Saturday Snapshots: Final Saturday Of The Regular Season
8:48pm: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3, clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2013. Despite losing goaltender Frederik Andersen, the Leafs rallied for three goals in the third to punch their ticket to the playoffs. TSN’s Bob McKenzie sums up the seedings with tomorrow’s results. If Toronto gets one point tomorrow, they will take on Ottawa in the first round while Boston faces off against Washington. Should they lose, they draw Washington and the Bruins get Ottawa.
2:54 pm: Today is the second last day of the regular season, and as such, there’s a lot going on around the National Hockey League. The entire playoff bracket can be finalized this evening, stars will be healthy scratched, and milestones hit.
Playoff Matchups:
- Two Eastern Conference matchups have already been set: Canadiens vs Rangers and Penguins vs Blue Jackets. Another could be set tonight, if Toronto, Ottawa, and Boston all win. That would mean Capitals vs Maple Leafs. Should the Maple Leafs lose while the other two win, then that would guarantee Senators vs Bruins.
- Wild vs Blues is clinched by a St. Louis win or a Nashville loss.
- Oilers vs Sharks would be clinched by:
- An Oilers extra-time loss vs the Canucks tonight, OR
- An Oilers regulation loss and a Sharks loss in any fashion.
- Blackhawks vs Predators happens if:
- The Predators lose in regulation, OR
- The Flames win and the Blues get a single point, OR
- The Flames and Predators both lose in OT.
- The Flames would take on the Ducks if:
- The Oilers lose, the Blues get a point, and the Flames win, OR
- The Oilers lose, and both the Flames and Predators lose in OT, OR
- The Oilers lose, and the Predators lose in regulation.
- The Flames would take on the Blackhawks if Calgary loses and the Predators win.
- The Ducks would take on the Predators if:
- Both Edmonton and Calgary lose, and the Predators win, OR
- Nashville gets a point, while Edmonton loses and Calgary loses in regulation.
Other clinching scenarios:
- The Oilers clinch home-ice with a single point. They visit Vancouver tonight, and host them tomorrow.
- The Ducks clinch the Pacific Division with an Oilers loss of any kind.
- To pass Anaheim and win the Pacific, the Oilers would need to sweep the Canucks this weekend and have Anaheim lose to Los Angeles tomorrow.
- Should the Toronto Maple Leafs win tonight against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto will clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2013. That would eliminate the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.
- The Islanders could also be eliminated with a regulation loss or any kind of loss if the Maple Leafs get a single point.
- UPDATE: Ottawa clinched home ice by defeating the Rangers, 3-1.
- They defeat the Rangers today, OR
- Boston and Toronto lose in regulation, OR
- The Bruins and Senators each get a single point combined with a Maple Leafs OT loss.
Scratches:
- The Penguins are resting a handful of players, but not their captain. Regulars Nick Bonino, Brian Dumoulin, Patric Hornqvist, Matt Murray, and Bryan Rust will all be healthy scratches, however Sidney Crosby will dress. Forward Kevin Porter and goaltender Tristan Jarry have been called up to fill out the lineup; Jarry will back up Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins coach, Mike Sullivan, told TSN that he’s aware of what’s on the line for the Maple Leafs, but re-iterated that his priority is to do what’s best for the team “in the short-term and the long-term. Having said that the lineup we put in will be competitive.”
- The Canucks will be without the services of Sven Baertschi for this weekend’s home-and-home with the Oilers. Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that Baertschi may have hurt his shoulder or neck on Thursday vs the Coyotes.
- The Senators will be resting several players. Their lineup isn’t known yet, but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch suggested Craig Anderson, Mike Hoffman, Dion Phaneuf, Kyle Turris, and Viktor Stalberg as possibilities.
Milestones:
- Oilers captain Connor McDavid could become just the fifth player to score 100 points since 2010. He’s sitting at 97 points in 80 games, the seventh-most points in a season during in that time frame. Only Evgeni Malkin, Daniel Sedin, Crosby, and Patrick Kane have cracked the century-mark this decade. McDavid is nine points ahead of Crosby and Kane for the NHL scoring lead, and looks poised to take home the Art Ross in his first full season at age 20.
- With one more goal this season, Auston Matthews can become the fifteenth rookie in NHL history to score 40 goals. Currently, he’s tied with Crosby, Steve Yzerman, and Peter and Anton Stastny at 39. Kings’ coach Darryl Sutter, Sylvain Turgeon, and Warren Young all scored 40 goals in their rookie seasons.
Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Teravainen, Zibanejad, Werenski
The Washington Capitals pulled off perhaps the biggest acquisition of the recent trade deadline, reeling in mobile, puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk from St. Louis, further bolstering their offensive attack while also preventing one of their Eastern Conference rivals -notably Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers – from adding the skilled blue liner to their lineup. While often times it takes time for a player to adjust to his new surroundings following a mid-season trade, Shattenkirk has fit in well with Washington registering 13 points in 17 games since the deal. As Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post writes, the trade has so far been a big success for the Capitals. But unless Shattenkirk helps Washington embark on a deep playoff run, one that culminates in a berth in the Eastern Conference Final at the very least, it will be hard to consider the deal a win for the Caps.
Though GM Brian McLellan was hesitant to disrupt the team’s chemistry by making a headline move at the deadline, Shattenkirk was the one player he was willing to roll the dice on, according to Khurshudyan. In today’s game you can seemingly never have enough puck-moving ability on the back end and McLellan, recognizing that, didn’t shy away from acquiring the skilled right-handed defender. The GM also benefited from first-hand information as to how Shattenkirk would fit in as both T.J. Oshie and Brooks Orpik have been teammates of the blue liner at some point in their respective careers.
Of course this season, and consequently this trade, will hinge entirely on the success achieved in the postseason. Despite having one of the league’s best players in Alex Ovechkin piloting the ship, the Capitals have failed to advance further than the second round of the playoffs since the 1997-98 campaign, when the team surprisingly made it to the Stanley Cup Final. Should the Capitals bow out again before the Eastern Conference Final, there will be no escaping the conclusion that this was yet another disappointing campaign in Washington.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- After a stellar postseason which saw the then 20-year-old winger tally 10 points in 18 games for Chicago during the Blackhawks Stanley Cup run in 2015, Teuvo Teravainen was expected to develop into a star player in this league. Following a mediocre 2015-16, Teravainen was dealt to Carolina along with veteran winger Bryan Bickell in a deal designed to create precious cap space for Chicago. With a fresh start in a new city, it was thought that Teravainen, now 22, would start to realize his vast potential yet that hasn’t proven to be the case. The 5-foot-11 winger has bested his offensive output from a year ago – 41 points to 35 – yet more was expected from the skilled Finn. But, as Chip Alexander of The News & Observer writes, Teravainen has a plan to get better this offseaon. The native of Helsinki, Finland plans to add more muscle this summer in the hopes that improves his board play and ability to win one-on-one battles. For Teravainen, who will be a RFA this summer and most likely in line for a bridge contract, the 2017-18 campaign will help determine whether he can take the next step in the NHL and become a high-end scoring forward or whether he will settle in as a middle-six winger who leaves you wanting more.
- Mika Zibenajad, who returns to Ottawa for the first time since last summer’s trade to New York, could be a big key for the Rangers in the playoffs, writes Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Zibanejad started strong this season with 15 points in his first 19 games but suffered a broken fibula during a November game against Florida and has struggled with consistency since returning. As Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault noted, Zibanejad’s skating is perhaps his best asset and it’s taken time to fully heal after the injury. Still, as Brooks reports, Vigneault sees Zibanejad as “a good playmaker with good speed,” who has a chance to develop into a “top-notch player and top-notch centerman,” heading into the playoffs. Derick Brassard, who went to Ottawa in the Zibanejad trade, was a big time performer in the playoffs for New York and there will be pressure on the former Senator to produce for his new club when it matters most.
- Good news for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who could use some while in the midst of a five-game losing streak, as the team is confident that rookie blue liner Zach Werenski will be ready to play in the postseason. Both GM Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach John Tortorella have expressed that belief, tweets Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. Werenski, who has 11 goals and 47 points in 78 games as a 19-year-old rookie, was injured by a high but legal hit from Alex Ovechkin in a recent game against the Capitals and has missed the last three games, including today’s tilt against Philadelphia. Werenski is an important player for the Jackets and their odds of upsetting the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins improve dramatically if he is 100% and ready to play in game one of their first round playoff match-up.
