Pierre-Luc Dubois, a projected lottery pick at this summer's draft, has been suspended by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League until further notice for an ugly hit thrown Saturday night.
At top speed in pursuit on the forecheck, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles forward placed his hands on the back of Luke Green, and shoved the Saint Johns Sea Dogs defenseman into the boards from several feet out.
Dubois has shot up draft boards this season, with 42 goals and 99 points in 62 games. And he also has clear edge, tallying the 11th-most penalty minutes among QMJHL skaters.
On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, we look back at what's been one of the prevailing themes this season: Superstars who, after rotten starts, turned their seasons around.
Sidney Crosby
Josh Gold-Smith: Crosby's supposed demise was nothing more than an early-season slump.
The Penguins captain has been on a torrid pace since being snubbed from the All-Star festivities, including 16 points during his current 10-game point streak. He's also averaging more than a point per game for the season.
The 28-year-old center has played in all but one of the Penguins' 70 games, and he ranks second on the team among all skaters - including defensemen - in average time-on-ice at 20:21. He's playing a ton, and doing it at a characteristically elite level.
Crosby has done most of his damage alongside his usual linemate, Chris Kunitz, but Patric Hornqvist has also clicked with him on the top line, notching 18 goals and 44 points.
Any first-half panicking about Crosby's game is simply laughable now.
Ryan Getzlaf
Justin Cuthbert: "How [insert player] goes, the [insert team] goes" is a tired cliche in a sport for which fans are tired of cliches, but it's one that so plainly applies to Getzlaf and the Ducks. So, our apologies.
There isn't a date or discrete moment to pinpoint the beginning of Anaheim's turnaround. But it's not as blurred for Getzlaf. Two months ago - when the Ducks were scoring at a league-low rate hovering at about 1.9 goals per game - the fanbase let out a collective groan when the captain committed another brainless turnover (the sort that became representative of his struggles), leading to a goal versus the Senators.
Thankfully, that gaffe came early. Because while Getzlaf was stapled to the bench for much of that game, his number was eventually called, and with a smooth zone entry, he teed up Shea Theadore for his first NHL goal and what proved to be the game-winner.
Since that helper - one of 44 on the year - Getzlaf has contributed 1.07 points per game - a rate only Patrick Kane and Jamie Benn have been able to exceed, and maintain, throughout the season. More importantly, though, the Ducks have 46 points in the 29 games since, while shooting up into comfortable postseason seeding.
Whether it was an injury or a lack of game shape (as some have speculated) that plagued Getzlaf in the early going, that doesn't matter much any longer. The captain, and the team that mirrors his successes and failures, appear prepared to bring their best to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Jakub Voracek
Navin Vaswani: Voracek had only three points - all assists - in Philadelphia's first 10 games. He scored once through the first two months of the season, and it came in his 17th game. Not good enough, especially considering he's going to make $10 million next season.
While 10 goals are far below what was expected, Voracek's saved his season by being a consummate teammate. His 38 assists are the third-highest total of his career, one short of his 39 in 2013-14, and down from a career-high 58 last season.
And while he's been out of the lineup with a foot injury, he's been the Flyers' biggest cheerleader, going over the math on what the Flyers need to do to make the postseason, and rooting for his team using what's become his go-to tweet: "What a f****** game!!!!!"
Voracek's had a disappointing season - he's be the first to admit that. But his 0.80 points per game is the third-highest of his career, and he's done well to make the best of a bad situation. And if the Flyers do make the playoffs, expect Voracek's redemption story to continue.
Tuukka Rask
Ben Whyte: After starting the season's first 13 games with five wins and an embarrassing .890 save percentage, it appeared Rask salvaged his season in December, posting a 6-2-2 record and two shutouts. But in January, the Finn's struggles resurfaced, as he won just three of 10 starts, and the Bruins headed into the All-Star break clinging to a wild-card spot.
The weekend off seemed to cure whatever ailed Rask, whose 11 wins since early February trails only Braden Holtby. By March 10, Boston jumped past the Panthers and Lightning to take a surprising Atlantic Division lead, surpassing any and all preseason expectations.
Though inconsistencies may make some wary of his $7.5-million cap hit, his knack for being at his best when facing a high number of shots has been a key for the surprising Bruins. Rask owns an incredible 7-0-1 record with a .957 save percentage on the nights he faces at least 35 shots.
The overall team performance has improved in recent weeks as well, but the Bruins aren't in the chase for a division title without their veteran backstop.
