s legs had lost some of their juice. As with most players, skating is critical to DeBrusk’s production. If he cannot steam up and down the left side and barrel to the net, his hands and vision lose some of their relevancy. Thus the seat. “It’s one of those situations you never want to be in as a player, especially when you’re healthy,” DeBrusk said of his visit to TD Garden’s ninth floor. “It’s just one of those different perspectives on the game. I don’t think it’s necessarily one thing, but a lot of things I can see from up there and things I can take into the next game.” Cassidy’s plan is for DeBrusk to merge back into NHL traffic Wednesday against Anaheim. From six stories above ice level, good players usually understand they have more time and space than when they’re face to face with big, strong, and angry opponents. “The game is so easy from up top,” said the injured David Krejci, who will be a game-time decision Wednesday. “I wish I had your job so I could just write.” DeBrusk projects to be both a good NHLer and a bright student. The rookie should be better the next time he pulls on his uniform, even if he is a deeper thinker than most, which could mess with his head on his first shift. “I believe it’s a negative thing,” DeBrusk said of the sitdown. “It’s never good when you’re not out there helping your team. There’s certain reasons why it happened. That’s where I’m taking a positive approach to changing those things so it doesn’t happen again. “It’s just taking it day by day, getting better. There’s things I learned for sure. Guys have been really helpful in that aspect. Lots of them have been scratched in their long careers.” The trouble for the Bruins is how many of DeBrusk’s teammates have similar profiles. Anders Bjork may not play against Anaheim because of an undisclosed injury, the likely outcome of his car-crash collision with Toronto’s Matt Martin Saturday. If and when Bjork plays, he will be trying to snap a 10- game goal-scoring drought. Rob O’Gara was on the ice for two of Toronto’s four goals Saturday. The night before, O’Gara was a healthy scratch. Meanwhile, McAvoy, Danton Heinen, and Sean Kuraly are trending the right way. McAvoy landed three shots in 21:30 of ice time against Toronto. Heinen dug out the puck on the wall in the offensive zone, leading to Frank Vatrano’s goal. Kuraly, parked after taking three minors against San Jose Oct. 26, is providing straight-line presence. Even if Bjork is out, fellow rookie Peter Cehlarik would likely take his spot. Cehlarik has yet to play an NHL game this season. The second- year pro has just 11 varsity appearances on his résumé. If DeBrusk goes back in, O’Gara plays over Paul Postma, and the Cehlarik-Bjork flip takes place, six of Cassidy’s 18 skaters will be rookies. Last Friday, when the Golden Knights beat Winnipeg, 5-2, the expansion 1083259 Boston Bruins

Coyotes trade Domingue to Lightning for McGinn, Leighton

Associated Press Tuesday, November 14, 2017

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes have traded goalie Louis Domingue to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Tye McGinn and goalie Michael Leighton. The trade, announced on Tuesday, ends Domingue's mixed tenure with the Coyotes. Domingue played well at times as Mike Smtih's backup last season, but struggled this season when new No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta suffered a pair of lower-body injuries. Domingue went 0-6 with a 4.33 goals-against average before Arizona acquired Scott Wedgewood in a trade with New Jersey. McGinn has nine goals and eight assists in 89 career NHL games with three teams, including Arizona in 2014-15. Leighton has appeared in 110 NHL games with four teams, going 37-43- 14 with a 2.98 goals-against average. Boston Herald LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083260 Boston Bruins

Bruins prospect Peter Cehlarik gets call from Providence, ready to face Ducks tonight

Steve Conroy Wednesday, November 15, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Of all the promising young players the Bruins have in their system, Peter Cehlarik’s name should have been near the top of everyone’s list based on the small sample he was afforded last season. While he notched a mere two assists, the Bruins were 8-3 with him in the lineup skating primarily on a second line with David Krejci and David Pastrnak before some defensive lapses landed him back in Providence. With the early season promise of Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork, Cehlarik might have been lost to fans because he wasn’t able to compete for a job in training camp after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Then while playing at AHL Providence, his bad luck continued when he suffered a lower-body injury that prevented him from getting the call up to Boston. But tonight against the Ducks, it looks like he’ll get his shot. And judging from yesterday’s practice at the Honda Center, he’ll be playing a prominent role. With both Brad Marchand and Bjork out for at least the games against the Ducks and Kings (tomorrow), coach Bruce Cassidy had Cehlarik taking Marchand’s spot on the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Pastrnak while also employing him at the net front on the first power-play unit. “Obviously losing (Marchand) is a big loss. We’ve looked at a lot of different options to move up there. It’s obviously a good spot, so we’re not afraid to put a young player there,” said Cassidy, who also likes Cehlarik’s puck retrieval capabilities on the power play. “Peter did play with (Krejci) and (Pastrnak) last year, so he’s used to playing with good skill. He does complement them as far his ability to protect pucks and getting to the net. So he could be a good fit. Again, it’s Day 1. We may look at other options with that, but we wanted to give that a try to see where he was, and I thought he did a good job (in practice).” In his first five games with Providence, Cehlarik was part of a line with Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Kenny Agostino — perhaps the best trio in the AHL at the time — and had three goals and three assists. Cehlarik played well enough to get a brief call-up for a practice before being sent down later in the day. Soon after, he suffered the injury and missed three weeks before returning to the Providence lineup on Sunday in Springfield. He got the call-up Monday. “We knew Peter would have had a real good chance to make our club this year, but the shoulder injury put him back a little bit. He’s a guy we’ve been waiting on,” said Cassidy. “I don’t know what the appropriate amount of time is after an injury to come back and play. You like to get him as many reps as possible. But right now, if he can help our team, we’re going to put him in the lineup and use him.” If the lines stay the same, it will be the first time Cehlarik will play with Bergeron. “He’s an awesome player. I grew up watching him, and I’m just going to try to complement him and Pasta as well,” Cehlarik said. Bruins notes Krejci’s availability would most likely impact how the lines are formed. He skated in practice without the non-contact jersey for the first time since being knocked out of the lineup with what appeared to be a back injury on Oct. 19. He did not take a regular line shift, which would suggest he won’t be playing against the Ducks. But neither he nor Cassidy ruled that out. “It felt pretty good again today, another good day,” Krejci said. “At this point, I think it’s a gametime decision. Hopefully I’ll have a good rest of the day, a good morning skate. Obviously as a player you want to play, but you also have to be safe with your health.” . . . The B’s did some power-play work in practice and Zdeno Chara was used as a regular on the second unit. “We used him there in practice with the type of setup we’ve had there, left stick up top who can shoot the puck. We’ve used (Paul) Postma there obviously. We could double up (Torey) Krug. (Chara) could get some looks there if we stick with it. I liked what I saw in practice,” Cassidy said. Boston Herald LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083261 Boston Bruins

DeBrusk ready to 'calm down and play hockey' after healthy scratch

By Joe Haggerty November 14, 2017 3:00 PM

The rookie season in the NHL has been a series of firsts for 20-year-old Jake DeBrusk, and most of them have been pretty great. The tops would obviously be DeBrusk scoring his first NHL goal on opening night in front of his family, but there have been some good moments little more than a month into his NHL career. There also the inevitable lows as well with the left winger sporting a team-worst minus- 10 rating on the season and accounting for just one goal in his last 11 games. Perhaps sensing that DeBrusk needed to “hit the reset button”, Bruce Cassidy made the young forward a healthy scratch for the first time all season in Saturday night’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. DeBrusk understood the reasoning behind it and was hoping to turn it into a positive at a point where the Bruins badly need difference-makers up front. “When I get back in I want to be ready to go, and make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said DeBrusk, who had zero shots on net and just 9:43 of ice time in the Friday night loss to Toronto in the last game he played. “I think the biggest thing right now is that you need to stick with it, and play with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder. You want to get it. That’s the kind of approach I need to take right now. You hit the reset button and just kind of go after it. “It’s never a good situation. You’re sitting up in the press box while your team is playing, and you want to help your team. But there are positives that can be taken from it. I think it shows your character in what you do after it, and it’s another test for me. There are things I know I need to change and things I know I need to correct, and it’s pretty evident I need to change them quickly.” What kinds of things does DeBrusk need to change in order to keep his name penciled in the lineup at the NHL level? “I think I just need to calm down and play hockey, and do what I was doing in training camp being one of the fastest guys and just buzzing around out there,” said DeBrusk. “It’s being a hound on the fore- check…simple things like that while not thinking so much. The next game I’m going to do everything I can to have those [skating] legs and then the rest will fall into place.” Cassidy expected he’d be putting DeBrusk right back into the thick of things on Wednesday night against the Anaheim Ducks, and the fact he’s also presumably down both Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork makes that decision a little bit easier. “Jake will most likely go back in,” said Cassidy. “The message to him was watch a game from up top. There are certain areas of your game that need to be better, and there are certain areas of your game that we like and need to be there every night. We talked about his energy and his legs. If he’s skating then everything else seems to fall into place for Jake, so that’s what we’re looking for.” It’s the first time DeBrusk has been scratched at the NHL level, but it may not be the last given the nature of young rookie players adjusting to the intensity and daily grind. The challenge for a conscientious, hard-working kid like DeBrusk will be how he responds to all this with the Bruins facing a big challenge on a three-game road swing through California. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083262 Boston Bruins

Morning Skate: Jagr the dressing room DJ

By Joe Haggerty November 14, 2017 12:42 PM

Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading while the Bruins get ready for a California trip that could get pretty rough. *Great piece from Vincent Trocheck over at the Players Tribune where he details Jaromir Jagr playing DJ in the Florida Panthers dressing room, and rocking with hair band Poison for all his millennial teammates. *Interesting piece on the best statistical defensemen pairings in the NHL, which – surprise, surprise – is led by Erik Karlsson since his return from injury. *Carey Price talks about his mysterious injury and when he might return for the Montreal Canadiens, which he says will be sooner rather than later. I guess we’ll see on that one after the Habs claimed Antti Niemi on waivers today as well. *Pretty soon the Arizona Coyotes will be able to ice the defensemen pairings they’ve always envisioned as the future of the franchise. *FOH (Friend of Haggs) Dan Rosen has five questions with NHL legend Peter Forsberg, who can rest easy now that has been traded by the Colorado Avalanche. *What is it going to take to fix the Chicago Blackhawks as wholesale changes are very unlikely at this point? *For something completely different: Feature piece on James Franco, who has been pretty good in the episodes of “The Deuce” that I’ve actually been able to watch. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083263 Boston Bruins

Fallen Bruins ignoring traditional Thanksgiving benchmark

By Joe Haggerty November 14, 2017 11:04 AM

Thanksgiving has been an early benchmark for every NHL team over the last 10 years. The numbers are tried and true: Teams in one of the playoff positions on Turkey Day have a 75 percent chance of making the postseason. Teams within a few points of a playoff spot have close to a 25 percent chance. And teams more than five points out of the playoffs on Thanksgiving are on the NHL’s slow boat to nowhere. The Bruins currently rank 14th among the 16 Eastern Conference teams and are four points behind the Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot. They're now facing a three-game West Coast road trip that could drop them further behind. Clearly, the B's know how critical the next few weeks are, even though we’re little more than a month into a new regular season. “This is where you need to come through and really play hard,” said Matt Beleskey. “Guys like myself need to start chipping in and helping us win some games. It’s so tight every year, but there are games [that really matter] at the beginning of the year when you’re not even thinking playoffs. Then at the end you realize how important every single game is.” A swing through Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose usually brings the Bruins to their knees during the best of times, but it’s difficult to envision them being all that competitive without David Backes, Ryan Spooner, Adam McQuaid, Brad Marchand, Anders Bjork and David Krejci for at least a portion of the trip. But since the Bruins have yet to field their full lineup once all season, Bruce Cassidy isn’t putting much weight behind the B’s status on Thanksgiving this time around. “We’re aware of the stats and the data around [Thanksgiving], so we want to be mindful of it . . . but we can’t let it run the show so to speak,” said Cassidy. “The message as a group is that we have to ‘trust the process.’ If we trust the process and play the right way, then we believe that we’ll get enough points. It might not be that way on Nov. 24, but that’s just the way we feel. “Given the amount of adversity that we’ve dealt with, I think we’re going to have to let the Thanksgiving thing go a little bit. Hey, we don’t even know what our true team looks like right now to be honest with you. So I don’t think it’s even fair to use that [Thanksgiving] benchmark to say we’re not good enough. That’s how we look at it. The data matters, but the process matters and is equally important.” It's understandable that the B's -- having lost six of their last eight with a depleted, rag-tag roster -- would feel that way. And perhaps they have a few pleasant surprises in store. But it certainly sounds and feels like they're going to need a long run of winning, high-performance hockey for them to get where they want to be going. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083264 Buffalo Sabres "It's good to see. We've got to stick together. We're a group in here. We win and lose together. One of us goes down, people try and take runs at one of us, we're all there to back him up. You saw that on that play. Show of camaraderie by Sabres' stars goes for naught Everyone was in there pretty quick. "You obviously don't want to see that, especially when you're on the ice. That's one of the good buddies and linemates and teammates that you By John Vogl | Published Tue, Nov 14, 2017 | Updated Tue, Nov care about. He would do the same for me, and it goes through this locker 14, 2017 room." It was going to be the marquee moment of a night filled with good things. Instead, it's just something that happened in another loss. PITTSBURGH – Jack Eichel, Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart all scored. In a show of camaraderie, Eichel and Kane dropped the gloves "You get a lead and you're playing good, and we only get one point," after seeing Reinhart get dropped on his keister. There was going to be a Eichel said. "We've got to find ways to get two here. It's frustrating, and well-earned celebration for the Sabres' top line. we'll work on it." The good vibes disappeared when the victory did. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.15.2017 The trio hung out in Buffalo's dressing room after a 5-4 overtime loss to Pittsburgh. Instead of discussing the good things they did, Eichel, Reinhart and Kane talked about letting a victory slip away. "The first two periods, I thought we tried to take it to them," Eichel said in PPG Paints Arena. "The third period, we sat back and let them take it to us. We played scared to lose and not to win." Once again, they didn't win. Buffalo fell to 2-4-2 in the last eight and 5-9-4 overall. The latest setback came after the top line staked the Sabres to a 3-1 lead and helped the visitors take a 4-3 advantage into the third period. "It's frustrating," Reinhart said. "We've got to do a better job. We earned that lead going into the third. There's a reason why we have it, and we're playing against probably the best team in the world the last few years. We played with the mindset that we're going to go take it to them, and we played with the lead. "We get it and we sit back too much." The Penguins tied the game with 6:11 to play and won it with just 16 seconds gone in overtime. Sidney Crosby spun away from Kane behind the net and found Conor Sheary, who was open at the side of the net with Eichel standing nearby. "It was just a switch, and I didn't pick up Sheary quick enough," Eichel said. "That's on me." The Wraparound: Penguins 5, Sabres 4 (OT) The quick ending spoiled a lot: * Buffalo scored two power-play goals. * The penalty killers thwarted a five-on-three. * The team scored four times after registering just one goal in three of the previous four. * Robin Lehner made 40 saves, including numerous highlight-reel stops. "We did a lot of good things," coach Phil Housley said. "The bottom line is we didn't win the game." More than anything, the finish diminished the No. 1 line's show of force. Pittsburgh Ian Cole delivered a crushing hit on Reinhart during the first period. Cole stepped into the winger as he crossed the middle of the ice, and he absolutely flattened Reinhart with a helmet- and bone-jarring blow. Eichel immediately came from Cole's left. Kane came from his right. Both Sabres dropped their gloves simultaneously, and although Eichel tossed an overhand right, Kane beat him to the punch and got to Cole first. Jack Eichel wastes no time dropping the gloves after his teammate Sam Reinhart gets dropped by a massive hit pic.twitter.com/O0nQOHv1U3 — Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 15, 2017 "That's this group in here, and that's the kind of guy he is," Reinhart said of Eichel. "He's done a really good job this year of coming in and being that guy. To see both linemates step in like that, that's huge." Eichel and Kane earned roughing penalties, depriving Eichel of his inaugural NHL fight. "It just seemed like a pretty hard hit," Eichel said. "Sam seemed pretty vulnerable. I think that's just part of hockey. You've got to step up and try and send a message that we're not going to let our guys get liberties taken on them. 1083265 Buffalo Sabres Sid to Jack: Eichel's scoring slump ended after eight games thanks to a beautiful pass from Sidney Crosby. The Pens' captain put a no-look pass onto Eichel's stick behind the Pittsburgh net, and Eichel scooted to the The Wraparound: Penguins 5, Sabres 4 (OT) front to score with just 16 seconds gone in the second period. "I couldn't even talk that fast!"@Jack_Eichel11 wows Rick Jeanneret. pic.twitter.com/TnIYoNFh4G By John Vogl | Published Tue, Nov 14, 2017 | Updated Tue, Nov 14, 2017 — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 15, 2017 Quick strike: With two passes, the Penguins moved from behind their own net to the Buffalo goal in about five seconds. Olli Maatta's outlet PITTSBURGH – The Sabres got rid of a few unsightly droughts. The big pass found a streaking Hornqvist behind the Sabres' defense at Buffalo's one remained. blue line. Sheary joined the rush and deposited Hornqvist's pass with 4:28 gone in the second, cutting the Penguins' deficit to 3-2. Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart ended their goal-scoring slumps, but Buffalo still couldn't win in Pittsburgh. The Penguins rallied from 3-1 and HORNQVIST -> SHEARY -> NET! 4-3 deficits to pick up a 5-4 overtime victory Tuesday. Conor Sheary snags the Hornqvist pass and buries one past Lehner to The Sabres have a seven-game slide in PPG Paints Arena. Overall, the make it a 1 goal game! pic.twitter.com/ODrOPB77Vl Penguins are on a 12-0-1 run against Buffalo. — NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) November 15, 2017 Conor Sheary scored just 16 seconds into the extra session, getting open in front and burying a pass from Sidney Crosby. Too much power: The Sabres, who ranked 30th in road penalty killing, stymied the Penguins during a five-on-three. But Buffalo kept taking Tie it: The Penguins tied the game, 4-4, with just 6:11 to play. Evgeni penalties during the second, four in all, and Pittsburgh finally made the Malkin controlled the puck deep in the Buffalo zone, then sent a cross-ice visitors pay. pass to Phil Kessel at the side of the net. The sniper went to one knee to bury his chance. Lehner stopped a shot by Phil Kessel, but Crosby roofed the rebound to end an 11-game drought. He has points in 25 of his last 27 games versus Split save: Robin Lehner made the save of the game with 5:02 left, but the Sabres. the Sabres' goaltender needed help afterward. Jake Guentzel fed a driving Bryan Rust in front, and Lehner did a full split while reaching out Late magic: The Sabres went back in front, 4-3, with just 6.7 seconds left his glove to make the stop and keep it knotted. in the middle period. Benoit Pouliot jarred the puck loose in the corner, then accepted a pass from Reinhart while driving the net. Pouliot's The goalie was slow to get up and received attention from athletic trainer backhand was his sixth goal in 10 games and stunned the fans. Rich Stinziano, but Lehner stayed in the game. From the Hall to the bench: The Penguins honored assistant coach Mark This sauce by Guentzel is spicyyyyyy. pic.twitter.com/bj7kAuHu5N Recchi during the first commercial break for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. — Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) November 15, 2017 Counting the house: The Penguins enjoyed their 491st straight sellout Kane keeps rolling: Evander Kane scored his 10th of the season with with 18,438 tickets sold on Military Appreciation Night. The Penguins play 3:45 gone, setting a personal milestone and giving Buffalo a 1-0 lead. 10 of their next 13 at home. The left winger pushed the puck to Eichel to start a two-on-one, then buried Eichel's pass at the top of the crease. Next: The Sabres will take Wednesday off to rest up for an arduous stretch of six games in nine days. The run starts with a visit to Detroit on Kane reached double digits in goals in just 18 games, topping the 22 Friday and a home game against Carolina on Saturday. games it took him in 2011-12. Kane has three goals and eight points in his last four visits to Pittsburgh. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.15.2017 Settle it, then sauce it. 2-on-1 perfection from @Jack_Eichel11 and @evanderkane_9. pic.twitter.com/uGzhwbxXGB — NHL (@NHL) November 15, 2017 Crushed again: Washington's Tom Wilson lambasted Sam Reinhart on Friday. The Sabres forward took an even bigger hit against the Penguins. Pittsburgh defenseman Ian Cole caught Reinhart accepting a pass near center ice and delivered a crushing blow that loosened Reinhart's helmet and sent him to his backside. To the rescue: Cole's hit drew a dual response. Eichel immediately dropped the gloves and engaged Cole. Kane literally beat Eichel to the punch, coming in with his gloves off, too. Cole, Eichel and Kane all received two minutes for roughing with 5:41 left in the first. Jack Eichel wastes no time dropping the gloves after his teammate Sam Reinhart gets dropped by a massive hit pic.twitter.com/O0nQOHv1U3 — Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 15, 2017 Eichel has not had a fight in the NHL. Power play strikes: After getting blanked in 10 of 12 games, the Sabres' power play connected for the third straight game. Reinhart got his payback with 3:07 left in the first, making it 2-0. A point shot by Buffalo defenseman Marco Scandella caromed off the back boards to the front, where Reinhart quickly slipped it past goaltender Matt Murray for his third of the season. He had gone 10 games without a goal. Late mistake: Lehner made 14 saves in the first period, but his miscue with 18.7 seconds left allowed Pittsburgh to make it 2-1. The goalie went behind the net and passed the puck the wrong way, giving it to the Pens. While standing below the goal line, Pittsburgh's Patric Hornqvist banked the puck off Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly in front for an easy tally. 1083266 Buffalo Sabres "You knew he was a special talent," Gorges said. "He was 16 at the time, and I think they were kind of easing him in. He wasn't our top-line guy who was leading the charge, but at 16 years old, you see what he could Sabres Notebook: Gorges fights for physicality; Bailey's play 'dipped'; do then. You knew he was an unbelievable player. turkey drive "Did you know he was going to turn out to be what he is today? I don't know if I could have said that, but you knew he was going to be something special. There's no question." By John Vogl | Published Tue, Nov 14, 2017 | Updated Tue, Nov 14, 2017 * * * The Sabres will hold their annual Thanksgiving turkey drive from 6 to 9 a.m. Thursday. For every 20-pound turkey donated, the Sabres will hand PITTSBURGH – With staged fights between enforcers essentially a thing out two tickets to an upcoming game. There is a four-ticket maximum per of the past, pugilistic battles typically come after a big hit. Many bemoan person. the fact that even clean checks result in fisticuffs. The team collected more than 2,000 turkeys last year. This year's drive Josh Gorges isn't among the many. will again benefit the Buffalo City Mission and the Food Bank of WNY. The Sabres defenseman barreled through Montreal's Brendan Gallagher “Thousands of our neighbors in need are assisted in the three short on Saturday, then had to answer for the legal blow by fighting Jordie hours of this event," said Tara Ellis, president of the Food Bank of WNY. Benn. Gorges wouldn't have it any other way. "It is a truly beautiful thing to see.” "I love that fact about hockey," Gorges said Tuesday. "I love that it's a Turkeys may be exchanged for tickets at three locations: the KeyBank physical game. Guys are there to stick up for their teammates. That's Center surface lot (enter from Baltimore Street via Perry Street); what separates hockey from all the other sports. We're allowed to do Wegmans at 675 Alberta Drive in Amherst; and the Wegmans at 370 that. Orchard Park Road in West Seneca. "Yeah, you sit in the box and you get a penalty, but he's out there doing With help from 250 volunteers, the Buffalo City Mission will feed 6,000 his job, sticking up for his teammates. If one of our guys got hit, we'd go housebound or hungry people on Thanksgiving. and do the same thing. It just sends a message to your team, I think, that you're there to stick up for each other. "We are thankful to the Buffalo Sabres for once again providing turkeys to help make this endeavor possible another year,” said Stuart Harper, "I think that's the great thing about hockey." CEO and executive director of the Buffalo City Mission. “Last year alone, the Buffalo City Mission provided over 171,000 meals and over 79,000 Buffalo entered Tuesday's game against Pittsburgh on a fighting run. nights of safe sleep shelter. With homelessness increasing 9 percent last There had been fights in three straight games, and all came after a hit. year and expected to rise again this year, the need is so great.” Buffalo's Jake McCabe fought Tom Wilson after the Washington forward Buffalo News LOADED: 11.15.2017 lambasted Sam Reinhart. Jordan Nolan fought Michael Haley after the Florida forward high-sticked Nathan Beaulieu. Gorges dropped the gloves with Benn. The defenseman's fight came after he missed nine games with a lower- body injury. He was a healthy scratch for the opening three games, played in four straight then went down with the ailment. Gorges played in his second straight game Tuesday and hopes his physical play keeps him in the lineup. "I've got to do what I can to, 1) help this team win games, and, 2) show that I can stay in the lineup and be someone that can be of some use," Gorges said in PPG Paints Arena. "If that means being a little more physical when the opportunity is there, then I've got to take advantage." Gorges skated with Beaulieu while Victor Antipin was the healthy scratch. "He brings a lot of energy and attitude to the game," Sabres coach Phil Housley said of Gorges. "He answers the bell. That's the competitive nature in him. It's great to see that emotion come out." * * * The Sabres are once again hoping Justin Bailey finds consistency in his return to Rochester. With Bailey healed after missing five games with a lower-body injury, Buffalo has sent the right winger back to the Amerks. "He's been off for a while, get his timing back, get some confidence back," Housley said. In the continuation of a trend, Bailey played well after arriving in Buffalo. He had two goals, three points and eight shots in his opening four games. In the next three, he had no points and two shots. "I thought he started out really well the first couple games," Housley said. "I thought his played dipped a little from that, that urgency he had on the forecheck, using his speed and even in providing a physical element. "He's going to go down, work on that, get his timing back." * * * Gorges represented Canada in the 2004 world juniors along with a kid named Sidney Crosby, who was three years younger than most of the other players. Even then, Gorges saw something special in the future Penguins captain, Stanley Cup champion and surefire Hall of Famer. 1083267 Buffalo Sabres

Big hits mean fights, much to the delight of Sabres' Gorges

By John Vogl | Published Tue, Nov 14, 2017 | Updated Tue, Nov 14, 2017

PITTSBURGH – With staged fights between enforcers essentially a thing of the past, pugilistic battles typically come after a big hit. Many bemoan the fact that even clean checks result in fisticuffs. Josh Gorges isn't among the many. The Buffalo Sabres defenseman barreled through Montreal's Brendan Gallagher on Saturday, then had to answer for the legal blow by fighting Jordie Benn. Gorges wouldn't have it any other way. "I love that fact about hockey," Gorges said Tuesday. "I love that it's a physical game. Guys are there to stick up for their teammates. That's what separates hockey from all the other sports. We're allowed to do that. "Yeah, you sit in the box and you get a penalty, but he's out there doing his job, sticking up for his teammates. If one of our guys got hit, we'd go and do the same thing. It just sends a message to your team, I think, that you're there to stick up for each other. "I think that's the great thing about hockey." Buffalo entered Tuesday's game against Pittsburgh on a fighting run. There had been fights in three straight games, and all came after a hit. Buffalo's Jake McCabe fought Tom Wilson after the Washington forward lambasted Sam Reinhart. Jordan Nolan fought Michael Haley after the Florida forward high-sticked Zemgus Girgensons. Gorges dropped the gloves with Benn. The defenseman's fight came after he missed nine games with a lower- body injury. He was a healthy scratch for the opening three games, played in four straight then went down with the ailment. Gorges will play in his second straight game Tuesday and hopes his physical play keeps him in the lineup. "I've got to do what I can to, 1) help this team win games, and, 2) show that I can stay in the lineup and be someone that can be of some use," Gorges said in PPG Paints Arena. "If that means being a little more physical when the opportunity is there, then I've got to take advantage." Gorges will skate with Nathan Beaulieu while Victor Antipin was expected to be the healthy scratch. "He brings a lot of energy and attitude to the game," Sabres coach Phil Housley said of Gorges. "He answers the bell. That's the competitive nature in him. It's great to see that emotion come out." Buffalo News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083268 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres hope Bailey rediscovers urgency in latest trip to Rochester

By John Vogl | Published Tue, Nov 14, 2017 | Updated Tue, Nov 14, 2017

PITTSBURGH – The Sabres are once again hoping Justin Bailey finds consistency in his return to Rochester. With Bailey healed after missing five games with a lower-body injury, Buffalo has sent the right winger back to the Amerks. "He's been off for a while, get his timing back, get some confidence back," Sabres coach Phil Housley said Tuesday. In the continuation of a trend, Bailey played well after arriving in Buffalo. He had two goals, three points and eight shots in his opening four games. In the next three, he had no points and two shots. "I thought he started out really well the first couple games," Housley said. "I thought his played dipped a little from that, that urgency he had on the forecheck, using his speed and even in providing a physical element. "He's going to go down, work on that, get his timing back." Buffalo News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083269 Buffalo Sabres Seth Griffith will be the healthy scratch. 5. Call it a comeback Five Things to Know as Sabres visit Pittsburgh Penguins Even if Buffalo starts hot, don't count out the Penguins. Pittsburgh has erased 3-0 deficits in their past two home games against the Sabres. The Penguins picked up a 4-3 victory in March and a 5-4 shootout win two By John Vogl | Published Tue, Nov 14, 2017 | Updated Tue, Nov seasons ago. 14, 2017 Robin Lehner will start in goal for Buffalo, while Pittsburgh will go with Matt Murray. PITTSBURGH – The Sabres are going to have to buck a lot of unsightly "Obviously, they're back-to-back champions," Housley said. "But when I trends if they want to get back in the win column. look at the Pittsburgh Penguins, they're a fast team, and they compete very hard and they battle. For not a real big team up front, they are able Here are Five Things to Know as Buffalo visits the Pittsburgh Penguins at to get on pucks and they compete. We have to be ready for that battle." 7 p.m. Tuesday. #Penguins 5, #Sabres 4 (SO): @BuffNewsVogl 's coverage from 1. Paint a sad picture Pittsburgh + VIDEO highlights: https://t.co/wrIhQ3FV3O pic.twitter.com/up71x07W71 People in Pittsburgh love coming to PPG Paints Arena, selling out 490 straight games. The Sabres do not like coming to the building. — Buffalo News Sports (@TBNSports) March 30, 2016 The Sabres have lost six straight in Pittsburgh. Overall, the Penguins are Buffalo News LOADED: 11.15.2017 on an 11-0-1 run against Buffalo. Pittsburgh is 5-0-1 at home this season and plays 10 of the next 13 in PPG Paints Arena. "Even with Detroit, it was fun coming into this arena," said Penguins and former Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan. "Their passion for hockey games is definitely noticeable, so it's going to be fun playing at home for a little bit." 2. Sidney Crosby owns Buffalo The Penguins' captain has points in 24 of his last 26 games against the Sabres. He has 12 goals, 30 assists and 42 points during the run, which dates to Dec. 29, 2007. "You play these guys, and they're high-end skill and talent," Buffalo defenseman Josh Gorges said. "You've got to try and take their time and space away. You have to be in their face early and make them make tough plays. They're going to make plays. They're going to go out there and do what they do. They're the best in the game, but you've got to try to make life as miserable as possible. "It's definitely a collective thing. You can't rely on one D pair or one forward line to go out there and just say, 'You guys get the job done.' It's the five guys on the ice collectively." 3. Still no goals The Sabres are still looking for a goal from their defensemen. Everyone has a zero. The morning-skate pairs were Marco Scandella-Justin Falk, Jake McCabe-Taylor Fedun and Gorges-Nathan Beaulieu. Victor Antipin is likely to be the healthy scratch. "That's obviously one area we need to improve," Buffalo coach Phil Housley said of the defensemen's goal total. "We've done a pretty good job if you look at the last three or four games of our D getting shots through to the net. We've had some really good looks. They haven't found a bounce here or there, but we've got to continue to harp on that. "We've got to get shots through. Guys are going to the net now, paying a price. It's going to happen. It's going to hit a shin pad. It's going to create a second opportunity, and it's going to open up defenses." When hard effort goes unrewarded, it can be frustrating for the Sabres and Jack Eichel 4. Shoot The Sabres are 5-9-3, including 0-1-1 in the last two. They are 0-7 when they don't reach 30 shots. "Probably more so than anything, games like this when you're playing those guys, you've got to play in their end, make them play 200 feet away from our net," Gorges said. "So you can't have the turnovers in the neutral zone. You've got to force them to play some tough defensive minutes, limit their opportunities to make plays." The Sabres' forward lines were: Evander Kane-Jack Eichel-Sam Reinhart Benoit Pouliot-Ryan O'Reilly-Kyle Okposo Matt Moulson-Johan Larsson-Jason Pominville Nick Baptiste-Zemgus Girgensons-Jordan Nolan 1083270 Calgary Flames “(Lack) has looked really good and has kind of gotten his game back,” Gulutzan had said. “At the end of the day, it’s tough for goalies to play 75 games. As good of shape Smitty is in, you still only want him to be in the Smith stays home as Flames jet off to Detroit 60s. So, we’re going to get Eddie going here right away.” And the timing of Monday’s test-drive may have worked out in the back- up’s favour. Kristen Odland, PostmediaKRISTEN ODLAND, POSTMEDIA “I’ve been talking to Gully and he thinks I’ve been playing really well in practice,” Lack said. “We are going to try and get me some consistency here and a couple more starts than one in 17. The Calgary Flames flew to Detroit on Tuesday for the start a six-game road trip. “I really have no idea how Smitty’s doing and we’ll take it day by day.” But Mike Smith wasn’t with them. The Flames open their marathon road swing Wednesday at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena against the Red Wings (5:30 p.m. MT, Sportsnet, And the details regarding the 35-year-old’s injury that he suffered during Sportsnet 960 The Fan). Calgary is on a two-game win streak after the first period of Monday’s 7-4 win against the St. Louis Blues were beating Detroit 6-3 on Thursday and the Blues on Monday. cloudy. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.15.2017 The team was off on Tuesday opting for a travel day only, which led to some city-wide stress over the availability of Smith moving forward. And for what it’s worth, there were no American Hockey League transactions on Tuesday evening that involved the Flames’ affiliate , the big club and goaltenders David Rittich or Jon Gillies. No question, however, an extended absence could potentially be a problem. Smith has started 16 of 17 games for the Flames this season and has been arguably one of the reasons why they’re 10-7-0 sitting in seventh in the Western Conference. He has a 9-6-0 record with a 2.63 goals-against average and .921 save percentage and has been one of the busiest netminders in the NHL. Flames GM Brad Treliving was staying mum on the subject Tuesday and promised an update Wednesday on Smith’s situation. One potential cause of the injury could have been when Smith received the brunt of a smash-up in his crease after Scottie Upshall drove Travis Hamonic into Smith, causing a brouhaha between the players. But the team wasn’t revealing anything on Tuesday. Smith was evaluated after the first period and did not return, even on the bench in a back-up capacity. So, Eddie Lack came to the rescue. “Smitty pretty much told me right away that I was going in,” Lack said. “I was just doing what I could do prepare and trying to get my eyes going and my legs a little bit. I just tried to go out there and play my game.” He did that, and by doing so he went from zero to hero — especially in the third period. Shortly after Vladimir Tarasenko scored a crucial third-period goal to knot the game 4-4, the Scotiabank Saddledome showed their displeasure by (unfairly?) booing Lack and then, shortly after, gave him a sarcastic Bronx Cheer following a routine save. So, what does he do? With four minutes left in the game and the Flames up 5-4, the 29-year-old likeable Swede made a fantastic paddle stop on Dmitrij Jaskin to preserve the lead late in the game. So, what do the fans do? Break out in “Edd-ie, Edd-ie” chants. “I got booed two minutes before,” Lack said with a laugh. “After that save I got the ‘Edd-ie, Edd-ie’ chants. It’s very black and white in this business, to be honest. You know what, it was huge and it was definitely a win that I wanted.” It was also Lack’s first win as a member of the Calgary Flames. Albeit, he’s only had three tries — once in a relief appearance Oct. 13 as the Flames were pumped 6-0 by the Ottawa Senators, one start against the Blues on Oct. 25 (a 5-2 loss at Scottrade Center) and Monday, which was another relief performance. “It’s obviously not the way I thought it was going to be,” Lack said. “I, for sure, didn’t play my best game. But I thought I made a good save when it mattered the most in the third … (games are) always different than practice. You can go through repetitions over and over and over. But you can’t really simulate the games. “I’m hoping to get a little more consistency.” Aside from the injury news, the reality is this: Smith was never expected to play all 82 games, despite his starter’s status, and over the weekend, Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan mentioned finding Lack some playing time. 1083271 Carolina Hurricanes more, I wouldn’t say selfish, but a little more attack the net, shooter’s mentality.”

Herald-Sun LOADED: 11.15.2017 Hurricanes find goals from a badly needed source

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

Teuvo Teravainen was in for an NHL first Monday, returning to the Carolina Hurricanes locker room after a game to find a pile of hats in his stall. The new collection came courtesy of his first NHL hat trick, his three goals powering the Canes to a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars. The hats hit the ice in the third period as Teravainen ripped one, two, then a third shot past goalie Ben Bishop. On a night when Finland’s Teemu Selanne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Teravainen shined. He also found it fitting that a fellow Finn, Sebastian Aho, scored his first goal of the season in the Canes’ victory. “Of course he’s big in Finland and everyone my age has always looked up to him,” Teravainen said of Selanne. “He’s one of the idols of many people in Finland. Everyone likes him.” Now in his second season with the Canes, Teravainen, 23, has shown flashes of his skill and potential. There were games last season when the forward was invisible offensively, then others when his speed, puck- handling and a deceptively quick release on his shot made him a threat. But nothing like Monday. Teravainen assisted on Aho’s goal in the first period, a relieved Aho letting out a scream after scoring. But it was a 1-1 game entering the third, the Stars having tied the score on a power-play goal by in the second. In third, Teravainen let a shot fly from the left wing as Elias Lindholm screened Bishop on the power play. Goal. A little more than four minutes later, Teravainen let one go from the right wing, the puck glancing off the stick of Dallas defenseman John Klingsberg and past Bishop. Later, strong forechecking by center Jordan Staal and Aho along the wall resulted in Teravainen getting an open shot from the slot. He didn’t miss and the ice was peppered with hats, Teravainen later saying it was his first natural hat trick since his junior hockey days. “He was on fire today,” Aho said. After the game, Teravainen said, “I’m more like passer; I’m not a goal scorer.” In his mind, he’s naturally suited at center, as a setup man, not on the wing. But the Hurricanes (7-5-4) are a team in need of scoring from someone other than Jeff Skinner, who managed to get a fifth puck past Bishop in the final seconds for his ninth of the season. Aho had 24 goals last season after not scoring in the first 13 games as a rookie, and Canes coach Bill Peters believes Aho can do that again now that he’s broken through and gotten the first one. “The guys were happy for him,” Peters said. “That thing went in and I don’t know who was happier, more collectively on the bench or himself. But he’s been playing well, and you knew it was going to come and hopefully everything now returns to normal.” Peters has been tinkering with the lines, looking to find the right balance and consistency. Having Staal with the two Finns might be able to produce a solid scoring line – Staal’s four assists Monday were a career high. The Chicago Blackhawks made Teravainen a first-round draft pick 2012, and he was a valuable part of the Blackhawks’ 2015 Stanley Cup championship. Salary-cap issues forced Chicago to part with Teravainen in June 2016 as the Canes obtained Teravainen and forward forward Bryan Bickell in exchange for draft picks. Teravainen had career highs in games (81), goals (15) and assists (27) in 2016-17. He signed a two-year contract extension in the offseason that pays him $2.86 million this season and in 2018-19. The Canes are expecting more from him this season. Monday’s game will only add to those expectations. “He should attack the net more because he has the ability and the skill set to do that, and the skating ability,” Peters said. “He should be a little 1083272 Chicago Blackhawks

Shift from center to wing is paying off so far for Blackhawks' Nick Schmaltz

Chris Hine Chris Hine

For the first 16 games of the season, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville didn’t want to move Nick Schmaltz from center. It was hard to blame Quenneville, considering the blistering start Schmaltz had in the opener against the Penguins with two goals and an assist. The potential was tantalizing. But with the Hawks struggling offensively, Quenneville pulled the trigger for Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes and moved Schmaltz from center to the left wing, where he blossomed late last season. In two games since, the move has paid off. Schmaltz picked up a pair of assists Sunday in the Hawks’ 7-5 loss to the Devils and played one of his best offensive games of the season. “He gives us speed,” Quenneville said. “It seems like he has the puck more on entries. His rush can back guys off or could surprise them as well. He finds a way to get the puck a little bit more. You still can use him in the middle and it’s another good option for us.” Schmaltz, who has played on a line with winger Patrick Kane and center Artem Anisimov, said the move eases pressure on him in the defensive zone because Anisimov has the primary defensive responsibilities. “It freed me up a little bit to have a little more energy,” Schmaltz said. “My legs felt great both nights on the wing. ... So wherever they put me I’m comfortable. “I get a few more chances whether it’s off the rush or little breaks where I’m leaving the zone with possession. I can try to use my speed and get an odd-man rush.” Schmaltz still has only one goal since the opener and said he is facing the same issue he did last season when he was struggling to score — shooting the puck more. Schmaltz said he needs to fight his natural inclination to pass. “I’ve always been a passer first,” Schmaltz said. “If there’s a pass I’m probably going to make it. But taking the shot when it’s there is something I need to continue to work on. Sometimes you get those lucky shots, it finds a way to get in when you put pucks to the net. It’s never a bad play to put it at the net.” Instead, Schmaltz has let other players do that. He has recorded zero shots on goal in six of his 14 games this season but has four combined in his last two. Playing on a line with Kane can amplify Schmaltz’s tendency to pass because he has a dynamic playmaker who can do great things with the puck. “I’m still working on that,” Schmaltz said. “I can make plays too. (Kane’s) an unbelievable player, but … I I can hold onto it and make plays — find him or shoot it.” Quenneville wants Schmaltz to use his speed and believes the Hawks can unlock it at wing. “The speed is his best asset for us,” Quenneville said. “We need to get that out.” Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083273 Chicago Blackhawks

Ex-NHL enforcer John Scott tries acting: 'I'm just trying to take it as things come'

Stephen Whyno

Not a lot of things rattle John Scott. Come on. He was a 6-foot-8, 260-pound NHL enforcer. Then he tried acting — and was terrified. "It's a different kind of nerves," Scott said. "I've been in front of big stadiums, I've fist-fought tough guys and that's nerve-wracking. It's so much different walking on to a stage where you're the new guy and you don't really know what to do." The lovable lug who made headlines for fans voting him into the 2016 NHL All-Star Game and then winning MVP honors is now 35, retired and considering his next move. Although Scott enjoyed taping an episode of the CBS drama "S.W.A.T." and will likely make a cameo appearance in the movie about his story, "A Guy Like Me," he won't star as himself or pursue an acting career. "I don't even know if I'm good, so I could just be terrible," Scott said by phone Monday. "I think it went well, but I was super nervous and uncomfortable for the first like hour and a half, so we hopefully scrapped all those takes and used the good ones. But it was weird." Right now, family is his focus after his wife, Danielle, gave birth to the couple's fifth child in late August. Scott said he's "just changing diapers, man," while he does some book signings and speaking engagements. Scott's brief foray into acting came as a random happenstance when a current NHL player friend couldn't do the "S.W.A.T." episode because of training camp. A relationship with a producer's brother got him an audition. The veteran of eight NHL seasons and 44 fights nailed his lines and then taped the episode in which he played a hated opposing player who needed protection while in town. "I had no idea the amount of work that goes into doing a television show," Scott said. "I just figured you wrote the script and there was a couple of guys with cameras and you just go on set and then you go. It's amazing the amount of people and the amount of work and the effort that goes into doing even one take." Scott plans to rent out a room at a bar or restaurant to watch the episode with family and friends when it airs Nov. 30. Beyond that, he hasn't thought much about where life will take him. "That's the question of the day my wife's been asking me about that for the last two months," Scott said. "I'm just trying to find something where I can stay at home and be with the kids. ... I don't really know. I'm just trying to take it as things come." Another former enforcer, George Parros, recently became head of the NHL's Department of Player Safety. Similar to the Princeton-educated Parros, Scott has an engineering degree from Michigan Tech and was long considered by teammates and coaches as one of the smartest guys in the locker room. Scott being voted by fans into the All-Star Game was followed by a trade from Arizona to Montreal and a demotion to the minors. His wild ride had a happy ending as he was carried off on teammates' shoulders after winning the All-Star 3-on-3 tournament, yet Scott doesn't think he's a favorite at NHL offices. "I don't think the league's going to hire me, to be honest with you," Scott said. "I would like to maybe get into coaching, but I'm still so many years off. I couldn't leave my wife with these five kids, so that stuff is a pie in the sky right now." In other words, stay tuned. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083274 Chicago Blackhawks

Wednesday's preview: Rangers at Blackhawks

Chris Hine Chris Hine

TV/radio: 7 p.m. Wednesday, NBCSN, WGN-AM 720. Storylines: The Blackhawks allowed a season-high seven goals Sunday against the Devils in Corey Crawford’s worst performance of the season. But the Hawks have awoken from their offensive slumber, scoring nine goals in their last two games. Trending: Rookie winger Alex DeBrincat has three goals in his last two games, bringing his season total to six. Patrick Kane’s goal Sunday was his first in eight games. … Rangers center Mika Zibanejad has eight goals in 18 games. He’s on pace to surpass his career high of 21. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083275 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks say farewell to Johnny’s, hello to new practice facility

Paul Skrbina

Ice sliced beneath the blades of their skates as Blackhawks players raced toward the old, white Zamboni at Johnny’s IceHouse West on Tuesday morning. After they all gathered and said, “Cheese!” for one last team photo at their now-former practice facility, John Hayden playfully tackled Patrick Sharp and jabbed at him before the team made its way down Madison Street for its first tour of its new $65 million practice facility, MB Ice Arena. The team began its last practice at Johnny’s with a 10-on-10, two-puck hockey drill — “a farewell,” coach Joel Quenneville said — and ended its seven-year stay by reflecting on some humble beginnings and endings there. Johnny’s became the team’s home away from home in 2010, when they dressed at the United Center and drove a few blocks to down the street to practice, much like they’ve done recently. “It kind of brings you back to your youth hockey days, hopping in the car in full gear and driving everywhere,” Sharp said. Some team members, including Sharp, also gathered at Johnny’s during the NHL lockout in 2012-13. The Blackhawks held their final practice at Johnny's IceHouse West on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. “We weren’t allowed to go to the NHL rinks and we kind of set up shop in one of these locker rooms and had a good group of guys skating every day, talking about when we were going to get back in the league,” Sharp said. “Who knows when we’ll get back on the ice here.” The Blackhawks will hold their first practice at MB Arena on Thursday morning, something coach Joel Quenneville said he’s looking forward to. The new arena features two rinks and 22 locker rooms. The Hawks’ new room is a replica of the team’s dressing room at the United Center, only bigger. “We’re looking forward to going to the new facility,” Quenneville said. “I think everyone’s excited about it, but a lot of good things happened here.” Three for 2017: Antti Niemi, who helped the Blackhawks to the 2009-10 Stanley Cup title, joined the Canadiens on Tuesday, his third team this season. Niemi allowed four of the Blackhawks’ 10 goals on opening night while playing for the Penguins. In three games for them, he allowed 16 goals. He gave up five in two games with the Panthers. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083276 Chicago Blackhawks his younger self but not often enough to make anyone forget he is 35. And the contract of 32-year-old defenseman Brent Seabrook, who has six years and $41 million left on his deal, represents a steep price for Column: Change Stan Bowman promised made Blackhawks look leadership. Seabrook’s salary limits the Hawks’ roster flexibility as much different — but not better as any on the payroll. So while the dramatically changed Hawks look different than last year, they don’t look better. It goes beyond missing Marian Hossa. Has David Haugh David Haugh Quenneville ever tried to win with such an unproven Hawks roster? Life comes at the Hawks fast in the next week, with the sizzling hot Rangers on Wednesday at the United Center before road games against For posterity Tuesday, a smiling bunch of Blackhawks posed in front of Eastern Conference powers — the Penguins and Lightning. Jonathan the Zamboni after their final practice at Johnny’s IceHouse West. Toews must resume skating the way he did last month. Patrick Kane can start playing like an MVP again any time he wants. Brandon Saad, solid The Hawks will start practicing Thursday at the $65 million MB Ice Arena, at both ends, needs to rediscover the back of the net. Maybe Keith, goal- ending a seven-year run at a rink where they found their way out of more less so far, can kick-start his season by discovering it. than a few funks like their current one. “There has to be urgency in the place we’re in right now,’’ Quenneville “A lot of good memories,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said. said. “We’re not happy with where we’re at.’’ The environment felt familiar but the vibe didn’t as the Hawks headed off Once upon a time, you could say everything will end happily ever after for into unfamiliar territory, which had nothing to do with their new practice the Hawks. facility. The 8-8-2 Hawks find themselves lost in the land of mediocrity, their noses pressed to the glass, on the outside looking in thanks to a Those were the days. roster general manager Stan Bowman weakened trying to strengthen it. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 The Hawks have just 18 points, good for fifth place in the Central Division and status as a bubble team in the Western Conference. Their offense looks prone to droughts. Their defense too often resembles a sieve. At this rate, goalie Corey Crawford’s statistics will include a special category for saving the season. The highlight of their year has been Tommy Hawk earning induction into the Mascot Hall of Fame. “We’ve never been in this spot,’’ Quenneville acknowledged. “Finding that consistency and putting ourselves at the top of the division has always been there. Now that we’re not there, how we’re handling it is a good test for us.’’ The Blackhawks held their final practice at Johnny's IceHouse West on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. Quenneville remains the right guy to proctor the Hawks through it, scuttlebutt aside. The 59-year-old spent the crisp 45-minute workout blowing his whistle, setting up drills and doing all the little hands-on things that still make him unique. “Coach Q” is the NHL’s longest-tenured coach by five years — on the job since Oct. 16, 2008 — for a reason: No better alternative exists. Spending two seasons with the Stars made Hawks forward Patrick Sharp appreciate that even more. “Coming back, you see a great coach, the guy we want behind the bench handling situations like this,’’ Sharp said. “He has been through everything. I remember playing for Joel and we lost (nine) in a row (in 2012) and you could see Joel’s intensity, his consistency behind the bench. The message he was sending brought us out of that. You can say the same thing as of late. We’re talking after every game, as a team, identifying areas we can improve.’’ Meanwhile, whispers around town wonder if Quenneville still can reach players who, in some cases, have heard his message for 10 seasons while juggling linemates. Human nature makes that a natural question given today’s pro athlete and the Hawks’ coaching continuity but responsibility for early struggles falls more on Bowman than Quenneville — pressure the Hawks general manager invited. Shortly after last season’s disappointing first-round playoff sweep, Bowman vowed change. Bowman then fired assistant coach Mike Kitchen, a Quenneville confidante, symbolically putting his stamp on the offseason. His most indelible mark came later when Bowman traded the Hawks’ best defensive defenseman, Niklas Hjalmarsson, to the Coyotes for a younger replacement with more contract control, . Bowman’s infatuation with Murphy began during their stint together with USA Hockey. Murphy, acquired to be a top four defenseman, was a healthy scratch in three of the first 12 games. Nothing about his play has suggested he deserves to be paired with Duncan Keith. Now you know why Quenneville reacted so negatively when informed the Hawks had traded Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson’s loss, compounded by the departure of Trevor van Riemsdyk via the expansion draft, created two holes at a position where the Hawks already lacked quality depth. The Hawks defensemen struggle moving the puck out of their own zone, generating offense and easing Crawford’s burden. Why do the Hawks carry eight D- men? They have such a hard time finding four they trust. That’s on Bowman, who overvalued Murphy’s intangibles. Bowman also overpaid for forward Richard Panik, who expressed surprise in July that the salary-cap strapped Hawks offered a two-year, $5.6 million deal. Sharp, Bowman’s free-agent signing, shows flashes of 1083277 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ Ryan Hartman eager to get back to his gritty, gutty game

Mark Potash

Ryan Hartman didn’t celebrate when he was on a pace for 82 goals and an NHL-record 410 points after a five-point game in the Blackhawks’ season opener. “Nope,” the second-year Hawks forward said. “I was happy for that game, but as soon as that game was over, I was ready for the next one. It’s not anything I thought about too much.” And just the same, Hartman isn’t fretting about being a healthy scratch 17 games later — sitting out the Hawks’ 7-5 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. “It’s part of hockey,” Hartman said. “There’s times where we needed to change things up because things aren’t going well. I went through some of those last year and I came back strong, so I’m looking forward to getting back in.” Blackhawks forward Ryan Hartman (38, battling the Wild's Gustav Olofsson in a 5-2 loss on Oct. 12 at the United Center), has four goals and 10 points, with a plus-2 rating in 17 games this season. He was a healthy scratch against the Devils on Sunday. At 22 a year ago, the gritty Hartman was part of the home-grown infusion that helped the Hawks sustain salary-cap losses and propel them to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The 6-0, 181-pound winger was a grinder who could score — with 19 goals and 31 points, with a plus-13 rating in 76 games. After sitting out five games early in the season, Hartman played 68 of the Hawks’ final 69 games, including the four playoff games against the Predators. But in 2017-18, Hartman’s season has mirrored the Hawks as a team. After scoring a goal with four assists in the 10-1 blowout of the Penguins, he had three goals and five points in the next 16 games. “Any time your team’s struggling, I think everyone kind of grips the stick too hard,” Hartman said. “Everyone’s trying to produce when teams aren’t producing. My game’s always been playing the corners, play hard and the goals and points will come, so maybe I was thinking a little too much offensively and not enough about playing har in the corners and taking the body and stuff like that. I’m looking to bring that when I come back.” Hartman’s ability to grind and score is a challenging balance for a player who is a grinder first and a scorer second. While Hartman wants to be more physical, coach Joel Quenneville is looking for Hartman to use his skill as well — and stay out of the penalty box. “Discipline’s part of it,” Quenneville said. “We’d like to see him with the puck more because he does a lot of good things when it’s on his stick. And find that balance of staying on the ice. … Certain guys we know their m.o. is abrasiveness, whether you can be annoying sometimes as far as drawing penalties and [doing] it the right way. He’s been around for a little bit, so everyone’s aware. So find that balance.” Hartman, who has 16 minutes in penalties in 17 games this season after 70 in 76 games last season, probably hasn’t seen his last healthy scratch. The key is to keep getting after each one. “It’s all part of the process,” said teammate Patrick Sharp, who endured healthy scratches and minor-league stints with the Flyers before becoming a mainstay with the Hawks. “He’s still a productive player, still a big part of our team. There are going to be ups and downs through a player’s career just like through a team’s season. I started my career as an extra forward … did whatever I could to stay in the league. “I’m not comparing myself to Hartsy in any way. I think he’s head-and- shoulders above where I was at his age. He’s well on is way to having a great career. He’s going to be a big part of our team.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083278 Chicago Blackhawks

With a fun practice, Chicago Blackhawks say goodbye to Johnny's IceHouse

John Dietz

After skating at Johnny's IceHouse West for nearly a decade, the Blackhawks bid a fond farewell to the rink Tuesday with a spirited, fun- filled final practice and a photo op. The star of the picture? The Zamboni, of course. The Hawks are now set to move into their new practice home -- the MB Ice Arena, located just south of the United Center. The Hawks have been practicing at Johnny's since late in the 2009-10 season. Patrick Sharp's greatest memories came during the 2012-13 lockout when players weren't allowed to go to NHL rinks. "We kind set up shop in one of these locker rooms, and had a good group of guys skating every day, talking about when we were going to get back in the league," Sharp said. "Two championships later (we're still) practicing here. It was some good memories and who knows when we'll get back on the ice here." Coach Joel Quenneville started the practice with a "two-puck scrimmage" in which all 23 Hawks played a game with two pucks on the ice at the same time. The winning team celebrated like they'd won the Stanley Cup, while the losers took a lap. "That was kind of a celebratory drill for the last day here," Quenneville said. Quenneville and the coaches were set to tour the MB Ice Arena later Tuesday. "We're looking forward to going to the new facility," he said. "Pretty spectacular what we're going to be moving into. I think everybody's excited about it. But a lot of good things happened here." The Hawks' first skate at MB Ice Arena will be Thursday at 9:30 a.m. They will be joined by representatives from nine community partners: Little Blackhawks, First Stride, Chicago Blackhawks Special Hockey, Hornets Sled Hockey, Inner-City Education, Hockey On Your Block, Chicago Stallions, Chicago Mission and St. Ignatius College Prep. As for Johnny's, the rink isn't hurting for clients and figures to make more money now that the Hawks are gone. The reason is because coaches who give private lessons or teams that want to develop their players can book consistent ice time without fear of being bumped. "Now we can go to (a coach) and say, 'That 1 o'clock slot is yours for six months,' " said rink manager Lars Geary. "Now there's no question marks on our schedule." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083279 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks say goodbye to Johnny’s IceHouse West

By Tracey Myers November 14, 2017 4:41 PM

The West Side rink will still host adult and youth hockey but the Blackhawks’ time there is over. When the Blackhawks next meet for practice it will be at their shiny new facility, MB Ice Arena. Still, Johnny’s will always have its place in Blackhawks history. For us writers, it was working from the Stanley Club perch and flinching whenever a puck flew in our direction, sturdy glass be damned. The Blackhawks have their fond memories, too. “I think it started with the lockout when we weren’t allowed to go to the NHL rinks,” Patrick Sharp said. “We set up shop in one of these locker rooms and had a good group of guys skating every day and talking about when we were going to get back in the league. That was kind of the start of it. Two championships later we’re [still] practicing here, so some good memories.” The Blackhawks’ first practices at Johnny’s were during the 2009-10 season. Ironically the players last Johnny’s practice resembled some of their first ones there: “dress-and-drives” from the United Center to Johnny’s and back. As Sharp said it was Johnny’s where he, several Blackhawks and a few Chicago-area NHLers practiced in the fall of 2012, waiting for the lockout to end. It’s at Johnny’s where, that same fall, Marian Hossa skated and worked his way back from the concussion that ended his postseason a few months prior. Not long after the Bulls opened their practice facility near the United Center the Blackhawks looked into getting one for themselves. Now, it’s a reality. Coach Joel Quenneville and company toured the new facility after Tuesday’s practice. The new place is gorgeous and it will soon be the Blackhawks’ home. But Johnny’s will always have its memories. “Yeah, a farewell. A lot of good memories over the years here, seven years of good moments,” Quenneville said. “We’re looking forward to going to the new facility. I think everyone’s excited about it but a lot of good things happened here.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083280 Chicago Blackhawks

Alex DeBrincat has played well all year, but now the goals are coming and that's good for the Blackhawks

By Tracey Myers November 14, 2017 3:40 PM

Alex DeBrincat was coming off a great individual weekend, four points (including three goals) through two games that went in very different directions for the Blackhawks. And DeBrincat’s focus was more on the latter than on his own numbers. “It’s nice to have. I mean, the first game (vs. Carolina) was a pretty big win for us and we had a good start to the second game (vs. New Jersey) but we kind of fell apart there,” he said. “It just would’ve been better if we had won both games, but it’s kind of a good start for me to keep moving from.” Let’s be clear: DeBrincat has played well pretty much from the start. There’s a reason he made this team out of camp and even if he’s not scoring points, he’s shown a good all-around game that the Blackhawks have liked. Points, nevertheless, are always encouraging. “Well, we’ve been encouraged every single day we’ve seen him this year. Out of camp, (the questions were) could he handle the pace, the size, the strength, the intelligence of different players? How he could play without the puck and defensively, was he strong enough to overcome that part of his game? On both sides of the puck he gives us great instincts, play recognition,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “The fact he’s starting to score a little bit more gives us an added sniper. But he does a lot of good things, not just scoring. He compliments your team game.” Usually going on a scoring tear means moving up in the lineup, but for now DeBrincat remains on the Blackhawks’ third line — he skated there Tuesday with Patrick Sharp and Tommy Wingels. He and Sharp have worked together a good amount this season, so there’s familiarity there. Sharp’s been impressed with what he’s seen from DeBrincat from the start and said DeBrincat’s recent scoring burst should boost his confidence. “Being a guy who’s scored in streaks and bunches, as well, I know what it feels like to get a couple. I think it started a week or two ago with those empty-net goals. They all mean the same at the end of the day; makes you hold your head up a little higher, feel good about yourself,” Sharp said. “You can see his confidence with the puck. He’s going to the dangerous areas, and guys that he’s playing with, they’re starting to find him now. He’s a good goal scorer, we knew that, and it seems like he’s hitting his stride right now.” DeBrincat started this season on the right, went back to his more familiar left and has bounced back to the right. Doesn’t seem to matter anymore which side he plays, outside of one thing. “It’s a matter of remembering what side you’re on to get back in the zone,” DeBrincat said with a laugh. “No, it doesn’t really matter. I think it’s pretty easy for me to change around. I’ve played every position, so it’s not too bad.” The Blackhawks already knew what they had in DeBrincat. Still, racking up some points for a team that — outside of Sunday — has struggled to do so bodes well for the Blackhawks’ team game and his individual confidence. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083281 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Sonny Milano tries to learn while playing less

By Josh Horton The Columbus Dispatch

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella has a predicament, and it has to do with rookie left wing Sonny Milano. Milano, a first-round draft pick in 2014, is struggling to get into the lineup as the Blue Jackets struggle to score goals. Milano has not played in the past two games and the Jackets have mustered only two regulation goals. Tortorella said Milano, who has five goals in 15 games, needs to become a more complete player to play more or even be in uniform for games. “Sonny needs to understand that the five-on-five play is very important to him to learn how to play in the ,” Tortorella said. “He needs to learn how to put on the brakes in the defensive zone. He needs to understand positioning. “I’m not crazy about the time he’s missing, or even (defenseman Gabriel) Carlsson. It really bothers me for those two guys that they’re not getting ice time. But I still have to make the decision for what I think is best for that particular game.” If Tortorella feels Milano isn’t a viable option compared with other forwards on his roster, he could be sent to minor-league Cleveland and receive more ice time to polish his game. But Tortorella said it’s important for Milano to be with the Blue Jackets for now. “I want him in our meetings,” Tortorella said. “I think it’s important that he’s in our meetings. I think it’s important that he’s practicing with us. We’ll see.” Milano shared Tortorella’s sentiment. “I’d definitely rather be here with Torts,” Milano said. “That’s how I’m going to learn is being under his (wing) and learning and doing things that he wants me to do.” Milano said playing less doesn’t necessarily mean he’s learning less. Ice time in practice, watching games when he’s scratched and dissecting film have allowed Milano to slowly work toward rounding out his game. The tricky part is retaining his aggressive approach to offense while also being aware of his defensive responsibilities. “You’ve got to find the in-between there,” Milano said. “You don’t want to be nervous out there and just worry about defense. That’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to create offense. You still want to play your game, but you have to worry about these things.” Tortorella is confident he’ll strike that balance. “We continue to work with him,” Tortorella said. “But it’s really about understanding positioning five-on-five. He wants to learn, and he’ll get it. It’s taking some time, but he’ll get it.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083282 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Oliver Bjorkstrand’s play draws coach’s praise

By Josh Horton The Columbus Dispatch

Second-year forward Oliver Bjorkstrand logged a season-high 19 minutes, 20 seconds in the Blue Jackets’ win at Detroit on Saturday, mostly due to his assertiveness on both ends. It brought praise from coach John Tortorella in Monday’s film session. “He checked,” Tortorella said. “Funny things happen when you check and the puck kind of comes your way, bounces your way. I thought it was a total turnaround in the game for him. “He’s a goal-scorer, he’s got a big-league shot. But he’s got to learn the other part of the game, too.” After recording an assist on Artemi Panarin’s goal in the Blue Jackets’ 2- 1 shootout win over the Red Wings on Saturday, Bjorkstrand has five points over his last six games after posting six in his first 12. Wennberg out; Dalpe on IR Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg did not travel to Montreal after sitting out practice Monday at the Ice Haus. “He’s been nicked up,” Tortorella said. Center Zac Dalpe, who has missed the past three games, was placed on injured reserve. Forward Jordan Schroeder, who has five points in nine games with minor-league Cleveland, was called up. Losing Wennberg stings as it breaks up the most effective forward line against the Red Wings. Wennberg, Panarin and Bjorkstrand combined on the Blue Jackets’ only regulation goal, 1:07 into the game. “It was one of the better lines in the game in generating some offense and having the puck,” Tortorella said. Quebec homecomings Quebec natives Pierre-Luc Dubois and David Savard are returning to their home province for a game Tuesday night at the Montreal Canadiens. The experience will be especially significant for rookie forward Dubois, who expects about 15 friends and family members to attend his first NHL game at the Bell Centre. “I don’t think I’m going to be nervous,” Dubois said. “It’s fun, it’s in Montreal, my friends and family are going to be there. I think it’s just another game, another game that I need to play well and we’ll get two points. It’s going to be special to play in Montreal, but it’s like every other game.” Dubois practiced Monday at center and said he’ll play there Tuesday. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083283 Columbus Blue Jackets us as leaders in that room to pull guys along, myself included. I haven’t been good enough.”

