Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• Up top, re-live the magic that was Braden Holtby‘s game-winning save in Game 2 on Wednesday.
• The house doesn’t always win: Las Vegas stands to lose millions on Golden Knights (Toronto Star)
• Ilya Kovalchuk could be heading back to the NHL (NHL.com)
• Sportsnet continues its series of the NHL’s Top 10 UFAs of 2018 by position. Here’s the best goaltenders available (Sportsnet)
• Teams wanting to jump into the Top 10 in the NHL Draft next month might want to give Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland a ring (NHL.com)
• ‘Players’ manager’ Lamoriello testifies on Peluso case, fighting in the NHL (TSN.ca)
• Don Cherry and Ron MacLean took to the airwaves during Coach’s Corner on Wednesday to advocate for the NHL’s return to Quebec City. There was even a cameo appearance by Gary Bettman (Sportsnet)
• NFLer Chris Long pokes fun at hockey fans. Hockey fans take exception (Sporting News)
• Here’s who would have won all the NHL awards if they were only handed out to Nashville Predators (The Hockey Writers)
• Swift Current to host 2019 Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada (Sportsnet)
• The interesting way that the Corsi spread has tightened in the NHL (Toronto Maple Leafs)
• George (McPhee) the Builder. A look at how 11 of Washington Capitals he drafted are now on the ice facing him in the Stanley Cup Final (Ottawa Sun)
• Xfinity supporting extra hour of Metro service following Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Game 4 (FOX 5 DC)
• Booster Juice founder on great ride with his Vegas Golden Knights (Edmonton Sun)
• Kelly McCrimmon’s quest to join brother Brad on the Stanley Cup (ESPN)
• Las Vegas shooting survivor Nick Robone knows exactly why the Golden Knights mean so much to the city (Yahoo)
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck
LAS VEGAS — Nicklas Backstrom stood in front of his stall inside T-Mobile Arena after the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 victory in Game 2 wearing Lars Eller’s team-issued No. 20 top.
“He was so hot today so I wanted some power from him,” Backstrom joked before admitting he couldn’t find his and just grabbed Eller’s since they’re stall neighbors.
Eller was hot in Game 2 with a goal and two assists, continuing a trend where the Capitals lose a top center and the 29-year-old Dane steps in and admirably fills the role.
With a little more than five minutes to play in the first period and the Vegas Golden Knights holding a 1-0 lead, Evgeny Kuznetsov left the game following a hit from Brayden McNabb. Capitals head coach Barry Trotz had to tinker with his top two lines again, like he’d done when Backstrom was injured in the second round. Eller was handed another promotion and rose to the occasion.
No wonder Alex Ovechkin called him the Capitals’ “secret weapon.”
“Lars is not shy to take on a responsibility,” said Trotz. “He knows that he’s got to fill in big shoes, either Backy or Kuzy, in the playoffs and he knows that he’s got an opportunity. I think he relishes it. He takes that opportunity to showcase what he’s able to do and he knows that we’re relying on him. He’s one of the more popular guys in our room, for sure. He just elevates his game when we need it. That’s been Lars through the playoffs, but that’s been everybody.”
Eller, who earned the mysterious nickname of “Tiger” following a team-building event last season, was forced into the second-line center spot in the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins after Backstrom missed four games with a hand injury. With a new and bigger role, he contributed two goals and five points and helped Washington to three wins.
“The more I’m out there, the better I feel on the puck,” Eller said. “Better flow in my game. I knew from the Tampa series that I had really good chemistry with [Jakub] Vrana and [T.J.] Oshie, so it wasn’t a surprise for me when we did some good things when we were put back together. Just playing on instincts.”
The Capitals gave Eller a five-year, $17.5 million extension in February and he’s doing a good job of living up to it. Through 21 playoff games, he has career highs in goals (six) and points (16). Clearly a tougher assignment isn’t something that overwhelms him, as he’s seamlessly transitioned up and down the lineup when called upon.
“I think some people have ways of digging down deeper,” said Oshie. “I think some people have ways of staying calm when the moment gets bigger. I’m not in his head, I can’t tell you exactly why that is. I can tell you he gets his work done every day he comes to the rink. So maybe he’s prepared for that when he gets that shot.”
Trotz had no update on Kuznetsov and with two full off days before Game 3 Saturday in D.C., it might be a game-time decision if he’ll be back or if Eller will once again need to answer the call.
“Stanley Cup Final, you want to be on the ice not the bench,” Eller said. “I enjoy every single moment of it and it’s been a great atmosphere here. I can’t wait to go back to D.C. and see what the fans are going to bring.
“I don’t know if Kuzy’s going to play next or not, but if he isn’t I’m going to be ready, we’re going to be ready.”
Stanley Cup Final schedule
Game 1 Monday, May 28 – Golden Knights 6, Capitals 4
Game 2 Wednesday, May 30 – Capitals 3, Golden Knights 2 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3 Saturday, June 2 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4 Monday, June 4 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 5* Thursday, June 7 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6* Sunday, June 10 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 7* Wednesday, June 13 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
* = If necessary
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
• Stanley Cup Final Guide
————
Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.
1st Star: Lars Eller, Washington Capitals
Lars Eller sure has a way of making the Capitals feel better about injuries to star centers, doesn’t he? The versatile pivot looked like an understudy who should instead be a marquee star in Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, collecting a goal and two assists (both of which were primary helpers).
Eller was also one of few Capitals who enjoyed a good night in the faceoff circle (going 10-6) and delivered six hits for good measure. If Evgeny Kuznetsov misses more time after missing most of Game 2, that’s bad news, yet Eller soothes Washington’s concerns about as well as you could hope.
