Pacific Notes: Oilers, Puljujarvi, Couture, Jones, Hutton
The Edmonton Oilers are having a rough time this season as they currently sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division. However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal writes that after Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, the Oilers are starting to play quality hockey again, citing the team’s past five games as an indicator. Granted the team has a long way to go if they team has any hopes of reaching the playoffs. However, the scribe sees a team that is suddenly working hard and refusing to give up.
In fact, Staples writes that he no longer believes that the team’s issues has to do with speed. Originally, he believed the Oilers were built slow and could not overcome that deficiency. He now writes that he believes the team wasn’t working hard enough and was relying on their talent and reputation to get through games. Suddenly, he sees a team that is working harder to get goals and showing true grit that could spark the team to some success.
The team showed that effort against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9 when they walked away with a 6-2 victory. The team followed that up with a 1-0, quality loss the next day. They then had an inspiring victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 14 before a 4-0 loss to Nashville. Saturday’s hard-fought win was just another step in the team’s hopeful turnaround.
- Staples also writes the Edmonton Oilers need to start giving more playing time to winger Jesse Puljujarvi. The fourth-overall pick in the 2016 draft is starting to put things together, but isn’t getting the time on the ice as the 19-year-old only received 9:59 minutes Saturday and isn’t playing on the team’s lackluster power play. Puljujarvi, who scored his sixth goal of the season, should be playing more and showing the team what he can do as he played like a “beast” Saturday, according to Staples.
- The San Jose Sharks have two concerns, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required). The team is worried about Logan Couture after he sustained a shoulder to his surgically-repaired face in Friday’s game against Vancouver. While there has been no word on the team’s leading scorer, there is talk that the 28-year-old center may have sustained a concussion on the play. Kurz adds that a second concern is the suddenly poor play of goaltender Martin Jones, who has struggled now over the past five games, having allowed at least four goals in each of those starts. After starting the season with a 2.05 GAA and a .930 save percentage, those numbers have increased to a 2.55 and .914 after just five games.
- The Vancouver Canucks tweeted that coach Travis Green had no update after defenseman Ben Hutton came off the ice limping after practice. He is currently listed as day-to-day. The team’s second-line defenseman has four assists in 33 games this year. Vancouver has already lost defenseman Chris Tanev for three weeks due to injury as well as a number of other players on the forward lines.
Injury Notes: Blues, Coburn, Spurgeon, Carrier, Franson, Rutta, Jagr
Injury news seems to be a daily affair in St. Louis as the St. Louis Blues are dealing multiple injuries at once, especially after the team learned that defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is expected to miss the weekend after he was put on injured reserve Friday with an unspecified injury, according to Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Now, Chris Pinkert of NHL.com writes that the team has a new injury to worry about as the team’s fourth-line center, Kyle Brodziak, is likely to miss Saturday’s game and is day-to-day with an unknown injury.
“He’s a little dinged up, that’s why he didn’t practice yesterday. We were hoping he could come in and feel better today, but that wasn’t the case,” Blues head coach Mike Yeo said. “Hopefully he feels better tomorrow.”
Timmerman adds in a tweet that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is making progress, but his status for Sunday’s game (the first game he is eligible for against the Winnipeg Jets is unknown. The scribe points out, however, that since it’s the second game of a home-and-home against the Jets, it’s unlikely the team would carry just six defensemen for two straight games, which suggests the team is confident that Pietrangelo will likely play on Sunday. Another factor on defense was the status of veteran defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, whose status was questionable Friday after taking a shot off his right leg, which forced him to leave practice yesterday. Pinkert adds that he’s OK and is expected to play Saturday.
Other injury notes in the NHL:
- Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith tweets that defenseman Braydon Coburn is likely to return tonight against the Avalanche. Coburn has missed seven games and hasn’t played since Nov. 29 with a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old veteran has seven assists in 25 games this season.
- With Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon not playing in today’s matchup against the Oilers, The Athletic’s Michael Russo tweets that it’s likely that Spurgeon will return to the Wild for tomorrow’s matchup with the Blackhawks. He has missed nine games for Minnesota with a groin injury. The 28-year-old has three goals and 12 assists in 23 games this season.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp tweets that winger William Carrier, who has missed nine straight games with an upper-body injury, continues to practice in a non-contact jersey, but a return could be coming soon. Carrier’s presence and toughness has been missed. He has one goal and one assist in 20 games.
- The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine tweets that Cody Franson and Jan Rutta could be back on the ice soon, possibly even tomorrow, according to coach Joel Quenneville. Franson has missed three games with an upper-body injury, while Rutta missed Thursday’s game against Winnipeg with an apparent head injury.
- Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson tweets that Jaromir Jagr is expected back into the lineup today after missing the past six games with a lower-body injury. He is expected to play on the team’s fourth line tonight.
Are The Atlantic Division Playoff Teams Already Set?
It’s December and the 82-game NHL season is not even half over. Think what you will about the “Thanksgiving Rule”, but a lot can change over a long season. There’s no telling exactly how things will shake out this early in the campaign.
Yet, it seems almost impossible that the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs entries from the Atlantic Division are not already set. The Tampa Bay Lightning (23-6-2, 48 pts, .774 PTS%) are the best team in the league. The Toronto Maple Leafs (20-13-1, 41 pts, .603 PTS%) are second in the division and tied for second in the Eastern Conference in points, despite a current three-game losing streak. The Boston Bruins (15-10-4, 34 pts, .586 PTS%) are the closest team to the Leafs in terms of points percentage in the East and rank third in points in the division with the least games played in the NHL. The rest of the teams in the Atlantic are not even close.
The Montreal Canadiens (14-14-4, 32 pts, .500 PTS%) perhaps represent the best bet at a spoiler in the Atlantic, but needed a 6-2-2 record in their last ten just to get to .500. The team is still struggling to find its identity under Claude Julien and there has been more talk of a rebuild than a playoff run this season. The Detroit Red Wings (12-13-7, 31 pts, .484 PTS%) are overachieving this season in the opinion of many, yet are still a ways out in the Atlantic. Despite a talented roster, the Florida Panthers (12-15-5, 29 pts, .453 PTS%) are in even worse shape. The Buffalo Sabres (8-18-7, 23 pts, .348 PTS%) are challenging for the worst record in the NHL and, with the team in turmoil, the Ottawa Senators (10-13-7, 27 pts, .450 PTS%) are trending in that direction as well.
As of now, these five Atlantic Division teams hold the five worst records in the Eastern Conference and five of the seven worst records in the entire NHL. Not only will they struggle to catch the Lightning, Leafs, and Bruins, but a wild card spot versus the relatively dominant Metropolitan Division also seems far outside the realm of possibility. If the Metro’s worst team is the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (16-14-3, 35 pts, .530 PTS%), how could any of the five hope to beat out its fourth and fifth best teams, currently the identical records of the New York Rangers and New York Islanders (17-12-3, 37 pts, .578 PTS%)?
A lot can change over the course of the NHL season, but in 2017-18 it seems very likely that the Atlantic Division playoff status is already set before the 2018 segment of the season even begins. Tampa Bay simply has too much talent to slow down. Toronto has the talent and youth to keep pushing forward. Boston is only now getting healthy for the first time this season. All three teams are likely to get better as the season progresses and, in turn, the gap between them and the remainder of the Atlantic will only get worse.
Senators Notes: Boucher, Trade Talk, Karlsson, Neil
Despite their considerable struggles as of late, the Senators will not be making a coaching change, GM Pierre Dorion told reporters at a press conference in advance of tonight’s game against the Rangers. He did, however, acknowledge that he has been actively speaking to other teams in recent days, estimating that he has talked with 27 or 28 teams over the past 72 hours, via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Naturally, the discussion also included defenseman Erik Karlsson. Speculation around him has grown in recent days, especially when it was made public that the team had asked for him to provide the teams for his no-trade clause (something they asked all of their other players with some form of no-trade protection). Dorion stated (quotes via TSN’s Ian Mendes, both Twitter links) that their preference is to keep the blueliner around for another ten years but that with the streak they’re in, they have to look at everything. While his comments should quash the coaching talk for the time being, the trade speculation is sure to continue for the foreseeable future.
Also from Ottawa:
- Former Senators winger Chris Neil will be suiting up in Ottawa’s upcoming alumni game in advance of the outdoor game on Saturday but has already ruled out joining a team later on this season, he told Postmedia’s Ken Warren. Neil acknowledged that the Canadiens had offered him a tryout back in training camp as well as at least one other offer. That other offer wasn’t from Ottawa and Neil has said that he believes that head coach Guy Boucher – who used him in a lesser role than he was accustomed to – played a big role in him being let go. While he hasn’t officially retired, it will be hard to imagine Neil catching on with another team for 2018-19 after sitting out an entire season.
