sport-scan daily brief - Los Angeles Kings

Transcription

SPORT-SCAN
DAILY BRIEF
NHL 3/17/2015
Anaheim Ducks
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Colorado Avalanche
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What we learned from the Ducks' 4-2 win over the Nashville
Predators
Sitting inspires Ducks' Maroon to play harder
Arizona Coyotes
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Arizona Coyotes blanked by Los Angeles Kings
Young Coyotes defense still under evaluation
Game Day: Coyotes take on Kings in Los Angeles
Boston Bruins
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Bruins’ Milan Lucic picking up pace playing with youngsters
Where does David Krejci fit on Bruins when he returns?
What we learned: There are tiring times for Bruins
Morning Skate: Keep it simple, stupid
All Bruins to participate in Cuts for a Cause charity
What should Bruins do when Krejci returns?
Goucher: Will riding Rask come back to haunt Bruins?
Buffalo Sabres
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Sabres make a capital point
Sabres’ Hackett returns to scene of personal injury
Injuries on Sabres blue line prompt recall of Ruhwedel
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Russell the workhorse Flames have needed after Giordano
went down
Flames brace for meaningful contest vs. St. Louis Blues
Johnson: Hitchcock newest member of ultra-elite 700 Club
Kris Russell a workhorse for Flames after wrestling for time
with Blues
Mikael Backlund sparking strong line at both ends of rink for
Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames can measure themselves in game against
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues' coach Ken Hitchcock says it’s always ‘Game
on’ when playing Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
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Carolina Hurricanes
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Canes’ Andrej Nestrasil more than a number for his new
NHL team
Why NHL regular-season records don’t translate to playoff
success
Rissanen out 3-4 weeks with MCL injury
Chicago Blackhawks
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Struggling Kris Versteeg likely headed for Blackhawks'
bench
Tuesday's matchup: Islanders at Blackhawks
Blackhawks make their move without Patrick Kane
Kris Versteeg the latest Blackhawk in Joel Quenneville's
doghouse
Rozner: Eye on defense keeping Blackhawks afloat
Tuesday on CSN: Blackhawks square off against Islanders
Blackhawks: With Teuvo Teravainen, patience has paid off
CSN to go 'Behind the Lens' at Blackhawks, Bulls games
Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw will miss hometown Belleville
Bulls
Blackhawks Updates: Kris Versteeg likely scratch vs. Isles
Versteeg latest player to get Quenneville's message
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Patrick Roy stresses importance of Avs' game vs. Arizona
Coyotes
AVS KNOW THE REALITY: FIVE-GAME ROAD TRIP IS
CRUCIAL TO PLAYOFF HOPES
NHL GENERAL MANAGERS DISCUSS DIVING,
PROTECTING GOALIES
Columbus Blue Jackets
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Blue Jackets notebook: Scott Hartnell is feeling at home,
earns NHL weekly award
Next Game: Jackets
Blue Jackets add LW Craig
TOP BILLING: CBJ's Hartnell named NHL's First Star of the
Week
Blue Jackets' loss a microcosm of their season
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Dallas Stars assign Jamie Oleksiak to Texas Stars (AHL)
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St. James: Which goalie should start next for Wings?
Mrazek's big return leaves Babcock with choices in net
Red Wings prospect, University of Michigan center Dylan
Larkin named Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Marek Zidlicky making immediate impact for Red Wings with
'bomb' of a shot, an edge to his game
Petr Mrazek embraces pressure, putting Red Wings in 'a
great situation' with their goaltending
Marek Zidlicky delivers on trade to Detroit
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Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
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Edmonton Oilers
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Edmonton Oilers star Taylor Hall close to returning from
injury
Oilers’ great start helps snap seven-game winless streak
MacKinnon: Oilers’ game showed up on Monday against
Maple Leafs
First period explosion propels Edmonton Oilers to 4-1 win
over Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers' Taylor Hall eager to return sooner rather
than later
Jones: Edmonton Oilers rediscovering offence under Todd
Nelson's stewardship
Kadri could be facing suspension
Oilers power play connecting at 25% since Todd Nelson took
over as interim head coach
Florida Panthers
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Would-be goalies compete in Panthers’ ‘Goal of a Lifetime’
contest
Preview: Panthers vs. Canadiens, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday
Panthers goalie tryouts create memories to savor
Los Angeles Kings
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Kings' Coyote-ugly win over Arizona a thing of beauty to
Andy Andreoff
Kings' Williams: Bring back NHL tie games
Game 69: Los Angeles vs Arizona
Game 69 Preview: Los Angeles vs Arizona
Toffoli, Nolan preview tonight’s game against Arizona
Carter’s summer training leading to strong seasons
March 16 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter
March 16 morning skate notes
Kings, Lombardi honored at L.A. Sports Awards
March 16 postgame notes
March 16 postgame quotes: Andreoff, Quick
March 16 postgame quotes: Arizona
March 16 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter
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Streaking Wild aim to fix ailing power play
Gameday preview: Wild at Nashville
Wild works on power play; Scandella, Carter return
Wild defenseman Nate Prosser could miss four weeks
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Habs comeback falls short as Stamkos and Lightning beat
Montreal
In the Habs Room: The breaks went Tampa's way
Habs Game Report: Bolts' goalie Ben Bishop stumps Habs
About last night …
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Arena voice of the Predators loves to entertain
Predators Ponderings: 5 Takeaways from loss to Ducks
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Sharks playoff races
Jeremy Roenick weighs in on San Jose Sharks spat
Sharks' Brown eyes return on two-week road trip
Sharks' Thornton concerned more about wins than media
attention
Sharks notes: Top pick Goldobin in San Jose this season?
Media storm looming for Sharks on make-or-break road trip
Mueller's teammates pick him up after blunder in Sharks loss
Sharks' Brown hopes to play on upcoming road trip
New Jersey Devils
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Blues-Flames matchup box
Blues boast better depth down stretch
Should Hitchcock keep his top line together?
How do the Devils feel about wearing the green and red
retro jerseys?
Why Lou Lamoriello skipped the GM meetings to stay with
Devils
Was Patrik Elias able to practice with retro-clad Devils
Monday?
Devils going green on Retro Night
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Lightning beat Canadiens to tie them atop Atlantic Division
Bolts notes: GMs to discuss 3-on-3 play in OT
Lightning tops Canadiens, ties for Atlantic lead
Nikita Kucherov won't be suspended for hit
NHL imposes no supplemental discipline for Nikita Kucherov
hit
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Lowly Oilers soar high against visiting Leafs
Latest Leafs statue will be 110 per cent Borje Salming
Final stretch a life in limbo for Lupul and Leafs
Maple Leafs exec preaches patience with young Marlies
Maple Leafs' Horachek has perspective after cancer scare
Maple Leafs players committed to Toronto: Lupul
Leafs' Legend Row might expand beyond plans
Borje Salming visits sculptor, meets his Leafs Legends Row
statue
Maple Leafs lose again, Kadri could be in trouble again
Cancer survivor Horachek keeps Leafs' losses in perspective
Toronto Maple Leafs can’t recover after allowing four goals
in first period against Edmonton Oilers
Vancouver Canucks rookie Bo Horvat finding his stride as
team makes playoff push
Nashville Predators
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Starkey: Penguins have problems
Penguins winger Downie is vowing a more disciplined game
Johnston: Injuries to Pens' Malkin, Hornqvist not serious
Penguins aren't hesitating to comment on referee's calls
Penguins notebook: Malkin, Hornqvist injured, but not
expected to miss much time
Montreal Canadiens
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San Jose Sharks
St Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
New York Islanders
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John Tavares believes slumping Islanders will pass stress
test
New York Rangers
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Rangers’ Martin St. Louis Is Expected to Miss 10 to 14 Days
Rangers forward Martin St. Louis out 10-14 days with
lower-body injury
Red-hot Rangers are for real and as Cup-worthy as any
Rangers lose Martin St. Louis for 10-14 days with knee injury
St. Louis out 10-14 days with lower body injury
This week, Talbot is the NHL’s second star
Gross: Rangers' Cam Talbot ascending but Henrik Lundqvist
still King
Rangers' Marty St. Louis to miss 10-14 days with injury
Rangers notes: Marty St. Louis injured
Rangers’ St. Louis to miss 10-14 days with knee injury
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Game Day Preview: Senators versus Hurricanes
Play now, talk later: Hammond's agent
Pesky Line injects some energy into Senators momentum
Of burgers and burglars: Some interesting morsels
History staring at Hammond and the Senators
Pageau line doin' it right for Ottawa Senators
Senators burger tosser creating new trend?
Senators Hamburglar gets full meal deal
Hammond story resumes in Carolina
Gameday: Sens vs. Canes
McMemes?! Fans flip for Hamburglar pic
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Backup goalie a priority for Flyers in offseason
Flyers' shootout failures: It's all in their heads
Cousins may debut as sub for dad-to-be Read
Flyers Notes: Del Zotto out vs. Canucks; Read flying home
10 observations from Flyers-Senators
Do Flyers regret trading Scott Hartnell, who has 20 goals
again and is 1st star for week?
5 Flyers takes from shootout loss; 'Hamburglar' Andrew
Hammond of Ottawa Senators looks legit
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Minnesota Wild
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Philadelphia Flyers
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Toronto Maple Leafs
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Ottawa Senators
Vancouver Canucks
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St. Patrick’s (Quinn) Day celebration at Rogers Arena
Canucks winger Jannik Hansen has his game up to speed
Canucks recall netminder Markstrom, sign prospect Hutton
I was a hockey wife — and it just about killed me: My stint
with NHL veteran Kirk McLean
Canucks Roster Roulette: ‘It won’t be just the young guys
coming out’ — Desjardins
Jamieson: Pat Quinn celebration on St. Patrick's Day is a
perfect fit, says former assistant Steve Tambellini
Report: Canucks sign defence prospect Ben Hutton
Washington Capitals
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Postgame: Despite ugliness, Capitals pleased with
completing back-to-back sweep
Capitals at Sabres: Game 71 discussion thread
In top-line return, physical Tom Wilson had ‘tremendous
impact’ for Capitals
‘Huge’ moment for defenseman Nate Schmidt’s first goal of
the season
Nicklas Backstrom overtakes Capitals’ franchise record with
420 assists
Evgeny Kuznetsov caps Capitals’ shootout win over Sabres
NHL Power Rankings: Winning when it counts
Holtby, Kolzig continue relationship from afar
Caps overcome slow start to earn win in Buffalo
Holtby gets the start against lowly Sabres
Pregame primer: Can Caps repeat a rout in Buffalo?
How Swedish culture affects Backstrom's hockey game
Websites
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ESPN / Change must come to San Jose
ESPN / Beware the Eastern Conference; power not just out
West
Sportsnet.ca / Kessel: ‘This is my all-time low in hockey’
Sportsnet.ca / Weekend Takeaways: Fixing the draft lottery
Sportsnet.ca / Horachek: Slumping Leafs got nothing on
cancer
Sportsnet.ca / Sharp’s slump goes way beyond bad luck
Sportsnet.ca / Injured Jets Byfuglien, Myers back at practice
Sportsnet.ca / NHL Playoff Push: Can Montreal hold off
Lightning?
Sportsnet.ca / Ovechkin replaces fan’s sweater after house
fire
USA TODAY / General managers to honor Ottawa's Bryan
Murray
USA TODAY / GMs look into expanding use of video review
YAHOO SPORTS / Life lessons on and off the ice: NHL
GMs pay tribute to 'teacher' Bryan Murray as he battles ca
YAHOO SPORTS / NHL GMs attempt to solve mysteries of
goalie interference, diving
Winnipeg Jets
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Tonight: SHARKS @ JETS
Buff, Myers could be back on blue-line tonight: Cavalry
arrives in the nick of time
Maurice not tipping hand on choice of netminders
Jets Byfuglien, Myers could be in lineup against Sharks
Tuesday
It's Patricks' Day: Winnipeg clan has made major impact on
sporting scene for three generations
Post-game handshakes a symbol of how close this group of
Winnipeg Jets players has become
Byfuglien, Myers back on ice for Jets
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129
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Anaheim Ducks
What we learned from the Ducks' 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators
By Lance Pugmire
It starts with a stern talking-to by Coach Bruce Boudreau in the second
intermission. A third-period goal follows, and usually the home crowd’s
roaring captures the on-ice energy.
The Ducks almost have their comeback knack down to a formula, the latest
version coming in Sunday night’s 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators at
Honda Center.
Down 2-0 after the second period, with just three shots on goal to show for
those 20 minutes, the Ducks bombarded Predators standout goalie Pekka
Rinne with 15 shots in the third, tying the score and taking the lead in a
35-second span.
“You’d think at this point of the year we’d learn from it, but our effort in the
third period – if we play like that, we’re a very difficult team to handle,” Ducks
defenseman Cam Fowler said after scoring the final goal on a power-shot
through traffic.
Takeaway No. 1: Message sent.
How little do the Predators want any part of the Ducks after losing for not only
the eighth time in 10 games overall, but falling to 1-8 against Anaheim since
2012?
“It’s big,” Fowler said.
Forward Kyle Palmieri, who scored the tying goal, said the victory revealed
“the confidence we have, that we just have to play our game” to win.
Captain Ryan Getzlaf tried to keep things slightly subdued.
“We’re trying to just maintain. It’s another win against a good team, we take
confidence from that,” Getzlaf said. “We’ve got to keep getting better, play a
little better defensively.”
Takeaway No. 2: Lesson learned.
No one flexed their muscle in the third like big Ducks forward Patrick Maroon,
who was a healthy scratch in Minnesota on Friday when Matt Beleskey
returned from a shoulder injury and had gone 11 games without a point.
On Sunday, Maroon had a secondary assist to set up Getzlaf’s first goal and
the primary assist on Fowler’s capper. Maroon now has a career-high 30
points.
“When things aren’t going your way, it’s good to sit out,” Maroon said. “For
me, I just needed to play physical, protect pucks and create offense for my
linemates.
“I’ve been getting away from that, wasn’t playing good at all. I needed to find
that consistency like I did toward the end of the season last year. Bring it and
continue it going to the playoffs.”
Takeaway No. 3: Bringing it home.
The Ducks now have a 13-point lead in the Pacific Division over Vancouver,
which has 14 games remaining, while leading the Western Conference.
They have the same number of points as the New York Rangers, their
coming Sunday opponent and Eastern Conference leader, but New York has
played three fewer games.
“This made, for every team in our conference, tougher for them to catch us,”
Boudreau said. “Big two points at this stage.
“I’m still thinking divisional at this point.”
Takeaway No. 4: Silfverberg’s OK.
Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg crashed to the ice after missing a shot on an
empty net late in the third, skating in a gimpy manner to the bench.
After the game, Silfverberg was limping very lightly and said he was fine.
LA Times: LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Anaheim Ducks
What we learned from the Ducks' 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators
By Lance Pugmire
It starts with a stern talking-to by Coach Bruce Boudreau in the second
intermission. A third-period goal follows, and usually the home crowd’s
roaring captures the on-ice energy.
The Ducks almost have their comeback knack down to a formula, the latest
version coming in Sunday night’s 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators at
Honda Center.
Down 2-0 after the second period, with just three shots on goal to show for
those 20 minutes, the Ducks bombarded Predators standout goalie Pekka
Rinne with 15 shots in the third, tying the score and taking the lead in a
35-second span.
“You’d think at this point of the year we’d learn from it, but our effort in the
third period – if we play like that, we’re a very difficult team to handle,” Ducks
defenseman Cam Fowler said after scoring the final goal on a power-shot
through traffic.
Takeaway No. 1: Message sent.
How little do the Predators want any part of the Ducks after losing for not only
the eighth time in 10 games overall, but falling to 1-8 against Anaheim since
2012?
“It’s big,” Fowler said.
Forward Kyle Palmieri, who scored the tying goal, said the victory revealed
“the confidence we have, that we just have to play our game” to win.
Captain Ryan Getzlaf tried to keep things slightly subdued.
“We’re trying to just maintain. It’s another win against a good team, we take
confidence from that,” Getzlaf said. “We’ve got to keep getting better, play a
little better defensively.”
Takeaway No. 2: Lesson learned.
No one flexed their muscle in the third like big Ducks forward Patrick Maroon,
who was a healthy scratch in Minnesota on Friday when Matt Beleskey
returned from a shoulder injury and had gone 11 games without a point.
On Sunday, Maroon had a secondary assist to set up Getzlaf’s first goal and
the primary assist on Fowler’s capper. Maroon now has a career-high 30
points.
“When things aren’t going your way, it’s good to sit out,” Maroon said. “For
me, I just needed to play physical, protect pucks and create offense for my
linemates.
“I’ve been getting away from that, wasn’t playing good at all. I needed to find
that consistency like I did toward the end of the season last year. Bring it and
continue it going to the playoffs.”
Takeaway No. 3: Bringing it home.
The Ducks now have a 13-point lead in the Pacific Division over Vancouver,
which has 14 games remaining, while leading the Western Conference.
They have the same number of points as the New York Rangers, their
coming Sunday opponent and Eastern Conference leader, but New York has
played three fewer games.
“This made, for every team in our conference, tougher for them to catch us,”
Boudreau said. “Big two points at this stage.
“I’m still thinking divisional at this point.”
Takeaway No. 4: Silfverberg’s OK.
Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg crashed to the ice after missing a shot on an
empty net late in the third, skating in a gimpy manner to the bench.
After the game, Silfverberg was limping very lightly and said he was fine.
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Anaheim Ducks
Sitting inspires Ducks' Maroon to play harder
BY ERIC STEPHENS
2015-03-16 21:20:37
ANAHEIM – Sitting winger Pat Maroon for the first time this season as a
healthy scratch had the desired effect. Maroon, who didn’t play Friday in
Minnesota, used his size to dominate the Nashville Predators on Sunday on
the boards and in the corners, with his work keeping possession alive for the
Ducks.
Maroon got two third-period assists for his troubles, getting the secondary on
Ryan Getzlaf’s goal from Corey Perry and the primary on Cam Fowler’s
power-play score.
“When things aren’t going your way like that, I think it’s good for you to sit out
when you’re not playing that good,” Maroon said. “For me, I just need to go
out there and play physical. Protect pucks and create offense for my
linemates.
“I’ve been getting away from that the last 10 games. I wasn’t playing good at
all. I just got to continue that.”
Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau gave Maroon high marks for his game. The
two assists stopped a 10-game pointless streak.
“Well, he won the battles,” Boudreau said. “He won all the battles on the
boards and got two assists. Probably feels pretty good about himself
because he hadn’t had too much production lately. That’s the message we
were trying to send. It was a good message and he got it.”
The presence of addition Tomas Fleischmann can certainly serve as a
motivating factor. Fleischmann was scratched Sunday and Maroon jumped
on the opportunity. But it can’t be for just one game.
“I need to have the consistency like I did towards the end of the year last
year,” Maroon said. “I need to bring it and keep continuing going into the
playoffs.”
VATANEN TO RETURN?
Defenseman Sami Vatanen is expected to become available for
Wednesday’s game against the Kings, but it remains to be seen if Boudreau
will mess with a winning lineup and throw the Finnish puck mover in against
the Ducks’ rivals after a 14-game absence.
Vatanen’s power-play success is an obvious benefit and his right-hand shot
balances the defense corps. So where do you put him now that James
Wisniewski is aboard? You don’t want to mess with what’s now the top
pairing of Hampus Lindholm and Francois Beauchemin, so moving Simon
Despres and sliding either Wisniewski or Vatanen alongside Fowler seems
logical.
Except Despres has been pretty good so far. The likely scenario, though, is
moving him down and having him vie with Clayton Stoner for ice time, as
Stoner has lost playing time recently.
Vatanen’s impending return brings a 30-point scorer back on the blue line;
Fowler joined him there with his seventh goal to go along with 23 assists.
Lindholm had two assists and now has 32 points.
DEFENSEMAN SIGNED
The Ducks signed defenseman Brandon Montour to a three-year entry level
contract worth $832,500 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the American
Hockey League level.
Montour, 20, has three goals and 17 assists in 21 games with
Massachusetts-Amherst in his freshman season after starting the year with
the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks.
The smooth-skating, offensive-minded puck mover was the USHL player of
the year in 2013-14. A second-round pick of the Ducks in 2014, Montour is
the highest drafted player in UMass history at 55th overall.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Arizona Coyotes
Arizona Coyotes blanked by Los Angeles Kings
Sarah McLellan, azcentral sports 11:14 p.m. MST March 16, 2015
LOS ANGELES – Playoff implications hovered over only one team, but they
were so important that the intensity required seemed to be contagious.
At 79 points, the Kings sat only one point behind the Jets (80) for the final
wild-card berth in the Western Conference. And with only a six-point gap
between that spot and the 12th-placed team to start the night, the urgency to
bank as many points as possible was palpable and even seemed to fuel the
Coyotes.
They're jostling in a different pecking order, the one at the bottom of the
standings that will award the best draft lottery odds to the worst squad in the
league, but that didn't stop the Coyotes from keeping pace with the Kings for
much of Monday's 1-0 loss in front of 18,230 at Staples Center.
"I thought we competed hard," coach Dave Tippett said. "We need to make
some plays or compete in areas where you win pucks and beat somebody to
score in this game. We didn't win enough puck battles or make a play that
make a difference.
"Now that being said, there's lots of try in our group."
Box score: Kings 1, Coyotes 0
The Kings' Andy Andreoff finally resolved the goalie duel at 18:55 of the
second period when he converted his first career goal.
Smith was impressive, making 34 stops, while Jonathan Quick had 25 for the
Kings for his sixth shutout of the season, second in last three games and 37th
of his career to help catapult the Kings into that last playoff spot.
"Obviously, everyone knew what was on the line for them," said Smith, who
bumped his save percentage up to .900 with this performance. "We were
trying to play spoiler and didn't work out tonight."
Smith held off the Kings in the third, but that wasn't completely unusual.
Steady play from him has been the norm of late. So has an absentee offense
by the Coyotes.
This was the 10th time the Coyotes have been shut out this season, which is
the second-highest total in the entire league behind the Sabres (11). Ten
shutouts is also the worst in team history since the franchise relocated to the
Valley; 13 is the overall franchise record (1979-80).
And amid their last 16-game span that features 15 losses, the Coyotes have
scored only 19 times.
"It's unfortunate we couldn't get the play made we needed to get it equalized,"
Tippett said.
Their offense had a tough time getting going in this one, not reaching
double-digits in shots until the second period had already crossed the
midway point, but the entire team was doing enough to stymie the Kings –
even with the Kings going on the power play twice.
Overall, the Coyotes killed off all three Kings power plays.
"We have to play that type of game because we don't have a lot of scoring in
our lineup," captain Shane Doan said. "That's the way you have to play when
you're in that situation."
Give credit to Smith, whose positioning all night seemed to be on-point with
many pucks simply hitting him without requiring any further work from Smith.
And although there are glaring areas that need attention from the Coyotes,
Smith has continued to progress while going toe-to-toe with some of the
league's best netminders. The game was the fourth time in his last five
appearances that he's been tagged with two or fewer goals.
"Just tried to keep the team in it and give them a chance," Smith said. "Was
able to make some saves tonight and keep it close."
As the second period progressed, the Coyotes started to find more
offensive-zone time and had one of their best looks when a shot from Mark
Arcobello rang off the iron.
"We had two or three decent chances," Tippett said. "Arcobello hit the post
on the one, but we need to generate more. When you're struggling to score,
you need to generate more chances. To do that, you have to win puck battles
and you have to beat people. We're just not getting enough situations where
we beat somebody to create a chance."
Coach Dave Tippett, captain Shane Doan and goalie Mike Smith react to the
1-0 loss.
Unfortunately for the Coyotes, they weren't able to haul that momentum into
the third.
Defenseman John Moore lost his footing, giving Jordan Nolan ample time to
go 2-on-1 with Andreoff, and Andreoff sent the pass by Smith with only 1:05
remaining in the frame.
"Kind of a broken play in the neutral zone," Smith said. "Kind of got swatted
around there a few times and ended up in our end and ends up kind of
backdoor. I don't even think he meant to shoot it there. I think he fanned on it
there and gets through me. It's the only one they need. It's obviously
frustrating."
In the third, the Coyotes failed to organize a comeback. They had nine
shotsin the period and had a few testy shots on Quick on their second power
play once they were able to set up in the zone, but ultimately the Kings
weathered the pressure. The Coyotes finished 0-for-2 on the power play.
With the win, the Kings took the season series (3-0-1).
"When you haven't scored in a long time, for some of the players in here you
tend to try too hard," Smith said. "You're squeezing your stick a little tight, and
I think guys are frustrated with it. It's not a lack of try. Guys are trying and
want to score. Sometimes getting out of these lulls in goal scoring is about
Key player
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the
season.
Key moment
The Kings went up 1-0 with only 1:05 left in the second period when Andy
Andreoff finished off a 2-on-1.
Key number
0 goals by the Coyotes for the 10th time this season.
View from the press box
The Coyotes didn't look completely out of place next to the Kings, and that's
what makes the offensive drought so troubling. Imagine if they had been able
to capitalize on their power play or have any of their couple quality looks on
Quick go in. A win wouldn't have been unrealistic. But the lack of finish just
reinforces the fact that this group has work to do to become a polished
product.
Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Arizona Coyotes
Young Coyotes defense still under evaluation
LOS ANGELES – The shakeup at the trade deadline executed by the
Coyotes affected their blue line the most, injecting even more youth while
losing veteran experience, and that's turned the remaining games on the
schedule into an audition of sorts for future roles.
But amid all this change, the defense – along with goalie Mike Smith – has
kept the Coyotes in the bulk of games.
Before encountering the Kings Monday, the Coyotes had lost only twice by a
three-goal margin since the March 2 trade deadline. During both of those
games, the other team didn't pull away until the third period, which may be
more emblematic of the inexperience that's infiltrated the entire team and not
just the back end.
In the other four games, the Coyotes didn't give up more than two goals.
Actually, that's the first time this season the Coyotes have had a stretch like
that and, again, Smith is a factor. But considering the defense is in evaluation
mode, there's some positives to be gleaned.
"The whole identify of our group is to have fewer shots-against, fewer scoring
chances-against, work with Smitty and get a real good consistent game from
our defense, and that's what we're hoping to develop through the end of the
year," said associate coach Jim Playfair, who overlooks the blue line.
The Coyotes are currently carrying seven defenseman and want to gauge all
of them. That meant Andrew Campbell, who has earned praise from both
coach Dave Tippett and Playfair, took a seat Monday for the first time since a
late January call-up.
His 23 straight appearances was his longest stint in the NHL after spending
six seasons with the Kings' minor-league affiliate.
"We're in evaluation mode," said Tippett, who acknowledged it was tough to
sit Campbell against his former team. "We're trying to look at everybody, put
everybody in situations where you see how they react. That's just how it's
going to continue to go."
So Brandon Gormley took a turn Monday, only his second game since the
moves at the deadline. The Coyotes find it important to keep giving Gormley
opportunity because they view him, along with Connor Murphy, in this
category of young defensemen needing to instill a strong defending style into
their repertoire.
"They have to be able to defend against top players," Playfair said. "They
have to be able to get stopped-up in their own zone. They just have to
understand the consistency we need is to be good defensively."
The rest of the crew is somewhat more settled.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the offensive sparkplug who is also a solid
defender, and Michael Stone has developed into more of a rugged presence
next to him.
John Moore is a strong skater with some versatility. Klas Dahlbeck and
Campbell offer stay-at-home reliability.
Really, the emergence of Dahlbeck and Campbell has helped make those
duties for everyone else clearer.
"The fact that we've got Dahlbeck and Campbell in real defined roles as
defenders, it's given our group a little bit more of an identity back there,"
Playfair said.
And while that's progress this season, it doesn't necessarily mean those job
descriptions will still be relevant next season. The Coyotes could definitely
age their blue line during the offseason by dipping into the free-agent market
or making more trades, and the current staff is well-aware of that.
"You gotta prove … that you want to be a part of it," Gormley said. "It's an
exciting time for young guys. As a young player coming in the league, it's
going to be an exciting team to grow with and build with. I think you gotta earn
that, and what's what the last few games are here (for)."
Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Arizona Coyotes
Game Day: Coyotes take on Kings in Los Angeles
Potential scratches: Campbell.
Injury update: Center Martin Hanzal (back surgery) and winger Mikkel
Boedker (spleen surgery) are on injured reserve.
Potential scratches: Stoll and McBain.
Injury update: Forwards Jarret Stoll (upper-body) and Tanner Pearson
(lower-body) and defenseman Alec Martinez (upper-body).
On the Kings:
"Certainly a great challenge," coach Dave Tippett said. "You've got a team
competing hard to get into the playoffs and a team like ours, there's a lot of
players under evaluation. So we'll see where they fit in the organization.
"L.A.'s going to play their style. They're going to come hard and hungry on the
forecheck. We have to have players that are willing to compete in the hard
areas of the game if we're going to have a chance to win."
On the rivalry between these two teams:
"I think rivalries are built in the playoffs," Tippett said. "We played a good
series against these guys three years ago, but we're a long way from that.
We got players that are playing to survive in the league not just to survive a
playoff race or a playoff series. I expect our team to play hard, compete
hard."
Defenseman Brandon Gormley will play in place of Andrew Campbell.
"He has to compete hard in battles," Tippett said of Gormley. "He has to get
to battles and compete hard, not lose battles in front of the net. Those are the
areas we really want to see if he can go into those battles and win enough."
-Captain Shane Doan leads all Coyotes forwards in average ice time (18:40)
and shots (157).
-Doan has 77 points in 100 career games against the Kings.
-Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has five points in eight previous games
against the Kings.
-Goalie Mike Smith is 11-4-1 with two shutouts, a 2.26 goals-against average
and .925 save percentage in 17 career games against the Kings.
-The Kings are 23-4-7 when scoring first.
-They're 8-2 against the Coyotes in their last 10 meetings at Staples Center.
-Los Angeles is 11-4-6 against the Pacific Division.
-The Kings' power play on home ice (22.4 percent) is seventh in the NHL.
foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Boston Bruins
Bruins’ Milan Lucic picking up pace playing with youngsters
By Amalie BenjaminGlobe Staff March 17, 2015
Because when he’s skating, Lucic finds room. He has space to make things
happen, for himself and his linemates. That’s the idea, and that’s what has
generally happened.
“I think that’s why I put a lot of emphasis on my skating night in, night out, and
I think that’s why Claude is always on me to have my feet moving and stuff
like that,” Lucic said. “It’s always been probably the biggest part of my game
for having my game going the way that it needs to be going.
“Just got to keep doing it.”
WASHINGTON – The narrative was that without David Krejci, Milan Lucic
would be lost. He played better with his security blanket at center, a player
who made him and the team better in equal doses.
But since Feb. 20, that hasn’t been an option. Krejci went down with a partial
tear of the MCL in his left knee, costing him 4-6 weeks. Lucic, it seemed,
would be back to where he had been during Krejci’s previous absences —
nearly invisible.
That hasn’t happened, with Lucic scoring four goals and adding four assists
in the 11 games since Krejci has been out of the lineup, buoyed by the speed
of Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak.
Spooner and Pastrnak have gotten Lucic skating, forcing him to move his
legs, to turn around a season stuck in neutral.
“This young line that he’s with is a real good skating line, and we’ve always
said when Looch skates, that’s when he’s at his best,” Bruins coach Claude
Julien said. “Those guys have probably forced him to skate even more.
“[Krejci] is a guy that will slow down the pace of the game, make great plays,
and when he’s got some good wingers with him he’ll feed them on the fly.
Right now with Looch it’s about keeping up to those young, quick legs that’s
on his line, and it’s really helped his game a lot.”
It’s not like this is a revelation. Lucic tries to work on his skating and speed in
his offseason training regimen. With Krejci, Lucic is not forced to pick up the
pace in the same way he is with Spooner and Pastrnak alongside him, given
Krejci’s tendency to keep the game at a slightly more moderate pace.
That — plus the easier defensive responsibilities than he’s used to getting —
has produced a line that has produced. It has pushed Lucic’s numbers (15
goals, 39 points in 68 games) into the realm of acceptable from the depths of
earlier in the season.
“A lot of people don’t view my game as a skating game, but when I’m skating,
that’s when I’m most effective, and when I’m moving my feet,” Lucic said.
“We talk about that straight-line type of hockey, but you can only play that if
your legs are going and it seems to be the reason why I’ve had success of
late, playing with these guys.
“But on the other hand, Krech does like to slow the game down and all that
type of stuff. I figured out playing with him how to get my feet moving and stuff
like that with him in the past. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked out that great for
both of us this year, but I think if you’re looking at it right now, I think it is a
good thing playing that type of style, that quick-skating game. It’s definitely
gotten me more involved than I had been earlier on in the season.”
With Krejci in the lineup, Lucic scored eight goals and had 17 assists in 37
games. That’s .68 points per game. Without his new line, Lucic is averaging
.73 points per game, albeit in a much smaller sample size (11 games).
Lucic, despite his recent success, lamented the fact that Krejci has been
injured for so much of this season, playing just 38 games total. As he said,
“Who knows where I’d be at if he was healthy all year? I definitely miss him.”
But Lucic couldn’t deny the uptick in his play with Spooner as his center, the
differences it has made to his game. Differences that, perhaps, he might
carry over when he will likely be reunited with Krejci at the end of the season
or in the playoffs, though Julien has yet to commit to a lineup when Krejci
returns.
“Sometimes you can overthink about how many goals and assists and points
you want to end up with,” Lucic said. “Sometimes that mind-set gets you into
trouble.
“You’re not doing the little things and the right things that gets you the goals
and assists and points.
“I just said to myself, ‘Just forget about all that and go out there and play and
do what you do and hopefully it can contribute to the team.’ ”
It has.
Boston Globe LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Boston Bruins
“I’d still love to have had a healthy Krejci all year. Who knows where I’d be at
if he was healthy all year. I definitely miss him,. But Spoons has definitely
[done] a good job fitting in since he’s been up here as of late.”
Where does David Krejci fit on Bruins when he returns?
For his part, Spooner is trying to not to ponder what Krejci’s return might
mean for him.
Monday, March 16, 2015
“I’m trying not to think about it,” he said. “I’m just trying to play well. I think
they’ve always had the mindset here that if a player plays well, then they’ll
make a spot for you. I’m just trying to help the team.”
Stephen Harris
WASHINGTON – It seems a little odd to say it, but when center David Krejci
returns to the Bruins lineup in the next week or so, coach Claude Julien may
very well have a difficult decision to make on how to use him.
After falling short in a 2-0 loss to the Capitals Sunday that ended their
season-saving points streak at 7-0-1, the B’s got a day off Monday. They get
back to work Tuesday in advance of a Garden visit by the Buffalo Sabres.
It’s possible that Krejci, who has been sidelined with a partially torn left knee
MCL since Feb. 20, will be ready to rejoin the team for practice soon. It is four
weeks today since he was hurt, and the initial prognosis was that he’d be out
4-6 weeks.
It may not be unreasonable to speculate Krejci could be ready to play by this
weekend’s back-to-back games in Florida.
But on what line?
Given the play of Krejci’s replacement, Ryan Spooner (3-5—8 in the last nine
games), it’s hard to imagine Julien just automatically plugging Krejci back
onto the line with Milan Lucic and David Pastrnak.
Would the coach really want to mess with the threesome whose speed and
offensive prowess have spurred the team’s recent surge? When the B’s have
needed a goal lately, it’s been the Spooner line on the ice.
Besides, what would Julien do with Spooner? Give him a seat in the press
box? Play him as the fourth-line center and a power play guy? Hand him the
third-line job in place of Carl Soderberg, who hasn’t scored a goal in 23
games?
Or just leave him where he is.
It may be that Krejci is the one who’s going to have to relocate, at least
temporarily. How about David Krejci, right wing?
For Julien there may be more to the Krejci/Spooner decision than just the
talents of those two players. He also has to take into consideration the fact
that Lucic has been a more effective player in recent weeks as he played with
the two youngsters. Both kids play a high-speed style – and maybe force
Lucic to play at their tempo.
“Right now, this young line he’s with is a real good skating line,” said Julien.
“We’ve always said when Looch skates, that’s when he’s at his best. Those
guys have probably forced him to skate even more.
“David is a guy who will slow down the pace of the game and make good
plays. When he’s got good wingers with him he will feed them on the fly.
Right now with Looch it’s about keeping up with those young, quick legs on
his line. It’s helped his game a lot.”
Lucic is quick to defend Krejci as a great linemate. But he also acknowledges
that the speed and enthusiasm of his young lineys have helped him.
“A lot of people don’t view my game as a skating game,” said Lucic. “But
when I’m skating, that’s when I’m most effective -- when I’m moving my feet
and (playing) that straight-line kind of hockey you can only play if your legs
are going.”
Pushing the pace has made Lucic a more effective forechecker and
playmaker. It’s actually kind of funny to see how much room defenders give
him when he’s bearing down on them at high speed. In his last eight games,
he’s had 3-4—7 totals.
“It seems to be the reason why I’ve had success as of late, playing with these
guys,” he said. “On the other hand, Krech does like to slow the game down. I
figured out playing with him how to get my feet going in the past.
Unfortunately it hasn’t worked out that great for both of us this year.
“But I think if you’re looking at right now, it is a good thing playing that type of
style, that quick skating game. It’s definitely gotten me more involved than I
had been earlier in the season.
He has helped the team, and Lucic, and it will be very interesting to see what
spot Julien has in mind for him.
Boston Herald LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Boston Bruins
What we learned: There are tiring times for Bruins
March 16, 2015, 1:45 pm
Joe Haggerty
Here’s what we learned from the Bruins' 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals
at the Verizon Arena on Sunday night.
1) Chalk it up to their aging legs or just the wear and tear of a regular-season
schedule that’s been a bit challenging, but the Bruins definitely had some
issues with energy playing their third game in four days on Sunday night.
They're now 4-7-1 this year when playing their third game in four days, and
have also struggled in the second game of back-to-backs. It was apparent
the Bruins had no jump right out of the starting gate, as the Capitals pounced
all over them, and once they were down 2-0 they didn't have enough bounce
in their legs to try and climb back into the game. Blaming anything on the
schedule is akin to excuse-making, but it’s clear the B’s struggle in these “dig
down deep” situations in ways they never did in the past. It's doubly true
when coming off a couple of high intensity games, like the wins over Tampa
Bay (on Thursday) and Pittsburgh (on Saturday) that took a bit out of them.
2) There were plenty of critics of Brad Marchand in the wake of his first-period
penalty, but I won’t be one of them. Marchand didn’t like 6-foot-4 Tom Wilson
cleaning out 5-foot-11 Ryan Spooner with a hit that looked like interference to
me, so then the 5-foot-9 fire plug jumped Wilson from behind and tackled him
into the crease. He then gave Wilson some vigorous face washes for good
measure. He was called for roughing on the play, but it was an instance
where a veteran showed leadership by standing up for one ofhis skilled
young teammates. He also sent a message to Wilson to “cut the crap” about
running around on the B’s, and Wilson did slow down after that for the rest of
the game. Unfortunately it also resulted in the highly rated Caps' PP scoring
on the B’s almost as soon as Marchand went to the penalty box. That was
unfortunate, but it’s also one of those instances where the PK needs to get a
kill to support what a player did in a show of leadership. Anybody bashing
Marchand for sticking up for Spooner might have a tough time understanding
the team dynamic.
3) Braden Holtby is the Bruins’ daddy. The Caps' goalie has a 126:13
scoreless streak dating back to last year against them, and he’s the first
goaltender since Henrik Lundqvist in 2007-08 to pitch multiple shutouts
against the Bruins in the same season. He’s now 6-2 with a 1.80
goals-against average and a .948 save percentage in his regular-season
meetings vs. Boston, and also authored the 2012 first-round playoff series
win against the B’s as well. That makes him a certified Bruins killer, even if he
does take his mask off way too much during the game to shake that mane of
hair around for the TV audience at home. It’s a hockey game, not a fashion
show.
PLUS
-- Nicklas Backstrom assisted on both of Washington’s goals, and set a new
franchise record with his 419th career assist. Interestingly enough, Alex
Ovechkin is right behind Backstrom with 418 career assists with the Caps,
but he doesn’t pile up the helpers as quickly as the playmaking Swede.
MINUS
-- Reilly Smith has a paltry one assist in six games since signing that big
two-year contract extension. He needs to start earning that big money.
-- Two shots on net for the third line of Chris Kelly, Carl Soderberg and Loui
Eriksson, including a couple of swing-and-misses from Eriksson on a puck in
front of the net during a third-period power play. Soderberg has no goals in
his last 23 games. What an epic drought for the Big Swede.
-- The refs missed a cross check to the side of Patrice Bergeron’s head from
Evgeny Kuznetsov midway through the game. That was kind of a big one to
let slide.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Boston Bruins
Morning Skate: Keep it simple, stupid
March 16, 2015, 12:30 pm
Joe Haggerty
Joe Haggerty's daily spin around the world of hockey . . . and beyond:
-- An interesting look at how the fancy stats community is doing itself a bit of a
disservice with an inability to communicate a simple message to go along
with the bar graphs and pie charts. I give James Mirtle a lot of credit for being
writer that’s able to write clearly and well about relevant fancy stats, but most
of it just reminds me of the high school math classes that made me want to be
a sports writer in the first place.
-- Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray will be honored by his fellow general
managers during the GM Meetings in Boca Raton, Florida.
-- The transformation to the Hamburglar is complete after Andrew Hammond
had a hamburger thrown at him during his last win in Ottawa.
-- Mike Giardi and yours truly answer your Twitter questions about the Bruins
on the Great American Hockey Show.
-- There’s no reason for the Toronto Maple Leafs to call up William Nylander
until the mess is cleaned up there.
-- The fans in Montreal might not like Michel Therrien very much, but the
Habs coach just keeps on winning.
-- Good piece from FOH (Friend of Haggs) Jill Sorenson about the
long-distance relationship between Braden Holtby and Olie Kolzig.
-- For something completely different: Charles Barkley joins Bill Simmons on
the BS Report. I’d say that’s worth a listen.
769893
Boston Bruins
All Bruins to participate in Cuts for a Cause charity
March 16, 2015, 12:15 pm
Joe Haggerty
In a great gesture, the Bruins will have 100 percent player participation in
"Cuts for a Cause" for the first time in the charity event's eight-year history.
Forward Patrice Bergeron, during a phone call to the Toucher & Rich radio
show, made the announcement Monday. The eighth annual "Cuts for a
Cause" event, in which participants have their heads shaved to raise money
for the Boston Bruins Foundation and Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts
Medical Center, will be held on Tuesday, March 24 from 4:30-6 p.m. at the
Boston Park Plaza Hotel.
For the first time ever, all the Bruins will have their heads shaved by auction
winners. \
This is the first year Bergeron is hosting the event; in seasons past, the
charity was led by Aaron Ward and Shawn Thornton, both of whom no longer
play for Boston.
Bergeron told Toucher and Rich it wasn’t the notoriously well-coiffed Tuukka
Rask who was the most hesitant about shaving his head this time around, but
Loui Eriksson. Said Bergeron: "Loui's got the best hair on the team, so it was
hard for me to get him, but he's in.”
In addition to the B’s players, 98.5 The Sports Hub personalities Mike Felger,
Tony Massarotti, and "Big" Jim Murray will also have their heads shaved
during an upcoming broadcast of the Felger & Mazz show, as will Fred
Toucher, Rich Shertenlieb and Adolfo Gonzalez of Toucher & Rich.
Bruin fans can bid on the opportunity to shave the head of their favorite
player by visiting bostonbruins.com/cutsforacause. The bidding began today
at 10 a.m., with auction winners also receiving admission to the VIP session
from 3-4 p.m., where they will meet the players on the event floor.
Fans can purchase tickets to the event, hosted by Bergeron along with
Toettcher and Shertenlieb of Toucher & Rich, at
bostonbruins.com/cutsforacause. General admission tickets are available for
$30 (price does not include processing fees).
Over the past seven years the Cuts for a Cause event has raised over
$360,000 for charity.
769894
Boston Bruins
March 16, 2015, 6:30 am
STAFF REPORTS
With David Krejci out with an injury, Ryan Spooner has stepped into his spot
and thrived on a line with Milan Lucic and David Pastrnak.
When the skilled Czech center returns he will return to his rightful place on
that line, right?
Joe Haggerty and Mike Giardi discussed how the Bruins should adjust their
lines when David Krejci returns from injury.
769895
Boston Bruins
Goucher: Will riding Rask come back to haunt Bruins?
March 17, 2015, 1:30 am
Dave Goucher
Tuukka Rask has played quite a bit of hockey this season.
The Bruins goaltender has been in-between the pipes in 58 games for the
Black and Gold and with his team making a final push for the playoffs many
wonder how much he'll have left in the tank.
Dave Goucher joined Sports Tonight to give his take on whether riding Rask
throughout the regular season will come back to haunt the Bruins.
769896
Buffalo Sabres
Green during the second period after being overly aggressive, made 35
saves in his sixth straight appearance in the Buffalo crease.
Sabres make a capital point
“I was happy with our effort. We competed from Lindy all the way out,” said
Ennis, who turned his attention to Tuesday’s game in Boston. “It’s a quick
turnaround. We’ve got to carry the strong, competitive play over.”
By John Vogl
Buffalo News LOADED: 03.17.2015
on March 16, 2015 - 11:51 PM
The Sabres desperately wanted a do-over with Washington. They felt a 6-1
loss 10 days ago wasn’t representative of what they could do against the
Capitals. They were tired and sluggish after arriving in the capital during the
wee hours of the morning for the second game of a back-to-back, and they
say Washington’s leaders rubbed the loss in their faces.
Buffalo got its chance for revenge Monday. It will have to wait until next
season for full payback, but the Sabres earned back some respect.
Washington, the team playing for the second straight night this time, used its
potent power play and a shootout goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov to down the
Sabres, 4-3. The crowd in First Niagara Center saw the Sabres’ winless
streak reach seven games (0-5-2).
“That was a stinker last time we were in Washington,” Sabres right wing Tyler
Ennis said. “They had their No. 1 unit out when it was 5-1 and they scored to
make it 6-1, and they celebrated pretty hard. We were a little bitter about that.
It would have been nice to beat them.”
Instead of a five-goal blowout, the teams went to overtime for the fourth
straight time in Buffalo. The Sabres obviously played a much more
competitive game in front of an announced sellout of 19,070, but trips to the
penalty box hurt.
“They had two power-play chances, got two goals,” defenseman Rasmus
Ristolainen said. “We played better than last time against these guys, but still
losses are always losses. It’s tough right now. It would be nice to win games.”
Buffalo had a shot at victory as the teams entered the third period tied, 2-2.
The officials whistled Nikita Zadorov for delay of game after he flipped the
puck over the glass. Fellow defensemen Andre Benoit and Tyson Strachan
followed by backing off Kuznetsov, allowing the forward to skate to the top of
the circles and rip a screen shot home with 14:05 to play.
The Sabres answered with 6:10 left. Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, called up
from Rochester earlier in the day with Zach Bogosian and Andrej Meszaros
absent due to injury, sent a shot toward the net that Johan Larsson tipped for
his third goal in four games.
“He put it in my wheelhouse,” Larsson said.
The Sabres, who came in averaging 1.8 goals per game, scored twice in the
opening 10:08 to take a 2-1 lead. The first goal was a beauty, the second was
luck.
Ennis, who has a history of excelling against the Capitals, worked a sweet
give-and-go with Ristolainen to start the scoring with 5:02 gone. With extra
room during a power play, Ennis started the play with shifty moves from his
newly created point spot before feeding Ristolainen. The defenseman,
playing his 100th game, saw Ennis get open and found him for an easy goal.
“That power-play goal they scored was one of the prettier goals we scored all
year,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. “Tyler’s just so creative, and we needed
a guy back there who can play the whole two minutes. He did a pretty good
job.”
Buffalo got the power play after Alex Ovechkin showed his feisty side. After
Sabres defenseman Mike Weber rode Nicklas Backstrom into the boards,
Ovechkin jumped Weber. The scuffle between the two resulted in an extra
two-minute roughing call to the Great Eight.
Washington answered during its own power play as Curtis Glencross
cleaned up a carom in front. Acquired from Calgary at the deadline,
Glencross has four goals in seven games with the Caps.
Just 45 seconds later, Cody Hodgson put Buffalo in the lead with help from
goalie Braden Holtby. Hodgson floated a soft backhand to the net, and
Holtby’s save sent the puck high into the air. As the players looked around for
it to come down, it struck Holtby in the back and bounced into the net.
The Sabres, who were averaging 23.1 shots per game, took 15 during the
first period and finished with 33. Goalie Anders Lindback, beaten by Mike
769897
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres’ Hackett returns to scene of personal injury
By Mike Harrington +
on March 16, 2015 - 11:51 PM
Just over 11 months after a serious knee injury derailed his career, Matt
Hackett returns to TD Garden in Boston to exorcise some personal demons.
Hackett is expected to get the start in goal for the Sabres for Tuesday night’s
game against the Boston Bruins (7:30 p.m., NBCSN, Radio 550 AM). It was
in the same building on April 12, 2014 that Hackett suffered a torn anterior
cruciate ligament in a goalmouth collision that included former Buffalo
defenseman Jamie McBain.
“It would be fun,” Hackett said prior to Monday’s game against Washington,
before coach Ted Nolan confirmed the assignment. “I would treat it like
another game. Obviously it wasn’t a whole lot of fun the last game there but I
like to play. I’d like to get that call.”
“When you get bucked off that certain horse, it’s nice to jump right back on
where the horse bucked you off,” Nolan said. “It was just one of those freaky
things that happened. We know Boston is a tough place to play no matter
what. Hopefully he’ll have a good result this time.”
Hackett was out nearly eight months and has spent most of the season in
Rochester (7-4-3, 2.72 goals-against average, .907 save percentage). He
has played two up-and-down games for the Sabres.
Hackett was strong while giving up four goals in a 5-2 loss to Vancouver on
Jan. 30 that was capped by an empty-netter but was pulled after giving up
four goals in 33 minutes in a 6-1 loss March 7 at Washington. That leaves
him with a 5.22 goals-against average and .867 save percentage in Buffalo
thus far.
Still, this is about far more than numbers. Hackett admitted Monday the injury
frightened him when he began to ponder his long-term future.
“It’s almost a year and I’m feeling almost back to normal now,” he said.
“Sometimes you get a little bit sore but I’m really happy to be back in the
league. An injury like that, you’re never sure what’s going to happen, you’re
never sure what way your career is going to go. As a goalie, you’re up and
down so much on your knees. That’s a pretty tough injury to go through but
I’m happy with the work I’ve done and I’ve worked hard to compete.”
According to French-language TVA Sports, Sabres General Manager Tim
Murray has told his counterparts at the league’s spring GM meetings in Boca
Raton, Fla., that he’s willing to trade his second first-round pick this year in
the right deal.
That’s consistent to what Murray told Buffalo reporters on trade deadline day:
One first-round pick was sent to Winnipeg for Evander Kane, and the other
could be in play as well, perhaps for a goaltender Murray sees as a potential
starter next season.
Murray was on hand for a dinner Monday night to honor his uncle, Ottawa
Senators GM Bryan Murray. The elder Murray, now 72, is battling Stage 4
colon cancer. A different GM is honored each year but rarely is the honoree a
sitting executive.
An exception is being made for Bryan Murray. Tim Murray told the Canadian
Press he did not plan on speaking at the dinner.
“No, I would not be able to do it,” he said. “Frankly, one Murray crying in there
will be enough.”
Defenseman Zach Bogosian and Andrej Meszaros both sat out and Nolan
said they were going to need further re-evaluation of their injuries. He
expected they will both miss a few more games. Bogosian has a lower-body
injury and Meszaros has a nagging hand problem.
Chad Ruhwedel came up from Rochester to make his season debut in a
Buffalo uniform after playing 28 games for Buffalo over the last two seasons.
He has eight goals, 23 assists and a plus-1 rating in 59 games for Rochester
this year.
Ruhwedel, who played Monday with Nikita Zadorov, admitted it was
frustrating to spend the entire season in the AHL but understood the Sabres
had him on a development path along with fellow bluelines Mark Pysyk and
Jake McCabe.
“There’s a lot of things going on in the organization and you just try to play the
best you can every time you’re there,” Ruhwedel said before the game. “But
it’s really more important for the team to have success because everyone
gets noticed and that’s been disappointing that we haven’t.”
Ruhwedel gave plenty of plaudits to Amerks captain Drew Bagnall, who has
played only two NHL games in his career with Minnesota in 2011 but has
played nearly 500 games in the AHL.
“I learned a lot. I’ve been with him two years now and he’s one of the better
captains I’ve had,” Ruhwedel said of Bagnall, 31. “He’s vocal. He’ll tell you
when you can be better but he’ll also blow your tires when you’re playing well.
He’s definitely helped a lot of guys grow down there and it’s really starting to
show.”
Ruhwedel, who grew up in San Diego, was signed as a college free agent out
of Mass.-Lowell following his school’s run to the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four. He
played in the memorable Sabres game in Boston two days following the
Marathon bombings that spring and will get another chance there Tuesday.
“It’s weird how Boston comes around,” Ruhwedel said of his callups. “I tend
to get to play there which is always cool for me.”
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen played his 100th career game. ...
Cody Hodgson had two goals in his first 56 games -- and now has three goals
in his last nine. .. The Sabres led after one period for just the 15th time in 69
games ... Buffalo is 3-11-1 in the second half of back-to-backs, the scenario it
will face in Boston.
Buffalo News LOADED: 03.17.2015
769898
Buffalo Sabres
Injuries on Sabres blue line prompt recall of Ruhwedel
Kevin Oklobzija, Staff writer 12:46 p.m. EDT March 16, 2015
Rochester Americans defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has joined the Buffalo
Sabres on emergency recall and will play tonight against the Washington
Capitals at First Niagara Center.
Injuries to Zach Bogosian and Andrej Meszaros left the Sabres with only five
healthy defensemen.
Ruhwedel played 21 games for the Sabres a year ago but this is his first
promotion of the 2014-15 season.
He has been a mainstay in the Amerks defense, especially when Mark Pysyk
has been on recall or injured, and most recently when his partner, Jake
McCabe, also got hurt.
In 59 games, the 24-year-old San Diego native has produced 8 goals, 23
assists and 31 points, ranking fifth on the team in scoring. He has 1 assist in
28 career NHL games.
Pysyk is expected to return to game action on Friday, when the Amerks play
at Utica. He has been out since his Feb. 28 collapse and subsequent hospital
visit while playing 3-on-3 basketball with teammates.
Pysyk began workouts and skating last week and he has been given
clearance to participate in full-contact practice this week.
McCabe also could play this weekend when the Amerks have three games:
Friday at Utica, Saturday at Toronto and home Sunday against the Comets.
McCabe has been sidelined with what is presumed to be a concussion after
he was hit with a crushing open-ice check from Darren Archibald in a March 4
game at Utica.
The Amerks have loaned forwards Kevin Sundher and Allan McPherson to
ECHL Elmira to play in tonight's game against Toledo. They will come right
back up afterward.
NHL general managers are meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., and discussing the
possible adoption of three-vs.-three overtime.
The success for that format this season in the AHL should be all the
testimony needed for the NHL to welcome it into the rule book next season.
The number of OT games in the AHL is nearly identical year over year: 24.1
percent this season compared to 24.1 percent a year ago.
But in 2013-14, just 97 of 275 OT games ended during the five-minute
four-on-four overtime period (which the NHL uses now). A ridiculous 178
went to the skills-competition.
This season, in 224 OT games, just 53 have gone to the shootout. Of the 171
games that ended with an overtime goal, 98 came during four-on-four play
and 73 were decided in the three-on-three format.
The AHL overtime period is seven minutes maximum. Manpower shifts from
four-on-four to three-on-three at the first whistle after the clock shows 4:00
remaining
Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 03.17.2015
769899
Calgary Flames
Russell the workhorse Flames have needed after Giordano went down
Kristen Odland,
Published on: March 16, 2015
Last Updated: March 16, 2015 7:48 PM MDT
streak with two goals and six assists — and should have been an easy pick
for the NHL’s first star of the week (which was awarded to Flames forward Jiri
Hudler instead).
Russell’s work ethic became very apparent to Bob Hartley early on.
“A farm boy,” said the Flames head coach, chuckling. “I remember when I
was coaching in junior and I’d do interviews with kids and ask, ‘What does
your dad do?’ And every time they’d tell me, ‘He’s a farmer,’ I can tell you I’d
circle that kid. Very rarely have I been disappointed about this. Milk cows.
Pick stones. I think every kid should do this.
“He’s a good farm boy turning into a warrior for us.”
When Kris Russell joined the Calgary Flames in the summer of 2013, the
situation was never guaranteed or written in his modest contract.
Confidence, the player says, has been a big reason why he’s been able to
succeed this year.
Just like everyone else in the dressing room before the 2013-14 National
Hockey League season, Jay Feaster, the team’s general manager at the
time, explained that the defenceman had to earn his ice time.
“That’s the main thing,” said Russell who, coincidentally, skates in his 500th
NHL game on Tuesday against the Blues. “Coming to a new organization
with a fresh start, I was just trying to earn everything I could and continuing to
try to get better.”
Which suited the former Medicine Hat Tiger just fine.
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.17.2015
“I think that’s what you want as a player,” Russell said after Monday’s skate
as the Flames prepared to face his former NHL team, the St. Louis Blues, on
Tuesday. “Obviously there were some holes in (the Flames’) roster and they
told guys from the get-go: ‘You have to earn your spot here. It doesn’t matter
who you are.’ As a player that’s all you can really ask for, a chance to earn
your spot … I’ve been thankful for the opportunity I’ve got here.”
Very quickly, the Flames committed to Russell midway through his first
campaign in Calgary and signed him to a two-year contract worth an average
annual value of $2.6-million per year. The deal sees him in a Flames jersey
until the end of the 2015-16 season.
Fast-forward through 135 games and the 27-year-old son of a bull-fighter
from Caroline, Alta., has definitely earned his ice time.
Can’t get enough of it, actually.
Russell and his defence partner Dennis Wideman has seen their workload
increase significantly due to the unfortunate injury to Flames captain Mark
Giordano back on Feb. 25. Since then, Russell has seen his total on-ice
presence increase by five to 10 minutes per night.
“I think Russ, since he’s been here, he’s been great,” Wideman said. “He
didn’t have a big role in St. Louis when he was there. He came in here and I
think he’s always been that good; he’s just gotten a good opportunity to play
here. He’s obviously having a great year and has stepped up in the last little
bit here.”
In eight games without Giordano, Russell has only played one night under 26
minutes (22:08 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6). His busiest
game was a 32:22 outing at Boston on March 5 when he also added 15 (!)
blocked shots.
“I think if you ask every player (and they think) they don’t play enough,” joked
Russell who is listed at five-foot-10 and 175 pounds but leads the league in
shots blocked (237). “Any time you get an opportunity to play more minutes,
it’s good. But at the same time it’s a responsibility, too, the more you play.
You can’t take shifts off and have to be ready every shift … but I think any
role at this time of the year is fun, it’s why we play.”
Truth be told, the role is nothing new for Russell.
During the 2006-07 Western Hockey League season, he helped the Tigers to
a Memorial Cup championship and played well into the springtime. In the
end, he had played 27 post-season games on top of 59 regular season
games for Willie Desjardins in Medicine Hat and won gold at the 2007 World
Juniors in Sweden. Ice time is a stat that is not kept in junior hockey, but it’s
safe to say he didn’t leave the ice often.
“He was great,” said Flames defenceman David Schlemko, a Tigers
teammate of Russell during the 2007 Memorial Cup run. “Going to the Mem
Cup, it’s a lot of games — four playoff series and then there’s the tournament.
I don’t think he really lost a stride and it’s kind of the same now. He’s playing
27 or 28 minutes a game and he looks great out there. Sometimes the more
minutes you get, it kind of takes a toll … but he can always skate his way out
of trouble. He’s a real smart player.”
With the added ice time has come opportunities.
Prior to Friday’s game at Toronto and Saturday at Colorado when he was
kept off the scoresheet both nights, Russell was riding a four-game points
769900
Calgary Flames
Flames brace for meaningful contest vs. St. Louis Blues
Kristen Odland,
T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues skates against Dennis Wideman of the
Calgary Flames during their last meeting this season, on Oct. 11, 2014 in St.
Louis. Expectations were a lot different then for the Flames, who weren't
seen as the playoff contenders they are now.
T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues skates against Dennis Wideman of the
Calgary Flames during their last meeting this season, on Oct. 11, 2014 in St.
Louis. Expectations were a lot different then for the Flames, who weren't
seen as the playoff contenders they are now.
There was no snow on the ground, the leaves were still clinging to the trees,
and the water cooler debate was over where the local rebuilding National
Hockey League team south of Red Deer would fit in the Connor McDavid
sweepstakes.
That was back on Oct. 11 — the last time the Calgary Flames faced the St.
Louis Blues. A 4-1 loss in Game 3 of the 2014-15 season didn’t exactly
convey a lot of hope for the hometown supporters.
But, now, as the Flames prepare for Game 69 on the schedule — Tuesday’s
meeting with the visiting Blues — it’s a different story.
“We are a different team from the last time we played them,” agreed Flames
defenceman TJ Brodie on Monday as the Flames put the finishing touches
on their preparations for the incoming Western Conference heavyweights.
“We played them during the first road trip of the year. We’ve gotten to know
each other a lot more and have a lot better chemistry then we did back when
we played them before.”
Adversity does that to a team and, since then, the Flames have faced plenty
of it.
In order, they lost four key forwards (Matt Stajan, Mason Raymond, Joe
Colborne, and Mikael Backlund) to injury, suffered through an eight-game
losing streak, survived a marathon seven-game road trip during the Tim
Hortons Brier and the chemistry changes from the NHL trade deadline. Oh,
and they endured a season-ending injury to captain Mark Giordano.
Since the first time the clubs faced, neither team been changed much
besides the Blues’ trade deadline additions of Olli Jokinen, Robert Bortuzzo,
Marcel Goc and Zybnek Michalek, and Calgary’s addition of David
Schlemko.
But the time of the year has. Games are more meaningful and the hockey is
more intense.
At the moment, the Flames are very much still in the mix in the final sprint to
the 2015 NHL post-season.
And, like Calgary, the Blues are also hunting for higher ground in the Western
Conference standings.
“It’s all abut emotion,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “At this time of
the season, talent will dictate part of the game. Your preparation will have a
lot to do with the outcome of the game. But controlling your emotions (is
important). Playing at a high pace, making sure you find another gear —
that’s our challenge.”
Kris Russell said their last game against St. Louis (44-20-5) back in October
served as a litmus test for the Flames (38-26-5).
“At the start of the year, it was a game where we sat back after the game
were like, ‘Whoa, that’s the level we need to get to,'” said the Flames
defenceman. “They’re an NHL team, a top team, and there’s a reason people
talk about them. They have a lot of depth in that lineup.”
Still, there is no time to stargaze at this time of the year.
“I think we’re a little more prepared,” Russell said. “But, at the same time,
they’re going to be coming and in a race to be in that top spot. They’re going
to have their best game so we have to make sure we’re up for the task.”
769901
Calgary Flames
Johnson: Hitchcock newest member of ultra-elite 700 Club
“I spent 20 years of coaching just to get to be a (head) coach at the NHL
level. So I had a lot of trials and tribulations I’d gone through before I even got
here. Six years in the Western Hockey League, an experience like no other. I
rode the buses in the ‘I’. I spent 12 years coaching midget hockey.
“It’s still fun. It’s still challenging. But, as I said, all the other, outside stuff …”
George Johnson,
On Jan. 22nd, 1996, Ken Hitchcock had to settle for satisfaction.
Allan Bester got the puck.
“We laugh about it all the time,’’ relates the St. Louis Blues’ head coach. “I got
the job in Dallas in January of 1996. We’d lost four in a row, I believe, and
then went on a trip into Western Canada.
“By then, we were on our fifth goalie that season. Guy named Allan Bester.
He’d been in the NHL for a while, then gone to the East Coast league’’ — the
IHL actually, with the Orlando Solar Bears and San Diego Gulls — “and just
fought his way back up.
“Anyway, Allan Bester was the goalie of record on that first one, my first one.
And we had to battle over who got the puck — the coach or the goalie.
“The goalie won.’’
Nineteen years and 700 additional Hitchcock wins later — from Dallas to
Philadelphia, Columbus through St. Loo — it’s unclear whether Bester has
kept that cameo keepsake of a 6-4 over the Vancouver Canucks at the ol’
Pacific Coliseum tucked anyway in a subterranean cellar somewhere.
No matter. Ken Hitchcock has collected more than a few mementoes along
the way, passing through the golden-hued gates of the game’s coaching
Olympus, rubbing shoulders with the immortals, in the exalted company of
Scotty and Radar and Q.
On Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames, Hitch goes for win No. 702.
Only Scotty Bowman (1,244), Al Arbour (782) and Joel Quenneville (741, and
counting) before him had cracked the 700 barrier.
To put that in perspective, think of the men who DIDN’T reach the number:
Dick Irvin Sr., Toe Blake, Pat Burns, Jacques Lemaire, Glen Sather, Pat
Quinn. To name but a few.
“You know,’’ muses Hitchcock, “you never think about yourself in those
terms. I don’t. But the one that was very emotional for me was Pat, when my
number reached his (684). He’d just died. That was really emotional. That hit
me. We were really good friends. We’d had some great experiences
together. We could make fun of each other and everybody else and have a
good time with it.
“So that number, Pat’s number, was a big number for me.
“I remember the (Olympic) gold medal game in ’02, he got on the referee’’ —
Bill McCreary — “on the first shift SO bad. Right out of the box. This went on
for four shifts until finally Mario (Lemieux) stood up on the bench and said
‘Pat! We’re playing for the gawd-damned gold medal! Take a time out!’
“Turns out, he was still mad at the guy about something that had happened in
1986! He wouldn’t forget. Every time he saw this guy he’d be on him.
Something really bad happened in 1986 — I can’t imagine what — and he
just would not let go.’’
For Ken Hitchcock — a Stanley Cup and Jack Adams winner and part of
three Canadian Olympic gold medal winners — it’s not a question of letting
go, but continuing to evolve.
What, at 63, keeps the job fresh, vital, for someone who has, to trot out a
dog-eared cliché, done it all?
“I guess the buzzword now is the ‘process’,’’ is the reply. “That’s it for me. I
love the building part. The more and more I stay in it, the more invigorated I
am by that and the challenges that go with getting players to play to their
potential. I don’t get wrapped up in the debris around the game anymore.
That, I’ve found, can really exhaust you.
“I don’t uptight about what people write or say. I don’t get hung up on the wins
and losses.
On Tuesday morning, Hitchcock’s opposite number on the Calgary Flames’
bench later that night, Bob Hartley, is expecting a knock on his door. If not,
he’ll likely stroll down the hall at the Scotiabank Saddledome to knock on
Hitchcock’s door.
“That’s Hitch,’’ says Hartley. “Most every morning before a game we talk.
There’s no bull—-. We compete for our teams, but at the end of the game we
see other, there’s respect, we shake hands and say ‘We’ll see each other
next time.’
“I think the coaching fraternity should all be like this.
“Seven hundred wins is just unbelievable. I have a world of respect for Hitch.
We battled in Colorado and Dallas through many playoff rounds. He’s always
so well prepared. Twice he beat us in Game 7, with home ice advantage, my
first two years in the league for a trip to the Stanley Cup final. Those were
great lessons for us.
“You hear the stories about the Oilers walking past the Islander dressing
room and seeing all the old guys with the ice bags on every part of their
bodies and saying, ‘Oh, so that’s what it takes to win.’ That was us with
Dallas those two years.
“As coaches we’re going to go through many storms. We understand the
danger — usually we’re the easy target. For myself, as well as for Ken, I’m
sure, there have been good people there to protect you through the years, to
back you and when you were unemployed there were also good people there
to give you another shot.
“People change, and as a coach you have to adapt, too. You have to adjust
to the new generation. The player today is not the same as when Hitch
started or I started in this business. The game’s not the same, the travel, the
way you compete, conditioning for players, the business side … all different.
“So you have to adapt, to change, in order to survive. And obviously Hitch
has done that.’’
With these Blues, there is an authentic opportunity for more glory in an
already storied career. In Hitchcock’s fourth year at the helm, all seems to be
in order for a long, deep post-season run.
“I think,’’ says a man who has joined the coaching immortals, “that in every
sense of the word, we are a ‘team.’ The sum of our parts. We act as a team,
we play as a team, we can’t count on only one or two guys. That’s the way it’s
been built.
“That’s what Doug (GM) Armstrong and I believe in.
“The players have partnered up with us and we really have to rely on each
other.’’
Then, talking about the Blues specifically, but perhaps with a glance back
over 19 years and 701 wins, he adds:
“It’s been a fun ride.’’
A ride limited to only a select few.
769902
Calgary Flames
“At this time of year, there’s two ways you look at it — we rest them, and we
risk missing the playoffs, or we go all-in and they can rest all summer.”
Kris Russell a workhorse for Flames after wrestling for time with Blues
It’s safe to say Russell doesn’t mind catching up on his rest during the
summer months.
By WES GILBERTSON, Calgary Sun
“This is why we play — a chance to get into the NHL playoffs,” said Russell,
who has 13 post-season appearances on his resume. “Especially this team,
the way we’ve played this year and the way people had us pegged at the start
of the year … We’re a relentless group. We work hard. So it’s exciting.
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 07:58 PM MDT | Updated: Monday,
March 16, 2015 10:08 PM MDT
Two years ago, as the playoffs approached, Kris Russell was rarely getting
into the St. Louis Blues lineup.
Now an alternate captain and an absolute workhorse for the Calgary Flames,
it seems like he’s rarely coming off the ice.
Which, in case you were wondering, is fine by him.
“I think the more you play, the more minutes you get, the more confidence
you get … ” Russell said after Monday’s practice — and team photo — at the
Saddledome.
“I think everyone in this locker-room is looking for a chance to play in the
playoffs. At the same time, we realize there’s a lot of hockey left, and we
need to be at our best if we want that.”
[email protected]
ww.twitter.com/SUNGilbertson
Average icetime for Flames defencemen
Before Giordano’s injury
Giordano 25:10
Brodie 25:07
“This league, it’s built on confidence. It doesn’t matter how young or old you
are — if you’re confident in your play and you’re confident in your abilities,
you’re going to go out there and you’re going to play well.”
Wideman 23:45
Heading into Tuesday’s battle with the Blues at the Saddledome, (7 p.m.,
Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), which will be Russell’s 500th career
NHL contest, the d-man isn’t only playing well … he’s playing a ton.
Engelland 12:25
In eight outings since Flames captain Mark Giordano suffered a
season-ending biceps injury, the 27-year-old is averaging 27:42 of icetime, a
boost of 4:35 per night.
