All posts by Josh Wegman

McDavid: ‘I thought my leg was in 2 pieces’

Connor McDavid breathed a big sigh of relief when X-rays revealed he did not break his leg after crashing into the post on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.

But in the moment, the Edmonton Oilers superstar feared the worst.

"I was just worried to stand up. I thought my leg was just going to give away," McDavid told reporters Sunday. "If I'm being completely honest, I thought my leg was in two pieces."

McDavid was upended by Mark Giordano after burning the Flames defenseman wide. He was skating over 25 mph prior to the trip.

McDavid did not think it was a dirty play by Giordano.

"You can't fault Giordano for trying to make a play on the puck," said McDavid, adding that blue-liner was very apologetic afterward.

When a reporter asked whether the injury would change the way he drives to the net in the future, McDavid responded emphatically.

"They pay me $100 million to play my game, part of my game is beating guys wide and going to the net," he said. "So I'll have to give my money back (to Oilers owner Daryl Katz) if I stop doing that, so I'm not doing that."

McDavid aired his disappointment in the Oilers' latest letdown after a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights officially eliminated them from playoff contention earlier in the week, and his sentiment remains the same.

"I'd be a complete loser if I wasn't frustrated," he said. "It's frustrating personally, it's frustrating as a group. We want to be in the playoffs, we want to be competing late in the season."

McDavid's comments in Vegas led some to believe he wants out of Edmonton, but the 22-year-old squashed that notion.

"I want to be here. If I didn't want to be here I wouldn't have signed an eight-year deal," he said.

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Sabres fire head coach Phil Housley

The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Phil Housley on Sunday, the team announced.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill took some responsibility following the move, telling reporters, including The Buffalo News' Mike Harrington, that it was his decision to dismiss Housley.

"We didn't put the proper roster out there," he added.

Botterill also pointed to "lapses defensively in our structure," a notable remark considering Housley is a legendary former blue-liner who's known as a defensive specialist.

Housley was hired following the 2016-17 season after a successful four-year stint as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators. He was unable to turn the Sabres around, though, failing to make the playoffs both seasons in Buffalo and compiling a record of 58-84-22.

After a successful month of November, which included a 10-game winning streak, the Sabres sat atop the NHL standings. However, from that point, Buffalo went 16-33-8 and failed to win in regulation during March.

The Sabres' next head coach will be the club's fifth bench boss since Lindy Ruff's 15-year run came to an end midway through the 2012-13 campaign.

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Desjardins won’t return as Kings coach

Los Angeles Kings interim head coach Willie Desjardins won't be back behind the bench next year, the team announced Sunday.

"Today we thanked Willie Desjardins for his effort and dedication while serving as our interim head coach," general manager Rob Blake said in a statement. "We wish Willie and his family nothing but the best going forward. The process for hiring our next head coach is underway and we look forward to conducting a thorough search for the right person to lead our team."

Desjardins took over for John Stevens just 14 games into the season and couldn't right the ship, compiling a 27-34-8 record. The Kings finished with both the second-worst offense and overall record in the NHL.

The former head coach was also publicly criticized by Ilya Kovalchuk after making the high-paid forward a healthy scratch.

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NHL playoff matchups set

Get your popcorn ready, because it's officially playoff time.

While some NHL postseason matchups have been known for a while, many were decided on the final night of the regular season. Here's a look at all eight:

Eastern Conference

Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Atlantic Division

Home Away
Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2)

Drawing the Presidents' Trophy winners in Round 1 was probably not what Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen envisioned when he went all-in prior to the trade deadline. The Lightning emphatically swept the season series 3-0, outscoring Columbus 17-3.

Home Away
Boston Bruins (A2) Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)

The Maple Leafs and Bruins will meet in Round 1 for a second straight year after Boston's seven-game series victory in 2018. The Bruins were much stronger down the stretch and won the season series 3-1, which could give them a leg up.

Metropolitan Division

Home Away
Washington Capitals (M1) Carolina Hurricanes (WC1)

The Hurricanes don't qualify for the playoffs often, but they usually make the most of it. Carolina reached the conference finals in its last postseason appearance in 2009, and the team earned trips to the Stanley Cup Final in each of its two playoff berths prior (2006 and 2002). The Canes will be in tough against the defending champs, as the Capitals swept the season series 4-0.

Home Away
New York Islanders (M2) Pittsburgh Penguins (M3)

The Islanders will be hosting a playoff series for the first time since 1988, but it'll be no easy task against a Penguins squad that's getting healthier. Defensive mastermind Barry Trotz slowed down Pittsburgh's offense during Washington's second-round victory a year ago, but can he do that in two straight series?

Western Conference

Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / Getty

Central Division

Home Away
Nashville Predators (C1) Dallas Stars (WC1)

Take the under in this series. The Predators-Stars matchup is the only one in which both teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in scoring. The two squads made the postseason through stingy defense and stellar goaltending.

