Sat Shah and Bik Nizzar breakdown the Canucks 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet (42:51) and JT Miller (1:07:52) post game. Plus Randip Janda and Iain McIntyre (1:16:29) provide their analysis.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Monday.
Nichushkin will be away indefinitely while receiving care. He can return to the team when cleared for competition by the program administrators.
"I have made the decision to seek help and enter the player assistance program," Nichushkin said in a statement released by the Avalanche. "My goal is to address my issues and prevent any negative outcomes once and for all.
"I want to thank my wife and family, my friends, the Avalanche organization, and all of our fans for their understanding and support. I will do everything I can to get back on the ice and join my teammates as soon as possible."
The 28-year-old has tallied 22 goals and 42 points through 40 games this season. Nichushkin's 21:49 time on ice per contest ranks fourth among all forwards league-wide.
Nichushkin's $6.125-million cap hit continues to count against Colorado's cap while he's away from the team.
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Though the Montreal Canadiens have a bit of a logjam in the crease, general manager Kent Hughes isn't guaranteeing he'll make a move to thin things out.
"We decided to keep three goalies and evaluate the potential trades from there," he told reporters during his midseason availability, as translated by Montreal Hockey Now's Marc Dumont. "The plan was not to have three goalies all year. It's still not the plan. But I can't tell you 100% that we'll make a goaltender trade."
Goaltending has been a position of need for multiple teams this campaign. The Oilers were reportedly interested in the Habs' trio of Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau during Edmonton's early-season slump.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun also pointed out the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils as teams to monitor in early December. For the Hurricanes, Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely due to a blood clotting issue, while Antti Raanta has struggled immensely. In New Jersey, both Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid have performed below expectations.
Here's how the Canadiens' three netminders have fared this season:
| Goalie | GP | SV% | GAA | GSAA | GSAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Allen | 14 (4-8-2) | .900 | 3.52 | -0.96 | 3.04 |
| Sam Montembeault | 20 (9-6-4) | .909 | 2.89 | 4.26 | 9.89 |
| Cayden Primeau | 9 (4-4-1) | .905 | 3.13 | -0.09 | 1.46 |
(Advanced stats source: Evolving-Hockey)
Montembeault, who signed a three-year extension with a $3.15-million cap hit in December, has started the lion's share of the Canadiens' games this campaign. Allen, a 33-year-old veteran, is signed through 2025 with an average annual value of $3.85 million. His pact includes a modified no-trade clause. Primeau, the youngest of the group at 24 years old, is signed for one more campaign at an $890,000 cap hit.
Hughes noted that he didn't want to place Primeau on waivers to ease the Canadiens' surplus out of fear of losing the netminder.
In addition, Hughes said he doesn't feel any "urgency" to clear out Montreal's wealth of defensemen, per Sportsnet. He added that there's "no question" he wants to add some offense and isn't opposed to using the Canadiens' depth in other positions, or picks, to get something done, according to Dumont.
The executive also addressed Cole Caufield's struggles to find the back of the net this season. Caufield has just 12 goals in 42 games this campaign while being hampered by a 7.8% shooting percentage after tallying 26 goals in 46 outings last season.
"I won't use the words worrisome or disappointing, but you want to see your scorers score," Hughes said, as translated by Eyes on the Prize's Jared Book. "What I don't want is (for Cole to play) differently because he feels pressure. We want Cole to be Cole."
The Canadiens currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 17-18-7 record.
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A busy weekend proved that the Canucks are still a wagon that's not to be trifled with, no matter the perceived value in fading Vancouver.
Meanwhile, the Rangers and Capitals split a home-and-home, and almost all of the underdogs fell short. The exceptions were the Flyers toppling the NHL's top team at the time and the Red Wings guiding Maple Leafs fans down their 12th downward spiral of the season.
These results, among others from the weekend, may inform an unusually busy Monday.
If you're thinking about betting any game on the slate, here's a look at the price you should be hoping to get on the moneyline for a valuable bet.
| GAME | WIN PROB. (%) | PRICE TO BET |
|---|---|---|
| NJD@BOS | 40.6/59.4 | NJD +173/BOS -141 |
| SJS@BUF | 34.3/65.7 | SJS +230/BUF -183 |
| ANA@FLA | 28.8/71.2 | ANA +304/FLA -236 |
| VAN@CBJ | 52.8/47.2 | VAN -108/CBJ +132 |
| LAK@CAR | 45.0/55.0 | LAK +144/CAR -117 |
| SEA@PIT | 43.0/57.0 | SEA +156/PIT -127 |
| NYI@MIN | 43.4/56.6 | NYI +154/MIN -125 |
| NSH@VGK | 51.4/48.6 | NSH +105/VGK +117 |
| COL@MTL | 58.6/41.4 | COL -136/MTL +168 |
| PHI@STL | 45.5/54.5 | PHI +141/STL -115 |
The Wild went 1-6 without Kirill Kaprizov. The return of Minnesota's top scorer Saturday still didn't help the team as the Wild lost 6-0 at home to the Coyotes.