In eight games since Giordano’s injury
Proof he can handle the increased workload, Russell has been a
point-per-game guy during that span, with two goals and six assists in his
past eight skates. He’s been a plus-player in five straight tilts.
“I think you ask any player in the league, they don’t play enough,” Russell
joked Monday. “Anytime you get an opportunity to get some more minutes,
it’s good. But, at the same time, it’s responsibility, too. The more you play,
you’ve gotta make sure that you’re not taking shifts off. You’ve gotta be
aware, and you’ve gotta be ready every shift, and I think we’ve done a good
job as a D core with stepping up and trying to fill some of those minutes of
Gio’s.”
Rewind two years, and Russell was often the odd-man-out the back-end after
the Blues loaded up for the 2013 edition of the Stanley Cup playoff
tournament, adding Jay Bouwmeester and Jordan Leopold just before the
trade deadline.
Although he suited up for 33-of-48 contests in the lockout-shortened
campaign, Russell was a scratch for all but three of the final 14
regular-season outings and didn’t dress at all during a first-round ouster at
the hands of the Los Angeles Kings.
He was traded to the Flames that summer in exchange for a fifth-round pick
— a bargain for the NHL’s runaway leader with 237 blocked shots so far this
season and arguably the most important guy on the Flames’ roster now that
Giordano is out.
“I think that (Russell) took this trade as an opportunity to open bigger doors
for him, with bigger roles, bigger responsibilities, and make the most out of it,”
said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “From Day 1 that I saw him on the ice,
I knew he would be great for us. I had talked to a few guys from St. Louis, and
they were saying, ‘Wait to see this small defenceman — you will love him.’ ”
Hartley’s contacts were right — he adores the 5-foot-10, 173-lb. rearguard
from Caroline, Alta.
Coaches tend to show their love with icetime, and Russell and defence
partner Dennis Wideman have been the Flames’ busiest blueliners since the
devastating news Giordano would need surgery to repair a torn biceps
tendon.
“We didn’t have a Gio sitting behind the door somewhere that we can pull out,
like, ‘Here’s the new Mark Giordano,’ ” Hartley said Monday in response to a
question about TJ Brodie. “We have to do it by committee, but we understand
that even though we’re doing it by committee, some guys will log more
icetime.
Russell 23:07
Diaz 11:46
Wideman 28:27
Russell 27:42
Brodie 24:51
Engelland 17:47
Diaz 12:57
Schlemko 12:14
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769903
Calgary Flames
Bouma believes there’s still a whole lot of room between where Backlund is
now and the Swede’s ceiling.
Mikael Backlund sparking strong line at both ends of rink for Calgary Flames
“It’s huge, I think,” Bouma said. “This year, he’s played a lot of tough minutes,
and, I think, he’s doing really well with it. I think he’ll just continue down that
path, for sure.”
By Scott Mitchell, Calgary Sun
March 16, 2015 08:32 PM MDT
While the top trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler is
garnering all the headlines, it’s far from the only line Bob Hartley is riding
these days.
In more ways than one.
Mikael Backlund, currently riding a career-best eight-game point streak, is
shouldering a big load and contributing to the Calgary Flames’ NHL playoff
push.
In more ways than one.
“Backs is turning into a real strong two-way centre for us,” Hartley said after
practice Monday morning. “He enjoys the challenge of playing against other
teams’ good lines and, at the same time, can score some big goals for us.”
With three goals and six assists in his last eight games, Backlund is playing
tough minutes against some of the top centres in the league and finding a
way to do a lot more than chip in at the same time.
Wingers Lance Bouma and David Jones have been riding shotgun with
Backlund for a good portion of the season and reaping the benefits.
“I think we’ve just got good chemistry,” said Bouma, who, after notching a
goal and an assist in Saturday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche, needs just
one more goal to equal his career-best season of 14 goals (2009-10 with the
Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants) at any level over the last nine
years. “We’ve played together for a long time this year, and we really feed off
each other and complement each other well. Backs is a responsible player,
and he’s really gifted offensively. He’s able to find you with the puck, and
Jones is kind of the same as me — a straight-line player — and we just seem
to be working well together.”
It’s become a bit of a hockey cliche, but take care of your defensive
assignments, keep it simple and the offence will come.
Backlund is adhering to that process.
“I just try and play my game and try to be on the right side of the puck all the
time and make the right plays at the right time,” Backlund said. “When there’s
chances, take some chances. But, I think, the important thing is always trying
to play on the right side of the puck, and the chances will come to you.”
Hartley knows exactly what he’s going to get when he sends Backlund’s line
over the boards — an honest shift with the chance for a sprinkling of offence.
“I’ve never been a fan of having a checking line,” Hartley said. “I like to play
my best players against other teams’ best players, so that way they get more
icetime and you maximize their talent. If they’re more committed than the
other team’s best line, then you have a chance to win.”
Backlund will celebrate his 26th birthday on Tuesday with another tough test,
this one against a Western Conference measuring stick in the St. Louis Blues
(7 p.m., Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) and their deep cast of
centremen, a group that includes David Backes, Paul Stastny and Jori
Lehtera.
“They’re a good team, especially their centres,” Backlund said. “It’s going to
be a tough night for us, but it’s going to be fun, too.
“It’s been fun all year. It’s a good challenge every night. There’s a lot of good
players in this league, so it’s always a fun challenge. It’s something that
makes me want to play even better.”
A pending restricted free-agent, Backlund will be in line for a significant raise
on his current US$1.5-million deal, and considering he’s producing a
career-best .64 points per game — that’s a projected 53-point season over
82 games — it’ll be one of the more interesting contract situations to monitor
this summer.
769904
Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames can measure themselves in game against St. Louis Blues
By Scott Mitchell, Calgary Sun
March 16, 2015 05:14 PM MDT
All the Calgary Flames care about is making sure they’re a playoff team.
If Bob Hartley’s upstart group does get there, they’ll deal with the specific
opponent when the time comes, but there’s no doubt they’re eager to
measure themselves against one of the NHL Western Conference’s elite
teams Tuesday in the St. Louis Blues.
It’s been a while since they’ve done that.
You have to go all the way back to the third game of the 2014-15 season — a
4-1 win by the Blues in St. Louis on Oct. 11 — to see how these two teams
stack up against each other.
“They’ve grown as a team, we’ve grown as a team, but at the same time,
they’re making a push for the top of the Western Conference and we’re
making a push for being a playoff team,” Hartley said. “It’s all about emotions.
This time of the season, talent will dictate part of the game, your preparation
also will have a lot to do with the outcome of the game, but controlling your
emotions and playing at a high pace and making sure you find another gear,
that’s the challenge.”
“Here’s a team that can beat you in so many ways,” Hartley added.
“Whenever your team is at the top of the standings, you don’t have too many
holes in your lineup.”
Ice chips
It didn’t take 2014 Flames’ first-rounder Sam Bennett long to get
re-acquainted with his OHL surroundings. Less than three weeks into his
return to game action from major shoulder surgery with the Kingston
Frontenacs, Bennett was named the circuit’s player of the week Monday.
Bennett led the league with 10 points — six goals and four assists — and a
plus-four rating in three games.
769905
Calgary Flames
St. Louis Blues' coach Ken Hitchcock says it’s always ‘Game on’ when
playing Calgary Flames
“When you see a team play a certain style, that’s a little different — very
much an attacking style that’s creating pressure and scoring like this — you
look at what you can learn from them.”
Yes, the coach of perhaps the deepest team in the NHL says he’s trying to
glean tips from the upstart Flames.
Indeed, the lads have come a long way.
By Eric Francis, Calgary Sun
March 16, 2015 11:14 PM MDT
“They’re scary from the standpoint they can beat you,” said Hitchcock when
asked about how hot the Flames would be entering the playoffs, if they
qualify.
“But that’s everybody (in contention) in the west.”
While most people around the NHL admit it took several months for them to
start taking notice of the Calgary Flames, Ken Hitchcock insists it took him
less than a week.
Just being lumped in with those they are battling for the post-season puts the
Flames miles ahead of where most expected they’d be.
But that’s only because his St. Louis Blues hosted the Flames just four days
into the NHL season.
Otherwise, he too would likely have long overlooked just how special this
season has been for Bob Hartley’s bunch.
“All of us were surprised, because until you play them, you don’t even know
their names,” said the Blues coach who can always be called on for a frank
assessment.
“You looked at it in September, and you didn’t know who these people were,
because they were new to the league or second and third-year players, and
you wondered about their growth.
“But let me tell you, as soon as we saw them play once we knew, ‘Oh boy,
game on.’”
Hitchcock’s awakening came in the Flames’ third game of the season, won
4-1 by a Blues brigade picked by some — including this scribe — to win the
Stanley Cup this year.
However, he says the work ethic that has made the Flames the talk of the
league was evident early on and has been sustained through a season that
could see these two clubs face off in the playoffs.
“I think they’re at as good a level as anybody in the west right now,” said
Hitchcock, whose Blues face the Flames at the Saddledome on Tuesday
night in the second of three meetings. “They just play. Whatever the score is
is irrelevant. It isn’t the comebacks — it’s that they never drop that level. If
you take your foot off the gas, they roll over top of you.”
“Even when we had them (in St. Louis), they came off back-to-back (games)
and had a tough travel day to get in to see us, and we played well early. But
they were coming at us with everything at the end. That’s coaching to me.
The coach doesn’t allow them to get discouraged.
“You’ve got to take your hat off to them.”
Hitchcock goes one step further, suggesting that after seeing them early and
keeping an eye on them through the NHL season, he says their coaching and
style of play has been so solid he isn’t the least bit caught off-guard to see
them hanging around the playoff picture.
“Where they’re at now is not surprising at all,” said Hitchcock, who said a few
summers back it was crucial Flames fans were patient with their rebuild as
they generally take at least three years of pain before any significant gain is
seen.
“Speed and skill — they played the young guys ahead of the curve and saw
speed and skill in them and bit the bullet, and obviously, it’s paying huge
dividends right now. They score with anybody in the league now and have
one of the quickest transitions in the league.
“You’ve got to be impressed as there was a plan set for them by
management as ‘this is the way we’re going to play,’ and they played that
way from start to the end. This is just a coordinated effort from management,
coaches and players, and we have to find a way to beat it.”
Hitchcock says he’s spent parts of the last 24 hours analyzing the Flames
systems as part of his pre-game prep, but he has been watching as a fan all
year long.
“From the outside, they’re fun to watch,” said Hitchcock whose Blues lead the
Western Conference in goals, scoring just nine more than the Calgary crew.
Unless you saw them up close early on, that is.
769906
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes’ Andrej Nestrasil more than a number for his new NHL team
“People know me that way now,” he said.
NOTE: Rookie defenseman Rasmus Rissanen suffered an MCL injury
Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets and will be out three to four
weeks, general manager Ron Francis said Monday.
News Observer LOADED: 03.17.2015
BY CHIP ALEXANDER03/16/2015 1:34 PM 03/16/2015 5:35 PM
Andrej Nestrasil didn’t know what jersey number he’d have when he joined
the Carolina Hurricanes.
Claimed on waivers in November from the Detroit Red Wings, Nestrasil first
thought of asking for No. 63, once worn by the late Josef Vasicek. A native of
the Czech Republic, Nestrasil wanted to honor a fellow Czech forward he
admired and has tried to emulate.
“During the (2004-2005) NHL lockout year he was back home playing and I
got to see him a lot,” Nestrasil said. “My father always told me, ‘This is the
type of player you’re probably going to be one day – big, heavy.’”
Vasicek, a member of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup champions, was playing
for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League when he
died in the September 2011 crash of the team plane. The Canes wore “No.
63” patches in memory of “Big Joe.”
“I thought it would be cool to wear 63,” Nestrasil said. “But then I thought
would people think it’s a bad thing I picked it, or not understand it’s a way to
honor him.”
Instead, Nestrasil picked No. 15. It was available, sounded good and he took
it.
“And I didn’t realize Tuomo Ruutu was No. 15 here,” Nestrasil said, flashing
his gap-toothed smile.
Ruutu, an aggressive, body-banging forward, was a popular player for the
Canes before being traded to the New Jersey Devils last season.
“I then thought I should have taken something else because he’s a really
hard guy to compete with and win the fans over,” Nestrasil said.
But Nestrasil, 24, may be doing just that. In 27 games with Carolina since
being acquired Nov. 20, he has six goals and 11 assists while giving the
Canes some physical play.
Of his plus-9 rating, the best on the team, Nestrasil said, “I just do things on
the back end to see (opponents) don’t score and I don’t cheat offensively.
Just wait for the chances to come and play good in both ends of the ice.”
Nestrasil, who had two assists Sunday in the Canes’ 3-2 road victory over the
Columbus Blue Jackets, is providing more offense of late – five goals and
nine assists in the past 16 games. He can play all three forward positions,
although he has been used mostly at right wing or center by the Hurricanes.
“He’s been real good,” Canes coach Bill Peters said. “He’s a big body and we
wanted to get bigger, obviously. He’s a young guy and he’s got upside to him.
“There’s a lot to like. He goes to the net, he’s hard on pucks in the offensive
zone and he’ll have a good summer this summer to get quicker and stronger
and come back a better player.”
Nestrasil, a third-round draft pick by the Wings in 2009, said he once was
bigger but not stronger. Now 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he said he once
played at 220 but didn’t like the extra weight.
Nestrasil changed his conditioning program last summer in the Czech
Republic, setting up a year-round routine, and came into the Red Wings’
training camp this year at 195 pounds with six-percent body fat. He’s paying
closer attention to nutrition, saying he doesn’t buy groceries or keep food
around his apartment because, “When I get bored, I go straight to the kitchen
and I eat.”
Nestrasil also said he quit drinking sodas – he calls it “pop” – because of the
sugar intake. Now, it’s mostly water.
“I wanted to prove a point and show I’m committed to doing whatever it takes
to make a team,” he said. “At the same time I know there are things I have to
improve.”
The Red Wings were hoping to slip Nestrasil through waivers in November
and reassign him to their AHL team. The Canes got him and Nestrasil said he
plans to stick with No. 15 and try and make it his own.
769907
Carolina Hurricanes
happens, because with the Ducks’ grossly inflated points total comes grossly
inflated expectations for postseason success.
Why NHL regular-season records don’t translate to playoff success
Which is bad news for Boudreau, for whom it could well be different team,
same result, as there’s a solid chance the league-leading Ducks will have a
very short postseason.
BY IJAY PALANSKYDEPARTMENT OF HOCKEY ANALYTICS
03/15/2015 11:19 AM 03/15/2015 6:00 PM
With his Anaheim Ducks tied for first place overall going into Sunday’s
games, coach Bruce Boudreau is in familiar territory. All too familiar, in fact.
In his last three full seasons as coach of the Washington Capitals (2009-11),
he won one Presidents’ Trophy (first place overall in the regular season) and
came in second and fourth overall. But despite the tremendous
regular-season success, the Caps couldn’t manage to get past the second
round of the playoffs.
Signs point to this year’s Ducks suffering the same unkind fate. Despite their
dominance in the standings, advanced stats do not bode well for the Ducks’
playoff success.
Score Adjusted Corsi (SAC) is a pretty solid predictor of long-term team
success. Sometimes a team can outrun its SAC for a while – like the
Avalanche did for all of last season and like the Flames have managed to do
so far this season. But unless your goalie is Montreal’s Carey Price or you
manage to have guys named Crosby and Malkin as your 1-2 down the middle
as Pittsburgh does, the inevitable gravitational pull of shot differential takes
hold, and teams usually perform about where you’d guess based on their
SAC.
That’s bad news for the Ducks, who rank 17th overall in SAC.
To make matters worse, if the Ducks get the first seed in the West their likely
first-round opponents would be the Wild, Jets or Kings, who rank 11th,
seventh and second overall in SAC, respectively. Despite finishing first
overall, an argument could be made that the Ducks would actually be the
underdog against any one of those teams, based on their SACs.
At this point it’s reasonable to ask how the Ducks have managed to be atop
the league despite their below-average SAC, and why I think they can’t keep
it up going into the playoffs.
There are a number of factors, but the main one is the Ducks’ record in
one-goal games: 27-1-7 for a .771 win percentage, which is almost unheard
of. Not only is it good for first overall, there are only six teams in the league
with one-goal game win percentages over .600. (All stats through Saturday.)
Now your traditional analysts will tell you this is great news for the Ducks. It
shows they have “heart” and “grit” and “know how to win.” They’re. Just.
Wrong.
One-goal games are a coin flip. Winning one-goal games is not a skill. It is
not repeatable in the long run.
Three of the past four Stanley Cup champs had losing records in one-goal
games during the season in which they won the Cup.
Now none of this is meant to suggest there’s anything wrong with winning
one-goal games. A team will happily take the two points every time. But
contrary to what most analysts say, it’s not a signal a team knows how to win.
It’s a signal the team is getting lucky and winning more games than it will after
the luck evens out.
For the Ducks, it means their point total probably doesn’t reflect the team’s
true performance. It means their one-goal game record has masked their
weak SAC. It means the Ducks aren’t nearly as good as a lot of people think
they are.
In fact, in games decided by more than one goal, which appears to be a much
better measure of a team’s ability, the Ducks have a losing record (16-19).
None of this is true of the Ducks’ potential first-round opponents. The Wild
and Jets are right around .500 in one-goal games, and both have better
records than the Ducks in games decided by more than one goal –
Minnesota is 21-14, Winnipeg 18-18.
None of these opponents is particularly appealing if you’re Boudreau.
Boudreau’s team could very well end up winning the Presidents’ Trophy. But
as weird as it seems, you should probably feel bad for the guy if that
769908
Carolina Hurricanes
Rissanen out 3-4 weeks with MCL injury
03/16/2015 4:15 PM 03/16/2015 4:15 PM
Staff
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Rasmus Rissanen has suffered a medial
collateral ligament (MCL) injury and will be sidelined three to four weeks,
general manager Ron Francis said Monday.
Rissanen was injured Sunday in the Canes’ 3-2 road victory against the
Columbus Blue Jackets.
Rissanen, 23, was recalled March 2 from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) and
made his NHL debut March 6 against the Minnesota Wild. He was playing his
sixth NHL game when injured Sunday.
769909
Chicago Blackhawks
Struggling Kris Versteeg likely headed for Blackhawks' bench
By Chris Kuc
Four lines had rolled during the Blackhawks' practice Monday before Kris
Versteeg appeared, skating alongside the suspended Joakim Nordstrom and
defenseman Johnny Oduya.
When you're a playmaking forward who had been on the top line, that's not a
good thing.
While coach Joel Quenneville wouldn't confirm it, it appears Versteeg will be
a healthy scratch for the first time this season when the Hawks face the
Islanders on Tuesday night at the United Center.
"I guess when you play like (expletive), you're not going to play," Versteeg
said after practice. "I just have to try to work hard and get back in."
Versteeg hasn't scored a goal in seven games and struggled during the
Hawks' 6-2 victory over the Sharks on Saturday, failing to get a shot on goal
in 13 minutes, 32 seconds of ice time.
"His last game wasn't good," Quenneville said. "For him, it's pace of the
game when he's skating. He's got the ability to make plays, delays. If it's a
slow-down tactic with the checking schemes, now all of a sudden, you've got
five guys back and then we lose pucks. We want to make sure we're more
direct."
It has been a roller-coaster season for Versteeg, who has missed 20 games
because of injury, including 16 with a broken hand suffered Jan. 1 against the
Capitals. He has 13 goals and 19 assists in 48 games but knows the potential
consequence of a stretch of subpar play.
"You want to work hard and be a positive influence, (and) if you're not, you
don't have the right to be in the lineup," Versteeg said. "I haven't been playing
to where I was, I'll admit that for sure."
Sitting a high-profile player to send a message isn't new for Quenneville, who
recently benched Bryan Bickell for a game and did the same to Brandon
Saad down the stretch of last season.
"Whatever it takes," Quenneville said of sending messages. "You're going to
get what you deserve."
For Patrick Sharp, two goals against the Sharks meant a spot skating with
Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on the top line, replacing Versteeg.
Sharp did so at times Saturday and again during practice Monday.
"They had a great stretch last year," Quenneville said of the trio. "Three guys
who can all make plays and score goals. I'm sure they're excited about the
opportunity of making it work together.
"Each guy individually with those two other guys, whether who's setting each
other up or who's shooting or who's the trigger guy, they can all play that role.
The challenge that they have is they've usually got to play against the top line
and they've got some responsibilities without the puck."
With Nordstrom serving the second of a two-game suspension for an illegal
cross-check on the Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Thursday and with
Versteeg likely watching in street clothes, it appears Daniel Carcillo will be in
the lineup for just the third time in 12 games. Carcillo skated on the third line
with Bickell and center Brad Richards during practice.
"I just work hard every day in practice and show (Quenneville) that you're
skating and that you have good pace in practice," Carcillo said. "When you
get an opportunity — if you get an opportunity — just go in and play hard."
Net presence: Corey Crawford will make his sixth consecutive start in goal
against the Islanders. With the Hawks' light schedule of late, Quenneville
wouldn't rule out Crawford starting again Wednesday night against the
Rangers in New York.
Crawford has played on back-to-back days three times this season but not
since Nov. 28-29.
"Big games, (so) we'll see," Quenneville said. "We've got three back-to-backs
the rest of the year. This one, we played four games in the last 14 days, so
we haven't been busy."
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2015
769910
Chicago Blackhawks
Tuesday's matchup: Islanders at Blackhawks
By Paul Skrbina contact the reporter John Tavares Nick Leddy
TV/radio: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; CSN, WGN-AM 720.
Storylines: The jockeying for playoff position continues. The Blackhawks are
third in the Central Division, five points behind the Predators and the Blues.
The Islanders are second in the Metropolitan Division, five shy of the
Rangers, whom the Hawks will face Wednesday. Former Hawk Nick Leddy is
expected to travel with the Islanders but isn't expected to play.
Trending: The Islanders have been outscored 7-3 during their three-game
losing streak and have lost four in a row at home. John Tavares (33 goals, 39
assists) has been held without a point for three consecutive games, his
longest drought of the season. The Hawks are 6-2 in their last eight games.
769911
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks make their move without Patrick Kane
By Chris Kuc
Blackhawks are humming right along without the injured Patrick Kane in the
lineup.
During Patrick Kane's absence, a defense-first mentality has allowed the
Blackhawks to rack up points.
When Patrick Kane skated off the ice cradling his left arm with a fractured
collarbone on Feb. 24, it appeared the Blackhawks' chances of capturing the
Central Division title left with him.
But a funny thing has happened to the Hawks' so-called lost cause: They've
keep piling up points. Including the game in which Kane suffered his injury
that will likely keep him out until deep into the postseason, the Hawks have
gone 6-1-1 and made their move in the Central.
"The fact that we're winning hockey games without him is a great sign,"
winger Marian Hossa said. "Hopefully, when he comes back we're still in it
and it will be a huge boost."
Through Sunday, the Hawks, with 88 points, trailed the Predators and Blues
by five points but had three games in hand on Nashville and one on St. Louis.
The Blues have been hot themselves and blanked the Stars 3-0 Sunday.
The Hawks are done with the Preds but have two games remaining with the
Blues in the final week of the season.
The schedule favors the Hawks as the teams remaining on their docket have
a combined winning percentage of .561, lower than the opponents of the
Blues (.590) and Predators (.577).
Working against the Hawks is the tiebreaker, which is non-shootout wins. At
32, the Hawks had five fewer than the Predators and three fewer than the
Blues.
"It's crazy how the competition is tight," Hossa said. "We're still aiming for first
place. Teams ahead of us have lost some games and all of a sudden there's
an opportunity. If you lose one game you find yourself in third place and then
there's no big space before the eighth spot in the (Western Conference) too.
It's really, really competitive this year, especially our division."
The only thing the Hawks can control is how they play and lately that has
been at a high level. Without their leading scorer in Kane, the focus has been
on defense. Goaltender Corey Crawford has led the charge with points in six
consecutive starts (5-0-1), which matches his longest run of the season.
During the stretch, Crawford has allowed two or fewer goals in each game
and has an eye-popping .962 save percentage and 1.15 goals-against
average.
" 'Crow' has been as solid as you could ever want," coach Joel Quenneville
said. "Across the board, we're not looking to outscore anybody, we're
thinking checking. Defensively is how you win in this game anyway. There
are a lot of positives in these recent games."
During the seven-plus games without Kane, the Hawks have yielded 13
goals, and that includes when the Lightning dropped four on backup goalie
Scott Darling on Feb. 27.
"Throughout a season you have to try to find ways to win games — good
teams do that," center Brad Richards said. "The good thing about this team is
the defensive structure has been there. ... It would be good if everybody gets
going, obviously, but this team is good at not giving up much and we can rely
on that."
769912
Chicago Blackhawks
Kris Versteeg the latest Blackhawk in Joel Quenneville's doghouse
Posted: 03/16/2015, 01:41pm | Mark Lazerus
To Kris Versteeg, it’s pretty simple.
“I guess when you play like (expletive), you’re not going to play,” the
Blackhawks winger said after spending Monday’s practice skating on a “line”
with the suspended Joakim Nordstrom and defenseman Johnny Oduya.
’Tis the season for Joel Quenneville message-sending, as Brandon Saad
learned last March and Bryan Bickell learned last week. The healthy scratch
is Quenneville’s go-to move to get a struggling player going, and he wields it
liberally this time of year.
Quenneville’s latest target appears to be Versteeg, though the coach didn’t
definitively rule the winger out of Tuesday’s home game against the New
York Islanders. But Patrick Sharp, who scored two goals Saturday in a 6-2
win over the San Jose Sharks and has been buzzing around the net lately,
was in Versteeg’s spot on the top line alongside Jonathan Toews and Marian
Hossa. The two had swapped spots a few times over the course of
Saturday’s game.
“Sharpie deserved a chance to move up, and we’re just looking for some
more [from Versteeg],” Quenneville said. “His last game wasn’t very good.”
Sharp has been on the receiving end of Quenneville’s messages earlier this
season, too. While he was never benched, he saw his ice time drop in
February as he played mostly on the third and fourth lines. But with Sharp
emerging from his lengthy slump, Quenneville is reuniting what was arguably
the top line in the league last season. With three skilled, two-way players, the
trio can shut down opponents’ top lines while still being productive.
“Three guys who can all make plays and score goals,” Quenneville said. “I’m
sutra they’re excited about the opportunity of making it work together.”
Versteeg has been one of the Hawks’ most consistent performers this
season, but his play has dropped off since linemate Patrick Kane’s injury on
Feb. 24. In the seven games since, Versteeg has no goals and one assist. In
his last six games, he’s had just four shots on goal.
Versteeg always has had a tendency to hold on to the puck and look for the
high-risk, high-reward play. With Kane on the other wing, it can lead to some
highlight-reel goals. But with goals at a premium this time of year,
Quenneville said he wants to see Versteeg be more direct with the puck.
“He’s got the ability to make plays, delays,” Quenneville said. “[But] if it’s a
slow-down tactic with the checking schemes, now all of a sudden, you got
five guys back and then we lose pucks. … There are times [when holding on
to the puck is appropriate], but off the rush we don’t want to get the guys who
are behind you to catch up. We want to be attacking them.”
Quenneville downplayed his tendency to send messages this time of year,
simply saying, “You’re going to get what you deserve.”
So how quickly Versteeg gets the message will decide if and when he gets
back in the lineup.
“I’m not going to change anything,” he said. “I’m just going to keep playing the
same way. You want to work hard and be a positive influence. If you’re not,
you don’t have the right to be in the lineup. Just keep working hard and
hopefully get back in.”
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.17.2015
769913
Chicago Blackhawks
In the meantime, the Hawks catch another break Tuesday when they get an
Islanders team that has injury problems of its own and has lost three straight
and six of eight.
Rozner: Eye on defense keeping Blackhawks afloat
It's been a while since the Hawks put together back-to-back efforts and much
longer than that since they played 60 minutes.
Barry Rozner
An optimist would suggest that's good news, that they're collecting points
even while playing less than their best.
But a realist would suggest that they are running out of time to find their best.
And just like that, the narrative has changed from the Blackhawks being dead
and buried without Patrick Kane to the Blackhawks playing great without
Patrick Kane.
Of course, both extremes are absurd.
The Hawks' season did not end with Kane's injury but became a matter of
whether they could survive into the third round of the postseason, at which
point the presumption is Kane will return.
The truth is the Hawks weren't playing well and were having trouble scoring
even before Kane was injured, having lost five of seven leading into the Feb.
24 contest when Kane was lost for the regular season.
But now the story is the Hawks are doing just great without Kane, going
6-1-1. Those 6 wins, however, have come against precisely zero playoff
teams, while the 2 defeats were to a pair of playoff teams, a 4-0 loss in
Tampa, and a 1-0 overtime loss at home to the Rangers.
So, yeah, the cute story that they've rallied to the cause in Kane's absence is
at least several miles removed from reality.
What has occurred is that Corey Crawford has been spectacular in goal and
head coach Joel Quenneville has insisted his team tighten things up. That
combination is the reason the Hawks have managed to beat some bad teams
lately.
"Across the board, we're not looking to outscore anybody," Quenneville said.
"We're thinking checking. Defense is how you win in this game anyway.
There are a lot of positives in these recent games."
It's reminiscent of Quenneville's last year in Colorado (2008) when the Aves
lost Joe Sakic, Paul Stastny and Ryan Smyth all at the same time. He
challenged his players to change, commit to playing smart in their own end
and win a different way, which they did -- and made the playoffs.
Quenneville should have been coach of the year. Instead, he was fired for his
trouble.
Now, the Hawks are doing much the same, having given up just 7 goals in
their last five games, and it's a style that will serve them well come playoff
time.
"Throughout a season you have to try to find different ways to win games,"
said Brad Richards. "The good thing about this team is the defensive
structure has always been there.
"It would be good if everybody could get it going offensively, but this team is
good at not giving up too much, and that's something we can rely on."
Several guys returned to the score sheet during the short road trip to Arizona
and San Jose, with Richards, Andrew Shaw, Patrick Sharp and Bryan Bickell
getting involved offensively. That is absolutely a good sign.
Better is that the Hawks finally started skating again in San Jose after being
dominated for the first 10 minutes and having Crawford to thank for not being
down a pile early.
Nevertheless, the Hawks skated better that last 50 minutes than they have in
a month, perhaps suggesting they have shed the doldrums and maybe found
the accelerator.
They looked so horribly slow against Edmonton, New York and Arizona that it
was fair to wonder when the Hawks might get it going again.
And even with that performance against the Sharks, there is still concern
about the Hawks' defense, where the likes of Kimmo Timonen, Michal
Rozsival and David Rundblad look seriously outclassed when they try to
move their feet in transition, or when good skaters are bearing down on them.
For all of the criticism of Johnny Oduya this season, Oduya was a noticeable
difference in the San Jose game, able to skate with the faster players on the
ice. If he can find his game in these final four weeks, that would be huge for
the Hawks.
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.17.2015
769914
Chicago Blackhawks
Tuesday on CSN: Blackhawks square off against Islanders
March 16, 2015, 9:45 pm
#HawksTalk
The Blackhawks will face off against the New York Islanders tonight on
Comcast SportsNet. Coverage begins with Blackhawks Pregame Live at 7
p.m., followed immediately by the puck drop. Be sure to stick around after the
contest for Blackhawks Postgame Live, featuring player reaction and instant
analysis.
769915
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks: With Teuvo Teravainen, patience has paid off
March 16, 2015, 5:30 pm
Tracey Myers
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has long talked of the team’s
plan with Teuvo Teravainen, to have him get acclimated at his pace and to
give him the opportunity when he was ready for it.
“These things take time as things go on. He’s a more confident player now
than when he first came up,” Bowman said recently. “It takes a while to get
comfortable, to feel you belong here. You’re starting to see that from him.
He’s got a lot of great games ahead of him.”
Indeed, the Blackhawks are starting to see that side of Teravainen, the
confident, comfortable side of a player who obviously has talent but needed
time to adjust to North American life and North American hockey. Be it 5-on-5
or on the power play, Teravainen is playing more minutes and is more
noticeable presence.
“I think it’s been a good couple games now, three or four, and I think I’m
getting better all the time,” said Teravainen of his recent progress. “I’m
getting better, learning from my mistakes. I just try to keep going, getting
better every day.”
Teravainen is playing on the second line with Brandon Saad and Antoine
Vermette, who has fit in well in his short time with the Blackhawks.
Teravainen has an assist in each of his last two games and has played
around 16-17 minutes in his last three contests. Coach Joel Quenneville likes
how the young Finn has progressed.
“I think he’s really getting better. He’s got some speed when he touches the
puck; he’s good off entries, his play recognition, he’s got a lot of options,”
Quenneville said. “You’ve got to anticipate the puck coming to you when the
puck’s on his stick. He’s got some nice attributes to his 5-on-5 game. That
line was excellent in San Jose. I like his progression as the season’s gone on
here. He looks like he keeps getting better. That quickness to his game adds
to our team game.”
As quiet as Teravainen is, you could tell he was excited to get a power-play
opportunity. Be it in Finland or North America, Teravainen was confident he
could play well there – “that’s been my strength for all my life,” he said – and
he has.
Teravainen can be flashy on the ice but he has to also be cautious. Most of
the time he errs on the side of the latter, knowing mistakes at this level can be
very costly.
“In this league, if you do something stupid they’ll score right away. So you
have to be careful with that,” Teravainen. “When I was younger I could do
some things, lose the puck or turn it over and maybe just get it back the next
shift. Here, you can’t do that. You have to be really careful with the puck.”
Teravainen is earning more playing time. He’s earning the trust of coaches
and teammates. Bowman and the Blackhawks brass knew what they had all
along in Teravainen. They just knew he needed time and everyone’s
patience.
“Certainly Teuvo’s here now and he’s getting more confident and comfortable
with each game,” Bowman said. “We looked at him internally as our
acquisition at the deadline. Even if we didn’t do anything else, we felt him
getting an expanded role in Rockford, he’d be the guy right under our nose to
come up and emerge.”
769916
Chicago Blackhawks
CSN to go 'Behind the Lens' at Blackhawks, Bulls games
March 16, 2015, 5:00 pm
CSN Staff
Comcast SportsNet will be providing fans with a unique "Behind the Lens"
viewing experience during a pair of back-to-back Blackhawks and Bulls
game telecasts.
CSN will be featuring its special game presentation as the Blackhawks host
the New York Islanders on Tuesday and when the Bulls take on the Indiana
Pacers Wednesday evening.
The "Behind the Lens" feature will enable viewers to watch an alternate,
enhanced game telecast that will be displayed on CSN+ (Click here for our
channel finder), while the regular airing of the game will still be on the main
CSN channel.
Fans can also join the conversation via social media by using
#BehindTheLens on Twitter. Select tweets will be shown on-screen during
each game on the alternative "Behind the Lens" telecast.
CSN STAFF
769917
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw will miss hometown Belleville Bulls
March 16, 2015, 3:15 pm
Tracey Myers
Andrew Shaw was like any other hockey-loving kid growing up in Belleville,
Ont.
He went to Bulls games “whenever I could,” watching guys like former
Blackhawks goaltender Darren Pang back in the day. So he was as
disappointed as any Belleville native when he heard the Bulls, the Ontario
Hockey League team that’s been in Shaw’s hometown since 1981, will be
moving to Hamilton later this year.
“It sucks because those are a lot of the guys I skate with in the summer, too.
So skates are going to be different in the summer. I had some buddies who
worked for the team so they’re out of jobs now,” Shaw said following
Monday’s practice. “It’s too bad for the city; it was something that you could
do on the weekend, go see a game. It’s a business, I guess.”
Shaw, whose brother Jason played for Belleville from 2011-12, said going to
Bulls games was part of his youth.
“I went whenever I could,” he said. “I remember watching Darren Pang back
there. A lot of good players went through there. It was a good city for an OHL
team and I’m going to miss seeing those guys, for sure.”
769918
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks Updates: Kris Versteeg likely scratch vs. Isles
March 16, 2015, 2:30 pm
Tracey Myers
Kris Versteeg wasn’t mincing words following Monday’s practice when he
wasn’t on the top four lines, usually an indication of an upcoming healthy
scratch.
“I guess when you play like s--- you’re not going to play,” Versteeg said. “I just
have to try to work hard and get back in.”
Coach Joel Quenneville wouldn’t confirm that Versteeg is out when the
Blackhawks host the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, but it’s certainly
looking that way. Versteeg started Saturday afternoon’s game vs. San Jose
on the top line but struggled. Patrick Sharp, who scored two goals, played
some on that top line on Saturday and practiced with Jonathan Toews and
Marian Hossa today. Daniel Carcillo skated on the third line with Bryan
Bickell and Brad Richards, leaving Versteeg on the outside.
Quenneville, regarding Versteeg, said, “his last game wasn’t very good.”
“For him, it’s pace of the game when he’s skating. He’s got the ability to make
plays, delays. All of a sudden if it’s a slow-down tactic with the checking
schemes, now all of a sudden, you got five guys back and then we lose
pucks,” Quenneville said. “We want to make sure we’re more direct. When he
has speed playing with that line he complements his other two wingers.”
Versteeg was highly complementary to Richards and Patrick Kane when the
three were put together in November/December. Versteeg missed more than
a month after breaking his left hand in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1 and has
played fine since. His recent games, however, haven’t been up to par.
Versteeg said he’ll work on getting back among the lines.
“It’s just trying to come to the rink every day and try to play the same way,”
he said. “You just want to play hard and hopefully have the privilege to be in
the lineup. If you’re not, you’re not. Just work hard.”
UPDATES
•Corey Crawford will start against the Islanders on Tuesday night.
Quenneville did not rule out Crawford playing the second half of the
back-to-back on Wednesday, when the Blackhawks face the New York
Rangers.
•Trevor van Riemsdyk (left patella) played this past weekend in Rockford. It’s
likely he gets a few more games with the IceHogs. “He said he did fine,”
Quenneville said. “He played, I don’t know exactly the minutes, [but] it looked
like that was probably really good for him. Keep him playing and see how it
goes. We’ve got to get him out there.”
769919
Chicago Blackhawks
Versteeg latest player to get Quenneville's message
March, 16, 20152:39PM CT
Powers By Scott Powers
CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville’s patience is
apparently wearing thin with about a month left in the regular season.
“I think we talk about our team, we’re looking for the guys, you’re going to get
what you deserve,” Quenneville said on Monday.
Quenneville didn’t think Bryan Bickell deserved to play recently and sat him
for a game. Kris Versteeg is now in a similar boat.
Versteeg skated outside of the team’s top four lines during practice on
Monday after Quenneville wasn't happy with his last performance.
Quenneville wasn’t definite on whether Versteeg would be a healthy scratch
against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Patrick Sharp replaced
Versteeg on the left wing on the top line during practice on Monday.
“I like Sharpie there in the first period last game and Sharpie deserved a
chance to move up and we’re just looking for some more,” Quenneville said
on Monday. “[Versteeg's] last game wasn’t very good. ... Sometimes, yeah,
[it’s a message to a player.] Whatever it takes. We’ll see what happens
tomorrow.”
Versteeg directed most questions about his play to Quenneville, but he was
direct with one answer about why he might be out of the lineup.
“It is what it is,” Versteeg said. “I guess when you play like s--- you’re not
going to play. I just have to try to work hard and get back in.”
Versteeg’s production has been down in recent weeks. He had a stretch in
February when he scored four goals in six games, but he’s since had one
assist in the last seven games. He had a positive Corsi in just two of those
games. He has 13 goals, 19 assists and a 54 Corsi percentage in 48 games
this season.
Versteeg had his ice time cut to 13:32 against the San Jose Sharks on
Saturday after playing at least 16 minutes the previous three games.
Quenneville said Versteeg needed to be better with his pace.
“For him, it’s pace of the game when he’s skating,” said Quenneville, who
made Versteeg a healthy scratch in the playoffs last season. “He’s got the
ability to make plays, delays. All of a sudden if it’s a slow-down tactic with the
checking schemes, now all of a sudden, you got five guys back and then we
lose pucks. We want to make sure we’re more direct, when he has speed
playing with that line he complements his other two wingers.”
Versteeg was hopeful to get an opportunity to prove himself again soon.
“I haven’t been playing to where I was, I’ll admit that for sure,” Versteeg said.
“Just try to get back in the lineup and produce when I can.
“I’m not going to change anything. I’m just going to keep playing the same
way. You want to work hard and be a positive influence. If you’re not, you
don’t have the right to be in the lineup. Just keep working hard and hopefully
get back in.”
ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 03.17.2015
769920
Colorado Avalanche
Patrick Roy stresses importance of Avs' game vs. Arizona Coyotes
By Terry Frei
Posted: 03/16/2015 01:20:04 PM MDTAdd a Comment | Updated:
about 11 hours ago
The Avalanche went through its final practice in Colorado this week on
Monday morning and its next practice will be on Wednesday afternoon in the
Phoenix area.
Colorado opens a stretch of five consecutive road games against the Arizona
Coyotes in Glendale Thursday.
"They're certainly going to be very important," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy
said. "That's why I try to think one game at a time, I don't try to look at game
number five. Our objective hasn't changed. I'm not very good at math, but I
know one thing, if we lose five games, it's going to be pretty much over.
That's why it's important to focus on the first game."
At 21-40-8, the Coyotes are one of only two teams — joining Edmonton — in
the Western Conference out of the running for a playoff spot. They're also
1-13-1 in their past 15 games. Arizona could help the Avalanche Monday
night, because the Coyotes face the Kings at Los Angeles. If the Kings win
that, they will leap over Winnipeg into the final wild-card spot in the Western
Conference, and would be six points ahead of the Avalanche.
"You cannot take anything for granted," Roy said of the Arizona game.
"Phoenix is going to play hard, and it's a team that's been playing better
lately. With all the changes they made (at the trading deadline), I think right
now it's starting to settle, and they've played some good games. They were
all close, low-score games and we're going to have to be ready for those
guys."
Defenseman Erik Johnson was among the skaters on the ice before practice
Monday. Although he was wearing a gray practice jersey, rather than the
no-contact orange one Avalanche injured players don, he left the ice when
practice started. It's possible he'll return to the lineup at some point in the
Canadian portion of the upcoming stretch of road games, perhaps at
Vancouver March 26. That would be exactly two months after he underwent
arthroscopic knee surgery.
Denver Post: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769921
Colorado Avalanche
AVS KNOW THE REALITY: FIVE-GAME ROAD TRIP IS CRUCIAL TO
PLAYOFF HOPES
By Terry Frei
POSTED:
03/17/2015 12:01:00 AM MDT
It probably would have been a monumental upset — along the lines of a No.
16 seed knocking off a No. 1 in March Madness — if anyone in the Avalanche
camp Monday said of the upcoming stretch of five consecutive road games:
We're gonna take it five games a time.
The Avalanche is at Arizona on Thursday and Anaheim on Friday before
briefly returning home, then going back out to face Calgary, Edmonton and
Vancouver next week.
"For us, it really doesn't change," Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog said
after practice Monday. "It's one game at a time, and trying to pick up two
points in each of those games. We're going to start with Arizona and make
sure we have a good, solid road game, building off the last couple of games
we've had here at home. After that, we'll see where we go and where we
stand.
"We have to not focus too much on the standings. We'll have enough people
around us to look at that and analyze. In this room, we'll just focus on
playing."
Going into Monday night's games, the Avalanche (32-26-11) was five points
out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot, held by Winnipeg. Los
Angeles could have leaped into that spot and been six ahead of the
Avalanche if it beat Arizona in a late game.
"I don't think we look at the big picture," said Avs forward Jarome Iginla. "We
know we need points. We need to string a group of them together. I don't
know what that number is. I think you just start with one and go from there. I
know that sounds cliché-ish, one game at a time, but in a five-game road trip,
you're not picking which ones you're going to win or lose."
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy conceded: "I'm not very good at math, but I
know one thing: If we lose five games, it's going to be pretty much over.
That's why it's important to focus on the first game."
The Avs have gone 10-4 in their past 14 and 5-1 in its past six.
"We've never considered ourselves as down and out," said Landeskog, who
hasn't scored in the past three games but still has nine goals in the past 15.
"We've always believed, we've always thought we could do this, and it's still
the mind-set in here. I think since a few weeks back, we've been playing
some solid hockey, and the guys have been working extremely hard every
day."
One key to the Avalanche's success of late has been its penalty killing, now
ranked seventh in the league, at 84.3 percent.
"I would say this: The most important player on the ice for penalty killing, and
it hasn't changed over the years, is the goaltender," Roy said. "(Sem yon
Varlamov) has been really, really good shorthanded."
Roy went on to also praise the work of assistant coach Andre Tourigny,
saying: "We forecheck well. We defend well in our end. I like our structure,
and I think we've been doing a good job."
The Avalanche didn't practice Sunday, the day after beating Calgary 3-2 at
home, and also will be off Tuesday, counting those two days among the four
days off required each month under the collective bargaining agreement. The
Avalanche will travel to Arizona on Wednesday and practice in the Phoenix
area.
769922
Colorado Avalanche
NHL GENERAL MANAGERS DISCUSS DIVING, PROTECTING GOALIES
By Sandra Harwitt Associated Press
POSTED:
UPDATED:
03/16/2015 03:02:59 PM MDT
03/16/2015 03:02:59 PM MDT
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — NHL general managers opened three days of
meetings without action on two key items on the agenda — goalie
interference and the possibility of three-on-three play in overtime.
Instead, discussions Monday centered on diving and embellishment, and
protecting goaltenders in the crease. The NHL is debating whether it should
tell referees which players are frequent offenders.
"One of the key questions before they departed the room was, 'Do you want
us informing the referees of who we think the individuals are who embellish
more often than others?'" said Colin Campbell, the NHL executive vice
president. "And for the most part, we had most of the managers agree. ... It's
the hardest call on the ice for an official — embellishment."
Any rule recommendations must go to the NHL/union competition committee
and the Board of Governors before approval.
Tuesday's discussion is expected to address goalie interference and whether
video review, which can slow the game, is essential to making an accurate
call.
"It's the most contested area on the ice so it deserves a lot of attention,"
Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish said. "The referees are
doing a great job. They're all judgment calls, all split-second calls, they're
difficult calls. But they're really getting the calls right."
Concern also remains that too many games that go beyond regulation are
ending in shootouts rather than in overtime.
This year, the American Hockey League's decreased the number of games
ending in shootouts by changing their overtime format. The AHL has
increased overtime from five to seven minutes with four-on-four play until the
first whistle after three minutes. Play is then three-on-three for the rest of the
time.
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford likes the split format.
"It's worked well in the AHL and I personally think it's something we should
look at it," he said.
General managers are also expected to discuss emergency goaltending
options. The Florida Panthers were left without a goalie when Roberto
Luongo and Al Montoya were injured during a March 3 game against
Toronto.
On Monday night, Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray is to be
honored by the NHL for lifetime work. The 72-year-old Murray is the first
active general manager to receive this annual award. He is undergoing
chemotherapy for colon cancer but has not ruled out staying on the job next
year.
"I think that any time you're recognized by your peer group, it is an honor and
it's a nice thing to have happen," he said.
769923
Blue Jackets notebook: Scott Hartnell is feeling at home, earns NHL weekly
award
By Shawn Mitchell The Columbus Dispatch • Monday March 16, 2015
10:53 PM
Their playoff hopes dashed long ago, the Blue Jackets have pledged to
spend the final weeks of an injury-plagued season getting better in all facets
of the game — a prudent and predictable tact to take for a team simply
playing out the string.
But one of the players has clearly lived up to the rhetoric.
Veteran left wing Scott Hartnell, in his first season with the team, was named
the NHL “first star” of the week on Monday for his play in the Blue Jackets’
past four games, during which the team went 3-1-0.
Hartnell, who scored five goals during that span, joins Ryan Johansen,
Sergei Bobrovsky and former captain Rick Nash as the only Blue Jackets
players to win the league’s top weekly honor.
“I think when the season started, you didn’t really know what to expect,”
coach Todd Richards said, referring to the acquisition of Hartnell from
Philadelphia in a June trade that sent R.J. Umberger to the Flyers.
The type of hockey that Hartnell might play was never in doubt. Richards
knew that the 14-year veteran would bring a gritty, hard-nosed presence to
his young team.
But what sort of production would come with it? Ten goals? Thirty goals?
Thirty points? Sixty points?
Richards, it turns out, could have aimed high.
Hartnell has 21 goals, 27 assists and 90 penalty minutes in 64 games,
surpassing the 20-goal mark for the eighth time in his career.
He has seven goals and two assists in the past eight games and has forged a
potent partnership with rookie linemates Marko Dano and Alexander
Wennberg since Richards grouped them together earlier this month.
“They’ve been really good,” Richards said. “(Hartnell) could legitimately have
had three or four more goals during this stretch. Things are going well.”
Hartnell scored twice in a 4-3 shootout win last Tuesday at Carolina and
scored the winner in a 3-1 win on Thursday at Detroit.
On Friday, Hartnell scored the tying goal late in the third period of a 5-4
shootout win over Edmonton. He capped his week by scoring again in a 3-2
loss to Carolina on Sunday.
Hartnell was still stinging from his trade earlier in the season, he said. He
spent time “scoreboard watching,” wondering how things were going in
Philadelphia, where he had become part of the fabric of the Flyers and the
city.
“It took me awhile to get over that trade,” he said. “But these guys here did a
great job of taking me in, making me feel at home. It’s been a fun season. Not
winning makes it tough, but everything else has been good. I like it here.”
New York Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot was named the league’s “second
star” of the week. Ottawa Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond was the
“third star.”
Bobrovsky has won the league’s first-star award three times. Johansen won
it after being named the All-Star Game MVP in January. Nash won it twice.
Slap shots
The Blue Jackets are just 13-20-2 (28 points) in home games and are one
regulation loss short of the franchise record of 21 set in 2011-12 (17-21-3)
with six home games remaining. They finished with a franchise-low 37 points
at home in 2011-12 and 2001-02 (14-18-5-4). … The Blue Jackets recalled
forward Ryan Craig from minor-league Springfield on an emergency basis.
… The Jackets are scheduled to practice at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday before
departing for Edmonton that afternoon. They will open a three-game trip
through western Canada against the Oilers on Wednesday.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2015
769924
Next Game: Jackets
Monday March 16, 2015 9:16 AM
Staff
Opponent: at Edmonton Oilers
When: 10 p.m. Wednesday
TV: Fox Sports Ohio
Radio: WBNS-FM (97.1)
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2015
769925
Blue Jackets add LW Craig
FOX Sports Ohio
MAR 16, 2015 5:30p ET
COLUMBUS, OHIO --- The Columbus Blue Jackets have added left wing
Ryan Craig to the roster on emergency recall from the American Hockey
League's Springfield Falcons, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen
announced today.
Craig, 33, has tallied 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points with 54 penalty
minutes and a +1 plus/minus rating in 57 games with the Falcons this
season. He leads the club with six power play goals and is tied for third in
goals and points. The Falcons captain has registered 147-162-309 and 485
penalty minutes in 570 career AHL games.
Tampa Bay's 10th pick, 255th overall, in the 2002 NHL Draft, Craig has
picked up 32-31-63 and 148 penalty minutes in 196 career NHL games with
the Blue Jackets, Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins. He spent seven years
in the Lightning organization, including 2005-06 when he tallied NHL career
highs in goals, assists and points with 15-13-28 in 48 games and 2006-07
when he notched 14-13-27 in an NHL career-high 72 games. He averaged
7:01 TOI in six games with Columbus in 2013-14.
The 6-2, 214-pound native of Abbotsford, British Columbia registered
137-131-268 and 256 penalty minutes in 302 career games with the Brandon
Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League from 1998-03. In 2002-03, he
tallied a career-high 42-32-74, 69 penalty minutes and was +22 in 60 games.
The Blue Jackets return to action on Wednesday when they visit the
Edmonton Oilers. Game time from Rexall Place is 10 p.m. ET. Live coverage
on FOX Sports Ohio begins with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show at
9:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live on the Scioto Downs Blue
Jackets Radio Network, including flagship station Sports Radio 97.1 The
Fan, and online at BlueJackets.com.
foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 03.17.2015
769926
TOP BILLING: CBJ's Hartnell named NHL's First Star of the Week
FOX Sports Ohio
MAR 16, 2015 12:11p ET
Scott Hartnell helped lead the Blue Jackets to a strong week.
After a week full of highlights, Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Scott Hartnell
has been named the NHL's First Star of the Week.
Hartnell ended the week that was with five goals and a +3 in helping the Blue
Jackets finish 3-1-0.
Here's what he did on a game-by-game basis:
March 10 vs. Carolina
- Scored two goals with the Blue Jackets down 3-1 to Carolina. Columbus
won the game 4-3 in a shootout.
March 12 vs. Detroit
- Game-winning goal in a 3-1 win.
March 13 vs. Edmonton
Mar 15, 2015; Columbus Blue Jackets center Marko Dano (56) wearing St.
Patrick's Day jersey during warm ups before the game between the
Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes at the Nationwide Arena
in Columbus, Ohio.
FANTASTIC ASSIST
Watch rookie Marko Dano's dazzling connection with veteran Scott Hartnell
- Game-tying goal late in the third period of in 5-4 shootout victory.
March 15 vs. Carolina
- Continued goal-scoring streak (four games) in a 3-2 loss.
On the season, Hartnell has a mark of 21-27-48 and 90 penalty minutes in 64
games.
Hartnell also notched a career milestone this season in Columbus, as he
played his 1,000th game on Feb. 9 vs. the Kings.
The Blue Jackets are back in action Wednesday in Edmonton with coverage
beginning at 9:30 p.m. on FOX Sports Ohio.
769927
game Western Canada road trip to Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary
between Wednesday and Saturday. Their pride should demand this from
themselves.
Blue Jackets' loss a microcosm of their season
The team has Monday off and will practice Tuesday morning before flying to
Edmonton that afternoon.
Rick Gethin
MAR 15, 2015 9:52p ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio - “ This season within the confines of Nationwide Arena
hasn't been the friendliest for the Blue Jackets. With another loss tonight to
the Carolina Hurricanes, their home record stands at a paltry 13-20-2.
It also hasn't been the season of consistent 60 minute efforts. There were
glimpses of that "Blue Jackets" identity from time to time, but not enough of
them.
"We just didn't play well enough, especially in the first two periods," Brandon
Dubinsky said. "I thought in the third we got back to our game, but it seems to
be the story of our team."
They showed a bit of "jump" at the beginning, with a somewhat aggressive
forecheck that waned as the game wore on. Their passing was very fast,
almost as if they were a bit nervous of a Carolina team that had played less
than 24 hours previous.
"Our big guys have to step up and play better, and that includes myself, my
line. We can't rely on two lines and we can't rely on the young guys to win the
hockey game for us. We've got to be better."
The young guys he's referring to are Alex Wennberg and Marko Dano. Once
again, Wennberg's line (including Scott Hartnell) was the most dynamic line
for the Blue Jackets. That line accounted for one goal and one assist for two
points and was credited with eight shots on goal. Where that line was lacking
was in the faceoff circle. Wennberg went 0 for 7 on the dots.
The truly dynamic part of their game came in the second frame. Dano
brought the puck into the Hurricanes zone with speed and positively
schooled Carolina defenseman Michal Jordan, as Dano went first one way
and then the other with the puck around Jordan. He made a seemingly
effortless dish pass to Hartnell at the mouth of the goal where he easily found
the back of Anton Khubodin's net. Hartnell now has five goals in the last four
games.
"We just try and make the best out of it," said Wennberg. "I feel like right now
we're skating well and getting pucks to the net. There's no secret to it. Every
line has to step up to win these games. Today we were leading with scoring
chances and next game it could be another line."
All season, this has been a hallmark of the Blue Jackets. One line will get hot
for a few games, yet the other lines don't match that energy and fade into the
background. Consequently, bench boss Todd Richards shortens his bench
and relies on the hot line to drag the others into the fight.
Mar 15, 2015; Columbus Blue Jackets center Marko Dano (56) wearing St.
Patrick's Day jersey during warm ups before the game between the
Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes at the Nationwide Arena
in Columbus, Ohio.
Discipline has been an issue, too. Against Carolina, they took six penalties
and could not really find a rhythm to the way they want to play the game.
"For me, it's easier to get rhythm when you're on the power play," said
Richards. "It's easier to have some momentum than when you are on the
penalty kill. You're putting a lot of extra pressure and stress on your
defenders and your goaltender.
"Going into the game I think we were 28th in the league as far as minutes per
game short-handed. Yeah, it's not a good recipe."
Consistency is something they've strived to achieve with spotty success this
season. It's the consistency of a full 60 minute game and the discipline to
dictate play without unnecessary penalties. It's the consistency of all 12
forwards playing with energy and the defensemen standing tall and making
smart decisions.
This team is still a work in progress, but it is making strides. This becomes
even more daunting at this point of the season with the Blue Jackets out of
the playoff hunt and the offseason looming. Staying focused and getting
better is what Richards wants to see from the guys as they embark a three
769928
Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars assign Jamie Oleksiak to Texas Stars (AHL)
MIKE HEIKA
Published: 16 March 2015 10:30 AM
Updated: 16 March 2015 07:32 PM
The Stars, with 22-year-old John Klingberg expected back from an upper
body injury in time for Thursday's game with Pittsburgh, assigned 22-year-old
Jamie Oleksiak to the AHL on Tuesday.
Oleksiak played four games in his recent call-up and averaged 14 minutes
per game.
"It's step by step," said Oleksiak, who has played 36 games this season. "You
learn something every time you come up, and I'm doing that. I'm more
comfortable every time I come up."
During their recent 5-1-0 run, the Stars had at least three - and often four
young defensemen - in the lineup. It's a huge transition for a team that needs
to improve on defense.
Stars coach Lindy Ruff said the youngsters are doing better at handling the
pressure.
"When you first get up, I think you feel the pressure to really play well.
Otherwise you feel like you're going to go down again," Ruff said. "I hate
using the word comfort, but they're feeling a little comfortable with the way
they're playing."
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.17.2015
769929
Detroit Red Wings
St. James: Which goalie should start next for Wings?
By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 12:57 p.m. EDT March 16, 2015
The Detroit Red Wings don't play again until the end of the week, when they
then will do so twice in 48 hours.
In such situations, the vast majority of the time a team uses one goaltender
one night and another the next. So there we have it: Odds are Jimmy Howard
and Petr Mrazek will each play again very soon. But in what order?
That's the intrigue rendered after weekend games that saw Howard in net
during the 7-2 loss Saturday at Philadelphia and Mrazek in net during the 5-1
victory Sunday at Pittsburgh.
Coach Mike Babcock deferred when asked who'd start Thursday at Florida,
saying he wanted to think it over. The Wings took Monday off, but resume
practice Tuesday as they prep for a hectic final few weeks.
Babcock made it very clear he didn't fault Howard for the Philly disaster.
Babcock also made it clear how highly he thinks of Mrazek's mental
toughness, saying after Sunday's game that, "he just thinks that he's going to
win and has that capability. We needed a win and we didn't help Howie out
(Saturday) and we helped Pete out early and Pete was good."
Babcock: We just needed to bounce back
So who starts next? One thing to consider is that the last time the Wings were
in Tampa Bay, where they play Friday, Babcock put that 5-1 loss on Mrazek,
saying he "was no good." Mrazek was pulled after allowing five goals on 15
shots.
The Wings really could use a victory against the Lightning in light of the
likelihood that will be the first-round playoff match-up and Tampa Bay is 2-0
so far this season. Howard was in net when the teams met back in early
November, in what ended as a 4-3 shootout loss.
If Babcock sees Howard as the team's starter - and Babcock has said nothing
to indicate otherwise - it makes sense to start Howard against Tampa. That
also enables Babcock to ride the hot hand. Mrazek stopped 42 shots in
Pittsburgh, so let him at the Panthers. Stoking any idea of goaltending
controversy would be avoided because, again, teams generally start different
goaltenders when playing back-to-back.
Whatever this week brings, Mrazek, 23, will be a full-time Wing next season.
He's done too much at the NHL level to spend another year in the minors,
and under any circumstance the Wings are done with oft-injured Jonas
Gustavsson as he's on a one-year deal.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.17.2015
769930
Detroit Red Wings
Playing on a line with Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco, Pulkkinen seemed
confident and comfortable on the ice.
Mrazek's big return leaves Babcock with choices in net
"When you score some goals, you get some confidence," Pulkkinen said. "I
feel better every day. Everybody here helps me out, the veteran guys,
everybody.
Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 3:58 p.m. EDT March 16, 2015
"It's nice to be part of this group."
As for Pulkkinen's devastating shot?
Detroit — So who will be the Red Wings' starting goaltender Thursday in
Florida?
"It's an incredible weapon he has," Babcock said. "He can flat-out crank it."
Coach Mike Babcock was posed the question after Mrazek's 42-save 5-1
victory Sunday in Pittsburgh, and temporarily brushed it aside.
Babcock expects Darren Helm (oblique strain) to be ready for Thursday's
game against the Panthers. Helm has missed the last seven games.
Mrazek or Jimmy Howard? Babcock will think about it.
…Marek Zidlicky has seven points in seven games since being acquired by
the Red Wings at the trade deadline, but credits his new teammates for the
adjustment since arriving March 2.
"I'm going to enjoy a nice meal on the plane, then a nice day off (Monday; the
Red Wings didn't skate), and then I'll make some decisions after that,"
Babcock said.
Ice chips
But the fact both goalies appear to be pushing each other to better
performances?
"It's not easy, especially when you move from your family," Zidlicky said of
being traded at the deadline. "It's a new system, a new team, a new rink.
Everything is new. But the guys have helped me a lot.
"It's a great situation," Babcock said.
"It's a real skilled team."
There was some pressure on the Red Wings — and Mrazek — Sunday, the
team having lost four of five games and 24 hours earlier getting clobbered
7-2 in Philadelphia.
Detroit News LOADED: 03.17.2015
But playing the Penguins, another team in need of a victory — and playing in
the same arena he was pulled after two periods in a 4-1 loss on Feb. 11 —
Mrazek starred in the Red Wings victory.
"Mrazek was huge in net," Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "He made
some key saves in key moments."
The way Sunday went wasn't a surprise for Mrazek, who appears to thrive if
the environment is larger than normal.
"If you feel pressure, it's not good," Mrazek said. "You have to stay positive all
the time. You have streaks, or games, when you don't score or anything is
going in. You just have to battle hard and come back."
Which is what Mrazek did, also, by the way he responded after his own
disappointing performance in Pittsburgh the month before. Mrazek was sent
back to Grand Rapids a few days later when Jonas Gustavsson came off the
injured list.
Sunday's game was the first for Mrazek with the Red Wings since that
February game, and first since being recalled when Gustavsson (head) was
hurt again March 8.
"It felt great to bounce back after the last game I played here," Mrazek said. "I
didn't finish the game. It was nice to bounce back after that.
"We did a great job. There was good communication."
Babcock has been impressed with Mrazek since the young goalie made brief
appearances with the Red Wings last season.
Mrazek, 23, has already played 21 games (14 victories) this season and
shown considerable promise heading into the future.
Playing against a difficult offensive team such as the Penguins, Mrazek
handled the barrage calmly and effectively.
"He's good, he's just good and he relishes these opportunities," Babcock
said. "He thinks he's going to win and he has the capability. We needed a win
and we didn't help Howie (Jimmy Howard) last night (in the loss to
Philadelphia) but we helped Pete early, and better, and Pete was good."
Potent Pulkkinen
Mrazek, incidentally, isn't surprised by the fact forward Teemu Pulkkinen now
has five NHL goals after scoring twice in Sunday's victory.
Mrazek saw the hard-shooting Pulkkinen score 34 goals thus far this season
in Grand Rapids (still leading the AHL).
"He scores there on every shot," Mrazek said. "I'm not surprised."
Pulkkinen's goals Sunday came on a blistering one-timer from the dot that
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury couldn't react quick enough, and later
scored on a deflected shot which also shattered his stick.
769931
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings prospect, University of Michigan center Dylan Larkin named Big
Ten Freshman of the Year
Justin P. Hicks
on March 16, 2015 at 5:20 PM
ANN ARBOR, MI - A University of Michigan forward has received the Big
Ten's ice hockey Freshman of the Year award for the second consecutive
season.
Center Dylan Larkin, 18, was the unanimous winner of the 2015 award,
leading all freshmen in the conference in goals (14), assists (29) and points
(43). He follows teammate JT Compher, who won the award in 2013-14.
After Larkin, the freshman with the next-highest scoring numbers this season
was Penn State's Scott Conway at 26. Zooming out to the entire NCAA,
Larkin ranks second in points per game (1.34) behind only Boston University
standout Jack Eichel.
Larkin, the 15th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2014 NHL Entry
Draft, adds the prestigious award to a list that includes January's HCA
National Rookie of the Month, and the Feb. 24 Big Ten First Star of the Week.
He's the first Michigan freshman to reach 40 points in a season since Aaron
Palushaj tallied 44 in 2007-08, and ranks second in the conference in total
points this season behind senior linemate Zach Hyman.
Hyman's 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) earned him the Big Ten Scoring
Champion award, as well as a spot alongside Larkin and freshman Zach
Werenski on the First Team. Michigan was the only school with more than
one First Team selection.
Other Wolverines to take home conference honors this year include junior
Andrew Copp and sophomore Michael Downing, who were both Second
Team selections.
The Big Ten regular-season ice hockey awards are voted on by Big Ten
coaches and a media voting panel.
Michigan is back on the ice Thursday when it takes on Wisconsin in the
opening round of the Big Ten tournament at Joe Louis Arena.
Michigan Live LOADED: 03.17.2015
769932
Detroit Red Wings
Marek Zidlicky making immediate impact for Red Wings with 'bomb' of a shot,
an edge to his game
Ansar Khan on March 16, 2015 at 12:05 PM, updated March 16, 2015 at 1:20
PM
DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings had varying degrees of interest in a
number of right-handed shooting defensemen, and some lefties, since July.
The one they finally acquired two weeks ago didn't cost them as much as
most of the others would have, and is considerably older, but he's already
delivered a big return.
Marek Zidlicky has seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games
and has provided a different dimension with his right shot, described as a
"bomb" by coach Mike Babcock, and an edge to his game.
"He can flat-out just shoot the puck, which is great, even to the point where
he's got to shoot it more, on the power play especially," Babcock said
following Sunday's 5-1 victory at Pittsburgh, after Zidlicky picked up a goal
and two assists.
The 38-year-old Zidlicky provides more than just offense. Despite his modest
5-foot-11, 190-pound frame, he brings some abrasiveness.
"He's got some grit to him, he doesn't mind cross-checking the odd guy,"
Babcock said. "Moves the puck good and he gives us another (defense) pair.
Him and (Brendan Smith) are a real good pair for us, which is so important;
they move the puck."
The Red Wings know Zidlicky well. They saw him often during his four
seasons in Nashville - he tallied career highs in goals (14) and points (53) as
a rookie in 2003-04 - and his three-plus seasons in Minnesota.
Red Wings' Marek Zidlicky: 'This team is comfortable for me, especially on
the power play' Team's new defenseman has meshed in extremely well with
skilled teammates.
"He's a real good defenseman and we saw it again today on the power play,
how important he is for us," Henrik Zetterberg said. "He always makes the
right play. He's so calm. It's fun to play with him."
They dealt a conditional 2016 third-round draft pick (becomes a
second-rounder if they reach the Stanley Cup finals) to New Jersey at the
March 2 trade deadline to land him. The Devils will get Detroit's 2015
fifth-round pick as well if the Red Wings reach the Eastern Conference finals.
The Red Wings made a pitch for Zidlicky in free agency in 2013, but he
re-signed with New Jersey. He waived his no-trade clause to come to Detroit.
"This team has really, really good players and it's comfortable for me,
especially on the power play," Zidlicky said.
He said of the power play, which was ranked No. 1 in the NHL before he
arrived and continues to hold the top spot: "They've got great skill. It's
unbelievable how they handle the puck. They are strong with the puck and
strong up front so that makes it easy for me."
With just 11 shots in seven games, Zidlicky will look to shoot more.
"That's what (Babcock) wants," Zidlicky said. "I try shooting much more."
His family remains in New Jersey, where his son is in school and plays
hockey.
"It's not easy, especially when you move from family," Zidlicky said. "New
system, new team, new rink. Everything is new. The guys help me on and off
the ice, so that's good for me."
The Czech native has extensive international experience, having played in
the past three Olympics, six World Championships and the 2004 World Cup.
"I saw him with the national team a couple of times so I knew what I can
expect from him," goaltender and fellow Czech Petr Mrazek said. "He's a
great defenseman and he shoots well and we could see it (Sunday)."
769933
Detroit Red Wings
Petr Mrazek embraces pressure, putting Red Wings in 'a great situation' with
their goaltending
Ansar Khan
on March 16, 2015 at 6:04 AM, updated March 16, 2015 at 6:09 AM
PITTSBURGH - Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock often talks about
Petr Mrazek's swagger.
The young goaltender has a lot of confidence and it shows. He's had a few
rough outings where he's been pulled, but he doesn't shrink from a
challenge.
The Red Wings, looking like a team on the verge of unraveling, needed a
big-time performance from their goalie on Sunday. Mrazek delivered by
making 43 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol
Energy Center.
"He's just good," Babcock said. "He relishes these opportunities. He just
thinks he's going to win. He has that capability. We needed a win and we
didn't help (Jimmy Howard) out last night (in a 7-2 loss at Philadelphia). We
helped Pete out better and Pete was good."
Mrazek embraced the role as slump-stopper for a team that had gone 2-4-0
in March and didn't play particularly well in the two wins.
"If you feel pressure it's no good," Mrazek said. "You have to just stay positive
all the time. You have frustrating times in games when you can't score and
everything is going in. You just battle hard and come back."
That's what Mrazek did following a 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh on March 11, when
he allowed four goals through two periods and was replaced by Howard, who
was returning from a groin injury. That was Mrazek's most recent outing with
Detroit; he was reassigned to Grand Rapids the next day.
"It felt great to bounce back after the game last time I played here," Mrazek
said. "I think we did a great job. All of the (defensemen) did a great job behind
the net. There was good communication."
Does Babcock ride the hot hand and start Mrazek Thursday in Florida and
play Howard the next night in Tampa Bay? Chances are he'll split the duties
since it's back-to-back.
"I'm going to enjoy a nice meal on the plane and a nice day off and then I'll
make some decisions after that," Babcock said. "It's a great situation."
Babcock felt the penalty kill was too passive on Saturday, allowing three
power-play goals. On Sunday, the Red Wings killed all four Pittsburgh power
plays, after having allowed at least one goal on the man-advantage in nine
consecutive games.
"The big thing is we got some saves early but also the guys did a real nice
job," Babcock said. "They got a real good power play. Our penalty kill scheme
and the players we have are top of the league-caliber, so there's no reason
for us not to be top of the league because our penalty killers are that good
and so is our scheme. So let's get that fixed and dialed in and get
aggressive."
