Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine will not miss any time after taking a shot to the foot against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night as the sniper is in the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks.
More to come.
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Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf is dealing with flu-like symptoms and is subsequently not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced.
The news comes with the Ducks currently battling to clinch a playoff berth. The team sits in the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a slim three-point advantage over the St. Louis Blues, who have a game in hand on the Ducks.
Anaheim is currently on a roll, having gone 7-3-0 in its last 10 games, including four straight wins. Meanwhile, Getzlaf has tallied three goals and 18 points in those 10 games.
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Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Dan Carcillo has joined the concussion lawsuit against the NHL.
Carcillo has long been outspoken about concussions and the NHL's failure to warn players about the potential risks regarding them, and hopes his involvement will further push the league to make changes.
"I'm not a bitter guy looking to hurt the NHL," Carcillo said, according to TSN's Rick Westhead. "I'm not out for money.
"I'll donate anything I get to research. I just want to put pressure on the NHL and educate and advocate for guys."
Carcillo - who joins a group of over 5,000 former NHL players seeking restitution from the league - played 474 games (regular season and playoffs) and suffered several concussions during his playing career.
The case is currently awaiting the decision of judge Susan Nelson as to whether it can proceed as a class action lawsuit.
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Sean Monahan appears to be done playing for the 2017-18 campaign.
The Calgary Flames forward won't be in action again until next season, a team source confirmed to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed Monahan has been playing through two significant injuries.
Gilbertson reports the Calgary bench boss was waiting for his first-line center's medical reports at the time, but a source later confirmed Monahan will be shut down for the final seven games and will have surgery to address one of the ailments.
The Flames entered Friday's action sitting eight points behind the Anaheim Ducks - who occupy the second Western Conference wild-card spot - and trailing both the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars in pursuit of that position, with more games played than all three clubs.
Monahan has a career-high 64 points in 74 games, the latter of which would be a career low.
The 23-year-old leads Calgary with 31 goals in 2017-18.
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Bill Zito, assistant general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been named GM of the 2018 U.S. men's national team in advance of the IIHF World Championship in May.
Zito will be supported by an impressive advisory group made up of a collection of NHL executives including Stan Bowman (Chicago Blackhawks), David Poile (Nashville Predators), Ray Shero (New Jersey Devils), Dale Tallon (Florida Panthers), and Jeff Gorton (New York Rangers).
"This is a tremendous honor and I want to thank USA Hockey for the opportunity," Zito said in a statement Friday. "I look forward to working with the advisory group in building a team that will represent our country well. I'd also like to thank John Davidson, Jarmo Kekalainen, and the Blue Jackets for their support and allowing me to take on this endeavor."
The former player agent has been with the Blue Jackets since 2013. He also serves as GM of the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, who won the Calder Cup in 2016.
The United States will begin play at the World Championship in Denmark on May 4 against rival Canada.
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Perhaps the Winnipeg Jets won't have to experience life without Patrik Laine after all.
The Finnish sniper was diagnosed with a bruised foot after blocking a shot in Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Kings and was subsequently ruled out for four to 14 days.
However, Laine was a full participant in practice Friday morning, and told coach Paul Maurice he's ready to play against the Anaheim Ducks. That said, the 19-year-old still needs clearance from team doctors.
Laine was one of the hottest players in the league before his injury snapped a 15-game point streak across which he recorded 20 goals, vaulting him into second in the "Rocket" Richard race with 43 tallies on the season.
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The St. Louis Blues will welcome star winger Vladimir Tarasenko back to the lineup for Friday's game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Tarasenko says he will play tonight. He wouldn’t confirm concussion, only saying it was an upper-body injury. #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 23, 2018
Tarasenko missed two full games after making an early exit from a win over the Rangers on March. 17.
The Blues are riding a three-game winning streak, with each result coming in overtime, and sit three points out of a wild-card spot.
"It was hard (being out) and sometimes exciting too because guys did a really good job," Tarasenko said. "It's been awhile since I missed a game, so it was a weird feeling but now I feel good and ready to help the team."
Tarsenko ranks second on the Blues with 58 points in 71 games.
