SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 10/11/17 1077408 Even with Ryan Getzlaf back in lineup, the Ducks are still 1077444 Blackhawks face new NHL normal with slashing, faceoff weak on the power play violations 1077409 What we learned from the Ducks' 2-0 loss to the Calgary 1077445 Alex DeBrincat notches first NHL as Blackhawks Flames defeat Canadiens 3-1 1077410 Canyon Fire 2 left many in Ducks organization scrambling 1077446 Alex DeBrincat, Corey Crawford lead Blackhawks to victory over Habs 1077447 Blackhawks struggling to adapt to crackdown on faceoffs, 1077411 Coyotes routed by Golden Knights after moving tribute in slashes Vegas opener 1077448 DeBrincat helps Blackhawks to 3-1 win over Montreal 1077412 Coyotes-Golden Knights preview: Emotions will be high in 1077449 DeBrincat nets first goal, Crawford brilliant in Hawks' win Las Vegas 1077450 Five takeaways from Blackhawks' 3-1 bounce-back win 1077413 The Golden Knights and Las Vegas are bonding through over Canadiens tragedy and triumph 1077451 Three Things to WATCH: Corey Crawford returns to 1077414 Coyotes unable to contain Knights, remain winless on hometown as Blackhawks battle Canadiens season 1077415 have pregame ceremony prior to home opener 1077452 Colorado Avalanche announce new AHL affiliate in 1077416 ESPN: Coyotes’ Christian Dvorak breakout candidate for Colorado Eagles 2017-18 season 1077453 David Ramsey: Relax, Avs won't be NHL's worst team ... only close to it 1077417 The best places to eat in every NHL city 1077418 Bruins’ lines quickly thrown into a state of flux 1077454 Blue Jackets 2, Hurricanes 1, OT | Sonny Milano delivers 1077419 Bruins recall Danton Heinen, sign Ryan White to tryout two goals 1077420 A few problems have already surfaced for the Bruins 1077455 Puck-rakers | Foligno: Important for Jackets to win ugly 1077421 Bruins notebook: Forward Danton Heinen called up; 1077456 Blue Jackets | Sonny Milano’s hard work draws praise veteran winger Ryan White gets a tryout 1077422 Danton Heinen recalled, Ryan White signed to a tryout contract 1077457 He said it: Players and coaches comment after Stars' 4-2 1077423 Bergeron misses practice, Bruins aiming for a weekend win over Detroit Tuesday return 1077458 Stars finally get results from possession-based play, beat 1077424 B's rookies "looking for a bounce-back game" after Detroit 4-2 dreadful loss 1077459 Cold facts: Stars earn first win of the season 4-2 over Red 1077425 Bruins recall Heinen, sign ex-Canadien Ryan White to Wings PTO 1077460 'Finally:' Ex-Star Trevor Daley returns to Dallas after 1077426 Haggerty: Bruins show they have plenty of work to do jumping to three different teams 1077427 Krug 'okay' in return to Bruins lineup after fractured jaw 1077461 Stars' goaltending has been shaky through two games, but Ben Bishop is ready to carry this team 1077462 Morning skate update: Trevor Daley returns to Dallas; 1077428 Gionta begins practicing with Amerks to get ready for USA Julius Honka to make his Stars season debut Hockey 1077463 What losing Adam Cracknell to the Rangers means for the 1077429 Sabres Mailbag Extra: O'Reilly, Eichel and the need to do Stars better 1077464 Dallas Stars’ fast start clips Wings for first victory of young 1077430 Sabres Prospects: Steve Moses embracing his new AHL season adventure 1077431 Sabres Mailbag: New team, same problems as fans ask inevitable questions 1077465 Detroit Red Wings suffer first loss of season, 4-2 to Dallas 1077432 Amerks send Karabacek, Muzito-Bagenda to ECHL Stars 1077433 Is red, white and blue in Gionta's future, either Olympics or 1077466 Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader 'has to be important player Amerks? on our team' 1077467 Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek to make season debut in Dallas 1077434 Goalie Smith impressing Flames early on 1077468 Red Wings’ Trevor Daley enjoys return trip to Dallas 1077435 With a little help from Jobu, Flames end skid in Anaheim 1077469 Sluggish start derails Red Wings in loss to Stars 1077436 Flames GameDay: vs. host 1077470 'Good challenge' awaits Wings during road-heavy stretch 1077437 Flames' Smith creating buzz in Calgary 1077471 Former Red Wing Tomas Nosek scores first-ever NHL 1077438 'Let’s bring in Jobu': The story behind the Flames' figurine goal in Las Vegas fascination 1077472 Slashing enforcement frustrates some Red Wings 1077473 Are the Red Wings a playoff team? 1077439 For Hurricanes, a tough point to let go 1077440 In first two games, Hurricanes prove their resiliency the difficult way 1077441 Blue Jackets edge Hurricanes in OT 1077442 Canes’ Trevor van Riemsdyk out with concussion 1077443 Here’s the Canes player who lost his role when the team named co-captains 1077474 Top line soars, grounds Edmonton Oilers' 1077511 Rangers give up another early goal in 3-1 loss to Blues dynamic duo 1077512 Rangers assign Filip Chytil to AHL Hartford 1077513 Rangers coach sits veteran defenseman again 1077514 Kevin Shattenkirk can’t discover winning formula against 1077475 Vincent Trocheck's versatility, grit led to career high in ice ex-team time for Panthers 1077515 Lethargic Rangers undone by another slow start 1077516 How treasured rookie talked Rangers into giving him a Los Angeles Kings chance 1077476 Kings building trust early under new coach John Stevens 1077517 Rangers demote prized rookie to a surprising place 1077477 Andy Andreoff gets turn on L.A. Kings’ lone revolving line 1077518 Rangers bottled up by Blues for loss at Garden 1077478 STEVENS NOT EXPECTING A “MESSAGE”; GULUTZAN 1077519 Adam Cracknell to play on Rangers’ fourth line tonight ON KINGS’ START; WILL JAGR PLAY? 1077520 Rangers send Filip Chytil to AHL in Hartford 1077479 STEVENS ON TEAM-BUILDING, LAICH, KINGS- FLAMES 1077480 OCTOBER 10 PRACTICE NOTES: MARTINEZ SKATES; 1077521 Senators record first victory of season with shootout win THIRD LINE; JAGR; DODGERS! over Canucks 1077522 Snapshots: Karlsson and Oduya inching closer to return 1077523 Boucher not sure what full lineup will look like Tuesday 1077481 Mikael Granlund to miss next four games with groin injury night, but Chabot will play 1077482 Wild and Timberwolves aren't young anymore, and that 1077524 Status of Senators' Karlsson and Oduya updated to bodes well for both day-to-day 1077483 Wild’s Mikael Granlund expected to miss next four games 1077525 Not just any other game for Senators’ Burrows 1077526 Senators might dress 11 forwards vs. Canucks 1077484 In the Habs' Room: 'We can't figure a way to put it in the net': Julien 1077527 Flyers blow late lead and lose to Nashville, 6-5, as 1077485 Once again, offence nowhere to be found for struggling challenge backfires Canadiens 1077528 Flyers' rookie Samuel Morin: 'I'm sure I can play in this 1077486 Stu Cowan: Close-knit family key to Charles Hudon's league' success 1077529 Flyers face depleted Predators in 'biggest game of the 1077487 Blackhawks at Canadiens: Five things you should know road trip' 1077488 Game Day: Canadiens’ Jacob De La Rose a healthy 1077530 Predators rally to defeat Flyers 6-5 scratch; tickets still available for home opener 1077531 Flyers-Predators observations: Late collapse to end road 1077489 About last night … trip 1077532 Flyers-Predators thoughts: Looking for something they couldn't do last season 1077490 Predators give their fans a banner, then a win for 1077533 Flyers notes, quotes and tidbits: Nolan Patrick adjusting scrapbook offensively 1077491 Nashville Predators 6, Philadelphia Flyers 5: 3 things we 1077534 5 takeaways: Dave Hakstol’s challenge a factor in last- learned minute loss to Predators 1077492 Now-retired Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher 1077535 Valtteri Filppula’s pass-first mentality put to test in returns to raise Western Conference banner shooter’s role 1077493 Predators, Mike Fisher raise Western Conference championship banner 1077494 Trace Adkins, Predators continue star-studded national 1077536 Penguins prepare to face Capitals, red-hot Alex Ovechkin anthem tradition to kick off home opener 1077537 Behind the scenes with the Penguins at the White House 1077495 Nashville Predators fans pumped for home opener, ready 1077538 Pittsburgh Penguins visit Trump at White House for more in 2017-18 season 1077539 Mike Sullivan doubles down in defense of White House 1077496 How the Predators beat the Flyers 6-5 on opening night decision 1077497 Predators vs. Flyers: Roman Josi game-time decision, 1077540 Penguins' Twitter account goes dark during White House Samuel Girard to make NHL debut visit 1077498 Predators looking for 'attitude' that leads to success 1077541 Penguins' White House visit with President Trump mostly 1077499 Predators' Stanley Cup Final run: Catching up with steers clear of politics 'Catfish' Jake, breakout stars, others 1077542 Full transcript: President Donald Trump addresses the Penguins 1077500 1 moment that captured the new vibe of the Devils 1077501 Will Devils' Kyle Palmieri, Drew Stafford play Wednesday 1077543 Paul Martin leaves Sharks practice early; Might Tim Heed vs. Maple Leafs? play vs. Sabres? 1077502 How Jesper Bratt brings life to Devils' kill 1077544 What your third line center choice for the Sharks says 1077503 Devils beat Sabres: 10 observations | Nico Hischier's 1st about you point; Pushing with leads 1077504 Devils face early-season test against skilled Maple Leafs 1077505 Devils' Palmieri will be a game-day decision 1077506 Devils' Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Oct. 10 1077507 Islanders’ ‘Singular Focus’ Is New Arena at Belmont Park 1077508 GM sums up John Tavares’ Islanders future in one word 1077509 Islanders owner: Forget Nassau, we’re focused on Belmont Park 1077510 Isles co-owner Jonathan Ledecky: 'We have blinders on for Belmont' St Louis Blues Websites 1077545 Allen gets a night off after strong start 1077590 The Athletic / Mirtle: What went into Auston Matthews' 1077546 50 years ago on Blues' opening night: Hoopla, fisticuffs, game-breaking OT winner against the Blackhawks? and a couple of goals 1077591 The Athletic / Las Vegas native Jason Zucker pays 1077547 Blues weather the storm, beat Rangers homage to shooting victims, friend 1077548 Blues sign five-year affiliation with AHL team in San 1077592 The Athletic / Custance: Radulov impact already felt in Antonio Dallas as Stars poised to break out 1077549 Blues hold off Rangers in 3-1 win, improve to 4-0 for 1077593 The Athletic / Pronman Notebook: Dante Fabbro stands season out in NCAA, concern about Gabriel Vilardi 1077594 The Athletic / Dellow: Risk, reward and the Dustin Byfuglien question 1077550 Lightning journal: Barrage of shots during power play pays 1077595 The Athletic / Duhatschek: Overlooked Nikolaj Ehlers off against Capitals provides the spark the Jets need 1077551 Lightning's Brayden Point always seems in right place, 1077596 The Athletic / Welcome to Claude Julien’s Canadiens even with winning goals off his knee 1077597 Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights strike balance between respect, celebration in opener Maple Leafs 1077598 Sportsnet.ca / Karl Subban offers up the Subban plan for 1077552 Goals have Leafs grinning ear to ear hole: Feschuk success 1077553 Steady Connor Brown adds to Leafs’ depth 1077599 Sportsnet.ca / Burrows forged connection to Vancouver 1077554 Game day: New Jersey Devils at that Canucks aim to achieve 1077555 Game Day: Devils at Maple Leafs 1077600 Sportsnet.ca / Carolina Hurricanes attendance drops by 1077556 Connor Brown earning his spot in Maple Leafs lineup more than 10,000 after one game 1077557 Maple Leafs' Matthews proving to be nightly handful 1077601 Sportsnet.ca / Jonathan Drouin, Canadiens anxious to break through offensively 1077602 Sportsnet.ca / Why the 2017-18 Jets have to prove they’re 1077584 How the Sedins are handling a New World Order, Ode to on track for success 14, Vanek'd and it's Flat JPat on a stick. 1077603 Sportsnet.ca / Why Leafs’ Patrick Marleau sticks by dated 1077585 Senators 3 Canucks 2 (SO): The Sedins are alive and two-piece stick well, thank you 1077604 TSN.CA / Devils wary of ‘dangerous’ goal scorer Matthews 1077586 Canucks Post Game: The Vanek conundrum, the 'soft' 1077605 TSN.CA / Strong start builds Leafs’ confidence plays, the Markstrom resolve 1077607 TSN.CA / Golden Knights hope home opener helps Vegas 1077587 It's a new world order for the Canucks under coach Green heal 1077588 Is promise of Dahlen, presence of Burrows a win-win 1077608 TSN.CA / The numbers behind a freewheeling first week deal? of the NHL season 1077589 Canucks Game Day: Burr got back 1077609 USA TODAY / Longtime Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland delivers in Golden Knights' home opener Vegas Golden Knights 1077610 USA TODAY / Vegas Golden Knights make history with 1077558 In a time of unspeakable tragedy, Golden Knights unite big win in emotional home opener Las Vegas 1077559 Golden Knights turn emotional night into memorable Winnipeg Jets victory — PHOTOS 1077577 Rookie makes NHL debut after Byfuglien injury 1077560 James Neal, Golden Knights roll to 5-2 win in home 1077578 Gritty Perreault off to strong start opener 1077579 Jets' Maurice praises Poolman for play against Oilers 1077561 Golden Knights’ pregame ceremony moves owner Bill 1077580 Jets’ top trio leads the way Foley 1077581 Hellebuyck earns praise 1077562 Knights’ Deryk Engelland gives touching speech before 1077582 Poolman makes NHL debut for Jets puck drop 1077583 Jets goalie Hellebuyck stands tall in win over Oilers 1077563 Maloofs break silence at Knights’ emotional home opener 1077564 First responders ecstatic about NHL in Las Vegas 1077565 NHL’s Gary Bettman attends Golden Knights’ home SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 opener 1077566 Video analysis: A night of firsts for the Golden Knights 1077567 A Golden Night: Vegas stifles Arizona 5-2 in first-ever home game 1077568 You couldn’t have asked for a better opening night of Golden Knights hockey 1077569 Golden Knights ride emotion to resounding victory in home debut 1077570 Capitals hear echoes of Game 7 as Penguins visit Washington 1077571 Capitals’ first loss highlights defensive depth issues 1077572 Trump needles Capitals while toasting Penguins 1077573 Laurene Powell Jobs and the sound of change 1077574 President Donald Trump zings Capitals during Penguins' White House visit 1077575 After a rough night in Tampa, it is time to talk about the Capitals' third defensive pair 1077576 Prediction recap: Caps struggle against Lightning offense 1077408 Anaheim Ducks

Even with Ryan Getzlaf back in lineup, the Ducks are still weak on the power play

Mike Coppinger

The Ducks finally created some quality scoring chances on their last two power plays Monday, but they didn’t amount to any goals. Through 11 opportunities on the man advantage, the Ducks remain scoreless. Many of those power plays have created nary a possibility for a goal. Coach Randy Carlyle must have hoped the return of power-play quarterback Ryan Getzlaf in Monday’s 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames would help solve the special-team woes, but the unit that ranked No. 17 last season appears worse through three games. Surely, much of that is because of the absence of four key power-play members: defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen, and forwards Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves. Still, the Ducks have dangerous scorers like Rickard Rakell, who scored 33 goals last season, and Corey Perry, who scored only 19 goals, but had two goals and an assist in this season’s opener. It’s not just the power play, though. The Ducks have struggled to create any offense, with the third period on opening night the exception. “Yeah, there were a lot of shots [43 total], but we weren’t generating those second and third opportunities. It was one and done and we were chasing the puck back into our zone,” said Perry, who dropped the gloves and squared off with Travis Hamonic on Monday. “We weren’t crisp. Our game is moving the puck, skating, getting in on the forecheck and banging bodies. We haven’t really consistently done that yet. It’s a work in progress.” Getzlaf, too, lamented the lack of rebound opportunities, and said his game was a bit rusty after being sidelined for the first two contests. “I saw some rust in his game, specifically early, but he got a lot better as the game went on,” Carlyle said. “I expect him to continue to improve.” Ryan Miller to practice soon When the Ducks signed Ryan Miller to a two-year, $2-million deal in the offseason, it was with designs on the former winner (league’s best ) providing a steady backup behind John Gibson. So far, the 37-year-old hasn’t suited up for a regular-season game and remains on injured reserve because of an upper-body injury. Reto Berra has been the No. 2 in Miller’s place, but Carlyle said Tuesday that Miller is “getting into a day-to-day situation” and will begin practicing soon. Ondrej Kase is injured Add Ondrej Kase to the list of injured players the Duck must worry about. The 21-year-old Czech, who has been filling a top-six role, exited Monday’s game and didn’t return. Carlyle said Kase would be reevaluated Tuesday after “bumping his nose,” but there was no update. NEXT UP VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS When: 7 p.m. Wednesday. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Update: The Ducks will look to rebound from their first of the season when they wrap up a four-game homestand. … Rakell continues to be a bright spot. After recording three points in the opener, he has been held off the score sheet in consecutive games but led the team with a whopping seven shots Monday. … The Islanders are coming off a shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues. LA Times: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077409 Anaheim Ducks

What we learned from the Ducks' 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames

John Gibson

For the first time in this young season, the Ducks lost in regulation. Ryan Getzlaf returned to the lineup Monday, but the team was out-played and out-hustled by the Calgary Flames en route to a 2-0 defeat at the Honda Center. The win snapped a 25-game losing streak by the Flames in Anaheim, an NHL record for consecutive road losses by a team. Here's what we learned: Injuries mounting: The Ducks were happy to welcome back Getzlaf, their No. 1 center, but now they have another ailment to worry about after winger Ondrej Kase exited the contest and didn't return. Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said Kase will be re-evaluated Tuesday. “He bumped his nose there,” Carlyle said. “Anytime there’s anything around the head, they always have that extra precaution that’s necessary." Still scoreless on the power play: Eleven man-advantage opportunities through three games, and the Ducks have nothing to show for it. They seem close to breaking through, though. The team pressed hard during their last two power plays of the third period, and even rang one off the post, but paydirt remains elusive. Perhaps they need to get more traffic in front of the net. Then, they might be able to secure the kind of "rebound opportunities" Getzlaf believes they need. He returned to quarterback the power play, so the unit is headed in the right direction, but 0 for 11 is 0 for 11. Perry scraps: Corey Perry has been feisty to start the season. He ran into Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue on Thursday and set off a melee behind the net which ended with Perry at the bottom of a pile of punches. On Monday, he opened up the action with a cross-check to Flames captain Mark Giordano, followed by a duel with Travis Hamonic for the first five- for-fighting major of the Ducks' season. Perry landed a right cross on Hamonic's mouth, but unfortunately, it didn't build any momentum for the Ducks. Rakell continues to flash: Rickard Rakell is scoreless since his three- point opening night, but it's clear his transition to center is going smoothly. The Swede has played well on both ends of the ice, and led the Ducks with seven shots vs. the Flames, including a number of nice scoring chances on the power play. As long as Rakell continues to shoot, he should have a chance to equal his breakout campaign last season with 33 goals. LA Times: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077410 Anaheim Ducks Ondrej Kase remains day-to-day after suffering a head injury in the latter stages of the first period Monday when Calgary defenseman Dougie Hamilton delivered a hard check. Kase dropped his stick and immediately Canyon Fire 2 left many in Ducks organization scrambling headed off the ice. Kase said he was feeling better but that he’ll be evaluated daily, adding it’s “tough to say” if he’d be able to play Wednesday. By ERIC STEPHENS POWER OUTAGE

The Ducks don’t have great concern over a power play that’s yet to score ANAHEIM — Preparation was never supposed to include evacuation. in 11 opportunities but it’s headed in the wrong direction after being a major disappointment last season. It was no ordinary game day for the Ducks, who were eventually present in mind and body for their 2-0 home loss to Calgary on Monday night. “We’ve had lots of opportunities,” Carlyle said. “We’ve had chances and The hours leading up to puck drop had many within the organization we haven’t scored. And we have to find ways to create more offense. scrambling to make other accommodations due to the Canyon Fire 2 that That’s one of them. We’re going to point to our power play and that goes broke out in Anaheim Hills. to our big guys and best players. As the wildfire raged Monday morning into afternoon, many coaches, “We deem that our best players got to execute. And when you get players and staff members were following evacuation orders and taking opportunities, you got to find the back of the net.” family members, cherished pets and essential documents and belongings to a hotel near Honda Center for an overnight stay – or longer Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.11.2017 if the order stayed in place. Those who have homes near the affected area include Ducks coach Randy Carlyle and General Manager Bob Murray. “We were very close to it,” Carlyle said. “It was less than a quarter-mile from where I reside.” The Ducks had morning meetings and a skating session as smoke moved in the direction of Honda Center, turning a blue sky into a combination of brown, black and orange. “I drove home and actually picked up my wife and cat,” said Carlyle, who also grabbed his Stanley Cup ring. “Went to the hotel.” Defenseman Francois Beauchemin had to relocate with his wife, Marie- Claude, and their three children as they were told to evacuate from their Tustin Ranch home. Beauchemin said he hoped they would be allowed back in Tuesday night, which became possible when the order was lifted. “I just laid down for 20 minutes (at home) and then soon after that I got the call that we had to evacuate,” Beauchemin said. “So we had to pack some stuff and make sure we had enough because we don’t know how long we’re going to be out. We packed some stuff for a couple of days. “We‘ve got two dogs and a cat so we’ve got to get them out of there too. And then calling the hotel. My parents were in town too. So it was a lot of distraction. Come game time, you got to still be focused and be ready to go.” As disconcerting as game day had become, Carlyle knows it could have been far worse. As of Tuesday, 36 structures had been either destroyed or damaged. “We were fortunate,” Carlyle said. “But obviously there’s people who were less fortunate. That’s where you think of. To see the number of people displaced. And the traffic to get in and out of where you’re going and the environment that was created yesterday was quite different than you’d ever experienced before. “Not positive, that’s for sure.” INJURY REPORT Most of the Ducks were given Tuesday off but was one of the few skaters and the winger went through a taxing session to test out of a lower-body injury that’s sidelined him the last two games. It has nagged at him since training camp. “It just hasn’t felt good and has kind of restricted me a little bit,” Ritchie said. “It was at a point where I didn’t want to make anything worse and push something like this. It’s starting to feel a lot better every day and hopefully it continues that.” The Ducks got Ryan Getzlaf back in the lineup Monday and are hopeful that Ritchie and winger Patrick Eaves aren’t too far behind. “We wanted to stimulate some people here that have been out of the lineup,” Carlyle said. “They’ve got an opportunity to join us any time here. So hopefully we’ll get some healthy bodies starting tomorrow night.” Ryan Miller (upper body) has yet to dress after getting hurt during the preseason but that day may be coming as the veteran goalie has moved from doing individual workouts to taking shots from teammates. Full practices are the next step for Miller, who signed a two-year deal with the Ducks on the first day of free agency. “He’s joining our group,” Carlyle said. “He’ll be getting into more of a day- to-day scenario.” 1077411 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes routed by Golden Knights after moving tribute in Vegas opener

The Associated Press Published 10:48 p.m. MT Oct. 10, 2017 ‘ LAS VEGAS - The Vegas Golden Knights’ debut on the Strip was a poignant smash. James Neal scored twice during a thrilling four-goal first period, and the Golden Knights remained unbeaten three games into their inaugural season with a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes in their home opener on Tuesday night. Tomas Nosek scored the first home goal in franchise history just 2:31 into the first period, and Deryk Engelland added his first goal for his adopted hometown’s new team moments later. Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves for the Golden Knights, who became the first team in NHL history to begin their debut season with three straight wins. Just nine days after the Las Vegas Strip shooting massacre, the Golden Knights reverently honored the victims and heroes before the long- awaited home debut of the city’s first major professional sports franchise. The Knights held a pregame ceremony during which the names of the shooting victims were projected in gold onto the ice during 58 seconds of silence. Engelland spoke eloquently to the fans, vowing that the Golden Knights “will do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.” After that emotional outpouring, the Golden Knights charged into their home opener with some inspired hockey. Nosek and Engelland connected in the opening minutes before Neal scored back-to-back goals in 4:27, giving him five goals in three games — and all three game-winning goals in team history. Vegas led 4-0 in less than 11 minutes, getting well on its way to a cathartic victory. Oscar Lindberg scored in the second period for the Golden Knights, who opened their inaugural season with back-to-back road victories before returning home. Golden Knights left wing James Neal scores on Coyotes Tobias Rieder and Kevin Connauton scored for the Coyotes, who remained winless after losing back-to-back games to the expansion Golden Knights in a four-day stretch. The crowd had scarcely quieted from the pregame festivities when Nosek, the Czech wing who spent the past two seasons with Detroit, fired a shot through Antti Raanta. Engelland, the veteran defenseman who has lived in Las Vegas since playing here for a minor league team several years ago, then took a pass from Brendan Leipsic and fired it through traffic. Neal, who scored the first goal in franchise history, made it 3-0 just 6:15 into the first period and chased Raanta, who stopped only three shots. Neal added the first power-play goal in franchise history 4:27 later, setting off roars of excitement in T-Mobile Arena. Connauton’s goal in the third period was his first in his 27 games for the Coyotes. The Golden Knights’ opener was a bit more somber than the franchise originally planned, although the crowd was still whipped into a frenzy by its team’s excellent play. Before the game, the Golden Knights introduced their players alongside a member of the medical or law enforcement communities that responded to the massacre. T-Mobile Arena had no ads on the boards around the ice for the opener. Instead, the all-white boards simply displayed the same message: “Vegas Strong.” Arizona Republic LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077412 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes-Golden Knights preview: Emotions will be high in Las Vegas

The Sports Xchange Oct 10, 2017 at 12:40p ET

LAS VEGAS — Emotions figure to be at a fever pitch Tuesday night when the Vegas Golden Knights become the first major sports franchise in the city’s glittery history to play a home game when they face the Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena. Before the puck is dropped, the team will honor victims and first responders from the horrific shooting that killed 58 people and injured hundreds more nine days earlier at a concert a little over a block away from the arena. The 15-minute ceremony will take place before the Golden Knights (2-0- 0) play the Coyotes (0-1-1) for the second time in four nights. Vegas rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory over Arizona on Saturday night in Glendale, Ariz. “It’s will be real emotional (because) of what happened here in Vegas,” Golden Knights left winger James Neal, who has three goals in two games, including both game-winners, said Monday. “We’re trying to do everything we can to bring a positive light to the city and bring this city together. I think we’ve gotten off to a good start in doing that. Tomorrow is going to be an amazing night.” The big question is how the Golden Knights will handle everything that comes with the first home opener in franchise history combined with all the emotions that figure to spill over from honoring the shooting victims and first responders. “We’ve got to channel those emotions and use them to our advantage and come out strong,” Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland said. “It’s not going to be your typical opener,” Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said Monday. “Tomorrow night is not about us, it’s about honoring the victims, their families and the first responders. It’s been for this country, and this city, an incredibly emotional experience. “I don’t know how our players will shift gears into playing mode. I don’t know how the ceremony will transition into the game. We’ll do our best.” So far that’s been more than enough for the expansion Golden Knights, who opened the season with a 2-1 victory at Dallas on Friday thanks to two third period goals by Neal and 45 saves by goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. “I don’t think we could have (written a better script),” Neal said. “I think everybody was just excited to get going. Everything that has happened in the city, and to be here where we are, be able to start our first home game with a 2-0 record, is pretty special.” Arizona comes in winless but very well could be 2-0 itself with better finishes. The Coyotes led 4-1 in their opener at Anaheim before losing 5-4. They aso led 1-0 for most of the Saturday loss to Vegas, but defenseman Nate Schmidt tied it with 1:12 remaining after the Golden Knights had pulled Fleury for an extra attacker. Neal then scored the game-winner 3:46 into overtime when he slid the puck under goalie Antti Raanta’s right pad. “That’s something we have to learn, to close games down,” Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson told azcentral.com. “But at the same time, we didn’t play good enough to win that game.” One bright spot was the play of Raanta, making his first start in net for Arizona. Raanta, expected to be the team’s No. 1 starter, made 40 saves in the loss. “He was unbelievable,” said Arizona winger Tobias Rieder, who backhanded a rebound past Fleury for the Coyotes’ only goal. “He held us in that game.” foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077413 Arizona Coyotes

The Golden Knights and Las Vegas are bonding through tragedy and triumph

BY CRAIG MORGAN | OCTOBER 10, 2017 AT 11:32 PM

LAS VEGAS — Sports writers are prone to hyperbolizing the impact professional sports have on a community. No amount of hyperbole could capture the impact the Vegas Golden Knights’ home opener had on a grieving city. Not since the 2001 World Series between the Diamondbacks and Yankees after 9/11 can I remember covering a more emotion-packed sporting event than Tuesday’s game at T-Mobile Arena between the Golden Knights and Coyotes. #VegasStrong signs and Golden Knights jerseys littered the city, capturing the alternating emotions of excitement, mourning and resolve. “From walking around here today, either being in cars with drivers or checking into the hotel or just interacting with people in restaurants, that’s the sense I’m getting,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “People are horrified about what happened, and determined to move on.” In place of the pregame theatrics the franchise had planned for its home opener, Vegas honored the first responders who risked their lives and saved others when 58 people died in the worst mass shooting in American history on Oct. 1 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival of country music. One Vegas player accompanied each of those firemen, police officers, EMTs, doctors and nurses on the ice. The Route 91 Harvest Festival team sang the national anthem. The Golden Knights and Coyotes both wore #VegasStrong decals on their helmets. Vegas alternate captain Deryk Engelland told fans, “like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home… we are Vegas Strong.” The Coyotes lined up behind the Knights for the national anthem in a got- your-back show of solidarity. The sellout crowd sang the anthem in unison, but the most potent part of the pregame show came when the team asked everyone to observe 58 seconds of silence. With the arena otherwise in blackness, the scoreboard ticked off every second in large numerals, a sobering reminder of the 58 lives that were lost. “It was a powerful moment,” Golden Knights’ owner Bill Foley said. “It’s a process here. It’s a tough deal that happened nine days ago, but we’re trying to do our part. Our players are really trying to do their part.” Foley admitted that the Knights are feeding off the energy the city is providing them as Las Vegas’ first major professional team, but the Knights are clearly returning the favor with this 3-0 start — the first 3-0 start by an expansion team in NHL history. That the Coyotes looked overmatched in a 5-2 loss, and are off to an 0-2- 1 start was a footnote on this night. There was a bigger picture to consider. “The response from the crowd was phenomenal,” Engelland said. “It was the least we could do for those people that went through that. We want to get every win we can for the city and the people that were involved. When you get texts from the fire department, saying the spirits are lifting around the department, it’s crazy.” No amount of Knights wins will bring back the lives that were lost in another senseless American shooting, but each Vegas victory feels like a small dose of medicine to help the healing. Vegas needed this. Its new team delivered. Arizona Sports LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077414 Arizona Coyotes Coyotes: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. Golden Knights: Host the Red Wings on Friday. Coyotes unable to contain Knights, remain winless on season Arizona Sports LOADED: 10.11.2017

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | OCTOBER 10, 2017 AT 10:55 PM

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights’ debut on the Strip was a poignant smash. James Neal scored twice during a thrilling four-goal first period, and the Golden Knights remained unbeaten three games into their inaugural season with a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes in their home opener on Tuesday night. Tomas Nosek scored the first home goal in franchise history just 2:31 into the first period, and Deryk Engelland added his first goal for his adopted hometown’s new team moments later. Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves for the Golden Knights, who became the first team in NHL history to begin their debut season with three straight wins. Just nine days after the Las Vegas Strip shooting massacre, the Golden Knights reverently honored the victims and heroes before the long- awaited home debut of the city’s first major professional sports franchise. The Knights held a pregame ceremony during which the names of the shooting victims were projected in gold onto the ice during 58 seconds of silence. Engelland spoke eloquently to the fans, vowing that the Golden Knights “will do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.” After that emotional outpouring, the Golden Knights charged into their home opener with some inspired hockey. Nosek and Engelland connected in the opening minutes before Neal scored back-to-back goals in 4:27, giving him five goals in three games — and all three game-winning goals in team history. Vegas led 4-0 in less than 11 minutes, getting well on its way to a cathartic victory. Oscar Lindberg scored in the second period for the Golden Knights, who opened their inaugural season with back-to-back road victories before returning home. Tobias Rieder and Kevin Connauton scored for the Coyotes, who remained winless after losing back-to-back games to the expansion Golden Knights in a four-day stretch. The crowd had scarcely quieted from the pregame festivities when Nosek, the Czech wing who spent the past two seasons with Detroit, fired a shot through Antti Raanta. Engelland, the veteran defenseman who has lived in Las Vegas since playing here for a minor league team several years ago, then took a pass from Brendan Leipsic and fired it through traffic. Neal, who scored the first goal in franchise history, made it 3-0just 6:15 into the first period and chased Raanta, who stopped only three shots. Neal added the first power-play goal in franchise history 4:27 later, setting off roars of excitement in T-Mobile Arena. Connauton’s goal in the third period was his first in his 27 games for the Coyotes. The Golden Knights’ opener was a bit more somber than the franchise originally planned, although the crowd was still whipped into a frenzy by its team’s excellent play. Before the game, the Golden Knights introduced their players alongside a member of the medical or law enforcement communities that responded to the massacre. T-Mobile Arena had no ads on the boards around the ice for the opener. Instead, the all-white boards simply displayed the same message: “Vegas Strong.” NOTES: Coyotes forward Brendan Perlini left in the first period and didn’t return due to an upper-body injury. … Arizona’s Mario Kempe made his NHL debut. The 29-year-old Swede spent the last three seasons in the KHL. He nearly made the Coyotes out of training camp, but briefly went to the AHL before replacing No. 3 overall pick Dylan Strome on the Coyotes’ roster Monday. Kempe’s younger brother, Adrian, plays for the Los Angeles Kings. … Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis attended the game. UP NEXT 1077415 Arizona Coyotes

Vegas Golden Knights have pregame ceremony prior to home opener

BY KELLAN OLSON

How we chose to honor the heroes that make Las Vegas everything it is. Our home. #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/E1YSyYxfyl — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 11, 2017 In the franchise’s first regular season home game that comes nine days after a shooting that took 58 lives, the Vegas Golden Knights had a pregame ceremony prior to their home opener against the Arizona Coyotes. The team had a video package air to start, showing various landmarks around the city and citizens representing #VegasStrong. Following the video, players took the ice with first responders from the Oct. 1 shooting that killed 58 people and injured over 450. The @GoldenKnights take to the ice for the first time at home alongside the first responders from the shooting on Oct. 1. #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/vThWyvzX1K — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 11, 2017 A moment of silence lasting 58 seconds for the 58 people who lost their lives that day was held. Lastly, defenseman Deryk Engelland, who lives in Las Vegas, addressed the crowd. “We are #VegasStrong.”#GoldenKnights defenceman Deryk Engelland addresses the home crowd. pic.twitter.com/OaykNFLiO9 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 11, 2017 All those moments led to an electric atmosphere inside T-Mobile Arena that translated directly to the team’s play. How a healing city gets back on its feet!#VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/VR8gBfAHmx — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 11, 2017 They would score the first three goals of the game in seven minutes, including the second goal scored by Engelland himself. Arizona Sports LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077416 Arizona Coyotes

ESPN: Coyotes’ Christian Dvorak breakout candidate for 2017-18 season

BY JOE JACQUEZ

Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak had a strong finish to his first NHL season in 2016-17, and one ESPN writer thinks he is primed for a breakout campaign in 2017-18. ESPN NHL Draft and prospects analyst Chris Peters came up with a potential breakout player for each NHL team, and he listed the 21-year- old Dvorak from the Coyotes. It took Dvorak a little time to find his footing in the NHL last season after a truly stellar career in the OHL with the London Knights. Once things started clicking, however, they really started clicking. Oddly enough, it appeared the turning point came on his 21st birthday on Feb. 2. He had a pair of points against Chicago that night. It’s probably not safe to project Dvorak’s production within that smaller sample to become the norm (his shooting percentage was 21.1 percent in that stretch), but the Coyotes clearly have a lot of faith in him, as he’s now the No. 2 center, behind Derek Stepan. Dvorak is going to get an opportunity to prove he can be a producer for this team, and based on what we saw at the end of last season, I like his chances to do just that. During the final 33 games of the season, Dvorak established himself as one of the Coyotes’ best offensive players. He led the team with 11 goals and finished fourth in points with 20 during that stretch. Before the Coyotes acquired Stephan from the New York Rangers in the offseason, Dvorak arguably could have assumed the top line center role. Peters said he likes Dvoark’s chances to produce at a high level in his sophomore campaign, but he has been the definition of a streaky player. In his first 10 NHL games, Dvorak compiled five points and earned more playing time. But, he could only muster a total of seven points over his next 30 games. After two games this season, Dvorak has a power play goal and an assist but a -2 plus-minus. Arizona Sports LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077417 Boston Bruins Do-Rite Donuts, 50 West Randolph St., Chicago: Best donuts in the league… Valrhona chocolate is outstanding… Gluten-free options too.

Little Goat Diner, 820 West Randolph Ave., Chicago: All-day breakfast, The best places to eat in every NHL city but it’s more than eggs and pancakes… Cross your fingers that they Bar-Bill Tavern in East Aurora, NY, is home to a solid beef on weck. have the goat tail taco special. Pequod’s Pizza, 2207 North Clybourn Ave., Chicago: Crispy pan pizza… Solid even for thin-crust fans… A hike from The Loop, but worth it. GLOBE STAFF By Fluto Shinzawa Colorado

Hopdoddy Burger Bar, 1747 Wynkoop St., Denver: Chain, but they make The No. 1 perk of being an NHL reporter is sampling the local fare in a nice burger… Good location at Union Station. each city. I suppose for convenience, there is a time and place to visit sports bars close to the rink or order room service at the hotel. Ink Coffee, 1920 17th St., Denver: A different kind of buzz compared to the local herb variety… Or so I hear regarding the latter. But exploring the cities and eating local is a pleasure that goes beyond standing in line for hot dogs and popcorn during intermission. Wynkoop Brewing Co., 1634 18th St., Denver: One of Denver’s older brew pubs. Decent chow. Here is a hat trick’s worth of favorites at each stop: Columbus Anaheim Café Brioso, 14 East Gay St., Columbus: Standard neighborhood coffee Break of Dawn, 24291 Avenida De La Carlota, Laguna Hills: Bit of a haul shop… Not outstanding, but solid. from Honda Center, especially in SoCal traffic, but worth the commute … Huge portions at breakfast and lunch … Tasty and filling. El Arepazo Latin Grill, 47 North Pearl St., Columbus: Outstanding arepas… Grab extra napkins for the mess. Din Tai Fung, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa: One of California’s signature spots for soup dumplings … Plenty of other things on the menu … Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, 59 Spruce St., Columbus: Trailblazing Expect a wait. boutique ice cream maker… Sweet potato is a surprisingly good flavor… Available at Whole Foods for big bucks. Enter email address Dallas Sign Up CBD Provisions, 1530 Main St., Dallas: That I prefer their quinoa bowl In-N-Out Burger, 1168 State College Blvd., Anaheim:When in Rome … over standard lunch fare shows the quality of their work… Good eggs at Can’t beat their burgers for fast food … Burgers are better than the fries. breakfast too… I plan on ordering CBD’s pig face carnitas at dinner sometime, even though it’s meant for more than one diner. Break of Dawn La Nueva Fresh and Hot Tortilleria, 9625 Webb Chapel Rd., Dallas: Can’t FLUTO SHINZAWA/ beat chowing on tacos while sitting on the car hood… Fillings just about spill out of the tortillas. GLOBE STAFF La Nueva Break of Dawn FLUTO SHINZAWA/ Arizona GLOBE STAFF Tacos Atoyac, 1830 West Glendale Ave., Phoenix: Humble but powerful taco joint … Hard to go past an $8 check … Spicy. La Nueva Which Wich, 9404 West Westgate Blvd., Glendale: Not bad for a chain … Maple & Motor, 4810 Maple Ave., Dallas: Solid burger and onion rings. Just steps from Gila River Arena … Better than arena options. Detroit Yard House, 9404 West Westgate Blvd., Glendale: Chain, but close to the rink … Beer everywhere. Astro Coffee, 2124 Michigan Ave., Detroit: Hard to beat Astro’s coffee and egg sandwich at breakfast. Buffalo Slows Bar BQ, 2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit: One of the better briskets in Bar Bill Tavern, 185 Main St., East Aurora: Classic Western New York the league… Side dishes’ portions are generous. dive… Highlight is beef on weck … Multiple flavors of wings. Supino Pizzeria, 2457 Russell Ave., Detroit: Good take on Detroit-style Deep South Taco, 1707 Hertel Ave., Buffalo: Very good interpretation of pizza, which is cut into squares instead of slices. Mexican street fare … Outdoor patio, which may be an oxymoron in Buffalo. Edmonton Tipico Coffee, 128 Fargo Ave., Buffalo: Excellent coffee and baked Credo Coffee, 10134 104 St., NW, Edmonton: Very good place to warm goods … Lovely space. up with a cup of coffee. You’ll need it in Edmonton. Calgary Rogers Arena, 300-10214 104 Avenue, NW, Edmonton: Too cold to venture outside in the dead of winter. Analog Coffee, 740 17th Ave. SW, Calgary: Dependable drip and beans to take home … Laidback vibe, even for a coffee shop. Urban China, 10604 101 St., NW, Edmonton: Nice dim sum within walking distance of the arena. Naina’s Kitchen, 121 17th Ave. SE, Calgary: Burgers stuffed with anything you can imagine, including mac and cheese … Medic! Florida Rosso Coffee Roasters, 103 17th Ave., Calgary: Tasty coffee close to the Bob Roth’s New River Groves, 5660 Griffin Rd., Davie: Critical dead-of- rink. winter produce stand for citrus-starved New Englanders… Local cyclists like to stop for fresh coconut water. Carolina Gran Forno, 1235 Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: Good spot for New World Café, 4112 Pleasant Valley Rd., Raleigh: Nice spot serving pastries, muffins, and cookies. Counter Culture coffee, which is based in nearby Durham. Greek Islands Taverna, 3300 North Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: Best The Pit, 328 West Davie St.:Good introduction to North Carolina Greek in the league… Nothing better than eating fresh Greek outdoors in barbecue. February… Roast chicken is outstanding. Waraji Japanese Restaurant, 5910 Duraleigh Rd., Raleigh: Don’t sleep Greek Islands Taverna on Southern sushi… Fresh ingredients… Creative rolls. FLUTO SHINZAWA/ Chicago GLOBE STAFF Greek Islands Taverna than the Classic: your choice of smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomatoes, capers, and red onions on a bagel. Los Angeles Shanghai Asian Manor, 21 Mott St., New York: What could be better than El Parian, 1528 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles: Whopping portions of postgame soup dumplings? tacos… Try the birria, although goat’s strong taste might not be for everyone… Menudo is excellent. New York Rangers Intelligentsia Coffee, 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice: Lovely spot for an Ess-A-Bagel, 831 3d Ave.: Best bagel in the league without question… espresso, either inside the industrial-looking space or outside in the LA Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, mild flavor… Good chance sun. you’ll get them fresh out of the oven. Intelligentsia Coffee Ess-A-Bagel FLUTO SHINZAWA/ FLUTO SHINZAWA/ GLOBE STAFF GLOBE STAFF Intelligentsia Coffee Ess-A-Bagel Toraji Ramen, 1630 West Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena: This should Los Tacos No. 1, 75 9th Ave., New York: One of the better options inside be your first stop after leaving LAX… Just south of the airport… A top- Chelsea Market… Might be too salty for some. three ramen in the league. The Spotted Pig, 314 West 11th St., New York: I could eat the chicken Minnesota liver toast all day long… Pig ear salad is very, very lemony… No reservations, which can be a tough sell in Greenwich Village. The Copper Hen, 2515 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis: Nice neighborhood restaurant that does the classics well: salad, chicken, pizza. Ottawa Revival, 4257 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis: Some of the better fried chicken Giovanni’s, 362 Preston St., Ottawa: Straightforward Italian… Pasta is around: crispy, well-flavored, and juicy. nicely al dente… A favorite for visiting hockey players. Revival Haldi Indian Restaurant, 449 Preston St., Ottawa: Tasty, flaky vegetable samosas… I defy you not to cry while eating the chicken vindaloo, which FLUTO SHINZAWA/ practically arrives in flames. GLOBE STAFF Shawarma Palace, 464 Rideau St., Ottawa: Chicken shawarma plate is Revival the best dish in the league: chicken, rice, potatoes, salad, hummus, garlic sauce, pita bread, and pickles… Impossible to finish or to have another Rustica Bakery, 3220 West Lake St., Minneapolis: Very good salads and meal later in the day. baked goods. Philadelphia Montreal DiNic’s, 51 North 12th St., Philadelphia: Roast pork + provolone + L’Express, 3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal: Classic French bistro… broccoli rabe = bliss. Even better when you order it wet, which means an Croque monsieur avec frites is one of the league’s top-five sandwiches… extra splash of au jus. Chocolate tart ends the meal perfectly. Roast pork, provolone, and broccoli rabe at DiNic’s. L’Express FLUTO SHINZAWA/ FLUTO SHINZAWA/ GLOBE STAFF GLOBE STAFF Roast pork, provolone, and broccoli rabe at DiNic’s. L’Express Sabrina’s Café, 910 Christian St., Philadelphia: One of my favorite Mamie Clafoutis, 3660 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal: Signature pastry, a breakfast spots in the league… Nothing fancy, but everything is good, chocolate-filled croissant, is called Oh Mon Dieu. The name is perfect. especially the omelet. Melk Bar a Café, 1206 Rue Stanley, Montreal: The coffee is excellent. So Tony Luke’s, 39 East Oregon Ave., Philadelphia: Of course you have to are the scones. eat cheese steak in Philly. And yes, I’ve eaten two at once. Sick. Nashville Pittsburgh Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, 112 19th Ave. South, Nashville: Get the chicken. Fat Head’s Saloon, 1805 East Carson St., Pittsburgh: Go-to item is the Duh. South Shore Steak & Egg: shaved beef, fried egg, pepperoni, cheese, and veggie Headwich. It’s called that because it’s a sandwich as big as Jack’s Bar-B-Que, 416 Broadway, Nashville: Not the best barbecue your head. around, but convenient to the rink, right around the corner on Broadway. Pamela’s Diner, 60 21st St., Pittsburgh: Can’t beat crisp, sweet, and fluffy Puckett’s 5th & Church, 500 Church St., Nashville: Very good barbecue, crepes for breakfast. but more than just ribs and pulled pork. Fried chicken is good. 21st Street Coffee, 2002 Smallman St., Philadelphia: I always have time New Jersey for a shop that uses Intelligentsia beans. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 224 Market St., Newark: Other older Dinosaur St. Louis locations (Syracuse, Rochester) are better. But can’t beat the location – right next door to Prudential Center. Pappy’s Smokehouse, 3106 Olive St., St. Louis: Terrific rack of ribs: tender, salty, and slightly sweet... Goes well with string beans and sweet Hobby’s Deli, 32 Branford Place, Newark: Old-school deli, from the potato fries. sandwiches to the tub of pickles on every table… Not many of these joints left. Pappy’s Smokehouse Spain Restaurant, 419 Market St., Newark: Value play for paella and FLUTO SHINZAWA/ other Spanish dishes. GLOBE STAFF New York Islanders Pappy’s Smokehouse Prune, 52 East 1st Ave., New York: Just a short train ride from to this East Village gem… Bone marrow is always a hit. Rooster, 3150 South Grand, St. Louis: Sweet and savory crepes… The roasted ham with Emmenthaler and Fontina is very good. Russ & Daughters, 179 East Houston St., New York: Nice stop for a pregame sandwich before the subway to … Not many better Zia’s On The Hill, 5256 Wilson Ave., St. Louis: Italian neighborhood. Italian joint. San Jose Boston Globe LOADED: 10.11.2017 Blue Bottle Coffee, 315 Linden St., San Francisco: Best coffee in the league… Explosive flavor regardless of origin… Expanding everywhere, including Harvard Square, but the Bay Area is Blue Bottle’s birthplace… With apologies to San Jose, it’s worth the drive to San Francisco, which is a world-class dining city. Tartine Bakery, 600 Guerrero St., San Francisco: Frangipane and morning bun are without parallels… Worth the ever-present line… If only they would consider a Boston branch. Zuni Café, 1658 Market St., San Francisco: They excel in two things everyone needs: Caesar salad and roast chicken… I use Zuni’s recipe for chicken at home, salting the bird liberally the night before and roasting at high heat. Tampa Bay Arco-Iris Restaurant, 3328 West Columbus Drive, Tampa: Ropa vieja is a go-to dish at this Cuban restaurant… The flan, naturally, is quite good. Columbia Restaurant, 2117 East 7th Ave., Tampa: Paella made to order, so be prepared for a wait… The 1905 salad, tossed tableside, is good. La Teresita, 3248 West Columbus Drive, Tampa: One of Tampa’s better versions of the Cuban sandwich. Toronto Banh Mi Boys, 392 Queen St. West, Toronto: Given the name, banh mi is very good… But the bao (pork belly, beef, fried chicken, or tofu tucked inside steamed buns) are better. Lai Wah Heen, 108 Chestnut St., Toronto: Dim sum made to order, so forget about picking from the traditional cart… Pricier than most dim sum spots, but worth the cost. Patria, 478 King St. West, Toronto: Paella is cooked just right – fluffy for the most part, crunchy on the bottom. Vancouver 49th Parallel Coffee Roaster & Lucky Doughnuts, 2198 West 4th Ave., Vancouver: Who doesn’t love coffee and donuts in the same spot? Kintaro Ramen, 788 Denman St., Vancouver: Best ramen in the league… Favorite combination is medium broth and fatty pork. Takis’ Taverna, 1106 Davie St., Vancouver: Lovely neighborhood Greek restaurant… Chicken is my go-to Greek dish, but their lamb shoulder is outstanding. Vegas Incomplete. I haven’t been in 15 years, so I can’t say if Lotus of Siam is still good… Lawry’s, Fleming’s, and The Palm are in linemate Kevin Dupont’s regular rotation. Washington Chinatown Coffee Co., 475 H St. NW, Washington: Just around the corner from the rink… Given the Capitals’ defections, you might need pregame jolt to stay awake. Jaleo, 480 7th St. NW, Washington: Tapas, tapas, and more tapas… I recommend tortilla de patatas (potatoes, onions, and eggs), ensalada campera (tuna, fingerling potatoes, string beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs), and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan (sausage with white beans). Jaleo FLUTO SHINZAWA/ GLOBE STAFF Jaleo Pizzeria Paradiso, 2003 P St., NW, Washington: Not fancy. Just good. Winnipeg Kum Koon Garden, 257 King St., Winnipeg: Tasty and plump orders of dim sum… Crazy crowded during Chinese holidays (I learned that the hard way). Parlour Coffee, 468 Main St., Winnipeg: Simple but elegant coffee preparation… Spare but cozy space. Stella’s, 116 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg: Bustling breakfast scene… I like the French country omelet, but the locals rave about the chorizo hash. Fluto Shinzawa 1077418 Boston Bruins “I’ve historically done that, tried to work forward groups in pairs, see guys that have chemistry, find a third guy that fits around them,” Cassidy said.

“Over the years, for me personally, injuries and call-ups when you’re at a Bruins’ lines quickly thrown into a state of flux lower level force you to do that — to be able to adjust on the fly from game to game. You’re constantly looking for chemistry.” GLOBE STAFF By Fluto Shinzawa White, concussed in his first preseason audition with Vancouver, was released from his tryout agreement Saturday. By then, the Bruins knew Noel Acciari (broken finger) and David Backes (diverticulitis) probably would be out until November. The 29-year-old White is a grinder who Listen to recent episodes of the Boston Globe’s Season Ticket podcast split last season banging bodies and chucking knuckles between Minnesota and Arizona. He is not guaranteed a Black-and-Gold jersey, History dictates that when April arrives, every point will be precious to the let alone a contract. Bruins in their playoff push. But the right-shot wing has experience, sandpaper, and a straight-line The points the Bruins lost Monday against Colorado and the ones approach that could help if the Bruins need fourth-line presence. available in Wednesday’s rematch count the same now as they will in the spring. Which is why, even though the 2017-18 season is still wearing “I’m just going to play my game wherever I go,” White said. “I’m probably diapers, management and the coaching staff are operating with stretch- here for a reason. Just play physical, straight up-and-down, north-south run urgency. game. Chip in where I can. Pretty self-explanatory the way I play. Can’t change it now.” During Tuesday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena, coach Bruce Cassidy continued to fiddle with his lines. With Patrice Bergeron unavailable, The ceiling is higher for Heinen, Providence’s most productive playoff Cassidy placed Riley Nash between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. scorer last year (9-9—18 in 17 games). The second-year pro accelerates In Monday’s 4-0 loss, Ryan Spooner and David Krejci centered the first- off the line, stretches out defenses, and snaps off pucks well from either line wings. Neither gained traction. wing. But Heinen has yet to find the battle level required for regular varsity play. Cassidy also welcomed two additions that general manager Don Sweeney believed were required. Danton Heinen, parked behind Anders “I thought I was just OK,” Heinen said of his camp. “Started well. Thought Bjork and Jake DeBrusk on the depth chart during training camp, was I finished pretty well. But in the middle there, I thought I had a little lull. recalled from Providence for practice and joined the team on its Didn’t have my best.” afternoon flight to Denver. Also in tow: ex-Canadien Ryan White, cut free by Vancouver after being invited to camp, serving as a spare part on his Heinen will likely start as a spare forward, which teams like to have on second tryout contract within the last two months. Western swings. But he’s hungry for playing time. Frank Vatrano and Matt Beleskey are most at risk. “Different being on the dark side,” said the former Montreal irritant. “But I think if you asked my old man, I look good in black.” Even if Wednesday is only Game No. 3, not all jobs are safe. The root of the lineup instability is Bergeron’s unavailability. He did not Boston Globe LOADED: 10.11.2017 practice Tuesday. He will be part of the three-game road trip, but perhaps more so for team-building purposes than roster-strengthening. Bergeron’s lower-body ailment will keep him out Wednesday for a third straight game. The subsequent schedule — rest day Thursday, practice Friday, back-to-back games against the Coyotes and Golden Knights Saturday and Sunday — does not set up Bergeron for heavy action, if any at all. “Just hasn’t responded well to treatment,” Cassidy said. Bergeron is the team’s best player. When he’s firing, he combines with Marchand to form the NHL’s best 200-foot combination. The Bruins managed Bergeron’s absence in the season opener against Nashville. They looked dreadful without him against the Avalanche. With Bergeron parked, Cassidy has to look elsewhere for a five-on-five pivot, power-play bumper, and regular penalty killer. Marchand has felt Bergeron’s loss most keenly. The left wing is good enough to make noise on his own, especially with Pastrnak creating offense on the right flank. But it is only natural that Marchand is compromised without his usual partner. Part of Marchand’s meekness (two shots, one empty-netter) may also be a tender foot, one that was sore enough to require a walking boot following the 4-3 win over Nashville. “Missing his buddy [hurts], the guy he plays very well with. Absolutely,” Cassidy said. “The onus falls on him to play through that. “Yes, it matters. But Marshy knows right now he can be better. We’ve discussed that. He will be. He figures stuff out and he’s going to play. And he’ll play well for us. “He knows we need him probably now a little more than other days with key guys out of our lineup. I expect him to be real good for us.” Cassidy deployed Nash partly because he is the closest approximation to Bergeron as a cerebral, responsible, right-shot center. Cassidy also saw enough sparks fly when Krejci centered DeBrusk and Bjork to keep the veteran between the rookies. Whether his lines will stay that way in Denver remains to be seen. Playoff urgency was part of the reason Cassidy managed his lineup aggressively upon his promotion last year. But it is also Cassidy’s makeup to be a change agent. He is a tinkerer, quick to wear out his remote when he doesn’t like the channel he’s watching. It will be up to his players to respond to their coach’s trigger finger. 1077419 Boston Bruins

Bruins recall Danton Heinen, sign Ryan White to tryout

GLOBE STAFF By Fluto Shinzawa

The Bruins recalled Danton Heinen from Providence Tuesday and signed veteran grinder Ryan White to a professional tryout agreement. Both forwards are expected to join the team on its three-game road trip. Prior to the transactions, the Bruins did not have any healthy spare forwards. Patrice Bergeron has missed the first two games because of a lower-body injury. Heinen, Providence’s best postseason player last year, did not make much noise during training camp. White split last season between Minnesota and Arizona; he attended Vancouver’s camp on a tryout basis. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077420 Boston Bruins

A few problems have already surfaced for the Bruins

GLOBE STAFF By Kevin Paul Dupont

Some random thoughts, observations, and shots high off the glass following the Bruins’ 4-0 loss Monday afternoon to the Avalanche. ■ The Bruins won slightly better than 7 of every 10 faceoffs (37 wins, 15 losses) but didn’t turn that lopsided possession advantage into sustained offensive pressure. Part of the problem: shooting accuracy. Of the 59 times they fired, they missed 16 times (27. 1 percent). Another 14 shots were blocked. Accuracy matters. ■ Rookie wingers Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork, standouts on opening night, were both on the ice for three of the Colorado goals and logged team-worst -3’s. They will have to be harder on pucks, true of the other 16 Black-and-Gold skaters who suited up on Monday. ■ It was a tough afternoon for goalie Tuukka Rask, who let in two of the first three shots he faced. Both were stoppable, and one big stop early might have changed the entire complexion of the game. He also misjudged a footrace with Nail Yakupov, ranging far from his net to field a puck that Yakupov turned into an empty-net goal. Gerry Cheevers made those forays. But the Cheese was a race track veteran and knew when he was the faster horse. ■ Coach Bruce Cassidy wasted no time shaking up his lines. Unlike his predecessor, he wants immediate spark. In the long term, that should send a clear message for players, especially forwards, to be ready off the hops. “That’s the way we are going to do things around here until we see things that we like,” he said. “We liked what we saw against Nashville [Thursday] in a short period of time. We seemed to get everyone where they best fit. Tonight I never found the right combinations.” ■ Team captain Zdeno Chara logged 23:33 in ice time opening night, then followed with 21:55 (a second under Torey Krug) on Monday. Average ice time: 22:44, only slightly below his team high of 23:19 across 75 games last season. ■ The power play, a sore spot in the preseason, went a combined 1-for-9 in the first two games. Prescription for loss: an 11.1 percent power play. Some of that is the fact Patrice Bergeron didn’t dress for the first two games. But overall, entries into the zone must be improved. Poor entries almost guarantee poor results. Garbage in, garbage out. ■ Impressive back-to-back games at the faceoff dot for David Krecji. He won 17 of 22 drops in the opener and followed by winning 10 of 15 vs. the Avs. He’s channeling his inner Bergeron. ■ Next up: three roads, against the Avs (Wed), Coyotes (Sat) and Golden Knights (Sun). Anton Khudobin will start one of the three, most likely in Arizona. Mid-season, Cassidy might have considered bringing in Khudobin after 20 minutes on Monday, but a move like that in Game 2 might have been misconstrued as a lack of faith in his starter. No way to start a season. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077421 Boston Bruins Heinen had a so-so camp but finished with a strong final preseason game before being assigned to Providence of the AHL.

Last year, the left winger had a very good training camp and made the Bruins notebook: Forward Danton Heinen called up; veteran winger Ryan big club. But he struggled and was returned to Providence for most of the White gets a tryout season. He had 14-30-44 totals in 64 regular season games and then had an excellent postseason, scoring nine goals and nine assists in 17 games. He picked up an assist Providence’s season opener Saturday. Steve Conroy Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Heinen skated on a line with center Sean Kuraly and right winger Tim Schaller in practice yesterday. Heinen admitted he didn’t have a great camp but was heartened by his performance in the final preseason It stood to reason that the Bruins, who started the regular season with game. five rookies in their lineup, were far from a finished product. “I tried to keep it a little more simple and make north-south plays instead And yesterday, the tinkering continued. of being too cute and turning pucks over, so if that’s what they me to do,

Headed on their first road trip of the season to Colorado, Arizona and Las I’ll do that,” Heinen said. . . . Vegas, the B’s brought up winger Danton Heinen both as insurance and Cassidy said goalie Anton Khudobin will get a game over the weekend, to add to the competitive environment. What was less anticipated, but but declined to say which one. logical, was the signing of veteran grinder Ryan White to a professional tryout contract. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.11.2017 With David Backes (diverticulitis) and Noel Acciari (broken finger) both out for extended periods, the Bruins are down a couple of right shot meat-and-potatoes players who like to get their nose dirty. White could fill that role. He just has to be impressive enough in practices to earn a contract, not the easiest task in the world. “We lost Backes and Acciari on the right side and we know what they can give us every night,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “They give us straight line play, they’re going to be physical, they’re going to get to the net. So we’ve lost that element. They might not be sexy players. Ryan White has a history of playing that way. He was available for a look, and we’re going to look. There’s no definitive plan other than that we’re going to look at him. “If we feel he’s a good fit, then we’ll talk about it. But he does have that flavor.” White, drafted by Montreal in the third round in 2006, was most recently in the Vancouver Canucks camp, but a concussion in the first preseason game hampered his chances of making the team. He was released Saturday and he said his agent, Craig Oster, and B’s general manager Don Sweeney have been talking for a couple of days. The 29-year-old White split time last year between Arizona and Minnesota. His most productive season came with Philadelphia in 2015- 16 when he had 11 goals and 16 points. White also had 101 penalty minutes that season. He spent six years in the Canadiens organization and played in the memorable 2011 seven-game series the Bruins won en route to the Stanley Cup championship. “It’s different being on the dark side, but I think if you asked my old man, I look good in black,” said White with a grin. Bergeron still out The B’s will not be getting Patrice Bergeron back for tonight’s return engagement with the Avalanche in Denver. Cassidy said they are hoping he’ll be ready by the weekend. He did not skate yesterday. Asked if the valuable centerman’s lower body injury had gotten worse, Cassidy said “I don’t know if he got worse is the right way to put it. He hasn’t responded well to treatment is probably a better way to put it.” At practice, Cassidy tried yet another center between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, putting Riley Nash there. Marchand started the season with Ryan Spooner as his center with Anders Bjork on the right side and then saw some time Monday with David Krejci. Marchand admittedly had rough day in the loss to the Avalanche, along with everyone else. “It was a tough game,” he said. “It was one of those games where I was making some bad decisions and I was really fighting the puck a bit. It’s one you have to learn from. The good thing about this game is you have tomorrow. You put it behind you an work to get better. That was a learning experience and one that I’d like to forget. But that’s hockey.” Marchand, who has one empty net goal this season and just two shots on net, is not used to having a revolving center. “It’s going to happen where guys are in and out of the lineup and everyone has to be able to play with different players throughout the year,” said Marchand. “It’s just the way it goes. But we’re still a really good team. Obviously we’d love to have Bergie back in the lineup and it’ll happen at some point, but we still have to build chemistry with whoever we’re playing and do the job.” Second chance 1077422 Boston Bruins

Danton Heinen recalled, Ryan White signed to a tryout contract

Steve Conroy Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The Bruins recalled forward Danton Heinen from Providence, a move that was somewhat expected with a long road trip to Colorado, Arizona and Vegas on the docket and the B's in need of a little insurance. What was a lot less anticipated was the B's signing of journeyman veteran Ryan White to a professional tryout agreement. The 29-year-old White, a grinder who had been in the Vancouver Canucks' training camp but did not sign there, split time last year between Arizona and Minnesota. His most productive season came with Philadelphia in 2015-16 when he had 11 goals and 16 points. The pugnacious right shot forward also had 101 penalty minutes that season. The 6-foot, 200-pounder was originally a third-round draft pick of Montreal in 2006. Heinen, meanwhile, had a so-so camp but finished up with a strong final preseason game against the Blackhawks before being assigned to Providence. Last year, the left shot wing had a very good camp and made the big club, but struggled out of the gate and was soon returned to Providence for most of the season. He had 14-30-44 totals in 64 regular- season games with the Baby B's and then had an excellent postseason, scoring nine goals with nine assists in 17 games. He picked up an assist in Providence's season-opener on Saturday. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077423 Boston Bruins

Bergeron misses practice, Bruins aiming for a weekend return

By Joe Haggerty October 10, 2017 5:56 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – The Bruins didn’t use the “setback” word, but it appears that Patrice Bergeron isn’t closing in on a return for the Black and Gold. The Bruins center has missed the first two games with a mysterious lower-body injury suffered in practice during training camp, and was absent from practice again on Tuesday afternoon. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Bergeron has been ruled out for Wednesday night’s game against the Avalanche, but the hope is that he’ll be able to return by the weekend with back-to-back games against Arizona Coyotes and the Vegas Golden Knights. It feels like it would be asking a lot of a player just getting over an injury to play in back-to-back games, so that would leave Sunday in Vegas a vague target date for Bergeron’s return. All that being said, the updates coming from Cassidy about Bergeron’s status don’t really sound all that encouraging in terms of the 32-year-old getting back into games soon. “Obviously [Bergeron] didn’t skate today and he’s out [vs. Colorado], but we’re aiming for the weekend. I don’t know ‘it’s gotten worse’ is the right way to put it, I would guess that it hasn’t responded well to treatment would be a good way to put it,” said Cassidy. “We want to be cautious, but we don’t want it to be him chasing it all year, so let’s give him the appropriate amount of time. As you know, that could change if the urgency level of everything goes up. We’re not trying to hide anything here. It’s just, he’s not 100 percent, doesn’t feel ready, so we’re going to give him the time that’s needed.” The absence is certainly having an impact on the Bruins, who have tried both Ryan Spooner and Riley Nash in Bergeron’s center spot between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Clearly, No. 37 has also been missed during special teams play where they don’t have anybody that can adequately play his bumper position on the power play, or kill with Marchand while utilizing their hard-earned chemistry together. Worse still, Marchand has just two shots on net in the first two games of the season without Bergeron, and is having difficulty generating his own offense without old, reliable No. 37 by his side. Bergeron’s return could have a positive impact on many of these areas, but it all depends on his health level and just how long of a time period the Bruins have to go without their best all-around player. SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077424 Boston Bruins

B's rookies "looking for a bounce-back game" after dreadful loss

By Joe Haggerty October 10, 2017 12:56 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – It wasn’t a particularly enjoyable video session for Jake DeBrusk and his fellow young players on Tuesday morning ahead of Bruins practice. There were blown assignments in the D-zone, plays in all zones that could have been executed better and missed opportunities to play a simple, basic game when sloppy ice conditions on a humid afternoon pretty much called for that. DeBrusk finished a minus-3 in 13 minutes of ice time with just a shot on net and found himself dropped to the fourth line at certain points of the game. Anders Bjork was also a minus-3 in 14:38 of ice time and similarly had trouble putting forth the 200-foot consistency that was necessary in the game. Charlie McAvoy finished a minus-2 with just a shot on net and a couple of giveaways in 19:28 of ice time, and clearly wasn’t at his best either. The Bruins brought up Danton Heinen from Providence and signed hard- hitting Ryan White on a PTO after he was recently released by the Vancouver Canucks organization, so it’s clear there will be other options for the Bruins coaches if the rookie struggles hit repeat mode. Still, it looks like they will go into their first road game of the season on Wednesday night in Colorado with their young players in the same respective spots while expecting a better result. “It’s a solution-oriented business. At least that’s the way I see it at times big picture versus small picture as you try to balance the two,” said Cassidy. “We need to get better in certain areas. We happen to be playing the same team [in Colorado], so let’s make sure we correct them and put our best foot forward tomorrow. “[Competition] doesn’t hurt. We want to let guys relax and play, but by the same token this is a business. We have a standard. We didn’t play to it [on Monday] and we’re going to try to get back to it tomorrow. We talked about that. If creating competition is an avenue that will make that better than that’s something we have to look at.” It was a remarkable plummet back to Earth after the B’s rooks were all spectacular in the season opening win, and now the down note provides a chance for each of those young players to prove they are “bounce-back guys”, as Bruce Cassidy called them after the game. “We did video today and saw lots of mistakes that we made. Some mistakes that I made personally. The good news is that they’re all fixable. It’s unfortunate that it happened, but it’s a big learning experience for me and for the other guys as well,” said DeBrusk. “I thought that my first game went well, and my second game didn’t go so well. So I’m looking for my ‘A’ or ‘B’ game going into Colorado, and knowing what they did on our home ice. “We’re looking for a bounce-back game. It shows your character as a player and as a person. It’s about how you bounce back and deal with that stuff. It’s not going to be easy by any means. But we’re all driven and motivated. I know I want to stay in the lineup, and so do the other guys that wanted that game back in Colorado. We’re going to put our best foot forward and give our best effort.” With DeBrusk and Bjork again on each of David Krejci’s wings at Tuesday’s practice and McAvoy right back in his customary role on the back end, the young Bruins players will get that opportunity in the Mile High City to show they’re truly “bounce-back guys.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077425 Boston Bruins

Bruins recall Heinen, sign ex-Canadien Ryan White to PTO

By Joe Haggerty October 10, 2017 11:08 AM

BRIGHTON -- After a rough shutout loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Bruins made some alterations to their roster ahead of a three-game West Coast road trip through Colorado, Arizona and Las Vegas. They called up Danton Heinen from Providence and signed former Montreal Canadiens energy guy Ryan White to a PTO, a move to potentially inject some size, physicality and snarl into a forward group that’s currently down both David Backes and Ryan White. The tough-as- nails forward spent last season between the Wild and the Coyotes where he posted 9 goals, 16 points and 84 penalty minutes in 65 games. Heinen had one assist in one game for the P-Bruins this season, and had an under-the-radar solid training camp with the Bruins after a strong finishing kick to his year in the AHL last season. Patrice Bergeron wasn’t present on the practice ice for the Bruins after skating with the team on Sunday in a non-contact capacity, so it looks like it might be a bit before we see No. 37 in game action. Coach Bruce Cassidy already confirmed that Bergeron will make the trip with the Bruins, but there’s no telling when he’ll actually be 100 percent healthy and able to play again. “We want to be cautious, but we don’t want it to be him chasing it all year, so let’s give him the appropriate amount of time,” said Cassidy. “As you know, that could change if the urgency level of everything goes up. We know that, we’re not trying to hide anything here. It’s just, he’s not 100 percent, doesn’t feel ready, so we’re going to give him the time that’s needed.” Here are the line combos and D-pairings from Tuesday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena with both Heinen and White added to the group: Marchand-Nash-Pastrnak DeBrusk-Krejci-Bjork Beleskey-Spooner-Vatrano Schaller-Kuraly-Heinen Chara-Carlo Miller-McAvoy Krug-McQuaid Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077426 Boston Bruins Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017

Haggerty: Bruins show they have plenty of work to do

By Joe Haggerty October 10, 2017 12:54 AM

BOSTON – That sound you heard on Monday afternoon was the Good Ship Bruins crashing back down to Earth. After an opening night where everything went swimmingly and the Bruins rookies all looked like difference-makers, the B’s barely showed up and looked completely disengaged in a 4-0 shutout loss to the lowly Colorado Avalanche at TD Garden. The rookies made some commonplace mistakes in the defensive zone while not kicking in any offense, and the core group of Bruins appeared for the first time like they were missing a couple of high-impact players in Patrice Bergeron and David Backes. Worst of all, Tuukka Rask allowed goals on two of the first five shots he faced and really never gave the Bruins a fighting chance at two points. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he saw the warning signs in the practices over the weekend after getting three off days following their big win, and it sure sounds like the B’s players thought they were going to waltz to a win over the Avs. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t like our couple of practices this [past] weekend. I thought our execution was off, and we were a little. . . but it’s early and you’re kind of giving them the benefit of the doubt. So that goes to preparation. We weren’t as crisp as we needed to be, and it showed tonight in the start. They were just better than us,” said Cassidy. “We didn’t play the game we needed to play. We looked like we were going to get it, then we’d mismanage pucks, and I thought that was the problem. “We didn’t take advantage of a team that could have some issues breaking pucks out if you [use a] heavy fore-check, like we did to Nashville with a very good defense. We just didn’t play the same game. That was everybody. Getting back to the first year guys, I think they are good bounce-back guys. They are high character, and they’ll keep coming. But tonight it just didn’t work out.” Perhaps just as disappointing as the game’s start was the unwillingness for the Bruins to fight and scrap their way back into the contest. Sure Sean Kuraly had a couple of chances at the doorstep that Semyon Varlamov was able to smother in the first period, and the Avs goalie made his best save of the game in the second when he shut down a David Pastrnak speed drive to the net. But that was pretty much it from the Bruins, who got poor games from Brad Marchand (one shot on net and three giveaways along with a stick fired like a javelin down the runway behind the B’s bench during a fit of pique in the second period) and David Krejci (a minus-2 and one shot on net in 18:24), who have to better when the Bruins are plagued with the injury bug. Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork both finished with minus-3 performances, and at times DeBrusk was dropped to the fourth line as Cassidy played mad tinkerer with the forward combos. Add all of it up and this game was the ultimate B’s crap sandwich served up to a team that should have been an easy victim. The Bruins showed that there will be some learning curve moments early with the young lineup, and that they still can’t afford to ease up or take an easygoing approach to any of the games on their schedule. “We needed that one [goal] and we never got it, and it was one of those games we never really had the drive to make a push. Then obviously it was two-nothing in the third and then I made a mistake to make it three- nothing. That kind of deflated us even more. But, you know, one of those games we never got anything going,” said Tuukka Rask, who finished with three goals allowed on 22 shots in a performance that was probably even worse than the numbers would indicate. “I don’t think we necessarily played as good as we did in the first game. It’s something that it’s a process. We have to go out as a team as we move along here and we just have to develop the certain style of hockey that we want to play. I think the first game was more of an example of what we want to look like out there than today. Obviously, it’s early in the season and still trying to put the pieces together.” Rask is absolutely correct that it’s early with just a couple of games played into the regular season, and there will be some pronounced peaks and valleys with a number of young players in the nightly Bruins lineup. But lax preparation and an unfocused approach to any one of the 82 games during the regular season is a poor habit to begin adopting early into the season. That’s something the Bruins need to address ASAP with a three-game trip out West staring them in the face. 1077427 Boston Bruins

Krug 'okay' in return to Bruins lineup after fractured jaw

By Joe Haggerty October 09, 2017 11:59 PM

BOSTON, Mass – There weren’t many bright spots for the Bruins in a shutout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday afternoon, but the presence of a healthy Torey Krug represents one of the few. The 25- year-old D-man was definitely rusty in the 4-0 loss to the Avs, but he certainly wasn’t aided by the humid conditions turning the TD Garden ice sheet into more of a slush-fest. Either way, Krug made his return with Matt Grzelcyk getting sent back to the minors after a solid showing in the B’s opener, and now he can begin to work himself back into midseason form. “I felt okay. Felt good in the first, you know, the power play it just felt like I was doing down-and-backs the whole time until we got some sustained pressure,” said Krug, who was the first Bruins player waiting for the media’s questions. “In the third you’re playing catch-up and trying to join every rush and that can be difficult at times. So, felt okay. First game in six months, wish we could have just come out on top for sure.” Krug finished a minus-1 with a minor penalty in 21:56 of ice time, and had six shot attempts to go along with a hit and a blocked shot. But he also had trouble cleanly handling passes in the offensive zone and didn’t look as smooth as he normally does once his feel and confidence with the puck are fully present. It was about as much as could be expected from a player that missed most of training camp with a fractured jaw, and returned about a week earlier than expected while playing with a protective helmet guard around his mouth. “He wanted to be a difference-maker. He wanted to make plays, and we want that out of our players. Like a lot of the group, it has to fall into place for everybody, and it just wasn’t happening [for him] either,” said Bruce Cassidy. “Puck wasn’t cooperating, I don’t think with either team. There were some bouncing pucks out there and they were just able to make better plays than us when they had to, and simpler plays when they had to.” Krug should be much closer to game speed after getting dropped into Monday afternoon’s matinee, but it’s fair to assume that Boston’s power play and puck-moving departments will be a bit in flux until the skilled, offense-producing D-man is back up to full speed. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077428 Buffalo Sabres

Gionta begins practicing with Amerks to get ready for USA Hockey

By John Vogl | Published Tue, Oct 10, 2017

Brian Gionta wants to represent the United States as best he can. Skating with the hometown gives him an opportunity to stay in shape, and he started practicing with Tuesday. The former Sabres captain also wants to avoid being a disruption. That's why he'll disappear on game days. "Game days I'll try to be out of their space, out of their way," Gionta told reporters in Rochester after practice. "I grew up in the league that game days are a special thing, and you don't want to mess with guys' routines and get in the way at all. One of the things of not being a distraction is trying to stay out of their way." The 38-year-old will likely represent the United States at the Olympics in February. He can't just step on the ice and compete against the best non- NHL players in the world, so he's going to work out in Rochester. "It's a good thing for myself to stay in shape and to stay active and be practicing," Gionta said. "I think I can provide some things to the young guys in coming out and practicing and working with the young guys out there. "I think they talked with their leadership group to make sure everything would be good, and I think the guys in the room have been great so far." Gionta reiterated that he had interest from NHL teams, but the desire to stay local was a bigger factor. He has three kids ranging from elementary- to middle-school age. Not playing in the NHL also allows him to be considered for the Olympics. "It's no secret I had some opportunities out there that with the family situation we weren't willing to make that change," Gionta said. "With three kids and the ages they're at, some things are tough, so we made some hard decisions. With that come other opportunities and decisions to be made." Buffalo News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077429 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Mailbag Extra: O'Reilly, Eichel and the need to do better

By John Vogl | Published Tue, Oct 10, 2017

The Sabres have given up 12 goals in two games. They have lost all three games they've played. Not surprisingly, there were plenty of questions from fans for the Mailbag. One resonated more than the others. Question: Will things magically change if ROR, Kane, Eichel say, “We all need to do better and it starts with me” enough times? Magic number? Answer: If there is a magic number, the Sabres haven't reached it yet. They've certainly tried. Before we get into the overused line, let's take Evander Kane out of the equation. The left winger leads Buffalo with four goals and six points. He has two short-handed goals. He's atop the entire NHL with 26 shots. He's tied for the Sabres' lead in hits. He has the most takeaways. He's been on the ice for too many goals against, but it's not his fault the season has started so poorly. That leaves Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel. They are the guys mentioned most for the captaincy. They're the highest-paid players (or will be when Eichel's contract kicks in next season). They're supposed to carry the team. Eichel has at least celebrated. He's been on the ice for five of Buffalo's seven goals. He's also been on the ice for seven of the opponents' tallies. For someone who wants to be mentioned as an MVP candidate, he simply can't have outings like Monday's 6-2 loss to New Jersey. Unprompted, he said it was a "must-win." Eichel then went out and had no shots – zero, none, nada. He attempted only one shot in his 19:58 of ice time, and he missed the net. Edmonton's Connor McDavid had two games without a shot last season. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby had four. It's going to happen to the best. But a blanking during a "must-win" is not good. O'Reilly, meanwhile, is the king of self-flagellation. He gave himself another whipping Monday, a no-point night that left him with one assist and seven shots. "In all three games, I've been invisible," the center said. "I haven't been creating, haven't been tough defensively. I'm just out there skating around. It's not good enough. I've got to regroup here." Let's go back to O'Reilly's debut with Buffalo in October 2015. "I felt I was pretty useless out there," O'Reilly said. "I just felt I skated around. I wasn’t where I should have been a lot of the time. Whether it was just overthinking or just out of position, I have to be much better for my linemates and for the team.” Now here's February 2016. "I’ve been very frustrated with myself the last few games," O'Reilly said. "The last handful of them, I don’t think I’ve been anywhere near where I want to be. I’ve been terrible in my own end. I haven’t been creating as much offense. I don’t know if it was just maybe lucky early on in the season, but I think I have a lot to learn going forward." Here is February 2017. “If we want to make the playoffs, I myself have to contribute every game for that,” O’Reilly said. “Last night I don’t think was good enough. It’s frustrating, but going forward I myself have to be a lot better.” For good (bad?) measure, here was a conversation in April. "As a leader, I really didn’t step up and hold guys accountable, be a voice, and it’s tough,” O’Reilly said. “We start to get things going, then we fall back into bad habits again and our old ways. A big piece of it is me. It is.” It's become too common of a refrain for Buffalo fans. If the Sabres are going to become winners, O'Reilly needs to finally heed his own advice. Buffalo News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077430 Buffalo Sabres Austin Osmanski (defense, Peterborough Petes): The East Aurora was traded from the to Peterborough and registered an assist in his first game with the Petes. Sabres Prospects: Steve Moses embracing his new AHL adventure Sabres prospect, East Aurora native Osmanski part of OHL trade QMJHL By Amy Moritz | Published Tue, Oct 10, 2017 Vasily Glotov (forward, Shawinigan Cataractes): Scored his first goal of the season on Oct. 7 in a 3-2 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. On the season he has one goal, two assists, and is a minus-4. It's a little bit of an unusual situation for Steve Moses. NCAA At age 28, he's a veteran of five seasons as a professional hockey player. He's played 105 games in the KHL in Russia and 97 games in the William Borgen (defense, St. Cloud State): The junior picked up his first Finnish league . Heck, Moses led the KHL in scoring in the 2014-15 assist of the season as the Huskies opened the season with a 4-0 win season with 36 goals and 21 points in 60 games. over Minnesota State. But in many ways, he's just like the rookies and young prospects on the Christopher Brown (forward, Boston College): One of three captains for roster of the Rochester Americans. He has yet to experience a full Boston College, Brown kicked off his junior year winning 15 of his 24 season of North American pro hockey. Yet to endure the grinding three- faceoffs as the Eagles opened the season with a 1-1 tie against games-in-three-days road trips. Quinnipiac. "I am slightly more experienced than a lot of players with the games I've Jacob Bryson (defense, Providence): The sophomore had two assists as played as a pro," Moses said. "But I really haven't come close to having a the Friars opened the season with a sweep of Miami (Ohio). full season over here yet. I have a lot to learn about the day-to-day Ivan Chukarov (defense, UMass): Will be out for four to six weeks with an lifestyle, how to take care of my body over the course of a longer season. upper body injury. He enters his junior year at UMass with five career I can learn from some of these guys, however I think I can help the young goals and 11 points over 72 games. guys because I'm looking at the game a little differently." Casey Fitzgerald (defense, Boston College): A captain for Boston The Steve Moses story goes like this: Four-year player for the University College, Fitzgerald picked up his first point of the season, an assist on of New Hampshire who went to play in Finland. After leading the KHL in the power play, as the Eagles opened with a 1-1 tie against Quinnipiac. scoring, he signed a one-way deal with the Nashville Predators for the 2015-16 season. But training camp didn't go as planned and he was Connor Hurley (forward, Minnesota): After three seasons at Notre Dame, assigned to Nashville's AHL team in Milwaukee. After two goals in 16 Hurley transferred to the University of Minnesota. He will sit out this games he decided to jet back to the KHL and play for St. Petersburg. season per NCAA transfer rules and have one year of college eligibility left for the 2018-19 season. In 98 career games for the Fighting Irish, He spent last season again with St. Petersburg. Then Moses decided it Hurley had 48 points (14 goals, 34 assists). was time to give North American hockey a try. This time, without the ego. This time, without money as the deciding factor. Casey Mittelstadt (forward, Minnesota): The Sabres first-round pick in 2017 picked up his first collegiate point, with a power-play assist in the "I've said this before in interviews that in my career I made a lot of Golden Gophers season-opening 4-3 overtime loss to Minnesota-Duluth. decisions early on about money," Moses said. "When I first signed with He then scored his first collegiate goal the next night as Minnesota Nashville, I expected immediate success. It didn't work out and I went out blanked Union, 2-0. the door, by my own choice. Now, I'm ready to be patient and I think I'm off to a good start. I've got a lot of work to do." Brett Murray (forward, Penn State): Murray was held off the scoresheet in the Nittany Lions opening trip to North Country. He was a minus-1 in a 2- Mike Harrington: Back from the KHL, Moses looks for another shot 1 loss at Clarkson. The good start came in the first game with the Amerks when he scored Philip Nyberg (defense, UConn): Played one game as the Huskies split on the power play in the team's 3-1 win over the in Blue their opening weekend at Maine. Nyberg had one shot in a 4-3 overtime Cross Arena. loss to the Black Bears. It's what Moses expects of himself and what he feels he can contribute to Judd Peterson (forward, St. Cloud State): The senior registered his first the team. He's a goal scorer. That's his game. There will be some assist and went 8-8 on faceoffs in the Huskies 4-0 season-opening win adjustment as he moves into the AHL and a North American style of against Minnesota State. hockey that relies more on the forecheck than the European game, which features more cross-ice and drop passes to create offense. Linus Weissbach (forward, Wisconsin): A native of Sweden, the 19-year- old freshman scored two goals in his first collegiate game, a 3-2 win over But just as the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans are looking for a Michigan Tech. He picked up an assist as the Badgers then split a Big fresh start, so too is Moses. That fresh start mentality is what attracted Ten series with Ohio State. him to sign with the organization over the summer. Maxwell Willman (forward, Brown): Begins his senior season when "It's intriguing as player," Moses said. "They're trying to make some Brown opens at Yale on Oct. 27. As a junior, Willman scored 11 goals cultural changes and I felt like this was a place where I could go and play with 15 assists in 31 games, including four power play goals. well and earn an NHL chance at some point." Europe Rochester Americans: The Amerks reassigned forwards Vaclav Karabacek and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to the of the Rasmus Asplund (forward, Farjestad BK): Has three goals and three ECHL. assists in seven games. The Amerks, who won their first two games of the season, are home for Marcus Davidsson (forward, Djurgardens): Still looking for his first point their next three games. They host the Utica Comets at 7:05 p.m. Friday, after playing five games in the . He has three host the Charlotte Checkers on Oct. 20 and host Utica, again, on Oct. 21. goals and an assist in three games played with the Djurgadens Under-20 team in the SuperElit League. WHL Oskari Laaksonen (defense, ): Has four assists and one goal in 14 Vojtech Budik (defense, Prince Albert Raiders): Has one goal and one games in the Under-20 league (Jr. A SM-Liiga). assist in six games with 14 shots on goal. The Raiders are 3-3-0. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (goalie, HPK): In two games with the Under-20 Brandon Hagel (forward, Red Deer Rebels): It was a hot start for Hagel team, he has a 2.50 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. who has three goals and five assists through his first six games. But the He has been on loan to LeKi, a second-tier league in Finland, posting a Rebels have cooled off. After opening the season with three wins, Red 1.75 goals against average and a .944 save percentage in four games. Deer dropped its next three. Victor Olofsson (forward, Frolounda HC): Has two goals and an assist in OHL six games in the Swedish Hockey League. Cliff Pu (forward, London Knights): Pu, who finished last season ranked Buffalo News LOADED: 10.11.2017 eighth in the OHL in points with 86 (35 goals, 51 assists), is still looking for his first goal of the season. Through six games he has three assists, has taken 19 shots, and is a minus-seven. 1077431 Buffalo Sabres looked good as a scorer during the rookie tournament. The Sabres wanted to see him as a physical force during preseason, and his unfamiliarity with that role was again evident. Sabres Mailbag: New team, same problems as fans ask inevitable With those two joining Hudson Fasching in the Amerks' lineup, the questions Sabres kept unproven Seth Griffith, aging Matt Moulson and claimed Jordan Nolan on waivers. It's easy to envision Reinhart going to right wing and Johan Larsson moving back to center. By John Vogl | Published Tue, Oct 10, 2017 * * *

