Seven voting points separated the top three players ranked in this week’s Super 16, the best right wings among the 24 teams returning to play.
David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins edged Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning by two points to be the No. 1 right wing. Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks finished third, five points behind Kucherov.
Pastrnak was ranked first by six of the 12 voters. Kucherov and Kane each were ranked first by three voters, but Kucherov was ranked second by six voters and Kane by three.
There were 31 right wings to receive a vote this week.
To create the Super 16, each of the 12 participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think it should look like. Those were submitted and a point total assigned to each.
The right wing that was selected first was given 16 points, second got 15, third 14 and so on down to No. 16, who got one point.
Season stats: 95 points (48 goals, 47 assists) in 70 games
Career playoff stats: 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 42 games
Pastrnak and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin led the NHL in goals and won the Rocket Richard Trophy this season. Pastrnak was tied for third in points with New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin, and was first among right wings. Pastrnak is third with 155 goals in the NHL since 2016-17, three behind Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (158) and 26 behind Ovechkin (181). Pastrnak scored 39 points (15 goals, 24 assists) in 36 Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2018 and 2019, second behind Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (40).
2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Total points: 180
Season stats: 85 points (33 goals, 52 assists) in 68 games
Career playoff stats: 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) in 65 games
Kucherov was seventh in points this season and second among right wings. He closed the season on a hot streak, scoring 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 24 games from Jan. 14 to the season pause, and he scored at least one point in 23 of the 24 games. Last season, Kucherov won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players’ Association, and the Art Ross Trophy as the League’s leading scorer with 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists) in 82 games.
3. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Total points: 175
Season stats: 84 points (33 goals, 51 assists) in 70 games
Career playoff stats: 123 points (50 goals, 73 assists) in 127 games
Kane is the most decorated right wing on this list. He was eighth in the NHL in scoring this season, the fifth time in 13 NHL seasons he’s scored at least 80 points. He’s sixth among active players with 1,022 points (389 goals, 633 assists) in 973 regular-season games, and sixth among active players in playoff points. Kane is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015), and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs in 2013; the Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Hart Trophy in 2015-16; and the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year in 2007-08.
Season stats: 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 42 games
Career playoff stats: 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 18 games
Rantanen missed 28 games this season because of injuries but finished sixth among right wings (minimum 30 games) at 0.98 points per game. He’s scored 250 points (99 goals, 151 assists) in 272 games since 2016-17, and his average of 0.92 points per game is seventh among right wings (minimum 100 games) during that span.
5. Mitchell Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Total points: 130
Season stats: 67 points (16 goals, 51 assists) in 59 games
Career playoff stats: 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 20 games
Marner was fourth among right wings in points and points per game (1.14) this season. He is fifth among right wings in points since 2016-17, his rookie season, with 291 (83 goals, 208 assists) in 300 games. He is fifth among right wings in points per game during that time at 0.97 (minimum 100 games).
6. Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
Total points: 127
Season stats: 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) in 65 games
Career playoff stats: 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 34 games
Stone arguably is the best defensive wing in the NHL. He was first among right wings and tied with Matthews for second in the NHL this season with 78 takeaways (Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman, 81). Stone’s 3.70 takeaways per 60 minutes was second behind Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin‘s 3.91 among players with at least 10 games played this season. Stone leads the NHL with 581 takeaways (4.26 per 60 minutes), 150 more than any player, since 2014-15. He scored 12 points (six goals, six assists) in seven playoff games with the Golden Knights last season.
7. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets
Total points: 123
Season stats: 65 points (22 goals, 43 assists) in 71 games
Career playoff stats: 33 points (six goals, 27 assists) in 48 games
Wheeler is seventh in the NHL and second among right wings with 634 points (207 goals, 427 assists) in 687 games, an average of 0.92 points per game, since the 2011-12 season. He is fifth among all players in assists during that period. Wheeler scored 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 17 games during the 2018 playoffs, when the Jets lost the Western Conference Final to Vegas.
Season stats: 63 points (28 goals, 35 assists) in 68 games
Career playoff stats: 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 23 games
Laine has scored 138 goals in his four NHL seasons. Since debuting in 2016-17, he’s tied with Kane for seventh in the NHL and third among right wings, behind Pastrnak (155) and Kucherov (153).
9. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
Total points: 87
Season stats: 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games
Career playoff stats: 49 points (33 goals, 16 assists) in 70 games
Tarasenko is healthy after recovering from surgery Oct. 29 to repair a dislocated left shoulder. He was injured Oct. 24 after he scored eight points (three goals, five assists) during a five-game point streak. He scored 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in 26 playoff games last season to help the Blues win the Stanley Cup. He was third in the NHL and first among right wings with 182 goals from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
10. Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
Total points: 63
Season stats: 61 points (24 goals, 37 assists) in 68 games
Career playoff stats: Five points (three goals, two assists) in nine games
Svechnikov’s production increased by 24 points in 14 fewer games compared to his rookie season of 2018-19, when he scored 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) in 82 games. He was tied with Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers for eighth among right wings in points this season. Svechnikov scored five points (three goals, two assists) in nine playoff games for the Hurricanes last season.
11. Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers
Total points: 56
Season stats: 56 points (12 goals, 44 assists) in 69 games
Career playoff stats: 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 34 games
Voracek was fifth in assists and tied with Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins for 11th in points among right wings this season. He scored 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in the final 10 games before the season pause. He is fifth among right wings since 2013-14 with 466 points (128 goals, 338 assists) in 548 games.
12. T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals
Total points: 46
Season stats: 49 points (26 goals, 23 assists) in 69 games
Career playoff stats: 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) in 83 games
Oshie has scored 257 points (128 goals, 129 assists) in 360 games during five seasons with the Capitals; he is eighth in goals and 11th in points among right wings during that time. He helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018 by scoring 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 24 playoff games.
Season stats: 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 57 games
Career playoff stats: N/A
Boeser has been one of the more productive right wings in the NHL during the past three seasons with 156 points (71 goals, 85 assists) in 188 games. Among right wings during that time, he’s tied for 15th in goals, tied for 16th in points and 12th in points per game (0.83; minimum 100 games) despite being 58th in games played.
14. Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Total points: 37
Season stats: 61 points (24 goals, 37 assists) in 66 games
Career playoff stats: One point (one goal, zero assists) in six games
Konecny scored 24 goals for a third straight season, but with 13 games left when the season was paused, a hot streak could have gotten him to 30. He scored an NHL career-high in points and was on pace for 73 this season.
15. Phil Kessel, Arizona Coyotes
Total points: 35
Season stats: 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 70 games
Career playoff stats: 77 points (33 goals, 44 assists) in 87 games
Kessel fell on this list because of his performance this season, his first with the Coyotes. He scored five even-strength goals, the fewest in his 14-season NHL career. But that doesn’t take away from his potential impact and the career he’s had to date, including Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. His 18 goals in 49 games led all players during those two postseasons and his 45 points were third, behind his Penguins teammates Malkin (46) and Sidney Crosby (46). Kessel is second behind Kane among active right wings with 861 points (371 goals, 490 assists) in 1,066 games, and has played 844 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the NHL (Keith Yandle, Florida Panthers defenseman, 866; Patrick Marleau, Penguins forward, 854).
Season stats: 59 points (31 goals, 28 assists) in 68 games
Career playoff stats: 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 20 games
Nylander was fourth among right wings in goals this season and is 14th among right wings with 208 points (80 goals, 128 assists) in 285 games since 2016-17.
