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The Frozen Four Starts Today

04/08/2021 at 10:23am EDT

from Chris Peters of Hockey Sense,

Against all odds, the season is going to come to a relatively natural conclusion in the most unnatural of seasons (we expect). The semifinals for the 2021 Men’s Frozen Four are set for Thursday in Pittsburgh, with Minnesota State taking on St. Cloud State in the early game at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and UMass meeting two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth in the night cap with a 9 p.m. ET puck drop, also on ESPN2. The championship will be decided Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Thanks to the support of my paying subscribers, I’ll be in the building for the Men’s Frozen Four as I take my first out-of-town trip since starting this new venture. I plan to provide on-site coverage with analysis of each semifinal and the championship game. After that, it’s complete focus on the 2021 NHL Draft and tracking already-drafted prospects currently playing in junior, Europe and the AHL. My spring draft rankings are coming out this week, too. So, for those that have not yet signed up, if you’d like to support independent sports media and receive my instant, on-site Frozen Four coverage, draft rankings and more in your email inbox (or at least have access to read on the site), consider a subscription today. Thanks again to all of those who have already signed up, allowing me a chance to get to another Men’s Frozen Four.

continued

Stream- The Morning Skate

04/08/2021 at 10:14am EDT

You can watch the stream of the Morning Skate below, it is scheduled to be at 10:30am,

Maenwhile, if any news comes out of the skate, it will be added here.

Zdeno Chara Could Have Helped The Bruins This Season

04/08/2021 at 9:48am EDT

from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

The Bruins need help in a few places, true of most of their playoff-bound brethren, and left-side defense is among their glaring soft spots.

Which is to say, gee, a guy like Zdeno Chara would be a good fit over there right about now, ya know?

Big Z’s not coming back, folks, so erase that from your Monday trade deadline wish list. Right now, as far as the first-place Capitals are concerned, he’s the most valuable Washington monument in town.

The Trencin Tower of Power will be on the job against the Bruins Thursday night, 99 days since abruptly bidding Boston adieu as a free agent, and paired most of the night with Nick Jensen as the Capitals’ top penalty-killing tandem....

Remember, it came down to role, profile, and above all, need, general manager Don Sweeney, et al, convinced that newbies Jeremy Lauzon and Jakub Zboril needed Chara’s ice time to find footing in their NHL careers. All of that, they felt, was a more pressing need than finding Chara bona fide minutes and keeping him happy in a meaningful insurance/coaching role in what portended to be — and has since proven — a demanding, compressed 56-game season.

To their credit, Lauzon and Zboril have been OK, about on par with where Chara stood upon landing on the Islanders’ blue line as a 20-year-old, back when size alone was a work permit in the NHL.

read on

Playoff Bubble Hockey Or Not

04/08/2021 at 9:38am EDT

from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

Is the bubble coming back for the playoffs?

Players and team owners may not want it to. But after seeing what’s happened to the Vancouver Canucks in the past week, I don’t see how the league avoids it.

There’s far too much at stake.

We’re three months into the season and, while vaccination rates continue to rise, we’re still seeing players regularly added to the COVID-protocol list. We’re still seeing games postponed. We’re still seeing major disruptions.

For the most part, the NHL has rolled with the punches. But rescheduling games in the regular season is one thing. Trying to do so in the playoffs is another.

If the COVID-19 outbreak in Vancouver has showed us anything, it’s that the NHL is one outbreak away from jeopardizing the season. One player testing positive can easily multiply into 18 players in a matter of days. It’s difficult enough when that happens in the middle of a season. But try to imagine that happening in the middle of a playoff series.

What happens if Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had to miss multiple games? What happens if it’s a starting goalie like Connor Hellebuyck? What happens if an entire team has to be shut down?

continued plus more hockey talk...

Jack Campbell Is 10-0 This Season

04/08/2021 at 2:50am EDT

from Kristen Shilton of TSN,

Jack Campbell has entered the Maple Leafs’ record books.

The goaltender extended his winning streak to 10 games in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Montreal, passing Felix Potvin (1993), Jacques Plante (1970-71) and John Ross Roach (1925) to set a new franchise mark.

