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NHL general managers have decided they would only like to tweak the overtime format while making significant changes in what happens to the faceoff circle.
When a player tries to cheat on the faceoffs, GMs want to force him move 12 to 18 inches back, instead of kicking him out of the faceoff circle. If there is a second faceoff infraction, the offending team would receive a penalty.
The idea would be that exceptional faceoff men will have trouble winning draws if they have to stand a foot and a half back.
"You don't have to put two centermen on to take a draw at the end of a game, because you know the first guy is going to take the faceoff," said St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. "And, if your faceoff percentage is going to be the one getting hit, there might be more integrity on the first faceoff. If percentage drops, you'll keep it clean."
The GMs also want to adopt the International Ice Hockey Federation faceoff hashmarks, which would move players five feet apart, instead of three feet apart.
"That eliminates the scrum along the boards and allows the quicker player to get to the puck and generate scoring opportunities," Armstrong said.
A recommendation from the GMs does not mean a rule will be changed. New rules must be approved by the competition committee, which includes player representation. They must also be approved by the league's board of governors.
GMs exited their annual meeting saying there is not enough support for adding minutes to overtime, but there was a consensus to recommend that teams be required to switch ends in overtime, forcing teams make to skate farther to bench to make line changes.
In the NHL regular season, teams score more goals in the second period than any other period because that features the long change. That can lead to odd-man rushes because teams get caught more often on changes.
"The USHL, I believe, had a 10 percent spike in overtime goals by the long change," said Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. "We'll see if we can tweak it a little bit and we'll look at the numbers a year from now."
What is still being discussed is whether there will be a dry scrape before the overtime or whether the ice will be shoveled off. The concern is about adding time to the length of the game.
"I know our fans love shootouts and I know they're here to stay," said Calgary Flames acting general manager Brian Burke. "I know our broadcast partners love them. Nobody leaves during a shootout. I'm a bit of a dinosaur and a purist. I don't particularly like them, but I vote for them to stay in the game. But, yeah, if we can tweak it and have fewer games decided by a skills competition, then I would be in favor of that. "
NHL Players Association executive Mathieu Schneider said players would prefer to see fewer games end in a shootout.
"As entertaining as it is, it takes the game out of the hands of the guys who are on the ice for the most part," Schneider said. "There is a sense that it is used as a tactic. You are just trying to get to the shootout and then you have a chance to win. There are teams that have an advantage because they have one or two great shootout players. That being said, I wouldn't say there is any great sense of urgency about it."
The only other possible change is a request that the league's hockey operations department to clarify what goals should or should not count when the puck goes off a skate. It seems as if the GMs are looking for a more goal-friendly interpretation of what constitutes a "distinct kicking motion."
Schneider, the NHLPA's special adviser to the executive director, said players would like to slow the game down a bit. It has become a safety issue for the NHLPA because forecheckers, going full speed, can punish defensemen as they go back to retrieve a puck that has been dumped into the zone.
"To give a little bit of relief for defensemen, whether it's a little more interference," Schneider said. "There's definitely no appetite for bringing in any more hooking and holding. But there may be room for allowing a little more interference. Maybe we would like to get rid of the trapezoid again. This would give defensemen more relief when they go back for the puck. Aside from that, I think guys feel pretty good about where the game is at."
NHL general managers focus on faceoff cheaters
When a player tries to cheat on the faceoffs, GMs want to force him move 12 to 18 inches back, instead of kicking him out of the faceoff circle. If there is a second faceoff infraction, the offending team would receive a penalty.
The idea would be that exceptional faceoff men will have trouble winning draws if they have to stand a foot and a half back.
"You don't have to put two centermen on to take a draw at the end of a game, because you know the first guy is going to take the faceoff," said St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. "And, if your faceoff percentage is going to be the one getting hit, there might be more integrity on the first faceoff. If percentage drops, you'll keep it clean."
The GMs also want to adopt the International Ice Hockey Federation faceoff hashmarks, which would move players five feet apart, instead of three feet apart.
"That eliminates the scrum along the boards and allows the quicker player to get to the puck and generate scoring opportunities," Armstrong said.
A recommendation from the GMs does not mean a rule will be changed. New rules must be approved by the competition committee, which includes player representation. They must also be approved by the league's board of governors.
GMs exited their annual meeting saying there is not enough support for adding minutes to overtime, but there was a consensus to recommend that teams be required to switch ends in overtime, forcing teams make to skate farther to bench to make line changes.
In the NHL regular season, teams score more goals in the second period than any other period because that features the long change. That can lead to odd-man rushes because teams get caught more often on changes.
"The USHL, I believe, had a 10 percent spike in overtime goals by the long change," said Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. "We'll see if we can tweak it a little bit and we'll look at the numbers a year from now."
What is still being discussed is whether there will be a dry scrape before the overtime or whether the ice will be shoveled off. The concern is about adding time to the length of the game.
"I know our fans love shootouts and I know they're here to stay," said Calgary Flames acting general manager Brian Burke. "I know our broadcast partners love them. Nobody leaves during a shootout. I'm a bit of a dinosaur and a purist. I don't particularly like them, but I vote for them to stay in the game. But, yeah, if we can tweak it and have fewer games decided by a skills competition, then I would be in favor of that. "
NHL Players Association executive Mathieu Schneider said players would prefer to see fewer games end in a shootout.
"As entertaining as it is, it takes the game out of the hands of the guys who are on the ice for the most part," Schneider said. "There is a sense that it is used as a tactic. You are just trying to get to the shootout and then you have a chance to win. There are teams that have an advantage because they have one or two great shootout players. That being said, I wouldn't say there is any great sense of urgency about it."
The only other possible change is a request that the league's hockey operations department to clarify what goals should or should not count when the puck goes off a skate. It seems as if the GMs are looking for a more goal-friendly interpretation of what constitutes a "distinct kicking motion."
Schneider, the NHLPA's special adviser to the executive director, said players would like to slow the game down a bit. It has become a safety issue for the NHLPA because forecheckers, going full speed, can punish defensemen as they go back to retrieve a puck that has been dumped into the zone.
"To give a little bit of relief for defensemen, whether it's a little more interference," Schneider said. "There's definitely no appetite for bringing in any more hooking and holding. But there may be room for allowing a little more interference. Maybe we would like to get rid of the trapezoid again. This would give defensemen more relief when they go back for the puck. Aside from that, I think guys feel pretty good about where the game is at."
NHL general managers focus on faceoff cheaters
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2006/12/07
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One week prior, Roberto Luongo was discussing how happy he was to be the No. 1 goaltender with the Vancouver Canucks after having to share the net with Cory Schneider last season. But after arguably the biggest deal prior to the NHL Trade Deadline last Wednesday, Luongo is back for a second stint with the Florida Panthers.
"You've handled yourself with a lot of class, though, the last couple of years," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon says moments before Luongo meets reporters in South Florida. "That's really good. It happened so quick. We fought hard last year [to get you back] and it didn't work, so … but this time, it just happened. Maybe sitting out at the Heritage Classic was a bonus for us. It worked out great. We're excited."
"It's been a long road," Luongo says.
The Tallon-Luongo exchange is one of many memorable scenes from the season finale of "NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other," on NBCSN in the United States and CBC in Canada.
This week's episode goes into great detail about the trade deadline and provides an in-depth look at several of the players who saw their lives and places of employment change. The Luongo trade certainly takes center stage.
"I'm not going to say that I'm happy to be out of there, because that's not true," Luongo says of Vancouver. "There was a lot of things going on. Obviously, you don't want to be surrounded by that kind of stuff, but that's not anybody's fault in particular. It's just things that happened over the course of a career. The main thing is the way you react, the way you respond.
"I thought I was having a great year in Vancouver this year. Things happened quickly over the last week or so and the trade happened. It's sad. It's a part of my career that's over."
Luongo spent his first few days back in Florida without his family, which stayed in Vancouver to tie up some loose ends. He kept his home in Florida while playing for Vancouver, so he's back in a familiar setting, though by himself.
"It's comfortable for me," Luongo says. "I don't have to get used to a new city and look for a place, find a new vehicle, that kind of stuff. Everything's all here for me already, so the transition part of it is going to be great. It's going to be smooth and it's just a matter of getting acclimated with my new teammates and my new team.
"It feels weird being here by myself, you know? It's the first time ever really that I've been here by myself without my wife and kids here. [But] my family will be able to make it back here by early sometime next week. Obviously I left everything there. I didn't know I was going to get traded when we were on the road trip so there was a few things to wrap up before they could all come home. You can hear a pin drop in here."
Other highlights of the season finale include:
* With Luongo out of the picture, Eddie Lack becomes the new No. 1 in Vancouver and makes his fifth consecutive start against the Dallas Stars. With little help from his teammates, Lack allows five goals on 17 shots in a 6-1 loss. Lack was pulled after the second period.
* One night after the Canucks lose in Dallas, Luongo makes his return with the Panthers by stopping all 25 shots he faces in a 2-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres at BB&T Center.
"Not bad for your first shutout of the year, eh?" forward Brad Boyes says to Luongo as he is congratulated by teammates after the buzzer.
Luongo is greeted by fans after the game and signs some autographs.
"Are you going to do that every game?" a boy asks him.
"What?" Luongo says.
"Get a shutout," the kid replies.
"I hope so," Luongo responds.
* Hoping to help Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw to regain his scoring touch, coach Joel Quenneville decides to put Shaw on the top line with center Jonathan Toews.
"I felt like it was time to do something different," Quenneville tells reporters. "Shawsie's got to play his game, be direct and get to the net and around the net. That's his strength."
Shaw ends an 11-game drought by scoring twice in a 6-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at United Center.
* As the Los Angeles Kings wrap up practice last Tuesday, forward Matt Frattin is informed by coach Darryl Sutter he's been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's going to be tough leaving this group of guys," Frattin says. "But at the same time, I'll hopefully get a lot more ice time there and it's a fresh start and they're a good team for the playoff hunt."
Jarret Stoll says, "It's always awkward when a teammate gets traded, and disappointing. But, it's part of the game."
* With the deadline approaching, New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur appears in what could be his final game with the club, his 1,250th game with the only NHL team he's played for. Brodeur makes 20 saves to help the Devils beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 at Prudential Center.
"I'm not getting any younger, but I'm feeling good and enjoying the game," Brodeur says. "This is where I'm comfortable. I'm a Devil and I'm always going to be a Devil, regardless of what happens tomorrow."
