Down the Frozen River

Author: Jess Belmosto

  • Pittsburgh Penguins Tie Up The Series Before Heading To Enemy Territory

    Pittsburgh Penguins Tie Up The Series Before Heading To Enemy Territory

    Seymon Varlamov returned to the Islanders lineup with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin remained out. The series is now tied at 1 after the Pittsburgh Penguins held the New York Islanders to a 2-1 game. It was quite the chippy game with excellent commentary provided by Brandon Tanev. You can always count on him for those one liners. Back to hockey. 

    Pittsburgh outplayed the Islanders on Sunday but managed to lose in overtime. Tonight was a different story. They came out of the gate scoring their only two goals in the first period. Bryan Rust had his first of the postseason completely unassisted. Trade deadline acquisition, Jeff Carter scored about ten minutes later, making the Los Angelos Kings wonder, why would any team ever trade Jeff Carter? 

    Pittsburgh’s offense was silenced the remainder of the night. Varmalov had 42 saves on 44 shots in his return. Tristan Jarry had quite the game himself, allowing just one goal on 36 shots. His glove might have been his best friend tonight. Can we award it a star? The Penguins would win 52% of the faceoffs and outshoot the Isles, 45-38. The Islanders dominated the game with 46 hits and 16 blocks. There was a scary moment where Brian Dumoulin was thrown into the boards by Jean-Gabriel Pageue and had to leave the game. He would return to the bench but you absolutely hate to see plays like that. Thankfully, Tanex was there to lighten the mood with a few choice words for the Islanders. 

    The two face off again on Thursday back on Long Island. Tonight’s win was crucial for the Penguins as they looked to avoid being down two before heading into enemy territory.

    The key factors to this series is both teams need to shoot. They can’t hesitate and overthink their movements. Goaltending has to stay steady for Pittsburgh as they head to Long Island. Jarry seemed a bit more secure in himself this evening and you need that to continue. The Islanders desperately need their offense to come alive. Mat Barzal’s magic appears to be dimmed at the moment with 0 points through two games. Will home ice change that?

  • Carolina Hurricanes Offensive Surge Lead Them To Game 1 Win

    Carolina Hurricanes Offensive Surge Lead Them To Game 1 Win

    PNC Arena welcomed back 12,000 fans for game one against the Nashville Predators. The storm was just a little bit too strong for the Preds to fight off. The Carolina Hurricanes came out on top with a 5-2 win after sixty. 

    While it was not the best night for the Preds, it was a good night to be Filip Forsberg. He opened the night with a typical Forsberg beauty. The only other Predators goal would come from former Hurricanes player Eric Haula. 

    The Canes were an offensive force to be reckoned with. Teuvo Teravainen, who missed most of the season with a concussion tied it up. It was quite the third period for the Hurricanes. Nino Niederreiter kicked the door open with the go-ahead goal, making it 3-2.  Jordan Staal recorded his second goal of the night before the Predators were forced to pull Juuse Saros.  The world is not complete without Andrei Svechnikov meeting the empty net, 

    Of course, we must give credit where credit is due.  Alex Nedeljkovic had 22 saves on 24 shots. “Ned” as Canes fans call him, had himself a season. He earned himself a .932 SV% in a 23 game span. It appears that the Canes have found their guy. 

     The Canes faced a physical game and they didn’t let that slow them down. The momentum carried through the full sixty minutes of hockey which obviously bodes well for any hockey games, especially in the postseason. There was an arena filled with some of the most passionate fans in the game who were treated to quite the hockey game and will be treated to another great matchup come Wednesday night.

  • New York Islanders Grab Game One From Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in OT

    New York Islanders Grab Game One From Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in OT

    The New York Islanders take game one in overtime thanks to trade deadline acquisition, Kyle Palmeiri. The Islanders were 2-6 against Pittsburgh this regular season. Two key players were not available for game one at PPG Arena. The Pittsburgh Penguins were without Evgeni Malkin while the New York Islanders did not dress Seymon Varlamov.  


