Whitley's Mike Babcock inline for coaching award

Former Whitley Warriors player and assistant coach, Mike Babcock is favourite to land the Jack Adams coaching award this season. The fact Babcock won a second-straight gold medal with Canada in Sochi last month certainly helps, but its probably his work at Detroit which may determine his success.


Given the injury crisis he has had to contend with at Detroit this season, he has worked a minor-miracle in keeping the Wings in contention for a playoff berth.
This season, Henrik Zetterberg’s only been able to play 45 games, while Pavel Datsyuk’s managed just 39 with a terrible knee injury, that he played with during the Winter Olympics in Socchi. Babcock has also had to contend with inconsistent goaltending as well as an ever-changing lineup.


It’s a long overdue honor, and not just because Babcock is considered the best coach in the NHL without the trophies to show for it. He’s had seasons that were worthy of the award, only to see it handed to another coach. Leading the Mighty Sucks of Anaheim to a 95-point season in 2002-03, their highest point total in franchise history and their first playoff appearance in four years, but he lost the Jack Adams award to Jacques Lemaire of the Minnesota Wild. A team Anaheim beat in the Western Conference Finals that season.

In Detroit, Babcock lead the Wings to a 124-point season in 2005-06, the second-highest point total in franchise history, but Buffalo's Lindy Ruff ended up walking off with the Award, despite losing in the Conference Finals. When Detroit landed the Presidents’ Trophy in 2007-08, before clinching the Stanley Cup a few weeks later, Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Crapitals won the award. That's right Bruce Boudreau!! his Crapitals team lost in the first round of the playoffs that year to the Goons of Philadelphia Cryers. During the 2010-11 season, Detroit finished with 104 points and a division title, but Pittsburgh's Dan Bylsma’s won the award.

Last season Babcock dragged Detroit into the playoffs, when it looked like their 23-year run was about to end especially as they had entered into the post-Nicklas Lidstrom, era, only for St Louis' Ken Hitchcock to win it. For the record St Louis lost to the Kings in the opening round of the playoffs, while Detroit shocked the highly fancied Anaheim Sucks and at one stage had the eventual Stanley Cup champion-Blackhawks facing elimination with a 3-1 series lead.

In two of the last three times Babcock could have justifiably won the award, a coach hired in-season was given the Jack Adams. In Bylsma’s case, it was because the Penguins thrived without their top two offensive players (sound familiar?). The coach of the year award has the most simplistic and transparent standards of any major award in the NHL. It’s context rather than accomplishment, exposition instead of X’s and O’s. It’s fitting that the NHL’s broadcast media handles the duties: They’re trained to see the big picture. Jack Adams winners typically fall into a few distinct categories, or share a few distinct traits:

* The Guy Who Gets Hired In The Off-Season And Turns A Crappy Team Into A Really Great Team, Defying Expectations.

* The Guy Who Gets Hired In-Season And Turns What We Thought Would Be A Good Team That Started Crappy Into That Good Team We Thought It Would Be, Thus Reaffirming Our Analytical Prowess

* The Guy Who Coaches Through Incredible Adversity To Produce A Playoff Team

* The Guy Who Dramatically Improves Some Facet Of The Team By Doing Something Obvious That Voters Can Point To And Say, “SEE, LOOK, AWESOME COACH, RIGHT?”

The competition for the Jack Adams this season includes coaches that fit these categories.

Injuries

The Red Wings’ injury situation reached absurd levels this season, and by that we mean Brendan Smith playing forward. Babcock used 33 skaters, with just 13 forwards and defensemen having played over 50 games. (The Avalanche, for comparison’s sake, have used 27 skaters with 18 having played over 50 games.) I know Cooper deserves huge marks for keeping the Lightning in the playoffs without Stamkos. But again, timing is everything: Stamkos is back now while Babcock is still working with a patchwork lineup. He lost his top three scorers, a top four defenseman and various other parts during the campaign. To have moved the puzzle pieces around to create a playoff picture this season is an accomplishment, and has earned Mike Babcock his notice. But so did …

HBO

The “24/7 Effect” is a very real thing. Dan Bylsma was seen as the smartest guy in the room after his season, in contrast with Bruce Boudreau. John Tortorella came off compassionate and likeable. And Babcock, standing next to that giant whiteboard in his office, was professorial and in control, even when the Red Wings couldn’t buy a victory. HBO captured Babcock in moments that stood in contrast with the “auto pilot” assumptions about the Big Red Wings Machine. And if you think we’re overrating this aspect of Babcock’s candidacy, keep in mind TV people have the vote.

Sochi

Ask Ryan Miller if the Olympics can have an effect on postseason awards voting. If Yzerman was the architect of that Canadian gold medal juggernaut, then Babcock was the lead foreman. His slow reprogramming of elite offensive talent into the ’95 Devils was masterful. (Then again, if voters aren’t willing to give him credit for winning with a blessing of riches in Detroit …) The fact is that the Olympic break put the focus on Babcock and only Babcock. And then we returned from Sochi to see him doing some really heavy lifting …

Timing

The case for Babcock is clear. As it is for Patrick Roy and Jon Cooper. So why will Mike Babcock win?

Timing is everything. Awards voting will commence shortly. The Red Wings are pushing for a playoff spot without their two best players. Babcock’s work in perpetuating Detroit’s playoff streak, in arguably its most challenge season on his watch, is getting notoriety. In essence, the expectations for the Red Wings were readjusted. Many thought they were screwed after Zetterberg and Datsyuk went down. Instead, they’ve gone 7-4-2 since Sochi, with Datsyuk playing twice in that stretch. Roy had this award in the bag earlier in the season. But that was before the Red Wings’ injuries. Before Sochi. Before the hockey world’s attention began shifting to Detroit. To put it in Oscar terms: Roy is a prestige film released in the summer, while Babcock’s a Christmas Day Oscar-bait debut.

