Limiting the Montreal Canadiens to 16 shots in a 3-1 win Thursday night, the Philadelphia Flyers are now responsible for the Atlantic Division leader's two fewest shot totals on the season. In those two outings, they reduced Montreal to a combined 33 shots, or as many as the Flyers allowed in their first contest this season.
It was, however, the Flyers' first win over the Canadiens in three tries. Michal Neuvirth, who earned the victory on Thursday, allowed five goals on 17 shots in the team's Nov. 5 loss in which they outshot Montreal 38-17.
The Canadiens are one of seven teams averaging more than three goals a game, but their output hasn't been the product of a steady onslaught. They rank just below the league average with 29.7 shots per game.
They remain a top-10 team in total attempts, but were limited to just 44 versus the Flyers, and out-produced in all three periods.
This isn't the classic case of a top prospect failing to find traction, and change in scenery being the only practical recourse.
But it's trending that way.
Ottawa Senators former first-round draft selection Curtis Lazar can't crack Guy Boucher's lineup, can't produce when he does dress - either for the big club or the farm - and seems in danger of circling the NHL drain.
Lazar has diminished in the final season of his entry-level deal, contributing one assist in 27 appearances with the Senators, and just three goals and four points in 13 games at minor-league Binghamton.
He has 12 goals and 36 points in 170 games since the Senators spent their first draft pick - and the 17th overall selection - on the Edmonton Oil Kings forward three years ago.
Chosen to be a top-six contributor for many seasons, Lazar has instead offered 0.80 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five. There's merely a handful of active players, essentially each stone-handed checkers, producing at a similarly meager rate.
Still, teams have apparently inquired about his status in the trade market. It raises the question: What could the Senators possibly receive in return?
It's hard to pinpoint a comparable, because he's hardly formed an NHL identity. His stats compare to players he isn't billed to be, and his development seems stunted by the negligible ice time he's logged - which has fallen to just over eight minutes a night under Boucher.
But if we base his value on the market, an inference can be made from the Edmonton Oilers' extrication of the quintessential draft bust in the salary-cap era: Nail Yakupov.
The Oilers accepted a conditional third-round pick and a warm body in a trade with the St. Louis Blues for the former first overall draft selection. Their return will be upgraded to a second-round draft selection if Yakupov scores 15 goals this year.
He's got three.
Even still, Yakupov has twice as many goals, as well as almost double the points Lazar has mustered, in the 170 NHL games they've each played across the last three seasons.
Though Edmonton's desire to cut bait certainly factored into the return for Yakupov, the deal suggests that Lazar's current market value isn't anything greater than a late-round pick.
If the Senators are offered a deal comparable to the Yakupov trade, they might be wise to jump at it. But because Lazar has little value, less leverage, and many seasons of control, it's hard to imagine a scenario where he's dealt before the March 1 deadline.
Turning to reckless hyperbole seems almost excusable when assessing Bruce Boudreau's title chances, considering the position he has the Minnesota Wild in through one night in the post-All-Star break schedule.
The Wild now sit atop the points percentage standings with the NHL's top goal differential after their convincing 5-2 win over the upstart Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, as they capped the month of January with a 10-2-1 record with their 33rd win from 49 starts.
Of course, Boudreau, one of the best coaches on the planet, is in just his first season of a four-year contract with the Wild, and would be hired immediately, again, if his time in Minnesota fails to bear a championship.
But, in many respects, this season is shaping up to be his next best chance to finally - finally - experience the immense success he's had in the regular season come spring and summer.
Balance, and that Dubnyk guy
Minnesota's balanced, fourth-ranked overall attack has produced more goals than any team at five-on-five without a single player in the top 20 in league scoring. Meanwhile, netminder Devan Dubnyk has a tight, two-hand grip on the Vezina Trophy with a league-best .936 save percentage and five shutouts.
This combination, and the corresponding PDO wave, has the Wild on pace for 119 points, or the second-most in Boudreau's wildly successful career. He's averaged 108 points in the space of seven uninterrupted 82-game campaigns behind an NHL bench.
Yet again, he's extracted all he can from the parts he's been provided. But this season, what's beyond Boudreau's control works in tandem, further boosting Minnesota's postseason chances.