Defenseman Zach Werenski said he also has noticed opponents playing Blue Jackets | Team looking for its identity, coach and players say the Jackets harder. “We’re not going to catch anybody by surprise,” Werenski said. “We have By Steve Gorten to up our game. Teams are doing that to us.” The Jackets’ identity on the ice, Atkinson said, should once again include playing with an edge. Minutes after the Blue Jackets’ fourth consecutive loss Friday night, Brandon Dubinsky vented his frustration with himself and teammates. “I still think we don’t get enough respect,” he said. “Last year, we were out to prove people wrong. We still haven’t done, or won, anything. We Everyone needed to “take a long look in the mirror” at the type of team had a good regular season last year and got knocked out in the first this is, how it was built, what makes it successful. There was too much of round of the playoffs. We need to get back to playing with a chip [on our players trying to be “run-and-gun” and make “fancy” plays instead of shoulders], playing with that swagger, that arrogance, that cockiness. We winning battles and getting pucks below opponents’ hash marks. have to get back to that, and we’ll have success.” Late Saturday afternoon, hours before the Jackets edged the Red Wings Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 2-1 in a nine-round shootout to temporarily stop the hemorrhaging, captain and fellow center Nick Foligno echoed Dubinsky’s sentiments that the Jackets have lost, or at least misplaced, their identity as a team. If you ask Coach John Tortorella, though, he’ll tell you the 2017-18 Jackets haven’t had an identity to lose. “I’m not sure we totally have gotten to our identity,” Tortorella said pregame Saturday. “If you don’t get there, I don’t think you can lose it. This is a big part of the season that we have to get that straightened out. I don’t think we’ve gotten there. So I won’t say we’ve lost it. We need to get there.” Nearly one quarter into this season, the Jackets have a 10-7-1 record. Through the first 18 games last season, they were 10-5-3. Like this year’s team, which plays at Montreal on Tuesday night, their next game was on the road. They won that and kept winning and winning and winning, amassing an amazing 17-0-1 record over their next 18 games and eventually finishing with franchise bests of 50 wins and 108 points. That success made this season’s four-game slide easier to stomach. “We’re not panicking at all in this room,” Foligno said. “Everyone outside wants to know what’s going on with the Blue Jackets? We’re still in good shape. It’s a mindset to me of understanding who we are. I’m not panicking because it’s not a problem that’s going to take a lot of time to fix. It’s understanding that we’re a team that needs to play a certain way.” Most recently, Tortorella said, the Jackets have played “too much east- west.” They need to be more dogged with the puck, go straight ahead, simplify their game, and “certainly play more under the hash marks.” “That was a trademark of our success last year in the regular season,” he noted. Atkinson said the Jackets have added skill to their lineup since last season, but can’t stop relying on a hard forecheck and playing physical. “All of our offense comes from that,” Atkinson said. “We’re not a team that goes end-to-end and makes pretty plays – tic-and-toe. We’ve shown signs of that. But we’re a blue-collar team and we’ve got to get back to playing the right way.” Added Foligno: “There’s a mandate of hard work, and a certain style we need to play. The skill complements that. It’s not the other way around. Right now, we’re caught in between, and you can see it in our game. “Our neutral zone, they’re just walking through us because we’re standing still,” Foligno continued. “When we finally get pucks down low, we create chances but we don’t shoot. We’re always looking for that next pretty pass, and we’re not that team. We’re a team where, when we get those opportunities, we’re going to bury them.” After scoring five goals four times in the first nine games, the Jackets have tallied three the past three games combined. They’ve also repeatedly gotten off to slow starts this season. Jackets players accept blame for most of that. But there’s also a sense that opponents are approaching matchups against Columbus different than last season. “Absolutely,” Foligno said, drawing out the word for emphasis. “Look how hard we play when we play against the elite teams in the league. And we have to start realizing we’re one of them. That’s not to be arrogant. It’s just the reality of what we’re grown into. Be proud of that. But know how hard it is to win. That’s what I tell people. It’s one thing to have the flash- in-the-pan years. But consistently doing it is playing to an identity each and every time. “You wonder, ‘Why does this team always find a way to win?’” Foligno continued. “They just know who they are. ...Right now, we’re fighting who we are. And we know who we are. That’s the disappointing part. It’s on 1083284 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Goalie dreams drive David Savard to block shots

By Steve Gorten

MONTREAL — Growing up about an hour’s drive from the Bell Centre, Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard wanted to be a goalie like his idol, Canadiens Hall of Famer Patrick Roy. “His fight to win is something pretty special,” Savard said. Savard never wound up trying goalie, largely because his father told him he’d be more involved in play as a skater. “Maybe that’s why I like blocking shots and doing those things in front of the net,” said Savard, who started Tuesday’s game with 31 blocked shots. “I usually have a pretty good relationship with our goalies. It’s a hard position.” Savard said he has enjoyed blocking shots since youth hockey, when he would add padding for extra protection. Savard, a native of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, who now lives in Quebec City in the offseason, said his father would take him and his older brothers to one or two Canadiens games each season. “That building’s always rocking,” said Savard, who set a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League record for assists (64) by a defenseman. “I’ve been here a few times now (as a Blue Jacket), but it’s always a special place, and it’s fun to have your family come down.” As excited as Savard was to play against the Habs, his longtime girlfriend will be equally excited when he shaves his bushy beard. “She said she was going to put in a lot of money to make sure it goes away,” he said. Savard has let his usual light scruff grow into a scraggly beard the past five months to raise money for the Movember Foundation, which addresses the biggest health issues that men face. If fans donated $2,000 by Nov. 15, he would shave. As of Tuesday night, the total was more than $2,800. “It’s been a little ugly,” said Savard, who added that the last time he had zero facial hair was when the Jackets drafted him in 2009. “But it’s for a great cause.” Lineup changes Jordan Schroeder, recalled Monday from minor-league Cleveland, made his Jackets debut Tuesday night. He played center, as did Pierre-Luc Dubois, who moved from wing because of Alexander Wennberg’s absence and started on a line between Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson. Coach John Tortorella quipped that Wennberg, who didn’t travel with the team, is “day to day with a body injury ... full body ... like a wine.” Wing Sonny Milano returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games, and Gabriel Carlsson sat out as Tortorella chose to use 12 forwards and six defensemen. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083285 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets 2, Canadiens 1, OT | Sergei Bobrovsky delivers again in win

By Steve Gorten

MONTREAL — The Blue Jackets can’t continue to rely on Sergei Bobrovsky to rescue them. Not like he did Saturday in Detroit, and then once again Tuesday night. For now, though, they’ll happily settle on picking up points while their two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie pushes them forward. Bobrovsky was brilliant, and Zach Werenski scored the winning goal from the slot 1:09 into overtime to give the Jackets their second consecutive 2- 1 win on the road, this time against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre. “We’re just finding ways to win,” said Werenski, who was set up in overtime by Cam Atkinson. “Obviously, we’d like to end it in regulation and score a few more goals. It’s tough to win when you score one goal in regulation. But we’re finding ways and getting two points. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters, so we’re happy with it.” The Jackets have won six of the seven games this season that have been decided in overtime or by a shootout, which includes a 2-1 win Saturday in a nine-round shootout. Bobrovsky made 28 saves, including several stellar stops. One of his best came on a 2-on-1 Canadiens rush when he dropped his stick and deflected Jacob De La Rose’s shot with his blocker while fully stretched. “Everyone can see how valuable he is to our team,” Werenski said. “Whenever he’s back there, you feel like you’re going to win the game. It’s unbelievable how lucky we are to have a guy like that back in net for us.” There was only so much that even Bobrovsky could do, though. Montreal eventually scored to pull even when Paul Byron stuck in a rebound of Shea Weber’s shot off Bobrovsky’s right pad with 7:46 left. Bobrovsky received little scoring support. For the fourth consecutive game, the Jackets gave their goalie just one goal in regulation. “We needed the points, and the game dictated those conditions,” Bobrovsky said. “You have to be focused. You have to work, and you have to step up for your teammates when they need it.” Just as on Saturday at Detroit, that came early. Stationed in front of Montreal goalie Charlie Lindgren, Josh Anderson deflected Markus Nutivaara’s shot with his elbow, and then whacked the puck in off one bounce. Anderson’s team-leading seventh goal came just 2:29 into the game and set the tone for a strong first period for the Jackets, who outshot the Canadiens 10-8. For the 15th consecutive time, though, they failed to score on a power play. On their next man-advantage midway through the second period, they nearly surrendered a goal and their 1-0 lead. Paul Byron bore down on Bobrovsky on a breakaway, but the goalie made a right-pad save to preserve the lead. The Jackets came into the game with a five-game point streak (4-0-1) against the Canadiens, having outscored them 22-6 during that stretch. As he was Tuesday night, Bobrovsky was brilliant in the three most- recent matchups, posting a 2-0-1 record, .979 save percentage and 0.65 goals-against average. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083286 Dallas Stars

Here's the message Ken Hitchcock is trying to get across to his Stars amid road woes

By Harvey Fialkov , Special contributor Contact Harvey Fialkovon Twitter:

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Perhaps Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock should force his team to watch the venerable CBS TV show "60 Minutes" over and over again to drive his point home. Once again, the Stars gave him a 40-minute effort in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, in which they allowed four unanswered goals in the third period, including a natural hat trick by Teuvo Teravainen in a 7:05 span. The Stars, just 3-6 on the road, have been outscored 6-0 in two straight road losses, including a 5-2 loss to the Jets on Nov. 2. "It wasn't [a disappointing] outing, it was a disappointing third period," Hitchcock said after speaking to the team at the hotel Tuesday morning in lieu of no morning skate. "That was the problem. What did we learn? We did exactly what we wanted to do for 40 minutes. We played the right way; then we stopped doing things we were doing well, and they took advantage. "We stopped checking; we stopped forechecking and they came right at us and got the advantage. "I thought the power-play goal [by Alexander Radulov in the second period] gave us some momentum, but we didn't play as well in the third period as we did in the first two. We got 40 minutes we can build on but we got to get 60 minutes if we expect to give ourselves a chance to win hockey games on the road." Hitchcock hopes he got his message across. "Words are words. Actions are everything," he said. "It's hard when you get on the road. It's very challenging, very difficult. It takes a balance of a lot of items in your game and details in your game to win on the road. "We missed the details in the third period; we've had that a few times, so that's the reality we're dealing with. It just doesn't change overnight so you keep addressing, you keep bringing it up. You have to keep looking in the mirror. ... It's going to take some time; we just have to be patient with it." Two-goalie system: Hitchcock is leaning toward a 1-2 tandem in the net and not just because they're in the midst of a back-to-back set, so Kari Lehtonen will take over for Ben Bishop against the Panthers. "I don't think you can win in this league, especially in the West, without two good goalies," Hitchcock said. "Look at St. Louis. They've got two good goalies playing elite. They do a great job. That's what we got potentially. More and more we'll use [both]. Kari played awful well for us so we're expecting the same type of performance. We just got to give him 60 minutes, not 40 minutes." That said, Bishop has started 14 of the 19 games thus far, and is 7-5 with a 2.68 goals-against average. He's 8-3-1 with a 2.34 GAA against the Panthers, while Lehtonen has a 16-9-4 mark with a 2.47 GAA versus Florida. Lineup changes: Hitchcock said that rookie forwards Jason Dickinson and Remi Elie would be back in the lineup Tuesday. He wasn't sure of the health status of forwards Brett Ritchie, Tyler Pitlick and Radek Faksa. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083287 Dallas Stars Just 67 seconds later, Elie's spinning backhander ricocheted off the stick of Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar over Luongo for a 3-2 edge after two. It was Elie's second goal of the season and fourth of his 32- Stars couldn't give the 60 minutes Ken Hitchcock wanted in 4-3 loss to game career. Florida The Stars finally got to test their league-best power play midway through the second period, but almost gave up a shorthander, if not for a slick glove save by Lehtonen on Barkov. By Harvey Fialkov , Special Contributor Contact Harvey Fialkovon Twitter: Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.15.2017

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Stars coach Ken Hitchcock didn't exactly get the full 60- minute effort that he urged his team to give him in a meeting Tuesday morning. Although he received an herculean effort in the middle 20, when the Stars outshot Florida 18-4, it wasn't enough to compensate for a parade to the penalty box in the other two periods which resulted in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Eastern Conference bottom-feeding Panthers at a sparsely attended BB&T Center. The Stars' top-line, 1-2 punch of Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn combined on Dallas' first two goals, and rookie Remi Elie, reinserted in the lineup after a healthy scratch, gave the Stars a 3-2 lead after two. However, just four seconds after the Panthers' fourth power play elapsed, center Aleksander Barkov shook off a check, went to the net and chipped in a partially blocked shot from defenseman Mike Matheson to knot it 3-3 at 2:55. Barkov's sixth goal came a few shifts after Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (40 saves) stoned Devin Shore on a short-handed, breakaway attempt. Luongo again robbed Shore with a sick blocker save from the slot in the scoreless overtime session. Although Tyler Seguin gave the Stars a short-lived lead in their first shootout of the season, Luongo stopped Benn and Radulov. Barkov's deke and slick backhander followed by Vincent Trocheck's game-deciding wrist shot off Kari Lehtonen's stick sealed the Stars' third loss in four games. The Stars (9-8-1) are 0-1-1 on this three-game road trip that concludes with the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning in Amalie Arena on Thursday. The Panthers had lost six of their previous seven. Lehtonen, who Hitchcock hinted could get more of a lion's share of the net if he earned it, got the nod after Ben Bishop got lit up for five goals in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. "We got 40 minutes we can build on, but we got to get 60 minutes if we expect to give ourselves a chance to win hockey games on the road," Hitchcock said early Tuesday. "Words are words. Actions are everything." In his fourth start, Lehtonen shook off two first-period, power-play goals by Jonathan Huberdeau to play well (26 saves) despite the result. His teammates gave Florida too many 5-on-4 opportunities, as well as a brief 5-on-3. Hitchcock faces a tough decision, whether to go back to Bishop against his former team or allow Lehtonen to spend his 34th birthday Thursday in net. The Stars certainly didn't heed Hitchcock's plea in the first period, mostly because of a series of penalties that gave the Panthers three power plays. Despite converting 1 of 16 power-play chances in their last six games, the Panthers cashed in on two against Dallas' third-ranked penalty kill units. Huberdeau rifled a rising wrister past Lehtonen's glove at 5:13 of the first. At 15:23, Huberdeau redirected a slick shot-pass from Barkov for a 2-0 Panthers' lead. Huberdeau leads Florida with seven goals and 21 points in 17 games. However, Benn eluded Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle at the blue line to initiate a 2-on-1 rush with Radulov, who set up Benn for a flick past Luongo with 2:10 left in the period. The late goal and possibly Hitchcock, lit a fire as the Stars came out flying in the second period and managed to stay out of the penalty box. A careless pass by Luongo behind the net went to Radulov who flipped it to Benn for a chip-shot into the vacated net for a 2-2 tie at 10:56. Benn's team-leading 10th goal gave him his second multiple-goal outing of the season. Radulov extended his league-leading points streak to nine games (5-8-13). 1083288 Dallas Stars

Trocheck scores shootout winner as Panthers edge Stars

BY PAUL GEREFFI

Jonathan Huberdeau had two power-play goals and Vincent Trocheck scored the winner in a shootout to lift the Florida Panthers over the Dallas Stars 4-3 on Tuesday night. Aleksander Barkov scored in regulation and the shootout for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo stopped 40 shots, plus two more in the tiebreaker. Jamie Benn had two goals for Dallas, and Remi Elie also scored. Tyler Seguin had a goal in the shootout. Kari Lehtonen made 26 saves during his first start in four games. Alexander Radulov added two assists for the Stars and has at least one point in nine straight games. Barkov tied the score 3-all when he redirected the puck behind Lehtonen from the left side of the crease with 17:05 left in the third. Benn’s second goal evened it at 2 after Luongo got caught behind the net trying to clear. Radulov grabbed the loose puck and passed from behind the goal line to Benn in the right circle. He put the puck in the open net at 10:56 of the second. Elie gave the Stars a 3-2 lead about a minute later when he backhanded the puck past Luongo. The Stars outshot the Panthers 18-4 in the second period. Benn’s first goal cut it to 2-1 after he took a pass from Radulov on the left side and beat Luongo with a wrist shot with 2:10 left in the first. Huberdeau’s first goal gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead when his shot from the slot got past Lehtonen at 5:13 of the first. Huberdeau made it 2-0 on his second power-play goal when he redirected a pass from Barkov at 15:23. Briefly ▪ Huberdeau has points in 14 of 17 games this season. ▪ Panthers C Curtis Valk, recalled from Springfield of the AHL on Monday, played in his first NHL game. ▪ Panthers G Antti Niemi was placed on waivers. Niemi played last season with the Stars. Up next Stars: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Panthers: Visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Star-Telegram LOADED: 11.15.2017

1083289 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings preach 'high level of urgency' on power plays; PK looks good

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

The emphasis placed on special teams during training camp appears to be paying off for the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings rank sixth in the NHL in penalty kill at 84.6 percent, and they have converted on the power play in four of the last five games. Dylan Larkin’s unit gets primary credit for power-play production, as it has accounted for the last four goals. Two of those goals have come from Martin Frk, who will miss Wednesday’s game against Calgary, and likely a whole week, because of a sore groin. Frans Nielsen will take Frk’s spot on the Larkin unit. The Henrik Zetterberg unit hasn’t converted since Oct. 20, though it had a great chance and during a 5-on-3 at Florida on Oct. 28. . “It’s been a long time since they’ve converted but we’ve had no power plays hardly,” coach Jeff Blashill said after Tuesday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena. “You go through games and you don’t hardly get any power plays and then if you are the second group to go out, you’re getting 40 seconds each time. They just haven’t had very much time. “When either group gets a chance, they have to have an extraordinarily high level of urgency because we are just not getting very many. So we can’t feel our way into the power play, we’ve got to be ready to execute right away.” The Zetterberg unit understands they’ve got to start producing. “We’ve had a few chances, our unit, and didn’t score and at the end of the night it looks kind of bad when you don’t,” Tomas Tatar said. “We are still working on it.” The Wings averaged around four power plays per game over first eight games. They’ve had 10 power-play opportunities over the past six games, and three of those opportunities came during the Wings' overtime loss at Calgary on Nov. 9. It’s not unusual for officials to call penalties differently, though, and the Wings only have been shorthanded two times per game in five of their games during that stretch. The Wings’ special teams are in better shape than at this point last season, when the power play was still in the toddler stage of what would grow to an ugly four months of power-play inefficiency. Improving both has been a focus since the first day of camp. “I said to our group we have to have elite specialty teams, and I think the penalty kill is in that range and we’d like to get the power play up into that top 10 range,” Blashill said. “If you have a top-10 PP and a top-10 PK, you give yourself a better chance to be a playoff team. So we are going to keep striving for that.” One emphasis for the penalty killers, especially forwards Luke Glendening, Darren Helm and Nielsen, has been to create scoring chances when possible. Each already has a shorthanded goal. “Our mentality has been a little more aggressive than it has in the past,” Glendening said. “I mean, they’ve always said if you a chance, take it, but this year we’ve done it a little more and maybe it’s backing them off a little bit. If we can get one or get a chance, it can swing the momentum. The PK can be a big momentum changer in the game and that is what we are trying to do.” Blashill noted there are some teams — such as Dallas during the 2015- 16 season, when the Stars scored 58 power-play goals but also allowed 15 shorthanded goals — that score lots of power-play goals, but give up tons of shorthanded goals. “To me, you look at goals for and goals against on each specialty team unit,” Blashill said. “If you are able to score shorties, that’s a big thing. And it’s also a big momentum thing. The other thing that shorties or getting shorthanded chances does, it puts the power play on their heels and it’s hard to be a good power play when you are on your heels.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083290 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings' Martin Frk could miss a week with tweaked groin

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 1:11 p.m. ET Nov. 14, 2017

The Detroit Red Wings could be without one of their leading goal scorers for a week. Forward Martin Frk left Tuesday’s practice minutes after it started. Frk has had a bit of nagging groin pain, and Blashill said “it could be a week.” Frk has six goals in 18 games. Forward Darren Helm missed a second straight practice and is considered probable for the Calgary game. Blashill said Helm was injured Saturday and that “I’m hoping it’s just a bruise. Pain tolerance kind of thing.” General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press there were no plans to call up anybody from Grand Rapids, as the Wings have David Booth and Luke Witkowski in reserve. Holland said the Wings will only call up somebody if they fall below 20 skaters. Defenseman Danny DeKeyser (ankle) practiced again Tuesday and said he’s hopeful to play either Friday or Sunday. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083291 Detroit Red Wings

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

Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press Published 12:00 a.m. ET Nov. 15, 2017

Detroit Red Wings (8-8-2, 18 points) vs. Calgary Flames (10-7-0, 20 points) When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Little Caesars Arena. TV: Fox Sports Detroit-plus. Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1; other radio affiliates). Game notes: The Wings got a couple of days to rest and practice after their last game, a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jackets in a shoot-out. And while the Wings could get forward Justin Abdelkader back from a fracture in his face, they'll likely be without Martin Frk, who's battling a sore groin. Calgary's leading scorer is Johnny Gaudreau, who has 24 points (seven goals). Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083292 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings finally rising on special teams

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 5:51 p.m. ET Nov. 14, 2017

Detroit – If an NHL team ranks in the top 10 of both special teams – the power play and penalty kill – it stands to have a good chance of making the playoffs. That’s the rule of thumb, anyway, and generally proves accurate. The Red Wings weren’t close last season – and didn’t make the playoffs. There’s a long way to go until the playoffs, but the Red Wings are showing significant improvement on both units. They’re sixth on the penalty kill (84.6 percent) after ranking 16th (80.8 percent) last season. On the power play, the Wings rank 14th (18.9 percent) after finishing 27th (15.1 percent) last season. It’s the payoff for a lot of work the Red Wings did on both units in training camp. “I said we have to have elite specialty teams and the penalty kill is in that range and we’d like to get the power play into that top-10 range,” coach Jeff Blashill said Tuesday. “If you have a top-10 penalty kill and power play, you give yourself a better chance to be a playoff team. “We’re going to keep striving for that.” The power play simply hasn’t had many opportunities lately. The Red Wings had none during Saturday’s 2-1 shootout loss against Columbus, and more than two power plays only once in the previous five games before Saturday. “We’ve had no power play hardly,” Blashill said. “When either group gets a chance, they have to have an extraordinarily high level of urgency because we are just not getting very many, so we can’t feel our way into the power play. “We’ve got to be ready to execute right away.” Said forward Tomas Tatar: “We saw it last year, you can’t expect to make the playoffs when you lose on the power play and have to be off the charts on 5-on-5. We know how important it is. The PK has been good, so we have to pick it up on the power play.” The penalty kill has been aggressive and regularly disrupting opposing skaters, but forward Luke Glendening, one of the key players on the penalty kill, credits the Red Wings’ goaltending with Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek. “They’ve been fantastic in those situations,” Glendening said. “We’ve been a little more aggressive, and we’ve put emphasis on faceoffs, killing some time off, but the goaltending has been outstanding. “We’re not where want to be yet, but it’s just a matter of getting better every day and keep moving up.” FLAMES AT RED WINGS Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Little Caesars Arena TV / radio: FSD-Plus / 97.1 FM Notable: The Flames defeated the Red Wings 6-3 last week in Calgary. … LW Johnny Gaudreau is off to a great start offensively with 17 assists and 24 points. Detroit News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083293 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ scoring threat Martin Frk out vs. Flames

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 1:12 p.m. ET Nov. 14, 2017

Detroit – The Detroit Red Wings have been fortunate this season, with a lack of injuries overall, but a few nagging ones are beginning to accumulate. They’ll be without forward Martin Frk for Wednesday’s home game against Calgary after Frk left Tuesday’s practice early because of a lower-body injury. Darren Helm is also questionable against the Flames but Justin Abdelkader (cheekbone) is available, after missing Saturday’s game against Columbus. Coach Jeff Blashill said Frk’s injury was something that had been getting progressively worse. “More of an accumulation of the last couple of days, and it affected him today and he couldn’t skate great,” Blashill said. Helm hasn’t skated the last two days. “It’s something that happened the other night (against Columbus), and I’m hoping it’s just a bruise,” said Blashill, adding the Red Wings would have more information on Helm later Tuesday. “Right now, it (Helm’s availability) would be day to day.” Defenseman Trevor Daley returned to practice Tuesday after not skating Monday. To replace Frk, and possibly Helm, the Red Wings have Luke Witkowski and David Booth both available, and they could dip into Grand Rapids to get a replacement. “I have to sit down with my staff and see where we go,” Blashill said. “I came in this morning kind of expecting (both players to skate). I didn’t have any thought they wouldn’t be practicing, and now they aren’t (skating), so now we have to refocus.” Frk is second on the team with six goals, and Helm has three, so it’s a bit of a hit offensively to a team that’s been searching for goals on a more consistent basis. Detroit News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083294 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Martin Frk might be out a week

By Ansar Khan

Detroit Red Wings forward Martin Frk will miss Wednesday's game against Calgary with a groin injury that could sideline him for a week. Frk left the ice early, according to Detroitredwings.com. Darren Helm did not practice for the second day in a row and is listed as questionable. Justin Abdelkader (fractured cheekbone) returns to the lineup Wednesday. If both Frk and Helm are out, the Red Wings could elect to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, like they did in Saturday's 2-1 shootout loss to Columbus when Luke Witkowski was the seventh D, or they could insert David Booth, who hasn't played since Oct. 20. General manager Ken Holland said they will not recall anyone from the Grand Rapids Griffins. "There's plenty of pluses and minuses to 11 and 7 and 12 and 6," coach Jeff Blashill said. "The D never really like 11 and 7. Sometimes the forwards tend to like it. Some teams tend to do it lots. I've done it before in the past. "I just think getting Abby back in, it has a little bit to do with the makeup of your team. I really like the fact we were able to get (Witkowski) in on D without having just six D and I thought he did a real good job." Jimmy Howard is expected to start for Detroit. He is 3-1-1, with a 1.95 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in his past five outings. Michigan Live LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083295 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers prepare for game against Vegas Golden Knights

David Bloom

The Edmonton Oilers play the Vegas Golden Knights for the first time at Rogers Place tonight at 7 p.m. The surprising expansion team from Las Vegas is seven points ahead of the Oilers in the standings. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083296 Edmonton Oilers And the UFC just signed an exclusive seven-year pact that promises at least four events per year at the arena.

As well as hosting massive events like the Latin Grammys and Billboard Edmonton's other NHL owner: Booster Juice founder snaps up share in Music Awards, music superstars Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran have Vegas Golden Knights, new arena already performed at the venue and Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are planning gigs in the coming months. Juris Graney Published on: November 14, 2017 In March, the PAC-12 men’s college basketball tournament will take centre court.

Although he’s a first-time owner, Wishewan is no stranger to the NHL. Meet Edmonton’s other NHL team owner. The juice king, who opened his first Booster Juice in 1999 and whose When Dale Wishewan, the founder of Booster Juice, became one of 19 company now boasts 360 franchises, has inked several sponsorship minority owners of the NHL expansion Vegas Golden Knights, he joined deals over the past six seasons. an elite group of Canadians who own a share in the nation’s favourite pastime. His company now has branded rink boards in Anaheim, New Jersey, Florida, Ottawa, Edmonton and, of course, now Las Vegas. But for a man who grew up in Alberta’s capital during the Edmonton Oilers dynasty years of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, his Dale Wishewan is one of 19 minority owners in the NHL’s expansion allegiances to the grand old days has left him conflicted. team the Vegas Golden Knights. DAVID BLOOM / POSTMEDIA With his upstart team matching up against the Daryl Katz-owned Oilers at Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.15.2017 Rogers Place on Tuesday night for the first time, Wishewan is playing it safe when asked who he will be supporting. “My answer for now is that I’m cheering for both teams,” he said with a cheeky grin. The opportunity to join the Golden Knights came two years ago when a friend broached the subject. Former attorney and American billionaire businessman Bill Foley is majority owner of the team alongside the prominent Las Vegas Maloof family, who previously owned the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets NBA franchises. According to U.S. media reports, other members of the minority ownership group include New England Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski, model and actor Carol Alt and former NHL players Mark Recchi and Alexei Yashin. Wishewan, who hails from Waskatenau, a small Alberta town of around 260 people about an hour north of Edmonton, said the decision to join the coalition was a no-brainer. He declined to share how much of the team he owns or how much he paid for his share. But further sweetening the already enticing deal was the option to also own a slice of Las Vegas’s new arena, the 18,000-seat privately built T- Mobile Arena. Concerns about whether Las Vegas locals would embrace its first professional sports teams have been allayed with a blistering start to the season, ensuring sellouts at every home game so far. “It’s a novelty right now, but there is a buzz around the team,” Wishewan said last week. “We thought the fan base would be more transient than it is, but people have taken to the team as if it had existed for 20 years.” A packed rink has also translated into record merchandise sales, topping the league last month. “Most sports franchises are successful or they gain in value and this was such a unique opportunity … I can’t imagine it not working in Vegas,” he said. “Not too many people get the opportunity to be part of an ownership group with a professional sports team. When I think of having ownership of something in Vegas, it’s just wild.” Only half of the minority owners took up the option to buy into both the arena and the team, he said. Wishewan said the arena deal also helped provide a safeguard for his overall investment. “I saw it initially as an investment, but I’ve now taken so much more of a keen interest in the team,” he said. “The team part is so much fun.” Outside of the annual 41 home games, the $375-million arena is already developing a reputation as a sports and entertainment hub on The Strip. In its short lifespan, the arena has already hosted mega-events such as the fight between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) bad boy Conor McGregor. 1083297 Florida Panthers Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.15.2017

Panthers power play searches for results through recent struggles

Matthew DeFranks

As the Florida Panthers have limped to losses in six of their past seven games heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the Dallas Stars, not much has stayed the same. Their docile defense has stiffened recently. Their roaring offense has fallen silent. The goaltenders have changed and the forward lines have been tweaked with an array of injuries. The Panthers’ power play, however, still searches for some bite. Florida’s power play is just 2 for 21 (9.5 percent). It’s scored on only one of its past 15 chances. Overall this season, the Panthers rank 23rd in the NHL, converting on 15.5 percent of power plays. “Like our 5-on-5 game, it’s disappointing,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said Tuesday morning. “We’re doing a lot of good things and we’re getting a lot of great chances.” Vincent Trocheck’s power-play tally in Carolina last week stands as the Panthers’ only goal with the man-advantage in the past 17 days. But the unit has shown life in the past two games, creating 19 combined scoring chances on the power play in a win at Buffalo and a loss at New Jersey. Florida had just 19 power-play scoring chances in the previous five games total. The Panthers’ top power play unit has remained generally constant throughout the season. Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Evgenii Dadonov and Trocheck are the four forwards. Keith Yandle has retaken his position as the point man on that unit after Aaron Ekblad grabbed it for a six-game stretch. Boughner has tweaked the second unit recently, injecting defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to play alongside Ekblad plus forwards Radim Vrbata, Nick Bjugstad and Jamie McGinn. “Obviously we haven’t scored as many goals as we wanted, but I think the opportunities are there,” Yandle said. “We’re getting opportunities. If we just stay with the process and do what we need to do, they’ll come. Power play and penalty kill are things during the season where you can get hot or you can get cold. You just got to stay with the process.” Panthers defenseman and power-play point man Keith Yandle talks about the unit, plus gives him take on how Florida can turn its season around. The Panthers are above average at generating shot attempts while on the power play, attempting 106.5 shots per 60 minutes, according to Corsica.Hockey. That ranks 12th among the 31 NHL teams. The issue with Florida is turning scoring chances and shots into goals. The Panthers’ shooting percentage of 8.33 percent is the fourth-worst in the NHL, ahead of just Columbus, Buffalo and Montreal. Columbus and Buffalo have two of the three worst power plays in the league. “It’s going well, but we just got to capitalize on it a little bit more,” Huberdeau said. Shooting percentages can sometimes reflect a spell of luckiness (or unluckiness) with teams. The numbers can regress to the mean, implying the Panthers are due for a boost on the unit soon. But a look at last year’s Panthers power play could prove otherwise. The Panthers generated shot attempts at a similar clip a season ago: 104.6 per 60 minutes of power-play time, ranking 10th in the league. Florida’s shooting percentage was the worst in the league at 9.91 percent. The overall unit ranked 23rd in the NHL, scoring on 17.0 percent of man-advantages. “That was the message this morning in our power play meeting: Just keep doing the things that we’re doing,” Boughner said. “If we keep generating the chances and the shots, good things’ll happen. That’s usually how it goes with power plays. Sometimes you’re not very good and you get two or three.” Boughner pointed to better zone entries and improved faceoffs on Saturday in New Jersey for signs of optimism for the power play. The Panthers will be tested across the next four games. Tuesday’s opponent, Dallas, ranks third in the NHL on the penalty kill at (86.7 percent). Then Florida travels to San Jose (second, 88.5) and Los Angeles (first, 91.9) and Anaheim (fifth, 85.1). 1083298 Florida Panthers

Curtis Valk to center Panthers' fourth line in NHL debut on Tuesday

Matthew DeFranks

Florida Panthers forward Curtis Valk will become the fourth player to make his NHL debut for the team this season, taking the ice Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars. Valk, 24, is slated to center the fourth line between Micheal Haley and Connor Brickley. He will be filling in for injured captain Derek MacKenzie, who suffered a lower-body injury Saturday in New Jersey. Panthers coach Bob Boughner said the team would evaluate MacKenzie again on Tuesday afternoon before deciding if he makes the three-game road trip to California this weekend. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Valk signed an entry-level contract over the summer with the Panthers and began the season with AHL affiliate Springfield. In 16 games, he has six goals and nine assists with the Thunderbirds. “Small guy, but he competes hard,” Boughner said. “He’s had some success down there in the American League according to [Springfield coach Geordie Kinnear]. He’s a real reliable player. He’s getting rewarded for his play in the American League and he fits exactly what we need tonight.” Owen Tippett, Chase Balisy and Dryden Hunt have already made their NHL debuts for Florida this season. Tippett is back with his junior team in the Ontario Hockey League. Balisy is in Springfield. Hunt remains with the Panthers. -- Valk’s recall forced the Panthers to make a roster move to clear space for him, placing forward Jared McCann (lower body) on injured reserve. The move is largely custodial, given that McCann has already missed a week’s worth of games. He is eligible to come off IR at any time. McCann skated in a yellow non-contact jersey during morning skate on Tuesday. He’s missed the last three games and eight of the last nine games. -- Goaltender Antti Niemi, waived by the Panthers on Monday, was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Niemi played in just two games with Florida, both in relief of James Reimer. He allowed five goals on 39 shots. Montreal is now responsible for the remainder of Niemi’s one-year, $700,000 contract. Niemi started the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but has been waived twice. With Niemi’s removal and McCann’s trip to IR, the Panthers roster sits at 22 players. Tuesday’s projected lineup against Dallas, 7:30 p.m. Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov Dryden Hunt – Vincent Trocheck – Radim Vrbata Jamie McGinn – Nick Bjugstad – Micheal Haley – Curtis Valk – Connor Brickley Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad Mike Matheson – Mark Pysyk Ian McCoshen – MacKenzie Weegar Roberto Luongo James Reimer Scratches: Derek MacKenzie, Alex Petrovic. Injured reserve: Jared McCann. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083299 Florida Panthers 17 minutes before re-entering the game with about seven minutes left in the second period.

After the game, Huberdeau said he felt fine, and that the pain was “more Panthers beat Stars in shootout to win for second time in three games in the moment.” On that play, he thought he had a breakaway. But Johns reminded him he didn’t. Matthew DeFranks “That’s my bad,” Huberdeau said. He opened the scoring on the power play at 5:13 of the first period by flicking a wrist shot past Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen. Trocheck and Arbitrary endpoints can tell a wide range of stories. They can pinpoint Evgenii Dadonov picked up the assists. deficiencies across the grind of a six-month hockey season. They can overvalue hot streaks in the same campaign. But they can also help Huberdeau struck again 10 minutes later. This time it was Aleksander shape the psyche of a team. Barkov with the nifty feed, sliding a pass in front of the crease for Huberdeau to tip in for his seventh goal of the season. A loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night and the Florida Panthers would have dropped seven of eight games. A win would have lifted them The Panthers power play entered Tuesday night in a bit of a rut. It scored to victories in two of three games. Confidence entering a three-game on just one of its last 15 chances and just two of its last 22 opportunities. road trip through California swiveled on Tuesday night’s result. Panthers personnel said Tuesday the power play — if it kept playing the same way — would turn itself around. Dallas, in boasting the league’s In a 4-3 Panthers shootout win, it ticked upward. third-best penalty kill, would test Florida. Vincent Trocheck scored the game-winning goal in the third round of the “We’re getting there,” Huberdeau said before the game. “Power play is shootout to give Florida the win. Aleksander Barkov also scored in the huge. We want to be good at it and we want to get better.” shootout while Roberto Luongo made saves on Dallas’ Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov. Florida’s third goal came just four seconds after a Dallas penalty expired. The win ushered in a jovial postgame dressing room, complete with The Stars got on the board when Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle got Trocheck blasting Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time” during interviews. caught too high in the neutral zone, opening up a 2-on-1 opportunity. The mood has been sparse recently, with the Panthers (6-9-2, 14 points) Aaron Ekblad couldn’t contain both Radulov and Benn. Benn easily descending to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. finished the play to bring Dallas within 2-1. “You see teams win one, lose one all the time,” Luongo said. “The good Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.15.2017 teams are able to put it on the ice every night on a consistent basis. That’s how we’re going to turn this thing around.” Luongo also made a stunning blocker save on Alexander Radulov in overtime, recovering after Dallas pounced on a loose puck to keep the game going. “I thought for sure it was over,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. The win was highlighted by a strong game from Jonathan Huberdeau and Florida’s once sputtering power play unit. Huberdeau scored two goals on the man-advantage, marking just the second time all season the Panthers score multiple goals on the power play. “We need some points right now,” Huberdeau said. Huberdeau’s goals built a 2-0 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the first period. But the second period unraveled the lead. The third reeled it back in. Barkov netted the game-tying goal less than three minutes into the third period, banging home a rebound of Mike Matheson’s shot from the point. The goal gave Barkov his sixth multi-point game of the season. The Panthers managed just four shots in the second period as the Stars (9-9-0, 18 points) pelted Luongo with 18. Florida nearly had as many penalties (three) as it did shots on goal in the second period. Two Dallas breakaway opportunities forced the Panthers to take penalties. Mark Pysyk was whistled for hooking 69 seconds into the period in covering for Mike Matheson. Matheson was called for tripping when a bouncing puck sprung the Stars. Dallas didn’t score on the ensuing penalties. But it would soon after. Benn scored his second goal of the evening when Luongo turned the puck over behind the net. Luongo handled the puck poorly, giving it away to Stars forward Radulov, who found Benn with an open net. The goal knotted the game at 2 about halfway through the second period. Dallas took the lead 67 seconds later when a Remi Elie shot outside the crease deflected off Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar’s stick. The puck fluttered over Luongo, deflating the BB&T Center for the second time in less than two minutes. “We overcomplicated things again and we tried to get a little too fancy,” Boughner said of the second period. For Huberdeau, the last few days have been up and down. He missed Monday’s Panthers practice when he was too sick to come into work. His two goals in the first period were his first goals in more than two weeks. And then more bad news leveled Huberdeau at the blue line. Dallas defenseman Stephen Johns stood up Huberdeau at the blue line in the second period, knocking him to the ice first, then skating to the bench next. Huberdeau disappeared into the Panthers’ dressing room for 1083300 Los Angeles Kings LA Times: LOADED: 11.15.2017

Kings headed in wrong direction in loss to Canucks

Curtis Zupke

Win or lose, the Kings were still going to possess first place in the Pacific Division after Tuesday. They were the third-highest scoring team in the Western Conference and the talk of the NHL to start the season. They still needed change. That was underscored by a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Staples Center that represented their third straight loss. Beforehand the Kings traded Michael Cammalleri to the Edmonton Oilers for Jussi Jokinen in a swap of veteran forwards. Kings general manager Rob Blake wants regularity from a bottom-six forward group that has seen a rotation of prospects, coupled with the unsuccessful reunion with Cammalleri. Blake acquired Jokinen in a transaction that came together “fairly quickly” over the last couple of days. “He’s been a very reliable player over his career and I think that would bring a little stability to our lineup,” Blake said. Top to bottom, the Kings lacked stability when they squandered a 2-0 lead, which came courtesy of Anze Kopitar, who achieved a career-high nine-game point streak with a tap-in power-play goal at 3:14 of the first period. Tanner Pearson’s steep-angle shot made it past Vancouver goalie Anders Nilsson 23 seconds into the game. But the Kings find themselves 0-3 on this homestand, and Alec Martinez summed it up tidily after the announced crowd of 18,230 filed out. “We just stopped playing our game,” he said. “They didn’t.” The Canucks were sparked by Henrik Sedin’s shot off Nick Shore, and got power-play goals by Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi, against the Kings’ top-ranked penalty kill. It could have been a steeper climb if not for Jonathan Quick’s denial of Brandon Sutter on a second-period penalty shot, awarded when Sutter was slashed on a break to the net. “We just need to look at ourselves,” Pearson said. “We all know the way we can play. We’ve done it in spurts. In some games, we’ve done it the whole game. We’ve just got to do it for 60 minutes and not 10 minutes in the first period.” Baertschi’s goal came after an inadvertent high-sticking penalty by Andrew Crescenzi in his NHL debut, which happened after 251 games played in the minors. He was an undrafted signee by the Toronto Maple Leafs and arrived to the Kings in a 2014 trade. “It’s been a long time,” Crescenzi said before the game. “I’m grateful for the opportunity.” As the Kings said hello to Crescenzi, they said goodbye to Cammalleri again. His signing of a one-year, $1-million contract on the first day of free agency did not make waves, especially as the Kings’ big offensive catch. It was a low-risk homecoming for the 15-year NHL player after he spent the first five seasons of his career here. Cammalleri was reunited with former linemates Kopitar and Dustin Brown in training camp, but the nostalgia ended there. He was scratched twice in October and his ice time sank to a career-low 12 minutes, 38 seconds per game. Cammalleri contributed three goals and four assists and was on the first power-play unit as recently as this month, but his role became further reduced with the breakthroughs of Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe. Blake did not say if Cammalleri requested a trade but confirmed that Cammalleri was unhappy. “I don’t think he enjoyed the role that he was in, by any means,” Blake said. “I won’t tell you a lot about our conversations but [what] I’ll tell you is that we came to the conclusion it wasn’t going the direction he wanted it to.” Jokinen, 34, will play for his seventh team in a 13-year career that peaked statistically with 30 goals for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009-10. He has 186 goals in 905 career games but had only one point in 14 games with Edmonton this season. Etc. Marian Gaborik (knee) looks to be within a couple of week of returning, perhaps in early December, Blake said. … Kopitar’s streak is tied for the longest active point streak in the NHL. 1083301 Los Angeles Kings

King trade Michael Cammalleri to Edmonton for Jussi Jokinen

Curtis Zupke

The signing of Michael Cammalleri was a minor, if not underwhelming, move in the summer by the Kings, but it represented a homecoming for the veteran forward because he had spent the first five seasons of his career here. That homecoming lasted six weeks into the season. The Kings traded Cammalleri to the Edmonton Oilers for another veteran, Jussi Jokinen, before their Tuesday game against the Vancouver Canucks at Staples Center. Jokinen, 34, will play for his seventh team in his 13-year career. The trade was not shocking considering Cammalleri’s diminished ice time, particularly in the third period. He averaged a career-low 12 minutes, 38 seconds in 15 games. Cammalleri contributed three goals and four assists and was on their first power-play unit but played on the bottom six and was scratched twice. Cammalleri, 35, signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Kings and it represented their biggest offensive catch in free agency. Jokinen has 186 goals in 905 games and scored a career-high 30 goals for Carolina in 2009-10. He has one point in 14 games with Edmonton this season. The Kings recalled Andrew Crescenzi on Tuesday. LA Times: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083302 Los Angeles Kings defensive end as much as the offensive end,” Stevens said Tuesday morning. “He and Kopi are two big, fast centers, playing 200 feet.”

And this is where the youth on the defensive end shows up. Oscar Whicker: Another loss, another seed of doubt for Kings Fantenberg had some difficult moments, and Doughty, Muzzin and Martinez played 25:16, 23:19 and 25:04, respectively. By MARK WHICKER | PUBLISHED: November 14, 2017 The Kings made a minor trade Tuesday, sending 35-year-old winger Mike Cammalleri to Edmonton for 34-year-old winger Jussi Jokinen. Cammalleri had talked to GM Rob Blake about his limited playing time, a situation created by Iafallo’s strong play. This is Jokinen’s seventh team. LOS ANGELES — They say a 2-0 lead, especially when you grab it in He had no goals and one assist for the Oilers, basically playing the fourth the first 3:14 of a hockey game, is the most precarious. line. What do they say about a 9-0-1 start? “He gives us stability,” Blake said, “and we can move him around quite a bit.” Last time you turned around, the Kings had finished a triumphant Eastern trip. Now they are 11-5-2, and they have lost three consecutive games, It’s difficult to assess the Kings until Carter and Martin Gaborik get back, the past two coming at home to Pacific Division opponents. but this is approximately the time when NHL teams begin to show themselves. Are the Devils really a contender? Is Edmonton really sub- The latest was Tuesday night, 3-2 at the hands of Vancouver, after the .500? Are the Blackhawks just cruising or have they run out of gas? Kings had struck for two goals before the Staples Center crowd had opened its Popcornopolis bags. All we know is that the light-hearted start is over, and the Kings now have to push themselves to be something besides Not Last Year’s Team. The bags were over their heads by the end, as the Kings played a listless second period and then a frenzied third, without result. Someone mentioned confidence at the morning skate and Stevens shook his head and said, “It’s a funny thing. A lot of people, including me, don’t “We quit playing our game after that start we had,” Alec Martinez said like to talk about it.” tersely. “They didn’t.” It probably won’t come up today. The issue is whether the Kings can retain the kind of game that made them the final team in hockey to suffer a regulation loss. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.15.2017 Their top-ranked penalty kill gave up two goals, including the game- winner by Sven Baertschi. They blocked few shots, they suffered some alarming turnovers, they allowed the Canucks to assail Jonathan Quick with impunity, and they couldn’t capitalize on Alexander Edler’s late boarding penalty on Alex Iafallo. Martinez hit the crossbar with one late shot and Adrian Kempe got stuffed by goalie Anders Nilsson at close range. But the game was really lost in the corners and along the boards, where the Canucks feasted on a lot of up-for-grabs pucks. “One team wanted to forecheck, one team didn’t,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “We started turning some pucks over on what should have been some simple option plays, for about 30 minutes there. “We’ve got lots of work to do. We had a lot of work to do when we were winning, so that hasn’t changed.” The Canucks stabilized the game after Tanner Pearson scored, 21 seconds in, and then Anze Kopitar made it 2-0 on a power play. It gave Kopitar a career-high nine-game scoring streak. The reason two-goal leads are so dangerous is the false sense of security they bring. It’s like a two-stroke lead in golf. It sounds like a cushion but one bad swing makes it disappear. The goal that makes it 2- 1 can tilt the mentality of both teams. Henrik Sedin got that 2-1 goal with a shot that ricocheted off Nick Shore and past Quick. That was hockey happenstance. But when the Canucks got a power play on Iafallo’s tripping penalty, Bo Horvat kept the puck in the Kings’ zone, and H. Sedin found rookie Brock Boeser, lonesome on the left side. Boeser’s rocket shot bounced off Quick and went skyward, and Horvat out-positioned Jake Muzzin for the rebound goal that tied it. “I would like to see us win a battle in the blue paint there,” Stevens said. The Kings had two carryover power plays that straddled periods and did nothing with either. Quick stopped a penalty shot by Brandon Sutter and even that couldn’t change the vibe. Finally Andrew Crescenzi, called up from Ontario for this game, drew a high-sticking penalty. Vancouver staged a rush that hypnotized all the penalty-killers, including Drew Doughty. Baertschi was able to sneak in behind him and Doughty was in no position to block or resist his shot that beat Quick, 4:07 into the third period. “The big thing right now is puck management,” said Pearson, who had six of the Kings’ 32 shots on goal. “Just get more puck possession in their zone, chip it in there and maintain it. That’s what we were doing when we were most effective and we need to get back to that.” “Puck possession in our own end is a key,” Martinez said. “Just communicating, letting a guy know if he’s got time or not. It starts with the seven of us on the back end. That, and playing 60 minutes.” This is where you see the Kings missing Jeff Carter. “When he got hurt our coaches knew right away that we were going to miss him on the 1083303 Los Angeles Kings

Canucks send Kings to 3rd straight loss

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS|

LOS ANGELES — Sven Baertschi scored the tie-breaking goal on a power play early in the third period and the Vancouver Canucks wrapped up a four-game trip by sending the Kings to their third consecutive loss, 3-2 on Tuesday night at Staples Center. Henrik Sedin and Bo Horvat scored second-period goals for the Canucks, who had lost two straight and five of seven. Anders Nilsson overcame a rough start to make 30 saves in his first appearance since Oct. 26 as Vancouver knocked off the Pacific Division leaders. Tanner Pearson scored in the opening minute and Anze Kopitar extended his point streak to nine games with a power-play goal moments later for the Kings, who hadn’t lost three straight since Feb. 16-19. Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots, but the Kings remained winless three games into a five-game homestand after blowing a two-goal lead against the inconsistent Canucks. “We let our foot off the gas pedal there,” Pearson said. “I think (after) we get up those two goals, (and) maybe we took a step back. They got some momentum, and they carried it.” Vancouver was 2 for 21 on the power play over its past six games before improbably scoring twice against the Kings, who had the NHL’s best penalty-killing percentage entering the game. Horvat scored the tying goal on a power play late in the second period. With Kings forward Andrew Crescenzi in the penalty box during his NHL debut, Baertschi took a cross-ice pass from Thomas Vanek and caught Quick leaning the wrong way for his sixth goal of the season. “I knew Quick is an aggressive goalie,” Baertschi said. “I knew he was going to push over pretty hard, so I went far side.” Nilsson had sat out the previous seven games behind Jacob Markstrom, and he got off to a shaky start when Pearson slipped an innocent shot past his short side just 23 seconds in. Kopitar doubled the Kings’ lead 3:14 in with his ninth goal of a resurgent season. Henrik Sedin got the Canucks on the board early in the second with a shot that banked in off the posterior of Kings forward Nick Shore. Horvat evened it with a rebound goal after Brock Boeser’s shot, and Sedin also got an assist for the 250th multipoint game of his career. Quick stopped a penalty shot by Brandon Sutter later in the second. CAMMALLERI TRADED Hours before the game, the Kings traded Mike Cammalleri to the Edmonton Oilers for fellow forward Jussi Jokinen. Cammalleri’s second stint with the Kings lasted just 15 games after the 35-year-old veteran became frustrated with his role. Jokinen has just one point in 14 games for Edmonton, but Kings general manager Rob Blake expects him to provide stability on their depth lines. NOTES Before Sutter’s second-period penalty shot, Vancouver had just one penalty shot against the Kings in franchise history: Kelly Hrudey stopped Pavel Bure on Oct. 6, 1993. … Vancouver center Brendan Gaunce returned to the lineup and Alexander Burmistrov was scratched. … Defenseman Christian Folin returned to the Kings’ lineup after three games as a scratch. Rookie defenseman Kurtis MacDermid was scratched for the first time since Oct. 23. … The Kings next host the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083304 Los Angeles Kings player, and he thrives to compete in those one-on-one situations despite only being six feet tall. He makes really quick decisions with the puck. He’s very efficient coming out of his zone. He’s got some intangibles that TONY GASPARINI SHARES PROSPECT UPDATES ON HULTS, are going to carry him a long way. That’s a pretty special young man. ANDERSON AND EYSSIMONT LAKI: And with his skill set, given the importance of pace of play and the ability to move pucks, is he one of those hybrid-style, smaller defenders that you see more and more of? JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 14, 2017 TG: I think so. You know, I don’t know if it’s so much the size, but I think if you start looking at it, it’s the traits that are coming in – the skating, and the ability to make quick, responsible decision going through options with PROSPECTS AND SCOUTING the puck. And I think those are probably the traits that maybe everyone is trending towards. You have to be able to retrieve pucks, you have to be LA Kings Insider spoke with Los Angeles Kings Amateur Scout – United able to make quick plays with them, but you want to do so where it’s not States, Tony Gasparini, to get a sense of how three NCAA-based only one option. You want to be able to show enough poise and play with American prospects have begun their collegiate seasons. First, there’s your head up that you can sort through your options in a quick amount of 19-year-old Cole Hults, a defenseman whose eight-game point streak time in order to get pucks out of your zone. I think those traits in regards came to an end over the weekend during Penn State’s back-to-back to being able to skate, being able to retrieve pucks and being able to sort losses to Notre Dame. Still, he leads all freshman NCAA defensemen with the puck on your stick in a quick fashion, I think those are the traits with 11 points (2-9=11) through his first 12 games. that you’re looking at. Cole is improving the pace of his game at Penn Like Hults, Minnesota-Duluth defenseman Mikey Anderson is another State because they play a really up-tempo game, but he has those traits freshman who will draw consideration from USA Hockey when it comes with the puck on his stick. Mikey [Anderson] – he has those traits. He time to put the United States’ World Junior Championships team does make very, very quick decisions, and you see a lot of pre-puck together. The left-shooting 18-year-old defenseman has missed time awareness in his game where he knows where he’s going to go prior to early in the season but has still posted seven points (3-4=7) in nine touching that puck. games, with two of his three goals coming on the power play. Mikey Anderson; 6’0, 196; May 25, 1999; Roseville, MN; Shoots Left; 4th St. Cloud State forward Mikey Eyssimont also missed time early in the Round, 2017 season but enters the week with two goals and seven points in eight LAKI: Mikey Eyssimont has always shown strong playmaking and the games; he nearly added a third goal to his name during the first of St. ability to put up points. How is that transferring into his third NCAA Cloud’s back-to-back losses to Denver, but his would-be Friday marker season at St. Cloud? was negated because of goaltender interference. Now in his third year in college, he’ll be a player who will draw strong consideration for an entry- TG: Well, he had a little bit of a rough start this year in which he was sick level contract upon the conclusion of his junior season with the Huskies. off the ice, which took him out of the first couple weeks. It’s going to be another two or three weeks before he’s back to 100%. He’s playing his LA Kings Insider: Cole Hults came to development camp with a body and way back into shape right now, but you’re starting to see flashes of his stature that appeared ready for collegiate play, and he’s been producing skill level, which is exceptional. Like, his individual skill level, his ability to at both ends of the ice for Penn State. Where exactly is he at, early in his make plays, create offense, especially on the half-court and especially on freshman year? What has impressed you about Hults, and what will he the power play, is very impressive. It’s a matter of Mikey gaining that continue to work on? strength back in which he worked so hard this past summer to add on. Tony Gasparini: He’s had a real good start to his collegiate career. He’s So, it’s going to take a little time. I would expect you’re going to see him one of the top scoring defensemen in the country in addition to being the take off in the second half of the season, and he’s hovering around a top scoring freshman defenseman in the country right now, and he’s got point-a-game now, which is very good. He’s been a point-a-game guy very good natural feel and ability to make plays with the puck in all three almost for two years in college now, but I would expect in the second half zones, and he has a tremendous amount of poise that goes along with of this year – and St. Cloud is one of the top programs in the country this that. He’s making the transition in regards to his play away from the puck, year – so I would expect in the second half, I would hope to see a little becoming more assertive without it, closing gaps, finishing off physically boost as he starts to get back. But his skill set is a little different. He with intent. He’s in a great development situation. He’s playing top pairing separates himself due to his skill set and his offensive instincts. He’s got minutes right from the start, and he’s on both of their special teams units. a will to score goals and a will to produce offensively. It’s just a matter of He’s a young man that he’s going to have a bright future ahead of him as him gaining enough strength so he can play at a faster pace and play a long as he keeps working, and that’s something that he dedicated himself more complete game without the puck. to the last two summers. He’s a really good kid, and having had the Mikey Eyssimont; 6’0, 181; September 9, 1996; Littleton, CO; Shoots opportunity to watch him play the last two years in the USHL and then Left; 5th Round, 2016 this season right now, he’s making the necessary strides towards one day becoming a pro. -Lead photo via Jeff Vinnick/NHLI LAKI: When you were scouting him in the USHL, did you have the sense LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 that his skill set would transfer into somebody that was capable of providing offense? TG: I think it was secondary. I think a lot of his points thus this year have come on the power play, and they’ve got a really good power play going. However, in his second year in the USHL, I thought the majority of his points came from his play in transition. Like, I thought he moved pucks up really quick, and that allowed the team to get moving and attack with speed. I thought that would be the majority of his points, but obviously he’s kind of added a little bit of an element through confidence that he gained last year in the USHL from the offensive blue line. He has to be respected up top on the power play because he does shoot it so well. That’s an element that maybe we undervalued a little bit in looking at him in the USHL, but in saying that, he was still one of the top five scoring [defensemen] last year in the United States league. Cole Hults; 6’2, 195; May 22, 1998; Stoughton, WI; Shoots Left; 5th Round, 2017 LAKI: How has Mikey Anderson’s freshman season started out in Duluth? TG: Mikey, he got injured a couple weeks ago. I believe he had a slight concussion that he was dealing with. I think he’s going to be back on the ice again this week. He’s had a real strong start. Didn’t expect Mikey to be putting up these kind of numbers that he did from the beginning. His game is very solid, very dependable both ways. His greatest asset is probably just his level of competitiveness. This young man is a hockey 1083305 Los Angeles Kings Province: Baertschi—Horvat—Boeser, Gaunce—Sutter—Dorsett, D. Sedin—H. Sedin—Eriksson, Vanek—Granlund—Gagner; Edler—Pouliot, Del Zotto—Biega, Hutton—Gudbranson. Chris Tanev (thumb) and Troy NOVEMBER 14 MORNING SKATE NOTES: KINGS RECALL Stecher (knee) are out. CRESCENZI -Tonight’s officials are referees Marc Joannette and Frederick L’Ecuyer and linesmen Brandon Gawryletz and Ryan Galloway. Davis Gaines will sing tonight’s anthems. Let’s talk soon, Insiders. JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 14, 2017 -Lead photo via Jeff Vinnick/NHLI

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 Good afternoon from… not El Segundo. Thank you for your patience as I, like several Kings, took the option this morning. Notes! -As, uh, noted, it wasn’t a complete skate. No line rushes. Cammalleri and Dowd stayed on for extra work. Quick got the morning off, JS said. Discuss amongst yourselves. — Curtis Zupke (@curtiszupke) November 14, 2017 An educated assessment leads one to believe that Jonathan Quick will start against Vancouver (7:30 p.m. / FOX Sports West / FOX Sports GO / KABC 790 / I Heart Radio). That’s not a confirmation. There are four games in six days this week, which ends with a back-to-back weekend set against Florida and at Vegas. It is possible that Darcy Kuemper could get into a game beyond an assumed start this weekend. Is it probable? No, I wouldn’t say that. For what it’s worth, in times of compacted schedules, Quick has been known to take a morning off here or there. We’re approaching the time of the year where that becomes more likely. “…I think it’s important to get a gauge on the players, where their fatigue’s at,” John Stevens said yesterday. “I talk to Matt Price and the trainers, and they have a pretty good read on that. If guys need options in the morning, this group’s done a really good job with their preparation, so if they need options in the morning, then we’ll make sure they get it.” Over his last 5GP vs #Canucks, @LAKings goalie Jonathan Quick has 4 wins & 2 shut-outs. His career 1.61 GAA vs VAN is lowest of any active @NHL goalie. — Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) November 14, 2017 -Center Andrew Crescenzi has been recalled by the Kings, bringing the roster to 23. Should he get into a game – and it appears there’s a good chance of that, based on who remained on the ice for extra work this morning – he would join Jamie Devane, Yanni Gourde and Danill Tarasov as former San Francisco Bulls to graduate to the NHL. (That list does not include Torrey Mitchell or Theo Peckham, players with NHL experience that played at the Cow Palace during the lockout.) As alluded to by Mike Stothers, Crescenzi is a player who wasn’t drafted by Los Angeles and paid his dues through 251 AHL games and 23 ECHL games, dating back to the end of the 2010-11 season. He’s a grinding, penalty killing, faceoff winner who does not exude skill but provides hard minutes and is a responsible, intelligent player with good defensive awareness. His three points in 11 games with Ontario all came during his first star performance in Saturday’s 4-1 win at San Diego. His responsibility and dependability in key moments of hockey games has continued to catch the gaze of the Kings’ coaching staff. Based on some correspondence this morning, it checks out with the team’s plans to provide meritocratic opportunities to players to show what they can do with the big club, and because Crescenzi has regularly cleared waivers at the start of NHL seasons, there’s no risk in losing him. He has played some wing this year with the Reign but has mostly served as a center that the team has relied upon for important late-game draws while protecting a lead. Acquired in January, 2014 from Toronto in exchange for Brandon Kozun while LAKI was en route to Dodger for the Stadium Series media skate, the 6-foot-5, 207-pound, 25-year-old has 61 points (24- 37=61) and 244 penalty minutes in 251 AHL games. A Thornhill, Ont. native, Crescenzi was an important role player during Manchester’s 2015 Calder Cup campaign. -Based on the limited information provided by today’s optional skate, it’s possible we’ll see a forward group consisting of Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown, Pearson-Kempe-Toffoli, Andreoff-Shore-Lewis and Crescenzi-Laich- Amadio. It has been said once or twice around these parts: wait for the song. -New dad Anders Nilsson was the first goaltender off the ice for Vancouver and will be expected to draw the start. The Canucks, who used three different power play units in practice on Monday and are 2- for-21 on the power play over the last six games, could align with the following forward and defensive groups, according to Ben Kuzma of The 1083306 Los Angeles Kings

Ted Sandeen/Iowa Wild

JOEY ZAKRZEWSKI NOVEMBER 14, 2017

It has been a busy morning for the Ontario Reign. The LA Kings Development Staff made their way to the Inland Empire for the first of a pair of development days today and tomorrow and earlier this morning, we discovered that forward Andrew Crescenzi receive a phone call to join the Kings as they prepare to host the Vancouver Canucks tonight down at Staples Center. Crescenzi, in his sixth professional season, looks to make his NHL debut tonight and is coming off a three-point performance (two goals, one assist) last Saturday in a 4-1 at San Diego. For the rest of the Reign, Cal Petersen, Jonny Brodzinski, Justin Auger, Sam Herr, Phil Maillet, Sean Walker, Matt Roy, Stepan Falkovsky, Keegan Iverson, Matt Luff and Boko Imama participated in the development skate while the Rest of the team took advantage of a dry- land workout. We caught up with Reign Head Coach Mike Stothers and defenseman Alex Lintuniemi at Citizens Business Bank Arena as the squad prepare to take on the San Jose Barracuda in San Jose on Saturday (1:15) and Sunday (3:00) afternoon. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083307 Los Angeles Kings

BLAKE DISCUSSES JOKINEN/CAMMALLERI SWAP, GABORIK, KEMPE, CARTER, IAFALLO

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 15, 2017

TRADES Several additional notes to pass along on the Michael Cammalleri-Jussi Jokinen swap, as well as Marian Gaborik’s impending availability, as shared by Rob Blake during first intermission media availability. (Stick tap to LAKI Associate Jessi McDonald for the audio transcript while I had radio duties.) -First, Cammalleri. He wasn’t particularly happy with his role on the team and where exactly his usage was trending. “I don’t think he enjoyed the role that he was in by any means,” Blake said. “I’ve had conversations the last couple of days. … I won’t tell you a lot about our conversation, but what I’ll tell you is we came to the conclusion that it wasn’t going the direction that he wanted it to, and what we’re looking for is … stability in that bottom of the lineup.” Blake declined to answer as to whether Cammalleri had asked for a trade, but said, “…this wasn’t a direction he’d seen him going in and both of us felt we could do something about that.” -Part of that is because of the emergence of Alex Iafallo. As noted, Cammalleri was brought in to skate with other players whose abilities would mesh well with his offensively inclined skill set, and with Iafallo’s near-seamless fit alongside Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, there were different circumstances in October and November than those that had been expected in July. “Well it made Cammy pushed down the lineup, for sure,” Blake said. “I think Alex has been terrific out there. I think he does a really good complement with Kopitar and Brown and we ultimately had Pearson on the second line and pushed Cammalleri’s minutes probably down at regular strength.” -The trade materialized quickly over the last several days, and Blake likes Jokinen’s ability to play different forward positions and the potential to add structure to the bottom half of the lineup. “I think Jokinen is a very versatile player. Different positions throughout the lineup,” he said. Jokinen hadn’t earned vast special teams time in Edmonton, and may have lost a step when compared to earlier stages of his career, but “he gives you power play and he gives you a little more skill option” in addition to “a stability option, a versatile option,” as Blake said. The team is looking for additional stability in the bottom six. “I think if you take a look, we went through Auger, Brodzinski, Amadio, Crescenzi,” Blake said. “Cammalleri was in and out of the lineup. Brooks Laich has been in and out of the lineup. So, looking for stability somewhere in that lineup? Yes, we are.” -While there is no exact science on a timetable for Marian Gaborik’s return, it’s beginning to take shape. “Gabby has taken the last couple days full practice and he’s well on his way,” Blake said. “You know, projection, I don’t know the exact time frame. Within a couple weeks. I think we have that trip there, late November, early December we would like to target. We haven’t picked a target date yet, but he’s tracking in that direction.” -Meanwhile, Jeff Carter isn’t walking through those doors anytime soon, and there isn’t a large enough sample size to get a sense of where exactly the team is at in his absence. “No, and unfortunately, we’re going to have a large sample size by the end of it, by the time he’s coming back,” Blake said. “I don’t think you can replace that. What Kempe has been able to do is the speed element. He can bring that, which is a similar level to Jeff’s and we’ve been fortunate. I know you mentioned Iafallo earlier, but you put Kempe there. We’ve had two kids come in and solidify NHL roles for us. And so it does kind of change the makeup of your team that you probably are looking at two months ago.” Kempe has provided a tremendous presence at the center of the lineup, which does present some challenges, because he’s more of a natural winger who was never regularly entrusted with faceoffs. “We put him at center in the American League, but there were a lot of games where he would finish the wing, and so he’s got to understand the faceoff purpose of that,” Blake said. “You know, you saw in the [first] period here, they pulled him off for Crescenzi for a D-zone draw. You’ll see protection like that, but the other defensive part of it, I don’t. You know typically the Swedes come with a good background in that, and what he’s able to do is make up a lot with his speed and his stick. He’s a smart player.” LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083308 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 14 POSTGAME NOTES

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 14, 2017

POSTGAME NOTES -With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 108-103-36 all-time against Vancouver, a record that includes a home mark of 66-42-18. The Canucks have points in three straight games at Staples Center, going 2- 0-1 over that span. These teams have three games remaining: December 30 and January 23 at Rogers Arena and March 12 at Staples Center. -With the loss, the Kings fell to 2-3-2 against the Western Conference, 2- 2-1 against the Pacific Division, 4-3-2 in one-goal games, 6-2-0 when scoring first, 4-2-0 when leading after the first period, 5-1-0 when tied after the second period and 6-2-2 when outshooting their opponent. -Los Angeles allowed multiple power play goals for the first time this season. -Though they have outscored their opponents 21-11 in third periods this season, the Kings have been outscored 3-0 in third periods over the last two games. -Brandon Sutter’s penalty shot was the 55th all-time against Los Angeles (14 made, 41 missed). By stopping it, Jonathan Quick has now stopped four of the six penalty shots he has faced. After going from January 16, 2014 to November 2, 2017 without allowing a penalty shot, the Kings have allowed three this month, with Quick stopping two of them. -With his first period goal, Anze Kopitar extended his point streak to a career-long nine games (3-8=11). The nine-game streak is the longest by a King since Dustin Brown registered a point in 10 straight games from February 25 – March 16, 2012. Kopitar’s streak is tied for the longest active point streak in the league and tied for the third longest overall. His 22 points (9-13=22) are tied for sixth most in the NHL. His assist streak ended at seven games. -By assisting on Kopitar’s goal, Dustin Brown extended his point streak to four games (2-3=5). -In his NHL debut, Andrew Crescenzi was credited with one hit, one takeaway, five wins on eight faceoffs and two penalty minutes in 7:06 of ice time. -Los Angeles attempted 57 shots (32 on goal, 10 blocked, 15 missed). Vancouver attempted 43 shots (27 on goal, 7 blocked, 9 missed). Tanner Pearson led all skaters with six shots on goal. -The Kings won 33-of-67 faceoffs (49%). Adrian Kempe won 4-of-13, Anze Kopitar won 14-of-23, Andy Andreoff won 1-of-1, Alex Iafallo won 2- of-3, Nick Shore won 5-of-12, Trevor Lewis won 0-of-1, Dustin Brown won 1-of-1, Brooks Laich won 0-of-3, Andrew Crescenzi won 5-of-8, Michael Amadio won 1-of-1 and Tanner Pearson won 0-of-1. The Kings are scheduled to practice at 11:00 a.m. at Toyota Sports Center on Wednesday, November 15 LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083309 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 14 POSTGAME QUOTES: MARTINEZ, PEARSON

JESSI MCDONALD NOVEMBER 14, 2017

POSTGAME QUOTES Alec Martinez, on Vancouver tying it up after the Kings’ strong start: Just stopped playing our game and they didn’t. We can’t be doing that especially division games at home. Martinez, on the team’s biggest concern with their game right now: Playing 60 minutes. Martinez, on whether puck management is part of the challenge as well: Yeah, that’s a really big part of it. Especially in our own end. Martinez, on the Kings getting their game back to where they want it to be: I think it’s a mindset. I think, obviously communication helps. Letting a guy know if he’s got time or not. Letting guys know if they’re open. But I think it starts with the seven of us on the back end, making quick plays. Martinez, on giving up the lead: Like I said, I think that we just stopped playing. We stopped playing our game and they didn’t. And credit to them, they stuck with it and ended up getting the two points and we didn’t. Tanner Pearson, on Vancouver tying it up: We gave up those two goals and maybe took a step back and they had some momentum in the period. Pearson, on what led to the third goal by Vancouver: Other than the cross ice pass and the guys just kind of went cross net on Quickie. I can’t really remember what exactly happened. Pearson, on playing a full 60 minutes: I think we just need to look at ourselves and we all know the way we can play and we’ve done it in spurts. And some games we’ve done it the whole game, so we’ve just got to do it for 60 minutes and not just ten minutes the first period and back off. Pearson, on getting back to better puck management: I think that’s a big thing, the puck management, because when we have puck possession and go into their zone or you know, make a tape-to-tape pass and chip it with speed and that kind of stuff, we’re really effective. So we’ve just got to get back to that. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083310 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 14 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 14, 2017

POSTGAME QUOTES On what went wrong after a strong start: Well, you’re right. I thought we got off to a really good start. Drew some penalties getting pucks deep. It was probably midway, maybe two-thirds of the way through the first period where we started turning some pucks over, which I thought were simple option plays, and for about 30 minutes there, one team wanted to forecheck there and one team didn’t. On how concerned he is with three straight regulation losses at home: Any time you lose hockey games, you’re concerned. You’re losing games in the division. We’ve got lots of work to do. It’s a reality check, that’s all. Hard lessons for your team to learn because you lose hockey games with it. Concern? We’ve got work to do. We had work to do when we were winning hockey games, and we’ve got to work to do when we’re losing hockey games. Those lessons tonight, it’s two games in a row, quite honestly, where San Jose really got their forecheck established and took the game over, and I thought Vancouver did that again tonight, especially in the second period. On whether he’d prefer to have several practice days to work issues out in the team’s game: Yeah, I’m not sure of that. I think it’s more of a mental thing than anything else right now. I think it’s just the acknowledgement and a decision to play the game a certain way. You’re not forechecking probably the same way they did in the third, so I don’t want to fool ourselves, because we got a lot more going and a little more desperation in our game, but we had the start we wanted. We need to have a lot better second period than we did tonight, but there has to be a conscious decision to change a few things, for sure. On whether traffic in front of their own net was a problem: Well, we just spent too much time in our end. I don’t know about the third period, but I thought we actually did a pretty good job on that penalty, and then we kind of over pursued on that entry and they found a guy coming late. We had some of those similar looks. You had some of those looks in the first period. Power play goal went up in the air. I’d like to see us win a battle in the blue paint there, but they go hard to the net. They used the back of the net really well. I thought we created some good looks ourselves, especially early and late, but that’s how you score goals, when you go to the net. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083311 Los Angeles Kings

GAME 18: LOS ANGELES VS VANCOUVER

JON ROSEN

GAME THREADS Vancouver Canucks 3, Los Angeles Kings 2 Final Radio Feed NHL.com Preview Boxscore Ice Tracker SOG: LAK – 32; VAN – 27 PP: LAK – 1/5; VAN – 2/3 First Period 1) LAK – Tanner Pearson (3) (unassisted), 0:23 2) LAK PPG – Anze Kopitar (9) (Dustin Brown, Alex Iafallo), 3:15 Second Period 3) VAN – Henrik Sedin (2) (Loui Eriksson, Derrick Pouliot), 5:10 4) VAN PPG – Bo Horvat (7) (Brock Boeser, Henrik Sedin), 10:00 Third Period 5) VAN PPG – Sven Baertschi (6) (Thomas Vanek, Derrick Pouliot), 4:07 Los Angeles Kings (11-4-2) vs Vancouver Canucks (8-7-2) Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 7:30 p.m. Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA Referees: #25 Marc Joannette, #17 Frederick L’Ecuyer Linesmen: #64 Brandon Gawryletz, #82 Ryan Galloway Fox Sports West, FOX Sports GO, KABC 790, I Heart Radio LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Jake Muzzin, D Alec Martinez, LW Tanner Pearson, C Adrian Kempe, RW Tyler Toffoli LAK scratches: F Jussi Jokinen, F Nic Dowd, D Kurtis MacDermid VAN starters: G Anders Nilsson, D Michael Del Zotto, D Alex Biega, LW Thomas Vanek, C Markus Granlund, RW Sam Gagner VAN scratches: F Jake Virtanen, F Alex Burmistrov, D Patrick Wiercioch LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083312 Los Angeles Kings

KINGS TRADE CAMMALLERI TO OILERS, ACQUIRE JOKINEN. WHY?

