Delivering new meaning to a plethora of hackneyed hockey phrases, Steve Bernier was rewarded for ancillary work in a minor-league contest Wednesday, scoring a goal off his shin pad.
From his own end.
Yep, Bernier went down to block a shot in the dying moments of the game, and the blast rebounded of his padding with such force that the puck hit the back of the empty net before the defenseman could chase it down at the other end, sealing a win for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The defenseman has returned to Sweden to tend to a personal family matter and there is no timetable for his return to the club, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters Thursday, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.
Enstrom ranks third among Jets defensemen with an average ice time of 22:22 this season, recording a goal and six assists in 22 games.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning is seeking a long-term extension for Horvat rather than the sort of shorter bridge deal accepted by Hutton, reports Dan Murphy of Sportsnet.
Vancouver's top pick in the 2013 draft, Horvat has emerged as a crucial pivot in the Canucks' lineup. In his third NHL season, Horvat is off to a career year, with 13 points in 20 games.
"Ben is developing into one of our young, emerging core players and is an important part of our future," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said in a statement. "We're excited to see him further elevate his game and help this team compete for years to come."
Hutton has scored four points in 20 games with the Canucks this season.
The 23-year-old made his NHL debut last season, appearing in 75 games and scoring 25 points. The Canucks selected Hutton in the fifth round of the 2012 draft.
What better way for hockey fans to celebrate American Thanksgiving than to look back on the early stages of the hockey season and revel in what has been?
With that in mind, here are five storylines that hockey fans can appreciate through the quarter mark of the 2016-17 campaign:
Healthy Crosby
Quite simply, hockey is better when Sidney's around. The "Next One" in the line of hockey's generational superstars, Crosby has already captured a host of accolades in his relatively short career. His trophy case includes five gold medals with Canada, two Stanley Cups, two Harts, and a pair of Art Ross wins, among other honors.
A prolific playmaker, Crosby added to his repertoire in 2009-10 when he won the Rocket Richard on the back of a 51-goal season. This year, he's out to showcase that goal-scoring side of his game. With 14 goals in 14 games, Sid the Kid is on pace for an absurd 76 goals. The NHL hasn't seen totals that high since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both hit 76 during the 1992-93 campaign.
It's lining up to be an exciting race to Calder honors, with the above five sitting atop the freshman scoring race, separated by just three points. Laine leads the way with 18 points in 22 games, while his 12 goals sit shy of only Crosby's 14.
Price is right
Puckheads haven't seen goaltending this dominant since the days of Dominik Hasek manning the crease for the Buffalo Sabres. Once again, Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price is proving to be the league's MVP. Through 13 games, Price has 11 wins and just one regulation loss, plus a remarkable .943 save percentage, having allowed only 23 goals on the year.
The Habs fell off the map last year in the absence of Price, who missed all but 12 games with a knee injury. As a result, the Canadiens struck out on the postseason for the first time in four years. But things are all good this season, with Price healthy and the Canadiens sporting the NHL's best record of 14-4-2 through 20 games.
Highlight goals
The summer's World Cup wasn't short on intrigue, and much of that excitement has carried over to the early portion of the NHL season, with fans across the hockey map spoiled with so many highlight-reel plays.
Whether you're talking Matthews' four-goal debut, Patrick Kane's electrifying goal against the Canadiens, or Connor McDavid's pair of goals over the Calgary Flames in the season opener, hockey fans are certainly thankful for offense in the season's early goings.
Vegas, baby!
Hockey fans are about to see the NHL's first foray into expansion since the addition of the Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild in 2000. This time around, the Vegas Golden Knights will have the opportunity to build a team that should prove to be competitive sooner than previous expansion entries due to the NHL limiting the 30 current clubs' ability to protect players, leaving plenty of talent free for Vegas' picking.
The Golden Knights will begin play in 2016-17, and team owner Bill Foley has already made a number of impressive hires, including GM George McPhee, the former manager of the Washington Capitals. Next on the docket? The team's first bench boss.
The ever-clever Florida Panthers goaltender uncorked a brilliant zinger that perfectly summed up the lengthy rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" performed by the Queen of Soul before Thursday's NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings.
