While rumblings out of Montreal seem to have pitted head coach Michel Therrien and defenseman P.K. Subban against one another, the Canadiens faithful have made it clear where their allegiances lie.
The Canadiens were in action Friday for the first time since Therrien called out his star defenseman for a miscue in Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche that led to the game-winning goal. Fans appeared to take Subban's side, serenading the 26-year-old with cheers early in the first period.
Subban would pick up a pair of assists on goals by Dale Weise and Max Pacioretty to surpass the 40-assist mark, joining Ottawa Senators blue-liner Erik Karlsson as the only defensemen in the league to reach that territory (Karlsson has 54 helpers).
Tootoo received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for sending defenseman Johnny Boychuk head first into the boards with a cross-check during the second period.
The hit will be reviewed by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Tootoo has been suspended twice in his NHL career, including a five-game suspension in 2007 for punching then-Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas.
With the Blue Jackets on a power play, Buffalo Sabres forward David Legwand cleared the puck from his own end and watched as it bounced down the ice, and over the glove of Korpisalo from 150 feet away. The gaffe increased the Sabres' first-period lead to 2-0.
The former Anaheim Ducks star showed off his latest post-hockey shenanigans Thursday when he pulled off a ridiculous golf trick shot while fooling around at the driving range.
After Tommy Wingels left Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers with an upper-body injury after crashing into the boards, San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer gave an update on the forward's condition Friday.
"He's been seen by everybody here," DeBoer said of Wingels, per Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News. "We don't think it's long term, but he's definitely out for the near future."
DeBoer added that the 27-year-old would remain with the team for the remaining three games of its five-game road trip which concludes Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
Wingels has six goals and nine assists in 56 games this season.
While forward Ryan Johansen has certainly lived up to expectations since being traded to the Nashville Predators, the team hasn't exactly set the league on fire since acquiring its new No. 1 center.
But with the team now hanging on to a wild-card position in the Western Conference, general manager David Poile isn't feeling any extra pressure to add more pieces ahead of the Feb. 29 trade deadline.
"If we don't make any trades this year, I'm comfortable," Poile said, per The Tennessean. "We've made a big trade. We've made a big trade that should have made our team better. And to this point, it hasn't, but I believe all the ingredients are there within our team to carry us into the playoffs and have success in the playoffs."
Since the Jan. 6 swap that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Johansen has produced at near a point-per-game pace with four goals and 12 assists in 18 games.
While fellow forwards Filip Forsberg and James Neal have remained consistently productive, some secondary scoring would certainly help the team's playoff hopes as a number of Predators forwards are well below their scoring pace from a year ago.
Points per game
Name
2014-15
2015-16
Craig Smith
.54
.36
Colin Wilson
.55
.39
Mike Fisher
.66
.28
Poile admitted he is frustrated some players aren't playing at the level they are expected to, but is ultimately content with his team as it hopes to clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season.
"I am doing my job in terms of making calls, and if something is there that can improve our team, I will do that," he said. "But I'm comfortable with the makeup of our team. I'm just not totally happy with the production that we're getting on an individual basis and we just need to play a little bit better."
VANCOUVER - The Anaheim Ducks knew they were running out of time.
Last in the NHL's overall standings at the end of October with a 1-7-2 record that included shutouts in five of the team's first eight games, it was clear major changes could b...
TORONTO - For the better part of the first four months of the regular season, Maple Leafs defenceman Frankie Corrado sat and then sat some more.
Picked up off waivers from Vancouver on the eve of the season, Corrado didn't play his first game...
We've released initial 16-man rosters for Team Canada, Team USA, and the Team North America outfit that will fuse the best 23-and-under prospects from both countries. Now it's time to name the other 80 players who will be named to the tournament on March 2, when the rosters are due for submission.
Remember, this is the NHL's baby, and it likely wants as many players under the league's banner as it can get involved. That's not to say there won't be representation from the KHL, and other top flights, when rosters are cemented, but for now, expect partiality to those plying their trade on this side of the pond.
Sweden's star-studded defensive corps immediately jumps out. Expect the versatile Anton Stralman, who pairs with Hedman in Tampa Bay, to nab the seventh spot over Niklas Kronwall and Alex Edler.
The Czechs have a strong collection of talented playmakers up front - namely Voracek, Krejci, and Plekanec - but are short on snipers. Jagr has five more than any other Czech forward this season with 18.
They are also beset with difficulties on the back end, but have a Vezina Trophy candidate in Mrazek to anchor the operation.
Here's a look at the hit, which came just moments after Stralman chopped Nikolaj Ehlers down in open ice.
The principal point of contact is certainly Little's head, but the Jets center put himself in a vulnerable position when he lost his balance and staggered toward the line with his head down.
Little required X-rays on his neck after the game, but was able to travel.
