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SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Winning on the road isn't easy in the NHL, and for the Vancouver Canucks, success away from the Pacific Northwest has been elusive lately.
Although there's a newfound optimism among the Canucks as they head into Sunday evening's meeting with the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center, courtesy of some long-elusive luck they found in their last outing.
The Canucks are still well out of the playoff hunt, but are feeling better about themselves as they prep to hit the ice in Minnesota after snapping a five-game losing streak in their last outing. The long-dormant Canucks' offense broke out Friday in Columbus, turning good bounces into goals in a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets.
"It was nice to get some puck luck on our side," said Canucks coach Travis Green after his team scored more than two goals in a game for the first time in the past four. "Sometimes that's the way it goes."
For a team that is expected to be sellers with the trade deadline approaching, perhaps the best development in the win at Columbus was the two-assist night turned in by forward Thomas Vanek. With his offensive numbers climbing, the speculation has begun that Vanek will be a valued asset in the coming months, with teams looking to add goal scorers for the playoff push.
One team certain to be uninterested in taking on Vanek's salary at the trade deadline is Minnesota, where Vanek played for two high-priced and underachieving seasons before the Wild bought out the final year of his contract in the summer of 2016.
While the Wild aren't scoring goals at an overly impressive clip lately, they have won two in a row, beating Chicago on the road Wednesday and Winnipeg at home Saturday.
They pounced on a tired Jets team in their last outing, and playing on back-to-back days, the Wild players know they have to guard against the same problem with the Canucks slightly more rested.
"You can't be pretty (Sunday). It's got to be back to work, back to grinding them down, especially against a team like Vancouver that has some nifty players," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. "They just beat Columbus too so they're feeling good about themselves. We have to make sure we close it out going into the break."
The Wild are close to full health, but have been playing without forward Nino Niederreiter, who has a lower-body ailment. They have a five-day break coming after the Vancouver game, but are trying to guard against looking ahead to the forthcoming rest and relaxation.
"I think we're still hungry. This is a big one," said Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, who had his second multi-goal game of the season versus Winnipeg. "We're going to treat it like a huge game (Sunday) going into our break. We'll be satisfied if we get the win."
It will be the second of three meetings this season. Vancover blanked Minnesota 1-0 in St. Paul on Oct. 24.
Showing posts with label Game Previews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Previews. Show all posts
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Penguins seek 4th in row vs. struggling Rangers
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PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers hold the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference, but they seem to be heading in different directions going into their game Sunday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Both clubs played their first game Saturday coming off their bye week, and both picked up where they left off.
Pittsburgh (23-19-3) beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 for its third straight win and fourth in five games.
The Rangers (22-19-3) lost 7-2 at home against the New York Islanders, their second straight loss and third in four games. They are 3-4-2 in their past nine.
Defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh is beginning to look like the dominant club it can be. It will try to match its season high with its fourth straight win.
The Penguins' big three -- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel -- combined for four goals and five assists (nine points) against Detroit.
Malkin has 18 points in his past 13 games, Crosby has nine points and Kessel had six points in the last three games.
They have contributed to the top power play in the NHL. Pittsburgh has 12 power-play goals in its past 10 games, and has multiple power-play goals in seven games since Dec. 21.
"It's always fun when you win," Malkin said. "We have more confidence. The mood is better. Now we just need to stay on the same level."
It's not just the offense that is prospering. The Penguins' penalty killers have stopped opposing power plays on 23 of 24 chances over the past eight games.
"Maybe we just turned the switch," Pittsburgh winger Carl Hagelin said after collecting a point in consecutive games for the first time this season.
"It's hard to say. You can see guys are more enthusiastic at the rink and guys are bringing more energy every day. That's the type of team we need to be, and the plan is to keep doing that."
The Penguins and Rangers have split two games this season, with New York picking up an extra point in an overtime loss.
They haven't met in more than a month, and New York is searching for answers.
"You've got to put trust in your game plan and trust in your system," winger Rick Nash said. "Leaders gotta lead, and everyone's got to follow.
"The beautiful thing about a back-to-back is it's a huge game for us (Sunday), and we can put forth a good effort and turn the page on (the 7-2 loss)."
Defenseman and team captain Ryan McDonough was much harsher, citing a strong team meeting Friday with no follow-through Saturday.
"The main thing is we want a group in here that's willing to do whatever it takes to win, and right now we don't have enough guys going like that," McDonough said. "The only thing you can do is watch your game (against the Islanders) and come back ready to play hard for your teammates.
"We had a good meeting coming out of the bye week, and I did not foresee this happening like this. For us to be successful, we need everybody buying in. Right now, we don't want it.
"Fortunately, we get another opportunity. If we do the same thing (Sunday) it's going to be the same result. I hope our guys understand the importance of (Sunday). It's a huge game for us. I hope we come ready."
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers hold the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference, but they seem to be heading in different directions going into their game Sunday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Both clubs played their first game Saturday coming off their bye week, and both picked up where they left off.
Pittsburgh (23-19-3) beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 for its third straight win and fourth in five games.
The Rangers (22-19-3) lost 7-2 at home against the New York Islanders, their second straight loss and third in four games. They are 3-4-2 in their past nine.
Defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh is beginning to look like the dominant club it can be. It will try to match its season high with its fourth straight win.
The Penguins' big three -- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel -- combined for four goals and five assists (nine points) against Detroit.
Malkin has 18 points in his past 13 games, Crosby has nine points and Kessel had six points in the last three games.
They have contributed to the top power play in the NHL. Pittsburgh has 12 power-play goals in its past 10 games, and has multiple power-play goals in seven games since Dec. 21.
"It's always fun when you win," Malkin said. "We have more confidence. The mood is better. Now we just need to stay on the same level."
It's not just the offense that is prospering. The Penguins' penalty killers have stopped opposing power plays on 23 of 24 chances over the past eight games.
"Maybe we just turned the switch," Pittsburgh winger Carl Hagelin said after collecting a point in consecutive games for the first time this season.
"It's hard to say. You can see guys are more enthusiastic at the rink and guys are bringing more energy every day. That's the type of team we need to be, and the plan is to keep doing that."
The Penguins and Rangers have split two games this season, with New York picking up an extra point in an overtime loss.
They haven't met in more than a month, and New York is searching for answers.
"You've got to put trust in your game plan and trust in your system," winger Rick Nash said. "Leaders gotta lead, and everyone's got to follow.
"The beautiful thing about a back-to-back is it's a huge game for us (Sunday), and we can put forth a good effort and turn the page on (the 7-2 loss)."
Defenseman and team captain Ryan McDonough was much harsher, citing a strong team meeting Friday with no follow-through Saturday.
"The main thing is we want a group in here that's willing to do whatever it takes to win, and right now we don't have enough guys going like that," McDonough said. "The only thing you can do is watch your game (against the Islanders) and come back ready to play hard for your teammates.
"We had a good meeting coming out of the bye week, and I did not foresee this happening like this. For us to be successful, we need everybody buying in. Right now, we don't want it.
"Fortunately, we get another opportunity. If we do the same thing (Sunday) it's going to be the same result. I hope our guys understand the importance of (Sunday). It's a huge game for us. I hope we come ready."
Flames ride six-game streak into Carolina
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RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes can't feel sorry for themselves going into Sunday afternoon's game against the Calgary Flames at PNC Arena.
While the Hurricanes took a gut punch with the conclusion of Friday night's game, the Flames are riding a six-game winning streak.
So the moods could be different as the teams approach their second meeting of the season.
"You just have to stay steady (during good times)," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. "You can't get wound up and think about them. We're going to push this group."
Calgary's win streak is the NHL's longest active streak of success.
On the flip side, the Hurricanes gave up two goals in the final 3:08 of Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.
"A couple of frustrating things out there, but that happens sometimes," Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. "It's a hard one to swallow so we have to get that one (out of the system) and come out with a big effort against Calgary."
That loss came in the team's first home game since Dallas billionaire Tom Dundon took majority of ownership of the team. So while that ruined some of the buzz surrounding the team, it's time to bounce back.
"There's no choice, really," Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner said. "It's one game we have to move on. Next game we've got another opportunity to get two points."
Calgary will be going for a sweep of a four-game road trip after winning Thursday night at Tampa Bay and Friday night at Florida. The Flames won those games by a combined 9-3 score.
There's a growing bond with the Flames.
