All posts by Kayla Douglas

Sens’ Tkachuk: This season was my ‘most difficult year’

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said this season was "the most difficult year" he's had mentally after his team failed to meet rising expectations.

"I think at the end of the day, we just didn't make steps forward this year," he told reporters Thursday, including TSN. "We took a couple steps back. It's frustrating, it's difficult. I'm not gonna lie to you, (I had) very high hopes coming into this year and for it to not happen, it's pretty disappointing. Upset, frustrated, all the words you can use there."

"To disappoint (fans) that spend money to support you ... is tough," Tkachuk continued. "It's the first year that I've really, truly felt that. Disappointed a lot of people that stuck with us through the thick and thin."

The Senators had aspirations of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017 after missing the cutline by six points last season. This time last year, Tkachuk boldly proclaimed that he and he teammates "wouldn't be done in April anymore."

Ottawa finished the 2023-24 campaign 13 points outside the postseason picture after losing 41 games in regulation, tied with the Arizona Coyotes for the fifth most in the league.

"Just finished Year 6, and haven't done a thing," Tkachuk lamented Thursday. "I haven't played in those meaningful playoff games that I've imagined, and the rest of the group has imagined playing in."

Ottawa had to battle its fair share of drama this year, including GM and coaching changes, new ownership, and a half-season suspension to Shane Pinto for violating the league's gambling rules.

However, veteran forward Claude Giroux wasn't about to lean on those factors as an excuse.

"We know our potential," he said. "Yes, we are a very young team, but saying that, our game's gotta grow. We need to help each other better, play more as a team."

There are plenty of experienced head coaching options available for the Senators, from Dean Evason, to Todd McLellan, to Craig Berube. Tkachuk said his team is in need of more "accountability," while Giroux knows a new bench boss won't magically solve all of Ottawa's problems.

"There's no coach with a special recipe. ... At the end of the day, it's on the players," Giroux said.

The Senators reportedly hope to have their new head coach in place by the 2024 NHL Draft in late June.

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Kucherov joins McDavid in 100-assist club

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player in NHL history and the second this year to notch 100 assists in a single season Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kucherov entered the contest with 99 helpers and hit the century mark with an assist on Brayden Point's power-play goal.

Kucherov joins Connor McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr as the only NHLers to accomplish the feat. McDavid reached the milestone on Monday.

Prior to 2023-24, Gretzky was the last to do it in 1990-91, which was his 11th consecutive campaign with at least 100 assists. Lemieux (1988-89) and Orr (1970-71) each hit the milestone once in their careers.

Kucherov is the only winger among the five members of the 100-assist club.

He leads the league with 144 points this season - six up on Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross Trophy race.

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Kucherov joins McDavid in 100-assist club

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player in NHL history and the second this year to notch 100 assists in a single season Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kucherov entered the contest with 99 helpers and hit the century mark with an assist on Brayden Point's power-play goal.

Kucherov joins Connor McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr as the only NHLers to accomplish the feat. McDavid reached the milestone on Monday.

Prior to 2023-24, Gretzky was the last to do it in 1990-91, which was his 11th consecutive campaign with at least 100 assists. Lemieux (1988-89) and Orr (1970-71) each hit the milestone once in their careers.

Kucherov is the only winger among the five members of the 100-assist club.

He leads the league with 144 points this season - six up on Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross Trophy race.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kucherov joins McDavid in 100-assist club

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player in NHL history and the second this year to notch 100 assists in a single season Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kucherov entered the contest with 99 helpers and hit the century mark with an assist on Brayden Point's power-play goal.

Kucherov joins Connor McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr as the only NHLers to accomplish the feat. McDavid reached the milestone on Monday.

Prior to 2023-24, Gretzky was the last to do it in 1990-91, which was his 11th consecutive campaign with at least 100 assists. Lemieux (1988-89) and Orr (1970-71) each hit the milestone once in their careers.

Kucherov is the only winger among the five members of the 100-assist club.

He leads the league with 144 points this season - six up on Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross Trophy race.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thompson wants Sabres’ new coach to bring accountability, consistency

Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson thinks his team's new coach needs to bring two core concepts to the table: accountability and consistency.

"There needs to be repercussions - whether it's being benched or in the press box - if you're not playing winning hockey," he told reporters during his end-of-season availability on Wednesday. "I think, at times, you could see that we were a great team, and other times we were too casual. I think that's something that's gotta be instilled in us. ... That's something I don't think we had enough of this year."

