McKenna’s Mailbag: Answering questions on how to increase scoring, toughest shooters he’s faced and more

Mike McKenna
Mike McKenna(MikeMcKenna56)
McKenna’s Mailbag: Answering questions on how to increase scoring, toughest shooters he’s faced and more

I like the game as well – teams are averaging almost three goals per game. But there are some things I think the NHL could explore if they really wanted to ramp up scoring. In general, I like tweaks more than revolutionary ideas. I wouldn’t let shorthanded teams ice the puck any longer. Force penalty killers to have a soft touch when clearing the zone. No more get out of jail free cards.

I’d let players have as big of a curve as they want. Right now it’s set at ¾” of an inch maximum curvature. That’s actually gone up from ½” in the past few decades. Why do we even have a maximum curve? Years ago the rule was instituted for safety. Players were putting banana hooks on their blades and the puck was doing crazy things – when it had hardly left the ice previously. But now? Players can do anything they want with the puck. It’s an archaic rule.

I’d also explore making the goal posts oval or triangular in shape. It would expand the scoring space without changing the size of the net. And it would negatively affect the goaltenders’ ability to swivel on their posts while in the RVH post integration.

None of these are drastic. But I do think each would add a handful of goals per season.

Absolutely not. In fact, I think Jeremy Swayman was rushed into full-time NHL duty. He was outstanding during his three years at the University of Maine, where goalie coach Alfie Michaud deserves a lot of credit. Then he played great for nine games with the Providence Bruins – and even better with Boston over 10 starts last season.

This season has been up and down for Swayman, but he’s outplayed goalie partner Linus Ullmark – who’s on a big contract. It’s an interesting situation that feels similar to where Dallas was last year with Jake Oettinger. The Stars elected to send him back to the AHL for more seasoning this season and are currently reaping the benefits. Oettinger has been terrific in limited duty.

If Swayman does end up going to the AHL, it can only help him. He’s already an NHL-caliber goaltender. Playing a bunch of games in a row and carrying the mail in the minors will only help him. That can happen in the AHL. But in the NHL, If Tuukka Rask comes back, Swayman likely won’t get many starts. The bottom line is that Swayman is a tremendous prospect. No matter what Boston does with him, I think he’s going to be just fine.

I don’t know what Rick Bowness did to you, but that is maybe the most negative and vindictive tweet I’ve received for the mailbag. In any case, Dallas has won six straight games. Roope Hintz is crushing it on a line with Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. And the Stars are currently in the Stanley Cup Playoffs sitting third in the Central Division.

The Stars are the oldest team in the league and that’s on Jim Nill. But as far as his coaching hires, I think he’s done a good job. Yes, Lindy Ruff had mixed results. Jim Montgomery looked like a brilliant hire before things went sideways for him off the ice. Nill doesn’t deserve any blame for that. And Bones took the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final, He earned the trust of management and deserved to be rewarded. The only somewhat odd hiring to me was Ken Hitchcock. But I did hear ownership may have had a strong influence on that decision.

Auston Matthews was one of them! I only played a single preseason game against him when I was with Ottawa, but his release was a bear to deal with. He has a slight drag to his wrist shot that changes the angle and makes it hard for a goaltender to catch up with. And it’s a rocket. Matthews might have the best release in hockey.

Others…well…Ilya Kovalchuk lit me up a few times as an Atlanta Thrasher – and in practice when we were teammates with the New Jersey Devils. But my ultimate nemesis? Frank Vatrano. He crushed me when he was with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Then he went to the Florida Panthers and continued to put my game to shame! I think it’s the power of Donut Dip in his hometown of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Best donuts I’ve ever had.

Much like Nico Daws earlier this season, Akira Schmid will only play games for the New Jersey Devils if either Jonathan Bernier or Mackenzie Blackwood aren’t available. And since Daws already received a callup and games, he probably has the inside track.

But Schmid has been impressive for the Utica Comets of the AHL. His numbers are gaudy. But I would also throw caution to the wind: it’s his first season of professional hockey and he played juniors in the USHL last year. It’s a big jump to the AHL and I find it difficult to gauge any goaltender after just eight games pro. But he has won every start. There’s something to be said for that. I like his upside. And Utica has a quality goalie coach in Brian Eklund.

Marc-Andre Fleury is going to go wherever he wants – if anywhere. The Chicago Blackhawks can’t afford another fumble. Even though Flower has a 10-team no trade list, he’s in total control of his own destiny. It would take a miracle for the Blackhawks to climb back into playoff contention, so I expect there will be teams interested in acquiring the reigning Vezina trophy winner. Edmonton comes to mind. Maybe Pittsburgh if Tristan Jarry isn’t available. Fleury has a sizable cap hit at $7 million, so that’s a consideration. It probably puts a team like Toronto out of the mix.

Could the New York Rangers look to add Fleury? If Igor Shesterkin is out long-term, absolutely I could see it. Alexandar Georgiev has had a very disappointing season. It wouldn’t be a tough sell for Flower with former Vegas Golden Knights employees Gerard Gallant and Ryan Reaves already with the Blueshirts. The Rangers aren’t getting much love as a Stanley Cup contender but I wouldn’t count them out.

The biggest question is whether Marc-Andre wants to be traded. Is he willing to leave his family for a few months to chase another Stanley Cup ring? Only he knows that. I think there are very few situations where it would make sense. My gut instinct? Marc-Andre Fleury finishes the season as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Oh it matters. In fact, I wrote an article on that very topic not too long ago.

Manufacturing confidence can be so difficult. Winning helps. Scoring helps. Making saves helps. But I always found the most important factor to being confident on the ice was having fun. I lived by the motto “if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it.”

Any time I wasn’t enjoying hockey, my game suffered. I’d overthink things and double down. I’d practice longer. I’d study more video than normal. I’d look for answers that weren’t necessarily there. Add it up and what does it mean? I was trying too hard.

Some of the best advice I ever got came from former NHL goaltender Ty Conklin. I was struggling at the start of the 2017-18 season and decided to give him a call. About midway through my sob story, Ty cut me off and said “you just gotta go out there and not give a f***.”

That’s a pretty striking statement, but I knew what he meant. I had to stop caring so much and start playing free again. Be willing to take risks. Find the fun in making saves and being part of a winning culture. My technical game was fine. It needed a few tweaks, but mostly I needed an improved outlook. Whenever a player is struggling, that’s my advice. Go out there and play like nothing matters. Trust your training and have fun.

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