Others receiving points: Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins, 23; Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens, 12; Justin Williams, Carolina Hurricanes, 11; Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets, 6; Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders, 6; Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals, 6; Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton Oilers, 5; Evgenii Dadonov, Florida Panthers, 5; Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars, 5; Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes, 3; Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild, 3; Tyler Toffoli, Vancouver Canucks, 3; Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars, 2; Corey Perry, Dallas Stars, 2; Oliver Bjorkstrand, Columbus Blue Jackets, 1
HERE’S HOW WE RANKED ‘EM
AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Nikita Kucherov; 2. David Pastrnak; 3. Patrick Kane; 4. Mitchell Marner; 5. Mikko Rantanen; 6. Vladimir Tarasenko; 7. Blake Wheeler; 8. Mark Stone; 9. Andrei Svechnikov; 10. Patrik Laine; 11. Brock Boeser; 12. Travis Konecny; 13. William Nylander; 14. Jakub Voracek; 15. Joe Pavelski; 16. T.J. Oshie
TIM CAMPBELL
1. Nikita Kucherov; 2; David Pastrnak; 3. Blake Wheeler; 4. Patrick Kane; 5. Mark Stone; 6. Patrik Laine; 7. Mikko Rantanen; 8. Jakub Voracek; 9. T.J. Oshie; 10. Mitchell Marner; 11. Brendan Gallagher; 12. Phil Kessel; 13. Brock Boeser; 14. Clayton Keller; 15. Travis Konecny; 16. Mats Zuccarello
BRIAN COMPTON
1. David Pastrnak; 2. Nikita Kucherov; 3. Mitchell Marner; 4. Patrick Kane; 5. Mikko Rantanen; 6. Mark Stone; 7. Patrik Laine; 8. Jakub Voracek; 9. Andrei Svechnikov; 10. Blake Wheeler; 11. William Nylander; 12. Travis Konecny; 13. T.J. Oshie; 14. Brock Boeser; 15. Jordan Eberle; 16. Evgenii Dadonov
TOM GULITTI
1. Nikita Kucherov; 2. Patrick Kane; 3. David Pastrnak; 4. Mikko Rantanen; 5. Blake Wheeler; 6. Mitchell Marner; 7. Patrik Laine; 8. Mark Stone; 9. Vladimir Tarasenko; 10. Andrei Svechnikov; 11. Phil Kessel; 12. Jakub Voracek; 13. Evgenii Dadonov; 14. Tom Wilson; 15. Travis Konecny; 16. Brendan Gallagher
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. David Pastrnak; 2. Nikita Kucherov; 3. Patrick Kane; 4. Vladimir Tarasenko; 5. Mikko Rantanen; 6. Mark Stone; 7. Mitchell Marner; 8. Blake Wheeler; 9. Travis Konecny; 10. Andrei Svechnikov; 11. Patrik Laine; 12. William Nylander; 13. Brock Boeser; 14. Tyler Toffoli; 15. Jakub Voracek; 16. T.J. Oshie
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. David Pastrnak; 2. Nikita Kucherov; 3. Patrick Kane; 4. Mikko Rantanen; 5. Mark Stone; 6. Mitchell Marner; 7. Blake Wheeler; 8. T.J. Oshie; 9. Brock Boeser; 10. Travis Konecny; 11. Patrick Laine; 12. Kailer Yamamoto; 13. Bryan Rust; 14. Jakub Voracek; 15. Brendan Gallagher; 16. Justin Williams
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Patrick Kane; 2. Nikita Kucherov; 3. Blake Wheeler; 4. David Pastrnak; 5. Mitchell Marner; 6. Mark Stone; 7. Justin Williams; 8. Vladimir Tarasenko; 9. Jakub Voracek; 10. T.J. Oshie; 11. Patrik Laine; 12. Phil Kessel; 13. Jordan Eberle; 14. Mikko Rantanen; 15. Corey Perry; 16. Brendan Gallagher
TRACEY MYERS
1. David Pastrnak; 2. Patrick Kane; 3. Nikita Kucherov; 4. Mikko Rantanen; 5. Vladimir Tarasenko; 6. Mark Stone; 7. Andrei Svechnikov; 8. Blake Wheeler; 9. Mitchell Marner; 10. Patrik Laine; 11. Phil Kessel; 12. Brock Boeser; 13. Jakub Voracek; 14. Bryan Rust; 15. Mats Zuccarello; 16. William Nylander
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Patrick Kane; 2. David Pastrnak; 3. Nikita Kucherov; 4. Mikko Rantanen; 5. Blake Wheeler; 6. Vladimir Tarasenko; 7. Mitchell Marner; 8. Mark Stone; 9. Bryan Rust; 10. Andrei Svechnikov; 11. Patrik Laine; 12. Phil Kessel; 13. Brock Boeser; 14. William Nylander; 15. Brendan Gallagher; 16. Jakub Voracek
DAN ROSEN
1. David Pastrnak; 2. Patrick Kane; 3. Nikita Kucherov; 4. Blake Wheeler; 5. Mark Stone; 6. Mikko Rantanen; 7. Vladimir Tarasenko; 8. Mitchell Marner; 9. Patrik Laine; 10. Andrei Svechnikov; 11. Bryan Rust; 12. William Nylander; 13. Travis Konecny; 14. T.J. Oshie; 15. Jakub Voracek; 16. Oliver Bjorkstrand
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Patrick Kane; 2. Nikita Kucherov; 3. David Pastrnak; 4. Vladimir Tarasenko; 5; Mitchell Marner; 6. Mikko Rantanen; 7. Mark Stone; 8. Jakub Voracek; 9. Phil Kessel; 10. Patrik Laine; 11. Cam Atkinson; 12. Alexander Radulov; 13. Blake Wheeler; 14. William Nylander; 15. T.J. Oshie; 16. Andrei Svechnikov
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. David Pastrnak; 2. Nikita Kucherov; 3. Patrick Kane; 4. Mitchell Marner; 5. Mikko Rantanen; 6. T.J. Oshie; 7. Mark Stone; 8. Blake Wheeler; 9. Andrei Svechnikov; 10. Patrik Laine; 11. Brock Boeser; 12. William Nylander; 13. Travis Konecny; 14. Tom Wilson; 15. Bryan Rust; 16. Jakub Voracek
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents.
