Goalie Notes: Rask, Binnington, Colorado
Up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final behind a pair of convincing wins, the Boston Bruins have their eye on a second Stanley Cup title this decade and have the appearance of the team to beat right now. Tuukka Rask has been the Bruins’ best player so far this postseason and maybe the best player altogether. That is the growing consensus anyway, as Rask has emerged as the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy should Boston go all the way. Entering the third round of the playoffs, Vegas odds makers gave the Bruins keeper the best chances to be named playoff MVP after an incredible first two rounds. Two games later, he’s continued his strong play and those odds are only improving. Granted, Cup-winning goalies tend to be given strong consideration for the Conn Smythe every year, as reflected by St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington, San Jose’s Martin Jones, and Carolina’s Petr Mrazek filling spots two, four, and five respectively in the current odds as well. However, it’s more than that when it comes to Rask’s current level of play, as a quick look at the numbers will show that has truly been the best player in these playoffs so far. In 921 minutes, almost an hour more than Binnington in second, Rask not only leads all goalies in time on ice, but also tops all starters in wins and save percentage and is second in goals against average. Ruling out relief appearances by Dallas’ Anton Khudobin and Nashville’s Juuse Saros and two starts from Carolina’s Curtis McElhinney, Rask’s .937 save percentage is the best so far this postseason and, were it not for the New York Islanders’ Robin Lehner, Rask’s 2.02 GAA would also be tops. In fact, the Bruins allowed two late goals in Game Two against the Hurricanes after sitting back on a 6-0 lead, without which Rask would lead all categories and would hold a sub-2.00 GAA.
Rask has often faced unfair criticism during his time in Boston for lacking a “clutch” factor, despite winning a Vezina Trophy and leading the team to the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. In fact, while Rask may not get much recognition, he is quietly one of the better goaltenders in NHL history on paper and has been even better in the postseason. Rask’s career playoff save percentage currently sits at .927, ranked seventh all-time and fourth among active goalies, while his 2.21 GAA is 14th in the modern era and again fourth among active goalies. Compared to his career regular season .921 save percentage and 2.28 GAA, Rask is better in the playoffs, yet his regular season numbers rank third and fourth all-time behind only the likes of Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, and Martin Brodeur. Rask is certainly due more respect than he tends to get and if he continues this impeccable playoff run, he should get it in the form of the Conn Smythe Trophy.
- Ranked second in the Conn Smythe odds and second among the four remaining starters in time on ice and goals against average, Binnington has continued to be the surprise performance fueling the Blues amazing turnaround season. A 25-year-old rookie who forced himself into Calder Trophy consideration with a stunning second half, Binnington recorded 24 wins, a .927 save percentage, and a league-leading 1.89 GAA this season. Yet, his numbers have tailed off in the postseason, although it’s been enough to get St. Louis through to the Western Conference Final. Is there more to Binnington’s slight struggles than just tougher competition in the playoffs? TSN’s Frank Seravalli writes that it’s hard to ignore the similarities between Binnington’s season and that of Andrew Hammond in 2015, when the “Hamburglar” took the league by storm. Hammond also arrived on the NHL stage late in his career and without much initial fanfare. He posted even better numbers in his rookie year than Binnington did his year and led the Ottawa Senators to the postseason, stealing starts from Craig Anderson along the way. However, he faltered in the playoffs and was replaced by Anderson mid-way through a first-round exit. Hammond put up pedestrian numbers as the Senators’ backup the next season before completely falling off the map. Could the same fate await Binnington? Already Binnington has bested Hammond’s season by continuing to play well in the playoffs, but how he’ll perform next year remains a mystery. In speaking with Blues coaches and players, Seravall notes that no one is worried that Binnington will fizzle out, this year or next. St. Louis fans just have to hope they are right, especially if the team opts to enter next season with the same tandem of Binnington and the inconsistent Jake Allen.