Why hasn’t Mike Babcock won the Jack Adams?

Because he never really fit the criteria. He wasn’t hired mid-season. The expectations were always too high for his teams. The Red Wings were too polished to really bear the mark of his handiwork, it was always the personnel and not the coach. Babcock had the nerve to lead a first-place team rather than one that surged to the bubble. It looked too easy. But not this year. This was a Red Wings team decimated by injuries. This was a Red Wings team that needed a late surge to get over the bubble. And should they make the postseason, this is a Red Wings team that owes the continuation of its playoff streak to 23 seasons to Mike Babcock. Topping Roy won’t be easy; but what has been for Babcock this season?

Patrick Roy (WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW) transformed a Colorado Avalanche team many had out of the playoffs into an early season juggernaut and sure-thing playoff contender. Jon Cooper coached the Tampa Bay Lightning into the playoffs without the injured-Steven Stamkos and the Marty St. Louis trade. Dan Bylsma coached through massive injuries to his blue line and to Pascal Dupuis. Craig Berube resurrected the Philadelphia Cryers. Claude Julien and Ken Hitchcock orchestrate the two of best defenses in the NHL with the Bruins and the Blues. For the majority of the season, Roy appeared to be a lock for the Jack Adams, with Cooper occupying the coveted “guy who coached team through injury hell” slot. But Babcock’s candidacy is a perfect storm of Jack Adams criteria, and it might be enough to overcome Roy’s admittedly significant lead. If Mike Babcock does win the Jack Adams award, it will be interesting to see the look on Patrick Roy’s face when he loses to a Red Wing. Once again. You can just hear the Wings fans singing Patrick, Patrick!!

Winnipeg Jets @ San Jose Sharks 4-3 - 03/27

The Winnipeg Jets' hopes of reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs have faded, but forward Blake Wheeler gave them a boost Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center. Wheeler scored his team-leading 25th goal, had two assists and delivered a team-high five hits as the Jets stunned the Sharks 4-3 and delivered a huge blow to San Jose's hopes of winning the Pacific Division. Tobias Enstrom scored the game-winner on a power play with 3:36 left in the third period, with Wheeler earning the primary assist. Wheeler got the puck below the goal line and sent a sharp-angled pass to Enstrom, who ripped the game-winner past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi from the left circle.

"He just keeps getting stronger and more powerful, power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, finishing checks, he's just been fantastic for us," Jets coach Paul Maurice said of Wheeler.

Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien also scored for the Jets (33-32-9), who got 27 saves from Al Montoya. Winnipeg is nine points behind the Phoenix Coyotes, who own the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

"You check, but we're not thinking about it before the game," Ladd said of the playoff race. "We just wanted to come in here and have a good effort and give ourselves a chance to win, and I thought we did that."

Dan Boyle, Brent Burns and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks (47-19-9), who remain two points ahead of the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division. But Anaheim has played three fewer games, and the Sharks wasted a chance to gain valuable points.

"We can't give away points," Sharks forward Joe Pavelski said. "We've given away a few too many lately. [The Ducks have] the games in hand. If they do their job, they'll be there, but there's still quite a bit of hockey left."

Niemi stopped 27 of 31 shots. The Sharks and Jets entered the third period tied 3-3 after two penalty-filled periods. Each team scored two power-play goals in the game. Winnipeg went on the first power play of the third at 14:17 when San Jose defenseman Brad Stuart went to the penalty box for holding Michael Frolik. San Jose killed off all but 11 seconds of that penalty when Couture flipped the puck over the glass and went to the box for delay of game.

"It's a very easy call," Couture said. "The puck goes out of play, it didn't hit the glass. I tried to backhand it down, and it kind of flipped up on me at the last second. Just unlucky. I'm not a big fan of that rule, never have been, but it's there and it cost us tonight."

The Jets quickly made San Jose pay, as Enstrom scored his ninth goal at 16:24. The goal came 27 seconds after Couture went to the penalty box. Coming into the game, the Jets had defeated the Sharks 5-4 in a shootout at home and suffered a 1-0 loss at San Jose.

"I think we learned that we match up well against them," Wheeler said. "I think that gives you confidence going into a game. If it's a team that you don't really have a great matchup against sometimes, it can be a tough night, but for whatever reason we match up decent against these guys. They've all been one-goal games, and we've come out on the right side (twice)."

Boyle gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead 1:57 into the first period when he ended a 29-game drought with his ninth goal. Sharks center James Sheppard sent the puck from above the right circle to the slot, Marty Havlat redirected it toward the net, and Boyle tapped it in past Montoya.

"It's been a long time," Boyle said. "It was nice for a couple minutes, but obviously losing the game puts an end to that pretty quickly. It was nice to help put one in."

Ladd answered 36 seconds later with his 22nd goal. Racing along the right boards, Frolik sent a pass ahead to Ladd, who got behind San Jose's defensemen and tried to jam the puck past Niemi. Niemi stopped that effort, but he couldn't cover the rebound, and Ladd lifted it over his pads and into the net.

"You go back and think of the number of games ... where he's answered back right after the other team scored," Maurice said of Ladd. "That was big in this building because it can get real loud on you if they start getting chances. They really can run at you. It was big because it settled the game down, settled the bench down."

