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The Too Old, Too Slow Montreal Canadiens

04/16/2021 at 2:30pm EDT

from Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette,

The perfect symbol of the 2021 Montreal Canadiens is their captain, Shea Weber. I have nothing against the Man Mountain, but he more than anyone perfectly represents general manager Marc Bergevin’s lack of a vision for this team.

Weber has played some great hockey, though not recently. It’s not his fault. He’s just too old for today’s game, just like another Bergevin acquisition, Eric Staal.

As an aside, it’s hilarious to note that three key members of the current Habs squad — Weber, Staal, and Corey Perry — were all on that epic Canadian team that won Olympic gold in … 2010! That plays right into the jokes about how Bergevin is building the perfect team to win the 2010 Stanley Cup, complete with a big, lumbering defence corps that seems so out of line with today’s speedy National Hockey League.

But let’s return to the curious case of Weber. He looks terrible out there. He keeps making costly mistakes that would result in anyone else being benched by interim head coach Dominique Ducharme. The entire Canadiens team, with the exception of Jake Allen, sucked eggs Wednesday in a must-win game against the Calgary Flames. But it was Weber who made sure they lost with a boneheaded play in his own zone that led to third Calgary goal and the final nail in the coffin.

more

Time For The Chicago Blackhawks To Change Their Name And Logo

04/16/2021 at 1:52pm EDT

from David McGrath of the Chicago Tribune,

So if in 2021, in the middle of the season, or at the end of the playoffs, which the Blackhawks may still manage to squeeze into, would it be that big a deal if they shortened their name to simply the “Hawks”?

And if instead of the head of an Indian person with war paint and feathers, they changed the logo and mascot to that of a literal winged bird? Say, for instance, the red-tailed hawk, common in Illinois, which would then not necessitate changing the team’s colors.

It’s an opportune time to do so, since the U.S. Senate has just confirmed Deb Haaland as secretary of the Interior, the first Native American in history to hold a cabinet post.

And after decades of protests and complaints about the stereotyping and dehumanizing that results from sports teams’ use of logos, mascots and names based on Native Americans, hundreds of high schools, colleges and pro teams have eliminated offensive monikers.

more

Video- Hits Of The Month

04/16/2021 at 1:27pm EDT

A little over 3 minutes of hits.

It Was A Very Optional Practice Today For The Wings

04/16/2021 at 12:59pm EDT

added 2:24pm, Videos of Jeff Blashill and Gustav Lindstron after practice are below.

The Kraken Coach

04/16/2021 at 11:07am EDT

from Stan Fischler of The Fishler Report,

Who cares that the soon-to-be 32d NHL team hasn't played a game yet; the Kraken's future is as bright as searchlights on the city's Space Needle.

Enthused fans have shown their dedication by flooding the Kraken combine with ticket info and requests.

Meanwhile, the Seattle savants would love some news about their pre-natal franchise. One question that will grow in heat during the next month comes down to who the estimable Ron Francis chooses as head coach.

A few of the marquee names have a certain glow about them. A couple even wear Stanley Cup rings. Try these on for size and see if you like them:

MIKE BABCOCK: He's a proven winner -- despite what the Toronto media says -- and still has the glow, although it's fading fast.

CLAUDE JULIEN: The French-Canadian maestro won a Cup in Boston and got the best out of a mostly mediocre Montreal market. Claude is lower key than Babcock but just as savvy.

JOHN TOTORELLA: Another Cup-winner, Torts does well in his first year and that's vital with this new franchise. He'll get attention by intimidating the media, benching stars and wearing his emotion on his spectacles.

BRUCE BOUDREAU: Cousin Brucie would be the Don Cherry of the Northwest in the best possible way. His players, the press, the fans -- everybody -- will love this guy. His resume is lengthy and impeccable;

MY CHOICE: Cousin Brucie because I like smart coaches who are as funny as they are smart.

more hockey topics...

Cole Caufield Is One Step Closer To His NHL Debut

04/16/2021 at 10:23am EDT

via Sportsnet,

The Montreal Canadiens have recalled forward Cole Caufield from the Laval Rocket, their AHL affiliate, on Friday and assigned him to their taxi squad.