769934
Detroit Red Wings
Marek Zidlicky delivers on trade to Detroit
By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily
Posted: 03/16/15, 4:31 PM EDT |
DETROIT >> Marek Zidlicky is delivering just as advertised.
Since being obtained prior to the trade deadline in a deal with the New Jersey
Devils, the veteran defenseman has three goals and four assists in seven
games.
“A bomb,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said about Zidlicky’s shot. “He can flat
out just shoot the puck, which is great. Even to the point where he’s got to
shoot it more, on the power play especially.
“He’s (also) got some grit to him,” Babcock continued. “He doesn’t mind
cross-checking the odd guy. Moves the puck good and he gives us another
pair, him and (Brendan Smith) are a real good pair for us, which is so is
important. They move the puck.”
Zidlicky, who had a goal and two assists in the Wings’ 5-1 win over Pittsburgh
on Sunday, has 11 shots in seven games.
“That’s what he wants,” Zidlicky said about Babcock wanting him to shoot the
puck more. “I try shooting much more.”
Zidlicky has a point in all but one game since joining the Wings.
“He’s a real good defenseman,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “He’s important for
us. He always makes the right play. He’s so calm. It’s fun to play with him.”
Detroit made a pitch for the right-handed defenseman during free agency in
2013, but he decided to go back to New Jersey.
Zidlicky, who has a goal and 15 assists in 38 playoff career games, did waive
his no-trade clause to join the Wings.
“It’s not easy, especially when you move from family,” Zidlicky said. “New
system, new team, new rink, everything is new. The guys help me on and off
the ice, so that’s good for me.”
Zidlicky, 38, is a power-play specialist and has made an immediate impact to
the Wings’ already top-ranked power play. Five of his seven points have
been on the power play.
“It’s skill guys,” Zidlicky said. “They’ve got great skill. It’s unbelievable how
they handle the puck. They are strong with the puck and strong up front so
that makes it easy for me.”
The Wings didn’t part with much to obtain the unrestricted free agent at the
end of the season defenseman from the Devils. They gave up a third-round
draft pick in 2016. If Detroit reaches the Eastern Conference finals this year
New Jersey will also get a 2015 fifth-round and the 2016 third rounder moves
up to the second round.
A day after Jimmy Howard allowed seven goals on 36 shots, Petr Mrazek
made a career-high 42 saves to lead the Wings over the Penguins.
“He’s good,” Babcock said. “He’s just good. He relishes these opportunities.
He just thinks he’s going to win. He has that capability. We needed a win
(Sunday) and we didn’t help Howie out (Saturday), we helped Pete out early
better and Pete was good.”
Babcock now has to decide if he goes back to Mrazek on Thursday against
Florida or go back with Howard. Detroit then plays Friday at Tampa Bay.
“It’s a great situation,” Babcock said.
The Wings’ penalty kill went four-for-four on Sunday, after allowing a least
one power-play goal in nine consecutive games.
“Our penalty kill scheme and the players we have are top of the league
caliber, so there’s no reason for us not to be top of the league, because our
penalty killers are that good and so is our scheme,” Babcock said. “So let’s
get that fixed and dialed in and get aggressive.”
Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.17.2015
769935
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers star Taylor Hall close to returning from injury
By Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal March 16, 2015
EDMONTON — Taylor Hall begged off on playing at the world hockey
championship last spring in Belarus, but if asked this year, he will absolutely
be on the plane to Prague after his injury-riddled Edmonton Oilers season.
“Going to the world championship would be good for me because I haven’t
played much hockey this year and I haven’t played too much good hockey as
well,” Hall said after the Oilers’ morning skate Monday, prior to his team’s
game with the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. “If I get invited (to wear the
maple leaf), I’ll accept and hopefully we win a gold.” Hall has played just 42
games in 2014-15 after suffering a sprained knee in November and a broken
foot in February. the Top-line forward might be ready to play on Saturday
against the Philadelphia Flyers at Rexall Place.
If Hall gets a call to represent the nation, he can expect Oilers company in
linemates Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who are certainly on the
national team’s radar as well with former Hockey Canada boss Bob
Nicholson, who is now working for the Oilers.
There was never any talk of the oilers shutting Hall down completely rather
than have him play out the string with the Oilers and wait until training camp
in the fall.
“I wanted to come back and salvage a bit of my season and our team’s
season,” he said. “I certainly wasn’t at home with this injury (foot) thinking of
next year.”
He wants some positive vibes the last month of the season before the worlds.
“I started the season well but got the knee injury and came back too soon (he
missed six games) of my own volition,” said Hall, who scored six goals and
10 points in his first 11 games of the season before he was injured against
the Vancouver Canucks as he drove the net and got shoved by Chris Tanev.
“I wanted to help the team, but sometimes, you can’t force injuries because
they have to heal. That held me back.”
After missing the six games with the sprained knee, he scored five goals in
his next 30 games, then suffered a bone bruise in his foot at his first practice
after the all-star break.
He sat out three games, returned for 11 minutes against San Jose Feb. 2,
and hurt his foot even more. He maybe rushed back from the original bone
bruise, too.
But that’s Hall; he wants to play. He is not a good spectator. He was in a
walking boot for the first three weeks after the broken foot diagnosis and has
taken his time getting back on the ice for skates.
“The guys were away quite a bit when I was hurt, and it can get pretty lonely
and boring skating by yourself,” said Hall, who was on the ice at first in shorts,
then track pants, and now he’s in full pads at a pre-game skate.
“We’ll have to see how it reacts to the skate today, but it was a good, positive
session,” said Hall. “With a bone injury, it kind of gives you a feeling of how
it’s doing (improving or not) right away, doing activities and what not. With a
bone, you can’t speed it up. I’m pretty much on schedule.
“I practised hard today, maybe too hard. I’ll probably have to get my
conditioning back before I can play.”
Hall has had a series of injuries in his five Oilers seasons (knee, shoulder,
foot, ankle, concussion) but it’s part of doing business. He constantly goes
into high traffic areas.
“It’s been unfortunate, and the last five years as a team, we’ve had some
decent moments, but for the most part, it hasn’t been great,” he said. “I want
to finish the season well and get the optimism for next year. Hopefully, I’m
injury free next year.”
Hall has missed the last 18 games and the Oilers are 4-14 without him,
testament to his worth. When he sprained his knee against Vancouver Nov. 1
and was out six games, they were 2-4.
Hall, from the outside looking in, said “the team has shown signs of
improvement” since he’s been out, although it’s not evident in the standings
for the 29th place team.
“We have a lot more offence now with Nuge (and Eberle) playing well and it’s
great to see Yak (Nail Yakupov),” he said. “Everyone kind of sees what’s
happened with him and hopefully that carries over to our whole team.”
Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769936
Edmonton Oilers
“For young guys — and I consider myself a young guy — it’s up to us to learn
lessons from them. With 82 games, you’re not going to feel great every night,
but you have to figure out how not to cost the team.
Oilers’ great start helps snap seven-game winless streak
“You’re not going to score every night — it doesn’t matter who you are — but
there are plays you need to make,” Scrivens continued.
By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal March 16, 2015 11:11 PM
“If you’re a D-man, you have to find a why to put pucks on the tape. As a
goalie, you’re not going to make spectacular saves every night, but you have
to make sure you can find the routine ones.
EDMONTON - It’s been said it’s not how you start, but how you finish.
“If there was a switch you could flip, people would do it. It’s not an easy thing
to do but it’s part of being a professional.”
But that’s not what they were saying in the Edmonton Oilers’ quarters.
The Oilers, a team which has not made good starts a habit, scored four goals
on seven shots in the first 11 minutes of Monday’s game with the Toronto
Maple Leafs before registering a 4-1 victory at Rexall Place.
It was their first win since Feb. 24, ending a seven-game winless skid, and
the first win on home ice since a 4-3 shootout decision over the Boston
Bruins on Feb. 18.
The goals from Benoit Pouliot (even strength; power play), Jordan Eberle
(power play) and Anton Lander (also with the man advantage) marked the
first time the Oilers have scored four first period goals since a 4-0 win over
the Vancouver Canucks on March 30, 2013.
“That was a great start. We scored on the first shift and got a couple of power
plays,” said Eberle, who has been red hot of late, registering four goals and
seven assists through his last five games.
“That’s what you have to do. You have to come out strong like that, especially
against a team like that that’s kind of fragile. We did let them back in with
some undisciplined penalties, but (goaltender Ben Scrivens) was there to
shut the door.”
On the Oilers’ list of things to try to do before the season winds down is find a
way to regularly start games with the requirement commitment. It’s a trait
which has been lacking.
Of the 70 games the Oilers have played this season, they have gone into the
first intermission trailing on the scoreboard 26 times. In those 26 games, they
have won just twice.
Giving up the first goal? That’s even more of a problem. Edmonton is 8-28-7
when the opponent strikes first, which is why the team will underscore its
start against Toronto.
Granted, the Maple Leafs are clearly a team with more troubles than the
Oilers. They fell from 10th place overall — where they were on Dec. 17 — to
27th place with a record of 27-38-6. They have won just one of their last 21
road games and are 2-7-1 in their last 10 outings.
“You can’t go out there the first couple of shifts and have a turnover or a weak
goal ... you have to be ready to execute early,” said Oilers goaltender Ben
Scrivens, who finished with 28 saves, including 13 in the second period.
Scrivens’ lone blemish was a power-play marker that James Van Riemsdyk
tipped in at 13:27 of the first period.
It was the 10th power-play goal the Oilers have surrendered in their last five
games. They’ve scored just as many in the same stretch.
“That was huge to get of to a start like that,” said Pouliot. “Most of our games
this year, we haven’t started that way. It’s usually the other team that starts
that way and we can never claw back.
“Right off the bat, we knew what we had to do and we took control of the
game right away. We did let our foot of the gas in the second and the third. ...
We thought it was going to be an easy one after that first period, but they
pushed back. They had their fair share of chances. At least we came out with
the win.”
Head coach Todd Nelson said the Oilers started to get too cute with the puck
after the first 20 minutes, but the third was a better period than the second.
Most importantly, they finally found their way back to the win column.
“Getting that consistency in our game is taking longer than expected,”
Scrivens said, “but you look at the guys who are bringing it every night,
whether it’s Matt Hendricks or Boyd Gordon or Mark Fayne, Andrew
Ference. ... Those guys have had long successful careers and you can see
why. They don’t have a lot of fluctuation in their game.
“It’s a testament to what they do off the ice, how they prepare.
OIL DROPS: Matt Fraser had to be helped off the ice after he was hit in the
head by Toronto’s Nazem Kadri. It appeared to be a deliberate shot that will
surely net the Leafs forward a suspension.
769937
Edmonton Oilers
MacKinnon: Oilers’ game showed up on Monday against Maple Leafs
By John MacKinnon, Edmonton Journal March 16, 2015 11:11 PM
EDMONTON - What’s that old line that over-optimistic golfers sometimes use
to summarize their latest round?
“I played well; I just didn’t score well.”
That’s the one. And on too many nights this lost Edmonton Oilers season,
that line has fit their efforts all too well.
But not Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In golfing parlance, the Oilers, particularly Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot,
were in the groove early and often. Playing well, scoring well, propelling the
Oilers to a 4-0 lead. It was 4-1 after James van Riemsdyk tipped a Dion
Phaneuf slapshot from the point during a Toronto power play at 13:27 of the
opening period. And that’s where it stayed.
Pouliot blew a pair of slapshots past Maple Leafs starting goalie Jonathan
Bernier. His first came just 53 seconds into the game, silencing Toronto
diehard fans already chanting, “Go Leafs Go!”
Sandwiched between Pouliot’s goals, Eberle ripped a wrist shot over
Bernier’s left shoulder on a power play as the Oilers assembled a 3-0 lead on
their first four shots. The game was all of 8:08 old.
Anton Lander added a second power-play goal just past the halfway mark of
the period on a nifty back-door pass from Eberle. 4-0.
And never mind, for the moment, that this blitz was coming against the
sad-sack Maple Leafs. It came fast and furious. It happened by 10:59 of the
opening period. And about time, the home crowd reckoned.
After all, this is a season in which the Oilers’ early season “underlying
numbers” were said to be on the uptick, even as the losses mounted. It’s the
season of “visually better,” of a team “on the cusp” of long-term success.
And yet, with a baker’s dozen games left this NHL season, as the puck
dropped Monday night, the Oilers still were a team searching for their game.
A consistent game, that is. A complete game. A game they can replicate
night after night. An identifiable iteration of “Oilers hockey,” if you will.
The coaching staff and the players believe pieces of such a game have been
on display even as the club lost all five games on its recent road trip. They
believe this despite the fact the Oilers entered play Monday night having
gone 1-7-2 in their last 10 games.
“The start won us the game,” Eberle said. “We came out strong. I mean, our
line (Pouliot, Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) scored first shift and then the
power play got a couple of chances, then scored and buried, and they didn’t
really have an answer from there.
“Scrivvy (goalie Ben Scrivens) shut the door. They had a bit of a pushback
and we knew they would.”
On Monday morning, Eberle lamented the club’s chronic inability to fashion a
complete, 60-minute effort, particularly as the Oilers lost five straight games
on the road. Spurts of solid play, but only spurts.
Eberle has seen signs of hope recently and certainly on Monday night.
“It’s fun playing hockey,” Eberle said. “The system we’re playing, we’re
creating a lot more opportunities and we’re in games.
“Obviously, the results haven’t been what we wanted. But we’re definitely
playing better. I think, more than anything, when the power play is clicking
like that (Edmonton was two for five against Toronto), it helps.”
Edmonton’s recently effective power play (37.1 per cent over the 12 games
prior to Monday night) has helped keep the team in games.
Anyway, Eberle, who leads the Oilers with 55 points, including a club-leading
21 power-play points, didn’t overcomplicate his diagnosis for the club’s
recent success with the man advantage.
“More than anything, the puck’s going in the net,” he said. “I think maybe, at
the start of the year, we were really focused on shooting the puck, Corsi
numbers and that kind of thing. ... When that starts creeping into your head,
you’re just shooting the puck to shoot it almost. You’re not trying to create the
best opportunity you can.”
Eberle, an intuitive player, evidently got away from trusting his instincts
earlier in the season, forcing shots too much, whether five-on-five or on
manpower advantages. Good possession numbers, whether Corsi or
another metric, are meant to be a snapshot of performance, not an objective
to be deliberately pursued.
But there’s nothing deliberate about Eberle’s play lately. He is, as they say in
basketball, feeling it. Since the NHL all-star break, Eberle has 26 points in 23
games, including seven goals.
Eberle believes that under interim head coach Todd Nelson, the team has
refocused on the process rather than outcomes.
“We really just got back to the fundamentals,” Eberle said of the improved
power play. “With Teddy (Purcell) in the middle, he’s really created a lot of
space for me and (Nugent-Hopkins) to move the puck around.
“I think any time you get out there and you get a couple of opportunities (as) a
skill guy, it feeds into your five-on-five game. It’s maybe why
(Nugent-Hopkins) and I feel a lot better on the ice.”
Eberle said the Oilers are “at our best when we’re on top of teams, when
we’re playing a structure that is creating offence.”
That describes the Oilers’ first period against Toronto. Playing well and
scoring well. Even if they had to hang on a bit in the second period, when the
Oilers only mustered two shots in the first 10 minutes.
“This was a weird game, just because of the way we started,” Eberle said. “I
don’t want to say we were mentally out of it, but it’s hard to continue to stay
into it. We kind of got a little sloppy and undisciplined. They got a chance to
come back. It was a good, solid effort, one we need to build on.
“But (today), we need to forget about it and go back to work. We’ve got to
continue to ride this out right though the end of the season,” he added.
“That’s my main goal right now.”
769938
Edmonton Oilers
Goaltending B
Power play A
First period explosion propels Edmonton Oilers to 4-1 win over Toronto
Maple Leafs
Penalty kill A
Toughness B
Effort A
By Robert Tychkowski, Edmonton Sun
March 16, 2015 10:57 PM MDT
For a pair of hockey teams that had to be wondering if their seasons could
possibly get any worse, Monday night at Rexall Place provided the answer.
Yes.
If the Edmonton Oilers lost at home to the soap opera/dumpster fire known
as the Toronto Maple Leafs, it would be impossible to sink any lower without
actually striking oil.
Why Oilers won
They jumped on the Maple Leafs and took a four-goal lead, due in part to
what has become a potent power play. While they sat back somewhat in the
second period, they were able to keep a safe distance ahead of Toronto and
cruise to the win.
Play of the game
The Oilers throw the puck around on the power play, keeping it away from the
Maple Leafs. Jordan Eberle lays it over to Teddy Purcell, who finds Anton
Lander with a cross-crease pass for a simple goal on the doorstep.
Save of the game
And it the Leafs lost to a stripped down 29th place Oilers team on a
seven-game losing streak, they had to figure TSN might have to start up
another channel to deal with the fallout.
Late in the second period, the Oilers break out on an odd-man rush. The
puck is sent across to Derek Roy, who appears to have an open net, but
James Reimer is able to slide across and get a pad on the shot.
So, in a game nobody could afford to lose, the woeful Maple Leafs were the
ones with the red faces and blank stares as Edmonton avenged a painful 5-1
loss in February with an equally devastating 4-1 decision in the rematch.
Up Next
Edmonton had it wrapped up in the first 11 minutes, rolling out to a 4-0 lead
before shifting it into cruise control to hand the Leafs their 20th loss in the last
21 road games.
The Oilers wasted no time in putting it to the hapless visitors as Benoit
Pouliot, amid deafening chants of “Go Leafs Go” at Rexall Place, scored on
Edmonton’s first shot of the game just 53 seconds after the opening faceoff.
It was the league-leading 10th time this season that the Leafs gave up a goal
on the first shot of the game.
And the Oilers kept coming.
Jordan Eberle scored on the power play at 7:16 to put Toronto on its heels
and Pouliot scored again just 52 seconds later to send half the building into a
frenzy and send the other half into shock.
That was it for Toronto goalie Jonathan Bernier, who got the hook after giving
up three goals on four shots. But before the shell-shocked Leafs fans in
attendance could even comprehend what was happening, reliever James
Reimer gave up a goal on the third shot he faced (Anton Lander on another
hopelessly easy power play goal at 10:59) and it was 4-0 Oilers.
Wow.
The Leafs got one back on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal at 13:27,
but 4-1 after 20 was caught even the harshest Leafs critics by surprise.
Toronto fought back hard in the second period and had a number high end
chances to cut into Edmonton’s lead, but Ben Scrivens frustrated his former
team with a handful of clutch saves to keep it 4-1 through 40 minutes.
Game Review by Derek Van Diest
Oilers 4, Maple Leafs 1
Three Stars
1. Jordan Eberle, Oilers
Had three points in the first period.
2. Benoit Pouliot, Oilers
Scored a pair of goals to give his team a big lead.
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oilers
Had a pair of assists.
Game Grades
Offence A
Defence B
Oilers vs Columbus Blue Jackets, Wednesday (8 p.m.) Rexall Place. eason.
The all-time low for their franchise is nine. They have four road games left.
Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769939
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers' Taylor Hall eager to return sooner rather than later
By Robert Tychkowski, Edmonton Sun
March 16, 2015 08:51 PM MDT
Even though there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to come back to, Taylor
Hall is still trying to come back as quickly as possible.
Not too quickly, he’s made that mistake before and paid dearly for it, but with
time running out on the Edmonton Oilers lost season, the 23-year-old winger
is determined to be in the lineup again before it’s all over.
“When you injure a bone it’s pretty hard to speed that up, but I did everything
I could, I think, and I’m right on schedule,” said Hall, who skated with his
teammates for the first time Monday morning.
“It feels good. Today was good. I practised really hard, almost too hard at
times.”
Hall, who’s been out 19 games with a cracked bone in his lower leg, believes
he isn’t that far away.
“It’s one of those things where I have to wait to see how it reacts to being on
the ice but today was a really good, positive, session. I’m certainly looking
forward to playing soon.
“Hopefully I don’t have to miss too many more games. That was my goal. I
wanted to come back and play and maybe salvage a bit of my season.”
“I’ll probably have to get my conditioning back before it’s ready. I just want to
make sure that I’m ready to play when I come back.”
Hall came back too early from a knee injury in November and his play
suffered for it - eight points in his first 16 games back - then he returned too
soon from what was diagnosed as a bone bruise and played just 10 minutes
before leaving the game with bone crack in the exact same area.
All in all, a pretty tough year.
“I thought I started well but I got hurt with the knee injury and I thought I just
came back a little too soon, which was of my own volition.
“I wanted to come back and help the team and you can’t force injuries. Then
once you have a few bad games the (lack of) confidence starts to creep in.”
As soon as he got his game going again, another injury and another
premature comeback.
“Hindsight is 20-20 and it’s always easy to look back,” said Hall. “That (bone
bruise) injury did cause the injury I have now, but sometimes when you’re
ready to play you have to play. It was another one of those things, a bad
bounce.”
All of this begs the question, why not just shut him down for the season
instead of pushing it to come back for 10 meaningless games?
Hall says that’s not an option, and the topic never even came up in
discussions.
“The doctors have seen this injury quite a bit and the timeline is pretty much
the same for everyone. I knew I’d be able to play some games. I certainly
wasn’t at home thinking about next year. I still have some games left in me
this year.
“I don’t think that would be fair for me to sit at home and not be able to play
hockey. When I’m ready to play I’m going to play.”
He’d also like to keep playing well into the spring at the World
Championships.
“I think that would be really good for me to go. I haven’t played too much
hockey this year and I haven’t played too much good hockey. I’d love to go
there and keep improving. Hopefully if I’m invited I’ll accept and we’ll win a
gold.”
769940
Edmonton Oilers
the 26 games he's played, while Nail Yakupov added another point. Yakupov
has five points, including two goals, in his last six games.
Jones: Edmonton Oilers rediscovering offence under Todd Nelson's
stewardship
"There have been a couple of changes and the coach gave me his support,"
said Yakupov, who is playing his best hockey since Ralph Krueger had him
going at the back end of the strike-shortened season.
By Terry Jones, Edmonton Sun
"The coach gave me a really good chance with his support. He has my back
and I think it is really important when the coach believes in you. You just have
to go out and play for that coach, play hard and play the system he says," he
said of Todd Nelson.
March 16, 2015 11:37 PM MDT
With two power-play goals last night Edmonton has the best power play
numbers since the All-Star Break and the Leafs the worst.
Jordan Eberle. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Anton Lander. Nail Yakupov. Benoit
Pouloit.
Ralph Krueger had the Oilers near the top of the tables in power play when
he was fired. Todd Nelson has managed to get them back.
Five Oilers who are all now having good seasons helped create mental
health day in Edmonton in an 11-minute span Monday night.
Can you imagine if they surrounded these guys with some fully developed
professional hockey players in the near future?
When this season finally comes to an end, the up arrows beside the names of
those five players, from such a down-arrow season, will provide hope for next
year. And you don't have anything to sell in sport if you can't sell hope.
The Oilers 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs was a pretty good example
of that.
On a day that the city made news when the under-construction Groat Road
Bridge buckled, the Oilers made the Toronto Maple Leafs buckle.
With three goals on the first four shots and four goals in the first 11 minutes,
the Oilers ended a seven-game losing streak by beating the team which has
only won but one of the last 21 games on the road.
Now that's hardly a let-the-bells-ring-out-and-let-the-banners-fly occasion.
But beating Toronto is always fun in any sport, especially hockey when no
matter how bad they are going the Maple Leafs manage to attract thousands
of fans wearing Toronto jerseys. Those fans created an unbelievably loud
"Go Leafs Go" chant to start the game. The Oilers silenced it 43 seconds in.
For a span of 11 minutes it was fun, fun, fun in the building where fun has
came to die for nine straight seasons as the Oilers built up a 4-0 lead.
"I think now that Nellie has taken over, we're trying to find an identity and play
with an identity. But now that Nellie has taken over, hockey is starting to
become fun again. The puck has been going in and the power play has been
clicking," said Jordan Eberle, an unabashed and vocal believer in new coach
Todd Nelson.
Sure the Leafs are 1-18-2 in their last 21 games and 6-21-3 since firing
Randy Carlyle (21-16-3 when they pulled the trigger on him, sort of the
opposite effect we've seen here since Craig MacTavish tied the can to Dallas
Eakins).
But the Oilers had lost their previous six to Toronto, including a 5-2
humiliation in the Air Canada Centre. With a seven-game losing streak and
one win to show for their previous five games at home, last night counted as
a worthy win -- especially with the Oilers' horrid history on the first game back
from a multi-game road trip.
"Seemed like there were way more Leaf fans than Oilers fans," said Eberle,
who hadn't scored a goal in 18 games but now has four in the last five games
and made it 11 points in his last 13 periods, with three points in the first.
Eberle delights in producing points against Toronto and is now only 10 points
short of the 65 he put up last season, with a dozen games to go.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins provided a pair of assists in the first period to move his
point total to 49 for the season and only five back of the 57 he registered last
year. He has 10 points in his last five games. And Nugent-Hopkins, when he
scores his next goal, will have his first 20-goal season.
"Obviously, personally, you want to play as well as you can and this is my
fourth year. I wanted to have a good year this year," said The Nuge.
"It's disappointing the start we had to the season. As of late I think the whole
team has been playing better and when that happens, you start seeing more
gains personally, as well. I think those two things go hand in hand."
Benoit Pouliot provided a pair of goals in the first 8:08 to give him 15 for the
season in which he's missed 24 games, and Anton Lander scored his sixth in
769941
Edmonton Oilers
Kadri could be facing suspension
By Derek Van Diest, Edmonton Sun
March 16, 2015 11:29 PM MDT
Nazem Kadri, who just returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup following a
team imposed suspension, could be sitting out a few more games.
On Monday, Kadri was assessed a penalty for an illegal check to the head,
catching Edmonton Oilers winger Matt Fraser behind the net.
The hit should warrant a call from the NHL’s department of player safety and
it’s likely Kadri will be suspended for the hit.
“He was just kind of bent over a little bit and I felt like I was just trying to
squeeze by him, but then again, things happen quick, I didn’t mean to hurt
him,” Kadri said. “I don’t consider myself a dirty player, I felt like my hands
were down. It happens fast, but you hate to see a guy being taken off like
that.”
The hit came in the third period of the Oilers 4-1 win. Fraser had to leave the
game and did not return.
“There was contact there, he was leaned over, but I don’t think he was
intentionally trying to hurt him or do anything like that,” said Maple Leafs
interim head coach Peter Horachek. “They made the call and it is what it is.”
The hit was the type the league has been working hard to try and eliminate.
Fraser was in a vulnerable position looking down at the puck when Kadri
plowed right through him.
“I felt like he was bent over a little bit, I didn’t have much wiggle room to
squeeze by him,” Kadri said. “I don’t even think there was a call to begin with.
I feel like if the officials felt it was something dirty or really questionable, then
I wouldn’t have gotten a major and tossed on the spot.”
The Maple Leaf’s winger was playing in his second game since serving a
three-game suspension imposed by the club for arriving late to a meeting.
He expects to get a call from the league.
“Whatever they decided to do, they decide to do,” Kadri said. “I’m going to
have to live with it, it’s out of my control right now. I’m just going to continue
working every single day and whatever happens, happens.”
769942
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers power play connecting at 25% since Todd Nelson took over as interim
head coach
“I think we play a lot better on the road and I think that’s because we play a lot
simpler game,” Eberle said. “We’ve started to create a little bit of an identity
where in spurts we’re out-playing teams and we’re creating a lot of chances.
We just have to find a way to bear down and play a full 60, especially if we get
up or it’s a tie game late in the game. We have to stick to the system, we’ve
fallen back to not making plays and letting the other teams creep back into
games.”
By Derek Van Diest, Edmonton Sun
Familiar faces
March 16, 2015 11:07 PM MDT
Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens downplayed going up against his former
Maple Leafs team on Monday.
EDMONTON - Taking a penalty against the Edmonton Oilers of late is
proving costly.
Since Todd Nelson took over the coaching duties from Dallas Eakins, the
Oilers power play had been the best in the league. It was connecting at 25%
heading into Monday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, fresh off a
three goal night in Columbus on Friday.
The Oilers added two more to their tally in the first period as Jordan Eberle
and Anton Lander scored.
It’s a far contrast from the start of the season where the Oilers were among
the worst in the league with the man advantage, functioning at just under
13%.
“I think maybe at the start of the year we were really focused on shooting the
puck and Corsi numbers and that kind of thing,” Eberle said. “When that
starts creeping into your head, you’re just shooting the puck, you shoot it and
you’re not trying to create the best opportunity you can.
“We really just got back to the fundamentals and with Teddy (Purcell) in the
middle, he’s really created a lot of space for me and Nuge (Ryan
Nugent-Hopkins) to move the puck around. He’s been a factor shooting too,
he scored a couple of games ago.”
Since taking from Eakins, Nelson has allowed the Oilers to be more creative
in the offensive zone, not concerned with analytics numbers. They team is
also winning more battles for the puck, creating more time in the opponent’s
end.
“At the start of the year we were getting lots of chances, we just couldn’t find
a way to score and that kind of takes away your confidence,” said
Nugent-Hopkins. “Now we get a couple of bounces, we get a couple of goals,
and all of a sudden, the confidence is back up. We go out there with more
confidence that we are at least going to be able to create an opportunity
where we can score, that’s a good feeling for us.”
Love-hate relationship
When things are good for the Maple Leafs, they’re good in Toronto, but when
they’re bad, they’re definitely not better.
At the start of the year, when the Maple Leafs got off to a 19-9-3 start, the
town was preparing for a Stanley Cup run.
Now, the city can’t wait for the season to come to a merciful end.
“It’s not the ideal time to be living in Toronto and playing for the Maple Leafs,”
said winger Joffery Lupul. “It’s not as much fun as it once was, but that comes
with the territory. It’s just a tough situation for everyone. We’d love to get
something going at the end of the year and give the fans something to cheer
about.”
Home cooking
Having lost all five games on a recent road trip, the Oilers are hoping to turn
things around as they start a six-game home stand.
While out of the playoff race, the Oilers believe they still have a lot to play for
— most notably, Nelson’s job. The interim head coach has done an excellent
job since taking over the squad, but is not guaranteed the position next year.
“We have to play for our fans who have stood behind us all year,”
Nugent-Hopkins said. “We have to find a way to play our best right now. We
played some really good hockey on the road and we haven’t done much of
that at home. We have to find a way to do it on this home stand.”
The Oilers got the home stand off to a good start against the Toronto Maple
Leafs. They’ll also host the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers,
Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.
Scrivens was playing his first game against Toronto, where he started his
NHL career.
“It’s exciting to play in the NHL, any time you get an opportunity to be in the
starting lineup, you’re excited for the opportunity,” Scrivens said. “That being
said, playing against your former team, I think there is always a little bit of
motivation, but you try not to do anything special. You try to play your game
and give yourself the best chance to stop the puck.”
769943
Florida Panthers
Forty-eight of the participants came from Florida. The goalies ranged in age
from 18 (Drew Benedict) to 57 (Robert Thomas).
Would-be goalies compete in Panthers’ ‘Goal of a Lifetime’ contest
Many expressed gratitude to the Panthers for extending an opportunity to
skate with current and former professional players. And all received free
tickets to Tuesday’s game.
By Joe Trezza
Only two will be on the ice. The strategy is simple.
03/16/2015 8:27 PM
“Stop the next puck,” Ruggiero said.
03/16/2015 8:29 PM
Miami Herald LOADED: 03.17.2015
The hockey Hall of Famer didn’t win. The celebrity TV star didn’t win. Neither
did the local junior hockey hotshot who showed up to BB&T Center in a suit.
The Panthers’ newest practice goalie will be either a 26-year-old Southwest
Airlines employee or a 34-year-old owner of a paddleboard business after
Dustin Smith and Bill Ruggiero were selected as finalists out of the Panthers’
“Goal of a Lifetime” contest Monday in Sunrise.
Smith and Ruggiero topped a field of 58 participants to earn the chance to
compete in a shootout during the first intermission of Tuesday’s game
against Montreal. The winner will skate as Florida’s practice goalie for the
day.
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Smith, a California native who played
for Middle Tennessee State and now plays in rec leagues in Nashville. “It will
be nerve-racking for sure.”
“It’s like a dream,” added Ruggiero, a former journeyman who said he hasn’t
played a full season of hockey in five years.
He’s also a California native who now resides in Melbourne Beach.
“I’ll never forget the feeling of being on the ice and being around the team,”
he said.
Smith and Ruggiero topped a crowded, heavily lauded and diverse field,
which was selected from 1,500 applicants after the Panthers announced the
sweepstakes after both Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya were injured earlier
in the month.
Florida goalie coach Robb Tallas led two group workouts during which
goalies from five states and Canada performed speed and agility drills,
blocking drills and faced penalty shots from former Panthers.
What will be remembered as a day of huge moments for Smith and Ruggiero
was littered with smaller but still thrilling moments for the other participants,
who all banded together around one dream: to play NHL hockey, even for a
split second in time.
They came in all shapes and sizes and full of stories.
There was Darcy Ramstead, who made the impromptu 2,993-mile trip from
Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada, in honor of his mother, who was recently
diagnosed with cancer.
There was Kira Hurley, a master’s student and goalie coach from Ontario
who also happens to be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hurley was
inducted after she became the first female goaltender to register a point in a
men’s professional game when she did so in 2009 as a member of the
Evansville Icemen.
The was Hunter DePorter, a West Broward High School graduate and
current goalie for the Palm Beach Hawks juniors team, who came dressed
like the pro he’s working to be.
Then there was Linda Cohn, the 23-year veteran anchor for ESPN’s
SportsCenter who made headlines by just showing up to support hockey.
“I hadn’t played in a long, long time, and when I saw this opportunity — the
Florida Panthers turned a negative into a positive — I had to do it,” said
Cohn, who played goalie at SUNY Oswego in New York. “I thought it would
be a great idea.
“When I looked around, I saw all these fabulous goalies taking advantage of
this opportunity to live and dream.”
Cohn showed impressive agility and a TV career’s worth of enthusiasm, at
one point stopping 11 of 12 shots sent her way during the separate
media-only workout.
“[Tallas] worked us hard,” Cohn said. “I mean, really hard.”
769944
Florida Panthers
Preview: Panthers vs. Canadiens, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday
Craig Davis
Panthers vs. Canadiens
When/where: 7:30 p.m., BB&T Center, Sunrise
TV: FSF; Radio: 560-AM.
Scouting report: The teams have split two games that ended in shootouts,
with the Panthers winning most recently 3-2 on Feb. 19 in Montreal after
rallying from a 2-0 deficit. They desperately need a similar spirited effort with
time running out to make up ground in the wild-card race. Florida will face an
opponent on the second night of a back-to-back with the Canadiens playing
Monday at Tampa Bay. That is a key game for Montreal, trying to hold off the
Lightning for the lead in the Atlantic Division. Goalie Carey Price, with a
league-leading 38 wins, will play at Tampa Bay, but the Panthers could see
him too, as backup Dustin Tokarski has only one win in his past six starts.
The Panthers hope to have Roberto Luongo (shoulder) back in net, but if not
they will stick with Dan Ellis who has been solid as a fill-in, going 3-1-1.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.17.2015
769945
Florida Panthers
Panthers goalie tryouts create memories to savor
smart and playing angles," he said, calling the tryout "An old-guy's dream
come true."
A wide range of ability levels were evident as the goalie candidates were
required to move around the crease and face an assortment of shots from
different angles from close and medium range.
By Craig Davis
"It was exhausting," said co-finalist Smith, 26, who played at Middle
Tennessee State and has practiced with the Nashville Predators. "There was
a lot of skating involved. They really put us to the test out there."
Bill Ruggiero, of Melbourne, a former minor-league goalie, and Dustin Smith,
of Nashville, Tenn., who played in college, showed the best puck-stopping
ability to earn spots in the final shootout during the first intermission of
Tuesday's Panthers-Canadiens game. They will vie for the chance to serve
as the Panthers' backup practice goalie for a day.
In Tuesday's final, Smith and Ruggiero will each face two shots from former
Panthers Marco Sturm and Radek Dvorak.
"It's really like a dream," said Ruggiero, 34, who has a stand-up paddleboard
business in Melbourne Beach but whose resume reads like a road trip in
"Slap Shot" with stops in Tulsa (CHL), Johnstown (ECHL) and Flint (IHL).
But Vokoun, Panthers goalie from 2007-11, said the benefit of the event is
part of a broader objective.
CBS12 West Palm Beach sports anchor John Evenson during tryouts to be a
backup goalie at the BB&T Center in Sunrise on Monday, March 16, 2015.
"I've been out of the game for a little bit, but once you're around all the goalies
again … you're just having a good time, sharing stories. It's a small world in
hockey, and the goalie world is even smaller; it's kind of a union."
There is something surreal about the sight of a rink full of goalies assembled
like a battalion of modern knights in armor. Panthers goalie coach Robb
Tallas, retired goalie Tomas Vokoun and other Panthers alumni put them
through a variety of drills during two 90-minute sessions that culminated with
shootouts.
The contest was inspired by the freak occurrence of Panthers goalies
Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya both being injured in a March 3 game
against Toronto, which led to Tallas nearly being pressed into emergency
duty.
The contest was suggested by Panthers assistant coach John Madden, who
recalled the Minnesota Wild holding a competition for a spare practice goalie.
The Panthers were overwhelmed by the response, receiving more than
1,500 applications from 42 states and 15 countries.
"It could have been a real negative thing that happened to us, and turning it
into this positive, I think it's great for Florida hockey," Tallas said.
The event generated widespread attention, with "SportsCenter" anchor Linda
Cohn participating in the media portion of the competition and getting
considerable air time about it on ESPN.
All but 10 of the finalists live in Florida. Darcy Ramstead came the farthest,
from Red Deer, Alberta, accompanied by two buddies who cheered him on
from the Panthers bench wearing shorts and sandals.
"Sure wish I wasn't a smoker, I'll tell you that. This is for real here; I didn't
expect all that," he said.
Nonetheless, Ramstead, who plays in a men's league, said that being
selected to participate made him feel as if, "Basically, I hit the lottery. … My
mom is battling cancer. That's why I came down. She's pretty excited for me."
In addition to Cohn, three other women competed, including Kira Hurley, who
distinguished herself as the first woman goalie to register a point in a men's
professional league when she assisted on a goal for the Evansville IceMen of
the All American Hockey League in 2009. The achievement is memorialized
with a plaque and her sweater on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in
Toronto, her hometown.
Hurley, who played women's hockey at Clarkson University and on several
men's pro teams, now coaches goalies to pay for pursuit of a master's
degree. One of her young students accompanied her to the tryout.
"It's really for the kids," she said of her reason for traveling to the competition
from Belleville, Ontario. "All the kids that I coach, I want them to see that they
can do whatever they want to do if they put their mind to it."
At the other end of the spectrum was Robert Thomas, of Tequesta, the oldest
participant at 57. A sergeant with the Palm Beach County School District
Police Department, Thomas has played in South Florida men's leagues for
20 years and still dons the gear twice a week.
"People find out I'm 57 years old and they say, 'How much longer are you
going to play hockey?' And I say, 'As long as I'm walking, I'm still playing.' As
you get a little bit older it's not about the reflexes any more, it's about being
Tallas said the plan is to give the winner an opportunity to take a turn in net
during a Panthers practice.
"I think this area is still in the process of trying to grow fans and make this
team part of this community, and I think things like this can only help,"
Vokoun said. "A lot of these people are fans of hockey, or hobby players, and
you can tell. But saying that, they love the game and I think it's a great
opportunity for them to be on the ice and feel how it really feels for us to be
doing our job."
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.17.2015
769946
Los Angeles Kings
Kings' Coyote-ugly win over Arizona a thing of beauty to Andy Andreoff
By Lisa Dillman
Andy Andreoff, a 23-year-old rookie, scores first NHL goal, and it's the
game-winner as Kings beat Arizona 1-0
He smiled after the puck got past Arizona goalie Mike Smith late in the
second period.
It lingered. He kept smiling on the bench and was still smiling at the end of
second period. You can guess that 23-year-old Andy Andreoff was still
smiling on the drive home after the Kings' game against the Coyotes.
There's nothing quite so heartwarming as a hockey player's first NHL goal,
the fulfillment of years of hard work and promise. Not only did rookie center
Andreoff score his first NHL goal (and first point) but it was the game-winner
for the Kings in a 1-0 victory over Arizona on Monday night at Staples Center.
For Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, it was his sixth shutout of the season and
second in less than a week. He faced 25 shots.
Andreoff called it a “dream come true.”
“It's been a long year, so I'm glad I finally got it,” said Andreoff, a third-round
draft pick in 2011. “Noles [Jordan Nolan] made a great play to me for a tap-in.
. . . I'll take one off my shin pad, off my butt. It doesn't matter, as long as it
goes in.”
Bigger picture: The win lifted the Kings into the final wild-card playoff spot in
the Western Conference, past idle Winnipeg. The Jets host the San Jose
Sharks on Tuesday, and the Calgary Flames, third in the Pacific Division, are
in action, too.
All that helped overshadow the fact that Monday's offering was one of the
more, um, methodical games of the season. At least that's the polite way to
put it. Arizona went 0 for 2 on the power play and the Kings have killed off 41
of the last 43 penalties against them.
The lottery-bound Coyotes, now 1-14-1 in their last 16 games, are a shadow
of the team that lost to the Kings in the Western Conference finals in 2012.
“It's a land of opportunity when you're a team that's not in the playoff race,”
said Kings Coach Darryl Sutter at Monday's morning skate.
That land of opportunity could apply to the likes of rookie center Nick Shore
and Andreoff. Andreoff's place in the lineup — this time — came after center
Jarret Stoll was injured Thursday in Vancouver.
This was the first time Andreoff has played in back-to-back games since
mid-January. He nearly scored Saturday, hitting the post against Nashville,
and finally broke through in his 15th NHL game, beating Smith in close, off a
terrific pass from a poised, patient Nolan. Defenseman Brayden McNabb had
the second assist.
“I kind of blacked out. I couldn't really hear anything,” Andreoff said. “I was
just shocked. . . . I was very relieved to finally get it. I saw [Nolan] battling in
the corner and he's a good playmaker. He would either put it in or give it to
me for a backdoor tap-in.”
Said Sutter: “Not many players get a chance of playing in the NHL or scoring
goals. Good for him. Hopefully, he's got lots of game-winners left in him.”
Earlier, Sutter had gone over his approach regarding less-experienced
players, explaining his version of the land of opportunity.
“If they're going to play — even though some of them have been here for
awhile — if they're going to play serious minutes for us, then we better win
and they better produce. They better have a role that they embrace.”
Sutter tweaked the lines at the start, putting Dustin Brown with center Anze
Kopitar and Marian Gaborik, and taking Trevor Lewis off the Kopitar line and
put him with center Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli.
“We've got guys that haven't scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13, 14, 15 games, or
whatever it is,” Sutter said. “. . . We'll leave Jeff and Tyler together and leave
Kopi and Gabby together and let everybody else see where they can play.”
769947
Los Angeles Kings
Kings' Williams: Bring back NHL tie games
March 16, 2015
Updated 1:08 p.m.
By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER
The NHL’s general managers are meeting this week in Florida and are set to
discuss possible rule changes, including the tweaking of overtime.
The AHL incorporated some 3-on-3 play into its overtimes this season and
has seen a steep decrease in the number of shootouts. This season, 14.1
percent of NHL games have gone to shootouts, and the league seems
motivated to find ways to reduce the number of games decided by a 1-on-1
skills competition.
Kings winger Justin Williams said he believes 3-on-3 play is still too much of
a gimmick.
''I think so,’’ Williams said. ''It’s more like pond hockey, summer hockey. I
don’t think 3-on-3 hockey should ultimately decide who is in and out of the
playoffs.’’
Williams added that he’s no shootout fan, either, and suggested the
possibility of tweaking the standings instead. One idea -- which the NHL
apparently is not considering -- is changing the value of a regulation victory
from two points to three points, and thus making it more valuable than an
overtime/shootout win.
''Once you change something, like we did with adding the shootout in 2005,
the history of the game is kind of done,’’ Williams said. ''It’s over with. You
don’t have to abide by tradition if you’ve already changed things.’’
Williams’ preferred solution is the return to tie games, but that’s even less
likely than a three-point win.
''They do ties in soccer all the time,’’ Williams said. ''That’s the most popular
sport in the world.’’
NEW LOOK
The Kings debuted new line combinations in Monday’s morning skate, in
advance of the game against Arizona.
Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik remained on the first line, now joined by
right winger Dustin Brown. Trevor Lewis dropped from the first line to be the
second-line left winger, with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli.
Nick Shore centered Dwight King and Williams on the third line while, on the
fourth line, Andy Andreoff centered Kyle Clifford and Jordan Nolan.
Jarret Stoll is expected to miss a second consecutive game because of
injury.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769948
Los Angeles Kings
Game 69: Los Angeles vs Arizona
Monday, March 16, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT
Posted by James Nicholson
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #34 Brad Meier, #27 Eric Furlatt
Linesmen: #98 John Grandt, #92 Mark Shewchyk
FOX Sports West, Sportsnet, KABC 790 AM
LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Brayden McNabb, D Andrej Sekera, LW
Trevor Lewis, C Jeff Carter, RW Tyler Toffoli
LAK scratches: D Jamie McBain, F Jarret Stoll
ARI starters:
ARI scratches:
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769949
Los Angeles Kings
Save Percentage: LAK – t-14 / .910; ARI – 28 / .900
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 1 / 54.9%; ARI – 22 / 49.1%
Game 69 Preview: Los Angeles vs Arizona
Arizona Coyotes v Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Projected Lines
Posted by JonRosen
Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown
Trevor Lewis – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Monday, March 16, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT
Dwight King – Nick Shore – Justin Williams
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Jordan Nolan
Referees: #34 Brad Meier, #27 Eric Furlatt
Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty
Linesmen: #98 John Grandt, #92 Mark Shewchyk
Jake Muzzin – Matt Greene
FOX Sports West, Sportsnet, KABC 790 AM
Brayden McNabb – Andrej Sekera
Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 59 GP (58 GS) / 29-18-11 record / 2.32 GAA / .914 Sv% / 5 SHO
Martin Jones
Career vs Arizona: 32 (32) / 15-13-4 / 2.58 / .906 / 5
Level of confidence in projected lines: A. Jonathan Quick left the ice first, so
he’ll start. Jarret Stoll (upper-body) hasn’t resumed skating and remains out
indefinitely. Alec Martinez (concussion-like symptoms) skated at practice but
is still a short ways away from returning to the lineup. Tanner Pearson (lower
fibula) took the ice at the end of practice, but his return isn’t imminent. Jamie
McBain remained on the ice for extra work with Martinez, Pearson and Martin
Jones and isn’t expected to play tonight.
Last Game vs Arizona: 12/20/14 / 60 MP / 15-17 shots / 4-2 W
2014-15, Home: 33 (32) / 19-7-6 / 2.06 / .921 / 4
Arizona Projected Starting Goaltender – Mike Smith
2014-15: 51 GP (50 GS) / 11-34-5 record / 3.24 GAA / .898 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 18 (18) / 11-5-1 / 2.26 / .925 / 2
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 12/4/14 / 36 MP / 17-20 shots / 0-4 L
2014-15, Away: 24 (24) / 5-17-2 / 3.32 / .898 / 0
463103242
2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Jeff Carter (24-28=52), Anze Kopitar (14-38=52)
Goals: Jeff Carter (24-28=52)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (14-38=52)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+20; 20-21=41)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (83; 6-7=13)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (29:22; 5-34=39)
Corsi-For Percentage: Anze Kopitar (58.4%; 14-38=52)
2014-15 Arizona Leaders
Total Points: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (17-16=33), Sam Gagner (12-21=33)
Goals: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (17-16=33)
Assists: Sam Gagner (12-21=33)
Plus/Minus: John Moore (+1; 1-6=7)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Chipchura (80; 4-8=12)
Time On Ice: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (24:5317-16=33)
Corsi-For Percentage: Martin Erat (53.4%; 9-20=29)
Arizona Coyotes v New York Rangers
Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 17 / 2.69; ARI – 29 / 2.03
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 8 / 2.43; ARI – 28 / 3.26
Power Play: LAK – t-11 / 18.8%; ARI – 7 / 20.8%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 15 / 81.2%; ARI – 26 / 78.0%
Shots/Game: LAK – 13 / 30.6; ARI – 21 / 29.4
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 26.9; ARI – t-25 / 32.4
Faceoffs: LAK – t-10 / 51.4%; ARI – 7 / 51.9%
Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 82-96-33 all-time against the Arizona
franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 46-42-16. The Kings are
8-2-0 in their last 10 home games against the Coyotes and 2-0-1 overall
against the Coyotes this season. Tonight’s game concludes the season
series.. … Los Angeles is 20-10-9 against the Western Conference and
11-4-6 against the Pacific Division. … The Kings have won 11 of 33 one-goal
games this season (11-9-13). … Los Angeles has killed off 39 of the last 41
penalties, dating back to David Jones’ second period goal in Los Angeles’
5-3 win over Calgary on February 12. … Brayden McNabb is expected to
play in his 100th NHL game. … With 598 career points, Anze Kopitar
(216-382=598) is two points shy of 600 in his career and with 382 assists, is
two assists shy of Butch Goring (384 assists) for sixth place on the Kings’
all-time list. … With six goals, Kyle Clifford is one goal from tying his career
high (7; 2010-11, 2012-13). … Marian Gaborik has 22 goals and 32 points in
33 career games against Arizona. … Anze Kopitar has 53 points (15-38=53)
in 52 career games against Arizona.
464616070
Arizona Projected Lines
Tobias Rieder – Marc Arcobello – Shane Doan
Martin Erat – Sam Gagner – David Moss
Lauri Korpikoski – Kyle Chipchura – Craig Cunningham
Tye McGinn – Joe Vitale – BJ Crombeen
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Mark Stone
Klas Dahlbeck – John Moore
Brandon Gormley – Connor Murphy
Mike Smith
Louis Domingue
Notes and milestones: Lines via Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic …
Martin Hanzal (IR / back surgery) and Mikkel Boedker (IR / splenectomy) are
out, while defenseman Andrew Campbell is expected to be scratched, per
McLellan. … Kyle Chipchura is expected to play his 400th career NHL game
tonight. … Arizona’s 24.7% road power play percentage ranks second in the
league. The Coyotes are tied with Columbus and Chicago with 23 road
power play goals, the third highest total in the league. … Mike Smith has
stopped 163 of 175 shots through five games in March (.931 Sv%). … Shane
Doan has 77 points (36-41=77) in 100 career games against Los Angeles.
The 77 points are the most Doan has recorded versus any NHL opponent.
With 1,382 career games played, Doan is tied with Trevor Linden for 38th
place on the NHL’s all-time games played list. Only Jaromir Jagr (1,536
games) has played more games than Doan amongst active players. … Oliver
Ekman-Larsson leads the Coyotes and ranks second amongst league
defensemen with 17 goals this season. … Arizona is 1-13-1 in its last 15
games. Over the last 18 games, the Coyotes have scored more than two
goals twice (excluding shootout goals), and their two wins have come via the
shootout.
Arizona Coyotes v Chicago Blackhawks
769950
Los Angeles Kings
Toffoli, Nolan preview tonight’s game against Arizona
Nolan, on whether Campbell being “just another opponent” when the puck
drops:
Definitely. I think in the preseason he might have taken a run at me a little bit,
so I’ll try to get him back tonight.
Posted by JonRosen
What began as a story on several Kings facing friend and former teammate
Andrew Campbell never materialized. As it turns out, Campbell, who has
logged 21 minutes in each of the last three games, isn’t likely to play tonight.
It’s a shame, because several Kings were at his wedding last summer and
were looking forward to playing against the player known as “Soup.” Instead,
get prepared for tonight’s tilt against the Coyotes by reading these Tyler
Toffoli and Jordan Nolan quotes.
Tyler Toffoli, on whether the new personnel on Arizona makes preparation
challenging:
No, it’s just the same stuff. We have to be worried about our game and
tonight’s a huge game, big points for us on the line, division game and we
have to be ready.
Toffoli, on whether scoring 20 goals has a special meaning for him:
I think it’s a big goal, but at this part of the season we’re fighting for a playoff
spot right now and we’ve got to win some games.
Toffoli, on whether he enjoys contributing in a key role for the team:
I’m just trying to help the team win games and do whatever I can. Personal
success doesn’t really mean a whole lot if you’re not winning big games. The
rest of the season, all these games are big. We need two points every night.
Toffoli, on having new line combinations at the morning skate:
We’re just trying to find ways to score goals and it’s not like we haven’t been
doing a good job, but we just have to get to the dirty areas and work hard
tonight and keep our feet moving. Good things are going to happen.
Toffoli, on whether this part of the season is fun:
It’s the best time of year. These games are huge and all of them are playoff
atmosphere games. Last game was a lot of fun and tonight’s another big
game for us, division game.
Toffoli, on his chemistry with Jeff Carter on the penalty kill:
Just putting a lot of pressure on them. Like I said the other day, when you’re
putting a lot of pressure on and they’re not getting time to set up and make
plays, it’s difficult to score goals when you’re on the power play. So that’s
what I’ve been doing, putting pressure up ice and not allowing them, or trying
to not allow them, to setup for their breakouts and what they want to do.
[Reporter: It’s almost like putting on your work boots and getting in the
trenches.] It’s what you have to do.
Toffoli, on whether he is excited to play against Andrew Campbell:
Yeah, it’s always fun playing with Soup. I only played with him for a little bit,
but he’s such a good teammate and it’ll be good to see him and it’s good that
he’s doing well.
Toffoli, on what Andrew Campbell was like as a captain in Manchester:
He was one of the more honest guys that you could have as a teammate.
He’s a good leader, good guy in the room and he left it all on the ice. He
blocked shots, he did it all for the team.
Jordan Nolan, on what Andrew Campbell was like as a teammate:
He was a great teammate. He was always vocal in the room, always helped
the young guys. I think my first year me, Kinger, Muzz and Soupy all lived
together for the first two seasons. He just kind of showed us the way, the
American League life and he was a good pal.
Nolan, on the team having Campbell take a lap on the ice in warm-ups of his
NHL debut:
It was pretty special. Anytime you see a guy play his first NHL game, it’s a
special moment. Knowing how hard he worked and how long he waited to
play that game, I’m actually pretty proud of the guy. Now he’s making his way
there in Phoenix.
769951
Los Angeles Kings
Carter’s summer training leading to strong seasons
Posted by JonRosen
Jeff Carter’s routine has become – well, routine.
With Jarret Stoll’s injury, Carter became the club’s active Iron Man. He’s a
ways away from passing Anze Kopitar’s club record of 330 consecutive
games played, but when he suits up tonight, he’ll do so for the 126th
consecutive regular season game.
Carter, who celebrated his 30th birthday on January 1, leads the team with
24 goals and is tied with Kopitar for the club lead with 52 points.
Part of that success is due to sturdy preparation, excellent conditioning as
part of a replicable approach. Like clockwork, he’s also among the first
players to arrive in the morning.
“Yeah, he’s here early,” Darryl Sutter said. “There’s a handful of ‘em.”
With an appreciated off-season regimen that becomes all the more
impressive during the club’s truncated summers of late, it’s not any type of
surprise that he has a three-digit consecutive games played streak and is tied
for the club lead in points.
“It’s not just putting time in,” Sutter added. “You’ve got to put good time in,
and to be here early and to stay late is not always necessarily productive. If
you’re here to help out with your own preparation or performance, then
good.”
Carter has done just that. His off-season preparation – even amidst prior
labor uncertainty – has been a model for younger players to replicate. On the
ice, it’s apparent he hasn’t lost a step at all, even as a tricenarian.
“I think from his time here – obviously I didn’t know Jeff before – but from his
time here, he’s put quality training in in the summer, which has allowed him to
be more productive during the regular season. The regular season for guys
like that who play a lot is stay healthy and maintenance. So touch wood
again, he’s missed about 10 games a year for the last few years, and those
are contact injuries,” Sutter said.
“But in terms of the role model and the training and all that, I mean that’s why
he’ll continue to be a top player, and that’s why other guys in his age group
don’t – because they drop off.”
769952
Los Angeles Kings
March 16 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter
Posted by JonRosen
On Arizona incorporating younger players:
I think they’ve used young guys similar to the way we have. Obviously they’re
looking to see if they can be a part of their development next year, and we’re
looking to see if some of these guys can be a part of our development this
year.
On former King Andrew Campbell:
They’ve moved a lot of defensemen out. It’s the land of opportunity when
you’re a team that’s not in the playoff race, so it’s a chance for Andrew
Campbell to see if he can play in the NHL next year.
On whether he likes what he’s seen from the young players on the Kings:
You know what? I said it last game…The guys who are going in, you look at
our record with them in the lineup. If you’re just a .500 player, then you’re not
a playoff team. You know what? The kids that we’ve put in, the young guys
who we put in aren’t looked on as great offensive players, or they certainly
haven’t proven it at this level, so if they’re going to play, even though some of
them have been here a while, if they’re going to play serious minutes for us,
then we better win and they better produce, and they better have a role that
they embrace.
On whether he spoke to Mike Richards while he was at the facility:
No. It’s not my department. Any information that you can gather, you won’t
gather it through me.
On having tweaked lines at practice:
We’ve got guys who haven’t scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games,
whatever it is, and some of them have had zero scoring opportunities for the
last five as individuals. So, you know what? We’ll leave Jeff and Tyler
together and leave Kopi and Gabby together and let everybody else see
where they can play. [Reporter: With Gabby and Kopi, what have you seen
from them? Have they been showing bits of chemistry here and they hadn’t-]
I think they always have chemistry. I think they’ve had seasons where they’ve
been in and out of the lineup, and probably until Christmas not being able to
settle in to what type of players they were, and I don’t like talking about it
because I want ‘em to play the next game. [Reporter: One of ‘em won’t play
next game?] Well, if I talk about it, they won’t. Look how much it’s affected our
record by those guys not being in the lineup or not playing toegehter. It has a
dramatic effect. The story that Jeff and Tyler – it’s a good story, that they’ve
carried us off and on all year – the reason that you’re saying that is because
of Kopi and Gabby not being consistent and productive together. You know
what? When Gabby’s leading our team in power play goals – and we need
him to do that – if you look at, based on games played, he’s what, a 30-to-40
goal scorer. So if we had every game, then we’d be probably better off. And if
you look at Kopi’s numbers, they’re down from his career [averages], so you
know what? At the end of the day you’re going to say with the guys you
expected to get numbers out of, what are we getting, and what did we get?
769953
Los Angeles Kings
March 16 morning skate notes
Posted by JonRosen
As always, a very good morning to you and yours, Insiders. Before we get
down to the nitty gritty, here’s your Daryl Evans update:
-The Kings’ radio color commentator worked at a slightly slower pace with a
running partner at yesterday’s L.A. Marathon, completing the 26.2 mile
journey in just under five and a half hours. He has skated already this
morning and plans on going for another run later this afternoon. Daryl’s
weekend plan of attack? He ate a full cheese pizza after Saturday’s Kings
game, fell asleep at around 12:30 a.m., woke up at around 4:00, ate a
banana, drank a bottle of water, and hit the ground running, literally. In case
you’ve forgotten, Daryl doesn’t sleep.
Lines at today’s morning skate:
Gaborik – Kopitar – Brown
Lewis – Carter – Toffoli
King – Shore – Williams
Clifford – Andreoff – Nolan
Regehr – Doughty
Muzzin – Greene
McNabb – Sekera
Martinez – McBain
Notes:
-Jonathan Quick left the ice first and is expected to start tonight against
Arizona. The Kings will factor into a completely different standings battle
tonight: The Connor McDavid Sweepstakes. Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota,
San Jose and Vancouver are off, though Arizona, Buffalo, Toronto and
Edmonton all play. The Coyotes are 1-13-1 in their last 15 games; their two
wins over the last 18 games have come in shootouts.
-The forward lines have been tweaked. “We’ve got guys who haven’t scored
in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games, whatever it is, and some of them
have had zero scoring opportunities for the last five as individuals,” Darryl
Sutter said. “We’ll leave Jeff and Tyler together and leave Kopi and Gabby
together and let everybody else see where they can play.”
-Jarret Stoll did not take the ice, and there is no further update on his status,
other than that he continues to be monitored by the club. Alec Martinez was
partnered with Jamie McBain at the morning skate but isn’t expected to play
tonight, while Tanner Pearson joined the group late into the session as he
continues to skate every other day. McBain and Stoll are expected to be
scratched tonight, while Martinez and Pearson remain on injured reserve.
-Players were happy to see that former King and longtime Machester
Monarch Andrew Campbell has been given a wide opportunity with the
Coyotes. Several current players were at his wedding last summer. Campbell
has hit the 21-minute mark in each of the last three games.
-For the Coyotes, forward Mikkel Boedker (splenectomy) and center Martin
Hanzal (back surgery) are out for the season.
769954
Los Angeles Kings
Kings, Lombardi honored at L.A. Sports Awards
Posted by JonRosen
The Los Angeles Kings were recognized with a pair of honors at the 10th
Annual LA Sports Awards Sunday night, as the club’s Stanley Cup triumph in
double overtime over the New York Rangers on June 13 was named Los
Angeles’ top sports moment of the year, and Dean Lombardi received the
Sports Executive of the Year award.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Angels outfielder Mike Trout were
honored as 2014’s Sportsmen of the Year, while U.S. figure skating
champion Gracie Gold was named the Sportswoman of the year. Clippers
Head Coach Doc Rivers was named the Coach of the Year.
The overall Top 10 moments are selected by a media panel combined with
results of online fan voting and are presented by the Los Angeles Sports
Council to honor the top athletic achievements of the year in the Los Angeles
and Orange County area.
The Kings-Ducks Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium was selected as
the eighth best “moment.”
Via the LA Sports Council, a “moment” can be a specific instant in time (a
winning goal, hit or shot), an individual or team milestone, an upset victory, a
remarkable game or series of games, a special event or a career
achievement. Nominated moments must have taken place in the local area
or have involved a local athlete or team.
Fox Sports Prime Ticket will televise the ceremony on Wednesday, March 25
at 7:30 pm PST. More airings will follow.
The top 10 moments, courtesy of the Los Angeles Sports Council:
1. Kings Win Stanley Cup—By defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 in
double overtime of Game 5 at Staples Center, the Kings won the Stanley Cup
for the second time in three years by winning a remarkable seven straight
elimination games during the playoffs (June 13).
2. Clayton Kershaw Wins National League Cy Young and MVP
Awards—With a won-loss record of 21-3, including a June 18 no-hitter
against the Rockies, and an ERA of 1.77—the lowest in baseball in 14
years—Kershaw was a unanimous selection as NL Cy Young Award winner
as well as the first pitcher to win the NL MVP Award since 1968 (November
12 and 13).
3. California Chrome Wins Kentucky Derby and Preakness—Local favorite
California Chrome (he trained at Los Alamitos) won the first two legs of horse
racing’s Triple Crown under jockey Victor Espinoza and might have won the
third had he not suffered a heel injury at the start of the Belmont Stakes (May
3 and 17).
4. Landon Donovan Sets MLS Scoring Record, Wins All-Star Honors and
Retires as a Champion—In a final season befitting his stature as the
greatest-ever American soccer player, Donovan set the MLS scoring record
by notching his 135th career goal, was named the MVP of the MLS All-Star
Game after scoring the winning goal against Bayern Munich, and ending his
playing career by helping the Galaxy defeat New England to win the MLS
Cup (May 25, August 6 and December 7).
5. Gracie Gold Wins U.S. National Figure Skating Title, followed by Olympic
Bronze in Sochi—In Boston, Gold’s first national championship title propelled
her to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, where she clinched a bronze medal for
the USA in the team event by nailing all 11 of the jumps in her long program
(January 11 and February 9).
6. Galaxy Win MLS Cup—The Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution
in extra time, 2-1, to earn their third Major League Soccer championship in
the last four years and fifth all-time, at StubHub Center (December 7).
7. Steve Ballmer Buys the Clippers—Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
purchased the Clippers from Shelly Sterling for $2 billion, one of the highest
prices ever paid for a North American professional sports franchise (August
12).
8. Ducks, Kings Face Off at Dodger Stadium in L.A.’s First-Ever Outdoor
Hockey Game—The participating teams walked between the palm trees and
through the Dodger Stadium outfield to get to the rink as the Ducks defeated
the Kings, 3-0, as part of the NHL’s Stadium Series (January 25).
9. Mike Trout Wins American League MVP Award—In combining offensive
firepower (36 home runs; leading the league in runs scored and runs batted
in) and spectacular defense, the 23-year-old Trout was a unanimous choice
as AL MVP and is the third Angel to ever win the award (Don Baylor and
Vladimir Guerrero are the others) (November 13).
10. Kobe Bryant, Passing Michael Jordan, Becomes 3rd Leading Scorer in
NBA History—With a pair of free throws against the Timberwolves at
Minnesota, Bryant passed Michael Jordan on the all-time NBA scoring list
with 32,293 points, trailing only Karl Malone and all-time leader Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar (December 14).
769955
Los Angeles Kings
March 16 postgame notes
Staff
-With the win, Los Angeles improved to 83-96-33 all-time against the Arizona
franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 47-42-16. The Kings are
9-2-0 in their last 11 home games against the Coyotes and finished the
season with a 3-0-1 head-to-head record.
-Los Angeles improved to 21-10-9 against the Western Conference and
12-4-6 against the Pacific Division.
-The Kings have now won 12 of 34 one-goal games this season (12-9-13).
-With the win, the Kings have tied the most points at home (51) through 37
games in team history (also 1990-91).
-Andy Andreoff’s game-winning goal was his first NHL goal and point.
– Jonathan Quick registered his sixth shutout of the season and 37th shutout
of his career. The 37 shutouts are tied for the fourth most among active goals
with Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury. Dating back to February 7th, Quick has
posted a 13-3-1 record in the 17 games he has played with a .933 Sv%, 1.67
GAA and three shutouts.
-With a 2-for-2 performance, Los Angeles has killed off 41 of the last 43
penalties, dating back to David Jones’ second period goal in Los Angeles’
5-3 win over Calgary on February 12. Penalty killing ice time leaders were
Drew Doughty (2:55), Robyn Regehr (2:55), Jeff Carter (1:40), Tyler Toffoli
(1:30), Anze Kopitar (1:19), Jake Muzzin (1:05), Matt Greene (1:05), Dustin
Brown (1:01) and Dwight King (1:01).
-Brayden McNabb played his 100th career NHL game. McNabb (0-1=1) has
four points (0-4=4) in the last four games.
-Jordan Nolan (0-1=1) tallied his seventh point of the season, three shy of his
career-high set last season (6-4=10).
-Drew Doughty (27:31 TOI) was the only Kings skater to record 20-plus
minutes of ice time.
-Los Angeles out-hit Arizona 45-34. Nick Shore finished with a game-high six
hits.
-The Kings recorded 65 shot attempts (35 on goal, 18 blocked, 12 missed).
The Coyotes recorded 42 shot attempts (25 on goal, 11 blocked, 6 missed).
Andrej Sekera (4 on goal, 3 blocked) and Drew Doughty (4 on goal, 2
blocked, 1 missed) led all skaters with four shots on goal and seven shot
attempts. Jake Muzzin and Jordan Nolan were the only Los Angeles skaters
who failed to record a shot on goal. 13 of the Kings’ 35 shots on goal and 30
of their 65 shot attempts were recorded by defensemen.
-Los Angeles won 33-of-53 faceoffs (62%). Among regular performers, Anze
Kopitar won 13-of-19, Andy Andreoff won 5-of-6, Trevor Lewis won 0-of-1,
Nick Shore won 7-of-10 and Jeff Carter won 8-of-16.
769956
Los Angeles Kings
March 16 postgame quotes: Andreoff, Quick
Staff
Arizona Coyotes v Los Angeles KingsAndy Andreoff, on the feeling of scoring
his first NHL goal:
It’s been a long year, so I’m glad I finally got it. Noles made a great play to me
for the tap-in, so I was [inaudible]. [Reporter: Did you try to lift it and partially
fan on it?]Yeah, I might have been going top shelf there, but whatever. I’ll
take one off the shin pad, off my butt, it doesn’t matter as long as it goes in.
Andreoff, on scoring the only goal in an important late-season game:
Yeah, we know every game from now on is huge, so I’m just happy to get it
out of the way, and moving forward from that, we’ve just got to look forward to
the next game versus Anaheim and Vancouver, and we’ve got to definitely
make sure we get these points.
Andreoff, on the reaction when he returned to the bench:
I think everyone was pretty happy for me. It’s already March, so it’s nice to
get it out of the way. But all the guys congratulated me so far.
Andreoff, on whether he “blacked out” after the puck crossed the goal line:
Yeah, I kind of blacked out. I couldn’t really hear anything. I was just shocked.
[Reporter: Relief, though?] Yeah, I definitely got the monkey off my back. I
was very relieved I finally [scored].
Andreoff, on scoring a goal amidst battling for playing time:
It’s a dream come true, you know. Everyone’s always wanting to get their first
NHL goal, [and] I’ve worked pretty hard to get to where I am, so I’m glad I’ve
got it.
Andreoff, on what he recalled of the play:
I saw Nolan battle in the corner there. He’s a good playmaker, so he would
either put it in or give it to me, so he gave it to me for a back-door tap-in.
Andreoff, on who gets to keep the puck:
I’m sure we’ll share it. I said thank you to him about 10 times, so I was very
happy for that.
Jonathan Quick, on whether he expected the fight for a playoff spot would be
this intense:
Yeah, I don’t think a team has clinched a playoff spot yet so I think you expect
it. That’s how it is every year. [Reporter: Why has the journey this year been
so difficult?] I think every year is difficult. It’s not easy, it’s a tough league.
There is a lot of parity in both conferences, so I don’t think it’s any more
difficult than it is in previous years. It’s certainly not any easier than it is in
previous years.
Quick, on whether he felt fatigued heading into the game:
No, I felt good.
Quick, on how he maintained his level of focus throughout the game:
You prepare the same way for every game. So it’s no different.
Quick, on whether the style of games is different from earlier in the season:
I wouldn’t say it’s much different, no. Maybe it turns into a little bit more of a
physical game. That usually doesn’t concern what I have to do. I’m not
getting hit or giving hits or anything like that. It’s tough in October and
November. It’s tough then too, it’s a tough league from start to finish.
Quick, on whether the penalty kill has helped key their recent success:
Yeah, it’s something that we always try to get better at, something you need
playing well if you’re going to have success this time of year and in the
postseason.
769957
Los Angeles Kings
March 16 postgame quotes: Arizona
Staff
Dave Tippett, on his team’s play:
I thought we competed hard. We need to make some plays or compete in
areas where you win pucks and beat somebody to score in this game. We
didn’t win enough puck battles or make a play that made a difference. That
being said, there’s lots of try in our group. Our group tries hard and Smitty
gave us a very strong game. That’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get the play
made we needed to get it equalized.