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 14, 2017

TRADES The Los Angeles Kings swung a trade with the Edmonton Oilers that was consummated quickly, exchanging Michael Cammalleri for Jussi Jokinen. The vitals: Jokinen, 34, had one assist and two penalty minutes in 14 games with Edmonton. Cammalleri, 35, had three goals and seven points in 15 games with Los Angeles. With a $1.1-million cap hit on a contract that expires after this season, Jokinen costs $100K more than Cammalleri’s one-year deal, but financials aren’t paramount in this exchange. So, why is this trade made? It’s still early, and the architects of the minor deal weren’t immediately available for comment. But in poking around with a number of different sources, all of whom insinuated that this happened quickly, the Kings essentially acquired a player who is a better fit for their bottom-six. Cammalleri admirably slotted in to such a role, but that type of slot isn’t really one that takes advantage of a skill set more geared towards offensive production. Jokinen, meanwhile, wasn’t drawing rave reviews for his early season performance, but is a player capable of slotting in all three forward positions and is comfortable in a bottom-six-type role. Despite ranking second in the league with an average of 2.41 goals-against per game, Los Angeles’ checking and defensive play has been inconsistent this season. Counting scoring chances is subjective, but by Natural Stat Trick’s count, the Kings have yielded the sixth-most chances per 60 minutes and the fourth-most high danger chances per 60 minutes, and “puck management” is a term that has crept into the vernacular of players and coaches after recent games. No drastic change in chances and checking should be expected following this trade, but, again, Jokinen likely provides what the team believes to be a sturdier personnel structure in the way the bottom six is constructed. It will come at the expense of a player who has factored into the team’s power play while providing a specialist who has 36 career shootout goals, having converted 37.5% of his attempts. Cammalleri was a low-risk, low-cost July 1 signing that added another option to an offensive group that entered the season looking to improve upon an output that tied for 24th in the league in scoring last season. The expectation was that he would play with skaters who would allow for him to create offense, but with Alex Iafallo’s emergence alongside Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, and the team’s 3.17 goals-per game through the first six weeks of the season, there were unforeseen circumstances that affected where he slotted. He was scratched for the fourth and fifth games of the season, and in addition to his power play work, was skating more regularly at even strength with forwards Trevor Lewis and Brooks Laich, who are not in a top-six role. Ultimately, he skated only 9:49 of five-on-five time with Kopitar. That then raises the natural question: did Cammalleri ask to be moved? Having asked a number of people, not all of whom responded, I haven’t heard that he did, and I haven’t heard that he did not. In 905 regular-season games, Jokinen, a sixth round draft pick by Dallas in 2001, has 547 points (186-361=547), a plus-2 rating and 367 penalty minutes. He has appeared in 54 playoff games, totaling 32 points (17- 15=32), a plus-10 rating and 20 penalty minutes. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.15.2017

1083313 Minnesota Wild previous games, wins and losses,” Dubnyk said Saturday ahead of his start. “We remember last year when we got things rolling how we did it, and it was by keeping level heads and preparing properly for each Wild's Charlie Coyle back on skates five weeks after breaking leg game.” The veteran forward has no timetable for return to lineup. But with Dubnyk on such a roll as of late, stopping 73 shots in the past two games, Boudreau said he hasn’t been speaking to his netminder, not wanting to mess with whatever juju Dubnyk’s got going. By Megan Ryan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 14, 2017 — 6:27PM “It’s nice to get into a bit of a rhythm and get some results,” Dubnyk said. “I’ve been feeling pretty good in the net all year, but the results weren’t really there, so that doesn’t really help or make you feel good. So it’s nice to get a couple good results. But like I’ve said, I’m in the same boat as Charlie Coyle hadn’t been on the ice with his Wild teammates in four everybody and going to keep going because I’m sure if I let in a couple weeks and five days when he skated at Xcel Energy Center Tuesday goals, it’ll be the same story all over again. So we’ll try to keep it in the ahead of the Philadelphia game. positive frame for sure.” The center broke his right leg Oct. 12 at the Chicago Blackhawks and Star Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 had surgery, involving some hardware, to reset his fibula. Or as Coyle said, “I’m bionic now.” Coyle said he skated on his own Monday and once last week as well. And while the initial diagnosis was six to eight weeks out, Coyle was hesitant to put a time marker on his recovery schedule. “I just want to make sure I’m 100 percent,” Coyle said. “You don’t want anything to linger throughout the season, through the rest of it. So I’m just taking it step by step and making small improvements every day, it feels like, and getting more comfortable with it. So we’ll see when the time comes.” Coyle said he’s been feeling really good recently and was even surprised the first time back on the ice with how easy it felt from the start. “I think it’s just getting stronger on his leg,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said of Coyle’s next step. “I mean, he looks pretty good out there. I don’t think we have any timetable right now. I think when he feels ready to play, he’ll let us know. I’m sure the doctor will have some say. It’s more up to those two right now.” The weird part about Coyle’s injury was that he didn’t realize how bad it was right away, since he said he took a “way harder” hit earlier in the year and was fine. But once he stood up and skated two strides after absorbing teammate Jared Spurgeon’s slapshot, he knew something was wrong. And the defenseman hasn’t even apologized or bought Coyle dinner to make it up to him yet, Coyle said. So maybe Spurgeon is a double agent, taking out his own squad one by one. “He’s going after everyone right now. Sniper,” Coyle joked. “He was very upset. I was like, ‘It’s not your fault, you know. I shouldn’t be standing there.’” Zucker’s zest on new line Last season, winger Jason Zucker played on the Wild’s most productive line alongside center Mikko Koivu and winger Mikael Granlund. And while that line was red hot in 2016-17, combining Koivu’s defense with Granlund’s playmaking and Zucker’s speed, it didn’t start this season with quite the same verve. So on this most recent four-game road trip, Boudreau switched it up, putting Zucker alongside center Eric Staal and winger Nino Niederreiter. The shift seems to have worked, as Zucker entered Tuesday’s game on a six-goal, three-game streak and also assisted Staal’s goal in the first game of the road swing. “That’s what happens when you get on a line with Eric Staal, good things happen,” Zucker said Monday. “We’ve been trying to just play hard and use our speed and use our assets to our advantage and been trying to battle and just try to win games, really. And we’ve been around the net a lot as a line, had a lot of good chances. And for me, they just happen to go in. But those guys have been a big part of it as well.” Combining Zucker with Staal and Niederreiter created a speedy line of good skaters and big bodies. Boudreau said when pairing “two of the best skaters” together in Staal and Zucker, “it usually works out.” “We’ve played 16 games. [Zucker has] had some downsides. That’s why I, obviously, took him off that line for a reason,” Boudreau said. “But he’s found some great chemistry with Eric, and we’ll keep him on there for a while, see how it goes.” Dubnyk clipping along Goaltender Devan Dubnyk earned his first of the season in back-to-back games to end the road trip. And that pattern is something he’s hoping he and the team can perpetuate. “You’ve just got to take it as another game. I know it’s the cliché answer, but especially the way the stretches have gone, the way the season has gone, that’s really how you get into a roll in the season is forgetting about 1083314 Minnesota Wild

Devan Dubnyk, Bruce Boudreau primed for home-and-home finish against the Philadelphia Flyers

By Megan Ryan NOVEMBER 14, 2017 — 11:46AM

First things first, Devan Dubnyk will start in goal 7 p.m. Tuesday against Philadelphia. Also, Charlie Coyle skated for the first time with the team since breaking his leg Oct.12 at the Blackhawks. More on him in a notebook later. But for now, here's a little pregame fodder on Philly. "No. It doesn’t really matter," Dubnyk said of facing the team back-to- back. "That’s a difficult team. They’re very creative, highly skilled, and it’s going to be a challenge against them regardless of how you play them. I think it’s a fun scenario. They’re an team where you probably get a little bit of spillover, I guess, some intensity from the last game. They’re obviously going to be upset about the result, so we need to expect that. We’ve talked a lot about getting real good on home ice here, so here’s an opportunity to start that." Coach Bruce Boudreau said he finds these home-and-home series easier for his team to prepare. "You don't see Philly for a long time. It was a year almost since we've seen them, and now we've seen them, and unless they come up with surprises and change things drastically, we'll pretty well have an idea, as they have an idea of us on how they play," Boudreau said. "I like it, myself. I think it creates great rivalries. It makes great rivalries better. If we had a home and home with Chicago, for example, that means there's only three games in the rest of the season to play those guys. I think they want to spread them out a little bit to get the full effect all the time." Now, would Boudreau change his mind if this series was against the Broad Street Bullies? "Be prepared, because they would've been coming, and I'm not meaning just with playing the game," Boudreau said. "They were a tough team back then to play home and home. I haven't played a lot in the NHL. In two games, there were bench-clearing brawls against those guys." #MNWild coach Bruce Boudreau on the game against Philly tonight pic.twitter.com/13l5zQNrn3 — Megan Ryan (@theothermegryan) November 14, 2017 Charlie Coyle is out here skating with the #MNWild pic.twitter.com/BcmTMvgBe8 — Megan Ryan (@theothermegryan) November 14, 2017 Star Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083315 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild's second periods need work, but everything else seems to be clicking

By Megan Ryan NOVEMBER 15, 2017 — 12:24AM

Check out my full gamer and notebook from the Wild's 3-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center. And now for a bit more from the team because why not. Coach Bruce Boudreau gave a lot of credit to goaltender Devan Dubnyk for shutting out Philadelphia back-to-back and giving the team a home- and-home series sweep. "It tells us how good the goalie was," Boudreau said. "I thought this was a typical first game back from a road trip. We had a hard time finding our legs, I thought, the first two periods. I thought in the third period, there was a lot of character that took over. We knew that we didn't have a lot of energy tonight, but I thought they played really good in the third period." Well, it's not exactly hard for the Wild's third period to shine when the team's second periods all season long have been pretty darn drab. Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol said postgame he thought his team was unlucky to come out of the second period, where the Flyers outshot the Wild 17-7, empty handed. Boudreau said he didn't know why the Wild seem to flounder in the middle period, but he's "going to have to figure that out." Boudreau also praised the play of defensemen Gustav Olofsson, Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. Boudreau said the young Olofsson seems to be gaining confidence now that he's playing a bit more. As for the starting D-pair: "I thought their gaps were tremendous," Boudreau said. "They were making players that were coming up the ice go East, West instead of North, South. They were eight feet away from each other. They could reach out and use their sticks so they couldn't get by them. I thought they were really good." Winger Tyler Ennis didn't score Tuesday, but he had an abundance of opportunities and has been combining well on a line with Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. “There’s some good chemistry there," Ennis said. "Granny and I are kind of similar creativity wise, offensive-wise. Mikko’s been around so long, he’s such a great player at both ends of the ice. It’s definitely a fun line to be on. So many chances the past few games. That’s the thing, you always want to get chances, and you know they’re going to start going in soon.” You know whose chance did go in (kind of)? Dubnyk, when he assisted Jason Zucker's empty netter to end the game. "Yeah, it took me a second to calculate it, and I realized that it came off my stick," Dubnyk said. "So I thought I'd get in on the celebration with him since he was standing there. That's about the only way I'm going to be getting points is on a half-rim around the boards that happens to hop over their guy." Well, y'all, I think I'm tapped out for now. I believe Joe Christensen has the next game, and the new beat writer Sarah McLellan takes over full time Saturday! I'll still be around every now and then in a back-up capacity. But it's been real. Thanks for reading because I've really enjoyed covering. Also, hey, almost forgot to tweet these. Here is #MNWild coach Bruce Boudreau on the win pic.twitter.com/T3FZEX1NMv — Megan Ryan (@theothermegryan) November 15, 2017 And here is #MNWild winger Jason Zucker on his broken up goal streak (featuring a strong cameo from @1DanMyers) pic.twitter.com/UwNFuH3B59 — Megan Ryan (@theothermegryan) November 15, 2017 Star Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083316 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Philadelphia game recap

MEGAN RYAN

GAME RECAP Star Tribune’s Three Stars 1. Devan Dubnyk, Wild: His third consecutive shutout broke his own record for the Wild’s longest shutout streak. 2. Nino Niederreiter, Wild: Has three goals and three assists in the eight games since return from injury. 3. Jason Zucker, Wild: Scored an empty-netter and has scored in four games in a row. By the numbers 400 Career games for winger Nino Niederreiter Star Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083317 Minnesota Wild

Wild, Dubnyk stop Flyers for third shutout in a row Goalie posted his third consecutive shutout but Zucker's consecutive goal streak ends.

By Megan Ryan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 15, 2017 — 1:37AM

To be honest, Nino Niederreiter might actually have been doing Jason Zucker a favor. While Niederreiter said he apologized to his linemate for scoring 12 seconds into the game Tuesday and so quickly dashed any prospect Zucker had of matching the NHL record for consecutive goals, Zucker apparently didn’t want to hear it. He wasn’t even mad. In fact, the demure winger was relieved to finally be out of the limelight. “Happy,” Zucker said. “Yeah, I’m glad that’s over.” And as it turned out, the Wild managed to set other records in place of Zucker’s spoiled one in a 3-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xcel Energy Center in front of an announced crowd of 18,768. Niederreiter’s bomb past Philadelphia goaltender Brian Elliot tied for the fastest Wild goal at home, set by Justin Fontaine in 2013. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk broke his own Wild record from 2016 for longest shutout streak, which stands at 195 minutes, 5 seconds. His third consecutive shutout was also a franchise-best mark, and the Wild is on its longest winning streak of the season because of it. “He is seeing the puck right now, and his reflexes are on fire,” coach Bruce Boudreau said of Dubnyk. “We will take it as long as he can give it.” Dubnyk stopped 30 shots Tuesday and the past 106 total that have come his way. He leads the league in games played and shutouts; is second in wins and goals-against average; and is tied for second in save percentage among goalies with at least 10 games played. And he even helped out on the offensive side, too, assisting on Zucker’s empty-net goal to finish the game. Though Zucker’s six-consecutive goal run did come to an end, his eventual score Tuesday gave him a five- game point streak and career-best four-game goal streak. Linemate Eric Staal also scored an empty-netter just before Zucker in the game’s final minute. Zucker said he’s not surprised to see other players on the score sheet for the first time in three games. He said he knew the Wild has “too many good players for that to last even as long as it did.” “All of our forwards, I mean, everybody is chipping in really, really well offensively,” Zucker said. “[Tyler] Ennis had nine scoring chances, it seemed like, tonight. So those are going to go in for him. The kid is very, very talented. Same with [Mikael Granlund] and Mikko [Koivu]. I mean, they’re going to start scoring goals. It’s just a matter of time. “But for me, Staalsy and Nino, it’s basically just making sure we keep playing our game. And it is nice to see them on the score sheet and get rewarded for their work the past few games as well.” Ennis, who came to the Wild from the Buffalo Sabres this summer, said this game signaled how the Wild’s season finally seems to be on track. “When I was opposing Minnesota the past seven years, you always came into the game knowing it was going to be hard generating chances. And when there were chances, it was going to be hard to score on Dubnyk. Now that I’m a part of the team, it’s fun being on this side of it,” Ennis said. “It’s coming together. I think this is the Minnesota Wild that everyone in the NHL is used to. It’s a defensive team that shuts opposing teams down but also generates offense.” Star Tribune LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083318 Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Marcus Foligno is keeping mother’s legacy alive

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 14, 2017

July 27, 2009, will always remain seared into Marcus Foligno’s memory. That was the day he lost his mother, Janis, to a six-year battle with breast cancer. “It’s been eight years now,” Foligno said before pausing to compose himself. “It still feels like it was yesterday.” Janis Foligno was 47 years old. “There’s not a day that I don’t wake up and think about her,” Foligno said. “She was a huge part of my life. I think it hits me even more now that I’m trying to start a family and I think about how nice it’d be to have her still around.” Foligno and the rest his family — father Mike, brother Nick, and sisters Cara and Lisa — have tried their best to keep her memory alive. A year after her death, the family started the Janis Foligno Foundation to help fund cancer research and assist families, particularly around Sudbury, Ontario. “We wanted to give back to Northern Ontario,” Foligno said. “You know, Sudbury is kind of the hub for Northern Ontario, and a lot of people there have to go all the way down to Toronto to get treatment.” Foligno knows that four-hour drive can be taxing on patients and their families; his wanted to help make sure that wasn’t always the only option. “We realized that in some of the hospitals (in Sudbury) there weren’t some of the machines used for early detection, so our goal was to buy one of those machines,” Foligno said. “I think in Year 2 we were able to raise enough money and we bought one for Sudbury and that generated kind of a lot of people starting to go there to get treatment.” Aside from being able help families, Foligno said, the foundation is important to his own family because of what it represents. “It’s something that makes sure her legacy keeps going on,” he said. “You know, something she instilled in us from a young age was those characteristics of being a good person and things like that. We just continue to try to do right by her.” Foligno will honor his mother during Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Xcel Energy Center, the annual Hockey Fights Cancer night for the Wild. He filled out a placard to honor his mother before leaving Tuesday’s morning skate and planned to wear a patch with his mother’s initials “JF” underneath his chest protector during Tuesday’s game. “Obviously, I’ve been through a few of these now and it kind of makes it a little bit more of a special night,” he said. “It just kind of makes me remember her a little bit more than I usually do on certain days. It surrounds everyone with a lot of people who have gone through the same thing you’ve gone through. A night like tonight is going to be special. It always is.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083319 Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Charlie Coyle returns to practice

By DANE MIZUTANI | November 14, 2017 at 2:07 PM

Things appear to be looking up for the Wild. In addition to entering Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xcel Energy Center on a two-game winning streak, the team also got one step closer to getting big forward Charlie Coyle back in the lineup. A slap shot from Jared Spurgeon on Oct. 12 at Chicago broke part Coyle’s right leg, and Tuesday’s morning skate marked the first time he was on the ice with his teammates since the injury. “It feels good,” Coyle said. “I’ve made a lot of steps, a lot of strides. … Not really thinking about it when I’m out there, either. It was nice to get back out there and skate with someone for a change.” Coach Bruce Boudreau liked what he saw from Coyle but confirmed there is no timetable for his full return. “It’s about getting stronger on his leg,” Boudreau said. “I mean, he looks pretty good out there. … I think when he feels ready to play, he’ll let us know — and I’m sure the doctor will have some say. It’s more up to those two (people) right now.” Coyle had only skated on his own a couple of times before Tuesday, so he appears to have a way to go. The initial prognosis was a six to eight weeks, and he’s been out for a little more than a month. “I’m just going step by step,” Coyle said. “You know, I just want to make sure I’m 100 percent. You don’t want anything to linger throughout the season … so I’m just taking it step by step and making small improvements every day.” Coyle said it’s difficult to be patient because he already feels pretty good. “You want to get back as soon as possible,” he said. “You’ve also got to look at the (big) picture and make sure it’s 100 percent. … I want to do it the right way.” Coyle said the initial impact of Spurgeon’s shot didn’t have him worried. “I got hit way harder in the ankles early on this season,” he said. “I thought it was really one of those where I’d kind of get up and I’d stand up and it takes a little bit and then I’d get (back in). And I took two strides and then I kind of knew something was wrong.” Coyle said Spurgeon was “very upset” and apologized. “I was like, ‘It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t be standing there,’ ” Coyle said. NO EYE CONTACT As most Wild fans know by now, Jason Zucker had scored the Wild’s last six goals before Tuesday’s game. He also entered the contest with a chance to tie or break the NHL record for most consecutive team goals set by Cy Denneny of the Ottawa Senators in 1920-21, and matched by Brian Noonan of the Blackhawks in 1991-92. Asked whether he’s been superstitiously avoiding Zucker during his hot streak, Boudreau joked, “That would be a goalie only. A player, I still give him crap.” So is he talking to goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who hadn’t allowed a goal in 135 minutes, 5 seconds entering Tuesday’s game? “No,” Boudreau said with a laugh. “I’m not.” BROAD STREET BULLIES With the Wild hosting the second half of a home-and-home against the Flyers, a reporter asked Boudreau what a home-and-home would’ve been like against the Flyers’ Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s. “They would’ve been coming, and I’m not meaning with playing the game,” he said. “They were a tough team back then to play home and home. … In two games (I played against them), there were bench- clearing brawls.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083320 Minnesota Wild Zucker, who was clearly happy to have the spotlight off of him after the game, noted this is as good as he’s seen Dubnyk look between the pipes. Devan Dubnyk notches third straight shutout, Wild earn 3-0 win over “It’s got to be up there with when he got here,” Zucker said, referencing Flyers the run three years ago when Dubnyk started 39 of the final 40 games to lead the left-for-dead Wild to a playoff berth. “That run that he went on when he got here was pretty insane, if I’m remembering correctly. … It By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 14, 2017 was ridiculous the way he played, and I think he’s coming back to that level.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.15.2017 Amid the craziness that has surrounded Jason Zucker and his hot streak over the past three games, Devan Dubnyk has taken a back seat despite looking absolutely unflappable in back-to-back shutouts. Well, on Tuesday night at the Xcel Energy Center, Zucker’s record- breaking hot streak came to an end, Dubnyk’s shutout streak continued, and the Wild won their third straight game with a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. No, Zucker did not break the NHL record for consecutive team goals scored. His linemate Nino Niederreiter made sure of that, scoring from the slot 12 seconds into the game and effectively stopping Zucker at six consecutive team goals. “I told him I was sorry,” Niederreiter said with a laugh. “I’m glad someone else scored finally.” “I’m happy,” Zucker agreed with a smile. “Yeah, I’m glad that’s over.” Dubnyk, however, made sure a record of some sort was broken, recording 30 saves to set a franchise benchmark for shutout streak. He notched his third consecutive shutout and now hasn’t allowed a goal in 195 minutes, 5 seconds, dating to last week’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dubnyk willingly chatted about the shutout streak after Tuesday’s game, a few hours after unsurprisingly downplaying it. “It’s been good,” Dubnyk said, continuing to emphasize that nothing has changed with his approach. “I know the things I have to do with my game to feel good out there and to be successful, and I’m always concentrating on those things. You know, whether it’s working or not, it’s the same things every day.” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau joked before the game that he hasn’t talked to Dubnyk since the shutout streak started. If that’s true, the coach might be wise to continue to ignore his goaltender for the foreseeable future. “He is seeing the puck right now, and his reflexes are on fire,” Boudreau said. “We will take it as long as he can give it.” Dubnyk was outstanding again Tuesday, and it was apparent from early on. He effortlessly gloved a couple of pucks clean out of midair in the first period, which is usually a tell-tale sign that he’s feeling it. “I think the biggest key for me is finding pucks and making sure my feet are set,” Dubnyk explained. “That kind of trickles down into everything else as far as moving around and rebound control and all of that stuff.” Dubnyk continued to stand out throughout the game, making a few very impressive pad saves early on, though he saved his best save for the final period, robbing Flyers winger Dale Weise on a breakaway to keep the shutout streak alive. “Yeah, he made a bunch that seemed like empty-netters and all of a sudden his pad was out there,” Zucker said. “He made a lot of great saves tonight. He really kept us in the game a lot of the time.” “It was huge,” added Tyler Ennis, who is in his first season with Dubnyk as a teammate. “I think when I was opposing (the Wild) the past seven years, I always came into the game knowing it was going to be hard generating chances. And when there were chances, it was going to be hard to score on Dubnyk. Now that I’m a part of the team, it’s fun being on this side of it.” That said, as good as Dubnyk has been over the past three games, his teammates in front of him have been equally impressive, recording an incredible 62 blocked shots in that span. Dubnyk was quick to praise them after the game. “You don’t get shutouts without those kinds of efforts,” Dubnyk said. “It just doesn’t happen. There have been some really huge plays throughout the last three games that have allowed me to keep the puck out.” Eric Staal scored an empty-net goal late in the contest and Zucker tacked on an empty-net goal for good measure to prove to the Twin Cities, that, yes, he has been sleeping since enough arriving home. 1083321 Montreal Canadiens

Zach Werenski scores overtime winner as Blue Jackets top Canadiens

KELSEY PATTERSON

Zach Werenski scored in overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets held on for a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Josh Anderson scored in the game's opening minutes for the Blue Jackets (11-7-1) while Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves. Paul Byron had the only goal for the Canadiens (8-9-2). Charlie Lindgren, making his fifth consecutive start for Montreal, stopped 23 of 25 shots. Werenski scored 1:31 into overtime with a wrist shot in the roof of the net, glove side on Lindgren. Anderson put the visitors in front 2:29 into the game with his team- leading seventh goal of the season. Montreal's Brandon Davidson tipped Markus Nutivaara's point shot right to Anderson, who let the puck drop to the ice before batting it past Lindgren. Davidson was also at fault seconds earlier when Nutivaara intercepted his failed clearance at the blue line. The goal came on Columbus's second shot of the game. Byron, playing his 300th NHL game, came close to equalizing midway through the second period. With the Canadiens playing shorthanded, Byron stole the puck from Seth Jones at the blue line and moved in all alone on Bobrovsky, but the Blue Jackets goalie got his pad on the shot. The Habs upped the pressure in the third period but Bobrovsky was again up to the challenge. Bobrovsky, without his stick, robbed Jacob De La Rose with a blocker save on a 2-on-1 five minutes into the period. Three minutes later, he made three consecutive saves on Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty. Montreal finally broke through when Byron poked a loose rebound over Bobrovsky's shoulder into the top corner of the net at 12:14 of the third. With forward Torrey Mitchell out with the flu, the Canadiens were forced to dress seven defencemen. Rookie Victor Mete played on the fourth line with Jacob De La Rose and Byron Froese. Earlier on Tuesday, the Canadiens claimed goalie Antti Niemi off waivers from the Florida Panthers. Carey Price (lower body) and Al Montoya (concussion) are still sidelined with injuries. Notes: Montreal conceded the game's first goal for the 13th time this season. UFC middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre dropped the ceremonial first puck in a pre-game ceremony. Quebec-born Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois played his first NHL game at the Bell Centre. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083322 Montreal Canadiens

About last night ... Columbus beats Canadiens 2-1 in OT

MIKE BOONE

They’re the Kings of Overtime … and on the evidence of Tuesday night’s game at the Bell Centre, the Columbus Blue Jackets are also the rules of the first period. Zach Werenski’s beautifully set-up winner gave the visitors their sixth overtime win of the season. Columbus is 6-0-1 in games that have gone to extra time. Werenski’s heroics put a damper on an impressive comeback by the home team. After Columbus scored less than three minutes into the game and dominated the early action, the Canadiens bounced back to hold their own in a game that will not be included in the team’s season highlights DVD. And once the Canadiens came to life, Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a spectacular performance. The Columbus goaltender was particularly sharp on Max Pacioretty, who had seven shots on goal, and lineman Phillip Danault, who had five. Bobrovsky also made a highlight-reel late glove save on Jacob De La Rose. Paul Byron, who tied the game late off brilliant passing by Alex Galchenyuk and Shea Weber, was also robbed by the Columbus goaltender on a breakaway. Playing behind a patchwork defence – Victor Mete had to play fourth-line forward because Torrey Mitchell has the flu – Charlie Lindgren turned in another solid performance and could not be faulted on either Columbus goal. It would be nice if the kid had some run support. But you can say that about Carey Price and Al Montoya, as well. This team can’t score. The Canadiens came into the game leading the league in shots on goal with a per-game average of 37.2 (they were held to 29 by Columbus). All that flying rubber notwithstanding, the Canadiens are 23rd in the league in goals-for. Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher are the only natural snipers on the roster. Jonatha Drouin and the renascent, thanks to Drouin, Alex Galchenyuk are creative players who bedevil opposing defencemen on almost every shift. But snipers they are not. Galchenyuk has four goals this season, matching Byron and Andrew Shaw. Drouin, for all his crowd-pleasing O-zone wizardry – has scored three times 18 games. The lack of firepower puts tremendous pressure on Canadiens’ goaltenders. And to his credit, Lindgren has handled it well. The kid battles in every game. Perhaps the offence will come to life against the woeful Arizona Coyotes Thursday night. • Final word to my man burnedprof: can we take the point and hope people get healthy? that’s how i’m feeling (though it was pretty obvious werenski was going to score the way he was left all alone to come down the slot like that, with petry yet again taking himself out of the play to accomplish very little for his own team). yep that’s how i’m feeling. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083323 Montreal Canadiens

Lindgren solid, offence stalls as Habs lose 2-1 in OT to Blue Jackets

Stu Cowan, Montreal GazetteSTU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE

The Canadiens have one of the worst offences in the NHL and it showed Tuesday night in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre. Coming into the game, the Canadiens had the NHL’s fourth-worst offence, averaging 2.50 goals per game. This has nothing to do with goalie Carey Price, who is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, or his replacement Charlie Lindgren, who put in another solid performance. Josh Anderson scored for the Blue Jackets early in the first period and the Canadiens’ Paul Byron tied it up 1-1 at 12:14 of the third period, banging a rebound from a Shea Weber shot past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Zach Werenski scored the winning goal at 1:09 of OT. The Canadiens outshot the Blue Jackets 29-25. Quick start for Blue Jackets: Anderson scored on the Blue Jackets’ second shot at 2:29 of the first period when he found some open space in front of Lindgren to bang in a rebound off a point shot by defenceman Markus Nutivaara. The Canadiens came out sluggish and had only three shots on goal in the first 12 minutes. Second-period snooze-fest: There wasn’t much action in the second period with Brendan Gallagher getting the Canadiens’ first shot on goal at the 6:52 mark. The only excitement came when Byron was stopped on a short-handed breakaway. Mete on the wing: The Canadiens announced Tuesday morning that Artturi Lehkonen wouldn’t play because of a lower-body injury and then Torrey Mitchell was a game-time scratch because of the flu. That meant the Canadiens had to dress seven defencemen and 11 forwards. As a result, rookie defenceman Victor Mete found himself playing left wing on the fourth line with Jacob De La Rose at centre and Byron Froese on the right. Busy press box: There were 15 NHL scouts and two general managers listed in the press-box seating at the Bell Centre. The two GMs were Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues and Brad Treliving of the Calgary Flames. GSP! GSP! New UFC middleweight champ Georges St-Pierre received a huge ovation from the crowd when he was introduced at centre ice before the game. St-Pierre, returning to the octagon after a four-year absence, beat Michael Bisping for the title at UFC 217 in New York on Nov. 4. What’s next? The Arizona Coyotes — the worst team in the NHL — are at the Bell Centre Thursday night, followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083324 Montreal Canadiens

Liveblog: Columbus at Canadiens

MIKE BOONE

As the Canadiens prepare to host Columbus Tuesday evening, fans might recall The Great Spanking. When they took to the ice at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 4 last season, the Canadiens were atop the NHL with a 9-1 record. Their goal differential was plus-10. Then the Blue Jackets smoked them. Al Montoya was beaten for 10 goals, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 30 shots the hapless CH directed at the Columbus ‘keeper.. A year later, the Canadiens are not first in the NHL. They are 25th, 13th in the Eastern Conference, with a goal differential of minus-15. Columbus is ninth overall and second, behind surprising New Jersey, in the Metropolitan Conference. The Jackets have a differential of plus-5. On their most recent visit to the Bell Centre, last Feb. 28, Columbus battled the Canadiens to a scoreless tie in regulation, only to lose on Alex Galchenyuk’s power-play goal in Overtime. Carey Price made 26 saves – including five in OT – for the W. As Price continues to rehab his mysterious ailment, Charlie Lindgren gets his fifth straight start. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083325 Montreal Canadiens his position has taken a toll on his body, Price said: “Yeah, sure, man. It’s not an easy sport.”

And things don’t get easier for any athlete as they get older. The goalie insists his lower-body injury is still "minor" and that he won't be out much longer. But how long remains the big question? When Bergevin was asked if the nature of Price’s position has become too much for the goalie’s body to handle, the GM had a one-word answer: “No.” Stu Cowan, Montreal GazetteSTU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Price was asked if he had any words to calm the fears of Canadiens fans. What started out as a “minor” lower-body injury to goalie Carey Price is “I don’t know if there’s anything that I can say,” he said. “Just that I’ll be turning into a bit of a soap opera and it’s a show Canadiens fans have back soon. That’s the only thing I can say, really.” seen before. It remains to be seen how long this soap opera lasts. Two season ago, Price went down with a “lower-body injury” on Nov. 25 Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 and the Canadiens said they expected him to miss at least two weeks. Price ended up missing the rest of the season with what was much later confirmed as a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. On Tuesday, the Canadiens announced Price would be taking a couple of days off the ice while recovering from a “minor” lower-body injury suffered during the pregame warm-up on Nov. 2 in Minnesota. Price played in the game that night against the Wild, allowing five goals on 26 shots in a 6-3 loss with the final goal into an empty net. Price, who was originally listed as day-to-day, said the injury wasn’t the result of being hit by a shot, which suggests he pulled or stretched some part of his lower body. Price said it has nothing to do with his right knee. Before Tuesday, Price had been working out on the ice in full equipment with goalie coach Stéphane Waite, but he’s being shut down for at least two days. The Canadiens made Price available to the media Tuesday in Brossard and the goalie insisted his injury is still minor and that he won’t be out much longer. But how long? Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin met with the media after the team’s morning skate and said he won’t have any idea how long Price will be out until he starts practising with the team again, but added “it won’t be long.” Just to be safe — and with regular backup Al Montoya out indefinitely because of a concussion — Bergevin claimed veteran goalie Antti Niemi on waivers from the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Rookie Charlie Lindgren, who had a 3-1 record in his first four games replacing Price, was back in goal Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Zach Fucale — who has no NHL experience — as his backup. Price said Lindgren’s solid play has allowed him not to rush the recovery from his injury and insisted the fact he won’t be on the ice for a couple of days didn’t mean he has suffered a setback in his recovery. “No, not at all,” Price said. “It’s just making sure that it’s properly taken care of. I know that it’s not going to be a long-term process like it was last time. “It just wasn’t getting better,” he added. “It was getting stagnant, so I just decided to give it a rest for a couple of days and reassess it in a couple of days.” Price also said if the game against the Blue Jackets had been a playoff match, he “absolutely” could have played, but you really have to wonder about that. Price did not look very mobile when he worked out with Waite before the Canadiens practice on Monday. In hindsight, Price shouldn’t have played the game in Minnesota after getting injured during the warmup. Price said he didn’t think it was anything serious until he woke up the next morning, and Bergevin said that was when he first learned about the injury. Bergevin has 84 million reasons to be worried about his No. 1 goalie after signing Price to an eight-year, US$84-million contract extension that kicks in next season. Price, 30, has a history of lower-body injuries. He was knocked out of the Eastern Conference final in 2014 with an injury to his right knee after getting run over by the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider and before his season-ending knee injury two years ago Price had already missed nine games that season with another lower-body injury. “Injuries are part of the game,” Bergevin said when asked if he is concerned about Price’s new contract. “Players do get hurt and I’m sure it’s not the last time he’s going to get hurt. But that just comes from playing hockey.” At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Price is a large goalie, which means there’s a lot of impact each time he drops to his knees and also a lot of weight to push side to side with his legs in the crease. When asked if the nature of 1083326 Montreal Canadiens Zach Fucale, who is backing up Lindgren now, has never played a game in the NHL.

“He gave us a safety net,” Bergevin said about acquiring Niemi, who was Game Day: Canadiens goalie Carey Price no longer skating with the Blackhawks when Bergevin was part of Chicago’s management team. Canadiens goalie coach Stéphane Waite was also with the Blackhawks when Niemi was there. Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette “He’s not the goalie he was seven years ago, eight years ago, when we won the Cup in Chicago, that’s for sure,” Bergevin said about Niemi. “But he’s an experienced goaltender.” Nobody really expected goalie Carey Price to take part in the Canadiens’ morning skate Tuesday in Brossard before a game against the Columbus Bergevin added that Niemi had faced some “high-offence” teams this Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690). season, including the Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning. But there was an expectation that Price — who has missed the last five “When Carey’s back, we’ll re-evaluate our goalie situation,” Bergevin games with what the team originally called a “minor” lower-body injury — said. “Same thing when Monty’s back. You saw what happened with would be on the ice with goalie coach Stéphane Waite before the Vegas (after the Golden Knights had three goalies injured). They ended morning skate, as was the case in previous days before practice. up calling a goalie from junior. So he was available for us and, like I said, he has experience. Steph knows him well. So we’re just being cautious.” But the Canadiens announced just as the morning skate was starting at 11 a.m. that Price wouldn’t skate Tuesday or Wednesday and would The lines meet with the media instead in the team’s locker room while the morning skate was going on. The Canadiens also announced that forward Artturi With Lehkonen out of the lineup, here’s how the Canadiens lines and Lehkonen had suffered a lower-body injury and won’t be in the lineup defence pairings looked at the morning skate: against the Blue Jackets. Galchenyuk – Drouin – Byron Price insisted that Canadiens fans shouldn’t be concerned about his Pacioretty – Danault – Shaw “minor” injury that has now sidelined him for almost two weeks. Hudon – Plekanec – Gallagher “It’s just taking a little bit longer than expected just because of the nature of my position,” Price said. “I just want to make sure that I’m 100 per cent De La Rose – Mitchell – Froese and can do my job to the best of my ability when I come back. I’m just going to make sure I take my time with it and it won’t be very long.” Benn – Weber Price said he suffered the injury during the pregame warmup Nov. 2 in Alzner – Petry Minnesota. He still played in the game against the Wild, allowing five Mete – Morrow goals on 29 shots in a 6-3 loss with the final goal into an empty net. Price said the injury wasn’t the result of being hit by a shot, meaning he likely Watch Bergevin’s news conference pulled or strained some part of his lower body. The goalie insisted this injury has nothing to do with the season-ending injury to his right knee Canadiens coach Claude Julien was expected to meet with the media suffered two seasons ago in late November. after Tuesday’s morning skate, but GM Bergevin ended up taking his place to discuss Price’s injury and more. “I felt pretty good throughout the game,” Price said about the loss to the Wild. Panarin leading Blue Jackets “I wasn’t looking for excuses for my play or anything,” he added. “I didn’t The Blue Jackets come into the game with a 10-7-1 record, while the think it was going to be as bad as it was. Obviously, any athlete will tell Canadiens are 8-9-1. you when you’re warmed up and running on a bit of adrenaline you don’t Artemi Panarin leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 3-10-13 totals, ever feel like it’s as bad until you wake up the next day and everything’s followed by Seth Jones (3-9-12), Oliver Bjorkstrand (5-6-11) and Zach cooled down and you’re not feeling the adrenaline anymore.” Werenski (4-6-10). Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has a 9-4-1 Price, who has a new eight-year, US$84-million contract that kicks in record with a 2.24 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. next season, has struggled this season with a 3-7-1 record, 3.77 goals- Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty, both with 7-5-12 totals, are against average and .877 save percentage. leading the Canadiens in points along with Jonathan Drouin (3-9-12). Rookie goalie Charlie Lindgren, who will make his fifth straight start They are followed by Shea Weber and Phillip Danault, both with 3-8-11 against the Blue Jackets, has a 3-1-0 record with a 1.24 goals-against totals. average and a .964 save percentage. Price said Lindgren’s solid play has Mete to world juniors? allowed him to take his time recovering from the injury. Price added that if the game against the Blue Jackets was a playoff game he could Bergevin was asked if there’s a possibility rookie defenceman Victor “absolutely” play. Mete could be loaned to Team Canada for the world junior championship. “Charlie’s playing great and it’s definitely buying me more time,” Price said. “He’s doing very good. He’s got a great demeanour about himself The GM didn’t rule out that possibility, adding he has time to make that and prepares himself well for games. It’s good to see somebody kind of decision since the tournament doesn’t start until next month and that step up and perform in a tough spot.” Mete will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. Canadiens claim goalie Antti Niemi Mete has three assists and is minus-3 in 18 games with the Canadiens while averaging 16:20 of ice time. With regular backup goalie Al Montoya also sidelined indefinitely with a concussion, the Canadiens claimed Antti Niemi off waivers Tuesday from What’s next? the Florida Panthers. The Canadiens will practise at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Brossard and are Niemi started this season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he had an back in action at the Bell Centre Thursday night when the Arizona 0-3-0 record with a 7.49 goals-against average and .797 save Coyotes will be the visitors. The Canadiens will then wrap up their six- percentage before being claimed on waivers by the Panthers on Oct. 24 game homestand Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. after their No. 1 goalie, Roberto Luongo, was injured. Niemi had an 0-1-0 record with a 5.11 goals-against average and .872 save percentage with Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 the Panthers. In 2010, Niemi became the first Finnish goalie to win the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also won a bronze medal with Finland at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. General manager Marc Bergevin met with the media after the morning skate and said Montoya could be out two weeks, two months or three months with his concussion, adding it’s impossible to know for sure. Bergevin said he wanted to get an experienced NHL goalie in case Lindgren was to get injured. 1083327 Montreal Canadiens

Blue Jackets at Canadiens: Five things you should know Montreal faces Columbus at the Bell Centre Tuesday (7:30 p.m.. TSN2, RDS, TSN-690 Radio)

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette

Here are five things you should know about the game between the Canadiens and the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre Tuesday (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690): Good time Charlie: Carey Price is still out, which means the Canadiens will continue to ride rookie Charlie Lindgren, who will be making his fifth consecutive start. Lindgren, who is coming off a 2-1 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres Saturday, has posted a 3-1-0 record with a 1.24 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage. Those numbers would lead the NHL if Lindgren had played one more game. A goaltender must have played at least one-third of his team’s games to qualify. The official leader is St. Louis’ Carter Hutton, who has played five games with a 1.71 GAA and a .943 save percentage. Medical updates: Price’s minor lower-body injury has caused him to miss five games and the chances of his returning before the weekend remain slim. He worked out for 20 minutes Monday with goaltending coach Stéphane Waite but there won’t be any talk of a return to game action until after he participates in a full practice with his teammates. The same rule applies to defenceman David Schlemko who has not played one minute in a Canadiens uniform. He is recovering from hand surgery and hasn’t hit a full practice. He was skating with strength coach Pierre Allard on Monday. Backup goaltender Al Montoya is out indefinitely with a concussion. Pacioretty finds his groove: Scorers tend to be streaky, and captain Max Pacioretty has been on a good kind of streak over the past two weeks. Pacioretty scored the overtime winner against Buffalo and he has picked up at least one point in seven of the last eight games. He has five goals and four assists in that run. There seems to be a debate among the twits in the twittersphere over the timeliness of Pacioretty’s goals, but it should be noted that three of his seven goals this season have been game- winners, and two others were game-tying goals. Pacioretty is on pace to reach 30 goals for a fifth consecutive season. Jackets pose tough test: Columbus enjoys an 11-9-3 record against the Canadiens since joining the NHL as an expansion team in 2000, and the Blue Jackets are 6-5-2 at the Bell Centre. Columbus is 4-0-1 against the Canadiens in their last five meetings and that includes an embarrassing 10-0 defeat last season at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 4, 2016. Columbus has the worst power play in the NHL with a success rate of 8.6 per cent, but they are 7-for-14 in their last four games against Montreal. And you don’t want to take your chances in overtime against the Blue Jackets who are an NHL- best 5-0-1 after regulation. Bob holds the fort: Sergei Bobrovsky, the 2017 Vezina Trophy winner, has enjoyed a 7-4-1 record against the Canadiens and it would have been better if he hadn’t been on the wrong end of a 1-0 overtime game on Feb. 28 this year. Bobrovsky has a 2.05 GAA and a .933 save percentage against Montreal. He’s off to a good start this season, posting a 9-4-1 mark with a 2,24 GAA and .925 save percentage. Boone Jenner, who is bouncing back from an early-season injury, has three goals and seven points in eight games against the Canadiens. Josh Anderson is the Blue Jackets’ top goal scorer this season with six. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083328 Nashville Predators

Predators' Scott Hartnell, Yannick Weber out weeks with lower-body injuries

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK Nov. 14, 2017

The Predators announced Tuesday morning that forward Scott Hartnell and defenseman Yannick Weber will miss significant time because of lower-body injuries. Hartnell will be out three to five weeks. Weber has a slightly shorter timetable at two to four weeks. They were injured Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins and are on injured reserve. Weber is on the bench....somehow? pic.twitter.com/A9g8OuSmJV — James Milstead (@MrMilstead) November 12, 2017 Hartnell, who has four goals and seven points this season, exited Saturday's game after three first-period shifts. Weber left in the second period after his right leg awkwardly buckled as he made contact with Penguins forward Riley Sheahan. Neither player displayed visible discomfort as he left Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday morning. The Predators have several options to replace them. At forward, Pontus Aberg and Frederick Gaudreau are the likeliest candidates. Aberg is playing for the Milwaukee Admirals on a conditioning assignment, a provision that allowed him to go to the American Hockey League without clearing waivers. He has three goals in two games since being loaned to the Admirals on Saturday. Nashville has six healthy defensemen on its roster after trading Samuel Girard to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 5 as part of the three-team trade that included center Kyle Turris. Alexandre Carrier, who has four points in 13 AHL games this season, appeared in two NHL games last season and is one of the Predators' most promising defensive prospects. Tennessean LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083329 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators 6, Washington Capitals 3: 3 things we learned

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK

The Predators' best defense is a domineering offense. After all, if you're in control of the puck, then you don't have to chase it. In their first 12 games, they scored 28 total goals. During their ongoing winning streak, which they extended to five games Tuesday by beating the Washington Capitals 6-3, they have 23 goals. Here are three observations from Tuesday's win: Predators get better of seesaw battle What appeared to be a runaway Predators victory during a first period in which they led 2-0 in goals and 18-3 in shots dramatically changed direction in the second period. Nashville and Washington combined for five goals in a span of 4:52, with the Capitals briefly tying the game. The Predators regained control with two more second-period goals. Twelve of the Predators' 18 skaters had at least one point. Among them was forward Filip Forsberg, who scored his 100th NHL goal and sixth in seven career games against the team that drafted him. He's the second- fastest player to reach 100 goals for the Predators at 281 games. Former captain Jason Arnott needed 247 games. The newly created line of Kevin Fiala, Kyle Turris and Craig Smith impressed again. Smith already is halfway to his goal total from last season by scoring his sixth Tuesday, and Fiala netted his first by tipping in defenseman Mattias Ekholm's point shot. Bonino returns from monthlong absence Predators center Nick Bonino, who missed 11 consecutive games with a lower-body injury, returned Tuesday and started on the fourth line with forwards Cody McLeod and Austin Watson. He scored in the first period, redirecting captain Roman Josi's shot behind Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby. Nashville's plan for Bonino is to “just take it slow with him, really try to watch his minutes, control his minutes (and) put him in situations where he can be successful," coach Peter Laviolette said. Bonino monitored his shifts against the Capitals, not staying on the ice for too long. The 29-year-old has had little in-game experience to become accustomed to his new team, having missed the preseason recovering from injury before quickly exiting again. Bonino, who had 12:13 of ice time Tuesday, properly aligns the Predators' center depth, which is at full strength for the first time this season. He's best used in a bottom-six capacity, which Turris' arrival facilitates. Hartnell, Weber out with injuries The Predators announced Tuesday morning that forward Scott Hartnell and defenseman Yannick Weber will miss significant time because of lower-body injuries. Hartnell will be out three to five weeks. Weber has a slightly shorter timetable at two to four weeks. They were injured Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins and are on injured reserve. The Predators have several options to replace them. At forward, Pontus Aberg and Frederick Gaudreau are the likeliest candidates. Aberg is playing for the Milwaukee Admirals on a conditioning assignment, a provision that allowed him to go to the American Hockey League without clearing waivers. He has three goals in two games since being loaned to the Admirals on Saturday. Tennessean LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083330 New Jersey Devils four years and $26.6 million following a late-season trade from the Blues to Washington.

Skjei, 23, is happy Shattenkirk chose New York. Kevin Shattenkirk Finds His Groove, and the Rangers Find Theirs “He’s been an unbelievable help,” said Skjei, a first-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2012. “I love watching him play and learning from him. We By ALLAN KREDANOV. 14, 2017 have good chemistry and talk a lot on and off the ice.” Now that the season and team are finding their balance, Shattenkirk said he felt more at ease as routines become predictable and any distractions Kevin Shattenkirk made it abundantly clear in July when he signed as a of playing at home become easier to manage. He had more than 100 free agent with the Rangers that he wanted, above all, to play for his friends and family members, many wearing specially made T-shirts, at hometown team. the Rangers’ home opener last month. His bonds with the Rangers have been visceral. He was 5 when the He bought extra season tickets so his parents; his fiancée, Deanna; his Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994. He was 15 in 2004, when he brother Eric and a handful of others can regularly come to home games. heard stunning news aboard a bus with teammates from the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn.: Brian Leetch had been traded to the “I like knowing they are there,” Shattenkirk said. “Sometimes I’ll catch Toronto Maple Leafs. their eyes before a period starts or I will hear them shouting for me during the game, and that means a lot. I am definitely enjoying playing at home.” “I was actually driving the bus that day, and when I shared the news with the team, Kevin said: ‘What? What you do mean they just traded Maloney, the youngest captain in Rangers history, understands Leetch?’” said Dave Maloney, the Rangers broadcaster, who was a Shattenkirk’s transition from teenager to seasoned pro — though little coach of the team. “That was his guy.” has changed since he first met the motivated defenseman. The sentiments of youth are now intertwined with his accomplished “He was always very skilled, well liked, well spoken and polite,” said professional life: Shattenkirk, now 28, has become friends with Leetch Maloney, whose son Dan was a high school teammate of Shattenkirk. through their shared link as Rangers defensemen. “He was a younger version of who is he is today.” Shattenkirk, who grew up in New Rochelle, N.Y., has been surging along As his connection with Leetch has grown, Shattenkirk is eager to absorb with the Rangers, who have recovered after a 3-7-2 start. He has five advice from the Hall of Famer, who amassed 240 goals and 981 points goals and 12 assists, including three goals and five assists in the past six over 17 seasons with the Rangers, including the Stanley Cup-winning games, all victories. The Rangers face the Blackhawks in Chicago on campaign. Wednesday. “I’ve had conversations with him and a few texts during the season and Shattenkirk has been particularly effective on the power play, one of the it’s obviously a treat for me to have that sort of relationship,” Shattenkirk main reasons the Rangers coveted him. His skill was well illustrated said of his childhood idol. “It’s amazing because we think the game the Saturday in a 4-2 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers, when his same way.” perfect cross-ice pass resulted in the tying goal by Pavel Buchnevich, New York Times LOADED: 11.15.2017 who has scored seven times since Oct. 26. “It takes time to adjust,” Shattenkirk said of the Rangers’ rocky start amid constant lineup experimentation. “I think that was the case for our whole team. But we didn’t panic and try to reinvent the wheel.” Shattenkirk has found a steady groove since being paired during the winning streak with Brady Skjei, who is coming off a solid rookie season that included 34 assists. “Being paired with Brady has helped me work on skating and getting involved more in moving up the ice,” said Shattenkirk, who was drafted in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007, then played three years for Boston University. “That’s something that when I’m playing well, I’m doing.” The Shattenkirk-Skjei pairing has steadied the back end for the Rangers and the confidence has filtered through the entire roster. “We’ve got pretty good pairings going,” said Marc Staal, now the senior member of the defense since the veteran Dan Girardi was bought out after last season. “Kevin has played really well on the power play lately and that has transferred to his game five-on-five. He’s been real strong and a big boost for us.” Starting with a 6-4 comeback victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 31, the Rangers reeled off overtime victories at Tampa Bay and Florida, followed by home wins over Columbus, Boston and the Oilers. Shattenkirk scored the overtime winner against the Panthers and has 10 points over all in a seven-game points streak. The recent results have heartened Coach Alain Vigneault, rumored to be on the hot seat after the slow start, but neither he nor his team had showed outward signs of alarm. A productive Shattenkirk surely helps. “He’s a lot more comfortable right now, you can tell,” Vigneault said. “I would say the last eight to nine games, he’s been a real solid for us at both ends.” Shattenkirk was brought in as a weapon from the point. He and Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, are the only two defensemen in the N.H.L. with 25 or more power-play points each of the last four seasons. “Right off the hop, you saw the great talent he has in being able to get things done on the power play — the passing and getting his shot through at the right time,” Vigneault said. Shattenkirk, who began to mark his mark in the N.H.L. after being traded from Colorado to St. Louis in February 2011, signed with the Rangers for 1083331 New Jersey Devils

What Travis Zajac needs to be ready to play for Devils

By Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- In Travis Zajac's mind, he doesn't need much more to be ready for game action. The Devils center practiced Tuesday after being fully cleared last week following August surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Nothing is official, but all signs point to Zajac debuting in the Devils' next game or two. "At some point, you can only get so much out of practice before you have to get thrown into the fire a little bit," Zajac said. "Get some of the rust off. You can only get so much out of practice. We'll see as we get closer here, trainers and coach and myself can have an idea." How lines could look with Zajac Coach John Hynes gave an even stronger indicator that the team will be willing to play him as soon as Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "He looks pretty good. So he had a good practice today, we did some battles, kind of what he needed," Hynes said. "We'll have another good practice tomorrow, and if all looks good after tomorrow after practice and he feels good after recovering from today, it looks like he'll have a really good chance to play against Toronto." Tuesday marked Zajac's first full practice with the team this season, where he got the chance to experience things that couldn't be replicated in individual skates. "It's timing and it's a little bit of puck control and getting into tight spaces and you know how much time you have to make a play," Zajac said. "You've got to think quick and react quick, but I haven't been able to do without today." Zajac skated on a line with Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri during Tuesday's practice, so it appears the Devils won't be shy about vaulting him into his usual top-line role right out of the gate. Why Devils are entering most important stretch of their season so far The veteran center will join a team that is 11-4-2, and one practice in, Zajac already saw a difference in the group. "We got some guys that aren't messing around this year," Zajac said. "We've got some speed. So it's definitely quicker than me and Mikey (McLeod) with ourselves. It was good. Good pace, and obviously lot of skill, speed out there." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083332 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Miles Wood finds surprise in locker after 1st hat trick (PHOTO)

By Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- Miles Wood had a surprise waiting for him when he returned to New Jersey. Fresh off his first career hat trick during Sunday's 7-5 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Wood showed up to practice on Tuesday to find 44 Devils hats piled onto the seat at his locker. Since @MilesWood44 recorded his hat trick on the road, we had a surprise waiting for him back in Jersey. Now, Wood's going the extra mile (pun intended). https://t.co/L69YbQNBvr pic.twitter.com/w2DxUk81q6 -- New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 14, 2017 Wood, who wears No. 44, scored two goals in the first period and one more in the third to spark the Devils in their dramatic comeback. Being away from Newark, Wood didn't get any caps thrown his way by fans as a celebration, so he got the surprise in his stall. The hats were given to Wood by the Devils Care Foundation. They will be donated to The Children's Hospital of New Jersey and The Valerie Fund Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Why Devils are entering most important stretch of their season so far Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083333 New Jersey Devils

Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller has fractured collarbone | What it means

By Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller fractured his left clavicle during Sunday's 7-5 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center in Chicago. Mueller will undergo surgery on Thursday. He is currently out indefinitely, and the Devils will have a better timetable for recovery once the surgery is complete. The 22-year-old defenseman exited Sunday's game in the opening minutes when he was checked high by Blackhawks center John Hayden. Mueller skated off under his own power while favoring his left shoulder. Devils coach John Hynes said Mueller also went through the concussion protocol after the hit, but he did not suffer a concussion. How lines will look with Zajac back With Mueller out, the Devils are down to seven healthy defensemen on their roster. Mueller played in 13 of the Devils' 17 games so far this season, where he had no goals and two assists. Defensemen Ben Lovejoy and Dalton Prout will see an increased work load in Mueller's absence. "Each guy has certain things we want to see from him," Hynes said. "They've both come in and they've done a good job. It's been competitive all year. We've had eight (defensemen), and we've tried to give guys different opportunities. They really have to get to what their strengths are. "In Ben's case, he defends well, his penalty kill is very good, we think he's a good skater. We like to see him move the puck a little bit better and some puck decisions, and he knows that. He's worked on that. Same thing for Dalton. When they come in, it's playing their game, but also helping them grow as players." With Mueller set to go on injured reserve, Hynes added the Devils will likely use that as the move to open up a roster spot for center Travis Zajac, who is set to return within the next week from offseason surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Activating Zajac to fill Mueller's spot would put the Devils at 14 forwards and seven defensemen for the first time this season. Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083334 New Jersey Devils

Lessons keep coming for young Devils

By Chris Ryan

CHICAGO -- The weekend brought two vastly different styles of wins for the Devils, and both were ones the team needed. After holding on for a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers a the Prudential Center on Saturday, the Devils managed to rally from three goals down and beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 7-5, on Sunday at the United Center. Saturday was a much tighter game, where it took the Devils nearly six minutes to get their first shot, despite scoring the first goal. They were outshot 17-4 in the third period, but the Devils still put some pressure on in the offensive zone while guarding a one-goal lead. When the Devils were racking up four or five goals per game in the first month of the season, wins came a little easier. They could get away with a few mistakes and make up for it on the scoreboard. During their four- game losing streak they had entering the Florida game -- and even in their Saturday win - mistakes were magnified in lower-scoring games. "Sometimes it's not always going to be pretty," Devils coach John Hynes said. "If you look at the (3-2 OT loss to the Edmonton Oilers), we felt we played well enough to win the game and we didn't. (Saturday) it was a battle. Florida came in, played hard, they skated well, put us under pressure at times. "When it wasn't going for us, we had good goaltending, blocked a lot of shots, defended very well. So I think you have to dig in and find a way to win a game. It's something we talked about, and we found a way to get it done." The offense was back on Sunday in a game where the Devils needed it. Every bounce and deflection went against them as they fell behind, 4-1, in the first period. After getting back within two goals before the first intermission, they managed to score four straight in the second to take control. Throughout the preseason and first month of the regular season, the Devils talked about establishing a team identity and playing with it on a nightly basis. The Devils lost four straight prior to the two weekend wins, and they faced their toughest test in maintaining that identity when they weren't getting the end results. "We always know the way we want to play," defenseman Andy Greene said. "There's just certain areas of the game sometimes where teams force us into turnovers and we're a little stubborn with the puck. We know our identity as a team and what makes us successful. Sometimes executing it and sticking to it for a full game. "Teams try to bottle you up, try to force you into mistakes. Being a young team, that's where you need to learn you can't be stubborn. You have to play a certain way every night, every shift. It may not pay off that shift, but it starts to pay off (eventually)." The Devils struggled defensively early in their four-game losing streak, starting with a 6-3 road loss to the Edmonton Oilers, followed by a 5-4 shootout defeat against the Calgary Flames. During their three-game home stand, the defense settled in, allowing seven total goals, including an empty netter and an OT winner, while going 1-1-1. Why Devils are entering most important stretch of their season so far Even after allowing the four early goals to the Blackhawks, the Devils stopped 26 of the 27 shots they faced the rest of the game. "We're just trying to be tight defensively," Defenseman Damon Severson said. "I think we know that we trust our offense, we trust our guys up front and our offensive side of the game. We know Schneids is going to be great back there. We just try to play tight defensively and limit the grade- a scoring chances from the opposition. I think we've done a pretty good job of that here the last few games." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083335 New Jersey Devils Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.

Star Ledger LOADED: 11.15.2017 How will lines look when Travis Zajac rejoins Devils' lineup?

By Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- Travis Zajac logged his first full practice of the season on Tuesday, joining the Devils for their session at the Prudential Center. While Zajac's return to game-action is not officially set, the Devils' line rushes at practice gave us a glimpse at how they could integrate Zajac into the rotation when he returns as early as this week. Devils open training camp John Munson FORWARD LINES Taylor Hall - Travis Zajac - Kyle Palmieri Adam Henrique - Brian Boyle - Miles Wood Jesper Bratt - Nico Hischier - Drew Stafford Brian Gibbons - Blake Coleman - Stefan Noesen Aristide Economopoulos BREAKDOWN Moving Zajac to the top line makes the most sense on several fronts. When playing with Hall and Palmieri last season, Zajac's line was by the most productive and most dangerous for the Devils. Zajac is also the team's best defensive forward, so adding him to the top unit will allow the Devils' top line to better handle matchups against other dangerous top lines. Putting Zajac on the top line then creates a trickle-down effect for the rest of the lines. With him playing center, that means one of the other centers needs to move to a wing. In these line rushes, that was Adam Henrique, while Brian Boyle, Nico Hischier and Blake Coleman stayed in the middle. The one downside of moving Zajac to the top line is moving Hischier off of it. The No. 1 overall pick from June's Draft has shown he can handle to role, but the move could make the Devils a more dangerous team. Hischier can skate on the second or third line, still create offensive chances, and he won't be consistently paired against the top lines of opponents. The addition of Zajac also means the Devils would need to take a forward out of the starting lineup. Jimmy Hayes and Pavel Zacha were the two extra forwards at Tuesday's practice, along with Michael McLeod, who returned to practice for the first time since October on Tuesday. Zacha and Hayes were the two most recent forward scratches for the Devils, and they may still be working their way back in. Here are the defensemen and goalie rotations for the rest of the Devils from Tuesday's practice. DEFENSEMEN Andy Greene - Steven Santini John Moore - Damon Severson Will Butcher - Ben Lovejoy Dalton Prout GOALIES Cory Schneider Keith Kinkaid DID NOT PRACTICE Forward Marcus Johansson (concussion) Defenseman Micro Mueller (upper body) Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. BACK TO TOP Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. 1083336 New Jersey Devils “I think he can play the hardest minutes up front,” Hynes said. I think he brings a lot of stability to your forward group. He’s an easy player for other players to play with.” Travis Zajac likely to return to Devils' lineup Thursday Mueller, 22, acquired in the offseason from the Sharks for a second- and fourth-round pick, has two assists in 12 games. Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Veteran Ben Lovejoy, a healthy scratch the past three games and 10 times this season, is likely to rejoin the lineup on Thursday.

“When we started the year we knew we had eight really strong NEWARK – Travis Zajac’s lightning-quick recovery from surgery to repair defensemen,” blue-liner Steven Santini said. “Obviously it’s going to hurt a torn left pectoral muscle on Aug. 17, originally expected to keep the No. losing Mirco, he’s been a big part of our lineup. But you know what? It’s 1 center out four to six months, is likely to culminate with his return to the next man up, I guess.” Devils’ lineup on Thursday night at Toronto. BRIEF: Hynes said left wing Marcus Johansson (concussion), hurt on “If all looks good after [Wednesday’s] practice and if he feels good Nov. 1, has resumed light skating on his own. recovery from today, then it looks like he’ll be a real good chance to play at Toronto,” Devils coach John Hynes said after Tuesday’s practice at Bergen Record LOADED: 11.15.2017 Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center, Zajac’s first of the season. But Hynes also announced defenseman Mirco Mueller will undergo surgery on Thursday after fracturing his left clavicle in Sunday night’s 7-5 win at Chicago, which opened a four-game road trip that continues against the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Metropolitan Division-leading Devils (11-4-2) won’t have a timetable for Mueller’s recovery until after his surgery. “It’s disappointing for us and him,” Hynes said. “I think he was really coming into his own and he was playing very good hockey for us.” Mueller will be placed on injured reserve in order to activate Zajac when he is ready to play. Zajac participated in the full team morning skate prior to Saturday’s 2-1 win over the visiting Panthers but Tuesday’s practice was the first in which he went through battle drills and hard contact. Devils 7, Blackhawks 5: Post-game observations “It’s timing,” Zajac said. “It’s a little bit of puck control and getting it into tight spaces. You don’t have much time to make a play. You’ve got to think quick and that’s the part I haven’t been able to do until today.” But Zajac, 32, reunited on ice with his linemates from the end of last season, Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall, said he can regain only so much during practices. “I think, at some point, you can only get so much out of practice,” Zajac said. “You’ve got to get thrown into the fire a little bit and get some of the rust off.” #NJDevils at practice: Hall-Zajac-Palmieri Bratt-Nico-Stafford Henrique-Boyle-Wood Gibbons-Coleman-Noesen (Hayes, Zacha, McLeod rotating in) Greene-Santini Moore-Severson Butcher-Lovejoy (Prout rotating in) — Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) November 14, 2017 “We kind of know how each other play,” Palmieri added. “We know what kind of players we are and what made us successful so hopefully we pick up where we left off.” With Zajac back on the top line, No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier went in between fellow rookie Jesper Bratt and Drew Stafford on the second line and Adam Henrique was moved to left wing on Brian Boyle’s line with Miles Wood. Zajac, in the fifth season of an eight-year, $46 million deal and a Devil since 2006, had 14 goals and 31 assists in 80 games last season as the Devils missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season and finished last in the Eastern Conference. He’s relied on for key faceoffs in all three zones and has been used both on the power play and penalty kill. Zajac’s average ice time of 19:43 led all Devils’ forwards last season. 1083337 New Jersey Devils

Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 14

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer

NEWARK – The Devils had a well-deserved day of rest on Monday after earning all four points in their weekend back-to-back, beating the visiting Panthers 2-1 on Saturday and surviving a wild 7-5 win at Chicago on Sunday. Now, it’s a couple of days of practice before this four-game road trip continues on Thursday at Toronto (before moving on to Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon and concluding at Minnesota on Monday). Devils rally for wild, 7-5, win over Blackhawks Devils 7, Blackhawks 5: Post-game observations Who’s on the ice for today’s 11 a.m. practice at Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center – and how they are deployed – will be what to watch for. The three storylines: First period – The severity of Mirco Mueller’s injury: The 22-year-old defenseman, who has two assists in 13 games in his first season with the Devils, left United Center with his left arm in a sling on Sunday night after exiting the game just 18 seconds into the first period on a hard check from the Blackhawks’ John Hayden. Mueller certainly appeared to be favoring his left shoulder. The doctors have had their look, now we’ll possibly see what the prognosis is. The Devils have been carrying eight defensemen with veterans Ben Lovejoy and Dalton Prout the healthy scratches. Second period – When will Travis Zajac rejoin the lineup? The team’s No. 1 center, who underwent surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle on Aug. 17 and was initially expected to miss four to six months, is now expected to return to the lineup at some point during this road trip after being medically cleared on Saturday. So today is expected to be his second time on ice with his teammates since his injury and the first practice with hard contact after he participating in Saturday’s full team morning skate. The Devils would need to make room for Zajac on the roster by activating him off injured reserve. Mueller, depending on the severity of his injury, may be placed on IR in order to make room for Zajac when he’s ready to be activated. Third period – Marcus Johansson’s progress: Left wing Marcus Johansson is also on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in a 2-0 win at Vancouver on Nov. 1. On Saturday, Devils coach John Hynes described a “slow progression” for Johansson as he was able to resume off-ice exercising. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083338 New York Islanders

Henrik Lundqvist’s heavy workload explained

By Larry Brooks November 14, 2017 | 11:01PM

Henrik Lundqvist is scheduled for his seventh straight start and 16th in the Rangers’ first 19 games Wednesday in Chicago. Unless something unforeseen develops, he can be expected to get the call again Friday when the Rangers play at Columbus. This workload is a function of both a light schedule, in which the Rangers haven’t had a back-to-back since Oct. 13-14, and of the King’s improved play. Lundqvist has recorded a .913 save percentage and 2.66 goals- against average in the current six-game winning streak and has gone .919 and 2.38 over his past five matches. “That’s the one thing we mentioned before the start of the season, that we didn’t want to put out a fixed number of games,” coach Alain Vigneault said following Tuesday’s practice. “We really wanted to go with the schedule, and this is a schedule that’s permitting him to play. “Obviously it’s not easy for [backup Ondrej Pavelec]. He’s going to get his games, but right now the schedule says Hank, and it’s been good. It’s permitted him to play better and obviously when Hank plays better, we play better.” This is not an unusual pace for Lundqvist. Indeed, the Swede started 15 of the first 19 last season before finishing with 55 starts. He started 16 of the first 20 in both 2015-16 and in 2014-15. He had 64 starts in 2015-16 and 46 in 2014-15, the year he was sidelined for nearly two months the aftermath of being struck in the throat with a shot. Lundqvist started 15 of the first 20 in Vigneault’s first season behind the bench in 2013-14. Upon returning from this trip, the Rangers have five games in 10 days and seven in 17 until their first of nine remaining back-to-backs, which opens up in Washington on Dec. 8 and concludes the following night at the Garden against the Devils. The Rangers last won as many as seven straight in going 9-0 two years ago from Oct. 25 through Nov. 15 in their 14-2-2 getaway. “We’ve had a great run here, but because of our start we’re not in a great position,” Lundqvist said. “So it’s important that we understand the importance of the next six games and the games after that. I’m happy that we put this streak together because we were putting ourselves in the race, but we’re still not in a great spot. “But we are doing a lot of good things and that brings a lot of confidence to the group.When you have that, it’s easier to make good decisions under pressure and make better reads. Guys are coming up with big plays at the right time.” The Rangers have outscored their opponents 26-16 throughout the winning streak, but have been outscored 14-12 at five-on-five. They have an 8-2 edge on specialty teams(allowing one power-play goal and one shorthanded goal); 2-0 in three-on-three overtimes; and 4-0 on empty- netters. Ranked third in the NHL at 25.8 percentage efficiency on the power play through Monday’s games, the Rangers are 6-for-12 in their past four games and 9-for-23 over their past seven matches. They have killed 13- of-14 during the streak. Filip Chytil has missed the AHL Wolf Pack’s past three games with a stomach ailment similar to the one that sidelined Boo Nieves with the Rangers, but the 18-year-old rookie pro (three goals, six assists in eight contests) is expected to play in Wednesday’s home match against Bridgeport. New York Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083339 New York Islanders

John Tavares, Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy make quite an impression on school kids

By Laura Albanese

John Tavares squared off with his inquisitor, and the silence after the question seemed to last forever. It actually only lasted eight seconds, and was partially broken up by giggles, and then uproarious laughter. “Do you secretly want to be on another team?” asked the child in the back of the auditorium to the superstar headed to free agency at the end of the season (barring a contract extension). From his folding chair, Tavares gave no tells. He let the silence (and then the laughter) linger. And then, he answered, stone-faced: “Absolutely not.” It was, most assuredly, a different type of news conference for the Islanders Tuesday afternoon at Merrick’s Birch Elementary School, where Tavares, Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy braved the inquisitions of some of their youngest — and most boisterous — fans. The chants were loud, the cheers were loud, and the Islanders were game, even if Tavares — ever soft-spoken and polite — suggested that the questions, too, be asked “quietly and politely.” Islanders School Day is, after all, meant to instill good values in kids across Long Island and Brooklyn, as 23 Islanders were dispatched to 10 schools to talk about things like bullying, health and nutrition, and teamwork. At Birch, the Islanders answered questions for a half-hour and then signed autographs for everyone in attendance. “It was amazing,” said fourth grader Robert Krayevsky, a youth hockey player clad in an Islanders jersey and gripping an autographed puck. “When I was like five years old I started watching hockey and the first game I ever watched I think was the Islanders, and ever since then they were my favorite team. I think it was amazing and I think it was one of the best days I ever had in my life.” It was a thoroughly lighthearted afternoon. When asked how the team could improve, Eberle deadpanned: “Better leadership and better “I remember being a kid and having my heroes and if they came to speak to me, you listen,” Eberle said. He preached the necessity of eating vegetables and exercise to the kids who, admittedly, appeared a bit dubious at the suggestion. “When you have that power it’s good to do stuff like this,” he said. Tavares, meanwhile, spoke of the importance of hard work and responsibility, and answered the questions with the thoughtfulness that would have been just as at home in a job interview. “I think you realize the responsibility that comes with being an NHLer, the impact you can have on kids,” he said. “You start to reflect back and start to look at how you can do the same sort of things that the guys in front of you did — to not just be a hockey player but a role model. I wasn’t lucky enough [to have something like this growing up]. I would have been blown away . . . It would have been the thrill of a lifetime.” And yes, he’s happy no one pressed him on free agency. Tavares isn’t saying what his decision will be. It’s clear he has a strong tie to the Islanders, but as of now, there’s no guarantee he won’t be somewhere else come July. Like, say, the Maple Leafs — his very favorite team growing up (that was another question the kids asked). “Well, I’m glad,” they didn’t ask, he said. “They more just care about the game than all the other stuff that goes along with it. Some great questions and we had a lot of fun with them today.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083340 New York Rangers

It’s clear what Rick Nash wants out of uncertain Rangers future

By Larry Brooks November 14, 2017 | 5:21PM

This is a time of uncertainty for Rick Nash, the valuable Ranger who for the first time in his career is a pending free agent and whose greatest value to the organization might be as a blue-chip rental property to exchange for futures as the Feb. 26 trade deadline approaches. “I’ve aware of that, I’ve thought about that; for sure I have,” No. 61 told The Post following practice Tuesday. “It’s not something that’s weighing on me, but of course I’m aware of my contract status and whatever implications might come out of that. It’s the first time in my career that I’m playing for a contract. “I want to be here, that’s my priority, but I also understand the business side of it and that management has to do what they feel is in the best interests of the organization. That thought [about the deadline] definitely creeps in from time to time.” Nash has scored four goals in the last four games and has recorded eight points (5-3) in the last seven matches. He has been a key factor in driving the Rangers’ six-game winning streak the club will put on the line Wednesday in Chicago on the first of this two-game trip that concludes in Columbus on Friday. There is little doubt he would be among the most sought-after commodities on the market. But if general manager Jeff Gorton and his crew believe the Rangers have a postseason run in them, it is unlikely Nash would be sacrificed even if he would be free to leave on July 1. There is another option, of course. The Rangers could sign their 32-year-old alternate captain to an extension. Rick Nash has six goals and nine points this season.Corey Sipkin “Staying here is my first choice. Definitely,” Nash said. “If they come to me with an offer, or indicate they’d like to talk about it at some point during the season, I’d be good with it. I’d certainly be willing to talk and sign a new deal if both sides were happy with it. “Typically, you like to take care of the business side of it over the summer. You don’t want to get into extended negotiations during the season. And I don’t think I’d go to them, I don’t think it’s really my place. But this is where I want to be. This is home.” Nash is in his sixth year as a Blueshirt after having spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Blue Jackets. Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh are the only three Rangers with longer continuous service than No. 61. He has scored 133 goals as a Ranger, 39 more than Chris Kreider’s runner-up total of 94 since the start of 2012-13. He ranks 15th in the league over that period and 11th in goals-per-game (.4) among players with at least 100 goals. He recorded .43 goals per game for the Jackets with 289 in 674 matches. “Both of our kids were born while I was here,” said Nash, referring to his and his wife Jessica’s son, McLaren, and their daughter, Ellie. “We’re New Yorkers.” Nash is on the final season of the eight-year, $62.4 million extension he signed with Columbus on July 3, 2009 that kicked in the following season. The next contract won’t approach the $7.8 million per he has earned under this one, but it is darn near impossible to project what the winger might be able to attract next summer on a market that won’t be filled with many marquee names. Is four years in the neighborhood of $5-to-$5.5 million per unrealistic? Is it unrealistic for the Rangers to make that commitment when J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei are all due new contracts this summer as restricted free agents? Would it be foolish for the Rangers to extend Nash before knowing whether they are contenders or pretenders at the deadline? No answers are set in stone. Except for the one that follows when Nash is asked whether he wants to remain a Ranger, and it is, “Yes, for sure.” New York Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083341 New York Rangers

Rangers pack momentum for brief road swing

By Brian Heyman

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The NHL’s hottest team was on the ice practicing Tuesday morning before catching an afternoon flight to Chicago. The Rangers flew there riding the league’s longest winning streak of the season at six games, but Henrik Lundqvist knew their heads didn’t belong in the clouds. Yes, their confidence has swelled. Yes, they have been playing very good hockey. But their 3-7-2 start has become only a 9-7-2 start. So this is no time to feel satisfied. “Yeah, we had a great run here, but because of our start, we’re not in a great position,” Lundqvist said. “So it’s important that we understand the importance of the next six games and the games after that. The race is going to be really close, I think, all year. I’m happy we’ve been able to put this streak together.” After receiving a heavy dose of MSG over the first 18 games — 13 at home — the Rangers have two games on the road before playing five more out of six at the Garden. They play Wednesday night against the Blackhawks (8-8-2). Then Friday night, the Rangers are at Columbus (10-7-1 through Monday). They lost, 3-1, at Columbus during their bad early stretch and are only 2-3 away from the Garden. “It’s obviously an area where you have to be able to win on the road in order to be successful in this league,” Kevin Shattenkirk said. The Rangers have won four straight at Chicago, but all have been by one goal, two by 1-0 counts in overtime. “I would say that it’s definitely two good teams that play a similar brand of hockey,” Alain Vigneault said. The Rangers’ brand has been enhanced during the six-game streak by the power play (8-for-19) and the penalty-killing unit (13-for-14). Lundqvist has done his part protecting the net. There has also been a commitment to defense at five-on-five. The offense has scored at least four goals five times. “I think you kind of have that confidence, that momentum, that you build through the six games that it feels like you have a great chance,” Rick Nash said. This next game will mark Lundqvist’s seventh straight start and 16th overall. The schedule has included a lot of off days, allowing him to play more. “It’s permitted him to find his game, to play better,” Vig neault said. “And obviously when Hank plays better, we play better.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083342 Ottawa Senators in nine games … Because of call-ups to the NHL and injuries, Belleville played last weekend with nine regulars missing … Logan Brown scored a hat trick and added an assist in the Windsor Spitfires’ 6-5 overtime win Warrenspiece: Senators must make room for returning Bobby Ryan over the Kitchener Rangers on Remembrance Day. Brown had eight goals and seven assists in his first eight games after the Senators sent him back to the Ontario Hockey League. KEN WARREN Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.15.2017

Let the guessing game begin. Now that Bobby Ryan has returned from a broken right index finger, where will he line up when the Ottawa Senators return to practice Wednesday after their Swedish getaway? Before Ryan was hurt, he was part of an impressive top line at left wing with centre Derick Brassard and right-winger Mark Stone, registering six assists in eight games. Head coach Guy Boucher could Ryan him back there, or Boucher might opt to see what Ryan could do at right wing with with Matt Duchene, who will play his first game at Canadian Tire Centre with the Senators against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. I’m willing to gamble a nickel – but not a dime — that Ryan will line up beside Duchene. BARE MINIMUM: Assuming that Ryan and defenceman Mark Borowiecki are both cleared to return to action Thursday, get set for more unconventional lineup formations. After forwards Jack Rodewald and Nick Paul and defenceman Ben Harpur were assigned to Belleville of the American Hockey League on Monday, the Senators have a bare minimum of 20 players, including 11 forwards, seven defencemen and two goalies. Fans at Canadian Tire Centre could be treated to a repeat of what Stockholm fans saw: Chris Wideman played 9:59 in Saturday’s game, a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche, the bulk of it as a right-winger on a line with Paul and Nate Thompson. HARPUR HOLDS HIS OWN: While Harpur has returned to the AHL, it was intriguing that he played 16:23 and 14:12 in the two games against Colorado. Clearly, Boucher has plenty of trust in the 6-6, 223-pound defenceman, who was solid in nine Stanley Cup playoff games last spring. SCHEDULE PAYBACK: The reward for playing only two games in 11 days? How about playing three games in the following four days? After hosting the Penguins on Thursday and the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday afternoon, the Senators travel to New York to face the Rangers on Sunday. “My biggest worry was getting as many days off as possible,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told TSN 1200 of the Swedish sojourn. “These guys need to recuperate. The toughest game we’ll play this year will be on Thursday.” HERITAGE HYPE: My two cents? Black would have been better, but the Senators have opted to go red for the Dec. 16 outdoor game against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Place stadium. The latest version of the heritage throwback sweater — yes, I go with the traditional ‘sweater,’ not the Americanized ‘jersey’ — features broad black and white stripes and a sliver of silver across the middle, all topped by a silver O. The coolest wrinkle: If you look closely, you’ll see numbers on the silver of the armbands designating the years of Senators Stanley Cup wins. THE GOALIE SHUFFLE: On Tuesday, Montreal plucked Antti Niemi off waivers from Florida. Louis Domingue went from the outhouse to the penthouse — traded to Tampa from Arizona — in a deal that also landed Lightning minor-leaguer Michael Leighton with the Coyotes. With all the goalie movement, maybe Andrew Hammond will get another NHL shot. “Hammond has been phenomenal,” Belleville Senators coach Kurt Kleinendorst said. “He has been our best player.” HAMBURGLAR ON FIRE AGAIN: With Bellville, Hammond is 4-2-1 with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. However, after being part of the Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris trade, he’s now Colorado Avalanche property. If the Avalanche trade him, he’s gone. Until then, Hammond is battling Danny Taylor, Chris Driedger and Marcus Hogberg (now with Brampton of the ECHL) for playing time. “It’s really about a winning thing,” Kleinendorst said. “Pierre (Dorion) is okay with us using Hammond.”… Does anybody else rub their eyes when looking at Hammond’s 20-1-2 record, 1.79 goals-against average and .941 save percentage with the Senators in 2014-15? Did that really happen?… The NHL and AHL Senators are crossing their fingers that defenceman Christian Jaros will return for Wednesday’s game against Lehigh Valley. Jaros was expected to return from his concussion last weekend, but failed his base-line test. He had one goal and four assists 1083343 Ottawa Senators

Health the No. 1 priority for Clarke MacArthur, Sens GM says

KEN WARREN

It came as no great surprise, but Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said Tuesday it was unlikely that Clarke MacArthur would return to the National Hockey League team. MacArthur, who has a history of concussion problems, failed his medical exam before training camp in September. “Health and family is more important than hockey,” Dorion said in a radio interview with TSN 1200. MacArthur, who endured at least four concussions during an 18-month span in 2015 and 2016, made an inspired return to the Senators lineup in the final week of the 2016-17 regular season. He also scored three goals and six assists in 19 playoff games, including the series-clinching overtime goal against the Boston Bruins in the opening round. MacArthur, 32, has three years and $13.95 million remaining on his contract with the Senators. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083344 Ottawa Senators “I’m starting to feel more comfortable with everything, I’m starting to get the timing,” White said in a phone interview. “You’re playing against older guys, against grown men, guys with families. The big thing here is the Chabot and White trying to get solid system of playing right, doing the proper things. Every game there are little things and big things to learn.

