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Snapshots: Krejci, Stevens, Stastny

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Boston’s David Krejci suffered an injury after a knee-on-knee collision with Ottawa’s Chris Wideman. He will not return to the game. There was no call on the ice, although the play easily could have drawn an infraction. The play can be viewed here. Krejci could not put much weight on his leg and looked pained as he left the ice. The Bruin had just returned from a previous, unrelated injury, and was slotted in as the 2nd line center between wingers Drew Stafford and David Backes. Krejci had tallied 54 points in the full 82 games this past season. His team is fighting to stave off elimination at the hands of the Senators, trailing 3-1 in the series. Regardless of the result of the game, there is the possibility for review for Wideman by the Department of Player Safety, especially in light of an equally scary Kadri-on-Ovechkin hit just minutes earlier in the other contest.

  • The Los Angeles Kings are reportedly close to an agreement to hire John Stevens as their new head coach. As noted by colleague Gavin Lee earlier this month, his son, captain of Northwestern (also John Stevens), has drawn interest from management. Stevens (the senior) started out his head coaching career with 6 seasons for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, culminating in a Calder Cup win in 2004-05 – a season which drew lots of interest due to the NHL lockout of that year. Stevens was promoted to head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers after the following season, serving until he was fired midway through the 2009-10 campaign. Following his firing, that Flyers team then went on to make the Finals after just barely making the post-season under Peter Laviolette. Stevens earned two Stanley Cup rings as assistant coach to Darryl Sutter during the Kings’ championship runs of 2012 and 2014, after his brief (4-game) stint as interim coach for the franchise. Stevens is known for his endearing “players’ coach” personality and rapport with developing younger players. He has an all-time record of 122-111-34 as a head NHL bench boss.
  • Help is apparently on the way for the St. Louis Blues, who still hold a commanding 3-1 lead in their series with the Minnesota Wild. Both Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera look probable to return to competition in Game 5. Stastny has been out of action since he took a shot from a teammate off the foot a month ago. Lehtera has been out with an apparent illness since April 8th. Stastny potted 40 points in his limited 66 games this season, while Lehtera was less impressive with 22 in 64 games. Both centers will provide depth up the middle for St. Louis, and assistance on faceoffs. Considering how proficient Jake Allen has been so far these playoffs, their contributions on the defensive side of the puck will only make Minnesota’s offensive efforts even tougher. Both players posted average Corsi For just above the mid-line 50%, but each boasts a wealth of playoff experience that is difficult to replace this time of year. Stastny’s post-season consistency in particular should inspire confidence in his ability to contribute to his squad. Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford are expected to sit out.

*The original post had incorrectly cited Dennis Wideman as the offender*

Snapshots: Schmaltz, Gaunce, Emelin

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The St. Louis Blues have sent Jordan Schmaltz back to the AHL to join the Chicago Wolves for their playoff run. With Robert Bortuzzo firmly in the lineup, there was no room for Schmaltz as the Blues continue their series against the Minnesota Wild. Instead, he’ll return to the AHL where he has dominated this season, scoring 25 points in 42 games.

Drafted in the first round in 2012, Schmaltz played exceptionally well at the University of North Dakota before making an impact as an AHL rookie last year. With another solid season and his NHL debut under his belt, he’ll be a leading candidate for a full-time job with the Blues next season. He’ll be entering the final year of his entry-level deal, and could sign an extension as soon as July 1st.

  • The Vancouver Canucks’ Brendan Gaunce will have surgery to repair his shoulder and begin rehab to try and be ready for next season. Apparently he and the medical staff had been trying to avoid surgery, but have no other choice after his “response to treatment.” Gaunce played 57 games for the Canucks this season, recording just five points. He still hasn’t shown that high-end potential that was so apparent in junior, but is still just 23 years old and can still improve his game.
  • The Montreal Canadiens are expected to insert Alexei Emelin into their lineup for Game 5 against the New York Rangers, though he is technically a game-time decision. The injured defenseman has yet to play in the series, but will add another element of toughness to a group that has been pushed around physically by the normally smaller Rangers team. With 203 hits in the series, New York easily paces the entire NHL playoffs. Emelin, as Canadiens head coach Claude Julien told TSN’s John Lu, will make you keep your head up when he’s on the ice.

