Crawford then manned the crease for Team Black against Team Red in the scrimmage that followed the early portion of practice.
The 35-year-old goaltender had yet to join his teammates for an on-ice session since Phase 3 started July 13 after sitting out the voluntary workouts (Phase 2), which opened June 8.
Chicago will reportedly include Crawford on its playoff roster.
He posted a .917 save percentage and a 7.52 goals saved above average at 5-on-5 in 40 games during the regular season after missing 80 combined contests over the previous two campaigns due to concussions.
The Blackhawks held their final day of camp Saturday. They will fly to Edmonton - which will serve as their postseason hub city - on Sunday. Chicago will take on the St. Louis Blues in an exhibition game Wednesday before beginning a best-of-five play-in series against the Oilers on Aug. 1.
The Capitals expect Samsonov to be healthy for the 2020-21 campaign.
Samsonov didn't take part in Saturday's practice - the team's final session before its departure to Toronto on Sunday - and hasn't skated at all since training camp began, as Pell noted before the Capitals issued the statement.
The rookie netminder posted a .913 save percentage and a 4.34 goals saved above average in 26 games during the regular season. He outperformed veteran starter Braden Holtby. who authored a .897 save percentage and a minus-14.7 GSAA - the latter of which was third-worst in the NHL - in 48 contests.
Despite that disparity, Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said in June he expected Holtby to get the "first crack" at the No. 1 job in the postseason.
The Capitals drafted Samsonov 22nd overall in 2015. The 23-year-old spent four campaigns in the KHL before coming over to North America as one of the league's most highly touted goaltending prospects.
The No. 6 seed Nashville Predators are gearing up to take on the 11th-seeded Arizona Coyotes in what projects to be one of the more tightly contested matchups of the qualifying round.
Both clubs are built similarly, lacking offensive game-breakers but boasting strong goaltenders to support solid defensive schemes. Despite a considerable gap between the Predators and Coyotes in the standings, the two teams were only separated by four points, indicating this could be a long series.
Schedule
Game
Date
Time (ET)
1
Sun. August 2
2:00 p.m.
2
Tue. August 4
2:30 p.m.
3
Wed. August 5
2:30 p.m.
4*
Fri. August 7
TBD
5*
Sun. August 9
TBD
*If necessary
Tale of the tape
Coyotes
Stat
Predators
33-29-8
Record
35-26-8
2.71 (23rd)
Goals per game
3.07 (16th)
2.61 (4th)
Goals against
3.10 (20th)
19.2 (18th)
Power play %
17.3 (25th)
82.7 (5th)
Penalty kill %
76.1 (29th)
48.37 (24th)
5-on-5 Corsi For %
50.95 (10th)
7.27 (27th)
5-on-5 SH%
8.56 (12th)
.929 (4th)
5-on-5 SV%
.919 (13th)
Season series
The Coyotes and Predators clashed twice this past season, splitting the season series with one win a piece. Arizona won the first matchup in October by a score of 5-2, while Nashville rebounded with a 3-2 victory just before Christmas.
The two teams have met in the postseason once in their brief histories - a 4-1 Coyotes victory in the second round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Key players to watch
Taylor Hall
Norm Hall / National Hockey League / Getty
Ten years after being drafted first overall, Hall has only appeared in five playoff contests, and he's expressed his desire to compete in more meaningful games on numerous occasions. Factor in his status as a pending unrestricted free agent looking for a long-term home with a team that can perennially compete for a Cup, and you can expect Hall to do all that's in his power to be a difference-maker this postseason.
Hall is coming off a down season by his standards, registering 52 points in 65 games, but he's shown he's able to rise to the occasion in his brief playoff career, posting six points in five contests with the Devils in 2018. You can bank on Hall to make the most of his next playoff opportunity, and Arizona's typically goal-starved offense will need him at his best if it hopes to advance.
Matt Duchene
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Nashville's attack was snuffed out rather easily by a stout defensive Dallas team in the first round of last year's playoffs, which is one of the main reasons the Predators awarded Duchene a seven-year, $56-million contract. His addition could be the ingredient they were missing in 2019.
In saying that, Duchene will have to improve from his regular-season performance and be the offensive factor Nashville needs. Duchene tallied just 13 goals in his debut season in Music City, his lowest total since 2011-12. A strong playoff can erase a mediocre campaign, and it will be interesting to see if the Predators' highest-paid forward is up to the task.
Coyotes can win if...
