
Two Games In Two Nights
This is a very quick turnaround. Two games in two nights makes for at least one tired team. Yesterday's game wasn't too bad. It was kind of boring actually. The good news is, the home stretch is in sight, and we'll soon be able to forget about another awful season. It's a Live Blog!
Media Headlines
WHL Roundup: Steenberger scores OT winner as Broncos edge Raiders
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. - Tyler Steenbergen scored 2:09 into overtime as the Swift Current Broncos edged the Prince Albert Raiders 3-2 on Sunday in Western Hockey League action. Jon Martin and Tyler Adams also scored for Swift Current (17-27-5).... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0John Scott voted MVP of Pacific’s All-Star Game win
NASHVILLE -- The smile that flashed across John Scott's face again and again throughout the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game was the perfect symbol of his adventure at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday. "I just see him as this little kid," Scott's wife, ... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0OHL Roundup: Hicks makes 47 saves, Bulldogs snap three-game skid
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Connor Hicks turned away 47-of-49 shots and Trent Fox had two goals and an assist as the Hamilton Bulldogs beat the Niagara IceDogs 5-2 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. Niki Petti scored once and set up two mo... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0QMJHL Roundup: Foreurs cruising, beat Olympiques for seventh straight win
GATINEAU, Que. - Etienne Monpetit made 30 saves and Val-d'Or did all its damage with the power play as the league-leading Foreurs downed the Gatineau Olympiques 3-1 on Sunday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Julien Gauthier, Carl ... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Laing 'blown away' by support following injury
NASHVILLE--Denna Laing, in a message shown on the video screen during the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, said she has been "absolutely blown away by the support I've gotten from the hockey community." Laing, a member of the Boston Prid... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Enforcer John Scott scores 1st All-Star goal for Pacific
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - John Scott, the enforcer fans voted into the NHL All-Star Game, has scored the first goal for the Pacific Division during the 3-on-3 All-Star tournament. Scott scored on a tip-in just 47 seconds into the second mini-game Su... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0WHL Roundup: Braylon Shmyr has hat trick and assist to lead Blades past Pats
SASKATOON - Braylon Shmyr had a hat trick and an assist to lead the Saskatoon Blades past the Regina Pats 7-3 on Saturday night in Western Hockey League action. Wyatt Sloboshan, Nick Zajac, Connor Gay and Colton Waltz supplied the rest of the... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Peter Budaj perfect in Ontario Reign's 4-0 win over Manitoba Moose
ONTARIO, Calif. - Peter Budaj made 19 saves as the Ontario Reign shut out the Manitoba Moose 4-0 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. Michael Mersch scored twice — once into an empty net — to lead Ontario's (26-10-4) offence, while S... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0OHL Roundup: Nick Suzuki scores hat trick to lead Attack past 67's
OTTAWA - Nick Suzuki scored a hat trick as the Owen Sound Attack beat the Ottawa 67's 5-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Jonah Gadjovich added a goal and two assists with Bryson Cianfrone also chipping in for the Attack (21-17-9... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0QMJHL Roundup: McDonald, Coughler lead Islanders past Screaming Eagles
CHARLOTTETOWN - Mason McDonald stopped all 39 shots he faced and Jake Coughler scored a hat trick as the Charlottetown Islanders shut out the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 3-0 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Samuel Bla... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0East dominates shootout, wins Skills Competition
NASHVILLE -- The Eastern Conference dominated the Western Conference in the Discover Shootout, the final event of the Honda All-Star Skills Competition at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday. The Eastern Conference won the Skills Competition 29-12, w... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Holtby, East lose to West in Skills Challenge Relay
NASHVILLE -- Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby grew up watching a generation of NHL goaltenders who were phenomenal stick-handlers. The list includes: Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Marty Turco. "Those guys, that was part of the game... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Predators' Weber wins hardest shot contest again
NASHVILLE -- Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber won the AMP Energy NHL Hardest Shot for the second consecutive season with a shot of 108.1 mph. Weber fell short of the 108.5 mph shot he had in 2015 in Columbus, but his 108.1 mph shot was... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Chad Nehring's two goals lead Hartford Wolf Pack past St. John's IceCaps
HARTFORD, Conn. - Chad Nehring had back-to-back goals in the second period as the Hartford Wolf Pack topped the St. John's IceCaps 4-1 on Saturday in American Hockey League play. Ryan Graves and Nick Tarnasky also scored for Hartford (23-20-2... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Tobias Lindberg lifts Binghamton Senators over Toronto Marlies in overtime
TORONTO - Tobias Lindberg scored the overtime winner as the Binghamton Senators edged the Toronto Marlies 6-5 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. David Dziurzynski scored in regulation and added two assists for Binghamton (17-23-3),... Read Full Article on NHL.com
02016 NHL All-Star Game Rosters
NEW YORK, United States of America - The players named to the National Hockey League all-star weekend rosters for the league's new 3-on-3 tournament, Friday-Sunday in Nashville, Tenn. (i—injured, will not play; r—replacement; c—captain; x—John S... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Islanders' Tavares wins accuracy shooting contest
NASHVILLE -- No one was perfect in the Draft Kings Accuracy Shooting Contest at the 2016 Honda All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday, but New York Islanders captain John Tavares came closest to perfection to give the Eastern Conference a 3-2 win... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Subban channels Jagr to win breakaway challenge
NASHVILLE -- P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens -- with an assist to Jaromir Jagr -- won the Honda Breakaway Challenge at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday. The winner was decided by fans voting on Twitter. Subban got 31 percent of the vote; nar... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Red Wings' Larkin sets fastest skater record
NASHVILLE -- Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Dylan Larkin is the fastest skater in the history of the NHL All-Star Skills competition. Larkin, 19, took advantage of the opportunity he earned Saturday night to best the record held by Mike Gartn... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Bettman says NHL would not take an application from Seattle
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman insisted Seattle is not in the running to land an expansion team. "If someone wanted to give us an application right now, we wouldn't take it," Bettman said Saturday at his state-of-the-league ... Read Full Article on NHL.com
0Play WebSim Hockey
WebSim Hockey is a multiplayer online hockey manager game that puts you in the seat of a general manager and head coach of a professional hockey team.


