Injury Updates: Fowler, Stolarz, Borowiecki, Bartley
Although Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler won’t play tonight in Game Two of their first round series against Calgary, head coach Randy Carlyle suggested to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register that Fowler could be ready to return by the end of the round. The blueliner was evaluated again on Thursday and the team is hopeful that he’ll be able to start skating again in the coming days.
Fowler has been out since April 4th when he took a knee-on-knee hit from Flames defender Mark Giordano. At the time, there was a wide timeframe for a potential return, ranging from two to six weeks. We’re not even at the two week mark so presumably he’s still a little while away and wouldn’t have a shot at getting back in until closer to the end of the series.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- Flyers goalie prospect Anthony Stolarz will miss the entire AHL playoffs and will be sidelined for the next three to four months, head coach Scott Gordon told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While the exact nature of the injury was undisclosed, Carchidi notes that the netminder was seen on crutches following Wednesday’s game. Stolarz is likely to get a long look at training camp to be the backup goaltender for Michal Neuvirth next season assuming that Philadelphia doesn’t bring anyone else in via free agency or the trade market this summer. He is expected to be fully recovered in time for camp.
- Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki suffered a lower body injury this afternoon, the team announced via Twitter. He did not return to the game. The injury was sustained on an attempted body check on Bruins forward Riley Nash. If he’s unable to return in time for their next game on Monday, Frederik Claesson will likely take his place in the lineup. Claesson was scratched when Marc Methot was deemed ready to play today.
- The Wild announced that they have activated defenseman Victor Bartley off injured reserve. Bartley signed with Minnesota as a free agent this summer but suffered a triceps injury in the preseason that kept him out for the entire year. While it’s unlikely that Bartley would immediately step into Minnesota’s lineup, he will at least give them another option to turn to if they do decide to make a change later on. The Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa wraps up their season tonight and won’t be in the playoffs which eliminates the possibility of a conditioning stint.
Atlantic Notes: Price, Carlo, Krug, Acciari
While Islanders center John Tavares is garnering the most attention publicly among the potential high-end unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2018, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is set to head into the final year of his contract next season as well. On a radio appearance with Sportsnet 590 in Toronto (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was asked about the possibility of Price hitting the open market (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):
“When I talked to him (GM Marc Bergevin) last year, he basically said he was going to do whatever he could to keep Price. I see no reason why that would have changed. The only reason that you could see them saying, ‘We’re not going to do it,’ is if they decide, ‘You know what? The money is going to be so much that we have to spread ourselves somewhere else. We have to decide to do different things.’
“But I know that every decision he was kind of making was with the idea that he knew he was going to have to pay Carey Price a lot of money, and he was prepared to do it.”
Price will earn $7MM in salary with a cap hit of $6.5MM next season. It’s expected that a new deal for him will likely come in above the $8.5MM cap hit that Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is currently receiving to set the new benchmark for goaltenders around the league.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo is making good progress as he continues to recover from an upper body issue that is believed to be a concussion, reports CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty. Head coach Bruce Cassidy noted that the Bruins are hoping to have him back in the lineup “sooner than later”. He was injured in the final game of the season against Washington after being the only defender to suit up in all 82 regular season contests. There remains no firm timetable for his return to the lineup.
- Also from Haggerty, things don’t appear to be as promising for bellow injured blueliner Torey Krug. Cassidy wouldn’t go as far as calling him anything more than day-to-day at this point (a common refrain at this time of year) but stated that he didn’t want to speculate on his situation. Krug was seen with a brace on his right knee after being injured in the penultimate game of the season against Ottawa. With Colin Miller (lower body) also out and Adam McQuaid (upper body) being banged up today, the blueline depth for the Bruins is really getting tested. As for injured winger Noel Acciari, the team is hopeful that he will be able to dress for Game Three of the series on Monday night. Acciari has skated with the team a couple of times this week but was still in a non-contract jersey on Friday.
Bruins Notes: Krejci, C. Miller, Morrow, Subban
Fresh off a 2-1 Game One win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night without three starters in David Krejci, Torey Krug, and Brandon Carlo, it appears that the Boston Bruins will have to line up for Game Two with an even more short-handed roster. While the team has until their matinee puck drop on Saturday to make any official announcement, it sounds as though defenseman Colin Miller will join the growing list of injuries. Miller, who left the previous game after suffering a lower body injury on a trip from Mark Borowiecki, was on the ice for practice today, but left early due to pain and discomfort. After practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy made it sound very unlikely that Miller would be available for the next game.