They stick with their regular-season game plan. Goaltending and special teams are paramount in the playoffs, and the Coyotes have the advantage in both departments. Add in some timely goal-scoring, and this club could emerge as a tough out.
Predators can win if...
Their key offensive players perform up to their abilities. The Predators have deeper attack options and superior puck possession numbers. However, like Duchene, key forwards Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, and Ryan Johansen all turned in disappointing offensive outputs this season. If the Preds' top six can turn it around, they'll look like the powerhouse many pegged them to be back in October.
X-factors
Darcy Kuemper
Norm Hall / National Hockey League / Getty
Kuemper was far and away the Coyotes' MVP this season, and his play indicated he may be capable of stealing a playoff series on his own. The 30-year-old was 16-11-2 while posting a stellar .928 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average before injury derailed his - and nearly Arizona's - season. It's hard to predict what kind of rust may carry over after such a long layoff, but if the Coyotes win, Kuemper will be a big reason why.
Roman Josi
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Josi is the single most dominant skater in the entire series. His 65 points in 69 games this season led both teams by a significant margin, and you can expect head coach John Hynes to up his ice time - he averaged a whopping 25:47 this season - in a shortened series with no margin for error. The Predators captain is the prototypical workhorse defenseman, and often asserts his presence in all situations to help Nashville win.
The veteran netminder has been deemed "unfit to participate" in the team's training camp since it began July 13, although no reason has been given for his absence. Crawford didn't participate in the team's voluntary workouts that began June 8, either.
The 35-year-old appeared in 40 games this season after missing 80 contests over the last two seasons due to concussions. He put together a 16-20-3 record with a 2.77 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.
Captain Jonathan Toews expressed confidence in the team's backup goalies if Crawford is unable to go when the Blackhawks take on the Edmonton Oilers in the qualifying round.
"We do feel confident in (Malcolm Subban), we do feel confident in (Collin Delia)," Toews said after practice Thursday, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "Those guys are ready for the opportunity, they've played well when they've gotten NHL starts before. That's all we can really do is play our best defensive hockey, help out our goaltenders. We know those guys can do the job, and whatever happens to (Crawford), it's not fair to put that level of pressure on him right now."
Subban and Delia didn't start a game for Chicago this season. Subban was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline, while Delia spent the entire season in the AHL.
Seabrook has undergone three separate surgeries - one on his right shoulder and one on each hip - since he last played in December, but it was reported in early July that he'd attempt to take the ice if a return-to-play plan came to fruition.
The 35-year-old appeared in 32 games for Chicago this past season, notching four points while averaging just over 18 minutes per contest.
Seabrook is in his 15th NHL season and has won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Brett Kulak confirmed Friday he tested positive for COVID-19 in early July but has since recovered.
"I was a little bit shocked ... you just don't know how it will affect you and how symptoms kind of develop and increase," Kulak said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "Some guys shake it off in a day or two and sometimes it can linger on and it can get, obviously, really severe."
Kulak, 26, joined the Canadiens at training camp for the first time Thursday after completing his 14-day quarantine. The 6-foot-2 rearguard said he experienced symptoms that impacted his ability to train.
"I think the first couple of days were the worst," he said. "Waking up I just had pressure in my head, a little kind of dull headache all day.
"I was trying - because I had my first negative test - I was just trying to do exercise in my hotel room, some (bodyweight) stuff, and I could tell I just didn't have the energy for it that I should have for kind of the difficulty of stuff I was doing."
Kulak recorded seven assists while averaging 17:08 of ice time over 56 contests this season, his second with Montreal.
Canadiens defenseman Xavier Ouellet also said Thursday he tested positive but didn't feel any symptoms. The 26-year-old joined the team at training camp for the first time Wednesday.
On Sunday, chartered planes in 22 NHL cities across North America will take off carrying professional hockey players, coaches, and staff. One of two Canadian cities will be the destination: Edmonton for those from the Western Conference, Toronto for those in the East. The Oilers and Maple Leafs, "home" teams by geography only in an ambitious 24-team playoff tournament set to begin next Saturday, will be there waiting.
Once on the ground, those groups of up to 52 people from each city - "traveling parties" is the official NHL term - will be transported by bus to assigned hotels. Proper physical distancing will be expected en route and as buses pass into fenced-in areas surrounding Sutton Place and the JW Marriott in Edmonton, and Hotel X and the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
Everyone from the star forward to the backup goalie and from the equipment manager to the social media manager must follow the same protocol once inside one of these four high-end hotels. The hub-city "secure zones," or bubbles, are designed to shield all participants of the NHL's return-to-play efforts from the coronavirus, the cause of the pandemic that halted the 2019-20 season on March 12.