Ladd, who missed the Jets' game Monday against the Dallas Stars to be with his wife and newborn daughter, is tied with Bryan Little for second on the team in goals. The Sharks regained the lead at 14:27 of the first period on the power play when Burns scored his career-high 21st goal. Pavelski hit Burns in the low slot with a pass from the right circle, and Burns lifted a backhand shot over Montoya's pads. The Jets opened the second period with back-to-back goals by Wheeler and Byfuglien to take a 3-2 lead. Wheeler scored his team-high 25th goal at 1:55, sending a sharp-angled shot from the right circle that somehow made it through Niemi's pads and over the goal line. Then at 9:32 of the second, Byfuglien scored on the power play with Joe Thornton in the box for tripping Wheeler. Byfuglien took a cross-ice pass from Wheeler in the left circle and one-timed a laser past Niemi for his 20th goal on his 29th birthday.

"He's been dominant this last month or so with his speed and his confidence with the puck now," Ladd said of Wheeler. "I know firsthand playing with him, he's a guy that if you get open, he'll find a way to get you the puck. With his speed he creates so much space for himself. He gives himself time to make those plays. He's been great for us."

The Sharks tied the game at 3-3 at 11:23 of the period on Couture's power-play goal. Couture returned to the lineup and centered the second line after missing one game with an injured foot sustained blocking a shot Monday against the Calgary Flames. He paid a physical price for his 20th goal. Sheppard blasted a shot that banked off Couture's thumb and into the net from just left of the crease. Thornton became the 100th player in NHL history to appear in 1,200 regular-season games, but the Sharks played a forgettable one against the Jets, who had lost back-to-back games and have gone 5-6-3 since the NHL's break for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

"You want to be consistent no matter who you play, but yeah, we've let some teams that are not as good in the standings beat us and take points away, for whatever reason I'm not sure," Thornton said. "We've got a game Saturday (against the Colorado Avalanche) that's important and just get our mindset back to we've got to win every game here on out and we'll be OK."

Minnesota Wild @ St Louis Blues 1-5 - 03/27

Lyla Grace Oshie may not understand what her dad is doing on the ice these days, but T.J. Oshie's daughter certainly will see it firsthand once she's old enough. Lyla was born March 17, and the St. Louis Blues forward had been looking for a way to score a goal for her. He got it Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Thursday night brought Oshie his first career hat trick in a 5-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Scottrade Center. Oshie brought the puck home from Toronto to add to a collection of keepsakes for his daughter. He'll add another after Thursday's milestone.

"She already got one ... maybe that third one will definitely go to her," Oshie said. "It's exciting, exciting night. Happy to get the win. I think [the hat trick] is just a bonus. We're really focusing on playing good, team hockey right now. That's what we got [Thursday]. A few of them just happened to go off my stick. The next night it's going to be someone else."

Oshie's three goals is a culmination of his consistent play in recent weeks, but coach Ken Hitchcock feels it's more of a reflection of the Blues' top line with David Backes and Alexander Steen. Backes had two assists and Steen had an assist Thursday. Combined with their efforts against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, the line has 15 points in two games.

"I think the whole line's playing," Hitchcock said. "They're really playing with a strong focus, but now they're really trying to lead us. I think they're trying to get details in their game. Obviously when you're leaders like they are, you get the details in their game and it forces other people to have details in their game."

Jaden Schwartz and Brenden Morrow also scored for the Blues, who moved back in front of the Boston Bruins for first place in the overall standings and the race for the Presidents' Trophy with 107 points. The Bruins (106 points) briefly took the lead after they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 earlier Thursday. Ryan Miller made 27 saves and is 9-2-1 with a 2.03 goals-against average and .918 save percentage since joining the Blues from the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 28. Jay Bouwmeester had two assists. The Blues (50-16-7) reached 50 wins for the first time since 1999-2000, when they won 51 games in their only Presidents' Trophy-winning season. St. Louis is 8-0-2 in its past 10 home games, 11-2-1 overall in the past 14, and has defeated the Wild nine straight times. Minnesota (37-26-11) is 3-5-4 in its past 12 games and leads the Phoenix Coyotes by one point in the race for the first wild-card in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Phoenix defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in a shootout Thursday. Oshie scored twice in the first period; his first, which tied a career-high 19th of the season set in 2011-12, came when he collected a rebound in the slot and beat Darcy Kuemper high to the glove side 4:43 into the game for a 1-0 lead. St. Louis is 40-2-5 when scoring the first goal. Oshie's second of the game and career-best 20th of the season came shorthanded. He picked off Jaren Spurgeon's pass and raced in alone before beating Kuemper five-hole with 26 seconds left for a 2-0 lead. The Blues had to kill off a four-minute Minnesota power play after defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk got a double minor for roughing Cody McCormick. The Blues took exception to McCormick getting an elbow up on Shattenkirk.

"I think it was more of a message goal," Oshie said. "I don't know what the replay showed, but I think that was a questionable play by them that got the whole thing started. We had our little scrum and to put the puck in the net, it fired us up a little bit, especially me."

Wild coach Mike Yeo felt the shorthanded goal deflated his team. "That second goal was a critical part of that hockey game. We all know how important special teams are at this time of the year if you are minus-1 there. To have a night like [Thursday], it's extremely difficult."

Oshie's third goal came off a Bouwmeester left point shot, with Oshie getting the tip in front at 7:18 of the third period. There was some debate whether Steen got a tip on the puck. He did, but there was a double deflection.

"I'm pretty sure we both touched it," Oshie said. "I don't know who touched it last. [Steen] came right away to me and said it was mine. Steener's too good of a guy to take that one."

