SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEFpenguins.nhl.com/v2/ext/media/pdf/03 09 2012.pdf · 2012-03-09 · 618067...

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/9/2012

Anaheim Ducks 617946 Ducks open road trip with 3-1 loss to Blues 617947 Ducks waste another opportunity 617948 Power play costing Ducks 617949 Final: Blues 3, Ducks 1 617950 ST. LOUIS 3, DUCKS 1: Blues take over league lead in points, Ducks postseason hopes getting dimmer Boston Bruins 617951 Krejci leads Bruins past Sabres 3-1 617952 Sabres-Bruins Sums 617953 Final: Bruins 3, Sabres 1 617954 Tonight's Bruins lineup 617955 Benoit Pouliot probable tonight 617956 Game 66: Sabres at Bruins 617957 Lane MacDermid impresses Claude Julien with solid play 617958 Hardworking Gregory Campbell ends frustrating drought 617959 A streak well earned for Bruins 617960 Confidence points way for Jordan Caron 617961 Tim Thomas’ time of need 617962 David Krejci leads Bruins past Sabres 3-1 Buffalo Sabres 617963 Tropp wants to stay put 617964 Sabres, Enroth can't hold off Bruins 617965 Sabres lose but don't lose ground in playoff race; third period continues to be a struggle 617967 Lindy Ruff audio: Sekera out for Sabres, McCormick cleared to play 617968 Optional morning skate for Sabres scheduled to include Enroth 617969 Amerks' Rankin took a long road to AHL Calgary Flames 617970 Johnson: Baertschi jets in just in time for historic return of Winnipeg 617971 Sutter knows exactly what Baertschi’s going through 617972 Game Day: Jets at Flames 617973 Flames' WHL star set to debut on NHL stage 617974 Jets' return northing short of miraculous 617975 Long wait over for Flames, Jets fans 617976 Flames linemate takes Baertschi promotion seriously 617977 Jets game to trigger Tanguay's Nordiques memories 617978 Getting NHL shot 'great experience' Carolina Hurricanes 617979 Sabres streak past Canes Chicago Blackhawks 617980 Hawks' Toews resumes skating, 'closer' to return 617981 Preview: Rangers at Blackhawks 617982 Blackhawks' Toews takes 'big first step' 617983 Jonathan Toews gets back on skates 617984 Blackhawks turn into a streak show 617985 Blackhawks’ Toews returns to ice 617986 Facing an Original Six is always something special Colorado Avalanche 617987 Avs' Duchene out 3-4 weeks with ankle injury 617988 Predators' Yip nicks ex-mates 617989 Avalanche's Matt Duchene will be out 3-4 weeks with ankle injury 617990 Avs' late push not enough in loss at Nashville 617991 Avs' star out 3-4 weeks with ankle injury 617992 Avs can't keep up with rolling Predators

Columbus Blue Jackets 617993 Blue Jackets 3, Kings 1: Spoiler role 617994 Blue Jackets notebook: Broken hand could end Tyutin’s season 617995 Jackets-Kings summary 617996 Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings ... Buckeyes football, Jackets, NFL and more 617997 Jackets top Kings for fourth straight win Dallas Stars 617998 Heika: How the Stars are making a prophet of coach Glen Gulutzan 617999 Brenden Morrow (neck/back) doesn't expect to play Thursday 618000 Stars-Sharks, 7:30 p.m.: San Jose has dominated Dallas this season 618001 Stars keep streaking, find way past San Jose, 4-3, in shootout 618002 Stars' Brenden Morrow reacts to being compared to Yankees' great Derek Jeter 618003 Morrow has 60 percent chance of playing Saturday, Gulutzan says 618004 Gritty win over Sharks says Stars are ready to rule Pacific 618005 Stars make 'gritty statement' with 4-3 win over San Jose 618006 Vincour, Lehtonen lead Stars past Sharks in SO Detroit Red Wings 618007 Detroit Red Wings recall forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids 618008 Banged-up Red Wings hope to get Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk back for trip west 618009 Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk back on the ice 618010 Depleted Wings call up forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids 618011 Red Wings starting to see signs of progress on injury front 618012 Pavel Datsyuk nears return to game 618013 Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk out for weekend, but getting closer; Gustav Nyquist recalled 618014 For Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall, expect the hits to just keep on coming 618015 WINGS NOTEBOOK: Power Play woes come to the forefront 618016 RED WINGS: Lidstrom, Bertuzzi, Howard, Kindl all out for Friday 618017 WINGS NOTEBOOK: Kronwall shouldn't change style, Babcock says Edmonton Oilers 618018 MacKinnon: No gift of a game 618019 Habs beat Oilers in basement battle 618020 Oilers Notebook: Who will coach Team Canada at world’s? 618021 Renney wants to win today and next season 618022 Renney would like new contract, but… 618023 Oilers’ Schultz showing offence 618024 Habs cap Oilers 618025 Oilers' Renney focused on the present 618026 Peckham's absence from Oilers lineup longer than expected 618027 Oilers Vs. Habs: It's on Florida Panthers 618028 Florida Panthers (31-22-12) at Philadelphia Flyers (37-21-7), 7 p.m. (ET) 618029 Bryzgalov leads Flyers over Panthers 5-0 618030 Recap: Philadelphia vs. Florida 618031 Florida Panthers Matt Bradley Still Out, Not Returning in "Foreseeable Future" 618032 Panthers Bounced in Philly as Flyers Roll 5-0 ... Cats' Shutout for Fourth Time in a Month, Have lost Seven of

618033 Florida Panthers shut out by Philadelphia Flyers 618034 Preview: Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m., Friday 618035 Florida Panthers absorb 5-0 beating by high-flying Flyers Los Angeles Kings 618036 Kings fall to Jack Johnson and Blue Jackets, 3-1 618037 COLUMBUS 3, KINGS 1: Ex-King Johnson scores to lead lowly Blue Jackets to victory 618038 Sutter postgame quotes (March 8) 618039 Carter postgame quotes (March 8) 618040 Kopitar postgame quotes (March 8) 618041 Scuderi postgame quotes (March 8) Minnesota Wild 618042 Missed flight means delayed debut for Cuma 618043 Wild to play short? 618044 Heatley scores in shootout to send Wild to 3-2 win over Coyotes 618045 Wild gets a win and a pickle 618046 Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo and GM Chuck Fletcher will return next season 618047 Minnesota Wild scramble to find defenseman for tonight's game 618048 Minnesota Wild record a rare and unlikely win Montreal Canadiens 618049 Montreal Canadiens: Max Pacioretty scores twice in 5-3 win 618050 One year later, Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty shows no ill effects of The Hit Nashville Predators 618051 Nashville Predators beat Colorado Avalanche 4-2 618052 Brandon Yip savors goal, win against former team 618053 Rinne sets franchise record for wins in a season 618054 Lineup changes do little to alter how Predators score goals New Jersey Devils 618055 Kovalchuk Scores 3 to Lead Devils Over Islanders 618056 Devils and Kovalchuk Show Signs of Surging 618057 Coach Pete DeBoer hopes Devils are bitter after last loss to Islanders 618058 Devils' Alexei Ponikarovsky might've played hurt if it had been the playoffs 618059 Light turnout for Devils' optional morning skate 618060 Marek Zidlicky's two assists are his first points for the Devils 618061 Ilya Kovalchuk leads Devils over Islanders, 5-1, with hat trick 618062 Devils-Islanders: As they play 618063 Petr Sykora honored to be Devils' candidate for Masterton Trophy 618064 Zach Parise moves past Bruce Driver on Devils' all-time scoring list 618065 Devils must maintain intensity 618066 Kovalchuk's hat trick leads Devils to 5-1 win over Isles 618067 Ilya Kovalchuk records hat trick in NJ Devils' 5-1 win over NY Islanders 618068 For NJ Devils’ Petr Sykora, 1,000th-game mark makes it a grand return to the ice 618069 Kovalchuk scores 3 to lead Devils over Islanders 618070 Ilya gives Devs ‘trick’ & treat

New York Islanders 618071 Kovalchuk scores 3 to lead Devils over Islanders 618072 Ilya gives Devs ‘trick’ & treat 618073 Islanders don't do enough, lose to Devils New York Rangers 618074 Biron Is Flat as Rangers Find Reason to Worry 618075 Injured in Fight, Rangers’ Dubinsky Is Out for Ottawa Game 618076 Turnovers cost NY Rangers in 4-1 road loss vs. Ottawa Senators, as Pittsburgh Penguins trail by six points 618077 Rangers suffer 2nd straight loss 618078 Rangers’ power play flops again 618079 Rangers lose 4-1 to Senators, on rare 2-game skid 618080 Rangers get hammered by Senators, 4-1 618081 Rangers seek mean streak 618082 Struggling Rangers lose to Senators, 4-1 618083 Sinus pressure bothering Dubinsky NHL 618084 Red Wings GM to make pitch for 3-on-3 extra OT 618085 Canucks aren’t worried, but maybe they should be 618086 Alexander Ovechkin is too predictable: Retired NHLer Ottawa Senators 618087 Scanlan: Wondering what to wish for in a first round matchup 618088 Senators notebook: Bishop’s Lalime link 618089 Senators bury Biron, Rangers 618090 Morning skate update: Bishop to make home debut 618091 Senators prediction panel: Game 69 618092 Banged-up Greening the picture of success 618093 A lock — minus 5.5 per cent 618094 Cheapseats: Lalime helped Bishop pad stats 618095 Sens ride Big Ben past Rangers 618096 Anderson improving, but Bishop to start for Senators Philadelphia Flyers 618097 Voracek out; Jagr a game-time decision 618098 Another defenseman hurt? 618099 Flyers patch together a shutout 618100 Manning's debut a succes as Flyers romp 618101 Brandon Yip savors goal, win against former team 618102 John Smallwood: Flyers rookie Read seems to have broken through the 'wall' 618103 South Philly's entertainment venue Xfinity Live! set to open at sports complex 618104 Another Bryz blank as Flyers rout Panthers 618105 Bryzgalov wins more fans with another gem 618106 Manning an underdog success story 618107 Flyers Pre-Game Scoop: Voracek out for tonight, Jagr possible 618108 Voracek, Jagr sum up Flyers hits: That’s hockey 618109 Flip-flop? Jagr could play vs. Panthers tonight 618110 Injured Timonen back on the ice Thursday 618111 Flyers recall Zolnierczyk, Manning 618112 NHL Wrap: Kovalchuk leads Devils past Isles 618113 Focused Bryzgalov guiding Flyers' hot streak 618114 Flyers blank Panthers to win fourth straight 618115 Kubina out, Manning makes NHL debut 618116 Flyers want 4th seed, even if they meet Pens Phoenix Coyotes 618117 Poor start, anemic power play hurting Coyotes 618118 Coyotes salvage point in shootout loss vs. Wild 618119 Coyotes' Dave Tippett says team isn't playing tight 618120 Coyotes eye chance at a redeeming win vs. Wild Pittsburgh Penguins 618121 Penguins defensemen Michalek, Martin flourishing apart 618122 Malkin? Crosby? Kunitz can't lose on line decision San Jose Sharks 618123 San Jose Sharks fall to Dallas Stars in shootout, 4-3 618124 Vincour, Lehtonen lead Stars past Sharks in SO

618125 Effort improves, but result the same 618126 Sharks-Stars: What to watch for St Louis Blues 618127 Hockey Guy: Blues surge, rivals falter in West 618128 Blues doing better on penalty kills 618129 Blues' win puts them atop NHL standings 618130 Blues beat Anaheim 3-1 618131 Hitchcock: Beware of Blues' upcoming opponents Tampa Bay Lightning 618132 Loss of Garon a turning point in Lightning's season 618133 Syracuse could be new Lightning affiliate 618134 Playoff push stalls as Lightning fall to Capitals, 3-2 618135 Syracuse could be new Lightning affiliate 618136 Tampa Bay Lightning's Dan Lacroix, Nigel Kirwan raise money for fellow assistant Wayne Fleming 618137 Tampa Bay Lightning falls to Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime 618138 Dustin Tokarski will make his first NHL start for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Capitals Toronto Maple Leafs 618139 Maple Leafs’ fall is for the best 618140 Don Cherry and Brian Burke, a couple of divas 618141 Blue Jay Kyle Drabek’s progress parallels ace Ricky Romero 618142 Ashton's debut a busy day 618143 Gustavsson's fatal flaw 618144 It's showtime for Leafs 618145 Both Cherry and MacLean were Burke's targets 618146 Leafs’ Nazem Kadri trying to pick up offensive pace with Marlies Vancouver Canucks 618147 Kesler top gun as a Jet-fighter 618148 Pahlsson's first Canuck goal is a game-winner 618149 Jets’ ascent no surprise to Canucks coach Vigneault 618150 Game Day: Canucks look to bump slump against the Jets 618151 Random quotes following Canucks’ 3-2 win over Jets 618152 Canucks' Pahlsson plays the role of goal-scorer, for one night 618153 Canucks done with slump: optimists; Canucks barely beat road weakling Jets: pessimists 618154 THE PROVIES: From Kesler using his teammates to Ochocinco friending Ovechkin 618155 Pahlsson's first goal for Canucks the difference in win over Jets 618156 Canucks' Andrew Ebbett might return before playoffs 618157 Winnipeg Jets a rousing success on, and off, the ice 618158 Schneider and the Jets 618159 Canucks vs. Jets Gameday 618160 Canucks Hat Trick: Three things to watch for tonight vs. the Jets

Washington Capitals 618161 Capitals must limit league-leading scorer Steven Stamkos 618162 Dale Hunter on Capitals’ game against Tampa Bay: ‘It’s a must win for both teams’ 618163 Tomas Vokoun to start against Tampa Bay 618164 Mike Green still adjusting since return to Capitals’ lineup 618165 Turnovers still an issue for Capitals under Hunter 618166 Mike Green could face supplementary discipline for hit on Lightning winger 618167 Should Mike Green be disciplined for hit on Lightning’s Brett Connolly? 618168 Dale Hunter’s 2nd-intermission speech prompts Capitals’ spirited rally 618169 Ovechkin’s OT goal vs. Lightning gives Capitals something to build on 618170 Lightning’s Steven Stamkos wanted to be more than just a flash in the pan 618171 Lapses are proving costly for Capitals 618172 Ovie scores in overtime Websites 618184 ESPN / 5 Things: You Can Play ads, 2014 Olympics 618185 ESPN / Daily Debate: Full night of statement games 618186 NBCSports.com / Vancouver making plans to avoid another riot 618187 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Darren Eliot>VIEW FROM THE ICE 618188 Sportsnet.ca / Carlyle's system will take time 618189 YAHOO SPORTS / NHL rule reversal: Will GMs backtrack in the name of player safety? Winnipeg Jets 618173 Canucks beat Jets 3-2 618174 Canucks take it up a notch 618175 HIGHLIGHT REEL Canucks 3 / Jets 2 618176 Jets Report 618177 Thanks for the memories 618178 Jets' resurrection gets attention 618179 Jets snapshots: Third-period struggles resurface 618180 Bobblehead of Jets Kane a popular souvenir 618181 Jets fall from playoff spot 618182 Maturing Jets grow into contenders 618183 Burrows hopes Jets get a point

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 617946 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks open road trip with 3-1 loss to Blues

St. Louis goalie Jaroslav Halak makes 24 saves as the Ducks' gloomy postseason aspirations suffer another setback.

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Jaroslav Halak couldn't wait to open the newspaper in the morning.

He made 24 saves and posted a career-best seventh straight win to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night. The Blues have a league-leading 93 points, marking the first time they have led the NHL in points this late in the season since March 9, 2000.

"It's always nice to look at the standings when you are first," Halak said. "More fun that way. This was important for us."

David Backes scored twice and Patrik Berglund had the go-ahead goal for the Blues, who improved to a league-best 28-4-4 at home with their seventh win in eight games.

St. Louis is 20-1-3 in its last 24 home games, and Halak is one of the reasons the Blues have the most points in the NHL. They lead Vancouver by three points in the Western Conference and hold a two-point lead over the New York Rangers in the battle for the President's Trophy.

Halak has a 1.40 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage during his 7-0 run. He has stopped 167 of 177 shots in the last seven games. Halak also won six successive games from Jan. 3-21.

"I'm just trying to have fun out there and keep the guys in the game," Halak said. "It's always great to win a few games in a row. It's a team effort. I wouldn't be able to do it without the guys."

The Blues were 30th and last in the NHL after the 2005-06 season, which has made their climb to the top even more enjoyable.

"This feels good," forward David Perron said. "It's a lot different from five years ago. We're enjoying this, but there's still a lot more work to be done."

Perron added two assists against Anaheim.

"It's an accomplishment and it shows that we've come a long way," defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "It's exciting, especially given everything we've gone through to get to this point with a couple [bad] years that we had there."

Berglund broke a 14-game scoring drought with the winner.

Halak, who improved to 23-10-5, has triggered the rise to the top. His last loss was a 2-1 setback at Columbus on Feb. 14.

"We're not the most talented team in the National Hockey League," Coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We just find ways to win. That's what this team is about."

The Blues used third-period goals from Berglund and Backes in a span of 2:01 to break a 1-1 tie. Berglund gave his club a 2-1 lead at 4:47 of the third period. He scored from in front of the net off a pass from Andy McDonald, who has 12 points in his last 14 games.

Backes then pushed the lead to 3-1 just over two minutes later with his team-high 21st goal of the season.

Corey Perry scored his 34th of the season for the Ducks, who kicked off a three-game trip. He converted on a wrist shot from the face-off circle at 4:18 of the second period for his 11th goal in the last 14 games.

Backes tied it at 1 with a power-play goal midway through the second period. He deflected in a shot by Perron.

The Blues killed off their 35th successive power play in the third period. They have not allowed a power-play goal in the last 12 games.

St. Louis converted on two of four power-play chances and killed off three penalties.

"Five on five, we were just as good as they were," Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "But the special teams, which have been our Achilles' heel for the last month, snuck up on us again and killed us."

The Ducks' Jonas Hiller made 24 saves in his franchise-record 27th successive start.

"I felt pretty good, but it wasn't good enough tonight," Hiller said. "We lost the special-teams battle again and we lost the game again. We took too many penalties."

LA Times: LOADED: 03.09.2012

617947 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks waste another opportunity

By ERIC STEPHENS

ST. LOUIS – The scores coming in around the league gave the Ducks all the help they needed Thursday night. The problem was they didn't help themselves.

A playoff push that was once valiant is losing steam. The Ducks' 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center represented another opportunity to gain any ground that slipped away as teams above them also lost.

It was a tall task for sure to defeat a team that improved to 28-4-4 at home and leads the NHL with 93 points. However, the Ducks, who are seven

points out of a playoff spot, have to stretch victories together regardless of who they play.

Teemu Selanne said he doesn't believe they're running out of chances, but if they lose to Dallas and Colorado to finish this trip. ...

"Obviously the next two are going to be the biggest games of the season," Selanne said. "We all know that. We all know what the number is going to be to make the playoffs and how many we can lose and how many we got to win. But we keep fighting."

Not only did the ninth-place Kings lose, but 10th-place Colorado fell while Phoenix (seventh) and San Jose (eighth) managed only a point with shootout losses. Corey Perry provided hope for the Ducks in the second with his 12th goal in 16 games.

But that was it against Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, who made 24 saves. David Backes scored on a deflection on the power play to tie it before the game changed early in the third.

The Ducks did nothing with their first man advantage. Less than two minutes after erasing B.J. Crombeen's hooking penalty, St. Louis took the lead when Patrik Berglund converted an Andy McDonald pass at 4:47 of the third.

Backes then delivered again, adding the Blues' second power-play goal with another deflection as the big forward screened goalie Jonas Hiller. The Ducks failed on three chances.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Power play costing Ducks

By ERIC STEPHENS / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ST. LOUIS – Every hockey team knows that success on the power play can be fleeting, but it is costing the Ducks games this season after they used it to win key games in their successful playoff push a year ago.

Only Vancouver and San Jose had a better power play than the Ducks in 2010-11, and the same personnel largely is still in place on units that clicked at an efficient 23.5 percent.

It makes the current numbers embarrassing in comparison. The Ducks are 18th in the NHL at just 16.4 percent after failing to score on three third-period opportunities in a 3-1 loss to St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at Scottrade Center.

Players and coaches said they didn't believe they lost momentum when they failed to break a 1-1 tie early in the third period with their first power play of the night, but they certainly didn't gain any.

"We were getting shots but we weren't recovering pucks," captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "It was kind of that one and out. And that makes it hard.

"You need to sustain pressure in the offensive zone if you want to score in this league. We weren't able to do that."

The white-hot Blues, who lead the NHL with 93 points, not only got the tiebreaking goal less than two minutes after killing off B.J. Crombeen's hooking penalty, but their other two scores came on power-play deflections by captain David Backes.

"We've got to have a better response after that," Getzlaf said. "We can't allow them to come down the ice and score a goal right after. We lost the special teams battle again tonight. It's the difference in the game."

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau concurred.

"Five-on-five, we were just as good as they were," Boudreau said. "But our special teams, which have been our Achilles' heel for the last month, snuck up on us again and killed us. We're sort of at a little bit of a loss there.

"Same guys doing mostly the same things. I know goals are down and power plays are down for the most part. Perplexing is a good word."

Teemu Selanne offered up his theory for what is going wrong in that area of the game, calling the lack of success frustrating because it has been the team's "bread and butter" for five or six seasons.

"Obviously it's confidence and making the right decisions when its time to shoot and when it's time to pass," Selanne said "We're just making poor decisions. The puck recoveries are not good enough. We're too far apart. We don't get those pucks back right away.

"So we have to fix that. Really quickly if we want to make the playoffs. Because if we don't do that, I don't care who you are, you can't succeed as a team if you're losing your special teams every night."

BONINO INJURED

Center Nick Bonino left the game early in the second period because of a lower-body injury that could be his knee after he was on the receiving end of a hit.

Boudreau said Bonino will be re-evaluated to determine the seriousness of the injury.

"We'll know more in the morning," the coach said. "It looks like he got hit in his knee or his thigh or something.

"You could see it on the replay ... somewhere in the lower body."

HILLER OK

Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller said he was "a little sore" but reported himself fine after taking some time to flex his right leg when he was clipped by a falling Backes near the crease.

But after taking another hit to their barely flickering playoff hopes, Hiller said: "But I think the heart hurts more right now than the actual leg."



Final: Blues 3, Ducks 1

March 8th, 2012, 7:25 pm · · posted by JEFF MILLER, OCREGISTER.COM

Patrik Berglund scored early in the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie as St. Louis eventually dropped the Ducks, 3-1.

The loss, in the opener of a 3-game trip, left the Ducks with 68 points with 14 games to go. They also lost after having a lead.

The Ducks took a 1-0 edge on Corey Perry‘s 34th goal of the season, coming at 4:18 of the second period. Matt Beleskey and Ryan Getzlaf assisted as Perry scored for the 11th time in his past 14 games.

The Blues tied the score, 1-1, slightly more than seven minutes later. David Backes beat Jonas Hiller on the power play.

The game remained knotted into the third period. After Berglund made if 2-1 at 4:47, Backes scored again at 6:48.

St. Louis improved to 35-0 this season when scoring at least three goals.

The Ducks are back in action at 5 p.m. Saturday at Dallas. Their 3-game trip concludes Monday night in Colorado.



ST. LOUIS 3, DUCKS 1: Blues take over league lead in points, Ducks postseason hopes getting dimmer

By The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS - Jaroslav Halak couldn't wait to open the newspaper in the morning.

He made 24 saves and posted a career-best seventh straight win to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night. The Blues have a league-leading 93 points, marking the first time they have led the NHL in points this late in the season since March 9, 2000.

"It's always nice to look at the standings when you are first," Halak said. "More fun that way. This was important for us."

David Backes scored twice and Patrik Berglund had the go-ahead goal for the Blues, who improved to a league-best 28-4-4 at home with their seventh win in eight games.

St. Louis is 20-1-3 in its last 24 home games, and Halak is one of the reasons the Blues have the most points in the NHL. They lead Vancouver by three points in the Western Conference and hold a two-point lead over the New York Rangers in the battle for the President's Trophy.

Halak sports a 1.40 goals against average and a .943 save percentage during his 7-0 run.

He has stopped 167 of 177 shots in the last seven games. Halak also won six successive games from Jan. 3-21.

"I'm just trying to have fun out there and keep the guys in the game," Halak said. "It's always great to win a few games in a row. It's a team effort. I wouldn't be able to do it without the guys."

The Blues were 30 th and last in the NHL after the 2005-06 season, which has made their climb to the top even

more enjoyable.

"This feels good," forward David Perron said. "It's a lot different from five years ago.

We're enjoying this, but there's still a lot more work to be done."

Perron added two assists against Anaheim.

"It's an accomplishment and it shows that we've come a long way," defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "It's exciting, especially given everything we've gone through to get to this point with a couple (bad) years that we had there."

Berglund broke a 14-game scoring drought with the winner.

Halak, who improved to 23-10-5, has triggered the rise to the top. His last loss was a 2-1 setback at Columbus on Feb. 14.

"We're not the most talented team in the National Hockey League," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We just find ways to win. That's what this team is about."

The Blues used third-period goals from Berglund and Backes in a span of 2:01 to break a 1-1 tie. Berglund gave his club a 2-1 lead at 4:47 of the third period. He scored from in front of the net off a pass from Andy McDonald, who has 12 points in his last 14 games.

Backes then pushed the lead to 3-1 just over two minutes later with his team-high 21 st goal of the season.

Corey Perry scored his 34 th of the season for the Ducks, who kicked off a three-game road trip. He converted on wrist shot from the face-off circle at 4:18 of the second period for his 11 th goal in the last 14 games.

Backes tied it at 1 with a power-play goal midway through the second period. He deflected in a shot by Perron.

The Blues killed off their 35 th successive power play in the third period. They have not allowed a power-play goal in the last 12 games.

St. Louis converted on two of four power-play chances and killed off three penalties.

"Five-on-five, we were just as good as they were," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "But the special teams, which have been our Achilles heel for the last month, snuck up on us again and killed us."

Anaheim's Jonas Hiller made 24 saves in his franchise-record 27 th successive start.

"I felt pretty good, but it wasn't good enough tonight," Hiller said. "We lost the special teams battle again and we lost the game again. We took too many penalties."

Also ...

St. Louis has a league-leading 46 points since Jan. 1. ... The Blues are 35-0 when scoring at least three goals. ... Anaheim C Nick Bonino suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return. "We'll see how he is tomorrow," Boudreau said. ... Anaheim has scored two goals or less in the last nine road games. ... St. Louis had a 6-7 record when Ken Hitchcock took over for Davis Payne on Nov. 6. ... Boudreau is 22-16-6 since taking over for Randy Carlyle on Nov. 30.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.09.2012

617951 Boston Bruins

Krejci leads Bruins past Sabres 3-1

Staff Report

BOSTON—The Bruins didn't have to be -- or want to be -- told how long it had been since they'd won two games in a row.

"January-something, I know that," Tyler Seguin said. "I knew it was too long."

David Krejci scored for the fifth time in the last five games and Boston won consecutive games for the first time in almost two months with a 3-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Defenseman Johnny Boychuk broke a 1-1 tie at 12:56 of the third period and Krejci scored 2:58 later to make it 3-1.

The Bruins, who won at Toronto Tuesday night, last won two in a row since Jan. 10 and 12. It was the 11th time the Bruins had tried for two in a row since then.

"We've been obviously battling for consistency," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Even though this is our first back-to-back win in a long time, I was encouraged by our play in New York (a 4-3 loss to the Rangers Sunday) and it just kept coming along, in the next game, obviously winning and then tonight again we had a pretty decent effort.

".When you've got the amount of injuries that you have, you take every win for what they are and tonight was a good win for us."

The loss was the second in the last three games for the Sabres, who are battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Sabres almost pulled out a point with backup Jhomas Enroth in goal for the first time since Feb. 12, as Ryan Miller got the night off after 10 straight starts. They lost for the second time in their last three games.

I think it is a good example and shows you why they are where they are at right now, and where we're at," Buffalo captain Jason Pominville said. "They stuck with it, they were patient and they didn't really give up much."

Pominville scored in the first period and Boston's Gregory Campbell tied it in the second.

Tim Thomas made 19 saves for Boston.

With the game tied 1-1, Boychuk stepped into a loose puck after a sliding Jordon Leopold broke up Jordan Caron pass. Boychuk blasted his fourth goal of the season past Buffalo goalie Jhonas Enroth, making his first start since Feb. 16.

Caron's assist on the goal gave him six points in his last three games.

Krejci has been Boston's best scorer since joining a line with wingers Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic. All three players have at least one point in each of the five games and the line has 20 points (10 goals). It was Krejci's sixth goal in the last seven games, his 18th of the season.

Pominville walked down the right side on a 2-on-1 but Thomas had a clear view of his slap shot the hit the top of the net. It was the 25th goal of the season for Buffalo captain, the third time in his career he has scored 25, but the first time since 2007-08.

The Bruins ran up a 13-6 shots advantage in the first period but didn't score until the final minutes of the second.

Christian Ehrhoff's pass in the defensive zone hit the skate of teammate Cody Hodgson and headed out to the blue line. Shawn Thornton stepped right into the puck and his shot was deflected out of midair by Campbell and Enroth at 18:09.

The goal was reviewed but stood. For Campbell, it was his seventh goal of the season, first in 20 games.

It came just over five minutes after a shot by defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, beat Enroth and slammed off the goal post to Enroth's left. It came right out into the crease and the goalie covered it with his glove.

"I wasn't quite sure of the exact date (of the last two-game winning streak) but I know, we all knew, that it's been quite a while," Campbell said. "As we approach the playoffs you're not going to find yourself going very far if you're winning one, losing one so that's where the consistent factor comes in."

NOTES: Boston's Brad Marchand, nailed by a clean check from Tyler Myers late in the game, appeared to injure his right shoulder or arm and didn't' play again, but Julien said he didn't play because of game circumstances and that Marchand was "ready to go." ... New Boston backup goalie Mary Turco, who cleared waivers to return to the NHL Wednesday, dressed as Thomas' backup. Turco was signed for the rest of the season because of the injury to Tuukka Rask. . The Bruins wished a happy 94th birthday to former coach Milt Schmidt.

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.09.2012


Sabres-Bruins Sums

Buffalo 1 0 0--1

Boston 0 1 2--3

First Period--1, Buffalo, Pominville 25 (Vanek), 16:39. Penalties--Stafford, Buf (hooking), 10:07 Caron, Bos (hooking), 18:16.

Second Period--2, Boston, Campbell 7 (Thornton), 18:09. Penalties--None.

Third Period--3, Boston, J.Boychuk 4 (Caron), 12:56. 4, Boston, Krejci 18 (Lucic, Seguin), 15:54. Penalties--None.

