#the Canucks needed a win tonight and ended up losing

[remedy7411]

@babygirlboeser has this theory where the Canucks and Stars are not allowed to win at the same time… I think I hate this theory…

[letsgetrowdy43]

Vegas Nights—

Quinn Hughes x Honey Hughes

Warnings: 18+ content/smut below the cut: nothing extremely explicit or intense, just soft sex!! It's literally just sex, with very little plot.

Au Masterlist!!

The room erupted into applause as Quinn's name was announced, breaking the tension among the Hughes family as Quinn was awarded the gleaming Norris Trophy, a symbol of his hard-earned achievement. Honey felt a surge of pride swell in her chest as she jumped to her feet to press a loving kiss to her husband's lips as he pulled her into his chest.

"I'm so proud of you," she mumbled as she rested her chin on his shoulder before she pulled away to look him in the eyes. "Couldn't have done it without you Hun," he pressed a short kiss to her temple before he went down the row of Hughes and company, hugging and thanking all of them before he made his way to the stage to accept his award.

She stood with his brothers, Jack's arm wrapped around her shoulder as she leaned into his side, tears of pride welling in her eyes as Quinn delivered his heartfelt acceptance speech.

"The reality of winning an award like this is you can’t do it alone and you need really good players around you, and I certainly have that," Quinn said, his voice filled with emotion, "It takes a team both on and off the ice, so thank you to not only the Canucks and the organization but also to my brothers, my parents, friends, family and the never-ending support of my wife Honey and my kids, none of this would've been possible without you all being in my corner."

Honey's heart skipped a beat at his words, her cheeks flushing with happiness as she beamed up at him, watching his shy grin grow as he caught her eyes. She mouthed a short "love you," which was caught by the camera as he continued on to thank his fellow nominees.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur of congratulatory handshakes, hugs, and photos, but all she could think about was getting Quinn back to their hotel room, away from the crowds, to celebrate his victory in their own, a more private way.

After the awards ceremony, they headed to the casino to toast Quinn's success. They laughed, and they drank, enjoying the never-ending energy of the Las Vegas night. Honey couldn't remember the last time they had so much fun, surrounded by loved ones and the excitement of the win. But as the night wore on, an electric tension began to build between her and Quinn, an unspoken promise of what was to come.

"We should leave soon," Honey mumbled into Quinn's ear before pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw, a teasing smile working its way to her face as Quinn pulled away with a grin. He slightly stiffened in the booth they were currently sitting at, "got a little surprise for me?" he joked as his hand squeezed her thigh that was pressed against his. Honey batted her lashes, a pout making its way to her face as his thumb brushed over her bottom lip, toying with her as she shook her head, "No surprise, just wanna get you all to myself, thought maybe we could celebrate, just the two of us."

Quinn cleared his throat and stood up abruptly as she finished her sentence, "We are going to bed. Night!" he announced to the table with a grin. Jack chuckled, shaking his head, "Didn't think you'd be running off so soon. Thought you'd be itching for another round of blackjack after your last losing streak." Quinn shot him a playful glare. "Not tonight, I think I'm about to score big," he said, his eyes flickering back to Honey with a look that made the heat in her lower stomach burn brighter. "That's fucking disgusting" Luke groaned as he shooed his eldest brother away, the married couple laughing at the youngest dramatics as they made their way from the casino to their hotel

When they finally returned to their hotel room, Honey barely had the door closed before Quinn's hands were on her. He pressed her against the wall, his lips crashing down on hers in a searing kiss. The heat between them was palpable, the pent-up desire from the night bursting as his hands began to roam.

"I've been waiting all night to get you alone," Quinn murmured against her lips, his voice rough with need. "Me too," Honey breathed, her hands tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer.

Quinn's hands wandered her body, "so... how do you wanna celebrate my big night," he whispered into her skin as began slowly unzipping the back of her dress, grinning as it hit the floor which led his lips back onto her skin, nipping at her collarbones. Honey's fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt, yanking it off and tossing it aside, "I was thinking we start in the bed, and then maybe in the shower, but it's all up to you, Mr. Norris Trophy winner," Her attention now back on his lips, hands cupping his jaw and pulling him in closer to press his lips against hers before she nipped at his bottom lip. The feel of his bare skin against hers sent a jolt of electricity through her, and she moaned into his mouth, needing more of him, "I like the sound of that."

He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her to the bed and laying her down gently on the soft mattress, Quinn stood for a moment, his eyes dark with desire as he took in the sight of her. Honey's body burned under his gaze, the intensity of his look sending shivers down her spine.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "And you're all mine," Honey replied, her voice trembling with anticipation as he lowered himself onto the bed to be face-to-face with her.

Quinn's mouth found hers again, his kiss hungry and demanding as his hands skillfully moved to her bra, unclasping it with practiced ease and letting it fall away. He cupped her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples and sending waves of pleasure coursing through her, she arched into his touch, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

Quinn's kisses trailed down her neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her skin. He moved lower, his mouth finding her breast and sucking gently. Honey's breath hitched, her back arching off the bed as a moan escaped her lips.

"Quinn," she gasped, her voice barely more than a whisper. He didn't respond, his mouth too busy exploring her body, leaving goosebumps the further he trailed down her figure. His hands slid down to her hips, his fingers hooking into the waistband of her panties and pulling them down. Honey kicked them off, her body aching for his touch.

Quinn's mouth followed the path of his hands, kissing and licking his way down her body until he reached the apex of her thighs. He looked up at her, his eyes dark with desire. Honey's breath caught in her throat, her body trembling with anticipation.

"This was supposed to be about you," she whispered, her voice trembling as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh. "This night is as much yours as it is mine," he looked up at her with a loving gaze before nipping her other thigh. "But-" she was cut off as his hands intertwined with hers.

Quinn didn't hesitate, his mouth found her center, licked a strip up her core which elicited a broken moan. Honey's head fell back against the pillow, a cry of pleasure escaping her lips as he nipped teasingly at her clit. The sensation was overwhelming, the pleasure building with each flick of his tongue.

She tangled her fingers in his curls, holding him to her as her hips moved against him, grinding against his face as he stared up with lust blown eyes as his wife.

Honey writhed under the weight of his tongue, eyes closed and heart pounding as her husband worked his magic. She laid out prettily for him, falling apart in his hands. He was winning in more ways than one tonight.

Quinn's hands gripped her thighs, holding her steady as he brought her closer and closer to the edge. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling with the intensity of the pleasure.

When she finally came, it was with a shuddering cry, her body convulsing with the force of her orgasm. Quinn held her through it, his mouth never ceasing its tender ministrations until the last tremors of pleasure had subsided and she was reduced to putty in his hands.

Honey lay back against the pillow, her body limp and satisfied as she caught her breath.

Quinn crawled up her body, capturing her lips in a kiss that was both tender and possessive. Honey could taste herself on his lips, the sensation sending another wave of desire through her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as her fingers found their place in his hair, pulling him closer before she rolled over to straddle him.

"My turn to lead," she whispered against his lips, her voice a little stronger as her hands ran over the tanned skin on his chest. "Need you," Quinn whined, his voice a low growl as she grinned at his desperation.

She sank down on him slowly, filling her completely. Honey gasped at the sensation, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she began to move once she felt ready. Their rhythm was slow and sensual, each movement deliberate and full of love. The intensity built with each thrust, their bodies moving together in perfect harmony. Honey's breath came in ragged gasps, her hip grinding against his as the pleasure built to a fever pitch, one of his hands guiding her hips, the other drawing tight circles on her clit using his thumb.

"God, Honey," he moaned, his eyes dark with desire as he watched her, "you feel so good." She leaned forward, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, "so do you, baby," her voice was a seductive purr, sending shivers down his spine.

Her pace quickened, control slipping as she neared her peak, her nails digging into his shoulders as they climbed higher and higher. "Quinn," she moaned, her voice breaking with need as he sat up a little to press a kiss to her jaw and then lowered to bite softly at the skin of her breasts. "I know, Hun, I know," he replied, his voice strained with desire as his lips wrapped around her nipple before moving up to silence her loud cries of pleasure. And with a final, shuddering thrust, they reached their climaxes together, their cries of pleasure echoing through the room.

Honey collapsed on top of him, relishing the feeling of his arms wrapping around her as they both caught their breath. She rested her head on his chest, the steady beat of his heart a comforting reminder of their bond.

"Now that's what I call a proper celebration," she murmured, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingertips. "I love you, and I'm so proud of you, don't know if I tell you that enough," a grin spreading across his face as he looked at her, watching as her eyes filled with love right before she pressed a gentle kiss to his chest. "I love you too," he mumbled as he cupped her face and brought it up to press a sloppy kiss to her lips.

Quinn pulled away, her face still in his hands as he gently ran her fingers over the flushed skin of her cheek, grinning at how pretty his wife looked, makeup smudged and hair a mess, but still the prettiest thing he's ever laid his eyes on. "Now I believed I was promised something to do with round two, and a shower," he laid a gentle smack to her ass before intertwining their hands once again hoisting her over his shoulder and taking off in the direction of the hotel bathroom, laughter filling the air as he shut the door and concealing them from the rest of the world.

-

-

-

[toasttt11]

losing streak

Carter winced as she set her backpack down in her hotel room, she gingerly slipped off her black blazer, slipped off her black loafers and sat on the bed bringing her hands to face and burying her face in her hands groaning as her whole body is throbbing from the hit she got from tonight’s game.

She heard her phone ringing and would usually ignore but she knew she put it on do not disturb and only a few people can notify her through that, she pulled out her phone from her beige trouser pockets and saw the silly photo of her and Jack smiling together on their boat pop up on her phone ringing for a FaceTime, She clicked answer seeing Jacks tired face illuminated by his phone glow in his dark bedroom.

“Hey birdy.” Jack grinned his charming grin hiding the concern he felt from seeing her being badly hit tonight.

“Hey jacky.” Carter mumbled not even being able to mustered up another fake smile, she fiddled with her locket necklace, a gift from her brothers.

“Hey Ree you alright.” Jack face showed all the concern he felt for his sister.

Carter cleared her throat, “Fine.”

“Carter you don’t have to be fine.” Jack frowned knowing what it was like having a tough time in his rookie year.

“It’s just, us losing the last five games all the media has been blaming it on me.” Carter knows she has been playing okay the last few days but sometimes it’s hard to play as good as you can when your team is not playing the best, and she’s not blaming her team but she hasn’t been playing bad either.

Jack slowly nodded knowing a lot of media will always try to find someone to blame and the rookies are usually the ones that’s are blamed, “Hey that is not your fault, Okay. You’ve been playing well birdy i wouldn’t lie to you.” Jack knew how easy it is to listen to the media, especially when your down.

