Adam Proteau gives pluses to the Lightning's Kucherov and the Canadiens for honoring Patrick Roy. The minuses go to Gallagher's hit and the Flames' continued struggles.
Welcome once again to Plus Minus, a regular THN.com feature in which we discuss some ups and downs of the hockey world in the past 24 hours. Let’s move along and get down to business:
MINUS: Canadiens’ Gallagher deserved lengthy suspension for hit on Isles’ Pelech (Updated: 5:45 p.m. ET)
The Islanders lost a valuable contributor Thursday when Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher laid a clearly illegal hit on Isles defenseman Adam Pelech. Gallagher’s late hit to Pelech’s head was without question a questionable act, as THN's Islanders site wrote. Gallagher should count himself lucky he had a phone meeting with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, assuring himself of a suspension no longer than five games.
That said, Gallagher deserved the full five-game suspension he received for his terrible decision. And it would be nice to see the league and NHL Players’ Association work together for more punitive options for plays like Gallagher's. The strongest penalty possible is needed to ensure fewer hits like this take place, and five games aren’t going to be a huge deterrent the way an eight- or 10- or 12-game suspension would. This is on the league to figure out, and the players’ union to make the workplace as safe as possible. Going easy on Gallagher despite not having a prior suspension would send the wrong message.
PLUS: Kucherov leading the way for red-hot Lightning
Tampa Bay superstar winger Nikita Kucherov had another brilliant night for the Lightning Thursday, posting three points to give him a whopping 51 assists and 83 points in just 48 games – the best points total of any NHL player thus far this season. THN's Lightning site has the full story.
This writer would still vote for Colorado powerhouse Nathan MacKinnon over Kucherov for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player, but this could be the year Kucherov wins his second Art Ross Trophy as the top point-getter. Kucherov is on pace for a 54-goal, 141-point season, which would demolish his current career bests of 41 goals and 128 points.
At age 30, Kucherov is the straw that stirs the drink in Tampa Bay, and the Bolts are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games in no small part due to Kucherov’s contributions. He’s done it all for the Lightning thus far this year, and he deserves to be recognized for it.
MINUS: Flames’ playoff aspirations on verge of being snuffed out after loss to Columbus
The Flames fell meekly to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 Thursday, their fourth straight loss and their sixth defeat in their last 10 games (4-6-0). THN's Flames site has that recap.
Calgary is now the sixth-best team in the Pacific Division, six standings points behind the Pacific's fourth-place Los Angeles Kings, who have three games in hand on the Flames.
If you didn’t think before Thursday that Calgary has struggled to the point they clearly need a major rebuild, the Blue Jackets game would disabuse you of that notion.
The Flames have one more game before the all-star break – a home game against the Chicago Blackhawks – but they need to begin fully tearing down their roster sooner than later. If that means souring veterans such as Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau, so be it. Actions have consequences, and Calgary’s woeful performance, more nights than not, means big changes have to come. We suspect Flames GM Craig Conroy knows exactly how subpar his team is, and now it’s a matter of separating the competitive wheat from the chaff.
Don’t be surprised if Calgary is one of the bigger sellers by the league’s March 8 trade deadline. The status quo can’t be an option for them.
PLUS: Canadiens, Habs fans show class to prodigal son Patrick Roy in return to Montreal
Longtime NHL superstar Patrick Roy has been in the headlines since his return to hockey’s top league as coach of the New York Islanders. In Roy’s second game behind the bench for the Isles Thursday, he took on the Montreal Canadiens, with which he made his name as an outstanding competitor. And, in typical Habs fashion, the fans gave a thoughtful standing ovation to Roy. The Canadiens then spoiled his return, as THN's Habs site recaps here.
No NHL organization pays homage to its icons the way Montreal does, and Montrealers showed their class by welcoming Roy back to the league. Roy didn’t want to make the narrative all about him, and that’s to his credit. But you can’t deny the lasting power of a successful history, and Roy is always going to receive a warm welcome every time he returns home to Quebec.