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on (#2P82X)
As a proven winner, Capitals winger Justin Williams knows that excuses are the nails that built the house of failure, so he didn't bother making any during Washington's last media availability of the season after being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs."Write what you want because we failed," he told Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.Though the team fell short of its goal, Williams is far from a failure as a three-time Stanley Cup champion. However, at 35, this was perhaps his last great chance to win his fourth."This one has been the hardest one to take because of where I am in my career and being so sure of something," he told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.Williams is a pending unrestricted free agent and could theoretically still sign with a contender for another shot at a fourth ring, but at the moment, losing to the archrival Penguins for a second consecutive season after winning the Presidents' Trophy has to sting."My memories of this team, I didn't want it to be this way," he told Gulitti. "I wanted it to be us celebrating with a trophy."He added that the image of guys sitting in their stalls wondering what went wrong is something that will stick with him.Williams is just one of many pending UFAs on the Capitals set to hit the open market on July 1, and understands there's going to be some turnover with the club, telling Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the offseason here "won't be too quiet."The veteran winger did tell Khurshudyan he'd like to be back in D.C., but saying something doesn't mean it will happen.It will be a very interesting summer in the U.S. capital, to say the least.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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Updated | 2025-07-05 19:45 |
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We knew Alex Ovechkin was playing hurt in the playoffs, but now we know just how hobbled he was.The Washington Capitals star said Friday he played through a knee injury suffered on the hit from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri in their first-round series, adding that he also fought through a hamstring ailment sustained in Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.Ovechkin briefly left Game 5 against the Leafs after the low hip check from Kadri.He said he won't require surgery for either injury.The Russian Hockey Federation revealed Thursday that Ovechkin finished the Stanley Cup Playoffs on pain-numbing injections and won't join his countrymen at the ongoing World Championship.The Capitals were eliminated by the Penguins in Game 7 on Wednesday night.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by theScore Staff on (#2P80Z)
We're through two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which means only four teams are left standing. Below is each club's top Conn Smythe Trophy candidate ahead of the conference finals. You can vote for your selection at the end of the post.Erik KarlssonCory Wilkins: Of the four teams left in the playoff picture, three clubs have two or three players who've arguably been the most valuable this postseason.
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on (#2P7Z0)
They don't call defensemen "rearguards" for nothing.Anton Stralman had quite the wisecrack when asked about goaltender Henrik Lundqvist joining him with the Swedish national team at the ongoing World Championship."I'm looking forward to having him on my team again," the Tampa Bay Lightning (and former New York Rangers) blue-liner told NHL.com's Brian Hedger on Thursday. "He can watch my nice ass flying around down the ice."Stralman and Lundqvist were Rangers teammates from 2011-12 until 2013-14, and both have represented the Tre Kronor multiple times on the international stage.Still, we won't truly get to the bottom of this until Lundqvist responds.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P7PJ)
With the offseason underway for a number of teams, and the rest to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.2016-17 Grade: FCalling the Buffalo Sabres' season anything but an utter disappointment would be too generous.It's not that they were expected to take a gigantic leap forward in a single campaign, it's that they took a step backward despite adding Kyle Okposo in free agency and Dmitry Kulikov via trade, seeing Rasmus Ristolainen develop into a durable, productive defenseman, and having a healthy Robin Lehner for the majority of the season.Jack Eichel missed the first six weeks of 2016-17 with an injury, during which time the Sabres struggled and never recovered. He ranked 10th in the NHL in points within the four-plus months after he returned, but the rest of the team couldn't keep the club afloat in his absence and didn't do enough to complement him when he came back.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Evander Kane put his off-ice issues behind him, leading Buffalo with 28 goals, and it was Eichel who generated the most controversy away from the rink, reportedly presenting the Sabres with an ultimatum whereby his desire to sign an extension supposedly hinged on the dismissal of head coach Dan Bylsma.Bylsma and general manager Tim Murray were fired the next day, about three weeks before Jason Botterill was given the GM duties.Eichel's injury undoubtedly impacted the offense, but a Sabres club loaded with talent up front (including Eichel, Kane, Okposo, Ryan O'Reilly, and Sam Reinhart) tied for sixth-worst in the NHL with only 2.43 goals per game.The Sabres did produce with the man advantage, boasting the most effective power play in the NHL during the regular season, but they offset that with the sixth-worst penalty kill.It was a flawed, top-heavy roster that wasn't utilized properly, and Buffalo ultimately failed to meet the reasonable expectations of contending for a playoff spot.Free agentsThe Sabres have more than a few decisions to make on their roster for next season, but the club's core will be largely unaffected.Player (Position)2017-18 StatusAge'16-'17 Cap Hit ($M)'16-'17 PointsDmitry Kulikov (D)UFA264.3335Brian Gionta (F)UFA384.2535Cody Franson (D)UFA293.32519Marcus Foligno (F)RFA252.2523Zemgus Girgensons (F)RFA231.1516Johan Larsson (F)RFA240.9511Taylor Fedun (D)UFA280.67Cody McCormick (F)UFA341.5Retired April 2016Lehner proved he can handle a heavy workload, playing more games (59) than he ever had in an NHL season, so he's earned a raise.Player (Position)2017-18 StatusAge2016-17 Cap Hit ($M)'16-17 SV%Robin Lehner (G)RFA252.225.920Anders Nilsson (G)UFA271.9232017 draft picksThe Sabres have eight picks in the coming draft, including a couple of relatively early selections acquired from other clubs.Buffalo holds the eighth overall pick, and will also have an additional second-rounder thanks to the Chris Stewart trade with the Minnesota Wild, as well as a third-rounder obtained in the Mike Weber deal with the Washington Capitals.The Sabres traded away their fifth-round choice for Nilsson last July.RoundPick Total11223241506171Summer prioritiesThe Sabres must do the following this summer:1. Hire a head coachBotterill's first major task will obviously go a long way in determining how the Sabres fare early in his tenure.Bylsma wasn't the right fit in Buffalo, but a more progressive-thinking coach could help the team maximize its speed and skill.Botterill worked with both Rick Tocchet and Jacques Martin in Pittsburgh, but whether either of the former NHL bench bosses is right for this roster is far from certain.Finding a coach that suits the team's skill level is one thing, but the Sabres will also need to find one who can keep the ear of - and earn the trust of - young players.Speaking of which ...2. Sell Eichel on the new directionAside from the all-important top item on Botterill's list, he and the other key decision-makers in the organization need to make sure they're on the same page with Eichel, who'll be entering the final year of his entry-level deal.Whether Eichel's satisfaction has anything to do with the coaching hire is anyone's guess, but no one in the club's front office wants any further rumblings of unhappiness from the budding young superstar, nor does the club want to risk him turning down a contract extension and bolting as a free agent.Botterill is a bright, experienced executive with a championship track record, so his hiring is a good start in the Sabres' quest to convince Eichel that he should stick around in western New York for the long haul.3. Upgrade the defenseDespite Ristolainen's progress this season, Buffalo's defense ranked 19th in the league, allowing 2.82 goals per game.Aside from his contributions, no Sabres blue-liner contributed significantly on the offensive end, with Jake McCabe collecting only 20 points to rank second behind Ristolainen among Buffalo defensemen.Kulikov's season was derailed by injury, and he's not normally an offensive defenseman, but five points in 47 games is still far too few. He's a pending UFA, so Botterill and company might just decide to cut bait.2017-18 OutlookThe Sabres need to get back on track next season, but it's going to take time for the new regime to make its mark.At the very least, Buffalo has to improve upon the setback of 2015-16 and get back into the postseason hunt. That's not an unrealistic expectation considering some of the pieces already in place.Eichel and Reinhart should continue to develop, while Kane, O'Reilly, and Okposo have to replicate their solid 2016-17 seasons for the Sabres to have a shot at a postseason berth.Lehner has proven he deserves an extension, and, if gets one, he'll need to justify it with another solid, healthy campaign.Whether or not the new regime requires Eichel's blessing, the incoming executives will have their work cut out for them in terms of turning Buffalo into a perennial winner.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by theScore Staff on (#2P7FF)