- After the Colorado Avalanche signed 22-year-old Adam Werner to his entry-level contract today, they now have two goalies under contract for next season, and that’s it. Fortunately, one of those two is starter Philipp Grubauer, who came on strong in the second half of the season and in the postseason. He looks like a solid starter moving forward, but the Avs have many decisions to make behind him before next season. Werner should be no higher than fourth on the depth chart next year, so he’s not the solution as Grubauer’s backup by any means. Spencer Martin, 23, is a restricted free agent who should be back with the team. However, Martin struggled in the AHL this season and has yet to assert himself as a true NHL option through four pro seasons. Current backup Semyon Varlamov is a free agent who seemingly remains on good terms with the Avalanche, but is coming off a contract worth $5.9MM annually and may not be willing to take less than Grubauer’s $3.33MM on his next deal. This would seem to put this year’s third-stringer, Pavel Francouz, in a promising situation. The 28-year-old KHL import had a strong first season in North America, earning AHL All-Star recognition and making two impressive NHL appearances. Francouz initially signed with Colorado before Grubauer was acquired last summer and expected to compete for NHL time more than he did. Perhaps this could be his opportunity to win a full-time backup job next season. If the Avalanche feel Francouz and Martin are not adequate depth behind Gruabauer, Brian Elliott, Anders Nilsson, and Curtis McElhinney are among the affordable backup options available in free agency.
Bruins To Loan Emil Johansson To Sweden
May 13th: While the Bruins have yet to officially recognize the deal, there is no longer any doubt that Johansson will not be playing in North America next year and, as it turns out, not for a while after that either. HV71 have announced that they have signed Johansson to a three-year contract, bringing back the homegrown product. The team’s general manager, Johan Hult, spoke glowingly about Johansson in the press release, applauding his balanced game, skating ability, and “incredible hunger”. These traits are part of the reason why Johansson joined the Bruins so quickly after being a seventh-round pick and the team will be sorry to lose him as a young depth option, especially for up to three years or longer. It is possible that the Bruins have already agreed to waive and terminate Johannsson, valuing his roster spot against the 50-contract limit more than loaning and retaining his rights. Either way, the 23-year-old will become an afterthought for the Bruins.
May 10th: There is a logjam on defense in Boston, but it came in handy this season. Over the course of the regular season, the Bruins used 11 different defensemen as injuries ravaged the blue line all year long. The team’s defensive leader in games played, Brandon Carlo, still missed ten games, while players who began the season as AHL afterthoughts, such as Connor Clifton and Jeremy Lauzon, suited up for double-digit games. It was a group effort that helped the team stay afloat through adversity and certainly contributed to the Bruins currently being one of just four teams left alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is all to say that any defenseman under contract with Boston this season who didn’t see NHL action should be re-considering his place in the organizational depth chart moving forward.
That appears to be exactly what Emil Johansson has done. Johansson, 23, was a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Bruins who impressed at the top level in Sweden and was deemed ready for pro hockey in North America sooner than expected. This season, his second full year with the Bruins organization, Johansson led all defensemen for AHL Providence in games played this season with 65, while recording ten points. Yet, he did not earn a chance to escape the minor league level. His odds are no better next season; the Bruins currently have the same top seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts through next year and Johansson would additionally be no higher than fifth among call-up options behind Clifton, Lauzon, and recent first-round picks Urho Vaakanainen, and Jakub Zboril. Johansson’s entry-level contract, which still has one year remaining, contains a European Assignment Clause, which he is reportedly expected to use in light of this situation. Henrik Leman of Swedish hockey source Rakapuckar writes that Johansson and the Bruins have a mutual agreement that he will play for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League next season.
