Monthly Archives: June 2021
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2021
Canadiens complete sweep of Jets, advance to Round 3
The Montreal Canadiens appear to be a team of destiny.
Montreal is heading to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after completing a sweep of the Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 of their second-round series.
The Habs, who were the final team to qualify for the postseason, have now won seven straight playoff games. They never trailed in the series and haven't been behind since Game 4 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a span of 437 minutes and 53 seconds. That's the second-longest streak without trailing in a single postseason in NHL history.
Tyler Toffoli scored the winner 1:39 into OT with a beautiful one-timer set up by rookie Cole Caufield. The goal propels the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup semifinals for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Erik Gustafsson and Artturi Lehkonen scored the regulation goals for Montreal, while Logan Stanley countered with both of Winnipeg's markers during the second period.
The game likely wouldn't have even gone into overtime without the play of Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner helped keep his team alive as long as possible with 39 saves. Carey Price stopped 14 of the 16 shots fired in his direction.
This matchup marked the sixth meeting since 2001 between a team coming off of a seven-game series and one that had just completed a four-game sweep. In an interesting wrinkle, the team that had the more grueling previous series has now won all six times.
Montreal awaits the winner of the series between the Colorado Avalanche and Las Vegas Golden Knights, with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line.
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Cassidy: Islanders sell a narrative that they’re the ‘New York Saints’
Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't mince words following his team's 5-4 loss in Game 5 to the New York Islanders.
Cassidy, unhappy with what he believed were one-sided calls on Monday, claimed the Islanders try to paint a portrait of themselves as "Saints" and that the referees are buying into it.
"I think they sell a narrative over there that it's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. They play hard, they play the right way, but I feel we're the same way. And the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them and I don't know why," he said after the loss in which the Islanders scored a trio of power-play goals.
Boston was penalized four times on Monday, while New York received two minor penalties. The bench boss added he's not ready to implement shadier tactics to get the officials' attention.
Maybe we need to sell them more, flop, but that's not us. You'd just hope they see them. I mean the same calls go against us. It's not like I'm sitting there going 'well every call against us sucks,' it's not true. They need to be penalized on those plays. They've done a great job selling that narrative that they're clean ... they commit as many infractions as we do, trust me. It's just a matter of calling them. That's the part that I guess gets frustrating but you play through it.
Cassidy also appeared to reference comments from Islanders head coach Barry Trotz, who complained about the officiating following Game 4, and felt like those words had an impact on Monday's referees.
"Call the game what you see, quit listening to these outside influences and get it done right. I don't think they were great tonight, I'm not going to lie to you, but they have been and they are good officials. I don't know, tonight I just thought they were off."
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Rask pulled after allowing 4 goals on 16 shots in Game 5
Trailing 4-2 to start the third period of Game 5 against the New York Islanders, the Boston Bruins made a change in goal with Jeremy Swayman replacing Tuukka Rask between the pipes.
Rask allowed four goals on 16 shots over the first 40 minutes, including a trio of second-period markers. The Islanders were also able to score three power-play goals on the former Vezina Trophy winner.
It marks the NHL playoff debut for the 22-year-old Swayman, who appeared in 10 games as a rookie for the Bruins this season. He was 7-3 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .945 save percentage during the regular season.
Swayman didn't see much action during the third, as he allowed one goal on only three shots faced. Boston managed to close the gap but still fell 5-4, and Swayman was credited with the loss. The Islanders now have a 3-2 series lead and will look to finish the series on home ice Wednesday.
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Random Thoughts on the NHL – June 7, 2021
Petry a game-time decision for Game 4 vs. Jets
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry is a game-time decision for Monday's Game 4 versus the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Dominique Ducharme announced.
If Petry can't suit up, either Xavier Ouellet or Alexander Romanov will take his place.
Petry was injured during the second period of Game 3 on Sunday. The Canadiens are calling his ailment an upper-body injury.
The 33-year-old is an integral piece of Montreal's blue line. Petry posted 42 points over 55 regular-season games while averaging over 22 minutes per night. He's also produced a 52.15% expected goals mark at even strength across 10 playoff contests this spring, according to Evolving Hockey.
The Canadiens can complete a sweep of the Jets and be the first team to advance to Round 3 with a win Monday night.
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Report: Teams calling Sabres about Eichel, other players
Teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres with interest in captain Jack Eichel and multiple other players, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
The conversations are expected to progress leading up to the July 23 draft when Buffalo will pick first overall, Dreger adds.
Eichel's future with the Sabres organization has been a major talking point since a rocky end-of-season interview in which the superstar revealed he's upset with the club's handling of his neck injury and that he's looking forward to next season "wherever that may be."
The 24-year-old sustained a herniated disc in his neck in March, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign. Eichel implied in May that he wished to undergo surgery, but the team wouldn't allow it.
General manager Kevyn Adams addressed the situation a few days after Eichel's comments, saying Buffalo will proceed with "the people who want to be here."
Eichel has five more seasons on his current contract at $10 million per and has a full no-movement clause kicking in for the 2022-23 season. The dynamic center has notched 355 points in 375 games since the Sabres drafted him second overall in 2015.
Buffalo finished 31st in the NHL this past campaign, extending its playoff drought to 10 seasons.
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