The three beat writers for the Wings all have articles up this morning and to read any of them, you need to be a subscriber.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

Some intriguing decisions regarding the Red Wings are about to be made, including the one that might have the most importance.

Who is going to coach the Wings next season?

After Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss in Columbus ended what was a promising yet another losing season, the future of coach Jeff Blashill becomes front and center for the immediate future.

continued ($$$)

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

The Wings’ resilience made Blashill recall a saying favored by his predecessor, Mike Babcock.

“Babs used to talk about steadying the rudder,” Blashill said. “That was something he used to say lots. Our team did a good job of being steady on the rudder. We lost our way in that one stretch where we were missing those guys, but really if you look back, we’re seven games under .500, somewhere in that range. That COVID stretch was a tough stretch for us, but other than that, I thought we did a good job of responding when things went bad.

“I say this lots when I talk to people, I talk to businesses — like, it’s not about whether or not you get knocked down, you’re going to get knocked down. It’s if you continuously get back up. I thought our group continuously got back up. There’s a lot of good men in that room. On a night-to-night basis, we worked and competed to the Nth degree, and that’s something I’m proud of our group for.”

more ($$$)

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Now that Steve Yzerman’s second season as Detroit Red Wings general manager is over, the bulk of his work begins.

Yzerman has many items to cross off his checklist before players gather for training camp in mid-to-late September, in preparation for an NHL regular season that will start a week later than usual, on Oct. 12.

One task, figures to be completed quickly, as Yzerman indicated last month he will speak with coach Jeff Blashill immediately after the season to discuss his future.

Over the course of the next several weeks, and months, Yzerman has a number of decisions to make:

continued ($$$)

from Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic,

What has it been like to have the best year of your career in what must be one of the most challenging years of your life?

It’s actually not. It’s not the most challenging year of my life. Not by a long shot. I have taken a lot of relief and the best I have felt in a long time. Yes, it’s been stressful to deal with a lot of the bankruptcy. It’s definitely been stressful. But it was a relief because I didn’t have to try and hide it anymore. I didn’t have to try to pretend. It was a big weight off my shoulders in a way. For years, I was dealing with all these things. It’s having that constant stress. Everybody has stress. But once I made that decision (to file for bankruptcy), people think it is the start of something. Really, it’s the end of this chapter of my life. I think that is where the big misconception is about this. I have a wife that I’ve been married to for almost three years. I have my daughter who turned 10 months two days ago. When you grow up, there’s different decisions you have to make. They are not always easy. But for me, it was the best decision I have made in a long time.

read on (paid)

THREE HARD LAPS

* The final playoff spot, Presidents’ Trophy and last division crown all are up for grabs on a nine-game Monday in the NHL.

* The Canadiens can lock up the 16th and final spot in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs when they face the Oilers at Bell Centre. Montreal will clinch if they get at least one point.

* The Golden Knights will look to claim their third division title and first Presidents’ Trophy when they battle the Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas would clinch both with a victory of any kind.

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller have declined invitations to play for Team USA in the upcoming World Championship Tournament that will be played in Riga, Latvia, The Post has learned, while Alexis Lafreniere is expected to decline an invitation to represent Canada.

NHL players have lived under restrictions for months that did not apply to the general population and will face COVID-19 protocols during the tournament that will be played from May 21 through June 6. Lafreniere would face a quarantine upon returning from Latvia to his home in Quebec.

In addition, Miller has been in the New York area since last July and has not been home for close to 10 months. Lafreniere has been in the area since the first week of July and has not seen his parents or family since then. Both need time home and away from the rink.

continued

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today reassigned right wing Givani Smith, center Joe Veleno and goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins from the taxi squad.

Unsportsmanlike conduct.

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

...unfair as this might be, it will not be about whether Quinn deserves another chance off past performance and this time with a roster that is expected to be fortified with players who have attributes he has coveted throughout his tenure. And though Quinn is as fine and compassionate an individual you would ever hope to know and the Rangers would ever have behind the bench, it is not about that either.

It simply will be about whether Drury has confidence in Quinn to be the coach who can take the team to the next level or whether the chief hockey executive believes the Rangers need a coach with more experience and a background of NHL success to take the baton and take over the team. Remember that when Quinn was hired, the Rangers were looking for a developmental coach. That train has left Penn Station.