Snapshots: Clifford, Blais, Tavares, Marchand
The Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings are about to get even stronger. The team has announced that veteran forward Kyle Clifford has been activated from the injured reserve. After missing all but the first three games of the 2017-18 season with an upper body injury, Clifford could return to the L.A. lineup as early as tonight’s match-up against the New Jersey Devils. The Kings had an open roster spot, meaning no corresponding moves were needed to activate Clifford and likely indicating that he is expected to go tonight. The two-way winger is a career King and thus a two-time Stanley Cup champ. L.A. will surely appreciate having his seven years of experience and familiarity back in the lineup.
- The St. Louis Blues, division leaders themselves, have returned Samuel Blais to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. The timing of the move is curious, given that Jaden Schwartz was just recently sidelined for six weeks and the Blues could use his offensive instincts in the lineup. Blais has only three points in nine NHL games in his rookie season, but impressed the organization in the preseason and has 13 points in 11 AHL games. With a tough game against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and a crucial home-and-home with the Winnipeg Jets coming up this weekend, perhaps coach Mike Yeo wanted to field a more veteran, two-way lineup, especially given the absences of Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. However, the team could regret missing out on Blais’ offensive fire power if missing Schwartz is more apparent.
- The New York Islanders are still upset about the lack of league retribution handed out to the Bruins’ Brad Marchand for his high hit on Isles captain John Tavares on Saturday. En route to a 3-1 Boston win, the game did get physical and Marchand took offense to an earlier incident and undoubtedly charged at and hit Tavares. However, the five-minute major he was awarded was enough for the NHL Department of Player Safety, who announced they would not have a hearing with a familiar face in Marchand. That didn’t sit well with Islanders head coach Doug Weight, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. “I was probably a little surprised,” Weight said, explaining “Things are targeted, things happen spontaneously, but to me, the ones that are premeditated, it’s unfortunate when we only look at results. So if Johnny lies there and he is hurt, there’d probably be something done. I don’t know the logic in that.” For now, all the Islanders can do is be thankful that Tavares wasn’t hurt and be prepared to deliver some justice themselves when the Isles face the Bruins again in their first game of 2018.
Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Matthews, Bertuzzi
The Montreal Canadiens seem to be having a roller coaster of a season, although it seems much of it is down. The team had a seven-game losing streak early in the year. Then they rebounded with a three-game mini win streak, followed by another five-game losing streak. Then a five-game winning streak looked like the team might turn their fortunes around until now, a three-game losing streak.
After a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the struggling Edmonton Oilers, The Athletic’s Mitch Melnick writes (subscription required) the team has major flaws and needs to be rebuilt as the team lacks one key philosophy that most teams have adjusted to, which is speed. The Oilers skated right past the slow-moving Canadiens on their way to an easy win.
Melnick writes that captain Max Pacioretty basically admitted that he was intimidated by the speed of the Oilers and has scored only once in the last 13 games. Much of the blame falls on general manager Marc Bergevin, who believes that players such as Jordie Benn and Tomas Plekanec are key pieces to the team’s success and believes they deserve big minutes for the franchise. But blame should also be thrown at Claude Julien, who didn’t play one of their fastest skaters in Victor Mete against the speedy Oilers.
- Rumors of a concussion circle around Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, who is doubtful to play in tonight’s matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, tweets James Mirtle of The Athletic. Matthews took a blow to the head from teammate Morgan Rielly during Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was turning around in the defensive zone when the two players collided in the third period. Matthews took the brunt of the hit, mostly in the chin. The 20-year-old wasn’t put into concussion protocol and played two more shifts after the hit. He had already missed four games earlier this year due to back issues and has only scored once in his last nine games.
- Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Tyler Bertuzzi‘s stint with the Detroit Red Wings Saturday didn’t go as plan. As the team found itself on special teams for a large chunk of the game, Bertuzzi saw little time on the ice (9:23) as he doesn’t play on either unit. Unfortunately with Luke Witkowski returning from a 10-game suspension and a possible return of David Booth, the team will have to make a decision on whether to return Bertuzzi to the Grand Rapids Griffins or allow him to develop his game in Detroit at the expense of some veterans who are struggling. Considering that many feel he is a player that the rest of the team would want around, the move might suggest what direction the team is trending towards in the near future. Regardless, a move will have to be made within the next day or so.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Rangers
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, STL, TOR, and VAN.
What are the Rangers most thankful for?
That it’s a long season.
What could have been a disastrous start to the season after the team began the year with a 3-7-2 record and there was talk of the team firing coach Alain Vigneault. However, that talk died away after the team won six in a row and has gone 12-4 since that point as they now sport a 15-11-2 record. With the fortune of playing in a busy Metropolitan Division, the team is regaining ground in hopes of reaching the playoffs again this year. Granted, they aren’t there yet, but the Rangers have seen some success and are trending in the right direction.
