NHL Rink Wrap: Yandle sets ironman record; Flyers’ streak also a record

By Jan 26, 2022, 8:45 AM EST
NHL Rink Wrap: Yandle sets ironman record; Flyers' streak also a record
Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Top players from Tuesday in the NHL

Joe Pavelski, Stars

Look, we get it. Alex Ovechkin is the reigning champion of “How is he (36) years old?” comments. But Joe Pavelski should inspire similar fountain of youth suspicions related to what he’s accomplishing at age 37.

Frankly, he already wowed me again and again last season. Pavelski even earned my vote for the 2021 Selke Trophy.

Yet … Pavelski’s even more important to the Stars as they grasp desperately at a playoff spot this year? With two goals and two assists, Pavelski boosted his 2021-22 season total to 48(!) points in just 40 games. That’s three points shy of last season’s 51 points (in 56 games), and to reiterate, Pavelski was tremendous last season. He’s found incredible chemistry with much younger forwards Roope Hintz (1G, 1A on Tuesday) and Jason Robertson (1A) the past two seasons.

Taking a look at Pavelski’s career xGAR chart from Evolving Hockey, at least two things are clear: we haven’t truly appreciated Pavelski as much as we should have over the years, and also: he might be aging Benjamin Button/Brad Marchand–style.

Simple version: Pavelski rocks. (via Evolving Hockey)

NHL highlights from Tuesday

Sebastian Aho made the difference in OT for the Hurricanes over the Golden Knights:

Keith Yandle being honored for playing 965 consecutive games, setting a new NHL ironman record for games played in a row.

It must have felt a little extra special for Tyler Ennis to collect a hat trick against his former team, the Sabres.

To avoid being too dirty, I’ll let you guess the theme of these next three Tuesday NHL highlights. Winner gets … a sense of satisfaction (oh no, that almost sounds dirty too).

First, Brian Boyle:

Next, Bryan Rust to Sidney Crosby from a contest that extended the Penguins’ winning streak to six games:

Finally, Adam Gaudette:

Tuesday NHL Takeaways

Canucks reportedly set to hire Patrik Allvin as new GM

The Canucks haven’t confirmed this news yet, but all indications are they’ve found their new general manager. Multiple reporters back up word that the Canucks plucked Patrik Allvin from the Penguins organization to become their 12th GM in franchise history.

If all of that becomes official, it makes for a truly transformative week for the Canucks. Expect more on Allvin and the Canucks in its own post.

But to review just the past couple days …

On Monday, the Canucks announced the addition of Emilie Castonguay as their first woman assistant GM in franchise history, and just the second in NHL history. Castonguay also continues a small trend of former player agents taking on prominent NHL front office roles.

Flyers set franchise record with 13-game losing streak; Yandle sets new NHL record ‘ironman’ streak at 965 games

Speaking of continuing stories, how about a mix of the bad and the very good?

  • The good is that Keith Yandle broke his brief tie with Doug Jarvis to become the NHL’s all-time ironman record holder. Yandle received 965 consecutive games played on Monday, breaking a tie for that NHL record. Do note that Phil Kessel isn’t far behind Yandle at 941 games in a row, so there could be twists and turns to this story. (Side note: if Keith Yandle is “Iron Man,” does this make Phil Kessel “War Machine?”)
Birmingham Comic Con Day 2
Not pictured: Yandle on the left and Kessel on the right. As far as we know *spooky music plays* (Photo by Ollie Millington/Getty Images)
  • Now, firmly from the not fun file: the Flyers lost their 13th game in a row by falling 4-3 to the Islanders. That 13th consecutive loss sets a new Flyers franchise record for their longest-ever losing streak. The fumbling Flyers already became the first team in more than a decade to post two 10+ game losing streaks in the same season. (And they did it basically just halfway through the season! And they’re not even the worst team in the NHL amid all this. What’s happening?)

There’s a tragicomic layer to this Mike Yeo quote:

*Cough* Kinda get the feeling the Flyers might be making some uncomfortable (but maybe necessary) changes of their own soon, eh?

Penguins remain red-hot

Even during what’s now a six-game winning streak, it hasn’t always been pretty for the Penguins. Falling behind more than once to the cratering Coyotes? Kinda ugly.