With Miller out, in addition to Krug and Carlo, Joe Morrow is the next man up to slot in on the blue line. Morrow, a former first-round pick and a piece of the Tyler Seguin trade, has not been able to work his way into regular play time in years with the Bruins. With John-Michael Liles in the fold this season, Morrow was bumped down to eighth on the depth chart and has not played in almost three months. However, the Bruins were able to beat the Senators with just five defenseman for most of Game One, so even a cold Morrow could be an upgrade as Boston looks to take a stranglehold on the series with another road win.
- Having Krejci back would certainly go a long way to help the Bruins take a 2-0 series lead, but Cassidy confirmed that Boston’s highest-paid player will miss another game. Cassidy did add the qualifier that “as of today” he would miss the game, and Krejci did suit up for warm-ups before being a late scratch in Game One, however he missed practice today and all signs point to the Bruins playing is safe with their third-highest scorer.
- As reported earlier, the Bruins have made it official that they have returned goalie Zane McIntyre, who suited up as Tuukka Rask‘s backup for Game One, back to the AHL and has recalled Malcolm Subban on an emergency assignment to serve, fittingly, as an emergency backup should anything cause Rask or Anton Khudobin. Don’t worry Bruins fans, there’s no reason to worry about Rask’s health.
Injury Updates: Zaitsev, Carlson, Jarnkrok
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without rookie defenseman Nikita Zaitsev tonight in Game 1 against the Washington Capitals, reports Rogers Sportsnet. Zaitsev suffered an upper body injury in the Maple Leafs’ final regular season game on Sunday when he was hit into the boards by Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno. The Maple Leafs will miss Zaitsev’s presence on the blue line as Zaitsev was second in team ice time behind Morgan Rielly.
- Staying with the Capitals vs. Maple Leafs series, Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson will return tonight after missing the Capitals’ last four games. Carlson missed those games with a lower body injury, but told reporters yesterday that he “felt good.” The Capitals will breathe a sigh of relief when Carlson returns as he is the team’s leader in average time on ice. Losing a first-pair defenseman ripples throughout the lineup no matter how much depth a team has.
- The Nashville Predators should have center Calle Jarnkrok tonight, reports Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. Jarnkrok missed the Predators’ final game against the Winnipeg Jets with a lower body injury. Nashville takes on the Chicago Blackhawks in their first-round playoff matchup, and they will need all the center depth they can muster against the top team in the Western Conference.
Snapshots: Babcock, Fehr, Diaby
As always with Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated, his latest piece is an outstanding example of storytelling and should be required reading for most hockey fans. In it, he chronicles the ’93-94 Lethbridge University championship hockey season and their young head coach Mike Babcock. Even now, after so many years in the NHL and victories everywhere he goes, Babcock maintains his proudest moment as a coach was turning the Pronghorns into a championship squad.
Babcock now helms a Toronto Maple Leafs team as they head back into the playoffs for the first time in a non-lockout shortened season since 2003-04. His squad, who finished dead last in 2015-16, would love to remind Babcock a little more of the Cinderella-like run the Pronghorns took to the number one spot. They’ll take on the powerhouse Washington Capitals tonight.
- Those Maple Leafs did get some good news on the injury front today, as Eric Fehr rejoined the team at practice. The forward was acquired by the Leafs at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Penguins, but broke his hand blocking a shot in his first game for the squad. While he won’t figure into the lineup right away, he’s getting close according to Kristen Shilton of TSN, who Babcock told “[the medical staff] let him out of jail today. Looks like the science project’s almost over.” Fehr could provide the Maple Leafs with some size for the fourth line should they feel like Kasperi Kapanen isn’t cutting it.
- James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that the Nashville Predators have placed Jonathan-Ismael Diaby on unconditional waivers. This likely means that his release will soon follow, as the team clears contract spots for next year. Though the Predators are only at 46 currently, they have recently promised one of those spots to Tyler Moy, and have four draft picks that will become free agents if not signed by June 1st. Diaby was a third-round pick in 2013, but hasn’t quite turned out the way they’d hoped when they saw his 6’5″ frame. He’ll become a free agent should the team release him after clearing.
