The Dallas Stars head coach believes it's time to stop beating around the bush when it comes to player injury reports, choosing instead to be more forthcoming with pertinent information.
I think we collectively hate playing the game. What I mean by that is we say ‘upper body,’ then you go on the phone, and then you look up things or you go to the doctors, find out what part of the upper body. We try to make your work easier, quite frankly, and so we just don’t like going through the dance.
It’s just easy to tell you what it is and let’s move forward. It’s just the whole game. It’s an injury, and within two hours after we tell you it’s ‘upper body,’ you know exactly what it is, so why not just tell you? And the players don’t go out and say, ‘He has a broken left pinky and we’re going to go after the pinky.’ Nobody thinks like that. Our feeling is just tell them what the injury is and move it forward and just stop the dance.
The team has already begun disclosing more specific injury news on social media.
Marc Methot had his knee scoped and he will be out 4-6 weeks. Martin Hanzal is expected to miss 3-7 days with a hand injury. pic.twitter.com/4NRIQRpFh7
Hockey fans have been longing for more goals in their sport, and they've gotten their wish this season.
There has been an average of 6.04 goals per game so far - the highest the league has seen since the first campaign of the post-lockout era in 2005-06.
Season
Goals per game
2017-18
6.04
2016-17
5.54
2015-16
5.42
2014-15
5.46
2013-14
5.48
2012-13
5.44
2011-12
5.46
2010-11
5.58
2009-10
5.68
2008-09
5.82
2007-08
5.56
2006-07
5.90
2005-06
6.16
As you can see, in the seven seasons prior to 2017-18, the NHL's goals-per-game mark hovered around 5.5, but it has taken a half-goal jump.
This can partially be attributed to the increase in slashing penalties, which has led to 6.96 power-play opportunities per game - the most since 2010-11. This season, there have already been 462 slashing penalties called, according to ESPN, or 1.467 per game. This compared to 791 slashing penalties all of last season, for an average of 0.643 per game.
Not only has the slashing crackdown led to more power plays, which result in more goals, but it has also made players think twice before taking a whack at an opposing player, which in itself leads to more scoring chances. This could also explain why there have been more shots per game (31.7) this season than any other since Hockey Reference began recording in the early 1980s.
But that change can't take all the credit for the increase in goals. The table above showed there was already a slight increase in goal-scoring last season compared to the previous five seasons. This came in spite of there being only 5.98 power-play opportunities per game in 2016-17 - the lowest ever recorded by Hockey Reference.
The table below shows NHL teams' median high-danger scoring chances per game at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. It's clear that, penalties aside, there have been more high-quality scoring chances in recent years.
Season
HDCF/60 Median
2017-18
10.94
2016-17
10.34
2015-16
10.005
2014-15
9.93
2013-14
9.91
The reason for this can't be quantified by numbers, but a variety of theories suggest it's sustainable:
The aforementioned theory on players being hesitant to use their sticks to slow players down in fear of being penalized.
More fast, yet undersized, players being given a chance to play.
Speed and skill taking precedence over grit, toughness on fourth lines.
A new wave of superstars growing up with skill coaches, and therefore displaying new ways of creating offense.
All of these theories could play a part in the NHL's scoring spike. If that's the case, it's likely the increase is here to stay, given the last scoring surge (2005-06) relied much more heavily on power-play goals.
In 2005-06, nearly a third (33.44 percent) of all goals came on the man advantage - an unsustainable rate. This season, only 22.51 percent of goals have been of the power-play variety - only a two percent increase from last season (20.57).
It's worth noting that teams are scoring on 19.47 percent of power plays this season - the highest since 1992-93. However, power-play percentage has been trending upward in recent years. The 19.1 percent mark from last season was also the highest since 1992-93.
This upward trend can largely be attributed to stick technology, as players are shooting the puck harder than ever. As any hockey fan knows, blasting a one-timer is the best way to score with the man advantage.
Only time will tell if this season's scoring pace is for real, but all signs are pointing toward yes, providing optimism for fans who have been starving for more offense.
For his career, Johnny Gaudreau has captivated hockey audiences with his imaginative, energizing style of play. Through three full NHL seasons, the diminutive winger has enjoyed his fair share of success, but nothing quite like what he's accomplished through his first 20 games of the 2017-18 season.
With 31 points, Gaudreau sits third in league scoring, behind only Tampa Bay's unstoppable first-line duo of Steven Stamkos (35) and Nikita Kucherov (33). Of late, however, Johnny Hockey is in a class of his own.
