Bruins Notes: Krejci, Pastrnak, Providence
Following Game One against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy announced that center David Krejci was considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury suffered during the contest. Krejci was the recipient of a big hit from former teammate Riley Nash and left the game shortly after, followed by concern for his availability for the rest of the series. Yet, the Bruins were quick to announce this morning that Krejci is on the ice for morning skate, as well as participating in his regular spots on the second line and second power play unit. Officially, he remains a game time decision, but a successful skate would indicate that the veteran pivot should be ready to go for tonight’s game. Krejci has a modest five points in eight games for the Boston in this postseason, but has proven to be a potent playoff producer in the past and will be a key part to the Bruins’ continued run. Krejci has twice led the NHL in playoff scoring (2011, 2013) and just last year posted ten points in twelve games. If he can stay healthy, the Bruins hope to see numbers like that this year as well.
- Line rushes at morning skate also revealed that Cassidy has shaken up his top-six, which has failed to produce through each of the team’s past two games. The switch comes at left wing, where David Pastrnak is back up to the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, while Danton Heinen slides down to play on Krejci’s line. Pastrnak may have six points thus far in these playoffs, tied for second on the Bruins, but has largely been held in check. Both the Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs did a good job of suffocating the dynamic winger, playing tight, physical defense and not allowing him the space to play to his strengths. The result has been long periods of invisible play, as well as frequent turnovers and poor passes. Cassidy clearly feels that time has come for a change and Boston will go back to stacking their top line with their three best forwards, hoping the group can find the same success as they did in the regular season. For what it’s worth, Heinen has been the Bruins’ best player this postseason from an analytics perspective, so there may not be a major drop-off on the second line as a result of the move.
- The AHL’s Providence Bruins saw their season come to a close last night as they were eliminated in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs by the Charlotte Checkers, affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes – a possible opponent for Boston in the next round. The next step for several of Providence’s top players will be to report to Boston as playoff reinforcements. This is not inconsequential, as the likes of Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Peter Cehlarik, Trent Frederic, and Jeremy Lauzon all played meaningful roles for the Bruins at times over this season, while veterans like Lee Stempniak and Paul Carey were specifically brought in to provide experienced depth in case of emergency in the postseason. It would not be a surprise to see one or more of these players potentially draw in if the Bruins’ current lineup doesn’t get the results they want or runs into injury issues. The more exciting story line would be for top prospects Jack Studnicka and Urho Vaakanainen to find their way into the lineup, but that seems more likely to happen next season.
Adam McQuaid, Ryan Murray Remain Out For Blue Jackets
For anyone hoping to see Adam McQuaid face off against his former team this postseason, you’ll have to wait a while longer. As the Columbus Blue Jackets departed for Boston today to face the Bruins in their second-round series, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports that neither McQuaid nor fellow defenseman Ryan Murray made the trip. There is no clear timeline for either’s return, but they will at least miss the first two games in Boston.
McQuaid, 32, has yet to play this postseason after suffering a concussion late in the regular season. The veteran defender was acquired by the Blue Jackets from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, but many still remember him most from his time with the Bruins. McQuaid, ironically a Columbus draft pick, spent the first nine years of his career in Boston before he was traded this past off-season. At the time, Boston was dealing from a position of strength, but ended up struggling with injuries on the back end all season and could have used McQuaid. Now, they could face the physical stay-at-home defender in the playoffs, that is if he can get healthy. Not only would McQuaid sure up the Blue Jackets’ bottom pair and provide insight into the Bruins’ inner workings, he would also provide the playoff experience sorely lacking from the roster. McQuaid has appeared in 68 playoff games and two Stanley Cup Finals, including winning it all with the Bruins back in 2011.
Murray, like McQuaid, is no stranger to being injured. The 2012 No. 2 overall pick has only played in more than 66 games in a season once in his six-year NHL career and finds himself on the sidelines again this postseason with a back injury. Murray has actually had a career campaign, recording 29 points in just 56 games and +20 rating that led all Columbus defensemen. Yet, Murray has been out since early February and it grows harder to imagine a comeback with each missed game. If Murray is able to return versus Boston or perhaps later in the playoffs, it would give the Blue Jackets a major boost and make them an even more dangerous puck-moving team.
