Kaplan: Rangers’ rebound, latest on Blackhawks and more around the NHL
On Dec. 3, the New York Rangers were nearing an abyss. Things came to a pressure point during the home game against the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the worst teams in the league. En route to another loss, captain Jacob Trouba had enough. The defenseman laid out two massive hits, got into two fights, and as he was escorted off the ice for a five-minute roughing major on the latter, threw his helmet into the boards. Along the way, he appeared to yell at his teammates on the bench: “Wake the f— up!”
Did they ever.
Since then, New York has rattled off seven straight wins and is starting to look like the team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final last year. Coach Gerard Gallant admitted to our broadcast crew before Sunday’s rematch against the Blackhawks (a 7-1 Rangers win) that his team suffered from a hangover to start the season. Because of what they achieved last season, they believed things would come easy to start this year. Instead, they had to work for it. His players agree.
“We weren’t playing good hockey. We were in a little bit of a lull. We had expectations that we were just supposed to win games because of last year,” Adam Fox told me on Sunday. “[Trouba] brought energy. Obviously he did what he had to do to get us going. Some emotion is what we needed to respond pretty well.”
Added Vincent Trocheck: “Whenever your captain shows that much emotion, and he goes out of his way to make a hit or get in a fight to get the guys going, it’s a message sent to our team that something’s not right. After that game, we had a talk, and everything we talked about has kicked in.”
During the second intermission of Sunday’s game, Rangers assistant Gord Murphy told me he liked that his team was “finding a way” — something that wasn’t a guarantee for them a few weeks ago. “Our players are in a good place,” Murphy said.
After the game, I asked Trocheck to describe the confidence level of the Rangers right now.
“It’s higher than it was,” Trocheck said. “I think it was pretty low at one point. But we’ve done a lot recently, and worked at doing everything the right way so that we can be more predictable on the ice. And our confidence is starting to build more and more.”
A SIDE STORY brewed in that Dec 3 Blackhawks game: Blackhawks forward Andreas Athanasiou, the recipient of a massive Trouba hit, questioned the captain’s role on the team calling him “an $8 million player with zero goals.”
“It didn’t really bother me,” Trouba told me before Sundays game, with a laugh. But he clearly remembered the moment. After scoring his first goal of the season a night earlier — on an empty net — Trouba doubled his total with a goal in the 7-1 blowout win against Chicago. Athanasiou was also on the ice, and Trouba immediately made eye contact with him, and appeared to mouth: “Do you want the puck?”
The rebuild in Chicago
After being between the benches for two Chicago Blackhawks games this past week, it’s been tough to see the team in this way. They’ve picked up just three points since Nov. 14 (1-14-1 record) getting outscored 72-30 in that span. For context, the next closest teams in that span are Philadelphia and Arizona with 11 points.
This is all part of the Chicago front office’s grand plan — conduct a rebuild in earnest, leverage this season for future sustained success. But none of it has been easy on the players or coaching staff, who take pride in putting in a good effort. You can see the frustration on Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews nearly every shift. Kane has the lowest shooting percentage of his career; it’s sub 4 percent, and his career average is 11.5. And after scoring seven goals in his first 11 games, Toews has just three in the 18 since. While they’re frustrated, they’re still committed to the team.
Coach Luke Richardson shared a great story about Toews making two mistakes in a game against the Oilers last month. Toews asked Richardson to show those clips in the video session with the team. Richardson didn’t, but let the players know the captain had asked to, setting an example for accountability. The Blackhawks are expecting Kane and Toews to come to them sometime in the new year letting them know which direction they’d like to go at the trade deadline. Neither player is rushing into a decision, and it’s not guaranteed they will be traded.
GENERAL MANAGER KYLE DAVIDSON told me on Friday that he hasn’t had any specific trade discussions on any of his players yet. The trade market has been slow this season. As one GM told me at the Board of Governors meetings, “It’s impossible to get a trade done right now. Nobody can get anything done.” Things are expected to pick up after the holiday freeze. Aside from Kane and Toews, Davidson has told his GM peers that all of his UFAs will be available. But while the Blackhawks are looking to accumulate as many picks and prospects as possible — and ideally spread them over the next few draft classes — Davidson says he isn’t just trading players for the sake of trading players. In other words, he’s not giving away players for sixth-round picks just to say he did it.
