Monthly Archives: October 2019
Watch: Doughty buries OT winner after Tkachuk scores late equalizer
Matthew Tkachuk had a memorable night, but his rival got the last laugh.
Drew Doughty fired home the overtime winner as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Doughty couldn't resist egging on the Calgary crowd as the celebration continued.
The decisive marker came after Tkachuk potted the tying goal on an impressive deflection following a giveaway by Doughty with just over a minute left in regulation.
Tkachuk finished with two goals and an assist, while Doughty posted two helpers in addition to the winning marker.
The two players have engaged in a periodic war of words off the ice that began after Tkachuk caught Doughty with an elbow to the face during a game in March 2017. At the time, the Los Angeles blue-liner called the Calgary forward "a pretty dirty player."
Doughty renewed the feud earlier this week when he said: "We both know who the better player is."
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Watch: Neal records 4-goal night, scores 6th of season in Oilers’ victory
James Neal is looking quite comfortable in blue and orange.
The Edmonton Oilers forward buried four goals - including a natural hat trick - in the team's 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Neal scored his fourth tally on a nifty one-timer from a tight angle to put Edmonton up 5-1 in the third period.
The goal pushed Neal's season total to a league-leading six in three games after he notched only seven in 63 contests with the Calgary Flames in 2018-19.
The Oilers acquired Neal from the Flames for forward Milan Lucic on July 19. Lucic recorded just six goals in 79 contests in Edmonton last season and has yet to score through two games in 2019-20.
Neal tied the game in the first period with a wicked blast from the slot for goal No. 1:
Just 1:36 later, the 6-foot-3 sniper gave the Oilers the lead with a quick release in tight:
Neal completed his eighth career hat trick with a slick deflection on the power play:
The Oilers improved to 3-0 on the season with the victory.
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Sharks bring back Marleau on reported 1-year, 700K deal
Veteran forward Patrick Marleau is returning to the San Jose Sharks, the team announced Tuesday.
Marleau, who spent the first 19 seasons of his career in San Jose, signed a one-year, $700,000 deal, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
The 40-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2017-18 season. In June 2019, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, who bought out the final year of his contract days later.
Marleau recorded 16 goals and 37 points in 82 games for the Maple Leafs last season.
The Saskatchewan native is the Sharks' all-time leader in games played (1,493), points (1,082), and goals (508). He ranks second in assists with 574.
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Report: Sharks among teams to reach out to Marleau’s camp
The San Jose Sharks have reached out to free-agent forward Patrick Marleau's camp, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
A couple of other teams are also in the mix for Marleau's services, LeBrun added.
Marleau had one season remaining on the three-year, $18.75-million contract he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017, but he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes this summer and was bought out shortly thereafter. The 40-year-old was hoping to rejoin the Sharks, but his agent Pat Brisson said in September that the fit between the two sides wasn't there.
At the time, the Sharks wanted to give younger players a chance to play, but it appears general manager Doug Wilson may have changed his mind. So far this season, six rookies have cracked San Jose's lineup during the team's 0-3-0 start.
Joe Thornton believes his old teammate still deserves to be in the NHL.
"(Marleau) should be playing somewhere," Thornton said, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. "I expect he'll be somewhere soon. He skates with us in the summer and he's still the best skater on the ice."
Marleau had one of the NHL's most impressive ironman streaks going, as he went 10 straight seasons from 2009-10 to 2018-19 without missing a single game. But perhaps aside from his durability, Marleau's greatest asset was his speed - even in his late-30s.
However, his play tailed off in the 2018-19 season with the Leafs, as his 16 goals and 37 points were his lowest totals since his rookie campaign in 1997-98.
Marleau remains the Sharks' all-time leader in games played, goals, and points. He and Thornton formed one of the league's most prolific duos during their time together in the Bay Area, and the pair won two Olympic gold medals while skating on a line for Team Canada in 2010 and 2014.
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DeBrincatβs New Deal Could Signal More NHL RFA Signings in 2019-20
Zuccarello displeased with start to Wild tenure: ‘I’ve been terrible’
Just two games into his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, Mats Zuccarello has already made it abundantly clear he's his own harshest critic.
"I haven't played good at all," Zuccarello said, according to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. "It's just making plays. I feel like I don't see anyone out there. I don't know. I've got to be better. I've been terrible."
Zuccarello, who typically has outstanding vision, was one of the league's most underrated wingers over the past six seasons with the New York Rangers. Although he suffered an injury in his first regular-season game with the Dallas Stars after they acquired him at last season's trade deadline, he performed well in the playoffs, tallying 11 points in 13 games.
But after signing a lucrative five-year, $30-million contract with the Wild as a free agent this summer, the 32-year-old is having a hard time gelling with his new squad.
"If you're coming to a new team, you want to show them why they signed you, and you want to do everything in that first game," Zuccarello said. "It's simple plays that I normally do that right now are difficult for me. Just think positive and have confidence and make the play when it's there."
With Zuccarello on the ice at five-on-five, the Wild have been outshot 17-7, outscored 4-0, and have generated just one high-danger scoring chance while allowing seven, according to Natural Stat Trick. He's been held without a point through two games.
Zuccarello has been playing right wing on the club's top line with center Eric Staal and a rotating cast of left-wingers. After Zach Parise and Ryan Donato both got opportunities in that role, it now appears Marcus Foligno will get a shot as the Wild attempt to find the right mix. Zuccarello believes he's the common denominator.
"It's more me," he said. "It's about finding my spot and getting comfortable with myself on the ice. I think my teammates do a really good job talking to me and giving me confidence."
Minnesota is winless through its first two contests. Luckily for Zuccarello and his new team, there's plenty of time to turn the season around.
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Jets holding Morrissey out vs. Penguins as precaution
It turns out Josh Morrissey isn't ready to go after all, as the Winnipeg Jets' top defenseman will be held out of Tuesday's contest versus the Pittsburgh Penguins for precautionary reasons, head coach Paul Maurice announced, according to The Athletic's Ken Wiebe.
Morrissey was a late scratch for Sunday's game after suffering an upper-body injury in warmups. On Monday, Morrissey was deemed good to go for the club's next game, but he apparently didn't feel well following practice, according to Mitchell Clinton of JetsTV.
The Jets will also be without blue-liner Dmitry Kulikov, who was given a personal leave from the team on Tuesday. Defensemen Sami Niku and Nelson Rogier have been recalled from the AHL's Manitoba Moose to help fill out Winnipeg's incredibly thin back end.
Puck drop will go at 7 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh.
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