Canadiens Set Record With Hot Start
With a 3-1 win against the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning last night, the Montreal Canadiens set the new standard for a team that starts the season off strong. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Montreal Canadiens are the first team in NHL history to win at least seven of their first eight games in three consecutive seasons. This seasons’s Habs squad is off to a 7-0-1 start, while many will remember that last year’s team won nine straight to open the season, and the 2014-15 team got out to a 7-1 record.
A hot start is invaluable, especially in a sport as physical as hockey where injuries become more common and more taxing as the year goes on. Coach Michel Therrien, who seems to end each season on the hot seat despite beginning each season so well, deserves a lot of credit for Montreal’s strong October play. However, seven wins in eight games can only do so much over an 82-game schedule, and how Therrien manages the team later in the season is what has been much-maligned.
In 2014-15, there were only a few lapses in play over the course of the season, and it’s hard to argue that they made a difference. The team won 16 of their first 22 games before dropping six of seven in late November and early December. However, the team bounced back, winning nine of ten, and continued to excel through the winter. In March, the Habs lost six of eight to begin the month and five of six to end the month, heading into April. Because of this collapse, the team finished three points shy of the New York Rangers for the President’s Trophy. 110 points and an Atlantic Division title wasn’t a bad consolation prize though. Where Therrien received criticism was the noticeable drop-off in play between Montreal’s strong regular season stretches and their postseason performance. Montreal beat the Ottawa Senators in the first round, 4-2, but the Sens put up a better fight than many expected. The Canadiens then fell to the eventual Eastern Conference champs, the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-2 in the second round. Whether or not Montreal had pulled together some late-season wins and taken the top seed in the East, they still would have lost to the Lightning. A strong start in 2014-15 meant nothing without a strong finish.
In 2015-16, things went very differently. The league-leading Canadiens lost superstar goalie Carey Price to injury early in the season, and the 19 wins in their first 25 games were quickly erased. Price was expected to return from injury in one to two months. His last game of the season ended up being November 25th. Without Price, Montreal became a completely different team, and Therrien took the brunt of the hit. The Habs won just five of their next 27 games and were outside the playoff picture faster than they had climbed to the top of it. Montreal settled into .500 hockey for the remainder of the season, finishing with 82 points and sixth place in the Atlantic Division. Their hot start simply went could without Price in net, and the team was unable to ever get the fire going again.
As excited as Canadiens fans are right now, the message in all this is that a record-setting team over the last two seasons have turned their early-season success into a disappointing playoff exit and a complete collapse. While Therrien is very much off the hot seat right at this time, his job now is to find a way to keep this strong play going. If the Habs can become a more consistent team in 2016-17, one that is ready to deal with injuries (Price has already missed time) and capable of playing in April and May like they play in October, then Montreal is a real contender this season. Until that is proven, this hot start is just a statistical anomaly that has played out over the past few seasons, but holds no real weight.
Lindholm, Ducks $250,000 Apart
According to a report from Darren Dreger, the Anaheim Ducks and restricted free agent defenseman Hampus Lindholm have a “line in the sand drawn” at an annual average value about $250K apart on a long-term extension. After going win-less in their first four games, the Ducks have climbed back to 2-3-2, but would still like to have Lindholm back on the blue line to avoid further struggles. Lindholm meanwhile is sitting out to the tune of what would be under $200K more per season after taxes, and one would think that he would be willing to bend as well. However, if the report is completely true, neither side is willing to budge from their current offers.
Lindholm is a pivotal part of Anaheim’s future on the blue line, which Dreger addressed as well, saying that they have no interest in trading him despite rumblings over the past week. Lindholm is just 22 years old, and has shown in his first three seasons in the NHL that he is a 30+ point scorer, elite puck mover, reliable in his own end, and can eat up big minutes; he’s everything you can want in a young defenseman. Playing on the Duck’s top pair last year, Lindholm established himself as the leader of a strong, deep defensive unit in Anaheim. Other teams can see this value as well, and the longer that the Ducks wait to figure out their salary cap situation and get Lindholm signed, the more likely it is that a competitor could force their hand with an offer sheet or pressure them into a trade. They also stand the risk of a standoff lasting past the December 1st deadline to sign RFA’s, in which case Lindholm could not play in 2016-17.
