The NHL Evening Skate for Jan. 18
Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines:
Predators’ Ryan Johansen suspended 2 games for high-sticking
Nashville Predators forward Ryan Johansen has received a two-game suspension without pay for high-sticking Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele. The NHL announced Johansen’s suspension Friday. Johansen committed the penalty Thursday during the first period of the Predators’ 5-1 loss to the Jets. Here’s how much money he’ll lose.
Capitals’ Holtby to return from eye injury, start vs. Isles
All-Star goaltender Braden Holtby is expected to start for the Washington Capitals on Friday night against the New York Islanders after missing two games with an eye injury. Holtby said his left eye is back to normal after it initially didn’t progress as quickly as hoped. [More]
Barry Trotz’s emotional return to D.C. will also have playoff feel
Barry Trotz may want to treat Friday’s meeting with the Washington Capitals as “any other game,” but it will be anything but that as he returns to D.C. for the first time since the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. The Islanders and Trotz will visit Capital One Arena for the first time this season, which is also the first time the head coach has been in the building since Game 4 of the Cup Final. [More]
Lamp-lighters
Brad Marchand sort of wishes he didn’t lick Ryan Callahan
Eight months after he licked Ryan Callahan’s face during the 2018 NHL playoffs, Bruins forward Brad Marchand is willing to admit that he may have taken his super-pest antics a little too far. Well, sort of.
Patrik Berglund clears the air on why he left the Buffalo Sabres
One month after his contract with the Buffalo Sabres was mysteriously terminated, Patrik Berglund shed some light on his decision to leave the team. The 30-year-old forward, who was suspended indefinitely for failing to report to the team just before Christmas, was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract shortly thereafter. [More]
Canadiens, Islanders among NHL’s mid-season surprises
Yahoo Sports NHL writers Justin Cuthbert and Kyle Cantlon discuss which of these two teams are the real deal as both currently occupy playoff positions. [Watch here]
Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray has plenty of work to do
Busy week for Ducks GM Bob Murray, sure, but it’s been a busy couple of months. Since the start of December, Anaheim has completed a whopping eight trades of varying importance, as Murray scrambled first to pull his team out of a rut and then rejigger a good chunk of the bottom six. You can’t say he hasn’t tried to tinker, but he certainly hasn’t tinkered to the extent that he’s going to help his team pull out of the skid it’s been on for weeks. [Here’s why]
Game of the night
Montreal Canadiens at Columbus Blue Jackets
Two winning streaks will be on the line when the Montreal Canadiens visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. Columbus has won its past four games as part of an 11-3-0 stretch that has taken the Blue Jackets into a first-place tie with the Washington Capitals atop the Metropolitan Division. The Canadiens, meanwhile, have won three in a row and are 9-4-0 over their last 13 games. Friday is the first of three meetings between the Canadiens and Blue Jackets this season. Montreal is winless in its past four games in Columbus. Canadiens forward Paul Byron won’t play after being issued a three-game suspension for a charging call on Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar on Tuesday. [Follow on Yahoo Sports]
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Robinson: Super Bowl matchup the ticket brokers don’t want
• Championship weekend: Picks against the spread
• Dan Snyder’s yacht has an IMAX theater in it
• Leonard Fournette, Jaguars at odds with each other