Minor Transactions: 4/8/2017
With the NHL set to wrap up the 2016-17 regular season this weekend, several clubs with postseason seeds locked in are taking the opportunity to rest key players. This gives several minor league players a chance to earn a late season call-up and to see some NHL action in the season’s closing days. We’ll recap the day’s minor transactions in this post.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced via Twitter that they have recalled forward Kevin Porter and netminder Tristan Jarry from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. Porter has spent the entire season so far with the baby Penguins but does bring plenty of NHL experience to the table with 247 regular season appearances over parts of seven seasons. For his career, the 5-foot-11, 191-pound winger has netted 29 goals and 58 points while averaging 12:39 of action per game. Porter was a key penalty killer last season in Pittsburgh and saw action in 41 game s before suffering a season-ending injury. He has 46 points in 67 AHL games this season, helping Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earn their 15th consecutive playoff berth. Jarry, who has yet to make his NHL debut, has been outstanding between the pipes for the baby Pens. He’s won 25 of 45 decisions and posted a GAA of 2.15 and a Save % of 0.925 in 45 contests. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests the recalls mean the Penguins intend on resting “someone.” After wrapping up the second seed in the Metro Division and a first round playoff date set with Columbus, it wouldn’t be shocking if the team gave superstar center Sidney Crosby and #1 goalie Matt Murray the weekend off, though that is simply my own speculation. That scenario would give Jarry a solid shot at making his NHL debut.
- The Buffalo Sabres have inked center Sean Malone, their sixth-round draft choice in 2013, to a two-year, entry level deal, the club announced this morning. Malone, a native of West Seneca, New York, recently concluded his senior year at Harvard and finished the 2016-17 campaign with 18 goals and 42 points in 36 games. Malone and his Harvard teammates saw their season end in stunning fashion during their Frozen Four semifinal game when Minnesota-Duluth broke a 1 – 1 tie with 26.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Malone closes out his college career with 42 goals and 99 points in 115 NCAA games.
- Taylor Beck, who was recalled from Hartford yesterday, will make his New York Rangers debut tonight, the club announced via Twitter. The 25-year-old RW was acquired by the Rangers from Edmonton at the trade deadline in exchange for fellow forward Justin Fontaine. Beck has had a terrific AHL campaign, registering 63 points in 54 games split between Bakersfield and Hartford. In 9 career NHL contests, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Beck has tallied 11 goals and 23 points. He failed to record a point in three earlier appearances with the Oilers this season. Beck will draw into the lineup for New York as the Rangers plan to rest forwards Derek Stepan, Jesper Fast, Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash, the latter three for the second straight game.
- Montreal has recalled junior defenseman and 2016 first round pick Mikhail Sergachev from Windsor of the OHL. Normally, once a prospect has been returned to junior by his parent club, they cannot be recalled but the Canadiens took advantage of a little-used provision that allows them to do so in certain scenarios. Cap Friendly, via Twitter, provides the details of this provision in the CBA. In this case, since Windsor’s season is now over following their elimination from the OHL playoffs and with Montreal having already recalled a defender from the minor leagues on an emergency basis, the Habs were able to bring Sergachev up, also on an emergency basis. Sergachev appeared in three games earlier this season with Montreal before being returned to Windsor. The blue liner, still just 18, registered 43 points in 50 regular season games and another three in the playoffs for the Spitfires.
- Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced this morning that the club has recalled goaltender Anthony Stolarz from Lehigh Valley of the AHL. Stolarz has appeared in six games with the Flyers on the season, starting three times. He has posted a 0.932 Save % and a GAA of just 1.93 in his first taste of NHL action. Sam Carchidi, who covers the team for the Philadelphia Inquirer adds via Twitter that Stolarz will back up Steve Mason tonight with the Flyers on the road in Columbus and will likely get the starting assignment tomorrow as the team closes out its campaign at home against Carolina.
NCAA All-American Teams Named
Prior to the reveal of University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher as the 2017 Hobey Baker Award-winner and ahead of the NCAA championship game tomorrow night, the American Hockey Coaches Association released the rosters of this year’s collegiate All-American Teams. The teams, first and second squads from either side of the country, are listed below with their NCAA teams as well as NHL-drafted or signed organization, if applicable:
East All-Americans
First Team:
RW Zach Aston-Reese, Northeastern (Pittsburgh Penguins)
RW Spencer Foo, Union
C Mike Vecchione, Union (Philadelphia Flyers)
D Adam Fox, Harvard (Calgary Flames)
D Charlie McAvoy, Boston University (Boston Bruins)
G Charles Williams, Canisius
Conor Sheary, Free Agency And Leverage
When Conor Sheary began the season he was entering the second and final year of his entry-level contract, and coming off a Stanley Cup victory and a strong playoff performance. He’d duplicated his regular season point total in the postseason with 10 points and looked like a solid depth player for a team looking to contend once again. 