Backes scored three goals Tuesday against the Maple Leafs. It was the first time the Blues had hat tricks in back-to-back games since the 2000-01 season when Pavol Demitra had one on Dec. 20 and Michal Handzus did the same on Dec. 23. Minnesota was 0-for-3 on the power play in the first period and 0-for-6 in the game.

"Special teams got beat up pretty good," said Wild left wing Zach Parise, who scored Minnesota's lone goal. "That was the difference, I thought. Anytime you give up a shorty, 0-for whatever it was on the power play ... can't expect to win those games. The game for us was very frustrating from a special teams standpoint, something we talked about before the game that this was a team we could meet in the first round [of the Stanley Cup Playoffs]. We wanted to make it tough for them and I don't think we did that."

Schwartz added to his career-high goal total when he scored his 23rd on the power play in the second period, firing a shot from the right circle into the top corner over Kuemper with 6:50 remaining for a 3-0 lead. Kuemper stopped 19 shots for the Wild; he is 1-5-2 in his past eight decisions after winning five consecutive starts. Morrow scored the Blues' second power-play goal 10:45 into the third period after a two-man advantage expired. Parise snapped Miller's shutout 26 seconds later off a feed from Charlie Coyle. Miller's last shutout was 99 games ago against the Montreal Canadiens on March 21, 2012.

"It would have been nice," Miller said, "but I felt like [Thursday] was a step forward as far as communication with the 'D.''

Los Angeles Kings @ Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 - 03/27

The Los Angeles Kings extended their winning streak to five games while keeping the Pittsburgh Penguins from clinching a Stanley Cup Playoffs berth. Kings defenseman Drew Doughty scored the game-winning goal in the third period of a 3-2 victory Thursday at Consol Energy Center, the Penguins' third loss in a row. Dustin Brown dropped a pass to Doughty at the point, where he slapped a shot past goalie Jeff Zatkoff's blocker for his ninth goal of the season and a 3-2 lead 3:51 into the third. Penguins forward Brandon Sutter appeared to tie the game midway through the period when he pushed the puck past Kings goaltender Martin Jones while being pushed from behind by Doughty before the net was knocked off its moorings. The play was reviewed and, as the crowd began a "Goal" chant, it was ruled that Sutter interfered with Jones and the goal was disallowed with 10:19 remaining.

"That was clear interference. [Sutter] pushed [Jones'] pad right into the net," Doughty said. "Yeah, I gave him a few shots from behind, but that had nothing to do with his stick and pushing [Jones] into the net. So, it was a great call by the refs and people in Toronto."

Sutter saw the play differently. "I was pretty surprised. I just thought the puck came through the crease and I was just trying to jam away at it and it was loose the whole time. I definitely got pushed into the net and the puck went off of me somehow. I have no idea how they didn't call it a goal."

Los Angeles, which tied a franchise record with its eighth consecutive road win, is in third place in the Pacific Division with 92 points. Pittsburgh, which needed one point to clinch a playoff spot, is 11 points ahead of the New York Rangers at the top of the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins' NHL-best power play was 0-for-7.

"Special teams is a key to every game, and when you say it's a key, you're even or plus on special teams," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "If you're minus, you're on a different side of it. We've been a minus many times in the last handful of games."

Trailing by two, Pittsburgh scored twice in the second period to tie the game but lost third-line center Marcel Goc. He left the game in the final minute of the period after apparently injuring his left foot or ankle in a collision with Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin that sent him into the boards behind the Los Angeles net. The Penguins are without second-line center Evgeni Malkin, who missed his second game with a foot injury. Bylsma said Goc sustained a lower-body injury. He has two assists in 12 games with Pittsburgh. Alec Martinez gave the Kings a 2-0 lead by scoring just as a penalty to Penguins forward Tanner Glass expired. Martinez slapped a shot past Zatkoff for his 10th goal of the season 6:59 into the period. Chris Kunitz scored his 33rd goal of the season 34 seconds later to make it 2-1. Sidney Crosby threw the puck to the net from the left boards, and Jayson Megna tapped the puck off of Jones' pads. The rebound went through the crease, and Kunitz tipped the puck into the upper-right corner of the net at 7:33. A shot from Taylor Pyatt went off of Jones' shoulder and over his head before crossing the goal line to tie the game 2-2 with 4:18 left in the period. Matt Niskanen had a chance to give the Penguins their first lead seconds into Pittsburgh's fifth power play when he snapped a shot toward the net with Jones out of position. But Jones stretched to his right and made a blocker save to preserve the tie. Jones, who made 35 saves, said he was determined to deny a third second-period goal.

"We had the two-goal lead there [to start the second] and I just wanted to make sure we didn't give up any more," Jones said. "I was disappointed in giving up the two goals. I thought they were both stoppable goals, but at the end of the day, we made enough saves and played well enough defensively in the third to get the win."

Pittsburgh limited Los Angeles' chances through much of the first period, but the Kings scored the lone goal. The Kings had four shots through the game's first 13:31, when Niskanen was called for interference. Jeff Carter scored on Los Angeles' fourth shot of the power play. Forward Marian Gaborik wristed a shot from the point into traffic and Carter rose his stick to deflect the puck past Zatkoff. The goal was reviewed, but it was ruled Carter's stick was below the crossbar and he was awarded his 26th goal of the season with 4:37 remaining in the first period. The Kings finished their three-game road trip with wins against Pittsburgh, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals. Los Angeles has not lost on the road since Jan. 28, when the Kings lost to the Phoenix Coyotes.

"They're all such good buildings and good teams," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "All three teams are in different places in their standings, so if you can get six points you take it."

