Brewin Flames

Game # 45 Flames 3 Leafs 4 Auston Matthews has 3 goals and an assist in Maple Leafs' 4-3 victory over Flames ByAP Updated: Jan 19, 2024, 01:49 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Auston Matthews had a hat trick to push his NHL-leading goals total to 37 and added an assist in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-3 comeback victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Mitch Marner also scored and Martin Jones made 24 saves to help Toronto end a four-game skid and improve to 22-13-8. William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg each had two assists. “I think it just gives us confidence to have that lead, hang onto it,” Matthews said. “Lots of really good things in the third period. I don’t think we sat back too much. I thought we tried to drive play on the other half of the ice as much as possible.” Yegor Sharangovich, former Toronto forward Nazem Kadri and Andrew Mangiapane scored for Calgary, and Dan Vladar stopped 29 shots. The Flames had won a season-high four games in a row. “We were turning the puck over too much in the neutral zone. Making it hard on ourselves and feeding them,” Calgary captain Mikael Backlund said. “They’re a really highly skilled team, and if you feed them, they’re going to eventually capitalize and that’s what they did.” Late in the first period, Backlund rang a shot off the goalpost on a breakaway that would have given the Flames a 3-0 lead. Ninety seconds later, Matthews pounced on a mishandled puck inside the blue line by Flames defenseman Nick DeSimone and ripped a shot into the top corner. The Leafs carried that momentum into the second period by tying it at 4:08 when Matthews converted Nylander’s setup during a delayed penalty. After Toronto surged in front at 7:44 with Marner’s 19th goal on a 4-on-3 power play, Matthews completed the hat trick with 6:21 left in the period. Vladar gloved a shot from Matthew Knies but couldn’t secure it before Matthews outmuscled DeSimone in the slot and buried a backhander. “It’s pretty impressive,” Jones said. “It always feels like even when we’re down two in the first we’re never really out of a game because we have those weapons that can dig us out of those holes.”

Games played on 1/16/24 Hawks Cole Guttman vs SJS Kyle Burroughs Winner ? Hakws Jarred Tinordi vs SJS Scott Sabourin Winner ? Caps Joel Edmundson vs Ducks Ross Johnston Winner ?

Game # 44 Flames 3 Sharangovich scores with seconds left in OT, Flames edge Coyotes 3-2 ByAP Updated: Jan 17, 2024, 01:32 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Yegor Sharangovich scored a power-play goal in overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night. The Coyotes were penalized for too many men at 3:03 of OT. Sharangovich, who was acquired in last summer’s trade with the New Jersey Devils for Tyler Toffoli, roofed a sharp-angled shot with 17 seconds remaining in extra time. “Heck of a shot. He’s one of those guys that all he needs is one and he made it count,” Flames winger Blake Coleman said. Coleman scored his team-leading 20th goal, and his fifth in four games, and Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the Flames in their fourth straight win. Dan Vladar made 25 saves. Sean Durzi had a goal and assist and Logan Cooley scored for the Coyotes, who led 2-0 early in the third period. Connor Ingram stopped 27 shots in the loss. “We played a really solid game,” Arizona head coach Andre Tourigny said. “If you look at the scoring chances, the pace of the game, possession, it’s a good team on the other side and I think we played one of our most complete games.” The Flames played without winger Jonathan Huberdeau (illness) and also called up goaltender Dustin Wolf from the AHL’s Wranglers after declaring Jacob Markstrom day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Calgary’s power play that ranks among the worst in the NHL and went 0-for-4 in regulation time found success in OT. The Coyotes went 1-for-3. The Coyotes led 2-0 on Cooley’s power-play goal at 6:37 of the third period. Durzi’s shot deflected off the toe of Cooley in the slot. But Calgary pulled even with a pair of goals in a 63-second span. Coleman scored his team-leading 20th and his fifth in four games at 8:54 by redirecting Rasmus Andersson's feed from behind the goal line. Kadri extended his point streak to seven straight games driving the net to knock in a one-handed pass from Martin Pospisil at 9:57. After a scoreless first period, Durzi scored at 8:20 of the second period to give Arizona the early lead. Vladar had an otherwise strong second period. He repelled four shots during Arizona’s power play a minute into the period, stopped Cooley on a breakaway and denied Jason Zucker on a good chance. “I speak for a lot of us when I say we didn’t have it tonight at all energy-wise and it just wasn’t there. Vladdy gave us a chance to hang around,” Coleman said. “We talked about it in-between periods. We couldn’t let this slip away no matter how we felt.”

