Kyle Brodziak
The Buzzer: Price, Canadiens continue to roll
By Scott BilleckNov 30, 2017, 12:55 AM EST
Players of the Night:
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens: Price made like a brick wall for the third straight game, stopping 27 of 28 shots he faced for his third straight win since returning from injury. Montreal had been a tire fire prior to Price's return, and Price had been a tire fire before he went down with the mysterious lower-body injury. Price's revival looks very, very good over the past three games with a 0.67 goals-against average and a .980 save percentage. The Canadiens have won three-straight.
Carey Price has stopped 100 of 102 shots since his return three games ago. #Habs
— Chris Stevenson (@CJ_Stevenson) November 30, 2017
Antoine Vermette, Anaheim Ducks: Vermette picked a good night to end his 11-game goal-scoring drought, netting twice, including the game-winner, as the Ducks beat the St. Louis Blues. Anaheim had lost their previous four games before Wednesday's win.
Highlights of the Night:
This is just one filthy, filthy pass by Andrew Shaw:
What a feed from Shaw finished off by Danault. Nasty pass. #Habs pic.twitter.com/zb7agboYtX
— Shayne Pasquino (@shaynepasquino) November 30, 2017
Riley Nash made Andrei Vasilevskiy look pedestrian with this slick wrister:
Since about 3/4ths into last season, @rileynash20 has been one of the bruins most consistent guys. Does it all. pic.twitter.com/oVZSJrqxgJ
— The Morning Skate (@Morning_Skate) November 30, 2017
Steven Stamkos ended a five-game goal-less slump when he finished off this tic-tac-toe play on the power play:
The Mighty Stumble:
The NHL's No. 1 and No. 2 teams coming into Wednesday night's action both fell to lesser teams (going by standings, of course).
On Wednesday Night Rivalry on NBSCN, the Boston Bruins topped the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist and played over 28 minutes for the Bruins.
Kyle Brodziak scored twice in the final four minutes for St. Louis, but it wasn't enough to claw his team back from a 3-0 deficit.
The Winnipeg Jets took a too many men penalty with seven seconds left in regulation in a 2-2 game and paid for it when the game shifted into overtime as Nathan MacKinnon scored 59 seconds into extra time.
The Jets had a chance to move into a tie for the top spot in the Western Conference with St. Louis losing. Alas, it was not to be.
Tuukka Rask hasn't had a good start to the year — he has just four wins in 14 starts — but he stopped 19 shots on Wednesday against the league's top team to end a four-game skid, including this fine save:
19 saves for @tuukkarask. None bigger than this one. pic.twitter.com/A1KUELgePO
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 30, 2017
Bryan Little has eight points in nine games since ending an 11-game goal-scoring drought on Nov. 14.
Erik Karlsson continues to starve the scoresheet of his name. He is now seven games without a goal or an assist, this after recording 17 in his previous 10 games.
Factoid of the Night:
Jonathan Drouin scored his first career penalty shot goal and became the first @CanadiensMTL player to convert a penalty shot attempt since Dale Weise on Nov. 13, 2014 vs. BOS. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/jEtYnR4LCl
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 30, 2017
And it was a pretty nice goal to boot.
Another look at the Drouin penalty shot. #Habs pic.twitter.com/omXBaQs4K1
So majestic.
Bruins 3, Lightning 2
Canadiens 2, Senators 1
Ducks 3, Blues 2
Avalanche 3, Jets 2 (OT)
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck
Tags: Andrew Shaw, Antoine Vermette, Bryan Little, Carey Price, Charlie McAvoy, Erik Karlsson, Jonathan Drouin, Kyle Brodziak, Nathan MacKinnon, Riley Nash, Steven Stamkos, Tuukka Rask, Andrew Shaw, Antoine Vermette, Bryan Little, Carey Price, Charlie McAvoy, Erik Karlsson, Jonathan Drouin, Kyle Brodziak, Nathan MacKinnon, Steven Stamkos, Tuukka Rask
Wild's biggest question: Who will step up at center?
By Dhiren MahibanAug 30, 2015, 5:00 PM EDT
In addition to whether Devan Dubnyk can replicate his 2014-15 season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Minnesota Wild heading into this season is at center.
According to NHL.com, Wild centers were amongst the least productive in the league last season combining for 49 goals. Captain Mikko Koivu led the way with 14 goals while Mikael Granlund accounted for just eight goals.
In order to improve in this area they'll need more from Granlund – the 23-year-old, who centered a line with Jason Pominville and Zach Parise last season, will be expected to contribute more offensively.
"I don't think anybody anticipates Granlund to be an eight-goal, 40-point guy for the rest of his career," GM Chuck Fletcher said after signing Granlund to a new two-year, $6 million deal in July. "He is going to take off here over the next two years."
The Wild also believe Charlie Coyle can be a full-time center. Speaking with Mackey and Judd on ESPN radio in Minnesota last week, Mike Yeo said Coyle would start the season at center.
Coyle scored 11 goals and 35 points in 82 games last season.