"Paramount in everything we've done to date and everything we'll be doing moving forward is the health and well-being of all NHL personnel," commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday in a video presentation released by the league.
Ultimately crowning a Stanley Cup champion in October amid a pandemic - easily the greatest logistical undertaking of Bettman's 25-year tenure - will rely upon the tightness of these bubbles over the coming weeks.
Can they pull it off? We'll see. A better question right now might be: What do players think of the bubble and what will soon be their new reality?
"We don't really know what to expect, to be honest with you," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said last week as details were still being ironed out. "But, at the same time, it'll be like a little tournament. We're used to going to tournaments as kids (where) you're together as a team."
"Maybe guys will get a couple of mini sticks and have some good old times," Canucks forward Tanner Pearson added, half-jokingly. "I would imagine that we'll have a common room or something, where we can all hang out and at least get out of our rooms and not lay in our beds all day."
It turns out amenities in both cities will be fairly extensive.
National Hockey League
Edmonton's secure zone, which includes the two team hotels, a third hotel for overflow staff, an events plaza, and Rogers Place, offers 14 restaurants, bars, pubs, food trucks, and pop-ups. On-site food options range from tacos to Tim Hortons, while concierge service is available for orders at grocery stores, pharmacies, and other restaurants within the city.
Also in the Edmonton bubble are eight movie theaters, dining areas, and activities spaces; 24 lounges, suites, and offices within Rogers Place; and 13 fitness centers, weight facilities, and practice rinks. Among the activities the NHL is promising players are pingpong, cornhole, basketball, and soccer.
"We're hoping our lifestyle, food-wise, doesn't change," Blues forward David Perron said. "We're guys who like to take care of ourselves, who like having good, healthy food. It's nice every once in a while to have a cheat day and eat whatever you want, but I think it's important that we're being taken care of that way."
National Hockey League
Toronto has two secure zones - one downtown near Scotiabank Arena and another a few blocks west at Exhibition Place, a mixed-use district in which Hotel X is located. Similar to Edmonton, there will be plenty of bars and restaurants, movie theaters, and team-dedicated rooms within the confines. Noteworthy perks: players will have access to BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC, for leisure purposes - pickleball is being promoted as a marquee pastime - and the league's secured private access to the underground tunnel that connects Scotiabank Arena and the Fairmont Royal York.
The most interesting part of both setups might be that players are being encouraged to watch other games from suites inside the arenas. It's kind of like a minor hockey tournament, after all.
"Appreciate what you have," Stars forward Joe Pavelski said. "We get to play some hockey, and we get to get back to compete. It's going to be unique as far as a bunch of teams in the same hotel, games going left and right once they get started. And no fans."
"You have to keep a mental sharpness, in a sense where there's going to be a lot of time in the hotel rooms," Coyotes forward Derek Stepan said. "In order for us to do this thing right, guys have to be really smart. You've got to be able to keep your head on your shoulders, stay sharp, and not get into dulls and lulls and have good energy when you come to the rink. I think that's a mental toughness thing."
Meanwhile, inside the hotels, every player is assigned his own room on a floor exclusive to the team, according to the NHL's Phase 4 health and safety protocol. No guests are allowed in private rooms - not even teammates, coaches, or staff. Housekeeping staff will be limited to every third day.
Hotel pools are open, but saunas, steam rooms, and spas are not. Fist bumps, high-fives, and handshakes are big no-nos, and face coverings must be worn at all times, with obvious exceptions, such as eating and exercising. And no talking during elevator rides, which have rules regarding physical distancing.
So far, the NHL's avoided a major outbreak; only two players tested positive during Week 1 of training camp out of a pool of more than 800. Teams have handled daily COVID-19 tests throughout Phases 2 and 3, but they'll pass that duty to the league upon arrival to hub cities. Those inside will be tested daily and know results within 24 hours.
Boston Globe / Getty Images
These are high stakes from a health perspective and a competitive perspective. The protocol document states that breaking rules in the bubble environment could result in "significant penalties, potentially including fines and/or loss of draft picks."