Gaudreau extended his point streak to 10 games Monday, accumulating an absurd eight goals and 11 assists over that span. To further shine a light on just how good he's been, Gaudreau has scored in six straight games, including five consecutive multi-point efforts - a feat that hasn't been accomplished by a Flames player since Jarome Iginla in 2002.
He's been flat-out incredible:
Perspective — #Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau has 19 points during his 10-game spree. Sean Monahan is his only teammate with 19-plus points this season.
Gaudreau's always been a game-changing threat offensively (0.93 points per game in his career), but has never produced quite like this (1.55 this season). With that said, it makes one wonder: What's behind Gaudreau's recent surge, and how long can it continue?
Looking at Gaudreau's performance this season, several things have improved. First, he's shooting more. He's on track to record 246 shots, significantly eclipsing his previous career high of 217. Gaudreau is also shooting 16.7 percent this season, which likely won't last, but considering he's shot 13.2 percent for his career, it's reasonable to believe that number won't revert too drastically.
Additionally, both the quality and quantity of chances Gaudreau is creating have increased. Gaudreau is averaging 1.85 individual scoring chances for per game, putting him on pace to produce 151 this season, supplanting his previous best of 133. In terms of quality, Gaudreau's 15 high-danger chances so far tracks him for 61 should he play all 82 games, yet another career benchmark. (All stats at five-on-five, courtesy Natural Stat Trick)
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
To no one's surprise, Gaudreau's recent outpouring of points has paid major dividends for the Flames as a whole, now winners of seven of their last 10 while climbing into third in the wide open Pacific Division.
In all likelihood, Gaudreau won't maintain such a blistering streak and reach the 41 goals and 86 assists he's on pace for, but even with a considerable dip or an unsuspected cold streak potentially in the forecast, Gaudreau's torrid stretch has put him firmly in place to obliterate his personal-bests in goals (30), assists (48), and points (78).
Until then, though, let's sit back and see just how far he can go.
Sullivan also said Malkin will be reevaluated in the coming days before his status for the weekend is determined, when the Penguins play two big games against Eastern Conference foes in the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Malkin sits second in Pittsburgh scoring with seven goals and 14 assists through 22 games.
It's Auston and Connor's world, and the rest of us are just living in it.
Toronto Maple Leafs savior Auston Matthews and Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid have taken the NHL by storm the last few seasons with slick skating, smooth hands, and poise beyond their years. Their fresh approaches have quickly made the duo the new faces of the league.
After Matthews played in his 100th career game Monday, we take a look at how these two generational talents compare after their first 100 games.
The numbers
Each player entered the league at 19 years old, but they quickly settled into their roles as everyday NHLers, racking up points at impressive rates.
While the arguments over which player is better rage on, when you compare their stats, the two stack up a lot closer than McDavid supporters might be willing to admit.
Here's a look at their stats through the first 100 games:
Player
Goals
Assists
Points
GWG
Plus-minus
McDavid
34
74
108
10
+14
Matthews
52
38
90
10
+16
These numbers won't end the conversation, but they clearly show the gap between the two is more slim than many think.
Durability
Before Oilers fans start sharpening their pitchforks, lighting torches, and heading for theScore's offices, it should be made clear that McDavid's first-season production was stunted when he missed almost three months with a fractured clavicle. A straight-up comparison needs to be viewed with the right lens.
In the 19 games leading up to his injury during the 2015-16 campaign, the first 19 of his career, McDavid registered 24 points and was just heating up, so there's no telling what he would've done offensively in the time he spent on the shelf.
Meanwhile, Matthews registered six goals and seven assists for only 13 points through his first 19 contests.
There's no way of predicting which player will be able to avoid future injury, and McDavid's busted collarbone was a fluke accident. But the fact remains: at this point in their careers, Matthews has proven to be the more durable player.
Linemates
You can't get by without a little help from your friends, and that couldn't be more true for a hockey player.
Last season, Edmonton's line of Patrick Maroon, Leon Draisaitl, and McDavid was a force to be reckoned with, finishing the regular season with a ridiculous total of 219 points. A major reason for McDavid hitting the 100-point mark last campaign was his 70 assists on a line firing on all cylinders.
This year, the Oilers look like a shell of their former selves, sitting near the bottom of the league in goal-scoring with a measly 50. A major reason for that is McDavid's once-stellar supporting cast is firing blanks, leading a panicked management team to acquire aging veteran Michael Cammalleri.
