Category Archives: Hockey News

Pavelec isn’t answer to Jets’ goaltending woes

The Winnipeg Jets rolled the dice when they recalled veteran netminder Ondrej Pavelec from the AHL earlier this month.

The reasoning made sense. Young netminders Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson have struggled this season, and with playoff hopes quickly slipping away in Winnipeg, the team turned back to a familiar face.

Except the reunion is quickly reminding Jets faithful why Pavelec was in the minors in the first place. Through four games back in Winnipeg, here is how he stacks up against the others manning Winnipeg's crease:

Goalie Record GAA SV%
Pavelec 2-2-0 3.29 .894
Hellebuyck 16-13-1 2.82 .907
Hutchinson 4-10-3 3.23 .894

That's not the sort of strong goaltending the Jets had in mind. In one week back with the big club, Pavelec has allowed at least three goals in all four contests, including Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

Following the defeat, the Jets now hold a 22-25-4 record through 51 games. While the team is just three points back of the West's final playoff spot, that will be a difficult gap to make up if the team can't fix its play between the pipes either with Pavelec or by looking for a goaltending option currently outside the organization.

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Flames’ Gulutzan calls latest blowout ‘pathetic’

It was an all too familiar site for the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night - a blowout in the opposition's favor.

The club dropped their fourth straight game and third in concession in which the team was outscored by four goals, thanks to a 5-1 shelling by the Montreal Canadiens.

Related: Canadian clubs feasting on Flames in January

Tuesday's game was a blowout and while the Flames may have outshot the Canadiens 31-20, head coach Glen Gulutzan was less than thrilled with his club's performance.

"We were pathetic ... no bite back ... we need someone to step up," Gulutzan said.

However, that was not the end of it for Gulutzan. The head coach told reporters that while it might be difficult to arrange logistically, he was considering waiving the team's mandatory day off Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.

In the wake of the coach's clear frustration, it was the players who owned up for the club's poor play of late.

"We're making too many glaring mistakes ... it's disappointing. It's on us," captain Mark Giordano said postgame. "We're not pushing back hard enough."

The Flames will play one more game Thursday against the Ottawa Senators before the All-Star break, where the team will hope to get things back on track before a condensed February that will see the team play 12 games in 28 nights.

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Canadian clubs feasting on Flames in January

For a third straight night, a fellow Canadian club hammered the Calgary Flames.

Calgary came within seconds of being shut out for the second straight game, ultimately losing in a 5-1 drumming to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

For the Flames, the loss continues a miserable slide in January in which the club has struggled to beat teams who also call Canada home.

With the loss to Montreal, the Flames have now dropped six of their last seven games against Canadian teams. Their season record against Canadian squads now stands at an unimpressive 5-7-2.

Date Team Result
Jan. 6 Canucks L 4-2
Jan.7 Canucks W 3-1
Jan. 9 Jets L 2-0
Jan. 14 Oilers L 2-1 (SO)
Jan. 21 Oilers L 7-3
Jan. 23 Maple Leafs L 4-0
Jan. 24 Canadiens L 5-1

Over that span, the Flames have now been outscored 24-10 and have now gone 4-7-1 overall in January. The team still clings to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but thanks to a Los Angeles Kings win, both the Kings and Vancouver Canucks sit just a point behind Calgary, each with three games in hand.

The Flames need to get things back on track, but don't look now - the team's next game is Thursday against Ottawa.

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Watch: Pastrnak nets OT winner for first goal in 18 games

David Pastrnak chose the best time to end his wicked cold streak.

The Boston Bruins winger pocketed the overtime winner over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, as the Bruins came away with the 3-2 victory and Pastrnak secured his first goal in 18 games.

Pastrnak had not scored since returning from a two-game absence in mid-December, when he missed a pair of games with an elbow injury. His last tally came Dec. 14 versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, which capped a streak of six goals in as many games.

With Tuesday's tally, Pastrnak pushed his total to 20 goals on the season.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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Hutton’s shutout further complicates Blues’ crease conundrum

Your starting goaltender for the St. Louis Blues is ... Carter Hutton?

Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, the Blues once again called on Hutton, who turned aside 34 shots for his second shutout in his past five outings.

Hutton has been the go-to goalie for bench boss Ken Hitchcock, with starter Jake Allen struggling to stop the puck. The situation became foggier over the weekend, when Allen didn't travel with the team, which called on farmhand netminder Pheonix Copley to face the Winnipeg Jets.

Copley allowed five tallies on 29 shots in a losing effort. Hutton, meanwhile, has appeared in all but three of the Blues' January games, posting a 4-2-0 record.

General manager Doug Armstrong insisted Allen remains the franchise's goaltender of the future, despite the fact that he has been pulled in his last three games, including twice versus the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

Prior to Tuesday's match, the Blues announced that Allen would get the call in the team's final match prior to the All-Star break, when St. Louis faces the Minnesota Wild.

But could that change anything after Hutton shut the door on the defending Stanley Cup champions? That's up to coach Hitchcock.

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Toews finishes off pretty passing play with Panik, Hartman

Follow the puck.

Jonathan Toews picked up right where he left off Sunday night, finishing off a pretty passing play with Richard Panik and Ryan Hartman to give his club a 1-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The goal was Toews ninth of the season and comes after the Blackhawks captain put up four points against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night. Toews wasn't done there as he would pick up a helper on Duncan Keith's second period tally.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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Reaves turns on jets, scores rare breakaway beauty

Ryan Reaves' hands can do more than just leave bruises.

The St. Louis Blues' tough customer put his name on the scoresheet in the goals column after fighting off Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz and beating Matt Murray.

The goal was just Reaves' third of the season and helped give his club a 2-0 advantage.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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Senators induct Bryan Murray into Ring of Honour

The Ottawa Senators inducted former general manager, coach, and current senior hockey advisor Bryan Murray into the Ring of Honour Tuesday night.

The cub recognized the man, who prior to this season, had served as the club's general manager since 2007, with a video tribute before the Sens' game against the Washington Capitals.

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin also presented Murray with a Capitals jersey with the No. 343 prior to puck drop, representing the number of wins Murray accumulated as head coach of the Capitals between 1981 and 1990.

In all Murray sits 11th on the all-time coach's win list and becomes the first member of the Senators' Ring of Honour.

Despite his 2014 diagnosis of Stage 4 colon cancer, Murray remains an integral part of the organization - one he plans on finishing his career with.

"To finish my career in Ottawa and receive this recognition is certainly another career highlight," Murray said in a speech to the crowd. "Thank you."

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Report: Golden Knights accelerate coaching search

Bet on the Golden Knights hiring a bench boss before season's end.

The Vegas club, which will join the NHL next season as the newest expansion team, originally planned to hire its first coach in the late spring, but that date has been moved up, reports Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

According to Carp, the Golden Knights could be interested in Gerard Gallant, who was fired earlier this season by the Florida Panthers.

However, Vegas could have competition for Gallant, with the New York Islanders also looking for a new coach following the firing of Jack Capuano. Gallant previously served as an assistant with the Islanders from 2007-09.

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Sharks’ Hertl has tough day after best friend Wingels dealt to Senators

Tomas Hertl and Tommy Wingels' friendship just became long distance.

Related: Sharks trade Wingels to Senators for 2 players, draft pick

Wingels was dealt to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Zack Stortini, Buddy Robinson, and a seventh-round draft pick on Tuesday, leaving best friend - Hertl - very upset.

It's the unfortunate and tough side of the business.

Cue the sad music.

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