Q: The Bills traded to better meet the system. Who on Sabres are such It wasn't supposed to be like this. Everyone in the Sabres' organization candidates? Reinhart? Ristolainen? Both make sense to me. was thrilled for a fresh start. Yet after three games, the SOS has been issued. A: Speed is clearly important for coach Phil Housley. The knock on Reinhart has always been his skating. Same Old Sabres. There is a fast center on the trade market: Colorado's Matt Duchene. It's The distress flag came out of storage following the 6-3 loss to the going to take a lot more than Reinhart to pry Duchene from Colorado. Islanders on Saturday. It was waving by the second intermission of Plus, would the Avalanche's Joe Sakic take more Buffalo players after Monday's 6-2 loss to New Jersey. getting stuck with Mikhail Grigorenko, who's in Russia, and Nikita Zadorov, who was scratched for the opener? Surprisingly, things are calm in the dressing room. I imagine it'll take more than a few losses for Sabres General Manager "I don't feel it's a crisis," Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen said. Jason Botterill to start dealing. "We know when we play well we are going to win games." * * * The fans want to know when that will start. They want to know a lot of things, so here is the first Sabres Mailbag of the season. We'll open with Q: Do the Sabres have a goalie that can back-end the system the coach a doubleheader. wants to play? * * * A: That's hard to answer because we haven't seen the system Housley wants to play. Not even a pond-hockey coach would draw up what the Question: Why do the Sabres hate us? Sabres have been doing. Question: Ask the Sabres if they are going to start to play this year or not. Robin Lehner admitted Saturday he needs to bail out his teammates Because if not I have better things to do. more. According to DispellingVoodoo.com, the goalie's save percentage in high-danger areas last year was .781, below the NHL average of .812. Answer: The 47-year relationship between the Sabres and their fans isn't If the Sabres are going to take chances with their defensemen, they need going anywhere. People in Buffalo love hockey. a goalie who can confidently handle odd-man rushes. But this love is on the rocks. I still think Lehner is among the least of Buffalo's problems, but he will It was palpable Monday afternoon. The fans wanted to cheer during the need more saves at crucial moments to alleviate fans' concerns. opening period. They know players have hinted (or outright said) they Sabres Notebook: Defense leaving the goalies out to dry need more support from the crowd. The fans' impressive decibel levels early against the Devils weren't commensurate with the relatively benign * * * scoring chances. Q: For whom are the Sabres tanking? And how did the players repay the ticket-buying public? Six shots in 20 minutes on only 11 attempts. By the midpoint of the period, the fans had A: Rasmus Dahlin. The defenseman plays for Frölunda in the Swedish been lulled back to silence. They'd seen this too many times. elite league and is expected to star for his country at the world junior championships in Buffalo this winter. At the start of last season, I wrote this: "Last-place teams and bad hockey have sucked the life out of the Sabres’ arena. If the NHL kept * * * track of quietest buildings, Buffalo would be in the running for a championship. It’s time for ticket-buying fans to turn the corner. While Q: How can they ice this lineup nightly while Linus Ullmark and Brendan skepticism is warranted, unbridled enthusiasm after entering the rink is Guhle "develop" in Rochester? Those two wouldn't help this team right OK, too." now? Then last season had its unwatchable moments. This season has A: Ullmark is an NHL-ready talent, but even Dominik Hasek would look already had them, too. Fans are quickly moving back to "show me you're average with the porous team defense shown by Buffalo. Again, Lehner worth it" mode, and the players have only themselves to blame. and Chad Johnson haven't been the big problems. * * * Botterill and Housley are steadfast in their belief that prospects should earn their way to the NHL. Guhle is fun to watch. He might trail Eichel as Q: New coach-GM-system – STILL lack effort-compete-response to the second-best skater in the organization. He has big-league size. adversity. Core players just not good enough? Rebuild 2.0? But on paper, there's not much reason to rush him when Marco A: It's too early to start over. There were 10 new faces in the opening- Scandella, Nathan Beaulieu and Jake McCabe are manning the left side. night lineup. It's going to take them time to get used to each other. (Take note that I said on paper. On the ice, Beaulieu is certainly off to a What has the fans so dispirited and/or mean-spirited is the lack of shoddy start.) recognizable effort. If guys make mistakes because of unfamiliarity, that's one thing. The Sabres gave up goals Monday because the Devils beat * * * them to loose pucks and made them look slow and uninterested. Q: Is it just me or are Sabres D-men laying out more this season? Why That just doesn't fly, nor should it. are they leaving their skates so much to block passes? #OutOfPosition Sabres' early season summary: 'We're just doing a lot of things wrong' A: It's more noticeable because the Sabres are giving up between four and 4 million odd-man rushes per game. I haven't seen Housley or * * * assistant coach Chris Hajt teaching the defensemen to dive. The blue- liners admit they need to defend those rushes better, and that includes Q: Do you think Sam Reinhart should go on Jack Eichel's wing? knowing when to hit the ice. A: During the previous experiments with Reinhart at center, the Sabres * * * pulled the plug because he wasn't working out in the middle. When he moves this season – when, not if – it will be because things aren't Q: My son is 10. Do you think exposing him to Sabres and Bills is wise or working out for the right wingers. am I setting him up for failure later in life? The Sabres had penciled in Justin Bailey or Nick Baptiste. Baptiste was A: You may not be setting him up for failure, but you're certainly teaching all but invisible during the Prospects Challenge, and he was off to him what it looks like. Rochester after barely making a peep during training camp. Bailey * * * Q: Am I right in saying it's not the coaches but the players? A: It sure looks that way. "The guys that are going to do the job are in here," Beaulieu said. "We've just got to relax. We've got to remember it's three games in and there's no panic." Buffalo News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077432 Buffalo Sabres

Amerks send Karabacek, Muzito-Bagenda to ECHL

By John Vogl | Published Tue, Oct 10, 2017

The Rochester Americans have sent two players to the ECHL, including former second-round pick Vaclav Karabacek. Karabacek and fellow forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda are off to Cincinnati, the Amerks announced Tuesday. Both were scratched for the Amerks' first two games. The Sabres selected Karabacek with the 49th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. As a first-year pro last season, the winger had three goals and eight points in 23 games with Rochester. He also recorded five goals and 11 points in nine games with Elmira, the Sabres' former ECHL affiliate. Muzito-Bagenda has a one-year, contract. He had nine goals and 15 points in 61 games with Rochester last season. The Amerks also welcomed former Sabres captain Brian Gionta to practice Tuesday. He is not on the roster but is staying in shape as he prepares to represent the United States in the 2018 Olympics. Buffalo News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077433 Buffalo Sabres "This is the step I wanted to get into some action with some guys,'' Gionta said. "I've been skating with a skill guy in Buffalo, and I'll continue to skate with him on and off, but this brings that team dynamic, being a Is red, white and blue in Gionta's future, either Olympics or Amerks? part of some different things. It's a good step to prepare myself." While Gionta said nothing is guaranteed, the way seems clear toward a spot on the Team USA 25-man roster, unless he returns to the NHL. The James Johnson NHL is sitting out these Olympics, Feb. 9-25, clearing the way for pros in the AHL and Europe, plus college players, to form the team coached by Tony Granato. Believe it or not, there were conditions that had to be met before Brian Gionta played in the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, three world Gionta began skating with the Rochester Americans. championships and two junior world championships. Performance in the Deutschland Cup, Nov. 11-12 in Augsburg, Germany, will help shape After all, Gionta was not re-signed by the Buffalo Sabres this past off- Team USA. Gionta plans to skate for the United States next month. season. He was told to find somewhere else to play by the Amerks parent club. There is a new group of people running the Sabres these "I've had a couple of conversations with those guys (coaches), met with days, and how many teams want people around from the old regime? them a few times," Gionta said. "It's a want on my part, and I have to be prepared to try and make that team." From the sound of it, however, this seems like this was a thought for no longer than the time it takes Gionta to score in an open net. Why wouldn't [email protected] the Sabres and Gionta work out a trade of their own, letting the Greece native practice with the Amerks, his hometown team? Player moves "Of course, he's a Stanley Cup champion,'' Amerks defenseman and The Amerks made a pair of additional moves Tuesday, assigning longtime off-season training partner Nathan Paetsch said. "How many forwards Vaclav Karabacek and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to the Cincinnati Stanley Cup champions are from Rochester? Cyclones of the ECHL. Neither player suited up for the first two games of the season last weekend. "I'm sure he's the only one, so he's a big deal." Taylor repeated a common belief in the organization, which is that it’s Gionta has a place to stay in shape on his path that seems all but better to have guys play, even at a lower level, than to play sporadically guaranteed to end with him on Team USA in South Korea in February for at a higher level. the Winter Olympics. The Sabres — more accurately their prospects — benefit from the leadership qualities Gionta is known for, including three “I think it’s good for their development and they were good about it; they seasons as Buffalo's team captain and an example of how to build want to play,” said Taylor. “They’ll be back up here at some point during double-digit year professional career. the season and it’s good for them to play some games.” Brian Gionta at his first #Amerks practice. pic.twitter.com/IaKij6koaE Daniel Muzito-Bagenda played 61 games last year for the Amerks, finishing with 15 points (nine goals, six assists). — Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) October 10, 2017 Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 10.11.2017 "There was an overhaul in the organization," Gionta said. "So from top to bottom, it's all a part of the Sabres, and those were discussions (about training with the Amerks) that have happened over the course the last few weeks, and like I said, everybody had to be comfortable with it, and everybody has been. "The professionalism of everybody, knowing and having the respect back and forth is what made this happen." Amerks general manager Randy Sexton, who is part of the new Sabres regime, called the arrangement a "win-win" Monday, while delivering the news about fan-favorite Gionta. "He needed some time to think about it,'' Sexton said. "(Amerks coach) Chris (Taylor) and I talked about it and thought that it was really important that it was full-blown commitment on both sides, not a casual or a part-time commitment. "He's the consummate pro, he handles himself so well, you can tell that he's been around the game a long time. There were no issues for us, we just wanted to be sure that if he's going to be here, he was all in, and he wanted to make sure that he could be all in. He's all in, we're all in. It's all good." Gionta, who has played in 1,006 NHL games during 16 seasons, finished with 35 points, including 15 goals, in 2016-17, largely on the Sabres' third line. He remained dependable enough to be asked to kill penalties and work on power plays, while participating in all 82 games. "Yeah, he's still pretty good at hockey,'' Amerks winger C.J. Smith, 22, said. There were offers for Gionta to go play in the NHL, according to the right winger with 588 career points and more than 1,000 games. "It's no secret that I had some opportunities out there that in our family situation we weren't willing to make that change (relocate)," Gionta said. "With three kids, at their ages they are at, some things are tough, so we made some hard decisions, and with that come other opportunities and decisions to be made. "That's what this year has presented myself with. I'll try to have fun every day with it." Greece native and pride of Aquinas Institute Brian Gionta joined the NHL's 1,000 point club. Scott Norris Gionta already is being asked if he can see himself in an Amerks sweater, playing in an American Hockey League game. 1077434 Calgary Flames to last year when his first goose-egg of the 2016-17 campaign came on Jan. 26, 2017 in a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

“We gave up a lot of goals last year,” said Stone who joined the Flames Goalie Smith impressing Flames early on from the Coyotes before the 2017 NHL trade deadline, just a few months before Treliving traded for Smith from the Desert Dogs. “It’s a confidence thing. If you’re confident in the guy you have behind you, it makes you KRISTEN ODLAND, POSTMEDIA play a little more free. Instead of chipping it out all the time, you can try and make that play. If you didn’t have confidence in the guy, you might not make it. With him back there and able to be so dynamic and make saves, it gives you confidence to make plays.” Michael Stone has been asked about this subject before. Life is good now, and they are just starting to make plays. “Many, many times,” the Calgary Flames defender said with a chuckle. But there’s 79 more on the docket including Wednesday’s clash at But when the subject is your goaltender, his competitiveness and his Staples Center. ability to stop pucks in key situations, you don’t mind answering a few more questions. “I understand it’s a long season,” Smith said. “So I’m not going to have a party because we have won a couple games in a row, and I have a Because Mike Smith, a 2017 All-Star, was a big shutout already. At this point in my career and the amount of games I’ve deal in the desert. And now after three games, including his first shutout played, things can turn pretty quickly. I never want to take that for as a member of his new team, the 35-year-old netminder is starting to granted. create a buzz in Calgary too. “(Monday) is in the past as far as I’m concerned, and I’m looking forward This is not news to Stone. to (Wednesday) and have that mentality all season long.” Nor is it surprising. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.11.2017 “Basically my first year in Arizona, he got us to the (Western) Conference finals,” Stone said, shaking his head. “When he’s on, he’s unbelievable.” Unbelievable, like facing 44 shots in his first game with the Flames and against one of the best players in the world in Connor McDavid, only to have the team falter in front of him and lose 3-0. Unbelievable, like stopping another 28 shots in the team’s home opener, a 6-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Unbelievable, like posting a 43-save effort in his first shutout of 2017-18 in a 2-0 victory at the Honda Center where the Flames hadn’t won a regular-season game since 2004. (For that, alone, he probably could run in Calgary’s mayoral race and win). “I’m not sure if I can see anything in particular when he’s on,” Stone continued. “But when he’s getting all of those shots, he seems to get better and better. “He just gets in that battle zone, and he wants to make those saves. He just takes it to another level on games like that.” And three games in, there’s certainly a lot to like. To the surprise of no one, Smith took Tuesday off for “maintenance” as the Flames brought out a shooter-tutor in his place at the L.A. Kings practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center, in El Segundo, Calif. In the final 14.8 seconds of Monday’s game, he appeared to jam his left arm in a goalmouth scramble but hung on to secure the victory. Smith insisted everything was fine. “A tough game … I want to get the mind right and get ready for (Wednesday),” he said. “There’s always little bumps and bruises that come out of every game but nothing that’s going to keep me out of the lineup.” The Flames, however, are aiming to limit the amount of traffic Smith gets in front of him. In an ironic twist, the Flames are second in the NHL for shots allowed (an average of 38.7) through the first three games of the season, sitting behind only — you guessed it — the Arizona Coyotes, who have allowed an average of 4.15 shots. Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said the shot totals may be misleading this year, just based on the NHL’s attempt to become more consistent in every arena. But, still, 40-plus shots a night is very busy for any netminder. “I think shots are going to be up as a whole by the way they’re counting them this year,” Gulutzan said. “Anything that has a possibility to get in your net is counting as a shot. Anything that rolls to the goalie is being counted. So I think you’re going to see shot-counts getting higher. “But certainly we’d like to out-shoot our opponent on most nights so that’s something we need to get better at.” At the moment, however, Flames general manager Brad Treliving looks like a genius for acquiring Smith in the off-season because the six-foot- four, 215-pounder has been lights-out through three games. Smith also posted his first shutout of the season which came quickly comparatively 1077435 Calgary Flames shots en route to a 2-0 win over the Ducks which ended the curse, the answer was clear.

“Hey, Jobu got the job done at the end of the day,” Gulutzan said with a With a little help from Jobu, Flames end skid in Anaheim grin. “You can say what you want and make fun of it, but hey, I think Jobu had something to do with it.” Kristen Odland, Postmedia Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.11.2017

Glen Gulutzan wouldn’t reveal the exact number. But like most men of a certain age from a certain era, the 46-year-old native of Hudson Bay, Sask., admits he has watched Major League “a couple times.” Matt Stajan says it was a staple, like most sports cult movies are, on a hockey bus. And while it wasn’t teammate Kris Versteeg’s favourite movie growing up, it was his brother Mitch’s favourite, so he’s seen it enough to recite a few scenes. Plus, you know, if he’s flipping through channels on a Saturday afternoon, and it happens to be on … hey, why not? As for fellow Calgary Flames forward Michael Frolik? “To be honest, no,” said the 29-year-old, sheepishly. “I didn’t see that one.” So, then, the Jobu figurine and the reference to Pedro Cerrano’s difficulty with a curve ball (“I can no hit curve ball”) and the movie clips of Major League were lost on the native of Kladno, Czech Republic? “I was a little bit (confused) and didn’t know exactly what was going on,” Frolik said with a grin. “But I kind of get the point.” The point was, of course, to attempt to make light of the team’s horrible record at Anaheim’s Honda Center and address the issue of the Flames’ 29-straight losses (including playoffs) in that building, rather than simply to brush it off. Of course, the media never forget the facts and the line of questioning — “Why can’t you win there?” — usually begins prior to the Flames arriving in Orange County. But, this time, Flames head coach Gulutzan and his staff were armed. “We’re always looking for stuff,” Gulutzan explained. “We were talking during the regular season (last year) about the curse and all the stuff you guys make up — the media. So it didn’t mean that much to us. But then we just thought, ‘Let’s deal with it.’ We’re always looking for (video) clips. Major League is always one that we use for different things, so we thought, let’s bring in Jobu.” A replica of the one used in the movie by Dennis Haysbert’s voodoo- practising character who defected from Cuba was ordered online in the springtime. On Monday morning at the Honda Center, prior to their third game of the 2017-18 campaign, Gulutzan mentioned they brought in “someone” who “wasn’t very big” to help them with the losing skid. He wouldn’t say anything more. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the media, the team had created a nameplate for Jobu and found a stall for him. “Between Chips (video coach Jamie Pringle) and Siggy (goalie coach Jordan Sigalet), and I, we stumbled on Jobu and decided to put him in our locker room,” Gulutzan explained. And what did the players think? “I knew right away,” Versteeg said. “I had a good laugh. They showed the clips, and it was pretty funny. It kind of took our mind off the questions and the reality for a bit.” The reality was the Flames had not won in that building during the regular season since Jan. 19, 2004, making it 25 regular-season losses in a row. The last time they won in the playoffs at the Honda Center was April 25, 2006. “Every time we played in Anaheim at the Honda Center, everyone knew about the streak, so we were just trying to avoid it,” Stajan said. “And they brought in Jobu. “If you’ve watched that movie, you’d know he helps break curses, and we talked about it. We watched a clip.” So, naturally, when Sean Monahan scored in the second period, Mikael Backlund sealed the deal in the third period, and Mike Smith stopped 43 1077436 Calgary Flames Michael Stone-Matt Bartkowski GOALIES Flames GameDay: vs. host Los Angeles Kings Mike Smith Eddie Lack KRISTEN ODLAND, POSTMEDIA ***** KINGS GAMEDAY LINES CALGARY FLAMES at LOS ANGELES KINGS Alex Iafallo-Anze Kopitar-Dustin Brown 8:30 p.m., Staples Center, TV: Sportsnet West, Radio: Sportsnet 960 Tanner Peasrson-Jeff Carter-Tyler Toffoli The Fan Mike Cammalleri-Adrian Kempe-Andy Andreoff THE BIG MATCHUP Kyle Clifford-Nick Shore-Trevor Lewis Matthew Tkachuk vs. Drew Doughty DEFENCE PAIRINGS The teenager made headlines last spring when he elbowed the Kings defenceman and the aftermath turned into a war of words. First, Doughty Derek Fobort-Drew Doughty called Tkachuk a “pretty dirty player” following the Kings 5-2 loss at the Jake Muzzin-Christian Folin Saddledome that night. Then, Tkachuk extended the storyline when he told Postmedia that he “expected more” from Doughty “than to go right to MacDermid-Oscar Fantenberg the media and start complaining after a loss.” Tkachuk was suspended for two games and end of story. But 2017-18 is a new slate, and GOALIES Wednesday could bring the bad blood back to the surface. Jonathan Quick FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME: Darcy Kuemper 1. KEEP IT ROLLING SPECIAL TEAMS: Monday night in Disneyland was a dream that really did come true — the POWER PLAY Flames finally snapped a 29-game losing string in Anaheim. But on top of it all, the team appears to be rolling to start the 2017-18 NHL campaign. FLAMES: 27.3 % (6th) And they need to keep the energy going if they want to return back to Calgary with four points. KINGS: 0 % (T-26th) 2. SMART SPECIAL TEAMS PENALTY KILL A big part of Monday’s 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks was the fact their FLAMES: 90 % (T-9th) special teams were clicking. Sean Monahan was set up beautifully by KINGS: 100 % (T-1st) Kris Versteeg on a passing play with Kevin Bieksa off for cross-checking. Their penalty kill was a perfect five-for-five. No doubt, they’ll walk the line SICK BAY against the Kings, and, if they are penalized for it, they’ll need to be strong again. FLAMES 3. QUICK ON QUICK Healthy apart from forward Marek Hrivik (concussion) who started the season on injured reserve. Jonathan Quick has a tendency to show up against the Flames, and the visitors must get to him early and often. Much like Flames goalie Mike KINGS Smith, the 31-year-old Quick has been spectacular to start the season, posting a shutout and two wins in the Kings’ first two games of the D Alec Martinez (lower body), RW Marian Gaborik (knee) season. Kristen Odland 4. SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.11.2017 As in, quit giving up so many of them. In three games to start the season, the Flames have allowed an average of 38.7 shots per game. The only other team that has allowed more? You guessed it, the Arizona Coyotes. And while the Flames know Smith likes being busy, it’s not a trend they want to continue. Look for the defence to suppress more shots and the forwards to limit turnovers that lead into shots. 5. MOVES LIKE JAGR? For the second-straight day, Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said he has a plan for Jaromir Jagr and that didn’t include him in Monday’s lineup at Anaheim’s Honda Center. But will he play on Wednesday at Staples Center? The head coach said it would be on Jagr’s terms when he felt he was ready to make his Flames debut. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the team’s Tuesday practice in El Segundo, Calif., when the head coach and 45-year-old right winger had a long chat. **** FLAMES GAMEDAY LINES Johnny Gaudreau-Sean Monahan-Micheal Ferland Matthew Tkachuk-Mikael Backlund-Michael Frolik Kris Versteeg-Sam Bennett-Curtis Lazar Tanner Glass-Matt Stajan-Troy Brouwer DEFENCE PAIRINGS Mark Giordano-Dougie Hamilton TJ Brodie-Travis Hamonic 1077437 Calgary Flames to last year when his first goose-egg of the 2016-17 campaign came on Jan. 26, 2017 in a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

“We gave up a lot of goals last year,” said Stone who joined the Flames Flames' Smith creating buzz in Calgary from the Coyotes before the 2017 NHL trade deadline, just a few months before Treliving traded for Smith from the Desert Dogs. “It’s a confidence thing. If you’re confident in the guy you have behind you, it makes you BY KRISTEN ODLAND, POSTMEDIA play a little more free. Instead of chipping it out all the time, you can try and make that play. If you didn’t have confidence in the guy, you might not make it. With him back there and able to be so dynamic and make saves, it gives you confidence to make plays.” Michael Stone has been asked about this subject before. Life is good now, and they are just starting to make plays. “Many, many times,” the Calgary Flames defender said with a chuckle. But there’s 79 more on the docket including Wednesday’s clash at But when the subject is your goaltender, his competitiveness and his Staples Center. ability to stop pucks in key situations, you don’t mind answering a few more questions. “I understand it’s a long season,” Smith said. “So I’m not going to have a party because we have won a couple games in a row, and I have a Because Mike Smith, a 2017 National Hockey League All-Star, was a big shutout already. At this point in my career and the amount of games I’ve deal in the desert. And now after three games, including his first shutout played, things can turn pretty quickly. I never want to take that for as a member of his new team, the 35-year-old netminder is starting to granted. create a buzz in Calgary too. “(Monday) is in the past as far as I’m concerned, and I’m looking forward This is not news to Stone. to (Wednesday) and have that mentality all season long.” Nor is it surprising. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.11.2017 “Basically my first year in Arizona, he got us to the (Western) Conference finals,” Stone said, shaking his head. “When he’s on, he’s unbelievable.” Unbelievable, like facing 44 shots in his first game with the Flames and against one of the best players in the world in Connor McDavid, only to have the team falter in front of him and lose 3-0. Unbelievable, like stopping another 28 shots in the team’s home opener, a 6-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Unbelievable, like posting a 43-save effort in his first shutout of 2017-18 in a 2-0 victory at the Honda Center where the Flames hadn't won a regular-season game since 2004. (For that, alone, he probably could run in Calgary’s mayoral race and win). “I’m not sure if I can see anything in particular when he’s on,” Stone continued. “But when he’s getting all of those shots, he seems to get better and better. “He just gets in that battle zone, and he wants to make those saves. He just takes it to another level on games like that.” And three games in, there’s certainly a lot to like. To the surprise of no one, Smith took Tuesday off for “maintenance” as the Flames brought out a shooter-tutor in his place at the L.A. Kings practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center, in El Segundo, Calif. In the final 14.8 seconds of Monday’s game, he appeared to jam his left arm in a goalmouth scramble but hung on to secure the victory. Smith insisted everything was fine. “A tough game … I want to get the mind right and get ready for (Wednesday),” he said. “There’s always little bumps and bruises that come out of every game but nothing that’s going to keep me out of the lineup.” The Flames, however, are aiming to limit the amount of traffic Smith gets in front of him. In an ironic twist, the Flames are second in the NHL for shots allowed (an average of 38.7) through the first three games of the season, sitting behind only — you guessed it — the Arizona Coyotes, who have allowed an average of 4.15 shots. Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said the shot totals may be misleading this year, just based on the NHL’s attempt to become more consistent in every arena. But, still, 40-plus shots a night is very busy for any netminder. “I think shots are going to be up as a whole by the way they’re counting them this year,” Gulutzan said. “Anything that has a possibility to get in your net is counting as a shot. Anything that rolls to the goalie is being counted. So I think you’re going to see shot-counts getting higher. “But certainly we’d like to out-shoot our opponent on most nights so that’s something we need to get better at.” At the moment, however, Flames general manager Brad Treliving looks like a genius for acquiring Smith in the off-season because the six-foot- four, 215-pounder has been lights-out through three games. Smith also posted his first shutout of the season which came quickly comparatively 1077438 Calgary Flames shots en route to a 2-0 win over the Ducks which ended the curse, the answer was clear.

“Hey, Jobu got the job done at the end of the day,” Gulutzan said with a 'Let’s bring in Jobu': The story behind the Flames' figurine fascination grin. “You can say what you want and make fun of it, but hey, I think Jobu had something to do with it.” BY KRISTEN ODLAND, POSTMEDIA Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.11.2017

Glen Gulutzan wouldn’t reveal the exact number. But like most men of a certain age from a certain era, the 46-year-old native of Hudson Bay, Sask., admits he has watched Major League “a couple times.” Matt Stajan says it was a staple, like most sports cult movies are, on a hockey bus. And while it wasn’t teammate Kris Versteeg’s favourite movie growing up, it was his brother Mitch’s favourite, so he’s seen it enough to recite a few scenes. Plus, you know, if he’s flipping through channels on a Saturday afternoon, and it happens to be on … hey, why not? As for fellow Calgary Flames forward Michael Frolik? “To be honest, no,” said the 29-year-old, sheepishly. “I didn’t see that one.” So, then, the Jobu figurine and the reference to Pedro Cerrano’s difficulty with a curve ball (“I can no hit curve ball”) and the movie clips were lost on the native of Kladno, Czech Republic? “I was a little bit (confused) and didn’t know exactly what was going on,” Frolik said with a grin. “But I kind of get the point.” The point was, of course, to attempt to make light of the team’s horrible record at Anaheim’s Honda Center and address the issue of the Flames' 29-straight losses (including playoffs) in that building, rather than simply to brush it off. Of course, the media never forget the facts and the line of questioning — “Why can’t you win there?” — usually begins prior to the Flames arriving in Orange County. But, this time, Flames head coach Gulutzan and his staff were armed. “We’re always looking for stuff,” Gulutzan explained. “We were talking during the regular season (last year) about the curse and all the stuff you guys make up — the media. So it didn’t mean that much to us. But then we just thought, ‘Let’s deal with it.’ We’re always looking for (video) clips. Major League is always one that we use for different things, so we thought, let’s bring in Jobu.” A replica of the one used in the movie by Dennis Haysbert’s voodoo- practising character who defected from Cuba was ordered online in the springtime. On Monday morning at the Honda Center, prior to their third game of the 2017-18 campaign, Gulutzan mentioned they brought in “someone” who “wasn’t very big” to help them with the losing skid. He wouldn’t say anything more. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the media, the team had created a nameplate for Jobu and found a stall for him. “Between Chips (video coach Jamie Pringle) and Siggy (goalie coach Jordan Sigalet), and I, we stumbled on Jobu and decided to put him in our locker room,” Gulutzan explained. And what did the players think? “I knew right away,” Versteeg said. “I had a good laugh. They showed the clips, and it was pretty funny. It kind of took our mind off the questions and the reality for a bit.” The reality was the Flames had not won in that building during the regular season since Jan. 19, 2004, making it 25 regular-season losses in a row. The last time they won in the playoffs at the Honda Center was April 25, 2006. “Every time we played in Anaheim at the Honda Center, everyone knew about the streak, so we were just trying to avoid it,” Stajan said. “And they brought in Jobu. “If you’ve watched that movie, you’d know he helps break curses, and we talked about it. We watched a clip.” So, naturally, when Sean Monahan scored in the second period, Mikael Backlund sealed the deal in the third period, and Mike Smith stopped 43 1077439 Carolina Hurricanes News Observer LOADED: 10.11.2017

For Hurricanes, a tough point to let go

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

Hockey, like so many sports, is a game of ebbs and flows. Often, it’s within a game. At times, it’s game to game. On Saturday, when the Carolina Hurricanes opened the season, Sebastian Aho could do no wrong. His two assists in the third period, one on a dazzling, spinning pass to Victor Rask, helped the Canes rally and then beat the Minnesota Wild in a shootout. Three nights later, Aho had the game on his stick. With the Canes and Columbus Blue Jackets locked up in overtime Tuesday at PNC Arena, Aho seemed poised to finish off a three-on-one rush with a shot from the right wing. But Aho misfired. His attempt was well wide of the net, the puck taking a hard carom around the boards. Columbus forward Sonny Milano soon was in full flight the other way, beating Canes goalie Scott Darling on a breakaway with 31 seconds left in OT for a 2-1 win. Milano’s second goal of the game came on a crafty forehand-to- backhand shot that was almost identical to the shootout shot the Canes’ used Saturday to beat the Wild. And on the same end of the ice. When the Canes came back to take two points out of the opener, it was just what they needed. But Tuesday’s loss was a stinger, and against a team they might be battling for an Eastern Conference playoff spot by season’s end. As the Canes’ Jeff Skinner said, “It’s a tough point to let go. We left one on the table in OT.” Darling did not play poorly, although the Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky was better. The Canes’ goal, with 1:25 left in regulation, came on Skinner’s shot from the slot after Darling was pulled for a sixth attacker. The Canes could have won in overtime after the Jackets’ Artemi Panarin was called for hooking Jordan Staal as he broke to the net. Carolina had five shots, some heavy, but Bobrovsky, as befitting a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, shut the Canes down. “You need one there,” Canes coach Bill Peters said. “You need one there or on the three-on-one. Those were good opportunities to finish.” The Canes, in two games, have twice gotten two tough calls. On Saturday, the Wild’s last-second goal in regulation counted after a review for goaltender interference, a decision that did not set well with the Canes. On Tuesday, a no-call was problematic. With the Canes on a power play, the Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert flipped the puck over the glass. It could have been 1:57 of a 5-on-3 advantage for Carolina, and replays indicated the puck was not touched by a Canes player, but the ruling was no delay-of-game call and the Blue Jackets killed off the penalty. Nick Foligno’s hit on Canes defenseman Brett Pesce didn’t set well with Peters, either. Foligno was called for a two-minute boarding minor after hitting Pesce from behind in the first period and sending him head-first into the boards. Pesce was not hurt but could have been. “That’s a two-minute minor in the NHL these days,” Peters said. “It’s the same as that little slash ... That hit, to me, was probably a little more than a two-minute minor, I would think, but not my decision.” Calls aside, the Canes didn’t generate a lot five-on-five. They were sluggish during their two power plays in regulation. But defenseman Klas Dahlbeck stepped in for Trevor van Riemsdyk, out indefinitely with a concussion, and gave the Canes some thump. So did his defensive partner, rookie Haydn Fleury, who had a team-high five hits. The Hurricanes will need to be better on the road and that’s where they’re headed. They now have four straight away games during the N.C. State Fair — at Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Dallas — before returning to PNC Arena on Oct. 24 to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It will definitely show us where we’e at,” Staal said. 1077440 Carolina Hurricanes

In first two games, Hurricanes prove their resiliency the difficult way

BY LUKE DECOCK

RALEIGH By the next time the Carolina Hurricanes play a home game, they'll know a lot more about themselves than they do now. That's four games and 14 days from now, thanks as always to the state fair. What they do know, after taking three points from their first two games and being awfully disappointed that it wasn't four, is that they've got what co-captain Jordan Staal called “sticktoitiveness.” They came back from two goals down to beat the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, and scored with 85 seconds left to force overtime against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. In neither game did they give up after a backbreaking goal – Minnesota's tying goal with 0.3 seconds left – or a really bad goal, the first allowed by Scott Darling – Columbus' opening goal, a near-post stuff by Sonny Milano, with 10 minutes to play – so they have that going for them. Which is nice. “There's no quit, no give-up,” Darling said. “We've been down in both games and fought back to tie it up. That's a great attribute to have in a team. We're not quitters in here.” Even better would be not falling behind in the first place. But they're 1-for- 8 on the power play, including two minutes Tuesday that should have led to a 2-1 overtime win instead of a 2-1 overtime loss on another Milano goal, seconds after Sebastian Aho misfired at an open net on a three-on- one rush. That was really the difference on Tuesday, and not only in overtime. On a night when open space on the ice was hard to find (and when there was, the puck was bouncing all over the place thanks to the unseasonable humidity) the Hurricanes can't afford to squander chances with the man advantage. That's the No. 1 area for improvement going forward, with more offense in general being area No. 1A. So far, most of the Hurricanes' offense has been generated by Aho, with his two third-period assists Saturday, or Jeff Skinner, who jumped into the air to knock down a clearing attempt with the Carolina net empty on Tuesday, then walked in on Sergei Bobrovsky and scored the first goal against the Columbus goalie this season. The Hurricanes have gotten more or less what they expected from the Aho-Staal-Elias Lindholm line and the fourth line of Brock McGinn, Marcus Kruger and Joakim Nordstrom. They need more from the lines centered by Victor Rask and Derek Ryan. Justin Williams has been active but not yet productive, Teuvo Teravainen continues to baffle and Janne Kuokkonen looks like a rookie, which is entirely fair. It's too small a sample size to draw any sweeping conclusions – Hurricanes coach Bill Peters acknowledged it's all “a work in progress” – but the Hurricanes' resiliency looks like something they can build upon going forward. They'll find out quickly. Over the next two weeks they'll go from Manitoba to Alberta to Texas. The schedule's loose enough that Darling could probably start all four games, but Cam Ward will probably get a look in Calgary or Edmonton, and the Canes will learn something from that as well. “We've got to get playing some games and get some rhythm of that,” Peters said. “That'll happen when we go out on the trip.” By the time they're back home in two weeks to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, this team will have a better sense of what works and what doesn't. All it knows now is that it doesn't seem inclined to give up easily when facing adversity, but playing from behind every night is no way to go through a season.. News Observer LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077441 Carolina Hurricanes

Blue Jackets edge Hurricanes in OT

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

The Columbus Blue Jackets have found a scoring star early in the season. Sonny Milano scored twice Tuesday, the second on a breakaway with 31 seconds left in overtime, to give the Blue Jackets a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Jeff Skinner gave the Canes new life late, scoring his first goal of the season with 1:25 left in regulation after goalie Scott Darling was pulled for an extra attacker. It was the first goal allowed by Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and it tied the score 1-1. In overtime, the Blue Jackets’ Artemi Panarin was called for hooking Jordan Staal by Bobrovsky, the 2017 Vezina Trophy winner, was rock solid in net. Milano then scored after the Canes’ Sebastian Aho missed the net on a 3-on-1 rush. The Hurricanes (1-0-1) and Blue Jackets (2-1-0) played the first 50 minutes of the game waiting for one of the goalies to blink. Darling finally did and the Blue Jackets took advantage. Milano’s first goal, with 9:59 left in the third period broke a scoreless tie. Milano score his third of the season with a shortside shot from below the goal line, the puck glancing off Darling’s left pad at the post. In Saturday’s opener against Minnesota, the Canes rallied in the third period, their best of the game, and then won a shootout. They also did it before a loud sellout crowd that clearly enjoyed the 5-4 victory. It wasn’t the same Tuesday. The crowd was much slimmer on a week night — announced at 7,892 — and the noise level lower in the Canes’ first Metropolitan Division game of the season. The game was more of a grind — scoreless after 20 minutes, scoreless after 40. Darling and Bobrovsky both faced 20 shots in the first two periods in what became an increasingly physical game. Bobrovsky, who shut out the New York Islanders 5-0 in the Columbus opener, stopped a Teuvo Teravainen shot on an odd-man rush by the Canes early in the game, then again in the final minutes of regulation. There were a few wicked tips to stop and Darling once lunged to smother the puck after first bobbling it. The Blue Jackets caught a break in the second period when the referees missed the Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert flipping the puck over the glass in the first moments of a Canes power play. Carolina would have had 1:57 of a 5-on-3 advantage but delay of game was not called and the Blue Jackets made the kill. The Canes said Tuesday that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk suffered a concussion in Saturday’s opener and would be out indefinitely. They then had another scare against Columbus when defenseman Brett Pesce was banged into the boards by Nick Foligno in the first period. Pesce, hit from behind, was taken off the ice for treatment and Foligno penalized for boarding for what could have been a dangerous hit. Pesce, paired Tuesday with Jaccob Slavin, quickly returned to the game. Klas Dahlbeck replaced van Riemsdyk in the lineup and teamed with Hadyn Fleury to give the Canes some physical play. Dahlbeck rocked Foligno behind the Canes net in the second, putting his shoulder into the Blue Jackets’ captain. After two at home, the Canes play their next four games on the road — the annual N.C. State Fair trip — before returning to PNC Arena on Oct. 24 to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. News Observer LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077442 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes’ Trevor van Riemsdyk out with concussion

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said Tuesday that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk is going through the concussion protocol, which will sideline him indefinitely. Van Riemsdyk was injured in the Hurricanes’ season opener Saturday against Minnesota, falling and sliding into the end boards. His head and back slammed into the wall and he had to be helped off the ice. Van Riemsdyk went through the off-ice concussion protocol but returned to the game. He did not practice Monday and Peters later said he did not think van Riemsdyk was concussed but was dealing with lower-body injuries, adding it was unlikely van Riemsdyk would play Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Klas Dahlbeck will replace van Riemsdyk in the lineup Tuesday and be paired with rookie Haydn Fleury. Van Riemsdyk was obtained in an offseason trade with the Vegas Golden Knights after playing the past three seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks to help shore up the third defensive pairing. News Observer LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077443 Carolina Hurricanes

Here’s the Canes player who lost his role when the team named co- captains

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

When the Carolina Hurricanes announced their team captains last week, one name was noticeably missing: Victor Rask. Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk were named co-captains and Jeff Skinner a permanent alternate captain for the 2017-18 season. A year ago, when the Canes didn’t have a captain, all three served as alternate captains along with Rask – four players with A’s on their jerseys. Why no Rask this year? Canes coach Bill Peters said it wasn’t that Rask asked not to be a captain. Nor was it some reflection on Rask’s play last season, when the Swedish center, by his own admission, was not consistently at his best. Rask said Monday that he wasn’t miffed about the decision or consider it a slight. “No, absolutely not,” he said. “We have really good leaders in this group. It doesn’t matter if you wear an ‘A’or not. It’s just one those things.” So no bruised feelings? “No,” he said. “As I said, we have a lot of leaders and I just want to be a part of it. That’s the way we wanted to go and that’s the way we will do it.” One way to lead is to be one of the team’s best players in games, when it counts. Rask did that in the season opener Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, contributing a goal and assist in the Canes’ 5-4 shootout victory. Had Minnesota not scored in the final second of regulation – and the Canes still believe the Wild should have been called for goaltender interference – it would have been Rask with the winning goal to complete the comeback victory. His top-shelf shot from the right circle, off a pass from a spinning Sebastian Aho, gave the Canes a 4-3 lead with 1:34 left in the third. “Really good play by him, that pass was right in my wheelhouse,” Rask said. Peters said he met with Rask before the captains were announced to talk things over and said Rask was “real good about it.” “He wants to concentrate on having a good year for himself, individually, that leads to us being good collectively,” Peters said. Peters said in looking at the top two centers on each team in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, that Rask is “right there with those guys and it’s a real good group.” Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, John Tavares, Nicklas Backstrom … it’s a strong collection of centers in the conference. “He’s right there,” Peters said. “He just wants to concentrate on his game and make sure everything is in order and contribute to the team in that regard.” Rask, 24, had shoulder surgery after the 2015-16 season, limiting his offseason conditioning. Given a six-year, $24 million contract extension and the “A” that he said was a “huge boost,” Rask finished with 16 goals and 45 points in 82 games last season – decent numbers but a dip from the year before and not what he or the Canes expected. But Rask played for Sweden’s gold-medal winners in the 2017 World Championship after the season. He worked on have a quicker, more explosive stride in training. He feels good. There’s just no “A” this season. “He’s going to have a good year,” Skinner said. “He’s still such a young guy and his future so bright that when he looks back this will really be just a footnote.” News Observer LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077444 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks face new NHL normal with slashing, faceoff violations

Chris Hine

Through their first two games, the Blackhawks didn’t really feel the pinch of the NHL’s renewed emphasis on calling slashing penalties and faceoff violations. But Monday night, the Hawks faced the Maple Leafs in Toronto, where the league has offices. Perhaps the referees noticed some league honchos in attendance because the whistles came often for slashing, and centers frequently were kicked out of the circle. Coach Joel Quenneville even referred to the latter phenomenon as an “epidemic.” The Hawks got a heavy dose of the supposed new normal in the league. Eight slashes were called Monday, four on each team, with a late one on Jan Rutta leading to the tying goal for Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk. Whether the Hawks like that change depends on who is going to the penalty box. “It’s good when it works in your favor and not the other way around,” captain Jonathan Toews said. “As long as it’s even both ways, I can’t complain. Just something you have to keep in mind.” But the Hawks are going to have to adapt to officials blowing the whistle more in those situations. “When you’re out of position, sometimes you try and get a stick on their stick, try and knock the puck off, make any contact with their hands or their pants, they’re going to call it,” Toews said. “So it’s something we have to be careful with.” Added Quenneville: “You have to know you’re way better off poking the puck instead of going anywhere near the stick.” As for the faceoff difficulties, the Hawks ended up having defensemen Gustav Forsling and Brent Seabrook take faceoffs at various times when they had just three skaters on the ice. Neither won his faceoff. “(Toews) got tossed about nine times,” Quenneville said. “It was one of those nights.” Quenneville said the league wasn’t giving the Hawks much of an explanation for why their centers are getting thrown out of the circle. “That’s a work in progress as far as why you’re getting tossed without an answer,” Quenneville said. Schmaltz recovering: Quenneville said center Nick Schmaltz was improving from an upper-body injury he suffered Saturday against the Blue Jackets. The Hawks are still targeting a Thursday return for Schmaltz. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077445 Chicago Blackhawks 3. Brandon Saad, Blackhawks: Scored his fifth goal in four games. Up next Alex DeBrincat notches first NHL goal as Blackhawks defeat Canadiens Vs. Wild. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; NBCSCH. 3-1 Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.11.2017

Chris Hine

At the 2016 NHL entry draft, the Blackhawks traded the rights of restricted free agent Andrew Shaw to the Canadiens for a pair of second- round picks. With the first of those picks, the Hawks selected Alex DeBrincat, an undersized but prolific winger in the . Sixteen months later, DeBrincat took the ice for the Hawks across from Shaw and the Canadiens at the Bell Centre — and proceeded to score his first NHL goal. DeBrincat jolted the Hawks out of a sluggish start and added an assist as he spurred them to a 3-1 triumph Tuesday night over the Canadiens for their third victory in four games. The Hawks also rode the hot glove of Corey Crawford, who improved to 8-0-2 against his hometown Canadiens with 41 saves. “It’s hard to explain. It’s a dream come true,” DeBrincat said. “You think about that moment your whole life and it finally comes true.” DeBrincat could not crack the goal column despite the Hawks scoring 18 goals in their first three games, but on Tuesday he and linemate Patrick Sharp were hunting that goal early, and they eventually bagged it. Sharp and DeBrincat missed on a couple of developing chances until they struck late in the first period with the Hawks ceding a lot of ice to the Canadiens. Sharp shuffled a pass to his left and DeBrincat, in perfect shooting position, rocketed a shot past vaunted Canadiens goaltender Carey Price to net his first NHL goal 17 minutes, 53 seconds into the game. “Those guys have been really good together,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Whether they’re scoring or not, we like the way they’re playing without the puck and moving around the ice where it seems things develop almost every single shift. “‘Cat’ getting that first goal in a special place like this will be a good memory.” The Hawks scored on their next shift 19 seconds later when Brandon Saad muscled the puck into the offensive zone and made it to the net, where Jonathan Toews hit him with a feed to set up Saad’s fifth goal. Those goals were needed after the Hawks allowed one 1:19 in to Tomas Plekanec in their third consecutive period of sluggish hockey dating back to Monday’s overtime loss to the Maple Leafs. In response to that loss, Quenneville made a change along the blue line for the first time this season, inserting veteran Cody Franson into the lineup. The surprise was who Quenneville took out — Connor Murphy, the right-handed defenseman who was the prize of the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade with the Coyotes. Murphy is signed with for the next five seasons at a cap hit of $3.85 million, but didn’t play because of how well another right-handed defenseman, Jan Rutta (two goals), had played entering the night and Quenneville wasn’t going to remove Brent Seabrook from the lineup. Franson and DeBrincat teamed up on the Hawks’ third goal, which came on a second-period power play. Franson started the sequence with a smooth pass to DeBrincat, who one-touched the puck to Artem Anisimov camped out near the net. It was a sequence that was like a blur to DeBrincat. Anisimov shoved the puck in for his first goal of the season at 10:44 But the lasting memory of the night for DeBrincat will be his goal past one of the league’s best and against the team that traded the pick that allowed him to become a Blackhawk. “Obviously you want to score your first goal, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” DeBrincat said. “I was trying to keep it out of my mind. It had to come sooner or later.” Twitter @ChristopherHine Chris Hine’s three stars 1. Corey Crawford, Blackhawks: Played well again in hometown with 41 saves. 2. Alex DeBrincat, Blackhawks: Winger notched his first goal, added assist. 1077446 Chicago Blackhawks

Alex DeBrincat, Corey Crawford lead Blackhawks to victory over Habs

Mark Lazerus

MONTREAL — Patrick Sharp’s nickname, “Shooter,” is well earned. A goal-scorer by trade, Sharp has rarely seen a shot he won’t take. But through the first three-plus games of the season, Sharp had been determined to get 19-year-old rookie Alex DeBrincat his first NHL goal. You could see it late in the first period Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens, when Sharp turned down a point-blank shot and forced a pass to DeBrincat on the rush. It was a little too cute, and DeBrincat couldn’t get the shot off in traffic. But just a few minutes later, Sharp’s efforts paid off. Again entering the Montreal zone on the rush, Sharp faked a shot and slid a pass across to DeBrincat, who flashed that quick release that made him so dangerous at the junior level, ripping a one-timer past a Montreal defender and goalie Carey Price. Not only did that give DeBrincat his first NHL goal — against the consensus best goalie in the world, no less — it gave the Blackhawks life after a truly dreadful start, propelling them to a 3-1 victory at Bell Centre. DeBrincat added an assist later, as the Hawks improved to 3-0-1. “Not that Alex really needs the confidence, he’s been playing well to start the season, and all through camp,” Sharp said. “But you could see he felt so much better after putting that one in. Not a chintzy goal, either — a one-timer against a great goalie. I was happy to see him put it in and glad I could be a part of it.” Sharp is 16 years older than DeBrincat — the first Hawks teenager to score since Nick Leddy on March 11, 2011 — but the two have quickly formed a May/December hockey bromance on and off the ice. “He’s always talking to me, always trying to give me advice on where to be and how to play,” DeBrincat said. “He’s been a big help to me.” Said coach Joel Quenneville: “Those guys have been really good together. Whether they’re scoring or not, we like the way they’re playing without the puck, and they’re moving around the ice where it seems like things develop almost every single shift. DeBrincat said he was trying not to think about that first goal — in juniors, when he was lighting up the Ontario Hockey League, a three-game goal drought was extremely rare — but admitted that it was a relief to get it out of the way. He called it “a dream come true.” “You think about that moment your whole life,” he said. Up until DeBrincat’s goal, it was all Canadiens, much as it was all Maple Leafs from the second period on, a night earlier. Tomas Plekanec picked off a Ryan Hartman exit pass and surprised Corey Crawford with a quick shot to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead just 75 seconds into the game. Two minutes later, the Canadiens fired eight shots on goal in a 70- second span, aided by a Brent Seabrook turnover deep in his own zone. Halfway through the first period, the Canadiens were outshooting the Hawks 14-2. If not for Crawford’s typical brilliance against his hometown team — he’s now 8-0-2 lifetime against Montreal — it could have been a lot worse. Then Sharp set up DeBrincat to tie it at 17:53 of the first. Nineteen seconds later, Jonathan Toews found Brandon Saad on the doorstep to make it 2-1. Saad’s fifth goal in four games took the air out of a raucous crowd that was giddily celebrating the Canadiens’ home opener. DeBrincat then set up an Artem Anisimov power-play goal midway through the second period, neatly one-touching a pass from Cody Franson to Anisimov in the goalmouth. Price had no chance, and it was 3-1. As for Crawford, his 41-save performance was as brilliant as it was expected. He now has a staggering .954 save percentage in 10 career games against the Canadiens, giving up just 15 goals. He was sensational again, stoning Paul Byron on a shorthanded breakaway just before Anisimov’s backbreaker, and making a brilliant save on Jonathan Drouin during an early third-period Canadiens power play. Crawford even got a shot on goal himself midway through the third period. “It’s fun to play here,” Crawford said. “Friends and family here. I was pretty excited to come here and play.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077447 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks struggling to adapt to crackdown on faceoffs, slashes

Mark Lazerus

MONTREAL — Brent Seabrook just sort of stood there at the dot, leaned over, went through the motions and allowed Toronto’s Nazem Kadri to take the puck from him. It was overtime, the faceoff was in the Blackhawks’ zone, and Seabrook didn’t want to risk getting a minor penalty for a second violation during the same draw. And frankly, Seabrook had no business being there in the first place. But thanks to the NHL’s new focus on faceoff violations, there he was instead of Jonathan Toews, who had been tossed from the draw yet again. In all, 11 Hawks and 10 Leafs took faceoffs, as center after center got thrown out for perceived cheating at the dot. Players must keep their skates behind the red lines on the ice and must keep their shoulders square. “Tonight was an epidemic, for sure,” Joel Quenneville said after the Toronto game. “I think Jonny got tossed about nine times. It was one of those nights.” With Toews repeatedly booted, Brandon Saad took eight draws — he lost all of them. Defenseman Gustav Forsling took one late in the second period after Tanner Kero was tossed. What frustrated Quenneville the most was the lack of explanation or clarification from the officials. “Right now, they don’t tell you why,” he said. “So that’s the part that we can look at. It’s tough on that centerman certainly, the frustration of Jonny and Kadri — they couldn’t quite understand the reason why. I think that’s a work in progress as far as why you’re getting tossed without an answer.” Faceoffs aren’t the only focus for officials in the early going. There were eight slashing penalties in Monday’s game — four for the Hawks, four for the Leafs. Most of them weren’t vicious ones, either. Toronto’s Eric Fehr was whistled for a love-tap on Alex DeBrincat’s shin pad, and Jake Gardiner was sent off for a tap on Artem Anisimov’s leg. “We were watching the video and sometimes there’s a whack and the referee didn’t call it, and then sometimes there’s a not-that-hard whack and he calls it,” Richard Panik said. “You’ve just got to expect that they’re going to call it no matter what. So you just have to keep your feet moving and get to the guy, not just try to reach from behind him. Skate and back- check hard, don’t just reach.” The crackdown is designed to prevent injuries to’ hands and wrists, so those ticky-tack slashes — often desperate flails as a faster player blows by — are going to be called. Players simply have to adapt. “When you’re out of position, sometimes you try and get a stick on their stick, try to knock the puck off,” Toews said. “Make any contact with their hands or their pants, they’re going to call it. So it’s something we have to be careful with going forward.” As for whether it’s a good change or a bad change in the officiating, Toews smiled. “It’s good when it works in your favor, and not the other way around,” he said. “As long as it’s even both ways, I can’t complain. Just something you have to keep in mind.” Murphy out Connor Murphy, who is making $3.85 million and for whom the Hawks traded Niklas Hjalmarsson, was a healthy scratch in the fourth game of the season. Murphy took part in warmups but was not involved in line rushes and was replaced in the lineup by veteran Cody Franson, who made his Hawks debut alongside Michal Kempny. Jan Rutta’s emergence — two goals and two assists through the first three games — has made for a suddenly crowded blue line. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077448 Chicago Blackhawks

DeBrincat helps Blackhawks to 3-1 win over Montreal

Associated Press

MONTREAL -- It was only a matter of time before Alex DeBrincat scored his first NHL goal. The 5-foot-7 right winger, who was a scoring machine for the Erie Otters in junior hockey, got his first as a Blackhawk and set up one for Artem Anisimov as Chicago spoiled the Montreal Canadiens' home opener with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night. And tallying his first against a Vezina Trophy winner like Carey Price made it that much better. "It's pretty cool," said DeBrincat. "He's a great goalie. I was lucky enough to get one past him." The 19-year-old DeBrincat was drafted 39th overall by Chicago in 2016, on a pick obtained in a trade from Montreal, in the midst of a junior career that saw him score 167 goals in 193 games over three seasons for Erie. Last season, he was voted top player in the Ontario Hockey League after a 65-goal season. So it was no surprise for him to find the net at the next level of hockey. "You want to score your first goal but you know it's not going to be easy," the Michigan native said. "I tried to keep it out of my mind. It was bound to come sooner or later." Brandon Saad also scored for Chicago (3-0-1), which was coming off an overtime loss Monday night in Toronto. Tomas Plekanec scored for Montreal (1-3-0) when he picked off a Ryan Hartman pass in the Blackhawks zone, wheeled and scored on a wrist shot inside the near post 1:15 into the game. Patrick Sharp intercepted a Jordie Benn clearing attempt and fed DeBrincat for a one-timer goal at 17:53. Only 19 seconds later, Saad got this fifth goal of the season on a tap-in while finishing a three-man rush with Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. DeBrincat made the decisive pass in a tic-tac-toe play with Cody Franson that Anisimov finished with a tap-in on a power play 10:44 into the second frame. The Canadiens, who outshot the Blackhawks 42-25, have lost three in a row and scored only four goals in as many games. They went 0 for 5 on the power play and are now 0 for 14 for the season. Coach Claude Julien juggled his lines halfway through the game, which produced several good chances but no goals against Corey Crawford, who shut Montreal down after the early Plekanec goal. "Confidence is low now," said Julien. "We have to fight our way through this. "We don't want to make excuses, we want to find solutions. That's how you become a mentally hard team. We could use some puck luck, but there are lots of things we can do about it. I see the potential on this team that we are going to turn this around. We don't lack confidence, we're just squeezing the stick a little." UP NEXT: Blackhawks: host Minnesota on Thursday. Canadiens: Montreal opened with four games in six nights, but now have a break before hosting the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077449 Chicago Blackhawks

DeBrincat nets first goal, Crawford brilliant in Hawks' win

John Dietz

Alex DeBrincat scored his first NHL goal, and the Blackhawks got additional tallies from Brandon Saad and Artem Anisimov in a 3-1 victory over host Montreal on Tuesday. Corey Crawford was flat-out brilliant as he turned away 41 straight shots after allowing a goal on the first attempt he saw. Crawford has stopped 101 of 104 shots this season for a .971 save percentage and he owns a sparkling 1.00 goals-against average. "Man, he was big," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters. "They were loading up with traffic and he challenged them. And the loose stuff, he seemed to be quick and he was ready for the next one. … I think he likes it here." Said Crawford, who is now 8-0-2 against his hometown team and 3-0-0 on the season: "Friends and family were here, so I was pretty excited to come here and play. That was another big win for us in this building. They came out flying." That's for sure. Outplayed, out-hustled and outworked for most of the first period, the Blackhawks managed to even the score when DeBrincat fired a laser past Carey Price at 17:53 of the first period after taking a feed from Patrick Sharp. "You think about that moment your whole life and it finally comes true," said the 19-year-old DeBrincat. Just 19 seconds later, the Hawks (3-0-1) made it 2-1 when a Saad-to- Richard Panik-to-Jonathan Toews-to-Saad passing play led to Saad's fifth goal of the young season. With the Hawks on the power play, Anisimov made it 3-1 at 10:44 of the second period on another gorgeous passing play. Cody Franson zipped the puck to DeBrincat in the right slot, and the rookie quickly fed Anisimov, who was standing just outside the goal crease. Montreal came out buzzing in the first half of the first period, outshooting the Hawks 14-3. The first shot came from Tomas Plekanec 75 seconds into the game and got past Crawford after a Ryan Hartman turnover. "We were lucky it was 1-0 for as long as it was," Quenneville said. "Then we scored two quick ones … and I thought things settled down in the second and the third." The Hawks' penalty killers were a big key to this victory as Montreal failed to score on 5 power-play chances. One of those was a 2-man advantage for 35 seconds early in the first period. "We did a great job on that kill," Crawford said. "Took a lot of dangerous lanes away." Tanner Kero, Gustav Forsling and Jan Rutta were especially impressive in thwarting scoring opportunities all night long. "I thought (Rutta) was outstandings," Quenneville said. The Hawks return home to face Edmonton on Thursday and Nashville on Saturday. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077450 Chicago Blackhawks Franson finished the game with 16:41 of ice time, recorded an assist on Anisimov's goal, and had four shot attempts (two on goal).

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 Five takeaways from Blackhawks' 3-1 bounce-back win over Canadiens

By Charlie Roumeliotis October 10, 2017 9:45 PM

Here are five takeaways from the Blackhawks' 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night: 1. Salvaging a slow start. The Blackhawks have dominated the first period through three games this season, having outscored their opponents 9-0 in the opening frame entering Tuesday's game. They got off to their worst start of the year in this one though, allowing the Canadiens to strike first just 1:15 into the contest and were outshot 14-2 halfway through the period. But the Blackhawks salvaged their slow start by scoring two goals in 19 seconds towards the latter stages of the period, and took a lead into the second for the fourth straight game. 2. Alex DeBrincat scores his first of many goals in the NHL. We teased the possibility of it in our Three Things to Watch, but the Blackhawks' top prospect is officially on the board. The 19-year-old winger snapped a three-game goal drought to open the season by blasting one past arguably the league's best goaltender in Carey Price for his first career tally. On the play, DeBrincat received a short pass from Patrick Sharp, adjusted his body quickly to get into a shooting position and slapped it home from one of his main sweet spots. He also registered an assist later in the game for his first multi-point effort of his career. Side note: DeBrincat committed a third-period turnover that led to a breakaway, but his strong backcheck helped disrupt the shot. That's something coaches will certainly appreciate when looking back at the tape. 3. Corey Crawford continues domination against hometown team. For the second straight game, the Blackhawks perhaps got bailed out by great goaltendering. The Montreal native was outstanding in his hometown return, and he had to be from the very beginning. The Canadiens peppered the Blackhawks with 14 shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of the game, and finished the contest with a season-high 42 of them. Crawford stopped all but one of them in the win, and improved to 8-0-2 with a 1.49 goals against average and .954 save percentage in 10 career games against Montreal. The most important save of the game came on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period, which happened shortly before the Blackhawks scored on the power play to take a 3-1 lead. The score wouldn't change the rest of the way. Crawford has now allowed only one goal in each of his first three games, and increased his season save percentage to .971. A darkhorse Vezina Trophy candidate? 4. Penalty kill steps up. Crawford was the biggest reason the Blackhawks won, but the penalty kill unit is a close second. They were a perfect 5-for-5 in that department against a team still searching for its first power play goal of the season. Early in the first, the Blackhawks killed off a 5-on-3 penalty that could've changed the complexion of the game but their unit stood tall. Tanner Kero and Tommy Wingels were very noticeable in their own ends, combining for four blocked shots and breaking up a handful of plays with active sticks. It was an all around great effort. 5. Cody Franson's debut could've been better. Connor Murphy was a health scratch in only his fourth game with the Blackhawks, but it was likely more about getting another defenseman some reps on the second of a back-to-back rather than his on-ice play. And with the Gustav Forsling-Jan Rutta pairing shining and Franson being a right-handed shot, it makes sense why Murphy was taken out instead of the left-handed shot Michal Kempny. As far of Franson's debut went, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. He committed a pair of penalties (tripping and slashing) but it didn't cost his team thanks to the penalty kill coming through in the clutch, as we mentioned above. 1077451 Chicago Blackhawks

Three Things to WATCH: Corey Crawford returns to hometown as Blackhawks battle Canadiens

By Charlie Roumeliotis October 10, 2017 12:30 AM

Here are Three Things to Watch when the Blackhawks take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live. 1. Corey Crawford vs. Carey Price. There's a reason Crawford didn't start Monday night against Toronto. For one, Montreal is his hometown and the Blackhawks get only one visit there per year. He deserves those starts when the opportunity presents itself. But, most importantly, his numbers against the team he grew up rooting for are remarkable. In nine career games against the Canadiens, Crawford is 7-0-2 with a 1.55 goals against average and .951 save percentage, including one shutout. On the other end of the ice will be Carey Price, who's the only goaltender to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP in the last 15 years. Expect a fun goaltending showdown. 2. The Mutt. The Blackhawks will see a few familiar faces on the home bench, most notably Andrew Shaw, who helped bring two Stanley Cups to Chicago in 2013 and 2015. Nicknamed "Mutt" for his scrappy style of play, Shaw has yet to record a point in three games for the Canadiens this season but his ice time has increased in each of them. Last year Shaw registered a season-high six shots on goal in his first meeting against Chicago, an indication of how badly he'd like to stick it to his old friends. You know he'll be playing with some extra juice, especially with former teammates Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad back on the team. 3. Can Alex DeBrincat get on the board? The Blackhawks have scored 18 goals in three games, but their top prospect hasn't gotten on the scoresheet yet other than an assist on Opening Night. He hasn't stood out, but he certainly hasn't shown any signs that he doesn't belong. DeBrincat is a smart player who's doing all the right things, and just because those offensive numbers aren't there yet doesn't mean he's failing to live up to the hype early on. If anything, the flurry of goals from their top six has helped take away some of that early pressure while he gets accustomed to the big leagues. He came close to scoring in the first two games, one of which rang off the pipe. The scoring chances will come, and he's more likely to bury them than not. Will it come tonight? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077452 Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche announce new AHL affiliate in Colorado Eagles

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Colorado officials announced Tuesday that the Colorado Eagles will take over for the San Antonio Rampage as the Avs’ AHL affiliate. The AHL Board of Governors approved league expansion in July, with the Eagles set to come on board. The Eagles are located in Loveland — about 60 miles north of Denver — and will spend one final season as Colorado’s ECHL affiliate. The Eagles started play in 2003, winning the Central Hockey League championship in 2004-05 and again in ’06-07. Last season, they captured the Kelly Cup as ECHL champions. GM Joe Sakic says Avalanche fans can now see top prospects “developing in an outstanding environment just up the road.” Spotlight on Danton Heinen The Bruins’ rookie forward was recalled from the American Hockey League’s on Tuesday and traveled with the team to Denver. He likely will play his ninth career NHL game Wednesday at the Pepsi Center in the Avalanche’s home opener. Heinen, 22, led the University of Denver in scoring as a sophomore in 2015-16, and then signed with Boston. He began last season with Boston but played just eight games. Heinen led Providence with 18 points (nine goals) in 17 playoff games, but he didn’t make Boston’s 23-man lineup to begin the season last week. NOTEBOOK Bruins: Standout forward Patrice Bergeron (lower body) didn’t practice with the team Tuesday and won’t play Wednesday, but is likely to return to the lineup this weekend at Arizona or Las Vegas. … Veteran forward Ryan White, 29, was signed to a tryout contract Tuesday and traveled with the team to Denver. White split last season between Arizona and Minnesota, producing 16 points (nine goals) in 65 games. … Tuukka Rask is expected to start in goal. … The Bruins begin a three-game western road trip at the Pepsi Center, where they blanked the Avalanche 2-0 last season. Avalanche: The team had Tuesday off after returning to Denver on Monday night from Boston, where it beat the Bruins 4-0 in a Columbus Day matinee. Colorado finished the season-opening trip 2-1. … The Avs begin a stretch where they’ll play three games in four nights. They host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday before visiting the Dallas Stars on Saturday. … Wednesday marks the earliest in club history the Ave will conclude a season series against an opponent. Denver Post: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077453 Colorado Avalanche

David Ramsey: Relax, Avs won't be NHL's worst team ... only close to it

By: David Ramsey October 10, 2017 Updated: October 10, 2017 at 10:53 PM

First, the encouraging news. The Colorado Avalanche will not remain the NHL’s worst team. The Avs will hover, barely, above the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. I see Colorado finishing just over 70 points, and Vegas finishing just under. Avs fans hope the Golden Knights resemble the expansion 1974-75 Washington Capitals, who finished an atrocious 8-67-5, but the Golden Knights will more closely resemble the expansion 1993-94 Mighty Ducks and Panthers, who both won 33 games and flirted with the playoffs. Tough to believe it’s come to a conversation about escaping the NHL basement as the Avs prepare for their home opener Wednesday night. The Avalanche captivated the Front Range for a decade, turning hockey agnostics into devout fans while ruling the NHL in 1996 and 2001 and packing Pepsi Center. No one – not even the most out-of-touch optimist – believes the Avs will compete in the playoffs this season, which means the franchise will have missed the postseason eight of 10 seasons. Yes, the Avs have looked solid in their first three games. Don’t get too excited. It’s a mirage. At least Avs star (for now) Matt Duchene is honest. He wants the hockey world to know his plan to escape Colorado to play for a winner. Former Avs star Peter Forsberg responded with a rebuke, “I would put him on the bench and trade him.” Duchene, ever honest, offered a quick summary of the 2016-2017 Avs, the worst team of the salary cap era. “We want to kind of spit it out,” he said, “if that makes sense.” Oh, it makes sense. The Avs picked a poor time to be lousy. The Broncos reside in a golden decade. The Rockies returned – alas, for one game – to the playoffs. The Nuggets, after years of slumbering, are on a serious rise. And the University of Denver – yes, The Evil Empire of the North – rules as NCAA hockey champs. DU, remember, plays six miles from Pepsi Center. This circle of success only magnifies the Avs’ pitifulness. Not long ago, in 2013-2014, the Avalanche seemed on its way back to NHL supremacy. Patrick Roy returned to Colorado to coach, and he seemed the rare superstar who could coach mere mortals. He had tamed his volcanic – and entertaining – temper. He had learned the art of patience, or so the story went. He pushed the Avs to 112 points, 52 wins and almost directed Colorado to its first win in a playoff series since 2008. He bonded with Joe Sakic, the former Avs superstar. John Elway was masterfully directing the Broncos at Mile High on the edge of downtown, and Sakic, it seemed, was performing similar work a few blocks away. Sakic and Roy often played golf together at Cherry Hills and Cherry Creek. Sakic called his friend “Patty.” They seemed ready to peacefully lead the franchise together for a decade, or more. In August 2016, the Sakic-Roy relationship and the Avs franchise blew up. Roy, frustrated by the lack of aggressive pursuit of elite talent, suddenly resigned. It’s tempting to overly romanticize Roy’s reign as coach. He did miss the playoffs his final two seasons. But he brought fire to his task. He was never satisfied, as a goalie or a coach, with anything but NHL supremacy. I believed he would find a way to again rule hockey. Instead, he set a franchise aflame, and the blaze still roars 14 months later. Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077454 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets 2, Hurricanes 1, OT | Sonny Milano delivers two goals

By Adam Jardy

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Blue Jackets played their eighth and final scheduled exhibition game at Pittsburgh on Sept. 30. On an oppressively humid night outside PNC Arena on Tuesday, they squeezed in what appeared to be a ninth. In a less-than-half-full arena on what looked to be choppy and unforgiving ice, the Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes took equal turns dumping the puck into their offensive zones, fruitlessly trying to corral it and seeing seemingly countless simple passes ricochet off their sticks at ugly angles. But the rules of hockey demand a winner, and so overtime brought one about. The Blue Jackets killed off a Hurricanes power play in overtime before Sonny Milano, with 31 seconds remaining, finished a breakaway with his second goal of the night to give the Jackets a 2-1 win in front of an announced crowd of 7,892 in an arena that holds 19,772. “It was a grind,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “A lot of tight checking, ugly hockey to be honest. It was a neutral-zone affair; who’s going to blink first?” Milano also broke the scoreless slog midway through the third period with his third goal of the season, and then the Blue Jackets rode goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky with a shaky defensive effort in front of him against the Hurricanes, who were seeking their first two-game winning streak to open a season in seven years. The Hurricanes finally solved Bobrovsky with 1:25 to play. With Carolina goaltender Scott Darling pulled, Blue Jackets forward Markus Hannikainen’s attempted clearance out of his zone was grabbed out of the air by Carolina’s Jeff Skinner. With an open lane between him and the goal, he accelerated into the open space and beat Bobrobsky glove- side to tie the score. “He had a little bit of tunnel vision, wanted to make sure he got that puck out and unfortunately it doesn’t happen that way,” coach John Tortorella said of Hannikainen’s play. “He’ll fight back. He’s that type of guy.” One second past the midway point of the third period, Milano scored on the 47th shot of the night when he took a pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand behind the Carolina net and circled behind Darling. From behind the red line, he banked a shot off Darling’s left side and into the net, a move the rookie sheepishly admitted he tries a bit too often. It was a chance that seemingly came out of nowhere, although the Blue Jackets had been showing signs of sustained offensive life during the period for the first time all game. His overtime winner came after the Hurricanes, on an odd-man rush, blasted a shot wide that rang around the boards right to Milano on the right wing. “Pretty lucky that it ended up on my stick, but it was a pretty good feeling getting that goal,” he said. Asked if the biggest hug came from Hannikainen, Milano said, “Oh, I don’t know. Nineteen guys jumped on me, so I don’t know who was hugging me.” Bobrovsky finished with 37 saves and came one defensive hiccup away from his second consecutive shutout to open the season. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077455 Columbus Blue Jackets “That’s hockey,” he said. “We laugh about it now. It’s just one of those plays and he knows if he makes it, everyone’s happy and if he doesn’t, then it goes in the back of the net. He’s played really hard for us. No Puck-rakers | Foligno: Important for Jackets to win ugly issues there.” Tortorella was asked if he thought Hannikainen was trying to score on the play. By Adam Jardy “No, I just think he...he better not have been trying to score,” he said. “I just think he’s just trying to get the puck out of the end zone. It’s a learning experience for him, pretty new in the league, we’ve got a RALEIGH, N.C. – Tuesday night’s 2-1 overtime win at Carolina might not defenseman over in the corner wanting the puck, we’ve got another have been pretty on the eyes, but it was good for the soul of the Blue forward on the weak side that’s just an easy (play).” Jackets. Back That’s how Nick Foligno sees it, and he’s got a good point. After opening the season with a pair of lopsided games – a 5-0 home win against the In his first game of the season after missing the entire preseason with a New York Islanders followed by a 5-1 loss at Chicago one night later – contract dispute, right winger Josh Anderson was on the ice for 13:39. He coach John Tortorella spent two days talking about a lack of grit and finished with two hits and one shot. consistent toughness from his team. “Josh ran out of gas a little bit but I thought he played a really good In an ugly game that was somewhat covered up by an exciting ending, hockey game,” Tortorella said. “He’s got some catching up to do as far as the Blue Jackets still won. They won ugly. But they won. his conditioning, but he adds an element to our team that’s very important so I thought he played really well. I thought he ran out of gas, “It’s exactly what we probably needed,” Foligno said. “You win a game 5- though.” 0, you lose a game 5-1, there’s such an extreme at both ends that you kind of need a game where it’s tight-checking, a 1-0 game, 1-1 game, Quotable you win 2-1. Sometimes you gain more confidence through those games because those are going to be the ones that you’re going to be in more “It was a great feeling. Definitely wasn’t all me. Every game chipped in. times than not, and you’ve got to find a way to win them. We found a way Maybe not on the scoresheet, but every line played their part and my to win one tonight.” linemates did a great job of getting me the puck and I just put it in the net.” – Milano, on scoring two goals. That much was true, and Tortorella agreed with his captain’s assessment. As one case in point: the Blue Jackets held a 32-20 Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 advantage in hits. “It was a perfect setup for us,” he said. “We talked about going into the third period, we’ve been talking about being harder to play, we’ve been talking about checking, we’ve done a pretty job in the first two periods. It was just who blinks first. I said I just want us to check and let something happen that way. Let them turn the puck over with our checking. I thought we controlled a lot of the third period but when we scored the goal, you end up letting up a little bit. I think we’ve got to keep our foot on the gas and continue to forecheck. We didn’t and they had a couple of chances and then we turn one over and it’s in our net.” More on that later. To grind out the win, the Blue Jackets had to kill off a penalty in overtime, which gave the Hurricanes two minutes of four-one- three hockey after Artemi Panarin was called for hooking at 1:01. They were up to the task, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made seven of his 37 saves during the 4:29 of overtime. Killing off the penalty gave the Jackets some momentum. “I thought we did a really good job (on the penalty kill),” Tortorella said. “I’m not sure how many chances they got, but most of them were in an area where Bob was just right there. At that time of the game that was very important. We shoot one wide, they go on an odd-man. They shoot one wide, we get a breakaway. We score, they don’t.” It was Sonny Milano with the winning goal and the other goal for the Jackets, giving him four in his first three NHL games. Foligno credited Bobrovsky’s play for the end result. “He was huge,” he said. “The saves he makes just look so easy, especially on the PK at the end. He just calms everybody down. He’s not flopping and trying to dive across. He’s just making these solid, steady saves. When he’s playing like that, it just goes through the whole team.” Mistake Bobrovsky’s bid for a second straight shutout was snuffed out thanks to a poor decision by right winger Markus Hannikainen. With less than two minutes to play and the Carolina net empty, Hannikainen had the puck deep in his own zone and tried to shoot it up the center of the ice. Whether he was trying to score an empty-netter to seal the game was a matter of debate among his teammates after the game. But either way, it’s a teaching moment for the 24-year-old who was playing in his 17th career NHL game. “I talked to him right after the game because I told him he gave us some good minutes,” Tortorella said. “The easy play is, everybody’s waiting for the weak-side play. He panicked. He could’ve passed the puck to the other side and we could’ve walked out of our end zone and we’re OK. (Stuff) happens. He’s got to put it away though, because that line gave us some good minutes, especially in that third period.” Foligno downplayed the mistake as well. 1077456 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Sonny Milano’s hard work draws praise

By Adam Jardy

RALEIGH, N.C. — Whenever he was asked throughout the preseason about the progress of his younger players, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella would inevitably steer the conversation toward one in particular. When asked why he was constantly singled out, rookie Sonny Milano offered a shrug in an “aw, shucks” kind of way. Then he gave a lengthy response. “I think I just did what they wanted me to do, which was over the summer train hard and get stronger, work on my shot and also during the games in preseason work on my defensive play, stopping and starting and making smart plays instead of always trying to make the fancy play or the play that’s going to score a goal,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve just got to get it deep and make the smart play.” It was enough to earn him a roster spot and four goals in the first three games of the season. The season-opening goal against the New York Islanders, which came on the team’s first shot of the season, was personally significant for Milano in that the Islanders were his childhood favorite team. Tortorella was positive on Milano’s impact, but again stressed the need to make the simple play instead of always trying to make a spectacular one. “I told Sonny when he overpassed on one play, ‘You can score another one,’ ” he said. Switching lines Nick Foligno started as the first-line center Tuesday at the Carolina Hurricanes, displacing Alexander Wennberg after two games. There’s no reason to believe it’s a permanent change, but Tortorella said he’s looking for all the Blue Jackets — not just Wennberg — to have better puck possession and grind. Foligno recorded assists in each of the first two games and, among players with 10 faceoffs or more, was second in the NHL in winning 79.2 percent of them. He also gave a young Hurricanes fan a stick during pregame warmups at PNC Arena. Asked to evaluate Foligno’s first two games at center ice after being moved from left wing midway through camp, Tortorella declined. Jenner still out In discussing his team’s lack of aggressiveness and grit during the first two games of the season, Boone Jenner’s game has consistently come up. The forward remains out with an undisclosed mid-body injury, and Tortorella has given no timetable for his return. “No idea,” he said before Tuesday’s game. “I haven’t talked with the trainers.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077457 Dallas Stars was a big win at home and now we go on the road for a division opponent. It's going to be an important game."