Meanwhile, Matthews' line with William Nylander and Zach Hyman has been one of the better trios in the league this year, racking up 46 combined points while anchoring the Leafs' offensive attack.
Simply put, if McDavid and Co. were able to maintain the insane pace they were on last year to start this one, Matthews' offensive output after 100 would most likely fall well short.
Ultimately, picking one of the two best hockey players of their generation over the other is like choosing between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. Even after 100 games, it doesn't appear this debate will be settled anytime soon.
At the quarter point of the 2017-18 campaign, theScore's NHL team identifies the front-runners to bring home some hardware. This installment was put together by editors Sean O'Leary and Josh Wegman.
Hart - Steven Stamkos
The Tampa Bay Lightning turned heads last season even without their captain, but Stamkos has made them nearly unstoppable.
The Lightning have lost just three games in regulation, and Stamkos leads the NHL with 35 points in 20 games, owning a 1.75 per-game average that projects him to shatter career highs in points and assists. - O'Leary
Vezina - Sergei Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky leads all starting goalies in save percentage (.933) and goals-against average (2.02). He also leads all starters in high-danger save percentage, per Corsica, as he already has a season's worth of highlight-reel saves to his name.
Both Andrei Vasilevskiy and Corey Crawford should garner some consideration here, but Bobrovsky is a clear-cut choice for the quarter-season award. - Wegman
Norris - Erik Karlsson
While Alex Pietrangelo and John Klingberg have started strong, only one elite defenseman is producing at least one point per game.
Despite missing the first chunk of his season to recover from offseason foot surgery, Karlsson sits two points off the league lead in points among defenseman with one goal and 16 assists in 14 contests. While he's not logging his usual standard in ice time, he still averages more than 25 minutes per night, and it doesn't look like there's anything that can stop him from snapping his brief, inexplicable two-year Norris drought. - O'Leary
Calder - Will Butcher
While there may be no Auston Matthews or Patrik Laine in this rookie class, there's certainly no shortage of Calder-worthy players.
Butcher, a defenseman for the Devils, has a slight edge at the quarter mark. He has 16 points in 20 games and a plus-7 rating, and has his team atop the Metro Division standings.
This award is generally reserved for Patrice Bergeron, but since the perennial gold standard of defensive forwards has missed some time this season, he hasn't established himself as the early leader.
It's rare that the Selke ever goes to a winger, but Stone should be in the mix. The 25-year-old is tied for second among all forwards with 24 takeaways, and has been on the ice for 17 goals for at even strength, compared to just nine against. - O'Leary
Jack Adams - Gerard Gallant
The no-brainer above all no-brainers. Gallant has his expansion team sitting second in the Pacific Division with 25 points in 19 games, despite having to start a fourth-string netminder.
Though Vegas' success may not be sustainable, it's far and away the NHL's most surprising team this season. Gallant has to be given credit for getting his players to compete every night. - Wegman
General Manager of the Year - Doug Armstrong
There's lots of time left to see which GM can orchestrate a move to push his team over the top, but Armstrong is a worthy candidate to this point.
The Jori Lehtera-Brayden Schenn trade has been highway robbery for the Blues, helping to rejuvenate a lineup now perched atop the Western Conference. - O'Leary
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players, coaches, and officials in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on Bernie Nicholls, who racked up more than 1,200 career points and had a 70-goal, 150-point season next to Wayne Gretzky in the late-1980s.
On what he remembers from his first NHL game:
My first game was in Calgary, at the old Calgary Corral, where the boards seemed like they were five feet high, and hard. I remember Jerry Korab got hit from behind into the boards, it might have been my first shift out on the ice. And there's a fan banging on the glass, and I go over, and (Jerry's) teeth are sitting on the ledge of the boards.
So, I'm sitting there going, "Damn, here's my first shift in the NHL and a guy just got his teeth knocked out on a hit from behind." (laughs) I don't remember who won the game, or how well I did, but that's what I remember.
On his first NHL goal:
We're in Colorado. I get a breakaway, and I deke Chico Resch and score.
I actually had someone send me a picture of me deking past him and shooting it into the empty net. And that was back before we had iPhones and things like that. I actually have that picture with my jersey hanging up, where I'm shooting the puck into the empty net. And Chico Resch signed his goalie stick for me, so I have that.
It was actually a pretty nice goal for my first NHL goal.
