Monthly Archives: June 2018
Stars top Marlies to force Game 7
The Texas Stars lived to see another day thanks to a 5-2 win over the Toronto Marlies in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals, forcing a pivotal Game 7.
The Stars did the bulk of their damage in the second period. After a scoreless first, the club went off for three goals from Curtis McKenzie, Travis Morin, and Austin Fyten.
After the Marlies got on the board early in the third frame with a goal by Calle Rosen, the Stars responded with a shorthanded tally from Sheldon Dries to restore the three-goal lead. Dries marker also saw Garret Sparks, who allowed four goals on 17 shots, replaced by Calvin Pickard.
The teams exchanged goals from Justin Holl and Colin Markison in the final five minutes.
Stars goaltender Mike McKenna was the difference in the end as the 35-year-old turned away 43 of the 45 Marlies shots thrown his way.
Game 7, with the Calder Cup on the line, goes Thursday in Toronto.
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Senators assistant GM will miss at least start of draft for court date
Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee's ongoing legal proceedings will prevent him from attending at least the start of the upcoming NHL draft.
Lee's attorney, Paul Cambria, confirmed to The Associated Press that his client is expected to attend his next court appearance in Buffalo on June 22, the same day the first round of the draft takes place in Dallas.
The Senators executive was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment late in May while visiting Buffalo for the league's scouting combine.
Lee pleaded not guilty to making lewd comments toward, and rubbing the shoulders of, a 19-year-old male hotel shuttle driver.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the AP in an email that the league has no position on whether Lee can attend the draft as a whole, saying that decision is up to the Senators.
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At Capitals’ parade, the party’s just getting started
(Warning: Story contains coarse language)
WASHINGTON – For the last four days, the Washington Capitals have celebrated their Stanley Cup win by partying all over D.C. The festivities continued with one of the biggest events in the city in maybe 25 years (presidential inaugurations aside) - their championship parade.
Beginning just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, the parade wound its way down 23rd Street to Constitution Avenue, where people were packed 10 deep in spots, past a crowd packed 20 deep on the steps of the National Archives building, and eventually coming to the National Mall, where thousands of fans were waiting. Framed by the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, a sea of red almost stretched to both landmarks.
Braden Holtby won't forget it.
"I want to thank everyone for coming out here. Being on those buses, you guys are yelling 'thank you' to us," the goaltender said. "I want to say thank you to you guys because every time I drive on Constitution for the rest of my life, I'm gonna remember this day and how amazing it was, and it's all because of you guys."
Those people waited a long time for what they saw Tuesday - some since 1974, others since 1992, the last time a D.C.-based team won anything. The team waited a long time, too: 14 years for Alex Ovechkin; 11 for Nicklas Backstrom; 19 years for head coach Barry Trotz.
And though it might have come a bit later in their careers than they would have liked, they couldn’t have asked for a better day - not a cloud in the sky, 78 degrees, and a light breeze that seemed to kick up at just the right time.
After the buses unloaded their passengers at the end of the parade, the players, team staff, management, and owners took the stage.
The Prince of Wales Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup were placed at the forefront. A few players made speeches. Almost everyone who spoke commented on the fan support throughout the season and the playoffs and the turnout for the parade and rally. Some of them, of course, chugged beers.
"I'll tell you what, going through these streets, seeing how many people that are out here, how many people came out to support us, how many people supported us since the beginning when apparently we weren't supposed to be very good this year," forward T.J. Oshie said.
Ovechkin was impressed too.
"Look at the people that's here," he said. "We thought it was going to be crazy, but it's basically nuts. You guys are killing it."
After apologizing for the hoarseness of his voice, Backstrom joked that the Capitals finally started playing hockey the same way they can party. Later, he was asked if he'd had enough of celebrating.
"It just started," the veteran center said.
He's right. Every player still gets to have their day with the Cup, and training camp is nearly three months away. They’re just getting started.
And though the championship win is still fresh, Oshie hinted at what he and this teammates might be thinking next season.
