Tag Archives: Hockey

Watch: Jubilant Sens fans welcome team back to Ottawa

Despite a crushing loss Thursday in double overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators fans remain proud of their club's accomplishments.

Many fans proved just how appreciative they were of the club's effort by welcoming them back from Pittsburgh with thunderous applause at the Ottawa Airport.

Players and head coach Guy Boucher were extremely appreciative as they made sure to give several handshakes and high fives on their way out.

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Offseason Outlook: San Jose Sharks

With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.

2016-17 Grade: B

The San Jose Sharks fell in the first round of the playoffs, unable to build on last year's trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the injury-riddled squad was eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

Free Agents

Two players stand out among the handful of skaters due new contracts come July 1: Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

Both former Sharks captains, the aging scorers are still seen as important pieces of San Jose's core. However, the challenge with any new deal will be term, as contracts signed after age 35 can have long-term salary cap implications.

Player (Position) 2017-18 Status Age 2016-17 Cap Hit '16-17 Points
Joe Thornton (F) UFA 37 $6.75M 50
Patrick Marleau (F) UFA 37 $6.667M 46
Micheal Haley (F) UFA 31 $625K 12
Chris Tierney (F) RFA 22 $712K 23

2017 Draft Picks

The Sharks have seven picks in the coming draft. After the first round, San Jose won't pick again until Round 5, having traded its second-, third-, and fourth-rounders. Those selections acquired Roman Polak, Nick Spaling, and Jannik Hansen, plus a compensatory pick was sent to New Jersey for coach Peter DeBoer.

Round Picks
1 1
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 1
6 2 (Own & Coyotes)
7 3 (Own & Blackhawks & Senators)

Summer Priorities

1. Bring back Thornton, move on from Marleau

Thornton's production fell to 50 points this season, down from 82 the previous year. While he's no longer the face of the franchise - that title belongs to defenseman Brent Burns - there is still value in size up the middle, and the Sharks have that in spades in Thornton.

Related: Burns, Crosby, McDavid named Ted Lindsay Award finalists

As for Marleau, he's been a loyal soldier for the franchise that drafted him second overall in 1997, but looming cap concerns could force the longest-standing Shark to test the free-agent waters this summer.

2. Rest and relaxation to prepare for another Cup run

It's difficult to make repeat trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, let alone win it all. The Sharks whiffed in the playoffs this year, but an extended offseason could pay big dividends for a squad which played 106 games last year and followed it up with another 88 contests this campaign.

An extended summer will also aid the ailing Sharks in recovering from an injury-riddled postseason, in which all of Thornton, Marleau, Tomas Hertl, and Logan Couture played banged up.

3. Inject new blood to the forward ranks

Look for San Jose to add some youth next season, headlined by 2015 top pick Timo Meier. The 20-year-old split this season between the Sharks and the minors, where he finished with 23 points in 33 games with the AHL's Barracudas. He's ready for full-time NHL duty next season.

Sharks fans will also be reminded of Hertl, who was limited to 49 games this season due to a knee injury. The 23-year-old was one of the team's most exciting players a year ago, when he finished with 46 points in 81 games.

2017-18 Outlook

The Sharks' Stanley Cup window hasn't fully closed, but the team's shot at winning it all is becoming increasingly slim as its core ages.

The pieces are there - Pavelski, Couture, Burns, and goaltender Martin Jones - for the Sharks to continue to contend, but the team needs to add more flair to its lineup to keep up with the best of the West. San Jose's 221 goals this season ranked a pedestrian 19th.

Last year's big-ticket free agent, Mikkel Boedker, failed to deliver on offense, as he chipped in just 10 goals. The Sharks need more from him, while they will also look to their young talent in Meier and Hertl to take the next step. The Sharks' core can contribute, but more is needed across the board in order for San Jose to keep its place in the contender's circle.

Offseason Outlook Series

COL | VAN | NJD | ARI | BUF
DET | DAL | FLA | LAK | CAR
WPG | PHI | TBL | NYI | WSH
TOR | CGY | BOS | SJS | STL
NYR | EDM | MTL | ANA | MIN
CBJ | CHI | OTT | PIT | NAS
LGK

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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Nicholle Anderson’s tweet about the Senators’ season is perfect

Nicholle Anderson put it best.

Craig Anderson's wife, diagnosed with cancer in the fall, took to Twitter after watching her husband and his Ottawa Senators fall to the Pittsburgh Penguins in double overtime of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final:

It was an agonizing defeat, but so much of this incredible Sens' season was about more than hockey.

Craig, asked what he'd remember about 2016-17, put it eloquently: "Love."

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Pittsburgh opens as heavy favorite over Nashville

The smart money's on the Pittsburgh Penguins to defeat the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Final and repeat as champions.

Here are your Cup Final odds, courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook:

Team Odds
Predators +130
Penguins -150

The teams split two games during the regular season.

Nashville won 5-1 on Oct. 22, while the Penguins defeated the Preds 4-2 on Jan. 31. Marc-Andre Fleury faced Juuse Saros in goal in that first game (Fleury allowed five goals on 23 shots and was pulled for Mike Condon), while Matt Murray and Pekka Rinne battled in the second meeting.

The latter two will be in the crease Monday night when Game 1 is played in Pittsburgh, barring any injuries.

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NHL releases full Stanley Cup Final schedule, Game 1 set for Monday

Pittsburgh Penguins. Nashville Predators. The 2017 Stanley Cup Final is set.

We knew this year's championship round would start Monday (and sure, we also knew the dates for all seven potential games), but all of the loose ends were tied up when the Penguins eliminated the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night.

The Penguins will have home-ice advantage by virtue of having a better record during the regular season.

Here are the dates and times as well as the TV info for the Cup Final.

Game Date Time (ET) Home Away TV
1 Mon. May 29 8 p.m. Pittsburgh Nashville NBC / CBC / Sportsnet /TVA
2 Wed. May 31 8 p.m. Pittsburgh Nashville NBCSN / CBC / Sportsnet / TVA
3 Sat. June 3 8 p.m. Nashville Pittsburgh NBCSN / CBC / Sportsnet / TVA
4 Mon. June 5 8 p.m. Nashville Pittsburgh NBC / CBC / Sportsnet / TVA
5* Thurs. June 8 8 p.m. Pittsburgh Nashville NBC / CBC / Sportsnet / TVA
6* Sun. June 11 8 p.m. Nashville Pittsburgh NBC / CBC / Sportsnet / TVA
7* Wed. June 14 8 p.m. Pittsburgh Nashville NBC / CBC / Sportsnet / TVA

*If necessary

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Anderson will remember one thing about Sens’ magical season: ‘Love’

Craig Anderson just about willed the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Final.

The goaltender turned in another marvelous performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night, but it wasn't enough, Ottawa falling 3-2 in double overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After a tumultuous season that saw Anderson's wife Nicholle diagnosed with cancer, and led to the shot-stopper missing significant time away from the team, Anderson put it perfectly when asked how he'd remember the 2016-17 season.

The Senators embodied the word "team" in every sense of the word, ending the playoffs 6-2 in overtime games, and coming oh so close to playing for the sport's ultimate prize.

Salute, Mr. Anderson. You were incredible, all season long, on and off the ice.

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Twitter reacts to Penguins’ double-OT victory

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Thursday to advance to their fourth Stanley Cup Final since 2008 and, of course, Twitter went nuts after Chris Kunitz buried the double-overtime winner.

With so many intriguing storylines to follow in this series, the postgame tweet reaction was worth a read:

Some of us enjoyed the Game 7 action a little bit too much.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final goes Monday when the Penguins face off against the Nashville Predators.

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