"How much talking was on our bench and from different guys," Gulutzan said. "The amount of reinforcement that is coming in. You're really going to get something if your guys are driving the bus. ... The biggest thing for me is how they're taking ownership and they're playing for each other. All those little things are coming into this group and that's positive."
Yet the Flames are still trying to smooth out rough edges.
"I think maybe at the beginning of the year, we were finding ways to lose," Calgary left winger Matthew Tkachuk said. "Now we're grinding out wins."
The health of the Hurricanes is a concern considering the lineup shuffle from Friday night, leaving the team without key penalty killers.
Defenseman Brett Pesce went on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in Thursday's morning skate and center Derek Ryan was out of the lineup after suffering an injury in that night's game. Carolina was without forwards Joakim Nordstrom and Elias Lindholm because of illness.
"It shows the value of those guys," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said.
Forward Lucas Wallmark filled in, with the possibility of more help coming from the American Hockey League affiliate depending on the statuses of the ailing players.
The Hurricanes have upgraded their power-play production, going 6-for-17 across their last six games. They have two power-play goals in two of their last three games.
The Hurricanes have been going primarily with Cam Ward, who has been the clutch goaltender for the past month. But Ward was Friday night's loser while Scott Darling was the 3-1 winner one night earlier at Washington.
Calgary has options in net after backup David Rittich's 41-save outing Friday night in Florida. Mike Smith won a night earlier at Tampa Bay.
Carolina won 2-1 at Calgary on Oct. 19.
After Sunday, the Flames have five days off prior to beginning a three-game homestand.
"We're not overthinking this game," Tkachuk said of the finale of the road trip.
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes can't feel sorry for themselves going into Sunday afternoon's game against the Calgary Flames at PNC Arena.
While the Hurricanes took a gut punch with the conclusion of Friday night's game, the Flames are riding a six-game winning streak.
So the moods could be different as the teams approach their second meeting of the season.
"You just have to stay steady (during good times)," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. "You can't get wound up and think about them. We're going to push this group."
Calgary's win streak is the NHL's longest active streak of success.
On the flip side, the Hurricanes gave up two goals in the final 3:08 of Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.
"A couple of frustrating things out there, but that happens sometimes," Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. "It's a hard one to swallow so we have to get that one (out of the system) and come out with a big effort against Calgary."
That loss came in the team's first home game since Dallas billionaire Tom Dundon took majority of ownership of the team. So while that ruined some of the buzz surrounding the team, it's time to bounce back.
"There's no choice, really," Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner said. "It's one game we have to move on. Next game we've got another opportunity to get two points."
Calgary will be going for a sweep of a four-game road trip after winning Thursday night at Tampa Bay and Friday night at Florida. The Flames won those games by a combined 9-3 score.
There's a growing bond with the Flames.
"How much talking was on our bench and from different guys," Gulutzan said. "The amount of reinforcement that is coming in. You're really going to get something if your guys are driving the bus. ... The biggest thing for me is how they're taking ownership and they're playing for each other. All those little things are coming into this group and that's positive."
Yet the Flames are still trying to smooth out rough edges.
"I think maybe at the beginning of the year, we were finding ways to lose," Calgary left winger Matthew Tkachuk said. "Now we're grinding out wins."
The health of the Hurricanes is a concern considering the lineup shuffle from Friday night, leaving the team without key penalty killers.
Defenseman Brett Pesce went on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in Thursday's morning skate and center Derek Ryan was out of the lineup after suffering an injury in that night's game. Carolina was without forwards Joakim Nordstrom and Elias Lindholm because of illness.
"It shows the value of those guys," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said.
Forward Lucas Wallmark filled in, with the possibility of more help coming from the American Hockey League affiliate depending on the statuses of the ailing players.
The Hurricanes have upgraded their power-play production, going 6-for-17 across their last six games. They have two power-play goals in two of their last three games.
The Hurricanes have been going primarily with Cam Ward, who has been the clutch goaltender for the past month. But Ward was Friday night's loser while Scott Darling was the 3-1 winner one night earlier at Washington.
Calgary has options in net after backup David Rittich's 41-save outing Friday night in Florida. Mike Smith won a night earlier at Tampa Bay.
Carolina won 2-1 at Calgary on Oct. 19.
After Sunday, the Flames have five days off prior to beginning a three-game homestand.
"We're not overthinking this game," Tkachuk said of the finale of the road trip.
Blackhawks host longtime rival Red Wings
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CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks will face off against an old division rival when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday at the United Center.
The teams have met 733 times during the regular season and 81 times during the playoffs since their first game in 1926. But a divisional realignment before the 2013-14 season sent the Red Wings to the Eastern Conference while the Blackhawks remained in the Western Conference, which reduced the rivalry to a fraction of what it once represented.
Still, the stakes are high as Chicago (22-16-6) welcomes the Red Wings to its building for the only time this season. The Blackhawks are part of a crowded field of playoff contenders and hope to pick up two more points before the start of this week's five-day break between games.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville will turn to Jeff Glass, a 32-year-old rookie, to start in goal. Glass toiled for years in the minor leagues and Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, but he has made the most of an opportunity to replace injured goaltender Corey Crawford. In five starts, Glass is 3-1-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
"I'm just trying to prove myself every single day," Glass told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's really not about me anymore. It's about the team and getting the points. I really do mean that."
Detroit (17-18-7) is looking for a bounce-back performance after dropping its past two games. The Red Wings will play on short rest after losing 4-1 on the road to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill will have to adjust his line combinations because of lower-body injuries to Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader. Both players were hurt in Saturday's game and have been ruled out against the Blackhawks.
Goaltender Petr Mrazek could make the start for Detroit after Jimmy Howard opened the back-to-back set on Saturday. Mrazek has struggled (3-5-1, 3.78 GAA, .885 save percentage) in 12 appearances this season. He also has fared poorly during his career against the Blackhawks (0-2-1, 5.20 GAA, .864 save percentage).
Those statistics could prompt Detroit to start Howard for the second day in a row. Howard is 14-13-6 with a 2.68 GAA and .915 save percentage in 35 games this season. In 22 career appearances against Chicago, the Syracuse, N.Y., native is 7-8-5 with a 2.66 GAA and .908 save percentage.
The Blackhawks hope for a continued boost from Anthony Duclair, who notched an assist in his team debut on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. Duclair was acquired earlier this week from the Arizona Coyotes as part of a trade that sent Richard Panik to the desert.
Meanwhile, the short-handed Red Wings could lean more heavily on forwards such as Nyquist and Anthony Mantha. Both players are tied for the team lead with 14 goals apiece.
The Red Wings need to improve in the second half of the season to avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The last time Detroit missed out on the playoffs in consecutive seasons was from 1978-79 to 1982-83.
"We are optimistic in here," Nyquist told the Detroit Free Press. "We all think we are a better team (at) this point than we were last year although the lineup looks very similar. We've made strides as a team."
CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks will face off against an old division rival when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday at the United Center.
The teams have met 733 times during the regular season and 81 times during the playoffs since their first game in 1926. But a divisional realignment before the 2013-14 season sent the Red Wings to the Eastern Conference while the Blackhawks remained in the Western Conference, which reduced the rivalry to a fraction of what it once represented.
Still, the stakes are high as Chicago (22-16-6) welcomes the Red Wings to its building for the only time this season. The Blackhawks are part of a crowded field of playoff contenders and hope to pick up two more points before the start of this week's five-day break between games.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville will turn to Jeff Glass, a 32-year-old rookie, to start in goal. Glass toiled for years in the minor leagues and Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, but he has made the most of an opportunity to replace injured goaltender Corey Crawford. In five starts, Glass is 3-1-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
"I'm just trying to prove myself every single day," Glass told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's really not about me anymore. It's about the team and getting the points. I really do mean that."
Detroit (17-18-7) is looking for a bounce-back performance after dropping its past two games. The Red Wings will play on short rest after losing 4-1 on the road to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill will have to adjust his line combinations because of lower-body injuries to Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader. Both players were hurt in Saturday's game and have been ruled out against the Blackhawks.
Goaltender Petr Mrazek could make the start for Detroit after Jimmy Howard opened the back-to-back set on Saturday. Mrazek has struggled (3-5-1, 3.78 GAA, .885 save percentage) in 12 appearances this season. He also has fared poorly during his career against the Blackhawks (0-2-1, 5.20 GAA, .864 save percentage).
Those statistics could prompt Detroit to start Howard for the second day in a row. Howard is 14-13-6 with a 2.68 GAA and .915 save percentage in 35 games this season. In 22 career appearances against Chicago, the Syracuse, N.Y., native is 7-8-5 with a 2.66 GAA and .908 save percentage.
