Canucks And Leafs Combine For 130 PIM And Six Game Misconducts
Last night’s game between the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs quickly descended into madness. After nearly two and a half periods with only 14 penalty minutes, everything fell apart six minutes into the third period. The Canucks were moving the puck up the ice when the Leafs’ Morgan Rielly laid a huge, late hit on the Canucks’ Jannik Hansen. However, Vancouver was able to keep the play going forward, and Daniel Sedin held the puck on a 2-on-1 with brother Henrik Sedin. Just as Daniel shot – and scored – Leafs center Nazem Kadri flew towards Sedin with a crushing, high hit. While Sedin was down, an enraged Hansen jumped Kadri and began a full-on line brawl. Kadri was given two five-minute majors, for charging Sedin and fighting Hansen, and a game misconduct, while Hansen was awarded a major for fighting as well as a two-minute minor for instigating and a game misconduct of his own. Reilly was not penalized for his initial hit on Hansen. Kadri will not be suspended for his hit on Sedin.
It did not stop there. Less than five minutes later, Vancouver enforcer Derek Dorsett started a fight with Toronto’s Leo Komarov, for which both got major penalties. Right afterwards, Reilly and Alexandre Burrows dropped the gloves and took their five minutes, but Burrows was also given an instigator and a 10-minute misconduct.
That still wasn’t even the real climax of the violent action. Again, just minutes later, all hell broke loose. The Leafs’ highly-paid enforcer, Matt Martin, unsurprisingly entered the fray by jumping Canucks rookie defenseman Troy Stecher. Who was there to protect the young blue liner? None other than goalie Ryan Miller, who sprung out of net to attack Martin. In response, Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen skated all the way down the ice to break up Miller and Martin. Martin proceeded to drop the gloves with Vancouver’s Brendan Gaunce, while Toronto’s Connor Carrick left the bench to support his teammates in the brawl. When the dust settled, Martin was (predictably) given a game misconduct as well as a fighting major and roughing minor; Gaunce was given a game misconduct while Stecher was surprisingly given the fighting major; Miller and Anderson were each given two minutes for leaving the crease and a game misconduct; Carrick earned himself a game misconduct for leaving the bench.
Games like the one last night between the Canucks and Maple Leafs are rare in today’s hockey climate. However, there is no doubt that there is some definite entertainment value to such an intense, high-tempered showdown. The two teams meet again on December 3rd, with some scores surely left to be settled. If you enjoy an old-school brawler game, that rematch will be one to watch.
What’s Next For The Vancouver Canucks?
Last season the Vancouver Canucks reached their lowest point in more than fifteen years. They finished with 75 points, better than only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, and missed the playoffs by a mile. As many believed that Daniel and Henrik Sedin were slowing down (as people do when they turn 35), the team looked like they should start a rebuild around some young forwards, and sell off assets for this season. After all, they were likely to get a top-three draft pick and already had Bo Horvat as a potential superstar.
Instead, they dropped to fifth in the draft and missed out on the big forwards, and then had an extremely confusing offseason period. First they traded one of their young prospects, Jared McCann for Erik Gudbranson, a still-young but much more expensive player who many in the analytics community believed was steady but mostly ineffective. McCann is off to a slow start in Florida (no points in eleven games), but still looks like he’ll eventually be a solid NHL centerman.
Next they signed Loui Eriksson, one of the summer’s biggest free agents to a huge six year, $36MM deal that will pay him through his age-36 season. Eriksson is a solid player, but hasn’t found any amount of success in Vancouver; he hasn’t scored a goal in 11 games after notching 30 last year.
Making a financial commitment of that level is usually reserved for teams looking to compete for a Stanley Cup in the near future, but Vancouver doesn’t seem like they’re poised to do that. They’re 4-6-1 this season, and are currently down 2-1 and being out-shot by those same Maple Leafs who finished lower than them last year. While Ryan Miller is having a solid year splitting time with the younger Jacob Markstrom, he’s a free agent next year (and 37 years old).
So what do the Canucks do now? Tearing down a team a few months after committing tens of millions in free agency isn’t a strong plan, but it may be what they have to do. Unfortunately for him, we’ll probably see the ousting of head coach Willie Desjardins, as is usually the case when things go downhill.
