Brewin Flames

Flames' Martin Pospisil suspended three games for boardingNEW YORK -- Calgary Flames rookie forward Martin Pospisil was suspended for three games without pay Wednesday for boarding Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn. Pospisil was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for hitting Dunn into the end boards from behind during the third period Monday night in Seattle's 4-2 victory in Calgary. The suspension will cost Pospisil $12,109. He has six goals and nine assists in 45 games this season.

Wennberg traded to Rangers by Kraken for 2 draft picks © Mitchell Leff/ Getty Images ByNHL.com @NHLdotcom 4:18 PM Alex Wennberg was traded to the New York Rangers by the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday for two draft picks. Seattle, which retained 50 percent of Wennberg's contract, received a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, previously acquired from the Dallas Stars. The pick will become a third-round selection if Dallas defenseman Nils Lundkvist, who was acquired from New York prior to last season, finishes with 55 combined points between last season and this season. Wennberg is in the final season of a three-year, $13.5 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Kraken on July 28, 2021, and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The 29-year-old forward has 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 60 games this season. He was scratched from a 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday and a 4-3 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday because of trade-related reasons. "We want to thank Alex for his contribution to the Kraken over these last three seasons," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. "Alex has been with our team since Day One and was an important part of establishing our franchise. We wish him well in New York." Chosen by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round (No. 14) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Wennberg has 330 points (90 goals, 240 assists) in 693 regular-season games for the Blue Jackets and Kraken, and 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 42 Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Rangers (40-18-4) lead the Metropolitan Division, six points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Kraken (28-23-11) are six points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.

Sources: Oilers acquire Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick from Ducks The surging Edmonton Oilers have acquired forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline, sources confirmed to ESPN. Edmonton traded its 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick to Anaheim, one that becomes a fourth-rounder if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup this season. The Oilers also received a seventh-round pick from the Ducks. Both Henrique and Carrick are unrestricted free agents this offseason. Henrique, 34, is a versatile veteran who can play center or left wing. He has 42 points in 60 games this season, averaging 17:35 minutes. He can play on the power play and is an effective penalty killer. Henrique reached 20 goals three times with the Ducks and three more with the New Jersey Devils, his original team. In 2012 he sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final with an overtime goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers. Henrique was the No. 7 player on the ESPN deadline trade board. He carried a $5.825 million cap hit. Carrick, 31, is an effective checking forward with 11 points in 61 games this season, averaging 12:37 in ice time. The Oilers have been one of the NHL's hottest teams for months after a slow start that cost coach Jay Woodcroft his job after 13 games. Under coach Kris Knoblauch, the Oilers have gone 35-11-1 and are riding a five-game winning streak. Given that success, and his team's cap constraints, GM Ken Holland has discussed making moves to increase the depth. Adding two veterans in Henrique and Carrick is in keeping with that mindset. The Ducks have been shopping Henrique for three seasons. They placed him on waivers in 2021 before welcoming him back after no team put in a claim.

Avalanche acquire Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Walker in trades Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterMar 6, 2024, 02:51 PM ET The Colorado Avalanche got ahead of the NHL trade deadline rush, acquiring forward Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram. That was one of two swaps the Avalanche made on Wednesday after picking up defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Ryan Johansen and a 2025 first-round draft pick that is top-10 protected. Teams have until Friday at 3 p.m. to fine-tune their rosters before the deadline passes. Mittelstadt, 25, was the eighth overall choice by Buffalo in 2017 and has evolved into a dynamic two-way skater with high-end playmaking ability. He put up dazzling performances in 2022-23 while collecting 15 goals and 59 points in 82 games and carried that success into this season (14 goals, 47 points in 62 games). He has been an integral piece of the Sabres' power play as well and clocked the highest average 5-on-5 ice-time per game among Buffalo's forwards this year (15:37). This is the final season of Mittelstadt's three-year, $7.5 million contract, and he'll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. Buffalo has already invested a majority of its cap space in long-term deals for other rising stars -- including Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens -- making it likely Mittelstadt would be the odd man out to get his own major extension with the club. For Byram, the trade to Buffalo is a fresh start. Drafted fourth overall in 2019 by the Avalanche, Byram, 22, has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies that slowed his overall progress. He has tallied 23 goals and 63 points in 146 NHL games thus far and will now join a Sabres' blueline filled with up-and-coming talents like Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson. Meanwhile, Colorado's backend is getting a major veteran boost. Walker, 29, has made the most of his first season with the Flyers, on pace for career-best numbers with six goals and 22 points in 63 games to date while averaging over 19 minutes per night. That production -- coupled with Walker's team-friendly one-year deal worth $2.65 million -- made him a coveted deadline target, and Colorado couldn't wait until then to pounce. The Avalanche project to be an ideal landing spot for Walker. He's a solid puck-carrying defenseman who can play at a high pace offensively, is good in transition, and contributes off the rush. Walker has also been one of Philadelphia's top penalty killers this season (he's also scored twice shorthanded) and Colorado can use him in a second or third pairing role, offering them increased flexibility into the postseason. While the Flyers accepted Johansen as part of their Walker deal with Colorado, Philadelphia immediately placed the veteran forward on waivers. Johansen was in his first season with the Avalanche after being traded there from Nashville last June and it was never a strong fit. The 31-year-old shuffled around the lineup and added just 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games. He still has one more year remaining on an eight-year, $64 million contract. The Avalanche, who won the Stanley Cup in 2022, still have their eye on winning now. After exchanging their 2025 first-round choice for Walker, Colorado holds just four selections total in the first four rounds of the 2024 and 2025 entry drafts.

