Rabu, 31 Maret 2021

Mark Masters: Jack Campbell returns to Toronto Maple Leafs' crease against Winnipeg Jets - TSN

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The Toronto Maple Leafs skated at Bell MTS Place on Wednesday. 

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After being unavailable to dress on Monday, Jack Campbell will start tonight in Winnipeg. 

"It's kind of a day-to-day thing," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "He's progressed well. It seems like when he has time to recover from his recent games that he has bounced back and feels good, but it is something we have to manage." 

Campbell hurt his leg on Jan. 24 in Calgary and the issue has lingered ever since.

"We have to be responsible with it as a staff and be smart with it and he has to be honest and tell us exactly how he's feeling so we can make the appropriate decisions," Keefe said. 

Campbell aggravated the injury upon returning to the lineup on Feb. 27 and was forced back to the sideline for three weeks. 

"It takes a lot of character to get through something like that," said defenceman Zach Bogosian. "He's a huge part of our team. His personality is great. He's awesome in the locker room and he's one hell of a goalie, too. We're confident with him back there and he's really stuck with it. The character side, people don't see what goes on behind the scenes. It's pretty easy to tune in at 7 o'clock at night and see us, but there's a lot that goes into it behind the scenes and Soupy's been working so hard in the gym trying to battle back. Obviously, when he's come back to play for us he's played extremely well, so it's been great to see."

Campbell is 6-0-0 this season with a .945 save percentage, but has yet to face the Jets. 

Frederik Andersen is still in Toronto where he has a follow-up appointment on Thursday to look at his lower-body injury. Keefe said the hope is that meeting will offer more insight on the issue, which has kept him off the ice since March 19. 

The Leafs have a busy schedule this week with another game in Winnipeg on Friday before a back-to-back set on Sunday and Monday in Calgary. Toronto has dropped the past three games that third stringer Michael Hutchinson has started.

Campbell starts for Leafs; Andersen has follow-up appointment

Frederik Andersen is back in Toronto for a follow-up appointment to look at his lower-body injury. Tonight, Jack Campbell will get the start for Toronto after taking last game off to rest his ailments. Campbell's positive attitude during his recovery has brought smiles to his Leafs teammates.

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Alex Galchenyuk will get a look on the power play tonight as the Leafs look to snap out of a slump on the man advantage. 

"He's had some shifts here and there, but looking for something a little more solidified here tonight," Keefe confirmed. 

Toronto has converted on just one of 23 chances over the past 11 games. Despite the lack of goals, Keefe insists he likes a lot of the process of late and feels like the group is close to breaking out. 

One issue is the lack of opportunities. In the last 11 games, Toronto has been held to two or fewer chances on seven occasions. 

"It’s hard to mix and try different things," the coach said.  

The Leafs, with new assistant coach Manny Malhotra overseeing the power play, have not hesitated to experiment with new looks. At the morning skate today, one unit getting reps featured Morgan Rielly up top, William Nylander and Auston Matthews on the flanks with John Tavares in the middle and Mitch Marner down low. 

"We like the ability to mix things up and move things around a little bit and spread the minutes appropriately," Keefe noted. "For the most part this season we've had a two-unit look, try and get some competitiveness that way with one unit pushing the other, as well as just having players play with greater urgency and greater energy through the power plays."

Galchenyuk was taking reps with the second unit at the morning skate. 

Despite the recent dry spell, the Leafs still own the NHL's top power play on the road, clicking at 34.1 per cent. 

Galchenyuk will get a look as Leafs seek power play breakthrough

In an effort to try and spark a power play that is 0-for-10 over the last four games, Sheldon Keefe says Alex Galchenyuk will get a look with the extra man tonight as Toronto's head coach tries to juggle combinations to create some internal competition.

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The Jets are finally back home after playing the last seven on the road. The trip, which lasted 12 days, has taken a toll on the group. 