On if there was any anxiety in the final minutes of tonight's game: He said it: Players and coaches comment after Stars' 4-2 win over Detroit Tuesday "Obviously, we have some work to improve on in the third period. Just need to be a little bit more composed, but we did what it took. Sometimes it wont always be pretty, but if you find a way to get two points that is all By Mike Heika , Staff Writer that matters. So, we definitely have some work to do, but we'll take it." On if it's a good feeling to help Ken Hitchcock move up in the all time head coaching win list: Stars Head Coach Ken Hitchcock "Yes, absolutely. He's been a hell of a coach for a long time, so hopefully On the Stars getting their first win: we can get him many more and have him keep climbing." "I was thinking, on the bench, that we'd played three great hockey Stars Defenseman John Klingberg games. To have the record we're at, I know everything isn't fair, but it would have felt poorly to not finish this one off. We're still in the learning On getting the first win of the season: curve of puck management when the game is on the line and we're still "Yeah, I think we've been playing pretty good in all three games and it on the learning curve as far as some of the things we need to do with a was nice to get the win today. The first one in the books is nice." one goal lead. I thought at the end of the day our big boys really took over. That shift they had, which was almost two minutes, was incredible. On what he saw on his first goal: They won all the battles, all the faceoffs, they got the puck out and they did what they were supposed to do so I was really happy for them. I "We were actually setting up another play, but the puck came right back thought that we've played three games in a row now where we've played in the middle, so I just tried to move right in on the blue line and tried to really, really hard. We've played three games, except for four or five shoot pass the blocker. It then bounced in somehow. It was nice to see it minutes, close to our identity. You want to see the guys get rewarded for go in." that and tonight they were." On the power play scoring so far this season: On the Stars' second through fourth lines: "We've been playing with each other for awhile now. I think it's three "I thought this was the best balance we've had. This looked like years now that I have been playing with [Tyler] Seguin and [Jamie] Benn something you can really build on. (Remi) Elie was a very effective player and obviously [Jason] Spezza before as well. So, we know each other for us. He's great on the boards and has great speed. We look like we and we know what we want to do well up there, and obviously scoring can really deal people some body blows with the way we're playing right three games in a row on the power play is going to help your confidence." now and that's the way we're built. You take away that top line and, while On the third period how they play late in games managing the lead: those guys can play a heavy game, we've got three other lines that can play a heavy game and that's the way we're going to have to build our "That's how it's going to be. I think we can be even better at that. Just game. I think the players are starting to understand that. The game got keep putting pucks deep and working down there. I felt like we sat back a away from us a little bit in the second. We got frustrated with all the little too much. Obviously, we won the game, but maybe we could have scoring opportunities we had and couldn't finish and then we tried to hit done it a little bit better, I think. We got away with the win today so we home runs for four or five minutes. Other than that I thought we did a should be happy." really good job today." Red Wings Head Coach Jeff Blashill On the play of Tyler Pitlick: On the lack of offensive chances: "Two things, speed and good stick. He's got a great stick. He's been well coached and he puts his stick in the right lanes so you know that people "We didn't have nearly enough (offensive zone) time. Now they play can be teachable and coachable if you can do that. (Assistant coach) defense a little bit different in the d-zone which makes it a little harder. I Rick (Wilson) had worked really hard with him. We saw that on game film didn't think we had enough guys at that ultra-competitive level. Our when he was with Edmonton. One of the things that Pitlick had going for competitive level can't be fine. It's got to be outstanding. I also think we him was that we played Edmonton a lot early so we had a really good didn't have enough guys skating well enough. We didn't have enough understanding of what he was like and we saw that stuff when we looked pressure on them. I thought when we pressured them we were able to back at the video." create turnovers, but we didn't do enough of it." On the play of Julius Honka: On the lack of success in the faceoff circle: "He had really good energy. He brings a creative presence. I think he still "We have to do a better job with the faceoff circle. The one thing I will say needs to move to the next level because he defers too much and that's with that is we are very worried about taking that penalty. I guess I work just a young player but I thought he brought really good energy to the through the league and see if they've called it." group." On being proactive in the defensive zone: Stars Forward Tyler Pitlick "We talk about being proactive, and proactive means that when On making the other team uncomfortable out there: something breaks down somebody else is there for him. We weren't proactive at all on that goal for sure. You're going to have mistakes, that's "If you want to be a championship team in this league, you have to have why you have teammates. I thought we had a chance to be proactive four lines that can play with anybody and we definitely have that here." there and weren't. Petr (Mrazek) wants someone back but he also made two unreal saves right after during the penalty kill that should've been in On if he has played a consistent role on the penalty kill in his career: the net. So that (evens things out)." "Never. This is a first and I am enjoying it. It's good. I don't play power Red Wings Forward Henrik Zetterberg play, so if I am not on the penalty kill I am spending a lot of time on the bench, so I am enjoying it." On Dallas generating so much offense: On why has it been so easy for him to jump in on the penalty kill: "They came with a lot of speed. They lost the first two games so we knew they would come out flying. I thought Petr [Mrazek] was really good for us "I don't know. They have had confidence in me and let me play. In the there. When they dumped the puck, he came out and played it and we past I have played in the preseason for a bit and then they have had their got out of our end a few times easy. But still, they had the puck a lot and guys, so I haven't had the opportunity to dig in and do it. It has just been faceoffs were a part of that." getting the reps and getting the work in practice. They have had the confidence to put me out there so I have had the confidence to play." Red Wings Forward Anthony Mantha Stars Goaltender Ben Bishop On his goal in tonight's game: On getting his first win as a Dallas Star: "I knew we had traffic there and we just tried to shoot. I just wanted to turn around and fire that puck in." "It's exciting; especially at home in front of the crowd. It's nice. I maybe would've liked to do it in the first one, but we'll take the two points. It was On the momentum he thought his goal gave his team: a big win for us. You never want to lose three in a row in this league, so it "I think the third period we came out strong. I can't say the same thing about the first two periods, but we knew we had to get some fire going in the third and that's what we tried to do." On their power play tonight: "That was a great play from [Henrik] Zetterberg to [Justin] Abdelkader there. I think we could do better, that's for sure. I don't think we are shooting enough pucks. Our entries weren't that bad, but we need to battle for loose pucks and the second chances." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077458 Dallas Stars

Stars finally get results from possession-based play, beat Detroit 4-2

By Mike Heika

The process that is the Stars' 2017-18 season continues to evolve, but it took a big step forward Tuesday. Dallas continues to do a good job controlling the puck, finishing with a 33-25 advantage in shots on goal against the Detroit Red Wings at American Airlines Center, but this time they won the game. The Stars held on through a frenetic third period and took a 4-2 victory to move to 1-2-0 on the season. That was big, as other teams continue to start fast in the Western Conference. 'Finally:' Ex-Star Trevor Daley returns to Dallas after jumping to three different teams "I was thinking, on the bench, that we'd played three great hockey games. To have the record we're at, I know everything isn't fair, but it would have felt poorly to not finish this one off," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We're still in the learning curve of puck management when the game is on the line and we're still on the learning curve as far as some of the things we need to do with a one goal lead. I thought at the end of the day our big boys really took over." It was the kind of game the Stars needed to play. Dallas got off to a good start, got a key save when needed, and then put the puck in the net. It's a simple game when you do those things. Hitchcock registered his 782nd career regular season win, tying for third all-time. Scotty Bowman sits first at 1,244 and current Chicago coach Joel Quenneville second at 853. Hitchcock will have a chance to move into sole possession of third place on Thursday at Nashville. "He's been a hell of a coach for a long time, so hopefully we can get him many more and have him keep climbing, said goalie Ben Bishop. In addition to Hitchcock's big night, Bishop won his first game in a Stars uniform. "It's exciting, especially at home in front of the crowd, it's nice," Bishop said after stopping 23 shots. "Maybe like to have done it in the first one, but we'll take the two points. Big win for us, you never want to lose three in a row in this league." Stars' goaltending has been shaky through two games, but Ben Bishop is ready to carry this team John Klingberg started things off with a simple direct play, and that gave Dallas an even strength goal and some early confidence, but that confidence could have easily deflated like a punctured balloon had Detroit's Anthony Mantha been able to score on a great chance early. Mantha took a bounce pass and scooted around Stars defenseman Stephen Johns to get a great shot on goal net. However, Ben Bishop made a nice read and trapped the puck, keeping calm in the building. It was a big moment for Bishop, who stopped all 19 shots he faced in the season opener before leaving with a cut above his eye. Backup goalie Kari Lehtonen lost the opening game in relief and then also lost at St. Louis Saturday, so getting a strong performance from Bishop (who signed a six-year contract in the summer) was a pretty big deal. Dallas used that confidence to take a 2-0 lead on a power play goal from Tyler Seguin in the first period, and then stretched that to 3-1 when Mattias Janmark was able to slip a shot past Red Wings backup goalie Petr Mrazek in the second period. Dallas had a 27-15 advantage in shots on goal after two periods and fell into a shell trying to protect its two-goal lead. That almost didn't work, as the Red Wings drew within one when Mantha scored after a chaotic shift in the Stars' end of the ice, and then Bishop had to slam the door at the end of the game. "That's how it's going to be. I think we can be even better at that," Klingberg said. "Just keep putting pucks deep and working down there. I felt like we sat back a little too much. Obviously, we won the game, but maybe we could have done it a little bit better, I think. We got away with the win today so we should be happy. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077459 Dallas Stars

Cold facts: Stars earn first win of the season 4-2 over Red Wings

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer

Stars 4, Red Wings 2 Three Stars 1. John Klingberg, Stars - Goal and assist, plus-2 2. Ben Bishop, Stars - Came up with some big saves when Stars needed them. 3. Mattias Janmark, Stars - Goal and assist, four shots on goal Big play 'Finally:' Ex-Star Trevor Daley returns to Dallas after jumping to three different teams He didn't have to make a lot of big plays early, but Ben Bishop had a huge save in the first period. With Dallas leading 1-0, Detroit winger Anthony Matha took a bounce pass of the boards and slipped behind Stars defenseman Stephen Johns. Mantha had an open path to Bishop but the big goalie trapped the shot and protected the lead. With the Stars looking fragile in the first two games, this was a big save. Discuss Defenseman Julius Honka didn't do anything noticeably great, but he also didn't seem to make too many mistakes. Should the 21-year-old rookie stay in the lineup even if veteran Dan Hamhuis is recovered from a groin injury? What does it mean? It's very early, but the Stars were in jeopardy of falling eight points back of the Blues in the division. They needed a win to keep pace and also to build some early season confidence. They shut the game down when they needed to, and that might have been the most important thing. GOALS Stars: John Klingberg drifted across the blueline and spanked a shot that rebounded off the post, off the back of goalie Petr Mrazek and into the net at 9:15 of the first period for his second goal of the season. Stars 1, Red Wings 0. Stars: Tyler Seguin unleashed a monster one-timer from the left circle on the power play for his second goal of the season. Jamie Benn picked up his 300th career assist on the goal at 19:29 of the first period. Stars 2, Red Wings 0. Red Wings: With Detroit on the power play, Henrik Zetterberg made a nice quick pass to Justin Abdelkader on the doorstep, and Abdelkader lifted in his first goal of the season at 3:50 of the second period. Stars 2, Red Wings 1. Stars: Alexander Radulov worked a puck into the offensive zone and then Mattias Janmark slogged it through a couple of defensemen and swept it past Mrazek at 8:05 of the second period. Stars 3, Red Wings 1. Red Wings: After getting sustained pressure, Anthony Mantha wheeled and tossed the puck into the net at 15:11 of the third period. Stars 3, Red Wings 2. Stars: With Dallas killing off the final seconds, Mattias Janmark stole the puck and fed for an empty-net goal with two seconds left. Stars 4, Red Wings 2. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077460 Dallas Stars

'Finally:' Ex-Star Trevor Daley returns to Dallas after jumping to three different teams

By Mike Heika

Trevor Daley had a special day Tuesday. It was more than two years in the making. Daley played 756 games with the Stars over 11 seasons and said he was excited about returning the minute he was traded in July 2015 to the Chicago Blackhawks. But Daley was traded to Pittsburgh before Chicago played in Dallas that season and he was hurt when the Penguins visited last season. It was an odd twist for a player who was a huge fan favorite. Stars' goaltending has been shaky through two games, but Ben Bishop is ready to carry this team "Finally," Daley said. "It's good to get back. Ever since I left I've been waiting to come back and get a chance to play here. I didn't think it was going to take two years. The Stars played a video thanking Daley for his time, and fans gave him a rousing ovation. Former teammates also said they were happy to see him back. "He's a great friend and a great teammate, so we have a lot of good memories," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "He really taught me a lot about leadership and just how to do things the right way." Daley was one of the team's top community leaders in his time with the Stars and said he has many friends outside of the game of hockey. They were among the fans who were cheering after the video. "This building, usually when the Red Wings come to town, it's usually a loud building and there's usually a lot of Red Wings fans," Daley said before the game. "I might have a lot of fans tonight, so it'll be good." Daley was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams in Pittsburgh and signed with the Red Wings as a free agent in the summer. He has been a good fit on his new team. "He's real active with his feet to defend, gapping up, and he's real active up on the rush," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "He plays the way we want to play." And after getting an important moment over three games into the season, Daley can start working on new memories in Detroit. Stars are winning analytics, now they need to start winning games "I had some good years, and met a lot of great people here," Daley said. "No matter where you go or where you end up, when you return and see those faces, it's special. Sometimes things just don't change." Briefly: The Stars on Tuesday recalled Remi Elie from the AHL to take the place of Adam Cracknell, who was lost on waivers to the New York Rangers Monday. Elie played 18 NHL games last season and had a strong camp. "Everything equal, Elie made the team out of camp and deserved to play," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He's just a hard player. He's fast, he's heavy on the puck, he pulls it off the boards on people. He's made-for-order for what the NHL is right now." -- Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis sat out Tuesday's game with a sore groin...Gemel Smith and Greg Pateryn were healthy scratches for the Stars. -- Jamie Benn collected career assist No. 300 on Tyler Seguin's goal in the first period. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077461 Dallas Stars

Stars' goaltending has been shaky through two games, but Ben Bishop is ready to carry this team

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer

Mike Heika, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered questions about the team during a live chat recently. Here are some highlights: You described Kari Lehtonen as "out of sorts" and "unconfident" this week. I know he wasn't expected to have this big of a role this soon, but why so bad? Especially considering that improving the goaltending has been such a focus? Heika: Kari has struggled with pressure, and he did that again in the first two games. I think he's at his best when he is flying under the radar, and I thought he would be able to do that in the backup role. We'll see if he can do that. Through two games, the Stars have played nothing like champions of the offseason should This is more of an explanation than an excuse, but I thought the whole "in or out" with Ben Bishop really messed Lehtonen up. When Bishop came to the bench with four minutes left Friday, I think Lehtonen felt he was coming out. That meant he seemed mentally unprepared when he went back in. Then, after allowing the game-winning goal Friday, it sort of put him in a bad place Saturday. He should be able to push that stuff out of the way, but I believe it still affects him. Unfortunately, they might need to put him in good places to get results, but they have the ability to do that this season. Even Bishop looked kind of shaky. After taking a shot off the mask, what's his outlook? Your thoughts so far? Heika: I actually was concerned with Ben Bishop's play in preseason, but he looked great on opening night and I have liked his body language since getting hurt. He wants to play and his body language says he is ready to carry this team if need be. I think he looks ready to get in and play well. Does the team naturally let down when Kari is in the game? Heika: I'm not sure why Lehtonen sees higher quality chances, but he does. It is something worth studying. If Fleury doesn't have a fantastic night in the opener, do the Stars win that game? Heika: Definitely. Heck, if Ben Bishop had stayed in, they might have found a way to win anyway. It was an odd night, and the Stars kind of found a way to lose. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077462 Dallas Stars --Former Stars defenseman Trevor Daley on finally playing a game at AAC after being traded in 2015.

The Stars have a video tribute planned for Daley and when asked about Morning skate update: Trevor Daley returns to Dallas; Julius Honka to it, the defender joked that it was about time after he failed to visit Dallas make his Stars season debut for two seasons. Thanks to the timing of a trade between the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins and an injury, Daley missed earlier chances for a tribute. By Mike Heika "It's amazing that it's taken two years," he said. "It's nice to finally be back here." RED WINGS at STARS Honka in -- 7:30 p.m. today (FSSW/1310 AM The Ticket) Stars' expected lineup Storyline Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Alexander Radulov Stars are off to 0-2-0 start and really could use a win. They will try to do Remi Elie-Jason Spezza-Brett Ritchie that against a Detroit team that is 2-0-0. This should be the first game back at AAC for Trevor Daley, who was traded to Chicago in 2015, Mattias Janmark-Martin Hanzal-Devin Shore traded to Pittsburgh later that year, won two Cups with the Penguins and Antoine Roussel-Radek Faksa-Tyler Pitlick then signed as a free agent with Detroit this summer. Circumstances have prevented Daley from getting a game in Dallas, but now, the man Esa Lindell-John Klingberg who logged 756 games with the Stars over 11 seasons is back. Marc Methot-Stephen Johns Key matchup Jamie Oleksiak-Julius Honka Tyler Seguin vs. Petr Mrazek: Seguin has put 19 shots on goal in two games and has scored just once. This will be the first game of the Ben Bishop season for Mrazek in goal for the Wings. Kari Lehtonen Key number Scratches: Gemel Smith, Greg Pateryn 782: Ken Hitchcock is one win shy of tying Al Arbour for third all-time on Injuries: Dan Hamhuis (groin) the NHL coaching wins list at 782. It would be nice for Hitchcock to get the victory at home. Red Wings' expected lineup Notable Tomas Tatar -- Henrik Zetterberg -- Gustav Nyquist -- Dallas lost 4-2 in St. Louis on Saturday and is off to an 0-2-0 start. Anthony Mantha -- Dylan Larkin -- Martin Frk -- Detroit beat Ottawa 2-1 on Saturday and is 2-0-0. Justin Abdelkader -- Frans Nielsen -- Darren Helm -- Ben Bishop is expected to start in goal for Dallas. He is 11-4-0 in his Luke Witkowski -- Luke Glendening -- Riley Sheahan career against Detroit with a 1.92 GAA and .928 save percentage. Bishop has stopped 19 of 19 shots this season. Danny DeKyser -- Trevor Daley -- Dan Hamhuis is nursing a groin injury and will sit out tonight. Rookie Jonathan Ericsson -- Mike Green Julius Honka is expected to step in and play. Honka played 16 NHL Xavier Ouellett -- Nick Jensen games last season and tallied 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists). He has played 191 AHL games. Petr Mrazek -- Remi Elie was called up by the Stars on Tuesday morning to replace Jimmy Howard Adam Cracknell, who was claimed on waivers by the New York Rangers Monday. Elie played 18 NHL games last season and had 7 points (1 Scratches: David Booth goal, 6 assists). Injuries: Niklas Kronwall (groin) -- Expected healthy scratches for Dallas are Gemel Smith and Greg Pateryn. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 -- Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg has tallied 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) in 43 career games against Dallas. He said it "In a way, it is the start we wanted based on play or analytics. It's just the record isn't what we wanted. We've just got to keep going. We're doing a lot of good things, and we've got to keep building on the good things, learn a little bit about the score and controlling the game clock. Man, there are a lot of things we are doing that I like." -- Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on the team having a plus-17.5 shot differential through two games. "He's going to add a real element to us," Hitchcock said. "He's an on the edge type of player he's very dynamic with the puck. He really moves the puck, he's really competitive and he's not afraid to make plays...What I like is he's got no fear. He's not afraid to make plays. He's not afraid to try stuff. He's a high-wire act and you're going to have to live with some of the stuff that goes on with the high-wire act, but I really like what he brings to our team." -- Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on defenseman Julius Honka,who will make his season debut Tuesday "It's amazing that it's taken two years. It's nice to finally be back here...It's special I had some good years here and met a lot of great people. No matter where you go, where you end up and see those faces, it's special. It's pretty cool." 1077463 Dallas Stars

What losing Adam Cracknell to the Rangers means for the Stars

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer

The Stars on Monday watched their second player this season get claimed on waivers, as Adam Cracknell was picked up by the New York Rangers. When you add Patrik Nemeth's earlier departure to the Colorado Avalanche, that's a pretty significant loss for nothing in return. But what the Stars gain is salary-cap space ($675,000 for Cracknell and $945,000 for Nemeth) that otherwise would have been used on players in the minors, as well as the opportunity to elevate younger, faster players. Dallas will probably call up Remi Elie or Jason Dickinson to take the place of Cracknell, and that means more speed in the lineup. "The league has gone up another gear. This is a frenetic pace like I've never seen before," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Anybody that is a bigger, heavy-footed player, it doesn't matter who you are, you're going to have to work to get up to this pace." Hitchcock said the team is tight against the $75 million salary cap, so tough decisions will have to be made. Through two games, the Stars have played nothing like champions of the offseason should "I think quite frankly the feeling out of camp was, that the cap is the cap," Hitchcock said. "And we had people down there [in the AHL] that quite frankly deserved a chance up here, so that becomes part of the focus. And when they went down there and absolutely lit it up, it was pretty simple." Cracknell should get a good chance to play in New York. Former Stars coach Lindy Ruff is an assistant coach with the Rangers, and Cracknell said he felt Ruff helped him a great deal last season when he broke out for 10 goals and six assists in 69 games. "I had a good year last year, and I've kept good relationships with coaches I've played with," Cracknell said. "Going back with a coach I know, and I know he probably had a big part in this in getting me to the Rangers, so I'm just looking forward to getting going." Cracknell said he is used to the changes, as this will be his seventh team, and said he has to fight for a spot in the NHL every day. "It's exciting. I know it's an opportunity for me again. It's kind of the story of my career, and I've got to take advantage of it again," Cracknell said. "Obviously, I wanted to be here, but at the end of the day, this is part of the job. I've got to go there and adjust and play my game again, and help the team win." As for the Stars, they have their own issues. Martin Hanzal (lower-body injury) skated for about half the practice Monday and is expected to be ready to play Tuesday at home against Detroit. Hitchcock shuffled his lines and had Hanzal and Radek Faksa on the same line in practice. He also moved Devin Shore to the right wing on a line with Jason Spezza and Mattias Janmark. After an 0-2-0 start, the coach said he is experimenting with changes. "I think the one line you can say is going to play is the Spezza line," Hitchcock said. "We want to put that together and see how it looks." Dan Hamhuis missed practice with a sore groin, Hitchcock said, and that opens the door for Julius Honka to possibly jump into the lineup. The skilled defenseman falls into the group of young, fast players who could be the right fit in a league that is trending fast. Hitchcock said he likes what he sees from several players in the AHL. "There are a number of players who are playing awfully well down there who have a really strong dynamic," Hitchcock said. "They had great camps, so there is going to be a tough choice. You can't be wrong if you are picking one of the four guys. There are some players there, based on training camp and exhibition games, that deserved to start the year with us." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077464 Dallas Stars First Period—1, Dallas, Klingberg 1 (Spezza), 9:15. 2, Dallas, Seguin 1 (Klingberg, Benn), 19:29 (pp). Penalties—Radulov, DAL, (slashing), 14:26; Jensen, DET, (holding), 18:54. Dallas Stars’ fast start clips Wings for first victory of young season Second Period—3, Detroit, Abdelkader (Zetterberg, Green), 3:50 (pp). 4, Dallas, Janmark 1 (Radulov, Lindell), 8:05. Penalties—Ritchie, DAL, (slashing), 2:25; Larkin, DET, (interference), 3:32; Seguin, DAL, (cross The Associated Press checking), 3:36; Witkowski, DET, (interference), 8:35; Ritchie, DAL, (tripping), 12:29.

Third Period—5, Detroit, Mantha 1 (Larkin, Green), 15:11. 6, Dallas, John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin scored in the first period, and the Dallas Hanzal (Janmark), 19:58. Penalties—Seguin, DAL, (delay of game), Stars beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on Tuesday night for their first win 1:14; Larkin, DET, (high sticking), 8:44. of the season. Shots on Goal—Detroit 6-9-10—25. Dallas 11-16-6—33. Power-play Ben Bishop made 23 saves for Dallas (1-2). Mattias Janmark scored in opportunities—Detroit 1 of 5; Dallas 1 of 3. Goalies—Detroit, Mrazek 0-0- the second period and Martin Hanzal put the puck into an empty net with 0 (32 shots-29 saves). Dallas, Bishop 0-0-0 (25-23). 2 seconds remaining. T—2:42. Referees—Jake Brenk, Tim Peel. Linesmen—Jonny Murray, Detroit (2-1) got goals from Justin Abdelkader in the second period and Bryan Pancich. Anthony Mantha in the third. Petr Mrazek stopped 29 shots. Star-Telegram LOADED: 10.11.2017 The Stars have totaled 119 shots in their first three games. But they’ve managed only seven goals – including two each by Klingberg, Seguin and Janmark. In his two starts, Bishop has allowed only two goals in 103:58 of ice time. Dallas dominated the first period, winning 17 of 22 faceoffs. Jason Spezza won six of seven draws, including one that set up Klingberg’s goal at 9:15. The puck went back to Klingberg, who skated along the blue line to his left and sent a low shot into the left corner of the net. On Seguin’s power-play goal at 19:29, Klingberg passed cross-ice to Seguin at the top of the left circle. His shot banked in off the right post. Abdelkader scored at 3:50 of the second on a 4-on-3 advantage. He camped at the left of the net, took a pass from Henrik Zetterberg and put the puck past Bishop. Mantha’s goal came with 4:49 remaining when his shot from a low angle on the left side went inside the right post. Mrazek was pulled for the final 3 minutes. Briefly ▪ Jamie Benn got his 300th career assist on the first-period goal by Seguin. ▪ Klingberg has a goal in each of the last two games, and has at least one point in all three Dallas has played. ▪ Both of Seguin’s goals have come on the power play. ▪ Detroit’s Mike Green had two assists, giving him six in three games. ▪ The video board showed a tribute to Detroit defenseman Trevor Daley, who played 756 games for Dallas. Up next Stars: Will visit Nashville on Thursday. Red Wings: Play at Arizona on Thursday for the third of four road games in a row. Detroit 0 1 1 — 2 Dallas 2 1 1 — 4 1077465 Detroit Red Wings and control the puck. It was his second goal of the season, and Dylan Larkin assisted. Green picked up his sixth assist of the season.

“The third period we came out strong,” Mantha said. “We knew we had to Detroit Red Wings suffer first loss of season, 4-2 to Dallas Stars get some fight going in the third and that is what we tried to do. It’s not anything new – when you don’t have the lead, it is hard to play catch-up. It’s way easier to play with the lead.” Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 11:32 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2017 Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.11.2017

DALLAS — Petr Mrazek made his season debut as the Detroit Red Wings began their first major road test of the season. The Wings started off a stretch of three games in four nights by taking on the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at American Airlines Center. It was not pretty. The Wings started poorly, let Mrazek get shelled her first half, generated very little offensive zone time and lost defenseman Danny DeKeyser to injury before showing signs of life in the third period. The last 2 minutes were very exciting, as the Wings pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. Still it all added up to the Wings’ first loss of the season, 4-2. The Stars added an empty net goal with 2 seconds left in regulation. They next head out to Arizona for a game Thursday against the Coyotes, then head into Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights on Friday. Forward fail: Other than Henrik Zetterberg’s line, the Wings did not have enough forwards going from the start. “I didn’t think we had enough guys at that ultra, ultra competitive level,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Our competitive level can’t be fine, it’s got to be outstanding. And then I also think we didn’t have enough skating well enough, so we didn’t have enough pressure on them. When we pressured them, we were able to create turnovers.” Bad start: The Stars had all the offensive-zone time the first 5 minutes of the game as the Wings were unable to break the puck out, or establish any kind of grind time. It took a shift from Zetterberg’s line to finally broach Ben Bishop. But Mrazek continued to see most of the work, and the Stars took a 1-0 lead at 9:15 when John Klingberg fired a puck through traffic that hit the right post then hit Mrazek and went in. Anthony Mantha was stopped on a breakaway and Martin Frk denied a one-timer on a power play, but otherwise the Wings did not have quality chances. “They were getting in our end way more with speed and pace from the beginning,” Zetterberg said. “We slowly worked our way into the game.” First period numbers: The Wings fell behind, 2-0, when Tyler Sequin turned his shot on net into a goal, hammering a one-timer off the crossbar with 31 seconds to spare. The Wings were outshot, 11-6, won just 23% of faceoffs, and blocked eight shots. “The first period, Dallas came hard,” Mrazek said. “They try and put everything on net. We tried to get out the zone quickly and we couldn’t get to their zone to shoot the puck. But after the first half of the game, we started to get better.” Abdelkader gets on scoreboard: Justin Abdelkader earned his first goal of the season at 3:50 of the second period when he tapped in a shot from the bottom of the left circle during a power play. Zetterberg slowed down to make the pass, fed by Mike Green. Green had just drawn a penalty when Seguin unwisely shoved Green into the boards. It was a good confidence booster for Abdelkader, who needs a bounce-back season after reaching just seven goals last season. Second period numbers: Mrazek had faced 20 shots at the game’s midpoint and 27 after 40 minutes, eight of them during power plays. Mattias Janmark, a former Wings pick that was part of the 2015 Erik Cole trade, scored at 8:05 when he went by Nick Jensen and stayed on the puck. The Wings had nine shots in the second period; the best one was courtesy of Frk, whose slap shot knocked Ben Bishop on his back. The Wings did better on faceoffs, improving their winning percentage to 41. Mrazek wanted the Janmark goal back, saying “I knew right after what I was supposed to do. I should just do a little shuffle there and that puck wouldn’t ever go in. So that is the goal I didn’t like.” DeKeyser hurt: The defenseman did not finish the game after blocking a shot, but X-rays were negative. He is day-to-day. Niklas Kronwall may be ready to play Thursday, and Luke Witkowski can play defense if needed. Third period hustle: The Wings finally skated in the third period, and tested Bishop with regularity. The reward was Anthony Mantha scoring with 4:49 to play in regulation, when he used his size to play down low 1077466 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader 'has to be important player on our team'

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

DALLAS — One of the early goals of the Detroit Red Wings’ season is to see Justin Abdelkader thrive. He’s among the Wings coming off a down year, hampered by a slow start and then derailed by a knee injury that sidelined him five weeks midseason. Abdelkader has started this season on the third line, logged shifts on both special teams and in all situations, and he bears none of the emotional disappointment from last fall when he came to camp after a poor showing with the U.S. team at the World Cup of Hockey. “He came back from the World Cup last year and then the start wasn’t what he wanted, or what I wanted,” coach Jeff Blashill said Tuesday in advance of the evening game against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. “And then he ended up getting minutes taken away from him. “I just know for us to be a good team, he has got to be an important player on our team, and he is going to get those kinds of minutes. He is killing penalties, he is on the power play, and he is going to be a significant impact on our top three lines, wherever that might fall.” Blashill has had Abdelkader with Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm, a trio of two-way players who grind. “I think we are getting really good chemistry going,” Abdelkader said. “As you start practicing and playing with guys consistently, you start building that chemistry. We are a line that likes to go north-south and straight ahead, getting in on the forecheck and hanging onto pucks in the o- zone.” The line, Blashill said, “has been very good for two games. It hasn’t produced offense yet, but it certainly has produced chances and lots of zone time. I think when Justin is playing his best, he’s got that good combo of physicality, bringing that edge, but also the skills to be able to make offensive plays.” The Wings signed Abdelkader, 30, to a seven-year, $29.75 million ($4.25 million cap hit) extension two years ago, wanting to lock up the homegrown forward before he became an unrestricted free agent. There was internal concern about how Abdelkader would produce once he was no longer playing on a line with Pavel Datsyuk, and the early return of seven goals and 21 points in 64 games in 2016-17 was bleak. It was a bad year for many Wings, though, and Abdelkader came into 2017-18 determined to redeem himself. “I want to get off to a good start,” he said. “It’s something I’ve prepared for all summer. I want to bring that physical presence, but I think I can contribute more on the power play, 5-on-5, for sure. I think on the power play I have had a lot of good looks. On the PK, I am just trying to keep it simple — block shots, do little things right. And 5-on-5, just play my game. I have had some chances. And then just continue to be physical, be on the forecheck. That is my focus.” Abdelkader is one of the few physical forwards on the Wings, a guy who’ll go into the corner to retrieve the puck, finish his checks, stand in front of the net. It’s his willingness to go to hard areas that gives confidence he can rediscover his offensive touch. “We’ve talked about trying to score dirty — this league is a league where it is really hard to score the kind of cute, skilled goals,” Blashill said. “It is more of a score-dirty type of league, and he is one of the guys that can get into those areas and find a way to score.” Dallas delights Daley: Told the Dallas Stars had a video tribute planned for him, Trevor Daley, who played for the Stars from 2005-15, broke into a grin. “Finally,” he said, as he missed a homecoming both while with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. “Ever since I left I’ve waited to come back here and play,” he said. “I didn’t think it’d take two years.” Daley, 34, still spends “a lot of time back here,” he said. “I got some really good friends away from the game that me and my family have made. My kids were born here. We definitely have a special place for Dallas in our hearts.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077467 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek to make season debut in Dallas

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 2:24 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2017

DALLAS — Petr Mrazek impressed through exhibition season with his play and his attitude. Tonight he gets a chance to follow through in a game. Mrazek will start the Detroit Red Wings' game against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. "I have a lot of confidence in him," coach Jeff Blashill said. "He put tons of work in this summer. He has done all he needed to do to put his game in position to be successful. "As I said at the beginning of the year, both goalies will have an impact on our year. Jimmy has been excellent and his game is in a great spot, and I believe Petr's is as well." Howard is 2-0, with a .961 save percentage and 1.44 goals-against average. Mrazek is coming off a tough year that saw him falter both with the Wings and at the World Championship, and then exposed in the expansion draft. He came to camp with a great attitude, though, seemingly determined to regain his foothold in the NHL, and with new commitment to fitness. Starting Mrazek tonight makes sense as the Wings have a back-to-back later in the week. And starting next week, the Wings play every other day for 13 days. No other lineup changes from Saturday, so that means David Booth is scratched. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077468 Detroit Red Wings “When you add a piece like that, it lessens the responsibility on the other D (defensemen), especially when you don’t have a quote unquote number one (defenseman) who plays 28 or 30 minutes,” Blashill said. Red Wings’ Trevor Daley enjoys return trip to Dallas “He’s real active with his feet to defend, gapping up, and he’s real active up on the rush.”

Daley’s strengths as a passer and skater were an important add to the Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 6:16 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2017 | Red Wings, who didn’t have have that sort of mobility, and also needed the veteran, championship-pedigree moxie he had from winning two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh the last two seasons. Dallas – One of the trickiest parts of the morning was finally deemed a “He plays the way we want to play,” Blashill said. success. Detroit News LOADED: 10.11.2017 Trevor Daley, a longtime Dallas Stars defenseman who never had reason to find the visitors locker room, found his way into the Red Wings’ – or, visitors – locker room. He didn’t get lost. “I walked in here and I had no clues where to go this morning,” said Daley after Tuesday’s morning skate. “Guys were saying “You’ve never been here?” I had no clue where to go.” Daley, 34, was a 2002 second-round draft pick of the Stars and spent 11 seasons in Dallas (2003-2015) before being traded to Chicago. And, this is where Daley has had no luck in terms of returning to Dallas. Or attempting to find where the visitors locker room is at American Airlines Center. The Blackhawks had already played in Dallas by the time Daley had been shipped to Chicago, and once Daley was sent to Pittsburgh by the Blackhawks, Daley was injured. So this was Daley’s first time back in Dallas, where there had been so many good memories. “It’s pretty strange coming back,” Daley said. “A little bit of emotions but it’ll be exciting to get out there and play.” There were more than a few people, guests of Daley, who were at the morning skate. There were several photo opportunities, a lot of smiles, and genuine positive emotions. Daley spotted J.J. McQueen, who has been in the Stars’ front office for 22 years, in the arena before heading onto the ice. “He’s a person I’ve always looked up to and been with me every since I got drafted,” Daley said. “I got to see him this morning, and that was pretty cool. We stay in contact a lot. But just to see everybody and the faces, that’s the best part. “That’s what it is all about.” It’s actually the people in and around the organization, and the people in Dallas, that made the time so special for Daley. “I had some good years, met a lot of great people,” Daley said. “No matter where you go or where you end up, when you return and see those faces, it’s special. Sometimes things just don’t change. “It’s pretty cool.” Daley was a popular player in the Stars organization and the team was going to honor him with a video tribute during a first-period timeout. After missing out on the opportunity for such an emotional return the previous two years, Daley was pleased to finally get the chance. “Finally,” said Daley of the video tribute, with a large smile. “It’s good to get back. Ever since I left I’ve been waiting to come back and get a chance to play here. I didn’t think it was going to take two years. “Obviously it’ll be pretty cool. This building, usually when the Red Wings come to town, I remember being on the other side and it’s usually a loud building and there’s usually a lot of Red Wings fans. “I might have a lot of fans tonight, so it’ll be good.” When the Red Wings signed Daley as an unrestricted free agent July 1, they were hoping he’d be a puck-moving, stabilizing influence on defense and he’s been exactly that through two games. Daley was averaging a team-high 23 minutes, 7 seconds in the two games, and forming the basis for a formidable duo with Danny DeKeyser. From the first day Daley became a Red Wing, Blashill felt it was a big move for the organization, enabling a better fit in terms of roles for everyone on defense. 1077469 Detroit Red Wings Blashill didn’t have any further information on DeKeyser’s status after the game. If DeKeyser isn’t ready to play Thursday in Arizona, defenseman Niklas Kronwall (groin) could make his season debut. Sluggish start derails Red Wings in loss to Stars Detroit News LOADED: 10.11.2017

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 11:34 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2017

Dallas — This seemed too much like last season went for the Red Wings, not playing a consistently effective 60 minutes of hockey. That was certainly the case Tuesday, as a poor start was too much to overcome in a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. The Red Wings (2-1) saw their modest season-opening two-game win streak end rather abruptly. BOX SCORE: Stars 4, Red Wings 2 “We didn’t have nearly enough offensive zone time,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Our competitive level can’t be fine, it has to be outstanding. We didn’t have enough guys skating well enough, (so) we didn’t have enough pressure. “When we pressured them we were able to create turnovers but we didn’t do enough of it.” Coach Jeff Blashill said team didn't spend enough time in the offensive zone and didn't match the Stars' competitiveness in a 4-2 defeat. Ted Kulfan The Red Wings were outshot 33-25 – including 27-15 through the first two periods. Justin Abdelkader (power play) and Anthony Mantha scored for the Red Wings. Mantha scored his second of the season at 15 minutes, 11 seconds of the third period, cutting the Dallas lead to 3-2. Mantha gathered a loose puck near the dot, turned, and whistled a shot past goalie Ben Bishop. “Spin and hope for the best,” Mantha said. “I knew we had traffic. I just tried to shoot it, just wanted to turn around and fire the puck.” But the Stars were able to snuff any further rally and Martin Hanzal’s empty-net goal with 2 seconds left clinched it. Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg on team's performance in 4-2 defeat. Ted Kulfan “They were getting into our end way more, with speed and pace,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “Mo got that second goal. We still thought we had a tying goal in us. But we didn’t really get much out of the 6-on-5 (advantage late).” The Red Wings were dominated in the faceoff circle — an area the Red Wings are not adjusting well to the new NHL officiating standards — as Dallas had a 58-42 percent advantage. “It’s hard when you don’t have the puck,” Zetterberg said. “You chase all the time. We have to be better in the faceoffs. It’s still new for everyone.” John Klingberg, Tyler Seguin (power play), Mattias Janmark and Hanzal had Dallas goals against goaltender Petr Mrazek, who stopped 29 shots in his season debut. With the Red Wings enjoying a 4-on-3 power play, Zetterberg found Abdelkader in front and Abdelkader tipped the pass past Bishop at 3:50. But the Red Wings couldn’t feed off that momentum and saw the deficit grow back to two goals on Janmark’s goal. The one-time Red Wings prospect — Janmark was included the 2015 trade deadline trade for left wing Erik Cole — skated his way through a leaky defense, then whirled and swept a shot through Mrazek at 8:05. “I didn’t like that one,” Mrazek said. “I knew what I had to do, just a little shuffle there and the puck wouldn’t go in. I have to have that one.” The Red Wings were 1-for-5 on the power play, with an opportunity midway in the second period and early in the third to pull within a goal — but generated little threat. “Not good enough,” said Blashill of the power play overall. “There were moments of fine but overall we didn’t handle their pressure well enough. We had opportunities but didn’t execute well enough on it.” On the injury front, the Red Wings lost Danny DeKeyser in the third period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. 1077470 Detroit Red Wings “I’ve got great confidence in him,” Blashill said. “He put tons of work in this summer and done all he’s needed to do to put his game into position to be successful. 'Good challenge' awaits Wings during road-heavy stretch “We’re going to need both goalies to have an impact. Jimmy has been excellent and his game is in a great spot, and I believe Petr’s is as well.” Ted Kulfan, Oct. 10, 2017 Detroit News LOADED: 10.11.2017

Dallas— The Red Wings had an opportunity to get acquainted with Little Caesars Arena to begin the season. But that’ll be about it for most of the next month, as they are in the midst of playing 12 of 16 games away from their new home. Four home games scattered at the end of October are all there is, before the Red Wings begin a lengthy homestand in mid-November. “You have to do it at some point, right?” said forward Luke Witkowski of having to face a long stretch of road games. “You have to win at home and on the road. We have a good challenge ahead of us, but like I said, you have to do it at some point (in the schedule).” The Red Wings opened the road-heavy schedule Saturday by grinding out a 2-1 shootout victory in Ottawa. If the Red Wings are to be successful during this stretch, that’s the type of game they’ll need to play. Not flashy, defensive, and limit mistakes. “Really, I’m just focused on playing good hockey, whether we’re at home or on the road,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “But one big key on the road is you can’t give up easy chances. You can’t give up easy goals. Momentum is a big deal in all games, and you don’t want to make it easy for them on the road.” Said forward Justin Abdelkader: “It’s never easy winning on the road in this league, especially when you’re factoring in back-to-back games. But you just have to come out and in the first five to 10 minutes, make sure you don’t give the other team momentum and chances and energize the building. Just play a simple game, get pucks in, and limit turnovers as much as you can.” Another key coming out of this stretch will be to stay in, or close to, the top of the standings. Nobody wants to fall into a big hole and be forced to climb up the standings. Winning the first two games of the season helped the Red Wings’ confidence. “You can’t win or lose the season in the first two games,” Witkowski said. “But being 2-0 is a lot better than 0-2.” When former Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill — the GM of the Dallas Stars — went looking for a new coach, Nill turned to a former Stars coach. Ken Hitchcock, who won the Stanley Cup in Dallas in 1999, spent the first seven years of his head coaching career in Dallas from 1996-2002. Hitchcock, 65, has also coached in Philadelphia, Columbus and St. Louis, where he was let go last season. Blashill talked to Hitchcock last season and valued the conversations. “He’s a brilliant hockey mind,” Blashill said. “He’ll go down as one of the better coaches of all time. I was real fortunate to have that time. He was a really good resource for me.” Dallas opened its season 0-2 but Blashill expects the Stars to rebound strongly, playing the style Hitchcock-coached teams use. “They’re going to not give you anything easy over time,” Blashill said. “They’ll be a hard forechecking team. They’re already heavy, so they spend a lot of time in the offensive zone.” Mrazek's expectations Blashill was expected to go with goaltender Petr Mrazek in Dallas, giving Mrazek his first taste of game action this season. Jimmy Howard started the first two games and was excellent, winning both games and posting a .961 save percentage. Mrazek struggled last season and was exposed in the expansion draft, although Las Vegas declined to select him. But a summer of hard work, said Blashill, has changed Mrazek’s mindset. 1077471 Detroit Red Wings

Former Red Wing Tomas Nosek scores first-ever NHL goal in Las Vegas

By Brandon Champion

LAS VEGAS - A former Red Wing has scored the first NHL goal in Las Vegas. Tomas Nosek, who the Vegas Golden Knights selected in the expansion draft in June, scored the first home goal in franchise history in front of an electric crowd a T-Mobile Arena. Nosek's entered the zone with speed and beat Arizona Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta 2:31 into the opening period. The score game just minutes after an emotional pregame ceremony in which first responders were introduced with the players. Players of the @GoldenKnights accompany first responders from the Las Vegas shooting in tonight's pregame ceremony. #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/TGYLN5Qneu -- NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) October 11, 2017 A 58-second moment of silence, one for each of the victim's killed in the Oct. 1 shooting, was held. Their names were then illuminated on the ice. Nosek, a forward, played in 17 NHL games with the Red Wings last season. He's no longer a member of the team, but now has the unique distinction for the league's newest franchise. Red Wings lose center prospect Tomas Nosek to Vegas Vegas has since added three more goals in the first half of the opening period. Nosek's goal was assisted by Luca Sbisa and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on the ice and the city of Las Vegas off it. That goals reads: Nosek from Bellemare and Carrier....and our fans -- Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 11, 2017 Vegas has started its inaugural season with road wins over Dallas and Arizona. How a healing city gets back on its feet!#VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/VR8gBfAHmx -- Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 11, 2017 Michigan Live LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077472 Detroit Red Wings

Slashing enforcement frustrates some Red Wings

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT - Defenders must be more cautious by keeping their sticks on the ice and avoiding the taps and little slashes previously tolerated by referees. The Detroit Red Wings have quickly discovered the wide range of interpretation and inconsistency with the NHL's crackdown in slashing. They received no such penalties in their season opener against Minnesota and four calls Saturday in Ottawa. Defenseman Trevor Daley doesn't like it. "I'm kind of frustrated because I never thought there was a big issue with it," Daley said. "A slash is a slash. There's some little ones that you question. I think it's tough to get rhythm in the game when all you're doing is killing penalties or on the power play. People pay a lot of money to watch some players play that just sit on the bench because they don't kill penalties, or they're not on the power play. It's kind of counter- productive. I don't know what they're trying to get out of it." The league is attempting to reduce injuries and create space to increase offense. Daley has seen the opposite. "I thought the game was good, and it slows down the game," Daley said. "There's no flow to the game. The last game wasn't that bad but a couple of exhibition games were pretty bad. "You never know what they're going to call. There's no consistency. It's not the ref's fault. It's tough because the smallest thing gets called and then they'll miss (a call). I thought the game was fine." Jonathan Ericsson blamed himself for his slashing infraction against Kyle Turris, calling it "a very stupid penalty." "They told us that up there (slash to pants), it's going to be a penalty," Ericsson said. "It's not like it's going to hurt him or make him lose the puck. I'm just tapping him basically." That's all it takes. "We just have to have stick on the ice all the time," Ericsson said. "It's going to be challenging, but we just have to get used to it." "If we have our sticks down all the time, they're not going to be able to call anything. It's going to be a more offensive game because forwards are going to be able to protect the puck way easier than before." Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said his team deserved the slashing calls. "So, make sure we keep our stick on the ice, make sure we keep stick on puck," Blashill said. "It does no good to be slashing around the hands. That's 100 percent (a penalty). I didn't think we had a huge issue with it through the preseason, but it obviously was a huge issue (Saturday). "We got to do a way better job with it. That's my message to the players. The other thing that happens with it, from game to game, every ref is a little different and they're going to have a little different feel for it. I can't say we didn't have some of those slashes against Minnesota, but they chose (not to call it). You simply can't put yourself in that position." Shot disparity not troubling The Red Wings have been outshot 77-61 in two games. They have been outshot in five regulation periods and even in the other. "I'd pay way more attention to chances than I would shots," Blashill said. "The other thing I did the other night was look at total shots -- shots blocked and shots missed - and we had the advantage in total shots. That's a little territorial thing. "The other thing I looked at was zone time. We had the most zone time in Ottawa than we've had in two years, so that's positive because it means you're not defending." Michigan Live LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077473 Detroit Red Wings

Are the Red Wings a playoff team?

By Brendan Savage

We're two games into the new season and the Detroit Red Wings are unbeaten. That's obviously not a huge accomplishment given the small sample size but it's a good start for a team that virtually everyone predicted would finish last in the Atlantic Division and miss the playoffs for the second straight year. That said, the Red Wings beat a pair of 2017 playoff teams, knocking off Minnesota 4-2 in the season opener at Little Caesars Arena before going on the road and beating Ottawa 2-1 in a shootout. Minnesota is coming off the best season in team history, one that saw the Wild set club records with 49 wins and 106 points, while Ottawa missed the 100-point mark by two before reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. And the Red Wings won both games despite having one of their top scorers, Andreas Athanasiou, on the sidelines because of a contract dispute. Good goaltending can overcome a lot of other issues and Jimmy Howard was outstanding in winning both games. Howard ranks among the NHL leaders in goals-against average (1.41) and save percentage (.961) entering tonight's game in Dallas, where the Stars will be hungry after dropping their first two games on the road. Again, it's an extremely small sample size but is the Red Wings' 2-0-0 start an indication they're a playoff team? Keep in mind the Red Wings started 6-2-0 last season before fading quickly and they were 3-0-0 in 2015-16 during Jeff Blashill's first season as head coach before squeaking into the playoffs. Michigan Live LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077474 Edmonton Oilers He didn’t like his game at all, even though he made half a dozen outstanding stops.

He has an .896 save percentage through his first three games, even with Top Winnipeg Jets line soars, grounds Edmonton Oilers' dynamic duo a shutout. “They’re saves you’ve seen me make before, that I expect to make and Jim Matheson my teammates expect me to make,” said Talbot. “I have to give us a chance. Tonight, I didn’t do that, again.

“Once the guys start to have confidence in me back there, then they’ll Under hoary hockey cliches, No. 1 is “your best players have to be your start to have confidence playing in front of me. It starts from the net out. I best players.” have to be better.” So, yes, Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers had 14 shots directed at Talbot owned it, but really, it’s a team thing. Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot Monday, eight on net, four blocked and two that went wide, scored three and could have had four in the Nobody’s kissing their ring after they got within one game of the Western visitors’ 5-2 victory, but Talbot stoned him on a breakaway. Conference final last spring. He was better than Leon Draisaitl. “After that first game, maybe we thought it would be a little easier,” said Talbot. “But it only gets harder from here on out. Teams start to lock it And Jets centre Mark Scheifele had the game’s first goal and set up down differently and teams start to create.” Ehlers for two sitters. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 10.11.2017 He was better than Connor McDavid. And even though Talbot faced 32 shots over the last 40 minutes with only defenceman Dmitry Kulikov’s uncontested wrister from the high slot one that maybe he’d like back — this wasn’t Dustin Byfuglien, out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, unloading a slap shot — the other far-less- hyped Connor — Winnipeg goalie Hellebucyk — made 20 stops in the first 20 minutes. Hellebucyk wasn’t interested in talking after the morning skate, but his play spoke volumes. He was better than Talbot, certainly early. “The responsibility level. It starts with your star players,” said Oiler coach Todd McLellan. “Your stars have to be superstars every night on both sides of the puck. One line really did a good job of it and they wore white. One line on our team wore orange and we didn’t quite get it done.” McDavid, who was phenomenal in the Oilers’ opening game with a natural hat-trick, and Draisaitl, who got one of the Oiler goals off a McDavid feed, were both on for three Jets scores. In the third, McLellan broke them up, putting Draisaitl at centre on a line with Anton Slepyshev and Iiro Pakarinen. Was McLellan looking for more pop in shuffling the lines? “Maybe I was looking for defence,” he said wryly. Ehlers, Scheifele and Jets captain Blake Wheeler, their No. 1 line, were all plus-3 on the night. Ehlers had four points, the other two three each. Wheeler was playing his 700th NHL game. “Yes, Nikky (Ehlers) scores three (second career hat-trick) but that’s the most dominant Scheifele and Wheeler have been, going both ways … and those were the best two periods I’ve seen Mark Scheifele play, just driving the game, smart and hard,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice, finally able to breathe after his team was clobbered 7-2 and 6-3 their opening two games. But their entire top line was dynamite. “How they get the puck from our end to their end, it was simple. They got pucks off, got pucks deep and made real good decisions,” said Maurice. “Scheifs backchecked … and those are important things from a leadership point of view. That’s as good a game as I’ve seen him play.” This isn’t totally why the Oilers lost 5-2, of course — their second straight bad game after they whipped Calgary 3-0 in the home-opener. Defensively, they were R-O-T-T-E-N, yes in capital letters. It’s looking very much like they miss Andrej Sekera considerably more than we thought on the blue-line. Nobody’s saying Sekera is Erik Karlsson, but he plays 20 minutes a night and now young Matt Benning is being tasked with playing higher up the food chain than he should as a second-year pro, in the No. 4 hole. He was very good the first night and has struggled badly the last two. “There’s hesitation in his game, a lot of mishandles of the puck. The pucks seem to get caught up between his stick and his feet. He’s an honest kid, who’ll keep trying to improve,” said McLellan. The responsibility level. It starts with your star players.Todd McLellan And Talbot, who got the hook after three goals in seven shots in Vancouver, fell on his own sword. 1077475 Florida Panthers Barkov said he was just reacting to the situation: “When there is a dirty hit on our player, you just don’t want to see that happen and I tried to do something about it. It just happened to be me that time.” Vincent Trocheck's versatility, grit led to career high in ice time for “At least now I feel like an NHL player,” he added with a smile. “It was my Panthers first time, but I don’t regret it.” Boughner said: “I wasn’t crazy about the timing of it. But the merit behind Craig Davis it, I loved the grit and the competitiveness of the team.” Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.11.2017 Bob Boughner referred to it as warrior mentality. To Vincent Trocheck, logging a career high in ice time while performing a variety roles in the Florida Panthers’ home-opener win Saturday was simply responding to the mindset the new coach has instilled in the team. “We’ve been talking about it all preseason, that [everybody will] do whatever it takes to win. So whenever you’re called on to do something you go out and do it to the best of your ability,” Trocheck said. While logging 26:02 on 32 shifts, Trocheck spent 5:30 on the power play and 5:23 killing penalties. He scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then, with the Panthers clinging to that one-goal lead in the final minutes, the second-line center blocked a shot, and helped withstand a 6-on-4 disadvantage by winning a key faceoff with 21 seconds remaining. “He’s a warrior,” Boughner said. “He’s a physical player. He plays in all situations. Real important in the faceoff circle. He does a little of everything. I don’t like playing him that many minutes, by any means.” Usually players logging minutes in the high 20s are defensemen. Trocheck led both teams in ice time, and was on for 2 1/2 minutes longer than any of the Panthers defensemen. “If nobody would have told me I played that many minutes I wouldn’t have known,” he said. “In the middle of the game the adrenaline is pumping, whenever you’re called to go out, you go out. Everybody wants to be on the ice as much as they possibly can.” Due to his versatility, the Pittsburgh native is accustomed to being thrust into multiple duties. Last season his average ice time of 20:49 was sixth in the NHL among forwards (Buffalo’s Ryan O’Reilly led with 21:27). “It was one of those games, our back was against the wall after being down 2-0. We had to shorten the bench a little bit,” Boughner said. “I don’t expect him to play those kinds of minutes on a nightly basis. But he stepped up to the plate when we needed him.” Trocheck’s goal in the third period was workmanlike and fit the profile Bourghner has been preaching. He dropped the puck off to Radim Vrbata entering the offensive zone and dashed to the net, where he slipped behind a defenseman and arrived in time to score on the rebound of his linemate’s shot. He then punctuated it by giving defenseman Jake Dotchin a parting shove. “Before the shot was taken, as I was going around he gave me a little, quick cross-check, so I felt like I needed to give him one back,” Trocheck said. It’s only two games into a long season, but the Panthers are showing that quality which general manager Dale Tallon likes to refer to as sandpaper. The best indication to Boughner that his players are buying into the gritty type of team he wants was in the willingness to sell out as human shields to preserve the lead. The Lightning’s last two shots were both blocked, first by Connor Brickley and finally by Aaron Ekblad throwing his body in front of a full slap-shot by Nikita Kucherov. “We talked about that, about having a little bit of sacrifice and finding ways to win,” Boughner said. “Guys were desperate to get the first win, and anything it took.” Scrappy Barkov Top-line center Aleksander Barkov is known as an outstanding two-way player, but not as a scrapper. Thus, it was an eye-opener when he jumped Kucherov in response to a hard hit on Mike Matheson, drawing a double-minor for roughing. Trocheck suggested it reflected Barkov exhibiting the added responsibility of wearing an alternate captain’s patch this season. 1077476 Los Angeles Kings

Kings building trust early under new coach John Stevens

By CURTIS ZUPKE

“Trust falls” were not part of the team bonding activities for the Kings this week, although one exercise hit a similar note. They were instructed to help each other over a four-foot-high rope, one by one, without touching it, which left the last person stranded. Solution? "Dustin Brown ended up being elected to do the Superman run-and- jump," Michael Cammalleri said. "It took a lot of trust, but he just ran and [did it with] a lot of arms and his legs." Welcome to the Kings under coach John Stevens. Team-building exercises are usually done later in a season, often on the road and sometimes during slumps. But with new faces on the roster and a break in the schedule, Stevens hired a group to put his players through problem-solving challenges Monday. "It's kind of fun to see how everyone has their own personal traits," defenseman Christian Folin said. "Some people were more outgoing. Some people are more reserved in that way. You get a little bit more perspective into all the guys. You kind of know who takes the lead and who sits back. It's kind of helpful to know who's pushing a little bit more for the whole group." It was the first time Stevens did the outing with the Kings. He has given similar individual tasks, for instance, where he asks a player to state the names of a teammate's children to see how well they know each other. It's a different approach to better communication, in his eyes. "I just thought that interaction where guys are forced to work together in some pretty significant challenges, where you've got to think a little bit, you've got to work together, you've got to commit to a plan," Stevens said. "All those things relate to what we do on a daily basis." Stevens and his staff formed one of the four groups that competed against one another. Trevor Lewis said his group won, but Stevens joked that the three player groups were disqualified. Said Folin of the outcome, "We were just chasing a pot of gold." Lingering tension? Matchups with the Calgary Flames have taken on more edge since an incident late last season when Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk elbowed Drew Doughty and received a two-game suspension. The Kings were criticized for a lack of response. Stevens told season- ticket holders in August that, "Quite honestly, moving forward, I'd like to see our team react a little differently in that situation." But, asked Tuesday if there were messages to be sent, Stevens said, "I don't think there's any message-sending at all. We have to get established against a team in our division. I think the reason there's some ill will with the two teams is because we're trying to beat each other, and they've really improved as a hockey team. The division's really improved because I think Calgary and Edmonton have gotten an awful lot better … I think that's why it's changed." NEXT UP VS. CALGARY When: 7:30 p.m. On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 790 Update: Alec Martinez (lower body) skated on his own. … Andy Andreoff has skated on the third line the past two days. … Jaromir Jagr, 45, has yet to make his debut with Calgary. LA Times: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077477 Los Angeles Kings

Andy Andreoff gets turn on L.A. Kings’ lone revolving line

By CLAY FOWLER PUBLISHED: October 10, 2017

EL SEGUNDO — Two games into the season, three of the Kings’ four lines are settled. The lone exception has been a revolving door. Andy Andreoff will likely take his turn skating with Adrian Kempe and Michael Cammalleri on Wednesday against Calgary. Kings coach John Stevens has expressed his displeasure with the line’s performance and is hoping Andreoff will seize the opportunity Jonny Brodzinski and Nic Dowd couldn’t in the first two games of the season. “A lot of guys have been getting an opportunity on that line. We’re just waiting for somebody to grab it and maybe secure it a little more,” Stevens said. “We’re really comfortable with the other three lines right now. There seemed to be chemistry. There seemed to be continuity. We get momentum in shifts and we’d just like to see a little more momentum from that line.” The line in question had just two third-period shifts in Saturday’s 4-1 victory in San Jose. The 21-year-old Kempe has been largely disappointing this season and appears to have been replaced by Alex Iafallo on the second power-play unit. Kempe’s time on ice was reduced from 9:44 in the season-opening win over Philadelphia to 7:33 on Saturday. Brodzinski logged 7:59 of ice time in the season opener and Dowd 5:39 on Saturday in his first action of the season. Andreoff, a third-year veteran who was a healthy scratch in the first two games, had eight goals and two assists in 60 games two years ago and managed just two assists in 30 games last year due in part to an injury that shortened his season. LAICH REMAINING PATIENT For the time being, 12-year veteran Brooks Laich is happy to simply practice with the Kings without a contract. The unique situation arose when the longtime member of the Washington Capitals signed a professional tryout contract with the Kings before training camp, but didn’t make the team. He hasn’t ruled out other options, but the Kings offer him the best chance to remain in the city where he lives with wife, actress Julianne Hough, in the hopes he will eventually get an opportunity to join the team. “I don’t think I’d be doing this if I wasn’t at home,” Laich said. “My wife and I just got married and we don’t want to spend our first year away.” Marian Gaborik’s impending return from offseason knee surgery is one factor working against Laich, but an unproductive third line could create the opening he is seeking. Jeff Halpern, a former teammate in Washington, has been in Laich’s current position and offered him some advice. “He said the season is so uncertain and anything can change on any day that he wished he would have given himself longer before he said he wasn’t going to continue to train,” Laich said. “Every day out there is an audition for me. … Just be patient when it’s hard. He said it’s going to be very hard, but to be patient.” MARTINEZ CLOSE TO RETURN Alec Martinez returned to the ice for the first time since a lower body injury Oct. 4 landed him on injured reserve. The defenseman skated by himself before Tuesday’s practice and might join the team soon. “Just starting to get acclimated on the ice,” Stevens said of Martinez. “So he’s progressing along, feeling better and he’s getting closer to a return to practice.” Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077478 Los Angeles Kings LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.11.2017

STEVENS NOT EXPECTING A “MESSAGE”; GULUTZAN ON KINGS’ START; WILL JAGR PLAY?

JON ROSENOCTOBER 10, 2017

OPPOSITIONVIDEO The Calgary Flames visit Staples Center for the first of two visits this season, bringing with them some acrimonious residue from a rivalry that soured last season during the Doughty-Tkachuk Incident. Matthew Tkachuk’s March 19 elbow on Drew Doughty, which resulted in a two-game suspension, came with two additional head-to-head meetings remaining on the schedule. The first, played at the Scotiabank Saddledome on March 29, resulted in a pre-game summit at center ice, a Jarome Iginla-Deryk Engelland bout as part of Iginla’s Gordie Howe Hat Trick, and a 4-1 Los Angeles victory. The second was much less memorable: a 4-1 April 6 L.A. defeat at Staples Center during the final throes of the bottomed-out 2016-17 season. Last year’s incident is not expected to be rehashed as the rivalry resumes Wednesday night. If the game gets heated, it won’t be because of any premeditation. “No, I don’t think there’s any message-sending at all,” John Stevens said. “I think it’s a team in our division, and we have to get established against a team in our division. I think the reason that there’s some ill will with the two teams is because we’re trying to beat each other, and they’ve really improved as a hockey team.” “They’ve got some really talented guys, they’ve got some grit and toughness in their lineup, and just like what we talked about with Anaheim and San Jose, we’re standing in each other’s way, so I look at it more as we’ve got to get established in the division against a division opponent at home.” The Kings passed an early divisional test on Saturday with a thorough 4- 1 victory in San Jose. Meanwhile, the Flames relied on Jobu – the cinematic voodoo figurine popularized by the character Pedro Cerrano in Major League – in exorcising their Honda Center demons with a 2-0 win over the Ducks Monday night that put an abrupt end to a 29-game losing streak in Anaheim dating back to January 29, 2004. “We did it! We did it!” With a little help from Jobu from Major League, the #Flames have snapped the skid in Anaheim! pic.twitter.com/TBESUWXarM — Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 10, 2017 Flames coach Glen Gulutzan spoke with Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald and NHL.com Kings correspondent Dan Greenspan about Jobu; expect articles on those sites in advance of Wednesday’s game. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to follow Calgary’s morning skate tomorrow because we are all on JAGR WATCH: 2017. Will Jaromir or will Jaromir not make his 2017-18 debut at Staples Center? “I’ll let you guys know tomorrow,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. “We have a plan, though, of what we want to do, so I’ll let you guys know in the morning.” The NHL’s all-time leader in game-winning and overtime goals, Jagr ended an overtime session by stuffing a Marek Zidlicky feed past Ben Scrivens early in the 2013-14 season for a 2-1 New Jersey win. He also had success in Los Angeles in his only season in the Western Conference one year prior, scoring twice at Staples Center as part of a 5- 2 Dallas win on March 7, and followed that up two weeks later by scoring the game-winner in a 2-0 Stars victory. Gulutzan confirmed that Mike Smith will start in net for the visitors, and when asked about what he has taken from a small sample size of the Kings’ play, shared an interesting bit about pace that isn’t too different from some of the words shared on this page in recent years. “It looks like to me they’re playing a lot quicker. We were discussing that as a coaching group. All these games look quicker that we were watching,” Gulutzan said. “It was almost like, ‘did they put it a little faster on our TVs?’ To me, it looks like they’ve got a lot of pace to their game, and to me, I thought they always did. They play a real direct, north-south game, and when they got that on, you don’t need the fastest players to be fast if you support the puck well and you’re moving it forward. I always thought they’re hard to play against.” 1077479 Los Angeles Kings Edmonton’s gotten an awful lot better, and we’ve been ahead of them in the division for quite a few years now, and they’re starting to get really competitive in the division. So, I think that’s why it’s changed. They’ve got STEVENS ON TEAM-BUILDING, LAICH, KINGS-FLAMES some really talented guys, they’ve got some grit and toughness in their lineup, and just like what we talked about with Anaheim and San Jose, we’re standing in each other’s way, so I look at it more as we’ve got to get established in the division against a division opponent at home. JON ROSEN OCTOBER 10, 2017 LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.11.2017

PRACTICE NOTES On Monday’s team building exercises: It was great. I thought it was really good. I thought the guys really embraced the idea. They get them involved right away with some dynamic challenges that I think get their attention right away, and I think the guys learned a little bit about themselves, a little bit about each other, and had some fun together, so I thought it was really good. [Reporter: We heard the coaches group did not win. Is that accurate?] Well, we had two goals at the start of the day. As our coaching group, we wanted to make sure we completed all the tasks, which we did, and we wanted to make sure we finished number one. It didn’t appear that we did at first, but after we did the debrief, I think all three of the player teams should’ve been disqualified for different reasons, so we are claiming number one. [Reporter: Is this something you guys have done with the team each year, or is it a new, different way this year?] We’ve never done it since I’ve been her. I’ve used this group before, both in the American League and in the National League. They’ve actually worked here with the Kings years ago. It’s a group that does a lot of corporate team building and a lot of different teams. I think Marc Crawford used ‘em when he was here years ago. I think Mike Cammalleri has used ‘em either here or somewhere else, so they’ve worked with different teams before. I think they’re very experienced. They’ve been in the business a long time. We’ve had very good results when we’ve used them before, so we threw the idea around this summer. Something we planned on probably mid- summer to get them arranged to come in here, and with the schedule the way it was, we just felt the timing was good. A couple of games under our belt, new team, everyone kind of had a chance to bond a little bit in China, and then followed up with them this time. We felt the timing was good. [Reporter: It’s hard to quantify, probably, but is there something you saw coming out of working with this group before that helped a team?] There are a lot of things. First of all, they break down your personality, what your strengths are and why you are where you are. They break the room down into different personalities and actually give you some descriptions to describe yourself, and they’re bang on. We all have tendencies, whether you’re thoughtful or you’re engaging, and it’s not good or bad, it’s just different, and I think when guys understand that it’s really good. They give you a problem-solving model, and you have to work together as a team to problem-solve it. It’s really what we do on a daily basis, so I just thought that interaction where guys are forced to work together [is good], and some pretty significant challenges. We’ve got to think a little bit, you’ve got to work a little bit, you’ve got to commit to a plan, so to me all those things relate to what we do on a daily basis. [Reporter: Did they know it was going to happen, like, after the game Saturday? Or was it always on the schedule?] They knew it was coming, and I actually talked to the leadership through the course of the summer when we were planning it, and then they knew it was coming, but we let them know after the game in San Jose. Just because they have families, we needed a little more commitment of their time that day that they were going to be around until the mid-afternoon, so it was more of an awareness of the commitment of time – if guys had stuff with their kids and their families going on. We did about 90 minutes of work here after practice, had lunch, and then went out in the field. It worked out well. They were done by probably three o’clock, so it wasn’t a long, long day, but I thought it was productive. On the benefit of having Brooks Laich skate with the group: I think it’s unusual, but it’s not unique. There have been lots of teams. I know Hitch has done it a lot. It seems every time we go up to St. Louis they had somebody practicing there. It was just a situation that works for both parties because Brooks lives here, he keeps himself in really good shape, he still wants to try and play, and he’d ideally like to play here. He’s a veteran guy that’s got a great attitude that’s well conditioned that’s really been good for our team and especially our young guys. Practices with young guys, working on faceoffs, he’s still a good student of the game. I think it’s been a win-win situation with him, and for us. On Kings-Flames “tension,” and whether a “message” needs to be sent: No, I don’t think there’s any message-sending at all. I think it’s a team in our division, and we have to get established against a team in our division. I think the reason that there’s some ill will with the two teams is because we’re trying to beat each other, and they’ve really improved as a hockey team. The division’s really improved because I think Calgary and 1077480 Los Angeles Kings “If I could,” he said. “I’d think about it, but it’d probably take me the rest of my life and I wouldn’t be close.”

A Scarborough, Ont. native, Toffoli’s allegiances – yes, that means he’s OCTOBER 10 PRACTICE NOTES: MARTINEZ SKATES; THIRD LINE; also a Blue Jays fan – have evolved somewhat since the beginning of his JAGR; DODGERS! tenure in Los Angeles. John Stevens, meanwhile, was born in New Brunswick but raised in Ontario at a time when there were two Canadian teams vying for popularity and supremacy to the north. He was more of a JON ROSEN OCTOBER 10, 2017 Jays fan than an Expos fan due to his personal allegiances. “Toronto’s had a team pretty much my whole life, and I’ve been to several Blue Jays games and they’ve had success. Obviously they’ve A good afternoon to you from El Segundo, Insiders. Let’s get down to been to a few World Series,” he said. brass tacks. He was playing in Hartford and Springfield during the 1993 series -There were no changes to the Kings lines and pairings from those between Philadelphia and Toronto, but he still got to know Mitch Williams shown Monday. That means forward groups remained Iafallo-Kopitar- due to his Philadelphia ties, and understands the insular and pervasive Brown, Pearson-Carter-Toffoli, Cammalleri-Kempe-Andreoff, Clifford- love Philadelphia has for its sports teams. It was evident when his Flyers Shore-Lewis and Brodzinski-[Laich]-Dowd, with defensive pairings of head coaching tenure overlapped with a Phillies World Series win and Forbort-Doughty, Muzzin-Folin and MacDermid-Fantenberg, with Paul National League championship. LaDue cycling through. “When you live in Philadelphia, I think you’re always excited to see the -Alec Martinez skated and left the ice 15 minutes before the scheduled city when they’re able to win.” 10:00 a.m. start time. As expected, he’s getting close to rejoining practice. “He just went out on his own,” John Stevens said. “Just starting Only eight Kings were alive when the team last won the World Series in to get acclimated on the ice, so he’s progressing along, feeling better, 1988: Anze Kopitar, Michael Cammalleri, Trevor Lewis, Dustin Brown, and he’s getting closer to a return to practice.” Of those who did Jonathan Quick, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez. participate in the main skate, there was a good amount of special teams and breakout practice, and the morning ended with some good one-on- Tyler Toffoli, on whether he’s happy with the team’s power play looks and one attacking/defending work. movement: -So, that third line. Line rushes indicated that Andy Andreoff will get his Yeah, I think we’re getting some really good looks, but we’ve just got to opportunity after Jonny Brodzinski and Nic Dowd took turns alongside put it in the back of the net now and take the next step, so that’s kind of Michael Cammalleri and Adrian Kempe. It’s still too early in the season to what we’re thinking here, and we’ve just got to execute and keep moving curiously scratch our pointed goatees and wonder aloud WHAT MUST it well and keep moving our bodies and getting the puck there. BE DONE, but clearly there will have to be extra detail implemented Toffoli, on what he has learned about playing the point on the power play: when that group is out at extra strength. Kempe logged 9:44 and 7:33 in his two outings, while Brodzinski logged 7:59 and Dowd 5:39. It’s early! Just body positioning. I think I have a little more time than I do a lot of “That whole line, a lot of guys have been getting an opportunity on that times, so just getting used to that stuff and just kind of going with it and line. We’re just waiting for somebody to grab it and maybe secure it a trying to make good plays and standard hockey plays. little more,” Stevens said. “Brodzinski’s been there, Dowd’s been there, Cammy’s played both sides, whether Adrian, Andy, so they’ve all given LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.11.2017 looks there. We’re really comfortable with the other three lines right now. There seemed to be chemistry, there seemed to be continuity, we get momentum in shifts, and we’d just like to see a little more momentum from that line, whether it’s spending time in the offensive zone, really defensively responsible, creating scoring opportunities, a little bit of special teams. We’d just like to see some momentum shifts from that line with their work responsibility, whether they’re able to create from playing the game the right way. And we think they should be able to, so it’s a work in progress. We know that. There are always going to be parts of your lineup that you want to be better. I think all of those guys have had a good couple days of practice, so I’m encouraged by that. But ultimately we’d like to see more productive minutes out of that line.” -One minor heads up: I’ll be at the L.A. City Council tomorrow morning to support Bob Miller in lieu of attending the morning skate, so I won’t have notes and a report from El Segundo. –Dodger fever spread throughout the area over the summer and will continue to rise throughout the rest of October, as those who bleed blue would like to believe. That’s certainly true for Tyler Toffoli, whose fiancée, Cat, works in the Dodgers’ front office. Their toy yorkie is named Dodger. It’s common to spot him attending Dodgers games over the summer, and even though it’s a pitcher’s park, he cleared the wall during batting practice in 2016. It was a tense night in the household as Los Angeles held on for a 3-1 win over Arizona, completing a three-game divisional series sweep. “We didn’t watch the game together – she’s a little too nervous to watch, so I was keeping her updated while she was watching her TV,” he said. “She’s happy – they made the next round, so we’ll see who they’re going to play.” That’ll either be the Cubs or Nationals, depending on how the opposite NLDS shakes out. Regardless of their opponent, the Dodgers will look to continue to get excellent mileage out of Justin Turner, a career .377 postseason hitter. “Cat’s good friends with his fiancé,” Toffoli said. “Obviously when I go there, he’s always been nice to me, so we just chat it up, and since then we’ve just kept in touch a little bit. I wished him luck, and he said good luck for the season for us.” As well as they get along, there’s one area where Toffoli and Turner will never be equals: facial hair. Would Toffoli ever consider growing a beard like Turner’s? 1077481 Minnesota Wild proclaimed, siding with those who reject the Minnesota variation that substitutes the mysterious gray duck for the goose.

The Vikings played the children’s game to celebrate a touchdown in Mikael Granlund to miss next four games with groin injury Monday’s victory over Chicago, renewing the age-old debate between the goose boosters and the duck defenders. Nearly all of the United States falls into the goose camp, and the coach — an Ontario native — By Rachel Blount OCTOBER 10, 2017 — 1:05PM said that extends to his home country, too. “You’re close to Canada,’’ he said, teasing the gray-duck crowd. “You should do everything like Canada.” For the second day in a row, Zach Parise participated fully in a Wild practice, moving another step closer to getting back into the lineup. But Star Tribune LOADED: 10.11.2017 Mikael Granlund, held out of Monday’s practice because of a groin injury, was absent again on Tuesday and Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said the winger is likely to miss the next four games. Granlund has not been on the ice for a game or practice since playing in last Thursday’s season opener at Detroit. Boudreau and other team officials are being careful not to rush him back, hoping that holding him out now will prevent the injury from lingering. It’s the same approach they have used with Parise, who missed the first two games and most of training camp because of an undisclosed injury. Boudreau reiterated after Tuesday’s practice at Xcel Energy Center that medical personnel, not coaches or players, will be the ones to decide when Parise and Granlund are ready. After Thursday’s game at Chicago, the Wild plays its home opener Saturday against Columbus, then returns to the road for a back-to-back set at Winnipeg and Calgary on Oct. 20 and 21. “[Granlund] is going to miss the next four games for sure,’’ Boudreau said. “It’s a day at a time with him. “I think Zach is getting closer every day. Zach is feeling a lot better right now, and usually, players get so anxious when they feel better. We all wish he was back in the lineup. When he gets the OK to play, we’ll play him.’’ Parise said Monday his injury is not to his back, as has been reported, but he declined to be more specific. Tuesday, he again practiced with fourth-liners Matt Cullen and Daniel Winnik during five-on-fives. The situation leaves the Wild uncertain when it will have a full complement of 12 forwards. The team is only $206,409 under the salary cap, limiting its ability to recall a player to fill the void. Boudreau said if Parise cannot play Thursday, he anticipates using 11 forwards and all seven defensemen, as he did in last Saturday’s shootout loss at Carolina. Problem areas The Wild spent much of Tuesday’s practice working on special teams and defense, hoping to smooth out two areas that were not consistent in its first two games. The defense will get an especially stiff test Thursday against Chicago, which rang up 18 goals in its first three games and has the NHL’s best goal differential (plus-12). The Blackhawks remain a swift, strong team loaded with scorers. Boudreau said the Wild must improve its situational awareness, knowing when to take a risk and when to play it safe. The team also worked Tuesday on slowing down opponents as they move through the neutral zone. “We have to know where we are at each part of the game,’’ Boudreau said. “We were making boneheaded plays either tied in the third period or leading in the third period of both games [last week]. “Everybody wants to score, but there are times for solid D, and there are times to go for it.” Forward and defenseman Matt Dumba emphasized the Wild defense must play as a tight unit of five, with the forwards getting sticks on pucks and the defensemen boxing out. “We have to make sure we limit their time and space, and make it hard for them to enter our zone,” Coyle said. “We can’t just let them walk in. We’ve got to have good gaps and the forwards coming back. We’ve all got to be in it together, trust each other and play the way we’re capable of playing.” For the birds Boudreau bravely waded into one of the most divisive issues of the day, offering his opinion without hesitation. “Duck, duck, goose,’’ he 1077482 Minnesota Wild

Wild and Timberwolves aren't young anymore, and that bodes well for both

By Michael Rand OCTOBER 9, 2017 — 4:44PM

We’ve become accustomed in recent winters to thinking about the Wild as a mix of young and old players and the Wolves as a team of incredibly young players. This winter is a departure for both franchises — and perhaps the best indicator that both will make the postseason in the same year for just the second time ever (with 2002-03 being the other year). Think of the Wild and Wolves as old and (getting) older — a good thing, at least in the short term. Let’s start with the Wild. Per Hockey Reference, the average age of a Wild player — taking into account how much time each player spends on the ice — is 29.0 years. That makes the Wild the fourth-oldest team in the NHL this season. In making the postseason each of the past five seasons, the Wild has never been particularly young nor old — ranking anywhere from 12th to 21st in the NHL each of those five seasons in terms of average age of its players. This year’s Wild team has much of the same core back one year older from last year and added Matt Cullen — soon to be 41 — to the forward mix. When Chris Stewart turns 30 at the end of October, the Wild will have seven regular skaters that age or older. Whenever Zach Parise returns, he will make eight. That might have consequences at some point given the aging curve for NHL players, but for now it’s generally a good thing. Five of the six oldest NHL teams made the playoffs last season, and the eighth-oldest — the Penguins, who employed Cullen last season — won the Stanley Cup. Veteran teams, as long as they still have talent, tend to outperform young teams. Even after a tough first two games, the Wild should have confidence things will even out over the course of 82 games with this roster. The Wolves, meanwhile, were the youngest team in the NBA last season with an average age of 24.0 years, per Basketball Reference. Given that, perhaps it’s not surprising they finished 31-51. Only three of the 10 youngest teams in the NBA last season made the playoffs. But the six oldest NBA teams made the playoffs — including the Warriors and Cavaliers, who met in the NBA Finals won by Golden State. Age data for this season hasn’t been compiled league-wide on Basketball Reference, but the average age of the nine players who could be expected to play the most minutes for the Wolves this season is 27.9 – nearly four years older than last year’s overall number and on par with the age of the sixth-oldest team in the NBA last season. Even though Andrew Wiggins (22) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21) are still extremely young, the Wolves added Taj Gibson (32) and Jamal Crawford (37) while essentially swapping roster spots with Ricky Rubio (almost 27) for Jeff Teague (29) and Zach LaVine (22) for Jimmy Butler (28). If both the Wild and Wolves churn out wins this winter, it will come as a result of a variety of factors. But their suddenly very veteran rosters probably will be chief among them. Star Tribune LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077483 Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Mikael Granlund expected to miss next four games

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: October 10, 2017

Mikael Granlund’s groin injury will keep him on the shelf a little longer than expected. “I think Granny is going to miss the next four games,” coach Bruce Boudreau said Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after saying he hoped it was a short-term injury. “It’s a day at a time with him.” That means Granlund will miss Thursday’s road game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, plus the two-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames next weekend. That could make it tough for the Wild to field a full lineup moving forward, especially with Zach Parise also not yet at 100 percent. They already were forced to play with 11 forwards and an extra defenseman in the 5-4 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last weekend. The Wild only have $200,000 in salary cap space, which isn’t isn’t nearly enough to call up another forward from the minors. To do that, the Wild would need to send down a defenseman, presumably Mike Reilly, who wouldn’t need to be put on waivers. No word yet on how the Wild were planning on approaching the situation, though Boudreau seemed to think the team would roll with an extra defenseman until Parise is ready to return. Granlund, 25, was the leading scorer for the Wild last season with a career-high 69 points. He signed a three-year, $17.25 million contract in the offseason, making him the fourth-highest-paid player on the team, and placing even higher expectations on him heading into this season. In his absence, the Wild have shaken up their lines this week with Eric Staal centering Marcus Foligno and Charlie Coyle on the first line, Mikko Koivu centering Jason Zucker and Nino Niederreiter on the second, Joel Eriksson Ek centering Tyler Ennis and Chris Stewart on the third, and Matt Cullen centering Zach Parise and Daniel Winnik on the fourth. “We have guys who can fill roles,” Coyle said. “You know, obviously Granny is special player and no one can fill exactly what he does. We have good enough players that can step up. That’s what makes up the good team we have. We have a bunch of guys who are capable of doing that. That’s what we’re going to see.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077484 Montreal Canadiens

In the Habs' Room: 'We can't figure a way to put it in the net': Julien

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette

What happened? That was the question in the Montreal dressing room after the Canadiens lost their home opener to the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night. The game started with a lot of promise but turned on a 20-second explosion by the Blackhawks late in the first period. “In the first period, we were dominating, cycling the puck and getting shots from every line,” Jonathan Drouin said. “Then they scored two quick goals. It’s frustrating, (but Chicago) is a team that has proven for a while now they don’t need many chances.” The Canadiens were outshooting the Blackhawks 15-5 when Chicago took advantage of an unsuccessful clearing pass by Jordie Benn to get on the board with rookie Alex DeBrincat’s first NHL goal. Brandon Saad scored 19 seconds later after a rare breakdown from the top defensive pair of Shea Weber and Victor Mete. Things might have been different if the Canadiens had capitalized on a 5- on-3 power play early in the first period. “Every night we have little breakdowns,” captain Max Pacioretty said. “We have a lot of new faces and we’re still learning what we can do. We have to be strong. Tonight, we had a chance to step on their throats with that 5-on-3 and we didn’t do it. We thought we were having a picnic.” The power play has been disappointing this year. The Canadiens went 0- for-5 Tuesday and are 0-for-14 on the season. The Canadiens are trying something, with four forwards joining Weber on the top unit and Pacioretty said players are still adapting to new roles. “We’ve had chances,” Pacioretty said. “I think guys are playing positions that are new to them so the reads aren’t perfect yet. We’ve had good entries and good setups, but we haven’t been able to get the end result. We have the personnel to play that setup. (Drouin’s) very good on that far side. He ran the best power play in the league from that side last year, but it puts (Weber) in a different spot, (Alex Galchenyuk) in a different spot, me in a different spot. We know we can excel in those spots, but we have to get our reads down.” One problem is that teams are aware of Weber’s shot from the point and it’s difficult for Drouin to set the right-handed Weber up for a one-timer on the left. “Teams are eliminating our best weapon,” Pacioretty said. “We have to find other openings. We had two or three one-timers and we have to work on it.” Coach Claude Julien wasn’t happy with the result, but he felt the Canadiens are on the right track. “When the puck isn’t going in, you squeeze the stick or think a little too much, but that was not the case tonight,” Julien said. “We’re playing well, but the puck’s not going in. Our power play has been forcing things a little bit. In New York, we only had the one chance, but there’s room for improvement. We have to fight out of it. We haven’t been lucky on some occasions, but we’re not looking for excuses, we need to find solutions.” “Things aren’t going well,” Julien added. “We’ve gone three games now and we can’t figure a way to put it in the net, but that’s hockey. All we can work on is our attitude.” The Canadiens outshot Chicago 42-25, but their domination went beyond those numbers. They had 23 shots blocked and missed the net on 18 other attempts for a total of 83 shot attempts. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077485 Montreal Canadiens

Once again, offence nowhere to be found for struggling Canadiens

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette

The skinny: It took the Canadiens only 75 seconds to score a goal Tuesday, but that was one of Montreal’s few bright spots as the Chicago Blackhawks posted a 3-1 win to spoil the team’s home opener at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens outshot the opposition for a third consecutive game, but for the third straight time, they were on the losing end. Montreal is 1-3-0 to start the season and the Canadiens have been limited to four goals on 155 shots for a shooting percentage of 2.6 per cent. They had a 42-25 edge in shots on Tuesday. Quick start: The Canadiens took a 1-0 lead when Tomas Plekanec scored at 1:15 of the first period. Plekanec was forechecking Ryan Hartman and the Chicago winger lost the puck as he was attempting to clear the zone. Plekanec spun around and surprised Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford with a low shot. Blackhawks bounce back: The Canadiens dominated most of the first period, but went 0-for-2 on the power play, including a 5-on-3 advantage for 35 seconds. That left the door open for the Blackhawks, who scored twice in the final 2:07 of the period. Patrick Sharp picked off a Jordie Benn clearing attempt just outside the blue line and set up Alex DeBrincat for a goal at 17:53. It was the first NHL goal for the 5-foot-7 DeBrincat, who was selected in the second round of the 2016 entry draft with a pick that was acquired from Montreal in the Andrew Shaw trade. Chicago took a 2-1 lead when Jonathan Toews found Brandon Saad alone in front at 18:12. It was Saad’s fifth goal in four games. The Canadiens outshot Chicago 16-7 in the period. Powering up: Artem Anisimov took a goal away from DeBrincat when the Blackhawks forged a 3-1 lead on a power play at 10:44 of the second period. DeBrincat’s shot was heading toward the goal line when Anisimov reached out and nudged it into the net. Power outage: It’s time to start worrying about the Canadiens’ power play. With Shea Weber and his booming shot surrounded by four forwards, the expectation was that the Canadiens would be lighting it up when they had the extra man, but it hasn’t happened. The Canadiens went 0-for-5 on the power play Tuesday and are 0-for-14 on the season. They have been getting shots with the extra man — they had 11 Tuesday — but the puck isn’t going in. Juggling the lines: Coach Claude Julien is playing musical chairs with his fourth line as Ales Hemsky returned to the lineup and Jacob De La Rose was a healthy scratch. Hemsky played on the wing with Torrey Mitchell taking De La Rose’s spot at centre. Julien also made one major change in the third period, moving Artturi Lehkonen to the top line with Jonathan Drouin and Max Pacioretty. Coming attraction: The Canadiens face another tough test Saturday when they are home to the undefeated Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Sports). The high-powered Leafs are 3-0 and have scored 19 goals. The Canadiens are back on the road next week with games Tuesday in San Jose, Wednesday in Los Angeles and Friday in Anaheim. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077486 Montreal Canadiens The next morning Hudon, who has a 2-year-old daughter, held a FaceTime chat with his family to celebrate.