Phoenix Coyotes @ New Jersey 3-2 SO - 03/27

The Phoenix Coyotes came east for three games this week, hoping to build on their small cushion for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Coyotes boarded their flight back to the desert Thursday night with five out of six points in the bag after a 3-2 shootout victory against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Phoenix defeated the injury-ravaged Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and lost in overtime to the New York Rangers on Monday after blowing a two-goal lead. The Coyotes also blew a two-goal lead Thursday, but Thomas Greiss made 26 saves, including three in overtime, and Mikkel Boedker scored the lone goal in the shootout to ensure Phoenix got the extra point. Greiss has won two straight starts since Mike Smith went down with a lower-body injury during the 4-3 overtime loss to New York.

"It's huge," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "We were disappointed obviously that we got that lead in the Rangers game with three minutes to go. We'd like to get those points. But we didn't trail on the entire trip. We were able to find ways to get points on this trip."

Instead of thinking about holding on to the second wild-card spot, the Coyotes can turn their focus to Saturday, when they have a chance to move past the Minnesota Wild into the first wild-card position. They play the Wild at Jobing.com Arena. Minnesota has 85 points to Phoenix's 84, but the Wild have lost two in a row and are 3-5-4 since a five-game winning streak that bridged the break for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The Coyotes and Wild have each played 74 games and have 30 regulation/overtime wins.

"Our game, playing well, will get us one of those spots," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "If we play the way we can and the way we hope to; we just want to get ourselves in the playoffs."

The Devils picked up a point in the standings because they came back from down 2-0; they are four points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with three teams to jump and nine games remaining. New Jersey is 0-9 in the shootout this season, with one goal. Damien Brunner, Ryane Clowe and Patrik Elias were the unsuccessful shooters Thursday. Martin Brodeur made 25 saves; he is 0-3-1 in his past four starts.

"It's frustrating that we didn't get the extra point, but I thought we played a good game," said Clowe, who scored with 0.3 seconds left in the second period to cut Phoenix's lead to 2-1. "Unfortunately, we lost again in the shootout, but as far as how we need to play, O-zone time, puck possession and grind time, I thought we were good. I thought our power play could have got us one [Thursday] and it would have been the difference."

New Jersey's fifth-ranked power play went 0-for-4 against Phoenix's 27th-ranked penalty kill. Brunner and Jon Merrill had shots ring off the post. The Devils again were left wondering about the points they left on the board because of their inability to score in the shootout.

"It's in your head," Clowe said. "You need to break that goose egg. Eventually we're going to score first and give ourselves a sigh of relief, but when you make it tense and keep coming down to score, you're done. It's tough. It's hard on the goalies when they give up one goal."

Phoenix got a goal and an assist each from forward Kyle Chipchura and defenseman Chris Summers in regulation before the Devils mounted the comeback that got them a point. Clowe made it 2-1 when Merrill's pass hit off his left shoulder and redirected into the net just before the end of the second period. Clowe had fallen into the crease because he was hit the back by Jeff Halpern. The goal was reviewed to determine if the puck legally crossed the goal line before time had expired, and replay confirmed the call on the ice that it was a good goal. New Jersey forward Adam Henrique's team-leading 24th goal of the season tied the game at 2-2 with 9:38 left in the third period.

"Our guys really left everything on the ice," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "We played a [heck] of a game. We could have won that gave at four or five different points. We threw everything at them. Their goalie was very good, and the shootout obviously is what it is."

Phoenix took a 2-0 lead a little more than three minutes before Clowe scored. Summers scored his second goal in his 11th game of the season with a low shot from the point through a screening Brandon McMillan. Chipchura's fourth goal of the season, and his second of the road trip, gave Phoenix a 1-0 lead 2:21 into the first period. He also had a goal and an assist against the Rangers. The Coyotes had to play the majority of the final two periods without forward David Moss, who sustained a lower-body injury in the first period and left the game after attempting to play a shift midway through the second. Tippett said he thought his team dug in and responded well after Clowe scored. Tippett said he liked the Coyotes' start to the third period and thought they were even better after Henrique scored. He was obviously relieved by the performance Greiss gave filling in for Smith, who will be re-evaluated by team doctors on Friday.

"[Greiss], when he's played this year, he's given the guys a boost. They trust him. They like him. They talk about how hard he is to score on in practice. It's not as if we're overprotecting somebody because we're not sure what we're going to get. It's back to our same game and Greiss will give us the solid goaltending we need."

Chicago Blackhawks @ Boston Bruins 0-3 - 03/27

The Boston Bruins inched closer to the Atlantic Division title with a 3-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Patrice Bergeron scored twice to extend his career-high goal streak to five games, and goaltender Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for his NHL-leading seventh shutout of the season to help the Bruins spoil the Blackhawks' first visit to TD Garden since winning the Stanley Cup last June. The second of two games this season between the Bruins and Blackhawks gave Bergeron, who has six goals and one assist in his past five games, a chance to show the defending champions what he can do when healthy. During the Bruins' six-game loss to the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final, he was limited by a punctured lung, cracked rib and separated shoulder.

"Yeah, the puck's going in, I guess," said Bergeron, who has 25 goals. "There's not much to say about it. It's just, you get those chances sometimes during the year and it doesn't go in. And now it is. Obviously, it's great anytime I can chip in offensively and keep my two-way game. I'm happy with it."