Four teams have canceled games against San Jose State: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming, with none of the schools explicitly saying why they were forfeiting.
A group of Nevada players issued a statement saying they will not take the floor when the Wolf Pack are scheduled to host the Spartans on Oct. 26. They cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” though their school reaffirmed Thursday that the match is still planned and that state law bars forfeiture “for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
All those schools, except Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, went ahead with its home match on Thursday night, which was won by the Spartans, 3-1, the team’s first victory since Sept. 24.
“It breaks my heart because they’re human beings, young people, student-athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West basketball media days. “It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee in this year’s presidential race, this week referenced an unidentified volleyball match when he was asked during a Fox News town hall about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I saw the slam, it was a slam. I never saw a ball hit so hard, hit the girl in the head,” Trump replied before he was asked what can be done. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just don’t let it happen.”
After Trump’s comment, San Diego State issued a statement that said “it has been incorrectly reported that an San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball during match play with San Jose State University. The ball bounced off the shoulder of the student-athlete, and the athlete was uninjured and did not miss a play.”
San Jose State has not made any direct comments about the politicians’ “fairness” references, and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about the issue,” Nevarez said. “I don’t know a lot of the language yet or the science or the understanding nationally of how this issue plays out. The external influences are so far on either side. We have an election year. It’s political, so, yeah, it feels like a no-win based on all the external pressure.”
The cancellations could mean some teams will not qualify for the conference tournament Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas, where the top six schools are slated to compete for the league championship.
“The student-athlete (in question) meets the eligibility standard, so if a team does not play them, it’s a forfeit, meaning they take a loss,” Nevarez said.
Ahead of the Oct. 26 match in Reno. Nevada released a statement acknowledging that “a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team” had decided to forfeit against San Jose State. The school said only the university can take that step but any player who decides not to play would face no punishment.
OTTAWA – Travis Green might not have liked the end result, but he’s counting on his team learning from the effort.
Green’s Ottawa Senators were handed a 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils Thursday night in a game that highlighted the importance of sticking with things.
“I thought both teams played pretty well,” said Green. “I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there’s a few moments where it got away. We got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer.
“There’s always momentum back and forth for one team to create some chances. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when you’re playing, two good teams are playing.”
Jacob Markstrom’s 30 saves also played a part, with the Devils goaltender only getting beat with 65 seconds left in regulation as the Senators were on the power play with an empty net.
Brady Tkachuk tipped a Claude Giroux shot to spoil Markstrom’s shutout bid.
“Outstanding,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe of his goaltender. “Just terrible that he doesn’t get the shutout that he deserves in this one here.
“You feel for him when they make that (penalty) call. You can just kind of feel like it’s going to give them a little extra life. But he was outstanding for us, no question.”
The two teams were scoreless after the first period, where each had to fight for every opportunity. Noah Gregor rang a shot off the crossbar for the Senators, but otherwise, neither team was able to generate much offensively.
The Devils capitalized in the second as a power play expired with Erik Haula redirecting a Johnathan Kovacevic shot past Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves.
Less than four minutes later, Nathan Bastian took advantage of a Giroux giveaway and beat Forsberg low blocker for his first of the season with the Devils short-handed.
“I liked our second period a lot,” Keefe said. “We took hold of the game and didn’t give up much, and when we did, I thought it was really from the perimeter, only a couple there.”
The Devils tightened up defensively in the third and were able to make it 3-0 when Paul Cotter was left alone in the slot.
