It was a whole different atmosphere last night at Gila River Arena. The Arizona Coyotes hosted their first ever ‘Throwback in Black’ night in honor of their 1996 team relocation to the Valley against the Vancouver Canucks. Ending the night with an over-the-top, exciting shootout win to break an unfortunate losing streak just makes the whole event that much better.
Losing streak finally ends
The Coyotes 2014-2015 team has broken records this season, and not necessarily ones that they want to be noticed for. In the first half of the season when they broke the home loss record and made it to 9 in a row, there was hopes that they would never make it past that. Luckily the team, who has been on another 9 game home losing streak, was able to keep it at just 9.
Their 10 game losing streak has also been talked about a lot recently. To finally get a win, and for it to be at home, was very much appreciated. Losing for long increments of time is going to effect anyone, and amidst the recent trades, the tensions are running especially high.
“We had to play well to do that, so the relief is seeing the guys play well.” said Captain Shane Doan. “We played well and Smitty (Mike Smith) played well and some of the new guys play very well… it was a good feeling.”
“It’s been a long time coming and obviously some frustrating times the last month or so, but we did a lot of good things to give ourselves a chance to win tonight.” – Mike Smith on breaking the streak.
Bringing energy back into their game
There’s an obvious change in the team due to trades, but there’s also a change in their game. Though they lost in their last game, it was even evident in their previous game against Anaheim. The team is showing an outstanding amount of energy on the ice. Guys are stepping up and getting physical if necessary, and there seems to be a drive to prove themselves. Connor Murphy, for example, who only has two career fights recorded, has gotten physical in the last two games and number 5 even got himself 5 minutes for fighting last night.
“(Klas) Dahlbeck looks like a solid player,” said Dave Tippett. “(Tye) McGinn chips in… the new guys are jumping in and doing the job so it’s a great feeling.”
The ceremonial puck drop featuring many of the original ‘Phoenix Coyotes’ including Jeremy Roenick, current goaltending coach Sean Burke and several others. Shane Doan, the current captain, is the only member remaining on the roster from the move to the desert from Winnipeg.
“I had a bench with black jerseys – it was different. It adds some distraction to not winning many games,” said Tippett about ‘Throwback In Black’ night. “The players were excited about it and it was great to see the fans excited about it and to see the old players come back who have such a history with the team. They wore those sweaters proud and played well in the tradition of the old Coyotes.”
Mike Smith, who had 32 saves, basked in the whole idea of a throwback night sporting Alice Cooper’s face on the back of his specially designed helmet. Smith was able to meet up with the singer pre-game and dawned an autographed bucket throughout the game. Smith recalls the interaction as “eerie” seeing his helmet next to Cooper’s face, but “pretty cool” nonetheless.
“I have had both sides of the story, the one that you don’t tell anyone and it gets worse and then when you find out there is no hope and then the one where if you do what you are supposed to do there is hope.”
It is that time of the season when many teams raise awareness and funds in support of breast cancer through their “Pink in the Rink” events. Every community has been impacted by the disease and these events remind us all of the importance of early detection in the fight against breast cancer. It is hard to find someone who hasn’t been touched in some way, whether it be family or friends.
Hockey players are no exception. For some, it hits closer to home than for others. For Stockton Thunder defenseman Mario Larocque, the disease stole his grandmother from him at an early age and then struck again with his mother-in-law, who, because she caught it early on, was able to fight it and is now cancer free. His personal story is a gentle reminder for vigilance despite how far we have come in identifying and treating breast cancer.
“My grandmother was a big part of my childhood and we had a special connection so for me to see what she had to go through and her not telling anyone for whatever reason, it was really hard because I know she suffered.“
Larocque spent many a night at his grandmother Paula’s house. At first, the visits were the result of him and his brother getting into it during their family’s dinners out. He had a way of getting under his brother’s skin with his constant chirps and his parents finally reached the breaking point, sending Mario to his grandmother’s house while the rest of the family went out to dinner. “It ended up working out because I didn’t want to go (out to dinner),” said Larocque. “I wanted to stay with her. I would fall asleep to the radio with the Montreal Canadiens on and we would even arm wrestle together and stuff like that.”