Fortunately, Hedger notes that Markus Nutivaara did make the trip and is not expected to miss any further time with the upper-body injury that cost him the final two games of the first round sweep. He joins Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, and David Savard as a very capable top-four unit for Columbus. However, with McQuaid and Murray still out, the Blue Jackets could struggle matching up their bottom pair against the Bruins. Scott Harrington played very well against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but will have to keep up with that level of play if he and Dean Kukan (or Adam Clendening or Vladislav Gavrikov) want to defend against a deep Boston team.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that rookie center Jesperi Kotkaniemi underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today. GM Marc Bergevin released a short statement following the procedure:
With regards to Jesperi, it was a chronic, minor injury that did not stop him from playing this past season. Jesperi will remain in Montreal for the coming weeks to complete his rehabilitation program with our team’s medical staff. We have been told by our medical group that there should be no delay in starting his offseason training.
While it is good news that Kotkaniemi won’t miss any training time, this is something to watch moving forward. After a brilliant start to the season there was obviously something slowing the 18-year old down in the second half of the season, and the team drastically reduced his minutes. In fact, on three occasions during the Canadiens playoff hunt head coach Claude Julien deployed his young center for fewer than 10 minutes in a game, something seemingly unthinkable at the start of the year when he made such an impact.
Hopefully this procedure will let him get back to full strength for the 2019-20 season when the Canadiens will once again try to climb their way into the postseason. The team surprised many by taking it right down to the wire this year, and should be improved next season with players like Kotkaniemi taking a step forward in their development. With just 11 goals and 34 points on the year, he’ll be asked to provide a little more offense while still offering solid two-way play down the middle.
Snapshots: Svechnikov, Hischier, Lack
It appears as though the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going to rush back one of their young stars, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. that Andrei Svechnikov is “doubtful” for tomorrow’s game. The Hurricanes are on the brink of elimination, but with Svechnikov such an integral part of their future and dealing with such a serious injury, the team simply can’t push him back too fast. With the Washington Capitals losing T.J. Oshie for the rest of the series (if not the playoffs), both teams will be short-handed in game six.
- While Switzerland isn’t a traditional hockey powerhouse, they have performed as well as anyone at recent international events. The Swiss are coming off a silver medal finish at last season’s IIHF World Championship, and will add a top name to the squad for this season. The New Jersey Devils today announced that Nico Hischier will be suiting up for his country in next month’s tournament, adding a dangerous offensive player to a group that is always extremely disciplined in their own end.
- One of Hischier’s former Devils teammates may be leaving the NHL. Swedish news source Hockeypuls reports that veteran goaltender Eddie Lack is in talks to return to his native Sweden to play for Leksands IF of the SHL. The 31-year-old is an impending free agent who did not make an NHL appearance this season and was limited by injuries to just six AHL starts with pedestrian results. While Lack has played in close to 150 NHL games, he has not been a regular contributor for two years and has not put up standout numbers for another two years before that. It’s time for Lack to move on with his career, and Leksands is reportedly excited to bring him in. The team was just promoted back to the SHL and acquiring an experience netminder could help them avoid being relegated right back to the Allsvenskan. Lack played for the organization for three years prior to jumping to North America and would be welcomed back with open arms.
T.J. Oshie Likely Out For The Playoffs
While the Capitals are only saying that T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely, it appears he’s out on a long-term basis. Isabelle Khurshudyan and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post report that the winger is unlikely to play again this postseason, no matter how far Washington advances.
The team is calling Oshie’s injury an upper-body issue but he was seen in a sling following Game Four of their first-round series against Carolina after taking a hit from Hurricanes winger Warren Foegele. While the Caps were hoping for some form of supplementary discipline on the hit, the Department of Player Safety opted not to hand anything down.
Oshie’s loss is a big blow to deal with for Washington. He played a key role in their Stanley Cup run last year and finished in the top five in team scoring during the regular season despite missing 11 games due to a concussion; his 0.78 point per game average was the second-best of his career. He’s the second core player to have a premature end to his season after defenseman Michal Kempny underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring last month.