"The boys are feeling it a little bit right now," Andrew Copp admitted this morning. "The time-zone change and the late games in Calgary and then an earlier skate today [at 10 a.m. CT because of the 6:30 p.m. local start], I think everyone was a little slow moving around the locker room and trying to get warmed up. It got better as we went along, thank God. The skate kind of gets you back, a sweat kind of gets you back to neutral a little bit, so we'll be ready to go tonight."

Considering the fatigue factor, coach Paul Maurice wasn't sure how much the last-change advantage would factor into tonight's proceedings. 

"I'm not as married to the matchup right now and a lot of that has to do with our schedule," the coach said. "It's more important that I get everybody evened out than it is I get a specific match on any night." 

This is the fifth meeting between the Leafs and Jets this season, but the first one in Winnipeg. The Jets took two of three games against the Leafs in Toronto earlier this month. 

"In the Toronto set that we played, I didn't feel that there were a bunch of times on the bench that I got jammed into something I didn’t want," Maurice said. "They're more than comfortable [with] their so-called third line and with the veterans they have on their fourth line, they'll play those lines against your best. D-zone faceoffs, they're not worried about it. So, that would be true of us as well, right, so there's not the impetus from either coach to say, 'I can't win this game,' or 'I got a way better chance of winning this game if I get this hard match.'"

Keefe referred to the Jets as "the deepest opponent that we face in our division in terms of their forward lines."

Jets focused on limiting Leafs chances in the slot

Preparing for a pivotal two-game set against the Maple Leafs, the Jets say that they will need to focus on keeping puck control and limiting Toronto's offensive opportunities in the slot, keeping their shots coming from the outside.

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If the top two lines featuring Matthews, Tavares, Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois end up duelling to a draw then the bottom six may decide things. 

"The depth of our forward group is a strength for us, and we have to use it," said Jason Spezza. "We have to be reliable, and they approach things similarly, so it lends to a great match-up and everyone being used and needing all 12 guys up front." 

As Maurice noted, Toronto's fourth line currently features the 37-year-old Spezza and 41-year-old Joe Thornton, who have been lining up beside Alex Kerfoot. 

"We've had some good looks as a line," Spezza said. "We've done some good things. We need to cash in a few more chances but, other than that, we're starting to build some chemistry."

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Wayne Simmonds is among Toronto's depth players looking to get on track. He's registered just one assist and six shots in five games since returning from a broken wrist. 

"I got a few expletive words for myself," the gritty winger said following Monday's overtime loss to the Oilers. "I don't think I was good at all. I need to do more. I think I was kind of in my head a little bit, but I'll get that figured out. I need to start contributing again."

Simmonds, who missed six weeks with the injury, started Saturday's game on the second line before being dropped to the unit with Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall

"Just thinking too much," Simmonds said of the issue right now. "When you play your best hockey you're having fun and you're kind of carefree ... I got to start enjoying myself."

'I got a few expletive words for myself': Slumping Simmonds is thinking too much

Wayne Simmonds isn't happy with how he's played since returning from a six-week absence. "I got a few expletive words for myself. I don't think I was good at all," the winger said after Monday’s loss. Simmonds has just one assist in five games since coming back from a broken wrist. "I'm thinking too much. I got to start enjoying myself."

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Lines at Wednesday's morning skate: 

Hyman - Matthews - Marner 

Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander

Thornton - Kerfoot - Spezza 

Mikheyev - Engvall - Simmonds

Rielly - Brodie 

Muzzin - Holl 

Dermott - Bogosian

Campbell starts 

Hutchinson 

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2021-03-31 20:53:20Z
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Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Winnipeg Jets – Game #36 Preview, Projected Lines & TV Info - Maple Leafs Hot Stove

Tonight, a critical two-game series gets underway as the North Division’s first-place Maple Leafs face off against the second-place Winnipeg Jets, who are one point behind Toronto, rolling offensively, and winners of four of their last five (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet)

As has been customary for Jets hockey in recent years, Winnipeg hasn’t dominated their opponents at five-on-five, but they are built on very strong goaltending and an opportunistic offense. Winnipeg spends a significantly greater amount of time in their own end than Toronto does, and yet they’re just behind the Leafs‘ points pace thanks to high-end goaltending, a top-five power play, and an ability to convert 5v5 shots into goals at an above-average clip.