Tippett, on whether he was happy with his team’s defensive effort:
We tried hard. We blocked a lot of shots, they had lots of try. Everybody has
tries, it’s what you do after that. You’ve got to score goals in this league to win
and we expect to play hard and we expect to defend well and we expect
Smitty to play well in goal. We also expect to score goals and when you don’t,
it’s frustrating.
Tippett, on how he is keeping his players motivated:
In our situation right now, I said it this morning, for all the players on our team,
it doesn’t matter if they’re young or old, now is the time you’re either part of
the solution moving forward or you’re part of the problem. This is our
evaluation to figure out where everybody is.
Shane Doan, on whether he is frustrated with the lack of scoring:
Yeah, obviously we don’t have a lot of scoring. I think that’s pretty obvious.
[Reporter: Are you encouraged by anything you’re doing to generate
opportunities to score?] Yeah, we’re getting some decent opportunities and
hopefully some people can start scoring, myself included. People that are
supposed to score aren’t scoring and we don’t have a lot of scoring. That’s
the situation we’re in.
Doan, on what was said during the intermissions:
Just get that next one and we’ll see if we can find the first one, we can get
some momentum and get excited but we never found it. Quick made a couple
nice on the power play where we had some good opportunities but didn’t bury
it. Give him credit, he’s a good goalie.
Mike Smith, on whether he was surprised by Los Angeles’ play:
No, obviously everyone knew what was on the line for them and we were
trying to play spoiler and it didn’t work out tonight.
Smith, on Andy Andreoff’s goal:
It was kind of a broken play through the neutral zone. It kind of got swatted
around there a few times and ended up in our end. It ends up kind of
backdoor and I don’t even think he meant to shoot it there. I think he fanned
on it a little bit, but it gets through me and it’s the only one they need. So it’s
obviously frustrating.
769958
Los Angeles Kings
March 16 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter
Staff
Opening statement:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. See any good Irishmen in here? Half-Irish?
On whether it’s good to see a player score his first NHL goal:
Yeah, obviously it is. Not many players get a chance of playing in the
National Hockey League or scoring a goal, so good for him. Hopefully he’s
got lots of game-winners left in him.
On whether he was “pleased” with what he saw after adjusting the lines:
We made some line changes during the game.
On the team’s performance:
I thought we worked hard. I thought we had good focus. It’s tough scoring
playing a team that’s a tough checking team. Talked to the players about
[Arizona] coming off a five-game home stand and every game that they
played in those five games was one-nothing going into the third. They can
check. They’ve always been known for that, and you had to be patient but
you had to have some balance in it.
On the importance of getting into a low-scoring “habit” with so many tight
checking games:
Jeez, I think we’ve played as well as we can since the All-Star break, and
we’ve played really well and hopefully we can continue to. You don’t always
win.
On whether he has any different approach given the tight late season
standing:
For me? Not too much. Get some sleep tonight, practice tomorrow and go to
Anaheim the next day.
On whether he remembers his first NHL goal:
I know it was against Rogie when he played for Detroit. That’s all I can
remember. That’s a long time ago.
769959
Minnesota Wild
Streaking Wild aim to fix ailing power play
Article by: CHRIS MILLER , Star Tribune
Updated: March 16, 2015 - 10:00 PM
The Wild is reeling off wins despite its poor power play.
Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, who was recently promoted to the first unit,
paused during a recent game. Coach Mike Yeo said he moved Dumba to
“take advantage of his shot.”
Two of the Wild’s best players — Zach Parise and Devan Dubnyk — casually
mentioned the NHL playoffs Monday, affirming confidence running through
the team.
But there’s a bugaboo during the NHL’s home stretch that also has
something to do with confidence, and not in a good way.
The Wild’s power play percentage during its 18-4-1 post All-Star break run
has been terrible — as in 7-for-56 (.125) in that 23-game stretch and 3-for-35
(.086) in the past 15.
“It’s not even in the ballpark of where we want it to be,” said Parise, the
team’s scoring leader.
And that appears to be the team’s only major flaw entering the St. Patrick’s
Day game at Central co-leader Nashville, where the Wild is seeking its
franchise-record eighth consecutive road victory.
Practices have been few during a busy spell of games, so Monday’s session
was devoted to fine-tuning play with a man advantage.
“When you haven’t been scoring, you start to lose some of the things that are
required,” coach Mike Yeo said. “We’re not paying attention to the same
detail as far as faceoffs and recovering pucks off the faceoffs … our timing
coming up the ice, our entries. And with all that, you spend less time in the
offensive zone and you spend a lot more time chasing the puck. And it
creates frustration.”
Defenseman Matt Dumba and his booming shot have moved to the right
point of the first unit, sending Jason Pominville up front and pushing winger
Thomas Vanek to the second unit, replacing second-leading goal-scorer
Nino Niederreiter.
“We haven’t practiced it, and the numbers don’t lie,” Parise said. “You need
your power play to be really good going into the stretch and into the
postseason as well. It’s something we can’t ignore.
“We’d like to get [the puck] up top more. We’re getting jammed down low.
Teams are recognizing that and they are collapsing on us. You have to know
where your ‘outs’ are when you are in trouble, where you can throw it —
sometimes blind. You need to have that familiarity of where the other guy is,
and I don’t think we have that right now.”
Wins without power
More stats from the Gloomy Gus Machine: The Wild’s power play ranks 28th
in the NHL (14.9 percent) and 30th on the road (10.2 percent), hasn’t scored
a road power-play goal since Feb. 1 and is 1-for-22 in its past 12 road games.
Defying those numbers: The Wild is 7-1-1 in its past nine road games and
10-1-1 in its past 12 road games.
“You look at how good our penalty kill has been … and we’ve been scoring a
lot 5-on-5. But you have to score on your power play,” Parise said.
Yeo said moving Dumba to the first unit is “trying to take advantage of his
shot and seeing what that can open up for us.
“The shot’s the biggest thing. He’s a threat over there. But we feel there’s a
lot of strength on the other unit as well. The ice time will be equal, and both
will be able to get out there and show what they can do.”
Another challenge
The Wild has 83 points — fifth best in the West, leading the wild-card race,
and most for a Wild team through 69 games. Nashville and St. Louis are tied
for the Central lead with 93 points.
“Nashville is a possible first-round opponent for us,” said Dubnyk, who will
make his 28th consecutive start in the Wild goal. “Any time we have an
opportunity to go in and feel good about ourselves, it’s a big step.”
Another big step was the return to practice Tuesday of defenseman Marco
Scandella, who missed seven games, and forward Ryan Carter, who missed
17. Scandella hopes to play by the weekend, while Carter is probably a week
away. Defenseman Nate Prosser was injured in Saturday’s 3-1 victory at St.
Louis, and Yeo said Prosser’s undisclosed lower-body ailment typically
keeps a player sidelined four weeks. Christian Folin will replace him.
The Predators were the best team in the West when they lost to the visiting
Wild 4-2 on Feb. 26, but that started a streak where they’ve lost eight of 10.
“It’s another good test for us,” Yeo said. “You look at what they’ve done all
season long as far as the level of play, the consistency in their game — I
know the last [meeting] wasn’t a great outcome for them, but for 40 minutes
of that game, they were clearly the better team.”
Star Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2015
769960
Minnesota Wild
Gameday preview: Wild at Nashville
MICHAEL RUSSO
Nashville's Filip Forsberg hsa 54 points this season, most among NHL
rookies.
Cameraview larger
7 p.m. at Nashville • FSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Wild is seeking a franchise-record eighth consecutive road
victory. It is an NHL-best 11-1-2 on the road since acquiring goalie Devan
Dubnyk on Jan. 14. He beat the Predators 4-2 in Nashville on Feb. 26
sending Nashville, then the top team in the NHL, on a tailspin. The Predators
are 2-8 in their past 10 with one regulation victory.
Players to watch: Dubnyk will make his 28th consecutive start for the Wild
and 29th consecutive overall. Twenty of his 29 wins have come with the Wild
(1.66 goals-against average and .939 save percentage). Overall, he ranks
second in the NHL with a 2.08 goals-against average and .929 save
percentage, trailing Montreal’s Carey Price in both categories. LW Thomas
Vanek has four goals in the past four games. D Matt Dumba is plus-15 the
past 14 games. Predators F Filip Forsberg leads all NHL rookies with 54
points. Nashville G Pekka Rinne picked up his 200th career win Saturday
against Los Angeles (third among Finnish goalies). He ranks second in the
NHL with 37 wins.
Numbers: The Wild’s power play is the worst in the NHL on the road (10.2
percent). However, the Wild’s NHL-best penalty kill is 56-for-59 (94.9
percent) the past 23 games.
Injuries: Wild D Nate Prosser (lower body), D Marco Scandella (oblique), LW
Jason Zucker (collarbone), LW Ryan Carter (upper body), LW Matt Cooke
(sports hernia) and D Keith Ballard (concussion) are out. Predators LW
James Neal (upper body) and LW Eric Nystrom (lower body) are
questionable.
769961
Minnesota Wild
Wild works on power play; Scandella, Carter return
Posted by: Chris Miller under Wild coaching, Wild management, Wild news
The Wild spent a lot of practice time working on power plays at Xcel this
morning. That unit, going into Tuesday night’s game at Nashville, is an
NHL-worst on the road (10.2 percent) and hasn’t scored in the past nine road
games (despite going 7-1-1). The Wild’s PP is 28th in the league and 3-for-35
in the past 15 games overall.
Chris Miller reporting today, just recalled from Orlando of the National
Vacation League. Russo is in Nashville early, apparently to try out for
backing vocals on the Patsy Cline revue, so I spent some quality time here in
St. Paul wondering who was in charge of handing out coffee. Turns out, it’s
bring your own. Who knew?
First, an injury report. Nate Prosser took a hip check in Saturday’s victory at
St. Louis and is week-to-week. Coach Mike Yeo says it’s typically a
four-week injury (lower body). Christian Folin will replace Prosser on D.
Marco Scandella (oblique) practiced for the first time in a while. He won’t
travel to Nashville, but could play by the weekend, he hopes. Ryan Carter
(upper body) practiced as well. He has been out since Feb. 9 and is likely to
be out another week or so, reading between the lines.
Yeo on Nashville: “Another good test for us. You look at what they’ve done
all season long as far as the level of play, the consistency in their game. I
know the last game [against the Wild] wasn’t a great outcome for them, but
for 40 minutes of that game, they were clearly the better team.”
The Predators have lost eight of 10, a string of futility the Wild started.
Matt Dumba stays on the first power-play unit, adding a strong right-point
shot. Ryan Suter is the other point, with Jason Pominville moving up front
with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. Thomas Vanek stays on the second unit
with Mikael Granlund and Chris Stewart up front, and Jonas Brodin and
Jared Spurgeon on the points.
“[Dumba’s] shot’s the biggest thing, he’s a threat over there,” Yeo said. “We
do like Pommer in the middle of the ice as well, but we also feel there’s a lot
of strength on our other unit as well. The ice time will be equal, and both will
be able to get out there and show what they can do.”
More on the intricacies of the power play in tomorrow’s paper.
Devan Dubnyk makes his 29th consecutive start in goal, 28th for the Wild.
Said he of the Predators: “Possible first round opponent for us, some any
time we have an opportunity to go in and feel good about ourselves, it’s a big
step. “
Scandella on his time away from action: “Been watching 'Sons of Anarchy,'
weather has been nice in Minnesota, so I’ve been going for walks, getting
away from the game mentally. But it was great to get back with the boys.”
No “Sons” for Carter, who has two daughters: “A lot of daddy time, so that’s
been the silver lining, hanging out with the girls a little more than usual.”
Unlike Russo, I have no radio appearances or podcasts to promote, just have
to get back to the office to pack up for our big move to the Cappella Tower.
Maybe there’ll be leftover cake from Sid’s 95th birthday, which he
celebrated last night by working.
769962
Minnesota Wild
Wild defenseman Nate Prosser could miss four weeks
Chad Graff
Posted:
03/16/2015 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated:
about 6 hours ago
Just as the Minnesota Wild neared a completely healthy defense, Nate
Prosser suffered a lower-body injury that generally keeps players out four
weeks, Wild coach Mike Yeo told reporters Monday.
Prosser's injury comes as Marco Scandella nears a return.
Scandella, along with forward Ryan Carter, skated with teammates at
practice Monday for the first time since suffering injuries. Neither will play in
Tuesday's game at Nashville, but both could return Thursday against the
Capitals or Saturday against the Blues.
Scandella has been out since Feb. 28 and Carter since Feb. 9, both with
upper-body injuries.
"(They're) right on the verge of being available," Yeo told reporters after
Monday's practice at the Xcel Energy Center.
Prosser suffered the undisclosed lower-body injury in the team's 3-1 win
Saturday in St. Louis. The defenseman had been playing well and had
recorded a plus-13 rating in 23 games since the all-star break.
"Something like this could be potentially up to four weeks," Yeo said.
"Knowing him, it could be less than that."
Christian Folin will enter the lineup in Prosser's place for the game in
Nashville.
"We've got full confidence in him," Yeo said of Folin. "What he does, he does
very well. He plays a heavy game and moves the puck well."
Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.17.2015
769963
Montreal Canadiens
Habs comeback falls short as Stamkos and Lightning beat Montreal
Mark Didtler
The Associated Press
Published Monday, Mar. 16 2015, 10:37 PM EDT
Last updated Monday, Mar. 16 2015, 10:39 PM EDT
Steven Stamkos had two goals and added an assist and the Tampa Bay
Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Monday night in a matchup of the
Atlantic Division’s top teams.Both have 93 points, but Montreal has played
one fewer game.
Valtteri Filppula and Victor Hedman also scored for the Lightning, who have
outscored Montreal 16-5 in winning all four games between the teams this
season.
Montreal, which lost for the sixth time in eight games (2-4-2), got goals from
Tomas Plekanec and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau.
Stamkos secured the win with his 39th goal, an empty-net power-play goal
with 1:05 to play.
Filppula opened the scoring during a power play at 10:07 of the first when his
right circle shot was redirected by a sliding Montreal defenceman Andrei
Markov past Carey Price.
Max Pacioretty made an ill-advised pass from neutral ice back into the
Canadiens zone that Stamkos stole and made it 2-0 from the right circle with
4:02 left in the first.
Hedman put the Lightning up 3-0 after skating alone down the slot 2:45 into
the second.
Plekanec tied Larry Robinson for 23rd place on the Montreal goals list with
197 after a power-play tally at 11:10 of the second.
Parenteau cut the Montreal deficit to 3-2 just 34 seconds into the third from
the low slot after Plekanec stole goalie Ben Bishop’s pass behind the net.
The Canadiens had P.K Subban’s drive hit the post and Pacioretty’s
breakaway shot stopped by Bishop during a six-minute stretch after
Parenteau’s goal.
Montreal centre Brian Flynn left with an upper body injury and didn’t return
after getting high-sticked by Brenden Morrow at 2:21 of the first.
NOTES: Chicago senior adviser Scotty Bowman, who coached the
Canadiens to five Stanley Cups in the 1970s, was at the game. Montreal has
won two NHL titles since Bowman left. ... Montreal D Alexei Emelin
(shoulder) returned after missing 12 games ... Tampa Bay LW Ondrej Palat
(lower body), D Braydon Coburn (lower body) and C Cedric Paquette (upper
body) are out of the lineup. ... Canadiens C Torrey Mitchell (upper body) and
D Nathan Beaulieu (flu) didn’t play.
Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.17.2015
769964
Montreal Canadiens
In the Habs Room: The breaks went Tampa's way
Pat Hickey,
Last Updated: March 16, 2015 11:56 PM EDT
The Canadiens have lost all four games against the Tampa Bay Lightning
this season, but coach Michel Therrien said the difference in the latest
decision was the breaks.
“To win hockey games, you need some breaks and tonight, we didn’t have
any breaks,” Therrien said after the Canadiens dropped a 4-2 decision to the
Lightning Monday night. “We hit the crossbar. You need the breaks and you
need the right call at the right time and we didn’t get the right call at the right
time.”
The Canadiens showed some fight, but they dug themselves a hole when
they gave up two goals in the first period on a couple of goals that were the
result of breaks going Tampa’s way.
“They got a lucky bounce on the first goal and I gave them the second one,”
said Max Pacioretty, who thought he was dropping the back to a defenceman
but, instead, set up Steven Stamkos for a breakaway.
“We played a solid game, we were engaged in tonight’s game,” Therrien
said. “We were ready to start the game (and) there was a time when we had
12 shots to five or six for them. But we made a huge mistake on the second
goal and they got a lucky bounce on their power play goal and these things
happen.”
The lucky bounce on the first goal came when Andrei Markov slid to block a
shot by Valterri Filppula and it changed direction as it passed under Markov’s
body.
Therrien said the Canadiens competed and continued striving after falling
behind, but he also said they were shaky after falling behind.
“We came back and we got tons of quality scoring chances, but (Tampa
goaltender Ben Bishop made some big saves,” Therrien said.
There were some big plays that helped energize the Canadiens. Brandon
Prust, who has a history of dropping the gloves, had two fights with Mike
Angelidis and picked up a penalty when he nailed a wandering Bishop to the
boards in the second period. And Brendan Gallagher, who doesn’t have a
reputation for fighting, outslugged Vladislav Namestnikov.
“We had something going from the last game,” said Gallagher, who noted
that the fight was half frustration and half an attempt to get his teammates
fired up. “We were down and we were battling and we reached the boiling
point. This team has shown all year we’re not going to give up. There was a
point in the game where I thought it was the right thing to do.”
“They had the more fortunate start but when you jump off to a 2-0 start, you’re
doing something right,” said Carey Price, who stopped 30 of 33 shots while
Bishop made 32 saves.
Price said the Lightning have had more of the fortunate bounces this season
but admitted: “they’ve played a little bit better than us.”
P.A. Parenteau scored one of the Montreal goals. It was first goal in three
and a half months and he said he was feeling more comfortable after missing
most of January and February while recovering from a concussion.
Defenceman Alexei Emelin also made his return to the lineup after missing a
dozen games with a shoulder injury and Therrien said he was pleased with
the veteran’s play. He played a shade over 19 minutes and delivered three
hits. He started the game paired with Greg Pateryn but Therrien switched his
pairings around because he didn’t want to put too much pressure on Pateryn
who played less than 11 minutes.
Therrien said he had no update on Brian Flynn, who played only one shift and
left the game with an upper body injury after he was the victim of a high stick
wielded by Brendan Morrow.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.17.2015
769965
Montreal Canadiens
Habs Game Report: Bolts' goalie Ben Bishop stumps Habs
Pat Hickey,
The Lightning’s regular-season domination of the Canadiens continued
Monday night as Tampa Bay defeated Montreal 4-2 at Amalie Arena.
Tampa Bay has a 4-0 record against Montreal with a fifth game scheduled for
the Bell Centre on March 30. The Canadiens had only one win in four games
against Tampa last season. Ben Bishop improved to 9-1-2 against Montreal.
The Canadiens closed to within a goal in the third period, but missed three
opportunities to tie the game when P.K. Subban hit a post, Bishop stopped
Max Pacioretty on a breakaway and Montreal failed to cash in on a power
play.
Still No. 1: Despite the loss, the Canadiens are still first in the Atlantic
Division. Montreal and Tampa Bay each have 93 points, but Montreal has the
edge because it has played one fewer game.
Change of direction: Valtteri Filppula gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead when he
scored on a power play at 10:07 of the first period after Greg Pateryn was
sent off for high-sticking Nikita Kucherov. Filpulla’s harmless-looking shot
from the right faceoff circle changed direction when it deflected off Andrei
Markov, who dropped to the ice in an attempt to block the shot.
Max the goat: The Lightning took a 2-0 lead at 15:58 of the second period
when Steven Stamkos beat Carey Price with a slapshot off a breakaway. The
teams were playing 4-on-4 when Max Pacioretty passed the puck back from
the neutral zone. He was expecting to find a defenceman trailing on the play
but instead he passed to Stamkos, who scored his 38th goal of the season.
Stamkos also added an empty-net goal.
Piling on: Defenceman Victor Hedman looked like a smooth-skating forward
as he split defencemen Jeff Petry and Tom Gilbert and beat Price to give
Tampa a 3-0 lead at 2:45 of the second period.
Montreal gets a bounce: Bishop lost his shutout when Tomas Plekanec was
credited with his 21st goal of the season on a power play at 11:10 of the
second period. Plekanec was trying to find Alex Galchenyuk in the crease
when his pass was deflected by a Tampa defenceman. Plekanec also picked
up an assist on P.A. Parenteau’s goal at the 34-second mark of the third
period. It was Parenteau’s seventh goal of the season, but his first since Nov.
28 against Buffalo.
Mixing it up: Brandon Prust and Mike Angelidis fought twice but neither
offered much in the way of entertainment value. The same can’t be said of
the scrap between Brendan Gallagher and Vadislav Namestnikov. Gallagher
scored a TKO with an upper cut and a right cross.
Emelin returns: Alexei Emelin was back in the lineup after missing a dozen
games with a shoulder injury. Emelin was on the third defensive pairing with
Pateryn to start the game but coach Michel Therrien played mix-and-match
with his pairings throughout the game. Nathan Beaulieu was a not-so-healthy
scratch with the flu. Brian Flynn replaced Torrey Mitchell (upper-body injury)
at centre on the fourth line, but he left the game with an upper-body injury
after he was high-sticked by Brenden Morrow early in the first period.
Therrien switched positions on the third line as Lars Eller returned to centre
and Jacob De La Rose was at left wing.
What’s next: The Canadiens wrap up their three-game road trip Tuesday
when they play the Florida Panthers in Sunrise (7:30 p.m., Sportsnet East,
RDS, TSN-690 Radio). The Canadiens finish the week at home with games
Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes and Saturday against the San
Jose Sharks.
769966
Montreal Canadiens
About last night …
If Tyler Johnson doesn’t get to that third-period shot skipping along the goal
line behind Bishop …
If Max Pacioretty cashes that breakaway …
Again, though, forget any notion that the Canadiens were somehow robbed.
Posted by Mike Boone
Let’s go with the glass-half-full take:
Yes, your Montreal Canadiens lost their fourth in as many meetings against
Tampa Bay this season.
But no, despite playing a dicey first period and falling behind on two freaky
goals, the Canadiens didn’t fold. True to the character of a team that has
overachieved and exceeded all pundit and fan expectations this season, the
Canadiens fought back from a 3-0 deficit and turned it into a hockey game.
What a contrast to their first visit to the Amalie Arena.
Way back on Oct. 13, the Canadiens also fell behind 2-0 in the first period.
Then – after Brendan Gallagher made it 2-1 – the Lightning outshot the
Canadiens 29-12 over the final 40 goals, scoring five unanswered goals en
route to a 7-1 cakewalk.
Five months later, the Lightning started fast again.
Fast … and lucky.
Valteri Filppula’s shot beat Carey Price because it changed direction off a
falling Andrei Markov. Then Max Pacioretty’s errant back pass found Steven
Stamkos alone in the Canadiens’ zone, where the superstar blasted one past
Carey Price.
Down two off wacky plays. Time to pack it in and get ready for some Panther
hunting in Sunrise, right?
They made it interesting because, in Game 70 of the season, Therrien
juggled his top two forward lines. The third period found Plekanec centring
Parenteau and Pacioretty. David Desharnais was between Alex Galchenyuk
and Brendan Gallagher.
The changes – along with more excellent third-line play by Lars Eller, who
was back at centre – created some energy. We’ll see how the Top Six shape
up in Sunrise on Tuesday night.
I thought Jeff Petry was excellent again. It was a huge relief to see him back
on the bench after a Joanthan Drouin shot rocketed off Petry’s calf.
Petry’s partner, Tom Gilbert, had a tough time with Tampa’s speed and
aggressive forecheck.
The home team’s relentlessness even forced P.K. Subban into some
early-game errors. And Andrei Markov struggled with Tampa’s speed.
Therrien said he was pleased with Alexei Emelin’s play, after a lengthy
absence. I thought Greg Pateryn was better.
Although Tampa’s win tied the teams with 93 points, the Canadiens remain in
first place in the Atlantic because they’ve played one less game.
That March 30 meeting at the Bell Centre could be HUGE.
The Carey Price selfie from Long Island
Your nightly Leafs Laffs:
In the Connor McDavid Bowl in Edmonton, Toronto gave up a goal on the first
shot for the 10th time this season.
Wrong.
And this geeky-lookin’ cover boy was beaten three times on the four shots he
faced before James Reimer took over.
Victor Hedman’s breakaway goal, early in the second period, could have
been the dagger. But it wasn’t.
Tomas Plekanec scored on a Canadiens power play. And 34 seconds into
the third period, P.A. Parenteau’s first goal since Nov. 28 set up some
third-period excitement.
In that early-season 7-1 loss, the Canadiens were outshot 41-17.
Monday night, the shots were even: 34-34. Canadiens had 57 shot attempts
to the Lightning’s 56.
The teams meet again at the Bell Centre on March 30.
Fearless prediction: it’s going to be a barnburner.
In addition to the battle for Atlantic Division supremacy, that game could
feature the settling of a few accounts.
Brandon Prust celebrated his 31st birthday – and marked Tuesday’s 60th
anniversary of the Richard Riot – by fighting Mike Angelidis twice and
knocking Ben Bishop on his ass behind the Tampa net. The latter incident
seemed to energize the Canadiens, who dominated stretches of play but
couldn’t get the kind of bounces that had victimized Price in the first period.
In his postgame remarks, Michel Therrien praised his team’s intensity,
adding “you need some breaks”. Tampa got the bounces, the Canadiens
didn’t.
Which isn’t to say the Lightning stole the game.
They’re a very good team that matches up well against the Canadiens.
Tampa’s zone clearances are crisp and clean. The team is as fast as its
name suggests, and the Lightning forecheck ferociously, pressuring the D
and rarely allowing opponents to generate any speed through the neutral
zone.
Steve Yzerman is their general manager, and the Lightning are Red Wings in
blue jerseys.
Bishop is a very good goaltender. But the Canadiens spent the first part of
the game shooting soft wristers right at his crest. Only after the Prust-Bishop
contretemps did the Canadiens begin to swarm the massive Tampa goalie
and try to take him off his game.
769967
Nashville Predators
Arena voice of the Predators loves to entertain
Dave Ammenheuser, 11:41 p.m. CDT March 16, 2015
has a question, he calls "the Wikipedia of Pronunciation, (Predators
broadcaster) Pete Weber."
Tip of the hat
McCann says he borrows some of his signature calls from some of his
favorite announcers. One example is his final words after each game: "Good
Night, Good Hockey" is a nod to Gene Hart, who used those words at the end
of each Philadelphia Flyers broadcast.
Favorite call
Our city is known for its powerful voices.
The masterful belting of Carrie Underwood. The tender croon of Vince Gill.
The fierce howl of Jack White.
Yet there's a native South New Jersey baritone who has performed at
Bridgestone Arena over the past decade more times than all of Music City's
artists combined.
McCann enjoys putting emphasis on long vowels in players' names. He says
his favorite player introduction was "Jayyy Peeeee DuuuuuMont," when the
forward played for the Predators from 2006-11.
Listen to him
McCann and Weber host the SlapShot Radio Show each Wednesday at 7
p.m. on 102.5-FM, 95.3-FM, 1230-AM and 1050-AM.
Tonight, Paul McCann will entertain a sold-out Bridgestone crowd for the
388th time.
SlapShot Radio Cookoff
As the Nashville Predators' public address announcer, McCann serves many
purposes on game nights. Whether it's delivering the starting lineups or
announcing the goal scorers, he's the game host.
McCann and Predators forward Eric Nystrom will battle it out in the SlapShot
Radio Cookoff at the Chef and I restaurant in Lenox Village on March 23 at
5:30 p.m. In an Iron Chef-like battle, they will raise money for the Predators
Foundation. More information: SlapShotRadio.com.
The 54-year-old Nolensville resident is also there to entertain. He uses his
voice to make the fans feel like they are at a major social event, not just
another game.
Tennessean LOADED: 03.17.2015
From his signature, "Powerballllllllllll Power Play" call each time a penalty is
called on an opponent to his closing "Good Night, Good Hockey" at the
game's conclusion, McCann has a unique relationship with the crowd. When
he announces that there's a minute left in the period, the crowd responds, in
unison, "Thanks, Paul."
McCann credits a lot of the unique atmosphere to Brian Campbell, the
director of event presentation for the Predators: "Brian's a twisted genius. He
knows how to read a crowd and how to react to it. It's almost like a
17,000-seat nightclub each night."
McCann, Campbell and the rest of the game-day operations team — which
provides entertainment and activities during breaks in the action — "are here
to have fun," McCann said. "We are here to entertain, but we are not here to
get in the way of the game."
Here are 10 facts that you may not know about McCann, who debuted at
Bridgestone on Sept. 25, 2006, during a preseason game:
The voice
When McCann was 11, he took voice lessons from a husband and wife who
were Juilliard School-trained teachers in his hometown of Pennsauken, N.J.
His goal was to become an actor or singer.
The beginning
In the mid-1960s, while attending a Philadelphia 76ers game at the
Spectrum, McCann first heard legendary public address announcer Dave
Zinkoff. Over the next several months, McCann would drive his family "up the
wall" as he constantly imitated Zinkoff's distinctive delivery.
Coming to Nashville
McCann arrived in Nashville in 1988 and worked at the nightclub Heartthrob
Cafe at Fountain Square Mall. He and his wife had job offers in several other
cities, he said, but chose Nashville because of its obvious music history.
The tryout
In the summer of 2006, he was one of five who auditioned for the Predators'
PA job: "We stood in the middle of Bridgestone Arena with a script and a
microphone. It turned into a dream job."
Part-time job
Many Predators fans don't realize that McCann is not a full-time employee.
Operations director for Artemetrx Speciality Drug Solutions is the job that
"pays the bills." He also does voice-over work for radio and television
commercials, for books and for corporate videos.
The work
On game days, a copy of the script is emailed to him by mid-morning. He
reviews it so he knows how to properly pronounce the players' names. If he
769968
Nashville Predators
Predators Ponderings: 5 Takeaways from loss to Ducks
John Glennon, 9:10 a.m. CDT March 16, 2015
Here are five takeaways following the Predators' 4-2 loss to Anaheim on
Sunday:
The offensive struggles continue for a team that had no problem scoring
goals for most of the season. Nashville has scored just seven goals in its last
five games and just 12 goals in its last eight games. Predators coach Peter
Laviolette has tweaked his line combinations on a fairly regular basis over the
past few weeks, but he hasn't been able to find a trio that's really clicked.
Along those same lines, most of the team's top forwards are really struggling
in the points department of late. Filip Forsberg's season-high goal drought
reached 10 games Sunday, Mike Fisher has zero points in his last five
games, James Neal has one goal in his last 10 games, Colin Wilson has one
goal in his last 12 games and Mike Ribeiro has two points in his last eight
contests. It's normal for players to go through hot and cold stretches, but it's
tough to win when so many of the top two-line forwards have gone dry at
once.
Lost in the Preds' troubling third period against Anaheim was the fact that
Fisher seemed to give Nashville a spark in the second period. Fisher
dropped the gloves for a lively bout with Ryan Kesler a minute into the
second period and, 20 seconds later, the Predators took a 1-0 lead. Call it
coincidence, but it marked the second time on the road trip the Preds had
scored within 30 seconds of a Fisher fight. The first occurrence was in
Arizona, when Paul Gaustad scored 28 seconds after Fisher pummeled B.J.
Crombeen.
In his first stint with the Predators, forward Mike Santorelli played 32 games
and totaled three points — two goals and an assist — before eventually
getting traded to Florida. Santorelli is a more experienced and better
all-round player in his second stint with Nashville, but he's still not bringing
much in terms of offensive production. Santorelli subbed on the first line for
Neal the last two games, but that wasn't enough to help him get his first goal
in the 13 games he's played for Nashville.
Of the three top teams in the Western Conference — Anaheim, St. Louis and
Nashville — it appears the Ducks have the easiest schedule down the
stretch. The Ducks play only three of their last 11 games against teams in a
playoff position, while seven of the Preds' last 11 games are against teams in
a playoff position. Eleven of the Blues' 13 remaining contests are against
teams in the playoff picture.
Tennessean LOADED: 03.17.2015
769969
New Jersey Devils
How do the Devils feel about wearing the green and red retro jerseys?
Rich Chere
on March 16, 2015 at 2:00 PM, updated March 16, 2015 at 2:29 PM
NEWARK — The Devils will wear they retro colors for the seventh time when
they host the Pittsburgh Penguins in a St. Patrick's Day match Tuesday night
at Prudential Center.
Although the Devils are 1-5 in their retro uniforms, GM/coach Lou Lamoriello
said he enjoyed the tradition of wearing them once a season. They wore
them twice last season, including the Jan. 26 outdoor game against the
Rangers in Yankee Stadium.
"I think there is a lot of nostalgia when you see that out there. I think the
players, too, enjoy putting it on," Lamoriello said Monday. "It's certainly
different. It brings back the past and I think it's a good tradition to wear it once
a year."
The Devils wore green, red and white uniforms from 1982-83 to 1991-92,
with the free getting a little darker each season. Then, they switched to black,
red and white for the '92-93 season.
They started wearing the retro colors for one game each season in 2010.
"I like them," Jordin Tootoo said. "I think it brings out a lot of the old character
of the Devils from back in the day."
Goalie Cory Schneider agreed.
"It's nice. A little green and red. I'm always a big fan of red," Schneider said.
What is Lamoriello looking for over the final 13 games?
"Same as it's been every day. Your mindset and commitment and your
competitiveness should never change. And that's what you look into people
(for)," Lamoriello said.
Star Ledger LOADED: 03.17.2015
769970
New Jersey Devils
Why Lou Lamoriello skipped the GM meetings to stay with Devils
Rich Chere
NEWARK — The team, right now, is more important than overtime or goalie
interference rules to Devils' general manager Lou Lamoriello.
Rather than attend the three-day GM meetings in Boca Raton, Fla.,
Lamoriello remained in New Jersey and sent Albany (AHL) general manager
Chris Lamoriello as his representative.
Chris Lamoriello is on the AHL competition committee and has firsthand
knowledge of 3-on-3 play in overtime, which could be adopted by the NHL.
Other topics will include expanding video review to include goals that are
scored because of goalie interference.
"I decided to stay. I sent Chris, who actually went the last time, and who is on
the American League competition committee," Lou Lamoriello explained
Monday. "He knows all my opinions, and I also talked to (the NHL's) Colin
Campbell on what my thoughts are on everything on the agenda."
Patrik Elias, who missed Saturday night's game in Arizona because of back
spasms, did not practice Monday.
"He's better, but it's a day to day situation," Lamoriello said.
Will Elias play Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Prudential
Center?
"I couldn't answer that right now. I don't know," Lamorello said. "He's not
ruled out nor is he ruled in."
Cory Schneider will start in goal for the Devils against the Penguins.
769971
New Jersey Devils
Was Patrik Elias able to practice with retro-clad Devils Monday?
Rich Chere
on March 16, 2015 at 10:40 AM, updated March 16, 2015 at 12:36 PM
NEWARK — Patrik Elias did not practice Monday as the Devils wore their
retro gear (red helmets, green pants) in AmeriHealth Pavilion.
Elias missed the game in Arizona Saturday night because of back spasms.
The Devils skated to a 4-1 win over the Coyotes.
General manager Lou Lamoriello watched practice from his office. He
remained in New Jersey rather than attend the GM meetings in Boca Raton,
Fla.
The Devils will host the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night at Prudential
Center. They will wear their retro uniforms.
Lines:
Adam Henrique-Scott Gomez-Steve Bernier
Mike Cammalleri-Travis Zajac-Jordin Tootoo
Dainius Zubrus-Stephen Gionta-Michael Ryder/Martin Havlat
Tuomo Ruutu-Jacob Josefson-Peter Harrold
• Why Jacob Josefson wanted to come back to Devils this season
• Devils' 4-1 win over Arizona
Defense:
Andy Greene-Adam Larsson
Jon Merrill-Damon Severson
Mark Fraser-Eric Gelinas
Goalies:
Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid
769972
New Jersey Devils
Devils going green on Retro Night
March 17, 2015
Last updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 1:20 AM
By TOM GULITTI
NEWARK – The Devils don't have a lot to play for standings-wise right now
with the team 13 points out of a playoff spot and only 13 games to play.
General manager/interim coach Lou Lamoriello is still putting a lot emphasis
on playing well, and winning, as many of these remaining games as possible,
though. He made it clear Monday that he is watching the players' efforts
closely and that what they do now will "absolutely" impact decisions that will
be made regarding next season.
"Your mind-set and your commitment and your competitiveness should never
change," Lamoriello said. "And that's what you look [for in] people."
At least they'll have an additional reason to be excited for tonight's game
against Pittsburgh as they will wear their original red, green and white
uniforms for Retro Night. Other than the lockout-shortened 2012-13
campaign, the Devils have made it a tradition since 2010 to bring back their
original colors on or around St. Patrick's Day each year.
They also wore their retro jerseys in last season's outdoor game against the
Rangers at Yankee Stadium.
"It's fun," defenseman Andy Greene said. "I like that we do it only once or
twice a year. It keeps it special. I like it. They're pretty cool looking and we
enjoy wearing them."
The Devils practiced Monday in the red helmets, red, green and white socks
and green pants shells Monday to get used to them for tonight's game. They
switched to their current red, black and white color scheme to start the
1992-93 regular season.
They wore red, green and white from when the franchise moved to New
Jersey in 1982 through the end of the 1992 preseason. So, this is a way to
remember their past.
"There's a lot of nostalgia when you see that out there," Lamoriello said of the
original jerseys. "I think the players, too, enjoy putting it on. It's certainly
different. It brings back the past and I think it's a good tradition to wear it once
a year."
BRIEFS: C/LW Patrik Elias appears doubtful for tonight after missing practice
Monday with back spasms that also kept him out of Saturday's game in
Arizona. Lamoriello said Elias is "day to day," and "he's not ruled out nor is he
ruled in" for tonight. … Lamoriello opted not to attend this week's NHL GM
meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., sending senior vice president of hockey
operations/his son, Chris Lamoriello, in his place.
Bergen Record LOADED: 03.17.2015
769973
New York Islanders
John Tavares believes slumping Islanders will pass stress test
Updated March 16, 2015 11:47 PM
By STEVEN MARCUS
The Islanders have taken a sudden downward turn, with three straight losses
in regulation dropping them from the Metropolitan Division lead to second
place, five points behind the Rangers and only two ahead of the Penguins,
both of whom have games in hand on the Isles.
But John Tavares doesn't want his teammates to focus on the recent spiral.
"It's important not getting down, getting caught up in the standings," the
captain said Monday. "You know, a lot of it's mental, so you've got to prepare
each and every night. It's going to be a battle. It's a fun time of year to be
playing.
"I think you have to look at it as an opportunity to have that chance to prepare
yourself. I think everyone's got an idea of that, I don't think there's too much
that needs to be said. But it's important, I think, just to understand the
process. We've just got to work our way out of it."
Tavares did not sugarcoat the losses to the Rangers, Senators and
Canadiens last week that extended their home losing streak to four games.
"No doubt, you lose three at home, especially in a week, we didn't get
anything out of it," he said. "We want to be tough to play against at home . . .
It's disappointing, but it's over now."
Tavares, a Hart Trophy candidate, leads the NHL with 72 points (33 goals, 39
assists). "It's something you don't want to think about a whole lot," he said of
potentially leading the league. "Obviously, it would be a great achievement,
but I'm just trying to play my game, do what I do best. Obviously, [I'm]
counted on to produce and put the puck in the net. I'm just trying to work on
creating those opportunities, and when you get those, you want to put them
in the net."
IslandersIsles still not cooking at home, lose to Montreal
Tavares was scoreless in the three losses. "Johnny's had some great
chances in these couple of games, too, but hasn't been able to obviously light
the light for us," coach Jack Capuano said. "But he's working hard, he's doing
the right things. When you look at our games and the success that we've had,
he's always on the scoresheet. He does a lot of good things for us."
Rookie winger Anders Lee said of Tavares: "He's our leader, he's such an
offensive talent. We watch him, we learn from him. At the same time, you try
to emulate him and work as hard as he does. I think he is the leader on our
team when it comes to the offensive side of things. So if he's clicking, it's
good for us."
Tavares welcomes whatever pressure is put on him to jump-start the offense.
"I just try to go out there every night and approach it the same way,'' he said.
"I believe I can be better than I played this past week. It's an opportunity to go
out there and respond . . . Obviously, I try just to lead by example, do all the
right things and know I'm counted on for a lot. Pressure's part of playing in the
NHL, part of being a professional athlete. I put pressure on myself, but at the
same time, you need to enjoy the game, enjoy the moment."
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769974
New York Rangers
Rangers’ Martin St. Louis Is Expected to Miss 10 to 14 Days
By ALLAN KREDAMARCH 16, 2015
The Rangers, who were already without goalie Henrik Lundqvist and
defenseman Kevin Klein, said Monday that forward Martin St. Louis was
expected to miss 10 to 14 days with a lower-body injury.
St. Louis, 39, appeared to hurt his right knee late in the third period of
Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Florida when he became tangled with Panthers
defenseman Dmitri Kulikov behind the Rangers’ net. St. Louis flexed his right
leg as he left the ice and did not return.
The durable St. Louis is second on the Rangers in goals scored, with 20, and
third in points, with 47. He had played all 68 games in his first full season with
the Rangers after he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Ryan
Callahan last March. St. Louis primarily plays right wing on a line with center
Derek Stepan and left wing Chris Kreider.
Klein is expected to miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury
sustained when he blocked an Alex Ovechkin shot last Wednesday. The
Rangers have been without Lundqvist, their top goaltender, since Feb. 2
because of a blood vessel injury in his throat.
But the Rangers (44-17-7) have excelled behind the backup goalies Cam
Talbot and Mackenzie Skapski. With 95 points, they are tied with the
Anaheim Ducks for the most in the N.H.L.
St. Louis has missed only eight games since the start of the 2002-3 season.
He had a streak of 499 consecutive games that was broken in December
2011 after he was struck in the face by a puck during the Lightning’s morning
skate before a game at Madison Square Garden. Still, he missed only five
games with facial fractures.
He also missed two games in the 2005-6 season and was a healthy scratch
for last year’s regular-season finale.
New York Times LOADED: 03.17.2015
769975
New York Rangers
Rangers forward Martin St. Louis out 10-14 days with lower-body injury
BY Stephen Lorenzo
Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 12:53 AM
Martin St. Louis joins the growing list of injured Rangers players with a
lower-body injury that could keep him out of action for up to two weeks.
There is yet another Ranger on the shelf, but good news is on the horizon.
The Rangers announced Monday afternoon that forward Martin St. Louis will
miss 10-14 days with a lower-body injury he sustained Sunday night against
the Panthers. The Blueshirts are already missing defenseman Kevin Klein
(left arm), but a report by The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell said Henrik
Lundqvist (partially torn blood vessel in neck) may be back in a week.
Campbell reports a source “close to the Rangers” told him that Lundqvist will
suit up next Tuesday at the Garden against the L.A. Kings for the first time
since he last played on Feb. 2.
St. Louis, 39, got tangled with Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov during
Sunday’s third period, fell awkwardly and seemed to twist his right knee.
Though St. Louis left the ice with 4:20 to play and did not return, Alain
Vigneault said after the game that the team did not initially believe the injury
to be serious.
The Blueshirts (44-17-7, 95 points) — and particularly backup goaltender
Cam Talbot — have shown considerable moxie since losing Lundqvist by
reeling off an impressive 15-2-3 record since the King went down to grab the
league’s best record. But losing St. Louis, who ranks second on the team in
goals (20) and third on the team in points (47), is another tall order.
The Rangers don’t have many options to replace a player of St. Louis’
caliber. Tanner Glass was the lone scratch up front on Sunday night, leaving
the Rangers with bare minimum 12 healthy forwards and six defensemen.
Even Glass is banged up with what Vigneault called “upper-body soreness,”
but he is expected to be back for Wednesday night for the Blackhawks.
Of course, the Rangers have thrived on adversity since the Lundqvist injury
by finding different ways to win. Talbot struggled a bit when he first took over
the reins, but was bailed out by a high-powered offense. As the goals tailed
off, Talbot was exceptional. Vigneault admitted Talbot stole two points by
himself on Sunday with a brilliant, 20-save second period where the Rangers
looked gassed.
And while Sunday’s biggest hero was Talbot, it was two unheralded players
who provided the offensive spark. Left wing James Sheppard — acquired at
the trade deadline from San Jose for a fourth round pick — and spare
defenseman Matt Hunwick scored their first goals in a Ranger uniform to give
the Rangers the 2-1 win over Florida.
“We’re winning games in all different types of ways,” Dan Girardi said after
Sunday’s win. “We’re dominating games, we’re in tight games where we
maybe don’t play our best and still come out with a win, shootout and
overtime... that’s kind of been our M.O. the whole year — winning games
however we can. Different guys step up in different games.”
“Guys are scoring, guys are playing hard, guys are blocking shots and it’s
really fun to come to a team that does that for every one of the guys sitting
next to them,” Sheppard said. “And it’s fun to win.”
New York Daily News LOADED: 03.17.2015
769976
New York Rangers
Rangers forward Martin St. Louis out 10-14 days with lower-body injury
BY Stephen Lorenzo
There is yet another Ranger on the shelf, but good news is on the horizon.
The Rangers announced Monday afternoon that forward Martin St. Louis will
miss 10-14 days with a lower-body injury he sustained Sunday night against
the Panthers. The Blueshirts are already missing defenseman Kevin Klein
(left arm), but a report by The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell said Henrik
Lundqvist (partially torn blood vessel in neck) may be back in a week.
Campbell reports a source “close to the Rangers” told him that Lundqvist will
suit up next Tuesday at the Garden against the L.A. Kings for the first time
since he last played on Feb. 2.
St. Louis, 39, got tangled with Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov during
Sunday’s third period, fell awkwardly and seemed to twist his right knee.
Though St. Louis left the ice with 4:20 to play and did not return, Alain
Vigneault said after the game that the team did not initially believe the injury
to be serious.
The Blueshirts (44-17-7, 95 points) — and particularly backup goaltender
Cam Talbot — have shown considerable moxie since losing Lundqvist by
reeling off an impressive 15-2-3 record since the King went down to grab the
league’s best record. But losing St. Louis, who ranks second on the team in
goals (20) and third on the team in points (47), is another tall order.
The Rangers don’t have many options to replace a player of St. Louis’
caliber. Tanner Glass was the lone scratch up front on Sunday night, leaving
the Rangers with bare minimum 12 healthy forwards and six defensemen.
Even Glass is banged up with what Vigneault called “upper-body soreness,”
but he is expected to be back for Wednesday night for the Blackhawks.
Of course, the Rangers have thrived on adversity since the Lundqvist injury
by finding different ways to win. Talbot struggled a bit when he first took over
the reins, but was bailed out by a high-powered offense. As the goals tailed
off, Talbot was exceptional. Vigneault admitted Talbot stole two points by
himself on Sunday with a brilliant, 20-save second period where the Rangers
looked gassed.
And while Sunday’s biggest hero was Talbot, it was two unheralded players
who provided the offensive spark. Left wing James Sheppard — acquired at
the trade deadline from San Jose for a fourth round pick — and spare
defenseman Matt Hunwick scored their first goals in a Ranger uniform to give
the Rangers the 2-1 win over Florida.
“We’re winning games in all different types of ways,” Dan Girardi said after
Sunday’s win. “We’re dominating games, we’re in tight games where we
maybe don’t play our best and still come out with a win, shootout and
overtime... that’s kind of been our M.O. the whole year — winning games
however we can. Different guys step up in different games.”
“Guys are scoring, guys are playing hard, guys are blocking shots and it’s
really fun to come to a team that does that for every one of the guys sitting
next to them,” Sheppard said. “And it’s fun to win.”
New York Daily News LOADED: 03.17.2015
769977
New York Rangers
Red-hot Rangers are for real and as Cup-worthy as any
By Larry Brooks
March 16, 2015 | 10:40pm
You know what? This is real. This sustained run of superior hockey on and off
Broadway the Rangers have produced over the last 14 calendar weeks that
has reached a crescendo in the absence of Henrik Lundqvist is merely
affirmation of this team’s upper-echelon status in the NHL.
You can’t win the Stanley Cup in March, and no one is pretending the
Rangers have won anything yet. And no one is pretending the Rangers have
won anything over the last four seasons — the first two with John Tortorella
behind the bench, these last two with Alain Vigneault calling the shots —
other than respect.
But step-by-step, year-by-year, the Rangers and their core have established
a base of expectations. No, they haven’t won the Cup since 1994, but they
have won the most playoff rounds in the East the last three springs and over
that span, only the acknowledged powerhouse Blackhawks have as many,
and only the two-time champion Kings have won more best-of-seven series
than the Blueshirts.
It wasn’t lightning in a bottle last year. It wasn’t Carey Price’s injury. And it
isn’t a three-month fluke of nature now.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, Kelly Clarkson once sang, and the
frightening vascular injury sustained by Lundqvist on Jan. 31 — though the
danger wasn’t apparent until nearly a week later — strengthened this team’s
already impressive fabric.
Here’s the thing about this group, which has been winning almost by habit:
The Rangers have become more impressive, more dangerous and more
legitimate as Stanley Cup contenders over the last couple of weeks by virtue
of the nature of the games they’re winning, and not simply because they’ve
done it with their backup goaltender.
You think of Vigneault, of his back-to-back Presidents’ Trophy winners in
Vancouver in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and of the Rangers that have followed in
the wake of Tortorella’s Black-and-Blueshirts, and you think of fancypants
teams, talent-driven, leaning on skill, skating, turning around the puck and
going off to the races.
Great for the regular season, all right, but maybe not a style of play and
maybe not comprised of personnel that in the end can survive against bigger,
stronger — the phrase in vogue is “heavier” — teams such as the 2011
Bruins or 2014 Kings. Maybe Vigneault’s teams built for the open road just
aren’t made for the dirt tracks rinks become during the playoffs.
But that’s what this last fortnight has disproved to the extent the kibosh can
put to any theory during the regular season. These past two weeks have
been a grind, and against some grinding, heavy teams that have come hard
at the Rangers with speed and with bigger bodies.
Breathing room has been at more of a premium than time and space. Over
their past two weeks and six games encompassing 361:57, the difference on
the scoreboard has been within one goal for all but the 4:34 that followed a
pair of Rangers’ empty-netters.
For six games, through which the Blueshirts have gone 5-0-1 with scores out
of the soccer World Cup (2-1, 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 2-0, 2-1), they have been tied for
209:57, up a goal for 115:10, down a goal for 36:50. And they persevered. No
wonder they were fried on Sunday in that 2-1 Cam Talbot Show against the
Panthers that produced one of the more inscrutable results in years.
It’s never really quite playoff hockey during the regular season, even down
the stretch, because games always kick into a higher gear when the
tournament begins. But this has been about as close as it gets, and in games
against formidable opponents. Other than Saturday in Buffalo, the Rangers
have been facing formidable teams with much at stake.
You know the potholes that have essentially destroyed roads in the
Northeast this winter? There will be potholes on the way to the Canyon of
Heroes for the Rangers. There is going to be an adjustment period when
Lundqvist returns. There is no way around that. Everyone should be
prepared for some hiccups.
The Rangers’ best forwards are going to have to be better than they’ve been
through the latter portion of this stretch, in which the team has gone 14-1-2 in
its past 17, and 15-2-3 without Lundqvist, and that specifically applies to
Derek Stepan, Marty St. Louis and Derick Brassard.
The black hole of a power play has to be better as well, although you know
what — even if it may seem counterintuitive, not one of the past six Stanley
Cup champions has finished higher than 16th in man-advantage efficiency
during the regular season, with the Kings fourth from the bottom last year.
There is something special here. The Rangers are the best pro sports team
in New York and they have been for more than a calendar year. They are one
of the best teams in the NHL, they prove it 60 minutes at a time, and they
have as good a chance to win the Stanley Cup as anyone out there.
You want some perspective? There it is.
New York Post LOADED: 03.17.2015
769978
New York Rangers
Rangers lose Martin St. Louis for 10-14 days with knee injury
By Larry Brooks
March 16, 2015 | 4:48pm
Marty St. Louis would chafe at the suggestion a couple of weeks of rest might
prove beneficial for the 38-year-old winger before undertaking what the
Rangers believe will be a two-month playoff marathon.
But a couple of weeks off it’s going to be for St. Louis in the wake of the right
knee sprain he suffered as a result of an awkward entanglement with
defenseman Dimitry Kulikov late in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the Panthers at
the Garden.
Not only could this be a blessing for St. Louis, whose 20 goals are second on
the Blueshirts behind Rick Nash’s 39, but it will allow coach Alain Vigneault to
experiment with different looks leading into the tournament. St. Louis, likely
to miss seven or eight games, has not played fewer than 77 games in a full
season since 2001-02, when a broken leg limited him to 53 games.
The Blueshirts do not plan to recall a forward from the AHL Wolf Pack for
Wednesday night’s game at the Garden against the Blackhawks. Instead,
Tanner Glass, who missed Sunday’s game with what was described as
“upper body soreness” in the aftermath of his fight with Nicolas Deslauriers in
Buffalo on Saturday, will return to the lineup and the fourth line.
There is no truth to a report the Rangers have established next Tuesday’s
game at the Garden against the Kings as the target date for Henrik
Lundqvist’s return. Lundqvist, whose recovery from his vascular injury is
being monitored by a battery of physicians, has not yet been medically
cleared to practice with the team. Coach Alain Vigneault said on Sunday that
he expects that The King, who has been sidelined for six weeks and 20
games, should be good to go in a game relatively soon after he rejoins full
team practiced.
Vigneault could move J.T. Miller from third line right wing up into St. Louis’
spot with Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider while shifting either Jesper Fast or
James Sheppard into Miller’s vacated position on the unit with Kevin Hayes
and Chris Hagelin.
Or, if the coach would like to get a look at Hayes on the right side, he could
move the rookie into St. Louis’ spot while shifting Sheppard, a natural center,
into the middle on the third line.
The Rangers have used two of their allotted four post-deadline recalls with
paper moves on Miller and Fast that would allow the young forwards to play
in Hartford during the AHL playoffs if that option is open and favored by
management.
New York Post LOADED: 03.17.2015
769979
New York Rangers
St. Louis out 10-14 days with lower body injury
Posted by Andrew Gross
The Rangers injury list continues to grow as now right wing Marty St. Louis is
out 10-14 days with a lower body injury suffered late in Sunday night’s 2-1
win over the Panthers.
Even if St. Louis is out for two weeks, that will return him in plenty of time for
the postseason, likely with about two weeks to go in the regular season.
St. Louis has 20 goals and 27 assists for 47 points, ranking second on the
team in goals and third in points.
The Rangers are already without goalie Henrik Lundqvist (damaged blood
vessel in his neck), who has not played since Feb. 2 and though the reports
off his conditioning and work with goalie coach Benoit Allaire has been
encouraging, there is no timetable for his return. Defenseman Kevin Klein is
expected to miss two to three weeks with a broken left arm suffered
Wednesday at Washington though the Rangers also expect Klein back in
time for the postseason.
Fourth line left wing Tanner Glass missed Sunday night’s game because of
upper-body soreness but he is expected to return to the lineup against the
Blackhawks Wednesday night.
The Rangers will have 12 healthy forwards and six healthy defensemen - the
bare minimum - if Glass can play Wednesday night. The Rangers only have
two call-ups remaining from Hartford (AHL) so it’s not likely they will bring a
player up unless absolutely necessary.
There are no salary-cap concerns currently with Henrik Lundqvist on
long-term injured reserve as the Rangers can use Lundqvist’s $8.5 million
cap hit until he returns.
St. Louis appeared to hurt his right knee as he tangled with defenseman
Dmitry Kulikov behind the Panthers crease at 15:28 of the third period. As
they battled for the puck, St. Louis went to the ice and Kulikov’s left shoulder
came down on St. Louis’ right knee as he fell. St. Louis skated to the
Rangers’ bench and he was caught on camera apparently describing a “pop”
to trainer Jim Ramsay. St. Louis did not return to the game.
769980
New York Rangers
This week, Talbot is the NHL’s second star
Posted by Andrew Gross
Cam Talbot is moving up among the NHL’s stars.
The league announced this afternoon that the Rangers goalie has been
named the NHL’s second star of the week after going 3-0-0 with a 1.00
goals-against average and a .969 save percentage. The Blue Jackets’ Scott
Hartnell (five goals in four games) was the league’s first star and Senators
goalie sensation Andrew Hammond (3-0-0, 1.30, .957) was the third star.
Last week, when Talbot went 2-0-1 with a 0.99 GAA and .965 save
percentage, he was named the league’s third star. Given this progression
(and the way he is playing), don’t rule out Talbot as the NHL’s first star next
week.
For Talbot, 27, this marks his second inclusion in the NHL’s three stars of the
week.
From the NHL release: “Talbot went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average
and .969 save percentage to backstop the Rangers (44-17-7, 95 points) to
the No. 1 overall position in the NHL standings. He made 29 saves in a 2-1
victory over the New York Islanders March 10, followed by 28 stops in a 3-1
triumph over the Washington Capitals March 11. He then matched a career
high with 38 saves in a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers March 15, his sixth
consecutive decision with at least one point (5-0-1). The 27-year-old
Caledonia, Ont., native has appeared in 29 games this season, compiling a
17-6-4 record with a 2.19 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and
five shutouts. He has earned at least one point in 15 of his last 16
appearances (12-1-3), yielding one goal or fewer through regulation in six
straight games.”
Meanwhile, no word from the Rangers yet as to whether there will be an
update on Marty St. Louis today.
769981
New York Rangers
Gross: Rangers' Cam Talbot ascending but Henrik Lundqvist still King
March 17, 2015
Last updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 1:21 AM
By ANDREW GROSS
First off, stop, and you people know who you are.
Cam Talbot should not supplant Henrik Lundqvist as the Rangers’ starting
goalie — or even share time — whenever Lundqvist is able to return from a
damaged blood vessel in his neck that has kept him sidelined since Feb. 2.
Talbot, named the NHL’s second star of the week on Monday after being
named the league’s third star the previous week, has exceeded everybody’s
expectations and proven he should be some team’s No. 1 goalie.
But he’s not better than Lundqvist, not even with a 13-2-3 mark in Lundqvist’s
absence and the Rangers, who have allowed one or fewer goals in regulation
in seven straight games, currently in first place overall in the NHL.
And that will still be the case in those first few games when Lundqvist returns.
Because Lundqvist is almost certain to be rusty in his first few games,
meaning the Rangers likely are going to lose a few with him in net.
It’s how Lundqvist operates. He starts seasons slowly, taking time to round
into his Vezina-winning form. And for as hard as he’s currently working with
goalie coach Benoit Allaire, working on conditioning drills and trying to keep
his timing and technique impeccable, albeit only facing low shots until he’s
cleared medically, there is a far gap between practices and games.
Especially down the stretch of an NHL season, when every game is played at
playoff speed.
The Rangers are a remarkable 33-7-3 since Dec. 8. But going into that
night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Penguins, Lundqvist was a pedestrian 9-7-3
with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
He’ll return from his injury with a 25-11-3 mark, a 2.25 goals-against average
and a .922 save percentage.
In a best-case scenario, Lundqvist gets around 10 starts before the playoffs
begin.
Though the Rangers will be jostling for playoff position in the Metropolitan
Division, the Eastern Conference and, likely, for the overall NHL lead, the
main priority will be to get Lundqvist enough work to have him as close to top
form as possible once the postseason begins.
If that means the Rangers lose a few games and possibly drop in seeding, so
be it.
Taking nothing away from Talbot, the Rangers’ best chance in the playoffs is
Lundqvist at his best.
769982
New York Rangers
Rangers' Marty St. Louis to miss 10-14 days with injury
March 16, 2015, 5:05 PM
PM
Last updated: Monday, March 16, 2015, 9:52
By ANDREW GROSS
The Rangers are now down to a bare minimum of healthy players.
The team announced Monday that right wing Marty St. Louis, 39, will miss
10-14 days with a lower-body injured suffered in Sunday night’s 2-1 win over
the Panthers. That timeline would allow St. Louis, believed to have injured his
right knee, to return in time for the start of the playoffs.
St. Louis’ injury leaves the Rangers with 12 healthy forwards — presuming
fourth-liner Tanner Glass is available after missing Sunday’s game with
upper-body soreness — and just two allowable call-ups from Hartford (AHL)
remaining this season.
Glass is expected to play Wednesday night against the Blackhawks at
Madison Square Garden and the Rangers are not expected to recall a player
from Hartford.
St. Louis is second on the team with 20 goals and third with 27 points.
His absence will force coach Alain Vigneault to juggle his lines to fill St. Louis’
spot on Derek Stepan’s right wing along with Chris Kreider. Speedy left wing
Carl Hagelin could be elevated from the third line or rookie Kevin Hayes
could move from third-line center to Stepan’s wing.
St. Louis appeared to hurt his right knee as he tangled with defenseman
Dmitry Kulikov behind the Panthers’ crease at 15:28 of the third period. As
they battled for the puck, St. Louis went to the ice and Kulikov’s left shoulder
came down on St. Louis’ knee as he fell.
The Rangers have been without franchise goalie Henrik Lundqvist (damaged
blood vessel in his neck) since Feb. 2 — though they are 15-2-3 in that span
as they’ve risen to the top of the NHL standings. The team also lost stalwart
defenseman Kevin Klein to a broken left arm in this past Wednesday’s 3-1
win at Washington.
769983
New York Rangers
Rangers notes: Marty St. Louis injured
March 16, 2015
Last updated: Monday, March 16, 2015, 1:21 AM
The Record
Concern for St. Louis
Right wing Marty St. Louis appeared to hurt his right knee as he tangled with
defenseman Dmitry Kulikov behind the Panthers' crease at 15:28 of the third
period.
As they battled for the puck, St. Louis went to the ice and Kulikov's left
shoulder came down on St. Louis' right knee as he fell. St. Louis skated to the
Rangers' bench and he was caught on camera apparently describing a "pop"
to trainer Jim Ramsay.
St. Louis did not return to the game.
"It doesn't seem to be serious, but we'll know more [today]," coach Alain
Vigneault said.
Henrik on hold
The Rangers did not have an update on Henrik Lundqvist's potential return to
the lineup, but Vigneault said he did get a promising report from Ramsay.
"He's obviously going to need some team practice time," Vigneault said.
"Exactly how long, I don't know. He has been pushing real hard on the ice as
far as conditioning-wise. My understanding is he's looked real good."
Video tribute
Prior to the game, defenseman Dan Boyle was honored for reaching 1,000
NHL games on March 4 at Detroit.
He was joined on the ice by his parents, his wife and their two young
daughters to watch highlights of his career. Boyle was then presented with a
gold-plated stick, a trip to Mexico and a leather-bound book of the top
moments in his career.
Glass out
LW Tanner Glass was unable to play because of upper-body soreness. He
fought the Sabres' Nicolas Deslauriers on Saturday.
769984
New York Rangers
Rangers’ St. Louis to miss 10-14 days with knee injury
By Rick Carpiniello on March 16, 2015
Rangers winger Martin St. Louis will miss 10-14 days with what most
certainly is a knee injured he suffered in the third period of Sunday’s 2-1 win
over Florida at the Garden.
The Rangers termed it “a lower body injury” but St. Louis got tangled with one
of the Panthers players behind the net and his knee bent awkwardly. When
he went to skate to the trainer’s room he fell, and he could clearly be seen
mouthing the word “pop” to trainer Jim Ramsay.
New York Rangers v Washington CapitalsThe 10-14 day estimate would
have to be considered good news for the Rangers’ top-six winger, who has
been through a few slumps this season, but was starting to play better lately.
It’s possible St. Louis would miss six or seven games, or fewer, of the
remaining 14 in the regular season, and would certainly have enough time to
get ready for the playoffs, which should start April 14 or 15. St. Louis, 39,
could also benefit from the time off to catch his breath before the postseason
grind.
Tanner Glass, who missed Sunday’s game with “upper body soreness” after
a rock ‘em-sock ‘em fight Saturday in Buffalo, could be ready to return
Wednesday when the Rangers host Chicago. If not, the Rangers would have
to recall a forward from Hartford (AHL).
J.T. Miller would be the likely choice to jump up to the second line with Derek
Stepan and Chris Kreider if coach Alain Vigneault decides to not do major
juggling.
In other news, a report in The Hockey News, citing a source, said that the
Rangers’ target date for goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s return is March 24 against
Los Angeles in the first Garden rematch of last June’s Stanley Cup Final.
That might be a stretch, though, since the team believes Lundqvist (vascular
injury in his neck) will require a week or so to prep for an actual return by
beginning to take shots and participating in full practices once cleared to do
so. As of Monday, he had not been given that clearance.
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.17.2015
769985
Ottawa Senators
Game Day Preview: Senators versus Hurricanes
Staff
The Series So Far
After beating the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Philadelphia
Flyers in three games (two of them on the road) over four days, it would seem
strange to think the streaking Ottawa Senators might come into a game
against the Carolina Hurricanes (26-34-8, 26th overall in the NHL) with
trepidation. But there are always match-ups in which the standings mean
little, and any game against Carolina — especially in Raleigh — is potential
trouble for Ottawa. The Senators have played Carolina twice this season,
both times at home, and lost both — 6-3 on Feb. 16 and 3-2 back on Jan. 17.
The numbers when the ‘Canes are at home, as they will be Tuesday night
against Ottawa, are even worse. The Sens have dropped four straight in
Raleigh and are 1-10-1 there dating back to 2007.
Players to watch
Eric Staal, Hurricanes: Now 30, the former 100-point man (45 goals, 55
assists in 2005-06) has just 19 goals and 43 points in 63 games this season,
with one goal in his past 11 games.
Elias Lindholm/Victor Rask, Hurricanes: Lindholm, 20, the sophomore
Swede who was the fifth overall pick in 2013, has had a relatively quiet
season, with 14 goals and 33 points in 67 games, but he gave a glimpse of
things that might be to come on March 8 when he had a hat trick and a
five-point game against Edmonton. Another young Swede, 22-year-old Rask,
was taken in Round 2 (42nd overall) in 2011. He has only 27 points in 66
games in his rookie season, but he has been heating up, with seven points in
his past five.
Erik Karlsson, Senators: It’s no surprise that the Senators’ captain is leading
all defencemen in shots on goal, but this season he has even been outdoing
himself. Coming into the week, he was sitting fifth overall in the league with
244 shots in 68 games (no defenceman has been in the top 10 in the past
three seasons). He led all blue-liners with 257 shots on goal in 2013-14,
played only 17 games the year before, and led D-men with 261 shots in
’11-12.
Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.17.2015
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Ottawa Senators
Play now, talk later: Hammond's agent
Ken Warren, Published on: March 16, 2015
RALEIGH, North Carolina • A future contract for Andrew Hammond can wait.
The goaltending sensation is quite content with where he is, says his agent,
Dan Plante.
“Hammy is just focussed on playing hockey right now, he doesn’t want to
push the ball on anything,” Plante said on Monday.
“The last thing Hammy needs from me is to talk about what he wants to do
with his next contract. That would be unfair to him and it would be unfair to
the Senators.”
Hammond, 10-0-1 as a starting goaltender in the NHL and on the brink of
tying Frank Brimsek’s 76-year-old record for allowing two goals or fewer in
his first dozen starts, is to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Hammond’s unlikely story has created the potential for a future logjam in the
Senators crease.
Craig Anderson, relegated to back-up duties, has three years remaining on
his contract, including $4.75 million in 2015-16 and 2016-17 and $3.1 million
in 2017-18.
Lehner, currently sidelined with a concussion, is under contract for $2.025
million next season and $3.15 million in 2016-17.
“(Hammond) is a down to earth, mature guy,” said Plante. “If he plays well
and takes care of his end of things, the other part will take care of itself. He
was given the opportunity in Ottawa. He likes Ottawa. Coming out of college
(Bowling Green), there were only two or three teams interested in signing him
and Ottawa by far showed the most interest.”
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Ottawa Senators
Pesky Line injects some energy into Senators momentum
Ken Warren, Published on: March 16, 2015
One began the season as a healthy scratch. One spent half the season in the
minor leagues. One spent three weeks of the season in junior.
Now, Erik Condra, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Curtis Lazar have become an
instrumental energy line, a vital component in the 11-1-1 streak which still
has the Ottawa Senators dreaming of a playoff berth.
“It’s awesome,” says Lazar, the 20-year-old former captain of Canada’s world
junior team who has finally settled into an ideal spot after a year of being
juggled throughout the lineup – and sometimes out of it.
It scarcely seems possible, but Lazar is even smiling wider than when he
began his NHL career in October and when he captured world junior gold.
“We gel so much,” he says. “We get along off the ice and on the ice. We play
a similar game and that’s what pays dividends for us. We take pride in our
(defensive) zone and when we get in the offensive zone, sometimes it’s not
the prettiest of hockey, but it’s effective.”
It’s a Pesky Line, if you will. They’re not a threat to break scoring records, but
they’re always a threat to change momentum in a game. And Coach Dave
Cameron is comfortable using the trio in any situation.
“It’s a great line from a coaching point of view just simply because they’re so
solid away from the puck that it’s easy to get your match-ups (against
opponents),” he says. “If (the other team) has a line that’s trying to establish a
forecheck and be physical, we can put them on because they have
(offensive) zone time the other way. If it’s the other team’s best line, you can
put them on, because they’re so good away from the puck, you feel
comfortable.”
Cameron labels the trio as “invaluable.”
Pageau was the sparkplug in Sunday’s 2-1 shootout win over the
Philadelphia Flyers. He was the best player on the ice and scored the
Senators lone goal in regulation. After beginning the year with Binghamton of
the AHL, forced to push somebody out of the lineup, his confidence seems to
grow by the game. While Zack Smith is healthy enough to return to the
lineup, the presence of Pageau means Smith is going to have to wait before
seeing playing time.
Perhaps Pageau looks faster because a weight has been removed from his
shoulders. Following Sunday’s victory, Le Droit reported that the Senators
have told Pageau he’s staying in Ottawa for the rest of the season and that
he needn’t worry about being re-assigned to Binghamton.
Condra is also resting easy. While he couldn’t find a home in the lineup early
on and was on the trade market in early March, he has put up the best
numbers of his career. Even though he has been with the Senators since
2010-11, he has always been bounced here, there and everywhere.
“It’s the first time since I’ve been here that I’ve played with the same line for
more than six or seven games and with that you have some chemistry,” said
Condra, who has a career high nine goals.
As the Mika Zibanejad, Bobby Ryan and Mike Hoffman line has hit a cold
snap – no goals in the past four games – the Pesky Line has picked up some
of the slack.
