Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Josh Archibald From AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have another young winger ready to make an impact for them down the stretch. Today they called up Josh Archibald from the AHL prior to their game against the Calgary Flames tonight. The Penguins are on a five game winning streak and just a point behind the Metropolitan-leading Washington Capitals for first place in the entire NHL.
Archibald is a 24-year old winger who was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. After completing—and dominating in—three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Archibald has steadily climbed through the ranks of the Penguins’ minor league system. Earlier this year he played two games for Pittsburgh, scoring two goals in a February 11th overtime loss against Arizona. Amazingly, he has scored on each of the only two shots he’s taken during his three game NHL career.
As Pittsburgh has shown over the years with the emergence of Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary, the team isn’t afraid to put young players into key roles during a playoff stretch. After seasoning them at the AHL level, they can find ways to let them impact the game without exposing their inexperience. While Archibald isn’t guaranteed to play that role for the Penguins this season, his ability to penalty kill and play a solid defensive game may lend itself to some fourth-line minutes down the stretch and into the postseason.
Snapshots: Schultz, Fines, Zajac
When Justin Schultz came out of the University of Wisconsin to sign with the Edmonton Oilers, it started out well. With 48 points in 34 AHL contests during the lockout, it did look like he had Norris-trophy potential, as then-GM Craig MacTavish said later. As Mark Spector of Sportsnet writes, it started to erode for Schultz soon after. The defenseman now sits among the leaders in points in the league from defensemen, and has been a perfect fit in Pittsburgh this season.
While Spector goes through the history of his demise in Edmonton, it will be interesting to follow his contract negotiation this summer. At just $1.4MM this season, Schultz is due for a huge raise as he becomes a restricted free agent on July 1st. At 26 years old, the Penguins will be buying out almost entirely UFA years if they extend him long-term, meaning the AAV will be substantial. Pittsburgh will have an interesting off season, with Schultz, Conor Sheary, Brian Dumoulin and Derrick Pouliot all RFAs, and several key players set to hit the open market. While Schultz will likely be priority #1, it will be a tough negotiation.
- The NHL has handed down $2000 embellishment fines to both Jake Muzzin and Johnny Gaudreau for separate incidents. The league gives out a warning on the first instance, meaning that Muzzin and Gaudreau have been told already to stop diving. Muzzin in particular was given his warning after an October 14th game against Philadelphia, and this fine comes from an incident against Vancouver last weekend. Subsequent fines will increase to a maximum of $5000, but will also carry a financial penalty for the head coach should the player receive five citations.
- Travis Zajac will miss the New Jersey Devils next game as he left the team today to return home. His wife is expecting their third child any day now. With the Devils out of a playoff race and stuck at the bottom of the standings, Zajac likely won’t be rushed back into the lineup. Their quest now for the best draft pick available is more important than winning games.
Snapshots: Guentzel, Bindulis, Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins, like any other champion of the salary-cap era, have found worthwhile contributions from previously unheralded sources. Last year saw the playoff breakout of Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary, while this year Justin Schultz has turned into the defenseman that everyone had hoped for in Edmonton. As Dave Holcomb of FanRag Sports details, it may be Jake Guentzel that is the next breakout star for a team that has so many.
Guentzel has seen his ice time skyrocket since his latest call up, playing as much as 19:52 in a regulation loss on the 28th. He’s become a relied-upon member of the Penguins top-9 and will be needed past this year’s playoffs. With Sheary and Schultz up for new contracts as restricted free agents this summer and Nick Bonino hitting the open market, the team will have to make some tough decisions on the future construction of their lineup around the $25MM trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Having a cost-controlled option like Guentzel that can slot in with any of the three is a huge plus for the Penguins and their long-term future.
- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that Kristofers Bindulis is the latest college free agent to watch. Several teams are after the Lake Superior State defenseman after his solid debut in the WCHA. The Lakers are having a rough season, but Bindulis has turned heads with 12 points in 28 games. Rail-thin in his draft year, Bindulis is now listed at 6’3″, 180-lbs and likely still able to fill out into his large frame. Watch for Vegas to start their roster off with some college free agents, and perhaps Bindulis is on their minds.
- The New York Rangers better hope they don’t finish fourth in the Metropolitan Division. After getting pummeled by the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 last night and causing Alain Vigneault to become more angry than he has all season (according to Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post), the team is now just 5-4-1 in their last 10 and 0-3 against the Habs this season. With the first wildcard sport set to face the Atlantic Division winner, the Rangers would be up against the Canadiens right away and would need to turn that record around fast.
Conor Sheary To Miss Up To Six Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Conor Sheary, one of their most productive forwards and Sidney Crosby’s wing man, from four-to-six weeks, according to Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune-Review. Pittsburgh bench boss Mike Sullivan made the announcement following the team’s practice today. It’s unclear when exactly Sheary suffered the injury, but presumably it occurred during Pittsburgh’s 4 – 2 win over Nashville last night.
