All posts by Josh Gold-Smith

Watch: Kucherov rips Canadiens fans, Vezina voters after Cup win

A second consecutive Stanley Cup victory didn't stop Nikita Kucherov from calling out numerous people afterward.

During a press conference in which he showed up shirtless and appeared noticeably inebriated, the Tampa Bay Lightning superstar took aim at Canadiens fans for the way they celebrated after Montreal won Game 4.

He also criticized Vezina Trophy voters for choosing Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury over Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, who claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy on Wednesday night after Tampa Bay defeated the Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 to capture the Stanley Cup again.

"Vasy was outstanding, MVP," Kucherov said. "I was telling him every day, 'Vasy, you're MVP. You're the best player.' And then they gave it to whatever the guy in Vegas, the Vezina. And then last year, they gave (the) Vezina to somebody else. No. 1 bullshit."

Winnipeg Jets puck-stopper Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy last season. Vasilevskiy finished third in the voting that campaign behind Hellebuyck and Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask.

"Vasy took both Cups," Kucherov continued. "He took MVP and I (kept) telling him he's MVP. He's the guy that f------, he's the best. He (stood) on his head today, and he kept us in the game. Another shutout by him, remarkable."

He then turned his attention to Canadiens supporters.

"I'm so happy we (won in Tampa Bay on Wednesday)," he said. "I didn't want to go back to Montreal, but they acted, the fans in Montreal, come on. They acted like they won the Stanley Cup last game. You kidding me? Their final was last series."

Canadiens fans piled into the city's streets to celebrate after Montreal won Game 4 in overtime 3-2 on Monday night.

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Bolts end Habs’ improbable run, repeat as Stanley Cup champions

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night to claim their second consecutive championship.

Tampa Bay won the title again after dispatching the Dallas Stars over six games in the 2019-20 final in the Edmonton bubble.

Montreal was vying for its first Stanley Cup victory since 1993, and the Canadian club was making its first appearance in the championship round since that year.

The Canadiens had the worst record among postseason squads this year, but they upset the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Vegas Golden Knights en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves to earn the shutout Wednesday - his fifth of this postseason - and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Tampa Bay rookie Ross Colton scored the lone goal of Game 5 in the second period.

The Lightning reached the final for the third time in seven years after the Chicago Blackhawks vanquished them over six games in 2015.

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Report: ‘Zero chance’ NHL postpones Game 5 due to storm

The NHL isn't planning to reschedule Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in Tampa on Wednesday night despite the imminent arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa.

There's "zero chance" the game would need to be delayed based on the storm's current trajectory, an NHL source told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. Forecasts are calling for the worst of the storm to end by Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for part of Florida's Gulf Coast with winds intensifying. All of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and other NHL personnel have already landed safely in the area.

Tampa International Airport shut down at 5 p.m. ET and aimed to reopen Wednesday morning after evaluating the conditions.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league would keep tabs on the situation.

"(We) will continue to monitor and make a call when we have to," Daly said Tuesday, according to The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno. "We do have an amount of flexibility."

Game 5 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. The Lightning lead the series 3-1 and can win the Stanley Cup with a victory.

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Tampa mayor: Lightning should lose Game 4 to win Cup at home

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said she wants the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup on home ice, even if it means losing Game 4 to the Montreal Canadiens on the road.

"What we would like is for the Lightning to take it a little bit easy, to give the Canadiens just the smallest break, allow them to win one at home, and then bring it back to Amalie Arena for the final and the winning of the Stanley Cup," Castor said.

"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but (the Lightning) are playing some amazing hockey," the mayor added.

The Lightning lead the series 3-0 and can win the Cup on Monday in Montreal. If necessary, Game 5 would be in Tampa, with a potential Game 6 in Quebec and the final contest back in Florida.

Relatives of Lightning personnel aren't allowed to enter Canada in time for a potential celebration if Tampa wins Game 4.

Last season, the Lightning claimed the Cup in the Edmonton bubble with only their Canadian relatives present. However, the team later held a championship celebration upon returning to Tampa.

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Grigorenko leaves Blue Jackets, rejoins CSKA Moscow on 3-year deal

Mikhail Grigorenko is going back to Russia.

The forward signed a three-year contract with the KHL's CSKA Moscow on Saturday. He returns to the club with which he played three seasons from 2017 to 2020.

Grigorenko collected four goals and eight assists in 32 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021. He was a pending unrestricted free agent.

The 27-year-old had his most productive seasons during his previous stint with CSKA. He tallied 19 goals and 22 assists over 47 games in 2019-20. That followed a 17-goal, 35-assist effort across 55 contests the previous campaign.

Grigorenko helped the KHL squad win the Gagarin Cup as league champions in 2018-19, adding 13 goals and eight assists in 20 playoff games. He also helped the team reach the final in 2017-18, notching nine goals and four assists in 21 postseason contests.

The Buffalo Sabres drafted Grigorenko 12th overall in 2012. He played for the Sabres until 2015, when they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche. Grigorenko played with Colorado for two seasons before joining CSKA for his first KHL stint.