Shots on Goal--Buffalo 6-8-6--20. Boston 13-9-6--28.

Power-play opportunities--Buffalo 0 of 1 Boston 0 of 1.

Goalies--Buffalo, Enroth 8-11-3 (28 shots-25 saves). Boston, Thomas 29-15-0 (20-19).

A--17,565 (17,565). T--2:20.

Referees--Ian Walsh, Tim Peel. Linesmen--Derek Amell, Anthony Sericolo.

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.09.2012


Final: Bruins 3, Sabres 1

March 08, 2012|Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

All done in Boston. Back-to-back wins for Bruins for first time in almost two months.

17:53 3d period: Bruins 3-1

Fourth line caught in own zone. Timeout Bruins.


David Krejci takes a pass from Milan Lucic, goes hard to the net, scores upstairs on Jhonas Enroth. Good speed all the way up the ice for Lucic and Krejci. That might be curtains for Sabres.


Brad Marchand in pain. Belted by Tyler Myers into the wall.


Johnny Boychuk with the laser from the right point. What a bomb. First lead for the Bruins. Terrific wall work by Jordan Caron to get the puck going the other way.

10:23 3d period: 1-1

Ten-bell save by Jhonas Enroth on Chris Kelly. Right in front. Kick save after nice Adam McQuaid pass.

9:34 3d period: 1-1

Johnny Boychuk flattens Thomas Vanek. Boychuk hasn’t let up since getting run over by Chris Neil.

2:16 3d period: 1-1

Good shot from slot by Lane MacDermid. Hasn’t looked out of place in three games.

20:00 2d period: 1-1

Very important for Bruins not to be behind after 40 minutes. Bruins with 22-14 shot advantage.

18:09 2d period: 1-1

Gregory Campbell tips Shawn Thornton blast past Jhonas Enroth. Christian Ehrhoff pass skitters off Cody Hogdson’s skate in defensive zone. Thornton jumps on puck and lets one rip.

16:05 2d period: Sabres 1-0

Jordan Caron takes a shift in Brian Rolston’s spot on No. 2 line. Rolston now on third line.


Closest chance yet. Dennis Seidenberg rips a slapper off the right post.


Tyler Seguin in with speed. Jhonas Enroth with the big pad stop. Excellent pass by Joe Corvo to spring Seguin.


Couple good scoring chances so far in second for Bruins. Jhonas Enroth flawless so far.

20:00 1st period: Sabres 1-0

Bruins chasing the game once again. Good shot by Jason Pominville. But a locked-in Tim Thomas stops that shot.

16:39 1st period: Sabres 1-0

Jason Pominville breaking down right wing with speed. Rips a slapper over Tim Thomas’s glove. Good middle drive by Derek Roy.

14:58 1st period: 0-0

Good pace to the game. Bruins getting their sniffs on Jhonas Enroth. Shots 11-4.

10:07 1st period: 0-0

First PP of night. Hooking on Drew Stafford, trying to hold up Milan Lucic driving to net.

4:00 1st period: 0-0

Somewhat surprising Greg Zanon scratched. But Zanon’s best game was his first. Has slipped in every game.

0:00 1st period: 0-0

Benoit Pouliot in. Max Sauve reassigned to Providence. Greg Zanon out. Mike Mottau in.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.09.2012


Tonight's Bruins lineup


Based on pregame warmups:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin

Brian Rolston- Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand

Max Sauve-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron

Lane MacDermid-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk

Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo

Greg Zanon-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas

Marty Turco

Jhonas Enroth (8-10-3, 2.68 GAA, .917 save percentage) will start in goal for the Sabres.



Benoit Pouliot probable tonight


Benoit Pouliot will most likely be in the lineup against Buffalo. Claude Julien said Pouliot was looking good after an optional morning skate. Pouliot missed all of Tuesday’s third period against Toronto because of a lower-body injury.

Andrew Ference and Daniel Paille will not play.



Game 66: Sabres at Bruins


Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will face off against the Sabres. The Bruins are gunning for back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly two months. Buffalo is coming off a 3-2 overtime win over Carolina.

Tim Thomas should get the start in goal. Marty Turco will be his backup.

Benoit Pouliot (lower body) might not be available. If Pouliot can’t play, Max Sauve will be in the lineup. Daniel Paille (upper body) and Andrew Ference (lower body) are likely out.

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Sabres 31-28-8, Bruins 39-23-3

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin

Brian Rolston- Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand

Max Sauve-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron

Lane MacDermid-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk

Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo

Greg Zanon-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas

Marty Turco

Healthy scratches: Mike Mottau

Storylines: Paille, Ference, and Pouliot skated prior to an optional morning skate today. They are all day-to-day… This will be the Bruins’ first look at Buffalo with Cody Hodgson and without Paul Gaustad and Zack Kassian. Life should be easier for Patrice Bergeron, who often found himself squaring off against Gaustad in the faceoff circle… Ryan Miller is back to his ace form. Miller is 7-1-1 with a 1.65 GAA and a .949 save percentage in his last nine starts. Doubtful Miller will be traded during the offseason… Ian Walsh and Tim Peel will be the referees. Derek Amell and Tony Sericolo will be the linesmen.



Lane MacDermid impresses Claude Julien with solid play

By Steve Conroy / Bruins Notebook | Friday, March 9, 2012 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

With the exception of the No. 64 he wears on his back, rookie Lane MacDermid has not really stuck out in the two NHL games he’d played going into last night contest’s against the Sabres, with the exception of the fight he had against the Rangers’ Mike Rupp on his first shift.

But for his role on the fourth line (Rule No. 1: don’t get scored on), that’s not such a bad thing. And while he may be headed back to Providence when there are enough healthy bodies in Boston, MacDermid is showing that he just might have a future in an NHL lineup.

“I’ve just tried to keep it simple and play well defensively, not give up many chances against and try and get in there on the forecheck. I’ve just tried to play my game,” said MacDermid yesterday morning.

MacDermid continued his solid play last night at the Garden, seeing 12:54 in ice time and getting two shots on net on a good night for the fourth line in the 3-1 win.

B’s coach Claude Julien likes the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder’s ruggedness, and to Julien he’s shown a hockey awareness that is not surprising coming from a player whose father Paul played 690 games in the NHL.

“What I like about those kinds of guys is that they’re pretty tough individuals, but they can play. I think that’s always important,” said Julien. “Obviously he has some good genes, and he obviously has some hockey sense. You watch him play— he finishes his checks well, he plays a big, tough grinding-type game — but he also plays a smart game. When it’s time to back check or be the third man, he reads the play well.

(He’s) certainly not a liability out there, and right now what I’ve appreciated in him is that he’s come in and not played on his heels. He’s just gone out there and played hard and seems to have a lot of confidence.”

Getting ready

Newly acquired goalie Marty Turco was back at it yesterday morning, working on his game during the optional skate. He said that, despite the fact that he flew from Austria to Toronto to Boston on Tuesday, he’s not feeling the least bit sluggish.

To the contrary, he said he’s had to relax a bit when he’s been on the ice.

“(Yesterday) was even better than (Wednesday), and I assume I’ll get better every day,” said Turco. “I’m also getting to the point where — after talking to (goalie coach) Bob (Essensa) — I’ve got to settle down. You get excited and you want to do something. But the job description says that you actually have to wait for the puck to come to you. You can’t make it happen.”

Turco is at a stage where Julien wouldn’t hesitate to play him in a pinch, but the coach said he’s still playing it by ear on when he’ll give Turco his first start.

Slight changes

Julien tweaked his lines a bit midgame last night, moving the hot Jordan Caron up to the Patrice Bergeron-Marchand line and Brian Rolston to the Chris Kelly-Benoit Pouliot combo.

“I felt like somewhere along the way, we needed a little bit more offense. And since (Caron has) been going well, I wanted to see what that was going to give us,” said Julien. “And Rolly I thought was really good with that line of Kelly and Pouliot, just some stability there as well -— a little bit more experience on that line, and just the switch seemed to be more of a fit for tonight.” . . .

Andrew Ference (lower body) and Paille (upper body) skated again yesterday morning, but they weren’t ready for action last night. With Pouliot (lower body) ready to go, Max Sauve was sent back to Providence. . . .

Greg Zanon was scratched for Mike Mottau, who played 14:06.



Hardworking Gregory Campbell ends frustrating drought

By Stephen Harris / Bruins Beat | Friday, March 9, 2012 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

As a classic fourth-line center — and one of the best in the NHL — Gregory Campbell has myriad responsibilities other than scoring goals.

Still, when a guy as proud and competitive as Campbell goes 19 games without one, it’s tough to take.

So last night, when Campbell finally put a puck in the net, tipping in a Shawn Thornton shot to tie the game against the Buffalo Sabres late in the second period, the last thing he wanted was a video review to determine if his stick was too high.

“We were joking,” said Thornton, “that if it got called back, we both might retire.”

That wasn’t necesssary, as referee Ian Walsh signaled a good goal, and the Bruins controlled momentum the rest of the way in a strong 3-1 victory at the Garden.

“It’s been a challenge for us to score this year,” Campbell said. “We’ve been working really hard to get chances. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t.

“Scoring goals, it’s a nice feeling. We know we have a lot of other jobs where we have to contribute. But it’s always nice to get rewarded.”

Despite outplaying the Sabres most of the night, the Bruins didn’t get a lot of fortunate bounces — at least not until Campbell tied the game at 1 with 1:51 left in the second period.

As a member of the B’s fourth line, which played a key role in last year’s Stanley Cup run, Campbell’s No. 1 priority is to do nothing that hurts the team. That means getting pucks deep into the offensive zone and working like crazy to keep them there.

“He’s very responsible defensively,” Thornton said. “I’ve said it for the last year and a half: He’s a pleasure for me to play with. Yes, he’s been frustrated; we all have. We work our (butts) off, and sometimes we don’t get rewarded for it. (Last night) we did, and hopefully it’ll start going in a little more often.”

So many times during the last two seasons, Campbell, Thornton and Daniel Paille (who was temporarily replaced by Lane MacDermid) actually have set the tone and established momentum for the B’s with their high-energy assaults.

It happened again last night after Buffalo defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, a member of the Stanley Cup runner-up Vancouver Canucks last season, was trying to break the puck out of his end. But he was pressured by Campbell, and his pass from the left circle, aimed at rookie Cody Hodgson in mid-zone, bounced away — and directly to Thornton high in the zone. Thornton wasted no time bombing a slapper toward the net.

Campbell, cutting across the zone from right to left, reached up and put a deft little tip on the puck, sending it high past goalie Jhonas Enroth. It looked like a legal tip all the way and video review in Toronto confirmed it was, giving Campbell his first goal since Jan. 22.

“I saw him breaking toward the net but I wasn’t shooting for a tip,” Thornton said. “It was probably going only 78 miles an hour. That’s as hard as I can shoot it. So it probably wasn’t too hard for him to touch it.”

It was a great relief for Campbell finally to net his seventh goal of the season, a drop-off from his career high-tying 13 in 2010-11.

“I don’t think disappointing was the right word,” he said. “I guess (it was) frustrating at times. I like to contribute. The success of a team often comes from its depth. Not that the coaching staff puts pressure on us to score. But it’s always a complement if you get secondary scoring.

“We’ve been trying to do the right things, trying to create chances and put the puck in. Sometimes things are just out of your control.”

Even last night, when they had to wait and see if the video guys in Toronto might, somehow, take this one away.



A streak well earned for Bruins

Make it 2 in row

By Steve Conroy | Friday, March 9, 2012 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

It was an unseasonably warm day in Boston yesterday, but at the Garden last night it felt more like November and December for the Bruins.

The B’s rolled four lines, forced their own breaks, got stronger as the game progressed and scored three unanswered goals to pound out a 3-1 victory over the surging Buffalo Sabres.

And, lo and behold, the B’s victory gave them their first consecutive wins since Jan. 10 and 12.

“We’ve been playing real well the last couple of games and stringing a couple of wins here was critical for us,” said defenseman Johnny Boychuk.

Boychuk played a big part in the gritty win. On the negative side, he had a shot blocked that went the other way for a Jason Pominville goal late in the first period. But he more than made up for it. With the score tied 1-1 in the period, he crunched Thomas Vanek with a bruising hit at the offensive blue line (Vanek eventually left with an upper body injury). That appeared to raise the B’s already high energy level.

And with 7:04 remaining in the game, he made sure no one blocked his shot this time. Jordan Caron tried to send a pass into the slot, but Jordan Leopold got a stick on it, leaving a tempting puck around the right circle. Boychuk stepped into the shot and pulverized it over Jhonas Enroth’s glove arm for the game-winner.

“It was a scramble play and I saw the puck coming through,” said Boychuk, who snapped a 39-game goal drought. “I just decided ‘I’ll go down and try to rip it home.’ ”

David Krejci then put it away with 4:06 left. Zdeno Chara skated the puck away from some dangerous activity in the defensive zone and dished it up to Tyler Seguin, who in turn sent Milan Lucic away on a 2-on-1 with Krejci. After taking Lucic’s feed, Krejci roofed it over Enroth.

Still, the B’s cannot seem to shake the Ottawa Senators, who remain three points back (though the B’s have three games in hand) in the Northeast Division after their victory over the Rangers last night.

But the Bruins have been feeling better about their game lately, and now they’ve got the results to go along with it.

“It’s been a long time, we finally got it,” said Krejci of the consecutive wins. “It feels good, I think we deserved it. We’ve played well in the last few games. Even in some of our losses, we played well. But if you play the

same way, then the wins are going to come. We got two in a row so it feels pretty good.”

The Sabres were playing the back end of back-to-back games and, with red-hot Ryan Miller having started 20 straight games, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff went with Enroth. He was no pushover.

But B’s coach Claude Julien figured the Sabres would be low on gas and decided to use his fourth line a lot. And it paid it off as the line got the B’s back in the game.

Trailing 1-0 with time running out in the second and frustration just around the corner, the B’s tied it at 18:09. On the forecheck, Gregory Campbell rushed Christian Ehrhoff’s pass and it bounced off Cody Hodgson’s right to Shawn Thornton in the high slot. Thornton fired away and Campbell tipped it past Enroth’s glove.

“Those guys work so hard, you like to see them get rewarded once in a while,” said Julien.

While nothing has been easy lately, it didn’t seem likely the B’s would lose this one. And in the third period, they did to the Sabres what they had done to so many teams a few months ago -— they finished them off.



Confidence points way for Jordan Caron

By Stephen Harris | Friday, March 9, 2012 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

The NHL draft always will be an imperfect process, an attempt to gaze into a crystal ball and divine the player an 18-year-old child will become as an adult.

Making astute judgments on a given pick is easy in hindsight, years later; sitting at the draft table with the clock ticking, the choices may not be so obvious.

In the case of 2009 first-round pick Jordan Caron, it may have taken a couple of years, but he recently has made it looked like the Bruins found very good value with the No. 25 overall pick.

After delivering just three goals, two assists and a minus-5 rating in his first 30 games this season, Caron is plus-6 in his past three games with three goals and three assists, including a helper in last night’s 3-1 win against Buffalo.

Just about every play he’s made was based on the simple concept of going hard to the net, with or without the puck.

After looking last season like a kid who was over his head — and knew it — the 21-year-old is blossoming into a pretty solid and productive power forward. In the latter stages of last night’s game, Caron was rewarded with a promotion to the line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, and fit in well.

“I’m sure you can ask him that question and he’s probably going to answer it the same way I am: He looks more comfortable,” B’s coach Claude Julien said. “I shouldn’t say comfortable, more than I (should) say more confident.

“Sometimes that’s all a guy needs is to score a couple of goals and feel his way through. I thought he’s played the kind of game we anticipated he’d play for us, and we hope that continues, because he’s been a real big contributor for us in the last few games.”

Whether you speak about a youth hockey player or a big league millionaire, scoring a goal gives a player a surge of confidence and makes him a better player. Score three in two games, and you’re playing with wings and jets.

“I think when one goal goes in, it gives you that confidence boost and it pushes you to keep going,” Caron said. “You feel like you have more time with the puck, and that’s really important. Things kind of seem to slow down a little bit and you see the play better.

“That comes with time and confidence. It also helps when you’re playing a regular shift. That helps you to get your legs going. It’s easier that way.”

Even a few weeks ago, Caron might have forecast, depending on who stays and who goes this summer, as nothing more than a candidate for a spot on the fourth line next season. Now, suddenly, he has shown the potential to be much more.

He can be what the Bruins imagined when they drafted him three summers ago.



Tim Thomas’ time of need

By Steve Buckley | Friday, March 9, 2012 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

It’s not often that losing the backup goaltender to injury turns into a calamitous, gut-wrenching issue.

But then, Tuukka Rask is no ordinary backup goaltender. Not merely a journeyman substitute, Rask is a star of the future who would be a star of the moment with the Bruins were it not for the fact Tim Thomas has chosen to launch a late-in-life run for the Hall of Fame.

Plus, there is this: Rask probably was going to get a lot of time in the nets in these last weeks leading up to the Stanley Cup tournament, the idea being a rested Thomas would be better positioned to go off on another oh-my-God-how-did-he-make-that-save playoff run.

Rask was lost for 4-6 weeks with a lower abdominal strain and groin strain, and the backup for the Bruins’ game against Buffalo at the Garden last night was Marty Turco, freshly arrived from an Austrian outfit called EC Red Bull Salzburg.

In the nets, naturally, was Thomas — the seventh straight game in which he has appeared. The Bruins came out of it with a 3-1 victory, making it the first time they have won back-to-back games since Jan. 10 and 12, though Thomas expressed surprise that it’s been that long since the defending Stanley Cup champs have won two in a row.

Forget about all that. The only real question involving Thomas at this point: How much is he going to play down the stretch? Is he going to just keep on playing right into the playoffs and beyond, or is he going to be asked to open and close the gate once in a while so Bruins fans can experience some Turco Time?

The question was put to Thomas: If you were coach of the Bruins, what would you do?

“I’m not even really going to . . . ” he started to say, and then paused, as though the rest of the answer was going to be that he wouldn’t be dignifying that question with an answer.

But no: “It’s not like it’s an insulting question or anything,” he said. “But I prefer not to think about it. I’m a player, not a coach. I don’t want to put on a coach’s hat. I’d rather just be the guy who shows up for work and does the best job he can for his coach.”

Where it’s complicated is when one looks at the Bruins and tries to determine if they are ready for the playoffs. The clear answer is they are not. Not when they go nearly two months without back-to-back victories. Not with Nathan Horton’s concussion still such an issue he hasn’t even started skating yet. Not with Rich Peverley out. Not with Rask out, too.

Even Thomas admitted the obvious: This team ain’t there yet. When a helpful reporter last night told him that there are signs the Bruins are getting playoff ready, Thomas said, “They might be baby steps, though. I don’t think I’d consider ourselves playoff ready just yet.”

As for Thomas’ own playoff readiness, this is a classic sports conundrum: Do you keep throwing him in there and allow him to play himself back to where he was earlier in the season, or do you look at his birth certificate — born April 15, 1974, which means he’ll turn 38 during the playoffs — and realize that the obvious course of action is to rest him as often as possible?

“I never felt I got low on energy, and this is because of the way me and Tuukka were playing in the games,” said Thomas, noting that travel and

getting enough sleep are bigger issues “than anything that’s happening on the ice.”

Physically, he said, “I’m healthier and better now than when I was 32, 33. It’s easier now.”

So he just keeps on playing, all the way into the playoffs?

“I’m not even thinking about it,” he said. “Like, who do we play (tomorrow)?”

Answer: Washington Capitals.

“Good,” he said. “Then I’ll start thinking about Washington.”

But everyone else will be thinking about minutes, as in minutes played for Tim Thomas.



David Krejci leads Bruins past Sabres 3-1

By Associated Press | Thursday, March 8, 2012 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

David Krejci scored for the fifth time in the last five games and Boston won consecutive games for the first time in almost two months with a 3-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Defenseman Johnny Boychuk broke a 1-1 tie at 12:56 of the third period and Krejci scored 2:58 later to make it 3-1.

The Bruins, who won at Toronto Tuesday night, last won two in a row since Jan. 10 and 12.

The loss was the second in the last three games for the Sabres, who are battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Buffalo’s Jason Pominville scored in the first period and Boston’s Gregory Campbell tied it in the second.

Tim Thomas made 18 saves for Boston.

With the game tied 1-1, Boychuk stepped into a loose puck after a sliding Jordon Leopold broke up Jordan Caron pass. Boychuk blasted his fourth goal of the season past Buffalo goalie Jhonas Enroth, making his first start since Feb. 16.

Caron’s assist on the goal gave him six points in his last three games.

Krejci has been Boston’s best scorer since joining a line with wingers Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic. All three players have at least one point in each of the five games and the line has 20 points (10 goals). It was Krejci’s sixth goal in the last seven games, his 18th of the season.

Pominville walked down the right side on a 2-on-1 but Thomas had a clear view of his slap shot the hit the top of the net. It was the 25th goal of the season for Buffalo captain, the third time in his career he has scored 25, but the first time since 2007-08.

The Bruins ran up a 13-6 shots advantage in the first period but didn’t score until the final minutes of the second.

Christian Ehrhoff’s pass in the defensive zone hit the skate of teammate Cody Hodgson and headed out to the blue line. Shawn Thornton stepped right into the puck and his shot was deflected out of mid-air by Campbell and Enroth at 18:09.

The goal was reviewed but stood. For Campbell, it was his seventh goal of the season, first in 20 games.

It came just over five minutes after a shot by defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, beat Enroth and slammed off the goal post to Enroth’s left. It came right out into the crease and the goalie covered it with his glove.

NOTES: New Boston backup goalie Mary Turco, who cleared waivers to return to the NHL Wednesday, dressed as Thomas’ backup. Turco was signed for the rest of the season because of the injury to Tuukka Rask, but is ineligible for the playoffs because he was signed after the trade deadline. . The Bruins, who recalled forward Max Sauve on an emergency basis in

case Benoit Pouliot couldn’t play Thursday night, sent Sauve back to Providence before the game, as Pouliot (lower body) was able to play. .. Boston was still without defenseman Andrew Ference (lower body), left wing Daniel Paille (upper body) and right wings Rich Peverley (knee) and Nathan Horton (concussion). Buffalo was missing Jochen Hecht (concussion), center Cody McCormick (upper body) and defenseman Andrej Sekera (flu). . The Bruins wished a happy 94th birthday to former Bruins coach Milt Schmidt.


617963 Buffalo Sabres

Tropp wants to stay put

By John Vogl

BOSTON — Corey Tropp, like any rookie, wants to use his call-up to prove he belongs in the NHL. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff likes what he's seen so far. Now it's up to Tropp to prove he can play an even bigger role.

Tropp skated at right wing during Buffalo's 3-1 loss to Boston on Thursday, his eighth straight game in the lineup since being summoned from Rochester on Feb. 24. He again played alongside center Brad Boyes and left wing Matt Ellis, a unit that has drawn rave reviews from Ruff.

Tropp is a big reason why. The 22-year-old has made the most of his recent opportunity, entering TD Garden with a point in two of the previous three games.

"Obviously, being in a call-up situation, you're on your toes," Tropp said. "You want to work and prove that you can play at this level. The goal is to stick around as long as possible. Every time you get that nod you try to make an impression, and I think as each game goes on that's my mind-set going in is I continue to work.

"I'm confident in myself to where if I continue to get better each night, hopefully they see that and look at me as a guy who can maybe play here."

Ruff sees more than a hopeful rookie. He sees a 6-foot, 183-pounder who has the toughness to play a grinding role and the skill to eventually move up the depth chart. During the third period against the Bruins, Tropp joined the second line, skating alongside center Cody Hodgson and left wing Tyler Ennis.

"Corey's been around a couple years now," Ruff said of the second-year pro. "He knows how hard the American League was. He knows if you're going to compete, you've got to compete at a real high level and do it every night. He empties the tank every shift.

"He's got a touch. He's proved it down in the American League. When the opportunities are there, he's been able to score. His goal is to try and get up to a third-line role on our team and be utilized on the offensive side as well."

Although Tropp is excelling on the fourth line, it's not a role he's accustomed to playing. The Michigan State product, picked in the third round of the 2007 draft, has been relied upon for offense during his time with the Amerks. He has seven goals and 17 points in 22 games with Rochester.

"Down there I played a little bit more of an offensive game than up here right now, but it's just baby steps each night," said Tropp, who had two goals and four points in his opening 20 games with Buffalo. "I just want to keep going forward rather than taking steps backward."

Though not big, Tropp has supplied the grit and fight the Sabres need. He pounded Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo in December in his pugilistic debut, and he battled Anaheim's Matt Beleskey to a draw last week, tossing three lefts and taking three rights.

"Corey's tough. He's proved that," Ruff said. "He steps up and hits everything that moves. He's fought. I think he gave it to Rinaldo of Philly. He's not afraid to mix it up at all. He's here because he deserves to be here."

. . . .

The Sabres have had mixed news with concussions. Forward Cody McCormick, who has been out with the head ailment since Feb. 10, has been cleared to return. He sat against the Bruins, his 14th straight game on the sidelines.

"He's been doing a lot of hard off-ice [workouts]," Ruff said. "He hasn't had the demanding stuff that we like to put players through, but at the same time if we need to use him he'll be fine."

Center Jochen Hecht continues to struggle with his third concussion in a year. He hasn't played since Jan. 21, and it's grown increasingly likely the 34-year-old will not return.

"He's kind of stuck in no-man's land," Ruff said. "With extra exercise [he] has had some good days and had some days that weren't quite as good, so we're kind of stuck in that area where we don't know where he'll be going yet."

Sabres defenseman Andrej Sekera (flu-like symptoms) did not join the team on the trip to Boston but could head to Ottawa for Saturday's game if he improves.

. . . .

Aside from the pregame shoot-around, Ryan Miller took the whole day off for the Sabres. He skipped the optional morning skate and stayed on the bench during the game as the backup to Jhonas Enroth. Miller had started 20 of the previous 21 games.

"I'm just trying to find rest where we can get it," Miller said. "That's going to be the way the season goes from here on out. We've got a lot of hockey and a lot of games that mean a lot. Just rest when you can, play hockey when you have to."

[email protected]

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.09.2012


Sabres, Enroth can't hold off Bruins

By John Vogl

BOSTON — Jhonas Enroth held off the Boston Bruins as long as he could. Once the third period came, the Sabres and their goaltender were in trouble. Boston is dominant during the final 20 minutes, while Buffalo has had its share of struggles.

The trends held Thursday night, and the Sabres felt the sting of another loss in TD Garden.

The NHL's highest-scoring team used its favorite period to beat the Sabres and their seldom-used goaltender, 3-1. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie through 40 minutes, but the Bruins scored twice in the final 7:04 to pull away.

"It felt like they put it in an extra gear there in the third period and just created a lot of good chances," Enroth said. "You could tell that's a good team over there."

The defeat was the second in three games for the Sabres, who also entered the third period of Monday's 3-1 loss in Winnipeg tied, 1-1.

They also lost Thomas Vanek to an upper-body injury. He got caught with his head down midway through the third, and Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk dropped him hard.

"It's not head, just upper body," said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

Said Boychuk: "I could see [Vanek] wasn't really paying attention too much. I just wanted to make sure it was a clean hit. The fans gave us a little boost, and we took it from there."

The Bruins' third-period pressure proved too much for Buffalo. Boychuk pinched from the point to rip a shot over Enroth's shoulder with 7:04 left. The goalie never saw the shot because of a double screen, but he heard the 17,565 fans shout with joy.

The sellout crowd erupted again with 4:06 to go. Milan Lucic and David Krejci rushed toward the Buffalo end, with Krejci accepting a pass and going high over Enroth to put the Sabres away.

"They're a team that lives off the rush and lives off turnovers," Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers said. "They capitalized in the third."

Boston has owned the final frame all season. The Bruins improved their goal margin to 86-51 in third periods. The Sabres, meanwhile, fell into a 64-48 deficit.

"It shows you why they are where they're at right now, and we're where we're at," Sabres captain Jason Pominville said. "They stuck with it. They were patient. They didn't really give up much. We had to maybe open up a little bit, and they capitalized on one.

"Once they got the lead, we had to press and try to make difference. They made a play and scored again. It's a good example of being patient and not forcing it. They end up winning a game because of it."

Enroth gave Ryan Miller a break from the Buffalo crease, starting for just the second time in 22 games.

"It felt like it was my first game ever," said Enroth, who stopped 25 shots.

The first period played out exactly as expected — except on the scoreboard. The Bruins, who were off Wednesday, jumped on a Buffalo team playing the second night of back-to-back games. The shot counter quickly rose in the Bruins' favor, going from 8-2 to 11-4 and finishing at 13-6.

The score after 20 minutes, though, read 1-0 Buffalo.

Pominville's rocket from the right faceoff dot zoomed past Tim Thomas and zipped under the crossbar, sending the goalie's water bottle airborne. Pominville's 25th goal came with 3:21 left, stunning the fans who'd watch Boston keep control until that moment.

An evenly played second period changed with 1:51 left. Buffalo defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and center Cody Hodgson botched an exchange in their zone, and Bruins forward Shawn Thornton pounced on the juicy miscue for a hard one-timer. Gregory Campbell, crossing through the slot, got his stick on the waist-high shot and tipped it past Enroth. The fans clad in Black and Gold roared at the goal, then cheered again when it stood up to a video review.

It set Boston up for its winning push.

"We played a pretty good second, just a disappointing play we made at the end to give them the opportunity," Ruff said. "We came out with the lead, got our legs in the second, but we weren't able to push through."

[email protected]



Sabres lose but don't lose ground in playoff race; third period continues to be a struggle

BOS -- Good (early) morning from the Boston airport. The Sabres are already in Ottawa as losers of two of three, but they will wake up in essentially the same playoff predicament they found themselves in Thursday morning.

The Sabres remain two points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, though they now trail Washington for the final postseason spot instead of Winnipeg. The Capitals beat Tampa Bay in overtime and the Jets lost in Vancouver on a busy Thursday night.

With 14 games left, the Sabres not only need to catch the teams they are chasing, they need to finish the season ahead of them. Buffalo lags well behind in the first tiebreaker -- regulation and overtime wins -- so merely pulling even will not get them into the playoffs.

The Sabres are scheduled to skate at noon in Ottawa. Part of their focus should be performing better in crunch time. They entered the third period tied, 1-1, against both Winnipeg and Boston this week, but they lost both games, 3-1. The Sabres are tied for the third-fewest goals in the NHL during third periods.

Corey Tropp, meanwhile, continues to show he deserves to be an NHL regular. The rookie led the Sabres with four blocked shots during the 3-1 loss to the Bruins and added two hits and one shot in 13:16 of ice time.