Video- It’s Been A While Since We Have Heard From Pierre McGuire
via the Bob McGown podcast YouTube page, NBC hockey insider, PIERRE MCGUIRE joins the podcast to let Bob and John know why Sidney Crosby is the most disrespected superstar in the NHL. That leads the gentleman to discuss the top talents in the league, and who is at the top of Pierre's list when it comes to the greatest hockey player playing in the NHL today. The three also chat about how the size of goaltenders equipment has gotten out of hand, the shelf life of an NHL coach today and Pierre informs us as to why thinks having playoff experience isn't going to make or break your post season performance. Watch the 46 minutes show below.

A Statement From The NHL
NEW YORK (April 20, 2021) – “While we hope the end of the trial offers a chance for healing, we remain committed to actively engaging in the movement for equality and we invite our fans to join us in supporting systemic change.”

Greatness On Ice
from Frank Seravalli of TSN, On the night Patrick Marleau made history, Connor McDavid offered yet a reminder that his shortened season may be history in the making. McDavid scooped up a loose puck just inside the Edmonton Oilers’ blueline, fired up the jet packs and picked his way through two Canadiens defenders – including one (Jeff Petry) who will receive Norris Trophy votes this season – to break open a tied game with less than five minutes to play. Another three-point third period? Yawn. That was McDavid’s league-leading 130th end-to-end rush, according to Sportlogiq, some 28 more than New York Islanders centre Mathew Barzal, the NHL’s next closest player. “I’m never really afraid to take on two defenders,” McDavid told reporters postgame. “It can get me into trouble sometimes … [but] I was able to get it in good stride and I was just trying to make a play.” Yes, the greatness of hockey’s most highly evolved player is on display with such regularity that we’ve run out of superlatives to describe McDavid. Nights like Monday, when No. 97 takes a game over, have become routine. continued Witness another great goal from McDavid below.