* It's a few hours before the deadline, and New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan is still with the team, participating in the morning skate in preparation for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After practice, Henrik Lundqvist tells reporters he hopes Callahan doesn't get moved, unaware that Callahan has already left Madison Square Garden after being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Within a matter of hours, Martin St. Louis, acquired for Callahan, arrives at MSG and makes his Rangers debut.
* Seeking to bolster the blue line for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks acquire defenseman Stephane Robidas from the Dallas Stars. Knowing that Robidas has a heated history with Ducks forward Corey Perry, Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau is quick to make a joke while he introduces himself to his new defenseman.
"Corey Perry's glad you're here," Boudreau says, sparkin
"You've handled yourself with a lot of class, though, the last couple of years," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon says moments before Luongo meets reporters in South Florida. "That's really good. It happened so quick. We fought hard last year [to get you back] and it didn't work, so … but this time, it just happened. Maybe sitting out at the Heritage Classic was a bonus for us. It worked out great. We're excited."
"It's been a long road," Luongo says.
The Tallon-Luongo exchange is one of many memorable scenes from the season finale of "NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other," on NBCSN in the United States and CBC in Canada.
This week's episode goes into great detail about the trade deadline and provides an in-depth look at several of the players who saw their lives and places of employment change. The Luongo trade certainly takes center stage.
"I'm not going to say that I'm happy to be out of there, because that's not true," Luongo says of Vancouver. "There was a lot of things going on. Obviously, you don't want to be surrounded by that kind of stuff, but that's not anybody's fault in particular. It's just things that happened over the course of a career. The main thing is the way you react, the way you respond.
"I thought I was having a great year in Vancouver this year. Things happened quickly over the last week or so and the trade happened. It's sad. It's a part of my career that's over."
Luongo spent his first few days back in Florida without his family, which stayed in Vancouver to tie up some loose ends. He kept his home in Florida while playing for Vancouver, so he's back in a familiar setting, though by himself.
"It's comfortable for me," Luongo says. "I don't have to get used to a new city and look for a place, find a new vehicle, that kind of stuff. Everything's all here for me already, so the transition part of it is going to be great. It's going to be smooth and it's just a matter of getting acclimated with my new teammates and my new team.
"It feels weird being here by myself, you know? It's the first time ever really that I've been here by myself without my wife and kids here. [But] my family will be able to make it back here by early sometime next week. Obviously I left everything there. I didn't know I was going to get traded when we were on the road trip so there was a few things to wrap up before they could all come home. You can hear a pin drop in here."
Other highlights of the season finale include:
* With Luongo out of the picture, Eddie Lack becomes the new No. 1 in Vancouver and makes his fifth consecutive start against the Dallas Stars. With little help from his teammates, Lack allows five goals on 17 shots in a 6-1 loss. Lack was pulled after the second period.
* One night after the Canucks lose in Dallas, Luongo makes his return with the Panthers by stopping all 25 shots he faces in a 2-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres at BB&T Center.
"Not bad for your first shutout of the year, eh?" forward Brad Boyes says to Luongo as he is congratulated by teammates after the buzzer.
Luongo is greeted by fans after the game and signs some autographs.
"Are you going to do that every game?" a boy asks him.
"What?" Luongo says.
"Get a shutout," the kid replies.
"I hope so," Luongo responds.
* Hoping to help Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw to regain his scoring touch, coach Joel Quenneville decides to put Shaw on the top line with center Jonathan Toews.
"I felt like it was time to do something different," Quenneville tells reporters. "Shawsie's got to play his game, be direct and get to the net and around the net. That's his strength."
Shaw ends an 11-game drought by scoring twice in a 6-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at United Center.
* As the Los Angeles Kings wrap up practice last Tuesday, forward Matt Frattin is informed by coach Darryl Sutter he's been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's going to be tough leaving this group of guys," Frattin says. "But at the same time, I'll hopefully get a lot more ice time there and it's a fresh start and they're a good team for the playoff hunt."
Jarret Stoll says, "It's always awkward when a teammate gets traded, and disappointing. But, it's part of the game."
* With the deadline approaching, New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur appears in what could be his final game with the club, his 1,250th game with the only NHL team he's played for. Brodeur makes 20 saves to help the Devils beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 at Prudential Center.
"I'm not getting any younger, but I'm feeling good and enjoying the game," Brodeur says. "This is where I'm comfortable. I'm a Devil and I'm always going to be a Devil, regardless of what happens tomorrow."
* It's a few hours before the deadline, and New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan is still with the team, participating in the morning skate in preparation for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After practice, Henrik Lundqvist tells reporters he hopes Callahan doesn't get moved, unaware that Callahan has already left Madison Square Garden after being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Within a matter of hours, Martin St. Louis, acquired for Callahan, arrives at MSG and makes his Rangers debut.
* Seeking to bolster the blue line for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks acquire defenseman Stephane Robidas from the Dallas Stars. Knowing that Robidas has a heated history with Ducks forward Corey Perry, Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau is quick to make a joke while he introduces himself to his new defenseman.
"Corey Perry's glad you're here," Boudreau says, sparkin
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2006/12/07
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The Washington Capitals may not be that familiar with the intricacies of the Vancouver Canucks as an opponent, considering the two teams only see each other twice a season at most, but they entered Friday night fully aware of something very significant: Vancouver is as desperate as the Capitals are to find a way back into the playoff picture.
That knowledge didn’t prevent Washington from relinquishing a two-goal lead in the third period, but their own dire need for points eventually triumphed. Mike Green scored the game-winner midway through the third period and Evgeny Kuznetsov tallied his first three NHL points as the Capitals secured a 4-3 win over the Canucks at Verizon Center.
“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a little bit there and made it difficult on ourselves, but we stuck with it,” Green said. “Obviously we need the points. We were fortunate tonight. Sometimes you get those waves throughout periods that momentum shifts, and they had it there for a bit. We’ve got to make sure that we eliminate that when we notice it right away.”
The victory was just Washington’s second in seven games, pushing them to 72 points, one behind Philadelphia for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The catch: the Capitals have played more games than any of the other teams vying for that spot — the Flyers have three games in hand; Detroit is also one point ahead of the Capitals and has played two fewer games — and the Caps don’t own any tiebreakers.
Jaroslav Halak, making his fourth consecutive start, finished with 38 saves and withstood Vancouver’s late surge for another equalizer to earn praise from his teammates for stabilizing the team’s effort. And Kuznetsov shined in just his third NHL game, notching assists on each of the Capitals’ final three goals.
On this night, it didn’t matter so much where the contributions came from, only that they combined to achieve the desired result.
“Everyone’s fighting for points, so we knew they weren’t going to give up,” Joel Ward said. “We’ve lost a couple previously [after giving up the lead], but in this game we stuck with it. We still knew that we could score some goals and tried to simplify a few things and knew that we’ll get our chances eventually.”
The game started off well enough when, after a stretch of games with inadequate starts, the Capitals found a rhythm in the early stages and scored first for the first time since March 2, a six-game drought.
Eric Fehr sent a shot wide, but the puck bounced off the end boards to the right side of the net, where Fehr pursued and flung it back across the goal mouth. Vancouver netminder Eddie Lack (17 saves) was out of position as he scrambled to follow the bouncing puck over to the left side, but he wouldn’t get there before Ward swatted it into the open net for a 1-0 lead at 8 minutes 17 seconds and his 19th goal of the season.
Momentum continues to be a fickle mistress for these Capitals, however, as they were shorthanded less than a minute later when Jay Beagle tripped Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks didn’t convert on the power play, but they created several quality chances and knotted the game at 1 just 35 seconds after it expired on a goal by Jordan Schroeder.
With Canucks resident pest Tom Sestito in the penalty box for knocking rookie Tom Wilson off-balance and hard into the boards, Alex Ovechkin scored 8:28 into the second period to make it 2-1.
Ovechkin’s 45th goal came in familiar fashion, blasting a one-timer from the top of the left circle past Lack off a feed from John Carlson. The initial pass to Carlson came from Kuznetsov, though, stationed on the half wall of Washington’s second power-play unit, and that secondary assist stood as his first NHL point.
Kuznetsov’s most dazzling moment Friday night came on a primary assist just more than four minutes later. On a rush, he settled the puck with his skate and then kicked it up to his stick for a booming slap-pass from his spot on the left-side boards across the ice to Wilson in the right circle. Wilson fired a shot past Lack’s glove side for his third goal of the season to make it 3-1 at 12:35 of the second period.
“If you watch the replay, I was a little bit surprised,” Wilson said of the forceful yet perfectly placed pass. “I had to handle it. It was a pretty crisp pass but no complaints. You’ve got to expect it at this league with the players you’re playing with and the caliber of player that he is. I was just going to the net, made sure I got past Sestito and buried it.”
Two-goal leads are far from a comfortable position for Washington, though, as it brings out the team’s tendency to try and protect a lead rather than continue to dictate the flow of a game. In the third period, that allowed the Canucks to set their own tone and score two goals 3:06 apart by Shawn Matthias and Nicklas Jensen, to tie the game.
Watching a two-goal lead evaporate for the 12th time this season, the fifth time in the third period, seemed to spark Washington. The Capitals made a frantic push to reclaim the lead, and on a play that began with Kuznetsov protecting the puck down low on the cycle wound up with Green firing a wrister past Lack’s glove hand just past the midway point of the period for a lead that would finally last.
“It wasn’t a great night, some great moments in the game, but it wasn’t a great hockey game for us,” Coach Adam Oates said.“But we figured out a way to get it done.”
Green scores the winner as Evgeny Kuznetsov gets first NHL points as Caps beat Canucks, 4-3 - The Washington Post
That knowledge didn’t prevent Washington from relinquishing a two-goal lead in the third period, but their own dire need for points eventually triumphed. Mike Green scored the game-winner midway through the third period and Evgeny Kuznetsov tallied his first three NHL points as the Capitals secured a 4-3 win over the Canucks at Verizon Center.
“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a little bit there and made it difficult on ourselves, but we stuck with it,” Green said. “Obviously we need the points. We were fortunate tonight. Sometimes you get those waves throughout periods that momentum shifts, and they had it there for a bit. We’ve got to make sure that we eliminate that when we notice it right away.”
The victory was just Washington’s second in seven games, pushing them to 72 points, one behind Philadelphia for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The catch: the Capitals have played more games than any of the other teams vying for that spot — the Flyers have three games in hand; Detroit is also one point ahead of the Capitals and has played two fewer games — and the Caps don’t own any tiebreakers.
