The Bolts
Former Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager and current senior advisor Steve Yzerman is going to be a free agent again in his career. The obvious connections to the Detroit Red Wings remain an option for the Michigan resident, but a new player has come to town for arguably the smartest mind in hockey: the New York Rangers.
They have the prospects, the cap situation, and importantly the money to become a genuinely terrifying dynasty for the next era of hockey. Yzerman at the head of that would certainly help that happen. And let’s be real, it’s about time the Rangers took someone from us after we milked them of their talent in free agency and trades for years and years. [New York Post]
This does not mean that a deal is done. It is unknown whether the Blueshirts have yet asked for or received permission from Tampa Bay to speak to Yzerman, who is serving the final year of his contract as an adviser to the Lightning owner after having stepped down last September as general manager. Such a request, if not yet made, will be forthcoming.
Lightning architect Steve Yzerman interested in Rangers’ top job https://t.co/tGZdrDGROj pic.twitter.com/exSXn0dEYC
— New York Post (@nypost) April 5, 2019
The Lightning made history as being one of the few teams with 60+ wins in a season. Geofitz looked deeper into this static statistic . [Raw Charge]
It took the Tampa Bay Lightning 80 games until they lost their 20th game in the 2018-19 NHL season. With that loss, it became guaranteed that the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings record of 62 wins in a season would not fall this season. The Lightning took a great run at the record, but ultimately fell short of surpassing it. They still have a chance to equal it if they can beat the Bruins on Saturday.
The Associated Press did an article on Nikita Kucherov and what makes him a superstar. [The Associated Press]
Kurdin taught Kucherov the very common Russian hockey philosophy that the sport is about sacrificing for your partner. Each day at practice, Kucherov studies how his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates like to shoot, stores that knowledge and spits it out in games in the form of tape-to-tape passes.
And finally, since it’s Saturday, here are the possible playoff scenarios for the season. Unless the Hurricanes lose their final game of the season and slip to the second wild card, it’s likely the Bolts will face John Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets first.
Who will #CBJ play in Round 1?
Jackets beat Sens, Canes beat Flyers ➡️ #CBJ play Tampa
Jackets lose to Sens, Canes lose to Flyers ➡️ #CBJ play Tampa
Jackets beat to Sens, Canes lose to Flyers ➡️ #CBJ play Caps
Jackets lose to Sens, Canes beat Flyers ➡️ #CBJ play Tampa
— CBJ Front Line (@CBJFrontLine) April 6, 2019
The Prospects
The Syracuse Crunch won big on Friday night, clinching home ice in the first round of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. The 97-point Crunch are currently first in the North Division with a five-point cushion over the Rochester Americans in second. Unless things drastically during games 73-76, the Crunch will head into the playoffs with home ice in the first two rounds and facing the number four seed in the North. Currently, this is the Cleveland Monsters with 81 points, and are three points up on the Belleville Senators.
That’s 20 road wins in back-to-back seasons. #SYRvsROC
📝: https://t.co/2Q1RigCM2g pic.twitter.com/tbbsRmpIMX
— x – Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 6, 2019
Boris Katchouk did a great job of staying onside on this goal. A lovely play all around.
That chemistry 💯#SYRvsROC pic.twitter.com/b3mGLxtfCA
— x – Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 6, 2019
We’ve secured home ice for the first round of the 2019 #CalderCup Playoffs. 👊#RaiseIt pic.twitter.com/0qkJpGQNft
— x – Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 6, 2019
The Game
The Carolina Hurricanes seem to be taking them making the playoffs very well indeed.
In honor of the Canes making playoffs, I turned @HockeywthHannah‘s Aho Goat into a cross stitch! pic.twitter.com/LZyuKpZ9t3
— EM (@mclaineileen) April 5, 2019
At least we get to see these beauties in the playoff. This was a good move by the marketing department to have them.
On Fridays, the Canes wear black. And that will apply for the other six days of the week as well in the postseason, too, as the team announced today that they will wear their alternate uniforms for all playoff home games this season: https://t.co/EGt6ZkMqmv
— x – Canes Country (@CanesCountry) April 5, 2019
In Toronto, the Leafs saw our goalie drama from last month and decided they wanted their drama to be better. Garret Sparks is now on a 10-day hiatus from the team, hoping to rediscover his game. [Pension Plan Puppets]
If that’s the story, there was genuinely no good reason not to just say so back a few hours ago when Hutchinson’s recall was announced via press release. This all got turned into a period of speculation and gossip that didn’t need to happen. And no one should have required a leak to an insider to get this news out.
Plan with Garret Sparks is to have him work with goalie coaches Steve Briere and Jon Elkin on a daily basis. Rediscover his technique and his confidence.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 5, 2019
Highlight of the Night: The Columbus Blue Jackets are going to the playoffs.
.@9Artemi with the only goal in the shootout. pic.twitter.com/pN3wQvufAU
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 6, 2019