This Is Exactly Joe Micheletti Said About Blashill And Yzerman Talking At The End Of The Season
On Blashill, "his contact expires after this season, has had a lot of good conversations with Steve Yzerman, the general manager over the year. They are going to wait until the season ends and then they'll address his situation..." Joe Micheletti's exact words. He said nothing about a new contract but you decide. #RedWings joe micheletti, #NBCSports, reporting "yzerman and blashill are having good conversations" about new contract stuff like that not reported on national game broadcasts about yzerman's teams unless true increasingly, expect blashill back@DetroitRedWings — gregg krupa (@greggkrupa) April 20, 2021

NHL Short Notes
PATRICK MARLEAU BECOMES ALL-TIME NHL LEADER IN GAMES PLAYED Sharks forward Patrick Marleau surpassed Gordie Howe for the most games played in NHL history when he skated in the 1,768th regular-season game of his career on Monday in Las Vegas. Howe had held the distinction since Nov. 26, 1961 when he overtook Ted Lindsay (999 GP) and became the first player to appear in at least 1,000 career NHL regular-season games.

Quick Recap- Wings-Stars
I've been fighting a 'blah' feeling all day and it would be unfair for me to do the recap of a Detroit 3-2 shootout loss. Detroit goals are below, called by the Dallas Stars broadcasting crew. Team stats and the post game media talk will be posted either late night when most of you are sleeping or early in the moring when most of you are still sleeping. See you tomorrow at 8:30pm ET, same teams, different channel

Video- Game 1768 For Patrick Marleau
Congrats Patrick Marleau. If Gordie Howe was still around, he would have been the first to shake your hand, of course followed by a sneaky elbow to the ribs. added 10:31pm, Below a longer version with Randy Hahn, the TV voice of the San Jose Sharks.

Videos- The Talk After The Wings Shootout Loss To The Stars
The 'blah' feeling I was experiencing today has been replaced with just get the job done. So we have Luke Glendening and Jeff Blashill up first and below find the game highlights.

4-19-19
No, I'm not quoting scripture here, but, to Red Wings fans this day marked the return of one of our own. Two years ago today, one Steven Gregory Yzerman returned home where we believe he belongs. No, he hasn't changed water into wine. In fact, since his return Wings fans still have plenty of whine. Those expecting miracles will just have to slow it down a notch or two, keep the faith, and, trust the Yzerplan. In his short tenure as GM he has made a few trades, delt a player who was once considered untouchable, and most importantly, garnered a ton of picks in order to build a viable, competitive, shot at a Stanley Cup team. No one in their right mind should think this rebuild was going to happen overnight. Oh, did I mention there's a pandemic to boot, so try working around that obstacle. Needless to say, we're still here, all 19 of us. Through thick or thin, and as far as I can tell, we're all in. It's a Live Blog!

Stars Of The Week
NEW YORK (April 19, 2021) – Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center RN Michaela Pastorius have been named the NHL’s “First Stars” for the week ending April 18. Throughout the 2020-21 season the NHL is celebrating the remarkable efforts of the off-ice stars who make it possible for us to play our games amid a pandemic by honoring frontline healthcare heroes from the regions represented by the League’s weekly and monthly “Stars.” Pastorius works as a nurse at Buffalo’s Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where just a few years ago she was walking the same halls as a patient battling a cancer diagnosis. Pastorius put nursing school on hold while going through treatment, but vowed to finish her degree and now works alongside the nurses who once cared for her as a patient. The inpatient unit at Roswell Park where Pastorius works – known as 6West – is typically for cancer patients with solid tumors, but has become a designated COVID-19 space over the past year. Pastorius understands what these patients are going through and brings a positive attitude to the floor despite the incredibly challenging and emotional experience of the pandemic on both patients and staff. "When I was going through inpatient chemotherapy at Roswell Park, the Buffalo Sabres gave me motivation to continue fighting,” Pastorius says. “The amount of support the Sabres show for Roswell and its patients felt personal to me since I am such a big fan . . . The appreciation I had and still have for their support is bottomless.” Rounding out the “Three Stars” of the week are New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone. More on each NHL player’s performance can be found below:

Video- Jeff Blashill Today After The Morning Skate In Dallas
Blashill says Joe Veleno on the trip but won't play in either game in Dallas.