Jaroslav Halak, making his fourth consecutive start, finished with 38 saves and withstood Vancouver’s late surge for another equalizer to earn praise from his teammates for stabilizing the team’s effort. And Kuznetsov shined in just his third NHL game, notching assists on each of the Capitals’ final three goals.
On this night, it didn’t matter so much where the contributions came from, only that they combined to achieve the desired result.
“Everyone’s fighting for points, so we knew they weren’t going to give up,” Joel Ward said. “We’ve lost a couple previously [after giving up the lead], but in this game we stuck with it. We still knew that we could score some goals and tried to simplify a few things and knew that we’ll get our chances eventually.”
The game started off well enough when, after a stretch of games with inadequate starts, the Capitals found a rhythm in the early stages and scored first for the first time since March 2, a six-game drought.
Eric Fehr sent a shot wide, but the puck bounced off the end boards to the right side of the net, where Fehr pursued and flung it back across the goal mouth. Vancouver netminder Eddie Lack (17 saves) was out of position as he scrambled to follow the bouncing puck over to the left side, but he wouldn’t get there before Ward swatted it into the open net for a 1-0 lead at 8 minutes 17 seconds and his 19th goal of the season.
Momentum continues to be a fickle mistress for these Capitals, however, as they were shorthanded less than a minute later when Jay Beagle tripped Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks didn’t convert on the power play, but they created several quality chances and knotted the game at 1 just 35 seconds after it expired on a goal by Jordan Schroeder.
With Canucks resident pest Tom Sestito in the penalty box for knocking rookie Tom Wilson off-balance and hard into the boards, Alex Ovechkin scored 8:28 into the second period to make it 2-1.
Ovechkin’s 45th goal came in familiar fashion, blasting a one-timer from the top of the left circle past Lack off a feed from John Carlson. The initial pass to Carlson came from Kuznetsov, though, stationed on the half wall of Washington’s second power-play unit, and that secondary assist stood as his first NHL point.
Kuznetsov’s most dazzling moment Friday night came on a primary assist just more than four minutes later. On a rush, he settled the puck with his skate and then kicked it up to his stick for a booming slap-pass from his spot on the left-side boards across the ice to Wilson in the right circle. Wilson fired a shot past Lack’s glove side for his third goal of the season to make it 3-1 at 12:35 of the second period.
“If you watch the replay, I was a little bit surprised,” Wilson said of the forceful yet perfectly placed pass. “I had to handle it. It was a pretty crisp pass but no complaints. You’ve got to expect it at this league with the players you’re playing with and the caliber of player that he is. I was just going to the net, made sure I got past Sestito and buried it.”
Two-goal leads are far from a comfortable position for Washington, though, as it brings out the team’s tendency to try and protect a lead rather than continue to dictate the flow of a game. In the third period, that allowed the Canucks to set their own tone and score two goals 3:06 apart by Shawn Matthias and Nicklas Jensen, to tie the game.
Watching a two-goal lead evaporate for the 12th time this season, the fifth time in the third period, seemed to spark Washington. The Capitals made a frantic push to reclaim the lead, and on a play that began with Kuznetsov protecting the puck down low on the cycle wound up with Green firing a wrister past Lack’s glove hand just past the midway point of the period for a lead that would finally last.
“It wasn’t a great night, some great moments in the game, but it wasn’t a great hockey game for us,” Coach Adam Oates said.“But we figured out a way to get it done.”
Green scores the winner as Evgeny Kuznetsov gets first NHL points as Caps beat Canucks, 4-3 - The Washington Post
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The Canadiens put together a dramatic comeback that left the Senators speechless.
Down 4-1 to the Senators with three and a half minutes to play on Saturday, Montreal scored three unanswered goals to force over time—including a David Desharnais buzzer-beater with less than a second on the clock—before Francis Bouillon scored in overtime for the 5-4 victory.
"I don't really know what to say," said a visibly perplexed Marc Methot, who was on the ice for Ottawa on the game-tying goal. "It felt like we were in control, even in the third period. We weren't playing on our heels, at least for a good amount of it. They got confidence, and they got the crowd back into it."
Bouillon made for an unlikely overtime hero as he entered the game with no goals in 40 games this season. Lars Eller got the comeback underway for Montreal (36-25-7), scoring at 16:38 of the third to reduce the deficit to two. Eller pushed a rebound past a sprawled-out Robin Lehner for his first goal in his last 25 games.
Captain Brian Gionta, who assisted Eller's goal, added another less than minute later as he deflected a P.K. Subban shot to the back of the net to make it 4-3.
With the Habs on the power play, and their net empty for the extra attacker, Montreal sent everybody to the front of Lehner's net and Desharnais put in the tying goal at 19:59 off a feed from Subban.
"I looked up at the clock to see how much time there was. I saw quickly that there were fours seconds left," said Subban. "If I had the shot, I'm sure it would have been blocked. I saw Davey (Desharnais) waving at me. Big players score in those big moments."
Controversial comeback
The comeback wasn't without controversy. On the game-winning goal, Senators (28-25-13) players were convinced Lehner had frozen the puck long before it was poked away by Max Pacioretty onto Bouillon's stick.
After the game, referees apparently told Ottawa captain Jason Spezza that there was no whistle on the play because the building was too loud.
"I have no idea what that means," said Sens coach Paul MacLean. "That's the explanation we got. I'm confused."
"I'm pretty frustrated," added Methot. "It was almost deafening towards the end when they scored. I have to be careful with the words I use. It looked like our goalie had possession of the puck. It's tough for the refs, I get that. There's a lot of noise, a lot of distractions."
The game marked the return of Carey Price, who saw his first NHL action since Feb. 8, prior to the Olympic break. Price was out of the lineup for eight games with a lower-body injury that he sustained in Sochi.
The 26-year-old Price made 29 saves for his 27th win of the year. After the game, however, head coach Michel Therrien announced Price would not follow the team to Buffalo for their next game, presumably due to the injury.
Montreal, with Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski in net, went 3-4-1 and conceded 28 goals without Price.
Jason Spezza, Zack Smith, Ales Hemsky and Clarke MacArthur scored for Ottawa.
The slumping Senators have now lost five of their last seven games and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, six points out of a playoff spot.
The Canadiens came flying out of the gate, with Daniel Briere putting one past Lehner on the team's third shot, 38 seconds into the first period.
Spezza equalized against the run of play on the Sens' first shot of the game at 3:08, beating Price with a rocket of a slap shot into the top corner of the net.
Coming off back-to-back shutouts at the Sochi Games, the goal allowed was Price's first in more than 167 minutes of hockey.
Ottawa took a 2-1 lead at 17:10 of the second period when Smith scored his 11th of the year on a breakaway. Smith took a long stretch pass from Karlsson at the blue line, was stopped by Price, but scored on his own rebound.
Hemsky doubled their lead at 1:54 of the third, beating Price under the blocker for his seventh point in four games since being traded to the Senators. MacArthur made it 4-1 three minutes later.
Ottawa vs Montreal - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
Down 4-1 to the Senators with three and a half minutes to play on Saturday, Montreal scored three unanswered goals to force over time—including a David Desharnais buzzer-beater with less than a second on the clock—before Francis Bouillon scored in overtime for the 5-4 victory.
"I don't really know what to say," said a visibly perplexed Marc Methot, who was on the ice for Ottawa on the game-tying goal. "It felt like we were in control, even in the third period. We weren't playing on our heels, at least for a good amount of it. They got confidence, and they got the crowd back into it."
Bouillon made for an unlikely overtime hero as he entered the game with no goals in 40 games this season. Lars Eller got the comeback underway for Montreal (36-25-7), scoring at 16:38 of the third to reduce the deficit to two. Eller pushed a rebound past a sprawled-out Robin Lehner for his first goal in his last 25 games.
Captain Brian Gionta, who assisted Eller's goal, added another less than minute later as he deflected a P.K. Subban shot to the back of the net to make it 4-3.
With the Habs on the power play, and their net empty for the extra attacker, Montreal sent everybody to the front of Lehner's net and Desharnais put in the tying goal at 19:59 off a feed from Subban.
"I looked up at the clock to see how much time there was. I saw quickly that there were fours seconds left," said Subban. "If I had the shot, I'm sure it would have been blocked. I saw Davey (Desharnais) waving at me. Big players score in those big moments."
Controversial comeback
The comeback wasn't without controversy. On the game-winning goal, Senators (28-25-13) players were convinced Lehner had frozen the puck long before it was poked away by Max Pacioretty onto Bouillon's stick.
After the game, referees apparently told Ottawa captain Jason Spezza that there was no whistle on the play because the building was too loud.
"I have no idea what that means," said Sens coach Paul MacLean. "That's the explanation we got. I'm confused."
"I'm pretty frustrated," added Methot. "It was almost deafening towards the end when they scored. I have to be careful with the words I use. It looked like our goalie had possession of the puck. It's tough for the refs, I get that. There's a lot of noise, a lot of distractions."
The game marked the return of Carey Price, who saw his first NHL action since Feb. 8, prior to the Olympic break. Price was out of the lineup for eight games with a lower-body injury that he sustained in Sochi.
The 26-year-old Price made 29 saves for his 27th win of the year. After the game, however, head coach Michel Therrien announced Price would not follow the team to Buffalo for their next game, presumably due to the injury.
Montreal, with Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski in net, went 3-4-1 and conceded 28 goals without Price.
Jason Spezza, Zack Smith, Ales Hemsky and Clarke MacArthur scored for Ottawa.
The slumping Senators have now lost five of their last seven games and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, six points out of a playoff spot.
The Canadiens came flying out of the gate, with Daniel Briere putting one past Lehner on the team's third shot, 38 seconds into the first period.
Spezza equalized against the run of play on the Sens' first shot of the game at 3:08, beating Price with a rocket of a slap shot into the top corner of the net.
Coming off back-to-back shutouts at the Sochi Games, the goal allowed was Price's first in more than 167 minutes of hockey.
Ottawa took a 2-1 lead at 17:10 of the second period when Smith scored his 11th of the year on a breakaway. Smith took a long stretch pass from Karlsson at the blue line, was stopped by Price, but scored on his own rebound.
Hemsky doubled their lead at 1:54 of the third, beating Price under the blocker for his seventh point in four games since being traded to the Senators. MacArthur made it 4-1 three minutes later.
Ottawa vs Montreal - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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The Chicago Blackhawks will discuss adding 19-year-old forward Teuvo Teravainen, whose season has ended in Finland, coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday.