Campbell’s 32-save showing against the Canadiens was the kind of clutch performance Toronto has come to expect from him this season, and was especially needed on a night that began with some uncertainty surrounding forward William Nylander.

The Leafs announced prior to puck drop that Nylander was being held out for precautionary reasons because of exposure to a potentially positive COVID-19 case in a close contact outside the team. Nylander was said to be isolating and would be reevaluated on Thursday pending further test results....

“He passes off a lot of attention to his teammates and credit to his teammates, but I think it's important to give Jack his moment here,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “He’s been through a lot, and worked extremely hard to put himself in a position to play like this and get these results. He deserves everything that has come his way. Our team is thrilled for him and clearly played hard for him in that third period.”...

Campbell was mauled when the final buzzer sounded to signal his feat was accomplished. He shared a jubilant exchange with Mitch Marner in particular, where Marner emphatically counted to 10 on his fingers to rhyme off each of Campbell’s victories. It was a moment the netminder said he’ll never forget, but true to form he shrugged off any individual accolades.

“We must be playing well,” Campbell said of winning 10 straight starts.

read on

Late Evening Line- Stan Fischler

04/08/2021 at 2:37am EDT

A Statement Game For The Minnesota Wild

04/08/2021 at 2:33am EDT

from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

If you get Wild score notifications sent to your cellphone, your battery probably went belly-up Wednesday night just like the Colorado Avalanche’s 15-game point streak.

Three weeks after having their spirit, psyche and overall game ripped to shreds during consecutive one-sided losses in Denver, two nights after responding poorly in the first of a two-game set against their biggest nemesis, the Wild responded the right way and pulled off a statement win by blowing out the Avs 8-3 at Xcel Energy Center.

One regulation loss in a 16-game span probably won’t spook or damage the Avalanche, but the victory could be a real confidence booster for the Wild. Finishing the eight-game season series with an emphatic third win at least reminded the 20 players inside their locker room that they can beat that team just in case they run into them when it matters in the postseason.

The path to the Stanley Cup very possibly could go through Colorado, and the Wild are well aware of that.

“The whole game, we really wanted to win,” said Kevin Fiala, who notched his first career hat trick and had a career-high four points. “We did everything to win, and I feel we deserved it. It was a huge game for us. We really came at this game, and we wanted to just win the game and maybe give a little statement and show them that, ‘We can play against you guys’ if we’re gonna meet them in the playoffs.”

continued (paid subscription)

Highlights of the Wil 8-3 win can be viewed below.

NHL Short Notes

04/08/2021 at 2:16am EDT

THREE HARD LAPS

* Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl became the first set of teammates to each collect 20 points against one opponent in a single season in 35 years.

* Toronto’s Jack Campbell became the first goaltender in Maple Leafs history, and second in the NHL this season, to string together 10 consecutive wins.

* The Wild matched a franchise record for goals in a game en route to halting the Avalanche’s 15-game point streak.

New Jersey Devils Trade Travis Zajac And Kyle Palmieri To The New York Islanders

04/07/2021 at 7:59pm EDT

via NJD press release,

The New Jersey Devils today traded center Travis Zajac and right wing Kyle Palmieri to the New York Islanders in exchange for the Islanders’ first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, a conditional fourth-round choice in the 2022 NHL Draft and forwards A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst. New Jersey will retain 50% of both Zajac and Palmieri’s salaries in the transaction.

Greer, 24, is a 6’3”, 205lb. left wing currently playing with Bridgeport (AHL) where he has one goal and one assist in ten games. In 37 career NHL contests, Greer has one goal and five assists. He was Colorado’s second-round selection and 39th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. Greer finished sixth in scoring (16g-16g-32pts) with the Colorado Rampage of the AHL last season and second in scoring (19g-25a-44pts) in his rookie year of 2018-19. Jobst, 27, is a 5’8,” 185lb. forward who has two assists in six games with Bridgeport. Both Greer and Jobst will report to Binghamton.

