Snapshots: Holtby, Ritchie, Vrana
Washington’s Braden Holtby will get the start for Game 3 in Pittsburgh. He was yanked after surrendering 3 goals on just 14 shots through 2 periods. Philipp Grubauer didn’t fare much better, however, as he let in 2 of 9 himself in the final period. The decision to pull the reigning Vezina trophy winner was maligned following the game by commentators, such as the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg who believed the move was “a sign of panic”. Holtby has struggled this post-season, not looking particularly strong in the first series against Toronto. His .911 save percentage these playoffs is certainly respectable but also easily his career low. It’s difficult to believe that his massive workload over the course of the season isn’t playing a factor in his drop-off in play. The netminder played an absurd 63 games this past season, which is difficult to defend from a coaching standpoint. His backup in Grubauer performed well above expectations, helping the duo capture the Jennings trophy. Additionally, the Capitals looked to be a lock for the post-season well before April, so why Holtby was subjected to yet another season of heavy lifting seems confusing. At least he didn’t play 73 games, like he did two seasons ago. One has to wonder if Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Braden Holtby have all succumbed to fatigue to varying degrees, considering their individual struggles come playoffs. Regardless, Holtby will need to improve if Washington hopes to claw their way back into the series on the road.
- Anaheim forward Nick Ritchie and defenseman Sami Vatanen are both potential options for tonight’s game against Edmonton. Ritchie is out with the flu, and Vatanen has been out with an upper body injury since Game 1 versus Calgary in the last round. Both took the ice for the optional skate this morning, but no further information was provided. Vatanen had been replaced by Korbinian Holzer, who struggled in the season with a very poor 40.4 Corsi For percentage, taking a huge step backwards from the previous season in terms of driving possession. Ritchie had been replaced by Jared Boll, the heavy right-winger who accumulated an abysmal 39.3 CF% on the season – one of the league’s worst – to go along with his 0 goals through 51 games. The re-addition of Ritchie would be huge for a team that has had difficulty penetrating the wall that has been Cam Talbot.
- Washington prospect Jakub Vrana was scratched last night for the Hershey Bears. The 21 year-old left-winger is crafty with the puck and was projected to be an effective offensive force. The Czech has had trouble adjusting his style to the North American game, however. He was drafted 13th overall in 2014 and had a decent sophomore season when he played, earning 21 games up with the Capitals, notching 3 goals and 3 assists in that span. He was held pointless through 3 games in the Bears’ series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Head coach Troy Mann was displeased with his unwillingness to engage physically and defend on the backcheck. His effort level is remarkably low for a prospect which was considered top-tier. Getting scratched at the AHL level of play doesn’t bode well for his future in the NHL, although stranger things have happened.
Penguins Notes: Fleury, Sullivan, Hagelin
The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty believes that Marc-Andre Fleury should be a-ok with an unpredictable series against the Washington Capitals. After starter Matt Murray went down with an injury, Fleury, the former #1 overall pick in 2003, has been stellar between the pipes for the Penguins. Once considered trade bait, Fleury is now the calm in the middle of the playoff storm Dougherty writes. The decision for the Penguins to hold onto Fleury, instead of trading him at the deadline, seems to be yet another great decision by general manager Jim Rutherford. Whether Fleury ends up leaving down the road is one thing, but for now, his steady play has the Penguins on a path to a possible second consecutive Stanley Cup.
- Chase Williams of WPXI quotes Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan as saying that the team needs to remain “hungry” as they face the Capitals against tonight for game two. Williams says that Sullivan expects the desperation level from the Capitals to be higher and Williams believes another victory gives the Penguins a stranglehold on the series.
- Williams and Dougherty both list forward Carl Hagelin as a “game-time” decision tonight. Dougherty reports that Hagelin was not on the ice for an optional skate this morning, and while Sullivan dismisses it by saying “it doesn’t mean anything,” the truth is that Hagelin hasn’t played since March 10. Hagelin did skate before game one, with Dougherty describing him as “zipping around” the ice. He adds that reinserting Hagelin to the lineup would pose another mismatch for the slower Capitals, who have struggled to corral faster players. Dougherty adds that should he play, Hagelin will be a player who capitalizes on Washington’s sloppy zone exits. Because of his speed, Hagelin would be another speedy forward disrupting the Caps, and causing defensive zone mistakes that could turn into Pittsburgh scoring chances, and ultimately, goals.