Carter slowly nodded feeling a bit better because of her big brother, and she knew out of everyone Jack would give her the honest answer.

“Now how is your shoulder.” Jack gave her a stern look seeing how hard she was shoved into the boards today and he watched her be bent over on the ice for a good minute and be led down the tunnel before not playing the rest of the third period.

“It’s not injured just gonna be really sore and some bruising.” Carter told him, remembering how scared she was when she got knocked down and felt all the pain, she didn’t want it to be a bad injury especially in her rookie year of the NHL and it was a relief to know it’s just gonna be a bad bruise.

“Good.” Jack nodded, “Now go take a warm shower and take some motrin and get a good night sleep okay.” Jack instructed his little sister playing his role of protective big brother.

Especially since he knew Carter and Quinn didn’t have a shared room tonight and Quinn texted saying Carter was the first to leave the team bus heading right up to hee hotel room.

“I will.” Carter promised, “And Jack thank you.” She didn’t realize how much she needed someone to tell her it wasn’t her fault, but more so some not on her own team.

“Always.” Jack smiled, “And Birdy go kick some ass tomorrow yeah.” Jack smirked to his little sister who gave him a small smirk and a determined nod.

And Carter did. The next night the Carter scored two goals against the Montreal Canadians, making the Canucks end their losing streak winning 2-0. Two days after they played the Senators winning 6-2, Carter got a hat trick in the game and sent a puck from one of her goals to Jack.

[youcouldmakealife]

SOTM: Stephen/Gabe; transference

For the prompt: I love Stephen bullying Jared, but I’d love to see him being tender with Gabe

Stephen’s always a little torn when the offseason arrives. For obvious reasons; offseason means they’re together pretty much every day — Stephen goes virtual for the summers and no one gives a shit as long as he gets the work done, pops into the Toronto office once or twice a week. They get to go home, spend time with their families, catch up with childhood friends — they have a lot of mutual friends, unsurprisingly — and eat Gabe’s mom’s cooking, and his dad’s grilling, and just kind of reset for the year. It’s like a long New Year’s break more than summer break, them coming seen as an occasion, the neat delineation between hockey season and the next. Gabe trains, and Stephen works, but it still feels like a holiday.

But first, Gabe has to lose. That’s the rub. The Canucks have missed the postseason a few times over the years, and Gabe’s defeated but stoic when the final horn goes, the lockers get cleared out, their flight out already booked, only waiting for the end of the season. But the Canucks are in the playoff mix more often than not, and, except for that first year in Vancouver, that messy, terrifying stretch, the Canucks haven’t won the Cup. So Gabe has to lose before they go home. And it hurts him. It always hurts him.

Gabe doesn’t sulk, or pout, or mope, or any other dramatic teen verbs that Stephen’s sure he’d be doing in Gabe’s place. Stephen wouldn’t blame him if he did, but he doesn’t. There are no tantrums; he doesn’t get snappish, he doesn’t take it out on anyone around him, lash out. But it hurts him.

They don’t talk about it. It’s not that Gabe can’t — if Stephen brought it up he’d talk about it — but Stephen knows his phone’s full of conciliatory texts from friends and acquaintances, messages from teammates who need to vent, or commiserate, know Gabe will be that shoulder for them if and when they need it. Gabe’s got the media asking questions, family offering support, ‘that sucks’, over and over again. He’s talking about it enough right now. So they don’t talk about it.

They empty out the fridge, they remind their neighbour to take in their mail, they repeatedly tell Miriam that they’ll be there for months so she doesn’t need an extensive list of the meals they want her to make for them while they’re there, they pack. At the airport Stephen answers emails and Gabe musters up a weak smile when a couple young guys come over and tell him the Canucks deserved to win it all. Gabe tucks his ankle behind Stephen’s after.

“Go get us coffee,” Stephen says, because Gabe’s fidgety now, concerned that now that the first fans have talked to him, he’ll get approached more. It happens like that: people think that it might just be someone that looks like Gabe, or they don’t want to bother him, or they’re worried he’ll be rude, and then someone walks over without incident, and everyone takes it as permission to do the same.

“If you have any more coffee you won’t sleep tonight,” Gabe says.

“I won’t anyway,” Stephen says.

It always takes him at least a week before he adjusts to being back in eastern time. Gabe’s quicker about it, so every time they head east Stephen spends a few nights glaring at Gabe’s peacefully sleeping face and fighting the urge to poke him awake so he has some company in his insomnia. Usually he gets up and watches something, or goes for a walk. It only ends with Gabe groaning ‘Steve, fuck’s sakes’ when Stephen accidentally on purpose kicks him during his tossing and turning sometimes. Less often over the years. Stephen’s grown as a person.

“I’m getting you decaf,” Gabe says, which is probably the right call — Stephen drinks a lot of coffee on travel days, more than he should, especially since, unlike when he’s driving, he doesn’t actually have to stay alert. Nobody’s eyes follow him as he walks over to Starbucks, so they’ll probably be left alone.

Stephen can’t taste the difference between decaf and regular, but he can read, and Gabe didn’t get him decaf, so if he gets kicked awake tonight it’s his own fault.

“You want to talk about it?” Stephen asks. Their families will treat it as a no-go, everyone talking right around it, so if Gabe wants to get it all out, now’s his chance.

“It’s fine,” Gabe says.

“Sure?” Stephen asks.

“I’m fine,” Gabe says. “We didn’t — we didn’t deserve it, honestly. They had the passion at the end.”

This would be a complete bullshit soundbite for the media, someone lying through their teeth to sound mature, hide the bitterness, if it was literally anyone else. But it’s Gabe, and Stephen knows he means it.

It’s infuriating, sometimes, how even-keeled Gabe is even about the worst things, how unflappable he is, even though it’s been Stephen’s anchor his whole life. Even though if Gabe was any other way Stephen probably would have driven him up the wall, if he was any other way he probably would have driven Stephen up the wall. But he’s just — solid. Always.

Sometimes Stephen wants to take him by the shoulders and shake him and say “Be angry!” but it’s not that Gabe doesn’t get angry, or sad, he doesn’t repress his emotions, he just doesn’t ever let them overwhelm him.

So Stephen does it for him. He’s a Gabe feeling surrogate. He’s sad when the Canucks get knocked out. He’s vocally pissed when Gabe takes a bad hit, and not just because there’s always an awful moment where everything in him clenches up, terrified that lightning will strike twice, and harder the second time, leave them scorched. He’s delighted that Gabe has a little queer mentee, and only partly because he’s so much fun to bully.

So he lets himself feel it, stew in the bitterness that Gabe’s too big a person to feel, let that brittle, useless anger carry him through boarding, the pantomime of air safety, seatbelts, life vests, oxygen masks, the reminder to put your own mask first. 

Gabe would do that instinctively, would know it was the right course, the best way to guarantee the survival of both. Take care of himself first in order to take care of others better. Stephen wouldn’t. Well, if it was anyone but Gabe, he would, less safety conscious than selfish. But maybe it’s selfish with Gabe too, knowing that losing him would be the worst thing that could ever happen to him, ensuring it didn’t, or if it did, he wouldn’t have to be there to feel it.

Gabe puts his earbuds in when they hit altitude, watching a movie on the little screen in front of him, zoned out through the safety spiel, could probably mouth along with it if he had to. He looks away from the screen when Stephen laces their fingers together, a furrow in his brow, a silent scan, making sure everything’s okay. Stephen squeezes his hand, pulls out his e-reader, leans into Gabe when Gabe traces his thumb, slow, over the scar tissue of his wrist.

[hommedeseptiles]

IsFly Musings and In-Game Scribbles

Overtime Period One

I open the browser and see a heavy shot total.  Isles lead 44-20. And the thing has gone into overtime.  Leading three-two after leading three-one .. is fine.  So many such series end 4-2.  But.  If you let them back in after 3-1 up, especially in hockey ... it's a concern.  A hot risk.  

Varlamov is in net for Isles.  Thomas Greiss only logged one game this playoff.  Tho the 34 year-old is capable.  And could start forty a season, likely.  [Ed note: He's started 39, 38 and 49 with Isles in varying years; just 28 this year.  Varlamov is a 6M man to Greiss' 3M.  Varlamov started 39 this year and has 13 playoff starts to Greiss' one.]

I struggle with various streams ... I can't be bothered with my box downstairs.  Not now.  Not this season.  Yes, it still works.  However.  It's complicated.  

Six and forty-five.

Isles enter, the Flyers are five in the screen as they steal back and look organized.  

The Isles don't have a slick, untouchable, unrankable forward .. no franchise player.  They've come, perhaps not full circle but some kind of time-mango to the team I enjoyed about six seasons ago.  When Jack whatshisname was the coach [Jack Capuano; seven seasons with a 47-win register in 14-15].  And they were a bunch of No Names.  Buoniconti's Bees.  Or whatever.  Am-I-Rite?  [Ed note: You've confused to Miami Dolphin entities; the Buoniconti-era No Name Defence and the Woodley-era Bees]

Four and fifty.  

The Isles make comfortable ovals around the tight fingers of the cyborg orange.  Flyers are coached by still-likeable Alain Vigneault (yes, THAT Alain Vigneault) but they're still P for putrid.  

Faceoff to Carter Holt's left.  Carter Bailey?  Carter Barter?  These names.  He's good, tho.  And not a bad kid.

The Isles shot lead is now 50-20.  I've missed most of the game so I don't know what kind of 50-20 we're talking about here.  Knowing the Isles, the number probably means early-game verve and then third period Flyer Failings.  The Isles also gear down in the final frame; great goals for-against ratio in the playoff third.

Oh those Fliers.  

I'm a bit busted.  And shelved.  And so forth.  But I've been bookish.  Filmish.  Sipe.  Fouts.  Chuck Knox.  Staubach and Dorsett against Bradshaw and Franco.  

Also Ali.  Jimmy Young.  The Foreman.  Some other odds and ends including an appearance on Donahue by Norton, Holmes, Frazier and Ali.  

Two and thirty.

The Flyers seem to be waiting for Doom.  No.  Not that Doom [Ed note: Legion of Doom].  The 2020 Doom.  

Komarov fires off a drop-pass and it hits wild and high. Vigneault's suit is not as sharp as last game's but still sharper than most other coaches'.  I guess Vigneault made an insensitive remark last week that got flash-featured on RDS' Instagram feed.  Remember RDS?  Ah ha ha.  Of course you do. So do I.

Habs are still in my dawghawse.  Fire MB, bro.

