Category Archives: Hockey News

Kings’ Gilbert to have hearing for charging Ritchie

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tom Gilbert will go before the NHL Department of Player Safety for his charging play on Anaheim Ducks winger Nick Ritchie, the Department announced Wednesday.

Late in the second period of Tuesday's affair between the Southern California rivals, Gilbert charged Ritchie into the boards, making contact with his head.

Gilbert was not penalized on the play, but was called for roughing following a scrum with Ducks winger Corey Perry.

The NHL will now judge if it was a suspendable act, and if so, how long Gilbert will sit.

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Letang to return after missing 5 games

The Pittsburgh Penguins will welcome star defenseman Kris Letang back to the lineup for Wednesday's game in Anaheim, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed.

Letang missed the past five games with an upper-body injury suffered in an Oct. 18 loss to Montreal and will be inserted back into the top defensive pairing.

Letang is averaging over 26 minutes of ice time, and recorded two assists and 16 shots in four appearances this season.

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Letang to return after missing 5 games

The Pittsburgh Penguins will welcome star defenseman Kris Letang back to the lineup for Wednesday's game in Anaheim, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed.

Letang missed the past five games with an upper-body injury suffered in an Oct. 18 loss to Montreal and will be inserted back into the top defensive pairing.

Letang is averaging over 26 minutes of ice time, and recorded two assists and 16 shots in four appearances this season.

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The Mid-Week Take: Islanders aren’t doing enough to appease Tavares

The Collective Bargaining Agreement, crafted with fostering player retention in mind, is humming along at close to a perfect success rate.

The details built into the deal, and key situational factors it exploits, have obstructed player movement to the point where we simply no longer see superstars switch teams without the organizations that drafted and developed them, or acquired them previously, calling the shot.

Steven Stamkos is the most recent product of the system - and perhaps most representative. With little space to maneuver under the salary cap, the Tampa Bay Lightning had to dispute each dollar in talks with their captain, since they would never be able to offer close to what the sniper could fetch on the open market.

Stamkos held firm and waited until he could negotiate with other teams, but was in the end discouraged just the same. He belonged to a title contender in a desirable market, and the inappreciable state tax in Florida was there to offset losing out on that ostentatious eight-figure salary.

This is what the NHL fought hard for. And it's working, and preserving parity perhaps better than it would have imagined. But will it last?

John Tavares hasn't let on about any plans to leave, and the New York Islanders captain has remained firm in his conviction that he will sign a long-term extension with the club that drafted him first overall in 2009.

But should he?

Carousel

The Islanders were bad throughout the term on Tavares' entry-level deal, but with his progression, and fit with Matt Moulson, the club was showing genuine promise. Except a month into his second season on his current six-year contract, New York unexpectedly traded Tavares' primary winger, who in three previous full seasons scored at least 30 goals.

Looking back, the trade of Moulson could be viewed as impeccable foresight, as his career has fallen off the cliff since. But refusing to pay, or just simply discarding players who have lifted Tavares to his superstar status, has become routine on Long Island. Kyle Okposo is the latest, and perhaps most talented, on an lengthening list of players abruptly cut loose, leaving Tavares to make do this season with a mix of Andrew Ladd, Josh Bailey, Shane Prince, Anthony Beauvillier, and Jason Chimera.

Lack of continuity hasn't been a major concern from a production standpoint; Tavares has produced at precisely a point-per-game pace since losing his first trigger man. What he can't neutralize, however, is market instability.

Bo-rough

New York has ran into myriad problems since picking up and leaving Nassau County to move into a basketball arena in Brooklyn.

Poor lighting, obstructed sight-lines, and a scoreboard hanging off-center has made for an inadequate viewing experience for fans the stands, while the utility vehicle that sits behind the glass has thrown off those watching from home. This, and a taxing commute on the LIRR has sapped the in-arena atmosphere, resulting in the Islanders now drawing the fewest fans in the NHL.