Metro Division Snapshots: Connolly, Kovalchuk, Rangers
After dropping the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal match-up against Pittsburgh, the Washington Capitals have elected to make at least one lineup change in advance of game two. According to a tweet from Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, Paul Carey will draw into the lineup replacing Brett Connolly. As the scribe noted prior to the start of the series, Connolly had his ATOI cut back drastically in the latter half of their six-game series win over Toronto, averaging less than six minutes per contest in games four through six so perhaps a healthy scratch shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Limited ice time is nothing new this season for Connolly. The six-year vet averaged just 10:41 per game yet managed to set a career-high in the goal scoring department with 15. In fact, among all NHL players who reached that threshold, Connolly saw the lowest ATOI per game. The lack of playing time, both during the regular season and playoffs, would appear to inject some doubt as to how interested the Capitals will be in renewing their working relationship beyond the current campaign with the former first-round draft pick. Connolly is scheduled to be a RFA and will likely seek a significant bump in pay over his 2016-17 salary of $850K based on his solid goal scoring ouput. With several key regulars – T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner and Justin Williams among them – approaching unrestricted free agency and with RFA’s Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov also needing new contracts, the Capitals will have a difficult time re-signing or replacing all the talent they may lose with just $20MM in projected cap space. Salary cap considerations may also prompt the team to move on from Connolly this summer, meaning he might be available via trade for any interested parties.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- It’s been reported that Ilya Kovalchuk may be preparing a return to the NHL after four years of self-exile playing in the KHL. As it stands, he is still property of the New Jersey Devils, unless all 30 NHL GM’s agree to allow Kovy to sign with another team. Of course, while the Devils could certainly use the offensive boost Kovalchuk would bring, they likely aren’t close enough to serious contention to justify committing the necessary salary cap resources to an aging, albeit still skilled winger. In fact, they would benefit more by agreeing with an interested club on a sign-and-trade, which would allow Kovalchuk to go to a contending team of his choice with the Devils picking up assets needed to further their rebuild. Whether or not Kovalchuk ultimately returns to the NHL, one thing is certain; the Russian winger will not be representing Team Russia at the upcoming World Championships. According to a report from the Russian sports site SovSport.ru (link in Russian) – H/T to TSN’s Gord Miller for retweeting the link – Kovalchuk has, or will soon undergo knee surgery and is expected to miss the next month to recover. Evidently the knee was an issue throughout the KHL playoffs though it wasn’t enough to prevent Kovalchuk from helping his SKA St. Petersburg club from winning the Gagarin Cup. While he won’t have another chance to showcase his skills for interested NHL teams, it’s unlikely this injury will do much to stunt his market, should he elect to come back.
- Newsday’s Steve Zipay retweeted a report from the Russian Prospects website indicating that coveted young winger Vladimir Tkachyov is slated to attend prospect camp this summer with the New York Rangers. It should be noted that Zipay had yet to independently confirm the report. Tkachyov, an undrafted free agent, spent last season skating with Admiral Vladivostok in the KHL, finishing with 14 goals and 39 points in 49 contests. Prior to returning to Russia, Tkachyov appeared in 66 QMJHL games split between Moncton and Quebec, tallying a combined 26 goals and 79 points. Scouting reports describe the 5-foot-10, 154-pound LW as a dynamic offensive talent and an explosive skater. Tkachyov has been linked to Toronto and Edmonton previously but at this point it looks like the Rangers may have the first chance to convince the skilled winger to join their organization. The Blueshirts interest is understandable as they favor skill and speed in their roster construction and with the lack of high draft choices in recent seasons due to sacrificing futures in pursuit of a Stanley Cup, adding a talent like Tkachyov helps the team keep the prospect pipeline producing NHL-caliber players.
Playoff Notes: Stephenson, Bieksa, Predators
The Washington Capitals have sent Chandler Stephenson back down to the AHL ahead of the Hershey Bears back-t0-back games this weekend. The Bears will take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Saturday and Sunday needed to win just one game to go through to the second round. Stephenson wasn’t playing for the Capitals anyway, and will likely be back after the AHL series is decided one way or another.
For the Capitals, they won’t mess with their lineup heading into game 2 with the Penguins despite dropping the first game 3-2. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post talked to Braden Holtby, who admitted some of the blame was on him for the loss. Much of that came when Sidney Crosby scored twice in just 52 seconds to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. The two teams will face off again tomorrow night.
- Kevin Bieksa won’t play for the Anaheim Ducks tonight after suffering a lower-body injury. The veteran defender will likely be replaced by Sami Vatanen, who has played just a single game in the playoffs this year. Vatanen took the morning skate again today and according to Eric Stephens of the OC Register, sounded like he’s ready to re-enter the lineup. Head coach Randy Carlyle told media that Bieksa would likely be ready for later in the series, though who would come out in that situation would be interesting. If Vatanen is indeed ready to come back, his role is likely without question in the lineup after another big-minute season. Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore have also both showed exceptional play in the postseason, and Josh Manson provides a big physical presence against the heavy Oilers team.
