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Category: Columbus Blue Jackets

  • April 11th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 11th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, April 11th, 2019 and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were five contests yesterday in action for the first day of Stanley Cup Playoff action.

     

    TXHT is going to have all of your coverage and you will our coverage in the games below.

     

    NEW YORK ISLANDERS 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT) (New York Islanders lead the series 1-0)

    The New York Islanders would take Game 1 in this contest by downing the Pittsburgh Penguins by the score of 4-3 in overtime, thanks to Josh Bailey scoring the game winner at the 4:39 mark in overtime.

     

    Game 2 takes place Friday night at 7:30 p.m., ET, when the Islanders will look to take the 2-0 series lead.

     

    TXHT’s Christopher Vasilas has your full recap of the contest at the following page.

     

    Columbus 4, TAMPA BAY 3 (Columbus leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would take Game 1 from the Tampa Bay Lightning after being down 3-0 at the end of the first period, winning the contest by the score of 4-3.

     

    Columbus looks to take the 2-0 series lead Friday night in Tampa.

     

    TXHT’s Russell Hartman has your full coverage of Game 1 at the following page.

     

    St. Louis 2, WINNIPEG 1  (St. Louis leads the series 1-0)

     

    In a hard fought contest, the St. Louis Blues would take the home-ice advantage, downing the Winnipeg jets by the score of 2-1.  The St. Louis Blues lead the series 1-0.

     

    The St. Louis Blues will look to take the 2-0 series lead when the two teams face off for Game 2 on Friday night.

     

    TXHT’s Aryan Weisenfeld has your coverage of the contest between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets at the following page.

     

    Dallas 3, NASHVILLE 2 (Dallas leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Dallas Stars would take Game 1 from the Nashville Predators with the 3-2 win.  Dallas’ defenceman Miro Heiskanen would score two of the Stars goals in the contest, after being down 1-0 early in the contest.

     

    Mats Zuccarello would go on to score his first postseason goal as a member of the Dallas Stars organisation and Nashville’s defenceman P.K. Subban would bring Nashville within a goal but Nashville could not tie the game late in the third period.

     

    Dallas looks to take the 2-0 series lead when the two teams face off Saturday night at 6 p.m., ET.

     

    TXHT’s Dickson Kendrick has your full coverage of the contest at the following page.

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Vegas 2 (San Jose leads the series 1-0)

     

    The San Jose Sharks would get five goals past Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to down the Vegas Golden Knights by the score of 5-2.

     

    Five different goal scorers in total emerged in the contest on the Sharks side whereas Mark Stone would register the only two goals for the Golden Knights.

     

    TXHT’s Michael Lindenbaum has your full recap of the contest at the following page.

     

    Today there are three games in Stanley Cup Playoff action…

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    TXHT will have your full previews and gameday recaps of all three contests so make sure to stay tuned for all of your Stanley Cup playoff coverage.

  • Game One Recap – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Game One Recap – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Game one of the Lightning and Blue Jackets series was supposed to be a coming out party for the Lightning. They were supposed to run all over the Blue Jackets and start their march to the Stanley Cup Final. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos were supposed to score hat tricks and… wait… that didn’t happen? No it didnt.

     

    Period one of game one started like everyone thought it would. The Lightning were using their speed and skill to great effect and were running over the Blue Jackets. On the Blue Jackets first power-play of the game, Alex Killorn stripped the puck from a Blue Jacket defender and sped into the offensive zone on a shorthanded breakaway. He would score to put the Lightning up 1-0. Soon after, Anthony Cirelli would capitalize on a rebound and beat Sergei Bobrovsky in close to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead. The Lightning would take a commanding 3-0 lead into the locker room after a Mikhail Sergachev blast was deflected by Yanni Gourde past Sergei Bobrovsky. Things were following the script.

     

    Until they weren’t.

     

    Whatever Columbus Head Coach John Tortorella said to his team in between the first and second periods worked. Half way through the second period, Nick Foligno, the captain and heart and soul of the Blue Jackets, would grab a loose puck and snipe the puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy to get the Jacket on the board. The momentum was beginning to shift in favor of the Jackets and they wouldn’t look back.

     

    The third period was one of the most insane periods of hockey I’ve seen in a long time. The Jackets would get a highlight reel goal from David Savard at 7:56 of the 3rd period when he deked around Victor Hedman and ripped the puck top shelf past Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Jackets were feeling it and the Lightning were powerless to stop it. Josh Anderson would join the party next and on a shorthanded opportunity he would skate cross-ice, out wait Vasilevskiy and shoot the puck past him to tie the game at three. The Jackets would take the lead at 14:05 of the 3rd period after a laser of a wrist shot by Seth Jones beat Vasilevskiy. The Lightning wouldn’t score and the Jackets would go on to win game one by a score of 4-3.

     

    Just like everyone predicted.

