Now that everyone (well, mostly everyone) is over the shock of new NHL division names, it may be a good time to look beyond the cover of this NHL realignment book to see what it actually means in terms of playoff implications.
Gone is the simple format that sees the top eight teams in each conference gain Stanley Cup playoff spots. Now, there are 16 teams on one side, 14 on the other and 16 playoff spots to divvy up.
This is how the teams would be seeded in their new divisions based on last year's performance. Because they'll play out-of -conference games this season, comparisons to last season are fairly inapplicable. This is purely a mock-up to illustrate what could happen in the upcoming campaign, not an exercise of “what-if.”
Metropolitan Division
1. Z- Pittsburgh
2. Z - Washington
3. Z - NY Rangers
4. NY Islanders (55 points)
5. Columbus
6. Philadelphia
7. New Jersey
8. Carolina
Atlantic Division
Z- Montreal
Z - Boston
Z - Toronto
X - Detroit (56 points)
X- Ottawa (56 points)
Buffalo
Tampa Bay
Florida
Central Division
Z - Chicago
Z - St. Louis
Z -Minnesota
X - Winnipeg (51 points, 22 ROW)
Dallas
Nashville
Colorado
Pacific Division
Z - Anaheim
Z - Vancouver
Z - Los Angeles
X - San Jose (57)
Phoenix (51 points, 17 ROW)
Edmonton
Calgary
Key:
Z – These teams are the top three seeds in their division, and gain automatic entry into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
X – Wild card teams are the teams outside of the top three in their division, chosen because they have with the next highest point totals, regardless of the division. Three seeds can come from one division and five from another.
Matchup breakdown:
The division leader in each conference with the most points plays the wild card team with the fewest points.
The division leader with the second highest amount of points plays the wild card team with the most points
3 & 4 – the second and third seeds in each division face one another in the first round.
This is what the first round would’ve looked like had realignment happened a year earlier:
Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa
Montreal vs. Detroit
Washington vs. NY Rangers
Boston vs. Toronto
Western Conference
Chicago vs. Winnipeg
Anaheim v. San Jose
St. Louis vs. Minnesota
Vancouver vs. Los Angeles
So that’s what the 2013 playoffs would have started out like had realignment occurred a year earlier, and those teams managed to keep the same records despite facing new divisional opponents.
What do you think of the new seeding system? Is it perfect? Is it flawed? Let us know in the comments and have your say!
The Explainer: New NHL playoff seeding format - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
As hockey season returns next week, sponsors will be hoping to make up for some lost time.
And one of the biggest in Canada is getting some help from the NHL. On Monday, Bank of Nova Scotia will launch its flagship advertising campaign for the upcoming season with its new line of debit cards, each featuring one of 30 team logos.
The ads bring together mascots from six teams in scenes such as lunch at a diner or in a grocery store, to showcase the cards.
The campaign signals a shift in how the NHL is working with its sponsors this year, the bank says, after a lockout shortened the last season and sent marketers scrambling.
“The league has done a very good job of addressing sponsor concerns,” said Duncan Hannay, senior vice-president and head of marketing in Canada for Scotiabank. “And we were vocal about those concerns.”
The league demonstrated “flexibility” in negotiating the use of team mascots and logos, Mr. Hannay said, as well as offering up its own assistance with the campaign.
For example, the NHL-com website will be hosting banner and video ads, and the deal allows for cardholders to receive a discount in the NHL online store.
“They’re doing their utmost to make sure we get traction,” he said. “If you’re a hockey fan, this year, there will be no avoiding this.”
The league declined to comment for this story.
The cards are an attempt to borrow some of the goodwill associated with NHL fandom, Mr. Hannay said.
“How many bank products do you know that bring up a positive emotion?”
Despite initial concerns about the lockout’s effect on the league’s brand, the bank’s research showed that fan sentiment has bounced back.
Scotiabank’s strategy has been to cultivate a friendly, approachable image – the hope is that the campaign will resonate with existing customers, and bring in new hockey-loving customers.
Once that happens, Scotiabank has more opportunities to cross-sell other products to them.
“We didn’t know whether it would be possible, or who even owned the mascots,” said Hayes Steinberg, associate creative director at the bank’s ad agency, Bensimon Byrne.
Because Scotia is a league sponsor, there is a “collective use” rule in the agreement that meant they had to use multiple teams. That meant flying in mascots – from New York, Vancouver, Washington, Columbus and San Jose – for the ad shoot in Toronto.
In Toronto, where the bank is also a team sponsor, it will have more freedom to highlight the Maple Leaf logo and mascot Carlton the bear in local ads.
The campaign follows a soft launch of the concept at the end of the 2011-12 hockey season, when the bank released a series of team-branded credit cards. That product was “more niche” and had very little advertising. It also was not helped by the lockout-shortened season that followed.
This campaign will involve a major media investment, with ads running on TSN and
during CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, on arena rink boards and other out-of-home spaces, in print, in bank branches, and online.
A series of humorous short videos starring the mascots will also be released online, to address a major digital shift in how banks – and all marketers – are speaking to consumers.
“We know that second screens [such as mobile phones and tablets] have become a huge part of how people consume live events and specifically sports,” Mr. Steinberg said. “The tone of it had to be something we believe would be shareable by our audience in the social media space.”
Scotiabank gets help from NHL in advertising campaign - The Globe and Mail
Jonathan Drouin has gone from chic pick to win the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2013-14 to being the favorite to claim the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy.
That's the award given to the MVP of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and it is one that is already on Drouin's resume after he won it last season. He'll have a chance to be the first back-to-back recipient since Sidney Crosby in 2004 and 2005 because, in a surprising move, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced the decision Sunday to return Drouin to the Halifax Mooseheads.
Drouin was the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, and from the moment he was drafted, the idea of him playing alongside Steven Stamkos or Valtteri Filppula and learning from veteran star Martin St. Louis seemed like a natural fit. It also looked like a chance for Drouin to flourish despite being a smallish 18-year-old.
Instead, the Lightning have chosen patience over instant gratification, and will let Drouin spend another year terrorizing goaltenders in the "Q" before he starts his professional career.
"We think he's an incredible talent, a very intelligent hockey player, great hockey sense, great vision. We just feel he's better served by playing another year of junior hockey," general manager Steve Yzerman told Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times. "I don't want him being in and out of the lineup. I don't want him playing limited minutes. Our assessment was he's better off playing another year of junior hockey, hopefully playing for Canada at the World Junior Championships and developing there."
