[mr. leisure]

Going to be interesting how it plays out.... as the days go on.

Nice win today against Toronto as a + 325 dog .

[batt33]

Nice win today against Toronto as a + 325 dog .

Yeah, It seems like you would be +EV taking the other team when Toronto is a huge fav.....

[yisman]

Forward Patrick Marleau's first shift of Saturday's NHL game lasted just 40 seconds but it was the most significant moment of the San Jose Sharks 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Three-time all-star Marleau finished with 19 shifts as the 41-year-old Canadian equalled Hall of Famer Gordie Howe's record for the most career games played with 1,767.
Marleau will set the league record on Monday night when the Sharks face the Vegas Golden Knights.

and now he's got it

crazy he's hung on so long

[mr. leisure]

and now he's got it

crazy he's hung on so long

Going to be hard to ever break that record .

[Stallion]

Marleau belongs in the HOF

[yisman]

Still no timeline for Pettersson's return.

[mr. leisure]

Nice win today against Toronto as a + 325 dog .

Canucks did it again .

[batt33]

Canucks did it again .

Toronto is the new Kershaw!

[yisman]

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner blasted the NHL over its handling of its COVID-19 vaccination policy, saying the league went back on promises made about easing restrictions and calling it "totally unacceptable."
During a press conference Wednesday, Lehner spoke for almost 11 minutes and claims that the NHL backed off a promise that would allow players to have some social gatherings when a certain threshold would receive the vaccine.
"That was a lie," Lehner said. "A blatant lie."

[mr. leisure]

Golden Knights become first NHL team to clinch playoff spot in 2020-21

By James O'BrienApr 22, 2021, 12:12 AM EDT

The Sharks gave them a good fight — sometimes literally — but the Vegas Golden Knights became the first team to clinch a playoff spot during the NHL’s truncated 2020-21 season.
Jonathan Marchessault finished the night with four points, while Marc-Andre Fleury earned career win 487 as the Golden Knights beat the Sharks 5-2. The Golden Knights won their eighth in a row to clinch that playoff spot.
Golden Knights first NHL team to clinch playoff spot after beating Sharks

In what was a physical game (particularly early on), the Sharks were able to stick with the Golden Knights at first. Just minutes in, Timo Meier gave San Jose a 1-0 lead, and Tomas Hertl‘s nice shot put the Sharks up 2-1 midway through the second period.
The Golden Knights just kept sending waves of pressure vs. the Sharks — that’s what they do, and that’s why they’ve clinched a playoff spot so early.
(That, and yes, the Avalanche have been on pause thanks to COVID.)
Eventually, the Golden Knights started to got to relatively unknown Sharks goalie Josef Korenar. Korenar managed to keep the game 1-1 through the first period despite Vegas generating a 19-8 shots on goal advantage, but the dam eventually broke.
Mark Stone continues to look dangerous as a net-front presence on the power play:

That Stone goal made it 2-2, and then Alex Tuch scored a late-second-period goal that kind of looked like it took place on the man advantage:

After becoming the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot for 2020-21, the Golden Knights can at least ponder questions of rest vs. rust. (With two capable goalies in Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner, they don’t even need to strain the boundaries of credulity. Other teams might feel more like they’re throwing games away when opting for backups.)
Of course, the Golden Knights will also put a great emphasis on beating out the Avalanche for the West Division title.
West Division race update

After winning their eighth consecutive game, the Golden Knights clinched that playoff spot, and now the race for the top West Division spot looks like this.
Golden Knights: 33-11-2, 68 points in 46 games played
Avalanche: 30-9-4, 64 points in 43 GP
Wild: 29-13-3, 61 points in 45 GP
(Meanwhile, the Sharks couldn’t gain ground on the Coyotes and Blues in the West Division playoff race. Arizona lost to Minnesota, while the Blues were idle on Wednesday.)

[batt33]

Forward Patrick Marleau's first shift of Saturday's NHL game lasted just 40 seconds but it was the most significant moment of the San Jose Sharks 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Three-time all-star Marleau finished with 19 shifts as the 41-year-old Canadian equalled Hall of Famer Gordie Howe's record for the most career games played with 1,767.
Marleau will set the league record on Monday night when the Sharks face the Vegas Golden Knights.

pretty cool to so it as a shark......

[yisman]

Colorado is the second NHL club to qualify for the 2021 postseason after the Vegas Golden Knights did so on Wednesday. The Knights have played two more games than the Avalanche, which entered the game needing to win in regulation to clinch a playoff spot.

[mr. leisure]

Colorado is the second NHL club to qualify for the 2021 postseason after the Vegas Golden Knights did so on Wednesday. The Knights have played two more games than the Avalanche, which entered the game needing to win in regulation to clinch a playoff spot.

Vegas and Colorado are the cream of the crop .

[batt33]

Boston goes down as a big fav....didn't see that...

[yisman]

A University District punk rock bar, called The Kraken Bar & Lounge, is suing Seattle’s new hockey team for $3.5 million, alleging the organization is harming its brand.
In the lawsuit, the bar stated the name has caused confusion.

[Stallion]

Right.....

[mr. leisure]

Vegas / Anaheim again ?

Seems like they play all the time .

[yisman]

Vegas / Anaheim again ?

Seems like they play all the time .

they do

we get same matchups over and over due to the divisions and the reduced travel

[mr. leisure]

Anaheim needs to shut it down for the rest of the year , they stink .

