The Hockey News Feb. 10, 2020 - Trade Deadline

IT’S SAID YOU CAN learn a lot from losing. If that’s true, a slew of cities across the NHL landscape must be teeming with Darwins and Einsteins. Sure, there are lessons to be absorbed from coming in second, but losing sucks. It’s “the thrill of victory and agony of defeat,” not “winning’s nice, but losing ain’t too shabby.” It’s especially tough when expectations are heightened. The further the plunge, the more painful the landing. Unfortunately, for fans in Buffalo and Vancouver, they’ve endured more sky falls than Wile E. Coyote and, accordingly, sit atop our list of the NHL’s worst-suffering bases. Based on my superior math skills, each is due two Stanley Cups by now – 2.4 to be precise. My calculation takes into account the number of franchises in the…

Dear readers, To borrow a line from marketing lore, here we grow again. And this time, it’s pretty spectacular. On Jan. 23, nearly two years to the day I bought The Hockey News, I agreed to a strategic partnership with Sports Illustrated that launched a new era for both iconic brands (read more about it at TheHockeyNews.com/sports-illustrated-partnership). I had been previously approached by several organizations that wanted to acquire The Hockey News or form a partnership, but none was the right fit for our brand or team. When Sports Illustrated came calling, that changed. It made perfect sense for the venerable titles to join forces. Two of the oldest and most respected names in sports journalism – The Hockey News was founded in 1947 and Sports Illustrated in 1954 – have built their reputations…

The St. Louis Blues’ complete domination of the West without their best scorer and having the shortest off-season.– Sheldon DeLorme How well the Blue Jackets have played this season. No Bobrovsky, no Panarin, yet Torts has the whole team buying into the system. The “us” against the hockey world mentality is working.@RangerProud The inconsistencies of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Are they for real? Are they just a joke? Who knows. The team has multiple personalities, and you’ll never know which one you’ll get to see next!– Christian Holmes I knew Cale Makar would be good, but the biggest surprise for me so far has been how good he is. He is dominant, one of the best D-men in the NHL in his first year.@Bluemanmtl The biggest surprise to me is P.K. Subban’s disappointing first…

THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING played in the first 3-on-3 overtime period after the league introduced it for the 2015-16 season, and, as defenseman Victor Hedman recalls, it was every bit the “free-for-all of fecal matter” that Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice used to describe an overtime that his team played in earlier this season. It was two minutes and 17 seconds of mayhem before Jason Garrison, of all people, beat the defenseman and went five-hole. To be sure, the league’s 3-on-3 overtime format for five minutes has come as advertised. It has saved some pretty dull games and made the good ones even better. But more than that, it has helped teams avoid the shootout. The shootout seemed like a good idea when it was put in place, but it has…

JAY WEINBERG | SLIPKNOT DRUMMER THERE MAY BE NO musician more suited to a goalie mask than Weinberg. He’s a rec-league goalie and New Jersey Devils fan. More importantly, he’s the drummer for Slipknot, a band whose most famous gimmick is…masks. David Fried’s design features a pale, ghostly face. The zippered-shut mouth pays homage to the mask Weinberg wears in the band. As he sees it, goalies and drummers are kindred spirits, both a little “off” compared to their teammates.…

NHL ALL-STAR GAME | 2019-20 THIS SEASON’S ITERATION APPEARED bland upon release, but in person they looked a lot better – for some teams. Colorado, Winnipeg and the host Blues all worked for the concept, which featured striping meant to evoke a musical staff (St. Louis historically being a big music city, of course) and silver thread inspired by the city’s famous Gateway Arch. It was a simple template, matched by monochromatic team logos that sometimes fell flat (Pittsburgh or Washington for example). Next year, Florida hosts – and the Internet is already clamoring for bold, ‘Miami Vice’-style pastel jerseys. I say the NHL should go for it.…