Tag Archives: NHL

Games

Penguins ‘Sidney Crosby had fun’ when the NHL returned with an exhibition game | Instant News


Forwards Sidney Crosby highlighting the return of star-laden to ice Tuesday, when six teams played at exhibitions in both cities from the NHL restart bubble.

It was the first action in any form from the league that stopped its regular season in March amid a coronavirus pandemic, and with the Stanley Cup qualification series scheduled to start on Saturday, these exercises – additional teams will have them on Wednesday and Thursday – represent the only chance for players to perfect their skills against true competition.

In Toronto and Edmonton, tarpaulins, some with the NHL logo on it, are placed in the lower bowl seating area, with the Stanley Cup 2020 logo painted on the center-ice circle, and traditional advertisements attached to the board.

In the first league match since March 11, Crosby scored 19:03 playing time after missing training and training sessions earlier this month in Pittsburgh for undisclosed reasons. The penguins fell to Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, during extra time in Toronto.

“I feel good physically. I feel good, I feel strong, just anticipating and playing games and things like that,” Crosby said after the match. “It will only come with time. But for the most part, I feel very good. It’s great to be back there.”

Penguins will face Montreal in one of the Eastern Conference qualifications, starting Saturday night.

“I think it was a sloppy game, especially in the first few periods. I think that was expected,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “I think the second half of our match improved.

“We have to be much better. We have a way to go before we fire all the cylinders.”

Cost of Care, Montreal star goalkeeper, starts for the Canadiens against Maple Leafs at the Toronto nightclub. Price, who is likely to start vs Penguins Saturday in Game 1, made 19 saves in a 4-2 loss to Maple Leafs.

In Canada, the two Western Region rivals, who Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, meet at the manufacturer’s arena. The Oilers biggest star, ahead Connor McDavid, opened the exhibition with a purpose in the first period.

He and Oilers will take Chicago Blackhawks in qualifying, starting Saturday, while Flames will meet Winnipeg Jets in their Game 1 tonight.

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Games

The players, coaches unite in the fight against racism before the exhibition match | Instant News


NHL players and coaches stand together in the blue line before two exhibition matches at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Tuesday to make statements against social injustice.

Members of the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins stood side by side in solidarity during the screening of the anthems of the United States and Canada before overtime victory 3-2 by Flyers. Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens did the same thing before their match.

“Penguins and Flyers, the two toughest rivals in sports, unite in solidarity this afternoon, to fight social injustice, racism and hatred,” Flyers and Penguins said in a statement. “The two teams stand as one, combining players from both franchises together in the blue lines of each club before today’s match.”

Each player stands next to the player from the opposing team, including the Penguins captain Sidney Crosby next to the Flyers center Sean Couturier, Penguin forward Patric Hornqvist next to the advanced Flyers Jakub Voracek and Penguins defender Jack Johnson next to the captain of the Flyers Claude Giroux.

“A lot has happened since we played our last game and we feel, the two teams, it’s important to show unity remembering what happened and just want to be part of the solution to move forward,” Crosby said. “So that’s kind of the thinking behind it.”

Penguin coach Mike Sullivan stood next to Flyers coach Alain Vigneault during the national anthem.

“I think everything we tried to do tonight, the players and coaches, showed our support,” Vigneault said. “That is one small way that I think anyone can do and show it, and that’s what we do.”

Several NHL players and teams have been vocal and active in supporting social justice, the struggle against racism and the Black Lives Matter movement since George Floyd, a black man, died in custody of a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, sparking protests across the United States .

“We talked about it before the match, doing something for equality and justice, racism, everything,” Couturier said. “Respect the people, your opponents. We are quite big rivals but still show the way we respect each other, and I think it should be the same in life in general.”

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Boston Bruins each issued a statement outlining plans to show the same type of support to combat social injustice, racism, and hatred before their exhibition match in Toronto, the central city of the Eastern Conference, Thursday (19:00 ET; NHLN, TVAS, FS-O, NESN, NHL.TV).

“For the past few months we have been trying to educate ourselves and learn more about racial injustice in our country and around the world,” the Bruins statement said. “As a team, we have decided to lock arms during the United States match and the Canadian National Anthem as a sign of solidarity with the Black community. This action is solely intended as a sign of positive support for the Black community, and a way for us to use our platform to help end racism. “

The Blue Jackets echoed that sentiment in their statement.