If somehow Elias land in Boston....splode

Panthers land Vladimir Tarasenko from Senators for 2 draft picks Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterMar 6, 2024, 12:49 PM ET Already a Stanley Cup favorite, the Florida Panthers strengthened their chances Wednesday by trading for Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko. The Senators will receive a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick that would become a 2026 third-round pick if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. They will also receive a 2025 third-round pick and are retaining 50 percent of Tarasenko's $5 million salary. Getting Tarasenko provides the Panthers with a legitimate top-six winger whose playoff experiences could help the club win the first title in franchise history. This season, he has scored 17 goals and 41 points in 57 games in what proved to be his only season with the Senators. His playoff experience lends itself in the form of a winger who has 44 goals and 64 points in 97 postseason games which includes the 11 goals he scored to help the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019. With the NHL trade deadline approaching at 3 p.m. ET Friday, there was an expectation that the Panthers would be in play for a top-six winger and that Tarasenko could have been one of their options. A pending unrestricted free agent, Tarasenko joined the Senators on a one-year contract in a move that was supposed to help the club return to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Instead, several items led to the Senators being unable to recover from a slow start. It ultimately led to them eventually firing their head coach and general manager in a campaign that will see them get a lottery pick. His contract length coupled with the Senators' situation is what led to Tarasenko being among the most attractive options for contenders seeking top-six winger help. Plus, the need for those players intensified Tuesday with the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights getting winger Anthony Mantha in a trade with the Washington Capitals. "Vladimir is a highly skilled and experienced scoring winger who provides our club with another dynamic offensive option as we embark on the remainder of our season," said Panthers GM Bill Zito. "We are excited for him to join our team, and to compete for the Stanley Cup once again." Tarasenko, 32, has appeared in 57 games with the Senators this season, registering 41 points (17-24-41) including a team-leading four game-winning goals. His plus-13 rating ranks second on the club. For Tarasenko, this will be the second year in a row he's been dealt ahead of the deadline. Initially, he had spent his entire career with the Blues before he was traded to the New York Rangers last season in their bid to win the Stanley Cup. While the Rangers were eliminated in the first round, Tarasenko scored three goals and four points in a seven-game series that saw them lose to the rival New Jersey Devils. That same postseason saw the Panthers continue building upon what has been the strongest period in their franchise's history. With only nine total playoff appearances, the Panthers are on pace to reach the postseason for a fifth consecutive season. Last year saw the Panthers narrowly win the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot and then upset the top-seeded Boston Bruins, who had the best regular-season record in NHL history. The Panthers would continue to upset teams en route to reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in their history only to watch a roster decimated by injuries fall prey to the Golden Knights in five games. This season has seen the Panthers (43-16-4) not only remain Stanley Cup front runners, but they've been frequent entrants in the discussion for the NHL's best team. They entered Wednesday on a six-game winning streak and currently have a three-point edge

Games played on 3/5/24 Preds Lukke Schenn vs Habs Josh Anderson Winner ?

