Injury Notes: Miller, Polak, Alzner
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.
Snapshots: Sedlak, Alzner, Polak
The Columbus Blue Jackets will try a little tinkering to keep them alive in their playoff series against the defending champs. Lukas Sedlak will draw back into the lineup in place of Scott Hartnell, while Matt Calvert, Kyle Quincey and Markus Nutivaara will all play according to a TSN report.
Sedlak will be making his NHL playoff debut after a rookie season that saw him contribute 13 points in 62 games. The 24-year old was a huge part of the Lake Erie (now Cleveland) Monsters’ Calder Cup win last year, with 16 points in 17 AHL playoff games. Perhaps he can provide some of that magic as the Blue Jackets attempt to stave off elimination for one more game.
- Karl Alzner won’t play in game four of the Capitals-Maple Leafs series according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The pending unrestricted free agent sat out their game three overtime loss and was a noticeable absence. Though Nate Schmidt skated well, Alzner had previously been tasked with shutting down the Auston Matthews line, and without him they had their way with the Capitals. Scoring two goals and dominating possession—shot attempts were an insane 23-5 when William Nylander was on the ice—the Capitals need to find a way to slow down that line even without Alzner in the lineup.
- Roman Polak will undergo surgery today to repair a broken right leg suffered on Saturday night. While there is no timetable for his return, he’ll likely try to make it back for the start of the 2017-18 season. Where he’ll be playing is still undecided, as he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. After an up-and-down season with the Leafs, he’ll be hard pressed to secure the same $2.25MM salary he earned this year.
Toronto-Washington Defensive Woes – Zaitsev In, Alzner Out
Washington Capital Karl Alzner has been ruled out for tonight’s game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs due to an upper-body injury, per the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan. Meanwhile, Toronto will regain the services of Nikita Zaitsev on their blueline, per Pierre LeBrun.
Toronto was in desperate need of a warm body in their top-four, as Roman Polak‘s agonizing injury left a noticeable void. Martin Marincin has performed quite well in Polak and Zaitsev’s absences, but the 25 year-old will now be able to have his time against top competition scaled back. Zaitsev’s addition has been an absolute boon for the team, as his offensive prowess has consistently fed the young forward core quick outlets and opportunities. The Russian has done nothing but impress since the World Cup tournament, and GM Brendan Shanahan should be lauded for his willingness to take a risk on his contract.
Washington was shocked by a double-overtime winner from the hands of Kasperi Kapanen in Game 2. As they try to re-assert their dominance in the series, this is certainly not news Caps fans were hoping for. The twenty-eight year-old hasn’t missed a game for the Capitals since 2010, with a remarkable iron-man streak to his credit. The defenseman logged over twenty minutes a night on the top pair. The nifty-skating Nate Schmidt will take his place on the blueline. He played 53 games this season before returns from injury and the addition of Kevin Shattenkirk sent him to the press box. The 24 year-old already has 10 playoff games to his credit, and his advanced stats were quite good, with a 53.1 Corsi For %. By contrast, Alzner posted a 46.3, his worst showing in the department since 2013.
Toronto hopes the energy of their rabid fanbase will help flip this series’ script as they play Washington at home in Game 3.
Snapshots: Hart, Bjork, Alzner, Ducks
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms will get a boost for their Calder Cup playoff run, as Carter Hart has been reassigned from the Everett Silvertips after being eliminated from the WHL postseason on Friday. Hart, a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2016 (the highest goaltender selected) had a tremendous season for Everett, recording a .927 save percentage and posting a goals against average below 2.00 for the first time in his junior career.
Hart is an outstanding goaltending prospect and one that will be welcomed in Lehigh Valley after Anthony Stolarz was ruled out for the playoffs. Stolarz will be out for three to four months with a lower-body injury. Even if Hart does show well at the professional level though, he’ll have a hard time returning next season. At just 18, he’ll have to head to the NHL or back to the WHL next season.
