Soon-to-be free agent John Tavares might be seriously reconsidering staying with the New York Islanders past this season, as his Isles have somehow managed to lose 15 of their last 18 games.
With New York's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night, the club now has 21 losses in 28 games since the All-Star break.
The horrendous stretch has seen New York fall completely out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture and into draft lottery contention, currently sitting dead last in the Metropolitan Division with a disappointing 74 points.
Management should have a very interesting time trying to convince Johnny T to stick around now that the team has completely nosedived in the second half of the season.
Anton Forsberg was injured prior to the game, and backup Collin Delia was forced to the dressing room midway through the third period with cramps, prompting former NHL goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to offer up his services to the injury-plagued Hawks on Friday.
Hey Blackhawks, need a goalie that will be healthy all year round?
Bryz hasn't suited up for any game action since playing for the Anaheim Ducks in 2015, but he does have 445 career wins and 34 shutouts under his belt should Chicago actually consider his offer.
The Blackhawks have been scrambling to find a solution in the blue paint since No. 1 netminder Corey Crawford hit injured reserve in December with vertigo-like symptoms.
NEWARK, N.J. – In trying to become the first team to win the Stanley Cup three straight times since the New York Islanders' run of four straight from 1980-83, the Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled at times to look like a playoff team - let alone one capable of making history.
To be fair, no club gets through 82 games without a clunker here and there, but for the Penguins, the bad nights have been something more. The hiccups, while occasional, have set off alarm bells among a team that remains confident, but still knows it doesn't have all the answers.
The latest significant stumble for the Penguins came Tuesday, when they went to Detroit and suffered a 5-2 loss to a Red Wings team that's been out of contention for months and ranks 27th in scoring.
"It's a reminder that you can't just show up and expect to get two points,” Sidney Crosby said. “I don’t think we necessarily needed that in Game 77 or whatever it was, but we’ve got to learn from it, and it’s in the past now. We've got important games ahead.”
That included the very next game against the Devils on Thursday, as the wake-up call was heeded and Crosby himself scored in overtime for a 4-3 win. But that doesn't mean everything is settled for the Penguins, who generally have followed some of their worst games of the season with victories.
It wasn’t Game 77, but Game 2, when the Penguins went to Chicago and took a 10-1 thrashing, only to turn around two days later and beat the Predators, 4-0. Later in October, the Pittsburgh lost 7-1 to the Lightning, but then beat the Oilers in overtime in the next contest. The very next week, a 7-1 loss in Winnipeg was followed by a 3-2 triumph in Edmonton.
As the season has gone on, the trend has continued. The Penguins were on the receiving end of an 8-4 mauling in Boston on March 1, but then went home two days later and beat the Islanders in overtime. Then, on March 10, the Penguins were handed a 5-2 defeat in Toronto, before going home and beating the Stars the next night.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
If there's a switch the Penguins can flip to turn from a Jekyll-and-Hyde team in the regular season into the force they've been the past two springs, now would be a good time to do it, especially because - with only four games left - there's still no "x" next to "Pittsburgh" in the standings.
"We've just got to have the mindset that it's a playoff game," winger Tom Kuhnhackl said. "We're fighting for the playoffs here. Every game is a very, very important game for us, and the kind of game we played in Detroit, where we didn't really show up, didn't really play our game, that just can't happen at this time of year. We’ve got to have that mindset that it’s like a playoff game. … We’re fighting for the playoffs, fighting for home ice, fighting for our lives. We just can't have the effort we had in Detroit.”
Home ice is important, because while the Penguins know that a playoff spot is basically in their hands, even before clinching, they want to be in as good a position as possible once they get there. Winning a third straight Cup is already difficult enough with extra home games. Meanwhile, here are how many playoff series past teams have played without home-ice advantage on the way to winning a third (or more) consecutive title:
TEAM
HOME SERIES
1983 Islanders
1 of 4
1982 Islanders
0 of 4
1979 Canadiens
0 of 3
1978 Canadiens
0 of 3
1964 Maple Leafs
1 of 2
1960 Canadiens
0 of 2
1959 Canadiens
0 of 2
1958 Canadiens
0 of 2
1949 Maple Leafs
2 of 2
That's just four out of 26, including three by clubs in a six-team league more than half a century ago. If the Penguins fall behind the Blue Jackets in the final days of the season, they could find themselves needing to win four out of four series as the lower seed in order to complete their three-peat.