Game # 64 Leon Draisaitl scores twice as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime ByAP Updated: Mar 5, 2024, 11:23 pm BOSTON -- — Leon Draisaitl scored 2:18 into overtime for his second goal of the game, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Tuesday night for their fifth consecutive victory. Draisaitl also tied it at 1 with 1:20 left in the third after Edmonton pulled Stuart Skinner for an extra skater. Draisaitl ended the game with a one-timer off a crossing pass from Connor McDavid. “I think it’s just a sign of maturity in our group. Obviously it’s a tough building to play in. I thought we stuck with it and stayed patient,” said Draisaitl, who has 32 goals so far this season. Edmonton limited Boston to five shots in the third period and none in overtime. Skinner made 25 saves for the Oilers, and Evan Bouchard had two assists. McDavid also had two assists, extending his point streak to 12 straight games. “At the end of the day you need one shot, one play to be made,” Draisaitl said. “We’ve got a lot of great players on our group.” The Bruins left the ice to another round of boos after falling to 19-7-6 at home. “We just have to find a way to win these games. I think there’s been a lot of them like this this season — we’re winning, then in the last five minutes we get scored on," said Pavel Zacha, who scored Boston’s only goal. "That’s something we have to get better at and win those games." Zacha scored his 15th goal 4:26 into the third period. He converted a one-time slap shot off a crossing pass from Danton Heinen. Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 24 shots. “It felt like we had it. It slipped out of our hands that final minute,” Ullmark said. “I’ve got to take ownership of it as well.” Edmonton had a chance to win in in the final seconds of regulation, but Ullmark was able to stop Warren Foegele's rebound attempt. McDavid had a scoring opportunity late in the third on a shot he got on Ullmark despite being hounded by Trent Frederic. McDavid has two goals and 26 assists during his point streak. Skinner had to stop a dozen shots in the second, including a one-timer by David Pastrnak. Ullmark came up big for Boston during Edmonton’s first power-play chance, stopping McDavid on a rebound attempt just outside the crease early in the second. McDavid pounced on another loose puck late in the second and snapped off a quick shot that Ullmark swiped out of the air with his glove. Edmonton defenseman Vincent Desharnais said the atmosphere felt more like the playoffs than a regular-season game in early March. “It was tight. Not many shots, a lot of blocked shots, lots of hits,” Desharnais said. Boston forward James Van Riemsdyk played in his 1,000th career game, joining team captain Brad Marchand as the only active members of the Bruins to play in 1,000 games. The Bruins plan to honor Van Riemsdyk with a pregame ceremony March 16 when Boston hosts the Philadelphia Flyers, who selected Van Riemsdyk second overall in the 2007 draft.

I 100% agree.... But, i also feel that Pops should know better than to drill a guy in the Numbers like that. He'll get his at some point.

Pospisil's hit....

Games played on 3/4/24 Flames Blake Coleman vs Seattle Brandon Tanev Winner ?