- Adam Vingan of the Tennessean tweets that Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok should both be considered game-time decisions tonight, after taking the morning skate with the team. The pair missed game 1 of their series, but will be relied upon to fill in some of the lost offense after Kevin Fiala broke his femur on Wednesday night. While Smith had a down season offensively this year, he’s shown in the past that he can be an effective scoring winger with three straight seasons of 20+ goals. Jarnkrok on the other hand would likely be used back in the middle where he’s played for most of the season. His presence at center would let the Predators reduce some of the stress on Colton Sissons, who played almost 17 minutes in game 1—a mark he broke just once during the regular season.
Snapshots: OHL Lawsuit, Sutter, Alzner
In the second piece of legal hockey news today, an Ontario judge has certified the former players’ lawsuit against the OHL as class action. Rick Westhead of TSN provides the specifics on the news, explaining that it now makes every player who played in the OHL from 2012 to the present an automatic plaintiff in the lawsuit, though they can opt-out if they so choose.
The lawsuit could apparently cost the league as much as $30MM, something that according to the league would “bring on the even of destruction for the players.” Similar lawsuits are being brought before the courts for both the WHL and QMJHL, with the decision on whether the WHL case will be certified as class action coming down within the next month.
- Darryl Sutter isn’t done just yet, as he told Gary Lawless of TSN. The former Los Angeles Kings coach who was fired earlier this month will be “picky” about his next situation, but won’t rule out heading to a re-building squad. Sutter has coached over 1200 games in the NHL and won two Stanley Cups, giving credence to the idea that he can be picky and wait for the perfect opportunity.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have signed Nathan Noel to a three-year entry-level deal. Noel, 19, played this season for the Saint John’s Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, scoring 50 points in 52 games. Turning 20 in June, Noel will likely head to the AHL next season and try to continue his development for the Rockford IceHogs.
- Karl Alzner won’t be available again tonight for the Washington Capitals, his fifth straight game out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. As Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes, Alzner had skated in 599 consecutive games before missing game 3 against the Maple Leafs, and is an important part of the Capitals defense. Alzner is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Capitals will have a tough time affording him while also giving raises to their many RFAs, meaning this is likely his last run with the team for a while. Even though he may not get another chance to play in the postseason with the Capitals, he makes his team-first attitude clear: “I’d sit out the rest of the playoffs if we can win the Cup.”
Allen’s Latest: Playoff Surprises, Second Round Predictions
The USA Today’s Kevin Allen listed his playoff surprises as teams advanced into the second round. His biggest surprise is a take shared by many: the four game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. He wonders if they’ve “run out of magic” and comments that the team looked worn out. He also believes that Stan Bowman will be a man of his word and certainly look to tweak the roster. The house cleanings in Buffalo, and Los Angeles certainly caught Allen (and others) by surprise. He believes that the recently fired Dean Lombardi may be just what Buffalo needs to get over the hump. Allen underscores the importance of Jake Allen in the Blues’ first round triumph, and notes that Alexander Radulov should get a hefty payday after playing well with Montreal. Allen also sees Ryan Johansen as the #1 center the Predators envisioned him to be when they dealt for him last season.
- Allen mentions Johansen again when he points out the five reasons Nashville shocked Chicago in four games. Besides getting the best of Chicago defensively, he notes that Pekka Rinne rose to the occasion and was next to impossible to beat between the pipes. Rinne posted a staggering .976 save percentage and gave up just three goals in four games. Allen adds that the Predators were also a much deeper team than the one who faced Chicago back in 2015. Finally, strategic moves by head coach Peter Laviolette played a key role in Chicago’s inability to contain the Preds. Focusing on speed, by placing Harry Zolnierczyk and Pontus Aberg into the lineup made the Blackhawks lives miserable trying to keep up.
- In terms of who will advance to the conference finals, Allen is the only one of his staff who sees the Penguins getting past the Capitals. He believes the Penguins speed will cause matchup problems for Washington, and result in yet another Washington-Pittsburgh tilt that sees the Penguins triumph. Allen has the Rangers meeting the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, dispatching the Senators in six games. Over in the West, Allen forecasts an Anaheim-Nashville Western Conference Final, though he thinks both matchups will see seven games, writing that the Nashville-St. Louis series is most likely a toss up.
Capitals Notes: Williams, Beagle, OT
Everybody in Washington is happy about forward Justin Williams playoff success this year. The 35-year-old veteran has come up big in the series with Toronto, including two goals in Game 1 of the series and then Game 5’s overtime winner Friday. He now has two overtime playoff goals to his credit and since 2010-11, Williams is fourth behind Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith with his 24 points in playoff games 5-7, according to Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt.
Williams’ success, however, may increase the veteran forward’s price tag as he enters unrestricted free agency this offseason. Williams currently makes $3.25MM, but despite his age, could demand even more next season. He is coming off another solid year in which he scored 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points, which mirrors last year when he scored 22 goals and 30 assists. The Capitals may have no choice but to pay up to retain the clutch winger.