Whatever the result, both sides need to work toward a resolution. While many would guess that both Anaheim and Lindholm are desperate at this point, their willingness to draw a line at such a narrow margin indicates that these negotiations still have a ways to go. The longer this drags into the season, the more damage it has on the team’s play and the relationship between a supposed franchise player and the organization. The rumors will keep flowing, and if Lindholm is still unsigned come this time next month, don’t be surprised to see some major fireworks by way of a big trade or shocking offer sheet. There will surely be more to come on this topic in the coming weeks…or longer.
Holden Trade Led To Roy’s Departure
It was no secret that one of the main reasons for former Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy‘s surprising departure this summer was that he did not see eye-to-eye with GM Joe Sakic on the direction of the team. Roy did not hide the fact that he disagreed with several of Sakic’s personnel decisions, especially when it came to the defense. An old-school, conservative hockey mind, Roy wanted to stick to a strong, defensive unit on the back end. The highly publicized negotiations with and eventual expensive extension for Tyson Barrie was thought to be a top reason why Roy decided to move on. He did not see Barrie as anything more than a bottom-pair defenseman and hated seeing the Avalanche use such a large portion of of their cap space on a defensively-deficient blue liner.
Now, a New York Post article has added yet another issue on the back end in Colorado that likely added to Roy’s exit. It describes how New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault received a phone call from Roy in June after the team had traded for former Avs defenseman Nick Holden. In it, Roy described Holden as “one of my better defensemen”. He also said that Holden was “safe, dependable, and not very flashy”. That perfectly describes Roy’s perfect defenseman, a guy who works hard, doesn’t make mistakes, and plays well in the defensive zone. While some may view this description as dull and lacking upside, and Holden’s career offensive numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, analyzing both the basic defensive stats and more analytic possession stats for Holden over the past couple seasons actually reveals a very strong player. In fact, Roy is surely not the only one who would value Holden’s ability and he is not wrong to have been upset about losing such a player for a measly fourth-round pick. Holden may be one of the most under-rated defensemen in the NHL.
Less than two months after the trade, Roy said goodbye to the place he called home as a player and coach. While the more prevalent issue at the time had been Barrie, it seems likely after the New York Post report that it was likely a combination of keeping Barrie at the expense of Holden that frustrated Roy. The Hall of Fame goalie wanted as a coach what he wanted as a player: a solid defense in front of him. While Roy has yet to find another job behind an NHL bench yet, his next GM should be careful not to trade the best defensive defenseman on the team. Meanwhile, Holden is playing alongside Ryan McDonagh and logging big minutes on the top pair in New York while the Colorado defense is having a hard time stopping goals. Maybe Roy was right all along.
Bruins Notes: Backes, Czarnik, McIntyre
The Boston Bruins announced today that David Backes “underwent the removal of the olecranon bursa from his elbow on Monday”. In layman’s terms, Backes was suffering from bursitis in his elbow, causing painful inflammation. The procedure, which kept Backes out of the Bruins game last night and will sideline him for a while longer, was kept under wraps until now. Given the release by the Bruins, it is not expected that Backes will be out for more than a week.
The Bruins, who are losers of two straight, could use Backes back as soon as possible. Their big free agent acquisition has four points in five games thus far, and has brought a strong, steady presence to Boston’s forward core. Backes has been as reliable as they come throughout his NHL career, and getting him back and healthy will be key for the Bruins to get back on track.
In other Bruins roster moves:
- In a corresponding move, the Bruins have called up Austin Czarnik. The Miami University product began the regular season with the Bruins while Patrice Bergeron was injured, but will now rejoin the big-league squad after some time with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. With the Bruins back to last season’s structure of Bergeron, David Krejci, and Ryan Spooner down the middle, Czarnik will likely slot in on the wing.
- After making his NHL debut in last night’s blowout loss to the Minnesota Wild in relief of Malcolm Subban, rookie Zane McIntyre is set to make his first start in the league tonight at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. With Anton Khudobin out for the next few weeks due to injury, a strong performance tonight for McIntyre should earn him the backup role behind Tuukka Rask when the valued starter returns.