Bergeron scored his second at 5:41 of the third period to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead, 13 seconds after Carl Soderberg had scored to give Boston some breathing room. Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford (20 saves) got caught behind the goal and actually lifted up the net in an attempt to get back to stop Bergeron's one-timer from the bottom of the left circle. After a video review, the officials ruled the puck crossed where the net had been and deemed it a good goal. The Bruins (50-17-6) have earned at least one point in 14 straight games (13-0-1) and are 16-1-3 in their past 20. They had won 12 in a row before a shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. The Bruins have allowed 11 goals in their past 10 games.

"I would say it was a closer game than maybe the score showed, but we really tried to focus on our defense and not to give them much," defenseman Zdeno Chara said. "Obviously, a team like that with the personnel they have, they've got to get some chances. But for the most part I thought we did a good job playing really tight defensively and not giving them too many, let's say on power plays and things like that, or outnumbered situations."

Bergeron scored his first goal at 11:50 of the first period on a tip of Matt Bartkowski's slap shot from the blue line. Soderberg scored at 5:28 of the third for a 2-0 lead after Johnny Boychuk's shot from the right point was knocked down in front. Soderberg found the loose puck and beat Crawford from the right side of the slot.

"They're a good team," Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "They play well in all zones, and they've got a good goalie in there, so that helps their cause. I think we can do a lot better job of creating some kind of offense, whether it's using our speed, taking a few chances, getting to the net, anything. I wasn't very happy."

The Blackhawks (42-17-6) had won three of their past four games. Chicago has been shut out three times this season, including twice in the past three games, and has scored seven goals in four games since losing right wing Patrick Kane to a lower-body injury.

"Every game is different. You miss [Kane], you're trying some things, and we're seeing what it can look like," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "But, a good defensive team, Boston is as stingy as there is anyway, so we'll see. One more game [Friday] night; we'll get back at it [against the Ottawa Senators on the road]."

Chicago failed to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday. The Blackhawks could have punched their ticket with a win or a New Jersey Devils victory against the Phoenix Coyotes; Phoenix won 3-2 in a shootout. Boston needs one more point or loss by the Tampa Bay Lightning to clinch the Atlantic Division title. The Bruins visit the Washington Capitals on Saturday, when the Lightning visit the Buffalo Sabres. There was a moment of silence for Boston Fire Department Lt. Edward J. Walsh and firefighter Michael R. Kennedy, who were killed in action Wednesday. Boston Fire Department was named the game's First Star, and Bruins players wore BPD hats before the game and hats and T-shirts while meeting with media after the game.

"I mean, it was very sad what happened [Wednesday]," Bergeron said. "And we feel like we're part of the community now and as a whole, and you know it was an important game, we thought, for us to win for all of them and I think they put their lives at risk. And obviously with what happened, our thoughts and prayers are with their families. You never want to hear that. They're the heroes and we're just here; it puts things in perspective if you want to put it that way. And tonight was a well-deserved First Star."