---John Vogl



Sabres lose but don't lose ground in playoff race; third period continues to be a struggle

BOS -- Good (early) morning from the Boston airport. The Sabres are already in Ottawa as losers of two of three, but they will wake up in essentially the same playoff predicament they found themselves in Thursday morning.

The Sabres remain two points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, though they now trail Washington for the final postseason spot instead of Winnipeg. The Capitals beat Tampa Bay in overtime and the Jets lost in Vancouver on a busy Thursday night.

With 14 games left, the Sabres not only need to catch the teams they are chasing, they need to finish the season ahead of them. Buffalo lags well behind in the first tiebreaker -- regulation and overtime wins -- so merely pulling even will not get them into the playoffs.

The Sabres are scheduled to skate at noon in Ottawa. Part of their focus should be performing better in crunch time. They entered the third period tied, 1-1, against both Winnipeg and Boston this week, but they lost both games, 3-1. The Sabres are tied for the third-fewest goals in the NHL during third periods.

Corey Tropp, meanwhile, continues to show he deserves to be an NHL regular. The rookie led the Sabres with four blocked shots during the 3-1 loss to the Bruins and added two hits and one shot in 13:16 of ice time.

---John Vogl



Lindy Ruff audio: Sekera out for Sabres, McCormick cleared to play

BOSTON -- The Sabres will again turn to newcomer Alexander Sulzer on defense tonight against Boston, with blue-liner Andrej Sekera sidelined by flu-like symptoms. Sekera did not even make the trip to Boston with the Sabres but could join the team in Ottawa if his health improves.

Forward Cody McCormick, who has been sidelined by a concussion, has been cleared to play. The tough winger will take part in the pregame warm-up against the Bruins in TD Garden but is likely to sit.

Jochen Hecht, who also has a concussion, has "good days and bad days," according to coach Lindy Ruff. It remains unlikely the 34-year-old will return this season.

To hear Ruff's pregame audio, click the file below.

---John Vogl



Optional morning skate for Sabres scheduled to include Enroth

BOSTON – The Sabres, as expected with back-to-back games and an arduous schedule, have elected to hold a team meeting at the hotel in lieu of a full morning skate. They are scheduled to hold a Lindy Ruff-less optional in TD Garden, with Jhonas Enroth expected to take part.

The appearance of Enroth and absence of Ryan Miller doesn’t foretell which Buffalo netminder will be in the crease tonight against Boston.

Enroth, who has made just one start in the past 22 games, would likely want to take a few pucks whether he was starting or watching from the bench just to make sure he stays sharp.

Miller, who has made those other 21 starts in the last 22 games, would likely get a day off from practice whether he was playing or not. With his workload and impressive run (12-3-3 in his last 18 decisions), getting rest would take priority over any practice session.

“I’m just trying to find rest where we can get it,” Miller said after Wednesday night’s 3-2 overtime victory against Carolina. “That’s going to be the way the season goes from here on out. We’ve got a lot of hockey and a lot of games that mean a lot. Just rest when you can, play hockey when you have to.”

---John Vogl

Lindy Ruff

Ryan Miller



Amerks' Rankin took a long road to AHL

Written by

KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

Evan Rankin

Position: Right wing.

Height/weight: 6-foot-1/196 pounds.

Age: 25 (turns 26 on March 28).

Hometown: Portage, Mich.

College: Four seasons at Notre Dame. Degree in accounting. Fighting Irish rookie of the year in 2004-05.

“Grudge” against Gerbe: Nathan Gerbe (Sabres winger) and Boston College defeated Rankin and Notre Dame in the 2008 NCAA title game. “He stole my ring from me,” Rankin joked.

Big year: He signed an AHL contract with the Amerks on Monday. On Dec. 22 he became engaged to Jenna Lento, who he met playing in Toledo. You can see the video of his proposal on YouTube. “It wouldn’t upload to email so we had to post it on YouTube so her parents could see it,” he said.

Hockey night

The matchup: Amerks vs. Binghamton Senators (affiliate of the Ottawa Senators).

Time/place: 7:35 tonight/Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial.

Tickets: $12, $16, $18.

Autographs: Former Amerk and Sabres defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick will sign autographs befor the game in the upper atrium.

Radio: WHTK-AM (1280), WHTK-FM (107.3).

Website: amerks.com.

More than once, as the bus rumbled down the highway to and/or from the southern Gulf Coast of Texas, Evan Rankin wondered if he was doing the right thing.

More than once, after another budget-friendly meal at the fast-food drive-thru, Rankin wondered if the path from the Central Hockey League really could lead to the American Hockey League and, ultimately, the NHL.

More than once during that 2008-09 season, after games in Rio Rancho, N.M., or Southaven, Miss., he figured he had to be the lowest-paid member of the 2008 graduating class from the Unversity of Notre Dame whose job required never-ending travel.

Those thoughts aren’t what stoke the passion for hockey, either.

“I debated quitting numerous times,” Rankin admitted. “You’re in the Central League, your coach isn’t playing you, and that degree (from Notre Dame) is so powerful. You’re looking toward building a family and settling down and having kids.”

But then Rankin would remember how much he loved the game. And how much he believed in his own abilities.

Now, three years later, the journey all seems worthwhile. Rankin signed an AHL contract with the Rochester Americans on Monday. In 18 games with the Amerks, he scored 8 goals, 7 assists and 15 points and convinced the Buffalo Sabres he should be in the lineup every night.

“It’s exciting,” he said, “but it was already exciting to be in the push for the playoffs.”

Rankin joined the Amerks on Nov. 25 from the ECHL. They were short forwards due to injuries and recalls. Toledo Walleye coach Nick Vitucci gave his blessing for Rankin to sign a tryout contract with the Amerks.

“I was brought up thinking I was only supposed to be here for the weekend,” said Rankin, a 25-year-old native of Portage, Mich.

At the time the fourth-year right winger was Toledo’s leading scorer with 10-8-18 in 15 games. A year ago, he produced 23-32-55 in 63 games with Toledo.

“When we called Toledo, Nick Vitucci said, ‘I can’t believe this kid isn’t playing in the American League right now,’ ” said Kevin Devine, who oversees Amerk hockey operations for the Sabres.

Rankin is not a grinder, he’s not a checker and he’s not a fighter. His game is producing points.

He has good hands; the puck doesn’t bounce off his stick, it sticks. He doesn’t skate past the net, he drives toward the crease and finds a way to stay there.

Putting him on the fourth line wasn’t going to do him, or the Amerks, any good. You don’t try to blow snow with a lawnmower; Amerks coach Ron Rolston knows that. So he put Rankin in a role that made sense.

He used Rankin with scorers like Derek Whitmore and Paul Szczechura. Now he’s with Phil Varone and Colin Stuart.

“A lot of times you bring those guys up and they end up playing with guys that dump it in and slap it around,” Rolston said. “He has good skill and he works hard. He competes hard. And he’s just slippery out there.”

Rankin knows he’s fortunate. Not every ECHL call-up is put in a significant role. When he joined the Manitoba Moose in 2009-10 for four games, and when he went up to the Grand Rapids Griffins for 10 games in 2010-11, he wasn’t playing with snipers.

“Each time the opportunity was basically to fill a role,” he said. “But if they want me to check, then I’m going to go out there and check.”

The Amerks, however, gave him a chance to actually play his game.

“You need to be in the right situation,” Rankin said. “You need to be playing well and you need to have a coaching staff that likes what you bring to the table.”

It was easy for the Amerks to like a guy who scored goals and worked hard to get what he wanted.

Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 03.09.2012

617970 Calgary Flames

Johnson: Baertschi jets in just in time for historic return of Winnipeg

First game between old Smythe rivals since 1996

By George Johnson, Calgary Herald March 9, 2012

Sven Baertschi had only recently graduated from toddler status, was approaching his fourth birthday, the last time the Winnipeg Jets paid a visit

to the Saddledome. A long-ago, distant-galaxy 4-1 Jets’ triumph on March 31, 1996.

So, no, he wouldn’t have a hot clue about who in tarnation Dave Manson was. Or German Titov or Paul Kruse or two-goal ’Toban Dallas Drake. From that game, geriatrics Nikolai Khabibulin and Shane Doan are stubbornly defying time, still pluggin’ away at the top level. And he must’ve heard stories of the indomitable will/incisive skill of Theo Fleury, in some misty, old-guy kind of way.

As it so happens, Baertschi’s highly-anticipated National Hockey League debut tonight with the Calgary Flames dovetails into the first appearance by the Jets in this town in more than a decade and a half, since their tear-streaked death march to the cacti and sunscreen and scorpions of the Arizona desert in the summer of ’96.

At the embryonic age of 19, he’s being dropped into the roaring inferno of a frantic playoff push.

“The intensity, the media attention, the scrutiny, the buildup around these games, trying to make it into the playoffs . . . it’s all something he’s never experienced before,’’ acknowledged Portland Winterhawks boss Mike Johnston, Baertschi’s junior tutor and an associate coach at the NHL level in both Vancouver and L.A. “So, sure, he’s going to be nervous for the first part.

“Give him a period or so. Once he’s playing, once he’s over the initial jitters, his skills will take over. He has a great demeanour. He’s not a hyper guy; very controlled, very relaxed. You and I know, it’s going to be a huge stage. He’s played world juniors in North America the last two years and certainly we’ve had some big games here. But nothing like this level.

“What he does have is NHL skill. His vision, thinking, puck movement . . . he’s quick changing speeds, inside-outside. He’s the type of guy who’s played with Ty Rattie, a high, high-end skill guy, but he’s also played with more direct players. So he’s versatile.’’

He’ll get his chance tonight, with the Flames doggedly in pursuit of the eighth and final playoff seeding out West, and the Jets in an equally chaotic tussle out East.

“I don’t know how much he’s going to play right now, I don’t know how long he’s going to be here,’’ said left winger Alex Tanguay, watching Flames GM Jay Feaster welcome Baertschi to the fold with a firm handshake following Thursday’s practice, “but we all know he’s going to be a big part of the future of this franchise.

“So it’s good that he can get acclimatized to his surroundings, to the guys, to the way things are done. It’s a pressure time of year, obviously. How will he handle it? Everybody’s personality is different; everybody reacts to situations differently. He’s been a gamer. That’s how they talk about him. It’s up to us, the coaches, players, to help him feel as good as he can about himself; about his situation.’’

The key, says Tanguay, is not to stretch, to strain, to overdo. It’s an overripe cliche, of course, but stay within your comfort zone. He ain’t being counted on to multiply loaves and fishes.

“You can’t ask him to come in and score three goals. There’s not too many guys at 18, 19 who come in and fill the net. Don’t worry about that. Do things right and everything will evolve.

“As a young player, you want to prove you belong; you want to show you can contribute. Believe me, I know. But you can’t do that by trying to do everything. He understands. He’s a smart kid.

“The best advice I can give him is this: It’s the same game. The pace is just a little quicker. The guys are the same, they play the same, they skate the same. They just do everything a bit faster. But that’s why he’s been successful in junior — he plays at a pace most other kids can’t.’’

“He’s going to be fine,’’ predicted defenceman Mark Giordano. “Me? At 19? I was in my first year junior, I think, in the OHL. Trying to get used to that level. I couldn’t imagine making the jump from there to here at that age, at his age. There’s only a few guys, special players, that can. He’s one of them.’’

Their lineup as thin as a butterfly’s wing, the future, out of necessity, has become the present for the bubble-straddling Flames. Sven Baertschi makes his debut tonight, nearly 16 years after the Winnipeg Jets last played a game in this town.

“He turned a lot of heads at training camp this year,’’ reminded Tom Kostopoulos.

“He could easily have been on our team all along.

“Put a smile on his face before we go out tomorrow. Tell him to have fun. He’s a talented player. Just let him play. Just let him do his thing.’’

No tentative toe-dipping in the wading pool here. It’s right off the three-metre board and into the deep end.

Swim, kid.

George Johnson is the Herald’s sports columnist. E-mail him at [email protected]

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Sutter knows exactly what Baertschi’s going through

Flames coach was once an emergency callup from junior as well

By Vicki Hall, Calgary Herald March 9, 2012

Brent Sutter can empathize with the gut-churning excitement Sven Baertschi will no doubt experience tonight before puck drop in his first NHL game.For Sutter went through the same thing 31 years ago with the New York Islanders as an emergency fill-in from the Lethbridge Broncos.

“The Islanders got into injury trouble, and I got called up to play,” said the modern-day Calgary Flames head coach. “I went on a three-game stint with them. I played here in Calgary and we lost 11-4. I went to Vancouver and we won 5-2 and then we went to L.A. and won 2-1.”

Needless to say, Sutter hopes Baertschi will enjoy a more successful debut in Calgary.

“The 11-4 beating here was a real wake-up call,” he said. “At that time, Calgary had a massive team. And I came in at five-11, 165 pounds playing against these guys who were 220, 230 pounds and six-foot-four. It was quite an awakening for me.

“But you know what? I got lots of ice-time. I played a ton.”

Sutter, of course, went on to play 1,111 NHL games. His career stats: 363 goals, 829 points and 1,054 penalty minutes.

It all started that night in Calgary. And it all starts tonight for Baertschi just across the parking lot at the Saddledome.

“I talked to him this morning,” Sutter said of the 19-year-old emergency call-up from the Portland Winterhawks.“I want him to enjoy this experience, first and foremost. It’s your first game. It’s something you want to remember forever. I want him to enjoy it.

“But at the same time, I also want him to understand and know — which he did already, because he pays attention to us all the time —the circumstances of our situation and where we are in the standings.”

The injury-ravaged Flames badly need the two points to keep pace with the pack in the race for the eighth-and-final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Canadian teams increase excitementAlex Tanguay senses a different kind of excitement on the street with the Winnipeg Jets set to land in Calgary for the first time since 1996.

“We played most of those guys in Atlanta last year,” he said. “But it’s going to be interesting. A lot of people in town have been talking about it and saying how excited they are that their Jets are back. They’re looking forward to coming to the game.”

And he’s looking forward to playing in the game.

“It’s always a different atmosphere here when there’s a Canadian team coming here,” Tanguay said. “We saw that with Montreal. We saw that with Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton. So I’m sure there will be some cheers for them as well, but we’re hoping that will just fire up our fans even more.”

A born and bred Quebec Nordiques fan, Tanguay draws inspiration from the return of the Jets after such a lengthy hiatus.

He wants to see the same in Quebec City in the not-so-distant future.

“I’m still hoping the Nordiques are going to come back eventually,” he said. “The fans in Canada really deserve hockey.”

C-Notes: For once, Craig Conroy had to sit back and listen Wednesday night at the Calgary Flames Ambassadors’ eighth annual Celebrity Roast presented by ATB Financial. The event raised more than $225,000 in benefit of the Flames Foundation for Life and missing Children of Canada. More than 500 people gathered at the Westin Hotel to listen to the likes of Rhett Warrener, Jamie Macon, and Derek Armstrong roast the popular special assistant to general manager Jay Feaster. Video roasts came from the likes of Jarome Iginla, Tom Kostopoulos Michael Camamlleri, Adrian Aucoin and Jamie McLennan.

[email protected]



Game Day: Jets at Flames

Keep your eyes on Sven Baertschi and Dustin Byfuglien

By Vicki Hall, Calgary Herald March 9, 2012 12:01 AM

Winnipeg Jets (32-28-8 before late game Thursday in Vancouver) at Calgary Flames

(30-25-12)

7 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome

SN 960 radio, Sportsnet West

Flames player to watch

LW Sven Baertschi — The top prospect in the organization makes his NHL debut today as an emergency recall from the Portland Winterhawks

The Lines

C.Glencross O Jokinen D.Moss

A.Tanguay M.Stajan J.Iginla

T.Kostopoulos G.Nemisz S. Baertschi

K. Kolanos R.Horak G. Desbiens

The Pairings

M.Giordano S.Hannan

J. Bouwmeester D.Smith

T.J. Brodie C.Sarich

A.Babchuk

The Injuries

C Mikael Backlund (shoulder), C Blair Jones (ankle), RW Lee Stempniak (ankle), D Chris Butler (thigh), LW Blake Comeau (shoulder), RW Lance Bouma (upper body), C Michael Cammalleri (upper body), RW Tim Jackman (upper body)

Jets player to watch

D Dustin Byfuglien — Big Buff is thriving in Winnipeg under the tutelage of Claude Noel and Charlie Huddy. Toning down his high-risk style, Byfuglien ranks third in scoring among NHL defencemen with 10 goals and 32 assists.

The Lines

A. Ladd B.Little B.Wheeler

E.Kane A. Burmistrov K.Wellwood

T.Glass J.Slater C.Thorburn

T.Stapleton N.Antropov A.Miettinen

The Pairings

T.Enstrom D.Byfuglien

R.Hainsey G.Clitsome

R.Jones M.Stuart

The Goalies

O. Pavelec

C. Mason

The Injuries

D Zach Bogosian (wrist)

Five Things to Watch

1. SVENSATIONAL SVEN: Jay Feaster wisely cautions Flames fans against seeing Sven Baertschi as a saviour swooping in to save the season. After all, he is only 19. This is his first NHL game. Keeping that in mind, the kid oozes pure skill. The 13th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft averages two points a game in the Western Hockey League. In Calgary on an emergency recall basis. Baertschi badly wants to serve notice of his intention to make the big club next season.

2. WELCOME BACK JETS: Don’t hold back your pride, Winnipeg ex-pats. Disregarding the Phoenix Coyotes – and the Atlanta Thrashers, this is the first time the Jets have played in Calgary since beating the Flames 4-1 on March 31, 1996. And this is no expansion team. If the season ended today, the eighth-place Jets would take part in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Just imagine the scene at Portage and Main for that..

3. ROAD TURBULENCE: Adored in their new hometown, the Jets struggle when playing away from the friendly confines of the MTS Centre. Heading into action Thursday in Vancouver, the Jets sported one of the NHL’s ugliest road records at 11-17-4. To top that off, the weary travellers lost an hour flying to Calgary from the West Coast. So tonight, the fatigue factor could play a role.

4. BLACK ACES APLENTY : Svenmania aside, the Flames are still ravaged by injuries. The performance tonight of Guilluame Desbiens, Greg Nemisz, and Krys Kolanos will go a long way to determining Calgary’s fate in yet another must-win game.

5. GLENCROSS ON FIRE: With five goals and two assists in his last five outings, Glencross is one of the best bargains in the league at $2.55 million a season. In spite of missing 13 games with a knee injury, the prairie boy needs just one goal to tie the career high of 24 he set last year.



Flames' WHL star set to debut on NHL stage

Baertschi confidently takes place in spotlight

By Vicki Hall, Calgary Herald March 8, 2012

A wide-eyed Guillaume Desbiens couldn’t keep his eyes off the mass of reporters and cameras camped at the locker stall belonging to Sven Baertschi.

“Impressive,” whistled Desbiens, a minor-league journeyman playing on the Calgary Flames’ fourth line. “He’s a first-round pick. He’s been tearing up the (Western Hockey League).

“So it’s well deserved.”

Dripping with sweat from his first NHL regular season practice, the 19-year-old Baertschi sauntered into the locker-room Thursday, eyed up the scrum, and confidently took his place in the spotlight.

Shy and reserved, this teenager is not.

“Just to be here, it’s an awesome feeling,” Baertschi said, peeling off his No. 47 jersey. “I’m crazy nervous, but I think that’s normal.”

A straw poll of the veterans in the room confirms nerves — and insomnia — are very much normal for young men on the eve realizing their dream of playing in the National Hockey League.

For Baertschi, the setting is even more dramatic given the circumstances. On emergency recall from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, the Swiss junior national team member had no designs on playing in the NHL until next season.

Due to a rash of injuries, the timetable suddenly moved up dramatically. He will suit up Friday night for the Flames on the third line with Tom Kostopoulos and Greg Nemisz.

The opponent: the Winnipeg Jets.

“For sure, it’s a surprise,” said the five-foot-10, 187-pounder. “It’s a dream. Since I got the call, it’s just empty in my head. I don’t know what to think.”

When he finally gathered his composure, Baertschi phoned home to Switzerland to share the joy with his mom and dad.

“They couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I told my mom to sit down first, and then I told her. She thought I was just joking around and started laughing. And I told her, I was really serious.

“And then she cried a little bit.”

Echoing the company line, veteran forward Alex Tanguay warned reporters against portraying Baertschi as a knight in shining armour.

Yes, the kid averages two points a game in the WHL. And yes, he’s clearly the top prospect in an aging organization fighting against all odds to qualify for the post-season.

But the jump from juniors to the professional ranks is awfully steep — especially in mid-March in the heat of a tense battle for a Stanley Cup playoff spot.

“The expectations aren’t for him to come in here and be a saviour,” Tanguay said. “We don’t need him to go out and score three goals, do any of those things.”

Not that anyone would complain if he did.

“Obviously, there are a lot of expectations of him, because he’s a high draft pick and the way he’s played this year in the WHL,” Tanguay said. That’s certainly something for Flames fans to be excited about a prospect coming in.

“He’s coming in here to fill a role. So he just has to come out and do what he needs to do to be a good player on both sides of the ice.”

In 47 games this season with Portland, the slick left-winger has collected 33 goals and 94 points. The Flames must reassign the 13th overall pick in the 2011 draft to Portland once two of their injured players return to the lineup.

For Calgary, the list of the infirm includes defenceman Chris Butler (thigh laceration) right-winger Lee Stempniak (high ankle sprain), centre Blair Jones (cracked ankle), centre Mikael Backlund (shoulder), centre Michael Cammalleri (upper body), right-winger Tim Jackman (upper body) and right-winger Lance Bouma (upper body.)

As in every sport, injury to one player means opportunity for another.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” head coach Brent Sutter said of the size of his MASH unit. “But at the same time, (Baertschi’s) getting an opportunity, and that’s great.

“He’s got a gift that is phenomenal. He can skate. He can shoot. He can handle the puck. He’s fast. You know just watching him do drills in practice, his pace is very high. He’s an intelligent guy.”

Intelligent enough to realize the hoopla surrounding his arrival in the big league.

“I hope people don’t expect too much out of me,” he said. “I just try my best out there. I know it’s not going to be the same as juniors. It`s going to be a lot harder out there. I just have to do the simple things out there and go step by step.”

The next step is one he’ll surely remember for the rest of his life.

[email protected]



Jets' return northing short of miraculous

Calgary's Friday night opponent is an unqualified success story

By Ed Willes, Postmedia News March 8, 2012

VANCOUVER — If you looked at this through the eyes of an accountant, there are any number of reasons to be excited about the Winnipeg Jets, 2.0.

There’s the mind-boggling ticket demand. Back in June, the 6,300 available season-ticket packages were sold in 17 seconds when 240,000 computers attempted to access the website.

Read that sentence again slowly.

There’s also the question of sustainability. The Jets’ various stakeholders — advertisers, suite-renters, etc. — were required to sign long-term agreements which means the franchise’s revenue streams will be flowing at peak capacity for the next five years or so.

As for the size of those streams, the Jets ranked second in the NHL in merchandising as late as a month ago and, with an average ticket price of $82, they sit comfortably in the top 10 in the league in per-game revenues.

So there’s a huge dollars-and-cents component to the Jets’ resurrection and, before you get all misty over the feel-good aspects of this story, you have to be aware their existence is dependent on their business success.

But it’s funny. When you talk about the Jets these days, no one talks about the licensing fees or sponsorship agreements or season-ticket numbers. Instead, they talk about the magic that occurs every night the Jets play on the tundra; the passion and energy which envelops this team and which has carried them this season.

Yes, it’s big business, about $100 million worth. But if you haven’t been moved by what’s happened in Winnipeg, then you’re the kind of person who didn’t cry at the end of Old Yeller.

“It’s driven us,” Jets head coach Claude Noel said in advance of Thursday night’s meeting with the Vancouver Canucks. “I don’t know if this process would have been the same anywhere else. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Team Lazarus made its only appearance of the season at Rogers Arena on Thursday night and it was difficult not to get caught up in the emotion around the game. Eight of the current Canucks played in Winnipeg when the American Hockey League farm team was situated in the Manitoba capital. Alain Vigneault coached the Manitoba Moose for a season. Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger ran the show there and was an invaluable resource for the Canucks

Prior to May 31, 2011, in fact, the Canucks were still affiliated with the Moose and the decade-long partnership had been successful for all concerned. But they would also become a distant afterthought in Winnipeg because that day the NHL announced it was moving back to the city it rejected 15 years before.

In so doing, they released the kind of energy that’s released when an atom is split.

“We thought we had a model that made sense,” Jets president Jim Ludlow said from Winnipeg. “But no one anticipated the passion and emotion of our fans. All of us were rocked on our heels. It’s been over-whelming.”

And loud. Very loud. The buildup at the MTS Centre generally starts BEFORE the warm-up, rises to the opening faceoff, then hits something approaching mass hysteria when the puck is finally dropped.

“It’s ferocious,” said current Jet/ex-Canuck Tanner Glass. “It gives you goose bumps every time you play.”

The Jets are also 21-10-4 at home this season. Only the New York Rangers have won more home games in the East.

“Coming from Atlanta, where you could be pretty anonymous, it’s been a little different,” said team captain Andrew Ladd. “But I’d trade the anonymity any day for the crowds we get and the passion they have for the game.”

That passion was also there in ’96. The problem was, that’s about the Jets had working for them. The Canadian dollar was trading at about 65 cents. The old Winnipeg Arena was hopelessly out of date. There was no salary cap and big-market American teams were throwing money around like drunken sailors.

Add it all up and it wasn’t a huge surprise no one wanted to own or operate the Jets in Winnipeg.

Fifteen years later, however, those circumstances have been turned on their head. The Canadian dollar is trading right around par and there’s a salary cap. The MTS Centre might not be the Taj Mahal but it serves its purpose and it’s among the most profitable buildings in North American.

In Mark Chipman, the Jets also have an able owner-operator and, if that wasn’t enough, his partner is David Thomson, one of the 20 wealthiest men in the world.

“It was like the Jets had to go away for 15 years before they could come back,” said Ludlow.

But they’re back now, back with a vengeance, and this time it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere.

Vancouver Province



Long wait over for Flames, Jets fans

By Eric Francis ,Calgary Sun

Whether you are a fan of the Winnipeg Jets or the Calgary Flames, tonight's game at the Dome has been a long time coming.

For Jets faithful, the wait stems from the devastating departure of a beloved franchise that took 15 years to return.

For Flames supporters, it seems almost as long since the locals have had a first round pick of their own in the lineup who may actually live up to expectations.

Sure, he's several years away from proving he's an NHLer or a star, but the emergency call-up of Swiss junior sensation Sven Baertschi understandably has the locals all a tizzy, as it appears the club's 13th pick overall from last summer indeed possesses the type of mad skills that may just allow him to be an impact player at the next level.

Averaging an astonishing two points a game in Portland this year despite a lengthy mid-season concussion, the 19-year-old sniper may prove to be the Flames' first bona-fide NHL star taken in the first round since Dion Phaneuf went ninth overall in 2003. Before that, you have to go all the way back to 1984 when Gary Roberts was snapped up 12th to find a day the Flames scouting staff really got it right in the first round.

(Don't forget, Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr were drafted in the first round by Dallas and Colorado, respectively).

While GM Jay Feaster has already gone out of his way to limit expectations, it's fair for fans to get excited about a sneak peak of a kid whose development has likely even exceeded management's expectations to date.

For those wearing blue on their jerseys tonight, it's not about any one player at all. Instead, the celebration is about a group of youngsters who migrated from Atlanta to the unknown north only to be embraced by a community that has truly helped elevate their game to shocking heights.

Winners or not, it's understandable every person in Southern Alberta with Manitoba ties has spent the last five months scrounging and pleading for tickets to tonight's contest, which may prompt more than a few tears of pride before the opening faceoff.

It was 1996 when the Jets moved to Phoenix -- a day Morris Lukowich recalls vividly.

Tonight, the longtime Calgary resident will be in the stands to salute their return.

"Sure, it will be emotional," said Lukowich, 55, a four-time 30-goal scorer for Winnipeg from 1978-85.

"It's sentimental, inspirational"¦ it's just one of the best stories in hockey. When the team left, it had to go. There were too many reasons. It was a sad day -- I can remember listening in my kitchen and I had a cry -- I was very sad by the whole thing. Hockey deserves to be there."

Insisting he always believed that with a salary cap, a new building and a well-heeled owner the Jets could return, Lukowich has been caught up in the euphoria that has seen the MTS Centre crowd will its team to 21 wins.

"When you've played for an NHL team, that place is special," said Lukowich, the face of the Jets franchise for several years after the club graduated from the WHA in 1979.

"There are so many people from Winnipeg here - I run into people all the time who say they saw me play. Even some young people. There will be other people like me who became Flames fans, and now, all of sudden, their team is back, and I think it will be awesome "¦ for everyone."

Indeed, fans of both teams have plenty to cheer about tonight, especially since both clubs are in the thick of playoff races.

"I hope they tie because both need a point," Lukowich said with a chuckle.

"After that, let the best team win."

Eric Francis appears regularly as a panellist on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Flames linemate takes Baertschi promotion seriously

By Ian Busby ,Calgary Sun

As the team's resident prankster, Tom Kostopoulos would normally be devising a plan to 'welcome' the newcomer to his line.

Instead, the Calgary Flames winger is giving Sven Baertschi a pass -- for now.

There's enough going on in Baertschi's life these past few days -- being an emergency callup from the WHL's Portland Winterhawks -- that he doesn't need to deal with the creative pranking mind of Kostopoulos.

"I will let him get his first game under his belt and then work on it," Kostopoulos said. "Right now, we're all just excited for him and to see him play."

Baertschi will make his NHL debut Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets wearing No. 47 and playing alongside Kostopolous and centre Greg Nemisz.

It should be an interesting grouping, seeing as Nemisz has just nine NHL games under his belt and was brought up Monday from the Abbotsford Heat.

Kostopoulos is one of the team's most consistent defensive forwards and just played in his 600th NHL game, so he will be expected to help provide leadership for the trio.

After one practice with Baertschi, Kostopoulos is impressed with the skill set the youngster brings.

"He looks really good," Kostopoulos said. "We all know how talented he is. He can skate well, move the puck and shoot.

"He's really excited. I'm sure he's pumped up to play."

With Baertschi sliding into the third line in place of Tim Jackman (who left Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury), the top two units remain unchanged.

Whatever offence the third line provides is a bonus, especially with seven regulars injured.

"We feel we have enough offence with the guys we have to put the puck in the net," winger Alex Tanguay said. "It's not an excuse at all. We would like to have them back.

"Certainly, those guys have their spot in the room and in our lineup. If they aren't there, they aren't. If we can keep winning and get some bodies back, we can improve on our situation."