He’d spent time with Sidney Crosby in the playoffs and had great results, so the Penguins decided to try it again. What has happened this year has been magic. Sheary has blossomed into an exceptional offensive player alongside Crosby, scoring 53 points in 60 games, a rate that betters even his strong numbers at the University of Massachusetts and the AHL.
Heading into the summer, Sheary is a restricted free agent for the first time in his career and arbitration eligible. He’ll be looking for a big raise after such a successful season, and the Penguins will have to decide if he’s a long-term piece. Many would point to Crosby’s presence and think that Sheary wouldn’t have much leverage, that the diminutive winger would have trouble replicating his numbers without one of the game’s premiere centers beside him. As usual, it’s not that simple.
While Sheary is obviously helped a tremendous amount by Crosby’s presence, it works both ways. Without delving too far into the analytics world, it’s clear that Sheary has an effect on the duo’s dominance. Since the beginning of 2015 without Sheary (via Corsica), Crosby has a 53 CF% a simple metric of shots attempted and allowed during a player’s time on the ice. Sheary, in a small sample without Crosby, has the same number. But together the pair skyrocket up to a 56 CF%, showing how well their games mesh with each other. Crosby has found success like that with other players throughout his career, but there have also been several excellent players who just “don’t mesh” with his style and can’t play alongside him.
So then, when the two sides enter the negotiating room this summer it is not just the Penguins acting from a position of leverage. His presence on Crosby’s wing makes their star player even better than he already was, and don’t think the Sheary camp doesn’t know it. Even with just a single season of success, and a checkered history when it comes to development and performance, Sheary should be able to use his chemistry with one of the league’s top players and turn it into a long-term deal. After all, there is no guarantee anyone else could have the same effect.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Dominik Simon From AHL
In an unexpected move, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled a forward today, bringing Dominik Simon up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 22-year old center hasn’t played a single game in the NHL this season. The Penguins had seemed to be getting healthier up front, but after watching the Washington Capitals clinch the President’s Trophy last night, may want to rest some of their battered forwards in the last few games.
Simon played just three games for Pittsburgh last year, but has been an excellent player at the AHL level since he came over from the Czech Republic. After scoring 25 goals to lead WBS last season, he’s turned in a more playmaking season with 31 assists. By all accounts, his game is developing nicely and should push for an NHL role in the next few years. The last few games could be a nice bonus for a player who has found success in the minor leagues, as each day he spends in the NHL he earns almost 10-times more than his AHL salary.
The Penguins, now three points ahead of Columbus for second in the Metro Division could lock up home ice advantage in the first round with a win over the Devils tonight paired with a loss for the Blue Jackets. Either way, those two teams are going to face off in the first round for what will be an incredible series.
Snapshots: Suzuki, Thornton, Malkin, Giordano
Now that Jack Hughes will be heading to the US Development Program, the expected first overall pick in the upcoming OHL draft was vacated. While Hughes would have been a shoe-in for the Barrie Colts selection, Bob McKenzie of TSN now reports that it will be Ryan Suzuki going first. If that last name strikes you as familiar in regards to a hockey draft, you’re not crazy—Nick Suzuki, Ryan’s older brother, is expected to go in the first round in this summer’s NHL entry draft. The older Suzuki is playing with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL and has a chance at a Memorial Cup bid this spring. In 70 games this season (including five playoff contests), the 17-year old centerman has 106 points.
- Shawn Thornton will call it quits after this season, and transition into a business position with the Florida Panthers according to Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel. Thornton will finish with 705 career games played and over 1100 penalty minutes. The rough, physical forward hit double digit goals only twice in his career, but was part of two different Stanley Cup winning teams. At 39-years old, he’s carved out an impressive career for a player drafted in the seventh round who never even recorded 30 points in his junior career. While a lot of that success has to do with his fists, he’s also a testament to work ethic and perseverance.
- Penguins’ head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that the team is “optimistic” Evgeni Malkin will be ready for the start of the playoffs. After getting news that Kris Letang would miss 4-6 months following neck surgery, getting Malkin back as soon as possible is extremely important if the Penguins want to do any damage in the postseason. Malkin has been skating by himself for a few days, and took shots before practice this morning.