“I think for stretches of the game we played the right way and kind of get in on the forecheck and play that way,” said Senators centre Nick Cousins. “It seems like when we get down a couple goals, we kind of change our game, which isn’t a recipe for success in this league.
“I think we’ve just got to keep doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s 2-0.”
With the Senators just four games in and still learning and adjusting to a new system, Green understands there will be growing pains along the way.
“We’re also trying to define our game,” he said. “I think we’re getting there. Both teams play fast. It was a fast skating game. There wasn’t a lot of room to move out there for either team.”
In his short tenure behind the Senators bench, Green has seen his team play very different styles of games and knows there will be nights like this along the way, but learning from them will be key.
“There’s going to be a lot of nights where you kind of got to earn everything you get,” admitted Green. “It’s not going to be freewheeling. Good teams don’t play freewheeling hockey.
“You learn when you win, you learn when you lose games that you don’t play well. You learn when you lose games that you had a pretty good game but you still lose and you’ve got to find a way. Good teams find a way to win those games.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. They also lost their top minute-muncher in the process.
Matheson logged 7:35 in ice time during the first period but did not return for the second because of an upper-body injury. When or how Matheson sustained the injury was not clear. The Canadiens said he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The game was tied at 1 before he exited, forcing the Canadiens to play with five defencemen for 40 minutes.
“Mike is one of the biggest parts of our D core, and I think losing him — he’s playing against top line, playing power play and we want him on the ice — definitely losing him was a big loss,” teammate David Savard said. “We got to figure out a way to get the two points, even if a player goes out.”
The 30-year-old Matheson of Pointe-Claire, Que., led all Canadiens defencemen with 62 points and a 25:33 average ice time last season.
With his absence, rookie sensation Lane Hutson played a whopping 30:05 in only his seventh NHL game. The next closest player? Kaiden Guhle at 23:09.
Head coach Martin St. Louis was impressed with how the 20-year-old Hutson handled the challenge.
“Lane doesn’t take a shift off,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I love the consistency of his compete level, and he drives possession. For a guy who played 30 minutes, I think he gave everything he could to try and help the team.
“I’m not surprised. I know it’s challenging at this level, losing Mike definitely made him play many minutes, chasing the game made him play many minutes, but I just love his compete level.”
Canadiens fans have been clamouring for Hutson — a five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman with world-class skill — to take Matheson’s spot on the No. 1 power play.
The Canadiens, however, went 0-for-3 with Hutson running the show after Matheson went down. In the first instance, Kirby Dach took a hooking penalty early in the man-advantage to end it. On the second, the Canadiens failed to generate any zone time.
The third came in the final minutes, but the Kings buried an empty-netter.
“It wasn’t a lack of opportunity, lots of ice time, lots of shifts,” Hutson said. “It was good, it was fun, but obviously you want to be on the other side of it, winning.
“Means a lot (to get that opportunity), but obviously, you want to get more out of that opportunity. It’s a lot of ice, and you want to keep taking steps in the right direction.”
‘IMMATURE EFFORT’
The Canadiens fell to a Kings team that had lost three straight games and was coming off a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Under those circumstances, the Canadiens were brutally honest with themselves after the game.
“Definitely disappointed,” captain Nick Suzuki said. “It was an immature effort from us, especially with them playing yesterday and getting in late, so I think we gave them too much life, and let them feel comfortable in the game. It’s on us to be a lot better than that.”
Before the game, St. Louis stressed the need for a good first period against a fatigued Los Angeles side. That’s not what he saw Thursday night.
“I think we had 14 turnovers in the first period. It’s unacceptable. It gives them life,” he said. “Then you’re chasing the game for the second half of it — we didn’t play to our standard.
“I’m really disappointed. Really disappointed.”
BIG SAVE DAVE
Kings goalie David Rittich played his second game in two nights — an unusual occurrence in this day and age of the NHL. He made 25 saves after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Toronto.
“We always believe in him anyway, but he performed today pretty well and bounced back,” defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “It’s probably like most important for himself, that’s huge, and for the team. He played outstanding today.”
LONG ROAD
The Kings are opening the season on a seven-game road trip because of renovations at Crypto.com Arena. They’ve collected six of a possible 10 points so far.
“Pretty much worse (than expected),” forward Phillip Danault said. “We’ve been on the road for three weeks … It’s good team-bonding, whether we should do it again I’m not sure, but it has turned out well let’s say with six points out of 10.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
