Hockey

Mar 23, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise (11) celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Sharks 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports Not only did Zach Parise make an immediate impact with his new team last season, he also made major contributions to Minnesota-based organization Defending the Blue Line (DTBL). DTBL’s mission is, “Ensuring that children of military members are affored every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey.” DTBL was started by Shane Hudella, who woke up with the idea while serving his country with the Minnesota Army National Guard on active duty. He founded the organization in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit designed to help military families with the high costs of hockey an helps ensure that children of military members are given every opportunity to participate in the sport. The organization provides free hockey equipment, access to summer hockey camps at no charge and provides monetary help to cover local association fees for military families. Parise’s partnership with the charity has increased partnerships off the ice as, this past season, DTBL partnered with Gander Mountain for the “Puck for a Buck” campaign. Puck for a Buck sold hockey pucks at retail and online Gander Mountain outfits. In addition to Parise, fellow Minnesota Wild players Cal Clutterbuck and Clayton Stoner, and former Wild forward Matt Kassian, also helped raise funds. The Wild has been an annual partner with DTBL by wearing camouflage jerseys in pre-game warm-ups before auctioning them off. The latest such game was on April 23rd before a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. “Things like the camo jersey auction will go toward paying association fees that might be out of reach for some of these families,” said Hudella. “The goal is to take one of the stresses for military families by getting their kids onto the ice. “For a lot of these families, hockey is out of reach. We help bridge the cost barriers.” Parise’s contributions didn’t stop there, however, as he also donated $10,000 to the organization prior to the game. He jokingly hinted that he might possibly try to bid on Wild captain Mikko Koivu’s camo jersey. “You want to be able to give them the ability to buy equipment for someone or hockey fees for someone,” Parise said. “Every little bit helps them.” For the full story from Wild.com, click here.

May 8, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Leo Komarov (47) with the puck against the Boston Bruins during game four of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the Air Canada Centre. The Bruins beat the Leafs 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports After being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in seven games, the Toronto Maple Leafs will now turn their attention to off-season plans. Each summer the major work that needs to be done is signing pending free agents. One such player who falls into that category at the moment as an RFA is Leo Komarov. Komarov probably wouldn’t be a large expense to re-sign, but the gritty winger may already have another fallback option. Komarov spoke to a Russian news agency and admitted to having discussions with Moscow Dynamo. He spent three seasons with the club before making his way to North America late last year to play with the Toronto Marlies. When it appeared the lockout was going to drag on, he returned to the KHL after just 14 games with the Marlies. Once the labour dispute was settled, Komarov joined the Leafs and had a fairly impressive inaugural NHL season. He contributed four goals and nine points, but his biggest asset was his rugged play, as Komarov finished fifth in the league in hits. If the Leafs can bring him back at a similar salary, it would probably be a wise move since Komarov proved to have an impact on the third line in a checking role. The good news is that he left Moscow Dynamo last year to come to the Leafs organization, so that’s probably where he wants to be if the financial terms can be agreed upon.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed second round pick from the 2012 NHL Entry Draft Sebastian Collberg to an entry level deal. Collberg finished his season in Sweden before coming over to Montreal to rehab a concussion, then joined the Hamilton Bulldogs for the final weekend of their AHL schedule. Collberg is a ridiculously skilled young winger who can play both sides but shoots right. Collberg distinguished himself well everywhere he played this season, from the Allsvenskan to the Elisterien, despite limited ice time in the top league. He notched a point per game for Sweden in the World Junior Hockey Championships, where he won a silver medal, losing out to Alex Galchenyuk's American team. PRESS RELEASE MONTREAL- Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Tuesday the signing of forward Sebastian Collberg to a three-year contract (2013-14 to 2015-16). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. In 35 games with the Frölunda Indians in the Elitserien (Sweden) this season, Collberg totaled nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) and six penalty minutes. The 5'11'' and 181 lbs right winger also appeared in 15 games with Örebro HK in the HockeyAllsvenskan (Sweden), notching eight points (6 goals, 2 helpers) and two penalty minutes. Collberg completed his season in Hamilton taking part in two games with the Bulldogs. Collberg, 19, suited up for Team Sweden at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship presented in Ufa, Russia, guiding the Swedish squad to the silver medal. He completed the tournament with six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in six games, ranking tied for first on the team in goals and points. A native of Mariestad, Sweden, Collberg was selected in the second round, 33rd overall by the Canadiens at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He took part in the second half of the Canadiens' Development Camp in June 2012. A second announcement game in the form of making the signing of Swedish defenseman Magnus Nygren official, with a press release of his own. It's unknown if either Swedish prospect will be joining the club in either Hamilton or Montreal this coming season, but it's certainly become more likely now. PRESS RELEASE MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Tuesday the signing of defenseman Magnus Nygren to a two-year contract (2013-14 and 2014-15). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. In 51 games with the Karlstad Färjestad in the Elitserien (Sweden) this season, Nygren raked up 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists). He led the league defensemen in goals, and was tied for fourth among all Elitserien rearguards in points. He served 49 penalty minutes and displayed a +11 plus/minus differential. Nygren was named Elitserien best defenseman at the end of the season earning the Salming Trophy. He added four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 10 playoff contests. Nygren, 22, notched 65 points (24 goals, 41 assists) in 132 games since making his professional debut with Färjestad back in 2009-10. The 6'01'' and 191 lbs rearguard served 63 penalty minutes. A native of Karlstad, Sweden, Nygren was selected in the fourth round, 113th overall by the Canadiens at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He took part in the second half of the Canadiens' Development Camp in July 2011. The Canadiens also took today to announce that Alexei Emelin has finally undergone reconstructive surgery to both his ACL and MCL, with a recovery time of 6 months. That recovery time would put his prospective return date as late November, early December, which is a huge blow to the Canadiens to begin next year. Follow @AndrewBerkshire Follow @HabsEOTP

