NHL Thread Because There Isn't An NHL Thread

The Washington Capitals got two key players back Monday.

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov resumed practicing for the first time since the NHL placed them on its COVID-19 protocol list along with Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and defenseman Dmitry Orlov on Jan. 20. Ovechkin and Orlov returned to the lineup Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, respectively.

Kuznetsov isn't sure whether he'll play Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.


"We're day-to-day, you know, and it's all about how I'm gonna feel (Tuesday)," he said after the on-ice session. "I'm just happy I'm alive today, and (to) be able to practice with the team is just a big step for me."

The star forward centered the fourth line at practice Monday, while Samsonov served as the team's third goaltender behind Vitek Vanecek and Craig Anderson, according to The Washington Post's Samantha Pell.

Samsonov contracted the virus but said he's on the mend.


Kuznetsov confirmed he experienced COVID-19 symptoms but quipped that he wasn't afraid because of his country of origin.

"No, no, I'm from Russia," he said with a laugh. "And there is not a lot that can scare me."

Kuznetsov tallied a goal and two assists in four games before being forced to miss time. Samsonov went 1-0-1 with seven goals allowed in two contests.

Samsonov began the season as the Capitals' starting netminder. Washington leaned heavily on Vanecek in Samsonov's absence and the first-year puck-stopper initially excelled, earning the NHL's Rookie of the Month honors for January. However, Vanecek has lost his last three games and was pulled from Sunday's 7-4 defeat after allowing the Philadelphia Flyers to score four goals on 14 shots.

The NHL fined the Capitals $100,000 for violating the league's COVID-19 protocol Jan. 20. Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Samsonov, and Orlov landed on the list shortly thereafter, and the team admitted its players had failed to adhere to the rules when they interacted in a hotel room.
 
The NHL has postponed more games involving the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and New Jersey Devils due to COVID-19 concerns, the league announced Monday.

Three Devils games (Feb. 11, 13 vs. Philadelphia, and Feb. 15 against Boston), two Sabres games (Feb. 11, 13 vs. Washington), and two Wild contests (Feb 11. vs. St. Louis and Feb. 13 vs. Los Angeles) have been pushed to a later date.

The league’s, NHLPA’s, and clubs’ medical groups will decide on the teams’ resumption of practice and play in the coming days.


The Devils, who had their previous two games postponed, had 16 players on the COVID-19 protocol list as of Sunday. New Jersey's last game was against the Sabres on Jan. 31, and the club has now had five games pushed back.

Buffalo had several players put on the COVID-19 list after that contest with the Devils and had four matchups delayed last week. The Sabres now have six games in total to make up.

Minnesota had three games postponed last week and have not played since Feb. 2. The club now has five games to make up.
 
Ginormousthumbs said:
Well, that didn’t take long 😂
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I this what you meant?

Newly acquired Columbus Blue Jackets superstar Patrik Laine was benched for nearly half of Monday's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Laine's final shift came with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and he didn't see any action in the third frame. He was on the ice for Carolina's second goal, and the sniper finished the night with no points or shots over 11:31 of action.

The 22-year-old was playing his fourth game with his new club since being acquired for Pierre-Luc Dubois, whose tenure with the Blue Jackets came to an unceremonious end after he demanded a trade. Head coach John Tortorella later benched him for a lack of effort.


Tortorella didn't get into the specifics of Laine's benching postgame.

"That's gonna stay in house," he said, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda. "I know you guys are going to try to work me on that. It wasn't because of the missed assignment. There's a number of things that come into play with that. That will stay in the locker room.

"It's what I feel I need to do. The last thing I want to do is bench a player."

He added that it's important every Blue Jackets player consistently meets the organization's expectations.

"Through hell or high water I am going to try to find a way to get us to that tightness with a lot of new bodies coming in here and understanding the standard and the culture that we want here," he said.

Laine had recorded three goals with Columbus heading into Monday's game. He was not made available to the media after the contest.
 
Hollywood said:
I this what you meant?

Newly acquired Columbus Blue Jackets superstar Patrik Laine was benched for nearly half of Monday's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Laine's final shift came with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and he didn't see any action in the third frame. He was on the ice for Carolina's second goal, and the sniper finished the night with no points or shots over 11:31 of action.

