Game recaps, plus the latest on Carey Price, Nazem Kadri, Michael Hutchinson and more.
Game recaps.
OTTAWA SUN/CALGARY HERALD: After blowing a 4-0 lead in the third period, the Ottawa Senators downed the Calgary Flames 5-4 on a shootout goal by Erik Karlsson. Kris Russell scored twice in the Flames’ 11-minute third-period rally. Senators goalie Craig Anderson, in his first game in 46 days, made 42 saves.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win (their eighth in the last 10 games) the Senators remain five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The extra point gives the Flames a two-point lead over the LA Kings for third in the Pacific Division and five ahead of the San Jose Sharks.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Edmonton Oilers blew a 3-0 lead to fall 7-4 to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Notable headlines.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: With 37 wins this season, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is within sight of the team’ single-season wins record (42) held by Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden. His 32 career shutouts places him two behind Bill Durnan on the Habs all-time shutout list.
TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri was sent home yesterday after being late for a team meeting. Veteran blueliner Stephane Robidas will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: And the hits just keep coming for the hapless Leafs in what has to be one of their worst seasons since their nadir in the 1980s.
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Michael Hutchinson has left no doubt he’s now the Jets’ full-time starting goaltender.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets will have to deal with the awkwardness of having a $3.9 million backup in Ondrej Pavelec in the off-season. For now, they’ll be riding Hutchinson as their starter for the remainder of this season.
THE PROVINCE: Center Jamie McCann’s stock continues to rise with the Vancouver Canucks.
going to go out on a limb here and say Horachek wont be back, and his “give a s#!t meter” about what some around the organization think is no higher than some of the players. Look its a terrible season day of time change and someone overslept a few minutes…just keep it behind doors 6say what ya gotta say to Kadri and move on, instead of feeding the trolls at this point.
Not excusing Kadri,it was dumb but I just think the timing and how it was handled by Horachek was not an ideal way of doing things.
Horachek just gave more fuel to the burning heap of trash that is the Maple Leafs media. That’s it.
And his quotes make him sound like a goof.
Goofy Horachek. Goofy.
As it’s the players’ disengagement that guarantees Horachek won’t be back as coach (in TO or elsewhere) next season, I can hardly blame him for calling them out. At his point, whatever criticism they receive, they’ve brought on themselves.
As I said no problem with him doing something behind closed doors to Kadri, my issue is from an orgorganization thats dealt with tire fire after tire fire this season, I dont need my coach creating more. sure call Kadri out freak out and peel paint off the walls if you want, just be a bit more discrete about it.
From where I sit, there’s a bigger issue here than whether or not Kadri deserves to be reprimanded. How has the play of the top line not warranted any similar type of action from Horachek? They play regular shifts, gets lots of ice time and play almost the entire powerplay in man advantage situations. They must have compromising photos or something.
Remember Franson and Polak were late for practice about a month or go? they didnt get suspended…it was ok for them. Again not excusing Kadri but…
Ottawa thought the game was only 40 minutes long and Calgary disagreed. Nice comeback by the Flames.
I wasnt sure if the Sens fell asleep, or the Flames didnt wake up, eitherway, I am sure neither coach was happy after that game…fun one to watch tho.