While the 2012 Kings did pull off the feat of winning four consecutive series without home ice in order to hoist the Cup, there was a key difference - Los Angeles did not come into those playoffs having been through back-to-back Cup runs, which take a toll. That's why the Penguins are taking these final games of the regular season seriously after their letdown in Detroit, and the results will play a role in shaping their chances to make history.
"It’s a tough league and everyone’s gonna play us hard, so hopefully we go in the right direction before the playoffs to give us that confidence and that swagger that we need," Penguins forward Jake Guentzel said. "We'll see what happens from there. It's always nice when you get that chance to get home ice. This is a big last five games."
The Boston Bruins are set for some relief on the injury front.
Rookie forward Jake DeBrusk has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury, but is likely to return Saturday when Boston takes on the Florida Panthers, head coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday.
Prior to his injury, DeBrusk had put up nine points in eight games, going pointless just twice during that stretch. At practice on Friday, he skated on the club's second line alongside David Krejci and Ryan Donato.
The Bruins also noted that defensemen Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy will both remain out on Saturday, but will travel with the team after the game and could return Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The eighth edition focuses on the Detroit Red Wings.
The Good
A young foundation. There are several players on the current Red Wings roster who could become the faces of the franchise during the ongoing rebuild. Center Dylan Larkin has a team-high 56 points this season, Anthony Mantha leads Detroit with 23 goals, and Andreas Athanasiou has 31 points. Meanwhile, defenseman Joe Hicketts made his NHL debut late in the season and recorded two points, and winger Evgeny Svechnikov has worked his way up to the top line during his short time with the big club.
A new arena. After 39 seasons, the Red Wings bid farewell to the legendary Joe Louis Arena and moved into Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit. The new building is resplendent with nods to the rich history of the franchise; it even includes a bench from the Joe, and a statue of the great Gordie Howe, who played 25 seasons in Detroit.
Lots of draft picks. With eight selections in the first four rounds of the 2018 draft - and 11 in total - the Red Wings can restock their prospect cupboard. One of those picks is the conditional fourth-rounder acquired from the Flyers in the Petr Mrazek trade, which will become a third-rounder if Mrazek wins five regular-season games and the Flyers make the playoffs (Mrazek has won five games, but the Flyers have not yet clinched a playoff spot). And, if the Flyers make it to the Eastern Conference Final and Mrazek wins six playoff games, the third-rounder becomes a second-round pick. The Red Wings also have two-first rounders, one of which was acquired from Vegas for Tomas Tatar.
The Bad
Not trading Green at the deadline. There was talk of moving Mike Green at the trade deadline, but nothing materialized. In the last season of the defenseman's three-year, $18-million contract, it might have been wise for general manager Ken Holland to shop the 32-year-old - ideally for draft picks - since it doesn't appear likely he'll be back.
Bad offense, bad defense. To figure out what doomed the Red Wings this season, you don't need to look much further than their offense, which has produced just 2.52 goals per game - fourth worst in the league. In fact, Mantha and Gustav Nyquist are the only players with 20 or more goals. Meanwhile, the defense isn’t much better, having allowed 3.11 goals against per game - ninth most in the league.
Nine players over 30. There are nine players who are 30 or older on Detroit's current roster. While some of them - Henrik Zetterberg, for example - have continued to put up decent numbers, the team can't rely on them forever. A certain amount of veteran presence is a good thing - especially given the youth on the roster - but the league is getting exponentially younger and faster, and the Red Wings need to keep up.
The Questions
Will Holland and Blashill return next year? By all indications, Holland will stay in Detroit, although he's in the last year of his contract and it's not yet been renewed. His resume with the Red Wings includes four Stanley Cup championships (three as general manager, one as assistant general manager), and that has to count for something.