While the Jets hover over 30% on the power play in the month of March, the Leafs, while they continue to gain the zone consistently and move the puck well, have not produced a high enough volume of shots on goal on the man advantage as of late.

Amid the scoreless slump on the power play over their last eight games (0-for-18) that dates back to March 10, the Leafs are 20th in the NHL in shots for per 60 on the power play after leading the NHL in the category prior to the dip. What’s interesting about the rest of the numbers, though: Toronto is still top five in expected goals, scoring chances, and high-danger chances per 60 during their dry spell.


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That is likely a big part of why Sheldon Keefe continues to be encouraged by the process, although the calls to fully load the top unit (with both William Nylander and John Tavares) are growing louder by the day. Regardless of who is out there with who and for how long, the Leafs do have to get more pucks on net, as it might take an ugly one to get the man advantage rolling again.

In the Leafs net, Jack Campbell, after taking a game and a practice off earlier this week, will return tonight as the Leafs continue to handle his nagging injury situation with an abundance of caution. Veini Vehvilainen and Michael Hutchinson have traveled with the team to Winnipeg, and the latter will back up tonight.

With a team .880 save percentage in their last 10 games over all situations, it will be crucial for Campbell to stabilize the crease — as he has in all of his starts this season — against an opponent with the most lethal top six the Leafs will encounter in this regular season and a goaltender across the way that has given the Leafs headaches in the season series (2-2-0) despite Toronto’s territorial control over the matchups at 5v5.

Connor Hellebuyck is 4-1 in his last five games and has only allowed seven goals in those contests. This season, he is 17-9-2 with a .918 Sv% and a GSAx of 9.6.


Stats — Last 10 Games

  • Dylan Demelo leads the Jets with a 60.8% xG rating  — Logan Stanley is their only other defenseman over 50% (53%).
  • All of the Jets primary five forwards — Schiefele, Wheeler, Stastny, Dubois, Ehlers, and Connor — are producing over 2.5 xG/60 at five-on-five.
  • In his five games with the Maple Leafs, Alex Galchenyuk leads the team with 67% xG share and a 62% shot attempt share.
  • John Tavares leads the Maple Leafs in individual shot attempts and xGoals/60
  • The Jets team save-percentage in all situations is .923%, while Toronto’s is .880%
  • The Leafs have greatly outplayed the Jets at five-on-five; Toronto has a 58% xG share while the Jets are only at 49%

All stats are score and venue adjusted and sourced from evolving-hockey.com


Game Day Quotes

Paul Maurice on moving Pierre-Luc Dubois away from Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers, the players he spent most of his first few weeks in Winnipeg with:

Going back to when we first acquired Pierre-Luc, that was one of the combinations that you have that you’d like to see. There was the end of a road trip and [we wanted] a bit of a change to see if we could spark something. I wanted to be careful about changing [Dubois]’s line because, after game one of the Vancouver set, I really, really liked where they were at. In the two Edmonton games as well, I liked what they were doing, and then it just kind of levelled off.

I thought for a while there that Schiefele’s line was grinding and playing hard, but there wasn’t a whole lot going on, so that was the other part. You’ve got to give your team the best chance to win every night but you also have to understand your team by the time the regular season’s over.

We see such different styles of hockey in this division. [The] Vancouver and Calgary [games] had been very straight-line, almost every puck [was] dumped, with really physical battles at both ends. The Toronto and Edmonton series have so much danger off the rush, so you need to kind of get through these games with an idea of what changes could you make to your lines when you get into a series and something isn’t working.