While Leman’s article translates to the word “release”, it is far more likely than Boston will instead loan the young defenseman to the SHL rather than terminate his contract. Especially when the team can retain Johansson’s NHL rights in perpetuity by merely making him a qualifying offer next summer, it would be a surprise to see them instead outright release him. As for next year, Leman reports that interest has been high around Johansson and he has agreed to sign with HV71 over the likes of Frolunda HC and the Vaxjo Lakers. Of course, Johansson came up through the HV71 ranks, so the decision is not much of a surprise. Johansson played two full SHL seasons with the team before making the jump to North America, recording 27 points in 99 total games, and it will likely be a seamless transition to return to their ranks. If he excels overseas, the Bruins will likely keep the door open to a return. Despite their considerable depth in talented young defensemen, Boston has to prepare for life after Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and Kevan Miller, all of whom could be gone after next season. Johansson could still wind up as a possible solution down the road.
Snapshots: Mrazek, Olofsson, Panthers
When the Eastern Conference Final resumes on Tuesday, the Carolina Hurricanes may have a different starting goaltender. NHL.com’s Shawn P. Roarke relays that Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour would not commit to starting Petr Mrazek again in Game Three. The Boston Bruins have scored 11 goals in the first two games of the series, all but one of which were attributed to Mrazek. He had only allowed allowed on goal in his previous two games and only 20 total in nine playoff games this season before arriving in Boston. Clearly, the Bruins have him figured out right now and it may be time for Carolina to give Curtis McElhinney a shot. Brind’amour approached Mrazek about coming out of Game Two, but the 27-year-old keeper wanted to stick it out, a right that the coach said he had earned. However, as Mrazek’s play did not improve as the game went on, he has likely lost that right to determine when he plays. McElhinney, who turns 36 next week, may have tread on the tired but is well-rested after making only three appearances so far in the playoffs. In those game, he has been stellar as well, posting a .947 save percentage and 1.56 GAA. If the Hurricanes are to win four of their next five games to come back and beat Boston, they’ll need some magic and Mrazek appears to be all out. Perhaps McElhinney has been saving some up for the first postseason run of his 12-year NHL career.
- Chicago Blackhawks prospect Fredrik Olofsson is heading home to Sweden. Olofsson, who made his pro debut last month with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, has signed with MODO of the Swedish Hockey League, according to Swedish news source Kvalls Posten. This could be the end of Olofsson’s days in North American hockey, as he wraps up a solid NCAA career only to immediately bolt. Olofsson was a fourth-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2014 and played four seasons at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, leading the team in scoring in his senior season. The 22-year-old forward played in a pair of games with the Blackhawks’ affiliate, but has not been offered an NHL contract. He will thus become a free agent in August when his NHL rights expire, but doesn’t seem optimistic about his market. Interestingly, while Olofsson has represented Sweden on the international stage, he has never played competitively in his home country. Olofsson played his midget, junior, and college hockey in the U.S., but is now finally ready to return home.
- The Florida Panthers are expected to be major players on the free agent market this summer, with much of the speculated centered on their interest in top free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. While goaltending was certainly an issue this season and Bobrovksy would help immensely, defense was also a major concern and wouldn’t be addressed by grabbing only those two. Unsurprisingly, GM Dale Tallon tells The Athletic’s George Richards that a top-four right-handed defenseman is also on his wish list this summer. However, cap space is going to be tight for the Panthers and top righties like Erik Karlsson and Tyler Myers are likely out of their price range. Richards lists Anton Stralman and Adam McQuaid as right-side free agent options, while Ben Lovejoy, Dan Girardi, and Roman Polak would be other possibilities. If those aren’t impressive enough to be considered a top-four solution, Florida could be an intriguing trade partner for the Winnipeg Jets or Ottawa Senators for Jacob Trouba and Cody Ceci respectively.
Eastern Notes: Chabot, Vrana, Maenalanen, Maatta
The Ottawa Senators may have benefited long-term from trading off its expected big-name free agents at the trade deadline, but the franchise must still answer to its fans. With a number of young players on their roster, the team must prove to their fan base that it has no intention of just trading away all of their players once their contracts come up. There are rumblings that suggest the Senators are ready to commit to one such player, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his “31 Thoughts” column that the Senators are going to attempt to lock up defensive cornerstone Thomas Chabot to a long-term extension. Chabot, who broke out with a big season in his sophomore year with 14 goals and 55 points in 70 games, would be the ideal signing for the organization to prove to its fans that they intend to compete in the future.