Bernier Injured; Ducks Recall Tokarski
The goalie injuries across the league continue, and the Pacific Division is taking it the hardest. The Los Angeles Kings are without both starter Jonathan Quick and backup Jeff Zatkoff and the Arizona Coyotes are missing Mike Smith. Now the Anaheim Ducks have entered the fray, after Jonathan Bernier left last night’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
Bernier left in the second period after suffering an apparent upper body injury, and starter John Gibson was forced to replace him. The extent of the injury is still unknown and Bernier has been listed as day-to-day. In his stead, the Ducks have brought up Dustin Tokarski. The 27-year-old goalie was traded to the Ducks last year and re-signed this off-season on a one-year, two-way deal and stepped into the role of their AHL starter. Spending his NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, playing mostly in the minors, Tokarski has never been able to solidify himself as an NHL-caliber keeper with a 2.85 GAA and .904 save percentage in 33 appearances.
Tokarski does have experience though, and should be a reliable backup behind Gibson until Bernier is back in action. Even if he struggles, the Ducks won’t be in trouble like their neighbors the Kings. Anaheim boasts the best pro depth in goal of any team in the league, as Tokarski was joined in the minors by fellow journeyman Matt Hackett and former UMass-Lowell standout Kevin Boyle. The San Diego trio form a strong safety net for the unproven duo of Gibson and Bernier in Anaheim.
Is Malcolm Subban A Bust?
Young Boston Bruins goalie Malcolm Subban, the 24th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, was pulled from tonight’s 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild after giving up three goals in the second period. The first two, a deflection by Charlie Coyle and a wide open chance for Chris Stewart, came just twelve seconds apart early in the period. The third was a soft slap shot by Ryan Suter minutes later that would have been saved by most goalies in the league. With both Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin sidelined, the Bruins called up both Subban and Zane McIntyre for the game, and chose to give the latter his first taste of NHL action midway through the game rather than stick with the former any longer.
If Subban’s performance in his 2016-17 Boston debut sounds familiar, that’s because he put on a similarly disappointing performance in his first and only other NHL game back in 2014-15. After shutting out the St. Louis Blues in the first period (albeit facing only three shots), Subban allowed three goals on three shots to begin the second and was promptly pulled from the game with a .500 save percentage. Following tonight’s efforts, Subban’s career percentage at the highest level stands at .750, which, of course, is just awful.
However, you can’t determine the future of a goalie after just two games in the NHL. Many would likely think that Subban’s numbers in the AHL tell a different story. They don’t. In fact, there’s a reason that the 22-year-old has only seen two games of NHL action. The former standout for the OHL’s Belleville Bulls has not been able to put it together since turning pro. While his numbers have not been terrible, they have not lived up to his first-round hype. Subban’s first season with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, in 2013-14, is his best to date. A 2.31 GAA and .920 save percentage in 33 appearances excited the then-hopeful Bruins fan base that they had an elite young net minder waiting in the wings to be the backup to franchise keeper Rask. But those numbers failed to improve in 2014-15, as Subban posted a 2.44 GAA and .921 save percentage in 35 games with Providence, and made his disastrous NHL debut as well. In each of his first two seasons with the P-Bruins, Subban failed to play in more than half of the team’s games, and going into last season, the title of top young Bruins goaltender was still open. Enter former Hobey Baker finalist McIntyre, a sixth round pick of Boston in 2010 who went on to be one of the best goalies in the NCAA for years playing for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Despite miserable numbers in his first pro season, McIntyre was given an equal share in net with Subban, and Subban did not do enough to assert himself as the starter. Subban would eventually suffer a season-ending throat injury in 2015-16, which ended the best streak of his career – a nine-game winning streak with impeccable numbers – but he still ended the season with just a 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage.
So far this season, it is clear who is now on top in the battle of young Bruins goalies. In three games with Providence, McIntyre has a 0.44 GAA and a .977 save percentage. Subban? A 4.50 GAA and an .846 save percentage in his first four appearances. As The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver points out, Subban has had trouble with giving up quick back-to-back goals like he did tonight on multiple occassions with Providence already this season. Given Subban’s collapse tonight, and McIntyre’s solid performance in relief, it seems that now it is official that Malcolm Subban is no longer the Bruins best young goalie. Is he a complete career bust? It’s still too early to tell. Subban is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and assuming he is not traded or selected by Las Vegas in the Expansion Draft, Subban will be back to work in Providence again next year, potentially with only Daniel Vladar as competition. If he has not been able to make the jump to an NHL regular by the end of his next contract, then it will be fair to call him a disappointment. Perhaps P.K. Subban‘s brother needs a change of scenery as well. It’s no secret that the Subban name is not exactly treated with much love in Boston, and there could be comfort issues with the organization. Maybe he’s still not totally recovered from his injury. A brutal injury to a fragile and exposed area may have shaken his confidence. Or possibly he just needs some more time to develop and will eventually pan out for the Bruins. Subban did start playing the position late and has often been described as more of a raw athlete than a polished net minder. The one thing that is certain right now is that if Subban wants to play in Boston ever again, his play needs to get much better. Until then, it will be hard for Subban to shake the “bust” label.
