Tag Archives: Hockey

Melnyk: Trading Senators’ 2 top-5 picks for No. 1 would be ‘nonsensical’

It's safe to say the Ottawa Senators aren't planning to move their pair of high draft picks in exchange for the first overall selection in this year's draft.

"The idea of trading our third and fifth picks for the No. 1 pick is nonsensical," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch in an email Monday. "We're very excited to welcome our many new Ottawa Senators that will come to us via the upcoming draft."

The New York Rangers won the second phase of the NHL's draft lottery to secure the top pick after they were eliminated from the postseason play-in round, and Alexis Lafreniere is widely expected to be the first overall selection. Ottawa had the second- and third-best odds to win the lottery by virtue of holding the San Jose Sharks' first-rounder as well as its own, but it failed to claim the top pick.

"We've got two picks in the top five, we know we're going to get a tremendous player at No. 3, we'll let (the) Detroit (Red Wings) take No. 4 and we know we're going to get another special player at No. 5," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters in June following the first phase of the lottery, according to Garrioch.

Ottawa boasts three first-round selections in the upcoming draft after acquiring the New York Islanders' first-rounder in a trade for forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau at the deadline. The Senators possess nine picks in the first three rounds - including four second-rounders - and 13 picks in total.

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Williams laments Hurricanes’ collapse: ‘We got it handed to us’

The Carolina Hurricanes appeared to be headed to a Game 4 victory and a 2-2 split in their best-of-seven series against the Boston Bruins on Monday when things went off the rails.

With Carolina up 2-0 in the third period, the Bruins rallied with four unanswered goals in just under seven minutes to claim an eventual 4-3 victory.

"That was, quite frankly, as ugly of a period that I've ever seen us play. ... We got it handed to us," Hurricanes forward Justin Williams told reporters after the loss.

He added, "Mentally, the sharpness wasn't there from everybody, and it snowballed into something we didn't want and we couldn't catch it in time."

The Hurricanes seized control in the opening 40 minutes, but the battle-tested Bruins would not be denied in the final frame. Boston held Carolina to just two shots on goal in the third period and completely took over:

Period Bruins CF% Bruins xGF% Bruins HDCF%
1st period 43.48 60.5 42.86
2nd period 42.86 45.81 60
3rd period 86.67 93.53 100

(Corsi For rating, expected goals for percentage, high-danger scoring chances percentage)

Following the loss, Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour put the onus on himself to make sure the Hurricanes are better prepared to close out a big game.

"The lack of pushback that we needed is something that I haven't seen out of this group," he said, per TSN's Mark Masters.

"I'll take the heat for that," he continued. "I mean, I needed to have my guys better prepared for that third period that was coming. I'll learn as well."

The Hurricanes will look to stave off elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday.

(Advanced stats source: Natural Stat Trick)

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Tocchet blasts Coyotes after blowout loss: ‘It was men against boys’

Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet lamented his club's performance after an embarrassing 7-1 loss in Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

"Listen, we've all been embarrassed in life before," Tocchet said following the defeat, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I played hockey. I've been embarrassed.

"I can't tell you a guy that played well tonight. We were embarrassed. It was men against boys today."

Colorado jumped out to a 3-0 advantage after a first period that saw the Coyotes muster just three shots on goal. The Avalanche owned a dominant 76.56% share of expected goals for and 82.35% of high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five overall, per Natural Stat Trick.

Coyotes starter Darcy Kuemper was chased from the net after allowing four goals on 22 shots following his sensational 49-save performance in Game 3.

Now facing a 3-1 series deficit, Tocchet challenged his team to show that they want to remain in the postseason.

"This whole bubble thing ... it's about who wants to stay," he said, per Wyshynski. "You can tell who wants to stay and who wants to go home. For this game, it looked like we wanted to go home. We'll see about the next game."

The Coyotes will look to stave off elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday.