Jets game to trigger Tanguay's Nordiques memories


When the Winnipeg Jets hit the ice against his Calgary Flames Friday night, there will be a flood of memories for Alex Tanguay.

He won't be pining for the old Smythe Division days, though.

Seeing the new version of the Jets reminds Tanguay of the NHL team he lost growing up.

"I'm a kid from Quebec City, so I'm hoping the Nordiques are coming back eventually," the Flames winger said on the eve of facing the Jets at the Saddledome for the first time.

"It's nice (the Jets are back). The fans in Canada really enjoy hockey. They embrace it. The make it that much more enjoyable to come to the rink.

"I can't wait to play in Winnipeg. From what I've heard about the experience, it would be great to play there.

"We played most of those guys in Atlanta last year, so it's not new."

Yes, the visitors Friday night are the old Atlanta Thrashers, and many of the players suited up in Calgary a year ago when the Flames beat them 4-2 in early February.

There won't be any Dale Hawerchuks, Thomas Steens or even Teemu Selannes coming out of the tunnel Friday night.

Instead, there are players such as Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Wellwood, names the Calgary fans should know well as opponents the past few years.

Still, this was one of the games that stood out on the schedule when it was announced last summer.

"There are a lot of people around town excited that the Jets are back," Tanguay said. "It's always a different atmosphere when a Canadian team is in the building.

"I'm sure there will be some cheers for them, as well. We hope they will fire up our fans even more."

The Flames actually have had success against Canadian teams from the Eastern Conference, who draw their own group of fans.

On Tuesday, they beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in a wild but sloppy outing. The Toronto Maple Leafs were no match in a 5-1 Flames victory Feb. 14.

When the opposition gets some support early, it sparks the Saddledome faithful. On Tuesday, chants of 'Go Habs Go' were shouted down by 'Go Flames Go.'

The Jets should have their diehards out in full force, considering this is the one and only time they visit this season. Maybe the Flames can feed off that energy.

"Every game is different," Tanguay said. "I wish we could just take the two points. I know they are in a similar situation to ours. We expect their best, and we need to give our best."

Tanguay may get his wish about the Nordiques. There are rumours a team will be back in Quebec as early as next season.

By then, the Flames will get to play in Winnipeg, too.

"It's always nice to go to play in different Canadian cities," Tanguay said.



Getting NHL shot 'great experience'


A slick junior scorer called up for an emergency stint with the NHL club.

Sounds familiar to Brent Sutter.

The memory of the first NHL game never goes away. For the Calgary Flames head coach, it's not a fond one.

With a rash of injuries to the New York Islanders back in March 1981, Sutter was brought up from the Lethbridge Broncos to face the Flames in Calgary.

The result: 11-4 Flames.

So Sutter knows exactly what junior phenom Sven Baertschi will be going through Friday when he suits up against the Winnipeg Jets.

"It's the same thing," Sutter said Thursday after Baertschi's first practice with the big club upon his callup from the Portland Winterhawks.

"The beating here was a real wakeup call. At that time, Calgary had a massive team, and I came in at 5-foot-11 and 165 lb.

"I got lots of ice time. I played a ton. They needed centre icemen, and I was fortunate to play. It was a great experience."

Sutter didn't do too bad in a three-game stint: Two goals and two assists, and the Islanders did pick up victories in Vancouver and Los Angeles.

Baertschi might not be with the Flames that long, but the team sure could use a boost of offence with seven forwards out of the lineup due to injury.

The best advice Sutter could give the 19-year-old was to have fun and play the game that earned him 94 points in 47 WHL games.

Flames fans are obviously excited to see what Baertschi can do. They only got two games of him playing for Switzerland at the world juniors in Calgary because he suffered a concussion.

But Baertschi is aware of the high hopes people have around here for the 2011 first-round pick.

"I will try to do my best," Baertschi said. "I hope people don't have too high of expectations for me. I know it's not the same as junior.

"It's going to be a lot harder out there. I will have to go step by step and try hard."

Baertschi arrived in Calgary Wednesday night and took the ice for his first practice Thursday morning. He showed off enough skill to impress Sutter.

"He's got a gift," Sutter said. "He's phenomenal. He can skate, he can shoot, he can handle the puck, and he's fast.

"Just watching him doing the drills in practice, his pace is high and his intelligence is high. He's going to be a responsible player.

"The way we play and the way the NHL is played, you want every player to be a good two-way play. He's going to do that and bring some skills with him."

It's been a whirlwind for Baertschi since getting the call to join the Flames. He had trouble sleeping Wednesday night and expected more of the same Thursday.

Because his parents are back in Switzerland, he won't have them with him in person for his NHL debut, but just getting a chance to break the news to them over the phone was an amazing experience.

"I told my mom to sit down first," Baertschi said. "She thought I was just joking around. She was laughing.

"When I said I was serious, she started crying. My parents watch the whole season. They wake up in the middle of the night. I hope they do it again.

"I'm really lucky to have parents to support me that much."


617979 Carolina Hurricanes

Sabres streak past Canes

By JOHN WAWROW - Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville didn't know how to react, because he wasn't initially sure whether his one-timer from the left circle 56 seconds into overtime actually went in.

"I didn't see it," Pominville said. "I just blanked out."

Don't look now, but here come the Sabres after Pominville secured a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

Regarded as one of the NHL's biggest flops a mere six weeks ago, the Sabres (31-28-8) are on a 12-4-3 roll that's allowed them to go from 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings into a tie with Washington for ninth - two points behind Winnipeg for the eighth and final playoff spot.

"It's huge. We're making steps," said Pominville, who added an assist. "We're playing better hockey. We've dug ourselves in a big hole that isn't easy to get ourselves out of. But we believe."

Pominville's goal came with 10 seconds left in Carolina defenseman Bryan Allen's hooking penalty. Parked atop the left circle, Pominville took a pass from Christian Ehrhoff and blasted it inside the far post.

Goalie Cam Ward appeared to be screened by defenseman Jay Harrison.

Thomas Vanek had a goal and assist, and Tyler Myers also scored for Buffalo.

Jaroslav Spacek and Chad LaRose scored for the Hurricanes, who ran out of steam while being outshot 34-17 after the first period, and 42-24 overall.

Time is running out for the Hurricanes (25-27-15), who moved into a tie for 13th with the New York Islanders. Carolina sits seven points back of Winnipeg with 15 games left.

"Our guys, you can tell by the way we're playing, we believe we can battle every night and keep picking up points," coach Kirk Muller said. "We're scratching and clawing for every point."

The trouble is, the Hurricanes continue to have difficulty winning on the road, where they're 8-14-9. Coming off a 4-3 overtime win at Washington a day earlier, the Hurricanes failed to win consecutive road games for the first time since October.

And they continue to struggle in games that go past regulation. Carolina dropped to 3-9 in overtime games, and is 0-6 in shootouts this season.

Lack of discipline cost the Hurricanes, who gave up two power play goals on seven chances.

"We didn't play a patient game in the end," Spacek said.

"A couple of penalties in the third period probably cost us the game."

Carolina's power-power play lacked finish, too, failing to convert on three opportunities. That included not getting a shot on goal while enjoying a two-man advantage in the third period.

News Observer LOADED: 03.09.2012

617980 Chicago Blackhawks

Hawks' Toews resumes skating, 'closer' to return

But there's still no timetable for center's return from presumed concussion

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

The end of a long recovery process could be in sight for Jonathan Toews.

The Blackhawks' captain skated for the first time since Feb. 19 when he took the ice before Thursday's practice. The center has missed eight games with an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion.

"He had a good skate," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He felt good. It's very exciting for us to see him back out here. He's encouraged as well. It was a really good day. It's a big first step. We'll see how he progresses."

Toews' return would be a big boost for the Hawks in the thick of the Western Conference postseason positioning with 14 regular-season games remaining. He leads the Hawks with 29 goals and is second in scoring with 57 points, trailing only Marian Hossa's 59. While resuming skating is a significant development, Quenneville said there is no timetable for Toews' return.

"Off of that (skate) … maybe it's closer," Quenneville said.

Meanwhile, Niklas Hjalmarsson appears poised to rejoin the lineup Friday night against the Rangers at the United Center.

Hjalmarsson has missed six games in a row and 13 of 14 with a suspected concussion. The defenseman has been practicing with teammates while he works to get back into game shape. It's a hurdle Toews also will have to clear when he is ready to resume full practices.

"It's pretty amazing how … long a time it takes to get in shape and how fast it goes away," Hjalmarsson said. "It usually takes a while to get back in good shape."

Ouch: The injury situation isn't all good. Defenseman Sami Lepisto will be out indefinitely after suffering a left leg injury during Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Blues when Blues forward David Perron fell on him.

"Sami's … out, not just day-to-day," Quenneville said. "He's out for a bit."

The Hawks also announced prospect Ben Smith will undergo surgery next week to repair a right hip labral tear and a hernia. He will miss approximately 16 weeks.

Watching: Ray Emery will make his fourth consecutive start in goal Friday, which means Corey Crawford again will watch from the bench. Crawford hasn't played since being yanked during a Feb. 29 game against the Maple Leafs after yielding three goals on 10 shots.

It was the second straight start Crawford had been pulled after a poor performance. Despite his recent rough going, Crawford said he's doing fine mentally.

"I'm still confident," Crawford said. "I've done the job before. 'Razor' is playing well and if he (hadn't played) well all year we might be in a tough spot in the standings."

With a possible start looming Sunday against the Kings, Crawford isn't sure if or when he will get a chance to regain his hold on the No. 1 goalie job.

"I can't tell you that," Crawford said. "I have no clue what Joel's thinking. The best I can do is just work hard in practice and wait for my chance again."

Raising awareness: Defenseman Duncan Keith said he was happy to participate in the You Can Play Project, started by Patrick Burke — son of Leafs general manager Brian Burke — to honor the memory of brother Brendan, who died in a car accident in Indiana last year four months after publicly coming out as a homosexual.

The project calls for tolerance and acceptance and provides a message that an athlete's sexual orientation doesn't matter.

"Everybody deserves a chance to feel comfortable in playing, whether it's hockey or any type of sport," Keith said. "We're all human beings. It was for a good cause."

Sneak peek: The Hawks will stream online Friday's morning skate. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the behind-the-scenes look will be available on chicagoblackhawks.com and via the official Blackhawks app for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.09.2012


Preview: Rangers at Blackhawks

Staff Report

TV/radio: 7:30 p.m. Friday; CSN; WGN-AM 720.

Series: Hawks 1-0-0.

Last meeting: Hawks won 4-2 on Feb. 16 in New York.

Probable goaltenders: Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist, 31-13-5, 1.84 goals-against average; Hawks, Ray Emery, 14-9-2, 2.68.

Team comparison

Averages per game (NHL rank)

RANGERS (42-16-7) CATEGORY HAWKS(36-25-7)

2.72 (11) Goals for 2.93 (8)

2.03 (2) Goals against 2.90 (23)

14.2 (29) Power-play pct. 15.9 (24)

86.7 (5) Penalty-kill pct. 77.9 (26)

Statistics through Wednesday.

Storyline: Hawks are looking to bounce back from a subpar performance during 5-1 loss Tuesday to Blues. Last time they played Rangers, Hawks snapped nine-game losing skid, racing to a four-goal lead in the first 10 minutes at Madison Square Garden. Hawks have been strong at United Center with 22-7-4 record.



Blackhawks' Toews takes 'big first step'

By Chris Kuc

It was an encouraging sight for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday as Jonathan Toews hit the ice for the first time since Feb. 19 when the captain skated prior to practice.

Toews has been sidelined with an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion and has missed eight consecutive games.

"He had a good skate," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He felt good. It's very exciting for us to see him back out here. He's encouraged as well. It was a really good day. It's a big first step seeing him out here. We'll see how he's progressing but it was nice to see him."

Quenneville said there is no timetable for Toews' return.

"Off of that (skate) we'll certainly get a (better) idea that maybe it's closer," Quenneville said.

Adding to the good vibes at practice is that defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson could return against the Rangers on Friday night after missing six games in a row with a suspected concussion.

"We're hopeful he's playing," Quenneville said of Hjalmarsson, who has missed 13 of the Hawks' last 14 games.

The injury news wasn't all good. Defenseman Sami Lepisto will be out indefinitely after suffering a left leg injury during Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Blues when St. Louis forward David Perron fell on him.

"Sami's ... out not just day-to-day," Quenneville said. "He's out for a bit here."

One-timer: Ray Emery will start in goal against the Rangers.

[email protected]



Jonathan Toews gets back on skates

By ADAM L. JAHNS

It probably will be a week or longer before Jonathan Toews returns to the Blackhawks’ lineup. But he took a big first step Thursday in his recovery from concussion symptoms.

Toews skated on his own at Johnny’s IceHouse West before the Hawks’ practice. It was the first time he skated as part of his recovery. He began off-ice workouts last week.

“It’s very exciting for us to see him back out here,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “He was encouraged, as well. It was a really good day. He felt good, and that’s part of it, as well. It’s a big first step, seeing him out here. But we’ll see how he’s progressing. It was nice to see him.”

There’s still no timetable for his return. Toews hasn’t played since Feb. 19 against the St. Louis Blues. He will miss his ninth game in a row Friday, when the Hawks host the New York Rangers.

“But off of [the skate], we’ll certainly get a [better] idea that maybe [his return is] closer,” Quenneville said.

Slap shots

Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (concussion) said he’s hopeful he can play against the Rangers. He practiced again Thursday, participating in all drills. He has missed 12 of the last 13 games.

◆ Defenseman Sami Lepisto is out indefinitely after his left leg was injured when Blues forward David Perron fell on it Tuesday.

“Sami is not just day-to-day,” Quenneville said. “He’s out for a bit here.”

◆ The Hawks announced that rookie forward Ben Smith, who has been in Rockford, will undergo surgery next Thursday to repair a right hip labral tear and a hernia. A full recovery is expected in 16 weeks.

◆ Ray Emery will start his fourth consecutive game in goal.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Blackhawks turn into a streak show

By ADAM L. JAHNS

It had been a couple of days, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was still irate over the ugly loss Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.

“All aspects of our St. Louis game weren’t good enough,” he said Thursday.

There was more, too. It’s probably because the Hawks appeared to be on the verge of grasping what he has been harping on for a while about team defense in two tight victories over the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.

And then, it was gone.

The Hawks turned in a performance against the Blues reminiscent of their nine-game losing streak, when teams pushed them around and took a lead, and they struggled to respond. The fear, of course, is that it will continue.

The Hawks have been the most erratic team in the NHL in 2012. They’ve gone on nothing but streaks: 0-3-1, then 5-0-1, then 0-8-1, then 4-0-0, then 0-3-0 and then 3-0-0 until the Blues dismantled them in the 5-1 loss.

A repeat performance Friday against the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers, who’ll have Henrik Lundqvist in net unlike their first meeting at Madison Square Garden, will continue those ways.

The last time the Hawks won after a regulation defeat was Dec. 30, when they beat the Red Wings two days after getting shut out by the Los Angeles Kings.

“You’re right on the streaks, whether it’s been in the negatives and the positives and then the negatives and then the positives,” Quenneville said.

“Our team game being strong is something that we’ve tried to instill all year long that has been a work in progress. There has been progress recently, but you can’t say that after the last game.”

The troubling part is there are plenty of reasons for the streakiness: injuries, inconsistent performances by stars and depth players, unpredictable goaltending, coaching, poor special teams and the use of young players in key roles.

“We have been a streaky team this year,” defenseman Brent Seabrook said. “It’s something we definitely have to shore up. You know, you’re not going to win every game, but the games we’ve been losing, we can’t be losing that way.”

Defenseman Duncan Keith said it’s important for the Hawks to get over what happened in St. Louis.

“We know we were playing the way we want to play the last few games there against Toronto, Ottawa and Detroit, then we had a tough one in St. Louis,” Keith said.

“The key now is to not get too down on ourselves and realize we know we could’ve been a lot better in a lot of different areas the last game.”

But the notion that the Hawks might have trouble moving on is another sign of their concerns from potentially tuned-out players to ineffective coaching to youthful mistakes.

“There was no reason why we got off track [in St. Louis],” Quenneville said. “It’s hard to figure it out. ... I just think at this time of the year we have to be more consistent with our energy and our approach to games. That consistency of our team game has got to be predictable and expected.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Blackhawks’ Toews returns to ice

By Mike Spellman

It may have been one small step for Jonathan Toews, but it’s potentially one giant leap for the Blackhawks’ playoff hopes down the stretch.

For the first time since February 19, Toews, who is recovering from a concussion, hit the ice prior to practice at Johnny’s Ice House on Thursday morning, skating on his own under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman.

“We all came in and saw him working hard; it’s good to see his face red and sweaty,” said defenseman Duncan Keith.

Toews didn’t talk to reporters but told coach Joel Quenneville that it was a solid workout.

“He felt good and that’s part of it as well,” Quenneville said. “It’s a big first step, seeing him out here. But we’ll see how he’s progressing.”

Even if the Hawks’ captain won’t be in the lineup Friday night against the New York Rangers — which he won’t be, marking his ninth straight game missed — and even though a return date is a great unknown, just seeing No. 19 back on the ice seemed to up the pumped-up factor around the team.

“It’s very exciting for us to see him back out here,” Quenneville said. “He was encouraged as well. It was a really good day.”

“He’s the best player on our team and to see him go out is tough, but it’s nice to see him get back out on the ice,” Bryan Bickell said.

The Hawks could certainly use their captain’s near point-per-game output as well as all the other intangibles he brings to the table as they prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.

“Off of that (workout), we’ll certainly get an idea that maybe it’s closer,” Quenneville said of a possible return date. “We’ll see.”

Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who has also suffered with concussion symptoms and may return to the lineup Friday after missing 12 of the last 13 games, said Toews’ return to the ice is a good sign, but there’s still more work to do.

“It’s pretty amazing how that works; how long it takes to get in shape and how fast it goes away,” Hjarlmarsson said. “It usually takes a while to get back in good shape.”

But ...

“It’s a step in the right direction, for sure. He likes to be out there instead of just being in the gym doing what he’s been doing.

“It’s a good thing.”

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Facing an Original Six is always something special

STEVE KONROYD

When you are forced to play 14 of 18 games on the road during the "Dog Days of Hockey," you know there are some quirks in the schedule.

One of the benefits of this strange sequence for the Blackhawks is that we are in the midst of watching our third Original Six team in the last five games. Enjoy it while it lasts because the next Original Six team we will see is on the last day of the regular season when the Blackhawks face off against the Detroit Red Wings, a game that should have plenty of playoff implications.

So why the love affair with Original Six teams? For me, it's all about the history. The NHL has been around for 95 years, and all of the Original Six have been around for the better part of that. Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, and New York.

As a guy who played in the 1980s and 90s, it's hard to describe going into a building that you know Jean Beliveau, Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Jean Ratelle, Eddie Giacomin, Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull and Tony Esposito played in. I know all of those buildings are different now -- except for Madison Square Garden -- but seeing those team jerseys brings back a lot of great memories. With the geographical realignment of 1998, Chicago now only has the Red Wings as consistent Original Six combatants.

Each of these cities are hockey hotbeds in their own way, with the title going to Montreal. Even after a disappointing season and a team in turmoil, they still pack the Bell Centre with loud and knowledgeable fans. I think that's what I liked best about playing in these cities: People know hockey, they grew up with it and although some never played, they had their dad's and grandfather's explaining in great detail the rules and regulations of this game.

Who knows how the battle between the NHL and the Players Association plays out this off season. I'm thinking cooler heads will prevail, and with that, an opportunity to see our five brethren on a more consistent basis. That should make for more great history and more great hockey.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.09.2012

617987 Colorado Avalanche

Avs' Duchene out 3-4 weeks with ankle injury

By Adrian Dater

Avalanche forward Matt Duchene will miss 3-4 weeks with a right ankle injury. The injury won't require surgery.

Duchene, 21, was hurt late in Colorado's 7-1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday.

It will be Duchene's second prolonged stint missing games because of an injury this season. He missed seven weeks after suffering a left knee injury on Dec. 29.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Predators' Yip nicks ex-mates

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former Avalanche forward Brandon Yip quickly made an impact in his first meeting against his former team in Thursday's 4-2 win over Colorado.

Yip, who was picked up off waivers by the Predators on Jan. 19, scored a goal on a tip-in of a Roman Josi shot to give Nashville a 2-1 lead less than seven minutes into the first period.

Yip played in 113 games and scored 41 points for Colorado in parts of three seasons before being placed on waivers this season.

"It's definitely nice to get a goal there and contribute and help the team, and it was a big goal for us," Yip said. "It gave us a lead, and I thought everyone played pretty well."

Yip would not deny after the game he had some extra motivation going in.

"Absolutely, anytime a team lets you go or trades you, there's a little salt in your mouth after that," he said.

"Yipper's a great guy," said Shane O'Brien, who came to Colorado from Nashville in the offseason. "I mean, I only played half a year with him but he's a great guy, great hockey player.

"He's been given an opportunity here in Nashville. It's a good place to play, good coaches, good everything, good guys over there. It's worked out well for him. I'm happy for him."

Johnson fine. Defenseman Erik Johnson left the game with one second left in the first period but returned late in the second period.

Johnson went to hit one of the Predators and went headfirst into the boards. He appeared to favor his right leg as he skated off.

"He came back," coach Joe Sacco said, "so I assume he's fine."

Greg Sullivan, Special to The Denver Post



Avalanche's Matt Duchene will be out 3-4 weeks with ankle injury

By Adrian Dater

The best Matt Duchene can hope for now: that the Avalanche can make the playoffs without him. Then he can help when the postseason begins.

The Avs learned Thursday that Duchene will miss three to four weeks with a right ankle injury, meaning they will be without one of their top forwards for perhaps the rest of the regular season.

It also means added pressure for the Avs' remaining forwards, who must try to pick up the slack. Mark Olver, the youngster who missed the first half of the season with a concussion, will take Duchene's spot at center. More ice time is likely for Colorado's top two centers: Paul Stastny and Ryan O'Reilly.

"We've done a good job of dealing with injuries. We haven't had that many, knock on wood, and not as many we've had the last couple of years," Avs coach Joe Sacco said. "(Duchene) missed a significant amount of time before that with a knee injury, and we did OK. It's just an opportunity for other people to step in and have a little bit more of a role than they previously had, use them in more minutes and different situations."

Said Avs winger Peter Mueller: "It's definitely tough. He struggled getting back with that knee injury, and for him to be out for a couple more weeks, it's tough.

"He's a kid who wants to play so bad and enjoys the game. It's tough to see, but for us, we need to keep going. We've dealt with injuries in the past. It just means we have to step up a little more and find some more offense without him in the lineup."

On his Twitter account — @matt9duchene — Duchene said: "I'm gonna work as hard as I possibly can to be back in an Avs jersey before the season is over. It kills me to be out again."

Duchene, 21, missed nearly eight weeks after suffering a left knee injury Dec. 29. He wore a brace on the knee after returning, but struggled to put up points, with one goal and an assist in nine games.

Still, with the Avs having only 13 games left, making the playoffs probably just got a little tougher.

"He's a big part of our team, a real offensive threat. He will be missed," Avs captain Milan Hej duk said. "We have other guys who have to step up and fill his spot, and what can you do? Injuries are part of the game."

Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or [email protected]



Avs' late push not enough in loss at Nashville

By Greg Sullivan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The clank of puck on crossbar revealed just how close the Avalanche came to a comeback Thursday night, but ultimately Colorado couldn't overcome offensive struggles that spanned over large stretches of the first two periods in a 4-2 loss to Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.

Cody McLeod's wrist shot went past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne but ricocheted off the crossbar about midway through the third period. The shot would have tied the game at 3.

The Predators got a Martin Erat goal on an empty-netter in the game's final minute to provide the final margin.

The Avs cut Nashville's lead to 3-2 with a Paul Stastny wrist shot-goal five minutes into the third period on a Peter Mueller assist.

But for much of the game, the Predators controlled the pace, recovering quickly from an early Colorado goal.

Following a Jamie McGinn goal in the game's first two minutes, Nashville quickly scored twice and held a 2-1 lead they never relinquished, despite the Avalanche making a late push.

Roman Josi gave the Predators the lead on a shot from the blue line fewer than seven minutes into the game. The puck snuck underneath the lifted right arm of Avs goalie Seymon Varlamov.

The loss was only the second in Varlamov's last seven games, who came in red-hot, having given up only an average of 0.84 goals per game for the Avalanche (35-30-4) in his six previous outings.

Meanwhile, Nashville (39-21-7) continued to play well at home. The Predators are 18-3-2 at home in their past 23 home games.

Colorado has now lost to the Predators six straight times dating back to last season.

McGinn's early goal came after David Jones had the puck knocked away as he drove to the net. Jones tracked down the puck down and found McGinn from behind the net for a tip-in.

The fast 1-0 lead seemed at first to be a continuation of momentum for the Avs. On Tuesday, Colorado won 7-1 over Minnesota at Pepsi Center to match a season high.

But events quickly turned. The Avs held their lead for less than two minutes as Mike Fisher scored on a wrist shot 2:54 into the first to tie the game.

Sergei Kostitsyn wrist shot for the Predators at the 19:28 mark of the second period made Nashville's lead 3-1.

The Avs cut the lead to 3-2 with a Paul Stastny wrist shot-goal five minutes into the third period on a Peter Mueller assist.



Avs' star out 3-4 weeks with ankle injury

ADRIAN DATER

Avalanche forward Matt Duchene will miss 3-4 weeks with a right ankle injury, but the injury won't require surgery, Colorado coach Joe Sacco said Thursday.

Duchene, 21, was hurt late in Colorado's 7-1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday.

"I'm gonna work as hard as I possibly can to be back in an Avs jersey before the season is over," Duchene said on Twitter. "It kills me to be out again."

It will be Duchene's second prolonged stint missing games because of an injury this season. He missed seven weeks after suffering a left knee injury on Dec. 29.

Read more at: http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_20129593/avs-duchene-out-3-4-weeks-ankle-injury

Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/injury-134808-duchene-weeks.html#ixzz1oaSrcErr

Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Avs can't keep up with rolling Predators

TERESA M. WALKER

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sergei Kostitsyn scored at 19:28 of the second period, and the Nashville Predators held off the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 Thursday night.

The Predators, coming off their first home loss in regulation since Jan. 5, improved to 18-3-2 in their last 23 home games. Pekka Rinne stopped 15 shots in his NHL-best 37th win.

Mike Fisher and Brandon Yip each scored a goal as Nashville won its sixth straight at home over Colorado. Martin Erat added an empty-netter.

Paul Stastny and Jamie McGinn each had a goal and an assist for Colorado. The Avalanche snapped a two-game winning streak after matching a season-high with seven goals in a 7-1 win Tuesday against Minnesota. Semyon Varlamov had posted shutout wins in his last two road games.

The Avalanche scored first on McGinn’s wrister just 74 seconds into the game. Nashville tied it when Fisher scored at 2:54 with his 20th goal, ending Varlamov’s road shutout streak. Roman Josi then had a slap shot through traffic that Yip redirected past Varlamov at 6:58.

The period ended on a painful note when Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson went face first into the boards. He lay on the ice for a couple minutes before slowly getting up, and teammates had to help him off the ice and to the locker room. Johnson returned late in the second and finished the game.

Nashville peppered Varlamov in the second and missed plenty of scoring chances. Colorado had its best chance when Mike Connolly had a shot at the open net on a rebound off Rinne only to see Ryan Suter swipe the puck away. Rinne also stopped former teammate Shane O’Brien from right in front late in the period.

Kostitsyn gave Nashville what wound up as the game-winning goal when he came on the ice during a changeover, and Matt Halischuk passed him the puck. Kostitsyn scored on a wrister.

Stastny pulled Colorado within a goal with his own wrister from the slot at 4:58 of the third. Colorado nearly tied it, but Cody McLeod’s shot went off the crossbar and bounced back off Rinne, who smothered the puck at 10:48. The Avalanche pulled Varlamov late, and Erat sealed the win with the empty-netter at 19:16.

Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 03.09.2012

617993 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets 3, Kings 1: Spoiler role

By Shawn Mitchell

The Blue Jackets beat the playoff-chasing Los Angeles Kings 3-1 last night in Nationwide Arena.

It was the fourth consecutive win for the last-place Blue Jackets, who got a pair of goals from center Mark Letestu.

The Blue Jackets have played their late-season spoiler roles to a hilt. Sheep no more, they are lions in March, and an announced crowd of 14,306 roared along with fast fan-favorite Jack Johnson.

Johnson was traded from the Kings to the Blue Jackets in exchange for center Jeff Carter on Feb. 22.

He scored the winner in the closing moments of the first period when he latched onto a puck that bounded over the stick of Derick Brassard in the high slot and fired a wrister past goaltender Jonathan Bernier.

Johnson’s second goal in as many games gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead with 8.5 seconds remaining in the first. There was money on the board against his old team, and the former University of Michigan standout basked in the ovation that followed what proved to be the winner.

“I liked the response from the fans,” Blue Jackets interim coach Todd Richards said. “I’m not talking about the booing of Jeff Carter. I’m just talking about when Jack was announced as a starter, and when he scored his goal.

“When you’re a last-place team and you trade for a guy, sometimes you don’t know what to expect. But here’s a guy that comes in and says, ‘I want to be part of it, I want the challenge.’ That’s what we need.”

Carter, meanwhile, was booed when he was announced as a starter before the game and jeered every time he touched the puck. But the vitriol never reached the rancor of the first visit of the Colorado Avalanche with former captain Adam Foote on Dec. 5, 2009.

Carter said he expected to hear boos. He did not take a shot on goal and finished with a minus-1 rating.

After the game, as Carter was being asked whether he spoke to or saw any of his former teammates on Wednesday, a Kings’ team official asked reporters to limit questions to the game only.

“We struggled from the get-go,” Carter said. “We weren’t skating like we usually do, getting in on pucks and creating turnovers. It was a tough one.”

The Blue Jackets scored first for the fourth consecutive game when Mark Letestu tipped in a James Wisniewski slap shot at 9:14 of the first period.

Letestu made it 3-1 when he buried a rebound and made good on gritty work by right winger Maksim Mayorov at 3:07 of the second period.

“Sometimes you need a little puck luck, and I got a little bit tonight,” said Letestu, who had not scored a goal since Dec. 18.

It was Letestu’s first multi-point game as a Blue Jacket and the second two-goal game of his career. Mayorov was recalled from minor-league Springfield yesterday morning to help fill lineup holes created by injuries to No. 1 defenseman Fedor Tyutin (broken right hand) and center Derek MacKenzie (concussion symptoms).

Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason left the game after his left wrist was accidently cut by a skate blade of Blue Jackets defenseman John Moore when Moore tumbled into his net midway through the second period.

Goaltender Curtis Sanford replaced Mason and saved all 13 shots he faced.