New Jersey now has nine picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. The club has its own picks in rounds one, three, four and six; the New York Islanders selections in rounds one and two; Buffalo’s fifth-round pick and Arizona’s third and seventh-round selections.

Zajac, 35, was New Jersey’s first-round selection and 20th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. In 15 seasons, all with New Jersey, he appeared in 1,024 games scoring 202 goals and 348 assists for 550 points while registering 344 penalty minutes. Zajac appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game on February 21 at Washington, becoming just the fourth player in franchise history to achieve that mark. His games-played total ranks fourth in franchise history, goal total ranks tied for third, assist total is fifth and points rank third. Zajac is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Palmieri, 30, has spent the last six seasons with New Jersey after being acquired on June 26, 2015 from Anaheim for New Jersey’s second-round choice in the 2015 NHL draft and third-round choice in the 2016 NHL Draft. In 397 games with New Jersey, he scored 140 goals and 126 assists for 266 points while registering 216 penalty minutes and represented the Devils at the 2019 All-Star Game in San Jose. Palmieri is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The Wings Could Be Quiet On Monday

04/07/2021 at 3:55pm EDT

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

So, Monday’s trade deadline could be fairly quiet for the Red Wings and largely uneventful throughout the NHL.

“It doesn’t feel like there will be much action this year,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “Listening to a number of reports and knowing the flat salary cap -- I know when I talked to other teams how tight everybody is -- it’s going to be really difficult for people to make moves.

“The economics of the whole thing, there’s no fans in the stands at most places and it’s hard to just bring in money just to bring in money. You throw on top of that, the whole aspect with the coronavirus and the quarantines that can be required, certainly if you’re going into Canada, I don’t know that the trade deadline this year is as big a deal as it’s been in past years at all.”

General manager Steve Yzerman will continue looking to move impending UFAs for picks and there should at least be some interest in players with low salaries, like forwards Bobby Ryan ($1 million cap hit) and Sam Gagner ($850,000) and defenseman Jon Merrill ($925,000).

more

An Update On The Covid Situation With The Vancouver Canucks

04/07/2021 at 2:23pm EDT

via the Vancouver Canucks,

On March 31, the Vancouver Canucks in conjunction with the NHL and BC Health officials postponed a game versus the Calgary Flames and closed Rogers Arena's team areas following confirmation of three positive COVID-19 test results over a period of two days. All players and staff currently remain in quarantine.

As of today, 25 individuals have tested positive and the source infection is confirmed a variant - full genome sequencing by BCCDC will be required to determine which specific type. Among the 25 positive cases are 21 players (three players from taxi squad) and four members of staff. One additional player is considered a close contact.

An ongoing investigation by Vancouver Coastal Health and club contact tracing staff attributes the source infection to a single individual obtained in a community setting, which has since been identified by public health as a public exposure location. Rapid spread of infection throughout the team indicates a link between contacts and the primary case.

The health and safety of players, staff, families and the greater community remains the utmost priority. The Canucks are grateful for the continued support of local public health officials, the NHL and NHLPA and encourage everyone to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following health orders. COVID-19 infections are rising in BC. This is a stark reminder of how quickly the virus can spread and its serious impact, even among healthy, young athletes.

Videos- Post Practice Talk

04/07/2021 at 1:34pm EDT

Jeff Blashill first, Sam Gagner below.

Practice Underway

04/07/2021 at 12:49pm EDT

Ansar Khan tweets,

practice lines:
Ryan-Larkin-Zadina
Filppula-Rasmussen-Mantha
Svechnikov/Smith-Namestnikov-Gagner
Helm-Glendening-Erne
Nielsen (extra)

practicing today. Ryan, Gagner and Bernier all practicing. Hronek, Nemeth and Staal not practicing.

Video- Goals Of The Week

04/07/2021 at 12:42pm EDT

Five minutes of your time.

April Draft Rankings

04/07/2021 at 11:58am EDT

from Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet,

1. Owen Power, D, U of Michigan (NCAA): An abrupt end to an otherwise brilliant freshman season where ice-time and special teams play was earned and deserved.

2. Matthew Beniers, C, U of Michigan (NCAA): Work ethic, smarts and a Mercedes Benz engine all but guarantee he will play. It’s simply a matter of how high in the lineup can he go?