On adjusting to life in L.A. after growing up in West Guilford, Ontario:
I'll never forget flying into L.A. ... where I come from, there may be 75 people in my hometown. There are trees, it's back in the bush. I'm flying into Hollywood ... you actually fly right over the (Great Western Forum). I remember that. And then you land, and there are, like, 10 million people. I go from one extreme to the next.
I love horse racing; Hollywood Park was right there. (Lakers owner Jerry) Buss had celebrities there all the time. Tom Hanks would be at the games. Sylvester Stallone, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell. We played every Saturday night and the Lakers played every Friday night. I'd go to the games and stand on the floor, and hang out with Magic Johnson and the rest of the Lakers.
I always found I can adapt anywhere. You want to take me to Alaska, I can go live there. I love that part of the world. Hollywood was an easy transition, and I enjoyed it. I got my pink silk suit; I could dress the part. It was pretty cool.
On whether he still fancies wearing fur coats as he did in L.A.:
You know what? I still have one; I haven't worn it in a while.
When I was in junior, my billet owned a fur store. So that's where I kind of got the reputation there as an 18-year-old, playing junior hockey, traveling out with a full-length wolf coat. I guess it followed me out to L.A.
On his favorite on-ice talkers:
Ken Baumgartner was tough. He'd always give you the old, "Daddy's home!" or, "You want to party?" But he could back it up. He was good that way.
Another one was Glen Sather - he was so fitting for the Oilers. Cocky young kids, and their coach was cocky and arrogant, but they could all back it up. Glen would have that shit-ass grin on his face behind the bench, chirping at you, but he could really back it up.
A lot of the tough guys would just kind of tell you what they were going to do. Marty McSorley was one of those guys. I love Marty, and I got to play with him, but I'll never forget one time when we're in L.A., and the whistle goes. And the referee, he's over by the penalty box. And Marty's giving me a face wash, 'cause he knows there's nothing I can do about it. (laughs)
So I turned and punched him as hard as I can right in the head, and then I skated as fast as I could to the penalty box and stood right beside the referee and said, "He's comin'." And sure enough, he came and speared me right in front of the referee. (laughs) That's our friend Marty.
On his favorite referee interaction:
I remember Andy Van Hellemond was a big horse guy, and he knew I was. So when he'd come to L.A., he'd be at the track, and we'd be on the ice and he'd tell me he had a good day, or ask me, "Do you know anything for tomorrow?" I lived with a jockey there, and was a friend with a couple of them ... they used to be in the penalty box in L.A., opening the door on the visitors' side.
Andy knew I was friends with them, so he'd always ask me if I had any tips for him, or just tell me how well he did that day.
On how he developed into one of the best shooters of his era:
I think that was more natural ability than work. I've always said, if I could ever do one thing over again in my career, it would be that. We never worked on our craft like kids do today. We never worked out. I didn't start working out until I got to Chicago in '94. We never even had a bike in L.A.
When I got to Chicago, with Chris Chelios, all of a sudden I'm doing push-ups and sit-ups in the sauna, working out every day and loving it. But that was much later in my career. So for me, I think most of (my shooting ability) was God-given. My endurance was probably as good as anybody's. But I still loved shooting in practice.
People always said I had a deceptive shot, or that when I came down the ice, they never knew where I was going for the puck. I guess that was fortunate for me, when goalies couldn't read me. A lot of guys telegraph their shot, and I guess mine was a little different.
On the moment he found out the Kings had acquired Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers:
I was actually in Tahoe at a celebrity golf event, and Jeremy Roenick said he had just heard that (the Kings) had got Wayne Gretzky. I was absolutely shocked. And I was good friends with Bruce McNall, who had just taken over. He had never really mentioned anything about that.
But it was like Christmas day; I was like, "You gotta be kidding me." I was just so excited to have the opportunity to play with Wayne.
On his relationship with Gretzky during their time together:
I've asked different people - and I don't know how Wayne was in Edmonton or on other teams, if he had one player that he hung with - but I was Wayne's shadow. Every day Wayne took me to lunch. When we went on the road, it was Wayne and I. Went to dinner, went to movies. Every day, I was with him.
We had a McDonald's 200 yards up the street (from the arena). Wayne loved McDonald's. Wayne would say, "Hey, Bern, let's go to lunch." When Wayne says "Let's do something," we're doing it. Let's go. So it's McDonald's. And to this day, I hate McDonald's. (laughs). We went every day.