Four teams left, and it's crystal ball time once again.The Eastern Conference semifinals weren't kind to a number of theScore's NHL editors. To put it plainly: The guys didn't get pucks deep, didn't apply pressure on the forecheck, didn't stick to the gameplan, and definitely did not give it 110 percent.We're looking to make amends with our conference finals picks, which are below, along with our records through two rounds. Like Alex Ovechkin, we're trying our best.Western ConferenceDucks vs. PredatorsEditorPickJosh Gold-SmithPredatorsCraig HagermanPredatorsFlip LivingstoneDucksIan McLarenDucksSean O'LearyPredatorsSonny SachdevaPredatorsNavin VaswaniPredatorsCory WilkinsPredatorsJosh WegmanPredators
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on (#2P5YW)
Randy Carlyle is making the most of his second tour of duty with the Anaheim Ducks.Eyebrows were raised when the old-school veteran head coach was re-hired by general manager Bob Murray on the heels of the firing of Bruce Boudreau, but Carlyle deserves credit for getting the Ducks over the Game 7 hump and back into the Western Conference Final - a stage of the postseason the team had reached only once since he led the team to a Stanley Cup win in 2007.Defenseman Cam Fowler, who was with the Ducks when Carlyle's previous tenure as head coach ended in 2011, explained a subtle but important difference in the coach's approach this time around."All the fundamentals and everything he believes in are the same," Fowler said, according to Lisa Dillman of NHL.com. "I think he's softened a little bit just based on some of the things with the rookies and stuff like that. But at the end of the day, he's a demanding coach who brings the best out of his players. He's always going to be that way."Carlyle, who was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015, has a reputation for being a taskmaster and therefore not very player friendly, but his willingness to adapt to a younger, faster NHL is a big reason why he's been able to guide the Ducks to the third round.After practice Thursday, Carlyle acknowledged the need to rely more and more on young players in today's NHL. A good coach, then, has to demonstrate some patience and grace when sending a message to his players."You can hold younger players accountable in the moment, but you can't park them," Carlyle told reporters. "You have to give them another chance to come back and prove you wrong, or prove themselves. And that's always the continuing model that we're going to go with."Our expectations are young players are going to get an opportunity, but if they make a mistake, they're no good parked at the end of the bench for the whole night, or they don't go into the stands for the month. They might get taken out for a game but then they get another opportunity very shortly to come back in and prove themselves."This is particularly key on the blue line, where Anaheim's mobile, puck-moving defensive corps is made up of players aged mainly 25 and under.The Ducks also rely on a bunch of young forwards up front, though, with 21-year-old Nick Ritchie scoring the game-winning goal in Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers.Yes, the Ducks are still led by Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler, but there's a new wave of forwards - namely Ritchie, Rickard Rakell, Jakob Silfverberg - helping the team score a second-ranked 3.18 goals per game so far in the playoffs.Carlyle's also managing the crease well, pulling young John Gibson when need be, but going right back to him with full confidence.In short, his ability to get the most out of veterans and younger players is paying dividends, and making Murray look a wise GM.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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If the Western Conference Final between the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators is anything like last year's first-round matchup, Ryan Johansen likes his team's chances.The Predators bested the Ducks in seven games last season and as Johansen sees it, the Ducks have not upgraded their roster much over last year."Well, we beat them," Johansen said, according to NHL.com's Robby Stanley. "We found a way to beat them and there's just confidence through that. They don't really have any new faces in there other than (Patrick Eaves) and I'm not sure when he's going to be back (from a lower-body injury). For our group, we're going to go in there with confidence in the way we play and the way we can play, and get some results."Related - Ducks-Predators Preview: 3 reasons why Nashville will winThe Ducks have, in fact, seen some roster changes since the 2016 playoffs, with David Perron, Jamie McGinn, Ryan Garbutt, Chris Stewart, and Shawn Horcoff no longer with the team.As for the Predators, their roster from last year remains largely the same, save for one big change on the back end, with P.K. Subban replacing former captain Shea Weber.Despite each team's changes, Johansen still expects a similar series to the one from a year ago."We're assuming it'll be pretty similar," Johansen said. "We know what to expect from playing them last year as well. I don't think there will be any surprises going over to Anaheim."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P5SX)
No love lost.Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, who starred together for part of six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be on opposite sides of the third-round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.Kessel, of course, won a Stanley Cup in his first season with Pittsburgh last year, and is now halfway to his second entering Round 3 of the playoffs."He's a great player that had a very good run last year and he's having another real good playoffs this year," Phaneuf told reporters Thursday. "He's a skilled guy that can produce and doesn't need a lot of space to do it. You can see that he's playing very well again."The two former teammates will put their friendship aside through the conference finals."It's going to be a challenge, but there are no friends out there, and I'm sure he'd say the same thing," the defenseman added. "We'll talk to him after the series."Through 12 playoff games - his first postseason with the Senators - Phaneuf has tallied a goal and four assists, while Kessel has collected 13 points in 12 games.The series begins Saturday in Pittsburgh.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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It's not too late to cheer on the Ottawa Senators.As the last Canadian club standing this postseason, the Senators are welcoming fans aboard their bandwagon, especially those cheering for Lord Stanley's return to the Great White North."For me, hockey is very important for every Canadian, for the most part," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Thursday. "I think it's an honor to be the last Canadian team playing. I think we should be very humbled. I think it's something we take at heart."I think there are a lot of good stories to be told about the Senators organization this year, and hopefully a lot of people in Canada can jump on our bandwagon and follow us and find out what the Senators are all about."It's been a memorable year in Ottawa, from Mike Condon's strong play during Craig Anderson's time away from the team as his wife battled cancer, to Clarke MacArthur's heroic return after missing most of the past two years with concussion symptoms.The Senators and Edmonton Oilers were the only two Canadian teams to advance to the second round, but while the Oilers fell to the Anaheim Ducks, the Senators knocked off the New York Rangers in six games.The Senators are now one of four teams remaining, with Ottawa set to appear in its third conference finals since 2003. Ottawa has never captured the Stanley Cup, while no Canadian squad has won it all since Montreal in 1993.Dorion believes the Senators have the pieces in place to end Canada's curse."I think our players are pretty special," Dorion added. "People are finding out how good Erik Karlsson is. I've been preaching that for seven years now, how good he is. I think people realize how good and special he is, but we also have other elements."The GM also touched on Anderson, who he feels is underrated and rarely gets the credit he deserves. Among netminders with at least 40 starts this season, Anderson finished second to only Sergei Bobrovsky with a .926 save percentage.But the most notable performance on the Senators this postseason has come from captain Karlsson, with the blueliner collecting 13 points in 12 contests."I'm an okay GM," Dorion quipped. "Guy's a pretty good coach. But we have pretty special players. I think they've really stepped up."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P5P2)
Nail Yakupov isn't thinking about jumping ship.The first overall pick from the 2012 NHL Draft has said he has zero plans of returning to Russia, and the soon-to-be restricted free agent fully expects to play in NHL next season, according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest.Whether that's with the St. Louis Blues or elsewhere remains to be seen, although the arrival of the NHL's 31st franchise could very well open a roster spot, as TSN's Pierre LeBrun suggested following Strickland's report.