     

    The Blue Jackets now have the momentum going into game two and make no mistake; now that they’ve tasted this win and know what it takes to beat Tampa they are not going to back down. This is going to be a long series that no one, including myself, predicted. Will Jarmo Kekkalainen’s savvy moves at the deadline pay off? It remains to be seen but the Jackets are off to a damn good start.

     

    Game two is Friday night in Tampa.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Tampa Bay Lightning (62-16-4) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (47-31-4)

    Eastern Conference First Round Series

    Best of Seven

    Winner Faces Boston/Toronto

     

    The Tampa Bay Lightning had one of the most dominant and historic regular seasons in NHL history. They had three 40 goal scorers and Nikita Kucherov set the record for points in a season but a Russian-born player with 128. They dismantled opponents with their speed, power and skill all in front of an all-world defense led by Victor Hedman and an all-world goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. This team has been a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup and rightfully so; they have everything a cup contender needs in spades. Do the Columbus Blue Jackets, who went balls to the wall at the trade deadline, have a shot at taking out the biggest dog in the yard in the first round? It going to be a challenge needless to say.

     

    Forwards

    Tampa Bay

    First, let’s take a look at their forward groups. The Lightning boast one of the best in the entire league but Blue Jackets isn’t anything to laugh at either. The Lightning have a top-six forward group that consists of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde. That could be considered the best top-six forward core in the league rivaling the power of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. Stamkos, Kucherov and Point each had over 40 goals this year and whenever either of them is on the ice it means trouble for the opposition. Stamkos and Kucherov each have lethal shots and Point is no slouch either. Kucherov is on track to be the best Russian-player in the NHL today. Mix in Johnson, Palat and Gourde and you have a tremendous top-six that can beat you any given way on any given night.

     

    The Lightning’s bottom-six is nothing to laugh at either with the likes of Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli, J.T. Miller and Mathieu Joseph all playing on the third and fourth lines. Killorn has been a productive player for the Lightning since he joined the team in the 2012-13 season. Cirelli has drawn some calder buzz this year. Joseph was another great young find by the Lightning and J.T. Miller is your prototypical middle-six forward who can chip in offense when needed. From top to bottom the Lightning’s forward corps has the potential to light up opposing teams. Does Columbus have the talent to match?

     

    Columbus

    While the Lightning are impressive, the Columbus top-six forward corps is nothing to laugh at. Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Dzingel, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson make up a top-six that has a great deal of 7. ill and speed. Panarin is one of the best scorers in the game. Duchene is a proven number one center even with all the controversy that has followed him the past two seasons because of trades. Dubois is a star on the rise and Atkinson is always a threat for 30 goals. Anderson has proved he can be an effective power forward in the league. The Blue Jackets top-six, while not as intimidating as the Lightning’s, is still impressive and can light up the scoreboard on any given night. Panarin had 28 goals this year, Anderson had 27 goals, Atkinson scored a whopping 41, Duchene had 31 goals and Dubois put up 27.

     

    The Columbus bottom-six forward group features their captain Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, rookie Alexandre Texier, Brandon Dubinsky and Riley Nash. That third line of Foligno, Jenner and Bjorkstrand would be a capable second line on a lesser team but the fact that Columbus has that as a third line is super impressive. Bjorkstrand, although inconsistent, has a nice shot and Foligno is a prototypical power forward. The Columbus captain will make sure his team doesn’t go down without a fight. Toss in Dubinsky and Nash and the Jackets bottom six isn’t too shabby. So who has the forward edge?

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    The Tampa Bay Lightning. The trio of Stamkos, Kucherov and Point are just too good and will give the Blue Jackets all kinds of problems. The Lightning top-six is arguably the best in the entire league and their bottom-six is extremely lethal as well with sneakily good players like Cirelli, Killorn and Miller. The Blue Jackets have a great forward corps, especially with guys like Panarin and Duchene, but they don’t have nearly enough firepower to beat out the Lightning in this category.

     

    Defense

    Tampa Bay

    Victor Hedman is the reigning Norris trophy winner and had 54 points this season. Ryan McDonagh is one of the best shutdown defenseman in the game and he has 46 points this season. Mikhail Sergachev is a star on the rise, had 32 points this season and proved he can be an even better defenseman in year two of his career. Round out that six with Dan Girardi, who has been much better than advertised this season, Erik Cernak who has been a pleasant surprise and the capable Jan Rutta and the Lightning have an excellent group of defensemen who can lock down opponents and chip in the offense when needed. Anton Stralman getting back to full health will be something to keep an eye on in this series for sure.

     

    Columbus

    Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are the two powerhouses on defense here. Werenski had 44 points and Jones has 46 points this season. Both have the potential to be Norris trophy winner down the line. Jones is one of the best in the game today at both ends of the ice and Werenski is as lethal as they come on the offensive side of the ice. David Savard and Markus Nutivaara make a very capable second pair which the ability to chip in offense. The Blue Jackets third pairing of Dean Kukan and Scott Harrington rounds out a defense that can rock with the best of them in the league and if Adam McQuaid can stay healthy he can be inserted back into the lineup and give them an extra bit of snarl. The Blue Jackets will need all the help they can get this series. So who has the edge?

