The Bruins management have spent much of the preseason mentioning the potential of their newly constructed team. Players were traded and many questioned the wisdom of those trades–despite what appeared to be a no-win situation in at least one case–as well as the returns on those trades. Others took a wait and see attitude to ascertain what kind of a team would be iced as the season began.
When the puck dropped on the home opener against the Winnipeg Jets, it looked like the Boston Bruins were a faster and more energized team. And as David Krejci backhanded it past Ondrej Pavelec, unassisted, putting the Black and Gold on the score board first just 5:36 into the game, it seemed that in addition to the cheer that erupted, there was a release of air that had unconsciously been held as everyone waited to see how the team would do.
With just 37 seconds remaining in that first period, the Jets Alexander Burmistrov may have miscalculated where he and Patrice Bergeron were in relation to each other and his elbow collided with Bergeron’s head. When everything shook out Burmistrove (Illegal check to the head), Bergeron (Roughing) and Adam Lowry (Roughing) were cooling their skates in the penalty boxes and the Bruins were on the power play. As the horn sounded to end the first, the Bruins were taking the remaining 1:23 of that power play into the second period.
Fortunately for Bergeron the hit appears not to have caused any damage. As a sufferer of past concussions, any time he is hit like that, there is concern. However, there is also concern about getting those types of hits—accidental or accidentally on purpose—out of the game.
“It was definitely a hit to the head even though he apologized after,” Bergeron told the assembled media. “I’s one of those that I… I didn’t have the puck at that time. Yeah, you gotta kind of realize where the guy is and his position.”
It remains to be seen if the NHL will look further into the hit and assess any further punishment other than the penalty that was assessed on the ice.
However, as the teams took the ice in the second, it appeared that the Bruins were not coming out as strong as they could.
Kevan Miller
“We came out and had a good first period. We’ve kind of talked about it in the past, how we want to have a good start to the second, and uh, we didn’t have that tonight,” defenseman Kevan Miller said after the game. “We came out on the power play and we didn’t have a good start, so that’s something we need to continue to work on.”
It was clear that the team as a whole wasn’t pleased with how they let this game get away from them. But perhaps more disturbing than the lack of finish on the ice is the apparent uncertainty as to where things broke down.
“You know, I’m not really sure. We’re gonna have to work on that,” Miller said. “We’re gonna have to figure out something to get that going because it’s been a problem in the past and we need to work on it.”
Joe Morrow
“If you’re able to pinpoint [the problem], it would have been solved by the end of the second period. So, it’s the first game of the season. I mean, I’m not going to stand here and make excuses, but, uh, it’s definitely not how you want your season opener to go,” replied fellow d-man Joe Morrow. “You know we had some good points in there. Offense was good, a lot of scoring chances. There are some positives, but there are a lot of negatives. So we’ll take a look at that and it’s nice to have a quick turn around and get the next game in here pretty quick.”
Unfortunately, the Bruins will next take on the Montreal Canadiens—a team that seems to have gotten inside the heads of the players, especially Tuukka Rask, in the recent past. Perhaps this rocky start is what they need to force their focus on fixing that and not on the specific opponent.
It was just the first game of the season, and after facing Montreal on Saturday they will have a Columbus Day afternoon tilt on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With little time before the next game, the players will need to look at where things went awry and get to fixing that sooner than later this season.
Hockey is back in Boston, but unfortunately it was not a happy outcome with the Jets battering the Bruins to a final score of 6-2.
The Dallas Stars are looking to get back into the playoffs after missing them last season despite having 92 points.
The Stars finished 10th in the Western Conference, five points out of the final playoff spot. The Western Conference had 12 of its 14 teams finish with 85 or more points. The team scored as many goals (257) as their opponents scored. Special teams were in the middle of the pack, with the power play ranked higher and with a higher success rate than the penalty kill. The Stars made a couple of key additions in the off-season, but also lost some players.
In the off-season, the Stars acquired goaltender Antti Niemi from the San Jose Sharks. The offense was improved next with the addition of Patrick Sharp via a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, sending defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt to the Blackhawks. The defense needed to improve and that’s where the free agent signing of Johnny Oduya came into play. The Stars lost Jhonas Enroth and Shawn Horcoff to free agency, while Rich Peverly retired and took a job within the organization. Jeff Reese took over as the goaltending coach, replacing Mike Valley.
