All posts by Josh Gold-Smith

Canadiens’ Chiarot expected to miss 6-8 weeks with fractured hand

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot will likely be out for six-to-eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a fractured hand Monday, the club announced.

Chiarot suffered the injury during a win over the Vancouver Canucks last Wednesday. It appeared to occur during his fight with Canucks forward J.T. Miller in the first period, after which the Montreal blue-liner didn't return.

Chiarot missed the two subsequent games - a pair of losses to the Calgary Flames - as well.

The 29-year-old has collected five points in 25 games this season. He ranks third among Montreal skaters in average ice time behind Shea Weber and Jeff Petry.

Chiarot is in his second season in Montreal after signing with the team in July 2019. He spent his first five-plus campaigns with the Winnipeg Jets.

The Canadiens will presumably give rookie rearguard Alexander Romanov a larger role in the wake of Chiarot's injury.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Picking NHL All-Star teams at the season’s unofficial halfway mark

There's no NHL All-Star Game this season, but we want to recognize those who would've deserved a selection had this been a typical year.

We've kept the three-on-three tournament-based format the NHL has used since 2015-16. This means rosters will consist of seven forwards, two defensemen, and two goaltenders for each of the four divisions.

The selections are based on performance. Unlike the usual process involving fan voting (and an actual tournament played in front of spectators), popularity isn't a factor here.

We've also chosen not to employ the NHL's rule mandating at least one player from every team because the quota exists purely to placate fans, and it often results in better players being left out, even in a normal season. Lastly, the players are listed in order of their worthiness, and the picks were made with input from all of theScore's hockey editors.

Here's who we believe would warrant NHL All-Star selection in 2021 if the midseason event was being held:

North Division

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Forwards

Honorable mentions: Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Johnny Gaudreau.

Almost all of the North Division forward picks are no-brainers. McDavid has been the Hart Trophy front-runner for most of the season, Matthews has been the consensus runner-up, and Draisaitl and Marner are among the NHL's top point producers. Toffoli's done most of his damage against the Canucks (eight goals and five assists in seven games), but he's still produced seven markers in 20 contests against the other Canadian teams.

Defensemen

Player Team
Jeff Petry Canadiens
Quinn Hughes Canucks

Honorable mentions: Neal Pionk, Thomas Chabot, Darnell Nurse.

Petry leads all NHL rearguards in goals and sits within striking distance of the league lead in points at the position while producing more points than any other Canadiens skater. The Montreal blue-liner's also driving possession better than the other candidates, boasting a 55.52 expected goals for percentage, a 57.18 scoring chances for percentage, and a 55.89 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five.

Hughes has also been a must-watch blue-liner in 2021, leading all Vancouver skaters in assists and outpacing all but two Canuck players in points. His underlying numbers aren't favorable, but chalk that up to his team's largely underwhelming performance. The 21-year-old has played more games than his counterparts this season and the sky's the limit for this star.

Goaltenders

Player Team
Connor Hellebuyck Jets
Thatcher Demko Canucks

Honorable mention: Mike Smith.

The top North Division goaltenders have largely underachieved and/or endured injuries this season. Jacob Markstrom has done both, as has Frederik Andersen, and Carey Price is clearly no longer the netminder he once was.

Given Hellebuyck's workload, no other goalie has played better for the Canadian teams. While the Jets puck-stopper's save percentage isn't otherworldly, it's better than all other No. 1 goalies in the North who've matched or even approached his 21 starts. He's also helped Winnipeg occupy second place despite the Jets being one of the NHL's worst teams in shots allowed per game.

Demko struggled to start the season but has seized the Canucks' No. 1 job and has dominated as of late. In his last six games, he's posted a .952 save percentage with five wins.

Central Division

Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty

Forwards

Honorable mentions: Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Vincent Trocheck.

Kane and DeBrincat have been lights out for the surprisingly competitive Blackhawks, while another dynamic duo - Huberdeau and Barkov - are excelling for the resurgent Panthers. Forsberg would be on the fringes of the Hart Trophy race if his Predators were in a playoff spot with how much he's carried them.

Defensemen

Hedman is far and away the best blue-liner in the Central Division, and, as usual, his numbers prove it. Ekblad has also put himself in the Norris Trophy conversation with a stellar first half.

Goaltenders

Player Team
Andrei Vasilevskiy Lightning
Kevin Lankinen Blackhawks

Honorable mention: Chris Driedger.

Much like the Central rearguards, there's no debate regarding the netminders. Vasilevskiy is the Vezina Trophy front-runner, while Lankinen has emerged as a Calder Trophy candidate since coming out of nowhere to become the Blackhawks' unquestioned No. 1 goalie.

East Division

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Forwards

Honorable mentions: Artemi Panarin, Alex Ovechkin.

It would be shocking if Ovechkin didn't earn a spot in any other season, but he doesn't warrant selection here since we're basing it solely on performance. The Capitals superstar hasn't been his typically prolific self in 2021, and his underlying numbers are similarly unflattering.