Drouin teamed with Nathan MacKinnon to slice through the QMJHL last season en route to the Memorial Cup. He had 140 points in 66 games between the regular season and the playoffs. MacKinnon was the No. 1 pick by the Colorado Avalanche, and he's not returning to Halifax.
Aleksander Barkov, the No. 2 pick, and Seth Jones, the No. 4 pick, are both going to be in the NHL this season. The guys who went fifth (Elias Lindholm to Carolina) and sixth (Sean Monahan to Calgary) are also going to get a chance to stick around.
So why isn't Drouin, someone who was in contention to be the No. 1 pick and reportedly seen by some NHL scouts as a better prospect than MacKinnon, going to have that chance as well?
A big part of the answer is opportunity. The Lightning have a collection of prospects they have been developing since bottoming out from 2007-09 and securing plenty of high picks.
Those guys have had plenty of success and built chemistry together while playing for the team's American Hockey League affiliate. Is Drouin a better long-term prospect than guys like Tyler Johnson, Richard Panik and Ondrej Palat? Absolutely, but it isn't always going to be a slam-dunk that a slight 18-year-old is going to be able to beat out 22-year-olds who have had years of playing together and professional training, both on the ice and off it.
Those three guys are all going to be on the opening-night roster, along with 24-year-old Alex Killorn. Someday soon they could all be complimentary pieces around Stamkos and Drouin, but for now Yzerman and the Lighting decided they are more ready to play in the NHL.
"Getting adjusted to the NHL pace, playing the game at an NHL speed," Yzerman said to the Times when asked what Drouin needs to work on. "For him, it's going to happen in time. Our biggest concern was ice time. Where is he going to play? Who is he going to play with? The way we're set up up front, he's not going to get the minutes we want him to play, so it's best he goes back to junior."
If Lightning fans are looking for precedent, they don't need to look far. Jonathan Huberdeau was also the third pick in an NHL Draft. He also destroyed the "Q" in his draft year on a team that reached the Memorial Cup, and had little left to prove at that level.
He also wasn't built like Gabriel Landeskog or Barkov, so the Florida Panthers sent Huberdeau back to junior for his age-18 season. That worked out pretty well for his development. Huberdeau was better prepared for the NHL as a 19-year-old; he has a Calder Trophy to prove it.
There's even some recent history for the Lightning to draw on. Stamkos struggled mightily early in his rookie season, and at one point was taken out of the lineup so he could spend more time training his body and learning by watching at this level. The Lighting decided they didn't that to be a possibility for Drouin, and with the other prospects they have now that they didn't have then, they have the luxury of being patient.
Tampa Bay Lightning taking patient route with Jonathan Drouin - NHL-com - News
A full schedule after a lockout-shortened season, a new divisional setup, outdoor games galore, the Chicago Blackhawks seeking their third Stanley Cup in five years. Those are all solid story lines for the 2013-14 National Hockey League season, which begins with three games on Tuesday. But make no mistake, much of the season will be about the Winter Olympics.
The Sochi Games will cast a long shadow over the season, until Feb. 9, when the N.H.L. pauses to allow nearly 150 players to fly to Russia for the 12-day tournament.
If those dozen days produce anything like the 2010 men’s tournament in Vancouver, which was capped by Sidney Crosby scoring the golden goal for Canada against the United States, it will be worth the wait.
The Olympic question will hang over every N.H.L. game. Will the Buffalo Sabres’ Ryan Miller rebound from three middling seasons to tend goal again for the United States, or will it be the Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Quick? Who will man the nets for the Canadians: Roberto Luongo, Corey Crawford, Carey Price or Cam Ward? Can Crosby stay healthy enough to play for Canada, and can his Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Evgeni Malkin stay healthy to play for Russia? When N.H.L. play resumes on Feb. 26, it will be the playoffs and the Stanley Cup finals, making this a season of two climaxes. Here is a look at some of the stories to follow.
New Coaches
Canadians call Vancouver Lotus Land because, supposedly, it is so laid-back. But the city has been the scene of plenty of civil disturbances over the last two decades, including two riots having to do with the Canucks.
So, it seems, Vancouverites take their hockey as seriously as does John Tortorella, who signed a five-year deal in June to coach the Canucks. Throw in the highly contentious Vancouver hockey news media, a citywide 24/7 obsession with the game that Tortorella never experienced as head coach in New York or Tampa and Tortorella’s own tripwire temper, and you have the recipe for a perfect storm.
He was on good behavior when the Rangers visited for an exhibition game last week, but do not count on that lasting.
He has already demanded that his players stop using their Twitter accounts, which just happens to be something Roberto Luongo, the Canucks goalie, is famous for.
“I think it’s stupid,” Tortorella said last month.
Other new coaches to watch: Rangers Coach Alain Vigneault, the former Canucks coach, is as good-natured as Tortorella is hair-triggered; Patrick Roy, in his first N.H.L. coaching job, takes over the Colorado Avalanche, whom he led to two Stanley Cups as a goaltender; Lindy Ruff, the former Sabres coach, is now in Dallas after he protested long and loud that the Stars beat Buffalo for the Stanley Cup on an illegal goal in 1999; and Dallas Eakins makes his N.H.L. coaching debut with a young Edmonton Oilers team of unfulfilled promise.
New Uniforms
The Columbus Blue Jackets made the biggest catch of the off-season when they signed Nathan Horton, a free-agent wing, from the Boston Bruins. Horton has scored 402 points in 591 N.H.L. regular-season games, but more important are his 36 points in 43 playoff games during the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship run in 2011 and their 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks in the finals last spring.
Now ensconced in the East, the Blue Jackets, behind their president for hockey operations, John Davidson, are making a run at respectability. They have right wing Marian Gaborik, the former Rangers sniper; goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner; and now Horton, a playoff hero. All they have to do is make the playoffs, something they have done only once in 12 seasons. They just missed last season, finishing ninth in the West Conference.
Other key players putting on new sweaters: Tyler Seguin (Stars, from Bruins), Jaromir Jagr (Devils, from Bruins), Cory Schneider (Devils, from Canucks), Jarome Iginla (Bruins, from Penguins), Bobby Ryan (Ottawa Senators, from Anaheim Ducks), Daniel Alfredsson (Detroit Red Wings, from Senators), Valtteri Filppula (Tampa Bay Lightning, from Red Wings), Vincent Lecavalier (Philadelphia Flyers, from Lightning), Tim Thomas (Florida Panthers, from a year off).
New Divisions
The N.H.L. restructured its divisions to allow Detroit and Columbus to move to the Eastern Conference and Winnipeg to move to the Western Conference. The shuffling eases the travel burden on Western teams and adds some longer trips for the Rangers, the Islanders, the Devils, the Flyers and the Penguins.