Why is that a good thing for Minnesota's chances Monday night?
For starters, the Wild's market rating has dipped to a similar level as when Kaprizov was out, thus increasing their value for a wager. More interestingly, nothing motivates professional athletes more than humiliation. The quotes that came from the Wild's locker room after Saturday's fiasco suggest we can expect their best effort here. Minnesota also gets a chance to send a message to the home crowd against the Islanders, who themselves are 3-6 since the Christmas break.
Pick: Wild (-115)
How low can we go with the Golden Knights' rating?
Jack Eichel joined William Karlsson, William Carrier, Shea Theodore, and a trio of goaltenders on the team's injury list, and Vegas lost 3-1 to the Flames on Saturday. That matchup was almost a pick'em at T-Mobile Arena, signaling that the Golden Knights' market rating has tumbled. Add Chandler Stephenson to the walking wounded, and you're left with Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault as the only players with more than a half-point per game.
Since edging the Sharks and Flames at home in mid-December, Vegas is 4-9. Additionally, the Predators are better on the road than at home. They have the fourth-best five-on-five expected goals share in the league away from Nashville and an 11-8 record to go with it.
Pick: Predators (+105)
The Blues haven't exactly dominated since firing Craig Berube, but their results since Dec. 12 have been very similar to Philadelphia's.
| TEAM | RECORD | xG% |
|---|---|---|
| Flyers | 8-8 | 46.0% |
| Blues | 8-6 | 46.1% |
It looks even better for the Blues when you break it down to home/road splits. They have a 50% expected goals share on home ice, while the Flyers are 44.8% at even strength on the road.
If you look at these two clubs as equals at this point in the season, there's even more value on the home team at nearly a pick'em.
Pick: Blues (-115)
Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs may have squandered Ilya Samsonov's return to the crease in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night, but the team saw plenty of positives in the embattled goaltender's performance.
"He battled his ass off," head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters postgame. "It's the best I thought he's looked all season just in terms of how he was tracking the puck and some of the saves looked like the Sammy that we came to know last season. So I think this is a positive step for him."
The fans at Scotiabank Arena seemed to agree, as they showered the netminder with "Sammy" chants after he made an incredible glove save on J.T. Compher in the late stages of the final frame to keep the game tied at two.
It was a refreshing moment for Samsonov, who has mostly been regaled with the Bronx cheer throughout the season. However, Red Wings forward Andrew Copp ended up raining on the Maple Leafs' parade with the game-winner soon after Compher's shot attempt.
"Obviously (Samsonov) made a couple massive saves for us throughout the game," star forward Mitch Marner said. "It was great to hear the fans chant his name, give him the love he deserves."
Samsonov was deeply appreciative of the fans' show of support.
"I love those guys," he said. "It's no secret for everybody. I love the fans, I love the city, I enjoy (being) here every day, thank you so much. It's amazing."
All in, Samsonov made 20 saves on 23 shots. It was his first appearance since Dec. 21, when he surrendered six goals on 21 shots against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Leafs placed him on waivers shortly after that performance and reassigned him to the AHL's Toronto Marlies, where he worked with goalie coach Hannu Toivonen before being recalled last week.
Samsonov believed he saw the puck well in his return to NHL action, but admitted it was "tough to talk about the result."
The Maple Leafs held a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, but the Red Wings scored three unanswered goals - including one empty-netter - to secure the comeback. Toronto is now on a three-game losing streak, and the team has blown a lead in all three defeats.
Next up for the Leafs is a clash against the red-hot Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Connor McDavid and Co. secured their 10th straight victory on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.
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This is the seventh in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, we pick each team's MVP at the halfway point of the season.
Previous rank: 4
Connor Hellebuyck. There's no need to overthink this one. The Jets' No. 1 netminder is amid a brilliant season, owning a .924 save percentage and 18.8 goals saved above average through 31 starts.
Previous rank: 5
Elias Pettersson. Look, this mantle could have gone to five different Canucks, but we're choosing Pettersson. He paces Vancouver in wins above replacement (2.8) and goals above replacement (17.6) while ranking second on the team with 57 points in 43 games.
Previous rank: 8
Sam Reinhart. The Panthers' scoring leader has 31 goals and 54 points in 42 contests this campaign, and no, we're not talking about Matthew Tkachuk here. Those gaudy numbers belong to Reinhart, who has chosen a great time to have a monster season given his pending UFA status.