Results - Thu, Mar 27, 2014

Montreal @ Detroit 5-4 - The Red Wings fought back from a slow start Thursday at Joe Louis Arena, but it wasn't enough to overcome the composure of the Canadiens. Montreal left town with a 5-4 victory, its fourth straight, although the Red Wings refused to make it an easy night for the Atlantic Division's second-place team. In order to win, the Canadiens needed goals in the third period by Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek to counter two quick goals by Detroit's Tomas Tatar that tied it 3-3 and one by Johan Franzen with 8:24 left in regulation that made it close. Montreal moved to 91 points and stayed two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning, who beat the New York Islanders 3-2 in a shootout Thursday, have two games in hand on the Canadiens. The loss didn't knock the Red Wings (33-26-14) out of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it did cost them a chance to gain ground on the idle Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. All three teams have 80 points; the Red Wings own tiebreakers on the other two. Detroit fell behind 2-0 on two goals by Montreal center Tomas Plekanec in the first period and spent the rest of the game trying to dig out of the hole. After falling behind by two goals twice in the first two periods, Detroit played the third with the desperation of a team on the verge of missing the postseason for the first time in 23 seasons. Tatar's early heroics in the third seemed to give the Red Wings a jolt, but Montreal's top line made sure it didn't become a gut-wrenching meltdown for the visitors. Pacioretty scored his 33rd goal 21 seconds after Tatar's tying goal, and Vanek got what proved to be the winner at 11:15. It was his 26th goal of the season and fifth in 11 games with the Canadiens since coming from the New York Islanders at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 5. Since his arrival, Vanek's line, which includes David Desharnais and Pacioretty, is steadily gaining confidence. Along with a second line featuring Plekanec, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, the Canadiens now have two top units loaded with scoring options. Detroit learned that the hard way. All five Montreal goals came off the sticks of top-six forwards. In addition to the goals by Plekanec, Pacioretty and Vanek, the Canadiens got a goal and an assist from Desharnais. Montreal charged out to the 2-0 lead on Plekanec's 19th and 20th goals of the season. P.K. Subban set up both shots with nice passes in the offensive zone and Plekanec did the rest. Falling behind might not be as a big deal to the Red Wings under normal circumstances, but they've struggled to create offense during an injury-plagued season. Their two most prolific scorers, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, are watching games on TV instead of playing, and the results are starting to show. Detroit had scored more than three goals in two of its previous 10 games, and most of that production came from Gustav Nyquist, who had a six-game goal streak snapped. Babcock continues to search for additional scoring, but he knows there's not enough on most nights to overcome multiple-goal deficits. They almost did thanks to a strong effort in the third, when things really got interesting. The goalies got a workout in the final 20 minutes, when five combined goals were scored. In the end, it was the Canadiens who withstood the pressure best.
NY Islanders @ Tampa Bay 2-3 SO - It took defenseman Sami Salo's first career shootout goal to end the highest-scoring tiebreaker in NHL history. Salo scored in the 13th round to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory against the Islanders on Thursday night. The 39-year-old deked and beat goaltender Evgeni Nabokov with a backhander to give the Lightning their fifth lead of the tiebreaker. Goaltender Ben Bishop ended the game by stopping Islanders rookie forward Johan Sundstrom after allowing goals in each of the previous four rounds in which his team had scored. The combined total of nine goals scored in the shootout is a record, as are the five goals scored by the Lightning. The 13 rounds are the most in a tiebreaker since Oct. 31, 2008, and are two shy of the record of 15 set by the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals in November 2005. The shootout attempt was a rarity for Salo, who's known more for his booming shot than subtle dekes. He had failed on his two previous career tries. When Salo got the call to shoot, there were five players left on the Lightning bench that had not had a turn. As the numbers dwindled, Salo got himself ready. Ryan Callahan had both regulation goals for the Lightning, who remained two points behind the Montreal Canadiens in the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have points in 10 consecutive games (6-0-4) and have gone past regulation in each of their past three games. Ryan Strome and Matt Donovan scored second-period goals for the Islanders. Nabokov finished with 29 saves through 65 minutes; Bishop stopped 25 shots. Callahan tied the game 2-2 at 5:50 of the third period when he fired home the rebound of a shot by Eric Brewer from just outside the crease for his 15th goal. Some hard work by the Islanders combined with sloppy play by the Lightning in their own end allowed New York to take a 2-1 lead into the third period. Strome and Donovan scored for the Islanders after Callahan deflected a point shot by Radko Gudas past Nabokov to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into the second period. Valtteri Filppula got an assist on the goal, extending his consecutive game scoring streak to 10 games, during which he has four goals and 10 assists. That lead held up for 64 seconds, until Strome found some space between Bishop and the right post and slipped the puck past him for his fifth goal. Matt Martin and Donovan assisted. Donovan put the Islanders ahead at 9:17 when he took a pass from behind the net from Frans Nielsen and beat Bishop from the slot. Anders Lee also assisted. Neither team found the net in the first period, but Tampa had the best opportunity when Nikita Kucherov was denied on a 2-on-1 by a left pad save by Nabokov. John Persson, an emergency call-up from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League, arrived in time to start the game in place of Kyle Okposo. The Islanders' leading scorer was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury. With the addition of Persson, who arrived after warm-ups but just before the game began, the Islanders fielded a team that included 10 rookies, including nine skaters. Their enthusiasm and energy gave Tampa Bay all it could handle.
Carolina @ Florida 3-0 - Roberto Luongo's first appearance against the Hurricanes in more than five years isn't one he'll remember fondly. At the other end, Anton Khudobin enjoyed another successful night against the Panthers. Khudobin made 35 saves for his third career shutout, first this season, to help the Hurricanes to a 3-0 victory against the Panthers at BB&T Center on Thursday. Khudobin's previous shutout came almost exactly one year earlier, a 2-0 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on March 31, 2013, as a member of the Boston Bruins. His other shutout came as a member of the Minnesota Wild, on Jan. 16, 2011. His best save against Florida came in the final 15 seconds of the second period when he stopped Jesse Winchester on a breakaway. Jiri Tlusty scored twice for Carolina. With nine games remaining, the Hurricanes are seven points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second of two Eastern Conference wild-card spots for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Luongo, whose previous game against Carolina was Feb. 3, 2009, as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, left the game after the first period as the result of an upper-body injury. Luongo was injured with 7:12 left in the first period when Hurricanes forward Radek Dvorak crashed into him. He didn't return to the Florida bench for the final two periods and was replaced by Dan Ellis, who was a backup for Carolina last season. Dvorak, who is second on Florida's all-time list for games played, came in on a rush and collided with Luongo after being pushed from behind by defenseman Erik Gudbranson. Dvorak raised his left arm before hitting Luongo, and the impact knocked the goalie down. Luongo remained on the ice for a few seconds but stayed in the game. Dvorak was assessed a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. Jeff Skinner scored the other Carolina goal. Tlusty had two great chances to get his second career hat trick, but was denied by his former teammate. Tlusty scored the only goal Luongo allowed off a 2-on-1 with Eric Staal. After taking a cross-ice feed from Staal, Tlusty held on to the puck until Luongo and defenseman Brian Campbell went down before firing it into the open net. Luongo ended up with 11 saves on 12 shots, facing only one shot after Dvorak crashed into him. Ellis stopped 18 of 20 shots he faced. Florida had a three-minute power play as the result of that play, after Gudbranson's roughing penalty expired, but did not manage a single shot on goal. Tlusty made it 2-0 at 2:30 of the second period. Andrei Loktionov's shot from the right circle was deflected and bounced to the left of the net, where Tlusty was waiting to put it home. The game marked the third this season in which Tlusty scored two goals. He also did it against the New York Islanders on Oct. 19 and against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 21. Skinner made it 3-0 at 5:46 of the second with his team-leading 28th goal. Ellis stopped Patrick Dwyer's shot on a 2-on-1, but he couldn't control the rebound. Dwyer got the puck behind the net and fed Skinner, standing alone at the side of the net.
Buffalo @ Nashville 1-6 - Predators captain Shea Weber scored twice Thursday to move into a tie for the NHL lead among defensemen with 20 goals. However, he was much more eager to talk about how Nashville snapped a six-game losing streak at Bridgestone Arena with a 6-1 victory against the Sabres and about two Predators rookies who each scored his first NHL goal. Nashville is 2-6-1 at home in its past eight games and had gone 0-5-1 in its previous six. The rough home stretch contributed to the Predators falling out of the Western Conference's wild-card race. Nashville began the day nine points behind the Phoenix Coyotes for the final wild-card spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Phoenix beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in a shootout Thursday. Predators rookie centers Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok each scored his first NHL goal as Nashville jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period. Sissons scored at 6:26 to give Nashville a 1-0 lead. Rich Clune, with his back to the net from close range, put a backhander on goal, and Sissons charged the net to flip in the rebound. Colin Wilson scored his first goal since Dec. 30, a span of 33 games, at 11:44 to make it 2-0. Viktor Stalberg threw the puck at the end and it bounced off Buffalo defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. Wilson poked it in past Buffalo goalie Matt Hackett for his eighth goal before Ehrhoff could figure out where it was. The Predators struck again nine seconds later when forward Gabriel Bourque dug a puck out of the corner and threw it into the slot to a wide-open Jarnkrok, who snapped it past Hackett. Jarnkrok, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for David Legwand, has had a point in each of his first four NHL games (one goal, three assists) since the Predators called him up. He also has had a plus rating in each game. Injuries to forwards Paul Gaustad and Patrick Eaves, as well as poor performances by some others, opened the door for Sissons and Jarnkrok. Weber scored his first goal of the game on a 5-on-3 power play with his trademark slap shot. Eight seconds after the Sabres were called for too many men on the ice, Buffalo forward Johan Larsson, called up on an emergency basis earlier in the day, was whistled for closing his hand on the puck. Weber settled a loose puck and calmly slapped it in from 35 feet out with 43 seconds left in the period to give Nashville a 4-0 lead. Sabres coach Ted Nolan replaced Hackett with Nathan Lieuwen to start the second period. Hackett made 11 saves on 15 shots. Buffalo responded with a goal at 2:06. Rookie defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, called up on an emergency basis earlier in the day because of Tyler Myers' undisclosed injury, connected on a slap shot for his second goal. After recording four shots on goal in the first period, Buffalo pelted Predators goalie Carter Hutton with 29 in the final two periods. Hutton made 32 saves to earn his 17th win. Hutton, who entered the season having played in one NHL game, is now tied with the Detroit Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard and New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur in wins, mostly owing to the four-month absence of Predators starting goalie Pekka Rinne due to a hip infection. Weber made it 5-1 with his second goal, 20th of the season, tying him with the Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson for the League lead among defensemen. He beat Lieuwen with a slap shot from the top of the right circle high to the blocker side at 6:19 of the second. Eric Nystrom scored the Predators' sixth goal with 40 seconds left in the third period. He converted Clune's pass from behind the net with a wrist shot from the slot; it was Clune’s second assist of the game. Buffalo has lost 10 of its past 12. The Sabres have the worst record in the League and had eight players sit out Thursday with injuries. Left wing Ville Leino played 58 seconds over two first-period shifts before leaving the game due to what the team said was “light-headedness.”