ONE OF THE BLACKHAWKS players I believe has been generating value is defenseman Jarred Tinordi, who was an important waiver claim by Chicago in October. If he’s healthy at the deadline, he would be a solid sixth or seventh defenseman pick up for a contender. But it was tough to see Tinordi leave the ice on Sunday leaking blood after taking a puck to the face. He was placed on IR with a facial fracture.
Tinrodi took a skate blade to the face in a Dec. 9 game against the Jets, and received between 50-100 stitches (the team doctor said he lost count). Tinordi had been wearing a protective cage in his games since, and Sunday was the first time he took it off. Brutal break.
Richardson and Davidson were both effusive about Tinordi when I asked about him before Sunday’s game, explaining how his role had grown. At age 30, this was the most regular role Tinordi has had in the NHL. He’s spent his career on six different NHL teams, bouncing up and down between the NHL and AHL, and takes pride in being a sound, physical defenseman, but also a leader. His maturity makes him a beloved teammate. (When he went down on Sunday, the Rangers, one of his former teams, showed a great level of concern as well). In the Friday game against Minnesota, goalie Petr Mrazek was disappointed by the second goal he let in, which trickled past him. At the TV timeout, it was Tinordi who came to chat with Mrazek, hyping him back up.
Wild find their game
BILL GUERIN HAS demonstrated, in his short time so far as GM of the Minnesota Wild, that he has a pulse for what his team needs. It began with his decision to buy out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, knowing the locker room needed to turn over to new voices. It continued last year bringing in Marc-Andre Fleury, one of the most popular players in the NHL.
This year’s addition of Ryan Reaves can’t be understated. Reaves had his first signature moment last week, a massive open ice hit on Detroit’s Filip Hronek which sparked Minnesota to victory. His impact goes further than that. “Everybody says we got bigger and more firmness because of him, but I think his presence is more than physicality,” coach Dean Evason said. “He’s not going to run people every game. He’s very calm on the bench. He’s very mature. His work ethic — he’s ripped up — sets an example and he’s just a really good teammate. I think that’s more the impact.”
Evason said before Wild power plays, Reaves gets absolutely jacked up, screaming “Let’s go power play, pow pow!” before kicking the bench in front of him — fully aware he’s not going to go out there. Reaves is just pumped for the team, period. “Sure it’s nice to have a guy who can beat the heck out of anybody he wants at any time, it makes everyone a little firmer,” Evason said. “But he’s a great teammate, and he also can play. If Ryan can’t play the game, he’s not going to be on our hockey club just to fight.”
THE WILD HAVE had to do some soul searching early, but seem to have found their stride. Since Nov 27, they lead the league with 18 points, going 9-2-0. Last season, the Wild had a top five offense, scoring 3.72 goals per game. Evason can’t quite describe it. “Last year we scored at will, it was crazy,” he said. “Guys were having career years, pucks were going in all over the place. And it didn’t this year.” This season, Minnesota is more middle of the pack at 3.13 goals per game. And it was especially troubling early. “It was hard to score, it’s still hard to score for us,” Evason said. “But our realization that this is who we are. And our realization that we need to defend first has really helped us become a better club.”
Update on defending champs
While the injury bug hit the defending champion Colorado Avalanche hard, they’re finding ways to stay afloat in the competitive Central Division until they get to full strength. Kudos to Mikko Rantanen, who has scored six goals in the six games since Nathan MacKinnon has been out, which is almost half of Colorado’s goal total (13) in that time.
With so many new faces rotating in, coach Jared Bednar has had to make adjustments, adding in more video sessions, both for the group and individual players. “I’m definitely coaching different,” Bednar said. “We changed a few things, play a little safer, going back to teaching conceptual things like protecting the middle of the ice.” Those changes have showed up mostly in the neutral zone, as well as forecheck.
WHILE THERE WAS some excitement when Gabriel Landeskog got on the ice two weeks ago, it wasn’t much of an update. The captain, recovering from knee surgery, went out on his own just to give it a twirl. Landeskog is still looking at a mid to late January return, hoping to get back before the All Star break. Losing MacKinnon to an upper body injury in early January was a huge blow — especially pronounced on the power play. The injury, described to me as a new one for MacKinnon, is one that just needs time to heal. The team said four weeks, but nobody would be surprised if he got back sooner. MacKinnon has a history of coming back a bit sooner than expectations.