The team has not officially said when Caufield could make his NHL debut, but the earliest date would be Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.

Caufield, who won the 2021 Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA, was one of the most prolific scorers in college hockey this year, scoring 30 goals and adding 22 assists in 31 games for the University of Wisconsin.

In two AHL games with the Rocket, Caufield scored three goals and added an assist.

Montreal also recalled goaltender Cayden Primeau on an emergency basis.

On The Road For The Canadian Division Later In The Playoffs

04/16/2021 at 6:42am EDT

from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

A little update on a story I first reported on in early March regarding what happens with the Canadian division winner once we’re down to the NHL semifinals.

As I wrote on March 5, the idea of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, playing past the second round of the playoffs in nearby Buffalo remains on the table. And given where the COVID-19 numbers are these days in my country, it’s looking less like fantasy and at least like a realistic possibility that this happens.

The new wrinkle now is that the NHL will want to put the Canadian division playoff winner in a U.S. NHL facility closer to its semifinal opponent.

So sure, if the Leafs happen to come out of the Canadian division and match up with the New York Islanders, then yes Buffalo would still make sense for the Leafs in that case. But if it’s Toronto-Vegas in the final four, then maybe Arizona or L.A. would make more sense for the Leafs? Or if it’s Colorado-Toronto, would Chicago make sense for the Leafs as a home base?

Again, whether it’s Edmonton, Winnipeg or Montreal (or Calgary!) coming out of the Canadian division, the league will have a plan in place.

Here’s another wrinkle to consider: I’m told whichever U.S. adoptive city the league would potentially choose for the Canadian division winner, it’s most likely that’s their home for the remainder of the playoffs. They wouldn’t move the Canadian team around to another locale if it reached the Stanley Cup Final no matter what the championship matchup is.

continued (paid)

Power Play An Issue In Toronto After A Loss To Winnipeg

04/16/2021 at 4:23am EDT

from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

An optimist would find comfort in the fact that the referees typically start hiding their whistles by the time the playoffs arrive.

Because at this stage, the only thing that could have the Toronto Maple Leafs feeling good about their power play is the prospect of having fewer of them.

On Thursday, the punchless PP was the main culprit for a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets — bringing a nagging itch to the surface. They’ve been able to string together a lot of wins while going 1-for-42 with the man advantage since March 9 because of excellent results at even strength.

But there are going to be times where you can’t outskate that level of futility. In tight games against quality opponents, special teams are often the difference.

“I think it’s quite obvious the impact that the power play could have had on the game today and [we] failed to get it done,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe.

continued

Game highlights are below.

One Last Look At Detroit's Win Over Chicago On Thursday Night

04/16/2021 at 3:55am EDT

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

The Red Wings couldn’t have scripted a better evening all the way around.

Newcomer Jakub Vrana scored a goal in his debut.

Troy Stecher scored two goals in a game for the first time in his career.

And, for the first time this season, the Red Wings own a three-game win streak.

The Wings took all the positives and rolled them into a 4-1 victory over Chicago on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena.

It wasn't perfect — the Red Wings were called for too many men on the ice twice in the second period, and that's tough to do — but it was a good 60 minutes of hockey for a team that appears to be finding itself (albeit too late in the season).

"We want to build on this as a group," Stecher said. "Everyone has something to play for, whether it's ice time, or a future contract, there's always something to play for. To string three wins in a row, we're having some fun.

"We're playing with a purpose and playing for each other. We're not getting worked up over little mistakes, mistakes are going to happen through a game. The biggest thing is confidence, and having fun."

continued

Below find extended game highlights plus more complete interviews with Troy Stecher and Jeff Blashill.

added 11:26am, Vrana post game interview is below.

NHL Short Notes

04/16/2021 at 3:36am EDT

THREE HARD LAPS

* Igor Shesterkin became the NHL’s second rookie goaltender to post consecutive shutouts in 2020-21.

* Brad Marchand, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers each found the back of the net on Thursday to extend their respective streaks of consecutive 20-goal seasons.

