#nolan please shoot the pucks more

[nolansnose]

To my moots: I did A THING. Wrote a lil something. A Nolpat imagine *gasps*

This is unfinished and I will only be updating this everytime Patty gets a point or better yet, score a goal!

Edited and rb'd because this has been updated!

(With added steam 🙈)

Summary: Surprise!

Nolan Patrick x whoever you wanna pair him with in your head

UNTITLED

They hadn't exchanged any kind of communication in three weeks. That kind of radio silence from both their ends wasn't normal. It has been a month since they saw each other last, they were both busy --- she with the endless demands and responsibilities of being the new executive assistant to the director of medical services while Nolan was training in preparation for the incoming season.

It amazes her how they were able to give each other attention in the past year and how they haven't given up on each other. It wasn't easy, it's daunting at times, at least for her.

For someone with such a demanding job and schedule, she truly couldn't figure out how she was able to give time to Nolan.

She didn't understand how someone like her was able to pique his interest or that he continued to give her attention, well, not until these past few weeks. She may be busy but during moments that she wasn't thinking about work, Nolan makes sudden, sometimes unwelcome appearances in her thoughts.

Unwelcome because she shouldn't be thinking about him. They're not... Argh! She sighed and put down the book she's trying so hard to understand in her lap. She's in an old cottage by the beach, alone for this long weekend, her first non work related trip after a long while since being appointed and she's alone. She should be relaxing, resting, eating sumptuous meals and reading this... Shit it was Nolan who gave her this book. Why did she pick this one to bring? She sighed again and tried for the nth time to relax in the couch she was perched on. She put her feet up in the arm rest and reached for the tea in the side table to drink but grimaced as its already cold.

As cold as the weather that wasnt apt for the place she was in. Beaches are made for warm, summery weather, not rain and cold drafts. She looked out the window and shook her head because it was still raining. The rain peltering the roof was loud and... what was that?

She heard something beside the raindrops. Footsteps. Rustling. Knocking? Was someone knocking?

But she wasn't expecting anyone.

Still, she stood up and headed for the kitchen which was near the parking area of the resort she was in. She clutched her chest when she saw another shadow beside the plants outside. Shit! A thief? But this was an exclusive resort!

She grabbed the fruit bowl in the counter and headed for the kitchen door. There was that sound again. Footsteps. And knocking.

She took a deep breath and raised the bowl above her head, ready to whack whoever was on the other side of that door. She unfastened the locks and opened the door.

"Fuck!", the 'intruder' called out and caught the bowl before it made contact with his face.

"Nolan?", she blinked.

The newcomer put down the bowl and raised the hood of his jacket. "Hi,"

"I thought you were a thief!"

Nolan looked at her with amusement. " I knocked but there was no answer."

"When was that? I didn't hear anything."

"Uh, five minutes ago?", he asked as he grabbed a clean towel out of the basket on the washing machine near the door. "May I?"

She exhaled loudly while moving away from the door so Nolan could dry his shoes in the mat and removed his jacket which was also wet.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. How did he even know she was here? Oh. Right. She remembered telling him about this weekend trip the last time they were together.

"I missed you," he said. "You didn't text or call."

"You never did, too," she pointed out.

"Hey, I called," he said with a bit of pain in his voice.

"When did you call?"

"Are you going to let me come in or do I have to defend myself by your kitchen door?"

2

"What's that for?", she asked having glanced at his backpack.

"Change of clothes. I've been in town for a few days, actually ", he replied honestly.

She gave him another quick look before going back to retrieve the cup of tea in the living room and brought it up in the kitchen to heat in the microwave. She felt his eyes on her while she set the timer.

"Chamomile?", Nolan asked just as he put down his already opened backpack in the kitchen counter and took out a clean pair of socks.

She didn't know whether to be irritated or happy that he remembered her preference. Normally, she'd appreciate it but now she felt cornered. Vulnerable. She came here to unwind, rest and think, -- to escape from all that's troubling her -- that included Nolan.

Yep, trouble. That's Nolan, alright. What else would you call the man who chose to entangle himself with someone like her? Even for a weekend, she wanted a break. She wanted him out of her head, her body and her bed.

"You still haven't answered why you're here," she took the mug out of the oven and set it on the counter. She caught the smirk on his face. "What?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Nolan took a step towards her and tenderly caressed her arm."Didn't you miss me?"

She looked up into his eyes to see a worry there she didn't normally see.

They've talked about their situation a handful of times before, where they're headed eventually. Together they've decided that its better if no one else knew whatever kind of relationship they were to have.

She can't remember exactly how that topic came about, but they wound up in bed together before defined lines were ever set.

This, whatever this was, has gone on for a year, a short time compared to others. She knew she shouldn't keep her hopes or expectations up, but sometimes, she gets tired of her feelings being hurt from a misunderstanding because nothing was solid or made public. Sometimes the feelings were his. Sometimes he acted jealous or frustrated because she behaved in a way that made him question the exclusivity they had agreed on a year ago.

"Not at all?" His low, lazy voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

She shook her head. "No."

He leaned into her some more, their closeness made her feel like she's drowning. "Liar."

Then his mouth met hers and she instinctively opened her mouth to allow his tongue to enter. He tasted sweet and salty like caramel popcorn. He satisfied every urge and each craving.

A whimper escaped her throat and he had her pushed against the counter with one hand in her hair as the other lifted her leg and grabbed her ass. He knew how to completely envelop her into a whirlwind of sex. It started out with a kiss as it always did.

And this kiss grew more fervent and she felt a familiar hardness push against her in just the right place. He made her feel sexy and desirable in a way that she revelled in. His kisses were addictive.

Its hard to reclaim her sanity everytime they ended up like this, like he drained whatever courage she had left. But before she could totally gave in, she held Nolan's arm firmly and pushed him away from her. He moaned a little as a protest but moved away and let her right herself.

The desire for her was evident in his eyes, in his jeans and she tried not to look but his scent, his kiss lingered. She was still dazed and her heart was beating wildly.

"What?" He asked as he touched the edge of his mouth.

"We can't continue this, Nolan", she insisted.

He shook his head. "We're not doing anything we haven't done bef----"

"No", she cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "This as in hiding. We thought it wont get this complicated given our work and who we are, we thought it'd be easy. None of this is easy, Nolan."

"Thank you for saying we, instead of you," he nodded as he answered. "Seriously. We both said this unofficial exclusive thing would be easy and a breeze and I'm glad you didn't pile the blame for your feelings just on me."

She looked at him carefully. Sometimes, his prankness still startled and overwhelmed her. She hoped and tried hard for its effect to not register on her face.

"Whoa," he said with one eyebrow raised when her gaze turned squinty. "Why are you looking at me like I just told you I'm getting married or something?"

"Let's end this, Nolan," she said in a faint voice, then grabbed the mug of tea again.

She felt him observing her eventhough her attention was on the tea she's drinking.

"You already said that four months ago."

"This time I meant it." She said in a voice lacking of conviction.

#nolan please shoot the pucks more #nolan patrick #nolan patrick fic #nolan patrick imagine #nhl imagine #this fic is a one time thingy

[goldenvinnie]

Hello! Can you please write a Nolan Patrick imagine about teaching y/n how to play hockey?

1 on 1?// Nolan Patrick

“Your still not holding it right.” Nolan skates around you.

“I’m holding it the way you showed me.”

“No your not.” Nolan laughed coming up beside you.

“Well show me then.” You stood behind you and grabbed your hands placing them in the position the were supposed to be in. You leant you head back against his shoulder to look at him.

“Your not paying attention that’s why your not getting it. Stop being a creep.” You laughed at him placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Your just so pretty Nols. I cant concentrate.” you smiled at him as he rolled his eyes.

“Alright to shoot you just swing and back, almost like golf okay, we’ve golfed together. But not to high.” he lifted your hands up and back and sent the puck that was in front of you flying.

“That was pretty easy.”

“You gotta skate with the puck now and try shooting while moving.” He took a buck of his own and skated down the rink as you stood there.

“Come on slow poke, you wanted to learn.” You sighed as your slowly skate forward taking the puck along with you. You didn’t want to fall on your ass this was to much multi tasking for you. You had gotten down to the end towards the goal getting ready to attempt and shoot only for the puck to be stolen. You whipped your head around.

“Patrick what the hell!” You heard him laugh shooting into the goal.

“Sorry your too slow! Are you ready for 1 on 1?”

“1 on 1?! I can barely skate.” He skated towards you wrapping his arms around you.

“Ill let you win, I promise.” He pushed your hair back into your hat.

“Gee thanks.” you wrapped your arms around his neck pulling his closer. He placed a kiss onto the side of your neck, eyelashes tickling your skin.

“You guys working hard or hardly working?” Nolan’s head whipped your towards the voice.

“Thought you weren’t supposed to be coming until later Konecny.” He pulled away from you.

“We’ll i wanted to see Y/n soo figured i’d come early.”

“aww i feel honored, even if you are crashing a date.” You skated over and gave him a hug.

“Not the first definitely won’t be the last. Besides i’m more fun than him.”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Nolan asked

“Yeah she didn’t want to skate though so.”

“Ahh well sucks to suck. Think we are gonna head home now though, Y/n’s tired.”

“I am?” he looked over at you with tired eye. He was tired he just didn’t want Travis to chirp.

“Ohh okay, yeah cool i get it. Hey you guys should come over for dinner later.”

“Okay yeah. Have Karly text me.” You pulled Nolan off the ice. Sitting down and untying you’re laces. After sliding your shoes back on Nolan grabbed your hand walking through the rink.

“Thank you for teaching me today. Even if i wasn’t fully paying attention.” He laughed placing a kiss onto your cheek.

“Of course baby anytime.”

REQUEST ARE OPEN!

#nolan patrick imagine #nolan patrick #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #flyer imagine #philadelphia flyers

[welllpthisishappening]

A Chance of Snow Showers

It was inevitable. 

After all, it was family skate, and Christmas, and there was something inherently competitive about this particular family so, eventually, there was going to be some kind of competition. 

Skating blue lines with a baby strapped to his chest made perfect sense to Killian. Especially if it kept getting Emma to make that face. 

-----

Rating: Teen. But only just. Because of the kissing.  Word Count: 3.3 K AN: I had to write some Blue Line Christmas fluff. I had to. And when both @peglegsjones​ and @eleveneitherway​ sent me pictures from the Blackhawks family skate, my mid was like...ok. Set two Christmases after Killian retires, which makes it December 2028. Everyone is stupid competitive. 

And that’ll do it for the Christmas stories this year. I did not fill nearly all of them, so they will all get written eventually, but may not be holiday themed. Thank you to everyone who sent me a prompt, I’m so sorry if I didn’t get to it pre-Disney and, as always, thank you times a million for ever looking at any of the words I shove at the internet. You’re all lovely. 

-----

“It’s really not fair.”

“What isn’t?”

“You.”

“Me?” Killian asked, digging the toe of his skate into the ice and Emma hummed so softly he barely heard over the din around them. 

There were kids everywhere. 

Some with helmets and others with sticks, blades scraping that same ice and laughter ringing in the air around them. Matt was very clearly shouting about racing, again and Peggy was desperately trying to get Leo to play goalie so she could shoot against him, but neither Killian nor Emma had moved that much and that probably had something to do with the kid strapped to his chest and she kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Badly. 

It made his pulse sputter in his veins. 

Still. 

“Yeah, you,” Emma nodded. She stumbled slightly when she pushed away from the boards, Killian’s hand reaching out towards her on instinct and the same sentiment behind still and he wasn’t all that surprised by the overall and vaguely exasperated diameter of her eyes as soon as he did it.

“That’s chivalrous.”

She scrunched her nose. “Ridiculous. And just—god, it is really stupid how good looking you are with the skates—“

“—It’d be weird if I didn’t have skates on—“

“—And the face—“

“—My face?”

“Seriously, you cannot keep interrupting me.”

“Well, when you’re so articulate,” Killian chuckled, and he did manage to get his fingers through her belt loop that time, tugging Emma as close as he could. The baby was kind of in the way. 

In a way where that was actually good and great and decidedly familial. At the Rangers family skate. 

Four days before Christmas. 

“You know,” Killian drawled, “if I didn’t know any better, Swan, I’d think that my ability to skate while holding our kid was vaguely attractive to you.”

“Vaguely. You think you can skate with the kid? Does this count as skating?”

“That sounds a bit like a challenge.”

“Weird.”

He chuckled, nosing at Emma’s cheek, but that only lasted as long as it took for something else to crash behind the net and Killian’s fingers tightened. There was no way Emma was going to be able to keep her balance when she jumped towards the sound. 

Matt wasn’t standing anymore. 

And that wasn’t really unexpected, but they’d been working on figuring out how to stop, so Killian was almost hopeful that eventually something would stick. No such luck, apparently. 

“In my defense,” Will yelled, both his hands curled into the back of Matt’s jersey to keep him upright, “this was not my fault.”

Killian tilted his head. “That’s it? That’s your entire defense? How did he even get over there?”

“Well, he’s fast.”

“Genetics,” Emma mumbled, Will humming in agreement. 

There was a camera shutter snapping somewhere.”

“Uh—yeah,” Will added,  “I mean, look at the kid, Cap, with his flailing limbs and—mostly his flailing limbs, can you control yourself, Dr. J?”

Matt did not control himself. He laughed. And Killian hadn’t really stopped smiling, partially because his fingers were still crooked through Emma’s belt loop, which ensured that she was all but pressed against his side, and partially because all his kids kept exuding something dangerously close to Christmas joy and—

“He’s gunning for a competition,” Will said. “And I think that’s got to be a product of his upbringing, don’t you?”