Bergeron Officially Set To Make Season Debut
Patrice Bergeron has gotten healthy just in time for the Boston Bruins home opener tonight against the New Jersey Devils. Coach Claude Julien confirmed the speculation that the career Bruin is healthy and ready to go. The face of the franchise suffered a lower body injury in his final preseason game, causing him to miss the Bruins’ season-opening road trip. Big free agent acquisition David Backes took his place, skating between Bergeron’s partner in crime, Brad Marchand, and the up-and-coming David Pastrnak and the trio combined for 16 points and a +21 rating as Boston went 2-1 in their first three.
However, when Julien was asked if there was any chance that he would stick with the top line while they’re playing so well, thereby separating Bergeron and Marchand, the head coach answered with a definitive “not a chance”. Bergeron led the Bruins in points in 2015-16 with 32 goals and 36 assists, and played alongside Marchand in every game that the pair were both healthy, as Marchand scored a career-high 61 points. The dynamic duo then lit up the World Cup of hockey, playing with Sidney Crosby, and now look to reignite their chemistry and lead the Bruins back to the playoffs.
The alternate captain is expected to jump right in on the current top line for the Bruins, while Backes will likely change lines and positions, switching to right wing on David Krejci‘s line. The Bruins will have to work out some balance in their forward lines, as they are center-heavy with Bergeron, Krejci, Backes, last year’s breakout star Ryan Spooner, and free agent acquisitions Riley Nash and Dominic Moore.
One guy no longer in the mix is Austin Czarnik, who played well in preseason, earning himself an NHL gig while Bergeron was out. Czarnik has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, according to a team release. Czarnik was scratched in the Bruins last game, and the organization felt that getting him play time at any level was more valuable than keeping in Boston without a full-time role. However, Czarnik put up big numbers in the AHL last season, playing with Frank Vatrano and the now-departed Seth Griffith, and is likely to find more success as the center of the P-Bruins top line, between veteran Peter Mueller and 2015 first-rounder Jake DeBrusk, so don’t be surprised to see the Miami University product back on the B’s at some point this season.
Bobby Hull A No-Show At Own Ceremony
One of hockey’s greatest legends decided not to go attend a ceremony celebrating his career, as Bobby Hull skipped out on his jersey retirement by the Winnipeg Jets this week. Hull and his teammates from the 1970’s “Hot Line”, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, were the inaugural class inducted into the Jets Hall of Fame, and the trio had their jerseys raised into the rafters at MTS Centre. To the surprise of many, Hull wasn’t there to see it.
Others were not as surprised. The 77-year-old Hull has somewhat of a dark personal history since his playing days ended. Allegations of domestic abuse emerged not long after he retired, claiming that both during and after his career he threatened his now ex-wife with bodily harm. Hull has also made comments over the years that were blatantly racist and anti-Semitic. There is always an issue in sports as to where to draw the line between player and person. When Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 without much worry over his personal life, and his public support of son Brett Hull was rarely met with public comment or further inquiry as well. Since the Hull family has left the NHL though, the lack of hockey relevance for Bobby has led to more focus on his past words and actions, creating a large population of fans who are now disgusted by a player they once revered.
Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that as a player, Bobby Hull has earned his spot in Winnipeg Jets history. No player had a greater impact on the establishment of the team, and on the World Hockey Association altogether, than Hull. Fans from his playing days in both Winnipeg and Chicago will always remember Hull as a champion, All-Star, and all-around legend on the ice. However, as time passes and fewer fans from 60’s and 70’s remain, Hull will not be able to escape his negative past if he chooses to expose himself to the spotlight of the hockey world. Likely looking to stay irrelevant and to avoid further damage to his tarnished reputation and legacy, Hull did not attend his own ceremony last night. For many reasons and for many people, it is a sad situation.
The Brooks Laich Situation
The 2016-17 season is now a week old and Brooks Laich has yet to play a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has yet to play a game with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He has yet to play… at all. Laich is healthy, he’s willing, and he’s able. So what’s going on?