Previous rank: 2
David Pastrnak. The Czech superstar continues to be the Bruins' far and away best offensive piece. Pastrnak's on pace for his fourth 40-goal campaign and looks set to fly past 100 points for the second consecutive season.
Previous rank: 11
Connor McDavid. The three-time league MVP has erased a slow start and is suddenly pushing for another Art Ross. Since Edmonton's coaching change, McDavid's operating at a 1.8 points-per-game clip.
Previous rank: 7
Nathan MacKinnon. It's hard to believe MacKinnon has never won a Hart Trophy, but he's doing his best to add one to his resume this season. He's second in the league with 69 points - 14 clear of the next most productive Avalanche skater - and is averaging more than 23 minutes per night.
Previous rank: 1
Artemi Panarin. He won't be at the All-Star Game in anticipation of the arrival of his second child, but Panarin's amid a career year. The superb playmaker has transformed his game to become a shooting threat, putting him on pace to sail past his previous career high of 32 goals.
Previous rank: 3
Roope Hintz. He's not Dallas' leading scorer, but Hintz is doing it all for the Stars this campaign and ranks eighth league-wide in GAR among forwards. His 38 points in 40 games are nothing to sneeze at, either.
Previous rank: 9
Sebastian Aho. The Finnish star leads the Hurricanes in scoring by 16, with 48 points through 39 contests. Considering Martin Necas' step back in production and Andrei Svechnikov's early season absence, Carolina would be in a tough spot in the standings if not for Aho's consistent play.
Previous rank: 19
Joey Daccord. The Kraken were a MESS for the campaign's first couple of months, at least until Daccord decided to go full sicko mode in late December. The goalie has won each of his last eight appearances and owns a .956 save percentage over that stretch. Seattle keeps winning, and Daccord has been key to its success.
Previous rank: 13
Sean Couturier. It really can't be overstated how impressive Couturier's return this season has been. Coming off a 663-day absence, Couturier has stepped right back into a top-line center role with Selke-calibre results like it's no problem.
Previous rank: 10
Alex Pietrangelo. Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, and Zach Whitecloud have all missed over 15 games this season. Meanwhile, Pietrangelo has been a constant throughout, leading healthy Golden Knights defenders in ice time by nearly four and a half minutes per game.
Previous rank: 15
Martin Jones. The Maple Leafs have no shortage of offensive weapons - and yes, Auston Matthews leads the league in goals - but someone has to keep the puck out of the net. His recent back-to-back losses aside, Jones has done just that with a .924 save percentage. Toronto would be in trouble without him.
Previous rank: 14
Jack Hughes. He's only one point off the team lead despite missing eight contests due to a couple of injury spells. Jesper Bratt has also been impressive, but Hughes is undoubtedly the heartbeat of New Jersey's offense.
Previous rank: 6
Cam Talbot. Coming into the season, many viewed the Kings as the league's deepest team at forward and defense and one of the weakest in the crease. However, Talbot's turned back the clock to be a workhorse in the net for L.A. and mitigated at least some concerns over the Kings' goaltending.
Previous rank: 12
Noah Dobson. The 24-year-old has broken out in a huge way this campaign and is one of the league's most glaring All-Star Game snubs. Dobson is third among defensemen in points (43) and GAR (13.1). He might be the NHL's most underappreciated player.
Previous rank: 16
Sidney Crosby. Any other answer at this point would just be a hot take. It's Sid. He has 24 goals in 41 games this season and is on pace for 48 tallies, just three off his career high set in 2009-10. Does Crosby know he's in his 19th NHL campaign?
Previous rank: 20
Filip Forsberg. Injuries have held Forsberg back in recent years, but he's healthy and thriving again. The 29-year-old sniper is up to 22 goals and 48 points through 43 contests, galvanizing a mediocre Predators offense.
Previous rank: 21
Nikita Kucherov. We had to go with the league's leader in points for this one. The Lightning superstar has posted an outlandish 72 points in 43 games this campaign, and he's rattled off 22 multi-point outings. Gross, dude.
Previous rank: 23
Dylan Larkin. Detroit's captain is producing a point per game, averaging 20 minutes a night, and winning 55% of his draws. The Red Wings face an uphill battle to make the playoffs, but Larkin's doing his part.
Previous rank: 17
Connor Ingram. It wasn't that long ago when Ingram was a waiver claim backup to a coveted starter in Karel Vejmelka. With a league-leading five shutouts, an impressive 15-8-0 record, and a .919 save percentage, Ingram's play over the past calendar year has made him a legitimate starter in the league.
Previous rank: 28
Blake Coleman. He may not be representing Calgary at the 2024 All-Star Game, but Coleman should be an All-Star in every Flames fan's heart. The 32-year-old veteran leads his team with 19 goals - including four game-winners - and 37 points in 43 games this campaign.