Right winger Derek Dorsett left the game with an upper-body injury midway through the third period and did not return.

Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings. He tied it at 1 with flashy stick work to beat Mason for a short-handed goal after a turnover by Dorsett at 12:22 of the first.

[email protected]

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.09.2012


Blue Jackets notebook: Broken hand could end Tyutin’s season

By Bill Rabinowitz

Fedor Tyutin had been one of the few constants in a Blue Jackets lineup that has been in flux this season.

Now, he might be done for the season. The defenseman sustained a broken right hand in Tuesday’s victory over Phoenix. The Blue Jackets’ 3-1 victory last night in their 67th game was the first without Tyutin in the lineup.

Tyutin was hit by a shot from the point in the second period on Tuesday, but he played the rest of the game. The Blue Jackets were already short-handed on the blue line because Tyutin’s partner, Nikita Nikitin, missed the third period because of a bruised foot.

“It’s a big loss, losing Fedor,” interim coach Todd Richards said last night. “He played all the games, logs a lot of minutes, plays in every situation. He and Niki were kind of our shutdown pair.”

Tyutin played in 242 of the Blue Jackets’ past 246 games.

He ranks sixth on the team in points (five goals, 21 assists) and has a minus-21 rating.

Mason’s hand cut

Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason left the game in the second period last night after his left (blocker) hand was cut by the blade of teammate John Moore’s skate as the defenseman got knocked into the net.

Mason said he needed 18-20 stitches to close the cut. He returned to the bench in the third period, but Curtis Sanford played the rest of the game.

Mason said he could have played if needed.

“The hand’s pretty numb right now,” he said.

Richards said Mason will be re-evaluated today and was not expected to play this weekend.

MacKenzie sits out game

Like Tyutin, center Derek MacKenzie’s streak of playing every game this season ended last night. He was held out after experiencing concussion-like symptoms after taking what Richards described was “a bunch” of hits to the head during the past few games.

The Blue Jackets recalled Maksim Mayorov from Springfield as an emergency recall. Mayorov had an assist — the first of his NHL career — on Mark Letestu’s second goal last night.

Johansen’s chance

Rookie Ryan Johansen is a natural center but has played mostly on the wing this season.

With MacKenzie out and Antoine Vermette and Sammy Pahlsson traded, the Blue Jackets are depleted at center. Johansen centered the fourth line last night. Darryl Boyce was the center on the third line.

“Does he have something to prove? I hope so,” Richards said of Johansen. “I hope he looks at it that way.”

Richards said he was pleased with Johansen’s line play last night.

Slap shots

Right winger Derek Dorsett left the game in the third period because of an upper-body injury. Richards said he wasn’t sure about the severity of the injury. … Center Derick Brassard had an assist to extend his point streak to five games.

[email protected]



Jackets-Kings summary

Blue Jackets 3, Kings 1: Spoiler role

Staff Report

Los Angeles 1 0 0 — 1

Columbus 2 1 0 — 3

FIRST PERIOD: Scoring — 1, Columbus, Letestu 6 (Wisniewski, Prospal), 9:14. 2, Los Angeles, Kopitar 20 (Brown), 12:22 (sh). 3, Columbus, J.Johnson 10 (Brassard, Umberger), 19:51. Penalties — Mitchell, LA (high-sticking), 11:05; Wisniewski, Clm (tripping), 17:26.

SECOND: Scoring — 4, Columbus, Letestu 7 (Mayorov, Prospal), 3:07. Penalties — Greene, LA (roughing), 5:52; Martinez, LA (roughing), 5:52; Dorsett, Clm (roughing), 5:52; Stoll, LA (interference), 11:08.

THIRD: Penalties — Mitchell, LA (boarding), :53; Doughty, LA (hooking), 15:16.

Shots on goal: Los Angeles 12-9-9—30. Columbus 15-11-10—36. Power plays: Los Angeles 0 of 1; Columbus 0 of 5. Goalies: Los Angeles, Bernier 4-6-1 (36 shots-33 saves). Columbus, Mason 12-22-3 (17-16), Sanford (11:08 second, 13-13). A: 14,306. T: 2:23.



Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings ... Buckeyes football, Jackets, NFL and more

By Bob Hunter

With the hiring of Kerry Coombs as cornerbacks coach, Urban Meyer’s first Ohio State staff has taken on two distinct characteristics:

Of the nine coaches, eight are Ohio natives or spent extensive time in the state; co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers is the exception. And only one, running backs coach Stan Drayton, had worked for Meyer previously. Drayton, a Cleveland native, worked for Meyer for three years at Florida and was OSU’s receivers coach in 2011.

Although Meyer brought long-trusted confidants for key support positions of strength and conditioning director (Mickey Marotti), director of operations (Matt Voltolini) and director of player personnel/recruiting logistics (Mark Pantoni), he seems to have purposely surrounded himself with new faces in the coaches’ room.

Meyer recently told The Dispatch’s Tim May that his year away from coaching helped him crystallize what he expects from his staff, and that although working with friends is good, it’s more important that his coaches teach with the same voice.

“You’re either going to be aligned, or you’re not, and if not, you’re not going to coach here,” Meyer said. “In my year off and visiting programs, I found

the No. 1 common denominator of great programs is alignment of the staff.”

The Blue Jackets lost out to Tampa Bay two years ago when they tried to hire Guy Boucher as coach, and it now looks like they might be in competition with the Lightning again this summer when seeking a new goaltender.

Vancouver backup Cory Schneider can become a restricted free agent and has frequently been mentioned as a trade possibility for the Jackets. He is 25, has a good track record (32-15-4 with a 2.36 goals-against average in 65 career NHL games) and appears stuck behind Roberto Luongo, who has 10 more years on his contract.

But when the Lightning passed on a trade-deadline deal for minor-league goaltender Ben Bishop, speculation immediately centered on Schneider. Tampa Bay has two first-round picks in the June draft and probably four in the second, meaning it has the ammunition to compete with the Jackets for Schneider if that’s the way this goes.

The St. Louis Rams are trying to trade the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft — the one that probably will net the recipient Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III — before free-agent quarterbacks hit the market on Tuesday. An influx of free-agent signings by quarterback-needy teams could lower the value of the pick. Tuesday is also the earliest day a trade can be executed.

If one or more of the potential bidders decides to sign Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn or another free agent, the bidding for the No. 2 pick might not be so competitive.

The Cleveland Browns remain the favorite to move up from No. 4 to No. 2. But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Browns are unwilling to include their second first-round pick, No. 22, as part of any package with St. Louis. The paper also reported that Washington, regarded as Cleveland’s strongest competition for a trade with the Rams and the owner of the No. 6 pick, appears willing to trade that and its first-round pick next year, but not its second-rounder this year. That is apparently not acceptable to the Rams.

Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, has been throwing in the Dominican Republic, and Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta said this week that he talks to him every day.

Hernandez, who was arrested in January for falsifying his name and age (he claimed to be 28 instead of 31) has been working out and throwing in the bullpen and in simulated games. Maybe more important, he is trying to get on the right side of the authorities, speaking to kids at baseball academies and telling them to be truthful about identity and age issues.

Hernandez can’t leave the Dominican Republic until the case is settled, and no one knows when that will be.

First, Browns running back Peyton Hillis denied to The Plain Dealer a report that he considered retiring and joining the CIA last season. Then, teammate Josh Cribbs told reporters last week that he believes the story emanated from Hillis’ recently fired agent.

“That tends to hurt a person’s credibility when (an agent) gets released,” Cribbs said. “It happens all the time. Then you try to scorn a guy.”

Hillis’ problem is that his credibility is already in question because of the mini-soap operas that played out most of last season. Normally, a report as wild as the one involving the CIA would have been dismissed as ridiculous; in this case, no one was sure.

Meyer recently apologized to a gay and lesbian rights group at Ohio State after it learned that he planned to distribute lavender shirts to players who are underperforming at practice.

Meyer’s letter to Scarlet & Gay, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni Society, said that the practice of having underperforming student athletes wear purple-mesh jerseys “was never intended to be used to offend anybody. ... Bias has absolutely no role in how we think or operate.”

The group said lavender is the predominant color associated with the gay and lesbian community.

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.



Jackets top Kings for fourth straight win

Staff Report

Mark Letestu scored two goals and Jack Johnson had a goal against his former team as the Blue Jackets won their fourth straight game, beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 tonight at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus had not won four in a row since November 2010.

Steve Mason made 16 saves before being injured in the second period when his left hand was hit by a skate. Mason said after the game that he sustained "a pretty good cut on the hand" that required what the team said was about 20 stitches.

Curtis Sanford relieved Mason in goal and stopped all 13 shots he faced. Vinny Prospal added two assists to add to his team-leading total of 33 assists.

Derek Dorsett also was injured during the game and did not return.

The Kings scored their lone goal in the first period when Anze Kopitar scored short-handed.


617998 Dallas Stars

Heika: How the Stars are making a prophet of coach Glen Gulutzan

Glen Gulutzan has almost nine years in the coaching business stored in his head, and he said a few weeks back that he had a hunch about this Stars team.

"Every team I've ever been on, we've gone on a streak at some time," Gulutzan said as he prepared his team for a game at Columbus on Feb. 9. "This one, we haven't really done it yet. We had the nice start, but that was more Kari [Lehtonen] than anything. But I get the feeling we're putting things together. I get the feeling we're ready to take the next step."

At the time, it was easy to dismiss the prediction as so much optimism from a first-year coach selling positivity, but now that the Stars have ridden a 7-0-1 run to the top of the Pacific Division, it looks like genius from the Stars' first-year bench boss.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.09.2012

617999 Dallas Stars

Brenden Morrow (neck/back) doesn't expect to play Thursday

Stars captain Brenden Morrow has missed 17 games with neck and back pain and stiffness, but has been working out while the Stars have been on their three-game road trip. Still, he said Wednesday that he won't be ready to play Thursday against the Sharks.

`Ì've haven't been out against the speed and pace and hitting of the regular season, so I need to practice with the team,'' said Morrow, who has skated for six days. `Ì'll definitely skate tomorrow, but I won't be ready to play.''

Morrow missed six games earlier in the season, then returned and played very well. However, the pain is a nagging issue, and he will have to do different things to deal with it. While injections of cortisone or pain killers are possible, he has been working to strengthen his core muscles. That could take some of the pressure off of his neck and back.

`Ìt feels 100 percent better, but I think that's what happens when you rest it,'' he said. ``The real test will be when I get hit in practice and see how it responds. Then we'll have a better idea. But I feel really good about what we're doing. I have a lot of confidence in it.''

The Stars also will see the return of Toby Petersen to full team practice, as he has been in Texas the past two games for the birth of his daughter.

However, there's a good chance Petersen is a healthy scratch. The Stars are on a 7-0-1 roll and have been sticking with the same lineup. Kari Lehtonen will be back in goal, and that could be the only change.


618000 Dallas Stars

Stars-Sharks, 7:30 p.m.: San Jose has dominated Dallas this season

MIKE HEIKA

San Jose Sharks at Dallas preview

7:30 p.m. today at American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW-Plus Radio: KTCK-AM (1310)

Key matchup:

Mike Ribeiro vs. Logan Couture

It will be interesting to see how Stars coach Glen Gulutzan tries to match lines. He usually puts Jamie Benn against Joe Thornton , and the guess is that San Jose might try to use Michal Handzus a lot for checking. That could mean that Gulutzan goes for Ribeiro vs. Couture.

Key stat: 1,100

Games played by Sharks left wing Patrick Marleau. He is the youngest player to pass that milestone at 32 years and 173 days.

Injuries

San Jose: RW Martin Havlat (hamstring) is doubtful.

Dallas: LW Brenden Morrow (back/neck) and C Jake Dowell (finger) are out.

Notable

Morrow has missed 17 games with his back and neck stiffness and pain, but has been skating on his own for six days. He is expected to practice with the team for the first time since he went out with the injury Feb. 2. ... San Jose is 3-0-0 against the Stars this season and has outscored Dallas, 14-5. ... Dallas is coming off a 5-2 victory at Vancouver on Tuesday and is 7-0-1 in its last eight games. ... San Jose is coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton on Tuesday and is 2-7-2 in its last 11 games. ... Sharks coach Todd McLellan missed three games with a concussion, but returned last game. ... Kari Lehtonen is expected to start in goal for Dallas. ... Stars RW Michael Ryder is on a seven-game point scoring streak.


618001 Dallas Stars

Stars keep streaking, find way past San Jose, 4-3, in shootout

Associated Press

Tomas Vincour scored in the final minute of regulation, and then added the lone goal of the shootout in the fifth round to give the surging Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Kari Lehtonen made 45 saves through overtime and then was perfect in the shootout. He stopped Logan Couture in the final round to seal the win for Dallas.

Vincour gave the Stars the edge in the tiebreaker when he flipped a backhander past Antti Niemi.

Pacific Division-leading Dallas won its fourth straight and improved to 79 points, four ahead of San Jose.

Joe Pavelski put the Sharks in front 3-2 when he pushed a rebound past Lehtonen with 3:32 left in regulation for his 24th goal. But with Lehtonen off for an extra skater, Vincour nudged the puck over the line at 19:45 to tie it. The goal was upheld by video replay.

Pavelski had the best scoring chance in overtime, while the Sharks were on a power play, but Lehtonen denied his backhanded attempt from in close with just under 90 seconds to play.

Niemi made 32 saves for the faltering Sharks, 2-7-3 in their last 12 games overall and 1-5-2 in their last eight on the road. Dallas returned from a 3-0 road trip and is 8-0-1 in its last nine.

Patrick Marleau notched his 27th goal of the season from the slot 25 seconds into the third period to put the Sharks in front 2-1.

But Jamie Benn's 20th drew Dallas even at 2 at 6:42 of the third when he backhanded a pass from Adam Burish past Niemi.

The Stars took the lead when Michael Ryder netted his 29th goal at 12:16 of the second, but Torrey Mitchell tied it at 3 when he got around defenseman Alex Goligoski and beat Lehtonen from close range with 1.6 seconds remaining in the second period.

The Sharks opened a four-game trip with the fourth of six meetings with the Stars. San Jose won the first three by a total score of 14-5, although the Stars used backup goalies in all of those games while Lehtonen was either rested or injured.

Dallas held an early 7-4 edge in shots, but San Jose finished with a 16-8 advantage in the scoreless opening period.

Ryder had given the Stars the lead when he skated in alone and fired a shot past Niemi.

Seconds earlier, Lehtonen had denied Ryane Clowe's prime scoring chance with a sliding pad save.

NOTES: Dallas D Sheldon Souray was done after two periods because of an undisclosed lower body injury. … Sharks RW Martin Havlat (hamstring) missed his 36th consecutive game. … Lehtonen has started 16 of 18 games. … LW Steve Ott (back spasms), LW Brenden Morrow (neck, shoulder) and C Jake Dowell (finger) were out for Dallas. Ott missed his first game since Nov. 15. Morrow, the Stars captain, sat out his 18th straight game, but he is practicing with the team and is nearing a return to the lineup.


618002 Dallas Stars

Stars' Brenden Morrow reacts to being compared to Yankees' great Derek Jeter

Staff Reports

Stars left wing Brenden Morrow spoke with KRLD-AM 180 on Thursday, here are some of the highlights:

On ESPN analyst Barry Melrose comparing him to Derek Jeter:

“I must have tipped him well last time I saw him or something. Those were pretty nice things to say. He’s a good Saskatchewan boy. Barry has been good to me throughout the years so I have nothing bad to say about him. Coaching didn’t work out for him in Tampa, but he’s found a pretty good home on ESPN."

On where he watches Stars games:

“I’m a bit of a creature of habit I guess. You kind of want to stay in the routine so obviously, I would go in in the mornings before I was skating, and I’d work out while they were skating and then go home and have a little break and then come back during the games and get in another work out just so when I do comeback the body’s still used to a routine. It’s not like I was working out for three hours during the game, but I would go in and do a work out and maybe get a massage and watch the game and hang out down in the locker room and keep the body moving during those hours that we would be playing the game.

On his workout routine:

“It’s a lot of core then you want to throw in some bike rides or some elliptical just to keep the legs going and keep the strength in the legs. The issue I have is that you can really be throwing a lot of iron around. You have to find different ways to workout your legs so that you’re not putting a lot of pressure on your lower back.”

On bounty situations in hockey:

“There’s guys that might not like people and say ‘hey I want you to put a licking that guy tonight,’ but there is never any benefit financially. I would have liked to clean up on some of those (extra checks) throughout the year, but no, nothing for me.”

On what his March Madness bracket is going to look like:

“I go in blind. I think that’s the best way. I think I followed (Barack) Obama’s pick one time, and I just got blasted. I got killed that year so I went in blind the next year and did better so I don’t think I’m going to follow anyone. I’m just going to wing it.”


618003 Dallas Stars

Morrow has 60 percent chance of playing Saturday, Gulutzan says

Brenden Morrow said he's itching to get back into the lineup, and it's not just because the Stars are winning.

``Honestly, I've always wanted to be in there, but I'm more excited now than ever,'' said the Stars captain. `Ànd it's not so much that they're winning, it's because I feel good and I feel like I can help them. And I couldn't say that a month ago.''

Morrow on Thursday missed his 18th consecutive game with back and neck pain and stiffness. He is listed as a 60-40 possibility to play Saturday against Anaheim by Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. Morrow will be welcomed back with open arms, Gulutzan said.

``Brenden is a great player and we can't wait to get him back,'' Gulutzan said. ``He's our captain and he's our leader, and we want him back healthy. There's no question getting him back in our lineup makes us a better hockey club. I personally can't wait until he's healthy.''

Morrow, who has 22 points in 43 games this season, said he has looked into possibile surgeries and treatments to alleviate the pain and stiffness, but right now he is hoping that some intense core workouts will provide trunk strength that will keep the pressure off of his upper back. Morrow has gone through some intense conditioning, as well as inversion training, and said he feels much better.

`Ì feel good. Every day is better than the last,'' Morrow said.

Gulutzan said he would anticipate that Morrow would return and play in the top six, but he'll have to wait until the captain is back in the lineup to know for sure what he will do. There's a good chance Morrow would start out on the second line with Jamie Benn. Morrow saiod he doesn't anticipate softening his game at all to avoid future injury.

`Ì really don't think I'm going to change much,'' he said. `Ì can't stop people crosschecking from behind, I can't really stop that. And `the reversal' is kind of a defense to that. If I'm going to get hit, I think it helps when I hit back. I might have to do it even more.''

``The reversal'' is a move where Morrow throws himself, back first, into an opponent who is about to check him. While that could be one reason for the back pain, Morrow said he will play a similar physical style.

``You can think about it and be scared, but we know we're playing a physical sport and you take every day like it could be your last,'' he said when asked if he's worried he could end his career. `Ì'm not expecting it to end, but you're always aware of that.''

Gulutzan said he expects to work Morrow in slowly, but that he would be ecstatic to get him back in the lineup.

`Èveryone this time of the year wants a guy like Brenden - a heavy body with heavy character who can win the little wars within the big war. Not too many teams have those guys,'' Gulutzan said. ``Brenden Morrow is a pretty special player, and coming back and seeing him healthy, he can be a one-man wrecking crew.''


618004 Dallas Stars

Gritty win over Sharks says Stars are ready to rule Pacific

Staff Report

The San Jose Sharks have won the Pacific Division for the last four seasons, but the Stars on Thursday made a gritty statement that it could be time for a changing of the guard.

Dallas used 45 saves from Kari Lehtonen and a shootout-winning goal from Tomas Vincour to take a 4-3 victory over the Sharks at American Airlines Center. And while it hardly cements anything with 14 games remaining in the regular season, it does make a statement about the Stars, who lead the Pacific Division with 79 points and have run their streak to 8-0-1.

"I thought we played very gutsy," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said.

That's what it took to bring down a frustrated Sharks team that felt it had done most of the hard work on the night.


618005 Dallas Stars

Stars make 'gritty statement' with 4-3 win over San Jose

MIKE HEIKA

The San Jose Sharks have won the Pacific Division for the last four seasons, but the Stars on Thursday made a gritty statement that it could be time for a changing of the guard.

Dallas used 45 saves from Kari Lehtonen and a shootout-winning goal from Tomas Vincour to take a 4-3 victory over the Sharks at American Airlines Center. And while it hardly cements anything with 14 games remaining in the regular season, it does make a statement about the Stars, who lead the Pacific Division with 79 points and have run their streak to 8-0-1.

“I thought we played very gutsy,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said.

That’s what it took to bring down a frustrated Sharks team that felt it had done most of the hard work on the night.

“We took strides forward,” said San Jose coach Todd McLellan of his team’s 2-7-3 record in the last 12 games. “We’re climbing the hill. We’re not there yet, but I think we’re getting close.”

San Jose slipped to 33-24-9 (75 points). The Sharks are four points behind the Stars but have played two fewer games, so Dallas is holding on to a very small lead. But the Stars aren’t complaining.

“This gives us a little bit of a boost, because no question they had our number,” Gulutzan said. “We’ve got a little confidence going forward now.”

That’s said, the Stars also have some challenges. Steve Ott had back spasms that pulled him out of the morning skate and then the pregame skate. He missed his seventh game of the year.

In addition, Sheldon Souray went down with a lower body injury during the game, and Mark Fistric left with a hand injury. That forced Dallas to ride Alex Goligoski for 30:09 for time on ice, Philip Larsen for 26:58, Trevor Daley for 25:30 and Stephane Robidas for 25:23.

Still, they all came through big. Robidas finished with two assists, setting up the tying goal with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Robidas put a shot on goal that deflected off of Vincour’s pants and down to his stick, where he shoved it in.

“I just kind of tipped it, and then it was in,” Vincour said of a goal that had to be reviewed in Toronto to make sure the puck went entirely over the goal line. “I knew it was behind the line, but nobody celebrated, so I just waited.”

It was just the fourth goal of the season for Vincour, but he said he wasn’t surprised he was chosen to shoot in the shootout. He played for Gulutzan last season in the AHL, and said he has seen plenty of shootouts in his life.

“I wasn’t surprised, no,” he said. “I knew what I wanted to do, and I went out and did it.”

And while it happened in a roundabout way, the Stars did the same thing in the game. Yes, they were outshot. Yes, they surrendered a lead with 1.6 seconds left in the second period. Yes, they allowed the Sharks to pepper Lehtonen all night, including five shots on goal in overtime.

And, they still found a way to win.

“We stuck with it for a full 60 minutes, and we know we have to do that every night,” said Jamie Benn, who scored his 20th goal of the year. “We have had our struggles with this team, so we wanted to come in and play our game, and we did that.”

So much so that they have a little more cushion now, a little more belief from the 16,812 in attendance. Yes, there is plenty of work left to do, but you have to like where they’re sitting right now.

“It was just nice to come back and find a new player to finish these games in Vinny, with a great goal, and then the other goal in the shootout,” Lehtonen said. “That was great.”


618006 Dallas Stars

Vincour, Lehtonen lead Stars past Sharks in SO

The Associated Press

DALLAS — Tomas Vincour scored in the final minute of regulation, and then added the lone goal of the shootout in the fifth round to give the surging Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.














NOTES: Dallas D Sheldon Souray was done after two periods because of an undisclosed lower body injury. ... Sharks RW Martin Havlat (hamstring) missed his 36th consecutive game. ... Lehtonen has started 16 of 18 games. ... LW Steve Ott (back spasms), LW Brenden Morrow (neck, shoulder) and C Jake Dowell (finger) were out for Dallas. Ott missed his first game since Nov. 15. Morrow, the Stars captain, sat out his 18th straight game, but he is practicing with the team and is nearing a return to the lineup.

Star-Telegram LOADED: 03.09.2012

618007 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings recall forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids

By Carlos Monarrez

The Detroit Red Wings recalled forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids today.

The move likely means that injured forward Todd Bertuzzi won't play in Friday's game against Los Angeles (7:30 p.m., FSD). Bertuzzi did not practice today and neither did defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom or goalie Jimmy Howard.

Forward Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson did practice.

Nyquist has one assist in five games with the Wings this season. He's second in AHL rookie scoring with 54 points (19-35).

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.09.2012


Banged-up Red Wings hope to get Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk back for trip west

By Carlos Monarrez

The Detroit Red Wings got a bit of encouraging news on the health front with defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Pavel Datsyuk.

Lidstrom did not take part in today’s practice, but he skated beforehand for the first time since he suffered a deep bone bruise on his ankle Feb. 25. Lidstrom said he does not expect to play in the Wings’ next two games, against the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Friday (7:30 p.m., FSD) and the visiting Nashville Predators on Saturday (8 p.m., FSD). But he might be ready for next week’s three-game California swing.

“I tried to skate out there today, and I can still feel the pain, so it’s day-by-day and, hopefully, each day, I’ll get better,” Lidstrom said.

Datsyuk practiced for the first time since he had arthroscopic knee surgery Feb. 21. Datsyuk had a light practice and went through drills mostly away from the rest of the team.

“I feel good,” he said. “It’s nice to come back and skate with teammates, and they helped me a lot, not too much pressure. They slowed down, making me look better.”

Datsyuk also indicated the upcoming trip might be his best chance to return to the lineup.

“Every day, closer,” he said. “But I go with the team to West Coast, and we’ll see.”

Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (wrist) returned to practiced, but other players remained out, including forward Todd Bertuzzi and goaltender Jimmy Howard (groin).

Wings coach Mike Babcock said Bertuzzi, Ericsson and Howard will not play Friday. Forward Henrik Zetterberg did not practice but will play.

Babcock also expressed optimism about Datsyuk -- as well as other players’ return to practice.

“He’s going in the right direction,” Babcock said. “I think you’ll see Nick back soon, too. I think you’ll see Bert back soon, too. So by the end of the weekend, for sure.”

The team recalled forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids today. He will replace Chris Conner (Michigan Tech), and Babcock plans to put him on the line with Danny Cleary and Justin Abdelkader. Nyquist has one assist in five games with the Wings this season. He's second in AHL rookie scoring, with 54 points (19-35).



Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk back on the ice

By Carlos Monarrez

The Red Wings got some encouraging news on the health front with defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Pavel Datsyuk.

Lidstrom did not take part in Thursday's practice, but he skated beforehand for the first time since he suffered a deep bone bruise on his ankle Feb. 25. Lidstrom said he did not expect to play in the Wings' next two games -- at home against Los Angeles tonight and at Nashville on Saturday -- but he might be ready for next week's three-game California swing.

"I tried to skate out there today and I can still feel the pain, so it's day by day and hopefully each day I'll get better," Lidstrom said.

Datsyuk practiced for the first time since arthroscopic knee surgery Feb. 21. Datsyuk mostly went through drills away from the rest of the team.

"I feel good," he said. "It's nice to come back and skate with teammates and they helped me a lot, not too much pressure. They slowed down, making me look better."

Datsyuk also indicated the upcoming trip might be his best chance to return to the lineup.

"Every day closer," he said. "But I go with the team to West Coast and we'll see."

Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (wrist) returned to practice, but other players remained out, including forward Todd Bertuzzi and goaltender Jimmy Howard (groin).

Coach Mike Babcock said Bertuzzi, Ericsson and Howard would not play tonight. Henrik Zetterberg did not practice but will play.

KRONWALL UPDATE: Defenseman Niklas Kronwall has not heard anything from NHL senior vice president of player safety (and former Wing) Brendan Shanahan about possible discipline stemming from his huge hit Tuesday on Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek.

"Everything is getting reviewed, which I think is a good thing," Kronwall said. "You just try to play the game and let Shanny and his guys take care of the rest."

Voracek received stitches on his face from Kronwall's hit. On Thursday, he missed the morning skate and was expected miss the game against Florida.

Kronwall said he did not try to injure Voracek and hoped he returns soon, but that he would not change his hard-hitting style of play. Babcock expressed the same sentiment.

"I think Kronner's got to continue to play his game," Babcock said. "Targeting the head; he didn't target the head, the guy was leaning forward. He didn't want to hurt him in any way. That's not his intention. I think we all know that real well in here. There's no issue that way. But he's got to be a competitor and play hard and that's part of the game."

NYQUIST GETS CALL: The team recalled forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids. He will replace Chris Conner and Babcock plans to put him on the line with Danny Cleary and Justin Abdelkader.



Depleted Wings call up forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids

By The Detroit News

Detroit— With the injuries piling up, the Red Wings called up forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids on Thursday.

He'll be available Friday when the Wings play the Kings at Joe Louis Arena.

Nyquist, 22, leads the Griffins in scoring and ranks eighth in the American Hockey League with 54 points (19 goals) in 53 games.

The Sweden native has played five games for the Red Wings this season. He's recorded one assist.

Detroit News LOADED: 03.09.2012


Red Wings starting to see signs of progress on injury front

By Ted Kulfan

Krupa and Kulfan talk Wings

Krupa and Kulfan talk Wings: Detroit News sports columnist Gregg Krupa and the Wings beat writer Ted Kulfan talk about the injuries, their struggling power play and the Western conference playoff race.

Detroit— They're getting better, but the Red Wings are going to have to wait a few days longer for Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk to return to the lineup.

Datsyuk (knee) skated with the team during practice Thursday and Lidstrom (deep ankle bone bruise) skated on his own before practice. But both have been ruled out for Friday's game against Los Angeles, and very likely won't play Saturday in Nashville. So both are aiming for a return to the lineup during the three-game California trip next week.

Thursday's spin around the ice was Lidstrom's first time since getting hurt Feb. 25 against Colorado.

"I tried to skate today but I can still feel the pain," said Lidstrom, who has missed the last four games. "It's still day by day, and hopefully it'll get better. Probably on what West Coast trip (he expects to play), if it feels better, if there's no pain when I can put the skate on."

Lidstrom had tests on the ankle and there's no sign of a fracture.

"It's just a deep bone bruise," Lidstrom said. "I've been hit the ankle before but this hit the right spot and it's been hurting. When I push off, it hurts and that's the main thing. A week ago I couldn't put my skate on it was so swollen. That's gone, but that deep bone bruise is still hurting.

"It's getting better every day. My motion is getting better on the movements in the foot. That's encouraging."

Lidstrom and the Wings don't want to rush the injury and get hit during a game again.

"That's what the trainers are thinking, you don't want to reaggravate it and you're out for another week," Lidstrom said. "You want to take your time and heal properly before you step on the ice."

As for Datsyuk, who has arthroscopic knee surgery Feb. 21, he participated in practice Thursday and appears close to returning.

"It feels good, nice to come back skating with teammates," Datsyuk said. "Every day I'm closer but I don't know for sure (when he's returning). I'll go with them on the West Coast and we'll see."

Said coach Mike Babcock: "He's (Datsyuk) going in the right direction. Nick will be back soon, too, and (Todd) Bertuzzi. By the weekend for sure."

The Wings on Thursday called up forward Gustav Nyquist, as Bertuzzi (groin) isn't ready to return yet.