“Was that supposed to be insulting?” Killian asked. 

“Eh, honest, maybe.”

“That’s scathing, Merry Christmas, Scarlet.”

Will practically cackled. 

“Dad, Dad, Dad,” Matt shouted. “Rol said we should all race! Like with a bracket and everything.”

“Did he just?”

Roland grit his teeth. “Skating in a circle gets kind of boring, don’t you think, Hook?”

“Also sounds like a challenge,” Emma mumbled. 

And it wasn’t really surprising — the lot of them far too competitive for their own good, even after the end of careers and years off the ice and Killian wasn’t entirely sure if they were all supposed to be there, technically, but Ruby had her phone out and there were several other PR minions with cameras and social media feeds to populate and—

Chris started squirming, the back of his feet colliding with Killian’s stomach when he kicked out and Emma’s lips all but disappeared behind her teeth while she did her best not to laugh. 

It did not work. 

“Lucas, are you getting this?” Robin asked, his own stick propped up on his shoulder and Regina standing next to him. Very close to Ariel. 

Regina had begrudgingly agreed to come onto the ice as well — only after both Roland and Henry pulled her out with them — but she hadn’t moved much in the last half an hour, and Ariel’s skates had a distinct toe pick them. 

That wouldn’t help her if they raced. 

They were absolutely all going to race. 

Over-competitive weirdos. 

“Don’t insult me like that,” Ruby said. One of the minions moved their cameras, Killian doing his best to calm Chris while also making sure Matt did eventually get back to his feet and, from the sounds of it, Leo had absolutely refused to get in goal. “No, no, no,” she snapped, a quick hand on the minion’s shoulder when, it appeared, they weren’t getting the right angle. “Cap—focus on Cap and the kid and—you know what, actually? This is a sign.”

“Of?” Ariel asked. 

“Cap is old.”

Will almost fell over. Matt practically growled. “Sorry, sorry, sorry, Dr. J,” he mumbled. “It’s just—I don’t think Ruby’s worker bee knew she was talking about your dad. Maybe we should come up with new nicknames, then?”

“Captain Emeritus,” Robin grinned.

“Nah, that’s too wordy.”

Emma had her hand over her mouth now. 

“What about CE, then?” Robin suggested, before almost immediately shaking his head. “Ah, that’s garbage too, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely.”

“And it suggests that there’s a new captain,” Mary Margaret pointed out. She grunted when she collided with the boards, both Regina and Ariel helping her brace herself. “Which, you know—that’s not a thing.”

“Thank you Mrs. Nolan,” Will said, “for the English language lesson. Hey, you going to race with us?”

Mary Margaret made a ridiculous noise in the back of her throat. “Are you kidding me?”

“It’s an idea.”

“Ruby would have to dedicate an entire special to me breaking both my legs.”

“Doesn’t exactly exude the festive notion of the season, does it? Honestly, do the new minions not know to refer to Cap as—oh, don’t look at me like that, Lucas.”

Ruby hissed. “Did you just call him a minion?”

“It’s a term of endearment. Like Cap.”

“God, you lack any tact, don’t you, Scarlet?” Regina asked, but she was also doing a fairly pitiful job of trying not to laugh and Killian wasn’t sure what the appropriate feeling to feel in a moment like this was. 

Pain, apparently. 

Peggy had slammed, rather unceremoniously, into his side. 

“So none of them know how to stop, huh?” Robin laughed. Peggy didn’t move. If anything, she dug her forehead further into Killian’s thigh, drawing a strangled sound out of him and a disgruntled sound out of the baby still strapped to his chest and—

“Dad,” Peggy whined. “I want to race.”

Killian narrowed his eyes at Roland. Who grinned in response. “I don’t know what to tell you, Hook. They’re your kids and—“

“—You want to race too,” Emma pointed out. 

He shrugged. “Well, yeah, I’ve got to beat Mattie.”

It took approximately half a second for Matt to get back to his skates — a fact Will was very quick to point out and for Killian to be slightly proud of because—“No, no, no, Rol, that’s not what’s gong to happen,” Matt argued. He pushed off, moving quickly enough to be impressive and redirect the camera again, right fist colliding with Roland’s side as soon as he was within reach. 

Henry pulled him away. 

“We need some rules, then, don’t you think?” Henry asked. “Because these old people—“ There was a general hum of disagreement, more than a few boo’s from David and Phillip threw a pile of ice-snow from the other side of the rink. Henry widened his eyes. “They’re all going to try and cheat. Gunning for past glories and whatnot.”

“To remind people of longstanding nicknames,” Emma added. “And three Stanley Cups!”

The minion turned very red. 

Like a Santa hat. 

They should apologize to the minion eventually. 

Henry quirked an eyebrow. “You going to race?”

“Seriously?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“The competitive gene runs real strong on the Jones side of this team,” Will announced, twisting on his skates like he was getting ready for puck drop. 

Emma beamed. 

And Killian hoped that wasn’t a distraction later. 

Competitive weirdo. 

“Rules, then?” Henry asked. “We probably shouldn’t let you guys pick who you skate against because—“

“—I want to race Scarlet,” Emma interrupted. “And only Scarlet.”

Will’s lips twitched, moving towards them with enough ease that for a moment Killian forgot they were, in fact, all old and it had been years and seasons, but three Stanley Cups too and that was another inherently good thing. Peggy tugging on the side Will’s sweater when he stopped. 

“You don’t want to race Cap?”

“Please,” Emma balked. “Mattie’s going to race Killian—“

“—Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Matt shouted, and it was difficult to tell if Will rolled his eyes when Killian did as well, but he figured. Because of those years. 

“That’s a good point,” Will admitted. 

“It’s because Emma thinks she can beat you,” David called, Emma nodding and humming and her laugh hadn’t changed much in the years. Any of them. Maybe a little louder now than it had been, particularly when Will lunged forward, tugging her with him and Killian hoped one of the cameras got him picking up Peggy. 

While still holding Chris. 

He was unreasonably proud of himself. 

“That’s rude, Em,” Will chided. It was difficult to hear the words over his laugh though and they did keep referring to Ruby’s PR people as minions so maybe they all were kind of rude. 

Collectively. 

But in a passably festive way. 

And it only took a few minutes to write out the bracket — the lot of them lining up at the far blue line and Ruby announcing, “I am in charge, obviously.”

Both Robin and Phillip saluted. 

“Ok,” Ruby instructed, “Em and Scarlet are going to go first. One blue line to the other. Fastest wins…we don’t have a stopwatch, do we?”

“We have phones,” Ariel suggested. “And, you know—eyes.”

“Ha ha ha.”

“You’re taking this way too seriously, Lucas,” Will mumbled, swatting at Emma’s hands every few seconds. “Just shout ready, set go and—“

“Go,” Emma yelled. She’d used him to push off. 

Killian’s whole body shook with the force of his reaction to that, chin coming close to Chris’ head in the process and Emma didn’t really know how to stop either. She grunted when her shoulder hit the glass, a gasp when she tried to twist and her skate got caught and Matt was yelling instructions. 

“No, no, Mom, you’ve got to push off! With your toes!”

Emma hummed, more color rising in her cheeks. “Thanks, kid. That’s—oh my God, Scarlet, you cheat!”

He flashed her a grin when he doused her ankles with snow-ice, more than a few gasps of indignation from the peanut gallery. And for a moment, they weren’t much more than a mess of limbs and seasonally appropriate activewear, trying to keep the other from moving too quickly, but Emma found her edge quicker and it was probably the return trip back down the ice that was going to do them all in. 

Will was out of breath by the time he got there. 

Emma’s eyes were very green. 

When she all but flung herself towards Killian. 

And there was still a baby in the way, Killian’s neck twisting in a direction he was sure he wouldn’t appreciate all that much later, but he was admittedly rather one tracked at the moment. So he kissed his wife. 

Who was also in desperate need of oxygen. 

“Please tell me how impressed you are by my athletic prowess,” Emma mumbled into his mouth. He nipped at her lip. 

“Decidedly impressed.”

“Who do I skate against later?”

Ruby sighed. “Do you not know how brackets work? We have to go though the rest of the round. Alright, Rook, c’mere, you’ve got to stand on the line.”

It went like that for another two races — Phillip barely moving before Roland was at center ice and Henry had absolutely let Peggy win. 

And then. 

Matt grinned at Killian when they lined up on the blue line and part of him was a little disappointed that it was a first-round matchup. Eventually they’d come up with better brackets. 

Presumably when they played air hockey. 

That was more serious, anyway. 

“Alright, kid,” Killian said, “you ready?”

Matt nodded enthusiastically, brushing the longer-than-usual strands of hair away from his eyes in a move that was so alarmingly familiar Killian was genuinely surprised his knees didn’t give out right there. 

It didn’t matter. Emma’s might of. She made a noise at least — tugging her phone out of her back pocket with her other arm curled around Peggy’s shoulders and Mary Margaret nearby. “It’s patently stupid,” Emma muttered. “Also, is that happening?”

She nodded towards Chris, his own head tilted up slightly, like he was passably interested in whatever was about to happen. 

Killian shrugged. “I’m not planning on falling over. Or, you know—crashing into the boards.”

“Are you trash talking our kid?”

“It’s entirely possible. Plus, you know, he’ll enjoy it.”

“Which kid?”

“This one,” Killian answered, pointing down at a gurgling Chris. He made a face at him. “Right, Chris? We’re going to go fast. You’ll love it.”

“Maybe we don’t get this part on camera,” Ariel suggested. 

“Mini-Jones, you hearing this?” Ruby asked. Matt’s eyes narrowed. More tells. All the tells. A never-ending stream of similarities and genetics and the kid actually had the gall to crouch like he was starting a speed-skating race in the Olympics. 

Killian’s jaw dropped. 

“Oh, he’s not taking your garbage, Cap,” Robin chuckled. “Try and balance on your side when you turn ok, Matt? Make sure you twist your hips when you do it, otherwise you’ll absolutely fall over.”

Matt blinked. “What?”

“Your hips, it’s—seriously, did your dad not teach you anything?”

“I’m standing right here,” Killian said. 

“And the kid still doesn’t know how to stop,” Roland mumbled, one side of his mouth curling up. Emma buried her head in Mary Margaret’s shoulder. 

“I can stop,” Matt objected. He was already drifting forward a bit though, not all that pleased when Killian tugged him back, but Ruby was counting down and Killian was not prepared for the overall strength of his ten-year-old’s collective lower body. 

Because Matt pushed off and Killian wasn’t ready and—

“Oh shit,” he hissed, Emma’s laugh ringing in his ears when he raced after Matt. And he couldn’t remember the last time he’d skated blue lines, even if he did get on the ice regularly, a distinct sting in the general area of his lungs when he did his best to pick up speed. 

Killian tried to move his arms, crouching on instinct, but there was also another kid there and that kid did not appreciate going fast as much as he might have liked. Or being bent awkwardly. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Killian chanted, like Chris would remember any of this particularly scarring moment. Matt laughed when his hand hit the boards, a quick snap of his neck that made it all too obvious just how wide his smile was. 

Triumphant, that was the word for it. 

“You’ve got go faster, Dad!”

It was impossible to know who was laughing louder at the other end of the rink. 

Killian exhaled, every muscle in his thighs objecting to the movement when he pressed down, lowering his head like that would also lower his center of gravity, but it was a breakaway and a two-on-one and he’d never been very good at turning anyway.

No chance. 

Matt didn’t quite slam into the second round of boards, but he wobbled as he slid over the blue line, palms flat against Will’s chest when he caught him, another twist and flail of limbs and Killian couldn’t really stand up. 

“Wow,” Emma mused, another smile that practically hung from all three letters, “that’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Killian shook his head. “The kid is good at skating. Even if he cheated too.”

“I did not,” Matt objected. 

“Eh…like mother, like son, huh?”

“No, no, no, you were just slow. I didn’t push off like Mom did! And Rubes was counting, so—“

“—The kid’s got a point,” Ruby said, a distinct rhythm to her voice. “Long live the legend of Captain Killian Jones. Bested by his own son at a game they are both questionably good at.”

“A compliment, Lucas?” Killian asked. 

“You still skate good.”

“Well,” Mary Margaret amended. 

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Em, you’re going to race Rol in the next round. Let’s go.”

Roland beat Emma. 

Peggy beat Matt. 

That did not end well — shouts and sneers, Emma holding onto Peggy and Will holding onto Matt and Ruby told the minions to leave that alone. So she could take her own video. 

There were accusations of more cheating, tongues sticking out and noises that were not at all festive, several adults trying to look responsible because—

“I’m going to win the whole thing now,” Peggy announced. 

Which was exactly what she did. 

No push off. No false start. Just speed and Roland’s wide-eyed expression when she held her edge on the turn, every single adult on the ice breaking out into cheers as soon as she crossed the blue line. 

And Killian wasn’t really surprised by that either — more about genetics, he was sure, but there was something close to joy and distinctly like pride surging through every inch of him and he nearly fell back when Peggy jumped towards him. Her hair hit his mouth. 

“Dad, did you see? Did you watch?! That was so—“

“—You were great, little love.”

She threw her arms around his shoulders. 

Chris wasn’t pleased by that either. 

They stayed on the ice for another hour — photo-ops and interviews and a social media presence that would probably be Ruby’s greatest NHL legacy, but Killian didn’t ever actually take Chris off and Emma kept shooting him furtive glances, a warmth curling at the base of his spine and erasing any memories of loss, recent or otherwise and he glanced down before he spoke. 

Like he was double checking with his skating partner. 