“It’s not a secret, our line has not been clicking lately,” says Ryan. “They are
taking a lot of pressure off ourselves. For them to go out and play like that, it
takes a load off our shoulders. It has been our best line a lot of nights.”
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None, apart from also being the name of a German town (as well as a type of
hat — but not the hat worn by Breaking Bad’s Walter White. That’s a pork pie
hat. Hmmm … )
Of burgers and burglars: Some interesting morsels
Really? For your last meal?
Robert Bostelaar
In many places, condemned prisoners can specify their final meal. According
to Wikipedia (c’mon, where else would you find this?), some opt for lobster,
shrimp or steak, but a surprising number, including Gary (The Executioner’s
Song) Gilmore, order burgers. Pizza is another favourite.
Other tossed items
You know, by now, of Andrew Hammond, a.k.a. the Hamburglar, and his
wondrous run as call-up goalie on an Ottawa Senators team long due a
goofy, happy change-up.
You saw him — if not in the moment, then in the thousand tweeted photos —
scoop up the burger tossed on the ice by, whom? A grateful fan? Senators
mascot Spartacat? The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association?
And you’ve heard, no doubt, that a win against the Carolina Hurricanes on
Tuesday would tie Frank “Mr. Zero” Brimsek’s 1939 record of allowing two or
fewer goals in his first 12 games in the National Hockey League.
But there’s sooooo much more to know about hamburgers and Hamburglars
(Versions 1 and 2). Here’s just a taste:
Why it’s called a hamburger, when it doesn’t — does it? — contain ham
Numerous civilizations have chopped up meat and formed it into patties, but
Genghis Khan and his Mongol posse are believed to be the fathers of the
burger as we know it (fathering being something they were especially good
at, genetic science has shown). According to Linda Stradley’s exhaustive
History and Legends of Hamburgers at whatscookingamerica.net, the raw
“steak tartare” that Khan’s Golden Horde brought to Russia was
subsequently carried by European sailors back to ports including, yes,
Germany’s Hamburg. It evolved into Hamburg steak — cooked beef and
spices, often stretched with bread crumbs and onions — and spread even to
Seymour, Wisconsin, where Charles Nagreen is claimed to have been the
first to offer it between bread slices.
When is National Hamburger Month?
It’s May, and has been since 1993, but apparently only in the United States,
since we can find no mention of its observation elsewhere.
How many burgers has McDonalds served?
White Castle was the first hamburger chain, but McDonald’s became
synonymous with burgers through the ingenious running count (“over 100
million served,” “over 200 million …”) under its golden arches. It replaced the
counter in 1994 with an evergreen “Billions and Billions Served.” We thought
of asking for an update but realized that any number supplied would be too
imprecise for such a scientific report.
Number of words devoted to the Hamburglar at Wikipedia:
A week ago, we would have estimated 3,000. But the individual entry on the
McDonald’s advertising character appears to have disappeared from the
online encyclopedia, leaving only a sanitized, 260-word paragraph on the
McDonaldland page. Shame, that, as the original entry provided a rather
noirish discussion of the Hamburglar’s physical and emotional evolution over
nearly three decades. Or maybe we just dreamed that.
The Alfred E. Neuman connection
Play-by-play announcers, having at this point run out of obscure statistics
(“the Panthers have allowed the most second-period goals in “r” months … “),
regale us repeatedly with the story of Hammond earning his nickname —
bestowed by teammate Wade Finegan, popularized by student broadcaster
Everett Fitzhugh — as a rookie goaltender “stealing” games for Bowling
Green State University. But they seemed perplexed by the resemblance of
the Hamburglar cartoon image on Hammond’s mask to Mad Magazine
mascot Alfred E. Neuman. The answer, as provided by InGoal Magazine?
Artist Jason Bartziokas, who painted Hammond’s Pro’s Choice mask to the
goaltender’s specifications, decided to inject some Neuman references “to
give it a little life.”
May is National Hamburger Month, at least in the United States.
Octopuses, of course, by Detroit Red Wings fans. Blue jerseys, by
Torontonians. Panties, at Justin Timberlake et al. (Stop doing this, said Tom
Jones in 2010. “It’s just wrong.”)
How did the burger thrown on the Canadian Tire Centre ice stay intact?
Theories abound as to why meat and bun did not go in different directions. It
was glued together (if only by mustard and ketchup). It wasn’t actually
tossed, but discretely dropped by a fellow Senator while all eyes were on No.
30. Most likely explanation, as supported by Hammond’s own “I didn’t eat it, it
was kind of cold”: It was brought in frozen, and like most things this winter
except one hot goalie, still hadn’t thawed out.
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Ottawa Senators
History staring at Hammond and the Senators
Ken Warren,
RALEIGH, N.C. — Ottawa Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond is on the
brink of entering the NHL record book and his team could use a little St.
Patrick’s Day luck here on Tuesday.
Hammond, who ran his sensational record as an NHL goaltender to 10-0-1
with Sunday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, is in position
to equal a 76-year-old record set by Hall of Fame goaltender Frank Brimsek.
If Hammond can win Tuesday as the Senators continue their desperate
quest for a playoff spot, he will put an end to the club’s four-game losing
streak in Raleigh, where they have gone 1-10-1, dating back to Dec. 12,
2007.
First, let’s talk about Hammond and history.
Brimsek, nicknamed Mr. Zero for the amount of shutouts he delivered,
allowed two goals or fewer in the first 12 games of his NHL career. Hammond
has now strung together 11 such games to begin his career.
To put all that in historical perspective, Brimsek set that record five years
after the original Ottawa Senators franchise left for St. Louis in 1934. Here’s
another piece of historical trivia: Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s in
1955 and the idea for “The Hamburglar” character was still 40 years away.
“It’s pretty surreal to hear that,” Hammond says of his link to history. “I’ve
seen the tweets and stuff. It’s a pretty crazy run and it’s something I’m proud
of.”
Naturally, Hammond, who has earned the praise of both teammates and
opponents along the way, is enjoying the magical run, but he won’t allow
himself to get lost in the clouds. He has maintained an even keel throughout.
“It’s a fine line of enjoying it and realizing that the teams ahead of us keep
winning, too,” he says. “We’ve been able to go on a streak here, but the
teams ahead of us are still winning, too. It’s all about getting to the playoffs.
And if we don’t keep winning, we’re not really inching any closer.”
769990
Ottawa Senators
Pageau line doin' it right for Ottawa Senators
By Don Brennan, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 09:52 PM EDT | Updated: Monday,
March 16, 2015 09:57 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. - On one hand, it should come as no surprise to anyone that
Jean-Gabriel Pageau received his eagerly-anticipated "housing letter" from
the Senators a couple of days ago.
That means it's official: the 22-year old centre who started the season in
Binghamton, was recalled in mid-December, sent back down in February,
and brought back to the NHL team almost immediately after that, will not be
returned to the minors this season.
But as well as Pageau has been playing, Zack Smith is almost ready to return
from a dislocated wrist. When he does, the Senators will have four centres
with more experience than Pageau.
In all likelihood, either Smith or David Legwand will move to wing or the press
box. Pageau isn't going anywhere.
Not only was he the Senators' best player Sunday, he is also the middleman
of a line with Erik Condra and Curtis Lazar that has become prominent in the
team's late season surge.
Coach Dave Cameron told TSN1200 Monday that the three "do it right" (the
All Right Line!) and the unit has "by far" been Ottawa's most consistent of
late, providing the Senators "a real emotional boost."
Cameron also raved about the Condra-Pageau-Lazar line in his post-game
press conference Sunday night.
"It's a great line from a coaching point of view, simply because they're so
solid away from the puck that it's easier to get your matchups," said
Cameron. "Sometimes your matchups fall out of sync. You can put that line
against any line.
"(They're) invaluable. All three play the same way. All three have real high
hockey IQs. Probably the biggest strength of each guy and thus the biggest
strength of the line, is they have no weaknesses."
Suddenly, the line is also chipping in with big goals.
"It takes a load off our shoulders, that's for sure," said Bobby Ryan. "They've
been our best line a lot of nights right now.
"They're getting more and more opportunities in more and more situations.
For two young guys and the only veteran (Condra) on the line, it's a big
responsibility. They're not taking it lightly. They're rising to the occasion. To
produce offence is a bonus, and they're carrying the offence right now."
All right-handed shooters, the All Right Line has started and finished games
for the Senators. It continues to be one of the big reasons the team is having
success.
ICE CHIPS
Are the Senators having second thoughts about re-signing Condra? They
should. "He's all in," Cameron said on his TSN1200 interview, extolling the
virtues of Condra's penalty killing and shot blocking. "He empties the tank
every night. He's just the player that does it right, and he's all in." ... Lazar
remains stuck at three goals, but not for lack of chances. "I'm feeling really
confident with my game," he said. "Just the finish is the one thing I'm missing.
I'm moving my feet, I'm strong on pucks, and it's bound to go in." ... Lazar on
Condra: "Cons is a great part of this team, He's one of those glue guys in the
dressing room that keeps everyone loose. He helps me out with a lot of the
stuff with my game, but he jokes around with me. He knows I'm still a kid and
when I make a mistake there's encouragement and stuff that really helps me
out." ... Lazar, on the All Right Line: "It's awesome, we gel so much. We get
along off the ice, but when we go on the ice we all play similar games. that's
what pays dividends for us. We take pride in our D-zone, but then when we
get in the offensive zone, sometimes it's not the prettiest of hockey, but it's
effective, just like that (Pageau) goal (Sunday)."
LOOKING AHEAD
Should the Senators fall short in their playoff chase, their
February-March-(April?) run at least bodes well for the future. "If anything, it
gives you something to build on, for one, but it gives you that confidence
knowing you're able to do it," said Ryan. "For the better stages of 30-40
games this year, we weren't sure of ourselves. We would get to those one
and two-goal games and find a way to allow two goals in 35 seconds, and all
of a sudden it's 4-1. I think repetition becomes part of it. When you do it a few
times and you get that opportunity to role with it, and build off it, it almost
becomes second nature. And that's how it's feeling right now." ... Andrew
Hammond is enjoying his run, of course, but he's not getting carried away
with it. "I'm trying not to get too high, and obviously there haven't been too
many lows," said The Hamburglar. "I know this isn't going to continue forever,
the more you can stay in between in the long run, whenever there is a low it
won't really affect you as much." ... Milan Michalek has five goals and 10
assists in the team's last 17 games. "First half was really terrible," said
Michalek, who has 12 goals and 19 helpers on the season. "Now I feel more
comfortable, making plays with the puck and getting scoring chances. Now I
feel good."
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.17.2015
769991
Ottawa Senators
Senators burger tosser creating new trend?
By Keaton Robbins, Ottawa Sun
March 16, 2015 09:37 PM EDT
In Detroit they throw octopi, Florida throws rats and Toronto throws jerseys.
But in Ottawa, we toss hamburgers.
Jamey Boudreau, 36, threw Andrew (The Hamburglar) Hammond a burger
after leading the Senators to a 2-1 shootout victory over the Philadelphia
Flyers on Sunday night.
The burger hurler, who's actually a pharmacy technician, said he planned the
toss for a few days.
"I was talking on some hockey forums about doing it and whether or not there
would be repercussions for doing something like that."
He texted a few friends and made sure to let them know the "burger cannon
was loaded."
Boudreau was sitting with his fiancee but said she "wanted nothing to do with
it" and left minutes before the toss.
"She was waiting for me by the exit watching on a TV," he said.
Boudreau said he didn't even stay to see what Hammond did with the burger.
"I saw it hit the ice and start to roll like a tire and at that point I thought I better
leave."
It wasn't until he got home, when he started to realize how fast the whole
thing blew up on social media.
"As soon as I looked at my phone, I had pictures sent to me of him holding up
the burger," he said. "I never imagined it going as good as it did."
Boudreau said he feels "honoured" to be a part of the latest chapter of
Senators' folklore.
"It sounds like something that might become a tradition and to become a part
of the team's history would be a great honour," he said.
But like all iconic sports moments in Ottawa, the skeptics aren't far behind.
Sens conspiracy theorists online say Boudreau threw a fake burger on the
ice as it stuck together after it hit the ice and Hammond didn't even take a
bite.
Boudreau said the burger was 100% real.
"I went to the burger stand at one of the concourses, bought a plain burger
with just a patty on a bun," he said. "I stuck it in my pocket and it kind of
squished together and sort of flattened out and kind of became one lump
mass."
According to the Ottawa Senators, the NHL and the team don't allow items to
be thrown on the ice during play.
But they said nothing about throwing burgers after a Sens' victory.
"We abide by both our own and the NHL's policy to work in the best interests
of the safety of our fans and the players," said Brian Morris, senior director of
communications for the Senators. "We do encourage passionate and
creative support for the team and look forward to a great crowd on Thursday
night."
769992
Ottawa Senators
Senators Hamburglar gets full meal deal
March 16, 2015 09:46 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. - Andrew Hammond joked that he didn't eat the hamburger
thrown to the ice at Canadian Tire Centre following Sunday's victory because
it was "cold."
Fact of the matter is, The Hamburglar can now get all he wants, straight off
the grill.
Thanks to John Bergeron, the Senators goalie will be delivered a card that
will give him free McDonald's food for life. Bergeron is the father of Chris
Bergeron, who coached Hammond for three seasons at Bowling Green. He
also owns six McDonald's locations in the Ottawa Valley and is a big
Senators supporter.
Bergeron was so moved by the rise of The Hamburglar and appreciative of
the promotion provided by the Senators goalie he called the VP of marketing
at the head office in Toronto, suggesting a hamburger giveaway at Canadian
Tire Centre. Toronto wanted to go one further and give Hammond the lifetime
card.
"In college, having a McDonald's card for life is a huge deal. Maybe Hammy
can afford to eat at some of the nicer establishment in Ottawa now," joked
Mike Bergeron, Chris' brother and a long-time friend of Hammond. "It's a
great story. Hammy hasn't changed his 'tude at all, and he's just riding the
wave. He's just enjoying it.
"He knows the deal. He knows it's not going to be forever. but the difference
with a guy like Hammy is, he's playing for his life. He's playing for his next
contract."
Hammond said it was "cool" to see the hamburger tossed in his honour.
"You don't expect this kind of persona to develop while you're here playing,
but it's all in good fun so I'm all for it," he said. "I'm taking it as a sign of
respect, so it's obviously pretty cool to get that out of the fans."
Asked if, with the card, there should be concern he'll check into next fall's
camp at 260 pounds, Hammond chuckled.
"I don't know, I'm thinking they have that new light menu, with all the salad
and stuff," he said. "I guess at the end of the day at least I know I'll never end
up starving. If hockey doesn't work out, I have a meal plan."
Meanwhile, 20-year old rookie Curtis Lazar nearly drooled at the thought of a
hamburgers-for-life deal.
"I'm in a little jealous. I may have to try my luck at goal and see what
happens," said Lazar, who was asked if Hammond's play has given the team
energy. "It's awesome. We go out there at the end and someone throws a
burger on the ice ... who knows, if we keep that up we better watch out for
flying hamburgers. It's a neat story line."
Bobby Ryan also had a laugh when he saw the hamburger thrown in tribute
to Hammond.
"That was pretty incredible," said Ryan. "I also noticed when they introduced
him they put a (Hamburglar) mask on him, on the jumbo screen.
"This thing has taken on a life of its own. It couldn't happen for a better guy."
In Detroit, they throw octopus on the ice. In Florida, during the Panthers
playoff run years ago, it was plastic rats.
In Ottawa? Hamburgers anyone?
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Ottawa Senators
Hammond story resumes in Carolina
Hammond, who had only been between NHL pipes once before that, entered
the game and proceeded to give up two goals on five shots in the eventual
6-3 loss.
For all intents and purposes, the Senators playoff intentions appeared to
disappear with MacArthur and Lehner -- and Hammond taking over the reins.
Yet miraculously, minus now six veterans, that's when they started their
turnaround.
March 16, 2015 07:49 PM EDT
The Senators have lost just once in regulation time over the 13 regular
season games since that night -- a 3-1 setback to the Bruins with Craig
Anderson in nets. In their last 17 games, they sport a 13-2-2 record that has
kept this season alive.
RALEIGH, N.C. - The once-unfathomable story of The Hamburglar is moving
to PNC Arena, where Senators teams have almost always suffered defeat
the last seven years.
"We preach right from Day 1 what our style was, or how we thought we had to
play that a gave us the best chance," Cameron, who gave the Senators a
"travel-only" day off Monday, said on TSN1200 radio before leaving for
Carolina. "It's a real credit to the players, because there's a real buy-in from
them.
If it becomes a book, no one would dare put it down at this point.
Should Andrew Hammond lead the Senators to victory against the Carolina
Hurricanes, he'll inch Ottawa to within three points of the Boston Bruins, for at
least as long as it takes to down a post-game beer. The Bruins, who own the
last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, host the Buffalo Sabres in a tilt
that starts 30 minutes later.
If Hammond holds the Hurricanes to fewer than three goals, he will tie former
Bruins goalie Frank (Mister Zero) Brimsek's all-time NHL record of
surrendering two or fewer in the first 12 games of a career.
For a 27-year-old who would likely still be waiting for his first NHL start if it
wasn't for the concussion suffered by Robin Lehner one month ago Monday,
it would be a "surreal" accomplishment. But the record is not first and
foremost on Hammond's mind.
"I don't care if we win 4-3 or 5-3 or 5-4, as long as we win," Hammond said in
a nearly deserted Senators dressing room after improving his mark to 10-0-1
against the Flyers Sunday. "That's really what I'm most concerned about
going into that (Carolina) game.
"It's obviously a very cool record, but at the end of the day you'd have to have
something going right too, to not allow two goals or less or whatever the
record is. It's just something ... I'm not ultimately very concerned about it."
Of course he's not, being the "great teammate" Senators coach Dave
Cameron and everyone else inside that room calls Hammond. But even he
would admit he'd be thrilled to have his cheeseburger and eat it too by, say,
posting his third consecutive 2-1 victory.
It won't be easy, despite the fact Carolina is tied with Toronto as the fourth
worst team in the league.
The Hurricanes, who are coming off a 3-2 victory over Columbus, have lost
all but two of their last seven games. But they have been putting the puck in
the net. Ranked 26th in the 'Goals For' category prior to Monday, Carolina
has scored three or more goals in four of its last five games.
The Hurricanes have also owned the Senators on home ice since 2008. In
their last 12 visits to PNC, the Senators have just one victory.
"It just seems different teams make it harder on other teams. There's no logic
to it," said Cameron. "That's just the way it goes sometimes. It's a trend.
"It's always a challenge to win a game on the road, so it's going to be an even
tougher challenge in Carolina."
The Senators do have some positive history on their side, too. They have
eight wins, two losses and a tie in games played on St. Patrick's Day -although the last time they suited up for a March 17 game in a visitor's
dressing room was 2000.
Not that this edition of the team should be overly concerned with the
surroundings. The Senators are also 7-0-1 in their last eight road games.
Hammond has allowed just eight goals over that stretch.
Ah yes, it all comes back to The Hamburglar, doesn't it?
"The guys love him," said winger Milan Michalek. "He's a hero right now."
For rescuing the Senators playoff chances, he is.
On Feb. 16, the Senators were playing these same Hurricanes when Clarke
MacArthur crashed into Lehner, knocking two important Senators out of the
lineup with concussions.
"Like any other style of play, it takes you a little while to get good at it. This
group has put the work in, both on and off the ice, games and practices.
"We went through a spurt where we called them winnable games, based on a
60-minute body of work, and we weren't always getting rewarded. That was
another challenge this group had ... can they stick with it? And they have, and
now things are starting to even out and they're getting rewarded for it."
Will Hammond be rewarded with immortality? With the Senators ultimately
be rewarded with a playoff spot?
The next chapter of this incredible story will be penned Tuesday night in
Carolina ... We can't wait to read on.
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Ottawa Senators
Gameday: Sens vs. Canes
March 16, 2015 05:33 PM EDT
Ottawa Senators (33-24-11) at Carolina Hurricanes (26-34-8)
7 p.m. PNC Arena
TV: TSN5, RDS2
Radio: TSN1200, 94,5 uniqueFM
Special Teams
Senators PP: 16.6% (24th) PK: 83% (10th)
Hurricanes PP: 19.6 (9th) PK: 85.3 (4th)
Sick Bay
Senators: Robin Lehner, Clarke MacArthur, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Zack
Smith
Hurricanes: Jack Hillen, Ryan Murphy
BIG MATCHUP
Erik Karlsson vs. Justin Faulk
Erik Karlsson had a two point lead in the scoring race among all NHL
defenceman entering Monday's action. In 19 career games vs. the Canes,
Kalsson has nine points (four goals) and is a plus-5. Seven points back in
ninth place is Justin Faulk, who is enjoying a breakout season with 14 goals
and 31 assists. Faulk has seven points (two goals) and is plus-8 in 11 career
games vs. Ottawa.
WHAT TO WATCH
CAROLINA EQUALS TROUBLE: Senators woes at PNC include a 12-27-4-1
all-time record. They haven't had much luck lately versus the Canes in
Ottawa either, as they are 0-2-0 this season with a 3-2 loss Jan. 17 and 6-3
setback Feb. 16 both coming at Canadian Tire Centre. All time, the Senators
are 35-45-8-4 vs. Canes.
BEWARE OF THE BOX: Despite their lowly record, the Hurricanes have a
Top 10 power play led by Eric Staal and Justin Faulk, who both have seven
goals with the team owning a man advantage. Only three teams have been
more successful killing penalties as well. Faulk has Carolina's only two
shorthanded goals.
TROUBLE AT THE NORTH END: No matter which goalie starts for the
Canes, history says the Senators will have their hands full. Over his career,
starter Cam Ward has a 13-7-2 record, .922 save percentage and 2.33 GAA
vs. Senators. But he's a picnic compared to backup Anton Khudobin, who is
5-0, .949 save percentage, 1.80 against Ottawa.
769995
Ottawa Senators
McMemes?! Fans flip for Hamburglar pic
By Keaton Robbins, Ottawa Sun
March 16, 2015 02:38 PM EDT
Everyone is going ham for Hammond.
Just when you thought the hype around Andrew Hammond couldn't get any
hotter – he's now 10-0-1 in 11 NHL starts with a .955 save % and a 1.39 GAA
– someone went out and threw a burger on the ice after the Senators got past
the Philadelphia Flyers in a 2-1 shootout victory on Sunday night.
Hammond made 27 saves and allowed one goal against the Flyers as the
Sens now sit five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wildcard spot in
the Eastern Conference with a game in-hand.
And before Hammond could even take a bite out of the burger, a photo of the
27-year-old phenom goaltender holding up the patty was already doing its
part to break the Internet.
The photo spread like ketchup on a bun on social media and only added to
the legend that is the Hamburglar.
On Monday, the NHL named Hammond the third star of the week after he
posted a 3-0-0 record with a 1.30 GAA and a .957 save %.
The Senators have Monday off before they fly to Raleigh, N.C. to take on
Eastern Conference cellar dwellers, the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday
night at 7 p.m.
Hammond is expected to get the start against the Canes.
So with Hammond fever on high-alert, we want to see your best Hamburglar
photos, GIFs and memes.
769996
Philadelphia Flyers
Backup goalie a priority for Flyers in offseason
Frank Seravalli, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 12:16 AM
interested in him last summer, including Los Angeles, so he likely would still
draw interest elsewhere.
He seemed lukewarm when asked about returning to the Flyers.
"I certainly have really enjoyed my time and I'm extremely grateful for the
Flyers to think outside the box and really offer me that opportunity to come in
as their third guy this year," Zepp said. "All my interactions have been great
with the team. Certainly, I enjoy it here. What happens in the future remains
to be seen."
And so, Steve Mason enjoyed a rare night off on Sunday in Ottawa.
The market for a backup is teeming, but not with top choices. Devan Dubnyk
signed for $800,000 in Phoenix on July 1 - creating a domino effect leading
Emery back to the Flyers. Dubnyk was traded to Minnesota in January and
his 20-5-1 record has led the Wild back to the playoffs. He will be a starter
somewhere next year. Are Jhonas Enroth and Antti Niemi backups? Michal
Neuvirth and Anders Lindback have struggled mightily at times.
Ray Emery was tremendous in his stead, stopping all but one Senators
advance. It was Emery's first appearance in nearly a month - since Feb. 19 a span that included an injury, a capable run from Rob Zepp, and Mason's
return from knee surgery.
What's left? A host of talented restricted free agents who will be retained, like
the "Hamburglar," Andrew Hammond in Ottawa, Jonathan Bernier in Toronto
and Niklas Svedberg in Boston. The Flyers already passed on Vancouver's
Jacob Markstrom on waivers this season.
All of which begs the question: What exactly will the Flyers do for a backup
goaltender next season?
The Flyers first need to hire a goaltending coach. Mason said last week he'd
like to have input in that process, to find someone he is comfortable working
alongside.
If that sounds like a silly one to ask with 11 games to play, it's probably a
conversation worth having considering the Flyers' third-string netminder has
played 15 percent of the season so far.
After that, narrowing down the backup list should be a priority. It seems like a
minor decision, until it isn't.
VANCOUVER - On the day of the ninth start in a row, Craig Berube said: "Let
there be rest."
It will be an important position moving forward - and one of the few roster
spots on this team that hasn't been filled for next season, barring any trades
this summer.
Mason, 26, is enjoying his best season since capturing the Calder Trophy as
rookie of the year in 2009. He is second to only Carey Price in even-strength
save percentage since Nov. 1.
When Mason has been healthy, he's been lights out. It's just that he's had two
issues with the same right knee - following the exact surgery on the left one in
2009-10 in Columbus - and a back-spasm issue that kept him out four games
in December.
Emery, 32, doesn't exactly produce the same warm feeling when he's in net just ask Berube, who yanked him after just 5:50 one night and after the first
period of play twice.
His year has been polarizing, but not in the bipolar Roman Cechmanek kind
of way. There are starts like that Jan. 27 one against Arizona when he
allowed two goals on four shots, then there are ones like Sunday in Ottawa or
Jan. 20 against Pittsburgh.
He also has the surgically repaired hip of a 64-year-old grandmother - which
he says has not bothered him this season. Emery said his "lower-body" issue
that kept him out from Feb. 23 to March 3 was "not related at all" to his hip,
which includes grafted bone from his leg.
And what about Zepp?
Zepp's case is more complicated. The Flyers seem like they play with more
energy in front of the 33-year-old rookie. Then again, Berube also pulled
Zepp unexpectedly on Feb. 26 - on a night Mason was told he was not going
to play unless an emergency presented itself - when two rockets found their
way past him on eight shots. He went back to the Phantoms 3 days later.
Both Zepp and Emery are due to become unrestricted free agents. They
have both shown their warts.
So far, general manager Ron Hextall has not had any known dialogue with
representatives for either goaltender on a contract extension. Emery would
presumably want to be back. He took a $650,000 pay cut to remain with the
Flyers this season.
Believe it or not, Zepp actually turned down a one-way NHL contract from the
Flyers two summers ago, before finally accepting this AHL-NHL combo deal
last July 1, according to a source.
"I'm not really going to get into what I was offered," Zepp said in Toronto a
couple weeks ago. "I've had offers from various teams over the years, and for
whatever reason, the time or opportunity or whatever - there were a few
things that came into play. Obviously, the situation over in Europe was going
really well. I'll leave it at that."
That is an interesting fact, which may give a small peek into his desires,
possibly for more money if the opportunity presents itself. Other teams were
Slap shots
The NHL general managers meetings got underway yesterday in Boca
Raton, Fla. In addition to serenading Senators general manager Bryan
Murray, who has bravely battled Stage 4 colon cancer, with a dinner, the
group is also expected to further discuss the idea of using 3-on-3 in overtime
to try to avoid the impact of shootouts . . . Defenseman Michael Del Zotto, out
since March 8 with an "upper-body" injury, is possible to return Thursday in
Calgary . . . Matt Read flew back to Philadelphia to be with his expecting wife,
which means Nick Cousins will make his NHL debut tonight.
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.17.2015
769997
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers' shootout failures: It's all in their heads
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 1:08 AM
VANCOUVER - Flyers captain Claude Giroux says shootouts are "mind
games" between the shooter and the goalie.
If so, perhaps Flyers shooters are overthinking the process and need to start
relying on their instincts in the breakaway competition.
No matter how much time they spend on it in practices, the Flyers struggle
mightily when games reach the dreaded shootout. Sunday night was the
latest example. The Flyers played a solid road game but dropped a 2-1
shootout in Ottawa. That made them 3-9 in shootouts this season and an
NHL-worst 30-60 since the rule was adopted in 2005-06.
This season, Los Angeles (2-7) is the only NHL team that has a worse
winning percentage in shootouts than the Flyers.
In their latest defeat, the Flyers were 0 for 3 in the shootout, falling to 10 for
45 (22.2 percent) - tied for 25th in the 30-team league - for the season. Flyers
goalies also have struggled in shootouts, compiling just a .622 save
percentage, 24th in the NHL.
The Flyers have squandered numerous points lately in games that have
gone beyond regulation. In their last nine games that have been decided in
overtime or a shootout, they are 1-8 - one of the biggest reasons they are
nine points out of the last Eastern Conference playoff spot.
"We were talking about it last night," defenseman Luke Schenn said Sunday
after the loss. "You look at some of the top teams in the league, they don't
have as many one-point shootout losses or overtime losses as we do, and
that could be the difference in being in a better position for a playoff spot."
The Flyers, who play in Vancouver on Tuesday night, have 15
overtime/shootout losses, the most in the NHL.
"You can't blame the guys shooting, but for whatever reason, it's been a
struggle this year," Schenn added.
Giroux is 1 for 10 in shootouts, while Sean Couturier (1 for 7) Matt Read,
Vinny Lecavalier, and Brayden Schenn are a combined 1 for 17. Most of the
Flyers' shooters have not looked confident, based on their body language,
during the breakaway contests.
"It probably is mental, nothing more than that," said coach Craig Berube, who
may experiment with different shooters such as Zac Rinaldo or
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the season's final three-plus weeks. "I mean,
they have the skill to put the puck in the net."
Wayne Simmonds (4 for 7) and Jake Voracek (4 for 10) are the only Flyers
who have had shootout success.
Breakaways
Read returned to Philadelphia to be with his expectant wife. With Read likely
out of the lineup, Nick Cousins, recalled from Lehigh Valley on Saturday and
a healthy scratch on Sunday, figures to make his NHL debut against
Vancouver. . . . Michael Del Zotto (upper-body injury) will not play Tuesday
but is possible for Thursday in Calgary, GM Ron Hextall said. . . .The Flyers
have had 23 games go beyond regulation, one shy of equaling the franchise
record set in 1998-99, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.17.2015
769998
Philadelphia Flyers
2005, the Flyers are 29th in the NHL at 29-56, ahead of only the Carolina
Hurricanes.
Cousins may debut as sub for dad-to-be Read
Topic No. 2: Revision of making incidental contact with the goaltender into a
“reviewable’’ play.
Posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 7:29 pm | Updated: 7:34 pm, Mon Mar 16,
2015.
The Flyers got burned on this twice in recent weeks, once when Nick Schultz
slid into the net and bumped the goalie prior to the puck crossing the line.
Ditto Jake Voracek in another game.
Wayne Fish
There are just a few things in life more important to a hockey player than a
hockey game.
Probably topping the list is the birth of a child.
Which is why Flyers forward Matt Read hopped on a plane Monday and
headed back to Philadelphia to be with his expectant wife, Erin, for the
upcoming birth of the couple’s first child.
That means Read won’t be in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game at
Vancouver.
In his place might be Nick Cousins – making his Flyers debut -- who just
recently was called up from the Phantoms after R.J. Umberger went down for
the season due to pending surgeries on his torn hip labrum and abdominal
muscle injury.
Cousins has been heating it up lately for the Phantoms and through 60
games had registered 21 goals and 55 points (tied for fifth in the AHL), with a
plus-2.
Cousins, 21, scored four goals and added two assists for six points in three
road games last week, helping to keep the Phantoms alive in the Eastern
Conference playoff race.
On Monday, Cousins was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week.
Previously, he earned CCM/AHL Player of the Month honors for the month of
January.
On Wednesday night in Toronto, Cousins recorded four points and capped
his second hat trick of the season with the game-winning goal on a penalty
shot with 2:22 remaining in regulation, lifting Lehigh Valley over the Marlies,
4-3.
Then on Friday, Cousins was held scoreless but registered a team-high four
shots on goal as the Phantoms defeated Providence in a shootout, 2-1. And
on Saturday, Cousins’ goal sparked a Lehigh Valley comeback from 2-0
down and he assisted on the eventual game-winner as the Phantoms
defeated Bridgeport, 4-2. Cousins was recalled by the Flyers after Saturday’s
game.
The 5-foot-10, 177-pound center was a third-round pick by the Flyers in the
2011 NHL Entry Draft. He will wear No. 52.
Hartnell honored: To rub a little extra salt in the wound of the Umberger
announcement, the NHL on Monday named Scott Hartnell its No. 1 Star of
the Week.
While Umberger was only able to produce nine goals and 15 points in 67
points for Philadelphia this season, Hartnell has posted 21-27-48 for the
Columbus Blue Jackets and is still going strong.
Flyers eye GM meetings: The NHL general managers are meeting in Florida
this week. Starting Monday, two topics of discussion were of particular
interest to the Flyers.
Topic No. 1: Possible revision of overtime to cut down on shootouts. The
GMs are still knocking around the idea of some three-on-three play in OT
with hopes of reducing the number of shootouts.
The NHL has been keeping an eye on the AHL’s experiment with this format
this season. So far, so good. The number of games that went to a shootout
were reduced from about 14 percent to just five percent, using a combination
of four-on-four and then three-on-three play.
If the NHL decided to go this route (and the players ratified it), the format
would probably be something like three minutes of four-on-four, followed by
another four minutes of three-on-three.
Why the great interest by the Flyers? Once again, they are horrible in this
tiebreaker system (just 3-9 this year). And since the format was instituted in
Voracek was vocal in wanting the rule changed so that the “Decision Room’’
in Toronto can get a second set of eyes on the situation. Director of officials
Stephen Walkom told reporters this type of play has happened “20 or 30
times’’ this year. That’s far too many times not to be sure the call is
completely right.
Flyers Tuesday
What: Flyers at Vancouver Canucks.
When: 10:05.
Where: Rogers Arena.
TV/Radio: CSN/97.5-FM.
Season series: Vancouver leads, 1-0.
What to watch: Injured defenseman Michael Del Zotto is close to returning to
action but mostly likely he will be back on Thursday at Calgary. . .The
Canucks humbled the Flyers, 4-0, in Philadelphia on Jan. 17, a loss which
dropped the Flyers to a season-worse 17-21-7 at the time. . .The Flyers went
unbeaten from 1989 to 2010 at Vancouver before their streak was broken.
But alltime they are an amazing 32-11-12-0 in the British Columbia city. .
.Claude Giroux’s 33 power-play points continue to lead the NHL. . .The
Flyers are winless in six straight (0-3-3) on the road (9-18-9 for season).
Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.17.2015
769999
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Notes: Del Zotto out vs. Canucks; Read flying home
March 16, 2015, 4:00 pm
Tim Riday
Defenseman Michael Del Zotto will miss a sixth consecutive game when the
Flyers continue their trek through Canada on Tuesday night in Vancouver.
General manager Ron Hextall on Monday said Del Zotto (right foot) is
"possible" for a return on Thursday, when the Flyers take on the Flames in
Calgary.
Del Zotto, who participated in Sunday's optional morning skate in Ottawa,
has revived his career with the Flyers this season. In 54 games, the
24-year-old, who signed a one-year, "prove it" contract this past summer, has
collected nine goals and 17 assists in 54 games.
Hextall also announced winger Matt Read is flying back to Philadelphia to be
with his expectant wife, Erin. It's unknown when he'll rejoin the team.
Read has appeared in all 71 games this season but has struggled to produce
offensively. He has just seven goals and 20 assists to go along with a
minus-7 rating.
Read's departure means recent call-up Nick Cousins, who was named the
AHL's Player of the Week after collecting four goals and two assists in three
games, will make his NHL debut against the Canucks, barring another roster
move. Cousins is currently the club's only healthy extra forward.
Prior to being recalled by the Flyers as R.J. Umberger's replacement on
Saturday, Cousins amassed 21 goals and 34 assists in 61 games for the
Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The 21-year-old Cousins, who was selected by the Flyers in the third round of
the 2011 NHL draft, served as a healthy scratch on Sunday in Ottawa since
he had played in back-to-back nights for Lehigh Valley on Friday and
Saturday.
Cousins will become the fifth Flyer to make his NHL debut this season
(Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Shayne Gostisbehere, Petr Straka and Rob
Zepp).
With just 11 games remaining this season, the Flyers sit nine points back of
the Boston Bruins, who have two games in hand, for the final wild-card spot
in the Eastern Conference.
770000
Philadelphia Flyers
10 observations from Flyers-Senators
March 16, 2015, 10:00 am
Tim Panaccio
As the Flyers now head to Western Canada for three final road games on this
trip, here are 10 observations from Sunday’s final visit to Ottawa.
You couldn’t feel good about going to overtime, given the Flyers were 8-14 in
such situations coming into the game.
They lost, once again, in the shootout, 2-1, dropping to 3-9 in the skills
competition this season (see game story).
1. Ray Emery had three fine saves — Erik Karlsson, Alex Chiasson and
Milan Michalek — in the first 5:30 of play, which is actually something he
prefers. When Emery sits as the backup and then finally gets a start, he
wants to be tested immediately to get his focus on the game. Emery was
sharp start to finish and had an impressive save on Kyle Turris late in the
third period (see highlights).
2. Emery had not played in the Flyers' last 12 games, the last seven of which
he sat as a healthy scratch. He was also injured (groin) for three games and
had two previous healthy scratches. He last played Feb. 19 during a 3-2
shootout loss to Buffalo. To say he should have been rusty against the
Senators would be an understatement. He came into the game with a 1.00
goals-against average and .959 save percentage in two games against his
former club. Emery (27 saves) couldn’t have been any sharper than he was.
3. After looking so good against Detroit on the power play — 3 for 4 — the
Flyers gave up not one, but two shorthanded chances to the Senators on
their very first power play of the game. Even worse, both were 2-on-1
odd-man rushes, one forcing Emery to make a save on Jean-Gabriel
Pageau. In the last couple weeks, as the power play has struggled (1-for-19
skid), the Flyers have been giving up too many shorthanded chances, and in
most cases, they were better than what was generated at the other end by
the Flyers themselves. The Flyers were 0 for 3 in the game and didn’t test the
Sens until their last one.
4. A lot of people are wondering why rookie Nick Cousins did not play.
Cousins was recalled from the Phantoms as the 13th forward to replace R.J.
Umberger, who was previously injured and is now done for the season
(hip/abdominal), awaiting upcoming surgery. Cousins could see playing time
later in the trip, but again, he is insurance right now.
5. Goalie Andrew Hammond has given Ottawa hope for a playoff spot (not
likely) and is largely responsible for the club’s 13-2-2 run. He has been
recalled by the Sens three times this year and came in 9-0-1 with a 1.44 GAA
and .954 save percentage in 11 games. Pretty good recall, huh? He had not
allowed more than two goals in any of his starts since first playing in early
February. Hammond was very good on a late third-period Flyers power play
and in the shootout, as well. He finished with 27 saves.
6. Right after another busted Flyers power play in the second period, Jakub
Voracek scored to make it a 1-1 game with his first even-strength goal since
Dec. 21, when he scored twice in Winnipeg. That’s 38 games ago, nearly a
half-season! Claude Giroux still doesn’t have a 5-on-5 goal on home ice.
Such a bizarre season for the Flyers.
7. The Flyers went into the game 8-0-5 in their last 13 games against playoff
teams. They are now 0-5-2 in their last seven games against non-playoff
clubs. Ottawa, of course, fits the latter category.
8. The Flyers' penalty kill on the road has been abominable all season —
29th ranked — at 70 percent, but it was 3 for 3 against Ottawa. Of course,
Emery was their best PK man, too.
9. The Flyers' best chance to win the game in regulation came on a late
power play. They had some good chances, but curiously decided to attack
the Sens from the half-board and not from the point. You've got to get point
shots on net and the Flyers didn’t do that.
10. General manager Ron Hextall is in Boca Raton, Florida, for the spring
GM meetings. Hot topic is the shift to 3-on-3 for overtime to cut down on the
number of shootouts. Given how poor the Flyers are in the shootout, you
have to think the Flyers will push for 3-on-3 overtime. While Hextall is away,
club president Paul Holmgren is on the road trip with the Flyers.
770001
Philadelphia Flyers
Do Flyers regret trading Scott Hartnell, who has 20 goals again and is 1st star
for week?
Randy Miller
VANCOUVER — The Flyers need more dirty goals, head coach Craig
Berube barked last week during a stretch in which a scoring drought
contributed to a slump that practically killed their playoff hopes.
The next day, the Flyers announced last Saturday that winger R.J.
Umberger, a five-time 20-goal scorer in the midst of a down season, was
headed for season-ending hip and abdominal surgery.
And then on Monday, the NHL announced Columbus Blue Jackets left wing
Scott Hartnell as the league's first star of the week for a five-goal, four-game
stretch.
"Right now, he's hot," Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards told the Columbus
Dispatch. "He's shooting the puck, he's creating chances. That's what you
want. He plays a tenacious game around the net."
Boy oh boy.
The Flyers trading Hartnell to Columbus last June for Umberger and a
fourth-round draft pick sure hasn't worked out so far.
While Umberger's disappointing second stint as a Flyer ends with a
nine-goal, 15-point, 67-game campaign, Hartnell is still going start as one of
the league's most productive power forwards.
Umberger, who has two seasons remaining on a contract that carries a $4.6
million cap hit, admitted last week that he's felt pressure of living up to
Hartnell, who was very popular with Flyers teammates and fans.
"Yeah, I'd be lying if I'd say I didn't," Umberger said. "I know what type of guy
Hartnell was in the locker room and how all these guys enjoyed having him
here and the success he's had, and he's done pretty well in Columbus. So,
yeah, when things aren't going well, it's frustrating and you feel that."
Although the Blue Jackets have struggled worse than the Flyers, Hartnell is
third on his team with 21 goals and 48 points in 64 games.
The Blue Jackets are out of the playoff hunt, but have a 4-0-1 record since
Hartnell was moved to a line with two 20-year-old rookies, center Alexander
Wennberg and right wing Marko Dano.
"It's fun playing with that youth," Hartnell told the Columbus Dispatch. "Those
young legs, they get me going. "It's an exciting few games we've had
together."
Hartnell had a game-winning goal last week and twice tied games with
third-period tallies in building the second four-game goal streak of his career.
Goalies Cam Talbot of the Rangers and Andrew Hammond of the Ottawa
Senators were the league's second and third stars of the week, respectively.
Talbot was 3-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .969 save percentage
in three games, while Hammond was 3-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .957 save
percentage in three games, the last a 2-1 shootout win over the Flyers on
Sunday night.
Hartnell's hot streak got him to 20 goals for the eighth time in his last 10
seasons, and he's now up to 271 goals for his career in 1,017 games.
Hartnell scored at least 20 goals in all but two of his eight seasons as a Flyer,
the exceptions in 2009-10 when he had 14 in 81 games and in the
lockout-shortened 2012-13 when he had eight in 32 games.
Hartnell, who is under contract through the 2018-19 season at a $4.75 million
cap, has been on fire since early February, as he has 11 goals and 20 points
in his last 21 games. In his last eight games, he has seven goals and two
assists.
The Flyers, meantime, are hoping that Umberger rebounds when he's
healthy next season to be the player he was in the past ... a solid two-way
forward who gives you 20 goals.
"R.J. is not happy with his year," Flyers GM Ron Hextall said last Saturday.
"We're not happy with his year. But that's life. He was in some discomfort and
he had physical deficiencies that were hurting his game. It's kind of hard to be
mad at a guy when you know what he was going through."
770002
Philadelphia Flyers
5 Flyers takes from shootout loss; 'Hamburglar' Andrew Hammond of Ottawa
Senators looks legit
Randy Miller
on March 16, 2015 at 12:25 AM, updated March 16, 2015 at 8:31 AM
It was back to reality on Sunday night for the Flyers.
A day after matching their season-high in goals in a 7-2 blowout of the Detroit
Red Wings at Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers scoring woes and road
struggles resurfaced in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators.
This was the 20th time in 71 games the Flyers were held to one goal or none.
Also, the Flyers fell to 9-19-9 on the road.
With Boston losing to Washington, the Flyers now are nine points behind the
Bruins for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot. The Flyers have 11
games to go, while Boston has 13 remaining.
Here are 5 Flyers takes from Sunday:
1. Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond, hockey's newest star, put on
another show in taking down the Flyers, then provided a memorable encore
act in embracing his Hamburglar nickname. When a fan threw a hamburger
on the ice after the Senators won the shootout, Hammond reached down to
pick it up, then held it up for everyone to see. Hammond, 27, has gone from
minor leaguer with not even a full game of NHL experience to hottest goalie
on the planet since a late January call-up from the AHL. With his win over the
Flyers, he's now an incredible 10-0-1 with a 1.39 goals-average average and
.955 save percentage in 12 games. He's also given up 2-or-fewer goals in his
first 11 NHL starts, one shy of a league record set by Hall of Famer Frank
Brimsek for the 1938-39 Boston Bruins. This guy looks legit.
2. It's amazing that Claude Giroux, who has some of the best moves in the
league, continues to struggle in shootouts. Giroux was denied again on
Sunday when Hammond made a game-ending save, leaving him 1-for-10 on
the season. Coming into the season, Giroux had 17 shootout goals in 40 tries
(42.5 percent), including 5 for 11 last season. Sometimes players as talented
as Giroux think too much when they're coming in on a shootout. That's
probably what's going on with Giroux.
3. Ray Emery gets props for giving the Flyers a very solid effort between the
pipes in his first game action in 24 games. Emery, who stopped 27 of 28
shots during the game and two of three in the shootout. is the biggest reason
the Flyers salvaged a point instead of leaving town empty handed. Emery's
had a strange year. He was terrific in October, then he really struggled for 2
½ months before providing some good showings while No. 1 goalie Steve
Mason was injured. Emery's 3.04 GAA is proof of his inconsistent play, but he
still is capable of stealing points at age 32.
4. Defenseman Andrew MacDonald, benched four times in February but
praised by coach Craig Berube for his play in March, had a tough night
against Ottawa. In 20:47 of ice time, MacDonald had a game-high three
giveaways, he took a penalty and he was on the ice for the Senators' only
goal before the shootout. The Flyers really need MacDonald, who is in the
first season of a six-year, $30-million contract, to rebound next season.
When he's playing well, he's a good puck mover and very solid in his end. We
haven't seen enough of that this season.
5. Rookie center Nick Cousins, called up to the NHL for the first time on
Saturday night, was a healthy scratch for Sunday's game. Cousins, who
leads the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms with 21 goals and 55 points in 60
games, likely will into his first game this week while the Flyers are in Western
Canada for games Tuesday in Vancouver, Thursday in Calgary and
Saturday in Edmonton.
770003
Pittsburgh Penguins
Starkey: Penguins have problems
By Joe Starkey
Monday, March 16, 2015, 11:15 p.m.
Updated 5 hours ago
Coming off a bizarre weekend, the Penguins faced one old problem and two
new ones when they reconvened Monday at Southpointe.
The new problems were injuries to Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist.
General manager Jim Rutherford told reporters he expects Malkin to miss
seven to 14 days, Hornqvist around a week. That seemed odd, considering
coach Mike Johnston had just told us Malkin might join the team on its
three-game trip while Hornqvist would not. Whatever the case, the playoffs
start in less than a month. If either of those players still is seriously impaired,
the Penguins are doomed.
The old problem that reared its head: discipline, or a lack thereof. It takes
various forms. Days after getting sucked into a game of pond hockey against
Edmonton, the Penguins spent all day Sunday chirping at officials. Steve
Downie actually sacked one. The Penguins haven't shown their
One-Flew-Over-The-Cuckoo's-Nest side as much in recent years, but it
clearly remains part of their DNA.
Indeed, Page 1 of “How to Beat The Penguins” still has a section titled, “If
You Irritate Them, They Will Snap.” As Craig Adams said, “It's something
we've had a problem with in the past, whether it's earlier this season or prior
years.”
As for complaining to officials, Johnston doesn't believe his team has a
chronic problem. But he's monitoring it.
“I've seen some signs during the course of the year that I don't like,” he said.
“And we have to address them as they come up.”
Such complaining distracts the Penguins from the task at hand. Worse, it
could lead officials to look the other way at times. That's just human nature.
“It has an impact,” Johnston said, “because referees talk to each other.”
“I know that referees are impartial,” defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. “But if you
yell at them, sometimes calls aren't going to go your way.”
Kris Letang was one of the culprits Sunday, though I believe Letang has
matured greatly. It felt like an aberration when he was kicked out for jawing at
referee Wes McCauley.
Letang believes the Penguins have cut back their whining. He's just not sure
it has helped perception much.
“It's the way people see us,” he said.
Do referees see the Penguins that way?
“Definitely,” Letang said. “For years, and we're not afraid of saying it, we've
been all over the referees, yelling and complaining. I think we've made
strides this year. But I think it's not perfect yet.”
If officials think that way, does Letang believe it affects the way they officiate
games?
He paused and said, “No … but they're not gonna take your side if you give
them a hard time.”
No, they're not. So it's probably best if the Penguins, from the captain on
down, let their game do the talking from here on out.
Tribune Review LOADED: 03.17.2015
770004
Pittsburgh Penguins
Cole said measuring “the climate of the game” is important, and players must
know when to “dial it back.”
Penguins winger Downie is vowing a more disciplined game
Downie's nature is not to dial his game back. But he knows he must, and said
he will.
By Josh Yohe
“It's crunch time,” he said. “I want to be at my best and I want to help my
team.”
Monday, March 16, 2015, 10:39 p.m.
Updated 4 hours ago
The Penguins need Steve Downie.
At least a modified version thereof.
Downie has given the Penguins secondary scoring (12 goals), and physical
play this season. He's also provided protection for centers Sidney Crosby,
Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang.
Downie leads the NHL in penalty minutes and has found himself in the
penalty box at crucial times far too often.
Downie vowed to change his ways.
“It's tough (to be physical but avoid the penalty box), but at the end of the day
I can't take penalties this time of year,” Downie said. “Discipline-wise, I
haven't been very good the past two games. But that will change. I will be
better now.”
Coach Mike Johnston spoke with Downie before Sunday's game against
Detroit. Johnston's message — stay out of the penalty box.
Downie responded by taking two 10-minute misconducts and a roughing
penalty.
Believing they needed to be more physical and aggressive, the Penguins
signed Downie because he plays on the edge.
Toeing the line between being Steve Downie and staying out of the penalty
box is a challenge.
“It is,” Downie said. “I'm just doing the best I can here. Every game and every
situation is different, and I've got to be better.”
Johnston spoke at length on Monday regarding Downie. The coach likes
what he sees from the winger when he focuses on hockey.
He wants Downie to retain his physicality, but remain mentally sharp.
“I talk with Downs on an ongoing basis,” Johnston said. “It's about allowing
his game to be who he is. He's been a very effective player.
“Where he goes overboard is when his emotions get out of control. He starts
to get on referees, and takes penalties he shouldn't take. That's what catches
him.”
The Penguins have made Downie a healthy scratch a handful of times during
the past month. However, they plan to use him in the playoffs.
Downie possesses strong career postseason numbers, and given the trouble
the Penguins have generating offense from their third and fourth lines,
Downie's offense could be required for playoff success.
“His game has been good,” Johnston said. “We just have to keep him in
check. He has to keep his game in check. When he does that effectively, he
keeps the other team off balance.
“That's the Steve Downie we want to see.”
Downie's teammates have taken to him all season and understand his plight.
He is expected to be intimidating and physical without taking penalties.
Such a job sounds like a contradiction.
“It's got to be tough for him,” defenseman Ian Cole said. “There is a razor thin
line between going over the edge and not going over the edge. The best hit of
the year is always close to getting you suspended. People don't know how
small that margin is.
“A couple of years ago, I stepped up and thought I threw a great hit. I got
suspended for three games.”
770005
Pittsburgh Penguins
Johnston: Injuries to Pens' Malkin, Hornqvist not serious
By Josh Yohe
Monday, March 16, 2015, 1:43 p.m.
Updated 4 hours ago
Neither center Evgeni Malkin nor right wing Patric Hornqvist will play
Tuesday in New Jersey, but they won't be in danger of missing postseason
action, coach Mike Johnston said.
Malkin will join the Penguins for a portion of their road trip to New Jersey,
Dallas and Arizona. It isn't known if Malkin will play in any of those games —
general manager Jim Rutherford told reporters at the NHL general managers
meetings that Malkin could miss one or two weeks — but Johnston was
optimistic the injury to the center isn't serious.
“Geno is day-to-day,” Johnston said.
Malkin walked through the locker room at Southpointe on Monday without
any signs of a limp. He was injured in the first period Saturday against the
Bruins, returned briefly, and then missed the final two periods.
Hornqvist's injury concerned the Penguins on Sunday. He appeared to suffer
an injury in his back or side late against the Red Wings. While skating toward
Detroit's net, Hornqvist dropped his stick and clutched for his back without
being touched.
“By not going on the trip, we know he's out at least a week,” Johnston said.
(“The team's training staff) feel like that's roughly about the timeline (for the
recovery).”
Hornqvist missed approximately six weeks with an injury earlier this season.
“It's not going to be nearly that long,” Johnston said. “Hopefully it won't be
very long after this weekend that we get him back.”
Optional workout
Most of the Penguins skated in what was an optional practice at Southpointe.
Crosby did not skate, but he was in attendance for off-ice workouts and will
play against the Devils on Tuesday. Other players opting against skating
Monday included defenseman Paul Martin, left wing Chris Kunitz,
defenseman Rob Scuderi and center Brandon Sutter. Johnston also stayed
off the ice. Assistants Rick Tocchet and Gary Agnew orchestrated drills.
Dealing with the Devils
With a win in New Jersey, Johnston could equal Dan Bylsma's all-time win
total at Prudential Center. Bylsma went 2-10-1 in New Jersey. Johnston is
1-1 as the Penguins will play for a third time in New Jersey this season. The
Devils are the only team the Penguins play three times on the road this
season.
“We just need to stick to our plan,” defenseman Kris Letang said, explaining
the Devils' low-tempo style can be frustrating for the high-octane Penguins.
Letang apologizes
Letang still doesn't think he should have been ejected Sunday against Detroit
but acknowledged that he must be smarter.
“I should just worry about what I can control and not worry about anything
else,” he said.
770006
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins aren't hesitating to comment on referee's calls
March 17, 2015 12:00 AM
Jenn Menendez / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang had a telling answer for reporters Monday
when he was among the last to leave the ice after an optional team practice
at Southpointe’s Iceoplex.
“I didn’t skate for too long [Sunday] afternoon so wanted to get in a little bit
more,” said Letang from his locker room stall.
No he didn’t.
Letang was ejected Sunday halfway through the second period for
something he said to referees, capping a team performance that renewed the
unflattering reputation that paints the Penguins as complainers that can’t
keep their cool.
Discipline problems Sunday reared their ugly head to the tune of four
10-minute misconducts, one ejection and 64 total penalty minutes.
“I think [compared] to a few years ago I think we’ve been better, but it’s the
way that people see us,” said Letang. “They think we’re always all over the
referees. We need to get better at that. Even better than what we did this
year. We have to control what we can control and not worry about those
things.”
Coach Mike Johnston said he has, at times this year, seen his team react in
ways he doesn’t like.
In his estimation it is the coaching staff and designated team leaders that
should speak with officials. But no one else.
“The other players shouldn’t be dealing with officials at all. So it’s mainly
[through] the leadership group and the coaches how you deal with the
officials. It has an impact as you move forward, for sure,” said Johnston. “The
referees talk to each other. You don’t want to have the reputation of being the
team that complains, that whines, that does those types of things. I don’t
believe that we have, but I’ve seen some signs during the course of the year
that I don’t like and we have to address them as they come up.”
Letang never shared the words that came out his mouth before he was
ejected, preferring to leave them in the past.
He did say the league’s referees must think of the Penguins as complainers.
“Yeah, yeah. Oh definitely. For years. And we’re not afraid of saying it. We’ve
been all over the referees, yelling and complaining,” said Letang. “I think
we’ve made strides this year but I think it’s not perfect yet and for sure the
referee thinks the same thing. At the end of the day, I don’t think it should
matter in a game.”
He stopped short of saying it likely changes the way officials call his teams
games, but admitted they are unlikely “to take your side if you give them a
hard time.”
Johnston said he has already addressed the team about how to behave and
hopes Sunday was an aberration.
“As we head down the stretch here going into playoffs, the referees we see
here are obviously going to ref the playoff games,” said Johnston. “You want
to make sure that you’re dealing with them in the right way. There’s a way to
deal with them and a way not to deal with them and [Sunday] was the wrong
way for sure.”
Things have to change, said winger Steve Downie, responsible for 22 of
those 64 penalty minutes Sunday.
The Penguins begin a three game road trip tonight in New Jersey then head
to Dallas and Arizona as the regular season quickly reaches its apex.
“It might’ve been a chippy game, a couple things might not have been seen.
But at the end of the day we can’t complain, we can’t argue,” said Downie.
“We’ve just got to block them out and just play the game. We can’t let
distractions bother us that much especially this time of year. We’ve got to
move on and start building this thing.”
Post Gazette LOADED: 03.17.2015
770007
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins notebook: Malkin, Hornqvist injured, but not expected to miss
much time
March 17, 2015 12:00 AM
Jenn Menendez / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Top-six forwards Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist will not travel to New
Jersey with the Penguins after having undisclosed injuries over the weekend.
Neither are expected to be out long, said coach Mike Johnston, but their
absence is significant and will mean more creative line juggling for the team’s
top two lines.
Malkin, who was injured in a collision Saturday with Boston forward Chris
Kelly, could join the team in Dallas or Arizona. But Hornqvist, who was
injured Sunday against Detroit, will take the week to heal, said Johnston.
“We’re not sure how long exactly it will be. Geno is day to day,” said
Johnston. “He may join us on the trip. Won’t start the trip with us but he may
join us on the trip.”
Johnston said there is no indication at this point that Hornqvist will be out any
longer than about a week.
“No, not from our trainers’ perspective right now,” said Johnston. “They
anticipate by not coming on the trip he’s going to be out for a week and they
feel it’s roughly about that timeline.”
Malkin’s absence is severe enough for the team to deal with, but no
Hornqvist means no access to the unrelenting net-front presence and nose
for the net he has brought this year.
“He set the tone [Sunday]. He was hitting, he was going to the net. He’s got
some timely goals since I’ve been here,” said forward Daniel Winnik. “And
playing against him for years, he’s a great net presence. Clearly, he and
[Sidney Crosby] have some great chemistry.”
Another recall for Ebbett
Andrew Ebbett was on his way to the rink Saturday night to play for
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, hot beverage in hand, when team coach
John Hynes called him to report he’d been recalled to Pittsburgh again.
He turned, changed and waited for the car service that would drive him
across the state — a protocol he has been through several times this season.
“I was on my way to the game on Saturday night with a coffee in my hand,
ready to go. All of a sudden I had to go and change out of my suit and pack an
overnight bag and get in the car,” he said. “Usually it’s a quick hour-, two-hour
turnaround and you’re on your own. Usually it’s a car service that will grab
you. It’s pretty easy on my end, you just sit in the backseat and enjoy the
ride.”
A skate then a flight
The Penguins had an optional skate on Monday before flying to New Jersey.
Just 10 skaters, both goalies and the assistant coaches participated.
On the ice were: Ebbett, Steve Downie, Beau Bennett, Kris Letang, Nick
Spaling, Craig Adams, David Perron, Ian Cole, Ben Lovejoy, Maxim Lapierre,
along with goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Thomas Greiss.
Post Gazette LOADED: 03.17.2015
770008
San Jose Sharks
Sharks playoff races
Bay Area News Group
Posted:
03/16/2015 07:14:37 PM PDT
Updated:
03/16/2015 10:50:05 PM PDT
SHARKS PLAYOFF RACES
There are two ways the Sharks can make the NHL playoffs: finish in the top
three in the Pacific Division, or win one of two wild-card spots awarded to the
teams in the Western Conference with the two best records behind the six
qualifiers from the Pacific and Central divisions.
Pacific Division
GP
Anaheim
W
71
Vancouver
Calgary
44
68
69
39
Pts
7
25
26
69
69
OT
20
38
Los Angeles
Sharks
L
4
82
5
34
34
95
81
22
27
13
8
81
76
Wild card
GP
W
Minnesota
69
Los Angeles
Winnipeg
Sharks
L
38
69
69
69
OT
24
34
34
34
Pts
7
22
23
27
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.17.2015
83
13
81
12
8
80
76
770009
San Jose Sharks
Jeremy Roenick weighs in on San Jose Sharks spat
By Curtis Pashelka and David Pollak
Posted:
Updated:
03/16/2015 05:37:01 PM PDT
03/16/2015 10:50:19 PM PDT
SAN JOSE -- Jeremy Roenick, the outspoken former Sharks player who now
serves as an analyst for NBC, suggested Monday that general manager
Doug Wilson bears primary responsibility for the public spat with Joe
Thornton.
Roenick said Wilson, speaking to season-ticket holders last Thursday,
should have moved on to the next question instead of delving into the
reasons why Thornton was stripped of his captaincy in the offseason.
"That question should have been passed over," Roenick said in a phone
interview with this newspaper. "What Doug said should have stayed within
the confines of the locker room and not brought out with the media and fans.
You're talking about Joe's character. It shouldn't have happened. It sparked
retaliation from Joe. He's a proud guy."
The Sharks play their biggest game of the season Tuesday night at
Winnipeg, launching a seven-game trip that starts with four in Canada, where
the Thornton-Wilson dust-up was national news. Coach Todd McLellan
knows what's coming, particularly when the Sharks reach Toronto and
Montreal.
"We'll get asked questions up there," McLellan said. "All that matters is the
hockey games. ... The rest of the crap we can't control, so, play hockey."
Thornton shrugged off the prospect of what awaits him north of the border.
"It's just a couple more cameras -- couple more cameras, couple more
people in the locker room," he said. "We're there to play hockey. That's the
bottom line."
Friday, in response to Wilson's comments about the team captaincy,
Thornton said the general manager should "keep his mouth shut" and "stop
lying." Wilson had told season-ticket holders Thursday that the Sharks
relieved Thornton of his captaincy because the "pressure and stress was
getting to Joe" and that he "lashes out at people."
Between Friday night and Saturday, Thornton had separate discussions with
team owner Hasso Plattner and Wilson to clear the air.
"I sure hope that they did get behind closed doors again and got rid of this
thing and it's behind them," Roenick said. "I know Joe really likes Doug
Wilson and has a lot of respect for him. And I know Doug Wilson loves Joe
Thornton. People who love and respect each other can have a feud, can
have a battle among family.
"They have much bigger things to worry about, and that's making the
playoffs."
The Sharks have just 13 games remaining, and the game against Winnipeg
represents one of only two opportunities to make up ground on a team ahead
of them in the standings. The other one is the regular-season finale April 11
at Los Angeles.
"We don't play Vancouver, we don't play Calgary, we don't play L.A. until the
last game of the year. So now's our chance to catch one of the teams, and
we're going to need some help," Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic
said. "Because if they keep winning, and we win, then we're out. So we have
to take care of (Tuesday) night."
Roenick said if the Sharks fail to make the postseason, they'll look back at
their pedestrian 17-16-5 home record and losses to lottery teams such as
Buffalo, New Jersey and Carolina.
"I think if they do not make the playoffs, something different might change the
complexion of this team, whether it's somebody's job or being traded,"
Roenick said. "But I don't think this incident will have an effect on trades or
losing a job."
Sharks forward Mike Brown, who skated for the first time in two weeks and
participated in Monday's practice, said he's hoping he can return to the lineup
at some point during the trip. Brown has not played since he suffered a
lower-body injury Dec. 9 against Edmonton.
770010
San Jose Sharks
Sharks' Brown eyes return on two-week road trip
By Curtis Pashelka
Posted:
Updated:
03/16/2015 01:14:15 PM PDT
03/16/2015 01:14:17 PM PDT
SAN JOSE -- Sharks forward Mike Brown said he was eyeing a return to the
lineup at some point during San Jose's upcoming seven-game road trip after
participating in Monday's practice.
Brown skated for the first time in over two weeks Monday and didn't appear to
hold much back as the Sharks held a brief practice before they left for
Winnipeg. The Sharks play the Jets on Tuesday and will be on the road for
two weeks before they return home for an April 1 game against the Colorado
Avalanche.
"Maybe halfway through or at the end of the trip, depending on how things
recover," Brown said of a possible time frame for a return. "But it would be
nice to get in the last however many NHL games are left in the season, just to
get in. Hopefully we can do some damage on this road trip, finish off the year
on the right note and get into the playoffs."
Brown has not played since he suffered a broken right fibula Dec. 9 against
Edmonton. The timeline for a return after the injury was initially six-to-eight
weeks, but Brown had a setback during his recovery, putting a return this
regular season in doubt.
Brown said he was a nervous before Monday's practice as he anxiously
wanted to see how his leg would respond. The last time he skated, he said he
was at about "80 percent" and could not get past that because the bone in his
leg could not continue to heal as he was skating.
"So this time coming into today I was more nervous about how I feel," Brown
said. "I just had so many things running through my head. But after today, I
felt good and I have a positive mindset right now, way better than anything
the other days. Hopefully just go on the uphill from here on out. It's good
news."
It's been a trying season for Brown, who has played in just eight games. On
Oct. 11 against Winnipeg in the second game of the season, Brown blocked
a shot and suffered a broken bone in his left hand. He returned Nov. 29
against Anaheim and played in six games before he was hurt again.
Brown is in the first year of two-year, $2.4 million deal with San Jose, which is
7-1 with the rugged winger in the lineup.
McLellan said Brown will have to continue skating "to feel good on the ice and
then all the conditioning work has to come into play. He's a pretty hard
worker, so hopefully that comes back quickly."
After Raffi Torres met with reporters last Thursday to talk about his progress
from anterior cruciate ligament in late February, McLellan mentioned how the
Sharks missed the presence of both players, both on the ice with their
physical style and in the locker room with their leadership.
"My playing style is going to be an energetic, physical game, so if that's what
everyone's talking about, or we need, I'm going to bring," Brown said. "But we
have guys in here that can play that style, play that physical style of play, but
one more guy just adds a little bit more."
770011
San Jose Sharks
Sharks' Thornton concerned more about wins than media attention
By Curtis Pashelka
Posted:
Updated:
03/16/2015 12:01:59 PM PDT
03/16/2015 01:56:25 PM PDT
SAN JOSE -- If there's a media storm awaiting the Sharks before they face
the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, or before any of their games north of the
border in the next week, Joe Thornton doesn't seem terribly concerned.
Thornton's spat with Sharks general manager Doug Wilson last week made
headlines coast to coast in Canada, with insiders from just about every
national media outlet weighing in on the off-ice controversy.
It doesn't appear the matter will completely go away, even though, as
reported by this newspaper, Thornton had separate discussions with team
owner Hasso Plattner and Wilson between Friday night and Saturday
afternoon to clear the air and reconcile on a professional basis.
San Jose Sharks’ Joe Thornton plays against the Colorado
Avalanche in the first period at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Friday, April
11, 2014.
San Jose Sharks' Joe Thornton plays against the Colorado Avalanche in the
first period at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Friday, April 11, 2014. (Jim
Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group) (Jim Gensheimer)
The Sharks left for Winnipeg on Monday afternoon. They play in Toronto on
Thursday, Montreal on Saturday and Ottawa on Monday.
"It's just a couple more cameras, that's all I can say. Couple more cameras,
couple more people in the locker room," Thornton said. "But as far as that,
we're there to play hockey. That's the bottom line."
Following remarks made by Wilson on Thursday to season ticket holders to
explain why Thornton lost the captaincy last summer, Thornton said Friday
morning that Wilson should "keep his mouth shut" and "stop lying."
But Thornton told Bay Area News Group columnist Mark Purdy after
Saturday's loss to Chicago that he had talked to Plattner and Wilson.
"I talked with Hasso and Doug," Thornton said, "and they don't have a
problem with me."
The Sharks' seven-game road trip could make or break their season, with
Tuesday's game being one of the few left on the schedule against a team
that's directly in front of them in the Western Conference standings.
The Sharks have 76 points, four points back of Winnipeg, which holds the
second wild card spot. The Sharks are also five points back of Calgary for
third place in the Pacific Division.
"There will be many questions that are going to be asked, of our team and
where we're at," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "For me, the answer's
pretty simple. We've got to play hockey. We've got play the game, and if it
galvanizes the team and guys come together and support each other ... I
answered the question the other day. Did it affect our game? My answer was
no. I felt that they were very supportive of teammate, teammates and of each
other. That's the way it should be."
770012
San Jose Sharks
Sharks notes: Top pick Goldobin in San Jose this season?
March 16, 2015, 2:45 pm
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE – Doug Wilson’s arrival at the annual NHL general manager’s
meetings in Boca Raton, Florida, has been delayed.
The Sharks general manager’s flight was canceled on Sunday after a
seven-hour delay, but Wilson was set to try again on Monday.
It doesn’t seem like Wilson missed all that much on the first day, according to
reports, as the big issues were tabled until Tuesday. Video review for
goaltender interference and 3-on-3 overtime are among those topics to be
discussed, according to Elliotte Friedman.
As for Wilson, after the GM meetings conclude on Wednesday, he’ll head to
Worcester for meetings about the AHL’s new Pacific Division that will begin
play next season. He’ll also scout some college players in the area before
joining the Sharks for the second half of their seven-game road trip, likely in
time for their game in Ottawa on March 23.
One player to monitor for the next few weeks will be Nikolay Goldobin, the
Sharks’ first round draft pick in 2014. Appearing later this season in San Jose
or AHL Worcester is not out of the question for the 19-year-old, according to
Wilson.
Goldobin just finished with 21 points in 38 games with Helsinki of the Finnish
SM Liiga. His team just started the playoffs, so he won’t be eligible for
reassignment until after the season is complete.
Like San Jose, Worcester is still trying to lock down a playoff position. The
AHL Sharks could get plenty of help from San Jose, too, if the big club misses
the playoffs.
Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will recently told the Worcester
Telegram: "We'll expand our roster, but the guys we bring in, we want them to
be able to play and help us win now. That's our goal this year, to win it all, but
you will see a few guys, for sure."
Joe Pavelski has gone dry. The Sharks’ leading scorer, tied for seventh in the
NHL with 32 goals, has just one in his last 12 games.