“On Thursday, our team joined the Boston Bruins in locking arms as a sign of positive support for the black community before playing the National Anthem. As a group and as individuals we have and will continue to listen and learn about race. Injustice. Through the platform we hope we can continue this important talk on equality. Racism and prejudice have no place in hockey and no place in society. “

Columbus defenseman Seth Jones said it was an opportunity for the players to show a united front.

“We are all here, we all care and we all try to make a difference in the world,” Jones said Monday. “Obviously, we are trying to create cultural change, not only in hockey but throughout the world.”

The NHL season was stopped on March 12 because of concerns about coronavirus. The Stanley Cup qualifiers – eight best-of-5 series and two round-robin four teams – begin on Saturday.

Each of the 24 participating teams will play one exhibition game.

Tweet from @penguins: The Penguins and Flyers, two of the toughest rivals in sports, united in solidarity this afternoon, to fight social injustice, racism and hatred. The team stands as one in each blue of each club. line before today’s match. pic.twitter.com/HPi36959Ns

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Games

The First Game At NHL Bubble Looks And Sounds … Fantastic – CBS Boston | Instant News


By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) – Hockey. Is. Back.

That is a development that sports fans really need – especially because MLB and NFL look a little floundering with their non-bubble plans. So with teams adjusting to their bubbles – the Eastern Conference in Toronto and the Western Conference in Edmonton – it’s finally time for fans to see real live hockey for the first time since March.

It began Tuesday afternoon with a game exhibition between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. Though the game is more or less just a warm up for those games is it right count this weekend, the players take it quite seriously, knowing that they don’t have much time to catch up to the speed of the playoffs.

Exhibition games also give fans their first glimpse of what the game in the bubble is like on television. And if we’re honest, that’s … pretty good!

NHL covers the bottom of the Scotiabank Arena so that it feels less empty, while placing large video boards around the arena as well.

General view before the exhibition match between Penguins and Flyers. (Photo by Andre Ringuette / Freestyle Photos / Getty Images)

General view before the exhibition match between Penguins and Flyers. (Photo by Andre Ringuette / Freestyle Photos / Getty Images)

Between the benches, where Pierre McGuire and Brian Boucher stand to comment in their game, the NHL puts up bubbles inside the bubbles, to help limit person-to-person contact:

Broadcaster Brian Boucher makes an exhibition game between Penguins and Flyers. (Photo by Andre Ringuette / Freestyle Photos / Getty Images)

Matt Murray and Carter Hart speak in front of Brian Boucher NBC Sports. (Photo by Andre Ringuette / Freestyle Photos / Getty Images)

This game also displays an artificial crowd sound, which is very subtle during play, but comes perfectly and – dare I say – naturally for the first two goals of the game. Listen for yourself:

And the game itself? Of course, there are some rust that must be removed. But these people are kind.

Conor Sheary’s score against Carter Hart. (Photo by Andre Ringuette / Freestyle Photos / Getty Images)

Although no one really imitates the intense atmosphere of the playoff hockey, early returns show that … NHL fans will have no trouble enjoying this game. Must be different. But that’s … not bad. Not bad at all.

With zero positive tests throughout the league … and with carefully crafted bubbles … this has the potential to succeed. And based on the first look, it has the potential to be fantastic.

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Games

Capsule preview game exhibition | NHL.com | Instant News


This is the first game played since March 12, the day the NHL stopped the regular season due to concerns about coronavirus.

The match between the 12 Western Conference teams will take place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, and the Eastern Conference team will play at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Competition, whether related to geography or recent playoff history, determines the majority of 12 matches.

“It’s just like entering a competitive situation against another team,” the center of Toronto’s Maple Leafs Auston Matthews said about their match against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. “We have just stepped into it, this is not like an ordinary pre-season where you have four or five matches to complete. We just want to start the match tomorrow.”