Friedman also writes that owner Eugene Melnyk has been humbled by his lack of success in finding a President of Hockey Operations with top candidates showing no interest to the point of refusing to even meet with the team. The hope is that Melnyk will now find a way to please the fans by rewarding one of their young players. Chabot is the most likely fit as he will be eligible for an extension on July 1 as he is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. Perhaps the move will also turn around the team’s presidential search.
- NBC Sports Brian McNally writes that while the team was thrilled that 23-year-old Jakub Vrana put up 24 goals and finally broke out as a consistent top-six winger, the team now has to pay for him. Vrana, who becomes a restricted free agent this summer, could look to sign a long-term deal as a young piece to a veteran team or opt to sign a bridge deal that could take him towards unrestricted free agency in a few years. Of course, Vrana struggled in the playoffs which could count against him, as he didn’t register a point during the team’s seven-game series to the Carolina Hurricanes. We’ll have some decisions to make,” general manager Brian MacLellan said. “We’ll find out which direction we’re going on Vrana with a term deal or a bridge deal. Some of it is money decisions. Some of it’s we need to make a couple changes.”
- The Carolina Hurricanes are ready for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals with the Boston Bruins and while there will be no lineup changes, News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes that the team still hopes that forward Saku Maenalanen, who has been out since Apr. 28 after having surgery on his hand, could return to the team soon as he practiced with the team Saturday in a non-contact jersey. The surgery was expected him to miss 10 to 14 days, which has already passed. While he’s tallied just one assist throughout the playoffs, the 6-foot-4 winger had given the team a physical element that it needed. The team hopes he might return later in this series
- Jonathan Bombulie of TribLive writes that while it will be Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford job to move out some defensemen, figuring out which defensemen to move could be more challenging that most might think. Looking at Olli Maatta, who is coming off a poor season, the scribe writes that while he struggled when on the ice with bottom-line centers like Derick Brassard, but was more even-keel when Evgeni Malkin was on the ice, while he was solid when playing with Sidney Crosby, suggesting that the problem may not totally fall on the team’s defense.
Ottawa Senators To Interview Dallas Assistant Rick Bowness
The Ottawa Senators continue their search for a head coach as the team has asked and received permission to interview Dallas Stars assistant coach and former Ottawa head coach Rick Bowness, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. He is the sixth coach to receive an interview with the Senators.
Bowness, the Senators first-ever head coach, coached Ottawa in between 1992 and 1995, finished his tenure with the Senators with a 39-178-18 record, although expectations weren’t as great back then considering that expansion franchises didn’t get the same advantages that the Vegas Golden Knights have received and soon-to-be Seattle franchise will receive. Bowness has been the head coach of several struggling franchises over the years, including coaching the original Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes, with an overall coaching record of 123-289-48 record. His last coaching gig was a 20-game stint with the Coyotes back in 2004 as the team’s interim coach after the team fired Bob Francis.
However, while his head coaching record may not be stellar, Bowness has made a name for himself as a top assistant coach, who helped the Vancouver Canucks in their glory years from 2006 to 2013, including one trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. He then moved over to work with Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the next five years before joining the Jim Montgomery and the Dallas Stars last summer, helping the Stars reach the second-round of the playoffs this year.
Bowness, 64, will be the sixth coach interviewed as the Senators have already interviewed Marc Crawford, Troy Mann, Jacques Martin, D.J. Smith and Nate Leaman. McKenzie added that there is no hurry for Ottawa to hire a head coach as he could see the team waiting until the end of the month before hiring a coach.
Atlantic Notes: Toronto’s Penalty Kill, Canadiens, Ristolainen, Acciari
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas took the blame for many things that went wrong this year at his season-ending press conference, the most interesting of which is the team’s struggle with the penalty kill, which stopped the Boston Bruins’ power play just nine out of 16 times during the playoffs. Dubas admitted he should have had more depth. While the coaching staff should be blamed as well, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox suggests ways to fix that penalty kill for next season.