The Chicago Blackhawks will have their final Stanley Cup celebration tonight as they raise their 2015 Championship banner into the rafters of the United Center and drop the puck on a new season.
“To watch the banner go up is pretty awesome,” Captain Jonathan Toews told media. “You realize how big it is and all of a sudden it gets all the way up there and it just looks like a tiny little thing. The whole night will be special, but enjoy it while it lasts because once it’s over, then the puck drops and the new season starts.”
The passionate Chicago crowd, which has filled the “Madhouse on Madison” with red for multiple seasons now, braved tornado sirens and flooded roads to attend. Late season pick-up Kimmo Timonen, with 1,108 NHL games under his belt but only 34 as a Hawk, would retire with his name on the Cup.
And, for the third time in five years, after a 49-year drought, Chicago fans would take to the streets of Chicago and file into Soldier field for celebration.
Once again, they’d take in a view of the people who brought another victory to the city–and that coveted shiny chalice.
Not too much longer, though, and it was back to reality for the organization, with very difficult decisions to make under tight cap restrictions.
The 2015 Champions will never hit the ice together as one team again. But their names, engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup, will always be a part of hockey history.
Making Moves
Surprisingly, and despite reassurances the team was trying to hold onto him, Brandon Saad was traded June 30 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he signed a six-year $36 million dollar contract.
That day, the Hawks picked up former Hawk defenseman Jeremy Morin and forwards Marko Dano (both with the Rockford IceHogs currently) as well as Artem Anisimov, who they signed to a five-year extension.
He’d been a part of the team’s core and a face of the franchise, but with an injury and lacking a standout season, the Blackhawks shopped him for cap relief. The Blackhawks picked up Ryan Garbutt and Trevor Daley in the deal. On July 15, with no deal on the table in Chicago, defenseman Johnny Oduya joined Sharp in Dallas.
The Blackhawks made some additions, too. Forward Viktor Tiknohov, a former Coyotes first-round pick (2008-2009), came to Chicago from Russia’s KHL. He’s joined by Artemi Panarin, another Russian, whose preseason quick-hands have him tentatively on the second line with Kane.
With Sharp’s move to Dallas, Coach Joel Quenneville awarded the alternate captain position to Seabrook.
“It’s such a storied franchise with a lot of history and a lot of great players that have been through here,” Seabrook told the Chicago Tribune. “I’m very honored to be able to wear it and be part of the group.”
Beyond the A on his sweater, Seabrook’s new title gives him the authority to speak with officials.
“I don’t know if that’s a perk or not,” Seabrook said. “I’ve always had good relationship with the referees. They’ve always been great to me. We have a lot of mutual respect.”
The title was a no-brainer to his teammates.
“Since I’ve been a Blackhawk, he’s been one of those guys I’ve looked up to and learned from,” Toews said. “Regardless of what’s going on with his own game, he’s always bringing positive energy and everything we need to hear and feel in the locker room and on the bench. He’s been a huge part of our championship runs.
“He’s the type of guy everyone loves being around,” he said. “He brings a lot of great things aside from what he brings on the ice. It’s just in his personality. It’s inherent in who he is as a guy and as a player.”
Teammates and press noted Seabrook’s uplifting attitude.
“I’ve always been a rah-rah type of guy,” Seabrook said. “I like to have fun; I like to get guys laughing. Sometimes it’s a little bit more serious than you’d like it to be, but it’s all part of it, and for the most part we’ve had a lot of fun here.”
Opening Night
Once that banner joins the others in the rafters, though, the Blackhawks know last year’s celebrations are over. It’s time to get down to business on the fresh new season.
Following the pomp and circumstance, the Blackhawks will host the New York Rangers. The Rangers were ousted by the Lightning last year in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“I feel like every year, it’s tougher and tougher for teams to make the playoffs,” Hossa said. “You need so many more points than you used to. Every team has become better, the coaching staffs are better, everybody’s prepared better, and they’ll definitely be ready for us. We are their measurement. We won’t have any freebies. It’s going to be even tougher and we have to be prepared.”