Men's college hockey check-in: Top teams, players, Frozen Four picks ESPN.com Jan 16, 2024, 09:15 AM ET With the calendar turned to a new year, the college hockey season is hitting high gear, with conference play heating up and the NCAA tournament about two months away. There are some different squads than we've seen the last few years near the top of the national rankings and their respective leagues, with traditional powers and old stand-bys also in the mix. Conference tournaments will begin on or around March 8, with league champs being crowned by March 23. The 16-team NCAA field will be announced March 24, with regional play beginning March 28. The Frozen Four will be held April 11 and 13 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. To get you caught up on what's happened in the first half of the season and what's ahead, we asked ESPN college hockey analysts Colby Cohen, Andrew Raycroft and Sean Ritchlin about their favorite players to watch, the biggest surprises of the season, the most intriguing league races and their Frozen Four picks. ESPN+ is home to dozens of men's and women's college hockey games, including every Hockey East and ECAC game, plus every game of the NCAA tournament. Sign up for ESPN+ What team has been the biggest surprise so far this season? Ritchlin: Mike Hastings had an incredible decade of dominance at Minnesota State, building that program into a proven winner over his tenure, including a spot in the national championship game in the 2022 Frozen Four at Boston. Then came the switch for Hastings to Wisconsin after the completion of last season. Coming off a last-place finish in the Big Ten with 13-23-0 record, the Badgers already have 19 wins and have given up only 39 goals (1.63 per game), by far the best in the conference (Minnesota is next at 2.73 goals allowed per game). The attention to detail in the neutral zone and defensive zone have completely turned this program around. Raycroft: Sean is right. Hastings was hired with a great pedigree, but I did not expect the turnaround to be so quick. At 19-4-1, Wisconsin has the most wins in the country to go with an impressive 10-2 Big Ten record. This team will be a difficult out come March. Mike Hastings brought the winning formula he had at Minnesota State to Wisconsin with great results. Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire Cohen: I don't think any of us expected to see Maine and Wisconsin near the top of the Pairwise rankings to start 2024, but this is great for #Cawlidgehawkey. At Maine, it's great to see Alfond Arena back and energized again and it's incredible how coach Ben Barr has brought the Black Bears back in his second year at Orono. College hockey is better and more exciting when the Black Bears are making noise. The same is true in Madison, but the difference is we have all come to expect Mike Hastings magic. Hastings brought in a number of new recruits and players from the transfer portal and has Wisconsin back in the conversation to compete for the national championship. It's going to be really interesting to see if these schools can continue the upward trend in the second half of the season. What league race do you find the most intriguing? Raycroft: Hockey East is loaded, with the top two teams in the country (Boston University and Boston College) and four of the top nine (Maine, Providence) based on the current Pairwise rankings. It will battle to the end for the league title, but the fight in the middle of the league will be just as compelling. Matchups will be a huge key come playoff time, and any of the top seven teams could go on a run to win the conference tournament and more importantly the automatic berth into the NCAA regionals. Pairwise rankings (as of Jan. 16) 1. Boston University (14-4-1) 2. Boston College (14-4-1) 3. Michigan State (15-4-3) 4. Quinnipiac (15-4-2) 5. Wisconsin (19-4-1) 6. Maine (14-4-2) 7. North Dakota (15-6-1) 8. Denver (15-5-2) 9. Providence (11-6-2) 10. Western Michigan (14-5-1) 10. New Hampshire (11-6-1) 12. Minnesota (12-6-4) 12. St. Cloud (11-6-3) 14. UMass (12-6-3) 14. Michigan (10-7-3) 16. Cornell (8-4-3) Cohen: As Andrew said, Hockey East is an absolute gauntlet this season. In addition to the teams he mentioned, New Hampshire and UMass are in the Pairwise top 15, and the conference is loaded with big-time NHL draft picks, strong goaltending and great coaches. The BU-BC series Jan. 26 and 27, to be followed by a first-round Beanpot matchup Feb. 5, could tell us a lot about how the conference is going to shake out. Ritchlin: Every conference has some drama, but the CCHA and Atlantic Hockey do not have a team in the top 16 in the Pairwise currently. If that stands, only the conference tournament champ in those leagues will make the 16-team NCAA tournament, so home ice becomes crucial -- regular season games will take on a playoff-like atmosphere heading into the stretch run. Who is your favorite player to watch? Cohen: This is tough, but Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson blow me away every time they pull that BU sweater on. Hutson is the most dynamic defenseman I have seen at the NCAA level and what Celebrini has done as a 17-year-old has been tremendous. The freshman line down the street at BC isn't so bad to watch either. I could list a number of others too ... what a great year for college hockey. Raycroft: Cutter Gauthier. As Colby alluded to, there has been a lot of buzz about BC's freshman line, which played intact for Team USA in the World Juniors, but the biggest offensive driver of the team is Gauthier. His size, speed, power and shot are all NHL ready and it's evident every time he steps on the ice. Between his on-ice presence and the off-ice commotion, Cutter Gauthier is can't miss. Ritchlin: Teams want guys that can put the puck in the net. Don't get me wrong, seeing someone create open ice and dangle three guys is exciting, but the talent of finding the twine is special. There are a lot of great pure goal-scorers this year in the NCAA (Gauthier, Minnesota's Jimmy Snuggerud, Western Michigan's Dylan Wendt), but none greater than Denver's Jack Devine, who always seems to find the puck in front of the net. He has 18 goals in 22 games in the difficult NCHC. He will go to the dirty areas to score, but also can strike from the outside. His development from a 17-year-old freshman on the third or fourth line to where he is today is impressive; the Florida Panthers found a gem in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. What team is set up to have a second-half surge? Cohen: Keep your eyes on Western Michigan. The Broncos never get the publicity, but Pat Ferschweiler's group has played some high-quality hockey this season. They have seemed to get better with each passing week and will certainly have the opportunity to become battle tested down the stretch of the NCHC season. Raycroft: Quinnipiac. The defending national champs have gone about their business, staying in the top 10 all season, and I think they are building toward another gear. The ECAC is light this season, which should set the Bobcats up for a big second half of preparing for defending their title. Ritchlin: Michigan is off to a slow start at 10-7-3 and will need to have a sense of urgency in the second half in order to make the NCAA tournament. Four players (Rutger McGroarty, Seamus Casey, Frank Nazar and Gavin Brindley) are coming back from World Juniors with a ton of confidence after winning the gold medal; they will be leaned on heavily to get the Wolverines going in the direction coach Brandon Naurato envisioned. Team defense will be key. Offensively they are deep and can score from a lot of areas, but they will need to combine that scoring touch with strong defensive play in order to make a run. Who do you expect to see in the Frozen Four? Cohen: Boston University, Boston College, North Dakota and Denver Raycroft: I'm going straight blue bloods too: BC, BU, Denver and North Dakota Ritchlin: BC, BU, Denver and Quinnipiac. I think Wisconsin, with that great defense, has an outside shot as well. BC and BU are insanely talented with several players on both teams who are going to wear an NHL sweater sooner than later. We haven't seen a team with that makeup win it all in awhile -- maybe this is the year.

