from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Veleno played only 4:42 against the Lightning, getting just two shifts in the first period and one in the second before returning after Rasmussen got hurt. He has logged less than 10 minutes in three of the past four games.

“You’re seeking consistency from him,” Lalonde said. “The first time Dylan (Larkin) was out, there were some games he was at 20-22 minutes, playing one or two center.

“There’s just some inconsistencies in his game. Last game it got away from us a little bit in that he only had a handful of minutes, but Tampa is a different animal on the road. Every time I was ready to have him up, (Braydon) Point and (Nikita) Kucherov were coming out and then the special teams started rolling. We kind of got into a little rhythm. But early in the game, he turns the puck over and it ends up in our zone for 90 seconds against their top guys.

“He’s showing flashes of some elite hockey and then there’s some flashes of his game where it’s not where any of us want it to be. It’s just consistency, because it’s all there -- the tools, he can skate.”

more on the Wings

9 1/2 minutes of goals.

Much longer version is below.

via the YouTube page of TSN,

A communication breakdown in Montreal leads to a very awkward moment for the referees. Jeff Skinner hits his 1,000th game. The Vancouver Canucks drop another game in dramatic fashion. All that and more as 7-Eleven That's Hockey host Gino Reda takes you through the trending topics of the day!

Includes the Flyers in the third spot in the Metropolitan.

from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

The balance for Zito and the Panthers will be to fit something in under the salary cap that will allow the team to continue to contend. It’s the challenge all the elite contenders face, making the numbers work with their core players.

Business is business, but it’s difficult to imagine Reinhart leaving a place that players around the league are tripping over themselves to get to, Vladimir Tarasenko being the latest when he gave the Ottawa Senators the Panthers as his only desired destination before waiving his full no-move clause last month ahead of the trade deadline.

The Panthers are a perennial contender, between the lifestyle in South Florida and lack of state income tax. Of course, Reinhart would have to take less than what the July 1 market could offer. That’s obvious.

“Absolutely, for sure there’s a couple of sides to it,” Reinhart said. “You know when you’re trying to make a decision there’s a lot that goes into it. This place checks a lot of boxes, that’s for sure.”...

Reinhart is playing out a three-year deal carrying a $6.5 million average annual value. What will be as important as anything for him will be term, having only done short-term deals throughout his NHL career, dating back to his Buffalo days.

He’s also 28, and obviously there’s always concern about post-30 production in the NHL. There’s also the fact he’s gone from a 30-goal scorer in his two previous seasons to such a monumental jump at age 28. His previous high was 33 goals two years ago. Included in his career-high 52-goal tally is a whopping 27 power-play goals, which easily leads the NHL.

The bottom line is that the Panthers absolutely want to keep him, but it’s an interesting extension to get done.

more ($)

Betway did a recent question and answer with Hockey Hall of Fame Member Grant Fuhr.

Is it important to have a veteran goalie on the squad to help guide younger goalies?

I think the dynamic has changed. When I came into the league, I didn’t have a goalie coach for the first 13 years, so your partner was your guy to bounce things off of. Whereas now a lot of guys have their own goalie coach, the team has a goalie coach, there’s a director of goalie development, so you’ve got a lot of guys in the system who you can bounce ideas off of. Which means you don’t really have to have that veteran guy now. You can go with two young guys, because you have other guys for them to talk to. Whereas back in my day, the veteran was important, because he was literally your only sounding board.

Do you think our understanding of goaltending is behind because goaltenders are almost playing a different sport than skaters?

Yeah! You’re looking at basically three hours of being engaged. For me the biggest misnomer that everybody talks about, that you hear about, is save percentage. I’m not a fan of save percentage. I’m a fan of ‘Can you make the right save at the right time?’ And they don’t have a dynamic for that yet. At some point they’ll come up with it, it’s getting better and better. But every building counts shots differently. So, save percentage I kind of throw out the window. I look at quality of saves at opportune times in the game. Can you make that save to change the momentum of the game? Can you make that save to save a game? That’s more important to me, and win. It was like that when I came into the league, and it’s like that now. Can you win a game when it’s on the line? That to me is the biggest statistic there is.

from Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press,

Someday, the Detroit Red Wings will make the playoffs again. And someday, when the Wings do get there, they will make some noise and win a series.

But if we learned anything from their tough five-game trip that bordered on disastrous, it’s that the Wings still lack enough of the elite skill and toughness to sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2016 — and then beat a top seed once they get there.

At the very least, they’re getting closer to being a legitimate playoff team. They’re playing consistent, disciplined hockey under Derek Lalonde. They’re careful with the puck at both ends, calculated on offense and boast a top-10 power play.

But a measly four points out of a possible 10, with two losses coming via shutout, isn’t the kind of inspiring late-season charge anyone wants to see from a team on the playoff bubble....

I’ve applauded general manager Steve Yzerman for keeping the team intact at the trade deadline this season. Because that’s the first step in him considering the Wings a playoff team instead of an annual yard sale for the NHL’s power brokers to pick through like rich neighbors offering you pennies for those pricey P90X videos you never opened.