Sheary, who was originally signed by the Penguins as an undrafted free agent, has developed into a solid winger and currently ranks third on the team in goals with 17. In 42 games this season, the 24-year-old winger has totaled 35 points and posted a plus/minus rating of plus-18.
He made a name for himself after being called up to the team around mid-season last year, providing speed and key goals down the stretch and into the playoffs for Pittsburgh. In 44 appearances in 2015-16, Sheary potted seven goals and 10 points. He added another 10 points in 23 playoff contests, helping the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship.
Snapshots: NHL Three Stars, Flames, Lightning
The NHL has named Conor Sheary, Thomas Greiss, and T.J. Oshie as their Three Stars of the Week.
The undrafted Sheary had six goals and nine points in four games as the Penguins went 4-0-0. He had two three-point games to bookend the week. He had two goals, including the overtime winner, in the Penguin epic 8-7 win over Washington, and the same statline in the Penguins 5-1 win over Boston. Sheary now has 17 goals and 34 points in 39 games this season, a significant increase over his 10-point rookie season.
Greiss had two shutouts and an overtime loss in a week where he had a 0.971 SV%. The Islanders shutout the Bruins 4-0 then fired head coach Jack Capuano the next day. They followed the firing with a 3-0 shutout of the Stars and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Flyers. Greiss is 12-7-3 with a 0.928 SV% so far this season, taking over the starting job from Jaroslav Halak.
Oshie had three goals and three assists in three games as the Capitals went 2-0-1 last week. Three of those points came in the 8-7 OT loss to the Penguins. The pending-UFA has 31 points in 38 games for the Capitals, and ranked fourth on PHR’s Top 20 UFA list.
- The Calgary Flames are facing a crisis of confidence after being hammered by their division rivals, writes Mark Spector. The organization is facing some big questions, notably surrounding their top players’ ability to lead a championship team. Are Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett, with 30 and 18 points respectively, a Stanley Cup-calibre one-two punch up the middle? Does Johnny Gaudreau have the speed and temperament to get past the tight coverage? Who is the starting goalie of the future? The Flames are a fragile team, with Edmonton speeding past them in the rebuilding process and tonight’s opponent, Toronto, looking like they’re on a much better path back to the playoffs.
- It’s not looking good for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After their 5-3 loss to the lowly Arizona Coyotes, the Lightning are currently last in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay Times writer Joe Smith tweeted a bleak stat for Lightning fans: since 1993-94, only two teams have made the playoffs after sitting last in their conference on January 22. The 1997 Ottawa Senators and 2009 St. Louis Blues are the only two teams to accomplish the feat.
Penguins, Capitals Combine For Nine Goals In A Period
Is there a better rivalry in the NHL right now than the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals? The teams opened their seasons against each other back in October with a wild game that needed a shootout to decide the winner. In November, the Caps shocked the world with a 7-1 win over the defending champs and then just last week put an end to the Penguins’ five-game winning streak with a 5-2 result. Tonight, it’s almost as if the two sides colluded to produce the best result for our entertainment in their final (regular season) match-up of the year. After going up 2-0 in the first period, Washington allowed six goals in the second while scoring three of their own for a total of nine goals in just twenty minutes. Then, two goals for the Capitals and another for the Penguins tied it up at 7-7 and took the game to overtime. A goal by Conor Sheary in overtime clinched it for Pittsburgh, as unfortunately one team had to come out on top and the game had to come to an end, but only after 15 goals.
The OT goal was Crosby’s third assist of the game, to go along with a goal, but he was just one of the game’s many amazing performances. Fellow Pittsburgh superstar Evgeni Malkin put together a hat trick, all in the second period to lead both teams in goals. Sheary had two goals and an assist for the Penguins, and defensemen Justin Schultz and Trevor Daley combined for seven assists. On the Washington side, T.J. Oshie had a goal and two assists, while Lars Eller added two goals, including the game-tying tally late in the third. On the other hand, it was clearly a night to forget for all of the goaltenders involved.
Unbelievably, the nine goals in a period were not the league record and neither was the Penguins’ six by themselves. However, the six goals scored in the second is the most scored by the Penguins in a game since 2000, when they scored that many in a match-up against the New York Islanders.
The season series between these two teams ends tied at two games apiece and also snaps the Capital’s nine-game winning streak. All hockey fans can hope for now is that these two teams meet up in the playoffs, which could end up being one of the most anticipated series of all time.
Devils Blue Liner John Moore Taken Off Ice On Stretcher
New Jersey Devils defenseman John Moore was taken off the ice on a stretcher in the first period of today’s game against Washington after a hit from behind by Capitals forward Tom Wilson. Devils head coach John Hynes later announced that Moore had been taken to the hospital and subsequently released, according to Andrew Gross via Twitter. Hynes provided no further update but indicated the fact he was released from the hospital was a good sign.
Wilson was not penalized on the play but it’s possible he will be hearing from the Department of Player Safety about the matter. In a statement released following the 6 – 2 Capitals win, Wilson stated he “tried to let up a bit,” and instead “kind of rubbed him out.” The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan posted the full statement on Twitter.
