ReportWire

Tag: Martin Necas

  • Avalanche finally solve Lukas Dostal late, but Ducks prevail in shootout

    [ad_1]

    The Avalanche avoided being shutout for the first time this season, but Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal prevented them from claiming two points.

    Anaheim defeated Colorado, 2-1, in a shootout Wednesday night at Ball Arena. The Avs are now 3-1-2 on this season-long, seven-game homestand that wraps up Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

    “End of the day, their goalie had a big night and we had a tough time some of our execution early, so it wasn’t sustained for 60 minutes,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Then (we) got a lot of good looks and just couldn’t put them in the back of the net.”

    Dostal finished with 40 saves, including 19 in the third period and overtime. Scott Wedgewood made 16, including a pair of breakaway stops in extra time.

    It took 34 shots and more than 56 minutes for the Avalanche to solve Dostal. Artturi Lehkonen buried a one-timer on a pass from Brock Nelson with 3:39 remaining in the third period to make this a 1-1 hockey game.

    “I thought we were pretty all over it,” Nelson said. “Didn’t really give them a whole lot. They maybe had one or two little flurries, but I thought we had a fair share of good looks. Just couldn’t get one earlier to kind of crack it and get momentum.”

    While the Avs had a 20-10 lead in shots on goal through two periods, the scoring chances were pretty even. Colorado did pour on the pressure in the third, racking up an 18-3 advantage in scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

    Anaheim nearly stole a late winner in regulation, but after Wedgewood stopped the initial shot, both he and Victor Olofsson dove into the blue paint to keep the puck from crossing the goal line.

    The Avalanche tried out a new-look top line in this contest. Olofsson joined Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas on the first unit. Olofsson also joined the top power-play unit.

    Colorado’s typical top line, MacKinnon between Necas and Lehkonen, has logged the second-most minutes together at 5-on-5 of any forward trio in the NHL this season (460.8 minutes), trailing only Winnipeg’s top unit of Mark Scheifele between Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi (491.9 minutes), per MoneyPuck.

    “I liked (Olofsson) a lot,” Bednar said. “Victor has been playing a real good, solid 200-foot game. He started to chip in a little bit here offensively and I wanted to make a switch.

    “Sometimes it’s just good to change the mix of that top six. I want them all to be able to play with each other at different times.”

    Anaheim scored the lone goal of the opening 40 minutes on a counterattack early in the second period. Sam Malinski tried to poke the puck ahead along the left wall in the offensive zone, but Ducks captain Radko Gudas intercepted it and sent the visitors in the other direction.

    [ad_2]

    Corey Masisak

    Source link

  • Avalanche power play springs to life, leads to 5-3 comeback win against Carolina

    [ad_1]

    RALEIGH, N.C. — If the Colorado Avalanche power play starts to get rolling, look out.

    Already the NHL’s dominant team at even strength and the No. 1-ranked penalty kill entering the day, Colorado’s power play led a dramatic third-period comeback Saturday night. The Avs scored twice in the final period with the man advantage, with a goal from ex-Carolina forward Jack Drury in between, leading to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.

    It was the 10th straight win for the Avs, who are now 31-2-7 after 40 games. The Avs now have two separate 10-game winning streaks this season.

    “It was a great effort,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It would have been easy to pack it in, but I thought our guys, as soon as the puck hit the ice in the third, they were determined.

    “It was great to see our power play capitalize. There was a little frustration early on because of the pressure they put on you. They found a way to stick with it and get better on that unit.”

    RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 03: Brock Nelson #11 of the Colorado Avalanche chases a puck during the third period of a hockey match against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on January 03, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

    Newly-minted Olympian Brock Nelson scored twice. Nathan MacKinnon had an empty-net goal and four points, retaking the league lead from Connor McDavid with 74. Scott Wedgewood made 25 saves in his first start since Mackenzie Blackwood was put on injured reserve Friday.

    Carolina led 3-1 heading into the third period. That lead did not last long.