Teravainen's team in the Finnish Liiga, Jokerit, was eliminated from the playoffs Sunday. That means the 2012 first-round pick could join the Blackhawks soon, depending on internal conversations Quenneville said would take place following Chicago's game Sunday at United Center against the Detroit Red Wings (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN2, NBCSN).
Teravainen, the 18th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, participated in Chicago's training camp and left an impression on Quenneville prior to heading back to Finland. He continued to impress by helping Finland win the gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"That's something we'll talk about," Quenneville said of Teravainen's arrival. "We saw what he's capable of in camp, and I guess there was some real good progression to his season, as well, so you know, it could happen at some point."
Teravainen had two main objectives playing for Jokerit. The first was to get comfortable playing center, particularly on the defensive end, and the second was to add strength. Quenneville said the reports on his development are encouraging.
Teravainen is listed on the Blackhawks' website as 5-foot-11, 169 pounds. According to Eliteprospects-com, his weight is up to 176 pounds.
"I think he got stronger and better defensively," Quenneville said. "I watched some of those World [Junior] Championship games, where he really looked like he was one of the top guys. He seemed to have the puck a lot, and I think his recognition offensively is really high-end. I think improving in his strength probably is another area that happened over the course of the year."
If Teravainen does come to Chicago, he'll likely get a look in the middle of the second line. That would put him next to playmaking right wing Patrick Kane, to whom he's often compared. It's no secret the Blackhawks are looking to fill a void at that spot with a player whose skillset matches that of Kane, Patrick Sharp or Brandon Saad.
Heading into the game against the Red Wings, Chicago had 15 left in the regular season.
Could Teravainen solidify a role down the stretch and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the defending champions?
"I think it's happened before," Quenneville said.
Teuvo Teravainen being considered by Chicago Blackhawks - NHL-com - News
Teravainen's team in the Finnish Liiga, Jokerit, was eliminated from the playoffs Sunday. That means the 2012 first-round pick could join the Blackhawks soon, depending on internal conversations Quenneville said would take place following Chicago's game Sunday at United Center against the Detroit Red Wings (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN2, NBCSN).
Teravainen, the 18th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, participated in Chicago's training camp and left an impression on Quenneville prior to heading back to Finland. He continued to impress by helping Finland win the gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"That's something we'll talk about," Quenneville said of Teravainen's arrival. "We saw what he's capable of in camp, and I guess there was some real good progression to his season, as well, so you know, it could happen at some point."
Teravainen had two main objectives playing for Jokerit. The first was to get comfortable playing center, particularly on the defensive end, and the second was to add strength. Quenneville said the reports on his development are encouraging.
Teravainen is listed on the Blackhawks' website as 5-foot-11, 169 pounds. According to Eliteprospects-com, his weight is up to 176 pounds.
"I think he got stronger and better defensively," Quenneville said. "I watched some of those World [Junior] Championship games, where he really looked like he was one of the top guys. He seemed to have the puck a lot, and I think his recognition offensively is really high-end. I think improving in his strength probably is another area that happened over the course of the year."
If Teravainen does come to Chicago, he'll likely get a look in the middle of the second line. That would put him next to playmaking right wing Patrick Kane, to whom he's often compared. It's no secret the Blackhawks are looking to fill a void at that spot with a player whose skillset matches that of Kane, Patrick Sharp or Brandon Saad.
Heading into the game against the Red Wings, Chicago had 15 left in the regular season.
Could Teravainen solidify a role down the stretch and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the defending champions?
"I think it's happened before," Quenneville said.
Teuvo Teravainen being considered by Chicago Blackhawks - NHL-com - News
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The NHL is apparently considering a major revamp to its draft lottery.
According to Hockey Night In Canada, the league is considering two key changes that would discourage teams from tanking in the standings.
First, the NHL is considering expanding the lottery beyond the first overall pick and instead having a draw for the first three or five picks.
Last season, the league opened up the lottery to all 14 non-playoff teams. Under the current system, if the last-placed team lost the lottery it could pick no lower than second overall. If it was decided the lottery would include the first five picks, the 30th-placed team might end up drafting as low as No. 6.
This would give more teams a better chance at improving their rosters, especially when a draft class includes multiple elite talents such as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in 2015.
Secondly, the league is considering ranking non-playoff teams for the draft based on a rolling five-year period as opposed to just the previous season. The formula for this has yet to be devised and may be problematic due to teams making the post-season one spring and missing out the next.
ST. LOUIS SLUMPING
Martin St. Louis knows he hasn’t performed to expectations since joining the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, but the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner isn’t letting that get to him.
Much.
“You’ve got to stay positive. Am I playing great? No. But I’ve played way worse than this,” St. Louis told the New York Daily News on Monday. “There’s no time to feel sorry, you’ve just got to man up, be a big boy about it and go to work every day.”
St. Louis has just two assists in seven games with the Blueshirts.
As for Ryan Callahan, the other major piece in the captain-for-captain deal between the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, he’s only doing slightly better.
Callahan has a goal and two assists in five games for the Bolts.
VIVA LAS PLAYOFFS
Colorado Avalanche players have changed their tune from one year ago, much to the delight of J.S. Giguere.
“We haven’t heard anyone talking about going to Vegas yet,” the goalie quipped to NHL-com.
Last April, the goalie made headlines when he fumed about several of his teammates openly discussing vacation plans in the dressing room as the regular season was winding down.
“Some guys are more worried about their Vegas trip at the end of the season than playing the games, than playing every minute of the games,” Giguere said at the time.
“Quite frankly, I don’t care about your Vegas trip right now.”
This year? The Avs are primed for a playoff run. Colorado sits second in the Central Division with 14 games to go.
LAICH’S OUT
Washington Capitals centre Brooks Laich’s regular season is over.
The club announced Monday that the 30-year-old underwent a procedure to release a tight adductor. Adductor muscles are connected to the hip.
Recovery time is 4-6 weeks. With just under four weeks left in the schedule and the Caps currently sitting outside of a playoff spot, Laich’s season might be over entirely.
In 51 games this season, Laich has eight goals and 15 points.
THREE STARS
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo and San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi were named the NHL’s Three Stars for the week.
Bobrovsky posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and .950 save percentage. He had a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings last Tuesday, a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sharks on Thursday and a 2-1 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Okposo led all NHL players with seven points (one goal and six assists). He had three assists in a 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks last Monday, added two helpers in a 4-3 loss to the Sharks on Friday and had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Niemi picked up three wins in three starts, posting a 1.67 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and one shutout. He posted a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs last Tuesday, a 4-3 win over the Islanders on Friday and he stopped all 41 shots he faced Sunday in a 1-0 triumph over the New York Rangers.
BRIEFLY
The Anaheim Ducks could be without their top defenceman for a while. Cam Fowler, who left Friday’s game with a lower-body injury and missed Saturday’s game, will undergo an MRI on his leg Tuesday, according to the Orange County Register ... Head coach Ted Nolan and the Buffalo Sabres are working on a three-year contract extension, according to TSN. Nolan replaced Ron Rolston behind the bench in November ... Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang practiced Monday for the first time since suffering a stroke Jan. 29. Letang said he felt good and is determined to play again this season, but there is no timetable for his return ... St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie missed Monday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets after his fiancee, Lauren Cosgrove, gave birth to daughter Lyla Grace Oshie earlier in the day.
NHL notebook: League considers major changes to draft lottery? | Home | Toronto Sun
According to Hockey Night In Canada, the league is considering two key changes that would discourage teams from tanking in the standings.
First, the NHL is considering expanding the lottery beyond the first overall pick and instead having a draw for the first three or five picks.
Last season, the league opened up the lottery to all 14 non-playoff teams. Under the current system, if the last-placed team lost the lottery it could pick no lower than second overall. If it was decided the lottery would include the first five picks, the 30th-placed team might end up drafting as low as No. 6.
This would give more teams a better chance at improving their rosters, especially when a draft class includes multiple elite talents such as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in 2015.
Secondly, the league is considering ranking non-playoff teams for the draft based on a rolling five-year period as opposed to just the previous season. The formula for this has yet to be devised and may be problematic due to teams making the post-season one spring and missing out the next.
ST. LOUIS SLUMPING
Martin St. Louis knows he hasn’t performed to expectations since joining the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, but the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner isn’t letting that get to him.
Much.
“You’ve got to stay positive. Am I playing great? No. But I’ve played way worse than this,” St. Louis told the New York Daily News on Monday. “There’s no time to feel sorry, you’ve just got to man up, be a big boy about it and go to work every day.”
St. Louis has just two assists in seven games with the Blueshirts.
As for Ryan Callahan, the other major piece in the captain-for-captain deal between the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, he’s only doing slightly better.
Callahan has a goal and two assists in five games for the Bolts.
VIVA LAS PLAYOFFS
Colorado Avalanche players have changed their tune from one year ago, much to the delight of J.S. Giguere.
“We haven’t heard anyone talking about going to Vegas yet,” the goalie quipped to NHL-com.
Last April, the goalie made headlines when he fumed about several of his teammates openly discussing vacation plans in the dressing room as the regular season was winding down.
“Some guys are more worried about their Vegas trip at the end of the season than playing the games, than playing every minute of the games,” Giguere said at the time.
“Quite frankly, I don’t care about your Vegas trip right now.”
This year? The Avs are primed for a playoff run. Colorado sits second in the Central Division with 14 games to go.
LAICH’S OUT
Washington Capitals centre Brooks Laich’s regular season is over.
The club announced Monday that the 30-year-old underwent a procedure to release a tight adductor. Adductor muscles are connected to the hip.
Recovery time is 4-6 weeks. With just under four weeks left in the schedule and the Caps currently sitting outside of a playoff spot, Laich’s season might be over entirely.
In 51 games this season, Laich has eight goals and 15 points.
THREE STARS
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo and San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi were named the NHL’s Three Stars for the week.
Bobrovsky posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and .950 save percentage. He had a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings last Tuesday, a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sharks on Thursday and a 2-1 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Okposo led all NHL players with seven points (one goal and six assists). He had three assists in a 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks last Monday, added two helpers in a 4-3 loss to the Sharks on Friday and had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Niemi picked up three wins in three starts, posting a 1.67 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and one shutout. He posted a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs last Tuesday, a 4-3 win over the Islanders on Friday and he stopped all 41 shots he faced Sunday in a 1-0 triumph over the New York Rangers.