Yzerman’s inaction is a start, but it still falls short of the next and most important step: Adding key pieces that help a team not only reach the playoffs but also win series.

more ($)

via TSN's YouTube page,

TSN’s Hockey Insiders discuss Team Canada’s roster build for the 2024 Men’s Worlds, the Flyers working on a contract extension with new goalie Ivan Fedotov, Shane Wright in the spotlight after a call-up from the Kraken and coveted NCAA free agent Collin Graf nearing a decision on which NHL team to sign with.

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

Against a heavyweight team, the Vancouver Canucks were lightweights on Tuesday.

Playing the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, a possible first-round playoff opponent for the Canucks in 2 ½ weeks, Vancouver was blown open early and lost 6-3.

The Canucks’ slack defending and awful execution in the first 10 minutes, as they served a pile of outnumbered rushes to a big, fast Vegas team that feasts on them, never gave Vancouver a chance to win.

The statement the Canucks made against a formidable opponent, so soon after four losses in Vancouver against playoff-bound teams, will surely embolden the Knights.

“I think as an individual, you look at your game. . . and: 'How can I play better? What can I do to do. . . to contribute to the team?'” Canuck coach Rick Tocchet told reporters after the game. “If everybody does that, you know, you hope the next game will improve on that. Some guys have got to look at their shifts and, 'What can I do different to help the team?' There's a penalty kill; can we be a little bit more aggressive on the wall to get that (puck) out? I think we were a little light getting in there. I just thought we were a little light everywhere. And that's not the type of game you want when you get into the stretch drive, so we've got to find it quickly.”

continued

Game highlights are below.

NEW YORK (April 2, 2024) – Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of March.

via the YouTube page of the NHL,

NHL bloopers, wacky and lighthearted moments from the last month including a rogue puck, non-traditional "hat tricks," a misfired goal horn and more broken sticks than we've ever seen!

The Wings have an off day today and do not play until Friday.

Feel free to discuss what's on your mind and below find the remaining schedule for Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington.

Also below is the wild card race in the East.

* Auston Matthews continued his push for the NHL’s first 70-goal campaign in more than 30 years and set a Maple Leafs single-season record with his 61st and 62nd tallies.

* Sidney Crosby joined elite company in NHL history by securing his 19th career point-per-game season, thanks to a three-point performance at Madison Square Garden.

* The Eastern Conference Wild Card race remains tight as both the Red Wings and Islanders earned crucial road victories against higher-seeded clubs.

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

David Perron’s goal with 2:40 left in regulation time would snap a 2-2 tie, propelling the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The outcome brought a halt to Detroit’s 0-2-2 losing skid during this five-game road trip.

“None bigger goal than DP’s goal at the end and he’s been in the battle the whole season, he always is,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin told Bally Sports Detroit. “For him to score the big one, it was just a veteran player that knows how to play in these big games.”...

More significantly, the outcome is leaving Detroit and Washington in a deadlock for the final Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. Each team has 82 points. However, the Capitals (73 games) hold two games in hand on the Red Wings and the first tiebreaker. Washington has 28 regulation wins, compared to 26 for Detroit....

“We’ve been playing really good team hockey recently,” Perron said. “Obviously, we know how many points we need to keep advancing, being in the fight. I’ve liked our recent play. We just gotta keep pushing, keep getting points.”

Elsewhere Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers were losing 4-3 in overtime to the New York Islanders. The OT point was enough to move Philly (83 points) back into third spot in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of the Capitals. But the Flyers have played 76 games....

At the other end of the spectrum, fourth-line center Joe Veleno played just 4:42.

“Veleno, just kind of ran into some matchup issues, some special teams, we used him late a couple times,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said....

“Ras left with an upper body,” Lalonde said. “Don’t know much more about it.”

more

The Wings scored in the first minute in the second to take a 1-0 lead, but the Lightning scored eight minutes later to make it 1-1.

Score was 2-2 with under 3 minutes to play and Perron scores and Raymond adds an eng.

Wings win 4-2.

Team Stats

Detroit goals are below.

Good evening and welcome to everyone. We’re all trying to stay positive here, but, the Red Wings do not make it easy. Losing their last four games in a row doesn’t exactly instill confidence. Counting on other teams to lose is certainly not an option. Winning is the only way.

Lyon is in the net tonight. Walman is back as well. Maatta is out. No other changes to the lineup have been announced.

It’s the Red Wings vs the Lightning. The puck is set to drop around 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Bally Sports Detroit Extra, and on the Red Wings Radio Network WWJ (950 AM in Detroit) for your listening pleasure. Also available on ESPN+/NHLPP, BSSUN, and SPORTSNET+.

It’s a Live Blog!

NEW YORK (April 1, 2024) – Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman has been suspended for three games, without pay, for unsportsmanlike conduct during NHL Game No. 1166 in Minnesota on Saturday, March 30, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 3:30 of overtime. Hartman was assessed a 10-minute misconduct.

Hartman is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $62,195.13. 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/hartman-suspended-three-games-6350098419112.

Watch below.

NEW YORK (April 1, 2024) – Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson and New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 31.

he roar of the crowd. The whistle blows. Players scramble, flashing blades against the ice. Hockey is a game built on split-second decisions and explosive bursts of power. But behind every crushing check and sizzling slapshot lies a foundation of cunning strategy.

In a sport where the margin between victory and defeat is razor-thin, NHL coaches are the architects of success. Let's pull back the curtain and dissect their secrets, the hidden tactics that shape the electrifying drama on the ice.

Two Tampa notes below.