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NEWS CLIPPINGS • Oct. 13, 2017

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

By Chip Alexander

[email protected]

October 10, 2017 11:33 AM

When the Carolina Hurricanes announced their team

captains last week, one name was noticeably missing: Victor Rask.

Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk were named co-captains and

Jeff Skinner a permanent alternate captain for the 2017-18 season. A year ago, when the Canes didn’t have a captain,

all three served as alternate captains along with Rask – four players with A’s on their jerseys.

Why no Rask this year? Canes coach Bill Peters said it wasn’t that Rask asked not to be a captain. Nor was it some

reflection on Rask’s play last season, when the Swedish

center, by his own admission, was not consistently at his best.

Rask said Monday that he wasn’t miffed about the decision or consider it a slight.

“No, absolutely not,” he said. “We have really good leaders in

this group. It doesn’t matter if you wear an ‘A’ or not. It’s just one those things.”

So no bruised feelings?

“No,” he said. “As I said, we have a lot of leaders and I just

want to be a part of it. That’s the way we wanted to go and

that’s the way we will do it.”

One way to lead is to be one of the team’s best players in

games, when it counts. Rask did that in the season opener Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, contributing a goal and

assist in the Canes’ 5-4 shootout victory.

Had Minnesota not scored in the final second of regulation – and the Canes still believe the Wild should have been called

for goaltender interference – it would have been Rask with the winning goal to complete the comeback victory. His top-

shelf shot from the right circle, off a pass from a spinning

Sebastian Aho, gave the Canes a 4-3 lead with 1:34 left in the third.

“Really good play by him, that pass was right in my

wheelhouse,” Rask said.

Peters said he met with Rask before the captains were

announced to talk things over and said Rask was “real good about it.”

“He wants to concentrate on having a good year for himself,

individually, that leads to us being good collectively,” Peters said.

Peters said in looking at the top two centers on each team in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, that Rask

is “right there with those guys and it’s a real good group.”

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, John Tavares, Nicklas Backstrom … it’s a strong collection of centers in the

conference.

“He’s right there,” Peters said. “He just wants to concentrate on his game and make sure everything is in order and

contribute to the team in that regard.”

Rask, 24, had shoulder surgery after the 2015-16 season,

limiting his offseason conditioning. Given a six-year, $24 million contract extension and the “A” that he said was a

“huge boost,” Rask finished with 16 goals and 45 points in 82

games last season – decent numbers but a dip from the year before and not what he or the Canes expected.

But Rask played for Sweden’s gold-medal winners in the 2017 World Championship after the season. He worked on a

quicker, more explosive stride in training. He feels good.

There’s just no “A” this season.

“He’s going to have a good year,” Skinner said. “He’s still

such a young guy and his future so bright that when he looks back this will really be just a footnote.”

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7,892 at PNC: Why opening night Canes’ win not enough to boost attendance for game 2

By Luke DeCock

[email protected]

October 11, 2017 12:59 PM

RALEIGH

After an opening-night sellout Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes drew less than 8,000 fans on Tuesday, a drop-off

which somehow caught the attention of at least one gloating

Canadian television network.

That the Hurricanes could only draw 7,892 to PNC Arena on

a Tuesday night against Columbus will come as no shock to anyone who pays attention to this franchise; a weeknight

game against a milquetoast opponent, especially coming after a heavily marketed game that did draw many casual

fans, was always going to be a mostly empty house.

There are two dynamics at play here. One, the Hurricanes' fan base has withered and atrophied during these eight

years in the playoff wilderness to the point where they can only count on these 7,000 fans to show up on a given night

along with a handful of curious onlookers. That may change

if the Hurricanes show spirit and competitiveness early in the season, and should change if they ever make the playoffs

again. But it would be silly to expect casual fans to get back aboard after one win – although based on pregame

estimates, the Hurricanes did appear to have a better-than-expected walk-up contingent Tuesday.

Two, having fewer people in the building is actually a

deliberate business strategy, counterproductive as it may sound. The Hurricanes, under team president Don Waddell,

have stopped giving away tickets to fill the building and focused on maximizing revenue from the tickets they do sell.

And from a financial perspective, that worked: thanks to ticket revenue and NHL broadcasting and revenue-sharing

income, the team was in the black last season for the first

time in a non-playoff year, although it should be noted the Hurricanes were dead last in payroll, spending more than $7

million less than the 29th team.

So the huffing and puffing from north of the border is just so

much hysterics; the Hurricanes have now proven they're a

viable franchise even with a bunch of tiny crowds like

Tuesday's, albeit with an unsustainably low payroll that's

already increased $3 million this year to $60 million.

Of course, there's an argument to be made that this strategy

makes it harder to develop new fans by making it more

expensive for them to get into the building and see what the fuss is about (and spend money on concessions, and

parking, and T-shirts, and so on), the opposite of the team's

old “you'll know when you go” strategy. Not to mention, you

can only squeeze so much out of the fans you do have without adding new ones.

And having more people in the building, especially with a

team this young, should lead to more of a home-ice advantage. The 8,000 fans on Tuesday were loud and

engaged, more than they had a right to be given the quality of play; double that number might have been able to give an

emotional boost to a team that was struggling to generate offense against a disciplined opponent. (Although another

8,000 yelling “Shoot!” probably wouldn't have helped the

misfiring power play.)

A new owner, whether that’s Chuck Greenberg or someone

else, may have something to say about this particular

marketing strategy, but with the team for sale, current owner

Peter Karmanos is understandably more concerned with the

present-day bottom line than the long-term future of the team, and that’s not a criticism, just an acknowledgement of

what makes the most sense for someone in his position.

So there are going to be a lot more nights like Tuesday, but

after two games, the Hurricanes’ average attendance is 13,286 – up 13 percent from last year’s final total, and better

than the New York Islanders, for one, so far. And those

aren't the only teams with issues. Ottawa couldn't sell out the conference finals last year. It's tough everywhere.

In the end, when it comes to the Hurricanes, attendance is what it is right now for a reason. If you have to pay full price,

you really have to want to be in the building. The Hurricanes'

performance hasn't given enough people enough of a reason to show up for years. If and when the Hurricanes do become

successful, it will still take time to rebuild the fan base – as it did in Boston and Chicago and every other city where people

tuned out when the team was garbage. That's not unique to the Hurricanes. It's true of nearly every NHL market.

Hurricanes no longer using Trump SoHo for Rangers games

By Chip Alexander

[email protected]

October 12, 2017 12:12 PM

The Carolina Hurricanes confirmed Thursday that they have made a change in team hotels for games in New York and

no longer are staying at the Trump SoHo New York.

The Hurricanes declined to comment on the reasons for the change.

The Washington Post reported that 17 teams in the four

major sports have have used Trump properties for team travel. The Post reported 16 teams, including the Hurricanes,

no longer are using the hotels or properties.

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Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters discusses the

physicality of practice on Oct. 12, 2017 and takes a look at the four-game road trip that begins Saturday against the

Winnipeg Jets.

The Hurricanes began using the Trump SoHo a few years ago for their games against the New York Rangers. They

use another hotel for games against the New York Islanders and do not stay in any other Trump properties for NHL

games.

The change from the Trump SoHo New York for the 2017-18

season was not the only one. The Hurricanes will use eight different hotels this season than those last season.

The Post reported 12 NBA teams have used the Trump

SoHo since it opened in 2010 but that 11 have switched hotels since Donald Trump began his presidential bid in

2015.

PRO SPORTS TEAMS WERE ONCE RELIABLE PATRONS OF TRUMP’S HOTELS. NOT ANYMORE.

By Tim Bontemps and David A. Fahrenthold October 12 at 5:30 AM

Until recently, the Trump SoHo hotel served as a kind of luxe clubhouse for NBA teams visiting New York.

At least 12 teams — more than a third of the league — had

stayed there since it opened in 2010. The players loved it so

much they became walking ads for the Trump brand:

Superstar Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder praised the hotel in the press. Toronto Raptors all-star Kyle

Lowry gave interviews on the lobby’s couch. Then-Thunder forward Steve Novak tweeted about the $20 room-service

lattes.

Now, it’s not the same.

All but one of the 12 teams said they have stopped

patronizing the Trump SoHo since Donald Trump launched his presidential bid in 2015, according to team officials.

Among the latest to depart were the Raptors, Phoenix Suns,

Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, who all dropped Trump SoHo this summer and

made different arrangements for the upcoming season.

Another NBA team quit staying at Trump’s hotel in downtown

Chicago. And at least three National Hockey League teams and one Major League Baseball club have stopped

frequenting Trump hotels in the same time, according to

interviews with team officials.

Before Trump turned professional athletes into his political targets in recent weeks — jousting on Twitter with the

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and blasting football players for kneeling during the national anthem — he had

been privately losing their teams’ business. The trend has

sapped his hotels of revenue and big league buzz, a survey of teams by The Washington Post found.

In all, The Post found that 17 teams from across the four major sports had stayed at Trump properties in recent years.

Now, at least 16 are no longer customers.

“The president has seemingly made a point of dividing us as best he can,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told The Post in an

interview this week, explaining the shift. His team quit using

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Trump SoHo in 2016. “He continually offends people, and so

people don’t want to stay at his hotel. It’s pretty simple.”

The Post reached out to all 123 teams in the four major U.S. sports leagues to find out how many men’s teams are still

Trump customers. A total of 106 responded. Not a single team confirmed its players stay at Trump properties.

Some of the teams that have left Trump hotels cited reasons

outside politics. One, for instance, said it was difficult to get

team buses in and out of Lower Manhattan.

The loss of pro sports clients at Trump’s hotels is part of a larger trend at his businesses, which appear to be pulled in

opposite directions by his polarizing presidency.

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At properties that offer proximity to the president — such as

his Washington hotel and the Mar-a-Lago Club where he stays in Florida — business seems to be strong.

But the Trump Organization has had customers bleed away

from other locations, particularly those who eschew political controversy.

His golf clubs in California and New York have lost charity

tournaments. His courses in Scotland just reported that their

losses doubled in 2016.

The Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the investment fund that owns

Trump SoHo referred questions to Trump Organization officials.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah

Huckabee Sanders dismissed the idea that Trump’s attacks on sports teams were connected to the loss of pro athletes

as customers.

“The president has repeatedly said he doesn’t care about his

business, he cares about the country,” Sanders wrote in an

email. “The president’s position on athletes standing for the National Anthem is about respecting the flag and the men

and women of the military who sacrifice to defend it and

nothing else.”

Trump has given up leadership positions at his businesses. But he still owns them through a trust controlled by his eldest

sons. That means he still can take profits from properties

such as the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, which his company owns, and Trump SoHo, from which he

draws fees. Trump’s business receives 5.75 percent of that hotel’s operating revenue, according to company documents

posted online by Reuters.

Before Trump ran for office, The Post found, at least three of the four major U.S. sports provided his properties with

regular business. The exception was football: The Post could not identify any National Football League teams that stayed

at Trump hotels, although five NFL teams declined to comment and seven did not respond to repeated inquiries.

NFL teams typically do not stay at luxury hotels.

[Trump’s divisive presidency reshapes a key part of his private business]

The majority of Trump’s pro sports customers came from the National Basketball Association.

And the bulk of those clients stayed at Trump SoHo. The

hotel in Lower Manhattan is convenient to both Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks play in midtown,

and to Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets.

For Trump’s business, those visits meant money. Teams

paid about $20,000 per night for rooms and food, according to one team official’s estimate.

It also meant a connection to the NBA brand and the luxury

cool that accompanies superstars on the road.

“When I stay here in New York, I’m at the Trump SoHo,”

Russell Westbrook told GQ in 2014, saying the hotel’s lobby had inspired his fashion designs. “. . . Inside the hotel they

have, like, a bunch of gold in the middle of the hotel, and I

see how colors go together.”

In April 2016, ESPN writer Kevin Arnovitz said he had

interviewed 40 NBA players and staffers to come up with a list of the NBA’s favorite hotels. Trump Soho was the top one

in New York, Arnovitz wrote.

The frequent presence of the NBA players was noted by other customers.

“Btw, the Trailblazers were there when we checked in,” one guest at the hotel posted in a TripAdvisor review in April

2015, “and the Indiana Pacers team were there the day

before we checked-out.”

In 2016, a Trump SoHo ballroom was cited as the scene of a

season-changing moment for the Cleveland Cavaliers. During a film session there, coach Tyronn Lue inspired

slumping forward Kevin Love with a profane pep talk.

But NBA patronage of Trump hotels began to change in June 2015, when Trump entered the White House race as a hard-

right figure, stoking suspicions about immigrants and

resentment of coastal elites.

Soon after, he began to lose some customers from the league, whose ranks of players are three-quarters black and

include many who have been outspoken about issues such

as law enforcement’s treatment of African Americans.

That summer, the Pacers stopped staying at Trump SoHo. A

spokesman blamed problems with bus access.

So did the Dallas Mavericks, whose owner, Mark Cuban, became one of Trump’s loudest critics in 2016. Cuban

declined to comment about the team’s decision.

In 2016, after Trump had captured the GOP nomination,

more NBA teams left.

The Memphis Grizzlies quit Trump SoHo. No connection to politics, the coach said.

So did the Thunder. The team would not comment on why.

The Milwaukee Bucks stopped being Trump customers the

following year — after first trying, and failing, to pull out of a

Trump Chicago reservation during the preseason, according to team officials. When the Bucks returned to Chicago in the

regular season, they had a new hotel.

In that case, the reason for the departure was Trump himself.

The Trump Organization was seen as not reflecting the

franchise’s values and some players were not comfortable patronizing its properties, according to a person familiar with

the decision who requested anonymity to describe internal discussions.

One of those players was Bucks forward Jabari Parker.

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“I’m proud to not stay in Trump hotels,” Parker told the

Sporting News last November, reflecting on the decision after the election. “I don’t support someone who endorses

hate on other people. He ran his campaign on hate. He’s

attacked everything that I am and believe.” Parker said he felt offended by Trump’s attacks on immigrants because his

mother is from Tonga.

In some cases, pro teams continued to frequent Trump

hotels but individual players stayed away. The Los Angeles

Dodgers, for instance, returned to Trump’s Chicago hotel in May 2016 on a road trip to play the Cubs. But Adrian

Gonzalez, a Mexican American first baseman, chose to stay elsewhere.

“You can draw your own conclusions” about why, Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Times. “They’re probably right.”

The team soon followed suit. When the Dodgers returned to

Chicago for the playoffs that year, they stayed at a new hotel.

“The decision to stay elsewhere was not a political one,”

Dodgers spokesman Joe Jareck said.

Then Trump was elected.

Last winter, after the election, something similar happened

with the Cavaliers. When the team returned to Trump SoHo,

star LeBron James and several other players did not join it there, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

“Just my personal preference,” James said, according to the

Cleveland Plain Dealer, when asked why.

At the end of the season, the Cavaliers also decided not to come back to Trump SoHo, according to a team spokesman.

Trump SoHo also lost the Los Angeles Lakers as customers. The team had made plans to stay at Trump SoHo last

season but pulled out before they arrived, citing worries

about anti-Trump protests.

All three of the NHL teams that The Post identified as Trump

clients have also stopped staying in Trump hotels. The Tampa Bay Lightning left in 2016. The Carolina Hurricanes

and Washington Capitals left this year.

It is possible that Trump still has some pro sports teams as

clients.

For instance, the NBA’ s New Orleans Pelicans, who have frequented Trump SoHo in the past, declined to say whether

they were returning there this season, despite multiple inquiries.

Of the 106 teams from across all four sports that The Post

reached, 18 declined to comment and 72 said they had not stayed at Trump properties in recent years. Rick Westhead,

a Canadian reporter, said he had verified that a 73rd team,

the Toronto Blue Jays, had not stayed at a Trump property

recently.

SUPER 16: BLACKHAWKS MOVE TO TOP OF RANKINGS

MAPLE LEAFS, BLUES SURGE TO NOS. 2, 3 IN NHL.COM POLL

by Dan Rosen @drosennhl / NHL.com Senior Writer

October 12th, 2017

Taking into consideration the obvious caveat that that the

season is 8 days old, the Chicago Blackhawks have at least

begun to put to rest any questions about their ability to stay an elite team in the NHL.

The Blackhawks have gotten off to a strong start in all

phases of the game and have jumped ahead of the pack as the No. 1 team in NHL.com's Super 16 power rankings,

compiled by 12 staff members who participated in the rankings this week.

Each staff member put together his or her own version of what they think the Super 16 should look like. Those

rankings were submitted and a point total was assigned to

each ranking.

The team picked first was given 16 points, second got 15,

third got 14 and so on down to the team picked 16th, which got one point.

The Blackhawks were ranked No. 1 by four staff members,

No. 2 by three and No. 3 by two. They edged the Toronto Maple Leafs, who received two No. 1 votes and four No. 2

votes.

The St. Louis Blues, who fell two points short of making the

preseason Super 16, which was published Oct. 4, finished at

CAROLINA HURRICANES


No. 3 this week after being ranked first by three staff

members and No. 2 by another three.

As expected considering how early it is, opinions varied more than usual among the participants. Twenty-seven of the 31

teams received at least two points. The only teams that weren't ranked by anybody were the Arizona Coyotes,

Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks.

Check out how the rankings shook out once the math was

finished, and be sure stay for the information:

1. Chicago Blackhawks (3-0-1)

Total points: 172

Preseason rank: No. 7

Hit: The Blackhawks' top line of Jonathan Toews (two goals,

three assists), Brandon Saad (five goals, two assists) and Richard Panik (three goals, three assists) has combined for

18 points. Each player has at least one point in all four

games.

Miss: Center Nick Schmaltz, who had three points (two

goals, one assist) in the first two games, has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury. He might return

against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1-0)

Total points: 166


Hit: You can't argue with the production and how the Maple

Leafs have spread their scoring out. Nineteen of the 20

skaters who have played for Toronto this season have at least one point. Center Eric Fehr has been shut out in his two

games.

Miss: One thing the Maple Leafs must watch out for is the

way they allow teams to surge against them and score goals

in bunches. It's a defensive structure issue, a risk/reward issue, that they'll likely be ironing out as the season goes

along.

3. St. Louis Blues (4-0-0)

Total points: 161

Preseason rank: Unranked

Hit: Jaden Schwartz has seven points (two goals, five

assists) on a four-game point streak to begin the season.

Miss: The Blues are allowing 37.0 shots on goal per game.

They are generating 28.3.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-1-0)

Total points: 153


Hit: The Lightning's top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov has picked up where it

left off in November, when Stamkos sustained a season-ending knee injury. The line has combined for 13 points,

including three goals from Kucherov and five assists from

Stamkos.

Miss: Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn't gotten off to the greatest of starts. He has a 3.67 goals-against average and

.900 save percentage through three games. The Lightning have allowed at least three goals each of their first three

games.

5. Washington Capitals (2-1-1)

Total points: 148


Hit: So far, defensemen Dmitry Orlov, Matt Niskanen and

John Carlson look comfortable playing 25 or more minutes per game. That's a good sign for a defense group that isn't

that deep.

Miss: Something to be mindful of is how many road games the Capitals have coming up. They play 10 of their next 16

games away from Capital One Arena, including seven of their next 10.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-1)

Total points: 139


Hit: Defenseman Kris Letang has not looked any worse for the wear in his return from his six-month recovery following

neck surgery. He's playing his normal minutes and says he feels good doing so.

Miss: Defenseman Ian Cole is considered out indefinitely

after getting hit in the face by a shot in a 4-0 win against the Nashville Predators on Saturday and requiring emergency

dental work. He has not been ruled out from playing against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

7. Columbus Blue Jackets (2-1-0)

Total points: 131


Hit: Sergei Bobrovsky has a 0.48 GAA and .985 save percentage after allowing one goal on 67 shots in two starts.

Rookie forward Sonny Milano has four goals in three games,

including in overtime for a 2-1 win against the Carolina

Hurricanes on Tuesday.

Miss: Backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo didn't fare too well in his first start, allowing five goals on 29 shots in a 5-1 loss to

the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

8. Calgary Flames (3-1-0)

Total points: 81


Hit: Johnny Gaudreau has gotten off to a hot start, and the

defense pair of TJ Brodie and Travis Hamonic looks like a

keeper.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Miss: The Flames have already had a few games when they

were outshot badly and struggled to keep possession of the puck when they did have it. It's not a trend yet, but it's

something to watch.

