In this edition of NHL Talk, here are the top storylines with quotes from players, coaches, managers, and more.
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Wild End Two-Game Winless Skid, Hope to Get Back on Track
The Minnesota Wild ended its two-game winless skid, defeating the Boston Bruins, 4-2, on Wednesday. Despite ranking third in the Central Division with a 35-20-4 record, the Wild have struggled lately, with a division-worst record of 4-5-1 over its last 10 games. With the Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, and Winnipeg Jets all within eight points of Minnesota, the Wild need to build from its latest win and get back on track if it wants to secure a place in the playoffs.
“We’ve just got to focus on what allowed us to eventually come out with a win tonight,” Wild forward Jordan Greenway said. “…We’ve just got to stick to the game plan, keep it simple, stay patient, and find a way to bring that energy every night. It’s not easy to do, especially as the regular season comes to the end here. But we’ve got to continue to stay strong, find the energy, and build off it.”
Blue Jackets’ Roslovic Scores Two Goals in Third Consecutive Win
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic scored two goals to help lead his team to a third consecutive win, 4-1, at the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. His two tallies give him 12 goals on the season, matching his NHL career high. Now in his second season with the Blue Jackets, he has 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 60 games.
“I’m trying to build that structured game and be able to make plays consistently,” Roslovic said. “Don’t turn the puck over, just make the right plays and be a good all-around player. The [previous] 15 games, I don’t think I’ve really had too much point production (seven points; two goals, five assists), but I just feel more patient with it, more calm. I feel like I’m developing all those skills that will boost me, and eventually the points and the stats will come.”
Lightning’s Stamkos Tallies Three Assists in 900th NHL Game
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos tallied three assists in his 900th NHL game, a 4-1 win at the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. Over the course of 14 seasons, all played with the Lightning, he has 932 points (466 goals, 466 assists). The 32-year-old has been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons, without a full 82-game season played since 2018-19, but is continuing to produce at a stellar rate with 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games this season.
“I’m just proud of being part of this organization for all 900 of those and hopefully many more to come,” Stamkos said. “Some of the adverse times that I’ve gone through with all the support that I’ve had, and just trying to get back to the player I know I can be and have the impact on the ice that I know I can bring every night. It’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes just to get to this point. I look forward to the challenge ahead.”
Kraken’s Eberle Reacts to Jarnkrok Trade to Calgary
Ahead of the Kraken’s game on Wednesday, the team traded forward Calle Jarnkrok to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 2022 second-round draft pick, a 2023 third-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick. The move marked the first in-season trade in Kraken franchise history, and likely signifies more moves are on the way for the NHL’s newest club. After a 4-1 loss to the Lightning, Seattle forward Jordan Eberle was asked about the team getting NHL Trade Deadline season underway.
“It’s part of the business, we understand the situation we’re in,” Eberle said. “Guys are going to get traded.… It should really be no surprise because you’ve been on losing teams. This is what happened, so that’s definitely no excuse.… It’s frustrating. Obviously you can try and find as many excuses as you want, but at the end of the day we’re still trying to build here and we got 20 games to see who wants to be here.”
Devils’ Daws Pulled During Ninth Start in 17 Days
New Jersey Devils goaltender Nico Daws started his ninth game in 17 days at the Calgary Flames on Sunday. After allowing four goals on 19 shots, he was pulled from the game and replaced by Jon Gillies, who closed out a 6-3 loss for the Devils. Daws, a 21-year-old rookie, has been put to the test in his first significant stint in the NHL, which may have been a bit too much of a workload.
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“I put Nico through a pretty tough test,” Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said. “Probably an unfair test for a young goaltender. Back-to-back, came out of the game. Physically playing back to back is tough. Mentally getting prepared for every game is tough. We’ve asked a lot of him, probably unfairly I’ve asked a lot of him.”