“Could be better. Could be better,” Pavelski said of his game. “Games are
tight right now. There’s not a lot of space. But, keep working, getting around
the net and trying to make some plays. You can always be better this time of
year.”
The 30-year-old forward is still contributing on the scoresheet, though, with
nine assists in his last 12 games to go along with the one goal against
Montreal on March 2.
770013
San Jose Sharks
Media storm looming for Sharks on make-or-break road trip
March 16, 2015, 1:00 pm
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE -- The Sharks practiced at home on Monday for the final time
before leaving on a seven-game, 14-day road trip that will determine whether
they are a playoff or a lottery team.
The first four stops will be in Canadian cities, including Winnipeg, Toronto,
Montreal and Ottawa. Considering the recent off-ice events surrounding the
club, and some of the media hotbeds they’ll be visiting, it’s safe to say that
former captain Joe Thornton will get at least one question or 20 about the rift
that has surfaced between him and general manager Doug Wilson.
Put another way, there will be many more reporters and cameras in the
dressing room than there were on Monday at Sharks Ice, when a grand total
of two – the San Jose Mercury News, and yours truly – were there chatting
with players in the dressing room.
“It’s a little bit more attention, but nothing big,” Thornton said. “It’s just a
couple more cameras. That’s all I can say. A couple more cameras, a couple
more people in the locker room. We’re there to play hockey, and that’s the
bottom line.”
Marc-Edouard Vlasic said: “The guys are focused on winning. I don’t think
they’re focused on anything else but winning.”
The evidence somewhat supports Vlasic’s claim, considering that the tension
between Wilson and Thornton, and perhaps others in the dressing room, has
been palpable since training camp. Despite the 6-2 loss to Chicago on
Saturday in which the Sharks were outplaying the Blackhawks through two
periods, San Jose has been playing much better since the calendar turned to
March.
They’ve won four of six games since the March 2 trade deadline, when they
met as a group outside of the rink to deal with whatever issues that
contributed to their miserable stretch in February.
“We’ve met as a group multiple times this year. After the trade deadline, we
know that this is our group here,” Matt Nieto said. “This is the group that’s
going to finish it out. No matter what happens, we’re going to go through it
together. I think the way we’ve been playing lately, everyone has just kind of
rallied together and everyone is holding each other accountable.”
Joe Pavelski said: “We have a lot of trust in a lot of guys right now making the
simple play and the harder play.”
The road trip won’t be easy. Tuesday’s game in Winnipeg could probably be
classified as a must-win in regulation, as the Sharks will have to pass the Jets
at some point if they want to get into the top eight. The Jets have a four-point
lead on San Jose, 69 games into the season for each.
Tilts against the Maple Leafs and Flyers are winnable, while those against
the Canadiens, Senators, Red Wings and Penguins should be more
challenging.
The biggest test of all, though, will be maintaining the energy banks
throughout the hectic travel schedule.
“It’s just a matter of making sure you’re doing what you’re doing to feel good
each game, because it is a grind,” Nieto said. “It gets hard, especially
towards the end of the trip. This is a two-week trip, so we’ve just got to take
care of ourselves.”
Still, the schedule could be worse. The Sharks will have days off between all
but the final two games of the trip, and even then they’ll have Saturday night
to relax after playing the Flyers on Saturday afternoon and Penguins on
Sunday night.
If they deal with the media storm the correct way while getting some points
early in the trip, their currently slim playoff chances will improve.
”We’ll get asked questions up there, but all that matters is the games,” Todd
McLellan said. “The rest of the crap we can’t control, so play hockey.”
Pavelski said: “We have to find ways to win, bottom line.”
770014
San Jose Sharks
Mueller's teammates pick him up after blunder in Sharks loss
March 16, 2015, 12:00 pm
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE – It wasn’t rookie Mirco Mueller’s finest moment.
The 19-year-old defenseman’s fall at the blue line on Saturday against
Chicago early in the third period allowed Brandon Saad to score on a partial
breakaway, in what would hold up as the game-winner. After 40 evenly
played minutes, Saad’s marker broke a 2-2 tie at 1:21 of the third, and
Chicago dominated from there in a 6-2 win.
Mueller talked about the unfortunate play on Monday.
“Their guy was lobbing the puck out, and I went to kind of play it with my
hand, and as I go down the puck kind of bounces 90 degrees in the other
direction,” he said. “I tried to cross over and I kind of caught my skate and fell.
It’s a bad bounce at the worst time of the game possible.”
Despite that turning a close game into an eventual rout, at least in terms of
the scoreboard, Mueller’s teammates were there to support him.
“The thing that I was impressed with was the way the guys picked him up on
the bench,” Todd McLellan said after the game. “Guys went down and tapped
him and said, 'Hey, we're fine.'”
Mueller backed up that account from his head coach, revealing that Joe
Thornton, Joe Pavelski and his fellow defensemen all offered words of
encouragement.
Does that help?
“For sure. When something like that happens during that time of the year, it’s
kind of frustrating and upsetting a little bit,” Mueller said. “It’s definitely nice to
see that your teammates have got your back and you’re still in there.”
Pavelski said: “It happens to young guys and old guys. There are bounces,
and that’s the way it worked out that night. Nobody’s blaming the game on
that play. It was a momentum changer, but with that being said, we have a lot
of belief in him, too. He’s played really well for us the last few weeks.”
770015
San Jose Sharks
Sharks' Brown hopes to play on upcoming road trip
March 16, 2015, 11:45 am
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE – Mike Brown’s season may not be over after all.
The Sharks’ fourth liner, who has played in just eight games this season, took
part in practice on Monday and will accompany the team on its seven-game
road trip that begins in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Brown suffered a broken bone in his right leg on Dec. 9 and has been out
ever since. Just five days ago, coach Todd McLellan said it was looking
“bleaker and bleaker” that the energetic 29-year-old would get back into the
lineup.
Brown was encouraged after practice on Monday.
“After today, it felt good. I’ve got a positive mindset right now – way better
than any other days,” Brown said. “Hopefully we can go uphill from here on
out. It’s good news in my head today.”
McLellan said: “I talked to him before practice about going out and just doing
what he felt comfortable doing. He ended up in most of the practice. Now,
we’ve got to continue that skating process. He’s got to continue to feel good
on the ice. Then, all of the conditioning work has to come into play. He’s a
pretty hard worker, so hopefully that comes back quickly.”
Brown hopes to play before the road trip is over.
“Maybe halfway through or the end of the trip, depending on how things
recover,” he said. “It would be nice to get the last eight or so games left in the
season, and hopefully we can do some damage on this road trip, finish off the
year on the right note, and get into the playoffs.”
According to McLellan, the Sharks have missed having players like Brown
and Raffi Torres in the lineup this season. Torres has not played due to
ongoing issues with his right knee.
“The energy and the physicality that they bring has been missed,” McLellan
said last Thursday. “Their leadership abilities in the locker room, they’re
players that we counted on that were unfortunately not able to contribute to
the extent that we expected.”
Brown, who also suffered a broken a finger in the second game of the season
on Oct. 11 vs. Winnipeg that kept him out for nearly two months, signed a
two-year, $2.4 million contract extension last summer.
770016
St Louis Blues
Blues-Flames matchup box
3 hours ago • By Jeremy P. Rutherford
When • 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where • Scotiabank Saddledome
TV, radio • Fox Sports Midwest, KMOX (1120 AM)
Blues • The Blues continue their six-game road trip in Calgary, where they
have yet to play this season. They have seen the Flames only once this
season, in St. Louis, where the Blues pulled out a 4-1 victory on Oct. 11. The
Blues arrived in Calgary after a 3-0 win over Dallas Sunday to kick off their
longest trip of the season. The team had goals from Vladimir Tarasenko,
Alexander Steen and T.J. Oshie, while Jake Allen made 28 saves to post the
club’s second shutout in three games. Despite Allen pitching his fourth
shutout of the season, Brian Elliott is expected to get the call in net tonight for
the Blues, who are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games against Calgary.
Flames • Calgary has been one of the NHL’s surprise teams this season. The
Flames open a critical five-game homestand against the Blues, holding down
third place in the Pacific Division with 81 points, two ahead of LA. The club is
coming off a 3-2 loss to Colorado on Saturday night but has played well
lately, going 3-1-1 in its last five games and scoring 23 goals in that stretch.
Rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the 5-foot-9, 150-pound Hobey Baker winner, is
living up to the hype with 19 goals and 53 points in 68 games this season.
Goalie Jonas Hiller, who made 35 saves in the Blues’ win earlier this season
over the Flames, is expected to start in net Tuesday.
Injuries • Blues — D Kevin Shattenkirk (abdominal surgery), out. Flames — D
Mark Giordano (torn triceps), C Paul Byron (lower-body) and D Ladislav
Smid (upper-body), out.
St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2015
770017
St Louis Blues
downward slope of their career and may be more highly thought of because
of their name recognition than what they have left to offer, but along with
Chris Porter, they still give Hitchcock options.
Blues boast better depth down stretch
Last week, the Blues inserted Porter in place of Berglund, and on Sunday,
Jokinen went into the lineup for Ott.
“The team is so good now,” Berglund said. “Obviously it’s really good for the
playoffs to have real depth on the team. You know you’ve got to be on your
game. These last games, we’re up there (in the standings), but we are not
satisfied yet and we have a bunch of teams that are chasing playoff spots.
They are fighting for their life right now. We can’t have games where you’re
not very good, that’s just the way it is right now.”
CALGARY, Alberta • When Zbynek Michalek was ready to make his Blues
debut against Minnesota on Saturday, captain David Backes acknowledged
that it was good news for the team. But Backes also noted, “The down side is
that there’s going to be a good defenseman not playing because we’ve got
plenty of them.”
Backes said it would take an attitude such as that for the Blues to use their
depth to their advantage and not have it be a distraction.
The competition for a spot in the Blues’ lineup has been fierce since the team
added three players — Michalek, Robert Bortuzzo and Olli Jokinen — at the
NHL’s trading deadline. The club has not suited up the same 20 players in its
last six games, and may not again Tuesday night when it continues its
six-game road trip in Calgary.
“It’s going to take a team-first mentality to keep our head right,” Backes said.
“We need them all in and team first to help us win the next game. It’s going to
be something new for us, but good teams have that depth, and in a playoff
series when guys are getting hurt or carted off, we’re going to need someone
to fill that void. The good thing is we feel we have a lot of bodies to do that.”
The battle is particularly close on defense, but there are also nightly
decisions at forward, as Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has had the power in the
past week to make Patrik Berglund and Steve Ott both healthy scratches.
“The competitive caldron is what makes a team,” Hitchcock said. “It’s
competition for ice time, it’s competition for special teams, it’s competition for
staying in the lineup. That’s what makes the team. So good on (Blues general
manager Doug Armstrong) to provide the coaching staff with the depth.
When you have a team that has a competitive caldron within its own
framework, that’s how you get better.”
The Blues have boasted about their stockpile of players before, but Backes
says, “I’ve never seen this much.”
The club has eight healthy defensemen, six of whom have played 43 games
or more this season, while the whole group has played 20-plus. That does
not include All-Star Kevin Shattenkirk, who is expected to return later this
month from his abdominal injury.
“We have real options on defense,” Hitchcock said. “That’s where it’s
significant. We have nine defensemen who all can play in the National
Hockey League.”
When Michalek stepped into the lineup against Minnesota, the “good
defenseman” sitting out that night wound up being productive rookie Petteri
Lindbohm. Against Dallas on Sunday, it was Bortuzzo.
Bortuzzo had played in five consecutive games since being acquired from
Pittsburgh, racking up 17 hits and 12 shots on goal.
“Obviously it’s a talented group on the back end,” Bortuzzo said. “I feel
confident in my abilities and when I’m in there. Obviously the coach has his
decision on what he wants to do, so the only thing you can do is work hard
and play well when you’re in there.”
Bortuzzo may not have done anything wrong before sitting out against the
Stars.
Hitchcock said the depth allows the Blues even more flexibility than just
keeping players who are performing on the ice. The wide array of physical
characteristics among the defensemen also affords the opportunity to make
decisions based on the opponent.
“We can play a different lineup and impact the game in a different way,”
Hitchcock said. “We can play a skating game with the way we put our players
out there. We can put a physical group back there if we think that’s what is
needed. It allows you, depending on the opposition and the way they play,
you can alter your lineup to counteract what they do.”
With 13 games remaining and the Blues still in a dead heat with Nashville for
the Central Division title, Hitchcock has no interest in settling into defensive
pairs, which would change when Shattenkirk returned anyway.
“I don’t worry about settling,” he said. “To me, settling lasts one day, one
period ... because the minute you think you’re settled, you get an injury. To
me, it’s helping the team win every day, that’s my focus. There’s still a month
left in the season. I look at what’s going to help us in Calgary and what’s
going to help us in Winnipeg. That’s how I look at it.”
The same can be said at forward, where the Blues added Jokinen at the
trade deadline and Marcel Goc a few weeks before. Both veterans are on the
770018
St Louis Blues
Should Hitchcock keep his top line together?
CALGARY • Do the Blues need to keep Alexander Steen in his regular spot
on a line with David Backes and T.J. Oshie?
That question seems to have some merit after Blues coach Ken Hitchcock
juggled his lines Sunday in Dallas, ending with the Steen-Backes-Oshie line
and ending up with a 3-0 victory over the Stars.
The three had quite the success playing the bulk of the season together, but
recently Hitchcock placed Steen on a line with Paul Stastny and the results
were effective. The coach called it the team's best line in Thursday's 1-0
shootout win over Philadelphia.
"They were exceptional," Hitchcock said. "But if it means taking away from
Backes' line, where they can't get any zone time, then it defeats what we're
trying to do. So we'll see if we can get balance."
The Blues placed Chris Porter on the top line with Backes and Oshie against
Philadelphia and Minnesota before putting Dmitrij Jaskin in that hole for the
first period and Jaden Schwartz there for the second period against Dallas.
In those eight periods, the Blues had just one goal, leading to
Steen-Backes-Oshie being reunited for the third period against the Stars.
Steen and Oshie scored two of the goals, but Steen's came on the power
play and Oshie's was an empty-netter, so the argument could be made that
bringing the three back together didn't specifically jump-start the offense.
But a case could also be made that the rest of the combinations fell into place
in the third period, with Schwartz returning to the "STL" line and Jaskin
slotting back into Stastny's line.
"It's a position of flexibility," Hitchcock said Monday. "I'll move them around
as I see fit ... during the game, during the period.
"We needed a different energy (Sunday against Dallas). We made the
switches, we got it and we settled on what we wanted to do in the third period.
It seems to be the one position that has some real good flexibility, so we'll
continue to do that."
"Oh yeah. What brought us back in the game was putting Schwartz there,
that's what brought us back in the game. Schwartzy's three shifts with that
line energized everything. So as I said, if we're looking to increase our
energy, we'll do whatever it takes."
770019
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning beat Canadiens to tie them atop Atlantic Division
By Erik Erlendsson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA — Bend but don’t break. Stare but don’t blink.
In the face of some playoff intensity, the Lightning stood their ground and
walked away the victor.
Steven Stamkos scored twice and added an assist to lead Tampa Bay to a
4-2 victory against Montreal in front of an announced sellout crowd of 19,204
at Amalie Arena on Monday.
Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist, Valtteri Filppula scored on the
power play and Ben Bishop stopped 32 shots to lead the Lightning to a fourth
victory in as many tries against the Canadiens this season and improved to
7-0-1 in the past eight regular season meetings between the teams.
The win pulled Tampa Bay into a tie with Montreal for first place in the Atlantic
Division while reducing the Lightning’s magic number to 12 to clinch a
second consecutive playoff berth while adding to their franchise record with a
27th victory at home this season.
“This was definitely a good response coming off a game in which we did not
play very well,’’ said Stamkos, who registered his seventh multi-goal game of
the season and 48th of his career. “I’m definitely proud of the guys coming
out, and we have not had a problem all year getting up for these games.’’
If Saturday’s loss to Winnipeg was a let down, Monday was definitely a
pick-me-up performance for Tampa Bay answering each challenge thrown at
them by Montreal throughout the course of a game that featured three fights,
Bishop getting run behind his own net by Brandon Prust and the Lightning
having to hold off the Canadiens after building a 3-0 lead.
“Our guys have done it all year, they have found a way when the chips have
been down to battle back in games to find a way and they did it again
tonight,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said.
After killing off a double-minor 2:21 into the game on a high sticking call to
Brenden Morrow, the Lightning would score twice in the first period. Filppula
sent a pass ticketed for an open Jonathan Drouin, but the puck instead hit
Andrei Markov in front and deflected in the net for a power play goal 10:07
into the game. Then during 4-on-4 play, Montreal’s Max Pacioretty sent a
pass back into his own zone. But with the defense changing on the play and
Stamkos still in the Canadiens’ zone after falling down in the corner, Stamkos
took advantage of the gift by blasting a slap shot past Price at 15:58.
“I was excited to see the puck come my way and I was just hoping the refs
didn’t blow the whistle,’’ Stamkos said. “It happened so fast and you are not
expecting that so naturally, and it was close, but good thing they were paying
attention. As soon as I saw the puck, I knew Pacioretty passed it to me and I
knew I was good, so I got my feet going again and it was nice to see that one
go in.’’
Hedman made it 3-0 early in the second and it looked to be an easy night for
Tampa Bay.
But Montreal pushed back and surged for the final 10 minutes of the second
period, getting a Tomas Plekanec power play goal that bounced in off Bishop
at 11:10. Then 34 seconds into the third, Bishop misplayed a puck and P.A.
Parenteau was there to pounced on the puck and cut the lead to 3-2.
From there the Lightning had to maintain composure, held their ground when
Jason Garrison back-checked to disrupt a Pacioretty breakaway chance at
6:28, killed off a late Ryan Callahan hooking penalty with 7:02 left to play
before Stamkos iced it with a power play goal into an empty net with 1:05 left.
“In the third we bent but didn’t break,’’ Bishop said. “I didn’t do myself of the
team any favors by turning that puck over, and I said to myself that’s it, no
more. The guys did a great job in front of me as far as blocking shots and
being there for me in the third.’’
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2015
770020
Tampa Bay Lightning
Bolts notes: GMs to discuss 3-on-3 play in OT
By Erik Erlendsson
TAMPA — As general managers gather in Boca Raton this week for
meetings, one of the big topics on the docket is the potential use of 3-on-3
play in overtime in an attempt to limit the number of games that are decided
by a shootout.
The American Hockey League has been utilizing this format this season,
playing four minutes of 4-on-4 followed by three minutes of 3-on-3.
On Thursday in Boston, the Lightning experienced a full two minutes of
3-on-3 play when matching minors were called in overtime, giving a possible
look at how it might work in the NHL.
“That was the first real glimpse that I got to see of it and it was pretty
uneventul until (Boston) had one play ... and got a great scoring chance,’’
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “I guess for me if statistically it proves
— and it has in the American League — that it’s ending games before the
shootout in a higher rate, then I would be for it. I like the shootout, I think it’s
entertaining for the fans, but I think there’s way too much emphasis put on it
in the sense that too many games are settled through it.’’
A graphic provided by the AHL on Monday shows that in the 2013-14 season
15.6 percent of games were decided by shootouts. This season that number
has been slashed to 5.7 percent. And of the 171 overtime goals scored this
season, 73 have been scored during 3-on-3 time.
“It’s unique, it really is. There is a lot of ice, there is a lot of room,’’ C Brian
Boyle said. “There can be a lot of back-and-forth, odd-man rushes,
depending on how you want to play it. I’ve had a couple of shifts in my career
at 3-on-3 and for a guy like me, I’m on high alert making sure I’m staying
above everybody.’’
Carle’s return
D Matt Carle played a little more than 18 minutes in his return Saturday
following a two-month recovery from surgery to repair an adductor muscle
and felt fine physically after the game.
“I tried to keep my shifts short and maybe got caught out there a couple of
times in the second period where I was fighting it a little bit, but for the most
part I felt pretty good,’’ Carle said. “The pace of the game and the intensity,
this is a tough time of year to come back as the games are meaningful. So it’s
a fun time to be playing, but difficult when things get amped up a lot.
“I was a little rusty, but there is still a handful of games here left before the
playoffs so hopefully I can get up to full speed before then.’’
With injuries mounting on defense, Cooper said having Carle back is a
welcome return.
“I thought he did a great job in his first game back, and we are going to need
Matt Carle down the stretch and if we get into the playoffs,’’ Cooper said.
“He’s a big part of our team. He defends, he blocks shots, he moves (the
puck) with simple, quick passes out of the zone. He has a calm demeanor
about him.’’
No hearing
RW Nikita Kucherov, who was given a five-minute major for boarding on
Saturday and a game misconduct, did not receive any supplemental
discipline from the league for the hit on Tobias Enstrom. Tampa Bay was
leading 1-0 at the time on Kucherov’s 26th goal of the season, but Winnipeg
scored during the extended power play and went on to win 2-1.
Kucherov said he did not receive any calls from the league.
Nuts and Bolts
D Nikita Nesterov was scratched. ... The Lightning Community Hero program
hit the $8 million mark in charity giveaways with Monday’s presentation of
$50,000 to Joe Versaggi as the 35th honoree since the program started in
2011. Versaggi donated his award to Tampa General Hospital Foundation. ...
C Valtteri Filppula, who had six power-play goals last season, scored just his
second this season on Monday against Montreal and first since Nov. 15. ... D
Victor Hedman became the 10th Lightning player this season to reach the
10-goal mark. That does not include RW Brett Connolly, who had 12 before
he was traded to Boston. ... Actor Judd Hirsch was in attendance at the
game.
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2015
770021
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning tops Canadiens, ties for Atlantic lead
Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 16, 2015 10:45pm
"It's great for the fans," he said.
They are two of the Eastern Conference's top teams, each boasting plenty of
speed and skill, along with two elite goaltenders. And it certainly feels like
they don't like each other.
It made for a second thriller in seven days, as the Lightning held on for a 4-2
victory Monday in front of a split sellout crowd at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay
(43-21-7) has won all four meetings this season with Montreal, which swept
the Lightning out of the first round of last year's playoffs. Now, the teams are
tied atop the Atlantic Division.
"The playoff series last year didn't sit well with us," Lightning goalie Ben
Bishop said. "We'll take those wins now, but they swept us in the postseason
last year, so we'll take this with a grain of salt. If we have to play these guys in
the playoffs again, that's when it's really going to count."
But, like Tuesday's 1-0 overtime win, this one wasn't easy for Tampa Bay.
The Lightning held a 3-0 second-period lead, but the Canadiens pulled within
one 30 seconds into the third, making for an edge-of-your-seat final period. In
one mad scramble, Matt Carle — who had his skate blade shattered by a
shot — helped swipe a bouncing puck out of the crease.
"We didn't break," Steven Stamkos said. "That's a good characteristic to
have."
The Lightning withstood a strong start by the Canadiens, including killing off a
four-minute high sticking minor, sparked by a great glove save by Bishop.
"That was a big time turning point," Cooper said.
Tampa Bay struck first, midway through the period, on a power-play goal by
Valtteri Filppula, whose pass deflected off Montreal defenseman Andrei
Markov and through goalie Carey Price. The Canadiens then gave the
Lightning a gift on Tampa Bay's second goal, scored by Stamkos, who also
added an empty-netter, his 39th of the season. Max Pacioretty made a
horrific turnover, passing it back into Montreal's zone right to Stamkos, who
cruised in and beat Price with a rocket slap shot.
"I was excited to see the puck come," Stamkos said. "I was really hoping the
refs wouldn't blow the whistle. It kind of happened so fast, you're not
expecting that naturally. It was close, but good thing they were paying
attention."
The Lightning got a much-needed insurance goal three minutes into the
second by Victor Hedman. This one got chippy. Brandon Prust knocked
Bishop into the back boards seven minutes into the second, sparking a
scrum. Bishop, who went to play the puck, wasn't expecting it. "That's his job,
to try to get me off my game," said Bishop, who traded shoves with Prust in a
game last season. "They ran into me quite a bit (Monday), more than normal.
That fires me up."
The Lightning had a strong response, with Mike Angelidis fighting Prust twice
on Monday. Vladislav Namestnikov also dropped his gloves.
Lightning 2 1 1 4
Canadiens 0 1 1 2
First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Filppula 12 (Hedman, Stamkos), 10:07 (pp). 2,
Tampa Bay, Stamkos 38, 15:58. Penalties—Morrow, TB, double minor
(high-sticking), 2:21; Pateryn, Mon (high-sticking), 9:29; Prust, Mon, major
(fighting), 12:09; Angelidis, TB, major (fighting), 12:09; Galchenyuk, Mon
(high-sticking), 15:04; Hedman, TB (roughing), 15:04.
Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Hedman 10 (Killorn, Callahan), 2:45. 4,
Montreal, Plekanec 21 (Subban, Markov), 11:10 (pp). Penalties—Prust, Mon
(goaltender interference), 6:39; Gallagher, Mon, major (fighting), 9:40;
Namestnikov, TB, major (fighting), 9:40; Brown, TB (roughing), 10:31; De La
Rose, Mon (hooking), 13:51.
Third Period—5, Montreal, Parenteau 7 (Plekanec), :34. 6, Tampa Bay,
Stamkos 39 (Namestnikov, Garrison), 18:55 (en-pp). Penalties—Prust, Mon,
major (fighting), 3:08; Angelidis, TB, major (fighting), 3:08; Callahan, TB
(hooking), 12:58; Eller, Mon (holding), 17:38. Shots on Goal—Montreal
12-12-10—34. Tampa Bay 14-11-9—34. Power-play
opportunities—Montreal 1 of 4; Tampa Bay 2 of 4. Goalies—Montreal, Price
38-15-4 (33 shots-30 saves). Tampa Bay, Bishop 34-11-4 (34-32).
A—19,204 (19,204). T—2:41.
Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.17.2015
770022
Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov won't be suspended for hit
Monday, March 16, 2015 9:39pm
Kucherov was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game
misconduct in the third period, when he hit Enstrom into the boards while
chasing a puck deep in the Winnipeg zone.
Kucherov said he hadn't heard from the league, pointing out he had no
malicious intent.
"It was an awkward spot," Kucherov said. "I don't think I could have done
something else there. It just happens. I didn't mean it, it was an accident."
Three-ON-three?: One main topic of discussion the next couple of days at
the GM meetings in Boca Raton will be the possibility of using three-on-three
during overtime to limit the amount of games decided by a shootout.
The American Hockey League has used that format this season, starting with
three minutes of four-on-four, followed by four minutes of three-on-three.
According to the AHL, the percentage of games ending in a shootout has
dropped from 15.6 in 2013-14 to 5.7 this season.
If those results are replicated in the NHL, coach Jon Cooper said he'd be in
favor of trying three-on-three. He pointed out Tampa Bay got its first glimpse
of the three-on-three Thursday in Boston, when two matching minors were
called. The Lightning lost 3-2 in a shootout.
"I like the shootouts, I think it's entertaining for the fans," Cooper said. "I think
there's way too much emphasis being put on it in a sense that too many
games are settled through it."
Another issue GMs will discuss is expanded video review on goaltender
interference calls. Cooper would be open to that, but seems more interested
in re-examining goals that might have been kicked in. The Lightning thought
a couple of opposition goals were kicked in the past few weeks.
Cooper would like more of an explanation of what constitutes a "distinct
kicking motion," which would lead to goal getting waved off, or "directed in."
A LITTLE RUSTY: D Matt Carle was admittedly a "little rusty" Saturday,
playing 18 minutes in his first game since mid-January abdominal surgery.
But Carle said with a few weeks before the playoffs, he's hopes to be at full
speed by then.
"I tried to keep my shifts short and maybe got caught out there a couple of
times in the second period where I was fighting it a little bit, but for the most
part I felt pretty good,'' Carle said. "The pace of the game and the intensity,
this is a tough time of year to come back as the games are meaningful. So it's
a fun time to be playing, but difficult when things get amped up a lot."
Ice chips: G Ben Bishop started. D Nikita Nesterov was scratched. … D
Victor Hedman scored his 10th goal, giving the team 10 players with
double-digit goals. … C Valtteri Filppula snapped a 15-game goal drought
with his first-period power-play goal …The Lightning Community Hero
program hit $8 million in charity giveaways with Tuesday's presentation. …
Actor Judd Hirsch attended.
770023
Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL imposes no supplemental discipline for Nikita Kucherov hit
Monday, March 16, 2015 11:58am
Lightning wing Nikita Kucherov will not face supplemental discipline from the
NHL for his hit on Winnipeg's Tobias Enstrom in Saturday's game.
There wasn't even a hearing scheduled.
Kucherov was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game
misconduct in the third period, when he hit Enstrom into the boards while
chasing a puck deep in the Winnipeg zone. Enstrom got to the puck first to
retrieve it, and appeared to back up as Kucherov delivered the hit. Enstrom
skated off the ice covering his bloody face with a towel.
Kucherov said he hadn't heard anything from the league, pointing out he had
no malicious intent on the play.
"It was an awkward spot," Kucherov said. "I don't think I could have done
something else there. It just happens. I didn't mean it, it was an accident."
More from today's morning skate: G Ben Bishop is expected to get the start in
net, with G Carey Price in for Montreal. The two had quite a duel in last
Tuesday's 1-0 overtime win by Tampa Bay in Montreal. The Lightning has
won all three meetings this season so far. "Obviously these games are easy
to get up for," D Matt Carle said. "It's a fun game." Said coach Jon Cooper:
"It's a lot of fun playing Montreal. We know we had a sour taste in our mouth
from spring, probably made these games little more fun to play in. Never
been a problem getting our guys up for this game." Carle said he was a "little
rusty" Saturday in his first game in two months, as expected. "Still got a
handful of games before the playoffs so hopefully I can get back up to full
speed before then. I tried to keep my shifts short. For the most part, I felt
pretty good." Carle said the pace of the game and intensity are the biggest
adjustments. LW Mike Angelidis, whose wife Lenna, is due to give birth to
their baby boy in the next couple weeks, said they might induce labor Wed.
Mar. 24...With the topics for discussion at this week's GM meetings in Boca
Raton covering potential use of 3-on-3 in overtime, several Lightning players
gave their opinion. Biggest concern by players is more time on the ice,
especially in back-to-back situations. Cooper said he'd be in favor of 3-on-3 if
it significantly decreases the amount of shootouts, which it has in the AHL
this season. "I like the shootouts, I think it's entertaining for teh fans," Cooper
said. "I think there's way too much emphasis being put on it in a sense that
too many games are settled through it." Another topic is potential use of more
video review on goaltender interference. Cooper would be open to that, but
also interested in more review of goals that were "kicked" in. "It's been
confusing to me,' Cooper said. "If anything comes out of it, I hope it's
something like more explanation on what is kicked in, and what is directed
in." The Lightning's Community Hero program will reach $8 million in
donations tonight after the 160th hero is honored.
Kucherov was assessed a five minute major for boarding and a game
misconduct during the third period of Saturday’s 2-1 Jets victory.
770024
Toronto Maple Leafs
Lowly Oilers soar high against visiting Leafs
By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Mon Mar 16 2015
to fluctuate wildly as games go on, not just as trends establish themselves
over a season.
“Very reactive.”
Hmm. Not your typical one-game-at-a-time jock cliché. But bollocks. The
Leafs got plenty o’ mulligans from the media en route to their present state of
disarray.
Oilers: 1-0.
If there’s any sympathy for the no-push-back Leafs — pity, more like — it
should be bestowed on Peter Horachek. The poor guy continues to walk this
lonely path as interim thingy with grim fortitude, struggling to infuse his
stupefied team with at least a modicum of motivation and pride through these
remaining weeks.
Oilers: 2-0.
Maybe they should take an example from him.
Oilers: 3-0.
“I’ve gone through tougher things in my life that this,” Horachek told a cluster
of reporters after the morning skate. “I’ve had cancer. I’ve had different things
in my life and that’s a lot tougher than going through this.”
EDMONTON—First shot . . . third shot … fourth shot …
And at 7:16 of the first period, Jonathan Bernier was done for the night.
The door at the Leaf bench opened and Bernier took his seat at the end of the
pine. Over the boards came James Reimer.
Which is not to say Bernier was a complete sieve in Monday night’s 4-1 loss
to the second-worst team in the NHL.
No. 1, a mere 53 seconds in — and Toronto leads the NHL in goals
surrendered on the first shot — glanced off defender Eric Brewer’s wrist; No.
2 was a power play marker teed up in the slot by Edmonton points leader
Jordan Eberle, utterly un-harassed by anyone in blue and white (did we
mention the Oilers have the best power play in the league since the all-star
break?); No. 3, the second by Benoit Pouliot, Bernier should have had that
one, off the rush on the left wing, loads of time to wind up and fire.
But Reimer didn’t fare much better, beaten by Anton Lander on the PP less
than four minutes after entering Toronto’s net. At that juncture, the Oilers had
more goals (4) than the Leafs had shots (3).
This was, need we remind, THE OILERS, mired in a seven-game winless rut,
already eliminated from post-season inclusion. But for at least the first half of
the opening period, it felt like déjà vu — the flying Oil of the 1980s.
And so much for the Leafs being mindful — as repeatedly reminded — about
flat starts, deep holes, back on their heels, etc.
James van Riemsdyk’s 24th of the season, at 13:27 in that frame, scarcely
took the bright embarrassed pink off the back of the Leaf players’ necks.
First goal Ben Scrivens had ever surrendered to Toronto. First time he’d ever
started against Toronto.
The ex-Leaf goalie was earlier asked (for his sins) if he had any sympathy for
the old team.
And the ex-Leaf goalie — who also happens to be a graduate of Cornell
University and thus at least twice as smart as his inquisitor — edited the
question: “Empathy.”
There is a difference, as Scrivens well knows.
Antipathy, however, is what the Oilers showed the visitors. Toronto stepped
much more lively in the second and third periods, even had a territorial edge
in play, but it was all far too late. A head-shot too far, also, from Nazem Kadri
on Matt Fraser, late in the game, elbow up, which drew only a two-minute
penalty but will likely be reviewed for supplementary discipline. Shortly
afterwards, Tyler Bozak had the book thrown at him: tripping minor,
unsportsmanlike and game misconduct.
A dozen points behind the Leafs coming in, Edmonton was merciless in their
wham-bam pounding out of the chute. Clearly they’d not forgotten Feb. 7,
when Toronto smacked them around 5-1 at the Air Canada Centre, sucking
Oiler blood to bust their own 11-game losing streak under interim coach
Peter Horachek.
The genial Scrivens was once upon a time back-up to Reimer — before
Reimer became back-up to Bernier. “The media was always really nice to me
in Toronto, for whatever reason. But I can definitely empathize with what
those guys are going through.
“It’s a tough market to play in. It’s really good when things are going well but
you’re under the microscope all the time. You just can’t get away with
anything. Most markets you get judged on a game to game basis or a week to
week basis. In Toronto, it seems like you’re judged period by period. The
barometer of how the city and everyone in the media feels about you seems
Cancer? That scary word hung in the air.
“I’ve had it. About five years ago. I had prostate cancer. And my father died of
it.”
That detail cast a pall and injected a jolt of perspective.
“You realize there’s things that are bigger than hockey. There’s things that
are worse. There’s things that are going on in the world that are worse.”
Toronto is now 6-22-3 under Horachek’s tutelage. They were 21-16-3 under
the jettisoned Randy Carlyle.
“You try to be as strong as you can, try to always put the right face forward,”
said Horachek. “If you take a different approach, it’s going to affect everyone
in that room the wrong way.”
A dozen games to go, as Horachek spoke, and he was still trying to persuade
his players that they matter.
“Every time we do this, we’re showing ourselves, showing what we’re about.
Every time the players step on the ice, they’re showing their character,
showing their ability to handle these situations. They’re always on stage.”
Exit stage left.
Toronto Star LOADED: 03.17.2015
770025
Toronto Maple Leafs
Latest Leafs statue will be 110 per cent Borje Salming
By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Mon Mar 16 2015
ROCKFORD, ILL.—“Who’s that?”
That was Borje Salming’s joking first reaction as he helped unveil a clay
version of himself at an artist’s studio, a sculpture that is part of the process
towards creating the bronze statue that, starting in September, will be part of
Legends Row in Maple Leafs Square.
“Oh, that’s me,” he continued, looking down and pointing. “I recognize the
shin pad.”
There are a lot of words that can describe Salming: lanky, legendary,
trail-blazing, Hall of Famer, Maple Leaf, defenceman. And if you didn’t know
him before Monday, you can add jokester.
“That (the statue) is going to be there a long time. I hope,” said Salming.
“People will take pictures. That’s incredible.
“I thought of my family. When I’m gone — I don’t know how long I’m going to
live — they can come and say: ‘I know that guy.’”
Salming, his wife and four children came from Sweden to Rockford, about 90
minutes northwest of Chicago, to be part of an event Monday that Maple
Leafs Sports and Entertainment hoped would be a bit bigger.
Salming was supposed to meet the artist who is creating his bronze statue,
along with likenesses of George Armstrong and Syl Apps. The three new
bronzes will be unveiled in September alongside the three that debuted last
year — those of Darryl Sittler, Teeder Kennedy and Johnny Bower. But the
sculptor, Erik Blome, had a heart attack in the wee hours of the morning and
was in hospital Monday when Salming and the media visited. Salming was
supposed to have helped pour the bronze to create the hockey stick that his
statue will be holding.
The event went on, smaller and muted, but with Salming showing a humility
and sense of humour.
“In Toronto, there are so many great hockey players, and I thought hopefully
maybe later on I would be included,” said Salming. “I’m really happy.”
The statue shows Salming raising one arm. It’s from a picture taken when
Salming took a spin as one of the game’s three stars, something he did more
than just about anybody who wore a Leaf uniform.
“I had no clue what it was,” said Salming, when exposed to the three stars
ritual unique to the NHL. “The first game I played, we played against Buffalo
at home. I was a star. They said: ‘Stop here.’ I said: ‘What?’ They said: ‘You
have to go out on the ice.’ I had no clue at all. Somebody went before me so
I copied him.”
Blome has a particular style. His bronzed athletes — he has done Wayne
Gretzky and Bobby Hull — are presented at 110 per cent scale. It may be a
pun on the athlete’s cliche answer of “giving 110 per cent” every time, but
Blome obviously wasn’t there to address it.
His assistant, Robert Oakley Gregory, said it gives the subject a “larger than
life” feel.
“Life-size looks a little too small,” said Gregory. “When you’re doing a big,
legendary person, 110 per cent always gives it that little bit more, makes him
a little larger than life. It gives it more robustness.”
Salming said he was impressed with the work.
“I didn’t realize that it was this big,” said Salming. “But it looks really real.
When it goes in, it’s going to look nice. It looks already nice.”
The clay statue, put together with rebar, is early in a process that could take
three or four months. Next a plaster mould will be created around it, and the
plaster will be broken into manageable pieces with wax melted inside the
plaster moulds. The bronze will eventually be poured around the wax, and
when the wax is melted away, the bronze will be all that is left.
Salming played 16 seasons with the Maple Leafs, starting in 1973, and one
at the end of his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings.
His success helped pave the way for European hockey players to cross the
ocean as he battled the stereotype of the “chicken Swede.” He was the first
Swedish player named to the Hockey Hall of Fame, was named to the NHL’s
first all-star team once and the second team five more times, and was
runner-up for the James Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman twice.
Salming also holds the NHL record for most career points by an undrafted
defenceman (787).
He is the Leafs’ all-time assists leader (620), the leader in club plus-minus
(181) and he had more goals as Leaf than any other defenceman (148).
He is third in games played (1,099) as a Leaf. Salming was also the first to
win the Molson Cup four times, in honour of all his three-star selections. That
feat has been since matched by compatriot Mats Sundin.
Final stretch a life in limbo for Lupul and Leafs
“We lost a lot of close games and then obviously we made a bunch of trades
and didn’t get certain players back,” says Lupul. “You take guys like Cody
Franson and (Daniel) Winnik and (Mike) Santorelli off your team and it makes
things more difficult than they already were.”
By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Mon Mar 16 2015
Yet, as the conversation deepens, it becomes apparent enough that Lupul —
lugging an 18-game goal-less slump — isn’t pining for greener pastures; that
his loyalty remains quite firmly with Toronto.
770026
Toronto Maple Leafs
EDMONTON—Every season begins with hope and optimism. But
sometimes, too oftentimes for the Leafs, it ends like this.
Crushed and broken, playing out the string.
In truth, though players are loath to admit it because that wouldn’t be sportin’,
the end of the 2014-15 campaign cannot come soon enough.
Hard to watch, hard to play and hard to comprehend how it went so wrong so
abruptly.
“It’s been tough, it’s been really tough,” Joffrey Lupul concedes. And because
he’s not hard-wired for duplicity, adds: “You’re kind of counting the days a
little bit until the season’s over. But at the same time, you want to play and
compete and show that you can compete for next year.”
Will there even be a next year in blue and white for the talented, if snake-bit
and injury-prone winger, who wears an “A” on his jersey? Reportedly
shopped around at the trade deadline, Lupul has three more years left on a
contract that averages out about $5.25 million per. And does he have the
heart, at age 31, to engage in another rebuilding project that may extend far
into the future? Surely there are goals he wishes to accomplish in the NHL
that look unattainable spinning on the Toronto axis?
“For sure, it’s crossed my mind,” Lupul said Monday, as his team prepared
for a tilt of puny also-rans with the Oilers. “But right now is really not the time
to make any decisions like that. I think everyone’s frustrated in here right now
and would probably say the same thing: That they’d like to be elsewhere and
changes need to be made.
“But you’ve got to sit back at the end of the season and reflect on the whole
season, and my game personally and the team game. You can’t really worry
about playing coach or general manager. It’s our job to try and win hockey
games and play to the best of our abilities and help young guys coming along
getting their first crack.
“At the end of the season, I’m sure there will be more talk about the direction
of the team. It’s all speculation right now.”
Lupul had a bellyful of speculation around the trade deadline, though he did
reveal — and possibly this was just a wry joke, misinterpreted (because
every Leaf-ian comment is subjected to ridiculous parsing) — that he’d
packed an extra large bag as the team flew off to Florida.
Never needed that extended wardrobe — and fashion-plate Lupul is very
much about the wardrobe — as things turned out.
Here he still is, caught in the funk of a season that can go nowhere for the
Leafs except pending, any day now, mathematical elimination. A bit of
déjà-vu too, from the perspective of hometown Edmonton, where a salad
days Lupul endured a stretch of 20 losses in 22 games, back in ’06-’07 as a
one-season Oiler. “I was so young when I played here, I can hardly
remember.”
Youth is resilient. Veterans may be wizened but they feel the tick-tock of the
career clock. The other night, after Toronto’s hideous 6-3 loss in Calgary,
Lupul had observed: “Certainly it’s tougher for older guys who want to play in
the playoffs and don’t like going through this necessarily. It is harder to
prepare for these games, for sure.”
Yet that’s all they can do, for those Leafs who have a professional
conscience; not let the pileup of losses, the quashed expectations of a
wrong-way U-turn season, eat away at their souls.
No one can truly pinpoint where it went irreversibly pear-shaped for Toronto,
a team in playoff position when Randy Carlyle was fired and leading the
league in goals scored at the turn of the calendar year. Everything collapsed
simultaneously, leaving nothing but wreckage. But the grim future was writ
large enough on an absolutely horrendous mid-January California road
swing under interim bench boss Peter Horachek. From that juncture, the
season just kept eroding away.
“The team committed to me, and some of the other guys, and we committed
to the team. Just because things aren’t going well the second half of the year,
it’s not necessarily: ‘I need to get out of here.’ We’re the reason why things
aren’t going well. We’ve got to play better. Young guys have to improve and
step up. There are some good pieces here.
“It’s not like, ‘Oh boy, maybe it would be nice to be somewhere else’. At the
end of the day, Toronto is where we want to be. That’s why we signed here.
That’s why we made the commitment.
“Again, whatever happens in the offseason — it’s not my job and I don’t want
to speculate or pretend it is my job, because they’re going to have a tough
offseason. But I think everyone still loves playing in Toronto. As negative as
it’s made to look sometimes, it’s still a great place to play.”
Lupul, temperamentally, with his open personality, his go-to eloquence in the
dressing room, his enthusiastic outreach on social media, is quite tailor-made
for T.O. Had he not been so endlessly injured — weird breaks, rotten luck
rather than innate fragility — he could very much have been the handsome
face of the franchise because that part of the job comes easily to him, unlike
the palpable media discomfort of captain Dion Phaneuf.
“It’s not ideal to be living in Toronto and playing for the Maple Leafs right
now,” Lupul acknowledges. “It’s not as much fun as it was at one time.
There’s a lot of talk about the negativity of playing in Toronto. But for every
one person that’s negative, there are nine others that are completely positive.
“It’s a great fan base. We’re lucky to play there. Obviously, it’s more fun to be
there when you’re having success. But like I said, nine out of 10 still love the
team and will support the Leafs until the day they die, I’m sure.”
Ah, but there’s the rub. How many Leaf teams must die and be buried in a
fan’s lifetime?
770027
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs exec preaches patience with young Marlies
By Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 11:57 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday,
March 17, 2015 12:06 AM EDT
EDMONTON - The Maple Leafs have 11 games remaining in the 2014-15
season.
Will 2014 first-round pick William Nylander, who has 16 points in 22 games
with the Toronto Marlies, make his National Hockey League debut in one of
them?
Well ...
"Patience is always what we said from Day 1, when he came over here,"
Leafs assistant to the general manager Brandon Pridham said on Monday.
"I think whether he comes up for a game or not, that is still something that can
be discussed and internally we will look and see what happens here with
injuries. But I think the patience we have shown with a Connor Brown, for
example, is to see the year through, have a great season, and they are still in
a great playoff run too. We want to be mindful of that.
"I think it's great for them to have some meaningful games down there and be
right in the thick of things."
The Marlies find themselves in a tight playoff race, four points out of the final
spot in the Western Conference. They have 15 games remaining.
Never mind Nylander (as we put forth a day earlier, there's no way the Leafs
should recall him for any reason), how about Brown?
The former Erie Otters star has 51 points in 61 games with the Marlies. That
has him tied for the American Hockey League rookie scoring lead with Viktor
Arvidsson of Milwaukee and Charles Hudon of Hamilton.
"He always seemed like a confident player when I saw him in junior,
certainly," Pridham said.
"He has always put points up. To me he is just continuing on with that, which
is the exciting part, is that he is able to translate to the AHL level, and here is
hoping that development continues and he is able to translate it to the NHL
one day as well.
"There has not been a plateau for him as he makes the jump to pro hockey.
Sometimes that is where you see guys stall and for him there has not been
that.
"With Connor, like Willie, it's patience. Let's let them have a great season
down there."
DRAFT SCHMAFT
The Edmonton Oilers are bound to have a choice of a blue-chip player in the
NHL draft this June, but goaltender Ben Scrivens doesn't want to hear about
it.
And he couldn't have been more emphatic about it on Monday.
"I don't care at all about the draft," Scrivens said. "Not at all. Does not even ...
I don't care at all. We are going to draft somebody.
"I'm not going to sit here losing sleep over who or where or what place. Not
my job. I have to try to stop pucks. First round can be a crapshoot. Maybe it is
resentment. I don't care about the draft because I was never drafted. I don't
lose a lick of sleep. I don't care at all about the draft. That's just me."
Oilers forward Jordan Eberle acknowledged that after Connor McDavid and
Jack Eichel, he doesn't know what the Oilers' options would be.
"To be honest, other than those picks, I don't really know," Eberle said. "It's
starting to get to the point where guys are pretty young and I'm not even sure
who they are.
"There has been a lot of talk on the two, but for us, we are just trying to win as
many games as we can. Wherever it ends up, it ends up. I know there has
been zero talk about tanking or losing games on purpose. That is just
ridiculous."
LOOSE LEAFS
Centre Peter Holland missed a second consecutive game on Monday
because of a lower-body injury, but coach Peter Horachek said he did not
think the injury was long-term ... Oilers forward Taylor Hall (leg) said he
expects to return to the lineup at some point during Edmonton's six-game
home stand, which started against the Leafs.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.17.2015
770028
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs' Horachek has perspective after cancer scare
March 16, 2015 11:42 PM EDT
EDMONTON — - As difficult as this stretch has been for the Maple Leafs,
interim head coach Peter Horachek keeps the losing in perspective.
In October 2010, Horachek, at the time an assistant coach with the Nashville
Predators, had successful prostate cancer surgery.
“I have gone through tougher things,” Horachek said. “I have had cancer, I
have had different things in my life, and that is a lot tougher than going
through this.
“My father died of it. You realize there are things that are bigger than hockey
and so you deal with it and try to be the right person.
“As I say, there are things that are worse, things going on in the world that are
worse, and we try to say, ‘Listen, you deal with this as a person who can
stand up and be counted for. Try to show your character.’”
It was the first time Horachek publicly has acknowledged his battle with
cancer, at least during his time with the Maple Leafs. He told reporters it’s not
something he has discussed with the players.
In December 2006, Phil Kessel, then a member of the Boston Bruins,
underwent surgery for testicular cancer.
Horachek reminded reporters of his health scare after the players had been
available to media. Forward Joffrey Lupul had agreed with the idea that
Horachek, from a hockey standpoint, is in a tough spot.
The Leafs had won six of 30 games with Horachek as coach before they
faced the Edmonton Oilers.
“You feel bad for him,” Lupul said. “These guys are all good guys. It is not
their fault. They are preparing the team.
“It is frustrating to be in a spot where we play a game in Vancouver and kind
of after we think ‘Ah, we played pretty well,’ but we (still) lost 4-1. It is
frustrating for us, and I can only imagine what it is like for him.”
Horachek’s character was tested in the worst way. It’s perfectly fine for him to
expect more from his players, no matter his cancer scare.
“Every time we do this, we are showing ourselves and we are showing what
we are about,” Horachek said. “Every time the players step on the ice, they
are showing their character, they are showing their ability to handle these
situations and what they are going on in the future. We are looking at that.
They are always on stage.”
Maple Leafs players committed to Toronto: Lupul
“You kind of are counting the days a little bit until the season is over, but at
the same time you want to compete and show you can play for next year,”
Lupul said. “Next year is a new year. We (will) have five months off for guys to
train and evaluate their game and for coaches and management to evaluate.
“It’s important to keep a good attitude and come in here and try to enjoy the
work you have to put in. It’s easier if you are in first place, but that is part of
being a professional.”
770029
Toronto Maple Leafs
March 16, 2015 10:54 PM EDT
EDMONTON — - The idea that the Maple Leafs are going to line up at the
door of management once the season ends, pleading for a one-way ticket out
of Toronto, gave Joffrey Lupul pause on Monday.
“The team committed to me and some of the other guys, and we committed
to the team,” Lupul said prior to the Leafs’ game against the Edmonton
Oilers.
“Just because things aren’t going well this second half of the year, it’s not
necessarily ‘I need to get out of here.’
“We’re the reason why things aren’t going well. We have to play better.
Young guys have to improve and step up. There are some good pieces here.
“In your mind, sometimes you are like, ‘Oh boy, maybe it would be nice to
(move on). But at the end of the day Toronto is where we want to be. That’s
why we signed here, that is why we made the commitment.”
Though it appears to those who aren’t around the Leafs on a daily basis or
part of the team that it’s an endlessly frustrating dynamic to be involved in,
Lupul, as straight a shooter as you will find in the Leafs dressing room,
doesn’t see it that way.
“I think everyone still loves playing in Toronto,” Lupul said to a group of
reporters. “Sometimes as negative as it’s made to look, it is still a great place
to play.”
That’s not to say Lupul, who will turn 32 in September, is blind to the fact his
window to win a Stanley Cup is closing.
As bad as the Leafs are right now — in a month, the organization will be
spectators of the annual Cup tournament for the ninth time in 10 years — the
feeling is it’s not going to get better in a hurry. Too many moves have to be
made for the Leafs to climb back to respectability, and if general manager
David Nonis (assuming it’s not someone else) is successful in dismantling
the core, the Leafs can’t be expected to make a complete turnaround in one
season, or even two. It’s going to take time.
And it’s not as though absolutely every member of the core that has been
part of the season-to-season failures will be traded. The wand doesn’t have
that much magic in it.
Some, presumably, will be part of the rebuild, or whatever word fits best for
what awaits the Leafs in 2015-16.
“It has crossed my mind for sure,” said Lupul, whose contract expires in
2018. “Right now is not the time to make any decisions like that.
“I think everyone is frustrated in here right now and probably say the same
thing, that they would like to be elsewhere, changes need to be made,
whatever. But you have to sit back at the end of the season and reflect. You
can’t really worry about playing coach or general manager.”
Lupul, considering an offensive tweet that aired on TSN on trade deadline
day, would have a good a reason as anyone to start fresh somewhere else.
While he agreed with the idea that Leafs are loved or hated, with little middle
ground, he concurred too that mostly it’s good when he bumps into fans on
the street.
“It’s not the ideal time to be living in Toronto and playing for the Maple Leafs
right now,” Lupul said. “It’s not as much fun as it was at one point.
“But for every one person who is negative, there are nine others who are
completely positive. It’s a great fan base. We are certainly lucky to play there.
It’s more fun when you are having success, but it’s still nine out of 10 people
who love the team and will support it until the day they die.”
Lupul carried an 18-game goalless skid into the game on Monday, and of
course, he was not happy about it. Nor was he thrilled with the Leafs’ overall
record.
770030
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs' Legend Row might expand beyond plans
By Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun
March 16, 2015 09:47 PM EDT
WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS - Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment continues
to tinker with expanding the popular Legends Row monument beyond a set
number of players.
Originally planned to feature about 10 famous Leafs, the concept already has
six players either bronzed or in the creative stage — Ted Kennedy, Syl Apps,
George Armstrong, Johnny Bower, Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming — with
possibly one more to be added this year, likely during the Sept. 12 Fan Fest.
Three or four more are planned for 2016, leading to the club’s centennial in
2017. But the list of potential additions is long, such as King Clancy, Charlie
Conacher, Turk Broda, Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich, Tim Horton, Doug
Gilmour and Mats Sundin.
“There are no hard and fast rules for it,” said a source familiar with the
concept. “It’s part of what makes this whole project so fun.”
While no Leaf jumps out at present, at least one place is to be kept open in
case one is deemed worthy in the next 10 to 20 years. There’s also a chance
that a coach or executive, perhaps Punch Imlach or Conn Smythe, is added.
And there is consideration to give one place to a statue representing all fans.
770031
Toronto Maple Leafs
Borje Salming visits sculptor, meets his Leafs Legends Row statue
By Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun
March 16, 2015 09:38 PM EDT
“We’ve had to chase down some gawkers over a fence to delete photos,”
recalled Gregory.
Salming came to the Leafs in 1973 with countryman Inge Hammarstrom,
discovered by Leafs scout Gerry McNamara when European players were
almost nonexistent in the NHL. He made an immediate impact, both with
playing style and his willingness to take physical punishment by old-guard
NHLers who were suspicious of European-trained players. Salming endured,
made the Hall of Fame and almost preceded Mats Sundin as Toronto’s first
Euro captain.
Soon, he’ll be joining likenesses of Ted Kennedy, George Armstrong, Sittler,
Bower and others in the popular memorial and photo op.
WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS - Borje Salming climbed a step ladder, pulled the
cover off his statue and came face-to-face with his Maple Leafs legacy.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘Whoa, is that really me?” laughed the
63-year-old, who was invited to see the clay mould on Monday prior to its
bronzing for a Legends Row unveiling on Sept. 12. “Then I looked closer and,
yeah, I’m really happy with it. It’s fantastic.”
Salming stood amid the cluttered studio of sculptor Erik Blome, who worked
on all six of the Leafs’ art pieces since last year. Blome, who is in hospital
after a medical issue on the weekend, was not present as Salming, his wife
Pia and children Bianca, Rasmus, Teresa and Anders admired the detail
involved. Salming’s features, as rugged as the northern Swedish mining
country he came from, likely gave Blome and his team a pleasant challenge.
The statue, on a 110% scale of the defenceman, depicts Salming circa
1986-87, with his alternate captain’s letter and the King Clancy memorial
shoulder patch. It’s based on a real photo of him waving to the Gardens
crowd after being named first star.
“I remember (the first time) doing that,” said Salming, who was third star in his
Leafs debut, Oct. 10, 1973, against Buffalo. “I had no clue. The game ended,
they said, ‘Stop here, you have to go back on the ice’. I said, ‘What do I do?’
But somebody went before me, so I just did the same thing (skated and
waved).”
Salming, who played 1,099 games for the Leafs over 16 years, immediately
recognized Blome had the correct shin pads from the ’86-87 period, as well
as his first CCM helmet after his trademark Jofa, and of course the No. 21
and Ballard-era Leafs crests.
“I knew there was going to be a Legends Row and that (teammate) Darryl
Sittler was on it,” Salming said. “Toronto has had so many great hockey
players and you think maybe, hopefully, later on some time (he’ll be picked).
But not now, this is incredible.”
“I have a hard time getting into talking about myself and wondering if I’ve
done something good,” Salming said. “But then you see the statue and think,
‘Wow, you’re going to be there for a long time and a lot of people are going to
see it’.
“And then I thought of my family. I don’t know how long I’ll live, but they’ll
come afterward and say, ‘I know that guy.’ ”
A CUT ABOVE
Had sculptor Erik Blome commenced work on a bust of Borje Salming back
on the morning of Nov. 27, 1986, there’d be nothing but scars and stitches to
work with.
Salming was extremely lucky not to have had his career ended the night
before at Joe Louis Arena with loss of sight — or worse. Of all the injuries the
Swede suffered in his 16 years as a Leaf, none was more horrific than the
crease pile-up when the skate blade of Detroit forward Gerard Gallant
accidentally came down on Salming’s face. The deep cut started on his
temple, miraculously skirted his right eye and wound down to the edge of his
lip.
“I remember being in front of the net, trying to score,” Florida Panthers coach
Gallant told the Sun earlier this month. “I got a big shove from behind by their
big guy (Chris) Kotsopoulos. I lost my balance, looked down and the next
thing I saw was blood gushing out.”
As Salming staggered to the bench to staunch the bleeding, teammate Bob
McGill caught Salming at the gate before he collapsed.
“You know how someone gets cut on the ice leaves a little path of blood
drops to the bench?” asked McGill. “Well, this was one big red trail. And when
they stitched him up, he looked like something from a monster movie.”
Salming recalled no real pain from the actual skate making contact.
Salming will be at the ACC to see the finished work on Sept. 12.
“It was when the bandages came off,” Salming said of the gruesome photo of
200-plus stitches. “I thought I’d look like that the rest of my life.”
Blome was given a portfolio of pictures from Salming’s career, which were
strewn about the shop, along with a Leafs sweater, and various Legends
Row spare parts, such as a wax replica of half of Sittler’s head.
Gallant commended the Detroit medical staff for their tireless work on
Salming throughout that evening.
When he selects a preferred picture to work from, Blome then calls in a
muscular male model to pose.
“Our doctor put all those stitches in him and did an unbelievable job, because
today he looks really good.
“Basically, a naked guy with a bunch of hockey pads on,” said assistant
Christopher McCutcheon. “He’ll take a lot of photographs and move the
model around on a pedestal. Then he’ll work in the pads, the sweater, see
how its gravity looks and then get the portraiture as close as possible.”
“It was an awful thing, but there was no intent by me and Borje has said that
to me many times. In fact, a couple of years later, I went over to play in the
world championships in Stockholm (Salming’s last hurrah for the Swedish
national team). There was a big article in the paper on Borje, talking about
the injury and praising me as a player. That was (a relief), because people
only knew Gerard Gallant (by his rogue reputation).
Blome’s team with McCutcheon and Robert Oakley Gregory walked the
Salming family through the whole process, which averages about four
months of daily work per statue for the trio.
Up to 20 plaster moulds with metal rods around an armature form the next
part of the process. When there’s a bend in an arm, silicone rubber is applied.
After being sealed in plaster and rubber moulds, chisels are used to break
out a hollow form, upon which wax is painted on, burned off and the metal is
cast. Throughout Monday’s demo, the 400 pounds of clay that make up
Salming at present had to be constantly moistened to prevent cracks.
Getting Johnny Bower’s pads to look game-worn and the same proportion
was among the biggest challenges on the Legends projects.
The statues are delivered by truck, with Blome’s assistants doing some of the
driving from quaint Woodstock, about 90 minutes northwest of Chicago
where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed. Keeping the identities of the
statues secret on the long trip to the ACC and satisfying curious Canadian
and U.S. customs officials can be tricky with a green garbage bag wrapped
around the heads at all times.
“A couple of years after that, he came to play with us in Detroit.”
770032
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs lose again, Kadri could be in trouble again
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 06:08 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday,
March 17, 2015 01:41 AM EDT
EDMONTON — Nazem Kadri won’t be surprised if the National Hockey
League throws the book at him.
The Maple Leafs forward could be facing a suspension after his check to the
head on Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser during the third period of a 4-1
Leafs loss on Monday night.
“Maybe a little bit,” Kadri said when he was asked if he is afraid some sort of
punishment will come from the league.
“Whatever they decide to do, I am going to have to live with it. It’s really out of
my control right now. Whatever happens, happens.”
Fraser had to be helped to the Oilers dressing room at Rexall Place, and
there was no immediate update on his condition. Kadri was hit into the
boards when he got out of the penalty box by Oilers captain Andrew Ference
and left the game for protocol reasons.
Ference was not penalized, but the league could look at that hit as well.
The Leafs rolled all their brutal starts into one in the final game of their
three-game western trip, falling behind 4-0 before the game was 11 minutes
old.
Jonathan Bernier was gone after giving up three goals — two to Benoit
Pouliot and one to Jordan Eberle — on four shots. Anton Lander scored after
James Reimer replaced Bernier, and the Leafs scored their only goal when
James van Riemsdyk tipped a Dion Phaneuf point shot past Ben Scrivens at
13:27 of the first.
While Kadri was wondering whether he would be suspended — this after the
team-imposed three-game ban that ended Saturday in Vancouver — Phil
Kessel was lamenting that the Leafs’ dismal stretch is the “all-time low in
hockey right now.”
Coach Peter Horachek was asked moments later about Kessel’s take, and
how he can get the players to get that attitude turned around into something
positive.
“We’re playing the best game in the world and still getting paid pretty good
money to do it,” Horachek said.
“They have to take that into consideration. Suck it up and let’s go. Because
you are not winning the game, let’s do something about it. Let’s win the
game. Let’s play and be focused for 60 minutes. Let’s make sure we are all
ready to play within the confines of our structure and play with passion. Let’s
do those things. They’re getting paid pretty good money.”
The Leafs have one in win in their past 21 road games. They were blanked in
western Canada, and lost the three games while giving up a total of 14 goals
and scoring just five.
They’re on the verge of being officially eliminated from playoff contention,
though mentally, any shot was over long ago.
Kadri has been suspended previously by the NHL. Last season he got three
games for a goaltender interference incident against the Minnesota Wild.
“If the officials felt it was something dirty or questionable, I felt like I would
have got a major and been tossed on the spot,” Kadri said of his hit on
Fraser. “After they talked about it, they gave me a penalty. I hate to see
(Fraser leave). I’m not trying to hurt guys.”
770033
Toronto Maple Leafs
Cancer survivor Horachek keeps Leafs' losses in perspective
March 16, 2015 04:49 PM EDT
EDMONTON - As difficult as this stretch has been for the Maple Leafs,
interim head coach Peter Horachek keeps the losing in perspective.
In October 2010, Horachek, then an assistant coach with the Nashville
Predators, had successful prostate cancer surgery.
“I have gone through tougher things,” Horachek said after the Leafs’ morning
skate at Rexall Place on Monday. “I have had cancer, and that is a lot tougher
than going through this.
“My father died of it. You realize there are things that are bigger than hockey
and so you deal with it and try to be the right person.
“As I say, there are things that are worse, things going on in the world that are
worse, and we try to say, ‘Listen, you deal with this as a person who can
stand up and be counted for. Try to show your character.’”
That has been a challenge for the Leafs. They have one win in their past 20
road games and have been outscored 10-4 on this trip in stops in Calgary
and Vancouver. The spring of 2015 will mark another Stanley Cup playoff
tournament — the ninth time in 10 seasons — without Leafs participation.
“It is frustrating,” said Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, who has gone a NHL
career-high 18-games without scoring a goal. “You kind of are counting the
days a little bit until the season is over, but at the same time you want to play
and show and compete and you can play for next year.”
Lupul agreed with the idea that Horachek — who told reporters he has not
discussed his past battle with cancer with the players — is in a tough spot.
“You feel bad for him,” Lupul said. “These guys are all good guys. It is not
their fault. They are preparing the team.
“It is frustrating to be in a spot where we play a game in Vancouver and after
we think we played pretty well, but we lost 4-1. Is is frustrating for us, and I
can only imagine what it is like for him.”
The Leafs might want to try playing a full 60 minutes for Horachek and his
staff. It has not happened much, if at all, in Horachek’s 30 games behind the
Toronto bench.
The next attempt will come on Monday night when the Leafs finish their
western Canada trip with a game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Jonathan Bernier will start in goal for the Leafs. Peter Holland will miss a
second consecutive game with a lower-body injury.
Ex-Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens will make his first NHL start against Toronto.
The native of nearby Spruce Grove, Alta., still holds a special place in his
heart for the Leafs, who signed in him in April 2010 after he had been
undrafted.
Scrivens’ time with the Leafs ended when he was traded to the Los Angeles
Kings in June 2013 in the deal that sent Bernier to Toronto.
“I had some good years in Toronto, playing with the Marlies and getting a
chance to play with the Maple Leafs, so I’m very fortunate to have got my
start in the NHL in that organization and definitely owe a lot to the coaches
and the management, and mostly the other players who helped me establish
myself in the league a little bit,” Scrivens said.
“Believe it or not, I have not followed them all that closely. (But he knows)
they have guys who can put the puck in the net. Phil (Kessel) is a 35-goal
scorer. JVR (James van Riemsdyk) has great hands in tight. He can be
extremely dynamic when he gets the opportunity. Lupes (Joffrey Lupul) can
be extremely dynamic when he gets the opportunity.
“They have weapons out there and it is going to have to be a team effort to try
to neutralize them.”
The Leafs will travel home to Toronto on Tuesday, with their next game on
Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre against the San Jose Sharks.
770034
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs can’t recover after allowing four goals in first period
against Edmonton Oilers
Shane Jones, Canadian Press | March 17, 2015 12:21 AM ET
EDMONTON — Benoit Pouliot had a pair of goals and Jordan Eberle had a
goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers came away with a 4-1 victory
over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday in a game featuring a pair of
struggling squads.
Anton Lander also scored for the Oilers (19-39-12), who snapped a
seven-game losing skid.
James van Riemsdyk replied for the Maple Leafs (27-38-6), who have lost
three in a row and six of their last seven. Toronto has just one win in its last
21 road games.
The Oilers started the scoring just 53 seconds into the first period on the
game’s first shot as a blast from Pouliot deflected off the stick of Eric Brewer
and past Toronto starter Jonathan Bernier.
Edmonton made it 2-0 seven minutes into the first as Justin Schultz made a
nice power-play pass to Eberle in front, and he picked the top corner for his
19th of the season.
Pouliot struck again just 52 seconds later, putting home his second of the
contest. James Reimer came in to replace Bernier in the Leafs’ net after he
allowed three goals on four shots.
The Oilers went up 4-0 with another power-play goal 11 minutes into the
opening period as Eberle found Lander open at the side of the net and he
lifted it past Reimer.
Van Riemsdyk deflected a Dion Phaneuf point shot past Edmonton goalie
Ben Scrivens on the power play with 6:30 left to play in the first.
Despite the flurry of goals in the first period, there was no scoring for the
remainder of the game.
The Oilers play the second game of a six-game homestand on Wednesday
against Columbus. The Leafs return home to face San Jose on Thursday.
National Post LOADED: 03.17.2015
770035
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks rookie Bo Horvat finding his stride as team makes
playoff push
Joshua Clipperton, Canadian Press | March 16, 2015 | Last Updated: Mar 16
11:44 PM ET
VANCOUVER — Bo Horvat was terrified of making a mistake.
Maple Leafs handed second straight road loss by Canucks
As a 19-year-old trying to prove he belonged in the NHL, the rookie centre
with the Vancouver Canucks treated the puck like a hot potato at times earlier
this season, getting rid of it as soon as he could.
But as the year has progressed and he’s gained the trust and confidence of
both his coach and teammates in the defensive zone — the Rodney, Ont.,
native is often out for important faceoffs late in games — Horvat is beginning
to realize some of his potential at the other end of the ice.
“I feel like I’ve been getting better throughout the whole season. I’m starting
to get a little bit more confidence now, handling the puck a little bit more and
just feeling more confident on the ice all around,” Horvat said after Monday’s
practice at Roger Arena. “At the beginning of the year I was trying to not
make too many mistakes and maybe move the puck a little bit more and give
it away a little bit more. Now I feel really comfortable out there.”
With 11 goals and 10 assists in 54 games after missing the early part of the
season with a shoulder injury, Horvat has found good chemistry on
Vancouver’s fourth line, especially with veteran winger Jannik Hansen.
While many rookies often start to burn out in the latter part of the gruelling
NHL season, Horvat is getting better in his first professional campaign as the
Canucks continue to push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“His weight’s gone up, but his fat percentage has gone down,” said
Vancouver head coach Willie Desjardins. “That’s a sign that he’s getting
stronger. You can see it. He is stronger. When he accelerates on pucks he’s
stronger.
“It’s a lot of hockey, and you worry about that. His role is a big role, but he’s
handling it great right now and I just hope he keeps going that way.”
Hansen scored in Vancouver’s 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on
Saturday, with Horvat and fellow rookie forward Ronalds Kenins picking up
the assists.
“Once (Horvat) got a little bit of confidence his offensive game has come
around and you’re seeing a lot of different skills,” said Hasen. “Not only
faceoffs, but defensive awareness (and) now the offence is starting to kick in.
He’s become extremely valuable to us.”
Horvat’s improved play and maturity has also been noticed around the
dressing room and rubbed off on some of his older teammates.
“He adds a lot of excitement. Everything is new,” added Hansen. “You want
to go out and give it your all, and the team feeds off that, the crowd feeds off
that, and it kind of goes in a nice little circle.”
Horvat has points in three of his last four outings and said he’s seeing the
game more now, as opposed to earlier in the season when he was simply
playing it.
“When you get in that groove and you start to figure the game out a little bit
more it starts to slow down for you,” he said. “You start to make plays and get
more confident with the puck. Things just start to open up for you and it
definitely feels like that as of late.”
