Articles in NHL Teams

St. Louis Blues press release,

St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced tonight the team has relieved Craig Berube of his coaching duties and named Springfield Thunderbirds head coach Drew Bannister as interim head coach.

Bannister will travel to St. Louis on Wednesday and serve his first game behind the bench on Thursday when the Blues host the Ottawa Senators.

Bannister, 49, has spent the past three seasons with the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield, leading the team to a 93-58-19 regular-season record. The Belleville, Ontario, native has also guided the Thunderbirds to consecutive playoff appearances, including 2021-22, when they won the Eastern Conference and reached the Calder Cup Final.

Bannister began his coaching career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he spent three seasons as an assistant with Owen Sound and three as head coach with the Soo Greyhounds. He also served as head coach of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage and as an associate coach with the Utica Comets.

As a player, Bannister’s career spanned over 20 years and included 164 NHL regular-season games between the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and New York Rangers.

Connor Bedard and below is Pyotr Kochetkov.

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

Sportsnet: How would you characterize the last two years?

Jim Rutherford: Well, nothing surprises me because, of course, I've been around a long time. I've seen a lot of things. Obviously, we dealt with some things that we weren't expecting and we ended up making a lot of changes within hockey operations. Those are not comfortable. You know, you're dealing with people's lives and good people. But in order to make the changes and get everybody on the same path, that was something we had to do. So that was difficult. But the time has gone by pretty quick.

SN: Have you talked to your boss about a new contract?

JR: Is that my wife or son or daughter? Oh, my owner. We don't view each other as bosses, but we do make decisions as a family, so that's important. Francesco and I, we communicate on a regular basis. So, yeah, we've had some conversations about it.

SN: You hired general manager Patrik Allvin the month after you arrived, then 12 months later hired Rick Tocchet as coach. Along the way you built a new hockey-ops department. How much of the team’s turnaround is due to organizational alignment?

JR: You have to have alignment in your hockey operations, but alignment doesn't mean (you can't have) different ideas or long debates about different things that people don't agree on. That's really important. But as far as alignment, from ownership, to Patrik, to the coaches, to the players, to player development and scouting and everything else, our alignment is very strong.

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from Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic,

The Blues are looking at every avenue in terms of how to part ways with Vrana, including the possibility of a trade.

“He was informed this morning (that he was being placed on waivers), and I guess they changed their minds,” said J.P. Barry of CAA Hockey, Vrana’s agent, after Monday’s waiver wire was announced and the player’s name wasn’t on it. “They must have got phone calls between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (ET). I’m sure they just got into some discussions, or some follow-up discussions.”

The Blues practiced Monday at 11 a.m. CT at Centene Community Ice Center, but Vrana was not on the ice.

Afterward, coach Craig Berube told reporters that general manager “Doug (Armstrong) just said he’s not practicing today and if there’s any more questions, talk to Doug about that.”

Armstrong wasn’t immediately available for comment, per a team spokesman.

The situation between the Blues and Vrana was coming to a head at some point, and it became increasingly obvious that it would be soon. He had been a healthy scratch in four consecutive games, and when he returned to the lineup for back-to-back games at Columbus and Chicago last week, he had no points and was a combined minus-4 in a total of 22 minutes, 37 seconds of ice time.

For the season, Vrana has two goals and six points in 19 games. Overall, he’s been a healthy scratch in eight of the team’s 27 games.

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from Ethan Sears of the New York Post,

It’s New York, New York at the top of the Metropolitan Division.

And the Islanders, who moved into second place with a 4-3 overtime win on Monday over John Tavares and the Maple Leafs courtesy of Bo Horvat’s game-winner, are playing as well as any team in hockey.

It looked as though their repeated capitulations in the third period could derail the season, and the Islanders endured a seven-game losing streak through the first two weeks of November that prompted questions about the head coach’s job status.

Now, they are reaping the reward with five wins in their last six and a 8-1-2 record since a shootout win in Calgary broke the losing streak.

“You can play as well as you want and do a lot of good things. But if you’re not getting wins, it’s frustrating,” Horvat told The Post. “To see where our hard work’s been going and the results that have been coming out of it definitely feels great.”

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Watch the game highlights below.

from Eric Francis of Sportsnet,

Even Leafs fans could feel the Calgary Flames’ latest loss, as it included an early departure from Chris Tanev.

Yes, the same Tanev brother the Leafs hope to acquire if the Flames opt to swap out its UFAs after Christmas.

Obviously he’d have to be healthy if a deal is to be made.

At this point that’s very much in question, as the 33-year-old defenceman left Monday’s 6-5 loss in Colorado after a mere 15 seconds, following a Ross Colton hit that sent Tanev face-first into the glass.

He got to his feet by himself and appeared dazed as he skated slowly to the bench, hunched over and in obvious discomfort as trainers walked him immediately down the tunnel to the dressing room....

Aside from Tanev’s injury, the only thing that stung more for the Flames than their 30 shot blocks was leaving Denver without a point.