Isles penalty.  Moments later, Cizikis is hauled down on a short-handed thrust... cross-check-shoved from behind by Flyer d-man Sanheim at the circle.  We go to fours.  

And 1:18 left in the period.  

The first OT period of this game (as per my feed).  My, ah, procured feed.  

<shrug>  

I've paid so much.  And what about all the dropped wifi. Fuck Rogers.  

Thirty-eight seconds.  

Leddy low behind his end line.  Back and forth.  Now they emerge.  Pelech.  Up for Pageau.  Drives left to right, crosses the crease but the puck dribbles off.  

And then the siren.

First Intermission (OT) Isles 4, Fliers 4

Do I really need to hear Vegas pronounced "VEGG-USS"?  No, I don't.  It's VAY GUSS.  Ok?

Vancouver is down 3-2 in that "series" and if anyone SHOULD tie up a series after being down 3-1 (which the Canucks WERE) it's Vancouver.  Ok?

I'm going to end each paragraph with "ok?" for now.  Ok?

Ok.  The feed fades to commercial imagery as I face a commercial break.  Ok?

I've also been watching Derek Carr games prior to the Gruden hire.  And just generally catching up on missed NFL footage.  I missed 2004-2018 as you may or may not recall.  Ok?

Hm.  I forgot about ALT-F4 but just instinctively used it to down some unwanted sprung pages from yet another feed. These feeds are reliable, yes.  I haven't decided how I want to view games at home.  Over the past six years (essentially the length of my musings absence; with the odd short exception) I've kept watching .. more each season (minus Montreal) but almost always in public.  And often with a beer involved.  Different from the coffee period.  Tonight is coffee, of course.  But you wouldn't know why it's "of course".  You THINK you know.  But you DON'T KNOW.  And you NEVER WILL.  JK.   Ok? Overtime Second Period Isles 4, Fliers 4

We resume.  A quick shot of Alain.  His usual expression for "situation" situations.  Isles have a brief advantage and they control.  Anders Lee.  Loses it on the hash.  

Fliers' number eighteen escapes [Ed note: Tyler Pitlick RW].  Wrister.  Free, a defender just out of the picture.  Varlamov extends his glove across his left post and nabs it.  Announcer says it was easy.  But I felt some quease.

Prior to the regular season, I went on record (somewhere) to say Isles would win the Cup.  My pool picks were according(ly).  Ok?

Fuck boomers, bro.

And many of my Gen X compatriots. They've forgotten what it was like to get followed around the 7-11.  Or Blockbuster.  Rogers Video.  Etc.  

And now we have Gen Z.  Yes!  As cool as millenials.  But different style.  

The penalty elapsed.  Back to fives.  Regular season OT means four-on-four. But, NHL conservatism (what remains of it) requires fives in the playoffs.  Heaven forbid that skill should settle a contest (over brawn, sistas and bruthas, over brawn).

Flyers swarm.  They close.  Varlamov is a vacuum man, lost papers, lost trinkets ... the tools twinkle and he closes the pad.  Boy does it look like a puck went in on the rear-net replay.  Nope.  That was a stick blade.  Then the helicopter view above the crease shows Varlamov's boot curvetouch the puck out.  And Pelech drops, face to boot and helps elbow the puck into exile. Clutching Varly's pad, a dainty shoeman showman.

No goal.

And that hectic moment is forgotten.  Neutral zone calm. But the Flyers accelerate.  They dare.  It's daring because any uptick from Philly results in Isle commitment.  Isles ARE the better team.  And the Flyers best hope is a languid opponent.  I wish I'd seen the first three periods.  Maybe tomorrow.  (There's a song about that)

Fourteen and fourteen left.

Oh.  And it's Carter Hart.  He's about twenty.  It's his second or so full season.  Image search shows a possibly likeable young fella.  

Shots are 52-28, Isles.

Wrap.  Whoah.  Flyers Are able to ... take advantage of fatigue.  Isles emerge. Eberle, he of Oil fame, winds and fires.  We hear a ting but not a post-ting. Eberle's wild shots are part of his charm.  Right?  

Ok?

Flyers settle in for another five-on-five unwanted visit in Islander ice.  

Nelson carries it out.  Flushed out after a shot.  Isles re-enter.  Uncle Leo.  Yes, he's an Isle now.  

So.  When we're talking about these blue-name no name Island Aislers ... lotta functional no-mistake hockey merchants ... forward names include Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal, Jordan Eberle (that's your tabbed first forward line).  Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey, Derrick Brassard, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Uncle Leo.  I guess <sigh> he's not as annoying as before.  But.

Nine and twenty-five.  

Isles start to press.  Pageeau line.  He's the centre.  Brassard and Leo.  First pairing on the blue; Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock.

They're pushed back and then emerge quietly.  Sneakily.  Flyers are more concerned with maintaining their starfish five formation then just childishly lunging for the puck.  They're taking away any slot passes and happy to let Isles ping from the outside.  Seems effective.

Ok.  So Hart.  He's 21.  He started thirty last year and 40 this season.  Most teams completed 62 games before the season was postponed.  Yes.  Covid-19. If you're reading this in 2030.

He was 0.917 last year and 0.914 this season.  The bulk of starters will rank between 0.910 and 0.920.  I would suggest that increments of 0.35 are significant.  It's a team stat, too, of course.  And must be superimposed with the usual criteria; shot quality and contestation, opponent formations, opponent quality ... etc, etc, blah blah blah.  Ok?

Your friend Carter is from Sherwood Park, Alberta (just outside Edmonton).  

Six and forty.  

Flyers beat Montreal last round in what was described by some as a tight and tough series ("some" being certain interviewed Flyers).

Their captain is Claude Giroux.  Yes.  He's a captain now.  And that should tell you about the P for putrid.  Putridity varies from spot to spot in the rink, of course.  In the building(s).  But yes.  It's still the Fliers you love.  Ah ha ha.

Brian Elliott, that paragon of goaltending arrogance (not alone in the league) started 27 Flier games.  His save percentage was 0.899.   Yes.  You can laugh out loud.

Fliers score.  The puck ekes through the pads.

There will be a game seven.  

Hm.

Cuthbert cites a Mayfield broken stick as the pumpkin break.  He was shooting from their blue.  Stick broke (these dumb modern sticks .. I mean how many years have they had to get them right).  Typical Flier goal.

Just shooooooot.  Shooooooooot.  We gotta get more rubber on net.  

Some tyrannies counted bullets.  

FINAL Philadelphia Flyers 5 New York Islanders 4 (2 OT)

Series tied 3-3

NBC Stars: Provorov, Barzal, Lindblom HDS Stars: Not enough hockey viewed

[kikiskeysgame]

While last night's game ended in a loss for the Blackhawks, it was a pretty exciting game to watch with both teams active on the ice through three whole periods.

In the first period, J.T. Miller got the Vancouver Canucks on the scoreboard first, but the Blackhawks responded by tying up the game with Connor Murphy scoring his 4th goal of the season (with assists by Dominik Kubalik & Jonathan Toews).

During the second period, things started getting crazy between the Blackhawks and the Canucks. Tanner Pearson broke the tie game and then David Kampf tied the game back up.

Patrick Kane & Jonathan Toews gave the Hawks a four-goal lead, but Quinn Hughes & Elias Petterson were able to tie the game back up again. (There was so much going on during the period, it made my head spin).

In the third period, the Canucks regained the lead with a goal by Bo Horvat, but Patrick Kane scored his second goal of the night to tie the game up again. As the period was winding down, Adam Gaudette broke the tie & Bo Horvat sealed the Canucks' victory with an empty-net goal.

Despite the loss, I liked how very active the Blackhawks were during the game (especially Patrick Kane, Dominik Kubalik & Jonathan Toews), but I am not happy with how they allowed the Canucks to take away their lead goal.

As I mentioned many times before in my past keys to the game, when the Blackhawks have the lead goal, they need to maintain it, not lose it because if they're not careful, the other team could take it away from them (which is exactly what happened last night).

In my opinion, it was a pretty tough game for Robin Lehner; not only did he allow six goals against him, but he sustained a hard shot to the neck from the puck and then one of the Canucks' players awkwardly fell onto his knee. I'm surprised he was able to finish the game in one piece after everything he went through tonight.

Even though the road trip didn't end on a good note, I thought that the Blackhawks played quite well and two points out of three games isn't so bad. Just because the Hawks didn't win, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. There are things that they did well on the road trip and things that need some improvement.

After Thursday's game, the Blackhawks' next four games will be on home ice, starting on Sunday night against the Winnipeg Jets. I hope that the Hawks can use that two-day break to rest up, re-focus and be ready for their next game.

Until then, go Blackhawks!

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 12 - CGY - The Sabs

Sometimes the notes that define your understanding of a game flow through one prism. Today… or yesterday, I was taken by Jake McCabe’s absence from practice. The official reason was an undisclosed upper body injury which makes him day-to-day on the injury list. McCabe has a few major injuries in his past, one shoulder injury last season led to surgery ending his season, but I doubt any of those are in play with this. I think it struck me because Jake McCabe has been the driver on a re-born Sabres defense. Scoring from the D-men has shored up Sabres scoring when few outside the top line of forwards were contributing. Without McCabe I was led to wonder what would happen to the D-core in this game. In practice the answer was Rasmus2 to the rescue: the Rasmusi Ristolainen and Dahlin; but how this game would be impacted was an open question. Then McCabe showed up at the game day morning skate. Then he didn’t play. I suppose McCabe’s absence from this game can be a little bit of an explainer. Calgary beat Toronto last night in a barn burner, all puns intended (haha, get it, because they’re the Flames), and one might hope they were tired going into this game. We don’t pay all that much attention to the West Coast teams over here but I think it’s fair to say they’re a comparable for where the Sabres should be: a fringe playoff team that plays scrappy hockey with some skilled, fast players. I thought this game was a real slug fest before closer examination revealed Buffalo wasn’t exactly playing their game.

This game was a battle of goaltenders from the start. Carter Hutton had 36 saves through the whole show and one stop in the second that was downright dirty. David Rittich over in the Flames net did his job quite well too. He was the first to blink well into a furious first period track meet as Jack Eichel got a feed from Jason Pominville and slotted it in high. The next goal was a Flames goal… forty three minutes later from a Matthew Tkachuk that is just as feisty as you remember him being. There was 56 seconds left in a one goal game at that point, Rittich was pulled. Calgary earned that goal after hounding the Sabres for a period and a half. That goal seemed to come in an entirely different game. Buffalo had fallen asleep. That Tkachuk I mentioned earlier, he tripped up Vladimir Sabotka in the dying second of regulation and Buffalo started overtime 4 on 3. The ghost of awful Sabres powerplays visited and jack shit happened. Right when I began to think this game might go to the shootout, Johnny Gaudreau ended it. Jack said after the game that the Sabres relied on their goalie too much. That seemed like an appropriate way to address this frustration. Speaking of frustration: do you think Hutton is a little pissed the boys sat back for part of the second and most of the third? Do you think he’s happy about losing a shutout with 56 seconds left in regulation? This could’ve been a very different New Look Sabres blog but it’s not: we’re sitting here disappointed. Buffalo loses 2-1 in OT to the Calgary Flames.