    Andrei Svechnikov took a tripping penalty 11 seconds into the third period, and the Avalanche power play started the comeback. Nelson tipped a wrist shot from MacKinnon past Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen at 1:09 of the third. It was Nelson’s 17th goal of the season.

    Drury then tied this contest at 3-3 just 33 seconds later. Ross Colton set him up for a shot from the left circle and his seventh goal of the year.

    “Huge goal,” Brent Burns, another former Carolina player returning for the first time since leaving, said. “He just does so many things right, so many hard things right. He’s such a great player, smart player. I try to sit next to him just to get some IQ into my head.”

    Nelson’s 18th of the season and second of the night with the man advantage put Colorado in front at 7:30. It was one of the prettiest goals of the Avs season. It was a tic-tac-toe passing play, with Cale Makar sending the puck to MacKinnon, whose cross-ice slap-pass set up Nelson for an easy one from the right circle.

    This is only the fourth time all season the Avs have scored multiple power-play goals in a game.

    “It’s nice,” Nelson said. “Another different way to win a game for us. It was nice to get a couple and be a big difference maker in a big comeback win on the road against a good team.”

    The power play that led to Nelson’s goal did not come without a cost. Devon Toews crashed into the end boards skates first and left the game. Nikolaj Ehlers was called for tripping on the play.

    Toews was down for an extended period, but did return to the game late in the period. After the game, Bednar said he believes Toews is OK.

    Carolina has been one of the most dangerous offensive teams while killing penalties for years, and the Hurricanes grabbed the lone goal of the first period while shorthanded. Sebastian Aho deflected a MacKinnon pass to Makar, and then got a piece of Makar as he tried to move the puck to Martin Necas.

    Eric Robinson intercepted that pass and sent it to Aho, who had already taken off behind Makar and went in alone for a breakaway goal at 18:09 of the first. That was Aho’s first shorthanded goal of the season, but it was the 37th shot attempt for Carolina with him on the ice on the PK, which is tops among all forwards in the NHL.

    It was also Aho’s 300th career goal. That’s also three shorthanded goals against in seven games.

    [ad_2]

    Corey Masisak

    Source link

  • As Jared Bednar tries new line combos, Avalanche keeps winning

    [ad_1]

    This edition of the Colorado Avalanche has been so consistently good that Jared Bednar, often a tinkerer when he’s looking for a spark, hasn’t needed to turn the line blender on very often.

    After starting 31 consecutive games with the same top line, the Avs’ top trio had a new look Saturday night in a 4-2 win against the Nashville Predators. Well, new to start a game, anyway.

    Bednar moved rookie Gavin Brindley to the top line in the middle of the previous game, a 6-2 thumping of the Florida Panthers. Brindley started a game there for the first time, bumping Martin Necas down to the third line.

    “Awesome,” Brindley said. “Playing with the best, if not one of the best players in the world. Pretty damn cool. I never thought that would come to fruition. Yeah, really cool.”

    NHL’s rash of overtime games needs a solution: Three-point games

    Bednar’s rationale was pretty simple: He liked how Brindley played with Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen the game before, and wanted to see it again. Part of the reason for the switch Thursday against the Panthers was Necas has been playing through an illness, and didn’t love how he was playing.

    It says something about how this season is going for the Avs that Necas still set up a goal and scored one, albeit one that was taken off the board because of an offsides challenge, against Florida.

    There are still 50 games left in this season, but the Avs have steamrolled their way to the top of the NHL standings. They have 53 points in 32 games, which is tied for the third-most in league history at this point.

    Bednar’s philosophy on building lines has a couple of core ideas. If he finds a line he really likes, he will stick with it for long stretches, and will likely to go back to at some point in the future. But, he also likes to tinker, and often says he wants every player to play with everyone over the course of a regular season.

    “It’s definitely a bonus,” MacKinnon said of the flexibility. “We might need different combos eventually. I think it’s good to switch things up sometimes. I thought all four lines played pretty good (Saturday night).”

