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Around the League
It's a somber Friday in the NHL as the hockey world reels from news that Ottawa Senators General Manager Bryan Murray has Stage 4 colon cancer. Murray, in an interview with TSN, revealed that he was diagnosed on June 23, but it's believed that Murray has had the disease for years. The cancer has spread to other organs in his body and there is no cure, but he will continue to undergo chemotherapy.
It's a tough situation to be in for a man known to be one of the most honest, hard-working and good-natured men in the business. You never hear a bad word about him even when things weren't going so well on or off the ice. Murray's career in managing and coaching hockey has spanned over 40 years, taking him from Junior A to the WHL to the AHL and then the NHL. Murray currently ranks 12th in NHL games coached with 1,239, and his 620 wins are ninth in history.
Murray has been the captain of the ship in Ottawa for as long as I could remember. Though he was named GM in 2007, Murray was hired three years earlier from the Anaheim Ducks to become the head coach of the Sens, bringing the Shawville, Que. native back to the Ottawa Valley. Though John Muckler, the previous GM, had laid many of the foundations of the Pizza Line (or the CASH Line, for the lesser nickname) era, it was Murray who ultimately took them to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to lose to the team he had left to be closer to home.
It was also Murray who salvaged near-impossible situations when Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza requested trades. It was also Murray who had to answer tough questions about long-time captain Daniel Alfredsson's surprising departure. It was also Murray who put together a new core of the Sens, which includes newly minted captain Erik Karlsson, power forward Bobby Ryan, the ever-improving Kyle Turris, and a few elite prospects in Cody Ceci, Robin Lehner and Mika Zibanejad.
Sure, Murray's had some missteps, particularly in the coaching department during which he went through John Paddock, Craig Hartsburg and Cory Clouston in quick succession, but under Murray's guidance the team has missed the playoffs just three times since 2004, and only one of them was a result of a sub-.500 record. He accomplished this through all sorts of trying circumstances, many of which were beyond his control. He re-tooled a team on the fly that many considered should be headed towards the lottery, and made do when Eugene Melnyk couldn't foot the big salaries anymore.
It's tough to imagine the Sens without Murray and the Sens without him. Very few sports organizations in the world are lucky enough to have a guy like Murray, who seems to keep plowing ahead and make headway even when all the winds and waves are going in the opposite direction. He has been a mentor, too, with his former assistant GM and nephew, Tim, drawing good reviews for his re-building of the Buffalo Sabres.
I wish the Stanley Cup could be awarded to Murray on a lifetime achievement basis, but unfortunately that's now how things work. But you really wish that such poor luck didn't befall such good men. Sometimes, you're at a loss as to what to say for someone in such a dire situation. Cancer can affect anyone and the physical pain and emotional duress that comes with it is unfathomable. From our fullest hearts… all the best, Mr. Murray.
Recapping Thursday's nights action…
- In Manhattan, Nathan MacKinnon was named the game's first star after winning 71 percent of his face offs, scoring the game-tying goal and adding a shootout goal as the Rangers (7-6-3) fell victim to an Avs (5-8-5) comeback, 4-3. Matt Duchene added two points after publicly voicing his frustration with the team's early struggles and has really taken on a leadership role over the past two years. Tyson Barrie added two assists and has now totaled four points in his past four games and currently leads the team's defensemen in power play ice time (3:07 per game). Derek Stepan seems to be suffering no ill effects after returning from a broken leg and scored after keeping the puck on a 2-on-1 rush with Rick Nash. The Avs are playing much better, but still remain last in the Central Division with 15 points.
- The Canes (5-7-3) aren't exactly a tough match up, but the Jets (9-6-2) are defying gravity and remain in third place in the Central with a 3-1 win. Of all the teams in the division to place ahead of Chicago, the Jets were probably the unlikeliest choice, but it is still only less than 20 games into the season. If you believe that goal differential is a good basic indicator of how good teams are, as I do, then Chicago (+14) and Minnesota (+9) will still likely end up on top of the Jets (-3). Blake Wheeler is doing his best to make sure that doesn't happen, however, and with another two-point game now has three of those in his past five games. In an interesting and, in my opinion, overdue move, Bill Peters moved Eric Staal to the right wing, where he could use his speed a little better, and let's be honest, Staal hasn't exactly been lights out in the dot, either. However, Victor Rask struggled, winning just four of 10, which meant Staal had to step back in during certain situations. Elias Lindholm (more below), the fifth overall pick in 2013, has really become a dependable scorer for the Canes this season and now has three goals in four games.