Altered NHL landscape
The balance of power in the NHL has shifted to the Eastern Conference, with many West Coast outfits slipping into mediocrity. The league's taken another bite out of the Kings, who continue to diminish, while the Blues are suddenly a mess. The Predators seem to be working through an adjustment period, and the Oilers have improved by leaps and bounds, but still seem to be below the elite tier. Boudreau's old team, the Ducks, may win a fifth consecutive division title, but their underlying data is merely ordinary. The Blackhawks' stars aren't scoring, and continue to trend toward the mean in shot-based possession metrics. And the defending conference champion Sharks are formidable once again, but long postseason runs are taxing, and nearly impossible to survive in consecutive seasons.
The conference is there for the taking. A Stanley Cup Final coin flip awaits.
Another reason that this must be the year? Minnesota's bracing for a mini cap crunch this summer.
Leading scorer Mikael Granlund is a restricted free agent when the season is up, and is putting himself in position to command a considerable raise on his current $3-million salary. Nino Niederreiter and Erik Haula will also need new deals. To that, the upcoming expansion draft will claim a body, in turn creating some financial wiggle room to retain free agents, but losing a key asset is an obvious detriment to the program.
Entrance into the tournament has been a certainty for Boudreau-led teams over the past decade; it's been the consequence of crashing out early that has changed over the years.
Boudreau won't have to worry about his job if the Wild suffer more heartbreak, but failure to seize this opportunity may torment the coach just the same.
The NHL took on the unforgiving task of comparing players from each of its generations, compiling a 100 Greatest Players list for reveal in Los Angeles this weekend as part of the All-Star festivities.
While we admire their zest, it's not a task we'll gleefully take on ourselves. We will, however, scrutinize this generation.
Here are the top 50 players in the post-lockout era - 2005-06 and beyond - broken down categorically.
League Pillars
Sidney Crosby - an NHL-best 1.33 points per game Alex Ovechkin - only player with 1,000 points; his 547 goals are 181 more than the next most prolific sniper
Poles apart, but together sharing in the rescue of the NHL in its tenuous return from the 2004-05 lockout. Crosby and Ovechkin - and their only partially engineered rivalry - represent more than a generational and procedural shift; these all-time greats repaired and lifted the sport to new heights.
Hall of Fame Careers Established
Pavel Datsyuk - a league-best plus-227 Henrik Lundqvist - the most starts, most wins, and a .920 save percentage maintained over 12 seasons Evgeni Malkin- his 1.18 points per game is second to Crosby Daniel Sedin - the goal-scorer in the family, Daniel has over 300 goals and 800 points Henrik Sedin- the 2010 Hart Trophy winner ranks fourth with 856 points Joe Thornton- his 125-point season in 2005-06 the highest single-season total
With the exception of Lundqvist, this group of players didn't usher in the NHL, providing a convenient point of reference. Regardless, they've carved out Hall of Fame careers under the new directive.
Legendary Farewells
Martin Brodeur- won 135 games in the space of three seasons from 2005 to 2008 Nicklas Lidstrom- his 0.76 points per game rate second only to Erik Karlsson among defenders with 250-plus games Scott Niedermayer- won the Conn Smythe and his fourth Stanley Cup in 2007 Chris Pronger-- three Stanley Cup Final appearances (with three different teams) in six seasons Martin St. Louis-- the Art Ross winner in 2013; collected 774 points in 770 games
All-time great careers were interrupted when the NHL ceased its operations. Some merely hung on for a few seasons; others heightened their legend.
Transcendent Stars on Path to 1st-Balllot Induction
Patrick Kane- reigning Hart Trophy winner is one of five active players averaging more than a point per game Erik Karlsson- his 0.81 points rate tops among all defensemen Carey Price- the only netminder to win the Hart Trophy
Each major trophy winners, Kane, Karlsson, and Price raised the standard at their positions over the last few seasons.
The Exception to Every Rule
Jaromir Jagr - his 123-point season in 2005-06 is the second highest total for a single season
Unable to sort the ageless one. Though he's had only a few elite campaigns in the post-lockout era, Jagr wouldn't be the second all-time leading scorer without his bonus seasons borne from tireless dedication.
The Glory
Drew Doughty - two-time Stanley Cup champion and Norris Trophy winner Marian Hossa - five appearances and three wins in the Stanley Cup Final Duncan Keith - three Cups, and his 490 points the most among defensemen Anze Kopitar - two Stanley Cups, as well as a Selke and a Lady Byng Jonathan Toews - three-time Stanley Cup champion and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner
Championships have to count for something, right?
Former or Fleeting Dominance
Zdeno Chara - Stanley Cup-winning captain, and a win from six Norris nominations Jarome Iginla - second to Ovechkin with 367 goals Ilya Kovalchuk - one of three players to average better than a half goal per game Tim Thomas - one of two multiple Vezina Trophy winners Henrik Zetterberg - eighth in scoring with 782 points
Mastery is often short lived. Across many seasons, or in spurts, these players were at the top of their classes.
