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Central Notes: Johansson, Landeskog, Goloubef

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The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine writes about netminder Lars Johansson, who was called up to take the place of Corey Crawford, who had an emergency appendectomy. Johansson posted a 6-7-1 mark in Rockford for the AHL affiliate IceHogs and will backup Scott Darling, who is expected to play the majority of games in Crawford’s absence. Despite the expectation, Johansson is ready to go when called upon. From Hine:

“If something were to happen (to Darling), absolutely I would be nervous, as excited for any new thing in my career,” Johansson said. “It would be exciting most of all. Just have to make myself prepared as (well) as I can now.”

Head coach Joel Quenneville said that Darling’s play will “dictate” time on the ice, and that Nick Schmaltz’s reassignment has nothing to do with play. Instead, Hine reports, that Schmaltz was sent to Rockford because of roster space and salary cap implications.

In other Central Division news:

  • The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog returned to practice with an orange non-contact jersey writes the Denver Post’s Terry Frei. The Avs captain has been out since November 15th with a lower body injury, and Frei reports that while Landeskog will travel with the team on its four game road trip, he will not suit up for Tuesday’s game against Nashville.Nov 13, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing <a rel=  Since Landeskog’s injury, Colorado has dropped five in a row and the return of its captain sooner would certainly be a boost.
  • Frei also writes about defenseman Cody Goloubef, who was recalled from San Antonio. Goloubef was acquired in a November 28th that saw the Avs send Ryan Stanton to Columbus. Goloubef played back to back games with San Antonio before getting the call up. When Frei talked to Goloubef about why it didn’t work out in Columbus, this is what the defenseman had to say:

“I think I ran into some injury troubles two years in a row,” he said. “Last year I broke my jaw and missed about 30 games. Year before that I hurt my knee and missed 30 games, too, and I always got off to good starts. After that, you get knocked down, shuffled down a little bit and you have to work your was back up. Last year, I found it hard breaking a jaw and trying to come back. You can ask guy who’s done it. It’s hard. I struggled and it’s on me. It’s my job to be ready. That’s what this year is all about.”

All images courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Barkov, Red Wings Call Up Candidates

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A breakaway goal may just be what Aleksander Barkov needs to get going writes the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. Barkov was sprung loose during the Panthers’ 2-1 overtime victory last night when a Red Wings line change led to Barkov being wide open at center ice. He took the long outlet pass, raced to the net, and scored a five hole winner on Petr Mrazek. Before the game, new bench boss Tom Rowe chatted with the youngster and had this to say:

“I told him not to focus on scoring, that they will start going in,” Rowe said Friday on an unscheduled day off in Ottawa given as part reward, part mental and physical break during a season-long six-game road trip.

“Keep playing the right way and have some fun.”

Fialkov writes that the goal snapped Barkov’s 21-game goal drought, the longest of his career. He adds that Barkov reacted with humor after being asked about it. His response? “I don’t even remember my last goal, so it was good to see one go in.”

In spite of a scoring drought, Barkov is second on the team in points with 15 (3-12).

In other Atlantic Division news:

  • Though Drew Miller could take the vacated spot after the Red Wings announced that Justin Abdelkader will be out 2-4 weeks, general manager Ken Holland said that a move would be made from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Some candidates? Forward Matt Lorito has been dynamite for the Griffins, being a point-per-game player since the Wings picked him up as a free agent this summer offering a two-year, two-way deal. Lorito was recently named AHL Player of the Week and currently sits seventh in the league with 19 points (7-12) and is also waiver exempt. Another candidate? Mitch Callahan, who is second on the Griffins in points with 14, has been knocking on the door for years. He’s a feisty winger who would go into the corners while also trying to score the “greasy goals” coach Jeff Blashill harps on.  One other candidate could be Eric Tangradi, a big bodied forward who had a call up last season. It’s more likely that Miller slots in, as Blashill has already hinted that the veteran will get the call.

 

Justin Abdelkader Leaves Game With Lower Body Injury

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MLive’s Ansar Khan tweets that Justin Abdelkader has a lower body injury and will not return to the game tonight.  During the first period of the Detroit Red Wings’ matchup with the Florida Panthers, Abdelkader left the ice after finishing a check and banging his right leg into the boards following the hit. He was seen wincing on the bench and flexing his knee as he skated off the ice.