“You won’t remember this, right?” Killian asked. Chris gurgled. “Yeah, that’s what I figured. Alright, let’s go.”

Emma didn’t flinch when Killian moved into her space, twisting her towards him and he felt her smile when he caught her mouth with his, enough happiness to power several cities, which was a very cyclical thought and an even better life and he might have shivered when her tongue dragged across his lower lip. 

“Gotcha,” she muttered. 

“Was it a race?”

“I’ve lost track of the metaphor, honestly.”

“I wasn’t even sure we were making metaphors,” Killian admitted, Emma laughing and canting her hips and that was a dangerous thing on ice, but he’d always been very good on ice and his hand found the small of her back. 

“Watching you skate with a baby strapped to you was the single most attractive thing I’ve ever seen. Just you know, for the record.”

He leaned back—all too aware of the heat in his cheeks and the state of his pulse, but Emma’s eyes were almost distractingly green and she didn’t blink. Just looked up and held his gaze, toying with Chris’ fingers like that wasn’t the most attractive thing anyone had ever done. 

Over-competitive weirdos, honestly. 

“I love you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Killian echoed. “I look forward to beating you at air hockey.”

“Sounds like a plan, Cap.”

#cs ff #captain swan #captain swan fic #captain swan ff #cs fic #blue line one shots #skating with a baby strapped to you is probably not safe #just fyi #also thanks again everyone for reading all these things and enjoying all these things #i hope you all have a lovely holiday and get everything you want and then some

[whatshockey]

if you ever want to be in love - n.p.

in which a girl who vowed to never fall for her best friend did exactly that

song used for inspiration: “if you ever want to be in love” by james bay

warnings: mentions of alcohol. a bit of cursing towards the end. a bit angsty?

word count: 4,093 

a/n: this is my first time ever writing something so please help me out lol i’m sorry it’s so long

She found home in another set of arms, stretched and surrounding her in familiarity and comfort she had yet to find in the foreign city. Cold fingers danced along her spine, somehow managing to leave her skin scorching, and she wondered if he could also hear how loud and fast her heart was pulsing his name.

The touches were innocent, alongside the gazes she shared with eyes that mirrored the color of the lake where the two spent past summers together. She never dared to sneak glances at the lips that mocked and called her by her childhood nickname, or risk being caught indulging in a daydream starring him in the lead role. No matter how strong her emotions grew for the boy whose torso laid pressed up against her, she continued to sweep them under the rug and attend these friendly playdates that left her stomach uneasy. And the various junk food splattered on the coffee table before them had very little to do with it.

No one warned her about how easy it was to fall for your best friend, but at the same time it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that it would happen, especially when your best friend is as attractive as her’s. The same one that made her cry when he broke her green crayon in kindergarten, and the same one who got in a fist fight in the seventh grade after one of the older boys spread rumors about her. He’d seen her when she had lost her first tooth and when she finally got her braces off and could properly smile at one of his cheesy jokes. She’d seen his face twist when he broke his hand for the first time and he’d held her‘s when she was stood up by the cute soccer player from the rival school. They’d been through it all, but now she wants all of him, and she couldn’t feel more embarrassed and selfish for that.

The movie in front of them flashed to the credits and he straightened to turn the TV off, only to notice she hadn’t realized the movie had ended and instead focused on picking at her nail polish. He brought his hand flat against her lower back and gently rubbed small circles, hoping to grant him her attention. When her eyes bolted to his with pupils floating in a cocktail of shock and confusion, his eyebrows furrowed in response.

“What’s up? Everything okay?”

Her head shook yes before he could finish his question, and even she knew that he could tell she was lying. But he wasn’t one to press.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She quickly replied, turning her head back to the monitor only to see the screen tinted black.

“Movie was that boring, eh?”

He nudged her jokingly, and she was suddenly aware of how warm she felt under it. Her cheeks warmed, the corners of her lips curled, and she could feel him still looking her with a burning stare. Itching to separate herself from him, she began to stretch and stand up, ignoring the clench in her gut as she did so.

“I get to pick next time.”

She found it easier to look back at him now, sending him a tight-lipped smile and occupied herself with packing her textbooks up. She caught him rolling his eyes with a small curl on his own lips as he watched her. He had promised to help her study for her exams in attempt to convince her to come over after his two week long roadtrip with the team, and she was glad he didn’t know how she wouldn’t have hesitated to see him in the first place. He handed her a folder overflowing with neat notes and printed papers, and at the sight someone might wonder how she managed to have time to sacrifice for a movie. She’d always make time for him.

Two days later she found herself cheering for her best friend in the company of what felt like the entire population of Philadelphia. She watched him toss a puck to a little girl who wore a matching jersey to his, and her mind drifted to the countless times she wore his last name on her back and he sent a puck her way. She could still feel his mother’s hands clasped in her own in close games, as well as his arms lifting her when she showed him an acceptance letter from the University of Pennsylvania, allowing them to continue to be with each other in every step of the way. It was only convenient that his dream of the NHL and her dream school had led both of them to the same city.

He had insisted that she stay in the family and friends suite, not knowing that she  felt far from it. Most, if not all, of the girls in there were in some sort of romantic relationship with one of his teammates. Regardless, she agreed to go, but only so she could see him smile in return. 

“You’re Nolan’s girlfriend, right?” were the words directed to her when she had first watched from the suite during his debut season.

“Uh no,” she stammered, chuckling a bit to cover up the fact that her heart threatening to jump out from behind her black sweater. “Just his friend.”

At first she wondered if they then thought she was just a random girl he’d casually been seeing, or if the looks she received afterwards were made out of pity. However, that became a phrase she had grown used to repeating even as she eventually grew closer to the girls. The two never stopped defending their relationship with each other and denying anything more, as it slowly became second nature once someone began making assumptions. But who could blame them? Through the various Instagram posts posing as each other’s dates to weddings and blogs gossiping about this so-called mystery girl, both their group of friends from back home and Philly were waiting for the day the two became official. 

“So you’re telling me you guys never hooked up?”

She rolled her eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh and took a large swig of the bitter liquor she held in her hand, gagging as the cool liquid rushed down her throat.

“No, Travis.”

He responded with a strangled noise, eyes blown wide and nearly choked on his bottle of beer. 

“Not even a kiss?”

The two remained tucked against a wall of the house party, with TK originally sauntering over with a “You need to relax!” in attempts to coerce her to join him and dance, just after two guys before him did the same.  

She lazily lifted her gaze from her plastic cup to the crowd swaying to the bass shaking the floor beneath them, and could briefly feel his muscular chest pressed against her back and his hands lingering on the swell of her hips. It had been the first weekend of their senior year in high school, and their friends and friends of friends had been packed into the basement of one of their classmate’s homes. The two hadn’t really spoken since their sophomore year, growing apart into different friend groups as he became more popular with the cheerleaders and she went away to be a camp counselor for the summer, the two becoming worse at responding to messages as the weather got warmer. But they had been drinking far too much that night, and their tolerance levels were significantly lower than they were now. And she could fill her shirts out more, and his shoulders only seemed to broaden. Yet the way he had snaked his arms around her waist and bent down to murmur a compliment on her new bodysuit that she asked his opinion on before purchasing resembled the confidence only a grown man could have. And she was falling harder than she thought was possible.

The duo had walked home together that night, with her in his hoodie and him holding her from falling over. Knowing her parents like his own, he avoided taking her home in such a state, and instead opted to tread to his house as his parents were away for the weekend.

He had just unlocked the door before hearing her gasp amongst, heightening the buzz of chirping crickets in the otherwise silent night air. 

“A shooting star!” she cried, excitedly pointing and feet bouncing like a young child. He went to shush her in attempts to keep their neighbors from waking up, but she pouted before he had the chance to.

“You missed it.”

He shook his head and chuckled, shutting the door behind him and moving to wrap his arms around her. 

“Wanna go to our spot?” 

And she agreed, allowing him to help her onto his roof just like he did so many times before. They had started this tradition in middle school when Nolan first began getting noticed for his athletic abilities, and would stay up there until curfew passed and her mother called his asking where she was.

“You don’t need to worry about me, Nol. I would’ve been fine,” she assured him, snuggling further into his chest when he told her he wanted to make sure she got home safe. “You could’ve finally brought home a girl tonight.” 

His hand squeezed her side, and she could feel him turn to look at her but she kept her eyes on the stars blanketing them.

“But I only want to hang out with you.”

She wish that were the case now, because her best friend stook out like a sore thumb in the midst of the house party. He could be seen across the room chatting up a girl with much smoother hair and a brighter smile than she ever could possess. Their lips hung dangerously close to each other, and his gaze raked over the girl’s body in a way she had never recognized before. She couldn’t shake the image of Nolan’s so close to her’s that night on the roof, as there was no telling how the story would’ve concluded had he not ended up holding her hair back as she threw up all of the contents in her stomach. If only she drank enough so that she couldn’t recall that night.

Turning back to Travis who held a flicker in his eye, knowing she spotted her best friend turning himself into a pair with yet another girl who was not her, she let out a sigh and grabbed his hand that remained outstretched.

“Does the offer still stand?”

Let’s do something Wednesday.

The text had been simple, and served as the only form of communication exchanged between them since they’d separated at the party over the weekend. Tucking her notebook under her arm, she sped out of the lecture hall, fumbling to type out a message, quickly pulling up her calendar to make sure she didn’t schedule her group project meeting that night. Her shoulders tensed as she felt an impact, her eyes leaving her screen to find an unfamiliar broad chest.

“Oops,” she piped, bending her knees to pick up her notebook she managed to drop in the process, yet the stranger had already beat her to it. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was my fault.” 

A deep voice, just not quite as deep as Nolan’s, enveloped her eardrums, and she found herself swimming in silk as his lips continued to move. 

“Wouldn’t want you to lose that.”  

His hand grazed her own as he handed her notebook back, touch lingering for a bit too long to make her feel comfortable, causing her cheeks to flush out of instinct.

She thanked him and he smiled with teeth bright and nearly perfect, holding the door open and leaving her to respond to her best friend who’d cause her phone to buzz a second time.

I’ll pick you up for lunch?

Sounds good she replied, shaking the feeling the boy had left her with as her best friend’s image clouded over her mind. 

Just two days later, she walked into the same lecture hall, earphones in and a black flyers hat resting on her head. Dropping her bag onto the space next to her, she rubbed her eyes as she impatiently waited for the lecture to begin, not bothering to take out her notes to follow along. Her project meeting had lasted for two more hours longer than intended, and no one seemed to agree on anything. And listening to her professional rattle on at 8:00am the following morning had been the last thing she wanted to do.

She could feel a presence next to her followed by a light tap on her shoulder, forcing her to irritably remove an earphone before turning around. She was greeted with a familiar smile, undoubtedly handsome and this time small dimples appearing to frame full lips. And the same silky voice who held the door open for her days before and spoken again.

“Is anyone sitting here?” 

She shook her head no, hastily moving her stuff away and struggled to suppress a yawn in the process, earning a chuckle from the stranger. 

“Long night I take it?”

This time she smiled back, adjusting the hat on her head and chewed on the inside of her cheek. 

“Yeah, absolutely.”

The boy kept a steady conversation throughout the lecture, hushed and calculated, but definitely caught her blushing more than once throughout their exchange. He held the door open yet again, this time walking out of the building with her to continue talking to her about the boring topic of today’s class discussion. Her eyes left his, know squinting from laughing at a joke they had shared together, and recognized the Jeep pulling around the corner. Before she could excuse herself, he asked for her number, offering to send her the mediocre notes he managed to scribble down than she had been too tired to take. She was charmed and agreed, taking his phone from his hands.

Bidding her new friend goodbye, she climbed into the passenger seat, earning a brisk greeting from the player driving. 

“Who was that?” 

He was referring to the new face she was with just a minute ago.

“Someone from class.”

She heard him grumble something, acknowledging that he heard her, but went unknowing what else had been going through his mind. After knowing him for so long, she could usually decipher exactly what he was feeling. This time his expression went unreadable. But before she could ask him that or how his morning practice went, he reached his hand from across her seat to the radio, increasing the volume of the music and drowning out any questions that remained floating in her mind.

The boy had texted her multiple times for the remainder of that week, at first with questions about the homework that slowly evolved into lengthy conversations about each other’s lives outside of the class. She had soon learned he was heavily involved in his fraternity, and had aspirations of eventually attending law school. But it proved difficult to avoid the fact that the conversations had grown increasingly flirtatious, and she could feel her best friend’s stare on her as he watched her jump to respond to a message whenever she was with him.

It didn’t take long for the two to meet up outside of class. With midterms quickly approaching, they intended to study with each other, and that had been the excuse she used when telling her best friend she couldn’t make it to their plans.

“So sorry, Nol. I’ve just got so much work to do. I’ll see you at the game?” 

Maybe meeting the boy from her class was a sign that she needed to stop pining after her best friend, someone she was definitely not meant to be with. And she could not shake the image of Nolan flirting with the girl at the party and responding the infinite DMs he receives on Instagram from her mind. Besides, it wasn’t every day a cute boy paid attention to her. 

But he wasn’t stupid. And she knew this. She’d always make time for him before, and as a perfectionist herself, she rarely struggled to keep up with her work anyways. She could tell he would quickly catch onto her hesitation in bringing him up in discussion, and especially when small things that reminded her of him made her smile and she couldn’t help but share.

He never said anything to her until one day, with his phone illuminated with her face, she once again began to come up with an excuse not to see him.

“You’re always blowing me off,” he said it lightheartedly, but she could tell it hurt him. “Got me watching shitty movies with TK now.”