Fleury reflects on passing Roy for 2nd on NHL wins list Calls it an ‘honor not just for Patrick but for the other guys I was able to catch up with’ © Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images ByJessi Pierce NHL.com Independent Correspondent January 15, 2024 ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Marc-Andre Fleury moved into sole possession of second place on the NHL's all-time wins list when he made 21 saves for his first shutout of the season in a 5-0 win for the Minnesota Wild against the New York Islanders on Monday. The win, Fleury's 552nd, comes nine days after he tied his childhood idol, Patrick Roy, for second in NHL history. The Wild went 0-3-1 last week, with Fleury going 0-1-1 in his two starts. “Finally, right? It’s been a little rough lately,” Fleury said. “I wish we could have done this a little while ago, right? But I think everybody knows, everyone in this room, that we try to work our best and try to win games, climb our way back, right, and tonight that was a great game against a good team and we got that one.” Fleury now trails only Martin Brodeur (691) on the NHL's all-time wins list. “I’ll need 15 more years,” Fleury joked of catching Brodeur. “I think it’s good. It’s good to have goals. I think for me the last couple years, right, I’ve been playing for a while but it’s something I always wanted to win the next game, but personally trying to get some games played, some wins, right? I think it’s fun to catch up to some of these guys and I always loved goalies growing up, so I have so much respect for guys that played before me and it’s an honor not just for Patrick but for the other guys I was able to catch up with.” NYI@MIN: Fleury earns his 552nd career win, 74th shutout Fleury was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he played his first 13 seasons and won three Stanley Cups: 2009, 2016 and 2017. The 39-year-old is 552-324-92 with two ties, a 2.59 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and 74 shutouts in 1,007 games (978 starts) with the Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks and Wild. Fleury is on the final season of a two-year, $7 million contract he signed with Minnesota on July 8, 2002. “I came in, my dream was to play in the NHL,” Fleury said. “I was so happy to play that first game. From then on, it was just one game at a time, one win at a time, trying to win the next one. I’ve been very fortunate to play with really great teams, great teammates, people that helped me stay healthy, right, throughout the journey. It feels crazy to be here now.” Fleury, who played in his 1,000th game on Dec. 31, is the fourth goalie to reach the mark, along with Brodeur, Roy (1,029) and Roberto Luongo (1,044). Each is from Quebec, and Fleury seems certain to follow his three fellow Quebecois into the Hockey Hall of Fame; Roy was inducted in 2006, Brodeur in 2018 and Luongo in 2022. What makes Fleury more special than the accolades -- past, present and future -- is the type of teammate he is. “He’s a likable guy,” Wild forward Mats Zuccarello said. “He’s a better guy than a goalie, and that says a lot, when you have the second-best goalie in the world — so far. We’ll see. He gets younger and younger, so you never know.” Added Marcus Foligno: “It’s so cool to be a part of that night. We’re happy to be a part of it. He’s had a lot of wins with obviously Pittsburgh, Vegas, Chicago and us, and just to be part of a guy’s Hall of Fame bound and such an amazing career and amazing person, happy to be the team that does it for him. He played great tonight. To get a shutout, too, it’s a really special.”

Game # 43 Bos 3 Devils 0 Sway Now: All-Star Swayman posts shutout, Bruins beat Devils 3-0 ByAP Updated: Jan 15, 2024, 05:09 pm BOSTON -- — Jeremy Swayman is making the most of being the new full-time goaltender for the Boston Bruins. Starting his third straight game since goalie tandem partner Linus Ullmark was injured, Swayman stopped 31 shots for his third shoutout of the season to lead the Bruins to a 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday. “It’s nice to be able to see him have this opportunity,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “If Linus wasn’t injured, we wouldn’t have seen it. But his makeup is someone that wants the net every night. Linus has that, too. The swagger that he brings, it feels like he never gets tired.” Swayman, who was named to the NHL All-Star roster on Saturday, had been splitting time with Ullmark, with each goalie starting 20 of the team's first 40 games. But the reigning Vezina Trophy winner had to be helped off the ice in an overtime loss to Arizona on Tuesday, and Swayman has been in the net ever since. Ullmark was skating before Saturday's game and was considered day to day. “Something I take it seriously is whenever I’m in the net, I’m going to compete and give a team a chance to win every night,” Swayman said. “No doubt my mind Linus is going to be back in no time. He’s a Swedish Viking; we all know that he’s a stud. He’s going be back, and I can’t wait to have him back.” David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle scored for Boston, and Trent Frederic added a diving empty-netter to help the Bruins to their first regulation victory in five tries. The previous four games — all on the road and all in six nights — went to overtime, with Boston losing the first three before snapping the streak on Saturday against St. Louis. “That’s not an easy game for us after being in three different time zones in nine days, playing five games,” Montgomery said. “I think we were running out of fumes, but we really managed the game well.” Coyle scored 30 seconds into the second period on a backhander, and Pastrnak made it 2-0 on a power play early in the third. Brad Marchand had a pair of assists, and Pastrnak also assisted on Coyle’s goal to give him 61 points on the season, third-most in the NHL. Frederic’s empty-netter came with 78 seconds left when he out-dove a defender to tip the puck off the post and over the goal line. Swayman improved to 2-0 since being announced as a selection through fan voting for the Feb. 3 All-Star Game in Toronto. The honor came just six months after the Bruins filed for arbitration even after he and Ullmark split time in a record-setting, 65-win season. “It doesn’t matter what happens away from the rink. It’s all about what happens when you step through the doors every night,” Swayman said. “That accolade belongs to this team. So very grateful, and moving forward all we care about is Bruins hockey." Nico Daws made 33 saves for New Jersey. Boston appeared to take a 1-0 lead on a first-period power play when Marchand fed James van Riemsdyk in front, but a replay ruled that Pastrnak was offsides entering the zone. So it was still scoreless when the Bruins scored off the second-period faceoff, with Marchand backhanding it from the left boards to a streaking Coyle, who put a backhand of his own past Daws. Pastrnak made it 2-0 three minutes into the third period on a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Charlie McAvoy.