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Brind’Amour: Canes may have dodged bullet with Svechnikov injury

Andrei Svechnikov's injury might not be as bad as the Carolina Hurricanes initially feared.

"It's not as bad as maybe it looked on TV," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said of his injury Monday, according to Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Svechnikov was helped off the ice late in Game 3 versus the Boston Bruins with what appeared to be a leg injury. On Sunday, Brind'Amour said he "highly doubts" the young forward would be able to return this postseason.

"Certainly it looked terrible. We feared the worst, I think maybe we dodged that bullet," Brind'Amour said.

There's still no specifics, as the NHL barred all teams from revealing specifics regarding injuries during the restart.

Although he's sidelined, Svechnikov will stay in the bubble with his teammates in Toronto, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Svechnikov, 20, collected seven points in the bubble after a breakout regular season saw him register 61 points in 68 contests.

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No positive COVID-19 tests in 3rd week of NHL restart

The NHL's bubbles maintained their clean slates for the third straight week of hockey's return-to-play plan.

No positive results for COVID-19 were recorded from the 5,640 tests administered from Aug. 9-15, the league announced Monday.

Since players and staff entered the bubble in late July, zero positive tests have been recorded. The league has been testing players and staff daily in both the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles.

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Sixers, Devils ownership group pledges $20M to fight systemic racism

Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), the ownership group of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils, announced Monday it is pledging $20 million over the next five years to combat systemic racism, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

HSBE's company-wide plan includes a $10-million donation from the Sixers to the NBA and National Basketball Players Association's newly launched joint foundation. The foundation is intended to "drive economic empowerment for Black communities through employment and career advancement."

"Looking at things from my perspective as a Black man in America, as an executive for HBSE, I really wanted to have action and more than just words. And that is what really excites me about this," Sixers general manager Elton Brand told Spears. "They were not just allies. They were going to another level in terms of being part of actual change."

HSBE is also creating a program through which the Sixers and Devils will provide more than $5 million in marketing assets to Black-owned businesses.

"While we will never be able to correct the past harm and injustice faced by Black Americans, it's our duty to provide resources that enable tangible action and greater opportunities for equality," HBSE founder Josh Harris said in a statement, according to Kennedy Rose of the Philadelphia Business Journal.

"We are committing to a fundamental change in our business strategy by embedding our organization with Black communities and businesses through significant and sustained investment and support."

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Bruins’ Wagner: We all support Rask’s decision to opt out

Forward Chris Wagner and the rest of the Boston Bruins are in full support of Tuukka Rask's decision to opt out of the NHL playoffs.

"My initial reaction to people that bash Tuukka is that they don't know what we're going through and we don't know what those people are going through," Wagner said, according to NBC Sports Boston's Joe Haggerty.

He continued, "They don't know what we're missing. I don’t have kids, so I can't speak for Tuukka like that. But I'm sure that is a whole other level of missing somebody and wanting to be there for your kid if they're missing you and struggling. I think Tuukka tried to power through that, but there are some things that he felt like he needed to sort out."

Rask opted out Saturday and left the bubble in Toronto midway through his team's first-round series versus the Carolina Hurricanes. The 33-year-old explained that while he wanted to remain with his teammates, being with his family was more important.

He was named a Vezina Trophy finalist for his performance during the 2019-20 regular season but struggled to perform at his usual elite level during the round robin and beginning of Round 1. Rask went 1-3-0 in four games, with a .904 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average.

Wagner understands that Rask's decision wasn't one he took lightly and that family should always be the No. 1 priority.

"I definitely think it was probably a difficult decision for him," Wagner added. "I think he wants to be here. He wants to win just like all of us, but at the same time - as guys have been reiterating - family is the most important thing. Even if it is a job and it is playing hockey, family comes before everything, and Tuukka felt like he needed to be home. We all support that decision."

The Bruins lead the Hurricanes 2-1 in their series, with Game 4 scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday.

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