- Anders Bjork has been named to Team USA for the upcoming World Championships, joining teammate Cal Petersen from Notre Dame. Bjork is a draft pick of the Boston Bruins, and has been considering leaving school for the professional ranks since Notre Dame was knocked out of the NCAA tournament. The 20-year old enjoyed a breakout season for the Fighting Irish, scoring 52 points in 39 games generally dominating the college ranks. Should he decide to return to school next season, he would be an early favorite for the Hobey Baker award.
- Karl Alzner may not be in the Washington Capitals lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and as Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post points out, that would be the first game he misses in seven years. Alzner has suited up for 540 consecutive regular season games and 59 straight playoff matchups for the Capitals, but has been hampered by a groin injury stemming all the way back to the final game of last year’s playoffs. If he does miss it, Nate Schmidt would return to the lineup and likely skate with John Carlson.
- The Anaheim Ducks are getting healthier, as both Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler were back on the ice at practice today. Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports that the former has control of whether he’ll play in game three of their series with the Calgary Flames, in which the Ducks are leading 2-0. Getting Fowler back would be another big boost for the team, especially since it was these Flames who injured him in the first place. Fowler suffered a knee injury after getting hit by Flames’ captain Mark Giordano in their final meeting of the regular season.
How Has Toronto Frustrated Washington?
Upsets aren’t unheard of during NHL playoffs, yet the Capitals’ struggles against a young Toronto Maple Leafs’ team that squeaked into the playoffs (after missing out since 2012-13) has turned some heads. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun writes that he interviewed several head coaches for their analysis as to how the Maple Leafs have threatened the top-ranked team in the NHL.
Most coaches believe it’s Toronto’s speed and quickness that has frustrated Washington so much. That quickness has disrupted their game since the Capitals are not considered to be the fastest team in the league.
“Listen, Washington is a great hockey club, but they’re not the quickest team in the league,” a Western Conference coach said. “And the Maple Leafs are using the quickness they have, they have a lot of foot speed and they’re using it. They’re constantly putting pressure on Washington all over the ice. Toronto is so well-coached as far as puck support that Washington can’t get it stopped in the offensive zone — Toronto exits too quickly. Everything they’re doing, from play without the puck and play with the puck; it’s got quickness in it and it’s really giving Washington a challenge.”
In fact, according to another Eastern Conference coach, it’s Washington’s lack of speed that may be making the difference. “[The Caps are] a structured team, they’re experienced, they’ve got moxie, and I think they’re heavy, probably the heaviest team in the East,” said the coach over the phone. “But the speed factor has given them problems, like it did with Pittsburgh last year, where there’s no time and space.”
LeBrun writes another Eastern Conference coach suggests that Toronto is doing a “disciplined job of getting pucks in and making Wash’s D have to go back for pucks. They are dumping intelligently to areas where their speed is forechecking! Using five guys on the forecheck [their weak-side D is going down the wall hard] creates o-zone time, makes Washington’s studs play in their zone. Which sucks for them.”
Yet, another major factor to Toronto’s success is the play of Frederik Andersen. LeBrun said a Western Conference GM told him that Andersen would need a 94 percent save percentage to pull off an upset of the Capitals. After two games and 88 saves of 94 shots, Anderson is sporting a .936 save percentage. “The scary thing is in the 3rd and OT of Game 2, he was getting better and better, and it looked easier,” the second Eastern Conference coach said via text. “He has been the best player in the series — not even close.”
It was also suggested that the Capitals have failed to dominate in the offensive zone and haven’t been able to capitalize on the Leafs’ main weakness, which is their defense.
“We haven’t really seen Washington hem the Leafs into their zone that much,” said the first Eastern Conference coach, “like, make Toronto defend for a long period of time. I’ve been surprised so far that we haven’t seen Washington possess the puck more and make Toronto defend. It’s almost been like a track meet. A lot of Washington’s offense so far has been [power play] or rush plays as opposed to long, strong, heavy shifts that probably I think would give Toronto trouble.”