So there are a lot of different details and plays we can point to in this game. A lot of you probably don’t like that third period penalty on Zach Bogosian for charging. Drop it: Martin Biron rationalized something that is clearly charging. I ain’t no expert but stop. It was charging. I could talk about how Marco Scandella wasn’t dog shit for part of this game but the whole defense went to shit after the halfway point. Rasmus Ristolainen was rough, especially in the third, and not in a good way. I don’t know if we see Rasmus2 again in the near future assuming McCabe comes back. The Sabres sat back in a one goal game. They abandoned the strategy that won them the Montreal game last Thursday and very nearly got them two points in Columbus. This gets to a little thing I call the Sabs. Ever read that annoying shorthand for the Sabres? The Sabs: gross, it sounds like scabs. It also sounds like sad. That’s what this team has been for five fucking years: the Sabs. Sad (cue the Donald Trump gifs). Sad. They either lose through sabotage during the tank or lose by a series of silly mistakes and dumb plays. That team is supposed to be behind us. NO MORE SABS! The sins of one period in the Columbus game grew like a cancer into the destruction of a whole game and it isn’t okay. You don’t need to have a hockey blog or a podcast to see what happened tonight was not ok. Fuck the Sabs! Shit, we could’ve been top three in the division tonight. Oh for one fleeting moment I thought I would escape you poison, Sabs!

Rick Jeanneret’s costume was awfully cute, eh? I got to lighten the mood. This did conclude the first October the Sabres got 14 points in since 2009-2010. That’s a positive. Looking ahead I find myself drooling at a home and home series with the Ottawa Senators. Yes, I know they had a good start but I say very confidently that they are not better than this Buffalo Sabres team. Even after these two visitations of the Sabs. With one of the most prolific Sabres killers of this millennia out on the West Coast now, this Sens team should be even less fun to watch then they were last season. They will regress to their sewer level mean and the Buffalo Sabres should get all four points over these two games to help get them there. Moreover, these next five games are relatively easy opponents before a gauntlet that includes Tampa Bay, Winnipeg and Pittsburgh. KICK OTTAWA’s ASS! Remind the Rangers why they’d be doing Lundqvist a favor trading him to a Cup team! Make the Canucks remember they ain’t got shit around Elias Pettersson! If we want to have the all-important status of an American Thanksgiving Playoff Team than we got get wins when the win getting is good! I am not even really kidding about that one.

Well here we are: Happy Halloween! While you’re out at those Halloween parties checking out the girls in those sexy fill-in-the-character-that-shouldn’t-be-sexualized-here costumes lean over to that person you always like sounding smart to and suggest New Look Sabres! Well… maybe don’t if you’re trying to sound smart. Either way: share this, like this, and leave me a spooky comment. I would love a positive ghostly visitation on this holiday before transitioning into the holiday season where you got to buy shit and do shit for family and what not. Let’s also hope the Sabs disappear with this ghostly holiday.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. Johnny Gaudreau did the little boy routine when Casey Mittelstadt was still in High School gym class.

[highbuttonsports]

High Flying Oilers Brought Down to Earth

(Feb 25 EDM; 3, VAN; 0)

The Edmonton Oilers extended their winning streak to five consecutive games, shutting out the Canucks 3-0 on Thursday night.

The Oilers have a 10-2 record in their last 12 games with two shutout performances from Mike Smith who has a .944 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average this season.

The first was fast-paced, with both teams getting chances on the man advantage as well as on the rush. The game remained scoreless after twenty minutes of play thanks to solid goaltending at both ends of the ice.

The second period was much better for the Oilers. From the opening face-off they were first on every puck, hard on the boards, and quickly able to disrupt any rush chance the Canucks tried. Alex Chiasson was eventually able to score on the power play to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead that they would carry into the third.

Instead of battening down the hatches, the Oilers went full steam ahead, deploying the dynamic duo of Draisitl and Mcdavid late in the third to try to extend the lead.

Needless to say, it worked.

Draisitl and Mcdavid picked up the assists on Jesse Puljujarvi’s sixth of the season. While Vancouver tried to claw back into contention, Mike Smith stood strong just as he has ever since coming back from injury.

Captain Connor put the game away with an empty-net goal in the final minute of the game, securing the third star on the night.

(FEB 27 EDM; 0, TOR; 4 )

The high-flying Oilers were finally brought down to earth, shut out 4-0 by the first-place Leafs.

The Leafs, without Auston Mathews, put on a defensive clinic effectively shutting down Connor Mcdavid and limiting him to just one shot throughout the entire game.

The Oilers were wholly shut down throughout the night, unable to sustain any offensive pressure for more than a shift or two. And anytime they were able to get shots on net, they were calmly and easily stopped by Jack Campbell, who took home a 30 save shutout on his first game back from injury.

“We got beat” Said Dave Tippet postgame. “They played a strong game, we weren’t sharp enough to win.”

While the Leafs played a terrific game, showcasing why they hold first place in the NHL.

The Oilers outside of Connor Mcdavid seemed to take a night off in certain areas.

Edmonton only blocked 5 shots as opposed to Toronto’s 12, took the game’s only penalty, and gave the puck away 14 times at even strength.

“You’ve gotta use it as a lesson, we didn’t play very well… we’re gonna have to be a lot better to be competitive in games.”

The Oilers may have to learn these lessons the hard way if they want to succeed in such a tight division.

(Mar 1; EDM; 0, TOR; 3)

The Oilers surrendered the second game of their series against the leafs 3-0 on Monday, being shutout in back-to-back games against the Leafs backup goalies.

The first period started off strong for the Oilers as they set the tone early with fast physical play. But the Leafs were eager to match their playing style with Zach Hyman scoring the game’s first goal at 7;19.

The Leafs continued to apply pressure and after a series of defensive mistakes, William Nylander was able to break in with speed and bury a beautiful backhand goal on the Leafs second shot of the game, giving Toronto a two-goal lead.

Morgan Rielly would later score with a blast from the point on the powerplay to extend the Leafs lead to 3-0 going into the first intermission.

From that point on, there seemed to be no fight left in the Oilers. “Were in a little rut. Seems like nothing we’re shootings going in the net.” Said Dave Tippett postgame.

Obviously discouraged by back-to-back shutout losses, the Oilers need to rediscover some of their past momentum if they want to continue to compete for a playoff spot.

Looking Ahead

The Oilers will cap off their three game homestand against the Leafs tonight, and there's a good chance Auston Mathews will be back in the lineup. After scoring zero goals through 6 periods against the leafs, the Oilers have to shake things up to stand a chance against the dominant leafs. Dave Tippett already seems to be tinkering with the top two lines in practice, dropping Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the second line beside Draisitl and plugging in James Neal beside Mcdavid in the hopes of sparking some offense.

After the Leafs, The Oilers will continue their season series against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. Edmonton won the last meeting 7-1, so Calgary will certainly be looking for redemption.

Can the Oilers snap the losing streak? Will the new line combinations spark the offence? We’ll discuss it all here next week.

-Dave

[thepermanentrainpress]

EVERYBODY LOVES FIN: EPISODE 8

The first period had opportunities for both teams to score, with the Hawks being the only ones to capitalize. Miller had a break, but couldn’t get a proper shot off with Corey Crawford moving in the wrong direction. Jacob Markstrom had an OK outing, not his best, but he didn’t have much goal support in retrospect. He made a couple of saves in the first, including a Patrick Kane sharp angle attempt from the goal line. It was a falling Alex DeBrincat’s quick release that put the home team up 1-0, scoring as he was being taken down by Hughes. Marky wasn’t set in net, and definitely did not look like he expected the shot as it blew by, top shelf. Miller was sent to the box for hooking on David Kampf, resulting in a PPG just 11 seconds in on a tic-tac-toe play (Kane, Dylan Strome, Andrew Shaw).

The Canucks’ PK was not as aggressive as I would prefer, their sticks were active, but didn’t block any of the passes that resulted in the goal. They started the 2nd period on the PP after a Jonathan Toews slashing call late in the first, and converted in the dying seconds as Petey banked it off Miller’s thigh and in. In the second, it was easy to confirm what I noticed in the first – the Hawks were playing at a quicker pace, more accurate with passes, and whilst circling in the offensive zone. It is annoying to watch, because I know that the Canucks are capable of scoring 5+ goals, and came in as the (statistically) better team. Once again, they had some issues entering the zone while on rushes, putting them offside.

Miller had an opportunity after a Boeser shot, Tanner Pearson on a loose puck after Crawford gave up a rebound, but alas, no tying goal was to be found. Tanev didn’t come out for the 2nd, and the team announced he would not return after suffering an upper body injury. A collective RIP began to surround Twitter, Tanev’s injury reputation is tough to ignore/forget about. There was no discernable play to identify his injury, so one can only speculate. Here’s to hoping it’s short-term, as Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor tweeted post-game that Tanev was sans ice pack, brace or sling, although a Utica call-up may be inevitable. This left the team at 5 D-men for the remainder, and the Canucks’ frustration began to display in full force with a slew of penalties (including Petey’s first of the season, slashing against Zack Smith).

Markstrom continued his aggressive play in net, almost giving up an empty net goal to Toews after he ran out towards the puck. Luckily, Toews didn’t bat the bouncing puck out of mid air towards the net; with Stecher and Benn playing goalie, Horvat came back to force him wide. It had shades of Friday’s OT loss to the Ducks, which burned Markstrom on that play to an opportunistic Getzlaf. I’m not sure if his confidence outside of his crease is warranted (at least, across the past handful of games), and he may want to spend some more time closer to ‘home’ to avoid future emergencies after this close call. I should mention, he did make an exceptional pad stack save against Toews earlier in the second period, where he would later snag the puck. After the final score, this would mark Marky’s 3rd straight loss (32 saves).