Jonathan Ericsson (wrist) participated in practice but he won't be back until later in the month.

Jimmy Howard (groin) skated on his own before practice and remains day-to-day — although he's unlikely through this weekend. Jakub Kindl (upper body) didn't practice, and neither did Henrik Zetterberg, although for Zetterberg, it was more of a day to rest.

How does Babcock coordinate practice without so many regulars?

"You just do what you do and do the best you can," Babcock said. "You don't wear anyone out and get ready for the games."



Pavel Datsyuk nears return to game

By Ted Kulfan

Detroit— Pavel Datsyuk would have loved to get a little break before the playoffs, but not this way.

There Datsyuk was after Thursday's practice, his first since having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Feb. 21, and this was anything but a break.

"Practice and workouts," said Datsyuk, who appears on schedule to return next week during a three-game California trip. "I have to work.

"It feels good, nice to come back skating with teammates."

Datsyuk wasn't the only injured player eyeing a return next week.

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom (deep ankle bruise) skated on his own for the first time since getting hit with a puck Feb. 25.

Neither player will be in tonight's lineup against the Kings.

"I tried to skate, but I can still feel the pain," said Lidstrom, who has missed four games. "It's still day by day, and hopefully it'll get better. Probably on that West Coast trip, if it feels better, if there's no pain when I put the skate on."

Lidstrom has had tests on the ankle and there's no sign of a fracture.

"It's just a deep bone bruise," he said. "I've been hit in the ankle before but this hit the right spot and it's been hurting. When I push off, it hurts and that's the main thing.

"It's getting better every day. My motion is getting better on the movements in the foot. That's encouraging."

Kronwall sorry

Niklas Kronwall didn't hear from the NHL's chief disciplinarian, former Red Wings star Brendan Shanahan , regarding Tuesday's hit on Flyers forward Jakub Voracek — which was a good thing.

"You just play the game and let Shanny and his guys take care of the rest," Kronwall said. "Everything happens so fast, you're not really thinking. You just try to land a clean check on someone and it's unfortunate when someone gets hurt. I hope (Voracek) gets back soon; he's a heckuva a player."

Ice chips

The Red Wings recalled forward Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids for tonight's game to replace Todd Bertuzzi (strained groin, day-to-day).

… Jonathan Ericsson (wrist) practiced but likely won't return until late March.

… Henrik Zetterberg was held out of practice, but Babcock said he will play tonight.



Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk out for weekend, but getting closer; Gustav Nyquist recalled

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk joined his teammates on the ice for practice today at Joe Louis Arena, the first time he has skated with the club since having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Feb. 21.

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom (deep bone bruise in right ankle) took a brief spin on the ice before practice, the first time he has done that since getting injured on Feb. 25.

Datsyuk and Lidstrom won't play this weekend, Friday at home vs. Los Angeles and Saturday at Nashville, but both expect to return at some point during the the three-game trip to California that starts Tuesday in Los Angeles.

"I feel good,'' Datsyuk said. "Nice to comeback and skate with teammates. They help me a lot. Not to much pressure. They slow down I think, making me feel better.''

He added, "Everyday closer. I'm on my way. ... I wanted a little bit of rest before playoffs, but not like this way.''

Lidstrom said he hoped to skate today but can still feel the pain.

"It's still day by day and hopefully each day I'll get better,'' Lidstrom said. "It's been almost two weeks now so I think I need a practice or two before playing in a game. I doubt that I'll be playing on Saturday

"Probably on that West Coast trip, if it feels better, if I don't have that pain when I put the skate on."

He said it hurts to push off.

"A week ago I couldn't put my skate on, it was still swollen,'' Lidstrom said. "That's come down, but it's that deep bone bruise that's hurting me

"It's getting better every day -- my motion, my movements, so that's encouraging."

He has had the ankle X-rayed a few times and no fractures have showed.

"I've been hit in the ankle, but this one just hit that right spot where it's hurting so much,'' Lidstrom said.

He had his skate adjusted on the inside for comfort and the outside for extra protection.

"We'll see how it feels and if I've got to wear a skate guard or not,'' Lidstrom said.

"You don't want to re-aggravate it and then you're out for another week or so. You want to take your time and make sure you're healed properly before you step on the ice again."

Forward Todd Bertuzzi (strained groin), defenseman Jakub Kindl (upper body) and goaltender Jimmy Howard (strained groin) did not skate and will not play Friday. They're likely out Saturday, too. But coach Mike Babcock said they are close to returning.

"(Datsyuk) is going in the right direction,'' Babcock said. "Soon I think you'll see Nick back and Bert back, too. By the end of the weekend for sure.''

The Red Wings recalled forward Gustav Nyquist from the Grand Rapids Griffins. He'll be in the lineup Friday, Babcock said, on a line with Justin Abdelkader and Danny Cleary.

Henrik Zetterberg did not skate today but Babcock said he will play Friday.

Jonathan Ericsson (fractured left wrist) practiced with the team for the first time since getting injured on Feb. 25 but won't return until late March or early April.

© 2012 MLive.com. All rights reserved.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.09.2012


For Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall, expect the hits to just keep on coming

Ansar Khan

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall gets opponents riled up and draws the wrath of fans in the opposition's arenas every time he crushes somebody with an open-ice hit.

But, time and again, he is validated by the NHL as a clean player, one who never has been suspended. His hits are devastating, but they are within the rules.

The latest example was his check on Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek Tuesday. Kronwall led with his shoulder and didn't leave the ice. He caught the Flyers forward in the head, but he didn't target the head.

The league took no action, and Voracek himself called it a legal hit.

“Everything is getting reviewed, which I think is a good thing,'' Kronwall said. “You just try to play the game and let Shanny (NHL vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan) and his guys take care of the rest.''

The 6-foot, 190-pound Kronwall surely gets inside opponents' heads with each highlight-reel hit he delivers. His knack for stepping up at the opposition's blue line can force opponents to rush plays and make mistakes.

“Kronner has to continue to play his game,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “He didn't target the head. (Voracek's) head was leaning forward.

“He's got to be a competitor and play hard. We want that in the game, but we sure don't want anyone getting hurt. Kronner understands that and understands how the game is supposed to be played.

“Players understand what certain players do. If I'm playing the puck on that side (of the ice), I'm liable to get hit.''

The lengthy list of players who have been “Kronwalled'' includes Ryan Kesler, Ryane Clowe, Teemu Selanne, Martin Havlat and Tim Jackman.

“It's not always easy to judge right away whether it's a good hit or not,'' Kronwall said. “You always want to think it's a good hit, but you can't really tell until you see the replay because everything happens so fast.

“In the past there's been times I've come off my feet. That's something I've been trying to work on. I think that's still a learning curve, and I'm getting better at it.

“If you hit someone with your shoulder usually you're going to hit him in the chest or in his shoulder and you're good to go.''

Voracek, however, leaned his head forward. He received stitches in his upper and lower mouth and is listed as day-to-day.

“It's always unfortunate when someone gets hurt,'' Kronwall said. “Hope he gets back (soon). He's a heck of a player.''

Kronwall knows referees keep a close watch on his hits. But that isn't going to change what he does.

“The moment you start thinking too much about it, that's when you get in trouble,'' he said. “Your arm comes up or you lift off your feet.''

He doesn't blame teammates of a player he lays out for trying to seek retribution.

“I'm sure if someone in here would get hit like that, there would be 20 guys that wouldn't be too happy about it,'' Kronwall said.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.09.2012


WINGS NOTEBOOK: Power Play woes come to the forefront VIDEO

By Chuck Pleiness

The Wings’ power play has been up and it’s been down all season long.

The unit is currently in a down spin.

After going 0-for-4 with the man advantage Tuesday, Detroit is 0-for-13 in the last three games and has just three power play goals over its last 34 attempts.

“It's been awhile since we scored on the power play,” Johan Franzen said. “It's like we start thinking too much about it. It's tough sometimes to be relaxed and do the right thing.

“You force stuff instead of just letting it happen,” Franzen added. “We need to get a goal soon and get the confidence back and that'll loosen up a lot of guys and we'll find a way to score more often.”

The Wings score just 16.6 percent of the time with the man advantage, which ranks them 16th in the league.

Some of the power play deficiencies could be because a couple of key contributors – Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom – are out with injuries.

“I think when you're in a stretch like we are with players out, your power play has to be good because you're offensively more challenged,” said coach Mike Babcock.

“But we haven't been very good. We thought our entries have been real good, they weren't (Tuesday), and yet we think we can shoot the puck more. We're just not getting in, so the bottom line is we’ve got to get better on it. We’ve got a couple of days to look at it. It's got to get momentum for your team. It doesn't have to score all the time but it's got to get momentum,” he added.

Before this recent lapse, Detroit had scored five times on the power play over a five-game stretch.

“First of all we have to enter the zone, with control, and start making some plays,” Niklas Kronwall said. “We have to find a way to get pucks to the net, that's where goals are scored. It doesn't matter if we pass it around or not, but enough talking now we just have to go out and do it.”

Kronwall avoids suspension

The league looked at the hit Niklas Kronwall delivered on Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek and ruled there would be no suspension or fine.

Kronwall knocked Voracek out of the game with his shoulder check midway through the second period that caught the forward in the head.

Voracek had his head down as he tried leaving the Flyers’ zone and leaning forward when Kronwall, who didn’t leave his feet and was not given a penalty, delivered the hit.

“The way I felt about it at the time was he was coming up along the boards and I took a stride forward,” Kronwall said.

“Kronner is a competitive guy, he’s out there playing hard,” Babcock said. “I don’t think he did anything wrong. He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Kronwall delivered a similar hit to the Flyers’ Daniel Briere earlier this season.

“Those are tough hits, but it’s part of hockey,” Babcock said.

Voracek received stitches in his mouth and will be re-evaluated today.

“Guys got to know when (Kronwall) is out there," Johan Franzen said. "He tries to keep it as clean as he can. When the guy's carrying the puck and has his head down and his head forward it's hard to miss (his head)."

Injury update

With the Wings having the day off from practice, Wings general manager Ken Holland didn’t have much of an update to give on the injured players.

He did say that Jakub Kindl will sidelined at least through the weekend with an upper-body injury.

“It's a week or two injury,” Holland said. “He could come to practice. It's nothing significant. He feels good, but right now I'd say he's probably out for the weekend.”

Nicklas Lidstrom (deep bone bruise in ankle), Todd Bertuzzi (groin strain), Jimmy Howard (groin strain) and Pavel Datsyuk (knee) will be re-evaluated after practice Thursday.

The Wings did sent Chris Conner back to Grand Rapids.

“We sent Conner back because (the Griffins are) in a playoff race and they play tonight and we don't play again till Friday,” Holland said.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.09.2012


RED WINGS: Lidstrom, Bertuzzi, Howard, Kindl all out for Friday

By Chuck Pleiness

DETROIT — Quick update from Detroit Red Wings practice …

Wings coach Mike Babcock said Nicklas Lidstrom (bone bruise in ankle), Todd Bertuzzi (groin strain), Jimmy Howard (groin strain) and Jakub Kindl (upper body injury) won’t play Friday against the Los Angeles Kings.

“I’m not worried about (getting chemistry back),” Babcock said. “We gave up 18 shots to Chicago the last time at home. We gave up 23 on the road and lost 3-2. We played well. Not concerned about that.

“We talked about our power play the other night, after the game I was frustrated with it,” Babcock added. “Frustration is a waste of time so why the heck should I be frustrated? Took yesterday to regroup and get myself back on track. We have to freshen up our mind. Let’s get ready.”

Babcock expects Lidstrom and Bertuzzi back after this weekend.

Lidstrom and Howard both skated a bit on their own Thursday and Datsyuk took part in the full practice.

“I feel good,” Datsyuk said. “Nice to come back and skate with teammates. They helped me a lot. Not too much pressure. They slowed down I think, making me feel better.

“Every day I’m getting closer,” Datsyuk said. “That’s all I can say for sure. I (will) go with (the) team to (the) West Coast and we’ll see.

"For sure not tomorrow. I’m on my way. A happy way.”

The team recalled Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids. He’ll start on a line with Justin Abdelkader and Danny Cleary.

“He’s been a dominate player wherever he has been," Babcock said. "I think he’s eighth in scoring in the (AHL) and done a real good job. We expected him to hit the wall and he hasn’t, he’s kept on going. We’re going to play him with Abby and Cleary to start the game and we’ll see how it goes.

"He’s got unbelievable sense. Strong on the puck and good without it, he’s an NHL player.”

Jonathan Ericsson (fractured wrist) also took part in the full practice, but isn’t expected back soon.

“It’s a little bit restricted out there,” he said. “I’m just trying to be on the drills that I can be out there. I don’t want to lose too much with my conditioning or skating out there on the ice. Can’t do too much with the puck. I’m just trying to do what I can."

The Kings are battling for one of the final playoff spots, along with most of the teams in the Pacific Division.

“We play a good team in L.A.,” Babcock said. “Their whole division is battling for that last playoff spot. It’s going to be a tough game and we understand that and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Kings are three points behind division-leading Dallas.



WINGS NOTEBOOK: Kronwall shouldn't change style, Babcock says

By Chuck Pleiness

DETROIT — Wings coach Mike Babcock doesn’t want Niklas Kronwall to change his style of play anytime soon.

Kronwall was not punished – suspended or fined – for his hit on Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek in Tuesday’s loss that sent the Flyers’ forward to the locker room for the rest of the game.

“I'd keep playing like that,” Babcock said after practice Thursday at Joe Louis Arena. “There's a certain amount of stuff on the ice that players understand what certain players do. If I'm playing the puck on (Kronwall’s) side I'm liable to get hit.”

Kronwall knocked Voracek out of the game with his shoulder check midway through the second period that caught the forward in the head. The Flyers’ forward had his head down as he tried leaving the zone and leaning forward when Kronwall, who didn’t leave his feet and was not given a penalty, delivered the hit.

“Everything is getting reviewed, which I think is a good thing,” Kronwall said. “You just try to play the game and let (Brendan Shanahan) and his guys take care of the rest.

“Everything happens so fast out there you're not really thinking, you just try to lay a clean check on someone,” Kronwall continued. “It's always unfortunate when someone gets hurt. It's not always easy to judge right away whether it's a good hit or not. You always want to think it's a good hit, but you can't really tell until you see the replay.”

Kronwall delivered a similar check earlier in the season to Philadelphia’s Danny Briere.

“If you hit someone with your shoulder usually you're going to hit him in the chest or in his shoulder and you're good to go,” Kronwall said. “In the past there's been times I've come off my feet. That's always something I've been trying to work on. I think that's still a learning curve and I'm getting better at it.”

And like Tomas Holmstrom’s play in front of the net, Kronwall feels referees have been keeping an eye on him.

“I think they have for the last few years now,” Kronwall said. “I don't think there's any news … every once in a while I step up in the play and try to make a check. Again, I'm not trying to focus too much about it. The moment you start thinking too much about it, that's when you get in trouble, your arm comes up or you lift off your feet.”

Close to being happy returns

Niklas Lidstrom (deep bone bruise right ankle), Todd Bertuzzi (groin strain), Jimmy Howard (groin strain), Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Jakub Kindl (upper body) and Jonathan Ericsson (fractured left wrist) won’t play Friday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Datsyuk did take part in a full practice and Ericsson was limited. Lidstrom and Howard each skated briefly on their own before practice.

“I can still feel the pain,” said Lidstrom, who skated for the first time since suffering the injury on Feb. 25. “So it's still day-by-day and hopefully each day I'll get better. It's been almost two weeks now so I think I need a practice or two before playing in a game. I doubt that I'll be playing on Saturday.”

Babcock hopes to have three of his players back after Saturday.

“(Datsyuk’s) going in the right direction,” Babcock said. “Soon I think you'll see Nick back and Bert back, by the end of the weekend for sure.”

Datsyuk joked, “It was nice to come back and skate with teammates. They helped me a lot. There’s not too much pressure. They slowed down I think, making me feel better. For sure not (playing) tomorrow, but I'm on my way, a happy way.”

Ericsson still can’t fully grip his stick with his left hand.

“I’m a little bit restricted out there,” he said. “I'm just trying to be on the drills that I can be out there. I don't want to lose too much with my conditioning or skating. I'm just doing what I can do.”

Nyquist recalled

The Wings recalled Gustav Nyquist from Grand Rapids and he’ll start on a line with Justin Abdelkader and Danny Cleary.

Nyquist has appeared in five games this season in Detroit, averaging just over eight minutes of ice time and has just one assist.

“Based on what he has done up here there’s nothing to base it on,” Babcock said. “He’s been a dominant player wherever he has been. I think he’s eighth in scoring in the American (Hockey) League and done a real good job.

“We expected him to hit the wall and he hasn’t he’s kept on going,” Babcock added. “He’s got unbelievable sense. Strong on the puck and good without it, he’s an NHL player.”


618018 Edmonton Oilers

MacKinnon: No gift of a game

Oilers-Canadiens matchup anything but a classic

By John MacKinnon

EDMONTON - It was billed as a “classic” matchup of teams with glorious pasts and cautiously hopeful, but decidedly uncertain futures.

As for the present? Well, as they might say in Montreal, “Ce n’est pas un cadeau.” (It’s not a gift.)

Such was the battle for 28th place in the overall NHL standings on Thursday night between the staggering Montreal Canadiens and the stutter-stepping Edmonton Oilers.

A Heritage Classic this was not, in any sense of the word. Although Montreal certainly wasn’t about to apologize for its 5-3 victory, not the way their season has gone.

Eyeballing this game between bottom-feeders, cynics opined it was a battle for the second or third draft choice in the NHL’s entry draft, depending on how the lottery balls bounce. Loser take all, or the next best thing, they sneered.

Not so, Oilers head coach Tom Renney was saying at the morning skate, citing professional pride being involved for both teams, even if playoff hopes are not.

“There’s a very fine line between No. 1 and 28 and 29 and 30,” Renney said. “Very, very fine line, quite honestly.”

Renney’s right, of course. Players and coaches don’t calibrate their effort with an eye to snagging draft picks. They play hard for themselves, for their self-respect, for contracts, for their future.

But Thursday night, the Oilers effort just wasn’t there. No one had a reason why. As a result, there seemed a clear demarcation between No. 29 in the league and No. 28, let alone No. 1.

“We seemed fatigued tonight, for whatever reasons,” Renney said. “We weren’t strong over top of our feet. It was one of those games where we weren’t really strong over top of our sticks, over top of the puck, over top of our checks.

“We weren’t particularly strong at either net and paid the price for it.”

It was another game in which the Oilers gave their fans glimmers of hope, moments to grab onto, just not too many of them.

Shawn Horcoff gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead when he redirected a Corey Potter slapshot during one of two first-period Edmonton power plays at 12:06.

That advantage was erased by P.K. Subban’s deadeye slapshot past Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin during a Montreal power play with just 17 seconds left in the first period.

Linus Omark, a recent call-up from Oklahoma City in an injury-marred season for him, scored his first goal of the season early in the second period, evening the score at 2-2 after the first of Max Pacioretty’s two goals had given Montreal a 2-1 lead.

So it went, the Canadiens answering the Oilers goals and, for the most part, shutting down Edmonton’s top line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle shift after shift.

Playing mostly against Subban and shutdown defenceman Josh Gorges, the Oilers kids had far less time and space than they’re used to and were far less dangerous as a result. Eberle had just one shot, unusual for the Oilers’ 30-goal scorer.

“Gorges and Subban, they played well, you’ve got to give it to them,” Hall said. “They’re a good pair, especially defensively.

“What they do is they move the puck up very well and then make us play defence. So that’s tough, but that’s no excuse. If we expect to be a premier line in this league, we have to be able to handle pairs like that, or even better defence pairs. It’s something we have to get better at.”

The sub-par effort was a letdown, especially after the Oilers displayed so much grit and resolve in that 3-2 shootout victory over the Sharks in San Jose, Calif.

“We have no excuse for how we played tonight,” said Hall, who ripped his 24th goal and 50th point of the season past Canadiens goaltender Peter Budaj at 13:12 of the final period, narrowing Montreal’s lead to 4-3 at the time.

“There were some areas that we competed really well in, but for the most part, it wasn’t as good an effort as in San Jose. I mean, San Jose is a tough rink to play in, and then we come here to our home, where we’ve played really well. We expect better.”

The Oilers haven’t played so well at Rexall Place lately, actually. This was their seventh loss in their last eight home games. Against an eminently beatable opponent, at that.

Curiously, for a game between teams sitting in 28th and 29th place, respectively, the game was a matchup of the NHL’s top penalty-kill (Montreal) and its most productive power play (Edmonton).

The Oilers, who had been complaining about a paucity of power plays in recent games, had four of them Thursday night, and converted one. That bumped up their success rate, but failed to generate sufficient momentum to carry the game.

On a night in which fans in Canadiens jerseys were sprinkled liberally all around Rexall Place, and made the most noise, the Oilers did little to silence the interlopers.

A Canadiens-Oilers game in Edmonton is a rarity, and should be a treat. But this one was no gift for the faithful. Not at all.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Habs beat Oilers in basement battle

By Joanne Ireland,

EDMONTON - After spending 15 games on the sidelines waiting to get back into the Edmonton Oilers lineup, the last thing Theo Peckham needed was Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

He made three trips to the penalty box and twice the Rexall Place visitors scored on the power play.

“They go down pretty easy, but ultimately it’s my responsibility to not take those penalties. I cost my team tonight,” said Peckham after the 28th-place Canadiens scored a 5-3 victory over the 29th-place Oilers.

Table the 4-3 win Montreal recorded on Nov. 22, 2003 at Commonwealth Stadium in the Heritage Classic, and the Canadiens’ (26-32-10) last win in Rexall Place was back on Nov. 29, 2000. They also limped into Edmonton with just two wins in their previous 11 games.

The Oilers, now 26-35-6, have just one victory in their last eight home games and are just seven points up on the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets, who beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Thursday night.

“We were flat tonight. A little undisciplined,” said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. “We could have been a smarter team tonight.

“It was one of those games where we were strong over top of our sticks, over top of the puck, over top of our checks. We weren’t particularly strong at either net and we paid the price for it.”

Seven minutes after captain Shawn Horcoff deflected a power-play one-timer from defenceman Corey Potter to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead, Peckham made his first trip to the box. Just as he settled in to serve his interference minor, Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban put a point shot past Nikolai Khabibulin.

Peckham was sent off again in the second period, for slashing, then at 2:20 of the third he was hit with a hooking penalty. Tomas Kaberle scored 40 seconds later to give Montreal a 3-2 lead — a lead they did not relinquish.

Max Pacioretty scored an even-strength marker and put his 30th goal of the season into an empty net exactly one year after he was slammed into a stanchion by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, a hit that left him with a fractured vertebra.

Lars Eller rounded out the Canadiens scoring.

The Oilers also got goals from Taylor Hall — his 24th of the season — and Linus Omark, who was playing alongside Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky.

The Oilers even escaped a momentum shift before the second intermission when a late goal by Rene Bourque was overturned after a video review.

But they will now drag a 5-9-1 stretch of games into Denver for a Saturday afternoon game against the Colorado Avalanche.

“Hopefully, I get a chance to redeem myself in Colorado,” said Peckham. “But if I don’t, I have to maintain a positive attitude and the next time I get in really work to stay in the lineup.”

On a team carrying eight defenceman, Peckham, found himself on the outside looking in long after he recovered from a blow to the nose with a puck. He played on Jan. 31, then didn’t see the starting lineup again until Tuesday when he played 18:30 against the Sharks in San Jose. He was minus-2 in a 3-2 shootout victory.

Against the Canadiens, Peckham played 13:30, but just 2:22 in the final period.

“It’s not easy. Any time you take a month off it’s tough to get back into it, but ultimately it’s my responsibility as a professional to be ready, and tonight I wasn’t,” Peckham said. “I thought I played all right, aside from those penalties, but those penalties ended up being a vital part of the game.”

Renney said he couldn’t even suggest his defenceman was trying too hard or that it was a timing issue, but he did say they had talked about Montreal’s power play before the game.

“There power play has been red hot lately and we did talk about it before the game, ” said Renney. “Ultimately, it cost us.”

SHORT SHIFTS: The Oilers had four opportunities with the man advantage, the most they’ve had since Feb. 17. They had just three in their last four games ... Winger Darcy Hordichuk drew into the lineup with Ben Eager out with the flu.



Oilers Notebook: Who will coach Team Canada at world’s?

Renney a possibility with Oilers team president Lowe GM of national team

By Jim Matheson

EDMONTON - Tom Renney would answer the call and wave the Maple Leaf again if he was tapped on the shoulder.

No questions asked if Hockey Canada wants him to coach the national team in the world hockey championship this spring in Europe.

“I have not been approached,” said the Edmonton Oilers head coach, who would seem to be a logical choice with Kevin Lowe as Team Canada general manager.

But Hockey Canada usually waits until teams are mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture before extending an invitation. If you’re talking teams on the outside, Renney would be No. 1, although if Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes fails to make the post-season, he would be a good bet, too. So would Randy Carlyle of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It (a possible invite to coach Canada) hasn’t come as early as it did a few years ago when New York Rangers GM Glen Sather fired him and replaced him with John Tortorella. “I’ve been there, luckily, a number of times and from a coaching perspective it’s outstanding,” he said.

Renney is a proponent of everybody playing for Canada, especially young players trying to make an impression for other international experience such as Olympic-team consideration and to keep playing meaningful games.

He has no reason to think Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Taylor Hall would say no, if healthy. Hall has some shoulder issues he’s been dealing with for a long while.

“If your club happens to miss the playoffs, you have to get used to playing games in the spring. You have to play games of consequence and that’s what the world championship is. Especially under the format this year, where you can’t afford to lose early or you’re in a pickle,” said Renney.

“When you look at Hockey Canada’s strategy of putting teams together, it’s always a good idea that yes is your answer (when asked to don a Canadian jersey).”

Omark’s status uncertain

The clock is ticking on Oilers winger Linus Omark.

He played his 58th NHL game on Thursday, when the Montreal Canadiens visited Rexall Place. If he plays 60, he would have to clear waivers to be dispatched back to the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League, and they don’t want to risk losing him for nothing.

So, if Omark plays a 59th game Saturday in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche, then they have to either send him back to the farm club or keep him in Edmonton until their NHL season ends on April 7.

If the Oilers decide they want to trade him at the June entry draft, they have to show him off in some NHL games. He is on the Barons playoff roster, no matter what.

Eberle the next Rocket?

Eberle went into Thursday’s game with 30 goals, but Renney thinks his talented forward has only scratched the surface.

“I think one day down the road, he could be a Rocket Richard (goals leader) candidate,” said Renney.

This ’n’ that

Oilers winger Ben Eager didn’t play because he’s fighting the flu bug, which meant Darcy Hordichuk drew back into the lineup ... The Canadiens had one French-Canadian, David Desharnais, in their lineup against the Oilers. How can that be? The Oilers also had one, Eric Belanger, but they’re based in Edmonton, not Montreal ... The Oilers scratched Andy Sutton and Cam Barker ... Montreal defenceman Andrei Markov (knee injury) is almost ready to play. They didn’t dress injured forwards Brian Gionta, Mathieu Darche (another French-Canadian) and Travis Moen.



Renney wants to win today and next season

Whether Oilers head coach gets a new long-term contract is up in the air

By Jim Matheson, edmontonjournal.com March 8, 2012

EDMONTON - Edmonton Oilers bench boss Tom Renney knows he’s a lame-duck coach these days.

Every coach who’s on the last year of his NHL contract is coaching for today as much as tomorrow and is in that same leaky boat. It’s uncomfortable, to be sure, looking for land.

An NHL coach wants to know he’s needed, but he also needs something in writing from his boss indicating that you’re doing a good job and that he wants you back next season.

Renney hasn’t gotten that information from Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini, whose four-year deal is also up. The feeling is that Tambellini is getting an extension as part of the team’s rebuild.

Renney said he the Oilers brass have talked about life down the road, and they will talk again after the regular season ends to evaluate things, to see if he will still be head coach next season and beyond.

Renney certainly wouldn’t be the first NHL coach who is good at teaching and is a good communicator, who didn’t get to go from A to Z with a young team or with an expansion team, and then gets a “thanks for all your hard work as we started out, but we’re going in another direction” message from management.

If the Oilers want Renney back after one season as Pat Quinn’s right-hand man, then two seasons as head coach, they have to know he’s a proud man, also a pragmatic one.

Renney will not take a one-year extension — he wants more than that amount of rope. He wants to return to work with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, the other talented young players and the older players, but he wants some security. A one-season deal is just one more season of uncertainty.

The 56-year-old Renney has been around the block, coaching 576 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks New York Rangers and the Oilers. He’s not a young guy, like Todd Richards in Columbus, who’s likely just hoping the Blue Jackets bring him back for another season after he stepped in when Jackets GM Scott Howson fired Scott Arniel.

I don’t see Renney taking anything less than two years if the Oilers want him back. If veteran right-winger Ales Hemsky gets a two-year contract to stay as part of this reconstruction, Renney probably wants at least the same. And why not? Same with his coaching staff — Ralph Krueger, Steve Smith and Kelly Buchberger, whose contracts are also up. K

Krueger is widely admired and could get a very good head coaching job back in Europe in a heartbeat. He could decide that he wants to return to work overseas.

Renney has a target on his back from scads of Oilers fans, who did the same thing with Craig MacTavish during his last days in Edmonton.

They pick apart everything Renney does. There are times when he plays certain people over others, like not playing his young goalie, Devan Dubnyk, 10 straight games to see if he has the chops to be a No. 1 next season, win or lose, good game or bad. Renney stuck with Eric Belanger, giving him plenty of ice time for four months despite his lack of offence, but he has since cut back his minutes, employing him on the fourth line.

Renney has played captain Shawn Horcoff on the power play, killing penalties, in addition to even-strength, but he’s a third-line centre now. He didn’t play Ben Eager very much early on, but has since realized he’s more effective and less likely to take a bad penalty if he’s playing 12 minutes a game, not five or six.

But these are all coaching issues. Renney is coaching for victories as much as for player development. It would be easy to play Hall and rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shift after shift after shift every night because that’s what the fans are clamouring for, and it’s also the people who buy their jerseys.

However, Hall’s left shoulder is not 100 per cent and, who knows, one more wallop on it might put him out again and Nugent-Hopkins has missed 20 games with two shoulder problems. Renney is trying to balance now and next season, like a general manager would.

He has been through the lame-duck status before, in New York, where he eventually got fired and John Tortorella took over. Renney might not like being in the last few months of his contract, but as he said “that’s life. It

didn’t work out real well the last time. It was toodaloo,” Renney said, laughing.

“The circumstances around the Oilers are little bit different than they were in the past. We are rebuilding,’ said Renney. “The bottom line is this team has to keep improving and we should be evaluated at the end of the year.

