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Mike Smith Listed As Week To Week With Lower-Body Injury

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According to Craig Morgan of AZSports among others, Coyotes’ netminder Mike Smith is now week-to-week with a lower body injury. Smith suffered the injury on Tuesday when he “got twisted up” making a save. He was removed from the game and though the team says it isn’t severe, he’ll undergo additional testing when the team returns home.

Smith is now 34 and may have his best and healthiest hockey behind him. After suiting up in at least 60 games from 2013-15, he only started 32 last season due to core muscle surgery. While the former Vezina nominee played well in his limited role, just two years ago saw the worst season of his career. In 2014-15 the netminder saw his GAA balloon to 3.16 while his save percentage dropped to a middling .904.

Louis Domingue will take over once again as the starter during Smith’s absence, a role which he embraced last season. In 39 games, the young netminder put up a .912 save percentage with a 2.75 GAA. While those numbers are not elite by any means, they are encouraging for a 23-year old in his first real taste of the grind of an NHL schedule.

If the Coyotes are to compete for the playoffs this season, they’ll need Domingue to not only perform well in these next few weeks, but prove that he can handle a full load for the season. Smith would be an excellent second option once he’s healed fully and could lend support and guidance to the younger netminder as he finds his footing in the NHL.

Buffalo Sabres Recall Hudson Fasching, Casey Nelson

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After being sent down just two days ago, the Buffalo Sabres have brought Hudson Fasching and Casey Nelson back to the NHL. Both players started the year with the club and seem destined to bounce back and forth this season.

Earlier this summer, we profiled Fasching as a possible impact rookie this season after a successful World Champioship stint with team USA. The 21-year old was a point-per-game player in his final season at the University of Minnesota, leading the team in goals with 20.

If Fasching could establish a spot in the top-six, he may be able to make an impact as quickly as this season. His size, strength and skill around the net may make him an effective NHL goal scorer when paired with some of Buffalo’s elite playmakers.

For Nelson, it’s a bit of a different story.  An undrafted defenseman out of Minnesota State University, he’s already 24 and doesn’t come with quite the pedigree of Fasching. His performance however at every level has been excellent, including notching four assists in his seven game trial last season with the Sabres. As a right-handed shot, Nelson has some big names to try and leapfrog – the Sabres currently have Zach Bogosian, Cody Franson and Rasmus Ristolainen on the right side.

Devils Send Steve Santini To Albany

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The New Jersey Devils have sent Steven Santini down to Albany of the AHL. Santini was signed out of Boston College last season after a successful junior campaign.

After being a healthy scratch for the first five games of the season, Santini will join an Albany team off to a tremendous start. The minor-Devils are 4-0-0 this season and have outscored their opponents 14-7. After a successful season in 2015-16, the team should compete once again for the Calder Cup.

Santini, a 21-year old former second-round pick, rounded into form last year for the Boston College Eagles, scoring 19 points in 41 games while registering a solid +24 rating. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract in April and made his NHL debut at the end of last year. The reigning top “Defensive Defenseman” in Hockey-East, he seems like a lock to eventually join an NHL squad as a shutdown middle pairing defenseman.

Off-Season Stories Providing Immediate Results

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In the world of professional sports, the off-season has turned into a period of perpetual risk. When even the slightest move is scrutinized and analyzed with such severity, teams are trying harder and harder to minimize those gambles.

This summer saw a few key story lines for some of the leagues biggest franchises, and many of them are providing early dividends. Let’s take a look at some of the most talked about players of the summer, and where they sit just a few games into the seasons.

Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs:

The first big name to drop, Matthews was selected first overall by the Maple Leafs after they held on to their #1 spot in the draft.  Seen as a franchise-type talent who could make an impact right away, Matthews proved he could play at this level at both the World Championships and the World Cup, before setting an NHL record in his first game with four goals.

With six points in his first four games (and two more assists tonight), the 19-year old Arizona-born centerman has already made an impact. He was made the second star in the first week of the season, and saw his jersey sales skyrocket to the top of the league. While it’s extremely unlikely he’ll continue at this pace for his entire rookie season, the Maple Leafs have to be please with his play thus far.

Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning

Expected to hit the open market and garner the most interest of any free agent in the history of the NHL, Stamkos instead decided to sign back with the Lightning at the beginning of the summer. GM Steve Yzerman committed long-term to the 26-year old, handing him an eight year, $68MM deal just before free agency started.

Stamkos hasn’t taken the money and sat back, with four points in his first four games (and another goal tonight). The former 60-goal man is off to a blistering start and will again battle for the Rocket Richard trophy. Fans everywhere will wonder what he could have done for their team had he decided to head somewhere else.