National Post LOADED: 03.17.2015
770036
Washington Capitals
Postgame: Despite ugliness, Capitals pleased with completing back-to-back
sweep
By Alex Prewitt March 17 at 12:04 AM
BUFFALO – The Washington Capitals had discussed the importance of
carrying their newfound intensity into their meeting with the NHL’s worst
team, but also realized the difficulty of that task. Few efforts under Coach
Barry Trotz had measured up to Sunday night’s 2-0 shutout of the Boston
Bruins, just like few would ultimately compare to the sloppiness put forth in a
4-3 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres. But this late into the season, now
just 11 games separating them from the playoffs, securing wins mattered
more than the helter-skelter nature of Monday night, or at least that’s what
the Capitals insisted.
Forget needing 65 minutes and a skills competition to flee from First Niagara
Center victorious, they said. Toss aside the juxtaposition between blanking
the Bruins for the second time this season and twice needing to overcome
one-goal leads against a team still searching for its 20th victory. They had
swiped two standings points, inched within two of third place in the
Metropolitan Division, distanced themselves further from missing the
postseason and secured just their second back-to-back sweep of the
season.
“We got it done,” Trotz said. “It wasn’t perfect for us, but we got it done.”
“More than anything right now, it’s about winning,” defenseman Matt
Niskanen said. “We found a way.”
“It’s already behind us now,” defenseman Mike Green said. “We’ve got to
focus on the next game.”
The Capitals took care to heap credit onto Buffalo, an organization more
focused on obtaining the top overall draft pick by employing a roster of
youngsters simply fighting to prove they belong at this level. But the praise
also came tinged with self-critiques. They entered the first intermission
trailing 2-1 for the third time in four games, crashing from the jubilation of
blanking Boston. They allowed more than 30 shots on goal for the fourth
straight outing. They reflected on the Bruins’ win and saw a blueprint for
success, then pivoted to a night spent skirting danger.
“The game last night is who we want to be about,” Niskanen said. “That’s how
we want to look. Hard to play against, check well, responsible with the puck,
pressure the puck all over the ice, good forechecking, heavy game with good
special teams. That’s the type of team we want to be. We showed it last night.
Tonight wasn’t quite how we planned, but we found a way to win. Hopefully
recognize the differences then move forward.”
And so they returned home for a scheduled off-day, still on the table unlike
Saturday’s surprise practice following consecutive losses to New York and
Dallas, before a two-game road trip to Minnesota and Winnipeg, their final
Western Conference tour of the season.
And there were some speckled positives to carry back to the District, too.
Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov notched his second multi-point performance in
three games and registered the decisive shootout goal in the first round.
Niskanen recorded his first two-point effort since Jan. 27 and matched his
output over the past 11 games combined. Forward Curtis Glencross scored
his fourth goal in a Washington sweater, Holtby notched his first back-to-back
set of the season, and the Capitals won for the first time when playing on the
road after winning the night before.
“Definitely wasn’t pretty by any means,” Holtby said. “One of those games, I
think may have been a bit of an emotional letdown after the last game with
Boston, and that’s our fault for not getting up enough.
“One of those games you just have to find a way, and we did thankfully. It’s
one we’ll put behind us pretty quickly. I think we all know we’re a lot better
than that. We’ll be better next game.”
Washington Post LOADED: 03.17.2015
770037
Washington Capitals
F Michael Latta
D Brooks Orpik
Capitals at Sabres: Game 71 discussion thread
G Justin Peters
GOALTENDING MATCHUP
By Alex Prewitt March 16 at 6:16 PM
BUFFALO, N.Y. – For the 62nd time this season, 11 shy of the franchise
record, Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby will come onto the
bench for his pregame visualization ritual, shuffle and shake during the
national anthem, and appear inside the crease for his team (37-23-10, 84
points). With Sunday night’s 2-0 shutout of the Boston Bruins, Holtby at once
pulled within one clean sheet of the Capitals’ all-time mark and became the
first netminder to blank Boston twice in regulation in one season since
Jaroslav Halak in 2006-07. So, while backup Justin Peters continues to battle
a lower-body issue and the league-worst Buffalo Sabres (19-43-6, 44 points)
playing host to Washington’s first road game in two weeks, Coach Barry
Trotz decided, once again, to tab Holtby.
“We’ve had a lot of rest lately and Braden’s a guy that likes a lot of rhythm,”
Trotz said. “We just decided to go back with him. We did think about putting
Petey in there, and he got a little banged-up in the game that we put him in. I
just felt it was the right thing to do. Braden likes a lot of opportunity, and we
have a day off tomorrow. Maybe get him in a rhythm.”
Holtby already seemed dialed in against the Bruins, stopping 32 shots, none
in particularly dramatic fashion. He snatched pucks from midair while traffic
swirled around him. He batted away long-range shots into easy-to-retrieve
areas. Of course, defenseman John Carlson’s career-high 11th goal on a
first-period power play and defenseman Nate Schmidt’s first goal this season
helped lift the Capitals from their two-game slide, as well. Now, they face
their first back-to-back since the California trip, against a team they
bludgeoned by five goals nine days ago.
“Just going on the road after being at home for so long, I think there’s not
really any challenges,” Trotz said. “I think it’s actually refreshing. I’m a big
believer in if you’re in one place too long, especially for these guys, they like
change. It’s a good change we’re on the road.”
Hammering the Sabres at Verizon Center offered Washington a temporary
reprieve from its struggles, which eventually extended to three losses over its
season-long five-game homestand. But for one night, the Capitals recorded a
season-best 45 shots on goal, allowed a season-low 17, celebrated forward
Brooks Laich snapping a two-month scoring drought, welcomed forward Alex
Ovechkin back from injury and pasted Buffalo for its largest margin of victory
under Trotz.
Along with Holtby in goal, the Capitals’ lineup will remain the same for the
back-to-back, including reserve goaltender Philipp Grubauer dressing in
Peters’ stead and minor league call-up Chris Conner making his second
appearance for Washington on the fourth line.
The usual discussion thread drill, with the links and lineups and injuries,
hasn’t changed since the season began, so do your thing there. Washington
returns home to interrupt its three straight road games with a scheduled off
day, before practicing Wednesday and flying to Minneapolis for its final
Western Conference trip of the season.
LINEUPS
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin–Nicklas Backstrom–Tom Wilson
Curtis Glencross–Evgeny Kuznetsov–Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera–Eric Fehr–Joel Ward
Marcus Johansson–Brooks Laich–Chris Conner
Defensemen
Nate Schmidt–John Carlson
Karl Alzner–Matt Niskanen
Tim Gleason–Mike Green
Scratches
F Jay Beagle
Braden Holtby (33-18-9, 2.17 GAA, .925 SV%) vs. Anders Lindback (2-11-1,
3.36 GAA, .894 SV%).
INJURIES
F Jay Beagle (upper body)
F Michael Latta (upper body)
D Brooks Orpik (lower body)
G Justin Peters (lower body)
D John Erskine (neck)*
D Dmitry Orlov (wrist)**
*injured reserve
**long-term injured reserve
770038
Washington Capitals
In top-line return, physical Tom Wilson had ‘tremendous impact’ for Capitals
By Alex Prewitt March 16 at 2:29 PM
Aside from the tweaked fourth line, reassembled only due to salary cap
restrictions corresponding to an unrelated injury, Coach Barry Trotz trotted
out the same trios Sunday night as he had against both New York and Dallas,
when the Washington Capitals suffered their first two-game losing streak at
home since early November. Except for one major, ultimately pivotal
difference: Gone from the top line was Marcus Johansson, the usual
complement to Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom for the past five
games. In his place stood a 6-foot 4-inch, 205-pound, 20-year-old, ornery
oak tree.
For the first time since the regular season’s 35th game, forward Tom Wilson
found himself at top-line right wing, which Trotz had previously expressed the
intention for Wilson to occupy years into the future. The reasoning was
simple, more tone-setting and bell-answering than anything: Against the
physical Boston Bruins, Trotz wanted Wilson as muscle.
In a 2-0 win, it worked.
“I thought he had a tremendous impact for us,” defenseman Nate Schmidt
said. “When he was going around, flying around, their D didn’t want to go
back and get pucks. I know I don’t want to go back and get pucks when you
have a guy like that rolling around, [wreaking] havoc all over the ice. You get
guys when he’s out there, look over your shoulder, make sure you know
where 43 is.”
The Bruins learned midway through the first period, when Wilson crushed
forward Ryan Spooner and cleared a path for Ovechkin to unleash a shot
wide of the cage. While Backstrom gathered the rebound and Wilson
charged ahead toward the crease, forward Brad Marchand wrapped him up
from behind and hauled him butt-first onto the ice.
(via @PeteBlackburn)
“A couple of those guys can kind of get undisciplined, and I finished my check
and he hauls me down,” Wilson told reporters. “That’s a huge start for us
tonight.”
With Wilson prone on the ground, Marchand snuck several punches in before
the official wrestled him away. But the hand had already been raised.
Bringing down Wilson was enough to earn a roughing penalty, and since
Wilson licked his wounds and returned to the bench, the Capitals moved to
the power play, where defenseman John Carlson blasted the eventual
game-winning goal.
“If I had to do it again, I would do the same thing,” Marchand told Boston
reporters after the game. Trotz felt something similar about how Wilson
handled the sequence.
“Talk about emotional control that you need in big games, what Marchand did
to him, it’s easy to react,” Trotz said. “We say you’ve got to take one for the
team and he did. That’s a huge display of courage and commitment to your
teammates. On the bench, I said keep your discipline, that was great. It
deserved more than two minutes. I’ve seen fighting majors with more than
those punches. Really good response by him. I think that really galvanized
the commitment to staying real, real disciplined.”
Wilson skated 15 minutes, 40 seconds, his highest mark since Dec. 16, back
before some fundamental issues – Trotz has cited puck management, for
instance – buried him onto the fourth line, and most came during the opening
two periods against Boston. (Trotz felt Wilson ran out of gas late, so
Johansson shifted with Ovechkin and Backstrom during the third.) But by
then, his impact had already been felt. He finished at plus-five in
even-strength shot differential, recorded a team-high six hits and became the
looming, disciplined presence Trotz wanted.
“He was skating, his legs were moving, he was hitting guy, he was taking hits,
he was all over the place, in a good way,” Schmidt said. “He was making his
presence felt out there tonight, and you know what, it really opens up space
for so many little plays when he gets out there doing his thing. I think he
opened up space for Ovi tonight, for Backie, a little extra couple shoulder
checks. You never know where he is on the ice. He played a big factor, a big
role for us.”
770039
Washington Capitals
‘Huge’ moment for defenseman Nate Schmidt’s first goal of the season
Just two months had passed since Washington Capitals defenseman Nate
Schmidt could lift his left arm only when underwater in a pool. The nerves had
deadened thanks to a fractured shoulder blade, suffered on a minor league
assignment initially designed to instill confidence, which turned into a
rehabilitation stint no one planned. But look at that arm now, wrapped around
teammates, still clutching the stick that notched Schmidt’s first goal of the
season and raised in triumph as he hollered into the Verizon Center clamor.
Three games ago, the Capitals recalled Schmidt on an emergency basis,
tethering the length of his stay to the health of another blue-liner, an awkward
situation he understood. But while defenseman Brooks Orpik kept sitting
because of a lower-body injury, Schmidt stuck around, fighting to prove he
belonged, to make the team remove that emergency tag and keep him here
for the playoffs.
“Like we talked about this week, just trying to make as much of your
opportunity as you can, and hopefully you’ll get the regular call,” Schmidt
said. “You can’t do much about that more than right now and like I said, being
able to contribute like this tonight was huge. We needed a push tonight. They
were playing really well. We needed to match their intensity and be better,
and I thought we did that the whole game.”
No matter the manner in which Schmidt’s goal unfolded – a blocked shot
bouncing straight to his stick, his ensuing slapper deflecting off forward
Gregory Campbell’s hand – he still celebrated like a madman, so unlike the
23-year-old rookie who always came to work so chipper that teammates
invented a new term to describe his mood: “Nate Schmidt Happy.”
Defenseman John Carlson reached Schmidt first, just like he had Dec. 7,
2013, when Schmidt uncorked his first career NHL goal. Carlson, who had
spent 67 straight games paired beside Orpik, wrapped his new partner in a
massive hug and, like two Decembers ago, almost drove Schmidt into the
third row, slamming him against the glass.
“That was probably the hardest I got hit all night,” Schmidt joked. “I’ll take that
at this time of the year for me. Getting that first one of the year feels great. I
hope you guys could see his expression too, because I think that might have
been as good as mine. It was a big goal for us at the time, and it really put us
ahead for the rest of the game.”
Schmidt finished second among all Capitals’ defensemen in even-strength
shot differential (plus-eight), according to war-on-ice.com, notched his first
NHL point since Dec. 13 and announced his comeback from injury while
more teammates flocked to his side.
“It was good,” Holtby said. “I told him it was a goal-scorer’s goal, that snipe.”
Holtby watched from the opposite zone while Schmidt, Carlson and the
others celebrated, and from the bench Coach Barry Trotz made note of the
uniqueness of the scene. Not everybody, he said later, would spawn such
glee.
Eventually, Trotz will be at least partway responsible for determining
Schmidt’s fate, for judging this body of work posted in Orpik’s stead and
deciding whether the Capitals should spend one of their four non-emergency
recalls to grant Schmidt a permanent spot. It already seemed reasonable,
given the number of games remaining (12) and banged-up defensive corps.
But for now, Trotz watched Carlson drive Schmidt backward and the bench
explode. He saw Schmidt pump his fist, open his mouth wide and scream,
perhaps a new, reenergized form of Nate Schmidt Happy.
“Schmidty brings a lot of energy to the room,” Trotz said. “I don’t have to say
anything. You just watch the reaction of his teammates when he scores a
goal, that probably says it all. I can’t put into words better than what they did
and how they reacted.”
770040
Washington Capitals
Nicklas Backstrom overtakes Capitals’ franchise record with 420 assists
They stood together and smiled, the three who made history Sunday night,
and if the man in the middle had his druthers, credit would have been halved
between the other two. But Nicklas Backstrom was the one everyone wanted
to hug, everyone wanted to congratulate and everyone wanted to snap a
photo with to post onto Instagram. He was also the one who probably thought
least about this moment, or else wanted to ascribe it the least meaning. The
Washington Capitals had won a hockey game. That was his top story.
“As I said before, it’s a nice bonus and it’s always, you get credit for
something, maybe you’ve done something good,” Backstrom said. “But
you’ve got to remember that I’ve played with a lot of good players all the year.
Without the teammates and coaches and the fans, I wouldn’t be here today.”
But he was here, the Capitals’career assists leader after vaulting over Michal
Pivonka with two helpers during a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins, blazing
toward 420 in 260 fewer career games than the previous record-holder, and
even the soft-spoken Backstrom seemed to enjoy the moment. He held the
puck defenseman John Carlson blasted into the net, thanks to a slick
power-play feed from Backstrom along the half wall, with tape wrapped
around it, marking the feat.
He posed for pictures and smiled, first with Carlson and forward Troy
Brouwer, who scored the momentous goal and notched the secondary
helper, respectively. He took another with forward Tom Wilson and forward
Alex Ovechkin, his linemates from a night spent dominating the Bruins in
possession. Then he snapped one more with Ovechkin, the man Backstrom
had leaped three games ago against Buffalo, the friend who predicted
Backstrom would certainly break Pivonka’s record first, no matter that he
entered Sunday night tied with both at 418.
“Yeah I just tell him congrats with that,” Ovechkin said last week. “It’s big.
He’s going to be on top. Probably nobody going to beat him in this category.
It’s a pleasure to play with him.”
Ovechkin might catch Backstrom yet, just two assists behind him and still
knotted with Pivonka, but the likelier scenario has Backstrom rocketing
ahead. He now leads the NHL with 53 helpers, five more than Sidney Crosby
and Jakub Voracek. He ranks second in points, tied with Ovechkin and
Crosby, one behind John Tavares. And in each of Washington’s past three
victories, wrapped around its home struggles against Minnesota, New York
and Dallas, Backstrom notched two assists.
“Obviously one of the best hidden secrets in the National Hockey League,
Nicklas Backstrom was outstanding again,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “To me,
he’s the two-way hockey player that you always talk about as a coach, a guy
that can play the high hockey IQ and make plays … Big game, stepped up,
he was world-class.”
When the flock of well-wishers dissipated, Backstrom stood outside his
locker stall and commanded the biggest crowd of cameras Sunday night,
even after defenseman Nate Schmidt registered his first goal of the season
and netminder Braden Holtby blanked Boston for the second time this year.
He called the victory “playoff hockey” and praised a fast start, which had
been missing over the Capitals’ two-game slide. He hurled credit onto Holtby
and Bruins’ starter Tuukka Rask, “two good goalies out there today.”
To the side, Carlson spoke before a smaller crowd. He had initially
considered slipping Backstrom’s pass over to Ovechkin for another
one-timer, but caught the Bruins over-shifting, anticipating the familiar play.
So he instead pivoted toward Rask and blasted it over the goaltender’s right
shoulder, ensuring Backstrom got the record in primary fashion.
“It’s great,” Carlson told reporters. “No one will probably talk about it and he
probably won’t say anything more than yeah, it’s cool. But he’s amazing, an
amazing player, brings it every night, sort of a huge silent leader in the room.
He says stuff and leads by example. He’s not a yeller and a screamer. Shows
up for work every day with a skillset like that, good thing are going to
happen.”
When it did finally happen, when Verizon Center acknowledged the record on
the video screen and the crowd responded with a standing ovation,
Backstrom lifted his stick into the air and nodded his thanks. Then he plopped
onto the bench, slugged from his water bottle and, as if to prove the moment
had passed, spit everything onto the ground while the cameras still rolled.
770041
Washington Capitals
Evgeny Kuznetsov caps Capitals’ shootout win over Sabres
By John Wawrow - Associated Press - Monday, March 16, 2015
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in regulation and the lone goal
in the shootout to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win over the
last-place Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
Matt Niskanen had two assists for the Capitals, who overcame a pair of
one-goal deficits. Curtis Glencross and Mike Green also scored for
Washington (38-23-10), which matched last season’s win total and opened a
four-point edge over eighth-place Boston in the Eastern Conference
standings.
Braden Holtby made 30 saves in his 14th consecutive start, and was coming
off a 2-0 shutout over the Bruins on Sunday.
Johan Larsson tied the game with 6:10 left in the third, when he deflected in
defenseman Chad Ruhwedel’s shot from the right point. Tyler Ennis and
Cody Hodgson also scored for the Sabres, who dropped to 0-5-2 in their past
seven games.
Kuznetsov scored on the Capitals‘ opening shootout attempt. Slowly winding
his way to the net, he finally got the puck on his forehand and snapped a shot
just inside the left post.
The Sabres‘ final chance to score ended when Phil Varone had the puck
dribble off his stick while attempting to make a move in close.
The Capitals‘ power-play unit continued its hot pace by scoring on both
opportunities, including Kuznetsov’s goal, which put the Capitals up 3-2 early
in the third.
With Buffalo’s Nikita Zadorov in the penalty box for delay of game, Niskanen
set up the play from inside his own zone with a long pass to Kuznetsov at the
Sabres blue line. Driving in on a 3-on-2 break, Kuznetsov patiently waited for
the play to develop.
Using Glencross as a screen, Kuznetsov snapped a shot into the open left
side.
Washington entered the game with the NHL’s second-ranked power-play
unit, which has scored nine times on 17 opportunities in its past eight games.
Green tied it at 2 early in the second period off a faceoff to the left of the
Sabres‘ net. Washington forward Marcus Johansson corralled a loose puck
and ran into the side of the net and fell while attempting to go behind it.
The puck rolled to Green in the right circle, from where he slapped a shot into
the open side, with goalie Anders Lindback caught out of position.
Holtby had to be sharp in the final seconds of the second period, when
Sabres captain Brian Gionta had a breakaway. Holtby kicked out his right
pad to turn aside the shot just before the horn blew.
It was an entertaining first period in which the Sabres showed plenty of jump,
managing two goals on 15 shots, and even drew Alex Ovechkin into a fight. It
happened 3½ minutes in, when Sabres defenseman Mike Weber’s hard
check sent Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom tumbling into the end boards
in the Buffalo end.
Ovechkin immediately raced in and crosschecked Weber from behind, and
then engaged in a shoving match with the defensemen.
With Ovechkin issued a double-minor for roughing, Ennis opened the scoring
on a pretty give-and-go with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
After Glencross tied it with a power-play goal 9:23 in, Hodgson responded by
scoring on a backhand 45 seconds later. Hodgson skated into the slot and
shoveled the puck at the net. Holtby got a piece of the shot with his blocker,
but lost sight of the puck, which popped up into the air and then bounced in
off the goalie’s back.
NOTES: Ovechkin failed to score in his third straight game. That’s the NHL’s
leading scorer’s longest drought since a three-game stretch from Dec. 11-18.
… The Capitals improved to 6-1-2 in their past nine against Buffalo. …
Ovechkin entered the day with an NHL-leading 21 power-play goals. The
Sabres got their 21st on Ennis‘ goal. …. Buffalo recalled Ruhwedel from AHL
Rochester earlier in the day to fill in for a banged-up blue line playing without
Zach Bogosian (lower body) and Andrej Meszaros (hand).
Washington Times LOADED: 03.17.2015
770042
Washington Capitals
NHL Power Rankings: Winning when it counts
March 16, 2015, 9:15 am
Staff
It was a tough week for the Capitals, but the finished it off with a major win
over the Boston Bruins. After two-straight home losses, the Caps saw their
lead over the Bruins evaporate. In a big game between two teams fighting for
playoff position, the Caps shutout the Bruins on Sunday night, reasserting
themselves as the top wild card team.
The Capitals have been a great regular season team in recent seasons, but
that has not translated into the playoffs. Does their win over Boston on
Sunday, a game with major implications and playoff atmosphere, show that
the Caps are ready to get over the playoff hump?
Before you get too excited, however, don't forget the Caps were dominated
by the New York Rangers earlier in the week even without their top netminder
Henrik Lundqvist. The Caps are not going to play Boston in the playoffs
unless both teams meet in the conference finals, but they could very well
meet the Rangers in the first round yet again.
770043
Washington Capitals
Holtby, Kolzig continue relationship from afar
March 16, 2015, 8:45 am
Staff
The only time we see them together now is on old video: Braden Holtby
leaning on his stick, Olie Kolzig doing most of the talking. Kolzig seems to be
explaining a drill with a very serious face, but after a brief pause, he breaks
into a wide smile.
In that moment, Holtby drops his head, shakes it, and you can spot his
cheekbones raise, the only visible sign of a smile underneath his mask.
They are now more than 900 miles apart, but Kolzig and Holtby remain
kindred spirits, one helping the other to navigate a road he once traveled.
“You don't find many people in this world where you know everything is safe
with him, you can talk about anything,” Holtby said recently of Kolzig, who is
now a professional development coach with the Capitals, splitting time
between his home in Florida and the Capitals’ minor league affiliates in
Hershey and South Carolina. “He's been there. He knows how you feel, he
knows what goes on mentally and away from the rink, everything. He knows
what it's like to be a goalie at this level.”
The connection between Kolzig, 44, and Holtby, 25, began long before they
met. Holtby’s eyes sparkle when he thinks back to a time he was seven or
eight and “really getting into hockey.” The NHL goalie Holtby recalls seeing
the most was a 27-year-old Kolzig just entering the prime of his career with
the Capitals.
When the two actually began working together when Kolzig was hired as an
associate goaltending coach in 2011, Holtby said, “I already knew a lot about
him.”
Kolzig said it didn’t take long for the two to strike a friendship.
“That intensity they bring to the game is very valuable to them, it’s very
valuable to the team and their teammates and I never wanted to stifle them,”
Prior said of Kolzig and Holtby. “I wanted to educate them to be smarter.”
Kolzig said that by the time he started working with Holtby in Hershey, his
aggressive issues were no longer issues at all. In fact, at the age of 23,
Holtby had already recorded more wins in a season than Kolzig had when he
was 27 years old.
“There wasn't a need to sit him down and give him the tools to be able to
channel the emotions in the right direction,” Kolzig said. “He was already
pretty adept at doing that himself. But just based on conversations and the
things he had to overcome, that's why I say he reminded me a lot of me.”
Holtby said learning how to harness his emotions early in his career has
helped him deal with the ebbs and flows he experiences over the course of
an 82-game season.
“I don't think I'd be here without those lessons learned,” he said.
The bond between Kolzig and Holtby was strengthened during two
tumultuous seasons under former Caps coach Adam Oates.
Under Oates, Holtby was asked to do things that went against how he was
coached in previous years, even though he guided the Capitals to two
consecutive Game 7s in the 2012 playoffs, and another Game 7 in 2013.
Holtby struggled through the first half of last season, when he seemed to be
in a constant battle for the starting job.
Prior said when he coached Holtby two seasons ago, he felt he was asked to
over-handle the puck and that it “led to fatigue and cramping in games
because he was taking pucks that you would normally be more selective on.
[He was] trying to make everyone else’s job easier and it only made his more
difficult. You wear down.”
It was during those difficult days of last season that Holtby found refuge in his
friendship with Kolzig.
“That was one of the things I looked forward to coming to the rink last year,
was to talk to Olie, not necessarily playing hockey all the time,” Holtby said.
“You know you're gonna have a friend, a person to talk to you, just get your
mind away from all the other things going through your head. He made it fun
last year when it wasn't a very fun situation.”
“I've been around some players who are just intimidated by a coach talking to
them or they just seem a little guarded,” Kolzig said. “I never got that with
Braden.
On the ice, Kolzig also worked with Holtby to sort out what worked for him in
the past and what changes might work for him in the future.
“It was pretty easygoing right from the start and that's what I liked. He let you
know how he felt, Gruby [Bears goaltender Philipp Grubauer] was the same
way. They weren't saying things just for the sake of that's what you wanted to
hear. They were truly genuine and honest."
“I went to Braden and said, ‘Take whatever you think benefitted you and we'll
just apply it to the way you were playing moving forward. It freed him up
mentally, and he just went and played. He saw he was having success
again, and so I think from a confidence standpoint it validated that he is a
Number One NHL goalie, despite what certain people were saying about the
way he used to play.”
Capitals current goalie coach Mitch Korn has a unique perspective on Kolzig
and Holtby and the similarities between the two. Korn coached Kolzig for one
season back in the 1990s while working with former Capitals goalie coach
Dave Prior.
After a change in both the coach’s and general manager’s office, Holtby
entered this year’s training camp as the Caps’ No. 1 goaltender and has not
let it go.
“They're very similar off the ice when you talk to them because they’re very
laid back,” Korn said. “They never raise their voices. They're very calm, very
respectful in talking to you; they don't get animated in conversations.”
Under a new regime and with the maturity gained from triumphing over
adversity, Holtby is experiencing success at a much younger age than Kolzig
did.
Those relaxed personalities off the ice certainly do not reflect the on-ice
personas that both say saddled them early in their respective careers.
“I see Braden now,” Kolzig said, “and he plays so much tighter. He's so much
more fluid, less aggressive and a lot of that has to be attributed to Mitch and
Mitch's style of coaching.”
Kolzig would get so emotional while playing junior hockey in the Western
Hockey League that he earned the nickname “Godzilla” for his red-hot
temper. Prior, who coached Kolzig for 11 years, said taming him was like
“trying to harness a volcano. If you could do it, you could power the world.
But if you slipped up, you might get burned to death.”
Holtby showed his emotion differently, Prior said.
“Braden was just overboard on his puck-handling,” Prior said. “He’s the best
puck-handling goaltender I've ever coached.”
In Hershey, Prior said he gave Holtby the green light to try to score a goal
because he believed Holtby could do it. But he also held Holtby accountable
for managing how often he roamed out of his net to play the puck.
The art, Prior said, was finding a way for both goalies to harness their
emotions.
Korn credits Holtby’s maturity off the ice to his transformation as a goalie on
the ice.
“Braden is married with two children already and he's 25,” Korn said. “And
you know with children if you get emotional, you learn to control that, you
learn to bite your tongue. You really learn to know what becomes important
and what isn't important. And I've said on a number of occasions how
grounded Braden is because he has a young family and he married young in
relation to today's day and age.”
That maturity has allowed Holtby to handle an incredible workload this
season. Holtby played in his 61st game of the season on Sunday and
recorded his career-high eighth shutout of the season. He’s also set a
personal high in wins [33] and has a chance to match Kolzig’s franchise
records of 73 games and 41 wins set in 1999-2000.
Kolzig’s most productive seasons came when his workload skyrocketed.
Four times in his career he played between 63 and 71 games and three times
he played in 71 games or more.
With that as a backdrop, Holtby is just the fourth goaltender in Capitals
history to earn 30 wins in a season, joining Jim Carey, Jose Theodore and, of
course, Kolzig.
Through it all, Holtby remains grounded and appreciative of those who have
helped him along the way. He paid tribute to Kolzig by featuring one of his
masks, an old Uncle Sam rendition, on his Winter Classic mask.
Kolzig was flattered.
“As a former player that just means the world, when you have the younger
generation paying tribute to you,” Kolzig said. “It's the greatest form of flattery
when you have somebody that you've worked with and had a little bit of an
influence on, to have them recognize the past players. I think that is ‘it’ for
coaching.”
Despite the distance between them Kolzig said he still keeps in touch with his
friend and former student, sending Holtby text messages every couple weeks
“just to let him know that I'm thinking about him and I'm happy that he's
achieving what he's doing.”
When Holtby is asked about those text messages, he breaks into a wide
smile like the one he flashed in those videos a few years ago.
“It puts a smile on your face when you see congrats after a game or
whatever,” Holtby said. “It's great he's still here, he's still with the organization
helping out, because he's a valuable part of what I do, and the whole
organization. It's great to have him.”
770044
Washington Capitals
Caps overcome slow start to earn win in Buffalo
March 16, 2015, 10:00 pm
Chuck Gormley
How it happened: Evgeny Kuznetsov took a slow and deliberate approach on
Buffalo goaltender Anders Lindback before beating him with the only goal of
the shootout, while Braden Holtby was perfect on all three Sabres attempts.
Kuznetsov’s power-play goal with 5:55 gone in the third period gave the Caps
their first lead of the game but Johan Larson tied it on a redirection with 6:10
remaining in regulation to send the game into extra time. Curtis Glencross
and Mike Green also scored in regulation for the Capitals.
What it means: The Caps have won two games in a row for the first time
March 1 and 3 and have won on back-to-back nights for just the third time this
season. The Caps moved four points ahead of the Boston Bruins and hold
the first wild-card position with 86 points, two behind the Pittsburgh
Penguins, who own the third spot in the Metro Division. The Caps also
moved nine points ahead of the ninth-place Ottawa Senators in their quest to
clinch a playoff spot.
Shootout numbers: The Caps improved to 4-4 in shootouts this season.
Kuznetsov leads the Caps with five goals on eight shootout attempts. Nicklas
Backstrom was stopped on his attempt falling to 3-for-9 on the season.
Holtby improved to 2-3 in shootouts this season. He also won on
back-to-back nights for the first time this season.
Flipping wings: Caps right wing Tom Wilson began the game on the top line
but was replaced by Marcus Johansson late in the second period and
Johansson remained there in the third period. Johansson made a strong
move around the net to get Buffalo goalie Anders Lindback to lean to his
right, then found Green with a diving pass that resulted in Green hammering
his sixth goal of the season.
Deuce for Niskanen: Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen picked up assists on
goals by Glencross and Kuznetsov, giving him his first two-point night since
Jan. 27. Niskanen now has three goals and 20 assists, well off the career
highs he set last season in Pittsburgh when he had 10 goals and 36 assists.
What’s next: The Caps will have the day off on Tuesday then return to Kettler
for practice on Wednesday. They return to game action on Thursday night in
Minnesota, followed by a visit to Winnipeg on Saturday. After that road trip
the Caps will be home for four days before playing the Devils at Verizon
Center onMarch 26.
770045
Washington Capitals
Matt Moulson - Johan Larsson - Tyler Ennis
Marcus Foligno - Philip Varone - Brian Gionta
Holtby gets the start against lowly Sabres
Nicolas Deslauriers - Tim Schaller - Cody Hodgson
Jerry D'Amigo - Matt Ellis - Zac Dalpe
March 16, 2015, 6:15 pm
Defense pairings
Chuck Gormley
Mike Weber - Rasmus Ristolainen
Nikita Zadorov - Chad Ruhwedel
Coming off his eighth shutout of the season, Braden Holtby will get the start
tonight in Buffalo against the Sabres, Capitals coach Barry Trotz said in his 5
p.m. news conference.
Andre Benoit - Tyson Strachan
“We’ve had a lot of rest lately and Braden’s a guy who likes a lot of rhythm,”
Trotz said. “We decided to go back with him.”
Anders Lindback
Trotz said he had considered starting backup Justin Peters tonight but that
changed when Peters suffered a lower-body injury in the Caps’ 4-2 loss to
the Dallas Stars on Friday night. Emergency call-up Philipp Grubauer will
serve as Holtby’s backup tonight.
Matt Hackett
Defenseman Brooks Orpik [lower body] and centers Michael Latta [upper
body] and Jay Beagle [upper body] will join Peters on the Caps’ injury list,
meaning the Caps will go with the same lineup they used in their 2-0 win over
the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Holtby has played on consecutive nights five times this season and is 1-3-1 in
the second end of back-to-backs with a 3.05 GAA and .898 save percentage.
He has not won on consecutive nights all season.
Overall, the Caps are playing their 14th set of back-to-back games. They are
7-5-1 in the first end of those back-to-backs and 4-8-1 in the back ends. They
have won on consecutive nights twice this season, on Nov. 7 and 8 when
Holtby and Peters beat Chicago and Carolina, and on Feb. 5 and 6 when
Holtby and Grubauer beat Ottawa and Anaheim.
Carlson’s promotion: Trotz said defenseman John Carlson’s promotion to the
top power-play unit had a lot to do with Mike Green’s difficulty shooting the
puck because of an upper body injury.
“He’s been pretty good this year shooting the puck,” Trotz said of Carlson,
who netted his 11th goal of the season and third on the power play in Sunday
night’s 2-0 win over the Bruins. “For a while there, we got away from shooting
the puck and that was partly because Greenie was a little banged up.
[Carlson] has done a good job and we kept him there. Teams cheat over to
Ovi [Alex Ovechkin] and if they’re going to cheat we’ll let [Carlson] bomb it.”
Here are projected lineups for tonight:
CAPITALS
Forward lines
Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Tom Wilson
Curtis Glencross - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera - Eric Fehr - Joel Ward
Chris Conner - Brooks Laich - Marcus Johansson
Defense pairings
Nate Schmidt - John Carlson
Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen
Tim Gleason - Mike Green
Starting goaltender
Braden Holtby
Backup goaltender
Philipp Grubauer
Injured: Justin Peters (lower body), Michael Latta (upper body), Jay Beagle
(upper body), Brooks Orpik (lower body), Dmitry Orlov (wrist), John Erskine
(neck surgery)
SABRES
Forward lines
Starting goaltender
Backup goaltender
Injured: Andrej Meszaros (upper body), Zach Bogosian (lower body),
Zemgus Girgensons (lower body), Josh Gorges(lower body), Patrick Kaleta
(lower body), Chad Johnson (lower body), Cody McCormick (blood clots),
Evander Kane(shoulder)
770046
Washington Capitals
Pregame primer: Can Caps repeat a rout in Buffalo?
March 16, 2015, 4:45 pm
Chuck Gormley
Where the Caps stand: With their 2-0 win over the Bruins on Sunday the
Caps moved into sole possession of the first wild card spot, two points ahead
of Boston and four behind the Penguins, who are in third place in the Metro
Division and play again Tuesday night in New Jersey.
Where the Sabres stand: Buffalo has lost six in a row and is coming off a 2-0
loss to the Rangers on Saturday. They have been shut out 11 times this
season and have scored a league-low 129 goals. Their goal differential is a
whopping minus-101. Still, the Sabres are just four points ahead of the
Edmonton Oilers in the race to have the NHL’s worst record and the best
chance to take Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel with the first pick of the 2015
NHL draft.
Goaltending matchup: The Sabres are expected go with Anders Lindback
[2-11-1, 3.36 GAA, .894 SP]. Lindback has appeared in five straight games
for the Sabres, all losses, and relieved Matt Hackett on March 7 when the
Caps and Sabres last met. The Caps rolled to their most lopsided win of the
season in that game, 6-1, scoring a pair of goals on 22 shots against
Lindback, who is 2-2-1 lifetime against the Caps. With two days off before
playing again in Minnesota, the Caps could go with goaltender Braden Holtby
[33-18-9, 2.17, .925], who recorded his eighth shutout of the season in
Sunday’s win over Boston. If not, they have a choice between Philipp
Grubauer [1-0-0, 1.85, .920] or Justin Peters [3-5-1, 3.38, .879]. Grubauer
and Peters [lower body injury] took shots at a light skate on Monday in
Buffalo. If Grubauer plays Peters will remain on the injured list. If Peters
plays, Grubauer will be re-assigned to Hershey.
Old-fashioned beating: The last time the two teams met on March 7 six
different Capitals scored goals in a 6-1 rout in D.C. However, the Sabres won
their first meeting of the season on Nov. 22 in Washington by a 2-1 score.
This is the final matchup of the season between the two teams.
Short on D: The Sabres will be without defensemen Zach Bogosian [Lower
body] and Andrej Meszaros [upper body], which means Chad Ruhwedel will
make his Sabres season debut tonight. “He can skate," Sabres coach Ted
Nolan said. "He can get by quick and make that first pass.”
Nice company: Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom has seven assists in his
last secen games and 24 assists in his last 27 games. Since he entered the
NHL in 2007-08, Backstrom ranks third in the NHL in assists with 420, trailing
Henrik Sedin [464] and Joe Thornton [447].
Holt-beast: In his last 20 starts, Braden Holtby has four shutouts, a 1.90 GAA
and a .934 SP. He is the second goaltender in Capitals history to record at
least eight shutouts in one season, joining Jim Carey [nine shutouts in
1995-96. His 33 wins are tied for the fourth-most wins in a season in Capitals
history. Olie Kolzig registered 41 wins in 1999-00 and 37 in 2000-01 and Jim
Carey earned 35 wins in 1995-96.
Carlson moves up the ladder: Caps defenseman John Carlson scored his
career-high 11th goal of the season on Sunday moving past Ken Klee [43]
and into ninth place on the club’s all-time list of goals by a defenseman.
Carlson has set career highs in goals [11], assists [36] and points [47] this
season. Carlson also leads the Capitals in ice time [23:03[.
Look ahead: The Caps will return home after tonight’s game in Buffalo and
will be given the day off on Tuesday. They are scheduled to practice at
Kettler at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, then fly to Minnesota for Thursday
night’s game against the Wild. After tonight, four of the Caps’ next five games
will be against teams currently in playoff position.
How Swedish culture affects Backstrom's hockey game
Backstrom credits much of his success to his durability. Aside from sitting out
half of the 2011-12 season with a concussion, Backstrom has missed just
five games in his NHL career and is on pace to play a full season for the sixth
time in eight seasons.
March 16, 2015, 2:00 pm
“I don’t like to take games off if I’m bumped up,” Backstrom said. “It’s not who
I am. Maybe I don’t have the toughest style, either. I’m more a
middle-of-the-ice guy, so maybe that helps a lot to prevent injuries.”
770047
Washington Capitals
Chuck Gormley
Trotz has said on many occasions that deception may be Backstrom’s
greatest tool and many of his teammates agree, saying he has a sixth sense
that few NHL players possess.
There is a saying in Sweden about no one wanting to be the tallest shaft of
wheat in the crop. Nicklas Backstrom has heard it and, like many Swedes,
tries to live by it.
“If you watch a game from up top everything looks really easy, because you
see the play develop two or three seconds before it’s there,” Capitals
forward Brooks Laich said. “But when you’re on the ice with moving parts it’s
not that easy.
“I know what it means,” said the Capitals’ 27-year-old center, who on Sunday
night became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists with his 419th and
420th of his career. “You just want to be average, you don’t want to stand out.
“That’s for sure the culture there. You can’t stand out because that’s rude,
kind of. That’s why I think a lot of Swedish players are like that.
“Let’s say you do something good. It doesn’t have to be in hockey or sports,
you shouldn’t stand out, you should be normal. That’s how Sweden is.
People aren’t jealous of other people. That’s what I would say it is.”
That might explain why, when Backstrom was given a standing ovation
Sunday night for passing Michal Pivonka as the Caps’ all-time assist leader,
he sheepishly raised his stick in appreciation, lowered his eyes and kept his
game face on.
The fact Backstrom was able to break Pivonka’s record in just 565 games –
260 fewer than Pivonka himself – is a testament to his creativity, consistency
and durability.
Pivonka says he saw Sunday night coming long before this season.
“It was never a question of whether he would get the record,” Pivonka said by
phone, “only when. I’m happy for him and tell him I said that. He is an
incredible player and an incredible passer. I knew from the beginning he was
special and that he and [Alex] Ovechkin would do great things. I hope they
keep it up.”
With his two assists Sunday night Backstrom increased his league-leading
total to 53 assists, five more than Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and
Philadelphia’s Jake Voracek. He is also in a three-way tie with Ovechkin and
Crosby for second place in the NHL with 71 points, one behind Islanders
center John Tavares.
Now in his eighth season with the Capitals Backstrom has 565 points in 565
NHL games and is on pace to finish the season with 21 goals and 62 assists,
slightly higher than his season average of 18.5 goals and 53.6 assists per
season.
If Backstrom, who is signed through the 2019-20 season, continues at that
pace through the end of his 10-year contract with the Capitals, he’ll be flirting
with 250 goals and 700 assists by the time he’s 32, especially if Ovechkin is
still cranking out 50-goal seasons with the same regularity.
Backstrom has assisted on 29 of Ovechkin’s 45 goals this season and since
he entered the NHL in 2007-08, he’s assisted on 169 of Ovechkin’s 369 goals
[45.8 percent].
“Ovi helps, there’s no question,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “You need
to finish on the other side. But Nick’s a pretty good player. I’m still on the
Selke bandwagon for him. He’s had the best year and has been the most
complete forward on both sides of the puck in the NHL for my money. I don’t
have a lot, but for me he’s been the best this year, so I’d like to see him get
that recognition.”
Ovechkin, 29, already holds the franchise goals record with 467 and is two
assists behind Backstrom with 418.
“It’s a little rare nowadays,” Capitals right winger Troy Brouwer said of
players setting franchise marks at such young ages. “It’s a special time for
the Caps organization to have these guys.”
Backstrom says he feels fortunate to be a part of Ovechkin’s success as a
goal scorer but does not place a lot of emphasis on his own milestones.
“I’ve been part of this organization for eight years,” he said. “Maybe it’s just a
bonus for playing with a lot of good players over the years. They help me a
lot. That’s why I’m in this situation I think.”
“Nicky plays the game like he’s looking from up top, where everything is slow,
which is very difficult to do. He makes plays into guys’ wheelhouses and he
does it consistently, over and over again. His vision and his elite hands, his
patience, his deception. It’s incredible to watch. Think of how many times he
gets knocked off the puck. He has a very strong lower body and his spacial
awareness is exceptional.”
But there is something else about Backstrom that cannot be measured on the
ice. It is the quiet confidence he exudes in the locker room, where his only
goal every night is to win a hockey game. Maybe it's a Swedish thing, but his
teammates love it.
“Like I’ve always said,” Brouwer said, “it’s about his character away from the
points. He’s not too concerned with getting the points or the plaques on the
walls. He wants this team to win and that’s what makes him such a great
teammate.
“I’m sure he’s happy and excited about breaking the record, but he’s more
about how the team performs. That’s how he judges his play.”
770048
Winnipeg Jets
8 Joe Pavelski
12 Patrick Marleau
Tonight: SHARKS @ JETS
19 Joe Thornton
20 John Scott
Posted: 3:00 AM Mar. 17 at 7 p.m.
21 Ben Smith
Ed Tait
27 Scott Hannan
39 Logan Couture
-- San Jose is still reeling from a horrible February, in which the club went
3-8-2.
-- The Sharks' penalty-kill unit is ranked 24th in the NHL at 79.5 per cent; their
power play, by contrast, is fifth best in the league.
41 Mirco Mueller
44 Marc-Edouard Vlasic
48 Tomas Hertl
-- Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks with 32 goals, 17 of which have come with
the man advantage.
50 Chris Tierney
-- The Sharks are coming off a 6-2 loss to Chicago on Saturday and open a
seven-game road trip against the Jets. San Jose has won both games
against Winnipeg this season, 3-0 back on Oct. 11 in California and 3-2 on
Jan. 5 here in Manitoba.
57 Tommy Wingels
-- The Sharks are 305-157-65 under head coach Todd McLellan since
2008-'09 and San Jose's 64.0 winning percentage is the third-best in the
league over that span, behind only Chicago (65.2) and Pittsburgh (64.8).
WINNIPEG JETS
31 Ondrej Pavelec
34 Michael Hutchinson
2 Adam Pardy
5 Mark Stuart
7 Keaton Ellerby
8 Jacob Trouba
12 Drew Stafford
14 Anthony Peluso
15 Matt Halischuk
16 Andrew Ladd
17 Adam Lowry
18 Bryan Little
19 Jim Slater
20 Lee Stempniak
21 T.J. Galiardi
22 Chris Thorburn
23 Jay Harrison
26 Blake Wheeler
33 Dustin Byfuglien
39 Toby Enstrom
55 Mark Scheifele
57 Tyler Myers
58 Eric O'Dell
67 Michael Frolik
91 Jiri Tlusty
SAN JOSE SHARKS
31 Antti Niemi
32 Ales Stalock
4 Brenden Dillon
52 Matt Irwin
61 Justin Braun
68 Melker Karlsson
71 Danil Tarasov
83 Matt Nieto
88 Brett Burns
89 Barclay Goodrow
(Lineups subject to change)
Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.17.2015
770049
Winnipeg Jets
Buff, Myers could be back on blue-line tonight: Cavalry arrives in the nick of
time
By: Tim Campbell
Posted: 3:00 AM
The range may be from mere consternation to an actual migraine on the
question of injuries and whether there is any greater source of anxiety for
fans, coaches, managers and owners.
In the case of the Winnipeg Jets, it's been another stretch of days for pain
relievers. For the players, too, because most injuries actually hurt.
The team, in an intense scramble for a Stanley Cup playoff berth with just 13
games to go, likely went from splitting headache to just minor throbbing
Monday when it was revealed big-minutes defencemen Dustin Byfuglien and
Tyler Myers may well join the lineup for tonight's contest at the MTS Centre
against the San Jose Sharks.
The Jets, at 80 points in 69 games, were either barely above or below the
playoff line depending on the outcome of a West Coast game Monday night.
(The L.A. Kings -- one point behind the Jets in the race for the second
wild-card spot -- were hosting the lowly Arizona Coyotes.)
Myers went down last Thursday after crashing into the goalpost and boards
in a game against the Florida Panthers. He missed Saturday's trip-ending 2-1
win in Tampa.
'Today it was nice to come back to see the boys. I kind of missed them. It got
a little lonely, boring around here without them'
-- Dustin Byfuglien
Byfuglien's upper-body problem occurred March 4 vs. Ottawa and he missed
all four road games last week.
Both were on the ice and in regular practice garb on Monday at the MTS
Iceplex.
Myers even declared himself ready to go tonight.
"A lot better," he said. "Should be good to go, no problem tomorrow. We had
a good-case scenario and a bad-case scenario and it ended up being the
best that we could have had."
Jets coach Paul Maurice, as he almost always does, hedged his bets on both
men but gave no negative hints.
"Byfuglien and Myers skated today," the coach said. "We'll see how they're
doing tomorrow before we make any decisions. It's a possibility they could be
available for us tomorrow night."
Byfuglien had skated for a few days prior to Monday's practice. He hinted his
injury wasn't just one play in the Ottawa game.
"It definitely wasn't... didn't happen the way I thought it would happen," he
said Monday. "It wasn't the start of it. It was just kind of the end of it. It finally
went, and it's getting better getting back into the game.
"Today it was nice to come back to see the boys. I kind of missed them. It got
a little lonely, boring around here without them."
Putting Byfuglien, averaging 22 minutes 45 seconds per game of ice time,
and Myers, averaging 24:34, back into a stretch-run game certainly bolsters
the Jets' depth.
The fact Myers' regular partner, Toby Enstrom, is no worse for wear after
being plastered into the glass and boards from behind during Saturday's
game is also a bonus.
Enstrom was away from practice -- just maintenance -- on Monday but will be
ready tonight, Maurice said.
The line on good injury news ends there.
On the other side of it, No. 1 centre Byran Little remains out. He's also missed
four games and though he skated with injured parties on Monday, is unlikely
for tonight. Maurice didn't rule Little out for this entire week, though.
And one more name goes on the injured list. Defenceman Paul Postma, who
came back into the lineup and played 23:01 on Saturday, is now out several
weeks with a lower-body issue.
"It's significant, lower body," Maurice said. "We'll have a better understanding
over the next three or four days on the length of time. It's weeks, not days.
Even on the positive end of it, if it's good news it's going to be at least a
couple weeks."
As far as other long-term wounded players go, neither defenceman Ben
Chiarot nor point producer Mathieu Perreault are closer than their projected
early April returns.
"As planned," Maurice said. "Nobody's coming back early yet from that
group."
The wild swings of the Jets' injury picture, as well as within their games and
their results, have tested mental resolve in the last 10 days, veteran
defenceman Mark Stuart said.
"Ups and downs for sure," Stuart said. "We wanted to end on a good note
and we did that. That game in Tampa just showed a lot of resiliency."
770050
Winnipeg Jets
Maurice not tipping hand on choice of netminders
hit from behind by Nikita Kucherov, which resulted in the Tampa forward
receiving a boarding major and game misconduct. The NHL's department of
player safety appeared to agree with Cooper, choosing not to issue any
further discipline.
Maurice was asked if he agreed with Cooper's assessment.
By: Ed Tait
Posted: 2:03 AM
"You really shouldn't bang your face off the dasher after you get run from
behind," said Maurice, the sarcasm in his voice thick. "We'll talk to him about
it."
-- with files from Tim Campbell
THEY are ugly numbers, the kind that would make Michael Hutchinson and
Ondrej Pavelec wake up in a cold sweat screaming if they fixated on them.
Consider this: The Winnipeg Jets have the worst save percentage in the NHL
over the last 20 games at .881.
As a result -- and given the all-over-the-map work of Hutchinson and Pavelec
on the recent four-game road trip -- the question on everyone's lips since
Saturday's win over Tampa Bay, is who gets the start Tuesday night against
the San Jose Sharks?
Coach Paul Maurice, not surprisingly, isn't telling.
The issue was first broached Monday after the Jets practised at MTS Iceplex
this way:
REPORTER: "There's a lot of talk about goaltending right now with your
team..."
MAURICE: "Really?"
(Chuckles followed)
The Jets are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and remain very much in the
Western Conference playoff picture despite some iffy netminding.
Hutchinson has been pulled in two of his last three starts and had a .898 save
percentage in February and just .845 in March.
Pavelec, meanwhile, came out of the bullpen in the loss to St. Louis, keeping
his squad in the game during a dramatic rally... only to see the effort
overshadowed by his whiff on Barret Jackman's shot from outside the
blue-line. The veteran Czech then stopped 15 of 16 shots in the win over the
Lightning.
Clearly, the Jets will need those save percentages to shoot upward if they are
to be playing in mid-April. And it will be about more than just solid team
defence around the netminders... whoever might be in the blue paint when
the upcoming three-game homestand opens.
"In Tampa we kept them to a low number of shots, but they missed the net on
a few... not 20, but there's a bunch of shots off good shooters' sticks that if
they're under the bar, they're in," said Maurice. "So, we need some saves
mixed in there, too. We got them from Pav and we certainly got them from
Hutch in Nashville.
"In two of the four games (on the road trip) our goaltenders did absolutely
everything you could ask of them against really good opponents."
IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD LUCK... The Jets will be without Paul Postma for a
while, possibly the rest of the season, after he suffered a "significant
lower-body" injury while playing one of his best games of the year Saturday in
Tampa.
The news is devastating for Postma, who sat for 27 games as a healthy
scratch before returning against the Lightning and seeing a season-high in
ice time of 23:01. Postma also missed a good chunk of last season with a
blood clot in his leg.
Maurice said the Jets will have a better understanding of how long Postma
will be gone within the next few days, but he will be gone for weeks.
"It's one of those things you see the next day when he comes back," said
Maurice. "You think you might be all right but... We appreciate the bite that it
took for him to get through that game, because it wasn't easy for him.
"It's a real test of mental toughness. I always found with those kind of injuries
the players go through a bit of depression. It's such a hard thing to deal with,
especially because of the work he put in to stay right, to stay at the level he
did so he could come in and be ready to go."
QUOTABLE: Lightning coach Jon Cooper suggested after Saturday's game
Toby Enstrom was responsible for his own injury on the play in which he was
770051
Winnipeg Jets
Jets Byfuglien, Myers could be in lineup against Sharks Tuesday
By: Tim Campbell
Posted: 03/16/2015 1:12 PM
While there was some more bad news to add to the list — defencemen Paul
Postma is going to be out several weeks — the Winnipeg Jets have some
optimism that some key players will be returning to the lineup as soon as
Tuesday’s game at the MTS Centre against the San Jose Sharks.
Defenceman Tyler Myers, who missed Saturday’s 2-1 win in Tampa, said
today’s he’s ready to go Tuesday night. Myers missed just one game after
crashing into the goalpost and the boards mid-way through last Thursday’s
game in Sunrise, Fla.
Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who missed all four games of the recent road
trip, was also back into regular practice today and without declaring it, Jets
coach Paul Maurice left open the strong possibility that Byfuglien plays on
Tuesday.
As well, defenceman Toby Enstrom, though taking today off along with
Andrew Ladd, will be in uniform on Tuesday.
In Saturday’s game, Enstrom was plastered into the boards from behind from
a jumping by Nikita Kucherov and had to leave the game to have his face
stitched up.
After the game, Lightning coach Jon Cooper suggested that Enstrom was
responsible for his own injury on the play, and the NHL’s department of
player saftey appears to agree with him, since it has issued no notice of
hearing for further discipline.
Maurice was asked after today’s practice if he agreed with Cooper’s
assessment.
"You really shouldn’t bang your face off the dasher after you get run from
behind. We’ll talk to him about it," Maurice said, his sarcasm meter running in
the red zone.
Jets centre Bryan Little, though he did skate with other injured players today,
isn’t likely to be a player Tuesday. He, like Byfuglien, has missed four games.
Postma, Maurice said, was injured in Saturday's second period but managed
to play through the pain to finish the game. He wouldn't say what the problem
was but that the best-case scenario was missing a couple of weeks.
Tuesday’s game at the MTS Centre is the first of three for the Jets at home
this week.
770052
Winnipeg Jets
It's Patricks' Day: Winnipeg clan has made major impact on sporting scene
for three generations
By Kirk Penton, Winnipeg Sun
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 07:52 PM CDT | Updated: Monday,
March 16, 2015 09:02 PM CDT
Athletic superiority is nothing new. Plenty of people from all over Manitoba
have it and put it on display through many sports.
Sometimes it even covers two generations of a family. Maybe it's a
father-son, mother-daughter or uncle-niece combination that makes plenty of
sense when you consider the genes involved.
Three generations, however, is rather rare, and that's why the Patrick family
stands out from the rest. It all started with Steve Patrick on the football field
more than 60 years ago, and it continues today with young Nolan Patrick
starring on the ice for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings.
And there is plenty of athletic pedigree in between.
If grandpa Steve and grandson Nolan are at opposite ends of the Patrick
sporting clan, the husband and wife duo of Stephen and Carrie are at the
middle of it all. They were the ones who merged two athletic families to create
an extraordinary one.
Carrie Chernomaz, as she was known at the time, came to Winnipeg from
her home Port Alberni, B.C., in the early 1990s to play volleyball for the
powerhouse University of Winnipeg Wesmen. She went on to become a first
team All-Canadian and a national champion, and she ended up falling in love
with Stephen, the older brother of one her teammates, Tara Patrick.
“Stephen and I both come from families where our parents just put us in
activities,” Carrie says. “Stephen played hockey obviously, and I did quite a
few sports. I was in gymnastics and volleyball, and volleyball was the sport
that I thrived in. I loved it and was passionate about it.
“... My mom was athletic. My mom was a very good softball player. My dad
was a curler.”
The Patrick family was headed by Steve, who won four Grey Cups with the
Bombers in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but hockey is what the boys fell
in love with thanks to the nearby outdoor rinks in their St. James
neighbourhood. The five girls in the family – Kim, Carolyn, Sandra, Lisa and
Tara – were all active in high school sports.
“All my sisters were real good high school athletes,” James says. “Sandra
was athlete of the year at Sturgeon Creek. I don't know if it's genes or if we
were real lucky to have sports around us so much. That's the way it was
growing up on our street. I think there's a thousand other streets like that in
Winnipeg.”
Steve Patrick, who passed away in January 2014, went on to bigger and
better things after football, including serving as an MLA for St. James
Assiniboia from 1962 to 1977. That meant it wasn't all sports, all the time.
“In our house my dad talked about current events and politics mostly,” James
says. “As a former athlete and a parent of kids who are athletes, it was said
over and over and again: Work hard and compete. And that's about it. He let
us play. Our parents were different than us.”
That doesn't mean the family patriarch didn't dispense valuable life lessons.
“I was pretty close with him,” Nolan says of his grandpa. “When I was growing
up he would take me to the driving range quite a bit, and I remember him
buying me a few golf clubs. He was always telling me to be good in school.
Sports is one thing, but you gotta fall back on something so make sure your
marks are up. He was pretty tough on that part.”
UNCLE'S INFLUENCE BIG PART OF YOUNGER PATRICKS'
DEVELOPMENT
Carrie's future husband, who appeared in 250 NHL games for Buffalo, New
York Rangers and Quebec, wasn't the only one who played in the NHL. Her
brother, Rich Chernomaz, suited up for the Colorado Rockies, New Jersey
Devils and Calgary Flames.
James Patrick attributes his and his brother's NHL careers to having outdoor
hockey rinks nearby at all times growing up in St. James. Also having future
NHLer Bobby Joyce growing up two houses down increased the competition
level.
“We both come from hockey families,” Carrie says. “It's funny, because in the
last little bit here there's been articles on Nolan and it always talks about
Stephen's side of the family, right? So I'll have a few Facebook posts from my
girlfriends and they go, 'Great article, but don't they know there's two sides to
the family?' ”
No iPads, a lack of several 24-hour cartoon channels and parents having no
fear about leaving their children alone outside for hours on end helped, too.
James Patrick, who is Steve's son, Stephen's brother, Carrie's brother-in-law
and Nolan's uncle (there will be a test later), played 1,280 games in the NHL
and is currently an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars. So he knows a thing
or two about hockey, and he believes Carrie, who would have played for the
Canadian women's volleyball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics were it not
for a torn ACL, has had a huge impact on Nolan's hockey success.
“We're all a product of our environment, and we're all a product of genes,”
James says. “I see some of his dad in him, but his mom was probably a better
athlete than his dad. She was a great volleyball player. She made the
Canadian Olympic team and blew her knee out. That's the level she was at.
“I remember early in their marriage when Carrie picked up golf, and I went
'Oh my God.' She swung the club like an athlete. She wasn't tall, but when
she spiked a volleyball she hit with power. That's how she hit a golf ball. You
could just see her natural talent. Not only that, but her intensity. Carrie's got
some bite to her. She doesn't back down from anyone.
“A lot of her athletic ability has definitely been passed on to their kids. And I
know her stand-up and won't-back-down attitude, if Nolan has that he'll do
well.”
Nolan isn't the only third-generation Patrick enjoying success. His older sister
Maddie plays defence for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds
and notched five points in her rookie Canada West campaign this winter.
Also, their sister Aimee is an up-and-comer in girls' hockey currently playing
for the Titans 12A squad.
“She's probably the most aggressive out of all three of them,” Carrie says
with a chuckle.
So how did the Patrick/Chernomaz clan get to this level of athletic
dominance? They say it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
“We used to put our skates on at the back door, and it would be maybe a one
hundred yard walk to where they would flood the ice patch,” James says. “It
was right behind Bruce (Middle School).”
It's a different era now, however. Kids don't spend hours upon hours at the
outdoor rink, and if they do play hockey they're doing it all year long. That's
where having a dad and an uncle who played in the NHL comes in handy.
James Patrick started training his nephew, Nolan, when the young lad was
11 years old. Both families had cabins at Falcon Lake, and Nolan wanted to
learn.
“From the time he was 11 we started exercising, shooting pucks and just
doing stuff that was appropriate at the age that he was,” James says. It
became more of a regimented program when he was 12 and 13, and then the
training went up a notch when he turned 14.
“When I was 12 I worked out with him the whole summer and he was pretty
tough on me, so that helped me a lot,” Nolan says. “Then the next year me
and my buddy both worked out with him. He's been huge in my career so far.
“My uncle and my dad are way different people. My dad's more of a jokester,
and my uncle's more serious. I know he would get mad at me sometimes for
goofing around and changing the radio station while we were working out. He
was pretty strict on me, but it's helped me quite a bit.”
James and Nolan talk every day, but James is trying to make sure he doesn't
take on the role of overbearing adult.
“Where Nolan is in his career right now, I want to be helpful but I don't want to
be smothering,” James says, “because he's still gotta have fun and he'll learn
from his mistakes.
“He has the potential to possibly some day play in the NHL. That will be
totally up to him. That'll be whether he has the internal fortitude and if he has
the drive and if he has the desire.”
Nolan is at the point in his career where he's trying to make a name for
himself, even if the name bar on his back makes it tough sometimes.
“Some players might say 'He got more hype because of his name' or
something like that, but I try to be my own player and my own person,” Nolan
says. “I thank (my family) a lot for the help they gave me, but I'm trying to
make my own career.”
Patrick has burst on to the WHL scene in his rookie year, scoring 26 goals
and adding 23 assists in 52 games for the high-flying Wheat Kings. He has
missed most of the last month with an upper-body injury, however, and it's
not known if he'll be back in time for the playoffs, which begin at the end of the
month.
POSITIVE PARENTING WORKS WONDERS
When Stephen and Carrie Patrick began to expand their family in the
mid-1990s, they weren't gunning to produce elite athletes.
It's only turned out that way.
“We were out to have healthy children,” Carrie says. “The first time we put
Nolan on the ice he kicked and screamed. And so did Aimee. And it wasn't
until we put Maddie in all girls' hockey at the age of 10 that she really started
to like hockey. We put the rink in the back yard and just made it fun. It just sort
of progressed from there.
“Did we think we were going to create Olympic athletes? No, not at all. When
you're making babies, you want them to be healthy and happy. And that's all
we want for them still to this day.”
Their three children – Maddie, Nolan and Aimee – are close today, even
though they are still teenagers living in different cities. They will all be
together in the summer, though.
“My little sister's really into hockey,” Nolan says. “She always texts me after
she scores goals. She gets pretty excited about that, and my older sister still
likes it too. She's working out all throughout the summer, so it's been good for
them, too.”
Maddie and Nolan haven't gotten to the point where they work out together,
but it's close.
“My sister actually works out at the gym right beside me,” Nolan says. “So we
usually catch a ride together.”
There with them every step of the way are Stephen and Carrie.
“We're competitive parents, but we're not intense. We're not crazy parents,”
Carrie says. “We give them the opportunity and we give them the feedback,
but we're always really positive with the kids."
GETTING TO KNOW THE PATRICK CLAN
FIRST GENERATION
Steve Patrick – He spent 13 seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and
won four Grey Cups in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He's a member of the
Winnipeg Football Club and Manitoba Sports halls of fame.
SECOND GENERATION
James Patrick – The New York Rangers drafted him ninth overall in the 1981
NHL draft, and he went on to play 1,280 games for four teams. He's now an
assistant coach with the Dallas Stars.
Steve Patrick – The Buffalo Sabres drafted him 20th overall in the 1980 NHL
draft, and he appeared in 250 games for three teams. He starred for the
WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings.
Carrie Patrick (nee Chernomaz) – She played for the University of Winnipeg
Wesmen women's volleyball team with Tara Patrick and would have
competed for the Canadian team at the 1996 Summer Olympics were it not
for a knee injury.
Tara Patrick – She played for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen women's
volleyball team and was the CIAU (CIS) rookie of the year in 1990-91.
Rich Chernomaz – Carrie Patrick's brother was actually born in Selkirk but
raised in Port Alberni, B.C. He appeared in 51 games for Calgary and New
Jersey, and now coaches in Germany and Hungary.
Sandra Patrick – She was once the female athlete of the year at Sturgeon
Creek High School.
THIRD GENERATION
Maddie Patrick – The former St. Mary's Flames star defenceman just
completed her first season with the UBC Thunderbirds. She had five points in
17 Canada West games as a rookie.
Nolan Patrick – The Brandon Wheat Kings picked Maddie's younger brother
fourth overall in the 2013 bantam draft, and he has scored 26 goals in 52
WHL games as a 16-year-old this season. He could be a high pick in the
2017 NHL draft.
Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.17.2015
770053
Winnipeg Jets
Post-game handshakes a symbol of how close this group of Winnipeg Jets
players has become
Call it ridiculous for anyone to suggest it has anything to do with winning a
hockey game. Or 34 of them.
But rituals have a way of not only formalizing bonds, but reinforcing them.
These players have formed a rare bond. It’s the only way to explain the
turnaround in their play, especially the physical part, this season.
By Paul Friesen, Winnipeg Sun
They fight for each other, even if it means taking a penalty late in a close
game.
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 07:41 PM CDT | Updated: Monday,
March 16, 2015 08:57 PM CDT
They block shots for each other, even if it means breaking a bone and
missing a few weeks.
Jets handshakes Jets players shake hands with one another after a huge 2-1
win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
I first noticed it a couple weeks back, and made a mental note to look into it
further.
On the weekend I saw it again: Winnipeg Jets players, right after a
monumental win that stopped the bleeding in Tampa Bay, poured off the
bench and gathered at the goaltender.
But instead of just the usual celebratory head-butts with the guy in the mask,
players were shaking each other’s hands.
These weren’t gloved fist bumps or high-fives, but players taking a glove off,
looking straight at each other and shaking bare hands.
I’d never seen this before, and it turns out I wasn’t alone.
“It’s new to me,” Jets defenceman Tyler Myers said, Monday. “It’s a pretty
cool tradition here.”
Myers, acquired in a recent trade with Buffalo, isn’t sure what it’s all about,
though.
Neither is goalie Michael Hutchinson, who found himself in the middle of it a
while back.
“It just kind of started happening,” Hutchinson said. “By the time they come to
me, everyone’s shaking hands. I just kind of follow them. I don’t really know
the reasoning to it.”
It’s a small ritual, that’s true.
But it signifies something much bigger. Something critical to the Jets’
success so far this season, and to whatever success they’ll have the rest of
the way.
It turns out this ritual began one night in Chicago, on the bench.
“It’s just our way to show each other we appreciate each other’s effort out
there,” Blake Wheeler explained. “Look each other in the eye and give each
other a firm handshake — it’s a gentlemanly thing to do.
“Laddy (Andrew Ladd), Litts (Bryan Little) and I started doing it. We just
brought it out onto the ice and it just became one of those fun things that after
a win you look forward to doing.”
Actually, it began as a fun thing. Just joking around.
But it’s come to mean more. And it sets this group apart.
Every team has camaraderie, displayed in the usual ways, through
dressing-room jokes, pranks, pre-game rituals and the like.
But this one goes a step further. A bare handshake. The traditional man’s
greeting, in business and in friendship.
But with no insulating leather in between.
A symbol of just how close this group of players has become.
“Exactly,” Wheeler said. “It’s a respect thing. We play a tough game. It’s not
an easy game to play.
“So at the end of a long, tough game, to look each other in the eye and give
each other a handshake, it’s a sign of respect for what everyone’s doing.”
Has Wheeler ever seen it before?
“Not in hockey,” he said. “In other sports you see stuff like that, but not in
hockey, no.”
Scoff at it, if you like.
They’ll dig the puck out for each other, even if it means getting their faces
stapled into the boards.
They’ll take less ice time, or sit out altogether, while a teammate takes their
spot, and not complain about it.
We’ve seen it all year.
We’ve also seen them pull together when injuries have decimated the lineup.
Saturday they went into Tampa Bay, home of one of the NHL’s top teams,
minus defencemen Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot and
forwards Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault — and won.
“We do have a special group here, with a lot of the things we’ve been through
this year — this is another time that we’re trying to overcome some
adversity,” Wheeler said. “It brings you tighter together.”
The Jets remain in a playoff position because through four trying seasons,
they’ve learned to trust each other.
It shows, in interviews, during games — even after them.
After all, if a man can’t trust in a handshake, what can he trust?
770054
Winnipeg Jets
Byfuglien, Myers back on ice for Jets
By Paul Friesen, Winnipeg Sun
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 11:11 AM CDT | Updated: Monday,
March 16, 2015 01:05 PM CDT
Some good news and bad news on the Winnipeg Jets injury front today.
The good: Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien returned to the blue line for
practice, Myers declaring himself good to go for tomorrow’s game against
San Jose, while Byfuglien said it was too soon to say.
The bad news: centre Bryan Little remains out, while defenceman Paul
Postma, who played so well in Saturday’s win in Tampa after a lengthy stint
in the press box, suffered a significant lower body injury midway through that
game and will miss several weeks.
“We’ll have a better understanding over the next three or four days the length
of time, but it’s weeks, not days, even on the positive end of it,” head coach
Paul Maurice said. “It’s one of those things you see the next day, it comes
back. You think you might be alright after. But we appreciate the bite it took
for him to get through that game. It wasn’t easy for him.”
Byfuglien has missed the last four games after going down March 4 against
Ottawa. His original prognosis was two to four weeks.
“He’s a little ahead of where we thought he might fall,” Maurice said.
He and Myers, who has missed just one game, will be a game-day decision,
the coach said.
The Jets are coming off a defensively proficient 2-1 win over Tampa Bay,
concluding a 2-2 road trip and clinging to the last wildcard playoff spot in the
NHL West.
They host San Jose, St. Louis, and Washington this week.
“It puts a stop on the bleeding from some of the emotions that go into that trip,
the kind of game we played, how hard we played,” Maurice said. “We used
everybody off the bench so they all feel a part of it. So it got us back to that
overall positive feeling. You need to have that going into these stretches.”
Maurice wasn’t feeling as positive about the hit defenceman Toby Enstrom
took from Nikita Kucherov in the game, a hit Lightning coach Jon Cooper
blamed on a bloodied Enstrom.
“You really shouldn’t bang your face off the dasher when you get run from
behind,” Maurice said, his tongue firmly in his cheek. “We’ll talk to him about
it.”
Enstrom and Andrew Ladd both missed Monday’s practice, but Maurice said
both should be in the lineup against San Jose.