“There’s very little room for error and I can’t do some of the things I had KEN WARREN been doing.” After White joined Belleville for the home opener, Kleinendorst said adrenalin helped carry the young forward through a couple of games. His In one breath, Belleville Senators coach Kurt Kleinendorst labels Thomas game then dropped off a notch before climbing up again. All of it, Chabot as “a Michelangelo” for his offensive artistry. according to Kleinendorst, is normal for a young player returning from a significant injury. A minute or so later, Kleinendorst describes the Ottawa Senators’ 20- year-old defence prospect as a “left-shot Erik Karlsson” because of his White says his goal is solidify himself in the NHL before the season ends. ability to create plays that few others can. Perhaps Chabot will be with him. High praise, indeed. In what could be an optimistic sign for Senators fans, White’s first goal, in a game on Nov. 8, was set up by Chabot. At the same time, Chabot is learning the hard lessons that raw talent alone will only take him so far. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.15.2017 Until he joins the National Hockey League Senators on a full-time basis, he’s receiving a daily education on the attention to detail required to survive in the professional game. “Every day, I work with the coaches,” Chabot said Tuesday in a telephone interview following practice in Belleville. “As much as I can, I want to come to the rink wanting to learn something, big or small.” Chabot has two goals and three assists in his first 10 American Hockey League games, but those numbers only tell a bit of the story. It’s no grand secret that the reason Chabot isn’t already a regular in Ottawa is because of his play inside his own blue-line, a central theme for Kleinendorst and Belleville defence coach Paul Boutilier, who was also an assistant coach last season with Chabot’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team in Saint John. “The main focus is on the defensive zone,” said Chabot, chosen 18th overall by Ottawa in the 2015 NHL draft. “I look at a lot of video, I have a lot of talks with Kurt and Paul. Every hockey player wants to get better. I told myself that, once I came down from Ottawa, I knew it wouldn’t be easy.” The level of play in the AHL is often underestimated. The jump from major junior or college hockey to the AHL is far larger than the step from the AHL to the NHL. Many top NHL players had pitstops in the AHL before sticking in the big league. Karlsson spent a month with the Senators’ former AHL affiliate in Binghamton in 2009-10, primarily for the same reasons Chabot is now in Belleville. “It’s not a matter of if, but when,” Kleinendorst said Chabot’s potential promotion. “It’s just about helping him manage the game without the puck a little bit better. We’ve got to be careful. We’ve got to make sure he’s a reliable player and learning the game more thoroughly, but we don’t want to take away what he is offensively. “Take out a stopwatch. Half the time, your team is gong to have the puck, half the time the other team is going to have the puck.” Chabot did receive an early-season taste of the NHL, called up for three games when Karlsson, Johnny Oduya and Ben Harpur were all sidelined with injuries, and he collected his two assists. Since returning to Belleville, he has dealt with a groin injury that kept him out of the new franchise’s home opener. Away from the rink, he’s enjoying “living as an adult” in Belleville after years of being billeted with a family as a junior player. While he sees others all around him being called up to Ottawa — Harpur on defence, Chris DiDomenico, Max McCormick, Filip Chlapik, Jack Rodewald and Nick Paul among the forwards — Chabot says there’s no room for bitterness when he doesn’t get the call. “You can’t get mad,” Chabot said. “If they’re getting called up, they deserve it. Hopefully, I get called up, but I’m not focussed on that. You always want to be at the best level. The coaches here want you to get to the NHL. The coaches are putting in the time to get you there.” Centre Colin White, drafted 21st overall in 2015, has also discovered first-hand how big the jump is to the AHL. White, who missed most of Senators training camp after breaking his left wrist while blocking a shot in a preseason game, has one goal and two assists in six AHL games. 1083345 Ottawa Senators Despite a bye week that runs from Jan. 11-17, the congestion is never really alleviated.

There are only two months in which the Senators don’t have at least two How the Senators can deal with a very tough upcoming schedule instances of three games in four nights. It happens only once in February, where there’s just one stretch of four games in six nights, and once in April at the conclusion of the regular season. By Graeme Nichols The last month of the regular season is going to be a grind. Only the Florida Panthers will play as many games over the final four weeks (15) as the Senators. The Ottawa Senators did what they had to do during their two-game Global Series against the Colorado Avalanche: They won. Understandably, there will be some who will contrast the remainder of the Senators’ schedule with the first 16 games and predict some regression. With five days off leading up to the Sweden games and four days off after (ahead of Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins), it was To their credit, the Senators have taken advantage of their soft start. important for the Senators to not only capitalize on their trip and defeat There are a few ways in which they can make up for whatever increased an inferior opponent but to continue to build up a point cushion on their difficulty is experienced through their schedule, too. division rivals. Craig Anderson returns to form The Senators comfortably sit third in the Atlantic Division with 21 points in 16 games, having built up a decent margin on teams like Detroit (18 Without question, last year’s Masterton Trophy winner is having a slow points in 18 games), Montreal (17 points in 18 games) and Boston (16 start. points in 16 games) while enjoying the added benefit of having a few In 13 appearances, Anderson has a save percentage of .895, a goals- games in hand. against average of 2.99 and one shutout. Their strength of schedule could help explain why the Senators are off to According to Corsica.Hockey’s data, of the 44 goalies who have such a good start. accumulated 200 or more minutes of five-on-five ice time this season, According to Jeff Sagarin’s schedule ratings for USA Today, no team has only 10 goalies have a lower five-on-five save percentage than had an easier start to their season than the Senators. Sagarin’s Anderson’s 90.42. methodology accounts for things like the quality of competition and game It represents a significant departure from his career norms. location. Corsica's data shows that although Anderson’s low danger save So not surprisingly, heading into Monday night’s action, only the New percentage (LDSv%) has remained relatively static over the past eight York Rangers had played more home games than the Senators. (As an seasons, his medium danger save percentage (MDSv%) appears to be aside, the influx of home games to start the 2017-18 season is intriguing trending down, and there is a precipitous drop his high danger (HDSv%) considering owner Eugene Melnyk went on a Toronto sports radio station save percentage. last season and blamed the team’s attendance figures on its schedule and stacked number of home games — a contributing factor in the It’s fair to assume that last season’s 84.62 HDSv% was unsustainably dismissal of team president Cyril Leeder. For what it’s worth, the high, but Corsica.Hockey’s expected save percentage for Anderson this Senators have had two more home games through their first 16 games season (92.63) falls in line with his career norms. With some improved this season than they did last season.) luck and better performance out of Anderson – which isn’t out of the realm of possibility considering how well the Senators continue to defend Things are about to get a lot more difficult. the middle of the ice in the defensive zone – the Senators will be able to No team has more sets of back-to-back games this season than the cut down on the volume of goals that they are allowing at five-on-five. Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins (19 each). Having only played three Mark Stone’s shooting his way to a massive contract sets so far, the Senators still have 16 more to look forward to. I could devote an entirely separate article to waxing poetic about Mark That is an absurdly high volume of games. Just to put things into Stone’s defensive aptitude, competitiveness and takeaway abilities, but perspective, the Winnipeg Jets — the team with the fewest number of as an impending restricted free agent, however, Mark Stone picked a hell back-to-back sets on the season — have nine. of a time to boost his offensive game. In an interview before the start of the season, general manager Pierre Through the Senators’ first 16 games, Stone has a team-leading 12 Dorion was asked about the volume of back-to-back games. goals, which is double the total of the team’s next highest scorers – “I hate our schedule, but that’s part of the game. Last year I thought we Derick Brassard and Mike Hoffman. had a very favourable schedule and when the schedule came out this There's no chance Stone will be able to sustain his current 25.5 percent year, I wasn’t too keen or happy about it,” explained Dorion. “But you shooting percentage, but Stone has demonstrated over the course of his know what, there’s some years that things fall more into place and this career (16.5 percent shooting percentage) that he can score on a high year, us and Pittsburgh have the most back-to-backs and we’re just volume of his shots. going to have to thrive through it.” Even if Stone experiences a dip in his shooting percentage, the most What accounts for the scheduling discrepancies can only be explained by dramatic change in his game over the first 16 games is how much he has the league, but there’s no denying that the trip to Sweden played a factor. improved his individual shot rate. Perhaps the experience generated some revenue for the club and, at the Stone has always struck me as a bit of a pass-first player whose very least, it probably helped forge meaningful bonds between the selflessness with the puck left goals on the table. Whether this part of players — especially among their Swedish contingent and a newcomer some concerted effort or not to shoot the puck more remains to be seen, like Matt Duchene. but the fact that both metrics are up significantly from their career norms That said, there's no denying the complications that a compressed is a great sign. schedule can create. Can Ryan and Duchene gel? Less time off between games could make players more susceptible to On Monday the Senators announced that they have assigned Nick Paul, injuries. The frequency of the back-to-backs and these three games in Jack Rodewald and Ben Harpur to Belleville while activating Bobby Ryan four night stretches will not only test their depth and ability to roll four and Mark Borowiecki from the injured reserve. lines, it puts pressure on the coaching staff to utilize its goaltenders efficiently. There is no real opportunity for Mike Condon to be sheltered While Borowiecki’s development and improved play under Guy Boucher down the stretch. Eventually, he is going to have to step in and play in an has not gone unnoticed, it is the reintroduction of Ryan to the Senators’ important game. top-six that is the bigger news item. Although the team is in the midst of days off following their return from Before sustaining a broken finger during the Senators’ October 21 win Sweden, things pick up quickly with the Senators playing three games in over the Maple Leafs, Ryan led the Senators in five-on-five points per four nights twice over the span of the next two weeks. 60 minutes of ice time. Beyond the frequency of their forthcoming games, only three of the This production over a small sample size, but if there was any player on Senators’ next 13 games will be played at home. the Senators who needed that kind of start to the season, it was Ryan. He's still trying to live up to expectations that came with his trade here and subsequent contract extension. It also helped the argument that last season’s playoff performance was not a fluke. Although Ryan began the season on a line with Brassard and Stone, it sounds like he will make his return Thursday on a line with Duchene. Once Duchene becomes familiar with ‘The System’ and Ryan gets acclimated on the ice, this duo could provide Boucher with an effective second forward combination beyond Brassard/Stone to build around. Erik Karlsson’s dominance and some stable defensive pairings Earlier I talked about how the Senators stockpiled points and took advantage of a softer schedule to start the season, but one of the things that the strength of schedule metrics didn’t capture was how the Senators managed to capture points in each of their first five games while Erik Karlsson recovered from his ankle injury. Although it didn’t take long for Karlsson to start putting up points following his return, NaturalStatTrick.com’s game log tool reveals how just how much the ice has been tilted in Ottawa’s favour when Karlsson steps on the ice at five-on-five. After his first two games, here is what the Senators have done: Those numbers are gaudy even before I bring up the fact that he is averaging 1.55 points per game since his return. What makes this more impressive is the amount of concern that was expressed following the departure of his regular defensive partner, Marc Methot. By partnering him with Fredrik Claesson, the Senators have shrewdly replaced Methot with a younger and cheaper alternative. Granted, it took some time to separate Karlsson from veteran Johnny Oduya, but at least through the early going, the results speak for themselves. Corsica.Hockey’s defensive pair combination tool shows that in the 70.4 five-on-five minutes that Karlsson and Claesson have played together, the Senators have generated 59.17 percent of the shots and 62.77 percent of the expected goals. It seems like the coaching staff has recognized how frequently the Senators get caved in whenever Dion Phaneuf and Cody Ceci are on the ice together. And as Ary Maharaj articulated in an article for The Athletic late last week, maybe the time has come for the Senators to gauge whether Chris Wideman is just a really good third pairing defenceman or whether he can handle the responsibility of playing in the top four. If he can, it could create a situation where the Senators can play Claesson with Karlsson, Phaneuf with Wideman and shelter Borowiecki and Ceci on the third pairing. The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083346 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick continues to make progress; Andrew MacDonald will skate Wednesday by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Rookie center Nolan Patrick took part in the Flyers’ morning practice and skated for a little more than an hour Tuesday, a sign he is making progress in his return from a concussion. Patrick won’t play when the Flyers (8-7-2) face Minnesota (7-7-2) on Tuesday night, but he might return Thursday in Winnipeg, his home city. The Flyers’ next game after that will be Saturday afternoon against Johnny Gaudreau, Jaromir Jagr, and visiting Calgary. Selected No. 2 overall in the June draft, Patrick will miss his ninth straight game. “I’m just getting my cardio back; that’s the main thing,” Patrick, 19, said after Tuesday’s workout. He would like to play Thursday in his home city, but knows it’s not his decision. “It’s up to the coaching staff, the trainers, and Hexy,” he said, referring to general manager Ron Hextall. “If they think I’m ready to go and in good enough shape to help the team, then I assume I’ll play. But if they think I need more time, it’s all up to those guys and I really don’t have to decide.” Patrick grew up about a 10-minute drive from Bell MTS Place, home of the Winnipeg Jets. “It’ll be good to see my family and friends,” he said. “Obviously, it’ll be nice to be home for a couple days.” Patrick was injured when a shoulder-to-shoulder hit by Anaheim’s Chris Wagner caused the rookie’s head to hit the glass Oct. 24. Before being sidelined, Patrick had a goal, two assists, and a plus-2 rating in nine games. MacDonald update Veteran defenseman Andrew MacDonald will skate Wednesday in Winnipeg for the first time since he injured his leg against Edmonton on Oct. 21. There is a slight chance he will play Saturday, but next Tuesday seems like a more realistic date. The Flyers are 3-4-2 without MacDonald, who was on the top pairing with Ivan Provorov. Rookie Robert Hagg is now with Provorov. Breakaways Goalie Brian Elliott, who needs three wins to reach 200 in his career, will make his third straight start Tuesday. … The Flyers have outscored their opponents, 30-24, in five-on-five play; Minnesota is even (28-28) in those situations. … The Flyers’ power play is tied for 15th in the NHL (18.6 percent success rate), and their penalty kill is just 19th (79.7 percent). … The Flyers are 1-6-2 when their opponent scores first. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083347 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers-Wild preview: Philly looking for revenge against hot goalie, hotter winger by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER

Wild (7-7-2) vs. Flyers (8-7-2) MORE FLYERS COVERAGE Flyers' Patrick continues to make progress; MacDonald to skate Wednesday Hall of Fame finally welcomes former Flyer Recchi Flyers juggle lines, put Weal at center; Patrick getting closer WHEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday. WHERE: Xcel Energy Center. BROADCAST & STREAMING: TV– NBCSP+; radio–97.5 FM. SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: Twitter, @BroadStBull; @samdonnellon. KEY PLAYERS: For much of season’s first six weeks, the Flyers have been a one-team line. Hello, Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and Jake Voracek. The three have combined for 46 percent (23 of 50) of the Flyers’ goals. In the last three games, Minnesota has been a one-player team. Hello, Jason Zucker. The 25-year-old winger has scored all six Wild goals during that span. If he scores Minnesota’s next goal, he will tie an obscure NHL record: most consecutive goals for a team — seven scored by Ottawa’s Cy Denneny in 1921, and equaled by Chicago’s Brian Noonan in 1991, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. With that as a backdrop, two teams scuffling for some balanced scoring will meet for the second time in four nights. Minnesota won a 1-0 snoozefest Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center as Devan Dubnyk handed the Flyers their fourth shutout loss in their first 17 games. The Flyers’ record for being shut out: 10 times in the 1968-69 season. Dubnyk, 31, will put a 135:05 scoreless streak on the line. He will be opposed by Brian Elliott, who has a 1.00 GAA and .970 save percentage in his last two games. Overall, Dubnyk is 6-6-1 with a 2.55 GAA and .920 save percentage, while Elliott is 6-4-1 with a 2.73 GAA and .908 save percentage. Zucker leads the Wild in goals (9) and points (14). Eric Staal has chipped in with five goals and 12 points. Voracek (21 points), Giroux (20), and Couturier (19) pace the Flyers. Couturier already has 10 goals — five shy of equaling his career high. Shayne Gostisbehere has 15 points in 14 games. THINGS TO KNOW: The Flyers have made several line changes, including putting Jordan Weal as the second-line center, in an effort to shake their offensive lethargy…..Minnesota will try to register back-to- back shutouts against the Flyers for the first time since 2003…..Zucker, the first Nevada-raised player to be selected in the NHL draft, was named the NHL’s No. 1 star of the week. INJURY UPDATE: Flyers center Nolan Patrick (concussion) and defenseman Andrew MacDonald (leg) are still sidelined with injuries but are getting close to returning. Minnesota is missing Zach Parise (back surgery) and Charlie Coyle (fibula fracture). HEAD TO HEAD: The Flyers have a 14-6-2 advantage in the all-time series. UPCOMING GAMES: Thursday: 8 p.m. at Winnipeg. Saturday: 1 p.m. vs. Calgary. Nov. 21: 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083348 Philadelphia Flyers

Observations from the Flyers 3-0 loss to Minnesota by Sam Donnellon, STAFF WRITER

Jake Voracek warned us about this. Not just earlier this season, when he warned about making too much of the Flyers early offensive prowess. But at the end of the last one, when he said this after exit meetings: “We’ve just got to find a way in those tight situations and find a way. What does it need? I don’t know. I would love to answer you but I have no idea. We put in a lot of pucks on the net but that stretch where we had like 15 games, we scored 23 goals if I’m not mistaken. We are playing pretty good. But I think it’s normal if you score 23 goals in 15 games you start questioning yourself like what am I doing wrong and that’s just how it works. 45 shots and you score one you’re goal you’re like “Oh my god is it luck or am I doing something wrong? Or are we not good enough? Good teams find a way to win the games 1-0, 2-1. I think that’s the part where we got to do better.’’ We are 18 games into a season that at first suggested a sea change. Wayne Simmonds looked like the best player on the team, Taylor Leier and Scott Laughton threateneded to make their fourth line a weapon. There were fresh faces on defense, on offense, fresh faces down on the farm waiting for their shot. Mike Vecchione has already been a player of the week. Oskar Lindblom, who was expected to make this team, has finally found his game. Samuel Morin – when are we going to see Samuel Morin? [Summary, three stars] Balanced scoring, it sure seemed, was not going to be the problem it had been in the past. Sean Couturier was exactly what Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek needed. But Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild was already the NHL-leading fifth time the Flyers have been shut out this season, the second in a row that pretty much laid out the blueprint for what Voracek spoke of. The Flyers have won pretty this season. They have lost ugly, whether it was coughing up a late lead in Nashville or Tuesday’s second consecutive game in which Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk extended a goal-less streak to three games. Two of those game of course were against the Flyers, who have oh-so- quickly devolved from a team that started the season looking improved to one that is currently eerily familiar the team that streaked from good to very bad last season. The characteristics are similar too. They miss the net a lot, and hit the goaltender in the numbers too much too. Yes, Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk is at the top of his game lately. But lately, the Flyers would struggle scoring against a piece of plywood with five holes cut out. Some samples from Tuesday night: *Eight minutes into the second period, Laughton needed only to elevate a rebound over the pad of Dubnyk. He could not. *At 11:30, Dale Weise fired a point blank shot into Dubnyk’s midsection. *With under two minutes left in that period, Leier rang one off the post. *Weise also had a third-period breakaway. There was no deke, just a shot into Dubnyk’s pad. The good news? Oskar Lindblom, who was supposed to make this team to start the season instead of Weise, has seemed to have found his game in Lehigh Valley. And Nolan Patrick seems close to returning to the lineup, perhaps as soon as Thursday in Winnipeg. Alone, they’re not saviors. But they can do nothing but help, right? Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083349 Philadelphia Flyers That line, along with the Flyers’ high-scoring top unit composed of Couturier, Claude Giroux, and Jake Voracek, combined for 13 of the Flyers’ 30 shots, but Dubnyk had all the answers. Flyers blanked again by Wild's Devan Dubnyk Paging Danick Martel. Paging Danick Martell….. — Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) November 15, 2017 by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER Elliott, meanwhile, got into a groove after allowing a goal on the game’s first shot. It was his third straight start and his third consecutive outstanding performance. He kept the Flyers within one goal by stopping ST. PAUL, Minn. — Dave Hakstol juggled his second and third lines Tyler Ennis on a breakaway with 18:25 remaining in regulation. Tuesday night, trying to jump-start the Flyers’ foundering offense. With 6:40 left to play, he made a great save on Marcus Foligno from in It didn’t work. close. For the second straight game, Devan Dubnyk blanked the Flyers, keying No matter. The Flyers wasted his excellence. Again. Minnesota’s 3-0 win at the Xcel Energy Center. He collected his third straight shutout and raised his scoreless streak to a club-record 195 Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.15.2017 minutes, 5 seconds. It marked the first time since 2003 that Minnesota had registered back-to- back shutouts against the Flyers, who slipped to 8-8-2 with their third loss in their last four games. The Flyers, who finished with a 30-20 shots advantage, have been shut out five times in their first 18 games, a pace to be blanked 23 times in a full season. The club record for getting shut out in a season: 10 times in 1968-69. “We’re controlling play and not giving up a lot,” center Sean Couturier said. “We have to find a way to win some one-on-one battles and beat guys going to the net.” [Summary, three stars] Eric Staal and Jason Zucker scored late empty-net goals to turn a 1-0 lead to 3-0. Trailing 1-0, the Flyers’ Dale Weise was denied by Dubnyk as he went in on a breakaway with 14:35 to go in regulation. Twelve seconds into the game, Nino Niederreiter put a left-circle one- timer past Brian Elliott to give Minnesota a quick lead. In the previous three games, Zucker, a speedy right winger, had all six of the Wild’s goals, one shy of equaling an NHL record for consecutive goals for a team. “They caught us maybe a little asleep at the start,” Elliott said, “and then we’re fighting from behind.” Niederreiter, playing in his 400th career game, scored after taking a pass from Staal, who took the puck away from defenseman Ivan Provorov. The Flyers managed just six first-period shots and didn’t seriously test Dubnyk, who had a 1-0 shutout Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. Before the game, right winger Wayne Simmonds said the Flyers needed to do a better job creating traffic in front of the net. But the Flyers didn’t have a quality scoring chance until fourth-line center Scott Laughton was robbed by the 6-foot-6 Dubnyk with 11:30 left in the second period. Michael Raffl, pointless in his last 38 games, made a great pass from behind the net to set up Laughton for a one-timer. Dubnyk used his left pad to protect the 1-0 lead. “It feels like our line has three of those a game and nothing to show for it,” Laughton said of the near-miss. “It’s frustrating.” Taylor Leier had two good chances in the final 68 seconds of the second period, hitting iron on one shot and being denied by Dubnyk from point- blank range on the other. The Flyers had a 17-7 shots advantage in the second period. “Good things are going to come here if we keep playing that way,” said Weise, who took five shots. “Give some credit to Dubnyk.” Dubnyk, 31, has been stellar since Minnesota acquired him from Arizona for a third-round draft pick on Jan. 15, 2015. Since then, he had a 105- 60-14 record, a 2.20 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage before Tuesday. He entered the night second in wins and save percentage in the NHL during that span, and his 17 shutouts were tied for No. 1 in the league. Trying to get his offense going, Hakstol made several changes in his second and third lines. The most eye-opening move was shifting Jordan Weal from third-line winger to second-line center. Weal was on a line with wingers Weise and Simmonds. 1083350 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers rookie Robert Hagg showing poise beyond his years by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER

ST. PAUL, Minn. — It’s easy to forget that Robert Hagg is just a 22- year-old rookie because he has looked so smooth in his varied roles during the Flyers’ first 17 games. Hagg, a second-round selection in the 2013 draft, was more of a stay-at- home defenseman when he was paired with offensive-minded Shayne Gostisbehere earlier in the season. An injury to Andrew MacDonald, however, caused coach Dave Hakstol to move Hagg onto the top pairing, alongside the multi-talented Ivan Provorov. Yes, the Flyers coach has already gained lots of trust in Hagg. Enough trust to have him playing against opponents’ top scorers. “I think he’s done a good job. He and Provy have built some chemistry quickly, which is important when you’re playing against top groups,” Hakstol said before Tuesday’s game in Minnesota. “Some of the lines they’ve played against have had a different look — whether it’s a big, heavy line or a skilled line that moves the puck very well. There’s always a little bit of a different element, and for that, I give Hagger a lot of credit. This is his first time through the league, and his knowledge for what he’s up against on that given day has been good.” MacDonald will skate Wednesday in Winnipeg for the first time since he suffered a leg injury Oct. 21. He could return as early as Saturday against Calgary, but Tuesday against Vancouver is more likely. Hakstol isn’t sure if MacDonald will go back with Provorov when he returns. “I don’t have an answer one way or another yet on that,” the coach said. “I think there’s a couple possibilities there.” The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Hagg entered Tuesday with a plus-9 rating, second on the team to Sean Couturier’s plus-14, and he led NHL rookies with 59 hits. The Sweden native spent three-plus years with the Phantoms, and says NHL players are “much smarter and much more skilled. They’re stronger on pucks. Everything is at the next step.” That said, he hasn’t looked out of place, and he plays with the calmness of a veteran. Hagg said it doesn’t matter to him if he plays with Gostisbehere or Provorov when MacDonald returns. He enjoys playing alongside both players. “It’s a little bit different,” he said of his role with each defenseman. “Ghost is probably one of the best [defensemen] in the league offensively … and I’m yelling at him, ‘Get up, get up,’ ” while Hagg stays back on defense. With Provorov, Hagg and his partner can both take turns jumping into the offense. And Hagg likes the extra defensive challenge. “I like playing against top lines and trying to shut those guys down,” he said. Breakaways Center Nolan Patrick, who has missed nine games because of a concussion, took part in practice Tuesday and skated for a little over an hour. “I’m just trying to get my cardio back; that’s the main thing,” said Patrick, who hasn’t been ruled out for Thursday’s game in Winnipeg, his home city. … Entering Tuesday, the Flyers had outscored opponents, 30- 24, in five-on-five play. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083351 Philadelphia Flyers

Best of NHL: Teuvo Teravainen hat trick in 3rd period enough for Hurricanes

By The Associated Press November 14, 2017 2:22 AM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Teuvo Teravainen had a natural hat trick in the third period and an assist Monday night, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Sebastian Aho added his first goal of the season and two assists, and Jordan Staal's four assists gave him 201 with the Hurricanes. Jeff Skinner scored the other Carolina goal in the closing seconds. Scott Darling stopped 25 shots in the victory. Alexander Radulov scored for Dallas, which won the previous meeting at home 4-3 on Oct. 20. The Stars came out on top in their previous three trips to Raleigh. Aho's first goal came in his 14th game of the season, two earlier than last season when he finished with 24 goals. Carolina took the lead on a rush at 8:07 of the first period as Aho beat Ben Bishop through the legs after Staal's pinpoint centering pass from the left wing. Radulov tied it by working hard in the slot on a power play at 8:44 of the second. But the Hurricanes went ahead again on a power play at 2:39 of the third, with Teravainen scoring on a rocket from the left point. Staal and Aho had assists on Carolina's first power-play goal this month (see full recap). Jankowski, Flames torch Blues late for win CALGARY, Alberta -- Patience is starting to pay off for Mark Jankowski. The rookie had two goals and an assist, Kris Versteeg scored the winner with 5:31 left and the Calgary Flames scored five times in the third period to beat the St. Louis Blues 7-4 on Monday night. The Flames are finally getting secondary scoring with the line of Jankowski, Jaromir Jagr and Sam Bennett leading the way in their third game together. "We've got a few games under our belts with my two linemates now and we're really clicking," Jankowski said. "We knew we were getting our chances and the goals would come if we kept playing that way." In a wild third period, the Flames took the lead twice only to see the Blues come back to tie it each time. Calgary finally went in front for good when Versteeg's shot off the wing beat goalie Jake Allen. "Big win for us. We knew how good they've been playing," Versteeg said. Bennett scored his first of the season for Calgary, and Micheal Ferland got his fourth goal in four games. Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Frolik also scored as the Flames finished 5-2-0 on their longest homestand of the season (see full recap). Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083352 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' scoreless streak extended with another Wild shutout

By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 15, 2017 1:15 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — If you despised the original, then you certainly gave the sequel two thumbs down in the Flyers’ home-and-home series with the Minnesota Wild. In a matchup of last-place teams in their respective divisions, the Flyers were jumped on from the game’s opening shift in a 3-0 loss to the Wild on Tuesday night (see observations). Minnesota scored 12 seconds into the game and added a pair of empty-netters to seal the shutout at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota netminder Devan Dubnyk was a perfect 62 of 62 in save opportunities in the past two games against the Flyers. Meanwhile, the orange and black’s scoreless streak stretched back to last Thursday’s game against the Blackhawks when Sean Couturier scored the Flyers’ last goal at 3:51 of the second period. When the Flyers hit the ice Thursday in Winnipeg, they’ll be staring at a scoring drought of 156 minutes, nine seconds … and ticking. “Sometimes when it rains it pours when you can’t score, and it’s pouring on us a little bit right now,” goaltender Brian Elliott said. Sure, the Flyers are outplaying the opposition. They limited the Wild to just 18 shots prior to the two empty-net goals. However, they’ve also squandered some excellent goaltending from Elliott, who hasn’t allowed more than two goals in each of his last four starts. Elliott’s only hiccup came in the first 12 seconds of the game when Nino Niederreiter one- timed a shot over the goalie on a pass from Eric Staal. “We can’t get scored on like that early, first shift of the game. Caught us a little asleep to start,” Elliott said. “First forecheck they create a chance like that, and then we’re fighting from behind and you don’t want to do that ever. Luckily, we have a game in a couple of nights and a chance to redeem ourselves.” Finding the back of the net right now appears to be a monumental challenge. Dale Weise had arguably the best opportunity of the night with 12 minutes remaining in regulation when he snuck in behind Minnesota’s defense for a clear breakaway on Dubnyk. Weise attempted a quick wrist shot in an attempt to sneak one between Dubnyk’s legs but he was denied (see highlights). “Yeah, I was just trying a quick shot,” Weise said. “He’s such a big guy. There’s a little more room five-hole on a big guy like that. He was quite a ways out of the net, so I was just trying to freeze him.” Coming into the game, the Flyers expressed a desire to create more traffic in front of Dubnyk and the officials allowed both teams to bang away down in the trenches. The teams were whistled for a combined three penalties with the Flyers’ only minor being handed to Wayne Simmonds for an early hooking call. “They do such a good job of defending. They box out so well,” Weise said. “You really can’t get second chances. It’s kind of like 1997 all over again with the obstruction in front of their net. There’s just no penalties called. It’s frustrating where you can’t get any second whacks there. I’ve had three penalties where I haven’t touched the guy, and [tonight] it’s World War III in front of their net.” “You’ve got to keep a real strong mental mindset,” head coach Dave Hakstol said. “For us, you’ve got to look at yourself and look at little ways where you can stay that extra second in your real estate at the top of the blue paint, take the goaltenders eyes away a little bit more. That’s not to say our guys weren’t working hard at it tonight.” The Flyers have also had some major issues against Western Conference opponents. In their last 25 games dating back to Dec. 30 of last year, the Flyers are 9-12-4 against the West and have been shut out in eight of those contests. The Flyers also can’t rely on their power play. Over the last 12 games, that unit collectively has gone 4 for 35. That’s an 11.4 percent success rate of with an average of just 2.91 opportunities per game. Right now, Hakstol’s club could use anything or anyone to score a goal. The timing couldn’t be more ideal for a Nolan Patrick return. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083353 Philadelphia Flyers lines had good pressure in the Flyers’ zone. That included a clear path for Luke Kunin, who reversed his way from beyond the goal line to get a clear look but the puck was poked away. Flyers-Wild observations: On the wrong end of another shutout • Later, Brandon Manning committed a turnover as he skated deep into his own end that saw Joel Ericsson have a free look at Elliott, who came up with a glove save. By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 14, 2017 10:30 PM • The Wild’s Ryan Suter may be one of the best rebound-clearing defenseman in the NHL. Suter seems to always know where the low- traffic area is on the ice. He was outstanding in the game at the Wells ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Devan made me do it. Fargo Center and he has such quick wrists that he’s capable of knocking the puck away before a Flyers’ stick can get to it. That could serve as the Flyers’ excuse for being swept in their home- and-home series with the Minnesota Wild. The Flyers were shut out once • Ticky-tack holding call on Simmonds as he grabbed Ennis’ jersey for a again, this time with a 3-0 final at the Xcel Energy Center Tuesday night. brief moment when the puck was on the other side of the ice. The Wild got a couple of early shots, but credit the forwards who did a solid job of Devan Dubnyk stopped all 30 shots for his third straight shutout to extend keeping Minnesota’s PP on the perimeter. his scoreless streak to 195:05. He blanked the Flyers in both games. Lines, pairings and scratches For the first time in franchise history, the Flyers have been shut out in five of their first 18 games. Forwards Nino Niederreiter scored Minnesota’s first goal just 12 seconds into the Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek game. It was the first goal in four games scored by a Wild player other than Jason Zucker, who had the team’s previous six goals over that Dale Weise-Jordan Weal-Wayne Simmonds span. Eric Staal and Zucker added empty-netters over the final 1:09. Jori Lehtera-Valtteri Filppula-Travis Konecny Brian Elliott was solid once again in a losing effort as he turned aside 17 of 18 shots. Taylor Leier-Scott Laughton-Michael Raffl • Minnesota should have had a 2-0 lead with 6:30 remaining when Defensemen Marcus Foligno got in behind the Flyers’ defense. His backhand attempt Ivan Provorov-Robert Hagg was stopped by Elliott and it appeared Chris Stewart missed a wide-open net. Brandon Manning-Shayne Gostisbehere • The short and speedy Tyler Ennis had a clear breakaway on Elliott, who Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas didn’t give up his ground and stoned Ennis blocker side. Goalies • Minnesota is like a vacuum in the defensive zone. Robert Hagg appeared to have some open ice on a Flyers’ breakout, but he was Brian Elliott snuffed out by four players by the time he got to the top of the circles. Michal Neuvirth Then Dale Weise got behind the defense but couldn’t put any sort of move on Dubnyk as he elected to test the five-hole. However, Dubnyk Scratches: Defenseman Mark Alt (healthy) and forward Matt Read had it closed off. (healthy). • Once again, Minnesota’s top line of Staal, Niederreiter and Zucker was Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 buzzing on its first shift of the second period. There were a couple of good chances down low from Zucker and Niederreiter. Ivan Provorov and Hagg have had their hands full containing that trio down in the trenches. • Minnesota had a solid 30- to 40-second shift when Travis Konecny broke his stick, which left Jordan Weal and Weise working even harder to clear the zone. The Flyers were also left with Travis Sanheim and Radko Gudas defending and neither player could corral the puck and work it to a Flyers forward. • Scott Laughton provided the Flyers with their best opportunity of the game with a pair of shots from close range that Dubnyk was able to deny with his left pad. It’s about as close as the Flyers have been able to penetrating Minnesota’s defense. • The Flyers started to regain the possession edge over the final 10 minutes of the second period. Claude Giroux had a tip-in attempt that Dubnyk was able to glove, but for the most part, the Flyers haven’t been able to clog the area in front of the crease and make life miserable for the goalie. • Did you catch Matt Dumba’s move from behind his own net? He banked a pass off the net and spun around Jori Lehtera to get out of danger. Dumba has a huge slap shot and big offensive upside. However, in these two games he’s played very sound defensively. • Taylor Leier gave the Flyers two good looks in the final 90 seconds of the second period, including one that rang off the post. Dubnyk saved the other, and through six periods, he stopped all 62 shots he faced from the Flyers. • Just an ugly start for the Flyers. Twelve seconds into the game, Staal stripped Provorov along the boards and fed Niederreiter for the one-timer goal over the shoulder of Elliott. It tied the record for the fastest goal on home ice in franchise history. • After they started the game on the ice for that unforgettable first goal, the new-look second line of Weise, Weal and Wayne Simmonds had a strong shift. That stretch included Weal’s high-percentage scoring chance in the slot on the feed from Simmonds. Their puck possession also included drawing a penalty that led to the Flyers’ first power play. • Elliott kept the deficit to 1-0 with a big pad save on Mikko Koivu from the left circle during the first. In consecutive shifts, Minnesota’s top three 1083354 Philadelphia Flyers likely won’t return until Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames at the earliest.

Zucker going wild Bigger goalies like Wild's Devan Dubnyk pose problem for Flyers Minnesota’s Jason Zucker is on a remarkable tear, scoring the Wild’s last six goals over their past three games. No Flyer has done that in their 51- By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 14, 2017 3:15 PM year history and the last Flyer to register six goals over a three-game span was Simmonds when he had multi-goal games in December of 2013. ST. PAUL, Minn. — Four shutouts in their first 17 games. “You obviously have to be aware,” Hakstol said of Zucker’s presence on the ice. “He’s on a heck of a run. He’s obviously feeling good and he’s a Or you can break it down in a way that sounds a little more alarming: the good player and a good offensive player who’s feeling it. So you have to Flyers essentially have given themselves no shot at winning 24 percent be aware.” of their games this season which, in part, explains why they’re in last place in a very tightly-packed Metropolitan Division. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 “It’s tough to say,” forward Scott Laughton said Tuesday. “I think we’re aware of it for sure. We’ve been shut out four times now and it’s not fun.” “Everyone’s got pride in their offensive game, and when you get shut out, it doesn’t feel good,” forward Jordan Weal said. “I think if we can really get to our game and do it for a full 60 minutes tonight, I see something going in.” The Flyers had a similar stretch of offensive ineptitude last season when they were blanked five times over a 19-game stretch from late December to early February, and they finished the season on the wrong side of eight shutouts, which ranked in the bottom five of the league. The logic is rather simple: when you can’t score, you can’t win, and that has been the case against some of the better goaltenders in the league. L.A.’s Jonathan Quick, Nashville’s Pekka Rinne, Chicago’s Corey Crawford and Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk are big, rangy netminders who cover a lot of area. “Three of those guys are really big goalies who fight through traffic,” Laughton said. “I thought last game Dubnyk was good but we've got to get more traffic on him, and create better chances for ourselves. If our first line doesn’t score, we’ve got to have other guys who step up.” Perhaps a little overdue in switching up his second and third lines, head coach Dave Hakstol recognized a needed change after Saturday’s loss to Minnesota in which the Valtteri Filppula and Jori Lehtera lines failed to generate anything off the rush playing with little speed through the neutral zone. “There’s no need for a desperate mentality or anything like that,” Hakstol said. “A couple of games where we didn’t score, maybe we could have done a little more, gotten to the net a little bit harder, could have found a rebound here or there. In all of those games, we ran into good goaltending performances, but again, you have to find a way to alter that. We can do a little more.” Whatever the message, the Flyers have been quick to fix their flaws this season. In each of the three games proceeding a shutout, they’ve responded with a win in their next game, outscoring their opponents, 7-3. “We’ve addressed a few things after the game, and we talked about those things after the games we were shut out and I think we came up with good energy and a mentality,” defenseman Ivan Provorov said. However, tonight’s game is different. It’s a rare home-and-home against a Western Conference opponent they don’t see too often and once again facing Dubnyk, who will be looking to extend his shutout streak of 138 minutes and 20 seconds following his 1-0 victory Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. Wayne Simmonds believes the Flyers can alter their offensive approach by not jamming up the area in front of the crease. “We had some chances, we just didn’t bury it,” Simmonds said. “They played pretty much five guys packed right in front of the net. We probably needed to maybe pop a guy out or pop a guy up top or something.” Patrick still out Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick skated with teammates for a second straight day, however, he’ll miss his ninth straight game with an upper-body injury that he suffered in a game against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 24. Patrick has now skated in some capacity in five of the last six days, providing the possibility he could return to the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night. General manager Ron Hextall hinted that Andrew MacDonald could return to the team Monday, but the defenseman did not skate then, and although he traveled with the team, MacDonald was not on the ice for Tuesday’s morning skate at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. MacDonald will miss his 10th straight game with a lower-body injury and 1083355 Philadelphia Flyers be surprised how quickly you can get it back. It doesn’t take too much. There’s a process you try to follow and make sure you keep an eye on things and there’s no setbacks.” Flyers’ Sean Couturier growing his game off the ice as well as on Dave Isaac; @davegisaac; 856-486-2479; [email protected] Up next: at Winnipeg Jets Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 2:20 p.m. ET Nov. 14, 2017 When: 8 p.m., Thursday TV/Radio: NBCSP/97.5 FM ST. PAUL, Minn. — The great misnomer for leaders in hockey is that Courier-Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 they have to have an extra letter sewn on the front of their jersey to be considered captain-like. That’s not necessarily true and each player does it in his own way. Flyers captain Claude Giroux, for example, is hardly the rah-rah speech-giver that many assume a captain has to be. Alternate Wayne Simmonds is most definitely the heart-and-soul guy, an honest quote and a player that demands respect. Then there’s the guys that don’t have the letter, like Sean Couturier. The Flyers’ first-line center is starting to have a greater voice despite his age. He’s an “old” 24, with Tuesday night being his 434th NHL game already. “You get to know the league better, get to know the guys better, how it works and stuff,” Couturier said. “For sure you feel more comfortable speaking up and maybe earn the right to speak up. I see myself growing into a leader.” Next month Couturier will turn 25 and has become somewhat of a rarity for draft picks, especially those taken by general manager Ron Hextall, because he made the NHL in his draft year. In the 2017 draft, six first-rounders have dipped their toes into the NHL, but No. 1 pick Nico Hischier and No. 2 pick Nolan Patrick are the only two still at this level with the rest having been sent to the minors for more seasoning. “The league is definitely getting younger,” Couturier said. “I remember my first year we were a few rookies, but there were a lot more older guys. We had Kimmo (Timonen), (Jaromir Jagr), (Chris Pronger), Danny (Briere), guys older 30, you’d have at least seven or eight of them. Now we have maybe three or four guys. It’s getting younger and younger. It’s fun to be part of, but at the same time careers are getting shorter.” Couturier has shouldered a huge load for the Flyers from the onset. He was famously thrown into a defensive shutdown role in his first season, helping tame Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin in the playoffs, and since then has blossomed into more. For the last couple years, the hot debate was whether he had enough offense to be a second-line center in the NHL, or if he was a very good third-line center. What the Flyers found in a preseason experiment is that he’s been a very serviceable first-line center. Entering Tuesday night’s rematch with the Minnesota Wild, Couturier has had the most even strength points in the league since March 1 of last season. “He’s a young guy, but he’s played a lot of games at this level and he’s a smart player,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “He’s got a good hockey mind. He sees things well out there on the ice. I just think that’s a role that he’s growing into just like the rest of his game on the ice. That part of his game off the ice is continuing to grow as well and that’s a real positive.” Couturier has coupled the on-ice and off-ice parts of being an NHLer to being someone the Flyers would have a very hard time replacing. “I wouldn’t say he’s the most vocal guy,” alternate captain Andrew MacDonald said, “but in his work ethic and demeanor and how he goes out there and shows by example means a lot to this team and it will for many years. I read a stat the other day that he has the most even- strength points since March of last season. I didn’t realize that, but it puts things in perspective of how valuable he is to our team right now and what he’s able to do for us.” MacDonald close to skating Despite not having practiced yet, MacDonald made the trip with the Flyers. He was not on the ice for Tuesday’s morning skate, but plans to practice on his own Wednesday when the Flyers take the ice in Winnipeg. He hasn’t played since Oct. 21, when he blocked a shot with his knee against the Edmonton Oilers. Hakstol said recently he didn’t think it would take MacDonald much practice time to get up to speed. “I’ve unfortunately had these types of situations before,” MacDonald said. “Typically, no, it doesn’t take too long. Three weeks of not skating, you’d 1083356 Philadelphia Flyers how to handle it and what you saw out of those games was just a shade of what I know I can do.”

2. Stopping Zucker Flyers at Wild: 3 things to watch in Game 18 This was the second key to the last game and it's still true. Jason Zucker has scored the last six goals for the Wild, including their only tally against Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 7:00 a.m. ET Nov. 14, 2017 the Flyers Saturday, and was named the NHL's No. 1 star of the week Monday.

3. Goalie matchup The Flyers are looking for revenge after a shutout Brian Elliott should be between the pipes for the Flyers once again, his Tonight: Flyers at Minnesota Wild third in a row. In his career against Minnesota he has a record of 9-3-0 in 14 games with a 1.98 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. Site: Xcel Energy Center/St. Paul, Minn. Devan Dubnyk's personal shutout streak is at more than 135 minutes so Time: 8 p.m. he's expected to be the masked man for Minnesota. In his career against the Flyers he has a 3-5-1 record in nine games with a 2.34 goals-against TV/Radio: NBCSP+/97.5 FM average and .927 save percentage. Records: Flyers 8-7-2, Wild 7-7-2 Courier-Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 PROSPECT WATCH: Cooper Marody on a tear for Michigan FLYERS PROJECTED LINEUP Forwards 28-Claude Giroux, 14-Sean Couturier, 93-Jake Voracek 22-Dale Weise, 40-Jordan Weal, 17-Wayne Simmonds 15-Jori Lehtera, 51-Valtteri Filppula, 11-Travis Konecny 20-Taylor Leier, 21-Scott Laughton, 12-Michael Raffl Defensemen 9-Ivan Provorov & 8-Robert Hagg 53-Shayne Gostisbehere & 23-Brandon Manning 6-Travis Sanheim & 3-Radko Gudas Goalie 37-Brian Elliott Injuries/Suspensions D Andrew MacDonald — injured reserve, left knee injury C Nolan Patrick — injured reserve, head injury WILD PROJECTED LINEUP Forwards 63-Tyler Ennis, 9-Mikko Koivu, 64-Mikael Granlund 22-Nino Niederreiter, 12-Eric Staal, 16-Jason Zucker 26-, 14-Joel Eriksson Ek, 19-Luke Kunin 17-Marcus Foligno, 7-Matt Cullen, 10-Chris Stewart Defensemen 20-Ryan Suter & 46-Jared Spurgeon 25-Jonas Brodin & 24-Mathew Dumba 27-Kyle Quincey & 4-Mike Reilly Goalie 40-Devan Dubnyk Injuries/Suspensions LW Zach Parise — out until early January, microdisectomy back surgery C Charlie Coyle — long-term injured reserve, right fibula fracture THREE THINGS TO WATCH 1. Weal's position change The last time Jordan Weal played center for the Flyers wasn’t really indicative of his capabilities. Two years ago, when the Flyers acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings in the deal that saw Vinny Lecavalier and Luke Schenn heading West, Weal factored into only four games in the Flyers’ final 44. “But that wasn’t me,” he said. “I only played 14 games (that season, between L.A. and Philly) and I had never done that before. I didn’t know 1083357 Philadelphia Flyers “Tough play,” said a terse Provorov, who was hoping to leave the locker room before having to field questions. “I should have made a better play.”

TWELVE SECONDS IN, NINO NIEDERREITER SLAMS HOME THE 5 takeaways: Why the Flyers’ scoring ineptitude is making history ERIC STAAL WRISTER! 1-0 WILD! pic.twitter.com/csMfLiHLXW — NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) November 15, 2017 Dave Isaac The Flyers are now 0-3-2 when trailing after the first 20 minutes of a game. Unsurprisingly, 12 seconds into any period is the quickest the Flyers have surrendered a goal this season. ST. PAUL, Minn. — With two days to study game film of how to beat goalie Devan Dubnyk, the Flyers couldn’t solve him in the rematch, “It feels like you kind of just restart after that goal and take it as a 0-0 either. hockey game,” Laughton said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of that, but it’s tough. Third period you’re pushing the pace and get away from This time the game was even closer than the score, a 3-0 Minnesota the system a little bit.” Wild win with a pair of empty-net goals. New lines Part of the game plan to beat Dubnyk, who now holds a franchise record with a shutout streak of 195 minutes, 5 seconds, was to get traffic in front Weise had the Flyers’ best chance of the night, a breakaway in the third of him and not settle for shots from the point that could easily be period that could have turned the tide of the night. grabbed. “You don’t get very many breakaways from the center in,” he said. Tuesday night the Flyers did a better job, but not nearly good enough. “That’s a Grade-A chance. That’s frustrating.” The heat map shows where the Flyers generated their This pass is absolutely ridiculous, but Weise can't break the drought. pic.twitter.com/Uj5NFCN1Lj “Gotta score in this league to win hockey games,” Scott Laughton said. “You can’t get shut out two games in a row. You gotta score. Bottom — NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 15, 2017 line.” Weise tried to beat Dubnyk 5-hole and that opening was quickly closed. “Sometimes when it rains, it pours when you can’t score,” goalie Brian “Yeah, I was just trying a quick shot,” he said. “He’s such a big guy. Elliott added. “It’s pouring on us a little bit right now.” There’s a little more room 5-hole on a big guy like that and he was a Historic flooding is affecting the Flyers’ statistics. According to the Elias ways out of the net so I just tried to freeze him.” Sports Bureau, it’s the first time in franchise history that the Flyers have Weise co-led the Flyers with five shots. They had some life with his line, been held scoreless five times in their first 18 games. on a wing with Wayne Simmonds and Jordan Weal in the middle of the Laughton thought he had Dubnyk beat in the second period when he got ice. two whacks at the puck, a rare opportunity to swing at the disc in close Weal and Simmonds each had a shot as well. on the Minnesota goalie. The defense had shut down the Flyers’ second opportunities two straight games. “I thought Jordan Weal and Simmer and Weiser, they were a real determined line,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “I thought they generated Gotta lift it, Laughts. quite a bit, had the puck quite a bit, generated good opportunities. They The Flyers best chance of the game, still searching for a goal. were a positive, no question.” pic.twitter.com/irY7Gx25bG “We keep getting plays to the slot, jam the net like that, good things are — NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 15, 2017 gonna happen,” Weise added. “Give some credit to Dubnyk. He’s a good goaltender. They defend real well, but it’s more about us. Good things “(Michael Raffl) makes a great play,” Laughton explained. “It hit off are gonna come here if we keep playing that way.” (Dubnyk’s) shoulder, then get another chance and I tried to elevate it, but it’s rolling and hits his pad. I mean, it feels like our line has three of those Bottle up the defense a game and nothing to show for it. I don’t know. It’s frustrating.” Part of the Flyers giving up only 20 shots, their fewest total of the season The Flyers haven’t scored in 156 minutes, 9 seconds. They have never by three, was that they had the puck in the other end of the ice. been shut out in three straight games in club history. Another part was that it’s in Minnesota’s nature to sit on a lead, even if When they can’t generate in close on a goaltender they resort to those it’s only a one-goal tally. With a goalie on a franchise-long shutout streak, shots from the point and quality doesn’t equal quantity in that regard, but it’s tough to blame them. it’s a risk-reward battle the Flyers struggle with. “Last two games I thought we didn’t give up a whole lot,” Sean Couturier “I don’t think you’re passing up shots from there,” defenseman Brandon said. “I thought we were controlling the play most of the night, but at the Manning said. “As a D-man you’d always rather get pucks to the net. same time it’s tough to win games when you’re not scoring.” You’d rather that then them getting blocked or them rimming it around An Achilles heel (the boards) to the forwards. I think our forwards did a pretty good job of getting to the net, but they’ve got a pretty good top-four (defense) back It’s a universal blueprint if a team can be as efficient at doing so as the there and they did a good job keeping them away from the goalie’s eyes.” Wild: get a stick on a shooter before he can shoot and the puck won’t go in your net. When the Flyers did get in front of the goalie and try to take away his eyes or get to second chances, they weren’t able to. The Flyers tried to skate through Minnesota’s coverage and when they did, Dubnyk had the answer. When they tried to shoot from the point, he “It’s kind of like 1997 there with the obstruction in front of their net,” Dale either saw it or it got blocked. Weise said. “There’s just no penalties called. It’s frustrating in a way where you can’t even get any second whacks there. I’ve had three Why does Minnesota seem to be so good at it? penalties this year where I haven’t even touched a guy and it’s World War III in front of their net. It’s frustrating.” “I think they’ve got good players and they checked hard,” Hakstol said. “At times they were able to do a good job. At other times we were able to Here are four more takeaways from Tuesday night’s rematch against the generate a lot of good scoring chances. I don’t know how to answer your Wild... question. Teams check hard. You gotta work hard to generate good offensive opportunities and you’re not gonna be able to generate the The first 12 seconds number — we had probably 10 good scoring opportunities in the second Part of what makes a deficit more daunting is how early a team is in the period — you’re not gonna be able to do that every single period. That’s hole. For the Flyers it only took a dozen seconds. the nature of the beast.” Here’s the opening shift of the game, including a rare miscue by Ivan Dave Isaac Provorov. He has Eric Staal behind him and when he fumbles the puck Courier-Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 Staal takes over and finds an uncovered Nino Niederreider to give the Wild an early lead. 1083358 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins hosted 15 veterans at morning skate and the game and wore special military-themed warm-up jerseys as they celebrated Veterans Day on Tuesday. Penguins notebook: Sullivan wants team to take fewer penalites “To see them here, knowing what they do for our country, it's special,” Guentzel said. JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, 12:33 p.m. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.15.2017

Jake Guentzel doesn't look like he belongs on a wanted poster. The 23-year-old winger is no bigger than the 5-foot-11, 180 pounds he's listed at, and he barely looks old enough to shave. Yet six weeks into the season, Guentzel is one of the most penalized players in the league, and a handful of his teammates are on the same list. Coming into Tuesday night's game with Buffalo, Sidney Crosby had taken 10 minor penalties, tied for the most in the league. Guentzel was right behind with nine. Patric Hornqvist had eight. Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Reaves had seven. For Guentzel, it represents a dramatic departure from last season when he picked up just five minors in 40 NHL games in the regular season. “Definitely gotta be smarter out there and think a little more about that,” Guentzel said. Part of the surge in penalties is probably because of the stricter enforcement of the slashing rule NHL refs have employed this season, but that's no consolation to Guentzel. “I just gotta be better with my stick and check with my legs,” Guentzel said. “It's about thinking the game and doing the little things better.” As a team, the Penguins were shorthanded 77 times coming into Tuesday's game, tied with Nashville for the most in the league. The Penguins were shorthanded six times in each of the games they played last weekend, giving up two power-play goals per game in losses at Washington and Nashville. It was enough for coach Mike Sullivan to make discipline his main talking point in his meeting with the team before Tuesday's morning skate. “It's critically important to winning hockey games,” Sullivan said. “It's hard to win if we're going to take five and six penalties a game. It's a tall task to ask our penalty killers to kill that many.” TURNING THE TABLES When a teammate is in a scoring slump, he can count on Crosby to offer words of encouragement. Late last month, for example, when Guentzel went six games without a goal, Crosby offered moral support. “It's definitely good to have a guy like that,” Guentzel said. “It's cool to see that he's there, and he's gone through it, too.” But how should teammates return the favor when Crosby is in a scoring slump of his own, as he was when he carried an 11-game goal drought in Tuesday's game? “I think you just try to stay out of the way,” Guentzel said. “You know what kind of player he is. You know one of these games he's going to break out, and it's going to be fun to see.” NIEMI CLAIMED The Montreal Canadiens claimed former Penguins back-up goalie Antti Niemi off waivers from the Florida Panthers as they deal with injuries to Carey Price (lower body) and Al Montoya (concussion). If no one had taken Niemi, the Penguins would have had the opportunity to reclaim him and send him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. INJURY REPORT Center Carter Rowney continues to skate on his own as he recovers from a broken hand. He's expected back in the lineup near the end of November. Defenseman Matt Hunwick is taking a break from skating as his recovery from a concussion has plateaued. Play-by-play man Mike Lange missed Tuesday's game with an illness, the team announced. Josh Getzoff filled in. HONORING VETERANS 1083359 Pittsburgh Penguins Tribune Review LOADED: 11.15.2017

Penguins find right mix; Sidney Crosby breaks scoring slump in OT win

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, 10:00 p.m.

Sidney Crosby shook off a cold spell. Phil Kessel stayed hot. Conor Sheary turned out the lights and shut the door. The Penguins had their problems Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, but they made a handful of big, game-changing plays and came away with a 5-4 overtime victory at PPG Paints Arena, improving to 6-0-1 at home this season. First, the long-awaited Crosby goal. Crosby came into Tuesday lugging around an 11-game goal drought, sitting one game short of his career-long scoreless streak from 2011-12. In the second period, during a five-on-three Penguins power play, Crosby camped out at the right post, took a diagonal pass from Kessel, didn't get good wood on his first attempt at a shot and sent the second into the pads of goalie Robin Lehner. At that point, he had to think he was never going to score again. "Most times, you find a way to get your stick on it. Sometimes, you miss it, and it goes off your foot and in," Crosby said. "That didn't happen. It's tough when it seems like they're not going in." In reality, he only had to wait a few minutes. On another power play late in the period, the rebound of a Kessel shot from the left circle fell to the blue paint under Lehner. Crosby buried it to tie the score, 3-3. "There have been some good chances the last few games here," Crosby said. "I really feel like they'll start to go in now a bit more." The goal completed the first of two comebacks in the game for the Penguins, who trailed 3-1 and 4-3. "We stuck with it tonight as good as any night we have in the past," goalie Matt Murray said. "I'm really proud of our effort tonight." Buffalo's last lead evaporated thanks to the red-hot Kessel, who scored for the fourth consecutive game. With 6 minutes, 11 seconds left in regulation, he buried a knee-drop one- timer from the bottom of the left circle off a cross-ice saucer pass from Evgeni Malkin to make it 4-4. Kessel is tied for third in the league in scoring with 24 points in 20 games. "He's working extremely hard on a daily basis," coach Mike Sullivan said. "From that regard, he's really set an example for our team. I give Phil a lot of credit." The winning goal came on the first shift of overtime. Crosby fended off defender Evander Kane behind the net and made a pinpoint pass to Sheary at the right post for a goal at the 16-second mark. "It's almost like you have to always expect he's going to beat his guy one- on-one and just find an open area," Sheary said. "I just hung out backdoor there. He won a battle and found me." The Penguins needed all those big plays — not to mention a perfect 120- foot bank pass from Olli Maatta that set up a successful two-on-one for Patric Hornqvist and Sheary in the second period –because their overall game was pretty far from airtight. The first period was particularly problematic. The Penguins gave up a goal to Kane on a two-on-one with Jack Eichel less than four minutes in and a power-play goal to Sam Reinhart off the rebound of a Marco Scandella shot off the end boards 12 minutes later. The Penguins would have trailed by two going into the second had Hornqvist not banked in a shot from below the goal line off center Ryan O'Reilly 18.7 seconds before intermission. "We didn't have a great start to that game," Sheary said. "I think we found ourselves in the second and third period. We started playing the right way and we were rewarded in the end, but we gotta make sure we have better starts." 1083360 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins unveil camo warmup jerseys

ADAM BITTNER

The Penguins weren’t home for Veterans Day weekend, so they showed their appreciation for those who served Tuesday by unveiling special- military-camo-warmup jerseys. Equipment manager Dana Heinze tweeted several pictures of the sweaters, which the Penguins wore before facing the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena. Dana Heinze ✔@RealDanaHeinze John Young from Proknitwear just brought ours camo jerseys that we will wear during warmups tonight. The numbers have military branch logos. 9:08 AM - Nov 14, 2017 11 11 Replies 79 79 Retweets 466 466 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Dana Heinze ✔@RealDanaHeinze Proknitwear’s John Young is doing one last spell check on the jerseys we always double check the spelling- we don’t want any mistakes. 9:12 AM - Nov 14, 2017 2 2 Replies 6 6 Retweets 84 84 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Dana Heinze ✔@RealDanaHeinze Kessel 2:57 PM - Nov 14, 2017 3 3 Replies 23 23 Retweets 97 97 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Dana Heinze ✔@RealDanaHeinze Guentzel 3:01 PM - Nov 14, 2017 1 1 Reply 7 7 Retweets 55 55 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy In a creative twist on the fairly tired camo jersey trend throughout sports, the Penguins also incorporated the logos for different branches of the armed forces into the design. The twist does not, of course, change the fact that camo seldom looks good on sports uniforms. But give the Penguins credit for trying something new. Adam Bittner: [email protected] and Twitter @fugimaster24. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083361 Pittsburgh Penguins “Killing penalties with the new rules is tough,” Riley Sheahan said. “If you can get rid of those penalties, try to play hard, keep your stick down, things like that, it’ll make things a little bit easier.” Jason Botterill will be back in Pittsburgh Tuesday with his Buffalo Sabres. Rowney, Hunwick updates 1 Carter Rowney (fractured hand) skated on his own before the morning skate, while Matt Hunwick (concussion) again stayed off the ice as part of JASON MACKEY his adjusted recovery plan. Coach Mike Sullivan said Rowney is progressing as expected, which means it would be reasonable to start anticipating a return in about a Bryan Rust admitted he pays a little extra attention to other NHL teams week. where he has an emotional attachment. The New Jersey Devils and former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach John Hynes would be one example. Rowney, out since Oct. 21, is expected to miss at least four weeks. The Buffalo Sabres, and former Penguins associate general manager Hunwick “plateaued” in his recovery, and the Penguins are evaluating Jason Botterill, are another. how he responds to less physical activity. “He was there through every step of my development,” Rust said of Boomerang back Botterill, now the Sabres general manager. “He talked to me every After a brutal home stretch when 13 of the team’s first 19 games were on chance he got. I really appreciate everything he did for me.” the road, the inverse is about to take place. Starting Tuesday, 13 of the Rust isn’t alone. next 19 will be at home. Evgeni Malkin celebrates his goal in the first period against the Coyotes Predictably, this brought about plenty of talk regarding rest, sleeping in Nov. 7 at PPG Paints Arena. your own bed and banking points whenever possible. Conor Sheary, Tom Kuhnhackl and a handful of other younger Penguins “It’s definitely been tough to start the season, but a lot of teams are in the had a similarly awesome relationship with Botterill, who oversaw the same boat,” Greg McKegg said. “There’s a lot of back-to-backs. Every organization’s pipeline of prospects during his time here. night is a tough game. You have to be ready for it.” Sheary remembers being nervous the first time he met Botterill, only to Third-line talk realize that he’s actually unfailingly nice. Kuhnhackl talked to Botterill a Sheary was demoted to the third line but responded by setting up the ton when he played junior hockey in Windsor and St. Catherines, tying goal Saturday in Nashville. He nearly ended the game with a Ontario. gorgeous pass to Jake Guentzel in overtime. “I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” Kuhnhackl said. “I just On a team that has gotten limited scoring from its bottom two lines — have to thank him.” Sheahan, Kuhnhackl, Ryan Reaves and McKegg have combined for four Botterill certainly has experienced some growing pains in Buffalo. The goals — Sullivan believes Sheary can bring a little bit more of a Sabres, like the Penguins, have struggled to score; they’re averaging playmaking element to that group. 2.35 goals per game and have been held to one goal in five of their past “When Conor plays on that line, it adds another dimension of offense that eight games. gives that line the ability to score goals,” Sullivan said. “Conor has very Captain Jack Eichel has gone eight games without a goal, and they don’t good offensive instincts. He’s quick. He’s quick to the puck battles. I think have one from a defenseman yet. he puts our opponents’ defensemen under a lot of pressure. He has the ability to knock pucks down, and he creates a lot havoc with his But if Botterill’s work in Pittsburgh finding young prospects, then helping quickness. Then he has the offensive instincts to be able to act on it with the development process, serves as any indication, things likely will when they force the turnovers. I think Conor brings a different dimension turn around in Buffalo quickly. to that third line with him on it. Certainly it increases their ability to score goals.” “He was definitely a part of me signing with the Penguins,” Sheary said. “I can thank him for that. I think he always believed in me as a player. He Post Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 always had a good relationship with my agent. It always worked out for the best. “It’s good to see a guy like that move up, who has worked his way through the ranks. He deserved this opportunity.” Added Kuhnhackl: “He deserves it. He’s been in this business for a long time. He’s a smart guy. He knows what he’s doing.” Niemi claimed A day after former Penguins backup goaltender Antti Niemi was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers, the Montreal Canadiens claimed him. In four games this season, including three starts, Niemi is 0-4-0 with a 6.74 goals-against average and an .822 save percentage. Lange misses game Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Lange miss the game Tuesday night because of an illness. Josh Getzoff will replace Lange on the radio call alongside color man Phil Bourque. It was announced before the season that Lange, 69, would work a reduced schedule this year. He is doing 15 road games plus the full home slate. Knock it off One of the primary topics of the Penguins team meeting Tuesday morning was penalties. Essentially, to take less. They’ve afforded their opponent 12 power-play chances over the past two games and are tied for the NHL lead in numbers of times short- handed at 77. 1083362 Pittsburgh Penguins - The defense was rotating through in practice yesterday, so it’s up in the air how they’ll line up tonight. If I had to guess, I’d expect it to be Dumoulin-Letang, Maatta-Ruhwedel and Cole-Schultz. Pregame: Penguins have a friendly upcoming schedule, starting with - Matt Hunwick (concussion) was absent from the skate once again. Mike Buffalo Sullivan said nothing has really changed with him. They’re waiting for the medical staff to clear him to return to the ice, at which point they’ll try to “get him over the hump.” SAM WERNER - Carter Rowney skated on his own before the team. Sullivan said he’s “coming along as expected.” He was injured Oct. 21 and was ruled out for at least four weeks at that point. It’s been about three, so we’re still PPG Paints Arena has been a friendly environment for the Penguins in probably at least a week away from him returning. the limited chances they’ve gotten to play here so far this season, and they’re hoping that stays the case over the next month or so. - Recommend Steve Rotstein’s read on the Penguins serving up Thanksgiving meal at Rainbow Kitchen in Homestead yesterday. At the After a bevy of road games to start the season, the Penguins will mostly very least, click for the Phil Kessel photo. stay in Pittsburgh for the next month — starting with Tuesday night’s game against Buffalo. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 But more than just a chance to reacquaint themselves with wives, families and pets who may have gone neglected over the past six weeks, this upcoming stretch offers the Penguins a chance to make some hay in the crowded Metropolitan Division standings. Starting with Tuesday’s game against the Sabres, the Penguins will have 10 of their next 13 contests on PPG Paints Arena ice. Even better, seven of those 10 home games will be against teams currently in the bottom half of the overall NHL standings. Jason Botterill will be back in Pittsburgh Tuesday with his Buffalo Sabres. Seems like just the recipe for a talented team trying to find its rhythm and separate from the pack a bit in the standings. Even the back-to-backs (yes, those are still a thing) in this stretch are friendlier than they have been. The first is Thanksgiving weekend, in Boston and home against Tampa Bay. The first leg of that one is an afternoon game, allowing them to get home at a reasonable hour before the game against the Lightning. The second is a home-and-home with Buffalo, one of the quickest road trips on the Penguins’ schedule, Dec. 1 and 2. “It’s definitely been tough to start the season, but a lot of teams are in the same boat,” center Greg McKegg said. “Obviously there are a lot of back- to-backs, and every night’s a tough game. You’ve got to be ready for it.” That’ll start tonight against the Sabres, owners of the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference (-20; the Penguins are second- worst at -18). Buffalo has talent up front, headlined by Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. “[Kane]’s a big, strong, physical player and he can really shoot the puck,” McKegg said. “He’s got speed, so when he’s going, he’s tough to stop. But you’ve just got to be aware of him.” The good news is the Penguins should be able to generate plenty of offense Tuesday, especially if their game in Nashville this weekend was the coming-out party most players seem to think it was. They scored three even-strength goals for just the fifth time this season, and, perhaps more importantly, showed some good resilience after going down 3-1 on the second night of a back-to-back. Martavis Bryant had a nice bounce-back performance in a win Sunday against the Colts in Indianapolis. Adam Bittner “We obviously didn’t get the result in Nashville,” defenseman Chad Ruhwedel said. “That was a wild game, crazy atmosphere, but we knew we did a lot of good things. A couple of little things we need to fix, but if we just keep playing hard, playing the right way, the results will come.” They’ll certainly have plenty of chances over the next month or so. Morning notes: - Optional skate for the Penguins this morning. Kris Letang, Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby did not participate. - Because it was an optional, we didn’t get a look at line rushes, but here’s what they looked like in practice yesterday: Guentzel-Crosby-Rust Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel Sheary-Sheahan-Hornqvist Kuhnhackl-McKegg-Reaves 1083363 Pittsburgh Penguins came on opening night – attempted six shots, put five on goal and won 19 of 32 faceoffs, a 59-percent success rate.