The top suggestion is that the team must use real centers to take faceoffs during the penalty kill as winger Zach Hyman took the most faceoffs last season, going 69-72, while star John Tavares took just 29 faceoffs on the penalty kill and was the 12th-most used player on the penalty kill. The team must also add some depth to this team that could lose quite a few key penalty killers whether it’s Connor Brown, who is considered trade bait; Ron Hainsey, who will be an unrestricted free agent; or Travis Dermott, who will miss six months after shoulder surgery, the team must add players who can help their penalty kill.
- One Atlantic Division challenger to the Maple Leafs could be in the running for one of their unrestricted free agents, as The Athletic’s Olivier Bouchard (subscription required) believes that the Montreal Canadiens should go after unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner. The scribe points out that when the dust clears, Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin should have close to $11MM at his disposal and with defense being one of the team’s biggest need, Gardiner might be the perfect addition as the blueliner should be able to force defenseman Brett Kulak to a bottom-pairing role.
- Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News writes that while the Buffalo Sabres have considered the possibility of trading defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen for a top-six forward, he believes that would be a mistake, claiming that rather than hiding his defensive weaknesses, the team keeps placing him in a role that doesn’t suit him, which is attempting to shutdown the opposing team’s players. Ristolainen, who finished the season with a NHL-worst rating of minus-41, has often been paired with defensive deficient players like Marco Scandella and Jake McCabe, while he also struggled inexplicably when paired with Rasmus Dahlin. Regardless, a new coach that can utilize Ristolainen properly might get the most out of him rather than the Sabres watch him flourish with another team.
- Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports writes that Boston Bruins forward Noel Acciari has returned to practice and while he’s not expected to play in Game 2 on Sunday against the Carolina Huricanes, he could be ready for Game 3 in Carolina. Acciari, practiced in a non-contact jersey Saturday for the first time after missing the last three playoff games with an upper-body injury. “[Acciari] won’t play tomorrow,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “He’s doing well. He should be a full practice [participant] for Monday. We’ll see what we’re doing [as a team] that day, but he’ll be ready whatever the case may be. Hopefully, that allows him to play Tuesday and then we’ll make our decision then.”
NHL Announces Conference Final Schedules
After Joe Pavelski returned to the San Jose Sharks lineup they were not to be defeated, and have advanced through to the Western Conference Final. They’ll meet the St. Louis Blues after an impressive series victory of their own, meaning at least one of them will get a chance to compete for the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. On the other side the Carolina Hurricanes should be well rested after quickly dispatching their second round opponent, but will have to find a way to break through the stingy Boston Bruins defense and goaltending. Here is the full schedule for the third round (all times central):
Eastern Conference Final
Boston Bruins (A2) vs Carolina Hurricanes (W1)
Thursday, May 9th @ 7pm
Sunday, May 12th @ 2pm
Tuesday, May 14th @ 7pm
Thursday, May 16th @ 7pm
Saturday, May 18th @ 6:15pm (if necessary)
Monday, May 20th @ 7pm (if necessary)
Wednesday, May 22nd @ 7pm (if necessary)
Western Conference Final
San Jose Sharks (P2) vs St. Louis Blues (C3)
Saturday, May 11th @ 7pm
Monday, May 13th @ 8pm
Wednesday, May 15th @ 7pm
Friday, May 17th @ 7pm
Sunday, May 19th @ 2pm (if necessary)
Tuesday, May 21st @ 7pm (if necessary)
Thursday, May 23rd @ 8pm (if necessary)
Poll: Who Will Win The Eastern Conference Final?
The full schedule is not yet released, but we now know that the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes will kick off the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday evening at TD Garden. The two teams haven’t faced in a playoff series in a decade, and just the five times overall including two series when the Hurricanes were still known as the Hartford Whalers. In that 2009 series between the two, Carolina defeated Boston in seven games on an overtime winner by Scott Walker. In that deciding seventh contest, Rod Brind’Amour scored Carolina’s first goal, and will now try to defeat them again from behind the Hurricanes’ bench.