Who are the Rangers most thankful for?
Not that Derek Stepan was that great of a center to begin with, but there were many questions after the team traded away their number one center to Arizona whether anyone could fill that void. Yet Zibanejad has done just that. He is tied for the team in points with 22 and is the team’s second-leading scorer. The 24-year-old, despite a recent concussion injury, has taken control of the team’s top power play unit and penalty killing units and has been a key piece to the Rangers future. After putting up just 37 points in 56 games last year, Zibanejad should easily be able to surpass that this year.
What would the Rangers be even more thankful for?
That goaltender Henrik Lundqvist finds the fountain of youth. At age 35, the veteran netminder’s best days are likely behind him, but the team still needs the veteran to hold up for a few years more, most especially this year. Through 24 games, Lundqvist has a 2.77 GAA and a .916 save percentage, but much of that was his early season struggles as he carried a 3.21 GAA and a .898 save percentage in the month of October. His November was much stronger, however, with a much more respectable 2.34 GAA and a .927 save percentage. If he can maintain numbers like that, then the Rangers have a good chance of climbing up higher in the standings and earning a playoff spot.
What should be on the Rangers’ Holiday Wish List?
The continued development of their youth. A lot of hope for a solid youth movement came and went at the start of the season when it looked like 2017 first-rounders Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil would make the Rangers roster out of training camp. Instead, Andersson was deemed not ready and sent back to Sweden, while Chytil made the team, but struggled and was reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. The team had high hopes for Andersson especially as the Rangers traded Stepan for his rights and young defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, who also struggled in New York, and now plays in Hartford as well. So far, trading away Stepan hasn’t shown much, even if it might in the future.
Central Notes: Jost, Girard, Wennberg, Schwartz, Stastny
After a Friday report suggested 19-year-old center Tyson Jost of the Colorado Avalance might be allowed to play for Hockey Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Buffalo in a few weeks, a new report from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post today suggests the opposite. In fact neither Jost nor defenseman Samuel Girard are likely to be allowed to leave Colorado.
The scribe writes that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he didn’t see that happening.
“It’s not up to me, but if it were I’d say no. They’re part of our team and we need them,” Bednar said.
Both Jost and Girard have said they have not spoken to Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic about playing in the under-20 tournament, which will start on Dec. 26. The tournament already has two top Colorado prospects in 2017 first-round pick Cale Makar and second-round pick Connor Timmons.
Jost and Girard both play with the Avalanche, although both players playing time have dropped recently. Jost plays on the “Kid Line” with Alexander Kerfoot and J.T. Compher and is still finding his way, while Girard has seen his time drop under 20 minutes after playing above that mark during his first eight games with the team.
“I’m just getting in my groove after being hurt so long,” Jost said. “I want to be here. Hockey Canada, whenever you can represent your country, it’s such an honor. I had my chance last year. Right now, honestly, I’m just focusing on playing on the Avs, focusing on earning the coach’s trust and put up numbers. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that and I’m trying not to get frustrated because I’m getting my chances and getting that opportunity. It will come. That’s what I’m focused on right now and just getting in this rhythm.”
- Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News suggests that despite the Columbus Blue Jackets’ previous stance that they are looking for a top-line center, many within the organization now feel that last year’s third overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is starting to show that he might be that player they were looking for. Dubois has taken a step forward in his development and now is centering the team’s top line with Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson. Richardson even suggests that with the emergence of Dubois, the team might consider moving center Alexander Wennberg, who is struggling a bit this season after a 59-point season a year ago, and might be better off getting a chance on a different team, while the team focus on other areas of need. The team might need to get a center back, but with Brandon Dubinsky currently playing on the second line, the team might have an asset they could live without.
- Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that St. Louis Blues winger Jaden Schwartz, who left today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after taking a shot off his right foot is considered day-to-day. Coach Mike Yeo said X-rays were negative and he will be re-examined when they return to St. Louis. Any time missed would be a huge loss for the Blues. The 25-year-old scored his 14th goal of the season before going down today.
- Staying with the Blues, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) answers mailbag questions and writes that he doesn’t see the possibility of the NHL salary cap increasing potentially by $5MM as changing anything between negotiations between St. Louis and center Paul Stastny. Rutherford doesn’t believe that an increase in cap space will suddenly have general manager Doug Armstrong throwing money at Stastny. He believes the team has a set number in mind when it comes to Stastny and it will be up to him and his agent to decide if he wants to stay in St. Louis. The 31-year-old center hasn’t put up amazing numbers the last few years despite being paid $7MM AAV and will likely have to take a pay cut after his contract runs out at the end of the season. He currently has six goals and 20 points this season.