I was able to do all my Christmas shopping while Aretha sang the national anthem #happythanksgiving
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Nearing the quarter-mark of the season, fantasy owners need to take action on top-tier players who continue to struggle. Fantasy owners as a whole award opportunity to struggling players based on name value. A big-name player who was selected with a high draft pick will be rostered for longer than a late-round pick, even if the production is extremely similar.
While these high draft picks were selected as such due to histories of quality performance, some years it just isn't there. Cutting bait either in a trade or to waivers may not be easy but can be a necessity. Here's a look at five players owners should expect to turn their seasons around while five others may be doomed for a lost season:
Slump-busters
C Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
Couture is already beginning to come around with four goals in his past seven games, including one in each of his past two. He is up to six goals and 11 points through 20 games. The resurgence is much more than just a hot streak, as he continues to put himself in idea scoring situations. He is one of five Sharks skaters with more than 50 minutes played at 5v4. Four of his goals have come on the power play.
He has a Corsi For rating of 56.30 percent at 5v5, the second-best mark on the team. His average shot distance of just over 28 feet, per Corsica.Hockey, is right in line with his career average entering this season. He is starting 32.17 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and finishing 36.95 percent in the opposition's end. His Zone-Finish Ratio of 53.89 ranks fifth on the team.
All of Couture's five assists have come at 5v5. Of the five, four have been primary assists. His career assist ratio is 69 percent primary. He should happen into some more secondary helpers and see improved PP production. He should finish the year with 70-plus points, setting a new career high.
LW Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators
Like Couture, Hoffman has shown some of his expected promise of late, including a three-point game Tuesday, against the Montreal Canadiens. He's at just four goals and 10 points through 17 games, after scoring 27 and 29 goals in each of the past two seasons. He remains at 3.35 shots on goal per game, more than he averaged in each of those seasons.
His 7.0 shooting percentage should climb toward his career rate of 11.2, offering some reprieve. Four of his 10 points have come via the power play, as new head coach Guy Boucher has awarded him more special teams opportunity than Ottawa's previous bench bosses.
He is being deployed in the most ideal offensive situations, starting over 48.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive end. His ZFR of 59.49 ranks second on the team, behind only C Kyle Turris. This much time in the oppositions zone and an average shot distance just over 28 feet will allow Hoffman to approach 30 goals for the third consecutive season.
C Adam Henrique, New Jersey Devils
The injury to LW Taylor Hall (knee) has harmed the production of the Devils' offense as a whole, especially his former center. Henrique sits at just three goals and eight points on the year, after scoring 30 goals for the first time last season. He has gone point-less in three straight games and goal-less in four.
A shooting percentage of 20.1 helped him a lot last season, as he took just 149 shots on goal to score his 30. He shooting percentage has fallen to a more natural 10.3 percent this season, but he has taken just 29 SOG. After scoring 19 power-play goals over the last three years, he doesn't have a PP point this season.
Henrique's average shot distance this year is just 19.05 feet at 5v5. Only five players with at least 50 minutes of 5v5 play have closer averages, and Henrique is the only one of these players with more than 200 minutes played. He and owners may need to wait for Hall to return, but the production will follow close behind.
Ghosts of production past
C Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals
After leading the Capitals in points last season, Kuznetsov has just three goals and six assists in 2016-17. More alarmingly, he has just 30 SOG through 19 games, after averaging 2.35 per game last season. His average shot distance has risen from 29 feet to over 30 feet. A small difference, but one having an impact.
His paltry production has already come with an inflated PDO of 99.81. The league norm is 100 and his projected rate is 99.81. He has been getting lucky and still hasn't capitalized. Of his five assists at 5v5, three have been primary and two have been secondary.
He is currently centering the top line with LW Alex Ovechkin again, and it led to a two-point game Wednesday. Ovechkin's center can never be ruled out completely, but he won't get back to last year's level.
LW Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres
Kane has just two assists and remains without a goal since making his return from injury Nov. 9. He has 19 shots on goal through nine games, well short of his career rate of 3.46 SOG per game.