9. Edmonton Oilers (1-2-0)

Total points: 70


Hit: Defenseman Oscar Klefbom hasn't scored yet, but he's

getting his shot through from the point. He has 13 shots on

goal in three games (4.33 per game). He had 201 shots in 82 games last season (2.45 per game).

Miss: The Oilers have been guilty of too many defensive breakdowns the past two games, including several in a 5-2

loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

10. Los Angeles Kings (2-0-1)

Total points: 69


Hit: Dustin Brown has played well and he's getting a lot of minutes, early signs of a rebound season by a potentially

rejuvenated player. The 32-year-old had two goals and an assist in 18:12 in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Flames on

Wednesday.

Miss: Injured defenseman Alec Martinez (lower body) is skating on his own and close to returning to practice, but he

has missed the first three games and is expected to miss more.

11. Vegas Golden Knights (3-0-0)

Total points: 53


Hit: The Golden Knights are the first team in NHL history to win its first three games. James Neal has five goals,

including the winner in all three games.

Miss: Nothing yet.

12. Nashville Predators (1-2-0)

Total points: 47


Hit: The Predators are 5-for-16 on the power play, including

3-for-4 in their come-from-behind 6-5 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

Miss: They have allowed 13 goals in three games, including at least four in each game.

13. New Jersey Devils (3-0-0)

Total points: 45


Hit: The Devils have shown a lot of speed early in the

season, a major change from the past few seasons, when they were considered one of the slower teams in the League.

Rookie forward Jesper Bratt has been a pleasant surprise.

He has six points (three goals, three assists) after he had an

assist in a 6-3 win at the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Miss: Forward Drew Stafford has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury sustained in a season-

opening 4-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

14. Dallas Stars (1-2-0)

Total points: 39


Hit: Forward Tyler Seguin has scored two goals and has 24 shots on goal, an average of eight per game.

Miss: Is backup goaltending going to be an issue all

season? Kari Lehtonen has allowed six goals on 26 shots in two games, including four on 21 in a 4-2 loss to the Blues on

Saturday.

15. Anaheim Ducks (2-1-1)

Total points: 38


Hit: Corey Perry already has some goals, a good sign for the

former 50-goal scorer, whose production dropped significantly last season. Perry had 19 goals in 82 games in

2016-17 after he averaged 39.4 goals per season each of

the previous five full NHL seasons.

Miss: The Ducks don't seem as difficult to play against

without center Ryan Kesler (hip surgery) in the lineup. That's not a surprise, but it's a reality they're going to have to deal

with until at least late December.

16. Carolina Hurricanes (1-0-1)

Total points: 22


Hit: Although it's been only two games, it looks good for the

Hurricanes that forwards Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm and

Sebastian Aho each has two points. Carolina needs those three players, plus Teuvo Teravainen, to build on their

production from last season.

Miss: The Hurricanes play three games in the first 13 days

of the NHL season, making it difficult for them to find an

early-season rhythm. They play seven games in a span of 13

days from Oct. 17-29.

Dropped out from preseason Super 16: Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, San Jose

Sharks, Ottawa Senators

Others receiving points: Ottawa Senators, 20; Colorado Avalanche, 17; Philadelphia Flyers, 15; Detroit Red Wings,

13; New York Islanders, 13; Minnesota Wild, 9; New York Rangers, 8; Winnipeg Jets, 5; Boston Bruins, 4; Montreal

Canadiens, 3; Florida Panthers, 2

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

CAROLINA HURRICANES


1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Washington Capitals; 3.

Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Nashville Predators; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8.

St. Louis Blues; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Minnesota

Wild; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16.

Vegas Golden Knights

TIM CAMPBELL

1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Tampa Bay

Lightning; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Calgary Flames; 6. Los Angeles Kings; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Columbus Blue

Jackets; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13.

Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Detroit Red Wings; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Carolina Hurricanes

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Toronto Maple Leafs; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. St. Louis Blues; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6.

Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Tampa Bay

Lightning; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Detroit Red Wings; 13. Pittsburgh

Penguins; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Florida Panthers; 16.

New York Islanders

LISA DILLMAN

1. Toronto Maple Leafs; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Tampa Bay

Lightning; 4. Washington Capitals; 5. Columbus Blue

Jackets; 6. Chicago Blackhawks; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Calgary Flames; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Anaheim Ducks;

11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Vegas Golden

Knights; 16. New Jersey Devils

TOM GULITTI

1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Chicago

Blackhawks; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8.

Nashville Predators; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Edmonton

Oilers; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. New York

Islanders; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16.

Carolina Hurricanes.

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Washington

Capitals; 4. Chicago Blackhawks; 5. Los Angeles Kings; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Columbus

Blue Jackets; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13.

Calgary Flames; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Detroit Red Wings

ROBERT LAFLAMME

1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. Washington

Capitals; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Pittsburgh

Penguins; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Vegas Golden Knights;

11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16.

Carolina Hurricanes

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. St. Louis Blues; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Chicago

Blackhawks; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Washington Capitals; 8.

Nashville Predators; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Edmonton

Oilers; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Carolina Hurricanes; 16. New Jersey Devils

BILL PRICE

1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Edmonton

Oilers; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning.; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8.

Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Calgary Flames; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Nashville

Predators; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Philadelphia Flyers;

15. Dallas Stars; 16. Boston Bruins

SHAWN ROARKE

1. Chicago Blackhawks; 2. Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Tampa

Bay Lightning; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. St. Louis Blues; 6.

Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Calgary Flames; 10. Dallas Stars;

11. Nashville Predators; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Carolina

Hurricanes; 16. Boston Bruins

DAN ROSEN

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Chicago Blackhawks; 3. Toronto

Maple Leafs; 4. St. Louis Blues; 5. Columbus Blue Jackets; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Los

Angeles Kings; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Vegas Golden

Knights; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Nashville

Predators; 14. Anaheim Ducks; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16.

Carolina Hurricanes

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. St. Louis Blues; 3. Washington

Capitals; 4. Columbus Blue Jackets; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Chicago Blackhawks; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Anaheim

Ducks; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Ottawa Senators;

14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. New Jersey Devils

CAROLINA HURRICANES


BOBROVSKY AND DARLING: CLASH OF TITANS

October 12th, 2017 Mark Shiver

In a game where blinking may only be allowed once by a

goaltender, Scott Darling of the Carolina Hurricanes blinked twice. His titanic opponent, Sergei Bobrovsky of the

Columbus Blue Jackets only blinked once, and the Jackets skated off the ice with a 2-1 overtime victory over the

Hurricanes.

In a game that seemed at times like a heavyweight prize-

fight, Bobrovksy and Darling took the best blows that their

opposing teams threw at them, and kept standing tall.

BREAKING THROUGH WALLS NOT EASY

In the end, it was Sonny Milano and Jeff Skinner who got the puck through the walls, but unfortunately for the ‘Canes,

Milano did it two times to Skinner’s once. First of all,

Newton’s laws of physics obviously don’t apply to NHL hockey, because this goal by Milano was in direct violation to

all of them:

Bad angle? No problem. Very little space between Darling

and the goal? No problem. But, that is one of the points of

this article. Darling and Bobrovsky were both so “on” their games, that it took a very difficult, seemingly impossible shot

to get in past the Hurricanes goaltender. It was simply impossible, amazing and incredible all rolled into a shot that

gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead.

Milano’s breaking of the scoring stalemate did not happen

until around the midway point of the third quarter. Bobrovsky

and Darling refused to break up to the point when Milano squeezed the puck past Darling.

No, this was not Matt Murray versus Pekka Rinne – elite battling an elite peer in-goal. It was “elite” versus “brand new

starter,” and while Darling has been around, he has been

primarily a backup until this season. Tuesday night was

literally his second start as the Hurricanes’ starting goalie.

But, he was up to the task and the enormity of facing the 2017 Vezina Trophy winner did not seem to faze him at all.

SKINNER BREAKS THROUGH

Bobrovsky stopped 37 of the 38 shots on goal that he faced. The one that got by him was launched by Skinner, of course.

Ever since last season, Skinner has been elevating his game and has taken the reins of leadership at crucial times to

either keep his team in games, or help them win. Last December, in Skinner Hitting on All Cylinders, I pointed out

this emerging leadership role: Jeff Skinner has emerged as

the leader of the team in demonstrating effort, determination

and a will to win. The former Calder Trophy winner is not

back to old form, but is in fact charting new territory, carving a place in this season that currently seems endless in its

potential. That determination has not waned, as he

demonstrated Tuesday night that not even Bobrovsky at his best could keep him off the board:

Catching Bobrovsky at the top of the crease and sending the puck to the back of the net tied the game late in the third

period, Skinner once again giving the Hurricanes a chance to win.

While the final outcome was an overtime loss for the ‘Canes,

they came away with an all-important point. That two games with points in both so far this season. For some teams that

may not seem like a big deal, but for a time that has swooned in October’s past, the start of the 2017-18 season

for the Hurricanes is fabulous.

MILANO BREAKS HEARTS

While the sellout crowd from Saturday night’s home opener

was a big boost for the home-team, Tuesday night’s contest was less-attended. But, the fans that were there saw two

titans refusing to budge until late in the game. They say old-

fashioned grinding hockey. Darling stopped 25 of 27 shots on goal, the second one also being from Milano. When

Milano lit the lamp, it broke the hearts of the fans that were there, because after Skinner tied the game, there was every

reason to think that the Hurricanes could win.

Overtime hockey is exciting. But, what can be an advantage one minute can turn and bite you in the next few seconds.

The Hurricanes came blazing down the ice on a three-on-one play with Sebastian Aho staring at a big gap over

Bobrovsky’s left shoulder. Aho shot the puck, but it limped off of his stick and went wide, leaving the Hurricanes open for a

Blue Jackets rush of its own. Milano ate Darling up and that

was the game, 2-1 Blue Jackets.

The Metropolitan Division is going to be full of similar games

as this all season. It boasts some fantastic goaltenders, and Bobrovsky is at the top of a lot of lists when it comes to

goalies in that division. But, on Tuesday night, there were two titans guarding their nets. While ultimately one walked

away with the win and the other with the loss, Darling has

nothing to feel bad about. He went toe-to-toe with the goalie recognized last year as the best in the NHL, and held his

own.

The Hurricanes hit the road for four games, facing the

Winnipeg Jets Saturday, October 14.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


NEW GOALIE COACH MOLDING CHECKERS' NEW TANDEM

Written by Nicholas Niedzielski

Published: October 12, 2017

With Alex Nedeljkovic returning for his sophomore season and veteran Jeremy Smith joining the organizational fold, the

Hurricanes made one more move during the offseason to shore up the Checkers’ crease: hiring Paul Schonfelder as

the minor-league goalie consultant.

Schonfelder, who has worked as a goalie coach for Hockey

Canada throughout his career, joined the club after spending three seasons with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. The 36-year-old

has been on the ice for nearly all of Charlotte’s practices so

far this season, getting to know his tandem in net.

“A lot of just the basic stuff,” said Schonfelder of what his focus has been thus far. “Because I’m new, I want to get a

feel for these guys. I tried to watch a little bit of video over the summer. Ned I knew in junior, Smitty too since they both

played in the Ontario Hockey League and that’s where I came from. Early in the season here just a lot of the basic

stuff, technical stuff and then progress from there.”

Charlotte’s two netminders seem to occupy different ends of

the spectrum on paper as a budding and an established vet, but both sides of the duo have shown Schonfelder flashes of

who they are in their limited game action.

“They’re a little bit different in terms of style,” he said. “But

they both compete hard, they’re good guys, they’re focused. It’s still early so you want to get a feel for these guys and see

what makes them tick, but so far I like what I’ve seen. They

both had a successful weekend.”

Despite their inherent similarities, Schonfelder is taking two

different paths in helping each netminder’s game.

For Nedeljkovic, the key is balancing using last season, in

which the then-rookie went through his fair share of struggles, as something to build off of and something to

throw away.

“Last year was last year,” said Schonfelder. “It was his first

year in the league and there’s a little bit of a transition when you go from junior to pro hockey, so sometimes you have to

learn to play a different way. Sometimes the things that worked in junior hockey, you’re not going to find success with

in the pro game. But a lot of it is mental, learning how to deal with certain things. If you don’t have a good game or you’re

going through a rough patch, how to bounce back and find your way”

For Smith, a veteran of over 300 games, Schonfelder knows there’s no need to make foundational fixes.

“Smitty has been in the American Hockey League a long

time, so he’s had success doing what he’s doing,” he said.

“I’m not going to come in here and change that. With a guy like that who’s played for a long time and has had long-term

success and played in the NHL, he’s doing something right. So for me to come in here and give him a complete overhaul,

that’s not my approach. We’ll tweak here and there and see how the games play out. If he needs to work on or tweak

something we’ll do that, but otherwise just let him do his thing and keep doing what he’s doing.”

That belief doesn’t just pertain to Smith either.

“I want these guys to feel that I’m not trying to fit them in a certain box where they have to play their game a certain

way,” said Schonfelder. “I want them to have their own flavor on things.”

It may be early, but Schonfelder has liked what he’s seen

from his duo, with each netminder picking up a tough road

win to kick off the season last weekend and build confidence along the way.

“Ned had that first game and we got down early but he

showed some compete and battle and ended up getting the

win,” he said. “Smitty played the second game and was solid in there. So far everything has been good. They’ve been off

to a good start.”

Given the coaching staff’s initial plan for the crease, you can expect to see both netminders this weekend for the

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Checkers’ home opening weekend. While not having a clear-

cut starter may seem strange, Schonfelder looks at it as a positive, and under his watch the hope is that Charlotte’s

goalie tandem could become one of the strongest in the

league.

“If you can have two guys going and playing well, that’s a

huge asset,” said Schonfelder. “I think it’s important early on since we have two capable guys who can play, to split the

games and let them get their games in and see where it

takes us.”

TODAY’S LINKS

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article178262471.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pro-sports-teams-were-once-reliable-patrons-of-trumps-hotels-not-

anymore/2017/10/11/113ceb8a-a47c-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?utm_term=.ae5392d19f26

https://thehockeywriters.com/bobrovsky-and-darling-clash-of-titans/

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-power-rankings-super-16-october-12/c-291832308?tid=278386388

http://gocheckers.com/articles/features/new-goalie-coach-molding-checkers-new-tandem

1077813 Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes no longer using Trump SoHo for Rangers games

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

The Carolina Hurricanes confirmed Thursday that they have made a

change in team hotels for games in New York and no longer are staying at the Trump SoHo New York.

The Hurricanes declined to comment on the reasons for the change.

The Washington Post reported that 17 teams in the four major sports have have used Trump properties for team travel. The Post reported 16 teams, including the Hurricanes, no longer are using the hotels or properties.

The Hurricanes began using the Trump SoHo a few years ago for their games against the New York Rangers. They use another hotel for games against the New York Islanders and do not stay in any other Trump

properties for NHL games.

The change from the Trump SoHo New York for the 2017-18 season was

not the only one. The Hurricanes will use eight different hotels this season than those last season.

The Post reported 12 NBA teams have used the Trump SoHo since it opened in 2010 but that 11 have switched hotels since Donald Trump began his presidential bid in 2015.

News Observer LOADED: 10.13.2017

1077935 Winnipeg Jets

Jets wrap up western road trip with 4-2 win over Canucks

Jason Bell

Posted: 10/12/2017 11:51 PM | Last Modified: 10/13/2017 1:27 AM

VANCOUVER – The Winnipeg Jets are heading home in finer shape than when they left, gaining a major injection of confidence after a pair of valuable NHL victories out west.

Their latest accomplishment?

Sparked by a pair of late goals in the second period, the Jets earned a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Connor Hellebuyck, making his second-straight start between the pipes, made 31 saves as the Jets (2-2-0) posted another sound performance on

the road, after dumping the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Monday.

He had a great vantage point to see the tidy effort.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


"We're grinding teams down. We're getting pucks deep and we're grinding on their (defence)," said Hellebuyck. "We're being simple when we need to be simple, and then when we have a chance our skill comes out. You can't argue we have a lot of skill on this team, but knowing when to use it is key and that's what we've been doing lately.

Vancouver winger Daniel Sedin and Jets' blue-liner Josh Morrissey traded goals in the first period.

Finnish-born rifleman Patrik Laine and defenceman Tyler Myers pumped pucks past Canucks' starter Jacob Markstrom as the visitors built a two-goal lead after 40 minutes.

Laine scored his second of the year on a laser from the slot with just over four minutes left in the second period. Myers upped the lead to 3-1 with a short-handed marker while Jets' captain Blake Wheeler served his second minor of the middle frame. Andrew Copp jumped on a turnover at

his own blue line and fed Myers, who picked the top corner over Markstrom's outstretched glove with just 76 seconds left for the club's

second short-handed tally of the trip.

"It felt good," said Myers, who gets better and better every outing, still

bouncing back from a series of injuries that forced him to miss all but 11 games last season.

"The start of the season it feels great to be back out with the guys. I feel good, still, obviously, getting used to some situations and some different plays. But it's coming back quick."

Canucks' defenceman Chris Tanev pulled his club to within a goal, with just over seven minutes left in the game, on a knuckler from the point that Hellebuyck couldn't handle.

"I'm not going to be playing baseball any time soon," said Hellebuyck. "You don't see too many pucks move from one end of the ice to the

other. The way he hit that was really weird, so good goal on him."

Vancouver (1-1-1) dominated the last five minutes and coach Travis

Green pulled Markstrom for an extra attacker with 1:11 left in regulation, but Nikolaj Ehlers scored into the empty net with four seconds left, his

fourth goal of the season.

The trio of centre Mark Scheifele, Wheeler and Ehlers owned the puck on

several shifts, although the games of keepaway failed to produce results on the scoresheet until the empty-netter.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said the Bryan Little line, with Laine and Mathieu Perreault, was a force all night long.

"They were good at both ends. (They) battled hard. Your best line can’t drive the bus every night, they can’t," he said. "We totally take Bryan Little for granted. He’s been that good."

Little finished with a pair of assists, while Myers and blue-liner Dmitry Kulikov both finished a plus-three on the night.

"We were pretty responsible," said Wheeler. "There are multiple ways to win, especially when you’re on the road and playing in tough buildings. We came in here knowing it was probably going to be pretty greasy and it was every bit that."

The Jets kicked off the season with a lopsided loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and then fell to the Calgary Flames before righting the ship.

"I never sensed any panic in the room. We said all the right things, but we were doing all the right things in practice," added Wheeler. "Sometimes you start the season really excited and with the way we started, it kind of levels you a little bit. Instead of trying to blow the doors off teams, we’re playing good hockey."

Winnipeg hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday at 6 p.m., the start of a three-game home stand.

The Jets were guilty of some carelessness with their sticks, however,

Vancouver made good on just one of five power-play opportunities. Winnipeg finished 0-for-2 with the man advantage.

Markstrom blocked 16 shots in a losing effort.

Dustin Byfuglien missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. He'll skate Friday and could return against the Hurricanes. Centre

Matt Hendricks is still sidelined with a lower-body injury.

Jets defenceman Ben Chiarot and forward Joel Armia were healthy

scratches.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.13.2017


Brothers battle on and off the ice

Jason Bell

Posted: 10/12/2017 9:49 PM

VANCOUVER — The pre-game war of words between the Tanevs was

edgier than the on-ice battle last December when they faced each other for the first time in the NHL.

Trash talk, that’s what brothers do, although soft-spoken siblings Chris and Brandon Tanev remember engaging in some playful banter rather than trading actual smack.

"We got into it a bit, like just about any other day between brothers," says Chris, 27, a skilled, defensively reliable blue-liner with the Vancouver Canucks. "Whether you’re on the street playing hockey or in your basement, you want to beat your brother. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing.

"That was the first time (going head to head) and it was pretty special. You remember that one for the rest of your life."

Brandon, 25, a fast, plucky bottom-six forward for the Winnipeg Jets, clearly recalls the night he finally crossed paths with big brother.

"A couple of hits here, bumps there, but nothing crazy," he says. "We had much worse when we were younger and just horsing around.

"It was exciting to play against your brother at the highest level of hockey. You grow up playing in the backyard and in the basement together. So,

getting to go on the ice and play against him in the NHL is a great moment for the whole family."