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    The saying goes that defense wins championships.The Lightning and Blue Jackets both have defenses capable of locking down the opposition and making life easier for their goaltenders. Before I give my answer here I need to stress how much closer this matchup is then the forward groups. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are extremely talented and that pair is probably a better pair than any pair of defenseman the Lightning can put put together but this is a case of the whole being better than the sum of its part. The Lightning possess Victor Hedman who at his peak is one of the best overall defenseman in the world. Ryan McDonagh was the Rangers number one defenseman and captain of the Rangers so he is used to being counted on and he has the leadership qualities to boot. Mikhail Sergachev is extremely talented and is only going to get better. One of those guys on each pair means the Lightning have someone to count on on every pair whereas the Blue Jackets get a little thin on their third pairing and their second pairing leaves something to be desired. If Anton Stralman can return, the Lightning only get stronger. The Tampa Bay Lightning get the edge once again.

     

    Goaltending

    Tampa Bay

    The Lightning possess an all-world goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy took over the crease from Ben Bishop a few seasons ago and he has been nothing but star caliber since he became the Lightning’s de facto number one goaltender. This season he had a .925 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. He is tremendously athletic and comes up big in big moments.  He’s played deep in the playoffs before and he’s shown he won’t break under the pressure. Vasilevskiy is going to be rock solid for the Lightning throughout the playoffs. THis year Vasilevskiy sported a record of 39-10-4.

     

    Columbus

    The Blue Jackets also possess an all-world goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky. Aquired from the Philadelphia Flyers a few season ago, Bobrovsky has done absolutely a goaltender can do and won a Vezina trophy along the way. The one thing missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup, same as his counterpart Vasilevskiy. Bobrovsky has been one of the best goaltenders in the regular season over the past few seasons but the knock on him is that he hasn’t been able to get it done in the playoffs. This year he will look to change that. This season he sported a .913 save percentage to go along with 2.58 goals against average. He sported a record of 37-24-1.

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    Just like the last two categories, I have to give this one to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vasilevskiy is the better goaltender and could very well win the Vezina trophy this year. He has shown up in the playoffs, even if he hasn’t won the big one just yet. Bobrovsky has consistently been a let down in the playoffs and until he proves otherwise this will be a big knock on him. This category is actually a lot closer than most people think since both goaltenders are quite good but the edge goes to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

     

    Series Prediction

    The Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in 5 games
    Columbus may steal a game here but this is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s series to lose. They are just deep, and they have arguably one of the best put together teams of all time. With players like Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, and an all world goaltender in Vasilevskiy it will just be too much for the Blue Jackets to overcome. The Blue Jackets did all they could to bolster up at the deadline but they run into the buzzsaw that’s the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sorry Columbus, Tampa is about to unleash their full power in the playoffs.

  • April 7th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 7th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Sunday, April 7th, 2019, and these are your news and notes covering the final day of the 2018-2019 Regular Season in the NHL.

     

    There were 15 contests yesterday across the NHL, with playoff implications on the line.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team is in CAPS):

    Tampa Bay 6, BOSTON 3


    *Images are the property of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Tampa Bay Lightning would get their 62nd win on the season, tying an NHL record with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, when they defeated the Boston Bruins with a 6-3 win yesterday afternoon.  Tampa Bay would get this win after being down 2-0 late in the second period and would score four unanswered goals before Boston would score in the third period to make it a 4-3 Tampa Bay lead. Tampa Bay would score two more goals, one being an empty netter late in the third, to give the Lightning a 6-3 win.

     

     

    Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov would set a record for points by a Russian NHL player with 128 points this season, when he registered his 41st goal on the season 53 seconds into the third period.

     

     

     

    ST. LOUIS 3, Vancouver 2 (SO)

     

    The St. Louis Blues would take down the Vancouver Canucks with a 3-2 win in a shootout and with the win, the St. Louis Blues would seal the third spot in the Central Division standings.

     

     

    Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson would score his 28th goal on the season and ended the season with 66 points, a rookie record for a Canucks player.

     

     

     

    MONTREAL 6, Toronto 5 (SO)

     

     

    The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 6-5 shootout win, thanks to a hat trick by Ryan Poehling in his first NHL game.

     

     

    In this back and forth contest, the Toronto Maple Leafs could not keep up with the upbeat Canadiens and would fall in the shootout loss.  However, despite the loss, the Maple Leafs would earn 100 points on the season, and it would be the first time Toronto would earn that mark in consecutive seasons.

     

     

     

    Columbus 6, OTTAWA 2

     

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would seal their spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators yesterday.  This would also be a penalty free game from both teams.

