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Markstrom earns shutout as Flames blank Oilers in Battle of Alberta
Jacob Markstrom stopped all 17 shots he faced and the Calgary Flames put an end to their four-game losing skid with a commanding 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
The Canadian Press
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CALGARY — It took Sean Monahan breaking out of his goal-scoring slump to set the offensive tone for the Calgary Flames.
Monahan snapped a 13-game goalless drought and ignited Calgary’s offence as the Flames defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-0 on Saturday.
Backed by a 17-save shutout by Jacob Markstrom, the Flames (17-21-3) halted their four-game losing skid with their largest win of the season.

Backed by a 17-save shutout by Jacob Markstrom, the Flames (17-21-3) halted their four-game losing skid with their largest win of the season.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a go-to guy, somebody who will provide offence," said Monahan, who had not scored since March 13. "When you’re not doing that, it gets frustrating.
"When you don’t score for a while, and obviously it was the first one of the game, it feels good."
After a scoreless first period, Monahan got the first in a barrage of goals for the Flames in the second. Alone at the side of the net, he capitalized on a defensive mix-up from the Oilers and converted Andrew Mangiapane’s pass at 3:12.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Carter Hart is supposed to be the goalie that ends the Philadelphia Flyers' decades-long search for a franchise netminder. During the first two years of his career he flashed that ability and gave Flyers fans hope that he could not only be the player to secure that position for the next decade but that he might even be able to help turn them back into a Stanley Cup contender. None of that has happened this season. Instead, Hart has been one of the league's least productive goalies and even found himself on the bench for a stretch of games after having his practice habits and work ethic called out by coach Alain Vigneault. He could still end up being the goalie the Flyers hope he can become, but this season has been a little bit of a hurdle on that path. 

Calgary Flames goalie David Rittich was not going to entertain the question – not publicly, at least.
After stopping 26 of 30 shots in the Flames’ 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs last Sunday, he was asked if he had allowed himself to think that that start may have been his last in a Flames uniform.  
The 28-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent who most certainly would help a contender looking to shore up its goaltending depth.
“Don’t try and make a story here,” he responded. “This is my team and I want to stay with this team as long as I can.”

 
CALGARY --
They spread faster, can hit harder and now COVID-19 variants are the dominant strains of new cases in Alberta.
Three mutated variants, originating in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa, are game-changers in the fight against the virus which will likely surge cases higher than Alberta has seen yet.
“It is now that we have to act. If we wait to act until our ICUs are overflowing, it will be far too late,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health during her daily update Thursday.
It's also changed Alberta’s testing.
“Testing all close contacts twice we have a better chance at quickly identifying new cases and stopping their spread,” said Hinshaw.

With a 0.438 points percentage, the Calgary Flames are in the midst of one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
 
Losers of four straight and just 2-8 in their last 10 games, the Flames sit in sixth place in the North Division eight points out of the final playoff spot currently held by the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal, however, has five games in hand heading into Wednesday night’s action.
 
Ahead of Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline, general manager Brad Treliving spoke with TSN about the team’s culture, roster untouchables, and his own job security. 
 
It’s been a few weeks since Darryl Sutter was hired and it doesn’t seem like a ton has changed. Just how disappointing is this season and how the team has performed since the coaching change?

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
With the Monday, April 12 NHL trade deadline fast approaching, many teams will be making their final moves in preparation for a playoff push. A stagnant salary cap and the upcoming expansion draft of the Seattle Kraken this offseason have seen some worry about a lack of moves at this year’s deadline.
However, rumours are flying around about who may be finding themselves in a new destination later on this week.
Here is a list of the biggest names finding themselves in trade rumours before the 2021 NHL trade deadline.
1. Taylor Hall (Buffalo Sabres)
This season has gone terribly for the Buffalo Sabres, and that is putting it nicely. The team is currently in last place and seven points back from the second-worst team, the Ottawa Senators.

