David Krejci has probably never scored an easier goal in his life.
Linemates Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Spooner were each given assists on the play for touching the puck prior to Krejci's goal, but the true assist came when they drove St. Louis Blues netminder Jake Allen out of the crease.
This puck didn’t want to go in until David Krejci tapped it in..no Goalie Interference. I thought there would be. 1-0 @NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/LGjFOctxIl
Upon further review, it was ruled that there was no goalie interference on the play.
This is the first controversial ruling since commissioner Gary Bettman issued a memo to officials, telling them to stop "overthinking" goalie interference calls.
The Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils started their interdivisional tilt with a bang Thursday, engaging in a good ol' fashioned brouhaha in the opening frame.
Things got chippy following this hit, in which Radko Gudas caught an unsuspecting Kyle Palmieri.
Even though Nashville managed to go 7-2-2 in Forsberg's absence, the team only averaged 2.27 goals per game over that span. Forsberg's 15 goals are still tied for the team lead despite him missing 11 games. In total, the Swede had 34 points in 37 games prior to his injury.
Gary Bettman has been commissioner of the NHL for a quarter of a century, and he doesn't intend to relinquish those duties in the near future.
"I don't plan on going anywhere. I'm having too much fun, I'm loving the opportunity, (and) there's nothing else I'd rather be doing," Bettman said on Sportsnet 590 The FAN on Thursday, after Sportsnet's Chris Johnston asked whether he plans to remain commissioner through the next round of CBA negotiations.
The NHL's current collective bargaining agreement was a 10-year deal signed in 2013, but the league can opt out on Sept. 1, 2019, and the NHLPA can choose to opt out on Sept. 19, 2019.
As a result, the next round of talks is expected to take place in either 2020 or 2022.
Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of Bettman's appointment to commissioner, and he insisted he hasn't lost his passion for the job.
"It's an honor to do what I do, it's a great challenge, (and) we have great opportunities ahead of us ... so as long as I can give this 100 percent, then I want to keep doing it," he said. "If for whatever reason I don't feel I can give it 100 percent, then I'll stop, but I'm running on all cylinders as long as I can tell."
The 65-year-old executive came to the NHL after serving as a senior vice president and general counsel with the NBA.
Drew Doughty lost expensive sunglasses at the All-Star Game, and the Los Angeles Kings are resorting to the classifieds to try to get them back.
The club posted a Craigslist ad in the Tampa Bay region Sunday, after the Snap Specs (or "Spectacles by Snapchat", to be exact) that Doughty wore at the All-Star Game went missing.
Here's a look at the ad:
(Courtesy: Craigslist)
Two members of the Kings' social media staff posted the ad, according to NHL.com's Cristina Ledra.
They gave Doughty the special shades Saturday so he could capture video for the club's Snapchat account, but the star defenseman apparently handed them off to someone.
The Kings spent Sunday's All-Star tournament repeatedlypokingfun at Doughty for misplacing the eyewear.
Doughty won more than $160,000 for being part of the Pacific Division squad that claimed the All-Star tournament Sunday, so maybe he can just buy the team a new pair.
Defenseman Matt Nickerson was suspended 20 games and had his contract terminated by the Elite Ice Hockey League's Milton Keynes Lightning after punching a fan.
The incident occurred Sunday during a game against the Guildford Flames.
Nickerson had already received a match penalty for abuse of officials when he took a swing at the fan while leaving the ice.
"Ice hockey is a family sport and it is unacceptable that at any time supporters are threatened or made to feel unsafe," the Lightning said in a statement. "As a club we do not condone what happened and Matt has been held accountable for his actions by both the Elite League Department of Player Safety and by the club."
Nickerson was drafted 99th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2003, but never played in an NHL game.
The New York Islanders' playoff aspirations are - for the time being - beginning to fade.
After an encouraging victory over the Vegas Golden Knights last week, the club has struggled mightily coming out of the All-Star break, dropping consecutive contests to the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs by a combined score of 9-1.
New York has also gone 2-4-1 over its last seven games and continues to struggle keeping pucks out of the net. In fact, the Islanders are giving up a league-worst 3.62 goals per game despite running the third-most potent offense.