Conversely, all three members of the Bruins' vaunted top line deserve to crack the list. Pastrnak missed time at the start of the campaign due to injury but has been lights out since returning, and Bergeron, as always, has been proficient at both ends.

Defensemen

Player Team
Charlie McAvoy Bruins
John Carlson Capitals

Honorable mentions: Adam Fox, Kris Letang.

McAvoy is a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate and has been indispensable to a Bruins squad that lost Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara in the offseason. Carlson - the 2019-20 runner-up for that award - has been productive as usual in 2021. He helped the Capitals remain competitive when they were without a quartet of key players for an extended period.

Goaltenders

Player Team
Semyon Varlamov Islanders
Igor Shesterkin Rangers

A pair of Russian netminders playing for New York-based clubs have separated themselves from the East pack. Varlamov has ceded some starts lately to another countryman, Ilya Sorokin, but the veteran is still the Islanders' clear No. 1 and has been the division's best puck-stopper in 2021. Shesterkin has a mild injury that's considered day-to-day, so he keeps his spot.

Tuukka Rask has a winning record because he plays for the Bruins, but he's been subpar for much of the season, posting a .906 save percentage and minus-0.18 goals saved above average in all situations. He has a respectable 0.98 goals saved above expected (according to Evolving Hockey), but Varlamov and Shesterkin are outperforming him in that department, too.

West Division

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Forwards

Honorable mention: Max Pacioretty.

Kaprizov leads all rookies in goals, assists, and points while pacing all first-year forwards in average ice time by a wide margin. The 23-year-old has looked like a seasoned pro while dazzling at times in his first NHL campaign. O'Reilly does so much for the Blues, and Perron has been an All-Star caliber player for St. Louis in his own right.

Defensemen

Player Team
Cale Makar Avalanche
Drew Doughty Kings

Honorable mentions: Jakob Chychrun, Sam Girard.

Makar hasn't played since late February due to an injury, but he was the Norris Trophy front-runner before being forced out of the lineup and remains day-to-day. Either fellow Avalanche blue-liner Girard or Chychrun would be worthy replacements, but considering Makar isn't expected to be unavailable for the long term, he has to be the West Division's top blue-liner here.

Doughty is enjoying a bounce-back year for the surprisingly better-than-awful Kings, ranking near the top of the NHL in average ice time and sitting among the league leaders in points by a rearguard.

Goaltenders

Player Team
Marc-Andre Fleury Golden Knights
Kaapo Kahkonen Wild

Honorable mentions: Philipp Grubauer, Darcy Kuemper.

Kahkonen has outperformed Grubauer in terms of save percentage and goals saved above average at five-on-five. The Wild netminder has also won a larger percentage of his starts than his Colorado counterpart. While Grubauer has notched four shutouts, three of them came against either the San Jose Sharks (two) or Kings.

(Analytics source unless otherwise indicated: Natural Stat Trick)

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Islanders place Lee on LTIR

The New York Islanders placed captain Anders Lee on long-term injured reserve, the team announced Sunday.

The move is retroactive to March 11.

The Islanders ruled Lee out indefinitely Friday after he left Thursday's win over the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury.

Players on LTIR must miss a minimum of 10 games or 24 days, according to CapFriendly. This allows teams to exceed the salary cap and spend an amount equal to the injured player's cap hit while he remains out of the lineup.

Lee's cap hit is $7 million.

Lee leads the Islanders with 12 goals and ranks second on the club with 19 points across 27 games in 2021.

The 30-year-old is in his ninth season with the Islanders, who drafted him 152nd overall in 2009. New York named him captain in 2018-19 following John Tavares' departure.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Senators fans further embrace meme with ‘Sickos’ cutouts

The Ottawa Senators and their fans are taking their love for the "Sickos" meme to a new level.

While no spectators are currently allowed to attend Senators home games, the team started accepting cutout submissions earlier this week, according to NHL.com's Pat Pickens. Fans seized on the opportunity.

The team's official customizable cutouts cost about $75 each, and one of the three templates is inspired by the meme.

Twitter user @brochenski is credited with starting the "Sens Sickos" movement, having shared memes incorporating the popular cartoon for more than a year, according to The Athletic's Ian Mendes.

The original "Sickos" image comes from a drawing by Ward Sutton, a.k.a. Stan Kelly. It was published in The Onion in 2015 and has since gained widespread appeal online.

Senators fans adopted the meme in February 2020 as many rooted for the lottery-bound team to lose. It's taken on new life this season, particularly after Ottawa's stunning comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 15 and the Montreal Canadiens' firing of head coach Claude Julien following consecutive losses to the Senators later in the month.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hurricanes waive Gardiner, intend to place him on taxi squad

The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman Jake Gardiner on waivers Saturday for the purpose of sending him to their taxi squad, according to team writer Michael Smith.

Gardiner has played only two of the Hurricanes' last eight games, and head coach Rod Brind'Amour said earlier this week the blue-liner has been dealing with a back issue. The move will give the team salary-cap flexibility while Gardiner is out of the lineup, notes Smith.