“My family was always behind me and I’m very thankful for them,” Hudon Stu Cowan: Close-knit family key to Charles Hudon's success said. “Everything that has happened to me is because of them.” Including winning the Canadiens golf tournament. Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017

Things got off to a good start for the Canadiens’ Charles Hudon before training camp even began. The 23-year-old forward, who had spent the past three seasons in the AHL, shot a 75 to win the Canadiens’ annual golf tournament on Sept. 11 at Laval-sur-le-Lac. Golf has always been a family affair for Hudon, who started swinging a club when he was 7. Hudon’s family would play together as a foursome every weekend in the summer with his parents, Sylvain and Nathalie, and older brother Pierre-Olivier joining him. Hudon’s brother worked as a teaching golf pro. “He helped me a lot,” Hudon said. “But I’m the only lefty (golfer) pretty much in the family (along) with my mom. So it was pretty hard for my brother to teach us because we have different swings. But it was nice to have all the family together on the golf course.” Hudon’s family was together again Tuesday night at the Bell Centre as Charles played in his first-ever home opener with the Canadiens against the Chicago Blackhawks. Hudon said there would be about 15 family members and friends, including his parents and grandparents, in the stands. “It’s a great night for us,” Hudon said after Tuesday’s morning skate in Brossard. “I know a lot of people from Chicoutimi (where he played junior hockey) and Alma, where I’m from, are going to watch that game, too. I’m excited about it … it’s a good type of nervousness. I’m going to enjoy it and be ready when I jump on the ice. I just got to live day by day for now and be ready every time.” It ended up being not such a great night for the Canadiens, who lost 3-1 to the Blackhawks to fall to 1-3-0 to start the season. Hudon had five shots on goal, but failed to score and is still looking for his first point this season. The Canadiens selected the 5-foot-10, 188-pound left-winger in the fifth round (122nd overall) at the 2012 NHL Draft. Hudon had played six games with the Canadiens over the last two seasons and picked up four assists. Coach Claude Julien is giving Hudon a real opportunity to succeed this season by starting him out on the second line with Tomas Plekanec and Artturi Lehkonen. “For sure it’s tough when you look at the stats and the goals and the assists aren’t coming for our line,” Hudon said Tuesday morning. “Most of the game we’re bringing the momentum. We shoot the puck a lot … that’s one of our main goals from the start. We need to put more pressure on the D and put more pucks at the net. We just have to continue that.” Hudon signed a two-year contract this summer worth US$1.3 million. The first season is a two-way deal with him earning $650,000 in the NHL and only $67,500 in the AHL, according to CapFriendly.com. Next season it’s a one-way deal with Hudon earning $650,000 no matter where he plays. If the Canadiens decide to send Hudon back to the AHL, he would have to clear NHL waivers, meaning the club could lose him. Hudon was born in Alma, but his family moved to St.-Bruno when he was 7. Hudon enjoyed figure skating and speed-skating as a kid as well as playing hockey. His father coached minor hockey when Hudon was little and during team practices the boy was allowed to skate in the small semicircle in front of the penalty box where referees talk to the off-ice officials. “That was my little space on the ice,” Hudon recalled with a smile. “Everybody in St-Bruno knew that when my dad was coaching, that little two feet of ice was for me when I was young.” It’s not surprising that the first person Hudon called when he found out he had made the Canadiens was his father. General manager Marc Bergevin pulled Hudon aside at a team dinner the night before the final roster was announced to give him the good news, telling the player he didn’t want him to find out on Twitter. Hudon remembers Bergevin congratulating him and shaking his hand, but the rest is a bit of a blur. “I just had a big smile and I was very happy about it,” Hudon said. 1077487 Montreal Canadiens

Blackhawks at Canadiens: Five things you should know

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Blackhawks game at the Bell Centre Tuesday (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN-690 Radio). Tough way to open: This is the home opener for the Canadiens, and they get a break because the Blackhawks will be coming off a tough game Monday in Toronto. Montreal needs all the help it can get because Chicago is an offensive juggernaut, scoring 15 goals in their first two games while holding the opposition to two. The Canadiens have played three games and have scored three goals. Isn’t that special: The Canadiens came up empty on their lone power play in New York Sunday and they are 0-for-9 on the season. They had good looks in Washington Saturday, but were unable to score. The Canadiens’ penalty kill has allowed two goals on 12 opportunities and ranks 12th in the NHL with an 83-per-cent success rate. The good news is that two of Montreal’s three goals have been short-handed. Kiddie corner: Rookie defenceman Victor Mete is making a strong bid for permanent employment in the NHL with solid performances alongside Shea Weber. But the Blackhawks have an undersized 19-year-old of their own in Alex DeBrincat. The 5-foot-7, 165-pound winger has played with Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Artem Aisinimov this season. The Michigan native was an OHL all-star last season when he scored 65 goals with the Erie Otters. Fountain of youth: Tomas Plekanec will be 35 on Halloween, but the veteran Czech has been energized by playing with Artturi Lehkonen and Charles Hudon. They have formed the Canadiens’ most cohesive line through three games, although like most of their teammates, they are trying to find a way to score. The line produced 11 of the Canadiens’ 34 shots in New York Sunday. If you’re keeping score, Alex Galchenyuk is also looking for his first point. Injury update: Is this the night free agent defenceman David Schlemko makes his debut as a Canadien? He has been out since the beginning of training camp with a bruised hand, but he has been skating and sources says he’s “very close.” Chicago has Marian Hossa, Michal Rozsival and Jordin Tootoo on long-term injured reserve and have lost centres Tanner Kero and Nick Schmaltz since the start of the season. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077488 Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens have sold out 541 consecutive games at the Bell Centre (493 in the regular season and 48 in the playoffs) dating back to Jan. 8, 2004. Game Day: Canadiens’ Jacob De La Rose a healthy scratch; tickets still Lots of tickets available for the game tonight. It's almost as if people can't available for home opener afford to spend half a month's rent on one hockey game. pic.twitter.com/mSu8S44Kwk Posted by Stu Cowan — Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 10, 2017 Drouin still adjusting to centre Coach Claude Julien is only expected to make one lineup change for Jonathan Drouin will play his first home game with the Canadiens after Tuesday night’s home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks at the picking up one assist (and a game-winning shootout goal in the season Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690) with Jacob De La opener in Buffalo) in the first three games, to go along with a minus-2. Rose becoming a healthy scratch and Ales Hemsky getting back in the Drouin, who is still adjusting to being a first-line centre, has won 52.9 per lineup on the fourth line. cent of his faceoffs. The Canadiens, who have a 1-2-0 record, are coming off a 2-0 loss to the “Good so far,” Drouin said about the adjustment after playing mostly on Rangers Sunday night in New York. the wing with the Tampa Bay Lightning. “Definitely a couple of things on Offence has been a big problem for the Canadiens — a familiar story for the faceoffs, the new rules more than anything. But so far so good. I think Habs fans — with only three goals in the first three games, two of them everybody’s been helping me throughout. I think my wingers are doing a short-handed. The Canadiens have the second-worst goal differential in great job as well to help me. So far it’s been a pretty good position.” the NHL at minus-6 (Buffalo is minus-8) while the Blackhawks have the Jonathan Drouin leads team stretch at #Habs morning skate #HabsIO best differential at plus-12. The Blackhawks are 2-0-1 following Monday pic.twitter.com/JwV2fnGJAD night’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Blackhawks have scored 18 goals in their first three games, led by Brandon Saad with — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) October 10, 2017 four and Richard Panik with three. Problems five-on-five Julien is keeping his first three lines intact, saying he’s not convinced the line combinations are the problem. The problem, the coach said, is Captain Max Pacioretty is the only Canadiens player to score an even- players not taking the puck to the net. strength goal in the first three games, with Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault both scoring short-handed. “Believe it or not, when I compare (scoring chances) to the team we played against (Sunday) and what we gave and what we took, the A- “There’s two parts of it,” Gallagher said after the morning skate about the grade chances as you would call them are not bad at all,” Julien said Canadiens’ problems scoring goals. “We’re obviously doing the first part after the team’s morning skate Tuesday in Brossard. “But they can be … we’re working to create those chances. But the second part, I think better because of some of the things we can do. If we’re going to be a you got to work a little bit harder to put pucks behind their goalie. He’s no better team, we need to be better than the other team, not comparable. different than any other player on the ice … I think you just have to outwork him and find ways to get pucks in the net.” “You hope that it will come because some of the A-grade chances we had … I mean there’s been posts, there’s been crossbars, we’ve seen When asked about the number of quality scoring chances the Canadiens that early even in the pre-season,” the coach added. “But we got to stick have had through the first three games, Gallagher said: “I’m not big on with it and I think at the end of the day it’s more about having a those numbers. I think you understand when you’re creating chances and philosophy of bringing more pucks on the inside. I’m repeating myself … when you’re not. I think right now there’s definitely chances there that it doesn’t matter how many questions you ask me, there’s only one way goalies have made saves on. But there’s also areas where you can do a to score goals. It’s by having the philosophy of wanting to take pucks to little bit better and create a little bit more sustained pressure throughout the net vs. bringing them to the outside.” games … more opportunities. It’s something we’ve talked about and we’ll try and go out and execute it tonight.” #Habs morning skate has started in Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/v5Ee6urIEj As for his line with Drouin and Pacioretty, Gallagher said: “I think it’s a work in progress. There’s been some good points, there’s been some — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) October 10, 2017 points to work on. I think we feel comfortable with each other, we understand we obviously have responsibility on us to go out there and The lineup produce. I think the chances at times have been there. But like I said, you Here’s how the Canadiens lines and defence pairings are expected to got to outwork goalies, you got to outwork whoever you’re up against. look against the Blackhawks with Carey Price making his fourth straight Game after game you have to try and have an impact. So we’ll continue start in goal. to work on it and hopefully have an impact on the game tonight.” Pacioretty – Drouin – Gallagher Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 Hudon – Plekanec – Lehkonen Galchenyuk – Danault – Shaw Byron – Mitchell – Hemsky Mete – Weber Alzner – Petry Benn – Davidson Defenceman David Schlemko, who has been sidelined since early in training camp with a hand injury, took part in the morning skate. Julien said there was still no date confirmed for when Schlemko will make his Canadiens debut, but that he’s getting closer. Jour de match! / Game Day! #GoHabsGo BILLETS -> https://t.co/zH9mzDNuay TICKETS -> https://t.co/L15MD29qGy pic.twitter.com/UMl9rlH4uC — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 10, 2017 Who needs tickets? The Canadiens sent out a tweet Tuesday morning with a link to tickets still available for the home opener. 1077489 Montreal Canadiens needed an old/new playmate (Saad), the get Toews back on his offensive game, and we are talking about Toews.

We have JD/Max/Chucky with an outside of Lehks, and Hudon a little About last night … further back, who you need to build an goal scoring machine around this core. None of these guys should be playing without some combo of the others. Posted by Mike Boone Mete needs to grow strong to play in this league as a Dman, let’s not waste good contract years and potential, he got schooled by a big team, let the boy learn with his peers. Yes, it’s still early in the season. We have been spoiled by the last 2 years of hot starts, I think we are But man, this is getting tired already. being challenged early this year, will be interesting to see the pushback. As was the case at Madison Square Garden Sunday night, the French Canadian homeboy to rev up the start, and we read about open Canadiens dominated the first period of their home opener Tuesday seats, just win baby. night. And finally from BC (Because of the Cats): And they even got a goal this time! It’s the way we’re losing that makes me so angry. Lots of shots but no From Tomas Plekanec!!! finish. And every game there’s at least one major defensive breakdown that leads to a goal. And Price is getting outplayed regularly. For the first 18 minutes of the game, there was energy in the building … notwithstanding a lacklustre pre-opener show and numerous empty seats I knew we’d have a rough start, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. No in the Bell Centre’s lower bowl. goals, no great goaltending performance, a defence that can’t move the puck. It’s frustrating, it’s boring, it’s all but unwatchable. But after Chicago struck twice in 19 seconds to take the lead at the end of the period, a sobering realization seemed to settle over the crowd: Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 Their team was trailing – and the 2017-’18 Canadiens are not a comeback team … at least not in the long season’s early going. Despite dominating statistical categories – SoG, Shot Attempts (83 to 46!), Turnovers … even Hits – the Canadiens were rarely able to exert sustained pressure on Corey Crawford. By the third period, Claude Julien had put his lines in a blender: • Artturi Lehkonen to the top line with Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Drouin • Plekanec centring Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher • Charles Hudon with Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw. • Alex Galchenyuk with Torrey Mitchell and a variety of wingers. The shakeup generated some offence. Lehkonen and Hudon were particularly effective with their new linemates. But Crawford has inherited Martin Brodeur’s role as the Canadiens’ Hometown Heartbreaker. The Chicago goaltender, a native of Chateauguay on Montreal’s south shore, made 16 saves over the game’s final 20 minutes. There were chances. But as was the case through the Canadiens opening road trip, the team had no puck luck. Two goals in regulation at Buffalo. One against the Capitals in Washington. A Henrik Lundqvist shutout – playoff déja vu – at Madison Square Garden. And an early score – followed by 58:45 of ineptitude – in the home opener. Claude Julien opened his postgame press conference with the unprofound observation that when a team doesn’t score, it doesn’t win. “We don’t have the choice but to work our way out of this,” Julien added. “We don’t want excuses, we want solutions.” “I still see potential in this team,” Julien said. “Once we turn it around, we’ll be fine. The search for solutions will be challenging … at least in the near term. The red-hot Leafs are at the Bell Centre. Then the Canadiens make an early-season visit to California, where the team has had as much success as Donald Trump. “I still see potential in this team,” Julien said. “Once we turn it around, we’ll be fine.” • The most succinct Comment on the Liveblog was from burnedprof: From habcertain: Crawford played his usual great game, as he does against the Habs. They are a far better team. So, we can’t score again, and Chucky plays with o zone pylons, and we are left to wonder what is wrong with Chucky. Even CHI figured out they 1077490 Nashville Predators And after Forsberg scored the fourth to start the comeback, Hartnell had the fifth, setting Forsberg up for another.

“Incredible,” Hartnell said. “Brought back a lot of memories.” Predators give their fans a banner, then a win for scrapbook Offseason pickup Alexei Emelin sacrificed his body to block a shot on a Flyers power play, and so did Bonino. The Predators sustained Joe Rexrode, USA TODAY NETWORK controlling play for most of the first period. And the finish … well, what can you say? It was a lot of heart and grit and slushy ice.

“We never stopped,” Ekholm said. The rain fell but they stood strong, a few hundred Nashville Predators fans on either side of a gold carpet stretching from Bridgestone Arena to And, man, is rookie defenseman Samuel Girard going to be something. Broadway. He probably won’t be with the club for most of the season, but the skill, speed and feel are there. He’s just 19 and just 162 pounds, but wait until As Predators players and coaches made their way from the Tootsie's he’s 21 and 175. Orchid Lounge stage — Tuesday was the iconic honky tonk’s 57th birthday party — and along the carpet for pictures, handshakes and Girard was 7 months old, by the way, on Oct. 10, 1998. That’s the night autographs, the voice of Predators public address announcer Paul the Predators played their first ever game in this arena, as Weber pointed McCann boomed through speakers on the plaza. out in his speech to the crowd. “We’re going to put something up in the rafters!” McCann told the crowd. “They said it wouldn’t work, huh?” Weber said of hockey in Nashville, and “And no, it’s not a bunch of Chicago Blackhawks fans!” he said it to a capacity crowd of 17,194, in an arena that saw $6 million in improvements in the offseason. Three hours later, the 2016-17 Western Conference Champions banner, Bridgestone’s first for on-ice achievement, was unveiled to roars after an The Predators are up from 10,000 to 13,000 season tickets this season, extensive ceremony, before the Predators took on Philadelphia in their the remaining seats left available for the ongoing mission of grabbing the home opener. It was all as grand as you’d expect. Pete Weber emceeing, casual fan. The Predators sold more merchandise in the playoffs than retired captain Mike Fisher joining him, a slick video recounting the during the entire 2016-17 regular season, and all of the arena’s premium Stanley Cup Final run, and country star Trace Adkins putting some bass seating is sold out for this season. into the national anthem. The club has added two ice-level suites at more than $1 million for the Bridgestone had itself another moment as the banner floated into place. season. Both of them are sold. New sponsors such as Labatt and Wal- The only thing that could mess this night up was the actual hockey. Mart are on board. Business couldn’t be better. Nor could the atmosphere. It’s one of the best in the sport. One of the best in sports. And it almost did. Instead, good luck finding a more satisfying or And it knows how to make an entrance. emotional Predators win than this one any time soon. Filip Forsberg got the game winner with 35.6 seconds left, on the power play, for a 6-5 Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 triumph, to create noise that made the pre-game stuff look like a city council meeting. Scott Hartnell had just tied it up, on a 6 on 3, with 1:17 left – a goal Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol challenged as offsides, which resulted in a penalty that gave the Predators another two-man advantage, which ultimately led to Forsberg’s winner with a man advantage. Got all that? “I’m confused,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said afterward. “Like everybody else probably is.” This one was all over the place. The Predators transferred that pre-game energy right to the ice and built a 3-0 lead, then gave that whole lead up in a span of less than 5 minutes in the second period. Laviolette barked at his team during the second intermission, watched it respond by falling quickly into a 5-3 hole, then had to give it up to his guys after they managed to win. “You certainly have to like the resiliency and the fight back,” he said. And the fact that the banner night was saved. It can stay in the scrapbook after all. It was actually kind of perfect for the fans. People do ride rollercoasters on purpose. “Yeah, let’s do it every night,” joked Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, who didn’t have much chance on the goals he allowed. “My numbers, I’ll be out of the league pretty quick.” Fair point. And Laviolette’s team has issues, most notably the absence of defenseman Ryan Ellis because of offseason knee surgery that will keep him out until around January. Captain Roman Josi and center Colton Sissons missed Tuesday’s game with short-term lower-body injuries. The Predators now have two blah losses at Boston and Pittsburgh and a narrowly avoided epic flub against the Flyers on their 2017-18 resume. The flurry of penalties and split-second mental vacations on defense that let Philly back into the game can’t happen. “Can we be better? One hundred percent?” Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “Can we still improve? For sure. But two points is two points and we move on.” And Tuesday still served up more reminders of the potential at hand than anything else. Craig Smith, a talented guy who needs a bounce-back season, scored the first goal. Offseason pickup Nick Bonino scored the second, putting home a rebound after a swooping Ekholm drive. Offseason pickup Hartnell – back where he played from 2000-07 – scored the third, ripping one past Brian Elliott after a Pontus Aberg shot. 1077491 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators 6, Philadelphia Flyers 5: 3 things we learned

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 9:59 p.m. CT Oct. 10, 2017 | Updated 10:47 p.m. CT Oct. 10, 2017

Raise it and move on. A retrospective of the Predators' march to the Stanley Cup Final last season aired on the Bridgestone Arena scoreboard Tuesday as they awaited the reveal of the Western Conference championship banner. But that was last year, and the Predators have heard enough about who they were. As for who they are, it wasn't exactly a banner evening despite a 6-5 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, though it certainly was exhilarating. The Predators, leading 3-0 in the second period, trailed 5-3 in the third period before mounting their comeback. Here are three observations from Tuesday's win: Predators start with preferred identity The two main ingredients of a successful Predators game plan are speed and attitude. The Predators were without both in road losses to the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, but rediscovered their identity in spurts Tuesday. Nashville swarmed Philadelphia in the opening minutes, piling up scoring chances and converting on a Craig Smith power-play goal. Two second- period goals from forwards Scott Hartnell and Nick Bonino were the result of rebounds, the type of second-chance opportunities that the Predators struggled to create during the season-opening road trip.

Flyers charge back from deficit Nashville’s second-period lead evaporated in a flash. Philadelphia scored three goals in a 4:46 span, the first two separated by 16 seconds. Ahead by two after trailing by three, the Flyers appeared in control before taking two simultaneous penalties with 2:41 left. Hartnell pounded in another rebound to tie the score, then a failed offside challenge by the Flyers gave the Predators another two-man advantage. Forward Filip Forsberg's second goal of the period with 36 seconds remaining was the game-winner. More:How the Predators beat the Flyers 6-5 Injured Josi misses game, Girard makes NHL debut A lower-body injury prevented Predators captain Roman Josi from playing Tuesday, so rookie defenseman Samuel Girard, the seventh- youngest Predators player to appear in a game, made his NHL debut. Girard, 19, received the customary initiation from his teammates, skating alone onto the ice for pregame warmups and taking a solo lap. Touted for his mobility and offensive instincts, Girard showed off his skills and poise against the Flyers, receiving 18:52 of ice time. He had an assist on Forsberg's first goal. Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077492 Nashville Predators

Now-retired Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher returns to raise Western Conference banner

Jessica Bliss, USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee Published 9:09 p.m. CT Oct. 10, 2017

The championship captain returned. On the night of the Nashville Predators' home opener, when the team and fans celebrated last season's historic Western Conference Championship, the man who led the squad returned to the ice. With mixed emotions. Mike Fisher knew it would be hard to come back, to see his former teammates, to feel the chill of the rink, to hear the arena roar with fans who adore him. But he also knew it would be special. In a moving moment, now-retired Predators captain Fisher and current captain Roman Josi helped reveal the Western Conference Champions flag, sending it on its way to the rafters. The two men, dressed in blue suits and ties, stood on either side of large black draping before the game, the Predators team around them. A highlight video played on the jumbotron, showing the intensity of the season. The glorious days when the whole city turned gold for the Stanley Cup Final. And then each captain — former and current — pulled his side of the draping, revealing the huge blue and gold banner that would forever memorialize those moments. And it seemed, too, like a ceremonial passing of the captainship. It was something to remember, and yet the emotion clouded it. "It was a bit of blur," Fisher admitted later, speaking to the media after the first period of the Predators' game against the Flyers. "It brings back a lot of great memories and what we were able to accomplish," he said. "So many moments and that playoff run just kept getting crazier and crazier." In the end, he concluded, "It was pretty cool." Like he was part of it all over again. It had been a while since he had been back. Fisher announced his retirement last August in a heartfelt goodbye letter to fans published in The Tennessean. He needed to take some time to come to the decision, he said, to distance himself from highs and lows of the season. To pray about what would come next. And when he did, he realized his family was to be his focus. Since then he has has been spending time with his wife, Carrie Underwood, and son, Isaiah. He still follows his former team. He missed the season opener but saw the second game. But he hadn't truly missed playing until he returned on Tuesday night. Then all the good feelings came rushing back. "I will never forget it," he said. "That was the best year I've ever had." Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077493 Nashville Predators

Predators, Mike Fisher raise Western Conference championship banner

Adam Vingan, Oct. 10, 2017

Four months removed from their last meaningful game at Bridgestone Arena, the Predators commemorated their Western Conference championship season Tuesday by unveiling the franchise's first banner. With playoff victory anthem "Glorious Domination" serving as the soundtrack, Predators captain Roman Josi, who didn't play because of a lower-body injury, and predecessor Mike Fisher, who retired in August, helped to reveal the banner. Nashville hosted the Philadelphia Flyers in its home-opening game. Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077494 Nashville Predators

Trace Adkins, Predators continue star-studded national anthem tradition to kick off home opener

Jessica Bliss, USA TODAY NETWORK –Oct. 10, 2017

The Predators established something special last season, bringing in big- time country stars to sing the national anthem before big-time playoff games. With the team soaring to the Stanley Cup Final, they were on center stage. It was a puck-perfect spotlight. So why not start this season the same way? As the Predators prepared for the faceoff at the home opener, country star Trace Adkins did the honors. After a moving moment where now-retired Predators captain Mike Fisher and current captain Roman Josi helped reveal the Western Conference Champions flag on its way to the rafters, Adkins took the ice. The Grammy-nominated singer, dressed in a black cowboy hat and a gold Preds jersey, filled Bridgestone Arena with his deep baritone. When he finished, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry joined him, waving a yellow rally towel to inspire the cheers of the Predators fans. Adkins joins an elite group that includes Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill and his daughters, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, and more. And who will take over the duties for the rest of the season? We wait to find out. After the longtime anthem performer publicly aired his grievances about country stars performing the anthem during last season's playoffs the Predators and he parted ways. So the team had an opening this season. The Predators held auditions during the preseason, with the four finalists each performing at a home game. A vote was then held to decide which singer will earn the position. The team plans to announce the winner on Wednesday. The finalists are: Tamica Harris, adjunct professor Cathy Mullins, music teacher/worship leader Katie Ohh, registered nurse/songwriter Keesha Rainey, singer/songwriter and accountant Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077495 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators fans pumped for home opener, ready for more in 2017-18 season

Jessica Bliss, USA TODAY NETWORK

The back of Bailee McClard's gold Nashville Predators jersey is still blank, but she's been thinking of a name for it. "Predators generation baby." The Vol State student was born in 1998, the year the Predators were established. She has been a fan her whole life. She has been through lockouts. She has been through hard losses. And she has witnessed history in last season's Stanley Cup Final. This is her team. It's her city's team. On Tuesday thousands of jersey-wearing, autograph-seeking fans gathered downtown to show that camaraderie and celebrate the home- opener of the Nashville Predators season. Dressed in their sharp blue suits and skinny ties, the Predators players walked a gold carpet interacting with fans in what has become an annual tradition. A huge stage spanned Broadway for player interviews and country music, Nashville style. And right at the very end of the Gold Walk, where every player passed before heading inside the arena for the game, McClard stood with her aunt Janice and beamed. After the Predators historic Western Conference Final championship, this season there is only one goal: "Go further than we've ever gone before," McClard says. "Bring the Cup home." Every hockey fan has something special they love about the game, for Christina Shaw, it's a juxtaposition. "The grace and the violence," Shaw says. "It's beautiful." Shaw's first Predators game was on TV against the Red Wings. Watching Pekka Rinne's play, she was "so blown away." She moved to Nashville two years ago, for two reasons. The first, she says, was to enter a clinical trial at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, where she is receiving treatment for Stage 4 lung cancer. The second, to see Rinne play in person. She bought a season ticket plan before she even had a place to live. On Tuesday, she stood at the corner of Fifth and Broadway dressed in a flowing yellow gown and blue shawl, with a bright yellow wig on her head. "This is a special occasion," she said. "So I wanted to dress up." More:Predators looking for 'attitude' that leads to success Nearby, Rinne walked the gold carpet. Donned in a navy suit jacket and gray slacks, he captured everyone's eye. He gave high fives, signed jerseys and visors, and stopped for selfies. When he passed Sarah Majors and her husband Pasi Leppikangas, the goaltender paused for an extra moment. Leppikangas, a drummer who moved to Nashville to tour with country bands, is from Finland — Rinne's native home. "Hockey is pretty much my middle name," Leppikangas said. In Finnish, the Leppikangas told Rinne he was born in the town of Ylivieska. "Really?," Rinne responded, also in Finnish, and smiled. Before he walked away, Majors slipped Rinne a coin purse. It was from Finland, made of reindeer hide, and filled with four-leaf clovers. One for every Predators player. "They have the skill and the determination to win the Stanley Cup," she said. "But who can deny a little extra luck?" Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077496 Nashville Predators The league is cracking down on slashing this season, and Craig Smith has been both a benefactor and a victim of that. He got nabbed for an infraction against Valtteri Filppula, and the Preds will have 1:20 of PK How the Predators beat the Flyers 6-5 on opening night time to start the second. Philadelphia clawed back to end that period, evening up the shot counter at nine each. Jon Garcia, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 6:00 p.m. CT Oct. 10, 2017 While we wait, here's the full banner raising ceremony, courtesy of Fox Sports.

20 years in the making! Full video of the #Preds unveiling their 2016-17 Whether Dave Hakstol didn't know that you get a delay of game penalty Western Conference Championship banner! pic.twitter.com/iWV5rV7b3b for losing an offside challenge or got wrong info from a video coach, that extra bit of time spent shorthanded ended up sinking a Flyers comeback. — FOX Sports Tennessee (@PredsOnFSTN) October 11, 2017 It was a gutsy win from a Preds team that was staring down another loss. 1st Period They have plenty of things to work on, but a win on a night like this is With five minutes left in the first period, things have settled down a little really the only thing fans will care about. bit. Flyers have started to pressure a little more recently. Previously... -This game is all Nashville right now. Flyers' goalie Brian Elliot is doing a 3rd Period heckuva job keeping pucks out of the net though. With two Flyers in the box, Hartnell scored his second of the game with -Craig Smith cashes in on the power play, and gives Nashville the aerly 1:17 remaining. The Flyers challenged the goal for offside, but lost the 1-0 lead. challenge. Smith missed a few chances in the last two games, and is really looking Filip Forsberg could sense that people wanted to head for the exits, to get back on track after having the worst season of his career last year. because 50 seconds later he scored the game -winner. The Predators wanted to play with speed and attitude. Well, so far, they Travis Konecny used his speed to get behind every single person on the are. A couple strong chances. ice, and roofed a gorgeous shot right under the crossbar. The Flyers — Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) October 11, 2017 have now erased a 3-0 deficit. -The banner raising gave the Preds a boost. They come out firing with Moments later, Scott Hartnell goes to the box and Valtteri Filppula four shots in the first couple of minutes, and get an early power play. cashes in. The Predators have no given up five unanswered goals. Raising the Banner 2nd intermission The first game at home is always special in any hockey season, but it's Nashville took its foot on the gas and it cost them. Things looked great especially so for the Predators. They will hoist their "Western Conference after Hartnell and Bonino's goals, but getting outshot 15-8 will not lead to Champions" banner up to the Bridgestone ceiling. good things. The Flyers also hold the edge in all-situations shot attempts (39-30) and 5v5 shot attempts (28-25.) The Predators brought out former captain Mike Fisher, and current captain Roman Josi to help raise it. The Preds have a few minutes to gather themselves. They need to play a much more disciplined game in the 3rd and keep it simple by just getting New loudest roar ... for Mike Fisher, introduced by Pete Weber. Extended pucks on net. standing O for him. Roman Josi joins him. 2nd Period — Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) October 11, 2017 Tie game. Filppula scores on the power play. That three goals in 4:46 for ! #Preds#PHIvsNSHpic.twitter.com/TNoeRJUYvj those keeping track at home. — Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 11, 2017 Nashville just got done killing off a P.K. Subban hooking penalty when they got caught with too many men on the ice. The Flyers head back to After a video retrospective of the journey the Predators went on last the power play, and this second period has certainly been one of highs spring, up the banner went: and lows so far. GLORIOUS. #Preds#PHIvsNSHpic.twitter.com/B8bbiqzMep The penalty expired, but Andrew MacDonald launched a bomb of a shot — Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 11, 2017 from the top of the zone and cuts into the Predators' lead. It's 3-1. Up it goes pic.twitter.com/ozlUXpJSZS Yikes, less than 20 seconds later Nolan Patrick, 2017's second overal pick, scores his first NHL goal. That cushion disappeared quick. — Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) October 11, 2017 Nolan Patrick's first NHL goal is the third first career goal that the They’ve officially got a banner in Nashville pic.twitter.com/7a4bUXcYJn Predators have allowed this season (DeBrusk, McAvoy). — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 11, 2017 — Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) October 11, 2017 PREGAME More slashing penalties. This time it's Yannick Weber. Warmups have started, and neither Roman Josi nor Colton Sissons are On the ensuing 4-on-4, Nick Bonino scores his first as a Predator. on the ice. Both were listed as "game time decisions" earlier on Tuesday. Mattias Ekholm dropped his shoulder and stormed right in front of Brian Elliot. His shot bounced off the pads and hung out in the crease, and Both Roman Josi & Colton Sissons are absent from warmups. Kevin Bonino was there to clean it up. Fiala and Samuel Girard are on the ice. #Preds Sam Girard and Travis Konecny each get two minutes for roughing and — Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) October 10, 2017 cross-checking, respectively. Tempers are starting to boil over a little bit Arvidsson-Johansen-Smith here for the Flyers. Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Fiala Brian Elliot gives up a gigantic rebound right to Scott Hartnell, and the former-now-current Predator buries it for Nashville's second goal of the Hartnell-Bonino-Aberg game. McLeod-Watson-Salomaki You can't hammer home a rebound much more aggressively than @Hartsy43 just did. #PHIvsNSHpic.twitter.com/b7EdbGbldS Ekholm-Girard — NHL (@NHL) October 11, 2017 Emelin-Subban Nashville kills off the penalty, and the teams play on at even strength. Irwin-Weber 1st Intermission Rinne — Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) October 10, 2017 Despite some dour weather, plenty of people lined up for the Predators' annual Gold Walk. The skies cleared as the afternoon turned to evening, making way for a little sunshine before the game. Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077497 Nashville Predators

Predators vs. Flyers: Roman Josi game-time decision, Samuel Girard to make NHL debut

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK

Predators captain Roman Josi and forward Colton Sissons are "game- time decisions" for Tuesday's home opener against the Philadelphia Flyers, coach Peter Laviolette said. Neither player participated in Monday's practice or Tuesday's morning skate at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators haven't officially listed Josi and Sissons as injured, but it appears unlikely that they'll play. Rookie defenseman Samuel Girard will make his NHL debut. He will have his mother, father, two brothers, sister and girlfriend in attendance. "It's a special day for me, for my family," Girard said. "I think I worked very hard for that journey, and my family, too, so it will be a great day for us." The 19-year-old will be the seventh-youngest Predators player to make his NHL debut, according to Elias Sports Bureau: Scott Hartnell: 18 years, 171 days (Oct. 6, 2000) David Legwand: 18 years, 243 days (April 17, 1999) Filip Forsberg: 18 years, 244 days (April 14, 2013) Kevin Fiala: 18 years, 245 days (March 24, 2015) Seth Jones: 19 years, 0 days (Oct. 3, 2013) Scottie Upshall: 19 years, 8 days (Oct. 15, 2002) Samuel Girard: 19 years, 151 days (Oct. 10, 2017) Predators' projected lines, pairs and starting goaltender Viktor Arvidsson - Ryan Johansen - Craig Smith Filip Forsberg - Calle Jarnkrok - Kevin Fiala Scott Hartnell - Nick Bonino - Pontus Aberg Cody McLeod - Austin Watson - Miikka Salomaki Mattias Ekholm - Samuel Girard Alexei Emelin - P.K. Subban Matt Irwin - Yannick Weber Pekka Rinne Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077498 Nashville Predators

Predators looking for 'attitude' that leads to success

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK

Every morning during the Predators' season, "Morning Skate" will highlight the odds and ends surrounding the team. Consider this a one- stop shop for Predators-related information. Painted on a wall in the back hallway of the Predators' renovated locker room at Bridgestone Arena is a motto — "Speed + Attitude." That's the idea. The Predators, who play the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday in their home opener, are at their best when they play with speed and attitude. They haven't been able to successfully combine the two, which is why they lost their first two games. "We can't just think we're a different team now that we're a skill team," Predators defenseman Yannick Weber said Friday. "I think we just have to go back to the way we need to play, with speed and attitude and in attack mode. That brought us success last year, and that's what's going to give us success this year." There's that phrase again. So what is the attitude? It's obvious when you see it, the Predators say. "Besides the obvious — you think about hits or fights and things like that about attitude — inside of that, just the battles for loose pucks, looking your opponent in the eye, winning those one-and-one battles, being first to support that battle as the second guy," Predators forward Austin Watson said. "Just little things inside each individual's own battles on the ice that everybody gets into, winning those and having attitude in those." Now when you've got that, then you have the attitude. Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077499 Nashville Predators We remember him because: The team captain completed his 17-year NHL career, the final seven with the Predators, in June. He played in 20 of the playoff games in the Preds' Stanley Cup run with four assists. He Predators' Stanley Cup Final run: Catching up with 'Catfish' Jake, finished his NHL career with 276 goals in 1,088 games. breakout stars, others What he's doing now: Relaxing. He announced his retirement in The Tennessean on Aug. 3. He said he planned to spend more time with his wife Carrie Underwood and their son. It's a good bet he's spending time USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee Published 10:00 p.m. CT Oct. 9, outdoors hunting. 2017 On opening night, he will: Possibly make a Bridgestone Arena appearance when the Western Conference champion banner is unfurled. Nashville beat all odds and ended up mere games away from the Stanley — Dave Ammenheuser Cup. Now the Predators are hoping to pick up right where they left off. Wochit Nick Bonino As the Predators begin their 20th season in Nashville and host their We remember him because: Bonino helped the Pittsburgh Penguins home opener on Tuesday against Philadelphia, The Tennessean staff defeat the Predators to capture their second consecutive Stanley Cup. caught up with several on-ice and off-ice personalities who made last Though he only played two games in the Final thanks to a broken tibia, spring's Western Conference championship run so special. he still suited up to take a victory lap on the Bridgestone Arena ice after Game 6. 'Catfish' Jake Waddell What he's doing now: He signed a 4-year, $16.4 million contract this We remember him because: He went to Pittsburgh and tossed a 4-pound offseason with the Predators and will help them chase their first catfish over the glass inside the Penguins’ PPG Paints Arena on May 29 championship. With the retirement of Fisher, Bonino will need to provide during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. It's a Predators' pregame ritual some much-needed center depth to Nashville's roster. which dates back to 2003. The prank got him charged by Pittsburgh police with three misdemeanors. After an uproar from Nashville fans the On opening night, he will: Likely be anchoring Nashville's second scoring chargers later dropped. line and be counted on to set up his teammates as well as put pucks in the net. What he’s doing now: Waddell had a busy summer with numerous local and national media appearances but managed to go fishing with his three —Jon Garcia children at Guntersville Lake in Alabama and the Nashville Golf & Athletic Andrew Fudge Club in Brentwood. He also added to his Predators’ memorabilia collection. We remember him because: Andrew Fudge had the unfortunate distinction of winning two tickets to the Predators' historic series-deciding New video shows Predators fan Jake Waddell tossing the infamous Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in June through a Twitter catfish onto the ice at PPG Paints Arena during game 1 of the Stanley contest, but he didn't realize it until a month after the Penguins skated off Cup Final on Monday. Submitted with the Stanley Cup. Fudge tweeted at the NHL, "can I go die now," On Opening Night, he will: Try to buy a ticket to get inside and likely toss after he finally saw the message from the Preds, and his missive quickly a fish onto the ice. went viral. But the Predators gave him some closure, promising two tickets to opening night. — Natalie Neysa Alund What he’s doing now: Life returned to normal for Fudge, 28, of Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) joins injured Clarksville, after an intense week of sports internet fame. When he's on the job for Comcast, hockey fans will ask him if he had heard of the fan Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala who missed out on Stanley Cup Final tickets, and to their disbelief, he'll tell them he's the unfortunate soul. We remember them because: Significant injuries prevented each from playing in the Stanley Cup Final. Fiala fractured his femur April 26 in a C'mon sweet Stanley Cup Free tickets!! second-round game against the St. Louis Blues, needing surgery to #tdpredspic.twitter.com/9anl2Hwipe repair the break. Johansen, Nashville’s No. 1 center, had his breakout postseason ended by acute compartment syndrome that required — Andrew Fudge (@lilfudge07) June 5, 2017 emergency surgery, the result of a hit to his left thigh during Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Anaheim Ducks on May 18. On opening night, he will: Finally be collecting his promised tickets, Fudge and his wife will take in the game with their two young children on What they’re doing now: Both have completely healed from their injuries their laps, hoping they have a chance to see the Predators in June. and are expected to be among the Predators’ most productive players. Johansen, 25, signed an eight-year, $64 million contract in July and is Kirk Bado one of three alternate captains this season. Fiala, 21, has 20-goal Tennessean LOADED: 10.11.2017 potential as a top-six forward, but missed Saturday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury that he said Monday isn't serious. On opening night, they will: Contributing to what should be a strong performance against the Philadelphia Flyers. — Adam Vingan Frederick Gaudreau We remember him because: He scored the first three goals of his career in the Stanley Cup Final, which tied a 73-year-old NHL record. Prior to being thrust into playoff action in the Western Conference Finals against Anaheim, Gaudreau had only played nine games with the Predators in the regular season. What he's doing now: Gaudreau did not make the Predators opening- night roster and was sent down to the American Hockey League. On opening night, he will: Have a rare day off as the ' training camp continues. — Jon Garcia Tennessean.com Mike Fisher 1077500 New Jersey Devils

1 moment that captured the new vibe of the Devils

By Chris Ryan

TORONTO -- The Devils had a rough sequence in the second period of Monday's game against the Buffalo Sabres. A too many men on the ice penalty led to an Evander Kane power-play goal, which cut the Devils' lead to 2-1. Defenseman Steven Santini took a slashing penalty on the goal to put the Sabres right back on the power play. One season ago, it could have served as a turning point where momentum snowballed against the Devils and the game slipped away. Instead, the Devils scored a short-handed goal, killed the penalty, scored three more goals for a five-goal lead and slammed the door on a 6-2 win. How Bratt brings life to PK It might sound simple, but that change all comes down to confidence. "Last year, things would go the wrong way for us, and you could just tell on the bench," defenseman Damon Severson told NJ Advance Media. "We're on the penalty kill, the other team's going to score and it's going to be a tie game for us. It's not good. This year, we're going to kill this penalty, we're going to get the next goal, we're going to win this game." The Devils established a different feel in their play throughout training camp, and so far, it's spilled over into the regular season. "It's just a totally different vibe and totally different feeling," Severson continued. "Your teammates just give that feeling off the bat. I think we talked about just the positivity and the confidence that we believe each other and we can do the right thing to win the hockey game." Along with being able to battle through adverse moments, the Devils have a different look when simply playing with a lead. Last season, the Devils may have let the play come to them while protecting even a one- goal advantage. This season, they're always out for more. "That's something we talked about, was playing with the lead, not sitting back and waiting for something to go the other way," forward Adam Henrique said. "Once you get the lead you got to try to step on their throat and keep pushing or get the next one or next two. I think that's something so far we've done a good job of, but we'll be tested going forward." Star Ledger LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077501 New Jersey Devils

Will Devils' Kyle Palmieri, Drew Stafford play Wednesday vs. Maple Leafs?

By Chris Ryan

TORONTO -- Forwards Kyle Palmieri and Drew Stafford both made positive steps toward a return to the Devils' lineup, but their availability for Wednesday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is still up in the air. Both players skated prior to the team's practice on Tuesday. Palmieri then participated in the full practice while Stafford left the ice. Devils coach John Hynes said a decision on their statuses won't be made until Wednesday. "Both guys skated, they got treatments here," Hynes said. "So we'll see how they feel (Wednesday) morning. Both players suffered lower body injuries in Saturday's game against the Colorado Avalanche and missed Monday's game against the Buffalo Sabres. Stafford played 6:06 during the the first period on Saturday, but he was absent from the ice and the bench for the rest of the game. Palmieri limped off the ice in the second period after going knee-to-knee with Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson. Palmieri's presence at practice was a good indication he could be close to a return, but he also skated on the team's third line during rushes in practice. Palmieri, a power-play fixture for the Devils, was also absent from the two power-play groups that ran drills on Tuesday. He played on the penalty kill instead. One of the reasons we put him in practice was to see him in some live game situations and practice at a high tempo and see how he felt during that," Hynes said. "but also how he felt after." The forward was one of the final players off the ice. If both Palmieri and Stafford cannot play on Wednesday, Hynes said the Devils will again go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, like they did in Monday's 6-2 win over the Sabres. Following Wednesday's game, the Devils have their first back-to-back of the season when they host the Washington Capitals on Friday before visiting the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Star Ledger LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077502 New Jersey Devils

How Jesper Bratt brings life to Devils' penalty kill

By Chris Ryan

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Devils finished with six short-handed goals last season. Jesper Bratt has them on pace to score 82 in 2017-18. No, the Devils won't score a short-handed goal every game, but Bratt's presence on the penalty kill has given the Devils an extra level of aggression going after the puck and pushing the issue down the other end of the ice. Bratt played a hand in each of the Devils' two short-handed goals so far this season. He assisted on John Moore's score in the season opener before the 19-year-old rookie netted his own short-handed tally with a nifty backhand finish on Monday against the Sabres. So how does Bratt approach his penalty-kill play? By modeling his style after someone he wouldn't want to play against. "When I play on the power play, I hate to play against penalty-killing guys that attack and try to do offensive things with the puck," Bratt said. "I just try to be that guy and when I play the penalty killing to be an attacking forward, I like to try to make some offensive play. It's something I've tried and I've been lucky so far." The 19-year-old forward has logged nearly seven minutes of penalty- killing ice time through his first two NHL games, and his competitiveness and drive for the puck showed in both outings. "It's just good instincts. He's a very smart player, he's an attacking type of player," Devils coach John Hynes said. "I think he's one of these guys, he understands the way the game's going and when to attack. It's not like he's cheating for offense or he makes gambles. He plays the right way, and because he plays the right way, there's an opportunity to attack, and he finds holes and finds plays." Bratt will inevitably stumble at points as a rookie, as most first-year players do. But based on what he has shown early in his career, the Devils know they will just need to help him at certain points to allow Bratt to keep making an impact. "He works hard, defensively he's smart with the puck," goalie Cory Schneider said. "He's not taking risks and he's getting rewarded. It's a long season and for any rookie it's tough. Obviously when he's hot and playing well, we're going to keep giving it to him, but we're going to have to help him through an 82-game schedule and he seems up for it." Star Ledger LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077503 New Jersey Devils

Devils beat Sabres: 10 observations | Nico Hischier's 1st point; Pushing with leads

By Chris Ryan

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Devils continued their strong start to the 2017-18 season with a 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday at the KeyBank Center. The offense has looked tough to contain through six periods, and the Devils have carried their preseason identity over into the first two games. Here is more on Nico Hischier's first NHL point, Jesper Bratt's impact on the team and why the Devils are playing "infectious" hockey. Devils Sabres Hockey Hischier gets his first point Devils rookie Nico Hischier got onto the stat sheet for the first time in his NHL career when he recorded the primary assist on the Devils' second goal of the first period. In typical Hischier fashion, he used his speed, skill and vision to set up the play by racing down behind the net, cutting on a dime and dropping a slick pass to forward Brian Gibbons in front, where Gibbons finished with, what Hischier described, "high cheese." “It was nice. Really good game from everybody out there," Hischier said. "Great team effort and it feels good to have your first point in a win. It’s always better in a win than when you lose. Devils Sabres Hockey Pushing the offense After Hischier's first point on the team's second goal, the Devils did not slow down in the second period. They let the Sabres cut their lead to 2-1, but they rattled off four straight goals to close the frame, giving goalie Cory Schneider more than enough support. Building on leads isn't a new concept for the Devils, but so far this season, they've been able to execute and keep their collective foot on the gas. “Fortunately for us we played with the lead quite a bit, even in the preseason, and it’s one of the things we talked about in between periods, was staying on the attack," Devils coach John Hynes said. "It’s really the same thing we’ve preached the last couple years. The difference I think is guys really understand how we want to play and they’re playing with the identity we want to play with. They’re hungry for more and they continue to play the way we want to play.” Star Ledger LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077504 New Jersey Devils

Devils face early-season test against skilled Maple Leafs

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer

ETOBICOKE, Ont. – It’s silly to hurl too much hyperbole at the third game of the regular season. Suffice to say, the Devils are interested to see how they match up with the Maple Leafs, who have developed into one of the NHL’s better skilled squads, when they play at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night (Faceoff: 7:30 p.m.; Television: MSG; Radio: digital One Jersey Network). “No disrespect to Buffalo and Colorado, both have good forward groups, we gave up some rush chances against Colorado, we did a better job against Buffalo so I think we’re learning,” said goalie Cory Schneider after the Devils skated at Master Card Centre, the Maple Leafs’ practice facility. “Toronto will be a whole different challenge, I think,” added Schneider, who will make his third straight start. “It will be a good test to see where we’re at.” The Devils, who have missed the playoffs for five straight years, have opened with a 4-1 win over the Avalanche on Saturday and Monday’s 6-2 win at Buffalo. They may have to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen for a second straight game with right wings Drew Stafford and Kyle Palmieri both nursing lower-body injuries. Stafford is definitely out, but Palmieri practiced with the Devils on Tuesday for the first time since taking a knee-to-knee hit from the Avalanche’s Erik Johnson. Coach John Hynes said Palmieri would be a game-day decision. The Maple Leafs (3-0-0) also have yet to lose and have an Eastern Conference-leading 19 goals. They reached the playoffs for the first time since 2013 last season, their second under the triumvirate of president Brendan Shanahan, general manager , the ex-Devils’ boss, and coach Mike Babcock and Auston Matthews, the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, scored 40 goals and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. “It’s big for us,” center Adam Henrique said. “Obviously they’re a playoff team and a team that I guess is going for it, if you want to call it that. They were in and we were out. It’s going to be a big test for us, a high- power offense and a skilled team. It’s a big matchup for us, a big, early test.” The Devils’ improved play – they finished last in the conference last season with a conference-low 183 goals – has been, in part, fueled by the injection of rookies Jesper Bratt, this year’s No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier and defenseman Will Butcher. So this marks the first NHL matchup between Matthews and Hischier. “We know, or you hear, the Maple Leafs are a really skilled team with high speed,” Hischier said. “It’s going to be a fun, this game, for sure. We’ve got to be prepared because they’re coming, for sure.” “What we need to do against them is play the same way, play our game because that’s what we’ve been doing so far and it’s been successful,” said left wing Marcus Johansson, whose Capitals beat the Maple Leafs in six games in the first round of last season’s playoffs. “We don’t want to fall into playing any other type of game where it’s a rush game or whatever. We play hard like we have been, we’re tough to play against. “For them to beat us, I think they’re just going to have to work really hard because that’s what we’re going to do,” Johansson added. Henrique said he was confident the Devils could match the Maple Leafs’ speed. The key, Henrique said, was to keep that speed in control. “Sometimes games with these guys gets a little run-and-gun and that’s something we have to try and avoid,” Henrique said. “I think our focus needs to be getting to our game and our identity.” Bergen Record LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077505 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Palmieri will be a game-day decision

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer

Devils coach John Hynes says right wing Kyle Palmieri will be a game- time decision against Toronto on Wednesday night. Andrew Gross/NorthJersey.com Andrew Gross/NorthJersey.com There was good news, if not definitive news, out of the Devils practice today at MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke, Ont. Kyle Palmieri not only skated on his own along with fellow injured right wing Drew Stafford prior to the team’s practice, but he joined the Devils for their full team practice. That’s the good news as Palmieri has been out since taking a knee-to- right-knee collision from the Avalanche’s Erik Johnson toward the end of the second period of the Devils’ season-opening 4-1 win on Saturday at Prudential Center. He missed Monday’s 6-2 win at Buffalo. Still, that’s no clear indication Palmieri will be able to play on Wednesday night as the Devils face the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Stafford, who did not practice with the team, only skating with Palmieri, will definitely miss a second straight game. “That was obviously a good sign,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “Any time you get involved with the team, there’s more twisting and turning, more reactions. We’ll see how it responds to what he did today. “One of the reasons we put him in practice was to see some live game situations and practice at a high tempo and see how it felt during that and also how he feels after,” Hynes added. If Palmieri is unable to play on Wednesday night, the Devils will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the second straight game. Hynes said it was not a situation where the team would put either Palmieri or Stafford on injured reserve in order to open a spot on the 23-man roster. Here’s how the Devils skated at practice: Taylor Hall-Pavel Zacha-Jesper Bratt Marcus Johansson-Nico Hischier-Jimmy Hayes Miles Wood-Adam Henrique-Kyle Palmieri Brian Gibbons-Blake Coleman-Stefan Noesen Andy Greene-Damon Severson John Moore-Will Butcher Mirco Mueller-Steven Santini Dalton Prout-Ben Lovejoy Cory Schneider is expected to start his third straight game to start the season, though Keith Kinkaid is expected to get his first start in either end of the upcoming back-to-back, Friday against the Capitals and Saturday against the Rangers. Bergen Record LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077506 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Oct. 10

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer

TORONTO – The Devils season has certainly started well. Perfect, in fact. Now, the competition steps up a bit. The Devils face the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre and the Leafs are off to a 3-0-0 start after Monday night's 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Blackhawks and feature one of the best young lineups in the NHL, including last year’s No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews. The Devils, with this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Nico Hischier, have beaten the Avalanche, 4-1, in a battle of teams that finished last in their respective conferences last season and the 0-2-1 Sabres on Monday. By the way, only the Maple Leafs goal differential of plus-9 is better than the Devils’ plus-7 in the Eastern Conference. But before that solid early-season test, the Devils practice today at 12:30 p.m. at MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke, Ont. Here are today’s top three storylines: First period Will Kyle Palmieri and/or Drew Stafford practice? A repeat of Monday’s Daily Faceoff’s first topic but this will remain a daily question until there’s some clarity of when either of the veteran right wings might return to the Devils’ lineup after being forced from Saturday’s season-opener against the Avalanche because of lower-body injuries. Both were stretching pre- game on Monday and coach John Hynes said the reason both made the trip with the team is because there’s a possibility one or both might be healthy enough to return before the trip is over. The trip, of course, ends with Wednesday’s game. Second period The line combinations: Usually, coaches don’t mess with a good thing and 10 goals over two games is a good thing. But Swedish wings Marcus Johansson and Jesper Bratt seemed to have a strong chemistry in the time they spent on the ice together on Monday as Hynes juggled his forwards after dressing 11 to go with seven defensemen. Johansson acknowledged after the game that, as countrymen, they do see the game the same particular way. Third period Power-play personnel: The Devils were not as crisp in their puck movement and ability to keep the puck in the offensive zone in going 0 for 4 with five shots on the man advantage on Monday as they were in going three for four on Saturday. Palmieri’s absence was noticeable. Hynes will likely devote a significant portion of today’s practice to power- play work. Bergen Record LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077507 New York Islanders Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said he would not speculate on how the negotiations might evolve during the season. Tavares, 27, could become a free agent July 1. Snow said discussions would remain private Islanders’ ‘Singular Focus’ Is New Arena at Belmont Park between himself, Tavares and the player’s agent, Pat Brisson. Ledecky said he did not know the timetable for the state’s decision on the site. F.C. of Major League Soccer is among the other By ALLAN KREDAOCT. 10, 2017 groups to submit a proposal. “We obviously would hope it would be sooner rather than later, and we would hope that our proposal is the best proposal,” Ledecky said. “We Jon Ledecky, a co-owner of the Islanders, made his strongest statements don’t know if they’ve received three or 10 or five. We certainly put a lot of yet that the team intends to leave Barclays Center in Brooklyn and hopes time and effort into a first-class presentation. We were thoughtful. We to build an arena near Belmont Park racetrack, for which New York State want Belmont to be our permanent home. “ recently accepted proposals to redevelop. New York Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 “We have the singular focus of playing at Belmont Park,” Ledecky said Tuesday at a news media gathering in Midtown Manhattan. “Everything else about going here, there and everywhere else is absolute noise to us at this point.” Ledecky, who took over majority ownership of the Islanders with his partner Scott Malkin in July 2016, said the team would continue to play at Barclays Center for at least the next two seasons. The Islanders moved to Brooklyn in 2015 after 43 years at on Long Island. But Barclays Center was not constructed with hockey in mind, and attendance and fan engagement have been disappointing. With their Belmont Park bid, the Islanders proposed a modern hockey home, like the new arenas in Detroit and Edmonton. A spokeswoman for Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, which runs Barclays Center, declined to comment on Ledecky’s remarks. The Islanders are combining forces with the owners of the Mets and the Oak View Group, an investment advisory firm led by Tim Leiweke, the former president and chief executive of the sports and entertainment conglomerate AEG. Among the founders of Oak View Group is Irving Azoff, the entertainment executive who has a partnership with Madison Square Garden Company. Ledecky said the costs of an arena and what percentage the Islanders might own had not been determined. “It’s much better to say we are linked up with these two terrific organizations that understand how to build an arena,” he said. “The fact that the Mets have endorsed us financially and say that Belmont Park is the best option, that sends a very strong message as well that we’re making the right decision here.” The Islanders have until Jan. 1 to forge a new deal with Barclays, and, if no new deal is reached, either side can opt out of the current deal by Jan. 30. The Islanders could choose to leave after this season at the earliest; if Barclays Center triggered the opt-out, however, the Islanders would not have to leave until after the 2018-19 season. “This year and next year, contractually, we are mutually obligated to play at Barclays,” Ledecky said. “Next year we will play at Barclays by contract.” As far as where the Islanders might play in the 2019-20 season if a new arena is not ready, Ledecky said discussions were continuing. “The contract, which has been in the public domain, says there are good faith negotiations going on that would include factors like that,” he added. “But we’re focused on getting that shovel in the ground and moving forward on Belmont.” The Islanders returned to the renovated Nassau Coliseum for a sold-out preseason game on Sept. 17, but N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman has been adamant that the Coliseum, which has a capacity of less than 14,000 for hockey, is not a practical home for the team. Ledecky said Barclays Center was a good home for now and agreed with Bettman regarding the cozy Coliseum. “Barclays is a wonderful place, but unfortunately at the time it was built, they decided not to configure it for hockey,” he said. “And Nassau Coliseum is a lovely spot, but the commissioner of the N.H.L. is on public record saying it is not viable for an N.H.L. team. So that wouldn’t be a home either. We have to have a focus on a place that will be our home. That’s Belmont Park.” The Islanders will most likely also take into consideration how their pursuit of a new arena deal might affect their ability to re-sign their captain, John Tavares, whose six-year, $33 million contract expires after this season. 1077508 New York Islanders

GM sums up John Tavares’ Islanders future in one word

By Brett Cyrgalis October 10, 2017 | 6:48PM

Just about the most positive glimpse into the contract negotiations between the Islanders and star captain John Tavares came with a one- word answer from general manager Garth Snow. Asked on Tuesday how he felt about where he stood with Tavares’ camp, Snow said: “Excellent.” Snow was speaking at a media luncheon with co-owner John Ledecky, as Tavares and the team prepared to leave for a three-game road trip through California starting Wednesday in Anaheim. Tavares is in the final year of his current contract, having decided not to sign a contract extension just yet. So far it seems that financial numbers haven’t been discussed at any length, with the biggest factor in Tavares’ decision likely being the future home of the franchise, as they try to win a bid to build a new arena at Belmont Park. But Snow said he “was not going to speculate on that,” and just reiterated how much he wants Tavares to stay. “I’ve said it all along, we drafted John at 18, and we think the world of him,” Snow said. “We want him to retire an Islander. He’s a first-class person and a first-class player. We all know that.” New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077509 New York Islanders

Islanders owner: Forget Nassau, we’re focused on Belmont Park

By Brett Cyrgalis October 10, 2017 | 2:58PM

Jon Ledecky wanted to make something crystal clear, the hope being to quiet the questions surrounding his Islanders and their pending arena impasse. “We have a singular focus at playing at Belmont Park,” Ledecky said at a media luncheon Tuesday afternoon. He and co-owner Scott Malkin recently submitted a bid to New York State to developing a site at the race track for a new arena. “Take away all the other noise. That’s the objective that will give the New York Islanders the best chance to win a fifth Cup. Everything about going here, there and everywhere else is absolute noise to us right now.” It was a strong message from Ledecky, who has been the face of this new ownership group since they took over the majority stake before last season. But they inherited a bad set up with Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, now in the third season of being their home. Last April, those running Barclays triggered the window to begin negotiating an opt-out of the 25-year lease, and the two sides have been in “good faith” talks since. Ledecky confirmed that his team is contractually obligated to play next season in Brooklyn, but from there, it’s up in the air where they might play before their new building is ready — assuming they do win the bid. “The contract says there are good-faith negotiations going on that would include factors like that,” Ledecky said. “But we’re focused on getting that shovel in the ground and moving forward on Belmont.” There doesn’t seem to be any set timeline for New York State to make a decision on who wins the bid, but the assumption from Ledecky is that a new arena would take 20 months to build. That would make 2020-21 the first season they could realistically play there, leaving 2019-20 as the one year with no set home. It’s possible that they would negotiate a one-year stay at Barclays Center, but if Barclays would have them, they would have all the negotiating leverage. One landing spot Ledecky emphatically shot down was the refurbished Nassau Coliseum, where the Islanders had played for the first 43 years of their existence. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had already said the new-look, same-place arena was “not a viable option” for a team, and Ledecky said he “absolutely agrees with the commissioner.” “Nassau Coliseum is a lovely spot, but the commissioner of the NHL is on public record as saying it’s not a viable for a NHL team, so that wouldn’t be our home either,” Ledecky said. “That’s not something that is being considered. We’re considering Belmont Park. Period. The End.” Although most the specifics of the proposed arena are still being held private out of respect for the bidding process, Ledecky made it clear that the building itself was going to be privately funded. He and Malkin are working with Sterling Project Development, the company owned by the Mets, as well as Oak View Group, run by Madison Square Garden. Along with another outside investment group, Ledecky made it seem like they weren’t going to ask for any public money. “Those three groups [in addition to ownership] have fully committed to financing the arena,” Ledecky said. So now that it’s been made exactly clear where the Islanders stand, the waiting begins in earnest. Of course, Ledecky said he hopes the decision comes “sooner rather than later,” but what that actually means in terms of weeks or months is hard to say. But the Islanders future hangs in the balance, and right now it’s Belmont or bust. “The consequences of winning are all good. The consequences of losing are bad,” Ledecky said. “It’s pretty black and white.” New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077510 New York Islanders The Islanders’ bid for Belmont continues their decade-plus search for a long-term home. Ledecky’s hope is that this is where the road ends.

“We don’t want to be nomads,” he said. “We don’t want to be wandering Isles co-owner Jonathan Ledecky: 'We have blinders on for Belmont' folks. We want to be in our own home in a custom-built arena.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.11.2017 By Jim Baumbach and Robert Brodsky

Islanders co-owner Jonathan Ledecky said Tuesday the team’s sole focus is on building a new arena at Belmont Park. “We are locked and loaded on Belmont,” Ledecky said at a luncheon with reporters in Manhattan. “We have blinders on for Belmont. We are not looking at other places or other opportunities. We want to make Belmont a reality.” The Islanders last month confirmed that they “submitted a comprehensive proposal to create a world-class sports and entertainment destination at Belmont Park.” The Islanders’ group, known as New York Arena Partners, LLC, includes Sterling Project Development, which is controlled by the Mets’ Wilpon family and Oak View Group, an arena development company backed by Madison Square Garden. “The best home and the only home for the New York Islanders moving forward should be the Belmont arena,” Ledecky said. Ledecky would not discuss the specifics of their bid but said the state-run property in Elmont is “strategically located” with easy access to a Long Island Rail Road spur. “This is all about the arena,” Ledecky said in his first public comment since the bids were submitted. “It is not a real estate play.” The Islanders, who are in their third season playing at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, are engaged in negotiations over modifying their 25- year license agreement. Both sides have the ability to opt out of the agreement in January. Ledecky said the team will play in Brooklyn next season, as it is contractually obligated to do, but declined to speculate where the team would play if the Belmont arena was not ready to open or if the Islanders’ bid is not chosen. Ledecky said the Coliseum, which underwent a $165 million renovation and seats 13,900 for hockey, was not in consideration, citing its capacity and lack of luxury boxes and suites. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said last month that the Coliseum “is not a viable option” for the Islanders, even on a temporary basis. Nassau and Suffolk lawmakers have urged the team to return to the Coliseum, with many expressing concern that a new Belmont arena could irreparably hurt the Coliseum’s ability to attract shows and drive revenue to the county. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, which manages both the Coliseum and the Barclays Center, declined to comment. Brett Yormark, chief executive of Brooklyn Sports, told the Sports Business Journal Monday in an interview that the agreement with the Islanders — crafted between Brooklyn developer Bruce Ratner and former Islanders owner — hasn’t panned out. “The economics just don’t work,” Yormark said. “It’s a Long Island team trying to create a fan base in Brooklyn, and to date it has been met with very modest success and not at the numbers we have hoped.” Ledecky responded: “I guess he’s saying that perhaps that the people on his side didn’t make a good deal.” Fans and Islanders officials have been critical of Barclays — from obstructed-view seats and poor ice quality to a financial arrangement that is not considered favorable for the team. “Unfortunately when the facility was built it was not built with hockey in mind,” Ledecky said. Two other known bidders submitted plans for Belmont in response to the Empire State Development’s request for proposals to develop the 43- acre vacant land surrounding the horse track. New York City FC, a soccer club partially owned by the Yankees, is proposing a roughly 26,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium, according to a source familiar with the team’s plans. Syosset-based Blumenfeld Development Group also submitted a proposal. 1077511 New York Rangers

Rangers give up another early goal in 3-1 loss to Blues

JUSTIN TASCH

You might get many different responses about when it is no longer still “early” in a season, and now at 1-3 after a 3-1 loss to the Blues Tuesday at the Garden, it’s not as if the Rangers don’t have plenty of time to get themselves going. But there is a level of concern creeping in after another poor start and a lack of consistent even-strength offense. “Well, yeah. It’s a tough question to answer, but there has to be (concern,) right?” Rick Nash said. “With all these home games early on, these are the games when you get to March and April that really mean something. So I think there’s definitely an urgency to fix this and start winning some games.” They fell behind just 15 seconds into the game after turning the puck over in their own end, with Carl Gunnarsson capitalizing for the opening tally. This after falling behind 2-0 on opening night and 5-1 in the first period on Saturday. Mika Zibanejad struck on the power play about two minutes later. Four of Zibanejad’s five goals this season have come with a man-advantage, and he became just the second Ranger ever to score at least one goal in each of the club’s first four games; Rick Nash was the first in 2014-15. Brayden Schenn’s power-play goal later in the first put St. Louis ahead. And though the power play has thrived with Kevin Shattenkirk, the Rangers have five even-strength goals through four games and for the first two periods on Tuesday generated little. Carter Hutton (32 saves) then stopped all 16 of the Rangers’ third-period shots. Adam Cracknell. “I don’t think there’s any rhyme or reason to it,” Shattenkirk said of the team’s poor starts. “We need to focus early on, on making simple plays, getting pucks in their zone, grinding away a little bit. I think we’re trying to make it look like an All-Star Game out there too early on, when we haven’t established our identity which is getting pucks in and going to work.” The Metropolitan Division could be even more competitive than last season, and lost points now hurt just as much as they do at any point down the stretch. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Game 4 or 74. We’ve lost a few games here,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 20 saves. “It’s important that we get the urgency and realize how important the next game is and the game after that. We have to see it as a big game every night. It’s gonna be a tight race this year. If you want to be in it when it comes down to it, you have to be ready now even though it’s October.” FILIP SENT DOWN The Rangers on Tuesday assigned rookie center Filip Chytil to AHL Hartford, where he’ll play this weekend, after he was scratched on Sunday. He wasn’t sent to his Czech club because the team may bring him back up. … Brendan Smith was scratched for the second straight game and Tony DeAngelo sat for the first time. New York Daily News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077512 New York Rangers

Rangers assign Filip Chytil to AHL Hartford

JUSTIN TASCH

There remains uncertainty about the long-term plans for Filip Chytil this season. That's why after being scratched just three games into the new campaign, the Rangers sent the 18-year-old Czech center down to AHL Hartford on Tuesday rather than to his Czech club, like fellow first-round pick Lias Andersson was loaned to his Swedish club at the end of the preseason. The Rangers may decide to bring Chytil back up. In the short-term, Chytil will play for Hartford on Friday and Saturday after Alain Vigneault and Jeff Gorton discussed on Monday what to do with the No. 21 overall pick. "We haven't quite made up our mind yet on him and the makeup of our team," Vigneault said Tuesday before the Rangers hosted the Blues. "So we're looking at both (options) at this time. We feel right now he needs to play. He can play in Hartford, and we need to sort out a couple of things here also." Chytil was scratched for Sunday's win over Montreal after playing only 12:39 over his first two games. His absence leaves J.T. Miller as a center for the time being, while Adam Cracknell, whom on Monday the Rangers claimed off waivers from Dallas, enters the lineup as a fourth-line wing. With Hartford, Chytil likely will get plenty of minutes while he continues to adapt to an NHL-sized rink, smaller than what he's used to playing on in Europe. "It's a day-to-day situation here," Vigneault said. Cracknell, 32, bounced around between the NHL and AHL before playing 69 games under current Rangers assistant Lindy Ruff last year in Dallas, where he scored 10 goals and had six assists. "It's just another opportunity. I've been in this position before," Cracknell said. "Playing for Lindy Ruff I think helped last year and having such a good season under him. Now I have to build that trust up with a new organization and make sure they made the right decision." It isn't Vigneault's wont to make changes after a win, so even though Nick Holden and Steven Kampfer underwhelmed in their season debuts on Sunday, they were set to remain in the lineup. That meant Brendan Smith, who signed a four-year, $17.4 million contract over the summer, was set to be scratched for the second straight game, while Tony DeAngelo also was set to come out of the lineup after playing just 3:45 Sunday as the seventh defenseman. Jimmy Vesey took DeAngelo's spot on the second power-play unit during the morning skate. During Holden's 5-on-5 ice time on Sunday, the Rangers had four shot attempts and allowed 21 attempts against; during Kampfer's 5-on-5 minutes, they had six shot attempts and 20 against, according to hockeystats.ca. "They competed. They played hard," Vigneault said of the Holden- Kampfer pairing. "They weren't perfect; there were a couple of decisions there. But tor the most part they competed real hard. They waited for the opportunity. They got themselves ready for the opportunity and they played well." New York Daily News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077513 New York Rangers

Rangers coach sits veteran defenseman again

By Brett Cyrgalis October 11, 2017 | 3:07am

How treasured rookie talked Rangers into giving him a chance Rangers demote prized rookie to a surprising place The makeup of the Rangers defense is hardly what they thought it was going to be in training camp, and suddenly the question is whether that group is still a strength of theirs at all. For the second straight game, coach Alain Vigneault made veteran Brendan Smith a healthy scratch, this time also adding 21-year-old righty Anthony DeAngelo to that list for the team’s 3-1 loss to the Blues on Tuesday night at the Garden. Playing on the third pair was Nick Holden and Steven Kampfer, who had both been scratched for the opening two games and struggled during Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Canadiens. “I’m never surprised. Every season is different,” Vigneault said of his defense corps. “You go in thinking that the makeup of your team might be this and this, but at the end of the day, like you mention before every training camp, players are the ones that make your decisions for you by how they play. “Right now, on defense, we’ve got eight guys that in our estimation can all play in the NHL. So there’s good internal competition, and it should bring [out] the best of them.” Smith sitting might be the biggest surprise, having come over at last season’s trade deadline and then re-signing with the Blueshirts just before he would have become an unrestricted free agent. The four-year, $17.4 million deal, carrying an annual salary-cap hit of $4.35 million, was quite an investment in the 28-year-old, who plays with as much physicality and edge as anyone on the roster but had a tough opening two games to start the year. “What Smitty has to do, and what Anthony has to do, they have to get ready, stay ready,” Vigneault said, “and when they get the next opportunity, they have to force me to keep them in the lineup by their play.” Winger Adam Cracknell made an inauspicious Rangers debut, playing 8:01 after being claimed off waivers from the Stars on Monday. The 32- year-old got fourth-line duty with David Desharnais and Paul Carey, but as Vigneault cut down to the three lines trying to come back from a 2-1 deficit, Cracknell got just two shifts in the third period. Part of the reason Cracknell was claimed was that he had a career year last season under coach Lindy Ruff, who is now a Rangers assistant. “Playing for Lindy Ruff I think helped last year, and having such a good season under him,” said Cracknell, who scored 10 goals with 16 points in 69 games for Dallas. “Now I have to build that trust up with a new organization and make sure they made the right decision.” Veteran forward Andrew Desjardins was released from his professional tryout. He had been with the team all through training camp, but after a preseason suspension, he never got a contract offer. With DeAngelo as a scratch, Vigneault had to change his second power- play unit, where DeAngelo played along the blue line. The coach went with Jimmy Vesey, now both of the man-advantage units comprising of four forwards and one defenseman. New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077514 New York Rangers

Kevin Shattenkirk can’t discover winning formula against ex-team

By Larry Brooks October 11, 2017 | 1:31am

Not even a double dose of double deuces down the stretch was enough to rescue the Rangers from another in what has become a disturbing early trend of disjointed and detached performances. For while Kevin Shattenkirk was on for 5:05 of the final 10:31 (and Ryan McDonagh for 5:45 of the final 9:12), the Rangers fell to 1-3 with their 3-1 defeat at the Garden on Tuesday to No. 22’s former team from St. Louis. The Blueshirts, who fell behind at the 0:15 mark as a direct result of an egregious Brady Skjei giveaway before knotting it soon after on Mika Zibanejad’s fourth power-play goal and fifth overall, had serious difficulty creating any kind of a flow on the attack after the Blues took a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal of their own at 13:30 of the first. “I think we’ve been trying to stretch the rink too much,” said Shattenkirk, who recorded his third power-play assist on Zibanejad’s goal. “I’ve been a victim myself of trying to make long, home-run passes. We’re not coming up as a unit of five. “You can see when we play the right way, how fast we look. When we use our speed to support each other, that’s when we look fast. We need to get the puck in by making simple plays and grind away.” The Rangers did generate a few chances in the third period in tallying 16 shots against Carter Hutton. But the back-up yielded nothing, just as he had a year ago in St. Louis when his team was outshot 15-0 in the third in a 3-2 victory. Then, Shattenkirk was on the winning side, wearing the Blue note rather than the Blueshirt. The defenseman, who played 425 games for St. Louis before a brief stop in D.C. preceded his free-agent signing with the Rangers on July 1, said that this one carried no special significance. “Time has gone by and in my mind I’ve been separated from that team already,” Shattenkirk, whose run in St. Louis ended when he was traded as a rental to Washington two days before last season’s March 1 deadline, said before the match. “It’s going to be fun. I really just enjoy doing this, enjoy playing against my buddies and trying to come out with the upper hand.” Two out of three for him. Three out of four (the wrong way) for his team. New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077515 New York Rangers

Lethargic Rangers undone by another slow start

By Brett Cyrgalis October 10, 2017 | 9:51PM

No apologies necessary if you intermittently nodded off during this one, but unfortunately for the Rangers, the points count just the same now as they will in the spring. So the only real question is the level of concern after a few early mistakes and some sleepy hockey led to a 3-1 loss to the Blues on Tuesday night at the Garden and dropped the Blueshirts to 1-3-0 to start the season. “There has to be [concern],” Rick Nash said. “With all these home games early on, these are the games when you get to March and April that really mean something. There’s definitely an urgency to fix this and start winning some games.” The biggest thing for the Rangers to fix is their starts, as they’ve come out of the gate in each of their first four matches with little jump and with flights of fancy on their brains. None was more drastic than this one, when a turnover from Brady Skjei off the opening draw led to Carl Gunnarsson giving St. Louis a 1-0 lead just 15 seconds into the game. “Almost every game, in our first three or four shifts, we’ve struggled,” Nash said. “I don’t think there’s any changes inside the room [before the game], but in past years, we were just simple. You look at the plays we tried to make early on, they’re kind of complicated plays and end up turning over the puck.” Trying to make fancy plays and forgetting about puck management or defending their own end is what led to the Rangers losing the first two games of the season. It created a slight panic in their world, especially after the 8-5 thumping in Toronto on Saturday. “We’re trying to put together a full game here and we haven’t done that very much at all in any game,” captain Ryan McDonagh said. “It’s getting to a handful of games now where we need to start finding that right from the start.” It didn’t take long for the Rangers to stabilize things, when just over two minutes into the game they tied it, 1-1, with another power-play goal from Mika Zibanejad. It was his fifth of the season and fourth on the man- advantage that is now 5-for-16 (31.3 percent) to begin the year. There was also relative stability in goal, with Henrik Lundqvist following his 34-save shutout against the Canadiens on Sunday night with some stellar plays when needed, none better than the left-pad stop on Paul Stastny at 6:35 of the third period that was so close to going in it had to be reviewed and upheld as a no-goal. But Lundqvist couldn’t stop Brayden Shenn from banking one in from behind the net off what he thought was his skate, a power-play goal at 13:30 of the first period that made it 2-1 and actually stood up as the game-winner as the teams slogged through a mind-numbing and scoreless second period. “Honestly, I don’t know how that found the net,” Lundqvist said of Schenn’s goal. “It was obviously frustrating to see it go in.” The Rangers had a handful of chances in the third period, but couldn’t get any of their 16 shots in that final frame past St. Louis backup goalie Carter Hutton, who finished with 32 saves. “We’ve been getting goals,” Zibanejad said, “but unfortunately we need to get the more important goals late in the game.” What the Rangers really need to start getting is a couple wins. They have two days of practice before they play the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Friday night, and if it keeps up this way, the season could quickly get away from them. “We lost a few games,” Lundqvist said. “It’s important that we get the urgency and realize how important the next game is and the game after that. You have to see it as a big game every night.” New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077516 New York Rangers New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017

How treasured rookie talked Rangers into giving him a chance

By Larry Brooks October 10, 2017 | 1:44PM

The Rangers are keeping their options open. All of them. And if you want to know why the Blueshirts dispatched Filip Chytil to the AHL Wolf Pack instead of sending him back home to his native Czech Republic following a two-game trial run on Broadway, here is as good of an answer as any, provided by the 18-year-old himself and relayed by general manager Jeff Gorton. “In his mind,” the GM told The Post on Tuesday before the Rangers’ 3-1 loss to the Blues at the Garden, “Filip is an NHL player.” Gorton did not need Chytil’s permission to assign him to the AHL. But the GM made it clear that Chytil — who is also eligible to play for North Bay of the OHL—was sympatico with the organization’s decision. “I had a talk with Filip this morning where we discussed what would be best for him,” Gorton said. “And doing what’s best for him and his long- term interests are the priority. “We want to see more of him before we come to the conclusion that he should go back to Czech—if that’s the decision. There’s no timetable on this. It depends on how it goes for him in Hartford. It could be a long-term thing, it might not be. Chytil, the 21st-overall selection in the 2017 draft, had an eye-opening training camp. He forced his way into contention for a job on the opening roster that he nailed down with an impressive string of performances during the exhibition season. The Rangers, in serious need of skill down the middle, gave him a sweater and a spot in the lineup between big-time wingers Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello for the Oct. 5 opener against Colorado. But he played only 7:40 in the 4-2 defeat and then got only 4:59 in the Oct. 7 loss in Toronto, sitting for the final 33:03. He was a healthy scratch Sunday for a 2-0 victory over Montreal. “He was the first to admit that the pace and competition stepped up from the pre-season,” Gorton said. “Filip said that he was a little bit nervous on the ice. So we wanted to get him to a place where he would get the time he needs to develop. And he is going to get all the time he needs there.” The Rangers are doing right by themselves and by Chytil. They are not forcing the issue the way they did in the last 90’s when the pipeline was dry, the club was was bereft of young talent and Manny Malhotra was on the roster as an 18-year-old as part of a PR campaign designed to prove that the organization had NHL-ready kids. There is always a push-pull with kids. The Rangers on Monday claimed 32-year-old journeyman Adam Cracknell off waivers to play on the fourth- line rather than promote 22-year-old Vinni Lettieri, who had crackling training camp, from the Wolf Pack. They suddenly have nine guys on the other side of 30. But 26-and-unders Mika Zibanejad Chris Kreider, Brady Skjei, J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes have major roles. It is true that Alain Vigneault — like most coaches around the league — will trust guys who have done it before even when that trust is no longer warranted (e.g., Dan Boyle), but it is not true to paint him with the wide brush of holding back kids. “We want to give Filip more time to acclimate himself to the smaller rink surface over here, which he acknowledged that he needs,” Gorton said. “And he wants it. “Over the summer when we talked, he saw himself as either in the NHL or playing back home. But that’s changed, at least for now. I told him that we want to be able to keep an eye on him, to watch him play, to see how he progresses. We’re not rushing to any decision on him. “As far as the world junior tournament, that didn’t come up in our talk. That’s a long way off. He didn’t ask about it. That’s not our focus. Our focus is to do what we can to see him gate better. And the world junior is not his focus. His focus is on playing for the Rangers. “You know what, too? We have control here. I don’t mean control of the player, I mean control over how much he plays, what line he plays on, whether he’s on the power play. It’s nice to have control, sometimes. 1077517 New York Rangers

Rangers demote prized rookie to a surprising place

By Brett Cyrgalis October 10, 2017 | 11:10am

The Rangers’ experiment with Filip Chytil has taken a somewhat unexpected turn, as they sent the talented 18-year-old center to AHL Hartford on Tuesday before their Garden match against the Blues. Chytil, the No. 21-overall pick from this year’s draft, played the first two games with the Blueshirts after making the team out of camp. But he played sparingly while looking slightly overwhelmed on the ice and was a healthy scratch for the team’s first win, a 2-0 shutout of the Canadiens on Sunday night. It was expected that Chytil would be sent back to his native Czech Republic if he didn’t stick with the Rangers, but the organization apparently thought his best place for development was in the AHL. The team also released Andrew Desjardins from his professional tryout. Forward Adam Cracknell, whom they claimed off waivers from the Stars on Monday, was expected to make his Rangers debut Tuesday, taking line rushes in the morning on the fourth line. New York Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077518 New York Rangers

Rangers bottled up by Blues for loss at Garden

By Steve Zipay

On paper, the odds seemed against the St. Louis Blues. After all, they came into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday missing five injured players: Alex Steen, Jay Bouwmeester, Robby Fabbri, Patrik Berglund and Zach Sanford. They played Monday afternoon in Brooklyn, and backup goaltender Carter Hutton was making his first appearance of the season against the Rangers. That’s why they play the games. The Blues picked up their fourth consecutive victory, 3-1, and dropped the Rangers to 1-3. Is there any concern at 1-3? “There has to be,” said Rick Nash. “With all these home games early on, these are the games when you get to March and April, they really mean something. So I think there’s an urgency to fix this and start winning some games.” Just 15 seconds in, the Blues got on the board. Carl Gunnarsson was left alone in front and beat Henrik Lundqvist, making his fourth consecutive start, for his second goal of the season. To be fair, the Rangers weren’t all that fresh playing their fourth game in six days, but when Jaden Schwartz went off for a hook at 1:18, the Rangers tied the score. Mika Zibanejad fired in a backhand pass from Pavel Buchnevich, his team-leading fifth goal and fourth on the power play at 2:21, knotting the score at 1. It was the center’s fourth straight game with a goal. It was defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk’s first appearance against the Blues with whom he had played for seven seasons before signing here. He downplayed any nerves. “I’ve kinda been away from there for what feels like a long time, so it might make it easier just settling in,” he said. In fact, it was Shattenkirk’s shot from the point, with the puck stopped by Hutton, but bounced to Buchnevich for the assist as the power play improved to 5 for 13. The Chris Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich trio had notched 11 points. But the rest of the offense had gone dry. With Paul Carey off for slashing with 7:41 left, the Blues went back in front. After Steven Kampfer had slid across the slot, out of the play, Brayden Schenn’s bad angle shot to the right of Lundqvist banked off the goalie’s arm and shoulder and in at 13:30. The Blues had two goals on four shots. The Rangers had one on 11. In the second period, Mats Zuccarello took Michael Grabner’s spot with J.T. Miller and Nash. Grabner skated with Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Vesey, but to no avail. The Blues laid back and bottled up the Blueshirts in mid-ice, made them work for everything, and held them to just six shots on Hutton. That included a futile power play at 6:27. Without the power play, the Rangers have been awfully light when it comes to scoring. Of their 10 goals, only five have been scored at even strength. The forwards without points so far this season? Nash, Vesey and David Desharnais. And Hayes and Grabner have just one assist each. With 14:50 to go in regulation, the Blues had a two-man advantage for 1:15 with Ryan McDonagh and Kampfer in the penalty box. In a golden opportunity after killing the 5 on 3, Grabner was stopped on a breakaway by Hutton, who finished with 32 saves. The Rangers got pucks in deeper, with just under nine minutes left, but Hutton made three saves, two on Vesey, to hold the fort. He stopped two shots, just under the six minute mark, one that left Buchnevich frustrated. And with Lundqvist pulled for an extra skater, Schwartz scored an empty- netter with 1:45 left. Mika Zibanejad: “We’ve been getting goals, but haven’t been able to get the more important goals, late in the game, that’s unfortunate,” said Zibanejad. “We have to be a little more desperate when it comes to that.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077519 New York Rangers

Adam Cracknell to play on Rangers’ fourth line tonight

By Steve Zipay

Adam Cracknell, the veteran right wing who was claimed off waivers from Dallas on Monday, will slide right into the Rangers’ lineup against St. Louis at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound Cracknell, 32, will be on the fourth line with center David Desharnais and left wing Paul Carey. “When he became available, we talked with our pro scouts and [assistant coach] Lindy [Ruff] and they felt he was a fourth-line player, a right- handed shot who can play the wing and the middle and help on the penalty kill,” head coach Alain Vigneault said. “We felt it gave us a little more depth. Lindy said a lot of great things about him, so we’re going to give him an opportunity to show what he can do.” Cracknell has played 204 NHL games for five teams and scored a career-high 10 goals last season. “I played for Lindy [who coached the Stars] and had a good season under him,” said Cracknell, who will wear No. 25. “He just gave me an opportunity, got a lot of minutes. I was just going to the net and got some lucky bounces, and tried not to spend too much time in our d-zone . . . I’m a pretty simple player, heavy on the forecheck, I try to be physical, be a big body in front of the net. That’s my goal.” The Rangers released former Blackhawks forward Andrew Desjardins from his tryout. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077520 New York Rangers

Rangers send Filip Chytil to AHL in Hartford

By Steve Zipay

What’s next for rookie center Filip Chytil? Chytil, who played just 12 minutes in the first two games and was benched for the third, was assigned on Tuesday to Hartford of the AHL, where he will play two games with the Wolf Pack this weekend. Head coach Alain Vigneault described the evaluation as day-by-day, and set no timetable for any decisions on Chytil’s next step. “We felt he needed to play,” Vigneault said. “We haven’t quite made up our mind on him and the makeup of our team.” The two AHL games — or more — won’t affect the contract status of Chytil, 18, who was the 21st overall selection in the June draft. He could still be sent home to play for his Czech Republic team. He can play up to nine NHL games before burning a year on his entry-level contract. Pavel Buchnevich, who spent time in Hartford as a rookie last season, said the minor-league stint “helped me. I played a lot of minutes. It’s a tough league, more physical than the NHL.” The AHL, said Chris Kreider, is “a developmental league for a reason.” Smith sits again Brendan Smith, 28, who signed a four-year, $17.4-million contract during the summer and was benched for the defeat of the Canadiens Sunday, was a healthy scratch again. Fellow defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, 21, who dressed Sunday but was used sparingly as a seventh blueliner, also wasn’t in the lineup. “What Smitty and Anthony have to do is stay ready, and when they get the opportunity, they’ve got to force me to keep them in the lineup,” Vigneault said. “On defense we’ve got eight guys who, in our estimation, can play in the NHL. There’s good internal competition.” Desjardins released With the arrival of Adam Cracknell, who played Tuesday after being claimed off waivers from Dallas, veteran forward Andrew Desjardins was released from his tryout. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.11.2017

