Tag Archives: Hockey

Ducks GM rips Giordano for knee-on-knee hit: ‘He’s done this before’

Bob Murray is less than impressed.

The Anaheim Ducks general manager isn't too happy with Calgary Flames blue-liner Mark Giordano after his knee-on-knee hit to Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler.

The play occurred in the third period of Tuesday's contest. Giordano was not whistled following the incident, but that didn't negate a response from the Ducks' Josh Manson, who dropped the gloves with the Flames captain.

"It was dismissed very quickly by the people in charge. That's their job. So I guess that's the standard. If that's the standard, that's the standard," Murray told Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. "The big thing in hockey today is concussions, but I still, as an old player, have no use for knee-on-knee hits, especially if I think they are somewhat intentional."

Murray did not elaborate if he believes the hit had an intent to injure.

"I hear how Gio is a good guy, and he's this and he's that," Murray added. "Well, he's done this before. I have no respect for people who go after knees. I'm sorry, but knees, they wreck your careers real quick. I don't like it."

Related - Carlyle: It's a 'travesty' Giordano wasn't penalized for Fowler hit

On Thursday, Anaheim announced Fowler will miss the next two-to-six weeks as a result of the injury. Depending on his return, that timeframe could keep him off the ice for part of the postseason.

It's a devastating loss for the Ducks, as Fowler leads all Anaheim blue-liners with 39 points. He's also first on the team in time on ice, averaging just under 25 minutes a night.

Tuesday's contest was the second in a home-and-home series between Calgary and Anaheim. The Ducks came away with the victory in both games, but tempers boiled over in the closing frame of the second game, as the two sides combined for 106 penalty minutes in the third period alone.

The Ducks took four of five regular-season meetings with the Flames this season, and the possibility remains the two sides could meet again in a playoff series.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fuhr congratulates Talbot on breaking his single-season wins record

Cam Talbot's record-breaking win on Thursday night didn't go unnoticed.

The Edmonton Oilers netminder recorded his 41st win of the season, setting a new franchise record. The 29-year-old surpassed Grant Fuhr's previous mark of 40, and on Friday the Hall of Famer offered his congrats and best wishes for Talbot heading into the postseason.

Talbot still has a long way to go if he is to surpass the franchise record for all-time wins, though. Fuhr leads all Oilers goalies with 226 wins in 423 games - 164 more than Talbot.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Golden Knights’ Duke signs pro tryout with AHL’s Wolves

The Duke is headed to Chicago.

Reid Duke, the first player to sign with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, will join the AHL's Chicago Wolves on a professional tryout agreement, the Golden Knights announced Friday.

Duke, 21, signed with the Golden Knights after playing parts of six seasons in the WHL. Duke spent the 2016-17 campaign with the Brandon Wheat Kings, posting 71 points in 59 games.

"We are appreciative of the Wolves organization for affording Reid this opportunity, which will be beneficial for his development as a player," Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said in a statement.

The Wolves are the minor-league affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. The Golden Knights have not yet made an announcement about their own minor-league club.

The team could share an affiliation during its first few seasons, with owner Bill Foley noting the eventual plan is for Vegas to have its own AHL club. Possible locations include Reno, Nev., Fresno, Calif., and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Comrie, Gillies record 1st NHL wins on same night

A pair of netminders picked up their first wins in the NHL on Thursday night.

More impressively, it was the first start in the big leagues for both goaltenders.

Jon Gillies came away with the victory for the Calgary Flames, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Gillies turned aside 27 shots in the win, with the lone goal coming from Kings winger Trevor Lewis.

"That was an unbelievable effort by our team. It was fun to be behind and fun to play behind," Gillies told reporters. "When you play behind an effort like that, it's easy to see why they've had so much success this year."

It's been a long road to the NHL for Gillies after the Flames selected him with the 75th pick in the 2012 draft. He spent the following three seasons at Providence College before turning pro with the AHL's Stockton Heat, the Flames' minor-league affiliate.

