"League officials interviewed several of the participants in the game - including Rielly and (referee Brad) Meier - and reviewed the audio of the alleged incident," senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell wrote in a statement. "All of those interviewed adamantly denied that Rielly uttered a slur and the audio supported their statements.
"The National Hockey League does not tolerate language or gestures that disparage anyone based upon their race, creed, or sexual orientation and continues to work to ensure that our games are played in a welcoming atmosphere for all of our players, coaches, officials, and fans."
Rielly was under investigation for this incident, which occurred in the second period of Monday's contest:
Speaking with the media Tuesday afternoon, Rielly said there's no place for such slurs in sports or in life, according to Sportsnet's Faizal Khamisa.
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was also on hand for the press conference, stating the organization condemns any use of homophobic language.
"My thought on it has always been that in managing the team, it's incumbent on us and management to build (an) environment that if someone were gay or questioning their orientation they don't come in here and feel uncomfortable," he said.
TORONTO - When Nikita Kucherov inevitably accepts the Hart Trophy this summer at the NHL Awards ceremony in Las Vegas, nobody will remember point No. 111.
That point didn’t break a record or signal a milestone. Heck, it's not even a nice, round number. The secondary assist, recorded in the first period Monday night at Scotiabank Arena, will be a mere footnote in the Lightning's late-season rout over the Maple Leafs.
Yet that's precisely the beauty of point No. 111. Kucherov, who's run roughshod over the world's best for five months straight, did what he does nearly every night. He found his way onto the scoresheet in a distinctly Kucherovian manner.
Screen shot (Courtesy: NHL)
After pouncing on a loose puck after an Auston Matthews turnover deep in Toronto's zone, Kucherov commanded the building's attention, roping in three lunging defenders before deftly dishing to Ryan McDonagh, who hit Tyler Johnson's stick for a tip-in at the net.
"That’s his whole game," Johnson told theScore prior to the 6-2 victory, reflecting on his linemate's gravitational pull and unpredictability. "He's deceptive in everything he does."
"He has the ability to beat you in different ways," Leafs center John Tavares added of Kucherov. "He's such a good shooter but also such a tremendous passer. He's so good at finding the late man, being able to slow things down even though he's a guy that can play at a high pace."
It can't be forgotten that the Lightning, now 18 points clear of the rest of the league with a 53-13-4 record, can beat you in many different ways. They're elite at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, ranking first among all NHL teams in each situation. Flush with star power, versatile mid-level talent, and capable role players, Tampa Bay is intimidatingly stacked and well-coached by Jon Cooper, earning the label of Stanley Cup favorite from fans, media, and those within the NHL's inner circle.
Atop the team's pile of talent is Kucherov, who's on pace for a gaudy 130 points with 33 goals and 78 assists through 70 games. Even though league-wide scoring rates keep rising year over year, those are still absurd numbers in 2019. When adjusting for era, Kucherov’s already produced the equivalent of 121 points, according to Hockey-Reference.
Getty Images
He's a virtual lock for MVP, because, much like Tampa on the team level, it's as if Kucherov's playing a different sport than his peers. He's putting up video-game numbers and doing so in style for the best team. Clearly, Kucherov is benefiting from his environment - especially playing alongside star center Brayden Point and the ever-effective Johnson - but the cold, hard facts should wash away any skepticism of his Hart candidacy.
Consider these notes following Monday's games: Kucherov has a 13-point lead on Patrick Kane for the scoring title, owns a 28-point cushion on Point for the team lead, has racked up almost as many multi-point games (17) as pointless ones (18), and sports underlying numbers that show teammates routinely see their performances dip when they take the ice without him. As a bonus, the play-driving winger is a tremendous bargain at a salary cap hit of $4.8 million.
Truthfully, the other Hart considerations - Kane in Chicago, Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh, Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, Alex Ovechkin in Washington, and, if you choose to ignore the no-playoffs asterisk, Connor McDavid in Edmonton - all seem like afterthoughts at this point.
The Hart is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, but Kucherov's sensational season isn't lost on his rivals. Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock believes Kucherov is the "most dangerous guy in hockey right now." (Remember: best-on-planet McDavid and Crosby are also enjoying excellent seasons). Even Cooper, a mild-mannered, process-oriented bench boss, finds himself marveling at Kucherov, admitting he sometimes watches the stealthy Russian winger like a fan.