Talent may also be a factor says a third Eastern conference coach. Toronto may be young, but they may be one of the most talented teams out there. It just took them a while to figure it out. “I think Toronto right now is the third-most talented team in the East,” the coach said Sunday over the phone. “Now, they’re young, but who cares? That was a tough draw for Washington. Outside of Pittsburgh and Washington, to me the Leafs are the third-most talented group in the East.”
Morning Notes: Flames Burn Out, Toronto’s Unlikely Hero, Looking Ahead
Saturday April 15th was a riveting evening of hockey for any fan of the sport. The Blackhawks were dominated 5-0 by the Predators in Game 2, but the other three games were all nail-biters. The Flames looked to take the lead after climbing out of a 2 goal deficit in the 2nd period, but the call on the ice of goalie interference against John Gibson kept the game tied. The Ducks would go on to get a bizarre ricochet goal from the stick of Ryan Getzlaf with just 4:46 remaining in regulation to secure an ugly win, and go up 2-0 in the series.
- The Leafs’ Kasperi Kapanen has not been in the spotlight – the likes of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews have been so phenomenal that he is easily forgotten in the mix. The promising young crafty forward was the centerpiece of the Phil Kessel deal, which until now, had undoubtedly looked to favor the Penguins. Serving 4th-line duty, the forward had only scored one goal in his 8 games up with big squad this season. In the second overtime of Saturday’s Game 2 versus the Capitals, the forward crept in to the back post as Brian Boyle used his lanky frame to fool the netminder into sealing the near post in anticipation. The result was a gorgeous finish to a game where an unlikely hero was desperately needed. If the forward can build on this huge goal, perhaps he can become an X-factor in a series where they are the underdogs. He seems to be confident in the team’s chances.
- The Senators would not go down quietly. Down 2 goals through 40 minutes, the squad rallied to tie the game with tallies from Chris Wideman and Derick Brassard. As mentioned in an earlier post, Chara’s late regulation delay-of-game penalty proved quite costly, as the Senators capitalized on the powerplay’s momentum and ended the overtime quickly. Dion Phaneuf hammered one home after the team had hit two posts previously in quick succession. The series has been incredibly tight, but surely Bruins fans will lament the lost opportunity, especially in light of their badly bruised defensive squad.
- Four games will take place this Sunday. The Wild will try to avoid going down 3-0 in hostile territory, the Blue Jackets will hope to dodge a similar fate with cannons firing, and the Sharks and Rangers look to go up at home after splitting the first two on the road.
Toronto’s Roman Polak Out For Playoffs
Toronto’s Roman Polak suffered a brutal hit at the hands of Washington’s Brooks Orpik. Polak attempted to sidestep the brunt of the hit and ended up with severe knee-on-knee contact. Worse, when Polak landed, his stricken right knee buckled and caught under the weight of his body. Polak remained down on the ice in gut-wrenching pain for well over a minute before being helped off the ice by players. TSN reports that Polak will no longer be available for Toronto in these playoffs, which throws a massive question mark onto the team’s backend.
Polak has not been a particularly phenomenal defenseman in terms of analytics this season. His physical play and ability to stay healthy have arguably been his greatest assets to the team. His Corsi For % – simply, shot attempts for versus against when he is on the ice – is an abysmal 41% on the season. For reference, Jake Gardiner‘s is 52.6%, Morgan Rielly‘s is 50.4%, the injured Nikita Zaitsev‘s is 49.4%, and Matt Hunwick‘s is 49.1%. Each of the aforementioned Leafs have definitely contributed to leading the team back into the post-season. Toronto was a dismal 23rd in Goals Allowed this season, but notably better than the previous, where they were 28th, surpassed only by Calgary (who inexplicably made the playoffs that year) and Edmonton who were McDavid-less for a long stretch of time.