“The team (players), and I’d certainly include myself in there. I have no problem with that. I’ll stand up front and centre and discuss my body of work, honestly.”

Renney wouldn’t turn down a news conference to announce a new deal before the season ends, but that’s probably not going to happen. He didn’t get an extension like former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson in Toronto. He told people about the deal on his twitter account at Christmas time, only to be fired last week.

“I don’t need to be in his (Tambellini) kitchen. We had a discussion last summer (about the long-range plans for the team).” Renney said. “We’re all pointing in the right direction. We’ll finish the season up, do the best job we can and then evaluate things. That’s the way it should be.”

Renney knows the easy thing would be to play Hall, Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins until they crack or the ice does, but he’s trying to marshal their ice time, although Hall is playing an average of 18-1/2 minutes a game. Eberle and Nugent-Hopklins are a minute behind that.

Eberle really should be playing more — there has been talk of some penalty-kill time — because he’s their best player in his second NHL season. He has been playing more than 20 minutes a night the last two games.

“If I was playing these kids, say, 24 minutes a night, I don’t think I’d have any of them finish the season,” said Renney. “I have more information what’s going on in that room than you (reporters) and the fans. I base my decision on fact and feel. The kids are 18-, 20-minute guys. They’re getting opportunities. They’re growing, having good years.

“There’s other situations in play here” such as having to consider new contracts for other players such as Ryan Smyth and Linus Omark. “There’s a dynamic in the room, a chemistry that you have to build here as well. We’re all experiencing a rebuild.

“What I want to do is put something on the ice that stands the test of time. In the meantime, be patient, support us, critique us, but it’s a process for a reason and turnarounds take time. I know it’s frustrating, believe me.

“I can’t tell you every day why I make the decisions I do. I don’t coach that way, but I’ll take full responsibility for what I do,” he said.

Renney wants to win now. He wants to win tomorrow. Whether he gets the chance next season and beyond is a large question mark, but he is a fan as much as a coach.

“These kids will be phenomenal in the long run. The Edmonton fans should be really happy with what’s coming down the pike, here.”



Renney would like new contract, but…

Jim Matheson

Tom Renney knows he’s a lame-duck coach. Every coach on the last year of his NHL contract who is coaching for today as much as tomorrow is in that same leaky boat. It’s uncomfortable, to be sure, looking for land. Everybody coach wants some love, also something in writing that your boss likes the job you’re doing and he wants you back.

The Edmonton Oilers’ coach hasn’t gotten that from GM Steve Tambellini, whose four-year deal is also up but the feeling is Tambellini is getting an extension as part of this rebuild. Renney says they’ve talked about life down the road, the big picture with the Oilers and they will talk again after the last 16 games to evaluate things, to see if Renney will still be driving the bus next year and beyond. Renney certainly wouldn’t be the first NHL coach who is good at teaching and a good communicator, who didn’t get to go from A to Z with a young team or with an expansion team, instead getting a

“thanks for all your hard work as we started out but we’re going in another direction” message.

I know one thing. If the Oilers want Renney back after one year as Pat Quinn’s right-hand man, then two as head coach, he’s a proud man, also a pragmatic one. He will not take a one-year extension; he wants more than that amount of rope. He wants to return to work with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, the other kids and the older guys here, but he wants some security. One more season only is one more season of uncertainty. He’s been around the block; he’s coached 576 NHL games, in Vancouver, New York (Rangers) and here. He’s 56 years old; he isn’t, say, a young guy like Todd Richards in Columbus, just hoping the Jackets bring him back after he stepped in when they fired Scott Arniel.

I don’t see Renney taking anything less than two years if the Oilers want him back. If Ales Hemsky is going to get a two-year contract to stay as part of this reconstruction, Renney probably wants at least the same, and why not? Same with his coaching staff–Ralph Krueger, Steve Smith and Kelly Buchberger–whose contracts are also up, unless Krueger, who is widely admired and could get a very good head-coaching job back in Europe in a heartbeat, decides he wants to return there.

Renney has a target on his back from scads of Oilers’ fans, who did the same thing with Craig MacTavish in his last days here, picking apart everything he does. There are times when he plays certain people over others, like not playing his young goalie Devan Dubnyk 10 games in a row to see if he has the chops to be a No. 1 next year, win or lose, good game or bad, keep going back to him. He stuck with Eric Belanger giving him lots of minutes for four months with little offence but has cut his minutes back, employing him on the fourth line. He has played Shawn Horcoff on the powerplay, killing penalties, 5-on-5, but he’s playing third-line centre now. He didn’t see a big fan of Ben Eager early but has realized that he is more effective and less likely to take a bad penalty if he’s playing 12 minutes a game, not five or six.

But these are all coaching issues. Renney is coaching for wins as much as development. It would be easy to play Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shift after shift after shift every night because that’s what the fans are clamouring for (also the people who buy their jerseys) but Hall’s left shoulder is not 100 percent and, who knows, one more wallop on it might put him out again and RNH has missed 20 games with two shoulder problems. He’s trying to balance now and next year, like a general manager would, actually.

He’s been through the lameduck status before, in New York, when he got fired and John Tortorella took over. He might not like being in the last few months of his contract, but as he says “that’s life.”

“It didn’t work out real well the last time. It was ‘toodaloo,” laughed Renney.

“The circumstances around the Oilers are little bit different than they were in the past. We are rebuilding,’ said Renney. “The bottom line is this team has to keep improving and we should be evaluated at the end of the year. The team (players) and I’d certainly include myself in there. I have no problem with that. I’ll stand up front and centre and discuss my body of work, honestly.”

Renney wouldn’t turn down a press conference to announce a new deal before the season ends, but that’s probably not going to happen. He didn’t get an extension like Ron Wilson in Toronto which he told people about on his twitter account at Christmas time, only to be fired last week. “I don’t need to be in his (Tambellini) kitchen. We had a discussion last summer (about the long-range plans for the team). We’re all pointing in the right direction. We’ll finish the season up, do the best job we can and then evaluate things. That’s the way it should be.”

Renney knows the easy thing would be to throw the kids out until they crack or the ice does, but he’s trying to marshall their ice-time, although Hall is playing 18 1/2 minutes on average. Eberle and RNH are a minute behind that. Eberle really should be playing more–there has been talk of some penalty-kill time–because he’s their best player in his second NHL season but the last two games Eberle has been over 20 minutes each night.

“If I was playing these kids, say, 24 minutes a night, I don’t think I’d have any of them finish the season. I have more information what’s going on in that room than you (media) and the fans. I base my decision on fact and feel. The kids are 18, 20 minute guys. They’re getting opportunities. They’re growing, having good years. There’s other situations in play here (having to take looks at other guys looking for new contracts like, say, Ryan Smyth and Linus Omark). There’s a dynamic in the room, a chemistry that you have to build here as well. We’re all experiencing a rebuild.”

“What I want to do is put something on the ice that stands the test of time. In the meantime be patient, support us, critique us but it’s a process for a reason and turnarounds take time. I know it’s frustrating, believe me. I can’t tell you every day why I make the decisions I do. I don’t coach that way, but I’ll take full responsibility for what I do,” he said.

Renney wants to win now. He wants to win tomorrow. Whether he gets the chance next year and beyond is a large question mark, but Renney is a fan as much as a coach. “These kids will be phenomenal in the long run. The Edmonton fans should be really happy with what’s coming down the pike, here,” said Renney.



Oilers’ Schultz showing offence

By Derek Van Diest ,Edmonton Sun

The offensive instincts Nick Schultz has demonstrated so far with the Edmonton Oilers makes one wonder if he was simply not allowed to cross the red line during his time with the Minnesota Wild.

Schultz collected his third assist in just his fifth game with the Oilers Thursday, in a 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

He had just three points in 62 games with the Minnesota Wild this season before coming over in a trade for Tom Gilbert.

"He's got good hockey sense and he knows the moment," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. "We told him, as we have with all our defencemen, if you get an opportunity to get an odd-man rush, then go. If you get an opportunity to augment the attack then go."

Thursday, Schultz picked up an assist on Taylor Hall's goal in the third period, which cut the Canadiens lead to one at the time.

Later in the contest, he jumped into the play and fired a cross-ice pass to Ryan Smyth at the side of the net, which nearly resulted in the tying goal.

"I think it's something where I've had the opportunity to try and make some plays," said Schultz. "I'm just trying to make the smart choice and the right choices with the puck. It's a different system here and so I have more opportunities to try and get up in the play."

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Habs cap Oilers

By Robert Tychkowski ,Edmonton Sun

It’s not a great feeling when the goal is to reach 28th in a 30-team league... and you can’t make it.

Neither is playing a home game against the last place team in the Eastern Conference, with its backup goalie in the net, and looking up at the clock at the end of the night and realizing you’re second best.

Twenty-ninth best, actually.

Ouch.

Thursday was the first “meaningful game” the Edmonton Oilers have played in months, a chance to actually move up in the standings, and they choked.

“I don’t know if we think it’s going to be easy against these (weak) teams, which would be ridiculous, because we’re in 29th,” Oilers defenceman Ryan Whitney said after they gave up three third period goals in a humbling 5-3 loss to a bunch of guys wearing Montreal Canadiens uniforms. “But we’re just really not prepared to play.

“And when we get away with being tied (after 40), we just don’t have a good third and that’s kind of it.”

Standings don’t matter much when you’re this far back, and moving up to 28th is hardly a milestone worth celebrating, but when there’s nothing to look forward to in the spring and the only thing that can temporarily ease the sting of 29th is the feeling you get from the odd win, it hurts to let one get away.

“At this point in the year, winning games is all we really have,” said Taylor Hall. “We don’t have a playoff race to look forward to, but when we win games we definitely feel good, we’re excited to win for our fans and our team.”

They did neither against the Canadiens, who’d lost seven of eight coming in.

It was 1-1 after 20 and 2-2 after 40 before Edmonton found a way to lose. Tomas Kaberle got one on the power play at 3:00, Lars Eller scored a cheesy one from behind the net two minutes later. An empty netter put it out of reach.

The game, and 28th place.

“We have to have a better game overall, but especially that third period,” said Whitney. “We were tied going in and it just wasn’t good enough in that third period.”

Hearing half of their own building, clad in CH red, white and blue, cheering their latest defeat was another twist of the very deep knife.

“As professionals there’s a sense of pride, and when you start piling on these losses it starts to eat at you,” said Theo Peckham, who took three minor penalties in the defeat, two of which resulted in power play goals. “If you’re a true professional it starts to bother you. We need to string a few together here.”

Not because of the standings, but because this much losing, year after year after year, is hard to erase from the memory banks. Losing might be great for draft lottery purposes, but learning how to lose is fatal for a team on the rebuild.

“This is the group we’re going to start with for the most part next year, so you want to build some chemistry and learn to face adversity as a group so when you face it again you can deal with it in a better way,” said Ryan Jones. “And at the end of the year, wherever that puts us, then that’s where it puts us. It’s hard look at eighth and say we’re this many points out, you just have to try and win games and push forward. We owe that to the organization and the fan base that’s supported us all year.”

The standings might not matter, but that doesn’t mean the games don’t matter, either.

“That’s something we all have to get our heads around, we can’t be thinking about the holidays in April,” said head coach Tom Renney. “We have a five weeks of hockey to play and a lot to prove.”



Oilers' Renney focused on the present


EDMONTON -

Tom Renney may be coaching from the edge of a cliff, but the Edmonton Oilers skipper is squarely focused on the task at hand.

Renney and the rest of the Oilers coaching staff are in their last year of their contract, which after Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens amounts to 15 games.

They’ve yet to be offered extensions.

“I’m good with it, that’s life,” said Renney prior to the contest. “You just do your best. I have to say the circumstances around the Oilers are a little different than they were in the past. We’re rebuilding and it’s good for everybody.”

Renney said he has been in this situation before, trying to close out a season, not knowing whether he’ll be back the following year.

“That went really well,” Renney smiled. “Toodaloo.”

“The bottom line is this team has to keep improving. As it should be, it should all be evaluated at the end of the year. I don’t have a problem with that. We’ll discuss my body of work at the end of the year.”

Renney is in the third and final year of his contract, having started as an associate coach to Pat Quinn after general manager Steve Tambellini fired Craig MacTavish.

Renney says he hasn’t had discussions with Tambellini about his contract as the season winds down.

“He doesn’t need me to be in his kitchen about that,” Renney said. “We had a good discussion last summer. We are pointed in the right direct, we’re going to finish things up the best we can and then evaluate it, as we should.”

Getting closer

Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov has yet to play a game this season, but hopes to be able to play before the campaign comes to an end.

Markov has missed the entire year after suffering a knee injury last season, but is back skating with the team.

“You never know when I can come back,” Markov said. “Today I feel better than yesterday and I’m pretty close.”

Markov was hurt in November, 2010 in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s been trying to work his way back in the lineup since.

“I have to try and stay positive, try to concentrate on my rehab and keep working hard,” he said. “I miss the game and I can’t wait to get there and play the game. But, you have to take it step by step. As soon as it’s going to be ready, I’m going to play.”

Back home

Prior to coming to Edmonton, Rene Bourque had a homecoming of sorts, going to Calgary to play the Flames Tuesday.

It was Bourque’s first time back in Calgary since being traded to the Canadiens in a deal that saw Mike Cammalleri go the other way.

“It was fine, it was a good chance to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a couple of months,” Bourque said. “It was nice to say hi and see some familiar faces.”

Having played for the Flames, Bourque was well aware of the scrutiny associated with playing in a Canadian market.

But heading to Montreal, the Lac La Biche products admits it’s now at a different level.

“It’s everything you can imagine,” he said. “Getting a chance to put on that jersey with all that history, and getting a chance to play in the Bell Centre in front of the home fans is great. The fans are crazy, they’re really passionate and it something when you grow up you’d love to get the chance to play there at least one and I get a chance to do that.

“I’m still getting to know the city, you have to find you’re way around, but that’s the fun part about it.”

Positive return

It has been a tough season for Oilers winger Linus Omark, but he’s trying to keep a positive outlook.

On Thursday, Omark scored his first goal for the Oilers, having been recalled earlier in the week from the team’s AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Omark was sent down early in the season, and then broke his ankle, which kept him out of the lineup for nearly three months.

“It’s been tough, I’ve never been hurt before so sitting out for three months was tough,” Omark said. “But I’m back now and I’m positive and I want to look forward instead of backwards.”

Against the Canadiens, the Swedish native played on a line with Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky. He scored the Oilers tying goal on a long wrist-shot, which eluded Canadiens goaltender Peter Budaj.

“I want to just play my game,” Omark said. “There are not that many games left in the season, I just want to play my best and hopefully I can do some damage out there.”



Peckham's absence from Oilers lineup longer than expected


With eight healthy defencemen on the roster, Theo Peckham figured eventually it would be his turn to sit out.

What the Edmonton Oilers defenceman didn’t count on, however, was that he would start growing mold sitting in the press box.

Peckham missed a total of 15 consecutive games before getting back in the lineup Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. He drew back in again Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s tough, but you have to realize you’re still one of the younger guys on the team and you’re still growing, you’re still developing and this comes along with that,” Peckham said prior to Thursday’s contest. “Some of the younger guys with a little bit more talent probably don’t have to worry about that. But a younger guy like myself, a stay-at-home, tougher shutdown guy, sometimes does. Ask any player like myself and they’ll tell you they’ve sat out some games. It goes along with the territory, it’s something you have to accept. You can’t sit back and dwell on it and say, ‘Woe is me,’ let your body go and lose that edge and then when you do get back in the lineup, not have that edge. For me there were some tough times, times when you were down on yourself, but coming out of that you have to make sure you’re ready to go.”

Technically, Peckham lost his spot in the lineup when he took a stick to the head in a contest against the Colorado Avalanche, then took a puck in the face later in practice.

He recovered quickly, but then was unable to work his way back into the blueline due to the return of Cam Barker and development of Jeff Petry.

Peckham didn’t play for the entire month of February.

“Getting back in the lineup, the toughest thing, I think, was just getting used to the speed again. You can’t really duplicate NHL speed in practice,” he said. “Just getting used to the speed and how fast you have to make decisions.

“Once the third period rolled by (in San Jose), I felt close to the way I felt before I sat out. It’s not the easiest thing to go through, but you just have to look at the big picture and realize you’re going to play again and when you get that opportunity you want to be ready for it. You don’t really want to go on a negative road and start not to take care of your body, so that when you do get back in, you’re not ready to play again.”

Selected by the club in the third round — 75th overall — of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Peckham had worked his way up the system to become a regular in the Oilers lineup.

The product of Richmond Hill, Ont., played 71 games last season, collecting three goals, 10 assists and 198 penalty minutes.

This season, Peckham had played in 42 consecutive games before losing his spot in the lineup. He has a goal, two assists an 74 penalty minutes heading into Thursday’s contest.

“While I was out, I was just focusing on making sure the next game I get in, that I’m ready to play at the same level I was or as close to it as possible,” he said. “It’s not the easiest thing to do. All you can do while your sitting out is make sure you’re doing the little things to stay sharp so that when you get back you’re at least as close as possible as to when you left.”

Watching from the press box proved to be educational for Peckham. He just had to wait a longer than he expected before he could put his newfound knowledge into practice.

“You definitely learn a lot by watching a few games, and as a young guy it’s sometimes good to sit out and watch the game from up top,” he said. “You realize that usually when you do get the puck, there is a play to be made. It

doesn’t always have to be off the glass and out all the time. At the same time there is a place for that play. You never want to be turning the puck over in your own end. And watching the game from up top, it really shows you that you do have a lot more choices out there.”



Oilers Vs. Habs: It's on

oilers canadiens The Oilers face Montreal Thursday night. MARTIN CHEVALIER/QMI AGENCY

When it’s 29 versus 28 in the standings, the ‘Who Cares?’ meter is usually stuck on ‘No One.’

But when 29 is Edmonton and 28 is the visiting Montreal Canadians, what would normally be a purse fight between a pair of NHL also-rans takes on the look of a mid-season festival.

Especially if you’re a 20-year-old kid on Edmonton’s side of the ice.

“There’s a lot of things in this league that are still very new and very cool to me,” the Oilers sophomore said at Thursday’s morning skate. “When you play the Toronto Maple Leafs, when you play in the Bell Centre or here against Montreal, when you play the Detroit Red Wings or Pittsburgh Penguins, that’s when it’s still hasn’t really sunk in yet that I’m a full-time NHLer and I get to play against these amazing teams and these amazing players.”

The Canadiens, who’ve lost seven of their last eight games, don’t have a lot of amazing players themselves, but they’re still the Canadiens - so Rexall Place will be packed with the red, white and blue.

Like the Maple Leafs, a Montreal visit always means a split crowd, half cheering for Edmonton, half for the visitors.

“It makes for a fun atmosphere,” said Hall, who likes it when all those Habs or Leafs fans come out of the closet. “I can remember going to games as a kid in Calgary when Toronto would be playing. It was weird.

“But if we’re playing well and we’re in the game and doing the right things, it almost seems like our fans realize that and try and out-cheer the opposition fans.

“It really makes for a fun atmosphere, it makes for road atmosphere, almost like you’re in the Bell Centre, but you have a lot of Rexall fans behind you, too. It’s fun. It’s something that I think a lot of fans look forward to.”

Even head coach Tom Renney, who been around the game a long time, senses the excitement in the air.

“These are great games, against these Original Six teams,” he said. “You play everybody hard, obviously, but the environment should be just great tonight.”

An Edmonton win would lift the Oilers from 29th to 28th, a modest but significant step for a team that finished 30th in back to back seasons.

“It’s real,” said Renney. “(28th) is not the type of objective you want to identify with... but these are important games, we want to finish as high as we can. Show that it’s arrow up for our team and we are in fact growing in front of people’s eyes.”

LATE HITS - Ben Eager is out with the flu, so Darcy Hordichuk will draw in... Nikolai Khabibulin starts for the Oilers while Peter Budaj is scheduled to go in place of Carey Price for Montreal


618028 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers (31-22-12) at Philadelphia Flyers (37-21-7), 7 p.m. (ET)

By Sports Network

The Sports Network

The Philadelphia Flyers will try to post their second- longest winning streak of the season when they host the first-place Florida Panthers tonight at Wells Fargo Center.

Philadelphia earned its third straight victory Tuesday night against visiting Detroit, giving the Flyers their longest win streak since a season-high, seven-game stretch from Dec. 2-15.

The Flyers are currently seeded fifth in a tight race for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is two points behind Pittsburgh for the fourth seed and two in front of sixth-seeded New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the Panthers, who have won four of their last six games, are leading the Southeast Division by two points over Winnipeg.

The Flyers retired former defenseman Mark Howe's No. 2 sweater on Tuesday before recording a 3-2 regulation win over the Red Wings, but it wasn't all good news for the home team, as Philadelphia lost both Jakub Voracek and Jaromir Jagr to injuries.

Voracek scored a goal on Tuesday before leaving the game following a crushing hit in the second period by Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Voracek received stitches on his upper and lower mouth after taking Kronwall's shoulder shot to the head, but it's unclear if the Flyers forward suffered a head injury. Philadelphia will wait and see how Voracek is on Thursday morning and he must also pass a baseline test.

Jagr left the game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day but unlikely to play tonight. In other injury news for Philadelphia, defensemen Kimmo Timonen (back) and Andrej Meszaros (lower body) are expected to sit out for the third straight game tonight.

Maxime Talbot's short-handed goal in the second period proved to be the difference in Tuesday's win. Ilya Bryzgalov also made 37 saves for the Flyers and is 6-2-1 with a 2.15 goals-against average over his last 10 games.

"I think for us to finish a game like this, protecting the lead in the last minute against a team like Detroit, is huge for confidence down the road," said Talbot.

Claude Giroux also had a goal and an assist for Philadelphia, bringing his team-high point total to 77 points.

The Flyers are 16-10-5 as the host this season and will play two straight and four of their next five games on the road.

Florida ended a two-game slide on Sunday, defeating the visiting Ottawa Senators in a 4-2 decision at BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but scored three times in the second to take control of the contest.

"When you get as thoroughly outplayed as we did in the first period, I feel like there has to be some kind of response," Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen said. "I thought the response was extremely strong."

Jack Skille recorded a goal and an assist for the Panthers, while Marcel Goc, Krystofer Barch and Mikael Samuelsson also lit the lamp. Scott Clemmensen stopped 23-of-25 shots for Florida, which is trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

Former Flyer Kris Versteeg will not make the trip to Pennsylvania, as he is still dealing with a lower-body injury. Versteeg, who is leading Florida with 49 points this season, had seven goals and four assists in 27 games for Philadelphia last year before getting dealt to the Panthers last summer.

Versteeg, who has missed the last four games, faced the Flyers twice in Sunrise this season and recorded one assist over those meetings.

Florida is 15-13-4 as the road club this year and is beginning a two-game tour of the Keystone State tonight. The Panthers will visit Pittsburgh tomorrow before heading south for a four-game homestand.

The Flyers have won four straight and five of their last six games against the Panthers. Florida has taken two of the last three encounters in the City of Brotherly Love.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/08/v-print/2682674/florida-panthers-31-22-12-at-philadelphia.html#storylink=cpy

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.09.2012


Bryzgalov leads Flyers over Panthers 5-0

By ROB MAADDI

Ilya Bryzgalov made 28 saves to record his second shutout in three games and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Florida Panthers 5-0 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

Brayden Schenn, Matt Read, Scott Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr and Eric Wellwood scored for the Flyers.

Bryzgalov has finally played like the goalie the Flyers expected when they gave him a $51 million, nine-year contract. After struggling much of the season, he's 7-2 with a 2.10 goals-against average while making 10 straight starts.

Fans who booed him just last month at the Wells Fargo Center chanted "Bryz! Bryz! Bryz!" in the third period.

The victory moved the Flyers within two points of fourth-place Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference.

The Southeast Division-leading Panthers, seeking their first playoff berth since 2000, entered with a two-point lead over Winnipeg, which was eighth in the conference.

The Flyers, already missing Chris Pronger for the season, played without defensemen Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros and Pavel Kubina.

Bryzgalov was all the defense Philadelphia needed. He earned his fourth shutout of the season, and the 27th of his career.

Schenn gave the Flyers a rare 1-0 lead midway through the first period when he scored on the power play. Claude Giroux slid the puck across the ice from the left face-off circle to Schenn, who was in the right circle. The puck skipped by Hartnell, who whiffed on a shot attempt. Schenn then one-timed it past Jose Theodore as the Flyers scored first for just the second time in 12 games.

Read put the Flyers up 2-0 early in the second period with his rookie-leading 19th goal of the season. Danny Briere, looking for his first goal in two months, got two solid shots at Theodore, and Read poked in the rebound off the second one. Briere hasn't scored a goal in 21 games since Jan. 7.

Briere nearly snapped his drought later in the period when he backhanded a shot toward an open net, but defenseman Jason Garrison slid across the crease and made the save.

Hartnell scored a breakaway goal to make it 3-0 later in the second. Hartnell stole a pass in Philadelphia's zone, outskated two trailing Panthers and snapped a wrist shot past Theodore. Hartnell registered his 60th point, tying his career best. He extended his career-high goals to 32.

Jagr's power-play goal made it 4-0 in the third. He fired a wicked slap shot through a screen for his 18th goal. The 40-year-old forward was doubtful after leaving the previous game with a hip injury, but was able to play for injury-depleted Philadelphia.

Flyers forward Jakub Voracek sat out after getting flattened by a hard check by Detroit's Niklas Kronwall two nights earlier.

Notes: All three coaches on Florida's bench have Flyers ties. Head coach Kevin Dineen and assistant Gord Murphy played for Philadelphia. Assistant Craig Ramsay was the Flyers' head coach in 2000-01. ... Panthers F Kris Versteeg missed his fifth straight game. Versteeg played 27 games for the Flyers last year. ... Florida fell behind 2-0 for the six of their last seven games. ... The Flyers have won five straight and six of their last seven games against the Panthers.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/08/v-print/2683807/bryzgalov-leads-flyers-over-panthers.html#storylink=cpy



Recap: Philadelphia vs. Florida

By Sports Network

The Sports Network

Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 28 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as Philadelphia took down Florida, 5-0.

Bryzgalov improved to 7-2-1 with three blankings over his last 11 starts, and recorded his 27th career shutout.

Thursday's victory marked Philadelphia's first home shutout of Florida since a 2-0 win on October 24, 1999 and proved to be the club's first regular-season regulation shutout at home since a 2-0 decision over the Rangers on January 21, 2010.

Brayden Schenn, Matt Read, Scott Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr and Eric Wellwood all lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won four in a row and six of eight.

Jose Theodore allowed five goals on 35 shots for the Panthers, who have lost three of four.

The Flyers got on the board with 9:25 to play in the opening period, thanks to a bit of unexpected luck. Claude Giroux's pass into the slot was intended for Hartnell, and though he totally fanned on the shot, Schenn was there in the right circle to sweep it home.

Read doubled the advantage when his poke through a goalmouth scramble slid home at 3:06 of the second period.

Hartnell atoned for his earlier gaffe and made it 3-0 on a breakaway down the left wing culminating in a wrister just under the crossbar with 7:11 to play in the second.

Jagr beat Theodore from between the circles on a power play at the 2:35 mark of the third, and Wellwood broke free up the middle off an Erik Gustafsson dish for a 5-0 game with 1:27 to play.

Game Notes

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/08/v-print/2683841/recap-philadelphia-vs-florida.html#storylink=cpy



Florida Panthers Matt Bradley Still Out, Not Returning in "Foreseeable Future"

Dineen wouldn't say that Bradley was out for the season but he doesn't expect him back anytime soon.

Bradley was injured on Feb. 19 when he tried checking Anaheim's George Parros and ended up knocking himself out by ramming into the stanchion by the Panthers bench.

“We're obviously very cautious with him because it was a pretty good blow he took and not from an opponent,'' Dineen said.

“Matt Bradley's competitive instinct is to go hard in every area. With his history, we need to give him plenty of time off until he's 100 percent. We don't expect to see him in the foreseeable future.''

--With seven defensemen and three games in the following four days, Dineen said he has discussed giving veteran Ed Jovanovski a “maintenance” day as he did last weekend when the Panthers played Nashville and Ottawa on successive nights.



Panthers Bounced in Philly as Flyers Roll 5-0 ... Cats' Shutout for Fourth Time in a Month, Have lost Seven of 11

BY GEORGE RICHARDS Twitter: @OnFrozenPond

PHILADELPHIA – At this time of the NHL season, some teams get hot and make a mad sprint to the playoffs, running through opponents with the finish line being their singular focus.

The Panthers, however, should not be confused as one of those teams. Florida appears to be on a leisurely jog, enjoying the view without worrying about – or even acknowledging – the traffic all around them.

On Thursday, the Panthers got run over. Again. Philadelphia continued its march to the postseason by scoring three goals before the second intermission before winning 5-0 at Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers are moving toward the playoffs the way a team should, riding a full head of steam by winning six of their past eight. Florida? The Panthers have lost

711seven of 11. Florida has lost three of four and have been outscored 17-5 during that 'run.'

“We make too many mistakes and you can't do that on the road,'' said defenseman Brian Campbell, who part of the 2010 Cup champion Blackhawks.

“Some games we're fine and others we come out and the mistakes are there and they snowball. We're not going to win this way on the road. We need to get back to the simple game-plan and go from there.''

One thing going the Panthers way is their geographical assignment in a malnourished Southeast Division. As the Flyers' Atlantic Division is ultra competitive with four of the five teams likely making the playoffs, the Southeast will be lucky to advance a team other than its champion. Florida, with 74 points, may lead the Southeast but would rank fifth in the Atlantic.

With Washington winning in overtime Thursday, five points separates fourth-place Tampa Bay and the Panthers in the battle for the Southeast.

“It's in black-and-white, in the papers every day,'' Campbell said. “We look at that, we hope. You see what Winnipeg is doing, Buffalo. They're winning games. It's going to go away pretty quick if we don't start winning games.''

Florida came out with a good amount of jump and hoped to sneak up on a Philadelphia team coming off Tuesday's emotional win over Detroit. The Panthers had a number of good chances against starter Ilya Bryzgalov, yet, as was the case all night, couldn't get anything through and rarely challenged after the opening 20 minutes.

Bryzgalov recorded his fourth shutout of the season as the Panthers have failed to score in seven games this season – including four in the past month.

“We have to find a way to score goals,'' Dineen said. “We can sit there and diddle around and try and find words, but we have to have a concerted effort to go and score goals.''

Philadelphia took the only lead it needed midway through the first when Brayden Schenn scored the first of two Flyers power play goals. The Flyers made it 2-0 when Matt Read banged a loose puck past Jose Theodore, then Scott Hartnell scored on a breakaway with 7:11 left in the second. Jaromir Jagr ended any hopes of a Florida comeback 2:35 into the third with Philadelphia rolling on a 5-on-3 chance.