Game # 61 McCann leads Kraken to 4-2 win over Flames for third victory in four games ByAP Updated: Mar 5, 2024, 02:54 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Jared McCann had a goal and an assist to help the Seattle Kraken beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Monday night for their third win in four games. Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Adam Larsson also scored for Seattle, which is 6-2-1 in its last nine. Philipp Grubauer stopped 35 shots as the Kraken pulled even with the Flames in the Western Conference playoff chase, seven points back of idle Nashville for the second wild card. It was the 100th win in franchise history for Seattle in 225 games, which ties St. Louis for the third-fastest expansion team to reach that milestone. The only teams that did it faster were Vegas (173 games) and Florida (223 games). “For our team right now, we’re in the fight here. The most important win is going to become 101,” said McCann. “That’s not to take anything away from that milestone because I hope everybody in the organization that’s worked extremely hard to make that happen feels their contributions and feels a lot of pride in it.” Andrei Kuzmenko scored twice for Calgary, which snapped a five-game winning streak. Jacob Markstrom finished with 26 saves. Kuzmenko has 13 goals on the season and five in 10 games since being acquired from Vancouver on Jan. 31 as part of the trade that sent Elias Lindholm to the Canucks. After going more than two months between starts, missing a bulk of that due to a lower-body injury, Grubauer has been excellent since his return to the crease on Feb. 13, going 5-1-0 with a .943 save percentage. “Grubby’s been good,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “Just the calmness that the provides. You can add up the big saves tonight at the right time.” With Seattle up 3-1 after Larsson’s goal 21 seconds into the third period, Calgary cut the deficit in half on Kuzmenko’s second of the night at 7:46. The Flames then got consecutive power plays in an attempt to pull even. However, after failing to score on the first, it was the Kraken that scored on the second. McCann stripped the puck from Calgary's Rasmus Andersson, raced in on Markstrom, and scored short-handed for his team-leading 26th goal with 7:31 remaining. “I was pretty gassed so I just tried to get the shot off quick,” said McCann. “I like to go low blocker but decided to change it up at the last second. He’s a big goalie, so I was able to find a spot.” Calgary coach Ryan Huska didn’t blame Andersson, implying the pass back to him by Andrew Mangiapane might have been to blame. “I thought Raz got put in a tough spot up top,” Huska said. “Now he’s flat-footed with pressure coming out at him.” Less than a minute later, Calgary rookie Martin Pospisil was given a major and a game misconduct for drilling Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn into the end boards from behind. Visibly shaken up but leaving the ice on his own, Dunn went to the dressing room and didn’t return. “Garbage,” Hakstol said when asked about the hit. “But not really a whole lot different than the first hit six or seven seconds into the game. You run around like that you probably need to answer when somebody comes to you man to man and that didn’t happen either.” After a listless first period in which Calgary fell behind 1-0, the Flames were better in the second period, tying it at 7:50 on a crafty effort from Kuzmenko on the power play. The 28-year-old Russian faked going behind the net, prompting Grubauer to look over his other shoulder, only to cut back and jam it inside the near post for his 100th career NHL point. Seattle reclaimed the lead less than five minutes later when poor defensive coverage by Oliver Kylington left Bjorkstrand open in the slot and he one-timed McCann’s centering pass behind Markstrom. Bjorkstrand’s third goal in the last four games gave him 16 on the season. Seattle was the better team by a wide margin in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the home side 11-2 and scoring the only goal. At 4:04, Dunn’s point shot hit a couple of players in front where it was corralled by Gourde and whipped behind Markstrom for his eighth. Seattle center Alex Wennberg did not play, nor take the morning skate with the team, for what coach Dave Hakstol said earlier in the day was “trade-related issues.” A pending UFA at season’s end, the 29-year-old Swede has nine goals and 25 points in 60 games.

Game # 63 Pavel Zacha scores 2 goals as the Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 ByAP Updated: Mar 4, 2024, 11:53 pm TORONTO -- — Pavel Zacha scored twice to help the Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Monday night. Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (36-13-14), who had dropped four of five. Morgan Geekie also scored, and David Pastrnak had three assists. Jeremy Swayman made 32 saves for the Bruins, who are eight points ahead of the Leafs for second in the Atlantic Division. “Big momentum game for us,” Swayman said. “Really happy with our team’s effort.” John Tavares scored for the second straight game for Toronto (35-18-8). Joseph Woll stopped 23 shots. The teams play again Thursday in Boston. “A few too many mistakes,” Tavares said. “They just did a little better job around their net than we did around ours. “Playing against a team like Boston, and games down the stretch, those are big difference makers. Margins are very small.” The Bruins put together a solid start that included a couple of great short-handed chances on an early penalty kill. Geekie made it 1-0 at 9:43 when he redirected a Pastrnak pass for his 14th goal of the season. Denied by Woll on a breakaway 14 seconds into the game, Zacha made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 12:42. It was Zacha's first goal since Feb. 8 and No. 13 on the season. “Great first period and we didn’t stop playing,” Pastrnak said. “We bent, but we didn’t break.” Boston, which lost 5-1 to the New York Islanders on Saturday, opened a 3-0 lead in the second. DeBrusk, who had an assist on Zacha’s goal for his first point in six games, finished a rush for his 14th goal. Auston Matthews came close to adding to his NHL-best 53 goals on a Toronto man advantage late in the period, but his effort was cleared off the line by Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo. The Leafs got one back 3:52 into the third when Tavares ripped his 19th upstairs on Swayman. But Zacha responded at 10:35, making it 4-1 after Pastrnak threw the puck in front. “They played well most of the game,” Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “We were streaky.” The Bruins were without shutdown defenseman Hampus Lindholm for a seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury.