Larocque’s grandmother had a secret she didn’t share with anyone. “She knew something was going on but she waited and waited. It started as a small lump but she waited and didn’t tell anyone,” recalls Larocque. He isn’t really sure why his grandmother never told anyone. When Mario asked his mother, she told him that she believed his grandmother was scared. She let her fear get in the way and the lump grew to the point where it could be ignored no longer. Mario was 12 years old at the time and didn’t know all the details of what she was going through but he remembers her battle with breast cancer like it was yesterday. Because she had waited so long, the cancer spread to her brain and bones and she couldn’t be saved.
“Towards the end I mean you know what is going on but I was young and you don’t realize as much. I remember she was laying down on the couch and…she was in pain, it was hard to watch. I wanted to be with her until the end and that is what I did.”
Larocque will never be able to ask his grandmother why she chose not to tell anyone, but he imagines that a certain part of her was anxious to move on. His grandpa had passed at a young age and he thinks that she may have missed him too much and believed that he was waiting for her. “I don’t know but that was the story that I came up with, that she was ready to make the jump.”
For Larocque’s mother-in-law, the outcome would be different. Certainly the knowledge and technology has grown since the time that Mario’s grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer, but one of the key factors for his wife’s mother was catching the cancer early on. She was diagnosed in 2010, when she was about 55, but she had been vigilant about getting a yearly mammogram.
“One year everything was fine but the next they found something going on. The fact that she went and took the exam and they realized but it was still in the early stage…they were able to take care of it. It ended up being a better result this time around.”
After having a full mastectomy and undergoing treatment Mario’s mother-in-law is cancer free 5 years later. She also took the genetic tests to see if cancer was something that ran in the family. Genetic testing for a mutation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene can help determine whether a person is at an increased risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer. If these two genes show up in testing with a mutation present, it may help a person manage their cancer risk. For Mario’s family, the tests revealed some good news; that there were no mutations present and that her cancer did not have a genetic link.
Mario Larocque at Thunder Goes Pink IX photo: Asvitt Photography
Despite Larocque’s long career in hockey, Thunder Goes Pink was his first Pink in the Rink event. He quickly followed it up with playing on pink ice in Utah and then again for the weekend matchup with the Idaho Steelheads. He believes these events are important because they help raise awareness and get people thinking. Making a personal connection is also important in the fight against cancer, which is why he felt it was important to share his own story.
“There are many different kinds of cancer and this is the one that touched my family. Any time you have the opportunity to talk about an experience that you’ve had and what can be done and alert people. It helps them make sure they know what is going on.”
Mario’s story has already made an impact. My own mom passed away from breast cancer when I was 15 and her sister had breast cancer shortly after my mom was diagnosed with the disease. It’s time for me to be proactive and get the genetic tests. It’s one more thing I can do to keep myself informed. Thank you for opening up and sharing your life with me and our readers, Mario. Know that you’ve already made a difference.
On February 21, as the Boston Bruins experienced yet additional injuries, the organization recalled Ryan Spooner from the Providence Bruins, it’s affiliate AHL team. He was suited up and on the ice as the Bruins took on the Chicago Blackhawks the next day, hoping to show a solid rebound after their disappointing road trip that culminated in an embarrassing routing by the St. Louis Blues, which saw Malcolm Subban pulled in his first NHL game between the posts. Money was definitely on the Blackhawks being the victor, but the Bruins had other ideas, coming out with a mentality that has unfortunately been missing much of the season.
Ryan Spooner
At the end of the first period, with a late goal by Jonathan Toews, the Blackhawks were within one of tying the game, and there was supposition that the Bruins would bring their usual lackluster second period performance. Such was not the case. Spooner, centering the line that included Milan Lucic and David Pastrnak, helped Lucic restore the two-goal lead for the Bruins and the team never looked back after that.
In three of the past four games, this line of Lucic, Spooner and Pastrnak have a combined four goals and five assists for nine points. Spooner and Pastrnak offer speed and youthful exuberance, which appears to have rejuvenated Lucic, as he has two of those four goals.
After pre-game practice on Thursday, March 5, before the Bruins host the Calgary Flames, I had an opportunity to go one-on-one with Spooner, who not only got his first career NHL goal, but the overtime game-winner on Friday, February 27, as the Bruins grabbed two very important points while on the road against the New Jersey Devils.