BRIEFLY
The Anaheim Ducks could be without their top defenceman for a while. Cam Fowler, who left Friday’s game with a lower-body injury and missed Saturday’s game, will undergo an MRI on his leg Tuesday, according to the Orange County Register ... Head coach Ted Nolan and the Buffalo Sabres are working on a three-year contract extension, according to TSN. Nolan replaced Ron Rolston behind the bench in November ... Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang practiced Monday for the first time since suffering a stroke Jan. 29. Letang said he felt good and is determined to play again this season, but there is no timetable for his return ... St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie missed Monday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets after his fiancee, Lauren Cosgrove, gave birth to daughter Lyla Grace Oshie earlier in the day.
NHL notebook: League considers major changes to draft lottery? | Home | Toronto Sun
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With the NHL playoffs getting closer, it's a good time for a refresher on how the system will work this year, the first under the league's new post-season format.
First, a brief recap of realignment: instead of 15 teams in each conference, there are now 16 teams in the East and 14 in the West. They're grouped into four divisions: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific.
Just like under the old system, eight teams from each conference make the playoffs, but it's no longer a simple matter of the top eight teams in the conference qualifying.
The top three teams in each division automatically get in, accounting for 12 of the league's 16 playoff berths. The final four spots, two per conference, go to the teams with the highest point totals who finish outside of their division's top three. These are the wild cards.
This format allows for the possibility that any given division could send as few as three teams to the playoffs, and as many as five.
Once the playoffs start, the two division winners in each conference match up against the two wild-card entries (the division winner with the most points faces the wild-card team with the fewest points, regardless of which division they play in). The other matchups are intradivisional: the second- and third-ranked teams in each division square off against each other.
The winners of these series move on to the second round to play for a spot in the conference finals. In each conference, the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seeds, and the other two teams meet.
To help visualize a potential first round, here's an example of how the playoffs would look in the Eastern Conference if the regular season had ended on March 17:
Division winners:
Atlantic: Boston (awarded East's top seed as division winner with most points).
Metropolitan: Pittsburgh.
Division No. 2 and No. 3 teams:
Atlantic: (2) Tampa Bay, (3) Montreal.
Metropolitan: (2) Philadelphia, (3) Columbus.
Wild cards:
Wild card No. 1: Toronto (most points among the two wild-card teams).
Wild card No. 2: New York Rangers.
1st-round matchups:
Boston (best division winner) vs. N.Y. Rangers (worst wild card).
Pittsburgh (second-best division winner) vs. Toronto (best wild card).
Tampa Bay (Atlantic No. 2 seed) vs. Montreal (Atlantic No. 3 seed).
Philadelphia (Metropolitan No. 2 seed) vs. Columbus (Metropolitan No. 3 seed).
NHL's new playoff format explained - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
First, a brief recap of realignment: instead of 15 teams in each conference, there are now 16 teams in the East and 14 in the West. They're grouped into four divisions: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific.
Just like under the old system, eight teams from each conference make the playoffs, but it's no longer a simple matter of the top eight teams in the conference qualifying.
The top three teams in each division automatically get in, accounting for 12 of the league's 16 playoff berths. The final four spots, two per conference, go to the teams with the highest point totals who finish outside of their division's top three. These are the wild cards.
This format allows for the possibility that any given division could send as few as three teams to the playoffs, and as many as five.
Once the playoffs start, the two division winners in each conference match up against the two wild-card entries (the division winner with the most points faces the wild-card team with the fewest points, regardless of which division they play in). The other matchups are intradivisional: the second- and third-ranked teams in each division square off against each other.
The winners of these series move on to the second round to play for a spot in the conference finals. In each conference, the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seeds, and the other two teams meet.
To help visualize a potential first round, here's an example of how the playoffs would look in the Eastern Conference if the regular season had ended on March 17:
Division winners:
Atlantic: Boston (awarded East's top seed as division winner with most points).
Metropolitan: Pittsburgh.
Division No. 2 and No. 3 teams:
Atlantic: (2) Tampa Bay, (3) Montreal.
Metropolitan: (2) Philadelphia, (3) Columbus.
Wild cards:
Wild card No. 1: Toronto (most points among the two wild-card teams).
Wild card No. 2: New York Rangers.
1st-round matchups:
Boston (best division winner) vs. N.Y. Rangers (worst wild card).
Pittsburgh (second-best division winner) vs. Toronto (best wild card).
Tampa Bay (Atlantic No. 2 seed) vs. Montreal (Atlantic No. 3 seed).
Philadelphia (Metropolitan No. 2 seed) vs. Columbus (Metropolitan No. 3 seed).
NHL's new playoff format explained - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane will be out at least three weeks and could miss the rest of the regular season after sustaining a lower-body injury during the second period of a 4-0 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.
Kane's left leg was hit after teammate Sheldon Brookbank checked Blues forward Brendan Morrow to the ice along the boards. Morrow hit Kane's left leg and he fell awkwardly to the ice.
Kane's last shift ended with 7:21 remaining in the second period. He skated slowly to the bench then headed to the dressing room for examination. Kane assisted on a power-play goal by Duncan Keith, his 69th point of the season, with 54.4 seconds left in the first period of a 4-0 victory.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Kane will miss at least three weeks. When asked if he would play again during the regular season, he replied, "We'll see."
The regular season ends April 13.
"Certainly he's a special player and we'll have to work our way through it, knowing what he brings to our team," Quenneville said. "It's definitely a huge loss for us, but we've been fortunate as far as not getting hit too hard [with injuries]. You're going to get tested at some point."
It's just that they're getting tested now, while they're locked in a tight race for positioning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 12 games left in the regular season. It's bad timing for the Blackhawks, who are also without forward Brandon Saad (upper body) and defenseman Michal Rozsival (lower body), but they're already set on getting through it in decent shape.
"Guys need to step up," said forward Ben Smith, who scored a goal against the Blues and has centered Kane's second line for the past three games. "Whoever that is, whoever's playing those roles, will contribute. We're never going to make up for guys like Saad and [Kane], but guys will have to step up and play some big minutes."
Smith is one of those guys. Center Andrew Shaw, who also scored against the Blues and spent much of the night camped in front of the St. Louis net, is another.
"[Kane's] a great player and you can't fill his shoes, that's for sure," Shaw said. "You've just got to go out there and compete and work for one another."
Quenneville said the sum of the Blackhawks' parts will have to overcome the loss of their top scorer, who at one point this season was hot on the trail of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby for the NHL scoring lead.
"I [think] whether it's the power play or the quality or the quantity of the ice time that [Kane] absorbs, everybody's going to get a little bit more," Quenneville said. "And I still think that four-line rotation that makes us consistent in a lot of games is something that we'll have to even exaggerate [more] as we go along here."
It was reported prior to the game by TSN's Bob McKenzie that Blackhawks prospect Teuvo Teravainen, a talented 19-year old, had been cleared by the Finnish hockey federation to play for either the Blackhawks or their American Hockey League affiliate in Rockford, Ill., the Rockford IceHogs.
Teravainen's season with Jokerit of Finland's Liiga ended this past weekend, but Quenneville doesn't know how or if Kane's injury affects what they do with the No. 18 pick from the 2012 NHL Draft. If Teravainen plays a total of 10 games between the regular season and playoffs, the Blackhawks will lose a year off his three-year entry-level contract.
Patrick Kane of Chicago Blackhawks injured against St. Louis Blues - NHL-com - News
Kane's left leg was hit after teammate Sheldon Brookbank checked Blues forward Brendan Morrow to the ice along the boards. Morrow hit Kane's left leg and he fell awkwardly to the ice.
Kane's last shift ended with 7:21 remaining in the second period. He skated slowly to the bench then headed to the dressing room for examination. Kane assisted on a power-play goal by Duncan Keith, his 69th point of the season, with 54.4 seconds left in the first period of a 4-0 victory.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Kane will miss at least three weeks. When asked if he would play again during the regular season, he replied, "We'll see."
The regular season ends April 13.
"Certainly he's a special player and we'll have to work our way through it, knowing what he brings to our team," Quenneville said. "It's definitely a huge loss for us, but we've been fortunate as far as not getting hit too hard [with injuries]. You're going to get tested at some point."
It's just that they're getting tested now, while they're locked in a tight race for positioning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 12 games left in the regular season. It's bad timing for the Blackhawks, who are also without forward Brandon Saad (upper body) and defenseman Michal Rozsival (lower body), but they're already set on getting through it in decent shape.
"Guys need to step up," said forward Ben Smith, who scored a goal against the Blues and has centered Kane's second line for the past three games. "Whoever that is, whoever's playing those roles, will contribute. We're never going to make up for guys like Saad and [Kane], but guys will have to step up and play some big minutes."
Smith is one of those guys. Center Andrew Shaw, who also scored against the Blues and spent much of the night camped in front of the St. Louis net, is another.
"[Kane's] a great player and you can't fill his shoes, that's for sure," Shaw said. "You've just got to go out there and compete and work for one another."
Quenneville said the sum of the Blackhawks' parts will have to overcome the loss of their top scorer, who at one point this season was hot on the trail of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby for the NHL scoring lead.
"I [think] whether it's the power play or the quality or the quantity of the ice time that [Kane] absorbs, everybody's going to get a little bit more," Quenneville said. "And I still think that four-line rotation that makes us consistent in a lot of games is something that we'll have to even exaggerate [more] as we go along here."
It was reported prior to the game by TSN's Bob McKenzie that Blackhawks prospect Teuvo Teravainen, a talented 19-year old, had been cleared by the Finnish hockey federation to play for either the Blackhawks or their American Hockey League affiliate in Rockford, Ill., the Rockford IceHogs.
Teravainen's season with Jokerit of Finland's Liiga ended this past weekend, but Quenneville doesn't know how or if Kane's injury affects what they do with the No. 18 pick from the 2012 NHL Draft. If Teravainen plays a total of 10 games between the regular season and playoffs, the Blackhawks will lose a year off his three-year entry-level contract.
Patrick Kane of Chicago Blackhawks injured against St. Louis Blues - NHL-com - News
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There's never a good time to be injured, but it's especially bad timing when you're an integral part to an NHL team heading to, or fighting for, a place in the playoffs.
The tail-end of the 2013-14 campaign has been exceptionally unkind to hockey players, with a rash of injuries piling up as "crunch time" descends on the last few weeks of the season.
Patrick Kane was the latest casualty, suffering a "freak accident," as described by Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, which caused a lower-body injury that's expected to keep Kane out for the remainder of the regular season. That's 29 goals and 40 assists missing from the Blackhawks' lineup
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings look more like their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins at this point, with 12 Red Wings currently sidelined.