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by Ian McLaren on (#2P5G5)
For the fifth time over the past decade, the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins will meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.The two clubs have played three first-round series and another second-round series in that span, with Pittsburgh holding a 3-1 advantage.But that's all in the past. What lies ahead is a best-of-seven affair, with the winner earning the right to advance to the final.Here are three storylines to watch:Battle of the Masterton nomineesThis series will feature two goalies nominated for the Masterton Trophy, awarded to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."In one crease is Craig Anderson, whose life was turned upside down this season due to a cancer battle fought by his wife, prompting him to take several leaves of absence. When he was able to take to the ice, he played some of the best hockey of his career, and while his numbers have dipped a bit in the playoffs, he remains one of the league's more underrated netminders.In the other is Marc-Andre Fleury, whose days as Pittsburgh's starting goalie appeared to have come to an end this time last year, when Matt Murray was embarking on a successful run to the Cup as a rookie. It's Fleury who's filling in for an injured Murray this time around, and although this postseason could very well be it for Fleury in Pittsburgh, his renaissance is as big a reason as any for the Penguins' win over the Washington Capitals.Here's how their playoff numbers stack up:PlayerRecordSave %GAAShutoutsMarc-Andre Fleury8-4.9272.551Craig Anderson8-4.9142.491The slashIt was one of the more gruesome incidents of the regular season, and it could carry into the postseason thanks to this rather unexpected matchup.The date was March 23, and the principal characters were Sidney Crosby and Marc Methot. Near the end of the opening frame, the Penguins captain caught the Senators defenseman with a slash that quite simply destroyed Methot's finger.Crosby contended he was aiming for Methot's stick and the NHL didn't give the play a second look, while Methot didn't play again until Game 2 of Ottawa's first-round series against the Boston Bruins more than three weeks later.On top of that, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk called Crosby a "whiner beyond belief" and argued for a season-long suspension, while the Penguin retorted by saying Melnyk just likes to hear himself talk.And let's not forget Melnyk once commissioned a forensic investigation into an Achilles injury suffered by Erik Karlsson at the hands of former Penguins forward Matt Cooke.There's clearly a weird relationship between these two clubs, with the Eastern Conference Final serving as a big stage for grievances new and old to be aired.Karlsson's conquestFor those who needed a refresher on just how good of a player Karlsson is, this postseason has provided a crash course, albeit unnecessarily.
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on (#2P5DW)
The Buffalo Sabres officially introduced Jason Botterill as their new general manager Thursday, with the newly-minted executive touching on a few key points at his introductory press conference.Most notably, Botterill focused on the team's coaching vacancy. The Sabres fired former bench boss Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray on April 20, and finding a new coach will be one of Botterill's first tasks.The new GM described his ideal candidate as someone who can relate with the team's young players, someone who is "a developer, an educator, and a communicator."
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on (#2P57Z)
Here's what happened on Day 7 of the World Hockey Championship in Paris, France, and Cologne, Germany.Canada 3 - France 2
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on (#2P51K)
The Edmonton Oilers' 2016-17 season was a resounding success, and while it was likely just the beginning of a run of excellence that, for the moment, deserves to be savored by fans and personnel alike, there are question marks on the roster that need to be addressed.One of the biggest concerns is the future of some veteran Oilers, namely Jordan Eberle, who, after a goalless playoff performance, didn't do much to save face in the eyes of his coach.With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl proving to be capable of carrying the offensive load for Edmonton, and Jesse Puljujarvi waiting in the weeds, perhaps this is the offseason Oilers' brass puts a deal in motion to part with the 26-year-old Eberle.Here are three candidates for his services:Carolina HurricanesGeneral manager Ron Francis says his club is open for business, and the Hurricanes appear a few steps away from sustained prominence in the Eastern Conference.Carolina owns six picks in the first three rounds in June's draft, as well as several young defensemen and promising prospects in development. They're a buyer's dream.Eberle's $6-million cap hit fits easily into the Hurricanes' books, and his experience and skill could help a youthful attack in Raleigh.New Jersey Devils(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)It probably wouldn't take long for Peter Chiarelli to dig up Ray Shero's phone number.After sending former Oilers winger Taylor Hall to the Devils last summer, reuniting Eberle with his former linemate could work.The Devils need a bounce-back season from Cory Schneider, and some help on defense, but they only managed 180 goals last season - good for 28th in the NHL. Adding Eberle - along with whoever they choose at No. 1 overall - could surely help rectify the club's offensive woes.Like Carolina, New Jersey has plenty of cap space and additional draft picks to dangle as trade bait, and who knows, maybe a sign-and-trade sending Ilya Kovalchuk to Alberta would be in the cards.Florida PanthersThe Panthers need a top-six winger, plain and simple.Although we all love him, the future of 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr is unpredictable, and the same can be said for Jussi Jokinen, who saw a 32-point drop-off in production last season.Florida was decimated by injuries to key pieces up front last season, derailing any hopes of matching, or improving upon, its playoff berth and division title from 2015-16.Adding Eberle would provide an extra weapon in what's already a deep attack when healthy, and can help ease the load on Florida's veterans for a more balanced offensive game plan.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins are considered the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup as the playoffs shift to the Conference Finals.The Ottawa Senators would provide the best payout, as they're considered least likely to win.TeamOddsPittsburgh Penguins8/5Anaheim Ducks11/4Nashville Predators11/4Ottawa Senators11/2Anyone who has the Sens meeting the Ducks or Predators in the final could be in for a serious pay day.And, for those interested in betting on the Conn Smythe award for playoff MVP, here are the leading candidates:PlayerOddsRyan Getzlaf5/1Evgeni Malkin5/1Pekka Rinne11/2Erik Karlsson13/2(Odds courtesy: Bodog)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P4WF)
If Connor McDavid goes overseas this spring, it won't be to play international hockey.The Edmonton Oilers captain won't be joining Canada at the ongoing World Hockey Championship, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.McDavid and the Oilers were eliminated from the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 on Wednesday night.He represented Canada last year, piling up nine points and helping his nation capture gold.McDavid's Oilers teammate, Leon Draisaitl, will play for Germany at the tournament.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P4J4)
Leon Draisaitl is heading home.The Oilers center will join Team Germany at the World Championship in his hometown of Cologne, Germany, the club announced.Draisaitl is coming off a monstrous postseason in which he compiled six goals and 10 assists in 13 games. During the regular season, the 21-year-old set a career high with 77 points in 82 games.He instantly becomes Germany's best player, therefore improving the country's chances of advancing to the next round. Germany currently sits with one regulation win, one overtime win, and two losses - good for fourth place in Group A.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P4FZ)
It might not be easy to acknowledge in the aftermath of a crushing playoff loss, but this season represented a significant step forward for the Edmonton Oilers.Despite the 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 on Wednesday night, there are plenty of reasons for optimism in Edmonton.Yes, the Oilers coughed up a 2-0 series lead after winning the first two games of the series on the road, endured plenty of goaltender interference controversy, and failed to capitalize on any momentum gained in their 7-1 destruction of the Ducks in Game 6.Still, Edmonton's head coach understands it was a learning experience."The overall feeling right now is disappointment. ... But we basically got a college degree in a month," Todd McLellan told reporters postgame.The players echoed that sentiment."Moving on, we can take a lot out of this," Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "There's no easy games, no easy shifts. We battled hard.""The guys should be looking around and seeing we accomplished a lot this year," said Patrick Maroon. "We've got to give each other some credit.""It stings but there's a lot to be proud of in this room," offered Zack Kassian. "It's tough to see now but we're a resilient group."Even though the Oilers' playoff run was abbreviated, it was a magical spring in Edmonton, providing fans with feelings they hadn't experienced in more than a decade.The club returned to the postseason for the first time since 2006, then dispatched the San Jose Sharks - 2016 Stanley Cup finalists and McLellan's former team - in six