"You look at a guy like David Backes, for instance, he's a centerman, he's pretty much a fulltime centerman right now, but he spent a lot of time bouncing around," said Yeo. "I like (Coyle's) improvement at center last year, in particular, in his defensive game, I know he's a real reliable guy especially to have a big body like that. You can throw him out there against an Anze Kopitar, who is (6-foot-3) and (225-pounds), you know he's not going to get out-muscled down low. That's a real valuable thing to have.
"What's important for him now is if he can take another step offensively playing that position."
More will also be expected of Erik Haula. The 24-year-old, who signed a two-year extension earlier this month, took a step back last season. Haula scored six goals and 15 points in 46 regular season games during the 2013-14 season. He added four goals and seven points in 13 playoff games.
Last season, Haula managed to score just seven goals and 14 points in 72 games.
"Just because he had a bit of a down year last year, we're certainly not ready to give up on him because we've also seen the flip side," said Yeo. "We've seen what he's capable of and it's just a process that these young kids have to go through."
The Wild also lost Kyle Brodziak in free agency. The 31-year-old was amongst the top-scoring centers in Minnesota last season with nine goals.
Related: Looking to make the leap: Mike Reilly
Tags: Anze Kopitar, Charlie Coyle, David Backes, Devan Dubnyk, Erik Haula, Jason Pominville, Kyle Brodziak, Los Angeles Kings, Mikael Granlund, Mike Reilly, Mike Yeo, Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Zach Parise
It's Minnesota Wild day at PHT
By Ryan DadounAug 30, 2015, 9:00 AM EDT
The Minnesota Wild's 2014-15 campaign was a tale of two seasons. There was the time before Devan Dubnyk and then the time after his arrival.
Before Dubnyk was traded on Jan. 14, the Wild were a team in disarray. They had lost 12 of their last 14 games, shifting the question from if they could take a step forward from their 2014 second round exit to if they could even make the playoffs. Now in the third season of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter era, their stagnation was tremendously disappointing.
On Jan. 7, Wild coach Mike Yeo seemed to lose his cool during a team practice in dramatic fashion. To make matters worse, goaltender Darcy Kuemper left the same practice with a lower-body injury.
The Minnesota Wild went on to lose another four games, including a 7-2 defeat to Pittsburgh on Jan. 13.
"We're so easy to play against," Zach Parise said after the game, per the Associated Press. "We lose battles. The details of our game are terrible. We don't make it hard on the other team."
Then Minnesota acquired Dubnyk from Arizona for a third round pick and he was given the nod on Jan. 15. He ended up starting in 39 of the Wild's final 40 games and posted a 1.78 GAA and .936 save percentage over that span to salvage their campaign.
Once in the postseason, Minnesota bested the St. Louis Blues in six games, setting up a series against the Blackhawks for the third consecutive year. Chicago had beaten them twice before and despite all the Wild had accomplished on their road to Chicago this time around, the outcome would not be any different. The Blackhawks powered past Minnesota in four games.
After his strong performance, the big question for the Wild this summer was how much re-signing Dubnyk would cost them. Determining fair value was no simple matter given Dubnyk's rocky history, but the two sides ultimately settled on a six-year, $26 million deal.
Up against the cap, this has been a quiet summer for Minnesota as far roster changes go. Chris Stewart and Kyle Brodziak walked as unrestricted free agents while former Wild players Sean Bergenheim, Matt Cooke, Jordan Leopold, and Keith Ballard remain unsigned. On top of that the Wild haven't made any significant additions thus far.
That's to be expected though as the team has to factor in the potential raises that Jason Zucker, Jared Spurgeon	, Matt Dumba, and Kuemper might get as restricted free agents next summer.
Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Chris Stewart, Darcy Kuemper, Devan Dubnyk, Jared Spurgeon, Jason Zucker, Kyle Brodziak, Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild, Ryan Suter, St. Louis Blues, Zach Parise
Wild sign '15 first-rounder Eriksson Ek
By Mike HalfordJul 13, 2015, 9:30 PM EDT
Minnesota has agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with Swedish forward Joel Eriksson Ek, the 20th overall pick at this year's draft.\
"We're excited to officially have Joel under contract," Wild assistant GM Brent Flahr said in a release. "He's a top young player with an exciting package of size, skill, hockey sense and character. We are committed to working with him in the development process and look forward to seeing him in a Wild uniform in the near future."
Per the Star-Tribune, Eriksson Ek will return to Sweden next year and play with SHL Farjestad (he's under contract for the next two years). That he's headed back home isn't much of a surprise; Eriksson Ek split last season between Farjestad's senior and junior teams and only turned 18 in January.
What's more, there aren't a ton of roster spots available at forward in Minnesota.
An overage of bodies saw the team cut ties with the likes of Matt Cooke, Kyle Brodziak and Chris Stewart this summer, and it's expected GM Chuck Fletcher will use the organization's internal options (Jordan Schroeder, Ryan Carter, Erik Haula, etc.) to fill the few spaces available.
