Brewin Flames

Games played on 12/21/23 Bolts Brandon Hagel vs VGK Ivan Barbashev Winner ? Bolts Michael Eyssimont vs VGK Nicolas Roy Winner ? Wild Marco Rossi vs Habs Kaden Guhle Winner ? Ducks Sam Carrick vs Flames A.J Greer Winner ?

Game # 33 Flames 3 Ducks 0 Lindholm scores, DeSimone nets first goal, and Markstrom wins 200th as Flames top Ducks 3-0 ByAP Updated: Dec 22, 2023, 01:28 am ANAHEIM, Calif. -- — Elias Lindholm had a goal and two assists, Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for his 200th career win and the Calgary Flames extended their winning streak to a season-best three games with a 3-0 victory Thursday night over the Anaheim Ducks. Nick DeSimone scored his first career goal 2:24 into the opening period and A.J. Greer also scored as the Flames ended a four-game road losing streak. “I thought it was a complete game and our penalty kill, I can't praise them enough,” said Markstrom after Calgary killed off four Anaheim power plays. “There were how many shot blocks and big-time plays that they do so I think that was a big difference tonight. All four lines were rolling.” Lukas Dostal made 41 saves for Anaheim, which had won two in a row. Ducks goalie John Gibson was available but occupied a backup role after missing a game this week following the birth of his child. Forward Mason McTavish and defenseman Jamie Drysdale both returned to the ice for the Ducks. McTavish (upper body) missed the previous seven games and Drysdale (lower body) was out the previous 29 games. Anaheim fell to 3-14 since Nov. 15 and lost the opener of a season-long eight-game homestand. “It was a bad night. We couldn't make a pass, we couldn't shot a puck, we were whiffing,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. “I think it was the worst game we played all year in terms of execution. We couldn't shoot a puck, it was squirting off our sticks. We had shots in the slot that we whiffed on.” DeSimone was trailing the play early in the game when he took a pass from Connor Zary near the blue line and fired a shot from the deep slot past Dostal. The quick score was still a long time coming for the 29-year-old, who delivered in his 17th career game over the past two seasons. “I finally got the first one out of the way and now everybody can stop talking about it and I can keep going,” DeSimone said. As a defenseman, DeSimone took as much pride in the shutout, and Markstrom's milestone, has he did his own accomplishment. “That is what I was thinking about and I'm sure everybody was thinking the same thing,” DeSimone said. “A couple of big (penalty) kills. All the D out there, and all the forwards too, everybody stepped up.” The Flames made it 2-0 at 7:49 of the second period after shot by the Ducks Brett Leason was blocked by Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson. Nazem Kadri sent a centering pass to Lindholm while on the forward rush and he scored his eighth of the season. Greer scored into an empty net at 18:00 of the third period. Markstrom made 13 saves in the first period and nine in the second on the way to his first shutout of the season and eighth win. He now has 90 wins in four seasons with the Flames after 99 with the Vancouver Canucks and 11 with the Florida Panthers. “I didn't know (it was close) until before the game when they told me,” Markstrom said. The Ducks were without rookie forward Leo Carlsson for the final 9:24 after he went down near center ice with an apparent right leg injury. “You can see when (MacKenzie) Weegar fell on (Carlsson), any sport where that happens, it's not good,” Cronin said. “I'll leave that up to the medical staff.”