Gillies has appeared in 38 games with the Heat this season, posting a 17-14-1 record alongside a .909 save percentage and 2.95 goals-against average.

No doubt he made the most of his opportunity, joining the Flames on an emergency recall after backup Chad Johnson was lost to a lower-body injury.

Meanwhile, Eric Comrie got the call for the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, putting up a huge effort in his NHL debut. He made 35 saves as the Jets defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road.

"He was very, very good, as you saw," Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters following the victory. "The little things though - rebound control, the number of quick shots that came to him that he got off into the corner - so we didn't have to fight for (the pucks). A smaller goalie has to be positionally really sound to play in this league, and there were three or four that he got with his shoulder or blocker that was all technique."

Canadian hockey fans will recall Comrie from his performance at the 2015 World Junior Championship. The Edmonton native appeared in two games at the tournament, winning both contests and posting a .933 save percentage in the process. Comrie was a part of that year's gold medal-winning squad.

Drafted 59th overall by the Jets in 2013, Comrie completed two more seasons with the WHL's Tri-City Americans before moving on to the AHL.

He owns a 17-25-2 record with a .906 save rate and 2.98 GAA in 48 games this season with the Jets' minor-league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Breaking down 3 teams’ routes to the East’s last playoff spot

Thanks to a Tampa Bay Lightning win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and a New York Islanders victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, we are no closer to figuring out who will claim that second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Maple Leafs had their second chance to punch their ticket to the postseason, but dropped a 4-1 decision to the Lightning just 48 hours after a similar result against the Washington Capitals.

As for the Islanders, they got up 3-0 before the second period was a minute old against the Hurricanes and shut things down after that, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Related - Playoff percentages: Door ajar for Bolts, Isles after Leafs fail to clinch

With the Lightning and Islanders both coming out victorious, the race continues. Heading into the weekend, here's how each of these three playoff hopefuls will need to conclude their season in order to claim that final spot.

Brace yourselves, this might get confusing:

Maple Leafs

Quite simply, the Maple Leafs control the fate of the final spot, and those of the Lightning and Islanders as a result.

A victory in one of their final two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Columbus Blue Jackets would secure the spot for Toronto. Meanwhile, a single point in the final two games would force both New York and Tampa Bay to go nearly perfect in their final two games.

A single regulation loss by the Lightning or the Islanders would also sen.

Lightning

It's quite simple for the Lightning: beat both the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres in regulation and hope the Maple Leafs get no more than a single point over their final two games.

The Maple Leafs currently have two more combined regulation and overtime wins than the Lightning, which is the first tiebreaker in the standings. In other words, the Lightning must win both their contests before they reach a shootout.

Luckily, the Lightning hold the second tiebreaker against the Maple Leafs, as a result of collecting more points against them in the regular-season series.

Islanders

Just like Tampa Bay, the Islanders' best bet is to go perfect in their final two games against the New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators.

In the event that the Islanders and Maple Leafs tie in points, the factor will be whether the Islanders pick up one more regulation or overtime win. As it stands now, the Maple Leafs have one more than the Islanders, but the Islanders hold the second tiebreaker against Toronto.

That means the Islanders can afford to go 1-0-1 in their next two games if the Maple Leafs go pointless.

Islanders/Lightning

Cover your eyes Maple Leafs fans, but in the case both the Islanders and Lightning go perfect down the stretch and the Maple Leafs fail to record a single point, New York would have the edge in ROW over Tampa Bay.

However, if the Lightning can make up that single regulation or overtime win on the Islanders, the Lightning would head to the postseason, having gone 3-0-0 against the Islanders during the regular season.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the Fly: 4 playoff rookies we’re excited to watch

With the NHL playoffs less than a week away, "On the Fly," theScore's NHL weekly roundtable series, looks at four postseason newcomers we're excited to watch.

David Pastrnak

McLaren: 2016-17 has been Pastrnak's coming-out party, and there's a sense the 20-year-old is just getting started.