Tags: Chris Stewart, Erik Haula, Jordan Schroeder, Kyle Brodziak, Minnesota Wild, Ryan Carter
Blues ink Brodziak, Harrold to one-year contracts
By Dhiren MahibanJul 2, 2015, 9:45 PM EDT
After trading for Troy Brouwer earlier in the day, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong added some depth via free agency Thursday evening.
The Blues signed free agent forward Kyle Brodziak and defenseman Peter Harrold to one-year deals.
Brodziak joins the Blues after spending the past six seasons with the Minnesota Wild. The 31-year-old scored 72 goals and 97 assists during his time with the Wild. He leaves Minnesota seventh all-time in games played (446) and eighth in points (169).
Kyle Brodziak will earn $900,000 this season #stlblues
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 3, 2015
He is expected to be the Blues' fourth line center next season.
Harrold joins the Blues after parts of four seasons with the New Jersey Devils. The 32-year-old was informed by Devils' GM Ray Shero last weekend that he would not be re-signed.
In 43 games with New Jersey during the 2014-15 season, Harrold recorded three goals and two assists while averaging 15:15 a night in ice time. His deal is a two-way contract.
Related: Oshie on trade from St. Louis: 'Changes had to be made'
Tags: Doug Armstrong, Kyle Brodziak, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Peter Harrold, St. Louis Blues, Troy Brouwer, Washington Capitals
The Buzzer: Price, Canadiens continue to roll November 30, 2017 12:55 am EST Wild's biggest question: Who will step up at center? August 30, 2015 5:00 pm EDT It's Minnesota Wild day at PHT August 30, 2015 9:00 am EDT Wild sign '15 first-rounder Eriksson Ek July 13, 2015 9:30 pm EDT Blues ink Brodziak, Harrold to one-year contracts July 2, 2015 9:45 pm EDT Wild GM on Dubnyk talks: 'The dialogue has been good' June 10, 2015 6:15 pm EDT No contract talks between Wild and Brodziak, says agent June 4, 2015 4:00 pm EDT Wild re-sign AHL Iowa assists leader Keranen May 22, 2015 12:30 pm EDT Everyone's ripping Vanek again May 7, 2015 3:21 pm EDT Haula gets in Wild mix with Fontaine hurt May 3, 2015 12:46 pm EDT Wild expect Granlund in the lineup Tuesday vs. Edmonton January 26, 2015 10:25 pm EST Dubnyk's shutout helps Wild snap skid January 15, 2015 9:52 pm EST Get your game notes: Sharks at Wild January 6, 2015 5:36 pm EST Video: Eriksson's OT winner leads Bruins past Wild December 17, 2014 11:45 pm EST Ballard hospitalized after scary hit from Martin December 9, 2014 10:19 pm EST Niederreiter leads Wild in record-setting night November 14, 2014 12:21 am EST Rangers score five third period goals to top Wild October 27, 2014 11:00 pm EDT Wild healthy scratch Brodziak, Yeo says 'the message is pretty simple' October 17, 2014 4:05 pm EDT Nathan MacKinnon scores OT winner, Avalanche take 3-2 series lead April 27, 2014 12:43 am EDT Wild changes: Kuemper starts, Brodziak sits, Heatley draws in April 21, 2014 11:47 am EDT Video: Wild's Cooke levels Rangers' Zuccarello with hard hit December 22, 2013 8:49 pm EST After 11-game absence, Coyle returns to Wild lineup tonight (Update: Brodin back too) November 1, 2013 10:25 am EDT Get your game notes: Predators at Wild October 22, 2013 11:27 am EDT Video: Cooke scores in Wild debut, albeit controversially October 3, 2013 8:49 pm EDT Wild release Steckel from PTO September 27, 2013 4:18 pm EDT Minnesota bringing Steckel to camp on PTO September 9, 2013 10:40 am EDT Charlie Coyle looks to be Minnesota's next breakout star August 20, 2013 11:50 am EDT Buying out Heatley might not be an option for Wild June 18, 2013 9:51 am EDT Harding impresses both sides in emergency Game 1 start May 1, 2013 9:05 am EDT Wild's Pominville (head) out for Game 1 vs. 'Hawks April 30, 2013 1:41 pm EDT Wild owner Leipold: 'We think our team is very much like the Kings' April 29, 2013 5:26 pm EDT Wild's Pominville returns to practice (Updated) April 29, 2013 1:08 pm EDT Wild's Pominville (upper body) won't play against Oilers April 26, 2013 4:22 pm EDT 'Win and you're in' for Wild tonight vs. Edmonton April 26, 2013 11:06 am EDT Rupp to make Minnesota debut, Granlund scratched February 7, 2013 2:57 pm EST Wild activate Bouchard (concussion) from IR January 17, 2013 3:28 pm EST Parise, Suter headline NHL-laden charity game in Minnesota, set for…Oct. 28 October 12, 2012 2:34 pm EDT Ottawa inks noted draft bust Hugh Jessiman July 3, 2012 2:20 pm EDT Kyle Brodziak shakes off skate to the face April 3, 2012 9:08 pm EDT Canucks make Malhotra healthy scratch for first time March 21, 2012 4:52 pm EDT