NHL short takes
October 23, 2016 at 12:35AM
After seeing the Wild light up backup Jeff Zatkoff for five goals last week, you can bet Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi is working the phones looking for a goalie to fill in for Jonathan Quick, sidelined for three months.
There might be a race if Arizona goalie Mike Smith's injury is serious.
While some have speculated the Kings will look at Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec in the minors, Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury or Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop, they each have significant cap hits and the Kings would need cap space retained.
Lombardi might need to look at Florida's Reto Berra or Pittsburgh's Mike Condon.
Hitting home
Blake Wheeler, who once led Breck to a state prep championship, couldn't be more honored to be Winnipeg's captain.
"There aren't many of these jobs out there," said Wheeler, who had a career-high 78 points last season. "I take a lot of pride in being a Winnipeg Jet. … To be looked at as the leader of an NHL team, I'm sure it'll hit home later in life."
'Stupidity'
Benoit Pouliot, the Wild's 2005 first-round pick who's now 30 and playing for Edmonton, was benched the final two periods of the third game after a sixth minor penalty this season.
"I don't want to be out there if I'm penalty killing, blocking shots all the time for him taking stupid penalties," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. "We have some foundation or fabric things we have to continue to fix as an organization, and stupidity is one of them. So don't play, watch. Simple."
about the writer
Kirill Kaprizov had three assists after going two games without much offense and taking a cut to the face.
