Cory Conacher

Cory Conacher signs with New York Islanders

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By Nick Veronica

After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Buffalo Sabres, Cory Conacher signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders Tuesday on the first day of free agency.

The contract is a one-way deal, meaning Conacher will make his full salary even if he is sent to the minors.

NHL minimum salary for 2014-15, per the collective bargaining agreement, is $550,000.

Conacher, Canisius College’s all-time scoring leader, had three goals and three assists in 19 games with the Sabres after being acquired in March.

Conacher has 18 goals in his two-year career, tied for 2,560th in NHL history.

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Cory Conacher picked up by Buffalo Sabres

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By Nick Veronica | @NickVeroinca

conacherheadshotThe Buffalo Sabres have picked up Canisius grad Cory Conacher, who was waived Tuesday by the Ottawa Senators.

Conacher, a small, hard-working winger, has 20 points in 60 games this season but only four goals, which may have been part of the reason Ottawa let him go. His ice time has declined to 12:18 per game.

Sabres general manager Tim Murray came from Ottawa, so he has first-hand knowledge of what Conacher, 24, can or cannot bring to the club. The Sabres were first in line on the waiver claim list because they are last in the standings.

While Conacher’s scoring is down from last season (he had 11 goals, 18 assists in 47 games last year), he possession numbers are better.

His Corsi For Percentage (or CF%, the percentage of shots taken while he’s on the ice in 5-on-5 situations that are directed at the opponent’s net) is up to 53.2 percent this season, much better than his 46.7 percentage last season. Additionally, Conacher’s PDO (team’s shooting percentage plus save percentage at 5-on-5 while he’s on the ice; league average is theoretically 100.0) stands at 102.1, up from 95.6 a year ago.

The Sabres are Conacher’s third team in two NHL seasons, but the Burlington, Ontario native has to be excited to play for a near-hometown team, even if Ottawa was in the playoff hunt.

Conacher is a on a two-way contract and becomes a restricted free agent after this season. He was the AHL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2011-12.

Conacher starred collegiately for Canisius College — which will play its home games at the Sabres’ HarborCenter beginning next season — and owned nearly every program when he left.

Pretty much anything else you could want to know about Conacher’s NHL career can be found here.

Conacher Watch

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Conacher WatchI started a running list of goalies Cory Conacher has scored on while working for The Griffin. Now that I’m done at TGN, I’m keeping the list going here and beefing it up a little.

Asterisks (*) denote playoff games. Carrots (^) mark game-winning goals. 

Goals & goalies scored on

2013-14

10/5/13: Reimer (video)

2012-13

1/19/13: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals (video)

1/22/13^: Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes (video)

1/29/13: Jose Theodore, Florida Panthers (video)

2/1/13^: Ondrej Pavelec (2), Winnipeg Jets (video, video)

Continue reading →

Conacher adds two assists in second NHL game

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Cory Conacher is dominating the rookie scoring page on NHL.com.

Cory Conacher is dominating the rookie page on NHL.com.

Cory Conacher set up two third-period goals that nearly led Tampa Bay to a wild comeback in an eventual 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders Monday in his second NHL game.

New York jumped ahead with three goals in the second period; the first coming on a man-advantage created by Conacher’s first penalty. After going down 4-0, Tampa responded with three goals in 5 1/2 minutes to set up an entertaining finish.

Martin St. Louis got the Lightning on the board 2:22 into the third with Steven Stamkos and Conacher, the recipient of a favorable scoring decision, getting assists on the play.

That line scored again with 12 minutes to go in the game when Conacher fired a pass across the top of the crease for Stamkos, who put it in to draw the Lightning within one.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher had Conacher out at the end of the game for a chance to tie it with the goalie pulled (though it was only 5-on-5 because they had a penalty), but Tampa couldn’t score and lost its first game of the season.

Conacher had a bump in ice time from his first game, going from 13:50 time on ice to 16:03, including 2:07 on the power play. He was plus-1 with one shot, no hits and no blocked shots.

Conacher now has four points in his first two NHL games (one goal, three assists), putting him first in rookie scoring.

Tampa’s next game is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Carolina.

 

Conacher has goal and assist in NHL debut

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conachertbCanisius grad Cory Conacher had a goal and an assist in his first NHL game Saturday and was named third star while his Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Washington Capitals 6-3.

Wearing jersey No. 89, Conacher played left wing on a line with Vincent Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell. He was plus-1 with two shots on goal in 13 minutes 50 seconds of ice time, including 4:42 on the power play. He was not credited with any hits or blocked shots and did not take a penalty.

Conacher’s goal gave Tampa some late insurance, putting the Lightning up 5-3 with 6:36 left in the game. Continue reading →