McGroarty, Jets prospect, named U.S. captain for 2024 World Junior Championship Forward helped team finish 3rd in 2023; Brindley, Chesley, Gauthier, Hutson alternates © Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images ByMike G. Morreale @mikemorrealeNHL NHL.com Staff Writer December 20, 2023 Rutger McGroarty, a Winnipeg Jets prospect, was named United States captain for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship on Wednesday. The 19-year-old forward had seven points (one goal, six assists) in seven games when the U.S. finished third at the 2023 World Junior Championship. He was selected by the Jets with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. McGroarty is the first forward to be named captain since Joey Anderson in the 2018 WJC. Forwards Cutter Gauthier (Philadelphia Flyers) and Gavin Brindley (Columbus Blue Jackets) and defensemen Ryan Chesley (Washington Capitals) and Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens) were named alternate captains. "I'm excited about our leadership group and they have the full support of our overall team, which is important," U.S. National Junior Team coach David Carle said. "While our captains will play a significant role for us to be successful, everyone will need to lead and contribute, and we have a group that is focused on just that." McGroarty, who can play center or wing, has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 13 games as a sophomore at the University of Michigan this season. McGroarty was in a red no-contact jersey during the three-day selection camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, last week but still did line rushes and conducted himself as an on-ice leader. He sustained an upper-body injury after landing awkwardly against the boards following a hit in a 6-4 win against Penn State on Nov. 17 and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. McGroarty said prior to departing for Sweden with his teammates Sunday that he expects to play in the preliminary-round opener against Norway on Dec. 26. "I think obviously we like to keep it loose in the locker room," McGroarty said. "I mean, we got a bunch of characters and we like guys to be themselves but I think at the end of the day, we have a job that needs to be done. We know that and I think with this 2004-birth year group, we understand it's our last chance to win that gold medal. "So, there's a seriousness to it and we know the task at hand. We'll pull the group together and get our culture set." McGroarty, Gauthier, Brindley, Chesley and Hutson are five of seven returning players from 2023, including forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues) and goalie Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings). Sweden is the host country for the 2024 WJC, scheduled for Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Gothenburg. The U.S. will participate in Group B with Czechia, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg. Group A consists of defending champion Canada, along with Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Latvia at Scandinavium in Gothenburg. The tournament quarterfinals will be held Jan. 2, the semifinals Jan. 4 and the gold-medal game and bronze-medal game will be Jan. 5. All games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the U.S., and TSN and RDS in Canada. UNITED STATES ROSTER GOALIES: Trey Augustine, Michigan State, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); Jacob Fowler, Boston College, NCAA (Montreal Canadiens); Samuel Hillebrandt, Barrie, OHL (2024 draft eligible) DEFENSEMEN: Zeev Buium, Denver, NCAA (2024 draft eligible); Seamus Casey, Michigan, NCAA (New Jersey Devils); Ryan Chesley, Minnesota, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Drew Fortescue, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Lane Hutson, Boston University, NCAA (Montreal Canadiens); Aram Minnetian, Boston College, NCAA (Dallas Stars); Eric Pohlkamp, Bemidji State, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); Sam Rinzel, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks) FORWARDS: Gavin Brindley, Michigan, NCAA (Columbus Blue Jackets); Quinn Finley, Wisconsin, NCAA (New York Islanders); Cutter Gauthier, Boston College, NCAA (Philadelphia Flyers); Gavin Hayes, Flint, OHL (Chicago Blackhawks); Isaac Howard, Michigan State, NCAA (Tampa Bay Lightning); Ryan Leonard, Boston College, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Rutger McGroarty, Michigan, NCAA (Winnipeg Jets); Oliver Moore, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); Frank Nazar, Michigan, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); Danny Nelson, Notre Dame, NCAA (New York Islanders); Gabe Perreault, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Will Smith, Boston College, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota, NCAA (St. Louis Blues); Carey Terrance, Erie, OHL (Anaheim Ducks)

Nolan Patrick, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NHL draft, appears to have ended his playing career at age 25. Plagued by a migraine disorder, Patrick last appeared in a game with the Vegas Golden Knights in March 2022. Reports of his retirement surfaced Tuesday after The Power Play, a hockey coaching and mentorship program, announced his employment as a skills specialist and video coach in an Instagram post. The post referred to Patrick as a "retired pro with significant NHL experience." The Philadelphia Flyers selected the Winnipeg native with the second pick in 2017 after he scored 102 points (41 goals, 61 assists) in 72 games for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings in 2015-16. Patrick played parts of three seasons with the Flyers and one with the Golden Knights, accumulating 77 points (32 goals, 45 assists) and 83 penalty minutes in 222 games.

Gamres played on 12/19/23 Bos Jakob Lauko vs Wild Connor Dewar Winner ? Bruins Parker Wotherspoon vs Wild Pat Maroon Winner ? Sens Brady Tkachuk vs Yotes Matt Dumba Winner ? Blues Tyler Tucker vs Bolts Erik Cernak Winner ?

