One: Dunn Out Tuesday, Flames Rookie Has League Hearing Wednesday
Along with an all-important two standings points, there were reassuring moments in Monday’s 4-2 win in Calgary, which is the 100th regular-season “W” in franchise history. Two big penalty kills in the third period with the top defensive pair on PKs taking turns sitting out in the penalty box. Jared McCann scoring his ninth shorthanded goal to get the two-goal lead back later third period. Yanni Gourde and Adam Larsson breaking long goal droughts, 18 for Gourde and 20 for Larsson, who was all smiles after scoring his game-winner.
But Larsson, McCann, coach Dave Hakstol, and the Seattle traveling party were not grinning post-game after a late-game hit by Flames rookie Martin Pospisil sent the aforementioned Dunn hurrying off the ice. Upon review during the game, Pospisil was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct, ejecting him from the game. Pospisil had already laid a highly questionable hit on Larsson in the first seconds of the game (with no call) and didn’t fully engage with Kraken rookie Tye Kartye during a second-period scrap, something Hakstol pointed out after first calling the Dunn hit “garbage.” Larsson called the hit on his D-partner “unnecessary” and “dirty.”
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Pospisil will have a phone hearing on Wednesday regarding the hit.
Speaking with the media prior to puck drop, Hakstol declared Dunn out of the lineup for tonight's game. In his place, rookie defenseman Ryker Evans will get the nod, seeing his first action since mid-February. Alex Wennberg remains a healthy scratch for "trade-related" issues.
Two: ‘We Still Believe’
Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson might have talked more expansively about jumping into the offensive play for a game-winner. But Vince Dunn’s condition was more the locker room focus for all teammates and coaches. Larsson did praise Matty Beniers for the pass in front and the Seattle stalwart was clearly enjoying the post-goal hugs and skating by the Kraken bench for glove bumps. Post-game, Larsson made it clear the Monday win was welcome and vital and that the next game and the next game after are all must-win propositions.
“There’s no quit in our team, we still see that we can make it [to the Stanley Cup Playoffs],” said Larsson. “We still believe in ourselves. Every win down the stretch is gonna be big.”
Three: Know the Foe: Winnipeg 8-2-0 in Last 10 Games
The Jets are battling Dallas for first place in the Central Division and hunting down Vancouver for the overall Western Conference top spot (two points behind with three games in hand). Tough assignment to face this group twice in three nights with a rematch on the docket Thursday at Climate Pledge Arena. Winnipeg will be missing forward Gabe Vilardi (16 goals, 14 assists in 38 games) due to injury and defenseman Nate Schmidt (out with the flu, which is affecting a number of teammates).
But breakout star and D-man Josh Morrissey will be on hand with his 51 points (8 G, 43 A); he has 15 assists in his last eight games. The Jets are 4-13-1 when trailing after two periods, but two of those comebacks are the last two games played. They came back from down 3-0 in Carolina Saturday to win 5-3 and then overcame a 2-1 deficit in Buffalo to score four unanswered third-period goals. WPG goaltending is strong: All-world Connor Hellebuyck has a .924 save percentage in 44 games and backup Laurent Brossoit is at .921 in 16 appearances.