Games played on 1/13/24 Yotes Liam O'Brien vs Wild Brandon Duhaime. Winner ? Yotes Josh Brown vs Wild Marcus Foligno Winner ? Buff Erik Johnson vs Van J.T Miller Winner ? Seattle Vince Dunn vs CBJ Cole Sillinger Winner ? Stars Sam Steel vs Hawks Ryan Donato Winner ?

Game #42 Bos 4 Blues 3 OT Marchand scores twice, passing 900 career points, as Boston beats St. Louis 4-3 in OT ByAP Updated: Jan 13, 2024, 11:54 pm ST. LOUIS -- — Charlie McAvoy scored his second goal in overtime and Brad Marchand added two goals Saturday night, leading the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. The game-winning goal came 1:10 into overtime when McAvoy snapped in a wrist shot. “He’s a great talent and it was a great shot,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “That’s a goal-scorer’s shot right there.” The final play began when Robert Thomas was tripped by David Pastrnak. McAvoy picked up the loose puck near the red line. He skated in and shot from the faceoff circle into the upper part of the goal. “It was a two on one, and I didn’t want to try a pass so I shot it,” McAvoy said. “I picked my shot. It was sort of a quick bang-bang play.” Drew Bannister, the St. Louis interim coach, didn't offer an opinion on there being no call on the play. “It’s disappointing the way it ended. I don’t need to comment on it that much guys, to be honest with you. I think the replays said enough,” Bannister said. “I’ve only been here five weeks. I’m smart enough to know I can’t comment on certain things.” The win snapped a three-game losing streak, although the Bruins picked up a point in each of the first three games of the road trip that ended in two overtimes and a shootout. “This felt good. Points in every game sounds good but it was kind of disheartening losing three overtimes in a row,” McAvoy said. “Tonight we blow a lead and go into overtime again. But it all worked out.” Marchand scored in the first period and had a power-play goal in the third. He has 901 points in his 15-year NHL career. He is the fifth player in Bruins history to pass the milestone. Jeremy Swayman recorded 20 saves in regulation. Earlier Saturday, the NHL announced Swayman was chosen as part of the All-Star Game Fan Vote, where fans got to vote for their favorite players online and through social media. “It’s a special win,” Swayman said. “That’s what we wanted. We wanted to end this road trip off right. We got it done in overtime tonight. It’s something we’ll build on moving forward.” Jordan Binnington, who had won his previous three starts, saved 31 shots in regulation. Pastrnak and James van Riemsdyk had two assists for the Bruins. Oskar Sundqvist, Jake Neighbours and Kevin Hayes scored for the Blues. St. Louis scored its second power-play when Sundqvist tipped in the puck at 14:47 for a 3-3 tie. The Blues power play is 9 for 37 (24.3%) since Bannister’s first game as interim head coach on Dec. 14. Before Bannister took over, the Blues’ power play was 7 for 83 (8.4%), which ranked 31st in the NHL. Marchand's power-play goal came on a two-man advantage at 7:43 from the right faceoff circle. A power-play goal by Neighbours tied it 2-2 at 10:57, his first goal in seven games. “We battled back,” Hayes said. “We were down, our power play was great tonight, got a point, but yeah, definitely a tough way to lose.”

Game # 43 Flames 3 VGK 1 Backlund has goal and assist, Flames beat Golden Knights 3-1 for 9th win in 13 games ByAP Updated: Jan 14, 2024, 01:24 am LAS VEGAS -- — Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist, Jacob Markstrom made 32 saves and the Calgary Flames beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 on Saturday night for their ninth victory in 13 games. Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Flames, who concluded a 3-0 sweep with their fathers in attendance — the first in Calgary, and the last two on the road for their annual “Dad's Trip.” “Everybody's been energized and it's good time to spend time with dads and brothers and all of that,” said Markstrom, who has now allowed two or fewer goals in six of his last 10 starts. In that span, since Dec. 18, Markstrom ranks fourth in the league with a 2.02 goals-against average among netminders with at least eight starts. “We can’t go .500 anymore,” Markstrom said. “We got to try to make up ground and catch teams. We got to string a few together. This was a good trip and we got to go home and charge the batteries tomorrow and then get back to work.” Logan Thompson made 23 saves while Chandler Stephenson scored for Vegas, snapping an 184:34 drought without a 5-on-5 goal. The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights have lost eight of 11. Down two of their top centers — Jack Eichel and William Karlsson — Vegas’ offense struggled again, having now been limited to 16 goals in its last nine games, scoring a mere 1.77 goals per game. “I think the system we play has been good for us, we just have to execute,” said Jonathan Marchessault, who played his 599th career game. “It’s a privilege to play in the NHL and you got to find a way to do your job. ... You need to take the opportunity in front of you, right now we don’t have enough guys that are doing that.” Calgary struck first during a power play midway through the first period, when Coleman gathered a rebound in front of the net and slipped under Thompson’s pads for his team-high 19th goal of the season and fourth in three games. The Flames extended their lead quickly, this time with Kadri in front of the net with Thompson out of position and unable to move back into the crease with teammate Nic Hague in the way. Kadri punched home the loose puck for his 10th career goal against Vegas. Vegas provided a nice pushback over the first half of the second period, but Markstrom stayed sharp in making several big stops under pressure. The Flames would eventually reward Markstrom with a three-goal lead when Backlund deked around Thompson in the crease before tapping it in for his 10th goal of the season. Andrew Mangiapane got his 200th career point with an assist. “It was obviously a huge win by us,” Backlund said. “We had a really good start again then it got a little tighter throughout the game and wasn’t maybe our best second and third period but we find a way, we grind it, and Marky played so well for us tonight. And so yeah, really big win for us.”