Marc-Andre Fleury To Start Game 2 For Penguins
After helping the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 1-0 series lead last night, Marc-Andre Fleury will be back in net for Game 2 on Friday night. Matt Murray is day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered in the warm up last night, so Tristan Jarry will be the backup. Murray of course was expected to start for the Penguins throughout the playoffs, but will likely now need to wait for Fleury to falter even when he does return to full health. 
All season people have critiqued GM Jim Rutherford’s decision to keep Fleury around, despite the looming expansion draft where he will lose one of his talented netminders. This is exactly the situation he was preparing for, and he looks like a genius now as Fleury stopped 31/32 shots to guide Pittsburgh to a 3-1 win over the Blue Jackets. Fleury’s wealth of playoff experience—he’s now played in 101 career postseason games—will be relied upon for the Penguins to get past the dangerous Columbus squad and keep their hopes of another Stanley Cup alive.
Interestingly, Fleury actually has struggled over his career in the playoffs, registering just a .906 save percentage. Save for an outstanding run in 2008 to take the Penguins to the finals and some outstanding performances dotted throughout the years, he’s been regularly below average when the games mattered most. Perhaps now, when he steps in without much preparation he’ll be able to turn things around and stake a claim as the starter for their entire run. He may just be auditioning for his next team, as the Penguins are still widely expected to move Fleury prior to the expansion draft in order to protect Murray. A strong playoff performance could help them facilitate that.
As for Murray, this latest injury comes at the most inopportune time as he was set to show once again what he can do in the playoffs. As a rookie last year (which he technically still is), he registered a .923 save percentage in taking the Penguins to the Stanley Cup, and followed it up with an outstanding first full year. Already locked into a three-year extension which will see him earn $3.75MM per year, the Penguins will be paying pennies relative to the performance he’s given them thus far.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Notes: Murray, Krejci Down For Game 1
Matt Murray went down with an apparent lower-body injury per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Dave Molinari. Marc-Andre Fleury will replace him in net for Game 1 against Columbus. Further details are not available, but the seriousness of the injury may have a significant impact on Pittsburgh’s Cup hopes. Murray’s stats were substantially better than Fleury’s throughout the season, securing his role as the starter after question marks last summer regarding the latter’s future. Murray’s .923 save percentage was good for 8th in the league among tenders, with 32 wins and 4 shutouts. Fleury, by comparison, only had a .909 save percentage, securing only 18 wins and 1 shutout.
GM Jim Rutherford opted to not move Fleury before the draft, and again held pat before the trade deadline even with the looming expansion draft posing complications to the two-goalie plan. Depending on the severity of the injury to Murray, these decisions may have been strokes of genius for a team that has been plagued by injuries all season long. Whether Fleury will revert to his championship form of 2008 or 2009, or flounder as he did in 2012 or 2013 remains to be seen. The statistics from this past season suggest that against Vezina favorite Sergei Bobrovsky, Marc-Andre Fleury may struggle to stack up.
David Krejci was a late scratch for the Boston Bruins before their game 1 against Ottawa. Although injury information this time of year is often hard to come by, Krejci had been expected to play earlier in the day. The only information we have regarding the nature of the ailment is that it is upper-body. Sean Kuraly took his spot in the lineup. Krejci is easily one of the top offensive threats on the Bruins, so if this ailment is nagging, they will be hard-pressed to replace his production or experience. On a team restocked with promising youngsters, Krejci boasted a total of 77 points in 93 total playoff games. The Bruins’ fortunes in this series would be substantially improved if Krejci can return quickly.
Morning Notes: Gallant, Dallas, Carlson, Polak
When the Dallas Stars snatched up Ken Hitchcock this morning just days after firing Lindy Ruff, it took away one of the veteran options the Vegas Golden Knights could have considered for their head coaching job. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that with the Dallas vacancy filled, Gerard Gallant should be considered a front-runner for the Golden Knights job.
Gallant was fired from the Florida Panthers early in the year to the dismay of much of the hockey world, a decision that seems regrettable now that Tom Rowe has also been relieved of his duties in the sunshine state. Gallant has been considered an excellent head coach for years, though his actual record isn’t awe-inspiring. In the three years he’s made it through a full season, he’s only taken his team to the playoffs once and holds a career 152-140 record in the regular season.
- The Dallas staff will have an entirely different look next year, as the entire coaching staff save Curt Fraser have been let go according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports. Even Fraser could be let go, but will have a discussion with Hitchcock in the next few days. The former Atlanta Thrashers head coach, Fraser has been with the Stars for five seasons, longer even than Ruff.