The Blackhawks hope for a continued boost from Anthony Duclair, who notched an assist in his team debut on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. Duclair was acquired earlier this week from the Arizona Coyotes as part of a trade that sent Richard Panik to the desert.
Meanwhile, the short-handed Red Wings could lean more heavily on forwards such as Nyquist and Anthony Mantha. Both players are tied for the team lead with 14 goals apiece.
The Red Wings need to improve in the second half of the season to avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The last time Detroit missed out on the playoffs in consecutive seasons was from 1978-79 to 1982-83.
"We are optimistic in here," Nyquist told the Detroit Free Press. "We all think we are a better team (at) this point than we were last year although the lineup looks very similar. We've made strides as a team."
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Canucks, Canadiens missing key players
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Hockey fans in Vancouver often buy their tickets for games between the Canucks and Montreal Canadiens well in advance.
However, many fans probably wished they had waited before doling out the bucks for the Tuesday night contest. Both clubs will be missing key players due to injuries when they face off at Rogers Arena.
Canadiens coach Claude Julien revealed that top defenseman Shea Weber will not play due to a foot injury. Meanwhile, the Canucks could be without top scorer Brock Boeser and one of their best defensemen, Chris Tanev, while others definitely will miss the game.
"Shea (Weber) has a problem with his foot that's not getting better," Julien said after a practice Monday in Vancouver. "We're sending him back to Montreal so our doctors can take a look at him."
The Canadiens decided not to call up a defenseman even though they are reduced to six rearguards. Weber's blue-line partner, 19-year-old rookie Victor Mete, is away with Canada's world junior championship team.
Boeser, 20, who is considered a strong candidate for NHL rookie of the year, was hurt while blocking a Mark Giordano shot Sunday in Vancouver's 6-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Boeser left the arena on crutches and sporting a walking boot. The Canucks called up Reid Boucher from their AHL farm club in Utica, N.Y., on Monday as an apparent replacement. However, according to a radio report, Boeser did not sustain a fracture.
Tanev missed the Sunday game due to an undisclosed injury sustained last week against the Nashville Predators. Even so, the Canucks returned defenseman Ashton Sautner to Utica on Monday.
The Canucks also have been without injured top center Bo Horvat (foot), winger Sven Baertschi (undisclosed) and Erik Gudbranson (wrist) lately, and winger Derek Dorsett's career-ending neck injury in November continues to haunt the team. Yet coach Travis Green is confident that his players will not dwell on the misfortune.
"Guys believe in themselves," Green said. "No one wants a teammate to get hurt. Guys are aware of where we are at with injuries, but they also know it's opportunity as well, and they look forward to those challenges. Each individual, they want opportunity."
As suspense builds over the injured players, the Canadiens and Canucks will try to bounce back from one-sided losses to struggling teams. Montreal was blanked 3-0 by the struggling Ottawa Senators on Saturday in an outdoor game in Canada's capital. Vancouver's dreadful effort Sunday resulted in the Flames earning only their third win in eight games -- with two coming against the Canucks.
The Sunday setback was Vancouver's third lopsided loss in four games.
"We don't want to lose like that at home ever," Canucks winger Jake Virtanen said. "We have to be able to play a full 60 minutes and be able to make an impact all the time, every shift and every line. It can't just be certain lines. It's got to be a group."
Meanwhile, Julien tried to help his club get better by adjusting his line combinations in practice Monday.
"Every once in a while, you try to shake things up," Julien said. "I didn't mind what I saw today in our lines. You shake things up, but it still boils down to our will and desire. We've shown the ability to play some real good hockey games, but we haven't shown the ability to be consistent, night in and night out."
The Canucks, who went 1-5-0 in their past six games while being outscored 26-6 in that span, are also looking for more consistency. They also need to improve on poor home record (6-8-3) as they try to win without their injured players.
"We know what it takes to win," Vancouver winger Daniel Sedin said. "We have to play the system. We need every guy now to play it -- and do a really good job."
Panthers, Coyotes carry losing streaks into matchup
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet keeps searching for a way to turn around a club that lost its first 11 games and hasn't gotten much better since then.
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan's advice to his former assistant coach: Keep looking for those answers, because your hockey team is counting on you to find them.
"We've talked a lot about staying the course and sticking with your convictions," Sullivan said.
However, in a season filled with disappointments for the Coyotes, their 4-2 loss to the Penguins on Saturday night in which Pittsburgh scored twice in the final 15 seconds might have been the most discouraging yet. It was a loss the Florida Panthers can relate to.
The Panthers (12-16-5) wind up a five-game road trip in which they have won only once by playing the Coyotes (7-23-5) on Tuesday night.
The matchup features two teams that certainly aren't in a holiday mood in December. The Panthers have dropped three straight and seven of nine during this busy month, while Coyotes have lost six in a row and nine of their past 10.
The first-year head coaches for both teams are struggling to explain what happened in the third period of their last game.
The Panthers were tied 2-2 at Vegas with less than eight minutes remaining Sunday -- after leading 2-0 -- when the Golden Knights scored three consecutive goals, all while outshooting Florida 20-2 in the third period. Panthers coach Bob Boughner almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Our third period was probably, obviously, the most disappointing period for me in a long time, maybe the season," Boughner said.
Similarly, Tocchet loved how his young team surged back to tie the Penguins after trailing 2-0, only to have Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta's slap shot beat goaltender Antti Raanta for the game-winning goal with 14.5 seconds left. Raanta promptly broke his stick over the crossbar in a show of frustration that no doubt every one of his teammates could understand.
"He played well, and he feels bad," Tocchet said. "It's adversity, and he'll go back in there again and give us a chance again. That's the life of a Coyote right now, we have to build off these experiences."
Tocchet must be wondering how many of these experiences his team must go through. The Coyotes have lost 28 of 35 games overall, and since a dominating 5-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 2, they are 0-5-1.
"It's been a season like that, and it's going to build character," Tocchet said. "We're going to weed this thing out and we're going to build character on these losses. But they're tough -- I tell you, they're tough."
Tocchet, a Penguins assistant when they won the Stanley Cup the past two seasons, talked before the game with his former boss, who could offer only words of encouragement to a man he obviously respects.
"When you're a leader of a group like a hockey team, the players are taking their cues off you as the head coach, and you've got to make sure that you send the right messages and you have to be consistent with it," Sullivan said. "Toc has strong convictions on how he thinks the game should be played. He's a very good communicator. I think if anybody is up for the challenge that's in front of the Arizona Coyotes, it's him."
Tocchet certainly hasn't resisted change. On Saturday, for example, he switched winger Max Domi to center -- a position he hadn't played since junior hockey -- and did it without warning on the day of a game. Domi drew three penalties but scored his first goal since Nov. 20.
"They're young kids, and (you have to) get them in tough moments and see how they do because that's the only way you're going to build it around here," Tocchet said of a team that has an average age of 25 years and 27 days, making it the NHL's youngest.
Tocchet would like to get some home-ice momentum going. The Coyotes are 3-10-1 at Gila River Arena, and they have dropped the first two games of a five-game homestand.
Boughner would like to get right winger Radim Vrbata going on a familiar ice surface to him. Vrbata has only four goals in 27 games after having 20 goals and 55 points with Arizona last season.
However, Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson said it has been difficult for the whole group to find its way lately.
"It's tough to keep your confidence up when you're not getting W's," he said. "The last three games, we've been struggling to generate consistent zone time."
The Coyotes can relate to that after being outshot 81-50 by Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh in the past two games.
Arizona is expected to stay with Raanta (4-8-2) in goal because Tocchet wants him to get plenty of work after Raanta sat out three different stretches with injuries previously this season. James Reimer (6-9-4) is expected to start for Florida.
"We'll find a way in Arizona," Reimer said following the loss at Vegas.
Stars look to cool Capitals
DALLAS -- After going 2-1-1 in their Eastern Conference road trip, the Dallas Stars get little respite as they return home to oppose the sizzling Washington Capitals on Tuesday at American Airlines Center.
"Yeah, they're a good team, obviously," Stars goalie Ben Bishop said of the Capitals following practice on Monday. "They've won 10 of 12, so they're feeling it right now. It's just going to be a matter of staying disciplined in our systems and with penalties. That's a very dangerous power play, so you don't want to be giving them any extra opportunities, so that's going to be a big thing."