Bob McKenzie’s Mid-Season Draft Rankings
from Bob McKenzie of TSN, The TSN Mid-Season 2021 NHL Draft Rankings have become a Power Ranking. As in, Owen Power. It’s unanimous - 10 out of 10 NHL scouts surveyed by TSN have the 6-foot-5 1/2 University of Michigan freshman defenceman at No. 1. The Mississauga, Ont., native has solidified and enhanced his No. 1 standing from last fall’s preseason rankings, when only four of those same 10 scouts had him ranked first overall. That said, it should be noted that Power’s No. 1 status on draft day is not an absolute lock. His mantle is not unassailable. Most of the scouts who ranked him first do allow for the possibility he could still be challenged for top spot and a name other than Power could be called out on July 23. He is, however, the consensus favourite. “I don’t know what percentage number you would want to put on it,” said one scout, “60, 70 per cent? I’m not sure. It’s certainly more than 50 per cent, but this is not a draft where there’s one dominant prospect who is the unquestioned No. 1 choice. I mean, it’s close enough between Power and the other top guys that you couldn’t rule out someone else. There are some defencemen who could still challenge him and if the team picking first overall this year really wants or needs a forward, well, there are a couple of forwards who could still be [viable options at] No. 1.” It’s a draft year like no other. continued, with 100 names on the list...

The State Of The Detroit Red Wings
from Max Bultman of The Athletic, Unsatisfying as it may be, Yzerman’s Day 1 decision to not set a timetable was probably for the best. Because while the Red Wings are finally starting to see some fruits of the rebuild (in Zadina, Rasmussen, and soon, Seider), their odds of making the playoffs next season are no better than they were the day Yzerman took over. Moving players like Mantha certainly doesn’t speed up the path to the postseason, and it may well delay it. More hard years await. And while the arrival of players like Seider and Raymond, on top of growth from the existing core, should result in positive momentum, Detroit can’t expect a neat, step-by-step ascent from the bottom to the middle to the top. In all likelihood, Detroit will remain at the bottom of the pack next season, barring a major unexpected push this offseason. Even a 2023 playoff berth seems too ambitious at this stage. Both as the captain of the Red Wings’ last great era and as the architect of the NHL’s current juggernaut in Tampa Bay, Yzerman has built up the credibility to ask for that kind of patience in Detroit. When he said there was a lot of work to do on Day 1, he meant it. And two years later, it looks like he was right. What’s jarring as his tenure enters Year 3, though, is how much work still seems to remain, and just how long it might take to accomplish. much more (paid)

Up Or Down Time
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Stock up Michael Rasmussen Rasmussen had a goal and two assists last week, tallying his second multipoint game of the season when he contributed two assists April 12 at the Hurricanes. (His first was Jan. 28 against the Stars). Rasmussen, a first-round pick in 2017, is noticeable every game for how he uses his big body to protect the puck, or drive to the net for a scoring opportunity. He led his team with six shots on net Saturday and nearly scored. He’s playing with so much confidence, and the improvement from even the start of the season is remarkable. Jakub Vrana What a debut for the trade-deadline acquisition: Out of the penalty box and straight up the ice for the winning goal. Vrana looks like he can be a good fit — he has won puck battles, and gone to hard areas. As his comfort level with new teammates grows, and as he finds chemistry on a new line, Vrana could be a bright spot over the final 10 games. Stock down Dennis Cholowski The first time the 2016 first-round pick was called up this season, he appeared in two games before being sent back down. He has been up again since April 10, with steadily growing minutes — and no points. Saturday, he played 21:19, and 5:14 of that was power-play time. That’s the area where Cholowski, 23, needs to make an impact if he’s to gain traction. He’s an NHL-caliber skater, but needs to be more assertive with the puck. more ($$$), no other players in the down section, also in the up are Stecher and DeKeyser.