She nearly winced, but forced a smile anyways.

“I bet he’s great at cuddling.”

She could hear Nolan snort and could see him sit up straighter in the frame. 

“He misses you. You’re still coming tomorrow, right?”

A few curses left her mouth, completely forgetting that a few of the guys were getting together for a small get together. She’d already made plans with the boy from class, and began telling this to Nolan.

“But you don’t have any exams left.” 

She sighed, not really knowing what to say. 

“Yeah, but I still have classes.”

His frustration didn’t go unseen, and she could tell he was growing more irritable by the second. If it wasn’t clear that she’d been the one pushing them away from each other, this was the proof. And it rang loud for the both of them.

“Bring him too.”

“I-What?”

Shocks could be felt coursing throughout her body, nearly causing her to drop her phone as she walked to her next class.

“Yeah, I wanna meet him.”

After struggling to find a reason why she couldn’t do just that, she finally agreed, texting him to notify him of his extended invitation, which she prayed he’d turn down.

What she didn’t know, however, was that the boy was a hockey fan. A huge hockey fan. And when she told him about her friends after he inquired, he hadn’t stopped talking about them since. This time he was talking about their game last week.

“Did you see Konecny’s assist in the last quarter? Man’s a beauty.”

Of course she’d seen it. She’d been at the stadium when it happened, and the one before that as well. It felt nearly impossible not to laugh at how excited and boyish he’d been acting since hearing the news, if it even counted as news. And she hoped her friends wouldn’t scare him away too much, or vice versa.

But thankfully, they all welcomed him with stretched arms. All except for one.

She hadn’t understood what caused Nolan to be in such a sour mood, or if she had any control over the situation to begin with. The moment she had arrived with the guest of honor to his apartment, he hadn’t uttered anything other than a “hey” and a nod in their general direction. 

From the outside, he came across as a lone wolf. Quiet and analytical, his deep eyes judged a scene in front of him with wisdom beyond his years. However, she knew well enough to know this wasn’t one of those cases. He could be seen scowling at anything the boy had said, even if it caused the rest of his friends to laugh. And he didn’t even try to hide it. 

The group had been engrossed in a lively conversation about who knows what, because the two best friends could be seen dazing off into their own worlds, with one sizing another up and the other watching him do so. 

“She never told me she knew you guys,” the boy mentioned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she bit her tongue to keep her form rolling her eyes at his remark.

“I guess it didn’t came up,” she shrugged, leaning into his touch. 

“So are you guys fucking or what?”

The room came to a halt when a piercing, deep voice grumbled out something that no one expected to hear, all eyes setting in on the centerman with his arms crossed, eyes challenging his newest guest that had his mouth hung open.

“What the fuck, Nolan?”

Her voice sounded strangled and upset, and he brought his lethargic gaze to set in on her, and shrugged as if he hadn’t said anything out of line. 

“You’ve never brought guys around.”

This only made her skin boil more. He’d been the one who told her to invite him, and he’d been the one who insisted on meeting him. 

“You out of everyone would know that girls and boys can be just friends.”

Nolan scoffed, and the mood quickly changed. The rest who watched the little exchange moved to get ready to leave, claiming that it was getting late and promised their girlfriends they’d be back soon. She stood up as well, veins throbbing in anger and ready to slam the door behind her as she left. However, she felt her wrist get caught be a grip she’s grown fairly accustomed to over the years.

“Talk to him.”

She knew he was right, being best friends with the two of them, even if she so badly wanted to punch everyone’s teeth in at the moment. Travis then gave her a squeeze for encouragement and whispered good luck.

The boy already knew what was coming, but nonetheless nodded understandably as she came up with an excuse as to why she had to stay back a little longer.

“I’m gonna help clean up if that’s cool?”

He gave her a hug with a quick peck on the cheek, the biggest form of affection he’d shown to her since they’d met. But she didn’t have time to dwell on that right now.

She had found Nolan perched on balcony of his apartment, and he could hear her soft footsteps padding towards him. The only sound shared between them were the opening of another beer, and the noises the city’s nightlife left below. She moved to sit next to him, shivering in cool night. If the tension hadn’t been so thick, she would’ve lifted his arm and tucked herself underneath. But instead opted to pull her sweater’s sleeves over the knuckles, kneeing bouncing to put her mind at ease.

“If you wanted to feel loved, I was always here.”

Neither of them had expected that the man of few words to be the first to break the silence. It was so quiet, but she could hear him. She had been rehearsing a speech in her head, making a point to tell him off for ruining what could’ve been something good for her. That his remark was uncalled for and stupid, and insinuated everything that was false. And how he had no reason to be upset, because this was all his doing. But instead, his words left her speechless, and her mind was now drawing a blank.

“Y’know I love you,” he continued, and she in fact did know. The duo always made sure to express how much they cared for each other, but that only came about maybe around a birthday or a holiday of sorts. “And if you needed more love, I could’ve given that to you.”

Her heart swelled at his words, and she worried that it would pop in her chest. Her throat felt dry, but her eyes wet. And she struggled to choke out a response.

“It’s not that simple, Nolan.” She kept shaking her head, picking at her nails now that her nail polish washed away. “It’s a different kind of love, and we’re never going to be able to feel that with each other.”

“Why not?” His chair scraped against the concrete, and her turned his body to face her. “I know that’s it’s a different kind of love. I know what kind of love it is. I’m just saying that if you want it, I can give it to you.”

He brought his hand to cup her face, her pupils wide with fear and vulnerability and he turned her to look directly at him. 

“Why won’t you just let me love you?”

And she couldn’t tell her who went for it first, except all she knew was that they were left feverishly kissing under a blanket of stars that shone slightly brighter this time, basking in each other’s warmth and content with calling each other home.

#nolan patrick #nolan patrick imagine #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #philadelphia flyers #tk konecny #travis konecny #nhl writing #nhl

[writing-realityawayfromreality]

Find Me

So I wrote this for two reasons. It is roughly based off what I hope will happen at an ECHL game when I go this coming weekend, and two i picked Nolan because I am still stuck on part 7 of Please dont Leave, and if I would had written about the ECHL player chances are no one would know who he is. Anyways, enjoy. 

You and your friend decided to go to a last minute hockey game, you scored some pretty good sits for really cheap considering how late in the season it was and how well the team has been doing lately. It also helped that you had connections with people in the ticket office. 

You usually went to games with your parents but tonight you decided to venture out on your own, plus your parents were busy and you didn’t want to sit home on a friday night. Your friend was always down for whatever whenever when it came to hockey. You did some loose beach waves and some light makeup before throwing on your Patrick jersey. You love the whole team but you had gotten nolan’s jersey for your birthday since you were turning 19 and your friends thought it would be cute to get you one every year same number on the back as your age. Well that was until next year when there is no player 20. 

You and your friend decided to eat at the arena. It was so much or crowded than it had been before but you took into account that it was the playoff push. You grabbed some chickie and pete fries and headed to your seats. You had perfect timing since the guys were only coming out for warmups. “Gets go to the glass and see if we can get a picture with one of them.” your friend suggested. You’ve always seen pictures of fans getting pucks and pictures with the guys so you gave it a chance. Heading down to the glass you saw Nolan. Your friend knocked on the glass gaining his attention, he turned around and gave a smile as well as wave his glove, your friend pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture of the three of you. 

You turned around to mouth a thank you to Nolan, you saw him staring straight at you. you gave a quick smile. you were about to walk away when he took his glove off and held up a finger signaling you to wait. He leaned down and picked up a puck. He flipped it over the glass for you. Once again you smiled. you both kind of just stood there until Travis came over and skated right into Nolan, causing you to laugh while nolan shoved back at Travis. You waved goodbye and then headed back to your friend. You were about three rows from the ice and just about center line a little more so behind the players bench but  you had a pretty good view of both teams. 

You and your friend continued to talk throughout the warmup, you watched the guys do their routine of passing shooting and one on one drills. Your eyes landed on Nolan a few times to see that he was already looking at you.  You thought it was a little strange but you still gave him a smile. “Someone likes you.” Your friend bumped your shoulder laughing. “bruh, he’s a hockey player he sees tons of girls that he likes a night, doesn’t mean anything.” you said shoving your friends shoulder and laughing with her. The buzzer went off signaling the end of warmups, some of the guys stayed on the ice for a little longer wanting for the other team to leave. Nolan was last off the ice, he shot you a quick wave before heading down the tunnel.

It wasn’t that long until the game started. You decided to post the picture of your friend, Nolan, and you and then another picture of the puck that Nolan had tossed you. You captioned it A night to remember. Thank God for hockey boys. You were debating on tagging the flyers and or Nolan, you were too focused on that to notice that the opening video started playing for the Flyers meaning that they were about to come out of the tunnel. You quickly put your phone away and started cheering with the rest of the crowd. 

You patiently waited for them to announce the starting line up, secretly hoping that Nolan was starting. Sure enough it was Hart in net, Ghost and Provy as defense, and then Nolan, Travis and Coots, as offense. They were playing the islanders for the fourth and last time of the season, last game they won 4 to 1. You were a little worried because last game Jake got suspended two games for the hit to boychuck and he said that he was going to get him back, so you knew it was going to be a brutal game. 

Right off the face off Nolan had the puck and skated down the ice. you started to cheer him. hoping that he would make it. He passed it to travis who slapped the puck right past the goal tender making it 1-0 with just minutes into the game. The boys did their little line of high fives and then headed back out for another face off. This time the islander won and headed towards Carter, playing a little keep away from the guys you could tell they were tired and irritated, they needed a change. Provy got the puck and sent it down the ice, luckily Coots had touched it making sure it wasn’t icing. The boys quickly skated over to the bench for the line change. You looked down to see Nolan looking back at you with a smile then waved before turning around to focus on the game. 

The rest of the first period went pretty smoothly. There were a few rough hits but nothing too major. the islanders didn’t want to do anything to cause an unwanted penalty since they were down. The second period started off just how the first period ended. The islanders dominated majority of the game after the flyers opening goal. the one player took a shot to which carter out of a rebound causing another player to come charging at the net, crashing straight into Carter, his helmet few off. The flyers didn’t take too kindly to that considering Travis one player in a head lock while Nolan was squaring up with the guy who hurt Carter. It was almost a full line brawl. Travis started to throw some punches at his guy while Nolan already threw punches and had his guy on the ice. 

Carter was standing up talking to the trainer, he seemed to be fine, he was a little more concerned about getting his helmet fixed. They gave the islanders two five minutes for fighting and gave the same to the flyers. The crowd was upset thinking that there should had been more considering the player never let up before contact with Carter which sent him flying into the net and his helmet to come off. There both Nolan and travis sat in the box, they were still chirping at the other players. The game continued, it was pretty much back and forth until the last seconds of the penalties, the one defense men on the flyer shot the puck up the ice, Travis was the first to leave the box followed by Nolan they were both considered in play. Travis got the puck and continued to skate down the ice followed by Nolan. travis pulled the goalie to one side while he passed to Nolan for basically an empty netter. 

You literally jumped out of your seat. Nolan had an assist, a fight and a goal which was a gordie howe hat trick and it was only midway through the second period. you didn’t notice the camera man standing in front of the section that you were in taking pictures of the crowd, you only noticed when a flash went off signaling that he took a picture. The Islanders called a time out to try and slow down the flyers momentum. While the crowd waited for puck to be dropped again music came on to fill the time. It was your favorite song, pulling your friend to her feet you both started dancing, until the jumbo tron showed you and your friend. Some of the guys were looking up and watching you and your friend having a great time. 

The flyers ended the second period 4 to zero two goals thanks to nolan, travis (twice) and Hartman , you were hoping that tonight would be the night that carter finally got his shut out that he’s deserved since day one. The second intermission went pretty quick and before you knew it the guys were back on the ice. There were a few more fights that broke out, and in all honesty you couldn’t blame the players, the flyers weren’t letting up and the islanders were playing pretty rough, but you didn’t want the game to end. You usually got sad at the second intermission knowing that there was only another 20 minutes to play. The islanders pulled their goalie pretty early, basically with 5 minutes to go. JVR skated down the ice shooting the puck on net to which it went in. The crowd started cheering louder than ever before, you were glad JVR was playing some good hockey with the team, after all he was your first flyers player. The Islanders put their goalie back in only to pull him once the face off happened. 

Nolan skated down the ice towards the empty net, instead of taking the empty netter for himself he passed the puck to travis who happily put it in the back of the net, needless to say the game ended 6-0. Carter had finally gotten himself the shut out that he deserved. The guys stood in the middle of the ice acknowledging the crowd that was watching. You caught Nolan staring at you again, you were too caught up in him to notice that most of the fans were leaving, your friend nudged your arm. “You ready to go?” she asked. “Yeah, sure.” you said looking back on the nice to see the guys leaving and heading down the tunnel. “that was a really good game. You and Nolan seem to have something going on.” she said laughing. “Oh shut it. He’s a hockey player, he’s just being nice.” you said. 

You knew you were lying to yourself, you didn’t understand why he paid so much attention to you. As soon as you got back home you went to sleep right away. Not that your mind wanted to let you, you kept thinking about Nolan. Rubbing your eyes you looked at your phone, it was already 10 o’clock, shit,  you were late for class. You literally jumped out of your bed and got dressed. heading into the bathroom you sprayed some dry shampoo and brushed your teeth. Grabbing your keys and your book bag you headed out the door and to your class. You had just gotten into class when your phone started to blow up with notifications. Looking down you saw that it was your best friend.  “CHECK INSTA!!!!!” She texted. she sent another text but this time it was a picture “IT’S YOU!!!!” confused you looked at the picture, it was a screen shot of the flyers latest post it was indeed you. You remembered that the photographer had taken your picture right after  Nolan had score. you were so excited that he scored you jumped out of your chair. You texted your friend back. “Okay, so?” you asked not knowing what the big deal was. “SO?!?!?! Have you been on twitter?” She texted you back. “No.” She had sent you another picture, it was a screen shot but this time it was from twitter. “Nolan is looking for you.” the text read. you clicked on the picture. It was a tweet from Nolan with the picture of you from the game last night that they posted on instagram. “Can someone help me to find out who this girl is?” read Nolan’s tweet. 