Washington has the NHL's seventh-best power play, converting 20.75 percent of its opportunities, so minimizing the Capitals' chances with the extra attacker is imperative for Dallas to have a chance of prevailing Tuesday.
Dallas (18-14-2) concluded its road trip with a 2-1 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Saturday, a game in which both Flyers goals came on the power play.
The Stars have been on the penalty kill this season more than all but three other teams, but first-year coach Ken Hitchcock doesn't see his team's rash of penalties as an area of concern.
"No, it comes and goes. Always happens to younger players," Hitchcock said of the Stars' penalties. "What has happened is it's been the younger players who are learning to play in the National Hockey League, but also quite frankly is what happens when you have a poor stick. There's not many young players that have good sticks. That's a learned skill that takes time. A lot of our younger guys are learning how to do that properly."
Dallas, 10-4-0 at home and 10-0-2 in its past 12 games against the Capitals, continues to be without defenseman Marc Methot (knee).
"He's not close. He lasted 30 minutes in instructional and 10 minutes with us, so he's not ready. He's not ready to join us on a full-time basis," Hitchcock said. "He might join (the Tuesday) pregame skate, but he hasn't gotten through a practice yet, so I can't give you an exact date. He was to go a little bit longer (Monday); he didn't, he wasn't able to. We'll review it (Tuesday) and start again (Tuesday)."
Hitchcock named Bishop as the Tuesday starter in goal but declined to say which goaltender he would give the nod to in the two huge Central Division home games later in the week: Thursday against the Nashville Predators and Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"Both guys (Bishop and backup Kari Lehtonen) are playing awful well right now. That's an awful good sign," Hitchcock said. "We got confidence in either guy. These are heavyweight teams that we're playing that are on real long hot streaks right now, so goaltending's going to be a major factor here if we're going to win some of these games."
The Capitals (21-12-1), who are 8-6-0 against the Western Conference, are one of the NHL's hottest teams.
Washington, which defeated the visiting Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in overtime on Saturday to start a run of four straight against West foes, figures to get a nice boost from the return of forward TJ Oshie to the lineup. He missed the previous four games due to a concussion.
"I want to get back in there and join in on some of the fun," Oshie said after practice Friday.
And if Oshie is fully recovered, Capitals coach Barry Trotz will be more than happy to welcome him back into the rotation.
"TJ's a real good player for us," Trotz said. "He's a big part of what we do, and if he healthy and ready to go, I have no problem putting him in the lineup."
Washington is 7-7-1 on the road. Tuesday's game marks the start of a four-game road trip that will also take the Capitals to Arizona, Vegas and back East to play the New York Rangers before returning home.
For whatever reason, Dallas is one place where Washington has had trouble getting wins. The Stars have earned points in their past 12 home games against the Capitals, who haven't won in regulation in Dallas since Oct. 17, 1995, when Washington won 4-3 at the Stars' former home, Reunion Arena.
Predators hope to continue Canadian domination vs. Jets
It's hard to do any better than the Nashville Predators did on their road trip through Western Canada last week.
They swept three games against Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary by a combined score of 13-1. Juuse Saros and Pekka Rinne pitched consecutive shutouts in Alberta, while the power play kept clicking along and the penalty kill came up big in victories against the Oilers and Flames.
"We played a lot of good hockey," Nashville's Ryan Johansen said. "We started off right in Vancouver and found ways to win the last couple of games, so a lot of credit to every guy in here. Every guy was contributing throughout this trip, so it was a fun three games for us."
Nashville will try to keep the fun going Tuesday night on its return to Bridgestone Arena, where it plays the Winnipeg Jets in a Central Division showdown.
The Predators (21-7-4) are 6-0-1 in their last seven games and 16-2-2 since Nov. 3, giving them a tie for first place in the division with St. Louis.
Winnipeg (19-10-5) is coming off a split of its home-and-home series over the weekend with St. Louis. After losing 2-0 Saturday night at Scottrade Center as Carter Hutton recorded a franchise record for saves in a shutout with 48, the Jets bounced back Sunday to win 4-0.
The only difference between that game and Saturday night was that Winnipeg scored. It drove play in both games, pumping 46 shots at Jake Allen in the rematch and lighting the lamp twice in the second and third periods.
"We got a lot of offense in those games," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "That's the real takeaway from it. Those guys expect themselves to score. You need to stay in the game, the style of game you play best and they did that."
Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler said Sunday's result validated the belief that this is a playoff team, mainly because it didn't let frustration color its efforts after Hutton's shutout. All but four Jets skaters put a shot on net Sunday, and two who didn't found the scoresheet, meaning their bus consisted of few passengers.
"The teams that have success when they're in the playoffs are teams that do that over and over again," Wheeler said of sticking to a game plan. "You just stick with it. We were able to take control of the game in the second period."
It helped that Connor Hellebuyck (17-4-4, 2.45 goals-against average, .920 save percentage) was on point when faced with shots, turning away 24 of them for his second shutout of the month and season. He'll have to be as strong to turn away a Nashville attack that has scored at least three goals in 18 of the last 20 games.
The Predators have been particularly explosive on home ice, averaging 3.9 goals in 15 home games. Filip Forsberg, who has 15 goals and 17 assists on the season, has scored at least a point in every home game.
Rinne (18-4-3, 2.25 GAA, .930 save percentage) is expected to start after stopping 32 shots Saturday night in Calgary for his third shutout of the season.
Sabres hope effort translates into win vs. Bruins
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Consistency remains a problem for the Buffalo Sabres as they look to turn things around for good.
Buffalo will look to put forth a more consistent effort on Tuesday night in a nationally-televised home game against the Boston Bruins.
The Sabres (8-18-7) are coming off one of their better offensive efforts of the season on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. In that game, former second overall pick Jack Eichel delivered his first career hat trick but the Sabres ultimately came up short in a 5-4 overtime defeat.
Those outcomes are the story of the season in recent weeks for Buffalo. After a dreadful stretch in November that saw Buffalo lose 11 of 12 games, the Sabres have been better as of late but have yet to see it pay off in the standings.
Buffalo has points in five of its last six games but has also lost four of its last five games (1-1-3).
"There was a lot of good things, but at the end of the day, we only get one point," Eichel said after the loss to Carolina. "It stings a little bit.
"It's not good enough to get a point. It seems like it's been the reoccurring theme here of late. We've had good effort and put ourselves in games and had opportunities to win and we're coming out with overtime losses."
Sabres coach Phil Housley continues to stress consistency, structure and urgency in Buffalo's play on the ice.
"It's just those little details and I continue to talk about it, our play without the puck," Housley said. "It's that urgency that something bad could happen, and (against Carolina) it did."
With 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists), Eichel is second on the team in scoring. Evander Kane (14 goals, 17 assists) has been Buffalo's best and most consistent player this year and leads Buffalo in scoring.
One bright spot for Buffalo has been the play of goalie Robin Lehner, who has really come on as of late. Lehner has a save percentage of .911 in 25 games played this year.
The Sabres could get some help sometime this week as Jacob Josefson looks to return from an ankle injury. Josefson has missed much of the season due to injury but has performed well as a depth player when in the lineup.
Boston (16-10-5) is entering a busy period of the schedule; the Bruins are in the middle of a stretch of three games in four days and seven games in 10 days.
The Bruins head to Buffalo following a big 7-2 win over Columbus on Monday night at home. Improving on the power play was a focal point after struggling in a Saturday overtime loss to the New York Rangers and the Bruins came up with two power-play goals in the second period against Columbus to open the flood gates on offense.
"It was good to get the first goal," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after his team scored the first three goals. "It's always an advantage, especially at home, to get the other team chasing the game."
Charlie McAvoy scored a power-play goal and added an assist. Fellow Bruins rookies Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk played key roles with a goal and two assists.
Heinen has four goals and nine points in the last seven games.
David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in scoring with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists); Brad Marchand is second in scoring with 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists). Both Tuukka Rask (.912 save percentage) and Anton Khudobin (.915 save percentage) have excelled between the pipes.
Senators hope to put aside distractions vs. Wild
OTTAWA -- While avoiding conversations about their owner's public complaints over attendance, the Ottawa Senators are attempting to do what they can to bring fans back to Canadian Tire Centre.
And that, of course, is get themselves back into the playoff race.
After the fifth-worst November (3-7-1) in franchise history and a December that saw the Senators win just one of their first six games, they are starting to show signs of life.
By defeating the visiting Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, the Senators (11-13-7) will have their first three-game winning streak since the second week of the season.