    The Islanders were off to a slow start but that would not last forever as Kyle Palmeri opened up the scoring at 7:58. . Palmieri had just 2G, 2A with the Islanders after the team acquired him from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline. The Islanders were outplayed through the first twenty. Their inability to clear the puck and generate a zone exit became all too visible. The shots were 4-0 Penguins before the Islanders generated a shot. Tristan Jarry appeared locked in through a majority of the first period. Although it must be a bit easier when your team is doing most of the work at the other end of the ice. Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby created a sneaky opportunity for defenseman Kris Letang who would shoot just wide of the net.  It would not be long before the Penguins got on the board. Freddy Gaudreau had his fourth career postseason goal, scoring about 3 minutes after the Islanders. Shots were 18-13 Pittsburgh at the end of 20. 

    The go ahead goal was scored by none other than Sidney Crosby. Crosby now has 69 playoff goals, tying him with rival Alexander Ovechkin. Jeff Carter earned himself a double minor for high sticking but the Penguins penalty kill would deny the Isles from capitalizing. Their regular season penalty kill was ranked at 77%. Jarry stepped up and had 20 saves through 40. 

    Would it be playoff hockey without it coming down to the final buzzer? The third period was a fast paced, hard hitting, and a brand new Islanders team. Islanders Jean-Gabriel Pageau doing what he does best with the tying goal to start the third. It was a hard hitting period all around. Both teams came out reenergized and looking for that game winner.Brock Nelson almost had it but alas, the Penguins struck right back and forced it to overtime. 

    Mat Barzal had quite the unfortunate tangle between two Pens players that left him in a bit of discomfort on the backcheck. He wouldn’t miss a shift. It was beginning to look like a multi-OT kind of game but Kyle Palmieri scooped up a bouncing puck and took it over Jarry’s shoulder.

  • Noah Hanifin’s Successful Season Comes to an End

    Noah Hanifin’s Successful Season Comes to an End

    Noah Hanifin will undergo season ending shoulder surgery after suffering an injury on Saturday against Montreal Canadiens.

    Hanifin spent a majority of the season with veteran defenseman Chris Tanev. The pair were one of the top pairs in the league, not allowing an even strength goal for over 120 minutes.

    Losing the 24 year old comes as a huge blow as the Flames push for the playoffs. The Flames are currently in 5th place and 4 points behind the Canadiens. With 9 games left, Calgary still has a bit of time to catch a last minute ride to the playoffs.

    Since Darryl Sutter took over, Hanifin stepped up in every way possible.

    With captain Mark Giordano on his final year of the contract, Hanifin may have big skates to fill when he comes back. One can only hope Hanifin will return and have a repeat of the 2020-21 season.

    Hanifin finishes the season with 15 points,4 goals and 11 assists. He has 3 years remaining on his contract.

  • Adam Gaudette to Chicago for Highmore

    Adam Gaudette to Chicago for Highmore

    Adam Gaudette is on his way out of Vancouver and on his way to Chicago. In return the Vancouver Canucks get Matthew Highmore.

    Gaudette will be an RFA at the end of the season. The Vancouver Canucks were not too patient with the 24 year old and sold him before it was time. By no means am I saying he could be a Patrick Kane kind of player but Vancouver rushed him out of there.

    Highmore is a young player who has played around half as many games as Gaudette. He has 4 goals in 73 games. Another 4th liner for Vancouver.

    Gaudette is out of COVID-19 protocol.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs Add More Depth at Goaltending

    Toronto Maple Leafs Add More Depth at Goaltending

    The Toronto Maple Leafs add more goaltending depth with the addition of David Rittich. The Leafs acquired the 28 year old goalie for a 3 round pick in the 2022 draft. 