Rookie Notes: Laine, Werenski, Marner
After writing yesterday about the incredible group of teenagers that inhabit the NHL right now, they continued to show why they deserve to have ink spilled every night about them. Patrik Laine, playing in his 12th NHL game scored his seventh goal (while seemingly practicing his golf game) which is the fastest since it took Evgeni Malkin just six games in 2006. The Finnish sniper now has 9 points in those 12 games, and is showing why he was drafted so high.
The Jets are obviously pretty high on Laine, as he’s averaging over 19 minutes a night which leads all rookie forwards this season. As fans watch him play, they must be reminded of another Finnish scoring winger that made an impact as a rookie once upon a time – Teemu Selanne‘s amazing rookie season started with 11 goals in his first 12 games, and ended with 76.
- The idea that defensemen take longer to develop than forwards is being thrown out the window in Columbus, as Zach Werenski continues to dominate in his rookie season. The Blue Jackets are currently tearing the Montreal Canadiens apart (8-0 as this article is written), and Werenski is a big part of it. Though he has just one assist tonight, he’s also the quarterback of an effective powerplay that has gone 4/5 in the game. This 19-year old blueliner was drafted eighth overall in 2015 and is providing huge dividends already for the Blue Jackets; they’ll be 5-3-1 after tonight, with Werenski scoring (at least) nine points.
- Though Mitch Marner wasn’t included in the original post, he probably should have been. His start with the Maple Leafs has been overshadowed slightly by Auston Matthews, but the former fourth-overall pick has played extremely well in his own right. Two goals last night led the Maple Leafs to victory in Buffalo, a place they’ve had trouble winning in for years. Though Marner now has eight points in eleven contests, it’s his defensive play that is repeatedly mentioned by head coach Mike Babcock. The diminutive winger has nine blocked shots on the season, which leads all Toronto forwards.
Canada: The New Championship Drought To Watch For
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series on Wednesday night, their first since 1908, snapping a 108-year championship drought, the longest by any team in North American professional sports history. Back in June, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, snapping a 52-year drought for a city with three major pro sports teams. So what’s next on the drought-busting checklist?
Sure, there are a few teams and few cities still struggling. The NBA’s Sacramento Kings organization has not won a title in 65 years and never since their move to California. Wednesday night’s losers, the Cleveland Indians, haven’t taken home the hardware in 68 years. Ten NFL teams still have yet to win it all in the Super Bowl era. Yet, with the Cubs and Cleveland off the books, it seems like there’s a void in the championship drought department right now.
It’s time that attention turns not to any one team or city, but to the country of Canada. Canadian teams have combined to go 199 straight seasons without winning a major North American title. In 1993, the country was championship central, with both the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Blue Jays winning their respective leagues. Since? Nothing.
It’s been 23 years now for the Blue Jays since they were MLB champs. They have come close over the years, but have failed to even take home an American League pennant. Playing in a division that has been one of the strongest in baseball over the past decade plus, which has housed four New York Yankees championship teams and three Boston Red Sox championship teams since 1993, it’s been an uphill battle for the Blue Jays. Meanwhile, the Montreal Expos, title-less since their inception in 1969, were forced to relocate to Washington, D.C. in 2004 (where the drought continues to this day).
The Toronto Raptors are still seeking that elusive NBA championship. It’s been 21 years since the Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies brought pro basketball to Canada in 1995, and neither team has been able to get it done. The Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2000, where they too have yet to find glory. In a league that is unquestionably the most competitively unbalanced, a Raptors team with a lot of talent are still annual underdogs against the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and other Western Conference powerhouses.
Of course, the biggest drought-magnifier is the NHL. With seven teams competing in a 30-team league, Canada should have close to a 25% chance to win the Stanley Cup every season. Alas, no such feat has been accomplished in 23 seasons. The odds of that happening: less than 1%. The Toronto Maple Leafs are tied with the St. Louis Blues for the longest championship drought in the league at 48 years. The Vancouver Canucks, established in 1970, have never won the Cup. After Alberta went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers have not won since. The Ottawa Senators, the 1992 NHL expansion team, has also never gotten it done, and their first season, 1992-93, was the first and last time that they even saw a Canadian champ, with Montreal taking the crown. Both iterations of the Winnipeg Jets are also without a Stanley Cup and Quebec Nordiques fans sat and watched their team move to Denver and establish the Colorado Avalanche dynasty at the turn of the century.
