Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zane Parekh has been selected in the top five of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, according to NHL Central Scouting's final rankings released Tuesday.
Ranked 10th in the midseason rankings, Parekh led the Ontario Hockey League's defense with 33 goals, 63 assists, and 99 points in 66 games.
This is the highest single-season total by an OHL blueliner since Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires had 24 goals, 76 assists, and 100 points in 58 games in 2010-11.
Saginaw will host the 2024 Memorial Cup from May 24 to June 2. The Spirit took a 2-1 lead over the Sioux Greyhounds in the OHL West Regional semifinals after a 7-2 win at Sault Ste. Marie on Monday.
Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov of Belarus follows consensus No. 1 pick Boston University center Macklin Chebrini, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top player on Friday with 32 goals, 32 assists and 64 points. He was ranked second again. In 38 games.
Rounding out the top five were Kayden Lindstrom, a center from Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League, ranked No. 3, and Zeev Bouium, a defenseman who won a national championship at the University of Denver, ranked No. 4. . Bouium's younger brother, Shai, was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2021.
Tuesday's NHL game
Washington 2, (at) Philadelphia 1: In a rare situation where teams pull their goalie in a tied game, TJ Oshie scores a goal into an empty net, and Washington defeats Philadelphia and advances to the playoffs.
Flyers coach John Tortorella brought in goaltender Samuel Elson as an extra attacker because his team needed to win within regulation to keep any hopes alive. As a result, the Capitals qualified and defeated the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, who finished the regular season in Philadelphia, in an unlikely fashion, with Oshie scoring just over three minutes left.
This surreal scene unfolded after the Flyers and Capitals were tied 5-on-5 for much of the third period, and perhaps a minute after Detroit defeated Philadelphia in overtime in Montreal. I did. When Tortorella sent Elson to the bench and gave the goal to Oshie, he may not have known that his team had no chance of winning.
Washington will face the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the first round starting this weekend, returning to the playoffs after a year away and ending an eight-year winning streak.
Ottawa 3, (at) Boston 1: Jiri Smejkal scored his first career goal midway through the second period, and less than a minute later Jakob Chychrun scored again for Ottawa in the final regular-season game for both teams.
Artem Zub added an empty-net goal with 1:48 left and Anton Forsberg made 34 saves for the Senators, avoiding Boston's third straight loss of the season and derailing the Bruins' Atlantic Division championship hopes. There was a possibility that it would become.
The Bruins (47-20-15) led No. 2 Florida by one point entering Tuesday night. Boston squandered its chances for a division title in quick succession with a 2-0 shutout loss to Washington on Monday, and lost at home to the Senators on Tuesday night.
Pavel Zaka scored Boston's only goal. Linus Ullmark finished with 17 saves for the Bruins.
(at) Columbus 6, Carolina 3: Zach Werenski had two goals and two assists, Jett Greaves made 38 saves, and Columbus defeated a weakened version of playoff-bound Carolina.
The Hurricanes, who finished second in the Metropolitan Division, rested eight regulars in a meaningless final game of the regular season.
Carolina finished with a record of 52-23-7 and 111 points, second in the Eastern Conference behind the division champion New York Rangers. The Hurricanes made it to the postseason for the sixth straight year.
At least for last-place Columbus, it wasn't another loss after two of its top players, including two goaltenders, were out with injuries and their season was ruined. The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Sabers Fire Coach Granato
Seven months after general manager Kevin Adams declared the Sabers had a chance to compete, he slammed fired coach Don Granato on Tuesday.
Expressing frustration and impatience, Adams targeted someone with NHL experience to cheer up a young but underperforming team that extended the team's league-record playoff drought to 13 seasons. The team has now begun its eighth coaching search in 12 years.
“It's time. It's time to perform on an individual and team level. We have to be better,” Adams said. “We need to take the next step because I believe we have talented players, and that's obviously to get to the playoffs and go from there.”
Granato is credited with developing much of the Sabers' young core during his three-plus seasons off the bench, but Adams believes the players need a more experienced voice behind the bench right now. I believe.
“I'm not going to give my name. I think it's a challenge and it's unfair to do that. All you need to know is that when I get out of here, I have a plan. I think it means, please,” Adams said, referring to the list of candidates. “We're right there, we're on top, but it's up to us. It's going to be tough, but that's the best part.”
Granato was fired less than 12 hours after the Sabers ended the season with a 4-2 win over Tampa Bay. The team finished with a record of 39-37-6 and was eliminated from playoff contention last week.
Granato, 56, first became an NHL head coach on an interim basis during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2021 season after Ralph Krueger was fired. Granato is two seasons removed from contact and finished with a 122-125-27 record in Buffalo.
The team also announced the firing of assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith.