    The past couple of Avalanche teams have given him good reason to shake up his lineup, either with slow starts to the season or in-season funks. The closet thing this group has had to an adverse stretch was a four-game losing streak that still involved collecting three points (0-1-3).

    So, after 30 overwhelmingly successful games, Bednar did a little tinkering. Brindley’s return to the lineup against Florida led to a few new looks. Ross Colton moved to the middle for the first time all season, centering the third line. Brindley slotted in next to him, playing with the third line for the first time.

    Jack Drury moved down to the fourth line, with Parker Kelly and Joel Kiviranta. A trio of Drury, Kelly and Logan O’Connor became of Bednar’s favorite lines last season, and they had an excellent playoff series against the Dallas Stars.

    Roster construction and O’Connor’s injuries has kept that line apart this year, but Bednar has said they will play together again at some point. And Kiviranta is a pretty similar player to O’Connor.

    Grading The Week: Avalanche need to avoid first-round dogfight vs. Dallas, Quinn Hughes in Stanley Cup Playoffs

    Drury took the demotion in stride against Florida, and then scored Colorado’s second goal against Nashville.

    “It’s easy. It’s part of being a pro,” Drury said before the Nashville game. “I’ve said this before, but there are so many good players (here), it doesn’t really matter who you are going out with. Any forward you go out with is going to be able to make plays and be smart. It’s easy.”

    [ad_2]

    Corey Masisak

    Source link

  • Renck & File: Dre Greenlaw’s body let him down. Then he let down Broncos. Time to change that Sunday

    [ad_1]

    You thought we forgot about Dre?

    Everything Dre Greenlaw brings to a team, we have not yet seen. His leadership, controlled violence and sticky coverage. That was the hype. Eight months later, it is time to examine Greenlaw’s reality in Denver.

    Hmm. Absent or incomplete? Which one fits best?

    First, his body let him down, a quadriceps injury costing him the first six games. Then he let his team down, yelling at official Brad Allen after the walk-off win over the Giants, resulting in a one-game suspension.

    This must change Sunday at Houston. A Broncos upset could hinge on his performance.

    Greenlaw has made an impact behind the scenes, setting an example with his work ethic and daily intensity. But it has not translated to the field, where his season consists of six tackles on 21 snaps against the Giants. Greenlaw showed accountability on Thursday, admitting he should not have put the Broncos in position to play without him because of his outburst. This was an important step.

    Now, the Broncos need the best of Greenlaw moving forward. They are a contender. Whether or not they can win the AFC West or host a playoff matchup hinges on games like Sunday. The Texans are scrambling for a wild-card berth. The Broncos can move 3.5 games ahead of them with a win. After demolishing the hapless Raiders, the Broncos would then host the Chiefs on Nov. 16 in the franchise’s biggest game since Super Bowl 50.

    This will not happen without Greenlaw returning to his 2023 form, without the former star filling the vacuum left by Pat Surtain II’s absence. There is evidence that Greenlaw’s ability remains; that he can instill fear for roughly 45 snaps on Sunday.

    But he cannot talk about it. He has to be about it.

    [ad_2]

    Troy Renck

    Source link

  • Avalanche Journal: Five thoughts on Colorado’s fast, drama-free start

    [ad_1]

    Jared Bednar, an avid angler, likes to compare his hockey team over a long season to a boat.

    He sees it like this: The team builds its identity and what it wants to be over the first part of the season, and then there are aspects that just break during the grind of 82 games — kind of like a well-used fishing vessel. How quickly the club fixes the issues and regains its optimal performance is a big part of a successful campaign.

    The Colorado Avalanche left the dock with a major leak last season. Fixing the boat on the fly was an all-hands-on-deck situation, from the coaching staff to the front office.

    The start of the 2025-26 season has been a complete 180. The Avs were 4-0-1 heading into a Saturday night contest at Ball Arena with the Boston Bruins, and the one blemish might have been the best overall performance considering the foe.