But the issue thrust into the forefront this year, which has predominantly been the doing of Islanders coaches and players, is the persistent issue of ice quality, and an inadequate in-house maintenance system at Barclays Center that does not meet the NHL standard. Until it's fixed, and, more importantly, progress is made cleaning up other issues, the out clause ownership can trigger after three seasons in Brooklyn remains a very real possibility.

What makes that decision much more fascinating is that it coincides with their captain's deal expiring.

In seven months, Islanders GM Garth Snow can begin negotiating terms on a long-term contract with their captain for the 2018-19 season. Should Tavares sign for less than a max contract before the decision is made on where the Islanders will call home for the next decade, or without conditions improving in the slightest in tax-happy Brooklyn, it will be hard to identify the situational factors or pinpoint built-in incentives for Tavares to stay.

Instead, it would be an enormous demonstration of loyalty that the Islanders, to this point, haven't matched.

The Ten

10) Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres, and perhaps specifically their netminders, may have saved their season this week. After collecting just one win from their first six games, Buffalo beat the Panthers at home, and then the Jets and red-hot Wild on the road, allowing only two goals over that span.

9) Alex Ovechkin - He made the team's Western Canadian road trip incredibly special for a fan he spotted in the crowd in Edmonton, and then hosted a few nights later in Calgary.

8) Sidney Crosby - With two points in each of Pittsburgh's games this week, including three goals, and a readiness to accept and dole out contact, Crosby's alleviated concerns around the hockey world.

7) Jeff Skinner - On the topic of Sid, even he would have to be impressed by the backhand goal Skinner scored versus the Rangers this week. His five goals and 11 points in eight games is Skinner's best start to a season.

6) New York Rangers - This team looks legit. With Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, and Jimmy Vesey contributing to a juggernaut offense, the Rangers took three of four and upped their goal differential to a league-best plus-18.

5) Anaheim Ducks - It's never a bad week when you sign a legitimate top pairing defenseman to a six-season deal at $5.25 million per.

4) Marcus Johansson - Johansson was tops among NHL point getters this week, scoring five goals and seven points to take over the team lead.

3) Montreal Canadiens - It has been as neat and tidy as it can possibly get. The Canadiens picked up another three wins, allowing just four goals, to preserve an undefeated regulation record in October.

2) Devan Dubnyk - Dubnyk's made 94 consecutive stops across three games, becoming the first goaltender in Wild history to record three straight shutouts.

1) Craig and Nicholle Anderson - For the Andersons, it's so far beyond the 37-save shutout and the overtime win that followed. It's the incredible strength and courage that the family has shown in the face of hardship.

More Takes

1) Can you break out ... defensively? Because Nazem Kadri's shutdown effort versus Connor McDavid sure seemed like it.

2) Jonathan Marchessault and Colton Sceviour have went from thrifty to absolutely essential in keeping the Panthers' head above water mighty quick. The pair's 11 goals are as many as the rest of the Panthers' forwards combined.

3) Tuukka Rask isn't getting nearly enough love for his performance so far this season. He's literally been the difference between the Bruins winning and losing with a 5-0 record and .961 save clip.

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Canucks send Stecher to Utica

With Chris Tanev fit to return, the Vancouver Canucks have sent defenseman Troy Stecher back to the AHL's Utica Comets, the team announced Wednesday.

Stecher impressed in his three games playing predominantly on the top pair with Alex Edler, taking more than 21 minutes a night and showing an ability to push the puck up ice, as well as proficiency in the defensive end.

The 22-year-old is a product of the North Dakota system that's produced a glut of NHL talent over the past several years.

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Ducks’ Bernier cleared to return

Jonathan Bernier has been cleared to return to the Anaheim Ducks' lineup, head coach Randy Carlyle confirmed ahead of Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh.

Bernier has been out for a week with an upper-body injury.

He's made two appearances this season, allowing four goals on 56 shots in just under two periods while posting an 0-1-0 record.

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Bergevin: Weber brings ‘business-like attitude’ to Canadiens

So far, so good for the Montreal Canadiens.

The club heads into Wednesday's game against Vancouver with a record of 8-0-1, and general manager Marc Bergevin gives a large share of the credit for the great start to an attitude adjustment spearheaded by Shea Weber.