Welcome to the forums, sorry abut the luck

Game # 30 Bos 3 Wild 4 Kirill Kaprizov's second of game in OT lifts Wild to 4-3 win over Bruins ByAP Updated: Dec 19, 2023, 10:39 pm BOSTON -- — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game with 2:06 left to play in overtime, lifting the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Boston captain Brad Marchand had scored with 66 seconds left in regulation, sending the Bruins to their fourth consecutive overtime game. But Kaprizov finished off a 3-on-1 break for the winner. Ryan Hartman and Kaprizov each scored a third-period goal for Minnesota before Marchand tied it. “You get down a little for a moment as it goes in,” Hartman said. “We had a lead and they're a good team and going to do everything they can to put the puck in the net.” Marcus Johansson also had a goal for the Wild and Marc-Andre Fleury made 40 saves. Hampered by injuries to three key players — forward Mats Zuccarello and top defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon — Minnesota found a way to improve to 8-3 under coach John Hynes since Dean Evason was fired on Nov. 27. “I think its an important win for us because these are the games that you have to find ways to win under averse conditions in a lot of different ways, whether that's guys out of your lineup or back-to-back against a rested team," Hynes said. “In a highly competitive game, to find a way to win is very important.” The Wild had lost in Pittsburgh, 4-3, on Monday night. David Pastrnak had two goals for the Bruins, who have taken at least a point in eight of their last nine games (5-1-3). Linus Ullmark stopped 27 shots and Pavel Zacha returned from missing three games with an injury to set up Pastrnak’s second score. “It's a terrible loss,” Pastrnak said. “We should have won this game. They're on a back-to-back. We were the better team. But credit to them, they stuck with it and got the win.” Hartman beat Ullmark with a wrister from the left circle less than two minutes after Kaprizov scored off a rebound that hit the left post, tying the game with 6:48 to play. Marchand scored out of a scramble with the Bruins on a power play and the goalie pulled. Ullmark stopped Matt Boldy on a clean breakaway with 2:50 to play in the OT. With the score tied at 1 late in the opening period, Pastrnak snapped a shot into the net for his 19th goal with eight-tenths of a second left on the clock after Zacha slipped a pass through the slot to the left wing. Bruins winger Jakub Lauko had a decisive victory in a fight against Connor Dewar four seconds after Minnesota moved ahead. When it was over, Lauko waved his arms and yelled “Let’s Go!” looking to get the crowd and his team fired up. It seemed to work. “It's the first week I kind of had a green light to fight," Lauko said. “We scored right after. ... Obviously it gets the guys going. There's a lot of emotion at the time.” The Bruins tied it when Pastrnak took a cross-ice pass from John Beecher and slipped a wrister between Fleury’s pads. The Wild jumped in front 1-0 on Johansson’s power-play goal 7:44 into the game. The Wild’s Vinni Lettieri took a shot off the left ankle and had be helped off the ice to the dressing room in the third period. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned to the lineup after missing four games with an injury.

Game # 32 Flames 3 Fla 1 Backlund scores short-handed goal in 3rd period as Flames beat Panthers 3-1 ByAP Updated: Dec 19, 2023, 02:42 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Mikael Backlund scored a tiebreaking short-handed goal early in the third period, Jacob Markstrom stopped 34 shots, and the Calgary Flames beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Monday night. Martin Pospisil and Blake Coleman also scored to help Calgary improve to 2-0-2 in their last four games. Sam Reinhart had a power-play goal for Florida, and Anthony Stolarz had 21 saves. The Panthers finished a five-game trip at 2-3-0. Tied 1-1 in the third, the Flames' dangerous penalty kill came through shortly after failing to connect on a power play. Attempting to enter the Flames zone, Reinhart turned the puck over to Noah Hanifin, who sprung Backlund on a breakaway. With Reinhart chasing him, Backlund went to his backhand and lifted a high shot, glove-side over Stolarz at 3:31 for his seventh goal of the season. “Hanny made a really good read, really good play, and then I saw a chance to go and he made a really nice pass and I took off,” Backlund said. “Tight game, you get to score the 2-1 goal, it always feels really good.” Reinhart said the turnover was a mistake that can’t happen. “Our power play’s got to be better. I’ve got to be better coming through the neutral zone,” he said. “It’s unfortunate with the way it happened. It’s a tight one and a lot of times it’s a turnover, it’s a mistake like that and the other team capitalizes.” Florida got a great chance to tie it with 2:13 left when Backlund was sent off for delay of game after flipping the puck into the crowd. But on the power play and with the goalie pulled, Coleman jumped on a loose puck and took off on a breakaway and was hauled down by Brandon Montour from behind. He was awarded a short-handed goal. Calgary’s eight short-handed goals on the season ties them for first with St. Louis. “We’ve got some players who can skate well and if there’s a chance, we talk about we don’t cheat for chances, but if the play is there, we go for it,” said Backlund. “If we can find a way to score some big goals, that’s big for the team.” It’s been a bright spot for a team that ranks near the bottom of the league on the power play with 11 goals — ahead of only Philadelphia (10), Washington (8) and St. Louis (8). In the last six weeks dating back to Nov. 7, Calgary has more short-handed goals (6) than power-play goals (4). Calgary finished 0-for-5 on the power play on the night to drop to 1-for-19 in their last eight games. Markstrom was solid in his return from a seven-game absence due to a fractured finger. He moved to 6-2-1 in his last nine starts and 7-8-2 on the season. His 11 third period saves included a flurry down the stretch as the Panthers pressed. “When he’s fresh, he’s really good, and I feel like he’s been that way for almost every game he’s played for us this year,” Flames coach Adam Huska said. “He’s a fighter. I think when a game’s on the line like that, that’s when he plays his best.” Calgary struck first at 8:45 of the first period as Nazem Kadri’s backhand outlet pass found Pospisil skating through the neutral zone. As he broke down the right side with Kevin Stenlund in close pursuit, Pospisil flung a rising backhand on net that slipped past Stolarz. Florida tied it with 31 seconds left in the opening period as Matthew Tkachuk deflected Aleksander Barkov’s point shot on net. While Markstrom got his pad on the redirection, the rebound popped out to Reinhart who buried his team-leading 18th goal of the season. Reinhart has five goals and nine assists in his last 11 games. Jonathan Huberdeau was held off the scoresheet again, extending his career-worst stretch without a point to nine games. He has four goals and 11 assists in 32 games. Panthers defenseman Dimitry Kulikov played in his 900th career game.

