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Matthew Tkachuk Suspended Two Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk two games tonight. The DoPS reviewed Tkachuk’s elbow on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in last night’s matchup between the Flames and the Kings. According to TSN.ca, Tkachuk will forfeit $10,277.78 in salary, with that amount going to the Players Emergency Assistance Fund.

Tkachuk will miss the Flames’ games against the Washington Capitals and the Nashville Predators. The Calgary rookie is having an excellent season stat-wise, scoring 13G and 33A in 68 career games. The feisty forward was not expected to make it out of training camp, but his excellent play forced Calgary’s hand.

The Los Angeles Kings play the Flames twice more this season. It is possible that the Kings play Tkachuk a bit chippier than usual in those games.

Morning Notes: Giroux, White, Tkachuk

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If Philadelphia Flyers fans are wondering where this Claude Giroux has been all season—the captain has points in eight of his last eleven games—they might not be shocked to find out that he’s been playing injured. Marc Narducci of The Inquirer reports that despite telling media members that he was fully healthy prior to the start of the season, he has been anything but 100% this year. The hip that required surgery last spring has bothered him all year, restricting his ability to “try to make plays you used to make.”

Giroux only now is starting to feel like himself, and it’s showing on the score sheet. It might be coming just a little too late though, as the Flyers remain five points back of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot, despite having played one more game. There are just eleven contests left for Philadelphia, who sit 33-30-8 on the year.

  • Decision day is looming for the Ottawa Senators and prospect Colin White, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. The first-round pick from 2015 has just finished his sophomore season with Boston College, and is looking to go pro. As Garrioch writes, Ottawa doesn’t want to sign him to an entry-level deal for this season and burn a year over the last few weeks. They’d rather go the more common route of an amateur tryout for the rest of the year, and start his ELC in 2017-18. They’ll likely come to some sort of an agreement soon, as it doesn’t seem like either side is expecting him to head back to BC next season. The 20-year old center had 33 points in 35 games this season, actually a slight step back from his production as a freshman. He is as blue-chip a prospect as the Senators have (right alongside Thomas Chabot), and they will carefully consider their options before agreeing to anything.
  • The hockey world was in a buzz this morning over the elbow of Matthew Tkachuk, after the Flames’ rookie sent it hard into the face of Drew Doughty in last night’s game. Doughty would drop to the ice immediately, while no penalty was assessed on the play. Tkachuk will receive a hearing with the league and though he has no official history of supplementary discipline, players around the league have come to expect things like this from him. As Doughty told Jon Rosen of FOX Sports after the game, “he’s a pretty dirty player, that kid. To be a rookie and play like that is a little surprising.” 

Calgary Flames Sign Tyler Parsons and Ryan Lomberg

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The Calgary Flames signed a three-year, entry-level deal with drafted goaltender Tyler Parsons today. The Flames drafted Parsons 54th overall (2nd round) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Parson currently plays for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League.

The signing caps a successful year for Parsons. The American goaltender led Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships this winter—stopping 46 shots in the gold medal game. Parsons currently sports a 2.18 GAA and a .917 SV% with the London Knights, and backstopped them to a Memorial Cup last season. Parsons started the season at the Flames training camp, and even played a period against the Vancouver Canucks.

The signing precedes a summer where the Flames need to decide who plays between the pipes. Both Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson are free agents at the end of the year, and it is unclear whether Calgary re-signs either. Elliott’s play has improved as of late, but his early troubles will not shake his reputation as a streaky goaltender.

The Flames also signed forward Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, two-way deal starting next season. Lomberg currently plays for the AHL Stockton Heat where he has 8G and 11A in 57 games. The 22 year-old Ontario native went undrafted before signing an AHL deal in 2015.

Minor Transactions: 3/18/17

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Here is where we’ll keep tabs on today’s minor roster moves:

  • Tomas Nosek’s stint in Detroit only lasted a few hours as the Red Wings announced that he had been returned to Grand Rapids of the AHL after being recalled on an emergency basis this morning. The forward has yet to get into any games with the Wings this year but sits fifth in scoring with the AHL’s Griffins with 15 goals and 24 assists in 48 games.  Considering Darren Helm went down with an injury against the Avalanche this afternoon, there’s a chance Nosek could be back up with the big club before long.
  • With defenseman Paul Postma set to miss tomorrow’s game and Jacob Trouba out on more than a day-to-day basis, the Jets announced that they have recalled blueliner Brian Strait from AHL Manitoba. After spending the past three seasons exclusively in the NHL with the Islanders, the 29 year old has yet to suit up with Winnipeg this season.  In 50 minor league contests, Strait has two goals and 10 assists.
  • Flames goalie Brian Elliott returned to the lineup last night and as a result, they terminated the emergency recall conditions on Jon Gillies and assigned him back to Stockton of the AHL. Gillies is in his second professional season and has played in 34 games this season for the Heat, posting a 14-14-1 record with a 2.97 GAA and a .909 SV%.