Previous rank: 22
Charlie Lindgren. Only the Sharks and Blackhawks have scored fewer goals than the Capitals this season. Lindgren's breakout play has helped Washington stay in the wild-card mix despite its lack of offense, as he sports an 8-3-3 record with a .928 save percentage.
Previous rank: 24
Robert Thomas. The talented playmaker has become more of a shooter this campaign. Thomas is on pace for over 30 goals and 170-plus shots on net, compared to career-high marks of just 20 tallies and 115 shots in 2021-22.
Previous rank: 25
Jeff Skinner. There have been plenty of disappointments in Buffalo this season, but Skinner leads the club with 17 goals. It's slim pickings from a Sabres squad that was supposed to compete for a playoff spot.
Previous rank: 27
Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens captain leads the team with 35 points, but his two-way play surges him to the midseason MVP label. Suzuki's playing over 21 minutes a night against top competition and is back to putting up elite defensive metrics.
Previous rank: 18
Brock Faber. The Wild are in the throes of an up-and-down season, but Faber has undoubtedly been a bright spot. The rookie defenseman leads all first-year players in average ice time (24:45), and he's shown his potential to be a top NHL rearguard for years to come.
Previous rank: 26
Adam Fantilli. Columbus' star rookie is second on the Blue Jackets with 25 points despite averaging only 15:51 per game. His development into a full-time player is one of the few bright spots in Ohio this season.
Previous rank: 30
Pat Verbeek. The Ducks general manager went against the grain by drafting Leo Carlsson second overall, a move that looks promising early, and recently landed Cutter Gauthier in a stunning trade. Verbeek has a clear vision for Anaheim's future and hasn't been afraid to shake things up to make it a reality.
Previous rank: 29
Michael Andlauer. In another wasted season for the Senators, the fan base has reason for long-term optimism in the team's new owner. His press conference after Pierre Dorion's dismissal was a must-watch and gave fans someone to rally behind during a rough stretch when the team lost a first-round pick and the NHL suspended Shane Pinto.
Previous rank: 31
Jason Dickinson. The answer here would obviously be Connor Bedard if he weren't hurt, so we'll use this opportunity to shout out Dickinson. The 28-year-old ranks second on the Blackhawks with 14 goals. His previous career high was nine.
Previous rank: 32
The fans. The fact that people are still showing up to the SAP Center to support this lowly San Jose team is a marvel. Don't worry, Sharks faithful, this season is halfway over.
(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)
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Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane sustained a lower-body injury during the first period of Sunday's contest versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and is unable to return, the team announced.
Kane's final shift included an awkward collision with Pontus Holmberg near Detroit's net.
Patrick Kane went to the dressing room after this pic.twitter.com/yvzVfam98C
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) January 15, 2024
Kane entered the contest with 16 points in 18 games after signing a one-year, $2.75-million contract with the Red Wings in November.
The 35-year-old winger had hip resurfacing surgery in the offseason, forcing him to miss the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign as a free agent.
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Don't look now, but the Calgary Flames just might be hitting their stride.
"We've got a resilient team," forward Blake Coleman said after the Flames' 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. "A lot of guys stepping up, playing really good hockey. Really, we got everybody going right now, which is good. ... The confidence is growing higher and higher every day."
The Flames' gutsy win in Sin City marked their third straight victory, and they're a respectable 5-2-0 since the calendar flipped to 2024.
This recent run is a breath of fresh air for a team that has struggled to find consistent results since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign.
"We're feeling it," veteran Nazem Kadri said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "We've been really focusing in the second half of the year, stepping it up, and we feel like we can beat just about anybody if we are on our game. We're showing that of late, and we've beat a lot of good teams."
The Flames are currently two points behind the streaking Oilers for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, though Edmonton has four games in hand. The Nashville Predators are four points ahead in the first spot and have played the same number of games as Calgary.
Calgary netminder Jacob Markstrom is aware there's plenty of work to do as his team hopes to make the playoffs after missing out last year.
"We can't go .500 anymore," he said. "We got to try to make up ground and catch teams, we've got to string a few together. This was a good trip, we got to go home and charge the batteries tomorrow and get back to work."
Markstrom has started each game of the Flames' winning streak, posting a .939 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average over that stretch. He also leads the league with 25.05 goals saved above expected at all strengths on the campaign, per Evolving Hockey.
Coleman suggested Calgary will go as its goaltender goes.
"(Markstrom's) got that courage and that character that has been radiating through our team in front of him, and that's where it all starts," he said.
Coleman has been no slouch himself, leading the Flames with 19 goals and 37 points in 43 games, including 13 tallies and 24 points in his last 18 contests. Kadri, meanwhile, is riding a six-game point streak.
Calgary is about to embark on a six-game homestand, starting with a clash against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.
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