1077521 Ottawa Senators Not long after the Senators took the lead, the Canucks came back to tie it up at 7:03 when Tanev’s shot from the point beat a screened Anderson. You’ve got to give Vanek credit because he did a good job making sure Senators record first victory of season with shootout win over Canucks Anderson didn’t see the puck. Ceci’s first of the season at 4:08 of the opening period wasn’t exactly pretty but he’ll take it. The puck somehow squeezed through Markstrom BRUCE GARRIOCH on one he’ll want back. The Senators will skate in Calgary Thursday to prepare to face the Flames. VANCOUVER — The Ottawa Senators scored their first victory of the season Tuesday night and it came in an unlikely fashion. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 10.11.2017 After suffering back-to-back shootout losses to start the year, the Senators scored 3-2 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks by getting a win in the skills contest at Rogers Arena for the 400th road win in Ottawa franchise history. Mark Stone scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Senators an important two points. Ryan Dzingel tied it up late to send it to OT by beating Jacob Markstrom while Cody Ceci also chipped in for the Senators. Thomas Vanek and Chris Tanev scored in regulation for the Canucks while Craig Anderson halted Sven Baertschi on a breakaway in the final minute of overtime. “You never want to go 0-for-3 in the shootout. Those are big points that can help you along the way,” said Stone. “That’s pretty important win for us. It gets us out of that loss column for the first time this year. We’re pretty excited to put those two points in the bag.” This night was looking pretty grim for the Senators until Dzingel scored his first of the season at 5:09 of the second. He took a pass across the slot from Bobby Ryan and fired it into an open net to tie it up 2-2. Up until then, Markstrom looked like he might not allow the Senators to get back into this. It was an emotional night for winger Alex Burrows. He faced his former Vancouver teammates for the first time since being dealt to Ottawa at last year’s trade deadline. After a video tribute in the first television timeout, Burrows was given a standing ovation by the crowd and both benches. He wasn’t able to score on a shootout attempt. “It was just a perfect night for me,” said Burrows. “I’m just happy with the win and we’ll move onto the next game.” The power play — which has yet to score in the first three games — continues to be an area of concern. The Senators went 0-for-4 against the Canucks and are now 0-for-16. It doesn’t help that the club is without power-play quarterback Erik Karlsson and there is no timetable for his return. The good news is the Senators haven’t allowed a power-play goal this year either and the Canucks went 0-for-4. This was the start of a three-game Western Canadian road swing that will continue Friday against the Calgary Flames and wrap up Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Coach Guy Boucher only wanted the players to concern themselves with the Canucks. The Senators opted to dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen which meant Thomas Chabot suited up for his first game of the season while Christian Jaros made his NHL debut and Boucher wanted to make sure that duo received some help from the veteran players by chipping in defensively. “You’re eventually going to win one of those shootouts. It’s a matter of statistics,” said Anderson. “I thought we did a great job. It was another resilient effort by the guys being down a goal in the third and finding a way to get a point. We took care of business in the shootout.” Jaros did a solid job. “It feels really good. I was glad to be on the ice with those guys. I was nervous but after the first shift it went away,” said Jaros. While the Senators outplayed and outshot the Canucks 26-18 through 40 minutes, Ottawa trailed 2-1 on the scoreboard. The Senators dominated the shot clock 15-8 in the second period. Vanek fired a shot from high in the slot that beat a screened Anderson at 14:28 of the second to give the Canucks the lead. The Senators had plenty of opportunities but they couldn’t find a way to beat Markstrom and it was costly. Tied 1-1 after the first, the Senators couldn’t take advantage of a double- minor to Derek Dorsett for high sticking Ryan Dzingel. 1077522 Ottawa Senators intense,” said Green. “It was just the way you wanted hockey to be. I have fond memories of those Ottawa-Toronto games, rivalries and the intensity — not just with the players but with the fans. They were Snapshots: Karlsson and Oduya inching closer to return definitely fun games to play.” THE LAST WORDS: Centre Kyle Turris always appreciates the chance to come home so he can catch up with his family. Sunday night he lent a BRUCE GARRIOCH little time to the community when he dropped the puck at the Grandview Steelers junior B game Sunday night. Turris spent time in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and he was recently voted the top Steelers’ player all time when the organization put together a top 50 list. “That was a lot of VANCOUVER — Erik Karlsson and Johnny Oduya didn’t make the trek fun to say hi to those guys,” said Turris, who grew up in New to Western Canada to join the Ottawa Senators Tuesday. Westminster, B.C. That doesn’t mean they’ve been ruled out of playing on this road trip Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 10.11.2017 completely. The Senators’ captain and the veteran defencemen continued their rehabilitation from injuries in Ottawa and coach Guy Boucher told reporters Tuesday morning before facing the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena that both players have made progress in recovering from their injuries. While Karlsson has yet to make his debut because he’s recovering from off-season surgery to repair a tendon in his foot, Oduya was hurt in the club’s first game of the season last Thursday against the Washington Capitals at home. “We get information every day on how he’s feeling,” Boucher said. “At any moment, (Karlsson) could be coming in, but it won’t be (Tuesday). We’re hoping for this weekend and, if not, then on the way back home we meet Vancouver again next Tuesday. “For sure it’s a day-to-day thing. It’s not week-to-week now.” Oduya is in the same situation, apparently. “He’s day-to-day, also. It’s getting better and better so we’re crossing our fingers for Friday,” Boucher said. For both players? “Yeah, for both. It could be none, it could be one of them and it could be two,” Boucher added. “I’m waiting for positive news, that’s for sure.” Boucher decided to dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen against the Canucks to open this trip but didn’t settle on his lineup until after the warmup. Belleville call-up Thomas Chabot was a certainty to make his season debut. Christian Jaros made his NHL debut as a result of using seven blueliners. “Right now we’re aware that our young guys are going to be put in a situation that is tough on the road where we don’t get the last (change) for matchups,” Boucher said. “Also, the vets on our team have done terrific in the first two games, but they’ve been extended and they’ve had to play minutes they don’t normally play. “We were also able to match up what we wanted (at home) and we know on the road the biggest difference is that we don’t have the last change. So we’re hoping to manage our defensive core so we expose the least people possible.” The decision to dress seven defencemen meant Logan Brown and Alex Formenton were healthy scratches against the Canucks. There was some concern winger Mike Hoffman may not be able to dress but he was in the lineup despite battling the flu. OFF THE GLASS: The Senators didn’t want Chabot to be super-human in his debut. Instead, they just wanted their top pick in the 2015 NHL draft to be solid at both ends of the ice. “We just want him to continue learning the pro details and to manage the game well with the puck and without the puck,” said Boucher. “We already know about his attributes, so it’s not a moment where he needs to come in and shine and impress. I won’t be more impressed because he skates fast tonight. I know how well he skates and how well he plays with the puck. It’s about learning the pro game.” … Jaros, who had only suited up for two games in Belleville since arriving from overseas, was excited to get the call. “I was really happy for it,” said Jaros Tuesday. “It’s a new experience for me and I’m really happy and glad I can be here with the guys.” A fifth-round pick in 2015, the Senators are excited about Jaros’ future in the NHL and they believe he’ll be a strong performer down the road. AROUND THE BOARDS: Alternate captain Dion Phaneuf noted the Senators can’t worry about the injuries. “We come to the rink, we’ve got who we’ve got in our lineup and we’ve got to do the job,” Phaneuf said before facing the Canucks. “Injuries are part of this business and it’s how you manage them. We’ve been through this before with guys in and out of the lineup and you’ve got to draw on that experience.” … Canucks coach Travis Green was a central figure with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario and he has good memories. “It was great, fun and 1077523 Ottawa Senators

Boucher not sure what full lineup will look like Tuesday night, but Chabot will play

BRUCE GARRIOCH

VANCOUVER — It appears the Ottawa Senators aren’t taking any chances with their blue line. After losing Johnny Oduya and Ben Harpur in the first two games of the season, head coach Guy Boucher may dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen Tuesday night as they open this three-game Western Canada road swing at Rogers Arena against the Vancouver Canucks. However, the 11-7 split may depend on the health of winger Mike Hoffman, who missed Monday’s skate with the flu but was on the ice Tuesday morning for the skate and left with the rest of the players. Rookie defencemen Thomas Chabot and Christian Jaros — both called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville Sunday — could suit up against the Canucks. If both of those defencemen are in the lineup, that means rookies Alex Formenton and Logan Brown won’t play. The Senators finished its first two games with only five blue-liners. “I’ve got to find out about a forward and then we’ll make a decision whether we’re going with 11 (forwards) and seven (defencemen), or 12 and six,” Boucher said Tuesday morning. “If we’re going with 12, then Brown will be in. If we’re going 11 and 7, then he won’t be and both young defencemen will be in.” It’s certain that Thomas Chabot will play. There was no update on the status of captain Erik Karlsson and Oduya. Both are in Ottawa and may join the Senators later in the trip. Goaltender Craig Anderson will start versus the Canucks. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077524 Ottawa Senators to draw on that experience.” ... Canucks’ coach Travis Green was a central figure with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario and he Status of Senators' Karlsson and Oduya updated to day-to-day as good memories. “It was great, fun and intense,” said Green. “It was just the way you wanted hockey to be. I have fond memories of those Ottawa-Toronto games, rivalries and the intensity — not just with the BY BRUCE GARRIOCH, OTTAWA SUN players but with the fans. They were definitely fun games to play.” THE LAST WORDS VANCOUVER — Erik Karlsson and Johnny Oduya didn’t make the trek Centre Kyle Turris always appreciates the chance to come home so he to Western Canada to join the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. can catch up with his family. Sunday night he lent a little time to the community when he dropped the puck at the Grandview Steelers junior B That doesn’t mean they’ve been ruled out of this trip completely. game Sunday night. Turris spent time in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and he was recently voted the top Steelers’ player of all time The Senators captain and the veteran defenceman both continued their when the organization put together a top-50 list. “That was a lot of fun to rehabilitation from injuries in Ottawa and coach Guy Boucher told say hi to those guys,” said Turris, who grew up in New Westminster, B.C. reporters Tuesday morning before facing the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena that their injuries have made progress. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.11.2017 While Karlsson has yet to make his debut because he’s recovering from off-season surgery to repair a tendon in his foot, Oduya was hurt in the club’s first game of the season last Thursday against the Washington Capitals at home. It sounds like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for both players to suit up soon. “We get information every day on how he’s feeling,” Boucher said. “At any moment, (Karlsson) could be coming in but it won’t be (Tuesday). That’s for sure but we’re hoping for this weekend and, if not, then on the way back home we meet Vancouver again next Tuesday. “For sure it’s a day-to-day thing. It’s not week-to-week now.” Oduya is in the same situation, apparently “He’s day-to-day also. It’s getting better and better so we’re crossing our fingers for Friday,” Boucher said. For both players? “Yeah, for both. It could be none, it could be one of them and it could be two. And one of them could be one or the other to be honest with you,” Boucher added. “I’m waiting for positive news that’s for sure.” Boucher was toying with playing 11 forwards and seven defencemen against the Canucks to open this trip but he wasn’t going to settle on his lineup until after warmup. Belleville callup Thomas Chabot was a certainty to make his season debut and if the club used seven defencemen then Christian Jaros was going to get his first NHL game. “Right now, we’re aware that our young guys are going to be put in a situation that is tough on the road where we don’t get the last (change) for matchups,” Boucher said. “Also, the vets on our team have done terrific in the first two games, but they’ve been extended and they’ve had to play minutes they don’t normally play. “We were also able to matchup what we wanted (at home) and we know on the road that’s the biggest difference is that we don’t have the last change. So we’re hoping to manage our defensive core so we expose the least people possible.” If the club didn’t dress seven defencemen then Logan Brown was scheduled to play and that depended on the health of winger Mike Hoffman, who missed Monday’s practice with the flu but took part in the morning skate OFF THE GLASS The Senators didn’t want Chabot to be super-human in his debut. Instead, they just wanted their top pick in the 2015 NHL draft to be solid at both ends of the ice. “We just want him to continue learning the pro details and to manage the game well with the puck and without the puck,” said Boucher. “We already know about his attributes, so it’s not a moment where he needs to come in and shine and impress. I won’t be more impressed because he skates fast tonight. I know how well he skates and how well he plays with the puck. It’s about learning the pro game.” ... Jaros, who had only suited up for two games in Belleville since arriving from overseas, was excited to get the call from. “I was really happy for it,” he said. “It’s a new experience for me and I’m really happy and glad I can be here with the guys.” A fifth-round pick in 2015, the Senators are excited about Jaros’ future in the NHL and they believe he’ll be strong performer down the road. AROUND THE BOARDS Alternate captain Dion Phaneuf noted the Senators can’t worry about the injuries. “We come to the rink, we’ve got who we’ve got in our lineup and we’ve got to do the job,” Phaneuf said before facing the Canucks. “Injuries are part of this business and it’s how you manage them. We’ve been through this before with guys in and out of the lineup and you’ve got 1077525 Ottawa Senators “I’m just going to try to focus on trying to help my team win. It might be hard, but that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

For Burrows, that may have been easier said than done. Not just any other game for Senators’ Burrows BURROWS APPRECIATED

Some of Alex Burrows’ teammates knew how he was feeling on Tuesday BY BRUCE GARRIOCH, OTTAWA SUN morning because they’ve been through this situation before and understand it’s not easy to face old teammates. VANCOUVER — The expectation was Alex Burrows would be welcomed But the Senators thought this would be a nice night for Burrows to back with open arms on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. celebrate a strong career with the Canucks. This wasn’t just any other game for the Senators winger, it was his “I played against Burr a lot when he was out here. Calgary-Vancouver chance to return to the place he called home for 12 NHL seasons with was a big rivalry and I think he’s going to get a very warm reception and the Vancouver Canucks. A planned video to honour his career with the one that’s very well -deserved,” said Senators alternate captain Dion club during the first television timeout was sure to be emotional. Phaneuf before the game. Make no mistake, Burrows, 36, made his impact felt here — which is why “He did a lot for this team, he’s done a lot for the community, and we’re this night was going to be special. really happy to have him on our team. He’s a guy in the locker room who’s a great leader in the way he goes about his routine and how “I had a chance to talk to him this morning and he seems excited. It’s professional he is. That’s a big reason why he’s played as long as he has going to be a special night for him for sure and for the guys in this room and been as effective as he’s been.” who played with him,” said Canucks winger Daniel Sedin after Tuesday’s morning skate. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.11.2017 Sedin has plenty of respect for the way Burrows carved out his career with the Canucks after going undrafted and spending three seasons in the East Coast Hockey League before earning an AHL deal with the Vancouver organization. “He started out as a fourth-line guy (in 2005-06) and he did everything he could to stay on this team and be good for this team,” Sedin added. “That’s something you have to respect and that’s something you want to see from guys nowadays — (players) that do everything they can to stay in the lineup. “He moved up. He started on the fourth line, moved up to third and then we (Daniel and his brother Henrik Sedin) got a chance to play with him as well and had a lot of success. A big part of that success was him.” The Senators arrived in Vancouver on Sunday afternoon so the players could get adjusted to the time change. That allowed Burrows the opportunity to catch up with some of his ex-teammates on Monday for dinner. He said he will be happy to have this game behind him so he can turn the page. “This city means a lot to me. It has a special place in my heart,” Burrow told a huge media scrum in the Ottawa locker room. “I caught up with a few guys (Sunday) night and, once the puck drops, it’s going to be business-like. We need these points and that’s why we’re here.” He admitted the tribute would be emotional for him. “A little bit,” Burrows said. “I spent 12 great years in this city and this team meant a lot to me. I’m sure (the video) is going to be special to me, but at the same time, once it’s all over, I need to focus on my game and helping my team win.” Naturally, his former teammates were bugging him because they were going to get the chance to play against him for the first time since he was dealt to the Senators at last February’s trade deadline. Winger Jake Virtanen exchanged barbs with Burrows by text message. “It’s be great to see Burr. I texted him last night and said I’m coming after him. He replied with some things I probably can’t say,” said Virtanen with a smile. In Vancouver, Burrows’ actions spoke louder than words. He gave everything he had every time he pulled on the No. 14 jersey for the Canucks. People appreciated his work ethic — it was a big reason why he earned the right to play with the Sedin twins on the club’s top line at one point in his career. “He meant a lot to this organization,” Daniel Sedin said. “Not only on the ice, but off the ice as well. He did so many great things in this community and meant a lot to the young guys on this team. “I think he set a great example for how to act inside and outside the locker room.” Burrows was trying to take it all in stride, but he wasn’t sure what it was going to feel like to skate here in another uniform. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like. My main focus will be to play a normal game and try to forget all my old friends on the other team and that jersey on the other team,” Burrows said. 1077526 Ottawa Senators

Senators might dress 11 forwards vs. Canucks

BY BRUCE GARRIOCH, OTTAWA SUN

VANCOUVER — It appears the Ottawa Senators aren't taking any chances with their blue line. After losing Johnny Oduya and Ben Harpur to injury during the first two games of the season, head coach Guy Boucher may dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen Tuesday night as the club opens its three-game Western Canada road swing at Rogers Arena against the Vancouver Canucks. However, the 11-7 split depends on the health of winger Mike Hoffman, who missed Monday’s skate with the flu but was on the ice Tuesday morning for the skate and left with the rest of the players. Rookie defencemen Thomas Chabot and Christian Jaros — both called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville Sunday — could suit up against the Canucks. If both of those defencemen are in the lineup, rookies Alex Formenton and Logan Brown won’t play. The Senators finished its first two games with only five blue-liners. “I’ve got to find out about a forward and then we’ll make a decision whether we’re going with 11 (forwards) and seven (defencemen), or 12 and six,” Boucher said Tuesday morning. “If we’re going with 12, then Brown will be in. If we’re going 11 and 7, then he won’t be and both young defencemen will be in.” It’s certain that Chabot will play. Jaros is the question mark. On Tuesday, there was no update on the status of captain Erik Karlsson and Oduya. Both are in Ottawa and may join the Senators later in the trip. Goaltender Craig Anderson will start versus the Canucks. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077527 Philadelphia Flyers MacDonald and Patrick scored 16 seconds apart to slice the deficit to 3- 2. It was the first NHL goal for Patrick, who benefitted from Weise’s relentless forechecking and his slick pass from behind the net that set up Flyers blow late lead and lose to Nashville, 6-5, as challenge backfires the 19-year-old rookie in front. “It was an unbelievable play by Weiser to jump right off the draw, get on their D, and throw it in front for a pretty easy goal for me,” Patrick said. by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER MacDonald’s goal — a point blast after he took a pass from Scott Laughton — was his first in 51 games, dating to Dec. 19, 2016. It got the Flyers to within 3-1 with 9:41 to go in the stanza. NASHVILLE — Close to a downtown area known as Honky Tonk Highway — where bars are filled with loud music and cold beverages — Filpulla tied it on a rebound with 4:55 left in the second, scoring on a many Nashville hotels give their patrons complimentary earplugs so they rebound to end the Flyers’ 0-for-15 power-play drought. can block out the noise. Before Nashville hoisted its first-ever Western Conference championship The Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Predators’ home, is usually more banner to the rafters in an emotional pregame ceremony, Hakstol called uproarious than its neighbors on Broadway, but earplugs were not Tuesday’s matchup “the biggest game of the road trip.” handed out Tuesday night. The Predators, energized by the gold-clad crowd, dominated the opening It wouldn’t have been a bad idea, however, because the noise level was 10 minutes as they fired eight of the game’s first 10 shots and took an deafening as the Predators scored three late goals to jolt the Flyers, 6-5. early lead on Craig Smith’s power-play goal. With Nashville on a six-on-three power play _ two Flyers were in the A little over four minutes into the game, with Claude Giroux in the penalty penalty box, and the Preds pulled their goalie — the hosts tied it at 5-5 box for slashing, Smith connected on a wrist shot from the high slot, on Scott Hartnell’s goal with 1:17 left. The Flyers challenged the play, beating Elliott to the stick side. claiming there was an offside. Twenty-five seconds into the game, Elliott had denied Viktor Arvidsson But the call stood and the Flyers received another penalty because of a on a breakaway, making a left-pad save. new NHL rule that penalizes a team for an unsuccessful challenge. But Elliott allowed a juicy rebound to former Flyer Hartnell, who scored The challenge proved fatal. on a left-circle put-back to put the Preds ahead, 2-0, with 16:52 left in the second. It was a demoralizing goal because the Flyers, after a slow start, Fillip Forsberg scored on a five-on-four with 35.6 seconds remaining to had gradually taken play away. About two minutes later, Nick Bonino give the Preds the lead for good. scored on another rebound and Nashville had a 3-0 advantage before the Flyers erupted. Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said the game-changing offside challenge was “absolutely worth it” because he felt the goal would be overturned. For the second straight game, the Flyers played a team hit hard by injuries. “I don’t want to get into the details,” he said when asked about why he thought Forsberg was offside earlier in the sequence. Nashville played without two of its best defensemen, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis (long-term injured list). Josi was replaced by 19-year-old Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said he understood why Hakstol Samuel Girard, a quick but small defender (5-foot-10, 162 pounds) who challenged the call. made his NHL debut. “Those decisions are tough….you live by the sword and die by the sword, After the morning skate, MacDonald said when an opponent is missing and you have to respect the guy because he’s trying to win a hockey starters, like Nashville, you “try to play your own game. You don’t want to game,” he said. get in a mental trap of thinking it’s going to be an easier game because The Flyers, who overcame a 3-0 deficit and netted the game’s next five some of their best players aren’t playing,” he said. goals, got two power-play scores from Val Filppula as they finished a On Saturday, the Flyers scored a 3-2 overtime win against an Anaheim season-starting 2-2 road trip. team that was missing six regulars and its backup goalie. With 2:51 to play, Dale Weise (holding) and Andrew MacDonald (tripping) Three nights later, they overcame a three-goal deficit and were on the were called for penalties to give the Preds a five-on-three for a full two verge of ending what would have been a highly satisfying 3-1 road trip. minutes. It became a six-on-three when Pekke Rinne was pulled for an But three late penalties and two Nashville goals in the final 77 seconds extra attacker. caused many players to slam locker room doors after they angrily left the “It’s extremely frustrating to battle back the way we did and have it finish ice. like that,” said Weise, who set up Nolan Patrick’s first NHL goal. “…I Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.11.2017 mean, the last five minutes was kind of out of our control there. I think if you look at all the calls they made at the end, it’s frustrating.” The Flyers had a 5-1 edge in power plays before Nashville got three late power plays. “I don’t know if it was makeup calls, but on my penalty the guys pushes me from behind and I’m trying to swim past the guy,” Weise said. “That happens 20 times a game and you don’t call a penalty on that _ and then a double (penalty) on top of that for a five-on-three. You don’t see that very often.” Asked if he felt the win was taken away, losing goalie Brian Elliott said, “I think we gave it away. That’s why it’s frustrating…Just a tough couple minutes. The guys came back and fought hard and did an amazing job at that, but we have to close out the game.” Travis Konecny got ahead of the pack and fired a shot upstairs to beat Rinne, giving the Flyers their first lead, at 4-3, with 14:53 left in regulation. Just 1:41 later, Filppula, who has assumed Brayden Schenn’s spot on the power play, padded the lead to 5-3 with the team’s fifth straight goal of the night. But a defensive breakdown and a terrific lob pass by Ryan Johansen led to Forsberg’s goal _ he roofed it over Elliott _ and got the Preds (1-2) within 5-4 with 12:22 remaining. Trailing 3-0, MacDonald, Patrick, and Filppula scored goals in a stunning 4:46 span of the second period to knot the score. 1077528 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' rookie Samuel Morin: 'I'm sure I can play in this league' by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER

NASHVILLE _ Rookie Samuel Morin didn’t mask his disappointment. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound defenseman had an excellent training camp and made the season-opening four-game road trip with the Flyers. But he sat out each game, the victim of a numbers crunch. “This is the first time in my career I’m a healthy scratch; it’s pretty hard,” Morin said Tuesday after the morning skate at the Bridgestone Arena, where the Flyers faced Nashville later in the night. Morin said he was “pretty upset,“ but that “I just need to keep working hard and see what’s going to happen. There’s not much I can do now, honestly. It’s out of my control.” The good-natured Quebec native, beaten out for the final spot by his good friend and roommate, Travis Sanheim, is expected to be sent to the AHL’s Phantoms, perhaps as early as Wednesday. “I try to stay positive, but it’s hard,” he said. “As a player, you always want to be out there. It’s nothing that’s not normal. If I would be happy with the situation right now, I think it would be not normal.” Morin, 22, was a first-round selection (11th overall) in the 2013 draft. “I just want to play hockey; it’s my passion,” he said. “I try to stay positive and learn from those guys out there. The guys have been great with me.” He talked about he has used his time in the press box to observe other defensemen, including San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic. “I try to learn from those guys and see what they are doing on the ice,” he said, “so I try to get the most out of that experience.” Morin, who had a goal, an assist and a minus-1 rating over five preseason games, said he would “wait for his chance,” but that he was confident in his ability. “I’m sure I can play in this league,” he added. “If I go back to the AHL, I’m going to just work my ass off like I do all the time. I just want to play in the NHL, honestly.” Breakaways. Goalie Brian Elliott made his third start in the first four games……Before the game, Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said he was impressed by the Flyers. “They’re a quick team and they’ve played well to start the year,” he said. “Their youth has come in and done a good job, especially on the back end.”…Entering the night, Sean Couturier led the Flyers with a plus-5 rating, and Wayne Simmonds had half of the team’s eight goals…..The Flyers’ home opener is Saturday night against Washington. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077529 Philadelphia Flyers “It was a big deal for me to have him stand up for me,” Hartnell said, calling Timonen his “best bud.”

Breakaways Flyers face depleted Predators in 'biggest game of the road trip' Samuel Morin will be a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game and figures to be sent to the AHL’s Phantoms in a day or two……The Flyers by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER are 4-0-1 in their last five games against Nashville…..Claude Giroux has six goals in 13 career games against the Preds. Giroux needs one goal to pass Jeff Carter for 15th on the club’s all-time list…..Sean Couturier leads the Flyers with a plus-5 rating…..Wayne Simmonds has half of the NASHVILLE — When the Flyers play in Nashville’s home opener on Flyers’ eight goals…..The Flyers have their home opener Saturday night Tuesday night, they will again face a team that will be missing some key against Washington…..Hakstol on the top line of new left winger Giroux, players who are injured. center Couturier, and right winger Jake Voracek: “I give those three guys a lot of credit. They’ve worked hard to build chemistry and become a Based on the morning skate, Nashville will be without two of its best good line … There’s expectations among themselves is to produce defensemen, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis (long-term injured list). Josi will offensively; they’re doing that, and they’re also playing against the other be replaced by Samuel Girard, a quick but small defender who will be teams’ top groups a lot of nights and they’re doing a good job there, too.” making his NHL debut. The 5-foot-10, 162-pound Girard was selected in the second round (47th overall) in the 2016 draft. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.11.2017 Nashville (0-2), which has a speedy group of forwards, will have its first Western Conference championship banner hoisted to the rafters in a pregame ceremony. “It’s great to be home; the fans are always ready to go,” said Nashville coach Peter Laviolette, whose team opened the season with losses in Boston and Pittsburgh. Laviolette, who directed the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010, said it was a “proud moment for the franchise” to get to the Finals last season, but when the ceremony is over Tuesday “we have to take care of what we have to do on the ice. Clearly there has to be a line of separation … and when the puck drops, we have to be ready to play.” The Flyers (2-1) are finishing a season-opening, four-game road trip, and they will use the same lineup as the one that registered a 3-2 overtime win Saturday over injury-plagued Anaheim. The Ducks were missing six regulars and a backup goalie. Defenseman Andrew MacDonald said when an opponent is missing starters, like Nashville, you “try to play your own game. You don’t want to get in a mental trap of thinking it’s going to be an easier game because some of their best players aren’t playing,” he said. “We talked about that in Anaheim (because) we knew they were missing some guys, but you never want to let your guard down, especially against a team that has a few guys missing. There are hungrier guys in the lineup and their guys are going to work real hard, so you have to be careful of that. I think our mindset stays the same. We try to focus on our game and execute our game plan.” “We’re 2-1. The results are OK, but the biggest game of the road trip is tonight. Bottom line,” coach Dave Hakstol said. Laviolette has been impressed by the Flyers. “They’re a quick team and they’ve played well to start the year,” he said. “Their youth has come in and done a good job, especially on the back end.” Goalie matchup. Brian Elliott (2-0, 2.50 GAA, .914 save percentage) will make his third start in four games and will face the Predators’ Pekka Rinne (0-1, 3.16, .903). “Elliott is a guy who can certainly handle the workload,” Hakstol said. “He’s battled real well in his first two starts, and he’s done an excellent job and gotten the results for the team.” Hartnell returns Former Flyers left winger Scott Hartnell will be playing his first home game in Nashville since an earlier stint with the Predators. He will be on the third line and first power-play unit. Hartnell was a teenager when he first joined the Preds. Now he’s 35. “I was one of those 18-year-olds trying to take an older guy’s spot, and now it’s totally a 180 and I’m that old guy,” he said with a smile. “There are a lot of great, young players in this dressing room — in the whole league, for that matter. You have to keep up with these young guys and play smart and play hard every night like I’ve kind of built my career on.” Hartnell said he was a “fan” rooting for the Preds to beat Pittsburgh in last season’s Cup Finals. “And not liking Pittsburgh at all from Flyers days” gave him even a greater rooting interest, he said. In the summer, Hartnell got married near Columbus, and Kimmo Timonen, his teammate with the Flyers and during his earlier Nashville stint, traveled from Finland and was his best man. 1077530 Philadelphia Flyers

Predators rally to defeat Flyers 6-5

Mike Strasinger / Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored his second goal with 35.6 seconds left and the Nashville Predators rallied by scoring twice in the final 1:17 to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5 on Tuesday night. The Predators appeared ready to blow a 3-0 lead on the night they raised their Western Conference championship banner after the Flyers scored five straight goals. But then Forsberg scored his first goal of the game 50 seconds after the Flyers took a 5-3 lead, and Scott Hartnell scored his second goal on a 5- on-3 with 1:17 left to tie it. When Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol challenged for offside and lost, the Predators had the man advantage, and Forsberg scored the winning goal. Craig Smith and Nick Bonino also scored, and P.K. Subban had three assists. Forsberg also had an assist on Hartnell's tying goal as Nashville won its fifth straight home opener. Valtteri Filppula scored twice for the Flyers, and Andrew McDonald, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny each added a goal. Philadelphia finished its first four-game road trip to open a season since 1971 by going 2-2. Burlington County Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077531 Philadelphia Flyers • Predators coach Peter Laviolette said pregame his team needed to play with more speed. The Predators nearly used that to their advantage when speedy winger Viktor Arvidsson raced past Ivan Provorov and Flyers-Predators observations: Late collapse to end road trip MacDonald for a breakaway that Elliott denied with his left pad in the opening minute of the game.

• After an 0-for-5 performance in Pittsburgh, the Predators spent a By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia October 10, 2017 11:00 PM majority of Monday’s practice working on their power play and puck movement. The work paid off on their first opportunity as Craig Smith worked his way into the high slot and fired a shot that beat Elliott blocker side. NASHVILLE, Tenn. — What looked like a dream comeback turned into a nightmare finish. • Despite the goal, Elliott was the Flyers’ best player in the opening 20 minutes as he battled through screens and traffic to stop 8 of 9 shots and Nursing a 5-4 lead with 2:41 remaining in regulation Tuesday, the Flyers keep the Flyers’ deficit to 1-0. committed a pair of penalties to put the Predators on a 5-on-3 power play. • Quebec born Samuel Girard made his NHL debut for the Predators as he replaced Roman Josi on the team’s top pairing. Nashville wasted no It was the start of the meltdown. time rushing the defenseman, who is just 19 years and 151 days old, to Nashville twice capitalized on the man advantage in the final 1:17 to deal the NHL. Girard displayed an impressive skill set reminiscent of what the Flyers a frustrating 6-5 loss at Bridgestone Center. we’ve seen from teammate P.K. Subban over the years with some nifty skating and puck skills. This came after the Flyers wiped out a 3-0 deficit in the second period with three goals over a 4:46 span. They then snared the lead in the first • Predators general manager David Poile is a genius at finding, drafting seven minutes of the third with goals from Travis Konecny and Valtteri and developing young defensemen. Among those that have come Filppula (see highlights). through the Predators’ system include Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Dan Hamhuis, Marek Zidlicky and Josi. However, it went for naught when the Flyers unraveled with a Dale Weise holding penalty, an Andrew MacDonald tripping penalty, and a failed • When the Flyers host the Capitals Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center, coach’s challenge (no offside call), resulting in a third costly infraction that will leave the Wild as the only team in the league that has yet to play (see story). on home ice. They’re scheduled to host the Blue Jackets that same night. With the loss, the Flyers finished their season-opening road trip 2-2-0 Lines, pairing and scratches and return for their home opener Saturday night against the Capitals. Forwards • Dave Hakstol's challenge lost was on Scott Hartnell's game-tying goal Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek at 5-on-3 with 1:17 remaining. No offside was confirmed and put the Flyers back on a two-man disadvantage. Hakstol's decision was risky Jordan Weal-Valtteri Filppula-Wayne Simmonds because of the new NHL rule penalizing a failed challenge. Dale Weise-Nolan Patrick-Travis Konecny Here's the video. Taylor Leier-Scott Laughton-Michael Raffl Your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/98RRzBo4Tc Defensemen — NBC Sports Philly (@NBCSPhilly) October 11, 2017 Ivan Provorov-Andrew MacDonald Forty-one seconds later, Filip Forsberg scored the game-winner for the Predators. Earlier in the final stanza, Forsberg started Nashville's Shayne Gostisbehere-Robert Hagg comeback with his first of the game, trimming the Flyers' lead to 5-4. Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas • The holding call on Weise was questionable as he became tied up with two Nashville skaters while pursuing the puck in open ice. MacDonald's Goalies tripping came not long after with the Flyers trying to force the play dead. Brian Elliott • The Flyers quickly erased a three-goal, second-period deficit by scoring Michal Neuvirth three unanswered goals. They roared back by scoring their first two goals just 16 seconds apart. MacDonald initially stopped the bleeding and got Scratches: Sam Morin, Jori Lehtera, Brandon Manning the Flyers on the board with a slap shot from just inside the blue line that beat Pekka Rinne. NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall contributed to this report. To his credit, MacDonald did a nice job of wheeling out of trouble in the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 neutral zone and allowing the Flyers to gain a clean entry into the Predators’ zone. On the next shift, Weise burned the Predators with a tenacious forecheck to force a takeaway behind Nashville’s net. He then fed Nolan Patrick, who found the soft area in the low slot that pulled the Flyers within a goal. The first goal of his career! Patrick makes it a one-goal game! pic.twitter.com/UHKzyyXDnM — NBC Sports Philly (@NBCSPhilly) October 11, 2017 Weise looked slow in the first three games, but that shift was a textbook forecheck to set up the rookie’s first NHL goal. “Obviously, it’s really exciting. It was an unbelievable play by Weiser to jump right off the draw, get [past] their D and throw it in front for a pretty easy goal for me,” Patrick said. “It was a great play by him.” • Hartnell, who went out to dinner with some of his former Flyers teammates Monday night, ripped a slap shot off a rebound that Brian Elliott was slow to react to in the second period. Hartnell’s shot hit off Elliott’s pad and went in to give Nashville a 2-0 lead. • Nashville’s big free-agent signing, Nick Bonino, extended the Predators’ lead to 3-0 after defenseman Mattias Ekholm wheeled around Claude Giroux and put a shot on Elliott that created Bonino’s rebound goal during 4-on-4 play. Giroux failed to negate Ekholm’s speed and cut down his angle to the net. 1077532 Philadelphia Flyers Pekka Rinne is in net for Nashville. He was superb at home last season, going 21-6-5 with a 2.23 goals-against average and .920 save percentage compared to 10-13-4 on the road with a 2.66 GAA and .916 Flyers-Predators thoughts: Looking for something they couldn't do last save percentage. season • Here is the Flyers' projected lineup: Forwards By Jordan Hall | NBC Sports Philadelphia October 10, 2017 3:50 PM Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek Jordan Weal-Valtteri Filppula-Wayne Simmonds Flyers (2-1-0) at Predators (0-2-0) Dale Weise-Nolan Patrick-Travis Konecny 8 p.m. on NBCSP, NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports Taylor Leier-Scott Laughton-Michael Raffl App; Pregame Live at 7:30 Defensemen Another day, another home opener. Ivan Provorov-Andrew MacDonald To close out a season-opening four-game road trip, the Flyers will help the Nashville Predators open their home slate Tuesday night by taking on Shayne Gostisbehere-Robert Hagg the defending Western Conference champions at Bridgestone Arena. Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas It marks the third time in seven days the Flyers have taken part in an opponent's commencement festivities. Goalies Then, the Flyers finally come home for their own party. But before that, Brian Elliott they've got this one, so let's get you set with some thoughts as the Flyers Michal Neuvirth wrap up the road swing. Scratches • Tonight should be a fun atmosphere, flooded with yellow rally towels. The Predators are raising their 2016-17 Western Conference champs Forward Jori Lehtera and defensemen Brandon Manning and Sam Morin. banner. They'll be back on home ice for the first time since last season's spirited playoff run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as the West's Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 second wild-card berth. Nashville ultimately succumbed to Pittsburgh in six games. The Predators feed off their rowdy home crowd, which was evident during the postseason when Nashville went 9-1-1 at Bridgestone Arena. They've also won eight of their last 10 home openers. Nashville is coming off two straight road losses in which it allowed four goals in each defeat, so juices should be flowing from the get-go tonight. The Flyers, however, have won their last two visits to Nashville by a combined score of 10-5. • With a third straight victory on the Predators' home ice, the Flyers would secure a winning four-game road trip. Last season, they failed to do so in three tries, finishing with these records: 0-3-1 1-2-1 2-2-0 • How great was it to see to Nolan Patrick working behind the net? In last Saturday's 3-2 OT win over the Ducks, the No. 2 overall pick tallied his first point off a nice pass from behind the red line to Ivan Provorov, who buried the shot. Provorov with the blast and Nolan Patrick with his first NHL point! pic.twitter.com/2qIh6Ap9iZ — NBC Sports Philly (@NBCSPhilly) October 8, 2017 The Flyers can certainly use more offense created from that area and it suits Patrick well given his vision and passing ability. • Sean Couturier is off to a really positive start, similar to last season when he opened with three goals in three games. Couturier is providing offense as the top-line center (one goal, two assists), but he's doing everything else, as well. He's eating up ice time with key penalty-kill minutes, while also sustaining possession and controlling play. He's a team-best plus-5 right now and the Flyers hope it continues. • Key Predators defenseman Roman Josi (undisclosed injury) did not practice Monday or partake in Tuesday's morning skate. He is considered a game-time decision. Josi was second on Nashville with 37 assists last season despite missing 10 regular-season games. If the Flyers don't see Josi, that will be on top of not having to deal with blueliner Ryan Ellis, who opened the season on injured reserve following knee surgery. • A look at the goalies: Brian Elliott goes for the Flyers. He's 2-0-0 with a 2.49 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in his first two outings. He's been good against the Predators in his career, posting an 8-4-0 record in 12 games with a 2.25 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and three . 1077533 Philadelphia Flyers “It’s a young man’s game now and the speed of it is incredible, and you just got to do your thing,” Hartnell said. “My game’s still pretty simple, it doesn’t change much from when I started at 18. I go to the net and that’s Flyers notes, quotes and tidbits: Nolan Patrick adjusting offensively where I score my goals. That’s where all the action happens, and just looking forward to this year. I’m so excited to be a part of this and we’re looking forward to getting in the playoffs and making a run like last year.” By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia October 10, 2017 10:25 AM Hartnell got married for the second time over the summer after he exchanged vows at The Country Club at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Many of Hartnell’s Flyers teammates were in attendance including Claude Giroux, Kimmo Timonen, Brayden Schenn, Sam Gagner and NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s still a feeling out process for 19-year-old rookie Nick Schultz. Nolan Patrick, who continues to acclimate himself to the speed and style of the NHL’s brand of hockey. While he’s been defensively reliable in his Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 own end of the ice, we’re beginning to see where Patrick prefers to do his damage offensively. Patrick has utilized his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame to create space down low around the goal line and behind the net. In one of most dazzling plays of the preseason, Patrick fed a blind pass to Oskar Lindblom for a quality scoring chance, and Saturday in Anaheim there was a similar play to Travis Konecny. “I’ve always felt I had a good vision to make plays from down there,” Patrick said. “I don’t know if I pride myself on making plays from down there, but I think in this league, there’s not much off the rush. Everyone tracks back pretty hard. I think that’s where the offense is going to come from down there, so I just try to make quick cutbacks and make plays, so that’s something I’ve been trying to focus on.” “He’s got great vision from below the goal line, from down low in tight spaces,” head coach Dave Hakstol said. “He made the play from down low on (Ivan) Provorov’s goal the other night. He had a similar type play to (Konecny) at the end of the game there. Those are strengths of his game, and we’re starting to see those things come out more and more. Flipping the switch After starting the season 3 for 3, the Flyers' power play is now 0 for its last 12. Hakstol will continue to leave Valtteri Filppula on the No. 1 unit, as they worked on their setup and puck movement during Monday’s practice. “Part of that role is shooting,” Hakstol said. “He hasn’t spent a lot of time in that spot. I think just overall adjusting to that position and that role on the power play is something that he’s done pretty well. It’s a real puck support role as well. You’re in a support role with anybody on the rink that has the puck and you’re in a puck retrieval role. I think he’s adjusting to it really well.” Sour jam Peter Laviolette is one of three coaches since 2010 to take two different teams to the Stanley Cup Final only to come up short on both occasions. Peter DeBoer led the Devils in 2012 and Sharks in 2016 and was on the losing end twice. Alain Vigneault went with the Canucks in 2011 and again with the Rangers in 2014. After the Predators bowed out to the Penguins in six games, Laviolette is now attempting to draw off his experiences in the year after he guided the Flyers to the Cup Final, when they finished with 106 points, third best that season behind the Canucks and the Capitals. However, he still hasn’t moved past the gut-wrenching loss to the Blackhawks. “It’s never easy to get over,” Laviolette said following Monday's morning practice. “Anytime you go that deep and lose it leaves a pit in your stomach, and you carry that pit forever. I look back at Philadelphia as a missed opportunity for all of us, and certainly in Nashville I look back at it the same way. You’re here to do one thing and that’s win championships and when you don’t do it, it hurts.” Laviolette will be reminded of that once again as the Predators raise their Western Conference Champions banner in front of their fans prior to their game against the Flyers. Hartnell down in Nashville Philly fan favorite Scott Hartnell returns to the Predators, the franchise that selected him in the first round (6th overall) of the 2000 NHL draft. Entering his 17th season, Hartnell is one of 21 active players with at least nine or more 20-goal seasons, and he believes he can reach that mark again filling the hole left by James Neal. (Neal was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL expansion draft.) Laviolette still views Hartnell as an important part of the team’s power play and has him working with the No. 1 unit Monday. For the first time in his career, Hartnell is taking his career year-by-year after signing a one-year, $1 million deal with the Predators. 1077534 Philadelphia Flyers In the first period, Flyers goalie Brian Elliott was their best player. They didn’t do a great job of pushing back immediately after the Predators came flying from the onset of the game. He had eight saves on nine 5 takeaways: Dave Hakstol’s challenge a factor in last-minute loss to shots, several of them point-blank opportunities. Predators As the game wore on, so did Elliott. He was not positionally sound on the late goals. Even on Hartnell’s first tally of the night, Elliott’s rebound control resulted in the ex-Flyer having a prime scoring opportunity. Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 1:00 a.m. The last goal of the game was likely one he’d want back, too. He went down low and Forsberg, who has a penchant for going top shelf, had a lot of net up high to shoot at. NASHVILLE — There were more obscenities than goals. And there were 11 goals. Preds go-ahead goal on PP resulting from Flyers failed coach's challenge pic.twitter.com/bvn4I8XA0S The Flyers played well enough to erase a three-goal deficit and go up two. They had a one-goal lead late in the game until one play resulted in — steph (@myregularface) October 11, 2017 two penalties. The Nashville Predators scored on the ensuing man advantage. Then again on another. Don’t be surprised if Michal Neuvirth starts the home opener Saturday against his old team, the Washington Capitals. What could have been a win was a 6-5 regulation loss. Power play improves The game-winning, power-play goal came when a coach’s challenge for offside did not overturn the call on the ice and a penalty was assessed, a The Flyers broke an 0-for-15 spell on the power play in the second period new rule this season. Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg scored when Valtteri Filppula scored from the slot. He pounded home the with 36 seconds left in the game. rebound after Jake Voracek’s shot was stopped. Curses were flying and doors slammed from the Flyers exiting the locker Filppula had the Flyers’ other power-play goal also, early in the third. It room to hit the showers. originated by a pass from behind the net off the stick of Claude Giroux. That’s a designed play the Flyers have been working on and, until “Honestly it feels like we won but it’s just weird right now,” defenseman Tuesday night, had produced a goal only by the second unit. Shayne Gostisbehere said. “I don’t know if that’s ever happened to me in my life, that type of game. It says a lot about us as a group, how we did “I think that spot, when you get the puck you’re going to be that close to come back going down 3-0 in a building like this and taking it to 5-3. It’s the net and it’s a good place to shoot,” said Filppula, usually a pass-first an unfortunate series of events.” center. “Definitely it’s a little different.” Coach Dave Hakstol initiated a challenge after Scott Hartnell scored a 6- Waiting for make-up calls on-3 power-play goal on a rebound with 1:17 left to tie the game. It was The Flyers hadn’t had to kill a penalty since Craig Smith scored on a the ex-Flyer’s second of the night. power play 4:17 into the game. Then they got called for two at once with According to the NHL, the Flyers alleged that Forsberg was offside on 2:41 left. the play. Teams have video available to them that isn’t given to There was a feeling that the make-up calls would come, but not that late broadcast partners, so whatever Images video coach Adam Patterson in the game and certainly not two at the same time. saw, and alerted Hakstol to, may not necessarily have been carried on TV, but the NHL's war room in Toronto would have seen. “You don’t want to badmouth the refs or anything, but penalties like that happen and I don’t think they’re going to be called, let alone the last five “It’s not Adam’s call,” Hakstol said. “It’s my call and it wasn’t overturned.” minutes of the game,” Gostisbehere said. “That’s how it is. We can’t So instead the Flyers were assessed a penalty and Forsberg scored on complain. We can’t go back and change things. It happened. We gotta that power-play also. It was the first such penalty to result in a game- learn. We gotta grow from it and keep pushing forward. winning power-play goal since the rule was changed. “We’ve got 78 more of these, so we’re just going to look past it.” “I don’t want to get into the details of it,” Hakstol said when asked what Patrick gets on the board specifically led him to believe the call would be overturned. “Like I said, I made the call and it wasn’t overturned.” Lost in the mayhem is that Nolan Patrick finally got his first NHL goal. Why "finally" only four games into the season? He did, however, know that the penalty was a potential consequence. He’s had so many chances, also in preseason when he was knocking on “It’s obvious,” Hakstol said. “It’s going to go one way or the other. Our the door so many times and never found the twine. It was clear the guys had fought hard to get to that point.” offensive part of his game was coming. Perhaps it takes a load off the Perhaps he won’t take that risk again, at least not in that situation. rookie’s back. “I’ll evaluate that more later,” Hakstol said, “throughout the night as we Nolan Patrick goal pic.twitter.com/DPq6Xpctzq look at this particular situation and really break it down.” — steph (@myregularface) October 11, 2017 The decision likely cost the Flyers at least one point. It came midway through the second period to make it a one-goal game. They had a 5-1 power-play advantage late in the third period until Dale Weise drove the net and couldn’t pot the rebound so he passed it to Weise was called for holding Mattias Ekholm and then Andrew Patrick from behind the net and he had a lot to shoot at. MacDonald was called for tripping Ekholm when the Predators moved up “Obviously, it's really exciting,” Patrick said. “It was an unbelievable play the ice into the Flyers’ end. Both those penalties had expired when by Weiser to jump right off the draw, get on their D and throw it in front Forsberg netted the winner. for a pretty easy goal for me. It was a great play by him.” “I don’t know about make-up calls, but my penalty the guy pushes me Dave Isaac; 856-486-2479; [email protected] from behind and I’m trying to swim past the guy,” said Weise, who set up Nolan Patrick’s first NHL goal in the second period to cut into the Courier-Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 Predators’ lead. “I mean, that happens 20 times a game and you don’t call a penalty on that. To double on top of that, a 5-on-3, I don’t think you see that very often. It’s extremely frustrating.” “The whole debacle with the offside, obviously I have confidence that we would only make that challenge if we had an angle that showed it was offside,” said alternate captain Andrew MacDonald, who scored the Flyers’ first goal to start the comeback. “I haven’t seen anything yet, so I can’t really comment on it.” Here are four more takeaways from the last game of the season-opening road trip… Rough night for Elliott 1077535 Philadelphia Flyers young players in this dressing room and in this whole league for that matter. You’ve got to keep up with these young guys. You’ve got to play smart, play hard every night like I’ve built my career on.” Valtteri Filppula’s pass-first mentality put to test in shooter’s role Elliott gets the nod For the third time on the four-game road trip, Brian Elliott got the start Dave Isaac, Oct. 10, 2017 against the Predators. It was a mild surprise considering Michal Neuvirth played so well in Los Angeles and Hakstol had been alternating the goalies on the trip. Elliott had both of the wins, though. NASHVILLE — It was always going to be a tall task for the Flyers to “With our schedule, whether you want to call it the rhythm of the first replace Brayden Schenn on their top power-play unit. He co-led the month here, he’s a guy that can certainly handle the workload and I league last year with 17 goals on the man advantage despite the Flyers guess I don’t want to go too far in making too much of it, but he’s battled being ranked 14th in the league on the power play. really well in his first two starts,” Hakstol said. “He’s done an excellent job and gotten the results for our team.” Early in training camp it looked like it was Oskar Lindblom’s spot to lose. After all, the way he climbed up the goal scoring statistics in Sweden last Dave Isaac; 856-486-2479; [email protected] year was by heading to the net to tip in goals and pot rebounds like Schenn did. Courier-Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 Well, he lost the spot. Lindblom is in the American Hockey League and Valtteri Filppula is in that role on the first unit with Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Shayne Gostisbehere. It is a curious decision because Filppula is a playmaking center, not a shooter. “I think that spot, when you get the puck you’re going to be that close to the net and it’s a good place to shoot. Definitely it’s a little different,” he said. “It’s (about) trying to support G, Ghost and Jake up top and give them the easy passes and tap it back if they get some pressure. That’s part of the position, too, but when you get a pass that close to the net, you definitely have to think shoot first.” What the Flyers like about Filppula in that spot — new assistant coach Kris Knoblauch was brought in to help the power play and helped make this call — is Filppula’s ability to help those that have the puck or need it. “Usually you have a shooter in that spot,” Simmonds admitted. “Fil is a great distributor. He’s got many options. He’s got Ghost, Jake, G, me. I think he’s just getting comfortable in that role and he’s only going to get better there.” At 5-on-5 Filppula shoots rarely. On a line with Simmonds and Jordan Weal late last season, he helped Simmonds hit 30 goals for a second year in his career. “I just have to get open and put my stick on the ice and I know the puck’s going to come,” Simmonds said. In his 20 games with the Flyers after a trade-deadline deal brought him to Philadelphia, Filppula had only 23 shots. Only Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde had fewer shots per game in that timeframe. If the Flyers are looking for effectiveness from Filppula in that spot, a designed play to watch might be taking after the skill-set of rookie Nolan Patrick. Against the Anaheim Ducks, Patrick fed Ivan Provorov for a goal with a pass from behind the goal line just as a power play expired. “Certain guys are good at it and he’s good at it,” coach Dave Hakstol said of Patrick. “He sees the ice really good from there and especially, that’s right at the end of a power play so on that power play he has several different options if he’s able to gain the back of that net.” It might be a trademark of Filppula on the power play soon also. Hartnell at home in Nashville Like most people in the Philadelphia area, Scott Hartnell watched the Stanley Cup finals in the spring rooting for the team playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins. A couple months later the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him in 2000, brought him in as a free agent. “I was a fan,” Hartnell said. “How couldn’t you be? Broadway being shut down, the sea of yellow in this arena, the chants, obviously not liking Pittsburgh at all from my Flyers days and them beating us (he finished last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets) out in the first round last year too, I was definitely rooting for the Preds. Unfortunately they weren’t able to get that last goal to push it to a Game 7.” The former Flyer — he played 517 of his 1,190 NHL games with Philly — got married in the offseason and fellow ex-Predator and Flyer Kimmo Timonen was his best man. His friendship with Timonen tighter than ever and back with his first team, Hartnell is feeling familiar…apart from his role. “I was one of those 18-year-olds trying to take the older guy’s spot. Life has totally 180’d,” Hartnell said. “I’m that old guy and there’s a lot of good 1077536 Pittsburgh Penguins Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at [email protected] or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.11.2017 Penguins prepare to face Capitals, red-hot Alex Ovechkin

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, 6:09 p.m.

After sitting out the first three games as the team's seventh defenseman, Chad Ruhwedel figures to make his season debut Wednesday night in Washington in place of the injured Ian Cole. His first assignment? Trying to slow down a red-hot Alex Ovechkin, who had hat trick in each of his first two games of the year. Welcome to the lineup, Chad. “Obviously, he's off to a good start right now,” Ruhwedel said. “We'll definitely be trying to do something about it.” The Capitals underwent significant roster changes in the offseason, losing some key players in a salary cap crunch. Most notably, defensemen Karl Alzner and Nate Schmidt and forwards Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams moved on. The roster changes gave rise to talk that Washington's run as a top-of- the-standings threat was nearing its end, but early results haven't born that out, especially as it relates to Ovechkin. He had a hat trick on opening night in a 5-4 win over Ottawa and followed with a four-goal effort in a 6-1 blowout of Montreal two days later. He was held off the scoresheet in a 4-3 Capitals loss at Tampa Bay on Monday night. “Still a lot of guys left from those playoff series,” Sidney Crosby said. “They're playing good hockey. They're always heated games. It will be a good test for us.” For a while, it was starting to look like Ovechkin might no longer be a player opponents had to prepare a special game plan to stop. He scored 33 goals last season, the second-lowest total for a full season in his career. He was held to two goals during a seven-game second-round playoff series against the Penguins, getting shuffled around in the lineup in the process. Ovechkin's start to this season, however, has shown reports of his demise were, at the very least, premature. Ovechkin gave much of the credit for his scorching start to his linemates, center Evgeny Kuznetsov and prospect Jakub Vrana. “It's a fun time when you play like that, and your line's feeling it,” Ovechkin said. “It's fun to play.” Coach attributed the start to a renewed commitment to offseason training by the 32-year-old Russian superstar. “I think Alex took it heart that he's got to keep evolving,” Trotz said. “It's tougher when you get older. You've got to work our harder. When you're younger, you can probably cut a couple of corners because the body responds. As you get older, the body has to be the driving force. I think he put a little more work into that area, and he's got off to a good start here.” The matchup against the Capitals is part of a difficult stretch of schedule for the Penguins, who opened with three games against Western Conference favorites — St. Louis, Chicago and Nashville — and will head to Tampa Bay to face a contender for the Eastern Conference crown Thursday. “Our schedule's been tough,” winger Phil Kessel said. “We won last year, and we played back-to-back opening nights and three in four. It's a tough start. But I thought we played well last game. We just gotta move on from there.” The Penguins could get a lineup boost if winger Patric Hornqvist makes his season debut. Hornqvist resumed practicing after offseason hand surgery and figures to be a game-time decision Wednesday night. “He brings a lot of energy on and off the ice,” Crosby said. “Just with the level of desperation and urgency he plays with, I think that's something that's contagious. It'll be great to see him back out there with us.” Note: With Cole out, the Penguins called up 6-foot-2 defenseman Chris Summers from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Summers, 29, has played 70 career NHL games with the Rangers and Coyotes. 1077537 Pittsburgh Penguins It wasn't the first trip to the White House for Guentzel, though. The University of Minnesota's hockey team was invited to the White House by President George W. Bush in 2003. Mike Guentzel was an assistant Behind the scenes with the Penguins at the White House coach on that team, and he brought 8-year-old son Jake on the trip. Tribune Review LOADED: 10.11.2017 JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, 6:06 p.m.

WASHINGTON — Five behind-the-scenes observations from the Penguins' visit Tuesday to the White House. 90 DEGREES DIFFERENT Aside from the heightened political tension surrounding the visit, the biggest change between a 2016 trip to the White House for the Penguins and Tuesday's visit was the orientation of the East Room. Last year, the room was set up horizontally, with press stationed in the back and along the sides. From that vantage point, it was easy to see which politicians were in attendance. This year, the room was set up vertically, with the press cordoned off in the back. It was impossible to tell which dignitaries were in the front row. PHIL'S SISTER There's no question which of President Trump's comments created the most backlash online. It was his remarks about Amanda Kessel, the sister of Penguins winger Phil Kessel. Through her accomplished career at the University of Minnesota, with the U.S. national team and in the National Women's Hockey League, Amanda Kessel is one of the greatest women's hockey players of all time. She has also become a feminist icon of sorts. "I hear his sister Amanda may be the best hockey player in the family," Trump said. "Is that possible? You know what, I doubt it, OK, but I hear she's really good." Trump's doubt was not well received. Olympian Amanda Kessel avg'd 1.82 Pts/GP for @GopherWHockey and 2.25 Pts/GP in @NWHL with @Riveters . I doubt the value of POTUS's opinion. https://t.co/xink7rTS2J — Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) October 10, 2017 HE'S GOT JOKES As is often the case with White House visits by championship teams, many of the president's remarks were lighthearted jokes. When Trump turned around to introduce Kris Letang — calling him by his nickname, Tanger — he suddenly had a crisis of confidence in his physical appearance. "Very handsome group of people," Trump said. "In fact, I don't like standing in front of them. We always like unattractive teams." Trump asked whether Sidney Crosby had passed him by in terms of career accomplishments. "Has he outdone you yet, Mario? I don't know. He's getting close," Trump said. Trump also mentioned that he is a New York Rangers fan. "I go to those Ranger games, and you do a lot of bad damage to our Ranger teams," Trump said. "Boy oh boy, you do damage. But that's the way you want to do it. It's called winning, right Sidney?" TAKING ATTENDANCE All 19 players currently on the Penguins roster who were on the team last year attended the ceremony at the East Room. The players missing from the 23-man roster were the ones who are new to the team — winger Ryan Reaves, center Greg McKegg, defenseman Matt Hunwick and goalie Antti Niemi. None of the players from last year's team who moved on to other clubs attended, although that was the case last year as well. NOT THE FIRST VISIT Of the 19 players in attendance Tuesday, four were in the minor leagues at the time of last year's White House visit: forwards Jake Guentzel, Josh Archibald and Carter Rowney and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. 1077538 Pittsburgh Penguins In praising the charity efforts of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Trump complimented the team's patriotism.

"Just as much as your five Stanley Cup wins, your generosity has shown Pittsburgh Penguins visit Trump at White House the true character of this incredible organization," Trump said. "You are true, true champions and incredible patriots." Jonathan Bombulie Watch the entire event: Big ovation when Kris Letang is introduced Ever since they accepted an invitation to the White House to celebrate — Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017 their 2017 Stanley Cup championship, the Penguins insisted their Trump: Very handsome group of people. I don't like standing in front of attendance did not constitute a political act. them. We always like unattractive teams. On the surface, President Donald Trump appeared to agree with them. — Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017 Trump made no overtly partisan or political remarks during a 10-plus Trump to Murray: I hear you have good reflexes. minute address congratulating them on their accomplishments Tuesday afternoon in the East Room. — Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017 In fact, Trump's remarks were not significantly different from the speech . @POTUS jokes the Stanley Cup Champions the @penguins at the President Barack Obama made when he welcomed the Penguins last White House pic.twitter.com/aNSlB2ttTd year to celebrate their 2016 championship. — Charles Palla (@ChazPalla) October 10, 2017 Trump praised Sidney Crosby as a winner and Evgeni Malkin as big and strong. He asked Phil Kessel if his sister, Amanda, was really the best The Penguins have entered the East Room to an ovation. hockey player in the family, though he said he doubted it. — Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017 Trump spent a good portion of his speech offering condolences to the Actual view from the press area. I just put the camera behind the fern for victims of and praising first responders to wild fires in California, last effect. pic.twitter.com/uGihFxzrns week's shooting in Las Vegas and recent hurricanes. — Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017 "Over the last couple of months, the New England Patriots, the Chicago Cubs and the NCAA champion Clemson Tigers football have all visited Trump wraps up his remarks. Nothing overtly partisan or political. the White House to celebrate their great victories," Trump said. "It's been an honor to have them all here. Now, I want to proudly welcome the — Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins." Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at The circumstances surrounding the visit, of course, were manifestly [email protected] or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib. different. Tribune Review LOADED: 10.11.2017 Trump has engaged in public acrimony with professional athletes in recent months, saying that NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice should be fired. As recently as Sunday, vice president Mike Pence walked out of an NFL game in Indianapolis when players took a knee during the national anthem. Afterwards, coach Mike Sullivan was asked about the contention that merely appearing alongside Trump was an endorsement of the president's agenda. "We don't believe that," Sullivan said. "We've stated clearly from the get- go that our visit to the White House is not political. Nobody's choosing a side. Nobody's taking a stand. We are simply honoring our championship and the accomplishments of this group of players over this last season, these last two seasons." Sullivan was also asked if he would have a problem with any of his players kneeling during the national anthem. "I would not," Sullivan said. "As we've stated all along, we understand the circumstance surrounding this visit. We're very respectful of anyone's right to protest or demonstrate as they see fit." The Penguins did not make any players available for comment. Last year, Crosby and center Matt Cullen gave remarks after the team met Obama. The most plainly political comment Trump made came when he introduced Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle as a great friend and a great negotiator. "If you want to get involved in negotiating NAFTA, I like it," Trump said. "We're renegotiating NAFTA, Ron. Of course, he may not like that because maybe he's on the other side. That's what's happening. That's why it's so hard to re-do these trade deals. You're not on the other side of NAFTA, Ron, are you?" "I am not," Burkle said. Other Trump remarks could have been deemed partisan or political with a degree of reading between the lines. In praising the team's fans, Trump might have made a veiled reference to his victory over Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania last November. "Great fans. Great state. Great place," Trump said. 1077539 Pittsburgh Penguins Even though his tone might have said he’s tired of talking about all of this, Sullivan said neither he nor his players felt any pressure.

“Because we’ve stated clearly from the get-go that our acceptance of the Mike Sullivan doubles down in defense of White House decision Matt invitation to the White House was not political and that it was simply a Freed/Post-Gazette celebration of this group of players winning a championship and to honor the office of the president and the White House,” Sullivan said. JASON MACKEY “I can’t tell you how proud we are of this group of players and what’ve accomplished over the last two seasons. This has been part of the celebration of this group of players and the commitment that they’ve made to win championships.” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan offered a nice, round number on how much he and other members of the organization discussed politics with Sullivan said the team presented Trump with a gift. Shortly thereafter, President Donald Trump Tuesday during their White House visit. Sullivan was asked whether Trump was wrong to have attacked the NFL. Sullivan paused for a beat out of frustration. “None,” Sullivan said sternly. “Zero.” “Everybody is going to have their opinions on the matter,” Sullivan said. “I Sullivan and the team have insisted all along their decision to visit the don’t believe it’s my place to share it. Thank you.” White House wasn’t a political move, and the defense got a little more difficult when Sullivan stood in front of a group of microphones after a And with that, Sullivan turned around and left, presumably to resume ceremony inside the White House’s East Room. Faced with a challenge, preparing to face the Washington Capitals. however, Sullivan doubled down. Penguins call up Summers “We’ve stated clearly from the get-go that our visit to the White House is not political,” Sullivan insisted. “Nobody’s choosing a side. Nobody’s The Penguins Tuesday called up defenseman Chris Summers from taking a stand. We are simply honoring our championship and the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton. accomplishments of this group of players over the last season or the last With Ian Cole out after taking a puck to the face Saturday against two seasons.” Nashville and Chad Ruhwedel inserted into the lineup, Summers figures President Donald Trump greets the Penguins in the East Room of the to be the seventh defenseman. White House on Tuesday. He has played 70 NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes and New York That was an answer Sullivan has repeated a few times since it was Rangers, producing nine points. reconfirmed Sept. 24 that the Penguins would go through with this whole Jason Mackey: [email protected] and Twitter @JMackeyPG. thing. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 The difference now was how, and by whom, Sullivan was asked. The context of the question was basically whether Sullivan was concerned that Trump was using his team as a political prop. “You’re suggesting that’s the case,” Sullivan said. “We don’t believe that.” Something else that’s important here: It’s rare for Sullivan to openly disagree with a reporter’s premise. He normally just says what he wants, even if it’s only loosely related to the question. But this is a matter — staying apolitical — he has been passionate about defending, and he took his most aggressive stance yet Tuesday. In fact, Sullivan was the only Penguins representative to speak. A year ago Sidney Crosby and Matt Cullen joined Sullivan. Maybe for good reason, too, as a way for Sullivan to control the message and not expose his players to this line of questioning. Sullivan later was asked about how Trump supposedly politicized the event by joking with Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle that he would like to have Burkle in his cabinet to negotiate trade deals. President Donald Trump greets the Penguins in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. He took exception to that one, too. “The president has the right to speak the way he would like to speak,” Sullivan shot back. “I think he was trying to make a joke. I’m not sure that was politicizing. He obviously has a personal relationship with our team owner. For me, it is what it is.” The takeaway here is that, while the Penguins were plenty happy to enjoy this victory lap, they’re exhaling now that it’s over. Furthermore, it’s another example of how Sullivan does business. When somebody’s upset or something goes wrong in the hockey world, it’s not uncommon for him to absorb 100 percent of the blame, much like he did last week after a 10-1 loss at Chicago. Same deal here. Sullivan and the Penguins know full well that people are upset they attended the ceremony and didn’t opt out as some form of protest. Criticize the Penguins for not taking advantage of an opportunity to get political all you want. They could’ve used this visit to do something, but they chose not to. On this day, explaining that got a little tougher — to keep things light and happy by focusing on winning hockey games. He also noted that he would not have an issue with any of his players kneeling during the national anthem, if that’s what they decided to do. 1077540 Pittsburgh Penguins 4 4 Replies 363 363 Retweets 1,314 1,314 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Penguins' Twitter account goes dark during White House visit View image on Twitter View image on Twitter ADAM BITTNER Follow

Pittsburgh Penguins ✔@penguins The Penguins visited the White House to celebrate their Stanley Cup Thanks for hosting us, @WhiteHouse! See you again next year? championship Tuesday. You wouldn’t know it by looking at their Twitter #PensAndPOTUS feed, though. Inside Scoop: http://pens.pe/2dI4qui The @Penguins account tweeted a video at 5:49 a.m. Tuesday and then went dark for almost 12 hours, posting nothing right through the team’s 2:40 PM - Oct 6, 2016 visit with President Donald Trump in the executive mansion’s East Room. 6 6 Replies 163 163 Retweets 625 625 likes Its second tweet of the day came at 5:15 p.m. with no acknowledgement Twitter Ads info and privacy of the visit, simply news of a minor transaction. This stop at the White House comes at a more politically charged time in View image on Twitter the sports world as the current president has been at odds with NFL View image on Twitter players because of their national anthem protests. Follow Members of the team have said numerous times that their visit shouldn’t be seen as a tacit endorsement of the president’s politics, though it has Pittsburgh Penguins ✔@penguins been criticized as such. It’s reasonable, then, to interpret the low Twitter profile as an attempt to steer clear of any further controversy. The #Pens have recalled defenseman Chris Summers from the @WBSPenguins. Details: http://pens.pe/2yXcTke Post Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 5:15 PM - Oct 10, 2017 · Washington, DC 78 78 Replies 67 67 Retweets 396 396 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy The lack of activity stands in stark contrast to the team’s typically robust social media profile. On Monday, another off day for the team, @Penguins posted eight times. And last year, when players and staff visited former President Barack Obama after their 2016 Cup win, @Penguins posted more than a dozen times. Here are some of the posts. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan takes questions after the Penguins visited with President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. Jason Mackey Mike Sullivan doubles down in defense of White House decision View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter Follow

Pittsburgh Penguins ✔@penguins

On Snapchat? You'll definitely want to see the stories from "Penguins", "The White House", and "NHL". #PensAndPOTUS 1:41 PM - Oct 6, 2016 3 3 Replies 174 174 Retweets 738 738 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Follow

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.@POTUS: "We are here to celebrate an extraordinary achievement. Phil Kessel is a Stanley Cup champion." #PensAndPOTUS 12:20 PM - Oct 6, 2016 43 43 Replies 2,546 2,546 Retweets 3,731 3,731 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy View image on Twitter View image on Twitter Follow

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When the @POTUS says you are a Stanley Cup Champ... #PensAndPOTUS 6:53 PM - Oct 6, 2016 1077541 Pittsburgh Penguins Trump was even slightly self-deprecating regarding his own appearance after he introduced Kris Letang — calling him “the Tanger” while lauding how Letang helped younger players improve during the last Cup run. Penguins' White House visit with President Trump mostly steers clear of “Boy, you look pretty young to me,” Trump said to Letang. “What do they politics mean ‘younger players?’ Do they get younger than you? “Very handsome group of people. In fact, I actually don’t like standing in JASON MACKEY front of them. First thing you know — we always like unattractive teams, right?”

Like Obama, Trump celebrated the Penguins’ charitable efforts. He WASHINGTON — The Penguins marched through the NHL this past talked about the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation awarding more than a season en route to a second consecutive Stanley Cup. On Tuesday, they million dollars in grants to local charities last season. did something perhaps even more impressive: They got President Donald Trump to stay on script. Furthermore, Trump pointed out the partnership with UPMC to address concussions in young athletes and the Penguins’ recent donations to The civil and non-political ceremony lasted 17 minutes. No mention of the relief efforts in Puerto Rico and Las Vegas. NFL, anthem protests or juxtaposing the Penguins with the Golden State Warriors, who did not celebrate their championship here. The first thing Trump did was pay his “warmest respects” to the people affected by the California wildfires and offered continued prayers for Reading from a teleprompter inside the White House’s East Room, those affected by the mass shooting in Las Vegas and hurricanes Trump lauded the Penguins accomplishments, called the players shy and Harvey, Irma and Maria. good-looking and overall kept the train on the tracks. Trump could have used any of these opportunities to transition into If it even qualifies, the only thing even remotely political came when something off the cuff — there certainly was no shortage of available Trump needled Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle at the beginning, joking material — but he did not on this day. that he'd love to have Burkle in his Cabinet. In fact, he went from Vegas — calling it a “horrible situation caused by a Penguins coach Mike Sullivan takes questions after the Penguins visited very demented, sick person” — to praising the police and first with President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on responders, drawing an ovation. Tuesday. Then quickly got back to praising what the Penguins have done. “Ron, how about negotiating some of our horrible trade deals?,” Trump said. “Here’s what I want: I want to get him. I would love to have Ron “Just as much as your five Stanley Cup wins, your generosity has shown Burkle. It’s great to have you here. I really mean that. If you want to get the true character of this incredible organization,” Trump said. “You are involved in negotiating NAFTA, I’d like it.” true, true champions and incredible patriots. Now with hockey season again underway, I know you’re ready to make yet another run at the Cup. The Penguins took the stage — rotated 90 degrees to the right this year The NHL has not seen a threepeat in a generation, but I know you are compared to last — to the chant of “Let’s Go Pens,” and there were ready for the challenge. plenty of references to the team’s recent dominance during the ceremony. “I’m gonna be watching so closely, because, do you think you’re gonna be back here next year? I think so, right? “They’re the first team in the National Hockey League in literally 20 years to be repeat champions,” Trump said. “They also captured the Cup in Another expectation was that maybe Trump could use this opportunity to three out of the last nine seasons. That’s pretty amazing. Competition is sing his own praises by pointing out that he won Pennsylvania in the tough. Is it tough? Not for you guys.” 2016 president election. There seemed to be a bit of a disconnect when Trump did what Barack He had the chance. The line was on a tee for him. But he didn’t do it, Obama did last year and worked his way through the roster, heaping preferring to instead stay on script. praise on each player for his individual accomplishments. “Great state. Great place,” Trump said of Pennsylvania. “In fact, It appeared Trump expected those addressed to come down from the everyone of the Penguins’ home games for the past 10 straight years has risers, while the players didn't move more than a couple steps — at first, been very much to Ron Burkle’s happiness, sold out, right, Ron? Sold anyway. Sidney Crosby gave a sheepish look and blushed. Evgeni out. So while you’re dominant on the ice, the heart of the organization Malkin, too. and its commitment to Pittsburgh shines just as brightly off the ice.” “Come on, get over here, Phil,” Trump said, motioning toward Phil Trump delivered one line that many expected — that the Penguins beat Kessel, who apparently got a haircut for the occasion. “These guys don’t up on his Rangers at Madison Square Garden — but did so by turning want to be politicians. They shouldn’t be. Don’t be a politician.” the attention to the Penguins and, for a change, away from himself. Trump is obviously no stranger on how to work an audience, and he dug “I go to those Ranger games, and you do a lot of bad damage to our in on Kessel here. Ranger team,” Trump said. “Boy oh boy, you do damage. It’s called winning, right, Sidney? It’s called winning. I know the Capitals will be President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony to honor the looking for payback [Wednesday] night, so we will let you back to Penguins on Tuesday. practice, I just again want to congratulate this incredible franchise on its so many victories. “Phil led the team in assists, although I hear his sister Amanda may be the best hockey player in the family,” Trump said. “Is that possible? You "You embody the values of dedication, discipline and hard work to every know what, I doubt it, OK, but I hear she’s really good.” young American watching today, we encourage you to always strive to be your best, to do your best, and to give your all. We wish all the best of Instead of puffing his own chest out, Trump kept the theme of pumping luck this season. You’re gonna have a great season.” the Penguins’ tires. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 Trump praised co-owner and franchise legend Mario Lemieux’s golf game, calling him “Super Mario.” The biggest praise, however, was saved for Crosby. “Sidney, you’ve built an incredible legacy in Pittsburgh, and congratulations. Keep it going. Fantastic,” Trump said. “Before it’s all said and done, you might, frankly, you know, they’re telling me this — has he outdone you yet Mario? I dunno, he’s getting close, isn’t he?” Lemieux interjected, smiling. “Three rings,” Lemieux said, an apparent reference to the fact that Lemieux has five: two as a player, three as an owner. Trump said Malkin “looks like he’s a basketball player” while calling him “tough” and “strong." No mention this year, sadly, of Malkin's flip phone, a recurring joke for Obama. 1077542 Pittsburgh Penguins [applause] This guy — man, can you play. Sidney, do you know how to win or what? Look at him, he’s shy. Do you know how to win or what? Great. Great Full transcript: President Donald Trump addresses the Penguins job. What a job you’ve done. Forty-four goals last season, 89 points in all, and once again the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy. And Sidney, you’ve built an incredible legacy in Pittsburgh, and congratulations. Keep SEAN GENTILLE it going. Fantastic. Before it’s all said and done, you might, frankly, you know, they’re telling me this — has he outdone you yet Mario? I dunno, he’s getting close, Tuesday was the Penguins’ day at the White House. To say the visit was isn’t he? anticipated would be an understatement. LEMIEUX: Three rings. Here’s a full transcript of President Donald Trump’s remarks about the team at the podium, with some appearances from the team’s owners and TRUMP: You might even outdo him. I dunno, he’s got to be awfully close, stars. right? Well, Mario is Mario, and Sidney, congratulations. TRUMP: By the way everybody wanted to be here today. And I know And Sidney’s not the only start that shined for the Pens last year. Evgeni why. Malkin. Where’s Evgeni. Where is he? Well, thank you all very much for being here. Before we get started, I Looks like he’s a basketball player. Big guy. Strong. Tough. Served as want to say a few words to the people of California. Great state. the other half of “the two-headed monster.” They call it “the two-headed Especially for those in Napa. Napa has been hit so hard, and Sonoma. monster” that scored a combined total of 77 goals. Way to go, fellas. As they deal with the tragic loss of life and property to devastating Great. Fantastic. wildfires. I spoke with Governor Brown last night to let him know that the federal government will stand with the people of California, and we will be Phil Kessel. Where’s Phil? Phil. Come on. there for you in this time of tragedy and need. And I just want to pay my [applause] warmest respects. They’re going through a lot. Come on, get over here, Phil. These guys don’t want to be politicians. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan takes questions after the Penguins visited They shouldn’t be. Don’t be a politician. with President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. Phil led the team in assists, although I hear his sister Amanda may be the best hockey player in the family. Is that possible? You know what, I We also continue to pray for those grieving and wounded after the mass doubt it, OK, but I hear she’s really good. shooting attack in Las Vegas. And we stand in solidarity with those suffering in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and thank Matt Murray stewarded 32 wins as goaltender and is the first goalie in you very much, we have to never forget. league history to win the Stanley Cup championship game in each of his first two years. Where’s Matt? To the many members of Congress who joined us here today — we have many many, we have many fans out here, folks, you know that right? A [applause] lot of fans. Not all from Pennsylvania too, if you can believe it. They are … a lot of fans. Members of my administration and distinguished guests, I assume you have very good reflexes, right? Have you had good please join me in welcoming to the White House the two-time defending reflexes from Day 1? Hey, you better have, right? Way to go, Matt. Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins We expect big things out of this year out of Matt as he will be taking on [applause] an even greater role this season between the pipes. Conor Sheary. Jake Guentzel. Where’s Jake and Conor? Where are they? Come here. Way Not only are the Penguins the first team in the National Hockey League, to go, fellas. Oh, what a group. And Justin. Justin Schultz, also had really literally, in nearly 20 years to be repeat champions, you also captured the big years as some of the young upcoming stars of this team. They’ve got Cup in three out of the last nine seasons. That’s pretty amazing, because a team with a tremendous future, that’s what I’m hearing. I know the competition. The competition is tough. Is it tough? It’s tough, right? Not for you guys, it’s not so tough. Despite being sidelined to injury, Kris Letang used his experience to help younger players. Over the last couple of months, the New England Patriots, the Chicago Cubs and the NCAA champion Clemson Tigers, football. have all visited [applause] the White House to celebrate their great victories. It’s been an honor to Where’s Kris? Where’s Kris? Boy, you look pretty young to me. What do have them all here. they mean ‘younger players?’ Do they get younger than you? Now I want to proudly welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins’ owners. First of Very handsome group of people. In fact, I actually don’t like standing in all, he’s a friend of mind for a long time, he’s a great, great negotiator. front of them. First thing you know — we always like unattractive teams, Ron how about negotiating some of our horrible trade deals that they’ve right? made over? Here’s what I want, oh, I would love to have Ron Burkle. And it’s great to have you Ron, but I really mean that, If you want to get And devised strategies that spurred the Pens on to a really incredible involved in negotiating NAFTA, I like it. Because we’re renegotiating victory. I’m pleased to report that the Tanger — right? Tanger! — is NAFTA, Ron. healthy and back on the ice where he belongs. It’s gonna be a great season. Of course, he may not like that, because maybe he’s on the other side. That’s what’s happening. That’s why it’s so hard to redo these trade Yet many of the players really might agree that the biggest MVPs was deals because there’s so many other — you’re not on the other side of your incredible, loyal fans. The Pens faithful packed the arenas for every NAFTA, Ron, are you? single game, cheering Pittsburgh’s boys of winter all the way. President Donald Trump greets the Penguins in the East Room of the Great, great fans. Great state. Great place. In fact, everyone of the White House on Tuesday. Penguins’ home games for the past 10 straight years has been very much to Ron Burkle’s happiness, sold out, right Ron? Sold out. So while BURKLE: I am not. you’re dominant on the ice, the heart of the organization and its TRUMP: And one of the all-time greats, and a really great golfer too, commitment to Pittsburgh shines just as brightly off the ice. Mario Lemieux. Super Mario. And he hits that ball a long way. The Pittsburgh Penguins foundation supports a number of great causes To general manager Jim Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan, I know you serving young people. Over a million dollars in grants were awarded to have a really big early-season matchup tonight against the rival local charities last season. The annual food drive distributes thousands Washington Capitals. Are they tough, the Washington Capitals, what do and thousands of pounds of food and tens of thousands of dollars to local you think? Are they tough? So I want to thank you for coming today. community food banks. But for us this is really a truly great group of world champions, that’s what Since 2010, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation has also worked with they are. They’re world champions. the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center sports medicine to combat concussions in young athletes. Just last week the Pens pledged two We have to start with somebody that I’ve been watching for a long time, donations of $25,000 each to relief efforts in Puerto Rico, in a support of because I saw him when he was just about as young as you could get the victims and the first responders of the terrible attack in Las Vegas. going into the NHL. Sidney Crosby. Where’s Sidney? They have worked so hard, the police, first responders for everything, whether it was in Texas or in Florida or Louisiana or Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, or that horrible, horrible situation caused by a very demented, sick person in Las Vegas. The police, every one of them, first responders, they’ve been incredible. They’ve been absolutely incredible, so we should give them a hand, OK? [applause] Just as much as your five Stanley Cup wins, your generosity has shown the true character of this incredible organization. You are true, true champions and incredible patriots. Now with hockey season again underway, I know you’re ready to make yet another run at the Cup, the NHL has not seen a threepeat in a generation, but I know you are ready for the challenge. I’m gonna be watching so closely, because, do you think you’re gonna be back here next year, I think so, right? [applause] I have a feeling. I’ve been watching them. I go to those Ranger games, and you do a lot of bad damage to our Ranger team. Boy oh boy, you do damage. It’s called winning, right Sidney? It’s called winning. I know the Capitals will be looking for payback tomorrow night, so we will let you back to practice, I just again want to congratulate this incredible franchise on its so many victories. You embody the values of dedication, discipline and hard work to every young American watching today, we encourage you to always strive to be your best, to do your best, and to give your all. We wish all the best of luck this season. You’re gonna have a great season. Coach is telling me your team is gonna be better than ever, so let’s go Pens. Thank you all, God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Fantastic. Thank you very much. Congratulations. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077543 San Jose Sharks game began, though, Mueller was in uniform and took a shift with Burns early in the first period.

