If and when the NHL returns, whether to finish the regular season or jump straight to the playoffs, Canada figures to have five teams in the post-season mix. While we still don’t know what structure any conclusion to 2019-20 will have, we do know what the biggest questions and challenges were being faced by these playoff hopefuls.
Here are the five Canadian teams in the running for the playoffs and the single biggest question they were facing about their style of play before the pause button was hit.
CALGARY FLAMES
Biggest Question: Defending the Rush
The Flames entered the playoffs last season as the top seed in the Western Conference and were promptly eliminated in five games by the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs torched the Flames off the rush, out-chancing Calgary 61-27 and outscoring them 5-0 in those situations. Nathan MacKinnon and company ran wild and the Flames season was over in the blink of an eye. This season, Calgary has continued to struggle defending opposition speed.
The Flames have allowed an average of 6.7 scoring chances per-game off the rush which ranks 28th in the league. Only the Ottawa Senators have allowed more rush goals.
If the playoffs started today, the Flames would open up against their provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. Connor McDavid leads the NHL in goals scored off the rush – shocker. Teammate Leon Draisaitl ranks second.
Can Calgary find a way to cut down on these dangerous transition chances against and slow down their opponent’s biggest speed threats? They couldn’t do it in the first round last year and they haven’t been able to do it this season.
EDMONTON OILERS
Biggest Question: 5-on-5 play
Roughly 80 per cent of a hockey game is played at even-strength; 20 per cent on special teams. I bet the Oilers wish it was the other way around. Edmonton has the best power play in the NHL (by far) and ranks second in penalty killing. However, at 5-on-5 the Oilers haven’t been able to keep their head above water.
Edmonton ranks 18th in goals for and 25th in goals against at 5-on-5 this season. The only team in the Western Conference to allow more goals than Edmonton in this game state – the San Jose Sharks.
The only team currently in a playoff spot to allow more – the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The only team currently in a playoff spot with a worse goal differential at 5-on-5….well, there isn’t one.
The Oilers take fewer shots than any team in the league at 5-on-5, which would be fine if they were able to generate a reasonable amount from the high-danger scoring areas of the ice. However, that hasn’t been the case as Edmonton ranks last in shot attempts and 28th in attempts from the slot.
Defensively, the Oilers struggle to defend the critical areas of the ice once opposing teams get set up in their end. Only Ottawa and Chicago allow more chances against off the cycle than Edmonton.
In part due to the quality of the chances the team allows, the Oilers goaltending tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen rank 25th in 5-on-5 save percentage at .912.
Can the Oilers’ elite special teams carry them in the post-season? That’s my biggest question with this team because I’m skeptical they’ll be able to flip a switch at even-strength if/when the playoffs start.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Biggest Question: Defence/Goaltending
No team has ever won the Stanley Cup after finishing outside the top-20 in goals against during the regular season. The Maple Leafs currently sit 26th, allowing an average of 3.17 per-game – worst of any team in a playoff spot. We know the Leafs can score, but keeping the puck out of their net is what’s keeping them from being a true Stanley Cup contender.
Part of it is team defence and part of it is goaltending.
Toronto has actually improved in terms of the amount and quality of chances it allows compared to last season. However, Frederik Anderson’s play has dropped from elite in 2018-19 to average in 2019-20. The end result is more pucks in the back of the Maple Leafs’ net.
Defensively, the Leafs’ biggest weakness remains defending in-zone where opposing teams are able to create quality looks at a high rate despite not spending a great deal of time in Toronto’s end. The puck-possession-focused Maple Leafs spend less than five-and-a-half minutes per-game defending at even-strength, yet allow an inordinate amount of chances and goals against off the cycle.
Can the Maple Leafs find a way to clamp down defensively in the post-season?
The closest comparable would be the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens are the only team since the NHL expanded in 1967 to win the Cup while finishing in the bottom-third of the league in goals against during the regular season. In 1992, after losing three of their first four games to Washington in the first round, the Pens switched to a less aggressive offensive system, prioritized defence and went on to win the series and eventually the Stanley Cup.