“Why is he looking for me out of all people?” you asked your friend. “I don’t know, maybe it’s because y’all connected last night!!!!” your friend said. You decided to go onto twitter yourself to see if this tweet was real. Looking up Nolan’s twitter you was the post. then you saw there was a feed. The one person had commented that they thought that you went to Temple and was in her class, to which nolan replied asking for her help to find you. You weren’t sure how your felt. You could just message him asking what he wanted but what fun would that be, you decided that if he really wanted to know who you were he was going to have to  work for it. 

You tweeted  to your page hoping that Nolan would be smart enough to figure out what it means. The girl who replied to the tweet originally was actually in your class and your followed each other on twitter, you posted two simple words, Find Me .....

#nolan patrick imagine #nolan patrick #Thoughts #dreams

[junker-town]

2017 NHL mock draft: The trade deadline shakes things up in our 2nd simulation

New needs and no consensus make this draft interesting.

It’s nice to have a NHL entry draft with no clear “best prospect.”

The 2017 NHL draft doesn’t have a Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, or Aaron Ekblad. It doesn’t even have a consensus best 30 players. The top of the draft is as arguable as the late first-round picks following it.

So no wonder our second mock NHL draft looks different from the first. This time, we didn’t use lottery simulators. We just went down the list, but kept the trade deadline movements in mind. Needs have changed!

1. Colorado Avalanche - Timothy Liljegren, D, Rogle (Sweden)

I’m starting to come around to Mile High Hockey’s argument that the Avalanche can’t afford to pass up the best defenseman in the draft. The consensus Best Three™ in the 2017 draft are Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier, and Liljegren. Two centers and a defenseman. When Tyson Jost joins Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado next season, they’ll be set down the middle for years.

Might as well stock the defense with a prime puck-mover like Liljegren.

2. Arizona Coyotes - Nolan Patrick, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Photo by Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images

Coyotes fans would hate being left with Patrick or Hischier. Not that they’re not good, but the Coyotes need young defensemen as much as the Avalanche.

In this scenario, though, I tend to think GM John Chayka takes Nolan Patrick. Arizona is blessed with forward talent, but few of them have the skill and size Patrick brings.

3. Vegas Golden Knights - Nico Hischier, C, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Best player available. Hischier is skilled, flashy and as good at setting up teammates as he is putting the biscuit in the basket. Vegas would be thrilled to take him.

4. New Jersey Devils - Casey Mittelstadt, C, Eden Prairie High School (Minnesota)

It sure seems like the Devils might stick with Pavel Zacha on the wing. In that case, expect them to go for a center here if Liljegren isn’t available (he won’t be).

Scouts rave about Mittelstadt’s compete level all over the ice, something that the Devils will no doubt covet. He’s also supremely gifted offensively, making him a talent the Devils can’t pass up. He’ll play for the University of Minnesota next season.

5. Vancouver Canucks - Gabriel Vilardi, C, Windsor (OHL)

Vilardi has all the tools to become a No. 1 center someday: size (6’3), skill (scouts love his effortlessness while making plays), and finishing ability (about to eclipse 30 goals with Windsor this year). By drafting Olli Juolevi and trading for Jonathan Dahlen, the Canucks have added high-end talent on the wings and blue line in the last year.

Taking Vilardi fifth overall would help round out their system.

6. Dallas Stars - Eeli Tolvanen, LW/RW, Sioux City (USHL)

If there’s one thing the Stars are guilty of in recent drafts, it’s not taking forwards with high-end skills. Size and hockey I.Q. are great, but you also need players with game-breaking abilities.

Tolvanen fits that mold. A pure scorer, the USHL star can score at will in so many ways: off the rush with his heavy shot, off a deke, with a slap-shot ... you name it. He’ll play with Boston College next season and could reach the NHL sooner than a lot of the players in this draft.

7. Detroit Red Wings - Cale Makar, D, Brooks (AJHL)

We still like the idea of Makar joining the Red Wings. The crafty right-handed defenseman is rising quickly up draft boards after a 24-goal, 75-point season with the Bandits. Detroit can start their rebuild with the draft’s best power play quarterback.

Makar will head to UMass-Amherst next season.

8. Buffalo Sabres - Owen Tippett, RW, Mississauga (OHL)

With Liljegren and Makar off the board and no defensemen worth reaching for at this spot, Buffalo is left in “best player available” mode.

That’s Tippett, the best scoring winger in the draft not named Eeli Tolvanen. A pure sniper, Tippett is fifth in the OHL with 44 goals this year. With Sam Reinhart, Alexander Nylander, Cliff Pu, and Tippett in the system, the Sabres’ wings will be the envy of the Eastern Conference.

9. Winnipeg Jets - Nick Suzuki, C, Owen Sound (OHL)

Photo by Dennis Pajot/Getty Images

Suzuki is a rare gem: an uber-talented penalty killer who can score in bunches. His defensive prowess was well-known before this season, but he erupted into one of the OHL’s best scoring threats with 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games. Winnipeg’s leaky penalty kill would love to have Suzuki join them.

10. Florida Panthers - Klim Kostin, W, Balashikha (KHL)

Two things are going against Kostin right now. First, a shoulder injury ended his season early. Second, he reminds people of Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin: a big, Russian winger with obvious skill but a tendency to pass instead of shoot. And since Nichushkin bolted for Russia last offseason, you’d imagine that might affect his draft status.

But Florida might go against the grain here and take him anyway. With Jaromir Jagr and Jussi Jokinen on the decline, the Panthers could use a bullishly skilled winger in their prospect pool, even if Kostin stays in the KHL to develop for a few years.

11. Philadelphia Flyers - Cody Glass, C/RW, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Another late-bloomer like Makar who rocketed up draft rankings this year. Glass is a talented, all-around forward: capable of dishing the puck, finishing plays and responsible up and down the ice. Philadelphia could use him in a number of ways.

12. Carolina Hurricanes - Elias Pettersson, C, Timra IK (Sweden)

At this point of the draft, it’s hard to nail down which player teams would covet more. But Carolina’s so stacked defensively that we know they’ll aim for a forward in the first round.

Pettersson might be the pick. He’s a pure playmaker, with arguably the best vision in the draft. You could see him becoming a true power play threat for the Hurricanes down the road, making him worth a pick here even though he’ll have a longer development than most.

13. Los Angeles Kings - Michael Rasmussen, C, Tri-City (WHL)

Size and skill are a rare combo for centers these days, but Rasmussen fits that mold. His 6’5 frame makes him seem Kings-worthy already, and his poise around the net makes him a valuable offensive presence on the power play.

14. Tampa Bay Lightning - Juuso Valimaki, D, Tri-City (WHL)

Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images

Valimaki is a well-rounded two-way defenseman with leadership qualities already apparent at such a young age. Valimaki’s 55 points lead all teenage WHL defensemen this year, indicating he could make a rapid ascent to the NHL.

15. New York Islanders - Callan Foote, D, Kelowna (WHL)

The Isles drafted five forwards in the first round over the last three drafts. All of them (Josh Ho-Sang, Anthony Beauvillier, Mathew Barzal, Michael Dal Colle, and Kieffer Bellows) are already close to NHL-ready.

So New York should spring for a defenseman this year. Foote, son of Adam Foote, will round out their defensive core nicely. At 6’3, Foote is imposing in his own end with a safe, but smart, game.

16. Toronto Maple Leafs - Nicolas Hague, D, Mississauga (OHL)

And so the run on defensemen begins!

With Nikita Zaitsev and Morgan Rielly in the fold, the Maple Leafs aren’t short of puck-movers on the blue line. They are missing a big body, though. Hague is huge, but mobile: a 6’6 defenseman who captains Mississauga’s power play and isn’t afraid to mix things up in his own end. He could be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Or he could be a master of everything. Toronto will gladly take that risk.

17. St. Louis Blues - Ryan Poehling, C/LW, St. Cloud State (NCAA)

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

With a year of college hockey under his belt, Poehling could reach the NHL quicker than most of his draft peers. That makes him appealing to a lot of teams, particularly contenders.

So will his two-way ability. Poehling is blessed with the skills of a top center and the smarts of a third-line, shut-down winger. Sounds like a Blue, doesn’t he?

18. Nashville Predators - Martin Necas, C, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic)

David Poile will do cartwheels if Necas falls this far.

The only knock on the 5’11 center is that he holds onto the puck too long. But that pass-first mentality is born out of strong vision and speed to burn. The Predators lack a true, high-skill center behind Ryan Johansen. Necas can slot into that role.

19. Boston Bruins - Lias Andersson, C, HV71 (Sweden)

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Andersson’s draft stock fell after a quiet World Juniors. The 5’11 center drew attention with a 24-goal season as a 16-year old, but his offensive upside is now in question after a nine-goal season in the Swedish pro league.

His competitiveness isn’t, though. Players with energy, work ethic, and hockey I.Q. are valuable, and the Bruins would make a good fit while Andersson develops his game. And if he re-finds that scoring touch, all the better.

20. Edmonton Oilers - Miro Heiskanen, D, Helsinki HIFK (Finland)

The only knock on Heiskanen? He’s small. That didn’t stop Torey Krug from thriving. It didn’t stop the Stars from drafting Julius Honka. It won’t stop teams from drafting Makar. And it won’t keep the Oilers from jumping at Heiskanen if he falls this far.

Heiskanen disappointed at the World Juniors, but what Finland player didn’t? The Finnish defenseman makes up for his size with an active stick in his own end and can make plays offensively.

21. Calgary Flames - Kristian Vesalainen, LW, Frolunda (SHL)

Calgary should be pleased if Vesalainen is available here. It’s hard to figure why he’s falling in scouts’ eyes. He was such an important player in Finland’s gold medal run in the 2016 World Juniors. Vesalainen has struggled immensely this season, bouncing around Finnish junior and pro hockey with just six goals.

But the talent (skill and a good shot) is there.

22. Anaheim Ducks - Kailer Yamamoto, RW, Spokane (WHL)

The Ducks play a heavy style of hockey, so maybe this is just wishful thinking on our part. Yamamoto is 5’7 but oozes skill. Teams passed on Johnny Gaudreau and Alex DeBrincat because of their size. They all regret it. Anaheim would do well to take Yamamoto here.

23. Ottawa Senators - Maxime Comtois, LW, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

Comtois isn’t the most skilled winger in the draft. He doesn’t have the best shot. But he does have elite speed and a high-energy style that puts opponents back on their heels. He could end up as a top-line winger. He could end up as a bottom-six penalty killer. Whatever role he slides into, Comtois will play it well and make a noticeable impression.

24. Montreal Canadiens - Nikita Popugaev, W, Prince George (WHL)

Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images

Just look at the kinds of players Montreal targeted at the trade deadline. Big. Strong. Hard to play against.

Popugaev, a 6’5 winger, is all of those things with skill mixed in. He’s struggled since a trade to the Cougars, a more well-rounded team that spreads the offensive love around.

25. New York Rangers - Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

Joseph is garnering first-round consideration because he’s developed confidence with the puck all over the ice. Once he trusted himself to become more involved offensively, his skill and smarts have impressed scouts. The defense-starved Rangers could take a flier on him here.

26. San Jose Sharks - Conor Timmins, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Another defenseman playing his way into first-round status. Timmins boasts one of the hardest shots in the draft and leads the OHL in even-strength points. San Jose’s younger forwards are coming along nicely this season, so the Sharks could shore up their blue line with a prospect like Timmins.

27. Arizona Coyotes (from Wild) - Urho Vaakanainen, D, JYP (Finland)

Vaakanainen has the tools to become a strong puck-moving defenseman. Right now, he feels like a “safe” player destined to at least become a quality top-six talent. Arizona might bet on the former.

28. Chicago Blackhawks - Shane Bowers, C, Waterloo (USHL)

Bowers seems like a Jonathan Toews clone: great two-way play with a great shot and great hockey senses. The only question is how high his ceiling is. That question didn’t exist with Toews, and it doesn’t exist with the other centers taken ahead of Bowers.

29. Columbus Blue Jackets - Lukas Elvenes, RW, Rogle (Sweden)

A smart, crafty winger, but one-dimensional right now. Columbus’ Stanley Cup window is just opening, so they have time to let a player like Elvenes work on developing his all-around game. The tools are there, though.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins - Matthew Strome, LW, Hamilton (OHL)

Here’s a risk: a player with the Strome family pedigree and a physical brand of play, but poor foot-speed keeping his ceiling low.

31. St. Louis Blues (from Capitals) - Kole Lind, RW, Kelowna (WHL)

If St. Louis goes all-around with their first pick, they can afford to go all-skill with Lind at 31. Lind might be one of the better goal-scorers in the first round as far as instinct goes. It’s just a matter of whether he can get stronger.

[thrashermaxey]

21 Fantasy Hockey Rambles

Every Sunday, we'll share 21 Fantasy Rambles — formerly titled 20 Fantasy Thoughts — from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week's ‘Daily Ramblings’.