Pacific Notes: Subban, Heed, Martin, Henrique, Dowd
Many people in Boston had already written off goaltender Malcolm Subban, who never seemed able to earn himself a place with the Boston Bruins, minus 62 minutes of time over the course of his career. That was one reason the team placed the 23-year-old netminder on waivers to start the season. However, few expected Subban to thrive after he was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights. In fact, Subban has done more than that. He might just be the team’s goaltender of the future.
Even NBC Sports Joe Haggerty admits that he may have misjudged the goaltender as well. Subban took his performance to a new level Friday when he saved 41 shots and staved off six penalty shots in leading Vegas to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Even despite missing time earlier this year with an injury, Subban now has a 7-2 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .924 save percentage.
- The San Jose Sharks have announced they have activated defenseman Tim Heed off of injured reserve and have sent veteran defender Paul Martin to San Jose on a conditioning assignment with the Barracudas of the AHL. Heed was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 2 after suffering an upper-body injury in a game against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 25. As for Martin, he is closing in on being ready after aggravating an ankle injury on Oct. 10, and has been on injured reserve since. At 36 years old, Martin will make his first-ever appearance in an AHL game as he went directly from the University of Minnesota to the NHL back in 2003. He has played
- Scott Billeck of NBC Sports writes that while it’s still early, so far the Anaheim Ducks look like they made a great deal in acquiring center Adam Henrique from New Jersey for defenseman Sami Vatanen. Since the Ducks have been without without center Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks top line of Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry have struggled without Getzlaf, but Henrique’s addition has changed everything as he has fit in well with those two immediately. So far Henrique has three goals and six points in five games with Anaheim, while he had four goals in 24 games with New Jersey. In fact, the 27-year-old had just one goal in his previous 14 with the Devils. If he can keep this up, he could return to his 30-goal ways back in 2015-16.
- JD Burke of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Vancouver Canucks acquisition of Nic Dowd is an underrated one in which he breaks down the success of the 27-year-old center who arrived in a quiet trade from the Los Angeles Kings. According to Burke, Dowd’s presence on the ice, mostly due to his ability to keep offensive players from getting off shots, had given the Kings their second-most lopsided ratio of shot attempts when he is on the ice at even strength last year. While those numbers could be inflated due to previous coach Darryl Sutter‘s style of play, he could be a big addition to the Canucks. He had six goals and 16 assists last year in 70 games, but has had just one assist this year in 16 contests.
Matthew Tkachuk Suspended One Game
2:20pm: Tkachuk has been suspended for one game according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. The Flames play tonight in Montreal. This is Tkachuk’s third suspension of his young career. As the accompanying video explains:
While the spear itself is not forceful or malicious enough to merit supplemental discipline on its own, two factors caused this play to rise to the level of a suspension. First, Tkachuk is on the bench when he intentionally strikes a player on the playing surface…second, Tkachuk is a repeat offender, having been suspended for a similar incident just ten games ago.
8:16am: The Department of Player Safety must have Matthew Tkachuk on speed-dial by now. The Calgary Flames forward will receive another hearing with the disciplinary committee after spearing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Martin from the bench in last night’s game. Tkachuk, who wasn’t involved in the scrum at all, stuck his stick into Martin’s ribs without the officials noticing on the ice.
It’s not the first time Tkachuk has been caught for a stick infraction like this. Just recently, he was suspended one game for his part in the Flames-Red Wings brawl, when he used his stick to goad Luke Witkowski back onto the ice. Witkowski was given an automatic 10-game ban for coming back after being ejected.
To be clear, the hearing isn’t for the act of spearing itself. Tkachuk is instead receiving it for “unsportsmanlike conduct” which likely has more to do with his history with the league. The young forward also received a two-game ban for elbowing Drew Doughty last season, and has built quite the reputation for himself already. The league likely believes they can put a stop to this kind of behavior by handing out a suspension for a play that was relatively innocuous, letting Tkachuk know that he has a target on his back.
The pesky Calgary forward has become one of the best in the league at getting under opponents’ skin, and did so last night against the Maple Leafs. He drew a cross-checking penalty on Jake Gardiner, when the Toronto defender got a little frustrated with his play, and was in Frederik Andersen‘s crease all night. Though Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock praised Tkachuk’s overall game, he called the spear “junior hockey stuff” and said that he’d learn not to do it eventually.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images