* Patrick Marleau (1,765 GP) heads into a back-to-back set between the Sharks and Wild sitting three games from passing Gordie Howe (1,767 GP) for the most regular-season games played in NHL history. Click here for a look at Marleau’s journey and what was going on in the world at the time of his debut in 1997.

Videos- Post Game Talk After A 4-1 Home Win Against Chicago

04/15/2021 at 10:49pm EDT

Troy Stecher and Jeff Blashill in the first video, the game hghlights are below.

Quick Recap- Detroit/Chicago

04/15/2021 at 9:54pm EDT

Fun for everyone wearing red tonight.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1.

Probably the most enjoyable Detroit game I've watched in a few years.

Michael Rasmussen continues to impress, he's looking more like Pete Mahovlich and Keith Primeau in their post-Detroit years. We've watche him go from that look of a deer in the headlights to a very motivated player.

Most impressive, the pressure put on by Detroit in the 3rd period and their overall defensive gams.

I'll leave the breakdown of the game to you.

Team Stats

Detroit goals are below.

Going For Three

04/15/2021 at 7:00pm EDT

Tonight the Wings will be going for three consecutive wins for the first time this season as they faceoff against the Cawks. We will also have two new faces in the lineup. Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik will make their first appearance wearing the Winged Wheel.
The addition of the new players is part of the Yzerplan, which saw Anthony Mantha moved to the Capitals in what seems to be a pretty good move by the GM. Only time will tell.

Speaking of time, it's been thirteen years since the Wings won the Cup, and, only one player from 2008 is still on this team. Good old Darren Helm.

It's a Live Blog!

Afternoon Line- Video, Mark Messier

04/15/2021 at 4:38pm EDT

via USA TODAY,

Sports Seriously: Mackenzie Salmon connected with NHL legend Mark Messier and got his thoughts on the league reaching a TV deal with ESPN. Messier believes being on the world wide leader in sports will only help for the future growth of the game.

Watch below.

More Time Needed For The Vancouver Canucks

04/15/2021 at 4:16pm EDT

from Sportsnet,

The Vancouver Canucks' matchup Friday against the Edmonton Oilers will be postponed as the team continues to recover from its outbreak of COVID-19, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The decision comes a day after Canucks forward J.T. Miller was outspoken in his frustration with the speed of the team's return to action after seeing at least 21 players and four members of its coach staff test positive for the novel coronavirus since March 30.

"We try to talk about the No. 1 priority is the players' health and the families' safety, and it's almost impossible to achieve that with what they've asked us to do here on our return," said Miller, calling a return Friday "very challenging and not very safe."

The Canucks practised Thursday for the first time since they were hit by the outbreak and haven't played since March 24.

The team was slated to meet with medical groups from the NHL and NHLPA to discuss health evaluations and whether any schedule changes were necessary.

continued

The New Look Detroit Red Wings Going For A Third Win A Row Tonight

04/15/2021 at 12:23pm EDT

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Tonight, forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik will make their Red Wings debut following Monday’s trade with Washington that sent Anthony Mantha to the Capitals.

Vrana has 60 goals and 124 points in 190 games the past three seasons with the Capitals.

“He’s a talented player, his points have been really good for a young guy in the league,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He’s played with some talented players on a team that’s scored a lot of goals. It’s a little bit different here in the sense that you have to be a bigger driver of offense with our group than you do in Washington. Guys like (Alex) Ovechkin and (Evgeny) Kuznetsov control the puck so much you don’t have to drive as much of the offense.”

Vrana will play a significant role five-on-five and on the power play. Panik is a bottom-six forward whose role will be determined as they go.

“He’s a big, strong guy who has ability,” Blashill said. “We talked all year long about having great depth of scoring and being able to use four lines and I think he gives us another guy. That depth is extremely important.”

read on

Roster Announced For Team USA Under 18 Men's National Team

04/15/2021 at 12:07pm EDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.USA Hockey announced today the 25-player roster for the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team that will compete at the upcoming 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men's World Championship from April 26-May 6 in Frisco and Plano, Texas.