On this week's list of players we can't wait to see in the NHL one day, we profile Anthony Mantha of the Val-d'Or Foreurs. -

The New York Rangers weren't so fortunate early in this series, and now find themselves in a 2-0 hole heading back to Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have yet to lose a game there during these 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and are 9-0 dating back to their last five regular season home games. While the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals are two different teams, the Rangers still have a golden opportunity to leap right back into this series, and it all starts tonight. vs. Boston Bruins (#4 Seed) vs New York Rangers (#6 Seed)Series Score: 2-0 BOSMadison Square Garden - New York, NY- 7:30 PM Television: NBC, TSN, RDS | Radio: NHL Game RadioOpponent's Blog: Stanley Cup of Chowder | Tickets: New York Rangers Playoff Tickets Some Quick Thoughts: The Rangers got some good news this morning as both Marc Staal and Darroll Powe were out on the ice during the morning skate. By no means does this mean they are close to returning, but the option for reinforcements could be there in the event they are needed later on down the road. The New York Rangers aren't expected to make any lineup changes, and will have the same lines heading into tonight's game. The Bruins lineup is also expected to remain the same, even with Wade Redden skating this morning. Ranger fans were in for a bit of scare during Game 2, as Henrik Lundqvist appeared to injure his shoulder late in the third period. Whatever was ailing Henrik is "under control" now, and he is ready to roll for Game 3. Projected Lineup: Carl Hagelin - Derek Stepan - Ryan CallahanMats Zuccarello - Derick Brassard - Rick NashDerek Dorsett - Brian Boyle - Taylor PyattChris Kreider - Brad Richards - Arron AshamRyan McDonagh - Dan GirardiMichael Del Zotto - Anton StralmanJohn Moore - Steve EmingerHenrik LundqvistMartin Biron Scratches: Marc Staal (upper-body), Darroll Powe (upper-body), Ryane Clowe (upper-body), Matt Gilroy (healthy), Roman Hamrlik (healthy).