Senators fire coach D.J. Smith, replacing him with Jacques Martin on an interim basis By Associated Press Published December 18, 2023 03:02 PM Jim Rassol/Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators fired coach D.J. Smith, replacing him on an interim basis with Jacques Martin. It’s the latest shakeup for the NHL team in Canada’s capital city after new owner Michael Andlauer fired general manager Pierre Dorion earlier this season and made president Steve Staios interim GM. Staios fired Smith 12 days after hiring Martin as senior adviser, after he said that was no indication of Smith’s job being in jeopardy. The Senators have since lost five of six games to fall into last place in the Eastern Conference. Martin returns after coaching the Senators for nine seasons from 1995-96 through 2003-04. Assistant Davis Payne was also fired and replaced by longtime Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who will be behind the bench starting at Arizona.

Senators fire coach D.J. Smith, replacing him with Jacques Martin on an interim basis By Associated Press Published December 18, 2023 03:02 PM Jim Rassol/Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators fired coach D.J. Smith, replacing him on an interim basis with Jacques Martin. It’s the latest shakeup for the NHL team in Canada’s capital city after new owner Michael Andlauer fired general manager Pierre Dorion earlier this season and made president Steve Staios interim GM. Staios fired Smith 12 days after hiring Martin as senior adviser, after he said that was no indication of Smith’s job being in jeopardy. The Senators have since lost five of six games to fall into last place in the Eastern Conference. Martin returns after coaching the Senators for nine seasons from 1995-96 through 2003-04. Assistant Davis Payne was also fired and replaced by longtime Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who will be behind the bench starting at Arizona.

Games played on 12/17/23 Nucks Nikita Zadorov vs Hawks Reese Johnson Winner ? Ducks Ross johnston vs Devils Kevin Bahl Winner ?

Games played on 12/16/23 Bos Trent Frederic vs NYR Jacob Trouba Winner ? Leafs Matthew Knies vs Pens John Ludvig Winner ? Flames Dennis Gilbert vs Bolts Tanner Jeannot Winner ?

Game # 31 Flames 4 Bolts 2 Calgary Flames end 4-game skid with 4-2 win over Tampa Bay Lightning ByAP Updated: Dec 17, 2023, 02:28 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Yegor Sharangovich scored for the fifth consecutive game as the Calgary Flames snapped a four-game skid with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. A.J. Greer, MacKenzie Weegar and Connor Zary also scored for Calgary, and Jordan Oesterle had two assists. Dan Vladar stopped 31 shots for the win. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos scored for Tampa Bay, while NHL scoring leader Nikita Kucherov chipped in with a pair of assists as the Lightning finished 2-3-0 on their trip. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves. “I’m disappointed in the road trip. You come out here, it’s a long way to go and a lot of days to come out with four points. I think we left points on the table,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. Tampa Bay was outscored 12-0 in the second period on the trip. “Bottom line is we’ve got to be better as a whole,” said defenseman Victor Hedman, who returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury. “It starts with the leaders in this room. It took us two periods to wake up. It’s not good enough in this league.” After a scoreless first period, Calgary broke through for three goals in the opening seven minutes of the second. “The second period, I think, was maybe our best period of the year,” Flames coach Ryan Huska said. “We controlled the play, we were smart with the puck, and we had a lot of zone time in that period.” Greer started the spree at 2:30, picking the top corner on Vasilevskiy’s glove side from just inside the top of the faceoff circle. Weegar made it 2-0 at 6:17 by ripping a slap shot through a crowd just inside the far post. His eighth goal tied him for second among NHL defensemen, one behind Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks. “I’m honestly just happy I’m contributing,” Weegar added. “It’s coming. Every game right now, I've got to let it ride a little bit. I’m just trying to be a threat out there.” Only 43 seconds after that, Sharangovich fired Jordan Oesterle’s centering pass past Vasilevskiy. With six goals during his career-best five-game streak, Sharangovich is up to a team-best 11 this season. “When I get the chance to take a shot, I try to shoot and try to score, and if you shoot it three, four times in a game, maybe one shot will go for a goal,” the soft-spoken Sharangovich said. Tampa Bay finally solved Vladar at 4:10 of the third period when Kucherov was first to a puck along the end boards and zipped a pass to an uncovered Point in front, who scored his 14th goal. Ninety seconds later, Stamkos scored his 15th to make it 3-2. Zary scored on a brilliant individual effort at 11:42 to end the comeback bid. He picked up the puck inside his own blue line, skated down the left wing and despite having Brandon Hagel draped all over him, squeezed a shot past Vasilevskiy from a sharp angle. “We’re not a bad team when we’re executing but when we get sloppy in our own end, it’s tough. Teams take over,” Point said. “There’s skilled guys on the other team. You give them time and space and you give them turnovers and they make you pay, and again tonight that’s what happened.”