Given how many games Spooner had played in the Spoked-B, no one would have faulted him if his celebration on that goal was huge, but the 23-year-old, Ottawa, Ontario native is as reserved on the ice as he is quiet and pensive in interviews.
“I’m not really the one to jump on the glass or all that kind of stuff,” he said. “I just like to score and then get back to the play.”
Of course in this situation there was no more play—his goal had seen to that. But he also hadn’t actually seen it go in.
“I got the pass on the outside and I just tried to hit the net. I didn’t really see it, I guess you could say, go in,” he described. “I think it went through his arm actually and I’m not sure if it went off the crossbar and down or if it went off something and went out, I couldn’t really tell. I’m just glad it went in. I was actually kind of shocked and happy at the same time, so that was great to see.”
Perhaps the most emotion he displayed in regard to that goal came as his Providence Bruins teammate, and recalled goalie, Jeremy Smith, gave him a big hug. Then his eyes lit up and his mouth stretched in a warm smile of happiness.
Though a youngster by most rules and in most occupations, Spooner has seen some younger players get opportunities with the Bruins and capitalize on them—most recently his new line-mate, and youngest player in the NHL, Pastrnak. I asked him if he begins to wonder just what is young and is he still there?
“Yes and no. I think for the most part it kind of depends on you as a person,” he answered with thought. “Some people, I guess, you could say mature when they’re 18. Some mature when they’re 24.”
He’s trying not to let that get into his head, rather concentrating on growing and perfecting his game, even if that means returning to Providence and getting experience as a winger—though he is a natural center.
“I think it kind of made me grow. That was the first time I’d played wing, I’d say in like three years or something like that, so it was definitely a chance for me,” he answered honestly. “I kind of had to see it as a bit of a challenge and it didn’t really go as well as I thought it was going to go, but it just made me grow as a player.”
Injuries to the Bruins center, David Krejci, offered Spooner an opportunity to show what he could do at his natural position. The team has been so strong down the center that it is hard to crack the big club as a center, so Spooner is making the most of this chance. And while it does appear that Lucic has gotten some energy from his younger linemates, it’s clear that Spooner appreciates the veteran.
“[Lucic’s] been in the league for seven years, something like that. He’s a great player, great guy,” Spooner said, admiration creeping into his tone. “[His] being a big body, he can get to the net and then me and [Pastrnak] have speed.”
Sounds like a good combination, and one that the Bruins, traditionally labeled as a slower team, certainly could use.
“[The Bruins] have been good for a long time now, you know. They have their certain style and I just think that the game today is just geared more towards speed,” Spooner explained. “I think they need to have a good mix of both. You need to have some size and some speed and I think they have that here, and I think that’s good.”
And speed will be the name of the game Thursday evening as the Calgary Flames and Johnny Gaudreau—known to most as “Johnny Hockey”—come to town.
“He’s skilled. He’s a smaller guy. He’s fast.” Spooner said of the rookie from Boston College. “[We’ll] try to keep him to the outside and see how that goes for us. And just try to finish our checks on him and just try to make the game hard for him.”
Spooner may only be 23, but in just the last couple of years he’s matured, improved his play, and continues to be willing to do whatever the team asks of him; ever the team player. But he also appears to consider the press human beings, answering their questions with pensiveness and yet still a youthfulness that is great to see, and seldom present.
He understands the opportunity before him and is trying to play his style of hockey—a style that the Bruins liked in the first place—coupled with the new skills he’s acquired under the club’s tutelage. His future looks bright.
Monday as the trade deadline came, the Boston Bruins announced the acquisitions of Brett Connolly, a 22-year-old winger from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Maxime Talbot and Paul Carey from the Colorado Avalanche. During his press conference Monday evening, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli spoke very highly of Connolly and his skills, describing him as “a big kid [who has] a very good wrist shot, a very good release and a good hockey mind.”
The acquisition of Talbot and Carey was in exchange for Jordan Caron. Talbot, Chiarelli described as a “glue guy,” mentioning that he can play all three forward positions and that he’s a gritty player. Carey is a Boston College Eagles alum and a Massachusetts native.