3. Luke Hughes, D, USNTDP: Similar path taken to the top five by Jake Sanderson last year. Size, skating and smarts were complemented by a season full of production, that saw nearly point per game numbers.

4. Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL): Came out of the gates hot and has not cooled. Likely to challenge the goal a game mark, but has impressed more this season with his playmaking.

5. Kent Johnson, C, U of Michigan (NCAA): Highlight reel waiting to happen. Dynamic offensive player whose confidence allows him to maximize his creativity.

27 more names...

Who Could Be Available From The Blues And Blue Jackets

04/07/2021 at 10:45am EDT

from TSN,

- Winless in their past seven games, the St. Louis Blues have dropped out of the playoff picture as the deadline approaches and it appears general manager Doug Armstrong could subtract, rather than add over the next five days.

"One guy who has nine goals and 21 points on the season is Mike Hoffman, a pending UFA who could also be on the move," TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said Tuesday on Insider Trading. "The St. Louis Blues are not out of contention but we know from GM Doug Armstrong's history, that he's not worried about trading pending UFAs when his team underachieves. He traded Kevin Shattenkirk at the deadline in 2017 despite being in a playoff spot. He traded Paul Stastny to Winnipeg in 2018 despite being a point out, and word is, from talking to different teams around the league, that he's open to potentially moving some pending UFAs. The Blues have disappointed.

"Hoffman would be one, perhaps Tyler Bozak is another."

- Blue Jackets defenceman David Savard is listed at No. 1 on the TSN Trade Bait board, followed closely by captain Nick Foligno at No. 4. Portzline also lists defenceman Michael Del Zotto and one of either Joonas Korpisalo or Elvis Merzlikins as players who could be moved as Columbus shifts into sellers.

Portzline points to the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential suitors for Savard and lists Toronto, the Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders as landing spots for Foligno, if he's open to a move.

more on each of the above plus Toronto talk...

Would It Bother You If The US Boycotted The 2022 Winter OIympics In

04/07/2021 at 9:12am EDT

from Amanda Macias of CNBC,

The State Department denied Tuesday evening that it was considering a joint boycott alongside allies of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“Our position on the 2022 Olympics has not changed. We have not discussed and are not discussing any joint boycott with allies and partners,” a senior State Department official wrote in an emailed statement to CNBC.

Department spokesman Ned Price had initially suggested during a press briefing earlier on Tuesday that a boycott of the Olympic Games was among the possibilities for addressing China’s human rights abuses.

The Olympic Games are due to take place between Feb. 4 and Feb. 20.

Any discussion of a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games would come as the Biden administration works to rally allies to mount international pushback on China. While there is broad bipartisan support for taking a tougher policy stance against China, there is hardly unanimous agreement that a boycott would be the most productive path to pursue.

continued

Playoff Chances Fade For The Philadelphia Flyers After A Loss To The Boston Bruins

04/07/2021 at 8:53am EDT

from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphi Inquirer,

The Flyers, playing one of the most important games of their uneven season, faced a Boston Bruins team Tuesday that was missing two of its best defensemen and its three top goaltenders.

They failed to take advantage.

Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman made 40 saves in a memorable NHL debut, and Patrice Bergeron scored three times as the Bruins handed the Flyers a killer loss, 4-2, at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers fell five points behind Boston for the fourth and final East Division playoff spot, and the Bruins have two games in hand. The Flyers could have moved to within a point of the Bruins with a regulation win....

The urgency was missing in the final period. With their playoff lives on the brink, the Flyers went down meekly, managing just four shots in the third.

“Give them credit. They’re a good team, they’re an experienced team,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “... I thought we played extremely well in the second and they tightened things a little bit and it was tougher for us to get through.”

The Flyers outshot the Bruins, 42-26, and had a 77-50 advantage in shot attempts.

“We didn’t give them a lot of looks, and we had some great looks,” Vigneault said. “We weren’t able to finish and they were able to finish.”

read on

Game highlights are below.