Even after walking through the New York Islanders in four games, the Hurricanes have a lot on their plate if they want to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Boston has already dispatched two strong teams in the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and have a goaltender playing some of the best hockey of his career. Tuukka Rask has posted a .938 save percentage through the first 13 games of the postseason, and looks as good as when he led the Bruins within two games of the Stanley Cup in 2013. While Zdeno Chara may be a few years out of his prime, the Boston defense has been excellent overall with huge contributions from Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug. Unfortunately McAvoy will be out tomorrow night as he serves his suspension, giving the Hurricanes a slight advantage to start the series.
If the Hurricanes able to overcome the Bruins, it will likely be on the back of one of the game’s best clutch performers. Carolina captain Justin Williams has long been known as “Mr. Game Seven” around the league for his heroics in do-or-die moments, and lived up to his name by setting up Brock McGinn in double overtime to dispatch the defending champion Washington Capitals in the first round.
Boston though have their own experienced performers, including Patrice Bergeron who continued to play excellent two-way hockey to lead the Bruins through the first two rounds. The four-time Selke winner has just eight points in 13 games, but can never be counted out with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Krejci—three holdovers from the Bruins’ 2011 championship—have 19 playoff game-winning goals between them, including six in overtime.
In a year where seeds haven’t mattered and any playoff team can upset any other, it’s hard to name a clear favorite in the series. Boston will enjoy home ice, but the Hurricanes will try to storm in and take that advantage back right away. Cast your vote below on who you think will win, and comment down below how many games the series will go.
Who will win the Eastern Conference Finals?
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Boston Bruins 63% (709)
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Carolina Hurricanes 37% (408)
Total votes: 1,117
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Atlantic Notes: Moore, Miller, Senators’ COO, Canadiens’ Backup
With the news that Charlie McAvoy will miss Game One of the Eastern Conference Final, the Boston Bruins know that they will need someone else to step up and fill both his spot in the lineup and his considerable minutes. While the latter responsibility will likely fall to increased roles for Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug, as well as captain Zdeno Chara of course, someone will have to come off the bench and be ready to contribute. Who exactly that will be remains a mystery, but the pool of potential options has increased. Speaking with the media today, Bruins GM Don Sweeney revealed that John Moore will be available on Thursday and that Kevan Miller has not been ruled out either. Moore was injured early in the Bruins’ last series and did not return, while Miller has not played at all in the postseason while rehabbing a lower-body injury. Sweeney did not sound optimistic that Miller would be the choice for Game One, but did promise that the further the team plays into the postseason, the more likely it is that he will return to the lineup. Miller began the season as a top-six regular for Boston, as he has for several years now, but injuries cost him all but 39 regular season games. An especially injury-prone defense corps this season has helped the Bruins give the likes of Moore, Matt Grzelcyk, Steven Kampfer, and Connor Clifton all considerable play time, and head coach Bruce Cassidy has entrusted the youngsters Grzelcyk and Clifton with starting roles moving forward in the playoffs. If Miller is still unable to go on Thursday, the decision would thus come down to Moore versus Kampfer, with the latter providing a right-handed shot and more stable defense, but the former bringing more experience with the team and more puck-moving ability to help with McAvoy’s absence. It will be an interesting decision for Cassidy and his staff and one that could play a major role in the Game One result.
- Ottawa Senators’ COO Nic Ruszkowski is leaving his post after just one year on the job. As The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes, this is yet another shake-up to a front office that is still searching for a President of Hockey Operations, not to mention a head coach. Garrioch reports that Ruszkowski’s departure has spurred the Senators to restructure their administrative structure, with several executives moving into new roles to take on some of Ruszkowski’s duties. While the team claims that this restructuring will “strengthen our club”, Ruszkowski’s unexpected resignation is yet another stain on a difficult season for the Senators and only adds to the mythos of owner Eugene Melnyk being a difficult individual to work for. The team has a lot of work to do this summer on all fronts and hopefully can get their front office sorted out sooner rather than later.