Now those five teams are joined by the Blue Jackets, the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division. But for sheer hockey gravitas, there is the new Atlantic Division: the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit, Boston, Buffalo and the Ottawa Senators, and for all their snowbird fans in the Sunshine State, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay.
New Rules
Players will be penalized an additional two minutes if they take off their helmets to fight, so in a preseason game Krys Barch, then of the Devils, and Brett Gallant of the Islanders resorted to the genteel Western Hockey League custom of coming together to take off each other’s helmets before rearing back and throwing punches. Gallant said, “I wasn’t trying to make a mockery of the N.H.L.” The loophole was subsequently closed.
Players will also get a two-minute penalty if their sweaters are tucked into their pads. Presumably, this will keep the labels of nonlicensee companies off N.H.L. telecasts, but it will ruin the on-ice silhouette of Alex Ovechkin, who, like Wayne Gretzky before him, tucks his sweater in. Ovechkin’s opinion of the rule: “Everybody wants to do his own thing. It’s stupid.”
Most significant, the players’ association voted Monday to allow hybrid icing as a way to reduce dangerous races for the puck. Many players said they were confused by the rule during a preseason trial, but
The Place des Festivals was a melting pot of hockey and music fans coming together to create a party-like atmosphere and raise the curtain on the 2013-14 NHL season at Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off 2013, hours before the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs dropped the puck a few blocks to the west at Bell Centre.
Families, business people, tourists and obviously a boatload of hockey fans stormed the city's concert district to take part in interactive games and get some autographs from Montreal Canadiens alumni such as Guy Carbonneau, Vincent Damphousse and Chris Nilan.
Music fans were reserving their spots at the main concert stage hours before the festivities began with Toronto rock band The Beaches to warm up the crowd for the headliner Kings of Leon to take over about 30 minutes before the season got underway at Bell Centre. The second intermission was reserved for Quebec hip hop group Loco Locass, who actually had one of their songs performed beforehand.
The group's song "Le But" (The Goal in English) has been adopted by the Canadiens as their goal song, so when Lars Eller got Montreal on the board at 10:08 of the first period and Brendan Gallagher added another at 13:54, Loco Locass' song was heard from coast to coast on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada and on the big screens at NHL Face-off on RDS.
It was appropriate, because it was the iconic CBC show that launched the song's popularity.
During Montreal's run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the CBC used "Le But" for one of Hockey Night in Canada's famous pre-game video montages, and it instantly became a hit even though most people listening to it didn't understand a word. The Canadiens adopted the song to celebrate their goals during last season's playoffs.
"We had to release that song at the right moment, because if we released it at the wrong time, it could have been associated with some bad vibes," said Sébastien Fréchette, better known as "Biz" of Loco Locass.
"Against Pittsburgh, the CBC did their opening to our song. So the first words we hear on the CBC that night are our lyrics in French from Vancouver to Halifax. And that montage remains to this day the best montage that has ever been made with that song, they used archival images and it was fantastic.
"Since it was shown from coast to coast, there were people who were asking, 'What is this? I don't understand a thing, but I like it.' The next day on YouTube we had comments like, 'I don't understand any French, but this is an awesome song.' So, we can say we picked the right time to release the song."
Whether it's at games or special events like Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off 2013, music and sport has been a winning combination for ages.
"To get the atmosphere going in an arena, it takes music," Fréchette said. "So the relationship between music and sports, it's been around for a long time. For me, it makes perfect sense to have musical acts when celebrating sports. I'd say the next step for us would be to be at center ice singing [our song Le But] before the national anthems or during the intermission."
But Loco Locass doesn't take part in an event like Tuesday's for visibility. The main objective is to help an event that can bring so many people together.
"I don't think we'll be number one on iTunes in Tennessee tomorrow morning," Fréchette said. "But it could help someone who, let's say, is a fan of [Alex] Ovechkin in Washington, D.C.; someone who loves hockey and who comes here and has fun, meets some people, hears us and likes it. … It can open some horizons. That's what an event like this is for -- to bring people together."
NHL Face-Off brings music and fans of Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs together - 2013 Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off
The Montreal Canadiens announced Wednesday that forward George Parros was released from the hospital after suffering a concussion in Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will be out indefinitely.
Parros left the ice on a stretcher at 2:34 of the third period after hitting the ice hard during a fight with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Colton Orr. The game was interrupted at least 10 minutes while Parros was attended to and eventually taken off on a stretcher.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman visited George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight on Thursday to discuss a wide range of topics including his expectations for the 2013-14 season and the NHLers participation in Sochi.
Bettman talked about the importance of having a full 82-game season back after the drama the league, players and fans went through with last year's lockout, which ultimately led to the shortened season.
The 61-year-old said you never know what to expect from this game, and apologized before using the Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff debacle last season against the Boston Bruins as an example of how random hockey can be.
"It's so unpredictable, so exciting," he said. "This is why you play the game. That's what I love, when stuff like that happens."
Bettman also touched on NHL's You Can Play campaign, as well as Russia's anti-gay law ahead of the Sochi Olympics next year.
"We obviously condemn it," said Bettman. "The players ultimately want to play because the right message is to go and say this is a wrong policy."
And, despite being in favour of NHLers joining their countries to compete in the Winter Olympics, he also mentioned the scheduling is not ideal as it "breaks the momentum" of the season.
Before leaving, Bettman made sure viewers know he's not thinking about anything else but the NHL.
When asked by Strombo about his long tenure as commissioner, he was very quick and concise with his response.
"Officially, I'm not going anywhere."
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Strombo - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
A season that was supposed to be different for the Edmonton Oilers has started out looking much the same as the past.
The Oilers were overmatched 6-2 by the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night, leaving them winless after two games of the NHL season. Edmonton lost 5-4 at home to the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday in a game the Oilers led 4-2 at one point.
Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said his team was out played.
"If you're not going to battle, or win battles, or compete like every shift is your last one, you're not going to win in this league," said the frustrated coach. "That was very evident tonight for our team."
A promising start against the Canucks quickly turned sour. Defenceman Jeff Petry scored with less than two minutes gone. Vancouver replied with five unanswered goals, including two in 18 seconds in the first period.
"We got outplayed right from the start of the game, a lot of battles lost," said Edmonton's Taylor Hall. "They just took it too us and we couldn't recover.
"There are a lot of things we have to improve on. You get that first goal in a building like this, you really want to build off that. We certainly didn't do that."
Vancouver's Brad Richardson scored on a short-handed breakaway off a turnover and defenceman Dan Hamhuis scored on a long shot from the blue-line. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk didn't look good on either goal even though Hamhuis's shot deflected off Petry's stick. Edmonton was also called for 13 penalties for 40 minutes.