Candidates to replace Granato, who has NHL experience, include former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube, former New York Rangers and Vegas coach Gerard Gallant, who has been unemployed since being fired as Vancouver coach. Among them is 69-year-old Bruce Boudreau. season.
Another candidate who fits Adams' vision is former Sabers coach and player Lindy Ruff, who was fired by New Jersey in March. Ruff, who was released by the Sabers during the lockout-shortened period in 2012, led Buffalo to eight playoff appearances over 14 seasons, including the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.
Avs captain Landeskog watches practice.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog attended Tuesday's team meeting and watched practice from the bench.
However, his coach says he is “not close” to becoming a contestant.
Landeskog, 31, underwent cartilage replacement surgery in his right knee last May and has missed his second consecutive season. The Avalanche have one more regular-season game before starting their first-round playoff series against Winnipeg, taking on Edmonton on Thursday.
“Nothing has changed about him. His focus and determination to do everything he can to get back to playing is the same as I've seen before,” coach Jared Bednar said. He's going to focus on doing what he needs to do to get back into our lineup.”
Bednar said last month that the team had a return date in mind for Landeskog, but nothing more specific than that. The Swedish standout hasn't played since June 26, 2022, in the Stanley Cup Championship game in Tampa Bay.
Landeskog has been the team's captain for more than a dozen seasons. Colorado has not named an interim captain in his absence. Instead, they have relied on the veteran leadership of players like Andrew Cogliano and assistant captains like Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar.
“Randy is also in attendance. He was in the meeting this morning,” Bednar said. “He gave input in some meetings. Of course, he's not there every day. Our leadership is by committee, because when you look at our personnel, we have important We've got a lot of really good players that have played great roles.'' We're very committed to what we're doing and we're trying to be successful.
“They’re all very vocal, and they all provide leadership in different ways.”
Bruins anchor Edwards retires
Jack Edwards will retire after 19 years as the Boston Bruins' play-by-play announcer, the team announced Tuesday.
Edwards described doing Bruins position broadcasts on NESN as a “dream job,” which he started in 2005 after more than a decade at ESPN. He will continue to call Bruins games until the end of the playoffs.
Mr. Edwards, 67, has recently been suffering from a slowing of his speech and has been undergoing treatment. He spoke about the issue to the Boston Globe in February.
Edwards was honored before the Bruins' final regular-season game against the Ottawa Senators and was awarded a gold stick to commemorate his nearly 20 years with the team. Edwards expressed his gratitude by putting his hand on his chest and holding up his stick as fans cheered during the pregame ceremony.
Edwards, a New Hampshire native and graduate of the University of New Hampshire, said he has been a Bruins fan since childhood and is grateful to be able to end his 45-year broadcast career covering the club.
“I am retiring from broadcasting not with a heavy heart, but with gratitude for 19 enjoyable years,” Edwards said in a release. “I owe my career, and my pursuit of happiness, to the love and support of my family. To all of the members of the Bruins and NESN, I want to thank you for helping me reach my lifelong goals on the ice and making them a reality.” Thank you for your loyalty in helping me.”
playoff tracker
atlantic ocean
▶ Bruins (109)
▶ Panthers (108)
▶ Maple leaves (102)
metropolitan
▶ Rangers (114)
▶ Hurricane (111)
▶ Islanders (92)
Wildcard
▶ Lightning (96)
▶ Capital (91)
(Top 2 wild card teams advance to playoffs)
▶ Red Wings (91)
▶ Penguin (88)
▶ Flyers (87)
▶ Sabers (84)
▶ Devils (81)
Eastern Conference Playoffs bracket
▶ (1M) Rangers vs. Capitals (WC2)
▶ (A2) Panthers vs. Maple Leafs (A3)
▶ (1A) Bruins vs. Lightning (WC1)
▶ (2M) Hurricanes vs. (3M) Islanders
Remaining games of wild card race
Islanders (92)
▶ Home (1): penguin
▶ far away (0): none
Capital (91 points)
▶ Home(0): none
▶ Far away (0): none
red wing (91)
▶ Home(0): none
▶ Far away (0): none
Penguin (88)
▶ Home(0): none
▶ Away (1): islanders
Flyer (87 points)
▶ Home(0): none
Michigan area hockey this week
Tuesday
▶ Red Wings 5, Montreal 4 (OT)
Wednesday
▶ Grand Rapids, Iowa, 8 (AHL/106.9/1300)
Friday
▶ Grand Rapids, Iowa, 8 (AHL/96.1)
Saturday
▶ NTDP U18s vs. Sweden in Finland, U18 World Exhibition
Sunday
▶ Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 5 (AHL/106.9/1300)
Monday
▶ Red Wings 5, Montreal 4 (OT)