Within the foundation that supports a vibrant, competitive, healthy NHL, there are so many fantastic players. Chapters still need to be written with this band of All-Stars, major award winners, and champions.
All they've done is produce - for long, long periods of time.
Other Standouts
Brent Burns - tops with 65 goals in 213 games since moving back to the blue line Marian Gaborik - three 40-goal seasons, and the NHL's sixth-best per game goal rate Mike Green - his 31-goal season in 2008-09 the best single campaign among defensemen Dany Heatley - one of five players with multiple 100-point seasons, and one of four with multiple 50-goal seasons
Future is Now
Connor McDavid - 1.11 points rate through 95 games trails Crosby, Ovechkin, and Malkin.
In the first injury-free first half of his career, McDavid leads the NHL in scoring at the All-Star break. He'll lead one of these lists soon enough.
Subban scored seven goals and tallied 10 assists in 29 games before being forced from the lineup for more than a month.
With Roman Josi's injury overlapping Subban's absence, the Predators have been stretched on defense this past week. Ryan Ellis logged more than 27 minutes Thursday versus the Calgary Flames, helping the Predators achieve a 2-1 win without their top two defenders.
Now on the second half of a back-to-back, All-Star captain Subban could be thrust into big minutes in his return.
Kevin Shattenkirk doesn't have to wait; it's free-agent season right now.
The St. Louis Blues defenseman is willing to entertain a "trade and extend" scenario, TSN's Darren Dreger reported Thursday, meaning he isn't married to the opportunity to experience summer courtship and could potentially commit long-term in the coming weeks.
What freedom he surrenders down the line, however, he gains in immediate control. His signature is required on any agreement that would allow the Blues to maximize their return on the power-play specialist, so it's in general manager Doug Armstrong's best interest to meet his demands while he can still recoup value on the puck mover.
In the short term, Shattenkirk to Toronto almost makes too much sense.
First, there's the obvious need. Toronto is dangerously thin on the back end for a team carrying sudden postseason expectation. Its defense isn't one that can withstand a key injury; Morgan Rielly's absence versus the Rangers stretched an entire unit.
There's a surplus of prospects to choose from when building the framework of the deal. But what really gives the Leafs an inside track in a potential pursuit of Shattenkirk is the cap space they're coming into. Upward of $20 million will be at Toronto's disposal in 2017-18 when many of the unwanted contracts they took on in the process of pressing reset come off the books.
In theory, they could tempt Shattenkirk with a wildly inflated annual salary on a short-term deal. It would protect the Leafs when Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner need new contracts down the line, and allow Shattenkirk the chance to hit the jackpot twice. This way, his earnings could potentially land above value for the next nine seasons.
New York
With a lot of money tied up in assets and Mika Zibanejad in line for a hefty raise, the Rangers would have to find a way to unload one of the anchors on their payroll to make Shattenkirk anything more than a short-term rental.
But regardless of whether he sticks around for long, it's a scenario worth pursuing for New York. Few teams will have a harder route to the Stanley Cup Final than the Rangers, who cannot afford not to be proactive in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division.
Adding a defender whose skills cater to the fast-paced, four-line, blow-the-zone transition style the Rangers employ, Shattenkirk could put this team over the top.
Anaheim
Given the manner in which the season is shaking down, and the inevitably of losing a quality player in expansion, is there any other option for the first-place Ducks besides taking a run at it?
Anaheim is loaded with defenders at all levels of the organization. But because it has signed a few bad NHL contracts at the top of the chain, this isn't entirely reflected on the payroll, or by its top six night in and out.
If they can get out from underneath one of the anchors they have signed with their own depth at the position, the Ducks would have the cap space to add another transition defender in Shattenkirk, and could feature a ridiculously efficient top four in a wide-open Western Conference.
Taking on an unwanted contract in addition to a coveted prospect or pick would be the best way for St. Louis to maximize its return without Shattenkirk committing long term.
The Blackhawks haven't sold in a long time, and that's not expected to change. Besides, since they didn't win the Stanley Cup last year, they're quite clearly due.
With negligible cap space and Artemi Panarin's raise coming into effect next season, the Blackhawks are fairly limited in what they can bring in. But with the expansion draft approaching, they may consider turning Trevor van Riemsdyk, who will in all likelihood be exposed, into a serviceable part up front.