Per naturalstattrick.com, Crosby was on the ice for 22 shot attempts for Crosby busts out of funk against Sabres during five-on-five play and just 10 against, a shot rate of nearly 70 percent. Scoring chances were 10-4 to the good. JASON MACKEY The numbers, of course, say one thing. How Crosby has carried himself during a streak of not scoring that he very clearly has wanted to end … that’s not necessarily quantifiable. But it has been impressive. In many ways, Sidney Crosby’s individual performance Tuesday during a “We love his resilience,” Sullivan said. “There’s always such a high 5-4 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena mirrored expectation on him because he’s such a great player. Nobody puts more that of the Penguins. pressure on him than himself. He has high expectations of himself. Crosby experienced some struggles early – in his case an egregious “I thought he played the game hard [Tuesday]. He was in the battle turnover and a swing and a miss on a one-timer – but stuck with it areas. He was around the puck a lot. He defended when he had to enough to snap an 11-game goal-scoring drought with a key power-play defend. He played against Eichel’s line most of the night. I thought he did tally. a real good job at both ends of the rink.” Naturally, winning the game was first on Crosby’s mind. Finally getting a Post Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 goal … Crosby won’t complain about that, either. It was a credit to some serious sticktoituvness. “You’re happy to see it go in the net,” Crosby said of his goal at 17:15 of the second period, which tied the score at 3. “There were a few more we probably could have had. There were some good chances. I think as long as they’re there, hopefully they’ll start going in a little bit more.” Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby celebrates his goal in the second period against the Sabres Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Crosby is certainly due for the goal-scoring pendulum to swing the opposite direction. Going 11 games without a goal ranks as the second-longest goal-less stretch of Crosby’s career, behind a 12-gamer in 2011-12 that was interrupted by 40 games because of concussion troubles. Crosby tried to snap out of it by ditching his helmet for warmup midway through and likely by changing countless other parts of his pregame routine. Turns out all he needed was a return to PPG Paints Arena. And, probably, another game against Buffalo. In 35 career games against the Sabres, Crosby has 17 goals and 53 points. Only on four occasions has he not registered at least a point. The goal Tuesday came off of a rebound courtesy of Phil Kessel’s shot. Crosby waited and batted the puck past Robin Lehner. Earlier in the game, Kessel tried to set up Crosby for a power-play goal, firing a pass from his typical spot in the left circle. Only problem was that Crosby missed a puck he normally gets. “That was a tough one,” Crosby said. “You’re trying to pick it up through the guy’s feet. Most times you find a way to get your stick on it. Sometimes you miss it and it goes off your foot. That didn’t happen. “It’s tough when it seems like they’re not going in. There were some good chances the last few games here. I really think that they’ll start to go in now a bit more.” They did for Buffalo’s Jack Eichel 16 seconds into the second period, and Crosby had a big role in that goal. Crosby said he “mis-read the play there” and “gave them a bit of a gift.” What he did was accidentally put a pass directly on Eichel’s tape for an easy goal, pushing the Sabres ahead 3-1. However, even though earlier in the game he had assumed the NHL’s worst plus/minus rating, dropping below Kris Letang, Crosby didn’t crumble. He kept chopping away, and the tree eventually fell. The goal came at a key moment in the game, too. The Penguins had failed to score on a five-on-three power play earlier, and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan deployed Justin Schultz with the top unit. Starting with Kessel, and followed through by Crosby, the unit flashed more of a shoot-first mentality. Sullivan also said they wanted to be more proactive in using the top half of the zone, believing that Buffalo was sitting back more than the Penguins expected. The goal was to create a rebound or a deflection. The Penguins did. This time Crosby converted. Not a moment too soon, either. Besides that goal, Crosby set up Conor Sheary’s game-winner in overtime. He logged 23:34 – 5 seconds shy of his season-high, which 1083364 Pittsburgh Penguins training camp. He’s working extremely hard on a daily basis. From that regard, he’s really set an example for our team.”

Added Crosby, “He’s had a real solid first 20 games for us. You see Third line of Sheary, Sheahan and Hornqvist comes through for Penguins [Tuesday] he steps up and gets a big goal for us there.” in win Five key numbers

400: Points for Kris Letang after his picked up the secondary helper on SAM WERNER AND JASON MACKEY Sheary's overtime goal. 6: Home wins in seven tries for the Penguins (6-0-1). They're one of two Maybe it makes sense that so much focus has been on the Penguins’ NHL teams without a regulation loss at home. third line so far this season. When you have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni 13: Penguins' point streak against Buffalo (12-0-1). Pittsburgh has won Malkin centering the top two, there’s really only so much worrying you seven in a row. can do there. 8: Goals scored by Sheary and Phil Kessel tying them for the team lead. So, instead, most of the fretting about whether the Penguins can regain their Stanley Cup form has centered around whether or not they can find 9: Wins in 13 chances (9-2-2) when the Penguins score first a third line capable of producing offense and giving them the scoring depth that makes them so dangerous. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 First, it was finding a third-line center. Then, once they traded for Riley Sheahan last month, it was pairing him with the proper wingers to create a spark. They may have found something with Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan called the Sheary-Sheahan-Hornqvist trio “our best line” in the Penguins’ 5-4 overtime win against Buffalo Tuesday, but you really didn’t need to be a two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach to figure that out. The three combined for five points, 11 shots on goal and 16 shot attempts in the victory. All three also posted Corsi For percentages (CF%s) of more than 80, by far the highest among Penguins forwards. “Every time they were on the ice, they were on the puck,” Sullivan said. “They were relentless on the forecheck, they forced a lot of turnovers, they got a lot of pucks to the net, they played on the inside. They did a lot of the things that we’re trying to establish more consistently with our whole team.” This was the second consecutive game the three have played together. They didn’t get on the scoresheet in Nashville, but Sheary said he could feel some chemistry developing there and in practice on Monday. Against Buffalo, they got their first goal as a line when Hornqvist banked a puck in off Ryan O’Reilly’s skate in the first period, and added another in the second when Hornqvist and Sheary combine for a 2-on-0, which Sheary finished. “It’s just one of those games,” Sheary said. “You always seem to have a guy close by and you’re always finding each other on the ice. We had some good chemistry tonight. I think it’s a carry-over from last game, so hopefully we can keep that going.” Sheahan even earned his first point — an assist on Hornqvist’s goal — since his first game as a Penguin. It was also his 100th career point in the NHL. There are certainly reasons these three players work well together — Hornqvist’s physicality, Sheahan’s willingness to play a simple game and Sheary’s knack for finding open space on the ice — but right now they also just seem to be clicking the way lines do sometimes. “You know when you’re playing good,” Hornqvist said. “You want to be out there every shift and you create things.” Kessel sets example Mike Sullivan joked that it seems every press conference he talks about the puck coming off Phil Kessel’s stick differently. That’s a good thing, right? Well, Sullivan’s getting asked because Kessel is playing really, really good hockey right now. And scoring key goals. Kessel scored the game-tying goal at 13:49 of the third period on Tuesday, and it was a pretty one, too, from Matt Murray’s save on a two- on-one to get things going, to Evgeni Malkin’s lofted pass, to Kessel’s finish at the bottom of the left circle. It gave Kessel points in 16 of the Penguins’ first 20 games and goals in four straight. He has nine points (four goals) in his last five games and leads the Penguins in goals (8, tied), assists (16) and points (24). “He’s scoring a lot of goals for us,” Sullivan said. “He’s getting inside the dots. He’s doing a lot of the things we’ve asked him to do coming out of 1083365 Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan said he wasn’t surprised the Penguins have found some pushback over the past two contests. He’s also hoping they won’t have to use it every night moving forward. Penguins top the Sabres, 5-4, on Sheary's OT winner “I think we’ve got play a little smarter,” he said. “Some of the goals we’re giving up in some of the games lately, we’re not forcing teams to have to work hard for them. SAM WERNER “I give our guys a lot of credit for their push-back and their fight, but we’ve got to play smarter from the drop of the puck, and I think if we do that, we’ll control the games and the outcomes more consistently.” Fortunately for the Penguins, the NHL standings don’t record who’s winning at any point other when the final buzzer sounds. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.15.2017 That was the only time they were ahead Tuesday night against Buffalo, but that’s the only time that matters. Conor Sheary scored 16 seconds into overtime to give the Penguins a 5- 4 win, in a game in which they trailed for nearly 40 minutes. Still counts. “There’s going to be times throughout the game and throughout the season when things aren’t going your way, but we stuck with it tonight as good as any night we have in the past,” goalie Matt Murray said. “Really proud of our effort tonight. Really, really big two points for us.” That marks two consecutive games now where the Penguins have come back from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime. They lost in a shootout Saturday night in Nashville, but against the Sabres they were able to pick up the extra point when Sheary converted on a Sidney Crosby feed on the first rush of overtime. “It’s almost like you almost have to expect he’s going to beat his guy 1- on-1 and just find an open area,” Sheary said. “I just hung out back-door there, he won the battle and he found me.” The win seemed unlikely at times, even against a Buffalo team languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Penguins trailed by margins of 2-0 and 3-1 but never stopped punching back. “It felt like we were just clawing at it the whole game and coming from behind,” Murray said. “We were able to get it done.” Of course, the goal for the Penguins eventually will be to not have to fight their way back into a game and control it from the opening faceoff, but this is still a positive step. Earlier this season — even as recently as Friday night in a loss to the Capitals — they have lamented the lack of “push-back” when an opponent gets a lead. These last two games, they’ve had that in spades. “I think we found ourselves in the second and third periods,” Sheary said. “We started playing the right way. We were rewarded in the end, but we’ve got to make sure we have better starts.” Sidney Crosby celebrates his goal in the second period of Tuesday's game. Heading into the game Tuesday the Penguins were optimistic that a return to PPG Paints Arena would cure their problem of starting slowly. Instead, they found themselves down, 2-0, and facing the prospect of losing what was supposed to be the friendlier portion of their early season schedule. “I think they caught us by surprise a little bit,” Murray said. “We need to have a better start. They were coming hot, right off the get-go. They get a quick 2-on-1 goal right at the start, a bounce off the backboards and we’re down 2-0. I think we kind of got on our heels a little bit, but give them credit, too. They came out flying.” The Penguins got one back at the end of the first on what Patric Hornqvist said was a “kind of lucky” goal. “But if you create those turnovers, you get those chances,” Hornqvist said. The Penguins weren’t done battling back, either. After a Sidney Crosby turnover gave Jack Eichel one of the easiest goals he’ll score at this level, they once again faced a two-goal deficit. And once again, they answered, with goals from Sheary and Crosby, the latter breaking an 11- game goal-less stretch. After Benoit Pouliot put the Sabres ahead going into the third, it was Phil Kessel’s turn to answer and score a goal in a fourth consecutive game to eventually force overtime. “It wasn’t the prettiest game,” Crosby said. “They’re pretty skilled and generate a lot. I thought we just stuck with it. That was a big goal, that pass from Geno to Phil to tie it up. We were pressing pretty hard.” 1083366 San Jose Sharks “They’re hard to play against and that’s what we’re looking for,” DeBoer said. “They tilt the ice in our favor when they’re out there. From day one, that’s what we’ve been looking for out of our depth. Tehama County shootings kill five, wound 10; victims were random “You can’t necessarily count on goals from that group and we don’t targets necessarily hold them to that, or evaluate them on that, but we want the ice tilted in our favor when they’re out there.” By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay • Sharks defenseman Paul Martin skated again Tuesday but it’s unclear if Area News Group he’ll be able to come off injured reserve and play against the Panthers. “I’d like to play, but I just have to make sure I’m ready when it happens,” said Martin, who has been on IR with an ankle issue since Oct. 12. “It’s a SAN JOSE — Joe Thornton stayed off the ice for Tuesday’s practice — good problem to have when the team’s winning and the guys are playing which mainly featured a game of 3-on-3 — as the Sharks continue to well. Gives them options. I just have to make sure I’m ready when I get manage his workload on non-game days. the nod.” Now is the time, it would seem, to give Thornton as much rest as San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.15.2017 possible before the Sharks head into another busy stretch. After Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers, the Sharks have five games in eight days, playing every other day until they have back-to- back games Nov. 24 in Las Vegas and Nov. 25 back home against the Winnipeg Jets. The Sharks had the day off Monday and will practice again Wednesday. The next time the Sharks have three full days between games isn’t until the second week of December. “He’s not healthy, so when we have an opportunity to give him a day off, we’re going to take that,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “If he was healthy, he would have probably been out there today, especially after having yesterday off.” Thornton reiterated Tuesday that his surgically-repaired knee is feeling good, but wouldn’t give any clues as to what else might be ailing him, even withholding whether it’s an upper or lower body ailment. Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report newsletter. Thornton was hopeful he’d be able to skate Wednesday, but in any case, the team’s goal is to make sure he’s as ready as he can be for Thursday’s game against Florida. “It’s going to get better,” Thornton said. “I feel better today and I took this morning off, which is good, and then hopefully I’ll wake up and feel great tomorrow. Just kind of day-by-day right now.” Thornton has three assists in the Sharks’ last six games when his even strength time on ice varied from 16:34 against Anaheim on Nov. 4 to 10:02 against Nashville on Nov. 1 and 10:42 against Vancouver on Saturday. Thornton’s total time on ice against Los Angeles on Sunday was 16:57, the second of back-to-back games. At even strength, he finished with 13:30 of ice time. “Struggling health-wise, it’s a battle just to get out there, but you want to help the team,” Thornton said when asked to evaluate his own play of late. “When you’re healthy, you kind of take it for granted how easy the game can be. And when you’re injured, it’s really, really hard to play this game. “But I’ll get back to being healthy and playing good again.” • Sharks forwards Barclay Goodrow and Joel Ward have developed some chemistry since they were put together on the same line prior to the game against the Ducks. While the two have combined for two goals and three assists in that time, they’ve also shown — for the most part — they can limit turnovers and control the puck in the opposing team’s zone. “Making sure we’re just good defensively and I think when you do that, it leads to some offensive chances,” Ward said. “When you get a chance, just take the puck in and try to create as much as you can and hold onto it. The thing for us is not giving away the puck.” Ward and Goodrow spent a fair amount of time together in October as healthy scratches, with Goodrow sitting for 11 games and Ward out for five. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. “We were sitting out a while together, spent a lot of time together,” Goodrow said of he and Ward, “it’s nice to have some success with him on the ice.” There’s no ambiguity about the identity of the Sharks’ fourth line. With Timo Meier, the trio averages about 220 pounds. 1083367 San Jose Sharks “They’re hard to play against and that’s what we’re looking for,” DeBoer said. “They tilt the ice in our favor when they’re out there. From day one, that’s what we’ve been looking for out of our depth. Sharks notes: Ailing Thornton taking advantage of small break in “You can’t necessarily count on goals from that group and we don’t schedule necessarily hold them to that, or evaluate them on that, but we want the ice tilted in our favor when they’re out there.” By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay • Sharks defenseman Paul Martin skated again Tuesday but it’s unclear if Area News Group he’ll be able to come off injured reserve and play against the Panthers. “I’d like to play, but I just have to make sure I’m ready when it happens,” said Martin, who has been on IR with an ankle issue since Oct. 12. “It’s a SAN JOSE — Joe Thornton stayed off the ice for Tuesday’s practice — good problem to have when the team’s winning and the guys are playing which mainly featured a game of 3-on-3 — as the Sharks continue to well. Gives them options. I just have to make sure I’m ready when I get manage his workload on non-game days. the nod.” Now is the time, it would seem, to give Thornton as much rest as San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.15.2017 possible before the Sharks head into another busy stretch. After Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers, the Sharks have five games in eight days, playing every other day until they have back-to- back games Nov. 24 in Las Vegas and Nov. 25 back home against the Winnipeg Jets. The Sharks had the day off Monday and will practice again Wednesday. The next time the Sharks have three full days between games isn’t until the second week of December. “He’s not healthy, so when we have an opportunity to give him a day off, we’re going to take that,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “If he was healthy, he would have probably been out there today, especially after having yesterday off.” Thornton reiterated Tuesday that his surgically-repaired knee is feeling good, but wouldn’t give any clues as to what else might be ailing him, even withholding whether it’s an upper or lower body ailment. Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report newsletter. Thornton was hopeful he’d be able to skate Wednesday, but in any case, the team’s goal is to make sure he’s as ready as he can be for Thursday’s game against Florida. “It’s going to get better,” Thornton said. “I feel better today and I took this morning off, which is good, and then hopefully I’ll wake up and feel great tomorrow. Just kind of day-by-day right now.” Thornton has three assists in the Sharks’ last six games when his even strength time on ice varied from 16:34 against Anaheim on Nov. 4 to 10:02 against Nashville on Nov. 1 and 10:42 against Vancouver on Saturday. Thornton’s total time on ice against Los Angeles on Sunday was 16:57, the second of back-to-back games. At even strength, he finished with 13:30 of ice time. “Struggling health-wise, it’s a battle just to get out there, but you want to help the team,” Thornton said when asked to evaluate his own play of late. “When you’re healthy, you kind of take it for granted how easy the game can be. And when you’re injured, it’s really, really hard to play this game. “But I’ll get back to being healthy and playing good again.” • Sharks forwards Barclay Goodrow and Joel Ward have developed some chemistry since they were put together on the same line prior to the game against the Ducks. While the two have combined for two goals and three assists in that time, they’ve also shown — for the most part — they can limit turnovers and control the puck in the opposing team’s zone. “Making sure we’re just good defensively and I think when you do that, it leads to some offensive chances,” Ward said. “When you get a chance, just take the puck in and try to create as much as you can and hold onto it. The thing for us is not giving away the puck.” Ward and Goodrow spent a fair amount of time together in October as healthy scratches, with Goodrow sitting for 11 games and Ward out for five. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. “We were sitting out a while together, spent a lot of time together,” Goodrow said of he and Ward, “it’s nice to have some success with him on the ice.” There’s no ambiguity about the identity of the Sharks’ fourth line. With Timo Meier, the trio averages about 220 pounds. 1083368 San Jose Sharks Only 27 of those points came after he left San Jose, but he added two more in the Ducks’ first round upset over the President’s Trophy-winning Sharks in 2009. Seeing Selanne skate with the Stanley Cup over his Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne was the ultimate Sharks villain head in an Anaheim jersey only added insult to injury. So Selanne not only stands above most of his peers in the Hall of Fame, but the rest of them as well, as the ultimate Sharks villain. Not because of By Marcus White November 14, 2017 10:21 AM anything he did after the whistle or said off of the ice, of course. No, Selanne earned that status because of the points he scored against the Sharks, and the ones he didn’t for them. Schedule Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 Date Opp Time 11/16 vs. Fla 10:30 ET 11/18 vs. Bos 10:30 ET 11/20 vs. Anh 10:30 ET 11/22 @ Ari 9:00 ET 11/24 @ VGK 6:00 ET Full Schedule Results Date Opp Final 11/12 @ LA W 2-1 11/11 vs. Van W 5-0 11/8 vs. TB L 1-5 11/4 vs. Anh W 2-1 11/1 vs. Nsh W 4-1 10/30 vs. Tor W 3-2 10/28 @ Buf W 3-2 10/26 @ Bos L 1-2 10/23 @ NYR W 4-1 10/21 @ NYI L 3-5 Sports Data API Provided by STATS There are already a handful of Hockey Hall of Famers that had the Sharks’ number during their illustrious careers. Ed Belfour followed up a forgettable teal tenure with two playoff series wins in two tries against San Jose, while Nicklas Lidstrom was classily dominant. Mike Modano scored his milestone 500th goal at what is now SAP Center, and Chris Pronger was loudly booed in every visit to San Jose. None compare to Teemu Selanne, who joined them with his induction into the Hall of Fame on Monday night. He mentioned the Sharks in his speech for all of 13 seconds, mentioning that he “had a chance to play with great players: Patrick Marleau, Owen Nolan, and many others.” It was a forgettable, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment on an otherwise unforgettable night, and thus a neat encapsulation of his two-plus years in San Jose. Somehow, his Sharks stint was even more infamous than Belfour’s. He was traded to San Jose for fan favorite Jeff Friesen in 2001, and was productive: 64 goals in 176 games are nothing to sneeze at. Selanne cemented himself as a goat, rather than the G.O.A.T, with his lack of production in the postseason. 10 points in 18 playoff games wasn’t enough to get San Jose out of the second round. His wraparound miss in a game 7 loss to Colorado in 2002 is etched into the memories of Sharks fans, as one of many missed opportunities for a franchise so often defined by misfortune. Pronger likely would empathize with how frequently boo-birds flew upon Selanne’s subsequent returns to San Jose. Selanne was an all-time great that wasn’t especially great when he played for the Sharks, and the SAP Center crowd reacted accordingly. It didn’t help that he was great against the Sharks. No player in NHL history has scored more goals or points against the Sharks than the Finnish Flash. His 99 points are 24 clear of the next closest player, fellow Hall of Famer Joe Sakic. 1083369 St Louis Blues

Blues ship Bennett to Chicago of AHL

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (2)

EDMONTON, ALBERTA • The Blues gave forward Beau Bennett what coach Mike Yeo called a "good opportunity" and "more responsibility" Monday night in Calgary. Apparently, they didn't like what they saw in a 7-4 loss to the Flames because Bennett was assigned to Chicago of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. After being a healthy scratch in the previous four games, Bennett played on a line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn against Calgary. But by the third period Yeo had moved Bennett off that line, reuniting Vladimir Tarasenko with Schwartz and Schenn. All told, Bennett saw 12 minutes 19 seconds of ice time against Calgary. He had one shot on goal, one shot blocked, three hits, and one takeaway. For the evening he was minus-1. Bennett, 25, was in camp with the Blues this preseason, then began the season with the Wolves before a late October call-up. All told, he appeared in six games for the Blues, averaging 10:48 of ice time, with six shots, no points, and was minus-2. The move leaves the Blues two players under the NHL active roster limit of 23 players. The players have an off day Tuesday here in Edmonton and next play Thursday against the Oilers. Forward Patrik Berglund (shoulder) and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (ankle), who are still in the recovery/rehab process from injuries, accompanied the team on the trip and practiced with the team Monday morning in Calgary. But neither is ready to return to game action according to Yeo. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083370 St Louis Blues Quinn argued it will kick-start the city’s plan to finally develop the area, known as the Maryland Park Lake District.

“It will be a perfect anchor for an entertainment district,” he told the Maryland Heights backs new Blues practice facility near casino council. “This will be the catalyst that will kick-start and help get going the Maryland Park Lake District.” By Jacob Barker St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11 hrs ago (4) St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017

Maryland Heights has picked up where St. Louis County left off on a new, four-rink ice sports complex that would serve as a new practice facility for the St. Louis Blues. In a unanimous vote Monday, the Maryland Heights City Council authorized city staff to hammer out an agreement with the St. Louis Legacy Ice Foundation, the nonprofit that would operate the ice complex. The city’s move kept alive a project that seemed to be floundering under the direction of St. Louis County, which for the last year had worked with the Ice Foundation to build on a site in Creve Coeur Lake Park. Now, the Ice Foundation is in negotiations to buy land next to the Hollywood Casino and Hotel from a real estate investment trust, GLP Capital. Little has changed in the project’s design, but the new location means the project no longer needs to secure federal approval, which it did for the Creve Coeur Lake Park location. The county had initially backed the project and had spent over $100,000 through its economic development arms for legal fees and environmental studies, even allowing grading on the park site this year. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger’s office said the Ice Foundation has agreed to reimburse the county for its expenses on the project. Park advocates and others protested that the mostly indoor facility was an inappropriate use for the park and that it hadn’t even secured federal approval for the project. Last month project backers said they had failed to sway the National Park Service on the Creve Coeur Lake Park site. St. Louis County had been poised to issue bonds, repaid with revenue from rent at the ice complex, to finance the project. Though Stenger is still supportive of the project, Ice Foundation President Patrick Quinn said the county was no longer issuing the bonds. Instead, Maryland Heights or an affiliate will issue an estimated $39 million in bonds to help finance the complex, according to a preliminary project term sheet the City Council approved Monday. Over the summer, Maryland Heights had already approved contributing $6.5 million to the development of the complex. The city reaffirmed that commitment, and also agreed to back the Ice Foundation’s application for $4 million in state tax credits from the Missouri Development Finance Board. “The city of Maryland Heights has been supportive of the efforts of the Legacy Ice Foundation from the beginning,” Mayor Mike Moeller said during the meeting. “This is a win-win for everyone involved.” Now with other costs and the purchase of land — the county park land would have been free — the project’s price tag has increased to $75.7 million. About $10 million will come from private donors, including the St. Louis Blues, and another $8 million will come from user contributions. However, some $12 million more will have to be secured to fully finance the project at the new location, according to the term sheet. Maryland Heights City Administrator Jim Krischke said the city understood it may have to increase its financial support for the facility. “With the county no longer the lead on the project ... that may change how our investment is structured,” he said. Amateur and youth sports leagues are expected to lease much of the facility’s ice time. The public will be allowed to use the facility as well. Quinn said the Blues will only use about 2 percent of the facility’s ice time, and he wanted to “dispel any myths that your city is being asked to build a professional sports facility.” The project’s location is within a huge piece of undeveloped land protected from Missouri River flooding by the Howard Bend Levee. The city has been seeking developers to turn the area into a regional destination, but slowed work on the proposal to determine how to pay for stormwater and other infrastructure in the low-lying acreage. While it’s still waiting for a consultant report on developing the area, Krischke said the ice complex is farther north of the target area and already has access to infrastructure. “This is way ahead of the game when it comes to that,” he said. 1083371 St Louis Blues More realistic, however, is that Kyrou and Thomas represent Canada in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, set for Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Buffalo. (The Blues and St. Louis made an unsuccessful bid to Blues prospects Kyrou, Thomas tearing it up in juniors host that tournament.) “I think (Kyrou) and Thomas and Kaspick all have an opportunity to play for Canada, which would be a great honor, and test them against the By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…) best competition in their age group,” Armstrong said. That trio just participated in the CIBC Canada- series. Each of Canada’s three junior hockey leagues — the OHL, WHL and Quebec EDMONTON, ALBERTA • As the Blues made their roster cuts at the end Major Junior Hockey League — put together an all-star team to play of preseason, coach Mike Yeo told the players sent out that their goal Russia. Kaspick competed for the WHL team in two games against should be to dominate — whether they were being sent to the minor Russia; Kyrou and Thomas played in one of the two OHL games against leagues or back to junior hockey. Russia. At least two Blues prospects have taken those words to heart playing at “Any time you get a chance to play against best-on-best, it just makes the junior level in the Ontario Hockey League. Right winger Jordan Kyrou you better,” Armstrong said. of the Sarnia Sting and center Robert Thomas of the London Knights are on a tear so far this season in the OHL. As this season progresses, the problem for Kyrou and Thomas may be that they’re too good for the OHL but not quite ready for the NHL. As Kyrou leads the OHL in points (42) and is third in goals (17) in 18 games Armstrong mentioned, there’s no in-between step for them at their age in with the Sting. That’s 2.33 points a game for the 19-year-old, a second- the form of the American Hockey League. round draft pick by the Blues in 2016. By rule, North American players can’t play in the minors until age 20 if Thomas is fourth in the OHL in goals (15) and has 25 points overall in 15 they’re drafted by the NHL out of junior hockey. So they either make the games with the Knights. That’s 1.67 points a game for the 18-year-old, a NHL or stay in juniors until then. first-round pick by the Blues last June. “When you’re at the top of that (junior) level, you have to push yourself to “Kyrou’s such a dynamic skater at the junior level,” Blues general get better because you’re at the top of the competition heap,” Armstrong manager Doug Armstrong said. “He creates time and space for himself. said. “So really, how these guys are gonna get better is off-the-ice training and working out and trying to be leaders on the ice.” “Really is sort of caught in that cusp of you might be better served in the American Hockey League, but the rules don’t allow him to go there. So But by Blues camp next season ... who knows? he’s back playing very well in junior. Looking forward to watching him at the World Juniors this year.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 As for Thomas, Armstrong said: “I thought he really opened up our eyes in Traverse City (at the NHL prospects tournament) to the potential he had. He touches every aspect of the (London) team. Power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5 play. Just really excited about his growth talking to some people we know in the OHL.” This time of year, Armstrong spends as much time out on the road scouting as he does with the Blues. He got a first-hand look at Thomas and Kyrou in mid-October during a scouting trip to Ontario. “Yeah, I enjoy scouting,” Armstrong said. “You can only do so much (in- season) when you’re with the team, and you probably get a lot more done out watching games.” Kyrou, who plays right wing, attracted attention last season when he piled up 94 points in 66 games for the Sting. This season he’s on a 150- point pace, obviously one that’s unrealistic to maintain over the course of an entire campaign. Among his highlights are a hat trick in an 8-2 win over North Bay on Oct. 19 and six points in a 7-5 win over the Peterborough Petes on Nov. 2. Those six points were the most in one game for a Sarnia player since 2013. Meanwhile, Thomas can’t wait for Dec. 28, the next time London plays Flint. He had a hat trick in a 9-0 victory over Flint on Nov. 10, and had four goals and two assists in an 8-2 win over Flint on Oct. 27. Armstrong is equally proud of the fact that Kyrou and Thomas have been named team captains this season. So has Tanner Kaspick, 19, another Blues prospect who was at the Traverse City tournament and is now playing juniors for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League. “So not only are these guys good players but they also are deemed to have great leadership by their junior teams,” Armstrong said. “It just shows that the work that our amateur scouting staff is doing in their character checks is paying off.” Kaspick came out of the Traverse City event with a lower-body injury and didn’t participate in Blues camp. “But he’s a player that got invited to the Canadian Junior camp this year, had a good summer,” Armstrong said. “I know he’s putting up good points. His game is more well-rounded. He’s not gonna probably have the offensive upside as some of those other guys, it looks now. But he’s a good offensive player and just a really good two-way player.” Kyrou and Thomas have been so impressive, there has been some speculation they might have a shot at making Canada’s Olympic team. Remember, no NHL players are participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics. 1083372 St Louis Blues

3 days in Edmonton: Ideal for some Blues

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

EDMONTON, ALBERTA • By decree of the NHL schedule-makers, the Blues played a Monday night game in Calgary and don’t play again until Thursday in Edmonton. So after their 7-4 defensive meltdown to the Flames, the Blues hopped on a plane late Monday for the 55-minute flight to Edmonton — 185 miles to the north. In accordance with NHL Players Association rules, Tuesday was a players’ day off. Suffice it to say, the Blues didn’t make a beeline to the golf course Tuesday. The high temperature was 17 degrees, with snow on the ground and flurries. Thursday’s forecast calls for a high of 12, a low of zero. If there’s anyone among the Blues’ contingent pumped about November in Edmonton. . . . “It’s me,” said Blues defenseman Colton Parayko. “Not many guys are excited at spending three days in Edmonton, I don’t think. But for me, it’s a lot of fun. I get to spend it with my family. Should be good.” Parayko is from the small city of St. Albert (pop. 65,000) adjacent to Edmonton to the northwest. For someone who makes his living 1,800 miles away playing hockey in St. Louis, there aren’t many chances to get home during the season. “So whenever you get the opportunity, it’s nice to take advantage of it for sure,” Parayko said. There will be about 20 family members in the stands for the game against the Oilers. In the meantime, plenty of Mom’s home cooking. “Oh yeah, 100 percent,” Parayko said. “One of the things I’m looking most forward to.” For Kyle Brodziak, it will be more a case of his brother’s restaurant than Mom’s home cooking. Brodziak grew up about 45 minutes outside Edmonton and has a home in Edmonton where he spends his summers. “I know most of the guys, it’s not ideal to have the three days — winter in Edmonton — but it’s nice for me,” he said. “We had a short summer at home because our oldest son started school in St. Louis this year, so we had to head back there a few weeks early. I guess that’s what happens when you have kids. It’ll just be nice to get a few days here to catch up with some friends and some family.” His brother’s restaurant, the Local Omnivore, is located on the fringe of downtown Edmonton. (The “Broke Back Breakfast” features five types of meat.) “I’ll be visiting the restaurant for sure,” Brodziak said. Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who is on the trip while recovering from a fractured ankle, also is from Edmonton. BENNETT SENT DOWN The Blues gave forward Beau Bennett what coach Mike Yeo called a “good opportunity” against Calgary. Apparently, they didn’t like what they saw because Bennett was assigned to Chicago of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. After being a healthy scratch in the previous four games, Bennett played on a line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn against Calgary. But by the third period Yeo had reunited Vladimir Tarasenko with Schwartz and Schenn. Bennett played 12 minutes, 19 seconds against Calgary. He had one shot on goal, one shot blocked, three hits and one takeaway. For the evening he was minus-1. Bennett, 25, was in camp with the Blues and opened the season with the Wolves before a late October call-up. He appeared in six games, averaging 10:48 of ice time with six shots, and was minus-2. The move leaves the Blues two players under the NHL active roster limit of 23 players. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083373 Tampa Bay Lightning will sign autographs from 3-4 p.m. Friday at Tampa Sports store in International Plaza. Fans are asked to bring a nonperishable item for Metropolitan Ministries. Lightning emphatically answers power-play question Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.15.2017

By Joe Smith

TAMPA — There were some questions going into the season what the Lightning would do to replace Jonathan Drouin on its potent power play. Sure, Tampa Bay was getting back a healthy Steven Stamkos. But Drouin, dealt to Montreal in June, was the quarterback on the side wall last year, setting up Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. "You can’t replace Jo," assistant coach Todd Richards said. "But you can do something different." The Lightning’s adjustments have paid off, as the team holds the NHL’s second-ranked power play heading into Thursday’s game against the Stars, who boast the No. 1 unit. Tampa Bay has a power-play goal in 15 of its 18 games, netting a league-most 20 for a 28 percent success rate. By putting two snipers in Stamkos and Kucherov in opposite circles on one unit, it has created matchup nightmares. And the second, blue-collar unit provides a different look. Nine different players have scored a power play goal. Only three of Kucherov’s NHL-leading 16 goals have come with the man advantage. "It’s unique obviously because you have a 50-goal scorer on one side and a 40-goal scorer on the other side," said Richards, who runs the power play. "You’ve got two guys that can shoot the puck. I don’t know if that’s uncharacteristic or not, but what I’ve been impressed with is the ability of each guy being able to make plays. Where (Drouin) was really the setup guy last year and he was the guy feeding Kuch on the weak side or feeding Heddy up top. It seems like they’re both getting equal opportunities, so it’s unique and different." Coach Jon Cooper said the idea from the beginning was to see how Stamkos and Kucherov were on the same unit. After all, the duo’s chemistry as linemates has been dynamic. But Tampa Bay experimented with several options before reuniting them in the final week of the preseason, with Alex Killorn — positioned in the slot — the benefactor with three power-play goals in the final two exhibitions. "It’s different because last year, we had one option with Hedman and Kucherov and everything was played off of Drouin’s side," Killorn said. "Now it’s played off both sides." Stamkos, who missed most of last season after mid November knee surgery, leads the Lightning with six power-play goals. Vladislav Namestnikov, on the same unit, has four, and Kucherov has three. Hedman has the best view from the point, with each pass having the potential for an assist. "It’s pretty good to be back there, not going to lie to you," Hedman said. "The more threats you can have to shoot, the better you’re going to be, because it’s going to open up seams, open up guys. Stammer and Kuch, the way they see the ice, and see the opening, it’s pretty remarkable." Four of Stamkos’ power-play goals have come off what MSG Network analyst Steve Valiquette dubbed the "Royal Road" pass. That’s a seam pass that goes through the Royal Road, the slot, across the zone. As The Athletic’s Prashanth Iyer noted Tuesday, Valiquette’s research showed 22 percent of 5-on-4 power play goals since 2015-16 have been scored off shots from a Royal Road pass. It’s so tough to defend for a goalie because he has to open himself up while moving laterally. While the Lightning’s power play last year was stout (sixth in the NHL), there wasn’t as much of an opportunity for those cross-zone passes, as Drouin — a left shot — was in the left circle, making it more difficult for a one-timer. This year’s power play may be deeper. The second unit with Tyler Johnson, Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat and rookie defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is more of a puck-hounding, blue-collar group. Three of the unit’s five goals this season have come from either deflections or rebounds. "They are really tenacious and are fast and they’re moving," Richards said. "So it’s evolved into two different looks. I don’t think a team can come in and say both power play units run exactly the same. You can’t set up for both. You have to be ready for what each power play can throw at you." Notable: The Lightning made a minor trade Tuesday, upgrading its AHL goalie tandem in acquiring Louis Domingue from Arizona for goalie Michael Leighton and forward Tye McGinn. … Goalie 1083374 Toronto Maple Leafs

Carey Price to miss more time but insists injury is minor

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said he is staying off the ice for a little while longer as he deals with a lower-body injury. Price met with reporters Tuesday before Montreal's game against visiting Columbus to provide an update on his recovery. He said he suffered the injury in a warmup before Montreal's game Nov. 2 at Minnesota. He played in that game and gave up five goals on 26 shots in a 6-3 loss. Price insisted Tuesday that the injury is minor and that he would "absolutely" be ready to play if the Canadiens were in the playoffs. Price said he can take the time to properly heal thanks to the excellent play of Charlie Lindgren. The rookie goaltender is 3-1-0 with a 1.24 goals-against average and .964 save percentage in relief of Price and injured backup Al Montoya. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083375 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs call up Nikita Soshnikov, keeping him in the organization

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Toronto Maple Leaf have recalled forward Nikita Soshnikov from the Toronto Marlies, ensuring the Russian remains with the organization at least for the time being. The 24-year-old Soshnikov reportedly has a clause in his contact allowing him to return to Russia if he was not in the NHL by Nov. 14. Soshnikov ranked second in scoring with the Marlies with 12 points this season on five goals and seven assists. He saw action in 56 games last season for the Leafs, collecting five goals and four assists. Soshnikov signed with the Leafs as a free agent in 2014. He is a restricted free agent July 1. To make room for the Russian, Toronto loaned forward Frederik Gauthier to its AHL affiliate,. Gauthier, 22, was recalled by the Leafs from the Marlies on Nov. 7 but did not play for the big club. He has two assists in eight games with the Marlies this season. In 2016-17, Gauthier split his season between the Leafs and Marlies. He had two goals and one assist in 21 games with the Leafs and four goals and nine assists in 46 games with the Marlies. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083376 Toronto Maple Leafs “It was good. Per win, an extra couple of hundred bucks,” Komarov said. And no, Komarov wasn’t required to give money back after losses — “which was a good thing, too,” he acknowledged. NHLers due for scheduled maintenance: Feschuk The advent of the salary cap has made dollars-for-dubyas a no-go in today’s NHL, even if there are those who wish such things could be a By DAVE FESCHUKSports Columnist reality throughout pro sports. A while back Jeff Van Gundy, the former NBA coach and ESPN analyst, said he’d support a move to see players paid per victory — again, a non-starter in a salary-cap league. It’s around this time of year, already more than two months removed from “Oh, absolutely,” Van Gundy once said. “You’d see a different level of the opening of training camp but not yet a quarter of the way through the play.” NHL schedule, that the enormity of the hockey calendar starts to hit you. Alas, when 31-year-old Leafs defenceman Roman Polak was recently “Eight-two hockey games almost sounds ridiculous. It almost does,” asked to recall a coach-concocted incentive strategy that made an Connor Carrick, the Maple Leafs defenceman, was saying this week. impact on a team of his past, he expressed some chagrin that he could claim no experience with a money-for-winning arrangement. And yet, teams with ambition hope to play far more than the standard regular-season slate. Last season, en route to hoisting their second “Only thing I remember was with Andy Murray (Polak’s coach in St. straight Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins played 113 games — the Louis). Every day on the road there was a paper under your hotel-room usual 82, plus six pre-season matches and four rounds through the door. He was putting it there at 5 o’clock in the morning. It had the playoff gauntlet. That’s a little more than a week short of a nine-month system, how we want to play, who we’re playing against — stuff like that. grind. It was one or two pages,” Polak said. “You had to study it. And at the morning meeting he’d ask what was in the paper. What’s the forecheck? “I remember in pre-season after taking a couple of cross-checks, and it’s What’s the breakout? That was crazy. Some guys were taping their door like, ‘Hopefully we’ve got 100 more of these (games to play). Hopefully,’ ” so he couldn’t slide the paper under. It was funny. It was a little too much. Carrick said. “It’s a lot of hockey.” Just a little.” If the long view can seem daunting, the Maple Leafs have their mirco- Surely a different kind of paper — the kind that comes out of ATMs — strategies. Leafs coach Mike Babcock uses a time-honoured NHL trick of would have gone over better. partitioning the season into five-game segments, setting a goal of six points per block. That’s a 98-point pace — typically enough to make the “They’re still offering cash for winning. It’s just, you’ve got to wait a little playoffs with room to spare. while,” Carrick said. “You’ve got to wait until your next contract. (The money is) out there, even if it’s not in your pocket right after the game.” “You worry about those little five-game segments instead of the big picture,” Leafs forward Matt Martin said. “Because if you take care of Toronto Star LOADED: 11.15.2017 those little segments, the big picture will take care of itself.” The Leafs exceeded their coach’s prescribed pace in their first five-game segment this season (piling up eight points), met it precisely in their second, and fell woefully short in their third, winning just once. The fourth and current five-game segment, which wraps up Thursday against New Jersey at the Air Canada Centre, is going well in the points category. Four games in — the most recent three of which have been played without Auston Matthews, who continues to recover from an undisclosed upper-body injury — the Leafs have four wins. Which is not to say they’re playing particularly well of late. They’ve been out-possessed and outshot during their current win streak, giving up 45 high-danger scoring chances while creating just 18 high-danger chances for themselves, this according to numbers available at NaturalStatTrick.com. If not for some superior goaltending from starter Frederik Andersen and backup Curtis McElhinney, the current dressing- room mood might not be so bright. On the other hand, as they prepare to play game No. 20 on Thursday, the Leafs had already achieved their four-segment points goal; their total of 24 points had them four points clear of the team in the second playoff wild-card slot, the New York Islanders, on Tuesday afternoon. So while the early part of the campaign has already seen its ups and downs — a hot start that had Las Vegas oddsmakers installing the Leafs as Stanley Cup favourites, followed by a dismal Western road swing that led to questions about the team’s true competitive legitimacy — the 30,000-foot view is favourable. The list of coaches who’ve used the five-game-segment strategy is long and precedes Babcock’s NHL tenure. Mike Murphy, who coached the Maple Leafs through some late-1990s doldrums, used to demand five points in every five-game segment — aiming for an 82-point pace that would have been good enough to make the playoffs in those days, had the Leafs achieved it (which they failed to do in both of Murphy’s seasons at the helm). Other purveyors have included Jacques Martin and Ken Hitchcock, who used the tactic in the wake of the Dallas Stars’ 1999 Stanley Cup victory. “Five-game segments keep you focused on the now,” said Brett Hull, the hall of famer who played for Hitchcock in those days. “Because you can’t start thinking about the Stanley Cup on Oct. 1.” Coach Mike Keenan used the same thinking with a Chicago Blackhawks team that won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1990-91. In those pre-salary-cap days, Chicago players would receive a cash bonus for meeting the five- game points quota, with extra incentives for shutouts and additional wins. Toronto winger Leo Komarov said that when he played in the KHL his contract included a cash bonus for every team victory — a common clause in that league. 1083377 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs recall Nikita Soshnikov from Marlies

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports reporter

Nikita Soshnikov made a solid impression in returning to NHL form after battling back from a severe concussion over the summer. Now that he’s back with the Maple Leafs, he needs to make one more impression — on head coach Mike Babcock. Soshnikov was called up from the AHL’s Marlies on Tuesday, just before a contract clause would have kicked in allowing him to return to Russia’s KHL. But there’s no indication of when he will play for the Leafs. “We were notified (Monday night) that he was being called up,” Soshnikov’s agent, Dan Milstein, said Tuesday. “There are no expectations whatsoever. Nikita’s goal is to play in the NHL and he’s kept to his schedule. He’s worked incredibly hard off the ice to get back.” Soshnikov suffered a head injury last March, when he took two hits from Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara. The Leaf played the rest of that game, but was diagnosed with a concussion soon after by team medical staff. The recovery was rough. The 24-year-old winger “couldn’t sleep for a lot of the summer,” Milstein said. “He’d wake up at 3 in the morning and he couldn’t go back to sleep again.” After the lengthy rehab, Soshnikov reported to camp with the Leafs in September and had a whole new fight on his hands: trying to retain his job after playing 56 NHL games last season. Ultimately, Soshnikov and other NHL-ready youngsters, including Kasperi Kapanen and Travis Dermott, were sent down but told to “keep your foot on the pedal.” The Leafs sent Frederik Gauthier back to the Marlies to make room for Soshnikov, who can still request a loan to the KHL if the Leafs return him to the AHL at any point this season. Soshnikov, second on the Marlies with five goals and 12 points through 14 games, skated Tuesday with injured players Auston Matthews and Tyler Bozak, while the rest of the team had the day off. It’s expected Soshnikov will be an extra forward when the Leafs return from a four-day break Thursday to play New Jersey. Babcock makes young players earn their ice time, and with the club riding a four-game win streak changes are less likely. The return of Matthews from an undisclosed upper-body injury, expected some time this week, will make cracking the roster even more difficult. Soshnikov worked his way into the lineup last season with a hard-hitting approach. He’s also one of the better skaters in the organization and owns one of the best wrist shots and snapshots among forwards. And he knows all about patience. The native of Nizhny Tagil, Russia, spent all summer in Toronto. While it was first thought that the head injury would prevent him from flying during rehab, he was cleared to visit his father in New York and flew to Anaheim — where Milstein’s agency held its annual Goldstar Hockey Camp — in August with girlfriend Anastasia. “He was cleared to play in September,” Milstein said. “He worked through the pain and stayed in shape. He no longer has the headaches.” Milstein added that another client, KHL defenceman Igor Ozhiganov, will have the Leafs very high on his list if and when he looks to play in the NHL, with a decision expected in February. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083378 Toronto Maple Leafs MARLIES FOREVER: When he was in Toronto last week, Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau attended a reunion of Toronto Marlboros, a powerhouse junior team in the 1970s. “You don’t see guys for 40 years, Over the Boards: Fasel still frustrated with Bettman over Olympic no- but what championship teams do is create a bond that can never be show broken,” said Boudreau. “You see guys and you pick up where you left off. Nothing seems to be different. Except the way we look.” With Boudreau, the Marlboros won the Memorial Cup twice (1973 and ’75). Boudreau had 68 goals and 165 points for the ’75 team. By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter DOORS LOCKED: Jason Zucker’s wife, Carly, had a message for him when he went on a tear on a recent Wild road trip, scoring six goals in three games: “NEVER COME HOME!,” she tweeted. “GET ALL THE Rene Fasel has the exasperated look of somebody who’s had enough SLEEP!” The Zuckers have a newborn, and little time for sleep at home. when he’s asked what it would take to get the National Hockey League When he kept scoring, she kept tweeting the theme: “Looking for a host back into the Winter Olympics. family” so he could sleep and finally: “The doors are locked” when the trip The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation has been ended. “It honestly started as a joke,” she told the Twin Cities Pioneer battling NHL commissioner Gary Bettman over all sorts of issues for the Press. “I have zero filter on Twitter. I’m not a person to take something past two decades, none more annoying than the withdrawal by the NHL too seriously and neither is Jason.” from the 2018 Games in South Korea. CROSBY DROUGHT: Sidney Crosby has five goals, but has not scored Bettman’s commitment to growing the NHL as a business hasn’t always in a game since Oct. 16. He does have a shootout goal in that time. been aligned with Fasel’s commitment to growing the game “They haven’t been going in easy lately,” he said. “You just try to keep internationally. He was asked at the PrimeTime Sports Conference this going. No matter who you’re going against, just try to keep doing the right week if he could envision a time when the NHL and IIHF could see eye to things and trust they’ll go in.” The 11-game drought — going into eye. Tuesday’s game in Buffalo — is the second longest of Crosby’s career. “I think I have to retire. Gary, too,” Fasel told an audience before NEWS AND NOTES: Islanders winger Nikolay Kulemin underwent following up in a one-on-one with the Star. “If we both retire, we get new shoulder surgery that will keep him out six months. The 31-year-old people. New people bring in a new dynamic.” crashed awkwardly into the boards last week on a hit from Edmonton’s Eric Gryba . . . Dallas’ Alexander Radulov (five goals, six assists) and Fasel sees 2020 as his potential retirement date, but Bettman seems a L.A.’s Anze Kopitar (two goals, 10 assists) each have eight-game scoring sure bet to carry on through at least one more round of collective streaks, currently the longest in the NHL . . . Tampa’s Steven Stamkos bargaining negotiations (in either 2020, the earliest the CBA can be (31 points) and Nikita Kucherov (30) are only the third set of teammates reopened, or 2022, when it ends.) in the past 21 years to each record 30 or more points before their team’s 20th game of the season. In 2005-06, players from both the Senators While Bettman seemed particularly nonplussed by the International (Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza) and Flyers (Peter Olympic Committee’s threats to keep the NHL out of the 2022 Beijing Forsberg and Simon Gagne) combined for the feat. Games in retaliation for withdrawing from Pyeongchang, South Korea, it’s Fasel’s IIHF that’s caught in between. The IIHF ultimately makes the call Toronto Star LOADED: 11.15.2017 on which athletes participate. “Some people would love to say: ‘No, don’t let them in, just because they weren’t in Pyeongchang.’ But who would suffer? The players and fans. And those are who we have to respect the most,” Fasel told the Star. “How could we say no to players and no to fans when we want best-on- best in Olympics? “We have to put the interests of fans and the game first. As long as I am IIHF president, I will never say no to the NHL.” Fasel says he believes the NHL is making a big mistake in not going to the 2018 Games this winter. The NHL has a laundry list of complaints, some involving travel and insurance costs. The league is especially peeved about not being able to use highlights from the Olympics on NHL.com and Bettman continually makes the point about not wanting to shut down the NHL for two weeks to accommodate the Games. But the league will essentially go dark in the United States in February anyway. Neither NBC nor its cable alternative, NBCSN, will show any NHL games during the Olympics. Meanwhile, the league is missing out on an opportunity to have NHL players delivered in prime time to an audience in the billions. “If you want to brand and develop your sport, you want to be in prime time in Asia,” said Fasel. “Two thirds of the world is living in Asia, more or less. Having your brand in the Olympics in Pyeongchang in prime time has so much more value than a few NHL owners who want to have a few thousand spectators in their arena. This is a huge mistake.” HABS VS LEAFS: Ex-Leaf Dave Andreychuk, inducted Monday into the Hockey Hall of Fame, said he was as upset about the events of 1993 as Leaf fans, specifically the fact referee Kerry Fraser failed to call Wayne Gretzky for high sticking Doug Gilmour in overtime in Game 6 of the Western Conference final. “Kerry Fraser has apologized a few times since then,” said Andreychuk. “You still dream about that Montreal- Toronto final. It would have been really awesome.” YOUNG BLOOD: The Bruins wanted to inject youth into their lineup. Injuries along the way to veterans David Backes and David Krejci sped up the process for the likes of Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy to the point where Boston’s average age (27.5) is less than the league average (27.6) for the first time in years. “We’ve been trying to integrate young guys into the lineup from Day 1,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That was something we addressed this summer. We didn’t think it would be this many guys, to be honest. They’ve done very well. We’re not asking them to lead our club. Just asking these young guys to do their job, and most nights, they’ve done that.” 1083379 Toronto Maple Leafs

Carey Price remains out of Canadiens’ lineup but says injury’s no big deal

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

BROSSARD, QUE.—Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price says he is staying off the ice for a little while longer as he deals with a lower- body injury. Price met with reporters Tuesday before Montreal’s game against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets to provide an update on his recovery. He said he suffered the injury in a warmup before Montreal’s Nov. 2 game at Minnesota in which he gave up five goals on 26 shots in a 6-3 loss. “When you’re warmed up and you’re running on a bit of adrenalin, you don’t ever feel it’s as bad until you wake up the next day and everything’s cooled down and you’re not feeling the adrenalin anymore,” he said. Price insisted the injury is minor and that he would “absolutely” be ready to play if the Canadiens were in the playoffs. “It’s just taking a little bit longer than expected because of the nature of my position,” said the all-star goaltender. “I just want to make sure I’m 100 per cent and can do my job to the best of my ability when I come back, so I’m just going to make sure I take my time with it and it won’t be very long.” Price said he can take the time to properly heal thanks to the excellent play of Charlie Lindgren. The rookie goaltender is 3-1-0 with a 1.24 goals-against average and .964 save percentage in relief of Price and injured backup Al Montoya. “Charlie’s playing great and it’s definitely buying me more time,” Price added. “He’s doing very good. He’s got a great demeanour about himself and prepares himself well for games. It’s good to see somebody step up and perform in a tough spot.” The Canadiens added goaltending depth Tuesday, claiming veteran Antti Niemi off waivers from Florida. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083380 Toronto Maple Leafs “I think you can use the reset, artificial or not, and it’s good to manage the games this way. It has fooled me. It’s how I look at the season. It helps keep you focused.” Snapshots: Maple Leafs' Rielly not consumed by offensive numbers The team goal in each segment is to reach six points. The Leafs have accomplished at least six points in three of the four segments. Terry Koshan “(The points gained every five games) are like little deposits, little investments,” Carrick said. “Maybe you have a flu bug in January, or a couple of injuries in March (and aren’t as successful). Morgan Rielly is aware that he is on track to smash his personal best of “You bank them and forget about them and watch them grow come 36 points in one National Hockey League season. playoff time.” The Maple Leafs defenceman, however, doesn’t seek out such LOOSE LEAFS information. After a day off on Tuesday, the Leafs will return to practice on “Just when it comes across my phone, when I’m scrolling through Twitter Wednesday at the MasterCard Centre. The status of Auston Matthews, (and it has been noted by someone else),” Rielly said. “Other than that, who skated with Soshnikov and Tyler Bozak on Tuesday and appeared no.” to look good doing so, should be clearer once the Leafs are back at work. The Leafs have won all three games that Matthews, out because of an For Rielly, the points are a bonus in a Leafs season that has started with upper-body injury, has missed … The Devils beat the Leafs 6-3 on Oct. 12 victories in 19 games. 11 in their only previous meeting, but coach John Hynes had to tell his players to be sharp on Tuesday, reportedly stopping practice after Now in his fifth year on the Leafs blue line, Rielly was tied for third among shoddy defensive work and reminding them the dangers of a NHL defencemen before games on Tuesday with 16 points (three goals lackadaisical approach against a team as talented as the Leafs. Later, and 13 assists), putting him on pace to finish with 69 points. Hynes indicated that centre Travis Zajac could make his season debut in Leafs coach Mike Babcock’s philosophy — or part of it — involves a Toronto after recovering from a pectoral injury … Connor Brown took what-have-you-done-lately approach, something with which Rielly falls in issue with Rielly’s claim during a recent radio interview that Brown is line. And playing with a veteran of Ron Hainsey’s experience has been a known in the dressing room as the “town bicycle” because Brown makes great benefit. bad trades with his NFL fantasy team. “He’s just blowing smoke,” Brown said. “He has a worse team than mine, a worse record. It’s a joke. I’m in “(The points are) nice, I’m not going to lie to you,” Rielly said. “But it’s so the playoffs, seventh seed. He’s on the outside looking in.” early. When you look at the best defencemen in the league, the best players, they do it consistently over the course of an 82-game season. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.15.2017 “It’s a good start but it’s important that the next 20 (games) be as good, if not better, then the next 20 after that, same thing. You have to keep doing it. It’s not a matter of just doing it for 19 games.” SOSHNIKOV STAYING Would forward Nikita Soshnikov have explored heading back to Europe to continue his hockey career had the Leafs not recalled him from the Toronto Marlies on Tuesday? That’s one assumption. But Soshnikov’s agent, Dan Milstein, didn’t acknowledge as much when we asked him that in an e-mail. “Nikita wants to play in the NHL,” was Milstein’s short response. A clause in Soshnikov’s contract would have allowed him to play in the KHL, where he spent 2013-15, had he not been on an NHL roster by Nov. 14. That became moot when the Leafs brought him up and sent centre Frederik Gauthier to the Marlies. The quick 24-year-old Soshnikov doesn’t mind getting his nose dirty and has experience, playing in 67 career games with the Leafs, including 56 last season when he had five goals and four assists. On the other hand, we’re talking about a player who has been behind Josh Leivo, Kasperi Kapanen and Frederik Gauthier on the depth chart among forwards in the organization. Whether Soshnikov plays for the Leafs won’t make or break their season. Fully recovered from a concussion suffered on March 20 when he was hit by the Boston Bruins’ Zdeno Chara, Soshnikov was second in scoring on the Marlies with 12 points in 14 games. If the Leafs decide to send Soshnikov back to the Marlies this season, he can ask to be loaned to the KHL. But Soshnikov needs three games in the NHL to reach 70 in his career, after which he would require waivers to be sent to the Marlies. FIVE AND A GAME The Leafs will complete their fourth five-game segment when they play host to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday at the Air Canada Centre, and the worst they could do is end 4-1-0, which would equal their first five-game segment of 2017-18. There’s a mental advantage Babcock has exploited in breaking the season into five-game parts. “I really like it,” defenceman Connor Carrick said. “Eighty-two hockey games almost sounds ridiculous when you say it. 1083381 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs recall Nikita Soshnikov, send Gauthier to Marlies

Terry Koshan

TORONTO — Nikita Soshnikov is a Maple Leaf again. The Leafs announced Tuesday morning that the 24-year-old forward has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. With the move, the Leafs avoided the possibility of seeing Soshnikov head back to Europe to continue his hockey career. A clause in Soshnikov’s contract would have allowed him to do so had he not been on the NHL roster as of Nov. 14. To make room for Soshnikov, the Leafs sent centre Frederik Gauthier to the Marlies. Gauthier did not play in a game for the Leafs after he was recalled on Nov. 7. In 67 career games with the Leafs, Soshnikov has seven goals and seven assists. Last season, Soshnikov played in 56 games for the Leafs, scoring five goals and recording four assists. His season ended on March 20 when he suffered a concussion on a hit by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins. While the Leafs didn’t want Soshnikov to return to the KHL, where he played from 2013-15, his play with the Marlies indicated he might have been recalled at some point anyway. In 14 games with the Leafs’ AHL affiliate, Soshnikov is second in team scoring with 12 points (five goals and seven assists). The Leafs are enjoying an off day on Tuesday before returning to practice on Wednesday at the MasterCard Centre. On Thursday, the Leafs will play host to the New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083382 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs bring their best game to vets at Sunnybrook

MIchael Peake

TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs made an annual Remembrance Day visit to the veterans at Sunnybook on Monday — a couple of days late as they were busy defeating the Bruins in Boston on Nov 11. Leafs Dominic Moore, Nazem Kadri and Curtis McElhinney — along with alumni Darcy Tucker and Johnny Bower — presented the vets with a signed 100th anniversary sweater and stick. “To see these players face to face, it’s the highlight of our year,” said Bill Morgavero, an 88-year-old Korean War vet who accepted the sweater and stick for the hospital. Following a brief question and answer session, the players mingled with the vets, handing out rally towels and pucks. “We receive a lot of things,” said Leafs legend Johnny Bower, 93. “It’s nice to give something back, it’s what I want to do.” One vet, Bert Garfield, who turns 100 on Nov. 29, recalled playing shinny against the former NHLer Joe Primeau, who left the league in 1936. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083383 Toronto Maple Leafs In another recent deal, Brown traded A.J. Green for Dak Prescott to Cody Franson, the ex-Leaf still in the league.

“Don’t trade your number one receiver,” said Jake Gardiner, offering Poor drafting, collusion and one vocal rookie GM: Inside the Leafs advice to Brown, “when you already have Jared Goff.” fantasy football league Gardiner, a fantasy football devotee since high school, sits at the top of

the league alongside Frederik Andersen. Gardiner has been the By Joshua Kloke 19 hours ago commissioner for the last three seasons.

“Load up on running backs,” Gardiner said of his strategy. “You can’t replace those guys. And then you build off that. With wide receivers, you Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman was talking about the team's fantasy can get those guys in the second and third weeks. Sometimes people football league, and which member is the most vocal manager. Someone don’t know about it.” mentioned Connor Brown's name. As commissioner of the league, Gardiner is often on the receiving end of “Oh, God,” Hyman said, rolling his eyes. another common fantasy league issue: collusion.

Later, Mitch Marner was asked about Brown's dedication to his fantasy Martin took particular issue with a recent deal between Gardiner and his team. The forward cut in with his answer before the question could be neighbour in the dressing room, Morgan Rielly. Gardiner picked up finished. Leonard Fournette for Carlos Hyde and Tyreek Hill.

“It’s nuts,” said Marner, who doesn't participate in the 12-man league but Martin wasn’t happy about it. finds the endless chatter about it exhausting. “He’s a terrible commissioner,” he said. “He makes trades that a lot of “You can’t sit at a table without him talking about it,” he said. “I probably people would find to be suspect and then he makes sure that it goes will not be joining that pool anytime soon.” through right away because he has the power to let it slide through.”

The Leafs fantasy football league produces the kind of chirpy banter Much like his role on the ice, Martin is something of a policeman in the hockey players specialize in. Many of the Leafs are young, without league, keeping an eye on sketchy behaviour. children and can dedicate hours of spare time to the league, which has in turn helped to foster some of the obvious camaraderie in the room. Andersen, meanwhile, is the type of fantasy GM who largely flies under the radar. On paper, his team doesn't stand out. But he's been grinding The head-to-head league is comprised of 10 Leafs, one Marlies player out small-margin wins week after week. and one former Leaf. According to participants, Brown is the most relentless player, making numerous trades and regular waiver wire “Just good scouting,” he said of what’s landed him near the top of the pickups. James van Riemsdyk estimates Brown has “had his hands on standings. 75 per cent of the players in the league.” Andersen, the only non-North American in the league, began watching Word has spread around the dressing room that Brown is eager to trade, football as a child in Denmark after the success of Danish NFL kicker even if the move doesn't benefit his team. Morten Andersen led to national television networks broadcasting two NFL games a week. The Danish broadcaster, Claus Elming, helped There are all types of characters in the team's league, not unlike fantasy teach Andersen American football. leagues around the world. Brown is the token “fantasy football rookie” whose enthusiasm leads to countless trades that can work to establish “It’s football for dummies,” he said. “They try to teach everyone watching. himself in the league while also helping him gain a better understanding They have a fun time, joking around, like in their living room.” of the ins and outs of fantasy team ownership. There are just two weeks remaining in the regular season before the “He’s the guy that talks about it all day, every day,” forward Tyler Bozak playoffs, for which eight teams will qualify. Soon, some of the Leafs will said. “We get a little annoyed by him.” find themselves on the outside looking in. That includes Auston Matthews, who, despite his other-worldly skill on the ice, currently sits “He likes to talk a big game, but his team is really not up to par,” said near the basement of the league. forward Matt Martin “He’s brutal,” Bozak said of Matthews, noting that he drafted poorly. “He’s “I like to get in guys’ ears about it,” Brown said. the worst one for sure.”

Does his strategy work? For all of Bozak’s chirping, he does, however, see the value in the camaraderie their fantasy football league creates. “No,” he said, laughing. “Whenever you can do stuff that doesn’t involve hockey and bond you as Brown's team is on the playoff bubble. a group, it’s a good thing to do,” he said. “When you’re away from the Mark Masters ✔@markhmasters rink, it’s good to have other things on the go.”

Great Rielly interview with @OverDrive1050 ... Morgan says some Leafs “It’s been fun to have stuff to talk about that isn’t X’s and O’s,” adds van calling Connor Brown "The Town bicycle" because of his poor fantasy Riemsdyk. football trades http://www.tsn.ca/radio/audio/rielly-chemistry-with- Don’t mistake this league as just fun and games, however. hainsey-has-contributed-to-offensive-output-1.911097 … “There’s a lot of pride around the guys in the room,” said Bozak. “That’s 8:12 PM - Nov 9, 2017 · Toronto, Ontario more why we play. You like beating the guys in the room more than Rielly: Chemistry with Hainsey has contributed to offensive output anything.”

Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly joins the boys on OverDrive to And don’t expect rookie Connor Brown to quiet down in the face of the discuss his partnership with Ron Hainsey, Patrick Marleau's impact, plus playoffs, either. he updates the boys on the Maple Leafs' Fantasy Football... “You’ve just got punch your ticket to the dance,” he said, “and then tsn.ca anything can happen.”

3 3 Replies 14 14 Retweets 70 70 likes The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017

Twitter Ads info and privacy

On a recent trade with Bozak, Brown insists the move wasn't as bad as his teammates have made it out to be. Brown flipped Mark Ingram, T.Y. Hilton and Chris Thompson for Randall Cobb and Jordan Howard. 1083384 Toronto Maple Leafs “It’s a different player and a different person frankly in dealing with him now than when he could barely communicate in his first year. Not only

does it help him with the coaches and understanding of the system and Nikita Soshnikov's call-up about more than just a contract clause the way he can communicate with his teammates but also in the way he can communicate with the opposition too,” Keefe said, with a smirk.