     

    Buffalo 7, DETROIT 1

     

     

    The Buffalo Sabres would face off against the Detroit Red Wings and would end up crushing Detroit with a 7-1 win last night.

     

     

    Detroit’s lone goal in the contest would come on a power play goal in the first period with Anthony Mantha’s 25th goal on the season, setting a career-high.

     

     

     

    New Jersey 4, FLORIDA 3 (OT)

     

    Travis Zajac would score the game winner in overtime, his 19th goal on the season, to give the New Jersey Devils the 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers last night.

    New Jersey ends the season with 31-41-10 record, whereas the Florida Panthers end their season with a record of 36-32-14 0y 4 /8

     

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1114708929773174784

     

    Carolina 4, PHILADELPHIA 3

     

     

     

    Despite being outshot in the contest, the Carolina Hurricanes would go on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3.  With the win by the Carolina Hurricanes, they earned the top wild card spot and will face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

     

    NY Rangers 4, PITTSBURGH 3 (OT)

     


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Pittsburgh Penguins would fall to the New York Rangers yesterday, losing by the score of 4-3 in overtime last night.

     

    NY Islanders 3, WASHINGTON 0

     

    The Washington Capitals would fall to the New York Islanders with a 3-0 loss.  Despite the loss the Capitals will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Islanders will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

     

     

     

    NASHVILLE 5, Chicago 2

     

     

    The Nashville Predators would defeat the Chicago Blackhawks last night with a 5-2 win last night thanks to goals by five different Nashville skaters.

     

    With the Nashville win, they would go on to become back-to-back Central Division champions.

     

     

    DALLAS 3, Minnesota 0

     

    The Dallas Stars would defeat the Minnesota Wild with a 3-0 win, thanks to two goals from Dallas F Tyler Seguin.  Seguin would bring his regular season goal total to 33 goals, matching a mark he had in the 2015-16 season.

     

    The Minnesota Wild would be outshot throughout the entire contest and never could catch up to physicality and overall play of the Stars.

     

     

    Edmonton 3, CALGARY 1

    The Edmonton Oilers would defeat the Calgary Flames with a 3-1 win thanks to Leon Draisaitl’s 50th goal on the season as well as Alex Chiasson’s 22nd goal on the season.

     

    Calgary’s lone goal would come from Mark Jankowski, his 14th goal on the season, in the first period of the contest.  After that goal by the Flames, they would not any answer for the Oilers.

     


    *Image is the property of the Calgary Flames, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Winnipeg 4, ARIZONA 2

     

    The Winnipeg Jets faced off against the Arizona Coyotes and would escape with a 4-2 win last night.

    There would be four different goal scorers for the Jets in the contest and it would be enough to clinch home ice for at least the first round of the playoffs.

     

    LOS ANGELES 5, Vegas 2

     

    The Los Angeles Kings would face off against the Vegas Golden Knights and escape with a convincing 5-2 win.

     

    Los Angeles Ilya Kovalchuk would score twice and with goals by Jeff Carter, Matt Roy, and Anze Kopitar, the Kings would end their season a win.

     

    For the Golden Knights, despite the loss to the Kings, their season will continue when they face off against the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

     

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Colorado 2

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The San Jose Sharks would go on to defeat the Colorado Avalanche by the score of 5-2 thanks to scorers from five different Sharks players in the contest.

     

     

    For more news, notes, information, and statistics, you can check out the NHL’s Morning Skate Report at the following link:

     

    5802__stanley_cup_playoffs-wordmark-2019

     

    The First Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule was also announced earlier today.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     


    *Images are the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    TXHT will have a full playoff preview episode and articles to come so make sure to stay tuned.

  • April 3rd, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 3rd, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019, and these are your news and notes

     

    There were 10 games in NHL action yesterday.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Nashville 3, BUFFALO 2

     

    The Nashville Predators would take down the Buffalo Sabres with a 3-2 win.  With the win, the Predators are now 6-2-1 in their last nine contests.

     

    Nashville remains in a first place tie on points for the Central Division lead with the Winnipeg Jets.  However if the season were to end today, the Predators would be in second place in the Central Division based on ROW (regulation and overtime wins)

     

    Boston 6, COLUMBUS 2

     

    The Boston Bruins would defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by the score of 6-2 and in doing so, the Bruins would snap Columbus’ five game win streak.

     

    Here is the infographic on Boston’s win over the Blue Jackets.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, Boston Bruins, and their respective owners

     

    Carolina 4, TORONTO 1

     

    The Carolina Hurricanes would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs by the score of 4-1 and in doing so, the Hurricanes are trying to stay in contention for a postseason spot.

     

     

    With the loss by the Maple Leafs, Toronto clinched the third spot in the Atlantic Division.

     

    MONTREAL 4, Tampa Bay 2

     

    The Montreal Canadiens would double up the Tampa Bay Lightning with a convincing 4-2 win.