"I think a lot of times this year, we got away with some stuff that we shouldn't have gotten away with," he added. "I think if you clean those things up, then it sends a message."

The Sabres fired Don Granato on Tuesday after they failed to make the playoffs for the 13th straight season. Many expected Buffalo to end that drought this campaign, but the young team fell short of those lofty expectations, finishing eight points outside of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Thompson made it clear that he has "nothing but respect and admiration" for Granato. The bench boss moved the 6-foot-6 forward to center when he took over the reins three years ago, which prompted his 38-goal breakout season in 2021-22.

Since making his debut in 2017-18, Thompson has played under three different head coaches: Phil Housley (2017-19), Ralph Krueger (2019-21), and Granato (2021-24).

"I would like to say that each time, it kind of lights a fire under you because it shows you that you're replaceable," Thompson said. "That's kind of the business you're in. So, hopefully, the response is intensity. I think comfort can be the death of you, and I think we were a little too comfortable this year."

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin echoed Thompson's wishlist in a new head coach, adding that they need to be "pushed hard."

However, the team's probable next captain believes the players themselves are better equipped to handle the pressure of growing expectations.

"In that way, this year was good for us," Dahlin said. "We weren't really prepared and ready as a group for what it meant, really. That was a big learning lesson. ... Going into next year, we're very prepared for what it means."

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Konecny: Flyers ‘have all the tools’ to become playoff contenders

Travis Konecny hopes the heartbreaking end to the Philadelphia Flyers' season can help them become a consistent playoff contender in the future.

"We have all the tools to do it," he said during the Flyers' exit availability on Wednesday. "I think this year was good for us being in the spot we were at. ... Maybe it makes you realize that nothing game on a Tuesday in a random city, that game matters. It's a good mindset for our team to have."

"I'd love to say right now that it's going to be next year," he added. "I don't know."

After occupying a playoff spot for much of the campaign, the Flyers officially finished outside the postseason picture on Wednesday night. Philadelphia lost nine out of its last 11 games, ultimately dashing any hopes it had of playing beyond the regular season for the first time since 2020.

Despite falling short, the Flyers were still one of the biggest surprises of the season, something that is not lost on Konecny.

"I think it was awesome for a lot of the guys to prove a lot of people wrong, and maybe even prove themselves wrong. ... Now, it's just believing," he said.

Only five players on the current roster have suited up for a playoff game while donning a Flyers jersey:

Player GP G P
Sean Couturier 39 10 22
Scott Laughton 24 6 10
Travis Konecny 22 1 8
Travis Sanheim 20 2 8
Joel Farabee 12 3 5

"It's tough when we put ourselves in such a good spot at the start of the year," veteran forward Scott Laughton said. "You're pushing towards that goal of making the playoffs and you get that taste a little bit, you want to get back there. I haven't experienced playoff hockey in Philly in quite some time and there's nothing really like it."

He added: "This one stings the most out of my career. ... It could have been a lot different."

Laughton said he needs some time to decompress before he can fully focus on the positives that came from this campaign.

Konecny's performance was arguably one of those bright spots. He posted a career-high 33 goals and 68 points in 76 games.

The 27-year-old has one more season remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $5.5 million. He's eligible to sign an extension this summer, though he admitted contract talks haven't been at the front of his mind.

"I'm sure down the road here I'll deal with that," he said. "I've been focusing so much on trying to get (into the playoffs). But we'll see moving forward.

"I love Philly."

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Fleury signs 1-year, $2.5M extension with Wild

Marc-Andre Fleury isn't hanging up his pads just yet.

The veteran netminder signed a one-year, $2.5-million extension with the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

The pact includes a no-move clause, per The Athletic's Michael Russo.

"I'm grateful to keep doing what I love for one more season," Fleury said. "I thought about it a lot this year, but I still love to compete."

The beloved goalie added that he expects next season to be his last.

Prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Fleury said he would wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his playing future.

In late March, he conceded that he initially thought this year would be his last in the NHL, but he ended up rediscovering "the joy of playing hockey." He added that if he were to come back, it'd only be as a member of the Wild.

Fleury owns an .895 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average across 39 appearances in his 20th NHL season. He's also saved 5.83 goals above average and 1.73 goals above expected at five-on-five, according to Evolving-Hockey.

Minnesota failed to make the playoffs this campaign, putting an end to Fleury's streak of 17 consecutive postseason appearances. He won the Stanley Cup three times as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins and owns a career .911 save percentage in the postseason.

