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NHL GMs Agree To Keep Regular Season OT Format

03/18/2024 at 5:47pm EDT

from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the NHL's website,

Each time NHL general managers gather for their annual three-day meeting in March, they receive a report on statistical trends.

The most interesting nugget Monday?

The NHL is on track to have 70 percent of extra-time games end in overtime this season, which would be a record.

That's important, because some GMs have expressed concern about 3-on-3 OT -- too much regrouping, not enough attacking.

A small group of GMs discussed it at a breakout session Monday and will report to the full group of GMs on Tuesday.

In the end, the feeling is that the League should leave it alone. Changes could lead to unintended consequences and be self-defeating, and the format is doing what it was designed to do: reduce shootouts.

"I think it's working," said New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, whose team has played 18 OT games, tied with the Boston Bruins for the most in the NHL. "I don't think there's any need to make changes. I think if the regroups were causing it to go into a shootout, then you'd have to."

continued

Video- Dmitry Kulikov Suspended Two Games

03/18/2024 at 5:40pm EDT

NEW YORK (March 18, 2024) – Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended for two games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary during NHL Game No. 1063 in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday, March 16, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 3:36 of the second period. Kulikov was assessed a match penalty.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Kulikov will forfeit $10,416.66. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

For a full explanation of the decision, complete with video, please click on the following link: https://www.nhl.com/video/topic/player-safety/kulikov-suspended-two-games-6349201622112

Watch the hit below.

The Growth Of Lucas Raymond

03/18/2024 at 5:02pm EDT

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

The Wings haven't produced much offense during this losing streak without captain Dylan Larkin (lower-body), but Raymond has scored goals in four consecutive games — five total — and has 10 goals and 13 assists, 23 points, in his last 23 games.

In fact, Raymond has taken over the team scoring lead with 57 points and is tied with Shayne Gostisbehere for the team lead in assists with 35. Raymond's 22 goals only trail Larkin (26) and Alex DeBrincat (23).

This has been a revitalizing season for Raymond, his third in the NHL, as Raymond's point total dropped to 47 last year from 57 in his rookie season. But Raymond has already matched his career-best 57 points this season in only 68 games.

"Big growth," said coach Derek Lalonde about Raymond's season. "You can see his game elevating, he's a lot more consistent night in and night out. That's huge credit to him. Just the growth he has with his details and habits, a lot of it has come from his growth and approach off the ice too.

"He's still building and growing. We're happy to have him."

read on ($)

Update On Day 1 Of The GM Meetings

03/18/2024 at 2:48pm EDT
Discussions surrounding tweaking rules, specifically offsides and coaches challenges, were a big talking point on the first day of the NHL GM meetings. The TSN Hockey Insiders share the details from Monday's discussions, which also included the future of the emergency backup goalie and details on a new behind-the-scenes documentary series following NHL players.

Watch at TSN

Stars Of The Week

03/18/2024 at 1:01pm EDT

NEW YORK (March 18, 2024) – Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 17.

Time To Talk On A Day Off

03/18/2024 at 11:53am EDT

The Wings have an off day today so we have some time to discuss the issues facing the Wings.

As OldeerThanChelios (more) wrote earlier today...

The Wings look tired, confused, and disorganized. They don't move up ice as a group, opting most of the time to try long stretch passes that either miss or leave the guy getting the pass all by himself.

I believe most of us can agree with his assessment. What I have notices, especially in Detroit's defensive zone, teams are crowding the net or making a pass to the point, then head to the net. This has caused mass confusion on Detroit's end. Plus this has been happening since the losing streak started and the Wings have not been able to adjust, so teams keep doing the same thing.

Nashville's Top Line

03/18/2024 at 8:25am EDT

from
Ronnie Rönnkvist of The Daily Faceoff,

This story appeared on hockeysverige.sethis week and has been translated from Swedish to English.

The Nashville Predators have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NHL this season.

The team is currently holding on to a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, a scenario few experts had anticipated at the start of the season. After getting rid of veterans like Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene in the off-season, as well as bringing in Barry Trotz as the team’s second GM ever, many thought this would be a year where the Preds took a step back to get younger and reload.