Keefe isn't the only one who's noticed an even more in-your-face style By Scott Wheeler 12 hours ago from Soshnikov, either.

“He’s a really serious pro. He’s serious about everything that he does and he’s done everything he can down here. He’s been really good in Last week The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that Nikita Soshnikov games for us. He hits hard on the forecheck and he doesn’t let anybody had a clause in his contract that stipulated if the winger hadn't been off the hook,” Sparks said. “I don’t know if they despise him as much as recalled to the Leafs by Nov. 14, he would have the right to leave the they shy away from it. You don’t want to deal with it, right? You don’t organization and return to the KHL. Since then, questions have lingered want to deal with a guy who is going to come into the corner and is over how the Leafs would handle the situation. looking to take you out, is looking to make you feel his physical presence. Without Auston Matthews, they'd been using Frederik Gauthier as their That’s something that I think he brings uniquely to his game. He’s a big spare forward in order to provide additional centre depth. hitter in a small package. He can shoot the puck, he skates hard, he does everything.” On Tuesday, the Leafs solved the Soshnikov problem when they loaned Gauthier to the Marlies and recalled Soshnikov in his place. Whether or not that play helps him find his way into the Leafs' lineup remains to be seen. Even with Matthews out, Soshnikov likely has to It would be easy to suggest that the recall was strictly the Leafs await a Leafs loss for any real shot at getting into a game, especially if appeasing one of their depth options in a game of retention. Given the Mike Babcock is fond of the way Josh Leivo has been playing. timing, that is obviously the case. Still, there's an argument to be made on a Marlies roster that has already But Soshnikov's play has also merited a call-up. seen promotions for Kasperi Kapanen and Gauthier that Soshnikov's call- This season, after returning from concussion symptoms that lingered up was overdue. throughout the summer, Soshnikov has consistently been the Marlies' That it had to come when the Leafs had no other options shouldn't deter biggest threat offensively. On the team's recent six-game road trip, he from that. picked up six points in as many games, leading the Marlies to a 5-1 record. The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017

“I thought he was coming off of playing his best hockey here. I think it was probably a slower start for him both dealing with being back at this level and being healthy again and trying to remain healthy while finding his legs,” Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, shortly after Soshnikov was recalled.

“He does a lot of things well for us at this level. He had success with them before he was injured and now he’s in a good spot.”

The Marlies' leader in shots on goal with 41 (2.93 per game, which is top- 15 in the AHL), Soshnikov has done it all while playing on a checking line against opposing teams' best players, as well as heavy use on the penalty kill. That's why his 12 points (second on the team) and five goals, all of which were scored at even-strength, stand out so much.

And his teammates have taken note.

“He has rung three, four, five pucks off the bar and right past the goalie’s ears that you’ll never see that on the scoresheet and he’s been real close and real dangerous every game even when pucks aren’t necessarily going in the net for him,” Marlies goalie Garret Sparks said of Soshnikov's play.

Colin Greening, who's played on the aforementioned checking line with Soshnikov for nearly the entirety of the season thus far, also believes Soshnikov is owed more.

“Even in the final game against Binghamton, he didn’t score but he drove the puck right to the net and he brought the goalie across and Ben Smith was able to score. Those are the types of plays that are NHL plays and he’s been rewarded,” Greening said. “It was great playing with him. He’s got a hell of a shot. Even for a smaller guy (Soshnikov is 5-foot-11), he protects the puck so well down low and on the trip I think he had (three goals) and it shows.”

Keefe, who coached Soshnikov in his first season in North America, when he picked up 28 points in 52 games in 2015-2016, said the forward's progress was night and day this time around.

This season, Keefe credited Soshnikov as a player who never felt he had enough, always wanted more, and pushed himself in practice and in the gym to climb back to the NHL. This year, Soshnikov became a leader with the Marlies and his personality finally began to shine through.

Last year, that wasn't the case. In a six-game stint in the AHL, he didn't score at even-strength and picked up just two assists. In his final 44 games in the NHL last season, dating back to November, he registered just five points. Among Leafs players who played more than 500 minutes at even-strength, Soshnikov ranked last in CF% at 47 per cernt and second-last relative to his teammates at -1.98 per cent. 1083385 Toronto Maple Leafs where to stand after more than 900 games in the NHL. He's also crafty with his stick and well-attuned to the tendencies of opposing power plays.

See enough of them, Moore said, and it becomes clear how they develop Ron Hainsey is killing a ridiculous amount of penalties for the Leafs this and what can be done to stop them. season Hainsey, who started killing penalties regularly in the NHL when he got to

Columbus during the 2005-06 season, traces the whole thing back to By Jonas Siegel 15 hours ago denying opposing power plays a chance to even get set up.

“If they get control and you're standing there looking at them, if they have any clue what they're doing they're going to get a shot,” he said. “The Ron Hainsey was still smarting, a couple days later, over a little power- idea is to not let them get set up staring at your net, because even if they play ploy the Bruins used on the weekend, that freed Patrice Bergeron just start firing one-timers from the point then you gotta turn around and for a prime chance at Curtis McElhinney. face the net and then you don't know what's going on.”

Bergeron was playing the role of decoy at the Toronto blue line on Friday Before he joined the Penguins for their Stanley Cup run last spring, night, but a day later in Boston, the Bruins weaponized him, catching the Hainsey spent a few seasons in Carolina where he was a primary cog in 36-year-old Leafs defenceman off-guard. the wheel of one of the league's more effective penalty-killing units. The Canes, who likewise lean on a only few defenders under Peters, went 12 “It was the first power play of the second game so they must have seen straight games at about this point last year without giving up a power- me on tape,” Hainsey said of the quick adjustment by Bruce Cassidy's play goal and Hainsey believes the Leafs, who have given up at least coaching staff. “I cut him off, but he got a good shot.” one in five of the last six games, have the potential to eventually follow a The Leafs expect Hainsey to snuff out looks like that from opposing similar track. power plays, leaning on him to kill penalties this season like no player in The Toronto penalty kill, despite giving up fewer unblocked attempts on recent NHL memory. Hainsey has been on the ice for an astounding 86 goal this year, has been a touch worse than last season — 82.5 per cent per cent (!) of the Leafs shorthanded minutes through 19 games — vs. 80.6 per cent — but that looks to be tied to a slight dip from Frederik missing all but about 16 penalty killing minutes with two of those coming Andersen, who had a .894 save percentage shorthanded last year — when he served his first and only minor penalty of the season. fifth-best among those that played at least 40 games. Thanks to data pulled by Tyler Dellow, we can see that no player since Hainsey was still annoyed by the last power-play goal to beat the Leafs. the 2004-05 lockout has come close to pulling that kind of load: He had what he felt was ample opportunity to get the puck out from You'll notice Hainsey's name a couple times there, most recently with behind the Toronto goal on Friday, only to fail and watch David Pastrnak Carolina where he played for Mike Babcock protege, Bill Peters. The list score a few seconds later. is mostly composed of aggressively defence-first types like Jay You can see him there at the end, on the edge of the crease, lean back Bouwmeester, Francois Beauchemin, Andy Greene, and Dan Girardi. in obvious frustration. (Jay McClement makes an appearance, too, for his hearty PK role with It hardly seems sustainable for the Leafs to keep running Hainsey out Randy Carlyle's Leafs during the lockout season.) there this much over 82 games. The club tried to address the need by Hainsey is averaging more than five shorthanded minutes per game bringing back Roman Polak, but he's barely played of late so the bulk of (5:08 to be precise), a mark that only one player has matched in the last minutes keep going to Hainsey and to a lesser but still hefty degree, 10 years: Derian Hatcher, who averaged 5:37 for the Flyers in the 2006- Zaitsev. 07 campaign. At some point, Babcock might just have to increase the load for Rielly No one has really even come close in more recent seasons. and perhaps Jake Gardiner, if only to conserve Hainsey, who is also tasked with slowing top lines. Babcock explains his rationale for using Hainsey this much in rather simple terms: “Because he's smart and he's good and he's talented.” Babcock has never used one player quite like this before on the penalty kill. The last time he was even close was in the 2009-10 season when He added that Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev, averaging about four minutes Brad Stuart garnered 63 per cent of the Red Wings' shorthanded on the penalty kill himself, are on “another level” from the rest of the minutes. team's penalty killers on the back-end, “so we try to use them as much as we possibly can.” Hainsey, for one, doesn't seem the least bit bothered by it. Asked how he felt after the 12-minute marathon against the Jets on opening night, he Often, Hainsey doesn't even leave the ice for an entire two-minute kill. responded in typically succinct fashion: “It felt fine.” That's not something he said he's been told explicitly to do by the coaching staff. It's dependent rather on how things are going and who The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 might be in the box. If it's Zaitsev or Morgan Rielly (the only other defenceman drawing a regular shorthanded shift), for instance, then Hainsey, for certain, will stay out there the whole time.

The limit is probably 60-75 seconds, he said, if the Leafs get trapped in- zone, off a lost faceoff or something like that.

“It only works, really, if you're doing a good job keeping the other team out of your zone,” Hainsey said. “If you're running around your zone for a minute you're burned — you gotta get off.”

Some nights, the Leafs hardly go even a few seconds without him:

He's been reasonably effective, too — at least according to the best (albeit imperfect) numbers available. The Leafs have allowed about 75 unblocked attempts per 60 minutes with Hainsey on the ice shorthanded, the 39th-best mark league-wide among the 109 defenders who've played at least 30 minutes. He ranks fourth on Toronto, behind Zach Hyman (72), Zaitsev (73), and Leo Komarov (73).

It's apparent that Hainsey looks to conserve his energy when he's killing a penalty. Dominic Moore, a fellow penalty killer, joked that Hainsey plays that way in all situations before adding that his fellow graybeard (not literally since players in Toronto can't have facial hair) just knows 1083386 Vegas Golden Knights

How to watch the Knights vs. Oilers, Canucks and Kings this week

Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights return to the ice this week for three games. Here’s how to watch the team this week on television in Las Vegas: (all times PST) Tuesday at Oilers Where: Rogers Place; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Time: 6 p.m. TV: AT&T Sports Net (Cox 313, DirecTV 684, CenturyLink 760, U-Verse 757, Dish 414) Radio: KRLV (1340 AM, 98.9 FM) Thursday at Canucks Where: Rogers Arena; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Time: 7 p.m. TV: AT&T Sports Net (Cox 313, DirecTV 684, CenturyLink 760, U-Verse 757, Dish 414) Radio: KRLV (1340 AM, 98.9 FM) Sunday vs. Kings Where: T-Mobile Arena Time: 5 p.m. TV: AT&T Sports Net (Cox 313, DirecTV 684, CenturyLink 760, U-Verse 757, Dish 414) Radio: KRLV (1340 AM, 98.9 FM) LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083387 Vegas Golden Knights

Jon Merrill replaces Luca Sbisa for Golden Knights vs. Oilers

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDMONTON, Alberta — Jon Merrill watched the Golden Knights’ past five games while wearing a suit and tie, patiently waiting for his chance to get in the lineup. That opportunity came Tuesday, when Merrill was expected to make his fourth appearance of the season against Edmonton after replacing injured defenseman Luca Sbisa. “I’m really looking forward to just getting out there with my teammates and help contribute to some wins and be a big part of this team,” Merrill said following the Knights’ morning skate. “We’ve got a great group of guys, so it makes it fun to be a part of this team in any way.” Merrill would play alongside defenseman Nate Schmidt, as Sbisa did not make the trip to western Canada due to a lower-body injury. Merrill got the nod over defenseman Shea Theordore, which allowed coach Gerard Gallant to keep the Deryk Engelland-Brayden McNabb and Brad Hunt-Colin Miller partnerships together. Merrill was scratched in 13 of the Knights’ first 16 games and hadn’t played since Oct. 31 against the New York Rangers. “You just got to be a pro about it and work hard every day,” Merrill said, “look forward to opportunities like this to get in the lineup and help.” McLellan impressed Edmonton’s Todd McLellan was the latest opposing coach to heap praise on the Knights for their work ethic. McLellan said the team’s fast start is a tribute to general manager George McPhee, assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon and Gallant. “They’ve done a really good job of putting their team together, and I would say they’ve developed an identity a lot faster than any of the expansion teams of the past,” McLellan said Tuesday following the Oilers’ morning skate. “When you get that identity quickly, you get confidence.” Subban sighting Injured goaltender Malcolm Subban made an appearance near the end of the Knights’ morning skate to test his lower-body injury. Subban did not practice or face any shots during the 30-minute workout and remains on the injured-reserve list. Dylan Ferguson was the backup for Maxime Lagace against the Oilers. Food drive The Knights announced they will have a canned food drive during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena. Fans attending the 5 p.m. game can bring nonperishable food items that will be donated to Three Square Food Bank. The team also will hold a drive Saturday at City National Arena. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083388 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights drop road game to Oilers, 8-2

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Golden Knights had the occasional bad shift or lackluster period during their first 16 games. But the one thing they avoided was a complete collapse. Until Tuesday. The Knights allowed four goals on special teams and never found their legs in an 8-2 dismantling at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place before an announced gathering of 18,347. It got so out of hand for the Knights that 19-year-old backup goaltender Dylan Ferguson made his NHL debut and played the final 9:14 of the third period, allowing one goal. “Right from the start, it wasn’t a good game for us,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “We just didn’t have any energy, any jump. We gambled too much and gave way too many odd-man rushes. We haven’t done that all year.” Edmonton entered dead last in the NHL in scoring but went 3-for-3 on the power play and also got a short-handed goal from defenseman Oscar Klefbom to open the scoring. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored in the second period, and James Neal added his team-best 10th goal early in the third for the Knights (10-6-1), who have one win in their past seven road games and visit Vancouver at 7 p.m. Thursday. “We just gave them a little too much room and respect and backed off instead of going forward like our game plan is,” defenseman Deryk Engelland said. “We weren’t sharp. We weren’t good. We weren’t playing our game. We weren’t in their faces like we play. A lot of us weren’t ready to go.” Engelland was part of a weird play early in the third period that summed up the Knights’ evening. Connor McDavid’s shot from in tight was stopped by Maxime Lagace, but the Oilers’ center threw the puck back in front of the net. After a brief scramble, Engelland ended up knocking the puck into his own net to put the Knights in a 5-1 hole. Lagace was slow to get up after the goal, which was credited to McDavid, and eventually was pulled after allowing seven goals on 29 shots. Afterward, Gallant said Lagace was suffering from cramps and is day to day. McDavid finished with two goals and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added two goals for the Oilers (7-9-2). The Knights trailed 4-0 in the second period when Tomas Nosek won a footrace against Yohann Auvitu and hit Bellemare streaking down the slot at 14:41. Bellemare’s goal was his third. Neal cut the Knights’ deficit to 5-2 when he took a pass from Colin Miller and jammed it past Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot at 1:22 of the third. “As a coach, you think about those decisions you make and we had two days off the ice and then we had a practice day (Monday),” Gallant said. “You’re trying to rest your team and get them ready. Maybe it was the wrong decision. I don’t know if that was the reason, but we looked flat tonight.” The Knights struggled in the first period against Toronto and Montreal on their previous road trip and had similar issues against Edmonton, getting outshot 13-5. Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon scored 57 seconds apart late in the first to put the Knights in a 3-0 hole. “Our work ethic wasn’t there,” forward David Perron said. “I thought when we got down 3-0, we had too much cheating going on, trying to get an easy one. I feel like it never goes when that happens. It’s going to go right one time out of five, but the other four times you’re losing the games.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083389 Washington Capitals Here’s how the Capitals’ lineup is expected to look against the Predators on Tuesday:

Forwards After missing 13 games, Matt Niskanen is back in Caps’ lineup against Predators Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Devante Smith-Pelly Chandler Stephenson-Nicklas Backstrom-T. J. Oshie By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 14 at 3:48 PM Jakub Vrana-Lars Eller-Tom Wilson Brett Connolly-Jay Beagle-Alex Chiasson NASHVILLE — As the Washington Capitals ran through their rushes Scratched: Nathan Walker Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena, there was a small but significant change to the lineup. Defenseman Matt Niskanen skated out beside partner Defensemen Dmitry Orlov, an indication that after 13 games out with a left hand injury, Christian Djoos-John Carlson Niskanen would be back and the Capitals would finally see their full defense. Brooks Orpik-Madison Bowey The last time Niskanen played, the season was five games old, Taylor Dmitry Orlov-Matt Niskanen Chorney and Aaron Ness were both in the lineup over rookies Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey and the team was still trying to discover an Scratched: Aaron Ness, Taylor Chorney identity after offseason roster turnover. A month later, Djoos and Bowey Goaltenders have moved ahead of Chorney and Ness in the pecking order, and the Capitals have won six of their past eight games, allowing just 16 goals in Braden Holtby (starter) that span. Philipp Grubauer It makes you wonder how much better it will get with Washington’s top defenseman back. Injured reserve “We’re going to need a game or two to see where he’s at as well,” Coach Andre Burakovsky Barry Trotz said. “When you don’t play for that long, you can work as hard as you want, but you need to play in real games and get back into it. Tyler Graovac He’s a quality defenseman and a person, and he’ll stabilize things a little Washington Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 bit back there just because of his experience and the competitive person that he is.” Said Niskanen: “Simple is effective. At least for your first couple shifts, you want to get through them and get involved in the game, but maybe less eventful is better. I’ll try to play really simple and keep the game moving along until I get my feel and my timing back.” Before Niskanen got hurt, he was skating more than 23 minutes per game, matching up against opponents’ top goal-scorers and also playing on the penalty kill and the second power-play unit. Niskanen first started practicing with the team again on Thursday, and though his conditioning wasn’t an issue after that first practice, his timing felt off. “I felt way better the next day actually,” Niskanen said. “Just one practice under my belt, there was tremendous improvement there for me. Now game speed is going to be a whole different thing. I’ve had some contact over the past couple of days that was harder than just skating, so now game speed and game contact, that’s going to be another level, and there’s no real way to replicate playing a game without playing a game.” The trickle-down effect of Niskanen’s return could mean a lighter load for John Carlson, who has averaged 27:47 in the 13 games Niskanen has been out of the lineup. In that time, Djoos has played in every game and Bowey missed only one, and it was due to an undisclosed lower-body injury. Both have averaged more than 14 minutes per night, seemingly improving with every game. With Niskanen back, the Capitals’ blue line, once considered a weakness for the team, could provide Washington with some stability. “There’s always a blessing behind everything that sort of maybe doesn’t go your way, and the blessing is that we have two young defensemen that we needed to develop for our organization,” Trotz said. “It’s a lifeline for every team in the National Hockey League. We didn’t have any choice, and they’ve grown as young men and as players in this league, so it’s going to make us a better hockey team as we go along.” Tyler Graovac goes to Hershey for conditioning Niskanen isn’t the only player getting healthy for the Capitals. The team announced that forward Tyler Graovac was sent down to the American Hockey League on a long-term conditioning loan after he suffered a shoulder injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 17. He can spend no longer than six days or three games with the Hershey Bears before the Capitals have to either bring him back to Washington or waive him. “You can skate laps until you’re blue in the face, and day in and day out, you can battle, but you’ve got to get into games,” Trotz said. “What I’ve found with shoulder injuries over the years is that you get bumped around and you don’t trust it. . . . We want him to get his confidence back, we want to get some of his game skills back and then when we feel comfortable that he’s ready to go, I want him to be able to jump into our lineup and be able to prove what he can do.” 1083390 Washington Capitals first, a Devante Smith-Pelly wrist shot 36 feet from the net with 2:17 left until first intermission.

“I think guys notice it,” Niskanen said. “You probably don’t have to worry Braden Holtby besieged as Capitals are drubbed in 6-3 loss to Predators about it after four or five minutes, but you start getting halfway through the period, then you notice it.” By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 14 at 11:10 PM Going back to Sunday’s game against Edmonton, the Capitals had gone 36:25 without a shot on goal, and more concerning is that the shooting woes have been a recurring theme this season. Though the Capitals entered Tuesday night’s game having won six of their previous eight, the NASHVILLE — They launched pucks at the net, they put their sticks in team was also averaging the second-fewest shots in the NHL with 28.5. the path of those shots, and, thus, they scored goals. Through 19 games, they have been outshot all but six times. The Nashville Predators repeated that formula over and over in their 6-3 “We can make plays on the rush and we can cycle and wear a team drubbing of the Capitals, perhaps providing a blueprint Washington down, like we did on our second goal tonight, but we need to add a little should consider in its season-long struggle to generate quality scoring bit more net jam if we want to consistently score,” Niskanen said, “and chances. As Washington went a whopping 17:43 before recording its first make it harder on teams.” shot, Nashville crowded goaltender Braden Holtby’s crease, tips and deflections in front accounting for three of the Predators’ six goals Washington Post LOADED: 11.15.2017 through 40 minutes. On two other goals, the shot went in cleanly but there was still traffic in front of Holtby. When the third period started, Holtby was on the bench and backup Philipp Grubauer was in net. After Holtby had allowed six goals on 123 shots over his previous four starts, he allowed six on 25 shots through 40 minutes Tuesday night. “The toughest type of shots are usually the ones that are unpredictable,” Holtby said. “Their goals were pretty simple,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “It was just winning races back to the front of the net and shots from the perimeter that turn into tipped goals and traffic-type stuff. We have to do a better job of boxing them out and defending them, and then we can take a page out of their book. We should add that to our game.” Capitals goalie Braden Holtby reacts after allowing a second-period goal. Holtby allowed six goals on 25 shots through two periods and was removed for Philipp Grubauer. (Mark Humphrey/Associated Press) Washington was riding a wave of good defensive play entering this matchup, allowing just 16 goals over the previous eight games. That was expected to only improve with Niskanen back in the lineup for the first time in a month after injuring his left thumb in the fifth game of the season. But the Capitals went into the second period down 2-0. After Calle Jarnkrok was called for hooking 3:44 into the frame, Washington halved the deficit when T.J. Oshie tipped a John Carlson point shot on the power play. On the very next shift, the Capitals’ third line started an extended shift in the offensive zone, holding on to the puck long enough for a full change to the fourth line. With the Predators exhausted, Alex Chiasson tied the game with a slap shot from the slot. [Barry Trotz envisions Evgeny Kuznetsov scoring 25 goals. But he needs to shoot.] But that was just the beginning of a wacky second period. On the shift right after Chiasson’s goal, Predators forward Filip Forsberg, a Capitals first-round draft pick in 2012, restored a Nashville lead with his 100th career goal. “We’ve got all of the momentum and we’re all over them after having such a bad first [period], and we then we give up a quick goal,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “That one hurt.” Less than three minutes later, Kevin Fiala tipped a shot by Mattias Ekholm to put the Predators up by two goals, and though Oshie answered 17 seconds later, Washington wasn’t able to catch Nashville after that fourth goal. The fifth seemed to be especially deflating, a shot from Miikka Salomaki on a rush that Holtby just seemed to miss with his glove. It’s possible the puck ramped up off defenseman Madison Bowey’s stick. “That fifth goal can’t go in when we’re still in the game,” Holtby said. “I have to look at it because I don’t know how I missed it.” Said Trotz: “Looking back, after the fifth one, I should’ve yanked him. He’s been so good for us for so long, I kept with the long hook, if you will, and let him get through the period.” Tuesday night’s game went poorly for the Capitals (10-8-1) from the opening shift, when the Predators immediately had Holtby under siege, forcing Brooks Orpik to take a hooking penalty just 19 seconds into the game as they swarmed the net. From there, Washington seemed to be in a race against the clock, going nearly an entire period without a shot on goal. Nashville reeled off the first 16 shots of the game, drew four penalties and scored two goals before Washington finally recorded its 1083391 Washington Capitals Nathan Walker, Aaron Ness, Andre Burakovsky (IR), Tyler Graovac (IR), Matt Niskanen (LTIR)

CAPITALS-PREDATORS OPEN THREAD Game 19: Capitals at Predators Date, Time, How to Watch, Game Thread Use the comment section below to discuss the game action with other Capitals fans.

For all the latest Caps coverage, follow Capitals Insider Tarik El-Bashir, By J.J. Regan November 14, 2017 6:30 AM Capitals correspondent JJ Regan and the NBC Sports Capitals account on Twitter. Be sure check out our Capitals page and NBC Sports Washington's Facebook page. TRENDING NOW Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 0:54 Wizards analyst Kara Lawson has incredible basketball résumé 1:20 Pass and defend; that's what Scott Brooks has been preaching 1:06 Junkies: Saints look like 'most difficult task to date' 1:14 Every basket from Wall's crazy efficient game vs. Kings 2:18 B-Mitch and JP don't see eye-to-eye on Gruden's play-calling What: Washington Capitals at Nashville Predators Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn. When: 8:00 p.m. ET Live Stream: You can watch the Capitals-Predators game on NBC Sports Washington's live stream page. WHEN IS THE CAPITALS-PREDATORS GAME? The Capitals (10-7-1) take on the Predators (9-5-2) Tuesday, November 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET in Nashville. WHAT CHANNEL IS THE CAPITALS-PREDATORS GAME ON? The Capitals-Predators game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington. Coverage kicks off with Capitals FaceOff at 7 p.m. followed by Capitals GameTime at 7:30 p.m. Stay with NBC Sports Washington following the game for Caps Extra, Caps Overtime at 11 p.m. and Caps in 30 at 12 a.m. for all your postgame coverage. (NBC Sports Washington channel Finder) 7:00 p.m. — Caps FaceOff 7:30 p.m. — Caps GameTime 8:00 p.m. — Capitals at Predators 10:30 p.m. — Caps Extra 11:00 p.m. — Caps Overtime 1:00 a.m. — Caps in 30 WHERE CAN I STREAM THE CAPITALS-PREDATORS GAME? The Capitals-Predators game, as well as the postgame shows, is available to stream live here through NBC Sports Washington's live stream page and is available to authenticated NBC Sports Washington subscribers on desktops, tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs anywhere in the United States. WHAT ARE THE LINES FOR THE CAPITALS-PREDATORS GAME? Here are the projected lines: Forwards Chandler Stephenson - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Devante Smith-Pelly Jakub Vrana - Lars Eller - Tom Wilson Brett Connolly - Jay Beagle - Alex Chiasson Defense Brooks Orpik - Madison Bowey Christian Djoos - John Carlson Dmitry Orlov - Taylor Chorney Goalies Braden Holtby starts with Philipp Grubauer as backup Scratches 1083392 Washington Capitals

Caps waiting for an update on injured rookie defenseman Christian Djoos

By Tarik El-Bashir November 14, 2017 11:47 PM

NASHVILLE—Christian Djoos left Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Predators in the second period and did not return. The Caps said the rookie defenseman had suffered an upper body injury and would be reevaluated Wednesday in Denver, where they’ll practice ahead of Thursday’s game against the Avalanche. After the game, Coach Barry Trotz offered little in the way of an update other than to say he hopes to know more in the morning. Djoos played only 5:48 on 11 shifts. Without Djoos, several Washington blue liners saw an uptick in playing time at Bridgestone Arena. Madison Bowey played a career-high 17:17, Matt Niskanen saw 20:33 in his return from injury and Dmitry Orlov skated 27:07, his highest total in 10 games. Djoos came into the game tied with Carlson for the team lead in goals by a defenseman (2). He was also sixth in average ice time among Washington blue liners (14:41). Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083393 Washington Capitals

3 reasons why the Caps lost to the Predators

By J.J. Regan November 14, 2017 10:56 PM

The Capitals had a rough night in Nashville. They fell behind 2-0 in the first period, battled back to tie it at 2, but then the Predators took over and handed the Caps the 6-3 loss. Here is how it happened. The first period You would be hard-pressed to find a worse period of hockey from the Caps this season than what we saw in the first period Tuesday. By the time Washington got its first shot on goal, the Predators already led 2-0. The Caps were outshot 16-4 and were called for three penalties. Actually, they were called for four, but Craig Smith scored during the delayed call. Nashville came out of the game flying. Washington struggled to deal with their speed and struggled to get anything on net. The Predators were swarming in the defensive zone cutting off every shot and pass and just generally making life difficult for the Caps. Nashville's second period response Washington came out swinging in the second period with two goals less than two minutes apart to tie the game at 2. Filip Forsberg answered just 17 seconds later to re-establish the lead for Nashville and this time they would not relinquish it. Less than three minutes after Forsberg’s goal, Kevin Fiala made it 4-2. T.J. Oshie would also score in the second, but goals from Miikka Salomaki and Mattias Ekholm helped the Predators take a three-goal lead into the intermission. Deflections Braden Holtby has been on fire as of late. How do you beat a hot goalie? You get traffic in front and plenty of deflections. Nashville did just that as every one of their first four goals came off a deflection. They may have ultimately gotten five deflection goals, but it is hard to tell if Ekholm’s shot hit something on its way to the net. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083394 Washington Capitals

Tarik's three stars: Oshie, Carlson not enough against surging Predators

By Tarik El-Bashir November 14, 2017 10:40 PM

NASHVILLE—The Caps had been solid defensively for about three weeks, yielding an average of two goals over a span of eight contests. Then they ran into the surging Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Although the Caps fought back from an early two-goal hole, Kevin Fiala and the Preds scored four of the game’s next five goals and pulled away for a 6-3 win that probably wasn’t as close as the score made it sound. The victory was Nashville’s fifth in a row and it halted the Caps’ modest two-game run as they head to Denver forThursday’s showdown with the Avalanche. Tarik’s three stars of the game: 1-Kevin Fiala, Predators The Swiss winger scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second period on a redirection right in front that put the Preds up 4-2. Fiala was also credited with the primary assist on Nashville’s first goal. The 21-year-old second liner also drew an early penalty that put the Caps on their heels. 2-T.J. Oshie, Capitals Oshie netted a pair of goals, including one on the power play. On the first, a John Carlson point shot redirected off of him and past Pekka Rinne. On the second, he finished a gorgeous passing sequence where, on the rush, Nicklas Backstrom fed Chandler Stephenson, who zipped a cross ice pass to Oshie. No. 77 now has nine goals on the season and three in the last three contests. 3-John Carlson, Capitals The veteran defenseman continues to rack up points after amassing assists on Oshie’s first tally (primary) and Alex Chiasson’s second period snipe (secondary). Carlson came into the game tied for ninth in defenseman scoring; he’s now up to 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists). With Carlson’s two helpers, the Caps’ defensemen have now recorded 21 points over the last 11 games. Agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think in the comments. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083395 Washington Capitals

Why Nashville's first goal should not have counted

By J.J. Regan November 14, 2017 9:09 PM

The Caps had a tough first period in Nashville. They were outscored 2-0, outshot 16-4 and called for three penalties with a fourth washed out by a Nashville goal during the delay. There was also a bit of bad luck in the first period as the referees missed a call in the first period that would have negated the Predators' first goal. Brett Connolly tripped Craig Smith at 11:32 in the first period. The referee spotted the penalty and raised his arm signaling a delayed call. Watch what happens after Kyle Turris and Matt Niskanen go after the puck along the boards. Niskanen beats Turris to the puck and fires it to the blue line attempting to clear. Remember there is a delayed call coming against the Capitals which means once Washington establishes possession, the play should be called dead. Niskanen's play here should certainly qualify. Smith would go on to score for Nashville on the delay. Had the refs called the play dead when Niskanen established possession as they should have, Smith would not have scored that first goal. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083396 Washington Capitals

What does Matt Niskanen's return mean for the Caps' lineup?

By Tarik El-Bashir November 14, 2017 2:40 PM

NASHVILLE—After 13 games on the sidelines, Matt Niskanen will return to the Capitals’ lineup against the Predators on Tuesday night. Niskanen, who suffered an upper body injury against the Devils on Oct. 13, rejoined his teammates for practice on Nov. 9. In recent days, the veteran blue liner had ramped up his level of participation, progressing from non-contact drills to full-go in Saturday's practice and Sunday's morning skate. During Tuesday's morning skate at Bridgestone Arena, Niskanen was paired with familiar partner Dmitry Orlov. Christian Djoos was paired with John Carlson, meantime, and Brooks Orpik skated with Madison Bowey on the other tandem. That left Taylor Chorney and Aaron Ness as the odd Dmen out. “I’m excited to get back in there tonight and see what I can do,” Niskanen said. “Anytime you miss some time—even after the All-Star break—or anything like, it sounds cliché, but simple is effective.” “Simple is effective,” Matt Niskanen on returning to the Caps’ lineup vs. the #Predators. pic.twitter.com/3lTR277zLx — Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikNBCS) November 14, 2017 Niskanen’s return will eventually mean less ice time for John Carlson, who leads the NHL at 27:20 per game. How quickly Barry Trotz and associate coach Todd Reirden are able to reduce some of that heavy load on Carlson, though, depends on how quickly Niskanen gets up to speed. Niskanen has said that his conditioning is good but his timing that has lagged a bit behind. “It’ll be a gradual process,” Barry Trotz on the plan for Matt Niskanen in his return to the lineup. #Caps #CapsPreds pic.twitter.com/sBoqI1dSGK — Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikNBCS) November 14, 2017 HOW TO WATCH CAPITALS-PREDATORS As for Carlson, he said he’s prepared to do whatever the coaches need in terms of role and/or ice time. That said, he’s as excited as everyone else to welcome Niskanen back into the fold, particularly as the Caps face a red-hot Predators' team that has won four straight games. John Carlson talks about Matt Niskanen’s return and what the Caps learned while he was out. #CapsPreds #Caps pic.twitter.com/yB9LlduEhg — Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikNBCS) November 14, 2017 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083397 Winnipeg Jets

Hockey was 'hard' for Laine two weeks ago... now it 'feels like a lot of fun'

Mike Sawatzky By: Mike Sawatzky

It has been 12 days since Patrik Laine delivered his "feels like hockey is really hard right now" speech to a group of reporters, and the 19-year-old Finn has made the game look much easier. The Jets' sophomore right-winger scored a goal in each of the next five games and now has nine goals in 16 games to begin the season. Does he feel like his confidence is back after busting out of a four-game goal drought? "Maybe not 100 per cent but it’s getting higher all the time," Laine said this morning. "It feels like hockey — it isn’t getting easier, I mean — but it feels like a lot of fun." The Jets host the Arizona Coyotes at Bell MTS Place tonight (7 p.m., TSN 3, TSN 1290) after beating the NHL cellar dwellers 4-1 in the desert Saturday in the first half of a home-and-home. Laine has been trying to shoot more, accounting for five or more shots in three of the last five games. He also scored in his lone shot against the Stars in Dallas on Nov. 6. Three of the five goals have come on the power play. "Yeah, it’s still goals," said Laine. "It’s always nice to score, even if it is a power-play goal. That’s a huge part of our game that we need to get the power play on the level that we need. It’s been so good so far." Laine prefers to shoot himself out of a slump. "I just like to shoot a lot," he said. "That’s the key. Because if you’re not shooting, you’re not scoring. I try to shoot a lot after the four-game streak that I had and I’ve scored in five consecutive games — so just try to shoot often." Jets head coach Paul Maurice grinned when asked to comment on Laine's emergence after the dry spell. "I think my answer (then) was he’s smarter than all of us," said Maurice. "I think he had that whole thing, I’m not saying scripted, but he puts pressure on himself because I think he enjoys it in some ways. He’s hard on himself. Kind of, filleting himself in front of the world there, the hockey world, somehow gets him going, somehow drives him more... "So when he’s not playing well, he’s angry and grumpy. And then he played a little harder, so he gets a little bit snarly out there in that (Dallas) game and things start to go for him. Now he’s in that mood, right? That line has been… there’s a place for improvement for that line and he’s part of that. It’s not all roses yet. But he can score every night if he’d like. We’re good with it." Laine has heard the concerns about his line's production, Winnipeg's No. 2 unit, but didn't sound worried that he and linemates Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little have fallen short of their potential. Little has only one goal in 16 games while Ehlers has eight, but is scoreless in three and has only one in his previous five games. "I think we have three really good guys on our line so we just need to be more simple, get pucks in deep and try to move a lot in the zone," said Laine. "I think we’ve tried to dangle our way through and that’s not the way you want to play. I think the key is we need to be more simple on the ice." NOTEWORTHY: Maurice confirmed he will go with Connor Hellebuyck in net tonight. Arizona will counter with Antti Raanta... Shawn Matthias, who took a shot off an ankle in Monday's practice, was full speed in today's pre-game skate and will be in the lineup tonight... the Coyotes dealt goaltender Louis Domingue to the Tampa Bay Lightning today for goaltender Michael Leighton and forward Tye McGinn. [email protected] Twitter: @sawa14 Read more by Mike Sawatzky. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.15.2017 1083398 Winnipeg Jets The Coyotes had other opportunities but couldn't solve the 24-year-old from Commerce, Mich., who has solidified his place as the squad's No.1 netminder. He sprawled to get a toe out and stop a shot from Brad Secondary scoring, Helle's hot hand help Jets beat Coyotes 4-1 Richardson, followed up by a flashy glove save on Derek Stepan who had slipped between Kulikov and Myers, and then stymied Tobias Rieder from in tight. Jason Bell By: Jason Bell Raanta, who was pulled after the Little tally, and his replacement, Scott Wedgewood, combined for 26 stops.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Hellebuyck's ability to rebound from a Another drowsy start by the Winnipeg Jets, another marvelous tough outing shows he's maturing as an NHL goalie who thrives on a performance by their goaltender until his teammates were roused from heavy workload. their snooze, another strong display of balanced scoring and another well-earned two points at the expense of the sad-sack Arizona Coyotes. "He’s played very well at the start of the year. He had a tougher night there in Vegas, but it was the first time that he probably got off the ice The Jets sputtered out of the gate but opened the throttle in the second and didn’t like his performance," said Maurice. "So, he comes right back period and cruised to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Coyotes in NHL and settles in. That’s mentally important for him." action Tuesday night. "Confidence. If you’ve got enough of a foundation in your game... goalies The result was not unlike Saturday's battle between the clubs in will always have those kind of games like he had in Vegas. The more Glendale, Ariz. confidence you have in that foundation, the easier it is to find it after a tough night," he added. That night, goalie Steve Mason's stellar play in the early going, along with a picture-perfect penalty kill, propelled the Jets to an identical 4-1 The Jets continue a three-game stretch at home Thursday when the triumph. In the rematch, Connor Hellebuyck protected the crease with a Philadelphia Flyers visit Bell MTS Place. On Saturday afternoon, similar resolve, while Arizona was shut out on five man-advantage Winnipeg hosts the New Jersey Devils. chances. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.15.2017 Hellebuyck was sensational in his return to the crease for the Jets (10-4- 3). Pulled last week in a road defeat to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Hellebuyck made 13 first-period saves to bail out his club and stymie struggling Arizona (2-15-3) with 33 stops in all. Winnipeg centre Adam Lowry, who scored his second goal of the season, said Hellebuyck's strong effort was, indeed, timely, as the club served three minor penalties in the opening frame. "We killed off the first three penalties (in the first period). Bucky’s a big reason for that. He made some big saves and allowed us to get our legs under us," said Lowry. "You’re able to get that go-ahead goal and you get out of the period with a 1-0 lead. It gives you a lot of confidence going out for the second period." Winnipeg, second in the Central Division and third in the entire Western Conference, has prevailed in six of its last eight contests and 10 of its last 15, and has gained points in all but four of 17 games this season. In a listless opening period, defencemen Tyler Myers, Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba all took blatant penalties in the defensive zone, none of which was particularly necessary. But Hellebuyck was the club's best penalty killer, bailing out the club with a series of quality saves. Hellebuyck said he was solely focused on providing a bounce-back performance after getting replaced in his last start in Las Vegas by Mason. "This was definitely my redemption game. Any time you get pulled you have to enter strong, and I’m glad the guys played well in front of me," he said. Hellebuyck said he had to deal with some difficult situations, but not many. "That goes back to (the Jets) being in the right spots. Guys are blocking shots when they need to and keeping (opposing shooters) to the outside," he said. "And if they don’t that’s what I’m there for. It’s a great team effort." Desperate for a spark, the Jets got an honest-to-goodness hockey play from Andrew Copp on the game's opening goal at 15:30 of the first period when he burst from the corner, spun in front, tried to stuff the puck past goalie Antti Raanta and then coolly flipped in his own rebound. Joel Armia, Lowry and Bryan Little, on a breakaway to snap a personal 11-game scoring drought, had the other goals for the Jets, all in the second period. The team's big line of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor was held pointless. "I think (secondary scoring) is what we need. We can’t always rely on Scheifele’s line to do the heavy work. There’s going to be games where they’re going to be off or not get on the scoresheet," said Little. "It’s up to the other lines to chip in. Especially (when) you look at playoff teams and they got their second, third and fourth line chipping in on goals, that’s what you need to keep winning all season." Hellebuyck couldn't find a long shot through traffic by defenceman Alex Goligoski just over five minutes into the final period, the only goal by the visitors. 1083399 Winnipeg Jets The Macoun hit remains an open wound for many fans of that era. "You know what, it wasn’t real dirty but it definitely was a penalty and there was no penalty," said Hawerchuk. "He knew I had him beat wide Hawerchuk takes trip down memory lane as 'Ducky' goes into Jets Hall of and the last minute he’s like, I can’t let this guy go around me and score Fame a goal here or he might not get back on the ice. It happened to catch me under the shoulder pads and if he catches the shoulder pads, I’d probably be OK and move on. That’s the game, man. It’s a battle and Mike Sawatzky By: Mike Sawatzky grind every night." Hawerchuk is a rare case of an elite player who has also establilshed himself as a fine coach. His Barrie Colts are currently leading the OHL's Dale Hawerchuk waves to the crowd prior to the Winnipeg Jets game Central Division with a 12-4-1-1 record. against the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday, where he was inducted into the Jets Hall of Fame . "I guess maybe I never looked at myself as an elite player," said Hawerchuk. "I wanted to get better every day. I wanted to win every Dale Hawerchuk is firmly entrenched in middle age now, but the years night, do whatever it took. I'm kind of the same way as a coach. I'm peeled away and memories flooded back Tuesday night as the Winnipeg always looking for ways and answers. You never quit learning... Jets inducted the club's biggest 1980s star into their Hall of Fame. "I'll listen to people. That doesn't mean I'll always use it, but I like to hear "I was so proud to be a Winnipeg Jet," said 54-year-old Hawerchuk prior the information. That's one thing about living here in Winnipeg. Once we to a banner-raising ceremony at the start of the Jets' game against the got (outside) the rink, I got a lot of opinions from people, let me tell ya." Arizona Coyotes at Bell MTS Place. "Everything about our team and our community — I was always pumped. It was good to be here. There's ups Barrie's head coach, who once tutoured current Jets star Mark Scheifele and downs, and there's good, bad press. But you know what, you push with the Colts, is content in his development role. through it. "Right now I'm happy where I am," he said. "I love teaching the kids and "For me, this was a special place. I would have loved to have won a seeing guys like Mark Scheifele turn out over time. He's so mature now. (Stanley) Cup here. I've won Memorial Cups, Canada Cups. But if I was I'm happy for those guys. going to win a Stanley Cup, it would have been here. This would have been the place to do it. I hope I see it here one day." "A lot of people helped me along the way. So if I can help kids achieve their dreams, I feel like I'm giving back. You get guys like Mark come Hawerchuk scored 518 goals and registered 1,409 points in 1,188 along who are pretty special. I want all my guys to succeed. I know it's regular-season NHL games and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of not going to happen. But if they don't succeed in hockey they're going to Fame in 2001. He played nine seasons in Winnipeg before being traded succeed in life. We try to teach them to be the best hockey player they to the Buffalo Sabres before the 1990-91 season. can be, but we also want them to be good people." Hawerchuk, nicknamed Ducky, is also scheduled to be the guest of Hawerchuk was asked if he ever replays the final play of the 1987 honour at the club's Hall of Fame luncheon today at the Fairmont Hotel, , in which he won the draw in his own end to trigger the which is only a short walk from where he originally signed with the Jets Canadian rush that resulted in Mario Lemieux's game-winner over the 1.0 at the historic corner of Portage and Main. Russians. The Jets captain may have also interfered with Slava Bykov as he scrambled to get back into the play. The Jets established their Hall of Fame in 2016 to recognize outstanding contributers to the city's hockey history. The three members of the "A little bit. Mike Keenan was the coach, and he pulled (Mark) Messier off legendary Hot Line, consisting of Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf and had me go out. I looked at Wayne (Gretzky), and I looked at Mario, Nilsson, were the inaugural inductees in 2016. Nilsson and Hedberg and they were, like, 'No, we're not taking the draw.' So I just said to were on hand Tuesday to welcome Hawerchuk into the HOF club. Mario, 'Look, I'm going to tie him up, I'm not losing it clean. And that's usually the case for the inside winger to come in and help out on the Hawerchuk was asked to pick a favourite moment from his career, but puck, which he did a pretty good job of. couldn't specify one. "He got it up to Gretzky, and I think it was (Igor) Kravchuk pinched, and "Every day being in the NHL, man," said Hawerchuk, a Toronto product. Bykov was trying to get back. And I'll go to my grave saying he dove." "I was the only guy on my street that made it. We all wanted to make it and I happened to be the guy that made it. To come here and play and Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.15.2017 practise, you know, it was so special… A lot of good memories here. Your first game, your first goal, winning a playoff round, the white-outs, scoring the 50th here. A lot of great moments but disappointing when we had that great team, beat out Calgary and lost to Edmonton and I had to watch, you know. I had broken ribs. That was a tough time." Drafted first-overall in 1981, Hawerchuk was an immediate success in Winnipeg, scoring 45 goals and 102 points while winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and leading the team to its first post- season berth. "My first year with that team, I don’t think people thought we were going to be that great and we proved a lot of people wrong that year and I think the record for the biggest turnaround in one season," said Hawerchuk. "I’m not sure it still stands but that was a pretty special group. As a whole and as a team, we embraced the city. A lot of guys spent the whole year here. You know what, when you’re involved in the community and invested like the guys were, you’re going to give it your all every night. The 1984-85 edition was special and it was particularly heartbreaking for Hawerchuk, sidelined after an infamous cross-check from Jamie Macoun of the Calgary Flames, to lose to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs. "It can get lost when you don’t win," said Hawerchuk. "I think that team had a way of finding ways to win but it seemed like we could get offence from so many guys and we weren’t a one-trick pony, and I think that’s what made that group special. Our goaltending was unbelievable. It was a good group. A tight-knit group… "As painful as it was (to watch the Edmonton series), it hurt even more because you felt like we’re not that far off from winning this thing. It seemed like we were a goal, half goal off every night… it tears at your heart for sure." Dale Hawerchuk enters Jets Hall of Fame 1083400 Winnipeg Jets While it’s true the combination of Little, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers hasn’t been as dangerous as most expected them to be, there’s plenty of time to get that figured out. Jets overcome slow start to beat Coyotes And if the trio can get on a roll, the Jets will feature an explosive top-six to go along with third and fourth lines that are chipping in much more than they were earlier in the campaign. Ken Wiebe “After almost every game, we talk about Scheifele’s line and I liked their line tonight. They had a lot of really good chances,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “But they’re not scoring every night, so to win games, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck makes a glove save in front of you’ve got to get (goals) from other places.” Phoenix Coyotes forward last night in Winnipeg. (Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun) The pending return of Mathieu Perreault should also help matters. In the NHL, there are no free spots on the bingo card. Although he’ll likely slot in on the third line with Lowry once he’s back, Perreault is the type of player who can play up and down the lineup. Teams like the Winnipeg Jets can’t afford to have an off night against a struggling squad like the Arizona Coyotes, even if they’ve been more Perreault’s infectious style of play has also been known to ignite the play competitive lately. of others, so he’ll be a welcome addition to a forward group that already features healthy competition on the periphery of the roster. When a team rolls into your building with only two victories (one in overtime and another in a shootout) in 19 games, it’s a game the Jets Not lost in the final outcome was the strong play of Hellebuyck, who was couldn’t afford to lose. looking for a bounce-back after being pulled for the first time this season in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Although the Jets used strong goaltending to cover up another sluggish start, they eventually found their collective legs and scoring touch, After giving up five goals on 22 shots in two periods of work against the coming up with a strong second period to earn a 4-1 victory over the Golden Knights, Hellebuyck got back to the high-end form he’s shown Coyotes on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place. most nights this season. “We have a lot of belief in this group,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry. And after giving up five goals in two of his past three starts, this was a bit “Wins are very important but it’s crucial that on nights you don’t have it of a statement game for Hellebuyck. that you’re able to find ways to get that extra point.” “This was definitely my redemption game,” said Hellebuyck, who made The Jets, who improved to 10-4-3 on the season, continue a three-game 33 saves and improved to 9-1-2. “Any time you get pulled you have to homestand on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. enter strong. And I’m glad the guys played well in front of me.” Much like Steve Mason did on Saturday, Connor Hellebuyck stood tall Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.15.2017 during the first period as the Jets attempted to get things on track. Three strong penalty kills gave the Jets a boost and a goal from Andrew Copp — who outworked Dakota Mermis along the boards, drove to the net and banged in his own rebound — started the onslaught. A lack of secondary has been a prime concern for the Jets, who have often relied on the top line of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, plus an improving power play to provide the majority of the offence. On this night, the Jets first line was held in check, but it didn’t deter the Jets one bit — as the other lines picked up the slack, getting goals from Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Lowry. The goal for Little snapped an 11-game drought and gave him his second of the season to go along with seven points in 17 games. Little picked the pocket of Coyotes defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the defensive blue line and used his speed to pull away on a breakaway, burying his shot on Antti Raanta. There has always been more to Little’s game than producing offensively, he’s a conscientious player who also excels defensively. Little said recently that he wanted to be more productive, but he wasn’t about to get down on himself. He’s been through slumps before and always found a way to come out of them. A little research showed Little actually went 14 games without a goal to start the 2011-12 season, the first since the Jets relocated from Atlanta. Little scored twice in Game 15 against the Buffalo Sabres. Raise your hand if you know how many goals he scored that season. The correct answer is 24, so while the slow start was somewhat concerning, it was far too early to suggest this was going to be a sign of things to come for Little, who signed a four-year extension on the first day of training camp that kicks in next summer. He’s been far too good for too long, a picture of consistency who has battled through injuries and managed to do his part to be a key contributor. “I’ve been feeling that way for a while now,” said Little, answering a question about whether he was feeling a bit snake-bitten. “Like I said, even the chances have been a bit tough to come by. I’ve been getting a little more the past couple of games. It was a bit of relief. Hopefully I can get going now.” 1083401 Winnipeg Jets HE’S NO GRETZKY While elite players don’t always make good coaches, Hawerchuk has done just fine in seven seasons with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Current Jets put boots to former Jets One of his highest-profile former players was thrilled to be in attendance for the special night. Paul Friesen “He did so much for this city and this city did so much for him,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele said. “It’s a pretty cool thing to be part of it. I’m excited for that moment for him.” Former Winnipeg Jets great Dale Hawerchuk watches a video tribute prior to his induction into the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Hall of Fame before Scheifele says among the things Hawerchuk taught him is that “simpler is puck drop against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. (Kevin usually better.” King/Winnipeg Sun) “You don’t go and stickhandle the puck and flip it up in the air seven Some things just work out. times and that’s how you learn hockey,” Scheifele said. “It’s a simple game. And it’s a team game. That’s the biggest thing he’s taught me, is Then there’s the Winnipeg Jets move to Arizona, 21 years ago. this game isn’t about the flash and dash.” That skating disaster of a franchise wobbled into Winnipeg on Tuesday, Scheifele jokes he was constantly in Hawerchuk’s office in Barrie, either not-so-proud holder of an NHL record for the most games without a getting advice or getting yelled at. regulation victory to start a season. Hawerchuk does recall having to light a fire under his star on one That inglorious mark reached 20 after a 4-1 Jets win left the Desert Dogs occasion. with an embarrassing 2-15-3 mark. “I barked at him pretty good on the bench, in front of everybody, on The ’Yotes are well on their way to a sixth straight season out of the purpose,” the coach said. “He took a second look at me. But he picked playoffs, which would make it 12 of the past 15 years. up his game in a hurry, I can tell you that.” In 21 years, they’ve advanced past the first round once. NHL-BOUND? The best thing that could have happened to this franchise would have Hawerchuk is often asked whether he wants to coach in the NHL been to get out of dodge when it had the chance, in 2009 or 2010, when someday, and never says yes — or no. Mark Chipman was ready to write a cheque and bring it back home. “Right now I’m happy where I am,” he said. “I love teaching the kids and As fate would have it, NHL commish Gary Bettman wrung more millions seeing guys like Mark Scheifele turn out over time.” from the taxpayers of Glendale, Ariz., and turned Chipman’s attention to Atlanta, instead. The comments from a longtime buddy and former teammate are a little more revealing. Some things do work out. “I think he does,” Scott Arniel said on Monday. “I don’t think he’s in a rush So did this: Bryan Little broke out of his goal-scoring slump on the night to do anything. He’s probably going to wait for the right time, family wise. Dale Hawerchuk went into the Jets’ Hall of Fame. The right time, maybe the right team.” When the Thrashers relocated, you may recall Little gave up his No. 10 Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.15.2017 and switched to No. 18 to honour Hawerchuk’s history here. PATRIK THE GRUMP? Remember when Patrik Laine was mired in a four-game point drought, lamenting his lack of confidence and how hard hockey was for him? Laine scored a goal in each of the next five games, going into Tuesday. “Filleting himself in front of the world there, the hockey world, somehow gets him going, somehow drives him more,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said pre-game. “So when he’s not playing well, he’s angry and grumpy … he gets a little bit snarly out there. And things start to go for him. Now he’s in that mood.” DUCKY GETS MISTY A pre-game ceremony saw Hawerchuk get a little glassy-eyed as his No. 10 banner was raised to the rafters, next to those of Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull. Hedberg and Nilsson, members of the famed Hot Line that tore up the WHA in the 1970s, were next to Hawerchuk at centre ice. “To go up there with Ulf, Anders and Bobby, those guys were amazing players … it’s pretty special,” Hawerchuk said earlier in the day. “Ducky” actually recalled struggling to crack the Jets lineup as an 18- year-old in 1981. “The first two weeks, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” he said. “I was so exhausted, the game was so fast. But I got more and more comfortable doing it every day. I slept like crazy, trying to keep my energy up. “I didn’t want to be the first overall pick and then get sent back to junior.” The guy adapted, was named the NHL rookie of the year and the rest — 1,409 points, 929 of them in nine seasons with the Jets — is history. Asked to pick out a highlight moment, No. 10 has a tough time. “Every day being in the NHL, man,” he said. “I was the only guy on my street that made it. We all wanted to make it and I happened to be the guy that made it.” 1083402 Winnipeg Jets

Laine on a roll as Jets face bottom-feeding Coyotes

Paul Friesen

The last time the Winnipeg Jets began a home stand, Patrik Laine was in a four-game pointless skid and lamenting how poorly he was playing. “Feels like hockey is really hard right now,” the second-year Finn said before a game against Dallas, Nov. 2. “It doesn’t matter if it’s offensively or defensively. Obviously I don’t have a lot of confidence.” Going into tonight’s game against Arizona, Laine has scored goals in all five games since then. Problem solved and confidence returned, right? Not so fast. “I don’t feel that my five-on-five game is on the level it needs to be,” Laine said this morning. “Yeah, we’ve scored a couple of goals on our power play, that’s huge for our power play. If the game is tied and when we’re getting a power play, it’s a good chance to score. “Maybe not 100% (confidence), but it’s getting higher all the time.” Three of Laine’s last five goals have come on the power play, so there’s a sense he and his linemates, Bryan Little and Nik Ehlers, still have some untapped offensive potential. “We have three really good guys on our line so we just need to be more simple, get pucks in deep and try to move a lot in the zone,” Laine said. “We’ve tried to dangle our way through and that’s not the way you want to play.” Laine says if he’s learned anything personally since breaking out of his slump, it’s to not be shy about shooting. “That’s the key. Because if you’re not shooting, you’re not scoring. I try to shoot a lot after the four-game streak that I had and I’ve scored in five consecutive games. So just try to shoot often.” Jets head coach Paul Maurice joked that Laine had this whole thing planned. “My answer (then) was he’s smarter than all of us,” Maurice said, recalling Laine’s comments from 12 days ago. “He had that whole thing, I’m not saying scripted, but he puts pressure on himself because he enjoys it in some ways. He’s hard on himself. Filleting himself in front of the world there, the hockey world, somehow gets him going, somehow drives him more. “So when he’s not playing well, he’s angry and grumpy. And then he played a little harder, so he gets a little bit snarly out there in that (Dallas) game and things start to go for him. Now he’s in that mood.” Laine’s linemates could use some of his mojo. Little has just one goal this season and that was 12 games ago, while Ehlers has one goal in the last five games. “There’s a place for improvement for that line and he’s part of that,” Maurice said. “It’s not all roses, yet.” The Jets, 9-4-3, go into tonight’s game with the same lineup as the one that beat the Coyotes in Arizona, 4-1, Saturday. The only change is Connor Hellebuyck starting in goal instead of Steve Mason. Antti Raanta gets the call for the Coyotes, a league-worst 2-14-3. Like coaches tend to do, Maurice says they’re better than that. He’s counting on his team to handle them the same way they did in Arizona, even if they fall behind again. “Now, there’ll be more pressure in this building tonight if it’s minus-one,” the coach said. “I think on our bench we’ll handle it right. Because we know they’re playing really hard. It’s going to be a good, hard hockey game that if you just watched the standings you’d say we should beat them. “We’ve all been in the game long enough to know it’s not rolling like that.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.15.2017 1083403 Winnipeg Jets This table is the one piece of data I’ll show you that includes all states of penalty kill – the NHL’s basic standings chart. Everything else will be 4- vs-5 only.

What is the problem with Winnipeg's penalty kill? Overall:

Don’t be fooled by the direction of the chart – as of Nov. 13, Winnipeg By Murat Ates 15 hours ago has the NHL’s sixth-worst penalty kill (26th best, if you prefer that wording.) Their penalty kill numbers where equally as bad in 2016-17 and 2015-16, so their current struggles are disappointing but not entirely unchartered territory. Six months ago I suffered my first concussion. I want to look at Winnipeg’s penalty kill in some detail today, so let’s get I was in a hurry, running up a narrow flight of stairs in an ancient to it. Wolseley Avenue building, when I drove my head upwards into a low hanging beam. I like to think of myself in that moment as a real-life Mario, Shot Attempts: bashing bricks in search of coins, who forgot to raise his fist at the critical moment. Failing to protect myself, I fell to the base of those stairs and the Dead last. That said, we know from Tyler Dellow’s recent piece on past few months have been a challenge as a result. Winnipeg’s 5-on-5 play that Paul Maurice prefers shot quality and expected goals to shot based metrics. Let’s look at the Jets’ PK through The dizziness and nausea were expected – a lifetime of playing and the lens of shot quality. following sports more than adequately prepares you for such symptoms. Other problems, like exhaustion or difficulty concentrating, were Expected Goals Against: challenges I hadn’t necessarily anticipated but, with the benefit of Also dead last. Remember that xG are a measure not just of how many hindsight, they make sense to me now. The real surprise was how my shots are taken but also how likely those shots are to result in goals. concussion affected my decision making. Whatever Winnipeg’s penalty kill strategy, they’re getting killed by shot Simple things. What to eat for dinner, which podcast to fall asleep to, quantity and quality. whether or not I should try to repeat my pre-departure wallet/phone/keys Here’s one last chart, put together by @LedgerSko via Corsica Hockey, patdown when I’m pretty sure I’ve already done it twice. which combines Corsi (shot attempts) with expected goals:

More complex things, as well. What to do about work, how to handle the Visually, the effect is stunning. When it comes to giving up shots and increases in anxiety and stress, which kind(s) of healthcare to pursue. shots with the highest chance of going in, Winnipeg is an island.

When those seemingly difficult decisions suddenly increased, I began to If that’s true, then how have they managed to reach sixth-worst instead of feel two things: dead last in the overall table?

1) Decision-making anxiety – the kind I used to read about in articles *** about Barack Obama or Mark Zuckerberg. In their cases, decision making anxiety was described as an accumulative stress and used as a The point of this piece isn’t to rail against the Jets or just to say that their pretense to explain why they wore the same set of clothes every single penalty kill is bad. The point is to discuss why it’s bad. day. For me, it meant that I stressed out about minor life choices and consciously delayed major ones until I recovered. It’s a difficult thing, not To begin this process, I want to show you two charts created for this fully trusting yourself. piece by Dellow.

2) A profound sense of relief when decisions were made for me. When In looking at these charts, here’s what you need to know. (This preamble should I book my flights to see my family out East? In time for my niece’s is mostly taken from Dellow’s piece on the NHL’s top power plays.) first birthday party. Which day was that? Oh right, I remember. I’ll be At the top of the chart, there are three lines beneath the title. there on that day. The first line is pretty self-explanatory. (Time, goals against, shots In short, asking my concussion-addled brain to make more decisions against / 60 min, Corsi against / 60 min, PK save %.) than it was capable of created mental fatigue I had never experienced before. As a result, I began to take special joy in any decision I could “set The second line is less so. and forget.” D% is the percentage of shots on the unit taken by defencemen. *** Reb/60 is rebounds per 60 minutes. In a lot of ways, the position of head coach in the NHL is a decision- Reb% is the percentage of shots on goal that don't go in that result in a making marathon. Who to play. Which breakout to employ. And, the rebound. subject of today’s post: Whether or not a passive, two-forward stack penalty kill is likely to cut off enough cross-seam passes to make up for DZW% is Winnipeg’s defensive zone faceoff winning percentage. the fact it leaves the points essentially uncovered. The third line reflects Winnipeg’s goals, shots, and Corsi for while When you have so many decisions to make – and when they need to be shorthanded as opposed to against. made rapidly and assertively – I imagine that your brain takes a great deal of comfort from the little things you can set-and-forget. Refer back to these as needed.

This is why I understand when coaches become attached to Here is Winnipeg’s PK vs. 3F2D power-play units: unsuccessful players. If Brandon Tanev consistently hits his mark in the Each circle is a shot, labeled L or R depending on whether the shooter is high slot on the PK and if he hustles like crazy every time you throw him left or right handed. Yellow shots reached the net and were saved, teal over the boards, then he is exactly one problem you need to worry about shots missed the net, and black ones became goals. in your otherwise lengthy list of daily decision making. If the rest of your depth players seem like question marks and Tanev is someone you can Overall, Winnipeg has played 24.23 minutes against 3F2D power plays set-and-forget, you might be excused for feeding him PK minutes despite and given up 86.7 shot attempts per 60 minutes while doing so. Thanks his struggles. to impossibly sterling .950 save percentage and two shorthanded goals, Winnipeg is actually outscoring opposing 3F2D power plays. That’s my working theory, at least. And, as I found out while watching every Winnipeg Jets 4-on-5 penalty kill this season, Tanev and his Recall from the bar graph I showed above, on the whole, Winnipeg gives teammates are disconcertingly good at hitting their scheduled marks. up more than 130 shot attempts per 60 minutes. They, like most teams, do much better against 3F2D units than against 4F1D. *** In Winnipeg’s favour, they’ve won a disproportionately high number of Let me present to you the current state of Winnipeg’s penalty kill. faceoffs in this sample. Faceoffs lead to clears, and clears lead to PK time played far away from Winnipeg’s net. Of course, this is a small sample and, as you’re about to see, Winnipeg doesn’t typically win that Owing to his low position, Hendricks is able to cut off the pass and the many draws. Jets clear the puck down the ice.

Here is Winnipeg’s 4-vs-5 penalty kill vs. 4F1D units: This sequence demonstrates the two things that Winnipeg’s penalty kill does extremely well. This is where most of the minutes have been played. It’s also where most of the damage has been done. First, the Jets consistently put bodies in the way of any shooting option. In theory, at least two Jets are in position to block each of Pittsburgh’s Against 4F1D power plays, Winnipeg gives up 93.2 shots per 60 minutes, three shooting lanes: Hendricks and Tanev are in Letang’s way at the or just over three shots against every two-minute penalty kill. Worse than top, Morrissey has Tanev helping him against Crosby in the circle, and that, they give up 149.1 shot attempts per 60 minutes, roughly five shot Trouba would have had Tanev sliding over to help had Letang passed to attempts per two-minute kill. Those numbers are league leading — and Kessel instead. not in the good way. Second, Winnipeg always has at least two players with sticks available to There is some interesting information in this chart about how and why take away a cross-seam pass. In the case above, it’s F1 and F2. Other Winnipeg gives up so many shots. On average, a defenseman on a times, like you see against Columbus, it’s Winnipeg’s F2 and a 4F1D PP takes 24.3 percent of the unit’s shots. At 29.4 percent, defenseman: Winnipeg is giving up substantially more than that. It’s fair to infer that they leave the point open more often than the average penalty kill (At this That’s Artemi Panarin with the puck. Columbus’ 4F1D unit is similar to point, I can hear those of you who have watched Winnipeg play hockey Pittsburgh’s except for one key detail: the Blue Jackets keep a forward in this season laughing. Bear with me.) the centre slot instead of off to the side. In this case, Dmitry Kulikov is in Panarin’s shooting lane, and he combines with Tanev in the slot to guard On average, a team of 4F1D produces 5.9 rebounds per 60 minutes. At against a pass into the middle. 14.3 rebounds per 60 minutes, Winnipeg is giving up substantially more than that. Looking at rebounds another way, 11 percent of shots from a It’s one thing to get yourself into a shooting lane, however, when you give 4F1D power play will typically produce a rebound. Against Winnipeg, that the shooter time, staying in that lane is an entirely different challenge. number rises to 17.3 percent. Here’s what happens next: In short: Winnipeg gives up more shots, more shots from further away both as a total and as a proportion of all shots against, and more Panarin waits, then fakes a shot, which Kulikov can’t help but bite on. rebounds both as a total and as a percentage of total shots. Having pulled Kulikov out of his shooting lane, Panarin rifles a wrist shot past a partially screened Steve Mason. Visually, the shot attempts support this. Look where the shots are coming from – a perfect umbrella with disproportionate weighting at the point and To Winnipeg’s great fortune, it hits the bar and goes out of play. in front of the net. Curiously, there is also a huge hole in the middle – a Here’s the thing, anyone can go through 51 penalty kills and find feature that is unique to Winnipeg’s PK in terms of how extreme it is. moments where the penalty killing team looks out of position. The point I What kind of PK formation would produce such a result? Let’s look at want to make with this Blue Jackets scoring chance is it took place with Winnipeg’s typical set-up: Winnipeg executing exactly the system that was asked of it.

This is what Winnipeg’s penalty killing formation has looked like in every Here is one last look, this time against Dallas. single game so far this season. (The one time I saw a traditional box As this sequence begins, the Stars have won a faceoff and then used past an initial scramble, it was Matt Hendricks’ first game as a Jet. comfortably gained possession in the Jets' zone. John Klingberg has the He soon learned.) puck at the point and, as usual, has nowhere to shoot but a wide-open In this image, Pittsburgh is using a 4F1D unit with Kris Letang at the top. passing option at each wing. Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby, each on their off wing, are the players Winnipeg is set up in its usual way. Andrew Copp lightly pressures open inside each circle, Patric Hornqvist is at the top of the crease, while Klingberg at the point, while Adam Lowry backs him up and has his eye Evgeni Malkin is at the edge of the crease on Connor Hellebuyck's left. on the centre slot. Each Jets defenceman is positioned in what we can Winnipeg’s players are focused on the zones as opposed to the safely presume are going to be Dallas’ shooting lanes. Penguins. Here is each Jet’s responsibility with Pittsburgh having safely Klingberg doesn’t have much to shoot at, so he rightly defers to one of established possession: his two wide open options on the wing. In this case, it’s Alexander F1: High slot/point. Not so much marking the pointman as guarding his Radulov to Klingberg’s right and your left. shooting lane. Upon a pass to either wing, F1 drops to cover cross-seam This is what Radulov is looking at as he receives the puck: pass attempts but is still responsible for the top. Once again, the Jets are doing exactly what they’re supposed to be F2: Low slot/wing. With the puck at the top, F2 is a secondary blocker, doing. Lowry has moved with his man in the middle towards Radulov at doing his best to guard the shooting lane. With the puck rotated to either the half-boards, Copp has dropped far enough to get a stick in the way of wing, F2 guards against cross-seam passes. If the PP unit keeps a a cross-seam pass, Morrissey is in Radulov’s shooting lane, and Trouba forward in the high slot, he’s F2’s to guard. Upon a pass to either wing, is in the slot between Dallas’ other potential shooter and the net. F2 will kick out towards the shooter: Unfortunately for Winnipeg, all it takes is a tiny bit of movement to open D1: We’ll call Josh Morrissey D1 in this image. His job isn’t to guard up a lane: either player in front – it’s to block off Crosby’s shooting lane as he receives the puck. Morrissey is in Radulov’s shooting lane and, as with Pittsburgh with Malkin, Winnipeg leaves a forward alone beside its goal. This time it’s D2: While Morrissey is challenging the shooter, Jacob Trouba is left to Jamie Benn. Meanwhile, Lowry has rotated towards Radulov at the half cover in front. Note that he’s still playing a zone and, while Hornqvist is in wall. that zone, Trouba is still responsible for Kessel’s shooting lane if Crosby is able to pass it across. Also, had Letang passed to Kessel instead of As usual, Klingberg is wide open at the top. Crosby, Trouba would be challenging Kessel’s shooting lane as Klingberg receives the return pass from Radulov, leaving Lowry and Morrissey has done here. Either way, Malkin is left alone. Morrissey both out of position. There is no way Lowry can make it to Here’s what happens next: Klingberg in time to block a shot and Morrissey is left to defend the no man’s land that used to be Radulov’s shooting lane. As Crosby receives the pass, Morrissey and a sprawling Brandon Tanev have his shooting lane blocked. Crosby knows this so he attempts a pass Klingberg shoots: across the ice to Kessel on the opposite wing. If the puck gets to Kessel, The puck goes wide and bounces out in front. Jamie Benn, who Pittsburgh has a deadly scoring chance with a moving goaltender and Winnipeg’s system deliberately ignored just a moment ago, bangs it Kessel in terrific position to tee it up. home. Here’s how the play ends: When you watch 51 penalty kills back to back, you find patterns. Based on the lanes Winnipeg fills time and time again, I believe that all four Jets players were doing exactly what was asked of them on this play. In theory, each Stars shooter had somebody in his way. In practice, it only took two passes – from Klingberg to Radulov and from Radulov back to Klingberg – to open up a shooting lane. As Klingberg shot, it didn’t matter that he was the furthest Star to the net. He had an open lane and a man in front who was open by design.

To me, the philosophy behind this formation is clear: Winnipeg is happy to concede shot quantity in the name of preventing quality chances. In theory, it’s a calculated risk.

In practice, the Jets are getting pillaged in terms of quantity and quality.