NHL Short Notes
THREE HARD LAPS * History will be made when Sharks forward Patrick Marleau steps on the ice tonight at T-Mobile Arena. * Braden Holtby made a season-high 37 saves and Vancouver scored three unanswered goals – bookended by tallies from Bo Horvat – to rally past Toronto in its return to action. * The Islanders and Flyers required overtime in six contests during their eight-game season series, which concluded on Sunday.

Video- The Vancouver Canucks With An Incredible 3-2 OT Win Over The Toronto Maple Leafs
from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, To twist an old Neil Young song, rust never sleeps. The Vancouver Canucks, three weeks after COVID-19 halted their season, far back in the playoff race and with many of their players still out or ailing, gave the fully charged Maple Leafs all they could handle Sunday night at Rogers Arena. Braden Holtby, who was having a sub-par year before the COVID outbreak, denied the best Leaf shooters much of the night as the Canucks won 3-2 in overtime. Bo Horvat’s second of the game, the OT winner, sent the Canucks’ bench into emotional celebration. But midway through the game, Canucks Alex Edler took the fight a little too far, sticking a knee into Toronto spark plug winger Zach Hyman. Hyman limped off and did not return; Edler received a major, misconduct and possible Player Safety Department discipline. Though a couple of Leafs were optimistic Hyman’s injury wasn’t serious, head coach Sheldon Keefe said “we’ll see tomorrow.” continued Below, find the game highlights plus a sensational save by Braden Holtby.

Videos- Tom Wilson Hit
Yes, Tom Wilson has a reputation, but this was the correct call. No penalty on Wislon. As you can imagine, social media wants the scalp of Wilson. Call it what you want but this guy just loves hurting people pic.twitter.com/0ZRSkjQw1K — big heatdaddy (@DanyAllstar15) April 18, 2021 Much longer version is below.

A Home & Home Series Times Two
from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, In a scheduling quirk — thank you, pandemic-shortened and affected NHL schedule — the Wings play the Dallas Stars four consecutive games. The Wings are in Dallas for games Monday and Tuesday, then return for games Thursday and Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. Are these the playoffs? No, of course not. But there’s a good best these games will have a feel of something extra, given how important they are for Dallas. “(We’ll) treat it like first four games of a playoff series, two games there and we have two games at home,” forward Dylan Larkin said. “It’s going to be physical and going to be tight checking and we need to respond to that. It’s a great challenge. “I know our guys will look at it like that, and we have to step up and rise to the occasion for that one.” The defending Stanley Cup finalist Stars are three points behind Nashville (49-46) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division. Chicago is in between with 47 points. Dallas has played two fewer games than Chicago (45-43) and three fewer games than Nashville (46). more

Hockey Notes On A Great Spring Sunday Morning In Motown
from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, - On Saturday night, Patrick Marleau tied Howe by playing in his 1,767th game. (Marcel) Dionne is more impressed with Ovechkin than he is with Marleau, who on Monday, barring an injury, will pass Howe. “What is he scoring now, a goal or two a year? I’m not that impressed with that. I give him credit for playing that long. Just not how he’s doing it.” Marleau, for the record, has four goals this season. - So if J.T. Miller doesn’t say anything, would the Vancouver Canucks have been playing on Saturday night? Would the NHL have turned its back on its players’ health and safety? Would the NHL Players’ Association have protected its membership? Would Canucks management and ownership have stepped in? Odds are the games would have gone on as scheduled without the Miller interview and to hell with the health of those putting their lives on the line. - The top four goaltenders in all-time wins are Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Roberto Luongo, and now Marc-Andre Fleury. All of them Quebecois. And there’s not a single Quebec goalie of consequence (apologies to Jonathan Bernier) playing in today’s NHL. - Didn’t understand all the praise for GM Steve Yzerman for getting a first-round pick and more for Anthony Mantha. Mantha has a big shot to go along with big shooters like Ovechkin, John Carlson, Nikita Kuznetsov in Washington. The Capitals get a player now. The Red Wings get a player and a draft pick, who might be a player by 2024. Mantha can be a playoff series difference-maker now for Washington. more