The Canucks had some upbeat energy and zone time with around 8 minutes left in the game, Virtanen to Boeser on a partial 2 on 1, but Brock came in late and could only redirect the puck rather than get a proper shot off. This was followed by a high-sticking penalty by Miller, which led to the Hawks’ GWG. Edler had the opportunity to clear with possession behind his net and opted to throw it up the middle, where it was knocked down by Strome, and successively shot by Kane. 3-1 for the Hawks.

The Canucks pull Marky on a PP with a couple minutes remaining, but their hesitation to shoot and sustained pressure from the Hawks forced Petey to turnover the puck. The intercepted pass was taken by Olli Maatta, and Kampf’s skate deflected the puck for the empty netter. The Nucks got one, but only one, on a Virtanen tip from an Edler shot, and then the Hawks scored a second empty net for a 5-2 final, handing Crawford just his second win of the season.

The goals didn’t come frequently, and I shudder at the thought of the Nucks falling into their old ways of not putting pucks on net. They had a fair 38 shots tonight, but many didn’t seem dangerous. On the late PP, Petey got a shot away but Crawford saw it the whole way, with Miller drifting far right in the crease. They’re going to have to draw up some more set plays, or better yet, go in with the unexpected and have some puck luck. To do that, they’ll need some 5 on 5 time (see, staying out of the penalty box), and a better version of their inconsistent PP. Miller had a tally off of Petey’s effort, but was in the box 3 times for high-sticking, hooking and interference, and that is unacceptable, given none of those plays were threatening goals. They’re going to have to regroup quickly with an early one in Winnipeg tomorrow, and an afternoon outing at home on Sunday. Demko will certainly draw in tomorrow, and perhaps we’ll see Oscar Fantenberg and Baertschi’s season debuts. See you in less than 24 hours!

Posted by: Chloe Hoy

[throw-the-torch]

Ben Hutton - Sorry (Requested)

A/N: Enjoy Anon and thank you guys for the support. Requests are still open and the next imagine coming up is a Jamie Olekisak jealousy one!

Warnings: None

Word Count: 954

Request: Can you do a Ben Hutton imagine where he loses a playoff game and you guys are married and with 3 kids and you're waiting in front of the locker room and he snaps at your kids and they're sad in the car and he apologizes when you guys get home and you end up comforting him as well

Losses suck, losses with your kids at the game sucked even more. You could tell that Ben was frustrated because he broke his stick as he got off the ice. It wasn’t a good game for the Canucks and particularly for your husband. You knew he wasn’t going to be in a great mood after that one. 

"Mommy, why did daddy break his stick?"

"He's just not happy that he couldn't win for you tonight pumpkin" you said picking up your little girl. You had decided to bring your three kids with you to Ben's game tonight and they were behaving really well but you knew it was about time for them to start getting tired and cranky. They were all decked out in their little Canucks jerseys with 27 and Daddy written on the back and super excited to see their father play. You made your way with your kid’s downstairs, following the other family members to a waiting area outside the locker room. It was taking a lot longer than usual for Ben to get out of the locker room, you knew the media was probably going at him a little. Your daughter fell asleep in your arms and you could tell your twin boys were getting tired and restless, resorting to chasing each other around to keep themselves entertained. They finally seem distracted enough to stop fidgeting when Henrik and Daniel stepped out of the locker room. 

"Uncle H! Uncle D!" The boys yelled as they ran to the two men. 

"Our favorite twins," Daniel said with a smile as each of the men pick up one of your sons. 

“Ben will be out in a little but he’s not in the greatest mood,” Henrik said to you in a hushed tone as they men walked back over to you with the boys climbing all over them. 

“Yeah I figured it wasn’t going to be a good night” you said with a small smile “boys get off your uncles then need to go home,” you said to you boys with your mom voice.  They quickly scampered off and went back to bugging each other as the Sedins said goodnight. 

Ben eventually came out and walked right past you, only patting the boys on the top of their head as they ran towards him and he walked by. He didn’t say anything to you as you followed him into the car. You put your daughter in her seat, strapping her in and covering her with the blanket. The boys climbed in and you checked their seat belts before getting into the passenger seat. Ben didn’t say anything as he started the car and started driving towards home. The silence in the car didn’t last long, the boys started arguing in the back and as hard as you tried to get them to calm down, even handing them your phone to play with, there was nothing you could do. You could tell Ben’s patience was running thin and before you knew it he was yelling. 

“Guys shut up!” Ben said loudly in the direction of the boys. They immediately went quiet and looked sad and your daughter woke up and started to cry.

“Great job Ben” you mutter harshly and turned around to comfort you daughter so she could go back to sleep. “Just calm down boys we’ll be home soon,” you said giving them a small smile. They both looked like they were about to cry. When you turned back around you were turning into your driveway, you took a look at Ben who had a storm of emotions on his face. You got out of the car and helped the boys out and then your daughter. Ben stayed in the car, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. 

You got all the kids settled but as you were leaving the boy’s room, your son Michael got up.

“Mom why does daddy hate us?” he said while looking up at you with his big brown eyes. Your heart broke for a second as you looking at your son. 

“I don’t hate you bud” Ben’s voice came from the doorway “I’m sorry I yelled at you. Dad was just cranky but he’s really sorry for being mean” 

“It’s okay dad,” Matt said with a yawn from his bed “we still love you”.

“I love you both too,” he said bringing Michael back to his bed and giving him a kiss on the head before doing the same to Matt. 

You followed Ben out of the room and watched him stop by your daughter’s room, giving her a kiss and turning on her night light before leaving and heading to the master bedroom. 

You both got ready for bed in silence. You watched as Ben took longer than usual to get into bed. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” you asked when he finally crawled into bed.  

“Not really,” He said turning off the light and laying down to face you “It was just a bad game and then the media dug into me. I’m really sorry I took it out on you and the kids” He said as he wrapped his arms around you. You cuddled up closer to Ben, resting one hand on his chest. “I’ll make it up to them tomorrow. I’ll bring the boys to practice with me and I’ll have a tea party with Emma.” 

“You’re a good dad Ben, and you’re a good hockey player. Don’t let one game get you down” you said giving him a kiss before turning around to be his little spoon. You felt Ben let out a breath and relax behind you, his snores filling the room shortly after.

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Trouba, Parise, Sergachev, Klingberg, Domi & TBay Chasing History (April 3)

  The season is quickly winding down. Several playoff series are already locked into place, division titles have been decided, and teams are dressing lineups with that in mind. Look no further than Calgary to see the results of a team shutting it down.

  This was heading into Monday night’s game.

At optional morning skate at Staples Center. As Brad Treliving told the boys this morning, no Backlund, Tkachuk, Giordano, Brodie, Hamonic, or Hanifin tonight vs. LA.

Bennett, Quine, Fantenberg, Kylington, Stone, and Valimaki will all come in. #Flames

— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) April 1, 2019

  If your league still plays meaningful games in the final week of the regular season, this should be enough evidence to convince them otherwise.

  **

Tuesday night still offered some matchups with repercussions though. The Wild took on the Jets in a true must-win game. A loss by Minnesota or an Avalanche victory would result in their elimination from the second season. That was all the motivation they needed. Minny jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back, defeating their Central division rivals 5-1.

  Zach Parise scored two goals and Devan Dubnyk made 29 stops.

  It’s been a terrific late-career jump by Parise. The total now sits at 28 goals and 61 points for the 34-year-old. This is also as healthy as he’s been in the last six campaigns. Don’t expect this to be replicated in 2019-20.

  Jacob Trouba continued to skate on the top power-play unit despite Dustin Byfuglien getting his legs under him after missing a couple of months. Trouba scored the lone goal for the Jets – a shorthanded tally.

  There it is!

: @JacobTrouba : @BiggieFunke

4-1 MIN | #GoJetsGo | #WPGvsMIN pic.twitter.com/ahcGvgNJLS

— x – Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 3, 2019

  The soon-to-be RFA will once again be a topic of discussion this offseason. The Jets will need to make some changes as their cap structure shifts with Patrik Laine (RFA), Kyle Connor (RFA), and Tyler Myers (UFA) also in need of new deals this summer. It will be interesting to see if the Jets can manage to lock him down to a long-term deal after consecutive bridge-deals, or if the trade-market finally opens up for the 25-year-old.

  Blake Wheeler recorded his 70th assist of the season on Trouba’s goal. That set a new franchise record, passing Marc Savard’s 69 apples from the 2005-06 season with the Atlanta Thrashers.

  **

So how did the Avs do? Well, they allowed two first-period tallies by the Oilers in a cruel attempt to give the Wild hope before rattling off six straight to win 6-2.

  Alex Kerfoot potted two goals, Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 27 for the victory. It was just the second start in over two weeks for Varlamov as the Avs look more and more comfortable rolling Philipp Grubauer.

  I know which goalie I’ll want next season.

  Speaking of netminders, Mikko Koskinen started on back-to-back nights despite the Oilers being eliminated on Monday. This was his 24th start in the last 25 games – the one he missed was due to illness. He has a 0.904 save percentage over that period. Not exactly world-beating.

  It will be difficult to see a path to the post-season for the Oilers next season if they return with the same defence corps and masked men.

  **

The Stars defeated the Flyers in a similar 6-2 fashion to punch their ticket to the post-season. They’re one of the few teams who doesn’t know their opponent yet, as the Blues, Preds and Jets could all still pluck the Central Division title.

  Alex Radulov scored two goals and two assists to extend his point streak to six games and 10 points. The 32-year-old is just two behind his career-high 72 from a season ago, but he’s done so in 14 fewer games. This is one vet that I’m okay buying in on next season. Dallas rides the big horses and that won’t be changing next year. Another 70-point season seems very doable.

  John Klingberg recorded two assists to bring his total to 44 in 62 contests. The 26-year-old has been something of a forgotten man in the elite defender conversation this year due to those missed games. But his 58-point pace is nothing to sneeze at.

  He should still be considered a top-10 D heading into drafts next fall.

  **

Nashville defeated Buffalo 3-2 to help drive the tank further for the Sabres. Since the deadline, Buffalo is a league-worst 2-15-2. That includes zero regulation wins, five games without a goal, and being outscored 78-37.

  These dudes know how to improve their lottery odds.

  **

Do you know who doesn’t know how to improve their lottery odds? The Canucks. Despite long being out of it, Vancouver finished up their home schedule with a 4-2 victory over the Sharks. It was their third win in a row.

  Tanner Pearson potted two goals for the home team. However, no one cares about that. You all just want the Quinn Hughes highlights, and I’ve got you.

  https://dobberhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/04/Hughes-to-BB.mp4

  Hughes will be on the top unit next season and his presence will go a long way in vaulting Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and the Canucks offence to another level in 2019-20 and beyond.

  Get him early in your keeper drafts next year.