    Rittich was an undrafted free agent signed by the Calgary Flames back in 2016. He has a career SV% of .908 and a 2.83 GAA in 130 games. Rittich’s contract is up at the end of the season so it made most sense for the Flames to grab something for him in return rather than walking away for nothing. 

  • 3 Takeaways From The Isobel Cup Championship

    3 Takeaways From The Isobel Cup Championship

    The NWHL Isobel Cup Final took place at Warrior Ice Arena last weekend. The final that never was finally took place between Minnesota and Boston. The two were supposed to face off in the final last season but as we all know, unprecedented times were had. 

    Amanda Leveille had an outstanding performance against the Connecticut Whale. The Canada native had a 44 save shutout, leading her team to the Isobel Cup Final against Boston Pride. 

    Leveille could not find the same success against Boston. She allowed 4 goals on 30 shots. Although she allowed 4 goals, she read the penalty shot right and made an excellent save. 

    Though her season was cut short due to COVID, her 4 appearances were stellar. She finished the season with a career-high .936 SV%. 

    The Boston Pride brought Isobel home. They are the only team to win the championship twice. The city’s championship drought ended thanks to their efforts. Both Boston and Minnesota notched 30 shots on goal through sixty minutes. Mary Parker, Jillian Dempsey, Lexie Laing, and Taylor Wenczkowski. Minnesota was not able to capitalize on the momentum behind their first-period goal. Allie Thunstrom had four goals in two games. The force to be reckoned with scored two goals in the final but was not able to finish her job. 

    Jillian Dempsey had herself a season. She is the first player to reach 100 points in the NWHL and she was named MVP, taking home a $1,000 check. The captain was all smiles as she celebrated the team’s win and her second title. She is 2 games shy of 100 games played and will more than likely cross that milestone when she returns next season. 

    Now that the season is over, fans can look forward to the draft happening this June. It will be interesting to see if there is any further development with the Montreal expansion team as well.

  • A Look At Calgary’s Performance Under Sutter

    A Look At Calgary’s Performance Under Sutter

    The Calgary Flames have been under Darryl Sutter’s thumb for the last two weeks. The firing of Geoff Ward ( 11-11-2) came as a surprise to none. Have the Flames turned it around under new coaching or are they still the same team? 

    Prior to Sutter’s arrival, the team looked sluggish and uninterested during games. They were giving up nearly 5 goals two or three times a week and couldn’t string together two wins if it saved their life. Sutter came in and immediately played hardball. 


    Their first practice was spent doing bag skates and conditioning work. There was a sense of discipline that had been absent for a year and a half. It was clear that the team wanted to win and were looking forward to this new chapter.

    Sam Bennett, who has been a subject of trade rumors since earlier this season, came out and said it “feels like a fresh start.” and he’ll be able to find a role again. 

    If it wasn’t clear before it is clear now that there was animosity between Bennett and Ward. For what reason, we don’t know. 

    When you look at the Flames and their core, you think of Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano, and maybe Elias Lindholm. Most of these players have not seen proficient coaching in their entire career. People have called for Brad Treliving to blown up the core and start a rebuild. There were talks of it being a goaltending issue or maybe a coaching change would do the team some good. While I do believe it is mainly the ladder, the team has to be held responsible. 


    The Flames beat Toronto 4-3 Friday night. While they’re playing Darryl Sutter hockey, what needs to change?

    Sutter has said that the team plays great 5v5 hockey. The team currently has 62 even-strength goals, Andrew Mangiapane leads the team with 7.  Their power-play unit is only performing at 20.9% while there are teams in the division like Toronto playing at nearly 30%. There is room for this team to improve. Numbers don’t lie. Sutter likes numbers and embraced them. That’s why he’s a winner. Noah Hanifin was next to invisible on the powerplay last year. Sutter has slotted him in a few times now and he looks like a different player. 

    I do think we have seen a drastic improvement in the team. They’re not taking those avoidable penalties that we saw far too often dating back to the bubble. Their game feels tighter and Johnny isn’t out there doing dump and chases every single night. 

