This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the League
It's certainly obvious that not a lot of sympathy can be found for the plights of millionaires and billionaires these days. They are, after all, the world's privileged and top one percent. And while some childish athletes constantly remind us that, yes, they are much more important than you, others can remind you that they're human, too.
Take, for example, Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson. On Thursday, The Columbus Dispatch reported that Johnson had declared bankruptcy, despite having earned more than $20 million (courtesy CapGeek) during his career. According to the article, Johnson's debts could be somewhere around $10-15 million. He already has retained a legal and financial team to help him out.
The good news is that the 27-year-old has three years and $15 million left on his contract and also has a healthy prospect of playing another 10 years.
The story of athletes going broke isn't a big secret, but laundry list of bad loans aside, the most shocking revelation is the strife within the Johnson family. In the filing, Johnson accuses his parents – with whom he has already cut off all contact – of making the bad loans, including a mortgage on a house in Manhattan Beach he didn't even know they had. Johnson's parents borrowed money against his future salaries, including an alleged $2 million from Rod Blum, who was recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The shocking news of Johnson's bankruptcy comes just a day after Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis announced Wednesday he would be sidelined for the next six months with a blood clot in his lung. In a year in which domestic violence has become such a topic of discussion in sports and sports culture, and news of Slava Voynov being charged with felony domestic violence coinciding on the same day as The Columbus Dispatch story, it just serves to show that there's always two ends to every spectrum.
From last night:
- After an embarrassing 9-2 loss to Nashville on Tuesday, setting off a flurry of media hits that included the word "embarrassment" a record number of times, the Leafs (10-8-2) responded with a 5-2 win over the Lightning (13-6-2). James van Riemsdyk led with two goals to snap a three-game goalless streak while Phil Kessel managed an assist. Dion Phaneuf has faced a lot of criticism for his play the captain responded with a strong effort with an assist, a hit and five blocked shots. The Leafs are talented but struggles with its Jekyll and Hyde personality. Ben Bishop (11-3-2, 2.37 GAA, .914 Sv%) faced just 20 shots but clearly wasn't sharp.
- Jason Zucker bailed out the Wild (11-7-0) with 46 seconds left in the game to lift them past the Flyers (7-9-2), 3-2. Darcy Kuemper (9-5-0, 2.03 GAA, .918 Sv%) is on fire again with three straight wins after four miserable games, including one against Buffalo when he was pulled six minutes into the game after allowing two goals on two shots. Marco Scandella and Nino Niederreiter added two points apiece, while Mikko Koivu played a little over 13 minutes due to illness and continues to struggle this season. With four straight wins, the Wild are suddenly in contention for the division title again. Jakub Voracek recorded an assist now leads the scoring race with 27 points.
- Max Pacioretty scored two goals as the Habs (15-5-1) sent the Blues (12-6-1) to their second straight loss, 4-1. The win puts the Habs three points ahead of Tampa, and after adding a rejuvenated Sergei Gonchar (21:03 TOI) and ditching Rene Bourque (he should be able to get it together under Bruce Boudreau), are getting stronger as the season goes on. Jake Allen (5-2-0, 2.00 GAA, .922 Sv%) has now allowed 10 goals in his past three games and Jay Bouwmeester, Paul Stastny and T.J. Oshie each finished with a minus-3 rating. As is now the theme on most nights, Vladimir Tarasenko scored the Blues' lone goal (his 11th) with Jori Lehtera and Jaden Schwartz assisting.
- The Preds (12-5-2) outplayed the Sens (9-5-4) for most of the night but Robin Lehner (4-2-1, 2.82 GAA, .917 Sv%) stood on his head and outdueled Carter Hutton (0-2-1, 2.32 GAA, .914 Sv%) for a 3-2 win. Lehner made 33 saves to snap a personal two-game losing streak and the Sens scored three answered goals in the second period to seal the game. Despite their incredible offensive start, Nashville has a precarious one-point lead in a division in which all seven teams could still finish anywhere. Olli Jokinen and Jared Cowen both broke their goose eggs by scoring their first goals of the season. For Jokinen, it snaps an 18-game pointless streak (yes, that was his first point of the year), while Cowen's eventual game-winner ended a 13-game drought. All four of Cowen's points have come in his last five games.
- Tomas Tatar scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Wings (10-4-5) moved into third place in the Atlantic. A second-round pick from 2009 who cut his teeth in the AHL for four years, Tatar's an offensive player with exceptional hands, and will certainly be a key offensive weapon whenever Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk decide to call it quits. It's Tatar's second straight two-point game and now has six points in his past four games. Petr Mrazek, an electrifying goalie since his days with the Ottawa 67's, collected his first career win. Evander Kane led the way with an assist and five hits for the Jets (10-8-3) and Ondrej Pavelec has now lost three straight games.