"Leaving the bubble is just not something that we can tolerate," Bettman reiterated in the presentation. "Everybody's used terrific judgment to this point, and I know that we can count on everybody moving forward."
"I'm just trying to have an adequate number of shows downloaded before I get up to Canadian Netflix," Lightning goalie Curtis McElhinney quipped. "I'm not sure what to expect. I don't know what our lives are going to look like once we're up there. I think the teams, the organization, and the NHL are trying to do their best to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and accommodated. It'll certainly present its challenges, but it'll give us an opportunity as a group to spend a lot more time together."
The Lightning's longest road trip this season lasted two-and-a-half weeks. A Stanley Cup favorite ahead of the restart, Tampa Bay's now bracing for a lengthy stay at Hotel X. Players could conceivably be living in the same room for weeks, potentially months, with the last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final tentatively scheduled for Oct. 4.
"We're going to bring a lot more stuff than when we go on a normal road trip. You plan on being there for two months," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said.
"Travel's just getting there, and once you get there you can set up," Pavelski said. "You don't have to pack up every other night. You can get your room how you want it and go from there."
Capitals goalie Braden Holtby plans to bring one of his guitars; Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin won't forget his golf putter; Bruins forward Charlie Coyle is making room in his luggage for supplements and healthy snacks; Jets defenseman Luca Sbisa has "loaded up" on books; Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook will be recruiting teammates to play the board game Super Tock; Rangers forward Ryan Strome fully expects poker games to commence in the team's common area; and seemingly every other player headed to one of the hub cities is ensuring all video game devices - XBox, PlayStation, Nintendo Twitch, etc. - are accounted for.
Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images
There should be fewer formal suits spotted this postseason. The players' association negotiated a looser game-day dress code into the resumption of play agreement, and Leafs center Auston Matthews and other fashion-forward NHLers expressed their excitement. Meanwhile, the Wild, the West's 10-seed, instituted a casual dress code featuring team-issued collared shirts and matching pants.
Steve Mayer, the NHL's chief content officer, said Friday that players were told "in a very stringent tone" to remain separated from players from other teams for the first five days of the bubble experience. It's uncertain how much, if any, inter-team mingling will be permitted following those initial guidelines, but the idea of two bitter on-ice rivals grabbing a beer at the hotel bar on an off day is intriguing.
"That's going to be the real neat part, being in the same hotel as the teams you're playing against. That'll be different," Holtby said. "There's so many quality people around the league on different teams. I think guys can turn it off pretty quick once you get away from the game to see old friends and that kind of thing."
"It's going to be hard not to see the other guys," Sbisa said. "You're going to share elevators on your way up to your floor. You're going to see all the other guys, so it's definitely going to be different. But it's going to be the same for everyone. Everyone is in the same boat. Everyone has to deal with the same thing. It's an even playing field."
Depending on who you ask, the concept of a bubble's no big deal. These players are adults and professionals. The issue is leaving family behind. Families aren't permitted inside the bubbles until the conference finals, which will take place in Edmonton in September.
"I'm not worried about me," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "I'm going to be around my teammates, I'm going to be in a hotel, and playing hockey, really. For me, the hardest part is going to be everything going on back home. (My wife) and our kids and how all of that's going to work on the day-to-day. So that's going to be the hardest part, sort of weighing those things and being out of touch with that aspect of things. It's been four-plus months of doing it together and to just kind of up and leave is definitely tough. But it's all part of what I do for a living."
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Players can leave the secure zone for only three reasons: to receive medical assessment or care; to get a second opinion on a health matter; or to return home for an urgent matter, such as a death in the family. If a player does leave - Washington's Lars Eller said he'll likely leave for the birth of his child - he must pass four consecutive COVID-19 tests over a four-day period before returning to normal bubble activities.
"I was quite against the league and the PA when it came to not being able to bring our families from the get-go," Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner said. "I had a lot of discussions with them about that. … It's not just about the players' mental health, it's about the families' mental health, too. There's a lot of players with young kids and wives and stuff, and we're going to leave them at home, alone, quarantined in the house with the kids. It's going to be equally as tough for them as it is for us."
Players are about to enter the unknown on the ice - playing in empty arenas after a very long layoff - and off it. The integrity of the entire return-to-play plan rests on members of each traveling party looking out for themselves and one another.
"I've seen some quotes from other guys around the league saying, 'We have food, we have a bed, we have the boys,'" Strome said. "When you're on the road, I think that's all that goes on. It's just a good time to bond."