"There's been a lot of chants. There's been 'Let's Go Caps,' there's been 'We Want the Cup,' we've heard in the streets 'We've Got the Cup.' We've got a new one for you today: 'Back to back,'" he said. He led that chant for a few moments before Ovechkin took over.
The superstar, obviously in his element, said his thank-yous and then led the ocean of people in singing his new favorite song, "We Are the Champions."
Then Ovechkin came back to the mic.
"I said - not me say it, it was just us saying, 'WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE FUCKING SUCK THIS YEAR!' WE'RE THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS! YEAH!"
Party on, Capitals.
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Trotz on returning to Capitals: ‘We’ll get something done’
Winning changes everything.
After uncertainty surrounding his future with the Washington Capitals, it appears Barry Trotz is more confident than ever that he will return as head coach next season.
"We'll talk," Trotz said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "We're going to enjoy this with the players. I love the players, I love D.C., my family loves it here. We'll get something done."
This past April, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan admitted that the team would wait until the end of the playoffs before deciding whether or not to re-sign Trotz, whose contract expires July 1.
Following the team's Cup win, MacLellan made it clear he had made up his mind about Trotz when he told reporters that if the 55-year-old wanted to return to the Capitals, the team would have him back.
Trotz has spent the last four seasons with the Capitals amassing a record of 205-89-34 in the regular season and 36-27 in the playoffs, along with back-to-back Presidents' Trophies in 2016 and 2017, while winning hockey's ultimate prize just one week ago.
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Erik Karlsson’s wife accuses Hoffman’s girlfriend of harassment campaign
Erik Karlsson's wife, Melinda Karlsson, has applied for a peace bond against Monika Caryk, the longtime girlfriend of Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman, over an alleged campaign of harassment, according to Shaamini Yogaretnam of the Ottawa Citizen.
The application for the peace bond - the criminal code equivalent of a restraining order - was sworn in front of the courts May 4. It alleges that Caryk had been threatening the Karlssons since November 2017.
In late March, the Karlssons announced on social media that their son, Axel, was stillborn. After that, Melinda says Caryk attacked the Karlssons via social media comments and posts. However, Melinda indicated the harassment started much earlier.
"Monika Caryk has uttered numerous statements wishing my unborn child dead," Melinda's statement to the court reads. "She also uttered that she wished I was dead and that someone should 'take out' my husband's legs to 'end his career.'
"Monika Caryk has posted over 1,000 negative and derogatory statements about me as a professional."
Hoffman denied the allegations when reached by the Citizen on Tuesday afternoon.
"There is a 150 percent chance that my fiancee Monika and I are not involved in any of the accusations that have been pursued (that are) coming our way. We totally understand there's no place for cyberbullying," Hoffman said.
Hoffman said he and Caryk have offered to cooperate, and reiterated his claim that they were not responsible.
The peace bond application had an ordered court date of May 25. By that time, Caryk had yet to be served with the notice, according to Yogaretnam.
Hoffman and Karlsson have been Senators teammates since 2011.
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Report: 2-time Stanley Cup winner Slava Voynov eyeing NHL return
Former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov has made it clear he'd like to return to the NHL, multiple sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Tuesday.
Voynov was arrested for a domestic assault incident in October 2014 and has not played in the NHL since. He pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor charge of corporal injury to a spouse and served two months in jail. He returned to Russia and has spent the last three years playing in the KHL.
The 28-year-old has an expungement hearing scheduled for July 2 in a California court to remove the no-contest plea from his record. If that request is granted, he will have no criminal record and can then apply for reinstatement into the NHL. It's worth noting that he has had a U.S. Visitors' Visa for at least a year, according to Friedman.
Prior to the domestic assault incident, Voynov was an anchor on the Kings' blue line, helping them win two Stanley Cups. He has continued his strong play overseas, winning a Gagarin Cup with SKA St. Petersburg in 2016-17 and helping the Olympic Athletes from Russia capture gold at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.