- The Montreal Canadiens may be paying Carey Price $10.5MM per year, but that doesn’t mean they expect him to play in every game. Yet, Price started the second-most games in the league this season, making 66 appearances. The poor play of backup Antti Niemi forced head coach Claude Julien‘s hand in many cases and the team has already told Niemi, an unrestricted free agent, that he will not be back. Simply promoting Charlie Lindgren likely isn’t a much better option either. Instead, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels writes that the Canadiens will looks for experience and value on the free agent goalie market this summer. Engels warns that Montreal should not overpay for a backup, given the investment in Price to be “the guy” for ideally 60 games or so each year, but also feels they need a trusted veteran who could step in as the starter in case of injury. A cost-effective, proven veteran goalie is not always an easy thing to find, but Engels does throw out the likes of Cam Talbot, should he opt not to re-sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, Brian Elliott, Curtis McElhinney, Anders Nilsson, Keith Kinkaid, and Michael Hutchinson as top options. In all likelihood, it will be one of those names backing up Price come October.
Charlie McAvoy Suspended For Game One Of Eastern Conference Final
The decision has been handed down from the NHL Department of Player Safety, rather quickly in fact, on Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Less than 24 hours after defeating the Columbus Blue Jacket to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins have learned that they will be without their top defender for Game One against the Carolina Hurricanes. McAvoy has been suspended for one game for a hit to the head of Columbus’ Josh Anderson, the league announced.
Late in the second period of Monday night’s deciding Game Six, McAvoy was called for a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head on Anderson. Columbus fans and players alike, and head coach John Tortorella most of all, were upset that McAvoy did not receive a greater penalty for the heavy hit, especially as Anderson struggled to get back to his feet and leave the ice. The referees ultimately decided that McAvoy’s check was not worthy of a game misconduct, but clearly the Department of Player Safety disagrees, issuing an even greater penalty of a whole game suspension. In their breakdown of the play, the department explains their decision as such:
McAvoy comes across the front of (Anderson’s) body and delivers a high, hard check that makes Anderson’s head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head… McAvoy’s shoulder clearly makes direct and forceful contact with the head of Anderson… While hits from the side are not illegal, they are difficult to execute legally. In this case, while we accept McAvoy’s argument that he is not intentionally attempting to hit Anderson in the head, he takes an angle of approach that cuts in front of Anderson’s body, rather than through the near shoulder and core… McAvoy then elevates his shoulder up and into the head of Anderson, rather than staying low and aiming for Anderson’s chest or far shoulder.
It is worth noting, as the league did, that there did not appear to be intent to injure on the play, but rather it was an ill-advised and dangerous hit that earned McAvoy his suspension. McAvoy and Anderson appeared to be on good terms in the handshake line at the end of the game, indicating that there was a mutual understanding that this was not a dirty play, but simply poorly executed. It also helped McAvoy’s case that this was his first interaction with Player Safety, having never previously been suspended or fined.
A one-game suspension was the result that many expected and was likely the best-case scenario for the Bruins. Nevertheless, McAvoy’s loss for even one game is major. The 21-year-old defenseman has been Boston’s top blue liner all season, when healthy, and all postseason, along with fellow young defenseman Brandon Carlo. McAvoy is a key puck-mover for the Bruins and easily their most dependable possession defenseman in all three zones. He has logged major minutes in the playoffs skating on the team’s top pair and second power play unit, contributing six points, 30 hits, and a +8 rating through 13 games and has had to pick up the slack of pair mate Zdeno Chara, who has struggled frequently this postseason. In replacing him for Game One, head coach Bruce Cassidy will have to get creative with his defensive pairs, likely replacing McAvoy’s spot in the lineup with John Moore or Steven Kampfer and shuffling some combinations around. Expect the regular pairing of Carlo and Torey Krug to likely see top minutes in Game One on Thursday, as the Bruins try to fight through this adversity to take an early series lead on the Hurricanes.