NHL Daily: John Tortorella, Erik Gudbranson, Jack Roslovic
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Daily: Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella recorded his 500th career win behind the bench, becoming the first American-born coach to do so, Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson will be out indefinitely following wrist surgery, Winnipeg Jets loan Jack Roslovic to Team USA, 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.
Six games were on the schedule Sunday. Boston edged the Kings 1-0 early in the afternoon. The Jets spoiled Calvin Pickard‘s homecoming with a 4-1 win at home versus Colorado. Columbus kept rolling with a 4-3 win in Vancouver. Chicago grabbed two points with a 4-1 win versus San Jose. Ottawa steamrolled the New York Islanders with a 6-2 win on the road. Lastly, the New York Rangers grabbed an extra point with a 3-2 shootout win against New Jersey.
Here is your highlight of the night:
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Tortorella Earns 500th Win
Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella earned his 500th win on Sunday as his club won their 9th straight game. In doing so, Tortorella becomes the first US-born coach to reach the milestone. [Yahoo Sports]
Live Feed
Union and Blue
Flames Special Teams Falling Apart
Calgary is having an up-and-down season with special teams. After starting the year off poorly and eventually getting things together, the Flames are once again beginning to sputter. Ramina Shlah wonders if the past two games are a sign of things to come. [Flame for Thought]
Gudbranson Out Indefinitely
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson has undergone successful wrist surgery. He was attempting to play through the injury, which occurred earlier in the season, but GM Jim Benning says his condition did not improve through treatment and rehab. Erik will be out indefinitely. [NHL.com]
USHL Top Prospects Game
USA Hockey announced its roster for the USHL Top Prospects Game scheduled to take place on January 10th in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. All 40 players appearing in the game will be eligible for selection at next June’s draft (2017). [USA Hockey]
Hedman Breaking Records
In case you missed it on Saturday night, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman set a new franchise record for most points on the blue line. He surpassed Dan Boyle with his 25th point of the season and 254th career point with the franchise. [Bolts by the Bay]
Roslovic Being Loaned to Team USA
Manitoba Moose (AHL) forward Jack Roslovic has officially been loaned to Team USA for the upcoming World Juniors. Many were expecting the move after his impressive 19-point (in 25 games) start to his pro career. It’s not like the Winnipeg Jets were planning to give him a look anytime in the immediate future (perhaps closer to the end of the season). [NHL.com]
NHL Daily Morning Rant
To switch gears up a bit today, I’d like to present a list of five players who need to be better on the power play. All three teams rank at the bottom of the NHL and have big-time players struggling to find the back of the net:
F Josh Bailey, New York Islanders
The Isles rank 30th on the man advantage. John Tavares and Anders Lee are the only guys with multiple goals on the PP. Bailey ranks second among forwards in average ice-time, yet only has a single goal to show for it (four at even strength).
F Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
Despite ranking 1st among forwards with 3:14/game in PP ice-time, Zetterberg has just one goal on the man advantage. If the Red Wings want to climb out of 29th place, they’ll need the Swedish veteran to step up.
Next: Top 5 Standout Goalies in 2016-17
D Torey Krug, Boston Bruins
Part of the reason Boston was comfortable trading Dougie Hamilton was due to the emergence of Torey Krug. Here’s a guy that was expected to give the B’s blue line a serious lift on the PP, yet he has one goal in 33 games despite leading the team in average ice-time on the man-advantage.
Make sure to like us on facebook and follow us on twitter for more NHL daily updates!