"That short-handed goal set us back," said defenceman Ladislav Smid. "It shouldn't affect us that way.
"The other thing was the amount of penalties we took tonight. It cost us the game."
The Canucks scored on a power play after Hall took a needless boarding penalty. Hall, who has been shifted to wing from his normal centre position because of an injury to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, was on the ice for four Canuck goals.
"I've never been minus-four before," Hall sighed. "I am playing a position I am not 100 per cent comfortable with. That's not really an excuse."
Vancouver added another short-handed goal late in the third period when the Oilers pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker.
Dubnyk was replaced by backup Jason LaBarbera after Ryan Kesler made it 5-1 in the second period. Dubnyk allowed five goals on 31 shots.
"I thought 31 shots was enough," said Eakins, who saw Dubnyk allow five goals on 28 shots Tuesday. "It was craziness there for the poor kid.
"He was in there battling as hard as he can and we're giving him absolutely no support."
Edmonton was outshot 44-23.
Boyd Gordon had the other Oiler goal. Edmonton lost forward Jesse Joensuu early with a back injury. Eakins said he would be evaluated Sunday.
Edmonton hasn't made the playoffs since losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final back in 2006.
Eakins has said it's time for the Oilers, who have three players picked first overall in the NHL draft, to shed the label of a young team.
"It's a long year," said Hall. "There is a lot of time left for us to make up the last two games. We just have to make sure this part of the season, when we're losing, is as short as possible. We have to regroup."
Edmonton Oilers frustrated after opening the season with two losses - NHL-com - News
He went to his first Toronto Maple Leafs game years ago when he was a young boy. He remembers sitting at Maple Leaf Gardens taking it all in. The sights, the sounds, the smells.
Which is pretty much the exact same thing he was doing Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. Except, instead of watching, here he was standing in the tunnel waiting for his name to be called. To skate out to the blue line. To play his first regular-season NHL game. In the home opener. For the Leafs. With the game being shown across the country on Hockey Night in Canada.
Are youkidding?
And when Andy Frost bellowed his name — "From Hamilton, Ontario, number 56, Spencer Abbott" — he honestly couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
"It was a pretty amazing feeling," the 25-year-old Sherwood grad says.
No doubt.
The story of the most amazing moment of his life actually starts 24 hours before.
He was dead asleep in the middle of a nap Friday when his phone rang. Through sleepy eyes, he saw his coach's name on the call display. That woke him up a bit since a call from the boss generally means one of two things: He'd either been traded or he'd been called up.
It was the latter. Nikolai Kulemin had been injured so the next morning Abbott was to get to the ACC by 9 for the Leafs' morning skate. Then be ready to play in the home opener.
"It definitely took a while to sink in," he says.
Just six years before, he was doing his thing as a Hamilton Red Wing in front of hundreds of mostly empty seats at the Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena. Nobody knew his name back then. Few, anyway. Now this.
He'd always believed he was destined for something in hockey. Or maybe hoped is a better word since nobody had ever drafted him at any level. Not an Ontario Hockey League team. Not a National Hockey League team. Nobody.
He was just too small. When it was time for the OHL draft, he was 5-foot-2. He grew but was still just 5-foot-9 when the NHL's turn came. So he went to the University of Maine and played well enough there to become a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA.
"I've had to work for everything I've got in hockey," Abbott says.
Suddenly, Brian Burke — then still the GM of the Leafs — had taken note of this incredibly skilled free agent. So, in March 2012, he signed the kid. Then, this fall, he was praised as the best player in the pre-season for the Marlies. Which made him the obvious choice to be called up.
By Saturday morning, he was scrambling for tickets for his family and friends. Players get two for free. Abbott had to pay $100 each for seven more. Yet he still didn't know if he'd be playing for sure. He didn't get the nod until partway through the warmup when head coach Randy Carlyle gave him the good news.
Which brings us to the pre-game introduction.
Standing on the blue line listening to the crowd sing the anthem, he took it all in just like that earlier version of him at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Then he got to work. Midway through the first period on one of his first big-league shifts, he drove hard to the net and nearly deflected a shot past Craig Anderson. Then, scrambling to his feet after being knocked down, he hustled back to make a terrific defensive play, likely saving a goal.
It showed he belonged.
On Sunday night, he was back with the Marlies. He got an assist. But, by then, he'd already joined the short list of Hamiltonians who've ever had the chance to wear the blue and white.
"Your main goal as a hockey player is to play in the NHL some day," he says. "I can say I've done that now."
He stops for a second, but only for a second, before finishing his thought.
Washington Capitals right-winger Alex Ovechkin was named NHL first star of the week Monday after recording six points over three games.
Ovechkin led all players last week in goals (four), points (six), power-play goals (three) and shots on goal (24).
Montreal Canadiens centre Lars Eller was named second star and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was the third star.
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Eller had five points (3-2) in two games while Fleury was 2-0-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average, .979 save percentage and one shutout.
Alex Ovechkin named NHL first star of the week - The Globe and Mail
Jussi Jokinen collected his first hat trick in nearly six years to help Pittsburgh pull away from Carolina for the victory. Paul Martin and Tanner Glass also scored for Pittsburgh, while Sidney Crosby picked up his first two assists of the season. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots for the Penguins, who have not trailed through three games. Pittsburgh has outscored opponents 12-3 while getting off to the franchise's best start since 1994-95.
Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe scored for the Hurricanes and Cam Ward made 32 saves. Filip Forsberg and Colin Wilson scored power-play goals 39 seconds apart in the first period to lead Nashville to victory over Minnesota in its home opener.
Eric Nystrom added his first career penalty shot goal all in the first period for Nashville, matching the goals the Predators had totaled in losing their first two games. Pekka Rinne made 32 saves. Zach Parise scored a power-play goal, and Jared Spurgeon also scored for the Wild.
Minnesota lost goalie Niklas Backstrom to a lower body injury in the first when Nystrom crashed into him after being tripped on a breakaway. The Wild said Backstrom will be evaluated Wednesday. Josh Harding replaced Backstrom and gave up the goal to Nystrom. John Tavares scored his first two goals of the season and defenseman Matt Donovan added the first of his NHL career to lift New York past Phoenix.
Peter Regin and Tavares scored in the first period, and Donovan, Tavares and Colin McDonald connected in the second against beleaguered goalie Mike Smith to turn it into a rout. Frans Nielsen earned the second of his three assists on the night when McDonald made it 5-1 with 2:36 left in the second.