If Abdelkader is out for a number of games, he will join wounded Wings Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alexey Marchenko, and Brendan Smith. It’s been that kind of a season for Detroit, who is seeking its 26th consecutive playoff appearance.

Abdelkader has eight points (4-4) in 21 games and after signing a massive seven-year extension last season, he was to be counted on for a net-front presence and to chip in at least 20 goals. His absence from the lineup creates another hole in an already ravaged lineup.

The Red Wings, through November 27, lead the NHL in man-games lost with 141.

Snapshots: Anderson, LeBrun’s Power Rankings, Blues

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The Associated Press reports that Ottawa Senators’ net minder Craig Anderson will take another leave of absence to be with his wife during her battle with throat cancer. Anderson will not be available to play Thursday when the Sens take on the Flyers in Ottawa. In turn, the Senators recalled Andrew Hammond and also have Mike Condon ready to go.  Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Sens’ bench boss Guy Boucher said that there is no timetable for Anderson’s return but that the earliest he could be back is Saturday. Warren added a quote from Condon who said: “I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s going through and I wish him the best.”

In other NHL news:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks remain #1 on Pierre LeBrun’s Power Rankings as the first of December approaches. Though they went 3-3-1 on the annual Circus Trip, the Hawks were able to survive without captain Jonathan Toews, who has missed the past three games. Seated second are the Montreal Canadiens, followed by the New York Rangers, who are tops in scoring in the NHL. Fourth and fifth in LeBrun’s rankings are the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Ottawa Senators jumped six spots to number six, while the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nashville Predators round out LeBrun’s top ten respectively. In the power rankings basement? The Islanders hold the spot, due to only a pair of wins in November. LeBrun wonders if ownership will still be as patient if similar results follow in December.

  • Despite an earlier report indicating that the St. Louis Blues could be cutting ties with AHL affiliate the Chicago Wolves, KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano was contacted directly by a Blues Executive who denied such reports.  NHL.com’s Lou Korac wrote earlier that the Blues were readying to put a new AHL team in Kansas City, and the report, via his blog “In the Slot,” was posted on KSDK’s site.  Though Korac said the Blues have not made the plans official, a source told him that it’s pretty much a “done deal.” That news conflicted with what a Blues executive told Cusumano, saying that, “No decisions are close to being made.  We are talking to a lot of people.” 

Rowe And Gallant: A Tale Of Two Hockey Philosophies

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After the shocking dismissal of Gerard Gallant on Sunday night, general manager and head coach Tom Rowe ran his first practice today. The Miami Herald’s George Richards writes that the practice didn’t look too different from the ones run under Gallant. Richards also included Rowe’s comments regarding Gallant after making the move to fire him Sunday:

“Gerard Gallant, first, is a great human being, a really good guy. The other day was brutal on everyone,” Rowe said. “The players really liked him, respected him. I came in and told them we weren’t going to change a whole lot, maybe a few things.”

Richards adds that Rowe hasn’t had a lot of time to change much in a short turnaround, but that some changes included Jonathan Marchessault returning to the top line.  Jussi Jokinen was shuffled to the second line while Seth Griffith, who played on Florida’s fourth line, changed to the third line.

While Richards looked at Rowe’s changes on the ice,  The Sun-Sentinel’s Dave Hyde focused on the shift in thinking within the organization.

Feb 25, 2016; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers right wing <a rel=Hyde reports that it was analytics winning out in Rowe’s favor. Hyde doesn’t mince words, writing that old school mindsets have given way for the new wave of analytics and Gallant, along with President of Hockey Operations (and former general manager) Dale Tallon, were casualties of the new way of doing business. He also wonders who is “in charge” of the organization, quipping:

 To announce Gallant’s firing Monday, four Panthers officials were needed on the teleconference with media. Four. One more and they’d have a starting lineup Tuesday night in Chicago for the first game of their next chapter.