Coach Jeff Blashill’s future is a little murkier. When things are evaluated this summer, there are questions that need to be asked. Was the team's lack of success due to a lack of talent or because of coaching? Is there a better coaching option available? Everything will be put under a microscope.
Where do the Wings need the most help? Goaltending and defense are probably Detroit's largest areas of concern. Jimmy Howard is 34 and has one year left on his contract, while there isn't a goaltending prospect in the system who's ready for the NHL. There's also no true top-pairing defenseman in the system or on the roster, although it remains to be seen if prospects Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek, or Vili Saarijarvi could eventually make that leap.
While the nominees for this year's awards are yet to be revealed, the Los Angeles Kings have gotten ahead of the game, releasing a video highlighting defenseman Drew Doughty's credentials for the Norris Trophy.
Awarded to the NHL's top all-around defenseman, Doughty won the Norris Trophy in 2015-16 after finishing as runner-up the season prior.
But does he have the credentials to take home the honor again this season?
Through 78 contests, the Kings blue-liner has notched nine goals and 48 assists, outpaced by only six defenders league-wide. Meanwhile, his 26:45 in average ice time only trails Minnesota's Ryan Suter by a mere nine seconds.
If those numbers don't make the case, how about this endorsement from Connor McDavid?
"In my mind, he's probably the best defenseman in the league," the Edmonton Oilers superstar states in the video. "He's tough to play against defensively. He can get up and score offensively. He likes to have a lot of fun out there as well."
On Thursday night, the Buffalo Sabres lost for the fifth time in their last six games.
The game appears to have been extra frustrating for forward Jack Eichel, who sounded off on his team after they squandered a 2-0 lead against the Detroit Red Wings, ultimately losing 6-3.
"We think we can take shifts off. We think we can take plays off. We don't think every play matters, and it does," Eichel said, according to John Vogl of Buffalo News. "It all adds up at the end of the game. We continue to make similar mistakes and sleep through shifts, sleep through periods, and all of a sudden it's 6-3. It's frustrating."
As for Eichel, he set a career high Thursday with his 25th goal of the year and tied his career best with his 57th point.
The Sabres' season has been lost for some time, however; they currently sit with a five-point cushion over last place in the league standings.
On Thursday night, the Buffalo Sabres lost for the fifth time in their last six games.
The game appears to have been extra frustrating for forward Jack Eichel, who sounded off on his team after they squandered a 2-0 lead against the Detroit Red Wings, ultimately losing 6-3.
"We think we can take shifts off. We think we can take plays off. We don't think every play matters, and it does," Eichel said, according to John Vogl of Buffalo News. "It all adds up at the end of the game. We continue to make similar mistakes and sleep through shifts, sleep through periods, and all of a sudden it's 6-3. It's frustrating."
As for Eichel, he set a career high Thursday with his 25th goal of the year and tied his career best with his 57th point.
The Sabres' season has been lost for some time, however; they currently sit with a five-point cushion over last place in the league standings.
At every NHL trade deadline, a number of highly sought-after players generate a ton of buzz.
Fans become enthralled with what a big-name addition could mean for their team's Stanley Cup aspirations, experts become entwined in seemingly endless debates, and general managers endure sleepless nights spent waiting by the phone for that big deal to break.
However, some trades come together with much less attention, involving names that aren't exactly destined for the rafters. But those players still hold the ability to make names for themselves, impacting the outcome of their new team's seasons.
With that in mind, here's a look at the under-the-radar deals from the 2018 deadline that have panned out.
Ian Cole, Columbus Blue Jackets
Never one to exactly jump off the stat sheet, Cole has been nothing short of sensational for the Blue Jackets since joining the club from the Ottawa Senators as an extra piece in the Derick Brassard deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has been a major reason for the team's late-season resurgence.