New Jersey Devils fire Lindy Ruff, promote Travis Green The New Jersey Devils, struggling to contend in a clogged Eastern Conference a season after winning a playoff round last season, fired coach Lindy Ruff on Monday, the team announced. Travis Green, an assistant for Ruff and the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks, was named the club's interim coach. The announcement was made by Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, a day after New Jersey lost to the Los Angeles Kings 5-1. Green will start in his role at Tuesday's morning skate in advance of a home game vs. the Florida Panthers. The remaining existing assistants -- Ryan McGill, Chris Taylor, Sergei Brylin and goaltending coach Dave Rogalski -- will all remain on staff. "I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender," Fitzgerald said. "Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision." Ruff was hired with the objective that he could take what was considered to be a promising future that was centered around stars such as Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, among others, and parlay it into long-term success. "This was an extremely difficult conversation to have with Lindy based on the relationship that he and I have," Fitzgerald said. "He was the right coach to develop our young players on the ice, and above all else, he is a tremendous person." The Devils gave Ruff a multiyear extension before the start of the season, which was his last under his previous contract. But as time wore on -- and chants of "Fire Lindy!" continued to be heard at home games -- the change seemed like it was inevitable. The Devils have lost three of the last four games, and were outscored last weekend, 9-4, in an 0-2 swing through the Los Angeles area. Two days before the loss to the Kings, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Anaheim Ducks. "Travis has key experience running benches at the junior, AHL and NHL levels and knows that there are no shortcuts to success," Fitzgerald said. "He is a high-demanding individual who is familiar with the group and excited about working to get us back on track." The Devils, with several young stars under long-term contracts, entered the season among the league's more talked-about clubs. They topped 100 points last season and defeated the rival New York Rangers in the first round. In the offseason, they acquired additional scoring punch in the form of winger Tyler Toffoli, and were clearly trying to build off the positive momentum around a club that hadn't made the postseason, before last spring, since 2018. But New Jersey has struggled defensively, after losing veterans Damon Severson and Ryan Graves in free agency last summer, and those woes have continued on into the crease. The Devils have used three goaltenders this season, none of whom has shown the consistency needed to be a full-time starter. Green, 53, was hired as an assistant in June of last year, and replaced Andrew Brunette, who left to take the head-coaching position with the Nashville Predators. Green was Vancouver's coach for parts of five seasons, amassing a 133-147-34 record. Green, a former teammate of Fitzgerald with the New York Islanders, led the Canucks to the second round of the 2020 postseason, which was played in the Edmonton bubble amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruff, 64, departs the Devils after coaching the team to a 128-125-28 record in 281 regular-season games over three-plus seasons. New Jersey went 5-7 in the playoffs last season with Ruff, having lost in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Ruff was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award after last season. With the Devils moving on from Ruff, they have become the seventh NHL team to make an in-season coaching change this season. They join the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and Kings. The Devils will enter Tuesday's game with 64 points, eight away from the No. 2 wild-card spot in the East. With the trade deadline this week, Green's club might look much different by Friday than it will at Tuesday's morning skate.