770055
Vancouver Canucks
St. Patrick’s (Quinn) Day celebration at Rogers Arena
March 16, 2015. 12:25 pm •
Lionel Wild
Tuesday in Vancouver will be St. Patrick’s Day in more ways than one, as the
Vancouver Canucks celebrate the life and legacy of the late Pat Quinn at
Rogers Arena, prior to the NHL game between the Canucks and the visiting
Philadelphia Flyers.
While the Canucks are asking fans to be seated by 6:45 p.m. for a ceremony
prior to puck drop, there will be plenty going on at and around the arena in the
buildup to that ceremony.
There will be a St. Patrick’s Day Party on the Plaza starting at 5:30 p.m. The
new Pat Quinn Way (formerly Abbott Street between Pacific and Expo
Boulevards) will be unveiled at 6 p.m. on the North Plaza, with members of
Quinn’s family, Canucks president Trevor Linden, team owner Francesco
Aquilini and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson in attendance.
Dr. Sport: Canucks pick perfect night to honour Quinn
The pre-game ceremony will feature several special guests. A
commemorative Pat Quinn magazine will be handed out to each fan in
attendance.
Quinn died at the age of 71 after a long illness on Nov. 23, 2014. The
two-time Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL’s top coach led both the
Flyers (1979-80) and Canucks (1993-94) to the Stanley Cup Final, plus
coached the L.A. Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers over the
years. Among Quinn’s greatest triumphs was coaching the Canadian men’s
team to the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, this
country’s first Olympic gold medal in 50 years.
Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 03.17.2015
770056
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks winger Jannik Hansen has his game up to speed
By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun March 16, 2015 10:55 PM
VANCOUVER – Jannik Hansen turned 29 on the weekend and as some of
his teammates reminded him Monday, he is now approaching grizzled
veteran status with the Vancouver Canucks.
It’s hard to believe, really, but Hansen is in his seventh season with the team.
It’s shaping up to be one of his best.
Hansen enters Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers with 14
goals, two off his career-high.
He has 12 points in his last 15 games. Only Henrik Sedin, with 14, has been
more productive during that stretch.
Hansen credits good health and a couple of young linemates with his inspired
play of late.
Hansen and rookies Bo Horvat and Ronalds Kenins were once known as
Vancouver’s fourth line. No longer. They are now the Canucks energy line,
one that has routinely been chipping in offence while attempting to forecheck
the opposition right out of the rink.
Horvat and Kenins have been a great fit with Hansen in part because they
also play the same straight-ahead, aggressive style.
“It makes it easier,” Hansen said Monday. “You don’t have to change your
style in order to be comfortable. You just kind of go out and do what comes
natural.”
Hansen says the longer he, Horvat and Kenins play together, the more
comfortable the trio has become.
“The big thing is knowing where your linemates are, too, and some of the
things are starting to happen now where you can make the passes that you
maybe don’t see, but you know are there,” he said. “That’s one of the things
about consistency with linemates. You get that and it becomes tougher for
opposing teams to play against. . .you get a sense of where the other guys
are. It is something you are striving to develop throughout the season.
Fortunately, right now it looks like we have found something.”
Coach Willie Desjardins has certainly liked what he has seen of Hansen and
his line of late.
“You can say as much as you want about John and the way he was maybe
looked upon, but I was seeing more ice last year than I did this year under
Willie,” Hansen said. “So I can’t say it is because of the ice time or
deployment. I was playing some power play last year, so I have to believe the
biggest thing was injuries.”
ICE CHIPS: Winger Alex Burrows returned to practice Monday after missing
Saturday’s game with a groin injury. He is expected to play against the
Flyers. . .Winger Derek Dorsett missed Monday practice for what Desjardins
called a maintenance day. . .The Canucks signed University of Maine
defenceman Ben Hutton on Monday. Hutton, 21, was selected in the fifth
round of the 2012 draft (147th overall) by the Canucks. He had 28 goals and
65 points in 108 career games in three seasons with Maine...The Canucks
also recalled goalie Jacob Markstrom from the AHL’s Utica Comets, where
he demoted to late last week. Markstrom played two games for the Comets
on the weekend, shutting out the Chicago Wolves 4-0 on Saturday and
beating the Iowa Wild 4-3 in a shootout Sunday. Netminder Joacim Eriksson
was reassigned to Utica.
WHO'S NEXT: Flyers at Canucks
RECENT RUN
This is the fourth game of a five-game homestand for the Canucks. They
have won two of the first three. Vancouver has gone 6-3-1 in its last 10 and
sits second in the Pacific Division. The Flyers are nine points out of a playoff
spot and have been horrible on the road, where they are 9-18-9 this season.
The Flyers are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss in Ottawa on Sunday night.
WHO’S HOT?
The Canucks are against the Metropolitan Division. Vancouver has gone
12-2-0 versus Metropolitan teams this season. . .Winger Jannik Hansen has
12 points in his last 15 games. . .The Philadelphia power play is third best in
the NHL, converting 22.7 per cent of its opportunities. Wayne Simmonds has
14 of his team-best 27 goals on the power play this season. . .Winger Jakub
Voracek is fifth in the NHL with 69 points, but 58 of those came in his first 51
games.
WHO’S NOT?
Daniel and Henrik Sedin don’t have a point in the last three games. .
.Vancouver’s power play has fallen to 21st at 17.3 per cent. It has been
blanked the last three games and is two-for-24 in the last nine games.
Perhaps it can take advantage of Philadelphia’s penalty-kill, which is second
worst in the NHL at 76.9 per cent. . .The Flyers are 3-9 in shootouts this
season.
HEAD TO HEAD
“I thought Jannik was just okay early, but I’d say the last 25 games he has
been really good,” Desjardins said. “He has lots of speed and is always
pushing the other team to make decisions quickly. He has been a great fit for
that line with how he plays. He sets a good example for everybody.”
This is the second of two meetings this season. The Canucks shut out the
Flyers 4-0 on Jan. 15 at the Wells Fargo Center and got goals from Nick
Bonino, Henrik Sedin, Radim Vrbata and Jannik Hansen. Ryan Miller
stopped 29 shots for the shutout. He registered another goose-egg the
following night in Carolina. The Flyers beat the Canucks 4-3 in a shootout in
their last visit to Rogers Arena on Dec. 30, 2013.
That would include Kenins, the impressive Latvian rookie.
QUOTABLE
“I had played against him in a couple of world championships, so I knew he
was a good player,” Kenins said Monday. “Jannik takes care of us. He knows
what he is doing and when we make a mistake he will always support us and
explain what to do. It is easy playing with him.”
“They have a great offence. You have to stay out of the penalty box against
those guys. They have one of the best power plays and two of the best
playmakers in (Claude) Giroux and Voracek. They have a good net-front
presence with Wayne Simmonds and they can shoot pucks from the top.
They are a dangerous team. We beat them earlier in their building but it
wasn’t easy and we’ll have to have the same effort tomorrow.” -- Canucks
winger Alex Burrows on the Flyers.
Hansen is one of a large number of Canuck players who seem to have
benefitted from a coaching change.
“Obviously it’s two different worlds,” Hansen said. “John (Tortorella) was very
‘my way or the highway,’ a lot more vocal and the player-coach relationship
was different. Willie is more down to earth. I don’t think I have heard him
chew out a player yet.”
But Hansen says it’s good health more than anything that has helped his play
this season. He has missed only one game all year.
“For me personally, it’s all about being healthy,” he said. “Once you are able
to stay healthy throughout the season you don’t have those stretches where
you are not quite up to game speed or you’re fighting to get back into the
lineup.”
It’s not like Desjardins has rewarded him with extra ice time. Hansen has
averaged 13:41 a night this season. Last year under Tortorella, he averaged
15:39.
770057
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks recall netminder Markstrom, sign prospect Hutton
By The Canadian Press March 16, 2015 10:50 PM
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks have recalled goaltender Jacob
Markstrom from the American Hockey League's Utica Comets and signed
defenceman Ben Hutton.
Markstrom has a record of 19-7-2, including five shutouts, with Utica this
season. He has made one appearance with the Canucks, surrendering three
goals on four shots in a 6-2 loss to San Jose on March 3.
Markstrom has a record of 12-28-5 with a 3.25 goals-against average in 48
career NHL games.
To make room for Markstrom, the Canucks reassigned goaltender Joacim
Eriksson to Utica.
Hutton, 21, recorded 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) and 14 penalty
minutes with the University of Maine this season.
He has 28 goals and 37 assists in 108 career total NCAA games with the
Black Bears.
The six-foot-three 200-pound native of Prescott, Ont., was selected by
Vancouver 147th overall in the 2012 NHL draft.
770058
Vancouver Canucks
I was a hockey wife — and it just about killed me: My stint with NHL veteran
Kirk McLean
By Jane Macdougall, National Post March 16, 2015
It was a year that just about killed me. It was the year I moved not once, not
twice, not three times, but four times. I didn’t just move within my city. Or
province. Or time zone. Or country. I moved to places I had never been to
before. To places I had no interest in moving to, or even visiting. And I did so
on short notice. I had no say in the matter. I was a hockey wife — and it just
about killed me.
For a spell, I was married to NHL veteran Kirk McLean. He was a lovely guy
who had a long and stable career as a net-minder. He’d proposed, I’d said
yes, but within the week he’d been traded. I’d presumed that life would have
continued as the courtship had: a predictable program of practices, games
and road trips with the team for which he’d become a marquee player. I was
wrong. I learned that life in the NHL is like being in a faulty witness protection
program. I learned what NHL really stands for: No Home Life.
And so it came to pass that we moved to a rental in Florida, then bought a
house, then sold that house, then returned to Vancouver where we were
renovating a house, then headed off to New York to look for a house, then
buying a house after determining that apartment life in Manhattan was an
adjustment we didn’t want to make. All this took place within 11 months. I was
still settling the loss and damage claims from the first move while we were
embarking on the third move. And the losses and damages were astonishing.
On the New York move, the movers misplaced all our possessions.
Everything. For a month. In the interim, we ordered mattresses from
1-800-Mattress and used toilet paper rolls for pillows, believing that our stuff
would arrive any day.
This was the year that I had 12 different phone numbers with three different
area codes. There was the home phone; his and her cellphones and the
phone at the official home address back in Vancouver. Each time we moved,
we needed all new numbers. I’d go slack-jawed and blank when asked for
our phone number: “Five, no six, oh, no, one, fourrrrr … ah, no make that two
…” Strangers have a very high opinion of you when you can’t remember your
phone number.
I learned that life in the NHL is like being in a faulty witness protection
You found schools and doctors for the kids. Your hockey-playing husband
headed off into the routine he’d been immersed in since peewee hockey.
Most team rosters are populated with personnel the player has been
acquainted with since he was 13 so anywhere he goes is sort of “old home”
week. The wife, however, is pretty much left to fend for herself. Arenas have
a social suite that is usually called the Wives’ Room. Depending on the
composition of the team, spouses may, or may not, find like-minded
acquaintances. If it’s a veteran team, chances are there’ll be lots of moms
and kids; if it’s a greener team, many of the players will be unmarried. The
wives are sort of set adrift. The team will usually host a few wives events but
those infrequent formalities tend to be tense affairs, an interface with the
spouses of management, ownership and support staff. I got on well with this
group as I was closer in age to more of them than the player’s wives, but I
was counselled that this was a divide not to be bridged. The Collective
Agreement stood in the way of any fraternizing. I defaulted to having vaguely
inappropriate conversations with check-out clerks and making friends with
the personal shopping staff at Saks. It was lonely. And expensive.
Eventually you make some friends, on and off the team. But there’s always
the sense of impermanence. Even the home you create feels temporary. The
joke was that you never bought drapes; drapes were the harbinger of a trade.
Home was always somewhere else; your current arrangement was simply
provisional.
As a general rule, the wives were all gorgeous. Some of the marriages were
hollow commodity exchanges: good looks traded for prestige and vice versa.
The money was terrific, but it had to last a lifetime. At 25 it’s hard to imagine
life without a bimonthly quarter million dollar paycheque, but the clever ones
do. Some mishandled this windfall. But there were lots of clever ones and,
oftentimes, it was the wives doing the math and keeping it real.
Because of the combustible combination of youth, celebrity and money, the
wives and the players were subject to mountains of rumour and conjecture.
The rumours were pernicious. Both sides have to deal with constant sexual
solicitation. Unfortunately, when loneliness meets trophy hunting, trouble is
never far behind.
What’s more, hockey can be terrifying. By the end of every game, my guy
looked like he’d been beaten with a ball-peen hammer. It was tough being
“on your game” every game. Even the thickest skins wore thin on occasion.
Once, we were hosting a salmon bake-off at the house. My cousins were
razzing Kirk that his entry was lame. He just laughed and said they’d have to
do better than that; he was used to being called a bum by 20,000 people at a
time.
But it eats at you. And the absences and dislocations and uncertainties eat at
a family, to say nothing about the adjustments to an abrupt conclusion to a
career. It’s a life that takes a toll. To this day, I get asked about a rumour
involving infidelity with a man I’ve never met — Jeff Brown, for those of you
who follow hockey lore. And to this day, people still want to ask me: “So what
was it really like, being a hockey wife?”
770059
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Roster Roulette: ‘It won’t be just the young guys coming out’ —
Desjardins
March 16, 2015. 3:52 pm • Section: The White Towel
Ben Kuzma
Alex Burrows could have played Saturday and will play Tuesday. Derek
Dorsett played Saturday, didn’t practise Monday, and could also play
Tuesday.
Do the math and Willie Desjardins knows subtraction by addition is a
double-edge sword for the Vancouver Canucks. The coach is loathe to sit
any player, but the return of Burrows from a groin strain and the expected
return of Dorsett from taking a stick in the face Saturday, will see somebody
sit against the Philadelphia Flyers. And, really, that’s what any coach wants
— competition. Nobody should get too comfortable and there has to be the
buy-in when resting a veteran is more important than playing him. That can
be a tough sell.
“It’s really tough and that’s one of the strengths of our team right now and it’s
kind of how we handle it,” Desjardins said Monday. “It doesn’t matter who
comes out, it’s going to be questioned because whoever I take out doesn’t
deserve to come out. They’re all good players. If I say this guy is coming out,
people will say: ‘Why him?’ Even with the players, we talked about it in the
room and nobody deserves to be out.
“It’s going to be a tough call, but different things depend on it. Burrows could
have played the other night and doctors had cleared him. But if I gave him
another day to get healthy, it would help him down the road and that’s going
to be a decision on what can make us the best. We’re going to get injuries
and we’ve got to keep everybody involved. The thing that won’t happen is
one guy coming out for a long period of time, we’ll move guys in and out.”
If Dorsett and Burrows play Tuesday, the coach could sit Linden Vey and
Ronalds Kenins. That would keep Kassian with the Sedins, Nick Bonino
between Shawn Matthias and Radim Vrbata, Brad Richardson between
Burrows and Higgins and Bo Horvat between Dorsett and Jannik Hansen.
But if you want big bodies and a grittier lineup against the Flyers, how do you
sit Kenins? Keeping a competitive and healthy lineup will also work into the
equation in coming games.
“It could work for veterans, they could get a days rest and that could help
because we have to give ourselves the best chance to win,” added
Desjardins. “And it won’t be just the young guys coming out. We’re past the
point. The veterans deserve the respect but it might help them get rested and
be better down the road.”
Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.17.2015
770060
Vancouver Canucks
I was a hockey wife — and it just about killed me: My stint with NHL veteran
Kirk McLean
By Jane Macdougall, National Post March 16, 2015
It was a year that just about killed me. It was the year I moved not once, not
twice, not three times, but four times. I didn’t just move within my city. Or
province. Or time zone. Or country. I moved to places I had never been to
before. To places I had no interest in moving to, or even visiting. And I did so
on short notice. I had no say in the matter. I was a hockey wife — and it just
about killed me.
For a spell, I was married to NHL veteran Kirk McLean. He was a lovely guy
who had a long and stable career as a net-minder. He’d proposed, I’d said
yes, but within the week he’d been traded. I’d presumed that life would have
continued as the courtship had: a predictable program of practices, games
and road trips with the team for which he’d become a marquee player. I was
wrong. I learned that life in the NHL is like being in a faulty witness protection
And so it came to pass that we moved to a rental in Florida, then bought a
house, then sold that house, then returned to Vancouver where we were
renovating a house, then headed off to New York to look for a house, then
buying a house after determining that apartment life in Manhattan was an
adjustment we didn’t want to make. All this took place within 11 months. I was
still settling the loss and damage claims from the first move while we were
embarking on the third move. And the losses and damages were astonishing.
On the New York move, the movers misplaced all our possessions.
Everything. For a month. In the interim, we ordered mattresses from
1-800-Mattress and used toilet paper rolls for pillows, believing that our stuff
would arrive any day.
This was the year that I had 12 different phone numbers with three different
area codes. There was the home phone; his and her cellphones and the
phone at the official home address back in Vancouver. Each time we moved,
we needed all new numbers. I’d go slack-jawed and blank when asked for
our phone number: “Five, no six, oh, no, one, fourrrrr … ah, no make that two
…” Strangers have a very high opinion of you when you can’t remember your
phone number.
I learned that life in the NHL is like being in a faulty witness protection
You found schools and doctors for the kids. Your hockey-playing husband
headed off into the routine he’d been immersed in since peewee hockey.
Most team rosters are populated with personnel the player has been
acquainted with since he was 13 so anywhere he goes is sort of “old home”
week. The wife, however, is pretty much left to fend for herself. Arenas have
a social suite that is usually called the Wives’ Room. Depending on the
composition of the team, spouses may, or may not, find like-minded
acquaintances. If it’s a veteran team, chances are there’ll be lots of moms
and kids; if it’s a greener team, many of the players will be unmarried. The
wives are sort of set adrift. The team will usually host a few wives events but
those infrequent formalities tend to be tense affairs, an interface with the
spouses of management, ownership and support staff. I got on well with this
group as I was closer in age to more of them than the player’s wives, but I
was counselled that this was a divide not to be bridged. The Collective
Agreement stood in the way of any fraternizing. I defaulted to having vaguely
inappropriate conversations with check-out clerks and making friends with
the personal shopping staff at Saks. It was lonely. And expensive.
Eventually you make some friends, on and off the team. But there’s always
the sense of impermanence. Even the home you create feels temporary. The
joke was that you never bought drapes; drapes were the harbinger of a trade.
Home was always somewhere else; your current arrangement was simply
provisional.
As a general rule, the wives were all gorgeous. Some of the marriages were
hollow commodity exchanges: good looks traded for prestige and vice versa.
The money was terrific, but it had to last a lifetime. At 25 it’s hard to imagine
life without a bimonthly quarter million dollar paycheque, but the clever ones
do. Some mishandled this windfall. But there were lots of clever ones and,
oftentimes, it was the wives doing the math and keeping it real.
Because of the combustible combination of youth, celebrity and money, the
wives and the players were subject to mountains of rumour and conjecture.
The rumours were pernicious. Both sides have to deal with constant sexual
solicitation. Unfortunately, when loneliness meets trophy hunting, trouble is
never far behind.
What’s more, hockey can be terrifying. By the end of every game, my guy
looked like he’d been beaten with a ball-peen hammer. It was tough being
“on your game” every game. Even the thickest skins wore thin on occasion.
Once, we were hosting a salmon bake-off at the house. My cousins were
razzing Kirk that his entry was lame. He just laughed and said they’d have to
do better than that; he was used to being called a bum by 20,000 people at a
time.
But it eats at you. And the absences and dislocations and uncertainties eat at
a family, to say nothing about the adjustments to an abrupt conclusion to a
career. It’s a life that takes a toll. To this day, I get asked about a rumour
involving infidelity with a man I’ve never met — Jeff Brown, for those of you
who follow hockey lore. And to this day, people still want to ask me: “So what
was it really like, being a hockey wife?”
770061
Vancouver Canucks
Jamieson: Pat Quinn celebration on St. Patrick's Day is a perfect fit, says
former assistant Steve Tambellini
By JIM JAMIESON, THE PROVINCE March 15, 2015
A lot of memories jump out for Steve Tambellini when he reflects on his many
and varied hockey relationships with Pat Quinn.
One that makes him smile is Quinn’s love for March 17 on the calendar — St.
Patrick’s Day — which makes the celebration of the life of the one-time
Canucks’ player, coach and manager all the more fitting.
“It’s so Pat,” said Tambellini, who’ll be one of many of Quinn’s former players
and colleagues attending Tuesday’s events in and around Rogers Arena.
“The one thing that a lot of people didn’t get to see was that Pat liked to have
a lot of fun with a lot of people. St. Patrick’s Day was always marked on the
calendar and he enjoyed it so much. He’d wear as many things Irish as he
possibly could.
“The office knew it was going to be a fun day. He made sure everybody knew
why, when, where and what it was all about. You knew he was probably
going to have a cold one at some point during that day.”
Tambellini, 56, was a Canucks player late in his NHL career and his last
season in the league was Quinn’s first with the club as president and GM in
1987-88.
The next season Tambellini played in Europe and was mulling going into
private business when he got a call from Quinn and his then-assistant Brian
Burke, asking him to join the club in a marketing and media relations role. It
didn’t take long to say yes.
“I remember walking into Pat’s office, with that massive desk and he’s sitting
behind it with that foot-long cigar,” Tambellini recalled.
“I was just getting to know him, really, and he was so good to me. People talk
about how eloquent Pat was as a speaker, but one of Pat’s best attributes
was that he’s a great listener.
“He listened to everything I had to say and asked me about my goals and I
told him one day I’d like to manage in the league. That’s a big thing to say for
someone who’s never worked a day in his life on the professional side of
hockey.
“He said, ‘You’re going to move through a lot of areas of this business that
are going to require you to drop your ego at times.’
“I said, ‘I’m not afraid of that,’ so that’s how we got started.”
Tambellini eventually moved into the hockey side of the business with the
Canucks, and then was hired as GM for the Edmonton Oilers in 2008. He
said the lessons he learned under Quinn served him well.
“It was an incredible education of how pro sports works, aside from the
hockey side,” said Tambellini.
“He just said, ‘If these are your goals, then you’re going to have to learn how
hard these people work on the business side of hockey.’
So, when you’re spending these dollars on the players, you need to have an
appreciation how hard a job it is for the people behind the scenes to generate
this revenue.”
Tambellini also hired Quinn in Edmonton in 2009, to coach a struggling team.
“Pat’s always going to be my boss,” said Tambellini. “Just to have the chance
to work with him for a short time was so enjoyable ... just to see him
interacting with the young players was special.”
“When I got let go in Edmonton, he called within a couple days. He was just
kind of always there.”
Tambellini also worked with Quinn for Hockey Canada on the 2002 Olympic
team. Quinn coached Canada to its first men’s Olympic gold medal in 50
years.
“There were so many people with high hockey IQs there, but there has to be
a lot of ego for people to be in those spots. Over there, I remember that he
was such a team player in terms of the process of selecting the team. We lost
one game, to Sweden, and after that he became Pat Quinn and took over the
team and we won a gold medal. I don’t think anyone else under that kind of
scrutiny would have been able to handle that.”
[email protected] Pat Quinn passed away on Nov. 23, the
Canucks acknowledged the beloved former player, head coach and
executive with a moving video tribute at their next home game two days later
at Rogers Arena.
But that was pulled together on very short notice and Quinn’s impressive
legacy in Vancouver will be fully celebrated on Tuesday — appropriately
enough on St. Patrick’s Day and against his former team, the Flyers — with a
series of events that include a St. Patrick’s Day party on the plaza at 5:30
p.m., the naming of a street after him and video recollections by former
players and colleagues.
Canucks president of hockey operations Trevor Linden was tremendously
influenced by Quinn, both during and after his playing career, and he said it’s
very satisfying for the organization be able to be able to pay its respects in
this way.
“The Vancouver Canucks have for several years done these types of things
that are extremely high level — whether it’s jersey retirements or (the passing
of) Luc Bourdon or Rick Rypien or the Ring of Honour,” said Linden. “Just to
have a small part in it is a privilege for me for something that involves Pat.”
Quinn, who passed away at age 71, coached the Flyers to an NHL record
35-game unbeaten streak in the 1979-80 season, taking Philly to the Stanley
Cup final and earning his first Jack Adams Award as coach of the year. He
also won the award in 1992 with the Canucks.
Linden said he’s using a lot of what he learned from Quinn in his first year in
NHL management. But one thing jumps out.
“I think it comes down to the way Pat was loved so much in this city and this
organization because of the way he treated people,” said Linden.
“He treated people with respect and he wanted his organization to treat
people with respect. The Jim Bennings and the Willie Desjardins of the world,
that’s the way they operate. That was a big part of Pat’s philosophy, whether
he was president and GM or the coach.”
770062
Vancouver Canucks
Report: Canucks sign defence prospect Ben Hutton
March 16, 2015. 1:21 pm •
Patrick Johnston
SBNation’s Jeff Cox reported Hutton wil join the Utica Comets “immediately.”
(I’ts likely he’ll be on a Professional Tryout contract [PTO]). The Comets are
currently 3rd in the AHL’s Western Conference.
Hutton’s full Canucks contract would start next fall, keeping the team under
the 50-contract limit for the time being.
Additionally, it’s expected Ashton Sautner, the Edmonton Oil Kings
defenceman who signed with the Canucks in recent days, will also join the
Comets on a PTO, once the WHL season wraps up.
The Comets currently have seven defencemen on their roster.
UPDATE (3:15 p.m. Monday): The Canucks have confirmed the move.
770063
Websites
ESPN / Change must come to San Jose
So management decided to change the leadership dynamic by taking away
the captaincy even though Thornton ended up wearing an "A" for the Sharks
as the team went with rotating alternate captains as opposed to one captain
this season.
Did we mention passive-aggressive?
By Scott Burnside
The problem was that Thornton wasn't exactly told that he would no longer be
the captain as the news came to him the same way it did everyone else:
when Wilson and McLellan announced it.
There used to be a popular toy in our house called the Goofy Jalopy in which
the lovable Disney character would drive off in a dilapidated battery-powered
jalopy calling happily over and over: "Let's go for a bumpy ride."
Not particularly cool given Thornton's standing as one of the most productive
players of his generation even if he's never been able to lead his teams to the
promised land come playoff time.
It's hard to not think of the San Jose Sharks in that cartoon context, wheels
akimbo, engine sputtering, traveling herky-jerky across the NHL landscape.
For some it was seen as a not-so-subtle attempt to make Thornton
uncomfortable enough to want to get out of town.
One day after former captain Joe Thornton's verbal beatdown of general
manager Doug Wilson, the Sharks were lit up for four third-period goals in a
6-2 shellacking at home at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. Now they
prepare for the most important road trip of not just the season, but maybe in
many years.
So, what happens now?
Let's go for a bumpy ride indeed.
Many have been waiting for this moment in San Jose all season: the moment
where the seams so tightly sewn by Wilson and the rest of the team come
slowly undone, bursting to reveal the true nature of this team beneath.
And it provides a sharper edge to the proceedings that this undoing is
occurring with less than a month to go in the regular season and with the
Sharks still nibbling at the edges of the Western Conference playoffs -having made 10 straight postseason appearances.
Wilson needled Thornton from afar by suggesting to season-ticket holders
late last week that he took the captain's "C" from Thornton last offseason
because he couldn't handle the pressure. Then Thornton suggested not too
subtly that Wilson keep his yap shut and stop lying. The two might as well
have planted a cartoon tub of TNT outside the Sharks' dressing room and
dragged a long fuse to ownership's door.
Joe Thornton
Since the Sharks can't trade Joe Thornton without his approval, the former
captain holds all the cards in San Jose.
It is clear now that barring some sort of monumental recovery by the team
that would see them make up the five points they are now short of the
playoffs and then make a decent showing in the postseason, ownership
cannot allow the passive aggressiveness that has been this team's identity to
continue.
No, this offseason will be a time for doing, not waiting and tinkering around
the edges.
But who will be left standing?
Now, that's the question.
The irony of this ugly situation is that given the three-year contract extensions
handed out to both Thornton and Patrick Marleau last January -- extensions
bestowed by Wilson -- the two players who have been lightning rods for much
of the discontent surrounding the team may outlast both Wilson and head
coach Todd McLellan.
Fewer than three months after both Marleau and Thornton took less than
they would have received on the open market to stay with the Sharks, it was
believed that Wilson was trying not so subtly to push them out as he publicly
talked about needing players who wanted to play in San Jose, not just live
there.
The Sharks melted famously against the Kings in the playoffs last season,
losing in seven games after storming out to a 3-0 series lead. There were
problems in the dressing room; there was an obvious disconnect between
the coaching staff and some of the team's key players. There was talk that
maybe Thornton and Marleau would or should waive their no-move/no-trade
clauses to facilitate a trade and hasten the makeover that Wilson seemed
determined to undertake with his underachieving roster.
Except Thornton and Marleau didn't want to go anywhere.
Stubbornness or a deeply felt desire to effect change in San Jose or maybe
just a bit of both led to the reality that the two veterans were staying put.
Let's assume the Sharks can't close the gap and make the playoffs -certainly a road trip that will eat up more than half their remaining 13 games
will provide a stern test of this team's mettle -- the carnage would likely begin
immediately.
There was much speculation that McLellan would be sacrificed after last
spring's collapse. Missing the playoffs as a follow-up would almost certainly
spell the end of his tenure in San Jose. Given his high regard around the
league, we are guessing teams would be lining up to have McLellan oversee
their benches when and if that happens.
But it's easy to project that shoe dropping.
How can ownership allow the toxic relationship that exists between Wilson
and Thornton to continue?
Given the public airing of the team's dirty laundry, how does ownership
expect paying fans to have any confidence that another season of the same
could yield any different results?
San Jose is a terrific hockey market. The fan base is passionate and loyal.
But they're not stupid. This is a team that's never even been to a Stanley Cup
final in spite of annually being blessed with great talent. At what point do they
make their feelings known by staying away until they believe the problems
have been fixed?
We know Wilson was simply answering a question from a season-ticket
holder at a roundtable last week. And far be it for us to suggest hockey folk
not be honest, brutally honest if need be. But Wilson is a smart guy, he had to
know that his comments would be seen as what they were: a direct shot at
his veteran center and former captain.
If he couldn't subtly persuade Thornton to ask out of San Jose last summer,
maybe these kinds of comments would help Thornton revisit the issue,
especially given the often disappointing play of the team this season.
That Thornton, who is second on the team with 58 points, responded in an
unusual fashion -- publicly embarrassing his general manager by calling him
a liar and perhaps questioning Wilson's work ethic by saying he (Thornton)
wasn't on sabbatical -- suggests that Thornton knows he holds the most
important cards in this hand.
The team may be sorry it signed him to the extension. It may wish he would
help facilitate a move somewhere else. It may wish a whole passel of things
when it comes to how this team was built. But the Sharks got exactly what
they signed on for with Thornton.
If we accept that Wilson and Thornton cannot realistically share the same
team space next season, there is only one of those elements that ownership
can realistically and easily move.
And it's not the former captain that will go, but the longtime GM.
Perhaps that's how this bumpy ride is destined to end.
ESPN LOADED: 03.17.2015
770064
Websites
Nashville, Anaheim, Minnesota or Los Angeles, you have serious quality
there.
ESPN / Beware the Eastern Conference; power not just out West
But what I’m arguing is the East has closed the gap. It’s not as one-sided as it
was. Not even close.
By Pierre LeBrun
Tampa has gone 16-8-3 versus the West this season, Detroit 17-4-3, the
Islanders 14-9-1, the Penguins 15-5-3 and the Rangers an amazing 15-3-5.
The East has some bite this year.
The East is back!
The Western Conference has been hands-down the domain of better teams
for several seasons, aka Big Boy hockey.
It’s why I’ve spent the past several seasons covering mostly Western
Conference playoffs; it’s where the better hockey was, where the Stanley
Cup champions have come from six of the past eight seasons.
Despite my obvious Western bias, I’m here to tell you what many have
already noticed: the Eastern Conference has narrowed the gap this season,
big time.
After years of being the bastion of mostly mediocrity, the East has risen this
season.
Alain Vigneault
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said the East's turnaround started at the end
of the 2013-14 season.
"I do agree with that," Capitals head coach Barry Trotz told ESPN.com on
Monday, coaching his first season in the East after all those years with
Nashville.
"I just think it’s a natural cycle of things," added Trotz. "The West has been
strong for a decade, teams get older or what have you. There’s a natural
cycle that goes to the East a little bit now."
When you consider the youth in playoff teams -- Tampa, Detroit, Montreal
and the New York Islanders in particular -- it suggests sustainability beyond
this season too.
As both Trotz and Babcock pointed out, it’s not just the eight teams currently
sitting in a playoff spot.
"I really like Florida’s team," Babcock said. "[Nick] Bjugstad and [Aaron]
Ekblad, these guys are big-time players in the future. You go through these
teams, it’s going to be hard to win."
"Well I think you’re 100 percent right," Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike
Babcock told ESPN.com on Monday.
Added Trotz: "You look at some of the other teams that are rising, look at
Florida. It’s an off year for Columbus, but they’re a deep team. In the coming
years, you’ve got the Floridas and the Ottawas, the Carolinas, Buffalo can
turn it around fairly quickly with the assets they have there."
Babcock has a unique vantage point to the conference’s transformation this
season because the Red Wings left the tougher Western Conference via
realignment two years ago for the East.
In a cap world, where retaining core rosters is easier said than done, perhaps
these cycles of power aren’t as long-lasting, but I think it’s safe to say that the
East has risen. And it’s going to stick around for a while.
And while last season was proof that Detroit, with all its injuries, was happy to
be in the East and squeak into the playoffs in the weaker conference, it
appears that was a short-lived experience as far as the East being an easier
existence. The Wings now find themselves in a conference where there’s
little room to breathe, the quality of play and the top teams are very much on
the rise.
ESPN LOADED: 03.17.2015
Babcock points to the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, the two
wild-card teams right now in the East.
"OK, so who wants to play them in the first round?" Babcock asked. "I don’t
know if there’s any difference between the first-place team in the East and
the eighth-place team in the East. I can’t tell you, for sure. Before you’re in
the West and I remember thinking how tough the West was; now I’m in the
East and I think the East is very, very tough. There are teams that are going
to miss the playoffs that are real good teams. The eight teams that are in right
now, at this point anyway, are deep, hard to play against, good skill set, the
goaltending is unbelievable, so it’s going to be tough."
For years, Alain Vigneault coached a Vancouver team that was among the
contenders in the tougher West, his Canucks coming one win short of a Cup
championship in 2011.
Now in his second year with the New York Rangers, he also has an informed
perspective on the balance of power shifting between the conferences.
"In the past with the West, their centers where so much bigger, they
defended better, it was tougher for the opposition on the attack," Vigneault
told ESPN.com on Monday. "But it just seems to me in the East this year,
maybe we’re playing more to our strengths. Teams are quick, Tampa is
quick, Montreal is quick, Detroit is quick, the Islanders are quick. ... I don’t
know if it has something to do with it, but I do think the East is better this year.
It’s closed the gap at least."
Vigneault, whose Rangers lost in the Cup finals to the Los Angeles Kings last
June, feels the turnaround actually started last season.
"For me anyway, since the second half of the season last year, the East has
been able to be more competitive against the West," said Vigneault, whose
Rangers may well be the best bet in the East again this year. "Now, the West
still have some great teams, for sure. You talk about strong down the middle,
those top Western teams are still built like that."
And I’m not ready yet to argue the East is better, period. There’s a high-end
trademark to Western style hockey that is still evident. The Cup champion
may very well come from the West again, whether it’s St. Louis, Chicago,
770065
Websites
Sportsnet.ca / Kessel: ‘This is my all-time low in hockey’
MARK SPECTOR
MARCH 17, 2015, 1:30 AM
EDMONTON — It was over almost before it started. Yes, Maple Leafs fans,
even the Edmonton Oilers are too much to handle right now.
“I don’t know what to tell you guys anymore,” Phil Kessel said to the media,
after Toronto’s road futility skein ran to 1-18-2. “We have good players in
here, right? We’re not getting it done.
“This is my all-time low in hockey right now. It’s a tough go.”
Jonathan Bernier was beaten for three goals on the first four shots he faced,
and the Oilers nursed a 4-1 first period lead all the way to the finish line
Monday night at Rexall Place. It was Toronto’s eighth loss in their past 10
games. The Leafs were outscored 14-5 over consecutive losses in Calgary,
Vancouver and Edmonton, ending this road trip at 0-3.
“It was a brutal start,” Kessel surmised. “You’re not going to win any games in
this league going down 4-0. We’re still working, still trying. It’s a tough time for
us. I don’t know how to explain it anymore.”
Bernier must have had an inkling that things weren’t going to go too swell,
when Edmonton’s first shot (by Benoit Pouliot) changed direction off of
defenceman Eric Brewer’s stick and found twine just 53 seconds into the
game.
Jordan Eberle then wired a wrist shot about an inch below the cross bar, and
after another Pouliot goal less than a minute later, Eberle collected his third
point on Anton Lander’s power-play goal. That made it 4-0 Edmonton just
10:59 into the game, with a pair of markers from an Oilers power play (10 for
it’s last 26) that has been the hottest unit in the entire NHL since the all-star
break.
“We have a lot of confidence right now,” said Eberle, who upped his points
total to 55 points (19-36-55). “We feel like every time we’re out there we’re
going to score. Anytime you have that going and you start working as a unit
it’s a recipe for success.”
The Leafs, if you listen to Kessel, aren’t sure if they’ll ever win another
hockey game. They actually outplayed Edmonton in the final 40 minutes, but
couldn’t add to their lone first-period goal when James van Riemsdyk tipped
one in on the power play from Dion Phaneuf and Kessel. It was JVR’s only
point on the road trip.
As for Kessel’s statement that this is an “all-time low,” head coach Peter
Horachek had little time for sympathy. “We’re playing the best game in the
world, and you’re still getting paid pretty good money to do it,” the
beleaguered Leafs coach said.
“They’ve got to … suck it up, and let’s go. Let’s do something about it. Let’s
win the game. Let’s be focused for 60 minutes. Let’s make sure we’re all
ready to play within the confines of our structure, and be playing with
passion. You’re getting paid pretty good money.”
As they have been for the entirety of this three-game Western road swing,
the effort put forth by the Leafs best forwards was egregious. Kessel hit top
gear less than 10 times on this trip, while a disinterested Joffrey Lupul
extended his goalless streak to 19 games and his pointless streak to 15.
To this reporter’s eye, defenceman Morgan Rielly was likely the Leafs best
player on this Western swing. He had four shots versus Edmonton.
Reimer played well after the mercy pull of Bernier, but Scrivens outplayed
them both, stopping 28 of 29.
“The shots that scored, you wouldn’t have saved them no matter what. They
were perfectly placed shots,” Horachek said. “The problem is, we gave them
22 easy entries. They were coming through, our structure wasn’t there. We
had no neutral zone, no tracking.”
The win opens a six-game home stand for Edmonton, and ties them for 28th
spot in the NHL standings with Arizona. The Coyotes have a game in hand.
Toronto plays five of its next six games at Air Canada Centre.
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Sportsnet.ca / Weekend Takeaways: Fixing the draft lottery
DAMIEN COX
MARCH 16, 2015, 12:26 PM
BOCA RATON—Fix the draft lottery? Of course not.
But if you could…well of course you’d give Connor McDavid to the Maple
Leafs.
It’s tough sometimes to discern whether the NHL is a sports league or a
business, but if it were pure business, putting the game’s next attraction in its
biggest market would naturally provide the biggest boost possible.
This isn’t 1985 where everybody could just sit back and laugh at Harold
Ballard and the Laffs. The way the NHL’s business is set up now it benefits
the owners AND players to have Toronto maximizing it’s revenue potential,
which clearly isn’t the case right now.
If the Leafs make more, the pie gets bigger, and both the league and the
players get half of that. With Toronto out of the playoffs again this spring, TV
ratings, for starters, will take a significant hit, which hurts the Leafs, the
league and hits the players in their wallets as well.
Fix the draft? Of course not. But the league’s GMs will be discussing ways to
present this year’s draft lottery in a different way over the next few days, and
if one of the mock scenarios were to have McDavid land in a Leaf uniform,
you can bet that Dave Nonis won’t be the only executive in the room thinking
that would be good for business.
Other weekend takeaways:
Maple Leafs doing the right thing: Yes, the Leafs are doing the right thing by
letting this season wither. But don’t think it doesn’t come without a cost.
The utter lack of effort at times from the team’s stars has to be observed by
its younger players, and how you get that experience out of the heads of
players like Morgan Rielly, Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner will be a major
task for Brendan Shanahan and Co.
A truce in San Jose: Interesting to see Sharks owner Hasso Plattner weigh in
on the Doug Wilson-Joe Thornton brouhaha on the weekend, as Sportsnet’s
Elliotte Friedman reported.
A truce seems to have been called…for now. But after Thornton called
Wilson a liar and told him to “shut his mouth,” can’t see this continuing
beyond this season. But with Thornton holding the ace with his no-trade
clause, how can Wilson win?
Youth overlooked in Sharks’ struggled: Many see the Sharks as an
under-achieving team this year after so many playoff seasons. But the fact
that San Jose is one of the youngest clubs in the NHL, and thus an
inconsistent team, has been largely ignored.
Much ado about overtime: The debate over how exactly to use 3-on-3 play in
NHL overtime sessions began today, and it will be interesting to see what the
league proposes, and what the GMs like.
The AHL goes 4-on-4 for three minutes, and then at the first whistle, switches
to 3-on-3 with OT ending after seven minutes. The result has been drastically
reduced shootouts. But there are lots of other schemes, and some don’t like
increasing OT to seven minutes from five.
So we’ll see what they come up with.
Making the call on video review: Moving to video review on goalie
interference is likely to solve nothing and create more trouble.
Show the same review of a goalmouth play to two people, slow it down, and
you’re likely to get two different opinions on whether it was goalie
interference or not. The league believes it can lay down some strict
guidelines that would make the system work, but there are lots of doubters.
This probably could use another year of debate and information gathering.
Belleville’s loss is Hamilton’s gain: Nice to see junior hockey back in my
hometown with the news the Belleville Bulls are moving to Hamilton.
I go back to the days of the Red Wings, and then the Fincups. But since then
there have been so may false-starts and failures it’s hard to believe this will
work out of the renamed Copps Coliseum.
The best plan, to me, is still for owner Michael Andlauer to do a deal with
McMaster University, build a new, small rink that would accommodate an
OHL team, and then use it to bring back CIS hockey to Mac and establish a
women’s varsity program as well. Andlauer says he’s willing to listen, but for
now, he plans to renew the lease on the downtown arena for two more years
after next season.
Bennett on fire: More good news for Calgary fans; Sam Bennett is absolutely
sizzling since his season got off the ground in Kingston. He has 21 points in
nine games, and suddenly draft eligible winger Lawson Crouse seems a lot
more dangerous and is up to 28 goals in a year where some scouts have
wondered about his ability to finish.
Dealing Dion: There’s widespread belief the Leafs could have done a deal
with Detroit involving Dion Phaneuf at the deadline, but backed off, thinking a
better trade option might emerge over the coming months. At least two other
teams have since approached Toronto about a Phaneuf trade.
End of the road for Murray?: It seems unlikely Calgary will sign veteran
defenceman Douglas Murray, who played in Germany this season and is
with the Flames on a tryout basis these days.
It’s amazing to look back only two years to the 2013 trade deadline and
remember Pittsburgh gave up two second rounders for the slow-footed
rearguard. If Calgary does sign him now, he’s not eligible for the playoffs.
The best ever: Said one GM on McDavid: "We’re all starting to wonder; could
he be the best player ever? It seems crazy, but then you see him play, and
you wonder."
What’s in a name?: The new OHL team in Flint, Michigan will apparently be
known as the Flint Firebirds. They’re moving there from Plymouth.
Financial point: There’s growing speculation the NHLPA won’t approve the 5
per cent salary cap escalator this year, which may keep the cap around $69
million. Players are growing tired of paying a 16 per cent escrow fee and not
approving the escalator would likely reduce that figure, although it would also
mean monies available under a higher cap to unsigned players will simply
vanish.
Hardware watch: Is is too late to consider Devan Dubnyk for the Hart? Or
Andrew Hammond as Vezina candidate?
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Sportsnet.ca / Horachek: Slumping Leafs got nothing on cancer
JEFF SIMMONS
MARCH 16, 2015, 3:12 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs interim head coach Peter Horachek says he is able to
maintain perspective despite his team’s troubling play.
When asked by reporters Tuesday how tough this season has been on him,
Horachek said that he’s dealt with much tougher situations in his life.
Mark Spector on Twitter
Horachek admitted that he battled prostate cancer five years ago when he
was an assistant coach of the Nashville Predators.
He added that his father died of cancer and it's easy to realize there are
bigger things than hockey.
Terry Koshan on Twitter
Under Horachek, the Maple Leafs have a 6-21-3 record and have fallen to
15th place in the Eastern Conference.
Horachek was given the interim tag when the Maple Leafs fired head coach
Randy Carlyle on Jan. 6.
He began the year as an assistant coach on Carlyle's staff.
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Sportsnet.ca / Sharp’s slump goes way beyond bad luck
CHRIS BOYLE
MARCH 16, 2015, 12:48 PM
With all the great work being done in the NHL analytics world, it’s frustrating
to continually see intelligent hardworking analysis tripped up by faulty NHL
data. Jennifer Lute Costella (JenLC) is one of my go-to bloggers when it
comes to the Chicago Blackhawks, and she recently put together an
expansive breakdown of Patrick Sharp’s 2015 scoring struggles.
Diving into the rabbit hole that is war-on-ice.com, she argued that this slump
was likely based on Sharp stringing together some poor shooting luck.
The problem, as always, is the reliability of the data we are analyzing.
SHARP
A review of Sharp’s stats made it clear that his struggles came at even
strength, and it’s easy to see where and why the assumption of bad luck
entered the picture. Sharp’s goals are down and his PDO points to extremely
poor luck based on his poor shooting percentage. His zone usage, scoring
chances and possession numbers all match up with his previous season,
where Sharp shot an above average 9.5 percent.
This is where things got interesting, as Darryl Belfry, an NHL skills
development coach who has worked with Patrick Kane, entered the
conversation.
“So what’s wrong now,” Belfry wrote, “well injuries derailed his momentum
and mobility. As he worked his way back into he lineup he couldn’t find his
timing. In reaction to lack of production Coach Q drops him in the lineup.
Once he plays a few shifts outside a line that doesn’t have 88 or 81 the
possession timing is thrown further out of whack. Now instead of sliding into
seams, he is ‘standing around’ with longer and longer stretches of time where
no passes are coming his way in those seams. In reaction to ‘standing
around’ and the frustration of not getting the puck in those seam windows, he
compensates by starting to ‘chase the puck’ for contact more to force more
turnovers. Now instead of extending possession sequences he is in
never-ending cycle of going from one board battle to the next.”
As I reviewed and tracked Patrick Sharp’s last two seasons some of Belfry’s
observations jumped out at me. Once Sharp was separated from Hossa and
Toews, most of his even-strength minutes came alongside Andrew Shaw
and Brad Richards. While I expected more pre-shot movement was the
answer, neither season saw Sharp receiving one-timers or cashing in
rebound opportunities. What I observed was Sharp not getting the puck in
stride in transition. It affected his ability to fill seams and instead he became
the main puck handler attacking the blueline.
In 2013-14, Sharp was able to free himself for 12 breakaways, the 2014-15
season has seen that number drop to two. Without Hossa and Toews feeding
him in stride and opening up space for him, Sharp has maintained a high shot
count, but the majority of the shots have come after crossing the blueline,
pushing wide and firing pucks from all angles.
This is visually evident in his expected shooting percentages.
Sharp_Exp_740
Remove the white noise of luck, and it becomes clear that Sharp just isn’t
generating the same type of opportunities he did in 2013-14. Last season, he
converted even-strength opportunities at a slightly above average rate. In
2014-15, he hasn’t met expectations.
Here, we run into collection issues again, as the tracking data provided by
NHL.com is spectacularly inaccurate and lacks pre-shot movement.
Here is a side-by-side of Patrick Sharp shot charts, one assembled by
visually tracking the co-ordinates through the use of NHL GameCenter and
the other based on current logged locations courtesy of War-On-Ice.
P_Sharp_Both_740_2
The NHL.com data inaccurately shows Patrick Sharp penetrating the home
plate area, while visual tracking and research paint an entirely different
picture, showing a player who is being contained on the perimeter because
he is forced to shoot off the carry.
Over and over Sharp gains the zone. If the D provides him the spacing to
shoot, he fires from above the hash marks. If he’s pressured, he swings wide
and fires from bad angles.
The difference in his shooting percentage becomes glaring when we
compare and contrast it to the previous season, where he was able to
maximize his asset base with Hossa and Toews.
When we remove the noise created by inaccurate data, we begin to see a
reason why his shooting percentage has crashed—beyond luck. In 2013-14,
Sharp was consistently gaining the home plate area for high-quality
opportunities. This year, those opportunities have virtually disappeared,
which matches up nicely with the eye test provided by Belfry.
“What’s wrong with Patrick Sharp is his current game habits are in conflict
with his asset base,” Belfry writes. “He is not a player who can dictate
conditions on the ice, he is a partner on a line not a centrepiece. Must play
with the right type of player—elite possession player—whom he can read
their possession habits and dial in his timing with so he can do what he does
best … Patrick Sharp is an unreal talent, however, like many players who
play in the NHL, he must find a way to adapt his game to changing personnel,
role and ice time and find a way to continue to stay true to his asset base.”
Sometimes, in our rush to provide counter-intuitive observations and
arguments, we ignore the answer right in front of us. Sometimes a slump isn’t
the result of poor play, but rather of the environment a player has been
placed in. I referred to this in regards to Ben Scrivens early in the year, and
Alexander Ovechkin last week.
Patrick Sharp remains a great player, but he needs to be placed in a situation
that allows him to succeed. The Blackhawks simply haven’t provided that this
season.
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Sportsnet.ca / Injured Jets Byfuglien, Myers back at practice
LUKE FOX
MARCH 16, 2015, 1:45 PM
The Winnipeg Jets’ push to qualify for the post-season received a positive
sign Monday, as both Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien returned to practice
wearing regular contact sweaters, suggesting the injured players could be
available for the next game.
Coach Paul Maurice said both players would be evaluated Tuesday and that
it’s “a possibility” they could draw into the lineup.
Myers, 25, hasn’t played since he crashed into the boards and left the third
period of March 12′s 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers with an upper-body
injury.
All-star Byfuglien, also nursing an upper-body ailment, hasn't played since
March 4. He was expected to be out two to four weeks.
"Practice was all right. We'll see how things are tomorrow," Byfuglien told
reporters. "It was nice to come back and see the boys. I kinda miss 'em. It got
a little boring, a little lonely out here without them."
Centre Bryan Little (upper body) was not on the ice Monday. Neither were
defencemen Tobias Enstrom (maintenance) and Paul Postma (suffered
"significant lower-body" injury Saturday).
The Jets, who defeated Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, next play Tuesday in
Winnipeg, where they'll host the San Jose Sharks -- another team battling for
its playoff life.
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Sportsnet.ca / NHL Playoff Push: Can Montreal hold off Lightning?
The rest of tonight’s sked:
-Maple Leafs vs. Oilers: This game has no impact on the playoff race
whatsoever.
Fun fact: Coyotes goalie Mike Smith has lost 12 of his past 13 games. He has
allowed four or more goals in five of them.
JEFF SIMMONS
MARCH 16, 2015, 9:23 AM
The NHL Playoff Push is our daily look back and ahead at the post-season
picture as teams position themselves for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Series we’d love to see:Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings: Two of
the most entertaining teams in the league, the Red Wings and Lightning
would make for a heck of a first-round series. Between Yzerman vs. Detroit
and Stamkos vs. Datsyuk or Zetterberg, there are storylines galore. What’s
not to like?
What’d I miss? The Ottawa Senators won again! Senators goalie Andrew
Hammond extended his record to 10-0-1 after Bobby Ryan scored the
shootout winner to defeat the Flyers…With the win, Ottawa moved within five
points out of a wild card spot with more games in hand than both Boston and
Washington…Speaking of which, the Bruins fell 2-0 to the Capitals to end
their five-game winning streak. Washington regained the first wild card
position after Braden Holtby’s eighth shutout of the season…Sidney Crosby
returned to the lineup after a one-game absence but the Penguins lost 5-1 to
the Red Wings…Despite the loss, the Penguins remain two points behind the
Islanders in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand… At the top of
the division, the Rangers extended their lead with a 2-1 victory over the
Panthers. Cam Talbot made 38 saves in the victory.
Monday’s game to watch: Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Entering Monday, the Lightning trail the Canadiens by two points in the
Atlantic Division standings, but Montreal has a game in hand. However, the
Lightning have dominated the season series, winning all three match-ups by
a combined score of 12-3. Carey Price will start in goal for the Canadiens
while the Lightning are expected to be without Ondrej Palat, Cedric Paquette,
and Braydon Coburn.
The rest of tonight’s sked:
-Capitals vs. Sabres: Capitals open a three-game road trip against the lowly
Sabres (0-5-1 in their last six games).
Fun fact: Sabres goalie Anders Lindback has saved 148 of 160 shots since
being acquired at the trade deadline.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY…
(P1) vs. (WC2)
(C1) vs. (WC1)
(C2) vs. (C3)
(P2) vs. (P3)
Screen Shot 2015-03-16 at 8.12.36 AM
Series we’d love to see: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators —
What a terrible reward that would be for Nashville’s breakout season. The
Predators have a legitimate offence, a top-flight goaltender and a shutdown
defenceman. It would be fun to see how they match up against Jonathan
Toews and company. Also, two of the best crowds.
What’d I miss? Anaheim rallied with four goals in the third period to beat the
Predators…The Ducks moved back into the No. 1 seed in the Western
Conference while Nashville dropped to second place in the Central Division
after St. Louis shut out the Dallas Stars. Jake Allen made 28 saves…The
Blues and Predators are tied with 93 points each, but St. Louis has two
games in hand.
Monday’s game to watch: Arizona Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings: The
Coyotes are residing in the McDavid zone, but this game has big implications
for the Kings. Los Angeles fell out of a wild card position over the weekend.
The Kings are one point back of Winnipeg, who holds the second wild card
position, but have a game in a hand. Darryl Sutter’s club had a chance to
regain possession of the second wild card Saturday, but couldn’t hold on to a
one-goal lead in the third period against the Predators. Kings defenceman
Alec Martinez skated Sunday but isn’t expected to play.
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Sportsnet.ca / Ovechkin replaces fan’s sweater after house fire
LUKE FOX
MARCH 16, 2015, 11:58 AM
When Jeff and Jessica Jones’ first home burned down in February, one of
Jeff’s most cherished possessions — an autographed Alex Ovechkin
sweater — was turned to ash.
So, who better to brighten the Washington Capitals fan’s day than Ovechkin
himself? That enigmatic Russian who baffles us with all the kind things he
does for people and puppies.
After Jessica wrote a letter to the Capitals explaining their misfortune,
Ovechkin surprised the couple with a little something:
Ovechkin presented Jeff with a new signed jersey and a pair of tickets to a
game.
“To meet my favourite player, the best player in the world… I don’t even know
what to say,” Jeff told Monumental Network. “I’m just taken aback by the
graciousness of people. It’s a huge pick-me-up.”
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USA TODAY / General managers to honor Ottawa's Bryan Murray
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 4:54 p.m. EDT March 16, 2015
Murray said he has not made any decision about his future with the Senators.
"I don't know what I'm doing," he said. "I'll wait until the end of the year. If we
make the playoffs, I might have a job. If we don't, I might not like it."
On Monday afternoon, Poile said he was still contemplating what he wanted
to say about his good friend. He wanted the night to be about Murray's
career, not his cancer. He was trying not to let the emotional side take over
the celebration of the night.
Said Poile: "Bryan is already living the emotional part."
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray said he
won't be speaking Monday night when NHL GMs honor his uncle Bryan
because "one Murray crying in there will be enough."
It's tradition for NHL general managers to honor a retired general manager at
their meetings, but they have decided to change the custom to honor active
Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray, who has been battling Stage 4 colon
cancer.
"I think it's going to be an emotional night," Tim Murray said. "We honor
people too often past their prime. I don't see anything wrong with honoring
guys have been in this league as long as him. Glen Sather and David Poile
should be honored in their prime."
Bryan Murray, 72, has stayed in his job through chemotherapy and has been
saluted far and wide for his decision to go public and urge people to have
colonoscopies to get the early detection that he didn't have.
Because of his frequent trips to the hospital, Murray said knows many people
who have been touched by cancer and he wanted to do something to help.
"(I'm) a bit of a name in Ottawa … If nothing else, in that city, I can make
people aware," Murray said. "I've had so much feedback from that, it's
unbelievable, both from doctors and people that have gone and had a
colonoscopy for example and there was an indication that they'd better get
something done because they had the start of the disease. It's not fun to have
and it's not fun for my family to have me discussing it quite often, but I thought
it was the right thing to do."
Murray said Monday he has heard from people who have had colonoscopies
and an early cancer detection because of his public service announcement
It wasn't easy at first for Murray to accept it when Nashville Predators GM
Poile told him the group wanted to honor him now. But he quickly recognized
it was a heartfelt gesture by men who know him well.
"Whether it was Washington, Anaheim, Detroit, Ottawa or Florida…he has
made franchises better," said Poile, who coached Murray in Washington. "He
has made teams better. He has made players better. It's all because of his
teaching."
Murray long has had a reputation as a pro's pro, someone who says what
needs to be said.
"He has always been a real professional, but not a professional like he is all
business," Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said. "There is a real family feel to him.
He is always competitive, but always respectful."
Nill estimated that Murray had a connection or was close with "three-quarters
of our group."
In addition to working for Poile, Murray was once the boss of the Minnesota
Wild's Chuck Fletcher. Both of those men will speak at the ceremony.
Tim Murray worked for him in Ottawa. Bryan Murray coached Tampa Bay
Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman. The list goes on and on.
"What I find now is when I run into former players they tell me how much he
taught them," Poile said. "It wasn't just being a better hockey player, but
being better people through the life lessons he taught them as a teacher."
Poile said he thinks Murray was an exceptional coach because of his
teaching skill.
"That is his background," Poile said. "He was a teacher who just happened to
coach a hockey team. I think he is a really good general manager, but I
thought he was a great coach. He loved the action of being involved with
players."
No one was surprised to see Murray handle cancer like it was just another
challenge of life.
"To see what he is going through and how he has handled it is amazing," Nill
said. "He comes moving forward."
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USA TODAY / GMs look into expanding use of video review
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 4 p.m. EDT March 16, 2015
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Upon further video review, NHL general managers
aren't sure yet whether referees should use replays to help make goalie
interference calls or to help on pucks leaving the playing surface.
Both of those topics could come up Tuesday when the GMs meet as a large
group to discuss whether they want to make any recommendations for
changes to the rules. On Monday, the GMs broke into small groups to study a
variety of issues.
"(One) was running the goaltender," Toronto Maple Leafs general manager
Dave Nonis said. "The concern about the amount of contact or impairing the
vision of the goaltenders. There was a fair amount of time on that. I think
overall we talked about the health of the game and we're all pretty happy with
the way the game is right now."
There was no discussion on Monday about the use of three-on-three play in
overtime, but that is expected to be a lengthy discussion on Tuesday. There
has been a growing appetite among general managers to decrease the
number of shootouts. The American Hockey League has been using
three-on-three and four-on-four play in its overtime format and fewer than
24% of overtime games are now going to a shootout. In the NHL, where
four-on-four is used exclusively for regular-season overtime, 58% of overtime
games are going to a shootout.
"I'm for something other than the shootout as much as possible," Ottawa
Senators general manager Bryan Murray said. "I'm not sure where we're
going with (three-on-three) at this point. We haven't brought it up in this
meeting yet. I can see it as part of an overtime period."
If GMs make any recommendations for rule changes, they would have to be
passed also by the competition committee and the board of governors to
become law.
NHL senior vice president Colin Campbell said there was lengthy discussion
on Monday about crease presence. It comes down to how much should be
allowed.
"We don't want to go near 'toe in the crease.' We don't want to go near that
again," Campbell said. "But we want to be able to instruct the referees. We
want these guys to tell us what is crease presence. When should a play be
called off, i.e. that's a goaltender who plays like (Henrik) Lundqvist. He hugs
the goal line. Maybe there's another goaltender who plays atop the crease.
Does that matter if the goalie leaves you room? So we talked about crease
presence. These things seem anal until you get into Game 6 and 7 in the
playoffs. They're not anal anymore. They're important."
A potential coach's challenge was brought up again.
"If we introduce coach's challenge, should we expand it to pucks over the
glass?" Campbell said. "It's a difficult one to assess from our vantage point in
Toronto. But do you guys want us to help the officials in that case? We would
never add a penalty. We would only take one down."
Also discussed was what should be done if a team's two goaltenders are
injured, as occurred recently to the Florida Panthers. Both goalies played for
a period hurt because there was no one else present who was under
contract. Eventually, assistant coach Rob Tallas dressed as a backup.
"We haven't arrived at a solution yet, but one group talked about it," Campbell
said. "For the first time in 21,823 games, we ran out of goalies. So what do
we do now the next time it happens in 21,223 games? All seriousness,
though, we've talked about this before and we've beaten it up, and we've
been close many times. But what happens again when it happens?"
One idea that has been floating around is having a designated goalie present
at games.
"We've talked about that in the past," Campbell said. "(NHL executive) Jimmy
Gregory used to beat me up with this. He was always right. You should
probably have a designated goaltender in the building that if worse comes to
worst, he'd be allowed to play. I'm not sure what came out of the group. I
wasn't there for the exact conversation, but a lot of teams have goaltenders
on staff that do jump in the net on an optional day. Are we allowed to use
those guys? So Central Registry had some input on that."
USA TODAY LOADED: 03.17.2015
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YAHOO SPORTS / Life lessons on and off the ice: NHL GMs pay tribute to
'teacher' Bryan Murray as he battles cancer
Nicholas J. Cotsonika
13 hours ago
BOCA RATON, Fla. — It was late November. David Poile’s Nashville
Predators were visiting Bryan Murray’s Ottawa Senators. The veteran
general managers went way back, and Murray was fighting colon cancer. It
was Stage 4, the final stage.
Poile asked Murray if the GMs could honor him at their annual meeting in
March.
“There was an awkward pause,” Poile said.
The GMs had been honoring one of their peers at the meeting for years. But
they had always honored someone after retirement. Murray was undergoing
chemotherapy. He was about to turn 72 years of age. But he had not retired,
and he had no plans to retire yet.
“I said, ‘Well, look, this is the right thing,’ ” Poile said. “There was a pause
again. ‘Yeah, OK.’ ”
And so Monday night, after a day of talking hockey, the GMs were to gather
for a dinner at a posh resort to celebrate a man with whom they had worked
and competed for so many years. Poile was scheduled to speak. The
Minnesota Wild’s Chuck Fletcher was scheduled to speak. The Buffalo
Sabres’ Tim Murray was not.
“I would not be able to do it,” said Tim Murray, who once worked with his
uncle in Ottawa. “And frankly, one Murray crying in there will be enough.”
Murray has been in the NHL since 1981, when Poile was the GM of the
Washington Capitals and Murray was the coach. He went on to coach the
Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks and Senators. He has
been the GM of the Wings, Panthers, Ducks and Sens.
But before that, he was a gym teacher in Shawville, Quebec. Asked to
describe him in a word, Poile chose “teacher.”
“That is his background,” Poile said. “He was a teacher who just happened to
coach a hockey team. I think he is a really good general manager, but I
thought he was a great coach. He loved the action of being involved with the
players. What I find now is when I run into former players, they tell me how
much he taught them. It wasn’t just about being a better hockey player, but
about being better people through the life lessons he taught them as a
teacher.”
Murray mentored several other GMs – guys like Fletcher, whom he tutored
as a young executive in Florida and Anaheim, and Tampa Bay's Steve
Yzerman, whom he coached as a player in Detroit. He has had an impact on
so many others in the game.
And now he is having an impact on so many others outside of it.
He received his diagnosis June 23, just before the NHL draft. The news
broke that he had cancer, but few knew the extent until he gave an interview
to journalist Michael Farber, a cancer survivor himself, that aired on TSN on
Nov. 13.
The video showed him open, honest and vulnerable. He sat with his shirt
unbuttoned and cracked a joke as the nurse handled an IV in chemotherapy.
He read the book “David and Goliath” as the medicine dipped down the tube
and flowed into his body. He explained that he might have had colon cancer
for seven to 10 years, and that it had spread to his liver and lungs. It could
have been caught had he had a simple colonoscopy.
The interview upset his family. Even if his loved ones already knew his
condition, it was hard for them to see him like that on television. It’s still hard
on them now to watch him deal with the disease in public.
“It’s not fun to have, and it’s not fun for my family to have me discussing it
quite often,” Murray said. “But I thought it was the right thing to do.”
Murray wanted to teach a lesson: Get a colonoscopy. Don’t put it off. Don’t
make excuses.
Many people have gotten colonoscopies because of it. That includes his
nephew, who got one Jan. 21 and said he wouldn’t have otherwise.
Some people have had cancer caught because of it.
“He is such a recognized face in hockey that his message touched a lot of
people,” Tim Murray said. “We had waves of mail and text messages
expressing the fact that people were able to detect their colon cancer at an
early stage after getting tested as a result of Bryan going out publicly. Saving
one life is huge. How many will he be able to save? Hundreds? Thousands?
Nobody knows."
Murray also has set an example. Despite the disease, despite the chemo,
despite the toll on his body and mind and spirit, he hasn’t lost his sense of
humor. He hasn’t stopped working. He hasn’t stopped living.
He said this honor just meant he was old and had been around a long time.
He joked that by honoring him, maybe the other GMs were sending a
message that it was time to retire. He joked he felt fine, but he would feel
better if he stopped talking to reporters in the shade and got some sun.
He said he hadn’t decided his future yet. The Senators are hot and were five
points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference entering
Monday night.
“If we make the playoffs, I might have a job,” he said. “If we don’t, my owner
might not like it. I’ll just wait until the end of the year and talk to the right
people and then make a decision.”
That’s Bryan Murray.
“To see what he is going through and how he has handled it is amazing,” said
the Dallas Stars’ Jim Nill, who has battled cancer himself and watched his
wife battle cancer. “He comes moving forward. He has always been a real
professional, but not a professional like he is all business. There is a real
family feel to him. He is always competitive, but always respectful.”
He deserves respect in return.
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YAHOO SPORTS / NHL GMs attempt to solve mysteries of goalie
interference, diving
Nicholas J. Cotsonika
14 hours ago
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The sun shined. The pool glistened. The beach
beckoned. But for hours at a posh resort Monday, NHL general managers
broke up into small groups, holed up in meeting rooms and discussed hockey
minutiae. The main topics: goalie interference, diving and embellishment,
and emergency goaltenders.
They’ll discuss them again as one group Tuesday, as well as the biggest
topics of this year’s three-day meeting: 3-on-3 overtime and video review of
goalie interference. If the GMs recommend a rule change, it goes to the
competition committee and the board of governors. No recommendations
have been made yet.
“Things seem anal until you get into Game 6 and 7 in the playoffs,” said Colin
Campbell, NHL senior vice president of hockey operations. “They’re not anal
anymore. They’re important.”
-- Goalie interference: First, before getting into video review of goalie
interference, the GMs went over what exactly constitutes goalie interference.
They don’t want to go back to disallowing goals because of the
black-and-white, toe-in-the-crease rule. But that means the call is subjective,
and that means there will be debate.
“We want these guys to tell us: What is crease presence?” Campbell said.
“When should a play be called off?”
Should the standard be different between a goalie who plays deep in his
crease, like the New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist, and one who plays at
the top of the paint? Should it matter if the goalie gives his opponent more
room?
The GMs looked at examples on video. For the most part, they felt the
referees got the call right on the ice. But sometimes they not only disagreed
with the referees, they disagreed with each other.
“It sounds so simple,” said the Dallas Stars’ Jim Nill. “If you talk to someone
watching a game, they might say, ‘Why wouldn’t you call that?’ But when you
are sitting in a room watching them, they are not clear cut. Understand that
the referees are seeing things full speed at 100 mph. It’s difficult.”
Should the NHL use video review because the game is so fast? Should the
NHL not use it because it will create delays and not everyone agrees,
anyway? The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jim Rutherford said he felt there was
enough support for the GMs to recommend using it. Others weren’t sure.
“There was some good discussion today to kick things off,” said the Calgary
Flames’ Brad Treliving. “We’ll see what the next couple of days bring.”
-- Diving and embellishment: To crack down on diving and embellishment,
hockey ops department tracking it this season. First offense, a player
receives a warning. Second offense, a $2,000 fine – announced publicly.
From there, the fines go to $3,000, $4,000 and $5,000. Starting with the fifth
offense, the head coach is fined, too.
The GMs looked at video of incidents over the past week and went through
the same exercise hockey ops has all season. The results of a poll will be
given to the group Tuesday, educating the GMs on the process and making a
point.
“It’s not easy on video review,” Campbell said, “but it’s much easier on video
review than it is on the ice.”
Hockey ops asked the GMs whether they would like the league to inform the
referees about divers and embellishers, because it’s such a hard call for a
referee to make. The results of that poll will be given Tuesday, too.
It’s not like the refs don’t already know, though.
“It’s pretty obvious when you do as many games as they do and talk, there’s
going to be some discussions among the referees,” said the Edmonton
Oilers’ Craig MacTavish. “Nobody likes to get shown up on a call. They can
be a vindictive group at times, as we all know. So if they do get shown up
through a dive, that’s going to travel quickly through the ranks. I don’t take
this as really anything new. It’s more of a formalized process to share that
information.”
-- Emergency goaltenders: The Florida Panthers recently had two
goaltenders injured in the same game, and they had trouble clearing
goaltending coach Robb Tallas to dress. Campbell stressed how rare the
situation was.
“For the first time in 21,823 games, we ran out of goalies,” Campbell said. “So
what do we do now the next time it happens in 21,223 games? In all
seriousness, though, we’ve talked about this before, and we’ve beaten it up,
and we’ve been close many times. But what happens again when it
happens?”
Any novel ideas?
“We’re going to take a straw poll of what media member we’re totally
unhappy with and stick him in there,” Campbell joked.
The most likely solution: Designating emergency goalies ahead of time so
there are no issues in the heat of the moment if they are needed.
“We discussed it, and it needs a little more discussion,” said Rutherford, a
former NHL goaltender himself. “We agree that having somebody, a third
goalie available, not necessarily a guy that’s on contract, makes some sense.
We don’t want to get into the same situation as Florida did – and it won’t be
me.”
-- One more thing: If the NHL introduces a coach’s challenge, should it
include video review for delay of game when pucks are shot over the glass?
Hockey ops would not add penalties, only take them away.
“It’s a difficult one to assess from our vantage point in Toronto,” Campbell
said. “But do you guys want us to help the officials in that case?”
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