Keep an eye on the Avalanche at the deadline. Everyone in the league knows Colorado is in the market for a center, and have the ability to make a splash. Should either Kane or Toews decide to waive their no movement clause, Colorado would be on their shortlist.
What direction in St. Louis?
It’s hard to know what to make of the St. Louis Blues right now. They’re a veteran team built to win now, and GM Doug Armstrong feels like he successfully staved off a rebuild thanks to the smart drafting (and long-term signings) of Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. And yet, the Blues can’t consistently find their game, putting them currently outside of the playoff picture.
When I covered a game in St Louis on Dec. 11, the most-used word by players and coaches was frustration. “They’re all frustrated. We’re frustrated. There’s a lot of frustration because we’re used to winning,” coach Craig Berube said. “We’re going through it right now, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. All we need to do is string together a few wins here, and get those wins by playing the right way, and we can be right back in it.”
ARMSTRONG TOLD ME his staff has two plans in place for what direction they could go in at the trade deadline, though he wouldn’t commit to a timetable for when he would make that decision. Two veterans become free agents this summer: Vladimir Tarasenko and captain Ryan O’Reilly. Since Tarasenko has a no trade clause, St Louis has had a hard time moving him. That’s shaping up to be an offseason divorce. Meanwhile, front office executives on teams have told me they believe O’Reilly could be available. Also, keep an eye on Josh Leivo as a sneaky depth pickup at the deadline, should St Louis unload.
THE BLUES BRASS didn’t shy away from answering questions about Jordan Binnington, who was making more noise for his antics — picking fights on the ice, bumping other players — rather than his play. Berube said it was a case of the goalie channeling his frustration by trying to do too much. He was trying to solve all of the team’s problems, and lost mental focus along the way. Berube gave Binnington a few days off, and told him to focus only on his position. “It’s hard because he’s a highly competitive guy, and you talk about frustration — nobody is more frustrated than him in the room, nobody,” Berube said.
Armstrong was also involved. “That’s not a good look for a goaltender to do that,” Armstrong said. “Those antics may have had an effect early, it doesn’t have an effect anymore. I think it’s run its course.”
Rocky road in Philly
Kevin Hayes‘ healthy scratch didn’t sit well with players across the NHL. It was a classic John Tortorella moment, and let’s remember that Tortorella and Hayes have a relationship that dates back to their days with the New York Rangers. But it’s extremely rare to see a team’s leading scorer scratched for performance reasons. “I hate the precedent that sets,” one veteran player texted me. “He’s embarrassing a guy who works his ass off and is actually contributing, just to prove a point.” It feels like this could be the beginning of the end of Hayes’ tenure in Philadelphia.
TORTORELLA HAS BEEN talking about building a process of playing the right way, but it’s been a frustrating season in Philly. The latest blow is that veteran Cam Atkinson will miss the season with neck surgery. More change is on the way. At the deadline, they’ll shop a few of their players, hoping a market materializes for James van Riemsdyk. But there could be bigger structural changes too. Over the last several months, there have been too many mixed messages, too many changes of course. Philadelphia wants to be on a more consistent path and the franchise will figure out how to commit to that.
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. crushed his first pitch 467 feet for a home run in his dramatic return to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, almost one year after he tore his left ACL.
Acuña, in his customary leadoff position in the lineup, turned on a fastball from San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta and sent the ball into the seats in left-center. Acuña hesitated briefly on his jog around the bases for a shuffle step.
The homer by Acuña had an exit velocity of 115.5 mph. It was the hardest hit ball by a Braves player this season.
Acuña added a single in his next at-bat and also enjoyed a defensive highlight, throwing out Elias Díaz at second base in the eighth following Díaz’s single.
But San Diego’s Manny Machado hit a tiebreaking homer off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning to overcome Acuña’s homer and beat the Braves 2-1 to end a six-game losing streak.
Acuña said after the game “I had a feeling” about hitting a homer in his return.