But the acquisition of two key veterans last summer have given the team a jolt. Ryan O’Reilly’s ability to help the team with his leadership skills and two-way acumen was evident from the get-go.

But it might be more surprising that 34-year-old Gustav Nyquist has been an integral part of the team’s success.

Currently in his 12th NHL season, the Swedish winger is just three points shy of beating his record for points in the NHL. In 2018-19, he amassed 60 points over 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks. Now, he has 58 in 67 games.

Nyquist, who went the college route before signing with the Red Wings in 2011, has been a perfect fit on the Predators’ top line alongside O’Reilly and countryman Filip Forsberg.

Forsberg and Nyquist got to know each other a bit at the World Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2018. Sweden won gold after beating Switzerland in the final.

continued

NHL Short Notes

03/18/2024 at 12:07am EDT

* The Hurricanes, Jets and Rangers each picked up wins Sunday as the NHL’s top eight teams are now separated by five points or fewer in a jam-packed Presidents’ Trophy race.

* Sidney Crosby continued his march to a 19th career point-per-game season and helped the Penguins stay in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

* Monday’s two-game slate will kick off with Alex Ovechkin one away from his 19th consecutive 20-goal season when the Capitals partake in a national broadcast against the Flames on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and NHL Network.

Quick Recap- Wings/Penguins

03/17/2024 at 8:37pm EDT

After 20 minutes the Penguins were up 3-1. The Wings were very sloppy in their own end multiple times and it cost them dearly. Plus allowing 2 goals in the last minute and a half did not help.

Pittsburgh scored early in the second to make it 4-1, Detroit scored late to make it 4-2. But the Pens scored very late to make it 5-2 after forty minutes.

The Wings added a power play goal in the third to make it 5-3. Then the Pens added an empty net goal to make the final 6-3.

Team Stats

Detroit goals are below.

No Passengers Allowed

03/17/2024 at 5:30pm EDT

Good evening and welcome to all. Both teams are playing back to back tonight, so the Red Wings have to keep the momentum going. The entire fan base knows every game is a must win. It’s not going to be a walk in the park by any means, so, no passengers allowed.

It’s the Red Wings vs the Penguins. The puck is set to drop around 6:00 PM and will be broadcast on Bally Sports Detroit, and on the Red Wings Radio Network 97.1 (The Ticket in Detroit) for your listening pleasure. Also available on NHLN, SN-PIT, and SPOTRSNET+.

It’s a Live Blog!

Video- Dmitry Kulikov Has A Hearing Scheduled For Monday

03/17/2024 at 5:22pm EDT


Watch it below. He received a match penalty for the hit.

Two Points Needed Tonight

03/17/2024 at 1:50pm EDT

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

So far this season, Detroit has already droppped 23 points to NHL teams that won’t be part of the playoff picture.

As they arrive in Pittsburgh for a Sunday showdown with the Penguins, the Red Wings are yet again facing a game in which they can’t allow the two points to escape their grasp. Seven points out of a playoff spot, Pittsburgh is almost done like dinner in terms of playoff participation.

The Penguins will be dead in the water if they lose this game, so the Red Wings should be anticipating that they’ll be getting the best that Pittsburgh has to offer....

With 15 games left in the regular season, on paper Detroit owns one of the softer remaining slates. Of those games, nine are against teams that currently wouldn’t be playoff participants. There’s another game against the Penguins, as well as a meeting with Columbus and a pair against Montreal among that schedule. But don’t go putting those points in the win column before the Red Wings are earning them.

more ($)

Notes On Hockey

03/17/2024 at 10:31am EDT

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- It’s entirely possible that Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid — who met Saturday night in Edmonton — will face off against each other in the Western Conference final of the National Hockey League.And wouldn’t that be fun?The two most explosive players in hockey, Canada’s two best players up front, the two currently battling for a scoring title in the NHL, potentially going head-to-head to see which team will play for the Stanley Cup.Of course, so much has to happen between now and then for any of this to make sense. But if it can happen, it’s the marquee matchup the NHL would be hoping for.

- My all-time list of Patricks in honour of St. Patick’s Day: Patrick Mahomes, Patrick Roy. Patrick Kane. Dan Patrick. Patrick Ewing. Patrick Chan. Pat Riley. Craig Patrick. Lester Patrick.