Of course, the injuries in this series aren’t limited to the Capitals. The Hurricanes find themselves without wingers Andrei Svechnikov (concussion), Micheal Ferland (upper body), and Jordan Martinook (leg) and none of them are expected to be in the lineup as the series resumes later today.
Morning Notes: Smith-Pelly, Boychuk, Sweden
The Washington Capitals have recalled Devante Smith-Pelly ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. T.J. Oshie “won’t be playing any time soon” according to head coach Todd Reirden after the forward was run into the boards by Carolina’s Warren Foegele last night. Foegele will not receive any disciplinary action from the league for the hit, but the Capitals will still have to find a way forward without one of their leaders up front.
In comes Smith-Pelly, who spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues after being waived by the team earlier this year. The 2018 playoff hero had 14 points in 20 games for the Hershey Bears, but will now try to prove that he still belongs on the NHL team. In 48 career playoff games, Smith-Pelly has 13 goals—just one off the highest regular season total of his career.
- It’s not just Oshie that will miss time in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The New York Islanders announced today that Johnny Boychuk will be out for three to four weeks with a lower-body injury. Some of that time will be spent waiting for their next opponent after the Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins out of the playoffs, but losing Boychuk for at least the first part of round two is certainly not ideal. The 35-year old Boychuk was as steady as ever this season for New York, logging nearly 19 minutes a night and contributing 19 points in 74 games.
- Sweden has announced their first 13 players that will be suiting up at the IIHF World Championship next month, and the group includes a legendary international name. Henrik Lundqvist will answer the call once again for his country, joining Jacob Markstrom to form a strong tandem in net. Adam Larsson, Erik Gustafsson, Robert Hagg, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson will attend on defense, while the forward group currently includes Elias Pettersson, Oskar Lindblom, Adrian Kempe, Mario Kempe, Marcus Kruger, Loui Eriksson and Jesper Bratt.
Jesse Gabrielle Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Wednesday: Gabrielle has cleared waivers.
Tuesday: The Boston Bruins have placed forward Jesse Gabrielle on unconditional waivers according to CapFriendly, for the purpose of a contract termination. Gabrielle’s season ended early after suffering another concussion in March, his third head injury since training camp. The 21-year old had another year left on his entry-level contract, but he will become an unrestricted free agent instead.
Gabrielle, 21, played this entire season in the ECHL and was even loaned to the Wichita Thunder—affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers—partway through the year. It seems as though the relationship between him and the Bruins has frayed at some point, and he’ll now need to find another opportunity if he wants to continue his hockey career.
The Bruins meanwhile will save a contract spot for next season and no longer have to pay his minor league salary. Originally selected in the fourth round, the team will just have to move on from the missed opportunity and look elsewhere for contributions. This is just another unfortunate outcome from what has turned out to be a frustrating 2015 draft class for the Bruins. The team had six picks in the first two rounds and ten total, but only have Jake Debrusk and Brandon Carlo to show for it as full-time NHL players.
Wayne Simmonds, Brian Boyle Out Week-To-Week
The Nashville Predators will be without two of their trade deadline acquisitions for awhile, as the team announced today that both Wayne Simmonds and Brian Boyle will be out on a week-to-week basis. Simmonds is dealing with a knee injury, while Boyle underwent “an appendix procedure.”
Nashville has their hands full in a first round matchup with the Dallas Stars and needed all the help they could get. The team will now turn to Rocco Grimaldi on the fourth line and could even see the return of Miikka Salomaki in game three. Salomaki hasn’t played for the Predators since early January due to injury, but could end up playing a big role if Simmonds and Boyle aren’t able to return quickly. The team still has incredible depth at the forward position, but will need to get production from all four lines if they want to break the suffocating Dallas defense and goaltending.