There is a queue of experienced coaches — a couple with Stanley Cups on their coaching resumes, a couple with Cups won as a player—forming to succeed Quinn even while he is still in place. Tortorella is available for a reunion, Mike Babcock is out there looking for a way back in, Rick Tocchet will be on the market, Gerard Gallant is seeking a job and so is Bruce Boudreau.

And never forget that Drury played the first four years of his career in Colorado with Patrick Roy, currently the GM-coach of Quebec in the QMJHL and who might have a special affinity for Alexis Lafreniere.

more

GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- Arizona Coyotes General Manager Bill Armstrong announced today that the Coyotes and Rick Tocchet have mutually agreed to part ways. Tocchet, whose contract expires on June 30, will not return as the Coyotes head coach next season. The Coyotes will begin their search for a new head coach immediately.

“After meeting with Rick, we have agreed that a coaching change is in the best interest of the club,” said Armstrong. “This was a very difficult decision, but we believe that it is time for a new direction and new leadership. Rick is a very good coach and an incredible person, and we sincerely appreciate all his hard work and dedication to the Coyotes the past four years. We are grateful for everything that he has done for our organization and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

via the Columbus Blue Jackets,

The Columbus Blue Jackets and head coach John Tortorella, whose contract expired at the end of the 2020-21 season, have mutually agreed to part ways, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.

A headline is not needed, just see the words Connor McDavid and start reading.

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

“Honestly, it’s impressive. I don’t think my English is good enough to find another word for it right now,” said Leon Draisaitl, whose second goal of the evening -- a patented McDavid-to-Draisaitl one-timer -- marked Connor McDavid’s 100th point in just 53 games this season. “Everyone, the 20 people who were in the building, were all counting.”

It is a crime that such a moment -- such a season -- could occur before section after section of empty chairs. You know the fans would have been counting, even if McDavid didn’t let on to being overly excited about this chase.

“I was trying not to think about it,” he said. “I was trying to get myself ready to go in the playoffs and keep my game where it needs to be. Obviously when you’re sitting around 96, 97, 98 points and you get to 99, it’s in the back of your mind. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait too long to get there.”

On a night when he needed four points to reach triple figures, McDavid crushed it before the second intermission -- a clinical, dominant and utterly breathtaking performance. This was a man that hasn’t met a challenge in this game that he hasn’t whipped, who had suddenly found a new one to tackle.

Like a math prodigy who stumbles upon some erotic new equation, or a virtuoso with a crazy hard piece of music, McDavid found himself four points away from 100 points with four games to play and a Saturday night game on the schedule.

Why not, he likely thought?

“It’s a thrill, and a memory,” said his head coach, Dave Tippett. “It solidifies that he is one of the top players to ever play the game. The level that he played at this year, what he’s accomplished, when you look at Wayne or Mario, it’s one of those years where he’s taken his talents to another level. It’s just elite.”

read on

from Dave Poulin at the Toronto Star,

Wednesday. In and of itself it doesn’t mean much. It’s not a favourite day, no one tells you they can’t wait for Wednesday, there is no acronym TGIW. The day doesn’t stand out. But it’s as important as any other day, connecting Tuesday to Thursday. It’s the glue in the middle of the week.

Which leads me to Wednesday Boys. I’m introducing the term to define a group of important players on a strong hockey team. These aren’t the superstars, the first-line guys or the headline-grabbers but they are good NHL players. They’re not the highest paid but they make a good living. They’re in the middle of your lineup, filling secondary roles as defensive specialists and penalty killers. But they can chip in a critical goal at a key time, almost like once in a while when Wednesday happens to have a big holiday fall on it.

The idea of attracting the spotlight is not part of the Wednesday Boys’ makeup. They are all about doing their job at a high level within the framework of the team. Quietly. They’re not the guys that the autograph seekers go after. The only time they’re really famous may be when they go back to their hometowns in the summer, and are recognized as NHL players. They quietly grow to learn and appreciate their importance to a team, and the others in the locker room recognize it as well.

I say this in a complimentary fashion.

continued

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- What Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for over a two-year period with the Edmonton Oilers is remarkably rare and historically improbable.

Last year, Draisaitl won the NHL scoring title and the Hart Trophy as most valuable player. McDavid finished second in scoring.