The following is the appearance of each game:

Tuesday

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers (4 pm ET; NBCSN, NBCSP +, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV) – Penguins hope to have a captain Sidney Crosby back. The center resumed training Monday in Toronto after missing since July 18. They are also looking for clarity about the keeper as an old player Matt Murray and challenger Tristan Jarry battle for the role of beginners. For Philadelphia, goalkeeper Carter Hart missed two days of training last week but will play two periods against Penguins.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens (8:00 ET; NHLN, SN1, TVAS, NHL.TV) – Two Original Six teams renew their competition to prepare for Qualification. For Montreal, go forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi has had a stronghold and is looking to regain his place in the lineup after spending much of the season with Laval of the American Hockey League. For Toronto, the forward is 18 years old Nicholas Robertson has become a revelation and topped the lineup. Coach Sheldon Keefe said he wanted to see what Robertson was doing against the NHL opposition.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames (22:30 ET; NHLN, SN, NHL.TV) – The Battle of Alberta will be the perfect way for these teams to increase speed, introduce a little familiarity and emotion ready to use. Each team must decide to start the goalkeeper. Mike Smith (19-12-6, 2.95 goals-compared to the average, 0.902 saving percentage) and Mikko Koskinen (18-13-3, 2.75 GAA, 0.917 saves a percentage) each must see action for Oilers. For Calgary, David Rittich (24-17-6, 2.97 GAA, .907 saving percentage) and Cam Talbot (12-10-1, 2.63 GAA, 0.919 percentage storage) is expected to divide the time. Calgary is looking for a replacement to replace it Travis Hamonic, who opted out of the Return to Play NHL Plan.

Wednesday

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers (Noon ET; NHLN, FS-F, SUN, NHL.TV) – Up Steven Stamkos and defenseman Victor Hedman Will not play for Lightning. Stamkos has a lower body injury, and his hope is that he will be ready before the qualifying round. Hedman remains in Tampa to handle personal matters and is expected to join Lightning on Friday. For Florida, the best defender Aaron Ekblad, who missed the last two exercises at the training camp, skated Monday but didn’t want to play. Coach Joel Quenneville said on Monday that Ekblad would be ready for Qualification. Forwards Aleksi Saarela has been a revelation for Panther during the training camp.

Colorado vs Minnesota Wild Avalanche (14:30 ET; NHLN, FS-N, FS-WI, NHL.TV) – All eyes will be on the status of Colorado going forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. Each of them cannot train towards the end of the training camp but returns on Saturday for the final session before heading to Edmonton. MacKinnon, who scored 93 points (35 goals, 68 assists) in 69 matches, was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP, and Makar, who scored 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists), was a finalist for Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year. this. For Wild, who will play in goal is their biggest question. Coach Dean Evason said each of the four goals on the list had chances, but the battle was likely between Alex Stalock (20-11-4, 2.67 GAA, .910 saves percentage) and Devan Dubnyk (12-15-2, 2.96 GAA, .890 saving percentage).

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals (4 pm ET; NBCSN, FS-CR, NHL.TV) – A battle between teams facing off in the Eastern Conference First Round at the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff, when Hurricanes infuriated the Capital in seven games, this game should bring instant emotions. There are also questions that must be answered. Who will be the backup goalkeeper for the Capitals behind Braden Holtby now that Ilya Samsonov has been ruled out because of the postseason? Will Pheonix Copley or Vitek Vanecek ? Each spent the entire season with Hershey on the AHL. Also, will we expand the view going forward Connor McMichael and defenseman Alexander Alexeyev ? Each is a selection of the first round recently entered on a 31-person list. Carolina needs to sort out her plans in the defenseman case Dougie Hamilton not ready for Qualification. Trade-acquisition defensement Sami Vatanen and Brady Skjei each must get a long look in this game.

St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks (18:30 ET; NBCSN, NHLN, NBCSP-CH +, FS-MW +) – Goalkeeper Blackhawks Corey Crawford will be the focus of this Central Division rival’s fight. Crawford (16-20-3, 2.77 GAA, .917 saves percentage) missed everything except the last day of the training camp because of a positive COVID-19 test. He played 20 minutes in Saturday’s game, and his hope is to bring him to this game. Forwards Vladimir Tarasenko expected to play for the Blues, his first match action since undergoing surgery on his left shoulder in October.