Defense wasn’t set for morning skate, but Michal Rozsival (re-signed for one year) was placed on the long-term injured reserved (24 days or 10 games minimum), and Ville Pokka and Viktor Svedberg have been shifted between Chicago and Rockford as cap space has been determined.
And, once again, they’ll begin they’re quest for the Cup.
The Blackhawks-Rangers game starts at 7 p.m. CT on NBCSN as part of “Rivalry Night” with special red carpet features starting at 5 p.m. CT on CSN+ in the Chicago viewing area.
(As always, click the links for video clips or other information.)
The 2015-2016 has finally graced us with its presence and its time to get pumped. The Calgary Flames had one of the greatest and most exciting seasons of last season, and maybe even all of the teams’ history. With some positive changes to the team in the offseason, the Flames could potentially have an even better season. Let’s take a look at the team, and what their season could hold.
Building off of last season’s success
The 2014-2015 season for the Calgary Flames was one that absolutely no one could have predicted. For the team to go 45-30-7 in the regular season and even make it to round two of the playoffs was something so off of everyone’s radar. They were the “Comeback Kids” and they wore the title well. They were the team that you found yourself rooting for, even if you weren’t a fan.
With injuries plaguing key pieces of the team, like captain Mark Giordano, the team is looking for a fresh start. Players like Sean Monahan (31 G, 31 A), Johnny Gaudreau (24 G, 40 A) and Jiri Hudler (31 G, 45 A) – among many others – stepped up in a huge way offensively. Others like alternate captains Dennis Wideman (15 G, 41 A) and Kris Russell (4 G, 30 A) were the defensive powerhouses. Of course, you can’t forget about the goaltending displayed by both Karri Ramo (15 w, 9 L) and Jonas Hiller (26 W, 19 L), both of which played phenomenally.
New Additions
The offseason was a very positive one for the Calgary Flames. Solidifying their blue line was obviously a main focus; adding 22-year-old defenseman Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins, to the mix will hopefully be a huge. Hamilton, a 6′ 5″, 212 pound defenseman is exactly the guy that Calgary needed. With so many smaller built guys filling the roster, adding some man-power to the blue line was something that Calgary knew they needed. Playing against the Anaheim Ducks in the 2015 Playoffs was the indicator that the team needed some bigger guys to fill their lineup.
Signing 27-year-old free agent, Michael Frolik from the Anaheim Ducks in the offseason was another big addition to the roster. Frolik had 42 points (19 G, 23 A) for the Ducks in 82 games in the 2014-2015 season.
“What it does do is add so much depth to our team and add so many different options,” Giordano said per CBC Sports. “Last year we had guys playing close to 30 minutes on the back end and forwards playing well over 20.”
Frolik and Hamilton both add depth to the roster and look to be great additions to the team.
Youth outnumbering the vets
The Flames have been praised for the past year or so for having so much youth on their team, but now those ‘young guys’ are really taking over. The oldest player on the Flames is 33-year-old Deryk Engelland, and he is one of only six players that are 30 or older.
Calgary isn’t looking for a team that has one good season filled with well-adjusted veterans; they’re looking for a young team that has the potential to be good for a very long time. This is such a smart move on their part. They know they don’t have all of the pieces right now, but they are building to get to that point; at the same time, just because they are building doesn’t mean they don’t already have the right pieces for success. Grooming a team of young players for not only current, but also future success is the way that they will be able to thrive for a very long time.
20-year-old Sean Monahan was announced as the team’s third alternate captain on Tuesday afternoon. This is incredibly indicative of the amount of admiration that they have for their youth. Though there are many players on that current roster that may be worthy, appointing Monahan with the ‘A’ shows a lot about the vision that the team has.
Still some uncertainties
There are some uncertainties for the team, but overall, they seem to be set for a successful season. With forward Paul Byron getting claimed off of waivers by the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, the roster sits at 22 players – 3 of which are goaltenders. This seems to be the only predicament that they have currently is deciding which goaltender will stay, but they have time to evaluate and decide which two will be there for the long-haul. The position battle is currently between Jiri Hudler, Jonas Hiller and Joni Ortio. Ortio made 6 appearances for the team in the 2014-2015 season, but how long he will be a part of the Flames will be up for debate.