Merzlikins wants new scenario, 'won't be backup' for Blue Jackets Goalie scratched 3 times since Dec. 29, hasn’t asked for trade © Getty Images ByCraig Merz NHL.com Independent Correspondent January 12, 2024 COLUMBUS -- Elvis Merzlikins has not asked for a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the goalie said Friday he and the team have agreed that a "new scenario" is needed. Merzlikins has not played since Dec. 29, when he left a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after the first period because of an illness. He has been a healthy scratch the past three games and four of the past five behind Daniil Tarasov and Spencer Martin. “Being third, No. 3, just like this in one moment, that shocked me, that surprised me,” Merzlikins said Friday. “But then talking to my agent and agent’s talking, we agreed on a new scenario. There has to be a new scenario for me for my career, I believe.” He said he has not asked for a trade. “I just want to be treated as No. 1. I believe that I am No. 1,” Merzlikins said. “It didn’t get to that point that I’m requesting (a trade). It went to the point that both sides agreed.” The 29-year-old began the season as the starter with Martin the backup while Tarasov was out with a back injury. Merzlikins, whose five-year, $27 million contract ($5.4 million annual average value) runs through the 2026-27 season, is 7-8-6 with a 3.25 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 23 games this season. He was 7-18-2 with a 4.23 GAA and .876 save percentage in 30 games last season. Selected by the Blue Jackets in the third round (No. 76) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Merzlikins is 62-70-28 in 173 NHL games, all with Columbus. He spent most of that time splitting starts with Joonas Korpisalo, who was traded by the Blue Jackets to the Los Angeles Kings on March 1, 2023. He had started 23 of the Blue Jackets’ first 37 games this season. “It’s an organization decision," Merzlikins said. "I was [a] stable No. 1. I just jumped straight to No. 3. I did not like it that, obviously. I don't think anybody would like that, but again, it was the organization’s decision. “I'm healthy. I'm good to go. I can play again. There's nothing I can do about it. The only thing I can do is practice the minutes I can do as the third goalie and support my teammates as much as I can and do.” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said the organization wants to see if the injury-plagued Tarasov can be a No. 1 goalie. He is expected to start for Columbus (13-20-9) against the Seattle Kraken at home Saturday (7 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSOH) with Merzlikins as the backup. The 24-year-old is 2-3-2 with a 3.79 GAA and .883 save percentage in seven games this season. “Elvis is a good goalie. Really good goalie,” Vincent said. “As far as the coaches are concerned, we need to see what Daniil has, and we know Elvis can play. He's having a good season. “Elvis feels he's a No. 1. I liked that about him. Daniil feels he's the No, 1 and if you ask Spencer, given the chance, he feels he can be a No. 1, and that's what we want. We want to create that competition. But right now we're trying to make informed decisions.” Merzlikins said he never felt he was the No. 2 when he battled Korpisalo for the starting job the past few seasons and he feels the same now. “I’ve told you many times, I’m not a backup, and I won’t be backup,” Merzlikins said. “I believe in myself. You can call me arrogant. … I’m not arrogant, I’m just confident. I know I’m not No. 2 or 3 and I won’t be it.”

Games played on 1/12/24 Wild Pat Maroon vs Flyers Nicolas Deslauriers Winner ?

Michigan is having a tough go this year...

