The Los Angeles Kings will be without their defensive anchor in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
Doughty delivered what the NHL called an "illegal check to the head" of Carrier midway through the third period of Game 1 on Wednesday night. The league described it as a "high, forceful hit that makes Carrier's head the principal point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable."
Here's a look at it:
Le défenseur des @LAKings Drew Doughty aura une audience avec le Département de la sécurité des joueurs de la #LNH pour ce geste.
The NHL added that while Doughty's first point of contact was Carrier's arm, Rule 48.1 (governing head shots) doesn't take into account what the first point of contact is, but rather the main point of contact. The league determined that the head took "the brunt of the impact."
Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said Thursday that Carrier is day to day with an injury he would only label as an upper-body ailment, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
theScore's Ian McLaren caught up with Maple Leafs forward William Nylander to talk about playing for coach Mike Babcock, life in Toronto, and the pressure that comes with representing the blue and white.
theScore: It’s been an interesting season for you, bouncing between center and the wing, mainly out of necessity (due to Auston Matthews being injured at various points). Do you have a preference between playing on Matthews’ wing or centering your own line?
Nylander: Wherever (Babcock) needs me to play. I think the chemistry is there between me and (Matthews) and we’re able to find each other really well. I love playing with him but if (Babcock) needs me at center, I can.
theScore: Speaking of Babcock, he’s known as a tough coach, but obviously the results are there. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned playing for him?
Nylander: You learn to play both ways, that’s one of the bigger things … There’s small things that you don’t really think about system-wise.
theScore: Playing in Toronto, there's a lot of expectations. Is the weight of the past something that you and the other younger guys feel?
Nylander: Me and the younger guys, we came here and that's the way we knew it to be. We haven’t been anywhere else where the pressure might have been a little less. That’s the way we know it to be, it’s just part of it. It’s the way it is.
theScore: Your dad played in Calgary for a while and in some other bigger markets (New York, Washington). Did he give you any advice about playing in Canada or markets where the focus is more on hockey than other sports?
Nylander: You have to be prepared. Play your best. Battle every night. That’s all you can do.
theScore: Favorite spot to eat in Toronto?
Nylander: I like this Thai place called PAI.
theScore: What about to just hang out?
Nylander: Me and (Kasperi Kapanen) went to Real Sports the other day to play golf in the simulator, so that’s fun. There’s a lot of fun things to do.
theScore: Finally, a lot of people are talking about the playoff format, and how Toronto will play either Boston or Tampa Bay* - the two top teams in the East - in the first round. Any thoughts on the format and is there anything you’d change about it, or are you looking forward to that challenge right off the bat?
Nylander: To go where we want to go, we have to beat every team, so it doesn’t matter. That’s the way it is right now and you can’t really control that.
theScore: Is there a preference between Boston or Tampa Bay?
Nylander: Like I said, we just have to beat whatever team we play. If you don’t play one team right away, if you go next time, you’ll play those guys.
*The Maple Leafs are in Boston on Thursday for Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series.
Kinkaid has taken over the Devils' net in recent months, usurping starter Cory Schneider, who missed significant time with injury and then struggled upon his return.
Schneider has dropped his last 12 appearances, his most recent victory coming against the Detroit Red Wings in late December.
Goalie
GP
Record
SV%
GAA
Kinkaid
41
26-10-3
.913
2.77
Schneider
40
17-16-6
.907
2.93
Kinkaid's unbeaten in regulation in his last eight games, with a 7-0-1 record and a .931 save rate.
The Devils took all three games against the Lightning this season.
For a series featuring as opposing goaltenders a two-time Vezina winner and a backup netminder with just one playoff start to date, it's strange to think the bonafide superstar is the one facing more pressure.
Philipp Grubauer outplayed Washington Capitals cornerstone Braden Holtby down the stretch and earned the No. 1 spot in the crease for the time being. Keep it up in the postseason, and he'll be a hero.
Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky enters the postseason after another terrific campaign in which the 29-year-old started 65 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning 37, while posting a .921 save percentage and 2.42 goals against average. Those numbers were down from his dominant 2016-17 season but still among the game's elite nonetheless.
However, Bobrovsky, unequivocally the Blue Jackets' most important player, holds a playoff resume which is in stark contrast to everything he's accomplished in the regular season:
Regular season
Stat
Playoffs
395
Games Played
18
218-129-36
Record
3-10
.920
Save %
.887
2.44
GAA
3.63
24
SO
0
Obviously, the postseason sample size is much smaller, this being just the fourth playoff berth in Blue Jackets history, and third in Bobrovsky's tenure. Still, something hasn't clicked for him come springtime.
Perhaps it's because the Jackets always draw the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, but their consolation prize this year isn't much better. The potent Caps offense ranked ninth in goals this season on the back of Alex Ovechkin, probably the last player on Earth a goalie wants to be tasked with shutting down throughout a series.