Evgeni Nabokov was the beneficiary of all the offense and made 33 saves for the win. The 38-year-old goalie has started all three games for the Islanders.
Martin Hanzal scored in the second period for the Coyotes. Alex Killorn scored 1:50 into overtime to lift Tampa Bay to a come-from-behind victory over winless Buffalo.
Teddy Purcell had the tying goal 5:43 into the third period and Tyler Johnson also scored for the Lightning (2-1), who have two wins after regulation. Tampa Bay has yet to hold a lead in regulation after coming off a 3-2 shootout victory at Chicago in which the Lightning overcame a 2-0 third-period deficit.
Jamie McBain and Cody Hodgson had a goal and assist each for Buffalo (0-3-1).
Despite the loss, Buffalo finally generated some offense by doubling its season goal total. And the Sabres also earned a point to avoid extending their franchise-worst season-opening losing streak to four games.
Buffalo had previously never lost more than two in a row in regulation.
NHL roundup: Jokinen's hat trick leads Pens past Canes
Don't jump to conclusions. Islanders rookie Matt Donovan may have spent his formative years on the hot, wind-swept plains of Oklahoma, where football is king and ice is mostly found in beverages.
But he was on skates before he can remember -- "2 or 3," he guessed -- and driving a Zamboni by the time he was a teen -- "a rink rat my whole life."
His father, a Boston native and former high school hockey player, ran an ice rink in Edmond, Okla., near Oklahoma City. Donovan played football and golf through middle school, but his real passion was hockey. From those unlikely geographical roots, Donovan on Tuesday night arrived at his first NHL goal.
Don't assume it was accidental just because Donovan's power-play slap shot, apparently smothered by Phoenix goalie Mike Smith, crawled weakly through Smith's legs and crept slowly over the goal line. "I was headed to the bench because I thought he saved it," Donovan said, "then I heard the crowd cheer and I turned around and everyone was coming to me, so I figured it went in."
The fact is, the Islanders like Donovan, a defenseman, for his offensive proclivities. In the past two seasons with the team's Bridgeport affiliate, he totaled 24 goals and 93 assists.
"The thing about Matt," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said, "is that we've talked about losing Mark [Streit, gone to Philadelphia as a free agent], losing some offensive production and a guy on our power play, a guy that jumps up in the play as our fourth offensive guy. Matt's got that vision and creativity that I like, the way he pursues on the offensive side."
After getting an NHL glimpse at the end of the 2011-12 season, appearing in three Islanders games, Donovan, now 23, is feeling he knows "a little better what it takes to stick here, and hopefully I can do that."
So, while there were attempts in the Oklahoma culture of his childhood to keep Donovan in football, "but my parents liked me playing hockey" and, at 16, he spent a year of Midget Triple-A in Dallas, then two with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the USHL.
"I didn't expect to get drafted [in the fourth round by the Islanders in 2008]," he said. "And then I had a good first year in college [University of Denver] and saw people my age signing [to play professionally.] That's when I thought I had a chance at the NHL."
Now better than later for this Sooner.
Notes & quotes: Frans Nielsen was fined $5,000 by the NHL Wednesday for slashing Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal on Tuesday night . . . Defenseman Griffin Reinhart, 19, was returned to his junior club in Edmonton . . . Capuano said wing Cal Clutterbuck, recovered from a deep skate cut, "is looking good" for tomorrow night's game in Chicago.
Rookie defenseman Matt Donovan, from Oklahoma, proves he can play in NHL
It was quite the banner year for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at the 2013 NHL Draft, when 31 players from the league were chosen, the most since 2005, when the draft was cut to seven rounds.
It marked the highest total since 2003, when 38 players were selected from the league over nine rounds, including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the first pick.
While the prospect pool for the 2014 draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia might not be as prolific as it was in 2013, when two of the first three players picked were from the QMJHL, there is one player earning plenty of attention.
Hard-nosed forward Ivan Barbashev of the Moncton Wildcats was NHL Central Scouting's lone "A"-rated prospect on its preliminary list of players to watch in the QMJHL. Born in Moscow, Russia, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound left wing is in his second season with the Wildcats. He has six goals and 14 points in 10 games for the team this season, and had a hat trick in a 5-2 win against Acadie-Bathurst on Oct. 3.
"The biggest part of his game is that he competes hard," NHL Central Scouting's Troy Dumville told NHL.com. "Last year he played wing and later made the adjustment to center, so he's a pretty adaptable kid with good hockey sense. He does a lot of the little things. His defensive-zone coverage was really impressive."
As a rookie in 2012-13, Barbashev had 18 goals, 62 points and a plus-9 rating in 68 games. Dumville noted that Barbashev has become more physically involved in the early portions of this season.
"He definitely can play that physical game and he's got good size," he said. "He'll fill out and develop into a good-sized player, but it's early. He'll definitely be one of the most skilled guys on his team and in the league. I don't see him playing that physical game night in and night out, but at the same time he's capable of it."
A SWEDE SENSATION
Swedish right wing Anton Karlsson likely will represent his country at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship in Malmo, Sweden, in December.
For one thing, he's one of the hardest workers for Frolunda's team in Sweden's under-20 league this season, and has six goals, 12 points and 18 penalty minutes in 10 games. NHL Network analyst Craig Button raved about Karlsson's leadership ability.
He captained Sweden to a gold medal at the 2013 Under-17 World Hockey Championship with six goals and nine points in six games. He also was named one of the top three players for his team while serving as assistant captain at the 2013 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Sochi, Russia, where he had for two goals and four points in five games.
Karlsson (6-foot-1.25, 187 pounds) is a player scouts and general managers will certainly be keeping a close eye on heading into the 2014 NHL Draft.
"He has scored more points than expected and has been a positive surprise so far," NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb told NHL.com. "He's a physical player and effective on the forecheck. He works real hard and finishes his checks well. I'll be looking forward to seeing him again on Sweden's under-18 team in Finland in November."
CENTER FOR THE SOO
Jared McCann of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds had extra motivation entering his second season in the Ontario Hockey League.
After posting an impressive 21 goals and 44 point in 64 regular-season games as a rookie in 2012-13, and tied Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs finished tied in voting for the center position on the 2013 OHL All-Rookie second team. But he sustained a concussion in the team's opening game of the OHL playoffs against the Owen Sound Attack and was sidelined for the final five games of a six-game series loss.
He showed he was healthy this summer when he moved from his natural center spot to left wing for the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in August, and had one goal in five games as Canada won the gold medal. And he started the 2013-14 season with an "A" rating on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for OHL players for the 2014 NHL Draft.