- Dougie Hamilton gave the Bruins (10-8-0) a 1-0 lead but they couldn't hold the lead as the Habs (12-4-1) scored five unanswered goals for a 5-1 victory in Sergei Gonchar's Montreal debut. Gonchar played 20:08, seven minutes more than the amount he averaged in Dallas this season, and was the Habs' No. 2 option on the power play after P.K. Subban, a power play that went 1-for-5 last night. Dale Weise scored his first on the season on a penalty shot, assisted on Max Pacioretty's seventh goal of the season and completed the Gordie Howe hat trick in the third after dropping the mitts with Adam McQuaid. The B's top five-man group of Hamilton, Dennis Seidenberg, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith each finished with a minus-3 rating on a tough night. Tuukka Rask (3-11-3 career vs. MTL) was rested in favor of Niklas Svedberg, who didn't fare too well, finishing with a .853 save percentage.
- Ben Bishop (9-2-2, 2.37 GAA, .918 Sv%) kept the Lightning (11-4-2) in the game until the second period when Joe Thornton and Tyler Kennedy scored five minutes apart as the Sharks (9-7-2) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 win. Steven Stamkos scored Tampa's lone goal (shocker) and dropped to second place in the conference with a Habs win. After allowing 11 goals in his previous three starts, all of them losses, Antti Niemi (7-5-1, 2.65 GAA, .916 Sv%) shut the door and made 32 saves for his seventh win.
- Neither Jake Allen (5-1-0, 1.67 GAA, .933 Sv%) nor Pekka Rinne (10-3-1, 1.98 GAA, .928 Sv%) were particularly sharp, but the Blues (11-4-1) managed to beat the Preds (10-4-2) in regulation time, 4-3, to take top spot in the Central. Not to be outdone by the Habs' Weise, Vladimir Tarasenko also had a Gordie Howe hat trick of his own, dropping the gloves with Ryan Ellis after jumping to his teammates' defense in a post-whistle scrum. Line mate Jori Lehtera also added two points while Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi collected three apiece for the other side. Forsberg now has 20 points in 16 games, sixth in the league, and his plus-19 rating ranks first. With each passing game that Forsberg and Michael Latta for Martin Erat trade looks worse and worse. The Blues' depth was very evident in this game, as Peter Laviolette continues to rely heavily on Shea Weber and Roman Josi with around 29 minutes each while Ken Hitchcock spreads it around a little more with Kevin Shattenkirk, Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo all getting roughly 23 minutes each.
- I never thought I'd type these words, but the Sabres (3-13-2) managed to do the impossible last night: they chased a goalie. After scoring two goals on its first two shots, the Wild (8-7-0) pulled Darcy Kuemper (6-5-0, 2.16 GAA, .908 Sv%) less than seven minutes into the game, but the move may have been superfluous, as the Wild pumped four goals past Jhonas Enroth (1-8-1, 3.77 GAA, .897 Sv%) in the first period en route to a 6-3 win. Rasmus Ristolainen scored his first of the season and has become, both through opportunity and merit, one of Buffalo's top defenders and has played over 20 minutes in every game in November. Nikita Zadorov was also given a huge vote of confidence, playing 25:17, easily the highest total of his season and collected an assist and plus-3 rating while Zemgus Girgensons notched a goal and an assist to round out the three Sabres of note. Nino Niederreiter needed an empty net goal to complete his hat trick as the Wild continue to right the ship. They're still seven points back of division leader St. Louis and four points away from the top three.
- After four mediocre games, Sven Baertschi stepped up with two assists, one of three Flames (10-6-2) to notch two points in a 5-3 win over Arizona (6-9-1). On a night that seemed like everything put on net was going in, Jonas Hiller and Mike Smith combined to make just 20 saves each. A month into the season, the Coyotes continue their uncharacteristic ways with a porous defense and unreliable goaltending, two things that, if not rectified soon, could lead to some major changes. A hot run could put the Coyotes back in the playoff race as eight Western Conference teams have already broken the 20-point barrier, but if not, expect the poor man's Patrice Bergeron, Antoine Vermette, to feature heavily in the rumor mill. Keith Yandle has also been dangled as trade bait in past years, but his availability may depend on how much trust the team has in Brandon Gormley and Connor Murphy to play big minutes.