Roster Notes: Haula, Lazar, Oduya

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Lineup changes have arrived for the Flames according to Kristen Odland, as the team will attempt to ward off elimination. Matt Stajan and Lance Bouma have both been told to take the night off, as Curtis Lazar and Freddie Hamilton find their way back to the ice. Hamilton had 2 goals and 0 assists in his 26 regular season games, and Lazar had 1 goal and 3 assists in his 37 games played. Neither is obviously expected to provide stellar offense, but instead to spark energy and infuse youth into a lineup which looked gassed in their Game 3 three-goal lead implosion. Lazar had been held pointless in 6 games while dressed for the Senators in the playoffs two seasons ago, though he was fantastic for the Oil Kings in their Memorial Cup run the year prior. This will be Hamilton’s first playoff experience.

  • Blackhawks’ Johnny Oduya has been yanked from the lineup by coach Joel Quenneville for a potentially deciding Game 4. Michal Kempny is expected to take his place. The 26 year-old Czech defenseman had a phenomenally underappreciated season, posting an absurd 56.1% Corsi For. The left-handed shooting defenseman has never played in a playoff game. He had gone unsigned until May of last year, when he was acquired by the organization for depth. He ended up playing 50 games for the Hawks, despite marginal offensive totals. Oduya’s veteran status makes this a surprising move, although his lack of speed and age were starting to show in a series where the Predators’ forecheck was relentless.
  • Erik Haula will not play for the Minnesota Wild tonight in their game against the Blues. Haula was held pointless and registered a -2 through 3 games. Coach Bruce Boudreau did not confirm who would take his spot, as he had been playing on the top unit with Mikko Koivu. This is a surprising move despite his struggles in the series, as the forward had been producing at a decent clip before running into the red-hot Jake Allen. There has been no word as to who will replace his position on the left wing.

Injury Notes: Miller, Polak, Alzner

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The Boston Bruins will welcome back Colin Miller to their lineup against the Ottawa Senators tonight, taking the place of Tommy Cross on the blueline. The Bruins are down 2-1, and have had a myriad of injuries on their back end with Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Adam McQuaid all missing time. They’ll hope Miller can help them out, as he’ll skate beside John-Michael Liles tonight.

Here are some more updates from around the league…

  • Roman Polak underwent successful surgery yesterday to fix his broken leg, and will now be on a long road to recovery. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com relays that he’ll stay in the hospital for a few days before starting down that road, which will have to include finding a job this summer. Polak will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1st, and with the Maple Leafs likely looking to make improvements on the blue line from this season there may be no room for him. After a brutal start, Polak somewhat turned his game around and should find a role somewhere in the league should he fully recover in time for the start of the season.
  • The Washington Capitals have their own injury on the back end, as Karl Alzner will indeed be out for their game tonight. The defenseman skated on his own after practice according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, which is the first time he’s been on the ice in several days. Alzner will also be a UFA this summer, but unlike Polak will be sure to get several multi-year offers. Though his overall games-played streak was broken when he missed game 3, he has still played in every single Capitals’ regular season game for the past seven seasons. His durability and consistency will be much sought-after around the league.
  • The Caps had a scare when Marcus Johansson crashed into Braden Holtby at practice, but all involved said he’s okay and won’t miss any time. After another elite regular season, Holtby hasn’t played up to his lofty playoff past yet, holding just a .914 save percentage through three games. Prior to this year, he had put up a .937 mark in the postseason.
  • Paul Stastny was on the ice at Blues’ practice, but he will not play tonight. Stastny hasn’t played yet in the first round series, but is one of the Blues’ most important forwards when healthy. With the Blues up 3-0, they’ll take their time with the centerman.

Morning Notes: Sobotka, Domi, Draisaitl

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The St. Louis Blues are enjoying a swift thumping of the Minnesota Wild in their first round series, and while much of that has to do with the outstanding play of Jake Allen (the thumping could easily be a whimper, should he have not saved 114 of 117 shots so far) the team has been lifted up by a late season acquisition. When Vladimir Sobotka terminated his KHL contract early and re-joined his NHL squad it was like a big trade deadline acquisition, Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo tells Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

Sobotka indeed represents a big addition for the Blues, and will for the next three years. The team has collected an impressive group of forwards and have spread the money around pretty nicely. Only Vladimir Tarasenko and Paul Stastny make more than $6MM per season up front, and with Robby Fabbri, Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford all giving them quality play on their entry-level deals, the team can afford to keep them all. Re-signing Stastny after next season will be tough, which may make him a trade deadline candidate similar to Kevin Shattenkirk this year.