But it’s a long season, and strong teams need to show that they can shake off setbacks, and sometimes simply win ugly. Whatever way you slice it, the Penguins are just flat-out winning lately.

Could there have been some sort of fortune swap after the Oilers (then 16-5-0) beat the Penguins (then 10-8-5) on Dec. 1? From then on, the Oilers have been crumbling, while the Penguins powered through with a 17-2-0 record.

That leaves the Penguins at 27-10-5 which … well, gives them a chance at a round of home-ice advantage in the Metro. The top of the East is for real, folks. The Penguins might be, too.

Wednesday’s big story

A rising superpower (Avalanche) vs. a fading power hoping to hang on (Bruins)

Here’s the thing about the East’s playoff teams, and really a good chunk of the near-sure things in both conferences: they’re all somewhere between very good and extremely good.

If everything came together for the Bruins, and they made a big run, would it be that surprising? They still have some of the high-end talent that’s made them a contender for years, and there’s plenty of time for Tuukka Rask to shake the rust off.

Still, it’s fair to say that the Bruins aren’t the same powerhouse they once were. It’s also reasonable to wonder how often any recent Bruins team looked as foreboding as the Avalanche when they’re clicking on all (heck, just some) cylinders.

Theoretically, if the Bruins (somewhat surprisingly) took on the Avalanche (not surprisingly) in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, the story would probably be about Boston trying to slow down Colorado. Is that possible? Or would the B’s just embrace the situation and hope they can hang?

Fun hypothetical questions, and maybe we gather some data for early hypotheses with this one.

NHL scores from Tuesday

Hurricanes 4, Golden Knights 3 (OT)
Stars 5, Devils 1
Senators 5, Sabres 0
Penguins 6, Coyotes 3
Islanders 4, Flyers 3
Panthers 5, Jets 3
Oilers 3, Canucks 2
Predators 4, Kraken 2

More hockey news

Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews returns to ice, hints at retirement
Budding Wild star Matt Boldy more willing to shoot, and it shows
canadiens sabres
Pezzetta scores shootout winner; Canadiens beat Sabres 4-3

—

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

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    Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews returns to ice, hints at retirement

    Associated PressMar 29, 2023, 9:51 AM EDT
    Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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    CHICAGO — Longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews returned to the ice but hinted his stellar NHL career could be winding down after 15 years.

    Toews, 34, skated with teammates prior to Chicago’s game with the Dallas Stars. It was his first time practicing with them since a game in Edmonton on Jan. 28.

    He made a statement through the team on Feb. 19 saying he would be stepping away because of the effects of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and “long COVID.”

    In meeting with reporters, Toews stopped short of saying he hoped to play in any of last-place Chicago’s nine remaining games. His eight-year, $84 million contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

    Toews said he’s feeling stronger, but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to play again for the Blackhawks or another team.

    “Both if I’m being fully honest,” Toews said. “I feel like I’ve said it already, that I’ve gotten to the point where my health is more important.

    “When you’re young and you’re playing for a Stanley Cup and everyone’s playing through something, that means something and it’s worthwhile. But I’m at that point where it feels like more damage is being done than is a good thing.”

    Toews, the Blackhawks’ first-round draft pick (third overall) in 2006, joined the team in 2007 and was a pillar of Stanley Cup championship clubs in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

    At the peak of his career, he was one of the NHL’s top two-way centers, winning the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward in 2013.

    In 1,060 regular-season games, Toews has 371 goals and 509 assists. In 139 playoff games, he’s posted 45 goals and 74 assists, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.

    Toews missed the entire 2020-21 season with Chronic Immune Response System, which caused debilitating inflammation and fatigue.

    He appeared in 71 games in 2021-22, then started this season with renewed energy before slowing and eventually shutting himself down.

    Entering this season, it looked as if Chicago might deal him, as it did fellow star Patrick Kane, before the March trade deadline. But Kane went to the New York Rangers and Toews to injured reserve.

    Toews believed he was progressing before a relapse in January left him so sore and tired that he could barely “put on my skates or roll out of bed to come to the rink.”