The Tanevs’ inaugural NHL on-ice encounter happened Dec. 20, 2016, a contest won 4-1 by the Canucks.

A rematch set for two nights later in Vancouver didn’t materialize because Winnipeg sent Brandon down to its AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. But late in the season in Winnipeg, they were on opposite sides again, and Brandon evened the lifetime series at a game apiece (Winnipeg won 2-1 on March 26).

Chris and Brandon met for dinner Wednesday night and, 24 hours later,

reconnected at Rogers Arena as the Western Conference squads faced off in their first of three meetings this NHL season.

The great hope for the clan — dad Mike Tanev, mom Sofie Meredith and younger brother, Kyle, 23 — is that there are years of showdowns still to

come between the eldest and middle child.

Born and raised in the East York neighbourhood of Toronto, the Tanev

kids ate, slept and breathed hockey. The boys were a little more than two years apart in age, meaning they shared hours together playing spirited

basement mini-stick games, but they competed on different hockey squads growing up.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Their parents should have applied for chauffeur licences.

"It was chaos growing up," Chris says. "Equipment everywhere, different schedules... trucking us around to games and practices, the usual

Canadian household."

Adds Brandon: "It was constant running around to rinks. We can’t thank

our parents enough for all they did. Three boys playing hockey all over the place, and playing different sports, too, there was a lot on their plate."

Chris, then just 21, burst onto the scene with Vancouver during the 2010-11 season, and seven years later he’s one of the pillars of a Canucks

team in rebuilding mode.

An undrafted rookie, he played the 2009-10 season at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and reached the NCAA Frozen Four, before signing with the Canucks that spring.

He began the 2010-11 season in Winnipeg with the Moose, Vancouver’s then-AHL affiliate, and wasn’t considered a likely candidate to don Canucks colours.

But he was called up to Vancouver in January when the blue-line corps ran into injury troubles, and debuted in Denver with friends and family, including Brandon, cheering from the stands. He stayed with the

Canucks for most of the second half of the season, registering just one assist with limited playing time.

The following two seasons, he split time between Vancouver and its new farm squad, the Chicago Wolves, before landing a permanent gig with

the big club in 2013-14.

Brandon, meanwhile, played four years at Providence College in Rhode

Island, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2015 national final to lift the Friars to their first-ever NCAA title. Wooed by several squads, he had

heard good things about the Jets organization from Chris, who came to know and trust people such as then-Moose general manager Craig Heisinger and owner Mark Chipman.

"He definitely had questions for me about Manitoba," Chris says.

"I knew Zinger from there, knew he was a very good man and it was a quality organization. But (Brandon) made his own decision from there."

Brandon signed with the Jets in March 2016 and played the last three games of the season with Winnipeg. Last season, he suited up for 51

contests with the NHL club, registering his only two tallies in the same game against the host Detroit Red Wings. This fall, he’s already halfway

to that total after cashing in on a shorthanded breakaway earlier this week in Calgary.

He’s held in high regard by Winnipeg’s coaches, who have increased the tenacious left-winger’s responsibility load lately, elevating him to the third

line and regularly calling on him to kill penalties.

"He can skate. He’s definitely one of the fastest guys whenever he’s on

the ice," Chris said.

"When he’s using his speed effectively, he’s a very good player for them. That was a great goal he got in Calgary.

"I haven’t had much of a chance to watch full games, but I’ll see bits and pieces. (Kyle) usually keeps track and I’ll get a text from him saying, ‘Brandon’s doing good or Brandon’s doing bad,’ or whatever. He’s keeps track of both of us."

Brandon is equally complimentary toward a guy he considers a role model.

"I always wanted to play in the NHL. That was the dream, just like every

other kid playing hockey in Canada," he says. "Once you get the opportunity, the work isn’t finished. I think Chris helped me understand

that. You have to continue to better yourself on and off the ice.

"He’s so smart, an unbelievable puck-moving defenceman. I feel like he has that ability to make people around him better and that’s a terrific characteristic to have as a hockey player.



When he's good, Byfuglien makes the Jets better

Scott Campbell

Posted: 10/12/2017 3:50 PM

The Winnipeg Jets may have saved their nation of fans from collapsing on the floor in tears when they beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 Monday night.

That reaction would have been understandable after the team was

smoked in a season-opening 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and then managed to be even worse in a 6-3 beatdown at the hands of the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

It wasn’t the losses; it was how the Jets played that left stomachs churning. A number of the same problems of years past cropped up again.

Pathetic coverage of the opposition resulted in some easy goals against. By the end of the Calgary game I was split on whether the players had a low defensive IQ or if it was the systems they were using that were to blame.

I looked forward to the Oilers game, hoping for some answers.

Surprisingly, defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was ruled out of the contest

— head coach Paul Maurice said it was a lower-body, soft-tissue injury. Rookie Tucker Poolman drew in for his first game and played well.

Backup goalie Connor Hellebuyck got the start, replacing a shell-shocked Steve Mason.

It wasn’t a stellar first period as the Jets gave up 20 shots, but Hellebuyck was strong, stopping them all.

While they coughed up a two-goal lead in the second (with some bad coverage involved) they were mostly good over the final two periods. The Jets I expected when I predicted they’d make the playoffs had returned, at least for a night.

Of course, fans had their own reasons for the improvement in the Jets' play Monday.

With Byfuglien’s absence and the Jets playing a more structured game, it brought out the non-believers.

There are two distinctly different opinions about Byfuglien among fans — those who think the Jets would be better off without him and those who

believe the Jets would suffer a lot if they got rid of him.

One knock on him is that he looks lazy at times. I partly attribute that to

him being the prototypical good, big player that doesn’t have his feet churning like a smaller player but is still getting the job done.

More importantly, when he’s on his game, he reads the play very well, often already in the right spot before the puck arrives there. Breaking up

plays in the neutral zone and trapping pucks to keep the offence alive inside the opponent’s blue line are good things in a defensive way, as

well. Make it simple; keep the puck out of your own zone.

Accountability is another area he gets poor marks from the non-believers.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Being the highest-paid player on the team and an assistant captain, they expect him to stand up after a poor game and face the media with answers. He rarely does that; for some, this shows weak leadership. But he really only needs to account for his actions with his teammates and coaches.

Coincidentally, a picture of Byfuglien and Matt Hendricks catching a big fish while wading in water (during Tuesday’s off day for the Jets in Vancouver) showed up on social media.

This, of course, fuelled the leadership debate, with some wondering why he can’t report to work but can be out playing. Maurice was fine with it

and I don’t see the problem — the injury can’t be very serious.

Some people seem to believe the injury to Byfuglien wasn't even enough to keep him out of a game — that this is a benching by Maurice for unstructured play.

The perception that Byfuglien is not accountable to the coach when his play strays from the Jets' systems is something many wonder about, so this would be a start.

While that seems a bit of a stretch, I wonder if it's just people trying to throw Maurice some extra love.

When he's in his bad, river-hockey mode, Byfuglien operates far outside the boundaries of team structure, which is frustrating for coaches, teammates and fans alike.

This is when we see bad gambles on his part — followed by something

even worse, as he tries to make up for it instead of settling back into the system.

His decisions are at times reckless, leaving teammates out there scrambling to defend. There’s no denying that a number of goals against

over the years have occurred because of odd-man rushes or wide-open chances started by poor Byfuglien decisions.

As a player, I’ve had teammates that I’ve really liked off the ice, but strongly disliked their on-ice play at times. You look to your coach to correct their behaviour, but if you’re left to clean up a teammate’s mess it can become an emotional test. You’d never voice your displeasure publicly, though.

Byfuglien’s numbers overall have been good, whether using advanced ones or a general statistic such as points, where he's consistently produced 50-plus per 82 games played.

He tilts the ice in the Jets' favour in significant ways and his ability to crunch the opposition keeps opponents wary of strolling through his territory. When he’s on his best game he's a beast.

Perhaps non-believers would embrace Byfuglien if he got back to where

Maurice had him somewhat contained, during the team's one playoff appearance (2014-15).

For me it’s easy, with my eyes seeing a lot more good play than bad from him, matching his numbers, which makes him a definite plus for the Jets.

Although he’s not playing against the Vancouver Canucks, he’ll make things a lot easier by recognizing one thing when he returns.

He doesn’t have to do it all anymore.



Baumgartner still holds dear time spent with Moose

Jason Bell

Posted: 10/12/2017 4:00 AM

VANCOUVER — Nolan Baumgartner was a leader when he played in

Winnipeg and now he’s a leader behind the Vancouver Canucks bench.

The relatively new Canucks assistant coach is having the time of his life

working alongside bench bossman Travis Green, and he credits those years he spent manning the Manitoba Moose blue line with instilling in

him much of what he has to offer at the big-league level.

"I was around so many great players, great hockey people — just terrific

people, in general — back in the Moose days," Baumgartner said Wednesday, following Vancouver’s practice at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre on the University of British Columbia campus.

The Jets (1-2-0) and Canucks (1-0-1) practised back-to-back on neighbouring rinks, preparing for tonight’s NHL battle at Rogers Arena. Game time is 9 p.m CT.

"We had some great guys back then. Jimmy Roy was a big part of our team and is still a huge part of that organization. What can you say about Mike Keane... wins three Stanley Cups and then comes there and is a mentor to just about everyone," Baumgartner said. "The memories are

great. A lot of guys went on to have great NHL careers."

A first-round pick (10th overall) by the Washington Capitals, Baumgartner

carved out a long, productive pro career — but only a small fraction was spent in the NHL. He made his league debut late in the 1995-96

campaign playing one game for the Capitals, but played in just 18 more games with the club over a four-year stretch.

The bulk of his time was spent with the Caps’ American Hockey League affiliate in Portland and that would be a harbinger of things to come for

the Calgary product. Baumgartner played 143 NHL contests over 16 years in Washington, three different stints in Vancouver and shorts stops in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas.

The rest of the time, he toiled in the AHL.

Each time he rejoined the Canucks organization, he was more Moose than anything else. He was their workhorse rear-guard for many seasons (2003-05, 2007-11) and wore the ‘C’ for a big chunk of that time.

"My wife (Elizabeth) and I still call ourselves Winnipeggers," he said. The

couple lived in the Manitoba capital for nearly a decade and their seven-year-old son, Jake, was born there. "Those were some of the best years

of my career."

Baumgartner was a huge part of the Moose defence, finishing with 41

goals and 185 points in 385 AHL games with the team. When the Jets arrived in 2011, the Moose players who belonged to the Canucks

organization moved to Chicago.

Baumgartner’s pro swan song was the 2011-12 AHL season, playing 60

games for the Chicago Wolves.

The next winter, he transitioned from veteran player to full-time assistant coach.

"Those final years of my career I was basically playing a leadership role, almost in a coaching way. It was a natural progression and it was exciting," he said. "But it was hard the other way, too, where you still wanted to play the game. It’s always hard hanging the skates up when you want to be out there."

Baumgartner, 41, remained with the Wolves coaching staff for one year and then hooked up with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets —

coached by Green, who played 970 NHL games, including some tremendous years with the New York Islanders in the mid-90s.

Vancouver promoted Green in late April and Baumgartner was offered an assistant job with the Pacific Division squad six weeks later.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


After a few months of preparation and a long training camp — including some pre-season games with the L.A. Kings in China (the Great Wall was "mind-blowing," Baumgartner noted) — they carved out a special ‘welcome to the NHL’ memory together last Saturday, guiding the Canucks to a 3-2 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers.

"No nerves here that night... just excitement. As a coach you strive to be at the highest level, so it’s good," he said. "Travis has been really good to work with. He’s got a smart hockey mind and I’ve learned a ton just being with him the last four years."

Vancouver also has veteran coach and former NHL ironman Doug Jarvis,

ex-NHLers Manny Malholtra and Dan Cloutier along with Newell Brown on its staff.

Baumgartner, who works primarily with the defence and penalty-killing unit, was actually a teammate of Canucks blue-liners Chris Tanev and

Alex Edler. He’s been able to bond with Canucks coaches, veterans and younger players because there’s really nothing in the game he hasn’t live

through himself.

"I was a high draft pick, I didn’t play all that much in the NHL, mostly in

the minor, I’ve cleared waivers and I’ve been traded. Every scenario, I’ve seen it all. A lot of guys go through that and it’s a difficult part of the job, of this life. Just all those experiences I can draw from and give advice."



Hellebuyck stands tall in Jets win over Canucks

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

FIRST POSTED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 12:18 AM CDT | UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 12:24 AM CDT

VANCOUVER — The Winnipeg Jets backed up their words with action.

After dropping a pair of games to open the new season, they maintained a sense of calm under trying circumstances and found a way to regroup.

One win — or even two _ does not a turnaround make, but the Jets took another step forward as they earned a 4-2 triumph over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at Rogers Arena.

The Jets (2-2) are back in on Saturday at Bell MTS Place against the Carolina Hurricanes to open a three-game homestand.

“I never sensed any panic in the room. We said all the right things, but we were doing all the right things in practice,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “Sometimes you start the season really excited and with the way we started, it kind of levels you a little bit. Instead of trying to blow the doors off teams, we’re playing good hockey.”

With the game tied 1-1, Patrik Laine took a pass in the slot from Bryan Little and reminded the NHL just how lethal his release is.

Following a 36-goal and 64-point season as a rookie, Laine knew he would be receiving some extra attention.

That comes with the territory and has been something Laine has been dealing with for several years before arriving in the NHL.

There’s more to Laine’s game than just goal scoring, but when you’ve got a shot like he does talk shifts to when he might win the Rocket Richard

Trophy.

Here’s the thing, as a 19 year old in his second season in the NHL, there are still plenty of things for Laine to learn and he’ll continue to work on those things.

He remains one of the most dangerous players on the ice whenever he’s out there.

Having says that, he doesn’t need to be a one-man show, as he’s got plenty of others to help chip in offensively.

“Our defence has been a lot better,” said Laine. “Overall, we haven’t tried to do anything magical on the ice. Just try to be simple and defend well.”

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck started consecutive games and once again was a steadying force.

Building on the 37-save effort he provided against the Edmonton Oilers, Hellebuyck didn’t have to make many highlight-reel stops but that’s a sign of proper positioning and the improvements he’s made to his game after a strong summer.

Hellebuyck, who had 30 saves, has been sound technically and he’s done exactly what he’s needed to do to stay ready mentally after the Jets brought in Steve Mason via free agency.

If the Jets are going to push for a playoff spot, they’ll need contributions

from both goalies and a healthy push from your goalie partner is rarely a bad thing.

“I'm getting more comfortable in the net and a lot of that is the guys in front of me” said Hellebuyck. “We're blocking shots and we're doing all

the little things right and you can tell it's really paying off and (we're) playing our style of hockey. If we continue this, I like our chances.”

Naturally, there are still a few things for the Jets to iron out, which is normal considering things are in the first month of the campaign.

The Jets took a few unnecessary minor penalties — including an interference call against Marko Dano — just over five minutes into the first period.

“I think we've been really disciplined until tonight,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “I didn't like our first penalty more than any of them, to be honest with you. The stick ones, we're working on. We talk about. We're learning like everybody else. Tonight was the first night I saw that we were a little undisciplined with our sticks.”

For Dano, who is battling just to stay in the lineup right now on the fourth line, it was the type of penalty he simply can’t afford to take.

That undisciplined minor helped the Jets fall behind when Daniel Sedin buried a rebound after a heavy shot from Canucks rookie — and former

University of North Dakota winger Brock Boeser.

Defenceman Chris Tanev had the other goal for the Canucks, a knuckle-

puck that changed direction off a Jets’ player.

Nobody played fewer minutes than Dano in Monday’s game against the

Edmonton Oilers and if he wants to try and carve out a bigger role for himself, he has to be disciplined.

But he also has to be involved physically.

Wheeler took a pair of stick penalties (slashing and hooking), Mathieu Perreault was given a slashing minor to nullify a power play early in the third and Shawn Matthias also took a tripping penalty, but that took away a scoring chance for Canucks centre Bo Horvat in the slot.

After Laine put the Jets ahead, Tyler Myers provided what proved to be the game-winner — ripping a wrister high over the glove of Jacob Markstrom at 18:44 for a shorthanded marker.

That gave the Jets two goals on eight shots on goal during the second.

Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-netter with 4.2 seconds remaining to put

the game on ice, giving him four goals during the past two games.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Some nights the Jets are going to pile up the scoring chances and on others, they’ll need to be opportunistic.

Thursday was one of those nights.

“We were pretty responsible,” said Wheeler. “There are multiple ways to win, especially when you’re on the road and playing in tough buildings.

We came in here knowing it was probably going to be pretty greasy and it was every bit that.”

And after a shaky start to the campaign, the Jets are heading home with a .500 record and are ready to see where things go next.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.13.2017


Poolman takes long road to NHL


FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017 08:11 PM CDT

VANCOUVER – Tucker Poolman had already come to grips with the possibility he might just be enrolling at the University of North Dakota as a student.

Already cut by several junior teams, Poolman decided he would take one more crack at it before giving up his hockey dream.

It’s a good thing that he did.

Six years after earning a spot with the Wichita Falls Wildcats of the North American Hockey League, Poolman made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Saying his persistence eventually paid off is a drastic understatement.

“My expectations weren’t very high. I was to the point where I was like ‘I’ll give it my best shot and so be it,’” Poolman said on Thursday before the

Jets faced the Vancouver Canucks. “You think you’re career is over when you’re 18 and you barely made the team and you’re not playing.

That’s tough. But at this point now, it’s helped me. It’s hard to faze me anymore if something happens. I’m happy to be playing and it keeps me

calm out there.

“I never thought I would have this opportunity. When I left high school, I thought I would play a couple of years of junior and it would be awesome if I found a college to play for. It was like a home run going to UND and I’m here now. It’s kind of crazy.”

Former NHLer Paul Baxter was the head coach of the Wildcats when Poolman arrived and he saw the potential early on.

“He’s got a fantastic stride, he’s really good on his edges and he’s got exceptional vision,” Baxter said in a telephone interview from Nashville. “He’s very good at staying in the moment. Very personable, very honest

and forthright. He’s very humble too. I was impressed with what kind of person he was. Almost as much as how good a player he could be.”

Following the one season in the NAHL, Poolman joined the Omaha Lancers of the USHL for two seasons.

That’s when his game took off and Poolman was named top defenceman in the USHL in 2013-14.

Poolman attended the University of North Dakota in the fall of 2014 and spent three seasons there before turning pro with the Jets.

One of those seasons (2016) saw Poolman helped the Fighting Hawks capture the NCAA Frozen Four Championship.

“I watched every shift of his and thought he played composed, he made plays and to me, he played like he has experience,” University of North Dakota head coach Brad Berry said in a telephone interview from Grand Forks. “He invested in his game to get better at it over the course of time.”

Many of Poolman’s former coaches tuned in to see his NHL debut.

“Tucker’s such a good athlete and he’s kind of the classic case of that

late developing player,” said Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol. “Yet he’s always been a very smart player and he physically matured and put that combination together with how smart of a player he

is as well as how complete of a person he is.

“He gave himself a chance through doing everything the right way. I’m not surprised after his last couple years he was able to carve out a spot on the 23-man roster.”

Several of Poolman’s UND teammates weren’t surprised to see his ascent either.

“He’s a phenomenal player and his story is tremendous – from barely making an NAHL team to going to UND and being one of the best defenceman for several years there,” said Canucks forward Brock Boeser. “Some people said that he might not make it, but I knew deep down that he had a really good shot of making it. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s earned everything that he gets.”

Poolman’s calm demeanour and work ethic was important in helping him reach this point.

“He’s pretty quiet, he keeps his nose clean and he just goes to work,” said Canucks defenceman Troy Stecher. “He’s versatile and he’s a guy that’s going to find a way to be successful.”

As for the debut, Poolman was on stand-by, since the Jets didn’t know if Dustin Byfuglien (soft-tissue injury) was going to be good to go for Monday’s game.

But at 5 p.m. MT, Poolman got the call he would be in the lineup.

He quickly sent a few messages for family members and friends so they could make arrangements to get the NHL Centre Ice package.

Much like he did throughout training camp and six pre-season games, Poolman was composed and calm, finishing with just under 15 minutes of

ice time.

“It was awesome to get out there for the first shift and kind of settled

down after that and tried to play simple hockey,” said Poolman, who was chosen by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft. “Not try to do

too much or over-handle it by any means. It wasn’t too crazy a game. I just played five-on-five and there weren’t too many tense moments. I was

just trying to play the game and think about my nerves or anything like that.”