G'day, Wilderness! While it may be cloudy outside, it's still a great day here at the Wilderness. It can't be any better because after my 2 (and only) finals tomorrow, I'll be done with my freshman year at the University of St. Thomas. Yesterday, the editors here at the Wilderness did their final season grades for our left defensemen, and now, it's time to see how us staff writers graded them. Dan Czarnecki (WIMinnesotaWildFan) Ryan Suter: A Despite a slow start on his transition from the Predators to the Wild, he really came out of his shell halfway through this season when he scored his first goal in a Wild sweater against the Blackhawks back on March 6th. Along with Brodin, he really knew how to block shots from going in. Being nominated for the Norris trophy is also something he should be proud of. Good job this season, Suter! Clayton Stoner: C- Stoner's performance this season was mediocre to say the least. He does an ok job in our defensive zone, but I feel almost feel like he's past his prime. Sorry Stoner, I think your time with the Wild is coming to an end pretty soon. Justin Falk: C Falk's play this season was pretty inconsistent. Like many of our players, he would have an good night, and other nights, a bad night. I don't see him staying on the Wild, or for that matter, the NHL, for long unless he knows how to play with consistency. Marco Scandella: B Will he stay or will he go? That's the question many Wild fans were wondering about Scandella this season. He was spectacular down in Houston in the AHL, so why was he wasting his time down there? He finally got called back up to the Wild when they went to the playoffs, and it was a great learning experience for him. Aaron Holm (The Nooge) Ryan Suter: A Receiving my first A (and only?) in the grading department is one Ryan Suter. The Norris Trophy front runner, after starting out slow in what has been called an adjustment period turned his game around quickly. After hitting a low of -7 twice in the early parts of the season, Suter stormed back to an even +/- in late March and finished the regular season at +2. His 32 points (4g/28a) were tops amongst the blue line and 3rd overall on the team. His average time on ice a gaudy 27.17min/game was tops in the NHL. The question of whether Suter would flourish without Weber has been answered. This guy is everything he was billed up to be and I was very impressed with his game. Clayton Stoner: C- Clayton Stoner had his moments this season that made you want to rip your hair out. As the season wore on these occasions seemed to crop up more frequently. His 42 PIM were tops amongst the Wild's defensive core and definitely something that stuck out to me. At times the game seemed too fast for him, and he would struggle to move the puck out of the defensive zone. With some work in the off-season hopefully the game will slow down for him. His 6'4" frame is an intangible on the ice, and if his development continues we should start noticing less gaffes a better play coming out of the D-zone. Justin Falk: D- Coming in 2nd place in defensive penalty minutes is one Justin Falk. I struggle to recall anything Falk does good on the ice. 3 points, all from assists, -9 and the aforementioned penalty minutes are certainly nothing to be proud of. At just 24 years old this past season, he at least has a lot of room for improvement, A LOT of room ... Marco Scandella: B- Playing just 11 games for the Wild when you combine the regular season with the playoffs, Scandella did not disappoint with the limited time he filled in. Playing in all 5 playoff games he was the top scoring defensive player notching a goal and an assist for just 2 points. While not crazy impressive numbers, they are pretty good for a 22 year old kid playing against the best team in the Western Conference. This kid should get a good look next season and hopefully see some more time on the ice with the Minnesot

Ryan Pulock is a defenseman with a monster shot and good awareness/playmaking skills on the ice. Is he the type of defender that the Devils might be willing to go after instead of a forward for their offensively-challenged system?

While the Sharks may have dodged a huge bullet by winning game three in overtime on Saturday, they still have some significant work to do. No, this series isn't over by any means, and yes, the argument could be made that the Sharks should be looking at a 2-1 or even 3-0 series lead if it wasn't for the play of Jonathan Quick. However, history still isn't smiling too brightly on the San Jose Sharks. As is currently stands, and as you currently know, the Sharks trail the Kings 2-1 after dropping the first two away games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. One hundred and fifteen NHL teams have been in that same situation (LOSS-AWAY, LOSS-AWAY, WIN-HOME) and only twenty five have come back to win the series. Before you go cry in a corner, though, let me preemptively wipe away those tears. Did you know that of the twenty five teams to wrangle a win in the series after trailing 2-1, eight times it has been our Sharks? Despite all the heartache that's been associated with our franchise, that's a really nice statistic. Let's keep adding on the good stats. When the LA Kings are leading a series 2-1, they've only won the next game in the series once out of their last six tries. And when the Sharks are trailing in a series 2-1, the boys in teal are a healthy 7-4. If the Sharks can get another win at home, and the way they've played there's a great shot of them doing just that, the series is pretty much a crapshoot best-of-three. Much of this doesn't matter when you consider the sample size, but I've also been combing through some super advanced stats. These are the things that Neutral and Snark don't even catch, and I think I might be on to some really significant ones. Keep your eye out for these in the next few games (I understand if you can't catch them though, as they are SUPER ADVANCED. In fact, these stats have an ASL/AS [Advanced stat level per advanced stat] that's astronomical). BGrow/Gm (Beard Growth Per Game) Brent Burns has been one of the best Sharks on the ice this entire season, especially after he was moved to forward. However, it's hard to really explain his rapid increase in quality of play. I've gone through the tape and analyzed the beard of Brent Burns, and quickly come to the conclusion that he has the downright best BGrow/Gm of any current NHL player. Can go from sparse "forgot my razor at home this weekend" beard to "missing in woods for six months" beard in the span of just a few contests. Can't be a coincidence. hACT/hPER (Heart Actual / Heart Perceived) While Patrick Marleau still catches a bad rap in the media for what has been called a lack of heart, his five goals and three assists in just seven postseason games indicate that his actual heart measurement is more GDAC (another advanced stat, GDAC stands for "Grinch Day After Christmas") than it is GDBC. The Sharks will continue to rely heavily on Marleau throughout the series, but I would suggest he gets checked out for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy after the series. QUALSIB (Quality of Siblings) This is a crazy one, because Logan Couture is absolutely killing it in this series, overcoming an extraordinarily low QUALSIB. I am going to have to continue digging on this one. DIU/60 (Douchin' It Up per 60) This number skyrocketed for the Sharks in game one of the series, but dropped in games two and three, for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. Still high when Andrew Desjardins is on the ice. We'll see how these factors play out when the Sharks take to the ice tonight. Here's hoping they point to a Sharks win and an even series. Game 4LAK leads 2-1 7PM PST | HP Pavilion | San Jose, CaliforniaTV: CSNCA-HD, NBCSN | Radio: 98.5 KFOX, SJSharks.comKnow Your Enemy: Jewels From The Crown, Battle Of California, The Royal Half Projected Sharks Lineup Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Joe PavelskiT.J. Galiardi - Joe Thornton - Brent BurnsJames Sheppard - Scott Gomez - Tommy WingelsBracken Kearns - Andrew Desjardi