He also barely edges a goalie who would have been the top star in most instances …
2nd Star: Braden Holtby, Capitals
Holtby made 37 saves in Game 2, many of them under intense pressure. One will live on: with two minutes remaining in regulation, Holtby sprawled for a desperation save on Alex Tuch, which earned its own post on PHT. Spoiler alert: it’s also the highlight of the night, because of course it is.
Holtby was a huge part of the Capitals surviving Vegas’ long 5-on-3 opportunity in the third; the Capitals workhorse made 10 total saves in penalty kill situations during Game 2.
3rd Star: Brooks Orpik, Capitals
You could make an argument for Andre Burakovsky, who piled up two assists (secondary or not) in Game 2. It was also tempting to give the third star to the Capitals’ penalty kill unit as a whole, as they really didn’t give Vegas many good looks during that crucial 5-on-3, which lasted more than one minute. That specific kill situation wasn’t solely about Holtby’s brilliance.
Orpik is a worthy pick, and also a fun one because it’s tough to imagine him being in this spot again (see the factoid of the night). Along with scoring the game-winning goal, Orpik delivered six hits, blocked two shots, hammered three shots on goal, generated a +1 rating, and spent 3:59 on the penalty kill in Game 2.
Highlight of the Night
Again, duh.
Factoid of the Night
Orpik’s timely goal.
Bonus tidbit: this was just the second home playoff loss of the Golden Knights’ inaugural postseason run. Yeah.
Stanley Cup Final schedule
Game 3 Saturday, June 2 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4 Monday, June 4 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 5* Thursday, June 7 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6* Sunday, June 10 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 7* Wednesday, June 13 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
* = If necessary
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
• Stanley Cup Final Guide
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
Great players can be memorable even without a signature moment … but it doesn’t hurt to stack up a few of them, anyway.
After a tough outing in Game 1, Braden Holtby was a rock for the Washington Capitals in Game 2, stopping 37 out of 39 shots to anchor a 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights. That meant making 10 shorthanded saves, with many of those stops came as the Golden Knights were pressing for a tie during a lengthy 5-on-3 opportunity.
Once again, Holtby and the Capitals proved their resiliency in tying this series 1-1.
Over the long haul, many of us will forget many of the details of that game, including Holtby’s overall performance. Few will forget the ridiculous save Holtby made on Alex Tuch with about two minutes remaining in Game 2, however.
There were Dominik Hasek comparisons. You could call it his version of Marc-Andre Fleury sprawling to stop Nicklas Lidstrom as the Penguin won their first Stanley Cup of the Sidney Crosby Era, although that save does have the edge when you weight for stakes.
Either way, you can expect that save to live on in highlight reels for years to come. Sorry, Alex Tuch.
Alex Ovechkin was all of us reacting to that save, honestly.
Holtby spoke about some of the odd bounces so far during the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, and explained his save as the puck “hitting” him.
“It was a strange play because these boards have been really true. It was kind of one of things we’ve been trying to get it up on the glass and on the rim because goalies usually stay in the net, but Marc-Andre’s been coming out a lot to get those because [the boards have] been so true,” Holtby said. “One bounces weird at that time of the game, [Cody Eakin] makes a great play to pass it over. I was just trying to get something there, trying to seal where I thought someone would shoot that and luckily it hit me.”
For more on Washington’s win, click here.
Stanley Cup Final schedule
Game 3 Saturday, June 2 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4 Monday, June 4 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 5* Thursday, June 7 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6* Sunday, June 10 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 7* Wednesday, June 13 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
* = If necessary
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
• Stanley Cup Final Guide
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
The Washington Capitals just keep battling. That’s why they made it to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, and that resilient play helped them tie the series 1-1 by beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 2.
There were plenty of moments where things could have gone sideways for the Capitals.
As the Golden Knights have frequently accomplished during this storybook run, they took the early lead when James Neal scored a nice 1-0 goal. That didn’t derail the Capitals.
Evgeny Kuznetsov was injured by a hard Brayden McNabb hit late in the first period and did not return. That didn’t sink the Capitals, either; in fact, Lars Eller made it 1-1 shortly after that injury took place.
With a perilously small 3-2 lead (an edge that shrunk thanks to a power-play goal) in the third period, the Capitals faced a lengthy 5-on-3 penalty kill situation. They didn’t buckle under that pressure.
Instead, Washington responded to a clunky start to dominate, especially during the second period, and Braden Holtby did the rest. Holtby’s sprawling save against Alex Tuch earned praise as one of the best saves of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and with good reason.
After the Capitals and Golden Knights opened the scoring with a pretty goal apiece, the tallies were pretty funky from there.
Granted, Alex Ovechkin scoring a power-play goal on a one-timer is something you can set your watch too, but it wasn’t exactly a laser beam to the top corner. Shea Theodore‘s own power-play tally might earn the designation “knuckle puck.”
But if you want an example of how unusual some of the goals were, consider the eventual game-winner by Brooks Orpik.
In case you’re wondering … yes, it’s extremely rare for the Capitals to get a goal from the hard-hitting defenseman. Like, very extremely super-rare.
Also rare: the Golden Knights losing at home, particularly during this run. The Capitals handed them just their second home loss of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That’s impressive, but you can bet that the Golden Knights aren’t thinking about that right now. Instead, they must be kicking themselves about all of the missed opportunities, especially on that 5-on-3 power play, as this 1-1 series switches to Washington for Games 3 and 4.
Will Evgeny Kuznetsov be able to play in one or both of those games?
The Capitals can’t really say that it doesn’t matter, but give them credit for playing exceptionally well without the star center. Maybe they just wear adversity well?
Stanley Cup Final schedule
Game 3 Saturday, June 2 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4 Monday, June 4 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 5* Thursday, June 7 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6* Sunday, June 10 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 7* Wednesday, June 13 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
* = If necessary
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
• Stanley Cup Final Guide
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
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