This season, McDavid is on his way to the breathtaking figure of 100 points or more in 56 games and will be the runaway winner of the Hart. Draisaitl, meanwhile, will finish second in the NHL in scoring.

At no time in NHL history have teammates gone 1-2, 2-1 in scoring, rotating the Hart Trophy in the process. Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito came close with the Boston Bruins in the late 1970s, but timing and voting didn’t necessarily work in their favour....

- What McDavid, Matthews and Marner have yet to accomplish — a playoff run of any kind with dominant scoring by them. McDavid has one career playoff series win. Matthews and Marner don’t have that much. And, really, one of the Oilers or Leafs should emerge from the Canadian division. And after that, who knows? What if you draw Colorado, which just went seven games with Vegas? Or what if you draw Washington, which somehow got through Boston and Pittsburgh? It’s impossible to figure in COVID times which teams are going to be whole and which will be struggling come playoff time.

- You don’t fire exceptional people; you’re lucky to have them. You don’t fire John Davidson. That’s just pointless. If a general manager adds Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller to his lineup in a relatively short time, he shouldn’t get fired the way Jeff Gorton was. He should get a raise.

- Turner Sports thinks it might be able to turn Wayne Gretzky into the Charles Barkley of hockey, which is admirable. I like Gretzky and have known him forever, but I don’t see him being Barkley outrageous. Thoughtful yes. Reasoned yes. Outrageous no. Chris Pronger, might be able to do that. Brett Hull, possibly. Glenn Healy, if you can explain who he is.

more on the first topic plus more notes...

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Yzerman may take Sunday off to celebrate: It is his 56th birthday, and it is Mother’s Day. But business beckons.

First up

The coaching situation appears to be first on Yzerman’s list, given that last month he said he’d “sit down very quickly after the season and discuss that” with Jeff Blashill. The perception within the organization is that Blashill has done a good job with what he has been given. The work ethic and culture, of which the Wings are so protective, has been maintained, and it speaks well for Blashill how hard the Wings competed, even as Tyler Bertuzzi, Bobby Ryan, Robby Fabbri and captain Dylan Larkin all suffered season-ending injuries.

Yzerman’s second task includes exit meetings with players, many of which will be conducted virtually. Young players such as Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen and Joe Veleno will receive feedback on their performances and what they need to work on over the summer. Meanwhile, the veterans will find out if they fit into next season’s plans.

Who to retain

A number of players are eligible for unrestricted free agency, but it’s unlikely all hit the market. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier figures to top that group, given how well he has played in two straight seasons. There’s no one in the farm system ready to push for an NHL job, and signing Bernier for two years provides a degree of stability. (Thomas Greiss is under contract through next season, as well.)

Luke Glendening is another clear-cut candidate to bring back — he’s a reliable defensive forward who is one of the best faceoff guys in the NHL and a big part of the locker room culture.

Forwards Sam Gagner and Ryan are likely to figure into next season’s plans, too...

read on (paid)

Who else but my Mother would wake up with me at 6:00am ro play catch with me on a warm summer morning?

Wo else but my Mom would take me to my first Wings game when I was six yeas old?

Who else would take my friends and me to a Saturday ladies day ball game at Tiger Stadium? My Mom knew a bargain too, 75 cents back then to watch the Bengals.

Who else would drive me to the local bars to collect their bottle caps from pop bottles? My Mom did, probably a hundred times, just so we could turn those caps in for a baseball or football.

My Mom treated me with kid gloves but on a few occasions, boxing gloves came in handy for her too.

I miss my Mom daily so give your mom a hug and one from me too.

If you are a mom, come here, allow me to tell you how great you are. This day is yours, but know you are special every day of the year.

THREE HARD LAPS

* Connor McDavid collected his fifth consecutive multi-point game, and fourth with at least three points over that span, to reach the 100-point mark in his 53rd contest of 2020-21.

* Only one playoff spot remains after the Predators defeated the Hurricanes to clinch the final berth in the Discover Central Division and set up a First Round series with Carolina.

* The Penguins (MassMutual East Division) and Maple Leafs (Scotia North Division) each locked up the No. 1 seed in their division. In the process, it was determined that the Capitals and Oilers would be the No. 2 seed in their respective divisions.