Toronto needs to keep pucks out of the net against the high-octane offense of Washington if they are to win this series. So far in the series, Babcock’s defensive strategies have been relatively effective. They held even in hits with Washington through a double overtime game – 50 a piece. They blocked 35 shots in Game 2, and forced plays to the outside whenever possible. And when the chances became glorious, Frederik Andersen was there to shut the play down. Although they surrendered 44 shots and 50 shots in each respective game, many of these chances did not come from high-scoring areas. In a series where Toronto’s defense was expected to be overwhelmed, they have held fast in the absence of Zaitsev. Still, Leafs’ fans are longing for his quick return to play in hopes of taking advantage of the next two raucous home games at the Air Canada Centre. The 23-year-old Connor Carrick and 25-year-old Martin Marincin both look capable of filling some of the void left by Polak – they each averaged over 16 minutes per game in the regular season.
Washington-Toronto Playoff Notes: Zaitsev, Shattenkirk, Matthews
Nikita Zaitsev (upper body injury) has been ruled out for Game 2 in the Maple Leafs’ series with the Capitals today. Toronto coach Mike Babcock said he got excited when he saw him at the morning skate. However, the right-handed defenseman was ruled out instead, dealing a critical blow against the top-seeded Capitals after the team lost in overtime in game one.
“I saw him out there today, I got very excited, and they shut me down very fast,” Babcock said.
The loss is considered by many to be devastating as the series is expected to come down to the strength of each teams’ defensive depth. Washington general manager Brian MacLellan looks more and more like a genius for his deadline trade to acquire Kevin Shattenkirk. The veteran blueliner was acquired along with Pheonix Copley in a package that included Washington’s 2017 first-rounder, 2019 second-round pick, Bradley Malone, Zach Sanford and a conditional pick. The depth that he provides suddenly gives the Capitals a strong advantage against the young up-and-coming Maple Leafs.
Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan writes that Shattenkirk’s presence is not only enough to avoid concerns of a potential defensive injury, but the way in coach Barry Trotz managed his blueliners minutes in Game 1. Despite the game going into overtime, no defenseman played more than 25:22 or less than 16:32. Trotz’ ability to depend on his defensive depth is critical as it allows his defenders to get more involved in the offense. Shattenkirk showed that Thursday night when he put a game-high nine shots on goal.
“I think both teams and in this day and age in the game, you want to have the ability to be active,” Trotz said. “It’s so hard to score three-on-three, two-on-two, so you’ve got to create the next race, who’s going to create an odd-man rush, and if you can execute, you’re going to get a good look. That’s where the game is, that’s where you’re going to have some success, but you’ve got to jump at the right time.
“If you don’t have the legs to get up ice, you’re not going to have that opportunity. I think when you’re able to spread the minutes over, it does help. There’s a couple elite skaters in this league that can seem to go forever like a Drew Doughty or Brent Burns. They just don’t run out of gas, it seems, but for the rest of us mortals I think spreading the minutes is really helpful.”
Getting any offense out of their defensive pairings would only add a new element in their attempt to finally gain that Stanley Cup that has eluded the Capitals so far. Defensively, they were ranked fourth in the NHL during the regular season with a 2.16 goals against. “When we were able to acquire Shattenkirk, it even took it to a different level of being able to spread out our top guy and our bottom guy, minutes-wise,” associate coach Todd Reirden said. “In the Eastern Conference, we have the lowest differential between our highest-minute defenseman and our lowest-minute defenseman, so that’s been an important thing for me this year. I think keeping our players fresh for a long run and also I think it correlated with the few number of man-games we lost. It’s definitely a strategy and something we were able to really see through this year.”
Other series notes:
- The Capitals look at Thursday’s game as a wake-up call. However, they have won six of the last eight Game 2 playoff series and are now more focused than ever. “To me, it’s a really good wake-up call for us,” Trotz said of Game 1. “You get in the playoffs, and there are no easy games. The Leafs were well prepared, they’re a good hockey team, their kids are exceptional talents, and they can play. And you’ve got to play them hard.”
- Babcock praised the play of rookie sensation Auston Matthews, saying the 2016 first overall pick reminds him of former Detroit Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk. The veteran was well known for his elite defensive skills and his game-changing offensive abilities. “When you think you’re out of his range, he’s able to get a puck,” Trotz said.