Mikael Backlund, with two, and Andrew Mangiapane replied for Calgary (16-21-3). Jacob Markstrom stopped 25 shots for the Flames, who have lost four straight and eight of their last nine in regulation. Elias Lindholm had two assists.
Currently the Leafs' No. 1 option with Frederik Andersen still dealing with a lower-body injury, Campbell's win streak equals a Leafs' record shared by Felix Potvin (1993-94), Jacques Plante (1970-71) and John Ross Roach (1924-25).
North Division-topping Toronto, which swept a four-game road trip through Winnipeg and Calgary, leads the second-place Jets by six points in the standings, while the Edmonton Oilers are seven back in third.

CALGARY — Sheldon Keefe had 30 seconds to settle things down.
The Maple Leafs head coach had just watched Toronto's anemic power play — one loaded with talent, but stuck in neutral on a mystifying 0-for-29 run the last three weeks — surrender a short-handed goal to tie Monday's game 3-3 midway through the third period.
There was still time for the Leafs to operate at 5 on 4, however, so Keefe sent the No. 1 unit back over the boards after calling his timeout in hopes they would regroup and make amends.
"It's probably as rock bottom as the power play can get the way it's been going," he explained. "The guys responded beautifully."

Campbell ties franchise record as Maple Leafs down Flames
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) celebrates a win with teammates. (John Woods/CP)
| April 6, 2021, 12:28 AM
April 6, 2021, 12:28 AM
CALGARY -- NHL goals leader Auston Matthews scored twice and Jack Campbell made 26 saves to tie a franchise record with his ninth straight win as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Calgary Flames 5-3 on Monday night.
John Tavares, with a goal and an assist, Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds provided the rest of the offence for Toronto (26-10-3), which has won four in a row and improved to 7-0-1 over its last eight games. William Nylander added two assists.

Campbell ties franchise record with 9th straight win as Leafs down Flames
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell, top, makes a save on Calgary Flames' Sean Monahan during second-period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Alta., Monday, April 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal
April 05, 2021 - 11:56 PM
CALGARY - Sheldon Keefe had 30 seconds to settle things down.
The Maple Leafs head coach had just watched Toronto's anemic power play — one loaded with talent, but stuck in neutral on a mystifying 0-for-29 run the last three weeks — surrender a short-handed goal to tie Monday's game 3-3 midway through the third period.
There was still time for the Leafs to operate at 5 on 4, however, so Keefe sent the No. 1 unit back over the boards after calling his timeout in hopes they would regroup and make amends.

Campbell Ties Franchise Record With 9th Straight Win as Leafs Down Flames
CALGARY—Sheldon Keefe had 30 seconds to settle things down.
The Maple Leafs head coach had just watched Toronto’s anemic power play—one loaded with talent, but stuck in neutral on a mystifying 0-for-29 run the last three weeks—surrender a short-handed goal to tie Monday’s game 3-3 midway through the third period.
There was still time for the Leafs to operate at 5 on 4, however, so Keefe sent the No. 1 unit back over the boards after calling his timeout in hopes they would regroup and make amends.

Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson made 32 saves for the win.
"It definitely wasn't our best, I think we looked a little sluggish at times," Tavares said. "We defended really well and I thought played a quicker game in the third, which I think allowed us to take control.
"There's going to be nights, you don't have your best, but you've got to work and compete and find ways to get your game going. I think we did that."
The Maple Leafs continue to top the NHL's North Division and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
Joakim Nordstrom and Andrew Mangiapane scored for the Flames (16-20-3), who are 2-8-0 in their last 10 and 5-8-0 since Darryl Sutter took over as head coach.

Joakim Nordstrom and Andrew Mangiapane scored for the Flames, who are 2-8-0 in their last 10 and 5-8-0 since Darryl Sutter took over as head coach. David Rittich stopped 26 shots in the first of back-to-back games between the division rivals.
“In order to keep up, the team has to play at a pace,” Sutter said. “You have to be able to execute at that pace and check at that pace. For some of our players, that’s difficult.”
Toronto has won five of seven meetings between the teams this season. The Flames host the Maple Leafs again Monday.
Calgary trails the Montreal Canadiens, holding down the fourth and final playoff spot in the division, by six points.

