It's a dearth in physicality that troubles Brian Burke, not Nazem Kadri's hit on Daniel Sedin that's sparked conversation regarding blindside contact around the hockey world.
"It was fine," Burke told TSN's Gino Reda. "We're already taking hitting and fighting out of the game at a scary pace.
"Players should be aware or the their surroundings. Blindside head shots (have to) go. Not all blindside hits."
Burke has traditionally been one of the stronger proponents of the physical aspects ostensibly bleeding from the game. Last season marked the fewest amount of fights in nearly a half century with 0.28 scraps per contest, as tabulated by HockeyFights.com, and that trend has continued this year with more and more teams employing skillful prospects in lieu of heavy-handed veterans.
Matthew Tkachuk, Burke's latest first-round draft selection, was assessed just the team's third major penalty this season in a fight Sunday night with Joseph Cramarossa of the Anaheim Ducks.
"He was just screaming it in my ear," he said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "So I started singing along with him. He's a big fan of that song, he plays it in the car sometimes.
"He's definitely a big Bon Jovi guy."
Matthews added that they've been taking some abuse from teammates for the harmonization that went viral.
"We're living our dream right now," he told TSN's Mark Masters. "Probably the most important thing is to go out there and have fun."
Marner, meanwhile, didn't deny his role in the incident.
"Yeah, if I know the song I'm usually singing it," Marner said. "Depends on the moment."
In the end, the hit was deemed to be unworthy of suspension, confirming Kadri's belief that Sedin's shoulder was the principal point of contact.
"I did hit him in the body and that was the main point of contact, and I'm glad the league felt the same way," Kadri said, per Mark Masters of TSN. "It happens pretty fast. It's a reacting-type play. I just tried to stay low with it and I did feel I hit him in the shoulder.
"(The hit was) just instinct. I saw him and tried to finish my check," Kadri added. "What worried me most was him hitting his head off the ice."
Kadri has three goals in his past three games - all Toronto wins - and is on pace for his most offensively productive season.
As is tradition Monday mid-day, the NHL's released its three stars for the week that was.
Nikita Kucherov earned first-star status, scoring three goals and sharing the league lead with seven points. He helped his Tampa Bay Lightning bag two wins and an additional point in a shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. He vaulted to third in league scoring, upping his season total to 15 points.
Corey Crawford had another brilliant week in the Chicago Blackhawks' cage. The goaltender won all three of his starts, highlighted by a 38-save shutout of the Colorado Avalanche to earn the NHL's second star. He's allowed seven goals in his last six starts, helping the Blackhawks to 11 points over that stretch.
Kevin Hayes has been the hottest of the New York Rangers scorers. He notched four goals and two assists last week, leading an offense that produced 20 goals in four games over the last seven days. The NHL's third star is already up to a third of his total production from last season with 12 points.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without defenseman Seth Jones for three weeks after he suffered a hairline fracture in his foot during Saturday's game at St. Louis, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has announced.
The details of the injury are not for the faint of heart.
Berglund's skate blade cut through Jones' skate - the laces and tongue - and cut his foot, fractured a bone. #CBJ#StLBlues
Jones, 22, has been solid for the Blue Jackets so far this season, recording three goals, three assists, and 15 shots through 10 games while leading the team in ice time (17th in NHL).
The injury comes with the Blue Jackets having posted a winning record of 5-3-2, and sitting one point back of a wild-card spot with the fewest games played league-wide.
Based on the three-week timeline, Jones is likely to miss the next ten games.
DeBrincat, chosen in the second round, 39th overall, leads the Ontario Hockey League with 17 goals, and has 35 points in 14 games this season with the Erie Otters.
He's been a prolific scorer throughout his major junior career, having racked up 205 points in the two seasons that preceded his draft eligibility.
DeBrincat was a member of the U.S. world junior roster last winter.
Yes, that's Ladd listed as the fourth-line winger, while Cal Clutterbuck gets a prime assignment alongside John Tavares.
After allowing Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen to depart as unrestricted free agents this past summer, general manager Garth Snow attempted to fill the void by signing Ladd to a seven-year, $38.5-million contract.
Through 12 games, Ladd has recorded a lone assist and 25 shots on goal, and is currently on pace for a total of seven points on the season. He's also on the wrong end of the shot attempt game, with a 45.65 Corsi rating in five-on-five play.
For his career, Ladd is averaging 49 points for every 82 games played, and in all likelihood he'll turn things around at some point. But to date, life in Winnipeg is certainly looking better than New York for the former Jets captain.
What a hipster thing to say that is.
Languishing Loui
Out West, things aren't looking much better for Eriksson.