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Bolts’ families can’t enter Canada for potential celebration after Game 4

Relatives of Tampa Bay Lightning players and staff who aren't already in Canada won't be allowed to join the team for a possible Stanley Cup championship celebration if it occurs in Montreal on Monday night.

The Canadian government won't waive its mandatory quarantine period for those entering the country and make family members exempt, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan on Saturday.

The NHL and NHLPA reportedly requested as much from the Canadian government this week. The players' union wasn't optimistic the request would be granted, and with no agreement in place as of Saturday, the possibility of families being allowed to cross the border for a potential celebration after Game 4 on Monday was ruled out, according to Kaplan.

The matter could be resolved before Game 6 on Wednesday if the series reaches that point, but neither the league nor the union reportedly expects that to happen.

Beginning Monday, fully vaccinated travelers can enter Canada under certain conditions, but they must quarantine for 14 days.

In June, Canada's lawmakers gave NHL teams travel exemptions for the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Clubs were given the go-ahead to cross the border without quarantining, though enhanced measures have been followed, such as daily testing and a modified bubble.

If the Lightning win the championship Monday, it will be the second consecutive season most family members haven't been allowed to participate in the team's title celebration. When Tampa Bay claimed the Stanley Cup in the Edmonton bubble in September, only Canadian family members living in the country could be present.

The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 3-0.

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Cooper: I’m happy to win, but I ‘might be a little happier’ for Johnson

Jon Cooper effusively praised Tyler Johnson after the forward scored twice to help the Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 and take a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Friday.

"There's a reason Tyler Johnson's trophy case is fairly full," the Lightning head coach said postgame. "It's because he's an ultimate team player. He's selfless, and there was a time in this organization when we needed to take another step and Tyler Johnson was one of the leaders of that. He's just carried that on for years now."

"As teams change and they evolve, and the salary cap (comes into play) ... guys are coming up. But there was one thing we never lost faith in: Tyler Johnson," Cooper continued. "He never lost faith in himself. And roles change, you have to adapt, and nobody's done it better than Tyler. ... I couldn't be more happy for somebody, and I know that his teammates were for his performance tonight, and being rewarded for everything he's gone through.

"I'm extremely happy for the win," he said. "I might be a little happier for Tyler Johnson."

Johnson went unclaimed in October after the Lightning placed him on waivers. The veteran center will turn 31 on July 29. He's often considered an expendable player in trade and expansion-draft chatter because of his $5-million cap hit and diminished offensive production.

Cooper and Johnson both joined the Lightning in 2012-13, and the two have been with the club since. They won the Cup together last season after reaching the championship round in 2015.

Johnson, who stands just 5-foot-8, is a two-time 29-goal scorer. Tampa Bay signed him as a free agent in March 2011 after he went undrafted.

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Report: Oilers interested in Keith if Blackhawks retain or take on salary

The Edmonton Oilers are open to acquiring Duncan Keith if the Chicago Blackhawks can ease their financial burden.

Edmonton is interested in the veteran defenseman, but only at the right price and under the right circumstances, a team source told The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

The Oilers reportedly want the Blackhawks to retain a portion of Keith's salary or take one of Edmonton's "bad" contracts in a potential deal. But the Oilers don't expect the Blackhawks to part so easily with Keith, who played a major role in his team's three championships from 2010-15.

On Wednesday, it was reported Keith is working with Chicago to facilitate a trade to either the Pacific Northwest or western Canada so he can be closer to his family in Penticton, British Columbia. Keith, who'll turn 38 on July 16, has a full no-movement clause in his contract. Two years remain on that pact at a roughly $5.54-million cap hit.

Keith's play significantly declined this season, as he collected only 15 points in 54 games. However, he averaged a team-high 23:25 of ice time in 2021.

The Oilers have about $16 million in cap space, but they still need to sign pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Adam Larsson and soon-to-be UFA goalie Mike Smith. Edmonton also has a slew of additional pending free agents, including young forward Kailer Yamamoto and more experienced winger Alex Chiasson.

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Wild sign Eriksson Ek to 8-year, $42M deal

The Minnesota Wild inked versatile forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value of $5.25 million, the club announced Friday.

Eriksson Ek was a pending restricted free agent.

The 24-year-old produced a career year in 2021, ranking third on the team with 19 goals and fifth with 30 points over 56 games. He also finished fourth in Selke Trophy voting.

Eriksson Ek authored a stellar 57.38 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Swedish center also led the Wild with 395 faceoff wins on 839 attempts.

Minnesota drafted Eriksson Ek 20th overall in 2015.

There are still two more impact players on the Wild's roster for them to sign. Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov and talented forward Kevin Fiala - the squad's leading scorers - both need new contracts.

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Lightning defeat Canadiens to take 2-0 series lead in Stanley Cup Final

Blake Coleman scored the eventual game-winner on a diving buzzer-beater in the second period as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night.

Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring at the 6:40 mark of the middle frame, and Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki replied with the equalizer just less than four minutes later before Coleman restored the Lightning lead.

Ondrej Palat tallied late in the third period to give Tampa Bay some insurance.

The Canadiens controlled play for most of the game and outshot the Lightning 43-23, but Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 42 of those shots. Montreal netminder Carey Price allowed all three Lightning goals.

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