The only way is up
The Flames have the perfect opportunity under Jack Adams Award winning coach, Bob Hartley, to use the momentum from last season going into this upcoming year. The organization has such a good understanding of how to build a team that will last, and it is slowly, but surely, paying off. There success in the present season, and also in the future is inevitable and the only direction that they seem to be heading is up.
On Monday, October 5, forward Max Talbot and goalie Jeremy Smith were placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins organization. Both players cleared those waivers Tuesday afternoon. It was then that the Boston club announced that they had reassigned Smith to the American Hockey League.
Most would not have been surprised had Smith been sent to Rhode Island to join the Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins. However, that club already has two goalies in Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre. As such, there was no room for Smith and a decision was made to reassign him to the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.
Talbot, on the other hand, showed up for practice on Tuesday despite the waiver, and currently does not know if he will be reporting to Providence or not. Despite the uncertainty he faces, he is meeting this with the professionalism that comes from being a veteran.
“It’s part of the game. Part of the business, part of the job,” Talbot said after finding out he had cleared waivers. “I’m just going to come back here to work every day. You know, I came here to camp with the idea of helping my teammates and right now I’m not sure yet what’s going to happen to me. I mean, if they are going to send me down or keep me here, but, you know, I have a good attitude and whatever they ask me to do I’ll do.”
With Talbot’s team still undecided, the Boston Bruins roster, which had to be finalized on Tuesday shows the following 24 players:
Forwards (14) –
Matt Beleskey (39)
Patrice Bergeron “A” (37)
Brett Connolly (14)
Loui Eriksson (21)
Jimmy Hayes (11)
Chris Kelly “A” (23)
Joonas Kemppainen (41)
David Krejci “A” (46)
Brad Marchand (63)
David Pastrnak (88)
Tyler Randell (64)
Zac Rinaldo (36)
Ryan Spooner (51)
Max Talbot (25)
Defensemen (8) –
Zdeno Chara “C” (33) – currently on injured reserve
Matt Irwin (52)
Torey Krug (47)
Adam McQuaid (54)
Colin Miller (48)
Kevin Miller (86)
Joe Morrow (45)
Zach Trotman (62)
Goalies (2) –
Jonas Gustavsson (50)
Tuukka Rask (40)
Clearly the Bruins’ management feel that what Tyler Randell brings to the table offers more than potentially that of Talbot when it comes to bringing the necessary energy that is required of that fourth line.
In looking at the lineup of defensemen though, it appears that on the back end the Bruins will be on the younger side than they have been in the past. And even with Chara on injured reserved there will be some healthy scratches sitting on the ninth floor at both the forward and defensive positions when the puck drops Thursday night as the Bruins take on the Winnipeg Jets in their home opener at TD Garden.
The Minnesota Wild Foundation announced Monday that they will launch a grant program that will donate up to $200,000 to non-profit organizations that promote hockey and support families in the state of Minnesota.
The foundation accepts applications from organizations that are involved with making the lives of families with children fighting serious illnesses better. Aside from that, the Minnesota Wild Foundation encourages programs that promote the game of hockey to apply, as well.
Applications can be submitted online from Oct. 8 until Nov. 22 at wild.com/grants.
The Minnesota Wild Foundation has been dedicated to serving families in the State of Hockey since 2000.
The Minnesota Wild open the 2015-16 season on the road against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 8. Stay tuned for articles covering the Wild’s season!
There is little doubt that Mike Babcock, veteran NHL coach and new coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs has his work cut out for him. There is also little doubt that Jeff Blashill, rookie NHL coach and Babcock’s former assistant at the Detroit Red Wings has had a strong debut in the 2015/2016 preseason series. Babcock’s record speaks for itself. Blashill’s star, on the other hand, is definitely on the rise.
Mike Babcock
Jeff Blashill
The preseason ended with these two coaches – the master and his apprentice – facing off for two games in two nights: the first on Friday, October 2nd at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and the second on Saturday, October 3rd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The apprentice walked away the victor both times.
Friday, October 2.