  • Max Domi wants to “pick his battles” a little better, after spending eight weeks on the shelf with a broken hand after a fight this season. Dave Vest of NHL.com details his season and how he is looking to improve on his consistency next year. The 22-year old center will be eligible for an extension on July 1st, and will be one of the key players the new management staff will need to lock up long-term. The Coyotes currently have no forwards signed past the 2018-19 season, but that could change this summer with a new deal for Alexander Burmistrov or extensions for Domi or Tobias Rieder. Still building for the future, they could also jump into the free agent waters if they feel like they’re close enough to contend for the playoffs next season.
  • Leon Draisaitl was the latest to spear a player in the groin, getting frustrated with the 7-0 pounding his team took at the hands of the San Joe Sharks. Sportsnet asks if he should be suspended, and the league will decide at some point today. Draisaitl has no history of supplementary discipline, and Chris Tierney—the unfortunate target of the spear—returned to the game with no apparent injury. If he did get a game, it would be a big blow to an Oilers team that is trying to get back on track after being pummeled by the more experienced Sharks in game 4.

Minnesota And The Wild Art Of The 0-2 Comeback

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The Minnesota Wild are in a predicament. They have out-shot their opponent 76-53 through 137 minutes of hockey, created the majority of the scoring chances, and dominated advanced stats. But they are down 0-2 in their series, largely due to the heroics of St. Louis net-minder Jake Allen. Per Elias Sports, teams that go down in a series 2-0 only have a 14.1% chance of winning the series. After all, winning 4 of 5 after is no simple task. This is only made more difficult by the fact that Minnesota lost its home ice advantage and has to split in St. Louis to avoid a sweep.

In Minnesota’s current situation, the main contributing factor to the struggles is a snakebitten offensive core. A few players have been on cold streaks, including captain Mikko Koivu who hasn’t scored in his last 16. Perhaps more important is the strength of St. Louis defense over the last 10 games, only surrendering 21 goals. In order for Minnesota to regain a foothold, one of these trends will need to reverse. A goal per game, even against a prime Patrick Roy, simply isn’t good enough.

All over but the crying, right? Well, not quite. Although a 14.1% chance sounds like a longshot, there are more factors to success than one might consider. PDO can really only trend upwards from here, and the bounces are far more likely to turn than not. There is due reason to suspect the unlikely. Minnesota is intimately familiar with the back of the twine – they finished only 2 behind Pittsburgh at 183 Goals For on the season, despite a roster with far fewer superstar names. Devan Dubnyk actually had a better season than Jake Allen 5v5, and is certainly capable of stealing a game of his own. And St. Louis has had wild swings of fortune just as often as Minnesota has. Minnesota, evidenced by a wonderful Wilderness writeup, was indeed beginning to trend back upward. The team stumbled mightily through early March, but recovered quite nicely in the home stretch – winning their last 4 games in convincing fashion.  By their relatively dominant, but ultimately fruitless, on-ice performances in the first 2 games, one might believe these successes were not aberrations.

If we discount the overblown importance of home ice advantage in modern hockey, the situation seems far more salvageable than many observers might believe. As Bruce Boudreau said, “it’s not as dire as they think.” They just should be sure to win the next one.

Snapshots: Reinhart, Emelin, Blues, Johnson

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With Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom getting injured while blocking a shot midway through the third period last night against the Sharks, the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled blueliner Griffin Reinhart from AHL Bakersfield.

Reinhart has spent the full season at the minor league level with the Condors, recording seven goals and 14 assists in 54 games.  The former fourth overall pick back in 2012 has a total of 37 NHL games under his belt, 29 of which came with Edmonton last season.

Even if Klefbom isn’t available for Game Three of the series on Sunday, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Reinhart will make his season debut.  Eric Gryba was scratched on Friday after playing in the series opener and likely would be the first choice to draw back in.  However, the team is hopeful that Klefbom will be able to suit up tomorrow night, making this recall more of an insurance policy than anything else.