 Hyde adds that it’s the analytics mindset led by Rowe and assistant general managers Eric Joyce and Steve Werier that “have the ear” of owner Vinnie Viola. Hyde continues that the writing was on the wall for Gallant, using the case of former Panther Logan Shaw as an example:

Gallant thought his big presence could help and kept pushing for him to be promoted from the minors. The front office didn’t like his analytics profile. Shaw recently was traded to Anaheim in a small deal for winger Michael Sgarbossa. Maybe it’s a good trade. Again, we’ll see. But it certainly sent a message to Gallant of where he stood.

Meanwhile Pierre LeBrun feels that there was no justifiable reason to fire Gallant, writing that the dismissal generated a league-wide “shaking of the head.” Echoing Hyde, LeBrun chalks the firing up to a philosophical schism, but cautions by saying he doesn’t intend to “fan the flames of that debate.” LeBrun continues:

I think you need to keep an open mind to both analytics and how best to use that information, within the context of understanding what makes a player useful just from knowing the game. There’s room for both schools of thought in hockey, and I’m mighty tired of people trying to make you pick a side.

LeBrun wonders who will receive the credit or blame based on the Panthers’ performance. Regardless, the Panthers’ decision making seems to be a microcosm of the debate raging on in the NHL regarding “old school” thinking versus the “new school” way.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

John-Michael Liles Out Indefinitely With A Concussion

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The Boston Bruins tweeted that John-Michael Liles has been diagnosed with a concussion, and as such, will be out indefinitely due to league concussion protocol. Boston also issued a release on its’ website.

Initially reported as an upper body injury, Liles was hurt when he tripped over Ben Bishop’s goalie stick and went head first into the boards. He needed assistance from teammates to leave the ice and didn’t return to the game. Video of the incident is available via NBC Sports.

Liles has five assists in 22 games this season.

PHR Originals: 11/20/16 – 11/26/16

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While we already looked at the five key hockey stories of the week, here’s some of the original material produced by Pro Hockey Rumors from last week:

  • Glen Miller took a look at the 2016 UFA all bargain team, a list that included the likes of Eric Staal, Jonathan Marchessault, Brian Campbell, and Chad Johnson. 
  • Brian La Rose investigated some defenseman who could garner attention in the trade market, which of course, included Kevin Shattenkirk.
  • Gavin Lee compiled a list of goaltenders who would be great additions to the Vegas Golden Knights roster should they be available during the expansion draft.
  • Zach Leach conducted a deep dive into the post-Brent Burns free agent market heading into the 2017 offseason.
  • Finally, I was able to interview the Athletic’s Scott Powers who gave us his thoughts on Chicago’s play with a quarter of the season in the books.

Florida Panthers Fire Gerard Gallant

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Reported first by Nick Kypreos, the Florida Panthers have fired head coach Gerard Gallant. Brian Compton of NHL.com confirms that Gallant has been relieved of his duties. Elliotte Friedman tweets that general manager Tom Rowe will take over for Gallant. Friedman continues that despite an extension, Gallant and the front office were butting heads over the direction of the team. Panthers beat writer George Richards of the Miami Herald tweets that he tried to reach out to Gallant, but the coach had already the stadium left by taxi. The Associated Press, via a tweet from Luke DeCock, confirmed this with photos of Gallant leaving by taxi.

The Panthers are currently 11-10-1 in the Atlantic Division, good enough for fifth place and 23 points. A very busy offseason, however, ratcheted up expectations in Miami, and Gallant appears to be the first major casualty of those expectations. The move has been met with shock, and questions are already beginning to be asked of the front office and their decision to sack Gallant.

Chip Alexander tweets that Gallant met with the media following the Panthers 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes this evening. Yahoo’s Josh Cooper joins a group of puzzled analysts, tweeting that Gallant led the Panthers to 91 points in his first season behind the bench, and then 103 points last season, which included a division title.

Meanwhile, Martin Biron wonders if the Vegas Golden Knights will swoop in and hire Gallant as its first head coach.

Red Wings Notes: Injuries, Jurco, Mantha

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The injuries continue to pile up for the Detroit Red Wings after Tyler Bertuzzi, and Brendan Smith both left the game in the Red Wings 2-1 loss to Montreal Saturday night. Dylan Larkin was also roughed up, but he returned to finish out the game. Throw in Jimmy Howard, who was hurt Friday evening against New Jersey, and it’s been a rough stretch for Detroit in terms of losing player to injury. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that Tomas Jurco is about ready to return, but he too, has suffered his fair share of setbacks.