games in the first round before taking the Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks to seven.Just getting as far as the Oilers did was an enormous improvement over last season, when they finished dead last in the Western Conference with the second-worst record in the NHL.Connor McDavid was limited to 45 games a season ago due to injury, so having him for every game in 2016-17 was obviously the biggest factor in the Oilers' rise.The young superstar led the league with 100 points in his first full campaign, adding five goals and nine points in his first 13 career playoff games.But it wasn't just McDavid.Leon Draisaitl also played every game and finished with one fewer goal (29) than McDavid in the regular season, carrying his production into the postseason with six goals and 16 points, including a five-point outburst in Game 6 against the Ducks.McDavid is still only 20 years old, and Draisaitl is just 21. They've given Edmonton a dynamic one-two punch that's already more promising than any of the other previously hyped prospects the Oilers have accumulated over the years.One of those players, Jordan Eberle, took some heat for his playoff struggles this spring, but the emergence of Draisaitl and the dominance of McDavid have eased some of the pressure that used to be heaped on Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins.Cam Talbot was worked to the bone, but he proved capable of shouldering the heavy workload, going 42-22-8 with a 2.39 GAA, a .919 save percentage, and seven shutouts in 73 regular-season games.Maroon enjoyed a breakout season on McDavid's left wing, exploding for a career-high 27 goals and 42 points. Milan Lucic might not live up to his seven-year, $42-million contract, but his mix of offense and physicality gave the Oilers an edge they sorely required.The Oilers even got contributions from their bottom six, with Kassian, Mark Letestu, Anton Slepyshev, and Drake Caggiula all chipping in offense and exceeding expectations in the playoffs.Then there was the defense, which was supposed to be the team's Achilles heel.Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson proved to be a relatively steady top pairing, Andrej Sekera gave the club stability (and helped compensate for Kris Russell's deficiencies) in the second pair, and 2013 first-round pick Darnell Nurse continued to progress in his second real NHL season.The Oilers' core and supporting cast are in good shape, and there's more coming. Jesse Puljujarvi - the fourth overall pick in last year's draft - appeared overmatched in his first taste of NHL action this season, but had an encouraging stint in the AHL with 28 points in 39 games.Sure, Edmonton fell one win shy of the conference final. And sure, the Oilers failed to close out the Ducks after coming home with a 2-0 series lead. But look at the big picture.The Oilers' future is brighter than it's been in a very long time, and the stink of 11 years without a playoff appearance despite a multitude of first overall picks is gone.This defeat will be tough for the Oilers to stomach, but the playoff run proved they're ready to be perennially competitive once again.The season was a massive success for Edmonton, and despite the sting of the Game 7 loss, that hopeful sensation its fans are feeling won't likely fade any time soon.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3Z6)
T.J. Oshie knows this feeling all too well.Said feeling is a bitter one, sparked by yet another early playoff exit after lofty expectations to go all the way.The Washington Capitals winger has reached the postseason in seven of his nine NHL seasons, but has never seen the Conference Finals, and after Wednesday's Game 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Oshie was left wondering what he has to do."You almost wonder how much disappointment you've got to put yourself through before you can find a way to get the job done," Oshie told Katie Brown of NHL.com.Oshie played for the St. Louis Blues - another much-maligned playoff team over the years - before a trade to Washington in 2015. Two first-place finishes and two eliminations from the Penguins later, the 30-year-old's time with the Capitals looks to be over, as he's scheduled for unrestricted free agency July 1.In 13 postseason games this spring, Oshie ranked second on the Capitals with 12 points, and set career highs with 33 goals and 56 points in the regular season.He'll likely have plenty of suitors for a new contract, and it's a safe bet Oshie will look to join another contender.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P4BW)
Team Sweden will be getting a massive addition in goal thanks to the New York Rangers' second-round exit, as Henrik Lundqvist is set to join his country overseas at the World Championship, according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com.Lundqvist had a down year by his standards in the NHL, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average. However, he returned to form during the postseason, registering a .927 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average.Lundqvist was required to bail out his teammates with regularity while playing for the Rangers, but that likely won't be the case with Team Sweden considering its star-studded blue line featuring Victor Hedman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Anton Stralman, John Klingberg, Jonas Brodin, and Alex Edler.Lundqvist also brings plenty of international experience to the table, most notably having backstopped the Swedes to an Olympic gold medal in 2006.Viktor Fasth and Eddie Lack have been responsible for manning Sweden's crease prior to this announcement. Talk about an upgrade, as this move suddenly makes Sweden a huge favorite in spite of its 1-0-1-1 record thus far in the tournament.Heading overseas will be somewhat of a family affair for Lundqvist, as his twin brother Joel is on the team.Two other Rangers will also be partaking in the World Championship, as Kevin Hayes and Brady Skjei will head overseas to join Team USA, the Rangers announced.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P485)
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will not join Russia at the World Championships this year because of a lower-body injury that required pain-numbing injections to close out the playoffs, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation announced Thursday.Ovechkin and the Capitals were eliminated by the Penguins in Game 7 of their second round series Wednesday, and while Ovechkin said he's ready to join his countrymen, he didn't want to let his teammates down playing at less than 100 percent health.While the specifics of the injury aren't clear, Ovechkin was forced to momentarily leave Game 5 of the first round versus the Toronto Maple Leafs after a controversial low hit from Nazem Kadri.Ovechkin is notoriously proud to represent Russia in international events, and has played in the tournament 12 times. He finished the postseason with eight points (five goals, three assists) in 13 games.Although Ovechkin won't be able to play, Russia announced fellow Capitals Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov will join the team.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P468)
The Western Conference Final kicks off Friday as the eighth-seeded Nashville Predators take on the second-seeded Anaheim Ducks. In the season series, the Ducks won the first game 6-1, the Preds took the second 5-0, and the Ducks won the third meeting in a shootout, 4-3.Both teams swept their first-round matchups. Nashville needed six games to beat the Blues in Round 2, while Anaheim took seven to defeat the Oilers.These two clubs also met in the first round of the postseason last year - Anaheim went up 3-2, but Nashville clawed back and took the series in seven games.Here are three reasons why the Predators will advance again:Goaltending(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne is playing the best hockey of his life so far in the playoffs. John Gibson of the Ducks is not.GoalieGPSV%GAASORinne10.9511.372Gibson11.9082.800When these teams met in the postseason last year, Gibson went 0-2 before the Ducks opted to lean on current Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen.In Rinne's regular-season career against the Ducks, he's 13-6-5 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average. Gibson has gone 2-1 with a .905 SV% and a 2.68 GAA versus Nashville, excluding playoffs.Without even factoring in Rinne's superior experience, it's clear who has the advantage in the crease.Carlyle's collapsing defense will struggle(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle runs a collapsing defensive-zone system. This means forwards collapse into the slot in the defensive end when they don't have the puck in order to block shots. Many coaches execute this strategy, and it can be very effective, but it's not a good way to defend the Predators.The Preds lean on their mobile defensemen to generate offense via point shots and one-timers. Here's a look at their top five scoring leaders so far in the playoffs:PlayerPositionGPGAPSOGRyan EllisD1045923Ryan JohansenC1027910Roman JosiD1044828Filip ForsbergLW1035828P.K. SubbanD1016717As you can see, Ellis, Josi, and Subban have carried the load offensively from the back end. If the Ducks fail to put pressure on these three at the point and let them have their way with the puck, they could be in trouble. The Predators have been one of the best teams in the playoffs at getting pucks through traffic, in large part due to the skill they have on the blue line.Nashville's checking line can contain Getzlaf(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Ryan Getzlaf has been an absolute beast so far in the postseason, with eight goals and seven assists through 11 games. The goals stand out the most, considering the playmaker only had 28 in 151 games over the past two regular seasons.The Oilers had no answer for Getzlaf through the first four games of Round 2, allowing the big center to record four goals and four assists. However, during Games 5, 6, and 7 - when Leon Draisaitl was moved to center in order to match up with him - Getzlaf recorded just a goal and an assist.Mike Fisher may be 36 years old now, but he's still a very effective two-way center. He has great speed for a player in his mid-30s, and at 6-foot-1, 216 pounds (the exact same measurements as Draisaitl), has the size to match up with Getzlaf physically.Fisher's linemates have varied throughout the playoffs, but Nashville has several defensively responsible forwards capable of playing on his wings. The Predators don't have to completely shut down Getzlaf in order to be victorious - they just can't let him take over the series like he did at times versus the Oilers.Prediction: Predators in six.Series ScheduleGameDateTimeAwayHomeTV1Fri. May 129 p.m.PredatorsDucksNBCSN / CBC / TVA2Sun. May 147:30 p.m.PredatorsDucksNBCSN / SN / CBC / TVA3Tue. May 168 p.m.DucksPredatorsNBCSN / SN / CBC / TVA4Thu. May 188 p.m.DucksPredatorsNBCSN / CBC / TVA5*Sat. May 207:15 p.m.PredatorsDucksNBC / CBC / TVA6*Mon. May 228 p.m.DucksPredatorsNBCSN / CBC / TVA7*Wed. May 249 p.m.PredatorsDucksNBCSN / CBC / TVA*If necessaryCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3V2)