    Toews said his progress over the past month has been “pretty encouraging” and he’s delighted to be back among his teammates. He has no timetable beyond that.

    “We’re just going to go day by day here,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. He deserves anything he wants to try to achieve here.”

    Richardson hoped Toews “can take that next step later in the week and hopefully (he) gives us the green light to go in a game.”

    But Toews emphasized his long-term health and ability to lead a “normal life” is most important. He wants to go out on a positive note and not hit the ice for a game playing through excessive pain and dysfunction.

    “It’s definitely on my mind that this could be my last few weeks here as a Blackhawk in Chicago,” Toews said. “It’s definitely very important for me to go out there and enjoy the game and just kind of soak it in and just really appreciate everything I’ve been able to be part of here in Chicago.”

    Budding Wild star Matt Boldy more willing to shoot, and it shows

    Associated PressMar 29, 2023, 9:48 AM EDT
    Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
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    ST. PAUL, Minn. — Matt Boldy was unable to resist a smile in the aftermath of his second hat trick in five games for the Minnesota Wild, a young right wing and reluctant star trying to make sense of a remarkable hot streak.

    Does the puck feel as if it’s automatically going in the net these days each time he shoots?

    “Yeah, it does,” Boldy said in the locker room after leading the first-place Wild to a 5-1 win over Seattle. “My linemates are playing great. Hopefully you guys are giving them a lot of credit. You look at some of those goals – just putting it on a tee for me.”

    This non-attention-seeker has found himself squarely in the NHL spotlight. Boldy has 11 goals in nine games since Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov was sidelined with a lower-body injury to raise his goal total to 28, in part because he’s been more willing to shoot. With vision and stickhandling as strengths and the humility of being a second-year player, it’s easy to be in a pass-first mindset.

    “Everybody kind of took turns talking to him. But it’s not that he didn’t want to. A lot of times a situation like that where a guy’s got that skillset, it’s a real unselfish quality, right?” coach Dean Evason said. “But I think he gets now that he helps the team a lot when he scores goals.”

    The Wild were confident enough in Boldy’s scoring ability to commit a seven-year, $49 million contract extension to him earlier this winter, after all.

    “I think I’ve always had that mentality, but sometimes you just get into spots and it comes off your stick good,” Boldy said. “When things are going well, the puck goes in the net.”’

    The Wild are 6-1-2 without Kaprizov. Boldy is a big reason why.

    “You go through the slumps, you learn what you need to do to score. I think he’s found a good way to be in the right spot and shoot the puck when he had a good opportunity,” center Joel Eriksson Ek said.

    The Wild have only won one division title in 22 years, the five-team Northwest Division in 2007-08. They’re leading the eight-team Central Division with eight games to go, with both Colorado and Dallas too close for comfort. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2015.

    With Kaprizov due back before the postseason and Boldy on this heater, a Wild team that ranks just 23rd in the league in goals per game (2.93) ought to have a better chance to advance. Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson have been ideal linemates for the Boston College product and Massachusetts native.

    Since the Wild entered the league in the 2000-01 season, only five NHL players have had more hat tricks at age 21 or younger than Boldy with three: Patrik Laine (eight), Marian Gaborik (five), Steven Stamkos (five), Alex DeBrincat (four) and Connor McDavid (four). Boldy turns 22 next week, so there’s still time for one or two more.

    “He’s big. He controls the puck a lot. He’s got a good shot, good release. He’s smart. He switches it up. He’s got good moves on breakaways. He’s a total player,” goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. ”Fun to watch him grow this year.”

    Pezzetta scores shootout winner; Canadiens beat Sabres 4-3

    Associated PressMar 27, 2023, 11:57 PM EDT
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    Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports
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    BUFFALO, N.Y. ⁠— Brendan Gallagher and the Montreal Canadiens rallied back to avoid playoff elimination with less than three weeks left in their season. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, are running out of chances to stay in the Eastern Conference wild-card hunt.

    Gallagher forced overtime by scoring his 200th career goal, and Michael Pezzetta scored the decisive shootout goal in a 4-3 win over the Sabres on Monday night.

    “It’s one of those things I think we earned that chance. We weren’t fantastic but we did enough on the road tonight to get a win,” Gallagher said. “Smiles all around.”