Sharks spent $5 million to improve ice at SAP Center. Is it helping? Paul Martin leaves Sharks practice early; Might Tim Heed play vs. Sabres? When on-ice officials noticed Mueller was playing 6:36 into the first period, he was ruled ineligible and had to leave the game. Martin was on the list initially submitted to league officials and went through pregame By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay warmups, presumably to test out his leg after he blocked a shot in the Area News Group game before. Martin, though, was not in uniform when the game began, and the Sharks played most of that night with only four defensemen. SAN JOSE — Sharks defenseman Paul Martin’s nagging ankle injury could keep him out of Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres and Heed didn’t have a point in that 3-2 loss to the Flames, but finished with open the door for Tim Heed to play for the first time this season. 16:29 of ice time in what’s been his only NHL game so far. Martin’s availability for Thursday’s game is in question as the “I probably got a little bit more ice time than I was supposed to, but I was defenseman, who is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, left happy with it and happy with my game, so, just to bring that positive Tuesday’s practice after only 10 minutes. (mindset),” Heed said. Martin, 36, warmed up and took part in some early drills but left under his Listed at 6-feet and 185 pounds, Heed signed with the Sharks in May own power and did not return. He had fewer than 11 minutes of ice time 2016 after three years in the Swedish Hockey League. He signed a two- in the Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. year contract extension in June, then beat out Joakim Ryan, Radim Simek and others for the seventh defenseman job. “Dealing with a little something,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of Martin after Tuesday’s practice. “He had offseason surgery and he’s Heed had four assists in five preseason games. working himself back in. So, there is some stuff there for sure.” “He looked good in training camp. This is another level in the regular Martin, Brent Burns’ defense partner, has played 161 games and season and when we’re playing big, heavy teams, that’s going to be averaged 19:53 of ice time per game in two-plus seasons with the another test,” DeBoer said. “Like all young guys, there’s different hurdles Sharks. Heed, 26, had 56 points in 55 regular-season games with the you have to (clear). But he’s going to get an opportunity, and he looks to Barracuda last season and won the job in training camp to be the Sharks’ me like he’s capable of playing here.” seventh defenseman. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 10.11.2017 Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up for the free Sharks Report newsletter coming soon. “Had a great year last year, arguably the best defenseman in the (AHL),” DeBoer said of Heed. “Had a great training camp, did some really good stuff and made our team. He’s going to play some games and get an opportunity. Whether its the next game or the game after. It’s going to be soon.” Martin has been a valuable member of the Sharks’ defense since he signed a four-year contract in the summer of 2015. He has been paired with Burns since his arrival, and has been one of the reasons Burns has flourished on the offensive end over the last two seasons. Martin has played the stay-at-home role, allowing Burns the freedom to join the rush and create offensive chances. Burns had 151 regular-season points over the last two seasons, setting team records both years for goals and points in a single season by a defenseman. In June, he became the first Sharks defenseman to win the Norris Trophy. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. If Martin can’t play Thursday, it’s unclear who Burns might be paired with at even strength. Heed, like Burns, is a right-shot defenseman. Burns and Heed, though, were both on the point on the Sharks’ first power-play unit Tuesday, which also had Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. For the first two games of the season, the Sharks had Mikkel Boedker on the top power-play unit, but Boedker was moved to the second unit with forwards Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc and defensemen Dylan DeMelo and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks’ power play is 2 for 10 this season, with Labanc and Couture each scoring one goal. Heed’s bullet of a slap shot helped him score eight power-play goals for the Barracuda last season and his presence would certainly give the Sharks’ No. 1 power-play unit a different look from the four-forward, one- defenseman setup they have used for a number of years. Opposing penalty kill units have worked to block shots that Burns lets go from the point. “If that happens, we’ve got two good shots back there,” Heed said of being on the point with Burns. “We can set up each other and be a threat from different positions, so I think that could be a pretty good fit.” Heed, who signed with the Sharks in 2016, had a memorable NHL debut last season at Calgary on Jan. 11. Defenseman Mirco Mueller was listed as being a scratch on the lineup sheet the Sharks gave to the NHL’s scorer before the game. When the 1077544 San Jose Sharks

What your third line center choice for the Sharks says about you

By Marcus White October 10, 2017 11:56 AM

After going winless in their first two games, the Sharks are desperate to find some chemistry. Head coach Peter DeBoer mixed up the lines the last two days, according to reporters. Tomas Hertl moved back to the wing, this time on the second line with Logan Couture. Chris Tierney centered the third line, and San Jose Barracuda playoff hero Ryan Carpenter centered the fourth. So continues the revolving door at the third line center position under DeBoer. Hertl and Tierney have both spent some time there in DeBoer’s two-plus seasons behind the bench. Hertl’s got the underlying numbers, while Tierney put up points in the role during San Jose’s 2016 run to the Stanley Cup Final. The lack of a permanent solution, though, has left plenty of room for debate. Whether or not San Jose’s current lineup is optimal lies in the eye of you, dear reader. Your view of the whole lineup provides some insight, but your opinion on who the third line center should be says a lot about you. Tomas Hertl You’re analytically-inclined, and will tell anyone that will listen. And I mean anyone. You’ve brought former 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie’s “Trust The Process” into your daily conversations...unironically. You’re committed to the plans you set, even if the results aren’t immediate or readily apparent. You value the journey as much as the destination, and you try not to lose sight of that. Chris Tierney You tend to go with your gut, and are a big believer in the eye test. First impressions aren’t everything, but impressions in critical situations are. Homework wasn’t (or isn’t) your thing in school, but you placed (or place) supreme importance on exams and standardized tests. When you reflect on your life, you’ll look back on the highs, paying little attention to the lows. Ryan Carpenter/Any Other Prospect You keep an open mind to new solutions, and don’t necessarily need a lot of information to make a decision. Whenever you go to a restaurant, you’re ordering something new off of the menu, even if the restaurant is an old standby. You’re adventurous, but sometimes, that spirit allows you to get ahead of yourself. You’ll give anyone, or anything, a chance. Any Center on the Trade Block You want what you can’t have. The grass is always greener on the other side. You’re constantly keeping your resume up to date and looking up real estate listings in new cities, perpetually angling for the next move. This also means that you’re pragmatic. You don’t let emotion or attachment cloud your judgement, and are willing to cut bait when a decision doesn’t work out. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077545 St Louis Blues The Islanders earned such a penalty when Islanders coach Doug Weight challenged Vladimir Tarasenko’s power-play goal, hoping that replays would prove that Alex Pietrangelo failed to keep the puck in at the blue Allen gets a night off after strong start line on a play back to the point. The replay proved inconclusive, so the goal stood. In fairness to Weight, that challenge was worth the gamble — since that goal put his team in a By Jeff Gordon St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago (…) 2-0 hole. “Not looking at the video close enough, I think given the fact of where they were, he made the right call at that time,” Yeo said.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 NEW YORK • Blues goaltender Jake Allen got a well-earned break Tuesday night. Carter Hutton started in his place against the Rangers after Allen won his first three starts this season. “He really looks like he is form right now,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “He was good in Pittsburgh. His last two starts he’s been outstanding. That’s real good.” Allen wasn’t exactly brilliant during preseason play, albeit seeing some of that action behind mixed-bag lineups. But he opened the season with a 5-4 overtime victory at Pittsburgh. Then he stopped 38 of 40 shots in a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in the Blues’ home opener. He was equally brilliant Monday, stopping 40 of 42 shots through overtime and both shots he saw in the shootout as the Blues edged the Islanders 3-2 at Barclays Center. Allen made some outstanding saves, robbing top Islanders threats John Tavares, Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson on a variety of point-blank shots. He also went post to post to rob young Mathew Barzal on a glorious power-play opportunity. “They threw a lot at us,” Allen said. “They’re down a couple goals. It’s what they had to do. They pressed hard. They’re a good offensive team. They had some good shifts there, some good momentum. We limited it and tried to slow it down as much as we could.” The only goals Allen allowed came when he was screened. Andrew Ladd scored through a Brock Nelson screen and Anders Lee posted up on Allen and swept home a rebound to tie the score with a minute left. “He was seeing everything tonight,” Lee observed in the Islanders dressing room. “He controlled all his rebounds and they were playing tough in front. When he’s seeing the puck like that, it’s tough to get opportunities and get those second chances.” Overall Allen had a 2.58 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in his first three starts. BORTUZZO FINED With winger Chris Thorburn out of the lineup Monday, the enforcement duties fell to defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. In that role of looking out for teammates, he delivered retribution on Nelson for a dangerous hit. Bortuzzo landed a series of old school cross-checks — including a couple into Nelson’s back when he was down — to earn a double-minor penalty. Monday night the NHL tacked on a $3,091.40 fine. BINNINGTON GOES TO PROVIDENCE The Blues needed to find somewhere in the American Hockey League for goaltender Jordan Binnington to play. That turned out to be Providence, which needed a netminder after the Boston Bruins lost Malcolm Subban to the Vegas Golden Nights on waivers. The Baby Bruins accepted Binnington on loan from the Blues and sent goaltender Dan Vlader down to Atlanta of the ECHL. UPON FURTHER REVIEW Few things in life are more annoying than seeing a nice NHL goal erased a few minutes later by a coaching challenge of a razor-thin offside non- call. Time after time after time last season, coaches used the challenge rule to erase goals with video reviews that proved a team was actually offside by a centimeter or two earlier in the sequence. Rather than eliminate this nitpicking completely, the NHL compromised with a rule that punishes a team with a delay-of-game penalty for an unsuccessful review. That was designed to discourage coaches from reflexively challenging anything close. “Of course, it’s going to make you think,” Yeo said. 1077546 St Louis Blues “If the Blues and the other new clubs built out of Adam’s rib and Clarence Campbell’s brain can’t compete momentarily with the Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit 50 years ago on Blues' opening night: Hoopla, fisticuffs, and a couple of Red Wings and Boston Bruins, so what?” goals Those Blues of 1967-68 had several players deemed “too old” by the hockey establishment, including Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall. But Hall, the first choice in the expansion draft, didn’t play on opening night By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…) because he had a bad reaction to a tetanus shot for a hand injury. Seth Martin was in goal that night, turning aside 32 of 34 shots he faced in a 2-2 tie with the North Stars. Larry Keenan doesn’t look at the puck very often, but it’s there, in his home in North Bay, Ontario. Martin, who died in 2014 at age 81, played for Team Canada in the Olympics and was on Canada’s team in the World Championships. He’s “It’s in my rec room,” Keenan said Tuesday. in the International Federation Hall of Fame. But he only played 30 games for the Blues in that inaugural season backing up Hall. Fifty years ago to the day — Oct. 11, 1967 — St. Louis witnessed the birth of the Blues. And it was Keenan, now 77 and retired, who scored After the season, he returned home to Trail, British Columbia, and his job the first goal in franchise history that night at the Old Barn, otherwise as a firefighter. He didn’t want to lose his pension. known as The Arena. “We never made money in those days,” Plager said. “Hockey was the “Bobby Plager kept the puck in at the blue line and he had control of it,” second job for all the players. We had our job back home and we’d ask Keenan said. “I broke through and he passed it to me in the slot, and I for time off to go play hockey.” scored on a wrist shot.” Wayne Rivers scored the game-tying goal that October night against So Plager, known more for his roughhouse ways than his point Minnesota, scoring on what Post-Dispatch beat writer Wally Cross called production, is in the books for the first assist in Blues history. a “blistering slap shot” with under 2 minutes to play on a pass from Gerry Melnyk. “And the first penalty,” said Plager, an ambassador of Blues goodwill who still lives in St. Louis. Rivers, now 75 and living in Discovery Bay, Calif., worked for years as an over-the-road truck driver once his hockey career ended. His goal It was for slashing — Plager doesn’t recall who was on the receiving end. delighted the crowd of 11,339 in The Arena, which seated only 14,000 at But he does remember, in his own inimitable style, what a grand night it the time. was for hockey. The fans, who paid between $2.50 and $6 for tickets, were further Radio star Arthur Godfrey, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians entertained when the Blues’ Roger Picard — the older brother of Noel band, and Broadway singer Anna Maria Alberghetti were part of the Picard — got into a fight with Minnesota’s Ted Taylor. Both benches pregame entertainment, with Jack Buck — of course — serving as cleared because, well, that’s what they did back then. (Both Picards emcee. played that night for St. Louis.) “After the game, I go in the bathroom,” Plager recalled. “Bob Hope Although not all of them were on the roster for opening night, 32 players walked in. Everything was blue that day, and we had blue water in the were members of the original Blues over the course of that inaugural bathrooms when you flushed the toilet or the urinals.” season. Ten have since passed away. So there they were, Plager and the great comedian standing side-by-side But for Keenan and the rest of the surviving Blues, not even 50 years can at the urinals. erase the memory of those early days. “I said, ‘Look at this. The water’s blue here,’ “ Plager said. “And he goes, “It’s one of the cleanest cities I ever played in,” Keenan said. “I was there ‘Oh, thank God you told me. I thought it was me.’” pretty well three years and they treated you well. The fans were good. It Keenan doesn’t remember any of the celebrities or hoopla, but he does was a clean city.” remember the rush to spruce up The Arena for opening night. And wouldn’t you know it? In a circle-of-life — Blues division — kind of “We were practicing in there when the construction was going on to thing, Keenan would later coach a feisty hockey player named Mike Yeo renovate the arena,” Keenan said. “Carpenters and painters and all that. for the North Bay Trappers AAA Midget team. It was pretty comical — they’re working while we were practicing. Their Yes, that Mike Yeo. bosses would get on their rear end because they were watching us instead of doing the work.” “He was a good player,” Keenan said. It was with great pride, Plager said, that the expansion Blues stood for St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 the national anthem on opening night against the . “That was a great night,” he said. “Because it was the first game of expansion, you looked down the ice and you saw the players of Minnesota, and those were players that you played against in the minor leagues or in junior hockey. One of those North Stars, in fact, was Plager’s brother Billy. “There were only six (original NHL) teams to start with, and not many players made it when it was six teams,” Plager said. “We were all living our dream there. That’s what was special about that night.” With only six franchises for the longest time, the National Hockey League was the toughest lineup to crack in pro sports. When the league added six teams for 1967-68, it doubled the number of jobs in hockey’s top league. Plager himself had spent part of the previous year in Baltimore, then a New York Rangers minor league affiliate. The late, great Post-Dispatch columnist Bob Broeg summed up the state of the new expansion division in a column the day of the Blues’ opening game. He filed that column from Boston, where the baseball Cardinals were playing the Red Sox in the World Series. “No one, in this judgment, can evaluate clearly the capabilities of the six teams put together from players considered by the other NHL clubs as too young or too old, too expensive or too temperamental — not too talented,” Broeg wrote. 1077547 St Louis Blues you give them. If you take away the pass, then he’s going to find the shot. If you take away the shot, then he’s going to find the pass.”

In this case, after Schwartz took an offensive zone hooking penalty, Blues weather the storm, beat Rangers Shattenkirk put a shot on goal from out high, straight away. Buchnevich swept the rebound to Mika Zibanejad on his left for the easy conversion. By Jeff Gordon St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…) But the Blues countered with their own first-period power play goal. After Paul Stastny shot wide left from the slot, Schenn turned the carom off the end boards into a bank shot off the back of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to put the Blues up 2-1. NEW YORK • As the Rangers were killing off a 5-on-3 Blues power play in the third period Tuesday night, the momentum shifted decisively “I saw Lundqvist kind of off his post and sometimes guys bank them in toward the home team. and that’s what I tried for,” Schenn said. “I banked it and I didn’t even know it went in until I saw (Vladimir) Tarasenko put his arms in the air. So “Honestly, you could feel it,” Blues goaltender Carter Hutton said. “You I’ll definitely take goals like that.” could hear the crowd. (Michael) Grabner gets that breakaway and then the crowd is buzzing. For me, that’s a moment where I really need to Once again Yeo shuffled his lines at even strength as the game zone in and compete.” progressed. Among his many mutations: moving Barbashev to the Stastny-Tarasenko pairing and using Vladimir Sobotka with Schenn and Zone in he did, somehow holding the Blues’ 2-1 margin until Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz iced the game with an empty-net goal. The Blues moved to 4-0 on the young season with a 3-1 victory at Madison Square Garden. For the bulk of the game the Blues were able to roll lines and sustain pressure. But in the end, they were just hanging on and hoping Hutton Carl Gunnarsson and Brayden Schenn scored earlier in the game and held up. Hutton stopped 32 of 33 shots. “Yes, they were good defensively, but in the third I thought we brought a “Given the schedule, three games in less than four days, really, I thought lot more energy and willpower,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “We the guys battled really hard,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “There were spent a lot of time in their end and we finally got some pretty good looks, some moments where the fatigue really showed up, especially in our but we weren’t able to score.” execution. Sort of uncharacteristic turnovers. But the guys really battled hard.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 It wasn’t easy to escape the Garden with the victory. The late Rangers deluge started with Grabner’s short-handed breakaway. “I knew he didn’t have a big step, but I knew he was coming, he can wheel,” Hutton said. “I was just trying to match his speed, be aggressive. I thought we had enough back pressure on him, the puck was rolling, he had to make a quick shot. I got my shoulder on it.” And the shots just kept coming from everywhere. Former Blue Kevin Shattenkirk got a good look. So did Rick Nash. Pavel Buchnevich thought he scored a couple of different times from in close. “Shatty had a shot on me from the point I didn’t even see,” Hutton said. “Hits my arm and I get away with one there. From there it’s just battling and we did a great job of finishing up.” Yeo continued his line shuffling in Game 4 — this time for disciplinary reasons. Winger Dmitrij Jaskin missed a team meeting, so Yeo scratched him from the lineup and moved Ivan Barbashev up to play the right side on the Schenn-Schwartz line. “I’m not going to elaborate on it a whole lot more,” Yeo said. “He missed a team meeting and so this is the group we have. Obviously we have players that are anxious and ready to be in the lineup.” Oskar Sundqvist moved back into the lineup as the third line center, a role Barbashev filled Monday afternoon against the Islanders. Rugged winger Chris Thorburn also returned to the lineup on the fourth line, replacing Wade Megan. “I don’t say we’ve been waiting for Barby all year, but we had high hopes and expectations for Barby,” Yeo said. “It happens that his training camp wasn’t as strong as he or we would have liked. But that said, this is a kid that we recognize what he has done and we really value in our organization.” The Schwartz-Schenn-Barbashev line started and got immediate results, turning the Rangers over in their zone on their first possession. Schwartz stole the puck and located Gunnarsson, of all people, alone on the doorstep. And Gunnarsson, who didn’t score in 56 games last season, scored for the second time in four games this season to give the Blues a 1-0 lead just 15 seconds into the game. “You usually don’t draw it up like that, but it was a great start for us,” Schenn said. “Gunny made a heck of a shot there and did a good job of finding the open area.” The Blues knew that Shattenkirk quarterbacking the Rangers power play would present a unique challenge. And it did. “As far as I’m concerned he is one of the best in the league,” Yeo said. “He is extremely dangerous back there. It’s sort of pick your poison. What he does incredibly well is what good power plays do — they take what 1077548 St Louis Blues

Blues sign five-year affiliation with AHL team in San Antonio

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12 hrs ago (…)

It won't help the Blues this season, but they finally have a minor-league affiliate. The Blues officially announced a five-year affiliation agreement with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL starting next season. The Blues are without an affiliate this season after the NHL expanded by one team but the AHL stayed at 30, and the Blues were the odd team out. The Blues had been affiliated with Chicago, but that deal ran out after last season and they reached a deal to be the farm team for the expansion team in Las Vegas. The Blues are sending some players to San Antonio (Colorado's farm team) this season and others to Chicago, with goalie Jordan Binnington being sent to Providence, Boston's farm team, so he could get playing time. Already in San Antonio at the moment are forwards Samuel Blais, Klim Kostin an Adam Musil, defensemen Jordan Schmaltz and Chris Butler, and goalie Ville Husso. Here's background on the deal from earlier this week. The Rampage are owned by the same group that owns the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, plus teams in the WNBA, the D-League and the USL. One of the challenges for the Blues this season will be that, without a minor-league affiliate, the Blues have no say in the coaching or ice time of players when they get sent to the minors. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077549 St Louis Blues Yeo cancelled today's morning skate to give his players additional rest. Playing a day game Monday bought some extra hours of rest, but . . .

"It's still a lot of hockey for us," Yeo said. "This was will be three games in Blues hold off Rangers in 3-1 win, improve to 4-0 for season less than four days. We're going to have to find our energy quickly here and probably look at our lineup to see if we need to do anything to get some fresh legs in there." By Jeff Gordon St. Louis Post-Dispatch 7 hrs ago (…) After losing their first two games by the combined scored of 12-7, the Rangers regrouped to beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-0 Sunday. NEW YORK • Third periods have been shaky for the Blues, the one "It's going to be a good challenge," Yeo said. "The Rangers look like they continuous problem over the first three games of the young 2017-18 started to find their game and it will be a good test." season. They gave up two goals apiece in the third period against Pittsburgh, Dallas and the New York Islanders, squandering two-goal The Blues will face longtime teammate Kevin Shattenkirk in the game. leads against the Penguins and Islanders to force overtime. They could also see former Blue Adam Cracknell, whom the Rangers claimed on waivers after dressing just 11 forwards in their victory over They didn't allow any goals in the third period Tuesday against the New Montreal. York Rangers, but that didn't mean the final 20 minutes were a walk in Central Park. Thanks to some stellar work by Carter Hutton, the Blues St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.11.2017 made two first-period goals stand up in a 3-1 victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Blues added a much-needed cushion on an empty-net goal by Jaden Schwartz at the 18:13 mark. The Blues thus improved to 4-0 on the season, marking the first time since the 2013-14 season and just the second time in franchise history that they have won their first four games. The Blues have trailed for only 1 minute 54 seconds all season. The Blues were very sound at the start of the second period, and began taking the play to the Rangers. St. Louis totally snuffed out a Rangers power play after Kyle Brodziak went off for holding at the 6:27 mark of the period. In fact, Scottie Upshall almost scored a shorthanded goal after his hustle led to a breakaway chance. But Henrik Lundqvist turned away Upshall's shot from in close. Blues coach Mike Yeo tinkered with his lines in the period, moving Vladimir Tarasenko onto the red-hot Brayden Schenn-Jaden Schwartz line for a while, and also pairing Vladimir Sobotka with Schenn and Schwartz. FIRST PERIOD Carl Gunnarsson, who went the entire 2016-17 season without an NHL goal, scored for the second time in four games this season just 15 seconds into Tuesday's contest. But it didn't take the New Yorkers long to score the equalizer. With Jaden Schwartz off for hooking, the Rangers went on the power play just 78 seconds into the game. Mika Zibanejad scored at the 2:22 mark to tie game at 1-1. The Blues regained the lead later in the period on a power play goal by Brayden Schenn. Paul Stastny launched a weak shot from the slot but it bounced off the boards behind Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Schenn was there and bounced the puck off the back pads of Lundqvist and into the net for his second goal of the season and a 2-1 Blues lead at the 13:30 mark. (From earlier) NEW YORK • Blues goaltender Jake Allen has played brilliantly in his three starts this season. He has stopped 107 of 115 shots while winning each game -- including one in overtime and Monday's game in a shootout. Now back-up Carter Hutton is getting his chance. On the heels of the Blues' 3-2 victory over the Islanders, Hutton will start tonight against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. He was 13-8-2 last season with 2.39 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. "(Allen) has been outstanding," coach Mike Yeo said. "He'll get a rest, (Hutton) will go in there and then obviously (Allen) will have a chance to bounce back, get a little energy, get ready for the next one." The Blues made two lineup changes Monday, inserting Ivan Barbashev on the third line in place of Oskar Sundqvist and Wade Megan on the fourth line for Chris Thorburn. The coaching staff will mull other lineup changes for the Rangers game at the team hotel. (With Thorburn out of the lineup Monday, the enforcement work fell to defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. In that role, he delivered retribution on Islanders forward Brock Nelson with an old-school series of cross-checks -- including a couple into his back while he was down. For that breach of etiquette Bortuzzo earned a $3,091.40 fine.) 1077550 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning journal: Barrage of shots during power play pays off against Capitals

Roger Mooney, Times Staff Writer

TAMPA — The Lightning did not score a goal during their third-period power play Monday, but it might have won the game during the two minutes with the man advantage. Trailing the Capitals 3-2 in a game it would win 4-3 in overtime, the Lightning controlled the puck for nearly the entire two minutes and took 11 shots, seven of which were on net. C Steven Stamkos, D Victor Hedman and C Vladislav Namestnikov had two shots each. RW Nikita Kucherov had one. The barrage enabled the Lightning to finish with a 17-6 shot advantage in the period, with one of those being Kucherov's tying goal at 10:46. "It's just nice to get the feeling of the puck and move the puck well," Kucherov said. "We had (seven) shots, but it's good for building confidence on the next shift." Maintenance day for Paquette C Cedric Paquette did not practice Tuesday. Coach Jon Cooper said Paquette should be ready to play Thursday against the visiting Penguins. "Well he plays that style and he gets in lanes, he blocks shots, he's a physical player, so sometimes those guys need a little rest," Cooper said. "That's what's going on." Light night for Koekkoek D Slater Koekkoek made his season debut Monday against the Capitals but played only six shifts for a total ice time of 3 minutes, 9 seconds. "That's not the last time he's going to be in our lineup. We're going to need our depth to win," coach Jon Cooper said. "I feel for him. Ultimately that's how the ice time ended up. It's get your minutes in. Next game, try to get a few more. Next game, try to get a few more." Sizing him up Former Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk was fitted Tuesday for his Hockey Hall of Fame blazer and his ring. He also donated some items from his career to the hall. The big 2-5 The Lightning will hold its 25th anniversary celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Expo Hall at the Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa. The event is free, but fans need to obtain a mobile ticket at tampabaylightning.com. Expo Hall, the team's original home, will be set up like it was during the inaugural season. Fans can meet members of the original team, including Chris Kontos, Brian Bradley and team founder Phil Esposito. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077551 Tampa Bay Lightning "He's leading the charge when it comes to that," Cooper said. "If you are a little smaller in stature, you got to do something better than everyone else, and one of the things he does is he wins puck battles. Lightning's Brayden Point always seems in right place, even with winning "If you look at how many times in a game there are 50-50 puck battles, goals off his knee Braydon Point more often than not comes out with the puck, regardless of the size he's going against. The more players you can accumulate that do that stuff means puck possession and so many other things that go to Roger Mooney, Times Staff Writer your game. It's that attribute that has got him in the door and now has him playing top-line minutes."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 TAMPA — There is a saying in hockey that the puck follows the good players, and right now the puck is following Brayden Point. Take Monday night in overtime against the Capitals, when a blast from Nikita Kucherov found the right leg of Point just above his knee, then found the back of the net for the winner. It was, Point said, one of the more unusual goals he has ever scored. "I'll take it," he said. And how about this? Point admits he was out of position. "I should have been trying to screen (the goalie) a little more than I was," he said. So, he was a little fortunate. But Point created his luck by skating to the front of the net while Steven Stamkos sent a pass from the right side to Kucherov, who was in the faceoff circle. Point was ready to jump on a possible rebound as Kucherov let fly with a one-timer. "He has great awareness," Alex Killorn said of Point. "The puck follows him around the ice." Credit Point's ability to anticipate what will develop and get to an area before the puck. "He's got that blend of the hockey sense and the drive, and he works and works," coach Jon Cooper said, "and usually those guys succeed." The 5-foot-10 Point leads the team with seven points and is tied with Kucherov with a team-high three goals — one in each game. "He's been one of our best if not our best player so far," Killorn said. After spending most of training camp playing both wings, Point was moved to center on the line with Ondrej Palat and Yanni Gourde. "That's where he is best, and he has the ability to make his linemates better," Cooper said. The unit has been matched with potent lines on the two teams the Lightning have played — the Panthers and Capitals. They have handled the challenge. "I think we're all pretty similar players," Point said. "We all think the game in a similar way. We're all just hard-working guys that like to cycle the puck. It's nothing really too fancy. It's a hard-working game, kind of a grinding game." Point was a surprise pick to make the team at the start of last season. He rose from the fourth line to the first because of all the injuries but also because he earned the promotions. He missed 14 games in the middle of the season with a broken finger and returned a more confident player, having spent the downtime studying the top forwards during Lightning games. "I just think I was more comfortable with myself when I came back," he said. "Pucks started to go in, and I started to get some bounces." Point played for Team Canada over the summer in the IIHF World Championships, centering the line with Mitch Marner of the Maple Leafs and Travis Konecny of the Flyers. It was the fourth line but quickly became Team Canada's best line, said Killorn, a member of Team Canada. Like he has done with Palat and Gourde, Point quickly developed chemistry with Marner and Konecny. "These are rising players in the NHL and right away he had it," said Cooper, who coached Team Canada. "Then you put him on the penalty kill and he was one of our top penalty-killers. The more situations you put him in, he excels at it. Well, give me another situation. When he fit in with the top players in the league, we knew we were going to be okay." When asked for Point's best attribute on the ice, Cooper said his competitiveness. 1077552 Toronto Maple Leafs when Mats Sundin and Joe Sakic helped the Quebec Nordiques reel off 20 goals in a trio of wins. Toronto’s NHL franchise hasn’t begun its season with an offensive outburst more potent since the Toronto Arenas Goals have Leafs grinning ear to ear hole: Feschuk scored 27 goals in their opening three wins in 1917-18. “The puck is bouncing for us pretty good,” said Leo Komarov, the veteran forward. “We’re not complaining about it.” By DAVE FESCHUKSports Columnist They’re not complaining, but as Andersen said on Tuesday, “We’re taking it with a grain of salt.” The Leafs know their offensive pace, while it’s highly watchable, isn’t likely sustainable. Toronto’s shooting It was a shot that launched a thousand GIFs. When Auston Matthews percentage is running 16.5% — third-highest in the league behind scored the overtime winner in Monday night’s Maple Leafs win over the Chicago and Washington heading into Tuesday’s games — which means Blackhawks, the hockey world’s social-media feeds promptly offered fans their hot sticks should be expected to eventually cool. Last season, when the chance to watch and re-watch Matthews’s decisive snipe. the Leafs were the NHL’s fifth-highest-scoring team, they shot 9.6%. If they were shooting 9.6% this season they would have scored 11 goals in It was worth repeated viewings. Flying down his off wing, the left-handed- three games — still higher than last season’s pace of 3.05 a game. shooting Matthews deposited a laser-beam wrister over the glove-side shoulder of Chicago goaltender Anton Forsberg to give the Leafs their Then again, there’s no denying the Leafs appear to be an improved third win in three games to open the season. Ray Ferraro, the TSN team. Matthews, who scored 40 goals as a rookie, has so far looked like between-the-benches analyst who scored 408 NHL goals, pronounced an even better version of his first-year self. And sometimes the the shot “perfect.” The morning after, the occupants of the dressing room percentages are irrelevant. Thinking back to the image of Toronto’s No. were still going over the details of its split-second genius. 34 flying down the right wing Monday night, there are those who considered the odds of him successfully going ear hole at high speed Leafs coach Mike Babcock was quick to give credit for the setup to with the game on the line. Toronto defenceman Jake Gardiner. Though Gardiner wasn’t credited with an assist on the scoresheet — the goal was unassisted — Babcock “It takes huge balls to try that shot — the margin of error is so high,” said it was vital Gardiner “got on his horse” to join Matthews on the rush McKichan said. “You can shoot it off the goalie’s chest. You can miss the and provide a passing option. net. The target he was aiming at was very small. But for Matthews, that’s a high-percentage shot.” “If (Gardiner’s) not there, obviously (Chicago defenceman Gustav Forsling) plays (Matthews) different,” said the coach. Toronto Star LOADED: 10.11.2017 Frederik Andersen, the Leafs goaltender, admired the play for how Matthews continued stickhandling until the instant he fired — a choice that, Andersen said, made it more difficult for Forsberg to anticipate the shot. “He’s stickhandling, stickhandling where a lot of guys would be coming down, pulling the puck back and looking where they’re going to shoot,” Andersen said. “Such a short release. He’s creating a slight different angle for himself all the time. And maybe that’s why he can find that hole.” The hole in question was another point of dissection. “He put it in that ear hole,” Babcock said. Everyone’s heard of going five-hole— shooting for the space between a goaltender’s pads. Fewer have considered the possibilities of going “ear hole.” The coach elaborated. “He didn’t put it to the glove side. He went tighter to (Forsberg’s) head,” Babcock said. We’ll translate. Actually, Matthews did shoot to Forsberg’s glove side. What Babcock was pointing out is that Matthews kept the puck away from the area easily guarded by Forsberg’s glove hand. Such is the requisite nuance in a sport in which goaltenders stop about 91% of shots that today’s shooters have become far more specific in their targets. When a goalie is set and ready — as Forsberg was for Matthews — “top corner” or “high glove” generally won’t cut it. “High glove — goalies are cheating for that spot now,” said Eric Fehr, the veteran forward. “I think (Matthews) knows that.” The counter move, as Matthews showed Monday night, is to aim closer to the goaltender’s ear — going “ear hole,” as Babcock called it. Matthews, for his part, was blasé about the specifics of the ninth game- winning goal of his young career. “You just shoot and put it where you’re trying to put it — not much going through your head there,” Matthews said. There also wasn’t much Forsberg could do. Given how Matthews released the shot below the top of the faceoff circle, it was a “nearly impossible” puck to catch, said Steve McKichan, the Maple Leafs goaltending coach during the era. “That shot’s going in on every goalie in the NHL,” McKichan said. “(Forsberg) would have heard a noise like a tuning fork — a vibrating noise. But he wouldn’t have seen it.” As Ferraro said on TSN radio: “If (Matthews) would have taken that with his hand and placed it somewhere, he would have put it right there.” The opening week of Toronto’s campaign has been a hit to the bullseye, to put it mildly. The Leafs, unbeaten heading into Wednesday night’s home game against the New Jersey Devils, have scored 19 goals. No team has scored more often in its opening three games since 1992-93, 1077553 Toronto Maple Leafs

Steady Connor Brown adds to Leafs’ depth

By MARK ZWOLINSKI

Don’t try to tell Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock that Connor Brown is a good fourth-line player. “He’s just a good player,” Babcock said Tuesday, a day after the 23-year- old winger played almost 18 minutes, scored his first goal of the season and was named second star as the Leafs beat the Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime. “I’ve said all along that Connor doesn’t think he’s a fourth-line player. I thought he had good jump (in Monday’s game). He was one of our best players.” A fourth-line player wouldn’t normally get that much playing time, especially on a club with superb depth on the wing. But Brown racked up the minutes, in part, by playing on the penalty kill (5:09) and the power play (2:32). He can play with any line and in any situation. Much of that stems from his hard work and competitive instincts, some of it honed during his playing days in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, where he was coached by his father Dan. “I’m not sure if I ever had to learn (hard work) … I was always a competitive person and my dad . . . sure, he made sure I was working hard and I was skating hard, but he never pushed,” Brown said. Not that he singles himself out as anything special when it comes to work, mind you. “I don’t think I’m working any harder than anyone else, to be honest. We all work as hard as we can, you have to,” said Brown, who was part of the young Marlies’ Magnificent Seven in the GTHL. Brown and six of his teammates went on to be selected in the 2012 NHL draft. The highest pick was centre Scott Laughton, taken 20th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers. Defenceman Matt Finn went in the second round, 35th overall, to the Leafs. Brown was picked in the sixth round, 156th overall. Brown had to battle the perception that he was too small to be a serious NHL player. He was five-foot-six and 160 pounds when he moved from the GTHL to the junior ranks. “It’s such a marathon to get to the NHL,” he said. “It’s one thing to get drafted, then it’s harder to take that next step into the NHL. As long as I was having fun with it, that made the difference for me. At the pro level, you have to be so strong, and strength translates into speed. But I loved it, it was a lot of fun for me.” The hard work has paid off on the ice and at the bank. Brown scored 20 goals in his rookie season and parlayed that into a three-year contract extension worth $6.3 million, signed in late August. While some players find contract negotiations stressful. Brown says he didn’t get too worked up. “The only stressful part of it (contract) was I wanted it to be done before the season,” Brown said. “I knew it would be, I knew it would be done before camp. It wasn’t what you would call a nervous process . . . it worked out.” Toronto Star LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077554 Toronto Maple Leafs

Game day: New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports reporter

Tues., Oct. 10, 2017 AIR CANADA CENTRE Puck drop: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. TV: Sportsnet Radio: Sportsnet 590 The FAN KEY PLAYERS Bratt/Nylander Jesper Bratt is one of several rookies who are making an early splash in New Jersey. He had three points in the club’s 6-2 win over Buffalo on Monday and had five points in his first five periods. A sixth-rounder (162nd overall) in 2016, Bratt is the lowest draft pick to make it to the NHL as a teenager in more than 20 years. William Nylander, meanwhile, has had some tough luck around the goal so far this season: he has had two goals disallowed, and narrowly missed another two chances Wednesday. NEED TO KNOW Nico Hischier, the first overall pick in June, picked up his first point for the Devils against Buffalo, assisting on Brian Gibbons’ goal. And Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher had three assists in New Jersey’s opening win against Colorado. The Devils’ influx of rookies is reminiscent of last season’s Leafs, who had as many as eight on the active roster . . . Kyle Palmieri and Drew Stafford, who suffered lower body injuries in the opener, did not play Monday and are day to day. UP NEXT Saturday, at Montreal. Toronto Star LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077555 Toronto Maple Leafs

Game Day: Devils at Maple Leafs

BY TERRY KOSHAN, TORONTO SUN

NEW JERSEY DEVILS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Air Canada Centre TV: Sportsnet; Radio: 590 AM FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Pedal to the metal Once the Leafs found their footing against the Blackhawks on Monday, the forecheck was relentless, giving the Chicago blue-line group fits. It’s probable that Devils defencemen Andy Greene and Damon Severson will get the matchup with the Auston Matthews line, which could be cause for a long night for the New Jersey duo. Sin bin sins The Leafs have been called for 16 minors — tied for second-most in the NHL through games on Monday. Mike Babcock has full respect for his penalty killers, but he would love to use them less often. Though it’s a small sample size, the Devils are clicking on the power play, scoring three goals on eight chances. Stick to the plan The Leafs get wins when they play to Babcock’s systems well, a fact that’s not lost on the Devils. “Any team coached by Babcock is going to be well-structured,” New Jersey forward Taylor Hall said. “The young guys they have, they really push the pace. It’s a good test for us.”

Face the facts The Leafs have been sharp in the faceoff circle, winning 58.8% of draws through three games, a percentage that was second-highest in the league. Nazem Kadri (59.5%) and Tyler Bozak (57.7%) have been leading the way. The Devils are a shade over 50% at the dot. Lineup woes It’s possible the Devils use 11 forwards and seven defencemen, as they did in a 6-2 win in Buffalo on Monday. Decisions on forwards Drew Stafford and Kyle Palmieri, each suffering from a lower-body injury, will be made on Wednesday. Both skated on Tuesday. THE BIG MATCHUP Nico Hischier vs. Auston Matthews It’s an early showdown between Hischier, the No. 1 pick in 2017 by the Devils, and Matthews, the No. 1 pick in 2016 by the Maple Leafs. While it’s unlikely Hischier will have any shifts against Matthews, you can bet the 18-year-old native of Switzerland will put forth the effort to score his first NHL goal. “I feel like they are in the situation we were in last year,” Matthews said. “They drafted pretty well.” SPECIAL TEAMS LEAFS -- PP 37.5% (T-1st), PK 82.3% (18th) DEVILS -- PP 37.5% (T-1st), PK 90.0% (T-8th) SICK BAY LEAFS -- D Connor Carrick (upper body). DEVILS --F Drew Stafford (lower body), F Kyle Palmieri (lower body), C Travis Zajac (pectoral), C Brian Boyle (cancer). Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077556 Toronto Maple Leafs “What stands out is Gardiner got on his horse and blew by two guys and created the opportunity for Auston,” Babcock said. “Because if (Gardiner) is not there, the guy plays (Matthews) different.” Connor Brown earning his spot in Maple Leafs lineup Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.11.2017

BY TERRY KOSHAN, TORONTO SUN

Observers of the Maple Leafs wondering when Connor Brown might be moved off the fourth line, for good, are going to have to wait. Leafs coach Mike Babcock is loathe to break up any of his top three lines — and with three Leafs wins in three games to start the season, there is no reason to do so — yet recognizes the value of Brown every night. After scoring 20 goals as a rookie last season, Brown scored his first of 2017-18 against Chicago on Monday night. During the game, Brown played 17 minutes 49 seconds, easily his most ice time this season. “As you saw (Monday) night, I thought he had real good jump and was one of our best players,” Babcock said. “So he ended up playing more. “You’re in a spot everyone knows each night if you are not going, someone else is sliding right into your spot. (The competition) doesn’t hurt.” It could be worse for Brown. Josh Leivo has been a healthy scratch for all three games, and there is no telling when he might get in. “We just don’t have room right now,” Babcock said. “The bottom line is some of these guys are waiting for an injury, an opportunity.” YOUNG DEVILS SHINE The Devils will arrive at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday sporting a trio of rookies — forwards Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, and defenceman Will Butcher — which has put some spark into an organization that needed it desperately. Bratt, a sixth-round pick in 2016, leads the Devils in scoring with five points in two games while Hischier, the first pick overall in the draft this year, has recorded his first NHL point with an assist. “Those guys have really driven the confidence level up,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “I think it’s natural that any time you have young guys, you’re not so sure how they are going to react or how they are going to fare. “The thing that makes you comfortable with those guys is their hockey sense and IQ is high-end. They understand offensively, defensively. They are high-reward players but there is not a lot of risk in their game, and that’s something that has been nice to see from all three of them. “For us to get good, this is what has to happen. You have to draft well, you have to develop well.” ANALYZE THIS Babcock, standup comedian? Well, not quite. While we think Babcock likes to have a laugh as much as anyone else, he doesn’t often let his guard down around the media. It was with a straight face that Babcock answered a question about Auston Matthews’ high puck possession numbers against Chicago, during which Matthews had an even-strength Corsi For mark of 87%. “The beauty about it, you think about that word analytics, you think about how many more people are working in hockey,” Babcock said. “We don’t know if any of it is true, but we know they are working in hockey. Good for them. What a thing.” Babcock was joking, of course. The Leafs, under assistant general manager Kyle Dubas’ influence, have poured money into their analytics department, with director of hockey research and development Darryl Metcalf heading a staff of four analysts. LOOSE LEAFS Frederik Andersen will start in goal for the Leafs. He has owned the Devils in his career, going 3-0-0 with a .949 save percentage. The Devils are expected to counter with Cory Schneider, who has a 6-1-3 career record against the Leafs with a .925 save percentage … Babcock, rightfully so, lauded the effort of Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner, who raced to create a 2-on-1 with Matthews in overtime against the Blackhawks. Gardiner’s ability to get into the play — he burst past Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane — forced defenceman Gustav Forsling to pay less attention to Matthews, who fired a shot into the net. 1077557 Toronto Maple Leafs But greasy? In a sense, that’s the word New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider used to partially describe the Maple Leafs centre. Maple Leafs' Matthews proving to be nightly handful “What I saw from him last year was mostly in and around the net,” Schneider said of Matthews’ 40 goals as a rookie. “It was greasier goals, Terry Koshan_op BY TERRY KOSHAN, TORONTO SUN poking pucks in, getting rebounds, jamming away.” How about the shot Matthews used to score in overtime against Chicago on Monday, ripping a shot to the top right corner of the net on TORONTO — If there’s a transition for Auston Matthews to make in his Blackhawks goalie Anton Forsberg? second season in the National Hockey League from his rookie campaign, Taylor Hall has a good idea of what lies ahead for the Maple Leafs’ best “You know about his release,” Schneider said. “I haven’t seen it too many player. times yet, but he can score in a variety of different ways. That’s what makes him a dangerous goal-scorer. He’s not just reliant on his shot. He We’re not going to put Hall, chosen first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in can get to the net and score some gritty goals.” 2010, on the same plane as Matthews, picked first by the Leafs in 2016. But Hall, embarking on his second year with the New Jersey Devils after Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.11.2017 six years of futility in Edmonton, can relate. Yet when the subject is Matthews, Hall sees no reason for Leafs Nation to fret. “Playing against harder matchups, being able to digest the first- and second-line matchups, playing against the top defencemen every night, that is something you have to get used to and that you almost embrace after a while,” Hall said on Tuesday after the Devils practised at the MasterCard Centre. “(Matthews is) such a good player and he is so big and strong, that’s not really going to be a factor for him. We’re going to have our hands full with him and we have to make sure we play well against him.” When the Leafs and Devils meet on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto will attempt to start a season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2010. New Jersey, rejuvenated by youngsters Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Will Butcher, will be looking to win their third straight game to start the 2017-18 regular season. Leafs defenceman Connor Carrick is going to miss a second consecutive game with an upper-body issue, so Leafs coach Mike Babcock will get another look at the rookie defence pair of Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen. The two were sound defensively Monday during an overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks, and one has to wonder if Babcock will be quick to break them up once Carrick gets the green light to return. Babcock will stick with his rotation of centres on the fourth line, meaning Dominic Moore will return to the lineup after Eric Fehr played against the Blackhawks. Matthews and linemates Zach Hyman and William Nylander will attempt to replicate, if not build off, what they did Monday. Those matchups Hall was discussing, especially the top defence pair, did not provide stiff competition for the Matthews trio. Matthews and pals dominated Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, controlling the puck on every even-strength shift. Patrick Kane accomplished nothing against the Matthews line. Hyman said there was a “great” confidence lift for the three with the performance against such a knowledgeable Hawks defence pair that is laden with Stanley Cup rings, but realized it wouldn’t matter a heck of a lot if there is not the same kind of dominance against the Devils. It’s on Babcock to ensure the Matthews line, and the Leafs as a whole, don’t view the Devils differently because there isn’t the same kind of experience in the New Jersey lineup. If we’re being honest here, though, can we remember a time when Matthews might have not given an opponent his complete attention? It does not appear to be in the 20-year-old’s mental makeup to do anything but put everything into every shift. “It can be a trap game because you think New Jersey hasn’t been as good,” Babcock said. “But they are flying. Their forwards create speed, they are playing a tight game, they are doing a good job in the neutral zone and defensive zone, it’s one of those games you have to be prepared and they think they are good. “They are no different than us. We think we are good too. We will find out.” Actually, the Leafs are quite a bit different than the Devils, different than a whole lot of teams. Starting with Matthews. THAT'S A NEW ONE Auston Matthews has been called lots of things. 1077558 Vegas Golden Knights 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 In a time of unspeakable tragedy, Golden Knights unite Las Vegas 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 … The names of the dead were emblazoned on ice and a second ticked And suddenly, like a template of hope promising the town will emerge away for each one on the video screen high above. from under that menacing cloud, that we will one day be whole again, a voice bellowed from the darkness … For a heartbreaking 58 of them in the silent darkness of T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night, we were again reminded about a sanctuary that has “Vegas Strong!” been known to offer refuge from the brutality of terror. 58. It’s just sports and, by God, it isn’t. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 If sorrow and gloom is part of the healing process for Las Vegas to eventually emerge from under the menacing cloud that has immersed the city since those horrifying 10 minutes Sunday evening, so, too, is the opportunity for a community to gather and celebrate what can be a needed distraction. No one could have imagined the first home game in the history of the Golden Knights would be defined by such a mournful cause, but as it has so many times in the worst of moments, sports proved to be the most powerful of remedies. “We were trying to thank the town and bring the town together,” Knights owner Bill Foley said. “We wanted to show Vegas that we really are a part of the community.” It was sad and uplifting and agonizing and inspiring, a pregame ceremony that accomplished Foley’s vision of uniting a city whose collective hearts were ripped apart by the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at the Route 91 Harvest festival. That’s what the NHL expansion team did Tuesday, connecting divergent groups of folks with a common goal: For a few hours, all the pain and loss and grief would be replaced with the simplicity and excitement and emotions of a hockey game. Sports played such a role after 9/11, after Columbine, after the Boston Marathon bombing, after natural disasters such as Katrina and Harvey and the tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma. In all such catastrophic times, sports have become a vehicle by which to begin the long and difficult process of recovery, and not a mile from the spot where shots rang from evil hiding in the shadows of a hotel room, so, too, did this particular game aid in that vein. “I know 9/11 was very hard, and I imagine, from a distance, perhaps a tad presumptuous, that it was probably the same feeling here last week,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “There is no other way to describe it — it’s a tragedy, it’s sad, it’s horrific. But there is a healing process and life is going to be moving on. “It shows what a major league professional sports team can do for a community in terms of bringing people together, uniting them, helping them heal from tragedy and demonstrating the power of distraction when everyone comes together. This community has been remarkable in the face of what happened, and the Golden Knights have become instantaneously part of this community.” It was a brilliant touch to have a first responder escort each Knights player onto the ice, to have those from police and fire and medical and other emergency services recognized for their heroism in the aftermath of the shootings. It was beyond moving for the entire arena to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” while being led by those from the Route 91 concert. It was solemn and stirring all at once. It was fitting that Knights defenseman and Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland addressed the crowd, and touching that survivors of the shooting performed the ceremonial puck drop. It was a sea of white-flag waving bedlam when the Knights scored four first-period goals en route to a 5-2 victory against the Coyotes, meaning the town can now cheer the only expansion team in history to begin a season 3-0. But more than anything else, Tuesday was about a dark arena and the straightforwardness of a slow and tortuous count on a video screen, each number honoring those gunned down in such an inhumane and unforgivable act. And as each one ticked away, thousands of tears began falling … 1077559 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights turn emotional night into memorable victory — PHOTOS

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Golden Knights’ home opener Tuesday was what song the team will play after its goals. But when Tomas Nosek scored 2:31 into the first period and “Vegas Lights” by Panic! at the Disco played over the sound system, it was so loud in T-Mobile Arena that the music was barely audible. “Unbelievable,” Knights owner Bill Foley said of the atmosphere. What started out as an emotional night quickly turned into a celebration of the city and its first professional team, as the Golden Knights scored four times in the first period on the way to a memorable 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes before an announced gathering of 18,191. Fans poured into T-Mobile Arena two hours before the puck dropped, with many decked out in gear of their favorite team. Two fans had on green jerseys, and one even sported a sweater of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, the former major junior hockey team of Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Of course, they were outnumbered by the sea of steel gray Golden Knights jerseys. And the fans who didn’t own merchandise from the NHL’s newest team were standing in line at one of the many merchandise tables on the concourse. At 5:45 p.m., the line for one merchandise booth wrapped around several times and was at least 100 people deep. The Golden Knights gave everyone in attendance a commemorative puck as they entered the building, and towels with the slogan “#VegasStrong” were placed on every seat. All the corporate advertising on the boards was replaced with the words “#VegasStrong.” For pregame warmups, Knights players wore white practice jerseys with “Vegas Strong” on the nameplate. The team announced later it would auction off the jerseys for charity. To honor the victims and first responders of last week’s mass shooting on the Strip, the Knights held a pregame ceremony and were joined on the ice by first responders and Coyotes players. Fans started to boo the visiting team as the Coyotes players stepped on the ice but quickly turned the jeers to cheers after Arizona lined up behind the Knights near the blue line. After a ceremonial puck drop with Knights defenseman Jason Garrison and Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Coyotes and the national anthem, which was sung by everyone in the arena, Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland addressed the crowd. “To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you,” the longtime valley resident said. “To the families and friends of the victims, know that we’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.” It didn’t take long for the Knights to capitalize on the emotion in the building, either. In addition to Nosek’s opener, Engelland added a goal less than two minutes later, and Neal tallied twice to send T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy after 10 minutes. “Scoring four goals in the first period, that didn’t hurt at all,” Foley said. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077560 Vegas Golden Knights

James Neal, Golden Knights roll to 5-2 win in home opener

By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal

On a night the city turned to its first major league sports franchise to help it heal, the Golden Knights made history. The Knights became the first NHL expansion team to begin its inaugural season 3-0 after routing the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in the franchise’s first home game. The 1967 Los Angeles Kings and ’67 Oakland Seals both started 2-0 only to tie their third games. The Knights scored four times in the first 10:42 against the Coyotes and gave the announced sellout crowd of 18,191 something to cheer about. It followed an emotional pregame ceremony that honored the first responders, law enforcement, firefighters and medical personnel who assisted following the Oct. 1 shooting massacre on the Strip. “This was the game I wanted to play in,” said forward James Neal, who continued his hot hand by scoring two first-period goals — giving him five in his first three games. “I didn’t know if I would make it to Dallas or Arizona but I pointed to this game. I wanted to play in the first home game.” The team honored the first responders as “Heroes of Vegas.” They were brought on to the ice where they were joined by the Knights players and coaches. The Coyotes joined the Knights on the blue line in a show of support. “It was perfect,” majority owner Bill Foley said of the ceremony. “We wanted to do the right thing and send the right message. Our players have been fantastic throughout these last nine days and I’m so proud of them.” Foley was also proud of his team’s start. The puck officially dropped at 7:46 p.m. to usher in Las Vegas’ entry into the big leagues. Two minutes, 32 seconds in, Tomas Nosek’s wrist shot from the left face-off circle went through the legs of Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta and the Knights were off to the races. Deryk Engelland made it 2-0 at the 4:18 mark as his slap shot from the right point sailed over Raanta’s shoulder. Engelland had given an emotional speech during the pregame ceremony and the goal had the Coyotes on their heels. Then it was Neal’s turn. The team’s hero of the first two wins scored twice in a 4:27 span to increase the lead to 4-0. The first, a wrist shot off a rebound of Brayden McNabb’s shot from the point, made it 3-0 and sent Raanta to the Arizona bench. He had allowed three goals in just five shots. Neal’s second goal came during a power play as he took a cross-ice feed from Reilly Smith and beat backup goalie Louis Domingue. It broke an 0- for-12 skid for the Knights with the man advantage to start the season. Neal has five goals in three games. He needed 14 games to get to five goals last season when he was a member of the Nashville Predators. Arizona’s goals came off a deflection by Tobias Rieder of Niklas Hjalmarsson’s shot from the point. Rider had scored the Coyotes’ lone goal in Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Knights. The Knights added one late in the second period as Brendan Leipsic made a blind, backhand pass to Oscar Lindberg at the right face-off circle and Lindberg put it past Domingue to make it 5-1. Arizona’s Kevin Connauton finished the scoring with a late third-period goal. “It’s a whirlwind,” Leipsic said of the spectrum of emotions he was feeling afterward. “Tonight, this was more than hockey.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077561 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ pregame ceremony moves owner Bill Foley

By David Schoen and Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bill Foley wanted to honor the victims and first responders from the Oct. 1 mass shooting on the Strip before the Golden Knights’ home opener Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights owner said he thinks the team succeeded. “I thought it worked out great,” Foley said during the first intermission of the Knights’ 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. “It was very solemn, it was very moving and it accomplished what we were trying to accomplish. I thought it was good for the town.” The ceremony, which lasted more than 20 minutes, began with a video of musicians and celebrities offering well wishes to the city. First responders then were introduced and accompanied onto the ice by a Knights player or member of the front office before a ceremonial puck- drop at center ice. After 58 seconds of silence for those killed at the Route 91 Harvest festival, the sellout crowd sang the national anthem with organizers from the outdoor country music concert. Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland, a longtime resident of Las Vegas, also addressed the crowd. “I thought our guys did a terrific job,” Foley said. “We were trying to thank the town and bring the town together and show Vegas that we’re really part of the community.” Nerves? What nerves? Golden Knights players figured to be nervous before the opening faceoff. But Erik Haula said that nervousness could be to the home team’s advantage. “I think some nervousness is a good thing,” the center said at the team’s morning skate at City National Arena. “It gets you going. “There’s bad nervous, and there’s good nervous. We’ve already played two games, so I think once the game begins, we’ll be ready.” Forward David Perron said: “We have an idea of what’s going to go on, so we’ll handle it. Once the puck is dropped and the intensity picks up and that first hit is made, you’re focused on hockey.” Home and home Nowadays, the NHL schedule doesn’t see a lot of teams play home-and- home games. But the Knights and Coyotes had their rematch after the Knights won 2-1 in overtime Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The Knights will have one more home-and-home set this season — Feb. 26 and 27 when they meet the Los Angeles Kings. The first game will be at Staples Center. Unexpected guest Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis was in attendance for the home opener and arrived at the arena wearing a white Knights T-shirt. Foley said he was unaware Davis was coming but said it was “great.” “Maybe he’ll share some of that money with the team,” Foley said jokingly. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077562 Vegas Golden Knights

Knights’ Deryk Engelland gives touching speech before puck drop

By Betsy Helfand Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nearing the end of an emotional pregame ceremony, Deryk Engelland peeled away from his teammates and glided toward the middle of the T- Mobile Arena ice where he took hold of a microphone. A longtime Las Vegas resident, Engelland gave a short, passionate speech to cap the team’s tribute to the victims of the Oct. 1 shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. After the game he admitted he was a little nervous for the speech. But during it, that was far from evident. “We are Vegas strong,” he told a T-Mobile Arena crowd that was raw with emotions after a moving ceremony that included a handful of first responders taking the ice with the Golden Knights and 58 seconds of silence to honor each of the victims who passed. Minutes later, the defenseman’s one-timer — his first goal of the season — put the Golden Knights up two goals. They eventually went on to beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 in the franchise’s home opener. The goal was one the Las Vegan won’t likely soon forget. Engelland, who first played in Las Vegas during the 2003-04 season for the Las Vegas Wranglers, has been a resident of the city since then. “I probably don’t really plan on scoring too many in games but to be able to get one tonight, it was pretty special for me and it will go down as a top memory in my career for sure,” Engelland said. Engelland, at the team’s request, addressed the crowd during the pregame ceremony. He was the only player to do so and during his brief speech, he talked about his pride to call Las Vegas — the city where he met his wife and his kids were born —home. “I know how special this city is,” he told the crowd. Engelland thanked first responders and appealed directly to family and friends of the victims, speaking on behalf of his teammates as he told them the Golden Knights would do everything they could to help the city heal. A day before, Engelland spoke about the desire to — for just a couple hours — distract Las Vegans from the tragedy that befell their city just over a week earlier. Tuesday, Engelland played his role in helping do so. “We always say we want to help the city start to heal and hopefully we’re doing that,” he said. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077563 Vegas Golden Knights With most one-percenters, one has to navigate a phalanx of assistants to set up an interview. With the Maloofs, you get a cell number and barking dogs. They seem as real and genuine as the guy next door. Maloofs break silence at Knights’ emotional home opener Gavin Maloof spoke of the shootings and how he hoped the Knights coming to fruition at this dark hour could “give the city hope.” George Maloof said he knew two of those who had been shot, one of whom By Ron Kantowski Las Vegas Review-Journal remains in intensive care. “I think the team can be a healing factor for a lot of people in the community — especially now that we’re 2-0,” Gavin Maloof said in Suite There are myriad reasons the first regular-season home game in Golden 11 before referee Francois St. Laurent dropped the puck for the home Knights history, played Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena before a sellout crowd opener after one of the smallest shooting survivors had done the same to torn between reflection and acclamation, still will be considered even louder cheers. monumental years from now. Now the Knights are 3-0. It was 4-1 VGK late in the first period when my It was an evening wrought with emotion that showed Las Vegas could cellphone lit up like the red light behind the Arizona goalies. mourn one minute and exalt the next. Gavin Maloof wanted to thank a couple of reporters for stopping by. It was OK to cry when the names of the 58 Route 91 Harvest festival When I texted back to ask where the Knights were going to hang the shooting victims were superimposed on the ice just inside the blue line. championship banner, he responded almost immediately with a And it was OK to go crazy when the Knights’ Tomas Nosek lit the red statement that summed things up on and off the ice, lamp just 2 minutes, 31 seconds into the team’s home ice baptism. “Well, (still) a long way to go.” Boy, was it ever. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 It was VegasStrong. With a double hashtag. One sensed it in the expensive seats in Section 5 behind the Knights’ bench. In Section 214 way up top behind the net in the nosebleed mezzanine. In the Goose Island Lounge, and in the standing room area in the moats flanking the Knights’ castle under the NHL team banners and the eclectic Las Vegas skyline backdrop mural. One also sensed it in Suite 11 overlooking center ice, where the Maloof siblings were watching history being made as silent partners of Knights majority owner Bill Foley. Which must have been difficult because the Maloofs are known for being the most outgoing and boisterous of partners. The Maloof siblings — in chronological order, brothers Joe and Gavin, sister Adrienne, brothers George and Phil, originally of Albuquerque, New Mexico, now mainly of Las Vegas — were back as principals of a major league sports team, albeit minority principals. They weren’t the major story on this opening night. But they never planned to be, even when the circumstances were less extenuating. Foley’s right-hand men Like the checking line of a hockey team, the family Maloof played an important if understated role in bringing the Knights to Las Vegas. It was good to see them back, though the good people of Sacramento, California, may not share this opinion. The Maloofs owned the NBA’s Kings from 1998 until 2013. For a time, which roughly coincided with when the Kings were winning, they were popular. Then when the Kings started losing and the Maloofs couldn’t get a deal on a new arena and mentioned the ‘R’ word — relocation — they no longer were popular. They sold the Kings to businessman Vivek Ranadive in 2013. Now they are minority owners of the Golden Knights, though you would hardly know it. The Maloof siblings own 15 percent of the Knights; Bill Foley owns the other 85 percent. Neither the majority nor minority owners come from a hockey background. But when the Maloofs briefly owned the NBA’s Houston Rockets before they bought the Kings, Gary Bettman was part of the NBA’s legal team. So the puck stopped there. As NHL commissioner, Bettman suggested the Maloofs contact Foley when they quietly were trying to get back into major league sports and Foley not-so-quietly was trying to bring hockey to Las Vegas. “We’re excited as a family. It’s been a long time coming,” Gavin Maloof said. Ordinary Joes and Gavins Dogs were barking when we spoke on the telephone Sunday, and the second-eldest Maloof brother said to hold on while he found a quiet spot. This is what endears a lot of people who don’t live in Sacramento to the brothers Maloof. They’re rich, but there is no pretension. 1077564 Vegas Golden Knights

First responders ecstatic about NHL in Las Vegas

By Sam Gordon Las Vegas Review-Journal

Local registered nurse Joseph Bruno already loved hockey. And that was before he was honored by the Golden Knights at the franchise’s first NHL game Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Bruno and his wife, Lela, also a registered nurse, were among the 30 or so first responders to the Oct. 1 mass shooting on the Strip who were introduced with Golden Knights players during a tear-jerking ceremony before Vegas’ game against the Arizona Coyotes. “I’m so proud of the city,” Joseph Bruno said from the bowels of the arena after the ceremony. “I’m so proud of the amazing response. I’m so proud of the effort my colleagues gave. The effort of everyone.” Bruno was notified that he would take the ice with the Golden Knights about three days ago and said he was told the team wanted to welcome as many first responders as possible. All the first responders in attendance were introduced alongside a player before a raucous, sellout crowd eager to celebrate its first professional home game. They stayed on the playing surface as the Coyotes emerged from their locker room and stood alongside the two teams for a 58-second moment of silence to honor the 58 victims. The crowd joined in the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the first responders exited the ice and returned to their seats and Lela Bruno was thrilled with the experience. “It was amazing,” she said. The Brunos moved to Las Vegas seven years ago for work. Joseph got a job at University Medical Center and Lela at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Lela said she never believed Las Vegas could become a hockey town. Joseph said Tuesday proves it already is one. “We’re seeing it tonight,” he said. The UNLV men’s hockey players also were guests of the Golden Knights. Forward D’Andre John, who is from Toronto and has lived in Las Vegas for two months, said he thinks having professional hockey is going to do wonders for his new town. “I think it’s unreal bringing hockey,” the 21-year old said. “The atmosphere is crazy. It’s hectic. I would love to be on the ice right now.” John and teammates Sean Plonski and Riley Williams wore their Rebels practice jerseys and soaked up the pregame fanfare from the concourse before making their way through the arena for the game. “(The Golden Knights are) doing really well,” John said. “It’s looking good for the city.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077565 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL’s Gary Bettman attends Golden Knights’ home opener

By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights’ 2-0 start to their first NHL season didn’t go unnoticed by commissioner Gary Bettman. “I heard (Knights general manager) George McPhee say, ‘We didn’t play very well in the first game, and that (goaltender Marc-Andre) Fleury stood on his head,” Bettman said Tuesday at a news conference before the Knights’ home opener against the Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena. “I think it’s a great start. “My tongue is in my cheek. I’m a little nervous, because if the team plays too well, there may be a number of other teams who will be questioning how we did the expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights. But it’s going to be a fun, competitive season, and that’s what we wanted from the outset.” Bettman said the league supported the team’s decision to change the tenor of the pregame ceremony and honor the victims from the Oct. 1 mass shooting on the Strip. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be here on what is an important date on the NHL calendar and an important date on the Vegas Golden Knights calendar,” Bettman said. “A lot of people put a lot of hard work into making this franchise a reality. Obviously, having your first home game is a really major event. “Couple that with the tragedy from last week. It obviously changes the focus and the tenor. But it obviously shows what a major league professional sports team can mean to a community, bringing people together, uniting them, helping them heal from a tragedy and showing the power of distraction when there’s a game or series of games. “This community has been remarkable in the face of what happened. It’s my understanding this organization, the Vegas Golden Knights organization, has had its players be part of this community, whether it’s meeting with first responders or going to hospitals, I think it’s crystal clear that the Vegas Golden Knights not only have embraced the community but have been embraced by the community.” Bettman was first approached by then-Mayor Oscar Goodman in 1999 about the NHL putting a team in Las Vegas. But at the time, there was no suitable arena. “For a number of years, there was talk of an arena, but that’s all it was,” Bettman said. “It took a long time for T-Mobile to become a reality, and that’s a testament to MGM and AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) and their collaboration. It took somebody to make that arena the home for an NHL team, and that took (Golden Knights majority owner) Bill Foley. “We did a lot of homework. We looked at it very closely. The season- ticket drive was extraordinary. It was about the local fan base. It wasn’t about corporations or casinos or companies. It was about fans who live here, and I think we learned a lot about Las Vegas in that process, and I think Las Vegas learned a lot about the NHL, and it boded well for the future. “You ask me if there was one magical moment for Las Vegas? The magical moment was really a series of moments.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077566 Vegas Golden Knights

Video analysis: A night of firsts for the Golden Knights

By Jesse Granger (contact)

Tuesday night was a night of firsts for the Golden Knights. They scored the first goal in their brand-new arena, won their first game and became the first expansion team in NHL history to start 3-0 with their 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. But of all the future trivia answers the Golden Knights supplied Tuesday night, one seemed more important than the others. Deryk Engelland, who has lived in Las Vegas for more than 13 years since playing with the Las Vegas Wranglers, gave a speech prior to the game that tugged on the heartstrings of the 18,191 in attendance and the millions watching on national TV. He ended it with, “We are Vegas Strong,” and fans at the T-Mobile Arena waved their towels displaying the phrase above their heads. If that wasn’t enough, Engelland followed it up with the first goal of his Golden Knights career just minutes later. “That goal is special and it will probably go down as the biggest goal of my career,” Engelland said. The defenseman threw his hands in the air in jubilation before being mobbed by every Golden Knight on the ice. “I don’t score very often, so that’s all I got,” Engelland laughed. “I’m not a very flashy guy so that’s about all I’ve got for a (celebration).” It was the second goal in a span of two minutes and gave the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead they would never relinquish. “It was a perfect script for us,” Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant said. “It’s the way things should have went, and a lot of times it doesn’t go that way but tonight was a perfect night for our group.” Engelland’s goal may have been the most sentimental of the night, but that of fourth-line forward Tomas Nosek will go down in history as the first-ever regular season goal scored at T-Mobile Arena. Nosek’s goal came only 2:31 into the game. “After the emotional ceremony it was a good start for us,” Nosek said. “I got a nice pass from (Pierre-Edouard) Bellemare and saw the defenseman coming. I decided to shoot to the far side and it went in.” Then James Neal scored to end the Golden Knights' power play drought at 11. “I thought we were good in the last couple games and just couldn’t get one to go in,” Neal said. “(Reilly) Smith made a great play right at the net front to get it back to me and it was nice to see it go in.” The first power play goal in team history, it was Neal’s second of the game and his fifth of the season — good enough for second place in the entire NHL behind only Alex Ovechkin (7). “When you’re feeling it you think you can score on every shot,” Neal said. “You want the puck in the right spots and give yourself a chance to score.” LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077567 Vegas Golden Knights The frills extended into the intermissions, with Cirque du Soleil’s “O” performing in the first and the Golden Knights’ 12-man drum line accompanied by 3D visuals overtaking the ice in the second. A Golden Night: Vegas stifles Arizona 5-2 in first-ever home game The players, of course, missed those touches of the game day experience while in the locker room. Luckily for them, the reception they received from fans was more than enough. By Case Keefer (contact) “It was electrifying,” Engelland said. “If we can keep that crowd in it like that, it’s going to be an exciting place to play.” Deryk Engelland went from forcing the crowd to tear up with emotion to LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 10.11.2017 yell out in euphoria within a five-minute span Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. The lone longtime local on the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural-season roster first touched the 18,191 fans in attendance with a speech to cap a pregame tribute to victims and first responders of last week’s mass shooting. Then he roused them with a scorching slap shot that zipped into the net at 4:18 of the first period. The rare score from the usual defensive enforcer was part of a four-goal Golden Knights’ blitz in the opening 11 minutes, which led them to a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes in their home debut. “The guys responded after a nice little ceremony and came out flying,” Engelland said. “To just get that lead and that cushion was a big thing.” For those who had eagerly anticipated a major-league professional sports franchise coming to town for years, it was a performance well worth the wait. It only took two and a half minutes of game time before they could celebrate a goal, with Tomas Nosek receiving a perfectly placed pass from Pierre-Edouard Bellemere and rocketing the puck past Arizona goalie Antti Raanta. Engelland’s only shot of the night came less than two minutes later. And then James Neal added his fourth and fifth goals of the young season, the first one on a turnaround and the second powered in after a crease pass from Reilly Smith. “To be honest with you, I thought the start was going to be real hard for us,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “I didn’t expect us to start like that. It was a complete reversal.” The Golden Knights have reversed expectations all season so far. Pegged to be the worst team in the league, they instead stand alongside the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs as the only franchises to start 3-0 so far. They’re also officially off to the best start ever by an expansion franchise, surpassing the 1967 Oakland Seals and Los Angeles Kings, which both went 2-0 but lost in their third game. “Special night,” Neal said. “It was honestly unbelievable.” Neal is now tied for second in the NHL in goals, behind only Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin. His second goal also broke an 0-for- 11 start to the season for the Golden Knights’ power play. They failed to score on their other two advantages, however, to now make the power play a still-troublesome 1-for-13 on the year. “It’s not a big deal to me,” Gallant said. “We’re a work in progress. We’re working on it every day. They got a big goal tonight, and that will get them some confidence for sure.” Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is already overflowing with confidence. He had his third straight impressive showing, totaling 31 saves. Gallant thought Vegas gassed by the third period, and the onus to keep it afloat fell on Fleury. The Coyotes got off 18 shots on goal in the third, as opposed to only 15 combined in the first two periods, but Fleury was on point. During one Coyotes’ power play, he blocked five shots including three consecutive from all different directions. Arizona finally slipped one through on a hard-to-stop tipped shot from Kevin Connauton with six minutes remaining, which joined a first-period score from Tobias Rieder for its only goals. “All our players really believe in our goalie, and he’s been A-1 for the first three games and that’s what we expect of him,” Gallant said. “Marc is a great character person, and we know he’s a great goalie. He’s going to be the leader of the team.” Fleury had a smile affixed to his face both pre-game when he was introduced and post-game when he celebrated in the locker room. The players couldn’t hide their excitement for the atmosphere at the arena. 1077568 Vegas Golden Knights

You couldn’t have asked for a better opening night of Golden Knights hockey

By Ray Brewer (contact)

It became obvious during Deryk Engelland’s stirring pregame speech, punctuated by the spirited “Go Knights, Go” chant by towel-waving fans crammed into T-Mobile Arena: The Vegas Golden Knights need to win this game. They couldn’t lose — not on this night. Who would become our Mike Piazza? The initial home game in franchise existence was supposed to be one gigantic celebration of the long-awaited debut of major professional sports in Las Vegas. That took a backseat to a well-put-together pregame tribute to honor the victims of the mass shooting attack last week on the Strip, a tribute that was so powerful you couldn’t help but think it ignited an equally impressive first-period effort by the Knights in a 5-2 victory against Arizona. You couldn’t ask for a better way to launch a franchise. T-Mobile Arena was as loud as any venue I’ve been in during more than four decades of going to sporting events in Las Vegas. The players fed off the energy and put on a performance years in the making. We, after all, have been trying to get major sports for the past decade. The tribute included recorded messages from the likes of Keith Urban and Imagine Dragons, followed by each Golden Knights player walking onto the ice with a first responder who helped save lives last week. Many of the capacity 18,000 in attendance joined in singing the “Star- Spangled Banner” before Engelland — a longtime Las Vegas resident — spoke to the crowd. “Now, we will do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong,” he said. It didn’t take long for them to deliver. The Knights scored two goals in the less than five minutes and four in the initial period, including one from Engelland and two from James Neal — the clear fan favorite — our Piazza. Piazza hit a home run into the cold New York night at Shea Stadium in the Mets’ first home game after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks for a late- game victory. The night provided New Yorkers a brief pause from the pains of their tragedy. That’s how tonight felt in Las Vegas. We cried together, stood up to cheered together and continued to heal together. Thankfully, we have the Golden Knights. They gave this community an awesome display, everything from a classy pregame production to a well-played hockey game. That says something about the quality of people in the organization. With the exception of Engelland, who has lived here since his days with the minor league Las Vegas Wranglers, all of the players have been Las Vegans for just a few weeks. The truth is they had no tie to the community until Oct 1. To their credit they’ve embraced the city, visiting with first responders and police days after the attack and owner Bill Foley coordinating $500,000 worth of donations. The Knights, like all expansion teams, weren’t expected to be competitive in the first year. Somehow they are 3-0, including two come-from-behind wins. Talk about good karma, right? The Knights created a buzz tonight that will help keep locals interested. I’ve long argued that once the novelty wears off, they’ll need to win to keep fans coming back. Like us, they’ll need to remain, “Vegas Strong.” LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077569 Vegas Golden Knights James Neal then scored a pair of goals to bring the Golden Knights lead to 4-0. That brings his total to five goals for the season – second in the NHL behind only Alex Ovechkin. Golden Knights ride emotion to resounding victory in home debut Tobias Reider tipped a shot by Niklas Hjalmarsson past Marc-Andre Fleury with 7:23 left in the period to cut Vegas’ lead to 4-1. By Jesse Granger (contact), Case Keefer (contact) As the Golden Knights prepare for their first regular-season home game in franchise history, they’ve had more than hockey on their minds.

The lead-up to the game has been more about the team’s generosity Emotions ran high Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena for the Vegas toward Las Vegas and the victims of the mass shooting on Oct. 1. Golden Knights’ home debut, and the first local major-league Players visited first responders, affected families and blood donors, and professional sports franchise capitalized on the energy. the team donated $500,000. The Golden Knights smashed the Arizona Coyotes, 5-2, in front of a “Needless to say it’s not going to be a typical opener,” Golden Knights capacity crowd of 18,191 fans that seemed absorbed in the game general manager George McPhee said. “We’ll save that for Friday. starting nearly an hour before the puck dropped. A deafening cheer (Tonight) is not about us, it’s about honoring and remembering the reverberated through the venue as soon the Golden Knights took the ice victims, and supporting the families and recognizing the first responders.” for a pre-game warm-up. All advertisements have been stripped from the boards around the rink, It only got louder when, as part of the team’s Vegas Strong pregame and replaced with “Vegas Strong.” tribute, the Golden Knights introduced first responders from last Sunday’s mass shooting who then escorted players one-by-one onto the ice. The Puck-drop for the nationally televised game was pushed back from 7 Coyotes then joined the Golden Knights to line up in a sign of unity for p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and then to 7:40 p.m. to avoid interruption from the the national anthem. game airing before it on NBC Sports Network, so the millions watching around the world can share the moment with Las Vegas. Almost as soon as Arizona skated to its own bench, Vegas went on the offensive. The first regular-season goal in T-Mobile Arena history took “The pregame ceremony will be tough, and after it will be a special night less than three minutes, as Tomas Nosek slid the puck between the legs for a lot of people,” said Golden Knights forward and longtime Las Vegas of Coyotes goalie Antii Raanta. resident Deryk Engelland. “We want to win this game for the city.” The fans had barely stopped celebrating by the time Vegas added two Engelland has played in 471 games during his nine-year NHL career but more goals, with longtime local defenseman Deryk Engelland nailing a his excitement for tonight may top them all. slap shot and early-season star James Neal continuing his tear by “It’s got to be up there with my first game,” Engelland said. “The first wristing in a rebound. Arizona pulled Raanta, but it was too late for any game is a pretty special one no matter where it’s at, but this is rivaling change in fortune. that for sure.” Neal scored again before the end of the period, and the Golden Knights On the ice, the Golden Knights are not underdogs for the first time in cruised behind their defense and Marc-Andre Fleury’s goaltending from franchise history. Sportsbooks have the game as a pick’em, and the there. Fleury, who was the NHL’s second star of last week, got the game will be available to bet in every book in town. loudest welcome of the introductions and proved he deserved it with 31 saves. Vegas is attempting to become the first NHL expansion team ever to start 3-0. The Golden Knights defeated the Coyotes, 2-1, in overtime Saturday The Coyotes particularly attacked Fleury in the third period with more night in Arizona. For the most part they dominated play, and outshot the shots than the first two frames combined, but he put on a clinic aside Coyotes 42-28. from a deflected shot by Kevin Connauton finding the net. The Golden Knights’ only non-first period goal went to Oscar Lindberg at 17:22 of the Puck drops: 7:40 p.m. second. Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Those left in the arena at the end of the blowout ended the game just as they started it — on their feet giving Las Vegas’ first major-league team Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM an enormous ovation. TV: NBC Sports Network (DirecTV 220, Cox 1038, CenturyLink Prism Check back to the Sun later for full coverage of the Golden Knights’ first- 1640, Dish Network 159) ever home game, and find live coverage below. Betting line: Pick’em, Total 5.5 minus-120 to the over Golden Knights lead 5-1 at end of second period Golden Knights (2-0-0) (0-0-0 home) Following a fast-paced first period where the Golden Knights found the Coach: Gerard Gallant net four times, both teams’ defenses corralled the game in the second. Goal leader: James Neal (3) The Golden Knights extended their lead over the Coyotes to 5-1 with a goal by Oscar Lindberg. Brendan Leipsic made a great cross-crease Assist leader: Nate Schmidt (2) pass to a wide-open Lindberg, who fired it into the back of the net. Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (2-0-0, 0.98 goals against average) The Golden Knights out-shot the Coyotes 23-15 through 40 minutes, with few challenging Marc-Andre Fleury, while the physicality has been Arizona Coyotes (0-1-1) (0-1-0 away) relatively even. Arizona leads Vegas 20-18 in hits. Coach: Rick Tocchet Deryk Engelland, who performed an emotional speech before the game Goal leader: Five Tied (1) and scored in the first period, is second on the team with 12:20 of ice time, behind only Brayden McNabb. The two are also tied for the team Assist leader: Alex Goligoski (3) lead in plus/minus at plus-3. Expected goalie: Antti Raanta (0-0-1, 1.88 goals against average) Golden Knights lead 4-1 at end of first period Golden Knights game day roster The Vegas Golden Knights rode a wave of emotion to score four goals in the first 11 minutes of play. Forwards (12): Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, William Carrier, Cody Eakin, Erik Haula, William Karlsson, Brendan Leipsic, Oscar Lindberg, Jonathan On a night where the team honored victims and first responders in last Marchessault, James Neal, Tomas Nosek, David Perron and Reilly week’s mass shooting, everything went right for Vegas in the first period. Smith. Tomas Nosek got things started by sliding the puck through Arizona Defensemen (6): Deryk Engelland, Jason Garrison, Brayden McNabb, goalie Antti Raanta’s legs 2:31 into the game. Colin Miller, Luca Sbisa and Nate Schmidt. Long-time Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland, who gave an emotional Goalies (2): Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban. speech thanking first responders before the game, ripped a slap shot past Raanta to bring the capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena to its feet. Prediction : Golden Knights 3, Coyotes 2 LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077570 Washington Capitals “You tell me in that Game 7 that you couldn’t feel it,” MacLellan said two weeks later. “It felt good, and then we didn’t score in the first part of the first period and then you could just feel it coming. And that’s the history in Capitals hear echoes of Game 7 as Penguins visit Washington there. That’s in the fans, that’s in the past players. Even if you were there just for that game, you would feel it.”

Four minutes into the third period, Ovechkin and defenseman Kevin By Isabelle Khurshudyan October 10 at 4:36 PM Shattenkirk failed to clear the puck out of the Capitals’ end, and then Patric Hornqvist lifted the Penguins to a 2-0 lead with a backhand shot in front of the net. The afternoon after the Washington Capitals’ latest postseason The Capitals managed just five shots on goal after Hornqvist scored, heartbreak, several players met for lunch. They sat around a table with unraveling at this point in the postseason like they had so many times stunned expressions and little to say. The same question lingered on all before. of their minds, and the absence of an obvious answer made it worse. “We’ve got to own the big moments,” Trotz said. “We haven’t done that “That Game 7 is a big question mark for me: like, why [did] that happen?” yet. If there’s a cure for that — I wish there was a pill for it, but there isn’t. Evgeny Kuznetsov said in May. “For me, I feel like it’s totally different You’ve got to plow through it. Some way, we’ve got to plow through it, team played that game.” and we’re going to continue to do things the right way to win hockey games, as many as we can, so that we can put ourselves again in that “I thought about a lot of it,” said defenseman Karl Alzner, now with the position and try to break through.” Montreal Canadiens. “I talked about a lot of it with friends, family, guys on the team. Everyone is asking that question. You can speculate, but you Washington Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 don’t exactly know.” It’s been five months since the Capitals were shut out in a Game 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on their home ice to again bow out of the playoffs in the second round. Players, coaches and management acknowledged that the team was still in the process of moving on from that disappointment during a training camp that Coach Barry Trotz described as “miserable.” [Archives: Say it again, Capitals. Game 7, Loss.] With the Penguins back in Washington for the first time since that game, visiting the White House on Tuesday to celebrate a second straight Stanley Cup championship before playing the Capitals on Wednesday night, what happened in that fateful Game 7 is still hanging over the Capitals. It was perhaps the most defining 60 minutes in the franchise’s recent history, a waste of one of its best chances to get past the second round of the playoffs for a first time with Alex Ovechkin. It’s now another piece of history the Capitals will have to overcome if they’re ever back in that position. “I don’t know how to comfort anybody,” General Manager Brian MacLellan said. “We don’t know how to comfort ourselves. The only thing we can do is we’ve got to keep moving towards it. We’ve got to become more resilient. We’ve got to address things. “We’ve got to get to the point where that when you feel that point of pressure in Game 7 from the whole history of it — the building, everything — that you overcome it. Somebody steps up.” [] In discussing that 2-0 loss, the Capitals remember their electrifying start, how they nearly scored in the opening minutes. On just the second shift, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury played a puck behind the net, but forecheck pressure from Kuznetsov created a scramble in front of the goal. Kuznetsov and forward Justin Williams couldn’t knock the puck past a sprawled Fleury. Maybe if Washington would have scored there, the outcome would’ve been different. Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust scored 8:49 into the second period, a first blow to the psyche of the Verizon Center crowd. Then with 5:40 left in the second, Capitals forward T.J. Oshie hit the side of the net with his rebound effort at the right post when he appeared to have several feet of empty net in front of him. “If there’s any moment in the game that I can remember, it’s the rebound on the side,” Oshie said two days later. “It was a tough angle, and I was going to shoot it, I felt it start flipping over my blade. I can still feel it. If there’s any part of the game that I can still remember, it’s that. I can still feel the puck going off my stick. That one is probably going to haunt me for a while.” [Archives: How the Penguins pushed the Capitals into the abyss again] Less than two minutes later, Ovechkin dropped down to one knee as he fired at the net. Fleury slid across the net to stop the shot, and the puck bounced off the shaft of Fleury’s stick, somehow staying out of the net. Behind his mask, Fleury was smiling, rubbing his stick after the good fortune. In the press box, MacLellan could feel the energy in the arena shift to one of despair, even though it was still a one-goal game. It was as if the ghosts of repeated second-round exits were suddenly on the ice with the Capitals. 1077571 Washington Capitals the roster to start. Because the first part of the season, especially the first three or four games or matches, are a little hairy. They’re really ramped up because everyone is so excited. I think it gives our veteran guys — Capitals’ first loss highlights defensive depth issues they’ve gone through it a few times — we’re hoping that’ll just help settle it down. Once we get rolling and it settles down a little bit, I think it gives our younger guys an opportunity to feel comfortable. By Isabelle Khurshudyan October 10 at 11:51 AM “This is the point for young guys when they make a hockey team, now they’re going, ‘Okay, I made the hockey team and now I’ve got to find a place to live, and I’ve got to do this.’ There’s a lot going on that people don’t think about. ‘You know, hey, throw the kid in.’ There’s a little bit TAMPA — Capitals Coach Barry Trotz hadn’t yet examined his players’ more going on because they have to start dealing with life things. I think it time on ice in Washington’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay just allows them to settle in, get comfortable. We’ve got a lot of games, Lightning, but he had a feeling he’d demanded a lot from some players they’re going to be a huge part of what we’re doing here.” on his blue line. Washington Post LOADED: 10.11.2017 “Our back end got fatigued,” Trotz said after the game. Well, some of the back end got fatigued. While Washington’s top two pairs played 22-plus minutes, the duo of Taylor Chorney and Aaron Ness played 10:17 and 8:56, respectively, in roughly half as many shifts as the Capitals’ other four defensemen. Matt Niskanen, John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov each skated more than 25 minutes, and Orlov finished with a game-high 27:33 time on ice. Ice time usually hints at a coach’s thinking, and in the minuscule sample size of three games, the division of minutes indicates that Trotz isn’t quite comfortable with his third pairing yet. Ness and Chorney played three shifts in the third period, when the Lightning had its most forceful offensive push, and after the pair was on the ice for the tying goal by Nikita Kucherov, it didn’t see the ice again for the rest of the game. Ness was called for two minor penalties in the first period, giving him four through three games. [Capitals’ penalty kill can only hold up for so long in overtime loss to Lightning] Some blueline struggles were to be expected after the Capitals lost defensemen Karl Alzner, Nate Schmidt and Kevin Shattenkirk in the offseason, and Washington’s situation is far from dire after a 2-0-1 start. But the Capitals have allowed an average of 37 shots in those three games, among the most in the league and not a recipe for continued success. A trendy pick to reach the Stanley Cup final, Tampa Bay was the first major test of Washington’s young season, and the next one is Wednesday’s visit from the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s unclear whether Washington will make any changes to their lineup before hosting Pittsburgh. Coaches and management have indicated since training camp that this third pairing of Ness, 27, and Chorney, 30, is a temporary fix until Washington can incorporate some of its younger blue- liners. “They’re not ready to be full-time, so we’re working around it,” General Manager Brian MacLellan said last week. “We’re buying time for guys who we think are going to be high-end guys. … They’re not ready, but they’re close. So, that’s optimistic for me. In the second half, I don’t know what it looks like, but depending on how guys progress, they’re going to help fill holes that you have.” Rookie defenseman Christian Djoos has been a healthy scratch for the first three games, and with Trotz looking to get everyone on the roster into a game early in the season, Djoos is expected to make his NHL debut soon, perhaps even against the Penguins. Madison Bowey was the last cut from Washington’s training camp roster, a move that was related to Bowey still being waiver exempt and also carrying a $703,333 cap hit that is higher than those of Djoos and Ness. [‘He’s all by himself’: Capitals’ Devante Smith-Pelly considers anthem protest after J.T. Brown] It’s possible the Capitals felt handcuffed with roster and cap room to start the season because forward Tom Wilson was suspended the first four games, meaning Washington had to carry a 14th forward in case there was an injury while Wilson was ineligible to play. Wilson’s suspension ends after Wednesday’s game against the Penguins, and if the Capitals did decide to tweak their roster, potentially shrinking down to 22 players rather than 23, they likely would wait until Thursday for that reason. Along with Djoos and Bowey, Washington is high on blueline prospects Lucas Johansen, Jonas Siegenthaler, Connor Hobbs, Colby Williams and Tyler Lewington, all starting the season in the American Hockey League. Their first taste of the NHL might not be so far away. “The thing with us, the young guys are going to be the foundation of our whole organization,” Trotz said last week. “We’re excited about the fact, you know, we’re going to infuse some young guys here as we keep going along. Right now, we just want to stabilize it. Right now, on defense for instance, we’re going to stabilize it with a little more of a veteran part of 1077572 Washington Capitals “They’re usually fun games against them, usually spirited and competitive,” Niskanen said.

