Devils’ Simmonds ejected after failed goalie interference challenge

New Jersey Devils forward Wayne Simmonds was irate after a Colorado Avalanche goal was upheld following a goalie interference challenge in Saturday's clash between the two clubs.

Late in the third period, Devils netminder MacKenzie Blackwood was out of his crease playing the puck before he was tripped up by Matt Calvert, allowing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to fire the puck into the yawning cage.

The officials determined it was incidental contact outside of the crease. It's unclear what Simmonds said to the official, but he was tossed from the game for his choice of words.

The Devils were 4-0-1 in their last five games entering the evening but fell 5-2 to the Avalanche.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Maurice holds back criticism after OT loss: I’m not giving NHL any money

Paul Maurice didn't agree with the league's decision to uphold the Minnesota Wild's overtime winner Saturday, but the Winnipeg Jets head coach clearly didn't want to risk being fined for criticizing the officiating.

"It's goalie interference all day long for me and there's not a lot of gray area on that one, but I'm not giving them any money. Not one dime," Maurice told reporters following the 3-2 overtime loss.

Eric Staal potted the decisive marker in the extra frame as teammate Zach Parise appeared to make contact with Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

It was ruled a goal on the ice, then reviewed and upheld, with the NHL later stating that Jets defensemen Anthony Bitetto and Tucker Poolman caused Parise to make contact with Hellebuyck prior to the goal.

"The decision was made in accordance with Note 2 of Rule 38.11 (ii), which states, in part, that the goal should be allowed because 'the attacking player was pushed, shoved, or fouled by the defending player causing the attacking player to come into contact with the goalkeeper,'" the league explained.

Maurice also disagreed with an earlier no-call, namely Wild forward Kevin Fiala's hit from behind on Jets blue-liner Josh Morrissey along the boards. However, the Winnipeg bench boss kept his answer even shorter when asked about that incident.

"Yup," was all he uttered in response to a question about whether the officials should have called a penalty.

When prompted about whether he can turn any anger from this game into something, Maurice again suggested he didn't want to give the league a reason to fine him.

"We'll deal with the things that we can get better at and try to improve on those," he said. "That's all I've got, I mean. anything else is going to get expensive, fellas. (Let's) call it a day."

The Jets earned a point Saturday but dropped their seventh game in their last nine.

Maurice's comments come less than a week after Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella was fined $20,000 - as well as a conditional $25,000 for a future offense - for a tirade directed at officials.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada routs Finland, advances to WJHC gold medal game

Canada and Russia will play for gold Sunday.

The Canadian squad defeated Finland 5-0 in the second semifinal at the World Junior Championship on Saturday, avenging a quarterfinal defeat to the Finns in last year's tournament.

Alexis Lafreniere tallied twice in Saturday's contest, including a power-play marker late in the second period. Canada struck three times in the opening four minutes and led 4-0 at the first intermission.

The win came at a cost, however, as Canada's captain and leading goal-scorer Barrett Hayton suffered an injury late in the contest.

Connor McMichael, Jamie Drysdale, and Ty Dellandrea also scored for Canada, which is seeking its third world junior gold in six years and first since 2018.

Canadian goaltender Joel Hofer stopped all 32 shots he faced to preserve the shutout.

Russia slipped past Sweden with an overtime victory in the first semifinal Saturday.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada routs Finland, advances to WJHC gold medal game

Canada and Russia will play for gold Sunday.

The Canadian squad defeated Finland 5-0 in the second semifinal at the World Junior Championship on Saturday, avenging a quarterfinal defeat to the Finns in last year's tournament.

Alexis Lafreniere tallied twice in Saturday's contest, including a power-play marker late in the second period. Canada struck three times in the opening four minutes and led 4-0 at the first intermission.

The win came at a cost, however, as Canada's captain and leading goal-scorer Barrett Hayton suffered an injury late in the contest.

Connor McMichael, Jamie Drysdale, and Ty Dellandrea also scored for Canada, which is seeking its third world junior gold in six years and first since 2018.

Canadian goaltender Joel Hofer stopped all 32 shots he faced to preserve the shutout.

Russia slipped past Sweden with an overtime victory in the first semifinal Saturday.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada’s Hayton exits vs. Finland after crashing into boards

Canada captain and leading goal-scorer Barrett Hayton left Saturday's semifinal versus Finland in the third period after getting tangled with Lassi Thomson and crashing into boards.

Hayton stayed on the bench with medical staff momentarily before heading to the dressing room.

Here's a look at the play:

The team has not yet provided an update on his status.

Hayton's played a huge role on Canada's top line alongside Alexis Lafreniere and Nolan Foote. His five goals lead the team, and after registering two assists Saturday, Hayton brought his tournament point total to 11 through five-plus games.

The Arizona Coyotes drafted Hayton fifth overall in 2018.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dowd gets 10-minute misconduct for throwing opponent’s stick into crowd

Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd was in the giving spirit Friday night.

Following a skirmish at the end of the first period between the Caps and the Carolina Hurricanes, Dowd threw Andrei Svechnikov's stick into the crowd.

With the game being played in Carolina, a fan in a Svechnikov jersey appeared to wind up with the souvenir. Svechnikov's stick has had some magic in it this season, too, as the 19-year-old entered Friday with 38 points in 40 games, including a pair of jaw-dropping lacrosse-style goals.

Unfortunately, for Dowd, he was handed a 10-minute misconduct for his actions.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.