While it was previously reported that there was some hope that injured Nashville Predators starting goaltender Juuse Saros would be able to play after the first two games of his team’s first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, it seems that timeline may have been a bit optimistic. Today, Predators coach John Hynes announced that Saros would not be playing in game three and that rookie Connor Ingram will retain the starter’s crease. After a brutal overtime loss last night, the Predators have a crucial home contest on Saturday as they try to fight their way back into the series.
While this news is undoubtedly unfortunate for the Predators given their increasingly dire situation and Saros’ brilliance this year, there is one wrinkle to this storyline that could prove to be a positive for Nashville: the emergence of Ingram. The rookie started game 2 after season-long backup David Rittich’s game one implosion, and performed admirably. Ingram made some spectacular saves and finished with 49 saves on 51 shots, nearly carrying the Predators to a miracle road victory. If Saros’ injury is what puts Ingram into the spotlight and he raises his stock leaguewide considerably, perhaps that can be some consolation to the Predators faithful.
Now, for some other notes from across the league:
- It has been a season of much change for the Vancouver Canucks, and today there was some shuffling in their scouting department. Thomas Drance of The Athletic reported that the Canucks have parted ways with four members of their amateur scouting department: Derek Richard, Tim Lenardon, Brandon Benning, and Pat Conacher. The Vancouver Sun’s Patrick Johnston added a fifth name to the departures, reporting that Ted Hempson is also leaving the organization. That’s a decent number of scouts to leave at one time, and this development supports the idea that this new Canucks front office is seeking deep, substantive changes to the organization.
- The courting process has begun with highly-touted KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko, and the landscape regarding his suitors is starting to take shape. The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reported that Oilers GM Ken Holland “may have talked to [Kuzmenko] personally” and that the team is interested in the point-per-game KHL scorer. In addition to the Oilers, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the Canucks interviewed Kuzmenko today, and that “there is good interest from both sides.” It was previously reported that as many as 20 teams could be actively interested in signing Kuzmenko, so it’s likely that reports like these concerning his recruitment process will continue to trickle in as the competition to secure his services heats up.
Canuck scouts haven’t picked a 2nd round or better player that has made an impact not named Demko
I read the most impressive work by a random Canucks blogger years ago.
Convinced that the Canucks were terrible at drafting, he went back and assigned the Canucks the best available player according to Central Scouting at the time of each Canucks draft pick for a ten year period. North American players list only since there are two lists.
That team “drafted” significantly more contributors than the actual Canucks did. Significantly better ones, too.
Matthew Tkachuk prime example.
Maybe the best moment of the NSH-COL game was just prior to Makar’s GWG, Pete says to Hal (paraphrasing here), “Hal, is that how you played defense?” Hal says, “No! I played the right way. I went to my spot and stayed there. This Cale Makar guy is all over the place. What is wrong with him?!” :)
@Mac – The great part of how well Ingram played is that it takes away Poile’s excuse that Saros being hurt is the reason they’re losing the series. The Avs are boat racing a Preds roster that can’t play at that playoff level tempo.
And Hal Gill critiquing Cale Makar is a hoot! :D
@Gbear – Did you take the over on 6.5 for each side today? Poile and Company are probably thinking Ingram needs more reps in the “A”, but can you imagine them pulling off a successful tandem move next year, say 55-47, if they kept him up?
@Mac- I’m not sure a tandem of Parent and Dryden could save the Preds from their annual 1st round playoff demolition. To use a Kentucky Derby analogy, Poile builds a team that can hang up until the 3/4 mark of the race, but as soon as the top horses kick it into full gear, his horse falls way back.
@Gbear – His horse transforms into “Francis, the Talking Mule”, or just gets spooked seeing the ominous truck just outside the fence—the lettering reads “Glue Factory.”
The glue factory should be for Poile. ;)
I was wondering, and indeed, that IS the Ted Hampson who won the Masterton Trophy as captain of the Oakland Seals over fifty years ago: here’s his link if you want to add it — link to hockey-reference.com. He must be the last guy who played in the NHL in the 1950s who was still working for a team, so it’s far from unreasonable that at age 85, he’s wishful of retiring.
The answer for your question Nha Trang is no.
John Buyck started in the NHL in 1955, and today at 86 still works for Boston.
Beat it, Nha
@bruin4ever – The Chief is listed as an Ambassdor for the B’s, and Hampson was an Amateur Scout. There is, admittedly, a little more work for an Amateur Scout, compared to an Ambassador. The Ambassador, though, is usually sought out by fans more for photo ops and chats.
Johnny Bucyk has a title on the orgchart and maybe still collects a paycheck, but that’s it, these days.
And feel free to beat yourself, hockeydude77.