We need to learn more about this team — with Pierre-Luc, I’d like to leave it for a while and see where it goes.

Sheldon Keefe on whether he feels uncertain about his team’s goaltending at the moment:

Yeah, a little bit. Certainly, when it comes to Jack’s situation, it’s kind of a day-to-day thing. He’s progressed well and it seems that when he has time to recover from his recent games, he does bounce back and feel good, so there’s less of a concern there. It is something we have to manage. You have to be responsible with it as a staff and be smart with it. He’s got to be honest and tell us exactly how he’s feeling.

Keefe on the Jets’ forwards:

They have lots of depth and they use four lines very effectively. [They] have three lines that can score and a fourth line that has been contributing as well, does a good job defensively, and they trust them. From a forward perspective, they’re a very deep team that’s playing strong team defense with strong goaltending, so there’s a lot of things that present challenges from them as a team.

Keefe on how he feels Zach Bogosian has fit in this season while playing all but one game:

I wouldn’t say I’m surprised about his durability. I didn’t have a lot of concerns about that going into the season — he’s played well. Like a lot of our guys, he’s had some nights that have not gone well for him, but I think for the most part, he’s bounced back from those and he’s showed great consistency for us in playing the role we need from him: being physical, defending efficiently, and helping us on the penalty kill.


Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines

Forwards
#11 Zach Hyman – #34 Auston Matthews – #16 Mitch Marner
#12 Alex Galchenyuk – #91 John Tavares – #88 William Nylander
#97 Joe Thornton  –  #15 Alex Kerfoot – #19 Jason Spezza
#65 Ilya Mikheyev – #47 Pierre Engvall – #24 Wayne Simmonds

Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly – #78 T.J Brodie
#8 Jake Muzzin – #3 Justin Holl
#23 Travis Dermott – #22 Zach Bogosian

Goaltenders
#36 Jack Campbell (starter)
#30 Michael Hutchinson

Extras: Martin Marincin, Alexander Barabanov, Timothy Liljegren, Adam Brooks, Scott Sabourin, Veini Vehvilainen
Injured: Frederik Andersen


Winnipeg Jets Projected Lines

Forwards
#25 Paul Stastny – #13 Pierre-Luc Dubois – #26 Blake Wheeler
#81 Kyle Connor – #55 Mark Schiefele – #27 Nikolaj Ehlers
#9 Andrew Copp – #17 Adam Lowry – #82 Mason Appleton
#95 Mathieu Perreault – #11 Nate Thompson – #23 Trevor Lewis

Defensemen
#44 Josh Morrisey – #3 Tucker Poolman
#24 Derek Forbort – #4 Neal Pionk
#64 Logan Stanley – #2 Dylan Demelo

Goaltenders
#37 Connor Hellebuyck (starter)
#30 Laurent Brossoit

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2021-03-31 20:36:56Z
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Rush's Geddy Lee is unhappy about lack of Blue Jays radio for 2021 - Yahoo Canada Sports