- John Carlson was back at Washington Capitals practice today and skating on the top unit with Karl Alzner according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He was previously listed as probable for the game, but as Khurshudyan puts it now “he’s playing, y’all”.
- The Maple Leafs on the other hand, first-round opponents of the Capitals, had Roman Polak back at practice today after leaving their final game with a lower-body injury. Perhaps more importantly though, rookie defender Nikita Zaitsev was absent once again. Zaitsev took a hard hit from Nick Foligno and was diagnosed with an upper-body injury.
Injury Updates: Blackhawks, Methot, Stastny
The Blackhawks will be without defenseman Michal Rozsival when the puck drops on their series opener against Nashville on Thursday as they announced that the blueliner underwent surgery today to repair facial fractures sustained against the Ducks last week. The veteran was a depth player for Chicago for most of the season, getting into 22 games while averaging 15:30 per night in ice time. There is no timetable for his potential return but the team noted he’s expected to make a full recovery. Forward Andrew Desjardins, who also was injured against Anaheim, remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.
Chicago will get a boost up front against the Predators as center Artem Anisimov will return to the lineup after missing the last month with a leg injury, notes CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers. He had been skating for the last week as he worked himself back into game shape. Anisimov is expected to rejoin wingers Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane inside their top six forward group.
More injury news from around the NHL:
- Senators defenseman Marc Methot is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday’s series opener against Boston, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun notes. Head coach Guy Boucher calls Methot’s situation the only one he’ll have to make a decision on and that they could still opt to rest him up for a few more days. The blueliner has missed the last nine games with a lacerated finger suffered after being slashed by Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby on March 23rd.
- The Blues will likely be without center Paul Stastny when they open up their series against Minnesota tomorrow night, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He suffered a broken foot back on March 21st against Colorado and has been out of the lineup since then. It’s expected that Ivan Barbashev will open up the series in his place on the top line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.
- Bruins centers David Krejci and Dominic Moore missed practice today and while the team is hopeful that both will be ready to take on Ottawa tomorrow, head coach Bruce Cassidy told CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty that it’s not a guarantee that either will be available. He noted that both players are going through “maintenance work” at the moment. Krejci’s absence in particular is noteworthy as this is the second straight practice he missed. Not only has he been Boston’s top postseason scorer in two of their last four playoff appearances, he also led the NHL in playoff points in those two years.
Playoff Notes: Leafs, Dansk, Pacioretty
The Toronto Maple Leafs were back on the ice today to prepare for their Thursday night matchup against the Washington Capitals, and as expected had Frederik Andersen in the net. What they didn’t have, was many defenders in front of him as both Roman Polak and Nikita Zaitsev—who suffered injuries in the final game of the season against Columbus—were absent. Tyler Bozak and Nikita Soshnikov were also both nowhere to be seen, though Bozak is still expected to play.
It’s not clear if the two defenders are actually out or just staying off the ice, as the Maple Leafs have not made a call-up from the minors to replace them. Instead, Josh Leivo was skating as the sixth defender; something that will definitely not be in the plans for game 1. For a team that faced almost no injury controversy during the season, the past few weeks have been a trying period with multiple head injuries for Andersen and now two key defenders out. They’ll need all hands on deck if they want to beat the President’s Trophy winning Capitals.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets gave an entire fan base a heart attack this morning when they announced a call up of goaltender Oscar Dansk. The minor league netminder isn’t up to replace any injury though, just to serve as the team’s third goaltender through the playoffs. Both Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo are healthy and ready to lead the Blue Jackets against their opponents, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Max Pacioretty left Montreal practice today after taking either a stick or a puck to the face according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet. While there is no report yet on the severity, it would be hard to see Pacioretty sit out game one for any laceration or dental injury. Engels also reports that it will be Brian Flynn, Torey Mitchell and Michael McCarron scratched for the opener, meaning it will indeed be Steve Ott centering the fourth line alongside Alex Galchenyuk.
- Evgeni Malkin was back into the line rushes at Penguins practice according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com. The superstar center has been aiming for a game 1 return for a while, and it looks like he’ll be ready to go. Centering Bryan Rust and Phil Kessel, getting Malkin back is a huge factor for the Penguins who continue to get healthy at the right time—that is, other than Kris Letang who will miss the entire playoffs.