The Predators have been on a phenomenal run for awhile now, and Shea Weber does notice one key difference with this year’s roster compared with Nashville teams from other years.
“That’s always a tough question. It’s tough to compare teams in the past,” Weber said. “But I definitely have to say that I don’t know if we’ve had this much young talent, this much youth having the ability to change games in the time I’ve been here; guys that can really just take over. We’ve seen that in the last couple of weeks, we need a big goal and those guys are stepping up and that’s what you need in the playoffs, guys to step up in big moments.”
Source: LeBrun/ ESPN
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You can be damn sure Andrew Ladd is back to be in the playoff fold with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I took it for granted, for sure,” Ladd said. “I’m sure there are guys in [the Hawks] dressing room that take it for granted now, too. A lot of guys know nothing but being in the playoffs. But I’m sure if you ask Brandon Saad after the season he’s going through, you learn quickly how tough it really is.”
Source: Lazerus/ Sun-Times
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Edmonton Oilers scouts had reportedly voted nine to two in favor of drafting Ryan Murray over Nail Yalupov in 2012, which you can read about in this article.
The piece also includes a damning indictment of the winger’s play, noting that the line that dogs Yakupov around Edmonton is that he plays the game like he’s being chased by a swarm of bees.
“It’s so obvious now,” said a scout, who had cautioned against Yakupov’s hockey sense and foot speed. “Watch him away from the puck — he still doesn’t know where to go. His feet are moving 100 miles an hour, his stick is beating the hell out of the puck, and he doesn’t have a clue where he’s going and what he’s going to do with it.”
Source: Spector/ Sportsnet
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Good interview with prospect Jakob Chychrun, who hopes to actually make the NHL next season as an 18-year-old defenseman.
Having Derian Hatcher as his coach in Sarnia has helped.
“It’s been great,” said Chychrun. He was a captain of [the Dallas Stars] when they won the Stanley Cup [in 1999] and you can see why. When he’s at the rink it’s all business and I like that about him. It’s an open-door policy and we can go to him to discuss anything. We have good communication between each other, especially on the ice. He’s always taking our defense aside and giving tips whenever he can and that goes a long way. For me, any type of advice like that is important because he’s been to the highest level. And when you hear him it’s something you always remember and want to work at to improve. So I appreciate everything he’s done.”
Source: Morreale/ NHL.com
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The Ottawa Senators have officially shut down Clarke MacArthur for the season, and he believes this entire situation could have been avoided earlier in the year.
Excerpt via The Ottawa Citizen:
MacArthur expects no sympathy. He says he created his own nightmare, ignoring telltale concussion symptoms at the end of training camp.
“I feel like if I had just went with my gut instinct from Day 1, I would have missed 10 games and I would have played the rest of the year,” MacArthur said in an exclusive interview with Postmedia at his Ottawa home last week. “It would have been a different situation. It could have been a completely different year.”
Source: Warren/ Citizen
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Tyler Johnson has missed chunks of time with the Tampa Bay Lightning due to injury, but that may have ended up being a good thing in the longer run.
He’s a rested hockey player – finally.
“In pro, we’ve gone to the finals pretty much every year,” Johnson said. “If we didn’t, I was playing in World Championships. Even in juniors, we went (to the playoffs) every year. I’ve always kind of been in a rhythm always playing hockey. So I’ve never really had a break. I guess with the injuries, this is the most I’ve actually taken off away from the gym or the ice.
“I don’t necessarily think that’s a blessing because I want to be here. But my body feels really good right now, and I’m just trying to help the team. Just got to keep on rolling,”
Source: Smith/ Times
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The Pittsburgh Penguins’ nominee for the Masteron, as voted by the PHWA, is Pascal Dupuis.
He announced his retirement in December, and has been working for the team off-ice. Part of his duties include being a conduit between the coaches and the players, and Dupuis wonders whether or not he fits the description of someone who deserves the Masteron.
“Am I still a part of (the team)?” Dupuis said. “Am I completely outside of it? Am I in (the players’) way? Am I like the awkward guy just trying to make them laugh?
“I put a suit on and I go in the coaches’ room during the game, and then I come back, and I’ve got to mess around with (teammates). I hear stuff back there, but I hear stuff (among the players). I’m in the middle. I don’t talk about what’s going on on both sides. I have to walk a fine line, for sure.”
Source: West/ TribLive
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Nichols’ Notes runs weekdays, linking you to stories of interest from around the NHL.
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