Stream- The Morning Skate Before Facing The Chicago Blackhawks

04/15/2021 at 10:24am EDT

Watch the stream below and I will update this post with any news from the skate.

added 11:37am, Watch Jeff Blashill after the morning skate below.

Will Joe Thornton Be On The Outside Looking In?

04/15/2021 at 9:41am EDT

from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

After acquiring Nick Foligno and Riley Nash at the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs have 14 NHL forwards. The number increases to 15 if you include Nick Robertson, who has played in the past two games and not looked out of place.

So where does that leave Joe Thornton, who has no points in the past 14 games and has gone almost two months without a goal?

For most of the year, the 41-year-old has filled an honorary role alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on Toronto’s top line, where no one has minded all that much if he produces or not. But with the playoffs approaching, Thornton has been working his way down in the lineup while Alex Galchenyuk and others move up in the pecking order.

With William Nylander on the COVID protocol list, Thornton found himself skating on a line with John Tavares and Zach Hyman for Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Calgary. But it was a strictly temporary move.

When Nylander returns, there won’t be a place for Thornton on the top two lines. And there won’t be a spot for Thornton on a third line with Alex Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev once Foligno finishes his quarantine.

That leaves the fourth line. And even there, keeping Thornton around just for the sake of it may not be a luxury the Leafs can afford.

read on

NHL Short Notes

04/15/2021 at 5:22am EDT

THREE HARD LAPS

* Marc-Andre Fleury earned his 485th career win and now trails only Martin Brodeur (691), Patrick Roy (551) and Roberto Luongo (489) for the most in NHL history.

* Mark Giordano led the Flames past the Canadiens in a crucial Scotia North Division clash, with the two clubs set to go head-to-head four more times before the end of the month.

* The NHL entered the Final Quarter of the 2020-21 season at the completion of Wednesday’s third game. Click here for a collection of NHL Stats as the League prepares for the race to the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Mantha Brings Stanley Cup Bloodlines To Capitals

04/15/2021 at 4:59am EDT

The newest member of the Washington Capitals might not have a Stanley Cup pedigree, but right-winger Anthony Mantha did bring with him some pretty famous Stanley Cup bloodlines.

Video- All Jim Rutherford

04/14/2021 at 10:10pm EDT

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

Jim Rutherford joined The Big Picture to talk about his departure from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and why bringing Phil Kessel was the right move at the time.

Yzerman's Work Begins

04/14/2021 at 10:01pm EDT

from Joh Niyo of the Detroit News,

...then it’ll be up to Yzerman and his front-office staff to make the decisions that'll shift this rebuild into its next phase.

That starts with Blashill's expiring contract, of course, a topic Yzerman politely tabled until after the season when asked about it Monday.

But like Bertuzzi, Vrana is scheduled for restricted free agency this summer as well, giving Detroit the option of re-signing him to a short-term contract before deciding whether to extend him on a deal similar to the one Mantha signed last November.

Detroit also took on Panik’s remaining contract in the trade, giving Washington salary-cap relief in exchange for more draft compensation. But that also helps the Wings in this summer’s NHL expansion draft for the new Seattle franchise. Now Yzerman can leave Panik exposed along with Frans Nielsen, if he chooses, and protect a player like Vladislav Namestnikov instead.

As for all those draft picks? With a dozen in his pocket, including two first-rounders and seven over the first three rounds, Yzerman has more to work with than any of his peers heading into this summer’s entry draft, whether he gets lucky in the lottery or not. That could add more leverage in a year where the class of prospects is more of a mystery than usual, thanks to a pandemic that wreaked havoc with junior hockey in North America and Europe this season.

“It probably is more unpredictable this year,” said Yzerman, who also owns 10 picks in the 2022 draft at the moment. “You can look at it two ways: You may get really lucky, or you may get really unlucky.”

But with all that draft capital, the Wings will be in a position to move up to grab a prospect they really like who's sliding, whether that’s in the middle of the first round or early on Day 2.

more ($$$)

Afternoon Line- J.T. Miller

04/14/2021 at 5:55pm EDT

added 6:36pm, Below, watch Miller in a two part vide lasting around 16 minutes.

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