     

     

    DETROIT 4, Pittsburgh 1

     

    The Detroit Red Wings would win their sixth straight game with a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.

     

     

    The only goal scorer in the contest for the Penguins would be Phil Kessel, with his 25th goal on the season.

     

    Pittsburgh’s infographic from last night’s contest is pictured below


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    MINNESOTA 5, Winnipeg 1

     

    The Minnesota Wild would defeat the Winnipeg Jets with a 5-1 win last night and with the win, the Wild prevented the Jets from climbing further for the division lead.

     

     

    DALLAS 6, Philadelphia 2

     

    The Dallas Stars would take down the Philadelphia Flyers with a convincing 6-2 win last night.

     

     

    Alexander Radulov would score two goals in the contest, giving him 29 goals on the season,

     

    With Dallas’ win, they clinched a spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

     

    COLORADO 6, Edmonton 2

     

    The Colorado Avalanche would beat the Edmonton Oilers with a 6-2 in last night.

     

    After being down 2-0 at the end of the first period, the Avalanche scored six unanswered goals to seal the win.  Also in this contest, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon would register his 400th NHL point.

     

    With Colorado’s win over the Oilers, the Minnesota Wild have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.  It will be the first time that the Wild are not in the playoffs since the 2011-12 season.

     

    VANCOUVER 4, San Jose 2

     

    Tanner Pearson would score twice in the contest to give the Vancouver Canucks a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

     

     

    San Jose’s Joe Thornton is now tied with Nicklas Lidstrom for 12th place on the all-time games played list with 1,564 regular-season games played.

     

    San Jose’s infographic from the 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks last night.

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Los Angeles 3, ARIZONA 1

     

    The LA Kings would take down the Arizona Coyotes with a 3-1 win.

     

     

    With the win by the Kings, the Coyotes postseason chances are now very slim as the remain four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference

     

     

     

     

    Today’s Schedule of NHL contests:


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    For more news, notes, information, and stats, please check out the NHL’s Morning Skate report.

  • Three Stars and NHL Rookie of the Month (March 1-March 31) Announcements

    Three Stars and NHL Rookie of the Month (March 1-March 31) Announcements

    The National Hockey League yesterday announced the Three Stars of the Week and earlier today the Three Stars of the Month as well as the NHL Rookie of the Month was announced.

     

    First, TXHT will take a look at the announcements made for the Three Stars of the Week (week ending March 31)


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The First Star of the Week went to Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

     

    Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky would be named the First Star of the Week thanks to a four wins on the week with two shutouts and would extend the Blue Jackets win streak to five games.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Second Star of the Week went to Detroit Red Wings F Tyler Bertuzzi.

     

    Tyler Bertuzzi shared the League lead with three goals and seven assists in four outings to power the Red Wings to a perfect week and their fifth consecutive victory overall.

    During the week, Bertuzzi would become the first Detroit player to record three consecutive three-point games since 1992-93.  Steve Yzerman achieved that feat twice during the 1992-93 season.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Third Star of the Week would go to Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

     

    Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper would achieve a record of 2-0-1 to keep the Coyotes in the hunt for a wild card spot and earn two shutouts over the week.

    Over the season, Kuemper has achieved a career high 26 wins in 53 appearances and ranks  in the top 10 in the NHL in goals-against average (6th place with a GAA of 2.34) and save percentage (9th place with a SV% of .924).


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

     

    Second, the National Hockey League earlier today announced the Three Stars of the Month (March 1-March 31).

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

     

    The First Star of the Month would go to Edmonton Oilers C Connor McDavid.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    McDavid would have 20 assists over a 14 game span during the month of March and lead the Oilers to a record of 7-5-2 for the month.  McDavid would also have 11 multi-point games over the course of March.

     

    The Edmonton captain also scored seven times, including his seventh career
    overtime goal March 16 at ARI and 40th goal of 2018-19 March 28 vs. DAL.  McDavid also ranks second in the NHL with a career-high 74 assists and 115 points in 75 total contests this season as well as sharing the League lead with nine game-winning goals.

     

    The Second Star of the Month would go to Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Bobrovsky topped the NHL in wins, tied with nine and had four shutouts in 13 appearances.  In those 13 appearances for the month, Bobrovsky would compile a
    1.74 goals-against average and .940 save percentage to give the Blue Jackets a 9-6-1 March record and to the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

     

    The Third Star of the Month would go to Boston Bruins D Brad Marchand.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Marchand placed third in the NHL with nine goals and 14 assists in 15 games to propel the Bruins to a 9-6-0 March and help the Bruins clinch their third consecutive playoff berth.

     

    Marchand would register three points in four games (March 7 vs. the Florida Panthers, March 12 at the Columbus Blue Jackets, March 21 at the New Jersey Devils, and March 27 at home against the New York Rangers.

     

    Finally, the NHL also announced the Rookie of the Month for the month of March.