Poolman realizes the road is just beginning, but thanks to his ability to navigate a few rough patches along the way, it’s safe to say he’s ready to enjoy the ride.

No matter where it takes him.

[email protected]

Twitter.com/WiebeSunSports

Tucker Poolman file

Hometown: East Grand Forks, Minnesota

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 199 pounds

Age: 24

Position: Defence

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Chosen by Winnipeg Jets in fifth round (127th overall) of 2013 NHL Draft



Jets look for consistency as road trip hits Vancouver


FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017 03:14 PM CDT

VANCOUVER – Now that the Winnipeg Jets have found the win column, can they follow it up with another strong effort?

That’s the big question going into Thursday’s match-up with the Vancouver Canucks in the finale of this three-game road trip through

western Canada.

After dropping the first two games of the season, the Jets steadied

themselves with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

“It was the most complete game we’ve played so far,” said Jets centre

Bryan Little. “Obviously, there were a few breakdowns but for the most part, we responded well to it and we kept in the game and battled through those tough moments in the game.”

That was something the Jets really struggled with in the first two outings, where strong starts gave way to one-sided blowouts.

But instead of crumbling against the Oilers, who scored twice in 40 seconds to tie the game, the Jets regrouped with three unanswered goals.

“We take that as a lesson learned and we’re trying to get things rolling right now,” said Little. “It means a lot. The first two games, things kind of

got away from us and last game we did a way better job of sticking with it, even when we gave up those two quick ones and we tied it up.

“We had a few really good shifts after, which is what you need. And we stayed in the game. We handled it much better than we did the first two

games. We want to come out the same way (against the Canucks) and keep those good starts coming and try to maintain it for a full 60. That’s

the goal tonight again.”

Managing their emotions and trying to stay on an even keel, no matter what’s happening in the game is something the Jets continue to work on.

“There’s only a handful of shutouts a year,” said Maurice. “The other team scores goals, so you’ve got to handle those ebbs and flows of the game.”

The Jets top line of Nikolaj Ehlers (three goals, one assist), Mark Scheifele (one goal, two assists) and Blake Wheeler (three assists) combined for four goals and 10 points and also helped contain Connor McDavid on Monday.

That trio will be looking for another strong performance against the Canucks.

“We scored on our chances and the whole team played the way we wanted to,” said Ehlers. “We’ve got to keep going though. We’ve got to

play simple, we’ve got to play hard and we’ve got to play fast and put the pucks in the net. We’ve got to find a way to be consistent and that’s what

we’re going to try to do.”

The Jets will dress the same lineup as Monday, which means

defenceman Dustin Byfuglien will miss a second game with a soft-tissue (lower body) injury and Joel Armia sits out a second game as a healthy scratch.

With Byfuglien out, defenceman Tucker Poolman remains in the lineup for his second NHL game.

“It was awesome to get out there for the first shift and kind of settled

down after that and tried to play simple hockey,” said Poolman, when asked about his NHL debut. “Not try to do too much or over-handle it by any means.”

Byfuglien participated in the morning skate on Thursday – it was the first

time he’s been on the ice since Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames – and Jets head coach Paul Maurice said if he continues to progress, he could be possibly be an option to suit up on Saturday

against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Connor Hellebuyck gets his second consecutive start for the Jets, while the Canucks counter with Jacob Markstrom.

The Canucks are 1-0-0-1 under new head coach Travis Green and are coming off a shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Former Jets forward Alex Burmistrov will be a healthy scratch for the Canucks, as University of North Dakota alum Brock Boeser plays his first game of the season.

Here's how both teams are expected to start:

Winnipeg Jets

FORWARDS

Nikolaj Ehlers-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler

Mathieu Perreault -Bryan Little-Patrik Laine

Shawn Matthias-Adam Lowry-Brandon Tanev

Marko Dano-Andrew Copp-Nic Petan

DEFENCE

Josh Morrissey-Jacob Trouba

Dmitry Kulikov-Tyler Myers

Toby Enstrom- Tucker Poolman

GOALIES

Connor Hellebuyck

Steve Mason

Vancouver Canucks

FORWARDS

Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Thomas Vanek

Sven Baertschi-Bo Horvat-Brock Boeser

Loui Eriksson-Markus Granlund-Jake Virtanen

Sam Gagner-Brandon Sutter-Derek Dorsett

DEFENCE

Alexander Edler-Christopher Tanev

Michael Del Zotto-Erik Gudranson

Ben Hutton-Troy Stecher

GOALIES

Jacob Markstrom

Anders Nilsson


CAROLINA HURRICANES


1077846 Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl's vision problems leave him question mark for Edmonton

Oilers

JIM MATHESON

Published on: October 12, 2017 | Last Updated: October 12, 2017 6:48

PM MDT

Leon Draisaitl’s availability for Saturday’s game against Ottawa Senators at Rogers Place is as clear as the Edmonton Oilers forward’s eyesight after he missed a second day of practice Thursday.

“The swelling has come down in the eye and he has a bit of vision in it,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “But it wasn’t safe to put him on the ice (Thursday) and it’s not something we’re going to fool around with until he’s 100 per cent ready to come back.”

If Draisaitl doesn’t skate again Friday, it’s doubtful he’ll play against Senators.

Draisaitl was hurt against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday but finished the

game, playing 18 minutes. Nobody’s been able to find an in-game incident on film where Draisaitl was injured, whether it was a stick or a

puck. He wears a visor.

With Drasaitl’s absence Thursday, Kailer Yamamoto was on the top line

with Connor McDavid and left winger Patrick Maroon, while Zack Kassian took the second line right-wing spot with centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

and Milan Lucic.

The other injured Oiler, winger Drake Caggiula, missed his fourth day of

practice. He finished Saturday’s 3-2 loss in Vancouver, playing 14 minutes, but hasn’t skated since. He had some facial injuries in the home opener against Calgary when Garnet Hathaway caught him in the neutral zone. Caggiula had a shiner and a fat lip and went through the NHL’s concussion protocol. He passed and played against the Canucks, but was in the press box for the Jets game.

“We said day-to-day with Drake, but obviously, day-to-day has turned into almost a week, so I guess we can call it week-to-week,” said

McLellan, who isn’t revealing what’s wrong with the winger.

Yamamoto got second-line duty to start against Calgary but only played

seven minutes. He sat out against the Canucks and began on the fourth line with centre Mark Letestu against the Jets before moving up as the

game wore on. A terrific training camp hasn’t translated to instant success once regular season started.

“We’re not keeping an 18-year-old (turned 19 Sept. 29) and fooling around with him,” said McLellan. “He’s earned this opportunity, simple as

that.”

Yamamoto played 11:53 against Winnipeg with four shots.

The Oilers were 30th in the NHL on faceoff percentage last year (47 per cent) but are currently 20th at 48.2, so a slight improvement on 191 draws over three games. Not that draws are the end-all, be-all, of course. Last year, Colorado was the worst team in the league in points and was No. 1 on faceoffs. Right now they’re 3-1 and they’re 29th on draws. So go figure.

As usual Mark Letestu is the best on draws at 57.1 per cent, while Ryan Strome (48.4) is second and Draisaitl third at 47. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

is 40 per cent. Amazing thing: McDavid has only taken 11 draws all season. Draisaitl takes almost all of them when they’re on the same line.

This ’n that: Off Thursday’s practice, defenceman Yohann Auvitu was getting lots of work with Eric Gryba and he could get his first Oiler action

against Ottawa. “I see a guy who moves well with the puck, a guy who

can skate us out of trouble…a guy working on the defensive part of his game. He can be a factor if he gets his legs going,” said McLellan … Former Senators forward Chris Kelly is still practising and on a tryout with the Oilers. He played in Ottawa’s final playoff game last spring against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 10.13.2017

1077847 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers use Ryan Strome as No. 3 centre for now

JIM MATHESON

Published on: October 12, 2017 | Last Updated: October 12, 2017 4:49 PM MDT

It was a foregone conclusion that Jordan Eberle would wind upon the New York Islanders’ top line alongside John Tavares, the team’s star and captain.

Then there’s the man for whom the Edmonton Oilers traded Eberle: Ryan

Strome? Is he a right-winger or a centre? On the Oilers’ first-line alongside Connor McDavid or the centring the third?

Strome is on the second power-play unit, but at even-strength or with the man advantage, he’s still feeling his way. He’s a good player — a former

fifth-overall draft pick of the Islanders — but so far, colour his production beige.

It’s an awfully small sample size, obviously. And very few Oilers forwards through the three regular-season games have stood out. Only Connor

McDavid (3), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2) and Leon Draisaitl (1) have scored, so you can describe most of them as “meh.”

What we know about Strome, who came to the Oilers in late June for Eberle, is he’s younger and cheaper, but the Oilers gave up Eberle’s better career stats. They’re saving $3.5-million on the salary cap this year, and Strome is age 24 while Eberle is 27. But Eberle, even with his imperfections in the playoffs last spring when he didn’t score in 13 games, has still played twice as many NHL games, 511 vs. 261, and has

384 points to Strome’s 126.

Strome started on McDavid’s right wing at camp and scored a couple of

goals but has played as the No. 3 centre behind McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the regular-season. Leon Draisaitl moved back to

McDavid’s line because no one else seized it, and teenager Kailer Yamamoto, who has played two regular-season games, was on the top

line Thursday because Draisaitl isn’t skating because of vision problems.

Oiler coach Todd McLellan, who always likes a portable lineup, wants

Strome in the middle.

“Strome has been most productive at the centre ice position,” he said. “He’s getting better on a daily basis. He’s got some creativity at centre, and he’s had the puck more in those situations. We have to be prepared to still tinker with our lineup, though. We’re trying to integrate guys as to how we want to play, with our injuries (Drake Caggiula now, Anton Slepyshev through camp) and breaking in new people.”

“You have more responsibility, for sure, at centre but the biggest thing is face-offs. I haven’t taken those in a couple of years, but it’s been fun,” said Strome, who’s actually 50 per cent (14-14) on draws at even-

strength, better than anyone else who’s taken more than 10 face-offs.

“When I got drafted, I thought I’d be an NHL centre, but got to the pros

and it was a different story. The year I made the team (Islanders) we had a deep team and it was tough to crack their centres (group). They had

CAROLINA HURRICANES


(Casey) Czikas, (Brock) Nelson, Frans Nielsen and John Tavares down the middle. Pretty solid four centres,” he said.

Right now, he doesn’t much care where he plays as long as he plays.

He’s averaging 13-1/2 minutes, 11:38 of it at even-strength (seventh most among forwards). He has five shots in the three games.

Strome, as he said, has no problem moving around the lineup.

“You get to play with different players and certainly get to learn the

coaches’ system from every position on the ice, which is good,” said Strome. “I need to show that versatility, that I can play all over the lineup.

With such a talented team with so many inter-changeable parts, it’s a valuable asset.”

I need to show that versatility, that I can play all over the lineup.Ryan Strome

You don’t judge trades after a week or even a year, but there’s always going to be white noise from fans, trying to compare players. Strome doesn’t feel any heat to be lighting it up, though.

“There’s not too much pressure,” he said. “The thing I’ve noticed about this team is the personal accolades … who does the job is never that important. In the dressing room, it’s who blocks a shot or makes a great

save, honestly, is more noticed with these guys.”

There’s no time frame for when new players start to make an impact. Or

whether it makes a difference if they’re coming from the Eastern Conference.

”Every situation has it’s own set of circumstances. Remember when (Andrej) Sekera came here (free-agent)? It took him a little while in the

first year to adapt and while he’d played a lot in the East (Carolina), he was playing in L.A. for a bit, even if he got hurt there,” said the Oilers

coach. “Ryan understands the drills and the language we’re using. He’s getting more comfortable.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 10.13.2017

1077809 Calgary Flames

Game Day: Ottawa Senators at Calgary Flames

WES GILBERTSON

Ottawa Senators at Calgary Flames

7 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome, TV: Sportsnet Flames, Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan

THE BIG MATCHUP

Michael Stone vs. Mark Stone

We couldn’t resist. Friday’s showdown at the Saddledome marks the fifth

big-league meeting of the Winnipeg-raised Stone brothers — Flames defenceman Michael, 27, and his kid brother, Mark, a 25-year-old

sharpshooter for the Senators. Mark patrols the right wing on the Sens top line, so he’ll see more of Mark Giordano or his minor-hockey

teammate Travis Hamonic than his big bro, but the sibling rivalry seems to bring the best out of him. In those four previous dates against Michael,

Mark has totalled two goals and six points.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME:

A LITTLE HELP, GUYS?

Flames netminder Mike Smith has been brilliant, but he’s also been busy. Way too busy. Through four starts, the 35-year-old stalwart has been

peppered with 160 shots, an average of 40 per night. Heading into Thursday’s action around the NHL, no other netminder had faced more than 123. Smith has backstopped the Flames to a 3-1 record, but 40-some saves is a big ask, especially over and over again.

SHORTHANDED SENATORS

This is good news for a Flames squad that is trying to shore up their

defensive-zone work — the Senators’ most dangerous guy, two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, is home in Ottawa as he recovers from off-season foot surgery. The 27-year-old Karlsson piled up a team-best 71 points last season, so his absence is a big deal. He’ll be back soon.

SADDLEDOME DEBUT

Jaromir Jagr has been the talk of the town since signing with the Flames, but the 45-year-old legend didn’t have much nice to say about his performance in his first outing for his new employer. “I didn’t feel very well, but I expected that,” Jagr said after Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win in Los Angeles. “Hopefully, next game I feel better.” Jagr has five goals and 20 points in 17 career visits to the Saddledome, now his home rink.

KEEP SHOOTING, KID

Flames sophomore Matthew Tkachuk was a one-man firing squad

against the Kings, scoring twice and racking up eight shots on net. A fascinating tidbit from Darren Haynes of flamesfrom80feet.ca — that’s the most shots by any Flames forward since Mikael Backlund had nine on March 30, 2014. Tkachuk’s previous career-high was five.

STAY IN YOUR SEATS

If you’re booking a babysitter for Friday, maybe add a few minutes to your guesstimated return time. The Senators have needed a shootout to solve their first three clashes — losses to the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings and a victory over the Vancouver Canucks. According to Elias Sports Bureau, they’re the first bunch in NHL history to open a season with three-straight breakaway competitions.

****

FLAMES GAMEDAY LINES

Johnny Gaudreau-Sean Monahan-Micheal Ferland

Matthew Tkachuk-Mikael Backlund-Michael Frolik

Kris Versteeg-Sam Bennett-Jaromir Jagr

Tanner Glass-Matt Stajan-Troy Brouwer

DEFENCE PAIRINGS

Mark Giordano-Dougie Hamilton

TJ Brodie-Travis Hamonic

Michael Stone-Matt Bartkowski

GOALIES

Mike Smith

Eddie Lack

*****

SENATORS GAMEDAY LINES

Bobby Ryan-Derick Brassard-Mark Stone

Zack Smith-Kyle Turris-Ryan Dzingel

Mike Hoffman-J.G. Pageau-Tom Pyatt

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Nate Thompson-Logan Brown-Alex Burrows

DEFENCE PAIRINGS

Dion Phaneuf-Mark Borowiecki

Fredrik Claesson-Cody Ceci

Thomas Chabot-Chris Wideman

GOALIES

Craig Anderson

Mike Condon

SPECIAL TEAMS:

POWER PLAY

FLAMES: 23.5% (9th)

SENATORS: 0% (T-27th)

PENALTY KILL

FLAMES: 93.3% (T-4th)

SENATORS: 100% (T-1st)

SICK BAY

FLAMES

C/W Marek Hrivik (upper body)

SENATORS

D Ben Harpur (upper body), D Erik Karlsson (foot), D Johnny Oduya (lower body), C Colin White (wrist)

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.13.2017


Francis: Goalie Smith's superb play is masking Flames shortcomings

ERIC FRANCIS

The standings may say otherwise, but the Calgary Flames are playing no

better than they were last NHL season when they won just once in their first four outings.

In fact, this year’s team is playing worse.

Much worse.

The difference is Mike Smith.

Glen Gulutzan pointed out as much Wednesday night in a heated post-game dissection of his troops in which he said he was concerned about the team’s battle level, execution, breakouts and puck management, amongst other things.

The timing of his critique may have seemed odd given the team had just battled back to win a gritty game over the Los Angeles Kings in overtime, posting their third straight victory to open the year 3-1.

However, without Smith’s heroics this team could easily be 1-3 or 0-4.

Probably should be.

The number that should be troubling to all stakeholders is 40, which is the AVERAGE number of shots Smith has faced in the club’s four

games.

No goalie in the league has been subjected to anywhere near that much rubber.

It’s an indictment of the team’s defensive play, which Gulutzan said is

reflected in how badly they’ve been out-chanced this season.

To put that in perspective, last year at this time, the club allowed an

average of 27 shots against, which is 33% fewer than a squad that should be better in its own zone given the addition of Travis Hamonic and

having a goalie who can move the puck as well as Smith.

In each of the last two seasons, the Flames scored 12 goals their first

four games. The difference being Smith has only allowed nine in 160 shots, while Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson combined to cough up 14 in 107.

Smith is stopping pucks at an unheard of .950 clip.

Not to harp on Elliott’s well-documented struggles, but he opened last year facing no more than 31 shots in his first three games but posted a paltry .873 save percentage to keep the Flames winless unless Chad Johnson won Game 4 in overtime.

Like Miikka Kiprusoff did for so many years here, the netminding is masking so many of the Flames other shortcomings.

That has to change.

No team can challenge for 100 points (Gulutzan’s goal) allowing more

than 40 shots in three-quarters of their games, as the Flames have allowed so far.

The good news is that with a team as deep, speedy and talented as the Flames, it’s fixable.

The bad news is that if opponents are allowed to continue peppering Smith (and eventually backup Eddie Lack) with such volume, eventually

the dam will break and the Flames will struggle.

Or will they?

Smith faced more than 40 shots 11 times last season with the Arizona Coyotes behind a porous, young defence and somehow managed to go the first nine without a regulation loss.

All told, in those games he was 6-2-3, which the Flames would take.

He thrives on being a workhorse.

On paper, this team should be far better than the Coyotes at limiting such

shooting galleries, which is exactly what Gulutzan is pushing for.

One might assume the slashing crackdown and increased penalty counts

have played a role in the elevated number of shots and chances the opposition has generated.

Not so.

Last year, the Flames were shorthanded 19 times compared to 15 this year.

This is on the team – a squad that is spending far too much time in its own zone, as Gulutzan lamented.

Flames coach Glen Gulutzan hasn’t been impressed with his team’s play in front of goalie Mike Smith. LEAH HENNEL / POSTMEDIA

A similar effort by his bunch Friday night at home against the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., Sportsnet Flames/Sportsnet 960 The Fan) would be a

troubling sign in Gulutzan’s eyes.

If Lack starts Saturday in Vancouver and plays the way he has the last

few years, the Flames could be exposed in humiliating fashion for being far too reliant on their goalie.

With all the hype and excitement surrounding Jaromir Jagr in town, Smith probably hasn’t been given the due he deserves for the team’s division-leading record.

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Few probably know his groundbreaking, 43-save performance to snap the 13-year skid in Anaheim was the third-most saves for a shutout in franchise history.

Few also likely realized how big a role he’s played thus far, unquestionably the Flames star in all four games.

No wonder Gulutzan left Los Angeles in a tizzy.

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.13.2017


Flames gameday: Ottawa Senators at Calgary Flames

BY WES GILBERTSON, CALGARY SUN

Ottawa Senators at Calgary Flames

7 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome, TV: Sportsnet Flames, Radio: Sportsnet

960 The Fan

****

THE BIG MATCHUP

Michael Stone vs. Mark Stone

We couldn’t resist. Friday’s showdown at the Saddledome marks the fifth big-league meeting of the Winnipeg-raised Stone brothers — Flames defenceman Michael, 27, and his kid brother, Mark, a 25-year-old sharpshooter for the Senators. Mark patrols the right wing on the Sens top line, so he’ll see more of Mark Giordano or his minor-hockey teammate Travis Hamonic than his big bro, but the sibling rivalry seems to bring the best out of him. In those four previous dates against Michael, Mark has totalled two goals and six points.