Game # 29 Bos 1 NYR 2 Trocheck scores 2 as Rangers rally to beat Bruins 2-1 in OT ByAP Updated: Dec 16, 2023, 10:49 pm BOSTON -- — Vincent Trocheck scored his second goal of the game 2:03 into overtime and the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 Saturday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams. Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves for the Rangers, who have won three of their last four games. New York is tied with Boston with 43 points atop the conference, but the Rangers have two more wins. “It was a really good hockey game,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “Give our guys a lot of credit for just staying with it. ... We're attacking and attacking and it's just not going in. We just can't seem to find that first one. We eventually got one, got it to overtime and walked away with two points.” Trent Frederic scored for the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman stopped 31 shots. Boston had won five of its last seven games. Boston star David Pastrnak was given a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Ryan Lindgren late in the second period. “I liked our effort,” Boston center Charlie Coyle said. “Some key injuries; I think a lot of guys stepped up. It’s good to see the effort with guys going down with injuries and (without) your best player." Trocheck tied it with a power-play goal on a wrister from the slot with 9:10 left in the third period. It was the Rangers' only goal in six power plays. “We had a lot of chances, a lot of power plays tonight,” Trocheck said. “ We were getting a lot of chances, good looks. It was just a matter of us staying with it.” On the game winner, Artemi Panarin sent a pass from the slot to Trocheck near the left side of the crease, where he fired it past Swayman. As part of the Bruins’ 100th season in which they’re honoring different team eras, they had a pregame on-ice ceremony to commemorate what they called the “Lunch Pail Era” from 1977-85. Frederic’s goal, appropriately, fit into that type of play when he went hard to the net and knocked a loose puck behind Shesterkin 2:07 into the second period after forward James van Riemsdyk sent a backhand pass from the right circle. Frederic later fought Jacob Trouba after Boston rookie Matt Poitras left the ice favoring his right shoulder following a hit into the boards by Erik Gustafssson. “That's a game that kind of brings a team together a little bit,” Trouba said. “The last 10 minutes almost felt like a playoff game with just how tight it was. One mistake and it's going to end up in your net.” The Bruins killed off a 3-minute power play, with Swayman making a right-shoulder stop on Trocheck’s wrister from the slot. Before the game, Hall of Famer Ray Bourque pushed Normand Léveillé onto the ice in his wheelchair and the former forward — with the help of teammates Rick Middleton and Terry O’Reilly — lifted himself up to drop the ceremonial first puck, drawing a roar from the TD Garden crowd. Léveillé’s career was cut short when he suffered a brain aneurysm after the first period of a 1982 game in Vancouver that left him unable to walk. Also, during that era, O’Reilly and Mike Milbury went into the stands in Madison Square Garden after a fan hit Stan Jonathan under the eye — with what Jonathan said during an interview between the first and second periods was a “rolled up program” — and grabbed his stick. Milbury hit the fan with a shoe and Saturday he walked onto the ice, holding a shoe, to the delight of the fans. The Bruins were again without top defenseman Charlie McAvoy and top-six center Pavel Zacha. Both were placed on injured reserve Thursday. McAvoy missed his fourth straight game and Zacha his third. “There's a opportunity right now for some guys to step up, to have more minutes and show what they can do in different situations,” Boston captain Brad Marchand said.

Game # 28 Bos 5 NYI 4 David Pastrnak scores shootout winner, Bruins beat Islanders 5-4 ByAP Updated: Dec 15, 2023, 11:23 pm NEW YORK -- — David Pastrnak scored in the third round of a shootout to give the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins a 5-4 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday night. Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, James van Reimsdyk and Mason Lohrei scored in regulation, with Lohrei tying it with 3:09 left on a bank shot from behind the goal line. Linus Ullmark made 34 saves to help Boston improve to 19-5-4. “That's the biggest win of the year,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “Because of the attitude on the bench. It's the first time where I felt like there was energy, emotion, everybody believed.” Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Alexander Romanov and Simon Holmstrom scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves. New York had won four in a row. “Just one of those nights where we made a couple mistakes and they ended up in the back of our net,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “But overall I thought the effort was outstanding.” Following a wide-open overtime session in which the teams traded chances, Charlie Coyle and Pastrnak scored in the shootout for Boston, while Holmstrom scored for the Islanders. “It's a (heck) of a win for us,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously an amazing job by (Ullmark) to keep us in the game early on and then a great job by the (penalty) killers ... and power play finally got some important goals." Horvat gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead on a power play goal at 5:06 of third that extended his points streak to nine games. It appeared Brad Marchand tied it with 10:21 remaining, but a video review showed the Boston captain punched the puck past Sorokin while laying prone on the ice. While the goal was disallowed, Marchand drew a tripping penalty on New York captain Anders Lee on the play, and van Riemsdyk’s power-play goal tied it with 9:12 left. “We were focused on the task at hand,” Ullmark said. “”We (weren't) complaining and talking down to each other or anything like that." Nelson lifted a feed from Horvat over Ullmark on a power play with 7:59 to go to put New York ahead 4-3. but Lohrei banked a shot from behind the goal line with 3:09 left in regulation to force overtime. “I just jumped in on the rush,” Lohrei said.