The Vancouver Canucks Prepare To Play Again
from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Given two more days to prepare for the worst month of their hockey careers, the Vancouver Canucks will have a full lineup when they end an unprecedented 24-day layoff Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They don’t know who will be coaching (bench boss Travis Green was among the hardest hit by the organization’s COVID-19 outbreak) or who will be playing (except injured star Elias Pettersson won’t), but at least the Canucks will have a team. They wouldn’t have had one Friday had the NHL not revised Vancouver’s schedule a second time and pushed back its re-entry into the stretch drive for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With 19 games in 32 days, the Canucks may well finish a regular season that has been officially declared a disaster while the top four teams in the Canadian division are playing playoff games. After a year in which the NHL thought it had seen everything, it turned out nobody had seen anything like the Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak, which was made exceptional – and especially dangerous – because it was driven by the aggressive P.1 variant. None of the league’s earlier outbreaks, including those similar in scope and duration to the Canucks’ crisis, were caused by any of the coronavirus variants that have built a gigantic third wave in Canada. A Canucks’ official described it this week like this: 10 days into the NHL’s earlier major outbreaks, nearly all the players involved had recovered enough to resume training; 10 days into the P.1 variant outbreak in Vancouver, not only were a lot of players still sick but a few were actually getting worse. continued

What Changed With The Florida Panthers?
from Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, That sounds lofty, even theoretical. Here’s what it means: Patric Hornqvist, one of the veterans Zito brought in this season, said something as everyone moved off the ice after a pre-season practice. “He said, ‘Where’s everyone going? We’re not done,’ " Zito said. “Did some players need to hear from a guy like him about putting in more work? He even said it to [goalie Sergei Bobrovsky], who’s one of the hardest-working guys I’ve seen. ‘Hey, we need to work on the penalty kill.’ " Maybe the change in the standings started there. Maybe it started with coach Joel Quenneville getting some players he needed for this team. Maybe it just was Zito signing Hornqvist, Carter Verhaeghe, Radko Gudas — you can go down the roster of new, supporting names brought in before this season. This moribund franchise had signed new players for years. Just the previous year, they brought in so many players the news conference had to have two shifts because there weren’t enough seats at the table to accommodate them all at once. Here’s the difference: These signings led to wins. Again, serendipity? Again, luck? The nucleus of this team, the stars like Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Frank Vatrano and until his injury Aaron Ekblad, were brought in by previous general manager Dale Tallon. more

19 Detroit Thoughts
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, With a nod to his number he wore, now raised to the rafters in Little Caesars Arena, here are 19 thoughts on what Yzerman has accomplished since April 19, 2019. - Trading Anthony Mantha was not an indictment on the state of the rebuild, it was an indictment on Mantha. Yzerman said early on he wanted to observe the team he took over from his predecessor, Ken Holland. Yzerman saw in Mantha what others in the organization had seen for longer: That the nights he was unnoticeable outnumbered the ones where Mantha dominated. Anyone who remembers Yzerman knows how competitive he was as a player — he played on one knee, basically, at the end of his career, and still gave it his all. Yzerman had had enough, and that’s what led to the trade. - Since Yzerman took over, 14 NHL regulars are no longer part of the roster. In addition to shedding Mantha, Athanasiou and Abdelkader, Yzerman opted not to re-sign Jimmy Howard, Thomas Vanek, Luke Witkowski, Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson. He did not issue a qualifying offer to Martin Frk, Madison Bowey and Christoffer Ehn, and also traded Mike Green and Jacob de la Rose. Niklas Kronwall retired. - Even with holding on to Bernier, Staal, and Luke Glendening, all pending unrestricted free agents, Yzerman carries 12 picks into the 2021 draft, including five in the first two rounds. That potentially could speed up the rebuild. - One of the most important prospects is Moritz Seider, the defenseman Yzerman drafted sixth overall in 2019. Loaning Seider to Rögle in the Swedish Hockey League meant a season-long commitment — other European leagues allowed players to be recalled once hockey started up in North America — and it has worked wonderfully. The 20-year-old has flourished, tallying seven goals and 21 assists in 41 games, and is in position to win a championship. He’s poised to join the Wings’ lineup next season. more (paid subscription)

