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Chris Wideman slams the Maple Leafs for using EBUG on Saturday.

Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs played out what was a relatively meaningless game for both teams on Saturday night, with the playoff fates of both teams already decided long before the game took place.

In spite of the fact that it was not an important game, it turned into something of an embarrassing one for the Canadiens who were blown out by the Maple Leafs by a final score of 7-1. In fact the Maple Leafs were so far ahead during the game that, in the final minute of play they decided to give emergency backup goalie Jett Alexander a chance to get a taste of the National Hockey League.

It was most definitely a feel good moment for the 23 year old amateur goalie from the University of Toronto, but it would seem that the decision to use Alexander did not sit well with everyone.

Following the game, NHL veteran Chris Wideman would publicly call out the Maple Leafs for using Alexander during the game, even going so far as to suggest that Karma would be coming Toronto’s way in short order.

“They’ll get what they deserve in a few weeks,” said a frustrated Wideman.

Wideman’s comments came off as nothing more than sour grapes after a bad loss and they stand in stark contrast to the comments we heard from the Maple Leafs on the topic. Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who had to give up his net in the final minute in order for Alexander to have his moment in the first place, was just beaming at the thought of giving a young man such a special moment.

“I’m so happy for him. Great to see this moment,” said Samsonov following the game,. “First NHL game, doesn’t matter it one minute, but big for him. He come to the rink to probably sit on the bench, but he has the time for play. Thank you team, we got a chance for another dream in the world”

Samsonov’s imperfect English makes the quote all that much more endearing and you can tell that the Russian goaltender was genuinely thrilled for his temporary teammate.

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Bo Horvat takes a brutal shot at the Vancouver Canucks and their fans.

The fans of the Vancouver Canucks may not be looking at their Bo Horvat jerseys with the same fondness that they once did after these comments from their former captain.

On Saturday night, Horvat took a shot at his former team and their fans after he was asked what was a relatively run of the mill question during a post game interview.

Question: How does this rank for you in playoff pushes, the excitement of this building and the fans’ involvement over the last couple of games?

“It’s been unbelievable,” answered Horvat before then taking an unprompted shot at the Canucks and their fans. “It’s a lot better than Vancouver I’ll tell you that for free.”

The fact that the comments about Vancouver came without any provocation made them seem somewhat mean-spirited on the part of Horvat, but perhaps, if you’re looking to give him the benefit of the doubt, with how poorly the season went for the Canucks he is just very happy to be in a new organization.

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Maple Leafs put EBUG Jett Alexander in the game!

The Toronto Maple Leafs were put in a bit of an awkward goaltending situation on Saturday night, but it turned out to be a pretty feel good moment for their team, their fans, and of course emergency backup goaltender Jett Alexander.

The Maple Leafs, who have already secured their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs, were facing off against the Montreal Canadiens in what was a relatively meaningless game for both teams with the Habs well out of playoff contention. The Leafs would dominate the contest, taking a 7-1 lead in the third period, and that opened the door for Jett Alexander to step in.

The 23 year old goaltender from the University of Toronto was given the thrill of a lifetime when he got to step out onto the ice in the final minute of the game thanks to a terrific gesture from head coach Sheldon Keefe and Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

Alexander now joins a very short list of emergency backup goalies that have played in the NHL, and the Maple Leafs finally find themselves on the right side of one of these stories.

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Ryan Hartman gets the last laugh on Jordan Binnington.

The St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild have developed quite the personal rivalry this season, with that rivalry being centered around Minnesota Wild veteran forward Ryan Hartman and St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington.

It wouldn’t be an understatement to suggest that there is some bad blood between the two men, especially after the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety suspended Binnington just last month for striking Hartman in the face with his blocker.

On Saturday night it would be Hartman’s turn to exact a measure of revenge on his rival, and he did so in spectacular fashion when he got the chance to mock Binnington after scoring a shorthanded goal on the Blues goaltender.

Hartman would create a turnover in the neutral zone which in turn cause Binnington to come charging out of his net in the hopes of stopping Hartman with a poke check. The crafty Wild veteran got to the puck first though and managed to avoid the contact from Binnington, giving him a clear path to the net. Hartman would not only bury the shorthanded goal as Binnington was forced to watch on, but he even wagged his finger in disapproval at the Blues goaltender after doing so.

To add insult to injury, Hartman would create another turnover in the neutral zone moments later which also resulted in another goal from the Wild.

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Playoff odds for the final week of the 2022-23 regular season.

Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports

The Stanley Cup playoffs are right around the corner and as we head into the final week of the 2022-23 regular season there are a number of teams around the league still desperately fighting for a playoff spot.

Eastern Conference.

Six teams have secured their spots in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning set to represent the Atlantic Division, and with the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers set to represent the Metropolitan Division.

That leaves a 3 team race for the 2 remaining Wild Card spots with the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins all desperately battling for those spots. The Buffalo Sabres are technically not mathematically eliminated, but with only a 0.4% chance of making it in, they are effectively out of the race.

The same can’t be said of the other 3 teams with the Florida Panthers having the best odds of moving on with a 78.7% chance of advancing thanks to the fact that they are in the lead with 91 points, and they hold the tiebreaker advantage with 36 regulation wins on the season.

Right on their heels are the New York Islanders who have a 78% chance of making it in for similar reasons. The Islanders are tied with the Panthers at 91 points and are just one game behind them for the tiebreaker with 35 regulation wins, giving them a distinct advantage over the Penguins.

Those same Pittsburgh Penguins have some ground to make up if they want to advance with only a 42.9% chance of getting in the playoffs headed into the final week. The Penguins are a point behind their two main competitors with only 90 points to their name, and they have no hope of closing the gap on the tiebreaker with only 31 regulation wins this season.

Western Conference.

6 NHL teams have punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs in the West, with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild set to represent the Central Division, and the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and the Seattle Kraken(Wild Card) set to represent the Pacific Division.

You can argue that the race for the Wild Card spots in the West is even more fierce with the Kraken having already locked in the first Wild Card spot, leaving the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators to duke it out for that final spot.

The Jets have the best odds of making it out with a 78.7% chance of advancing thanks to leading the pack in terms of both points with 91 and regulation wins with 34. The Jets also have a game in hand over their next closest competitors, giving them a major edge headed into the final week of the regular season.

The Flames have the next best shot at making it in but it will be a long one with only an 18.9% chance of getting in with only 2 games remaining on the schedule.  They are a point behind the Jets with 90 points on the season, and have no hope of closing the tiebreaker gap with only 30 regulation wins thus far. The biggest hurdle though will be the fact that the Jets have an extra game on the schedule in which they could further cement their spot ahead of the Flames.

The Predators would need a miracle to get in with only a 2.5% chance of making it, and it seems very unlikely that they will get one. The Predators would need to win out to close the gap on the Jets with only 88 points so far on the season, and they would also need the Jets and the Flames to lose all of their remaining games to make it in.

If you would prefer a visual representation of these odds, check out this excellent graph from Money Puck:

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Blues have special message for Vladimir Tarasenko

NHL.com

The Vladimir Tarasenko era with the St. Louis Blues that included the franchise’s first Stanley Cup victory officially came to an end in February. He was traded to the New York Rangers as part of a blockbuster deal that saw Sammy Blais, Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick sent back to St. Louis. Additionally, the Blues retained 50% of Tarasenko’s cap hit. 

It wasn’t long after the trade that Tarasenko, who requested a trade last season but later rescinded the request, said that there was “no chance” of his staying with St. Louis. 

“There was no chance I was staying in St. Louis,” he said. “No deal was offered, so I knew I was going to be moved somewhere. I talked with Artemi (Panarin) and they want me here. I want to be here, too.” 

Last night marked Tarasenko’s return to St. Louis for the first time since the trade went down. And not surprisingly, the Blues had a special video tribute prepared for him during a break in play the 1st period.

And afterward, the former Blues forward certainly was appreciative of the love that he was shown by the fans who cheered for him for 11 years. 

“This was a very emotional moment for me,” he said .”Thank you very much to the whole community. I don’t talk very much since the trade, but all the support they give us through those 11 years was unreal. I always loved the fans. So it was very, very emotional for us.”

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Jack Edwards is at it once again!

Boston.com

Passionate fans of the National Hockey League are very well acquainted with outspoken Boston Bruins television commentator Jack Edwards, who has become well known over the years for his polarizing broadcasting style and favoritism resulting in a treasure trove of verbal highlights. 

Edwards found himself embroiled in controversy earlier this season when he appeared to fat-shame Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon, stating that “inadvertent fasting for Pat Maroon is like going four hours without a meal”. 

During last night’s 2-1 overtime win by the Bruins over the visiting Original 6 rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, Bruins forward A.J. Greer was penalized and also assessed a ten-minute misconduct for instigating after he went after Toronto’s Sam Lafferty for his hit on Matt Grzelcyk. 

Color commentator Andy Brinkley was the first to offer his thoughts: 

“I thought Greer went about it the right way,” Brickley said. “Yeah he’s the first one there and he wants to respond to the hit, but I thought he invited the fight from Lafferty and [Lafferty] accepted. To me that’s not an instigator.”

But in the mind of Edwards, the call was a result of what he thinks is a pro-Toronto bias from the officials. 

“Well, it is Toronto,” Edwards responded. 

And it wouldn’t be long before Edwards was once again right back at it, implying that the on-ice officials are trying to help out the Leafs. 

“One shot on goal for the ref. As if they aren’t helping Toronto enough,” Edwards said during the 2nd period. 

Edwards is not the first high profile figure to opine his belief that the League favors Toronto. Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said as much earlier in the season following what he left was an extremely one-sided game in terms of penalties dished out by the on-ice officials: 

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Avalanche release awful update on Cale Makar

Colorado Hockey Now

It goes without saying that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is without a doubt the top young blue liner in the National Hockey League today, and he has the personal accolades to prove it. Not only is he the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the top defenseman in the National Hockey League, but he’s also the reining Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the Most Valuable Player in the 2022 Stanley Cup postseason that saw Colorado achieve ultimate glory for the first time in 21 years. 

If the Avalanche have any reasonable shot at repeating as champions, Makar’s presence will be integral. But right now, he’s on the shelf with an injury – and according to the team, there’s no clear timetable for a potential return to action with the postseason right on deck.

Makar, who has already missed 10 games this season due to a concussion, did not play in his team’s 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks and isn’t expected to play against the Los Angeles Kings tonight. Meanwhile, veteran forward Darren Helm is also sidelined with a lower body injury; there’s no timetable for his return to the lineup either. 

With 66 points in the 60 games that Makar has been healthy enough to play in this season for the defending champion Avalanche, he’s over a point per game player. 

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Ex-Penguins wanted to strip Sidney Crosby of captaincy!

Sporting News

He’s been the face of the National Hockey League since he was drafted with the 1st overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and by the time that it is all said and done, he will go down as one of the all time great figures in hockey history. 

Since being bestowed with the team captaincy prior to his sophomore season at the tender age of 19, Crosby has led his team to three Stanley Cup championships while also accumulating countless personal accolades. Simply put, he’s been the leader of the Penguins for over a decade and a half.

But what were the chances of his having the captaincy taken away from him? According to a shocking story that first came out last summer, it appears as though that some of his now-former teammates were hoping to make that happen. But it was Crosby’s longest tenured teammate who allegedly put the kibosh on any such discussion of anyone other than No. 87 wearing the captain’s “C” on his jersey. 

Per Josh Yohe of The Athletic: 

“It was 2011. Crosby was still out with the concussion and had been out for the better part of a year. There was a now infamous meeting in the Penguins’ locker room. On one side stood Brooks Orpik, Jordan Staal, Craig Adams and Matt Cooke. Those four were exploring the possibility of naming someone else team captain until Crosby came back. On the other side of the debate were Marc-Andre Fleury, Malkin, Pascal Dupuis and Arron Asham. A rather heated discussion broke out. At the end, Malkin made his point clear: ‘Guys. Sid is the f****** captain.’ Then he left the room. And the conversation was over.”

It would have been a beyond bizarre thing to see someone other than Crosby with the captaincy for the Penguins, and even more surprising that it was allegedly a group of teammates who wanted to see that happen.

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Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz rips Chicago crime rate

NBA.com

With the crime rate rising in the Windy City, the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks is speaking out on his desire for fans who attend games at United Center to feel safe when they venture into that section of town. 

“Crime is something we have to be careful [about] because we want people to come into the United Center. That’s where the Bulls and Blackhawks play. And our partner, [Chairperson of the Chicago Bulls] Jerry Reinsdorf, we both own a piece of the building. And the important thing is that we want fans to feel comfortable coming to our building and how we can do that,” Wirtz explained during an appearance on Cavuto: Coast to Coast. 

It was less than a week ago that a man was shot and killed while near the venue on the sidewalk in the 2100 block of West Randolph Street. Wirtz is hoping that Chicago’s mayor elect Brandon Johnson will be tougher on crime than his predecessor Lori Lightfoot, who oversaw several businesses leaving the city due to the rising violent crime rates. 

“Chicago has 50 different wards. This is the time for the 50 wards to work together with City Hall. And I believe that the mayor-elect is going to do that if he comes out of the gate strong — which I believe he will. This is a time to reinforce the help that the business community can have,” Wirtz continued.

The safety of fans attending an event, whether it be a sporting event or concert, should never be taken for granted. While Wirtz certainly earned a deserved share of criticism for his bizarre outburst during a season ticket holder event just over a year ago, he’s right in wanting people who are patrons of his business to want to continue coming down and spending their money.