Snapshots: Matthias, Western Playoff Race, Jagr

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The Winnipeg Jets will be without forward Shawn Matthias for the remainder of the season, the team announced Saturday.

The first sign of trouble was on Wednesday, when Matthias missed practice. He was held out of the Jets’ last game with an upper-body injury. Matthias has eight goals and 12 points in 45 games this season, his first in Winnipeg after signing a two-year, $4.25MM contract in free agency. He split last season between Toronto and Colorado.

Detroit’s second round pick in 2006 has played 524 NHL games, scoring 171 points with Florida, Vancouver, Toronto, Colorado, and Winnipeg.

  • With just 11 or 12 games remaining, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector broke down the schedules for the Western Conference teams involved in a tight playoff race. Anaheim, Calgary, and Edmonton are within two points of each other, and will likely finish two-through-four in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have a game in hand on both teams, and play the Canucks tonight. Spector gives Edmonton the advantage in home games, strength of opponent, and ease of the final week of the season. Calgary gets the nod for having back-to-backs and getting tired opponents. Anaheim’s biggest advantage comes during a home-and-home series with the Flames in early April; Calgary hasn’t won in Anaheim since January 2004. The next team in the Pacific, Los Angeles, is four points behind St. Louis for the second wildcard spot. At eight points back, they have a slim chance at catching the next three teams, but do get Edmonton and Calgary three times each.
  • With two assists last night, NHL legend and Panthers winger Jaromir Jagr passed Gordie Howe for most points scored by a player in his 40s, with 269. The 45-year-old told Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel that he’s “going to pass [Howe] for most points after 50.” For the record, Howe had 41 points in 1979-80 a 51-year-old in his return to the NHL after six years in the WHA.

Saturday Snapshots: Tkachuk, Stamkos, Stone

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Given his pedigree, it should come as little surprise that one of Matthew Tkachuk’s strengths is his advanced hockey sense. His father, Keith Tkachuk of course, played 18 seasons in the NHL and scored 538 career regular season goals. As Darren Haynes writes on his Flames From 80 Feet Above blog, the younger Tkachuk displays hockey awareness on par with that of a 10-year veteran as opposed to that of a 19-year-old rookie.

Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan certainly agrees with the sentiment, praising the young power forward’s “gamesmanship, his hockey sense (and) his ice awareness.” Haynes describes a subtle play made by the rookie in a recent win over Dallas in which Tkachuk touched the puck with a high stick and knew if he was the first to touch it that the officials would blow the play dead. Instead, Tkachuk tracked the puck into the offensive zone and waited for a Stars player to play the puck. Adam Cracknell did just that and Tkachuk picked his pocket and moved the puck to Mark Giordano whose shot deflected off of Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis and into the net.

Tkachuk has tallied 13 goals and 46 points in 67 games this season which represents excellent production for any rookie, much less one just 19 years old and in his first professional campaign. Yet beyond his offensive output, it may be the little things Tkachuk brings to the table that makes him such a valuable contributor to a team that appears poised to make the playoffs.

Elsewhere in the NHL on this Saturday:

  • Steven Stamkos, out since November with a knee injury, returned to the ice as a full participant at the Lightning’s Friday practice. While that has to be considered a positive sign in his lengthy recovery, Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Stamkos’ return is still not “imminent.” The Lightning, who have surprisingly managed to resurface in the playoff race despite a trade deadline selloff of goalie Ben Bishop along with forwards Brian Boyle and Valtteri Filppula, would certainly welcome a healthy Stamkos with open arms but at this point it appears they’ll have to manage without their captain for a little while longer.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Mark Stone, who has missed the last week with a lower-body injury, is still considered week-to-week and according to head coach Guy Boucher hasn’t skated while recovering from the leg issue, reports Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. Stone, a terrific forechecker, has tallied 22 goals and 50 points in 63 games this season and is an important cog up front for the Senators. While the loss of Stone certainly stings, his absence has been mitigated somewhat by trade deadline acquisitions Alexandre Burrows and Viktor Stalberg, who have combined for six goals and nine points in the eight games since coming to Canada’s capital. Ottawa, at this point safely in possession of a postseason slot, will continue to look for production from the newest Sens as they work to secure a playoff berth.

Minor Moves: Driedger, Andersson, Stone

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It was a short and sweet call up for the Senators’ Chris Driedger, who will be sent down today according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.  The goaltender was an emergency call up when Craig Anderson was injured this week, though he never got into a game. He has three appearances in his NHL career, but spent most of his time in the minor leagues.

Now with Anderson seemingly healthy enough, Drieger will head back to the Binghamton Senators and try to finish the season with a strong showing. The netminder has just a .906 save percentage in the AHL this season, though that is easily the best on the baby-Sens. The 22-year old is one of several goaltending prospects that Ottawa will make their mark on the NHL sooner or later.