Brett Connolly
Just 48 hours later the Bruins were once again announcing the injury of a player. In this case, it was the winger from Tampa, Connolly, who had fractured his index finger during practice on Wednesday and is estimated to be out six weeks.
“It just seemd that we just, every day this year, we seem to have a new challenge or news like that coming out,” head coach Claude Julien said while addressing the media Thursday morning. “We just, again you got to go through that.”
Julien, however, was mindful of what Connolly was experiencing beyond the pain of the fracture.
“You have to feel for the player who was really looking forward to playing for us,” he said. “I liked what I saw in practice. Good size, good skater, can shoot the puck well. There’s no doubt in my mind that he would have helped our hockey club, so we’re just going to have to wait a little longer here.”
Fortunately, because of what Chiarelli described as “prohibitive prices” in regard to rental players, the team will have the services of Connolly beyond just the remainder of this season.
It does make a person wonder though if the team, as a whole, walked under a ladder, as the injuries have continued to plague this team. Defenseman Kevan Miller is out for the remainder of the season, and his willingness to bang bodies and get into the dirty areas will certainly be missed. David Krejci is again on injured reserve—the second time this season.
Perhaps the silver lining in the Krejci injury, if there can be such a thing, is the newly constructed line of Milan Lucic, Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak, who since being put together have a combined four goals and five assists for nine points in three of the last four games the Bruins have played.
Max Talbot
Thursday night the Boston Bruins will take on the Calgary Flames, with Boston College and Dubuque Fighting Saints alum Johnny Gaudreau on the ice. This will be the first game in which Talbot will suit up in the Spoked-B and it is looking like he will be on the line with Chris Kelly. Talbot’s ability to play all three forward positions gives Julien many options.
“He can play [center and wing] and depending on what ends up happening tonight whether [Chris Kelly] goes at center or the wing or vice versa or I move guys, I can always move [Dan Paille] down again and [Kelly] up,” said Julien. “So there’s a lot of different things I can do. But he can play both and I like the fact on a lot of occasions, especially in our own end, that you have two guys that can take draws on the same line.”
Battled scars continue, but the depth of the Bruins roster and the new acquisitions—well some of them, anyway—offer options to the Bruins as they continue their fight to remain in playoff contention.
The Canadian Women’s Hockey League presented its annual awards last night to kick off the Clarkson Cup playoffs and recognize outstanding players and coaches in the league.
Gala Award Winners were:
Humanitarian Award – Lois Mitchell (CWHL Governor and Order of Canada member)
Coach of the Year – Dany Brunet (Montreal Stars head coach)
Rookie of the Year – Brianna Decker (Boston Blades forward with 32 points in 12 games)
Goaltender of the Year – Charline Labonté (Montreal Stars goaltender with 1.89 goals against average and .927 save percentage)
Defenceman of the Year – Tara Watchorn (Boston Blades blue-liner with 20 points in 21 games)
Angela James Bowl –Rebecca Johnston (Calgary Inferno forward with 37 points in 24 games)
Most Valuable Player – Rebecca Johnston (two-time Olympic gold medalist)
Chairman’s trophy – Boston Blades (regular season champions with 35 points)
“We are so incredibly proud of all of our award winners, but also of each and every player, coach, sponsor, supporter and volunteer who has helped build our league into what it is today,” CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress said in a press release. “Our organization continues to get bigger and better, both on and off the ice, thanks to everyone involved.”
Clarkson Cup playoff games continue today with the Boston Blades hosting the Toronto Furies at 11:30 a.m. and the Calgary Inferno hosting the Montreal Stars at 3:30 p.m., each in game two of a three-game playoff series.
The Toronto Furies are looking to re-claim the Clarkson Cup, but will have to get through regular season champs the Boston Blades to do it. The Blades won cup two years ago, the Montreal Stars are looking to add a fourth cup win to their organization. The Calgary Inferno has never won the Clarkson Cup.
The CWHL is the premier, professionally-run women’s hockey league in the world. It enables elite female hockey players to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level possible, while enhancing the lives of others through exceptional athleticism, entertainment and motivation. The league is centrally funded, with all participating teams in the CWHL receiving equal access to financial support and given the same opportunities to succeed.