Writers: Michael Clifford, Ian Gooding, Cam Robinson, and Dobber

  1. Can we mention how good the Coyotes have been this year? Sure, they’re not currently in a playoff spot, but they’re also just two points out of a wild card position.

They’ve done this with significant (and in some cases, season-ending) injuries to the likes of Alex Galchenyuk, Antti Raanta, Jason Demers, Jakob Chychrun, Christian Dvorak, Michael Grabner, more recently Nick Schmaltz, and now (possibly) Oliver Ekman-Larsson. We’ll know more on the latter’s knee injury early this week.

That’s their top-line center, third-line center, a top-six winger, a top-nine winger and penalty killer, two top-four defensemen, and their starting goalie. Each of those names (save for OEL) has missed at least 10 games, and some will miss much, much more than that. And yet, they’re two points outside of a playoff spot.

General manager John Chayka has put together a very solid roster. They absolutely need more top-end talent up front, but this is a team to watch in 2019-20. (jan24)

  2. With Ekman-Larsson out of the lineup last Wednesday, Alex Goligoski played just under 25 minutes. It was his third-highest mark of the season and his highest in a month. He also skated on what would be called their top PP unit with Galchenyuk and Clayton Keller. Something to keep in mind. Check your waiver wires if you need some depth on defense. If the OEL injury is serious, Goligoski stands to be the immediate beneficiary (as morbid as that is, let’s hope OEL is ok). (jan24)

  3. Tomas Hertl. The 25-year-old is having a career-season. He’s already matched his career-high in goals (22) set last season and is just one shy of his career-high in points (45). He’s vying for the award for best value in fantasy drafts at this point. (jan23)

  4. Habs’ Jeff Petry has 34 total points, 12th among all defensemen, one more than Victor Hedman. Among all defensemen with at least 500 minutes at five-on-five this year, he’s 15th in points/60 minutes. The two defensemen directly above him in that category are Roman Josi and Tyson Barrie. At all strengths, he’s 17th, just behind Matt Dumba. He’s also in the top-20 for defenseman shot share at five-on-five. He’s averaging over 2.5 hits and over 2.25 shots per game. Why wouldn’t he be a fantasy all-star? (jan23)

  5. The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) released their midseason awards this past week. If I’m not mistaken, this is the second year in a row they’ve done so. It’s just the normal awards we’re used to seeing at the end of the year, only with about a 50-game sample. It basically gives us something to talk about during the break.

That said, centers are favored over wingers but it’s hard to see Mark Stone not winning the Selke Trophy if he continues his current play. With Stone on the ice, the Sens allow nearly 12 fewer shot attempts compared to what they normally allow, which leads the league in this regard.

Driving offense? Stone is second league-wide. It’s no surprise, then, that he’s running away in relative shot share league-wide. I know it seems like playing favorites for an exceptional player on a bad team, but he’s almost always like this. He deserves, at the least, very strong consideration to win, with all due respect to both Patrice Bergeron and Aleksander Barkov. (jan25)

  6. Hopefully you didn’t draft Anze Kopitar thinking he would match last season’s career high of 92 points. He won’t even come close to that this season, as he is currently on pace for 57 points. That’s really a down season when you consider how many more players are scoring at or near a point-per-game pace this season. His current scoring pace of 0.69 PTS/GP is at the same pace as his total from two seasons ago, when he scored 56 points.

But there is hope for Kopitar. So far in January, he has collected five goals and eight points in 10 games. Considering that he has yet to score a power-play goal (with nine power-play assists), one would think that he should be due. The way that Kopitar drives the play for the Kings, you’d have to believe that he can score at a higher pace than this.

Kopitar collected 41 points in 33 games after last season’s All-Star Game. Only five players had more points after that point.  He’s also historically been a slow starter but strong finisher. Between the All-Star Game and the end of the regular season, Kopitar has finished within the top 50 in points in each of the previous three seasons. (jan27)

  7. After scoring a career-high 69 points last season, Rickard Rakell was sidetracked for a month by an ankle injury. But even if you remove the injury, Rakell’s scoring rate is way down, as he has just eight goals all season and is only on pace for 52 points.

There’s reason to be positive this season if you’re a Rakell owner, though. Last year, he had a better post-All-Star-Game pace (1.03 PTS/GP) than his pre-All-Star-Game pace (0.8 PTS/GP). And as for the eight goals, you could argue that he hasn’t has puck luck just as he hasn’t had injury luck. Rakell’s 7.6 SH% is well below his career average of 14.6%, which could result in his goal total nearly doubling over the second half.

Rakell might end up lining up with Ryan Getzlaf and whoever, and he’s not going to have a ton of scoring options around him during the second half in Anaheim. But for the reasons listed above, he seems worth a gamble for a stronger second half. (jan27)

  8. It’s difficult to express how much losing Ondrej Kase (torn labrum) for the season hurts the Ducks.

While Rakell is still waiting for his shooting luck to turn, Jakob Silfverberg is plodding towards his usual 20 goals (though we’ll see if injuries catch up), and they’re still waiting for Corey Perry to return (though that may be soon). This team has had to endure significant injuries for basically the last two seasons, but this is one that will be difficult to overcome given their difficulty to score as it was.

Kase in under-appreciated by the league but I’m sure he’s not by his teammates. They’re going to need a Herculean effort from John Gibson and a big turnaround from Rakell over the final couple months to get to the postseason. Recovery time could be as much as six months, which is significant, but it would also give Kase a couple months (hopefully) to train before having to head to Ducks camp. (jan25)

  9. Just before the ASG Break, the Leafs re-configured their PP units to put Auston Matthews back with their big guns. Now, please just put William Nylander on that PP unit, as well. (jan24)

  10. Both Tyler Bozak and Zach Sanford were activated from the Blues’ injured reserve and played last Wednesday night. The result was Jordan Kyrou (and Jordan Nolan) being sent to the AHL. It doesn’t appear that this will be the year for Kyrou to break out, but he’s definitely a player to remember for next season. (jan24)

For players who could potentially finish the season on a high note, don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Midseason Guide. There are also a lot of prospects and potential call-ups covered, so even those without a league title in their sights will find information quite useful for keeper/dynasty teams, or even looking ahead to next season.

11. Dylan Strome has been given new life in the Windy City. He has 15 points in his last 13 games and has reignited the chemistry with junior linemate, Alex DeBrincat on the Hawks’ second line. He’s also loving life on the top power-play unit. (jan23)

  12. Vladimir Tarasenko now has six goals and 10 points in his last 11 games. This is another player who had a slow start to the year, especially by his standards, but that has really started to look like himself since Christmas. Now, if only Jaden Schwartz could get of the schneid (he’s shooting 3 percent on the season). (jan24)

  13. In the four games since being acquired by the Hurricanes, Nino Niederreiter has four goals, 17 shots, and is playing nearly 17 minutes a game. That TOI mark would be a career high for him (by a lot) and he’s getting lots of power play time as well. This is a trade that’s going to work out very, very well for the Canes. (jan23)

  14. Justin Faulk is a favorite punching bag for some, and that’s fair given his calamitous fall in fantasy over the last couple seasons, namely in the goals department. All the same, his hit and shot totals are very stout (he’s on pace for his most hits in four years) and a 30-point season with his level of peripherals (he’ll fly past 200 shots as well) has a lot of value. Imagine if his shooting percentage ever reverts to what it was a couple years ago? (jan23)

  15. Sens forward Colin White said he should be back in the Ottawa lineup after the All-Star Game. He had been playing very well on a line with Brady Tkachuk and Mark Stone. I’d like to see him get another chance there. (jan22)

  16. Teams that lost out in the Milan Lucic derby have to be thanking their lucky stars that they were unsuccessful in signing him, provided that they didn’t sign their own white elephant contracts that summer (Loui Eriksson, Troy Brouwer, David Backes, and Andrew Ladd all come to mind first). This is where auction drafts can be tricky, because you’ll end up paying too much for at least one player and end up trying to stretch your dollar on the rest.

It’s important that with any player, you set a maximum price that you’re willing to spend. Don’t exceed that price. If someone else is willing to go higher, let them pay that price. They’ll have to patch up the resulting holes in their roster afterward. In a salary cap world, value wins the day. (jan26)

  17. It looks like Oscar Klefbom will return for the Oilers now that the All-Star Break has passed. This is huge for the Oilers if they truly want to make a run for the playoffs, as he’s easily their best defenseman and the team has looked near-dead since his injury. Good news, fantasy owners! (jan22)

  18. Speaking of the Oilers, who put both Ty Rattie and Ryan Spooner on waivers. I’ll admit, I got sucked into Rattie’s performance alongside Connor McDavid at the end of last year and in the preseason. I didn’t end up drafting him anywhere, but I have used him a lot in DFS. It, uh, hasn’t gone well. Maybe these guys can catch on elsewhere.

Thus concludes the Jordan Eberle trade tree. Outcome: not great!

  19. One last bit on the Oilers: they signed goaltender Mikko Koskinen for three more years with an AAV of $4.5-million. That seems like a pretty big gamble on a 30-year old goalie (31 next season) with 31 career NHL games. Not to mention the team needs to completely overhaul their winger depth from top to bottom, needs another top-4 defenseman, and already has $73-million committed to next season. This should be a team looking to spend as little as possible in goal to try and upgrade elsewhere and this … this is not it. (jan22)

  20. There was a stretch just before the ASG Break where Mat Barzal saw his ice time get reduced for six consecutive games, with a nearly-season-low 15:30 just last Sunday (his season-low is 14:53). Perhaps Barry Trotz is winding him down for the season-ending run. I would keep my expectations low for him when it comes to Tuesday’s game. (jan21)

  21. Collin Delia’s save percentage after 10 games is still a nice 0.923 and he’s running a 60 percent Quality Start number. Corey Crawford is back skating, but not yet with the team, and seems to be intending to return to the team this season. He could be one to two weeks away. (jan21)

  Have a good week, folks!!

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/21-fantasy-hockey-rambles/21-fantasy-hockey-rambles-2/

[1inawesomewonder]

Some people, like professional commentators for instance, might say that tonight’s game against Nashua South Pelham was somewhat of a trap game. It would be sort of like the Grizzlies who finished Saturday’s game on a tidal wave of emotional momentum against a rival in Dover, playing a Division I team who is only 1-3 and not regarded as a real threat in the standings. Thus the potential let down, or “trap” game.

The Grizzlies were fired up to play the South Pelham Kings. (Photo by Charron)

Thankfully for the Grizzlies and their faithful they were able to shrug off any such potential let down by working hard, skating three lines, and playing as a team for all 45 minutes. Hopefully somewhere in there they had taken note that this team from Nashua South Pelham (NSP) was no pushover, regardless of their won-loss record. The Kings, as they are known, had only allowed 10 goals over their previous three games coming into tonight’s contest.

Sebastian Beal and the Grizzlies had a hard time getting a puck past Matthew Diprizio on defense and Nate Serrentino in net. (Photo by L. McCuaig)

That might not sound great but when you’re into January with only one win on the season, large deficits are usually present, but this team was downright stingy. If the Grizzlies needed anymore motivation to take this NSP team seriously they only need look back to last year when they lost to this team 6-5 down at Conway Arena.

  During the first period there were few whistles and play moved up and down the ice with little flow for either side really. Both teams were getting pucks deep, and defending their zones pretty well. Goffstown had the edge in offensive play which showed up in the shots on goal column by the end of the first period, with the Grizzlies holding an 8-3 advantage. Goffstown was the first team to light the lamp when Griffin Cook broke in behind the NSP defense to score at 9:42 of the period after a nice pass from Brett Lassonde. NSP would answer at 13:27 of the period, on their second shot of the game after a Goffstown turnover. John Pinksten made the pass that allowed Riley Nutter to get in close and score for the Kings. After one period, the score was 1-1, and it was clear that this visiting team was not likely to go away.

Nothing was easy in this one. Michael Fortin works through some tough defense that might be a 10-yard penalty on Sunday afternoons. (Photo by Charron)

As the game wore on, NSP did their best to be strong on the puck, poking countless pucks away from Grizzlies while attempting to handle the puck. They filled shooting lanes and blocked shot after shot while defending their zone. The Kings took the body any chance they could, but they were working much harder to defend their end than Goffstown was, purely out of necessity. The second period featured no scoring, one penalty (NSP’s Nolan Harvey – Interference), and a 10-4 shot advantage for Goffstown. There was really nothing to report on the score sheet other than the solo penalty. That said, there is always something happening that is in the depths of defining each and every game. While the Grizzlies could have been getting frustrated with how much time they were in the offensive end with nothing to show for it, they were turning over three lines, shift after shift after shift. Trust me, this usually adds up over the course of a game, similar to a football team that extends long drives up and down the football field, forcing the opposition’s defense to rack up long periods of hard, stressed play in defensive mode. Not only that, but it seemed that neither team was getting any “luck” with the way the puck was bouncing.

Ryan Desimone puts a breakaway attempt off of the crossbar in the second period while Brett Lassonde and Maddie Sage defend. (Photo by Charron)

At 10:23 of the second period, the Kings thought for certain they had scored a goal when Ryan Desimone, who had started to set up at offensive blue line any time it looked NSP might control the puck and breakout from their own end in an attempt to get behind the Grizzlies D, broke in on a breakaway with nobody but Maddie Sage between him and the net. Desimone got a nifty shot away that beat Sage and hit the crossbar. Three players from NSP raised their arms and briefly celebrated while the closest official was waving his arms in calling no goal. There was no whistle, rightly so, and play continued. The Grizzlies took the puck the other way pinning several Kings’ players out of position. Noah Charron ended up with the puck and a great scoring chance but Nate Serrentino made a great save, with no rebound to restore order for the moment.