****

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME:

A LITTLE HELP, GUYS?

Flames netminder Mike Smith has been brilliant, but he’s also been busy.

Way too busy. Through four starts, the 35-year-old stalwart has been peppered with 160 shots, an average of 40 per night. Heading into

Thursday’s action around the NHL, no other netminder had faced more than 123. Smith has backstopped the Flames to a 3-1 record, but 40-some saves is a big ask, especially over and over again.

SHORTHANDED SENATORS

This is good news for a Flames squad that is trying to shore up their defensive-zone work — the Senators’ most dangerous guy, two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, is home in Ottawa as he recovers from off-season foot surgery. The 27-year-old Karlsson piled up a team-best 71 points last season, so his absence is a big deal. He’ll be back soon.

SADDLEDOME DEBUT

Jaromir Jagr has been the talk of the town since signing with the Flames,

but the 45-year-old legend didn’t have much nice to say about his performance in his first outing for his new employer. “I didn’t feel very

well, but I expected that,” Jagr said after Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win in Los Angeles. “Hopefully, next game I feel better.” Jagr has five goals

and 20 points in 17 career visits to the Saddledome, now his home rink.

KEEP SHOOTING, KID

Flames sophomore Matthew Tkachuk was a one-man firing squad against the Kings, scoring twice and racking up eight shots on net. A fascinating tidbit from Darren Haynes of flamesfrom80feet.ca — that’s the most shots by any Flames forward since Mikael Backlund had nine on March 30, 2014. Tkachuk’s previous career-high was five.

STAY IN YOUR SEATS

If you’re booking a babysitter for Friday, maybe add a few minutes to

your guesstimated return time. The Senators have needed a shootout to solve their first three clashes — losses to the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings and a victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, they’re the first bunch in NHL history to open a season with three-straight breakaway competitions.

****

FLAMES GAMEDAY LINES

Johnny Gaudreau-Sean Monahan-Micheal Ferland

Matthew Tkachuk-Mikael Backlund-Michael Frolik

Kris Versteeg-Sam Bennett-Jaromir Jagr

Tanner Glass-Matt Stajan-Troy Brouwer

DEFENCE PAIRINGS

Mark Giordano-Dougie Hamilton

TJ Brodie-Travis Hamonic

Michael Stone-Matt Bartkowski

GOALIES

Mike Smith

Eddie Lack

*****

SENATORS GAMEDAY LINES

Bobby Ryan-Derick Brassard-Mark Stone

Zack Smith-Kyle Turris-Ryan Dzingel

Mike Hoffman-J.G. Pageau-Tom Pyatt

Nate Thompson-Logan Brown-Alex Burrows

DEFENCE PAIRINGS

Dion Phaneuf-Mark Borowiecki

Fredrik Claesson-Cody Ceci

Thomas Chabot-Chris Wideman

GOALIES

Craig Anderson

Mike Condon

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY

FLAMES: 23.5% (9th)

SENATORS: 0% (T-27th)

PENALTY KILL

FLAMES: 93.3% (T-4th)

SENATORS: 100% (T-1st)

SICK BAY

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FLAMES

C/W Marek Hrivik (upper body)

SENATORS

D Ben Harpur (upper body), D Erik Karlsson (foot), D Johnny Oduya (lower body), C Colin White (wrist)

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.13.2017


Francis: Mike Smith's superb play is masking Flames shortcomings

BY ERIC FRANCIS, CALGARY SUN

The standings may say otherwise, but the Calgary Flames are playing no

better than they were last NHL season when they won just once in their first four outings.

In fact, this year’s team is playing worse.

Much worse.

The difference is Mike Smith.

Glen Gulutzan pointed out as much Wednesday night in a heated post-game dissection of his troops in which he said he was concerned about the team’s battle level, execution, breakouts and puck management, amongst other things.

The timing of his critique may have seemed odd given the team had just battled back to win a gritty game over the Los Angeles Kings in overtime, posting their third straight victory to open the year 3-1.

However, without Smith’s heroics this team could easily be 1-3 or 0-4.

Probably should be.

The number that should be troubling to all stakeholders is 40, which is the AVERAGE number of shots Smith has faced in the club’s four

games.

No goalie in the league has been subjected to anywhere near that much rubber.

It’s an indictment of the team’s defensive play, which Gulutzan said is reflected in how badly they’ve been out-chanced this season.

To put that in perspective, last year at this time, the club allowed an average of 27 shots against, which is 33% fewer than a squad that

should be better in its own zone given the addition of Travis Hamonic and having a goalie who can move the puck as well as Smith.

In each of the last two seasons, the Flames scored 12 goals their first four games. The difference being Smith has only allowed nine in 160

shots, while Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson combined to cough up 14 in 107.

Smith is stopping pucks at an unheard of .950 clip.

Not to harp on Elliott’s well-documented struggles, but he opened last year facing no more than 31 shots in his first three games but posted a paltry .873 save percentage to keep the Flames winless unless Chad Johnson won Game 4 in overtime.

Like Miikka Kiprusoff did for so many years here, the netminding is masking so many of the Flames other shortcomings.

That has to change.

No team can challenge for 100 points (Gulutzan’s goal) allowing more than 40 shots in three-quarters of their games, as the Flames have allowed so far.

The good news is that with a team as deep, speedy and talented as the Flames, it’s fixable.

The bad news is that if opponents are allowed to continue peppering Smith (and eventually backup Eddie Lack) with such volume, eventually

the dam will break and the Flames will struggle.

Or will they?

Smith faced more than 40 shots 11 times last season with the Arizona Coyotes behind a porous, young defence and somehow managed to go the first nine without a regulation loss.

All told, in those games he was 6-2-3, which the Flames would take.

He thrives on being a workhorse.

On paper, this team should be far better than the Coyotes at limiting such shooting galleries, which is exactly what Gulutzan is pushing for.

One might assume the slashing crackdown and increased penalty counts have played a role in the elevated number of shots and chances the opposition has generated.

Not so.

Last year, the Flames were shorthanded 19 times compared to 15 this

year.

This is on the team – a squad that is spending far too much time in its

own zone, as Gulutzan lamented.

A similar effort by his bunch Friday night at home against the Ottawa

Senators (7 p.m., Sportsnet Flames/Sportsnet 960 The Fan) would be a troubling sign in Gulutzan's eyes.

If Lack starts Saturday in Vancouver and plays the way he has the last few years, the Flames could be exposed in humiliating fashion for being far too reliant on their goalie.

With all the hype and excitement surrounding Jaromir Jagr in town, Smith probably hasn’t been given the due he deserves for the team’s division-leading record.

Few probably know his groundbreaking, 43-save performance to snap the 13-year skid in Anaheim was the third-most saves for a shutout in

franchise history.

Few also likely realized how big a role he’s played thus far,

unquestionably the Flames star in all four games.

No wonder Gulutzan left Los Angeles in a tizzy.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.13.2017

1077948 Websites

The Athletic / Duhatschek: Jaromir Jagr's debut suggests there are better

days ahead once he gets into game shape

Eric Duhatschek

20 hours ago

The old man with the C (on his jersey) stepped on the ice Wednesday night to play his first-ever game for the Calgary Flames. That would be Jaromir Jagr, age 45, who was the final player to emerge from the dressing room for the Flames’ date with the Kings in Los Angeles. The

CAROLINA HURRICANES


response from the crowd at the Staples Centre didn’t resonate the way it might have had Jagr’s debut been delayed until Friday night, when the Flames are back home, against the Ottawa Senators.

There has been almost a reverential response to Jagr’s signing in Calgary. Social media can sometimes be mean-spirited and critical, no matter what the subject, but Jagr’s addition has kept the trolls mostly at bay. Even after the usual cautions about his age and production, the overall sentiment can be summed up in two words: How cool.

How cool that someone of Jagr’s pedigree would, for the final act of his NHL playing career, choose a Calgary team that figures to be a playoff

contender and then who knows? Jagr hasn’t won a championship since his second NHL season and while there are teams better positioned to

win a title than Calgary, every once in a while, someone catches playoff lightning in a bottle and does the unexpected, with an established

veteran playing a critical leadership role.

But long-term goals were not on Jagr’s mind, when he discussed his

hopes for his opening night. He was mostly concerned about not getting in the way, and not undermining the efforts of his new linemates, Kris

Versteeg and Sam Bennett — promising that while his first game probably wasn’t going to be much good, he planned to get better as time passed.

Ever since Jagr agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Calgary, coach Glen Gulutzan has been circumspect about when the big Czech might appear in the lineup. But it was always going to depend upon Jagr himself. No one could estimate Jagr’s readiness more than the man himself, a workout fanatic that is completely and resolutely in tune with his own body.

Jagr wasn’t convinced he’d skated with the Flames long enough to play

on Monday in Anaheim, but two days later, he believed that he was – and that delaying his debut any further wouldn’t help matters. Once you get to

a certain level of familiarity with systems and teammates, the next step is getting into game shape – and the only way to get into game shape is to

actually play games.

Ultimately, Jagr saw 13:38 of ice time, had 2:23 minutes of time on the

power play and generated a couple of scoring chances in what finished as a 4-3 overtime win for Calgary. By the end though, Jagr was mostly a spectator, as the Flames overcame a one-goal, third-period deficit to pull out the victory and sweep both games in their swing through southern California.

“You can’t simulate what he got tonight,” Gulutzan said. “We were aiming for 10-to-12 minutes and he got a little more than that. His game is going to come – and this is a big building block.”

The principal reasons for the Calgary win were: 1. Another excellent outing from goaltender Mike Smith, who had a 139 minutes-and-20

second shutout streak finally come to an end on Anze Kopitar’s second-period goal, but battled hard all night and kept the Flames in a game in

which they were widely outplayed after the opening period. 2. Two key goals from second-year forward Matthew Tkachuk, whose father, Keith

was the 19th player chosen in the 1990 entry draft, the year Jagr went fifth overall. Keith Tkachuk played 18 seasons, but has been out of the NHL since 2010. 3. A timely game winner from the No. 1 centre Sean Monahan who, four seasons and four games into his NHL career, already has eight overtime goals.

Mostly, the hope was that Calgary would continue its good early-season results, though they are relying far too heavily on Smith at the moment to

bail them out. Once the momentum turned in L.A.’s favor Wednesday night, Smith kept them within striking distance and enabled them to

mount a comeback. After an opening-night loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Flames have now won three in a row – not all of them masterpieces,

but they count the same in the standings, however the results are achieved. Jagr, for his part, did what he needed to do, which was get in some minutes without disrupting what the Flames were trying to accomplish as a team.

That was the subject Jagr harped on over and over: He didn’t want to become a distraction, or just be an old guy, playing out the string. The money quote from Jagr came on the morning of the game and it was this: “It’s not what I did before. Nobody cares what you did 20 years ago. Show me what you can do for us now. That’s what it is.”

Jagr showed a little, but it was enough to suggest that there are better days ahead, once he gets his legs and hands in sync.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.13.2017

1077949 Websites

The Athletic / Growing up with Gerard Gallant and why he's ideal for the Golden Knights

Grant Sonier

18 hours ago

There isn't a better story in hockey right now than the Vegas Golden Knights. Their home opener win on Tuesday was both emotional and

captivating. There's a bond forming with not only locals in Las Vegas, but hockey fans across North America. The Golden Knights, a team

essentially built by rejects from other teams, are now 3-0.

It's incredible.

The man quietly behind the fast start is Vegas coach Gerard Gallant, unceremoniously dumped last season by the Florida Panthers. It's certainly early, but he's showing why he might have been the perfect hire by general manager George McPhee.

I grew up with Gallant, or “Turk” as we all called him. Gallant’s teammates in Detroit called him “Spuddy” because he grew up in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. PEI is a small island on the east coast of Canada know for its potato production – hence the nickname.

Sportsnet's Doug MacLean, a fellow Prince Edward Islander, also knows Gallant well. When you grow up in a small town everyone knows everyone and the connections run deep. Those two met when Gallant was ten years old. MacLean taught him in high school, coached him in

Detroit and hired him with the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets to coach with Dave King in 2000. He was later promoted to replace King.

“People remember Gerard in Detroit for how hard he played and for all the great years he played alongside players like Steve Yzerman, and

Bob Probert and I had a front row seat,” MacLean told The Athletic last week. “But in my opinion, he is successful now for the same reason I

wanted to hire him and that is his ability to form relationships and relate to players, and for the way he sees the game at a high level like he did

when he played.”

My ties with Gallant run deep. We both grew up in the west end of Summerside, back then a tough place to grow up. We both loved hockey and when I became the head coach of the Fort Wayne Komets of the old IHL, the first person I called was my buddy Turk. It was the best year I ever spent in hockey.

It spoke to the value of having people around you can trust. I'm two years younger than Gerard but I got to watch him evolve from a player into a coach. He didn't say much early on. He is a man of few words. But he always had a lot of feedback to me on how I reacted to the team. I was

emotional and he was calm so he balanced me out. Big time.

For instance, I once threw a bundle of hockey sticks at one of my

owners, which was not a good move. The owner said something that just set me off. Gerard could see me starting to fume. And the only reason I

CAROLINA HURRICANES


ended up throwing those sticks was simply because he couldn't get to me quick enough, he couldn't quite grab me in time.

He's quiet but he speaks his mind. More than anything, he's a calculated

speaker.

Gerard has the uncanny ability to get along with every type of person.

He's not intimidated by rich people. He sees somebody down on his luck the same way. He somehow gets away with saying anything. His

greatest strength besides his high-end knowledge of the game is his ability to relate to people. He's so calm but when he snaps, he snaps. I call it the vein. When the vein pops out in the forehead, you know Gerard

Gallant is upset. The players don't see that as phony. There are coaches in the league who snap and lose their minds and it's a show. The players

in Las Vegas, when they see him upset, and they will, they're going to know he's genuinely upset. That's still a good tool to have as a coach.

I got to see firsthand how competitive he is, and not only in hockey. Just as we did back in the day, we still compete full throttle in golf playing

each year for what we call the BLT Cup. We dress like we could shoot in the 60s, talk like we are always in the 70s, but most of us shoot in the

80’s, if we are lucky.

When I last chatted with Gallant, I shared MacLean's thoughts on what drives his success as an NHL coach.

“I think he is fairly accurate,” Gallant said. “People ask me all the time what kind of coach I am and I always say a players' coach. Players know I will be honest with them, will treat them fair, but they know I am demanding and that I want to win. I have a good relationship with my players.”

Those who have followed his coaching career – whether it be in Eastern Canada, where he won a Royal Bank Cup with the Summerside Western

Capitals or in the QMJHL with Saint John of the QMJHL, where he was a Memorial Cup champion or in the NHL – can still clearly see his

intensity, even if he's evolved from his playing days.

“I think I have changed a lot, the longer you do your job, the more

comfortable you get. I think being a rookie coach is a lot like being a rookie player. Nerves are a factor and there are a lot of little things going

on like excitement and getting geared up to play every night,” he said. “The more I coach, the more comfortable I feel about the decisions I make. I am not as hyper, therefore I feel a lot better about tough decisions.”

While his best years as a player, statistically-speaking, were under Jacques Demers, Gallant also learned a lot from Bryan Murray, who recently died of cancer. Murray's influence is apparent in Gallant's approach with his players in Vegas. I see a lot of similarities in that they both are such composed guys, but when they get upset, the message is received.

I was once sitting in Bryan Murray's office when a defenseman came in to complain about playing time. He came in, his jersey was off, his

shoulder pads were off and was still in the rest of his gear. He made the mistake of saying, “If I'm not going to play more, I would like a trade.”

Oh man, that set Bryan Murray off.

“Don't you ever come in here and fucking demand to be traded from me,”

Murray responded. “Don't you worry, you'll be traded.”

And he was traded. I think he and Gerard are similar – when they do get

upset it's for the right reasons. You know why they're upset and it's not a constant.

“I had a lot of respect for Bryan,” Gallant said. “He was fair, his players really liked him like a friend, but he was tough and wanted to win more than anyone. When I stopped playing, Bryan was one of the first people to call me about coaching.”

Respect and a will to win. Sounds very similar.


1077950 Websites

The Athletic / A conversation with Sharks GM Doug Wilson: Youth getting a chance, but cap space ‘leads to conversations'

Kevin Kurz

19 hours ago

Doug Wilson doesn’t give much away. Like any skilled politician, the Sharks general manager has his talking points that he likes to pivot to during interviews.

That’s not to say he’s doesn’t believe in them — he surely is pleased to have the AHL Barracuda in his backyard now, as opposed to 3,000 miles away in Worcester, Mass., and he rightfully takes some pride in almost always getting his key veteran players to sign long-term contracts in San Jose, just to name a couple of his favorite themes. But for the most part, Wilson keeps his thoughts and plans in-house.

This is an important time in his tenure as the top hockey executive in San

Jose. The Sharks are now more than a year removed from their first-ever Stanley Cup Final, and most hockey prognosticators have them as a

playoff bubble team, at best. There are legitimate concerns that the Sharks don’t have enough young talent to make up for an aging core that

may be on the decline.

Still, Wilson and his staff have managed to put together a playoff team for

12 of the last 13 seasons (a feat equalled only by Detroit, which missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years last season). Even though the

Sharks have never lifted the Stanley Cup, that’s a pretty good accomplishment.

Wilson didn’t do anything in the offseason in terms of upgrading the roster; in fact, wth Patrick Marleau gone, the team is worse on paper than when it was knocked out of the first round by Edmonton last April. Wilson's task to keep the Sharks a contender won’t be an easy one.

With that in mind, we sat down with Wilson for a one-on-one Q&A on Wednesday morning to get his take on the state of the franchise.

Doug Wilson: Well, two games are two games. You’re going to have periods during the season when you might not like your game. I have

great respect for our group and the character and leadership in that group. We’re the sum of all our parts, and I think there’s a lot of areas we

could polish up a little bit.

This week of practice has been helpful in that. We have a group of

players that only played one exhibition game. I think from the coaching point, and the players being focused on the details this week, playing

more games will be good for them.

KK: It’s a veteran team, too. Seems like this week they’re working hard, but still having a good time.

Wilson: They work. They do. They trust each other, and they take ownership in some things that needed to be done better. Let’s go play.

KK: The biggest question I get is, when you look at the offseason, why didn’t you do more than you did after losing Patrick Marleau?

Wilson: Well, we made decisions a couple years ago when we brought the Barracuda here, and we added a lot of younger players that had a very good (AHL) playoff run last year. If you take a look at our younger

players, a lot of them are a little bit older. They’re not 18, 19-year-old players. They’ve got experience. They’ve earned the right to come in and

compete for some spots. We committed to that.

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And I think those players have earned equity to come in and take those opportunities. That, and the reality is we had a lot of players that were injured at the end of the year, and other players that probably had below expectation years for them and they wanted to come back.

We like our team. We do believe that the opportunities for our young guys — we promised them that opportunity. We’ve got key veterans in key positions, such as goaltending, defense and the center position, that allows you to have younger players to come in and compete and take opportunities, and that’s what we committed to and that’s what we did. I think we were pretty clear in what we were going to do. It was not a very

strong (free agent) market. That leads us to where we are today.

KK: Let’s go back two years ago when Pete (DeBoer) came in. It was a

bit of a similar situation, with some young guys in the organization trying to lock down roster spots — whether it was Nikolay Goldobin, Matt

Tennyson, Mirco Mueller

Wilson: Joonas Donskoi, Melker Karlsson, etc. Sure.

KK: Yeah. But it seemed to me that early on in that season there was a recognition by you and Pete that maybe the right pieces weren’t in place.

Guys came in like Dainius Zubrus, Roman Polak and Nick Spaling. There were some trades made midseason. Obviously the hope is that the young players you have now are going to develop, but is there a plan in place if some of the young guys don’t make that step?

Wilson: Every team is basically in the same position. You come in, you have expectations of people to be healthy, people to grow their game. Take a look around the league, you see more younger players in this league than any time before. Every team comes into camp hoping the young players can come in and take a job.

Much like two years ago — you talk about that year, when we went to the

Cup Final, we were the sum of all our parts. The scoring was by committee. In the playoffs, we played 24 games, you’re getting five and

six and seven goals from a Donskoi, Karlsson, Tierney, Ward, etc. That’s really how you want your hockey team to be.