New Jersey Devils fire Lindy Ruff, promote Travis Green The New Jersey Devils, struggling to contend in a clogged Eastern Conference a season after winning a playoff round last season, fired coach Lindy Ruff on Monday, the team announced. Travis Green, an assistant for Ruff and the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks, was named the club's interim coach. The announcement was made by Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, a day after New Jersey lost to the Los Angeles Kings 5-1. Green will start in his role at Tuesday's morning skate in advance of a home game vs. the Florida Panthers. The remaining existing assistants -- Ryan McGill, Chris Taylor, Sergei Brylin and goaltending coach Dave Rogalski -- will all remain on staff. "I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender," Fitzgerald said. "Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision." Ruff was hired with the objective that he could take what was considered to be a promising future that was centered around stars such as Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, among others, and parlay it into long-term success. "This was an extremely difficult conversation to have with Lindy based on the relationship that he and I have," Fitzgerald said. "He was the right coach to develop our young players on the ice, and above all else, he is a tremendous person." The Devils gave Ruff a multiyear extension before the start of the season, which was his last under his previous contract. But as time wore on -- and chants of "Fire Lindy!" continued to be heard at home games -- the change seemed like it was inevitable. The Devils have lost three of the last four games, and were outscored last weekend, 9-4, in an 0-2 swing through the Los Angeles area. Two days before the loss to the Kings, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Anaheim Ducks. "Travis has key experience running benches at the junior, AHL and NHL levels and knows that there are no shortcuts to success," Fitzgerald said. "He is a high-demanding individual who is familiar with the group and excited about working to get us back on track." The Devils, with several young stars under long-term contracts, entered the season among the league's more talked-about clubs. They topped 100 points last season and defeated the rival New York Rangers in the first round. In the offseason, they acquired additional scoring punch in the form of winger Tyler Toffoli, and were clearly trying to build off the positive momentum around a club that hadn't made the postseason, before last spring, since 2018. But New Jersey has struggled defensively, after losing veterans Damon Severson and Ryan Graves in free agency last summer, and those woes have continued on into the crease. The Devils have used three goaltenders this season, none of whom has shown the consistency needed to be a full-time starter. Green, 53, was hired as an assistant in June of last year, and replaced Andrew Brunette, who left to take the head-coaching position with the Nashville Predators. Green was Vancouver's coach for parts of five seasons, amassing a 133-147-34 record. Green, a former teammate of Fitzgerald with the New York Islanders, led the Canucks to the second round of the 2020 postseason, which was played in the Edmonton bubble amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruff, 64, departs the Devils after coaching the team to a 128-125-28 record in 281 regular-season games over three-plus seasons. New Jersey went 5-7 in the playoffs last season with Ruff, having lost in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Ruff was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award after last season. With the Devils moving on from Ruff, they have become the seventh NHL team to make an in-season coaching change this season. They join the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and Kings. The Devils will enter Tuesday's game with 64 points, eight away from the No. 2 wild-card spot in the East. With the trade deadline this week, Green's club might look much different by Friday than it will at Tuesday's morning skate.

I wish these prospect articles were updated better as the season goes.

https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/1580/anaheim-ducks/in-the-system

I was wondering if there was concern about his size....so i did a quick search. Caulfield is 5'7 Zukes is 5'8 Derbrincat 5'8 Hell even one of my faves Theo Fleury was 5'6 I'll just guess that Barkey has to add some pounds.

Flyers sign forward Denver Barkey to three-year, entry-level contract The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Denver Barkey to a three-year, entry-level contract that is set to begin in the 2024-25 season, the team announced Sunday. Barkey, 18, was drafted by the Flyers in the third round (95th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft out of the London Knights in the OHL. He has remained with the Knights this season, scoring 31 goals and notching 87 points in 56 games. He leads the team in goals, assists and points this season. The Knights sit first overall in the OHL with a 43-13-4 record. In international play, the native of Newmarket, Ont. won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording four points in five games.

It's the dollar amount plus term that irks me.... Not alway sure of a contract stipulation, but 5 years into this contract he won't be worth 11 mil a year....

Games played on 3/2/24 Bolts Erik Cernak vs Habs Arber Xhekaj Winner ? Buff Peyton Krebs vs VGK Ivan Barbashev Winner ? Tor Ryan Reaves vs NYR Matt Rempe Winner ?