  Oh yeah, Martin Jones was poor in this one once again. The Sharks have the worst save percentage in the league (0.888). Will anyone really be surprised if San Jose is quickly dispatched by the Golden Knights in the first round?

  I sure won’t be.

  **

The Lightning took on the Habs with a chance to make some history. They came into the night with an eye on their 61st win of the season. That would move them into sole possession of the second-most in NHL history. Nikita Kucherov was aiming to make some history of his own too. His 86 assists are just one shy of Jaromir Jagr’s all-time record by a winger. That blows my mind.

  Unfortunately, for fans in South Florida, neither managed to happen on Tuesday evening.

  The Habs desperately needed to keep pace with the recently surging Blue Jackets and found a way against the NHL’s best, outshooting the Lightning 45-24 and winning 4-2. Artturi Lehkonen produced the game-winning goal, an assist and five shots on net.

  Meanwhile, Max Domi scored his 28th goal and his 71st point of the campaign. Domi hasn’t ever really been considered a goal-scorer. However, the seven percent conversion rate he played at for the 140 games before being dealt to Montreal seemed mighty low.

  Unfortunately, its a buyer beware situation as his 14.5 percent clip this year seems a touch high. His shot volume has improved from a career-average of <2 shots per contest to the 2.5 he’s put on net this season. If he can maintain a similar volume next season, but with the expected regression in conversion rate, we can pencil Domi in for 20-22 goals next season and around 60-points.

  I won’t be drafting him for too much more than that next fall.

  **

No Victor Hedman in this one as the Norris contender is out with an upper-body injury. We don’t yet know the extent of the ailment and whether it will limit his availability in the post-season next week.

  With him on the shelf, Mikhail Sergachev was seeing top-four minutes at even-strength and practiced on the team’s top power-play unit. Unfortunately, the Bolts didn’t draw a penalty in this one. Sergachev skated 22:14 with a shot, three blocks and five hits. He could be a nice sleeper pull in playoff pools if Hedman misses real time.

  **

Montreal’s victory brought them into a tie with Columbus who took on Boston on Tuesday. Joonas Korpisalo got the nod but quickly got the hook as he allowed two goals on the first five shots. That was all the head starts the Bs needed as they cruised to a 6-2 victory.

  Jake DeBrusk scored two and added an assist to bring his totals to 27 goals and 41 points in 66 games. He’s producing legitimate top-six metrics in his second season and you’d have to expect there is more to come.

  He sees top power-play deployment on a high-end team. He has developed nice chemistry to David Krejci on line two, and despite a conversion rate that will likely slip next season, he’s displaying an ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. The breakout may not be next season, but I see a 65-point season in his future.

  **

Arizona laid a big old egg against the Kings losing 3-1 and basically ended their hope of a post-season appearance. They’ll need to win their final two games against Vegas and Winnipeg in regulation, and see Colorado lose their final two games against Winnipeg and San Jose in regulation.

  Unlikely.

  It’s been a nice run for the Coyotes; something to build on for next season. But good intentions don’t bring in playoff gates, and this organization needs those in a bad way.

  **

Follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-trouba-parise-sergachev-klingberg-domi-tbay-chasing-history-april-3/

[youcouldmakealife]

Joey, Scouts, Gabe; chin up

For the prompt: joey’s pov of the game against the canucks?

Joey’s never dreaded a game more than the one against the Canucks. Not when he was playing at maybe ten percent capacity at the end of a flu, ended up in the med room while getting lectured like crazy by the team doc about dehydration and not lying about feeling game ready, not when the Scouts were walking into a 0-3 series record on home ice and terrified of losing big in front of the fans, not when he came back with a cage after the first time he got his teeth knocked out, couldn’t stop flinching every time a stick got too close to his face.

He could be a healthy scratch, he was told they’d scratch him if he needed more time, wouldn’t even say personal reasons, would say ‘illness’ or ‘upper body injury’ or whatever, but no one would be stupid enough to buy that he just happened to be too hurt to play the first game after a picture of his dick — not to mention a picture of his hand on someone else’s dick — got splashed all over the internet. He’s not a coward. Okay, he’s totally a coward, but he doesn’t want people to think he’s one.

Joey guesses if there was one solitary silver lining in the shitshow of his life it’s that Zach leaked the pictures during a small break in play, so Joey got to have two days of hiding in his apartment with Scratch before he had to show his face to the team. Scratch sticks to him like a threatening shadow when they walk in, but apparently he doesn’t even need to, or it’s working too well or something, because the guys are being weird. Like, in a good way, Joey guesses. He thinks literally every single one of them has come up to him and said ‘we’ve got your back’, even Shithead, but they’re being super nice, which is just — not them at all. Hell, Trigger gave him a hug, and typically the only time Trigger’s willing to give or receive hugs is in the ‘hug your goalie’ line after a win.

Joey’s genuinely shaking when they’re getting their gear on, so bad he has trouble taping his socks, has to focus to stop the tremble before Scratch offers to do it for him, ends up tying his skate laces like Joey’s a kid back in Mites getting his mom or dad to tighten his skates for him. He manages eventually, but he feels about as good as he did stepping onto the ice as when he was shaking that flu. Maybe he should have taken the offer to sit this one out, but — no, he thinks he’d feel just as bad sitting in the press box, if not worse.

Joey takes a couple shots at Trigger, settles down to stretch in the spot he usually settles on home ice. He doesn’t realize how close that spot is to center until a Canuck is hovering about six feet away from him, still on the Canucks’ side, if barely. Joey scrambles up.

“Hey,” the guy says. “I’m really sorry about what happened to you. I just want you to know that none of the Canucks are going to use your sexuality against you, okay? Not tonight or ever.”

“Thanks,” Joey says cautiously. Like, that sounds nice, but it also sounds too nice. It’s one thing for Joey’s teammates to band together in support, it’s a whole other thing for opponents not to take advantage of prime chirping material, even if it’s technically not allowed. Technically meaning Joey’s heard a lot of homophobic shit on the ice in his time, and refs tend to pretend not to hear it so they don’t have to call it.

“You’re not alone in this league, you know?” the Canuck says.

“I mean, yeah,” Joey says.

“I mean,” the Canuck says, then kind of tilts his head like —

“Oh!” Joey says. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” the Canuck says. “So none of these guys are going to say anything, okay?”

“Thanks,” Joey says, more honestly this time, and Scratch appears over his shoulder as the guy skates deeper into the Canucks’ end.

“What’d he say?” Scratch says, straddling the line between hovering and lurking. “He give you shit?”

“No,” Joey says. “Just said sorry it happened and that the Canucks aren’t going to give me any shit tonight.”

“Really?” Scratch asks doubtfully, but his posture goes from ‘ready to commit murder’ to mostly neutral. “That’s nice.”

“Really,” Joey confirms. “It was.”

“Pretty sure he’s a Toronto boy,” Scratch says after a second. “Markson.”

Oh, here we go. More fodder for Scratch’s ‘Torontonians: best people alive’ monologue.

“You know the burbs don’t count,” Joey says. Which is hypocritical, perhaps, because that means his Chicago claims are B.S. too, but anything to stop Scratch’s agenda, and Scratch keeps cheating in his ‘Toronto boy’ shit by pulling in places that aren’t even close. If you have a different mayor, you don’t count.

Scratch squints at him.

Joey squints back.

“Where in T.O. are you from, Markson?” Scratch calls.

Markson skates over. “NT,” he says.

“Oh cool,” Scratch says, giving Joey a triumphant look. “The Danforth.”

“Greektown, right on,” Markson says.

Joey skates away, and Scratch, who hasn’t been off his heels since Joey’s agent broke the news, doesn’t even notice. Torontonian priorities, Joey guesses.

“What’re they talking about?” Willy asks.

“Torontonians being the best people alive, probably,” Joey says.

“Again?” Willy groans.

“I know,” Joey says.

“Hey Money,” Willy says, gives him a little elbow, this look like ‘you okay, buddy?’.

“I’m okay,” Joey says, and it isn’t true, but it’s more true than it was before Markson skated over.

[flauntpage]

Your Friday Morning Roundup

Thursday was a good day off the court and a bad day on it for the Sixers. Hours before the primetime tip-off against the Los Angeles Lakers, reports surfaced, and were then confirmed, that the Sixers ended the Jahlil Okafor saga. Philly shipped the exiled big man, Nik Stauskas, and a 2019 2nd round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Trevor Booker. That draft pick previously belonged to the New York Knicks.

Our Sixers reporter Kevin Kinkead broke down the trade, with analysis from the team:

From a Philly point of view, Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas weren’t even playing. They had zero value in the eyes of Bryan Colangelo and were not part of the future. Take that into consideration and the Sixers basically flipped a 2nd round pick for Booker, who gives you something this year without having to make a long-term financial commitment. His contract expires at the end of the season.

From a Brooklyn point of view, they acquire two players who were, not long ago, selected in the top-ten of the NBA draft. It was a low risk way to try out a pair of guys who have fallen from grace, in hopes that a change of scenery and system works out for them. Similar to Booker’s situation, if Okafor doesn’t fit in Brooklyn, they let him walk.

After the dust settled behind Okafor sprinting out of the locker room, the team battled the Lakers on TNT last night. LA topped Philly 107-104 as the Lakers nailed a three-pointer with .8 seconds left to seal the win.

Joel Embiid dropped a game-high 33 points in 36 minutes, however, it was Richaun Holmes who had himself a game. Off the bench, had 13 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes, including key baskets as the right time.

Embiid’s best moments:

http://ift.tt/2A7V96A

Lonzo Ball made a heads-up pass on the penultimate play of the game that set-up the game-winning three-pointer. He was boo’ed by the fans all night long, but not by our Kinkead, who thinks we all should leave Lonzo Ball alone:

Remind me again why Lonzo Ball gets the scrutiny and hate. Is it because his dad is an asshole? Yeah, I think that’s it. That’s basically it. LaVar Ball is an asshole, so we boo his son and say things like, “Lonzo is a bust,” or, “Lonzo is a joke.” Some people want the kid to fail because his father is loudmouthed, obnoxious, and invested in a way that’s seemingly counterproductive to his son’s success.

I’m trying to recall things that Lonzo may have said or done that would justify the Wells Fargo Center booing the hell out of him tonight. I don’t think he’s slandered any all-time greats or pimped out his clothing brand or criticized his coaches. By all accounts, he’s a quiet and respectful kid who just shows up and plays basketball…

Not sure how Embiid feels about Lonzo, but he is a fan of LaVar:

Tough loss but met LaVar and he’s definitely fun and full of energy #TheProcess http://pic.twitter.com/UiYHP8XLNA

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) December 8, 2017

Watch Sixers’ players try to do their best Brett Brown impersonation.

