Ek’s Note: I am back from vacation tomorrow, but here is the latest from Kevin Allen
Here are five NHL impact players who don’t wear jerseys:
* Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito: Has transformed this team into a contender with bold moves and signings. Might be the most aggressive GM in the game, * Calgary Flames coach Darryl Sutter: Has changed the culture of this organization. You don’t want to play this group in the first round. *Buffalo Sabes coach Don Granato: Rasmus Dahlin is back on track. Jeff Skinner is scoring again. Tage Thompson is now a real player. He will be great with Owen Power. Sabres may finally be turning it around.
* Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin: He manages the way he played: He’s never afraid to be bold. It started with moving out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. He makes the hard decision. * Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour: Knows the players, knows the game, understands how to win. Has the respect of the entire league:
Today’s Notebook:
2. Five members of the talent-laden Michigan college team have already turned pro: Owen Power (Buffalo), Kent Johnson (Columbus), Matty Beniers (Seattle), Brendan Brisson (Vegas) and John Beecher (Boston). More could follow.
3. This season, broadcasters Terry Crisp (Nashville), Rick Jeanneret (Buffalo) and Pat Foley (Chicago) are retiring. That’s a talent loss of significant proportion. Jeanneret has been a Sabres broadcaster since their second season in 1971-72.
4. Can’t imagine we will see many non-Russians playing in the KHL next season. That will likely have a trickle down effect. KHL import players now will be looking at leagues in other countries.
5. On this date, April 14, 62 years ago, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 to become the only NHL team to win five consecutive Stanley Cup championships. It turned out to be Maurice “Rocket… Richard’s last NHL game. He retired in the offseason.
6. In an odd twist, both Boston College and Boston University find themselves without a hockey coach. BU fired its coach Albie O’Connell two weeks ago and legendary Boston College coach Jerry York retired Wednesday at age 76. It still feels like York retired too soon. He was at BC for 28 years and won four NCAA titles. He is the winningest Division I coach in hockey history. York sent dozens of players to the NHL. Exceptional coach and human being.
7. KHL goalie Magnus Hellberg, a Swedish player once drafted by the Nashville Predators, will join the Detroit Red Wings for their Friday practice in New York. He signed a contract for the rest of this season. That will be eight games. Just view it as an audition for next season.
8. Dylan Larkin has had a superb season, scoring 31 goals and playing strong every night. That’s why it defies explanation that he has been -8 over the past two Detroit games.
9. The proliferation of stats in hockey has opened the door for those of us who are curious about oddball numbers. StatsMuse.com, for example, says Bob Stewart (-257) has the worst career plus-minus since 1959-60. Other poor plus-minus guys, primarily reflecting spending too much time on a bad team: Alexandre Daigle (-176), Rob Ramage (-178), Don Lever (-248) and Rasmus Ristolainen (-172).
10. Fifty years ago in the NHL, in 1971-72, two (Montreal and Boston) of the 16 teams scored an average better than four goals per game. This season, we have only one team (Florida) out of 32 averaging four or more goals per game. But the real difference is in goal prevention. In 1971-72, only five of 16 teams had a goals-against average under 3.00. Today, 16 of the 32 teams have GAA under 3.00.
11. This season, only Thomas Chabot (26:23), Seth Jones (26:13), Brent Burns (26:06), and Zach Werenski (26:03) are averaging more than 26 minutes per game. According to StatMuse, since 1999-00, the highest career average for minutes per game is Chris Pronger’s average 27:11 for 738 games.
12. Defense wins, right? Most of the time. But not always. How do we explain that the New York Islanders are fourth in the NHL in goals-against average (2.69) and yet they are not in the playoffs?
13. One of the biggest lies in the NHL today: “I don’t care who we play in the playoffs…. Oh, you care. Certain matchups scare the bejeebies out of players, coaches and fans.
14. Like the look of Claude Giroux in Florida. Hope he stays there. That team will be good for several years.
15. How dominant has New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider been on the power play? He has 25 power play goals. Alex Ovechkin and Auston Matthews only have 15. In fact, Leon Draisaitl and Mikko Rantanen are the only other players with more than 15.
16. The most vulnerable coaches this postseason: Detroit’s Jeff Blashil, New Jersey’s Lindy Ruff and San Jose’s Bob Boughner.
17. The Los Angeles Kings can be the favorite in the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes this summer if they want to be. They have the assets and the need.
18. Will teams be willing to give Nazem Kadri a seven-year deal? Don’t think so. He seems younger, but he will be 32 before the start of the 2022-23 season.
19. Don’t know how many coaching vacancies there will be this summer, but I believe John Tortorella will be back behind the bench. Whenever you discuss potential coaching jobs becoming available his name always comes up first. He’s 63. But he wants to coach again. And, people in the hockey world still believe he gets the best out of a team.
20. Believe there’s a good chance that the Red Wings will trade defenseman Filip Hronek this summer.
21. At -18, Dallas Stars forward Radek Faksa and Nashville defenseman Matt Benning have the worst plus-minus among players who have spent the entire season with a team currently in a playoff spot.
22. Marc-Andre Fleury is 4-1 with a 2.44 GAA and .926 save percentage since coming to the Wild. There won’t be a goalie controversy when the playoffs start.
23. In Johnny Gaudreau’s best season, his plus-minus was +18. He was only +21 for his career before this season. Today, he’s sitting at +56 for the season. He’s +8 in his past five seasons.
24. Under-the-radar quality trade deadline move: Rickard Rakell going to Pittsburgh. He has 10 points in 12 games and gives the Penguins one more scorer for the postseason.
25. The Florida Panthers have won eight in a row and the Colorado Avalanche have won seven in a row. Are those the 2022 Stanley Cup Finalists?