"He's started the season with an excellent goal-scoring pace and is around the puck and finishing scoring chances with regularity," Central Scouting's Chris Edwards told NHL.com. "He's playing with great energy that often comes from getting success early on. He has an excellent wrist shot, has shown great hands and play-making ability, and is an excellent skater with very good acceleration and speed."
McCann currently is 10th in scoring in the OHL with 11 points (seven goals).
In his final season of midget hockey in 2011-12, McCann had 61 goals and 131 points in 67 games for the London Jr. Knights. The Stratford, Ontario, native also sported an eye-popping plus-131 rating and was selected by the Greyhounds with the fourth pick of the 2012 OHL priority selection draft.
"He came into the league last year and really showed that he was able to adapt very quickly," Button told NHL.com. "There's not any situation of the game that forces him out of the lineup, no matter if you want to play physical or a tight-checking game."
POTENTIAL PICKS IN COLLEGIATE OPENER
Look for goalie Thatcher Demko of Boston College and forwards Evan Allen and Alex Kile of the University of Michigan to play significant roles as freshmen for their respective teams this season.
All three were on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the top NCAA players. Demko, one of only two players at his position to receive an "A" rating on the players to watch list, could earn his first collegiate start on home ice Sunday against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The Eagles open the 2013-14 season against Michigan on Thursday in an anticipated clash at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Born Dec. 8, 1995, Demko (6-3, 192) is the youngest player in college hockey. He entered the season knowing that junior holdover
It's Saturday, so we're strapping in for two days of football all across the country. But Friday night reminded us that the guys on the gridiron aren't the toughest stars in sports.
That title still goes to NHL players, and a New Yorker like Islanders captain John Tavares? That's about as tough as it gets. Just witness him take his own tooth out after taking a stick to the face against Chicago. How about soccer players? Check out Mexico's Christian Gimenez, who got a huge gash on his head colliding with a Panamanian player on a header, wrapped it in bloody gauze and ran back out onto the field to confront the whole team and had to be held back.
Yeah, he probably had a concussion or 10. But there was no way he was coming out of the match.
Tough guys win games, and Mexico had 'em, bouncing back from a late equalizer to win 2-1 on Raul Jimenez's bicycle-kick goal to keep its World Cup hopes alive.
Less than six months after he signed a contract with the Capitals as a free agent out of the University of Minnesota, undrafted Nate Schmidt will make his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche.
Schmidt, 22, will become the second Capitals defenseman and third player to make his NHL debut in the first five games this season. He’ll also be the third blueliner in that same span to play in his first career contest with Washington as the team continues shuffling the lineup in response to injuries.
After appearing in 14 regular season and playoff contests with the AHL’s Hershey Bears dating back to last season and taking part in training camp, Schmidt feels comfortable with the Capitals systems and hopes that he’ll be able to keep his emotions contained enough so that it doesn’t negatively impact his play.
“You almost gotta not try and be too in awe about going on, just take it as another game. If you let the game get too big for you you’re going to go in the game and become a very minuscule part of it,” Schmidt said. “Just [in the] morning skate, try and get the jitters out. I think I got them all out this morning, at least I hope so, and just build some chemistry with Steve Oleksy, just trying to figure out some tendencies.”
Schmidt will be paired with Oleksy, who will be working with his third different partner in his third game of the season Saturday after skating with Connor Carrick and Alex Urbom in the previous two contests.
Oleksy doesn’t mind the changes, which have been mandated by injuries to Jack Hillen (fractured tibial plateau) and John Erskine (upper body), and knows he can help ease the transition process for Schmidt through communication and encouragement.
“Keep everything going north and keep it as simple as possible, especially myself that’s my game, a good first pass and keep it simple,” Oleksy said. “Guys that are just kind of getting used to it the game speed and things like that it’s important. When you try to do too much that’s when you usually get burned.”
Schmidt said his preseason appearances, which included a game against most of the Bruins regulars in Boston, offered a preview of what he could expect from a true NHL environment and that he’s looking forward to the real thing in Verizon Center. He also knows what type of challenge awaits from the Avalanche.
“I got the chance to sit down with Calle, watch some video so I can at least know some ins and outs especially against Colorado,” Schmidt said. “They’re a fast team and for a d man like myself I’ve got to move the puck out very quickly tonight.”
However the contest goes, Schmidt will have plenty of support in the stands. His parents, Tom and JoAnn, and brother, Mike, are all flying in from Minnesota for the contest. Schmidt’s sister, Emily, is in medical school in Arizona and was supposed to be in surgery Saturday night but a doctor gave her the night off so she could attend his debut as well.
>> Alex Urbom will be paired with John Carlson for the start of tonight’s game largely because, well, he’s already played one game with the Caps this season Coach Adam Oates said.
>> John Erskine missed a second consecutive day of practice with an upper-body injury.
>>Here’s the Capitals projected lineup. You can find Colorado’s expected roster here.
Capitals coach Adam Oates took a different approach after his team's third straight loss.
Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the club's recent play.
It worked.
One day after Oates' positive power talk during practice, the Capitals scored three goals in less than four minutes of the second period en route to a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. Joel Ward, Alex Ovechkin and Troy Brouwer scored 3:55 apart — including two power-play goals — and Washington was on its way to snapping its skid.
"We feel confidence here. Of course we were kind of upset about the beginning of the year," Ovechkin said. "We win only one game."
Ovechkin scored his sixth goal and added an assist in the outburst. Nicklas Backstrom assisted on all three goals for Washington (2-4).
"Finally, we get the lead and we play with the lead like most of the game," Ovechkin said.
With the score tied at 1, Ward took advantage of a power play and scored his first goal of the season at 10:06.
Ovechkin added his sixth goal 3:12 later, and Brouwer — during another power play — netted his first 43 seconds after that. Brooks Laich scored Washington's first goal of the game.
LaBarbera struggles
The Capitals scored four times on 20 shots against Edmonton goalie Jason LaBarbera. The Oilers have given up at least four goals in each of their six games.
"I thought everything was going fine until we brought a puck back into our zone, and that basically started a few dominos to fall," Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said.
The Oilers (1-4-1) have four games left on their season-high six-game road trip.
"It goes back to the adage of every moment in the game is important. For three minutes we went backward, and it cost us the game," Eakins said.
Boyd Gordon and Will Acton, with the first of his NHL career, scored for Edmonton.
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead 9:48 in on Gordon's fourth goal.
Justin Schultz recovered a loose puck near centre ice, skated down the right wing and sent a pass to Gordon, who flipped a shot past goalie Braden Holtby.
Just 3:53 later, Laich scored his first of the season when he fired a shot past LaBarbera.