I'll never forget game days. Wayne was a quiet leader, obviously leading by example. And he would come over to me - and he might have gone over to everybody, I don't know that - but he would give me a little tap privately on my knee pads and say, "I need you tonight." And in your mind you're going, "Oh my God, that's Wayne."
Great players bring out the best in everybody. They always do it. And that's how it was with Wayne. Obviously you want to play well for your team, but I always wanted to play well with Wayne. He had that kind of an impact on me. It was just a dream for me to play and hang with Wayne.
On whether being traded out of L.A. in a 1989 deal with the Rangers might have cost him a shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame:
Oh, absolutely. Any time you get traded ... obviously, after you get traded once it's a little easier ... but the toughest part for me was because of that.
You score 70 goals, you play with the greatest player in the game, and all of a sudden, it's like they tease you: they let you play with him just for a little bit, and that's it. For me, I was absolutely honored and fortunate to play with him for a year and a half, but wow, would it have been fun to play with him for a few more years.
That was absolutely the toughest part. That hurt.
On who he considers most underrated from his era:
I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to play with Gretz for 10 years. It was so much fun. But I've always said that if I could play with one person for my entire career, it would be Chris Chelios.
Chris' work ethic was second to none. He gave me nine stitches in my ear in practice one time as I was trying to go around him. He battled you in practice like it was a game. He always said he wanted to play 60 minutes, and I really truly believe he could have. If I had been the coach, I would have let him try.
Everybody knows that Chris would party hard off the ice at times, but he was the first person on the ice the next day. Always. And Chris was always the hardest-working player out there. No one battled harder than him. He was unbelievable.
On winding down his career with the San Jose Sharks in the late-1990s:
The role was going to be different. I know when I signed there, I talked to the general manager, and he had a plan: "We want you to lead the team." They had just drafted Patrick Marleau, and said, "Later on, we want you to take on a lesser role, be more of a role model for the younger kids and teach them."
I loved the idea. To me, there's nothing better than watching young kids in any sport do well. And I've always said that the older players play such a big role to the younger kids. When I first broke in, you know that you gotta take someone else's job. You're not going to get support from the other center. It's the older guys that know that you're going to be a valuable part of the team going forward that take you under your wing.
For me, going there, I had an opportunity to help young kids, Patrick Marleau, Marco Strum, guys like that. And I really loved that idea.
On an unsatisfying end to his NHL career:
This one is a touchy one. I knew I wasn't done yet. The problem is, Darryl Sutter was the coach. I love Darryl, I had him twice. But he had his brother there, Ronnie. And Ronnie was playing that fourth-line role. But I already had an agreement with (GM) Dean Lombardi. Dean brought me in for that role.
So Darryl decides he's going to keep his brother ahead of me. And I can understand that; I probably would have done the same thing. But it's up to Dean Lombardi, the general manager, who knows I'm a better fit. And Dean wouldn't stand up for me against Darryl.
A year later he apologized, but my thought is, you didn't have the balls to stand up to Darryl and do the right thing for the team. So I was done. That didn't sit well for a long time. And like I said, I had no problem with Darryl; he kept me on as a coach there, and he hired me in L.A. as a coach. I can understand from his point; you do a lot of things for your family.
Dean knew I was the better person for the job, and that was the deal when I signed there. So that part stung - and it still hits a nerve.
On how he wished things had ended:
I wanted to play 20 years. And if I couldn't help the team, then I would know it's time. Obviously my goal scoring wasn't there, but I could still play well on defense, still take faceoffs, still really good for the young kids. And I loved the opportunity to play that role.
Even when I was coaching with the Kings, I hung with the players more than with the coaches. I loved being around the players, loved helping the players. I didn't get to do it enough (as a player), and I really would have liked to do it for a couple more years.
__________
Rapid Fire
Best goalie he ever faced: Patrick Roy
Best player he ever played with (aside from Gretzky): Mario Lemieux
Favorite coach of all time: His dad, Pat Quinn, Jacques Lemaire
Favorite visiting arena: Chicago Stadium
__________
Fact File
Born: June 24, 1961, Haliburton, ON
Drafted: Fourth round (73rd overall), 1980, Los Angeles Kings
Teams: Los Angeles Kings (1981-89), New York Rangers (1989-91), Edmonton Oilers (1991-93), New Jersey Devils (1993-94), Chicago Blackhawks (1994-96), San Jose Sharks (1996-98)