If there's a classic example of why projecting prospects is as much art as it is science, it might be Brenden Dillon. Here's some examples of scouting reports out there on him: "Limited overall upside. Not much skill level." "He could be an okay #4 to a good #5 defenseman." It's understandable that Dillon underwhelmed scouts and prospect-savvy reporters, at least for a while. He stood only 5-foot-3 at age 15 and played on relatively low-level youth hockey teams. His statistics were good but never the great numbers you expect from future NHL players. He was passed over in the WHL Bantam Draft and, later, three times in the NHL draft before finally signing with the Dallas Stars as an undrafted free agent. Now, after his first full season in the NHL, it's easy to say that Dillon has far surpassed anyone's wildest expectations for him. Playing largely alongside Stephane Robidas, Dillon was among the Stars best all-around defenders this season, with three goals, five points and a plus-one rating in very difficult minutes. In fact, when compared to all rookie defensemen in 2013, Dillon stacks up as one of the best. On the Stars, he faced the second-most difficult competition (to Robidas) and had the second most defensive zone starts (to Aaron Rome). He was a plus player both in traditional plus-minus and in Corsi ratings, and he brought a very solid physical edge to a smallish Stars blueline. The keys to his success were many, from a good-sized frame that he grew into late to a solid first pass and decent point shot. His defensive instincts were aggressive and matched up nicely with Robidas' steady presence, and he was generally fairly smart about when it was time to take a risk to make a hit and when that would be a bad positional mistake. I think his biggest asset was his fearlessness with the puck and with his willingness to step up and make a physical play. Many defensemen come into the NHL understandably tentative, not wanting to try to do something risky for the chance that the elite players at that level might burn them. Dillon had no such fear, or at least none that came through on the ice. In fact, you can argue that the Stars might want to rein him in a little more in some of his decisions (such as laying the body on a forward a half-second after he dumps the puck). That's far preferable to a player you have to constantly coach to do more. Indeed, the biggest knock against DIllon this year is probably his undisciplined play. He led the Stars in unmatched minors, many of the preventable type, and had a particular problem with the NHL's crackdown on interference. Some of that is rookie exuberance, some of it is not knowing how to sell innocence in borderline moments and some of it is just the line he's trying to walk as a physical defenseman. He'll always take more penalties than many, but he definitely can make a few better decisions without hurting the rest of his game. Dillon was also occasionally overly aggressive in his positioning and could get caught chasing the puck rather than guarding a dangerous area of the ice. Again, this isn't a huge concern, especially for a first-year player, but it is an area he can grow in during the next few years. And that's the real question for Dillon - what will his next step be. Ever since being passed over for the WHL draft, Dillon has done nothing but steadily improve. But an NHL sophomore season, especially for a defenseman, is a notoriously difficult year. Other teams have a better scouting report on tendencies and there are now expectations to live up to, which often leads to the traditional sophomore slump. You could even argue that Dillon went through a little bit of this as the season went on. It certainly got more difficult for him to move the puck up the ice once teams got wind of the fact that he was pretty good at it. If we were handing out traditional grades, Dillon would unquestionably get top marks for this season. As Stars fans have found over the past few