- I worry about the Winnipeg Jets as a playoff team because, as good as Mark Scheifele may be as a centre, he would come up second best to McDavid, MacKinnon, Jack Eichel, Elias Pettersson, Anze Kopitar, and maybe Roope Hintz in a matchup of No. 1 centremen.

- It’s no secret why the Ottawa Senators aren’t very good. Never mind how much quality they have on their roster. They’re 16th in goals scored, 25th in goals allowed, 25th in goal differential. When you have numbers like that, you have no chance of success.

more notes on hockey

NHL Short Notes

03/17/2024 at 2:17am EDT

* The Lightning padded their Wild Card position and the Red Wings moved into one, while the Capitals and Islanders collected points as the Rush to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues.

* The Hurricanes overcame a 3-0 deficit in a contest that saw them score two goals in the final 1:32 to send the game to extra time as the club kept pace with the Rangers who sit atop the Metropolitan Division.

* Who will have the luck of the Irish on their side during St. Patrick's Day? The Eastern Conference’s Wild Card race is once again at the forefront of Sunday’s seven-game slate, which features an NHL on TNT doubleheader as well as a pivotal showdown on Sportsnet and NHL Network.

Video- Saturday Headlines

03/16/2024 at 9:04pm EDT

PWHL Game In Detroit Attended By Almost 14K

03/16/2024 at 8:23pm EDT

Start James Reimer On Sunday?

03/16/2024 at 6:07pm EDT

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

While this can’t be 100% attributed to the goalie switch, Reimer’s early saves certainly bolstered a Red Wings team that ultimately would gain a lead for the first time in 280 minutes and 34 seconds of hockey.

Reimer is 4-1 through his past five starts. However, he’s not been in the net for back-to-back starts since Dec. 20-22.

Depsite his solid showing Saturday, Lalonde still wasn’t ready to commit to a Reimer start on Sunday.

“Obviously the instinct will be to go back to him after a win,” Lalonde acknowledged. “But he is 35 and not many goalies in this league go back to back.

“So I’ll probably have a better feel after I consult with our goalie coach and kinda go from there.”

Actually, Reimer turned 36 on Friday, but that’s also immaterial. Considering what’s on the line, consultation shouldn’t be necessary.

The only correct answer is to start Reimer on Sunday.

more

Below, extended post game interviews...

'Fixing' The Penguins

03/16/2024 at 4:01pm EDT

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

When the Penguins failed to qualify for last year’s playoffs, GM Ron Hextall was brought to the public square, and was shamed and stoned. Oh, and fired, too. Kyle Dubas, a star-power guy despite his roots in junior hockey, absconded from Toronto to take the job and immediately tripled down by trading for Erik Karlsson, age 33, with three years left on his contract for an annual $10M cap hit.

The team has been lousy, and now the organization is facing carnage. Crosby, having a marvelous season at age 36, has only one more year to go on his contract. No. 87 sounded about as unhappy after the trade deadline at which favorite winger Jake Guentzel was shipped away for futures as Henrik Lundqvist did when the Rangers went into their rebuild/reset mode in 2018.

The King, of course, chose to stay. There is no telling what Crosby will do, even as folks seem to believe it will be automatic for him to sign an extension this summer. It is not about loyalty, and certainly not in a triple-cap business. Joe Sakic played his entire decorated 20-season career with one franchise and never left Colorado — but he would have if the Avalanche hadn’t matched the Rangers’ 1997 offer sheet.

As No. 87 decompresses after the season, he is going to have to decide what he loves most — Pittsburgh or competing for Stanley Cup championships. Either way, the franchise is facing years of distress. I’m just wondering how the league is going to fix it.

I mean, correct it.

more and other topics....

Quick Recap- Wings/Sabres

03/16/2024 at 3:08pm EDT

Wings were down 1-0 to Buffalo after 20 minutes. A bad five-hole goal by Reimer. The Wings are 2-15-2 when trailing after the first period.

Two goals from the Wings in the second period to put them up 2-1 after forty minutes.

Daniel Sprong scored for Detroit with just over six minutes left in the third, 3-1 Detroit.

