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Ovechkin Takes Hard Hit But Returns In Game 5

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Washington Capitals’ star winger Alex Ovechkin was upended in Game 5 of their series against Toronto by a Nazem Kadri hip check, who was called for tripping on the play. Ovechkin was escorted off the ice and could not put weight on his left leg. The hit can be viewed here, courtesy of NBC. He returned to the game for the second period.

Kadri attempted to lay a hip into Ovechkin as he carried the puck out of his defensive zone along the left board. Kadri succeeding in making contact with Ovechkin, but not before Ovechkin attempted to avoid the brunt of the impact by veering slightly right. The result was Ovechkin being twisted and flipped, in what looked to the officials in real time to be a knee-based trip. On the ensuing powerplay resulting from that penalty, the Capitals scored the opening goal. If the series hinges on such a call, the criticism from Toronto and Canada in general could be deafening. Notably, both Mike Milbury and Keith Jones called the hit legal during the intermission break for NBC.

Ovechkin, who is a notoriously tough, hard-nosed player, is no stranger to physicality. The winger has missed remarkably few  games over the course of his career – he only missed 4 contests in the last 3 seasons. His 33 goals in 2016-17 were his lowest total since 2013 – he had hit the 50-goal mark the previous three. However, coach Barry Trotz has consistently praised Ovechkin’s focus on defensive, all-around play this year, in hopes his change in style would lead to a championship run. Ovechkin has been one of the greatest playoff performers for a Washington team that has consistently struggled to find success in the post-season. His 44 goals in 88 games places him 16th all time in playoff goals per game, with the closest contemporary player on the list being Phil Kessel (at 20th). Considering his Capitals have never made it past the second-round during his career, this statistic is made even more impressive.

Ovechkin surprisingly returned to the game for the second period, in apparent game shape. His return was not anticipated by most analysts, and hockey fans everywhere exhaled a sigh of relief for the health of one of the game’s greatest players. His availability beyond this contest is unknown, but this is the time of year players will play through injuries.

Toby Enstrom And The Expansion Draft

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After the Winnipeg Jets announced yesterday that Toby Enstrom underwent knee surgery and would be out for the rest of the year, it ended what has been a very disappointing season. The former 50-point defenseman had just 14 this year, easily the lowest number of his career. Broken up by a concussion and personal issues, 2016-17 has been one to forget for the 32-year old.

Next season, he’ll head into the last year of his current five-year contract likely passed by Josh Morrissey among Jets’ defenders and perhaps even the newly signed Tucker Poolman as well. His $5.75MM cap hit is hard for the Jets to swallow if he can’t get back to his previous performance, but it’s something else that may cost Winnipeg even more.

Enstrom’s contract includes a no-movement clause, meaning he’ll require automatic protection in the upcoming expansion draft should he not agree to waive it. Dustin Byfuglien also has an NMC, and Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers clearly need protection. That would force the Jets into the eight skater option, leaving several good players available for Vegas to choose.

Even if they decided to leave the rest of the defenders—losing one of Ben Chiarot, Julian Melchiori or Brenden Kichton wouldn’t cripple the team—that means they only have four slots for forwards. When you check off Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little as obvious choices, you then are left with the group of Mathieu Perreault, Adam Lowry, Marko Dano, Joel Armia and Andrew Copp available with the power to protect just one. Losing any of them without a fight would be painful, given the potential or performance they’ve shown so far.

Getting Enstrom to waive that NMC is crucial, as it would give three more spots to the Jets to keep their young forward group in tact. If he isn’t willing, it won’t be just his declining play that will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the Winnipeg faithful. For a player who has spent his whole career with a single franchise after they took a chance on him in the eighth round, he needs to do just one more thing for them—even if it does put him at risk of having to play in Vegas for a year.

Gary Doak Passes Away At 71

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Former NHL defenseman Gary Doak died today at 71 years old. Doak was a veteran of over 750 NHL games in a 15-year NHL career. While Doak was known for his tough, fearless, physical style, his teammates and peers described him as a gentleman off the ice who was quiet, humble, and the ultimate team player.

Doak broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings at the age of 19 in 1965, but was traded to the Boston Bruins midway through his rookie season. It was with the Bruins that Doak made a name for himself as one of the fiercest defenseman in the league and called Boston his home long after his playing days were over. After being moved to the Bruins, Doak enjoyed four more seasons with the team, including helping them win the 1970 Stanley Cup championship while skating alongside the likes of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, John Bucyk, Derek Sanderson and more. However, he was claimed that off-season by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft and became one of the inaugural members of the league’s newest team. After one very successful season in Vancouver, Doak was first traded to the New York Rangers in 1971, then returned to the team that drafted him, the Red Wings, in 1972, before the Bruins were able to re-acquire the fan favorite in 1973. Doak played out the rest of his career in Boston, playing until 1981. Over 15 seasons in the NHL, Doak scored 23 goals and added 103 assists, but impressed more in his own zone with a career +140 rating, nearly 1,000 penalty minutes, and was widely known as a skilled shot-blocker and checker. Doak was perhaps one of the best stay-at-home defenders of the 1970’s.