Look away, Washington Capitals fans.For the third time since 2009-10, the Caps earned the Presidents' Trophy as the top regular-season team, only to see their Stanley Cup aspirations come to a crashing halt in a Game 7 - this time Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Despite owning the best record across the NHL dating back to 2008-09, the Capitals haven't advanced past the second round in 19 seasons, and boy, there's been plenty of heartbreak along the way.In the Alex Ovechkin era - and no, it's not his fault - Washington is 3-7 in Game 7s, and below are the most excruciating, gut-wrenching defeats of the many.5. Round 2, 2015 - New York RangersAfter taking a 2-0 series lead, and starting Game 7 on the right foot with a goal from Ovechkin, Washington let it slip away, losing 2-1 as Derek Stepan netted the overtime series winner to send the Capitals packing.4. Round 1, 2010 - Montreal Canadiens(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)If you ever venture down to D.C., be wary of mentioning the name Jaroslav Halak.After earning a franchise-record 121 points in the regular season, the Capitals were matched up with the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens, and the Slovakian netminder drove a dagger through Washington's heart with an otherworldly performance.The Capitals outshot the Habs 42-16 in Game 7, but fell 2-1 on home ice in one of the biggest upsets in NHL playoff history.3. Round 1, 2013 - New York RangersAgain, the Caps led New York 2-0 in a series, but the Blueshirts fought back to force a seventh game, where the wheels fell off for Washington.In front of a hopeful Verizon Center crowd, New York dominated from start to finish, skating away with an emphatic 5-0 victory.2. Round 2, 2009 - Pittsburgh Penguins(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)The first volume of the Crosby-Ovechkin playoff rivalry was the start of a disappointing trend for the Capitals.It was an epic series that saw each superstar net a hat trick in Game 2, but the Penguins got the last laugh, crushing their archrivals 6-2 in Game 7 en route to Crosby's first Stanley Cup.1. Round 2, 2017 - Pittsburgh Penguins(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)This was supposed to be the year.With another dominant regular season behind them, the Capitals added Kevin Shattenkirk to go all the way, and with several core-player contracts set to expire, Washington was all in.Barry Trotz's troops fought back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a decisive Game 7, yet laid an egg with their season on the line, dropping a 2-0 decision to extend the streak of postseason misery.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3RJ)
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Leon Draisaitl should be a first-round pickRightfully overshadowed by C Connor McDavid, C Leon Draisaitl truly emerged as the Edmonton Oilers second-best player in 2016-17. While it was McDavid taking home the Art Ross Trophy, Draisaitl scored 29 goals with 48 assists in a full 82 games. He shot an inflated 16.9 percent, up from 14.3 percent in 2015-16.Draisaitl's shooting percentage rose to an otherworldly 27.3 percent in the first two rounds, as he scored six goals on 22 shots. The Oilers departed the playoffs with Draisaitl ranked second in playoff points and fifth in goals. Playing with McDavid will allow for a sustainable inflated shooting percentage. He averaged 3.13 individual scoring chances per 60 minutes of 5v5.Draisaitl should continue to build on a breakout season in which he finished eighth in league scoring. Quality power-play production stabilizes his roto and head-to-head contributions.View Jake Allen as a top-tier goaltenderSt. Louis Blues G Jake Allen's save percentage by month during the regular season displays what was a tumultuous year during a season with the largest workload he has ever faced.MONTHSV%October.923November.903December.892January.841February.933March.953April.913A late-season surge allowed him to finish with a .915 save percentage, matching his career rate.The playoffs were a different story for Allen, even though he went just 6-5 en route to a second-round exit at the hands of the Nashville Predators. He posted a goals against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .935. He twice made at least 40 saves in Round 1 victories and he allowed three or more goals on just three of 11 occasions.Allen led the postseason in high-difficulty save percentage at a rate of 88.89. His Fenwick save percentage of 96.29 percent ranked second among all goalies to make the second round, and measures his save percentage against all unblocked shot attempts. The Blues will again be competitive - if not formidable - in 2017/18, preserving Allen's defensive protection.Jake Guentzel will be overdraftedThe Pittsburgh Penguins received a mid-season spark in 2015-16 when they fired head coach Dan Bylsma and replaced him with Mike Sullivan en route to a Stanley Cup victory. Their 2016-17 mid-year push was provided by C Jake Guentzel, who scored 16 goals with 17 assists in 40 regular-season games. He averaged more than two shots on goal per game and scored on nearly 20 percent of his shots, while mostly playing on the left side of C Sidney Crosby.While the same logic applies for Guentzel as it did for Draisaitl in regard to a high shooting percentage being sustainable while playing alongside an elite center, he is scoring on 34.6 percent of his 26 shots on goal in the playoffs. He has nine goals but just five assists through 12 games. His contributions are limited, even while playing with Crosby at 5v5, as he isn't a high-volume shooter and remains on just the second power-play unit.He should be selected only in the later middle rounds.Jakob Silfverberg is set to be a star in Las VegasThe Anaheim Ducks are viewed by many as one of the teams which will be hit hardest by the upcoming Las Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft. Winger Jakob Silfverberg is among the top names they risk having to expose to Vegas, and he represents one of the best soon-to-be-available players from the current 30-team league.Silfverberg had a career year in the regular season, scoring 23 goals and finishing with 49 points in 79 games. He registered more than 200 SOG for the second consecutive season, finishing with 227 for a reasonable 10.1 shooting percentage. Just nine of his 49 points came via the power play. His five game-winning goals signal the trust the Ducks' coaching staff had in him late in games.He's tied for third in playoff scoring with seven goals in 11 games, adding four assists and 46 SOG. Three of his 11 points came on the power play, and he has an additional two GWGs. He is averaging 4.25 individual scoring chances per 60 minutes of 5v5.If he is made available in the expansion draft, he'll almost surely be the top talent. He could approach the 30-goal barrier in a No. 1 role for the Golden Knights.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3Q5)
Blackhawks forward Richard Panik has been rewarded for a career year, earning a two-year contract extension, the club announced Thursday. The deal is reportedly worth $2.8 million per year, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Panik shattered his previous career highs in both goals (11) and assists (10) with 22 apiece. He was given a glorious opportunity to skate alongside Jonathan Toews on the team's top line for most of the season, and he didn't disappoint.The 26-year-old will look to build off his breakout season in 2017-18.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3M8)
Jason Botterill is the new general manager of the Buffalo Sabres.The longtime executive joins the Sabres after 10 seasons in various roles with the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping the club win the Stanley Cup in 2009 and 2016.He's the eighth GM in Sabres history, succeeding Tim Murray, who was fired along with head coach Dan Bylsma last month. Botterill, 40, becomes the NHL's second-youngest GM behind 27-year-old John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes.He most recently served as the Penguins' associate GM, which involved scouting, player development, contract negotiations, and salary cap management. He also occupied the GM role with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, guiding Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since 2009-10.“Jason’s hockey knowledge, experience drafting and developing players, and his approach to management stood out to us during our interview process," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in the announcement."Jason has built a solid reputation as a leader that connects strongly with players and staff around him. We are confident he will have a positive impact within our organization and will help us get to our ultimate goal.â€Botterill finished his playing career with the Sabres organization in 2004-05, appearing in 36 NHL games over two seasons from 2002 to 2004 and notching 37 goals with the AHL's Rochester Americans in 2002-03.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3HT)