In 53 games, 1 goal and 3 assists tonight.

added 11:59pm, another view below...

First we have Danny DeKeyser and Jeff Blashill in one video, below are the game highlights. added 12:05am on 5/9/21, BSD did a 2 part season wrap and look ahead, Watch both parts below. added 12:24am, below is Steve Yzerman with his thoughts on the year and the future.

from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic,

John Tortorella will not return as coach of the Blue Jackets next season, multiple sources told The Athletic.

The winningest coach in franchise history decided to move on when his contract expires this offseason, ending a six-year run in Columbus that included four playoff berths, the first playoff series win in franchise history, and some memorable and turbulent moments along the way.

continued ($$$)

A recommended watch, it is after all our game.

via Sportsnet,

The Hockey Night in Canada panel discuss the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals aftermath, and was what Tom Wilson did acceptable in the NHL anymore.

Not a bad game for both teams playing their last game of the season. With nothing to play for but bingo balls, there was a bit of nastiness to this game.

With the sore tied 2-2 after forty minutes, the Blue Jackets scored first in the third, but the Wings evened the score.

Columbus scored with jus over five minutes left to make it 4-3. But Detroit tied it up with under four minutes to play.

You knew OT was in the plans for the last game of the season.

Blue Jackets win 5-4 in OT.

Team Stats

Detroit goals are below.

Now Steve Yzerman gets to work.

The HNIC panel discussed- The Canadiens discussing Marc Bergevin's future, the easing of Covid protocols, , the salary cap with the Leafs, Adam Larsson contract negotiations going well and Victor Hedman out tonight with a lower-body injury, is going to need surgery in the summer.

via Sportsnet,

To begin, I would like to thank Paul Kukla for giving us a home, and our Chief, Bill Houlihan. He is A2Y. Most of all, I would like to thank all 19 of you loyal Wingaholics that show up for game after torturous game. It's a wonderful thing that through think and thin, the 19 have stuck together here at A2Y. To say this season has not been the best season of Red Wings hockey would be a gross understatement. We all pretty much knew going in what to expect this year, and true to form, the Wings performance was as anticipated. There were ups and downs, but, that's okay, because it seemed to even out during the end of the season.

One upside was acquiring Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, and draft picks at the trade deadline from the Caps, in a surprising trade for Anthony Mantha, who was once considered part of the "core", and, the rebuild. Who said trades are hard?

Vrana continues to impress, making this deal look all the better. We have been able to watch some of the youngsters, who, going forward, will be a part of this team. Veleno, the most recent, looks good. We don't know yet who will be back as far as some of our familiar guys that have been on the team for years. So for now, the Yzerplan seems to be on track, but, only time will tell.

This one's for you, Mom.

For the next sixty minutes, its a Live Blog!

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Lost in the uproar created by the enfeebled Department of Player Safety’s failure to suspend Wilson, along came another example of inexplicable leniency from Parros’ office, which gave teh Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere just a two-game sentence for his cross-check that sent the Penguins’ Mark Friedman into the end boards after the Pittsburgh winger had scored an empty-net goal.

The puck was in the net. The play was over. Friedman began to swing away. Gostisbehere, one of two Flyers chasing, then delivered the gratuitous cross-check/shove. Not only was that dangerous, it was a breach of hockey etiquette, if not quite in the same territory as the 1993 Dale Hunter-Pierre Turgeon episode, but nevertheless entirely unacceptable.

Gostisbehere should have gotten 15 games to carry over into next season. Instead, he got two. That apparently was Parros’ statement.

more topics like this...

Finally, upon reading that the Rangers’ statement generated support for Parros among NHL general managers, I am reminded that was the august body of gentlemen who once gave VP of officiating Stephen Walkom a standing ovation.

Before the puck drop on the Wings' final game of the season tonight, I wanted to thank all of you for your visits to A2Y/KK and to let you know I will be here.

The last game of the NHL regular season is Wednesday, May 19th and the playoffs start shortly thereafter.

I will be around for all of it plus any news coming from the Red Wings.

We still have the draft lottery, the actual draft and UFA period to look forward to.

I expect to be able to rest starting the second week of July and I just may hibernate for a month.

Again, thanks to making A2Y what it is, it would not be the same without you.