Bobrovsky was dynamite leading up to the playoffs, going 12-2-1 with a .926 save percentage in his final 15 games to secure the first wildcard seed in a crowded Metropolitan Division race. While those numbers instill some confidence, his career stats against the Capitals don't offer similar optimism, as he's won just seven of 22 games with a pedestrian .900 save percentage.
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
So, how can he and the Blue Jackets flip the script this time around?
They can start by playing the game at even strength. Over the course of the regular season, the Blue Jackets' penalty kill was dreadful, 27th league-wide at 76.2 percent. Bobrovsky himself ranked last among 25 goalies to play at least 200 shorthanded minutes with a save percentage of .830. That doesn't bode well against the Caps' seventh-ranked power play.
However, the chart below shows Columbus has a considerable advantage over Washington in several key metrics at even strength, including shot share (CF%), goals for, and scoring chances, both high-danger and overall.
In last season's first-round exit, the Blue Jackets' inability to kill penalties was a back-breaker, as they allowed five goals in five games while a man down. They faced tough times against the Penguins' star-studded power play, but a repeat performance (or anything close) won't be enough to advance. It has to be better.
It goes without saying the Blue Jackets must avoid taking penalties and letting Ovechkin open a shooting gallery from his office, but they legitimately have the talent to dictate play against the Capitals and discipline should be a top priority as they look for a first playoff series win in franchise history.
Columbus' success, be it over the course of the 82-game schedule or the postseason, rests largely on the shoulders of Bobrovsky, an all-world goaltender leading a team capable of making noise in the Eastern Conference bracket. They're just going to have to stay out of the box to give themselves a chance.
Edmonton Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson confirmed general manager Peter Chiarelli will retain his role as general manager and president of hockey operations next season, but head coach Todd McLellan's status is being evaluated.
Nicholson hosted a press conference to address the future of the organization Thursday afternoon - one day after Chiarelli's meeting with the media, in which he declared he expects a return to the playoffs next season and might deal the club's first-round draft pick.
#Oilers CEO & Vice Chair Bob Nicholson says Peter Chiarelli will continue to be the team's President of Hockey Operations & General Manager next season. "We will have a plan coming out in the near future about how we're going forward."
Both Chiarelli and McLellan were brought in to revamp the Oilers' front office and usher in the Connor McDavid era in 2015. After a 103-point season in 2016-17, Edmonton crashed hard this season and missed the playoffs by a long shot despite McDavid leading the league with 108 points.
McLellan owns a record of 114-109-23 in three seasons behind the Oilers' bench, but Chiarelli's attracted the majority of ire for a series of questionable roster decisions.
Under Chiarelli's watch, Edmonton dealt MVP candidate Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson, and traded longtime Oiler Jordan Eberle for the less productive Ryan Strome. Combine those deals with a number of cap-constraining contracts - most notably Milan Lucic's seven-year, $42-million deal - and it's clear how the organization has dug itself a hole.
If he can't go, Jack Roslovic or Matt Hendricks would be the most obvious candidates to replace him in the lineup. The 36-year-old Hendricks brings grit and experience, while the 21-year-old Roslovic - a former first-round pick - would add skill and offensive upside.
Perreault was a valuable source of secondary scoring for the Jets this season, with 17 goals and 39 points in 70 games while mostly playing in a third-line role.
The Bruins acquired Nash prior to the trade deadline, but he hasn't played since March 17 due to a concussion. In his 11 games with Boston, he collected three goals and three assists.
Nash's return means rookie Ryan Donato will be a healthy scratch. Since joining the team late in the season, the 22-year-old collected five goals and four assists in 12 games.
The 33-year-old Nash has 15 goals and 41 points in 77 career playoff games as he begins the quest for his first Stanley Cup.
After a disappointing 67-point season, changes could be coming in Canada's capital.
The Ottawa Senators will likely make a decision about head coach Guy Boucher's future with the club after the draft lottery April 28, general manager Pierre Dorion said at his end-of-season press conference Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
If Boucher is back behind the Senators' bench, he'll have to change two parts of his coaching style.
Dorion adds that if Boucher is back, they will ask for two changes: 1) implementation of younger players in the lineup and 2) more practice. Says if he hears “rest is a weapon,” he will go crazy
The Sens took their time bringing along some of their younger players. For example, 21-year-old Colin White - who dominated the 2017 world juniors - received less ice time than Tom Pyatt, and just a tick more than Alex Burrows. Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot - the team's future on the back end - and veteran castoff Johnny Oduya played nearly identical minutes.
Dorion, unsurprisingly, thinks highly of Chabot.
"We think Thomas Chabot can be a star in this league. We think he's just scratching the surface," Dorion said, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
But if Boucher isn't willing to give Chabot - and the Senators' other young players - a role that can maximize development, it's clear Dorion will find someone who will.