The Roundup:

The Eagles are getting last prep in for the Rams game this Sunday. Zach Ertz was cleared and was a limited participant in practice yesterday. He’ll play on Sunday.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai will also play on Sunday. Unlike a year ago, he isn’t as much of a liability this season. MMQB has a great feature on the young lineman filling in for Jason Peters:

…Vaitai’s play since stepping in for Peters in late October has been a welcome improvement over 2016, when the fifth-round pick out of TCU was pushed into a starting role, subbing for Johnson, for which he wasn’t quite ready. A few weeks ago, Eagles coach Doug Pederson praised the play of Big V—his nickname in the locker room, for the obvious reasons of his 320-pound frame and his tongue-twisting first name—and said he’d been giving him less help in protection schemes. This year, Vaitai says, the difference is simply the experience he gained from playing last year.

There are expected to be a lot of Eagles fans at the game on Sunday. NFL on FOX wants to have some Rams fans there and put out a casting call for them.

—

The Flyers earned another win on Wednesday night, a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Our Anthony SanFilippo had a few takeaways from the win:

That said, I don’t think last night’s successful shutdown of McDavid and his line was all MacDonald’s doing. Nor was it Provorov as well. No, it was the whole five-man unit.

Whichever line was out there against him – while Edmonton, with the last line change, would often try and get McDavid out against Filppula’s line, Hakstol often countered a McDavid shift by changing lines and going with Couturier’s line with Giroux and Wayne Simmonds – did a fine job of being responsible for their coverages to take away Edmonton’s best offensive option.

The Flyers remained committed to this style for the entire 60 minutes, and it worked. It was probably the best overall team effort since shutting out the Blues in St. Louis on Nov. 2.

Last night, the Flyers extended the newfound winning streak to three games with a 4-1 win over the Canucks. Philly is now 11-11-7, despite the 10-game losing streak. Jakub Voracek had three assists in the win.

The NHL is letting Seattle get to the next step of expansion:

Seattle has requested to fill out NHL expansion application. NHL has approved that, and will allow Seattle to conduct season ticket drive.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) December 7, 2017

—

Ryan Shazier of the Steelers underwent spinal surgery, ending his season, and putting his career in jeopardy.

According to our Philip Keidel, the NFL needs to take a page out of the NBA’s playbook to avoid Shazier’s situation in the future:

Drums are beating about whether football will survive if the game cannot be played without so much malice. The answer, of course, is that it won’t. Parents are already holding their children out of football by the thousands over concerns that the sport cannot be played safely. Fans of the sport at the professional level are also considering whether just watching the game is morally or ethically acceptable.

It doesn’t need to be this way. If NFL players want to know how to make the necessary transition from barbaric spectacle to entertainment, they need only look to their peers in the NBA.

In more NFL news, the Browns announced the firing of front office executive Sashi Brown, while also committing to Hue Jackson for another season. Just a few hours later, the team hired a new general manager. Cleveland not only has that going for them, they also have a parade upcoming, if they get the results on the field:

A Cleveland man asked for $10,000 on GoFundMe to organize a Browns "Perfect Season" 0-16 parade.

Excedrin contributed the final $7,683 and will be the sponsor of the parade should the Browns complete the feat.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 7, 2017

Week 14 in the NFL began with the Falcons scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to earn a 20-17 win  over the Saints. The win helps the Eagles in the battle for the top two seeds in the NFC.

Early in the fourth it looked as though the Falcons may have blown the game as Sean Payton was signaling:

#Saints HC Sean Payton yelling, “choke” on the sideline http://pic.twitter.com/hRgCD6yavm

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) December 8, 2017

But it turned out it was the other way around.

—

Shipping update from the Crossing Broad store.

—

In non-sports news…

A mayor in Iowa was arrested for using dead people’s handicapped placards.

The first trailer for the new Jurassic World movie debuted last night.

Starbucks will sell a Christmas Tree Frappuccino.

Your Friday Morning Roundup published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[junker-town]

NHL scores 2017: It’s time for a Dallas Stars culture change

The latest collapse signals the end. Or, it should.

Facing their biggest game of the season on Sunday, the Dallas Stars withstood early fights and took a 3-0 lead in Nashville.

Five unanswered goals and a 5-3 loss later, Dallas’ playoff hopes are effectively done. Or, they should be.

The collapse will seem stunning to those who haven’t followed the team closely. And many will try to tell you that this means the Stars require a goalie trade for the likes of Marc-Andre Fleury or Ben Bishop to fix what ails them.

That’s a simple, short-sighted and wrong solution to a more poisonous problem. It’s easy to say “this one move will right the ship.” It’s much harder to accept the ship needs to be sunk.

The truth is that goaltending has been decent for the Stars this year; a strange culture and mindset of self-defeat has torpedoed their playoff hopes. When they get a lead, they stop skating. In the 16 minutes since Dallas took their 3-0 lead, Nashville scored four goals and outshot the Stars, 19-2.

Maybe that’s a brain thing; years of watching themselves crumble late in games started making them sit back on their heels waiting for their opponent to launch an assault. For two-thirds of the game, Kari Lehtonen was the only reason the Stars were hanging in there.

Yet he’ll absorb the blame because that’s the easy conclusion to reach for and the easiest to solve.

General manager Jim Nill gets paid to reach further and make the hard decisions. As he watched the Stars limp back to their locker room in defeat (the worst of the season), he had to be wondering the same thing fans were: What more can coach Lindy Ruff say? What could be said in that locker room to change the self-defeating nature that’s inexplicably set in on one of the league’s most promising rosters?

Now there’s a question with a tough answer. And one that’s hard to swallow, especially just a year removed from almost winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Maybe nothing can be said. Maybe nothing will be said.

Maybe the solution is finding new people in that locker room to say it.

Scores

Sharks 4, Devils 1

Wild 6, Red Wings 3

Predators 5, Stars 3

Islanders 5, Avalanche 1

Canucks 4, Sabres 2

Bruins 4, Canadiens 0

Get the biggest NHL news, rumors, and analysis in your inbox every morning!

Three Things We Learned

1. Zdeno Chara can dangle

The Bruins captain is the most nimble giraffe ever to wield a hockey stick.

BIG MAN DANGLES http://pic.twitter.com/8eHRvGFeve

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 13, 2017

2. The NHL is here to fill your violent sports needs

No football on Sundays for the better part of a year. So the NHL stepped in and dropped the gloves across the board.

Andrew Shaw and Torey Krug do not like each other http://pic.twitter.com/jnjSNS1kFg

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 13, 2017

JUSTIN FALK FROM THE TOP ROPE https://t.co/jIEKyIVKqO http://pic.twitter.com/OQE2DBzXFo

— Pat Iversen (@PatIversenSBN) February 13, 2017

Gotta draw in those casual fans.

3. NHL team Twitter accounts are willing to make fun of the NBA

So the NBA is prohibiting teams from antagonizing each other on Twitter. The Kings and Hawks mocked their own league soon after.

And then the Stars and Predators decided to mock those teams AND the NBA. As usual, an early lead came back to bite Dallas.

.@DallasStars looks like you guys took an L on Twitter and on the ice

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) February 13, 2017

Impact Moment

Gustav Nyquist is going to get suspended six games or more for this vicious spear on Jared Spurgeon. He’ll have an in-person hearing this week with the NHL Department of Player Safety.

Stat of the Night

In the last 6 games the Sabres have had 7 power plays. The opposition has had 20.

— Paul Hamilton (@pham1717) February 13, 2017

CONTHPIRACY!

Soundbite of the Night

Jamie Benn on giving up the lead in tonight's game vs. Nashville. http://pic.twitter.com/VYWux9iMxv

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 13, 2017

Post to Post

Nathan Beaulieu spears Zdeno Chara below the belt https://t.co/TS4giF0dr9 http://pic.twitter.com/3bxrX43udD

— StanleyCup ofChowder (@cupofchowdah) February 13, 2017

Islanders 5, Avalanche 1: Home streak continues https://t.co/ZBjyMEZIP3 http://pic.twitter.com/nGnzYp9GAX

— Dominik & LHHFriends (@LHHockey) February 13, 2017

Avalanche scoring nowhere to be found, stranded by Islanders 5-1 https://t.co/83ujfnuEC2 http://pic.twitter.com/D8y4lEfd6R

— MHH (@MileHighHockey) February 13, 2017

Stars Allow Five Unanswered Goals, Lose 5-3 https://t.co/TVs6NYoH17 http://pic.twitter.com/bBLU8B4Nmp

— DefendingBigD (@DefendingBigD) February 13, 2017

Nashville Predators 5, Dallas Stars 3: Embarrassing Start, Great Finish https://t.co/caSIAy6oJ7

— On The Forecheck (@OnTheForecheck) February 13, 2017

Wild roll 6 goals on Red Wings. https://t.co/IP92DzGds9

— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) February 12, 2017

[thrashermaxey]

Weekend power rankings: Thinning the wild card herd and the Sabres make history

With​ less than two​ weeks​ to​ go​ in​ the​ regular season,​ let’s skip the​ gimmicks and get​ straight​ to figuring out​​ where we’re at after a busy weekend on the wild card bubble.

First things first: While we did our best this week to spread some optimism among the eight teams that were chasing playoff spots, we can safely narrow down that list now. The Flyers are done, thanks to a pair of weekend losses. So are the Panthers, who lost in regulation to the Bruins. And the Oilers and Canucks are also done. None of those teams are mathematically eliminated, but they’re close enough that they’d need a miracle. Chicago’s close to that point too; we’ll get to them in a bit more detail down below.

That leaves us with a more manageable group still in the wild card race. In the East, it’s down to the Blue Jackets, Canadiens and Hurricanes, with two spots up for grabs. The Habs and Canes hold them right now, and they met last night in one of those games that Columbus fans just knew was going to go to overtime and summon the loser point fairy. It did, with the Hurricanes taking the two points on Andrei Svechnikov’s winner.

That left the Blue Jackets facing a must-win in Vancouver and they got the job done with a 5-0 win. That capped off a week-long road trip which saw them lose three straight and their grip on a wild card spot, and after going all-in at the trade deadline, Columbus is dangerously close to falling out of the race. The good news is that they host the Habs on Thursday, in what will be the biggest game of the year and maybe even of the Tortorella/Kekalainen era – not to mention the one that determines whether it continues.