Your top guys have to perform, obviously. So, who plays on that team and who earns those opportunities in those other roles? Our young

players that we know that have played under Roy (Sommer) have been here up and down with the team, so the coaches and players know them. But also, with what they earned in their playoff run last year with the Barracuda. It puts them in a position that they deserve that opportunity. They do.

Now, we’ll go from there. We added players a couple years ago because, whether it be injuries — and it wasn’t just young players, but some veterans that weren’t on top of their game. We have cap space, and the ability to adjust our lineup. But many teams around this league, almost all of them, are transitioning new players. How they transition in will dictate

some of the decisions that go forward. But, we believe in this group, and look forward to watching that journey.

KK: You mentioned salary-cap space (the Sharks are approximately $6 million under the cap). Two-part question: one, do you have the approval

to spend to the cap, and, two, with the cap flexibility you have right now, how is that a benefit?

Wilson: We have ownership that’s committed to spend to the cap. The investment in bringing the Barracuda out here was a substantial

investment. They spent that. The investment of the dehumidification system of $5 million (at SAP Center) — we have tremendous ownership that gives us the ability to spend in all areas.

Historically, when you have a lot of assets and young players and you have cap space, that leads you to opportunities. That’s how we’ve acquired players in the past. So, we’re in a position to allow people to compete and take jobs and get back on top of their game, but also to add if needed when the right opportunity comes. Other teams in the league know who the teams are who have cap space and pieces they may want. That leads to conversations.

KK: How patient can you be with this group if it’s a struggle to get going with the way the division is? There are obviously some teams on the rise, as opposed to a couple years ago it was you, the Ducks and the Kings and teams that just weren’t contenders.

Wilson: There’s great parity in this league. There are no easy games. You want to be on top of your game and playing well. You want to have a little cushion should you get injuries or have things happen. We’re focused on the next game, and playing the way we know we’re capable of. That is everybody bringing something to the table, especially over an 82-game season. You’re going to need that.

You’re going to have peaks and valleys. You’re going to have injures. It’s how you handle those things. We’re going to need 28-30 players. We

think we have a lot of that, and a lot of competition on a daily basis for ice time. But we also have the ability, I think, should you run into injuries or

things like that for people to step in and be ready to help.

KK: I know that Joe Thornton decided to come back before he knew what

Marleau’s decision was going to be. What kind of emotion was it for you when you learned he was committed to returning?

Wilson: Joe is such a special individual. Nobody loves the game more than Joe. He loves being here. It was interesting, because obviously Joe, with what he experienced last year in the playoffs and pushing through (a knee injury) and playing — he helped set the culture in that, ‘This is what you do. You push through.’ Obviously, he’s a huge part of this organization.

But also on that day you have Martin Jones and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the very first day that they’re able to commit to this organization, that meant a lot, also. Brent Burns doing the same thing.

The players, when they make decisions like that, we appreciate it and it

means a lot to us and this organization that they want to be here and want to be part of this community. I think it sets a great tone for the

younger players coming in to see that’s the expectation and the belief system. We’re very proud of our players for that. They deserve the credit

for that.

KK: Speaking of those guys, you never signed players to longer than

five-year extensions before Burns’ eight-year extension last November. What changed in regards to that philosophy?

Wilson: Well, you have to be open-minded. That’s how the league is, and all the contracts, you take a look at all the other players and the structures of contracts. You have to operate under the CBA that’s in front of you.

To me, you want to have performance match compensation. You take a look at what Brent accomplished — incredible. Your players that you know and you know how they train and how they live their life and the injury history and things like that, it gives you a lot of information to be

able to make those decisions. You also have to be realistic to how contracts are being structured around the league, and act accordingly.

Brent deserved that contract, and not only how we feel, but I think his teammates would feel that he earned that contract, also.

KK: And Vlasic and Jones also got longer-term deals, but those are two players you valued and need around here if you're going to compete in

the present, too.

Wilson: Absolutely. They wanted to be here and we wanted them here.

They train, and the way they live their lives means a lot to us. They love to play the game. There are certain players that have certain attributes that can play a long time at an elite level. You factor into that those decisions when you give people contracts like that.

KK: Martin Jones is a hot topic of conversation lately. Critics will point to his .912 save percentage last year as being average, but proponents of his say he makes the saves that he needs to make, rarely lets in bad goals, and turns up his game in the playoffs. What has he done to

deserve the long-term commitment from the organization? Long-term deals for goalies, especially, can be risky.

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Wilson: When we acquired him we did a lot of homework into the type of person he is, his style of play. He’s been very well coached in his journey to get here. His character, too. We don’t go to the Stanley Cup Final without him.

I think the most important thing for goaltenders is making the big save at the right time, and your teammates trust and believe in that. Your players know before anybody else. They will play for a guy that they believe in, they know what he can do, they know how he works, and they also know if there’s a bad goal, he’ll own it. He doesn’t look anywhere else. Factor all those things in, and we’re very pleased to have Martin Jones

committed to this organization for a long time.

KK: I know general managers don’t like to give away trade secrets, but

when it comes to advanced stats becoming more prevalent, do you have people in place for that stuff, and what’s the day-to-day process with

going over some stats that don’t show up in the stats pack every morning?

Wilson: We try to make all our decisions with as much information as possible. We’ve used data research for a long time. I find that the teams

that really dig deep and use it don’t really talk about it. It’s part of our decision-making process. We have a group of people and some people that we utilize that bring everything to the table that allows us to make decisions with as much or more information than anybody. It’s in its place. When and how we use it is basically intellectual property, and that’s how we’d like to operate.

KK: You have an owner that founded a big-time software company, of course.

Wilson: And we live in a community that that’s based upon.

KK: So does that make it easier to find people that might give you a

different point of view on certain things?

Wilson: Yeah, we have a great group of people that we can access and

utilize on a day-to-day basis.

KK: Last season, you made some moves to try to bolster the roster for

the playoffs, and in the process Nikolay Goldobin and Mirco Mueller were traded. Those were two former first-round picks. How do you evaluate

the job that the amateur scouting staff has done in recent years? I know you can go back and pick and choose and say you should have taken this guy or that guy all day long. At the same time, you could say the last true All-Star that has been drafted by this team was Logan Couture in 2007. How do you evaluate the job the scouting staff has done recently?

Wilson: I think it has to be evaluated in its totality. I think since 2003 I don’t think there’s any team that has more man-games played by players drafted. How you use those assets and picks — you have to clarify our drafting position. We’re not drafting in the top five or top three. We have used some picks to acquire Brent Burns and Martin Jones.

The decisions to add players that gave us the opportunity to go to the Stanley Cup Final, you gave up picks. You have to give to get. I think the

ability to have an eye on the present and an eye on the future is very important. I think the scouting staff has done a very good job of acquiring

players — because it’s not just about the first round. I think you take a look through the draft, I do think in the last two years we’ve replenished

our system while still trying to compete and do well. I think they’ve done a very good job. A group of the players that we have that people didn’t get

to see (in training camp) because they are college players are tracking very nicely.

It’s not going to be perfect. Take a look at every organization, they make decisions in the moment where the team is at. We gave up a first-round pick involved in the Brent Burns deal. I would do that trade. We gave up a very good player in Charlie Coyle. Those are the decisions you have to make. Is it the right thing for the organization to give them the best chance to win now, but also be replenishing your system? That’s the balance you’re trying to find.

KK: In 2013 you made some moves to start stockpiling some picks because I imagine you saw some of the key pieces like Thornton, Marleau and Joe Pavelski getting older — and even guys like Vlasic and Burns are now over 30. Did you project that this year would be the year that you really need some of those young guys to come up and become NHL players?

Wilson: When you go back, and I shared it with you how important bringing the Barracuda out here was — every year you need integration of younger players. Take a look at Donskoi and Karlsson, and how important they were when we went to the Cup Final. You have to do that

every year.

We’re fortunate that we’ve got some players that can play a long time

that are perceived as coming into a certain window and certain age. They’ll still be able to play at a pretty high level for a long time. You need

to be the sum of all your parts. You need players from underneath to come in and contribute and sometimes be difference makers.

Pittsburgh, a team that’s won a Cup the past couple years, take a look at some of the young guys in their system that have played at higher levels

almost in a platoon system, going up and down. They think the game, they can skate, and we have tried to add players in the past few years in particular that match what our needs could be, but also where the game is at and where it’s going.

We have a bunch of guys that we think are a little bit older than some of the other young players in the league. A little bit more experienced — whether it be internationally or with the Barracuda. They are knocking on the door. That competition is healthy for the team, but you always have to have an infusion of young players coming in, especially in a cap system.


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Sportsnet.ca / Boeser’s debut overshadowed as young Jets stars overwhelm Canucks

Iain MacIntyre

October 13, 2017, 2:10 AM

VANCOUVER – Nobody wants to build a statue when you lose – especially in the rain.

Just as somewhere in Canucks Nation scaffolding was being erected for construction of the Brock Boeser statue – the Brocket as Sportsnet radio

has named him – the Winnipeg Jets’ own young icons drove their team to a 4-2 victory over Vancouver on Thursday.

Euphoria over Boeser’s first-period assist in his long-anticipated National Hockey League season debut (he had to wait all the way until Game 3 to play) dissipated as the Canucks at times looked like last year’s 29th-place team, stuck in their own zone, unable to recover the puck and vulnerable against fast forwards.

Winnipeg’s goals were scored by star forwards Patrik Laine, 19, and Nikolaj Ehlers, 21, and key defencemen Josh Morrissey, 22, and Tyler Myers, 27.

With so much young, impactful talent in their lineup, the Jets are already what the Canucks organization is trying to build towards. This is a noble

and popular ambition in Vancouver, but it should cause pause among Canucks fans that the Jets, even with their more advanced development,

haven’t shown yet that they are actually any good.

The Jets have missed the playoffs the last two years and in the six

seasons since Winnipeg got its NHL team back, the Jets have made the

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playoffs only once and failed to win a game in the Stanley Cup tournament.

So let’s just say the Jets still have some distance to travel, even if

general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and coach Paul Maurice have been rewarded contractually like the team has won something.

The Jets are 2-2 this season but were outplayed by the Canucks over the final 40 minutes on Thursday. Yes, there was some “score effect” to the

Jets getting outshot 12-5 in the third period when Winnipeg was trying not to blow a 3-1 lead but looked capable of doing it when goalie Connor Hellebuyck whiffed on a knuckle ball from the point by Canuck Chris

Tanev with 7:17 remaining.

But the Canucks gave the Jets trouble, even if it came too late for Vancouver to maintain the glow generated by a 3-2 opening-night night win against the Edmonton Oilers last Saturday and nurtured through a 3-

2 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

The Canucks are 1-1-1, which sounds about right. One of their biggest problems against the Jets was one of the most debilitating factors last season: a poor power play.

After finishing 29th with the man-advantage last season at 14.1 per cent, the Vancouver power play is off to a 2-for-16 start (12.5 per cent). Daniel Sedin’s rebound goal from Boeser’s shot at 7:25 of the first period was more than offset by a shorthanded goal surrendered to Myers at 18:44 of the second.

“Our penalty kill, I think, has been good,” centre Bo Horvat, the only Canuck in the conversation with the Jets’ young stars, said. “We just have to even it out with some good power play here. Last year wasn’t a good display of power play, and that’s something we need to focus on this year.

“It’s vital that we need to score on it – plain and simple. We had the opportunity there in the third [on the power play] to come within one or tie

it and we just didn’t get the job done.”

The Canucks power play finished 1-for-5 but squandered a pair of key

opportunities in the final period when Vancouver generated few quality chances.

“You look at their top two lines, they’ve got a lot of skill there,” Canucks defenceman Michael Del Zotto said after leading his team with 27:46 of ice time and a minus-three rating. “Most teams do. The ice was a little bit tilted in their favour in the first. Afterwards, we were playing with pace. You saw it out there. Once we started playing with speed and with pace, took care of the puck in the neutral zone … we were able to play very well. It’s just a matter of trying to do that consistently every game.”

The Canucks are trying to play fast but not aren’t a fast team. Their puck movement won’t be helped by a “lower body” injury suffered in the first period by top defenceman Alex Edler.

By the end of the game, Boeser’s assist was all but forgotten.

“I want to go out there and compete hard, and I think I did that,” Boeser,

20, said. “But it’s not about me, it’s about the team and we didn’t get the win. If I’m fortunate enough to be in the lineup next game, I’m going to do

the same thing.”

The Canucks will need to do better to beat the Calgary Flames on

Saturday.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.13.2017

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Sportsnet.ca / Seven surprising small sample size stats to start the NHL season

Mark Spector

October 12, 2017, 4:53 PM

Small Sample Size.

The season is eight days old as we write this statistical analysis, and

those three words — small sample size — echo through the wind chamber that is our mind.

But when Brent Burns is among the worst plus-minus players in the game, and Nail Yakupov is among the best, a guy’s got to write

something, doesn’t he?

Here’s an early waltz through the National Hockey League’s stats, with this thought in mind: If NHL.com’s stats page were an NHL team, it would be off to a worse start than the Sabres or Coyotes.

• Calgary’s Mike Smith has faced more shots than any NHL goalie (160), ranking second in Time On Ice among NHL goalies behind only Toronto’s Frederik Andersen (242:29 to 239:57).

Our take: With the addition of Travis Hamonic, we thought the puck would be in Calgary’s zone far less due to the Flames having two mobile, skilled pairs of D-men. Shots against should go down, right? Well,

Calgary leads the NHL, allowing an average of 40.3 shots per game thus far. So much for our theory.

• Seven players bring up the rear at either minus-5 or minus-6. Included in that group are some of the best players in the game: Reigning Norris

Trophy winner Brent Burns, Mitch Marner, David Pastrnak, Kyle Okposo, Conor Sheary, Sam Reinhart and Kris Letang.

Our take: Holy cow — those names give us half an all-star team. Boys, golf season is over. Time to get it up over par.

• Boston (58.6 per cent) and Toronto (58 per cent) lead the league in team faceoff percentage.

Our take: Is this a residue of the new faceoff protocol? Not sure. Last season Boston ranked third (53.2 per cent) while the Leafs were 14th (49.9 per cent). The new rules work against the cagey vets who know best how to cheat, and favour the less experienced (and often weaker) young player. Maybe the younger Leafs will benefit here.

• Nail Yakupov has three goals and two assists to tie Matt Duchene for

the scoring lead in Colorado, Yakupov’s third NHL team after a stint in St. Louis last season. But the real hidden stat here is, he leads the Avs at

plus-6.

Our take: It’s his overall game that has always held Yakupov back, not

his offence. Remember, he won the green jacket at minus-35 in 2014-15. If an improvement in plus-minus is a sign that Yakupov is learning how to

play within an NHL system — to be in the positions he is assigned, shift after shift; to be a predictable teammate on the ice — Yakupov has the

skills to be a productive NHL winger. Always has.

• Buffalo’s Evander Kane is the early leader in shots on goal with 26, one ahead of Alex Ovechkin. He’s also got four goals in the Sabres’ first three games, a nice start to improve on 20- and 28-goal campaigns the past two years.

Our take: At age 26, Kane is a veteran now. It’s time to realize the great potential he has always had, and to become a leader in the Sabres room, rather than an immature, divisive force. Kane ranks 32nd in shots on goal since the start of the 2014-15 season. If shooting more engages Kane, then this season’s start is good news for the Sabres.

• The Top 2 Corsi Close teams in the NHL are Florida (63.43) and Edmonton (59.67). The Panthers are 1-1 while Edmonton is 1-2, and

very unhappy with the current state of its game.

Our take: Small sample size. Shot attempts and winning hockey games

are two stats that should mend together. Newsflash: They don’t always,

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but if you drive the shots it means you have the puck. Which is better than the alternative.

• Daniel and Henrik Sedin, averaging 14:47 and 14:45 of ice time per

game respectively, rank seventh and eight in ice time per game among Vancouver forwards. This, after being at (or very near) the top of that stat in Vancouver for more than a decade.

Our take: I’ve said for three seasons, it’s time someone passed the

Sedins as first-line players in Vancouver. Now, watching Derek Dorsett get more minutes wasn’t what I had in mind, but the point is this: the Canucks can no longer be so Sedin-reliant. At age 37 they can still be

valuable support players, and should be utilized as such.


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Sportsnet.ca / Did Stars’ Hanzal deserve major he got for hit on Predators’ Weber?

Mike Johnston

October 12, 2017, 9:16 PM

Dallas Stars forward Martin Hanzal received a five-minute interference penalty for a hit on Nashville Predators defenceman Yannick Weber

midway through the opening period of Thursday’s game.

Weber remained on the ice as he was attended to by medical staff. He managed to skate off on his own but went straight to the locker room to be assessed.

The Stars managed to kill off the five-minute penalty.

There’s no question Hanzal made contact with Weber’s head—it was all shoulder even though he followed through with his elbow—yet the Stars

centre, plus his teammates and head coach Ken Hitchcock, argued that since Weber was leaning forward reaching for the puck he put himself in a vulnerable position.


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Sportsnet.ca / Houston interest makes future NHL expansion even more likely

John Shannon

October 12, 2017, 4:58 PM

While the mood of the home opener in Las Vegas earlier this week rightfully took on a less celebratory tone following the tragic shooting on Oct. 1, there’s no question the NHL’s 31st franchise is off to a solid start on many fronts.

Team sweater sales are good, the building is full and cable TV deals are being done. Oh yeah, and the the team is winning too, off to a 3-0 start.

Team owner Bill Foley’s dream, and his chequebook, have made hockey in Nevada real.

One has to think that Foley’s new partners are eager for more. When does Team 32 talk become real? When does the opportunity to get in each of the Top 10 U.S. television markets make more expansion too much sense? For me, the answer to that question is “sooner than later.”

And while we’re not talking about another team joining the league next season or the year after, it certainly makes sense to at least begin the discussions.

On Wednesday night, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told Patrick O’Neil of Fox Sports West that getting the league to a nice even number of 32 teams was not really necessary, but, “Could it happen at some

point? Yes. But it’s nothing we are focussed on right now.”

There are just too many numbers that add up to adding another team and I suspect some owners will be pressing the commissioner to look at it, now.

Here are some of those numbers:

4 and 10: Houston (No. 4) and Seattle (No. 10) are the largest TV markets in the United States without an NHL team.

4: The number of years left on the league’s TV deal with NBC, and you have to think the value of the league’s media rights stand to grow if it’s in

more and bigger TV markets. There’s also the possibility that both Fox and ESPN might be interested once again in a U.S. national hockey deal.

$2.2: That’s the price, in billions, that Houston restaurant magnate Tilman Fertitta spent buying the Houston Rockets and the Toyota Center. In the

past week, Fertitta was quoted saying that he will be aggressive in pursuing an NHL franchise to fill his building.

“I would put an NHL team here tomorrow, but this one has got to work,” said Fertitta. “Would I love to have the other dates in the building, do I

want to see Toyota Center filled up 300 nights a year, definitely. So we’ll do whatever we can do, but whatever we do is going to make sense. But yes, Will we be aggressive? Yes. That’s my nature.”

You can bet NHL owners, including board of governors chairman Jeremy Jacobs, took notice.

$550: As in millions, the total dollars Tim Lieweke’s Oak View Group (OVG) has committed to renovating Key Arena in Seattle. OVG’s partners also include David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer, both of whom have been mentioned as potential owners of a Seattle NHL team.

2019: In just two years the league and the players have the right to opt

out of the current collective bargaining agreement. Yes, that means by the end of the 2019-2020 season we could have labour issues in hockey again. I hope not, but it’s possible. It’s worth remembering expansion fees were a highly contentious issue during previous CBA talks. Currently, all expansion money goes to the owners. You have to wonder if that too will only accelerate the search for the Team 32.

23: Roster spots on an NHL team. Expansion means more jobs and

more money for the players. And it might just become the best way for the league to compensate for the union’s rumoured demand for more

than 50 per cent of Hockey Related Revenue.

7: If the last expansion fee number had to “begin with a five,” the figure

for the next round will have to begin with a seven, as in $700,000,000. Or more…

3: The number of viable NHL-style arenas without a team over the next few years. Houston, Seattle, and not to be forgotten, Quebec City.

Demand could perhaps drive up the price. Although, it’s also not too far-fetched to think expansion and relocation might go hand-in-hand.

$60,000,000: The price of re-location fee the True North paid for relocating the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg. So, if any of those three cities don’t get an expansion team, there is precedent for the NHL and its clubs when it comes to sharing a relocation fee. And you can bet the next number will be far higher than the one paid by the Jets.

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And I didn’t even want to bring it up, but that 32 sure is a nice, even number.

So while it may be true that the NHL is not currently in expansion mode,

it is almost a given, that it will be again and sooner rather than later.


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Sportsnet.ca / Marc-Andre Fleury: Golden Knights finding early chemistry

Emily Sadler

October 12, 2017, 5:23 PM

With three wins in as many games, the Vegas Golden Knights‘ NHL

tenure is off to a historic start.

That early success is translating into an early confidence boost for a

group of guys tossed together via the expansion process just a few months ago.

“We’re confident in what we have,” said Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who has backstopped the club in all three games so far, during an appearance on Good Show on Thursday. “We know where we stand and we know that we need to be good as a team to have success and every night the guys have shown up and worked hard to get those wins and that’s all we can ask from our team.”

The No. 1 netminder, who spent the first 13 years of his pro career in a passionate Pittsburgh market, also shared what it’s like to see hockey grow in a unique market like Vegas.

“I think people are starting to catch on. Everybody that we meet,

everybody’s excited about the game, about having a professional team in their town,” he said. “We see a lot of hats, a lot of jerseys, t-shirts around

town so it’s pretty cool.”

Fleury won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins before being selected

by Vegas in the expansion draft in June. The 32-year-old veteran has posted impressive numbers so far, with a 1.32 goals against average and

a .963 save percentage. The club will attempt win No. 4 Friday night when they host the Detroit Red Wings.

Fleury described what it’s like to walk into a rink where everyone’s the new guy, and pointed out that the chemistry hasn’t been an issue.

“You come into the locker room, there’s no gangs yet, everybody’s in the same boat—we don’t know anybody, really,” he said. “You get a guy per team and you’ve got to make it work, so I thought we did a good job.”

“We’re lucky, we have a good bunch of guys, everybody maybe has a little chip on their shoulders trying to do the right thing here,” he explained. “Maybe that’s why we’re able to have some success.

Chemistry is good too, I think, just with the few days we had all together, it’s been good.”

That chemistry is something the team has worked at.

“We always try to do things as a team, invite everybody over and do

things together so we get to know each other a little quicker,” Fleury said. “I think that helps.”

It has been an emotional month in Vegas in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Mandalay Bay on Oct. 1, which left 58 people dead and

almost 500 injured. The team remembered the victims and honoured the first responders in an emotional pregame tribute ahead of their home opener on Tuesday evening.

Fleury spoke about hockey’s role as a distraction for a city that is showing everyone how resilient it is.

“We can’t heal anybody, we can’t fix anybody, but we I think if we can

give the city something to cheer for and be proud of the team and change their minds for a few hours at night when we play,” Fleury said. “There’s still a lot of people suffering physically, emotionally. So if we can change their mind a bit, and try to get them cheering about something, that would be nice.”


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Sportsnet.ca / James van Riemsdyk could drive himself ‘crazy’ with contract puzzle

Luke Fox

October 12, 2017, 2:12 PM

TORONTO – When impending unrestricted free agent T.J. Oshie re-

upped with Washington for eight years times $5.75 million in the off-season, James van Riemsdyk took note of his Team USA teammate’s

juicy new raise.

JVR also paid close attention when Alexander Radulov auctioned himself

to a July 1 bidding war between Montreal and Dallas, ultimately signing with the Stars at a rate of $6.25 million for five years.

Oshie and Radulov, top-six wingers both, inked their home-run deals at age 30.

Van Riemsdyk will be 29 when July 1 and his first peek at unrestricted free agency rolls around. Contract comparables for elite scoring forwards are as plain as the neon-green mouth guard hanging off his lips.

So it was of little surprise when the Toronto Star reported van Riemsdyk’s asking price at $6 million per season on a long-term commitment.

“You know you’re going into this sort of year, so you definitely know

what’s going on on the outside, but every situation is a little bit different,” van Riemsdyk said Wednesday.

“You try to not get too wrapped up in it. But, from afar, you see what’s going on and have a gauge for where things are at.”

He’s worth it.

The Rangers’ Rick Nash (age 34 on July 1) and Canucks’ Daniel Sedin (37) are much older and evidently on the back nine.

Buffalo’s Evander Kane (26) and Vegas’s Jonathan Marchessault (27) are younger, but the former has raised red flags among several GMs for his injury history and off-ice behaviour and the latter has just one gold-

star season on his resume.

James van Riemsdyk's stats among left-wingers since 2012-13

Goals: 121 (8th)

Points: 245 (11th)

Even-strength goals: 82 (8th)

Power-play goals: 36 (5th)

James Neal (30) is absolutely soaring this month, sniping five of the Golden Knights’ first eight goals plus all three of their game-winners.

Neal should present JVR’s only real competition in the “Winger Who

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Rings the Bell Loudest this Summer” contest, but he’s streakier than van Riemsdyk.

In the six seasons since former Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke pilfered

JVR, a second-overall pick, from Philadelphia for Luke Schenn in 2012, the player has never endured a scoring drought longer than five games.

Van Riemsdyk had just one four-game blank spot in 2016-17, when he hung a career-best 62 points, and you’ll need to scroll back to February

2015 for his most recent five-game dry spell.

No contract-year jitters here.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound New Jersey native already has three goals (co-leading the Leafs alongside Auston Matthews) and five points through four games. He tops all teammates in shots, firing an average of five per night.

But is that enough to extend the relationship beyond the playoff run this organization is banking on?

When the club signed another skilled left wing, 37-year-old Patrick Marleau, for three years at $6.25 million this summer, one couldn’t help but think the veteran may be taking a chunk of JVR’s money in years two and three of that deal.

On the horizon rests massive paydays for entry-level forwards Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner.

Van Riemsdyk’s contract isn’t the only one set to come of the books on June 30. Centre Tyler Bozak, winger Leo Komarov, depth centres

Dominic Moore and Eric Fehr, and third-pair defenceman Connor Carrick will all need to negotiate, too.

And, maybe, at some point, Toronto should allot more funds to a D core that ranks 24th in goals allowed (four per game).

“There are lots of different things. You could probably drive yourself crazy if you start looking into it and reading into too much,” van Riemsdyk said.

Cleaning out his locker after the Leafs’ imagination-capturing playoff series last spring, van Riemsdyk was more effusive in his desire to stick.

“I’ve loved playing here ever since I came here. How I’ve been treated is great. It’s a place I want to play for as long as I can,” van Riemsdyk told us at that time. “Where that takes things, we’ll see what happens. I love playing here. I want to be here.”

Since then, he’s learned that his name was bandied about in a failed draft-day trade negotiation for defenceman Travis Hamonic. He’s seen

the price of free agents spike, and he’s spent time picking the brains of peers who’ve been through the process.

Tape II Tape

Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and

fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.

Does he love Toronto as much as, say, Connor Brown? To the point where he’d take less than he’s worth to remain on a bullet train racing toward glory? Would he, like Oshie, take a little less cap hit in exchange for eight years of security?

Surely, several goal-hungry teams — Minnesota, where JVR trains in the off-season? Carolina, where his younger brother, Trevor, plays? Any one of the clubs near his hometown of Middletown? — would be willing to open the coffers for JVR’s services if he reaches July 1.

“You want to be in a situation where you think you have a chance to compete for championships,” van Riemsdyk said.

“That’s what you remember at the end of your career—the good teams you were on and the teams you were able to have success on. Being in a

situation like that is important, I’m sure, to every guy.”

Van Riemsdyk holds a 10-team no-trade list. As is the case with his centreman, Bozak, serious extension talks are on the back burner, and the player wants to leave that distraction in his agent’s hands.

Disrupting the chemistry of an effective Bozak line mid-season seems silly at a point when the Leafs are pushing their limits as a group.

“We have some big team goals this year,” said van Riemsdyk, forever trying to steer the conversation outward.

“You always realize that these things work out the way they’re supposed to work out. You just try to play the game.”


1077957 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / What the Canucks need to accomplish for 2017-18 to be a success

Jonathan Willis

October 12, 2017, 11:37 AM

The Vancouver Canucks have a respectable three points through two games this season, but this has not done much to disrupt the aura of expected failure around the team. The club entered the season more likely to win a first overall draft selection than the Stanley Cup, and despite Jacob Markstrom’s early heroics that projection hasn’t changed.

An 82-game season focused on the draft lottery is an ugly thing, though. It’s also a waste of opportunity. Even a team mired deep in the rebuilding portion of the NHL cycle has goals and aspirations that will lessen its time at the bottom and help a few years down the road when the planned restoration should be complete.

What objectives should the 2017-18 Canucks have for this season,

beyond landing Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov?

Continue to develop their younger players

While it’s entirely possible that the future cornerstone of a revitalized Canucks team isn’t even on the roster yet, it’s nearly certain that some of

his supporting cast is. Vancouver’s management team clearly believes 22-year-old Bo Horvat is going to play an important role in the years to come, and his continued development is thus a matter of some importance this season.

Horvat isn’t the only one. Brock Boeser is the most recent addition to a group of players aged 25-and-under who can hope to be part of the club for years to come. The odds are good part of that collection—including Sven Baertschi, Markus Granlund, Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher—won’t be around when Vancouver is good again, but some of them will be and strong performances during the interregnum increase their chances.

Rehabilitate fading prospects

The Canucks have a fairly long list of suspect NHLers who are getting

opportunities this season. The most recent addition is 2012 eighth overall selection and Pittsburgh castoff Derrick Pouliot, but the list also includes

other relatively young first-rounders such as Alexander Burmistrov, Jake Virtanen and Brendan Gaunce.

All of those players have shaky claims to roster spots if merit is the lone factor under consideration, but in Vancouver every move this season

should be made with at least one eye on the future. Given the way this season is likely to work itself out, the Canucks can be a little more tolerant of mistakes and young players finding their way in the majors. If

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one or two of these guys manage to reclaim their career, it’ll be a good use of those roster spots.

Get value out of current veterans

There’s this weird conventional wisdom that a rebuilding team shouldn’t acquire middling veterans. It’s a terribly misguided way of looking at

things.

Middling veterans are the perfect resource for a rebuilding team. They

add valuable stability in the first half of the year, without being good enough to get their team out of draft lottery range. Then at the trade

deadline they get flipped for all kinds of delicious futures, leaving just enough time for the rebuilding club to nosedive for draft position. It’s a win-win.

Vancouver has a bunch of these players and should hope for reasonably competent seasons from all of them. In a perfect world Thomas Vanek, Derek Dorsett, Alex Edler, Erik Gudbranson and Michael Del Zotto would all play well enough to be flipped for prospects and draft picks at the trade deadline. None of these skaters can move the needle on franchise success or failure, but they can provide some cover for the young guys

and bring back helpful long-term assets in the spring.

Do well enough to have some stability

Obviously losing a whole bunch of hockey games is part of the plan, but a total collapse should not be.

Take the Canucks’ 1970 expansion cousins, the Buffalo Sabres. In the

lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, they had 48 points in 48 games. The next year they imploded, getting only 52 points over an 82-game season. They’re now on their fourth head coach and third GM since and have yet to emerge from that pit. Just three of the 34 players to appear in 10 or more games in 2013-14 have been continuously employed by the

Sabres. Crash that badly, and it’s a sign there are years of rebuilding left and that nearly the entire roster will be turned over.

A slightly better team can still finish in solid draft position and offer both a healthier development experience to its young players and the possibility

of some of them surviving to the next phase of the rebuild. Florida, Edmonton, Toronto and New Jersey all won the first overall pick in recent

years without bottoming out completely in the year they did so, which has made it easier for those clubs to get back to being competitive.

Vancouver’s cornerstone piece probably isn’t on the roster today, which is why finishing somewhere in the bottom-fifth of the NHL standings is important. Some of the supporting cast may already be on the roster or, failing that, useful assets who can be dealt for future members of the supporting cast. Those pieces need to be identified.

The Canucks goal this year isn’t just to finish poorly and find a primary building block. It’s also to collect as many of the bricks that will be installed around him as is possible.


1077958 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / What’s more likely for Ovechkin: 50 in 50 or Gretzky’s 894?

Rory Boylen

October 12, 2017, 3:50 PM

Just a few games into the season, there have been some incredible

individual performances, most of which will not continue and certainly not keep pace over the 82-game season. Naturally, this will lead to some

overreactions, but we need to keep in mind that goal totals will likely fall as defences tighten up, and some of those players (hello Nail Yakupov) having unpredictable starts will begin to fade.

With all that said…could Alex Ovechkin score 50 goals in 50 games!?

The Washington Capitals sniper is off to a torrid start with eight goals in

his first four games, a pace of 164 goals that certainly will not be maintained. But coming off a “down” 33-goal season after which his

conditioning and dedication were questioned, all indications are that he’s returned a more motivated player.

“You can see maybe he’s more hungry. I can see this in his eyes,” Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ovechkin’s new centre, told the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.

Ovechkin has rebounded from a low-30s goal scoring season before. In 2010-11 he scored just 32 and followed it up with 38 in 2011-12. At that time there were people wondering if the decline had started early for Ovechkin, only to see him notch 32 in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and then reel off three-straight 50-goal seasons.

We should have expected an Ovechkin revival. So much of his struggles last season had to do with a dip in 5-on-5 production: Ovie scored just 16 times at even strength, so any improvement there would go a long way towards getting him back up over 40 goals. He’s nearly halfway there already, with seven of his first eight coming at 5-on-5.

But bouncing back to 40 or even a 50-goal season is one thing: scoring 50 in 50 games is quite another. No one has done it since Brett Hull in the 1991-92 season when he was paired with super setup man Adam Oates in St. Louis.

We’ve been teased with this kind of early surge before — just last season Sidney Crosby started with 21 goals in his first 23 games and then

slowed to eight in his next 23. Ovechkin has reached 39 goals in 50 games before, which is a terrific achievement in its own right comparable

to other scorers from the early-1990s, but realistically is still a long way off 50 in 50.

The fact is in this defensive era, all of those offensive achievements from the pre-trap days are out of reach.

If 50 in 50 isn’t attainable in the modern age, what is the new 50 in 50 equivalent?

“I think you go 20 in 20, 25 in 25, 30 in 30 that’s the kind of stuff you can do,” Elliotte Friedman said on Wednesday night’s broadcast.

Either way, Ovechkin is still in the conversation among the best goal scorers in NHL history and one day may pass even Wayne Gretzky after adjusting for era. But while we’re on the topic of throwback goal scoring stats, let’s try this hypothetical on for size.

What is a more attainable achievement for Ovechkin: scoring 50 goals in 50 games, or breaking Gretzky’s 894 career NHL goals record, without

adjusting for era?

Friedman asked Ovechkin about Gretzky’s goals record just last year, which The Great Eight of course played down.

“I don’t think somebody will beat this record,” Ovechkin said at the time. “In this hockey right now, in this league, I think it’s impossible.”

Currently, he sits at 566 goals in his age 32 season, so to break the all-time record Ovechkin would need to average 36.4 goals per season through his age 40 season. A 50-goal season in 2017-18 would bring that per year average down a bit to 35.75. There’s every possibility that by the time Ovechkin’s current contract with the Capitals lapses after 2020-21, he’ll be within 200 goals of Gretzky, heading into his age 36 season.

To have any chance at eclipsing Gretzky, Ovie would certainly still need a couple 45-plus goal years and, of course, to remain healthy and for the NHL to not shutdown for a work stoppage. Remember, too, that Ovechkin has already missed a full season, as the lost 2004-05 season would have been his rookie year.

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All of this is a long shot, based off early overreactions from an incredibly fast start by Ovechkin this season. But the fact it’s even something to ponder based on the fringes of reality in the modern game is a testament to Ovechkin’s place in history.


1077959 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Ryan Strome just trying to fit in as Oilers try to find footing

Mark Spector

October 12, 2017, 11:46 AM

Ryan Strome came to Edmonton as part of an Oilers salary dump, and by now we know how that tends to work.

The team that dealt away the $6-million player — in this case Jordan

Eberle — for the guy making $2.5 million on the final year of his deal, always does its best to portray things as a hockey trade. But, frankly, there’s a reason one guys makes more than twice what the other does.

Then, in Strome’s case, the team goes into an early-season spiral. Now, integrating the new guy goes straight to the back burner, while the coach tries to wake up the troops with a hard practice on Wednesday.

For Strome, it’s hard to get to know the new guys when they’re beating the hell out of you in a battle drill, or nearly puking after a tough set of post-practice lines. Right?

“In an interesting way, it’s almost a little easier, because you face adversity as a group,” said Strome, whose Oilers are 1-2 with Ottawa coming to town Saturday night. “When you go through these things, you learn a lot about each other, and each other’s character. You learn a lot about your teammates.

“To me, the last week or so has been the best week I’ve had here. The most fun I’ve had, learned the most, and really started to connect with the guys.”

It has been a disjointed start here in Edmonton for Strome, 24, who

opened camp as the right-winger on the top line with Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon. That lasted just a couple of pre-season games, and by opening night he was playing third-line centre with Drake Caggiula

and Jussi Jokinen.

With Game 4 on Saturday, Strome is back at centre ice between Jokinen and Zack Kassian. By now, we’re not sure whether Strome is supposed to be a centre or a winger. Then again, you could say the same for Leon

Draisaitl.

What does Strome consider himself?

“A versatile forward,” he laughed. “Obviously Connor and Leon can play

really well together, and when that happens they’ll need someone to play down the middle.

“At the same time, a lot of teams win with strength down the middle. So when Leon is in the middle I can play the wing.”

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The singular disappointment of Oilers training camp 2017 was that none of the right-wing candidates showed well enough to force Draisaitl off of

McDavid’s right side. Jesse Puljujarvi wasn’t NHL ready. Anton Slepyshev hurt his ankle and missed camp. Caggiula was underwhelming throughout camp, and so, frankly, was Strome.

One senses head coach Todd McLellan would ascent to separating McDavid and Draisaitl, but not until he gets a top-line right winger who can force the move. Strome, in limited pre-season minutes, didn’t convince his coach.

Even if McDavid sounds impressed.

“You’ve just got to be a smart player, and he is that,” McDavid said. “I like

playing with the guys who think the game, who do all the little things. Who make the game easier. Just make the game easier for everyone.”

Lip service? Who really knows, at this point.

For Strome, who is still searching for his first point as an Oiler, he’s just trying to get to know everyone’s nickname, and become part of the team that everybody around the National Hockey League thought the Oilers would be.

“When you come into a team that had a good year, you just want to do your part,” he said. “For me, being versatile and playing different positions actually kind of helps that. I can bounce around a little bit, find

the coach’s trust where they want to put me.”

Production would help that process along, we’d guess. It’s early, but

never too early to turn some heads.


1077960 Websites

TSN.CA / The complex calculation of a coach’s challenge

By Frank Seravalli

PHILADELPHIA — Flyers coach Dave Hakstol is not a poker player.

Hakstol said he can’t calculate odds on the fly, as the cards flip, like the

world’s best do.

But that’s what Hakstol and 30 other NHL coaches are forced to do on

the bench in a high-stakes environment when faced with a potential coach’s challenge. He must weigh the situation, time of game and score and balance those factors against how often calls are overturned and now the opportunity cost.

“It’s a challenging situation,” Hakstol said Thursday, pun intended. “I know what those odds are. It’s a decision that has to be made sometimes with limited information in a short period of time with significant impact [on the game]. That’s fine. Deal with it.”

The NHL changed the calculation two weeks ago, instituting a two-minute penalty for all failed coach’s challenges for offside calls. The idea was to

curtail coaches from challenging potentially ticky-tack zone entries that may have been offside because of a skate in the air, like we saw last

season.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault was the first to challenge an offside play

last Saturday against the Maple Leafs. He lost the challenge, the goal was not overturned, and the Leafs scored on the ensuing power play to

add injury to insult.

But Hakstol encountered the perfect storm Tuesday night in Nashville.

His Flyers were leading 5-4 with 1:17 to play in regulation when Scott Hartnell scored on a sequence that may have appeared offside.

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Normally, the numbers would suggest that even a 50-50 chance to overturn a goal would make for a smart challenge. But in this case, the Flyers were already on a 5-on-3 penalty kill when the disputed goal was scored.

