On Friday, the NHL announced that Curtis McElhinney has been taken off their COVID protocol list and is cleared to play.
Curtis McElhinney has been cleared from the NHL COVID list today, had been on it since Jan. 16. Expectation is he will try to skate with the team for tomorrow’s morning skate ahead of hosting Nashville for the first of a two-game set
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) January 29, 2021
McElhinney has been away from the team since Jan 16th and has missed the past three games — Andrei Vasilevskiy has started and finished all five games this season.
McElhinney comes back ahead of a four-game week starting tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Lightning will play their first back-to-back on Feb 8th and 9th against the same Predators.
Christopher Gibson, who has sat as the backup for the past three games has been sent back to the taxi squad from his emergency exemption loan. The emergency exemption was created for this season so that teams who lose their goalie for any reason can still carry a backup on the active roster and a third goalie on the taxi squad for every game. There are no emergency backups disguised as zamboni drivers this year (for obvious reasons) so teams need to have at least three goalies ready for each game.
Emerg. Exception → Taxi Squad
Christopher Gibson (G) | TBL#GoBoltshttps://t.co/H8aGTY5z5z— CapFriendly Transactions (@CF_Transactions) January 30, 2021
The Lightning as a team have not exactly impressed to start this season, and that’s not the backup’s fault. Andrei Vasilevskiy played a great game on Thursday, but the team eventually lost 1-0 in overtime to Carolina. Coach Cooper and Brayden Point both made a point to say that the team needs to give up fewer grade A chances against. It’s been a real problem and source of frustration.
On Vasilevskiy: “Good on him to be focused the way he was. We haven’t had many games so to have him playing like that will help our cause.”#TBLvsCAR | Jon Cooper: https://t.co/Did3t7Njdd pic.twitter.com/nK1QbnxEyn
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 29, 2021
“As a team, we don’t wanna give up that many chances, especially the good looks they had.”#TBLvsCAR | Brayden Point: https://t.co/c2dly39Qfy pic.twitter.com/czrZivr2hK
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 29, 2021
“We have to be ready for this year. We have to prove to everyone that we deserve to win another cup.”#TBLvsCAR | Andrei Vasilevskiy: https://t.co/p0Jr7OecnO pic.twitter.com/TIAtRcHQmJ
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 29, 2021
Remember the first player in Vegas Golden Knights history? Well he just scored the first (preseason) goal in AHL Henderson Silver Knights history! How about that!
REID DUKE WITH THE FIRST GOAL IN SILVER KNIGHTS HISTORY!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) January 30, 2021
You’re hired, Adam Wainwright!
I’m not necessarily a very good skater, but with a little work…. challenge accepted. @StLouisBlues @Cardinals pic.twitter.com/b5YzXQ7cRV
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) January 29, 2021
…but I would be remiss if I didn’t say that it’s spelt re-signs. Get it together, St. Louis!
😳👀👀👀😳. This is amazing!!! #LGB 💪🏼😎 pic.twitter.com/u0b2nPrdVj
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) January 29, 2021
First players-only meeting of the season? Who had money on Calgary?
Flames has a players only meeting to discuss this three-game skid.
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) January 29, 2021
This was a really good feature on former NHL head coach Ted Nolan and why he’s on the outside of the inner circle. Nolan is a member of the Ojibwe First Nations and won NHL Coach of the Year in 1997.
Ted Nolan has barely worked in the NHL after winning its Coach of the Year award in 1997.
Nolan believes he should be coaching in the league. So why is he on the outside, looking in?The #TSN Original from @rwesthead – The Unwanted Visitor: https://t.co/iGWKKpNL4F pic.twitter.com/sVUWg26lBt
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) January 29, 2021