    Colorado’s NHL team is relatively healthy, stable and off to a strong start. The Avs allowed eight goals in the season opener last year. They’ve allowed eight total in the first five contests.

    “Overall, a pretty good start, being able to win hockey games without really having played our best as a team,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “If you can figure out your game as a team while winning, and kind of go through some of those growing pains at the start of the season while racking up some points, I think that’s a positive thing.

    “And I think we are only scratching the surface.”

    Here are some observations from the first five-game segment of this Stanley Cup-or-bust season in Denver.

    1. Nathan MacKinnon is already in Hart Trophy finalist form

    Natural Stat Trick had MacKinnon on the ice for 17 scoring chances in Buffalo. He took 17 shifts in the game. The 2024 league MVP has been on the ice for 49 scoring chances at 5-on-5, which is tied for third among forwards. The two players ahead of him and the one who is even are all on the two-time defending champs, the Florida Panthers, who have also played an extra game.

    The Avs have outscored the opposition 7-0 at even strength with MacKinnon on the ice, 10-0 overall. Those are just some numbers in a small sample size.

    [ad_2]

    Corey Masisak

    Source link

  • Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas look electric together, even if it’s not a finished product

    [ad_1]

    Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas were electric together Saturday night, and the scary part is they think it will get better.

    MacKinnon and Necas each had a goal and three points in a 5-4 shootout loss to the rival Dallas Stars at Ball Arena. It was only Game No. 3 on the schedule, but this will be one of the great contests of the Avs’ 2025-26 regular season, regardless of the end result.

    “That line was really good,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “That was their best game. Game 1, reliable but not super dangerous. Game 2, we all had a rough night. Tonight, they were super dangerous from the get-go.”

    While the Avs have done their best to say and show they have moved on from the Mikko Rantanen saga, this was his first time back in Denver since ending their season in May in cinematic fashion.

    Necas doesn’t want to be Rantanen. The Avs want him to be the best version of himself, not a clone of their former star.

    MacKinnon and his new running mate certainly put on a show Saturday night. The 2024 NHL MVP found Necas for Colorado’s first goal early in the second period with a perfect cross-ice pass.

    Necas collected it at the base of the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot below the crossbar from a tight angle for his third goal of the season. It’s not hard to envision the MacKinnon-to-Rantanen version of that play.

    Rantanen, as a lefthanded shooter, would have had his body turned the opposite direction and may have gone down to one knee while one-timing the puck. Necas, as a righty playing right wing, can’t make that play.

    But, he found his own way to create a highlight-level goal.

    “He’s a dynamic player,” MacKinnon said. “We both play with some pace. I think we’re just trying to figure out how to complement each other more. I think we play a similar style of game. We have the perfect guy with us. (Artturi Lehkonen) is always in the paint, always retrieving pucks. Yeah, it’s been pretty good.

    “He’s looking awesome. Looks strong, seeing the ice well, shooting it well.”

    MacKinnon set up Lehkonen for a tap-in at the edge of the crease on the first shift of the third period. The Avs controlled the puck and the majority of the scoring chances all night. But in a script Colorado fans have seen acted out too many times, Dallas kept finding ways to capitalize against the run of play.

    With the Avs trailing in the third but gifted a four-minute power play, the dynamic duo found a way to make it 4-4. Brent Burns put a shot on net, and the rebound came right to Necas in the slot. He stopped it, flipped to his forehand and sent a pass to MacKinnon in the left circle for a one-timer with 9:14 remaining.

    That was the 11th shot of the night on the power play, and the breakthrough the Avs needed.

    “I thought (the power play) was really good tonight. A lot of great chances,” MacKinnon said. “I know we were getting booed. I guess they don’t know what a good power play looks like. We had a ton of chances, just nothing was going in. Then we finally got one.

    “I guess they’ve got to boo us more.”