Game # 60 Sharangovich scores twice as Flames rally to beat Penguins 4-3 ByAP Updated: Mar 3, 2024, 03:02 am CALGARY, Alberta -- — Yegor Sharangovich scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 50 seconds left, and the Calgary Flames rallied from two goals down in the third period to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Saturday night. “We beat ourselves. In a number of different ways,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We had complete control of the game. Played a really good game up until that point and we just made some egregious mistakes and it’s hard to recover.” Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman also scored for Calgary, which has won a season-high five straight games. Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 shots and the Flames moved five points behind Los Angeles for the second Western Conference wild card. “We’ve got a bunch of guys in here that refuse to go down (without) swinging and that’s a great mentality to have,” Kadri said. “Everybody understands we’re still in the hunt. We’re giving ourselves every opportunity possible. Even if there’s a sliver of hope, we’ll take that and we’ll run with it.” Jonathan Gruden got his first NHL goal, and Lars Eller and Jeff Carter also scored for Pittsburgh. Tristan Jarry made 16 saves. With Tampa Bay's win earlier in the night, the Penguins fell 10 points behind the Lightning for the second Eastern Conference wild card — though Pittsburgh has five games in hand. “We have no choice — we have to keep fighting,” left wing Drew O’Connor said. “It’s a tough way to end that game. We know how important each game is, and we need a lot of them right now. To lose that one when we’re in control hurts a lot, but we have another one tomorrow we have to get ready for.” Trailing 3-1 midway through the third and being outshot by a considerable margin, Calgary suddenly woke up with two goals 32 seconds apart to tie it. Kadri picked up the puck inside his own blue line and slipped it through Noel Acciari's skates as he carried up ice, then made a slick move to dangle past Kris Letang before pulling the puck all the way across the crease and burying it on Jarry at 10:09. “It’s a SportsCenter Top 10 goal and it’s something that electrified the building and the crowd," Coleman said. "That goal just blew the roof off.” With the crowd still buzzing, Coleman tied it 3-all, one-timing Andrew Mangiapane’s centering pass for his team-leading 25th goal. The go-ahead goal in the final minute came when Mikael Backlund stripped the puck from Letang along the sideboards and then dropped a pass to Sharangovich, who picked the top corner for his 23rd — one off his career high. “(Sharangovich) was pressuring the one D and I was hoping he was going to give it to the other D and I just jumped him,” Backlund said. “I didn’t know who I actually passed it to, I just saw two red guys behind me and I dropped it and a very nice finish.” Gruden got the Penguins on the scoreboard first as he chased down a puck near the corner and flung a shot from a sharp angle that squeaked inside the near post on Markstrom with 3:18 left in the first period. The first NHL goal for the 23-year-old Gruden came in his ninth career game — sixth this season. He was called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL on Friday. Eller had a power-play goal with 34 seconds left in the first to make it 2-0. Sharangovich got the Flames on the board at 3:37 of the second when he poked a loose puck past a flat-footed Letang and got in alone, whipping a low shot through Jarry’s pads. Pittsburgh restored its two-goal cushion 2:51 into the third on Carter’s deflection of Ryan Graves’ point shot. In a 50-minute ceremony before the game, the Flames retired goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff's No. 34 — the fourth number raised to the arena rafters alongside Lanny McDonald’s No. 9, Jarome Iginla’s No. 12, and Mike Vernon’s No. 30. In nine seasons with Calgary starting in 2003-04, Kiprusoff had a team-record 305 wins and 41 shutouts. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2005-06. “Everybody’s really happy for Kipper and his family and it’s really cool to see how much support he received tonight and how much he meant to the city," Coleman said. "And to honor him with a win is special.”

Game # 62 Bos 1 NYI 5 Kyle Palmieri's 1st-period hat trick leads Islanders past Bruins 5-1 Updated: Mar 2, 2024, 10:57 pm NEW YORK -- — Kyle Palmieri scored three times in the first period for his third career hat trick and the New York Islanders coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night for their third straight win. Palmieri, who completed the natural hat trick just 12:19 in, had his first three-goal game with the Islanders and added an assist. Anders Lee had a goal and an assist, Brock Nelson also scored, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bo Horvat each added two assists and Ilya Sorokin finished with 24 saves. “We were just executing well,” Palmieri said. “Tonight, we did a great job of breaking pucks out, being in the right spot and helping each other as a five-man unit.” Marc McLaughlin scored the lone goal for Boston and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves as the Bruins fell for the fourth time in five games (1-1-3). The Islanders took a 1-0 lead when Noah Dobson delivered a beautiful stretch pass to Palmieri, who spun around Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei before sliding the puck between Ullmark’s legs at 3:32. Palmieri made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 5:27. Bo Horvat’s one-time shot from the slot created a rebound opportunity that the 33-year-old Palmieri capitalized on. Mathew Barzal also assisted. “Probably one of our better games," Nelson said. "Maybe the best of the season and in recent memory.” The Long Island native capped his hat trick when he buried another rebound in the slot. Palmieri left during the second period after taking a check from Parker Wotherspoon, but returned. Lee extended the Islanders' lead to 4-0 on the first shift of the second period with was his 16th of the season. It was only the Islanders captain's third goal since a scoring twice against Winnipeg on Jan. 16. “That chemistry and communication is there,” Lee said of the synergy between his linemates. “The playmaking was really high level tonight and we were able to put a few in.” Nelson put home his own rebound and collected his 28th of the season at 10:24 to make it 5-0. McLaughlin netted his first goal of the season and spoiled Sorokin’s shutout bid at 14:30 of the second. “They just seemed to get to every loose puck and win every battle tonight,” Bruins captain Brad Marchand said. “We didn’t have enough, our compete level wasn’t high enough, didn’t win enough one-on-one battles and it showed.”

Love that he singed, great for him... Silly contract for the nucks though.