What remains to be seen is how many will be on hand to witness the attempt after almost 34,000 paid inflated ticket prices to watch Saturday's 3-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL's first outdoor game of the season -- and after Senators owner Eugene Melnyk suggested he could relocate the team or dramatically cut the payroll if attendance doesn't improve.
"That's none of our business," team captain Erik Karlsson said Monday when asked about Melnyk's comments. "That's what he worries about. We worry about playing hockey. That's all we can control. That's what we get paid to do. We show up here every day and do the best we can at what we do."
Karlsson, the two-time Norris Trophy winner who has just one goal this season, did about everything anyone could ask in the victory over the Canadiens. Along with an assist on the game winner, he saw a season-high 32:55 of ice time, was a plus-3, had eight blocked shots and seven shots on goal.
It was a performance that suggested his future is not his focus even though he is lined up to become one of the league's highest paid players when his contract expires at the end of next season.
"I'm happy right now, happy where I'm at, worried about making sure we get out of this slump we're in right now and making the postseason this season," Karlsson said.
The Wild (17-13-3) will be playing its second of a four-game road trip that started with Saturday's 4-1 loss in Chicago.
With No. 1 goalie Devan Dubnyk sidelined indefinitely by a lower body injury, Minnesota is relying on Alex Stalock between the pipes. Stalock stopped a season-high 42 shots in Saturday's setback, and in five game since Dec. 10 has commendable numbers, with a 3-2-0 record that includes one shutout to go along with a 2.10 goals against average and a .935 save percentage.
"He was awesome again tonight," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau told reports after the Chicago game. "The guy competes his (butt) off. You hopefully can get better results. This week, it's not all doom and gloom. We were 2-2. We didn't lose the week. We've got a chance to win two out of three before Christmas, or three out of three, depending on what goes on. And then we'll be back at it."
With just seven goals in its last four games, Minnesota needs to get going offensively.
Defenseman Matt Dumba has been carrying much of the load, scoring the lone goal Saturday to give him three in the last two games and five in the last eight.
"He's probably the only one with offensive confidence right now," Boudreau said. "What he's doing is he's starting to shoot the puck. He's got a great shot. If he shoots the puck a lot he's going to get a lot more of those."
Senators coach Guy Boucher confirmed that Craig Anderson will get the chance to win his third straight on Tuesday, while winger Gabriel Dumont will sit with a foot injury. The team has recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from its AHL affiliate.
Rangers C Zibanejad set to return vs. Ducks
NEW YORK -- Mika Zibanejad is expected to return to the lineup when the New York Rangers host the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
When Zibanejad left the lineup with a concussion in late-November, he was the Rangers leading scorer and driving force on team's top power-play unit.
The Rangers are 5-3-1 without Zibanejad and have averaged 3.1 goals per game over that time.
The power play, however, is just 5-for-27 (18.5 percent) in Zibanejad's absence, which is about four points below the season average prior to Zibanejad's injury. But he was back at practice Monday and expects to be ready to go against the Ducks.
"It's obviously tough to be out and tough to watch, but always fun, too, to come back," Zibanejad said to Newsday. "I think this is the right time. We took it step by step, and it was another step (Monday) to practice on my line. So far so good."
Zibanejad's role on the power play is on the left side, where his right-handed shot is used to one-time pucks from the face-off circle. But the Rangers lacked a suitable replacement, which meant defenses didn't have to worry about one-timers from that side of the ice with the Rangers deploying four left-handed shots and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.
"I think he just makes our power play so much more dangerous instantly," Shattenkirk said to Newsday. "He's a huge weapon on that side, not only the way he shoots the puck, but he makes a lot of poise plays as well that seem to calm everything down when we need it. He does the same thing five-on-five."
The Rangers (18-12-3) are coming off back-to-back wins over the weekend while the Ducks (14-12-8) lost 5-3 in New Jersey on Monday night to the Devils, marking the first time the Ducks failed to earn a point since Dec. 1.
That statistic doesn't necessarily indicate a hot streak, as the Ducks were 3-0-4 before losing to the Devils.
The Ducks squandered a 2-0 first-period lead against the Devils and rank 30th in the league in points percentage when leading after the first period and 29th when leading after two periods.
Holding leads has been a problem all season for the Ducks, who will face a rested Rangers team that has the seventh-best record this season when trailing after two periods.
"I think we stopped skating and then we stopped sharing the puck," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "I thought we had opportunities to move the puck effectively in the second period and we didn't."
"They kept coming," said Ducks center Adam Henrique, who scored a highlight-reel goal in his first game against the Devils since last month's trade to Anaheim. "We sat back in the second half of the game. We just have to manage that a little better."
For all of their struggles holding leads this season, the Ducks are 3-0-3 in the second half of back-to-backs this season.
"We have to have more energy and play better than we did the last two periods, that's going to be our goal," Carlyle said. "If we focus on that, play for 60 minutes, we think we're going to be a pretty effective hockey club."
Islanders host rested Red Wings
NEW YORK -- Two teams hoping to parlay some schedule certainty into sustained winning streaks will meet Tuesday night when the New York Islanders host the Detroit Red Wings at Barclays Center.
Both squads enter Tuesday having enjoyed multiple days off since winning their most recent game. The Islanders overcame a two-goal first period deficit Saturday night to outlast the visiting Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime. The Red Wings played their final home game before Christmas on Friday, when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1.
For the Islanders (18-12-3), the win snapped a two-game losing streak and provided an encouraging start to a five-game homestand that bookends the NHL's holiday break. New York, which has won just three of its last nine games (3-5-1), took its first lead against the Kings on Anders Lee's goal with 3:16 remaining in regulation and survived a goal by Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar with 13 seconds left in the third to earn the win on Jordan Eberle's tally 1:54 into overtime.
"This is a huge win for us," Islanders head coach Doug Weight said afterwards. "The fashion we were able to do it, a little emotion coming back from an early deficit. You can carry this. Momentum goes so far, but this is a good feeling and we've got three home games coming up before Christmas."
The Islanders, who host the Anaheim Ducks (Thursday) and Winnipeg Jets (Saturday) before returning from the Christmas break for a date with the Buffalo Sabres (Dec. 27), will enter Tuesday tied with the New York Rangers for the two Eastern Conference wild card spots.
"I know as of late, it hasn't been the greatest, but we have a bit of a homestand here and we've played really well at home," Eberle said. "So we need to gather as many points as we can and start rolling. We've got, I believe, three more games until Christmas and we need six points."
The victory Friday by the Red Wings (12-13-7) snapped a three-game losing streak (0-1-2) and was just their second in the last 10 games (2-4-4). Detroit needed the spark heading out on an east coast road trip in which it will visit the Philadelphia Flyers (Wednesday) and Boston Bruins (Saturday) before Christmas and the New Jersey Devils (Dec. 27) following the holiday.
"I do think, especially as you get close to the Christmas holiday, it can be a little bit of an advantage to get on the road and just have that bunker mentality and away from some of the commitments you have when you're at home," Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill told the team's website.
A point-filled road trip is a near-necessity for the Red Wings, who fell six points behind the third-place Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division with the Bruins' 7-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.
"It was a good win against Toronto and we want to continue the things we're doing well," Red Wings left winger Justin Abdelkader told the team's website. "We want to start to bank away some more points and get back up in the playoff race."
Leafs to begin 2nd century vs. Hurricanes
TORONTO - While celebrating their 100th anniversary on Tuesday afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs would like to put some recent history behind them.
The Maple Leafs have lost three in a row entering their game against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre.
They likely will be without star center Auston Matthews for a fifth straight game with what is listed as an upper-body injury. He has been skating, but a possible return date has yet to be determined.
"He's doing good, I don't know when they're letting him play, but he's doing good," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have won three in a row.
"Time to get refreshed, both physically and mentally," Babcock said. "We've been in every game we've played the last three, but haven't found a way to win. We've been ahead, behind, in all scenarios. We have to find a way to get points."
The Maple Leafs have added injury problems. Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is out with a lower-body injury after he blocked a shot during the loss to the Red Wings in Detroit on Friday. He will be out for at least two weeks.
"You can ask me how he's doing in two weeks and we'll go from there," Babcock said. "The way I look at it, it creates an opportunity for (Connor) Carrick, who has been waiting all year. The ball's in his court and we get to watch him."
"Zee is a big part of this club, it's my job to step in," Carrick said. "After a couple of practices at home, we should be gunned up and energetic."