The Canadian Press

3 high school teammates become MLB opening day starters

Lucas Giolito, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty were teammates nine years ago at Harvard-Westlake, a prestigious prep school in Los Angeles. On Thursday, all three will be opening-day starting pitchers in the major leagues. And they didn’t even win a California state title the year they all played together. “If you point at a particular high school and ask: What is the probability that three baseball players graduating this year will wind up pitching for MLB teams, and get selected to be this year’s starters on opening day? The probability is less than one in a billion,” said James E. Corter, professor of statistics and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. “But if you assume that there are maybe 10,000 high schools in the U.S., and elsewhere in the hemisphere that field baseball teams who play at a level that might get them noticed and recruited, the odds that it could happen somewhere, with some high school, rise considerably,” Corter said. “So now we’re talking more like one in 100,000. Still, pretty unusual.” Giolito becomes the first White Sox right-hander to make consecutive opening-day starts since Jaime Navarro in 1997 and ’98 when Chicago opens under new manager Tony La Russa at the Los Angeles Angels, and Flaherty will start his second opener in a row when the St. Louis Cardinals are at the Cincinnati Reds. Fried takes the mound in an opener for the first time when Atlanta plays at Philadelphia. “It’s pretty cool when you know 10% of the league is starting opening day from the same high school,” Giolito said. “We’ve been working together for a long time, pumping each other up. It’s pretty weird and wild. I don’t think that’s ever happened before in any professional sport where you’ve got three guys from the same high school all competing on the big stage.” Flaherty was 6-1 with a 1.77 ERA and a save as a sophomore for the Wolverines and Fried was 8-2 with a 2.02 ERA as a senior. Giolito got hurt early his senior season and finished 2-1 with a 0.84 ERA. Harvard-Westlake’s baseball team went 24-5-1 in 2012 and lost to Valencia 3-1 in the second round of the playoffs. One year later, Flaherty pitched a six-hitter and had an RBI single to beat Marino 1-0 in the 2013 California Interscholastic Federation championship game at Dodger Stadium. “The most fun was getting to go to bed the night before and knowing that I had somebody really good going to the mound the next day. There wasn’t a whole lot of sleepless nights during that that period of our program’s history,” said Matt LaCour, Harvard-Westlake’s baseball coach from 2002-15 and now one of its athletic directors. “It was pretty easy to tell by the time they got into their junior, senior years that they were all going to be the type of high-profile, highly sought-after draft picks that they became. I guess with Jack it was a little bit different than the other two. We weren’t quite sure if he was going to be an offensive player or a defensive player when it came to pro baseball.” Fried first attended Montclair Prep in Van Nuys, then transferred after his school eliminated baseball and other extracurricular activities. Flaherty was entering his sophomore year in 2011-12, considering himself a shortstop, and Giolito was starting his senior season. By 2012, Giolito had reached 100 mph in a winter league game and was projected as a possible No. 1 pick before spraining the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, which led to Tommy John surgery that Sept. 13. “I knew they were going to be successful based on the talent, the work ethic. Did I think that all three of them would be starting opening day? No, I couldn’t imagine that,” said pitching coach Ethan Katz, then with Harvard-Westlake and now starting his first season with the White Sox. Flaherty viewed the others as potential opening-day starters but not himself — because he didn’t foresee his future on the mound. “We definitely knew that Lucas and Max we’re going to start on opening day together at some point, and I think I was the third one that was kind of added to that,” he said. “Those guys have been studs in the last couple of years. It’s fun to be surrounded by guys of that calibre and have relationships with them.” Confidence was not lacking: the trio viewed themselves as future big leaguers. “That’s something that we talked about all the time. We’re going to motivate each other. We’re all going to get to the big leagues. We’re all going to be mainstays in the big leagues,” Giolito said. “For us, that was stuff that we had to talk about because if you set those goals high and you’ve got guys in your corner to motivate you to get there, then they’re much more reachable than if you’re just kind of on your own and hoping and wishing.” And, indeed, all three became first-round draft picks. Fried was selected seventh by San Diego in 2012 and Giolito 16th, while Flaherty was taken 34th by St. Louis in 2014. And all three were bonus babies, with Fried signing for $3 million, Giolito $2,925,000 and Flaherty $2 million Giolito, a 26-year-old right-hander, became an All-Star in 2019. He was 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA last year and is 31-29 in four seasons. Fried, a 27-year-old lefty, went 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA last year, improving to 26-11 in four seasons. He won a Gold Glove and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting. Flaherty, a 25-year-old right-hander, was 4-3 with a 4.91 ERA, leaving his record at 23-22 in four years. During offseasons, Fried and Flaherty still work out at Harvard-Westlake. “I’m really happy and really excited for those guys,” Fried said. “They’ve worked extremely hard to be able to put themselves in that position. To kind of share that and be able to be pitching at the same day as those guys is pretty cool.” ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Ronald Blum, The Associated Press

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2021-03-31 17:44:13Z
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Andersen in Toronto for appointment on LBI - TSN

Injured Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen is not with the club as they get set to play the first of four road games beginning Wednesday in Winnipeg.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Andersen is back in Toronto and has a follow-up appointment to look at the lower-body injury that has kept him out since March 19.