Other notes from around the postseason:

  • Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin (lower body) did not make the trip to New York and has been ruled out of Game Three tomorrow night against the Rangers, reports TSN’s John Lu via Twitter. Lu noted that Emelin has started to skate again which would suggest that he may be able to return to the lineup at some point in the series.
  • The Blues aren’t likely to make any lineup changes up front in advance of Game Three against the Wild, notes Tom Timmermann and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Accordingly, it’s likely that center Jori Lehtera will sit for the second straight game despite the fact they’re already lacking in depth down the middle with Paul Stastny still on the shelf.
  • Flames goalie Chad Johnson (lower body) has returned to practice but is still not ready to return to the lineup or dress as the backup for a game, reports Wes Gilbertson of the Toronto Sun. As a result, rookie Jon Gillies will continue to remain with the team for the time being.  Johnson was injured against the Ducks back on April 4th, playing less than six minutes in the game before going down.

West Notes: Reddekopp, Keller, Agostino

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed officially signed Chaz Reddekopp to a three-year entry-level deal. The 20-year old seventh-round pick of the Kings in 2015 was set to become a free agent should the team not have gotten him under contract by June 1st. A big defender, Reddekopp had 43 points in a breakout campaign with the Victoria Royals, but still wasn’t shy about dropping the gloves to defend a teammate.

With Reddekopp now signed the Kings have just one player, Matt Schmalz, whose exclusive rights would expire this June should they not get him under contract. After two disappointing years since being drafted, Schmalz may be left to fend for himself this summer.

  • Clayton Keller and Noah Hanifin have been added to the Team USA squad for the upcoming World Championships in Germany. That will make four teams for Keller this year, as he’s suited up for Team USA at the World Juniors, finished his first year at Boston University, signed and played three games with the Arizona Coyotes and will now represent his country once again alongside other NHL stars. The young forward helped lead the Junior squad to gold in January, and will try to take this team to the podium as well.
  • Kenny Agostino has been named the AHL’s Most Valuable Player after an 83 point season. The 24-year old played seven games with the St. Louis Blues, but spent most of his season dominating the lower level with 59 assists in 65 games. Picked by the Penguins in the fifth-round in 2010, Agostino hasn’t made an impact at the NHL level yet and wasn’t even tendered a contract by the Flames last summer—they acquired him in the Jarome Iginla deal of 2013. The Blues signed him to a one-year deal, making him an unrestricted free agent again at season’s end.

Playoff Notes: Zaitsev, Benning, Sanford

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Nikita Zaitsev again on Saturday night when they try to even up their series against the Washington Capitals. As Kristen Shilton of TSN reports, Zaitsev missed practice again despite Babcock lobbying for his return. All season the Maple Leafs have kept clear boundaries between the coaching staff and the medical staff, taking any decision out of the player or coach’s hands.

Zaitsev’s absence was noticeable for the Leafs, who were forced to use Matt Hunwick for over 26 minutes, often on his wrong side. As we wrote yesterday, an impressive performance from Hunwick in the first round could be very impactful for his career in the NHL, and he actually showed fairly well. While he’ll never be an elite defender, the Leafs held their own against the powerful Capitals, even holding a 2-0 lead at one point in the first period.

  • Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports that Matt Benning will likely make his playoff debut tonight, inserted into the lineup for the struggling Eric Gryba. Gryba played a key role in two of the San Jose Sharks goals, and the young Benning will try to fix those weaknesses as the Oilers try to get back even in the series. The 22-year old was quite a find for Edmonton this year, coming straight out of Northeastern and at times looking like a solid NHL piece. Gryba had 16 minutes of ice time in game 1; expect a similar amount for Benning tonight.
  • Robert Bortuzzo and Zach Sanford will both be in the St. Louis Blues lineup tonight according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, with Jordan Schmaltz and Jori Lehtera coming out. Sanford will likely skate alongside Alex Steen and Vladimir Sobotka, though Steen did miss practice today. Bortuzzo fits in beside Carl Gunnarsson on the third pairing. The Blues will have to try and reduce the number of chances they allow to the Wild, as it took an outstanding game from Jake Allen to give them the victory. Sanford was a big part of the Kevin Shattenkirk deal, and could make fans forget all about their traded all-star if he plays a big role tonight.