Vancouver @ Colorado 2-3 OT - Thanks to defenseman Tyson Barrie, who has turned into an overtime hero, the Avalanche defeated the Canucks 3-2 at Pepsi Center on Thursday and moved closer to securing their first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance since 2009-10. Barrie tipped Matt Duchene's pass over the shoulder of goalie Eddie Lack 55 seconds into the extra period for his third overtime goal this season and the fourth of his NHL career, a franchise record for a defenseman. Barrie has tied the franchise record for overtime goals in a season set by David Jones in 2010-11. Colorado are in third place in the Central Division with nine games to play, six on the road. The Avalanche moved within one point (99-98) of the second-place Chicago Blackhawks (42-17-15), who lost 3-0 on the road to the Boston Bruins. Vancouver remains in the hunt for a playoff spot with seven games remaining, six at home. They have 79 points, five behind the Phoenix Coyotes for the second Western Conference wild-card position. The Coyotes defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in a shootout. The Avalanche would have clinched a playoff spot if the Coyotes had lost. Gabriel Landeskog gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 8:58 of the second period, but the Canucks tied the game with 1:22 left before intermission on a goal by Zack Kassian. Landeskog, who has three goals in the past two games, was near the right post when he took Paul Stastny's pass from behind the net and lifted the puck over Lack's left leg for his career-high 24th goal. Kassian, who scored the winning goal Wednesday when the Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild, got the tying goal Thursday when he poked the puck into the net after Dan Hamhuis' shot from the left-wing boards hit Avalanche defenseman Cory Sarich and dropped at the edge of the crease. The Canucks took a 1-0 lead at 10:50 of the first period on a power-play goal by defenseman Yannick Weber. Daniel Sedin got the play started when he passed to Nicklas Jensen in the slot. Jensen fed Weber driving from the left point towards the net for a shot into a half-open net. The Canucks have connected for a power-play goal in five of their past six games, while the Avalanche has permitted at least one power-play goal in 11 of their past 17 games. But Colorado managed to kill off four of five penalties, two of them in the second period with defenseman Andre Benoit in the box. Duchene tied the game at 15:40 with his first goal in seven games and 23rd of the season. Cody McLeod's shot from between the faceoff circles deflected to Benoit, who took a shot that Lack stopped before Duchene put in the rebound. Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa was shaken up and limped to the dressing room with 6:31 left in the second period after he took a hit from Landeskog along the boards. He returned at the start of the third period but played two shifts and didn't see the ice in the final 14:14 of regulation or overtime. Tortorella said Bieksa was "sore" and would know more about his status Friday after the Canucks return home.