NHL Short Notes
THREE HARD LAPS * Oilers captain Connor McDavid is set to return to the ice and can accomplish a rare feat with his 70th point of the season. * Jeremy Swayman became the ninth different rookie goaltender to post a shutout in 2020-21. The most in a single season in NHL history is 17. * Tyler Toffoli joined rare company by scoring his 20th goal with the Canadiens in fewer than 40 games.

It’s All About The Playoffs For The Core Of The Toronto Maple Leafs
from Damien Cox at the Toronto Star, So the Leafs are really pretty much the same team they were before the deadline, perhaps slightly improved, with the same strengths and same weaknesses. No. 1 on the list of those weaknesses is the uncertain situation in net, and while four different masked men have now earned points for Toronto this season, we all are pretty familiar with the NHL’s rule that you can only play one at a time. Currently, that looms as a prickly problem for Keefe. He’s got lots of goalies hailing from lots of different places, and he just needs one of them to play well enough to get the club past the first round of the playoffs. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? The fate of this team in this bizarro season rests on Keefe identifying a goalie, and on whether Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Zach Hyman and perhaps one or two others have the ability to play much better in the playoffs this spring than they did in last summer’s bubble playoffs. Joe Thornton and Jason Spezza are nice stories and occasional contributors, as is Wayne Simmonds. But the big money boys have got to come through. For 44 games, this team has performed very well. If it can hang on to first place, sometime next month it will likely face Montreal in the playoffs. That could be loads of fun and the stars will need to come out. Dubas has so far declined to touch the core of this team, believing it will mature and eventually perform at a level that might get the Leafs to within striking distance of the Cup. Soon, we will see if he was right. Or, more accurately, whether he was right within the context of a season like no other. more

Poor Handling By The NHL
from Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press, COVID-19 is no joke. But the way the NHL has mishandled an outbreak on the Vancouver Canucks sure is, suggesting a tone-deaf league that will always put profit over people, including forcing a sickly bunch to hit the ice when it was unsafe to do so. Only a player-led revolt and some public shaming forced a last-minute change of plans that is just slightly less egregious. If NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and company had their way, the Canucks would have hosted the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night, their first game since March 24 and the start of a murderous stretch of hockey that would involve 19 games over 31 nights. It would have come after just one measly practice, with multiple players still in virus protocols and others still working their way back from battling serious symptoms that were a result of the more potent Brazil variant. That, folks, was a recipe for disaster. Instead, Vancouver was given an extra two days to gear up for what will now be 19 games over 32 days starting Sunday, which is still ridiculous. continued

Video- Coach Blashill After The Morning Skate
5 1/2 minutes long, conference begins with a question about Lucas Raymond.