Randy Carlyle wasn't going to let a Game 7 victory go by without calling attention to media coverage he believes wasn't fair.The Anaheim Ducks head coach gave full credit to the Edmonton Oilers following Wednesday's decisive contest - a 2-1 victory by the Ducks that propelled Anaheim into the Western Conference Final against the Nashville Predators - but said his own club should have received the same attention."They've done a lot of good things over there and they've got a lot of talent," Carlyle said of the Oilers postgame. "They've got the most dynamic young player in the league right now. But I think that we ... maybe I (should) point the finger at you guys (media) for disrespecting our hockey club for the youth that we have."That was the only the beginning of Carlyle's claim that his young players have been underappreciated."Nobody ever seems to take a look and say, 'Well, (the Ducks have) five or six young players in the league who are just cutting their teeth and making positive impacts into games,'" the coach said."Whereas, on the other side of the fence, there's a plethora of media that comes from the Canadian side and we understand that, but the bottom line is, you have two hockey clubs that competed very hard and there's no way that you can discount the effort (of the Oilers') young players and the growth that they had, but I'd like to correct some people and say, 'Hey, we have some young players that played pretty good, too.'"Much was made of the Oilers' young core, led by Hart Trophy finalist and impending Art Ross Trophy recipient Connor McDavid, as well as Leon Draisaitl, plus Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, and rookie Drake Caggiula.The Ducks have their own group of talented, (relatively) young players, though, including Jakob Silfverberg (five goals in the series), Rickard Rakell (four), Shea Theodore (seven points in 11 playoff games), Cam Fowler (five points in seven second-round contests), and Nick Ritchie, who scored the eventual Game 7 winner.Surely, more attention will be paid to Carlyle's club now that it's among the final four.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3BQ)
With the offseason underway for a number of teams, with the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.2016-17 Grade: FThe Arizona Coyotes were bad this past season. Like, really very bad.The club finished tied for 28th in the NHL with 70 points, and ranked 12th out of 14 teams in the Western Conference (one of those teams was the Colorado Avalanche, and they basically don't count as an NHL team anymore, that's how bad they were, so let's say the Coyotes finished second-last in both the West and the league). Arizona's minus-63 goal differential was only bested in ineptitude by said Avs.The Coyotes failed to score 200 goals, and their 260 goals allowed ranked 28th out of 30. Only one player - Radim Vrbata - finished with 20 goals and 50 points (he had 55), Max Domi played only 59 games after being injured in a fight (the hands-down dumbest way to get hurt in hockey), and Anthony Duclair scored only five more goals in the NHL than you did last season.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The glory days that were Dave Tippett's first three seasons in the desert, when the Coyotes played in three straight postseasons and advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2012, are long, long gone.It gets worse: Arizona averaged only 13,094 fans per game, according to ESPN, down - somehow! - from 2015-16's average of 13,433.Free AgentsThe Coyotes have a number of players who need contracts come July 1, and face some tough decisions with respect to the future of captain Shane Doan and Duclair:Player (Position)2017-18 StatusAge2016-17 Cap Hit'16-17 PointsShane Doan (F)UFA40$387613427Radim Vrbata (F)UFA35$1M55Zybnek Michalek (D)UFA34$3.2M0Chris Pronger* (D)UFA42$49357140Alex Burmistrov (F)RFA25$1.55M16Anthony Duclair (F)RFA21$77250015Peter Holland (F)RFA26$1.3M12Josh Jooris (F)RFA26$600K12Jordan Martinook (F)RFA24$61250025Teemu Pulkkinen (F)RFA25$8125002*Pronger was on long-term injured reserve in 2016-17.2017 Draft PicksThe Coyotes have seven picks in the coming draft, including two in the first round - their own and that of the Minnesota Wild (acquired in the Martin Hanzal trade).Arizona had the fourth-best odds at 10.3 percent to land the first overall pick at the NHL Draft Lottery, but it obviously fell to seventh. Some good news: That's where the Yotes drafted Clayton Keller last year, and where the franchise selected Doan way back in 1995. The bad news: This isn't a deep draft.Round Picks12 (Own + Wild)2132 (Flames & Red Wings)40516071Summer PrioritiesThe Coyotes must do the following this summer:1. Move on from Doan(Photo courtesy: Action Images)It's not easy to say goodbye to your captain, the face of your franchise, the man who gave you the best years of his hockey life. But that life is ending. And, in a perfect world - which, it must be said, the Coyotes definitely do not live in - Doan will make this decision for the club and retire.After a storybook 2015-16, in which Doan scored 28 goals, his most since bagging 31 in 2008-09, time caught up to him in his age-40 season. He scored only six times in 74 games, finishing with a disappointing 27 points, his fewest in a full season since recording 22 in 1998-99 - almost 20 years ago!Doan also admitted he considered a deadline-day trade, but it never got that far. But the writing's on the wall. It's time to move on from Doan on the ice, and get him into a front-office role. He'll always be a Coyote, and now's the time for his transition upstairs.2. Sign Sam GagnerThe Coyotes have good young players in Domi, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tobias Rieder, Christian Dvorak, Jordan Martinook, Brendan Perlini, Jakob Chychrun, DuClair, Lawson Crouse, Dylan Strome, and Keller. There are definitely pieces to work with - some of them very exciting - but it's time to add to the group, rather than to solely focus on collecting assets and cap hits (Pronger, Pavel Datsyuk).One option on the free-agent market is familiar: Sam Gagner. He spent a season in Arizona in 2014-15, and it was productive, with the pivot recording 41 points in 81 games.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)After a lost campaign in Philadelphia, Gagner found his game and more in Columbus this past season, finishing with a career-high 50 points. He's one of the more intriguing names of the unrestricted class, as he'll be 28 on Aug. 10.With the uncertainty around Duclair and who the hell he is and what he will become, and with Doan's 15 minutes a game needing to be replaced, why not Gagner? On such a young team, he can provide scoring, leadership, and experience.The Coyotes aren't as far away as they seem after the disaster that was the past few months.3. Address defensive woesLook at this. And then look away, because it is absolutely hideous:(Courtesy: HockeyViz)It's an absolute delight to play against the Coyotes. They allow shots from everywhere, but especially from in front of the net. You may look at Mike Smith's .914 save percentage and think, "Eh, not bad," but once you consider from where he was being fired upon, and how often, you gain a much deeper appreciation for the job he did.Like most teams, the Coyotes need another top-pairing defenseman. That, or a new defensive system, because last year's didn't work. Like, at all.Kevin Shattenkirk's rumored to be looking for a home on the East Coast in free agency, but the Coyotes better talk to him, and at least threaten to throw some serious loot his way. General manager John Chayka should also be speaking with Michael Del Zotto's reps, and Michael Stone's, and definitely Karl Alzner's. Especially Alzner's. OEL and Chychrun need help back there - something needs to be done.2017-18 OutlookThe Coyotes won't be as bad as they were in 2016-17. The question is: How good can they be?If Chayka puts in some solid work - if he can bring Vrbata back on another cheap contract, and get his hands on Gagner, or trade for someone like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and find some defensive help, there's reason to believe the Coyotes are closer than expected to a playoff spot.Make no mistake, though - It's an important summer out in the Sonoran Desert. And perhaps Tippet's final chance to get things back on track.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P3BS)
You read that correctly.Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie, who's been representing Team Canada at the World Championships, was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament Wednesday with a lower-body injury, but the ailment wasn't suffered on the ice.Barrie lacerated his leg while wrestling with a teammate in his hotel room, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Dreger adds that Barrie was ruled out for precautionary reasons, but the incident proves the misfortunes of the Avalanche this year know no limits.It's a tough loss for the undefeated Canadians, as the 25-year-old Barrie was tied for the team lead with seven points through three games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P29E)
And then there were four.The Eastern and Western Conference Finals are set:
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by Craig Hagerman on (#2P289)