Jimmy Vesey – New York Rangers

The biggest (deserved or not) story of the entire center was the saga of Jimmy Vesey, a college standout who refused to sign with first the Nashville Predators, and then the Buffalo Sabres.  After months of speculation and build up, the winger decided to go to New York, where he would play with former teammate Kevin Hayes.

Though he had just one goal through his first four, Vesey has two more tonight, making people wonder just how effective he truly will be this season.  The pendulum of “top-six winger”-“third line ceiling” that we heard all summer isn’t determined yet, but his three goals are already more than most Rangers fans expected through five games.

Jacques Demers Hospitalized

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Update (10/23 8:06pm): Demers suffered an infection rather than a stroke, reports the CBC. Previous reports cited a second stroke but updated interviews revealed otherwise.

Former Montreal Canadiens head coach Jacques Demers has been hospitalized today after suffering his second stroke. He had originally experienced one on April 6th, which was followed by three months of intensive physical therapy, according to the CBC.

Demers, 72, became a head coach for the first time in 1975 in the WHA with the Indianapolis Racers, before spending time behind the bench of five different NHL clubs. He’s most likely remembered best for leading the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup, their last in franchise history to this point.

With over 1000 games coached in the NHL, Demers is a beloved member of the Montreal Canadiens family and has caused an outpouring of support following this latest attack. We here at PHR would also like to extend our thoughts to his family – many of us grew up watching (and hating) Demers-led clubs.

 

Franchise Faceoff: Calgary Flames vs Montreal Canadiens

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There is a common theme among teams that miss the playoffs: weak goaltending.  That’s what is credited as the biggest contributor to the demise of the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens last season. The Habs lost all-world goaltender Carey Price early enough to torpedo their chances at the post season, while the Flames have been looking for a reliable netminder since the heyday of Miikka Kiprusoff.

This summer saw a fix for both clubs as the Canadiens got their Vezina winner back from injury, and the Flames brought in two established NHL goalies in Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson. While obviously these are different paths, they’ve provided the same hope to both fan bases. A return to the playoffs is certainly possible for both, though they’re off to much different starts.

Montreal is undefeated in regulation through four games and leads the Atlantic Division with seven points, while the Flames have struggled out of the gate to a 1-3-1 record.  The season is very young however, and both teams have more success planned for their immediate future.

The Flames locked up their top two players this summer, inking Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau to long-term deals, while the Habs have youngsters Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk looking like stars in their own right.  Both franchises have questions on their blueline past their big #1’s (Mark Giordano and Shea Weber), but have intriguing young players filling the holes.

[Calgary Flames Depth Chart vs Montreal Canadiens Depth Chart]

On Monday we asked who would you rather have, the Oilers or Maple Leafs roster and it was remarkably close after almost 500 votes were cast. This week we’ll ask the same of two other teams north of the border.

If you were buying a roster (not all the franchise perks that go with it) to build a championship team, which would you take?

Minnesota Recalls Joel Eriksson Ek; Assigns Mike Reilly To Iowa

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled Joel Eriksson Ek prior to tonight’s game against New Jersey. To make room, the team sent Mike Reilly to Iowa. Reilly was just recalled on Thursday after bouncing up and down over the first few days of the season. The young defender looks to be ticketed for a season full of flights between the two clubs.

Eriksson Ek was the Wild’s first round pick (20th overall) just two years ago, and is set to make his NHL debut after just a single professional game in North America. The forward has spent the last two seasons in the Swedish Elite League, playing for Farjestad.

Though he hasn’t turned in eye-popping numbers thus far in his career, the 19-year old center possesses a laser fast shot and is expected to develop into a solid offensive contributor. With the Wild already 3-1-0 in four games, the injection of youth should keep the train rolling along.

Jeff Zatkoff Suffers Injury; Jack Campbell Recalled

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According to Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times (via Helene Elliott), goaltender Jeff Zatkoff has suffered a lower-body injury at practice, and will be unable to play against the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The team has recalled Jack Campbell to take his place on the roster for the game.

With Jonathan Quick already on the shelf for months, any injury in the Kings’ crease weakens their cause even further. Peter Budaj will likely be in net tonight against the Canucks, but the 34-year old hasn’t been an effective NHL starter in years now. For a team who is still in win-now mode, the defense will need to tighten up even further for the next few days at least. As Jon Rosen of FOX Sports reports, Zatkoff’s groin ’tightened up’ after stopping a shot in practice. While it may not be a major injury yet, groin injuries often linger longer than initially expected.