The atmosphere in Joe Louis Arena on Friday night was noticeably charged. This was the first faceoff between Detroit and Toronto since Mike Babcock left to coach the Leafs last summer and Blashill was promoted from his head coaching position at the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s primary affiliate. Also, Detroit’s proximity to Canada, with Windsor just across the Detroit River and Toronto only a few hours away meant a lot of blue jerseys were sitting in the seats.
The first period action started immediately, with a goal by James van Riemsdyk (Assists: Daniel Winnik, Martin Marincin) at only 01:09 into the game to put Toronto up 1. Detroit quickly regrouped and retaliated with a goal just over a minute later at the 02:31 mark by Justin Abdelkader (Assists: Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Ericsson) to even the score. Another Red Wing goal at 05:21 by Drew Miller (Assists: Daniel Cleary, Brian Lashoff) took Detroit up by one to 2-1. A dual penalty at 13:47 sent Drew Miller (hooking) and Mark Arcobello (goaltender interference) to the boxes, but with the teams still evenly matched 4 on 4 the penalties passed as a non-event. Dion Phaneuf ended the period with a penalty for interference at 19:28 and the period closed with Detroit in the lead 2-1.
Both teams continued aggressively, and a testimony to the ability of net-minders Jimmy Howard and James Reimer, the game was held at 2-1 from05:21 in the first period until 19:28 in the second. A hooking penalty on Tomas Tatar at 18:49 in the second period placed the Maple Leafs on a power play. Mark Arcobello took advantage of the opportunity at the 19:28 mark tying the game and closing the second period with assists from Morgan Rielly and Kasperi Kapanen.
Moving into the third period, Detroit was not able to capitalize on the continuing power play from Phaneuf when Wings Captain Henrik Zetterberg was sent to the box at 00:25 for holding. Toronto lost the power play advantage however, when Dion Phaneuf went back to the box at 01:47 on a tripping penalty. A Zetterberg wrist shot (Assists: Gustav Nyquist, Mike Green) at 03:57 put the Wings up again, 3-2. With less than two minutes left in the game, Babcock pulled Reimer to put the extra player on the ice to attempt to force the game into overtime. Brad Richards was able to take control of the puck and at 18:35 clinched the game with an unassisted empty-net goal, ending the night at 4-2 in favor of the Wings.
Saturday, October 3
Saturday saw the Maple Leafs back on their home ice in Toronto and ready to redeem the loss of the previous night in Detroit.
The first period opened aggressively with a penalty only 10 seconds in on the Leafs Michael Grabner for holding. Despite the best attempts of both teams, however, the first period ended with the score even at 0.
The second period started much as the first with solid play between the pipes by both the Wings’ Mrazek and the Leafs’ Bernier keeping the score tied at 0. Both teams failed to capitalize on power plays created by the Wings’ Nick Jensen at 03:06 and the Leafs’ Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau at 08:20. Then at 13:50, a wrist shot from the Wings Andreas Athanasiou assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha put the Wings on the board with one point. With another penalty against the Leafs’ van Riemsdyk for holding at 18:54, the Wings stepped up again and at 19:06 Anthony Mantha scored a power play goal assisted by Andreas Athanasiou and Xavier Ouellet to end the second period 2-0 Detroit.
Not willing to go down without a solid fight, Toronto came back quickly in the start of the third period. At 00:22 Brad Boyes, assisted by van Riemsdyk and Scott Harrington, finally let Toronto make a mark and put the game at 2-1. Tensions remained high and at 08:17 those tensions found outlet in a scrum between the teams. The Wings’ Anthony Mantha and the Leafs’ Peter Holland each took a 5 minute major for fighting, and Tyler Bertuzzi and Richard Panik each grabbed two minute penalties for roughing. At 13:14 the Maple Leafs were provided one more opportunity to score when Daniel Cleary was sent to the box on a holding penalty. Despite best efforts, the Leafs were not able to capitalize on the power play and the game ended in a 2-1 Red Wing victory.
There is no doubt that this end of the preseason series will be top of mind for the Maple Leafs when they take on Detroit in the Wings regular season opener on October 9. Will the master reclaim his place? Or will the apprentice continue his rise?
I feel as though lately, I have been posting solely recipe articles on the site. While scrolling through the archives, I realize that isn’t particularly true — I just find that sharing a recipe success story is worth it.