The tantalizing skill set and the eyebrow-raising production make it very hard to avoid the Kucherov buzz. Not a single NHLer has surpassed the 125-point threshold since the salary cap arrived in 2005, and the Lightning have 12 games left. The next tier is reserved for Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, the last players to surpass 130 points (161 and 149, respectively, back in 1995-96).
The points have come in bunches, both on the power play and at five-on-five. Kucherov's picked up 43 of them on Tampa Bay's potent PP, occupying the right flank on the first unit. And at even strength, he and his teammates rank highly in shot generation, scoring chances, and point production:
Category
Kucherov
NHL Rank
Points per 60 minutes
4.1
4th
Scoring chances per 60
32.6
17th
Shot attempts per 60
66.6
27th
*Minimum 700 minutes at five-on-five
Kucherov, who logs an average of 19:41 per night, can be deceiving when he shifts his 5-foot-11, 178-pound frame around the rink, changing speeds and body positioning to confuse opposing skaters. The 25-year-old seems to always be hiding in plain sight, using his edgework to weave east-west and his quick first steps to bolt north-south.
But while Kucherov processes the game at such a high rate, his teammates don't find him difficult to play with.
"He's deceptive but he’s easy to read off, if that makes sense?" Point said. "He goes to the right spaces, he makes the right play almost every time. So, being on his line, you just try to get to those soft areas and he’ll find you."
Said Johnson, "Really, I just know that when he has the puck, if I can get open or find a lane, he's going to drag a few guys to him and allow me to take over some empty space."
Kucherov's shot can be deceiving, too, as he's figured out how to fool goaltenders by firing the puck from a variety of release points or by using a defender as a screen. A skills coach even dedicated seven minutes to Kucherov's unique mechanics and technique in a recent YouTube video:
It's been a steady climb for Kucherov through six NHL seasons, with his points-per-game rate rising from 0.4 in his rookie campaign to 1.2 in Year 4 and 1.6 now - not bad for a player who went 58th overall in the 2011 draft.
"Is it a credit to us or is it a shame on the 57 picks that went before that?" Cooper said half-jokingly.
Of course, you can joke about it when the soon-to-be MVP is on your side, tormenting the rest of the league.
John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
The NHL's regular season is less than four weeks from its conclusion, but before you shift into playoff mode, there are plenty of reasons to monitor the remainder of the schedule.
Here are five of the most intriguing storylines to keep an eye on as the 2018-19 campaign wraps up.
1. Lightning chasing history
Scott Audette / National Hockey League / Getty
For nearly the entire season, 30 teams have stared up the standings at the Tampa Bay Lightning and their potentially record-setting pace. The Bolts have already matched the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings as the fastest teams in history to reach 50 victories in a season (66 games) and need to win nine of their final 12 contests to tie those same Red Wings for the wins record at 62. It's a tall task, but if Tampa falls short, it's nothing to fret about - only three teams have eclipsed 120 points in a season in the last 23 years, a feat the Lightning will achieve with five more victories.
It's also worth monitoring the closing stretch for Lightning dynamo and MVP favorite Nikita Kucherov, who's on pace for the NHL's first 130-point campaign since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96.
2. Pressure's on for Blue Jackets
Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / Getty
Since general manager Jarmo Kekalainen pushed his chips to the middle of the table and added both Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel at the trade deadline, the Columbus Blue Jackets are just 3-5-0. Those troubling results have left the team with a tenuous hold on the East's second wild-card position, an unsettling situation for the organization.
Kekalainen was under the gun even before the season began due to the uncertain futures of pending unrestricted free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. He's since added two more UFAs, leaving his franchise only two 2019 draft picks in the process. If the Blue Jackets miss the cut after such a major gamble, it can only be viewed as a catastrophic failure.
3. Battle for seeding
Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty
The NHL's oft-criticized playoff format has created unenviable scenarios for a handful of the league's elite teams. In the Atlantic, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are essentially locked into a first-round meeting for the second straight year, despite being two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. Though the matchup is predetermined, home-ice advantage is still on the line, with the Leafs sitting four points back of the Bruins with 13 games to go.
In the West, the battle for the Pacific Division crown is of massive importance. The Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks are separated by just one point in the standings, and whoever finishes in front likely gets a date with the second wild-card team (currently the Minnesota Wild). The runner-up, meanwhile, will face a first-round bout with the Vegas Golden Knights, who've lost just one game since acquiring Mark Stone.
The Flames and Sharks play their final regular-season clash March 31 in San Jose in what could be one of the biggest games of the year.