Campbell, a former 11th overall pick by the Dallas Stars, has never been able to establish himself in the NHL. The 24-year old split the last two seasons between the AHL and ECHL, where he found mixed results. If Zatkoff stays on the shelf for very long, the Kings will need a combination of Budaj and Campbell to keep them competitive. The team sits at 1-3-0 through four games, and sixth in the Pacific Division.

Blackhawks Notes: Penalty Kill, Motte

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Through just nearly two periods in Friday night’s game against Columbus, the Chicago Blackhawks surrendered their second power play goal, in as many attempts, driving their penalty kill percentage down to an anemic 42%. The statistics revealing just how bad it’s been aren’t encouraging. The Hawks have given up 11 power play goals in just five games, while last season they only let in 46 powerplay goals through 82 games. Dimitri Filipovic tweets a statistical breakdown of Corey Crawford’s significant dip in save percentage when the team is on the kill. His point isn’t to blame Crawford, but instead, highlight the deficiencies of his teammates on the kill.

Strategically speaking, CSN’s Tracey Myers tweets that teams are using a net-front presence to score on the man advantage, and the Hawks seem more than willing to oblige. The Daily Herald’s Jon Dietz reports that the Hawks 5-on-3 marathon against St. Louis started the slide and is a culprit in the Hawks’ early tumble:

One reason the kill rate looks so bad — it was the second-worst in the league going into Monday’s games — is because of how St. Louis took advantage of 3 penalties in 94 seconds in the opener. That led to a 5-on-3 goal late in the second period and another tally early in the third.  Being short-handed for that long is not an easy task, and once a team scores it only breeds more confidence for the next opportunity — especially when that opportunity comes right away.

Dietz adds that the Hawks have done a poor job of clearing the zone, allowing teams more time to setup and prolong shifts, which leads to tired penalty killers. He also mirrors Myers’ thoughts of allowing players to camp out in front of Crawford without impediment.

Then again, should the struggles come as a surprise? Last March, CSN Chicago had a lengthy article centering on the Hawks’ problems shorthanded when they were ranked (at the time) 24th in the league. Though they were missing both Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger at the time, maybe it’s a trend that was forewarned months earlier.

In other Blackhawks news:

  • Tyler Motte scored his first NHL goal against Columbus Friday night. After Jonathan Toews rushed the net and generated a juicy rebound, Motte banged in the opportunity for his first goal as a Chicago Blackhawk.

Eastern Conference Snapshots: Hoffman, Warsofsky, Pouliot, Weise

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Ottawa Senators winger Mike Hoffman has led the team in goal scoring in each of the last two seasons, a fact which prompted the team to sign the 26-year-old to a five-year, $20.75MM extension this summer. Even though he has totaled 56 goals since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, Hoffman is no stranger to slow starts and this season has been no exception. Despite the fact the Sens are tied for second in goals-per-game, Hoffman has yet to tally his first marker of the season. But, as Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen writes, it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through.

Hoffman is currently tied with Chris Kreider and Brent Burns in shots on goal with 20 and says he has been getting plenty of scoring chances.

“I’m just trying to keep a level head, I know the goals are going to come. You don’t want to hit the panic button too early. I feel like I’m getting a lot of shots, a lot of chances every game.”

Like Hoffman, head coach Guy Boucher believes the gifted winger will find his scoring touch soon enough.

“I liked a lot of his game (against Arizona). The work is always when the guy is not getting (any chances) and you can see (the confidence) go down, which is not Mike’s case.”

Goal scorers like Hoffman are prone to slumps but when the get hot they tend to score in bunches. So far Hoffman’s inability to put the puck in the net hasn’t had much of an impact on Ottawa’s on-ice fortunes as the team has won three of their first four. Once he does ratchet up his output, the Senators chances of competing for a playoff spot will only improve.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins blue line is a little beat up which today prompted the recall of David Warsofsky from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In a related move, the team placed Derrick Pouliot on IR. Pouliot has made just one appearance for the Penguins, and left that game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. It appears that whatever the injury, it could keep Pouliot out a while. In addition to Pouliot, Olli Maatta and Kris Letang are both banged up as well. Letang is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury but as Mackey writes, he might be healthy enough to suit up Saturday.
  • Dale Weise of the Philadelphia Flyers is slated for a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety after his illegal check to the head of Anaheim defensman Korbinian Holzer in a game Thursday night. Weise wasn’t penalized on the play but the league wasted no time calling for the hearing. It appears it will be a phone hearing, meaning Weise won’t receive a suspension longer than five games. Weise, signed this summer as a free agent, has not yet recorded a point for the Flyers in four appearances.

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