With the trade deadline looming, it's time for general manager Garth Snow to pull the trigger on at least one move to shore up the defensive end. So, here are five potential players the Islanders should be looking to nab to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Ryan McDonagh, Rangers
The Islanders could use someone who can come in and improve the on-ice product with not just their play, but their mentorship. That's what makes McDonagh a prime candidate.
It was reported last week that the New York Rangers could be preparing to blow things up, and that includes potentially dealing their captain.
McDonagh would easily be an upgrade for the Islanders' defense corps, but could also help show youngsters such as Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, and Thomas Hickey the ropes.
The 28-year-old has one more year on his contract after this, so he would be more than just a rental, but for a team that's been so poor in its own end, that could be a blessing.
Robin Lehner, Sabres
Goaltending has been the Islanders' biggest pitfall this season - that's a fact.
Both Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss have done an awful job of keeping pucks out of the net, ranking last in the league in goals allowed.
Halak has actually been the better of the two, even while giving up an average of 3.16 goals per game and rocking a save percentage of .909. That's because Greiss is giving up 3.94 goals per game and stopping pucks at an .887 clip.
Enter Lehner, who's playing on a poor Buffalo Sabres team but has put together a respectable 2.85 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. He even enjoyed back-to-back shutouts over the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks last week.
Lehner would be a much more dependable option for the Islanders, and with the 26-year-old set to become a free agent at season's end, a trade could serve as a tryout to see if he's worth putting pen to paper with on a new contract this offseason.
Petr Mrazek, Red Wings
Another potential option between the pipes is Petr Mrazek.
The Detroit Red Wings puck-stopper is currently among the hottest goalies in the league. Mrazek has gone 3-0-1 in his last five games, putting up a save percentage of .965 and a goals-against average of 1.02.
He'll be a restricted free agent after this season, but with the Red Wings in selling mode, with Jimmy Howard still locked up for next year, and with Mrazek making $4 million as a backup, he's likely to be dealt.
As for the Islanders, he'd be an upgrade over the other two goaltenders on the roster, and he's young.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Senators
With the Ottawa Senators sitting just outside the basement of the Eastern Conference, the team will almost certainly be selling off assets ahead of the deadline.
With that, a name that should garner some interest from the Islanders is Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The versatile forward can put the puck in the back of the net, proved last year he can elevate his game in the playoffs, and most importantly can play in the defensive zone.
Pageau remains one of the Senators' top penalty killers, something the Islanders are dying for. The club's penalty kill ranks 30th league-wide, having given up 39 goals with a man in the box. The 25-year-old can help with that, and even has a knack for scoring shorthanded.
Ian Cole, Penguins
Ian Cole might not be the superstar the Islanders want, but he could be the depth option they need.
The Pittsburgh Penguins defender won't contribute a ton offensively, but what he does in his own end should be appealing.
Cole is playing an average of 2:32 of shorthanded ice time per game, the third-most among Penguins defenders, and also leads the club with an average of two blocked shots per game.
The 28-year-old is cap-friendly, making just $2.1 million this season, and given the Penguins were actively shopping him back in late November, it shouldn't take much to make a deal.
Fresh off an All-Star appearance, MacKinnon suffered an apparent arm or shoulder injury during Tuesday's game against Vancouver.
MacKinnon has been playing some of the best hockey of his young career, rising to second in league scoring with 24 goals and 37 assists in 50 games, three points behind Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. As such, he was seen as a viable Hart Trophy candidate, with the Avs surprisingly right in the thick of the playoff race.
Based on this time frame, MacKinnon could miss anywhere from seven to 14 games.
Fresh off an All-Star appearance, MacKinnon suffered an apparent arm or shoulder injury during Tuesday's game against Vancouver.
MacKinnon has been playing some of the best hockey of his young career, rising to second in league scoring with 24 goals and 37 assists in 50 games, three points behind Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. As such, he was seen as a viable Hart Trophy candidate, with the Avs surprisingly right in the thick of the playoff race.
Based on this time frame, MacKinnon could miss anywhere from seven to 14 games.