It was, quite simply, Calgary's grittiest effort of the season.

Playing in one of the toughest NHL buildings against a juggernaut to kick off three hellish road tests in four nights, the Flames entered the third period with a two-goal lead that appeared to have them destined for a season-turning upset.

Instead, it ended with a stomach-turning collapse.

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Below are the game highlights.

* John Tavares tallied an assist on a late tying goal against his former team to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

* Nathan MacKinnon extended the NHL’s longest active point streak to 12 games and scored the decisive marker in Colorado’s first multi-goal, third-period comeback win of the season.

* It's Connor versus Connor for the first time this season as Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks aim to put a stop to a streaking Connor McDavid and the Oilers in the second matchup of an ESPN doubleheader Tuesday, following a clash between the Red Wings and Blues.

* The 10-game slate also features Logan Cooley and the Coyotes visiting Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Sportsnet and TVA Sports. Cooley was born in Pittsburgh and is an alumnus of the Little Penguins Learn to Play Program, an initiative spearheaded by Crosby.

NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2023) – Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson has been suspended for one game, without pay, for violating Rule 46.2 (Aggressor) during an altercation with Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins during NHL Game No. 420 in Columbus on Sunday, Dec. 10, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 6:46 of the third period. Gudbranson received a minor penalty and a 10-minute misconduct for instigating, a major penalty for fighting, and a game misconduct.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Gudbranson will forfeit $20,833.33. 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/gudbranson-suspended-one-game-6342810929112.

NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2023) – Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl and Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Dec. 10.

from Ian Mendes of The Athletic,

On Nov. 28, the Ottawa Senators gathered at Canadian Tire Centre with their season teetering on the brink of collapse.

The previous evening, the club had been served with an embarrassing 5-0 beatdown at the hands of the Florida Panthers, the worst home shutout loss in D.J. Smith’s tenure behind the bench in Ottawa. The calls for Smith’s job reached a feverish pitch in the marketplace. The currency from winning two overseas games in Stockholm had quickly expired.

As the players gathered inside the arena on that Tuesday morning, they weren’t exactly sure what tone was going to greet them. Lopsided losses can sometimes lead to a coaching staff delivering blunt and blistering criticism to the players, complete with video evidence to support their case.

But instead, Ottawa players found a calm and communicative coaching staff waiting for them.

“It wasn’t a meeting where you come in and the coach kind of gives it to you,” Drake Batherson told The Athletic. “It was more of a meeting saying, ‘Let’s change a few things up.'”

Smith and his staff identified two key areas where they wanted the club to improve. They wanted Senators players to hang onto more pucks in the offensive zone and felt too many turnovers were occurring beyond the other team’s blue line. And they wanted to be sharper, crisper and more organized when breaking the puck out of their own zone.

In that Nov. 28 practice, Smith called his players over to the dry-erase board next to the home bench on four separate occasions. The practice had a classroom feel to it, which was an extension of the earlier meeting.

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from Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

1. I’m sorry, but I disregard how fatigued or road-weary the Blues were as they entered their past two games. The performances in them were inexcusable.

There are four divisions in the National Hockey League — the Blues got last-place teams back-to-back. On Friday, St. Louis played in Columbus against team that lost 7-3 the night before. Well, that beleaguered Blue Jackets team jumped to a lead against the Blues less than two minutes in. By the third period, Columbus led 3-1 and then 4-1, finally earning the victory by a 5-2 score. And the next night at Chicago, the Blackhawks honestly could’ve had five goals in the first period. They did score two and picked apart their rival in the 3-1 win.

You can’t play two last-place teams and not get a point out of either game.

2. Imagine last year if I told you the Blues’ miserable power play of 2022-23 would still have more than double the percentage points of this year’s Blues power play? Sure enough, here we are. The 2022-23 Blues scored on 19.3% of power plays, while this year the Blues are at 8.8%, worst in the Western Conference.

This is outside the box, but what if the Blues reserved one spot on the power play for an X-factor player who has shown the most effort in recent games? Even if it’s a fourth-liner, reward the guy by putting him on the power play. You’d only be demoting one guy off your top power play — and maybe that hustle player could provide a spark. What else do you have to lose? And what’s the worst that happens — you still don’t score?

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* Evan Bouchard matched the longest point streak by a defenseman this season and helped Edmonton skate to its seventh straight win.

* Jonathan Quick extended his personal point streak to nine games while handing the Kings their first regulation loss on the road this season in his first-ever meeting against his former club.

* John Tavares enters Monday two points shy of joining the 1,000-point club and will look to reach the milestone against the Islanders – the team he collected his first 621 points with.

from Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic,

Skinner started the last seven games before Sunday’s 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, winning the last six of them. He sported a .913 save percentage in those six victories.

Pickard got the call against the Devils in Skinner’s place and all he did was turn aside 26 of 27 shots, helping the Oilers up their winning streak to seven games. The Oilers have surrendered just 12 goals during that span.

