A usually soft-spoken Steven Stamkos wasn't shy about sharing his opinion following the Lightning's 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
The game ended on a buzzer-beating, power-play goal from Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore with 2.9 seconds left.
Stamkos, however, wasn't too pleased with a holding the stick penalty to teammate Braydon Coburn with just 24 seconds left in regulation, which led to Theodore's game-winner.
"Just a crappy way to lose a hockey game," Stamkos said, via Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "We fought back to tie the game. I don’t think anyone would have complained if he didn’t call that penalty on them. That’s an iffy call. And they think they need to make up for a mistake. It’s just the wrong call at the wrong time."
The penalty call can be seen at 3:20 in the video below.
Special teams proved to be the difference in this contest, as the Golden Knights scored all four of their goals on the power play.
The defending World Junior Hockey Championship gold medalists will have some new recruits in tow when they look to capture their second-straight title.
Team USA topped the rival Canadians in a shootout in last year's gold medal game, marking the second gold for the Americans since 2013 and its third top-three finish in the past five tournaments.
While last year's squad was led by the likes of Clayton Keller, Colin White, and Jordan Greenway, there will be some new faces leading the charge this winter. Here are three players sure to catch your eye when the puck drops Dec. 26:
Quinn Hughes
A projected top pick in this summer's draft, Hughes is as an offensive-minded blue-liner who provides exceptional skill from the back end.
Though diminutive, Hughes is gifted with exceptional vision that allows him to quarterback plays from the point. His on-ice awareness helps him make perfect passes and lead the puck up the ice, a skill set that will come in handy over the tournament given the bevy of scoring threats Team USA boasts in its forward ranks.
The Orlando, Fla. native finished tied for first in scoring with the national under-18 team in 2016-17, as he netted four goals and 22 assists in 26 contests. He's taken that talent to the University of Michigan this year.
Casey Mittelstadt
There's light at the end of the tunnel for fans of the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Just watch Mittelstadt. The University of Minnesota product owns elite puck skills and is an even better skater.
A forward who provides size and skill up the middle, Mittelstadt will be relied upon as a key offensive contributor for the American squad. His outstanding playmaking skills should be an ideal fit for the handful of American skaters who can pull the trigger.
Heading into the world juniors, Mittelstadt has all the credentials, from his nine-point showing with Team USA at the under-18s to taking home MVP honors at the USA Hockey All American Top Prospects Game during his draft year.
Brady Tkachuk
A chip off of the old block, Tkachuk is a classic bloodline player who boasts a similar power forward playing style to his brother, Calgary Flames forward Matthew, and his legendary father, 18-year NHLer Keith.
Brady plays a powerful, gritty game that will give the Americans a different flavor in all areas of the ice. Still, don't confuse his physicality with a lack of scoring skill. His nose for the net makes him a consistent scoring threat.
A top talent with Boston University this season, he's continued to grow his game after finishing among the top scorers with the national under-18 team a year ago.
Midway through the second period, Orlov entered the Dallas Stars end and put the puck between his legs before firing a shot over the glove of goaltender Ben Bishop.
It was an incredible effort, but teammate John Carlson took exception after the Capitals' PR team failed to give the goal the praise he felt it deserved.
The goaltending duties have been pretty evenly split between Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak, with neither able to keep the puck out of the net with any regularity.
Player
Games
Record
Save %
Jaroslav Halak
19
9-8-1
.905
Thomas Greiss
18
9-5-2
.883
Greiss was in net against Detroit, and allowed five goals on 21 shots for a single-game save percentage of .762.
Conversely, the Islanders are excelling at the other end of the ice, ranking second with 121 goals.
The NHL's holiday trade freeze goes into effect Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., but this might be an area general manager Garth Snow targets early in 2018.
His inclusion comes after a whirlwind couple of days where, after Boeser blocked a shot against the Calgary Flames on Sunday night, it looked as though the 20-year-old could be out long term.
However, news broke Monday that Boeser had not suffered a fracture, but a bone bruise, and would be day to day rather than week to week with the injury.
Boeser would miss no time, which is great news for the Canucks as he currently leads the team with 17 goals and 30 points.
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford put in a busy day before the NHL's roster freeze comes into effect, manufacturing a pair of trades.
The more notable of the two deals is the acquisition of defenseman Jamie Oleksiak for the Dallas Stars in exchange for a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick. Oleksiak's played 21 games this season, averaging 15 minutes per night while contributing one goal and two assists.
Because Pittsburgh owns two fourth-rounders in 2019, the Stars will take the earlier of the two picks.
In their other move, the Pens nabbed goaltender Michael Leighton and a 2019 fourth-round pick for forward Josh Archibald, netminder Sean Maguire, and a sixth-round pick the same year.
Leighton, 36, has played seven games in the NHL since taking the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.
Last week, the Islanders proposed their plan of an 18,000-seat arena that would host up to 200 events per year, as well as 435,000-square for retail, a hotel with 200-to-250 rooms and an "innovation center."
The Islanders moved to the Barclay's Center, located in Brooklyn, following the 2015 season. Since the move, the basketball-designed arena has faced several complaints for insufficient sight lines and poor ice conditions.
The arena at Belmont Park would be much closer to the club's original home in Nassau County, and offers some much-needed security for the Islanders, although any potential timeline for development on the new facility has yet to be announced.