Ward gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead one second after Brouwer and Edmonton's David Perron returned to the ice following roughing penalties.
Washington had been working with a 4-on-3 power play, and patiently moved the puck in front of the net until Ward scored. Barely three minutes later, it was Ovechkin's turn, and then Brouwer's.
"We were kind of in a tough spot after last game, 1-4, losing ground a little bit," Brouwer said. "Guys are always a little bit upset when they're not producing because they feel like they're not helping their team out as much as they could, especially if you're expected to score."
Ovechkin was called for interfering with Mike Brown at 12:19 of the third period. A melee ensued with Ovechkin, Brown, the Oilers' Luke Gazdic, and Washington's Mike Green and Karl Alzner all sent off the ice for various infractions.
Acton cut the Oilers' deficit to 4-2 with 1:42 left in the game.
By then, the Capitals had been playing with a three-goal lead for 24 minutes, and that helped boost their confidence.
"You're not scared to make mistakes. You're not as tentative," Holtby said.
Edmonton vs Washington - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
Patrick Roy's playing career is forever intertwined with Mario Tremblay.
Now the first-year Colorado head coach shares an NHL record with his former bench boss.
Matt Duchene scored two goals, including the game-winner in the second period, and the surprising Avalanche prolonged their amazing start by holding on to edge the Dallas Stars, 3-2, at Pepsi Center.
Colorado has run off six straight wins to open the campaign, the second-best start to a season in franchise history. The Avalanche find themselves within striking distance of the 7-0 start by the 1985-86 Quebec Nordiques because of the stellar play of goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who made 39 saves, the last coming just ahead of the final horn on Alex Chiasson from the doorstep.
Varlamov preserved the win for Roy, who matched Tremblay for the most consecutive wins to begin a coaching career.
Tremblay won his first six games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995-96 and, of course, is remembered for leaving Roy in net for nine goals against in an 11-1 dismantling at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 2, 1995. A peeved Roy was soon dealt to Colorado and went on to win two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche.
"It's not something I'm looking at. To be truthful, I'm not really excited about the record. I'm excited about how our team is winning, and any problems we can fix on Thursday (against Detroit)," Roy said.
Rich Peverley and Cody Eakin scored for Dallas, which has dropped three of its first five games. Dan Ellis, who was riding a four-game winning streak against the Avalanche, stopped 23 shots.
"There's something here to build off of," said Stars forward Tyler Seguin. "Our first (period) was shaky, second was much better. Their goaltender was incredible tonight."
Eakin erased a 2-1 deficit with the first power-play goal surrendered by Colorado in 14 shorthanded situations this season. With the man advantage winding down, he fired a wrister from the right circle behind Varlamov at the 10:58 mark of the second period.
Duchene put the Avalanche back in front on a delayed penalty. He motored down the middle through the neutral zone, cut wide to the left wing and roofed a shot at 14:18.
Dallas jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Peverley's breakaway tally 4:18 into the contest. It was the first goal given up by Colorado in the opening period this season.
Duchene, off a giveaway by Dallas veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar, tied things up at 11:43, then rearguard Jan Hejda put the Avs in front when he pounced on a loose puck and let go a slap shot with seven seconds left in the first period.
Game Notes
Duchene's second goal was his 200th career NHL point ... Colorado forward PA Parenteau had two assists ... The Stars were 1-for-4 on the power play.
Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
Dustin Penner and Kyle Palmieri scored first-period goals, and Viktor Fasth made 33 saves for the defending Pacific Division champions, who have won five of their first six games for the first time in the club's two-decade history.
Selanne's 676th career goal late in the second period ended up providing the winning margin for the Ducks, who have won 17 consecutive home games against Calgary since Jan. 19, 2004.
Lee Stempniak scored a short-handed goal and Jiri Hudler got credit for a deflected goal early in the third period for Calgary.
Selanne scored on a breakaway, taking a slick pass from Jakob Silfverberg and beating Joey MacDonald between the legs. The 43-year-old Finnish Flash broke his stick moments earlier, but skated to the bench for new lumber before sneaking behind the Calgary defense for a score.
MacDonald stopped 19 shots for the Flames, who had four days off before opening a five-game trip. Calgary's 3-0-2 start was the franchise's best since the Atlanta Flames went unbeaten in their first 12 games of the 1978-79 season.
Calgary has lost 26 of its last 27 road games against Anaheim, its new division rivals under NHL realignment.
Fasth was strong after 10 days off in his tandem with Jonas Hiller, and though the Ducks managed less than half of their club-record 56 shots from Sunday's win over Ottawa, they are a potent offensive team with 20 goals during their five-game streak.
Penner scored just 3:27 in, converting a cross-ice pass from captain Ryan Getzlaf for the second goal of the left wing's return to Anaheim. Penner has already matched his goal total in 33 regular-season games last year with the Los Angeles Kings, although he came up bigger in the playoffs for the Ducks' rivals.
Palmieri added to Anaheim's lead with an exceptional effort later in the period, intercepting Chris Butler's clearing attempt and getting off a wrist shot in the middle of four Flames in the slot. He beat MacDonald high to the stick side for his first goal of the season.
Calgary's Tim Jackman got a game misconduct for butt-ending Sami Vatanen late in the first period, but the Flames got the only benefit from the five-minute Anaheim power play. Palmieri stumbled when a puck jumped over his stick near the blue line, and Stempniak scored on a clean short-handed breakaway.
The Ducks managed just three shots in those five minutes, dropping to an NHL-worst 1 for 22 on the power play this season.
After Selanne's goal sent the Ducks into the third period with a two-goal lead, Hudler trimmed the Flames' deficit when Kris Russell's shot from the blue line deflected off his body and pinballed past Fasth for his third goal of the season.
NOTES: Calgary is playing in every NHL rink in California during its trip. ... The officials waved off an apparent goal by Calgary C Joe Colborne late in the second period due to a high stick. ... San Diego State men's basketball coach Steve Fisher attended the game. The Aztecs will play in the Wooden Legacy tournament this fall, with the final slated for Dec. 1 at Honda Center.
Anaheim Ducks beat Calgary Flames for 5th straight win - NHL News | FOX Sports on MSN
For 18 years, the names Patrick Roy and Mario Tremblay have been tied together because of the above incident in which Roy demanded a trade after the Montreal Canadiens coach left him in too long during a blowout loss.
Now, they are tied together by early coaching success.
Tremblay won his first six games in 1995-96 (with Roy in net) as an early-season coaching replacement and Roy has won his first six this season as a rookie coach for the Colorado Avalanche. That’s an NHL record for best career start by a coach.