A determination will be made after the appointment on whether or not he will join Toronto on their road trip, which sees them take on the Jets twice before heading to Calgary to battle the Flames.

Goaltenders Ian Scott and Veini Vehviläinen were on the ice with the Leafs Wednesday according to Kristen Shilton, while Jack Campbell was in the starter's net.

Michael Hutchinson started Toronto's last game on Monday night, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers where he stopped 20 of 23 shots.

Andersen is 13-8-2 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage in 23 appearances so far this season. He is in the final year of a five-year, $25 million deal and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

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2021-03-31 17:21:41Z
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Maple Leafs continue to walk tightrope with Campbell, Andersen injuries - Sportsnet.ca

Sheldon Keefe was asked if he felt like the Toronto Maple Leafs were walking a bit of a tightrope with two banged-up goaltenders. His answer didn’t inspire confidence with a steady drumbeat of games on deck.

“Yeah, a little bit,” said Keefe.

Frederik Andersen stayed back in Toronto as the team embarked on a four-game road trip and is scheduled for a follow-up appointment Thursday that should determine the next steps in his recovery.

He hasn’t played since March 19 and isn’t believed to be dealing with a season-threatening issue. But he’s not going to play any time soon.

The Leafs will have Jack Campbell back between the pipes in Winnipeg on Wednesday night, which is good news, but there’s no guarantee he’ll feel good enough to go when they face the Jets again on Friday.

Campbell has been battling through a lower-body issue that’s been on-again, off-again throughout a season where he’s gone 6-0-0.

“It’s kind of a day-to-day thing,” said Keefe. “He’s progressed well and it seems like when he has time to recover from his recent games that he does bounce back and feels good. So there’s less of a concern there, but it’s something we have to manage.

“We have to be responsible with it as a staff, and be smart with it, and he’s got to be honest and tell us exactly how he’s feeling so we can make appropriate decisions.”

The Leafs have found their way through the uncertainty and stayed atop the North Division standings -- although that could change Wednesday with Winnipeg only one point behind. While it might be tempting for general manager Kyle Dubas to look for more goaltending depth on the trade market, he’s got limited cap space and wants to use it to upgrade his forward group.

When healthy enough to play, Campbell has been excellent. He’s got a .945 save percentage and is 9-2-1 since being acquired by Toronto in February 2020.

But it hasn’t been easy to fight through a leg injury that forced him to miss a month early in the season and then another three weeks in March.

“As a player, being injured is probably the most frustrating thing you can go through,” said Leafs forward Jason Spezza.

“People don’t see what goes on behind the scenes,” added teammate Zach Bogosian. “It’s pretty easy to tune in at seven o’clock and see us, but there’s a lot that goes into it behind the scenes and Soupy’s been working so hard in the gym trying to battle back.”

After watching Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Edmonton in street clothes, Campbell is giving it another go against the Jets. How he feels Thursday will determine when he plays next.

“It takes a lot of character to get through something like that and he’s shown that,” said Bogosian. “He’s a huge part of our team. I think his personality is great, he’s awesome in the locker-room and I think he’s one hell of a goalie, too.

“We’re confident with him back there.”

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2021-03-31 17:21:00Z
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Oilers’ Connor McDavid fined $5K for elbowing Canadiens’ Kotkaniemi - Sportsnet.ca

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable amount, for elbowing Montreal Canadiens centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The incident occurred late in the first period of Tuesday night's game, with the Oilers already trailing 3-0. After Kotkaniemi passed the puck in the neutral zone, McDavid finished his check on the Canadiens forward with a high hit in the open ice. He was given a two-minute roughing penalty for the hit and Kotkaniemi remained in the game.