In the end there was only so much Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Mark Letestu could do.The Edmonton Oilers were ousted by the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 on Wednesday night and were left wanting more from some of their secondary weapons.The three men listed above can't be faulted in the playoffs and especially in the second round. The trio combined for 16 of the Oilers' 34 goals in the postseason, accounting for 47.1 percent of Edmonton's tallies.As for their second-round series, the three scored 12 of the team's 24 goals - or half. Those performances are remarkable and deserve to be applauded, but for the remainder of the Oilers' cast, what happened?Here's how a handful of forwards fared on the score sheet in the team's 13 games:PlayerGPTSRyan Nugent-Hopkins04Jordan Eberle02Benoit Pouliot00David Desharnais14Milan Lucic26What hurts most is that during the regular season these five players combined for 75 goals and 172 points.The Oilers took a huge step this campaign in returning to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, but the club will head into the offseason wanting more, more from players who had been there during the regular season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P28B)
The Anaheim Ducks were being cheered on by the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.With Anaheim's win in Game 7 over the Edmonton Oilers and the Ducks now off to the Western Conference Final, the Stars now own the Ducks' first-round pick in this year's draft after trading Patrick Eaves out west at the deadline.The trade was for a 2017 second-round pick with the following condition:If Anaheim advances to the Western Conference Final, and Eaves plays in at least half of their games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Stars get the Ducks' first-round pick in the 2017 draft.Eaves played in only three games against the Oilers before being hurt, but suited up in seven of the Ducks' 11 games, hence the condition being activated.With 11 goals in 20 regular-season games and another two in the postseason, the price is one the Ducks will surely have no issue paying.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by The Associated Press on (#2P268)
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Nick Ritchie scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks ended their streak of five straight Game 7 losses with a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, advancing to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three years.Andrew Cogliano scored the tying goal midway through the second period for the Ducks, who had blown a 3-2 series lead and lost a Game 7 on home ice in four consecutive seasons.After a rally from an early deficit and a strong defensive performance to back John Gibson's 23 saves, the Ducks ended their ignominious streak and moved halfway to the franchise's second Stanley Cup title.Anaheim will host the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the conference finals Friday night.Drake Caggiula got credit for a goal 3:31 into the first period for the Oilers, and Cam Talbot made 28 saves. Edmonton's first playoff run since 2006 ended with four losses in five games, but the Oilers' young talent seems certain to make them a major factor in the West for years.The time is now for the five-time Pacific Division champion Ducks on the 10-year anniversary of their 2007 championship.They showed grit and guile while bouncing back from a blowout loss in Game 6 and yet another early deficit in a seventh game, silencing the echoes of past winner-take-all events. Anaheim hadn't won a Game 7 since 2006, when they were still the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.Ritchie, the 21-year-old power forward in his first playoff campaign, fired a beautiful wrist shot past Talbot on a pass from Corey Perry 3:21 into the third period. Ritchie's second career playoff goal put the Ducks ahead in a Game 7 for the first time in five years - and ahead of the Oilers for the first time in nearly 193 minutes since late in Game 4.Captain Ryan Getzlaf ended a monster series without a point on his 32nd birthday, but he contributed to a stellar defensive effort against NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid, who went scoreless in Game 7 and managed just five points in the series.Edmonton took an early lead when young Anaheim defenseman Shea Theodore curiously tried to carry the puck out from behind the Ducks' net and right in front of Gibson. Caggiula skated up and challenged Theodore, who appeared to whip the puck accidentally backward and past Gibson.The now-familiar hush of fear fell over Honda Center, and it grew when Anaheim took a penalty late in the first. But the Ducks killed the power play spanning the intermission and then gradually increased their push.Cogliano finally cashed in for the Ducks when he slipped in front of Talbot and hacked home his first goal of the postseason. Cogliano ended a personal 13-game playoff goal drought for the speedy ex-Oilers forward who hasn't missed a game in his entire 10-year NHL career.Anaheim outshot Edmonton 16-3 in that dominant second period but couldn't take the lead. At least the Ducks didn't face a multi-goal deficit heading to the third for the first time during their five-year streak of Game 7 drama.NOTES: D Oscar Klefbom returned to Edmonton's lineup after missing Game 6 with an upper-body injury. ... Anaheim was without two key injured veterans. D Kevin Bieksa missed his sixth straight game, while F Patrick Eaves missed his fourth straight game with a leg injury. The late-season acquisition has played in a Game 7 seven times in his career, most among the Ducks. ... Mike Trout and Garrett Richards crossed Katella Avenue from Angel Stadium to watch the game.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P25A)
Finally.With his second goal of the postseason early in the third period, Nick Ritchie gave the Anaheim Ducks their first lead in a Game 7 in five years.Related: Ducks fall behind early in 1st period of Game 7 for 5th straight yearAfter the Edmonton Oilers opened the scoring in the first period, the Ducks put their foot on the gas, outshooting the Oilers 16-3 in the second period, ultimately knotting the game at 1-1 on a goal by Andrew Cogliano.The Ducks hadn't won a Game 7 since 2006 against the Calgary Flames - until Wednesday night.Ritchie's goal ended up the game and series winner, and the Ducks are off to the Western Conference Final against the Nashville Predators.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Navin Vaswani on (#2P22H)
Don't do it.Whatever you're going to tweet about Alex Ovechkin ... don't. Step away from your phone. Go to bed early, deal with it Thursday. It's not worth it. You're mad, you're hurting. And you know the rule: Never tweet emotionally. Because placing all the blame at Ovechkin's feet and his alone for this latest heartbreaking, soul- and dream-crushing Washington Capitals playoff defeat is the easy way out.This was another collective Washington failure. That it came against the Pittsburgh Penguins adds insult to injury. It's tough to accept, and it's going to hurt for a long time in D.C., but here are three reasons why Ovechkin doesn't deserve the crap he's undoubtedly going to get over the next few days, weeks, and months.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Fleury was better than HoltbyWashington goaltender Braden Holtby's track record in the playoffs is amazing. At least it was, until these playoffs.The Capitals' rock in goal simply didn't have it this spring. He departs the postseason with a .909 save percentage and a 7-6 record in 13 games.Check out his playoff numbers in years past:PlayoffsGPSV%2016-1713.9092015-1612.9422014-1513.9442012-137.9222011-1214.935Opposite Holtby, Marc-Andre Fleury was stellar. He is the story of the playoffs. And he out-goaltended Holtby. It's simple as as that. And, hey, it happens. Holtby's still one of the best goalies in the league.What was Trotz saving Ovie for?(Photo courtesy: Action Images)In the most important game in the 12-year Ovechkin era, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz decided to give six forwards more ice time than No. 8. Six!Sure, Ovechkin was on the ice for both Penguins goals, but if Trotz wasn't ready to ride his horse in Game 7 against the Caps' nemesis in Washington's all-in, Stanley-Cup-or-bust season, he never will be.RankPlayerIce TimeEV Ice Time1T.J. Oshie22:3820:002Nicklas Backstrom21:5819:443Justin Williams19:5118:024Marcus Johansson19:2416:525Andre Burakovsky19:1917:516Evgeny Kuznetsov19:1817:217Ovechkin18:2215:098Lars Eller13:0711:569Tom Wilson13:0312:26With all due respect to Mr. Trotz, there's no world in which Johansson and Burakovsky should be playing that much more than Ovechkin, both in general and especially at even strength.Even more inconceivably, this was Trotz's gameplan from puck drop. Ovie played only 5:01 in the first period, according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu. At home, in Game 7, with momentum on the Caps' side after two straight wins to tie the series, why wasn't Ovechkin out there more often?No. 8 saw 7:08 of ice time in the third period, with his team on the ropes, but as NHL.com's Dan Rosen notes, 2:26 of that was with Holtby on the bench and the Caps up 6-on-5.You can argue that Ovechkin is no longer the Capitals' best player, but you can't argue that Ovechkin isn't one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time. His team needed a goal in the third, a period it entered trailing 1-0. And with the season - with everything - on the line, Trotz couldn't be bothered to play his captain:
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on (#2P21R)
Evgeni Malkin must have had this tweet saved in his drafts.While the Pittsburgh Penguins were in the midst of losing Game 6 of their second-round series against the Washington Capitals, former NHL goalie and noted character Ilya Bryzgalov took to Twitter to draw a premature conclusion.Once the dust had settled on a Game 7 win for the Penguins, Malkin extended his countryman the courtesy of an invite to the Eastern Conference Final.