And Roy can break that record tonight with a home win against the Detroit Red Wings. A 7-0 mark would also tie the franchise record for best start to a season.
Throw away his opening-night glass rattling and Roy has been composed and has a young team playing over its head.
That night in December 1995 was good for Roy. He won two more Stanley Cups with the Avalanche and had a ready home waiting for him when he was looking to get back to the NHL as a coach.
We say Roy will be a record-setting coach after tonight.
Our prediction: The Avalanche win 3-1.
Appropriate opponent
It’s fitting that Roy is going for the record against the Red Wings.
He seemed to be his best when playing that team. He certainly was his most intense.
Though the rivalry has diminished over the years, it was the fiercest and most entertaining back in Roy’s playing days.
Remember, this was Roy’s second goalie fight against the Red Wings in a little more than a year.
The Florida Panthers announced that goalie Tim Thomas was returning from a pulled groin muscle and would be playing against the Boston Bruins.
The game is in Florida, so it’s not as big as Thomas going to Boston (that’s Nov. 7), but we’re glad to see he’s not missing the game against the team he led to the 2011 Stanley Cup.
Tonight’s matchup will feature Thomas vs. Tuukka Rask, the former backup who led the Bruins to the 2013 Stanley Cup Final while Thomas took a year’s sabbatical. Rask had a funny comment about tonight’s meeting.
The starting goalies haven’t been announced yet for tonight’s Vancouver Canucks-Buffalo Sabres game, but let’s hope for Roberto Luongo vs. Ryan Miller.
Both were in the gold medal game in the 2010 Olympics (Luongo’s Canada beat Miller’s USA on an overtime goal by Sidney Crosby) and both are trying to get named to their teams for Sochi.
Please check out USA TODAY Sports columnist Kevin Allen’s latest Olympic hockey tracker.
The San Jose Sharks will be looking to improve to 7-0 when they visit the Dallas Stars.
They’ll be without Dan Boyle, who left the ice Tuesday on a stretcher after a hit from behind by St. Louis’ Maxim Lapierre that drew the attention of NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan.
Boyle let the world know how he was through San Jose Mercury News beat writer David Pollak.
Fortunately for the Sharks, defenseman Brad Stuart will be returning from his three-game suspension during tonight’s game. He’ll move into Boyle’s spot alongside defenseman Matt Irwin, according to Pollak.
Our prediction: The Sharks also opened 7-0 last season and will do so again, beating the Stars 4-2.
FYI: So far, we’re 7-3 in predictions.
Your games tonight
Vancouver at Buffalo, 7
Carolina at Toronto, 7
Edmonton at N.Y. Islanders, 7
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7
Columbus at Montreal, 7:30
New Jersey at Ottawa, 7:30
Minnesota at Tampa Bay, 7:30
Boston at Florida, 7:30
St. Louis at Chicago, 8
Los Angeles at Nashville, 8
San Jose at Dallas, 8:30
Detroit at Colorado, 9
Patrick Roy goes for record and other thoughts on a busy NHL night | For The Win
The Washington Capitals have told forward Tom Wilson he's staying put in the NHL.
Wilson has played in seven games with the Capitals this season. His entry-level contract kicks in after he plays in his ninth game.
"It's huge. It's awesome. It definitely makes me feel a little more comfortable," Wilson said in meeting with reporters after he received the news from general manager George McPhee and coach Adam Oates.
The 19-year-old made his NHL debut during last season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, playing three games in the Capitals' first-round series loss to the New York Rangers.
Prior to joining the Capitals, Wilson had 23 goals and 58 points in 48 games last season with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.
Wilson would have gone back to Plymouth if the Capitals had opted not to keep him. At 19, he's too young to play in the American Hockey League.
Instead, he'll remain in Washington and continue to work at improving his game.
"I think just keep doing the stuff I've been doing, working hard," he said. "They want to make sure I'm getting better every day. Come in, work hard. They don't want me to take this for granted. They don't want me to get too comfortable. They want me to keep developing and working as hard as I can to get better every day."
A first-round pick (No. 16) of the Capitals in the 2012 NHL Draft, he is scoreless with 14 penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating this season while playing a fourth-line role.
"I think the fourth line so far has done a fairly good job about generating as much offense as we can, but there's something to be said about finishing it when we do get those opportunities," Wilson said.
Tom Wilson to remain with Washington Capitals all season - NHL-com - News
Gone is the simple format that sees the top eight teams in each conference gain Stanley Cup playoff spots. Now, there are 16 teams on one side, 14 on the other and 16 playoff spots to divvy up.
This is how the teams would be seeded in their new divisions based on last year's performance. Because they'll play out-of -conference games this season, comparisons to last season are fairly inapplicable. This is purely a mock-up to illustrate what could happen in the upcoming campaign, not an exercise of “what-if.”
Metropolitan Division
1. Z- Pittsburgh
2. Z - Washington
3. Z - NY Rangers
4. NY Islanders (55 points)
5. Columbus
6. Philadelphia
7. New Jersey
8. Carolina
Atlantic Division
Z- Montreal
Z - Boston
Z - Toronto
X - Detroit (56 points)
X- Ottawa (56 points)
Buffalo
Tampa Bay
Florida
Central Division
Z - Chicago
Z - St. Louis
Z -Minnesota
X - Winnipeg (51 points, 22 ROW)
Dallas
Nashville
Colorado
Pacific Division
Z - Anaheim
Z - Vancouver
Z - Los Angeles
X - San Jose (57)
Phoenix (51 points, 17 ROW)
Edmonton
Calgary
Key:
Z – These teams are the top three seeds in their division, and gain automatic entry into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
X – Wild card teams are the teams outside of the top three in their division, chosen because they have with the next highest point totals, regardless of the division. Three seeds can come from one division and five from another.
Matchup breakdown:
The division leader in each conference with the most points plays the wild card team with the fewest points.
The division leader with the second highest amount of points plays the wild card team with the most points
3 & 4 – the second and third seeds in each division face one another in the first round.
This is what the first round would’ve looked like had realignment happened a year earlier:
Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa
Montreal vs. Detroit
Washington vs. NY Rangers
Boston vs. Toronto
Western Conference
Chicago vs. Winnipeg
Anaheim v. San Jose
St. Louis vs. Minnesota
Vancouver vs. Los Angeles
So that’s what the 2013 playoffs would have started out like had realignment occurred a year earlier, and those teams managed to keep the same records despite facing new divisional opponents.
What do you think of the new seeding system? Is it perfect? Is it flawed? Let us know in the comments and have your say!
The Explainer: New NHL playoff seeding format - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings