The Boston Bruins have been without the services of veteran forward Taylor Hall since the month of February, but on Saturday Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed that the former Hart Trophy winner would make his highly anticipated return to the lineup.
Hall was no doubt excited for the opportunity to play tonight given that the opponent will be the New Jersey Devils. Not only are the Devils playoff bound and fierce competition, but they are also one of Hall’s former teams and that no doubt includes former teammates he is eager to test himself against.
The return of Hall, and by extension the return of his salary to the Bruins cap hit meant that the team also had to make a number of adjustments on Saturday. The team moved both Nick Foligno and Derek Forbort to long term injured reserve retroactive to when they suffered their injuries, shutting both men down for the remainder of the regular season.
The Bruins also sent forward Oskar Steen back down to the American Hockey League on Saturday, after Steen was called up on an emergency basis earlier in the week.
What initially appeared to be something of a goaltending crisis for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday may actually have been part of a bigger plan on the part of general manager Kyle Dubas and company.
The Maple Leafs backed themselves into that crisis on Saturday after sending goaltender Joseph Woll down to the American Hockey League and calling up veteran Wayne Simmonds, giving the team insufficient cap space to call Woll back up should the need arise. That need would arise when veteran goaltender Matt Murray proved to be unable to back up Ilya Samsonov, forcing the Leafs to sign an amateur goalie for tonight’s game.
While this may not be ideal for the Maple Leafs tonight, it also appears to have put them in an ideal scenario moving forward should the organization have the intent of signing one of their top prospects in forward Matthew Knies in the coming days.
According to Cap Friendly, by playing short tonight the Maple Leafs have created a scenario in which they would be able to sign Knies to a new deal and call Woll back up to the main roster as early as this weekend. After creating an emergency situation as per the rules of the collective bargaining agreement by playing short tonight, the Leafs would have to send Wayne Simmonds back down, sign Matthew Knies to an entry level contract, and recall Woll on an emergency basis to make it all fit… but it could all fit.
Knies will be playing in what could be the final game of his collegiate career tonight in the Frozen Four, and many suspect that the Maple Leafs will be quick to sign him following the conclusion of his season.
Could what looked like an unfortunate situation for the Maple Leafs prove to be a stroke of salary cap genius from Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs? Only time will tell.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been forced to sign a new goalie due to salary cap constraints.
Earlier today we detailed how the Maple Leafs may have backed themselves into something of a goaltending crisis of their own making, and it seems that what once was only a possibility has now become a reality.
According to the latest from Maple Leafs beat reporter Lance Hornby, the Maple Leafs have now signed goaltender Jett Alexander for the purpose of having him play backup to Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov tonight. This means that, despite what the Leafs were hoping for, veteran goaltender Matt Murray is still not healthy enough to play since suffering his latest in a long series of injuries this season.
23 year old Alexander most recently played for the University of Toronto where he had a 2.21 goals against average and a .927 save percentage over 22 games this season, but of course the NHL would be a major leap up in competition. In all likelihood we won’t see Alexander hit the ice tonight barring any major catastrophes for the Leafs, but it will no doubt make for a great experience and a nice payday for the young man.
The Leafs likely would have prefered to use Joseph Woll in this scenario, but they have called up Wayne Simmonds for what is believed to be his final home game in a Maple Leafs uniform, and they would be unable to fit Woll under the salary cap given the addition of Simmonds’ cap hit.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
The Ottawa Senators may have sent a harsh message to veteran goaltender Cam Talbot, and we likely won’t have to wait long to know for sure.
On Thursday night, the Senators suffered an ugly loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers, one in which they gave up 7 goals and only managed to score 2 of their own. Notably absent from that performance however was veteran goaltender Cam Talbot, who was made a healthy scratch by Senators head coach DJ Smith.
You could wave it off as a veteran being rested in a season that is, at least as far as the Senators are concerned, effectively already over, but Ottawa Senators insider Bruce Garrioch doesn’t appear to think so.
This decision to scratch Talbot in Florida marked the beginning of the end for him with the Senators. It was a relationship that carried so much hope, but it will end in disappointment as both sides prepare for the breakup.
There are a number of potential reasons why the relationship between the two sides may have deteriorated, not the least of which is contract demands. According to Garrioch, the Senators were prepared to offer Talbot a 1-year extension at a discount earlier in the season, with Talbot’s camp looking for a raise and multiple years on a new deal.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Senators have to be looking back in the rearview mirror at the trade they made to acquire Talbot, a trade that sent goaltender Filip Gustavsson to the Minnesota Wild. Gustavsson has gone on to appear in 36 games for the Wild this season, recording a 2.03 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. Talbot, who was brought in to shore up the Senators’ goaltending situation, appeared in just 35 games this season due in large part to a barrage of injuries, and recorded a 2.89 goals against average and a .900 save percentage.
All this appears to be pointing towards an ugly divorce in Ottawa, with Garrioch indicating on Saturday morning that he doesn’t expect Talbot will play against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, in spite of poor performances from goaltenders Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen in their last outings.
The Boston Bruins have a chance to share in a piece of National Hockey League history on Saturday when they will face off against the New Jersey Devils, and given the way that things have been trending for the Bruins this season they could even make that piece of NHL history their very own.
The Bruins are coming into Saturday’s game against the Devils with 61 wins in their back pocket already, but a win over the Devils on Saturday would tie the NHL record for most wins in a single season by any team in the league’s history. Only two other teams in the NHL’s history have managed to accomplish this feat before, with the Detroit Red Wings picking up 62 wins during the 1995-1996 regular season, and the Tampa Bay Lightning matching that accomplishment over 2 decades later during the 2018-2019 regular season.
Perhaps what will make the game on Saturday must see TV however is the fact that the Bruins have a very real chance of overtaking both of those historically great teams further down the line. Although the Bruins can tie to the record with a win on Saturday, they have 3 additional games remaining on the schedule with a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday as well as a pair of matchups against the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens next week.
The Bruins will first have to overcome a playoff bound New Jersey Devils squad today to even tie the record, so I doubt very much that they are looking ahead at the possibility of potentially breaking the record just yet.