"It's a more business-like attitude, it's more calm. A lot more calm," Bergevin said, according to Arpon Basu of NHL.com. "I'm sure it has a lot to do with Shea. If you look at him, I think he has that attitude like, 'You know what? It's just one game, let's move on to the next one.' That's his attitude."

That business-like, one-game-at-a-time perspective is what Bergevin believed the Canadiens needed following a tumultuous 2015-16, wherein Montreal started 9-0-0 only to fall out of the playoff picture altogether following an injury to Carey Price.

Price is back in MVP form, it seems, but it's Weber who's been leading the charge both offensively and defensively - and in other, unseen ways, Bergevin adds.

"What he brings, you obviously see it on the ice, but off the ice, in the room, everywhere, it's his attitude, his behavior, the little details that show he's a real leader.

"Everything that's been said about Shea Weber, it's really that, and even more."

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Senators acquire Mike Condon from Penguins

The Ottawa Senators have acquired goalie Mike Condon from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2017, Ottawa confirmed Wednesday.

As a rookie last season, the undrafted Condon filled the cratering void left by Carey Price when the Montreal Canadiens superstar went down with injury.

He made 51 starts for Montreal, authoring a .903 save percentage.

Condon's only appearance for Pittsburgh came in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury. He stopped all seven shots he faced, and didn't factor in the decision in a loss to the Nashville Predators.

The Senators' goaltending situation remains fluid with Andrew Hammond out with a lower-body injury and starter Craig Anderson needing the flexibility to be with his wife, who last week was diagnosed with cancer.

Condon provides the club with capable insurance, and likely means they'll continue carrying three goaltenders.

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Report: Ducks place Mason Raymond on unconditional waivers

The Anaheim Ducks have placed winger Mason Raymond on unconditional waivers, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.

It's expected the move will result in a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with the club.

Raymond was on a one-year, $675,000 deal with the Ducks, recording no points in four games so far this season.

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3 unexpected individual stat leaders

The NHL season is officially three weeks old, and a quick look at the statistical leaderboard reveals a few unexpected names.

Here are three categories where players are stealing the spotlight seemingly out of nowhere.

Goals / Points

With a goal and an assist during Tuesday's win over Calgary, Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov jumped into first among all NHL players in points with 13.

The goal, a game-winning power-play marker, was Anisimov's seventh in 10 games, putting him in a tie for first with Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Anisimov began the season with two pointless games in which he took four penalties, but he's been on quite a tear ever since.

Anisimov scored a career-high 20 goals for Chicago last season, with the 44 points he recorded in 2010-11 as a member of the New York Rangers serving as his personal single-season best.

Save percentage / Goals-against average

Jimmy Howard appeared on track to lose his starting job with the Detroit Red Wings, or get traded, in light of the emergence of Petr Mrazek as a high-end option in goal.

For the time being, Howard has silenced critics with a ridiculous performance, stopping 110 of 113 shots against for a save percentage of .973.

His 0.86 goals-against average is also tops among all goalies.

Howard explained what's working for him in an interview with Josh Cooper of Yahoo's Puck Daddy Blog:

It’s sort of revamping the way I play and to be less aggressive and sit back a little bit more, which is allowing me not only see plays develop but also watch how the puck’s coming off a guy’s stick and giving myself that extra split second to react to a shot rather than just being out of the net and hoping it hits you.

Howard has not recorded a single-season save percentage over .910 in any of the past three seasons, and while he's bound to regress at some point, it's yet to be seen just how long he can keep up this play.

Wins

Goalie wins aren't necessarily a great measure of individual success, but it would have been hard to predict that an Edmonton Oilers netminder would lead that category at any point.

That's exactly where Cam Talbot sits, however, with a record of 7-2-1.

It should be noted that Talbot has started all ten of Edmonton's games, and Oilers head coach Todd McLellan will be forced to give him a break at some point in order to keep him fresh when needed most.

For now, the Oilers are the Western Conference's first-place team, and Talbot has helped the club bank some points in hopes of a playoff push.

Talbot tied a career-high with 21 wins in 53 starts for the Oilers last season.

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