     

    St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington named as the NHL’s Rookie of the Month

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The NHL earlier today would announce that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington would be named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for the month of March.  This would also be the second consecutive month in which Binnington would earn Rookie of the Month honours.

    Binnington would compile a record of 6-3-0 with a GAA (goals against average) of 2.37 and a save percentage of .912.

    Binnington allowed three or fewer goals in eight of his nine appearances to spark the Blues (43-28-8, 94 points) to their seventh playoff berth in eight seasons and would help get the Blues from the bottom of the NHL standings on January 2nd to second place in the Central Division standings as of the completion of yesterday’s games.

    Binnington has also compiled a record of 22-5-1 since he made his first NHL career start on January 7th.

    Binnington joins Vancouver Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson as the only two rookies to earn Rookie of the Month honours twice during the 2018-19 campaign.

     

    One final note to close out this article…

    Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman released his “31 Thoughts” blog post for the week.

    One big highlight on this week’s “31 Thoughts” blog post is the news with the CWHL shuttering operations on May 1 and what the NHL needs to do to make a viable partnership with the NWHL.

    https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1113112788853972992

     

  • April 1st, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 1st, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is April 1st, 2019, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were six contests in NHL action yesterday.

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team is in CAPS):

     

    NY Rangers 3, PHILADELPHIA 0

     

    The New York Rangers would take on the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon and would take down the Philadelphia Flyers with a 3-0 win yesterday in downtown Philadelphia.

     

     

    ARIZONA 4, Minnesota 0

     

    The Arizona Coyotes would shutout the Minnesota Wild yesterday afternoon with a 4-0 win.

     

     

    Arizona is still in postseason contention with three games left to play.,

     

     

    PITTSBURGH 3, Carolina 1

     

    The Pittsburgh Penguins would take down the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-1 win and would not let the Carolina Hurricanes climb in the standings.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, Pittsburgh Penguins, and their respective owners

     

    Columbus 4, BUFFALO 0

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would defeat the Buffalo Sabres yesterday with a 4-0 shutout performance.

     

     

    Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky would have a 38 save performance, earning his 36th win on the season.

     

     

    DETROIT 6, Boston 3

     

    The Detroit Red Wings would take down the Boston Bruins with a 6-3 win, thanks to a three goal performance by Anthony Mantha.

     

     

    Despite the loss by the Bruins, they still are holding on strong to the second seed in the Atlantic Division playoff spot.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, Boston Bruins, and their respective owners

     

    Calgary 5, SAN JOSE 3

     

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, the Calgary Flames and their respective owners

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, San Jose Sharks, and their respective owners

     

    With the 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks, the Calgary Flames clinched the Pacific Division, their first division crown since the 2005-06 season when they won the Northwest Division, and the top seed in the Western Conference, which last happened in the 1989-90 season.

     

     

     

    Today’s schedule of contests:


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    5802__stanley_cup_playoffs-wordmark-2019
    *Image is the property of the NHL and their respective owners

     

    Today’s playoff clinching scenarios:

    -The Washington Capitals can clinch the Metropolitan Division if they defeat the Florida Panthers AND the New York Islanders lose to the Toronto Maple Leafs in regulation

    -The Toronto Maple Leafs will clinch a postseason spot if they get at least one point against the Islanders

     

    With the win by the Calgary Flames, we now know one confirmed first round match-up in the postseason.

    The San Jose Sharks will take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

  • March 31st, 2019 — News and Notes

    March 31st, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Sunday, March 31st, 2019, and these are your news and notes

     

    There were 12 contests in NHL action yesterday

     

     

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team is in CAPS):

     

    Florida 4, BOSTON 1

    Florida Panthers infographic from the contest between the Panthers and the Boston Bruins yesterday afternoon.

     

    CAROLINA 5, Philadelphia 2

    Highlights from the contest between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon.

     

    OTTAWA 4, Toronto 2

    The Toronto Maple Leafs would fall to the Ottawa Senators yesterday with a 4-2 loss yesterday.

    Ottawa would ruin Toronto’s chances to climb in the playoff picture with the win.

     

    Washington 6, TAMPA BAY 3

    The Washington Capitals would take down the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 6-3 win yesterday at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa Bay last night.

     

    Goal scorers for Washington included Alex Ovechkin, who would notch two goals, his 50th and 51st on the season, as well as two goals scored by TJ Oshie, a goal by Nicklas Backstrom and another goal by Jakub Vrana.

     

    Tampa Bay would go convert on two out of five power plays in the contest, but those conversions would not be enough as the Capitals would out shoot and out perform the Lightning to seal the 6-3 win for Washington.

     

     

    TXHT has your full coverage of the contest between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning at the following page.

     

     

    St. Louis 3, NEW JERSEY 2 (OT)

     

    The St. Louis Blues, who clinched a playoff berth on Friday, would take down the new Jersey Devils with a 3-2 win in overtime last night.