Nate Serrentino made his presence felt all night long, as he was brilliant in net for the Kings. At 13:55 of the second period he made a pair of tremendous saves at point blank range against Noah Charron. Not to be outdone, Madeline Sage made a huge save for the Grizzlies when Jacob Smith raced in for NSP after another Goffstown turnover on a breakaway that looked more like a penalty shot at 14:40.

Feeling a bit under the weather didn’t stop Noah Charron from having his fourth consecutive 3-point game. (Photo by Charron)

After two periods the score remained tied at 1-1, and the Grizzlies held the shot advantage at 18-7 despite all the shots that were blocked by defenders from Nashua South Pelham.

In the third period, the wear and tear of all the hard work to play defense over the first 30 minutes started to show it’s effect on the Kings. Although they weren’t going to give up without a fight. Goffstown absolutely took the play to the visitors in the third period. Finally the Grizzlies broke through at a time when a goal would be least expected, while shorthanded. Colin Burke had been whistled for high sticking after being wrapped up with a NSP defender who was so “hands on” it looked like the two of them were stuck trying to break out of a fully zipped sleeping bag. Anyways, the Goffstown bench was not terribly please with the call. To Burke’s credit, he stood in the penalty box and was cheering his penalty killing unit on, remaining sincerely positive. Then, 58 seconds into the penalty kill, at 9:07 of the third, Griffin Cook set up Noah Charron with a tremendous play, and Charron was not to be denied by Serrentino this time.

Max Lajeunesse fights through the defense looking for a chance to score. (Photo by Charron)

The Grizzlies led 2-1, and their energy level as well as resolve seemed to multiply. Then, these visitors from down the road a ways along Route 3, just would not quit. At 11:38 of the third period, off of a turnover, Matthew Diprizio scored the tying goal from Nolan Harvey. It is worth noting that Harvey and Diprizio were immense for NSP all night, and they probably each logged close to 30 minutes of ice time on the night. They were constantly on the ice and disrupting plays against the Grizzlies. So, after all that had happened so far, there was only 3:22 left to play and the game was tied 2-2. Goffstown, like the train that just kept a rollin’ all night long, answered quickly. At 11:53 of the period, just 15 seconds after the Kings’ goal, Sebastian Beal took a feed from Noah Charron and buried the eventual game winner into the back of the net, beating Serrentino. While on the same shift, 25 seconds later, Beal made a nice pass from blue line to blue line on to the tape of Noah Charron, just before he went to the bench. Charron gained the offensive zone and fed a splendid pass to winger, Griffin Cook, who notched his second goal of the night giving Goffstown a 4-2 lead just 40 seconds after being tied. Nashua South Pelham called a timeout after the goal, trying to regroup and rally the troops to mount a comeback.

Madeline Sage made 7 saves on the night, a couple of which were outstanding for the Grizzlies. (Photo by L. McCuaig)

But a comeback was not to be had on this night. At 12:31 of the period, Max Lajuenesse, who just couldn’t catch a break in this one despite some tremendous play, made a steal of the puck that could have landed him in cuffs. It was a brilliant play by Lajeunesse, but Serrentino wasn’t done having a sensational night for the Kings and turned the bid away. NSP pulled Serrentino in favor of an extra attacker at 14:00 of the period but he had to return to the net at 14:16 after they iced the puck when the CBC line had multiple close calls trying to hit the open net. The NSP netminder was pulled again at 14:29 but had to return once again when Josh Kinghorn was whistled for a trip while the Grizzlies were on the offensive once more. The final score read, Goffstown 4, Nashua South Pelham Kings 2. Goffstown cranked out 18 shots in the final period to just 2 shots for NSP, giving them a 36-9 advantage for the game. Nate Serrentino made 32 saves on 36 shots, and was simply dazzling in net for the Kings. Madeline Sage only faced 9 shots on the night, and she saved the Grizzlies’ bacon on at least three occasions against breakaways by NSP.

The Grizzlies return to the ice on Saturday evening against Winnacunnet. Please note that this game has been moved to the Haverhill Valley Forum. In Division II play on the holiday, St. Thomas improved to 8-0 with a 4-1 win against Dover. Bow took a 3-1 lead against Bishop Brady, before the Giants stormed back with 5 unanswered goals to win it 6-3. At the ICenter in Salem, Winnacunnet got past Timberlane 3-2 to improve their record to 3-4 on the season. Notable from Division III today, Kennett’s Connor Doucet eclipsed the career 100-point mark in their 5-2 win over Monadnock. Doucet is the 8th Kennett Eagle to reach 100 career points.

Sebastian fights through NSP defenders. (Photo by L. McCuaig)

Grady Chretien flips the puck ahead at Sullivan Arena. (Photo by Charron)

Evan McCuaig rips a shot against Nashua South Pelham. (Photo by Charron)

Jake Noonan puts up the Noonan Wall in defending for the Grizzlies, he was a +4 on the night. (Photo by Charron)

Griffin Cook continued his hot streak with 2 goals and an assist. (Photo by Charron)

Colin Burke lets one fly from the point against NSP. (Photo by Charron)

Eric DesRuisseaux gets a shot away for the Grizzlies. (Photo by Charron)

Theo Milanes had a solid game for Goffstown. (Photo by Charron)

It’s good to remember that were it not for the kids, we’d all be doing something else. The ice crew. (Photo by Charron)

Brett Branscum unloads against the Kings. (Photo by L. McCuaig)

Colby Gamache looks for an open teammate against Nashua South Pelham. (Photo by L. McCuaig)

Please use this link to access Karen Charron’s Shutterfly page containing the photos she takes at each game. Check it out!

NHIAA Hockey:

Updated records.

Goffstown (7-1) vs. Nashua South Pelham (1-4)

Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH January 15, 2018. 7:15PM Start:

  Summary:

Goals:

Goffstown: 1-0-3 = 4

NSP: 1-0-1 = 2

Shots:

Goffstown: 8-10-18 = 36 NSP: 3-4-2 = 9

Scoring:

1st Goffstown at 9:42. Even. Griffin Cook (5) from Brett Lassonde (7).

1st NSP at 13:27. Even. Riley Nutter from John Pinksten.

2nd No Scoring.

3rd Goffstown at 9:07. SHG. Noah Charron (13) from Griffin Cook (10).

3rd NSP at 11:38. Even. Matthew Diprizio from Nolan Harvey.

3rd Goffstown at 11:53. Even. Sebastian Beal (12) from Noah Charron (7).

3rd Goffstown at 12:18. Even. Griffin Cook (6) from Noah Charron (8) and Sebastian Beal (8).

Special Teams:

Goffstown Power Play: 0 for 2. NSP Power Play: 0 for 2 .

Saves:

Goffstown: Madeline Sage 7 of 9.

NSP: Nate Serrentino 32 of 36 .

New Hampshire Union Leader 01/16/2018 – Page D02

High Schools

Goffstown boys outskate Nashua South/Pelham

Griffin Cook scored a pair of goals as Goffstown pulled away from Nashua South/Pelham 4-2 on Monday in boys’ hockey.

Sebastian Beal and Noah Charron also scored for the Grizzlies improved to 7-1.South/Pelham (1-4) got goals from Riley Nutter and Matthew Diprizio. Goalie Nate Serrentino made 32 saves. Goffstown’s Maddie Sage made only seven saves, but three were on breakaways.

Arlington (Mass.) Catholic 4, Bishop Guertin 1: In Arlington, Mass., the Cardinals (4-1-1) averted a shutout when Ben Pederson scored a late power-play goal. Shots were 25-20 in favor of Arlington Catholic.

Boys’ basketball

Exeter 70, Trinity 56: In Manchester, Exeter High opened a 24-point halftimelead and cruised past Trinity. Cody Morissette scored 16 points and younger brother Josh added 14 as the Blue Hawks used 14 players and improved to 5-0. Trinity, paced by 11 points each from Zach Dagan and Ethan Frenette, dropped to 0-6.

Girls’ hockey

Exeter 10, Bedford 2:Carissa Towlson scored four goals as the Blue Hawks improved to 5-0. Meredith Madden and Sarah Gallo added twogoals each. Kendall Cassidy and Abi Magnifico scored for Bedford (1-7)

Bishop Brady/Trinity/West 3, Bishop Guertin 2: In Tyngsborough, Mass., Lauren Trippiedi scored with 8.4 seconds left to win it for Bishop Brady/Trinity/West (6-0). Sydney Herrington scored once, Mary Anne Wiley tallied two assists and Marie Barrioz made 34 assists for Brady/ Trinity/West. Ashley Killen scored twice and Brooke Yabroudy had an assist for Bishop Guertin (4-2).

Roundup

Nashua South/ Pelham’s Joe Moore, right, is hit by Goffstown’s Noah Charron during the first period of their game at St. Anselm College on Monday night.Mark Bolton / Union Leader

  New Hampshire Union Leader 01/16/2018 – Page D01

There for the taking

Nashua South/Pelham’s Joshua Kinghom, left, and Goffstown’s Sebastian Beal go for a loose puck during the first period of their game at St. Anselm College on Monday. MARK BOLTON/UNION LEADER

Hockey: Goffstown 4 vs. Nashua South Pelham 2 Some people, like professional commentators for instance, might say that tonight's game against Nashua South Pelham was somewhat of a trap game.

#@1inawesomewondr #@GoffstownHockey #@GoffstownSports #1inawesomewonder #Beal blog #Bishop Brady #blog #Bow #Dover #execute #game-winner #GHS #GHS Hockey #GHS Hockey blog #Goffstown Grizzlies #Goffstown High School #goffstown high school hockey #Goffstown Hockey #Goffstown Strong #Grizzlies Hockey #gtown hockey #HNIB #HNIB News #incomplete passes #Kennett #Monadnock #Nashua hockey #Nashua South #Nashua South - Pelham #New Hampshire High School Hockey

[flauntpage]

Flyers win. No, really. Five Takeaways from Flyers 5, Flames 2

Maybe I’ve been watching too many episodes of Stranger Things on Netflix, but for the past 36 hours I feel like I’m in the “Upside Down.”

The Eagles looked bad for the first time all season (although I was the only member of the CB team to see that coming).

The Sixers got beat on their home court by a woeful Phoenix Suns team.

And… the Flyers won a game.

Seriously. They won. The 10-game losing streak is over.

http://pic.twitter.com/KdqqAHI19J

— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) December 5, 2017

Not only that – the Flyers scored five goals and all of them were scored by forwards not known for their ginger hair or beards (when they haven’t shaved them off).

Funny what happens when you have secondary scoring, eh?

The Flyers had more than that though – they had great goaltending from Brian Elliott – which was the real difference in the game. They had some good fortune and had some bounces finally going their way and they did something they haven’t been doing at all for much of the season – they got to the net. Four of their five goals were the result of getting into the dirty area of the ice and cleaning up the trash.

Those are all positives and the right way to finally end a 10-game losing streak.

But there are still a bunch of things to worry about because this team isn’t out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.

To the takeaways:

1. A breakup, albeit maybe only temporary

It’s been more than a couple weeks now since I first suggested breaking up the top line. While Dave Hakstol wasn’t keen on the idea then, he needed to lose 10 straight games before he realized his roster was too top-heavy.

So, he finally made the change last night in Calgary.

Now, he didn’t break it up in the same way that I would have – I still think there is a way to spread out the talent even more than he did – but what he tried last night worked, so kudos there.

I’m not sure it’s sustainable, because the Flyers, despite winning by three goals, were dominated by Calgary (more on that later), but enough guys did enough good things to produce the win.

Jake Voracek, the team’s leading scorer mind you, was removed from the top line and replaced by Wayne Simmonds.

Voracek has certainly had his defensive struggles, but he’s the best playmaker on the team, so putting him with some other guys you would hope would score more is not a bad idea. And it worked – as Voracek assisted on three of the Flyers’ five goals.

Actually, his new second line, centered by Valtteri Filppula and with Michael Raffl on the left wing, was really good last night. It wasn’t the best line for the Flyers – although it did produce the most points. Combined, they posted a pair of goals and five assists. That’s a productive night.

Even better though was the new third line of Taylor Leier, Scott Laughton, and Jordan Weal. This trio was flying all night and creating chances. Laughton had a pair of goals to end a 21-game drought and Leier and Weal each added an assist on his second goal.

Now, there was no Flyer with a positive Corsi figure in the game (Laughton was their best player with a CF% of 47.06) But the third line’s CF%Rel was easily the best on the team with Laughton (18.85) and Leier (14.64) No. 1 and No. 2 on the team and Weal (11.69) fourth-best.

Simmonds scored off a nice kick pass from Sean Couturier, but that was a power play goal and, frankly, at 5-on-5, that line didn’t generate much.

This was primarily because Simmonds doesn’t control the puck as well as Voracek does and isn’t a playmaker, meaning others have to drive the play – and they couldn’t against a mediocre Calgary team.

Instead, they were severely outshot by the Flames when they were on the ice. That might be something Hakstol would consider tinkering with.

As for the fourth line of Dale Weise, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny, they were simply dreadful. Their CF% as a trio on the ice was 10.53%. That means that the Flames had almost 90% of the shots in the seven minutes or less that trio was on the ice.

Not good.

2. Go to the net and good things happen

Let’s look at four Flyers goals here, in order. First, Filppula:

Good news! The Flyers scored! Raffl gets credited but it might go to Filppula. http://pic.twitter.com/LohOQBgeHo

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) December 5, 2017

Filppula ultimately did get credit, but the important thing here is, look where both Raffl and Filppula are. That’s right, right around the crease to put in a rebound or deflect a shot, or to screen the goalie. This is good positioning.