After hanging up his skates, Doak stayed with the Bruins as an assistant coach under former teammate Gerry Cheevers for five seasons. Doak then stayed in the city, taking over as the head coach at the nearby University of Massachusetts – Boston for many years. A well-regarded and well-liked player and coach, Doak became a true Bostonian and will be missed by teammates and fans of the Bruins, as well as by his peers and supporters across the NHL.

Milt Schmidt Passes Away At 98

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Boston Bruins legend Milt Schmidt has passed away today at the age of 98. He was the oldest surviving NHL veteran. A true icon of the game, his memory will live on in the hearts and minds of hockey fans, especially those fortunate enough to know him and see him play, coach, and manage the Bruins for many years.

Milton Conrad Schmidt was born on March 5th, 1918 in Kitchener, Ontario. After playing junior hockey in his hometown alongside good friends and fellow Hall of Famers Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer, an 18-year-old Schmidt joined the Original Six Boston Bruins for the 1936-37 season and brought his friends along with him. As they say, the rest is history. Schmidt played in Boston for 18 seasons, calling it a career during the 1954-55 season. During that time, the trio formed the famous “Kraut Line”, considered by many to be one of the best lines in NHL history. They played a key role in Stanley Cup championships in 1938-39 and 1940-41. Dumart was a three-time All-Star, and played with Schmidt right up until the very end of their careers. Bauer was four-time All-Star and two-time recipient of the Lady Byng Award; the sleak scorer of the group. But it was Schmidt who was the leader and play-maker down the middle. A four-time All-Star and the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP in 1950-51, Schmidt established himself as one of the best players in the NHL during the 40’s and 50’s. His breakout year came in 1939-4o, when he led the league with 30 assists and 52 points. He set a career high four years later, with 62 points in 1646-47 and nearly matched it again in 1950-51 with 61 points. Schmidt also wasn’t afraid to play physical and never backed away from conflict. Hard-working and consistent throughout his lengthy career, Schmidt ended his career with 575 points in 776 games.

However, Schmidt’s hockey career was far from over when he finally left the ice. 16 years of NHL experience and four years of military service during World War II were the perfect formula for a great coach. This realization came during the 1954-55, when mid-season Schmidt retired as a player and took over as the bench boss. Schmidt remained the head coach of the Bruins for 11 years, during which he also served as the team’s assistant general manager. Schmidt took the team to two Stanley Cups during this stretch, back-to-back heartbreaking losses to the rival Montreal Canadiens in 1956-57 and 1957-58. During his time as coach, Schmidt was also inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1961, cementing his legacy.

Even when Schmidt was done coaching in 1965-66, he wasn’t done. Instead, he was promoted to the team’s general manager in 1967. Despite his accolades as a player for 16 years and his ability to jump right into coaching for more than a decade after, Schmidt’s managerial prowess may have really been his greatest achievement. Just two years after taking the job, he had put together one of the best teams in NHL history, which won the 1969-70 Stanley Cup and then won it again in 1971-72. He hired Harry Sinden, developed Bobby Orr (who scored 120 points that year), Derek Sanderson, Wayne Cashman, and Gerry Cheevers and traded for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield. Schmidt served as the GM until only 1975, but in that time transcended his hero player turned head coach role and became a true Boston legend.

Just how Schmidt’s career seemingly never ended, his connection with the Bruins lived on as well. Even after retirement, Schmidt remained close with the team, serving in various positions and continuing to mentor some of Boston’s finest players. The Bruins retired Schmidt’s #15 in 1980 and have honored his life-long commitment to the team on nearly an annual basis. Bruins team president Cam Neely said today that “(Milt Schmidt) epitomized what it meant to be a Bruin” and was an “outstanding ambassador for the game of hockey” and “a true gentleman”. Jeremy Jacobs added that “Milt’s impact in Boston… will forever be felt amongst hockey fans”. Finally, captain Zdeno Chara summed it up by saying that Schmidt will be “greatly missed, but never forgotten”. Though Schmidt has passed away, his legacy in Boston and around the NHL will live on. A player, a coach, a GM, a four-time Stanley Cup champ, an All-Star, an MVP, a legend, a great man.

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