The first game after the trade deadline was sure to be a strange one for the Arizona Coyotes. Due to the fact that they traded away some key veterans in their lineup such as Antoine Vermette,Zbynek Michalek and Keith Yandle, the whole team dynamic significantly changed. Though the outcome of the game was not ideal, the Coyotes new team looked as though their future could be promising.
The Coyotes have been known to fall apart during the third and not play a full 60 minutes, and even if the team didn’t get the ‘W’ that they hope for, the effort they had out on the ice was impressive. There seemed to be more energy than there has been in a while. Shane Doan fighting fellow captain Ryan Getzlaf and several other aggressive incidences by players like Connor Murphy was something that hasn’t been present on the ice much this season. It boosted the team.
“I think we tried really hard; there was a lot of try in everybody.”- Dave Tippett on the game
Doan, who is signed with the team through the 2015-16 season, is not a proponent of the teams overhaul, and he was very vocal about this.
“It was not my idea, not my ideal situation,” he said, according to azcentral’s Sarah McLellan. “There’s no one that’s 38-years-old that thinks it’s a good idea, ‘Let’s rebuild.’”
The new faces
Those acquired by the Coyotes during this years trade deadline who were eligible to play made their debut with the team during Tuesday night’s game against the Ducks. After the game, there was lots of talk about how the locker room felt and looked before the game. Excitement and energy were the two most used words, and those two things showed on the ice.
John Moore, a defenseman acquired from the Rangers in the Keith Yandle trade seemed to be a good asset on the ice. Tippet said he had “lots of energy” and that he is a “great skater”. He was put out on the power play with Oliver Ekman-Larsson to try things out. Tippett said this is probably going to be where you see him considering his “forte” is being an offensive defenseman just like OEL. Tippett feels that there is still growth in his game, but “you aren’t going to find out where the growth needs to come from until you find out what he is”.
Klas Dahlbeck was “solid” in the back according to Tippett. The acquisition from the Chicago Blackhawks has some learning to do, just like everyone else does. Once used to the Coyotes system, he will be a positive incorporation to the blue line.
Craig Cunningham (Bruins) and Tye McGinn (Sharks), both claimed off of waivers looked pretty good up front. Tippett says they were what the team expected them to be.
“I still think we need a good practice together… but all the guys they jumped in there and gave it a good try. Not very often do you have this many new players that jump in your lineup so it’s a little bit of a different scenario here.” “Lots of talking, lots of teaching and lots of preparation that you wouldn’t usually do mid-season like this.”
The talks of a rebuild
With all of the discussion about how the Coyotes are involved in a ‘rebuild’, there is usually a negative connotation that comes along with it. True rebuilds tend to last through several seasons, and general manager Don Maloney was calling for it to be around 3-5 years. Head coach Dave Tippett is not expecting for things to take that long. He believes that they can turn things around sooner than that.
Right now, the Coyotes are still missing some key players due to injury such as Martin Hanzal (back surgery) and Mikkel Boedker (ruptured spleen). When they come back next season, on top of the prospects that they have who are hopefully at the NHL level by next year, the team is going to look different yet again.
“Next year you add some of the top prospects in there and we’ll look a little different again. So right now is not a good judge of where we are.” Said Dave Tippett on the next season.”I think it all depends on how those prospects come, our development is, and how quick we can get some of the players to get up to NHL status.”
An “A” for effort?
Coyotes name Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kyle Chipchura alternate captains in lieu of trading Vermette and Yandle.
Ekman-Larsson seemed to be an obvious choice due to his performance this season. His bid to the All-Star game and his overall year could be attributed to the choice from the team. Chipchura is a leader in the locker room according to the coach. This may have seemed like a ‘random’ choice to fans, but he seems to be a solid choice for the team.
“Chip (Chipchura), if you ask anybody in that locker room, he’s a rock-solid guy,” coach Dave Tippett said. “Just does anything for teammates,. Just works everyday. He’s a really good pro. Right now, he’s a guy who can be a stabilizer in that room for us. For the rest of the year, those guys will take over that role.”
In an unusual Monday night game the sagas of the Reading Royals and Elmira Jackals rivalry continued. The Royals pulled off a 5-1 win despite a turnout of only half as many fans as they have typically seen in this season. This proved to be the Royals 9th home win in a row and helped them hold their first place rank in the division.