- Mark Giordano will not receive any supplementary discipline for the hit that injured Cam Fowler last night, according to Mike Halford of NBC. Giordano went knee-on-knee with Fowler, but did receive a punishment of sorts when Josh Manson decided he deserved some justice. Losing Fowler for any length of time would be a big hit to the Ducks as they head into the postseason.
Kris Letang To Miss Four To Six Months Following Neck Surgery
So much for having Kris Letang back for the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that the star defenseman will undergo neck surgery and be out for four to six months. Letang has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his neck, and will not only miss the entire playoffs but likely all of training camp and perhaps the beginning of the 2017-18 regular season. Next year he’ll be entering the fourth year of his eight-year, $58MM deal at age 30 and coming off a major injury; it’s a tough blow for the Penguins this year and next.
Letang has long been the Penguins most important defender, driving play and racking up points. Receiving Norris Trophy votes in five of the last six seasons, he’s widely regarded as one of the best defensemen in the league and plays over 25 minutes a night for the team. Now that he is gone, the acquisitions of Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit look even better on Jim Rutherford, though neither come close to replacing the impact Letang has.
In good news for the Penguins, the team saw Olli Maatta back at practice today and now will need him more than ever to be ready to start Game 1 of the playoffs. With Trevor Daley also returning soon, the team will have to use all six of their defenders even more to fill in and hope someone steps up to replace Letang’s leadership and production. Justin Schultz, who has stepped up in Letang’s absence previously this season, will be under a spotlight this postseason to produce offensively while logging more ice time than he’s ever played before.
Metropolitan Notes: Mason, Stolarz, Archibald
Shortly before warm-ups began for the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, ahead of their match-up with the New Jersey Devils, the team announced that goaltender Steve Mason was sick and would not be able to suit up for the game. Mason, who holds an 0-9-0 record, 3.93 GAA, and .852 SV% versus the Devils in his career, was not expected to start the contest, but left the Flyers scrambling to find a backup with less than two hours to puck drop. His condition also casts some doubt on whether or not he’ll be available for Philly’s game against the New York Rangers tomorrow, which Mason was expected to start.
- To replace Mason tonight, the Flyers promoted young goalie Anthony Stolarz from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an emergency basis. However, by the time Stolarz got the call, the two hour drive from Wilkes-Barre, PA, where the Flyers’ AHL affiliate was visiting the rival Penguins’ affiliate, to Philadelphia did not get him to rink in time for warm-ups. Stolarz will back up Michal Neuvirth tonight, completely cold, and if Mason is unable to play tomorrow as well, Stolarz may get the start if the team wants to avoid playing Neuvirth in back-to-back games with their slim playoff hopes on the line. The rookie keeper would certainly be up for the task; Stolarz has a 1.79 GAA and .938 SV% and even a shutout in four impressive appearances with the Flyers in 2016-17.
- The injury bug continues to run rampant through Pittsburgh, and with the recent news that Chris Kunitz has been added to the injured list, the Penguins announced that they have recalled Josh Archibald from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to fill the gap. Archibald was just recently sent back down to the AHL amid the Pens’ losing streak, but necessity has called the young forward back up. The rookie right winger has two goals in five games this season playing minimal minutes, but the Penguins will have to hope he can take advantage of increased play time down the stretch as the team continues to plug holes in their lineup.
Chris Kunitz Injured With No Timetable For Return
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ injury-plagued season continues, as winger Chris Kunitz is out with a lower-body injury.
Coach Mike Sullivan told the media that “there currently isn’t a timetable” for his return (via the Penguins’ Twitter). Kunitz took a regular shift on Friday night in New York, but didn’t play during the overtime period or shoot in the shootout, per Josh Cooper of PuckDaddy. It’s not yet clear what caused the injury.
The 37-year-old winger has 29 points this season, after back-to-back 40-point campaigns. He has just three assists in his last 21 games. Nevertheless, it’s another body-blow to the Penguins’ depth.
Even with Jake Guentzel and Ron Hainsey returning in the last week, the team is still missing forwards Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin with upper and lower-body injuries respectively, while defensemen Trevor Daley, Kris Letang, and Olli Maatta are also out, and have missed substantial time this season. Malkin is expected to return soon, and Sullivan believes Letang will be ready for the playoffs.