McDavid has been disciplined in the past. In February 2019, he was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head on New York Islanders defenceman Nick Leddy.

The Oilers return to the ice Friday against the Calgary Flames.

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2021-03-31 15:22:00Z
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About Last Night: Habs show no signs of rust in 4-0 win over Oilers - Montreal Gazette

Carey Price made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season.

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Following an unplanned 10-day staycation, the Montreal Canadiens looked fresh and rested in their thorough 4-0 shellacking of the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, one of two Habs to land on the league’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list on March 22, scored the game winner 18 seconds into the contest. Oilers coach Dave Tippett challenged the call on the ice, claiming Artturi Lehkonen and/or Paul Byron were offsides, but it wasn’t the case, sending the already trailing away team to the penalty kill. Things didn’t get much better for the Oilers in the remaining 59 minutes and 42 seconds. Some food for thought:

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Well, that explains it. The Habs, most notably the surging Phil Danault-Brendan Gallagher-Tomas Tatar line, were up to their usual 5v5 beast mode dominance, keeping the reigning Hart Trophy winner and the current Hart frontrunner not only off the scoresheet, but away from the goaltender altogether. Tuesday was only the second time all season Connor McDavid posted zero shots on net. Needless to say, Price didn’t have to stand on his head in order to record his first shutout of the season, but he did make a stop with the back of it. In all, Price made 17 saves.

The newly formed Kotkaniemi-Lehkonen-Byron line was buzzing in the first. The latter two were left undisturbed in front of Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen, allowing Lehkonen to bang home an open rebound from a Joel Edmundson point shot to make it 2-0. Brendan Gallagher lunged at a loose puck in the crease to give the Canadiens a 3-0 advantage before the end of the first period.

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The typically calm Oilers captain McDavid showed a rare sign of frustration, landing in the penalty box near the end of the first by deliberately raising his arms and catching Kotkaniemi in the face. Earlier on, Habs fans even held their collective breath momentarily when Josh Anderson KO’d William Lagesson in a fight. The first period truly had everything to satisfy hungry Habs fans.

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In the second, the Oilers and McDavid thought they had Price beat, but an offsides coaching challenge by Habs interim head coach Dominique Ducharme proved a more astute call than Tippett’s earlier in the night, and the shutout was restored. Jesse Puljujarvi, who seemed a step behind all night, turned out to be ahead of the zone entry by a stride. The Danault line continued to press, with Tomas Tatar capping off a successful shift in the offensive zone by squeezing an accurate Danault feed through Koskinen to make it 4-0.

A late power-play push by Edmonton notwithstanding, the Canadiens played a letter-perfect third period with the lead, keeping the Oilers from making any headway in the offensive zone.

The Habs head to Ottawa Thursday for a game against the Senators and the two teams will play again on Saturday at the Bell Centre. Forward Tyler Toffoli remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Joel Armia remains on the COVID list and new arrival Eric Staal is in mandatory quarantine. At some point, the team may find itself flush with forward depth. It’s just as well, because with a stretch of 25 games in 43 nights, they may need all the warm bodies they can muster.

Meanwhile, all was well in the Liveblog comments section, the only controversy coming regarding shutout superstitions. Do you acknowledge it when a goalie is getting close, or is mum’s the word? While you reflect on the power of your words, here are your three stars from the comments:

3. “4 games, 6 points. Holding McDavid/Draisaitl to a combined: 2 assists (one on an empty netter), Minus 6. Well done so far” -Tea Bon

2. “This unscheduled bye week worked wonders for the team” -Ryan Katz

1. “Do you think Staal is watching this game and wondering how he got so lucky to get out of Buffalo?” -Bob Taylor

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2021-03-31 11:02:05Z
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