Washington Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 Trump needles Capitals while toasting Penguins

By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 10, 2017

President Trump’s only been a D.C. resident since January, but he sounds as skeptical of the Washington Capitals‘ Stanley Cup chances as a jaded 20-year season ticket holder. The president, who welcomed the NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins to the White House Tuesday, one day ahead of their first regular season rematch with the Capitals, predicted a three-peat for Sidney Crosby and Co. — while gleefully rubbing a little salt into the wounds of Washington hockey fans. “Are they tough, the Washington Capitals?” a jovial Trump asked the Penguins, who have sent the Capitals home the last two years. “Are they tough? What do you think, huh?” The Penguins and the Capitals meet Wednesday for the first time since May’s heated seven-game series — a playoff loss that left Washington with a hockey hangover that lingered into the NHL preseason. But a 2-0-1 start to the regular season — along with seven Alex Ovechkin goals in those three games — has helped the Capitals close the door on last spring and refocus on the season at hand. This is still, however, the Penguins. Wednesday’s contest will be the Capitals‘ first nationally televised game of the season, and there is intrigue beyond being just the fourth game of 2017-18. “I don’t think anybody has to pile on more in terms of the significance of the rivalry,” coach Barry Trotz said. “They don’t like us. We don’t like them.” As for the timing of the matchup, Trotz and players said it doesn’t matter — everyone will be up for playing the champs. “They certainly get your full attention when they come on the schedule,” Matt Niskanen said. “You always get some emotions there, for sure,” Andre Burakovsky said. Matching up against Pittsburgh will be an early test of what is and isn’t working for the Capitals. Washington’s top two lines have emerged as an offensive strength through three games — thanks in part to Trotz’s decision to split up Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Defensively, the Capitals remain much more of a work in progress. Washington’s third defensive pairing of Aaron Ness and Taylor Chorney have barely seen the ice, leaving Trotz to rely heavily on his top four defensemen. Washington is also dead last in the league in shot differential. Teams have taken 38 more shot attempts the Capitals through three games. After a 4-3 overtime loss on Monday to Tampa Bay, Trotz noted how tired his defensemen looked. “It takes some time to get back in the rhythm of things,” Niskanen said Sunday. “Get your feel back for the game. … The season is marathon, so keep working at it and try to be consistent in your approach.” Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is working through problems of its own. They are 1-1-1 to start the year, including taking an uncharacteristic 10-1 beatdown in Chicago. The Penguins rebounded with a win in a Stanley Cup-rematch in Nashville. At the White House, the Penguins were in a celebratory mood. Trump singled out the efforts of each Penguin and highlighted the return of a healthy Kris Letang, the Penguins‘ top defenseman. He noted the “bad damage” the Penguins would always do to his hometown New York Rangers. “It’s called winning, right Sidney?” Trump asked, calling out the Penguins‘ star. Near the end of Trump’s remarks, the president said, “I know the Capitals will be looking for payback [Wednesday], so we will let you get back to practice.” Payback in the regular season? That’s hard to argue. But it wouldn’t be a rivalry without the playoff history. 1077573 Washington Capitals their communities, and that sports offers a global platform that unites people and lifts up communities. I am thrilled to welcome her to the Monumental family and to one of the most dynamic, diverse and Laurene Powell Jobs and the sound of change innovative partnerships in sports and entertainment.” Look, to have someone like Powell Jobs investing in Washington sports seems to be a good thing, which should only help all the Monumental By Thom Loverro - - Tuesday, October 10, 2017 operations — Wizards, Capitals, even those two Arena League football teams that play in the Arena Football League.

Pay close attention to the rumbling down in Chinatown, because the lady ANALYSIS/OPINION is likely going to be an influential force in Washington sports in the future. You might not have noticed last week, with all the attention being paid to Washington Times LOADED: 10.11.2017 Nationals Park and South Capitol Street. But there were a couple of sonic booms that came from Chinatown — specifically the building formerly known as the Verizon Center, now called Capital One Arena. Part of that noise was Alex Ovechkin, blasting a hat trick in the Washington Capitals‘ home-opening 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. But several days before that, there was an even bigger boom that reverberated through the newly-named arena. Monumental Sports — owners of the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, Capital One Arena and numerous other assets of note — had a new investor. Not just another investor — but a rock star, someone with deep pockets. Laurene Powell Jobs — the widow of the man who changed the world, Steve Jobs — dropped about $500 million dollars into Monumental Sports, putting her second in line behind majority owner Ted Leonsis. This wasn’t some sort of token vanity investment so Powell Jobs can have a seat in the owner’s suite and tell her friend that she owns an NBA team or an NHL team. No, Powell Jobs came to play. The news raises a lot of questions about the health of Monumental Sports — the parent company for the Wizards, Capitals and other entities — and its future. Why this infusion of money in Monumental now? Just after they signed a new $100 million arena naming rights deal with Capital One, though it was less than what they had originally hoped for? Not that long after Leonsis made the deal that gave him ownership of one-third of Comcast Mid Atlantic? Those two steps should have put a healthy chunk of money into Monumental — enough that you would think they didn’t need any new club members, let alone one that stepped over all the other minority investors to take the seat right behind Leonsis. Maybe those existing club members decided that they were tired of reaching into their pockets to cover losses? Leonsis inherited a debilitating mortgage on the arena when he became majority owner after Abe Pollin died in 2009, along with other less-than- lucrative deals. His two major sports franchises, the Wizards and Capitals, lose money. ESPN reported that the Wizards were one of nine NBA teams that lost money last season, even after receiving league revenue-sharing money, and Leonsis has said over the years that the Capitals lose money. And he’s building a new 5,000 seat arena and practice facility in southeast Washington. Powell Jobs’ money — she is reportedly worth $20 billion — will go a long way to ease those losses and expenses. But it comes with a price — possibly the future of Monumental Sports. She made it clear that she wants to own a sports franchise when she bid, and lost, on the Los Angeles Clippers several years ago to Steve Bawlmer. The Washington connection is that her brothers, Brad and Greg, have known Monumental vice-chairman Raul Fernandez for more than three decades, going back to their days as students at Maryland, according to the Washington Post. Her investment puts her next in line to own Monumental Sports — sort of like Leonsis was when he bought a piece of Abe Pollin’s company from the owner. You don’t invest $500 million to be a passenger. You’ve got your eye on the driver’s seat. When Leonsis announced that Powell Jobs was coming on board, he made it clear in the press release that she is a minority investor. “Today, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder, CEO and Majority Owner Ted Leonsis announced that Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President of Emerson Collective, will join the Monumental ownership group as a minority investor. The NBA and the NHL have approved the transaction, which takes effect immediately. “Through her work at Emerson Collective, Laurene has been a longtime leader in areas of education, immigration, social justice and the environment,” Leonsis said. “She shares my belief in a double bottom line philosophy: that the companies that do best are those that do good in 1077574 Washington Capitals

President Donald Trump zings Capitals during Penguins' White House visit

By Cam Ellis October 10, 2017 3:59 PM

The NFL may be getting a fair share of the President's attention recently, but on Tuesday morning it was the NHL's turn. The PIttsburgh Penguins took part in the semi-traditional White House appearance on Tuesday, visiting with President Donald Trump ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Capitals. The event took place despite mounting controversy surround the tradition, as the Golden State Warriors and University of North Carolina Mens Basketball team both skipped out on the event in protest. Trump has, however, met with the New England Patriots, Clemson's Football Team, and the Chicago Cubs after they won their respective titles. Trump even took a moment to weigh in on the Penguins' rivalry with the Capitals: "I know you have a really big early season matchup tomorrow night against the rival Washington Capitals," the President said to a mix of laughter and boos. He then turned around to the Pittsburgh coaches and players and asked, "Are they tough? What do you think? Are they tough?" Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077575 Washington Capitals

After a rough night in Tampa, it is time to talk about the Capitals' third defensive pair

By J.J. Regan October 10, 2017 10:15 AM

It was a rough night for the Capitals’ third defensive pair. With their biggest test of the season, Aaron Ness and Taylor Chorney clearly struggled against the high-powered offense of the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 4-3 overtime loss on Monday Ness’ rough night started in the first period when he took two minor penalties, one for a cross check and another for hooking. He now has four minor penalties on the season. He also gave up a number of turnovers as he struggled against the pressure of the Tampa offense. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077576 Washington Capitals

Prediction recap: Caps struggle against Lightning offense

By J.J. Regan October 10, 2017 7:00 AM

The Capitals suffered their first loss of the season on Monday at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning as they fell 4-3 in overtime. Here’s a recap of the three bold predictions. 1. The Capitals will allow three goals or more – Correct Things looked good as Washington jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but the Caps wore down as six defensemen turned into four later in the third as Aaron Ness and Taylor Chorney saw limited minutes. 2. Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie will combine for more points than Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Vrana – Correct Evgeny Kuznetsov tallied one assist and that was it for the Alex Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Vrana line. Luckily, the team’s other “top” line picked up the slack with a combined three goals and four assists. 3. A defenseman will score for the Capitals – Wrong It looked as if I would be right initially when Oshie’s first goal looked like a shot from John Carlson. Upon further review, however, it was clear Oshie got the goal, preventing me from having a perfect night in my predictions. 2016-17 results: Two solid games in a row to start of the season. I’m like the Ovechkin of predictions. Correct: 4 Wrong: 2 Push: 0 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077577 Winnipeg Jets however, he played a chunk of time on the third forward unit with centre Adam Lowry and left-winger Shawn Matthias, took 22 shifts and played nearly 13 minutes, while blocking a pair of shots and finishing as the club Rookie makes NHL debut after Byfuglien injury leader with six hits. Despite taking an ill-advised cross-checking penalty in the third period with his club leading 4-2, Tanev, who replaced Nic Petan on the Lowry Jason Bell By: Jason Bell trio midway through the game, was lauded by his coach afterward. "Just a lot of speed, and Lowry and Matthias can use it," Maurice said. "He’s been hard on pucks, made really good decisions and showed some Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers checks Edmonton Oilers' Kris Russell hands. He’s found a way to get a breakaway (Tanev scored a short- during the first period in Edmonton, Monday. Ehlers would score three handed tally in Calgary) each game, and he’s a good penalty killer. goals in a row for Winnipeg on the night, giving him a natural hat-trick. "When you play a team with special players like Edmonton, you have to The Jets finally hit the victory column without the services of the big man, have two lines that can play against them. (The Lowry line) was just as registering an impressive 5-2 win over the host Oilers to raise their record important going on the ice as Mark (Scheifele’s) line." to 1-2-0 with the 2017-18 NHL campaign still in its infancy. It’s worth reiterating Scheifele and his wingers, Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Byfuglien, who was called on for 25 shifts and 25 minutes, two seconds Wheeler, combined for 10 points against the Oilers. of ice time on Saturday in Calgary, suffered a lower-body injury in the battle with the Flames — a contest the Jets led 3-1 before stalling out in Ehlers broke a 2-2 tie with a natural hat trick, beating goalie Cam Talbot the final 40 minutes and losing 6-3. twice in just 1:09 late in the middle period and then firing his third of the game with just under two minutes left in the third. The 6-5, 250-pound defenceman didn’t practise Sunday in Edmonton or take to the ice in Monday’s morning pre-game skate, and his participation Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.11.2017 in the collision with the Oilers was a game-time decision. By the time the evening rolled around, he was scratched from the lineup and replaced by rookie Tucker Poolman, a 24-year-old rearguard from East Grand Forks, Minn., who made his NHL debut. Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Byfuglien remains "day-to-day with a lower-body injury." The Jets complete a three-game road trip Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. "(Byfuglien) came in for the (Monday) morning skate and tried to loosen it up and it didn’t quite warm up," Maurice said, shortly after the triumph at Rogers Place. "Then he came in an hour before (the game)... we do a bunch of things with these injuries, and if he doesn’t feel right you don’t put him on the ice." Byfuglien, 32, has been a workhorse for the Jets, missing just 20 games over the last four seasons. The organization and the fans who support it are keenly aware of the risks and rewards associated with the product of Roseau, Minn., who possesses speed, power and game-breaking abilities, but also makes frequent mistakes that hurt his team. Translation? You notice him, for better or worse. His replacement, paired with veteran blue-liner Toby Enstrom, was quietly impressive. Poolman had a solid training camp and steady pre-season performances to secure a spot on the club’s 23-man roster. He was a healthy scratch in Winnipeg’s opening two defeats before drawing into his first-ever NHL contest ahead of Ben Chiarot, who watched from the press box along with extra forward Joel Armia and injured centre Matt Hendricks. The former star with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks opted for smart, simple plays and made no major gaffes, finishing with 19 shifts and more than 14 minutes of ice time. He also got a ‘welcome to the bigs, kid’ greeting from rugged Oilers forward Milan Lucic, by way of a crushing bodycheck. No sure bet after being selected by Winnipeg in the fifth round (127th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Poolman certainly impressed his new coach. "He did all the simple things well. He settled in to the game and he’s just a smart, smart defenceman with the puck," Maurice said. "He’s older, and it’s a big (difference) from an 18- or 19-year old coming in. He’s physically mature, he can handle the play down low. It was a really good game for him, but that’s very close to his training camp." Ten days ago, Brandon Tanev was in a fierce battle with seven or eight other skaters for a job on the Jets’ bottom-six forward crew. Since then, a handful were shipped to the of the American Hockey League, a few have been in and out of the lineup, while a couple have started on the third line and then dropped to the fourth. Tanev, a fourth-liner and penalty killer, was the recipient of a promotion on Monday. The 25-year-old Toronto-born winger had 15 shifts and 8:29 of ice time in the Jets’ 7-2 loss to the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, and 16 shifts and 9:27 of playing time on Saturday in Calgary. In Edmonton, 1077578 Winnipeg Jets While he works to find that balance, Perreault is also balancing a lot of added responsibility at home.

He and his wife, Jennilie, who already have a toddler, Violette, welcomed Gritty Perreault off to strong start twins Penelope and Hector a few weeks ago. "It’s hard right now. We get help during the day but at night it’s just me Jason Bell By: Jason Bell and my wife. So, the sleep’s a little different. They’re so little, so it’s just feeding and then sleep," Perreault said. "I change diapers at night and she’ll feed them and I’ll wake up and do that for 10 or 15 minutes, so it’s not too bad. She’s up for hours but I still get to sleep. She’s really good VANCOUVER — Mathieu Perreault is picking up right where he left off about it. She knows I need my rest. last spring. "Once summertime comes, she’ll get me back." The veteran forward has scored once and added a pair of assists in the first three games of the 2017-18 NHL season for the Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.11.2017 although he and linemates Bryan Little and Patrik Laine were blanked Monday night in Edmonton. He’s on a point-a-game pace but, like most of his teammates, has strides to take on the defensive side. Perreault finished up an injury-plagued 2016-17 campaign as one of Winnipeg’s most productive performers. He fired nine goals and collected 28 points in the final 25 games, just one point shy of the team’s leading point man, centre Mark Scheifele, during the same stretch. A 45-point total was a career high for the nine-year veteran, who was sidelined for 17 games because of illness, a fractured thumb and a back injury. That’s nothing new for the injury-prone 29-year-old from Drummondville, Que. The closest he’s come to playing a full 82-game season was two years ago when he hit the 71-game mark with the Jets. At 5-10, 188 pounds, he is considered a smaller player by NHL standards, but is gritty, plays with an edge and doesn’t hesitate to invade the dirty areas of the ice. Lately, he’s been tasked with crowding the front of the crease on Winnipeg’s second power-play unit and has been clunked three or four times on different body parts from friendly fire. Playing that gritty style has severely hindered Perreault’s durability. But when he’s physically sound, he’s an impactful, offensive player. "I’m working and doing everything I can to help this team win," Perreault said on Monday, prior to the Jets’ tilt with the Oilers in Edmonton. "Confidence is a really big thing in this game and I’m feeling a lot of that right now." Perreault, who signed a four-year, US$16.5-million contract extension in the summer of 2016, has settled in as a top-six winger with the Central Division squad after a few turns at centre with limited success. He’s also been one of Jets head coach Paul Maurice’s go-to guys in man- advantage situations. Perreault said he’s most comfortable skating on the wing, and has a more thorough grasp of the defensive responsibilities that come with it. "I started two years here as a centre and it always took me a while to get going. It didn’t really work out there, and then every time I got moved to the wing this is where I kind of took off and played better," he said. "As long as I feel like I’m helping the team and am being put out there to do a job, whether it’s scoring or checking, I’m happy." Jets captain Blake Wheeler said Perreault’s tenacity and compete level is infectious. "He brings it every single shift. A guy like that, with whoever he plays with, you’re going to get that effort on the left side. He’s great on the forecheck and never gives up on pucks," Wheeler said. "He’s a nice guy to get that consistency out of every single day. "There aren’t guys like him just falling off trees. The more guys like him you can get to stay put and buy in and want to be around here and be a part of it, the better we’re going to be." Perreault has finished a minus-11 in each of the past two seasons, unattractive numbers for a guy who maintains he tries to be accountable in both ends of the rink. He’s already a minus-two after three contests, although the Jets (1-2-0) only have five players on the plus side of the ledger. "So far, I’m still a minus and that’s not good. I take pride and want to improve on that," Perreault said. "I’m battling really hard to keep pucks out of my net. And I think it’s the mindset we should all have here. It’s always fun to produce, but the offence is going to come. We’ve got to find a way to cut down on the pucks that go in on us." 1077579 Winnipeg Jets “It was an opportunity for us to handle (the adversity) and we did,” Maurice said. “The result of it is that (Nikolaj Ehlers) scores a big goal. But the two shifts (after the Oilers second goal) were right and we just Jets' Maurice praises Poolman for play against Oilers relaxed, (played) simple and hard. Or something like that.” THREE-LINE GAME ken-wiebe BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN With a couple of extra days between games — and the Jets feeling a sense of urgency to get into the win column — Maurice cut down to three lines for a good chunk of the second and third periods on Monday. VANCOUVER — Tucker Poolman showed very few signs of nerves as That meant it was a relatively quiet night for Marko Dano (6:53), Andrew he made his NHL debut. Copp (7:13) and Nic Petan (10:13). The Winnipeg Jets rookie defenceman stepped into the lineup and didn’t Petan’s ice time was a bit higher because he saw 2:23 of power-play look out of place at all, taking 19 shifts for 14:30 of ice time while playing time on the first unit, but most of his even-strength ice time during the mostly on a pairing with Toby Enstrom in a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton final 40 minutes went to Brandon Tanev. Oilers on Monday at Rogers Place. Tanev played 12:49 and finished with six hits and two blocked shots, “He did all the simple things well and he just settled into the game,” Jets though he took an undisciplined cross-checking minor at 6:42 of the third head coach Paul Maurice said. “He’s just a smart, smart defenceman period when the Jets were clinging to a two-goal lead. with the puck. He’s 24 years old and that’s a big difference than (when) an 18 or 19 year old comes in. He’s physically mature and he can handle “A lot of speed,” said Maurice, asked about what he’s seen from Tanev. the game down low. It was a really good game for him.” “He’s been hard on pucks, made really good decisions and shown some hands, found a way to get a breakaway in each game. And he’s been a Poolman did all the things he did during the pre-season, using his good penalty killer.” mobility and hockey sense to move the puck and be in the proper position defensively. Under the circumstances, you can understand why Maurice shortened the bench. “He was great. Almost effortless-looking,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “He skates really well, kept it simple and didn’t try to do too But before long, the Jets are going to need to find a fourth line that can much. He made the right pass when he needed to and played within log a bit more ice time or they’ll run the risk of taxing their top-line himself. Pretty impressive for a young guy to come in and play defence forwards. against that team.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.11.2017 BYFUGLIEN SITS OUT Because Maurice said rather emphatically that defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was going to play after needing a maintenance day on Sunday, the conspiracy theorists were out in full force when he was not on the ice for the pre-game warm-up. Many were suggesting Byfuglien was being benched for his defensive- zone play through the first two games. The problem with the theory was that Byfuglien hadn’t been on the ice the past two days and if he was being punished, he would have been on the ice taking part in an extra conditioning skate with the other scratches on Monday. Following the game, Maurice said Byfuglien was day-to-day with a lower- body injury. “He just never warmed up,” Maurice said. “He came in for the morning skate and we tried to loosen it up and it didn’t quite warm up. Then he came in an hour before (the pre-game warm-up) and we do a bunch of things with these injuries and if he doesn’t feel right, we don’t put him on the ice.” Byfuglien was spotted walking with a bit of a limp in the hallway after the game, so it will be interesting to see how the injury progresses during the coming days. Given how well Poolman played on Monday, it will allow the Jets to ensure Byfuglien is as close to 100% as possible before he’s put back into the lineup. THE 700 CLUB Wheeler suited up in his 700th NHL game on Monday and he made it a memorable one, chipping in three helpers in what was a solid all-around effort for the Jets’ captain. “I feel lucky,” said Wheeler, who has four assists in three games this season. “I’ve been blessed with some great opportunities. I’m very fortunate to have played on some great teams with some great players. I’m having blast and hopefully there are more nights like (Monday) to come. “You blink your eyes and you go from a 22-year-old kid and all of a sudden, you’re one of the older guys with three kids. It does go by fast.” Wheeler has 199 goals, 319 assists and 518 points in those 700 games with the Jets, Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins. TIMELY TIMEOUT After several Jets players talked about the importance of the timeout Maurice called at 13:33 of the second period, the head coach was asked about what message he was trying to get across after the Oilers had scored twice in 40 seconds to tie up the contest. 1077580 Winnipeg Jets Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba was outstanding, logging a game-high 26:50 of ice time in what was the best game for the reunited pairing with Josh Morrissey. Jets’ top trio leads the way Trouba made sound decisions, used his skating ability and dished out a jarring hit that sent Draisaitl to the ice, finishing the contest with three shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots. BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN This was Trouba at his best, playing the role of a bona fide, No. 1 defenceman. VANCOUVER – - It was a dominant performance by a line that has the And the Jets don’t win the game without quality goaltending from Connor potential to do some serious damage when clicking on all cylinders. Hellebuyck, who turned aside 37 shots in his first start of the season. In Monday’s 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, the Winnipeg Jets top Hellebuyck had to be sharp early, making seven saves during an Oilers’ line of Mark Scheifele between Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers racked power play in the opening minutes that had the potential to put the Jets up points and did the heavy lifting in containing Connor McDavid and behind the eight-ball early. company. Instead, his saves seemed to inject confidence into a group that had Although it was Ehlers who led the offensive barrage with a hat trick (the given up 13 goals through the first two games. second of his career), four points, eight shots on goal and a whopping 12 shot attempts, he was quick to pass on the credit to his linemates. It was the first 60-minute effort the Jets had put together and there was little doubt who led the way. It’s fine (and commonplace) to dish the props to the guys you’re playing with and while it’s true slick passes from Wheeler (on the second one) And when the top trio is playing that two-way game, the Jets can be a and Scheifele for the one-timer to complete the natural hat trick were an tough team to play against. obvious factor, Ehlers showed tremendous finish in this contest. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.11.2017 Ehlers’ first goal of the game – which helped the Jets restore the lead at 16:48 after the Oilers scored twice in 40 seconds during the second period to tie things up – was all about his creativity and release. The speedy Danish forward used his speed to gain the zone and then found a lane before unloading a quick shot that beat Cam Talbot to the blocker side. “Move our feet, that’s the key to our game on both sides of the puck,” said Wheeler. “(Scheifele) and Ehlers had some great back-checks and we were able to transition and get some rushes. When those guys are (hustling) back, there’s no room for the other team. They move so well and they’re so dynamic going back the other way offensively. “If you’re getting three-on-two’s all day with those two guys, something good is going to happen.” The Jets close out a three-game swing through western Canada on Thursday at Rogers Arena against the Vancouver Canucks. For those who were wondering about what Jets head coach Paul Maurice meant last week when he suggested that Ehlers needs to relax and play his game, not worry about trying to earn his raise every shift, this was a prime example. Ehlers was unable to generate much offence during the first two games and seemed to be a little out of sorts. Although the extension only kicks in next season, it’s natural for young players to try and press after signing a big deal. On Monday, Ehlers simplified his game and did the things he does well – and the dividends were obvious. Scheifele has scored in each of the first three games and had three points on Monday, but his biggest contribution was raising his level of playing while being asked to go up against McDavid for a good chunk of the evening. That’s no easy task, but the Scheifele line produced three of their four goals with McDavid on the ice. And McDavid’s pass to Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers first goal came against Bryan Little’s unit. Scheifele has talked about pushing himself to be among the best centre’s in the NHL and in this case, he won the head-to-head match-up against the guy who is the reigning MVP and Art Ross Trophy winner as the leading scorer. It’s only one game, but the effort wasn’t lost on Maurice during his post- game media address. “Ehlers scores the three, but that’s the most dominant Scheifele and Wheeler have been going both ways,” said Maurice. “Those are two periods in terms of all you want out of your leadership. That’s as good a game as I’ve seen (Scheifele) play.” As impressive as the Jets top line was, there were several other critical contributions throughout the lineup. 1077581 Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck earns praise

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

VANCOUVER – - Did Connor Hellebuyck do enough to earn consecutive starts? The answer to the question won’t likely be known for at least another day, since the Winnipeg Jets took Tuesday off following a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. But it’s a good bet Hellebuyck will get his second start of the season when the Jets face the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at Rogers Place after making 37 saves on Monday. “Fantastic,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “There were a couple (of saves) in the first period where (Hellebuyck) was just kicking them out over and over. Great on him to stay with it. He got an opportunity and had a great game.” While the Jets would like to cut the shots against down after giving up 39 against the Oilers as they work to continue to tighten up defensively, Monday’s effort was a step in the right direction. “He really made some good saves, but what I thought what was so important for Connor was that he looked calm when he didn’t have control of the puck. He was square to it,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “He’s just physically stronger than he was last year and he holds his body position in some of those scrums. He worked hard to find the pucks through traffic and he had his glove going.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.11.2017 1077582 Winnipeg Jets “It was nice to get one, it had been a while and it gets the confidence going,” said Tanev, who snapped a 40-game drought. “It tells you that your offensive abilities are there. If you continue to play your way, the Poolman makes NHL debut for Jets chances will come. It’s nice to contribute offensively when you can, especially in a special-teams situation.”

Tanev had two goals and nine points in 23 games with the Manitoba BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN Moose last season. While he isn’t known for his offensive abilities, Tanev is trying to leave his mark on the penalty kill – though he was on the ice for two of the four EDMONTON – - Tucker Poolman had been on stand-by and the power-play goals the Jets had surrendered during the first two games. Winnipeg Jets rookie defenceman finally got the call he’s been waiting for. LEAVING HIS MARK Poolman, who earned a job on the 23-man roster thanks to a strong There’s been plenty of chatter about Kris Versteeg enjoying success training camp and pre-season, replaced Dustin Byfuglien for Monday’s against the Jets during his career, but let’s not forget about Oilers centre game against the Edmonton Oilers and started on a pairing with Toby Mark Letestu. Enstrom. Letestu, a fourth-line pivot who also sees time on the power play, had “It’s exciting. We’ll see what happens but either way, you’ve got to nine goals and 11 points in 15 games against the Jets during his career prepare so you’re ready,” Poolman said this morning, when his status going into Monday’s match-up. was still up in the air. “Mostly when old friends, coaches or family will call, that’s when I think about the journey and kind of savour it. But other than Although McDavid will understandably be the focal point, but the Jets that, I’ve been focusing on the days here.” would be well served to keep an eye on Oilers centre Mark Letestu, who has nine goals (three on the power play, two while shorthanded and two As is the case with many players making their NHL debut, Poolman, 24, game-winners) and 11 points in 15 career games against them. was sent out for the customary solo lap during the pre-game warm-up before his teammates joined him. “Recently I’ve had a good run against them,” said Letestu. “Some players have more than one, I just only have one. It’s one of those things where Byfuglien had 25:10 of ice time in Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the Calgary some guys feel comfortable in certain situations or get breaks or what Flames, but used Sunday as a maintenance day and didn’t skate again have you. With my role on the power play – and how many penalties on Monday, so it’s likely he was scratched because of a minor injury. they’ve taken over the past few years has probably played a role in that. But they’ve tried to cut down on that, so I may not get as many looks.” Poolman, who turned pro after finishing his junior season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, has been trying to soak up Was Letestu expecting a shadow or any extra attention? everything he can while he’s up with the big club. “I’m sure I’m not getting the highlight treatment on the pre-scouts,” said “It’s like watching video with the systems and seeing different tendencies Letestu. of different guys,” said Poolman, when asked what he’s noticed from watching NHL games from the press box. “I’ve been watching the AROUND THE GLASS defencemen mostly, just trying to see if there is anything I’ve been The Jets’ primary affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, split a pair of games missing or different things I can focus on (when) I get out there. against the last weekend, losing 5-3 and winning “The first day coach talked to me and said to always be ready, grind it out 7-2…Centre Mike Sgarbossa chipped in two goals and four points in the and be prepared at all times.” two games to lead the Moose in scoring, while Kyle Connor (two goals, three points), Jack Roslovic (one goal, three points) and Brendan Poolman showed his versatility during the pre-season, as he played on Lemieux (one goal, three points) all had strong weekends both the left and right sides at different points. offensively…Goalie Michael Hutchinson made 36 saves for the Moose to pick up his first AHL victory since he played for the St. John’s IceCaps “It was good to get reps on both sides for sure,” said Poolman, who was during the 2013-14 campaign…The Moose face the Cleveland Monsters chosen by the Jets in the fifth round (127th overall) of the 2013 NHL in their home opener on Friday at Bell MTS Place. Draft. “It doesn’t really matter what side to me. I’m comfortable with both.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.11.2017 Poolman is encouraged by the way his body has responded after having bilateral shoulder surgery during the off-season. “It was kind of a question mark when you go out for the first game or the first practice, you don’t know how you’re going to respond,” said Poolman. “But it was a good summer (of recovery) and I’ve been happy so far with my body.” IN AND OUT The Jets made one other lineup change for Monday’s game, inserting Marko Dano onto the fourth line for Joel Armia. Armia, who suffered a lower-body injury during the pre-season, has no points and was minus-four in two games while averaging only 10:48 of ice time per game. Armia was also demoted from the third line to the fourth line. “Just some quickness,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, when asked what’s been missing from Armia’s game. “His injury in training camp set him back. He’s got a good set of hands, but when you’re feet aren’t going, you have a tendency to turn the puck over like we’ve seen a couple of times in his first two. “So we’ve got to get those legs back right, so he can get himself back into the holes and make the plays that he can make.” It was the second game of the season for Dano, who suited up in the opener but was scratched on Saturday. BACK ON THE BOARD When Jets winger Brandon Tanev potted a shorthanded marker on Saturday against the Calgary Flames, it was his first NHL goal since Nov. 4 of 2016, when he scored twice against the Detroit Red Wings. 1077583 Winnipeg Jets the rink with a good mentality, trying to get better. That’s a good sign when your team responds like that.”

Playing without veteran defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who is day-to-day Jets goalie Hellebuyck stands tall in win over Oilers with a lower-body issue, the Jets didn’t miss a beat as Tucker Poolman made his NHL debut. BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN After recording one assist and 15 shots on goal in six pre-season games, Poolman sat out the first two games as a healthy scratch.

But when his first opportunity to play in an NHL game presented itself, EDMONTON — Connor Hellebuyck was given a tough assignment, but Poolman quickly showed he was ready. was ready for the test. Poolman, who turned pro after his junior season with the University of Used in just under one period of work in relief during the first two games North Dakota Fighting Hawks, showed plenty of composure with and of the season, Hellebuyck got the start against the high-octane without the puck as he was used mostly on a pairing with Toby Enstrom. Edmonton Oilers and had to be sharp. Byfuglien’s absence also meant an expanded role for Jets defenceman But after making 21 saves during the first period — and catching a bit of Jacob Trouba, who logged a game-high 26:50 of ice time while being a break when a Milan Lucic shot rattled off the iron — Hellebuyck stood used in all situations. tall and helped the Jets earn a 5-2 victory on Monday at Rogers Place. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.11.2017 “A win is a win and I’m really proud of the guys in front of me,” said Hellebuyck, who finished with 37 saves as the Jets improved to 1-2. “Everybody really dug in and dug deep and we pulled out a team win. I was seeing a lot of pucks and that means the guys in front of me are doing the right things.” The Jets close out this three-game swing through western Canada on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. You might say Jets head coach Paul Maurice played a hunch in making his decision to start Hellebuyck, who had an 0-4 record to go along with a 4.76 goals-against average and .857 save% in four prior appearances against the Oilers. But Hellebuyck got the job done between the pipes and offensively, the Jets were led by their top line of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, who combined for four goals and 10 points in the contest. They also did a great job defensively, which was equally important against the high-octane Oilers’ offence, which was kept in check. Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov came up with his best effort of the season, scoring his first goal with his new team and adding an assist on Scheifele’s third goal in as many games, which opened the scoring. But once again, the Jets could not build on a good start. A defensive breakdown and a turnover by Kulikov once again plagued the Jets during the second period, when Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored goals 40 seconds apart to even the score. In an effort to avoid another meltdown, Maurice called a timeout to try to help his team take a deep breath. Instead of watching the house of cards fall to the ground, the Jets were able to stem the tide and got a pair of goals from Ehlers to restore the two-goal cushion after two periods of play. “First of all it was a great timeout. Great timing for it,” said Wheeler. “It was just a great time to slow it down and remind everyone what we’re looking for. Straight lines, nothing fancy, don’t reinvent the wheel. We just needed to bang out a few good shifts, try to get the momentum back in our favour and I thought we did that. Go figure, shortly thereafter, we bang home a couple and take over the game. “There probably won’t be a single game we play all year where there’s no adversity and nothing goes against us and it’s just smooth sailing. It just doesn’t happen in this league. So we need to learn how to deal with that.” Ehlers added an insurance goal with 1:18 left in the third period to complete the natural hat trick and give him a four-point night. “When does that not feel good,” said Ehlers, who recorded his first points of the season after signing a seven-year contract extension. “I play with two great players, where it’s just backdoor tap-ins. We played simple, hard and fast and were able to find those holes. We’ve got to find a way to keep that going.” This was exactly the type of effort the Jets needed to restore their faith in what they’re trying to do. After two poor defensive efforts, the Jets still give up a few too many quality opportunities, but they didn’t crumble under pressure. With all of the talk about expectations being on the rise, the Jets can ill- afford a flat October. And after talking about needing to show more urgency, the Jets did exactly that. “There wasn’t any panic,” said Wheeler. “The first two games probably went as bad as you could script it. That being said, guys were coming to 1077584 Vancouver Canucks Green Interrupts: Are you trying to say he didn’t play well? Kuze: I didn’t think he did much but he got the goal. How the Sedins are handling a New World Order, Ode to 14, Vanek'd Green: Well, he got a goal. We’ll watch the tape. I’m not going to sit here and it's Flat JPat on a stick. and say he played great or didn’t play well. Right now, I don’t think he played bad or played great.

All in all, was a great interaction and both handled it well, imo. Jason Botchford Jason Botchford More from Jason Botchford Worth noting, only JV18 played less than Vanek.

BEST PASS Off The Post podcast - Which characteristics are unique to modern-day NHL defencemen? I’ll accept Burmistrov playing as much as Henrik when he does something like this: Alex Burrows waves to fans during the Senators' game against the Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. BEST SCOUTING Alex Burrows waves to fans during the Senators' game against the Marky, better watch dropping that right leg: Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. “You watch Bobby (Ryan) come in on the first shootout and (Markstom) BEST BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR drops that right leg and then Turris goes in there and makes a great shot and he drops the leg again, so I said ‘may as well go and see if he is Henrik wasn’t being snarky, or frustrated. going to drop it a third time’ and fortunately he did.” Really, he was just making an observation and his tone was as matter-of- — Mark Stone said. fact as that sounds. WORST GOAL “It’s good for you guys, but that’s the way it is,” he said. dafaq pic.twitter.com/dlbmIu3qeq “We know this is the way it’s going to be.” — Jason Botchford (@botchford) October 11, 2017 The “you guys” he’s referencing is the media. That goal sucked. You can easily make the case Markstrom was the He’s, rightly, pointing out “you guys” are going to dine on the Sedins ice Canucks best player — in both games — but that shot can’t be a goal. time like we’re all on a Carnival cruise to Alaska and it’s the only breakfast buffet on the ship. But hey I soon forgot all about it watching him play the puck. Ya, we may skip breaky a day or two, but we’re eventually circling back Check out this half-spin, back, bounce pass: to gorge on bad coffee and scrambled eggs. He also nearly created one of the best chances of the game with this The “way it’s going to be” is Travis Green’s new world order. clearing shot: And excuse me if some of us are still trying to collect our bearings. BEST PERFORMANCE Because with four minutes left in a 2-2 game after a TV timeout, Green There are some things about living in Van outsiders will never get. tapped the Burmistrov line to take the centre ice face-off. Like why we don’t use umbrellas. It’s been something of a theme. For the second game in a season that’s only two games old, Burmistrov saw a tad more even strength ice time Or how much this city reveres Alex Burrows. than Henrik through regulation (11:53-to-11:11). Name any player from the 2011-era Canucks. None give people the feels Total ice time before an overtime in which Alexander didn’t play, saw here like Burrows. Henrik play 15:13 and Burm 14:56 I’m a cold, dark-hearted I get Henrik’s perspective. This angle sucks and it’s unfair to run to him Part of it is the underdog, straight-outta-the-ECHL backstory. Part of it is and his brother after every game to ask how it feels to be marginalized. the dragon-slayer. Part of it is his place in Sedin lore. My question is more for the city of Vancouver. Part of it is the trolling; the he’ll-do-anything to win aura; and, oh ya, that Are we ready for this? Are we ready for the Sedins to play as much as time he stood up to auger and the NHL, even though, essentially, he Alexander Burmistrov? ensured he’d never again get the benefit of the doubt. I’m not sure I’m comfortable in a world where that’s a reality. Part of it is because no one embodied the us-vs-the-world environment we were all trapped in back then quite like Burrows. BEST EXCHANGE And part of it is how the game and its history — his love for it and In many ways, Vanek is the antithesis of Alex Burrows hockey. Burrows Vancouver — just oozes so effortlessly from him. is effort and passion. When he’s on, he’s animated and can’t-miss. As wild as this reads, the undrafted Frenchman from a Montreal suburb When Vanek is on, he’s smooth, quiet and deadly. But you may not got us more than any other athlete in the past decade. notice him for a period. Or two. And we got him. eFF off if you don’t get it. You never will. Then, when the game is over, you look up and he’s scored a goal and had an impact on another. In his return, Burrows put it all on display in what came off as a public relations tour du force with the media. Tonight was about as Vanek-y as it gets and I was actually riveted post- game watching Kuze and Green spar over what it all means. He was reverential when asked if he’d chirp the Sedins. Kuze: Vanek took you off the PP, and you took him off the (Sedin) line, “They’ve been so good to me over the years. They’re class players. I’m but then he scores. Can you live with that? just excited to finally play against him.” Green: I took him off the line for two shifts. I put him on another. He shared his love of west coast life, the city, the Olympic experience, and the province. Kuze: But what about him taking you off the PP? “It was tough to leave this great city.” Green: I think we’ve taken 3-4 penalties so far when we’re on the PP. I wasn’t happy when you take a penalty. I was more unhappy with the play He actually admitted part of his thinking in okaying a trade, moving his before that when he didn’t check the guy rather than the penalty itself. young family, was the fact he knew it could benefit the Canucks future. (yes, that was something all right. Let’s see that again). .”That was a little bit of my reasoning for sure. ::Vanek top left, passing on that check:: “I want the next generation of young players – the Bos, Hutton and Jake — to have a strong foundation, to play well in the next few years and Kuze: A big test for a coach is that at some point. have some prospects coming back, helping them bring a Stanley Cup to Vancouver because I would be really happy for those guys and all the I want to see Boeser as much as anyone. fans.” Well, maybe not as much as some of the savages out there setting He talked about how Crow has changed. Just as he was finishing, themselves on fire because The Flow remains sidelined. wouldn’t you know Crow walked right by. In the big picture, I think adding Vanek to Green’s even strength attack is “It’s a different version of Crow,” Burrows pointed out. like adding heavily salted peanuts to a mouth full of chewing gum. (same could be said about adding him to “the rebuild”). “Look at him. He’s smiling right now. He probably just chirped someone.” Hey maybe Vanek explodes, and he scored tonight and can in bunches, He opined on KB2 hiding the game from the Calgary Flames. but overall he may not fit long-term on a team that really wants to play “Are you surprised?” he volleyed back when asked about it. fast and with tempo and fast. Uh, no we’re not. Also a team that has to find a place for Boeser sooner than later. And finally he said the Canucks will never leave him, having carved out a That said, not sure everyone has noticed, but Green has been putting on place in his soul … like family. a clinic this week in crippling melodrama. “(Being a Canuck) will always stay with me. Really, he’s been destroying Van, his weapons of choice are open dialogue and reason. “I still watched a lot of their preseason games. I watched what happened in China. I’ve kept in touch with a lot of different guys. You may not agree with Green, but good god he’s done a great job communicating his McBoeser position and it sure comes off as “I even read some of your stories now.” defensible. And we will keep reading yours. Green has spent the past few days kindly, eloquently, thoroughly making his case and it’s a good one. BEST DEVELOPMENT He used his McDavid game plan as a reason — and, let’s be real, that Maybe the best Burr nugget to seep out Tuesday is how he has worked for Green in grand fashion. continued to motivate and push JV18 even though he’s on another team, another conference. He’s also said he wants Boeser working on foot speed, watching video and practising, pointing out that The Flow faded at the end of preseason. It’s meant quite a bit to JV18 who faced some pretty significant career adversity in the past year. (There’s that famous story on the Patcast about the game Boeser didn’t get a a shot attempt). “He kept telling me ‘keep working hard,’ and ‘good things will happen for you’,” Virtanen said. “I’m not even on his team, and he’s reaching out, So is he on the Tryamkin plan? telling me to stay positive.” That’s interesting. Caring about and relating to young players is among those things which come so naturally for Burrows. My read on this is that they have a devlopment path for The Flow, and that path may only include 60-odd games this season. “I know a lot of people put a lot of pressure on him early on,” Burr said. “I always liked him. I think the Canucks are putting a lot of thought into playing time and right now see value in giving him more practice days than others, “I see the tremendous potential. It’s not like he didn’t want to have understanding he’s been averaging just 40 games a year the past few success under Willie, it just wasn’t coming. years. “He had some bad games and he got down on himself. He started “I know he didn’t play a lot of hockey last year,” TG said. “I thought he got doubting himself. People were talking about his conditioning. tired toward the end of training camp. “But I’ve always seen the tool set. He has that edge. He wants to do well. “I think the pro game for a college guys is going to be a little bit of a He wants to help this team. He cares a lot about this city and this team. change. I don’t worry about him not being in a groove as much. He’s used to not playing for a week at a time. “When I meet people like that, I want them to do well. I’m really happy with the way he’s playing.” “Pros that have been in the league 5-6 years are used to playing every 2,3 days. Where as a guy like Brock, he’s probably the opposite. He has BEST JUXTAPOSITON to get used to playing that. Now that’s how you get in The Provies. “I’m not worried about Brock at all. I think he has a bright future. We’re putting a lot of thought into his development. It’s high on our priority list. You have anything else for us Stu? But there’s lots of priorities we have to deal with.” Oh ya, you do: BEST COUNTERPOINTS Burrows da gawd. Of course, Green didn’t convince everyone and plenty of those he didn’t BEST GUESS made good counter-arguments. Derrick Pouliot is going in and it’s happening sooner than later. Boeser was our best player at end of season and preseason, if you aint mad then yall dont know hockey #youngmansgame The race is on with guesses on who will be first to sit (barring injury). — Tanbir From Surrey (@TRana87) October 11, 2017 Probably not going to be MDZ who just led the team in minutes, or Guddy who is probably never leaving the second pair because of his, BEST NO CHILL uhm, size and rather unique — to the Canucks — skill set. Benefit of the doubt does not exist in Vancouver. WE WANT BLOOD! If those two are staying, it whittles the options to Stecher and Hutton. — Mario (@Nuckyou22) October 10, 2017 Hutton kind of epitomized the Canucks softness tonight on that second BEST YOU KIDDING ME? Sens goal. Really? And Green did go to town on his team playing soft. BOOYAH 95. Almost as cool as HELLSYAH 85 #WorstJerseyEver “I thought we were a little soft in certain areas. For me, I don’t like that @botchford @CapitalistChris pic.twitter.com/HvHAb2c2lq part. I can handle (bad) passes, but I wouldn’t want to stand here very many nights and say we were a little soft. But I thought we were in — RoadDog (@PerfectTrev) October 11, 2017 certain areas.” BEST REASSURANCE But Hutton is on the PP and is playing significantly more than Stech, who didn’t play special teams and was on the ice for 13:40 which was the low @botchford I need some reassurance that I'm not the only one who on D. thinks vanek is a bum and just looks out of place BEST DEFENCE — Dakota (@DakotaJaymes23) October 11, 2017 He can look like that, then all of a sudden he’s on pace for 20-something People crossed the lolline goals. Kuze couldn’t be ignored: BEST RESPONSE TO THE FIRST GOAL And also, bizarrely, one of the best descriptions I’ve seen yet of JPat’s Well there it is folks. Vanek is safe. He can stand in front of a goalie. annoyingly awesome — makes me jealous — disarming-yet-tough query Something Boeser can't do. #Canucks #freeboeser @botchford style: — JEFF (@ineedhocki) October 11, 2017 BEST REQUEST BEST CONCERN Take all my monies and make me that freakin’ orb. Gudbranson beat easily with speed to the outside this period. Concerning Or wait, maybe I want this instead: ~sigh #Canucks That should be the emergency patcast signal. — FakeLeePowell (@FakeLee_Powell) October 11, 2017 BEST WHO KNEW? Was that speed though? @botchford people still want Prust pic.twitter.com/dFZvBJDM4N Generally it’s considered slow if Bobby Ryan flies by you. — Kevin Zecchel (@Orsaeth) October 11, 2017 Will say Guddy made a terrific play later: BEST INCREASE BEST FACE SAYS IT ALL JV18 went from 7-odd minutes to 11-odd minutes. Think Newell may have his work cut out for him with this PP thing He was relentless on the forecheck: BEST SAVIOUR Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.11.2017 Go with The Flow. He scores here, right? BEST REASON TO PAUSE BEST SHADE I am convinced if I could travel in time, and start preseason again, I could have a daily segment quoting a player who at least appears to be sending shade Willie’s way. And I could do it without ever asking about the former head coach because players have been offering this stuff up for a month. The latest blow was from Gudbranson. Even Guddy? Uh ya. Turns out. #Canucks Gudbranson: ‘Greener has brought in some really good systems that fit this personnel quite a bit better’ #willieshade — Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) October 10, 2017 Psychologically, it adds up. Team is the same, virtually. Players need hope. Right now, the change in style and a new coach gives them that hope. It’s hard to pump the tires on a 180-turn in approach without unwittingly, or not, ripping the last guy and last year. Remember, there were loads of players — and media — who last year kept telling us Willie’s trap it up game plan was the only way the team had a chance. BEST CLICK BAIT I’m so clicking when I see this headline Is Hutton the new Gudbranson? Click to find out! — (@squampton) October 11, 2017 BEST CAPTION CONTEST Speaking of JPat. Amazing pic here. I honestly have a hard time not looking it, studying it, wondering if people will do masters thesis on it. I think I now have to have a Flat JPat on a Stick. Someone has to make this happen The responses rolled in. There were Patcast references: People wondered why JPat was being scrummed: People guessed on the questions: May have to go with that actually – to end the current legal battle with Train: Back to the pic, Current events were tied in: 1077585 Vancouver Canucks Virtanen revealed Tuesday he continued to get positive, meaningful messages from Burrows this past summer.

“I’m not even on his team, and he’s reaching out, telling me to stay Senators 3 Canucks 2 (SO): The Sedins are alive and well, thank you positive,” Virtanen said. Burrows said: “I always liked him. I see the tremendous potential. It’s not Jason Botchford like he didn’t want to have success under Willie, it just wasn’t coming. “He had some bad games and he got down on himself. He started doubting himself. People were talking about his conditioning. But I’ve The minutes are down, dramatically so, but the production isn’t. always seen the tool set. He has that edge. He wants to do well. He wants to help this team. He cares a lot about this city and this team.” Not yet anyway. OK, it’s time to play . Right? Henrik served notice early. He made this wonderful pass to himself off the net to create time and space, allowing him to set up a Chris Tanev For the second game, the Canucks top prospect was scratched. goal in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. Green articulated all kinds of acceptable reasons why this week. He cited It was the type of pass that have made the Sedins local legends. It was matchups and the fact Boeser faded at the end of preseason. cagey and effective. Henrik managed another assist on Thomas Vanek’s second period goal. He also pointed out how difficult it is for a coach to change his lineup after a big win, and the Canucks got that in their opener against That was three points in two periods for the Sedins. Edmonton. Yes, Henrik was playing less than all the other centres, including Maybe most interesting, Green suggested this is all part of a plan to help Alexander Burmistrov. But he was effective in those minutes. Boeser tansition from college to the pros. Could Ben Hutton be the player who sits for Derrick Pouliot? “I know he didn’t play a lot of hockey last year,” Green said. “I thought he got tired toward the end of training camp. I think the pro game for a With the Canucks trying to bring home a 2-1 lead in the third period, college guys is going to be a little bit of a change. I don’t worry about him Hutton got sloppy and soft behind Jacob Markstrom. not being in a groove as much. He’s used to not playing for a week at a time.” He got pushed off a puck along the end boards and didn’t recover before the Ottawa Senators. It wasn’t great. And neither was his game. Green’s answers have been detailed and convincing. Someone is coming out sooner or later so that Derrick Pouliot can play. Boeser, however, still has to play and soon. One of the reasons the Canucks traded for him is because he fits Travis Green’s system. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.11.2017 In many ways, Vanek is the antithesis of Alex Burrows hockey. Burrows is effort and passion. When he’s on, he’s providing animated, can’t-miss hockey. When Vanek is on, you may not notice him for a period. Or two. But when the game is over, you look up and he’s scored one goal and had a big impact leading to another. Vanek will produce. He did Tuesday. In addition to his goal, he was setting a screen so Chris Tanev could get one. It was quiet. It was understated. But it was productive. Vanek will also be frustrating, especially when he’s playing in place of Brock Boeser. But that’s the trade off with him. Jacob Markstrom proving to be very resilient This is the positive way at looking at things in net. For the second time in two games, Markstrom gave up a weak early goal and recovered in time to be one of the Canucks best players. Markstrom has been really good to start this season. As if there was any doubt. There was always something special about Burrows relationship with Vancouver. Pick any player from the 2011-era Canucks. None make local hockey fans respond quite like Burrows. Part of it is the underdog, straight-out-of-the-ECHL backstory. Part of it is the dragon-slaying goal. Part of it is his place in Sedin lore. Part of it is his aura, that he’ll-do-anything to win. Part of it is because no one embodied the Vancouver-vs-the-world feeling during the 2011 run to the Stanley Cup Finals quite like Burrows And part of it is how the game and its history — his love for it and Vancouver — just oozes so effortlessly from him. As wild as this reads, the undrafted Frenchman from a Montreal suburb got us more than any other athlete in the past decade. In turn, Vancouver got him. Burrows said Tuesday being a Canuck will never leave him, “It will always stay with me. I still watched a lot of (the Canucks) preseason games. I watched what happened in China. I’ve kept in touch with a lot of different guys,” said Burrows before the game. “I even read some of your stories now.” And we will keep reading yours. 1077586 Vancouver Canucks was going to be tight. And they throw a lot of pucks at the net and they see what happens.”

It would have all been forgotten had Tanev’s overtime effort found net Canucks Post Game: The Vanek conundrum, the 'soft' plays, the instead of the post and if Sven Baertschi had converted a breakaway in Markstrom resolve the 3-on-3 session. And had Bo Horvat scored instead of clanging a wrister off the post in the Ben Kuzma Ben Kuzma More from Ben Kuzma third period before Ben Hutton was stripped of the puck behind the net to lead to the 2-2 equalizer, there would probably be a different conversation. Off The Post podcast - Which characteristics are unique to modern-day Or maybe not. NHL defencemen? “I didn’t think we were great,” added Green. “We missed the net a lot, Points to ponder after the Canucks gave up 42 shots, gave up a third- especially in the first period. There’s a time and place to put pucks in for period lead en route to falling 3-2 to the Senators in a Tuesday shootout a rebound and making teams defend off the shot. You play Ottawa and a at Rogers Arena: lot of teams say: ‘We weren’t very good.’ They frustrated teams. They’re good but I like how we hung in. VANEK SCORES, VANEK FRUSTRATES “But we weren’t great with the puck and passes weren’t great and we Travis Green acknowledged earlier this week that at some point we’ll see were soft in some areas and I don’t like that.” Brock Boeser and Jake Virtanen in the same lineup. Logic suggested it might take some time because keeping the kids on a short motivational MARKSTROM CHANNELS MILLER leash and rotating them made sense so there would be no sense of entitlement and only optimum effort. Ryan Miller faced 40 or more shots on nine occasions last season, including three times in the final month of a sorry season in which the For nearly 35 minutes Tuesday, that theory looked like it was about to Canucks lost 462 man games to injury. change. Jacob Markstrom faced 40 shots through regulation Tuesday and two Thomas Vanek was going too quietly into the night. He did set a screen more in overtime and has quickly established himself as the bonafide on Chris Tanev’s goal. He also took a lazy slashing penalty in the first starter. He credits Miller for helping establish the right mental makeup period to take the Canucks off the power play and Green shook his head and consistency of routine to shake off bad goals — he allowed an early at the bench in disgust. trickler to Cody Ceci — and it showed Tuesday. And on a second-period power play, a gassed Vanek made a hard left in “The first one was a soft goal and that’s what happens when you throw a the neutral zone and headed to the bench just as a breakout pass was lot of pucks at the net,” said Markstrom. “It was a mistake by me. It just threaded his way. He was also briefly taken off the Sedins line. went inside my glove hand and my pad. It’s frustrating but the team really bailed me out but you don’t want that to be a habit letting soft ones in At that point, it looked like Vanek was going to make it easy for the rookie early in the season. coach. “But I feel really good. I’ve just got to work harder.” The biggest test for any bench boss is to practice what he preaches, to be the guy he said he’s going to be. And that means parking a veteran Markstrom handled the puck well in overtime and of the five shots he because that gets everybody’s attention. faced in the shootout, only a Kyle Turris forehand and Mark Stone stick- sider for the winner beat him. Yet, just when it appeared Vanek could be a scratch consideration Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, he did what he has always done. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.11.2017 He wheeled in the high slot and sent a wrister through a maze of legs and a screen to give the Canucks a second-period lead. He then drew a tripping minor in the slot with 12:07 left and the clubs deadlocked 2-2. So, what does the coach think? “We’ve taken three or four penalties on the power play and I wasn’t happy obviously when you take a penalty, but I was more unhappy with the play before that when he (Vanek) didn’t check the guy,” said Green. “He got a goal. We’ll watch the tape. I’m not going to sit here and say he did or didn’t play well. Right now, I don’t think he played bad or played great. “He has scored a lot of goals in his career and tonight was obviously a big one.” That’s what the Canucks were banking on when they signed the 33-year- old Vanek to a one-year, $2 million US deal. The former 40-goal sniper, who managed 15 goals in 48 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season, and was then was a trade-deadline bust with two goals in 20 games with the Florida Panthers, was supposed to be a right-shot fit here. He would hang around the slot, set screens and collect the garbage. He would get quick shots away and get into position to aid the power play. Problem is that has only happened sporadically. SENATORS SLICK, CANUCKS ’SOFT’ The Senators were missing three injured defencemen and the thought was the up-tempo, heavy forecheck style employed by the Canucks would give them a decided edge. But the Senators advanced to the Eastern Conference final last spring because they’re good in transition, they shoot from everywhere and they frustrate you. At the end of the night you’re outshot 42-28, lose in a shootout and wonder what happened. “It wasn’t good enough,” said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin. “They don’t give up a lot of chances and they keep you to the outside and we knew it 1077587 Vancouver Canucks

It's a new world order for the Canucks under coach Green

Ed Willes Ed Willes

Travis Green, who’ll likely lose a game in regulation before this season is over, has said don’t read too much into his line deployment in these early days; that each game will tell its own story and, by the end of the season, there will be balance and harmony in the Canucks’ universe. And on this subject, maybe we should give the first-year head coach the benefit of the doubt. But two games into this season, it’s hard to ignore one trend which has emerged from the Green playbook and, because it concerns one of the main storylines to this season, it merits attention. The democratization of the Canucks, it seems, is underway and Green hasn’t been too subtle about establishing the new world order. In Tuesday night’s 3-2 shootout loss to Ottawa, the Sedins’ ice time was again down notably after the season-opener against Edmonton in which Daniel was seventh among forwards with just over 14 minutes of ice time and Henrik, yikes, was ninth with 13:30 The larger development from these two outings, of course, is the Canucks earned results in both games and for a team that isn’t over- burdened with expectations this season, that’s a happy story. But the Sedins’ workload was always going to be a talking point to this season and say this for Green. He has people talking in the early going. “I think that’s what you’re going to see this season,” said Henrik. “There’s going to be different guys on the power play, different guys playing more minutes, guys in and out of the lineup. If you buy in there isn’t going to be a problem. “There are going to be lots of stories. Maybe that’s good for you guys but that’s the way it is. We knew this was the way it was going to be.” And this is the way it was on Tuesday night. Through two periods, Henrik was sixth among forwards with 9:40 of ice time and Daniel was seventh with 9:30. This was behind such notables as Alexander Burmistrov and Brandon Sutter and just slightly ahead of Sam Gagner and Loui Eriksson. Even when Ottawa tied the game early in the third, Green stayed with the four-line approach. Henrik finished the regulation 60 minutes eighth on the team with 14:13 of ice time and Daniel was ninth with 13:54. It was also telling that when when the Canucks, theoretically at least, were going for the game-winning goal in the final minute, Bo Horvat’s line was out and coming out of a late TV timeout, Green put Burmistrov’s line on the ice. Now, lest you think the ice-time was performance related, Henrik assisted on both Canucks’ goals, including a signature piece of artistry when he passed the puck to himself off the back of the net, then found Chris Tanev in the high slot. Henrik also drew a helper on Thomas Vanek’s seeing-eye wrister gave the Canucks a lead in the second period. “It’s a different feeling for us but we know what’s going to happen,” said Henrik. “We’re going to get some power play time and we need to step up five on five.” That, at least, was the story on Tuesday night. But the more important aspect of this tale concerns the symbolism of the twins’ diminished ice time. For the better part of a decade, the Sedins have been the face of this franchise and the point through which the Canucks’ fortunes flowed. When they were among the NHL’s best players, the Canucks were among the NHL’s best teams and even as late as 2014-15, the last season the Canucks made the playoffs in Year 1 of the Willie Desjardins regime, they were both top-10 scorers. But something changed with the twins last season and while there were many reasons for the team’s larger failure, it became apparent the Canucks’ lineup had to be recalibrated. What that would look like with a new man behind the bench was uncertain. But it seems we have a better idea now. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077588 Vancouver Canucks And so was understanding where the Canucks were at. “That was a little bit of my reasoning for sure,” he said. “We were losing a lot of games and I wanted the next generation to be able to have a strong Is promise of Dahlen, presence of Burrows a win-win deal? foundation.” It’s why bouquets were being tossed Tuesday. Benning was an assistant Ben Kuzma Ben Kuzma More from Ben Kuzma GM with the Boston Bruins in the contentious 2011 Stanley Cup final and didn’t care much for Burrows.

“He was the guy I hated the most,” recalled Benning. “When I got the Daniel Sedin knows all about Alex Burrows. He has only heard of Vancouver job, he was guy I loved the most because I got to know him Jonathan Dahlen. as a player and a person. Amid the adulation that was rightly afforded Burrows on Tuesday — “Of all the players that I’ve been associated with here, he’s one of my besieged by media at the morning skate, with a video tribute scheduled favourites. His attitude is infectious. He’s always about the team to the for that night and perhaps a future place in the Canucks’ Ring of Honour point where at the (trade) deadline — and all his kids in school — it was — there’s the long-term effect of his Feb. 27 trade to the Ottawa a hard decision and he could have just said no. Senators. “He was selfless to that last moment, that this is the right thing to do to Sending the long-serving, heart-and-soul Vancouver Canucks winger help out (Bo) Horvat and (Sven) Baertschi so the young guys can carry east for a prime prospect in Dahlen was initially viewed as a win-win on the legacy.” scenario. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.11.2017 Time will tell. The Senators were pressing for a playoff position and landed a veteran who has been a pest and at his scoring best in the post-season with 19 goals in 85 games, including some of the biggest in franchise history. The Canucks were willing to admit they were in rebuild mode and acquiring versatile Swedish forward Dahlen, a second-round pick in the 2016 entry draft, was a significant return. “I knew nothing about him,” said Sedin. “But when the trade happened, I obviously tried to look up what he’s all about. I talked to friends and family back home and they watched him play and said he was the real deal. “That’s really exciting. Where we were, for us to get guy like that means a lot to this organization.” Dahlen scored 25 goals in 45 games with TImra IK of the Allsvenskan last season, and playing against men in Sweden brought out his best. He also played with 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson and the hope is that in two years, they’ll play on the same line with the Canucks. Alex Burrows made an immediate trade impact with the Ottawa Senators. In the interim, Dahlen has work to do. Canucks general manager Jim Benning confirmed Tuesday that Dahlen, 19, will play for Timra for the next month to get back to prime fitness after being slowed by mononucleosis. He’ll then seek a Swedish Elite League team and Vaxjo, where the 18-year-old Pettersen is playing, is a distinct possibility. “Their GM has reached out to us, but there are three or four Swedish Elite League teams that are interested in him, but he wants to first get his strength up,” said Benning. “He’ll decide what’s best for him and he could decide to go there (Vaxjo).” When Burrows decided to waive his no-trade clause, it was the sign of changing times in Vancouver. He could have balked and stayed, especially with his kids in school, but took the high road. He knew it was time for the Canucks to transition and give the kids more ice time, and he knew it was a time to maximize his worth and not wait for the uncertainty of free agency in July. A two-year, US $5-million contract extension signalled how the Senators viewed Burrows’ worth, both on and off the ice. He instantly delivered with three goals in his first three games. However, a high-ankle sprain kept him from the last four games of a seven-game Eastern Conference final setback to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, the 36-year-old Burrows is not only healthy, but has a healthy perspective on his trade after amassing 384 points (193-191) in 822 regular-season games. But did he even know who Dahlen was? Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen has already been labelled ‘the real deal.’ NICK PROCAYLO / Postmedia News “No, not really,” he said. “I understand the business side, but I don’t look at it that way. Hopefully, he has a bright future with the Canucks. For me, it could have a been a seventh-rounder, it didn’t really matter.” Burrows could have also played hard ball and refused to waive his NTC. “When weighing the pros and cons, there was a thought process that I should play out the year and see what happens in July (free agency),” he added. “But having a chance to come to this team with a window of opportunity that was just opening was important.” 1077589 Vancouver Canucks Derek Dorsett paid tribute to his former teammate Monday after Canucks practice. Via Ben Kuzma:

“He was a heart-and-soul guy and I didn’t think playing against him for so Canucks Game Day: Burr got back many years that we would be good buddies,” Dorsett said Monday. “You look at his story. The amount of games he played in the NHL but also professionally in the AHL and ECHL. Patrick Johnston Patrick Johnston More from Patrick Johnston “I’m sure it will show here Tuesday with a (video) tribute and I’m sure there will be a lot of Burrows jerseys in the stands.” Welcome back Burr A Productive PP Alex Burrows makes his return to Vancouver after being traded at last Bo Horvat’s first goal on Saturday was on the power play — scored off a season’s deadline. The 36 year old hasn’t scored yet this season — the thrilling rush to the net and not off a more conventional power play set up Senators as a whole have just five through two games — but there’s little — and playoff hopes ride on making the man advantage a point of doubt a few tears will be shed at the rink he called home for more than a strength. Remember: the Canucks’ PP has been awful over the last five decade. years and is part of the reason for their decline. To have a chance at the playoffs this year, they need to find something like 40 more goals, both For his part, Burrows admitted Tuesday after the morning skate it was through better defence and better offence. Getting a better power play tough to leave last year. together will play a role in this. “So many special memories,” he said of Vancouver, mentioning things An interesting wrinkle: the Horvat unit on Saturday were first up with the like the Olympics in 2010, starting his family here and getting the chance man advantage, but the Sedin unit, which traditionally has led the power to travel around the province. “Obviously it was tough to miss this special play, still got more ice time. city.” Is that about Travis Green looking to get them away from other teams’ Having seen how former teammates have been treated in their return to best penalty killers? Or about keeping the opposition on its toes over how Vancouver, he knows there will be a video tribute tonight. their power play will be structured? “I’m just going to try and take care of my business,” he said, hoping he Either way, it’s something to watch. could keep his emotions in check. #Canucks Gudbranson: ‘Greener has brought in some really good “This team (the Canucks) is always going to have a special place for me. systems that fit this personnel quite a bit better’ #willieshade Even the city. I still watch a lot of their pre-season games. I watched their games in China…I kept in touch with a lot of guys. Had dinner with some — Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) October 10, 2017 of them last night, so I’m always going to watch and see how they’re doing.” Room for Boeser? “I even read some of your stories now,” he added, draw a loud round of The rookie is still a scratch tonight. rafter from the assembled reporters. “Some of them.” “I’ve had good conversation,” Green said after the team’s morning skate. His trade to Ottawa couldn’t have worked out better, he said. Moved for “I met with every player three or four days before the opener.” prospect Jonathan Dahlen at the deadline, “at first I didn’t knoww what to “I had good conversation with a lot of guys about the lineup and about expect,” he said of his new team. they way I do things, how anyone could sit any given night. I’ve had a “This is a really special group, we’re really tight-knit.” good talk with Jake and Brock about the way I do things and I’ve talked to Brock again this morning.” “Vancouver’s had some good locker rooms throughout the years,” he said. “This locker room really takes care of each other. there’s no cliques. “He understands it, he actually agrees with it,” Green said of the reasons everybody hangs out with each other.” for him sitting. “He’s a very competitive kid, he wants to play, but he doesn’t to play just because he’s Brock Boeser.” “I think that goes a long way, When we had a lot of success in 11 and 12, we had that kind of chemistry. This is the same thing here.” For the Canucks rookie with the super wrist shot to make his season debut, someone will have to come out of the lineup. Both Jake Virtanen Having his old coach in Marc Crawford has been an interesting wrinkle. and Derek Dorsett put in strong efforts on Saturday so it’s hard to Crow was the Canucks’ head coach when he first broke into the league imagine either coming out; there were no signs of lineup changes at in 2005-06, now he’s the assistant coach in Ottawa. practice on Monday. Burrows said Crawford might have once intimidated him, but no longer. Nice stuff from Sutter and Dorsett on Saturday, but… Some of that was Burrows being older, some of that was about Crawford possibly mellowing, and some was just practical: Crawford deals with the Listen, the Derek Dorsett story on Saturday was fun. He played well. He defence, not the forwards. gave us something different to talk about. “Look at him he’s smiling right now,” Burrows said. “He’s having a good But playing him 17 minutes per night is not going to work night after time.” night. (He played 17:20 on Saturday.) “I got older so he’s got new young guys to get after.” The Oilers still got 21 shot attempts on the Canucks’ net while Connor McDavid was on the ice. As a general rule, that’s not good. Of course He also admitted that having been around as long as he has, he can’t there is some mitigating context: trailing teams — like the Oilers were for help but think a little about the future. Coaching might be in his future. much of the game — almost always get more shots; and a good many of those shots were from the outside. “It crossed my mind in the last few years for sure,” he said. “Obviously i’d love to stay in the hockey world. I know a lot about it. I know the league.” Nonetheless, that’s playing with fire. “I’m not sure yet if it would be in a coaching environment or on the A bit about what went right on Saturday management side of things.” Hard not to set up game two on the season without looking at game one. Canucks ready for Burrows’ famed lip The Canucks played up-tempo hockey. As Botchford noted, Travis Green Burrows said Monday he didn’t plan on getting on his old teammates. looked to his younger players more than he did to the Sedins. But still, did Daniel think he’d hear from Burrows on the ice tonight? The first unit power play featured Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Loui Eriksson, Alex Burmistrov and Ben Hutton and netted a goal. “I hope he doesn’t, he’s pretty good at getting under your skin,” Sedin said with a smile. (It’s interesting to note that while the Sedins were up second on the man advantage, they actually got more ice time at 5 on 4 than the notional first Jake Virtanen said he was excited to see a guy who was a key leader on unit. Something to watch there tactics-wise.) the team: And the Canucks may bled shots across the ice, but they didn’t give “It’ll be great to see Burr. I texted him last night and said ‘I’m coming after away many from right in the slot, as you can in the graphic below. him.’ He replied with some things I probably can’t say.” Interesting picture of where shots came from tonight in Canucks vs. Oilers. pic.twitter.com/ubxGFsxz1M — Patrick Johnston (@risingaction) October 8, 2017 Was that about something the Canucks were doing, or was it about the something the Oilers were trying to do to maybe put Markstrom’s glove under pressure? Either way, it’s good to see the Canucks going for so many shots in the slot. Another interesting collection of numbers to look at: how the Canucks defencemen did in getting out of their own zone. The more zone exits in control, the better the defenceman it goes, or something like that. A defenceman who’s able to make more than 40 per cent of his zone exits — be it through skating the puck or a pass to a teammate — is considered very, very good. #Canucks are undefeated! Here's the D-Men Defensive Zone Transition Chart. Had fun with my 1st double header of season. Thanks guys! pic.twitter.com/jsfMbH0o5x — Darryl Keeping (@dkeeping) October 8, 2017 No Erik Karlsson for Sens The best defenceman in hockey remains in Ottawa, recovering from ankle surgery. The Sens are also down Johnny Oduya and Ben Harpur. Hot shot prospect Thomas Chabot has been called up along with 2015 draftee Christian Jaros. The Sens blue line still has Dion Phaneuf and Cody Ceci, but it’s not deep. Ottawa has lost twice already on the season (both in shootouts) and are still chasing their first win. They play in Edmonton tomorrow, so it’s not getting any easier for them. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077590 Websites “Sometimes you're stickhandling the puck and you just shoot it – or if you can pull it in and shoot it, which is what he did – or sometimes you push it over [away from your body] to shoot it,” van Riemsdyk explained. “It's all The Athletic / Mirtle: What went into Auston Matthews' game-breaking OT different ways to try to throw the goalie off his angle a little bit. The winner against the Blackhawks? goalie's trying to get square to the puck. So every inch you can move the puck either way, the goalie has to adjust to that to be able to make a save. James Mirtle “Not many guys [in the NHL] can not only shoot it like that but also put it where they want it and score. It's tougher and tougher now to score on shots that are a little further out. When you're quick and deceptive and changing your angle, you're giving yourself a better chance to score.” Mike Babcock called where the puck went “that ear hole.” “He's got such a deadly accuracy to his shot,” added Cat Silverman, one Patrick Marleau marveled at the timing of it, with a minute and change of our resident goalie gurus here at The Athletic. “If you look at where he left in overtime. releases the puck, Forsberg has really no way of knowing that shot is And linemate Zach Hyman summed it up with, simply: “It's just Auston.” going so high. He – rightfully, in my opinion – starts to drop to protect the open space near and between his skates, and Matthews immediately This was what the goal looked like in real time, as a point of reference, takes advantage.” for the hermits and shut-ins that somehow missed Auston Matthews' latest heroics on Thanksgiving Monday night: ‘He changed the angle. He got it off quick. He got it up.' It was impressive as it happened, and it improved the Leafs to 3-0-0 on Everyone that either coaches or plays with Matthews says his ability to the year. It was part of a Toronto comeback from down 3-1 late in the be unpredictable is one of his greatest strengths. I was talking to third period against the Blackhawks. Matthews long-time skating and skills coach Boris Dorozhenko recently, and he said what you'll notice over time is very few of his goals look alike. They completely dominated the game, and no player contributed more to that domination than Matthews. Matthews' teammates have gained an appreciation for that already. What was interesting at practice on Tuesday was how all of the Leafs “He put it pretty much over his ear – so the goalie can't really do much saw the goal a little differently. Some pointed out how Matthews had about that spot,” van Riemsdyk said. “It's one of those things, you see eluded the defender and fooled the goaltender. Others focused on the him working at it a lot out there [on the practice rink]. He's got a lot of shot itself. different tools in his toolbox. This type of move is something Matthews worked on in the off-season, “It's not only having those; it's knowing when to use them, too. That was although he declined to talk about that process with the media on a good situation there where if you're going to shoot at that spot you want Tuesday. He also declined to elaborate on what he was thinking as he to try to change the angle as much as you can and give yourself the most went in on goal with the game on his stick. amount of room as possible. “I don't know. You just shoot it,” he said quietly. “Put it where you're trying “He changed the angle. He got it off quick. He got it up.” to put it. Not much going through your head there.” And that's why it went in. Perhaps not. But a lot went into making that play happen the way it did. The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 The threat of a pass “What stands out is that [Jake] Gardiner got on his horse and blew by two guys and created the opportunity for Auston,” Babcock said. “If he's not there, obviously the guy plays him different.” “The goalie has to play the pass as well as the shot kind of,” Marleau added. “He might be, like, ready, loading up that leg to move. I'm not a goalie but…” “Yeah, that's what we think,” James van Riemsdyk chimed in, chuckling. “But, in that situation, he had time to get his shot off, so he was able to assess where he wanted to go with it. A lot of times, the goalie's thinking in that situation you're going to pass or shoot to the blocker side. If you're able to hit your shot glove side, the goalie's kind of leaning because he's worried about the pass a little bit. The threat of that drive [from Gardiner] helps out with that.” Avoiding the defender What Hyman noticed about the play was the defender, Gustav Forsling, getting in the way at the last minute. It would have been hard for Matthews to shoot from any other stance than he did. That made the last-second curl he made with the puck – and the fact he was still able to shoot it from that new position – vital. Here's a slow-mo version that highlights the resistance Forsling offered: “The D actually put his stick in the lane,” Hyman said, “and Auston kind of pulled it back and then got it up so quick the goalie didn't have much of a chance on it. “His ability to be deceptive when he shoots it – he's stickhandling a couple times before – the goalie's not really sure when he's going to release the puck. Once he does, it's already in the net. He's done it before, but that one was a really, really nice one.” Matthews' deception Getting that movement on the shot – with Matthews quickly pulling the puck in tight to his body and firing – made things even tougher on the goaltender, Anton Forsberg. Not every NHL player can shoot the puck that well from that position. 1077591 Websites Nick Robone underwent a three-hour surgery and his life was saved. Luckily, the bullet just missed his lung, but he has a long road to recovery and a GoFundMe page was set up to help with his medical costs. The Athletic / Las Vegas native Jason Zucker pays homage to shooting “I watched Anthony go through the EMT and firefighter training,” Jason victims, friend Zucker said, smiling. “It was really cool and he was super-excited to pass, and not that he needed it, but this more than justifies all the training he did. He saved his brother’s life.” Michael Russo 15 hours ago PIC.TWITTER.COM/AOJXQSTQZJ

— NICK ROBONE (@NICK_ROBONE) OCTOBER 4, 2017 The Zuckers were on their way to Spring Valley Medical Center when the phone rang. Zucker, a man with a big heart, has long paid homage during games to those close to him. “We are on complete lockdown and can’t take you right now,” Evan Zucker recalled the voice on the other end of the phone saying. He writes “mom” and “dad” on every stick just under the initials of his friend, Nick Schaefer, who died in 2010 at the age of 19 in a car accident. With his wife, Amanda, about to give birth to the couple’s first child, Tattooed on Zucker’s chest is “Game Time,” a funny saying Schaefer things were “understandably” put on hold. used to say. Tattooed on Zucker’s left wrist is the autograph of a young boy named Tucker that Zucker befriended before Tucker died of a rare Four miles from the hospital, a madman fired hundreds of rounds of rifle form of bone cancer in 2016. fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort onto an unsuspecting mass of country-music fans enjoying the Jason Aldean concert at the Also tattooed there are the words, “SHOOT MORE,” which was advice Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. Tucker always used to give Zucker. Fifty-eight people were killed, nearly 500 injured, and the hospital at So on opening night in Detroit last week and again in Raleigh on which Amanda was scheduled to have labor induced was treating victims Saturday, Zucker applied tape to his left wrist and wrote, and losing medical staff to other hospitals in larger need of help. “ROBONESTRONG” AND “VEGASSTRONG.” At 8 a.m. on Oct. 2, two hours before the Zuckers were supposed to re- Wild winger Jason Zucker paid tribute to his friend, Nick Robone, who report to the hospital, the entire Zucker family — including Evan’s was one of more than 500 shooting victims during an Oct. 1 shooting in brother, Wild forward Jason Zucker — received a text from mother, Zucker's hometown of Las Vegas. Robone thankfully survived. (Photo Natalie, that lifelong friend Nick Robone was shot in the chest during the submission: Aaron Sickman, Minnesota Wild) incident. Zucker scored the game's first goal on a power play 6 1/2 minutes in Jason Zucker, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, didn’t see the text but against Carolina. got a call from his wife, Carly, right before practice Oct. 2. “Pretty special,” Evan Zucker said. “It was a really crazy time for me,” Zucker said. “I got to the rink that morning not thinking anybody I knew was involved. I got a call from my Since the Oct. 1 massacre, Jason has texted back and forth with Nick, wife, and it was a whirlwind. That was a bit of an odd practice for me, and Anthony and their father, Tony. At last check, Jason said Nick was still in I was thinking more about Nick and the tragedy than anything else.” the hospital “and trying to get back to a normal life.” Robone, 28, survived the shooting in large part to quick action of one of Evan Zucker said, “It’s a small hockey world here, and a few of the Jason’s close friends — Robone’s 25-year-old brother, Anthony. hockey guys are taking all the texts that every player sent the family and Nick and putting together one big collage to show Nick how many people .@HENDFIREDEPT'S ANTHONY ROBONE WENT TO CONCERT care about him.” WITH HIS BROTHER, @UNLV HOCKEY COACH NICK, WHO'S RECOVERING AFTER BEING SHOT IN CHEST @KTNV Vegas is getting back to normal, Evan said a day after returning from El PIC.TWITTER.COM/IDG3B11YQS Paso, where he and his brother, Adam, coached a division of the Jr. Golden Knights in a tournament. — TOM GEORGE (@THETOMGEORGE) OCTOBER 3, 2017 “The first few days, it was pretty surreal,” Evan Zucker said. “I’m driving Zucker is the only Nevada-produced NHLer in history. He played ice and to and from the hospital and you don’t even feel safe driving around. roller hockey with the Robones his entire childhood, especially Anthony. You’re wondering what was going to happen next. Friday, I had some work and drove by the Mandalay Bay, and you’re still seeing the windows Nick Robone is an assistant hockey coach at UNLV, a Division I team in shattered out and the crime scene tape, so it kind of hits you in the the American Collegiate Hockey Association. He played in the stomach. Wednesday and Sunday night adult league with Evan and brother Adam Zucker. “But the last few days, Vegas itself is feeling OK, like we’re bouncing back from it.” “So this really hit home for us,” Evan Zucker said. Zucker and his dad, Scott, are Golden Knights season-ticket holders. Anthony is a firefighter and paramedic in Henderson. Off-duty on the They have already set up a suite for Jason's first arrival with the Wild in night of Oct. 1, Anthony and his girlfriend went to the concert with Nick March. and some friends after they attended the Vegas Golden Knights exhibition game. And, they will be at the special, bound-to-be-emotional, first-ever Golden Knights home game on Tuesday night against the Arizona Coyotes. “And Anthony hopped into action, which is pretty cool,” Evan Zucker said. Classily, the Golden Knights won’t put any ads along the boards. It’ll just Anthony was at Nick’s side when the shooting began. While hovering say, “VEGASSTRONG.” over his girlfriend to protect her, Anthony heard Nick scream, “I got hit.” THERE WON'T BE ANY ADVERTISEMENTS ON THE BOARDS Anthony turned around and saw his fallen brother spitting up blood. TONIGHT. INSTEAD, OUR BOARDS WILL REFLECT WHO WE ARE. #VEGASSTRONG PIC.TWITTER.COM/29PL7WMMWJ AFTER RESCUING HIS INJURED BROTHER, PARAMEDIC ANTHONY ROBONE STAYED BEHIND TO HELP OTHER INJURED — VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (@GOLDENKNIGHTS) OCTOBER 10, CONCERTGOERS HTTPS://T.CO/AVW92XZU8H 2017 — CNN (@CNN) OCTOBER 3, 2017 “Needless to say, it's not going to be our typical opener. We'll save that for Friday,” Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said. Anthony told CNN that’s the moment he realized it was time to get out of “Tuesday night is not about us. It's about honoring and remembering the there. After finding an entry wound, Anthony and friend William Tufano victims and supporting their families and recognizing the first responders picked Nick up and raced for the exit. Anthony told CNN that after finding that did tremendous work. It has been, obviously, for this country and for a police car, he grabbed an officer’s first-aid kit and used the plastic this city an incredibly emotional experience and a devastating experience sheath on the outside of a Band-Aid box and three bandages to cover his for a lot of people. We are going to try to have the ceremony Tuesday brother’s wound. night that provides the respect and dignity to everyone involved that it Nick was conscious and stable, so once his brother was loaded into an deserves.” ambulance, Anthony actually raced back into the venue with Tufano to The Zuckers certainly appreciate that. help more victims. Oh, and by the way, after a 40-hour labor, Amanda Zucker did give birth to a boy they named Ethan on Oct. 4. “I was glad,” Evan Zucker said. “I didn’t want him born on that day. I didn’t want him to have that [Oct. 1] birthday. He’s healthy … and very good. “I brought him home on Thursday night and I left Friday for Texas. Life as a hockey coach.” The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077592 Websites every team. That’s what he’s done his whole life as a die-hard hockey fan.

“It’s still early in the season. Teams battling hard. You got to worry about The Athletic / Custance: Radulov impact already felt in Dallas as Stars ourselves,” Radulov said. “Who gives a fuck about the other ones? We poised to break out have our group of guys all here in the locker room. We have to believe in each other and go out and play.” Craig Custance 17 hours ago And that’s where every conversation with Radulov ends up: How the team is playing.