Blues fire Craig Berube, cutting ties with the coach who led St. Louis to its 1st Stanley Cup title Published December 13, 2023 10:23 AM ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues fired Craig Berube, severing ties with the coach who led the team to its only Stanley Cup title. Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong announced Berube’s firing hours after a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. The loss was the season-worst fourth straight for the Blues, who are off to a 13-14-1 start to the season. The Blues rank 26th in the NHL in goals per game (2.82). and have the second-worst power play (7 for 83) in the league at 8.4%. The 57-year-old Berube guided the Blues to the Stanley Cup championship in 2019. He replaced Mike Yeo as coach Nov. 20, 2018, as the interim coach and led an amazing turnaround. He led St. Louis to a 38-19-6 record in 2018-19. Berube, in his sixth season with the Blues, had a record of 206-131-44. His win total ranks third in team history. He registered 24 playoff victories in 51 postseason games. St. Louis led 4-3 going into the third period against Detroit before giving up two goals and an empty-net goal late, losing for the fifth time in six games. “You’ve got to earn everything, right? It’s not just going to happen,” Berbue said after the game. “You’ve got to earn it. You’ve got to play the right way to earn it. You’ve got to do the little things right. We did a lot of good things tonight. We scored enough goals to win the game, but in the end, we didn’t take care of the front of our net very well tonight.” The Blues named Drew Bannister, coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League, as interim coach. The 49-year-old Bannister has been the Springfield coach for three seasons. He lead the team to a 93-58-19 regular-season record. The Belleville, Ontario, native also guided the Thunderbirds to consecutive playoff appearances, including 2021-22, when they won the Eastern Conference and reached the Calder Cup final. Bannister will be behind the bench when the Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Bannister played 164 NHL regular-season games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and New York Rangers. The Blues’ coaching change marks the fourth time Armstrong has fired a coach during the season. He fired Davis Payne in 2011, Ken Hitchcock in 2017 and Yeo in 2018. The Blues are the third team to make a coaching change this season. The Edmonton Oilers fired Jay Woodcroft in mid-November and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch. And, the Minnesota Wild named John Hynes coach just over two weeks ago after firing Dean Evason.

Top prospects for Florida Panthers Samoskevich, Denisenko could provide forward depth this season @davidsatriano NHL.com Staff Writer August 13, 2023 NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the top five prospects for the Florida Panthers, according to NHL.com. 1. Mackie Samoskevich, F How acquired: Selected with No. 24 pick in 2021 NHL Draft 2022-23 season: Charlotte (AHL): 2 GP, 0-2-2; University of Michigan (NCAA): 39 GP, 20-23-43 Samoskevich (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) flourished in his sophomore season at Michigan before signing an entry-level contract with the Panthers on May 8. The 20-year-old also played in the Calder Cup Playoffs and was an extra player for the Panthers during their run to the Cup Final last season. He will have every chance to make the opening night roster. "I loved every second of it," Samoskevich said of last season. "I think I needed to take that step at the end of the year, and I'm glad I did. … I'd love to play down here (with the Panthers). I think that's the main goal. I don't think it's a far-fetched goal. I think I can do it. I think I can play up in the big leagues, I hope. I've been working very hard this summer. It's going well so far. I think that's the main goal, for sure." Projected NHL arrival: This season 2. Grigori Denisenko, F How acquired: Selected with No. 15 pick in 2018 NHL Draft 2022-23 season: Panthers (NHL): 18 GP, 0-3-3; Charlotte (AHL): 56 GP, 12-24-36 Denisenko (5-11, 186) does not have a goal in 26 NHL games the past three seasons, with 18 of those games coming last season. He also played one postseason game for the Panthers and four Calder Cup Playoff games for Charlotte last season. The 23-year-old signed a two-year, one-way contract July 1, making it more than likely he will be in the NHL this season. "Grigori has worked incredibly hard developing in our system competing for both the Panthers and Checkers this season," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "His puck possession and maturity on the ice are tremendous and we're excited for him to re-sign with our club." Projected NHL arrival: This season 3. Justin Sourdif, F How acquired: Selected with No. 87 pick in 2020 NHL Draft 2022-23 season: Charlotte (AHL): 48 GP, 7-17-24 Sourdif (5-11, 173) should benefit from a full season in the American Hockey League after he was limited to 48 games last season because of injuries. The 21-year-old did return for the Calder Cup Playoffs, playing in all six games for Charlotte, but likely is at least a season away from the NHL and remains behind Samoskevich and Denisenko on the depth chart. Projected NHL arrival: Next season 4. Mike Benning , D How acquired: Selected with No. 95 pick in 2020 NHL Draft 2022-23 season: University of Denver (NCAA): 39 GP, 13-21-34 Benning (5-9, 177) signed an entry-level contract with the Panthers on April 12. In his third college season, he was third among NCAA defensemen in goals and sixth in points. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference Offensive Defenseman of the Year, Benning was named the 2022 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player after helping Denver win the NCAA title. The 21-year-old won't begin the season with the Panthers but could make his debut later this season. "Mike is a gifted two-way defenseman who has had an outstanding collegiate career," Zito said. "We are thrilled for him to take the next step in his career with the Panthers and look forward to his continued development within our organization." Projected NHL arrival: Next season 5. Evan Nause, D How acquired: Selected with No. 56 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft 2022-23 season: Quebec (QMJHL): 40 GP, 5-24-29 Nause (6-2, 186) helped Quebec win the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title with nine points (five goals, four assists) in 18 playoff games and then had two assists in four games to help them win the Memorial Cup. The 20-year-old attended development camp for the second straight year and has made strides in his game. "My overall maturity and defensive game took the biggest step this year," Nause said during development camp. "I got to play in some key games and really big moments. I think I matured physically as well and I'm just trying to continue that at the beginning of my young career." Projected NHL arrival: 2025-26