Maple Leafs' North Division lead widening as trade deadline looms
John Tavares scored the game-winner in the third period as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Calgary Flames 4-2.
| April 5, 2021, 1:59 AM
April 5, 2021, 1:59 AM
Like masked pedestrians approaching each other on a sidewalk, the gap just keeps widening.
One week ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Calgary Flames are speeding in opposite directions. To the point where the former can dress their third- and fourth-string goalies, generate a big bag of nothing through two periods of fun-sucking Darryl Sutter hockey, muddle 15 minutes without a shot on net, and still pull out a decisive 4-2 victory.

Morning Coffee: Stanford holds on to clinch NCAA title
The Stanford Cardinal are your 2021 NCAA women’s basketball champions. As was the case in their Final Four win, Stanford won it all in dramatic fashion with another thrilling finish. Here is the Morning Coffee for Monday April 5, 2021.
Domenic Padula (@Dom_Padula)
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The Stanford Cardinal are your 2021 NCAA women’s basketball champions.
As was the case in their Final Four win, Stanford won it all in dramatic fashion with another thrilling finish.
Up one with the ball and less than 10 seconds left to go, the Cardinal turned it over with a shot-clock violation that gave Arizona one more chance to win it all.

The Maple Leafs held a team meeting on Sunday. 
Morgan Rielly will play his 555th game as a Maple Leaf tonight moving past Brian Glennie and into 10th place on the franchise's all-time list among defencemen. 
"There's great history here and just to play one game for this organization, you're automatically a part of it and that's special," the 27-year-old said. "I've been pretty fortunate to be around."
Tim Horton tops the list with 1,184 games played in blue and white. Rielly is now closing in on Ian Turnbull who is ninth with 580 games played. 
Rielly, who was drafted fifth overall by Toronto in 2012, was asked if there's a former Leafs defenceman he's come to respect.

Flames gripped by concern, uncertainty as Canucks' COVID-19 outbreak worsens
Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston look at the latest news from around the NHL, talking about the Canucks' positive COVID-19 tests and the possibility of a playoff bubble.
| April 4, 2021, 4:11 PM
April 4, 2021, 4:11 PM
Suddenly, everything is in flux for the Calgary Flames as concern and uncertainty have gripped the National Hockey League.
The rapidly rising number of positive COVID-19 cases on the Vancouver Canucks has shone a much-needed spotlight on just how virulent the third wave of the novel coronavirus is.
It was only a handful of days ago the Flames had their first postponement of the year, when they were 90 minutes away from facing a Canucks team that now has 16 players in the league's COVID protocols.

The Oilers collected another comeback win Friday as they topped the Calgary Flames 3-2.
It was Connor McDavid, the NHL's leading scorer, who put away the game winner with a power-play tally midway through the third.
Just four seconds into the advantage, McDavid collected the puck off a faceoff and fired a one-timer at the Calgary net. Goalie Jacob Markstrom got a chunk of the shot but the puck dribbled over the goal line, putting Edmonton ahead for good.
The goal was McDavid's 22nd of the year and his 64th point.
Leon Draisaitl registered an assist on the play — his second of the night — and sits second in the scoring race with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists).

The Vancouver Canucks had five more players enter NHL COVID-19 protocol Friday, bringing their total to seven and a coach.

After coming away with one of a possible four points in a disappointing series with their rivals, the Manitoba Moose, the Heat went right back at it three nights later for a series with the Adirondack Phantoms. The Heat bounced back after their two losses to the Moose with a 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers farm club. Michael Leighton was in net for the Phantoms for this game; as you may recall Leighton was in net for the Philadelphia Flyers while they were in the Stanley Cup finals against the Chicago Blackhawks last year. Leighton signed a decent sized contract with the Flyers but was sent down to the minors to play with the Phantoms. The game of musical goalies continues in Philadelphia, and yet the Flyers seem to continue to stay on top of their conference and keep winning games despite who is in net for them.

NHL Power Rankings: 1-31 poll, plus the biggest concern for every team
ESPN
With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, it's a good time to take stock. We've hit on reasons for optimism for every team in the past. For this week's power rankings, we identified a reason for concern for all 31 teams.
How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1 to 31 -- taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule -- and those results are tabulated in the list featured here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to our Week 10 edition, published on March 24. Points percentages are through the games of March 30.