Minor Transactions: Last Day Of The Regular Season

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The Washington Capitals, who have long since clinched the President’s Trophy for the best record in the NHL this season, have next to nothing to play for in their 2016-17 regular season finale. What better use for such a game than to reward a time-tested contributor to the organization. The Capitals announced today that they have recalled Garrett Mitchell, as well as Chandler Stephenson, from the AHL’s Hershey Bears for the last game of the season. Mitchell, the Hersey captain, will make his NHL debut at 25 after being a sixth-round selection of the Capitals back in 2009. Far from an offensive juggernaut, Mitchell is instead a physical two-way forward who makes up for his lack of points by sticking up for the Bears’ younger players and leading by example in his own end. It is a classy move by Washington to give a player who has worked hard for the organization a brief glimpse at NHL life, even though his ceiling appears to be a nothing more than a fourth-line player at this time.

Around the league, the transactions are coming in fast:

  • Washington’s opponent tonight is the Florida Panthers and newly-recalled young goalie Sam Brittain. It remains to be seen if Brittain will make his NHL debut tonight, but he’ll at least be on the bench as Florida announced that the 24-year-old had been promoted from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the game. Brittain has played mostly in the ECHL this season and is far from being a regular NHLer any time soon, but will at least get a look at big league action in the season finale.
  • Another goalie getting a rare look at the highest level is the New York Rangers’ Magnus Hellberg. Buried behind all-world keeper Henrik Lundqvist and one of the more reliable backups in the league, Antti Raanta, Hellberg was surely excited to hear that he had been called up from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Hellberg, 26, has never started an NHL game and that won’t change tonight as Raanta gets the call for the Rangers. However, Hellberg has seen the ice three times in his career and has strung together several strong AHL seasons in a row, so gaining some more experience tonight, even from the bench, brings him closer to an NHL future.
  • A goalie headed the other way today is the Montreal Canadiens’ Charlie Lindgren. Despite nothing but success in his few NHL appearances early in his young career, the Habs are set in net with Carey Price and Al Montoya. Lindgren will have to wait for opportunity to strike for a longer stint with the Canadiens, as he’ll head back down to the AHL and the St. John’s Ice Caps alongside defenseman Brett Lernout, the team announced.
  • Another pair headed back to the minors are Winnipeg Jets’ prospects Kyle Connor and Nelson Nogier. Following their season finale yesterday, the Jets decided today to return the duo to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to get some final play time in this season. While the Jets expected more than five points in 20 games from Connor in his rookie season, after being a Hobey Baker finalist for the University of Michigan last year, expect him to play a major role for Winnipeg in 2017-18.
  • Another player set to take on a major role next year is Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg. Fans can get a preview of the prospect-studded blue line that Philly is likely to roll out in 2017-18 when Hagg makes his NHL debut today. The team announced his recall this morning from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and he will skate alongside the likes of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov tonight and Travis Sanheim and Samuel Morin as well next year in a truly impressive collection of young talent.
  • Across the state, the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning on resting some of their players today – those that aren’t already injured anyway – and have called up a trio of players from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to help fill the voids. Oskar Sundqvist and Derrick Pouliot, two names familiar to Penguins fans, will return to the lineup, while Jean-Sebastien Dea will make his NHL debut. A longtime WBS contributor, Dea’s work ethic and consistency has finally earned him his first shot at the pros for a team that is in desperate need of depth that can step up their play.
  • Pittsburgh’s Round One opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, are adding some promising young talent of their own in forward Sonny Milano. The team announced that they had promoted the 2014 first-rounder from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and that he will get the call today against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Jackets look to reverse their recent luck before the postseason gets underway. Milano has only skated in three games with Columbus this season, but leads the Monsters in scoring with 46 points in 61 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced that they have recalled defenseman Chris Butler from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. However, Butler’s return to the NHL lineup may be overshadowed by the possibility that Vladimir Sobotka could also make his season debut after a long hiatus from the team while playing in the KHL.
  • With an extremely disappointing season finally over in Dallas, the Stars have moved a slew of players back down to the AHL’s Texas Stars to give them some play time before the end of the season. Forwards Jason Dickinson, Mark McNeill, Gemel Smith, Denis Gurianov, and Remi Elie and defenseman Julius Honka will all head back to Texas, a team that, like its affiliate, has no chance at the playoffs either.

More to come throughout the final day of the 2016-17 season

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