Any member of my family will tell you that I have a hate-hate relationship with eggs. I could never pinpoint the reason, but eggs are awful. Yet here I am writing a post about a recipe that’s main ingredient is egg, go figure. For me, quiche is eggs in disguise. The other ingredients and the overall simplicity make it a great dinner option (the leftovers work well for breakfast also).
Ingredients
4 Large Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 Small Onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach
8-10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Dash of Salt and Pepper
4 Slices Bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
1 cup Shredded Cheese (I used a swiss, cheddar, American blend)
1 Pie Crust, fitted in an 8-9″ pie plate
Directions
In a pan, sautee the olive oil, onion and tomatoes until cooked, add the spinach at the end so it lightly wilts. Once everything is cooked, mix in your cooked bacon pieces.
Place your pie crust in the pie plate and fold the excess edges into a crust.
Spoon the mixture into your pie plate and spread it evenly around the bottom of the plate.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and shredded cheese until thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture into the pie plate over the veggies and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes.
Honestly, one of my new favorite meals might be quiche. It’s hearty and filling, easy to make, and the leftovers are a tasty treat as well!
It felt like an autumn day is supposed to in East Lansing, Michigan. The sky was a clear cerulean blue, the air cool, leaves changing on the trees. It was a perfect prelude to winter and the start of a new hockey season.
A beautiful day to talk hockey.
Michigan State University Head Coach Tom Anastos met with sports media on Wednesday, September 30 at Munn Ice Arena for his first press conference of the 2015/2016 Big Ten Conference hockey season. With less than a week until the official start of season, the fifth year coach outlined his confidence in the team that he plans to use to bring home a Big Ten Championship and perhaps even a national title.
Michigan State Spartan Hockey Head Coach Tom Anastos.
Anastos is clearly pleased with his returning team. In fact, 20 Spartan players – including 12 forwards and five defensemen – are returning from last year. Among this group, All-America, Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year Jake Hildebrand and forward MacKenzie MacEachern, both named Big Ten “Players to Watch” this week in the pre-season coaches’ poll. That same poll listed the Spartans as the number three team in the Big Ten this year. MacEachern, along with Captain Michael Ferrantino and Alternate Joe Cox also were 20+ point producers last year.
Of Hildebrand, Anastos stated he “wants to win.” The bench boss went on to say that Hildebrand had a great off-season, is in peak shape, and is a leader. In Anastos’ words, “his team will rise around him.” He was equally complimentary of MacEachern, noting the exceptional condition with which he returned to school this year. Assuming more of a leadership role with the team, Anastos spoke to MacEachern’s ability to “not just work harder, but work smarter.”
Munn Arena – Home of the MSU Spartans.
While the 2014/2015 season started off slowly for Michigan State, by late December they had started to settle down and ultimately mounted a comeback that ended the regular season in second-place, just two points behind the Minnesota Golden Gophers. With the large number of experienced returning players, Anastos intends to pick up right where the season ended last year and to start this year as a strong and aggressive opponent. He is challenging his team to meet that commitment by lining up games against Boston College, North Dakota, and Denver, all teams in the top five of the USCHO pre-season poll, and seven of the Spartans first 13 games are against top-15 teams in the poll with the addition of No. 15-ranked Michigan Tech.
Joe Cox
With such a large number of returning players, don’t look for major shakeups in team leadership. The Captain, Ferrantino, and the Alternates, Cox, Travis Walsh, and Justin Hoomaian, are the same on-ice leadership as last year. Here is what Cox had to say about taking on more of a leadership role, as well as the Spartans third-place ranking in the Big Ten Coaches poll.
Ferrantino has the “ability and courage to hold his team mates accountable,” says Anastos, and while he admits that team depth is not where he wanted or expected it to be, he sees his newcomers – Mason Appleton, Joel Arseneault, Cody Milan, Zach Osburn, and Brennan Sanford – as strong additions who will fill that depth quickly (another newcomer, Jerad Rosburg, is already out for the season after knee surgery). Anastos noted that his incoming class of freshman came more physically in-shape and prepared to play than any class he has seen in his five years as head coach. To assist the newcomers in building their confidence and acclimatizing them to the program, an upper-class player is assigned to mentor each of the newbies through a program called “Spartan Soldiers.”