New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers (8 pm ET; NBCSN, TVAS, MSG, MSG +) – Every team has a decision to make a goalkeeper. Islander coach Barry Trotz said he could not go wrong with whatever decision he made and planned to use Semyon Varlamov (19-14-6, 2.62 GAA, .914 saves percentage) and Thomas Greiss (16-9-4, 2.74 GAA, .913 saves percentage) in this game. Rangers have used three goals this season: Igor Shesterkin, Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev. Shesterkin (10-2-0, 2.52 GAA, .932 saves percentage) is believed to have a deep path to start in the qualifying series against Hurricanes, but this could be the final audition for the challengers.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets (22:30 ET; NHLN, SN, NHL.TV) – Each team has quite a number of players and is relatively healthy. Finalist of the Calder Trophy Quinn Hughes, who has 53 points (eight goals, 45 assists) in 68 matches for the Canucks, has a strong stronghold, and it will be interesting to see how much the defender has improved since March. Connor Hellebuyck (31-21-5, 2.57 GAA, .222 saving percentage), a finalist of the Vezina Trophy as the best goalkeeper in the NHL, will be the goalkeeper for the Jets against Wild, but Laurent Brossoit (6-7-1, 3.28 GAA, .895 saves a percentage) might get some work because he missed the first four days of the training camp.

Thursday

Nashville Predators vs Dallas Stars (4 pm ET; NHLN, FS-SW, FS-TN, NHL.TV) – Predators are trying to decide whether Pekka Rinne (18-14-4, 3.17 GAA, .895 saving percentage) or Hair Saros (17-12-4, 2.70 GAA, .914 save percentage) will be their goalkeeper. Coach John Hynes said on Monday that each would play at least one period against the Stars. For Dallas, the big question is what to do Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Dallas’s top two scorers are on separate paths for most training camps, but the attackers reunite on Sunday with Seguin as the center and Denis Gurianov other wing.

Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (19:00 ET; NHLN, TVAS, NESN, FS-O, NHL.TV) – Will David Pastrnak play for the Bruins in this game, a rematch of the 2019 playoff second round? The attacker, who scored 95 points (48 goals, 47 assists) in 70 matches, trained with the Bruins for the first time Monday after he was “unfit to participate” throughout the training camp. Coach Bruce Cassidy said he had a preliminary round of qualifications to accelerate Pastrnak, but the more iterations he could get the No. No. 1 of them (Pastrnak with the center Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand), better. It will be interesting to see what a healthy Columbus looks like. Among those who returned was defenseman Seth Jones and forward Cam Atkinson. Each has not been played since February 8.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Arizona Coyotes (10 nights ET; NHLN, FS-A PLUS, NHL.TV) – What is the status of Max Pacioretty? The top six attackers have been absent in the last four days at the training camp. His presence will reduce fears about juggling lines for round-robins. For Arizona, defender number 1 Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who have 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 66 matches, must be available after injury during training on Friday. Coach Rick Tocchet suggested he would use each of his two goals in the tournament, and it looks like we’ll see it Darcy Kuemper (16-11-2, 2.22 GAA, .928 saving percentage) and Antti Raanta (15-14-3, 2.63 GAA, .921 save percentage) play against the Golden Knight.

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Canada

The canadian team hopes to raise the Cup on their own land | Sports | Instant News








The General Manager of the Canadiens Marc Bergevin hours of practice earlier this month at the team facility in the city of Brossard in the province of Quebec.


Paul Chiasson, The Canadian Press


Ken Dryden became so accustomed to winning Championships with the Montreal Canadiens, a hockey Hall of fame goaltender have difficulty assessing Canada’s Stanley Cup drought.

“That’s strange,” Dryden said recently by phone from his home in Toronto.

“If you go back to the records I remember from 1944 to 1979, the canadian team has won 24 times or something,” he said. “It’s just surprising that it was the case. And then in 1993, not at all. It’s just a weird anomaly”.

The Canada Cup is just over a 35-year period is actually 27, with Dryden and the Canadiens claiming six of them from 1971 to 1979.

But who’s counting?

“Yes, this time,” said Dryden. “It was a time for quite a long time for canadian teams to win. And I think it will be a fantastic ifhat happened.”

And on canadian ice, not less.

The playoffs the NHL will take place exclusively in Canada, with games will open on Saturday in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta. Not since 1925, and all games of the playoffs of the NHL is North of the border, when Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria were in a four team mix.

And yet, even with six of the seven canadian franchises to compete this year’s 24-team format, there’s no guarantee one of them will be the first in 27 years to win the Cup since Montreal defeated Los Angeles kings in five games.

The strip is so long that 22-year-old new York islanders prospect Kieffer bellows was not yet born when his father, Brian, took the Cup to Montreal.