He won because the bruins offense forgot they had to score to win....that loss still sucks/stings. And what has binnington done since, jack sh&t.

11 games w/out a goal, but i have no doubt he'll be fine.

Games played on 12/14/23 Blues Tyler Tucker vs Sens Brady Tkachuk Winner ?

Game # 30 Boldy scores in regulation and shootout as Wild beat Flames 3-2 ByAP Updated: Dec 14, 2023, 11:51 pm ST. PAUL, Minn. -- — Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy scored in the shootout to lift the Minnesota Wild over the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Thursday night. Boldy and Marco Rossi scored in regulation for Minnesota, which is now 6-2 since John Hynes took over as coach for Dean Evason. Filip Gustavsson stopped 36 shots in goal for the Wild. “It’s just good to win,” Boldy said. “You’ve got a group of guys that work hard every night. Lotta desperation to win to get that kind of streak going and stuff like that, so a lot of credit to other guys.” Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman scored, while Dan Vladar made 30 saves for the Flames, who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games. Sharangovich also scored in the shootout, but Gustavsson stopped Nazem Kadri as the fourth shooter to preserve the win. “This was a good game, probably for both sides, I would say,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. “I thought we had a slow first 10 minutes but then I liked our game from that point forward. I felt like we deserved the extra point tonight.” Boldy has seven goals and two assists in the eight games since Hynes took control. He scored his eighth goal of the season in the first period. Sharangovich is on his own scoring streak, scoring for the fourth straight game. He scored on the power play in the second, giving him five goals in the past four games. Calgary took a lead in the third when Coleman’s pass to Sharangovich went off defenseman Brock Faber’s skate and into the goal. Coleman was credited with his ninth goal of the season and it was the sixth short-handed goal of the season for the Flames, which is tied for the third-most in the NHL. But Minnesota answered just 45 seconds later when Rossi one-timed a long rebound from Vladar to score for the second game in a row. Rossi has 10 goals, which is second behind Connor Bedard among NHL rookies. “I didn’t really hit it good,” Rossi said. “I fanned on it, but I’ll take that.” Both teams were missing important pieces of their defensive core. Minnesota placed Jonas Brodin on long-term injured reserve a day earlier with an upper-body injury and captain Jared Spurgeon was held out with a lower-body injury. Brodin was seen in pictures on social media with a cast on his right wrist/arm at a team function. Spurgeon is considered day-to-day. “Thought it was a really strong team game for us," Hynes said. “Injuries are part of the league. When you can play a really compact, strong team game, it gives you the best chance to win. Our D-core played really well, we played well as a five-man unit. I think when you can play with structure, everybody contributes, it gives you a chance to win.” Chris Tanev, an assistant captain for Calgary, missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Games played on 12/12/23 Flyers Nicolas Deslauriers vs NSH Jeremy Lauzon. Winner ?

Games played on 12/10/23 CBJ Erik Gudbranson vs Fla Nick Cousins Winner ? Ducks Ryan Strome vs Jets Mark Scheifele Winner ?