As a right-handed shooting rearguard, Voynov would surely help any team that's willing to overlook his past and deal with the ensuing controversy attached to such an acquisition.
Even though the Kings terminated Voynov's six-year, $25-million contract, they still hold his rights, so any team that wants to acquire him would have to make a deal with Los Angeles.
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Backstrom: ‘Finally, we started playing hockey like we can party’
Nicklas Backstrom and the Washington Capitals found the secret formula to winning the Stanley Cup, and apparently, it was in their back pockets the entire time.
"Finally, we started playing hockey like we can party," Backstrom said at the Capitals' Stanley Cup parade Tuesday, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "So that's a good thing."
If this past week has been any indication, the Capitals' partying ability has reached elite status, much like their play on the ice throughout the postseason. They've been partying like nobody is watching, even though D.C. has had a front-row seat for the glorious show.
Related: Best moments from the Capitals' Stanley Cup parade
The only question is, why didn't the Caps figure out this winning recipe earlier? They could've been a dynasty by now.
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Watch: Ovechkin ends Cup parade with NSFW speech
Warning: Video contains coarse language
Ovechkin closes out the rally in fitting fashion pic.twitter.com/8LiOHjLnoB
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 12, 2018
By now, if you haven't gotten swept away in the raucousness of Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals' legendary Stanley Cup celebrations, you've probably been hiding out in a bunker or in some kind of Wi-Fi-free zone.
However, luckily enough for those who have missed the last few days of partying, the crowning moment of the entire five-day bender went down Tuesday at the conclusion of Washington's Cup parade, when Ovi took the stage.
The victory, the party, the parade, the speech - it all transpired in true Caps fashion and it really was a wild ride.
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Best moments from Capitals’ Stanley Cup parade
When all is said and done, Alex Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals' Stanley Cup celebration will go down as one of the best championship parties in North American sports history.
So it comes as little surprise that Tuesday's parade was another one for the books. Beers, bodacious crowds, and of course, lots of candid moments with Ovi and the Cup. The scenes from downtown D.C. are most definitely worth another look.
Warning: Some videos contain coarse language
Hey @WWE and @TripleH - thanks for the Title Belt for the Championship Parade!! #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Z6yR73rxDX
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 12, 2018
Ovechkin looks ready to celebrate with you Caps fans
— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018
Via @smithpelly on Instagram #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup #parade pic.twitter.com/1dRWNqXQlY
TJ Oshie demonstrating Adidas’ breathable hockey jerseys pic.twitter.com/nbNW32dCXg
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 12, 2018
The Perfect Day. #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/7PmreqAAjB
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 12, 2018
The downunder chug pic.twitter.com/orIzOhWxFo
— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018
Jakub Vrana. Hydrating.#ALLCAPS #StanleyCup #parade pic.twitter.com/v6uVLCSP8H
— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018
#AuthenticFans. Monumental view. https://t.co/JmOscKjRwb pic.twitter.com/ZqynNyMSYq
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) June 12, 2018
VRANA DID THE DANCE! 😂 pic.twitter.com/xg81J6k6ZW
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) June 12, 2018
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) June 12, 2018
Enjoy that beer, man 😂#AuthenticFan pic.twitter.com/bBfnEftiAQ
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) June 12, 2018
GET ON THIS MAN'S LEVEL WHY DON'T CHA?!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/m5ZyA7TEDV
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) June 12, 2018
“Let’s fuck this shit” - Evgeny Kuznetsov pic.twitter.com/0Wlr8K7ydx
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 12, 2018
Just sayin' pic.twitter.com/qK9aCwmGxM
— Puck Buddys (@PuckBuddys) June 12, 2018
Stay hydrated! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/TmJ8mBcl9r
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 12, 2018
Brett Connolly is a Stanley Cup champion pic.twitter.com/7MjVE10iOt
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 12, 2018
Everything. #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/fSbUYgqpuk
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 12, 2018
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