Dubbed, the "Next Century Game", the encounter on Tuesday commemorates the club's first game, played Dec. 19, 1917, when they were the Toronto Arenas and faced the Montreal Wanderers.
"I think it's fun," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said Monday. "I think it's awesome to be a part of it, 100 years of the NHL. They're wearing the told Toronto Arena jerseys. I think it's going to be a fun afternoon."
This will be third and final meeting of the season between the teams.
The Hurricanes won 6-3 at the ACC Oct. 26 and the Maple Leafs won 5-4 at Raleigh, N.C. on Nov. 24.
Peters said his team will need to play with energy against the Maple Leafs, who have had three days off in the schedule.
"(The Maple Leafs have) been off for a while and they'll be chomping at the bit," Peters said.
The Maple Leafs (20-13-1) are 5-5-0 in their past 10 games, while the Hurricanes (14-11-7) are 4-3-3.
In defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Saturday, the Hurricanes won a game in regulation for the first time since defeating the New York Islanders 4-2 on Nov. 19.
"It's important to know how to win," defenseman Noah Hanifin said. "If you're going to be in the playoffs and be a tough team to play against, you have to know how to win, especially when you have leads. (Saturday), we had a lead in the whole third period and we found a way to hold it, so we're learning from that."
During their three-game string of wins, the Hurricanes have had solid goaltending from Cam Ward and Scott Darling.
Ward, 33, has the experience with 301 wins in 635 career games (622 starts), while Darling, 28, has 47 wins in 98 career games (86 starts).
"I'm learning every day," Darling said. "I've been learning a lot from Cam, too. He's been showing me the ropes. It's not going to happen overnight, and I'm excited to keep working on it. He talks to me and keeps my confidence up. He's been through it all in his career. He's seen the highs and the lows. If he sees me down, he's quick to give me a pat on the back."
Before the win Saturday, Darling was in a 0-3-2 drought.
With Zaitsev on injured reserve, the Maple Leafs recalled defenseman Martin Marincin from the Marlies of the AHL. Marincin, 25, has two goals and five assists with the Marlies this season.
Upstart Golden Knights face hot Lightning
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LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights already possess an impressive tally of milestones during their inaugural NHL season, tying or breaking records for best start (3-0-0), win streak (five, twice), most wins in the first 12 home games (10) and fewest games to reach 20 victories (31).
Perhaps the most impressive statistic for coach Gerard Gallant's expansion squad is this one: In five games against the four teams that played in last season's conference finals -- Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh, Nashville, Anaheim and Ottawa -- the Golden Knights are a perfect 5-0-0.
Now comes arguably their toughest test of the season when the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning make their first visit to T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night.
The Atlantic Division-leading Lightning have the best record in the NHL (24-6-2), and they haven't lost a game in December, bringing a seven-game win streak with them to Las Vegas including a 6-5 victory at Colorado on Saturday.
"Everyone wants to play in the big game," Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt said. "You want to be able to match yourself up against the best teams and players as well as you can. They've got some of the hottest players and are the hottest team in the league right now, and that's what you want to match yourself up against."
Tampa Bay leads the NHL in scoring (3.8 goals per game) and power-play success (27.4 percent) and is third in goals against (2.5). Right winger Nikita Kucherov leads the league in points (46) and is tied with Washington's Alex Ovechkin for most goals (23) while center Steven Stamkos is second in scoring (43) and tied for second in assists (31).
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins (21) and is third in both save percentage (.934) and goals against (2.11) while defenseman Anton Stralman leads the league in plus/minus (plus-24).
The Lightning also own a league-best plus-43 in goal differential, which is 18 better than the second place Los Angeles Kings.
"They play a fast game," Gallant said. "I talk about our team playing fast. Well, this is probably the fastest and quickest team in the league. ... They score more goals than anybody, and they play a real good hockey game. They're a dangerous club."
Tampa Bay spent the past two days in Las Vegas, and coach Jon Cooper gave his squad Sunday off to "check out the sights." Cooper, meanwhile, took in the Golden Knights' 5-2 win over Florida that night.
"I got to go to the game as a fan (Sunday) night and really enjoyed myself," Cooper said of the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena. "But it will be a work day (on Tuesday)."
Cooper also came away impressed with what he saw on the ice.
"They roll four lines out at you and six (defensemen)," Cooper told NHL.com. "Their team is really good. It was really impressive to watch.
"It feels like they're never out of a play. You fall asleep on them and they're going to get you. They're a team that plays for three periods."
The game against the Golden Knights (21-9-2) ends a 10-day, four-game road trip for the Lightning that started with a 3-0 victory at St. Louis and also included a 4-1 win over Arizona before the Saturday victory over the Avalanche.
"We came on this trip wanting to win all four," Tampa Bay defenseman Jake Dotchin said. "We still haven't accomplished our goal. We've got to come in Tuesday ready to go and get ready to play a good team."
Friday, November 17, 2017
Short-handed Red Wings host Sabres
DETROIT -- As they prepared to play the Buffalo Sabres on Friday at Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Red Wings were left to wonder whether they'd have enough players to play the game.
The Wings confirmed that Luke Witkowski, who was assessed 35 minutes in penalties, including a game misconduct, during a late-game line brawl in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Calgary Flames, will receive a 10-game suspension from the NHL. After being escorted from the ice by game officials, Witkowski returned to rejoin the fight.
Defenseman Trevor Daley also left Wednesday's game with an upper-body injury.
"Right now, I'd call Daley day-to-day," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. "I don't know what that means though. I don't know if that means day-to-day 10 days or day-to-day Friday.
"I would not rule him out for Friday, but he's certainly questionable."
If Daley can't go, there's a chance that defenseman Danny DeKeyser (ankle) could answer the bell. DeKeyser, who has missed the last 16 games, returned to practice this week and is targeting a weekend return to action, either Friday against the Sabres or Sunday at home to the Colorado Avalanche.
"That's what I'm hoping for," DeKeyser said. "That's kind of like the best-case scenario. If it keeps feeling better and I keep feeling better on the ice, it's definitely a possibility."
Forwards Martin Frk (groin) and Darren Helm (undisclosed) missed Wednesday's game but Helm is expected to play Friday.
The Wings currently have no extra healthy bodies, and suited up 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the last two games instead of the customary 12:6 ratio. If none of their other walking wounded are healthy enough to play Friday, they will recall someone from AHL Grand Rapids.
On the ice, the Wings will hope to see a continuation of the contributions they've been getting from their young forwards. Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou and Dylan Larkin combined for five goals in the win over the Flames. Larkin scored a short-handed goal, Detroit's fourth of the season, giving the Wings a share of the NHL lead in that category.
In the midst of a five-game homestand and a stretch where they will play 13 of 15 at home, the Wings, 3-2-2 in their new rink at Little Caesars Arena, are hopeful that Wednesday's game can be a stepping stone to establishing a home-ice advantage.
"We know we can score a lot of goals and obviously Howie (goalie Jimmy Howard) is playing great," Mantha said. "If we play as a team every time like this we'll be a hard team to play against."
As with the Wings, Buffalo is also dealing with some injury issues. Thursday, the Sabres placed defensemen Taylor Fedun (lower body) and Matt Tennyson (foot) on injured reserve and recalled defenseman Casey Nelson and forward Kyle Criscuolo from AHL Rochester.
The Sabres have lost three in a row, the last two in overtime, and are also winless in their last three on the road (0-1-2). They've surrendered 11 goals in their past three games, and coach Phil Housley is unhappy with his team's defensive awareness.
"If we have to play defense, we have to defend well," Housley told the Buffalo News. "You have to defend well. You have to play well without the puck if you're going to win."
Monday, November 13, 2017
Flames end home stretch vs. Blues
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CALGARY, Alberta -- The Calgary Flames will face a tough test against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night to wrap up their seven-game homestand at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
After dropping a 5-2 decision to the Blues (13-4-1) on Oct. 25 in St. Louis, the Flames (9-7-0) returned home and have won four of their past six games, including a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Since then, they've had three days off to prepare for the Blues, whose three-game winning streak ended Saturday with a 5-2 loss at home to the New York Islanders.
"It will be a big match for us considering what happened in St. Louis," said Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan, who liked his team's effort through two periods in St. Louis. "We didn't like our third period in that game."
While Gulutzan has been happy with his team's 4-2 record during the lengthy homestand, he hasn't been pleased with the number of quality scoring chances the Flames have given up.
