Morning Chirps: Another free agent off the market, Avs stifle Wild in Game 4 win

There are plenty of reasons to watch the World Championships, which start at the end of the week. Seven of them, to be exact! Enjoy your Tuesday Morning Chirps.

Blackhawks Chirps

• The Blackhawks have seven players at the upcoming IIHF World Championship after Anton Frondell and Arvid Soderblom were named to Team Sweden. Top draft prospect Ivar Stenberg is also on the team, who will be someone to keep an eye on.

• Justin Lynch says the World Championships experience will hopefully give Frondell a boost heading into the offseason, as it did for Frank Nazar last year.

• Jeremiah Lee is worried that having Kevin Korchinski focus on improving his defense has squelched the offensive ability that made him a high draft pick. Time will tell.

• Be sure you sign up for the Blackhawk Up Newsletter to see what Ryan Greene has to say about Connor Bedard becoming the next team captain.

• On this date in 1985, the Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers 8-6 in Game 4 of the Campbell Conference Final, evening the series at 2-2. Eddie Olczyk scored a shorthanded goal in the first period to become the youngest player since the 1967 expansion to score in a Conference or Stanley Cup Final game. The wild opening frame saw a combined eight goals and 60 penalty minutes. Steve Larmer finished with two goals and an assist, as 15 different Blackhawks recorded a point, including winning goaltender Murray Bannerman.

• In 1990, the Blackhawks were eliminated by the Oilers with an 8-4 loss in Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Final. They scored three of their four goals when the game was already out of reach in the third period.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, May 12: Bob Goldman, Dollard St. Laurent, Dave Christian, Warren Rychel, David Koci, Viktor Tikhonov, and Antti Raanta.

NHL Chirps

• The Colorado Avalanche made a bunch of lineup changes, including switching goaltenders, ahead of Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild. They responded with a masterclass in team defense and used their depth scoring to earn a 5-2 win and take a 3-1 stranglehold on the series. Ross Colton and Parker Kelly scored their first goals of the playoffs in the third period to silence the raucous Minnesota crowd. The game shouldn’t have been that close, but Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt was tremendous in giving his team a chance to win. At 5-on-5, the Wild were held to only 15 shots on goal and 19 scoring chances. They had only seven scoring chances through 40 minutes. Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon was hit in the face with a puck late in the second period and still played over 20 minutes before scoring a late empty-net goal. Colorado gets their first chance to end the series back on home ice Wednesday night.

• Another potential free agent is off the market, as the Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Mark Jankowski to a two-year contract extension worth $3.7 million.

• The NHL Department of Player Safety was busy on Monday. They fined Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj $3,385.42 for punching Sam Carrick at the end of Sunday’s game. They also fined Buffalo Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn $3,585.42 for goaltender interference against Jakub Dobes.

• According to Pierre LeBrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs and special assistant Shane Doan have mutually agreed to part ways. This is not a surprise considering his rocky relationship with new general manager John Chayka from their time together with the Arizona Coyotes. Doan will undoubtedly land another front office job. Smart money is with the Sabres, where his son Josh is budding into a star.

• Elliotte Friedman reported that the Vancouver Canucks offered a promotion to Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who are currently serving as development coaches. It’s not clear what their front office duties will be, but Friedman said they will not be a full-time or general manager role. They recently represented the Canucks at the NHL Draft Lottery, which is probably why they didn’t win it.

• The PWHL postponed Monday’s fifth and deciding game of the semifinal series between the Minnesota Frost and Montreal Victoire due to “player safety concerns related to illness.”

"The decision was made following consultation with medical personnel and in accordance with the league’s commitment to the health and well-being of players, fans, staff, and all those involved in the competition. A rescheduled date for the game will be announced as soon as medical guidance determines it is appropriate to resume play."

PWHL official statement

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, May 12: Johnny Bucyk, Bernie Federko, Richie Dunn, Colton Parayko, Sonny Milano, Samuel Girard, Nick Blankenburg, Akira Schmid, and Zach Benson.

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