He has been shuffled throughout Buffalo's lineup, currently skating on the second line with C Sam Reinhart and C/LW Zemgus Girgensons. He doesn't have a Corsi For rating higher than 48 percent on any trio he has played with. He has no more than 46.53 minutes of 5v5 play with any one three-man unit.
His average shot distance is 40.46 feet, more than 10 feet further back than his career average entering this season. Until he starts getting some more high-danger opportunities and putting himself in better position, he'll be a non-factor in most fantasy formats.
D John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Klingberg is averaging a near-identical amount of ice time to last season, but he is being used in a fundamentally different way as the Stars are relying on him in the defensive end. He has just 25 SOG through 20 games, after averaging nearly 2.5 per game last season.
He is starting just 26.06 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, though he is finishing nearly 30 percent in that end. Last season, he started over 32 percent of shifts in the offensive end.
While he remains on the top power-play unit, he isn't receiving nearly the same type of opportunity in 5v5 situations. He will fall well short of last season's 58 points.
Ottawa hockey fans got some good news Thursday morning.
The National Capital Commission has selected RendezVous LeBreton Group as the preferred proponent for LeBreton Flats, the downtown Ottawa district where the Ottawa Senators hope to build their new arena as part of a mixed-use redevelopment.
RendezVous, a joint venture between Trinity Development and Senators Sports & Entertainment, has been permitted to negotiate a development agreement, which will take at least one year to finalize, reports Don Butler of the Ottawa Citizen.
Interesting to hear NCC board member Kay Stanley say she visited Edmonton's Ice District. It's a spectacular and a model for Ottawa. #Sens
Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.
▲ Alex Ovechkin
It's been business as usual for the Washington Capitals captain, who's doing everything he can to avoid taking a back seat amid the influx of talented youngsters bursting onto the NHL scene.
He has five goals in his last four games, and four of Ovechkin's 12 goals have been game-winners.
Ovechkin trails only San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns in total shots on goal (with a game in hand), and ranks behind only injured New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall among qualified skaters in shots per game.
His latest hat trick vaulted him into a tie for second on the NHL's goal-scoring list this season. The 31-year-old is serving notice to the incoming teenagers that one of the best pure goal-scorers in NHL history isn't going to fade away any time soon.
▼ The Vegas Golden Knights
After months of buildup, the NHL's newest expansion franchise had a painfully awkward introduction to the world this week that was almost universally panned on social media.
First came an avalanche of jokes at the expense of the club for a video that failed to properly play, then came criticism of the team name, with many wondering why "Las" was omitted and others questioning the nickname itself.
The youngest captain in NHL history collected three points and scored the game-winner Wednesday night, guiding the Edmonton Oilers to a victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
McDavid sits atop the NHL points list with 27 in 21 games, and he ranks fifth in the league in average ice time among forwards, logging over 21 minutes per contest.
We all knew he'd be this good, but the fact that's been this dominant with less than a full NHL season under his belt confirms he's ready to lead an Oilers resurgence sooner rather than later.
▼ The NWHL
To say it's been a tough week for one of the two major professional women's hockey leagues in North America would be an understatement.
It's unfortunate to see the league struggling, and even more of a shame to see the players being short-changed without warning as a result. Here's hoping both sides can figure out a solution that allows the women's game to further grow south of the border.
Mike Smith's strong start to the season has hit a bump in the road.
After missing 12 games with a lower-body injury, the Arizona Coyotes netminder looked to be back to his winning ways, holding down a 2-0-1 record and .923 save percentage through three games.
That came crashing down Wednesday night when the veteran keeper was yanked after allowed four goals on 17 shots at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks.
Smith was quick to take responsibility for his poor play.
"I was awful. I was sleeping right from the first goal," Smith told reporters, including Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. "It was not even close. We did a lot of good things in front of me and didn't get rewarded for it tonight, but a lot of that comes solely on my shoulder's tonight ... I dropped the ball."
The Coyotes own a league-worst record of 6-10-2, with 14 points through 18 games.
"It was obvious that I wasn't feeling it tonight, but that's no excuse. You have to get the job done," Smith added. "It was obvious that after that (fourth) goal went in, my night was over."
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett was not pleased with the loss.
