Mike Matheson

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Kreider fined, not suspended, for elbowing Pettersson

By Adam GretzMar 14, 2019, 1:07 PM EDT

New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider was ejected from Wednesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks when he caught star rookie Elias Pettersson with a spinning elbow to the head.

Given the nature of the play and the penalty, it was a given that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety was going to take an additional look at the play for possible supplemental discipline. After doing so, it seems that the ejection will be the harshest punishment Kreider receives.

The Department of Player Safety announced on Thursday morning that Kreider has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for the play.

He will not be suspended.

Here is a look at the play one more time.

While Pettersson has been a breakout star for the Canucks this season, it has also been a difficult year for him from a physical standpoint as this is already the second time an opposing player has been disciplined in some way for a play against him.

Earlier this season Florida Panthers defender Mike Matheson was hit with a two-game suspension for slamming Pettersson to the ice, knocking him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.

Pettersson was able to eventually return to the game after the hit, logging 14 minutes of ice time in the Canucks’ 4-1 win.

He has 58 points (26 goals, 32 assists) in 59 games this season and is the runaway favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the years.

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

Panthers’ Barkov explodes for five assists, sets franchise record

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By Scott BilleckMar 8, 2019, 9:50 PM EDT

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Aleksander Barkov was already having a remarkable season for the Florida Panthers prior to Friday night.

His five-assist effort against the Minnesota Wild just added another chapter to the tale he’ll be able to tell and another passage in the Panthers’ history book.

You see, five assists are the most any one Panther has ever recorded in a game. Barkov was magical, his hands in on five of Florida’s six goals in a 6-2 win, including four primary apples.

Barkov came into Friday with 70 points, eight back of his career-high. He’s now just three off 78-point season he had last year. His 29 goals this season were already one more than his previous career-high, and his 46 assists now are five shy of the 51 he has last season.

The Finn has scored some ridiculous goals this year, too.

The Panthers, nine points out of a playoff spot coming into the night, chased Devan Dubnyk after one period. Jonathan Huberdeau had four points, Evgeni Dadonov had three assists, and MacKenzie Weegar and Mike Matheson each had a brace.

Sam Montembeault, making his second NHL start, picked up his first NHL win after stopping 25 shots.

This weird thing also happened:

Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck

Trocheck hasn’t missed a beat for Panthers

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By James O'BrienJan 19, 2019, 11:30 PM EDT

Vincent Trocheck wasn’t even supposed to be playing for the Florida Panthers this soon, let alone seemingly jumping right back to full-strength, as if his ankle was never fractured.

Heading into Friday, the Panthers were on a seven-game losing streak, facing a weekend that sure looked like it would set the stage for one or two additional losses.

Instead, the Panthers now have back-to-back wins, and they’ve done so against two legitimate NHL contenders.

On Friday, the Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Trocheck assisted on Mike Matheson‘s game-winning goal, posted highly impressive possession stats, three shots on goal, and seven (!) hits.

That would have already been a highly impressive effort for a player coming off a pretty traumatic injury, but Trocheck was arguably even better during Saturday’s 4-2 win against the Nashville Predators.

While his fancy stats were a little choppier, Trocheck showed up on the scoreboard even more, generating a goal and an assist. He looked awfully spry on that goal, by the way:

That breakaway score ended up being the game-winner, actually.

After generating three points in his two games back, Trocheck now has 17 points in 20 games this season.

Now, the Panthers points as a team? They’re now at 46 points in 47 games played, leaving them at least 12 points behind the Penguins (who have 58 points, and could add more against the Golden Knights during a Saturday game that’s in progress). To put things mildly, the odds are stacked high against the Panthers for a credible push toward a berth in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Then again, the odds were also against Trocheck returning as soon as mid-January, and he’s instead making a big impact for Florida.

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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.

PHT Morning Skate: All-Star tweaks; Best goalie tandems

By Joey AlfieriJan 14, 2019, 9:15 AM EDT

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Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.

• The Maple Leafs signed Trevor Moore to a two-year contract extension. (NHL.com/Maple Leafs)

• The Hockey News looks at the five off-season acquisitions that have provided the least amount of value to their new teams. There’s more than one Dallas Star on this list. (The Hockey News)

• Take a look back at the Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones trade three years after it happened. (On the Forecheck)

• Caps forward Jakub Vrana has all the tools to become a young star in the NHL. (Washington Times)

• William Nylander‘s struggles aren’t a big problem for the Maple Leafs right now. (Toronto Star)

• It’s time for the Florida Panthers to make some significant changes. (The Rat Trick)

• Pens defenseman Kris Letang is making a case for the Norris Trophy. (Pittsburgh Tribune)

• The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington looks at a few small tweaks that could help All-Star weekend. (Buffalo News)

• Sabres goalie Carter Hutton got off to a great start, but he’s struggled pretty badly over the last few weeks. (Buffalo Hockey Beat)

• Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson uses his psychology background to help him with his game. (NHL.com)

• Find out which teams have the best goalie tandems in the NHL. (ESPN)

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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.

PHT Morning Skate: Trading Zuccarello; importance of Pacific for Flames

By Sean LeahyJan 8, 2019, 9:22 AM EDT

Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.

• It’s time for the New York Rangers to move Mats Zuccarello and continue their rebuild. [NY Post]

• “Making the case against the red-hot New York Islanders” [Yahoo]

• A deep playoff run for the Calgary Flames would be helped by them winning the Pacific Division. [TSN]

• Elias Pettersson is one reason why the Vancouver Canucks are fun to watch again. [Featurd]

• “When Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson body-slammed Pettersson in October and knocked him out of the lineup for six games with a concussion, the Canucks were livid, as they should have been. But it’s pretty clear the Canucks have come to the realization that their star player is going to have to get used to being abused. And Pettersson is probably coming to that realization, too.” [The Hockey News]

• Looking at the second half schedule, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be challenged every night. [Raw Charge]

• On Alex Ovechkin and why he shouldn’t be punished for skipping the 2019 NHL All-Star Game. [USA Today]

• It’s time for the Ottawa Senators to sell, sell, sell. [Faceoff Circle]

• Despite a down season for the team, Carter Hart is showing a potential bright future for the Philadelphia Flyers. [EP Rinkside]

• Philipp Grubauer or Semyon Varlamov? Which Colorado Avalanche netminder should Jared Bednar stick with? [Mile High Hockey]

• Marc Bergevin isn’t planning any short-term moves with his Montreal Canadiens roster. [Canadiens]

• Justin Abdelkader talks about the Detroit Red Wings’ rebuild and the children’s book he’s writing. [SI.com]

• The Minnesota Wild need to solve their inconsistency problem in the second half. [Star Tribune]

• Look back at Michel Therrien’s famous 2006 rant that called out the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defensive woes. [Pensburgh]

• The losing needs to stop for the Florida Panthers. [The Rat Trick]

• Finally, always be aware of Gritty:

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.