The Best Gambling Memes 2021

04/07/2021 at 8:50am EDT

Did you know that Richard Dawkins, a British etymologist, first coined the word “meme”? It signifies ideas, styles, or behaviour that spreads between people of different cultures. It can represent a certain theme or meaning or a phenomenon. It can comprise symbols, writing, gestures, or any imitable phenomena that are usually mimicked on a particular theme. They are similar to cultural analogues, which can mutate and self-replicate as they are shared through mobile or desktop platforms.

In the world of gambling, casino memes have gained popularity as well. They help people to express ideas, opinions, and emotions in a funny or sarcastic way. You will often find them composed around gambling themed words or images. Many online casinos even have them as funny ads or as part of the themes. If you land on a new site to try 25 free spins no deposit, you are sure to stop by and enjoy the memes as well.

Thomas Greiss Is Giving Te Wings A Chance To Win

04/07/2021 at 8:18am EDT

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Thomas Greiss is playing his best hockey of the season, just in time for the Detroit Red Wings.

The trade deadline is Monday, and the Wings have multiple players, including goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who should draw interest. Bernier has been the team's MVP, while Greiss struggled through February and March, especially.

But Greiss has strung together his best stretch, posting a .940 save percentage and 1.86 goals-against average his last five games.

“He’s been calm, kept everything right in front of him, and swallowed up a lot,” Dylan Larkin said. “When he’s out there he has a calming effect, just like Jonathan Bernier does. He makes key saves. He keeps us in the game. He’s done a great job.

continued (paid subscription)

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Greiss has his game in order after being pulled in the first period of that blowout loss at Nashville. He has been solid in five appearances since, including the past four starts.

He gave the Red Wings a chance to win by making 29 saves in regulation and overtime, before Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi scored on Nashville’s first two attempts in the shootout.

“I think over this stretch since Florida (on March 30), he’s been solid, and we’ve played solid defensively in front of him,” Blashill said. “Those two things usually go hand in hand.”

Greiss has a 1.86 goals-against average and .940 save percentage over his past five appearances, after struggling most of the season.

“He’s been through lots in his pro career, he knows how to handle it,” Blashill said. “That’s part of the advantage of having a guy like that. Obviously, everybody’s confidence is shaken at times but he’s able to stay with it and just work and he’s done that, and he’s put himself in a better spot.”

read on

Below watch Mckey Remond after the game last night.

NHL Short Notes

04/07/2021 at 8:06am EDT

THREE HARD LAPS

* The Rangers recorded eight goals in a game for the third time in 2020-21, their highest such total in a single season since 1992-93 (5x).

* Patrice Bergeron scored three times against the Flyers as Boston recorded three hat tricks versus one opponent in a single season for the first time in 76 years.

* The Maple Leafs and Canadiens, who have been trending toward a head-to-head meeting in the opening round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, are set to square off in their first of six matchups scheduled over the next 31 days.

Quick Recap- Detroit/Nashville

04/06/2021 at 10:14pm EDT

added 10:59pm, Post game media is below... First are the game highlights followed by a bad line change which lead to Nashville's first goal, Dylan Larkin and Jeff Blashill.

It's too early to say the Wings have turned the corner but many of you may be thinking just that even with an OT loss tonight.

Once again, the Wings need to play like this every night and everything else will fall into place.

Keep playing hard and working as a team and success will follow.

Nashville wins 3-2 in a shootout.

Detroit goals are below.

Team Stats

Still Feeling Good

04/06/2021 at 7:00pm EDT

There are 19 Wings fans still feeling good since Sunday's game against the Lightning. That win, the score, and the way the guys played, certainly wasn't anything that we saw coming at all. As long as we can see the same effort, and intensity tonight, it will suffice.
A win, on the other hand, is not necessarily expected, but sure would be nice.

It's a Live Blog!

Video- A Sit Down With Henrik Lundqvist

04/06/2021 at 6:39pm EDT

via the YouTube page of the NHL Network,

Henrik Lundqvist sits down with Kevin Weekes to discuss the personal and professional challenges he has faced over the past year.

Part 2 tomorrow, part 3 on Thursday.

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