Patrick Kane latest notable NHL injury - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
The tail-end of the 2013-14 campaign has been exceptionally unkind to hockey players, with a rash of injuries piling up as "crunch time" descends on the last few weeks of the season.
Patrick Kane was the latest casualty, suffering a "freak accident," as described by Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, which caused a lower-body injury that's expected to keep Kane out for the remainder of the regular season. That's 29 goals and 40 assists missing from the Blackhawks' lineup
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings look more like their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins at this point, with 12 Red Wings currently sidelined.
Patrick Kane latest notable NHL injury - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm has been medically cleared to play and could suit up against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Helm has missed the past eight games with a concussion and 40 games this season because of injuries.
"I'm excited to get back in. I want to get back out there and get going with the team," Helm told the Red Wings website after Detroit skated Friday. "A bunch of good skates, cleared by the doctor, did my concussion test, did well on that, and I feel good and ready to go."
Friday was the fifth straight day Helm skated without feeling any concussion symptoms. Helm knocked his head on the ice in a 6-1 road win against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 27. He played the next game, March 4 against the New Jersey Devils, but left early after complaining of blurred vision.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock would not commit to putting Helm in the lineup Saturday. The Red Wings also play Sunday at home against the Wild.
"We'll see after tomorrow's warmup if he's going or not," Babcock said.
Since playing all 82 games in the 2011-11 season and establishing career highs with 12 goals, 20 assists, 32 points and a plus-9 rating, Helm has missed 101 regular-season games with an MCL sprain, a lacerated forearm, a herniated disc, a sore groin, and a sprained shoulder.
Detroit is in a tight race for a Eastern Conference wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Red Wings recently have been without injured forwards Tomas Jurco (rib), Joakim Andersson (foot), Henrik Zetterberg (back), Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), Stephen Weiss (sports hernia), Daniel Cleary (knee), Mikael Samuelsson (shoulder) and Justin Abdelkader (leg).
Darren Helm of Detroit Red Wings could play against Minnesota Wild - NHL-com - News
Helm has missed the past eight games with a concussion and 40 games this season because of injuries.
"I'm excited to get back in. I want to get back out there and get going with the team," Helm told the Red Wings website after Detroit skated Friday. "A bunch of good skates, cleared by the doctor, did my concussion test, did well on that, and I feel good and ready to go."
Friday was the fifth straight day Helm skated without feeling any concussion symptoms. Helm knocked his head on the ice in a 6-1 road win against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 27. He played the next game, March 4 against the New Jersey Devils, but left early after complaining of blurred vision.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock would not commit to putting Helm in the lineup Saturday. The Red Wings also play Sunday at home against the Wild.
"We'll see after tomorrow's warmup if he's going or not," Babcock said.
Since playing all 82 games in the 2011-11 season and establishing career highs with 12 goals, 20 assists, 32 points and a plus-9 rating, Helm has missed 101 regular-season games with an MCL sprain, a lacerated forearm, a herniated disc, a sore groin, and a sprained shoulder.
Detroit is in a tight race for a Eastern Conference wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Red Wings recently have been without injured forwards Tomas Jurco (rib), Joakim Andersson (foot), Henrik Zetterberg (back), Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), Stephen Weiss (sports hernia), Daniel Cleary (knee), Mikael Samuelsson (shoulder) and Justin Abdelkader (leg).
Darren Helm of Detroit Red Wings could play against Minnesota Wild - NHL-com - News
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They're almost here.
There's nothing quite like the NHL's postseason. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a grueling marathon for the teams and players that participate and an experience like no other for hockey fans. After a long 82-game season featuring a plethora of meaningless or mundane games, the playoffs are where every contest matters, where every play is vitally important.
It's all good, but some series are better than others. For reasons of talent or history or star power, some potential matchups stand out from the pack.
Read on to view the ones we especially hope to see in the first round.
Pictures: First-Round NHL Playoff Matchups We'd Love to See | Bleacher Report
There's nothing quite like the NHL's postseason. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a grueling marathon for the teams and players that participate and an experience like no other for hockey fans. After a long 82-game season featuring a plethora of meaningless or mundane games, the playoffs are where every contest matters, where every play is vitally important.
It's all good, but some series are better than others. For reasons of talent or history or star power, some potential matchups stand out from the pack.
Read on to view the ones we especially hope to see in the first round.
Pictures: First-Round NHL Playoff Matchups We'd Love to See | Bleacher Report
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Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith was forced to leave the game against the New York Rangers on Monday night with a lower-body injury.
With 7:34 remaining in regulation and the Coyotes leading 3-2, Smith favored his right leg and was in obvious discomfort after forward Derick Brassard fell on top of him following a scramble in front of the net.
"He's being evaluated now. We'll see," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "It's early. We don't know anything about it yet."
Making his 12th straight start, Smith has been a stalwart in Phoenix's quest to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Entering the game Monday, Smith had a 27-21-10 record with a 2.65 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 61 games.
Thomas Greiss finished the game for the Coyotes, who lost 4-3 in overtime. The backup goaltender was already scheduled to start Tuesday night on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Any update on Smith's injury will provide more insight into exactly how long Greiss assumes that starting role.
"He was expected to play tomorrow anyway. That won't change," Tippett said.
Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith leaves game with injury - NHL-com - News
With 7:34 remaining in regulation and the Coyotes leading 3-2, Smith favored his right leg and was in obvious discomfort after forward Derick Brassard fell on top of him following a scramble in front of the net.
"He's being evaluated now. We'll see," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "It's early. We don't know anything about it yet."
Making his 12th straight start, Smith has been a stalwart in Phoenix's quest to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Entering the game Monday, Smith had a 27-21-10 record with a 2.65 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 61 games.
Thomas Greiss finished the game for the Coyotes, who lost 4-3 in overtime. The backup goaltender was already scheduled to start Tuesday night on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Any update on Smith's injury will provide more insight into exactly how long Greiss assumes that starting role.
"He was expected to play tomorrow anyway. That won't change," Tippett said.
Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith leaves game with injury - NHL-com - News
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The San Jose Sharks are back in the postseason for the 10th consecutive season after clinching a place in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday.
It's the second-longest active postseason streak in the NHL, and it might become the longest in a few weeks if the Detroit Red Wings don't find their way into the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Though the Sharks never have reached the Stanley Cup Final, the franchise's ability to be among the top teams in the League consistently is remarkable.
The dawn of the salary cap era was expected to make it harder for teams to stay among the top contenders for extended periods of time. Nearly every team that was among the League's elite before the 2004-05 lockout either has missed the playoffs once or gone through a full rebuilding phase. The Sharks and Red Wings stand alone as franchises that were able to transition to the "new NHL" as it was called at the start of the 2005-06 season and remain among the League's elite.
San Jose has a chance to win a division title for the sixth time in this 10-season span, and doing so would help the Sharks avoid a potentially brutal first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season in a seven-game series.
This Sharks team might be better equipped for a deep playoff run than any of the previous nine. Here are five reasons why they're going to have a chance:
1. They keep the puck
San Jose is a dominant possession team. The Sharks have spent the season jostling with the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks at the top of the NHL leaderboard in Corsi-for percentage, Fenwick-for percentage and shots-for percentage.
The dominance goes beyond "advanced" statistics as well. The Sharks have 2,002 shots on goal at even strength, which leads the League. They average nearly two shots on target per game more than any other team in all situations.
San Jose leads the League in faceoff percentage, but the Sharks' dominance is more about a mobile, skilled defense corps that transitions the puck well, and allows one of the best collections of forwards to play in the offensive zone and wear out opposing teams and goaltenders.
2. Not your average Joes
The Sharks have a foursome of forwards that stacks up against any in the League. Trying to pick which is the best of the bunch might be tricky and could change from season to season, but Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton have been dominant players this season.
Pavelski likely will garner some back-of-the-ballot votes for the Hart Trophy. He entered play Tuesday tied with Sidney Crosby for fourth in the League with 34 goals and second to Thornton on the Sharks with 67 points. When Sharks coach Todd McLellan wants it, Pavelski slots in as the best No. 3 center in the League. But he also has played on the wing with Thornton or Logan Couture, or as the No. 2 center when Couture was hurt.
Thornton is competing with Crosby for the assists title and leads a team full of strong possession players with a Corsi-for percentage at even strength of 59.1 (he's above 60 percent when the score is close). There's an argument for Couture as the team's best forward, but he missed time with injury this season.
3. Sweet 'Pickles'
Marc-Edouard Vlasic no longer is the most underrated defenseman in the NHL. Why? Because he's finally garnering the attention he deserves.
Dan Boyle has long been considered San Jose's No. 1 defenseman, but he is getting older and Vlasic has emerged as one of the top two-way defensemen in the sport. He doesn't post gaudy offensive totals like other players who are going to dominate the Norris Trophy discussion, but Vlasic's ability to play sound defense while helping the team transition to offense is among the very best in the game.
He earned praise for his work at the 2014 Sochi Olympics as a standout on a defense corps that included some of the League's top defenders, and his play for the Sharks has been exemplary. When Vlasic is on the ice the Sharks dominate. He leads their defensemen in Corsi-for percentage at even strength at 58.2, despite consistently facing tough competition.
Justin Braun and Jason Demers deserve plaudits for helping make the Sharks' defense corps a deep one, but Vlasic has become the anchor and worthy of being discussed among the best at the position.
4. Lock it up
The Sharks have one of the best rosters in the League, so maybe a playoff berth was inevitable. Antti Niemi has been a consistent workhorse in goal, so a team with this group of skaters and solid goaltending would need a lot of injuries for things to go sideways.
One of the biggest reasons the Sharks have booked a spot in the playoffs this early is Alex Stalock. It's often an overlooked factor, but the backup goaltender can be the difference for a team in Presidents' Trophy contention.
Stalock is 11-4-2 in 21 games (16 starts), with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. He's allowed Niemi some rest and provided the team with great goaltending in a spot where clubs are happy to receive average work.
5. 'Hertl Power'
Tomas Hertl was the League's most exciting rookie at the start of the season and would have been a worthy contender to Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche for the Calder Trophy had he remained healthy. He had 15 goals and 25 points in 35 games before a serious knee injury that might end up costing him the rest of the season (there is a chance he could return during the playoffs). Hertl gave the Sharks even more depth up front and a jolt of dynamism that helped make San Jose the best team in the NHL early in the season. He's also a symbol of how general manager Doug Wilson has been able to reshape his roster without needing a "rebuilding" phase.