When the Maple Leafs acquired Laich from the Washington Capitals at the NHL Trade Deadline last season, it was more of a salary dump for Washington than a strategic addition for Toronto. However, Laich is an experienced veteran player who plays a smart, rugged style of hockey. If it wasn’t for his steep salary, many would have been shocked when Laich was put on waivers last week prior to the NHL roster deadline. However, he unsurprisingly cleared waivers. Yet, the team delayed sending him down to the Marlies. Since, he has been reassigned though.
According to Maple Leafs beat reporter Kristen Shilton who spoke with Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe, apparently the hold-up is simply that the organization does not know where they want Laich to play. Conversations have been ongoing between both coaching staffs, management, and even Laich himself. A healthy veteran with the ability to contribute, it seems as if there is confusion over whether he would benefit the young Leafs squad as an NHL player or the even younger Marlies team as more of a mentor. Since Laich put up only 14 points and was a -13 in 81 games between the Caps and Leafs last season, it seems more likely that he’ll stay with the Marlies until he is needed by the big-league team. The situation is strange and somewhat unprecedented, but a solution is expected soon.
Minor Transactions: Adam, Bastian, Cernak, Kravchenko
After struggling to carve out a role for himself in the NHL, veteran winger Luke Adam is headed overseas. A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2008, Adam had undeniable toughness and was a strong presence along the boards and in front of the net. Unfortunately, he was unable to ever put it all together for a complete season of production at the top level. Adam debuted with Sabres at the age of 20, deemed big and strong enough to match up at a young age. In his first four seasons, split each year between Buffalo and their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates and then Rochester Americans, Adam had just 26 points and was -11 in 84 games at the NHL level. He only managed to score a point apiece in limited time in his last two seasons with the Sabres. Meanwhile, his numbers in Portland and Rochester failed to impress as well. He recorded 161 points in 210 games (62 in 57 in his first season), never once leading the team in scoring and seeing decreasing returns each year. Disappointed in the production and lack of development out of their former high pick, Buffalo traded Adam to Columbus in a mid-season deal in 2014-15. He played in just three games with the Blue Jackets, but failed to score and played just over six minutes per game. He spent most of the season with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, putting up just marginal numbers. Columbus flipped Adam to the New York Rangers prior to last season, but he spent all season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Adam tried one last shot at the NHL dream last month, attending Calgary Flames camp on a PTO, but failed to make the team. Having given North American pro hockey his best effort, Adam is now headed to Germany, where he has signed with Adler Mannheim of the DEL. However, like many who make the trip across the Atlantic, don’t be surprised if the 26-year-old Adam attempts an NHL comeback in the future.
In other minor moves:
- The New Jersey Devils signed 2016 second-round pick Nathan Bastian to an entry-level contract today. Although the big forward has already been sent back to the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads for the season, New Jersey now has him locked up should a recall be necessary. Bastian had a breakout season in 2015-16, putting his big frame to work and establishing himself as one of the top power forwards in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. A potential steal at #41 overall, the Devils signed Bastian to the maximum value, three-year ELC and look forward to his NHL debut in the near future.
- Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings have sent one of their up-and-coming young players back to junior, as defenseman Erik Cernak was assigned to the OHL’s Erie Otters after spending the first week of the season with the Kings. Although Cernak did not take the ice for L.A., the team though enough of him to keep him around in case the possibility arose. With goalie Jonathan Quick going down with injury, the team likely felt that this was not the right time to throw a a 19-year-old rookie into the fire. Cernak was a second-round pick of the Kings in 2015, and at 6’3″ and over 200 lbs. he has the size and strength to play at the highest level. However, Cernak’s skating and puck-moving don’t quite match his defensive ability and another season with the high-scoring Otters should help him work on his offensive game.
- The Philadelphia Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, signed former UMass hockey star Dennis Kravchenko to a minor league deal. In a move that may seem like just another minor league signing, the Phantoms actually added a player who outscored Bruins breakout star Frank Vatrano at UMass in 2014-15. The last Minuteman to leave early for a pro deal, Vatrano was a revelation last season, leading the AHL in goals with the Providence Bruins and providing an unexpected boost in Boston. Meanwhile, Kravchenko was having another strong season in Amherst, and will now look to replicate the success of his former teammate with Lehigh Valley in 2016-17. Don’t be surprised if Kravchenko ends up an official Flyer sooner rather than later.