Coming off a 30-goal, 63-point season with the Boston Bruins, the Swede signed a six-year, $36-million contract in the offseason and seemed like a lock to ride high with the Sedins on Vancouver's top line.
The results so far? Zero goals and four assists in 12 games, with 19 shots and a demotion to the second line to boot.
Averaging 56.5 points per 82 games, the outlook for Eriksson seems a bit more encouraging than Ladd.
For starters, he's on pace for 27 assists, and he's seeing almost 20 minutes a night. An injury suffered by Jannik Hansen has also likely opened the door for Eriksson to get another shot at lining up with the Sedins.
Eriksson has recorded a 55.2 Corsi rating (five-on-five), meaning he's on the ice for more shot attempts for than against, which is a good sign.
The slow starts for each player are a bit of a microcosm of how the Islanders and Canucks are doing this season, and a breakout for either as early as Monday's head-to-head would be most welcome.
theScore's new series "The Noise" will be published every Monday, and kick off each week with a quick look at teams or players making headlines, good or bad.
With five goals in all four games played this past week, the Blueshirts have now won eight of nine, and opened up a goal differential that's 15 points better than the next closest Eastern Conference team.
The Blackhawks and Capitals have been similarly dominant of late, winning six and five games in a row, respectively. But for the sake of variety, we'll highlight three other teams making headlines, though in the absence of unwavering authority.
In his six games since being cleared from his preseason concussion, Crosby's scored eight goals, matching Artem Anisimov and Patrik Laine for the NHL lead - only those two hit eight in more than double the amount of games. His scoring touch through six is so ridiculous (and incredibly unsustainable) that if he keeps this pace (he can't), he would hit a triple-digit goal total and obliterate Wayne Gretzky's single-season record despite sitting out the first six games.
This dominance is thanks, in part, to this club being able to reinvent itself again. Carl Hagelin, who helped ignite Phil Kessel last season, is having a similarly incendiary effect on the top line with Crosby and Patric Hornqvist.
Pittsburgh's secured 11 of a possible 12 points since Crosby's return, its most recent win being a 5-0 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks in Saturday's Stanley Cup Final rematch.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs offered a few take-home messages this week.
First, Frederik Andersen's found his zen - that, or streamable television service. The netminder that was the reason the Maple Leafs were losing throughout the first two weeks, dug in and keyed three straight wins this week. He made 109 stops on 115 shots, including 42 in his best performance with the Maple Leafs in a win versus the Buffalo Sabres.
We also learned Nazem Kadri can be a good, if not a dominant shutdown center, when stimulated. Rising to the challenge matching with the game's most dominant player, an incentivized Kadri made Connor McDavid's first visit to his hometown a miserable one. He was rewarded for the exasperation he caused, scoring two goals including the overtime winner.
And third, a win over Vancouver isn't enough to suggest this team can vie for a postseason spot. But as they picked up the smell of blood in that 6-3 win Saturday, they became a different team, looking confident, resolute, unified.
Columbus Blue Jackets
There's still reason to dismiss the Blue Jackets. Without their 10-0 demolition of the Canadiens, this team has simply traded goals with the opposition through the first month. And for that reason, they project to remain outside the playoff bracket.
But with their partially inflated plus-11 goal differential, which by the way only the Rangers can top in the East, as well as some problematic underlying data, there's reason to be excited about the Jackets.
Columbus hasn't just survived their brutal 10-game schedule to start, but has quietly racked up the points against heavyweight opponents. Check this out: Against the Blackhawks, Stars (twice), Kings, Sharks, Ducks, Canadiens, and Blues in their last eight games, the Blue Jackets have racked up 12 points and lost only once in regulation.
They own a top-10 points percentage league-wide, and are only middling in the standings because they've played fewer games than any other team.
As reported by Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos and confirmed by Trouba's agent, Kurt Overhardt, a meeting with Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff took place in Detroit on Nov. 4, but with no progress made, the Dec. 1 deadline fast approaches.
some reports out there on #nhljets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff meeting with Jacob Trouba's agent Kurt Overhardt. They met. "Status quo," said KO
As a restricted free agent, Trouba has until the first of December to sign a new contract or he can't play in the NHL this season.
The defenseman made a public trade request prior to the start of the regular season, citing a desire to play on the right side, a position he's not been able to line up at in Winnipeg due to a crowded depth chart.
Overhardt had previously mentioned the Dec. 1 deadline as not being an issue, and remains tight-lipped on a contingency plan should his client not sign.
also asked Kurt Overhardt if he has begun inquiries about a place for Trouba to play should Dec. 1 pass without an NHL contract: No comment.