All-in-all the Spartans and their coach are very optimistic about the upcoming season. Strength in their returning players and their confidence in continuing on their successes late last season have them primed and ready to go. Their first game this season will be an exhibition game against Western Ontario at 4:05 on Sunday, October 4.
The Edmonton Oilers were one of the worst teams in the NHL last season and missed the playoffs for the ninth straight time, which caused some major changes.
The Oilers finished last season with the third worst record in the NHL. The team won 24 games and had 62 total points. The Oilers had trouble scoring (198 goals for) and keep the puck out of their own net (283 goals against). They had a goal differential of -85. It’s hard to score goals when a team is playing most of the game defending in its own zone.
Peter Charelli was name the new general manager after being fired by the Boston Bruins in the offseason. The Oilers had some luck on its side and got the number one draft pick in the lottery. Todd McLellan, fired from the San Jose Sharks, was named the third head coach in two seaons. Dallas Eakins and Todd Nelson both coached the Oilers last season. The Oilers then drafted top prospect, Connor McDavid, with the number one overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Taylor Hall will be the Oilers key player this season. If he can stay healthy, he should be able to pile up the points in this offense. He will see the ice during even strength and most likely be part of one of the power play units. In just 53 games played last season, he had 14 goals, 24 assists and 38 points. Imagine what his point totals could be if he stayed fairly healthy this year.
The health of the young forwards is the Oilers x-factor. Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins only missed a combined seven games between them last season. Hall missed 29 games and spent time on the injured reserve because of a knee injury. Does Hall bounce back this year and how does his knee hold up? These three forwards need to stay healthy and on the ice for the Oilers to have success. It is important to note that Eberle is now out for 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury sustained in a preseason game earlier this week against the Arizona Coyotes. Although frustrating for the team, don’t count Eberle out upon his return.
Nail Yakupov was signed to a two-year contract in the offseason. He can use those two years to prove that he can produce at the NHL level. He contributed 33 points last season, but he should have more points this season. Yakupov could have his breakout season and be the surprise player on this roster. He isn’t afraid to shoot the puck and has a decent shot. The forward is only 21 years old and is entering this fourth NHL season.
The Oilers should be able to score more than the 198 goals they scored last year. They have scored 21 goals in six games so far this preseason, but it is just preseason. The Oilers offense hasn’t been held below three goals in any of the preseason games played. The Oilers can roll out four lines and any one of them can contribute to the offense. There will be nights where the offense is going to have to outscore opponents.
The defense was improved by Charelli in the offseason with the signing of Sekera. The team has only allowed eight goals through six preseason games, but most teams aren’t playing their full regular season roster during these games. Gryba will add a stay-at-home defenseman to the mix. The defense is still going to allow goals, but they will also contribute on the offensive side of the puck. They have defenseman that can log minutes, but they don’t have that one shutdown defensemen. Oscar Klefbom has the potential to be that defenseman, but he is only entering his third NHL season.
The goaltending is going to be a big question heading into the season too. Ben Scrivens has the experience, but hasn’t had the best numbers (.898 save percentage and 3.12 goals against average) while with the Oilers. Cam Talbot has only played 57 games at the NHL level. Talbot did fill in nicely for the New York Rangers last season while Henrik Lunqvist was out, but he was also playing behind the Rangers defense. The Oilers improved the goaltending position with the upgrade of Talbot over former backup, Victor Fasth.
The Oilers ranked in the middle of the pack on the power play last season. They had 41 power play goals in 232 opportunities and gave up seven shorthanded goals. The additions of McDavid and Sekera should help the power play. Sekera, if on the power play, can move the puck up ice and is a good passer. The two power play units should both be able to produce. The penalty kill was ranked 28th overall last season. The additions of Letestu, Gryba and Korpikoski should help to improve the power play. Letestu won about 53 percent of the faceoffs that he took last season, and that will help with gaining possession and be able to clear the zone.
The Oilers should be a fun, goal-scoring team to watch this season. They will improve and won’t have a chance at the number one draft pick again. The streak continues and the team misses the playoffs again this season. The teams in the Western Conference are so good and teams did a lot to improve so it will be hard for the Oilers to crack the top eight, but they’ll be in the playoff race.
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