    Besides that 7-3 loss to Edmonton, Flames hockey under Darryl Sutter has improved. We’re seeing it with zone entries and limiting their opponents’ shots. Players like Noah Hanifin and Josh Levio have snapped out of their funks and are playing up to expectation. 


    The Flames are currently out of a playoff spot and this may be an unpopular opinion here but I don’t think this team deserves to be there. They have bigger issues to take care of before they go on a cup run. Ideally, Calgary will avoid another early playoff exit and take a look at what it’s going to take it to the next level- which seems to be an ongoing conversation. 


    Calgary takes on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the Scotiabank Arena.

  • Calgary: Something’s Gotta Give

    Calgary: Something’s Gotta Give

    The Calgary Flames dropped 2 of 3 to the Ottawa Senators after a 5-1 loss Monday night. They have now lost 7 of their last 10. Something’s gotta give.

    General Manager Brad Treliving made the trip to Ottawa this time around. This comes after Montreal fired their head coach Claude Julian, after losing to the Senators. His appearance raised plenty of eyebrows and gave fans a glimmer of hope that change is on its way.

    It was mismanagement that once again cost the Flames two points. Geoff Ward’s fourth line was Simon-Nordstrom-Leivo. It often times feels like he pulls names out of a hat to complete his lineup. Nordstrom at center is an interesting choice I’m not entirely sure one could easily explain. In total, he spent just under 8 minutes on ice. As a whole, the bottom 3 were on the ice for under 5 minutes.

    It was Milan Lucic who scored the lone goal of the game. This was his second goal of the three game tilt. His production has improved since Ward has taken over as head coach. In 62 games, Lucic had 8 goals. He has 6 goals in 23 games. There’s room to speculate that Ward is playing favorites with the veteran. Ward and Lucic were in Boston in 2011, the year the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. There is no real reason why Lucic should be on the ice for an average of 12 minutes a night.

    The 32 year old offered up some comments postgame which could be interpreted in many different ways.

    Secondary scoring showed up to win the game on Saturday but then disappeared in tonight’s performance. The Flames tallied 28 shots on goal, which is ten less from Saturday. One thing the team has struggled with is overpassing. The puck will die on players’ sticks and there is nothing to build off of.

    The Flames’ biggest problem is falling behind early. They are 1-10 when entering the third period trailing. It’s almost a guaranteed loss when their opponent gets out in front. It’s as if they lose all the air in their tires. They may gain that momentum back on the off chance they score or it really is a disaster for the remainder of the game.

    How much of this can you put on the players when you aren’t being given much to work with. Your top six cannot carry the team through a season whether it be shortened or not. Middle six seem to be wishy washy and then your forth line could be replaced by prospects or a beer league line.

    Ward has mismanaged the team almost all season. He did not bench Lucic when he was taking multiple unnecessary penalties a night and costing the team goals. Brett Ritchie who hadn’t played in the NHL in over a year and the AHL in exactly a year, made an appearance with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan for nearly 9 minutes. Not sure what you can be expected to do when Nikita Nesterov is on the ice for multiple goals against in a single game. Ward’s refusal to move Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin to the first pairing is only hurting the team. Mark Giordano has not been much of a leader this season and you have seen Captain like comments coming from “locker room bad guy” Matthew Tkachuk.

    Where does the team go from here? Do the Flames throw in the towel and miss the playoffs, sparing their fans of another disappointing first round exit? Should ownership fire Ward and actually pay a head coach like Gerard Gallant? Or do we stick to the narrative that it is in fact a group of lazy players and blow up the core? Only time will tell.

  • Calgary Flames Mismanagement is a Recipe for Disaster

    Calgary Flames Mismanagement is a Recipe for Disaster

    The 8-8-1 Flames have struggled through the first six weeks of a condensed season. The offseason optimism seems like a fleeting feeling at this point. Was Brad Treliving wrong to only interview Geoff Ward? Is the core a problem or is mismanagement to blame? How much time can pass before the Flames wash their hands of the season? 