    The Canadiens could laugh, especially after Pezzetta celebrated his goal by putting his stick between his legs and riding it like a wooden horse — much like former NHL tough guy Dave “Tiger” Williams did during his 14-year NHL career spanning the 1970s and 80s.

    “I’m not sure we’ll see that again. One of a kind,” said Gallagher. “I’d be worried about falling over.”

    Pezzetta scored by driving in from the right circle to beat Eric Comrie inside the far post. Buffalo’s Jack Quinn scored in the fourth shootout round, but was matched by Montreal’s Jesse Ylonen, whose shot from in tight managed to trickle in through Comrie.

    Jordan Harris and Alex Belzile also scored for Montreal, and Jake Allen stopped 30 shots through overtime, while allowing one goal on six shootout attempts.

    Montreal would have been eliminated from playoff contention for a second straight season – and two years removed from reaching the Stanley Cup Final – with any type of loss.

    The Sabres squandered a 3-2 third-period lead to drop to 3-6-3 in their past 12. Buffalo also blew a chance to move to within four points of idle Pittsburgh, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot.

    “Just a little hesitation,” forward JJ Peterka said of the Sabres third-period lapse. “We didn’t play with much energy and we didn’t play that aggressive as we played the two periods before. I think that was the difference.”

    Buffalo’s Lukas Rousek scored a goal and added an assist while filling in for leading scorer Tage Thompson, who did not play due to an upper body injury. Peterka and defenseman Riley Stillman also scored, and Comrie stopped 38 shots through overtime, and allowed two goals on six shootout attempts.

    Montreal blew two one-goal leads to fall behind 3-2 on Stillman’s goal at the 8:31 mark of the second period.

    Gallagher scored on the fly by using Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin as a screen to snap in a shot inside the far left post. With the goal, Gallagher tied Bobby Rousseau for 24th on the Canadiens career scoring list.

    “I liked the way we corrected ourselves, it’s a sign of maturity, in the way we stayed on task,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said, in recalling how the Canadiens recently unraveled in an 8-4 loss two weeks ago to Colorado, which plays a similar up-tempo style as Buffalo.

    PRIDE NIGHT

    The Sabres hosted their third Pride Night, with Russian D Ilya Lyubushkin electing not to participate in warmups by citing an anti-gay Kremlin law and fears of retribution at home in Moscow, where he has family and visits in the offseason. The remainder of the team wore dark blue jerseys with the Sabres logo on the front encircled by a rainbow-colored outline.

    During the first intermission, the Sabres broadcast a video in which GM Kevyn Adams said: “This is about recognizing someone’s humanity and true identity. We know there are people out there struggling with who they are, and we want them to know that they have an ally in the Buffalo Sabres.”

    UP NEXT

    Canadiens: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

    Sabres: Host the New York Rangers on Friday night.

    Flyers chairman Scott to retire; Hilferty becomes successor

    Associated PressMar 27, 2023, 12:08 PM EDT
    Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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    PHILADELPHIA — Dave Scott will retire as chairman of the Philadelphia Flyers’ parent company Comcast Spectacor and be replaced by Dan Hilferty.

    Hilferty, who was recently named CEO of Comcast Spectacor, will succeed Scott as chairman of the company on April 17 and as the team’s governor on July 1.

    Scott joined Comcast Spectacor in December 2013 and the Flyers have struggled under his reign. They will miss the playoffs for a third straight season and haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1975.

    “Our number one goal for the Flyers will be to consistently compete for the Stanley Cup,” Hilferty said. “It is going to be a process that will take time to get on that path, but I’m confident we are headed in the right direction with Danny Briere as interim GM, Coach Tortorella, and our hiring of a President of Hockey Operations soon. Our leadership team will be fully focused to deliver on this for our fans while also continuing to make the sports complex the best location for sports and entertainment in the nation.”

    As Chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor, Hilferty will lead the company’s entire portfolio, including the Philadelphia Flyers. Spectacor Sports and Entertainment CEO Valerie Camillo will continue to work directly with Hilferty, overseeing the Wells Fargo Center, including its continued transformation, and lead the Flyers’ business operations.