To make matters worse, no Canadian team even qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and the Oilers have a league-high ten-year drought of even making the postseason. Canada’s NHL teams are in need of some puck luck, and the Blue Jays and Raptors will take some as well. With the two biggest drought story lines in sports now over, it’s time that North American sports fans turn to the northernmost of the two participating countries. Canada needs a championship, and they need one soon.
If there’s any consolation, the only more tortured fan base than the country of Canada is their closest neighbor to the south, Buffalo, New York. Misery loves company.
Karri Ramo Practicing With Maple Leafs
According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, injured free agent netminder Karri Ramo was the third goaltender at Maple Leafs practice today, and may eventually sign with the team. Johnston reports that there is a strong relationship between Ramo’s agent and Leafs’ general manager Lou Lamoriello, and though this is just a courtesy to allow Ramo to rehab at a professional facility, no one is ruling out the possibility of a contract down the line.
Ramo injured his left knee in February and needed surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus, giving him an 8-10 month rehab at initial estimates. He’s now just working to get clearance to get into game action, and Toronto eagerly gave him that opportunity. While Johnston says his clearance should come soon, many teams will end up calling in on the goaltender.
For teams like Los Angeles, adding Ramo would at least give them a serviceable, experienced NHL netminder. Through 159 NHL contests, the Finnish goaltender has posted a .906 save percentage, though that’s brought down considerably by his first few seasons in the NHL. For Calgary, his last team, he posted a .911 and a 2.63 goals against average. While not a top-tier starter by any means, he’ll surely find work somewhere around the league.
Ducks Notes: Raymond, Larsson, Fowler
The Ducks made official what has been rumored for the last couple of days, that Mason Raymond has been released from his contract and is now a free agent. After Raymond cleared waivers, he didn’t report to the AHL San Diego Gulls citing personal reasons, and has now worked out a mutual termination with the Ducks.
Raymond signed a two-way deal in the summer, meaning at one point he had thought a move to the AHL was possible, though obviously something must have happened in the interim. A one time 20-goal man with the Vancouver Canucks, Raymond has never been able to make it back to that mark, coming closest in 2013-14 with the Maple Leafs. We wish him all the best with whatever is affecting his personal life, and will watch for where he signs on next.
- The Ducks have also returned Jacob Larsson to Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League, an expected move. Larsson was one of the players we wrote about when discussing the NHL’s slide-rule regarding young professionals. Playing in four games for each the Ducks and Gulls, Larsson recorded two points but was a dreadful -7. The first-round pick will go back to compete in the highest league in Sweden and develop his all around game.
- Despite a lot of chatter over the past few months on Cam Fowler and his status as trade bait by the Anaheim Ducks, perhaps fans should think again about him moving. After another excellent start to the season, the former 12th overall pick has eight points in eleven games, including four goals already. His career high of ten, coming back in his rookie season, seems easily obtainable for the 24-year old. His stellar start will only elevate his trade value, making it even tougher for teams to provide a reasonable offer. With Simon Despres out indefinitely (and with his career seemingly at risk), perhaps the Ducks will hold onto their young defenseman a bit longer.
- One last note from Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, is that Shea Theodore has been sent back down to the AHL. This isn’t the first, and it won’t be the last time Theodore gets on a bus to San Diego this season, as he’s already been ping-ponged back and forth between the two levels.
Zach Bogosian Out “Weeks” With Sprained Knee
The Buffalo Sabres will be without one of their top defencemen for almost a month, as it was announced today that Zach Bogosian will be out for a few weeks with a sprained knee. The injury was first sustained on Tuesday night against Minnesota, when Bogosian needed to leave the game in the first period.
After an injury plagued 2015-16 that saw Bogosian only suit up in 64 games, he was expected to log big minutes for a young Buffalo club as they tried to climb out of the bottom of the league. Instead, the team will have to look elsewhere to fill his skates, perhaps leaning a bit more on veteran Cody Franson on the right side.
