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Quick Strikes: Spreading love with Coop’s Catch for Kids

And some updates from around the league

The Bolts

When Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller were acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning from the New York Rangers, most believed Miller and Vladislav Namestnikov (who went the other way) was a one-for-one swap in order for each team to get a different type of player. A few games into this season (so, grain of salt), LoserPoints looked at those two players and how their numbers compare. [Raw Charge]

Miller put up the points Namestnikov couldn’t but wasn’t a consistent driver in terms of shot metrics. Perhaps most frustratingly for Rangers fans, he always seemed to hit a rough patch in the playoffs. The latter point is hard to pin on Miller. Weird things happen in small samples and more than likely, his lack of playoff scoring is just bad luck. But that doesn’t change the impact those results had on the perception of his play.

The “In Their Own Words” series continues with head coach Jon Cooper talking about his “Coop’s Catch for Kids” fishing tournament for charity. It’s a really good read, imo. [NHL dot com]

Today, we hear from Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper, who, on Tuesday (as long as Tropical Storm Michael cooperates), will captain the third installment of his annual Coop’s Catch for Kids charity fishing tournament benefitting pediatric cancer research and patient services. In two years, the tournament has raised over $200,000 for the fight against pediatric cancer, and Cooper hopes this year’s can generate another $150,000.

Cooper’s top line takes on cancer

October schedules for the Bolts incoming!!!

AND SOME MORE!

The Lightning won their first game, but it wasn’t perfect. Bryan Burns looks at where the team can improve following game one. [NHL dot com]

“They’re not all going to be pretty, but we’ll take it, move on and have another training camp until our next game,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said following the win over Florida, alluding to the fact his team has an unconventional amount of days without a game.

Continuing with Cooper’s charity event stories, Joe Smith writes about Weston Hermann​ and his story. [The Athletic]

Hermann, a spunky center for the Gulf Coast Flames in Ellenton, had been battling a brain tumor for four years. He had just wrapped up 16 rounds of chemotherapy. But Hermann was all smiles that night, slickly dressed in a gray sports coat and blue checkered shirt. He was lauded by Cooper and ESPN’s larger-than-life personality Dick Vitale. Hermann’s idols, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, were in the audience.

Look! Beer!

The Prospects

Alexey Lipanov is looking for a fresh start with a new team following an awkward year where he played for four teams; two OHL teams, the Crunch, and the Russian World Juniors squad.

Recap yourself on the week that was in Syracuse!

Check out Sammy Walker’s cute picture where he shows that he scored his first goal for the University of Minnesota!

Syracuse Crunch Great Jon Mirasty (great name) returns to New York for the home opener. *eyes emojis*

Former Crunch defenseman Derek MacKenzie gives some love from the other Florida hockey team.

The AHL is growing, and like America in the uhhh... I was in Canadian elementary school, so I don’t actually know when the Western Expension was, but I’m sure you do! Either way, here’s the AHL’s Western Expension in GIF and picture form!

The Orlando Solar Bears have added defenseman Myles McGurty following five years in Canadian University hockey.

The Game

The Nashville Predators unveiled three banners last night. They didn’t win anything, but they do have those banners!

Namita then dunked on the PRedators with the most relatable tweet of all time.

Matt Murray has another concussion. [Pensburgh]

Penguins’ starting goaltender Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion according to a tweet posted from the team’s official Twitter account. Murray will not participate in Tuesday’s practice session with his teammates, and head coach Mike Sullivan is expected to address the media following practice where he will discuss the injury in further detail.

Uhh.. What’s happening to Kevin Shattenkirk? He will a healthy scratch against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday after playing only 7:29 in the last game. [Blueshirt Banter]

My initial reaction was that Shattenkirk hasn’t been the worst Ranger defender so why is he getting the hook first, but ultimately that may not be relevant to Quinn. If a player is deployed in a role and given a job to do, a coach can choose to react to that context instead of the overall performance of the team. In three games at 5v5 he’s posted a CF% of 52.5 and a SF% of 60. He also has a GF% of 0 and an xGF% of 44.44. All the while he’s rocking a PDO of 83.33 which indicates some bad luck on his part.

WE HAVE OUR FIRST GRITTY GOALIE MASK AND IT’S CALVIN PICKARD! [Broad Street Hockey]

That’s correct, this new mask features none other than everyone’s favorite mascot, Gritty. The horrifyingly adorable orange creature that swept the nation by storm is making his way onto the ice, where he will protect the face of the Flyers’ newest goaltender. The Gritty mask is likely set to debut on Wednesday evening against the Ottawa Senators, which will be the Flyers’ first back-to-back games of the season. Elliott will be your starter tonight in the home opener, so Pickard should be seeing his first action in a Flyers’ uniform against Senators.

Highlight of the Night: Holy crap Sven Baertschi respect your elders. Curtis McElhinney is an old man!

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