If the Jets are going to have any success killing penalties this season, they’re going to have to either greatly reduce the number of free shots they allow or start doing a miraculously better job of clearing the inevitable rebounds they give up. Given the system they have in place, I’m not optimistic. And, if you’ll pardon the concussion pun, it’s giving me a headache.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083404 Winnipeg Jets How the video lies, then, is the subjectivity and biases of the person logging the game. Turnovers are a great example. It’s human nature that you like some players more than others. The head coach is going to go Bourne: On evaluating hockey, even the tape can lie, as our brains are through the turnovers after every game and inevitably end up annoyed bias-riddled jerks seeing a recurring player or two. If the video coach lobbies the head coach for a particularly turnover-prone player to play higher up in the lineup (they do tend to be the skill guys), and then that player makes a borderline turnover, how likely is the video coach's brain – who’s all but By Justin Bourne 16 hours ago rooting for this player – to decide, “yep, better draw that to the head coach’s attention?” There’s a subjectivity to a lot of this stuff, and brains are wired to see what they want to see. It's not something intentional, it's There’s an old adage in sports that coaches really love: The tape doesn’t just that you're looking at the game from a different viewpoint. lie. Like a player can make all the excuses they want for an error they made, but after the game, the coach is going to watch the video, and it’s These preconceived notions draw our eyes places the eyes of others going to tell him the truth about what really happened. don’t go. If as a staff we’ve come to the conclusion a player is never in the right position early in the season, your eye is naturally looking for this Only, that’s not always true. Sometimes the tape lies. Let’s go for a little player to be out of position. Maybe at some point that player improves in walk before I get more into that. that regard, but because my eye is looking for that player to make positional errors, I see and log a few that wouldn’t have been tagged Here’s the thing with human beings: Our brains are incredible, but they’re were it another player in the same spot. Maybe that would lead to making badly flawed, each and every one of them. We can believe one thing, be a package of negative plays for the head coach and player, which could presented with legitimate information counter to what we previously do further damage. You can miss a player improving by fixating on what believed, and have it fail to change our opinion one single percent. Well, you believe you already know. that can’t be true, because I already knew the answer and that wasn’t it. For the most part, we see what we want to see, hear what we want to In reading video work around the internet, this is my absolute biggest hear, and are tied down by endless preconceived notions that shape how complaint: You can make the tape say basically anything if you look at we view the world. Even when we’re aware of these mental ticks, enough video, so you better be sure you’re not just cherry picking clips shucking off the filters can be a task beyond our grasp. based on opinion. You could take five games of footage of Drew Doughty and make him look like a nightmare defensively. You could find enough This is an area where analytics can help us, but boy, they haven't proven clips to argue Matt Martin is a skilled offensive guy. If you’re going to to have much more luck changing the opinions of hockey people. There make a claim based on video alone, you better have a trend – even then, can be a defenseman who’s consistently wonderful on puck retrievals. the trend may have been found because our big dumb brains are drawn With this skill, they can turn more pucks into D-zone exits, and in turn, to what they believe to be true. more play in the opposing end, and in turn, they can end up with better possession numbers. But if that player goes back on a puck and gets Of course, these biases permeate all aspects of the hockey evaluation crushed twice in a single shift while failing to break the puck out, most community. An analyst tracking turnovers still has to make those same fans – and dare I say coaches, too – will get stuck on “he’s soft, he can’t subjective calls. Was that a turnover, or just a lost battle? Scoring break the puck out.” Then you can buy a billboard on the route of that chances should be a hugely valuable stat, if not the most valuable; but naysayer’s daily commute, paste the positive retrieval stats in red 1,940 defining it accurately with a consensus has proven nearly impossible. A font … and you’ll still find their opinion stuck where it started. We fixate coach wants scoring chances to reflect team breakdowns. A goalie would on big events, on the highlights, and we let them shape our opinions of want them to reflect when they were forced to make goal-saving stops (a those involved. great example is a tip from the blue line – goalies often have to make lightning-fast reactions to keep pucks out, while a distance shot touched So often, the solution for coaches who don't buy the numbers is “show by a covered player isn’t something a coach would consider a real me.” Show me every retrieval this player has had in the last 10 games, “breakdown”). The outcome of a number of plays – even just faceoffs – and I’ll decide if he’s any good at it or not. And, for these purposes, tape can be labeled differently by two people sitting side by side with different is generally an incredible tool. You can find weird things – maybe a biases. defender’s D-partner isn’t holding up forecheckers well or isn’t offering him an outlet. Maybe a D-man’s numbers are average over the last 10, Scouts naturally look for the skills they value. In my experience, the but it turns out he started shoulder-checking on retrievals five games ago quote “Everything’s a nail to a hammer,” is extremely relevant to hockey and has been dynamite since. The numbers bring up questions that the people. Ask a tough guy what’s wrong with his losing team, and he’ll say video can often answer. they’re soft. Skill guys thinks their team is too reined in. And so on down the line. But I can tell you, as someone who did video for two years, the video lies too, and it’s largely because of those human flaws I mentioned. The only thing we can do, as I see it, is to seek out all the information from all the places available to us, and keep our minds open to change A little background on how video programs generally work for pro hockey as we receive new information. And in our own personal analysis, we teams, just to better understand what I mean: A person like myself sits in need to be honest with ourselves about what our biases are. Even when the coaches office, where a designated “coaches feed” is run into their you’re a hammer, some things are unfortunately glass vases. computer. All the necessary data is entered into the computer pre-game (opponent, rosters, who’s playing with who, etc.), and a device is set up Scouting matters. Analytics matter. Video matters. But they all lie to to record the game on the computer. Then, as the puck drops, that some degree, and it’s all because of these stupid, biased brains of ours. person simply … types. Like, non-stop. The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 During an average game, I would’ve logged something like 700-900 clips over a 60-minute game. Each clip involves seeing an event, hitting a corresponding letter, then following the prompts for additional information. After hitting a button for faceoff, there might be five or six follow up prompts. After the original button was hit, a clip will be made that runs for, say, 10 seconds prior to the button being pushed, and 10 after. Whatever the staff wants it to be for that type of clip. Some of the clips are made with a chance to add text, so a comment can be made for the rest of the staff to view.

Anyway, coaching staffs customize these keys based on the specific interests they have. Then, when the period is over, everything is sorted into one place – breakouts, retrievals, entries, whatever that particular team values. (It’s a damn good thing I was a writer before, because I type fairly fast and don’t have to look at the keys. You’d be in trouble without that skill.) 1083405 Vancouver Canucks Does he sulk or does he suck it up? There’s nothing to suggest that Virtanen is miffed by sitting out because the learning curve in the NHL is an everyday thing for a young player. Kuzma: Communication key in ongoing education of Jake Virtanen ‘I’m not worried about it,” said Virtanen, who has two goals and two assists. “I had a great start to the season and he (Green) just wants more aggressiveness. On the back check, if I can finish guys, it gives our BEN KUZMA defence a little bit more time with the puck. “I talked with him today and he said I practised well yesterday (Monday).” EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Whoever said talk is cheap doesn’t understand Green hasn’t lost sight of the fact that becoming a power forward is hard. the crucial line of communication between a young player and head You have to skate well, hit hard and finish scoring chances. All that is coach. hard but hitting shouldn’t be for Virtanen. Jake Virtanen constantly hears from Travis Green. The Vancouver “It’s part of the game that Jake has to bring,” said Green. “He’s a Canucks winger may not always like the tone that can be both critical and powerful skater and a big man and it’s a fine line between finding hits and caring, but he knows where he stands. finding the puck.” There’s no time for his mind to wander or wondering why his game has Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.15.2017 faltered in a physical sense because it’s drilled home in every on or off- ice session. That didn’t happen with Willie Desjardins. The coach and player rarely conversed. “Greener talks to me almost every day, whether I’m skating well or playing bad,” Virtanen said Tuesday following an optional game-day skate. “It’s good to have an honest coach. If you’re not playing well and you’re not getting told anything, you don’t want to keep playing the same way. “You want to get better. He didn’t think my game in Anaheim (Thursday) was the best and said I didn’t get a hit.” Well, Virtanen did have one, but the message was clear. Jake Virtanen’s size skating ability should bring a physical presence. And that’s all any player can ask, whether it’s a proven veteran or a 21- year-old still trying to find a complete game. Green wants Virtanen to ramp up his physical game. He’s skating better. He’s more responsible in all three zones and was good in puck retrievals and transition when playing with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. However, Virtanen is averaging 1.1 hits per game — he has 17 in 15 games — while Derek Dorsett is averaging 3.3 per outing with 33 in his first 17 games. It’s almost like Virtanen takes hitting for granted because it comes naturally for the 2014 first-round pick. When he hits, he hurts. But with so many other aspects of his game needing attention, the hitting went away. Last season in Utica there were constant video sessions with Green. This season, it’s assistant coach Manny Malhotra who will show Virtanen a clip of something he did wrong followed by one of something he did well. The repetitive process is designed to make Virtanen play on instinct and not second-guess himself. “I was shown a clip where a guy makes a pass and a second or two (later) I come in,” said Virtanen. “I’ve got to be on top of the guy on the forecheck.” However, all the direction and understanding didn’t make sitting out Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings any easier. “These are the games you want to play as a physical guy and a bigger- body guy,” added Virtanen. With the Canucks coming off two-straight losses, shutting down red-hot Anze Kopitar and revitalized linemate Dustin Brown was going to be a pressing priority. So was finding goals in transition against the league’s top-rated penalty kill and second stingiest defence. Add the fact that 17 Kings weigh at least 200 pounds — including the hulking 224-pound Kopitar — and you could argue Virtanen should have played. Aligning with Brandon Sutter and Derek Dorsett would have forced Virtanen to bring his total game. Pressuring the Kings’ top line to play in its own zone would have triggered a physical forechecking response from Virtanen and he would have been a threat to either score in transition or be a net-front presence. That assignment fell on Brendan Gaunce and to his credit, Virtanen was able to rationalize the lineup decision. “I’m still young and Gaunce is a good player and has played for Green for a while and has that trust,” said Virtanen. “We’ll see what happens. It’s about staying positive.” With two extra forwards, the battle for ice is exactly what Green wants. And sometimes you learn more about a player when he’s not playing than when he is. 1083406 Vancouver Canucks Del Zotto—Biega Hutton—Gudbranson Canucks Game Day: Tough task ahead to dethrone the Kings STARTING GOALIE Expected: Anders Nilsson BEN KUZMA SICK BAY Tanev (Thumb) Anze Kopitar is riding an eight-game point streak and seven-game assist Stecher (knee) streak into tonight's game against the Canucks. KINGS GAME DAY LINES The Vancouver Canucks are reeling after losing two straight in California. They’ll try to stop that slide tonight in Los Angeles against the Kings, who Iafollo—Kopitar—Brown sport the second best record in the Western Conference (7:30 p.m., TV: Pearson—Kempe—Toffoli Sportsnet Pacific, Radio: Sportsnet 650). Andreoff—Shore—Dowd THE BIG MATCHUP Cammalleri—Laich—Amadio Brandon Sutter versus Anze Kopitar DEFENCE PAIRINGS Kopitar is riding an eight-game point streak and seven-game assist streak and the big Kings centre is a load to handle in the neutral zone Forbert—Doughty and down low. Sutter must win his share of draws and work well in a shutdown role with Derek Dorsett and possibly Brendan Gaunce. Muzzin—Martinez FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME MacDermid—Fantenberg 1. Three-unit power play on display STARTING GOALIE The Canucks have gone five of the last six games without a power-play Expected: Quick goal and are coming off an 0-for-5 performance in San Jose on Saturday. SICK BAY Something has to give. The Canucks will ice three man-advantage units against the Kings — Daniel Sedin—Henrik Sedin—Loui Eriksson/Sven Gaborik (knee) Baertschi—Bo Horvat—Brock Boeser/Thomas Vanek—Markus Granlund—Sam Gagner — in hopes of scoring on the league’s top- Carter (surgery) ranked penalty kill. Clifford (upper body) 2. Yes to Granlund, no to Burmistrov Power play Markus Granlund had 19 goals last season with a wonky wrist before Canucks: 14.1% (25th) being shut down by wrist surgery. He has two goals and moving between Vanek and Gagner in practice Monday, should give him better looks at Kings: 18.3% (17th) the net. He has been effective in a shutdown role and will be better in the middle at even strength than the mercurial Alexander Burmistrov, who Penalty kill will sit after doing little in Canucks: 78.1 (24th) 3. Is it time for a Nilsson sighting? Kings: 91.9% (1st) Travis Green won’t reveal his starting goalie until the game-day skate Tuesday, but there’s a chance that Anders Nilsson will see the net for the NHL standings rank first time since Oct. 26. In the interim, his fiancée delivered a baby and Canucks: 19th Jacob Markstrom has been good. Nilsson could be effective against the crease-crashing Kings. He’s more stoic in the net than Markstrom and Kings: 3rd not prone to overact on the initial shot. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.15.2017 Los Angeles netminder Jonathan Quick has been tough to beat the season, leading the Kings to the second best record in the Western Conference. Harry How / Getty Images 4. Get those pucks up on Quick Jonathan Quick’s post-to-post movement takes away low scoring chances. He doesn’t give up soft goals and the only real ways to beat him are to take away his eyes with crease traffic and get pucks up in a hurry. Loui Eriksson is showing signs of good things to come as he had five shots in Saturday’s loss to the Sharks. Harry How / PNG 5. Eriksson’s effort good sign Loui Eriksson had five shots and logged 18:16 in San Jose after missing a dozen games with an MCL knee sprain. He showed some renewed chemistry with Henrik and Daniel Sedin and need to be a down-low difference maker tonight. CANUCKS GAME DAY LINES Baertschi—Horvat—Boeser Gaunce—Sutter—Derek Dorsett D. Sedin—H. Sedin—Eriksson Vanek—Granlund—Gagner DEFENCE PAIRINGS Edler—Pouliot 1083407 Vancouver Canucks It took the Kings just 23 seconds to strike for an unassisted goal on a play that started with an attempt by the goalie attempting to rim the puck, a bobble by Markus Granlund in the slot and a 26-foot, wide-angle shot Canucks Post Game: The power-play call, the Boeser dot, the bounce by Tanner Pearson that found the short side. back, Dorsett being Dorsett “That was definitely a goal I would like to have back, but it happens,” said Nilsson who finished with 30 saves and improved to 4-1 in his first start since Oct. 26. “The only thing that matters is how you rebound from it BEN KUZMA because you can’t change the past. “They came pretty hard the first 10 minutes, but we showed a lot of team character because it’s not easy to come back being down two goals in LOS ANGELES —Points to ponder as the Canucks turned the this building. improbable into an impressive 3-2 comeback victory over the Kings on Tuesday to not only finish 2-2 on a telling road trip, but they also found “In the second period we were the better team.” some power-play mojo against the league’s top-ranked penalty kill: Nilsson saved his best with a scored tied 2-2. He stopped Adrian Kempe The Canucks were pondering new alignments and power-play architect on a power-play re-direct and then stopped Pearson on a shorthanded Newell Brown obviously made the right pre-game power-play calls. breakaway early in the third period. But it’s fair to ask — what took so long? “He came down the wing with some speed, but didn’t have a great angle,” added Nilsson. “I was just trying to cover the short side and then “I give Newell a lot of credit,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “He put the guys scored after that.” a lot of thought into what to do and what changes we could make and we went back and forth with a couple of things.” It capped quite the week for Nilsson, whose fiancee delivered a baby boy Nov. 8. The staple of any effective man-advantage unit is to combine a passer with a shooter and a net-front presence guy who can also finish. The “I was eager to get back,” he said. Canucks have the personnel, but they had to find the right combination. DORSETT BEING DORSETT The Canucks finally found that when they aligned Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat with Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Alex Edler. There was instant Green didn’t expect Derek Dorsett to go quietly into the night against the symmetry and puck movement, a Boeser blast and Horvat rebound Kings, even those the pesky winger and leading goal scorer is skating on presence to make it 2-2 in the second period. thin suspension ice. Sven Baertschi had a lot to smile about with new power-play alignments. He has two instigator penalties and a third warrants a two-game suspension. If that wasn’t enough to overcome an 0-for-10 power-play funk the previous two road outings, a second unit also struck Tuesday when Sven That didn’t stop Dorsett as he attempted to shift momentum after the Baertschi potted the power-play winner. Kings needed just 23 seconds to open scoring. He took on Andy Andreoff, but made sure he didn’t start the bout or land the first punch. Baertschi took a neat cross-ice feed from Thomas Vanek off the rush and After that, he landed several blows. got Jonathan Quick moving to beat him far side. “I thought I was going to give them (teammates) a little bit of momentum “We actually changed it today and we had something completely different and thought it was a good time to see if he wanted to have a fight,” said yesterday and maybe this was a little bit of an element of surprise for us,” Dorsett. “If I get called of an instigator on that one, I’m in trouble. But said Baertschi. “Everything just came together tonight. We were crisp that’s behind us. with our passes and both units were able to deliver.” “I just have to be careful going into scrums and big collisions and hits.” And it certainly impressed Green. The Canucks attempted to get Dorsett’s instigator penalty Thursday in “I give our guys credit, they stuck with it tonight,” he said. “They’re a Anaheim against Josh Manson rescinded, but the league cited distance resilient group and they want to win. To get down two in this building and travelled and fight initiation in its ruling. So, what do you say to a guy who come back to win shows a lot. The guys just kept pushing.” needs to play on the edge, but not go over it? BOESER AND THE DOT “There’s not much to say,” said Green. “He’s an aggressive player and sticks up for his teammates. You never want to take that away from a Brock Boeser was feeling it. player. I think both of his instigator calls could have gone either way, to be honest. He’s not a guy who goes and instigates a lot fights — he The rookie winger was not only noticeable at even strength with better fights straight up his whole career.” puck presence and movement, he had jump that was missing the previous two games. He looked tired. On Tuesday, he looked energized Canucks 3 Kings 2: Push back, resilience and an actual first power play and his new power-play unit took advantage of what he does best — unit shoot. STEVENS SALUTES SUTTER He not only got to the face-off dot, he took a cross-ice feed from Henrik Sedin and let that heavy wrist shot go. It struck Quick on the shoulder It shouldn’t be surprising that John Stevens has easily transitioned from and Horvat was there to jam home the rebound. It was also Henrik’s first Kings assistant to bench boss. power-play point of the season. He was head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers for four seasons, had a Brock Boeser attempts to skate past Tanner Pearson . Harry How / Getty second interview with the Canucks four years ago to replace the fired Images Alain Vigneault and served for eight seasons as an assistant and associate coach of the Kings. The centre actually started the comeback with a shot off the wall that went off the butt of Nick Short and found the short side. And because you Stevens replaced Darryl Sutter, who was fired along with general can’t really quibble with the Canucks’ play at even strength, the power- manager Dean Lombardi after the Kings missed the playoffs for the play adjustment ended a lot of angst. second time in the last three years, but he hasn’t replaced a diligence to defence. “I was trying to find the hole for Henrik to pass to me,” said Boeser. “We’re having a shooting mentality and I think the chemistry is building Stevens successfully ran the back end and the league’s second-stingiest from last year with what Hank and Danny are going to do. We found out defence and top-ranked penalty kill is a product of a healthy Quick, a about it (new alignment) right before the game and it wasn’t much of an total buy-in from players looking for change and applying what he learned adjustment. It worked. from Sutter, who ran the bench for six years and won two Stanley Cup titles. “We just have to keep shooting, crashing the net and creating havoc for the goalies.” “I learned a lot,” said Stevens. “His attention to preparation was unbelievable and his attention to the emotional preparation was NILSSON BOUNCES BACK unbelievable. Everything he did was in the best interest of the team. It didn’t start well for Anders Nilsson, but it sure ended well. “He was relentless in preparation and how important every game was and how much emphasis he placed on every player being prepared. That certainly left an imprint with me.” KOPITAR CHANNELS TOEWS One of the offseason goals for Stevens was to reach Anze Kopitar on another conditioning level. And that’s where Jonathan Toews and his preparation has helped Kopitar explode for 22 points (9-13) in his 18 games, including a seven- game assist streak that ended Tuesday. The Chicago Blackhawks captain altered his offseason training to address nutritional needs — he grows his own plant-based food in his home — because he wanted to add quickness to his game without losing strength. “We talked about Toews and Patrice Bergeron and the kind of guys who are terrific offensively and defensively and everything-kind-of guys. The message to Kopitar was to try to get a little bit quicker and even a quarter step in his game is going to help him. “Try to come in just a little bit lighter because he plays big minutes and he can make a difference. To his credit he has. His minutes are higher than we’d like but the pace is good.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083408 Vancouver Canucks travelled and fight initiation in its ruling. So, what do you say to a guy who needs to play on the edge, but not go over it?

“There’s not much to say,” said Green. “He’s an aggressive player and Canucks 3 Kings 2: Push back, resilience and an actual first power play sticks up for his teammates. You never want to take that away from a unit player. I think both of his instigator calls could have gone either way, to be honest. Ben Kuzma Ben Kuzma More from Ben Kuzma “He’s not a guy who goes and instigates a lot fights — he fights straight up his whole career.”

Gaunce versus Virtanen LOS ANGELES — You’re often supposed to be careful what you wish for. Green said his rationale for playing Brendan Gaunce with Sutter and Dorsett was based on moving Markus Granlund to the middle between Travis Green knew what awaited his club Tuesday and he sounded part Vanek and Sam Gagner. Gaunce is a big body, but so is Jake Virtanen hopeful and part prophet. and there’s the debate. “It’s a good challenge, a big challenge and I like it when you face some Both have played 80 NHL games, but Virtanen is a better skater, has hard games,” the Vancouver Canucks coach said just before his club met more scoring potential and Tuesday was tailor made to bring physicality the Los Angeles Kings. “You learn a lot about your team. And there might back to his game. He sat while Gaunce took a bad offensive-zone not be a bigger challenge in our division than coming into L.A.” tripping penalty in the first period that led to an Anze Kopitar goal. Well, he nailed that one. You could argue giving Virtanen more minutes on a shutdown line might be too big an ask, but why not find out? Then again, it was Gaunce’s The Canucks dug a two-goal hole before four minutes elapsed against backhand saucer pass that sprung Sutter and resulted in his failed the National Hockey League’s second-stingiest team and top-ranked penalty shot. penalty kill. They were overmatched and even overwhelmed at the outset and looked like they were going to go quietly into the SoCal night. OVERTIME: Green said he expects to have Chris Tanev (thumb) back in 1 1/2 weeks. That might make the defenceman eligible to return at some Then Derek Dorsett got mad. point in the team’s six-game road trip that opens next Tuesday in Philadelphia. Then the Canucks got resilient. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.15.2017 Then they found new power play combinations that actually worked. It turned the improbable into an impressive 3-2 victory. And it capped a revealing four-game road trip in which the Canucks rode a roller-coaster of indifferent play yet finished 2-2 because they finally found some power play mojo. Here’s what we learned: Brock Boeser was feeling it. He not only got to the faceoff dot on a new- look power play to let that heavy wrist shot go, it struck Jonathan Quick on the shoulder and Bo Horvat was there to jam home the rebound. The goal was encouraging on several fronts. For starters, there was movement. There was the symmetry of Henrik and Daniel Sedin and the smart cross-ice pass by the captain to find Boeser in his favourite shooting spot. What took so long? It was also Henrik’s first power play point of the season and the centre actually started the comeback. His shot off the wall went off the butt of Nick Short and found the short side. And because you can’t really quibble with the Canucks’ play at even strength, the power play adjustment ended an 0-for-11 funk after being blanked with the man advantage in San Jose and Anaheim. Green had three different power play alignments in practice Monday and said he had options. And his gut told him to find the right shooter and net- presence guy to complement the Sedins. It not only worked, it’s a bonafide first unit because there’s a passer, shooter and finisher. If that wasn’t enough man-advantage hope, the game winner started with a sweet cross-ice feed by Thomas Vanek to Sven Baertschi on the second power play unit. He got Quick moving the wrong way and went far side. Dorsett being Dorsett Green didn’t expect Derek Dorsett to back down against the Kings, even though the pesky winger and leading goal scorer is skating on thin suspension ice. He has two instigator penalties and a third warrants a two-game suspension. That didn’t stop Dorsett when he attempted to shift momentum after the Kings needed just 23 seconds to open scoring on Anders Nilsson, who got better as the game progressed. He stopped Tanner Pearson on a short-handed break with the game tied 2-2 early in the third period and then stopped Adrian Kempe with 3:48 left. Dorsett took on Andy Andreoff but made sure he didn’t start the bout or throw the first punch. After that, he landed several blows. The Canucks attempted to get Dorsett’s instigator penalty Thursday in Anaheim against Josh Manson rescinded, but the league cited distance 1083409 Vancouver Canucks In Virtanen's case, we're two seasons removed from that up-and-down rookie season, but the value his speed creates is every bit as present now as it was then. The Canucks need Jake Virtanen's unique skill set in the lineup I'm no longer tracking zone entries (not for public consumption, anyway), but luckily for the Canucks community, one of my cohorts from my time working at HockeyData Inc., Darryl Keeping, has been tracking all sorts By JD Burke 10 hours ago of handy information, including zone entries, for the Canucks this season. According to Keeping's data, Virtanen's every bit a force for this team in transition as he was in his first season. Travis Green has had his hands full tinkering with the Canucks' roster of late, as they're struggling to score and haven't been any better at keeping Not only does Virtanen have a healthy ratio of controlled entries to pucks out of their own net. uncontrolled (55 per cent to 45 per cent) at even strength, but he's skating the puck into the opposition zone more frequently than he did the The steady influx of forwards out from the infirmary and back into the last time we had this data at our disposal two seasons ago. Virtanen's lineup means Green has options to try and right the ship. Perhaps more bringing the puck into the offensive zone with control 19.7 times/60. options than he wants, even; the last two games Green has been forced to make tough decisions in no-win situations. Based on CanucksArmy's Jeremy Davis' research from an article from earlier this season, Virtanen's been drawing penalties at a better rate In a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, Alexander Burmistrov than when we last checked, too. was forced to the press box by the return of Markus Granlund from an upper-body injury. Then in a 5-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on These skills matter — they matter a lot. The average controlled zone Saturday, it was Jake Virtanen and Brendan Gaunce who were made entry (i.e. an entry created by either skating or passing the puck into the healthy scratches. offensive zone) leads to twice as many shot attempts as an uncontrolled entry. At the rate Virtanen has drawn penalties, and the rate the Canucks And if you guessed that the Virtanen scratch was the one that drew the are converting on the power play, Virtanen's already contributed about most media and fan attention, you guessed right. half a goals worth of value there alone. Only Bo Horvat has added more than Virtanen by keeping his feet moving and drawing penalties. Speaking to a troupe of reporters ahead of Saturday's game with the Sharks, Green said: “we need Jake to be an aggressive player.” From a developmental standpoint, I genuinely empathize with what Green is trying to accomplish. It's not uncommon for a player to sit at “I think physicality is part of the game that [Virtanen] needs to bring,” times on their journey to being a consistent contributor in the NHL. Green continued. Virtanen has a lot to learn, certainly, and I trust Green when he says that As Green's press conference continued, he went on to cite the difficulties there are small aspects of Virtanen's game that must improve. of being a power forward in the NHL level when pressed about Virtanen's Based on the recent play, the decision to scratch Virtanen was not development. If the Canucks still see Virtanen as a power forward in the entirely unfair, either. Virtanen made several questionable neutral zone making, throwing the body is certainly a significant part of that. It's reads against the Calgary Flames in the Canucks' 5-3 win last Tuesday something we know Virtanen is capable of, too. and followed that up with one of his worst games of the season against Green's commentary on the Canucks' desire for added physicality stands the Ducks. If there was ever a time to ditch the carrot and grab the stick, up under further scrutiny from a wide-lens approach: the Canucks' 274 this was it. hits place them 30th in the league. Virtanen's 17 hits rank highly among Sitting Virtanen on Saturday, and perhaps beyond, isn't unfair or even Canucks forwards, but apparently not high enough for Green's tastes. entirely unwarranted. It's important though, that while we discuss the There's worthwhile context to consider though when we're examining parts of Virtanen's game that still need development for him to thrive in Virtanen's hit totals. With Virtanen on the ice, the Canucks are controlling the NHL, that we acknowledge the parts of his game that already add over 55 per cent of the shot attempts at even strength, which suggests legitimate value to the Canucks lineup, especially when considering the that he and his linemates consistently beat their opponents to the puck unique nature of Virtanen's talents within Vancouver's roster. and hold onto it effectively. Hard to throw the body when your team is the The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 one with the puck. I'm not here to argue that Virtanen can't bring it physically on a more consistent basis, though. On the contrary, I'm here to contest that everything Virtanen does with the puck is more than enough to make up for any deficiencies that arise when he's without it. It starts with Virtanen's speed. It's been a strength in his game going back to when the Canucks selected him sixth overall from the Calgary Hitmen in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and it's unquestionably the best tool in Virtanen's toolbox. Intuitively, we can make assumptions about what kind of value Virtanen's quickness adds to the Canucks lineup. Tracking through the neutral zone, Virtanen's provided countless examples already where he's forced opposition turnovers as they enter the Canucks zone, pickpocketing unexpecting forwards and sending play back in the other direction. When Virtanen has the puck, his hastiness in transition can force defenders onto their heels, creating space and opportunity for him and his linemates. In Virtanen's rookie season, I tracked the Canucks neutral zone in an attempt to quantify his, and others, impact on their team's health between the blue lines. What I found confirmed much of what I'd seen that season. Virtanen was the Canucks' most efficient player at gaining the offensive zone, contributing 28.6 successful zone entries/60. Of those 28.6 entries, 13.3 of them were with control, and a large percentage of them translated in unblocked shot attempts. I also found that Virtanen was drawing penalties at a better rate than the majority of Canucks skaters that season. Virtanen's penalty differential of 0.6/60 was second-best on the Canucks and in the 20th percentile among NHL forwards. Gaining the zone and drawing penalties have proven a reliable way to gauge player speed, and best of all, their statistical repeatability means that we can expect a player who's good at these skills one year to be just as efficient the next. 1083410 Websites to stay in the moment and enjoy it and have fun doing it. Good things tend to happen then.’’

Jonathan Marchessault is another of those pending UFAs. He made it The Athletic / LeBrun Notebook: Looking ahead to the 2018 Hall of Fame clear he’d love to stay put in Vegas past this season if possible. class, Lightning and Penguins' needs “Being part of an organization that does things the right way, you want to be part of that,” Marchessault said. “I didn’t do enough to stay (in Florida) By Pierre LeBrun 14 hours ago last season. So I want to work harder and be part of an organization that wants me. So I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out here.’’

Bolts' top nine forward target Martin Brodeur headlines the 2018 list of first-year eligible players who can be considered for Hockey Hall of Fame induction when the selection At 14-2-2 and the class of the NHL so far this season, the Tampa Bay committee votes in June. Lightning don’t look like a team in need of anything. Once you get past that no-brainer vote it begins to get interesting for the But the Bolts, I’m told, have identified one early need: a top-nine winger. 18-member selection committee. They’ve been playing with 11 forwards and seven defencemen most of Martin St. Louis and Sergei Gonchar are also first-year eligible players. the season, which is not surprising as head coach Jon Cooper has gone St. Louis won a Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, a Ted Lindsay Award (NHLPA the 11-7 route many, many times over his years in Tampa. most outstanding player), won two NHL scoring titles, a Stanley Cup, an Still, I think GM Steve Yzerman sees a potential need for an upgrade on Olympic gold medal and a World Cup championship. the wing. Someone, I think, to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn, The credentials are certainly there. For me, he’s a Hall of Famer. But like for example. The Lightning are hoping to try to fill that spot from within 2017 inductees Paul Kariya, Mark Recchi and Dave Andreychuck, he the organization. But I suspect as the season goes on, there’s also a may very well have to wait a bit. chance Yzerman looks at the trade market. St. Louis joined Gino Reda and me on our TSN set before Monday One thing we know already from Yzerman’s time in Tampa, he’s not night’s induction show. When I asked him about his first year of HHOF afraid to act and this could be a special season for his team. induction eligibility he made it clear he understands there are many great Penguins schedule players that’s had to wait a few years before getting their name called, adding it’s just an honour even to have his name considered to begin Jim Rutherford’s track record over the years suggests he takes a close with. look at his team after 20 games and decides if there are any areas he needs to shore up on the trade market. Gonchar was an outstanding defenceman during his prime years and never got as much credit as he deserved in my mind for his standing in But because his team has opened the season playing 13 road games the league among the top blueliners. Then again, Sergei Zubov, whose already, a crazy opening to the year which also has seen them play six career tracked similarly, has been passed over for years and I believe he back-to-backs, Rutherford will probably wait until after 30 games to see should be in. his team settle and look at what, if anything, he needs. Daniel Alfredsson was passed over in his first year of eligibility last June He already acquired third-line centre Riley Sheahan earlier this season and perhaps he’ll get the call this time around. I can’t help look at the so it’s not like Rutherford hasn’t been busy. And he called up youngster former Senators captain’s career in the same way I see his countryman Tristan Jarry to replace Antti Niemi as the backup netminder. Mats Sundin, who got into the Hall in his first year of eligibility. But knowing Rutherford, if after 30 games he feels there’s a hole, he’s as There are others besides Zubov who continue to get passed over: Alex aggressive as they come and won’t be shy to go shopping. Given their Mogilny, Doug Wilson, Theo Fleury, Steve Larmer, Jeremy Roenick, crazy schedule, they’ve done well just to keep their heads above water Boris Mikhailov, just to name a few. and now the schedule opens up for them with more home dates. The defending Stanley Cup champs should be in better shape 10 games from Golden Knights expectations now. It is mid-November and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights are still The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 sitting in a playoff spot. Oh, there’s certainly been some regression since that crazy start. But they’re still there, competitive each and every night. Believe it or not, the P-word came up before the puck was even dropped on their inaugural season. “I was out with (owner) Bill Foley before the year, we were talking, and the first thing we talked about was making the playoffs,” veteran winger James Neal told The Athletic. “There’s no reason why we wouldn’t be competitive. It was a different expansion draft than in the past.’’ Neal began his case with Marc-Andre Fleury being in goal (once he’s healthy again) as the top reason, then talked about a solid blueline and decent forward depth and scoring. He then shrugged and said, why not them? “Why wouldn’t we be competitive? We’ve got a great coaching staff,” Neal said. “We’ve got an owner who wants to win. He’s successful in everything he does. Why wouldn’t we start off trying to be successful? That was our mindset from the outset, to come together as a team. It’s been a lot of fun. Guys are getting chances they probably wouldn’t have gotten on other teams.’’ Still, as I mentioned to Neal, what’s amazing is to see how a team with nine pending UFAs somehow park the uncertainty of their own individual futures and focus on the here and now. Easier said than done but at this point the Knights’ pending UFAs have done just that. “As you get older you just try to control what you can control,” said Neal, one of those pending UFAs. “For me, I’ve been traded a few times. Anything can happen, you just try to enjoy what you can enjoy at the time, enjoy where you are, be a good teammate, and have fun. I think once you start worrying about anything else, like getting points, you start gripping your stick too tight and then things don’t go your way. You have 1083411 Websites season) Oscar Klefbom. The other four still have some growing to do, but Darnell Nurse is getting there this year with a lethal 60 per cent Corsi and the 14th best Game Score among defenders. Jesse Puljujarvi is finally up The Athletic / Under-25 Core Rankings: Which teams are set up best for with the team and his first two games were solid. The two Ryan’s are the the future? oldest here and arguably the weakest (though Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been much better this year), but they still add to an excellent foundation the Oilers have laid out. Things haven’t gone well this season, but there are very bright times ahead for this group. By Dom Luszczyszyn 19 hours ago 2. Columbus Blue Jackets

Zach Werenski, 21, +3.0, 1.00 Today – November 14, 2017 – is a very important day. It’s the day I turn 25, the day I would’ve statistically peaked as an NHLer, you know, if I Seth Jones, 23, +2.2, 1.01 ever made it. Only the complete lack of talent and determination stopped me from achieving the dream that I, and nearly every other young Oliver Bjorkstrand, 22, +1.5, 0.70 Canadian boy had. It’s a soul-crushing day to realize you’ve basically Boone Jenner, 24, +1.3, 0.50 become “NHL Old.” Alex Wennberg, 22, +1.2, 0.69 Okay, that’s not exactly fair, 25 isn’t “NHL Old” but it’s usually about the time when players have their best seasons. There are of course Josh Anderson, 23, +1.1, 0.78 exceptions, not everyone ages the same, like Brad Marchand and Joe Pavelski breaking out closer to 30 or Jaromir Jagr being immortal, but it’s Sonny Milano, 20, +0.7, 0.55 still a general rule that 25 is the peak of your hockey existence. (I guess Pierre Luc-Dubiois, 19, +0.7, 0.44 it’s a good thing I didn’t make it considering the peak age of my actual career seems to be much higher judging by most of my very old The Blue Jackets have one of the best top D pairs in hockey and their colleagues). average age is 21. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. When Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are on the ice together, they That wasn’t always the general rule. The old-school thinking was players control 56.7 per cent of the shot attempts and 66.2 per cent of the goals peaked around 30 (hence some hideous past contracts), but recent-ish at 5-on-5. Not bad for two kids playing a position many players their age studies found it was much closer to 25 instead and that fact has become wouldn’t normally be trusted in. They’re getting a lot more trust than most more generally accepted of late. Now, that doesn’t mean players hit a cliff defenders their age do as they're getting the tough minutes this year (and at 26, obviously, it’s simply a plateau that trends into a gradual decline crushing them). After them, the team has six forwards under 25, all of and again, it doesn’t apply the same to everyone. whom are solid contributors giving them a lot of depth for years to come. To commemorate what would likely be the peak of my NHL existence, The eight “core” players under 25 is the most of any team. I’ve created a ranking for each team based on the players they currently 3. Florida Panthers have on the right side of the age curve, the side I’m no longer on. It’s a ranking of each team’s “core” players under 25 and it’s merely a fun Aleksander Barkov, 22, +3.3, 1.15 exercise to see which teams are set up best for the future based on the NHL talent they currently have. It may be the last fun thing I do as I’ve Jonathan Huberdeau, 24, +3.0, 1.31 been told that concept ends at this age. Vincent Trocheck, 24, +2.5, 0.80 Everyone loves and hates rankings, so here are some brief notes about Aaron Ekblad, 21, +1.9, 0.63 how each team was ranked, to make sure any future hateful comments are properly informed. Mike Matheson, 23, +0.6, 0.08 The ranking is algorithmically based using the same model we use for Don’t be fooled by how awful the rest of the Panthers team is, their young our daily projections and is not a subjective list. That’s not to say a model stars are awesome. Aleksander Barkov is seriously one of the league’s is completely objective and perfect, it simply means that it is not guided best centres and forms an incredible 1-2 punch with Jonathan by my personal beliefs. Huberdeau who's having a great season himself. Adding Evgeny Dadonov to their wing has made them even better. Vincent Trocheck is Only players currently in the NHL were included, ie. no prospects. super underrated and is playing at a point-per-game pace so far. Aaron “Core” players are treated much more liberally than one might suspect Ekblad looked like he was slipping last season, but he’s been a force this and were defined as any player the model viewed as a top nine forward, year and showing he can, in fact, be the No. 1 defenceman he was top four defenseman or starting goalie, with some exceptions made for destined to be. Mike Matheson on the other hand has been awful after high pedigree players that are being used that way that haven’t reached signing a large contract he probably didn’t deserve yet. Based on how he that height. played last year he should bounce back. Now if only the Panthers didn’t give away some of their other good players during the off-season. Teams were ranked on total value, so a team with more players may rank higher than a team with fewer, but better players. 4. Winnipeg Jets Players have to be under 25 as of today, my birthday. Sorry, Adam “two Mark Scheifele, 24, +2.9, 1.01 days older than me” Larsson. Patrik Laine, 19, +2.3, 0.83 The numbers beside each player’s name is their current age, projected Nikolaj Ehlers, 21, +2.0, 0.76 win rate (which is age-adjusted), and average Game Score this season. Jacob Trouba, 23, +1.7, 0.37 Here we go: Josh Morrissey, 22, +0.9,0.17 1. Edmonton Oilers Kyle Connor, 20, +0.6, 0.51 Connor McDavid, 20, +4.7, 1.31 Connor Hellebuyck, 24, +0.4 Leon Draisaitl, 21, +2.5, 1.13 One of the league’s most exciting young teams that could never put it Oscar Klefbom, 24, +2.1, 0.55 together looks like they’re finally putting it together. Mark Scheifele is Jesse Puljujarvi, 19, +1.2 torching the league, Patrik Laine is heating up with goals in five straight, Nikolaj Ehlers is on a 41-goal pace and Connor Hellebuyck is finally Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 24, +0.8, 0.77 realizing his starter potential. They’ve all been a big reason for the Jets hot start. Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey are very good guys on the Darnell Nurse, 22, +0.6, 0.76 backend, but both have struggled a bit after being tasked with shutdown Ryan Strome, 24, +0.3, 0.39 minutes. Kyle Connor started the season in the AHL, but injuries brought him up and he’s played well on the top line. If he blows up too, the Jets Of course the team in first is the team with the league’s best and have serious dark horse potential with all the talent they have. brightest player, Connor McDavid. He’s not the only reason to be excited as the Oilers have seven important under-25 players, including budding 5. Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Leon Draisaitl and top tier defender (despite his struggles this Auston Matthews, 20, +3.4, 1.36 William Nylander, 21, +2.4, 0.86 enough credit for it. He’s leading the league in Game Score so far and is only behind McDavid in terms of total value by my model. The Lightning Morgan Rielly, 23, +1.9, 0.89 are flush with young stars and they’re doing a lot of the leg work in this Mitch Marner, 20, +1.5, 0.65 early season run. Brayden Point is just under a point-per-game, Mikhail Sergachev has been phenomenal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is becoming Connor Brown, 23, +0.8, 0.43 the goalie everyone thought he would be. The Lightning are terrifying right now and they’ll be terrifying for years to come thanks to this quintet. Auston Matthews is already one of the league’s best players in his second season and is doing it with a lot less ice-time than his 9. Anaheim Ducks contemporaries (and I’m not sure why he doesn’t get it either). The Leafs are 3-0 without him, but they haven’t looked nearly as good in those Hampus Lindholm, 23, +2.4, 0.82 games and his absence has been noteworthy. William Nylander is his Rickard Rakell, 24, +2.2, 0.65 running mate and the two are electric together, while the third member of The Big Three, Mitch Marner, has slumped a bit this season. Connor John Gibson, 24, +1.8 Brown, last year’s forgotten Leaf rookie who scored 20 goals, is a versatile forward that gives them solid depth up front. Morgan Rielly Brandon Montour, 23, +1.0, 0.53 rounds out the list and he’s emerged as a legit No. 1 defender this Ondrej Kase, 21, +1.0, 0.75 season. Good thing too, because the Leafs badly needed one of those. Nick Ritchie, 21, +0.6, 0.21 6. Carolina Hurricanes The Ducks are an old team, but they’ve got some young stars on the Sebastian Aho, 20, +2.2, 0.83 come up. Hampus Lindholm is the best of the bunch and with Cam Jaccob Slavin, 23, +1.8, 0.55 Fowler sidelined, he’s finally being given the top defender role he deserves and has performed remarkably with the best relative Corsi Teuvo Teravainen, 23, +1.6, 0.79 numbers of his career while playing tough competition every night. Rickard Rakell has been pushed into the limelight too with Ryan Getzlaf Brett Pesce, 22, +1.5, 0.45 and Ryan Kesler out and while his two-way game has hurt, he’s putting Elias Lindholm, 22, +1.4, 0.63 up big point totals. John Gibson (who was mistakenly omitted previously) is one of the best young goalies in the world and pushes this team into Noah Hanifin, 20, +0.8, 0.85 the top 10. The rest provide the Ducks with some solid complimentary pieces who are still young enough to blossom into something more, Victor Rask, 24, +0.7, 0.52 though they need a bit more from Nick Ritchie who has just four points in 14 games this season. No other defenders this season face tougher competition on a nightly basis than Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce and they’re still managing an 10. Colorado Avalanche above breakeven Corsi percentage. They’re the league’s best shutdown pair and they’re only 23 and 22, respectively. Defence is no longer a Nathan MacKinnon, 22, +2.0, 0.70 veteran’s game. It’s allowed Noah Hanifin to thrive too as he’s playing the best NHL hockey of his short career, giving the Hurricanes one of the Gabriel Landeskog, 24, +1.5, 0.65 league’s best top fours. The talent up front isn’t as dazzling yet, Alex Kerfoot, 23, +1.4, 0.66 especially given Sebastian Aho’s cold start production-wise, but they'll get there and Teuvo Teravainen's hat trick Monday night was a good Mikko Rantanen, 20, +1.1, 0.69 start. They’ve got some seriously underrated young forwards and with their defence group they're definitely a team to watch going forward. Sven Andrighetto, 24, +1.1, 0.49 7. Calgary Flames Samuel Girard, 19. +1.0, 0.44 Matthew Tkachuk, 19, +3.0, 1.00 With a hot start, the future in Colorado looks a little brighter than it did last season, though it likely won’t last much longer given their affinity for Dougie Hamilton, 24, +2.9, 0.85 playing in their own end. It helps that the team is actually scoring these days and the forwards look decent for a change. Nathan MacKinnon is Johnny Gaudreau, 24, +2.3, 1.28 flirting with a point-per-game pace and Gabriel Landeskog has bounced Sean Monahan, 22, +1.7, 1.01 back, too. Mikko Rantanen has looked great, Sven Andrighetto was a savvy pickup last season and Alex Kerfoot has been a revelation this Sam Bennett, 21, -0.1, 0.00 year. Adding Samuel Girard to the backend in the Matt Duchene trade looks like it should bode well for the future. The Flames have some very exciting young talent that make them a sneaky good team that’s primed to climb up the standings. Matthew 11. Boston Bruins Tkachuk is an even bigger force this season with an uptick in production and somehow even more dominant possession numbers to boot. Johnny David Pastrnak, 21, +4.1, 1.14 Gaudreau and Sean Monahan have struggled in recent years at 5-on-5, Charlie McAvoy, 19, +1.2, 0.58 but have found their way this season and are filling the net big time in the process. Gaudreau has looked like one of the league’s best players early Anders Bjork, 21, +0.9, 0.57 in the season. That’s a terrific forward trio that’ll be the envy of the league sooner rather than later. Dougie Hamilton is the lone defender here, but Jake DeBrusk, 20, +0.7, 0.38 he’s once again making sure the Flames are on the right end of the ice Brandon Carlo, 20, +0.2, 0.30 more often than not with a monstrous 58 per cent Corsi, tops among the team’s defenders, while playing the tough minutes. Now just imagine if The Bruins probably have no business being near a top 10 for young he got a bit more ice time and Sam Bennett remembered what made him talent, but David Pastrnak is so good he drags them there. Maybe it’s a fourth overall pick – then they’ll be cooking. who he plays with, sure, but he’s one of the game’s premier young talents and can threaten a point-per-game at age 21 while maintaining a 8. Tampa Bay Lightning pretty good two-way game. Charlie McAvoy looks like he can be pretty Nikita Kucherov, 24, +4.5, 1.66 special too and those two will be the future of the Bruins. Anders Bjork and Jake DeBrusk made their Bruins debuts this season and have Brayden Point, 21, +1.6, 0.90 looked like adequate players, while Brandon Carlo is still struggling a bit as a top four defenseman. Vladislav Namestnikov, 24, +1.6, 1.06 12. Philadelphia Flyers Mikhail Sergachev, 19, +1.5, 0.72 Sean Couturier, 24, +2.2, 1.28 Andrei Vasilevskiy, 23, +1.2 Shayne Gostisbehere, 24, +1.9, 0.81 Despite starting the season with 30 points in 18 games and 66 points in his last 41 games (anyone remember Crosby's 2010-11 stat line by any Ivan Provorov, 20, +1.4, 0.45 chance…), I still don’t think Nikita Kucherov gets the respect he deserves. And I’m talking, there’s probably only one forward better than Travis Konecny, 20, +0.8, 0.31 him right now (apologies to Mr. Crosby and Mr. Kucherov’s linemate) Nolan Patrick, 19, +0.6, 0.30 type of respect. He’s been insanely good and probably doesn’t get Sean Couturier is having a terrific start to the season and is playing like Sam Reinhart, 21, +1.3, 0.32 an elite No. 1 centre. He’s arguably the Flyers best player thanks to his newfound production while still maintaining his defensive excellence. Rasmus Ristolainen, 22, +1.0, 0.35 Recent top draft picks Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick haven’t been Nathan Beaulieu, 24, +0.7, 0.40 very strong yet, but carry a lot of promise. Patrick’s possession numbers look especially troubling and it’s likely it’ll be a while before he finds his After years of being awful you’d think the Sabres would have more to NHL game. Ivan Provorov has found his quickly and he forms a solid show for it. Jack Eichel has regressed this season, Sam Reinhart hasn’t foundation on defence with Shayne Gostisbehere who is proving last been the same either and that’s about it for young forwards. (Remember year was just a sophomore slump. when Zemgus Girgensons was an all-star)? Rasmus Ristolainen looked like he turned a corner this season at 5-on-5, but his scoring is down and 13. Nashville Predators then there’s also Nathan Beaulieu (I guess?) who’s fine. Flip Forsberg, 23, +2.7, 1.01 18. Arizona Coyotes Viktor Arvidsson, 24, +2.7, 0.87 Clayton Keller, 19, +2.2, 0.90 Kevin Fiala, 21, +1.1, 0.42 Max Domi, 22, +1.3, 0.47 Only three players, but they’re three pretty good ones. Filip Forsberg is Jakob Chychrun, 19, +0.7 an elite winger and Viktor Arvidsson isn’t far behind. They form the foundation of what should be another Cup contending team, especially Anthony Duclair, 22, +0.6, 0.43 with the arrival of Kyle Turris to spread out some offence from the loaded top line. Kevin Fiala needs to take the next step for them to get there Christian Dvorak, 21, +0.3, 0.32 though and that starts with shooting the puck more – his shot rate has Clayton Keller is the truth and Max Domi is a decent top six winger, but been nearly cut in half from last season. the verdict is still out on the rest of the youngsters who have mostly 14. New York Rangers underwhelmed. The fact that Dylan Strome isn’t on this NHL team yet isn’t reassuring either, though he is lighting up the AHL with 15 points in Pavel Buchnevich, 22, +1.9, 0.89 10 games. Mike Zibanejad, 24, +1.8, 1.00 19. Vancouver Canucks J.T. Miller, 24, +1.3, 0.63 Brock Boeser, 20, +2.1, 0.95 Brady Skjei, 23, +1.3, 0.31 Bo Horvat, 22, +1.3, 0.83 An interesting spot for the Rangers to be in as they’re not usually known Sven Baertschi, 24, +0.9, 0.69 for their youth, but the emergence of Pavel Buchnevich has been a big part of that. He’s seen a bigger role this season and has made it count Ben Hutton, 24, +0.7, 0.39 with 15 points in 18 games. Ditto for Mika Zibanejad who’s now the de The Canucks top line has been surprisingly effective so far this year and factor No. 1 centre since Derek Stepan’s departure and has been that’s thanks in large part to Brock Boeser who very much looks like the amazing in the role. His plus-six per cent relative Corsi is the best mark real deal so far with 14 points in 14 games. Bo Horvat and Sven of his career and tops among Rangers forwards. J.T. Miller and Brady Baertschi haven’t been as prolific, but they’re on 62 and 57 point paces Skjei are decent as well, though Skjei has taken a bit of a step back this respectively which is huge for a team that has been low on scoring talent season. during the Sedins continued decline. Ben Hutton is starting to eat big 15. Montreal Canadiens minutes and has looked pretty good in the process. Jonathan Drouin, 22, +1.7, 0.78 20. Detroit Red Wings Phillip Danault, 24, +1.5, 0.72 Anthony Mantha, 22, +2.3, 0.89 Artturi Lehkonen, 22, +1.4, 0.58 Dylan Larkin, 21, +1.5, 0.82 Alex Galchenyuk, 23, +1.0, 0.43 Andreas Athanasiou, 23, +1.1, 0.53 Charles Hudon, 23, +0.9, 0.58 Anthony Mantha has been a beast for the Wings this season and is a big part of why they’ve had a respectable record so far. The return of Dylan All offence here as there’s not a defender in sight, though Victor Mete Larkin has helped, too. His 15 points in 18 games and plus-six relative deserves consideration. Jonathan Drouin was brought in to be the No. 1 Corsi has him looking more like the kid who burst onto the scene two centre and he’s been pretty good at it, though there’s a lot of room to seasons ago, and less like the one that fell off a cliff after. grow. The Habs have a lot of good young players highlighted by Drouin, but no truly great ones. Phillip Danault is quietly decent (and I bet the 21. St. Louis Blues Hawks really regret that move) while Artturi Lehkonen and Charles Colton Parayko, 24, +2.1, 0.62 Hudon are scoring chance machines. Alex Galchenyuk is dropping in value by the week though and has had a nightmare start to the season Robby Fabbri, 21, +1.3 with just six points in 18 games and more than enough struggles in his own end. Joel Edmundsson, 24, +0.6, 0.54 16. New Jersey Devils Dmitrij Jaskin, 24, +0.5, 0.56 Nico Hischier, 18, +1.6, 0.66 The Blues have had a great start to the season and that’s made all the more impressive by the fact their best young forward is out for the Jesper Bratt, 19, +1.6, 0.65 season. Having Robby Fabbri around sure would be nice in a season where they look like genuine contenders. They’re pretty low on quality Damon Severson, 23, +1.1, 0.44 after him as the next best bet is Dmitrij Jaskin who doesn’t seem to be in Will Butcher, 22, +1.0, 0.57 the coach’s favour right now despite efficient low minute results. The emerging young defenders this team has are promising though, Pavel Zacha, 20, +0.0, 0.14 especially Colton Parayko who could be one of the league’s best young defenders. He’s got the fifth highest value among defenders under 25 The Devils were a team that was low on rising young skill aside from their behind Werenski, Hamilton, Lindholm and Jones. Not a bad list to be on. first overall pick last season, but the emergence of Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher changed that this season and they’ve been sensational so far. 22. Washington Capitals Nico Hischier is living up to his billing as a No. 1 pick and Damon Severson is still arguably the Devils best defender. It’s a solid quartet of Andre Burakovsky, 22, +1.7, 0.64 young talent and hopefully one day Pavel Zacha will join them as a Jakub Vrana, 21, +1.0, 0.51 competent player. Madison Bowey, 22, +0.8, 0.27 17. Buffalo Sabres Christian Djoos, 23, +0.6, 0.36 Jack Eichel, 20, +2.4, 0.73 This ranking really depends on how you feel about the young blueliners teams, while Shea Theodore still hasn’t been able to prove himself after in Washington, who have been mostly just okay so far. Same thing goes starting the season in the minors. for Jakub Vrana who has lots of offensive tools, but lacks defensive awareness. This was supposed to be Andre Burakovsky’s break-out 29. Minnesota Wild season, but that was derailed by early struggles and an injury. There’s no Matt Dumba, 23, +1.0, 0.30 one here who can really step up if the big guns go down, especially in his absence. Jonas Brodin, 24, +0.5, 0.08 23. San Jose Sharks Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek might find their way here soon, but they haven’t earned it just yet. It’s just two young blueliners in the cut here, Tomas Hertl, 23, +1.9, 0.68 both of whom have struggled to find their way early this season Timo Meier, 21, +1.0, 0.45 compared to where they were last season. Their struggles are a big reason for the Wild’s current puck possession woes. Kevin Labanc, 21, +0.6, 0.54 30. Los Angeles Kings Tomas Hertl is on a decent 50 point pace without much power play time, which is nice to see. Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc are decent depth Adrian Kempe, 21, +0.9, 0.62 forwards too, but with how old San Jose’s top guys are, the young The Kings are one of the league’s oldest teams and it certainly shows reinforcements just don’t seem good enough to sustain their competitive here with Adrian Kempe being their lone young gun. He’s had a nice start window for much longer. to this season though thanks mostly to the opportunity afforded to him by 24. Chicago Blackhawks Jeff Carter’s injury. Ryan Hartman, 22, +1.3, 0.51 31. Ottawa Senators Alex DeBrincat, 19, +1.2, 0.53 Cody Ceci, 23, +0.2, 0.13 Nick Schmaltz, 21, +0.9, 0.56 I didn’t even realize the situation was this dire in Ottawa. When your only prominent NHLer under 25 is Cody Ceci, that’s a problem. They’ve got The Blackhawks have really struggled this season and their days as a some very good prospects, but this is bleak. contender may be over. These three are their best hopes at providing them with young, solid depth to complement their stars which is The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 something they desperately need given how much they’re spending on them. The trio look like decent middle six forwards, but their consistency level hasn’t been there yet. Hartman has just five points in his last 16 games after exploding for five on opening night. 25. New York Islanders Mathew Barzal, 20, +1.7, 0.96 Joshua Ho-Sang, 21, +0.9, 0.52 Adam Pelech, 23, +0.7, 0.44 Mathew Barzal has been sensational as the Isles second line centre and is already looking like an impact forward. It’s also nice that they brought Joshua Ho-Sang back up because he gives them a much needed element of creativity and his game feels unfairly maligned given the skillset he brings to the table. Adam Pelech looks like a solid defender, too. The big issue is that’s basically it. 26. Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel, 22, +2.0, 0.55 Matt Murray, 23, +1.4 Olli Maatta, 23, +1.0, 0.39 Not surprising for a team with two straight Cups to be this low, but they at least have an impact scorer like Jake Guentzel and a bonafide No. 1 goalie like Matt Murray to complement their actual core. 27. Dallas Stars Esa Lindell, 23, +0.9, 0.71 Mattias Janmark, 24, +0.8, 0.51 Radek Faksa, 23, +0.8, 0.54 Devin Shore, 23, +0.4, 0.28 Not the best look for Dallas as their window to win is basically now despite missing the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. These four aren’t exactly impact players, though Esa Lindell has been great whenever he’s next to John Klingberg while Mattias Janmark is having a nice start after missing all of last year. Radek Faksa is really underrated, but he’s been stuck on the fourth line. 28. Vegas Golden Knights Alex Tuch, 21, +1.0, 0.66 William Karlsson, 24, +0.8, 0.69 Shea Theodore, 22, +0.6, 0.31 No surprise here as there weren’t many young guys offered up to Vegas in the expansion draft, and all three players listed were acquired via side deals. Alex Tuch and William Karlsson have both impressed so far thanks to some power play time they weren’t getting with their previous 1083412 Websites scoring. He even had a signature goal celebration dubbed the “Foligno Leap.”

Not only did he score 355 goals in 1,018 games for Detroit, Buffalo, The Athletic / Nick and Marcus Foligno proving the old adage: Like Toronto and Florida, Mike Foligno ranks 51st in NHL history with 2,049 father, like son(s) penalty minutes. “People forget because he was so tough, but he scored a lot of goals, Michael Russo 18 hours ago too,” Marcus said. “Even us as his kids forget that because we always see his fight tapes on YouTube or whatever. But he had a heck of a career. He brought it all, and Buffalo being his longest stint, they loved him there just because of how blue collar he was. Just like any brothers, Nick and Marcus Foligno love taking jabs at each other. “That’s why it was such an honor for me to play there and follow in his footsteps.” That’s especially the result of not only sharing a bedroom through their entire childhood, but believe it or not, even the first summer after Nick’s As a kid, Marcus lived everywhere from Buffalo to Boca Raton, Fla., from rookie NHL season. Denver to Hershey, Pa., as his dad played and ultimately developed his own coaching career. When Mike Foligno was an assistant with the “We joke around about it and it was probably embarrassing at the time, Colorado Avalanche, Nick and Marcus got to go on the ice and take but deep down, I loved it,” said Nick Foligno, the Columbus Blue Jackets passes from Hall of Famers like Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg. captain who’s the older, but not-so-much bigger Foligno brother. “We’re pretty close, him and I. We may be four years apart, but Marcus has Their personal hockey careers would eventually take off under the always been very big for his age, so I always treated him like he was the tutelage of their dad, who became head coach with Ontario Hockey same age as me. It never seemed weird at the time. But definitely we League Sudbury. Both Nick and Marcus played for their father. had a lot of fights and late night arguments and a lot of laughs for sure.” “Was he hard on us? Yeah,” Marcus Foligno said. “But he got us to a “Basically,” Nick cracked, “Minnesota’s got the ugly version of me.” point where we always had to respect and love the game and have passion for it. He just wanted us to play hard. Sometimes, there’d be Oh yeah? those times where we didn’t give a great effort, and that’s where we would get yelled at. But what was cool, he was coach at rink and dad at “Ask him why he’s so obsessed with Celine Dion,” Marcus, the Wild’s home.” heavy-hitting left winger, chirped with impressive return fire. Nick thinks what really embedded itself into both Foligno brothers was “What a little shit!!!” Nick said, laughing hard. “She’s my babe. That’s my not so much watching their dad but “watching the passion my dad had to girlfriend. I love Celine.” play. That’s what really drew Marcus and I to the game. “You can blame my mom on that one,” Nick Foligno continued. “Driving “We saw how much my dad loved the game of hockey,” Nick continued. to hockey games two hours, I’d listen to Celine Dion and Shania Twain. “We just became involved and obsessed with it at a young age. All we That was my motivational music on the way to games as a kid. I’m proud wanted to do was play hockey. I don’t think we ever imagined in the of that. I don’t have any shame in that.” sense we’d be in the NHL, but we dreamed about it. We saw our dad do Marcus and Nick Foligno at Marcus' 2016 wedding to Natascia. (Photo it, so it was like, ‘Why can’t we do it? It was like what we were meant to courtesy of Marcus Foligno) do.” Last month, in the Wild’s home opener, Round 15 of the six-foot, 202- What’s really neat? It’s almost like Nick and Marcus each possess half pound, 30-year-old Nick Foligno vs. the 6-foot-3, 232-pound, 26-year-old their dad’s attributes. Marcus Foligno had to be canceled because Marcus underwent surgery Nick’s developed into more the goal scorer. He scored a career-high 31 the day before to repair a broken cheekbone. In a fight during the Wild’s goals and 73 points three seasons ago and last season scored 26 during previous game in Chicago, Marcus made the giant mistake of letting up a franchise-best season for the Blue Jackets. in a fight when he had the clear edge. He went to remove the helmet of fellow combatant John Hayden, and “pop,” Foligno took a big right to the Marcus’ game is more about power. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau says, left cheek. “he hits like a truck,” which Foligno showed last season when he ranked fifth in the NHL with 279 hits and ninth with nine fights. He currently leads “And he was winning the fight,” brother Nick said, shaking his head. the Wild and is third among NHL forwards with 54 hits, displaying that Bad timing. Several Foligno family members, including their sisters Cara value when he set the tone with three hits his first shift of an eventual and Lisa, converged on Minnesota to watch Marcus, acquired from the shutout win last week in Montreal. Buffalo Sabres in June, wear a Wild sweater for the first time in a “I always used to say, ‘Real men have scars,’” said Mike Foligno. “It’s all Foligno-Foligno meeting. about playing hard and playing to win … in the game of hockey and in “The coolest thing was my first goal was against Nick,” Marcus said of the game of life. That’s the only way Marcus knows how to play – all out!” the tying goal he scored to force overtime in his second NHL game on Nick Foligno laughed. March 10, 2012, in Ottawa when Nick was still a member of the Senators. “Nick probably wouldn’t agree that it was cool, but for me, it “It is funny how we each took a lot of the aspects of my dad’s game and was a special moment.” put it into ours,” Nick said. “I think it’s probably a proud thing for him to see that we’re a carbon copy of him in certain aspects. That’s usually It felt like half their hometown of Sudbury, Ontario, attended that game, a what happens with a mentor. What’s also funny, Marcus’ favorite player game in which baby bro stood up big bro on a whopping hit in the corner growing up was Claude Lemieux and mine was Peter Forsberg. and then received a return spear up the ice as payback from Nick. “So maybe I tried to learn more the skill side and Marcus more the wild Last season, during a Sabres-Blue Jackets game, the two actually got side. We’ve both kind of carved out our careers in certain ways.” into a shoving match that was emblematic of their youth. As a kid, Marcus earned the nickname, “Moose.” “They were up 3-0 and we beat them 4-3,” Marcus said. “I think he was just pissed off in general and I was the one in front of him at the time. “Marcus was always too big for his age, so he never really quite grew into The fans loved it, but it didn’t escalate. I don’t think I could fight him.” his body,” Nick said. “He was always so awkward on the ice especially, so he got the ‘Moose’ nickname. He got hurt all the time because his feet “Yeah, we started shoving, and I was like, ‘I’ve got to get a good shot on were too big. He would break bones because his bones couldn’t catch up him,' and I actually did,” Nick said, laughing. “But then he shoved me to how fast he was growing. Then finally he started to even out so to back and launched me about four feet backwards. You know what? speak and fill out, and now the rest is history.” You’re very fortunate to be able to play against your brother in this league. We know how hard it is to make this league, so you have to have Naturally, both honored their dad with the Foligno Leap after their first fun with it and we definitely do.” NHL goals – well, kinda. Marcus and Nick Foligno with their father, Mike Foligno, at Marcus' “All the guys on the Senators told me I better do it,” Nick said. “I said, wedding. (Photo courtesy of Marcus Foligno) ‘No,’ and they said, ‘If you don’t do it, we’ll fine you.’ So I did it. Marcus, well, he didn’t know he scored on his first goal, so he did the ‘Leap’ on It’s something they learned from their famous father Mike Foligno, who his second goal. It was just so neat to do something on an NHL rink we played 15 years in the NHL and was one heck of a combo of grit and did all the time as little kids in the driveway. It was very special.” It’s very easy to see how close Nick and Marcus are. It reminds him of earlier in his career when he was traded from the Senators to the Blue Jackets. He badly needed a change, and Nick Both say that as kids, Nick was high-strung and needed things to go his believes the move will help out his brother’s offensive game. Marcus has way, while Marcus is a go with the flow guy. never scored more than 13 goals and 23 points in a season. “I’d throw the clothes on the bed, and he was nice and tidy, and I drove “I already can see a growth in Marcus, and that’s what I was hoping to him crazy,” Marcus said. “He’s got some quirks and I had to understand see,” Nick said. “I think he’s the exact player that Minnesota needs, and I his rules in the bedroom and the way he liked things. You can kind of see think Minnesota is the exact thing that Marcus needs. I think he needs a why he’s such a good captain. I mean, there’s nobody on that Columbus fresh look at the type of player he can become. I think they have high team that doesn’t love and respect him.” hopes for him, which they should. The brothers each say they really started to appreciate their friendship “It puts the onus on Marcus to live up to that and to be that player that he once they got out of their teens. wants to be first of all and he knows he can be, and they’re going to give “When you’re young, there’s a lot of battles and a lot of competition,” him every opportunity it sounds like to do that. This is a really good time Marcus said. “But we train together, and I’m building my house right next in his career to take that next step.” to my dad’s and my brother’s on a lake in Sudbury. It’s just funny how The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 once you grow up, you want to see each other succeed.” 11.15.2017= The Folignos are an extremely philanthropic family. Mike Foligno became a scout for the Vegas Golden Knights but left quickly to become a consultant for Hockey Canada’s Men’s Paralympic team. In fact, he just returned from South Korea this past weekend. Nick Foligno and his wife, Janelle, last year donated $1 million to two children’s hospitals in Boston and Columbus after their daughter Milana’s life was saved after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus used their portion of the money to create the Foligno Family Cardiovascular Research Lab. “Milana is four now, and she’s unbelievable, just phenomenal,” Uncle Marcus said. The family has also created the Janis Foligno Foundation in memory of Nick and Marcus’ mom, who died in 2009 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Every summer, the foundation disseminates thousands of dollars to local charities in northern Ontario. Four years ago, the foundation purchased a breast coil machine to help with early detection for a hospital that did not have one. Papa John’s donates $500 for every goal Nick scores. “We just hope Nick keeps scoring,” Marcus said. The NHL draft was in Montreal the summer Janis passed away. Sadly, Janis was too sick to attend that June to watch Marcus be drafted. She died a month later. “It was tough not to have her there, but she stayed alive long enough to see me get drafted by Buffalo, which was kind of a home for her. So she got to see all four of her kids accomplish something significant,” Marcus said. “She was the absolute best. My dad and her had a good balance. She was definitely the one that if we had a bad game and dad was disappointed, she would smooth it over.” Marcus said with a big laugh: “She could pick out the good players but she didn’t worry about backchecking the way my dad worried about it.” Tuesday is Hockey Fights Cancer Night when the Wild host the Philadelphia Flyers. Marcus said there's never a morning he wakes up and doesn't think about his mom. “It's been eight years and feels like yesterday,” Marcus said of his mom's passing. In June, Nick was honored in Las Vegas with the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and Mark Messier Leadership Award. Nobody had ever won both awards the same night. The King Clancy goes to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. The Messier Award is selected by the six- time Stanley Cup champion himself and honors the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice. “I think this was all instilled from our parents’ teachings,” Nick said. “They were just charitable people. I still remember as kids going to Meals on Wheels runs with my mom, and my dad was the honorary chair for the Special Olympics when we were younger. They taught us that we’re meant to help people and do more in our lives. Especially with the platform we have, we feel the responsibility and a duty in a way to help those less fortunate.” 11.15.2017= Nick Foligno could not be happier that his younger brother was traded to the Wild. 1083413 Websites “Don’t take our players too early. Lots of players have the dream of coming over and playing in the NHL, but maybe they are not mature enough to do so and don’t have the talent. It’s better to let them play in The Athletic / As NHL retreats from Olympics, IIHF president Rene Fasel Europe, to have a safe environment with the family there and then to becomes more ambitious come to the NHL maybe when they are 23 or 24 years old when they are mature,” he said.

He yearns for more co-operation and fears when the NHL plays games By Scott Wheeler 20 hours ago abroad – such as in China in the pre-season or recently in Stockholm, Sweden — they do so only for their bottom line.