"We feel that we're one of the top teams creating chances, but we're one of the bottom teams in giving them up right now," Gulutzan said. "We don't think, with the players that we have, that we should be in that situation.
"Five-on-five, we think we can be a lot tighter group. If we're generating at the rate we are and we can be even 20 percent better (defensively), we think we can really get on a roll."
After missing Calgary's last three games with a lower-body injury, defenseman Travis Hamonic will be a game-day decision as to whether he plays against the Blues.
"I'm feeling good," Hamonic said. "I feel like I'm back up to where my body feels it needs to be."
While out of the lineup, Hamonic looked on from the press box as the Flames won two of three games and outscored their opponents 14-12.
"We're scoring some goals now and the games have kind of opened up," he said. "I think defensively now we want to try and reel it in as a group collectively. We don't want to be giving up four and having to win games 5-4 or 6-4."
After his team suffered just its second three-goal loss of the year, St. Louis coach Mike Yeo vowed that the Blues will bounce back with a better effort against the Flames.
"We'll hit the ice for practice and get ready for a tough road trip here," said Yeo, whose squad will also play the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
"We're a team that presses and we're a team that attacks, but we do it with control. I don't think we had any control (against the Islanders)."
Although defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (ankle) and forward Patrik Berglund (shoulder) aren't expected to play on the trip, both injured players accompanied the team out west.
Bouwmeester told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he doesn't feel there's a big rush for him to get back in the lineup.
"We're in a position here (and) the team's doing so good, there's no pressure to force anything," said the former Flames defenseman who fractured his ankle just three days into training camp during a scrimmage.
After dropping a 5-2 decision to the Blues (13-4-1) on Oct. 25 in St. Louis, the Flames (9-7-0) returned home and have won four of their past six games, including a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Since then, they've had three days off to prepare for the Blues, whose three-game winning streak ended Saturday with a 5-2 loss at home to the New York Islanders.
"It will be a big match for us considering what happened in St. Louis," said Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan, who liked his team's effort through two periods in St. Louis. "We didn't like our third period in that game."
While Gulutzan has been happy with his team's 4-2 record during the lengthy homestand, he hasn't been pleased with the number of quality scoring chances the Flames have given up.
"We feel that we're one of the top teams creating chances, but we're one of the bottom teams in giving them up right now," Gulutzan said. "We don't think, with the players that we have, that we should be in that situation.
"Five-on-five, we think we can be a lot tighter group. If we're generating at the rate we are and we can be even 20 percent better (defensively), we think we can really get on a roll."
After missing Calgary's last three games with a lower-body injury, defenseman Travis Hamonic will be a game-day decision as to whether he plays against the Blues.
"I'm feeling good," Hamonic said. "I feel like I'm back up to where my body feels it needs to be."
While out of the lineup, Hamonic looked on from the press box as the Flames won two of three games and outscored their opponents 14-12.
"We're scoring some goals now and the games have kind of opened up," he said. "I think defensively now we want to try and reel it in as a group collectively. We don't want to be giving up four and having to win games 5-4 or 6-4."
After his team suffered just its second three-goal loss of the year, St. Louis coach Mike Yeo vowed that the Blues will bounce back with a better effort against the Flames.
"We'll hit the ice for practice and get ready for a tough road trip here," said Yeo, whose squad will also play the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
"We're a team that presses and we're a team that attacks, but we do it with control. I don't think we had any control (against the Islanders)."
Although defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (ankle) and forward Patrik Berglund (shoulder) aren't expected to play on the trip, both injured players accompanied the team out west.
Bouwmeester told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he doesn't feel there's a big rush for him to get back in the lineup.
"We're in a position here (and) the team's doing so good, there's no pressure to force anything," said the former Flames defenseman who fractured his ankle just three days into training camp during a scrimmage.
Hurricanes host Stars with both teams searching for identities
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RALEIGH, N.C. -- Two NHL teams -- Carolina and Dallas -- still tinkering offensively will square off Monday night at PNC Arena.
The Dallas Stars, using a break in the schedule this past week to log some much-needed practice time, switched up their line combinations prior to a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday.
Coach Ken Hitchcock said a pair of lopsided losses within a four-day span to the Winnipeg Jets made the decision easy to separate his top scoring duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin -- each of whom have eight goals and 16 points.
"What happens is when you have one line that is doing everything the tendency is to let it do everything, and that's the feeling I had that was happening on our hockey club," Hitchcock said. "We were just allowing that one line to save the day and in the end ... the two games against Winnipeg were a wakeup call for me. We do need way more (offensive) participation if we are going to beat good teams because they have two and in some cases three lines that score. We just needed more people involved.
"The other thing for me with Benn and Seguin is a next level of leadership; they've got to take on the responsibility of helping other people," the coach added. "They did that against the Islanders."
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, with just a 2-2-3 home record this season, continue to struggle on the power play, dropping to 29th in the league. Carolina had an opportunity to put Chicago away in the third period Saturday night, but failed to score yet again with the man advantage and ended up blowing a two-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss.
Carolina ended up 0-for-3 on the power play against the Blackhawks, managing just one shot on goal. The Hurricanes have gone five straight games without a man-advantage goal and have tallied just one in 10 games.
"It has been a tough segment for the power play," said Carolina coach Bill Peters, whose team has just six power-play goals this season -- 30th in the league. "When you are not winning the special team battles it's hard."
Peters said he plans to consult with assistant coach Rod Brind'Amour, who runs the team's power play, and see what changes can be made prior to the Monday night game with the Stars.
"I think we have to make some personnel changes, that would be my opinion, my two cents," Peters said.
"The power play has been struggling, but we've got to find a way to turn that around because it is costing us in situations where we need a jump and we're not getting it," said Jeff Skinner, Carolina's top goal scorer.
Dallas, first in the NHL on the power play, jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the Hurricanes three weeks ago at home before holding on for a 4-3 victory, extending its win streak over Carolina to six straight dating to March 2015.
The Dallas Stars, using a break in the schedule this past week to log some much-needed practice time, switched up their line combinations prior to a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday.
Coach Ken Hitchcock said a pair of lopsided losses within a four-day span to the Winnipeg Jets made the decision easy to separate his top scoring duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin -- each of whom have eight goals and 16 points.
"What happens is when you have one line that is doing everything the tendency is to let it do everything, and that's the feeling I had that was happening on our hockey club," Hitchcock said. "We were just allowing that one line to save the day and in the end ... the two games against Winnipeg were a wakeup call for me. We do need way more (offensive) participation if we are going to beat good teams because they have two and in some cases three lines that score. We just needed more people involved.
"The other thing for me with Benn and Seguin is a next level of leadership; they've got to take on the responsibility of helping other people," the coach added. "They did that against the Islanders."
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, with just a 2-2-3 home record this season, continue to struggle on the power play, dropping to 29th in the league. Carolina had an opportunity to put Chicago away in the third period Saturday night, but failed to score yet again with the man advantage and ended up blowing a two-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss.
Carolina ended up 0-for-3 on the power play against the Blackhawks, managing just one shot on goal. The Hurricanes have gone five straight games without a man-advantage goal and have tallied just one in 10 games.
"It has been a tough segment for the power play," said Carolina coach Bill Peters, whose team has just six power-play goals this season -- 30th in the league. "When you are not winning the special team battles it's hard."
Peters said he plans to consult with assistant coach Rod Brind'Amour, who runs the team's power play, and see what changes can be made prior to the Monday night game with the Stars.
"I think we have to make some personnel changes, that would be my opinion, my two cents," Peters said.
"The power play has been struggling, but we've got to find a way to turn that around because it is costing us in situations where we need a jump and we're not getting it," said Jeff Skinner, Carolina's top goal scorer.
Dallas, first in the NHL on the power play, jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the Hurricanes three weeks ago at home before holding on for a 4-3 victory, extending its win streak over Carolina to six straight dating to March 2015.
Saturday, November 11, 2017
GAMEDAY: U.S. vs. Russia at Deutschland Cup
The U.S. Men’s National Select Team faces Russia tonight in the second of its three games at the 2017 Deutschland Cup. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. ET) at Curt Frenzel Stadium.
The four-team round-robin tournament, which also includes host Germany and Slovakia, is part of the U.S. player evaluation process in selecting the 2018 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) will start in goal. He did not dress yesterday. Maxwell has played in 14 games for BK Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic and owns a 9-5-0 record with a 2.12 goals against average and .928 save percentage.
