Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

03/19/2024 at 1:33am EDT

* Alex Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to record at least 19 straight 20-goal seasons and helped the Capitals move into a playoff spot for the first time in 77 days.

* Jeff Skinner scored his seventh career hat trick to help the Sabres inch closer to the final Wild Card seed in the Eastern Conference. With every hat trick this season, AstraZeneca will donate $5,000 to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation up to $500,000. Click here for more information.

* The Wild Card races will once again take center stage Tuesday as in the East six of seven teams in contention for a Wild Card position take to the ice, while both the Blues and Wild will look to continue to charge up the Western Conference standings.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

'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....

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...

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.

KK- I Am Home

03/15/2024 at 12:10pm EDT

Kind of groggy and just got home. Was told to make it an easy day today by the Doc.

I'll touch base later today.

What Singaporean Casino Players Prefer The Most With Casino Websites

03/15/2024 at 12:00pm EDT

Many big casinos are in Singapore, and the city keeps growing. Singapore is famous for its nightlife and casinos, making it a top destination. The casinos in Singapore offer lots of different games. It's a financial center where tourists can play various casino games worldwide.

NHL Short Notes

03/15/2024 at 1:40am EDT

* Offensive performances from Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov – with six- and five-point outings, respectively – allowed Point to match a franchise record and Kucherov to move within three points of League-leader Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross Trophy race.

* The Eastern Conference Wild Card race intensified further Thursday after the Islanders suffered a loss while the Capitals, Sabres, Devils and Penguins moved within one, three, four and five points, respectively, of a playoff spot.

* Auston Matthews became the first player to score 40 even-strength goals in multiple seasons in more than two decades, while Ilya Samsonov tied a Maple Leafs mark with his seventh straight road win.

* Connor Bedard will look to become the first 18-year-old in NHL history to post three consecutive games with three-plus points when the Blackhawks face the Kings during a two-game slate.

TSN Insiders Tonight

03/14/2024 at 6:26pm EDT
TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun outline the topics to be discussed at the upcoming NHL GM meetings, including Department of Player Safety, LTIR, 3-on-3 OT and the coaches’ challenge.

Watch at TSN

Corey Perry Contract Resolution Reached

03/14/2024 at 5:04pm EDT

Morning Hockey Thoughts

03/14/2024 at 10:23am EDT

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- San Jose agreeing to trade Tomas Hertl — and retain for six years — is an admission that it’s time to renovate right to the studs. Initially, this was not supposed to be a teardown. Ownership didn’t want it, and Mike Grier understood. But, now everyone sees it cannot be avoided. Once Vegas showed interest (and I do believe now the Sharks softly gauged the market), they came to the decision it was time to accept a new reality. It’s better for Hertl, it’s better for San Jose. My only concern for him: those knees. He avoided a major reconstruction, and I hope that continues.

- The more I’ve thought about John Tortorella’s ejection and suspension, the more I’m convinced the NHL and its officials have to make officials available to explain these calls. If it’s something as simple as Wes McCauley standing up for a teammate having a bad night, I don’t understand why that can’t be revealed. It would go a long way towards building trust, and the silence in these cases erodes confidence in officiating.

The NBA fined Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert $100,000 for making the “money gesture” at officials after fouling out of a game last week. He followed up with, “I'll be the bad guy…but I think it's hurting our game. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn't feel that way.” It’s only a matter of time before an NHL player says — or does — something similar, and that’s un-good for everyone. I thought Oliver Bjorkstrand might do it when he was so angry at a non-call right before the Golden Knights beat Seattle.

more Thoughts including what's next on the expansion front...

Missing- Jagr Bobbleheads

03/14/2024 at 9:54am EDT

Canucks Surrender Four Unanswered Goals In OT Loss To The Avalanche

03/14/2024 at 3:54am EDT

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play one-timer in overtime was mostly blocked by Juulsen, but as the puck ascended roughly towards Whistler, it struck the visor of Nichuskin in front of the Vancouver net and tumbled past goalie Casey DeSmith to give the Avalanche a 4-3 win in a game the Canucks led 3-0 until the final seconds of the middle period....

That first Colorado goal, just so you know, was directed in by Mikko Rantanen’s stick with 1.8 seconds remaining after an Avalanche shoot-in was going to rim around to Juulsen but hit the photographer’s hole in the glass and bounced crazily towards the slot.

There was some bad luck to go with the dodgy calls that went against the Canucks, as their four-game winning streak ended while the Avalanche extended their run to five straight victories.

But, as Juulsen said, the Canucks never should have been in a spot where a bad call or bad bounce could cost them this game.

They led Nathan MacKinnon’s team 3-0 on home ice and were yielding next to nothing in scoring chances (and had allowed only 15 shots) prior to a defensive-zone faceoff that the Canucks actually won with 16 seconds remaining in the second period.

“That goal definitely gave them belief,” Canuck centre J.T. Miller, who scored 24 seconds into the game and set up Ilya Mikheyev’s first goal in 35 games at 2:44, lamented to reporters. “It's all that team really needed.

“Sh-- happens though. We should be able to come up in the third, two-goal lead at home against one of the best teams in the league. I don't understand any better reason to get up for that. It just sucks.

“This (loss) is all us. We didn’t win our battles, didn’t execute our passes. We were dumping it in for no reason. No forecheck. They outplayed us, they deserved to win.”

read on

Game highlights are below.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]