When asked if he meant he had a feeling about a first-pitch homer, Acuña said: “Exactly how it happened. … To me that’s just the culmination of all the work I put in.”
Infielder Orlando Arcia, a 2023 All-Star, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Acuña, who started in right field.
Acuña said through interpreter Franco Garcia that he was “super excited, super happy” to make his return and added “I couldn’t sleep that much” after receiving the news of his return Thursday.
Braves manager Brian Snitker announced after Thursday night’s 8-7 loss at Washington that Acuña would make his season debut Friday night.
Snitker said Friday it felt good to make out his first lineup of 2025 that included Acuña.
“He’s one of those players that you better not go get a beer or whatever because you might miss something really cool, you know?” Snitker said. “I mean, he’s that type of force, I think, in the game. I think he’s going to energize everybody. Going to energize the fans. Going to energize his teammates.”
Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP, hurt his left knee May 26, 2024, and had surgery on June 6. The 27-year-old played six games in the minors on a rehab assignment, going 6-for-15 with two home runs.
Acuña played in only 49 games last season, batting .250 with four homers, 15 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .716 OPS.
This is Acuña’s second comeback from a major knee injury. He tore his right ACL on July 10, 2021, and returned the following April. When asked Friday what is different about this rehabilitation process, he said, “Patience. The patience, for sure. … I just think I’m in a much better place.”
Atlanta is 24-26 after an 0-7 start.
“It’s huge,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “The talent is there. The energy he brings, having Ronald up there at the top of the lineup. … He can change a game at any point.”
Acuña was a unanimous NL MVP in 2023 when he hit .336 with 41 home runs, 106 RBIs and a league-leading 1.012 OPS. Acuña also stole 73 bases that year to become the only player with 40 homers and 70 steals in one season.
Arcia, 30, was a 2023 NL All-Star when he hit .264 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs. Arcia lost his starting job due to an inability to compensate at the plate while suffering a defensive decline. He hit only .194 in 31 at-bats this season.
Snitker said he hopes Arcia will accept a minor league assignment if he does not land another job in the majors.
“I think we all know that it’s a business,” Acuña said of Arcia getting cut. “I’m happy to be back but I’m sorry that’s the move.”
Nick Allen has taken over as the starting shortstop. Snitker said Luke Williams is the backup shortstop and Eli White, a part-time starter in the outfield, will see more time in the infield.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Edmonton Oilers atoned for letting Game 1 of the Western Conference finals slip away in a dominating 3-0 Game 2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday to even the series.
Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner continued to be the most boom-or-bust player in the postseason. He gave up 20 goals and didn’t have a save percentage better than .833 in four losses. His three wins? All shutouts, becoming just the second Edmonton goalie in franchise history to record three in a playoff year. (The other was Curtis Joseph in 1998.)
Once again, the Oilers flexed their impressive depth. The stars combined on their power-play goal in the first period, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins getting the tally on assists from Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl. The other two non-empty-netters: Brett Kulak‘s first of the playoffs, snapping his rebound past Jake Oettinger; and Connor Brown, continuing an incredible playoff run with his fifth goal in the second period.
(Of course, the highlight of Brown’s night was avoiding a calamitous injury when Mikael Granlund‘s skate nearly clipped his face.)
How did both teams perform? What are the big questions facing each team ahead of Game 3 on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton? Here’s our breakdown of the Oilers’ Game 2 win.
As I warned after Game 1: Not every game of the Western Conference finals would have a third-period implosion by the Oilers, nor the power-play success the Stars enjoyed to rally for that win.
Edmonton continued to roll at 5-on-5, winning the special teams battle. The Stars weren’t sharp on the details. There were too many shots that didn’t get through to Stuart Skinner, and there were not enough moments that truly tested the Edmonton goalie — outside of a third-period short-handed breakaway that Wyatt Johnston couldn’t convert, extending his drought to one point in eight games.
The Stars had more giveaways through two periods (21) than they had in any game of the 2025 postseason. That’s gift-wrapping the game to Edmonton. The Oilers were going to be desperate after losing Game 1, and Dallas didn’t come close to answering that effort or execution. — Greg Wyshynski
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: A
Edmonton got the start it wanted in Game 2 — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied an early power-play goal that felt like exacting revenge on that costly, penalty-filled third period the Oilers handed Dallas in Game 1. Then, Edmonton tempted fate, handing the Stars a power play — but neutralized it with an excellent kill. That was a confidence booster.