Along with Hertl, players like Braun, Demers, Tommy Wingels and Matt Nieto have injected youth and pace into the Sharks. Patrick Marleau remains an elite skater, but the young players have helped transform the Sha
It's the second-longest active postseason streak in the NHL, and it might become the longest in a few weeks if the Detroit Red Wings don't find their way into the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Though the Sharks never have reached the Stanley Cup Final, the franchise's ability to be among the top teams in the League consistently is remarkable.
The dawn of the salary cap era was expected to make it harder for teams to stay among the top contenders for extended periods of time. Nearly every team that was among the League's elite before the 2004-05 lockout either has missed the playoffs once or gone through a full rebuilding phase. The Sharks and Red Wings stand alone as franchises that were able to transition to the "new NHL" as it was called at the start of the 2005-06 season and remain among the League's elite.
San Jose has a chance to win a division title for the sixth time in this 10-season span, and doing so would help the Sharks avoid a potentially brutal first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season in a seven-game series.
This Sharks team might be better equipped for a deep playoff run than any of the previous nine. Here are five reasons why they're going to have a chance:
1. They keep the puck
San Jose is a dominant possession team. The Sharks have spent the season jostling with the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks at the top of the NHL leaderboard in Corsi-for percentage, Fenwick-for percentage and shots-for percentage.
The dominance goes beyond "advanced" statistics as well. The Sharks have 2,002 shots on goal at even strength, which leads the League. They average nearly two shots on target per game more than any other team in all situations.
San Jose leads the League in faceoff percentage, but the Sharks' dominance is more about a mobile, skilled defense corps that transitions the puck well, and allows one of the best collections of forwards to play in the offensive zone and wear out opposing teams and goaltenders.
2. Not your average Joes
The Sharks have a foursome of forwards that stacks up against any in the League. Trying to pick which is the best of the bunch might be tricky and could change from season to season, but Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton have been dominant players this season.
Pavelski likely will garner some back-of-the-ballot votes for the Hart Trophy. He entered play Tuesday tied with Sidney Crosby for fourth in the League with 34 goals and second to Thornton on the Sharks with 67 points. When Sharks coach Todd McLellan wants it, Pavelski slots in as the best No. 3 center in the League. But he also has played on the wing with Thornton or Logan Couture, or as the No. 2 center when Couture was hurt.
Thornton is competing with Crosby for the assists title and leads a team full of strong possession players with a Corsi-for percentage at even strength of 59.1 (he's above 60 percent when the score is close). There's an argument for Couture as the team's best forward, but he missed time with injury this season.
3. Sweet 'Pickles'
Marc-Edouard Vlasic no longer is the most underrated defenseman in the NHL. Why? Because he's finally garnering the attention he deserves.
Dan Boyle has long been considered San Jose's No. 1 defenseman, but he is getting older and Vlasic has emerged as one of the top two-way defensemen in the sport. He doesn't post gaudy offensive totals like other players who are going to dominate the Norris Trophy discussion, but Vlasic's ability to play sound defense while helping the team transition to offense is among the very best in the game.
He earned praise for his work at the 2014 Sochi Olympics as a standout on a defense corps that included some of the League's top defenders, and his play for the Sharks has been exemplary. When Vlasic is on the ice the Sharks dominate. He leads their defensemen in Corsi-for percentage at even strength at 58.2, despite consistently facing tough competition.
Justin Braun and Jason Demers deserve plaudits for helping make the Sharks' defense corps a deep one, but Vlasic has become the anchor and worthy of being discussed among the best at the position.
4. Lock it up
The Sharks have one of the best rosters in the League, so maybe a playoff berth was inevitable. Antti Niemi has been a consistent workhorse in goal, so a team with this group of skaters and solid goaltending would need a lot of injuries for things to go sideways.
One of the biggest reasons the Sharks have booked a spot in the playoffs this early is Alex Stalock. It's often an overlooked factor, but the backup goaltender can be the difference for a team in Presidents' Trophy contention.
Stalock is 11-4-2 in 21 games (16 starts), with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. He's allowed Niemi some rest and provided the team with great goaltending in a spot where clubs are happy to receive average work.
5. 'Hertl Power'
Tomas Hertl was the League's most exciting rookie at the start of the season and would have been a worthy contender to Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche for the Calder Trophy had he remained healthy. He had 15 goals and 25 points in 35 games before a serious knee injury that might end up costing him the rest of the season (there is a chance he could return during the playoffs). Hertl gave the Sharks even more depth up front and a jolt of dynamism that helped make San Jose the best team in the NHL early in the season. He's also a symbol of how general manager Doug Wilson has been able to reshape his roster without needing a "rebuilding" phase.
Along with Hertl, players like Braun, Demers, Tommy Wingels and Matt Nieto have injected youth and pace into the Sharks. Patrick Marleau remains an elite skater, but the young players have helped transform the Sha
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Of all the ways Evgeny Kuznetsov could have scored his first career NHL goal, the way it ultimately unfolded seemed unlikely.
With the Capitals trailing by one in the final minute of regulation, John Carlson was whistled for hooking Mike Richards. At the outset of the penalty kill, Eric Fehr beat Jeff Carter on a defensive zone faceoff, allowing Dmitry Orlov to push the play up ice and for Washington to pull Jaroslav Halak in favor of an extra attacker.
Orlov dumped the puck below the Kings’ goal line where Fehr won it back from the visitors and sent it out in front to Alex Ovechkin – the extra skater – as he cut through the ice.
Ovechkin’s shot reached Jonathan Quick, who had aggressively come out to the top of his crease to challenge the shot, but the Los Angeles netminder doesn’t smother the puck and it trickled out into the blue paint behind him.
Kuznetsov was in perfect position in front of the net to see the puck as it came loose from the goaltender and swatted it into the open cage for a shorthanded goal that tied the contest with 41.5 seconds remaining in regulation and forced overtime.
It might not have been a highlight reel individual effort, but it was exactly the greasy goal the Capitals needed at the time.
“It was a big goal, it actually got us a point,” Coach Adam Oates said. “I’m sure they relaxed just a little and it’s a weird situation. Sometimes those go in. It’s a big goal for him and us it gets us a point.”
Ovechkin fished the puck out of the cage for safe keeping, but despite the significance of the goal and the eventual point, players who spoke in the post-game dressing room were more focused on the point that got away.
“It’s important for us, it’s important for him,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a good memory, it’s going to be for his whole life. Unfortunately we didn’t take two points but we take one.”
Watch: Evgeny Kuznetsov’s first career NHL goal
With the Capitals trailing by one in the final minute of regulation, John Carlson was whistled for hooking Mike Richards. At the outset of the penalty kill, Eric Fehr beat Jeff Carter on a defensive zone faceoff, allowing Dmitry Orlov to push the play up ice and for Washington to pull Jaroslav Halak in favor of an extra attacker.
Orlov dumped the puck below the Kings’ goal line where Fehr won it back from the visitors and sent it out in front to Alex Ovechkin – the extra skater – as he cut through the ice.
Ovechkin’s shot reached Jonathan Quick, who had aggressively come out to the top of his crease to challenge the shot, but the Los Angeles netminder doesn’t smother the puck and it trickled out into the blue paint behind him.
Kuznetsov was in perfect position in front of the net to see the puck as it came loose from the goaltender and swatted it into the open cage for a shorthanded goal that tied the contest with 41.5 seconds remaining in regulation and forced overtime.
It might not have been a highlight reel individual effort, but it was exactly the greasy goal the Capitals needed at the time.
“It was a big goal, it actually got us a point,” Coach Adam Oates said. “I’m sure they relaxed just a little and it’s a weird situation. Sometimes those go in. It’s a big goal for him and us it gets us a point.”
Ovechkin fished the puck out of the cage for safe keeping, but despite the significance of the goal and the eventual point, players who spoke in the post-game dressing room were more focused on the point that got away.
“It’s important for us, it’s important for him,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a good memory, it’s going to be for his whole life. Unfortunately we didn’t take two points but we take one.”
Watch: Evgeny Kuznetsov’s first career NHL goal
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So the NHL has a new playoff format you say? True enough. Along with consolidating six divisions into four and shifting several franchises from East to West and vice versa, the league is introducing a new way of matching postseason opponents.
In brief, division winners are seeded in terms of most points and face two "wild-card" entries in their respective conferences - No. 1 vs. 8, No. 2 vs. 7 - in the first round. That leaves the second- and third-place finishers in each division to square off in identical best-of-seven series.
Playoff matchups before Friday's action would pit Phoenix-St. Louis, Minnesota-San Jose, Los Angeles-Anaheim, Colorado-Chicago in the West and Detroit-Boston, Columbus-Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay-Montreal and Philadelphia-New York Rangers in the East.
Surprisingly, if the league were to use the same format as last year - top eight teams in each conference seeded by points regardless of division standing - the West matchups would be the same, and only two series in the East would be different (Flyers-Canadiens and Rangers-Lightning).
The new format attempts to promote rivalries within divisions as in the 1970s and '80s, when it was No. 1 vs. No. 4. and No. 2 vs. No. 3 with winners advancing against each other in Round 2. A lot of hate was built between geographic and familiar rivals, which is a good thing in the NHL's world.
One thing that will take getting used to is the hybrid nature of division vs. conference rivals. If today's matchups don't change, and Phoenix (from the Pacific) was to upset Central champ St. Louis, the Coyotes would advance to play the winner of the Avalanche-Blackhawks series instead of playing another team advancing out of the Pacific.
And unlike before, there is no reseeding between rounds. Teams with the higher point total will always command home ice, but the playoffs will have a bracket look to them now.
If the Sharks, who went 2-1 vs. the Wild, fail to hold off the Ducks and finish second in the Pacific, they would likely face Los Angeles. And the survivor of that series would meet the winner of the Anaheim-No. 7 seed series in the second round.
Milestone: Oakland native Roy Sommer became the American Hockey League's all-time games-coached leader Wednesday when he stepped behind Sharks affiliate Worcester's bench for Game No. 1,257. Little known fact: Sommer scored his lone NHL goal on Jan. 28, 1981, with Edmonton while skating on a line with Wayne Gretzky.
Fitting in: High-profile players changing addresses at the trade deadline don't always pay immediate dividends - ex-Lightning wing Martin St. Louis has yet to score a goal in 13 games for the Rangers - but that's not the case for Thomas Vanek, who was dealt from the Islanders to Montreal. Vanek has five goals and nine points in 11 games, including two game-winning goals for the Habs. Vanek, who started the season with Buffalo, had just two game-winners in his previous 70 games.