Ask him how he’s doing? FRISCO, Texas – It takes only a few minutes of watching Dallas Stars practice to see the passion. On this Monday morning, with the Stars “Not good,” he said. “We’re losing.” sitting at 0-2 and preparing for a game against the Detroit Red Wings, it Suggest that the offseason moves for Dallas looked great on paper? came in the form of a seemingly meaningless play. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s just paper.” Stars forward Alexander Radulov circled around the net and put himself in position to score. A pass was sent in his direction, but goalie Kari They’ve got to go out and do it and Radulov doesn’t appear like he’s Lehtonen got just enough of a stick on it to break up the pass and going to rest until he helps make it happen. He’s relentless in practice opportunity to score. That was it. The drill was over. Everyone went back and he’s been relentless in trying to get things working with linemates to their line, but Radulov slammed his stick to the ice. He was clearly Seguin and Benn during games. frustrated at not getting a chance to shoot. Part of his passion is constant communication on the ice, trying to find That stick slamming returned when Lehtonen made a save late in ways to get an edge against opponents. Seguin has a new spot on the practice, followed quickly then by a huge smile from Radulov and hug of power play, in the middle of the ice, and Radulov is constantly looking for the Stars goalie. new ideas in which to take advantage of Seguin in that spot, right down to breaking down exactly where Seguin wants the puck. There was only one conclusion to make on this early season practice. Man, he’s into it. At even strength, those learned tendencies will come in time, as the trio gets used to each other. For example, early on Seguin would jump into “Oh, that's legit,” said teammate Tyler Seguin of the emotions that the corner with Radulov to help win puck battles. It didn’t take him long to Radulov puts into everything on the ice. “The guy loves to work. Loves realize that wasn’t necessary. hockey.” “He wins most his battles, you really don’t need to,” Seguin said. “Those That’s been the big first impression he’s made on his Stars teammates are things that just come.” early on in his tenure after signing a five-year, $31.25 million contract to move from Montreal to Dallas. It’s quite the difference for Dallas compared to last year. The Stars are struggling a little to start the season because they’re working in so many Asked to describe his initial thoughts on Radulov, Seguin looked over at different high-end players into a system that has proven to be very him across the dressing room and smiled. successful. Last year, the early struggles were because the team was “Ugly,” Seguin said. “Real ugly.” crushed by injuries and breaking in a defense that never quite got where it needed to be. Then he got serious. Watching Radulov, you’re reminded of just how dangerous this team “So competitive,” Seguin said. “Especially in practice, he’s one of the could be once it figures things out. hardest practice players I’ve played with.” “We got to get better in all areas – defensive zone, offensive zone,” The Stars made so many changes after underachieving last season that Radulov said. “Everybody knows that. We just got to keep working hard it was easy to lose this one among the high-profile moves. They brought and going to those dirty areas and get it done. No one is going to give it in a future Hall of Famer in Ken Hitchcock to coach. They finally to us. We have to come and take it.” addressed their goaltending with the addition of Ben Bishop. They added veterans like Martin Hanzal and Marc Methot, becoming a popular pick to The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 win the impossible Central Division in the process. Stars GM Jim Nill had an opening on the right side of his forward group with the departures of Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky, along with a little money to spend. He'd been scouting Radulov since the Russian winger was 16 years old, always noting that he was one of the best in the world among his age group in every tournament he scouted. This offseason, Nill heard the speculation everyone in hockey heard, that Radulov was likely headed back to Montreal. But Nill called Radulov's agent, Rick Komarow, and was encouraged by the response. “When I talked to Rick, it was, ‘He’s open to going anywhere,’” Nill told The Athletic. So the Stars made their push. Nill checked in with guys like Vernon Fiddler and Rich Peverley to get the scouting report on Radulov. It was unanimously glowing. Nill had the commitment to spend and captain Jamie Benn was part of the recruiting process. Benn is a star in the NHL but he’s also a hockey fan at heart. There are two players he always wanted a chance to play with that had still eluded him before this season – Pavel Datsyuk and Radulov. With Datsyuk’s exit to the KHL, that dream has vanished. Now, he had a shot at Radulov and he made a call to see if he could help in any way. The pitch? “Just how great the city of Dallas is, the people here, the weather is awesome,” Benn said. “We have a great group of guys here.” “He calls me, and he was like, ‘We want you,’” Radulov told The Athletic. “I’m happy to be here and play with these guys. Now, we need to start going.” That’s the beauty of Radulov. All he cares about right now is that the Stars are 0-2. Ask him about Montreal and the Canadiens and he acknowledges that he’s following their start, but adds that he’s following 1077593 Websites sense and skill are very good, even if he’s small and not that quick he could be the first call up if a Rangers defenseman goes down.

Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia) The Athletic / Pronman Notebook: Dante Fabbro stands out in NCAA, concern about Gabriel Vilardi Oskar Lindblom, LW: I was hoping for a little more from Lindblom, who was a late cut by the Flyers. He showed some value as a guy who was strong on the puck and in front of the net on the first power play unit, but Corey Pronman his lack of standout speed and skill was also noticeable at this level. I like him a lot as a prospect due to his IQ, but I’d like to see him dominate the AHL before we start talking about his NHL chances. Today’s column will look at my trips to Quinnipiac to watch the Bobcats Danick Martel, LW: Martel is a lesser prospect in the Flyers deep farm play Boston University, the AHL game between the Philadelphia Flyers system, but he was a guy I noticed several times. With four goals in the and New York Rangers’ affiliates, as well as prospect notes from around first two games of the season despite little power play time, Martel’s the league. skating and puck skills stood out to me. He’s small and not a killer offensive player, but I see some reason to believe in him. NCAA Philippe Myers, D: There were quite a few times Myers had a shift that Shane Bowers, C, Ottawa: Bowers is a player who is tough to get a read wowed me. He’s such an incredible skater for a 6-foot-5 player and can on. I don’t think any scout I talk to hates him, but the question is can he make unique rushes to gain the zone. I think his defense is decent for his be on your power play in the NHL or is he a safe two-way forward at the age at the level, but he showed he needs time to catch up to the pace top level. “He’s got a lot of talent and a great work ethic, he plays with his decisions. He made a few mistakes, but one that stood out was physical and goes to the dirty areas,” said Boston University’s coach when Myers made a brutal giveaway at the offensive blueline in a tie David Quinn. Those latter elements give hope that even if he doesn’t game with two minutes left. become a dominant scorer, he can still find a way to carve out a role as a pro. Mikhail Vorobyov, C: I was quite impressed by Vorobyov. A player with experience playing versus high-level pros in the KHL, Vorobyov showed Dante Fabbro, D, Nashville: Fabbro has looked good early on, as he the ability to set up chances and make skilled plays at an AHL tempo. If moves the puck quite well and often makes smart plays. He hasn’t taken you get him to add to his skating a little and add some bulk to his frame, I off as a dominant college player yet, and I attribute that to a lack of think Phlly’s 104th overall selection in 2015 could be a significant player standout mobility, as while he knows what to do, his feet hamper him at in their lineup in the not too distant future. times from making the best plays. Other prospect notes: Jordan Greenway, LW, Minnesota: Greenway, along with Anaheim prospect Troy Terry, have been promoted by Team USA for the 2018 Drake Batherson, C, Ottawa: I caught Batherson playing a game the Olympics, so you can likely slot him in their lineup, but he needs to do other night and was rather impressed by his skill level. You don’t want to more than he showed me this past weekend if he’s going to be anything overreact to a 19 year old in the QMJHL, but he showed a lot of creativity more than a fourth liner. After his standout world juniors last winter, he with the puck and good vision. He needs to get faster and I’d like to see tailed off in the second half. When he’s on, he’s a quick power forward how he does at an international or pro level before reading too much into who can get pucks to the net, but his lack of standout skill can make him his play, but he’s on my radar now. disappear and just leave an edgy big man. Kaapo Kahkonen, G, Minnesota: Everyone’s favorite CBA debate in the Patrick Harper, LW, Nashville: Harper was a standout at the game, summer is over college free agents where after being on a team’s making high-skill plays seem routine. The big thing with Harper is getting reserve list for four or sometimes more years a NCAA player can become a little quicker especially given his diminutive frame, but on a playmaking an unrestricted free agent. In the 2013 CBA, one interesting wrinkle was level the 19-year-old sophomore should be among the best in college extending rights for European players from two years (where they could hockey and a leader for the U.S. world junior team. be re-drafted) to four year, similar to college players. We may be coming up on our first major European unrestricted free agent. Kahkonen, Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas: Oettinger wasn’t fantastic in this game, but drafted by the Wild in the fourth round in 2014 is having a breakout hopes are quite high for the first round pick. “He’s an elite goalie who can campaign in Finland’s Liiga and is attracting interest from other NHL play on a championship team,” Quinn said. “He really understands where teams. The 21 year old leads the league with a .937 save percentage the net is, he’s very poised, he doesn’t get rattled.” Oettinger did make a through the first quarter of the season. few high level stops seem easy during the game as his combo of size and IQ combined with decent athleticism projects well to the highest Andrei Kuzmenko, RW, free agent: For the super prospect geeks, which level. let’s face it is our core audience, keep an eye on Kuzmenko. The highly skilled 21-year-old winger led the MHL playoffs in scoring last spring and Keith Petruzzelli, G, Detroit: Petruzzelli was fantastic in the game vs. BU, has been quite good for CSKA in the KHL. He’s on the NHL radar for me keeping Quinnipiac in it while the scoring chances kept coming. He especially if he improves his skating. moves incredibly well for a 6-foot-5 goalie and while at times he was a little all over the place, but often he gathered himself to angle off shooters Ostap Safin, LW, Edmonton: Safin has been quite good for Saint John well and square up pucks. Toronto prospect Joseph Woll and Dallas early in the QMJHL season. Scoring around a point per game and prospect Jake Oettinger likely have the USA net held down at the World generating nearly four shots per game, Safin can do this because he’s Juniors, but I wouldn’t hold that against Petruzzelli due to age such a good skater at 6-foot-5. He’s not a zero with the puck, but he’s not differences. going to dangle through guys. He can be effective keeping his skill plays simple and using his feet to get to the net. Brady Tkachuk, LW, 2018 draft eligible: Tkachuk didn’t put up the points Harper did, but he arguably looked as good. He doesn’t dangle around Andrei Svetlakov, C, Minnesota: The CSKA Minnesota prospect most players left and right, but he’s a beast. Tkachuk generated at least five know about is super prospect Kirill Kaprizov, but Wild fans should also scoring chances by simply taking the puck and driving with his strong 6- closely monitor Svetlakov. The 21 year old is logging a lot of minutes on foot-3 frame to the net. Don’t mistake that for a lack of skill, as he both special teams for one of the best teams in the KHL. He does a lot showed he can turn the corner on defenders or make a cute hands play well even if he’s not dynamic and could see time with Russia’s national to get the puck on net. team this season. Hartford (New York Rangers) Kristian Vesalainen, LW, Winnipeg: The Jets first round pick a few months ago has been just ok to start his season in Finland. His ice time Alexei Bereglazov, D: There were quite a few moments during the game has been up and down, as he started off on HPK’s top line, got sent Bereglazov showed impressive skill. That made me take notice of him down to the fourth line, and is now back in the main scoring rotation. His because he did not make those type of plays when I scouted him a few speed and skill at his 6-foot-3 frame standout even at the pro level and weeks ago in Traverse City. He showed fine intelligence defensively, but he can make plays off the rush, but his decision making has been touch his mobility hampered him in that area at times as the 6-foot-4 and go. defenseman is not a fantastic skater. He’s close to NHL ready, but behind Neal Pionk on the depth chart. Gabriel Vilardi, C, Los Angeles: The 11th overall pick missed Canada’s junior camp and LA’s training camp with an injury, vaguely described as Neal Pionk, D: I didn’t think Pionk was incredible, but he led Hartford in some sort of back/hip ailment. The early word was that holding him out ice time by my subjective count and showed reasons why he was leaned was precautionary, but I’ve heard over the summer and fall hints from on. He moved the puck quite well, including a few seeing eye passes out NHL people that it could be a serious injury. The Kings may be holding of his defensive zone that stretched the opposing defense. His hockey out hope he can make a turnaround as they haven’t publicly provided an update or any recent indication to the severity. Given where we are on the calendar, Vilardi’s injury situation is going from a minor fact to a potential problem. The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077594 Websites Having a short average shot distance is great, all other things being equal. I've always had a sneaking suspicion that in his case, all other things aren't equal and that his save percentage problem is somehow The Athletic / Dellow: Risk, reward and the Dustin Byfuglien question tied to him being too aggressive, resulting in odd-man rushes or rushes where a Jets' forward is ineptly acting as a defenceman.

Unfortunately, our brains lie to us relentlessly, telling us convincing Tyler Dellow stories to explain phenomena that we observe. I've known for a long time that Byfuglien has a disastrous on-ice save percentage; it's entirely possible that I'm hyper-aware of his positioning on the ice as a result and that I'm concocting some sort of explanation for something that's purely Luck's a complicated thing in hockey. I tend to think that hockey people bad luck. don't weight it enough and analytics people (including me, no doubt) overweight it. I think of what we call luck as being like the darkness in an Bill James had a line about thinking that's always stuck with me (I think it unlit room with weird angles and some candles fixed in place, although was Bill James; I've read enough of his books that I just assume it was not enough to light all the crannies. If you can find the candles and get him whenever it's something to do with how to think about a problem): “If them lit, you can shrink the darkness. You'll never be able to get rid of it this was true, what else would be true?” Thinking about the Byfuglien all though, because pucks hit feet, referees blow calls – luck happens. phenomenon, it seemed to me that it might make sense to check whether it's forwards or defencemen who are lighting him up. (Part of what we perceive as “luck” changes as a result of adjustments too. If a team is doing something that results in some negative outcome, If this is all somehow tied up in Byfuglien being too aggressive and the coaching staff will likely find it and change it. If it's getting away with conceding glorious rush opportunities, I'd expect opposition forwards to something that results in some positive outcome, the league will have particularly benefitted from that, because I'd expect the forwards to eventually assimilate that information and take it away from them. “Luck” be getting much more of those chances than the defencemen. isn't just about bounces; it's about the Darwinian processes in the NHL Defencemen do get into the rush but generally, it's more likely that a that push teams back towards narrow norms on certain things.) forward will. Sure enough, this seems to check out. Defencemen have shot 3.0 per cent against the Jets with Byfuglien on the bench and 3.7 Since the Jets moved to Winnipeg, Dustin Byfuglien has one of the worst per cent with Byfuglien on the ice. Forwards have shot 9.4 per cent and differences between his on-ice and off-ice save percentages at 5-on-5 in 11.0 per cent respectively. The increase in the shooting percentage the NHL. When Byfuglien's on the ice, the Jets have put up a .909 since enjoyed by forwards is more than double the increase enjoyed by 2011-12. When he's on the bench, they've put up a .924. Only Seth defencemen. Jones and Jake Muzzin have worse differentials amongst defencemen who've been on the ice for at least 2000 shots in that window. They're Let's try and parse this information a little more finely. Do specific shift both much closer to the 2,000 shot threshold (2,337 shots against and types correspond with Byfuglien getting lit up by opposing forwards? I've 2,406 shots against) than Byfuglien (3,735 shots against), which means looked at this from the perspective of the shooter and calculated their that there's probably more noise in their save percentages than in shooting percentage based on two factors: whether Byfuglien is on the Byfuglien's. ice and how the shift started for the shooter. Here's the breakdown. As a result of this, Byfuglien is one of the unusual players whose Corsi% The point of looking at things like this is that certain decisions that the is quite different than his GF%, even in a large sample. Relative to his defenceman has to make or plays that he has to make are more likely to team since 2011-12, Byfuglien's Corsi% is 2.4 points better than the Jets arise on certain shifts. A defenceman is more likely to have to deal with when he's on the bench. That's good! His GF% is 1.7 points worse than decisions about pinching when his shift starts with an offensive zone win the Jets when he's not on the ice. That's bad! It's important to note that than he is if it starts with a defensive zone loss. If you see a bad trend, this is a save percentage problem, not a shooting percentage problem – you can consider whether it's just luck or driven by something else. the Jets have shot 8.2 per cent with Byfuglien on the ice at 5-on-5 in this time and 8.0 per cent when he's on the bench. Let's look at the goals scored when the shooter's shift started with a DZL, an offensive zone win for the Jets. The NHL switched video providers at If you were to talk to someone well versed in analytics thinking, they'd the All-Star break in 2015-16, which is unfortunate, because we lost easy likely tell you that standard analytics thinking would be that Dustin access to goal videos going back to 2010 or so – they haven't yet put that Byfuglien has suffered from bad luck. In general, I agree with this video back online. (Yet? One can hope because getting a setup to easily conclusion. When you see defencemen with big differences between do stuff like this is surprisingly difficult.) As a result, we'll look at goals their save percentage and that of their team, it's probably luck, whether scored by a shooter on a shift starting with a DZL since the 2015-16 All- good or bad. In Byfuglien's case, I've always suspected that there's Star break. something more to it. Winnipeg's given up 15 goals to forwards on DZL shifts at 5-on-5 since Byfuglien plays an extremely aggressive game, both physically and in then. Byfuglien has been on the ice for eight of those. I'm hypothesizing terms of taking risks for offence. The latter trait was on display in that Byfuglien is somehow connected to more dangerous rush shots Winnipeg's disastrous game in Calgary on Saturday night. I grabbed a where he's off doing who knows what. The video backs it up. Of the 15 couple of clips to illustrate what I'm talking about. goals, Byfuglien was on the ice for eight. Seven of them were off the rush; five of those involved Byfuglien. Of those five, four of them featured Clip 1: Byfuglien pinches, with Mark Scheifele covering for him. He kind Byfuglien getting caught somehow, whether due to a bad read, a bad of dawdles in terms of getting back and Scheifele is left to (poorly) defend shot attempt or because he's deep in the zone. Calgary's breakout and ensuing rush. This isn't definitive proof that Byfuglien gets the risk/reward equation Clip 2: Byfuglien strolls down the wall into the corner with the puck, wrong, of course. I'm just looking at the plays that turned into goals, not looking for a pass. Fair enough, but he gets awfully comfortable once all of the plays. Teams are secretive about their analytics departments he's there – if the puck had been turned over, Winnipeg's left defending a and how they're integrated into their operation but the Jets were looking rush with a defence pair of Nikolaj Ehlers and Toby Enstrom. into analytics over the summer. If the Jets have one that has some Clip 3: The piece de resistance. Byfuglien aggressively leaps to try and interaction with the coaches, there's a pretty good question to dig into keep a puck in the offensive zone rather than retreating. He misses and here – pull all of the shots by shooters on DZL shifts since the Jets came the puck bounces out into centre, whereupon Josh Morrissey is left to to Winnipeg, sort them by whether Byfuglien is on the ice or not and deal with it on his backhand, with Johnny Gaudreau in his face. Rather determine whether more of the ones with Byfuglien on the ice were rush that get back and give Morrissey some support, Byfuglien lets a Flames shots. I would bet that the answer is yes. Obviously, that's just one forward go and skates off to the side, hoping that Morrissey can get a aspect of it. There are some other trouble spots with Byfuglien that could pass through to him. Morrissey can't, and although the Flames don't be explored as well, as you can see from the graph above. score on the glorious chance, they end up scoring in the subsequent The problem with this is that the coaching staff is probably deeply familiar offensive zone sequence. with Byfuglien's game at this point. Charlie Huddy has been in Winnipeg There's data in support of my suspicion that Byfuglien is unusually since 2011. He's steered less talented players to reasonably successful aggressive in getting deep into the offensive zone as well. He routinely seasons in the past. If he hasn't been able to solve whatever it is that has one of the shortest 5-on-5 shot distances in the NHL amongst results in Byfuglien consistently posting a terrible save percentage, well, defencemen. Since 2011-12, he has two of the three shortest shot I'm not sure that it's a fixable problem. It's unfortunate for the Jets distance seasons amongst defencemen taking at least 100 unblocked 5- because they've made a significant commitment to him. And he's been on-5 shots, three of the shortest 11 seasons and four of the shortest 44 less than his underlying numbers would suggest, which is a tough thing seasons. to overcome. The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077595 Websites Denmark is slowly becoming an unexpected source of hockey talent – Ehlers and Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen (of Herning, Denmark) are both integral to their teams’ hopes and aspirations this season. But The Athletic / Duhatschek: Overlooked Nikolaj Ehlers provides the spark most Danish players with NHL ambitions need to leave the country at a the Jets need relatively early age to receive the level of competition they need to develop their skill sets, according to Ehlers.

“The Danish hockey, it is getting better,” said Ehlers, in a wide-ranging Eric Duhatschek interview. “We’ve got a lot of young guys over here (in Canada) and a lot of young guys in Sweden. One of my good friends is in Switzerland. Everyone is trying to give themselves the best chance to get better. Can one play — one moment in one game so early on — actually turn “I was 11 when I moved to Switzerland, with my whole family. My dad the tide for an entire NHL season? was a coach, so when he got a coaching job in Switzerland, we all moved there. That was a pretty good chance for me to get better. After It seems unlikely and yet, there were the Winnipeg Jets, with a 0-2 six years there, I signed a pro contract in Switzerland, but soon after that, record, after leaking 13 goals in the first two games against the Toronto I signed a junior hockey contract to play in Halifax. I wanted to give Maple Leafs and the Calgary Flames, and looking in trouble again myself the best chance to get drafted over here, to know the systems, to Monday night against the Connor McDavids, on the road, in Edmonton. know the game they play over here.” In the second period, the Oilers had just scored twice in rapid succession to erase a two-goal deficit against a Jets’ team which had also blown a Ehlers played one game for the Biel (Switzerland) under-17 team in two-goal lead Saturday night in Calgary. The momentum had shifted 2009-10, when he was just 14. Seven games into his second full season, against the Jets in Monday’s game in the same way it did two nights he was bumped up to their junior team and by the end of the 2012-13 earlier when the Flames rattled off five goals in a row to win the game season, he was playing for their senior team, EHC Biel-Bienne. That was going away. also the year of the NHL lockout, so Ehlers got a chance to watch NHL players, in Switzerland, up close. And then Nikolaj Ehlers rode to the rescue, turning nothing into something the way only the ultra-skilled can. It began as an innocuous It also helped his development that he was the son of a hockey coach, rush inside his own blueline, Ehlers gathering in a pass from Jacob who let him know early on what it would take to legitimately fill those NHL Trouba and then gathering steam as he sidestepped Leon Draisaitl at the aspirations. Jets’ blueline. Pressing forward and crossing the Oilers' line, Ehlers looked off the Oilers’ defence pair of Kris Russell and Matthew Benning “I look back now and at some points, back then, you were probably not and then fired a rising shot past goaltender Cam Talbot on the blocker as happy with your dad because he was more of a coach than he was a side to put the Jets ahead again – and most importantly restore calm. father,” Ehlers said. “But it was never too hard or never too much – even Ehlers then scored twice more – 69 seconds later and again as time though maybe sometimes I thought it was. wound down on a third-period power play – to produce a natural hat trick as the Jets won 5-2. “We used to go running on Sunday. I’d go to the lake in Switzerland with all my friends and all my teammates. He would call me at 5 o’clock; I What a key victory – all conjured up on a play by the 21 year old from would still be there; and he would say, ‘I’m picking you up in 15 minutes Aalborg, Denmark, who’d just signed a seven-year, $42 million contract and we’re going for a run.’ At that point, I was 13 or 14 years old and the extension on the opening day of the season to stay with Winnipeg for the other guys were like, ‘what are you doing? It’s Sunday and 30 degrees prime of his NHL playing career. And even though the contract doesn’t out.’ But when I look back, I wouldn’t be here without him. He helped me kick in until the start of next season, you can understand why Jets’ so much. That push he gave me in the right direction is the reason I’m general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff invested that kind of dough in here.” Ehlers. Ehlers cracked the Jets’ lineup at the start of the 2015-16 season and Most of the attention, when it comes to Jets’ youngsters, generally falls produced 38 points in 72 games. Last year, he added 64 in 82 games. In on Patrik Laine – and that’s understandable. Laine had 64 points as a short, his transition to the NHL has gone fairly smoothly. rookie, and came up just short against Auston Matthews in last year’s balloting for the Calder Trophy. But Ehlers also scored 64 points last “What I learned from the first two years is, you play so many games, and year, and though his skill set is different than Laine’s, there is no question you think that at some point, the play of the games will stay the same,” about his talent – and what he brings to the mix. Coach Paul Maurice Ehlers said. “But in this league, there are four quarters, and every likes to shuffle the personnel of his top two lines and what clicked quarter, the game gets harder and the game gets better. I haven’t been Monday was a re-united unit that featured Ehlers, playing with Mark in the playoffs, so I wouldn’t exactly know how it is then, but I would Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, a trio which accounted for 10 points but expect it to be even better. most importantly helped staunch the early-season bleeding in Winnipeg. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs in Ehlers’ first two seasons, but that Making his first start of the season, Connor Hellebuyck, the Jets’ young is the goal this year. goalie, had a hand in the victory too, as did Scheifele and Wheeler, who both had their best games of the season by far. “The team here, we haven’t had the easiest of two years,” Ehlers said. “We had a young team; we still have a young team. But I think everyone But Ehlers made the right play at the right time to help restore some of in here has some experience now. We all know that it’s time to do the organizational confidence in the Jets that had been sinking fast since something more than have a long summer break. We know what it takes their opening-night loss to the Maple Leafs. An 0-3 start would have been now and we’re prepared to sacrifice pretty much everything to get to ugly. Now, at least they have some breathing room, heading into where we want to be. Thursday’s game against the Canucks in Vancouver. “When you get to the end of the regular season and you see your team The other day, when I asked Wheeler what makes Ehlers such a special outside the playoffs, it’s not fun. But now, we really feel like we’ve taken a player, he spoke of the quality on display on the go-ahead third goal – his big step over the last two years – and we feel confident. We know we can wheels. Ehlers may not be McDavid fast, but he is so dangerous on the do it.” rush that he can back off the defence with a look, which then creates options, for him and for his linemates. Much could still go wrong for the Jets over the final 79 games of the regular season, but when they were looking for a spark Monday – “He has the ability to make plays at high speed – and that’s rare,” something, anything – to lift them out of their early funk, it was the explained Wheeler, the Jets’ captain. “A lot of guys who can skate fast diminutive Dane that provided it. sometimes need to slow down to make plays. He does things at a high speed all over the ice. So, he’s a really dynamic player. From his rookie Who knows where the turning point of a year can be? Maybe we’ve seen year to last year, was night and day, in terms of his approach to the it already. game and being more of a complete player – and in camp, he’s really taken the next step.” The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 Ehlers became just the third player in franchise history to score a natural hat trick and the other two – Ilya Kovalchuk (Nov. 11, 2005) and Marian Hossa (Jan. 15, 2008) – both did it during the team’s Atlanta Thrashers incarnation. The Jets had already been in Winnipeg for three full seasons when they selected Ehlers ninth overall in the 2014 entry draft, after watching him play two junior seasons for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. 1077596 Websites Defence Victor Mete – Shea Weber The Athletic / Welcome to Claude Julien’s Canadiens Karl Alzner – Jeff Petry Jordie Benn – Brandon Davidson Arpon Basu Goal Carey Price Perhaps a few years of Michel Therrien is what makes this so jarring. Or Al Montoya even newsworthy. Out: Jacob De La Rose, Mark Streit, Joe Morrow, David Schlemko Claude Julien would have been able to easily justify shaking up his line (hand) combinations for the Canadiens home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. His team has scored three goals in three BLACKHAWKS games, two of them shorthanded, and the breakouts have been a source Forwards of distress for both the coach and the players. Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews – Richard Panik But Julien did next to nothing, at least not at the morning skate. Ryan Hartman – Artem Anisimov – Patrick Kane “I’m not convinced it’s the lines that are stopping us from scoring,” Julien said. “It’s the way we play that has to change.” Patrick Sharp – Tanner Kero – Alex DeBrincat Julien said one thing jumps out about the three games the Canadiens Lance Bouma – Tommy Wingels – John Hayden have played, that they aren’t taking the puck to the net enough. And by “taking it to the net” he doesn’t necessarily mean driving into the blue Defence paint. He means curling to the inside instead of the outside when Duncan Keith – Brent Seabrook entering the zone and getting to scoring areas more often. Gustav Forsling – Jan Rutta When asked if some skill players just don’t have it in them to do that, who need the space on the outside to operate and use their skills, Julien had Michal Kempny – Connor Murphy a great response. Goal “There isn't a clause in any player's contract saying he doesn't have to go to the net,” he said. Corey Crawford Still, leaving the lines intact is a bold move, because even if you think the Anton Forsberg Canadiens need to drive the net more – they do – a lot of coaches would have used line changes to send that message. Julien did not. Out: Nick Schmaltz (upper body), Cody Franson, Jordan Oesterle • A big night for Jonathan Drouin and Charles Hudon playing in the home This accomplishes a few things, but one in particular is most important. opener, two Quebec kids realizing a dream. Drouin led the stretch after Leaving the lines intact conveys a sense of confidence to his team that the morning skate, the importance of this night to him should be obvious the good has outweighed the bad. Whether that’s true or not is irrelevant. because he’s made it clear how badly he wanted to play here. For What’s important is that his team believes that. Hudon, this is the end of a long journey, and the beginning of another “Obviously there’s some trust, some belief from the coaching staff,” one as an NHL player. He has 15 family and friends coming down from Brendan Gallagher said. “It puts some responsibility on you as players to Alma and the Lac St-Jean region to come watch, and he knows everyone get the job done. Every line that we have is capable of producing, in the area will be glued to their televisions. “It’s a good nervous thing,” capable of putting the puck in the net. You have a job to do and you he said. Hudon also enters the game as one of the Canadiens most know you’re relied upon to do that. effective forwards; through three games he’s tied for third on the team with 11 shots on goal, one less than his linemate Artturi Lehkonen. “All “It hasn’t been the case where every line’s been producing, where we’ve we’re missing is putting it between the two posts,” he said. been able to score three or four goals in a game, but nobody’s doubting it in here. I think it’s just a matter of the little details in your game, • It’s also a big night for Victor Mete, who has his parents, his sister, his outworking goalies, outworking defenders in front, finding those pucks girlfriend and a couple of cousins coming down for the game. He said he and putting them in.” watched the Canadiens home opener last year and it was “way cool.” But if you think he might be nervous, well, probably not. I mentioned a great Therrien was criticized for years for his quick trigger finger, switching up photo we’ve run here a couple of times of him standing on the blue line lines on what seemed like a daily basis, going back to combinations that with the London Knights with Mitch Marner next to him and they’re having worked in the past. The forwards reached the point that they didn’t want a laugh. This one: to discuss their lines anymore because they knew they would change. It was almost as if building chemistry was not being incentivized. Mete said he’s seen the photo and likes it a lot. What makes it great is that he says it came prior to Game 1 of the 2016 OHL finals against Julien is doing the opposite of that. His greatest asset as a coach, or at Niagara. “I remember the moment,” Mete said, still laughing about it. “He least one of them, is his confidence in his own decisions. This is what a said something about the camera being there and it made me laugh.” So confident coach does, give his decisions time to work. Or not work. But yeah, nerves might not be an issue for this kid. evaluating those decisions based on three road games in four nights, without a single opportunity to get the matchups you are looking for at The Athletic LOADED: 10.11.2017 home, is probably not wise. It just seems odd, based on what we’ve seen around here for years. Here are tonight’s expected lineups, keeping in mind the Blackhawks did not skate Tuesday morning after their 4-3 overtime loss in Toronto on Monday. Some lineup changes could probably be anticipated for them playing a second game in two nights. Corey Crawford gets the start in his hometown. CANADIENS Forwards Max Pacioretty – Jonathan Drouin – Brendan Gallagher Charles Hudon – Tomas Plekanec – Artturi Lehkonen Alex Galchenyuk – Phillip Danault – Andrew Shaw Paul Byron – Torrey Mitchell – Ales Hemsky 1077597 Websites on his right wrist in late July, who now has a plate and screws in there, who says “I was just surprised I was able to play” in the season opener.

Up 4-1 after the first period, the Golden Knights left the ice to a standing Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights strike balance between respect, ovation. celebration in opener It was one of many on the night. The team wanted to get this win for this healing city, but first the goal was to put on a respectful and dignified Kristina Rutherford ceremony to honour the many people here affected by the tragedy. The NHL’s newest franchise did so beautifully.

As is custom for all home openers, the Golden Knights introduced each LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights had done everything right to of their players — but they were secondary. First came the heroes of Oct. honour and tribute the many people affected by the atrocious events that 1: the police officers, paramedics, doctors, fire fighters, nurses, took place in this city just nine days ago, and then Deryk Engelland sergeants. And those first responders got bigger cheers than many of the removed his right glove, took hold of a microphone, and he skated to players did, some of them wearing their nurse uniforms, or police centre ice. uniforms. It was the first responder introduced, then “accompanied by No. 21, Cody Eakin.” Around the Golden Knights defenceman, 18,191 people stood in silence, some with tears in their eyes, some with tears rolling down their faces, And it was the first responders who stood on the black carpet along the others with their hands over their hearts. blue line, with the players standing in behind. When the Coyotes skated onto the ice, they got some hearty boos that quickly turned to cheers The most important moment of Engelland’s hockey career came next. once fans watched them skate in behind the Golden Knights, joining them behind the first responders on the Vegas blue line. “Like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home,” the 35-year-old said, with an even tone. Engelland knows this city better than any member of Fans observed 58 seconds of silence, one for each of the lives lost, and this team, having played a couple seasons for the ECHL’s Las Vegas all 58 names were displayed on the ice. As soon as those 58 seconds Wranglers more than a decade ago. were up, a fan yelled “We are Vegas Strong!” and the crowd erupted. Later, during the national anthem, tears ran down some cheeks. “I met my wife here, my kids are born here, and I know how special this city is,” Engelland continued. “To all the brave first responders that have “It was so meaningful,” said goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was once worked tirelessly … we thank you.” again exceptional, making 31 saves in the win. The crowd at T-Mobile Arena erupted in cheers. It isn’t easy to strike a perfect balance between respect for a tragedy and celebration for the start of something exciting, but the Golden Knights “To the families and friends of the victims, know that we’ll do everything did. The team promised the opening-day festivities would be toned down we can to help you and our city heal,” Engelland said. “We are Vegas in light of the tragedy, and if this was toned down, you have to wonder Strong.” what it’ll look like in full force. The day was plenty celebratory. Between It was powerful. It was perfect. And then it was game time, for the first the first and second periods, Cirque Du Soleil performed on the ice. Pre- time in history, as Sin City officially welcomed the NHL. game, you’d find six well-adorned Clydesdales pulling a Budweiser carriage — with a Dalmatian in tow. Because, why not? And as head coach Gerard Gallant put it: “Tonight was a perfect night,” one that saw the Golden Knights get out to an early lead and earn a 5-2 It was a sight to see, the pre-game procession on the sparkly gold carpet, victory over the visiting Arizona Coyotes. commissioner Gary Bettman posing for pictures with fans who actually weren’t booing him, Blue Man Group guys taking selfies with fans and For days, Golden Knights players have been saying they hoped to giving them Polaroids, centreman Jonathan Marchessault introducing provide a happy distraction for a city still healing after being the site of himself to fans and asking “Do you know me?” (they didn’t), Cirque the worst mass shooting in modern American history, when 58 lives were performers walking all artsy, a band drumming in a parade of fans to taken and some 500 others were injured due to a senseless act at a open the doors of T-Mobile Arena, an Elvis impersonator wandering music festival. around. This is hockey in Vegas, after all. It was bound to be a little different. And if you saw winger James Neal grinning on the bench, flashing those sparkly whites after scoring his second goal of the game in the first In many ways, the way the Golden Knights approached this opening period, you’d know the team had achieved just that. game mirrors the feeling in the city. If you walk around here, Las Vegas feels much like it did before that deadly shooting. It remains a friendly Because opening night really couldn’t have gone any better for the NHL’s place where strangers smile and say “Hello” as they walk by. The Strip is 31st franchise, on the ice and off it. still overrun by tourists snapping photos and grinning for selfies backed On the ice, it took Vegas just 2:31 to get on the board. It took the Golden by the Bellagio or a picture of Cher, and take even a short walk along on Knights just 6:15 to build up a 3-0 lead, and it was 4-0 when the first Las Vegas Ave. and at least a couple people will attempt to sell you period was just a little more than half old. something. “We couldn’t have had a better start,” Neal said. “I wasn’t sure how we There are also signs of grief, signs of what happened here on the first were gonna be off the opening draw. We jumped on ’em right away.” day of this month, like the 58 white wooden crosses to honour each of the victims by the world famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas They did. And with the win, the Golden Knights made history, becoming Nevada” sign. At the Mandelay Bay Hotel, a board covers a broken the first expansion team in NHL history to get out to a 3-0 start. They’re window on the 32nd floor, where Stephen Paddock was staying on Oct. 1 tied for first place in the NHL, as the team’s Twitter account — the when he fired those deadly shots. funniest in the league — will repeatedly point out. You might order breakfast to go and see Vegas Strong written in black Left-winger Tomas Nosek was the first in history to score in a regular- Sharpie on the container. There are signs of Vegas Strong everywhere season game in this city, after he got a quick pass from Pierre-Edouard — around the rink boards instead of advertisements, on the backs of Bellemare and beat Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta five-hole, and made T- Vegas players’ jerseys during warmup, on players’ helmets (both teams), Mobile Arena go berserk. Soon after, Engelland made it 2-0 on a shot hanging outside businesses, on the rally towels distributed at the game. from just above the faceoff circle, for the 23rd goal of his NHL career. A hockey game has never felt like this, and it never will again. Not just Then the game-winning goal-scoring hero from Games 1 and 2 in because it was played in the wake of a massive tragedy. Not just franchise history got involved. Neal jumped on a puck that rebounded off because of the Cirque element, the Clydesdales, the Elvis a Coyotes shin pad, then turned and fired it past Raanta for his fourth of impersonators, the fact there’s a rollercoaster next to the rink, the fact the year. fans walked up to the doors with beers in hand, that Carrot Top and his orange hair figured big in in-game entertainment. Vegas scored three goals on five shots, each celebrated heartily by the crowd here, each punctuated by a band banging on light-up drums and Sin City, a place long known for entertainment, a place for the last 10 wearing light-up glasses while girls wearing a ton of glittery gold cheered days also known for tragedy, is now also carving a reputation as a in front of a castle replica on the second level of the arena. What else did hockey town. Tuesday marked the first big step here at home. you expect in Las Vegas? “It went unbelievable,” Gallant said. “The script went—it was perfect.” Neal got his second goal of the night and the team’s first-ever power-play goal to make it 4-0, which gave him five of the team’s eight goals in franchise history to that point. Not bad for a guy who had major surgery Engelland will remember a lot about tonight’s game, the feeling of standing near the first-responders, the way the crowd reacted, how nervous he felt delivering that pre-game speech. “It was the first time I’ve spoken in front of probably more than 20 guys at once,” he said. “Honestly, I was just trying to block everything out and get through it.” Neal joked that he saw Engelland practicing the speech in front of the mirror, pre-game. “That’s tough, grabbing the mic like that in front of that many people and focusing on a hockey game and what just happened,” Neal said, grinning. “I don’t know how he did it, it was impressive. He got us off to a good start.” Indeed it was a good start for this new franchise. It was historic. It was poignant. It was heartfelt. It was victorious. The Golden Knights nailed it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077598 Websites After switching from the elite Toronto Red Wings to the Mississauga Reps as a 10-year-old because of his father’s disagreement with the coach, P.K. scored four goals and added an assist in a 5-1 upset win Sportsnet.ca / Karl Subban offers up the Subban plan for success over his former team. Still, Subban says he never confused the roles of dad and hockey dad. "I never forgot the most important one," he added. Canadian Press Today P.K. is one of the NHL’s elite defenceman, a showman off and on the ice. TORONTO — Despite helping his three sons reach the pro ranks, Karl Another kernel of advice Subban likes to use is "Be yourself because Subban is the first to admit he’s no hockey expert. everyone else is taken." Subban does know potential, however. And having spent more than 30 "Guess what, there’s only one P.K.," he said with a laugh. years as an educator, Subban has plenty of experience in unlocking it. "What you see on TV, what you see on the ice and off the ice, that’s The 59-year-old Subban, whose five kids include sons P.K. (Nashville always been P.K.," Subban added. "He has not changed." Predators), Malcolm (Las Vegas Golden Knights) and Jordan (AHL Utica Comets), offers up life lessons, family stories and words to live by in his One of Subban’s proudest moments was in 2015 when P.K., then playing new book "How We Did It." for the Canadiens, announced a pledge to raise $10 million over seven years for Montreal Children’s Hospital. Subban delivers his advice to parents and kids in easily digestible bites. "How We Did It" is a good read with plenty of substance. "He scored many goals on the ice, many memorable goals. But that goal that he announced that day was one of the most important ones," said He had no interest writing a hockey book. Instead he wanted "to tell a Subban. story that would be a difference-maker to whoever cared to listen to my message." "Sometimes it’s the goals between your ears that are most important." Hence the book’s subtitle: "The Subban plan for success in hockey, Subban says today’s kids face more distractions and uncertainty than school and life." ever. Growing up, he says he knew he would find a job, have a family and buy a home. While the book details the childhood of his hockey-playing sons — and two oldest daughters — the gregarious Subban has his eye on the bigger Now the future can seem cloudy. picture. Subban recently came out of retirement to return as principal of In his role as a Toronto school principal, Subban says he would often ask Brookview Middle School in Toronto’s Jane and Finch neighbourhood. students a simple question: "Anyone who wants to be better, raise your His current gig is short-term, but it’s a chance to keep working at a school hand." where he says he spent the most fulfilling years of his teaching career "Every hand shot up," he writes. "That should come as no surprise — before being transferred elsewhere. every child wants to be better. The problem is too many don’t believe "I did not want to leave," he said of Brookview. "Because we are losing they can be." so many children. And maybe I can’t save them all but Karl Subban’s Subban calls it a crisis among our children — too many adrift, lacking the going to try." direction and support they need until they can find their own way. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 He believes everyone is born with the gift of potential inside them. He calls it the GPS — Growing Potential System. It just needs someone to help develop that potential. Sometimes plans don’t work out, he writes. "But if you stay true to the spirit behind them, they can lead to something better." Subban recalls how, at the age of 12, he moved with his family from Jamaica to Sudbury, Ont., where his father, who had arrived two months earlier, had found work as a diesel mechanic at a mine. He started watching hockey on TV, following the Montreal Canadiens on the French channel. Ken Dryden became his hockey hero. Basketball soon overtook hockey, however, and the sport took Subban — dreaming of the NBA — to Lakehead University. "I learned a very important lesson too, that dreams and goals must be realistic. I wasn’t going to make the NBA." Coaching during the summer — his pupils at the time included co-author Scott Colby — Subban realized he enjoyed working with kids. Having found his calling, he went to teachers’ college after graduating from Lakehead. "We all have a sleeping giant inside of us — it’s another way to think of our potential," he writes. "We must find the thing that awakens it and brings it to life." Hockey drove his boys — daughters Taz (who played basketball at York University) and Natasha are both teachers — and Subban and wife Maria were happy to help them. It started at the local rink. "Skating was something we did as a family. We didn’t do it to raise NHLers," said Subban. The Subban kids practised their sports. Being good at something at a young age builds self-confidence, Subban believes. P.K. was not short on self-confidence or talent. As a five-year-old playing with six-year-olds, he scored 19 of his team’s 21 goals. And he has always enjoyed a stage. 1077599 Websites “We’re making some poor decisions with the puck,” Sedin said. “That’s on the players; it’s not on the system.”

Markstrom robbed Burrows after a ghastly turnover by Troy Stecher early Sportsnet.ca / Burrows forged connection to Vancouver that Canucks in the game, and the former Canuck failed to score in the shootout. But aim to achieve Burrows’ presence was still felt, and not only because of the fans’ salute to him and the emotions it generated. Iain MacIntyre “The one thing that stood out is he did everything he could to stay on this team,” Canuck Danny Sedin said of Burrows. “And when he moved up the ranks, he didn’t change. He was the same guy. He worked hard in practice, he listened to the coaches. He would never cheat on drills or VANCOUVER – There is no one thing about Alex Burrows that fully during games. He would always do the right things.” explains the outpouring of love that cascaded down upon him Tuesday when the heart-and-soul winger returned to Rogers Arena with the A blueprint to build an identity. Ottawa Senators after spending the last 12 years with the Vancouver Canucks. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 But when the crowd of 17,273 stood simultaneously and started roaring for Burrows the moment the Canucks’ tribute video to him began on the scoreboard, it was clear that fans felt a connection to the 36-year-old player who climbed to near the top of the National Hockey League from an East Coast League tryout. There is an identity with Burrows, and it’s not about biting or whining or saying things on the ice that he shouldn’t have at a time when the only “lines” about trash-talking in hockey were painted on the playing surface. Burrows gave everything he had to the Canucks. He never took for granted for even one day the NHL career he earned after nearly quitting hockey. And even when he departed in last spring’s trade to the Senators, he was still thinking partly about the Canucks. “Yeah, a little bit,” Burrows admitted after the morning skate. “I think so. That was a little bit of my reasoning for sure (to accept a trade). I want these next generation (of Canucks players) – the young Bos, Hutton … and Jake – to play well in a few years and have good prospects coming back and help them achieve a Stanley Cup in Vancouver. I’d be really happy for those guys and all the fans in B.C. and Vancouver.” Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton and Jake Virtanen are a long way from a Stanley Cup with the Canucks these days. But the Canucks, at least, are finally inching back in the right direction. And the elite prospect leveraged from Ottawa for Burrows, Swedish scorer Jonathan Dahlen, will help in a season or two. What the Canucks are trying to do now is achieve what Burrows did: an identity, a re-connection to fans. In this, too, they are making progress. Through two games of a season in which they are almost universally picked to finish near the bottom of the NHL, the Canucks have beaten the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 and lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Senators. Mark Stone scored the shootout winner for Ottawa, leaving the Canucks with only one point on Tuesday after Hutton’s turnover led to Senator Ryan Dzingel’s tying goal at 5:09 of the third period. There have been a lot of Vancouver turnovers the first two games, something of a by-product of the more aggressive style new coach Travis Green has the Canucks playing. The Canucks do not skate fast, but Green wants them to play fast hockey. He also wants them to be harder to play against, more numerous in attack and fully engaged at all times. These changes in ideology have been noticeable the first two games. “I wouldn’t call it risk-and-reward (hockey),” Canucks defenceman Erik Gudbranson said after the game. “I would say it’s just playing proactively. With everything we try to create offensively, there’s just as much work going back and taking care of your own end. If we’re to have a good season this year, we’re going to have to build from the back end. It’s a lot of work the system we play. But we’re working hard to get good at it and we’re going to continue to get better.” On Day 1 of training camp, Green halted practice and berated his players for their lack of intensity and execution. They have been skating and practising hard since then. They’re playing hard now. “That’s always the case before every year — you talk about (identity),” captain Henrik Sedin said. “I think you see a little bit of that where we’re trying to create a team where we’re not going to be the biggest team or the fastest team, but we play fast and we’re tenacious on the puck. Intensity is high. I think that’s going to be our identity.” And the turnovers that helped the Senators amass 42 shots against Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom? 1077600 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Carolina Hurricanes attendance drops by more than 10,000 after one game

Mike Johnston

When the Carolina Hurricanes opened their 2017-18 campaign with an overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday they did so in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,680 at PNC Arena. On Tuesday, the Hurricanes’ second home game of the season had a different feel. This time the team lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime and the announced attendance at PNC Arena was a sparse 7,892. Tuesday night don’t mind if I do!! #Canes20 #CBJvsCAR #Redvolution pic.twitter.com/S5wW1NDGl8 — Co-captainDumbledore (@marcellepulley) October 10, 2017 The Hurricanes are about to embark on a four-game road trip, so their next home game isn’t until Oct. 24 when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are plenty of tickets remaining for that contest, as the below Ticketmaster arena map indicates. The blue sections mean there are tickets available. The grey sections are sold out. Out of the 30 lower-bowl sections, 22 of them are listed as having more than 100 tickets available. Poor attendance at Hurricanes games is not a new trend. Back in July, the website 247WallSt.com reported the Hurricanes had a 32.3 per cent drop in attendance over the past 10 years, which is the largest drop of any NHL franchise. The team’s average attendance during that time was 11,776 — that number does not take into consideration the two games this season. The Hurricanes have not qualified for the playoffs since 2009, which has clearly had an impact on attendance figures. '06 Hurricanes: Stanley Cup Champs and loudest fan base in the League '17 Hurricanes: Mediocrity and attendance barely breaking AHL figures — MAGIC NUMBER (9) (@ErikZarins) October 11, 2017 In addition to the general blasé atmosphere at PNC Arena, Tuesday’s game was largely forgettable until the third period and overtime. Also, this fan was sold a bad salad. Rough night in Raleigh. @NHLCanes Got this salad at 2nd level east lounge. The "grilled chicken" is frozen. Frozen. @PNCArena pic.twitter.com/QNfZxUNHBQ — joy (@joyless_heathen) October 11, 2017 Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077601 Websites “We could use a little bit of puck luck, no doubt. But there’s more we can do, I think, as far as maybe getting some confidence.”

It’s fairly difficult to pinpoint what exactly the Canadiens should do about Sportsnet.ca / Jonathan Drouin, Canadiens anxious to break through this situation. Even if it’s consensus they aren’t going to the net enough offensively or obstructing the view of the opposing goaltender enough or exercising the patience to make better plays than the ones they are choosing, they’re getting enough quality chances to score more than one goal per Eric Engels game. They’ve had 14 power plays — including five in Tuesday’s game — and come up empty. They’ve had zero issues breaking the zone and setting MONTREAL — It’s a moment Jonathan Drouin will never forget. themselves up, zero issues getting the puck to the net, and they have zero to show for it. On Tuesday, before the Montreal Canadiens dropped their third consecutive game — this one by a score of 3-1 to the Chicago “We were dominating, cycling the puck, getting shots from D and lines,” Blackhawks — Drouin finally got to experience something he’d waited the said Drouin. “As a team and as a player, too, when the puck’s not going better part of his life for: Bell Centre public address announcer Michel in maybe you tighten the stick or you think a little bit too much. But I think Lacroix belting out his name in the player introductions at the team’s tonight that was not the case. Hopefully moving forward it’s not the case, home opener. either. I think we’re playing pretty well and the puck’s not going in.” The crowd roared, Lacroix paused for a couple more beats than he did The Canadiens will have to hope the dam bursts on Saturday against the with any other player, and the ovation got louder and louder for the kid Toronto Maple Leafs, who have started off this year’s campaign as the from a town that’s just 70 kilometres north of Montreal. most offensively dominant team in the NHL. It’ll be a bonus for Drouin if he ends up being at the helm of that breakout. Some dude named Jonathan Drouin soaking in that Bell Centre love… pic.twitter.com/ozpp211Se0 At least two people believe strongly in that possibility. — Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 10, 2017 “I know I’ll break through soon,” said Drouin. “I know we will. We have to.” “It was awesome,” Drouin said after the game. Lacroix agrees. A special moment, no doubt, played out in front of family and friends who had waited just as long as Drouin had to experience it. “I have no doubt I’ll be calling his name out for a goal in the near future,” he said as he left the Bell Centre. But as the 22-year-old from St. Agathe, Que., also acknowledged on Tuesday, nothing would’ve been more special than to have heard Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 Lacroix’s booming voice call his name for a goal as part of a Canadiens win. It hasn’t happened since Drouin was traded to Montreal this past summer. His one goal in the pre-season came in Quebec City, and his shootout winner in the Canadiens’ season opener came in Buffalo. It hasn’t been for lack of trying. Drouin did everything he could to reverse his fortunes on Tuesday. He was a firefly in the Blackhawks zone, weaving in and out of traffic, charging the net with authority, and dangling around defenders to uncork a team-leading six shots at Hawks goalie Corey Crawford. Ultimately he came up empty. In a lot of ways, his night was a microcosm of what we’ve seen from the Canadiens in the early going of this season. They are now 1-3-0, have averaged close to 40 shots per game and outshot and out-chanced their opponents in all of them, and have only four goals to show for their efforts. It looked like the story was going to shift early on in the first period, when Montreal got a goal from Tomas Plekanec 1:15 into the game. He had stolen the puck and blindly fired it past an unsuspecting Crawford from above the right faceoff circle. It was the kind of bounce the Canadiens had been hoping for and they followed it up with a barrage that gave them a 14-2 lead in shots before the game was barely 10 minutes old. Canadiens coach Claude Julien had said in the morning that he wanted to see more players going to the net, doing the greasy work in the trenches that leads to goals being scored in the NHL. They obliged through the first 17 minutes of the period. And then Blackhawks rookie Alex DeBrincat found the back of Carey Price’s net with a one-timer from 45 feet out exactly 19 seconds before teammate Brandon Saad scored his fifth of the season on a perfect three-way passing play with Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. The Canadiens finished the first period with 16 shots and trailed by a goal. They finished the game with 42 and were left once again trying to explain the unexplainable. “Luck is something, I think, on the outside that can be said,” said Julien. “I don’t think you can use that as an excuse. There’s no doubt that there’s a couple of times where you’ve seen like, ‘Wow, we didn’t get a break here or there.’ But you can’t rely on that; you gotta fight through it. That’s what I want us to do. I want us to fight through. “Using excuses, we don’t want excuses. We want solutions. That’s how you become a hard team and a mentally strong team as well because you’re going to face, at times during the year … we’ve gotta be able to face those kinds of adversity the right way. 1077602 Websites scores the three but that was the most dominant Scheifele and Wheeler have been, going both ways.”

My eyes tell me this Jets project has matured to the point where it can Sportsnet.ca / Why the 2017-18 Jets have to prove they’re on track for surpass a St. Louis or Nashville in the Central Division this season. Then success my brain asks, “Which goalie is going to allow that to happen? Connor Hellebuyck? Or Steve Mason?” Mark Spector My eyes say, after watching Hellebuyck in Edmonton, “Well, this kid is only 24. He’s only entering his prime as a goalie.”

And my brain says, “Yeah, and the Jets have been entering their prime The Winnipeg Jets are one of the top “draft and develop” teams in the as a team for how many years now?” entire National Hockey League, those magazines full of hockey experts will tell you. What we saw in Edmonton was a microcosm of Jets hockey: They played a fabulous game — to get to 1-2 on the season. They have such a crop of young talent, we have heard for some time, that the Jets are poised for a long and successful stay atop the NHL “It was a good sign, when your team responds like this and everybody standings. And when you watch 24-year-old Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj does their job,” said Wheeler, a calming, veteran voice in the Jets’ room. Ehlers (21), Jacob Trouba (23) and Patrik Laine (19) walk out of Rogers “We do still have a young team and guys have to build confidence in Place in Edmonton after a dominant, resounding 5-2 victory, you can themselves and respect the fact that the opposition has good players and begin to see peoples’ point here. bad things are going to happen. The Jets are big, fast, good and young — even if they haven’t “But all we can do is get back to our game and have confidence that we accomplished a damned thing. can prevail in the end.” OK. Let’s take a step back. Just win, baby. Just win. I am quite pleased for a solid, Canadian hockey market like Winnipeg, to The time has arrived for results in Winnipeg. accept as reality the bright future in Manitoba. We’ve always said, there Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 are more hockey fans in Winnipeg (and Quebec City) than in any one of 15 American markets. Less people, yes, but more hockey fans. I have personally touted the Jets inevitable ascent on many occasions, and believe after what the market has been through, hockey success in Winnipeg should be celebrated. With one caveat: When does it start? “You can’t make it happen in one night, and you can’t wait until the last month to make it happen,” Trouba was saying before the Edmonton game, his team still at 0-2 and searching for its identity. “We know (the Jets overall game) hasn’t been good, and we know it has to improve. At the same time, you’ve got to stay with what you’re doing, with everyone on the same page. You can’t go off on your own — that’s not how it’s going to get solved. “It’s not something where you flip a switch. It takes some time.” The Jets found “it” later that night and spanked the Oilers good, with Ehlers notching a hat trick in a 5-2 game that left both teams at 1-2 on the young season. Trouba was outstanding, it must be said. Afterwards, I wrote a piece on the Oilers that asked if they were complacent. If last spring was a fluke, or if the Oilers were willing to put in the work necessary to return to their status as a Cup contender. But even if the former is true, at least Edmonton finally got there. Yes, their rebuild was a series of comedic decisions, but the Oilers made the playoffs, won a round and made it to Game 7 of Round 2. Tape II Tape Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. Listen Now | Subscribe | Boylen on Twitter | Dixon on Twitter Winnipeg, now in its seventh season since coming over from Atlanta, hasn’t accomplished a thing in Manitoba let alone won a playoff game, swept by Anaheim in its only playoff appearance three seasons ago. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Paul Maurice were both handed extensions this summer, a move that says Jets ownership can see around the corner to all the success that awaits. Make the playoffs, contend in the Central, and that owner will look brilliant. But like picking last decade’s San Jose Sharks to win the Stanley Cup, predicting the Taylor Hall rebuild to finally turn the corner in Edmonton, or waiting for stability in the ownership suites of Florida and Arizona, we’ll leave that prediction to someone else. The Jets looked fantastic Monday. Big, strong, fast and young, with goaltending to boot. It was one game in a row. “All the pieces,” acknowledged Maurice post-game. “We had real good goaltending, we had a number of our defencemen — difficult to single them out because I thought they were all pretty good. Up front, Nik 1077603 Websites Still, time hasn’t robbed him of his effective shot. He scored 27 goals last season and has displayed a nice touch around the net during his short time in Toronto. Sportsnet.ca / Why Leafs’ Patrick Marleau sticks by dated two-piece stick More from Sportsnet Auston Matthews delivers in big way for Leafs yet again Chris Johnston “Just the mechanics of his shot is so quick,” said Kadri. “He just gets it off. His release is probably one of the best I’d say that I’ve seen. It’s not necessarily about the power of the shot, it’s how quick he gets it off and TORONTO – In the eyes of Patrick Marleau’s younger teammates, it is how accurate he is.” akin to stepping on the first tee with a persimmon driver. The comfort level with his stick certainly helps. While many of the Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs greybeard brings a sense of history to his craft struggled to remember if they even had a two-piece composite during by using a two-piece composite stick that is on the verge of extinction in their minor-hockey days, at least one of the young sharpshooters NHL dressing rooms. His old-school leanings have been generating understands why Marleau has an affinity for the dated technology. discussion on Twitter – “He must love playing with the heat gun,” former NHLer Patrick O’Sullivan wrote Monday – and among Marleau’s new “I used one until I was 14, actually – I loved it,” said Auston Matthews. colleagues. “He’s got it all dialed in. He shoots it just fine.” “Yeah, we were asking him the other day actually why he still uses a two Still, don’t be surprised if Marleau eventually bends to the newer trend. piece,” linemate Nazem Kadri said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think he’s He is just beginning a three-year contract with the Leafs and hasn’t ruled got to be probably one of a handful of guys that does that, maybe even trying to play another season beyond the end of that. two or three of them. He concedes that it may require him to adapt and adjust in the months “He just told me he couldn’t wrap his head around using the all one-piece and years ahead. composite.” “Possibly, you never know,” said Marleau. “I always try it in the summer It is not for lack of trying. and somehow I always find my way back to the two piece.” Fantasy Hockey Pool Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.11.2017 Play the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool for your chance to score big with over $22,000 worth of prizes to be awarded! It's FREE and easy to play! The 38-year-old has switched over to the lighter model favoured by virtually the entire league on numerous occasions – going 30 straight games during one stretch with the San Jose Sharks – but always finds his way back to old reliable eventually. It all comes down to the ability to stickhandle in tight spaces for the speedy winger. “I can shoot better with a one piece,” said Marleau. “It’s just for me, probably because I’ve used (a two piece) for so long, it’s the handling of the puck. Getting it into a spot to shoot just feels a little off for me when I go to a one piece. “It’s all about repetitions. I could probably make the change but I just haven’t.” Marleau sits third among active NHL players at 510 goals after potting two in his Leafs debut at Winnipeg last week. So far he’s made the transition to a new organization look pretty smooth after nearly two decades in California – generating nine shots on goal in the three season-opening victories. Not only has he spent extra time after practice working with the likes of Mitch Marner and Connor Brown, but Marleau’s tried to educate a few others on the tools of his trade. Former Sharks teammate Joe Thornton is believed to be the only other NHLer currently using a two-piece stick. Toronto Maple Leafs on Sportsnet NOW Want to livestream 56 Leafs games this season? See how you can stream this + over 300 regular season NHL games with Sportsnet NOW. LEARN MORE “These guys think (it’s so different),” said Marleau. “There’s not much difference between a one-piece and two-piece (stick). The only thing is I put it together here, they have theirs put together at the factory.” His typical game-day routine includes pulling out the blow torch to attach a blade to the shaft of his Warrior-branded sticks. He’ll usually prepare one or two at a time. As a result, the No. 12 stick rack is positively empty compared to those beside it inside the team’s dressing room – many of them crammed full with 20 sticks or more. “I like making my own,” said Marleau. “It gives me something to do.” It’s been part of the routine of a life spent in hockey. Incredibly, Marleau hasn’t missed a game since the 2010 playoffs and now sits just four regular-season games shy of 1,500 for his career. He first cracked the Sharks lineup as an 18-year-old and now has four sons of his own – the oldest of which, 11-year-old Landon, joined some of the Leafs for a pre-practice skate last weekend. 1077604 Websites After being asked a question about offensive possession, Mike Babcock said that analytics might not be true but it's great because so many more people are working in hockey because of it. TSN.CA / Devils wary of ‘dangerous’ goal scorer Matthews * While the Leafs are living up to high expectations so far, the undefeated Devils have surpassed modest expectations early in the season, outscoring the Avalanche and Sabres 10-3. By Mark Masters "Tomorrow could be a trap game," Babcock noted. "You think New Jersey hasn't been as good, but, I don't know if you've been watching, they're flying. Their forwards have great speed. They're playing a tight * Auston Matthews had a game-high six shots on Monday against game. They're doing a good job in the D zone and neutral zone." Chicago, including a beautiful strike to end it in overtime. "It felt good," he said. "I mean, that’s kind of where I wanted to put it. I found a little spot * Defenceman Connor Carrick practised on Tuesday, but will remain out and I was able to hit it." against New Jersey with an upper-body injury. While the 20-year-old was understated, his teammates were still buzzing Dominic Moore is expected to draw back in as the fourth-line centre on about the blast. Wednesday. “Yeah, there’s not many players, who can do that with that precision and Leafs Ice Chips: After statement win, Babcock warns Leafs about trap the quickness he got it off too," said Jake Gardiner, who served as the game decoy on the two-on-one rush. "Didn’t look like he had any spot to shoot at, but, of course, he found the back of the net.” The Leafs feel Monday night's win against the Blackhawks was a big confidence booster and a statement game. But Mike Babcock warned his In the dressing room after the game, Frederik Andersen joked that the team that Wednesday night's game against the Devils could be a trap puck was still stuck in the top of the net. game since they've gotten off to a surprisingly good start. “You can see how he stickhandles right before and has a really short * Lines at Leafs practice Tuesday at the MasterCard Centre: release," Andersen noted. "That’s what makes it tough to pick up.” Forwards The Maple Leafs made a big early-season statement on Monday coming from behind to beat the Blackhawks. Toronto dominated after the first Hyman-Matthews-Nylander period with the Auston Matthews line getting the better of the Patrick Marleau-Kadri-Komarov Kane line. But it was the way Matthews punctuated the victory that has the hockey world buzzing. van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner After winning a matinee in Buffalo and travelling to Toronto, the Devils Martin-Moore/Fehr-Brown were keeping a close eye on the Leafs ahead of their Wednesday tilt at the Air Canada Centre. Leivo "He can release it from anywhere," said Taylor Hall when asked about Defencemen Matthews. "He gets full wood on every one of his shots no matter where Rielly-Hainsey it comes off his stick. We were watching the game live on TV and his release is so quick and so hard to read coming off his stick.” Gardiner-Zaitsev While the quick release is notable, Devils goalie Cory Schneider is Borgman-Rosen impressed by the other ways Matthews finds the back of the net. Polak-Carrick “What I saw from him last year was mostly in and around the net," Schneider recalled. "It was greasier goals, you know, poking pucks in, Goaltenders getting rebounds, jamming away. Obviously, you know about his release. Andersen Again, I haven’t seen it too many times yet, but he can score in a variety of different ways and I think that’s what makes him a dangerous goal McElhinney scorer. He’s not just reliant on his shot.” TSN.CA LOADED: 10.11.2017 Matthews scored three goals in three games against New Jersey last season. * Hall, a former first overall pick, was asked about the biggest adjustment from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign. “Just playing against harder matchups, being able to digest the first and second line matchups, playing against the top D every night," he said. "That’s something that, as your career goes on, you have to get used to and you almost embrace after a while. Auston's such a good player and he's so big and strong that that’s not really going to be a factor for him, I don’t think.” Matthews was matched against the Patrick Kane line on Monday and saw a lot of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. And yet Toronto outshot Chicago 20-3 at even-strength when Matthews was on the ice. Taylor Hall explains the biggest difference going from his first to his second season in the NHL and says Auston Matthews won't have any issues adjusting in his sophomore season. * Mike Babcock was asked about the strong possession numbers posted by the Matthews line on Monday. "What's that mean?" the Leafs head coach asked with a grin. After a brief explanation by the reporter, Babcock smiled. "So, I actually knew what that meant, but still thought I'd ask. The beauty about that word, 'analytics,' you think about how many more people are working in hockey. We don't know if any of it's true, but we know they're working in hockey so good for them. What a thing." The Leafs are one of many teams to invest in analytics, creating a Hockey Research and Development Department in 2014. Babcock on analytics: ''We don't know if any of its true'' 1077605 Websites “You have to build that chemistry with each other on a team,” Martin said. “You see it with guys like Matthews and Nylander and Hyman and how well they see each other on the ice. When guys know where each other TSN.CA / Strong start builds Leafs’ confidence are because they’ve been together for a year, they don’t have to think too much about where everyone is and just use each other.”

Is Matthews destined to be the greatest Leaf of all time? By Kristen Shilton Leafs Lunch host Andi Petrillo and co-hosts Greg Gilbert & Mark Roe discuss Steve Simmons statements that Auston Matthews is destined to become the best player in the history of the Maple Leafs. TORONTO – Over the first three games of their season, the Maple Leafs have earned the right to feel confident. By all accounts, last season’s playoff push and hanging tough with the Washington Capitals for six games in the first round of the Eastern Toronto owns a perfect record, even if their play hasn’t been pristine. Conference playoffs was a game-changer for the Leafs. They’ve blown a four-goal lead, faced multi-goal deficits and hurt themselves by taking too many penalties. But the Leafs have also scored They went into the off-season knowing they would return to higher more goals than any team in the league (19) and are tied for most points expectations – internally and externally – than ever before. What could (six). have been overwhelming has, so far, been invigorating. It’s a fine line between self-assured and cocky, especially with a core as “I think the more confident you are, the better you are,” said Tyler Bozak. young as Toronto’s, but the Leafs plan to stay on the right side of it. “When you’re confident is when you’re playing your best. If you’re confident as a group, you play the best as a group, so we’re going to try “I think it’s good to have a little bit of swagger and confidence as a to be as confident as we can throughout the whole season.” group,” said winger Matt Martin after practice on Tuesday. “As long as you’re working hard, the belief and confidence should be there. The first TSN.CA LOADED: 10.11.2017 period [against Chicago] was kind of a wake-up call; it was more like a real game. They took it to us in the first period, but we were able to bounce back. That gives us something to build off of.” Perfect shot caps perfect night for Matthews line The Maple Leafs made a big early-season statement on Monday coming from behind to beat the Blackhawks. Toronto dominated after the first period with the Auston Matthews line getting the better of the Patrick Kane line. But it was the way Matthews punctuated the victory that has the hockey world buzzing. Toronto fell into its first deficit of the season against the Blackhawks Monday night, but recovered from a pair of two-goal holes to eventually win in overtime. Chicago was the team most closely keeping pace with Toronto in goal scoring (each side had a league-high 15 markers heading into the game) while also boasting the highest goal-differential in the league (plus-13). Defeating the Blackhawks was a point of pride for the Leafs, and another sign of how far they’ve come since last season. It wasn’t until Nov. 1 of last year that Toronto earned their third win, and no Leafs team has started 3-0 or better since 2010-11. “At every level I’ve played at, there is an adjustment period, and it takes a year or so to get used to the level and become more confident and patient,” said sophomore Zach Hyman. “You just settle down a little more and that confidence lets you make more plays and those little things end up making a difference.” Hyman’s line with Auston Matthews and William Nylander has had a dazzling start to the season, including a dominating performance against Patrick Kane, Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman Monday night. Their possession stats, all in excess of 76 per cent, were only part of what made them great. The chemistry developed over 88 games last season has been prevalent during this season’s first week. The trio has already combined for 10 points. “[Matthews’ line] did a good job [Monday]. They had the puck, they played well without it so they got it back fast,” said head coach Mike Babcock. “They all can get up and down the rink in a hurry, so it makes it hard on the opposition.” The Matthews line has only been one piece of the offensive puzzle for the Leafs, who have scoring throughout the lineup. Over three games, Eric Fehr is the only Leafs skater without a point, and the depth of talent has given Babcock freedom to rotate players in Leafs Ice Chips: After statement win, Babcock warns Leafs about trap game The Leafs feel Monday night's win against the Blackhawks was a big confidence booster and a statement game. But Mike Babcock warned his team that Wednesday night's game against the Devils could be a trap game since they've gotten off to a surprisingly good start. and out. Fehr played Monday, but Dominic Moore will replace him Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils at centre on the fourth line. Rookies Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen will again skate as the Leafs’ third defence pairing while Connor Carrick sits with an upper-body injury. 1077606 Websites The Leafs are one of many teams to invest in analytics, creating a Hockey Research and Development Department in 2014.

Babcock on analytics: ''We don't know if any of its true'' TSN.CA / Devils wary of ‘dangerous’ goal scorer Matthews After being asked a question about offensive possession, Mike Babcock said that analytics might not be true but it's great because so many more By Mark Masters people are working in hockey because of it. * While the Leafs are living up to high expectations so far, the undefeated Devils have surpassed modest expectations early in the season, * Auston Matthews had a game-high six shots on Monday against outscoring the Avalanche and Sabres 10-3. Chicago, including a beautiful strike to end it in overtime. "It felt good," he said. "I mean, that’s kind of where I wanted to put it. I found a little spot "Tomorrow could be a trap game," Babcock noted. "You think New and I was able to hit it." Jersey hasn't been as good, but, I don't know if you've been watching, they're flying. Their forwards have great speed. They're playing a tight While the 20-year-old was understated, his teammates were still buzzing game. They're doing a good job in the D zone and neutral zone." about the blast. * Defenceman Connor Carrick practised on Tuesday, but will remain out “Yeah, there’s not many players, who can do that with that precision and against New Jersey with an upper-body injury. the quickness he got it off too," said Jake Gardiner, who served as the decoy on the two-on-one rush. "Didn’t look like he had any spot to shoot Dominic Moore is expected to draw back in as the fourth-line centre on at, but, of course, he found the back of the net.” Wednesday. In the dressing room after the game, Frederik Andersen joked that the Leafs Ice Chips: After statement win, Babcock warns Leafs about trap puck was still stuck in the top of the net. game “You can see how he stickhandles right before and has a really short The Leafs feel Monday night's win against the Blackhawks was a big release," Andersen noted. "That’s what makes it tough to pick up.” confidence booster and a statement game. But Mike Babcock warned his team that Wednesday night's game against the Devils could be a trap Perfect shot caps perfect night for Matthews line game since they've gotten off to a surprisingly good start. The Maple Leafs made a big early-season statement on Monday coming * Lines at Leafs practice Tuesday at the MasterCard Centre: from behind to beat the Blackhawks. Toronto dominated after the first period with the Auston Matthews line getting the better of the Patrick Forwards Kane line. But it was the way Matthews punctuated the victory that has Hyman-Matthews-Nylander the hockey world buzzing. Marleau-Kadri-Komarov After winning a matinee in Buffalo and travelling to Toronto, the Devils were keeping a close eye on the Leafs ahead of their Wednesday tilt at van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner the Air Canada Centre. Martin-Moore/Fehr-Brown "He can release it from anywhere," said Taylor Hall when asked about Matthews. "He gets full wood on every one of his shots no matter where Leivo it comes off his stick. We were watching the game live on TV and his Defencemen release is so quick and so hard to read coming off his stick.” Rielly-Hainsey While the quick release is notable, Devils goalie Cory Schneider is impressed by the other ways Matthews finds the back of the net. Gardiner-Zaitsev “What I saw from him last year was mostly in and around the net," Borgman-Rosen Schneider recalled. "It was greasier goals, you know, poking pucks in, getting rebounds, jamming away. Obviously, you know about his release. Polak-Carrick Again, I haven’t seen it too many times yet, but he can score in a variety Goaltenders of different ways and I think that’s what makes him a dangerous goal scorer. He’s not just reliant on his shot.” Andersen Matthews scored three goals in three games against New Jersey last McElhinney season. TSN.CA LOADED: 10.11.2017 * Hall, a former first overall pick, was asked about the biggest adjustment from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign. “Just playing against harder matchups, being able to digest the first and second line matchups, playing against the top D every night," he said. "That’s something that, as your career goes on, you have to get used to and you almost embrace after a while. Auston's such a good player and he's so big and strong that that’s not really going to be a factor for him, I don’t think.” Matthews was matched against the Patrick Kane line on Monday and saw a lot of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. And yet Toronto outshot Chicago 20-3 at even-strength when Matthews was on the ice. Hall explains why Matthews won't falter in sophomore season Taylor Hall explains the biggest difference going from his first to his second season in the NHL and says Auston Matthews won't have any issues adjusting in his sophomore season. * Mike Babcock was asked about the strong possession numbers posted by the Matthews line on Monday. "What's that mean?" the Leafs head coach asked with a grin. After a brief explanation by the reporter, Babcock smiled. "So, I actually knew what that meant, but still thought I'd ask. The beauty about that word, 'analytics,' you think about how many more people are working in hockey. We don't know if any of it's true, but we know they're working in hockey so good for them. What a thing." 1077607 Websites

TSN.CA / Golden Knights hope home opener helps Vegas heal

By Frank Seravalli

For the past 18 months, the Golden Knights planned for Tuesday night to be the most unique party Las Vegas has ever seen. It was supposed to celebrate the arrival of hockey and professional sports in Sin City, with Cirque du Soleil and a Golden Knight pulling a sword out of a stone at centre ice. That party has been put on hold. The Golden Knights’ inaugural home game against the Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena Tuesday night will instead seek to unify a community reeling in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy. As Golden Knights GM George McPhee said, it will be a chance “to grieve, heal and persevere.” “It has been, obviously, for this country and for this city an incredibly emotional experience and a devastating experience for a lot of people,” McPhee told reporters. “We are going to try to have the ceremony that provides the respect and dignity to everyone involved that it deserves.” On this night, hockey will take a back seat, even as the Golden Knights try to become the first NHL expansion team ever to win its first three games. So, too, will the big business of hockey. The Golden Knights wiped their dasher boards free of advertisements for Tuesday’s opener, opting instead to broadcast the message of #VegasStrong. There won't be any advertisements on the boards tonight. Instead, our boards will reflect who we are. #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/29pL7wmMwJ — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 10, 2017 “It’s not about us,” McPhee said. “It’s about remembering the victims and supporting the families and recognizing the first responders and their work.” These Golden Knights have barely been together a month in their new adopted home, but they recognize the opportunity to provide solace and to restore some sense of normalcy to Las Vegas just a few blocks away from where the deadliest mass shooting in United States history occurred nine days earlier. “We can give a little bit of positivity to the whole city,” Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare told reporters. It will be an introduction to a city no NHL team has experienced. “I think it’s going to be an unbelievable spectacle, a show of support for our people and our community,” defenceman Nate Schmidt said. Players will still walk a gold carpet to enter T-Mobile Arena, fans will still march from a nearby casino and Quebec’s famed Cirque du Soleil will still perform during the first intermission. A bigger celebration is planned for Friday night's home game against Detroit. But this night, which will begin with 14 first responders singing the first few words of the Star Spangled Banner before inviting all 17,500 to join as one voice, will leave few dry eyes in the building. This is about so much more than a hockey team arriving in Las Vegas, as the marquee outside the arena reminds: “When Things Get Dark, Vegas Shines.” “It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be real hard for a lot of people,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “We’re a tough group. We’re going to work hard and do the best we can, because we know there will be a lot of people watching.” TSN.CA LOADED: 10.11.2017 1077608 Websites of 3.3. If even a piece of that carried through the remainder of the season, it would be a remarkable change.

Again, I’m sort of skeptical that any of this is a definitive trend just yet – TSN.CA / The numbers behind a freewheeling first week of the NHL it’s super early in the season and October tends to lend itself well to a season looser style of play that tends to die as the season wears on. But, if you are a fan of up-tempo hockey with a bunch of scoring opportunities, the first week of action was a blessing from the hockey gods. Teams let their By Travis Yost playmakers make plays, and the end result was highly entertaining hockey across North America.

TSN.CA LOADED: 10.11.2017 There’s no doubt Mike Babcock had the quote of the weekend. After a wild 8-5 win against the Rangers, Babcock remarked: “It’s kind of fun, eh? But it’s dumb.” Never has a quote captured the spirit of the modern era of hockey. Coaches are militant about maintaining perfect structure and play from the defensive zone out, with net protection the most critical of focus areas. Among other things (like the improvement of goaltending, generally, around the league), this “defence wins championships” style of coaching has permeated through the league. It’s hard to blame coaches for adapting to the changes. Teams have generally realized that in an era where there is such a premium on scoring, sucking the air out of games – especially as teams look to preserve leads – can be a winning strategy. What that’s usually meant for the NHL is low-scoring affair after low-scoring affair. Low-scoring doesn’t always mean not entertaining, but there’s some relationship. Enough that the league has at least recognized they need to think about ways to move the goal-scoring needle in the right direction, though many of those ideas have either been killed or have taken excruciatingly long to implement. Back to Babcock’s quote for a moment: He was obviously referencing his team’s free-wheeling play against both Winnipeg and New York, but the opened-up play wasn’t unique to the Leafs organization. Across most of the NHL, it seemed like there was incredible end-to-end action. Although it didn’t mean large goal numbers in every game, the general theme was a lot of scoring chances and a bunch of oohs and aahs from crowds in attendance. Anecdotally, it felt that way. But the data through the NHL’s first week supports this, too. Keep in mind that in the modern era, performance numbers have rarely moved in any meaningful direction. Teams have always generated about 55 shots and 2.3 goals per-60 minutes of 5-on-5 play. Goalies have stopped about 92.1 per cent of shots. Year after year, it’s generally the same thing. We’re only a couple of dozen games into the 2017-18 season, but play sure seems to have opened up. I’m rather skeptical that this continues – we have almost a decade of perfectly flat offensive performance numbers – but it’s a notable deviation. Embedded Image How do you read this? It’s pretty simple. Through the first five days of the NHL season, teams generated five more shots per-60 minutes, which is an 8-per-cent increase over what we are used to. But these shots were also coming much more frequently from prime scoring areas. Expected goals, which take into consideration both shot volume and the likelihood or probability of any individual shot finding the back of the net, were up nearly 20 per cent. These are remarkable deviations. Just in case you’re curious, the same conclusion is reached if we compare the first 60 games of this year versus the first 60 games of any other year. Even just looking at this October versus previous Octobers, the numbers are definitively up. Toronto was a huge driver of this change, but again, they weren’t the only ones. Edmonton, Carolina, Florida, and Chicago all saw monstrous jumps in their offensive production numbers. Even the teams who didn’t play particularly well saw more offence being generated in their first few games – it was just more likely that those teams were also bleeding chances and goals against in their own zone. The one interesting note here is that actual goal scoring didn’t move much, at least at even strength. Based on what we know about shot volume and quality, it’s reasonable to assume that goaltenders actually had a fantastic opening week. Any time you see such a substantial divide in expected versus actual goals, that’s generally going to be the case. Even-strength hockey wasn’t the only piece of the game that saw a dramatic change, though. The whistle-happy officiating from the preseason didn’t completely carry over, but teams in the opening games saw a higher rate of power-play opportunities and a higher conversion rate. Through the same timeframe, teams are averaging about 4.3 power plays per game – about one power play more than the historical average 1077609 Websites “(The players) did an unbelievable job,” Gallant said. “When we picked the team in the expansion draft we talked about getting good people and I think we did that.” USA TODAY / Longtime Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland delivers in USA TODAY LOADED: 10.11.2017 Golden Knights' home opener

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 3:40 a.m. ET Oct. 11, 2017

LAS VEGAS — Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland says before Tuesday night the largest group he ever spoke in front of “was the 20 guys in the dressing room.” He was understandably nervous to have a microphone in his hands in front of 18,191 fans before what Vegas coach Gerard Gallant called “the most important game we will ever play.” Engelland responded by making a memorable speech and then followed it up by scoring an early first-period goal to help lead Vegas to a 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes in the first regular-season home game for the Golden Knights. “I thought his speech was unbelievable — he made a great speech out there on the ice and then for us to come out and play the way we did for the first seven or eight minutes was incredible,” Gallant said. “It was the perfect script for us.” Engelland’s speech came at the end of an emotional pregame ceremony that honored the memories of the 58 people killed in last week’s mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. The Golden Knights also saluted the first responders who helped save many that night. A 14-year resident of Las Vegas, Engelland said he met his wife in the city and his children were born there. He said he could relate to the fans because he was proud to be from Las Vegas. He then thanked all of the first responders for the work they do. “Vegas Strong,” he said in closing. Deryk Engelland had a special message for his neighbors – the people of Las Vegas – before the @GoldenKnights opener. #VegasStrongpic.twitter.com/pGGeg5gCyc — NHL (@NHL) October 11, 2017 Engelland’s speech and the 58-second moment of silence for all of the victims supplied some of the most poignant moments of the ceremony. “From Deryk, it came right from the heart,” teammate James Neal said. “He has been here a long time, and it really hits home for him. He’s a great teammate. There’s no better guy to talk in front of a crowd. I think everyone appreciated it.” It seemed more than fitting, like a Hollywood twist, when Engelland was one of two players to score to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead 4:18 into the game. Engelland has only scored 23 goals in 472 NHL games. Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland won't ever forget this one. pic.twitter.com/JFOoBt2VMD — NHL (@NHL) October 11, 2017 “I was just trying to block everything out and try to get through it,” Engelland said about the speech. “But it was great to see the response from the fans.” He said he worked on his speech for a couple of days. “And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” he said. Gallant had been worried about how his team would start after such a moving pregame ceremony. He thought it was possible that they would be mentally drained. But the Golden Knights, the first expansion team ever to start 3-0, seem to be feeding off their desire to help their community work through the grieving process. “There were a lot of emotions out there,” Engelland said. This was a trying situation for the Golden Knights, who drastically modified their first game plans to pay their respects to a community that was suffering. Anyone who was there would say they handled it perfectly — particularly Engelland, who did the heavy lifting. 1077610 Websites

USA TODAY / Vegas Golden Knights make history with big win in emotional home opener

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 1:20 a.m. ET Oct. 11, 2017

LAS VEGAS — The expansion Vegas Golden Knights have said they want to help their city heal from last week’s mass shooting that killed 58 people. They began to deliver on that promise in their first regular-season home game. Motivated by a moving pregame ceremony honoring victims and first responders, the Golden Knights struck for four goals in the first 10:42 on their way to a 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes. The Golden Knights’ 3-0-0 start has provided a much-needed distraction to a city overwhelmed by the sadness of last week’s tragedy. They are first NHL expansion team to start a season 3-0. Here is how they got here: The star: Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, already the team’s most popular player, has given up four goals in his first three games in a Vegas jersey. He’s been the team’s most important player. Neal keeps scoring: Winger James Neal had two goals against the Coyotes to give him five goals on the season. Neal will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and he seemed like a candidate to be dealt before the trade deadline. It is way early to draw any lasting conclusion, but Neal, 30, is showing why the Golden Knights might try to extend his contract. By the way, @jneal_18 has five goals (so far) in the @GoldenKnights' first three games. pic.twitter.com/kVUw9zRsJz — NHL (@NHL) October 11, 2017 The chemistry: As a general rule, expansion teams historically have patchwork rosters. Too many fourth liners and No. 6 defensemen trying to play unfamiliar roles. Because the NHL made expansion draft rules more favorable for expansion teams, the Golden Knights have more talented players and have come together quickly as a team. They have outscored opponents 9-4 in the three wins. McPhee factor: Veteran general manager George McPhee did good work to pick the right players in the expansion draft. He has the right blend of scorers and role players up front and a diverse group on defense. Everyone understands their role. The Golden Knights spent plenty of time studying the character of the players and that seems to be paying off. New mission: The Golden Knights seem to be unifying behind their pledge to do their part in helping the city find joy after last week’s tragedy. They seem to have added motivation to be better-than- expected. #VegasStrong. USA TODAY LOADED: 10.11.2017