- In Ottawa, the Sens (8-4-4) nearly blew a 3-0 lead but Mike Hoffman's second goal of the game in overtime sent the Oilers (6-9-2) to another loss, 4-3. With seven goals, Hoffman is now tied with the underrated Clarke MacArthur for the team lead while Cody Ceci, Jared Cowen, Chris Phillips and Erik Karlsson all turned in solid games. Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry responded for the Oilers, but Ben Scrivens (4-6-1, 3.01 GAA, .897 Sv%) stopped just 26 of 30 shots and showed he can be a very streaky goalie. He lost three straight games to start the season before putting together a four-game win streak and has now lost four straight games to go with two no-decisions. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists for the Oilers and was particularly good in the dot.
- Jason Spezza snapped a seven-game goalless drought and provided the insurance marker as the Stars (6-6-4) topped the Kings (8-5-4), 2-0. It was a rare brilliant performance forKari Lehtonen (6-3-4, 2.72 GAA, .912 Sv%), who made 27 saves for the shutout while Martin Jones (1-2-0, 1.83 GAA, .928 Sv%) started in relief of Jonathan Quick (7-3-4, 2.07 GAA, .939 Sv%). With the loss and a Sharks win, the Kings are now tied for fourth in the division but lead the wild card race. With the win, Dallas keeps pace with Minnesota and stays one point ahead of Colorado with two games in hand.
And previewing Friday's action:
- The BJ's (4-10-1), who have just one win in their past 10 games, need two points in a real bad way when the visit Philly (7-5-2). A win will make a playoff push less daunting for Columbus when their key players come off the injured reserve, but the Broad Street Bullies are flying high with a three-game win streak. The BJ's, or what I like to refer to sometimes as the "Lunch Pail Brigade," depend a lot on their depth and character players to grind out wins. Ryan Johansen is the exception, who mixes size with elite skill, but Scott Hartnell (14 points in 15 games) and Nick Foligno (15 in 14) are two of the team's scoring leaders, which tells you something about a) the team's current lack of depth, and b) the team's makeup. The Jackets have been outscored 13-6 in the first period during their losing streak and Curtis McElhinney (0-5-1, 3.76 GAA, .887 Sv%) has to find a way to keep his team in it for as long as possible. Did you know? All of Claude Giroux's goals have come on the power play while Jakub Voracek still has a goose egg. Sean Couturier is really emerging as a capable depth center as well, playing solid two-way hockey and showing off some scoring potential, coinciding with a potential breakout season from Brayden Schenn (on pace for around 60 points).
- Cory Schneider (7-6-2, 2.86 GAA, .904 Sv%) will make his 17th straight start as the Devils (7-7-2) and Caps (7-5-3) try to distance themselves from the four-team cluster in the Metro Division that have 16 or 17 points. The Caps continue to look for some sort of consistency, and that may come on special teams as the Devils league-worst penalty kill (66.7%) will face off against the league's second-best power play (28%). After a hot start and heaps of praise, Damon Severson has now gone five games without a point, although he continues to be a top minutes eater for the team. The speedy Marcus Johansson has found an extra gear and now has eight points in his past six games, which has some wondering if the breakout season everyone's been waiting for has finally arrived. The same can't really be said about Evgeny Kuznetsov, however, as the Calder Trophy favorite early in the season has gone pointless in three games.
