NHL Daily: Zach Werenski, John Quenneville, Jimmy Vesey
NHL Daily: Columbus Blue Jackets standout defender Zach Werenski was named Rookie of the Month in November, top Devils prospect John Quenneville finally gets an NHL call-up after posting 17 points in 19 games with Albany, Jimmy Vesey’s ice-time key to New York Rangers success, and more! (Morning Coffee Headlines)
Grab your morning cup of coffee and join us here at Puck Prose for a compilation of NHL daily links that will help keep you updated with everything going on in the hockey world.
24 teams were in action on Thursday night. The Bruins edged the Hurricanes in a close fought 2-1 shootout result. Jack Eichel is giving the Sabres a massive boost since returning as Buffalo beat the red-hot Rangers 4-3 at home. Pittsburgh had their way with Dallas in a lopsided 6-2 win. Jaroslav Halak carried the Islanders to a 3-0 win over last year’s President Trophy winning Capitals. The Panthers edged the Red Wings on the road in a close 2-1 OT game. Philly also grabbed two points on the road with a close 3-2 OT victory over Ottawa.
Connor McDavid and the Oilers made easy work of the Winnipeg Jets in a convincing 6-3 win. Despite having a healthy Taylor Hall back in the lineup, New Jersey fell short to Chicago 4-3 in overtime. Columbus kept rolling against a weak Avalanche squad, grabbing a 3-2 win on the road. Peter Budaj and the Kings managed to squeeze out two points on the road against a struggling Coyotes team. Lastly, the Ducks came out on top in Vancouver in a close 3-1 win.
Here is your highlight of the night:
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Werenski, Rookie of the Month
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November. This after posting 10 points and a -4 rating over a 14 game stretch. He narrowly beat out the likes of Matt Murray (PIT), Mitch Marner (TOR), Patrik Laine (WPG), Mikko Rantanen (COL), and Brady Skjei (NYR). [Columbus Dispatch]
Vesey Ice-Time Key to Rangers Success
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Union and Blue
The New York Rangers are treading a bit of water of late. Garrett Gartino over at Blue Line Station believes that coach Alain Vigneault must commit to giving rookie Jimmy Vesey more ice-time, a recipe that yielded excellent results early on. [Blue Line Station]
Quenneville Makes NHL Debut
It’s ironic. I wrote about the need for New Jersey to recall John Quenneville after posting 17 points in 19 games with Albany in our week 8 power rankings yesterday. Coincidentally, NJ made the move on Thursday and John made his NHL debut against a tough Blackhawks team. He may need some time to get adjusted, but make no mistake, Quenneville promises to be an important 2nd/3rd line player for NJ in the future. [Chicago Daily Herald]
Bruins Struggling Without Chara
As Andrew Thompson words it over at Causeway Crowd, the Boston Bruins are “treading water without Zdeno Chara”. It was no secret the B’s would have loved some additional help on the blue line heading into 2016-17, so losing a player of this magnitude can really test a team’s depth. [Causeway Crowd]
Top WHL Prospects
Ryan Pike of The Hockey Writers is back with his NHL draft coverage, this time looking at the top 20 players in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Mr. Pike does an excellent job covering the up-and-coming talent every year. [The Hockey Writers]
Callahan Back on IR
Tough blow for Tampa Bay Lightning veteran Ryan Callahan. After missing a large chunk of games to open the 2016-17 season, Callahan is headed back to the IR. Luckily, it doesn’t sound too serious and he could be eligible to return as early as December 8th. [Bolts by the Bay]
Next: Week 8 NHL Power Rankings, In-Depth Analysis
NHL Daily Morning Rant
So, the highly anticipated rematch of Toronto and Vancouver takes place tomorrow at 7pm (et). As if Canucks fans weren’t angry enough with the way things transpired in the last contest, but you know it drives them crazy to cater to the East Coast and play at 4pm local time.
Still, don’t expect to see another 171 penalty minutes combined. NHL senior vice president of Player Safety Stephane Quintal will be in attendance to help “strategize the control of potential misconducts“. You also have to remember that the NHL spoke to Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson following the heated contest in which threats were made in the hallway afterward. Sure, we might see a few healthy runs being taken at Nazem Kadri, but don’t expect the same type of dramatics.
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