“This was probably the nightmare scenario for coaches,” said Matt Cane, who broke down the math for Hockey-Graphs.com. “In most cases, the decision to challenge is fairly easy: If you're successful you take a goal off the board, if you fail you may give up a goal on the penalty kill, but more than 80 per cent of the time there's no cost. The penalty kill obviously complicates things, but even at 5-on-3, you end up killing it off

more than 50 per cent of the time.

“If Hakstol thought it was a 50-50 shot, he made the right choice. But

things worked out in the worst way possible.”

If Hakstol won the challenge, his team would’ve remained up 5-4, but

likely facing a 6-on-3 disadvantage since the Predators could soon pull goalie Pekka Rinne. If Hakstol lost the challenge, which he did, the score

was tied, but they still would’ve been in a 5-on-3 disadvantage for 36 seconds, then 5-on-4 for the remainder of regulation plus a chunk of

overtime.

The Flyers went on to lose in regulation. Filip Forsberg scored on the ensuing power play from the failed challenge, leaving Hakstol with two days to evaluate the process.

Hakstol said the Flyers had one angle at their disposal that “absolutely says its offside.” Then there was another that made it “hard to tell.”

“Let’s flip the scenario,” Hakstol said. “We don’t challenge it. They score on the 5-on-4 power play. We lose the game in regulation. Then we tear everything apart for a half hour, get a look at it and see it’s definitely offside. Then what? How do we feel about that? There are all these

factors that go into it.”

There are other complicating factors. For one, Hakstol said “sometimes”

teams don’t have immediate access to a special feed from cameras positioned at the blueline to help in the decision-making process. Those

feeds, which are usually the most definitive, are eventually available to the NHL’s Situation Room in Toronto and to the linesmen processing the

challenge, but that can be after the decision to challenge was already made.

Hakstol wouldn’t say whether or not the Flyers had timely access to that feed on Tuesday night in Nashville.

“I will say sometimes you have different information than others,” he said.

The other is that Hakstol is making a decision on a 30-inch monitor embedded into the floor of the bench, covered by Plexiglas that has a glare and has been spit on by players all night and scuffed up by shoes and skates.

It isn’t ideal, but Hakstol wasn’t making excuses or running from his

decision.

“The big thing is you have to get it right, and I didn’t get it right on

Tuesday night,” Hakstol said. “You still have to base it on factual information … You have to continually evaluate the process to go

through, looking at ways to do things better.”

The NHL wanted disincentivize offside challenges with the penalty, but in

the small sample size of one week, that hasn’t been the case.

There have been four coach’s challenges for offside calls, including

another two from New York Islanders coach Doug Weight, in the first 50 games played of the season. There were three offside challenges in the same 50-game span to open last season, and just one in 2015-16.

Weight was the first coach to win an offside challenge Wednesday night, overturning a goal in Anaheim and avoiding a penalty.

As long as coaches have the ability to potentially erase a goal against, it is hard to envision the penalty being a true deterrent – even after Hakstol very publicly weathering that perfect storm.

“It will be interesting to see how often that happens,” Hakstol said. “My thought process now is no different than it was coming in [to the season]. That doesn’t change off of one result.”

TSN.CA LOADED: 10.13.2017

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TSN.CA / Preds storm back to beat Flyers

PK Subban and Filip Forsberg , The Canadian Press

NASHVILLE — Filip Forsberg scored his second goal with 35.6 seconds left and the Nashville Predators rallied by scoring twice in the final 1:17 to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5 on Tuesday night.

On the night they raised their Western Conference championship banner, the Predators blew a 3-0 lead as the Flyers scored five straight goals.

But then Forsberg scored his first goal of the game 50 seconds after the Flyers took a 5-3 lead, and Scott Hartnell scored his second goal on a 5-on-3 with 1:17 left to tie it. When Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol

challenged for offside and lost, the Predators had the man advantage, and Forsberg scored the winning goal.

Craig Smith and Nick Bonino also scored, and P.K. Subban had three assists for Nashville. Forsberg also had an assist on Hartnell's tying goal

as Nashville won its fifth straight home opener.

Valtteri Filppula scored twice for the Flyers, and Andrew McDonald, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny each added a goal. Philadelphia finished its first four-game road trip to open a season since 1971 by

going 2-2.

The Predators, losers at Boston and Pittsburgh, raised the banner 19 years to the day of the first game in franchise history.

Mike Fisher, the captain who retired in August, joined current captain Roman Josi in unveiling the banner before it was raised to the rafters. Then country star Trace Adkins performed the national anthem, and Nashville's mayor came out to wave a towel as the Predators continued their playoff tradition for at least the home opener.

Then the Predators gave their fans reason to keep cheering, with Smith scoring a power-play goal with a wrister past Brian Elliott at 4:17 of the

first period. That gave Nashville its first lead this season, and the Predators took eight of the first 10 shots.

Nashville scored first in the second period, too. Hartnell beat Elliott with a slap shot off the rebound of teammate Pontus Aberg's shot at 3:08 for a

2-0 lead. Mattias Ekholm skated across the crease, and his backhand shot went off Elliott to Bonino, who easily tapped the puck in for a 3-0

lead and his first goal since leaving Pittsburgh for Nashville this off-season.

Then the Flyers turned the celebration into a game. McDonald scored his first goal on a slap shot at 10:19, and Patrick, the second overall pick in the June draft, got his first career goal 16 seconds later on a wrister. Philadelphia took advantage of its third power play in the period when Filppula scored on a wrister at 15:05, tying it at 3.

Konecny scored on a breakaway at 5:03 followed by Filppula's power-play goal for a 5-3 lead that seemed safe until Forsberg pulled Nashville within a goal 50 seconds later to set up the thrilling finish.

The Flyers picked up two penalties on the same play with 2:41 left, giving Nashville a 5-on-3 advantage. Hakstol lost his challenge for offside, and

the delay-of-game penalty gave Nashville the man advantage.

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NOTES: The Flyers were 4-0-1 in their previous five games against Nashville. ... Predators goalie Pekka Rinne came in needing only three saves for 13,000 in his career. He reached that mark in the first period, making nine saves. ... Josi and Colton Sissons were scratched by Nashville with lower-body injuries and are day to day. ... Nashville defenceman Samuel Girard, 19, made his NHL debut with Josi out and got the secondary assist on Forsberg's first goal.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Host the Washington Capitals in their home opener Saturday night.

Predators: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.


1077962 Websites

TSN.CA / The Golden Knights are more than a good story

By Travis Yost

Like most hockey fans, I’m a sucker for a good story. So when a team earmarked as a draft lottery favourite in July starts their regular season 3-0, it’s noteworthy. Bonus points to that club if they’re a first-year expansion team whose draft strategy was cultivated with an eye for long-

term success.

It probably goes without saying but the Vegas Golden Knights’ record – at least right now – is illusory. Despite winning their opening three games and outscoring Dallas and Arizona (twice) by a score of 9-4, the

underlying numbers aren’t great. The Golden Knights are getting about 48 per cent of the shots and, by one site’s estimate, 40 per cent of the expected goals.

For most teams, that’s generally worthy of criticism. But I’ve actually come away somewhat impressed. Let’s keep in mind that Vegas has little – and that may be generous – care about winning during the 2017-18 season. Every move they made was to build a contender for tomorrow. Naturally, it left the opening-night roster fairly shallow in talent. And just

to make things even more interesting, the Knights took two of their better talents in Vadim Shipachyov and Shea Theodore and moved them down

to the AHL. Perhaps temporarily, perhaps not.

Even after all of that, early returns suggest this team won’t be one that

rolls over and dies for 82 games. Even if the Knights true talent is a mid-40s shot/scoring chance/goal team, they’ll still have a puncher’s chance

on most nights. Sure, it’ll be reliant on discipline, superstar performances from their few true talents (hello, James Neal!), and above-average

goaltending.

One of the things I was curious about after Vegas’ third game is whether or not there’s a legitimate divide in performance across their lines and pairings. The one noticeable thing about the Knights’ lineup is that head coach Gerard Gallant hasn’t put it through a blender – the lines and pairings have been remarkably consistent and predictable during the first week. (Such is the luxury of winning!)

The breakout of their lines and pairings is below via LWL:

The forward group isn’t half bad, especially if you rate some of their younger depth players well. It is notably devoid of star power though, with

the lone exception probably being Neal. Defensively, it’s kind of ugly – there’s not a lot of mobility or puck-moving capability, though Nate

Schmidt has looked fantastic in the early going. And, of course, Theodore is probably on the way.

Corsica has a fantastic tool that can break out performance by lines and by pairings, so we can take the above lineup cards and break them out a bit more granularly. Here’s how each regular grouping looks by three key measures:

Not surprisingly, Vegas’ expected goal rates are much lower than reality. Part of this is that their shot volume – especially in the bottom-six forwards – is appalling.

But they’ve also received incredible goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury, who has stopped more than 96 per cent of shots at 5-on-5. Keep in mind that the league average is around 92 per cent. Four points is incredibly

significant and, obviously, not a repeatable measure. (This is really a point worth hammering home – Fleury can’t simply be ‘average’ for the

Knights to be anything other than an also-ran in the standings this year. If they are going to be outshot on most nights, he needs to be above

average or better to offset the talent gap. That’s doubly true when Vegas’ third and fourth lines are on the ice.)

But if you’re the Knights, there are still reasons to be somewhat optimistic. Look at the top-six forwards’ Corsi%. Clearly there’s some

NHL-capable talent across those six players, but I think it’s fair to say that they’ve held their own against the top lines in Dallas and Arizona. I would hazard to guess that not many expansion teams historically have had top-six forwards capable of trading chances with well-established top-six groups from other NHL organizations. So, if anything, Vegas is perhaps a step up on their predecessors.

Let’s pivot to the defensive pairings. Same measures:

I had reservations about Washington losing Nate Schmidt for nothing via the expansion draft. I know the Capitals were in a bit of a contract bind, but early returns in Vegas suggest he’s very capable as a top-four

defender. He’s putting together fantastic performance numbers – relatively speaking, anyway – with a partner in Luca Sbisa who has only

seen dreadful 5-on-5 performance measures since entering the league.

The third pairing, like Vegas’ fourth line and like most other third pairings

around the league, appears to be an issue. This probably goes away when Theodore enters the lineup and Vegas can rearrange their blueline,

but we’re only three games into the season and ‘sooner rather than later’ would surely be the advice I deliver to general manager George McPhee.

The key takeaway is that Vegas has something resembling a team. While I’m pretty sure they’re going to finish near the bottom of the league, I’m starting to wonder what their end position looks like. Plenty of hockey observers had this team earmarked for a 31st-place finish. But with a respectable top-six, a couple of guys who can move the puck on the blueline, and a goaltender who looks very comfortable, do we need to reconsider? It seems possible.

Regardless of what happens, the “Vegas may not be the worst team in

the league” story developing so quickly has been a fantastic storyline. Early indications suggest they’ll at least be competitive. In year one for a

customer base with no expectations, that’s a fun start to hockey fandom.


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TSN.CA / Unbeaten Devils end Maple Leafs’ perfect start

By Kristen Shilton

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs had been enjoying a dream-like start to their new NHL season. On Wednesday, they awoke to harsh

reality.

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Putting their 3-0 record to the test against the 2-0 New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre, the Leafs turned in their most disjointed and lacklustre performance of the young season in a 6-3 loss. And head coach Mike Babcock didn’t mince words about what, exactly, was lacking.

“I was disappointed. I can’t remember the last time we played with that kind of effort,” Babcock said. “I didn’t think we worked. Their goalie [Cory Schneider] was great and all those things, I’m not taking anything away from their team, but we didn’t have any snap, we didn’t have any juice, we didn’t win any battles.”

It had been 11 years, dating back to Oct. 12, 2006, since the Devils last beat the Leafs by six goals, and just the second time Toronto had lost in

regulation to New Jersey in their last 16 meetings.

Despite jumping out to an early 1-0 lead, and outshooting the Devils 50-

31, nothing about the Leafs ever seemed to gel for very long. The 13 penalties assessed between the sides certainly didn’t help anyone get

into a rhythm, but while the Devils played hungry, the Leafs failed to match their urgency.

“[It was a] tough one. I don’t think we played our best,” said Morgan Rielly. “That’s a good team with a lot of speed and a lot of skill. I think we made a lot of mental mistakes and got away from our game plan a little bit, and it cost us.”

Perhaps no play better encapsulated Toronto’s struggles than what transpired 14 minutes into the second period. The Leafs had a two-minute, two-man advantage and instead of using it to their benefit, seconds into the power play, Jake Gardiner, who was guilty of several egregious errors throughout the game, fumbled the puck at the blueline. He went chasing after Adam Henrique and Brian Gibbons the other way

but couldn’t prevent Henrique’s initial shot on Frederik Andersen, who returned the puck back into the slot, with Gibbons potting the rebound.

It was the first 5-on-3 shorthanded goal Toronto had given up since 2011-12 and put the Leafs in a deflating 4-2 hole.

“It seemed like everything I touched tonight was bouncing,” said Gardiner. “It was one of those plays where I thought I had it in my glove

and it went down and, obviously, you know the rest.”

A gaffe like that aside, what seemed to frustrate Babcock most was his feeling that the Leafs were prepared for the Devils attack but then failed to play like it. Toronto has scored 22 goals over its first four games, so generating offence hasn’t been of major concern. But protecting the puck and playing well without it, especially against a team built on speed like the Devils, was a point of emphasis lost in translation with the Leafs’ skaters.

“We talked quite a bit about this game coming up and how it was going to be, and that’s exactly what I expected but I expected us to compete,”

Babcock said. “They skated us into the ground. It was 2-2 at the end of one, but that flattered us. Obviously the message sent wasn’t received

these last two days. By doing the pre-scout we knew what we were in for, we didn’t do our part. Disappointing.”

The Leafs were held scoreless in the second period – the first frame this season that they have failed to notch a goal.

Overall, the Devils did a great job not only moving the puck with authority but challenging the Leafs, especially in the offensive zone. Their active

sticks broke up a lot of plays and didn’t allow the Leafs to get comfortable in their cycle game. Toronto didn’t show the same poise and adaptability they did over their first three victories, strengths they’ll look to recapture before their first meeting against a division rival – the Montreal Canadiens – on Saturday.

“We have to show a little more urgency. The effort is there, guys are trying, but certain things in games just don’t go your way,” said Nazem Kadri.

“We weren’t very good [but] it’s over with now,” added Babcock. “I didn’t think we worked. You do good things, good things happen. You cheat yourself, you look like that.”

Takeaways

Rookie Mistakes

In their second game as a pairing, freshmen Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen had a rough night against New Jersey, finishing a combined

minus-5. Rosen had an especially bad outing, committing two awful turnovers that both led to Devils goals. The first came when he couldn’t

settle the puck at the blueline and Miles Wood swooped in and took it in alone on Andersen to give the Devils a 2-1 lead, while the second came in the defensive zone to set up Blake Coleman’s 5-2 marker in the third period. But Borgman looked equally lost throughout the night, and was coughing the puck up too often; Babcock did split up the duo here and

there, but mostly kept them together until the end. After the game, Babcock would only say “they fit in good – we weren’t very good tonight”

when asked to assess the Swedish blueliners.

Hot and Cold Creases

While Schneider turned in a masterful performance for the Devils, turning aside 47 of 50 shots and taking care of the errors his young teammates committed with some spectacular saves, Andersen had a difficult night at the other end. He entered the game with a perfect 3-0 record all-time against the Devils, and with the second-highest save-percentage of his career against an opponent (.949). New Jersey did a good job getting bodies in front of the net and screening Andersen on a pair of goals, but some of the others came from his own rebounds or on one-timed pucks he didn’t track well. Andersen finished the night with 24 saves on 31 shots for an .806 save-percentage. It was the third time in four games the

Leafs have given up 30 or more shots on goal.

More of the Same

Nothing felt as repetitive this season as the number of penalties handed out, but special teams were once again a big factor in Wednesday’s

outcome. Toronto and New Jersey entered the game tied for the most effective power plays in the league (operating at 37.5 per cent) but

neither side was particularly good with the extra man. The Leafs capitalized on only two of their eight power plays – with one goal scored with a two-man advantage – while the Devils scored once on five chances. The number of infractions (13) disrupted the flow of the game at times, but the bigger issue for Toronto was that they didn’t do enough with the opportunities they had and didn’t do as good a job killing penalties as they wanted to. “You don’t see the opposing teams' power play or penalty kill too much [early], there’s only a few games to look at,” said Gardiner, who played 5:42 shorthanded. “I didn’t expect them to come that hard but even if they do we still have to be better and be ready

for it.”


1077964 Websites

USA TODAY / Six young NHL players making noise early in 2017-18

season

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 4:03 p.m. ET Oct. 12, 2017 | Updated 4:04 p.m. ET Oct. 12, 2017

Sonny Milano was drafted in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014 because he can make dazzling plays and he’s playing for them now because he has learned when to turn off that instinct to be fancy.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


“Instead of looking for the flashy play, he’s making the right play,” Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told USA TODAY Sports. “When the flashy play is there to be made, he can make it.”

Milano, 21, has netted four goals in his first three games this season to provide scoring depth to a Blue Jackets team with big expectations. The Blue Jackets acquired Artemi Panarin to give the team a dynamic offensive presence, and Milano is showing he can be another player with the ability to ignite an offense with a memorable play.

“But you have to look for the right opportunity for those plays,” Kekalainen said. “That’s the big change this season ... sometimes he

makes the simple little chip and just puts the puck in the right area.”

As the NHL gets younger, we are accustomed to seeing high draft picks jump directly from the junior ranks to the NHL. But Milano earned his way to the NHL by spending 127 games in the American Hockey League.

Kekalainen said the Blue Jackets encourage players not to be afraid to make mistakes. “But you have to be smart about it,” he said.

That’s been Milano since training camp. Kekalainen said the Oyster Bay, N.Y., winger has been among the team’s best forwards since then.

“The NHL is about proving yourself over and over again,” Kekalainen

said. "But that’s what I give him a lot of credit for. He’s been very, very hungry. He’s making sure that he is not going unnoticed.”

Here are a list of other 24-and-under NHLers who have grabbed the spotlight in the first week of the NHL season:

Defenseman Mike Matheson (Florida Panthers): The recent eight-year, $39 million contract extension speaks to the value the organization

places on Matheson, a 23-year-old playing in his second full season. Among the team’s defenseman, he’s third in minutes played.

Although Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle are currently the offensive catalysts on the blue line, Matheson has the skill to expand his offensive role over time.

Center Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning): The 21-year-old established last season — with 40 points in 68 games — that he can be a significant contributor. Thus far, he’s the team’s leading scorer (three goals and seven points in three games) and has more shifts per game

than every forward, including Steven Stamkos. Point is blossoming into a star.

Left wing Nail Yakupov (Colorado Avalanche): At 24, the 2012 No. 1

overall draft pick is showing early signs he has finally figured out how he can be effective.

Now playing with Matt Duchene, Yakupov has three goals and five points in four games to help the Avalanche to a 3-1-0 start. He has 11 shots on

goal. Last season he totaled three goals on 35 shots with nine points in 40 games for the St. Louis Blues. He owned a plus-minus of -91 over his first 292 NHL games, but he's +6 with Colorado. It’s too early to know

whether Yakupov can sustain this level of play.

Defenseman Will Butcher (New Jersey Devils): The signing of college free agents hasn't always produced favorable results. But the Devils appear to have found a prize in Butcher, a smallish puck mover from the

University of Denver.

Heavily recruited by many teams, Butcher, 22, picked the Devils and stepped smoothly into the lineup. He’s contributed five assists to their 3-0-0 start. “He’s a smart player,” Devils general manager Ray Shero said.

He played 16:18 in the Devils’ last game and looks comfortable in his new role.

Right wing Jesper Bratt (Devils): Sixteen months ago, Bratt was drafted 162nd overall, the sixth round, meaning he was far from a lock to ever play in the NHL.

But when Shero watched Bratt play in a rookie tournament in Buffalo this summer he told coach John Hynes that the 19-year-old may force the Devils to let him play this season. He was that impressive.

Nothing changed in training camp and now Bratt leads the Devils with six

points in three games. His game is mature for a player his age.

“Veteran players know who’s good and they know he’s good,” Shero said.

USA TODAY LOADED: 10.13.2017

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