- With Gonchar gone, the Stars (7-9-4) are giving all the ice time to the kids and John Klingberg hasn't disappointed. The 131st overall pick in the 2010 draft, the right-shooting Klingberg scored his first NHL goal to start off a three-goal second period rally and finished the game with two shots, three hits, a blocked shot and 24:16 TOI. Jyrki Jokipakka, who had a rough two games to begin his NHL career, is also settling in and will provide the third pairing with some offense. Kari Lehtonen (7-5-4, 2.92 GAA, .906 Sv%) was sharp and stopped 26 shots in a 3-1 win as Mike Smith's (4-10-1, 3.30 GAA, .890 Sv%) troubles continue with his league-worst 10 loss of the season.
- Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winner for the Caps (9-7-3) in a 3-2 win over the Avs (6-9-5). It was a fairly even game except in the giveaway department with the Avs coughing up the puck 13 times, including three from Nick Holden, to just one from the Caps thanks to John Carlson. Braden Holtby (7-4-2, 2.26 GAA, .914 Sv%) made 27 saves for his fourth win in his past five games while Reto Berra (2-2-1, 2.76 GAA, .907 Sv%) gave Semyon Varlamov (4-5-4, 2.95 GAA, .918 Sv%) the night off.
- Patrick Kane is off to a slow start this year but netted the game-winner in a 4-3 win over the Flames (12-7-2). Adam Clendening scored his first career goal in his first game after being called up from the AHL but expect more to come. The former Boston University standout scored 105 points over the past two years in the minors and could break out in a big way if he gets his ice time with the Hawks (11-7-1). Special teams kept the Flames in this one as they went 2-for-6 on the power play, scoring both goals in the first period to draw the game even at the intermission. The diminutive Paul Byron was the hero for Calgary with two points while Ladislav Smid was the goat with a minus-3 rating. Mark Giordano, meanwhile, continues to make a case for the Norris Trophy. With the loss, Calgary drops out of the top three in the Pacific but sits first in the wild card race.
- The Kings (11-5-4), meanwhile, move into the top three with a 3-2 win over Carolina (6-10-3). Tanner Pearson scored his eighth of the season in the second period in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Cam Ward (6-6-1, 2.61 GAA, .905 Sv%) stood his ground but was peppered with 39 shots, but allowed a power play goal to Jarret Stoll early in the game and played catch-up all game. The hard-hitting and hard-shooting Brayden McNabb, who couldn't find a regular role with Buffalo, has now played over 20 minutes in three of his past four games and could see his role keep expanding. He's got plenty of raw skill that Darryl Sutter can mold so don't be surprised if he turns into yet another serviceable defenseman like Jake Muzzin or Alec Martinez.
- In Ryan Kesler's return to Vancouver, Jakob Silfverberg was the hero with the shootout winner as the Ducks (12-4-5) fended off the Canucks (13-6-1) to maintain the division lead. Both teams showcased a lot of depth with 17 different players registering a point, including rookie Bo Horvat, who scored his first NHL goal and is making a strong case to stay with Vancouver. He won't win the scoring race among rookies but Horvat is a polished two-way player who may be the most consistent rookie. Linden Vey returned to the lineup with Alex Burrows sitting out with an injury but didn't register a point. The Ducks were blanked 0-for-3 on the power play but Sami Vatanen continues to drive the train and led both teams with 4:00 TOI with the man advantage.
- Are the Sharks (10-9-3) dying a slow death? In a rare turn of events, Roberto Luongo (6-4-4, 2.40 GAA, .922 Sv%) was victorious in the shootout as the Cats (7-5-5) prevailed with a 3-2 win. The underrated Jussi Jokinen had his four-game point streak snapped, however. At some point, Doug Wilson will just have to deliver the killing blow to the Sharks, either by really putting Todd McLellan on the hot seat or doing away with the Joe Thornton era forever. Patrick Marleau scored two points to break a five-game drought and so far looks unlikely to record his eighth 30-goal campaign, meanwhile Nick Bjugstad has now picked up seven points in his past three games with a two-goal effort. The Sharks are slipping out of the race in the Pacific and even with a tough schedule to start the season (16 of 22 games on the road) they can't lose too much ground.
And looking ahead to Friday:
- The Islanders (12-6-0) visit the Igloo in Pittsburgh (13-3-1) in what should be the game of the night. A win by the second-place Isles brings them one point closer to the Pens, but a Pens win means the gap can be widened to five points. Michael Grabner (28 goals in past 109 games) should be returning to the lineup after undergoing hernia surgery but he's merely an afterthought now in the Isles' grand plans, which will feature Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome instead. With Dupuis out for the season, Blake Comeau has been promoted to the top line but only time will tell if he sticks. The Pens lack of depth on forward helps Comeau's cause, though.