Next, Laughton’s first goal:

That'll be Ghost's tally, and a 2-1 Flyers lead. http://pic.twitter.com/yALd3DM3rU

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) December 5, 2017

Sure looked like Ghost at first, but on super slow mo replay from another angle not available here, Laughton actually tips the puck in front of goalie Mike Smith before slam dunking it behind him (even though the puck was already across the line).

Laughton, who for my money was the best skater in the game, does so much well here. He gets in front of the goalie, makes the deflection and then stays in the crease area to assure the puck goes in the net.

Again – the Flyers need more plays like this every game.

Next, Simmonds goal:

4-1 LEAD http://pic.twitter.com/rEj0EM9Nks

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) December 5, 2017

This actually capped off a wild barrage of three goals in 1:11 for the Flyers – and it came on a lucky power play after Couturier was clipped by a high stick belonging to his teammate Andrew MacDonald that the refs inexplicably whistled on Calgary’s Michael Frolik.

Regardless, the Flyers took advantage with two guys who, to be fair, have been going to the net all season (and in Simmonds case, his entire career).

Couturier gets into good scoring position and kicks the puck to Simmonds who is in his office and scores easily.

This 1:11 stretch, which also included this beauty of a goal by Raffl –

3-1 lead! We can't blow this, can we? http://pic.twitter.com/FEN8aOvrQN

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) December 5, 2017

– was the difference in the game, for sure. Because, aside from this 1:11, the Flyers were pretty much outplayed.

However, they did get one more goal in the third period from Laughton that did secure the win:

Back to a three-goal lead. Def Laughton this time. http://pic.twitter.com/XbARBhpbYP

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) December 5, 2017

Again, crashing the net. These videos should be on repeat in the Flyers meeting rooms. Just show them over and over until it is ingrained in these players that that’s how they have to score.

Because if not, they can’t win. Plain and simple. Unless…

3. Brian Elliott steals one

You knew this game was going to have some meaning for Elliott. He played for the Flames last year and it was his first game back in Calgary.

He had already lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the Flames a couple weeks ago at the Wells Fargo Center, but it’s always different against a former team in the old barn.

Elliott, who has been really good for the Flyers despite the awful run, was excellent again.

He was under constant duress in this game and kept the Flyers in it from the jump. Calgary’s first goal was a bad rebound by Elliott, but aside from that he stopped almost everything. The Flames fired 80 shots. (80!) Of those, 45 were on net and Elliott stopped 43 (a .956 save percentage).

That’s good. Really good. So good, in fact, that it snapped the losing streak pretty much all by itself.

The TV crew correctly named Elliott the star of the game.

And he wasn’t flashy. Not in the least. But he was sound. He was positionally on point. He was calm, cool and collected.

He was Moose:

MOOSE http://pic.twitter.com/rqVoozLQ3L

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) December 5, 2017

The problem is, he’s going to have to be that a lot more often because…

4. The Flyers were outmatched… again

I keep harping on the fact that this has to be systemic. It has to. These Flyers players can’t be so dumb to constantly be caught in the same mistakes time after time.

And it’s not just mistakes that lead to goals, but mistakes that lead to odd-man rushes. Constant odd-man rushes. Calgary had a bunch last night. It’s unreal.

Sure, sometimes it’s the result of a bad pass, or an inability to get a puck in deep, but other times it’s simply positioning, and if the Flyers aren’t positioned properly, most of the time it’s because that’s how they are being coached to play.

And the fact that it keeps happening is indicative that other teams see it on film and look to exploit it.

Look at the game flow:

That’s all Calgary. From the opening faceoff to the final whistle.

The Flyers can’t play this way and expect to win with any consistency. Instead, this is a formula for losing more often than not. This outcome is definitely an exception to the rule.

A look at the heat map may explain why:

You see the Flyers didn’t get many chances, but the ones they did were from in close, as we pointed out already. Meanwhile, Calgary was shooting from everywhere. However, to the Flyers credit, they didn’t let the Flames get to the front of the net all that much.

They took most of their shots from the right circle but couldn’t generate much from Elliott’s kitchen.

That was a benefit to the Flyers, and likely why this game didn’t turn into a track meet.

5. Loose Pucks

Dale Weise playing less than seven minutes doesn’t concern me, but Patrick and Konecny do. I know neither have earned much with their play of late, but these are two of the most important pieces of this Flyers rebuild. Please recognize this as a rebuild and get the young kids more time.

I have to think, as well as Elliott is playing, that Michal Neuvirth will get one of the next two starts either in Edmonton or in Vancouver. Edmonton is really struggling, so, maybe he gets the nod there and Elliott goes in Vancouver before the Flyers get a four-day break.

This hit on Weise earned Travis Hamonic a match penalty. I think that’s borderline for a match penalty and I don’t expect a suspension:

Travis Hamonic is done for the game after this "hit" on Dale Weise. http://pic.twitter.com/JOATWlaeDd

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) December 5, 2017

Flyers win. No, really. Five Takeaways from Flyers 5, Flames 2 published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Hart Wins His Debut, Ghost Wakes Up, Morrissey, Skinner, Kadri, & Kase (Dec. 19)

  The Maple Leafs and Devils met on Tuesday evening in Jersey. Toronto came into the contest on a mini-slide, picking up just four points in their last five contests. That slipped them to third in the Atlantic and they were looking to right the ship. Meanwhile, Taylor Hall returned from injury for a floundering Devils squad who needs to get the momentum running in the right direction if they have any aspirations of a wild card spot this spring. 

  It was all Toronto early in this one. The Maple Leafs scored three goals on their first eight shots, with Auston Matthews getting in on two of them (1+1). The porous play of Keith Kinkaid only further exacerbates the issues in net for the Devils. Cory Schneider is now mercifully on the IR, but his days of stopping pucks at a respectable level appear over. Kinkaid has had stretches of success, but shouldn't be considered a long-term solution.

  That leaves Mackenzie Blackwood. 

  The 22-year-old is up with the big club after posting a .911 save percentage in 15 AHL games this season. Blackwood has the pedigree of a potential NHL starter but still has more than a few warts to clear up. If you're looking for a prospect goalie with a clear path though, there aren't too many better spots than in New Jersey.

  Blackwood would see some action after Kinkaid let in his fifth of the night. It wasn't overly promising for the youngster either as he stopped 8/10 and the Leafs cruised to a 7-2 victory.

  Nazem Kadri produced three even-strength primary assists on the night. The line of him, Marleau and Nylander seem to be forming some chemistry. Kadri still sees strong deployment on that vaunted top power-play unit. He's likely good for a better pace than the 45-point clip he was at coming into this game. 

  Watch for an opportunity to buy low. 

**

  With Dave Hakstol finally and mercifully, let go. The Flyers hosted the Red Wings on Tuesday evening. Fill-in coach, Scott Gordon shook up the lines ahead of this one. It was JVR being elevated to the top line next to Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. A great spot for the two youngsters. 

  Jakub Voracek, who has been waking from his early-season slumber and just saw a seven-game, eight-point streak snapped in Vancouver last Saturday, was skating next to Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds. That left Nolan Patrick to skate beside Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. 

  What really needs to be fixed for the fantasy folk is the power play. 

  The Flyers have historically been a dangerous team on the man-advantage. They clicked at 20.7 percent a season ago, but have slipped all the way the 30th overall this season with a putrid 12.7 percent conversion rate. This has been felt in no bigger a spot than to Shayne Gostisbehere owners.

  Ghost led all defenders in power-play points last season with 33. He has seven in 31 contests this year to be on pace for 19. Bravo to all you who have remained patient, waiting for your All-Star blueliner to return to form. 

  Ghost continued to skate on the top unit with Voracek next to him on the point. Simmonds was given the first crack at the net front job on the top unit – a place that he occupied (and thrived in) for years in Philly. 

  Lo and behold, Gostisbehere managed to get in on the action tonight. He assisted on a van Riemsdyk first period even-strength tally and converted an even-strength goal as well. That brings the Gostisbehere up to 15 points in 33 games. We'll take this a positive indication that more good times will follow.

  **

Allow me to bury the lede here and slip in that 20-year-old, Carter Hart started his first NHL game. He's the sixth goaltender to start a game for Philadelphia this season.

    The Flyers' top prospect wasn't exactly lighting the AHL on fire as a first-year pro, with just a 0.901 save percentage in 17 games. He had been warming up though, with a 0.922 mark across his last seven starts. 

And what'd ya know, the kid earned himself a victory. Hart stopped 20 of 22 shots as the Flyers took down Detroit 3-2. Not a bad opening act. 

**

Obligatory Elias Pettersson chat. Coming into Tuesday's matchup against the Lightning, here is how the 20-year-old rookie compares to his first-year brethren over the past 25 years

  {source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Most points through their first 30 NHL games (last 25 years):<br><br>Alexei Yashin 36<br>Elias Pettersson 35<br>Alex Ovechkin 34<br>Connor McDavid 34<br>Evgeni Malkin 33<br>Sidney Crosby 31<br>Patrick Kane 30 <a href="https://t.co/DgtIhvtQrS">pic.twitter.com/DgtIhvtQrS</a></p>— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/status/1074537548616163329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

  The 20-year-old saw his seven-game, 13 point streak come to an end on Tuesday as the Canucks fell to the Lightning 5-2. It was a feisty and shot-filled affair. Not bad for a couple of teams on opposite ends of the continent.

  The Lightning are now 26-7-2 on the season. Vasilevskiy is back and looking like the franchise netminder he is. This team is jacked up. 

  **

The Ducks took on the Rangers on the road. They've been riding hot of late and I think I know the reason. 

  {source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ducks are 12-3-2 since Ondrej Kase recovered from concussion and joined the lineup. Nine goals in his 17 games, with six in his last six.</p>— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) <a href="https://twitter.com/icemancometh/status/1074894735196733440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

  I've been a big proponent of Kase's for a while. Maybe not as big as our boy, Slim Cliffy, but a proponent nonetheless. His spot in the top six was facilitated by injuries, but he's held it due to his production. He looks like a perfect fit next to Ryan Getzlaf on L1. Now all that's left is to get him onto the top power-play unit and watch him produce at a consistent 60-point-pace. 

  Kase managed to snag a secondary assist in this one to give him eight points in his last five games. That's a heater. But it's not as good as what Kevin Hayes is up to. The Rangers' pivot scored the shorthanded game-winner on Tuesday to extend his point streak to five games and 10 points. 

  Hayes has been excellent in the second quarter and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. He's clicking below his career shooting percentage and has been feasting on opponents at five-on-five. Those are great signs for prolonged success.

  If he's still on the wire, it's time to snatch him up. 

  **

Vladdy Namestnikov had a goal and two helpers in this one. But he's seeing virtually no power-play deployment and has been living in the bottom six. 

  Leave him be for now. 

  **

John Klingberg skated at Stars' practice for the second consecutive day. He's getting closer to a return and could suit up on Thursday against Chicago. Needless to say, this is a big-time Christmas present for the Stars and for fantasy owners. I know it's been a long five weeks without him on my roster. 

  **

Dallas and Calgary hooked up for a battle in the Big D. The Flames came into this one having won eight of their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Stars reunited Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alex Radulov on the top line to spark some offence. The Dallas trio hooked up on the first goal of the game as the Stars beat the Flames 2-0

  It wasn't an overly exciting contest, but Ben Bishop did leave this one after taking a knock to the head. He returned to lock up the shutout, but we've seen players come back into games after potential concussions only to feel the effects a day later. Keep an eye on his status. 

  **

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chicago just announced that they will loan Henri Jokiharju to Finland for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WJC2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WJC2019</a>. That's HUGE for the Suomi. They've got their top defender now and will hope to get Vaakanainen to complete the top pair.</p>— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/status/1075069051234222080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

  **

The Panthers earned a much-needed victory on Tuesday evening. They overcame two first period deficits to beat the Sabres 5-2. Evgeni Dadonov led the way with two goals and an assist. One of the tallies came via a penalty shot that narrowly squeaked in. And I do mean narrowly. 

  https://dobberhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/12/Daddy.mp4

  Dadonov continues his terrific season. The 29-year-old now sits with 33 points in 32 contests. 

  **

Jeff Skinner tallied his 25th goal of the season and added an assist in this one. He's all alone in second for the race for the Rocket. But at some point, his 24 percent conversion rate is going to crater. I love him next to Eichel in all-situations as captain Jack is establishing himself as a premier talent in this league. However, I smell a serious sell-high opportunity here with Skinner. 

  If you can pull an established 75-80 point player for Skinner, please do. 

  **

Martin Jones and the Sharks shutout the Wild 4-0. Logan Couture provided two goals, while Tomas Hertl chipped in with a couple of assists. 

  This was a big outing for Jones and his owners. He had just a 0.893 save percentage over the last six weeks coming into this game. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a sustained run of quality starts. Erik Karlsson is looking more and more like himself. That shouldn't hurt things. 

  **

Josh Morrissey kept his hot play alive despite Winnipeg losing 4-1 to LA in one of the late games. The 23-year-old grabbed a first period assist to give him 10 points in his last seven games. He's up to 21 points in 32 games all while seeing just 1:43 on the man-advantage each night. Granted, that Jets' second power-play unit boasts some big skill, but it's difficult to maintain a 50-plus point pace from the backend with top unit deployment. 

  I expect a cold streak is coming.

  **

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson

    from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-hart-makes-his-debut-ghost-wakes-up-morrissey-skinner-kadri-kase-dec-19/