- Isabelle Khurshudyan writes that a lot of Game 5’s credit goes to Capitals’ fourth-line center Jay Beagle, who was brought in during overtime to take a critical faceoff. Coach Barry Trotz replaced Beagle for Williams and moved Evgeny Kuznetsov to the wing. The right-handed Beagle gave the Caps the advantage for the face-off and after winning, Beagle returned to the bench to allow Williams on the ice. “It’s a big draw because I don’t want to get scored on,” said Beagle, who finished the season with 13 goals and 17 assists. The play helped set up Williams’ overtime goal. The Capitals have fared better in the last three games with faceoffs, including winning 55 percent of the draws in Game 5 after winning less than 40 percent in the first two games of the series.
- Boston’s OT game today marks the 17th overtime in the Stanley Cup’s first round of the playoffs this year. That ties the most in history from 2013. The Capitals have contributed with four overtime games so far in this series.
How Did The Top Five Picks In The 2016 Draft Class Fare?
As the importance of drafting and developing talent takes precedence in a hard cap league, PHR takes a look at how the first five picks from the 2016 NHL Draft fared nearly a calendar year after their selection.
#1: Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
It almost seems silly writing about him since the Calder Trophy nominated center has been one of the major reasons the Leafs made the playoffs and have given the Capitals fits. Matthews had 69 points in 82 games (40-29) and was everything the Leafs could have hoped he would be. Matthews scored four goals in his debut, and though he had his share of rookie struggles, looked wise beyond his very young age on the ice. Already in the playoffs, Matthews has four points in five games in the playoffs (3-1) and will certainly lead this team to a contender status in the years to come.
#2: Patrik Laine – Winnipeg Jets
Hardly a consolation prize, Laine is also a Calder Trophy finalist and finished the season with 64 points (36-28) but it was individual performances that garnered attention. Laine registered three hat tricks this season, and in a strictly point-per-game glance, Laine led Matthews and every other rookie this season. Should Winnipeg improve their fortunes, Laine has the game breaking ability to take a talented team deep into the playoffs.
#3: Pierre-Luc Dubois – Columbus Blue Jackets
One of only two players in the top ten to not spend time with the big club, Dubois split time with Cape Breton and Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL. He didn’t disappoint. Combined, the left winger had 55 points in 48 games (21-34) and has been dynamic in the President’s Cup playoffs, posting 14 points (5-9) in 11 games. The Armada are currently in the semi-finals against Charlottetown (trailing 1-0), and if his current performance is any indication, Dubois could find himself breaking camp with the Blue Jackets next fall.
#4: Jesse Puljujarvi – Edmonton Oilers
Puljujarvi was sent down in early January after making the team out of camp, and his numbers in Bakersfield were respectable: 28 points (12-16) in 39 games and the opportunity to play real minutes instead of playing limited time in Edmonton. Puljujarvi appears to be a rising star, and the extra seasoning should help. His play will continue as he was loaned to Finland’s national team to play in the World Championships.
#5: Olli Juolevi – Vancouver Canucks
Juolevi spent the season with the London Knights, racking up 42 points (10-32) in 58 games. His point total matched his 2015-16 results, with the exception of adding a goal. Juolevi scored the game winning goal in the first round of the OHL playoffs against Windsor that sent the Knights onto the second round, where they ultimately lost to Erie in seven games. During their 14 game run, Juolevi had eight points (3-5). The smooth puck moving defenseman was the first blueliner taken in the draft, and could be a candidate to make the team next year as the Canucks will be retooling their roster with more youth.
Ovechkin Takes Hard Hit But Returns In Game 5
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.
Washington Capitals Recall Chandler Stephenson
The Washington Capitals have recalled Chandler Stephenson ahead of their Game 5 matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening. With their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears set to start their own playoffs series tonight, this is likely not a Black Aces situation but one of either replacement or insurance. The Capitals evened the series at 2-2 on Wednesday, and are trying to put away the Leafs before the young team gets their confidence back.
Stephenson played four games for the Capitals this season and was held pointless, but did score 38 points in 72 AHL contests. The 22-year old has never been an outstanding offensive contributor, though can chip in at both ends of the rink and help in the faceoff dot. His speed is his best weapon, which is perhaps why the Capitals chose him over some other options against the quick Leafs team.
As Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press points out, Brett Connolly played just four minutes in their last game as coach Barry Trotz sat down the fourth line for much of the game. After criticism that he wasn’t using Alex Ovechkin enough, Trotz still only sent him over the boards for 16:31. That won’t change much if the Maple Leafs continue to stay out of the box, as they took just a single minor penalty on Wednesday night.