Out west, the feel-good Coyotes are flatlining, losing five straight to cough up their hold on a wild card spot and fall two points back. The only good news is that they haven’t lost as much ground during that streak as you might think; the Stars have lost four of five while the Wild have lost six of eight. Only the Avalanche are hot, winning four straight before having their streak snapped in OT by the Hawks last night.

Where does that leave us? In the East, the Blue Jackets still control their own destiny, although a loss to the Canadiens this week would just about spell the end. As for the Habs and Hurricanes, remember that seeding matters here, a lot – the first wild card spot earns a matchup with the Metro winner while the second spot gets the Lightning. That could be the difference between having a real shot at winning a round and just being happy to be there.

In the West, the Coyotes still hold most of the card thanks to a schedule that serves up the Hawks, Avalanche and Wild this week. Meanwhile, the Stars head out on a four-game Western Canadian road trip that starts tonight in Winnipeg, so they’ve got their work cut out for them.

By this time next week, both races could be settled. Or both could be even tighter. Or one of those teams I just said was dead and buried could be back in the hunt, and gosh, if that happens I sure some of their fans will drop by to remind me.

For now, let’s get to this week’s rankings, where we had more movement than usual in the top five and something very weird in the bottom five …

Road to the Cup

The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of keg stands and fountain pool parties.

Before we get to the top five, I thought last night’s fishing-themed Storm Surge was just OK. Saturday’s version was fun, though:

5. Vegas Golden Knights (42-27-6, +27 true goals differential*) – It might seem a little weird to hand a top-five spot to a team that probably won’t even have home ice in the first round. Maybe it is. But the Knights have been rolling since the trade deadline, going 10-1-1 since Mark Stone arrived and scoring five or more goals in five of those games. That includes this week’s impressive 7-3 win over a Sharks team they’ll probably face in round one.

Put simply, at this point I’d pick the Knights to beat the Sharks in a seven-game series, even one that started in San Jose. They have better goaltending, the offense is humming and their defensive game is good enough that they can pitch a 20-shot shutout at the Jets with their backup goalie. They’re not perfect – they lost to the Red Wings on Saturday – but I can’t think of five teams whose odds I like better right now, so they’re in.

4. Winnipeg Jets (45-26-4, +35) – Saturday’s 5-0 win over the Predators was a statement game, one that left even Roman Josi saying things like “they’re just better than us.” More importantly, it left the Jets in great shape to earn the top seed in the division, as they hold a four-point lead, a game in hand and the ROW tie-breaker. That means they should avoid an occasionally scary Blues team that just beat the Lightning and instead start the playoffs against a wild card opponent they’ll be heavy favorites against.

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

(Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for a free seven-day trial.)

from All About Sports http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2019/03/weekend-power-rankings-thinning-wild.html

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Marchand, Kucherov, Zibanejad, Scheduling The Fantasy Playoffs, and Primary Apples (Feb 13)

  Two of the top squads in the league battled on Tuesday when Calgary visited Tampa Bay. As per usual, the Kucherov-train would not be slowed. A goal and three helpers from the Russian phenom pushed the Bolts past the Flames 6-3.

  Nikita Kucherov is up to 88 points in just 57 games. He’s clicking away at a 1.54 point-per-game pace. No one has achieved that feat in a full season since Joe Thornton threw down a 125 pointer in 2005-06.

  Kuch is a monster.

  **

Brayden Point chipped in with a goal and two helpers to propel his season total to 72 points in 56 games. Thank goodness Tampa is a no-tax state. That’s the only reason the Bolts will keep him at a reasonable number as an RFA this summer.

  **

Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan busted out of their mini-slump in the loss. They each had just two assists in their last five games coming into the evening.

  **

A couple of shutouts were sprinkled amongst the early games on Tuesday evening. The Stars blanked the Panthers 3-0 on the back of a two-goal performance by Tyler Seguin.

  It was Anton Khudobin who stopped 30 on the evening. The Stars backup has played admirably this season and while Ben Bishop has been on the shelf of late. Bishop appears to be close as he’s been practicing hard for three straight days.

  **

Sergei Bobrovsky and Blue Jackets shutout were also on the fun end of a 3-0 victory, this time against the Caps. That’s four straight wins for the two-time Vezina winner. His owners have desperately needed this run.

  As does Columbus if they hope to pull a ransom out of some team at the deadline.

  CBJ continued to roll out a four-forward top power-play unit with Nick Foligno living in the net front. That has blasted Seth Jones to the second unit that is lucky to get the final 10 seconds of a man-advantage. It hasn’t slowed the 24-year-old down one iota though.

  Jones tallied an even-strength assist in the victory to extend his point streak to four games and four points. He’s on pace to match his 57 points from a season ago despite seeing his PPTOI dip from three minutes a night during the first dozen games to under a minute the past month.

  Jones is a horse and has proven capable of generating at five-on-five, but as Artemi Panarin's departure date looms, it’ll be difficult to bet on too many Blue Jackets that don’t see prime deployment.

  On the bright side, perhaps Panarin leaving will facilitate Jones’ return to the top unit.

  **

The Canucks had hoped they wouldn’t need to give up a draft pick to patch up their current goaltending situation. After trading Anders Nilsson, and losing Mike McKenna to the wire, the team had Jacob Markstrom, Thatcher Demko and…. well, that’s it for goaltenders on NHL deals.

  When Demko went down with a sprained knee, the team was forced to recall 19-year-old, Michael DiPietro from the Ottawa 67s on an emergency basis. They then decided that Markstrom needed a rest and tossed DiPietro to the wolves – in this case, the San Jose Sharks.

  The 2017 Memorial Cup Champion allowed seven goals on 24 shots and was hung out to dry by his skaters on more than a few occasions.

  Tuesday saw the team rectify the matter by sending a 2020 7th round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for Marek Mazanec. The 27-year-old has been… a warm body in the AHL this year. Posting a 0.903 save percentage in 20 games.

  The team is rushing to get immigration papers filed to have the former Predator in Anaheim to start on Wednesday.

  **

The Leafs defeated the listless Avalanche 5-2. Toronto scored three second period goals in just 109 seconds to bust this one open. Nazem Kadri scored two. Auston Matthews added a goal and two helpers and Freddie Andersen stopped 34 of 36.

  William Nylander recorded an assist and five shots in just 13 minutes of ice.

  That’s lucky number eight in the L column for the Avs. Things are spiralling quickly. They find themselves four points out of the second wildcard spot and tied with the Blackhawks.

  **

The Jets scored two third period goals to defeat the Rangers 4-3 on Tuesday. Mika Zibanejad kept his torrid goal-scoring pace with two markers in this one. He has 13 goals in his last 11 games and 25 on the season – two shy of his career-high mark set last season. The shooting percentage (15.2%) is due for a slight dip, but his metrics appear stable.

  The 25-year-old looks every bit the part of number one centre on Broadway. Will people believe it heading into drafts next season? I’m guessing no.

  **

The Flyers came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Wild 5-4. That’s 10 wins in the last 12 for Philly. This time it was Anthony Stolarz getting the victory. James van Riemsdyk tallied two – including the game winner on a powerplay with less than five minutes to play.

  The highlight of the night came off the stick of Claude Giroux who also added an assist in this one.

  Clap. Clap. Boom.

https://dobberhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/02/G-clap.mp4

  **

Many leagues have seen their trade deadline come and pass. Others are gearing up for theirs this weekend. For those using two-week playoff matchups, just a single week remains before the post-season begins.

  Now may be the last opportunity you have to grab a player who will pay dividends for you when the games matter most.

  The first thing you need to do is to isolate players with favourable schedules. Using the Frozen Pool Scheduling Planner is your first stop. For instance, in weeks 20-25 (where most two-week playoff matchup leagues are scheduled), Florida and CBJ have the most games with 22.

  A team like Calgary has a league-high 13 home games and 21 overall – 13 of which are against teams outside of the playoffs as of today. That’s a juicy schedule.

  Meanwhile, Nashville only has eight home games and 18 overall. Only six of those games are against non-playoff squads.

  Finding favourable schedules is crucial in targeting players for your run. Perhaps take a swing at trading Roman Josi and a juicer for Mark Giordano in a one-year.

  **

The next street I like to walk is down is primary point alley. More specifically, from the last 4-6 weeks. Finding players who have been consistently driving offence – either by finishing or being the primary contributor on the assist is a great sign for potentially continued success. Goals are easy to identify, but those first assists are often squirrelled away but are juicy little nuggets.

  Dating back to January 1, here are the players with the most primary assists:

  Patrick Kane – 14

Steven Stamkos – 11

Jakub Voracek – 10

Ryan O’Reilly – 10

Nikita Kucherov – 10

Torey Krug – 9

Sidney Crosby – 9

Brent Burns – 9

Mats Zuccarello – 9

Connor McDavid – 9

  The obvious stars are expected to drive play and will be difficult to obtain. But not enough ink is being spilled over players like Voracek and O’Reilly. O’Reilly has 20 points in 18 games in 2019, while Voracek extended his point streak to eight games tonight and has points in 14 of his last 15 games.

  Both are lining up for teams trying to push a hot run into a playoff berth and could be very useful in a fantasy playoff match. Additionally, their cost of acquisition is likely lower than more high-profile talents.

  **

Speaking of runs in 2019, the top two scorers from this calendar season met in Boston on Tuesday evening when Patty Kane and the Blackhawks hooked up with Brad Marchand and the Bruins.

  Kane has been on another planet for months. After tonight he has 32 points in 16 games in 2019. He sits alone in second for NHL scoring and is just off pace to be just the sixth player in the last 20 years to record 120-plus points. With an assist on Tuesday Kane extended his point streak to 15 games and 32 points. He’s been held off the scoresheet just nine times this season and only once in back-to-back contests.

  The hype around Marchand has been a touch more muted than his peer from the Windy City. But on Tuesday it was the Bs star who stole the show. After a goal and three assists in the 6-3 win, the 30-year-old has 10 goals and 28 points in 18 games since January 1, and 69 points in 56 games overall.

  Over the last three seasons, Marchand’s 240 points in 204 games trials only Connor McDavid (289), Nikita Kucherov (269), Kane (246) and Sidney Crosby (243).

  What an incredible asset he’s morphed into.

  **

Dylan Strome grabbed an assist in the loss to extend his point streak to five games and 10 points. He has 17 points in his last 10 games and his 31 points in 33 games since the trade sits amongst the top-45 in the league over that span.

  Imagine my surprise when a 21-year-old with exceptional pedigree blossoms in a new environment with more exposure to talented players and offensive situations.  

  Shocking stuff.

**

Follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson

    from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-marchand-kucherov-zibanejad-scheduling-the-fantasy-playoffs-and-primary-apples-feb-13/