“It’s a combination of everything,” defenceman Darnell Nurse said. “We’ve been defending a lot better, but they’ve been making big saves at big moments, too.

“Usually, you’re not going to get one without the other. It’s shown.”

It wasn’t long ago when the Oilers didn’t have either facet going.

They had an .864 team save percentage — the NHL’s worst — when coach Jay Woodcroft was fired on Nov. 12. That move came two games after high-priced goaltender Jack Campbell was demoted to the minors.

Since then, the Oilers are 9-3 under new coach Kris Knoblauch, while their goalies’ .903 collective save percentage has been more respectable amid a greater emphasis and commitment to defending — particularly off the rush.

read on

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

Watch as Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Erik Gudbranson jumps Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins, seeking retribution for a hit he received earlier in the period, and is handed multiple penalties including a game misconduct.

I'd post the video if I could but for over a year now YouTube has been restricting some videos with this warning when attempting to get the embed code.

This video is age-restricted and only available on YouTube.

So watch it there.

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

Elliotte Friedman gives the latest on the biggest stories around the NHL, including teams inquiring about Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko, Ethan Bear closing in on a new team to potentially sign with, Jonas Brodin's injury, and more.

Watch below.

* Evan Bouchard put up a three-point performance and matched the NHL’s longest active point streak as the Oilers defeated the Wild to earn their sixth straight victory.

* Columbus’ youth carried the club to victory Friday, with Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli and Yegor Chinakhov each finding the back of the net while goaltender Jet Greaves set a franchise record in his first career win.

* Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada slate on Sportsnet features the Predators-Maple Leafs, Canadiens-Sabres, Senators-Red Wings and Hurricanes-Canucks.

from Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun,

The Maple Leafs are going to have to get by without the goalie who had emerged as their No. 1 guy in net.

Joseph Woll will “miss time, for sure,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said after the 25-year-old was hurt in the third period of Toronto’s 4-3 win in Ottawa on Thursday night.

“It’s unfortunate,” Keefe told reporters at the Canadian Tire Centre after the Leafs beat the Senators. “He has been playing so well, building such great momentum on his season and his career. It’s a setback.

“We will determine the extent of it once we get home. He’s a big reason why we get two points.”

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watch the injury below

NEW YORK (Dec. 8, 2023) – New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith has been fined $2,864.58, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for a dangerous trip against Seattle Kraken forward Devin Shore during NHL Game No. 403 in Seattle on Thursday, Dec. 7, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 8:17 of the third period. Smith was assessed a minor penalty for tripping.

NEW YORK (Dec. 8, 2023) – Tampa Bay Lightning forward Austin Watson has been fined $2,022.57, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for unsportsmanlike conduct during NHL Game No. 398 in Nashville on Thursday, Dec. 7, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 20:00 of the third period. Watson was assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct as well as a 10-minute misconduct.

watch the incident below

from Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post,

Would the Avs rather slam their fingers in the window than hoist the Stanley Cup?

It would really hurt to waste a hockey club blessed with the generational talent of Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Here we are, far enough into the NHL season for anybody in this dusty old cowtown not unhealthily obsessed with the mediocre Broncos to see the Avs have as good a shot as any team in the league to win a championship this season.

Except for one troublesome thing, and it’s the same old irksome thing: Colorado still hasn’t found a solid way to replace center Nazem Kadri from the fire trucks that rode through Denver during that glorious victory parade in 2022.

There’s a nagging hole in this team’s championship dream at 2C.

Can the Avs solve this problem without making a trade? Nothing in a 4-2 loss to Winnipeg gave me much reason for optimism.

When the Avs took the ice on Thursday night, their second-line center was … Ross Colton?

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from Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News,

Mikael Granlund scored 37 seconds into overtime to give the San Jose Sharks an unforgettable 6-5 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.

After creating a turnover, Fabian Zetterlund came into the Red Wings zone on a 2-on-0 with Granlund. Zetterlund then passed to Granlund, who beat Red Wings goalie Ville Husso as the Sharks improved to 3-2-0 on their six-game road trip that ends Sunday in Las Vegas.

Granlund’s overtime goal came after the Sharks (8-17-2) engineered a massive comeback in the second period, scoring four unanswered goals almost immediately after they allowed four in a row.

“That was a pretty entertaining game,” Granlund told NBC Sports California after Thursday’s game. “I haven’t been a part of these kinds of games too often.

“I don’t know, we found a way again.”

The unlikely victory came two days after the Sharks erased a three-goal deficit late in the third period in what became a 5-4 overtime win over the New York Islanders.

It’s the first time in Sharks history that they’ve come back to win consecutive games after trailing by three or more goals in each.

“We never quit and lately, that’s been what happened to us,” said Sharks center Tomas Hertl, who scored the first of his two goals in the second period to start the rally. “We kept pushing.”

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Below, watch a video of the Sharks comebacks against the Islanders and Wings.