  • According to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet, the Calgary Flames have made Rasmus Andersson a regular call up in order to keep him with the NHL team. Originally recalled on an emergency basis, Andersson will stick around for at least a while to make sure the Flames have enough depth on defense. He actually hasn’t gotten into a game yet, as Dennis Wideman has figured into the lineup over the recent stretch of games.
  • It doesn’t look like Andersson will get in anytime soon, as Michael Stone will return to the lineup tonight in place of Wideman. Stone was injured in the March 9th game against the Montreal Canadiens, and has missed the last three games. He is still undefeated as a member of the Flames, as the team traded for him just before starting the 10-game win streak that ended on Wednesday against Boston. He’ll look to remain that way tonight when the Flames take on the Dallas Stars.

Unpacking The Court’s Decision On The Wideman Suspension

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Yesterday the Southern District of New York confirmed a neutral arbitrator’s decision to reduce Dennis Wideman’s suspension from 20 games to 10 games. Wideman incurred the suspension after striking a referee during a game late last season (video link). Unless the NHL decides to appeal—which is unlikely given the ruling—this ends the Wideman disciplinary issue between the NHL and NHLPA.

The controversy centered on whether Rule 40.2 (intent to injure an official) or 40.3 (no intent to injure an official) applies. The NHL initially suspended Wideman 20 games under Rule 40.2. Rule 40.2 states that any player who deliberately strikes an official and causes injury, or deliberately applies physical force with intent to injure shall be suspended no less than 20 games. The rule defines intent to injure as any physical force that a player knew or should have known could reasonably be expected to cause injury. The NHLPA argued that 40.3 applied instead, which carries a lesser minimum suspension of 10 games. The NHLPA argued that Wideman’s concussion sustained just prior to hitting the official made him unable to comprehend the situation enough to satisfy intent to injure.

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Minor Moves: Gillies, Froese, Bayreuther

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Brian Elliott is sick. Expected to start tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins and continue his recent hot streak, the netminder will be held off the ice entirely tonight. Chad Johnson will go in his stead, and Jon Gillies has been recalled to serve as the backup goaltender. This will serve as the prospect’s first taste of NHL action, despite him likely not getting onto the ice. According to Kristin Hallett of Flames TV, Gillies will be cutting it close for game time tonight as he caught a plane today to get to Calgary.

Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia reports that the Stockton Heat, where Gillies was set to play will be looking for an emergency backup of their own around San Diego. Emergency goalies are one of the best stories in hockey, ranging from video producers to bankers by day to professional hockey players by night. Someone in San Diego will likely be added to the trope tonight when the Heat take on the San Diego Gulls.

  • Byron Froese has been sent back down by the Tampa Bay Lightning after just a couple of days. The minor league forward played in one game while the Lightning continues to nurse Tyler Johnson and Vladislav Namestnikov back to health. Namestnikov played in Monday’s game as well, but aggravated the injury and is still questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The re-assignment of Froese however does signal good news on one of the centers (no, it’s likely not Steven Stamkos).
  • After announcing his signing late last night, the Dallas Stars—or, more accurately the Texas Stars—have signed Gavin Bayreuther to an amateur tryout and will see him join the AHL squad right away. The NCAA standout should help them right away, though they don’t have any playoff aspirations any longer. Bayreuther will get some professional experience before trying to crack the Dallas team next fall.

Injury Notes: Scandella, Tkachuk, Leighton

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The Minnesota Wild came limping out of their matchup with the Washington Capitals last night in more ways than one. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that Marco Scandella was absent from the team’s practice today after being seen favoring one leg after the game. If the Wild defenseman can’t go, Russo points to Mike Reilly as the potential replacement.

Reilly has been playing in Iowa for the past month after suiting up for 17 games with the Wild this season. The 23-year old has had a nice season in the AHL this year, recording 23 points in 41 games. The Wild are back at it tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes as they continue to battle for first place in the Western Conference.

  • Matthew Tkachuk will be a game time decision at tonight’s Calgary Flames game, as he is battling a lower-body injury and was held out of practice according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet. The rookie winger has 44 points in 65 games this season and most other years would be a runaway winner of the Calder Trophy. Tkachuk was the #6 draft pick this past June, and has already made an impact for the playoff-bound Flames.
  • Michael Stone is progressing according to Steinberg, who reports that he’ll go through a full practice tomorrow and be re-evaluated on Friday. The big defender was acquired at the deadline to help lengthen out the Flames blue line, but was injured in last week’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
  • Former NHL goaltender Michael Leighton requires surgery and will be out for at least four to six weeks. Though it would have been a big blow for the Charlotte Checkers, the team acquired Tom McCollum at the deadline for just this situation. The AHL squad will now go after a playoff spot—which is very much in doubt as they lag behind Reilly and the Iowa Wild—with their newest addition instead of the veteran Leighton.

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