Team USA’s roster for the Deutschland Cup includes 28 players, with 22 having the chance to play in each game. The six players who will not dress tonight, include defensemen Matt Gilroyand Jonathon Blum; forwards Ryan Malone,Brian Gionta, and Andy Miele; and goaltenderRyan Zapolski.
The U.S. is looking to rebound from a 2-1 loss to Slovakia yesterday afternoon in the opening contest of the Deutschland Cup, a game in which it had a 36-16 shots-on-goal edge. Russia is coming off an 8-2 win over host Germany in the night game yesterday.
NOTES: Team USA will face Germany in its closing game of the Deutschland Cup tomorrow (Nov. 12) at 4:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. ET) … Players and staff arrived Tuesday (Nov. 7) and Wednesday morning (Nov. 8) in advance of Team USA’s opening 90-minute practice here on Wednesday afternoon. The group also had a 90-minute skate on Thursday morning … The U.S. Olympic coaching staff, led by Tony Granato, is also guiding the 2017 U.S. Men’s National Select Team at the Deutschland Cup. Granato served as assistant coach for the U.S. team that played in the 2004 Deutschland Cup. Chris Chelios, Scott Young, Keith Allain and Ron Rolston are serving as assistant coaches … The U.S. has won the Deutschland Cup on three occasions (2003, 2004, 2013), finished second four times (2002, 2007, 2009, 2015) and fourth once (2005, 2011).
GLOBAL SERIES GAME 2 PREVIEW: Senators vie for sweep of Avalanche in Sweden
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- If the Ottawa Senators and the Colorado Avalanche can produce another game like they did on Friday night, the NHL's return to Sweden via its Global Series will be a smashing success.
The Senators' 4-3 overtime victory in front of a sellout crowd of 13,639 at the Ericsson Globe had a definitive Swedish flavor.
Prior to the contest, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly suggested that it won't take another six years for regular-season games to return to Sweden.
"When you are launching projects like the World Cup of Hockey, you do not want to put a competitive product out there at the same time," Daly said. "We have a willing partner in the NHLPA and I suspect the frequency of European games will increase in the short term."
While challenged to fight multiple time zone changes, both teams acclimated by the time the puck was dropped for the first of the two-game set. Swedish hockey legend Peter Forsberg kicked off the night by dropping the puck for the ceremonial first faceoff and four Swedes hit the scoresheet, Ottawa's Fredrik Claesson, Erik Karlsson and Johnny Oduya, and Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog.
The Senators' overtime win was a change in fortunes in the extra session, as the club entered the contest with a 1-5 record past regulation. Mark Stone's second goal of the night 59 seconds into overtime gave Ottawa the extra point.
Stone's start has is no surprise to coach Guy Boucher, who sees one quality in his winger's play for the reason for his strong start.
"Tenacity, it is all about his approach to the game," Boucher said. "There is nothing special he is doing. He brings maximum effort every shift in every game. He is a great leader and sets the tone for everyone."
Matt Duchene's debut in an Ottawa uniform was quiet. After being traded from Colorado on Sunday, his transition to a new offensive style will take time to develop. Duchene registered a minus-1 rating in the win and recorded two shots on goal. Boucher is grateful to have Duchene added to the roster and believes his learning curve will be short.
"Matt is a smart player and he will quickly learn how to play with his teammates, he is no stranger to it given his international experience," Boucher said. "If you are asking me how long it will take him to be comfortable in our system, I would say three weeks but that does not mean he cannot play well as he becomes comfortable in our structure."
In their first game with Duchene, Colorado did not lack offense as rookie center Alexander Kerfoot continues to impress. He registered a goal and an assist to raise his output to six goals and five assists in 15 games and is expected to take a more prominent role with the absence of Duchene.
One of the players acquired in the Duchene trade, defenseman Samuel Girard, made his debut and registered an assist on Kerfoot's goal. Girard, a mobile puck moving defenseman drafted in the second round by Nashville, is expected to improve the Colorado blueline quickly.
Nathan MacKinnon, who leads the team in scoring with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) was impressed by Girard's debut.
"It's awesome that he can be such a threat for us," MacKinnon said. "I'm really excited to have him."
The Senators will be the designated home team for Saturday's game, which is scheduled to start one hour earlier local time.
Daly said that the ticket demand for this series exceeded that for the 2011 Premiere Series featuring the San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Friday sellout was impressive given the competition of a World Cup Soccer qualifying home game being played by the Swedish national team simultaneously, so another sellout could be in the offing for the concluding game.
Friday, November 10, 2017
GLOBAL SERIES GAME 1 PREVIEW: Duchene makes Sens debut vs. Avs in Sweden,
The Colorado Avalanche and the Ottawa Senators will stage a two-game series on Friday and Saturday at the Ericsson Globe. Previously, the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks and the New York Rangers opened the 2011-12 season there.
Colorado and Ottawa will alternate as home teams with the Avalanche set to be the host on Friday (2 p.m. ET).
The intrigue around the matchup is dialed up due to the high-profile trade that was executed before the teams left North America for Stockholm.
Matt Duchene, the subject of trade rumors over the past year, was traded to the Senators from the Avalanche in a three-way swap last Saturday. Although Colorado is off to a respectable 8-6-0 record this season, the Avalanche finished last in points in the 2016-17 season, and observers felt that the time had come to rebuild the roster.
Despite getting harsh criticism for not trading Duchene for months, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic held firm on his asking price. His patience paid off as he received six assets in a three-way swap that included Senators center Kyle Turris being moved to the Nashville Predators.
From Ottawa, Colorado received goaltender Andrew Hammond, the Senators' first-round pick in the 2018 draft and third-round pick in 2019, and forward Shane Bowers, a first-round pick (No. 28) in 2017. From Nashville, the Avalanche got a second-round pick in 2018, 19-year-old defenseman Samuel Girard, and rookie forward Vladislav Kamenev, both prized prospects for the Predators.
"Matt asked me last Christmas to move him, and I told him to be patient," Sakic said. "We just had to wait until we got the right deal. We have to keep building with youth, and we feel we have accomplished that."
As for the Avalanche players who remain, the series against Ottawa and their former teammate gives them the opportunity to continue their surprising start. Colorado finished last season with 48 points, 21 fewer than the second-worst team, and with the chatter around the ongoing Duchene trade saga, not much improvement was expected.
Led by co-scoring leaders Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie (14 points apiece), the Avalanche have shown enough offensive punch to win games. There is renewed optimism as they travel to Sweden to help promote the game, entering the weekend winning four of their past six contests.
The Global Series has special meaning for Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog as he returns to his hometown.
"When you come home, it is a great feeling every time," said Landeskog, a Stockholm native. "I have been looking forward to this for a long time. I think my teammates were getting annoyed with me because I was telling them about every single house on the ride in from the airport."
Unlike Colorado, the Senators (6-3-5) are on a mission to replicate their deep postseason run of last spring that took them to the verge of a Stanley Cup Final. Ottawa took a bitter Game 7 overtime loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion believes Duchene's arrival will resolve his team's inconsistent start.
Ottawa completed a 1-2-0 homestand Saturday with a 5-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. While the Senators have only failed to gain a point in three of 14 games, their five losses after regulation are the most in the league.
"We feel we have added an elite forward to a group that went to the Eastern Conference finals last season," Dorion said. "To us, this deal was a no-brainer and the future is now. We are encouraged not to give up our top prospects and still have the ability to add Matt."
Duchene admitted that the timing of the trade was unique but said that his first game in an Ottawa jersey may be easier due to the very familiar opposition.
"It's going to be strange playing in Sweden in back-to-back games, it's tough," Duchene said. "To play against my former teammates and friends is going to be weirder. There will a level of comfort as I have practiced against them every day. It is going to be good to start my time in Ottawa on a good note, and there is extra motivation against Colorado."
Ottawa's Erik Karlsson, one of the best defenseman in the league, continues to play at less than full speed because of offseason ankle surgery. Though he has racked up 13 points in the early going, leading the team in assists with 12, he has an uncharacteristic plus/minus rating of minus-1. Like Landeskog, Karlsson will be in the spotlight throughout the weekend, as he is a native of Sweden.
"It's going to be a lot of fun for us as well," Karlsson told the Senators' website. "I think the players' families that decide to come over to watch the game will see a big difference in the culture. Sweden might not be the most popular vacation destination, so it's going to be fun to bring everybody over there and introduce them to a few things that they aren't used to. I'm sure that they're excited to see that stuff, too."
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