In his first full NHL season, the Czech winger has given the Boston Bruins near point-per-game production, with 34 goals and 36 assists in 74 games. Impressive numbers to be sure, but the manner in which he's done it suggests a further breakout could be coming.

Pastrnak possesses game-breaking ability unseen in Boston since Tyler Seguin, and has demonstrated an ability to put the game on his stick, as evidenced by team-leading two overtime winners.

That he plays in a Bruins top six comprised of savvy veterans who've made numerous playoff treks should boost not only his confidence but his production, as the likes of David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand have a knack for setting the table.

Pastrnak has had a formidable regular season, but don't be surprised if he makes an even better first playoff impression.

Connor McDavid

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Gold-Smith: It's hard enough to look away when McDavid is on the ice in the regular season. Good luck doing it in the playoffs.

The NHL's points leader will soon get his first taste of postseason action, and there's no doubt it'll be appointment viewing.

McDavid has had no trouble adjusting to the speed of the league as a 20-year-old in his first full NHL campaign, and while the playoffs require another gear, it shouldn't take the youngest captain in league history much time to make an impact.

He's already one of the NHL's most dynamic playmakers as well as one of its most dangerous scorers, and he has a realistic shot at hitting the 100-point plateau before the regular season wraps up.

McDavid will surely collect some individual accolades as the probable Art Ross Trophy winner and a likely nominee for the Hart, but his shifts will be can't-miss entertainment come playoff time with the ultimate team prize in his sights.

Jordan Eberle

O'Leary: Doubling up on the playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers, it's hard not to feel good for Eberle.

With 505 NHL games and numerous rebuilds under his belt, Eberle will appear in the postseason for the first time in his career, and while he's shifted to more of a depth role since the arrival of No. 97, keep an eye on the Oilers veteran.

If you're familiar with his world juniors resume, or have seen his first NHL goal, you're well aware of Eberle's reputation for enjoying the big moments. Unfortunately for him, the gap between opportunities to shine on the sport's grandest stages has dragged on longer than he probably expected, but now's his chance. Expect him to take advantage.

Alexander Wennberg

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Wilkins: It's not often a team trades its top center, but the Columbus Blue Jackets cashed in on Ryan Johansen, knowing they had their next middle man around the corner in Wennberg.

The 22-year-old stepped into the top job last season after Johansen was dealt to the Nashville Predators, a trade that brought defenseman Seth Jones to Columbus. Not only did the deal strengthen the team's back end, but Wennberg has played a pivotal role down the middle with fellow center Brandon Dubinsky.

Wennberg leads the Blue Jackets with 45 assists this season. His production has played a big part in the team locking down just its third-ever playoff berth. The dynamic center will soon have the chance to showcase his skill on a bigger stage when he makes his postseason debut.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ritchie to have hearing for sucker punch on Rozsival

Anaheim Ducks forward Nick Ritchie will go before the NHL's Department of Player Safety for sucker-punching Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival, the league announced Friday.

The play occurred in the third period of Thursday's contest between the Ducks and Blackhawks. Ritchie was assessed a match penalty as a result of the incident.

Ritchie has appeared in 77 games with the Ducks this season, registering 28 points and 62 penalty minutes.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When it’s your night, it’s your night: Lucic relishes 3rd-period hat trick

It took Milan Lucic just over 12 minutes to score three goals in the third period of Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks.

Lucic's third career hat trick propelled the team to a 4-2 win over the Sharks helping them keep pace with the Anaheim Ducks for top spot in the Pacific Division.

It was a big night for Lucic, who pushed his goal-scoring streak to three games while hitting his highest regular-season total in three years. As for the hat trick coming in a single period, that was a bit of an oddity for him.

"First time I've scored three in one period that's for sure and when it's one of your nights it's one of your nights," Lucic told Sportsnet's Gene Principe postgame.

Nevertheless, the Oilers will take it. They'll also hope to see more of it, as with just a single point over their next two games, they can guarantee home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.