Game # 27 Bruins 1 Devils 2 OT Jack Hughes scores in OT to give Devils a 2-1 win over Bruins NEWARK, N.J. -- — When the New Jersey Devils head into overtime, Jack Hughes takes over. Hughes scored with 2:13 to play in overtime and the Devils rallied to beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Wednesday night despite an outstanding 34-save effort by Jeremy Swayman. The goal was Hughes’ sixth career overtime winner, and second this season. He came into the overtime without a shot on goal in the game and had five in the 2:47 of play. He played 1:57 of the extra session. “I think we gave him about 20 seconds off,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "He’s got incredible glide in his skating so he can recover in a short period of time. He had a couple breathers but we knew he was ready to go. And the opportunity was there and he put it in the back of the net for us.” On the game winner, Hughes took a pass from Jesper Bratt and ripped a shot behind Swayman for his 11th goal. “Me and Bratter play so well together," Hughes said. “We read off each other. We have not played together much in the last month or two, but when we play together, it’s like right back together, you know, it’s like peanut butter and jelly.” Dawson Mercer tied the game in the third period and Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves as the Devils won for the seventh time in nine games. Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins, who are now 13-1-3 when leading after two periods. The Bruins have won four of their last six. Mercer tied the game 1-all early in the third period, batting a rebound of Erik Haula's shot that hit off the goalpost out of the air and past Swayman. “He was playing a big game," Mercer said of Swayman, who fell to 9-1-3. "Obviously, when you keep a shutout for two periods, we got to make sure we get one past him. It was nice to get that at the start of the third period just for us to keep battling. But whenever you get a goalie hot on their head, making big saves, just try to get some pucks on net, get some greasy goals.” Geekie had given the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 16:51 of the first period after Boston had a hard-working shift deep in the Devils zone. Vanecek got a glove on a shot from the slot by James van Riemsdyk but Geekie got the rebound and slid the puck into an open net for his third goal of the season. Vanecek kept New Jersey close late in the second period, with a pad save on David Pastrnak after the Bruins leading scorer made a spectacular move in close. "Its’ the type of save that gives you a chance to win a hockey game,” Ruff said. “I thought it was a good hockey game,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “Their goalie played well, our goalie played well.” The Bruins played without defenseman Charlie McAvoy for the second straight game and top-line center Pavel Zacha because of upper-body injuries. “I think we played a solid 60 and a little bit extra,” Geekie said. “Just something to build off of and continue to take the momentum with us.”

Game # 29 Stone scores twice, one in OT, lifts Golden Knights to 5-4 win over Calgary ByAP Updated: Dec 13, 2023, 01:52 am LAS VEGAS -- — Mark Stone scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Tuesday night. Chandler Stephenson, Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights while Logan Thompson made 27 saves. Stone also had two assists for a four-point game. After Calgary's Yegor Sharangovich scored his second goal of the game to tie it with one minute remaining, sending the Golden Knights to their seventh extra period in 13 games, Stone streaked in alone and beat Flames netminder Dustin Wolf and to give Vegas its fourth straight win. "I got a step so all I got to do is really make a good shot," Stone said. The Golden Knights, who lead the NHL with 45 points, improved to 9-1 all-time when hosting Calgary. Vegas extended its point streak to nine games, now 6-0-3 since Nov. 27. “We know we have a good team and we know that we can come back any night,” Karlsson said. “I think we believe in ourselves that much and we battled back today. Unfortunately, they tied it up again, but we showed some resilience and got the dub.” Mackenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri also scored goals, while Wolf stopped 34 shots for the Flames, who have now lost five of six after a promising 8-3-2 run. Calgary was playing the second leg of a back-to-back after blowing a 5-3 third-period lead in Denver on Monday. “We were competitive all night tonight,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. "For me, the difference of course when you look at it is special teams — they score two on their opportunities. We weren’t able to generate anything but I’m not faulting or not unhappy with the way we competed or worked tonight.” It was a game of back and forth, the teams exchanging goals every step of the way until Vegas took a 4-3 lead in the third period when Karlsson’s shot from his knees with a little less than four minutes remaining in the game gave the Golden Knights their first lead. Weegar ignited things for the Flames when he one-timed a long rebound from Thompson’s pad save from the top of the right circle. Stephenson put Vegas on the board later in the first when he was positioned perfectly in the middle of a goal-mouth scramble during a power play and he was able to punch home a rebound. The Flames got the lead back in the second period when Connor Zary’s shot from the slot caromed off Kadri’s back and into the net. Three minutes later Barbashev snared a loose puck from the slot to tie it once again. Sharangovich put the Flames ahead late in the period when his shot from the top of the right circle trickled through Thompson’s pads. Stone tied the game early in the third period when he skated down the slot, took a pass from Karlsson and went forehand-backhand to beat Wolf.