1st
The Royals played with an edge and seemed to use psychology as a strategy. They started off the period by chirping up and antagonizing Elmira’s Justin Sawyer. Sawyer currently leads his team in penalty time with 140 minutes and ranks 16th in the entire league. The Royals plan appeared to be working as Sawyer was sent to the penalty box for a slashing minor within the first three minutes. Bickering from both the teams and the crowd would ensue.
Unfortunately, forward Ryan Cruthers was sent to the box as well. Cruthers would end up receiving another slashing minor just minutes after his first penalty expired. After that, he would capitalize on a power play courtesy of a hooking minor on Jackal forward Mike Seidel. With David Marshall screening Elmira goalie Sam Marotta, Cruthers was able to fire a laser from the top of the left circle and sink the puck in the back of the net. “The first one was a good screen by Marshall,” Cruthers commented, “but I just needed to get involved early, so I tried to get after with Sawyer a little bit early on, just to try and get my juices flowing again.”
Forward Sean Wiles was able to sneak one more in before the buzzer sounded. His teammate Andrew Johnson was headed up the ice when two Jackals began closing in on him. He swerved to protect the puck and nudged it to Wiles in the right circle. Wiles wasted no time and drove the puck quickly past Marotta for what would prove to be the game winner.
(Source: Royalshockey.com)
2nd
Despite the Royals two-goal lead, Elmira made a quick dash for a come back in the second. Within the first 30 seconds Jackal forward Kevin Sundher took advantage of a power play and finally slipped one past Royals’ goalie Connor Knapp. This was Sundher’s first of the season, and seemed to drain a bit of the Royals’ energy and moral as they played a bit more lethargic for the rest of the period.
Sean Wiles was able to produce one more goal before the period’s end though. He took advantage of Elmira’s too-many-men on the ice penalty and out-skated the remaining Jackal defenders to the other end of the ice where he wailed one past Marotta for his 20th of the season.
Four Royals have now hit the 20-goal benchmark for the season. David Marshall only needs two more goals to hit that mark and Adam Hughesman only needs one. Sean Wiles remarked,
“Any time you’ve got four guys with 20 goals, you’re going to win a lot of games. What is it? 80 goals right there? I’ve never been on a team like that before where we had this many different scores, so it’s nice. Every night somebody different, you know, chips in, or everyone chips in. It’s awesome.”
3rd
In the third the Royals increased their two-goal lead to a comfortable four-goal lead. With a mob of players scattering around the goal crease, Royals forward Olivier Labelle was somehow able to nab the puck and stuff it into the net. This was his 21st goal of the season.
As the period rounded down, the Royals made a plan to try and give Wiles a hat trick. “Guys were trying to look for me all over the ice. It’s fun playing on a team like that, right?; where everyone is trying to pick you up and help you out.” Their chance would come within the last two minutes of the game after Steven Shamanski was charged with a tripping call.
With Wiles on the ice, his teammates tried to set him up for that hat trick. Cruthers inadvertently ended up scoring, however, while trying to push the puck to Wiles. He states, “The second one was lucky. I was actually trying to pass it to Wiles for that hat trick, but it hit something and went in.” The Royals would add another win to their stats and are now tied for 1st place in the conference with the Fort Wayne Komets. They hold 1st place in their division by 6 points.
What’s Next?
Up next, the Royals will be put to the test as they take on the Toledo Walleye on Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th. Toledo currently ranks 2nd in the Northern Division and 3rd in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Royals by five points, but the Royals have played four more games than the Walleye. The upcoming weekend will be important for the Royals as they try to hold on to their rank.
Although all fronts were quiet for the Kings at the March 2nd trade deadline itself, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions made their move before almost a week prior on February 25th when they traded prospect Roland McKeown and a 2015 or 2016 conditional 1st round pick in exchange for former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman, Andrej Sekera.
If the division weren’t so tough and the Kings weren’t still on the outside looking in at the play-off picture, LA general manager, Dean Lombardi, would be giving himself a pat on the back right about now. Despite having to wait out a transition period where the 28-year old Slovakia native has a chance to adjust to Western Conference opponents and the Kings’ style of play, the trade is the perfect fit for Los Angeles.