JANUARY 10, 2024 | 11:30AM ET BY ANTHONY DI MARCO, THE FOURTH PERIOD FALLOUT FROM GAUTHIER TRADE: WHAT NOW? (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) MONTREAL, QC — For the first time since 2017, the Philadelphia Flyers stepped up to the draft podium in Montreal and selected inside the top five of the NHL Draft in 2022. The Flyers, in need of pretty much help everywhere at the time, selected American forward Cutter Gauthier, a natural left winger with the potential to swift to the middle. The combination of size and natural skill tantalized the Flyers enough to draft Gauthier, with the hope he’d eventually be one of the guys to lead the team’s next generation. But sometime last spring, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported, a fracture in the relationship between the team and player opened, and it was never repaired. As to what exactly happened, the speculation over the last 36 hours has taken us in all kinds of directions. From Gauthier not being happy with how the Flyers handled his request to turn pro last spring, to Head Coach John Tortorella being an issue, to a “rookie General Manager” in Daniel Briere, to cap overages playing a role... The fact is this: we will never truly know what exactly caused the divorce unless Gauthier himself reveals it. It is fair to point out that Gauthier refusing to meet with team Special Advisors John LeClair and Patrick Sharp did not sit well with them. As one person close to the team said to me, that “took some balls.” The shift in character of Gauthier did shock the Flyers because, as Briere mentioned in his media availability Monday night, the Boston College product was very excited to join the Flyers after he was drafted. Speaking to another team who interviewed Gauthier leading up to the Draft in 2022, he was described to be the “best interview,” and someone whose teammates loved and deflected attention away from himself. How things shifted since then, at least for the Flyers, left their management team stunned, with still no concrete reason as to why things went south. Things got to a point where the Flyers couldn’t afford to let the problem fester, and pulled the trigger after months of figuring out what they could get back. Speaking to one Western Conference team yesterday, I was told they “would’ve been very interested but didn’t have the assets” that Briere and the Flyers were looking for. And what they were looking for was very specific: a talented player in the same age range that could help immediately and in the future. I have reported several times going back to December that the Flyers would look to add if the position and age of the player made sense and didn’t involve giving up one of their high draft selections; the acquisition of 21-year-old right shot defenseman Jamie Drysdale checks all of those boxes. Drysdale, who was drafted sixth-overall in 2020, will step into the Flyers’ lineup right away and play alongside Travis Sanheim on the club’s top pair. Drysdale expects to quarterback the Flyers’ league worst powerplay – a role he presumably will maintain for the next five-plus years. Being a right shot defenceman, a position the Flyers have been trying to bolster for years, Drysdale will insulate an already solid outlook for the team’s backend. Not including older defensemen with term like Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen, Cam York & Egor Zamula are already younger pieces on the roster who figure to be pieces of this backend (much more so the former) for a long time, while Emil Andrae and 2023 first-round pick Oliver Bonk (a right shot) will enter the equation in the coming years. Assuming one can emerge into a stand-alone No.1, there’s strong reason for optimism as to how this defensive core plays out long term. Drysdale’s checking a positional box of need is huge for the Flyers, as right shot defense and centre were the two most pressing needs for the Flyers. It is fair to mention that Gauthier, who has played both wing and centre, was not viewed as a long-term pivot in the eyes of the Flyers, who were told the same thing by other teams while discussing the player. I’m told that Gauthier projects to be a “shoot first winger” and a role he is expected to play with the Anaheim Ducks, especially when you consider all the young centremen already on that roster. Parlaying a left wing into a right shot defenceman is a positional upgrade for the Flyers’ long-term outlook. All this to say, it does leave the Flyers with a massive hole in their pipeline in the way of talented forwards. With the exception of 2023 seventh-overall selection Matvei Michkov, who is still several years away from coming over to North America, the Flyers lack dearly in the way of forwards with top-line level potential in their pipeline – specifically down the middle. The Flyers have younger players on their roster who could play a factor long-term, like Bobby Brink, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett, but none stand out as top line game-breakers. With the exception of Frost, who has still yet to consistently prove is a top-six player, none of them are centres. I’ve been told several times that one of the Flyers’ top priorities is bolstering their centre ice position long term; something that was said before the Gauthier trade. Now that the Flyers are even weaker up front in their pipeline, I’d imagine that adding to their cupboard up front may have shot up to the top of their to-do list. In the here and now, the Flyers’ focus will shift to the Trade Deadline, which got a whole lot more interesting with the acquisition of Drysdale. Now with eight defensemen on their roster, the Flyers will see how it works for a few weeks, but that something “will have to give” eventually, I’m told. What will have to give, exactly? Sean Walker is the obvious answer. Walker, 29, has been the subject of trade rumours for months at this point and has continued to generate interest across the league. The Flyers were contemplating re-signing him, but the Drysdale acquisition has made such a proposition a difficult one. At this point, it’s fair to say that retaining Walker will be a challenge and that a trade is more likely than not. He carries an AAV of $2.65 million, and don’t be surprised to see him added to the TFP Trade Watch List in the next update. In the case of Nick Seeler, his name is still very much of interest to other teams, though him being a left shot may cause less of a demand. But Seeler’s $775,000 salary cap hit will certainly appeal to some teams, especially with the Flyers willing to retain money. Ristolainen, 29, has three years remaining beyond this one at an AAV of $5.1 million, so he would not be viewed as a rental. I’m told that three teams have continued to show interest in Ristolainen, though I’ve heard at least one team the Flyers have spoken to him about would want retention. The Flyers are retaining on Kevin Hayes until 2027, meaning they have only two retention slots to work with. Up front, I expect things to be quieter, although I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Scott Laughton’s name being tossed out there. Laughton, 29, was a hot commodity last summer and was ultimately retained by the Flyers. He has served as the de facto captain under Tortorella, being the only player to wear a letter since the beginning of last season, and the Flyers turned down a late first-round pick for him last June. He has two years remaining on his deal with an AAV of $3 million. Laughton being moved is anything but imminent or a slam dunk, but it could be a possibility depending on where things are closer to Deadline Day. With the Trade Deadline less than two months away and a blockbuster trade already under their belt, the Flyers are figuring to be one of the more fascinating teams as we get closer to silly season.

Games played on 1/11/24 Canes Brendan Lemieux vs Ducks Sam Carrick Winner ?

Game # 41 Bos 1 VGK 2 OT Alex Pietrangelo scores in OT to lift Knights past Bruins, 2-1 ByAP Updated: Jan 12, 2024, 01:55 am LAS VEGAS -- — Alex Pietrangelo scored 46 seconds into overtime on a 2-on-1 to give the struggling Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory Thursday night over a Boston Bruins team still searching for a victory with a game left on a four-game trip. Jack Eichel also scored for the Knights, and Mark Stone assisted on the winner. Logan Thompson made 32 saves. “I love to beat the Bruins,” said Knights second-year coach Bruce Cassidy, who coached Boston for six seasons. “A big piece of my heart will always be with that organization. I've got friends on the other team. But it's always nice to beat the team that lets you go.” The Knights had lost seven of nine games before this one. “There was a sense of desperation from us,” Eichel said. “I think that we need that.” Matt Grzelcyk scored for the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman made 23 stops. “(Swayman) was terrific again,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. “Unfortunately, our goaltender's got to make several great saves for us to get a point right now.” Boston fell by 4-3 scores in a shootout Monday night at Colorado and overtime Tuesday night at Arizona. Neither team scored through the first two periods, and each had 18 shots on goal. The Bruins, though, missed a big opportunity in the second period when Eichel and Stone left the game minutes apart and headed to the locker room. Boston went on a power play during that time, but failed to score. Vegas broke through 7:01 into the third when Eichel, who is from northwest of Boston, scored on a power play off a pass from Jonathan Marchessault. Eichel, with his 19th of the season, ended Vegas' goal drought at 122 minutes, 41 seconds. The Knights were on a 3-for-31 power-play skid, including 0 for 4 in this game, before Eichel's goal. Boston tied it with 7:42 left on Grzelcyk's blast from the left point that went off the stick of Vegas defenseman Alec Martinez. Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei left the game with 4:15 left in the third period. MILESTONE GAME Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb played his 700th NHL game. “I just feel very fortunate being in the NHL and playing in Vegas,” McNabb said. “I never thought that would be a thing, but it's been awesome. It's been an awesome ride. Now, I'm just looking to keep it going.” SHOUT-OUT TO BELICHICK Cassidy opened his post-game news conference with a tribute to Bill Belichick, who stepped down Thursday after 24 seasons as the New England Patriots' coach. “He was good to me as a young coach there,” Cassidy said. "Our relationship grew over the years because I got to know him better and I had more tenure there. I wish him all the best. There is an opening in Vegas. I love the job that coach (Antonio) Pierce did there, too.” Pierce served as the Las Vegas Raiders' interim coach and could get the job full time.