- Sidney Crosby has traditionally stomped on the Leafs (9-5-2) with 46 points in 29 career games, and there's little evidence to suggest that the league's top scorer (and childhood Habs fan) will stop any time soon. Jonathan Bernier (5-3-2, 2.57 GAA, .917 Sv%) has never beaten the Pens (10-3-1) and has a career goals-against average of 3.91 against them. I'm still hoping for a Nazem Kadri breakout sometime soon but if he doesn't produce he may just get leapfrogged by Peter Holland on the depth chart. Though the Leafs have won three straight and the two teams are separated by just one point, the Pens are still the heavy favorites in this tilt. On any given night, a chance to see Crosby light the lamp like crazy would be the price of admission alone, but Friday's game of the night belongs to…
- … the Blackhawks (9-6-1) and Red Wings (7-3-5). Because Detroit is now (rightfully, in respect to time zones) in the Eastern Conference, the old Norris Division rivalry occurs just twice this year. Both teams are blessed with talented offensive players, and even Patrick Kane firing at just 75 percent is better than the vast majority of the guys in the league. The onus is on Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco (seven points combined) to do a little more scoring since the game will be a battle of goaltending with Corey Crawford (6-3-1, 1.76 GAA, .931 Sv%) posting his best statistical season ever and Jimmy Howard (6-2-4, 2.03 GAA, .923 Sv%) playing with a chip on his shoulder with everything to prove.
- If the Pens lose and the Islanders (10-5-0) win their tilt against the Panthers (5-4-4), John Tavares and co. will move into top spot in the Metro. Yup, the Islanders will be division leaders. But somehow that doesn't seem so odd to say anymore. While the Cats have trouble scoring – their leading scorer is the dependable but not really offensively inclined defenseman Aaron Ekblad, after all – the Isles have no such problems with Matt Martin, Calvin de Haan and Brian Strait as the only regulars to not have scored this season. Nick Bjugstad, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau (combined five goals) need to do much more scoring, or is 2011 third-round pick Vincent Trocheck really the answer? It'll be tough with Jaroslav Halak (6-4-0, 2.57 GAA, .912 Sv%; more below) on fire this week, who will put his two-game shutout streak on the line.
- The Canucks (12-5-0) are expected to be without Radim Vrbata, which means there won't be any vengeance exacted on the Coyotes tonight. However, even without their top sniper, the Canucks have played much more consistently through periods this season and responded extremely well with a shootout win against the Ducks after a shaky win over the Sharks and an embarrassing loss to the Kings. Interestingly enough, Willie Desjardins seems insistent on having a righty on the Sedins line, which means Jannik Hansen, Linden Vey or Derek Dorsett will see some time with the twins. A win for the Canucks means they'll move to the top of the NHL standings. They're playing inspired hockey, looking like they're having much more fun, but even the most upbeat optimists couldn't have seen this coming. Mike Smith (4-9-0, 3.43 GAA, .889 Sv%) continues to struggle but played Thursday night, which means the Canucks will draw Devan Dubnyk (2-0-1, 3.30 GAA, .870 Sv%). Though Keith Yandle has started to turn things around, Olive Ekman-Larsson still seems mired in a slump with a minus-12 rating.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
Columbus Blue Jackets (Curtis McElhinney) at Philadelphia Flyers (Steve Mason), 7:00 PM
New Jersey Devils (Cory Schneider*) at Washington Capitals (Braden Holtby), 7:00 PM
Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury) at Toronto Maple Leafs (Jonathan Bernier), 7:30 PM
Chicago Blackhawks (Corey Crawford*) at Detroit Red Wings (Jimmy Howard*), 7:30 PM
New York Islanders (Jaroslav Halak) at Florida Panthers (Roberto Luongo), 7:30 PM
Arizona Coyotes (Devan Dubnyk) at Vancouver Canucks (Ryan Miller), 10:00 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Friday
Columbus Blue Jackets
Nathan Horton, RW (back) – likely out for the season.
Brandon Dubinsky, C (abdomen) – return date is Nov. 18.
Jack Skille, RW (head) – will not play.
Artem Anisimov, C (concussion) – travelled with team; questionable.
Cody Goloubef, D (leg) – will not play.
Mark Letestu, C (groin) – will not play.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G (finger) – travelled with team but will not play.
Ryan Murray, D (knee) – underwent MRI; doubtful.
Philadelphia Flyers
Michael Raffl, LW (lower body) – out six weeks.
Andrew MacDonald, D (lower body) – no return date set.
Luke Schenn, D (upper body) – practiced; questionable.
Kimmo Timonen, D (blood clots) – likely out for the season. reports.
Ryan White, RW (chest) – out 1-2 months.