Buffalo has already had to endure injuries to star forwards Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, and losing Bogosian doesn’t help matters. With the team on a surprising three game winning streak, they’ll bring in the upstart Maple Leafs tonight for a matchup of rebuilding clubs. Bogosian likely would have been given the assignment of containing one of Toronto’s young guns, Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner. Casey Nelson will likely figure into the lineup playing on the right side, though it’s unclear who he’ll be paired with.
Vancouver Canucks Assign Stetcher, Nilsson To AHL
The Vancouver Canucks continue to shuffle the deck looking for a winning formula. Today, the team has sent Troy Stecher and Tom Nilsson to the AHL Utica Comets. Chris Tanev will figure back into the lineup in their absence.
Stecher had played admirably for the Canucks since his call up, averaging over twenty minutes a night and providing a calm presence on the back end. The 22-year old was only just signed out of the University of North Dakota this summer, but has already established himself as a potential NHL blueliner. He’ll have to wait his turn though, as being waivers-exempt often means you’re on the bubble of the NHL roster.
Nilsson on the other hand didn’t get into a game with the Canucks after suffering an injury in the preseason. The former Maple Leafs’ prospect will look to make an impression at Utica this season and reestablish himself in the North American game. After playing well for the Toronto Marlies two seasons ago, Nilsson returned to Sweden to play for Frolunda last year.
Early Calder Trophy Candidates: Matthews, Marner, Laine
The Hockey News’ Mike Brophy writes a very preliminary guess as to the front runners for the Calder Trophy, awarded yearly for the league’s best rookie. Brophy concedes that it’s still very early in the season, but based on what he’s seen over the first three weeks, he lists some players to watch as the year progresses. Some names Brophy highlights:
- Toronto Maple Leafs forward and #1 overall pick in 2016 Auston Matthews leads the pack, turning in a four goal performance in his first NHL game and following that up with being second overall in league scoring with 10 points (6-4). Linemate William Nylander is right behind him, with four goals and nine points in seven games.
- Teammate Mitch Marner is also an early candidate, notching a goal and six points in seven games.
- Winnipeg Jets rookie Patrik Laine has eight points (6-2) in seven games and is showing that he was absolutely worthy of the second overall pick in the 2016 draft.
- Jimmy Vesey, the focus of nearly every team this summer as a free agent out of college, has proven the Rangers right so far. Vesey had four goals (4-1) in seven games thus far.
- Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had two goals and five points in just six games, being a bright spot on what has started out as a disappointing start for the Jackets.
Regardless of who wins, Brophy talks of how the injection of youth in the league is hopefully leading to another wave of talent. Further, Brophy talks about how the excitement of the player’s speed, and skill could hopefully bring back the excitement that Brophy feels has been missing for some time.
Snapshots: Murray, Sceviour, Plager
Matt Murray is finally going to make his 2016-17 debut, it might just have to wait a few more days. Even though the goaltender has been “going full-speed now for almost two weeks” he won’t start this Saturday versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Instead, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Murray will get one of the west coast back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. The Penguins visit the Ducks and then the Kings in some inter-conference action.
Murray is coming back from a broken hand he suffered during the World Cup when he backstopped the young guns (Team North America) in the tournament. While the Penguins claimed Mike Condon off waivers earlier in the season to replace Murray, they’re hesitant to lose any of the three solid pieces they have in net. They view them all as considerable assets, and don’t want to lose any for nothing.
- Colton Sceviour will be moved up in the lineup according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. After getting a season-high 15 minutes in the Panthers latest loss at the hands of the Maple Leafs on Thursday night, the former Dallas Star will replace Kyle Rau on the second line. The Panthers are without Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen due to various injuries and have had to move pieces in and out of their top-six in recent games. While Jon Marchessault is thriving on the top line, the unit of Rau-Trocheck-Smith weren’t as effective against the Maple Leafs.
- The St. Louis Blues will retire number 5 in honor of Bob Plager this season. Plager has been with the club for almost 50 years since his addition as a player on June 6th, 1967, holding almost every position possible: player, head coach, director of scouting, director of player development and others. Plager’s #5 will join Al MacInnis (#2), Bob Gassoff (#3), Barclay Plager (his brother and #8), Brian Sutter (#11), Brett Hull (#16) and Bernie Federko (#24) among retired numbers for the Blues.