The Oilers followed that by holding Dallas at bay in the second frame, when Skinner was particularly strong as the Stars pushed for an equalizer. That success set up Edmonton to extend its lead with a pair of goals in just 1:13, off a powerful shot from Brett Kulak and a tip from Connor Brown. Edmonton exorcised a few more demons by killing the Stars’ power-play opportunities in the third period.
This was a low-shot game, with only three registered from both sides by midway through the frame, and it was clear how much effort Edmonton was exerting in trying to limit Dallas’ chances. It worked in the end. And a round of applause for Skinner, who rebounded from a brutal performance in the final 20 minutes of Game 1 to be a true difference-maker while recording his third shutout in four games. — Kristen Shilton
0:32
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tips in opening goal for Oilers
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buries the goal for Edmonton to give the Oilers an early 1-0 lead.
Three Stars of Game 2
Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, and his power-play goal to open the scoring was the winner. He has multipoint outings in both games of this series, and both of the Oilers’ power-play goals through two games.
Skinner had 25 saves for his third shutout of the postseason, joining Curtis Joseph in 1998 as the only Oilers goalies with three clean sheets in a postseason.
3. Bouncing back
The Oilers flushed an abysmal third period in Game 1 to control Game 2 virtually for the entire 60 minutes, en route to a 3-0 victory to even the series heading to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4. — Arda Öcal
Players to watch in Game 3
The Stars winger shares the postseason scoring lead with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, at 20 points, thanks to a four-game stretch in which he has generated only one point — a power-play assist in Game 1 of this series. Rantanen earned all of his Conn Smythe hype by carrying the Stars through their first-round win over the Colorado Avalanche, and then posting two, three-point games in wins over the Winnipeg Jets.
But in Game 2, he had as many shot attempts as he did giveaways (three). Neither number is good for the Stars. With Roope Hintz leaving Game 2 because of an injury, there are even more questions about their top line, which hasn’t produced an even-strength goal since Game 4 against the Jets. — Wyshynski
Fans are always watching for McDavid. But for all McDavid’s marvellous moves and powerful playmaking, he hasn’t been a goal-scoring threat for Edmonton. McDavid has just three goals (with 20 points) in these playoffs, and 11 goals in his past 38 postseason contests.
There’s no discounting McDavid’s impact on the Oilers’ game, but there’s a need to see him light the lamp, too. Right now, McDavid is sitting on just one goal since Game 3 of Edmonton’s first-round series against Los Angeles. The Oilers are matching up well against the Stars at 5-on-5 in the series. And McDavid appeared to ring the iron at least once in Game 2.
If McDavid can put more doubt in Dallas by slipping one (or more) past Jake Oettinger, it could ignite Edmonton’s game further — and nothing would get the Oilers’ home crowd fired up quite like seeing the captain go off. — Shilton
Big questions for Game 3
What’s the status of Roope Hintz?
The Stars lost their top center in the third period after a nasty slash to the top of the skate by Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz crumpled to the ice, clutching his left leg and needed help leaving the playing surface just 3:40 into the final period.
Nurse received only a minor penalty after the officials reviewed it — and the Department of Player Safety will review it further.
Losing Hintz, or having him diminished, would be a huge blow to Dallas, as the veteran Finn has five goals and six assists in 14 games, also playing on the Stars’ power play and penalty kill. — Wyshynski
The Oilers should be feeling good as the series shifts to their home ice. Getting one of the club’s top defensemen back would be an enormous boost for the Oilers, too.
Ekholm has been sidelined because of an undisclosed injury since mid-April, missing all of the Oilers’ postseason run to date. But he returned to practice Thursday, and though he remains day-to-day, even Ekholm admitted he didn’t expect to be back soon.
Edmonton has leaned on Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher in Ekholm’s absence, but there’s no question he would strengthen its back end when he’s ready. The Oilers must prepare for Dallas’ response in Game 3, and having Ekholm — who averaged 22 minutes in the regular season for Edmonton, while collecting nine goals and 33 points — makes that more manageable. — Shilton
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