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Travel

Bruins travel to Toronto ahead of NHL resumption | Instant News



The Boston Bruins departed for Toronto, one of the NHL’s designated plaque cities, for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. On Saturday, the Bruins completed nearly two weeks of training camp in Boston at Warrior Ice Arena. shared photos of players boarding a bus as part of their trip to Toronto. “I’m excited. I think we’re all excited now,” said Bruins forward Charlie Coyle of Weymouth. “We got the job done. We know we’re playing. We know we’re going to get there, so we just can’t wait to get there. It’ll be different circumstances – rather than the playoffs we’ve been through, well sure – but I think we’re excited for a new challenge. “” I think preparation is all about realizing that there’s going to be a lot of unknowns and adjustment, and getting ready for that and being open, “said Bruins backup captain Patrice Bergeron. According to the team’s website, Boston will bring 450 hockey sticks, 60 jars of protein powder and 1,200 pounds of weight north of the border. The Bruins have Also released the list of players who will compete in Toronto. All-star winger David Pastrnak, who was tied for the league lead in goals, was included in the roster after missing a lot of time in camp. training. The 24-year-old was deemed “unfit to participate “in most workouts, but his agent told The Athletic his client was in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, but added that Pastrnak had tested negative for the coronavirus. Boston, along with 11 other Eastern Conference teams, will play their games in Toronto, while 12 Western Conference teams will play in Edmonton. The Bruins will face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday for their first game of recovery. On August 2, when they face the Philadelphia Flyers, the Black-and-Gold will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on August 5, then face the Washington Capitals on August 8 before the start of the first round of the Cup playoffs. Stanley. 11.Boston is one of eight teams – four from the East and four from the West – that have already earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The B’s play in what the NHL calls the “round robin” to determine the playoff standings. The remaining 16 teams from the NHL rerun play in a best-of-five series to determine the remaining eight teams advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final will be held in Edmonton , which means the Bruins will have to head west if they are among the last four teams left standing.Boston was the No. 1 team in the NHL with 100 points before the season was suddenly interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since all upcoming games are considered part of the 2019-20 playoffs, the Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the NHL team with the best regular player. record of the season. BOSTON – The Boston Bruins depart for Toronto, one of the National Hockey League’s designated plaque cities, for the 2019-20 season to resume On Saturday, the Bruins completed nearly two weeks of training camp in Boston at the Warrior Ice Arena. The team shared photos of players boarding a bus as part of their trip to Toronto. “I’m excited. I think we’re all excited now, ”said Bruins forward Charlie Coyle of Weymouth. “We’ve done the job. We know we’re playing. We know we’re going to get there, so we just can’t wait to get there. It’ll be different circumstances – rather than the playoffs we’ve been through before, well sure – but I think we’re excited for a new challenge. “” I think preparation is all about realizing that there’s going to be a lot of unknowns and adjustment, and getting ready for that and being open – considered for what’s to come, “said Bruins backup captain Patrice Bergeron. According to the team’s website, Boston will bring 450 hockey sticks, 60 jars of protein powder and 1,200 pounds of weight north. The Bruins have also released the roster of players who will compete in Toronto. All-star David Pastrnak, who was tied for the league lead in goals, was included in the roster after missing lots of time in training camp. The 24-year-old was deemed “unfit to participate” in most training sessions, but his agent told The Athletic his client was in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive at COVID-19, but added that Pastrnak had tested negative for the coronavirus. Boston, along with 11 other Eastern Conference teams, will play their games in Toronto, while 12 Western Conference teams will play in Edmonton. The Bruins will face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday for their first game of recovery. On August 2, when they face the Philadelphia Flyers, the Black-and-Gold will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on August 5, then face the Washington Capitals on August 8 before the start of the first round of the Cup playoffs. Stanley. 11.Boston is one of eight teams – four from the East and four from the West – that have already earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The B’s play in what the NHL calls the “round robin” to determine the playoff standings. The remaining 16 teams from the NHL rerun play in a best-of-five series to determine the remaining eight teams advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final will be held in Edmonton , which means the Bruins will have to head west if they are among the last four teams left standing.Boston was the No. 1 team in the NHL with 100 points before the season was suddenly interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since all upcoming games are considered part of the 2019-20 playoffs, the Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the NHL team with the best regular player. record of the season. .