Prior to joining Columbus, Cole was having a respectable season, but he's totally taken his game to the next level in his 16 games for John Tortorella and Co. Check out his numbers in Pittsburgh compared to his short time with Columbus:
Team
GP
Points
CF%
+/-
TOI
S%
Penguins
47
13
50.6
+3
17:37
4.8
Blue Jackets
16
7
52.64
+12
18:04
13.3
In only 16 games, Cole has already clearly earned the trust of the ever-menacing Tortorella, as the veteran rearguard's pairing with David Savard has been deployed more than any other Blue Jackets defensive combo over the last 10 contests, providing an element of stability to a back end already stacked with the likes of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.
Cole won't be winning any Norris Trophies anytime soon, but as an under-the-radar addition, he could be worth his weight in gold for a Blue Jackets squad honing in on one of the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.
J.T. Miller, Tampa Bay Lightning
While Ryan McDonagh's name dominated the airwaves immediately following the Lightning-Rangers blockbuster deal, it's been Miller who's been turning heads in the Sunshine State over the last few weeks.
Basically an add-on in the major five-player trade, Miller has already had a major impact in Tampa, registering eight goals and six assists in 14 games while playing on the Lightning's top line with Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos.
Miller's taken on an increased role since his move to Tampa, playing on the No. 1 power-play unit and averaging 18:25 of ice time per night - nearly two minutes more than with the Rangers. Not to mention, he's solid on the faceoff dot, winning 52.3 percent of his draws over the past 14 games.
There is no denying McDonagh was the key piece in the deal, and he's also performed strongly since returning from injury. But the lack of attention paid to Miller's acquisition and his stellar play make him a lock for a list of this nature.
Ryan Spooner, New York Rangers
Another player involved in a blockbuster move as a periphery piece, Spooner was included in New York's mega-deal with the Boston Bruins to acquire highly prized winger Rick Nash - but since then he's been making some Bruins fans wish that maybe he hadn't.
Not only does Spooner possess the versatility to play both up the middle and on the wing, but the speedy 5-foot-10 playmaker is adept at creating chances for teammates. Something he's already proven in 15 games with the Blue Shirts, racking up 12 assists along with three goals.
Obviously overlooked due to the bigger pieces in the Nash trade, Boston's 2010 second-round pick is already proving to be a player the Rangers will want to keep in the mix for the foreseeable future.
Thomas Vanek, Columbus Blue Jackets
Seemingly traded almost every February, Vanek has been written off more than a few times over the past number of seasons due to his decline in foot speed and production. And because of that, his move to the Blue Jackets flew mostly under the radar.
However, since that move, Vanek has arguably been Columbus' best forward not named Artemi Panarin. Take in his stats since joining the Jackets on deadline day:
Games
Goals
Assists
+/-
CF%
S%
15
7
7
+13
51.54
18.4
Vanek's found chemistry on a line with Boone Jenner and Alexander Wennberg, a trio on which John Tortorella has been relying more than any other over the past 10 games.
Despite few expecting the move to pan out, Vanek is averaging just under a point per game with the Blue Jackets, making his acquisition a surprise success thus far.
Brendan Leipsic, Vancouver Canucks
We won't blame you if you didn't realize Leipsic was even playing in the NHL, let alone doing well on a new team following a deadline deal. But that doesn't change the fact that prior to getting injured, he was finally hitting his stride after years of point-per-game production at the AHL level.
Leipsic missed the last four contests with a upper-body injury, but before that, he was on a very nice tear for the Canucks while playing much heavier minutes - Leipsic averaged only 11:56 with the Golden Knights and 17:23 with Vancouver.
Two goals, seven assists, and a positive Corsi For percentage of 51.3 in 11 games should have Vancouver interested in involving Leipsic in future plans, regardless of how under the radar his acquisition was.
Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff races, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.
Eastern Conference
Sitting three points back of New Jersey with a game in hand, it's possible the Florida Panthers could leapfrog the Devils for the final position in the East.
But it's not about to get any easier after the Florida club squandered three points in three contests this month against the Ottawa Senators, the league's third-worst club.
That could come back to bite the Panthers, who will close out their final six games against some tougher opponents, including the Nashville Predators and three matches with the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins.