New Jersey Devils
Bryce Salvador, D (lower body) – did not play Tuesday; doubtful.
Ryane Clowe, LW (head) – no return date set.
Stefan Matteau, LW (upper body) – no return date set.
Adam Henrique, C – (lower bod) – resumed skating; doubtful.
Washington Capitals
Tom Wilson, RW (undisclosed) – doubtful for Friday; probable for Saturday.
John Erskine, D (neck) – no timetable for return.
Dmitry Orlov, D (wrist) – no timetable for return.
Aaron Volpatti, LW (neck) – no timetable for return.
Brooks Laich, C (shoulder) – return likely next Tuesday.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Olli Maatta, D (neck) – day-to-day, but will not play Friday.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Brandon Kozun, RW (ankle) – no return date set.
Joffrey Lupul, LW (hand) – week-to-week, no return date set.
David Booth, LW (foot) – no return date set.
Carter Ashton, RW (suspension) – serving 20-game suspension.
Chicago Blackhawks
Patrick Sharp, LW (knee) – no return date set.
Daniel Carcillo, LW (knee) – return is likely Sunday.
Detroit Red Wings
Jonas Gustavsson, G (dislocated shoulder) – out two months.
Stephen Weiss, C (groin) – game-time decision.
Pavel Datsyuk, C (groin) – game-time decision.
New York Islanders
Eric Boulton, LW (undisclosed) – no timetable for return.
Matt Carkner, D (back) – out for the season.
Michael Grabner, RW (hernia) – no timetable for return.
Florida Panthers
Dmitry Kulikov, D (knee) – practiced; will not play.
Brandon Pirri, C (concussion) – doubtful.
Sean Bergenheim, LW (lower body) – game-time decision; probable.
Dave Bolland, C (groin) – will travel with team; day-to-day.
Arizona Coyotes
David Moss, RW (upper body) – no return date set.
Vancouver Canucks
Tom Sestito, LW (lower body) – no timetable for return.
Luca Sbisa, D (undisclosed) – did not play Tuesday; doubtful.
Derek Dorsett, RW (undisclosed) – did not play Tuesday; questionable.
Zack Kassian, RW (leg) – no return date set.
Radim Vrbata, RW (leg) – game-time decision.
Hot
Cam Ward, G, Carolina – Yes, Ward did lose to the Jets last night, but he also made 34 of 36 saves and prior to that won five straight decisions. The entire team struggled early in the season but in recent weeks the team has looked like a much more cohesive unit. Ward has not allowed more than two goals a game in the month of November. Though the Hurricanes are winning games, they're still expected to be a lottery team.
Jaroslav Halak, G, NY Islanders – It wasn't particularly difficult, seeing how Halak has faced just 39 shots in his past two starts, but the Slovak 'tender has now gone 143:27without surrendering a goal. There's still some concern about whether or not Halak is consistent enough or has enough stamina to be a full-time No. 1 goalie, but for now he's doing just fine.
Cold
Patrik Elias, C, New Jersey – Elias hasn't scored a goal since the season opener and has just two assists in six November games. Elias hasn't been the focal point of the offense for quite some time, but this year he's completely falling off the map. He still has a reputation for being one of the league's most dependable players, but the 38-year-old can't be relied on for points anymore. His best days are clearly behind him.
Jarome Iginla, RW, Colorado – I don't want to be accused of ageism, but facts are facts – Iginla hasn't scored a goal since October 24. Since then, he's collected just two assists as the Avs continue to try and claw their way back to the top of the Central Division. Not only has Iginla's production dropped, his ice time has been scaled back too and was publicly called out by Patrick Roy for his disappointing play. Roy's not afraid to say anything that comes to his mind, but it's not every day a future Hall of Famer gets criticized like that.
Recommended Pickup
Elias Lindholm, RW, Carolina – He's still not strong enough to play center, but he's certainly got the talent. After registering just one assist in the first eight games of the season, Lindholm now has eight points in his past seven games, including two multi-point games. Also, did you know his middle name is Zebulon? Why doesn't he just go by that? Wouldn't it be way more badass? Ugh, just another one of life's greatest mysteries. Zebulon Lindholm is owned in less than 25 percent of ESPN leagues.