    Mismanagement is the biggest cause for concern. Geoff Ward was officially named head coach on September 14th, 2020. In his time as head coach, the Flames have gone 24-15-3. That’s not too bad considering he was working on winning over a room, coaching in the bubble, and the lack of a starting goaltender. 

    The Jacob Markstrom acquisition is the single best thing that happened in the Flames’ offseason. You finally have a goaltender who can carry a workload and play at a starting goalie level. The issue isn’t Markstrom. It’s with Ward’s inability to manage his workload. 

    David Rittich has only appeared in 4 games, starting 3. All of which have resulted in losses. He’s an easy scapegoat when he’s riding the bench and not learning from the team in front of him. It isn’t entirely his fault. How are you going to argue that you deserve to start more when you lost your job to Cam Talbot last season and there’s a talented six million dollar goalie now. 

    It’s time for the coaches to implement a rotational system. Get creative. Obviously, you aren’t going to do every other game basis. The Flames are currently in the middle of a 3 games in 4 days tilt. That’s a lot of work for everyone involved. After the humiliating 5-1 loss to Vancouver, things need to be reassessed. 

    You have a taxi squad and AHL team for a reason. When players aren’t performing, you scratch them and slot someone in who is more than capable of doing the job. Everyone is replaceable. If Sean Monahan is out for any period of time, I believe calling Glenn Gawdwin up from Stockton would be the only reasonable option.  

    If there’s fresh blood you want to bring in, start there. 


    One of Ward’s biggest mistakes this season is playing Brett Ritchie with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. There is no reason for him to be deployed with the stars of the team. He has appeared in two Flames games this season after not playing in the NHL for over a year. 


    Ritchie is not the player you want to be sending out there on a 4v4. He is not effective and has given Ward no sign of life to be out there. Why is Sam Bennett playing on the fourth line with Milan Lucic and Bryan Frose?

    Sam Bennett. Sam Bennett was blindsided with a scratch against the Winnipeg Jets. Ward didn’t tell him personally. He found out through a piece of paper in the locker room. 

    “I didn’t see it coming,” Bennett told reporters. “I walked in and I was on the taxi squad and not dressing with the team, not skating with the team.”


    Ward said he was using this as an opportunity to get some fresh blood in the lineup. Where is this mentality now? You have players who are generating turnover after turnover and proving to be nothing besides a liability. You could use the argument that Bennett has 9 giveaways this season but at the same time, there are defensemen who are putting up double digits still seeing the ice every night.

    Matthew Tkachuk has been in a slump since the Jake Muzzin incident. I guess getting a puck thrown at you can rattle you. He’s been chasing his 100th career goal for about two weeks now and the pressure is on. The instigator we knew has been nowhere to be found. He leads the team with ( 10 ) penalty minutes and has tallied 10 points. He may be considered a ghost or phantom right now but he is still generating shots on net. He’s averaging about 3 per night which shows his confidence isn’t completely gone. 

    Tkachuk spoke with the media Saturday morning and puts a lot of pressure on himself, “It starts tonight and I’m prepared to do whatever I can. For me personally, I’ve got to get going. All the pressure should be on me to perform. It shouldn’t be on anyone else. I haven’t been at my best and it’s time to get going and help this team get some wins. I haven’t performed the way I’d like personally, so all the pressure should be on me to try to provide emotion from the drop of the puck tonight.”

    The issue isn’t the players not giving a damn or wanting to be elsewhere. It comes back to the leaders. Is Mark Giordano doing enough as a captain? Why aren’t we seeing him talk about accountability? Is Ward truly holding the room or has he already lost it? There are so many questions when it comes to the Flames and the best thing they can do is give us answers. 


    Fundamentals, accountability, and teamwork. Let’s bring it back.