Morning Briefing 10/05: Marchand Returns Early and Scores, Cotter's Hot Start Runs on Luck, Gatcomb's 14 Hits

TL;DR

• Brad Marchand returned three weeks ahead of his injury timeline and scored on Florida's top line with Reinhart and Brady Tkachuk.
• Paul Cotter has 4 goals on 7 shots in four games, but his line was out-shot 10 to 0 at even strength in VAN's loss to VGK: lucky so far.
• Josh Morrissey posted 7 shots (vs. 1.9 per game last season) and 2 assists on first-unit power play in WPG's win; S. Skinner stole the game with +2.9 goals better than chances.
• Alexis Lafrenière generated 0.84 expected goals and finished with nothing in NYR's win; I. Shesterkin won with +1.9 goals better than chances.
• Joseph Veleno and O. Bjorkstrand left early in NYR's fourth line; B. Gallagher played 7:34 against a 12.3 average in VAN's loss.
• Joel Farabee took 2:47 of CGY's power-play time (90% of team share, vs. 28% usual) in the loss to SEA.

Marchand returns three weeks early and scores on the top line

FLA · L Brad Marchand was back in Florida's lineup last night, three weeks before the date on the injury report (CBS still lists him on IR with a lower-body injury, out until at least Oct. 25). He played 13:10, 8:47 of it at even strength on the top line with Sam Reinhart and Brady Tkachuk, a trio that led 0.56 to 0.00 in expected goals while together, and scored with Florida's goalie pulled at 18:10 of the third in a 3-2 loss at Anaheim. He added 3 shots and 1:19 of power-play time with Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell. The return was signposted: he skated with the team in San Jose on Sept. 30 while the club said he was rehabbing through October (@JamesonCoop, @Real_Max_Miller), and Paul Maurice hinted the next day that the timeline had moved (@GeorgeRichards). He is 69.3% rostered: if he sits on your IR slot or your bench, he is active now.

Cotter has 4 goals on 7 shots, and his line got buried last night

VAN · L Paul Cotter has 4 goals and 2 assists in four games, and those 4 goals have come on just 7 shots. Last night he scored once on 2 shots in 18:46, 8:06 over his usual 10.7, but his even-strength line with Brock Boeser and Liam Ohgren was out-attempted 15 to 1 and out-shot 10 to 0 in 6:13 together, with 0.00 expected goals for and 1.10 against. That is a 57% shooting run behind a line that is not creating anything. He has been lucky so far; at 28.2% rostered, do not chase the goals.

Morrissey's offense carries Winnipeg past Detroit

WPG · D Josh Morrissey finished with 2 assists and 7 shots on goal (vs. 1.9 per game last season) on 21:33 at even strength with Dylan DeMelo and on first-unit power play (3:00). S. Skinner backstopped the win at 33 saves on 35 shots, +2.9 against expected goals.

Lafrenière's 0.84 xG night ends goalless in Rangers win

NYR · L Alexis Lafrenière played 21:44 with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault and on first-unit power play (4:44), firing 4 shots and generating 0.84 expected goals without a goal. I. Shesterkin earned the win with 28 saves on 30 shots, +1.9 against chances.

Farabee earns expanded power-play role in Calgary

CGY · L Joel Farabee took 2:47 of power-play time (90% of team share, against his 28% usual) on first-unit power play, posting 1 assist on 16:51 and 4 shots. The deployment spike signals a shift in Calgary's power-play structure despite the 1-6 loss to Seattle.

Vegas second-pair pairing controls shot share vs. Canucks

VGK · D Noah Hanifin and Jeremy Lauzon played 12:55 at even strength and dominated at 15 shots for to 6 against (71% shot attempts), generating 0.98 expected goals. VGK won 3-2.

Arvidsson earns first power-play unit minutes in Detroit

DET · L Viktor Arvidsson played 21:24 with Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Emmitt Finnie at even strength and logged 6:38 on first-unit power play (vs. no first-unit time in the opener), posting 1 goal and 3 shots. He generated 3.22 points per 60 in this deployment. Expect him to stay on the top power play when Dylan Larkin returns.

McMann hits 6 shots in Seattle's blowout win

SEA · L Bobby McMann played 15:27 with Chandler Stephenson and Jordan Eberle and scored 1 goal on 6 shots (vs. 2.3 per game last season), with 4 hits and a block. Seattle won 6-1. Through three games he has 2 goals, 12 shots, 7 hits, 4 blocks and a power-play point, so the peripherals are carrying him in banger leagues even before the points catch up. He is 40.7% rostered.

Ekblad sidelined on personal grounds

FLA · D Aaron Ekblad is day-to-day with a personal issue. No other roster impact is disclosed. Per @JamesonCoop: "Forsling is on the ice for warmups. Ekblad is not."

Samoskevich moves to top line in Seattle camp shuffle

SEA · L Mackie Samoskevich shifted to the first line after playing the third line in prior games, per beat report. Kaapo Kakko dropped to the third line with Shane Wright and Berkly Catton.

Gatcomb: 14 hits in three games, a banger pickup

VGK · R Marc Gatcomb has 14 hits in three games, 8 of them in the opener, with 1 goal and 1 assist on 7:30 to 10:30 a night. He is 0.4% rostered on ESPN. The points will not follow at that ice time, but in leagues that count hits he is about as cheap a source as there is.

Top power play, under 30% rostered

Players who took more than half of their team's power-play time and are rostered in under 30% of ESPN leagues, with who they played beside.

Lines that changed in the third

Each team's new even-strength forward lines in the third period (2:30 or more together), beside the lines those players skated on through the first two periods.

Running past career highs

Per-game rates this season at least 1.5 times the player's best season of the last five (40 or more games). Small samples, so treat these as something to watch rather than a new normal.

Ice time outside the usual

Each player against his own usual. Until a player has ten games this season, the comparison is last season.

Categories outside the usual