After placing Russian defenseman Slava Voynov on indefinite suspension after he was arrested on domestic violence charge, the Kings struggled to protect the blue-line. The addition of Sekera to the roster directly addresses this problem and aids LA’s push to the play-offs tremendously.
Most importantly, the LA Kings now have a reliable defenseman in Sekera. Voynov’s suspension left LA scrambling for in the immediate weeks following the incident. The Kings faced salary cap issues, they had no wiggle room for injuries, and even played a few games minus one defenseman. Eventually, Darryl Sutter’s group adjusted, but with the addition of Sekera to the roster the Kings have found a permanent solution to the void that Voynov left in the organization.
Sekera’s stats with Carolina were impressive. He is not a big goal scorer, but his defensive efforts on the ice was crucial aided in the Hurricanes efforts to put the puck in the net. TheWashington Post reports that at even strength, 52.7% of Carolina’s shots were in their favor when Sekera was on the ice.
So far, the 201-pound defenseman has played a total of 3 games with the Kings. He’s is still adjusting to new rivals and the Kings gritty, aggressive style of play, but he has also made some promising plays.
On the other hand, Sekera has a great opportunity to make an impact playing on the Los Angeles Kings. The most recent Kings acquisition has spent most of his active years in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres. Los Angeles is far more competitive than both the Hurricanes and the Sabres, allowing Sekera to have a chance to step up his game under more intense pressure, especially with how the current play-off picture looks in the Western Conference. Depending on his play, the Kings have chance to sign the Slovak to a contract extension.
Lombardi’s decision to give up a prospect and a conditional 1st round pick either this year should have pretty much been a no-brainer for the Kings.With key players such as Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and goaltender Jonathan Quick signed to long-term extensions, the Kings are less worried adding to their roster from the outside.
LA doesn’t need to worry about getting old either. Young guns on the Kings, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, just to name a few, might not have signed long-term deals just yet, but at the rate they’re producing, the Kings will definitely want to keep them around and pursue contract extensions when the time comes.
The Kings moves leading up the trade deadline are ideal for the group of guys that Darryl Sutter and Dean Lombardi have built their team around. They are gritty and physical and have a terrific mixture of youth and experience.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Sutter spoke beyond the hyped up trade deadline expressed what he wanted to see from his team in the final stretch of the regular season.
“The feeling is that you need your best players to be top players,” Sutter said. “We’ve had a lot of guys that have had tough stretches and tough years. They’re good guys, and all that. But they need to be better than good players.”
The Kings have fallen in and out of the play-off picture this season, but as spring rolls around, LA is obviously hoping to secure a more stable place in the standings. We’ve seen what the defending Cup champs can do without Voynov, including their eight game win streak in the middle of January. The LA Kings minimal tinkering with their roster leaves them walking away from the 2015 trade deadline winners.
As fitting of an addition Sekera is to the Kings’ bench, Darryl Sutter is right; they didn’t trade for a single solution to their struggles. Sekera is just one part of a bigger picture for the Kings who are going to need that extra fight from each of their players all the way to the finish line.
First place seed Boston Blades will host fourth-place seed Toronto Furies in a best of three series starting at 11 a.m. on March 4, and second-seed Calgary Inferno will do the same, hosting the Montreal Stars at 3:30 p.m. in the opening round.
The Blades are looking to re-capture the Cup after winning it two years ago, but they will have to battle reigning champs Toronto in order to do so. The Blades claimed the regular season championship title with 35 points, edging Calgary, who finished the season with 33 points. Montreal finished with 29 points, while Toronto finished with 19.
On March 5, Boston will again host Toronto at 11 a.m. and Calgary will again host Montreal at 3:30 p.m. Game three action is scheduled for March 6 if needed. Winners from each series will face each other March 7 at 2 p.m.
The Montreal Stars have won the cup three times before, while Calgary is looking for its first Clarkson Cup championship. Brampton, who has never won a Clarkson Cup, did not make the playoffs this season.
The CWHL is the premier, professionally-run women’s hockey league in the world. It enables elite female hockey players to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level possible, while enhancing the lives of others through exceptional athleticism, entertainment and motivation. The league is centrally funded, with all participating teams in the CWHL receiving equal access to financial support and given the same opportunities to succeed.
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