Moore has been a solid fit in New Jersey’s top-four since signing with the club as a free agent prior to the 2015-16 campaign. The 26-year-old has tallied five goals and 13 points in 36 games while averaging just less than 19 1/2 minutes per contest this season. He leads Devils defenders in goals and is second in scoring. It’s assumed at this time he will be out indefinitely.
Wilson is known throughout the league as a physical player who finishes his checks and is always willing to drop the gloves but has managed to avoid suspension to this point in his career. The league did, however, fine the forward last season for a knee-on-knee to hit to Pittsburgh’s Conor Sheary in the playoffs.
Devils tough guy forward Luke Gazdic took Wilson to task and challenged the Capitals winger to a scrap in the second period and again according to Gross, he would have this to say after the game about the altercation: “It’s not like I was waiting for the right moment. I was waiting for the first moment.”
For his part Hynes felt it should have been a penalty, saying:
“It’s good that he’s for sure getting released from the hospital,” Hynes said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a dirty play. It looked like a hit from behind. His back was turned on the glass and he was hit pretty hard into the glass. It looked like it was a penalty. The refs felt because he didn’t get launched into the glass it wasn’t a penalty. It’s not my decision to buy or not buy [that].”
To this point there has been no indication from the league in regards to whether the DoPS will have another look at the play.
Penguins Notes: Murray, Sheary, Hagelin
The Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the San Jose Sharks tonight in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final from last season, and there will be a familiar face in net. Matt Murray will make his second start of the season after allowing just a single goal in his debut against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Even though Marc-Andre Fleury has played exceptionally well to start the year, head coach Mike Sullivan says both netminders will continue to play, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
We’re fortunate. We have two really good goaltenders that we know are going to give us a chance to win. We’re going to do our best to keep them both in the mix. We’ll go from there. These situations always have a way to work themselves out. Inevitably performance is always the dictator.
Mackey expects that Murray’s play tonight will factor large in the decision of who to start on Tuesday at home, though it’s up in the air from that point. The team doesn’t have another back-to-back situation until November 18th and 19th.
- The Penguins will get some help up front to try and score some goals for Murray, as Conor Sheary will return from a seven game absence to play tonight. Sheary suffered an eye injury last month in Montreal and has been itching to get back into game action. According to Mackey, he’ll start on the fourth line with Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr, though he could quickly ascend back up the lineup. Sheary has one goal and two assists on the season in just four games.
- The ‘HBK’ line (Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel) is officially broken up, according to Adam Gretz of NBC. The trio that was so dominant in the playoffs is now spread out over the Penguins top three units, with Hagelin skating alongside Sidney Crosby and Patrick Hornqvist. As Gretz notes, Hagelin brings a lot of the same aspects that Pascal Dupuis added so effectively to Crosby’s wing over the years. Hopefully it will spark something in the speedy winger, as he only has two points on the season so far. Kessel on the other hand is off to a great start this season and now finds himself skating alongside Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz. #81’s ten points this year trails only Malkin on the Penguins, and he leads the team in assists.
Injury Updates: Penguins, Bruins, Stars, Blues, Kings
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby returned to practice for the first time on Monday since sustaining a concussion just prior to the start of the regular season, notes Sam Kasan of the team’s official website. He also wasn’t wearing a non-contact jersey which is a sign that he should be nearing a return to the lineup in the near future. Crosby skated on the top line in practice along with wingers Patric Hornqvist and Scott Wilson. There remains no firm timetable for his return, but head coach Mike Sullivan wouldn’t rule out a possible return this week.
Still with the Penguins, Kris Letang (upper body) and Conor Sheary (eye) did not practice today, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter). Both players are currently listed as day-to-day.
Other injury updates from around the league:
- With Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask still unavailable to practice, the team announced that they’ve recalled prospect Malcolm Subban on an emergency basis. On top of that, Anton Khudobin left practice early with an upper body injury, adds Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Rask remains day-to-day while there’s no word yet on the severity of Khudobin’s injury.
- After returning to the lineup on Saturday from a groin injury, Dallas right winger Ales Hemsky is once again on the shelf with a groin injury and won’t play tomorrow, notes Mike Heika of the Dallas News. Additionally, center Jason Spezza tweaked something and is listed as questionable. Jiri Hudler (flu) is skating and is nearing a return to the lineup but is not expected to play on Tuesday night. The team announced that Hemsky has been placed on IR while center Justin Dowling has been recalled from Texas of the AHL.
- St. Louis center Jori Lehtera skated on his own today as he continues to recover from an upper body injury, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). In a follow-up tweet, Timmermann adds that right winger Dmitrij Jaskin is day-to-day with a back issue.
- Kings goaltender Jeff Zatkoff is expected to miss around a week with his groin injury, head coach Darryl Sutter told reporters including Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Zatkoff was expected to be the backup to Jonathan Quick this season but was thrust into the starting role with Quick expected to miss the next three months. In the meantime, Los Angeles will continue to go with Peter Budaj as their starter while speculation continues that the team will eventually have to add some help via the trade route.