Tyler. Toffoli. WOW!
The Toronto kid put on a clinic on how to abuse Roberto Luongp on Hockey Night In Canada.
Toffoli scored two goals and assisted on another while filling in for the injured Jeff Carter (foot).
As I've told you in this space before, Toffoli has been frustrated with the rile that he has been playing with the Kings this season. Toffoli was expected to compete for a top six forward spot in training camp, however, Darryl Sutter wasn't impressed with Toffoli's performance in exhibition games so he shipped the former two time 50 goal scorer (Ottawa 67s) back to AHL Manchester.
When asked about his demotion to the minors, Toffol told it like it was when he said:
"It sucks. "You don't want to be playing in the American League. You want to be playing in the NHL. It was definitely hard. I went down there. It took a little time to adjust back to hockey, and just started heating up again with not just myself, but the whole team is playing really well"
Toffoli and fellow rookie phenom Linden Vey are currently playing in L.A. due to untimely and unfortunate injuries to veteran Stanley Cup winning top six forwards Jeff Carter and Jarret Stoll.
When Carter's foot heals, he'll resume his spot alongside Mike Richards. That will make Tiffoli the odd man out. Again. The sniper will not go back to Manchester without a fight.
"Same as the last time," Toffoli said. "I'm trying to earn my spot on the team and I'm working hard every day. I'm just trying to stay in the lineup, so we'll see how things keep going."
Sutter's go-to move is to ride his veterans at the expense of his rookies. Sutter will default to Carter and Stoll when they are healthy enough to return. That will leave Toffoli and Vey on the outside looking in again. Toffoli may well be using this current stint in the NHL as an audition for other NHL teams that are kid-friendly.
Thanks, Kings Vision
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Jason Pominville scored the 200th goal of his career when Ryan Suter fired a puck through center ice to him, and he beat Carolina goalie Justin Peters with a trademark shot. Pominville also scored in the shootout. The Wild beat the Hurricanes.
Pominville now has 11 goals and 3 assists in 18 games with the Wild this season.
"I put my head up and it was Suter," said Pominville. "He made a good play and I think I had a lot of time. Those kind of breakaways don't happen too often, Pominville told Wild TV"
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The NY Islanders were given bad news when Thomas Vanek (upper body) left the game after just 23 seconds with an upper-body injury and did not return. Vanek was slashed across than hand and didn't return to the game.l
The Blue Jackets beat the Islanders 5-2.
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