     

     

     

    NY ISLANDERS 5, Buffalo 1

     

    The NY Islanders would take down the Buffalo Sabres yesterday with a 5-1 win and with the win, the Islanders would clinch a berth for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

     

     

     

    Montreal 3, WINNIPEG 1

     

    The Montreal Canadiens would take an early lead in the contest against the Winnipeg Jets and come out with a 3-1 win over the Jets last night.

     

     

    There would be three different goal scorers for the Canadiens in the 3-1 win last night.

     

     

    Columbus 5, NASHVILLE 2

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would notch their fourth straight win and get two much needed points in the race for the one of the last two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference with a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators.

     

     

    Nashville, with the loss, would not gain any ground in the Central Division standings.  The Winnipeg Jets and the Nashville Predators remain tied with 94 points atop the division.

     

    SAN JOSE 4, Vegas 3 (OT)

     

    The San Jose Sharks would defeat the Vegas Golden Knights last night at SAP Center last night with a 4-3 win in overtime.

     

     

     

    Anaheim 5, EDMONTON 1

     

    The Anaheim Ducks would take down the Edmonton Oilers yesterday with a 5-1 last night.

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1112222361678278656

     

    Anaheim’s Richard Rakell would score three goals in the contest to seal the win for the Ducks in this contest last night.

     

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1112210962503761920

     

     

    VANCOUVER 3, Dallas 2 (SO)

     

    The Vancouver Canucks would take down the the Dallas Stars yesterday with a 3-2 win in the shootout frame.

     

     

    It would be the second consecutive game in which the Canucks would win a game in the shootout.  Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom would have a 38-save performance in the contest.

     

     

     

    LOS ANGELES 3, Chicago 2 (OT)

    In the final contest of the night, the Los Angeles Kings would defeat the Chicago Blackhawks by the score of 3-2 in overtime last night.

    Chicago, with the loss, has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

     

     

    Today’s Schedule of Games:


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

    5802__stanley_cup_playoffs-wordmark-2019
    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Today’s Stanley Cup Playoff clinching possibilities:

    -The Calgary Flames will clinch the Pacific Division AND the Western Conference if they defeat the San Jose Sharks

    -The Dallas Stars will clinch a berth in the playoffs if the Arizona Coyotes lose in any fashion

  • March 12th, 2019 — News and Notes

    March 12th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Tuesday, March 12th, 2019, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were seven contests in NHL action last night.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations and their respective owners

     

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team is in CAPS):

     

    Tampa Bay 6, TORONTO 2

    The Tampa Bay Lightning would take on the Toronto Maple Leafs and would win the contest by the score of 6-2.

    The Lightning would go on to out shoot the Maple Leafs in the contest.

    Tampa Bay’s Cedric Paquette and Tyler Johnson would each score twice in the contest to give the Lightning their 53rd win on the season.  And would be the seventh club to get the 110 point mark in 70 games or fewer.

    TXHT has your complete coverage of the contest between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs at the following page.

     

    NY ISLANDERS 2, Columbus 0

    The New York Islanders would go on to defeat the reeling Columbus Blue Jackets with a 2-0 win and in the contest, Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss would have 31 saves.

     

    PHILADELPHIA 3, Ottawa 2

    The Philadelphia Flyers would go on to defeat the Ottawa Senators with a 3-2 win, thanks to three unanswered goals in the second period to seal the win for Philadelphia last night.

     

    San Jose 3, MINNESOTA 0

    The San Jose Sharks would go on to shutout the Minnesota Wild with a 3-0 win and with the win, San Jose would move to the top of the Pacific Division standings.


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

    CHICAGO 7, Arizona 1

    The Chicago Blackhawks would take on the Arizona Coyotes and would go on to crush the Coyotes by the score of 7-1.

    Chicago’s Brendan Perlini would go on to register a hat trick in the contest.

    Chicago’s Jonathan Toews would also go on to successfully register a penalty shot in the contest.

     

    Carolina 3, COLORADO 0

     

    The Carolina Hurricanes would go on to face off against the Colorado Avalanche and would escape with a shutout win.

    Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov would go on to score twice in the contest to guide the Hurricanes to the win.

     

     

    EDMONTON 3, NY Rangers 2 (OT)

    The Edmonton Oilers would have three different goal scorers in the contest and would go on to get a much needed win against the New York Rangers last night with the 3-2 overtime win.

     

     

     

    Today’s NHL schedule of games…

     

    For more news, notes, information, and stats, please check out the NHL’s Morning Skate at the following page.

     

     

    FB_IMG_1551878102760

     

    Due to the postponement of the semifinal game on Sunday between the Metropolitan Riveters and the Minnesota Whitecaps, that contest will now be played on Friday night with the winner taking on the Buffalo Beauts on Sunday at 2 p.m., ET/1 p.m., CT at TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minnesota.