Game # 42 Flames 6 Yotes 2 Yegor Sharangovich has 2nd career hat trick, Flames beat Coyotes 6-2 Updated: Jan 12, 2024, 12:43 am TEMPE, Ariz. -- — Yegor Sharangovich scored two of his three goals in the third period and the Calgary Flames chased Arizona goalie Karel Vejmelka early in a 6-2 victory over the Coyotes on Thursday night. Sharangovich, Mikael Backlund, Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman scored in the Flames’ four-goal first period, and Sharangovich finished his second career hat trick in the third. “I think it's chemistry with his two linemates now,” Flames coach Ryan Huska said about Sharangovich, who skates on a line with center Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau. “They are starting to make some plays together. We have talked all year about his shot release. I think he is putting himself in positions now where he is available and they are starting to find him.” Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves to help the Flames win for the fifth time in seven games. Coleman also had two assists. Lawson Crouse and Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes, who trailed 4-1 after the first period. They finished 1-4 on a five-game homestand after winning six of seven. “It worries me,” said Arizona coach Andre Tourigny, whose team was coming off an overtime victory over Boston. "You saw what we can do against Boston. You saw the energy. You saw the desperation. That was a bright spot. Today, that’s why it is disappointing, surprising.” Sharangovich has five goals in his last two games after scoring twice in a 6-3 victory over Ottawa on Tuesday night, when Coleman also had two goals. Backlund skated in his 950th game, second in Calgary franchise history. “Sharky (Sharangovich) was really good,” Coleman said. “That whole line was really solid. They made some big plays, some big goals. Really happy for Sharky to get that hat trick. It’s always a special feeling. The third one was really a big goal for us.” Backlund opened the scoring 20 seconds into the game, when he skated in alone on Vejmelka after an Arizona turnover and scored on a wrist shot from the lower left circle. Sharangovich made it 2-0 six minutes later on a short-handed goal after another turnover, taking a nifty backhand pass from Coleman to score from the right circle. Andersson scored with 7:53 left for a three-goal lead. Nazem Kadri took a shot from the left circle that hit the back boards and ricocheted directly to Andersson, who tucked it in from the right side. Crouse got the Coyotes’ first goal when he picked up a rebound of Nick Bjugstad's shot and had a backhander bounce in off the Flames’ Martin Posipsil with 6:14 left in the period. The Flames regained a three-goal lead 14 seconds later, when Coleman tipped in Chris Tanev’s shot from the right point to make it 4-1. Connor Ingram then replaced Vejmelka, who gave up goals on three of the first four shots he faced and four of 12 overall. Ingram made 18 saves. Keller scored from the left circle on a 3-on-2 break two minutes into the second period to close the deficit to 4-2. Sharangovich scored 58 seconds in the third period and again on a power play seven minutes into the period to make it 6-2. The Flames scored four goals in consecutive periods over two games. They had four in the third period of the 6-3 win over Ottawa, which broke a two-game losing streak. “We had a tough weekend,” Coleman said. “We wanted to bounce back and show we were better than that."

If you go to the tankathon website....heavy d class

MacKinnon extends home point streak to 23, Avalanche shut out Golden Knights Ties Sakic for franchise record, Georgiev makes 25 saves for Colorado Recap: Golden Knights at Avalanche 1.10.24 ByRyan Boulding DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his season-opening home point streak to 23 games for the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena on Wednesday. MacKinnon tied Joe Sakic (2000-01) for the longest home point streak at any point in a season in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history, and he tied Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers in 1983-84) and Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins in 1973-74) for the third-longest home point streak from the start of a season in NHL history. “It's insane to think about, and I still don't even know if he gets enough credit for how much he plays,” Colorado forward Logan O'Connor said. “He’s playing the best matchups every night. And just the pace he plays with, it's a different speed with him out there. So, the point streak is pretty unbelievable. “He's sort of put the team on his back here for a long stretch this whole year, I guess, so it's been awesome to see him get rewarded. He's a guy that we can rely on every single night. He's a horse out there, and he's easy to follow when he's doing all the right things.” Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves, Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, and Mikko Rantanen had two assists for the Avalanche (27-12-3), who have won eight of their past 10 games (8-1-1). “I just think that the last couple of games, our commitment to check and play the right way has been really good,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “This is exactly how I want our team to be. I don't want us like giving up a lot of chances, and when we have a big breakdown, we need our goalie to make a save. It's the difference between winning and losing, and tonight [Georgiev] was perfect in that regard.” Jiri Patera made 32 saves for the Golden Knights (23-13-5), who went 0-for-4 on the power play and lost for the eighth time in 11 games. Adin Hill was originally expected to start in goal but missed his ninth straight game with a lower-body injury. Vegas hosts Boston on Thursday. “Not good enough, obviously, to beat a very good hockey club. Didn't think we were on our toes,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Had pockets of some good hockey, but not good enough. Special teams are a problem again; got outplayed on those. “I liked Patera's game. Got kind of thrown in at the last minute [and] did a great job for us. Gave us a chance to win.” Nichushkin scored a power-play goal to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 19:46 of the first period, one-timing Rantanen’s centering pass under the blocker of Patera. Nichushkin scored again on the power play at 11:44 of the second period, converting another Rantanen pass from the top of the crease. “That five-man unit right now, I mean they're clicking pretty good,” O’Connor said. “It's insane. Unfortunately, we have to go up against them every morning skate, and sometimes it can be pretty difficult, but it makes us better at the same time.” Colorado outshot Vegas 14-5 in the second. O’Connor scored with a slap shot from just inside the blue line that deflected off the stick of Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague at 9:20 of the third period for the 3-0 final. “This time of the year, you’ve got to find way to score goals in every possible way,” Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “I think we’ve got to, as a group collectively, find a way to score more goals in front of the net. Hard to win when you don't score. “I know they had the two power-play goals. We didn't [get] one on the power play. Special teams kind of let us down.”

