from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Jon Cooper calls it the elephant in the room. The shock of last year’s 62-win regular season and subsequent four-game sweep by Columbus in the first round of the playoffs. That’s why the Tampa Bay Lightning coach hasn’t shied away from discussing the heart-breaking 2018-19 campaign — both behind the scenes with his players and during media scrums. He recently told reporters: "I’d be lying if I didn’t think there was a burden carried over." Tampa is off to a ho-hum start: 4-3-1 following Saturday’s 6-2 loss to smoking-hot Colorado. These are still very early days, but the Lightning have been outshot, out-chanced and out-attempted at even strength. They are not nearly as dominant on specialty teams, either, scuffling along at a 70 per cent penalty kill rate after losing trusted soldiers Anton Stralman and Dan Girardi in the off-season. The results don’t scream powerhouse just yet. more plus othet topic which were mentioned on Saturday Headlines, including the Leafs may have cap issues soon...

from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province, Opinion: It’s unrealistic to expect this level of goaltending from Markstrom and Demko every night over the next six months. We wake up this morning to find the Vancouver Canucks in a playoff spot and the Calgary Flames not. Speaking of things which should make you happy, here are the Monday morning musings and meditations on the world of sports. • With their 3-2 win over the Rangers in Manhattan on Sunday, the Canucks have now won five of their last six outings and a win in Detroit on Tuesday will send them home from their four-game roadie with a 3-1 record. That’s laudable. But some context is also required as the first three weeks of their season are considered. Three of the Canucks’ five wins have come on the strength of their goaltending. That doesn’t mean their goalies have stolen wins. It does mean they’ve won because they had the better goalie for that game. continued

Stacking the pads and the glove well positioned.  

SUNRISE, Fla. - Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Brian Boyle on a one-year, one-way contract. "With over 700 games played in the NHL and over 100 more in the playoffs, Brian brings a wealth of experience to our club," said Tallon. "He adds versatility and character to our lineup." In 2018-19, Boyle, 34, appeared in 47 games with the New Jersey Devils (13-6-19) and 26 games with the Nashville Predators (5-0-5) recording a combined 24 points (18-6-24) over 73 games played. In the postseason with the Predators, Boyle registered two assists over three games.

from Ansar Khan of Mlive, Eight games into the season, several Detroit Red Wings forwards are seeking their first goal. That’s the main reason the team is averaging fewer goals than it did last season and why the power play has been much worse. The lack offense has contributed to a four-game losing streak following a fine 3-1-0 start. The Red Wings (3-5-0) return home Tuesday to face the Vancouver Canucks (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) following a rotten road trip to Western Canada, where they were outscored 12-3. “Three goals in three games, it’s not fun,” Dylan Larkin told media following Friday’s 2-1 loss at Edmonton. “We have to find a way to score dirty goals and we have to get all 12 (forwards) chipping in. … We have to find ways to get in front of the goalie’s eyes and score simple goals.” The Red Wings are averaging 2.38 goals per game, compared to 2.73 in 2018-19. Their power play has converted only 9.5 percent of its chances (2 for 21), compared to 18.1 percent last season. continued

CTV with a great look at Scotty Bowman. Scroll to the 23:13 mark of the video for the Bowman feature and lasts about 20 minutes.

A sport with a history of being set in its ways — hesitant to open its doors to diverse leaders or look outside for ways to improve something as fundamental as skating — is now undergoing a rapid evolution, forcing players to get faster and more precise with each passing season. Coaches like Braid, a national-level figure skater whose transition to hockey made her the first woman in NHL history to coach full-time, have been working behind the scenes to spur that speed-hungry transformation for nearly two decades. But, even though her ability to mesh figure skating’s rigid adherence to technique with hockey players’ insatiable need to advance their skill-sets has made her one of the most valuable resources in the game, bridging those two worlds was no easy feat. -Sonny Sachdeva of Sportsnet on skating coach Dawn Braid.  Much more on this topic.

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet, Matthew Tkachuk got a few punches in, but Drew Doughty got the last laugh. Again. The fireworks many tuned in to see on Hockey Night in Canada between the two sparring partners came in the final 10 minutes of a game in which the listless Flames were down 4-0. As Tkachuk skated down the left wing approaching Doughty, he essentially let go of the puck with an eye on engaging with the man he’s hated for years. Alas, just before the point of contact Doughty went low, upending Tkachuk in spectacular fashion, sparking a dog pile most defensive line coaches would be proud of. “It was the first time we had a one-on-one all night, so I just kind of let the puck go and was going to go engage with him and he went low on me,” said Tkachuk, whose only other exchange with Doughty was a first period conversation off a faceoff. “Those are the moments you kind of black out and just try to get some punches in, I guess.” continued Below, watch the incident and game highlights.

Hughes nets first NHL goal in showdown against brother Quinn; Fleury blanks Penguins in Golden Knights' 100th regular-season win; Streaks continue in another five-goal outing for Avalanche.

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, - Idiotic NHL scheduling, Take Two: While the Lightning, Sharks, Wild and Panthers each play just four home games in October, the Maple Leafs and Predators are playing nine and the Blackhawks, Penguins and Golden Knights eight apiece. - When you start naming the elite of the NHL, you’d be making a rather significant mistake by omitting Leon Draisaitl. - Taylor Hall, against the Rangers on Thursday, provided a fierce reminder of why he won the Hart two years ago and why he will be able to name his price either in New Jersey or on the open market. And why, if the Devils cannot get him to sign an extension, the contender that acquires him as a deadline rental will become the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. - If everyone in the Rangers organization were doing his or her job as well as Brendan Smith has done his essentially from the first day of training camp, the Blueshirts would be a playoff lock. more topics including the New York Rangers should retire Brad Park's sweater...