4. Droughts over?
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Further down the standings, two of the league's three longest active postseason droughts could be snapped this spring. The Carolina Hurricanes are engaged in a battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metro and are in good shape to claim a wild-card spot if they fall short. Since Jan. 1, the Hurricanes have surged up the standings, sporting a 22-7-2 record and a plus-32 goal differential. If Carolina hangs on to make the dance, it'll be its first playoff appearance since 2009.
In the Western Conference, the surprisingly hot Arizona Coyotes are making a charge at a wild-card berth, sitting one point back of the Wild with a game in hand entering Tuesday. The Coyotes are gaining ground on the strength of a stingy defensive scheme and the play of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who owns a .924 save percentage in 17 starts since the beginning of February. If Arizona squeaks in, it will be for the first time since 2012.
5. Awards race
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Though Kucherov has a viselike grip on the Hart, multiple major awards still lack clear-cut winners at this point of the season.
Who ends up with the Norris? Will it be Brent Burns and his 89-point pace, or will 35-year-old Mark Giordano finally get the nod for his best season yet? What about Morgan Rielly, who leads all blue-liners with 18 goals and 39 even-strength points? All three play for teams entrenched in playoff spots, so their individual performances down the stretch will likely decide the end-of-year voting.
The fate of the Jack Adams Award is also up in the air. Barry Trotz has transformed the New York Islanders into a potential division winner in his first year with the team, but is his case stronger than Jon Cooper's? The latter has the more talented roster, but he and the Bolts have kept the rest of the league in check without a peep this season. The Lightning also own the league's top power play and penalty kill, leaving plenty to consider before the hardware is handed out.
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas commented on the situation postgame.
"The club is aware of the reports surrounding a homophobic slur used during the Maple Leafs versus Lightning game on Monday night," he said in a statement. "The issue of homophobia is one the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club strong condemns and takes very seriously. We are in communication with the NHL and are cooperating fully with their office."
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas commented on the situation postgame.
"The club is aware of the reports surrounding a homophobic slur used during the Maple Leafs versus Lightning game on Monday night," he said in a statement. "The issue of homophobia is one the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club strongly condemns and takes very seriously. We are in communication with the NHL and are cooperating fully with their office."
The Leafs were embarrassed in their own barn, losing by a final score of 6-2. Tampa Bay held a 5-1 lead when the second period concluded.
"In the third period, we pretty much just quit," Matthews told TSN's Kristen Shilton. "That's on us as players. We have to wake up and do a much better job and hold each other accountable."
Teammate Nazem Kadri offered a different response when asked if the team quit in the final frame.
"I don't think so. We're not quitters," Kadri said, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "We've never been like that. We always finish it to the end. Did we want a better (overall) effort? Of course."
The Bolts controlled 55.8 percent of the shot attempts and 57.1 percent of the high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five during the contest, according to Natural Stat Trick.
If the Eastern Conference standings remain unchanged, Toronto and Tampa Bay would meet in the second round of the playoffs should each team win its first-round matchup.
"Tonight we really wanted to show them that's why we're the best team in the league," Lightning forward Cedric Paquette told Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
With the win, the Lightning became the seventh team ever to reach 110 points in 70 or fewer games.
— Buffalo Sabres plays and goals (@SabresPlays) March 9, 2019
"That's not an illegal hit. I don't move myself to lower into him," Eichel said. "If you watch the hit, he is actually at fault for dropping his head down there. He puts himself in a vulnerable position, leans over, and his head goes off my back - his head's on my number."
Sabres coach Phil Housley shares his captain's point of view.
"I don't agree with the decision, but we have to live with it, that's all I'm going to say," he said.
Eichel leads the Sabres with 72 points in 65 games this season. He's eligible to return Saturday versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
The appeal will take place Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon, meaning Voracek will remain unavailable for the Flyers' contest versus the Ottawa Senators on Monday.
Voracek was suspended two games for interference after a reverse hit on New York Islanders blue-liner Johnny Boychuk on Saturday.
Jake Voracek injures Johnny Boychuk with a hit. Boychuk tells him "I will get you" pic.twitter.com/YDhon3hUxs
Any player can appeal on-ice discipline as long as written notice of the appeal is provided within 48 hours, according to the NHL Department of Player Safety. Appeal decisions are handled by commissioner Gary Bettman, but for suspensions of six or more games, players can then appeal to a neutral arbitrator if the commissioner upholds the original decision.
Voracek didn't appear to agree with his punishment, tweeting this shortly after the announcement of his ban.