The 22-year-old was playing his fourth game with his new club since being acquired for Pierre-Luc Dubois, whose tenure with the Blue Jackets came to an unceremonious end after he demanded a trade. Head coach John Tortorella later benched him for a lack of effort.


Tortorella didn't get into the specifics of Laine's benching postgame.

"That's gonna stay in house," he said, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda. "I know you guys are going to try to work me on that. It wasn't because of the missed assignment. There's a number of things that come into play with that. That will stay in the locker room.

"It's what I feel I need to do. The last thing I want to do is bench a player."

He added that it's important every Blue Jackets player consistently meets the organization's expectations.

"Through hell or high water I am going to try to find a way to get us to that tightness with a lot of new bodies coming in here and understanding the standard and the culture that we want here," he said.

Laine had recorded three goals with Columbus heading into Monday's game. He was not made available to the media after the contest.
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Yep. I think he’d look pretty good in a Seattle jersey. 😊
 
Hollywood said:
I this what you meant?

Newly acquired Columbus Blue Jackets superstar Patrik Laine was benched for nearly half of Monday's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Laine's final shift came with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and he didn't see any action in the third frame. He was on the ice for Carolina's second goal, and the sniper finished the night with no points or shots over 11:31 of action.

The 22-year-old was playing his fourth game with his new club since being acquired for Pierre-Luc Dubois, whose tenure with the Blue Jackets came to an unceremonious end after he demanded a trade. Head coach John Tortorella later benched him for a lack of effort.


Tortorella didn't get into the specifics of Laine's benching postgame.

"That's gonna stay in house," he said, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda. "I know you guys are going to try to work me on that. It wasn't because of the missed assignment. There's a number of things that come into play with that. That will stay in the locker room.

"It's what I feel I need to do. The last thing I want to do is bench a player."

He added that it's important every Blue Jackets player consistently meets the organization's expectations.

"Through hell or high water I am going to try to find a way to get us to that tightness with a lot of new bodies coming in here and understanding the standard and the culture that we want here," he said.

Laine had recorded three goals with Columbus heading into Monday's game. He was not made available to the media after the contest.
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His shifts have been very lazy on defense...he wasn’t the only one benched last night.

that said...bench a guy for a few minutes to prove a point, not a whole period +...it has been a very busy day on talk shows talking about it here though
 
A man with deep ties to the Philadelphia Flyers is on the verge of overseeing their intra-state rivals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have offered their general manager job to Ron Hextall, reports TSN's Frank Seravalli. The two sides are still negotiating terms.

Earlier Tuesday, TSN's Pierre LeBrun tweeted "all signs point to Hextall being the front-runner" for the job but that the team was still discussing the position with others.


The Penguins reportedly interviewed Hextall last week. Pittsburgh also apparently got permission to speak with Chris Drury of the New York Rangers, Chris MacFarland of the Colorado Avalanche, and John Ferguson Jr. of the Boston Bruins, though New York later promoted Drury after he withdrew from the Penguins' search.

Hextall was one of 20 individuals who reportedly reached out to the Penguins to initially express interest in the job.

Pittsburgh tabbed Patrik Allvin - previously the club's assistant GM - as interim GM when Jim Rutherford abruptly resigned in late January. The Penguins were expected to interview Allvin before the other candidates.

Hextall has been an advisor to the Los Angeles Kings' hockey operations department since September 2019. The 56-year-old former Flyers goaltender was the team's GM from 2014 to 2018 and was previously an assistant GM with both Philadelphia and Los Angeles, helping the latter club win the Stanley Cup in 2012.
 
Twentytwo said:
I think they should just go ahead and give the cup to Tampa Bay again, they are really good. Can't wait for my Preds to get destroyed by them again tonight.
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I CAN GET BEHIND THIS IDEA LOLOL!!

If only Kucherov would be available come playoff time!


Crabbers said:
They were also really really good 2 years ago and got swept in the 1st round by CBJ
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That season will remain a bleak stain in our franchise history BUT we got our revenge last year in the playoffs!!!
 
Crabbers said:
They are very good indeed...Dallas has looked damn good too
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Our division is going to be wild!!! Dallas, you all, Tampa, and even freaking Florida playing great! Early prediction: The playoff race comes down to the last few games in this division
 
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