Associated Press Published 11:19 PM EDT Aug 16, 2020 Toronto — Mathew Barzal slipped behind the defense, swooped in front of the net and beat Braden Holtby with a backhand that put the 2018 Stanley Cup champions on the brink of another early exit. Barzal scored 4:28 into overtime shortly after Semyon Varlamov made two
Month: August 2020
Over the years. Aug. 16 proved to be a very action-packed day for the National Hockey League’s resident in Arizona. A Stanley Cup hero in Detroit was acquired on this date 71 years ago. Also, one of the greatest American-born and undrafted players in league history signed his first professional contract. A Busy Day in
Associated Press Published 5:07 AM EDT Aug 16, 2020 Toronto — The Boston Bruins, shortly after waking up Saturday to face the Carolina Hurricanes, found out goaltender Tuukka Rask was opting out of the NHL playoffs. While the defending Eastern Conference champions are supporting their teammate at least publicly, they’re focusing on their quest to
The Detroit News Published 12:57 AM EDT Aug 16, 2020 Toronto – Jaroslav Halak stopped 29 shots after goalie Tuukka Rask opted out of the NHL playoffs and Charlie Coyle had a goal and assist to help the Boston Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Saturday for a 2-1 series lead. Rask’s absence was
The Detroit News Published 12:36 AM EDT Aug 15, 2020 Edmonton, Alberta — Bo Horvat scored on a breakaway at 5:55 of overtime Friday night to give the Vancouver Canucks a 4-3 victory over the defending champion St. Louis Blues and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference series. Horvat took a stretch pass from Quinn
AP Published 12:50 AM EDT Aug 14, 2020 Toronto – This is what Dougie Hamilton was hoping for while he waited out the pandemic shutdown that put the NHL season on hold, and then waited some more after injuring himself in practice when the Hurricanes returned to the ice. The Carolina defenseman scored the game-winner
The NHL Draft Lottery is random. It’s intended to create chaos and stir up controversy — i.e. the NHL “fixing” the draft lottery for the New York Rangers to select first overall. There’s nothing to prove that this happened but there are always going to be people who believe that it did happen. But you’re
The Nashville Predators hired their first coach in franchise history on this date and he became one of the best to ever stand behind a National Hockey League bench. Plus, two Hall of Fame players landed in the final destinations of their great careers. Predators Get Their Man Even though they were still 14 months
The 2019-20 season marked the first full year for the Detroit Red Wings with general manager Steve Yzerman at the helm. While it was unrealistic to expect Yzerman to turn the team into the Tampa Bay Lightning (his previous post) immediately, he did his best to improve his squad. Let’s look at some of Yzerman’s
Associated Press Published 4:56 AM EDT Aug 13, 2020 Edmonton, Alberta — Bo Horvat scored twice and the Vancouver Canucks beat the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Wednesday in the opening game of their best-of-seven first-round series. J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Troy Stecher also scored for Vancouver. David Perron and
Aug. 8 is a bittersweet day in National Hockey League history as hockey world lost one of its greatest players on this date. There were also a pair of Hall of Famers born, including a legend in Montreal. Chicago Loses a Legend Stan Mikita, the Chicago Blackhawks all-time leading scorer, died at the age of
The Detroit Red Wings are allowing another one of their top young players to stay in Europe until NHL camps open. The Boston Bruins have signed one of their better American Hockey League (AHL) players to an NHL deal. Plus, the Western Hockey League (WHL) reveals its plan for the start of the 2020-21 season.
It’s been 32 years since the Wayne Gretzky trade to the Los Angeles Kings that sent shock waves throughout Edmonton, all of Canada, and the entire hockey world. This was a major event for the NHL, sparking hockey interest in the south and west and ultimately leading to a demand for more franchises. The Ducks,
Marlowe Alter Detroit Free Press Published 8:19 PM EDT Aug 12, 2020 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs (*-if necessary; all game times are Eastern Time) First round Eastern Conference (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto) No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 8 Montreal Canadiens Wednesday: Montreal at Philadelphia, 8 p.m., NBCSN Friday: Montreal at Philadelphia, 3 p.m., NBCSN Sunday: Philadelphia at Montreal, 8
Finally, the Detroit Red Wings have cap space. After spending much of the salary cap era splurging on bloated contracts, the organization now prioritizes prospects and bargain finds when filling out their roster. The resulting cap space gives the Red Wings flexibility now and down the road. Let’s dive into Detroit’s salary cap picture in
Ted Kulfan The Detroit News Published 4:48 PM EDT Aug 12, 2020 Detroit — This couldn’t have been easy, seemingly each and every night last winter and spring, but Dylan Larkin did it. After almost every Red Wings loss — and obviously there were a lot of those — Larkin would be there for every reporter who needed him, usually
The older brother of one of the National Hockey League’s budding superstars is going to get at least one more season to carve his own place in the league. Plus, two more NHL prospects will start their 2020-21 season Europe, as that trend continues with the delayed start in North America. Svechnikov Gets Another Year
It seems like forever since the Detroit Red Wings were linked to all the top pending free agents every year. Back when they were perennial playoff contenders, the summer months signaled a time when fresh faces signed on in Hockeytown to pursue a Stanley Cup championship. Nowadays, the Red Wings are mostly stuck sifting through
Associated Press Published 6:07 AM EDT Aug 12, 2020 Toronto — By the time he launched the last shot, Brayden Point was just trying to do anything he could to end the fourth-longest game in NHL history. “I just see a rolling puck and I just throw it on net,” Point said after scoring 10:27
The Detroit News Published 11:21 PM EDT Aug 11, 2020 Detroit’s Everett Fitzhugh, the first Black NHL team broadcaster with the expansion Seattle Kraken, is the guest on this week’s “OctoPulse” podcast. Ted Kulfan also his predictions for the first round of the NHL playoffs, including upset victories by Columbus, the Islanders and the Flames.