Fleury is nearing the end of his second full season with the Wild. The Chicago Blackhawks traded him to Minnesota at the 2022 trade deadline.

The Wild will play their last game of the 2023-24 campaign on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, and Fleury is slated to make the start.

The 39-year-old is just three years removed from winning his first Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. A member of the Vegas Golden Knights at the time, Fleury registered a .928 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average to go along with a 26-10-0 record.

Fleury already ranks second in wins (561) and fourth in games played (1,024) by a goaltender in NHL history.

Though he won't pass Martin Brodeur's 691 victories, Fleury is only six appearances away from passing Patrick Roy for third on the all-time list and 21 removed from supplanting Roberto Luongo for second place.

Fleury will turn 40 years old on Nov. 28.

Elsewhere in the Wild's crease, Filip Gustavsson is signed for two more seasons with a cap hit of $3.75 million, while they'll need to continue developing 2021 first-round pick Jesper Wallstedt.

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McDavid becomes 4th player ever with 100-assist season

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the fourth player in NHL history, and the first in 33 years, to notch 100 assists in a single season during Monday's 9-2 win against the San Jose Sharks.

He entered the contest with 99 helpers and hit the century mark with a feed to Zach Hyman.

McDavid joins Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr as the only NHLers to accomplish the feat.

"Those other guys are the best players to ever play in this game," McDavid said during the second intermission. "Just cool to be in the same breath as them."

Gretzky was the last to do it in 1990-91, his 11th consecutive campaign with at least 100 assists. Lemieux (1988-89) and Orr (1970-71) each hit the milestone once in their careers.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov could make the group a quintet Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, as one more helper will put him in the 100-assist club.

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Golden Knights headed back to playoffs

The reigning Stanley Cup champions are headed back to the postseason.

The Vegas Golden Knights secured the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with their 7-2 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues' 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

Sin City rode a three-goal first period and a similarly dominant final frame to take care of business against the Wild.

It's been a bit of a roller-coaster campaign for the Golden Knights, who went from battling for first place in the Pacific Division to grinding it out for a wild-card spot.

Vegas had to overcome lengthy injury absences to many of its key players, such as Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, Adin Hill, and Mark Stone.

Stone is currently out with a spleen injury, though he returned to practice in a non-contact jersey on Friday.

The Golden Knights have only failed to make the playoffs once in their seven years of existence, and just one of those appearances ended in a first-round exit.

Vegas beat the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Florida Panthers en route to its first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Jonathan Marchessault, an original Golden Knight, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs after tallying 13 goals and 25 points in 22 games.

The team made the final in its inaugural season in 2017-18 but lost to the Washington Capitals.

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Report: Coyotes players informed team moving to Utah

The Arizona Coyotes were informed prior to Friday's game that the team will be moving to Utah, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Players and staff will be given an opportunity to visit Salt Lake City to check out the facilities, Friedman added.

Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong met with the players on Friday evening. There, he told the team that the NHL has facilitated a sale to the Smith Entertainment Group, the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz, reports ESPN's Emily Kaplan. However, the deal is not done yet.

The players weren't made available to the media following Arizona's 3-2 overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers, and head coach Andre Tourigny said he'd only answer questions about the game, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

On Saturday, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo issued an all-caps statement through the team saying he hoped to "address these issues" as soon as he can.

News broke on Wednesday indicating that the franchise could relocate to Utah as soon as next season. The league was reportedly drafting two versions of the 2024-25 schedule, one with the Coyotes in Arizona and another with the team in Salt Lake City's Delta Center, which is home to the Jazz.

The NHL has informed SEG that a hockey-specific upgrade will need to be made to the Delta Center for it to be the permanent home of the Utah-bound Coyotes, per Kaplan. The Utah State Senate has already passed a bill to fund a new entertainment district downtown for an NHL franchise.

The relocation may be announced on Wednesday, the date of the Coyotes' last home game at Mullett Arena, according to PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan. However, sources told Friedman that it may not be possible to make the announcement that quickly.

In early April, the Coyotes announced their commitment to winning an upcoming land auction for a 110-acre tract in North Phoenix, which would house a new arena and entertainment district for the franchise.

The Coyotes attempted to secure a new arena in Tempe last May, but residents voted against building a $2.1-billion entertainment district in the area.

Arizona has been home to an NHL franchise since 1996, when the original Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix.

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