Author: SFDI

                 By Neil Becker

The story begins and ends with Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko’s performance.

Demko wrote another chapter to what has been a career year when on Saturday night at Rogers Arena, he made 51 saves in leading his team to a 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs, who had forward Wayne Simmonds back in the lineup, went with second-stringer Petr Mrazek in goal who was a little less busy in facing only 24 shots. After kicking off this current three-game road swing with a Thursday night loss against the Calgary Flames, Toronto was hoping to make an early Saturday night statement against the Canucks.

Leading the Canucks offensive charge was forward J.T. Miller who scored his 29^th goal at the 1:29 mark before just under five minutes later earning an assist in helping the Canucks get off to a 2-0 first period lead. Toronto, who haven’t since October lost consecutive games, struck for two-second period goals from Austin Matthews with his 32^nd followed with under five minutes left in the first by veteran Ondrej Kase who tallied his ninth which made it a brand new- game.

Showing strong resiliency, Vancouver scored the eventual game winner which came 18:30 into the second when forward Juho Lammikko scored his fourth in giving the Canucks a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes of regulation. Realistically, the Leafs did everything but score in the third as they generated 17 shots but couldn’t get the equalizer as they went on to suffer a hard luck Saturday night loss out in Vancouver. The Leafs will finish up their three- game road trip with a visit to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena for a Monday night 9 p.m. puck drop against the expansion Seattle Kraken.

                      SCORING SUMMARY

                      1^st. Period                                                      TOR- VAN

                      1:29 J.T. Miller (17)                                           0 –   1

                             Bo Horvat (12), Brock Boeser (13)

                     6:00 PPG- Brock Boeser (14)

                            Oliver Ekman-Larsson (10), J.T. Miller (31)     0 –   2

                       2^nd Period                                                       TOR – VAN

                      12:46 PPG- Auston Matthews (32)                       1-    2

                  John Tavares (27), William Nylander (26)       

                   15:41 PPG Ondrej Kase (9)                                        2 – 2

                   Jason Spezza (7), Rasmus Sandin (10)

                   18:30 Juho Lammikko (4)                                          2 – 3                                       

                    Alex Chiasson (5), Tyler Motte (5)

By Neil Becker

Arizona Coyotes forward Phil Kessel has taken a lot of criticism but truth be told, the man can score goals.

Kessel, who was drafted by the Boston Bruins fifth overall in the 2006 draft has had a productive career playing for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and currently the Arizona Coyotes.

The Madison Wisconsin native, who is not known for his strong defensive play, can definitely score goals and would be a useful commodity for teams desperately looking for some secondary scoring.

Looking ahead to the March 21^st NHL trade deadline, it certainly makes sense for the re-tooling Coyotes to trade the 34- year-old Kessel who this summer is scheduled to become a free agent.

Though Kessel has slowed down due to age, he still sits second this year in team scoring with 31 points (6 goals, 25 assists) but does have an ugly -11 plus/minus rating.

 All throughout the season’s first half, various Kessel trade rumors began circulating including one which had him returning to where it all started in Boston.

Last season, the player they call ‘Phil the Thrill’ showed that he still has lots in the tank as he sat number one in team scoring with 20 goals in what was a respectable 43 points in 56 games.

During his career, Kessel has been criticized for being out of shape. He might not have the most muscular body, but there is no denying his commitment.  In late January Kessel competed in his 940^th straight game which put him only 24 behind the former all-time iron man leader in forward Doug Jarvis.

Jarvis, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and Hartford Whalers was recently dethroned as the NHL ironman streak leader by Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Keith Yandle.

In what’s been a solid NHL career, Kessel has played in three All-Star Games (2011, 2012, and 2015) and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 win the Stanley Cup. So along with secondary scoring, he also knows what it takes to win. Something he can offer to a contending team.

Currently, Kessel has played in 1,169 career games where he has scored 397 goals along 935 points and 350 penalty minutes.

Kessel who is also known for his sense of humor will definitely be in high demand as the March 22^nd NHL trade deadline approaches. 

By Neil Becker

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom once again showed why his name belongs in the Vezina Trophy conversation.

Making a first-period statement by stopping 17 of 18 shots, Markstrom continuously frustrated shooters as he made 46 saves total in leading the Calgary Flames to a Thursday night 5-2 win at Scotiabank Saddledome against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Flames, who have now won five straight, and seven of eight, managed to accomplish what many recent opponents couldn’t which was keeping Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and Austin Matthews off the board. Marner came into action having scored in eight straight games while Matthews sits third in league scoring with 31.

Toronto got a big boost on the backend as veteran defenceman Jake Muzzin was back after sitting out seven games due to a concussion. Muzzin played his usual physical style while registering five shots on goal. In the first period, the Leafs suffered some bad news as forward Ondrej Kase, who has a history of concussion issues didn’t come back after leaving the ice following a giant hit from Flames defenceman Nikita Zadorov.

The Leafs, who came into action on a six- game winning streak got off to a strong start as defenceman Rasmus Sandin opened the scoring with his second of year which came 3:49 into the second.

Rasmus goal didn’t stand up for long as Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane replied 24 seconds later with his 23^rd to make it a brand- new game at 1-1.

Just past the game’s halfway mark, the Flames took control and never looked back as they scored three straight goals in under a three-minute span from defenceman Noah Hanifin with his fifth, Oliver Kylington which came on the power play, and forward Elias Lindholm who with under minutes remaining in the second scored his 17^th to give the Flames a 4-1 lead. A little over a minute into the third, Calgary once again got on the board as Rasmus Andersson got the crowd roaring after he scored his second of the year.  The Leafs would get one more as forward Michael Bunting, just past the period’s five-minute mark took a nice drop pass from Matthews and blasted home his 14^th of the year.

Calgary would go on and cruise to their second straight big win. The night before defeating Toronto the Flames shut out the Vegas Golden Knights by a 6-0 score at Scotiabank Saddledome. The Leafs on Saturday night will look to start a new streak in Vancouver’ Rogers Arena where they will be facing off at 7 p.m. against the Canucks.

 SCORING SUMMARY

1^st. Period                                                                   TOR-CGY

                                                                                     No Scoring

2^nd Period                                                                   TOR-  CGY        

3:49  Rasmus Sandin (2)                                              1   –   0

Wiliam Nylander (25), John Tavares (26)

4:13 Andrew Mangiapane (23)                             1   –    1

Mikael Backlund (13), Blake Coleman (10)

13:03 Noah Hanifin (5)                                            1 –    2

Rasmus Andersson (21), Matthew Tkachuk (28)

13:35 PPG-Oliver Kylington (6)                              1 –   3

Noah Hanifin (17), Mikael Backlund (14)

15:54 Elias Lindholm (17)                                       1 –   4

Johnny Gaudreau (37), Chris Tanev (13)

3^rd Period

1:16 Rasmus Andersson (2)                                 1  –  5

5:06 Michael Bunting (14)                                    2 –  5

Austin Matthews (23), Timothy Liljegren (7)