It’s a tough break for the Predators and GM David Poile, who spent heavily on the pair of in-season additions. Boyle cost the team a second-round pick despite having just 19 points in the first half of the season, and Ryan Hartman was the price to acquire Simmonds. The former Philadelphia Flyers forward ended up with just three points in 17 games for the Predators down the stretch and was routinely limited to minimal even-strength ice time. He’ll now have to wait and watch from the press box and hope he gets another chance to prove his worth in the postseason.
Central Notes: Blues’ Defense, Perreault, Girard, Makar
The St. Louis Blues have had quite a bit going right for them and while much of the team’s success could easily be handed to goaltender Jordan Binnington, one key reason the team won both games in Winnipeg is the play of their top defensive pair, Colton Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required).
The pair are being used to stop the Jets’ top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler and have played more than 25 minutes matched up against that line in 5-on-5 play. Wheeler does have one goal on four shots in that span, but both Scheifele and Connor have each tallied just two shots combined in those situations.
“Fairly well,” Bouwmeester said when asked how the Blues have defended the group. “We had some breakdowns, and they had some chances. There were some odd-man rushes and things like that. They’ve got skilled guys and guys who don’t need a lot of room to get good chances. Bottom line is I think whoever’s going to control the puck and control the play is going to control what they give up.”
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports that there will be just one change in the Winnipeg Jets’ lineup for Sunday’s Game 3 in St. Louis against the Blues. The Jets will bring Mathieu Perreault back into the lineup after the veteran missed Game 2 with an undisclosed injury and Par Lindholm will become a healthy scratch. Perreault hadn’t missed a game this season until Friday. “We’re going to need more of that (secondary scoring) if we want to have any kind of chance of coming back in this series,” said Perreault. “Whoever I’m playing with today, our line, the third and fourth line, we’ve got to find a way to make sure we don’t get scored on, and then chip in a goal here and there to try and help the team win.”
- A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver reports that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is still being evaluated after leaving Saturday night’s game against Calgary in overtime after taking a hit from Sam Bennett. However, the scribe reports that he is a possibility to play. Girard played 22:05 of ice time in Game 2 and would be a huge loss if he wasn’t able to go.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that recently signed defenseman Cale Makar is expected to be at the team’s morning practice Saturday and could get into the lineup immediately. Dater adds that he gets the impression that Makar will be in the lineup even though head coach Jared Bednar has not made any announcements. The team’s first-rounder in 2017 will have to be protected for the Seattle expansion draft if he even plays one playoff game this season. However, it looks as if the Avalanche are willing to do that.
Pacific Notes: Vlasic, Eakin, Anderson
With the series hitting Vegas and both teams deadlocked at one, the San Jose Sharks already have hit a road bump as The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that the head coach Peter DeBoer said the team will be inserting reserve defenseman Tim Heed into the lineup and Marc-Edouard Vlasic will miss Game 3 with an undisclosed injury.
Vlasic left Friday’s game during the second period after replays look like he blocked a shot from Shea Theodore with his arm, although Kurz wonders whether the shot may have gone off his head. DeBoer declined to reveal where the puck hit Vlasic. While the 32-year-old’s point totals have dropped this season, he still is the team’s third-best defenseman on the team behind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson and averaged 21:07 of ATOI this season, which will be a big loss for a Sharks’ team that will want to win one of the next two games to regain home-ice advantage.
The loss of Vlasic will likely mean even more minutes for both Burns and Karlsson. Burns has averaged more than 28 minutes in the first two games of the series, while Karlsson broke 29 minutes in Game 2. Heed will likely be paired with Justin Braun. The team also has recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton from the San Jose Barracuda, according to CapFriendly.
- Vegas Golden Knights third-line center Cody Eakin will be ready to go after suffering an injury to his face during Friday’s game on a hit from Timo Meier, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Eakin was seen on the ice this morning with a jaw protector attached to his helmet. The 27-year-old Eakin finished the season with a career-high 22 goals this season.
- ESPN’s Chris Peters reports that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Michael Anderson has likely played his last collegiate game after the University of Minnesota-Duluth blueliner won his second-straight NCAA championship Saturday. Expect the Kings to sign the 19-year-old sophomore to an entry-level contract soon. Anderson, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2017, is considered to be a solid shutdown defender with impressive leadership skills.