The Mantha-Vrana Deal
from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, Up until the Red Wings and Capitals stunned the trading floor on Monday, the best deadline deal belonged to the Islanders, who jumped out ahead by five days and added dependable ex-Devils Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to a strong group of forwards. But then, just as the dealin’ was nearly done, the Capitals filched the single-best talent that few knew to be available, acquiring 6-foot-5-inch right winger Anthony Mantha from the Red Wings. “Wow!” said one front office executive, praising Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman for the deal.... The Capitals, always enamored by size and skill (why not?), surrendered slick Czech forward Jakub Vrana and Slovak right winger Richard Panik, whom Yzerman drafted for the Lightning in his Tampa GM days. They sweetened the package even further with first-round (2021) and second-round (2022) picks. Sweet haul, no doubt. But the best player in the deal is Mantha, who pitched in with 1-1—2 in his Capitals debut Tuesday night. Few in the league have the new age Big M’s size and skill, which the Red Wings no doubt viewed to be true in November when they extended his deal for four years at a $5.7 million cap hit. Five months later, what, he’s trade bait? The asterisk on Mantha, age 26, is his erratic consistency and motivation. He can appear maddeningly disengaged, even now seven years into his pro career. In part, that label was why, even with his size, he lasted until No. 20 in the 2013 draft (three picks after the Senators grabbed Curtis Lazar, don’t ya know?). Vrana, 25, will be a restricted free agent in the summer, and the Capitals were concerned he might earn Mantha kind of money via salary arbitration. Now that’s Yzerman’s worry. Stevie Y is hoping Vrana (career-high 25 goals, 52 points) might find Detroit a comfortable fit with fellow Czechs Filip Hronek (D) and Filip ZadinaRW). If he’s right, that might bring some added value to the deal. Detroit is a hard sell these days. The deal is somewhat reminiscent of the Bruins abruptly dishing Joe Thornton to the Sharks 23 games into the 2005-06 season, when no one knew the former No. 1 pick (1997) was being shopped... more and other topics too...

Patrick Marleau About To Replace Gordie Howe In Most Games Played
from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com, Growing up in Aneroid, Saskatchewan, Patrick Marleau looked to see which players from his province had made the NHL. At the top of the list was one of the greatest of all time, the one who had played more NHL games than anyone else, Gordie Howe. "It gives you hope," he said. "It gives you hope that maybe that could be me one day playing in the NHL, since these other guys before me did it coming from small farming communities in Saskatchewan." Playing in the NHL is an accomplishment in itself. Out of everyone who has laced up a pair of skates, only 8,102 have appeared in the League in more than a century, starting with its first season in 1917-18. The number is 8,074 including only the regular season. Marleau is about to reach one of the greatest milestones in the sport considering that, and it's all the more special because he is passing none other than Mr. Hockey. Marleau is scheduled to tie Howe's record of 1,767 NHL regular-season games when the San Jose Sharks play at the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; BSN, NBCSCA, NHL.TV) and break it at the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. continued

Be Prepared For Ads On The NHL Sweaters
from Mark J. Burns of SportsBusiness Journal, NHL jersey advertising could become a reality as early as the 2022-23 season, multiple sources tell Sports Business Journal, cautioning that nothing has been finalized or approved by the league’s Board of Governors. In recent weeks, NHL clubs have been conducting valuation work -- some with third-party sports sponsorship and marketing agencies as well as valuation firms -- to determine what a jersey patch and helmet decal could both be worth before eventually providing that data to the league, sources said. In other words, what’s the business and revenue case for formally adopting the new sponsorship assets, some sources described. The exact location of a jersey patch, chest or shoulder, is also still being discussed and evaluated, sources said. Jersey patch sizing is unknown at this time. continued

A Streak Of Sorts
For the first time this season the Wings have posted three wins in a row. To many of the Wings faithful this represents a streak of sorts. Improvement with some consistency, even at a snails pace is better than none, and, the addition of the two new players seems to have sparked the team on a bit. It's the best effort we've seen this season. Vrana scored his first goal as a Wing, which was also the game winner, on a nice feed from Lindstrom as he(Vrana) exited the penalty box, and skated in alone, ripping a nice shot into the back of net. I don't remember the last time that happened, but, it sure felt good. One more win against the Cawks tonight would really go a long way as far as holding the interest of 19 Wingaholics for the remainder of the season. It's a Live Blog!
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