Phaneuf was flagged for a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head of the unsuspecting Reinhart, plus an additional minor for roughing. Reinhart had his head turned while preparing to receive a pass in the neutral zone.
It appeared Phaneuf grazed Reinhart's back shoulder before following through, and making contact with the rookie's chin.
Phaneuf was suspended two seasons ago for a hit from behind on Kevan Miller.
With a 4-0 win over Winnipeg on Friday, Scott Darling of the Chicago Blackhawks made NHL history by becoming the first goalie to record his first two career shutouts exactly one year apart.
His previous shutout came on March 18, 2015, when he stopped all 25 shots fired at him by the New York Rangers.
Ever the team player, all Darling cared about was securing the two points.
Darling: "That's all we all wanted tonight was to get a win, didn't matter how. That's what we came to do and that's what we really needed."
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to make another young hockey player's dreams come true.
With the recall of forward Frederik Gauthier from the AHL's Marlies ahead of Saturday's game against the Buffalo Sabres, the 20-year-old is set to become the 11th player to make his NHL debut with the club this season.
TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled forwards Frederik Gauthier and Josh Leivo on an emergency basis from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Saturday.
Gauthier, 20, has five goals and 11 assists in 52 games with the Marlies this season. He wa...
With only eight games remaining on the schedule and another bottom-five finish on the horizon, the Edmonton Oilers are in evaluation mode, assessing which players can be relied upon to serve as the foundation moving forward.
Somewhat unexpectedly, forward Zack Kassian has emerged as a key piece in the bottom-six ranks, having taken advantage of a chance at redemption after landing in the NHL's substance abuse program prior to the start of the season.
Set to become a free agent on July 1, there appears to be mutual interest in keeping Kassian around for the long haul.
"I've liked the things he's brought to the table," head coach Todd McLellan said before Friday's win over the Vancouver Canucks, according to Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. "There's a lot to play for in the Oilers world, in the NHL world, and in their careers. A lot of judgements will be made. Zack will be no different.
"We'll sit down at the end of the year and we'll figure out if he can continue to fit. And he has to figure out if he thinks he can fit with us as well. Right now, I think it's been a good marriage."
Kassian has recorded three goals and four assists in 28 games for the Oilers while displaying his brand of physicality and tenacity. Over that span, he's grown optimistic about the Oilers' potential, and wants to be part of the solution.
"To get a chance here, when you look around the room with all the skill here, the new rink, the future is so bright here that I'm excited to get the opportunity," he said, adding, "For me, personally, your eyes have to kind of light up. I think if I do my job I can have a job here for a long time moving forward."
To that end, he has clear objectives in mind over the balance of the regular season.
"Offensively, I'd like to be a little more productive, but when you're playing bottom six you don't want to be getting scored on, you want to be hard to play against and I feel I've done that," he said. "I want to be physical every night. I've played with Connor (McDavid), I've been up and down the lineup, but no matter who I play with I have to bring that physical edge."
Kassian is nearing the end of a two-year, $3.5-million contract signed with Vancouver, and he and the Oilers appear set to try to come to terms on a new deal in the coming months.
If the Colorado Avalanche qualify for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it'll be due, in part, to a healthy measure of resilience.
Colorado's 4-3 shootout win over Calgary on Friday marked the fifth time the club has overcome a multi-goal deficit en route to victory this season, tying the Avalanche for the league lead with Dallas, Detroit, and Pittsburgh.
The Flames amassed a 3-1 lead by the 5:47 mark of the second period, only to witness a tying goal from Carl Soderberg midway through the third and the eventual shootout winner from Mikkel Boedker that capped the comeback.
The win puts the Avalanche three points ahead of Minnesota in the race for a wild-card spot, albeit with one more game played. They now have a greater than 50-50 chance of making the playoffs, according to Sports Club Stats.
Team
GP
Points
Playoff Chances (%)
Colorado
72
78
52.5
Minnesota
71
75
46.8
The victory may have come at a cost, however, as Nathan MacKinnon suffered an apparent knee injury that will be properly evaluated Saturday.
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Matt Beleskey's return to Anaheim was less than ideal.
The Bruins forward, who spent six seasons with the Ducks prior to signing with Boston as a free agent last summer, was on the wrong end of a high stick early in Friday's 4-0 loss.
Thankfully, he was able to return after suffering a fairly standard injury.
"It was a little scary at first, but vision's good and all that," he said postgame. "So just another black eye."
While Beleksey has had better nights, he was grateful for the warm welcome back to Anaheim.
Not the outcome I was looking for but you fans were awesome , Thanks for the love and support!