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H. Wayne Huizenga, the former owner of the Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins, and Florida Panthers, died Thursday at the age of 80.
His daughter confirmed his death but didn't disclose the cause to the Sun-Sentinel.
Huizenga is also known for founding Blockbuster Video, Waste Management, and AutoNation.
The South Florida tycoon purchased a partial stake in the Dolphins in 1990 before buying control of the team in 1993 from Joe Robbie. In 2008, Huizenga sold 50 percent of the franchise but remained the managing general partner until January 2009, when he sold all but 5 percent.
The billionaire was also the first owner of the Marlins franchise - then known as the Florida Marlins - and helped lead the team to its first World Series championship in 1997. In 1998, he sold the club to John Henry.
Today, we mourn the passing of the original Florida Marlin, Mr. H. Wayne Huizenga, who will be remembered as much for his contributions to South Florida professional sports as he was for his many charitable endeavors in the surrounding community. pic.twitter.com/HOVxXEAU5Q
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) March 23, 2018
Huizenga was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for a $50-million bid in 1992. That franchise became the Panthers, whose inaugural season began in October 1993. During his tenure, the Panthers doubled their value, and he later sold the team to Alan Cohen and former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar for a reported sum of $100 million.
On December 10, 2017, during their 25th season in the NHL, the Panthers retired No. 37 - Huizenga's birth year and lucky number - in honor of their former owner.
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Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion shed some light on his club's offseason plans Friday morning.
Speaking on a conference call with season-ticket holders, Dorion addressed how the organization intends to make up for a disastrous season that's fallen dramatically short of expectations. In doing so, Dorion revealed one item on the agenda will be an evaluation of head coach Guy Boucher's future, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
Boucher joined the Senators in 2016 on a three-year contract, becoming their fifth coach since 2008. His first year on the job was a tremendous success, as his defensive game plan carried the Senators to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Season two, however, has produced starkly contrasting results, as the Senators currently sit 28th in league standings.
Whether Boucher stays behind the bench for the final year of his deal remains to be seen, but Dorion made it clear things can't be the same in 2018-19.
Dorion. “There’s going to be changes next year. This is unacceptable. There’s a plan in place”
— John Rodenburg (@TSNJR) March 23, 2018
In terms of on-ice personnel, Dorion said the club is planning to meet with Matt Duchene's camp and get him signed to an extension once he's eligible to do so July 1.
Duchene joined the Senators in the blockbuster three-way deal that also sent Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators in November, and after a slow start, has shown his offensive capabilities with a team-leading 34 points in 36 games since Jan. 1.
The 27-year-old has one more season on his current contract that pays $6 million annually, and is one of four key Senators players who will be negotiating new deals this summer, including Erik Karlsson - also eligible for an extension July 1 - as well as restricted free agents Mark Stone and Cody Ceci.
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Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff race, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.
The Florida Panthers' abundance of games in hand is slipping through their fingers.
With their 4-0 loss to the Blue Jackets on Thursday, the Cats are now just 3-3-0 in their last six games - one point back of the Devils with only one game in hand. This, after Florida had a whole slew of games on New Jersey.
The Panthers still have slightly better odds than the Devils, but it will all come down to who performs better down the stretch.
Percentages excluding the results of Thursday's late game between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights.
| Team | Result | Playoff Chances | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Jackets | 4-0 W vs. FLA | 98.1% | +3.7% |
| Flyers | 4-3 W vs. NJ | 94.7% | +5.2% |
| Panthers | 4-0 L vs. CLB | 55.7% | -13.6% |
| Devils | Off | 51.9% | +4.5% |
Over in the West, a lopsided Kings-Avs game provided a dramatic swing for both teams' playoff hopes. The Avs still hold the first wild-card spot over the Ducks thanks to the ROW tiebreaker, but the Blues are nipping on their heels, sitting three points back.
| Team | Result | Playoff Chances | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings | 7-1 W vs. COL | 90.2% | +11.6% |
| Avalanche | 7-1 L vs. LA | 76.5% | -11.4% |
To see percentages for the entire NHL, visit Sports Club Stats.
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