Toronto will have to improve defensively or hope Andersen can hit a few more gears come playoff time or it will risk a fourth straight first round exit.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Biggest Question: Team Speed
The Canucks are in a fight to make the playoffs, tied with the Nashville Predators for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Who knows what kind of playoff format we’ll see if/when the season resumes, but the biggest question I have with this team is whether a lack of team speed will be an issue in the post-season.
Potential first round match-ups include the Avalanche, Golden Knights and Oilers – all teams that play with a lot of pace.
The Canucks create the fewest amount of scoring chances off the rush of any team in the NHL and they allow the second most.
Vancouver doesn’t have the team speed to create a lot of quick-strike offence and as a result need to establish a presence low in the offensive zone to generate quality scoring chances. They do this well, leading the NHL in goals scored off the cycle. However, playing deep in the offensive zone as often as they do and not having an abundance of team speed to track back is what contributes to a lot of the rush chances and goals against.
This lack of team speed could be an issue against a team that breaks the puck out as well as the Blues or teams that play with the kind of pace the Avs and Golden Knights do.
The Canucks have a lot going for them. Jacob Markstrom has been brilliant this season, Quinn Hughes will be a Calder finalist and frankly, I’d have him top-five for the Norris Trophy as well. Their top-six, led by Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller, has been great. But, my big question with the Canucks is whether they’ll be able to handle an opponent whose game is predicated on quick puck movement.
WINNIPEG JETS
Biggest Question: Can Hellebuyck carry the load?
There’s no doubt in my mind that Connor Hellebuyck has been the best goalie in the NHL this season. This, behind a Jets team that ranks 24th in expected goals against. The big question in Winnipeg is: Can Connor carry the load? He’ll have to for this team to have success in the playoffs.
No goalie has played more games this season than Hellebuyck, who has posted outstanding numbers in the process. In an effort to isolate goaltending performance from team defence, let’s look at the expected goals against (reflection of team defence) in games Hellebuyck played and compare that to the actual number of goals he allowed.
Based on the quantity and quality of shots faced, and the corresponding expected goal value of each, Hellebuyck was expected to allow 168.1 goals this season – he allowed 140. That differential of 28.1 goals he saved his team was by far the best of any goalie.
The Jets are an above average but not elite offensive team. They are below average defensively and have a stud between the pipes. If Hellebuyck can pick up where he left off, assuming hockey returns (nothing would make me happier – I think I’ve watched all of Netflix at this point) then the Jets have a fighting chance against whoever they face. If his play dips, Winnipeg will be in trouble. No current playoff team relies on its goalie more.
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina‘s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.
Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.
Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.
They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
Alabama twin bill
Sears was a key cog in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, orchestrating one of college basketball’s highest-scoring teams.
The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the first Division I player in 31 years to have 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season while breaking the Alabama single-season record with 26 games with at least 20 points.
Sears worked out for NBA scouts during the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.
“I saw the team that we had and I wanted to be a part of it, and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.
Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would be back for a fifth season.
The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting during the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.
“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team shines, everyone shines individually.”
Along Tobacco Road
Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.
The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC player of the year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis enters this year within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record.
“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey’s not going up until I leave. So there’s some more records to break and some more work to be done. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”
Up the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Flagg has the skills of a guard, but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to be one of college basketball’s most versatile players. He’s part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.
Big 12 duo
Dickinson was the biggest move in the transfer portal last spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.
Love’s decision to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations in the desert for the Big 12 rival of Kansas.
The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.
Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.
“He’s had a very successful college career thus far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s kind of this last generation of player that’s going to get better with this extra year, and so I just encourage him to take advantage of it.”
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of Cleveland‘s season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Sunday against Cincinnati, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
Watson will soon undergo surgery, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the results of imaging tests taken on his leg.
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year.
The 29-year-old Watson went down without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson collapsed to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
As he laid on the ground, there was cheering by some Cleveland fans, leading to some of Watson’s teammates criticizing that behavior during the team’s fifth straight loss.
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s divisive stay with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks to Houston and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million in 2022. The deal came amid Watson being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions. He settled civil lawsuits in all but one of those cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games with the Browns and then made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