Slap shots: Panic set in when starter and Canadian Olympian Mike Smith left Phoenix's goal with an injury early in the week, but ex-Shark Thomas Greiss impressively stepped in to lead the Coyotes to consecutive wins in Pittsburgh and New Jersey. ... Did you see the 13-round shootout Thursday between the Lightning and Islanders? It was the second longest since shootouts came into play in 2005-06, and featured the most goals (Lightning 5, Islanders 4) in a shootout. ... Is there anything more entertaining than watching and listening to Maple Leafs followers lose their minds when Toronto falters? It's entertaining until good people lose jobs over it.
NHL's new playoff format could stoke rivalries - SFGate
In brief, division winners are seeded in terms of most points and face two "wild-card" entries in their respective conferences - No. 1 vs. 8, No. 2 vs. 7 - in the first round. That leaves the second- and third-place finishers in each division to square off in identical best-of-seven series.
Playoff matchups before Friday's action would pit Phoenix-St. Louis, Minnesota-San Jose, Los Angeles-Anaheim, Colorado-Chicago in the West and Detroit-Boston, Columbus-Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay-Montreal and Philadelphia-New York Rangers in the East.
Surprisingly, if the league were to use the same format as last year - top eight teams in each conference seeded by points regardless of division standing - the West matchups would be the same, and only two series in the East would be different (Flyers-Canadiens and Rangers-Lightning).
The new format attempts to promote rivalries within divisions as in the 1970s and '80s, when it was No. 1 vs. No. 4. and No. 2 vs. No. 3 with winners advancing against each other in Round 2. A lot of hate was built between geographic and familiar rivals, which is a good thing in the NHL's world.
One thing that will take getting used to is the hybrid nature of division vs. conference rivals. If today's matchups don't change, and Phoenix (from the Pacific) was to upset Central champ St. Louis, the Coyotes would advance to play the winner of the Avalanche-Blackhawks series instead of playing another team advancing out of the Pacific.
And unlike before, there is no reseeding between rounds. Teams with the higher point total will always command home ice, but the playoffs will have a bracket look to them now.
If the Sharks, who went 2-1 vs. the Wild, fail to hold off the Ducks and finish second in the Pacific, they would likely face Los Angeles. And the survivor of that series would meet the winner of the Anaheim-No. 7 seed series in the second round.
Milestone: Oakland native Roy Sommer became the American Hockey League's all-time games-coached leader Wednesday when he stepped behind Sharks affiliate Worcester's bench for Game No. 1,257. Little known fact: Sommer scored his lone NHL goal on Jan. 28, 1981, with Edmonton while skating on a line with Wayne Gretzky.
Fitting in: High-profile players changing addresses at the trade deadline don't always pay immediate dividends - ex-Lightning wing Martin St. Louis has yet to score a goal in 13 games for the Rangers - but that's not the case for Thomas Vanek, who was dealt from the Islanders to Montreal. Vanek has five goals and nine points in 11 games, including two game-winning goals for the Habs. Vanek, who started the season with Buffalo, had just two game-winners in his previous 70 games.
Slap shots: Panic set in when starter and Canadian Olympian Mike Smith left Phoenix's goal with an injury early in the week, but ex-Shark Thomas Greiss impressively stepped in to lead the Coyotes to consecutive wins in Pittsburgh and New Jersey. ... Did you see the 13-round shootout Thursday between the Lightning and Islanders? It was the second longest since shootouts came into play in 2005-06, and featured the most goals (Lightning 5, Islanders 4) in a shootout. ... Is there anything more entertaining than watching and listening to Maple Leafs followers lose their minds when Toronto falters? It's entertaining until good people lose jobs over it.
NHL's new playoff format could stoke rivalries - SFGate
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USA TODAY Sports' NHL power rankings panel has voted for a new No. 1 team - and it won't take much thought to figure out who it was.
The Boston Bruins' surge vaulted them into the top spot. To recap: They lost their first game of March and have lost once since, in a shootout to the Montreal Canadiens. That 15-0-1 run lifted them from a sixth-place vote to third two weeks ago to first.
The Bruins are leading the Presidents' Trophy race and have won nine in a row on the road.
Stingy goalie Tuukka Rask led his category in the individual races, getting some distance from No. 2 Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning).
Captain Zdeno Chara received a first-place vote in the race for top defenseman.
NHL power rankings have a new No. 1 team | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
The Boston Bruins' surge vaulted them into the top spot. To recap: They lost their first game of March and have lost once since, in a shootout to the Montreal Canadiens. That 15-0-1 run lifted them from a sixth-place vote to third two weeks ago to first.
The Bruins are leading the Presidents' Trophy race and have won nine in a row on the road.
Stingy goalie Tuukka Rask led his category in the individual races, getting some distance from No. 2 Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning).
Captain Zdeno Chara received a first-place vote in the race for top defenseman.
NHL power rankings have a new No. 1 team | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
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The Boston Bruins played without forward Jarome Iginla against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena due to a lower-body injury, but coach Claude Julien said the injury isn't serious.
Iginla, who participated in the Bruins morning skate, was a late scratch and was replaced in the lineup by Jordan Caron, who started on the third line. Loui Eriksson took Iginla's spot at right wing on the top line.
"He's day to day," Julien said after the Bruins' 3-2 loss to the Red Wings. Asked if iginla could have played if it were a playoff game, he replied, "That's why [it's] day-to-day. It's not a major injury here. He skated this morning."
Iginla was named NHL's First Star for March after scoring 13 goals and 17 points in 17 games during a month when the Bruins went 15-1-1 with a 12-game winning streak.
Iginla has 30 goals and 31 assists for 61 points in 75 games and has a plus-34 rating. This is the first game Iginla has missed this season. He scored twice Saturday against the Washington Capitals to reach 30 goals for the 12th straight time in a full 82-game season.
Boston Bruins forward Jarome Iginla sits with lower-body injury - NHL-com - News
Iginla, who participated in the Bruins morning skate, was a late scratch and was replaced in the lineup by Jordan Caron, who started on the third line. Loui Eriksson took Iginla's spot at right wing on the top line.
"He's day to day," Julien said after the Bruins' 3-2 loss to the Red Wings. Asked if iginla could have played if it were a playoff game, he replied, "That's why [it's] day-to-day. It's not a major injury here. He skated this morning."
Iginla was named NHL's First Star for March after scoring 13 goals and 17 points in 17 games during a month when the Bruins went 15-1-1 with a 12-game winning streak.
Iginla has 30 goals and 31 assists for 61 points in 75 games and has a plus-34 rating. This is the first game Iginla has missed this season. He scored twice Saturday against the Washington Capitals to reach 30 goals for the 12th straight time in a full 82-game season.
Boston Bruins forward Jarome Iginla sits with lower-body injury - NHL-com - News
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Things are getting nervy in the 2015 NHL playoffs with teams on the cusp of reaching the Stanley Cup Final, but first, business needs to be taken care of in the coming days.
One Game 5 is in the books after the Tampa Bay Lightning dispatched the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden to take a 3-2 series lead. But the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks will have a chance to join them in that regard, facing off in Game 5 in Anaheim Monday night.
At this point in the postseason, every single play could have dire implications on who ends up lifting the Stanley Cup. Let's take a look at all of the remaining conference final games to make sure you don't miss out.
Finals Schedule: NHL Playoff TV Schedule 2015: Remaining Conference Finals Outlook and More | Bleacher Report
One Game 5 is in the books after the Tampa Bay Lightning dispatched the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden to take a 3-2 series lead. But the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks will have a chance to join them in that regard, facing off in Game 5 in Anaheim Monday night.
At this point in the postseason, every single play could have dire implications on who ends up lifting the Stanley Cup. Let's take a look at all of the remaining conference final games to make sure you don't miss out.
Finals Schedule: NHL Playoff TV Schedule 2015: Remaining Conference Finals Outlook and More | Bleacher Report
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2006/12/07
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Now that the Chicago Blackhawks have captured their third Stanley Cup championship in six years, it's time to reflect on what transpired during the 2015 NHL Playoffs—everything from Duncan Keith's three-point game against Nashville to Tyler Johnson's hat trick in the conference finals.
The NHL playoffs were once again filled with tons of outstanding individual performances—this great montage from Hockey Night in Canada serves as proof—so narrowing them down to the top 15 wasn't easy.
Check out: NHL Playoffs 2015: Ranking the 15 Best Performances This Year | Bleacher Report
The NHL playoffs were once again filled with tons of outstanding individual performances—this great montage from Hockey Night in Canada serves as proof—so narrowing them down to the top 15 wasn't easy.
Check out: NHL Playoffs 2015: Ranking the 15 Best Performances This Year | Bleacher Report
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
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Three days of meetings begin Monday.
The general managers most recently met in November, in Toronto. The discussion on potential changes to the current overtime format was tabled until the March meetings. At the time, there appeared to be traction among the GMs for changing the format to increase the length of overtime in an attempt to have more games end before the shootout, a subject originally brought up by Ken Holland of the Detroit Red Wings.
Various overtime formats were discussed in November, including adding more time to the current format, which is a five-minute, 4-on-4 sudden-death session. There were also discussions of expanding the overtime and adding a 3-on-3 element before going to the shootout portion of the tiebreaker. Another suggestion, by New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello, was to have the teams switch ends for overtime, forcing them to contend with the "long-change" factor that already exists in the second period of games as a way to create more scoring chances.
Through Saturday, 14 percent of games played this season (135 of 963) ended in a shootout, and 40 percent of games that went to overtime reached a shootout. Shootouts were up slightly from last season (13.46 percent in 720 games played), but down from 2011-12 (14.72 percent), the last full NHL season. Since 2005-06, when the shootout was implemented, 13.3 percent of the 10,293 games played ended in a shootout.
If the general managers want to make any rule change, they present the agreed-upon rules proposal as a recommendation to Competition Committee, which next meets in June. To become official, the change would need the approval of the Competition Committee and the NHL's Board of Governors, which typically meets after the Stanley Cup Final.
The GMs also are expected to discuss expanding video review beyond its limited present scope of determining the validity of a goal. The possibility of adding a coach's challenge is also a subject that is expected to be discussed. It's a topic originally brought up by Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon in November 2010.
NHL's general mangers to discuss overtime format at annual March meeting - NHL-com - News