General manager Ken Holland believes that Jurco will be cleared to play in Tuesday’s contest against Dallas, but St. James writes that Jurco’s back continues to be a question mark. After surgery this summer, Jurco’s back flared up during his conditioning stint with AHL affiliate Grand Rapids on Friday. Doctors checked him out, and believe he will be alright for Tuesday’s contest against Dallas.

Mar 29, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Detroit Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha (39) plays the puck and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin (74) defends during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

St. James adds that reports on Smith and Bertuzzi’s injuries won’t be available until Monday. In addition to the aforementioned Wings, Andreas Athanasiou, Alexey Marchenko, and Darren Helm are missing from the lineup.  As it stands, the Red Wings lead the league in man-games lost with 140, and the number will certainly rise after yesterday’s tilt.

In other Red Wings news:

  • Anthony Mantha has been impressive in his callup to Detroit, sniping a pair of goals that have made the highlight reel. In seven games, Mantha has four points (2-2).  Jean-Francois Chaumont spoke with Holland and it sounds as if Holland is still willing to give the nod to a veteran. (The article is in French but can be translated into English). Holland complimented Mantha’s play and his significant improvement since his days in junior hockey, but stopped short of saying his spot in Detroit is secure. Chaumont believes that Mantha will become a top scorer, and others, like Winging It In Motown’s Prashanth Iyer, show the advanced stats that reveal Mantha’s strong play in his first seven games with Detroit.
  • Add the Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa to the list of pundits who believes that Mantha is a star in the making. Krupa indicates that Mantha brings the size, scoring, and speed that will light the lamp often. Krupa also defends Holland’s decision to keep Mantha in Grand Rapids:

While praising the Wings brass these days for anything is only occasionally warranted, and fraught with the risk of targeting on social media, the fact of the matter is Holland and Devellano were right about Mantha’s performance and wise to make it plain to the player, perhaps even in publicly prominent ways. And Jeff Blashill gets the primary assist for knowing the player well enough to decide when he could play regularly with Henrik Zetterberg and supply puck retrieval and possession skills, which are as intrinsic to Mantha’s role as his ample finishing skills.

Krupa is careful to emphasize (after heaping praise on an oft-maligned front office) that the Red Wings would be hard pressed to send Mantha back down once the team is healthy again. Regardless of what the front office chooses to do, Mantha certainly has a large number of supporters who want him to stay in Detroit permanently.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pacific Notes: McDavid, Marleau, Jankowski

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This season, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has been the dominant force that many predicted when he was taken first overall by the Oilers in 2015. The National Post put the results of a reader’s poll together that overwhelmingly selected McDavid to continue his torrid scoring performance and finish the season as the league’s Art Ross Trophy recipient. Through Thursday, McDavid had 27 points, (9-18), good for a three point lead over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov who has 24 points. McDavid is averaging 1.29 points-per-game, and has been a major factor in Edmonton’s rise this season.

  • San Jose’s Patrick Marleau notched a game winning goal to power his Sharks past the New York Islanders Friday night. The goal was his 94th career game winner, which moved him past Joe Nieuwendyk and tied him with Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman, who sits ninth all time. Marleau is now just 13 goals from registering 500 in his career, placing him in elite company.
  • The Calgary Herald’s Wes Gilbertson reports on 2012 first round pick Mark Jankowski, who finally got the call to the big club Thursday evening. Gilbertson quotes head coach Glen Gulutzan on what the youngster brings to the Flames:

“He’s a great kid. He’s not a good kid, he’s a great kid,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan of the latest arrival. “He didn’t know where to sit in the room (Friday), when the video was on. He was like, ‘Is there assigned seating?’

“The first thing I said to him is, ‘You can sit wherever you want, Janks. You don’t have to wait for everybody to sit down.’ I think he ended up sitting close to the front. It’s like going to high school, right? Nobody wants the front seat in a video session, they might have to answer a question.”

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