    MacKinnon and Necas combined for six points and seven shots on goal. Lehkonen added a goal and four more shots.

    Necas had two Grade-A chances late, including the only shot on goal in the overtime, but Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger robbed him on both.

    “It was a fun game,” MacKinnon said. “The crowd was really into it. We played really well. It was just one of those nights.

    “Hats off to Oettinger. They hung around, did what they had to do to win. It wasn’t a great game last game. I guess that’s the hockey gods, maybe. Maybe we didn’t deserve (to win) last game.”

    [ad_2]

    Corey Masisak

    Source link

  • Carolina Hurricanes reach a 2-year deal with talented offensive forward Martin Necas

    Carolina Hurricanes reach a 2-year deal with talented offensive forward Martin Necas

    [ad_1]

    The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with forward Martin Necas, keeping one of its most skilled offensive players through the 2025-26 season.

    The team announced the deal Monday, providing some roster certainty for the 25-year-old Czech who had been discussed as a trade candidate since the close of Carolina’s sixth straight playoff season.

    “Martin is an immensely skilled player who provides a scoring threat whenever the puck is on his stick,” new general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “He will play a key role in the continued success of our franchise, and we’re excited to have a multi-year contract done.”

    That wasn’t a sure thing for Necas, a first-round pick by Carolina in 2017 who has played with the franchise for his entire career. He was a restricted free agent heading to arbitration and there had been a report out of Europe in which Necas’ father said his son would prefer to be traded.

    Yet a trade never materialized for Necas to head elsewhere.

    Necas had 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games last year, which had followed a breakout 2022-23 season with 28 goals and 43 assists for a team-best 71 points in in 82 regular-season games. He scored four goals in 11 postseason games last season, with the Hurricanes losing to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the second round.

    Necas’ nine overtime goals since the 2020-21 season rank tied for the NHL lead in that span.

    His future had been one of the key questions hanging over the Hurricanes in what has been an offseason of major change. Tulsky took over as GM when Don Waddell left for Columbus; while big names like trade-deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel at forward, and defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce departed in free agency.

    Carolina has been in talks for a deal with another one of its young forwards in Seth Jarvis. The 22-year-old is a restricted free agent who has become a proven contributor, including scoring 33 goals this season and 13 playoff goals in his first three seasons.

    ___

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Aho’s late goal leads Hurricanes past Sharks 2-1

    Aho’s late goal leads Hurricanes past Sharks 2-1

    [ad_1]

    SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sebastian Aho scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:58 remaining in the third period and the Carolina Hurricanes handed the San Jose Sharks their third straight loss to open the season, 2-1 on Friday night.

    Martin Necas scored his second goal in two games for Carolina to tie it late in the second period before Aho won it in the third when he deflected a point shot from Brett Pesce past James Reimer.

    “Just a great play by Pesce taking a little second to look,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Aho beats his guy to the net and on the tape and puts it in. … I think we got what we deserved tonight for sure.”

    Antti Raanta made 18 saves, including one in close to stop Tomas Hertl in the closing seconds as the Hurricanes improved to 2-0 on the season.

    “Obviously a little chaos there and the puck was rolling in the crease there,” Raanta said. “I was just trying to keep my pads on the ice and not letting anything go in. Maybe a little bit of luck also there. Got my body in there and was able to make the save and you hear the buzzer so obviously a good feeling to make that a save and obviously get that win.”

    San Jose had lost the first two games of the season to Nashville in the Czech Republic but were unable to get on the winning side in the home opener for new coach David Quinn.

    Evgeny Svechnikov also scored his first goal for San Jose. James Reimer made 33 saves.

    “You got to find a way to get it done,” Quinn said. “If you’re tired, you have got to find a way to play tired. A lot of times teams are tired in this league, and the teams that manage it and understand how to play when they’re tired, they have a chance to have success in games like tonight.”

