Lots of World Championship notes on the way but let's start today with this nugget from Fenway Park:
"I tried to put some cheese on it." @Hockey_Gaud threw out the first pitch at the @RedSox game last night at Fenway Park. âš¾ï¸ðŸ’¨ pic.twitter.com/l1n3wVL99n
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 1, 2018
Hobey Baker winner Adam Gaudette has been back at school at Northeastern since his season ended with the Canucks. Ben Kuzma of The Province reported that Gaudette will continue working toward his communications degree this summer.
As the first Hobey Baker winner in Northeastern history, Gaudette was honoured at Fenway along with two seniors, Paris Cal and James Andrea, at Northeastern Night on Monday, before the Red Sox took on the Kansas City Royals.
If you watch the video through to the end, you'll see Gaudette signing a personalized Canucks T-shirt for a young fan. It's so strange to see Canucks colours being celebrated in Boston. Gaudette could be the guy to build the bridge that gets both fanbases past all the animosity from 2011.
Up next—former Canuck defensemen Luca Sbisa and Yannick Weber both saw their first action of the postseason with their current teams this week.
Sbisa has been sidelined since early March with an undisclosed injury. He played just 30 regular-season games for Vegas this year but topped his offensive output from any of his years in Vancouver in that time, going 2-12-14. Sbisa finished with a plus-8, averaging 19:31 per game of ice time.
On Friday, he played 17:00, mostly paired with Colin Miller, as the Golden Knights moved within one game of advancing to the Western Conference Final with their 5-3 home win over San Jose. Vegas built a 4-0 lead, with Sbisa on the ice for two of those goals, before the Sharks stormed back to within a goal in the third.
Does this look familiar?
incredible pic.twitter.com/YFG2I4loS4
— Jason Botchford (@botchford) May 5, 2018
But before you get too judgey, read this:
Sbisa played 2/3 of the last 3 minutes of the game, underscoring Gallant's trust in him. I asked Sbisa how long he's been ready physically to come back in after his long layoff, "Probably after the first round." #VegasBorn
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 5, 2018
It's tough for a coach to mess with a winning lineup, but Gerard Gallant used his opportunity to sub Sbisa back in for Jon Merrill after Vegas laid an egg in San Jose in Game 4 on Wednesday, losing 4-0—their first regulation loss of the playoffs.
It's tough for long-suffering fanbases around the NHL to watch Vegas fans get treated to a long playoff run in their very first season, but I've been clinging to the belief that Canucks fans, at least, didn't have to fret over the idea that they'd surrendered a player that had been a linchpin of the Golden Knights' success. That could change if Sbisa steps in now—fresh, after not playing much all season—and becomes a key shutdown guy.
Will we see Sbisa vs. Yannick Weber in the Western Conference Final? Weber was a frequent healthy scratch from the deep Nashville defense this season, appearing in just 47 games, but he went on the injured list with an upper-body issue in late March. After the Preds threw away their 3-0 lead in Winnipeg on Tuesday and went on to lose 7-4, Weber got the nod for his first action of the playoffs. He subbed in for Alexei Emelin on the third pair as Nashville evened the series at 2-2 with a tight 2-1 road win in Winnipeg.
Yannick Weber was a welcomed addition last night.
— On The Forecheck (@OnTheForecheck) May 4, 2018
In limited use, the Weber-Irwin pairing’s shot att share was very average and *that’s a good result* for a bottom pairing.
And since Irwin = a less dangerous version of Alexei Emelin... have we seen the last of 25? pic.twitter.com/4F3QTgO0VW
As soon as the Vegas franchise was made official last year, hockey writers started salivating over the party possibilities that would go along with the prospect of covering a Nashville/Vegas Western Conference Final someday. We're suddenly eerily close to seeing that happen.
Nashville/Winnipeg is still a pick 'em, I think—especially since both teams have been able to win on the road in very tough rinks. But there is one Canucks-adjacent positive that could come about if the Golden Knights eliminate the Sharks: perennial healthy scratch Jannik Hansen, who has not dressed for one playoff game, would be released from his Sharks obligations and could come home to suit up for Denmark in front of his home fans!
Hansen will officially be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, so insurance would have to be worked out, but I'm sure he's rested and I bet he's dying to play.
It was a SCENE inside and out at Jyske Bank Boxen on Friday as the Danes opened their World Championship tournament with a 3-2 shootout win over Germany, with hometown Herning hero Frans Nielsen scoring the shootout winner.
Here's the response from the sold-out crowd for Denmark's second goal of the night:
As I type this, the music is pumping outside the arena but the crowd noise has quieted. We're just a few minutes away from Saturday's puck drop between Denmark and the U.S. Most everybody is now inside, hoping for more chances to cheer.
The U.S. team needed about a period and a half to get organized in its opening game on Friday, but came out with a 5-4 shootout win over Canada.
Bo Horvat had one assist, kicking a rebound over to Pierre-Luc Dubois for Canada's first goal of the game at the 47-second mark of the first period.
Pierre-Luc Dubois of the @BlueJacketsNHL has the first goal of the #IIHFWorlds with a quick snap shot. 1-0 Canada. #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/DtiMXM1Yiy
— Steven Ellis (@StevenEllisNHL) May 4, 2018
Horvat played a total of 15:54 on Friday, including a whopping 6:59 in the third period, when the game was on the line. He was also tapped to shoot fifth in the five-round shootout, but couldn't beat sharp U.S. goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who was named best player for the Americans.
Bo had two shots in the game. His best chance came in the second period, but he didn't get a shot away after being sprung loose, when he was caught from behind by speedy U.S. defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Hughes is definitely small—listed at 5'9" and 168 pounds on the USA roster sheet. But he's got wheels—and coach Jeff Blashill didn't shy away from using him. Though Hughes put his team shorthanded with a tripping penalty early in the first period, he continued to get shifts and finished the night with 13:11 in ice time, including 1:03 in overtime.
Meanwhile, down the road in Copenhagen, Elias Pettersson finished with 15:23 of ice time and one shot on goal on Friday as Sweden defeated Belarus 5-0.
Nearly half of Pettersson's ice came in the third period, when Sweden had already built a comfortable lead. He did give us this:
Elias Pettersson continues to showcase his superb puck skills and shiftiness. Listen to the crowd’s reaction after puts the puck through that player’s feet.
— Grady Sas (@GradySas) May 4, 2018
“He’s got that great offensive arrogance.… – @mike_p_johnson. #Canucks #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/39jIcwCCQR
Magnus Hellberg got the shutout for Sweden, while Anders Nilsson backed up.
Sweden's next game is Sunday at 7 a.m. PT against the Czechs. Canada gets things started early on Sunday. Game time is 3 a.m. PT for Canada vs. Korea.