Games played on 1/9/24 Preds Luke Schenn vs Ducks Ross Johnston Winner ? Yotes Liam O'Brien vs Bos Trent Frederic Winner ?

Game # 40 Bos 3 Yotes 4 Schmaltz scores with less than a minute left in OT, lifts Coyotes past Bruins 4-3 1:13 ByAP Updated: Jan 10, 2024, 01:01 am TEMPE, Ariz. -- — The Arizona Coyotes have thrived on a feisty, hard-nosed mentality during a surprisingly good season, but that reputation was wavering some after three straight home blowouts. Nick Schmaltz's goal with less than a minute left in overtime gave the Coyotes a jolt they needed badly. Schmaltz's 13th goal of the season came with 55.6 seconds remaining in extra time and Arizona edged the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Tuesday night. The center's shot found the far side of the net, beating Jeremy Swayman, who entered the game midway through overtime after Linus Ullmark left with an injury. Arizona's Connor Ingram had 30 saves, including a few impressive stops in overtime. “We pride ourselves on working hard and being a hard team to play against, no matter the result,” Schmaltz said. "The last couple games we got away from that and the score got pretty lopsided. These are tough days of the season, guys are banged up, everyone's feeling a little something. But we get paid to do this, so you've got to be able to bring it every night.” The Coyotes pushed ahead 3-2 early in the third period when Mattias Maccelli scored on a rebound. Lawson Crouse got the play started on a breakaway and his wrist shot bounced off Ullmann, giving Maccelli the easy opportunity to get his seventh goal of the season. Jake DeBrusk responded with Boston's second power play goal of the night, making it 3-all with 14:56 remaining, which held until the end of regulation. The Bruins have lost three of their last four. “You've got to bring it right from the puck drop, especially against the team that can make you pay if you're not ready to go,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. Boston's David Pastrnak got the scoring started on a power play less than five minutes into the game, smacking a well-placed shot into the top right corner of the net, just over the shoulder of Ingram. It was his 25th goal of the season. Clayton Keller tied it up for Arizona on its own power play goal midway through the second period. Keller's initial shot bounced off Ullmark, but the forward corralled the rebound and scored. Boston responded less than a minute later to take a 2-1 lead when Jesper Boqvist scored his first goal of the season and first for the Bruins, hitting a high wrister past Ingram. The 25-year-old spent his first four seasons with the New Jersey Devils. The back-and-forth continued late in the second period when Arizona's Dylan Guenther beat Ullmark with a low wrister. Logan Cooley got the assist. The 20-year-old Guenther has scored a goal in each of his first two games since being called up from Tucson. Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said he's already got a lot of confidence in him. “You see the way we use him — words don't mean much, especially early in 2024, I think actions speak louder than words,” Tourigny said. “Same thing as a coach, you put him in that position. I know the organization loves him.”

Game # 41 Flames 6 Sens 3 Flames catch fire in 3rd period, burn Senators 6-3 ByAP Updated: Jan 10, 2024, 02:07 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman each scored twice and the Calgary Flames scored four unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Tuesday night. Noah Hanifin had a goal and two assists for Calgary, and rookie Connor Zary also scored. Nazem Kadri added two assists to give him 600 points in the NHL. Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves to improve to 11-11-2. “We did a good job of handling our emotions,” Hanifin said. “Sometimes coming off a road trip like that out East, coming off a couple of tough losses for us, these can be tough games coming back home and I thought we had a really mature game out there and a great third period, obviously.” The Flames come back to win when trailing after two periods for the sixth time, tied with Colorado for the league lead. Jacob Bernard-Docker, Dominik Kubalik and Brady Tkachuk scored for Ottawa, which has dropped the first four on its five-game trip. The Senators have lost nine of their last 10 away from home. “There’s nobody else to look at and there’s nobody else to blame. There’s not one guy better than anybody else on this team. We’re all in this situation,” defenseman Thomas Chabot said. Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for the Senators. Down 3-2 entering the third period, it took just 47 seconds for Calgary to tie it, with Hanifin swooping in front from off the point and sending a backhand inside the far post. “It was pretty silky,” Coleman said. “I don’t know if he surprised himself, but the bench got pretty fired up about that.” Hanifin was also involved in the go-ahead goal at 8:57, only in a much different way. When his stick broke on a shot attempt from the blue line, the puck still trickled forward. Coleman corralled it and fired it past Korpisalo. “Nice shot … pass … broken stick. We’ve been working on that one for a while,” Coleman said with a laugh. Hanifin, also smiling, acknowledged it was a fortuitous bounce. “I tried shooting it and the stick just exploded,” he said. “Luckily Colesy was there. He’s hot right now so he’s the guy to be in front of the net that time.” Hanifin has seven goals and 22 points this season. He was plus-five against the Senators, equaling his career high. Sharangovich’s second of the game at 15:45 made it a two-goal cushion and Coleman wrapped up the third-period barrage with his team-leading 17th goal into an empty net at 17:12. Ottawa welcomed back Mathieu Joseph after he missed 10 games with a lower-body injury. He played on the Senators’ top line with Tkachuk and Josh Norris. Exiting the lineup due to illness was D Artem Zub. “I think it can be really hard to stay positive at times, but we’re really left with no other option,” Ottawa defenseman Jeff Chychrun said. “We just need to continue to put the work boots on and find a way out of this hole.”

I read that the ducks have 3 2nd rounders this year, but the flyers got a second in 2025....

Perhaps with a name like cutter, he'd be a hard ass... Maybe he's just an entitiled weenie.... Either way, you got a RHD who could be an anchor on the blueline for years, cupped with a 2nd rounder from a team that will still suck in a season.

I can't wait til he signs with the ducks and plays his first game in philly. Prob be a healthy scratch that night, or the philly flu....