- Speaking of Matthews, the youngster has preached patience after his quiet playoff debut. Babcock’s message: “Keep on keepin’ on.” What Babcock would like to see is Matthews and the Maple Leafs get more shots on goal in Game 2. They were outshot 19-9 in the third period and overtime and were outshot 44-37 overall. Matthews only managed one shot on goal.
Potential Suspensions: Matt Calvert Edition
The Columbus Blue Jackets may be down a player going forward in this year’s NHL playoffs. During last night’s Columbus Blue Jackets – Pittsburgh Penguins game 2 playoff match, Columbus forward Matt Calvert crosschecked an unsuspecting Pittsburgh forward Tom Kuhnhackl that should warrant league attention. Below we analyze the situation and past NHL playoff suspensions.
With less than a minute to go in the 4-1 Columbus loss, Calvert skated up to Kuhnhackl from behind and crosschecked him across the back/neck area—breaking his stick in the process—before turning around and shoving him in the face. (Video link). It looked like a deliberate cheap shot to the head area that would concern the Department of Player Safety.
Despite the hit’s optics, ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that he doesn’t think the NHL will suspend Calvert. The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline corroborates, stating that his sense is that Calvert avoids a suspension. Pierre LeBrun thinks that the Department of Player Safety is concerned that the stick-breaking aspect of the play makes the play seem much worse, given that hockey sticks are prone to break easily.
If Calvert avoids a suspension, it will reiterate the League’s position that playoff games are more important than regular season games. It will also highlight a growing concern that the Department of Player Safety issues punishments haphazardly, and without any real consistency. As Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News points out, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen received three games for a mistimed hit on Pittsburgh forward Jake Guentzel. The League has always been criticized for its inconsistency in handing out punishments, and if Calvert avoids a suspension that sentiment will only grow. Anything less than a suspension will also reignite the sentiment that the League governs by a different rule book during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Last season the NHL issues four suspensions during the 2015-16 NHL playoffs that directly affected future playoff games. Three suspensions were for one game each, and one was for three games.
The NHL suspended Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Pierre-Edouard Bellemare one game for a hit on Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov (video link). Bellemare hit Orlov from behind a few feet from the boards, causing Orlov to crash headfirst into the boards.
Next, the NHL suspended Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw one game for using a homophobic slur. He directed the slur to an on-ice official while sitting in the penalty box.
The NHL then issued its biggest suspension of that year’s postseason by suspending Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik three games for a late hit to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta (video link).
Finally, the NHL issued its last suspension to Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, giving him one game for his late hit to the head of Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson (video link).
All the issued suspensions involving physical hits involved hits to the head. The NHL did not issue any suspensions for stick infractions. If the NHL was concerned with a play’s optics, it would issue Matt Calvert at least a one-game suspension. However, if the League has a strict standard when it comes to playoff suspensions, do not be surprised if Calvert walks away with just a lighter wallet.
Injury Updates: Zaitsev, Carlson, Jarnkrok
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without rookie defenseman Nikita Zaitsev tonight in Game 1 against the Washington Capitals, reports Rogers Sportsnet. Zaitsev suffered an upper body injury in the Maple Leafs’ final regular season game on Sunday when he was hit into the boards by Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno. The Maple Leafs will miss Zaitsev’s presence on the blue line as Zaitsev was second in team ice time behind Morgan Rielly.
- Staying with the Capitals vs. Maple Leafs series, Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson will return tonight after missing the Capitals’ last four games. Carlson missed those games with a lower body injury, but told reporters yesterday that he “felt good.” The Capitals will breathe a sigh of relief when Carlson returns as he is the team’s leader in average time on ice. Losing a first-pair defenseman ripples throughout the lineup no matter how much depth a team has.
- The Nashville Predators should have center Calle Jarnkrok tonight, reports Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. Jarnkrok missed the Predators’ final game against the Winnipeg Jets with a lower body injury. Nashville takes on the Chicago Blackhawks in their first-round playoff matchup, and they will need all the center depth they can muster against the top team in the Western Conference.