[yisman]

Boston goes down as a big fav....didn't see that...

betting big underdogs this season would've been very profitable

[yisman]

The National Hockey League has secured the final part of its media rights increase, and it can thank AT&T’s WarnerMedia for stepping in.
The NHL and WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports agreed to a deal that will see the network land its second-tier hockey rights for more than $1 billion over seven years. Turner will land three Stanley Cups, one of the NHL conference playoff rounds (ESPN has first rights) and the Winter Classic as part of the package, Turner Sports announced Tuesday.

[mr. leisure]

Grubauer, Rantanen, Donskoi could return for Avalanche on Friday

Goalie, forwards had been in COVID-19 protocol

by Rick Sadowski / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

Philipp Grubauer, Mikko Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi could each return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup when they host the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

Each had been in NHL COVID-19 protocol but has been removed. None are expected to play when Avalanche visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
"I think all three of those guys are a possibility for Friday, which would be great," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday.
Grubauer, a goalie, and Donskoi, a forward, each missed four games after testing positive. Rantanen missed three games because of contact tracing.
Grubauer was placed in protocol April 14 and was expected to be out at least two weeks. He was removed from protocol Friday and returned to skating Tuesday.
"Trying to build him back up to be able to be the starter for us, hopefully Friday," Bednar said. "He's on the ice today for the first time. He's been in the building with us for three or four days working out and working on his conditioning, strengthening of his groins and abdomen and everything he needs to do."
Grubauer is 25-8-1 in 34 games with a 2.00 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and five shutouts. He was tied for the NHL lead in wins with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning; Grubaure now trails Vasilevskiy by three.
"He's feeling really good," Bednar said. "I don't want to rush him back. He's not going to play for us tomorrow after one skate and a pregame skate, but if he feels good for Friday, then he's a possibility."
Donskoi, who was placed in protocol April 16, was removed Monday and will return to the ice Thursday. He has scored 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 42 games.
Rantanen, who had been in protocol since April 20, was removed Monday and skated Tuesday. He has scored 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 43 games.
"Mikko's on the ice and getting ready to play," Bednar said. "He wasn't feeling great, he was under the weather, and now he's feeling good, so he'll gear up for as soon as we can get him back. I'm hoping that's Friday.
"Donskoi [has] a little bit later timeline, but he has been feeling good, doing some work on his own and going through the cardiac testing."
The Avalanche, who had three games postponed from April 16-20 because of COVID-19 protocols, have lost two games to the St. Louis Blues after going 18-1-2 in the previous 21 games.
Colorado (31-11-4), which has clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is second in the Honda West Division, four points behind Vegas.

[yisman]

ovechkin out again

[mr. leisure]

Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios for April 29

Capitals, Penguins can each earn berth in East

Here are the Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios for April 29:

MassMutual East Division

The Washington Capitals will clinch a playoff berth if:
- They defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, NBCSWA, ATTSN-PT, TVAS, NHL.TV) AND the New York Islanders defeat the New York Rangers.
- They get one point against the Penguins AND the Islanders defeat the Rangers in regulation.

The Penguins will clinch a playoff berth if:
- They defeat the Capitals AND the Islanders defeat the Rangers in regulation.

[yisman]

screwed up for the draft contest

my actual forecast:


Lawrence-Wilson-Lance-Pitts-Chase-Waddle-Sewell-Slater-Mac Jones-Surtain

[batt33]

I cant remember seeing such big favs... boston etc. Buffalo giving them a run for their money

[mr. leisure]

I cant remember seeing such big favs... boston etc. Buffalo giving them a run for their money

NY yanks were - 563 today . 9- 0 right now

[yisman]

well, I would've gotten 5th for 250 points. small prize. first seven picks right

The Seattle Kraken are allowed to make trades and sign players after the organization made its final expansion payment to the NHL, it was announced.
Kraken owners paid $650 million to officially become the 32nd franchise in the league. Seattle will begin play next season.

[mr. leisure]

Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenario for May 1

Islanders can earn berth

The New York Islanders will clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the New York Rangers in regulation

[mr. leisure]

Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenario for May 1

Islanders can earn berth

The New York Islanders will clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the New York Rangers in regulation

Isles clinch , Rangers had a decent season but are going to come up a little short .

[yisman]

back to the weird scheduling with almost the entire league playing Saturday and Monday but only one game Sunday

[mr. leisure]

back to the weird scheduling with almost the entire league playing Saturday and Monday but only one game Sunday

Yep , would have liked to have some games today .

[jrgum3]

they do

we get same matchups over and over due to the divisions and the reduced travel

While I get why they did things that way which enabled them to get this season in I don't like it from a fans perspective. I'd like to see teams play teams outside their division because it gets boring watching the same matchups over and over again unless it's the playoffs.

[yisman]

​
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said the club’s top prospect, forward Alex Newhook, will likely make his NHL debut at some point during a five-game road trip that begins Monday night in San Jose.
Newhook, 20, won’t play against the Sharks after just one ice session with the Avs, which was Monday’s morning skate at SAP Center. Newhook, who signed out of Boston College on March 31, has nine points (five goals) in eight games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

[mr. leisure]

While I get why they did things that way which enabled them to get this season in I don't like it from a fans perspective. I'd like to see teams play teams outside their division because it gets boring watching the same matchups over and over again unless it's the playoffs.

Agree , its getting boring . Bring on the playoffs .