Category Archives: Hockey News

Babcock admits starting Andersen vs. Canadiens was a mistake

This one's (partly) on coach.

Mike Babcock conceded he was culpable after the Toronto Maple Leafs' 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, saying it was a mistake to start Frederik Andersen again on the second night of a back-to-back.

"Obviously I didn't make the right decision there," Babcock said after the game. "In saying that, the last time we did it we thought it was the right decision. This time it wasn't the right decision. It's amazing how winning and losing goes into those things."

Andersen was wobbly early on, and allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced, but stayed in for the full 60 minutes despite not ever looking settled. The Leafs quickly erased their two-goal deficit, which likely factored into the decision to keep Andersen in goal.

Toronto's 13th consecutive loss versus the Canadiens snapped a seven-game point streak. The club is now 12 points back of division-leading Montreal, and fell out of the Atlantic Division's top three seeds.

The Maple Leafs are 2-6-1 on the second half of a back-to-back this season.

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Holtby blanks Senators, Capitals earn 5th straight win

OTTAWA, Ontario - Braden Holtby made 30 saves for his second straight shutout and fifth of the season and the Washington Capitals beat the Ottawa Senators 1-0 on Saturday night for their fifth straight victory.

T.J. Oshie scored 1:38 into the game to help the Capitals improve to 25-9-5.

Mike Condon made 19 saves for Ottawa. The Senators have lost four straight to drop to 20-14-4. They played for the first time falling 2-1 to the Capitals on Jan. 1.

On the goal, the Capitals broke into the Senators' zone and Oshie released a one-timer off a pass from Nicklas Backstrom past Condon.

Ottawa had a late power play in the third period after Karl Alzner was called for boarding Mark Stone. The Senators had some solid chances during the advantage, but were unable to beat Holtby.

They pulled Condon with 1:20 to play, but could only manage one shot on goal.

Early in the second period, Oshie took a hard hit from Senators defenceman Dion Phaneuf at the Ottawa blue line. Oshie slowly made his way to the Washington bench favoring his left shoulder. After a few moments on the bench, Oshie went to the locker room. He returned later in the period, but sat out the third.

Notes: Bobby Ryan was scratched for the Senators. Taylor Chorney and Liam O'Brien were scratches for the Capitals. ... Senators forward Curtis Lazar has yet to register a point in 18 games this season.

UP NEXT

Capitals: At Montreal on Monday.

Senators: Host Edmonton on Sunday.

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Watch: Grabner steals win over Jackets with late breakaway goal

With a steal, a burst of speed, and a tidy finish, Michael Grabner shaved a point off the franchise-record total the Columbus Blue Jackets will surely establish come April.

The New York Rangers forward picked off a Seth Jones pass and scored what stood as the game-winner on a breakaway with 16 ticks remaining in Saturday's marquee clash between Metropolitan Division heavyweights.

With two from Grabner and a pair from Adam Clendening, New York erased a 4-1 deficit to earn the important four-point swing in the division standings.

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Report: Active players to be named to ‘Greatest 100’ list expected to be All-Stars

When the NHL reveals the remaining names on the 100 Greatest Players list at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles later in January, the league plans to have the active players included represent All-Star rosters, Nick Kypreos reported on Hockey Night in Canada's "Headlines" segment Saturday.

Kypreos added that six active players are expected to be included on the list compiled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NHL.

Sidney Crosby was already named Metropolitan Division captain, but this means we should likely expect Alex Ovechkin to participate in the three-on-three tournament, too.

Kypreos did mention an important caveat, indicating that Jaromir Jagr - an obvious shoe-in for selection - may not necessarily have to skate, but would still be expected in Los Angeles.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, and Zdeno Chara were the other possible names mentioned by the Hockey Night in Canada panel.

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Watch: Marner does it again, circles zone then sets up Van Riemsdyk

Mitch Marner just wants to make his linemates' lives easier.

After scooping the puck on the half boards, Marner circled the offensive zone before finding James van Riemsdyk for a tap-in goal.

Related: Watch: Marner's no-look, backhand pass sets up perfect tic-tac-toe goal

The play marked Marner's third primary assist of the night.

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Watch: Scherbak scores 1st NHL goal with tidy move in tight

Nikita Scherbak's maiden NHL goal is worth another look.

On a Montreal Canadiens man advantage in his debut, Scherbak collected a pass while darting toward the front of the net Saturday. And in one motion, he smoothly dragged the puck around a committed Frederik Andersen, and flipped it home.

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Watch: Backstrom picks up 500th career assist on Oshie’s 1st-period blast

It's already a milestone night for Nicklas Backstrom.

The silky smooth Washington Capitals pivot feathered a backhand pass into T.J. Oshie's wheelhouse for his 500th career assist just 1:38 into Saturday's contest versus the Ottawa Senators.

Backstrom stands as one of the NHL's elite playmakers, achieving the impressive feat in his 691st career game.

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Watch: Marner’s no-look, backhand pass sets up perfect tic-tac-toe goal

That's some effective puck movement.

Upon receiving a pass from James van Riemsdyk, Maple Leafs rookie Mitch Marner deftly tapped a backhand pass to Tyler Bozak in the slot for a power-play goal Saturday.

The eye-popping helper was Marner's team-leading 20th.

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Watch: Radulov bullies Kadri, sets up Pacioretty goal

Alexander Radulov's first shift at Air Canada Center in nearly a decade was an assertive one.

The high-skilled battering ram with the Montreal Canadiens dropped Nazem Kadri with a puck-protective bump on the boards before retrieving a rebound, circling the net, and setting up Max Pacioretty for a goal just 20 seconds into Saturday's game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was his fifth assist in two games and 20 seconds against the Leafs this year, with his previous contributions coming on home ice.

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Yzerman looking to make a move, but market is ‘very, very quiet’

After a summer where everything went right, the regular season has been quite the opposite for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

General manager Steve Yzerman out-waited all the pressure, and re-signed captain Steven Stamkos, before providing No. 1 defenseman Victor Hedman a long-term and team-friendly contract extension.

Yzerman kept the team intact, and a lineup that looked poised to contend for the Stanley Cup again. Now, however, the Lightning are outside the playoff bubble, and Yzerman is looking to make a move.

"If there was something I could have done to this point that would make our team better, I would have done it," Yzerman told Joe Smith of The Tampa Bay Times. "We'll keep trying."

Salary-cap restrictions, an air-tight playoff race, and the upcoming expansion draft are all factoring in an underwhelming trade market ahead of the Feb. 28 deadline, Yzerman believes.

"It's been very, very, quiet," he said.

Exactly halfway through their season, the Lightning sit two points back of a playoff spot in the Atlantic, and five back of a wild-card position.

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