With Brian Campbell and Michal Kempny making for a sudden surplus on defense, the Blackhawks are in an uncommon position: they require help up front. Van Riemsdyk could fetch a nice return, especially if packaged with one of the club's 10 draft picks.
Colorado Avalanche
Where to start?
Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are the big fish being discussed around league circles, but aside from Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, there isn't a nameplate safe in the Avalanche dressing room.
With the talented defensive prospects Colorado covets worth their weight in gold, we may not see one of the larger commodities dealt until after the season, once Vegas has constructed its roster. But because the Avs are essentially the only team preparing a fire sale, they'll most certainly be busy.
"By any means necessary" has to be the approach, as the Avs desperately need to turn over a large portion of their personnel.
Dallas Stars
Dallas is in an interesting spot.
On one hand, the Stars are fifth in the wild-card chase and have a multitude of expiring contracts. And on the other, they're three points out in a shaky Central, and boast a similar roster to that which finished atop the conference last season.
Both on expiring deals, Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya are the most obvious trade chips. Dealing them would almost certainly require retaining salary, and waiving the proverbial white flag on the season.
Minnesota Wild
The prevailing belief that it's in Minnesota's best interest to ship out a defender before the expansion draft has obviously cooled with its 29-10-5 start. The risk of losing a piece on the back end for nothing just isn't worth undermining what has the chance to be a long postseason run.
The Wild have less than $1 million in cap space, and not a single expiring deal in a featured role. There isn't an obvious trade candidate to identify - especially with the resurgent Jonas Brodin currently on the shelf.
Nashville Predators
It's unlikely Nashville can solve its expansion conundrum with one move at the deadline. That said, proactive measures would help soften the blow.
In a perfect world, the Predators preserve their top four, keeping Ryan Ellis, and including Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok in their safeguarded forward list. But because squeezing all three young assets into the protected roster is next to impossible, trading one - depending on Nashville's spot in the playoff chase - might be the club's best option.
Jarnkrok, in particular, is a fascinating candidate and maybe the most likely to be exposed. There isn't a team - including Vegas - that couldn't benefit from his auxiliary talent at $2 million each season through 2022.
St. Louis Blues
All eyes on Kevin Shattenkirk.
With the Blues reluctant to bleed out another asset, and two talented right-shot defenders on the roster, Shattenkirk could wind up being the marquee rental commodity on the market regardless of where his team stands in the Central Division race.
With his potential impact and an expiring deal that many contenders could fit into their salary structures, Shattenkirk has the potential to generate a return few can match.
Winnipeg Jets
While the Jets will hold out hope goaltender Ondrej Pavelec will give them a chance to win, in reality, his return is the worst-case scenario from back when the decision was made to demote him.
The Jets, who cannot maximize the talent on their roster while carrying three goalies, are third from the bottom in the West, and have a few expiring assets they could turn into futures to help push this exciting program over the top.
There's speculation surrounding Mathieu Perreault, but that seems tenuous, given he's having a miserable offensive campaign and the clock will begin next season on his four-year extension. Drew Stafford seems like a more viable option. He's on an expiring deal, and the Jets can eat a portion of his salary.
MacArthur has been denied clearance to pursue a return from team doctors and multiple specialists, despite being symptom free, according to TSN 1200's Dean Brown.
Dorion said MacArthur is "devastated" by the news.
MacArthur suffered his fourth concussion in 18 months when he took a hit from Patrick Sieloff in a training camp scrimmage. He's been limited to four games over the last two seasons due to post-concussion syndrome.
He said in October that he's unwilling to give up on his NHL career.
Anderson has been absent from the club for the last six weeks to be with his wife, Nicholle, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
Mike Condon has filled in admirably, and has been one of the main reasons the Senators are in a postseason position. He's fashioned a .920 save percentage and earned three shutouts since his acquisition in November, and appeared in 20 consecutive games for the club.
Dorion said he expects Anderson to need a couple weeks of practice to return to form.
Nicholle wrote in her last blog post that her final radiation treatment was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19.
On the verge of reaching the 1,000 points for his career, Henrik Sedin delivered the perfect response when asked if he would have family in town to celebrate the milestone.
The Sedin brothers have racked up 1,966 points between them since breaking into the NHL together in 2000. Henrik is reaching the milestone a few months sooner, due to dressing in 23 more games and owning a fractionally higher points-per-game rate than his sibling.
Games Played
Goals
Assists
Points
Points/G
Henrik
1212
232
767
999
0.824
Daniel
1189
366
601
967
0.813
It will be a special night for all if the Sedins can combine for a goal Friday night versus Roberto Luongo's Florida Panthers.