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on (#2P20N)
There's going to be a lot of soul-searching in Washington once again this summer.For the second straight season, the Capitals have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins, this time after being shut out on home ice in Game 7.Immediately following the loss, head coach Barry Trotz was unable to comment on the performance of Alex Ovechkin."Emotionally right now, I don't want to answer that question," Trotz said, per Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports. "I think 'you win or lose as a team' is probably my best answer right now."Emotionally, I don't think I want to answer that question right now."The captain recorded four shots on goal in 18:22 of ice time - seventh among Capitals forwards - in the decisive loss.For the playoffs, Ovechkin registered five goals and three assists in 12 games, and still has yet to advance past the second round.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P1ZH)
While Wednesday's Game 7 might have been do-or-die, for Nicklas Backstrom, the Washington Capitals were doomed much earlier in the series.The club suffered a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the deciding game, and while it was certainly a big missed opportunity, Backstrom feels the writing was on the wall much earlier in the series."We didn't lose the series tonight, we lost it in the first three games, four games," Backstrom said, according to NHL.com's Katie Brown.While it doesn't make up for the team's poor Game 7 outing, Backstrom's opinion isn't exactly wrong. The Penguins jumped out to a 3-1 series lead, outscoring the Capitals by a 14-9 margin. Despite dominating Games 5 and 6, Washington couldn't win the all-encompassing seventh game.So while you can't win a series in three of four games, it appears you can lose it.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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by Ian McLaren on (#2P1YK)
It's a narrative few, if any, expected.Marc-Andre Fleury backstopping the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Eastern Conference Final, that is.But that's exactly what the goaltender has done, thanks to a Game 7 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in which he recorded the ninth playoff shutout of his career.In truth, Fleury wasn't supposed to add to his postseason numbers as a member of the Penguins, seeing as he had been relegated to the bench in favor of Matt Murray during last year's playoffs. The rookie supplanted the veteran after the latter fell prey to a late-season injury, and made good on the opportunity by leading the Penguins all the way to a Stanley Cup win.The prevailing belief was Fleury would be moved last summer, but, to his credit, general manager Jim Rutherford held on, just in case. And so Fleury fell into the unfamiliar role of backup, yet without losing his trademark smile.And as it happened, Murray himself suffered an injury prior to Game 1 of a first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets back in April, leaving head coach Mike Sullivan to hand the reins back to Fleury.And through two series victories, Fleury - playing behind a Penguins blue line that's been decimated by injuries - has posted a record of 8-4 with a save percentage of .927, putting himself firmly in the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation as playoff MVP.This postseason could very well be it for Fleury in Pittsburgh, with an expansion draft coming up and perhaps an ever-growing line of trade suitors based on his play over the past few weeks. Sullivan could even turn to a healthy-again Murray for the third round seeing as he's the de facto starter, but that seems unlikely at this point.The reality is the Penguins weren't favored to topple the Capitals this time around, and Fleury is a huge reason why they came out on top once again.No matter how many more times he puts on that jersey, he's certainly making the most of it, and earning a huge amount of respect as a result.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P1XP)
New year, same story.After entering the playoffs with the top record in the NHL during the regular season, the Washington Capitals have been eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins.For the Capitals, they are left wondering why. As for the internet, it appears to be having a field day with yet another head-scratcher of a postseason by the Presidents' Trophy winners.Here is some of the best Twitter had to offer Wednesday night:
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on (#2P1XR)
You can't make this stuff up about the Anaheim Ducks.The club is looking to avoid a remarkable fifth straight Game 7 loss on home ice in as many years, but the Ducks are following an inauspicious script after Drake Caggiula opened the scoring for the Edmonton Oilers with an ugly goal:
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by Navin Vaswani on (#2P1VH)
This is a recording.The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 2-0 in Game 7 of their second-round series Wednesday night. The defending champs are moving on, while another Presidents' Trophy-winning season for the Capitals is over at the hands of the Pens. Even worse: It's the third time in the Alex Ovechkin era that Washington's been eliminated by Pittsburgh.Ovechkin, somehow, remains without a postseason game played in the third round or later on his remarkable resume.This series loss is especially crippling for Washington because the team was so very much all-in this season, with T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams, Karl Alzner, and rental Kevin Shattenkirk all slated for unrestricted free agency on July 1. Add in the fact that Washington tied up the series after falling behind 3-1 and, well, this one's going to hurt for a long, long time in the District.Marc-Andre Fleury was stellar for the Penguins, stopping all 29 shots he faced. Thrown into the crease before Game 1 of the first round, Fleury's made the most of his opportunity, and after backing up Matt Murray all season, he's now led the Pens into the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators.Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist scored for Pittsburgh. It was Rust's eighth goal in elimination/close-out games.Braden Holtby did what he could for the Capitals, making a number of stellar stops in the third period to keep Washington within striking distance.Pittsburgh, however, was especially dominant in the third period, keeping on the attack and giving the Capitals no room and no chance to mount a comeback. The shots in the final 20 minutes were 11-6 in favor of Pittsburgh.The Penguins are now an insane 6-0 all time in Game 7s on the road. The Capitals never had a chance.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P1SH)
Is it too late to add Jake Guentzel to the Calder Trophy ballot?With an assist on Bryan Rust's Game 7 opening tally, Guentzel set a new Pittsburgh Penguins rookie record for points in a single postseason with 14.Related - Watch: Penguins' Rust opens Game 7 scoring after patient Guentzel feedGuentzel's 14th point puts him one past Jaromir Jagr who posted 13 during the 1990-91 season. However, Guentzel achieved his feat in just 12 games, while Jagr did so over 24.Including the playoffs and regular season, Guentzel has now posted 47 points in 52 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P1QM)
The Washington Capitals have Mr. Game 7 in Justin Williams.The Pittsburgh Penguins have Mr. Elimination Game in Bryan Rust.Advantage: Penguins. So far, at least.Rust opened the scoring in Game 7 in the second period after a Matt Niskanen turnover and a brilliant pass from Jake Guentzel.The goal is Rust's eighth in 12 career elimination/close-out games and third in two Game 7s. This is his second career postseason. He is ridiculous.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P1EJ)
Ben Bishop appears quite happy about the idea of playing for the Dallas Stars.The veteran goalie's rights were acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, and while Bishop can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, he's hopeful a contract can be agreed upon to keep him in Texas."I don't want to get ahead of myself, because I know we have the negotiating process to go through, but I'm excited," Bishop said, per Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. "I know the area down there, I graduated from Frisco High School (north of the city), and I know how passionate the fans are there. I was just really excited to hear (about the trade)."Bishop knows new head coach Ken Hitchcock from his time with the St. Louis Blues, and also sees familiar potential in the Stars."I think we have a good relationship, and I know his teams in St. Louis were tough to play against," Bishop said."Like I said, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but this looks a lot like the team we had in Tampa when I first got there. There is plenty of firepower to score goals, and the opportunity is there to work on the other areas and improve those areas."Bishop, 30, is coming off a two-year deal signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning that carried a salary cap hit of $5.95 million.The two-time Vezina Trophy finalist likely won't come cheap, but he could be just what the Stars need to get back to the ranks of Stanley Cup hopefuls.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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on (#2P1CC)
Canada defenseman Tyson Barrie will miss the remainder of the World Hockey Championship due to a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.The news is a huge blow to Canada, as through three games, the Colorado Avalanche defender is tied for second in tournament scoring and leads all defensemen with seven points.It's a rather untimely injury for Barrie, but luckily for the Canadians, St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko should help soften the blow. It was announced Tuesday that the sophomore would join Canada, and he should make his first appearance Thursday against host France.Canada is perfect through three games at the tournament and is tied for top spot in Group B with Switzerland.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
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