Home Away
Winnipeg Jets (C2) St. Louis Blues (C3)

The Jets lugged their way into the postseason, and they could have their hands full against the Blues, a club that was dead last in the NHL on Jan. 2 before a miraculous second half of the season. The Jets took the season series 3-1, but these teams haven't met since Dec. 7.

Pacific Division

Home Away
Calgary Flames (P1) Colorado Avalanche (WC2)

There aren't many question marks tied to the Flames, but the one that does exist is a doozy: Which goalie will lead the way in the playoffs? Mike Smith and David Rittich posted both hot and cold streaks during the season, but neither took the job and ran with it. The same can't be said for the Avs, as Philipp Grubauer's .956 save percentage over his final 14 regular-season contests has him entrenched as the club's No. 1 netminder despite playing fewer games than Semyon Varlamov.

Home Away
San Jose Sharks (P2) Vegas Golden Knights (P3)

The Golden Knights sunk the Sharks 4-2 in the second round in 2018, but thanks to the fall of the Ottawa Senators, both teams have added significant reinforcements. Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson are game-changers, and whoever has a greater impact on this series could determine the winner.

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Predators clinch back-to-back Central Division titles

The Nashville Predators clinched first place in the Central Division for the second straight season Saturday after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Preds will now face the Stars in Round 1 following Dallas' victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

Scoring could be tough in the Stars-Predators series. Both teams rank in the bottom half of the league offensively and are also two of the stingiest defensive clubs.

Nashville's win guarantees a first-round matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, though the location of Game 1 is yet to be determined.

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Hurricanes snap NHL’s longest active playoff drought

The last time the Carolina Hurricanes made the playoffs, their head coach, Rod Brind'Amour, was the team's captain.

Carolina clinched its first postseason berth since 2008-09 after defeating the New Jersey Devils combined with the Montreal Canadiens' loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

The Hurricanes' nine-year playoff drought was the longest active streak in the league. Ironically, Thursday is exactly 10 years to the day since they clinched their last playoff spot, according to The Athletic's Sara Civian.

The road to the postseason was never a guarantee for Carolina. The Hurricanes sported a lackluster 16-17-5 record at the end of 2018 but have gone 29-12-2 in the new year.

Carolina's first-round opponent is yet to be determined. The Canes could still finish as high as third in the Metro Division and as low as the second wild-card spot.

The Buffalo Sabres now hold the NHL's longest active drought, having not reached the playoffs since the 2010-11 season.

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Kucherov makes history with 40th goal of season

Nikita Kucherov continues to add to his case for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

With his 40th goal and 126th point of the season Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Tampa Bay Lightning superstar set a new benchmark for points in a season in the salary-cap era.

Player Points Season
Nikita Kucherov 126 2018-19
Joe Thornton 125 2005-06
Jaromir Jagr 123 2005-06
Sidney Crosby 120 2006-07
Connor McDavid 116 2018-19

Dating back even further, Kucherov's 126 points are the most in a season since Jagr's 127 in 1998-99.

Kucherov's 40th tally helped make some team history as well, as the Lightning became the first club since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins to have three 40-goal scorers, according to FOX Sports Florida.

'19 Lightning G '96 Penguins G
Steven Stamkos 44 Mario Lemieux 69
Brayden Point 41 Jaromir Jagr 62
Nikita Kucherov 40 Petr Nedved 45

The Lightning still have one game remaining in their historic season.

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Report: Quinn Hughes to play for USA at worlds, Jack likely to partake

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes has committed to playing for Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading".

Additionally, USA Hockey is considering bringing aboard Quinn's younger brother, Jack, as well. While no official decision has been made yet, Dreger reports it's "likely" that he'll be a part of Team USA for the tournament.

Quinn is coming off an impressive campaign at the University of Michigan, as he tallied 33 points in 32 contests. The smooth-skating defenseman turned pro last week and has suited up in four games for the Canucks. This will mark his second straight year representing USA at the worlds after tallying two assists in 10 contests in 2018.

Jack is the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The shifty, highly skilled center has 48 points in 24 games with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program this season.

The worlds will be held from May 10-26 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The United States will be looking to build off a bronze-medal performance in 2018.

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Zuccarello in Stars’ lineup vs. Flyers after 17-game injury absence

Dallas Stars forward Mats Zuccarello is in the lineup Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers after missing the last 17 games with an arm injury, the team announced.

Zuccarello was Dallas' big trade-deadline splash, but he hasn't played since blocking a shot in his first game in a Stars uniform.

More to come.

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Lightning become 3rd team ever to win 60 games

The Tampa Bay Lightning became the third team in NHL history to win 60 games in a season Monday, joining the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens and the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings.

The Bolts' 60 wins are tied with the '77 Habs for the second-most of all time, and just two victories back of the '96 Red Wings' record of 62 triumphs. With three games left on the Lightning's schedule, they could still surpass Detroit's mark.

While neither the Canadiens nor Red Wings had the luxury of shootout wins - the Lightning have picked up six victories beyond overtime this season - Montreal and Detroit didn't have the salary cap to contend with.

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