Raymond put the puck into an empty net and Wings win 4-1.

Team Stats

Below a Larkin update and the Detroit goals.

Make It Go Your Way

03/16/2024 at 12:00pm EDT

Good day and welcome to everyone. Red Wings fans do not want to hear one more player, coach, or anyone connected to this team say, “It’s just not going our way.” Stop with this nonsense, and make it go your way, because that’s what winners do. Losers make excuses.

The projected lineup has Reimer in goal, and, Berggren as scratched.

It’s the Sabers vs the Red Wings. The puck is set to drop around 12:30 ET and will be broadcast on Bally Sports Detroit, and on the Red Wings Radio Network 97.1 (The Ticket in Detroit) for your listening pleasure. Also available on NHLN, MSG-B, and SPORTSNET+.

It’s a Live Blog!

The Upcoming GM Meetings

03/16/2024 at 10:34am EDT

from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

The NHL’s annual March GMs meetings take place next week in Palm Beach, Fla., a three-day affair beginning Monday.

Let’s examine some of what’s expected to be discussed:...

3-on-3 on the agenda

You may remember that at the last GMs meetings, in November in Toronto, managers and league officials discussed three-on-three overtime and whether it needed tweaking to help avoid the long possessions and leaving the offensive zone to constantly regroup, etc.

“I am in favor of exploring tweaks,” Armstrong told The Athletic at the time. “Three-on-three is excellent entertainment when played with pace and multiple scoring opportunities. It is usually the top-end skilled players on the ice, and to have them show off their speed and skill is great for the fans.”

Added Kraken GM Ron Francis, also in November this first time this came up: “I just think OT is not as exciting as when it first came in — not as many change of possessions with all the regroups. So we are trying to look at if there was a so-called ‘over-and-back line,’ does that change things? I like the thought process.”...

LTIR conversation expected

Even if it doesn’t end up on the official agenda per se, the expectation what is that the league will be open to hearing from GMs on where they stand regarding the LTIR/salary-cap/playoff discussion. A couple of teams have already reached out to the league about it....

Hockey ops presentation, coach’s challenges

As always, the league hockey ops department, led by Campbell, will have a presentation, and the timing in mid-March is always perfect as far as going over things ahead of the playoffs.

Specifically, hockey ops will go over examples from this season of video review for coach’s challenges on offside and goalie interference, looking at close calls to explain why certain decisions were made and what to look for in similar circumstances come playoff time....

more ($) on each of the above...

Morning Line -Kevin Allen

03/16/2024 at 9:50am EDT
This is a day when the Detroit Red Wings need an exceptional goaltending performance from James Reimer. The Red Wings need a confidence booster, a performance like Reimer turned in on Feb. 17 when he made 38 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames.

-Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now where you can read more on this topic plus the Penguins are still in the race....

NHL Short Notes

03/16/2024 at 12:29am EDT

* In the span of 10 days, the Eastern Conference playoff race has morphed from one team being within five points of the bracket to a five-team mix entering a pivotal afternoon of play that includes contests on ABC, ESPN+, Hulu, Sportsnet ONE and NHL Network.

* The Art Ross Trophy race will be front and center as well on Saturday as leader NathanMacKinnon faces third-ranked Connor McDavid on Hockey Night in Canada. Other top storylines will see the Stars honor Mike Modano and the Predators put their lengthy point streak on the line in a key Wild Card race matchup.

* Friday saw both the Jets and Kings claim their sixth shutout of the season, as Tyler Toffoli scored his first two goals in a Jets uniform (to help them regain first place in the Central Division standings) and Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record by hitting the 20-goal mark for the 13th time in his career.

The Wings Today

03/15/2024 at 4:17pm EDT

A bit late today. All via Ansar Khan tweets,

lines:
DeBrincat-Compher-Kane
Perron-Veleno-Raymond
Rasmussen-Copp-Fischer
Fabbri-Czarnik-Sprong
Berggren (extra)
Gostisbehere-Seider
Chiarot-Petry
Maatta-Holl
Walman not skating
Lyon/Reimer/Husso
Note that if Berggren plays one more game, he’ll need waivers to go back to @griffinshockey meaning he’d be here to stay for the duration.

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