“It should be a balance and just a little bit of respect,” he said. “It’s very On a day when Gary Bettman listed all of his — and his owners' — difficult for the IIHF. We have the European leagues, the KHL, Asia is reasons for skipping the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games in Asia, the growing. We need to have a balance there for our game we love so NHL's next big market, IIHF president Rene Fasel set his sights higher much. If we could really have a strategy all together. I mean the brand of than ever for the growth of hockey internationally. the NHL is so much better than other brands, but why don’t we use that together? Development is our job.” “If you look at the peninsula of Korea, PyeongChang to Beijing is less distance than New York to Chicago. It’s in the same region. What I do not In the women's game, he wants to find new ways to raise enrollment in understand is when they speak about the development of the sport of countries like Finland, where only a few thousand play. He worries even hockey and they miss this unique opportunity to come and show this if progress is made, the talent race between Canada and the U.S. is so brand in Asia,” Fasel said on Monday at the 10th annual PrimeTime far ahead, the gap could keep widening. Sports Management Conference in Toronto. Most of all, he said he worries about slowed enrollment on the men's side Fasel also announced on Monday that in 2020, when his current term is in many countries and about overall concerns about health, an issue the up, he will retire at the age of 70. But before then, he has three years to IIHF has long put at the forefront with stricter officiating and discipline, as put a stamp on his 26-year legacy. He has big plans. well as a ban on fighting. He wants a greater symbiosis between the international hockey “This is another opportunity for us to protect the athletes. How can you community and the NHL, who have long been at odds over more than ask a young mother about playing hockey when in the newspapers you just the Olympics. read about the concussions, the fights, the blood, you know? We have to give a guarantee to the parents that when the boy or girl is starting to “Maybe I can retire, Gary too, and then we’ll find it,” he said, laughing. play the game that accidents happen but we do everything possible on “We are different. He is business and I am more sport and he disagrees our side that they’re in a safe environment,” Fasel said. when I say that. On the sports side, he doesn’t like when I say you are not for sport, you are just for business. My relationship I would say is like On many of these issues, as on the Olympics, he and Bettman stand in an old couple, married 25 years.” stark contrast. While he knows the hockey in PyeongChang will be injected with new And they'll have to — for three more years. emotion, heroes and storylines, he is disappointed for fans and NHL players, who he promises the IIHF will encourage to participate in Beijing The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 in 2022. “There is absolutely no reason for us to tell no to the players that want to go to the Olympics,” Fasel said. He also understands that the International Olympic Committee didn't help the cause when they decided against supporting transportation and insurance (to the tune of roughly $14 million) for NHL players in 2018, as had been the case since the late 1990s. Still, the NHL's decision shocked him. “As a brand, it would be a very, very good first step for the NHL to go to PyeongChang, make the to show people that we want to be part of the development in Asia and then make the big showing in Beijing. I really do not understand why they decided not to come,” he said. Fasel refuses to give up hope for NHL participation in the future, though. Even if he won't be leading the IIHF during the Beijing games. “I still think that there’s a place for the NHL in the Olympics, especially in Beijing. If Calgary, Salt Lake City and Denver are bidding (for 2026), I cannot imagine that the NHL would not participate. The most important thing is the sport, the athletes and the fans.” But the Olympics are just one piece of the puzzle in growing the game internationally. Fasel has an ambitious laundry list he wants to accomplish before he calls it quits. Few of his boxes have anything to do with the Olympics. He wants to begin to establish a European league that can compete with the NHL for talent and, in time, create a rivalry between the two continents, something that may help the NHL's fractured relationship with European federations. (Swedish delegates recently begged the NHL to stop poaching draft picks to the AHL.) “We will never be like the NHL — the money, the arenas. But my dream is to put the base for a very strong, permanent European league and be then a competitor to the NHL, to have a competition between North America and Europe. That for the fans would be very, very special,” Fasel said. In time, he hopes the NHL and the Canadian Hockey League will consider taking fewer players from European leagues. Of the approximately 60 European players taken in each draft, he worries of the 50 or so who don't make it, and might get caught in between in middling pro contracts in North America with too few routes back in Europe. He was proud when 2017 first-overall draft pick Nico Hischier opted to play a year with Bern in before coming to North America. 1083414 Websites “Just watching my mom deal with that and just the strength that she had and the attitude that she had towards it, I think it changed me and really shaped me and is a huge part about who I am today, why I’m here, The Athletic / Devan Dubnyk's third straight shutout comes on a night things I’ve been able to overcome, all these things. That was such a with a much deeper meaning to him huge part of my life to watch somebody be so selfless and so strong in what was a much more difficult situation than anybody let the 15-year-old baby of the family onto.” By Michael Russo 4 hours ago Dubnyk, staring straight across the locker room, suddenly stopped talking. He looked up, reflected, and then repeated the most heartfelt conversation of his life. Wild fans should know by now, Devan Dubnyk’s one mentally strong When his parents finally revealed to him that his mother was sick, goaltender. Dubnyk looked at his mother and said, “I need you around. A year before he arrived in Minnesota, Dubnyk found himself booted from “I don’t know if it was a selfish thing for me to say, but I told her, ‘I’ve got the NHL during a miserable season that saw him trudge from Edmonton a lot to do, and I need you around for it,’” Dubnyk said. “And she to Nashville to Hamilton, Ontario. promised me she would be.” Yet, even then, Dubnyk figured out a way to save his career — and the Barb Dubnyk kept her promise. Wild’s 2014-15 season in the process — during a magnificent run that resulted in a Masterton Trophy, top-three Vezina Trophy finish and six- She has seen her son’s career flourish in Minnesota. But most year contract. importantly, her three kids have given her the gift of five grandchildren with a sixth on the way. So, a rocky start to the 2017-18 season wasn’t anything Dubnyk couldn’t handle. Devan and Jennifer Dubnyk’s third boy is due in January. He wasn’t about to let a fluky goal — or 10 — destroy his confidence or Back in Alberta, you can bet Barb and Dubnyk’s dad, Barry, were season. beaming with pride Tuesday night as they watched their son once again lift the Wild onto his confident back. “Yeah, it's been good. I feel confident in there,” Dubnyk said coolly, calmly and collectedly Tuesday night after recording a third consecutive He’s once again looking like the Dubnyk that through March 1 last shutout for a second consecutive season. season was the toast of the NHL and looking like a Vezina Trophy shoo- in. Five nights after stopping all 41 shots he faced in Montreal and three nights after stopping all 32 shots he faced in Philadelphia, Dubnyk once In the past three games of perfection, Dubnyk has elevated his save again blanked the Flyers with 30 saves during a 3-0 win. It was a game in percentage from .903 to .926 and lowered his goals-against average which Dubnyk had to be brilliant because after Nino Niederreiter scored from 3.04 to 2.36. 12 seconds in, the flat Wild defended an awful lot until Eric Staal and Jason Zucker each scored empty-net goals to make the game appear a “The biggest key for me is just finding pucks and making sure my feet are lot more lopsided than it ever was. set,” Dubnyk said. “That kind of trickles down into everything else as far as moving around and rebound control and all that stuff.” “It tells us how good the goalie was,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I thought this was a typical first game back from a road trip. We had a hard The cushion Niederreiter provided 12 seconds in — tied for the fastest time finding our legs, I thought, the first two periods. I thought in the third home goal to start a game in Wild history — sure helped after Staal stole period there was a lot of character that took over.” a puck and teed him up. It was the first goal scored by a Wild played not named Zucker in 184 minutes, 16 seconds. Dubnyk has stopped 106 consecutive shots to break his own mark with a career-best and Wild individual record shutout streak of 195 minutes, 5 0:00 seconds. The Wild’s overall shutout streak is at 180:31, 4:28 from the Zucker would have tied the NHL record of seven consecutive team goals team record. had he scored the first goal of the game. Dubnyk’s latest masterpiece came during the Wild’s “Hockey Fights “Yeah, first thing, we laughed at each other and I said, ‘Sorry about that,’” Cancer” annual initiative. Niederreiter said. “But it seems like he was fine with it.” Frankly, that couldn’t have been been more appropriate because Dubnyk “I'm glad somebody else scored,” quipped Boudreau. often credits his mental toughness and fortitude to his mother, Barb, who is about to reach 16 years cancer-free after a tremendously courageous With the Flyers threatening with an extra attacker during Dubnyk’s run of battle with breast cancer starting when Dubnyk was only 15. brilliance that included 17 second-period saves, Mikael Granlund set up Staal’s empty netter. “I was the baby in the family, so I was the last person to find out,” Dubnyk, wearing a “Hockey Fights Cancer” Wild ballcap backward, said At that moment, with 1:09 left, Dubnyk buried his head and seemed to during in an interview with The Athletic while sitting alone at his stall after really focus to make sure he didn’t give up a late goal to spoil his shutout Tuesday’s game. “It was a difficult time. I was pretty naïve to the battle and the streak. that was ahead for my mom, which I think probably helped me. They sheltered me — my brother, my sister and my parents — from a lot of it. I Fittingly, Dubnyk would assist on Zucker’s seventh goal in four games just always believed that she was going to beat it. And her attitude and and joined the celebration with Zucker. the way she battled it allowed me to keep that belief going the whole “That's about the only way I'm going to be getting points is on a half rim time. around the boards that happens to hop over their guy,” Dubnyk said in “When she’s in there making dinner for the entire family feeling sick from self-deprecating fashion. chemo and she’s running up the stairs to the bathroom to get as far away But there was nothing Dubnyk could rip himself about Tuesday. from us as she could possibly get so she could throw up just so we don’t have to hear her be sick, that explains who she is in a nutshell. “He is seeing the puck right now and his reflexes are on fire,” Boudreau said. “We will take it as long as he can give it.” “The only thing she continued to think about was us and our family.” The Wild once again defended well. And, man, did second-pair blue- It’s on “Hockey Fights Cancer Night” every year that Dubnyk, now 31, liners Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba and young Gustav Olofsson play really thinks back to those difficult teenage years. terrifically. “Because it’s a happy story,” Dubnyk, who honors his mom with a pink “I thought their gaps were tremendous,” Boudreau said. “They were breast cancer ribbon on the back plate of his goalie mask, said. “I was making players that were coming up the ice go east-west instead of talking to my mom about it the other day, she’s happy that she can help north-south. They were eight feet away from each other. They could people now that are going through the same situation. She remembers reach out and use their sticks so they couldn't get by them. I thought they going through it and just wanting to hear from somebody that had been were really good.” through it and that made it out and just wanting to hear that positive story. She feels grateful now that she’s able to provide that for other It wasn’t the 28 shots they blocked in Montreal, but the Wild also blocked people because there’s no way for anybody to understand what it’s like to another 16. go through it unless they have. “You don't get shutouts without those kinds of efforts, without backchecks and sticks and blocks,” the appreciative Dubnyk said. “It just doesn't happen. There have been some really huge plays throughout the last three games that have allowed me to keep the puck out.” Coyle skates with Wild He’s still a while from returning, but Charlie Coyle skated with his teammates during Tuesday’s morning skate. Coyle, who broke his right fibula Oct. 12, skated for only the third time since. “I think it's just getting stronger on his leg,” Boudreau said of what the next step would be. “I mean he looks pretty good out there. I don't think we have any timetable right now. I think when he feels ready to play, he'll let us know. I'm sure the doctor will have some say. It's more up to those two right now.” Coyle said he felt surprisingly good on the ice. “I’m still just going step by step, and I just want to make sure I’m 100 percent,” Coyle said. “You don’t want anything to linger through the rest of (the season), so I’m just taking it step by step and making small improvements every day. So we’ll see when the time comes.” Coyle recently talked to The Athletic about his exhaustive rehab and surgery. The Athletic LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083415 Websites “I haven’t been this unlucky ever in my career. I don’t think I’ve gone this long without a goal,” Jokinen said. “I’ve created enough chances for myself and other players this season to have, say, three goals and three Sportsnet.ca / Oilers act fast in bringing in Cammalleri, moving out assists but it hasn’t happened.” Jokinen He falls victim to an entire bottom six that’s been snakebitten and needs a shakeup. Jokinen never did win the trust of McLellan. Mark Spector “I probably haven’t done that, not as much as other teams I’ve been on,” he lamented.

Cammalleri expects to arrive in Edmonton on Wednesday night, in time There’s an old saying about not prolonging a mistake just because you for Thursday’s home date against the St. Louis Blues. expended hours upon hours making it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 So, you can criticize Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli for acquiring Jussi Jokinen at the stage of his career where the veteran Finn could no longer make head coach Todd McLellan’s lineup. Or at least, find a way to become an integral part of the team. Or you can credit Chiarelli for quickly selling the stock, turning the 34- year-old Jokinen — who had just one assist and no goals in 14 games as an Oiler — into 35-year-old former sniper Mike Cammalleri, just 17 games into the season. However you look at it, Chiarelli dealt a veteran checker for a veteran scorer Tuesday, which makes some sense for the GM of the NHL’s lowest-scoring team, at just 2.24 goals per game. It’s a swap of two players nearing the end of their careers, one who was deemed too slow in Edmonton, for another who the Oilers hope has the hands left to bury a puck or two. “Well, he’s a shooter. Since he’s entered the league, the one thing he has is an incredible shot and a quick release,” said McLellan of his newest addition. “Given (our) lack of scoring, we think he can come in and use that shot. It’s not that we haven’t created opportunities, we just haven’t finished a lot of them. “If we can continue to create and he happens to be the receiver of some of those passes, maybe we can get a little more offence out of him.” It’s really a no-lose for Edmonton. They were getting absolutely nothing from Jokinen, a long-serving veteran whose NHL days are numbered. Edmonton needs some offensive pop, and although Cammalleri doesn’t have the foot speed he once had he should have some muscle memory remaining after 290 career goals and six 25-goal seasons. That production dropped off the last two seasons with the low-scoring New Jersey Devils (14 and 10 goals) but the two seasons before that he had 27 for the Devils and 26 goals during his last year in Calgary. “I’m looking forward to experiencing the other side of the Battle of Alberta,” Cammalleri said Tuesday night. He had two stints and four productive seasons in Calgary, sandwiched around a stint with the Montreal Canadiens. The deal is a wash financially: Jokinen makes $1.1 million, while Camalleri makes $1 million, with another $200,000 bonus if he scores 20 goals this season. The veteran knows a few Oilers players, having played with Adam Larsson in New Jersey, Kris Russell in Calgary, and trained with Darnell Nurse over the summer in Toronto. Jokinen makes $1.1M, while Cammalleri makes $1M, but gets a $200K bonus if he scores 20 goals. He has three goals in 15 games played this season. — Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) November 15, 2017 Cammalleri opened this season with a four-point night (2-2-4) against Montreal in the Kings’ fourth game, but was supplanted by the excellent play of young Adrian Kempe as the season wore on. Cammalleri played more left wing than centre this season in Los Angeles, and had some time on the second power-play unit — roles that will likely be identical in Edmonton. He’ll help beef up an Oilers bottom six that has scored but two goals this season, prior to the Oilers game against Las Vegas Tuesday. And he’ll be asked to help a second power-play unit on a club with the league’s 24th-ranked power play (14.9 per cent). The Kings make this deal with an eye towards beefing up their defensive play. Everyone has loved how they’re more fun to watch since John Stevens took over as head coach, but internally the Kings believe they’re giving up too many chances and leaning too hard on goalie Jonathan Quick. Jokinen told Postmedia last week that he was having trouble gaining the trust of the coach in Edmonton. He’ll get a fresh start with Stevens in Los Angeles. 1083416 Websites goal man, and was hoping those extra 10 goals might come from other sources.

Here’s what’s gone wrong with Chiarelli’s gamble: Sportsnet.ca / Three reasons why the Oilers offence continues to sputter Caggiula and Slepyshev were the main contenders to help fill the void, but both have spent the season off and on IR; the state of Klefbom’s Mark Spector game has cost everyone goals, as he is on pace for about half of last season’s 38-point output. Your best defenceman is counted on to start the offence and Chiarelli needs Klefbom to be better, plain and simple. The statistics are one thing, but actually watching the Edmonton Oilers We all knew Patrick Maroon might score at a lesser pace after shooting play is quite another. at 15.2 per cent clip last year. But he’s had plenty of Grade A chances thus far and simply been unlucky/ineffective at burying pucks. He’s still There was a 2-1 overtime loss in Pittsburgh in which Edmonton, with just shooting at a 9.1 per cent clip, and could easily have double the four the smallest bit of finish to their game, would have had three or four goals goals he has thus far, but for some bad luck/execution on Maroon’s part. in regulation. There was this past Sunday in Washington, where the Oilers out-chanced and out-played the Capitals, yet lost 2-1 in a shootout The Oilers shot metrics are excellent, and would assume that this team because the Oilers best players simply could not will a puck over the line will begin to score more as it works (at worst) to a median league in regulation. average shooting percentage last season of 9.1 per cent. And, Nugent- Hopkins’ scoring has increased (six goals), helping to make up for For whatever reason, a team that ranked 11th last season with a Eberle’s absence. shooting percentage of 9.5 per cent sits dead last this season at 6.3 per cent — converting shots at barely half the rate of the league-leading The Oilers just scored eight goals on their just-completed four-game trip Toronto Maple Leafs’ 12.1 per cent. and brought home five points from the road. Had they averaged three a night, that likely would have been seven points. Maybe eight. Trading away Jordan Eberle, a career 13.4 per cent shooter, for Ryan Strome (career 8.6 per cent) accounts for a slight percentage loss. But Like Darryl Sutter used to say, it’s a 3-2 league. That’s a fact the that salary dump has little effect on the shooting percentages of a host of Edmonton Oilers are learning the hard way this season. players who are below their career average. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 Here are a few thoughts on how a team that ranked eighth last season with 2.96 goals per game is scuffling along at 2.24 goals per 60 minutes, dead last in the National Hockey League. The power play Power plays can win games by themselves, but it can also be a tonic for individual players to find some scoring confidence. While the Dallas Stars, who have four more points in the standings than Edmonton, have a power play that’s clicking at 31.3 per cent, Edmonton’s unit ranks 24th at 14.9 per cent. Why? It starts with a struggling Oscar Klefbom, the point man and high shooter on the ‘A’ unit, who has been entirely ineffective in all areas this season — but particularly at getting shots through on the power play. Klefbom has just two power-play points in 17 games (no goals), and because his shots are getting blocked or missing the net with regularity there are no rebound goals for forwards crashing the net. You can quibble with the power play personnel and their usage, but the same units (minus injured, second-unit point man Andrej Sekera) were effective last season at 22.9 per cent. This year? Crickets, thus far. Depth scoring In the NHL, depth scoring provides the body blow that sets up the knock out punch in later rounds. When the game starts, opponents plan to stop Connor McDavid’s No. 1 line, leaving more favourable matchups for lines 2-4. As long as the game stays tied or within a goal, the opposition’s game plan remains intact. Get a depth goal or two, and the opponent must focus more on scoring more than defending. Quality chances ensue, and the top guys usually capitalize. McDavid’s line has pulled its weight at five-on-five, as have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic. But starting with the sixth forward all the way through the defence, the Oilers Top 5 forwards have had almost no help. Stay-at-home point man Adam Larsson leads the defence corps with two goals, while Kris Russell leads all D-men with five points. That’s an indictment on Klefbom and to a lesser extent Matt Benning, who it was hoped could make up for Sekera’s absence, to an extent. Among the forwards, Anton Slepyshev and Drake Caggiula have spent the season on and off injured reserve. Zack Kassian chipped in seven goals last season, but has not scored yet this fall. Letestu doesn’t have an even strength goal. Strome has one. The two Finns, Jussi Jokinen and Iiro Pakarinen, haven’t scored. In 17 games played the Oilers have a grand total of three even strength goals by their bottom-six forwards. That level of production won’t cut it. The general manager Peter Chiarelli took a chance dumping Eberle’s salary, knowing that he’d have to start creating some cap space with McDavid’s second contract kicking in next season. He knew he was trading a 25-goal man for a 15- 1083417 Websites The play began with an excellent cross-ice pass from Canucks defenceman Derrick Pouliot, who released Loui Eriksson down the left wing for an open shot on Quick. Eriksson retrieved the rebound and Sportsnet.ca / Vancouver Canucks’ win over Kings as odd as it was relayed it to Sedin. impressive The newly constructed power play then tied it 2-2 at 10:00 when Horvat recovered a loose puck, then established body position at the top of the crease just in time to bunt in the tumbling rebound from Brock Boeser’s Iain MacIntyre off-wing shot, which Quick struggled to handle. “I think we always had chemistry,” Boeser said of the remade power play. “We just set up different looks for certain guys. Our power play has been LOS ANGELES – On a night of surprise and debate regarding the a big turning point in some of (Vancouver’s losses). Tonight, it was a Vancouver Canucks, the most unexpected sight was Swiss winger Sven turning point that helped us win the game.” Baertschi square-dancing as he entered the National Hockey League team’s dressing room post-game. The second-unit power play broke the tie at 4:07 of the third period when Baertschi took a cross-ice pass from Thomas Vanek and rifled a shot “I’m trying to figure out my second language,” Baetschi explained after over Quick’s shoulder as the goaltender moved across his crease. scoring the winner in a remarkable 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings. “Chattahoochee? What does that mean? It kind of throws me off.” Green and hockey coaches everywhere fume about reporters making too much of losses. So let’s not make too much of one win. But it’s one the It’s a country song by Alan Jackson – victory music following a game in Canucks had to have, and it was an unconventional and unexpected as it which the Canucks trailed 2-0 after three minutes, then recovered their was impressive. equilibrium and earned both points against a powerful opponent to salvage their California road trip. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 Derek Dorsett, who has returned from career-threatening spinal surgery last season, fought Kings enforcer Andy Andreoff when Vancouver fell behind after only 23 seconds. Debate fighting among yourselves – it’s a legitimate and serious discussion – but do not doubt the bracing effect Dorsett had on his teammates. Vancouver’s power play, re-jigged by coach Travis Green after it cost the Canucks in a 5-0 loss Saturday to the San Jose Sharks, produced both the tying and winning goals. And Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson, who was unavailable for four games last week due to the birth of his child, looked like he might go into labour after allowing an atrocious goal on the first shot he faced since Oct. 26. Then he stopped 30 of the next 31 shots, including all 15 in the third period as Vancouver finished a 2-2 road trip in the middle of an extremely taxing month. “It’s always tough to start that way,” Baertschi said of an 0-2 deficit by 3:14 of the first period. “But this year, I just have a different feeling about our team. I always feel like we have a chance to come back. After three minutes, 2-0? Well, there’s still 57 minutes to come back, and that’s exactly what we did tonight.” Asked if Dorsett fighting Andreoff made a difference, Baertschi said: “Oh, my God. It just got all the guys going. He knows the right time for it, when to step up. He’s doing everything for us. It’s not just fighting. It’s blocking shots, all the little details. Some people may not see Dorse as that important. But for us, as a team – and we’re all brothers in here – when you see a guy go do something like that, it gets us fired up.” Dorsett said: “I thought that (first goal) was going to give them a little bit of momentum. So I just thought it was a good time to see if he wanted to fight.” Earthquakes in Los Angeles have had more positive starts than the Canucks had against the Kings. Canuck Michael Del Zotto’s pass into his own slot exploded off Markus Granlund’s stick, and Tanner Pearson scooped the turnover and banked a sharp-angle shot off Nilsson’s hip to make it 1-0 for Los Angeles at 23 seconds. At 1:15, Canuck Brendan Gaunce marked his return to the lineup by taking a tripping penalty. And at 3:14, Anze Kopitar made it 2-0 by skating away from Bo Horvat to convert a back-post pass by Dustin Brown. At that point, shot attempts were 9-0 for the Kings and you wondered if the Canucks might actually double the 1-9 California deficit they brought into the game after lopsided losses to the Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. But between those two goals, causing a debate that lit up the Internet on the West Coast, Dorsett fought Andreoff. And once the Canucks actually gave themselves a chance to play at even strength, they fairly dominated the rest of the period territorially. In the middle period, the Canucks translated that onto the scoreboard. A fluke goal – neither more nor less deserved than Pearson’s bank shot off Nilsson – got Vancouver within a goal at 5:10 when Henrik Sedin’s centring pass/shot/prayer hit the butt of Kings’ forward Nick Shore and caromed past goalie Jonathan Quick. 1083418 Websites It’s the oldest recipe in hockey, but the same formula is playing out in Edmonton this November that has worked in so many towns: A struggling team first had to find its goaltending and defence, scoring four goals on a Sportsnet.ca / Gates finally open for Oilers’ offence in win over Golden three-game road trip that went 1-1-1, then eight times on a recent four- Knights gamer that ended up 2-1-1. Now, with the defence intact, the scoring has arrived. At least for one night. Connor McDavid scored twice and added an assist as the Oilers completely bludgeoned the Golden Knights 8-2. “We kind of put everything together tonight and things went well for us,” said Nugent-Hopkins, who is en route to perhaps his best season as a Mark Spector pro. “We can’t get away from that now. There have been times this season, at home especially, where we have a good game then come out with a crummy one. This is what they refer to as reverting to the mean. “We have to stick with this and play the same way.” The Vegas Golden Knights, who began their maiden voyage by winning Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 eight of their first nine games, are now 10-6-1. And the Edmonton Oilers, a team that inexplicably became the lowest scoring team in the National Hockey League this season, had their first eight-goal night of the year in an 8-2 blowout over Vegas. “It’s so nice,” began Oscar Klefbom, who opened the scoring with the Oilers’ first short-handed goal of the season. “We’ve had a lot of tight, one-goal games. It’s nice to see some of the players who usually don’t score a lot get some points tonight. I heard that 13 guys had at least a point for us tonight. “It was nice to get some results, especially on special teams. Let’s hope we can build on this.” These Oilers may be Cup contenders, or maybe they’re closer to the team that dug itself that giant hole with their poor start. But a shooting percentage of 6.3 per cent heading into the game simply had to go north, as did a home record that now stands at just 4-6-0 after 10 games at Rogers Place. Pat Maroon, who couldn’t buy a goal during these past couple of weeks, opened with a lovely pass on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ first of two snipes, then pumped one home on a chance that was far more difficult than some of the ones he’s squandered of late. Maroon scored 27 times last year. Those hands had to heat up, eventually. “We got away from our identity,” Maroon said of an Oilers team that physically dominated Vegas, allowing just 12 shots over the first 40 minutes. “We’re getting pucks deep, we’re using our size, we’re moving on the forecheck, our D are being active and pinching down low, we’re being physical and protecting pucks. We’re getting to the net and finding loose scraps. “Good things are happening right now and we have to build off that.” The depth scorers had been all but silent of most of the young season, but fourth-liners Mark Letestu (1-1-2), Jujhar Khaira (two assists) and Zack Kassian (assist) all hit the scoresheet. So did the big boys, with Nugent-Hopkins potting his seventh and eighth, while Connor McDavid had two goals and a helper. McDavid now has nine goals and 22 points, jumping into the NHL’s top- 10 scoring list. “Everything went wrong tonight,” began Vegas coach Gerard Gallant. “We weren’t skating, we gave them too many odd-man rushes, and they’re a talented team that takes advantage of that. Right from the start it wasn’t a good game for us.” Edmonton Oilers on Sportsnet NOW Want to livestream all 82 Oilers games this season? See how you can stream this + over 300 regular season NHL games with Sportsnet NOW. LEARN MORE A good, old-fashioned blowout. Frankly, there were supposed to be more of these here in Edmonton this season than we’ve seen. “Eight-goal nights don’t happen very often … but just the freedom to play. To have a little bit of fun,” observed head coach Todd McLellan. “Scoring is fun. Everyone gets in their car to come to the rink, they want to score a goal. “Tonight a lot of guys got rewarded, and it was a little more relaxed on the bench. A little bit of fun in the game, and we haven’t had that in a while,” he said. “Can it be a stepping stone for us? I hope so, but they’re going to continually be reminded that we have to check for those chances.” 1083419 Websites “It’s nice to send them home happy,” Lowry said. Given the way it went down, there’s more reason than ever to think the smiles could stick around. Sportsnet.ca / Jets’ depth gets the job done against Coyotes Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017

Ryan Dixon

The Winnipeg Jets have been a star-driven team this season, so if a big night from the support staff is a harbinger of things to come, watch out. The Jets completed a home-and-home sweep of the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, downing their opponents 4-1 at the Bell MTS Centre after beating them by the same count on Saturday in Arizona. Before puck drop, Winnipeg — which has earned at least a point in 11 of its past 12 outings — honoured one of its all-timers by inducting Dale Hawerchuk into its Hall of Fame. For the most part, the Jets have relied on the scoring exploits of their Hawerchuk-type talents, guys like Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. Against the Coyotes, though, Winnipeg was defined by the contributions of third- and fourth-liners like Andrew Copp, Joel Armia and Adam Lowry — all of whom hit the back of the net — and the fine goaltending of Connor Hellebuyck. The first period was a prime example of what the bottom half of the lineup can bring. After Hellebuyck’s strong play helped Winnipeg kill off a pair of penalties, Copp opened the scoring by plucking a dump-in off the wall, taking the puck to the goal past Coyotes defenceman Dakota Mermis and banging his own rebound past goalie Antti Raanta. No finesse or razzle-dazzle: just the kind of hard, greasy play the Jets needed on a night when Laine’s five-game goal-scoring streak came to an end and both Wheeler and Scheifele were held off the scoresheet. “To win games, you’ve got to get [scoring] from other places,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice. “The way Andrew scored the first one, just driving it to the net. [The line of Lowry between Copp and Brandon Tanev] had a lot of good offensive zone time early in the game. “They also, at times, have to go and play against the other team’s best when Scheif’s line is not doing that job. They look like they have something good going on there.” For the first time in a while, Bryan Little had something undeniably positive to put his arms around, too. The centre hadn’t found the net in 11 games and was sitting on just a single tally this season until he knocked the puck off Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s stick at the Winnipeg blue line, raced down the ice and fired a shot past Raanta’s glove hand to give the Jets a 3-0 advantage 5:08 into the middle frame. Goodbye back-dwelling monkey, hello to a confidence-boosting goal for a guy who — if he can get untracked — has real potential to further diversify Winnipeg’s attack. “Confidence is earned,” said Maurice. “You’ve got to score a goal to feel good if you’re a guy who puts up numbers. He does all the other parts and he competes real hard, but he believes — and we believe — he’s an offensive player and he hasn’t had a whole lot of opportunity to shoot the puck.” One player who has to be feeling great about his game is Hellebuyck. Coming off a rare bad outing — a 5-2 loss on Friday in Las Vegas that saw him yanked after 40 minutes — the 24-year-old reverted right back to the high-end form he’s shown for the majority of the season, missing only Alex Goligoski’s third-period wrister. His best work came in the second period, when an Arizona goal still had the potential to change the complexion of the game. A point-blank glove save on Derek Stepan preserved the Jets’ three-goal lead and had the Coyotes centre looking skyward, while Tobias Rieder also cracked one on net from the slot, only to see Hellebuyck — who made 33 saves overall — get his six-foot-four frame in the way. “Guys are blocking shots when they need to and keeping them to the outside,” Hellebuyck said. “If they don’t, that’s what I’m there for.” At the other end of the ice, the Coyotes still can’t seem to get a save when they need it. Raanta was yanked after Little’s goal and while Scott Wedgewood did his best to staunch the bleeding, things have officially gotten ugly for Arizona, which has just two overtime wins on the year and has now set a dubious NHL mark by failing to gain a regulation-time win through its first 20 outings. While the loss only exacerbates the Coyotes’ problems, the Winnipeg win provided a proper ending on an evening when fans showed up excited to celebrate Hawerchuk and see his No. 10 hang from the rafters. 1083420 Websites Both of them would frustrate any player. It’s amazing none of the other Canadiens were breaking their sticks on the bench after being thwarted by Bobrovsky. Sportsnet.ca / Montreal Canadiens left frustrated by Sergei Bobrovsky’s “We played a solid game,” said Canadiens coach Claude Julien. brilliance They got a point out of it to improve to 7-3-1 over their last 11 games, bringing them two points of a playoff spot after a disastrous start to the Eric Engels season that saw them win only one of their first eight games. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 MONTREAL — Paul Byron stole the puck from Seth Jones and broke away short-handed. He shifted to the middle of the slot, slipped the puck to his backhand, pushed it back to his forehand, and shot it into Sergei Bobrovsky’s sliding pad. Then he picked up his own rebound and went for another round at a scoring chance before the play ended. Frustrated, Byron skated over to the Canadiens bench, slammed the door behind him, slammed his stick over the dasher and then took his helmet off and tried to smash it to pieces. “I couldn’t score the goal, I couldn’t even break my stick,” Byron said after the Canadiens lost 2-1 in overtime to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. It was that kind of night for Byron’s team. They had ample opportunity to run away with the game, but there was Bobrovsky at every turn. In the third period, with the Canadiens trailing 1-0, forwards Andrew Shaw and Jacob De La Rose connected on a play that would’ve beaten 61 of the 62 goaltenders in the league on this night. Shaw came down the right side and sifted a pass over to De La Rose on his left, and Bobrovsky tracked the play by shuffling from his left to right, dropping his stick to gain some leverage and some speed on the way over, and he extended his blocker and delivered what has to be considered one of the best saves of the year. “It’s one of the best saves I’ve ever seen live,” said Canadiens goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who had a pretty good view of it from 200 feet away. “He knew exactly what he was doing there.” Shades of Dominik Hasek — at least for anyone who is old enough to have seen the former Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Czech national team goaltender do the things that led to him being nicknamed “The Dominator”. “He battles hard, he’s fast, he’s quick; he’s a heck of a goalie,” said Lindgren. “That was pretty special. He knew what he was doing there, making the blocker look big and getting a piece of that puck. I had a perfect view of that and the net was wide open for a split second, and he came over and made a heck of a save.” It wasn’t the only one. Outside of the one he made on Byron before the Canadiens winger managed to beat him to tie the game 1-1 with 7:46 remaining in the third period, Bobrovsky came up with several other beauties. He made a sequence of stellar ones on Max Pacioretty, as the Canadiens captain barrelled in late in the third and took a dangerous low shot and collected his own rebound for another before tipping one more seconds later. “He played phenomenal, and we knew that going into the game, that he’s one of the best goalies in the world,” said Pacioretty. “Tonight was no different. Some of those saves were outstanding.” Bobrovsky made all the routine stops, too. Just enough of them before Blue Jackets defenceman Zachary Werenski scored the winner just 1:09 into overtime. “You have to work and you have to step up when you need it, for your teammates,” Bobrovsky said after stopping 28 shots. He’s been doing plenty of that of late. Heck, in his last start, against the Red Wings on Saturday, he made 32 saves and stopped eight of nine shooters in the shootout before Jack Johnson gave the Blue Jackets a 2- 1 win. And the save Bobrovsky made in overtime, stopping a give-and-go, 2-on- 0 break by shooting out his skate on Andreas Athanasiou, will be a highlight worth watching until the end of time. The 29-year-old Russian was asked on Tuesday which was better of the two saves he made on De La Rose and Athanasiou. “You guys decide,” he said. 1083421 Websites The ’87 Canada Cup is just a single highlight on a resume that includes winning the same tournament in 1991, back-to-back Memorial Cups with the Cornwall Royals in 1980 and ’81, five productive seasons with the Sportsnet.ca / Dale Hawerchuk reflects on perfect fit with Winnipeg Jets Buffalo Sabres and induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. The one thing missing, naturally, is a Stanley Cup. And there’s no doubt where Hawerchuk always imagined that happening. Ryan Dixon “For me, this was a special place,” he said. “This would have been the place to do it and I hope I see it here one day.” From crushing playoff losses to soaring international triumphs, Dale Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 Hawerchuk has a lot to reflect back on when it comes to the Winnipeg Jets chapter of his NHL career. But on the occasion of his enshrinement into the Jets Hall of Fame, ‘Ducky’ simply sounded like a hockey guy still in awe over his hockey life. “Everyday being in the NHL, man,” said Hawerchuk when asked if one Winnipeg memory stood out above the rest. “I was the only guy from my street who made it; we all wanted to make it.” Hawerchuk — whose nickname was cheeky commentary on a unique skating stride — did much more than that. In 713 games with the Jets, he registered 379 goals and 550 assists for 929 points. On Tuesday night, he stood beside two other members of the Jets Hall of Fame — Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson — and watched his No. 10 ripple in the Bell MTS Place rafters. “Everything about the Jets was huge to me,” said Hawerchuk, who spent five seasons wearing the ‘C’ in Winnipeg. “Not many guys make the NHL at 18 and I can tell you, the first two weeks [of training camp], I didn’t think I was going to make it [either].” That, of course, was never going to be the case. And while the first overall pick in the 1981 draft surely would have done just fine wherever he landed, Hawerchuk — who now coaches his son, Ben, with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts — clearly feels his career was enhanced by landing in Winnipeg. It was a reciprocal relationship. Winnipeg won just nine games in 1980-81 during the club’s second season in the NHL. Then along came Hawerchuk, who won the Calder Trophy thanks to 45 goals, 58 assists and 103 points, as the Jets secured a playoff berth in his rookie campaign. “It was such a good fit for me,” he said. “I was hockey crazy and so was this town and this province.” Former Winnipeg Jets great Dale Hawerchuk has his banner raised to the rafters of Bell MTS Place prior to their game against the Arizona Coyotes. (Trevor Hagan/CP) Like many of his teammates, Hawerchuk became embedded in the Winnipeg and greater Manitoba community. He saw much of the province either golfing or playing softball and logged as much downtime as possible at his cottage in Gimli, a lakeside community about an hour north of the city. While playing in a hockey-mad place can wear on some, Hawerchuk thrived on it, allowing the passion of the fans to push him forward. “One thing about living in Winnipeg, once we got outside the rink we got a lot of opinions from people,” he said. “You walk on the streets outside, everybody knows who you are. You want to walk proud.” Pride in the team swelled during the 1985 post-season, when the Jets knocked off the Calgary Flames for their first-ever playoff series victory. Unfortunately for Hawerchuk, his spring ended early thanks to a whack from the stick of Flames defender Jamie Macoun. Watching his team get bounced by the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers in the next round while nursing broken ribs was devastating. “It hurt even more because you felt like, we’re not that far off from winning this thing,” said Hawerchuk, who finished runner-up to Wayne Gretzky in Hart Trophy voting that year. Though the Jets — placed in the stacked Smythe Division — were only able to win two playoff series during Hawerchuk’s nine years with the club, he represented the franchise on Team Canada at the 1987 Canada Cup. While talk of the tournament-winning goal is usually all about, “Gretzky to Lemieux,” Hawerchuk had a hand in the decisive play against the . He was the one who scrambled the defensive zone draw, allowing Lemieux to chip the puck to Gretzky and start the rush. As the Soviets raced back toward their net, Hawerchuk gave the opposing centre, Vyacheslav Bykov, a tug that would land you in the box today, no questions asked. Back then, it was just called creating a little space for greatness. “I’ll go to my grave saying he dove,” Hawerchuk said with a wry smile. 1083422 Websites better one to take than possibly exacerbating this injury by continuing to skate on it.

“I just want to make sure I’m 100 per cent and that I can do my job to the Sportsnet.ca / Carey Price should’ve learned from 2015-16 and not best of my ability when I come back,” he said. played through injury Both Price and Bergevin estimate that he’ll be back in the Canadiens net soon, though neither of them wanted to talk timelines. With Price Eric Engels sidelined and with backup Al Montoya suffering from a concussion diagnosed last Friday, the Canadiens claimed Antti Niemi, who was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers on Monday. Here’s the $84 million question most people should be asking in the On possibly keeping Lindgren when Montoya and Price get healthy: wake of Carey Price updating the hockey world on his injury status: Why "We'll evaluate then if we have room on the 23-man roster" in the world would he play a full game in Minnesota after suffering an injury in the warm up? — Eric Engels (@EricEngels) November 14, 2017 It sure seems like a case of foolish pride. As Bergevin explained, Niemi serves as an insurance policy for the Canadiens while Price and Montoya recover from injuries that will keep The Canadiens will pay Price $10.5 million in each of the next eight them out for an indeterminate amount of time. Charlie Lindgren, who’s 3- seasons that follow this one in the hopes that he’ll continue to be the 1 with a sparkling .964 save percentage and a 1.24 goals-against consensus best goaltender in the world. They signed him to that contract average, will continue to start games for the Canadiens and Niemi will extension back in July in spite of his injury history, which is long and serve as a more proven backup than Zachary Fucale, who was called up concerning. And they can’t possibly be happy about the fact that he from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on an emergency basis this past weekend. concealed this most recent injury and decided to play an entire game on it. “He doesn’t have any NHL experience and spent most of last season in the ECHL,” Bergevin said of Fucale, further explaining his decision to “I was not aware he got hurt in the warm up,” Canadiens general claim Niemi. manager Marc Bergevin said on Tuesday. “I found out after the fact. I didn’t know until the next day.” It’s a move that might not have been necessary had Price reported his injury the minute he suffered it. Price said if it was a playoff game he’d be in. Noted Lindgren’s play has bought him time to get 100% again #Habs “It’s been a little bit longer than expected,” Price said of his recovery. “I kind of expected it to be within the two-week range.” — Kyle Bukauskas (@SNkylebukauskas) November 14, 2017 Now that he’s got some extra time, he might want to use some of it to Price had a perfectly logical explanation for why he decided to play in think about how he’ll handle all future situations of this nature. There’s what turned out to be a 6-3 loss to the Wild on Nov. 2. too much riding on his long-term health and ability for him to allow his pride to get in the way again. “Obviously any athlete will tell you: when you’re warmed up and running on a bit of adrenaline, you don’t ever feel like it’s as bad until you wake Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 up the next day and everything’s cooled down and you’re not feeling the adrenaline anymore,” he told reporters on Tuesday, ahead of his team’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The bottom line is that Price did feel something before the Minnesota game and caution should’ve ruled before he went out and offered one of the most perplexing performances of his career with the Canadiens. Price allowed two goals in a span of 10 seconds in the first period and was stumbling around his crease for the rest of that night in a way that had just about everyone (including this reporter) wondering how it was possible he had slipped so far away from being his best self. The #Canadiens need the real Carey Price to return as the margin for error narrows. @EricEngels has MORE: https://t.co/AGHKrq8iOz pic.twitter.com/yg6SXA8sd5 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 3, 2017 If Price didn’t alert the medical staff to his situation before the game, he definitely should’ve by the time the first period was through and he had allowed three goals on 14 shots. Later in the game Price appeared to have a real problem moving laterally from left to right, as evidenced on this goal by Wild defenceman Jared Spurgeon at the beginning of the third period, but he insisted afterwards he wasn’t hurt. “I wasn’t looking for excuses for my play or anything,” Price said on Tuesday. “I just didn’t think [the injury] was going to be as bad as it was.” Who knows if he made it worse? There’s no telling if that was the case when Price slipped on a puck during warmups in Edmonton on Nov. 29, 2015 and suffered the injury that would ultimately keep him out for all but 12 games of the 2015-16 season. He played through the pain and suffered a 4-3 loss to the Oilers that night — it’s hard to imagine that helped his situation. Price should’ve learned from that night. Instead, it was déjà vu watching him explain to reporters on Tuesday that his position makes healing from a lower-body injury a patience-testing exercise. Price was talking in the room instead of practising for a third consecutive day with goaltending coach Stephane Waite because, as he put it, “it just wasn’t getting better; it was just getting stagnant, so I decided to give it a rest for a couple of days and reassess it in a couple of days.” Price added that he was no closer to returning to practice before he skipped Tuesday’s session than he was when he started skating a week ago. It seems obvious his current course of action—getting rest—is a 1083423 Websites rewards. Benning hadn’t exactly earned rave reviews heading into the season, so it wouldn’t take much for his seat to flare up. But for now, the Canucks have been a little bit better than most of us expected and their Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown: Four NHL GMs on smoking-hot seats youth is leading the way, so Benning looks safer. Then there’s Pierre Dorion. Now that’s he’s pulled off the biggest – and gutsiest – trade of the season, he’s carrying at least a little bit of risk. If Sean McIndoe the Matt Duchene deal flops and the Senators look like they might miss the playoffs, Dorion will feel the heat. But it’s early, and for now Ottawa fans are happy with their shiny new toy and the GM who delivered him. We’re closing on the quarter mark of the NHL season. How secure is Finally, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton would have probably found himself a your favourite team’s front office feeling? few spots further down the list if we’d made it two weeks ago. But now that the Rangers are hot and back in the playoff race, his seat has Unlike with coaches, it’s exceedingly rare to see a team make a mid- cooled. There’s probably a lesson there about judging GMs too early in a season GM change. While the Panthers shifted Tom Rowe behind the season, but here we are. bench last year, you’d have to go back to Calgary’s Jay Feaster and Buffalo’s Darcy Regier in 2013 for the last time a GM was outright fired Group No. 4: Warm, and getting worse during a season. So when we talk about GMs being on the hot seat, that’s not to say they’re a bad week away from cleaning out their offices. Chances are, most or even all of these guys make it through the next year and beyond. But the way their seasons are going so far, it’s no sure But it’s still true that some GMs are in better shape than others. Some thing. guys are so secure that it’s almost impossible to imagine their team with someone else at the helm anytime soon; others might need a big season We’ll start with Anaheim’s Bob Murray, who’s been on and off the hot to save their jobs. seat for years. The Ducks are having a rough start, but they’ve also been decimated by injuries, which is hardly the GM’s fault. Still, if they miss the Today, let’s run through the entire league and take our best guess at playoffs or make a quick exit, it’s at least possible that Murray has to whose seat might be feeling frosty, and whose could be starting to answer for it. smoke. In Dallas, Jim Nill’s wheeling and dealing had him near the top of most Group No. 1: The ice-cold seats GM rankings heading into last season. But then the Stars missed the playoffs, partly because Nill never got around to fixing the goaltending. These are the GMs who are basically untouchable right now, based on He went out and got Ben Bishop this summer, but the Stars are only off their team’s recent track record of success. We’re including them for the to a so-so start. A second straight playoff miss would be another dent in sake of completeness, but barring something ridiculous happening Nill’s once-stellar reputation. they’re not worth worrying about. That group includes Jim Rutherford (Penguins), David Poile (Predators), Stan Bowman (Blackhawks) and Then there’s Edmonton’s Peter Chiarelli. After last year’s success, he Steve Yzerman (Lightning). headed into this season as one of the league’s sure things. But with the Oilers starting slow, and several of his recent moves coming in for heavy We’ll also include the three GMs who are in their first season with a new criticism, Chiarelli doesn’t seem quite so invincible anymore. Still, it would team, since unless you’re Neil Smith and the Islanders, you don’t see take a disaster of a season for him to be in any real danger anytime GMs ousted before they even have a chance to settle into the job. So soon. that’s George McPhee (Golden Knights), Rob Blake (Kings) and Jason Botterill (Sabres). Ron Francis is a tough call. His Hurricanes are off to a slow start, at risk of making it nine straight years without a playoff spot. Most GMs would NHL on Sportsnet NOW be under major heat for that kind of scenario. But this is Ron Francis. Live stream over 300 marquee regular season games, regional matchups He’s literally the franchise. The Hurricanes wouldn’t actually fire him… for the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and would they? Toronto Maple Leafs, and the entire 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If things stay bad, it’s far more likely that Bill Peters pays the price, but LEARN MORE Francis can’t be completely safe, even if he’s at more risk of being kicked upstairs than outright fired. Group No. 2: The chilled seats And finally, there’s Dale Tallon. The Panthers look awful, slipping all the These guys don’t quite fit into the same totally-safe category as the guys way to last place in the East. Tallon regained his job after a front-office above, but they’re close. We’ll list them as a group, because otherwise it power struggle last year, so seeing him ousted again this quickly would would just be me trying to find five slightly different ways to write “He’s be a surprise. But if the last few years have taught us anything in Florida, OK unless the team really goes off the rails — in which case maybe he’d it’s that you never know what this franchise will do. be in trouble but probably not.” Let’s be clear: Lamoriello isn’t getting fired. Brendan Shanahan may have This group includes Brad Treliving (Flames), Ron Hextall (Flyers), Ray once thrown himself face-first into a midair collision with an enraged Shero (Devils) and Jarmo Kekalainen (Blue Jackets). And we’ll also add Patrick Roy, but he’s not crazy. Doug Armstrong of the Blues based on his team’s hot start, even though he may have been further down the list if we’d done this a few months So no, you don’t fire Lou, and there’d be no reason for the Leafs to even ago. consider it given how their season is unfolding. But Lamoriello still needs his own section, because his situation is unique. His contract is Tape II Tape reportedly up at the end of the year, and at 75 years old there’s no guarantee he’ll be back. He could retire. He could move upstairs and Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and serve as a mentor to a replacement like Mark Hunter or Kyle Dubas. He fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the could shock everyone and head somewhere else, like he did when the country’s most beloved game. Devils tried to shuffle him out of day-to-day decision-making. Or he could These are the guys who came into the season with at least some degree decide to sign an extension and stick around. of risk, but so far their teams are on track and they can probably breathe Right now, the future in uncertain. The only thing we know is that a little easier. Lamoriello will do his best to make sure nobody knows what’s going on For example, Doug Wilson’s been around forever and there was a time until the situation is settled – and maybe not even then. when he seemed to be on shaky ground in San Jose. (Remember when Now we’re into the danger zone, so it’s time to start breaking out the Joe Thornton told him to “shut his mouth”?) But the Sharks have looked individual bolded sections. good so far this season, even as they transition from the Thornton/Marleau era to the next generation. Don Sweeney, Bruins: It feels like Sweeney’s been on the hot seat almost since the day he started in Boston. He’s in only his third season, Three Canadian GMs would fall into this category, too. Kevin and he did get the Bruins back to the playoffs last year. But they won’t be Chevaldayoff came into the year with a (slightly puzzling) contract back this year unless they can turn around a slow start. Sweeney’s extension, but also plenty of pressure to finally see his young Jets look already played his coaching card, and there have been rumours of like a contender. So far, they’ve delivered, so he’s in good shape. ownership looking to shake up the front office. If the Bruins miss the Vancouver’s Jim Benning might be on shakier ground. Rebuilds are playoffs, Sweeney’s in danger. notoriously tough on GMs; they often end up doing the dirty work of a teardown only to see someone else step in when it’s time to reap the Brian MacLellan, Capitals: Usually, if you win the Presidents’ Trophy in Marc Bergevin, Canadiens: And we end in Montreal, because of course two of your first three seasons, you’re doing a good job. But this is we do. Washington, where fans are tired of hearing about regular-season wins. They want results in the playoffs. And so far, MacLellan’s Caps haven’t Bergevin has basically been on the hot seat since he took the job five been able to deliver. years ago. That’s how it works in Montreal. But Bergevin’s stint has been an especially newsworthy one. He traded P.K. Subban for Shea Weber, Washington went through a tough off-season, one largely caused by the quite possibly the most controversial deal of the cap era. He signed salary cap but for which MacLellan wasn’t given especially high grades. Carey Price to a record-breaking contract. He hired Michel Therrien, then Now the team is off to an underwhelming start that has them on the fired him and hired Claude Julien in a surprising mid-season move. He playoff bubble. They’ve got an aging franchise player, a tight cap and an traded for Jonathan Drouin, but not for an established No. 1 centre. owner who really wants to win right now. That’s a bad combination if you’re a GM. And through it all, the Habs have four playoff appearances to show for it, including a trip to the conference final in 2014. They’ve been first in the Garth Snow, Islanders: No GM has had a stranger career than Snow. division three times. And their only bad season came when Price was When he was first hired, we all figured it was some sort of joke and he’d hurt and missed most of the year. be lucky to last the season. Over a decade later, he’s the fourth-longest- serving GM in the league. And he’s made some pretty darn savvy moves That’s a solid record, and in some markets it would be enough to let a along the way. guy settle in and fly under the radar for years to come. But not in Montreal. Bergevin’s job security has been a question mark for years, What he hasn’t made, at least not very often, is the playoffs; the and recently it’s felt like he was one bad season away from serious Islanders have only three appearances (and just one series win) during danger. That bad season may have arrived, as this year’s Canadiens Snow’s time. That would spell trouble for most teams, but Snow always have struggled through the first month. They’ve been better lately, so that seems strangely secure with the Islanders. buys some time. But only so much. Maybe that continues. But with all the drama surrounding the Islanders In Montreal, they don’t settle for just making the playoffs. Instead, they this year, including the John Tavares situation and the fight for a new talk about championships and history and the passing of torches. Right arena, you’d have to think Snow will be under pressure to deliver at least now, Bergevin’s seat is hot enough to help light those flaming torches, a playoff spot. The Islanders are in one now, barely. But if they fade, or and that won’t change until the Canadiens are back near the top of the (more importantly) Tavares bolts, Snow could pay the price. standings. Or until it’s somebody else’s turn to face the heat. Chuck Fletcher, Wild: The Wild have had only two GMs in their history. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.15.2017 Doug Risebrough handled the first decade, and Fletcher is closing in on matching that. But you have to wonder if he makes it that far unless the Wild can finally go on a deep playoff run. They’ve won just two rounds since Fletcher took over in 2009, and when you spend as much as Wild ownership has, you’d probably like to win a game in the conference final every couple decades or so. Fletcher has been rumoured to be in danger before, and he has his defenders in Minnesota. He’s done a decent job over the years, but at some point good-but-not-great won’t be enough anymore. Finally, let’s close out with four guys who’d appear to be in the most danger as the season wears on. Joe Sakic, Avalanche: First, the good news. Like Francis, Sakic is a franchise icon who’d probably be shifted upstairs before he was outright fired. More importantly, he did reasonably well on the long-awaited Matt Duchene trade, with more than a few observers declaring him the deal’s winner. And the Avalanche have looked better this year. Still, “better” isn’t all that impressive when your baseline is 48 points, and the Duchene situation was one largely created by the Avs themselves. Sakic has officially been the team’s GM for three years (although he was making roster decisions before that as an executive VP), and the Avalanche have missed the playoffs all three. Remember, there were rumblings that the team was in the market for a new GM over the summer, so Sakic appears to be on thin ice. His team is better, but it may not be enough. Ken Holland, Red Wings: Holland is tricky. Along with Poile, he’s the longest-serving GM in the league, with a tenure dating back to 1997. He’s won three Cups in that time, and pulled off the difficult feat of transitioning the Wings from the Yzerman era without missing a beat. He’s done a fantastic job. But the one thing he hasn’t had to do in all of that time is rebuild, and that’s what the Red Wings need right now. It’s fair to ask whether Holland is the guy to do it. Right now, the Red Wings have lots of long-term cap headaches and not much in the way of blue-chip prospects. Granted, part of that was by design as the team tried to squeeze an extra few years of contending out of the Datsyuk/Zetterberg era, but there’s a strong case to be made for a fresh start top to bottom. After all Holland has done in Detroit, he’s earned the right to have a say in how it ends. Some Detroit fans have been frustrated in recent years as guys like Yzerman and Nill have left the organization to take GM jobs elsewhere, but the time hadn’t come to make a change yet. That day may be coming sooner rather than later. John Chayka, Coyotes: By contrast, this one is pretty simple. Chayka’s a smart guy with a modern approach to the job, and plenty of teams could learn a thing or two from him. But when you don’t have much of a track record at this level and your team is having one of the worst starts in history, you’re going to be in trouble. The Coyotes are putting a solid core in place, but at some point they’ll need to see results. If not, it may be some other GM who benefits from that foundation. 1083424 Websites that even if Jokinen’s offensive contributions are declining, that he can continue to push play in the right direction. Over the past three-plus seasons, Jokinen has generated better shot differentials an expected TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Oilers, Kings swap veteran wingers goal rates, but Cammalleri has better actual goal differentials – his ability to finish is the key for Edmonton because, even this season, Jokinen has better underlying numbers. By Scott Cullen TSN.CA LOADED: 11.15.2017

The Edmonton Oilers are off to a slow start, and needed help in the forward ranks, so they made a one-for-one trade to acquire a veteran forward whose skills are a little different than the forward they shipped out. Statistically Speaking examines the trade sending Mike Cammalleri from Los Angeles to Edmonton in exchange for Jussi Jokinen. 2017-2018 STATS PLAYER TEAM POS GP G A PTS CF% CF%REL PDO OZS% ATOI Mike Cammalleri Los Angeles LW 15 3 4 7 43.6 -8.3 102.4 45.1 12:38 Jussi Jokinen Edmonton LW 14 0 1 1 58.3 4.2 93.2 54.1 12:19 The Oilers Get: LW Mike Cammalleri Cammalleri, 35, has not fit in his return to the Kings, playing a career-low 12:38 per game, and while he has managed seven points in 15 games, those points have been accrued in just three games. He’s been a productive goal-scorer in his career, topping 20 goals seven times. In addition to his track record as a scorer, though, Cammalleri has consistently run into injury problems. In seven of the past eight seasons, he has missed at least 14 games – the only exception was the lockout- shortened 2012-2013 campaign. While his possession numbers have typically been okay throughout his career, he was off to a rough start this year in Los Angeles, in that respect, with the lowest Corsi among Kings forwards that have played at least 100 5-on-5 minutes. In Edmonton, Cammalleri figures to slide into a third-line left wing role, with perhaps some second unit power-play time, in the hopes of improving the club’s secondary scoring. Cammalleri is on a one-year deal for a million dollars, and the deal includes potential bonuses of another $200,000. The Kings Get: LW Jussi Jokinen Jokinen is a versatile 34-year-old forward who wasn’t fitting in with the Oilers at all, and had just one assist in 14 games. Even so, Jokinen has delivered very good possession stats this season. Some of that may be a function of the Oilers trailing more than they expected, but even score-adjusted numbers reflect positively on Jokinen’s shot differentials, and expected goal differentials, this year. The very real concern with Jokinen is that he’s not fast enough to keep pace, and that could be an issue with a Kings team that is trying to play with more speed, and yet Jokinen’s ability to play multiple positions should allow him to move around and contribute in various spots in the lineup. From the Kings’ perspective, it’s easy to buy low on Jokinen and assume that he’s not going to finish the year with an on-ice shooting percentage of 2.2%. His previous career low was set last season, but it was still 6.4%, nearly triple Jokinen’s early results in Edmonton. He’s one of 11 forwards in the league to have registered at least 20 shots on goal without finding the net this season, so if nothing else, he’s due. Jokinen can play centre, and is a pretty decent face-off man, winning 53.7% over the course of his career. As a depth player, that’s a useful skill to provide. Also on a one-year deal, Jokinen is making $1.1-million this year. Verdict: That the Kings and Oilers have elected to move on from these veteran free agent signings is not especially surprising; both were included in my piece on notable early-season scratches. It’s entirely possible that both players, in their mid-thirties, aren’t capable of contributing not just in the way that they once did, but in a way that keeps them in the lineup on a regular basis. The Oilers will hope that Cammalleri can pull the trigger and score a few goals, the Kings will hope 1083425 Websites

TSN.CA / Craig’s List: Dahlin dominating, one Canadian in Top 10

By Craig Button

Swedish blueliner Rasmus Dahlin is the undisputed best player available in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In fact, there’s no other player close to him. The Frolunda HC blueliner is to this draft and to teams looking for an elite No. 1 defenceman what Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews were to their respective drafts as elite No. 1 centres. When you watch him play it’s easy to forget he’s just 17 because his command of the game is so complete. His participation in the Olympics may have looked like a long shot at the beginning of the season, but his play in the Swedish Hockey League and, most recently, with the Swedish national team at the Karjala Cup make it look more and more like a very real possibility. Fellow Swedish defenceman Adam Boqvist remains in the second spot in our rankings. The top five is rounded out by injured Barrie Colts right wing Andrei Svechnikov (No. 3), who is recovering from wrist surgery, Boston University left wing Brady Tkachuk (No. 4) and Halifax Mooseheads right wing Filip Zadina, who jumps to No. 5 from No. 10 in our September rankings after racking up 16 goals and 30 points in his first 21 games this season. Elsewhere in the top 10, Bode Wilde of the U.S. National Team Development Program vaults up to No. 6 from No. 25 in September. The defenceman was a bit under the radar at the start of the season, but there’s nothing he can’t do on the ice. His confidence is increasing, which has translated to a great command of any game he plays in. This is not shaping up to be a banner year for Canada in the top half of the draft. While the quantity is very good, the quality in the top 10 includes just one Canadian player – Barrett Hayton of the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds (No. 9). While not putting up gaudy numbers (8-8-16 in 19 games), he’s a very good two-way centre who is productive in a manner similar to Boston Bruins star Patrice Bergeron. Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm (No. 13) is a gifted defenceman who has magnificent creativity and poise with the puck that allows him to do things as the play evolves. When you watch him play, he looks like the type of defenceman that is having success in today’s NHL. He could find himself in the top 10 of the draft when it’s all said and done. Merkley (6- 18-24 in 19 games) continues to make strides and will be a very interesting player for NHL teams to monitor as the season progresses. Saint John Sea Dogs centre Joe Veleno (No. 25) was granted exceptional status in the QMJHL as a 15-year-old. While his skills are good (4-17-21 in 22 games), there isn’t a level of play that is in the same class as previous exceptional status players John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and McDavid, who were all selected first overall in their respective NHL drafts. TSN.CA LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083426 Websites

TSN.CA / Hot Button Issues: Get ready for Jack Hughes

By Craig Button

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button checks in with the latest news and notes in the world of hockey prospect evaluation: 1. Jack Hughes (C) USA NTDP I haven’t seen a better player available for the 2019 NHL Draft. His abilities are exceptional. Hughes has the Holy Trinity of hockey skills: exceptional skating, fast hands and a mind that processes the play in nanoseconds. There’s just one puck in the game and if it isn’t on Hughes’ stick it’s about to be. I see a lot of similarities in his play to 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Paul Kariya. The 5-foot-10, 157-pound centre has 10 goals and 30 points in 14 games played this year. Hughes is currently at the World U17 Challenge, where he has four goals and eight points in four games. 2. Dominik Bokk (LW) Växjö Lakers Dominik is a German-born winger playing in Sweden. He played in a Champions League Contest this past week and scored a goal. Bokk has seven goals and 20 points in 16 games in the J20 League. TSN Swedish correspondent Mike Zanier provided this scouting report on the 6-foot-1, 179-pound winger: “Power forward who goes hard to the net. Smart player who gets to the tough areas to score. Good, solid skater with a very good shot.” Bokk, 17, is eligible for the 2018 Entry Draft. 3. Danil Gushchin (RW) CSKA Moscow A very skilled and determined player, Gushchin is playing at the World U17 Tournament where he’s a full year younger than the competition. Whenever I see a young Russian who is not tall (5-foot-8) but is thick (154 pounds), I immediately conjure up Images of the great Vladimir Krutov. Gushchin is strong on his skates with very good quickness, solid puck skills and a sharp mind for the game. He plays with a confidence belying his age and does so with focused determination. He has four goals in four games at the tourney, including a hat trick. Gushchin will be eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft. 4. Dylan Cozens (RW) Lethbridge Hurricanes A native of Whitehorse, Yukon, Cozens is a force of skill and will. An excellent skater with power and size (6-foot-3, 176 pounds), he has the ability to impact the game from a skill and physical standpoint. Cozens is a nightmarish proposition for defencemen to try and defend him because he can beat you with speed, skill and power. The 16-year-old has seven goals and 13 points in 13 games in the WHL. He’s currently competing at the World U17 Tourney, where he has one goal and five points as his Team Canada Red team plays in the semi-final on Friday. Cozens is eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft. 5. Matthew Robertson (D) Edmonton Oil Kings Defencemen who can skate, think and make plays are always coveted by NHL teams. Put a big check mark beside all three in the Robertson scouting report. The 6-foot-3, 196-pound blueliner is a smooth and agile skater who uses that skill effectively at both ends of the ice. His vision and awareness, combined with a calm, poised demeanour, allows him to make plays under the demands required in a very fast game. He makes the pass that forwards love, delivering the puck in spots where they can take full advantage. The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tourney will be in Edmonton in August 2018 and you can count on him being on the team. Robertson is a very promising player for the 2019 NHL draft. Currently at the World U17 Challenge, he has two goals and fine points in four games. He’s played 15 games for the Oil Kings, tallying three goals and four points. Where scouts will be this weekend Scouts will be watching Canada vs. Sweden on Friday at the Karjala Cup in Helsinki, as defenceman Rasmus Dahlin suits up for Sweden in a 2018 Olympic tune-up event. The top player available for the 2018 NHL Draft will test himself at the senior men’s level and will certainly have NHL personnel singing his praises. While it’s still early in the NHL season, teams that have fared poorly can see a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of the draft lottery. Dahlen is to defencemen what Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews were to centers. TSN.CA LOADED: 11.15.2017 1083427 Websites Expect Green and his assistants to continue tinkering with these units. Right now, it’s still a work in progress.

TSN.CA LOADED: 11.15.2017 TSN.CA / Vancouver’s power play a work in progress

By Travis Yost

The first year of the Travis Green era in Vancouver has started swimmingly. In a pure rebuild year, Green’s Canucks are out to an 8-7-2 start – good enough to make a surprise appearance in the early stages of the Western Conference playoff race. One of the early hallmarks of the Green era has been a dedication to getting his younger players substantial ice time. On the defensive side, it’s meant that guys like Ben Hutton are holding the second-most ice time across all Canucks skaters. For the forwards, it has meant handing the reins over to the likes of Bo Horvat, Markus Granlund, Sven Baertschi and Brock Boeser. You’ll note that the Sedin twins aren’t mentioned above. That’s because Green has notably clawed back their ice time in the first month of the season. Where Henrik and Daniel historically have averaged 19 to 20 minutes of playing time a game, they are now seeing about 14 minutes a night. That’s a massive drop, and what amounts to anywhere from seven to nine fewer shifts a game. At some point, this had to happen. The Sedins, now at age 37, simply don’t produce the same way they’d consistently done for a decade in the NHL. The playmaking and creativity is still there in spurts, but Father Time has really started to take hold. (Through Sunday, Henrik Sedin has just one goal in 17 games. Daniel Sedin has three.) What’s interesting in Vancouver, though, is the Sedins, who have lost a ton of shifts at 5-on-5, haven’t seen the same type of reduction on the power play. The Canucks are definitely still hunting for the right mix on the man advantage, but the Sedin twins are still the main featured options for Green: Green has had two featured power-play units for most of the year. With the Sedins on the first power-play unit, he’s opted to play with four forwards and one defenceman, which is a formation that’s becoming quite popular around the league. On the second power-play unit he’s gone with the more conventional three forwards/two defencemen split. Those five-man groups, for point of reference, are noted below: Why is this notable? I mentioned earlier that the Sedin twins in their later years have become notably less productive scorers. That’s true at even strength, but it also appears to be true on the power play. Despite seeing a bunch of minutes with the man advantage, they simply haven’t been able to create goals for the Canucks. And it’s hurting Vancouver right now. Vancouver is off to a respectable start in the standings in spite of their power play. The power-play units have managed just 10 goals (14 per cent conversion) in 17 games, which is fifth-worst in the NHL. And they have conceded five short-handed goals during the process, which means they are a putrid +5 in goals in 112 power-play minutes. As you might have suspected, my theory is that either one of two things (or both things) is at play here: (1) The Sedins just aren’t nearly capable enough scorers anymore for heavy PP1 duty; and/or (2) The talent that they have put around the Sedins – specifically Gagner and Vanek – just isn’t working. It’s pretty easy to tell that Vancouver’s “second” power-play unit is really the one that’s had any sort of success this season. The three players on that unit – including Baertschi, Horvat, and Boeser – consistently produce more shots and generate more goals than any one of the PP1 forwards. And the “expected goal” number, which takes into account both shot volume and shot quality, also indicates that they are much better at creating waves of goal-scoring opportunities than the first unit. Something additional to keep in mind: The average power-play unit in the NHL generates about 92 shot attempts and scores more than six goals every 60 minutes. So not only is Vancouver’s first power-play unit struggling in a relative sense, but it’s also struggling compared to other units across the league. The Canucks have been able to get away with underwhelming power- play production thanks to being the league’s best team by goal percentage at even strength (58.3 per cent). But when that dries up – and it will, since that percentage is mostly being driven by fantastic starts by journeymen goaltenders Jakob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson – they’ll really need the power play to start producing results. 1083428 Websites Hall turned 26 on Tuesday and he was ready for an expanded leadership role.

“I want to have as much responsibility as possible,” Hall said. “And I USA TODAY / New Jersey Devils ride speed, skill, youth to surprise start would be lying if I said I didn’t want to be the guy they looked to to provide offense and some leadership. That’s how my game has grown." Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 6:59 p.m. ET Nov. 14, 2017 | As encouraging as the team’s offensive improvement has been, there’s Updated 1:43 a.m. ET Nov. 15, 2017 still work to do defensively. The team ranks 21st in goals-against average.

The Devils have missed the playoffs the past five seasons. Do they fully Journeyman forward Brian Gibbons had five goals in 66 NHL games believe in themselves? before joining the New Jersey Devils. This season, he has eight goals in 17 games. “I don’t know if we are there yet,” Hynes said. “There is a belief in how we want to play, and there is a strong belief if we play to our identity, and Miles Woods had eight goals in 2016-17, and he’s on pace for 30 this grow our identity, we can be a very competitive team. But by no means season. are we ahead of ourselves and thinking that we have arrived.” Three of the Devils’ top four point producers are rookies Nico Hischier USA TODAY LOADED: 11.15.2017 (14 points in 17 games), Jesper Bratt (13 in 17) and Will Butcher (13 in 17). “These three guys love hockey,” Devils coach John Hynes told USA TODAY Sports. “They like practice. They don’t mind meetings. They love to compete. If you say someone is a hockey player in every sense, they embody that. They all have high hockey IQs. They understand the game. They can make plays under pressure.” The simplest explanation for the Devils’ status as the NHL’s most surprising team is that they might lead the league in players taking their games to a higher level. The Devils were 28th in NHL scoring at 2.20 goals per game last season and this season they are tied for fifth at 3.47. “It’s not the system,” Hynes said. “The way they are playing and competing as players is allowing them to get into scoring positions and they have the skill to finish.” Veteran forward Taylor Hall said every NHL team wants to play an up- tempo style. “That’s the way the new NHL is,” Hall said. “You have to have a lot of speed. And if you look at our lineup, that’s what we have throughout. The best part: We have young guys who are only going to get better as the years go along.” Hynes said the Devils’ offseason objective wasn’t necessarily to add goal scoring as much as it was to add players who could skate and compete at a high level. Hischier, 18, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, is expected to mature into an offensive force, but his all-around game is impressive for a teenager. Bratt, 19, has been the team’s biggest surprise because he was a sixth-round draft pick. “They have a ton of skill and they have brought so much to our game,” Hall said. “Having them around has injected a little more passion and excitement.” The Devils won a major recruiting battle to sign Butcher, a college free agent defenseman. They wanted him for his offensive knack, but they have admired how diligent he has been trying to learn the defensive game. “This kid has really been a strong effort to get better in those areas, “ Hynes said. “His 5-on-5 play has improved tremendously.” Gibbons, 29, spent all of the last two seasons in the American Hockey League. “He really fit the profile for what we are looking for,” Hynes said. “He’s a highly intelligent player. He’s very quick, tenacious and has good puck skills. In training camp, he played to the identity we wanted and earned himself the opportunity.” The team’s 11-4-2 start isn’t solely about their newcomers. Forward Kyle Palmieri has missed time with injury, but has nine points in 10 games. Hall has 19 points in 17 games, putting him well ahead of last season’s 52-point pace. “Since the start of training camp, there’s been a different vibe on this team,” Hall said. This is his second season in New Jersey after spending six years in Edmonton. “He’s leading in the way we want to play, which is something we asked him to do,” Hynes said. “He’s driving the play. He’s in great shape. But what we are most proud of is the maturity he’s growing into. He’s someone we can continue to build around and drive our culture.”