- Ryan Johansen has struggled recently with just one goal in his past 12 games, but has a good chance of getting back on track against a depleted Bruins (12-8-0) team. Boston is now without Adam McQuaid, as he joins Zdeno Chara on the injured reserve. However, this just means that it's really the Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug show in Beantown now, who will have to defend against a Columbus team (6-11-1) that will be motivated after an embarrassing 5-0 loss to Detroit on Tuesday.
- New Jersey (8-9-2) and Edmonton (6-11-2) will be the late-night snooze fest as the two bottom teams wrap up a three-game night with the Sabres-Rangers game postponed due to Buffalo weather being Buffalo weather. A win by the Oilers won't change anything in the standings, but a win by the Devils pulls them even with the Rangers for fourth place in the Metro and just one point behind Washington for third place. Cory Schneider (8-8-2, 2.72 GAA, .910 Sv%) is 5-2-0 with a 1.82 GAA and .925 Sv% against the Oilers going back to his days with the Canucks, but the key to the game may be at center. The two teams lack depth down the middle but the Devils will have the edge with veteran Travis Zajac and a healthy Adam Henrique.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) at Buffalo Sabres (Jhonas Enroth), 7:00 PM (postponed)
New York Islanders (Jaroslav Halak) at Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Boston Bruins (Tuukka Rask) at Columbus Blue Jackets (Sergei Bobrovsky), 7:00 PM
New Jersey Devils (Cory Schneider*) at Edmonton Oilers (Ben Scrivens), 9:30 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Friday
New York Islanders
Eric Boulton, LW (lower body) – will not play.
Matt Carkner, D (back) – likely out for the season.
Michael Grabner, RW (hernia) – game-time decision; probable.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clot) – out six months.
Boston Bruins
Kevan Miller, D (upper body ) – did not play Tuesday; doubtful.
David Warsofsky, D (groin) – no return date set.
Zdeno Chara, D (left knee) – no timetable for return.
Adam McQuaid, D (broken thumb) – 6-8 weeks.
Brad Marchand, LW (undisclosed) – will not play.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Cody Goloubef, D (leg) – will not play.
Mark Letestu, C (groin) – no timetable for return.
Nathan Horton, RW (back) – likely out for the season.
Fedor Tyutin, D (left knee) – out four weeks.
Brandon Dubinsky, C (abdomen) – no timetable for return.
Ryan Murray, D (knee) – no return date set.
New Jersey Devils
Bryce Salvador, D (lower body) – no return date set.
Ryane Clowe, LW (concussion) – no timetable for return.
Jon Merrill, D (arm) – did not play Tuesday; doubtful.
Hot
Max Pacioretty, LW, Montreal – With a two-goal effort on his birthday against St. Louis last night, Patches now has nine points in his past seven games. The team was abysmal in a 4-0 shutout loss to Pittsburgh but responded with an emphatic 4-1 win one of the West's best teams. Pacioretty has eight goals on the season, and while that total may seem low now, he's still a threat to score 40 goals this season.
Tuukka Rask, G, Boston – After getting pulled in a 6-1 loss to Toronto, Rask has stopped 66 of 67 shots in his last two games. With Chara and McQuaid out of the lineup, Rask has been tasked with bailing on the B's on most nights, and he's certainly done so thus far. He will likely start against Columbus tonight, shielding him from Montreal on Saturday before facing Pittsburgh next Monday.
Cold
Nick Bonino, C, Vancouver – It was bound to happen at some point. After scoring flurry of goals two weeks ago, Bonino has gone five games without a goal. He's getting the pucks on net, but he's not a particularly crafty player and still relatively inexperienced. He'll go through stretches like these all season, so he's exactly the type of player you pick up when he starts scoring and immediately dump (or sell) when he's not.
Chris Kunitz, LW, Pittsburgh – Despite being a mainstay next to the best player in the game, Kunitz does go through some rough patches and now has gone six games without a goal. Losing Dupuis is going to hurt the Pens a lot and Comeau, who took 177 games to score 20 goals, is a huge downgrade. The good news is that Kunitz's slide shouldn't last too much longer and could still score 30 goals.
Recommended Pickup
Blake Comeau, RW, Pittsburgh – Yes, I did just slug him for not having enough offensive talent to warrant a first-line role, but he is playing with Crosby. A fire hydrant could score goals playing with Crosby. There are tons of forwards out there with more upside, but few get an opportunity like the one Comeau has right now, and it's better to roll the dice with someone who will get his ice time rather than a rookie who may play on different lines each shift.
John Klingberg, D, Dallas – The smooth-skating Klingberg has already been thrust into a pretty big role in the Big D and he's performed admirably with four points in six games. He had 12 points in 10 games in the AHL before his call-up and has far more upside than either Trevor Daley or Alex Goligoski, both of whom will be usurped on the power play. Given how dangerous Dallas' power play can be, Klingberg is worth an add for teams looking for a high upside defenseman.