The 30-year-old rearguard carries a $4.05-million cap hit through 2022-23. He inked a four-year, $16.2-million pact with Carolina in September 2019.

Gardiner is in his second campaign with the Hurricanes after eight with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's collected seven points - all assists - across 17 contests this season.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pettersson expected to miss at least another week with injury

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson will likely miss at least three more games with the injury he sustained earlier this month.

Pettersson is "probably going to be (out) at least another week," Canucks head coach Travis Green said Tuesday. Vancouver will host the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday before playing a road affair against the Ottawa Senators next Monday.

The Swedish star has missed the last three contests with an upper-body injury.

Pettersson had rediscovered his form before being forced out of the lineup. He'd notched 10 goals and 10 assists in his last 20 games after collecting a lone assist over his first six contests this season. Pettersson also buried five goals in as many games before missing time.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eichel out vs. Flyers due to upper-body injury

The moribund Buffalo Sabres will play another game without their captain.

Jack Eichel won't suit up against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night due to an upper-body injury, the Sabres announced.

Though it's unclear if it's related, the 24-year-old star appeared to be bothered by a neck ailment during Sunday's loss to the New York Islanders.

Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger said Tuesday that Eichel is being evaluated but didn't specify whether it's a longer-term injury or when it happened, according to NHL.com's Heather Engel.

Eichel was a late scratch for a game against the New Jersey Devils due to an injury in late February, after which Krueger said the center got hurt during that night's warmup. Eichel contradicted Krueger several days later, saying he was injured during the prior game.

It's been a difficult season for Eichel in terms of production. He leads the Sabres with 16 assists and 18 points but has scored only two goals in 21 games. He has an expected goals-for percentage at five-on-five of 56.42 but a goals-for rate of only 38.46 in the same situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The team's struggles have mirrored those of its best player. Buffalo enters Tuesday's action with the worst points percentage in the NHL (.326) and a 6-14-3 record. The Sabres have lost seven straight games and are coming off three straight 5-2 defeats at the hands of the Islanders.

Buffalo named Eichel its captain at the start of the 2018-19 season after signing him to an eight-year, $80-million contract extension the previous October.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lightning to raise Stanley Cup banner Saturday with fans in attendance

The Tampa Bay Lightning are making good on their pledge to delay their championship banner ceremony until spectators are allowed back inside Amalie Arena.

In conjunction with the return of fans to the building, the Lightning will raise the Stanley Cup banner to the rafters Saturday when Tampa Bay hosts the Nashville Predators.

The spectacle will be part of a "reopening night" for the Lightning, who unveiled the pennant Jan. 13 but chose not to elevate it completely until fans could return.

Last week, the Lightning said a maximum of 3,800 fans would be permitted to attend games, beginning with Saturday's contest.

Several NHL clubs have begun allowing a limited number of spectators back into their arenas after beginning the campaign without them due to COVID-19 concerns.

Tampa Bay won the Cup by defeating the Dallas Stars in six games last September. It was the second title in Lightning history following their triumph in 2004.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NWHL to proceed with playoffs after COVID-19 postponement

The National Women's Hockey League postseason is back on.

Four teams will compete in the semifinals on March 26, with the winners meeting in the single-elimination Isobel Cup final the next night, the NWHL announced Monday.

The top-seeded Toronto Six will face the fourth-ranked Boston Pride, and the No. 2-slotted Minnesota Whitecaps will clash with the third-seeded Connecticut Whale.

All three games will take place at Warrior Ice Arena, the Boston Bruins' training facility in Brighton, Massachusetts. All of the matchups will be shown on NBCSN, marking the first time a major U.S. national network will broadcast women's pro hockey league championship games.

The NWHL suspended play due to COVID-19 concerns on Feb. 3 - one day before the Isobel Cup playoffs were slated to begin. The league opened an abbreviated 2021 campaign in an isolated environment on Jan. 23 in Lake Placid, New York, but the Metropolitan Riveters withdrew from the bubble five days later following multiple positive tests. The Whale did the same on Feb. 1 despite having clinched a playoff spot.

The league will employ "enhanced health and safety protocols and enforcement" upon resuming play.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canucks GM: ‘I’m not looking to make a coaching change’

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning says head coach Travis Green's job is safe for now.

Green is in the final year of his contract and has guided the Canucks since 2017-18. Vancouver currently sits second last in the North Division at 10-15-2 while having played more games than all of their Canadian opponents.

Benning also addressed the possibility of making a trade to improve the club Friday. He added his team has to "figure this out from within," as new players would have to quarantine for two weeks and then get their conditioning back, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The GM said in November he'd begun negotiating a contract extension with Green but the COVID-19 pandemic was limiting their ability to finalize it.

Vancouver missed the playoffs in Green's first two seasons behind the bench but made it in 2020, bouncing the Minnesota Wild out of the qualifying round before knocking out the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in the next stage.

The Canucks came within one win of reaching the Western Conference Final, losing their second-round series to the Vegas Golden Knights in seven.

Green has a record of 112-118-30 behind the Vancouver bench.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.