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Switzerland

Could it be that Jesse Puljujarvi was on his way to play in Switzerland? | Instant News


While the NHL players headed to their respective bubble cities on Sunday, a rumor emerged that Edmonton Oilers’ Jesse Puljujarvi could bring his talent to Switzerland.

According to the German news website watson.ch, SC Bern of the National League shows interest in signing Puljujarvi. While listed as a “dubious rumor” about Elite Prospects, it could give Puljujarvi the opportunity to continue to prove its value to the NHL club.

Another Finnish temptation for Langnau and Bern is Jesse Puljujärvi (22), a dual Finnish-Swedish citizen. Strong, fast, massive wings were the fourth best scorer in the Finnish league last season. This would really be a perfect addition to Langnauer who is rather small, young, and light or fits into SCB.

At SC Bern, despite a recruitment freeze, right-to-right shooting was sought.

Last month, a report revealed that Puljujarvi and the Finnish team he played with last year, Karpat Oulu, had not yet negotiated a contract.

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SC Bern fought this year and is the fourth worst team in 12 NL teams. Bern, however, has done a good job of producing NHL talent for years.

Current oiler, Gaetan Haas, played for Bern in late 2018-19 and former Edmonton Oilers striker Marc Arcobello scored 48 points in 50 matches there last year.

People like Roman Josi and Nico Hischier are two NHL’ers who developed their game there.

On Twitter: @zjlaing

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Travel

Bruins expect Pastrnak to visit Toronto | Instant News



FILE PHOTO: March 3, 2020; Tampa, Florida, United States; Boston Bruins right winger David Pastrnak (88) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Boston All-Star forward David Pastrnak is expected to be on the team’s plane Sunday when the Bruins travel to Toronto for the Stanley Cup playoffs and playoffs. Coach Bruce Cassidy said on Saturday forward Nick Ritchie, who has missed the last three practices, is also expected to travel. Forward Ondrej Kase is also expected to join the squad. Pastrnak was declared “unfit to participate” on July 16. Under the league’s return-to-play plan, teams cannot reveal the reason for a player’s absence. Team president Cam Neely, however, said on Wednesday that Massachusetts state regulations for foreign players returning to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic had prevented Pastrnak and Kase from joining the team. Both are from the Czech Republic, and Pastrnak is known to have returned there after the NHL season break on March 12 amid the pandemic. Pastrnak, 24, shared the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2019-20 as the NHL’s top scorer with captain of Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. Pastrnak only needed 70 games to score 48 goals, eclipsing his previous career record – set last season – by 10. He also set career highs in assists (47), points (95) and plus-minus (plus-21). The Bruins (44-14-12, 100 points) will compete in the Stanley Cup round robin tournament in Toronto. They will face off against Philadelphia on August 2 before facing Tampa Bay three days later and Washington on August 9 to determine their playoff standings. —Field Level MediaOur standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. .



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Games

Fanless baseball does not relieve the misery of Motor City | Instant News


DETROIT (AP) – Brass Rail Pizza Bar is close enough to Comerica Park to hear the roar of the crowd when the Detroit Tigers play.

Its proximity to the home of the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons makes it a convenient choice for people to get a slice and sip on game days.

“That is something big for us,” said Mohamed Elmardi, manager. “If that doesn’t happen, our business is down.”

Tiger will be on the field for a real match soon and the first home match comes Monday night against Kansas City. But there will be no fans because baseball and every other sport try to move forward through the coronavirus pandemic.

“Tamil Tiger fans who might have a season ticket and might come down for the 1:15 match on Wednesday, they will not come because they have no reason for that,” said Kenny Valentino, assistant manager at Delmar Detroit, rooftop bars and restaurants within distance short walk from the stadium.

A dozen years ago, the recession and collapse of the US car industry hit Detroit. The last decade has seen the city return, with the city center and several urban environments attracting thousands of young professionals.

When the Detroit baseball team moved from the decaying Tiger Stadium to the newly built Comerica Park in 2000 and the Lions left Pontiac Silverdome to play downtown two years later, the team played a role in the city’s return. The Red Wings built the Little Caesars Arena nearby almost three years ago. They convinced the Pistons to leave the suburbs to join them and developments followed.

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Downtown Detroit is now a dream of sports fans: The Lion wandering next to the Tigers on Ford Field while red wing and The piston is across from Woodward Avenue at Little emperor Arena.