    The Sharks opened the scoring late in the first period when Jaycob Megna set up Svechnikov in the high slot for a quick shot that appeared to surprise Raanta.

    Svechnikov’s younger brother, Andrei, was on the ice for Carolina on the goal — marking the first time in eight games they have played against each other that one brother was on the ice when the other scored. Andrei scored for Carolina against Evgeny’s Detroit team on March 4, 2021, but Evgeni wasn’t on the ice.

    “I mean, it’s huge to get it,” Svechnikov said. “You get momentum, just trying to shoot the puck there, and doesn’t matter if it’s any team really. I just try to shoot the puck for a goal.”

    The Hurricanes dominated the second period, holding San Jose without a shot on goal for the first 13:22 and outshooting the Sharks 16-4. But they couldn’t get anything past Reimer until Andrei Svechnikov took the puck away from Kevin Labanc in the neutral zone and set up Necas for the tying goal with 22.9 seconds remaining in the period.

    Necas’ four points in the first two games are one shy of the franchise record set by Mark Howe and Mike Rogers in the 1980-81 season when the team played in Hartford.

    BURNS RETURNS

    The Sharks played a pregame video tribute to defenseman Brent Burns, who was traded to Carolina over the summer. Burns was one of the most popular players during his 11 seasons in San Jose. He won the Norris Trophy in 2017 as the league’s top defenseman. He has 172 goals and 422 assists in 798 games with the Sharks.

    “It was special. It was great,” Burns said. “It was awesome to see the video and see some of the guys and some of those moments that we had. It’s just a special place. It’s great people.”

    INJURY UPDATES

    The Hurricanes sent F Ondrej Kase back home to be evaluated for a possible concussion. … Sharks F Alexander Barabanov remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. … San Jose F Timo Meier and D Mario Ferraro were in the lineup after being slowed earlier this week with upper-body injuries.

    UP NEXT

    Hurricanes: Visit Seattle on Monday night.

    Sharks: Host Chicago on Saturday night. San Jose will honor former GM Doug Wilson in a ceremony before the game. Wilson stepped down last season for medical reasons.

    ———

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Necas helps Hurricanes beat Blue Jackets in opener

    Necas helps Hurricanes beat Blue Jackets in opener

    [ad_1]

    RALEIGH, N.C. — Martin Necas had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 in the season opener for both teams Wednesday night.

    Seth Jarvis, Brady Skjei and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes, who’ve won four consecutive opening games.

    Patrick Laine had the Columbus goal, giving the Blue Jackets a brief second-period lead.

    Frederik Andersen made 31 saves for the Hurricanes.

    Columbus turned to Daniil Tarasov as the surprise opening-night starter because top netminder Elvis Merzilikins was ill. Tarasov, who appeared in his fifth NHL game, made 39 saves.

    The Hurricanes would like to churn out another stellar opening stretch. They won their first nine games last season.

    Necas began his points-producing spree by assisting on Skjei’s go-ahead goal with 1:30 to play in the second period. The Hurricanes were in transition, but Skjei spotted up inside the blueline and Necas delivered a pass back to him to set up the shot.

    Necas then scored 6:29 into the third period off a rebound. Less than three minutes later, he recorded the primary assist on Svechnikov’s goal.

    Laine scored the first goal 11 seconds into the second period following a Carolina turnover. He has 10 goals in 20 career games against Carolina.

    WELCOME THEM ALL

    A few players made debuts with their respective teams.

    Six-time All-Star Johnny Gaudreau was in the Columbus lineup, while defenseman Brent Burns played in his 680th consecutive game – but first for Carolina – to move into sole possession for the 10th longest streak in NHL history.

    Paul Stastny, another veteran in his first game for the Hurricanes, assisted on the team’s fourth goal. He’s beginning his 17th NHL season.

    UP NEXT

    Blue Jackets: Friday night vs. visiting Tampa Bay.

    Hurricanes: Friday night at San Jose to begin a five-game road trip.

    [ad_2]

    Source link