     

     

    The announcement of rescheduled contest was made yesterday and it would be determined that the 2019 NWHL Isobel Cup Final would be played at TRIA Rink.

     

    For more news on that, please check out the following tweets per the NWHL.

  • March 8th, 2019 — News and Notes

    March 8th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Friday, March 8th, 2019, and these are your news and notes.

    There were 11 NHL contests yesterday


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations and their respective owners

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team in CAPS):

    BOSTON 4, Florida 3

    The Boston Bruins would sneak past the Florida Panthers with a 4-3 win last night.  Boston’s Patrice Bergeron would score twice in the contest and Brad Marchand would have a three assist night.  With Boston’s win, they would go on to extend their point streak to 18 contests.

     

    Boston’s goaltender Tuukka Rask would go on to have a 22 save performance in the contest.

     


    *Image is the property of the Boston Bruins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    PITTSBURGH 3, Columbus 0

    The Pittsburgh Penguins would go on to shutout the Columbus Blue Jackets last night with the 3-0 win.


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    NY Islanders 4, OTTAWA 2

    The New York Islanders would go on to double up the Ottawa Senators with the 4-2 win and Valtteri Filppula would go on to have two goals in the contest for the Islanders.

    With the win, the Islanders would go on to get the sweep in the home-and-home series against the Senators.

     

     

    DETROIT 3, NY Rangers 2 (SO)

    Detroit’s Andreas Athanasiou would score a goal in the contest and would get what would be the only goal in the shootout frame to seal the win for the Red Wings in the contest. 

     

     

    For the Rangers, Pavel Buchnevich would score what would be the two goals in the contest.

    Minnesota 3, TAMPA BAY 0

    The Minnesota Wild would cool off the white-hot Tampa Bay Lightning with the 3-0 win.  Minnesota’s Jason Zucker would score the only goals in the contest.

     

     

    With the lone goals scored by Zucker, he would be only the second player in franchise history and the 23rd in League history to not only have at least three goals that were the only goals in the contest but the team would also register a shutout as well.

     

     

    CHICAGO 5, Buffalo 4 (SO)

    The Chicago Blackhawks would go on to register the 5-4 shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres.

     

     

    Chicago’s Artem Anisimov would go on to have two goals in the contest, while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane would both go on to have two assists in the contest.

     

     

    DALLAS 4, Colorado 0

    The Dallas Stars would go on to shutout the Colorado Avalanche in Dallas last night and Alexander Radulov would go on to register a hat trick in the contest, sealing the hat trick in the contest with 2:58 left in the third period with his empty net goal.

     

     

    EDMONTON 3, Vancouver 2

    The Edmonton Oilers would go on to sneak past the Vancouver Canucks with the 3-2 win last night.

    Edmonton’s Alex Chiasson, Zack Kassian, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would go on to score the goals for the Oilers in the contest.

    Vancouver’s Jay Beagle would go on to snap his scoreless streak in the contest with his third goal on the season late in the second period.  Alexander Edler would also go on to register a goal in the third period but that would not be enough to tie up the game.

     

    ARIZONA 2, Calgary 0

     

    The Arizona Coyotes would go on to blank the Calgary Flames last night and with the win, the Coyotes would move to a record of 33-29-5.

     

     

    Calgary Flames infographic from last night’s contest

     


    *Image is the property of the Calgary Flames, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    St. Louis 4, LOS ANGELES 0

     

     

     

    The St. Louis Blues would go on to record their fifth shutout in the past twelve contests and the NHL-best ninth shutout on the season as they would go on to blank the Los Angeles Kings by the score of 4-0.

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Montreal 2

     

    San Jose Sharks defenceman Brent Burns would go on to record his 60th assist on the season, and joins three other players to have at least 60 assists at the age of 33 or older.

     

     

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    For the Montreal Canadiens, Andrew Shaw and Artturi Lehkonen would score the only goals, despite out shooting the Sharks in this contest.

     


    *Image in the property of the Montreal Canadiens, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

     

    Tonight’s NHL schedule of contests…


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

    FB_IMG_1551878102760

     

    Last night in the 2019 NWHL’s Isobel Cup Playoffs Play-in game, the Metropolitan Riveters would take on the Connecticut Whale and would come out with the 5-2 win.

    The contest would be fast-paced in the first period, with the game being tied a 2-2.  The second period in the contest would be filled with penalties and neither team would take advantage of the extra skater.  The third period would start out slow until Riveters Audra Richards would end up scoring what would be the game winner at the 2:35 mark.  There would not be another goal scored until toward the end of the period when Alexa Grushow would score her second goal in the contest and then with 16 seconds left, Audra Richards would score an empty net goal.

    The Metropolitan Riveters will now take on the Minnesota Whitecaps on Sunday 2:30 p.m., ET/1:30 p.m., CT.

    TXHT’s Christopher Vasilas has your full recap of the contest between the Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters at the following page.