With professional teams from four major leagues playing within a mile of each other, there is no other downtown in the United States that groups stadiums very close.

That means the pandemic struck a little harder here. The streets of Motor City often feel quiet amid restrictions related to the pandemic at sports and concerts and with many people working from home. Some businesses near Comerica Park, Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena have not opened since March.

“There will definitely be a business that you will not see,” said Adrian Tonon, who serves as the 24-Hour Economic Ambassador for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Some legacy businesses, too, I’m sure, will not be here.”

Bars and restaurants in the area, really hope people come to watch the game on TV with social distance guidance.

“True fans still want to go out and be around other fans and not just watch the game at home,” Valentino said.

Tonon has an optimistic view of the look and feel around today’s stadium.

“If you look to the left and you look to the right, Detroit residents feel like they have gotten their downtown back,” Tonon said. “That is our foundation and we must build that foundation. Finally, the sports team will return. Lots business has been rotated whether they go online or open their porch.

“With all this happening, we have created unity in Detroit.”

In recent years, something else has united Detroit sports fans: The Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons in general are performing poorly and several teams are struggling to attract fans.

The Lions, who have had the only playoff victory since winning the 1957 NFL title, came out of their worst season in a decade and the state’s most popular team still regularly packed fans to Ford Field.

The Tigers dropped 114 games last season and have lost an average of 103-plus over the past three seasons. The Pistons are not good enough to challenge anyone in the years they rarely playoff but not bad enough to get the No. option. 1. And the storied Red Wings won 17 NHL low matches last season and were handed over another setback during the draft lottery, fall to pick No. 4

The Detroit pro team isn’t always this bad. The Red Wings won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008 during his appearance in 25 straight postseason. “Bad Boys’ Pistons won consecutive NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, and the team won it all again in 2004.

The Tigers haven’t won the World Series since 1984, but they won the AL pennant in Singapore 2006 and 2012.

The lion goes to playoffs six times in the span of nine years just before the turn of the century and managed to reach three postseason from the 2011 to 2016 season.

Some fans expect a title from the Detroit team in the near future but at least they know baseball back to give diversion and maybe a pinch of hope.

“Somehow, hopefully, at least we don’t make smiles on their faces when we play here,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “And maybe, hopefully, sometime during this summer, they will start opening where our fans can return and some businesses can be opened.”

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Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at https://twitter.com/larrylage

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Games

NHL broadcasts will display a 5 second delay, video game cheers | Instant News


NHL will have a five-second delay on broadcast and artificial crowd noise when the season resumes in Toronto and Edmonton starting August 1.

The league shared “Phase 4” information with the team and the media this week, detailing life in a bubble for the 24 teams that returned to play. That includes how the game will look and sound without fans in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, where NBC will produce the Eastern Conference postseason, and Rogers Place in Edmonton, where Sportsnet will produce Western Territory coverage.

Each arena will have 32 cameras, 12 more than usual. The camera will be repositioned to capture more ice and show a new perspective. Instead of empty seats behind the bench, NHL has built a rinkwide stage that displays LED screens and banners. Empty seats in the bowls under each arena will be covered by tarpaulin.

Because acoustics will be different without fans, there will be a five-second delay in broadcasting in an effort to prevent language that sounds bad – an NHL initiative approved by NHLPA.

Another voice will be provided by “additional crowd noise EA Sports,” following the leadership of Major League Baseball and English Premier League football, which uses video game sound to fill audio voids.

Inside the arena, players will hear fans. The NHL team recently asked season ticket holders to send videos of them cheering, taunting and shouting. “Replicated chants” will be played in the arena.

There will also be “special theme nights,” including on August 1 (Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins), when the NHL will “respect front-line pandemic workers and those who advocate for social justice.”

NHL allows players to make special helmets and uniform decals that celebrate “community, charity, business, fans, frontline heroes, youth programs and supporters of social justice.” Decals will have the hashtags “#ISkateFor” and “#WeSkateFor.”

NHL also released information about bubbles, where players will live up to 2½ months, depending on the extent of their team’s progress. The hub will have 14 restaurants, bars, pubs, food trucks and coffee shops, eight cinemas and an activity room and player lounge.

From a health and safety perspective, everyone in the bubble will be tested for COVID-19 every day. Individuals will use the CLEAR Health Pass on mobile devices to track health and for real-time temperature checks at more than 75 access points in hub cities.

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