The Flyers went 2-for-4 on the power play on Thursday with the Panthers scoreless in four tries.

Florida had two power play chances in close proximity during the first but looked punchless on both tries.

-- Tyson Strachan was the healthy scratched defenseman on Thursday as Erik Gudbranson returned to the lineup.

Forwards Marco Sturm and John Madden were both scratched for the fourth consecutive game.

PensFRIDAY: PANTHERS AT PENGUINS

When, Where: 7 p.m.; Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh

TV/Radio: FSNF/WQAM-560

The series: Pittsburgh leads 37-31-4

The game: The Penguins, who have won two of three against the Panthers this season, will once again be without star Sidney Crosby as he's not scheduled to return until Sunday. Pittsburgh has done without Crosby, however, with wins in seven straight and eight of its past nine games. Florida is making its first trip back to the Steel City since the second game of the season.



Florida Panthers shut out by Philadelphia Flyers

By GEORGE RICHARDS

At this time of the NHL season, some teams get hot and make a mad sprint to the playoffs, running through opponents with the finish line being their singular focus.

The Panthers, however, should not be confused with one of those teams. Florida appears to be on a leisurely jog, enjoying the view without worrying about — or even acknowledging — the traffic all around them.

On Thursday, the Panthers got run over. Again. Philadelphia continued its march to the postseason by scoring three goals before the second intermission before winning 5-0 at Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers are moving toward the playoffs the way a team should, riding a full head of steam by winning six of their past eight. Florida? The Panthers have lost seven of 11. Florida has lost three of four and has been outscored 17-5 during that “run.”

“We make too many mistakes and you can’t do that on the road,” said defenseman Brian Campbell, who was part of the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. “Some games we’re fine and others we come out and the mistakes are there and they snowball. We’re not going to win this way on the road. We need to get back to the simple game plan and go from there.”

One thing going the Panthers’ way is their geographical assignment in a malnourished Southeast Division. As the Flyers’ Atlantic Division is ultra-competitive — with four of the five teams likely making the playoffs — the Southeast will be lucky to advance a team other than its champion. Florida, with 74 points, might lead the Southeast but would rank fifth in the Atlantic.

With Washington winning in overtime Thursday, five points separates fourth-place Tampa Bay and the Panthers in the battle for the Southeast.

“It’s in black-and-white, in the papers every day,” Campbell said. “We look at that, we hope. You see what Winnipeg is doing, Buffalo. They’re winning games. It’s going to go away pretty quick if we don’t start winning games.”

Florida came out with a good amount of jump and hoped to sneak up on a Philadelphia team coming off Tuesday’s emotional win over Detroit. The Panthers had a number of good chances against starter Ilya Bryzgalov, yet, as was the case all night, couldn’t get anything through and rarely challenged after the opening 20 minutes.

Bryzgalov recorded his fourth shutout of the season. The Panthers have failed to score in seven games this season — including four in the past month.

“We have to find a way to score goals,” Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. “We can sit there and diddle around and try and find words, but we have to have a concerted effort to go and score goals.”

Philadelphia took the only lead it needed midway through the first when Brayden Schenn scored the first of two Flyers power-play goals. The Flyers made it 2-0 when Matt Read banged a loose puck past Jose Theodore, then Scott Hartnell scored on a breakaway with 7:11 left in the second.

Jaromir Jagr ended any hope of a Florida comeback 2:35 into the third with Philadelphia rolling on a 5-on-3 chance.

The Flyers went 2 for 4 on the power play on Thursday with the Panthers scoreless in four tries. Florida had two power-play chances in close proximity during the first but looked punchless on both tries.

BRADLEY STILL OUT

Dineen confirmed Thursday that concussed forward Matt Bradley has yet to skate and is only doing light — and supervised — workouts. Dineen wouldn’t say that Bradley was out for the season but he doesn’t expect him back anytime soon.

Bradley was injured on Feb. 19 when he tried checking Anaheim’s George Parros and ended up knocking himself out by ramming into the stanchion by the Panthers bench.

“We’re obviously very cautious with him because it was a pretty good blow he took and not from an opponent,” Dineen said. “Matt Bradley’s competitive instinct is to go hard in every area. With his history, we need to give him plenty of time off until he’s 100 percent. We don’t expect to see him in the foreseeable future.”



Preview: Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m., Friday

Scouting report: After starting the season 0-3-1 in second games of back-to-backs, the Panthers are 5-5-1, including three consecutive wins. ... Florida is 1-2 against Pittsburgh this season, including a 4-1 home loss in their last meeting on Jan. 13. ... Panthers G Jose Theodore is 20-5-3 vs. Pittsburgh, the most wins he has against any team. ... Peguins sidelined superstar Sidney Crosby may return Sunday so he will miss all four games against Florida this season. ... Pittsburgh F Evgeni Malkin is tied for the league lead with 81 points and F James Neal has 30 goals. ... Pittsburgh has won seven in a row and 11 of its last 12 at home. The Penguins have the sixth-ranked power play and first-ranked PK unit at home.

— Harvey Fialkov

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.09.2012


Florida Panthers absorb 5-0 beating by high-flying Flyers

Philadelphia wins fourth in a row while Panthers lead in Southeast Division shrinks

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

PHILADELPHIA

The Panthers had hoped to catch the injury-depleted Flyers emotionally and physically drained after a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Red Wings on Tuesday.

Instead they ran into a well-balanced, top-ranked offensive team with another hot goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov. The end result had the Panthers leaving the City of Brotherly Love in a nasty mood after a chippy 5-0 loss Thursday night at a sold-out Wells Fargo Center.

The Panthers' not-so-special teams took a beating as the Flyers' sixth-ranked power-play unit notched two goals, including the frosting on the Tasty Kake (two-man advantage) tally by the iconic Jaromir Jagr early in the third period. Florida was 0-for-4 on its power play.

"Composure's an issue for us right now,'' Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. "You need to put 60 minutes in, something we haven't done the last couple of weeks.

"Early leads and our special teams were ineffective in the first period and that was a real momentum-changer in the game. You got to find a way to score goals and that starts with your power play.''

The Panthers' best shot of the night was a straight right by rookie Erik Gudbranson to the face of Flyers' Zac Rinaldi as Bryzgalov made 28 saves for his fourth shutout and second in three games.

The Flyers may be looking up at the Panthers in the Eastern Conference standings but that's clearly deceiving with Florida perched third because of its Southeast Divison lead, which has shrunk to two points ahead of the Caps and possibly zero depending on Winnipeg's late result in Vancouver.

"I hope not,'' said Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell about feeling secure. "It's in black and white, right there in the papers every day. … You see what Winnipeg's doing, Buffalo, they're winning games. … It'll go pretty quick if you don't start turning this around.''

The Panthers (74 points) have dropped three of four and all three meetings to Philly this season with one more back here in 12 days. Philadelphia (83 points) is in third place in the elite Atlantic, and has won four straight.

The perilous Pennsylvania pit-stop continues in Pittsburgh Friday night where the conference's second-best team (points-wise) has won seven straight.

"It doesn't matter who we play. We've got to get better,'' said defenseman Mike Weaver.

After not allowing a power-play goal in their last two games the Panthers' 27th-ranked road penalty-kill unit got toasted at 10:35 of the first when Claude Giroux' pass skipped to Brayden Schenn, who one-timed it past Jose Theodore for a 1-0 lead after one.

The Panthers have allowed the first goal in 12 of their last 16 games and the Flyers are now 23-4-5 when scoring first (and 23-2-2 when leading after one).

That's all they would need but the Flyers made it 2-0 at 3:06 of the second when Matt Read stuffed in a loose puck. That marked the seventh time in the past nine games (4-4-1) that the Panthers had gone down 2-zip.

Then a Tomas Fleischmann giveaway sent Scott Hartnell off to the races where at 12:49 he buried goal No. 32 to give Philly a 3-0 lead after two.

Bradley out indefinitely

Panthers forward Matt Bradley, who has been out since sustaining a concussion in the Feb. 9 game against the Kings, could be shelved for the season.

Bradley leads the team with 134 hits.

"Given his history right now we feel it's best he take some time off until he's 100 percent,'' Dineen said. "We don't expect to see him any time in the forseeable future.''

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.09.2012

618036 Los Angeles Kings

Kings fall to Jack Johnson and Blue Jackets, 3-1

Johnson, who was traded by the Kings to Columbus last month, scores a goal to help break the Kings' three-game winning streak.

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mark Letestu scored twice and Jack Johnson had a goal against his former teammates to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to their fourth straight win Thursday night, a 3-1 victory that ended the Los Angeles Kings' three-game winning streak.

It was only the second two-goal game of Letestu's career, the other coming when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Letestu had not had a goal in 16 games.

Jack Johnson also had a goal in his first game since being traded by the Kings. Steve Mason had 16 saves before he left with an injury, with Curtis Sanford coming on in relief to make 13 stops. Vinny Prospal added two assists.

Anze Kopitar scored a short-handed goal for the Kings.

The Blue Jackets had not won four games in a row since Nov. 17-22, 2010 — a span of 131 games.

The Kings' Jeff Carter was lustily booed whenever he touched the puck by a crowd of 14,306. Acquired by the Blue Jackets from Philadelphia in a blockbuster trade last summer, he never seemed to fit in Columbus. He didn't discuss the trade for several days after the deal and many fans saw that as a sign he was unhappy. After a nondescript half season with the Blue Jackets, he was dealt to the Kings on Feb. 23 for a first-round draft pick and Johnson.

Johnson was the star of the opening period. With 8.5 seconds left and the game tied at 1, he trailed the play and rocketed in a wrist shot from the high slot for his 10th of the year.

Earlier, the Blue Jackets took the lead when Letestu redirected a blast by James Wisniewski. The Kings matched that, however, with a short-handed goal by Kopitar after Columbus' Derek Dorsett coughed up the puck in the neutral zone.

Columbus stretched the lead to 3-1 through two periods. Letestu picked up his second of the night — after scoring five in the first 46 games — by cleaning up a rebound. Maksim Mayorov, summoned on emergency recall earlier in the day, came up the left wing and left a drop pass for Prospal, who sent a hard shot. Mayorov crashed the net and got a whack at the rebound, but Jonathan Bernier stopped him. The puck ended up bouncing to Letestu, also in the scrum, and he jammed it home.

Mason stopped 16 of 17 shots but was injured and left at 11:08 of the second period. Blue Jackets defenseman John Moore was shoved into the net by the Kings' Alec Martinez. As Moore crumpled, he swung his legs around and his skate caught the left hand of Mason, who quickly skated to the dressing room.

Mason returned to the bench for the third period.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.09.2012


COLUMBUS 3, KINGS 1: Ex-King Johnson scores to lead lowly Blue Jackets to victory

By Rusty Miller, The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Jack Johnson spent almost five full seasons with the Kings. Yet he has found a home in just six games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Mark Letestu scored twice and Johnson had a goal against his former teammates to lead the Blue Jackets to their fourth straight win Thursday, a 3-1 victory that ended the Kings' three-game winning streak.

"This one felt good. This has been a really great change for me," Johnson said after getting a goal in his second straight game for his new team - and the first against his old team.

"I've been excited to come to the rink every day. These guys here have a blast here at the rink and it's carrying over onto the ice. Guys are loose and having fun. That's what this game is supposed to be all about."

Meanwhile, the Kings lost a game they badly needed. They came into the contest in a tight battle for the last playoff spot in the West. Instead, they were outplayed for most of the night.

"It was a disappointing start," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "You break down Columbus' last three games and they've had 2-0 leads on all three teams, Phoenix twice and Colorado. That was our focus, to not get behind and to try and match their energy early. We weren't all able to do that."

It was only the second two-goal game of Letestu's career, the other coming when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Letestu had not scored in 16 games. He gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead with a redirect midway through

the first period, then scored on a rebound 3 minutes into the second period to end the scoring.

"It's just a matter of going to the net," he said. "It's tough to score in this league from outside. When you get to the net and get a little puck luck, good things happen."

Johnson and Letestu both spoke about building a team in Columbus, which has been beset by bad decisions and disappointments for most of the franchise's 11 seasons.

The Blue Jackets got off to a horrendous start, but have shown signs of turning things around lately.

"It's about building something. Obviously we're out of the playoff race but building a culture, building a foundation for something to work on next year," Letestu said. "Guys are really buying into it and it's showing on the ice."

Johnson was acquired along with a first-round pick from the Kings in the Feb. 22 deadline deal that sent Jeff Carter to Los Angeles.

Carter was lustily booed whenever he touched the puck by a crowd of 14,306. Acquired by the Blue Jackets from Philadelphia in a blockbuster trade last summer, he never seemed to fit in Columbus. He didn't discuss the trade for several days after the deal and many fans saw that as a sign he was unhappy. After a nondescript half season with the Blue Jackets, he was unloaded to the scoring-starved Kings.

"I didn't really think about what was going to happen," Carter said of the fans' reaction. "I just kind of went in and played my game."

One of the loudest cheers of the night came when Carter whiffed on an open-ice shot late in the second period.

Before the game, the Blue Jackets offered free nameplates to fans who brought in Carter's No. 7 jersey with Columbus - placing a piece of fabric over his name with that of the new No. 7, Johnson.

"It's easy," Carter said with a shrug.

Columbus interim coach Todd Richards was asked who got the best of the trade between the Kings and Blue Jackets.

"Tonight, obviously, I thought our No. 7 was pretty good," he said. "He was really good. Scoring a goal, you could see the emotion there."

Johnson scored with 8.5 seconds left in the opening period to break a 1-1 tie and give the Blue Jackets the lead for good.

Blue Jackets starting goalie Steve Mason had 16 saves before he left with an injury, with Curtis Sanford coming on in relief to make 13 stops. Vinny Prospal added two assists.

Mason's left hand was cut by the skate of teammate John Moore after Moore was knocked into the net by Alex Martinez midway through the second period. It took 15 stitches to close the wound.

Richards said Mason would not be able to play for several days, pending a medical evaluation today. Mason did return to the bench for the third period.

The Blue Jackets had not won four games in a row since Nov. 17-22, 2010 - a span of 131 games.

Anze Kopitar scored a short-handed goal for the Kings. Jonathan Bernier had 33 saves.

Sutter was asked about the recent inconsistent play of Carter and former Flyers teammate Mike Richards.

"I'm not going to single any of that out," Sutter said. "The only thing that kept us alive tonight was Jonathan Bernier and our penalty kill. Other than that, it was pretty much right across (the board)."

Also ...

Dustin Brown (5-5-10) extended his points streak to six games for the Kings, while Kopitar (3-3-6) now has a five-game streak. ... The game was the second of a four-game trip for Los Angeles, which next goes to Detroit and Chicago.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Sutter postgame quotes (March 8)

Posted by Rich Hammond on 8 March 2012, 8:12 pm

Darryl Sutter’s postgame thoughts…

(on the game…)

SUTTER: “A disappointing start. You break down Columbus’ last three games, they had 2-0 leads on all three teams, even though it was Phoenix twice, and Colorado. That was our focus, was not to get behind and try to match their energy early. We weren’t all able to do that.’’

(on giving up the third goal, after a solid start to the second period…)

SUTTER: “I think it [the effort] was really sporadic, to be quite honest. You’re just trying to find guys that are going. We just needed a better…you could call it effort, but a more focused sort of game. We didn’t get it.’’

(on not being surprised by Columbus’ recent strong play…)

SUTTER: “That’s exactly right. They had beaten Phoenix twice and beaten Colorado. They deserved to win those games, too. They deserved to win tonight, too.’’

(on needing more from Richards and Carter…)

SUTTER: “I’m not going to single any of that out. I think the only thing that kept us alive tonight was Jonathan Bernier and our penalty killing. Other than that, it was pretty much right across.’’

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Carter postgame quotes (March 8)


Jeff Carter’s postgame thoughts…

(on whether he expected to be booed by the Columbus fans…)

CARTER: “I kind of figured so. I tried not to think about what was going to happen. I just kind of went in and played my game.’’

(on the game…)

CARTER: “I think we kind of struggled right from the get-go. We weren’t skating like we usually do, getting in on pucks and creating turnovers, stuff like that. So it was a tough one.’’



Kopitar postgame quotes (March 8)


Anze Kopitar’s postgame thoughts…

(on the game…)

KOPITAR: “Our start wasn’t very good. Once they got off to a lead, it’s catch-up hockey. That’s always tough, no matter who you’re playing.’’

(on facing the Blue Jackets, who are playing well and have nothing to lose…)

KOPITAR: “Definitely. A couple years back, we were in that same position, where we pretty much played for fun. Nothing is on the line for them, but you definitely can’t discredit them. They still have a solid team and they outplayed us tonight. There’s no excuse to it. We just have to get the job done.’’



Scuderi postgame quotes (March 8)


Rob Scuderi’s postgame thoughts…

(on the poor start…)

SCUDERI: “We talked about it before the game, that they [the Blue Jackets] have been playing real good hockey lately. Especially in the first period, they’ve had leads on all the teams they’ve played, playoff teams in the last couple games. We came out flat. They jumped on us and got a lead. We were trying to play catch-up the rest of the game.’’

(on whether it was a “trap’’ game, or whether the Kings just played poorly…)

SCUDERI: “I don’t think a trap game exists for us the rest of the season, given how badly we need the points. They’re playing good hockey right now. I think we could have come out sharper in the first period. Once they got the lead on us, we played some good hockey and had some good chances, but not enough to get ourselves back in the game on the scoreboard.’’

(on giving up the third goal, after a strong start to the second period…)

SCUDERI: “I can’t remember who it was, but we rattled one off the pipe and had good shifts before that (goal), moving well. We gave up that goal, and it’s depressing, to say the least. You’re battling hard and you’re doing the right things. Everyone is trying to do the right things and get ourselves back in the game, and then we ended up giving up a goal. It is deflating, but I still thought we tried to battle. It wasn’t pretty at that point, because we were trying to force things and trying to create offense, but we did generate some chances. We just didn’t bury them.’’


618042 Minnesota Wild

Missed flight means delayed debut for Cuma

MICHAEL RUSSO

GLENDALE, ARIZ. - Tyler Cuma's long-awaited NHL debut ... will have to wait.

The 2008 first-round pick went from nervous excitement to sheer disappointment Thursday when his chance to make his NHL debut at Phoenix was thwarted by missing a plane.

After playing with the Houston Aeros in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Wednesday night, Cuma flew from Vancouver to Houston on Thursday morning. But in Arizona, defenseman Jared Spurgeon woke up in the wee hours of the morning with the flu.

So when Cuma landed in Houston shortly before 2 p.m., he got the call to get his gear from the United baggage claim and rush to US Airways for a 3 p.m. flight to Phoenix.

"I never made it to check-in," Cuma said. "It just wasn't enough time to get from A to B. Tough luck, really."

Cuma, 22, was drafted 23rd overall in 2008. He has watched 2008 second-round pick Marco Scandella skyrocket by him up the depth chart because of an exorbitant number of injuries. Three of them were to his left knee -- the last coming during the Aeros' game against Peoria at Xcel Energy Center a year ago when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

"I know the last couple of years I've been pretty much written off with all the injuries that I've had, but I've been really pleased this year," Cuma said. "I've gotten a lot of opportunity to play and my knee hasn't hurt whatsoever. I've been happy the way I've been playing lately.

"To finally get called up, unfortunately I wasn't able to make it, but it gives me confidence that my game is where it needs to be. Hopefully I'll get a game or two up there soon."

One defenseman short of a ...

With Cuma unable to make it and Spurgeon sick, the Wild played one defenseman short against the Coyotes after Clayton Stoner wasn't ready to return from a hip injury. Stoner tried to skate in warmups but didn't look comfortable. Coach Mike Yeo said earlier in the day he preferred to play short than risk Stoner's health.

Stoner tore the muscle right off the bone during a fight with Colorado's Cody McLeod.

"Painful," Stoner said.

Big changeover

Since playing at Phoenix on Dec. 10, the Wild is 8-22-7. Only six players who dressed for that game played Thursday -- Scandella, Kyle Brodziak, Dany Heatley, Matt Cullen, Darroll Powe and Nick Johnson.

Injured or sick from that game were Spurgeon, Stoner, Mikko Koivu, Niklas Backstrom, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Mike Lundin. Nick Schultz, Greg Zanon and Casey Wellman have been traded. Colton Gillies and Brad Staubitz were claimed off waivers and Jeff Taffe and Cody Almond are in the minors.

Yeo said this season's downfall has been the "biggest challenge" of his coaching career.

"The one thing I know about coaching is some of the toughest years ... are the years that you grow the most and you learn the most. When we were on that [17 wins in 21 games] run, I pretty much got out of the way and let them go, and now every day is a new challenge.

"You learn things good and bad about yourself and your group as well."

Etc.

• Cal Clutterbuck, who isn't feeling well, missed his second consecutive game.

• Assistant coach Darryl Sydor missed Thursday's game for personal reasons. He returned to Minnesota before the team, and assistant Darby Hendrickson replaced him on the bench.

• Cuma would have been the Wild's league-high 45th player to dress this season. The NHL record is 55 set by the 1991-92 Boston Bruins.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.09.2012


Wild to play short?

Posted by: Michael Russo

Update: Ran into Mike Yeo an hour ago and he said he'd rather play short than risk Stoner. Stoner may take warmups and then it'll be completely up to him. Yeo said he doesn't see Spurgeon be able to play. Also, assistant coach Darryl Sydor flew back to Minnesota for personal reasons. Darby Hendrickson will be on the bench in his place today.

Unless Clayton Stoner is going to be able to play tonight or Jared Spurgeon suddenly gets better, the Wild will be short a defenseman.

Tyler Cuma tweeted this afternoon that he didn't make his flight from Houston to Phoenix. Cuma flew from Vancouver to Houston with the Aeros, then had to get his gear and re-check his bags and himself. Apparently he didn't make it.

At @tcuma61, he first tweeted: "This is a whole new level of nervousness. Headed to Phoenix. Very excited."

Ten minutes ago, a new tweet: "Thank you everyone for the wishes! Unfortunately I was unable to make it out of Houston in time. Will not be in Phoenix tonight."

Brutal luck for the 2008 first-rounder who's waited so long to make his NHL debut. Also bad luck for the Wild because unless Stoner or Spurgeon plays, it has five defensemen here (and one is Kurtis Foster, who is playing with a back issue).

This is pretty much par for the Wild's course.



Heatley scores in shootout to send Wild to 3-2 win over Coyotes

Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Dany Heatley's best work isn't usually saved for the shootout. The Phoenix Coyotes would have a tough time believing that.

After scoring only once in six previous attempts in the tiebreaker this season, Heatley buried the winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout on Thursday night to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

After Wild goalie Matt Hackett stopped Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Heatley put a backhander past Jason LaBarbera to win it.

"I know he is aggressive and moves around," Heatley said. "When I came in on him, I saw an opening and went to the backhand."

Hackett took over for Josh Harding, who left with an undisclosed lower body injury at 11:38 of the second period. Hackett, recalled from AHL Houston on March 1, stopped 17 of 19 shots to improve to 3-2.

"The win was impressive," Hackett said. "I let some pretty big rebounds out there, but the guys really battled. This was a great character win."

Harding, who left after stopping a drive from Ekman-Larsson, will be evaluated on Friday. He finished with 24 saves. Hackett played in his eighth game of the season.

The Wild won for the first time in six games. The Coyotes have lost five straight. Phoenix remained one point ahead of San Jose for seventh place in the Western Conference. The Sharks will visit the Coyotes on Saturday.

Phoenix has been outscored 10-1 in the first period of its last five games.

"We're not the kind of team geared to come from behind," LaBarbera said. "We play better with a lead, and that's our identity. When you're chasing the game, it makes everything much more difficult on everybody."

Kyle Brodziak and Steven Kampfer scored first-period goals for the Wild.

Raffi Torres got the Coyotes within 2-1 when he scored at 1:40 of the third period, netting his 11th goal of the season off a pass from defenseman Michael Stone. Just 1:05 later, Lauri Korpikoski tied it when he converted a pass from Antoine Vermette for his 15th goal.

"Phoenix played like a desperate team," Wild coach Mike Yeo said.

Minnesota scored two goals within 1:58 early in the opening period.

Defenseman Keith Yandle's pass through the middle was intercepted by Darroll Powe, whose 25-foot drive was tipped in by Brodziak at 4:06. Kampfer, recalled from Houston on March 3, scored his first of the season on a wrist shot from inside the left circle at 5:04.

The Coyotes outshot the Wild 32-15 through the first two periods, but couldn't score.

"We had over 80 attempts at the net, and you need to make some of these count," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "You can't put yourself in holes like that. That's a recipe for disaster, and that's not the first time we've seen that."

NOTES: Stone's assist on Torres' goal was his first NHL point. ... Phoenix's Martin Hanzal was struck in the face by a high stick late in the first period, and didn't return.



Wild gets a win and a pickle

MICHAEL RUSSO

GLENDALE, ARIZ. - You can't make up what's going on with the Wild.

Thursday night, the injury-demolished team had to play short one defenseman against the Phoenix Coyotes because Jared Spurgeon was sick, Clayton Stoner wasn't healthy and Tyler Cuma couldn't make his plane.

During the eventual 3-2 shootout victory by the Wild, players such as Devin Setoguchi were running back and forth to the locker room in search of the nearest garbage can. And to top things off, goalie Josh Harding was lost midway through the second period after "tweaking something" in his lower body.

Harding, who had stopped all 24 shots he faced, was replaced by an ice-cold Matt Hackett, who gave up two goals 65 seconds apart early in the third period before winning his first NHL shootout.

"Unbelievable character win," said coach Mike Yeo, who watched defensemen Marco Scandella, Tom Gilbert and Steve Kampfer all log over 30 minutes.

But now the Wild's in a goaltending pickle. Niklas Backstrom is sidelined with a groin injury. Fourth goalie Darcy Kuemper might be out for the season because of an upper body injury. And fifth goalie Dennis Endras left to play for IFK-Helsinki months ago.

So, who will back up Hackett when the Wild plays host to the Calgary Flames on Sunday?

"I've never seen anything like this. I mean, every game it's something," General Manager Chuck Fletcher said.

Kuemper is being flown to Minnesota to see the Wild's doctors, but he might need surgery, Fletcher said. The Wild's options are to sign a goalie on an American Hockey League deal or a goalie playing in Europe whose team won't make the playoffs and who won't play in the world championships.

Fletcher already was scanning those lists during the second intermission. If the Wild goes that route, the goalie would have to clear waivers first, meaning,

"I guess we'll have to find another Paul Deutsch for Sunday," said Fletcher, referring to the 51-year-old Bloomington beer league goalie the Wild signed to an amateur tryout Nov. 23.

Deutsch took part in warmups before that game against Nashville, but Hackett made it just in time to back up Backstrom.

"Let's hope Harding is day-to-day," said Fletcher.

In the meantime, depending on Harding's timeframe, the net belongs to Hackett, 22, who backstopped Houston to the Calder Cup Finals last year.

"I'm ready," said Hackett, who is 3-2 in eight appearances (three starts) with a 1.89 goals against average and .943 save percentage. "I'm a young guy coming in and all I want to do is show I can play in this league."

The Wild built a 2-0 lead early in the first 5:04 on goals 58 seconds apart by Kyle Brodziak and Kampfer -- Brodziak's career-high 17th and Kampfer's first with Minnesota. The Coyotes rallied in the third on goals by Raffi Torres and Lauri Korpikoski.

In the shootout, Ray Whitney and Erik Christensen exchanged goals before Shane Doan and Setoguchi exchanged goals in Round 4. Dany Heatley, who has struggled in shootouts all year, won it in the fifth round.

"Man, that was a relief," Warren Peters said of the Wild stopping a five-game losing streak.

"That could easily have sunk us," Brodziak said. "But right from the get-go, everybody was ready to play."

Added Hackett, "The boys battled hard. I mean five D, they did an unbelievable job out there."



Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo and GM Chuck Fletcher will return next season

By Ben Goessling

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Though the Minnesota Wild are in the midst of the worst three-month stretch in franchise history and are finishing the 2011-12 season with a roster decimated by injuries, their leadership structure will remain intact.

Both general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo will return for the 2012-13 season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The third-year GM and the rookie coach oversaw the Wild's rise to the league's top record in December, culminating with a franchise-record seventh consecutive road win when they beat Phoenix on Dec. 10. Injuries soon caught up with a team already challenged to score goals, however, and the Wild have gone 8-22-7 since then.

But those injuries -

Wild fires?

Should the Wild reconsider and dump coach Mike Yeo and GM Chuck Fletcher?

Keep Yeo, fire Fletcher.

Keep Fletcher, fire Yeo.

Keep both.

Fire both.

particularly the ones to forwards Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse - have lent some perspective to the Wild's struggles, and with a promising group of prospects expected to be in the organization next season, Fletcher and Yeo will get more time to continue the team's rebuilding project.

The Wild are 13th in the Western Conference with 66 points and are on pace to finish with their fewest points in a season since 2001-02, their second season in the NHL. Their 144 goals rank last in the NHL, but they have dressed 44 skaters this season - a franchise-record and the most in the league.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.09.2012


Minnesota Wild scramble to find defenseman for tonight's game

By Ben Goessling

GLENDALE, Ariz. - With Jared Spurgeon sick and unable to play tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes, the Minnesota Wild are trying to find a defenseman to replace him.

Clayton Stoner, who injured his hip in a fight last month in Colorado, might be able to return tonight, but coach Mike Yeo said he will leave that up to Stoner. If Stoner can't play, the Wild hope to call up Tyler Cuma from Houston for his NHL debut. But there are some complications there, too.

Cuma was with the Aeros in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and flying back with the American Hockey League team to Houston this afternoon. If the Wild fly him to Phoenix, he'd have to land in Houston, collect his bags, board another flight for Phoenix and get from Sky Harbor International Airport to Jobing.com Arena - which is 17 miles north of the airport - in time for the game.

Stoner said he felt good after skating this morning, but hadn't discussed with the coaching staff whether he would play tonight.



Minnesota Wild record a rare and unlikely win

By Ben Goessling

GLENDALE, Ariz. - If the Wild were going to win a game, it almost had to come this way: with three defensemen logging more than a half-hour on the ice, a rookie goalie entering a game cold for the fifth time this season and a five-round shootout ended by a forward who hasn't scored in one all season.

Nothing has come easy for Minnesota in the past three months - and it certainly won't for the rest of the season, with so many key players missing and so many opponents streaking toward the playoffs. But two nights after being flattened in Denver, the Wild at least could head into a long homestand feeling good about themselves.

They beat the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout Thursday night, winning a game that was going to be about

attrition even before the puck dropped. The last time they were in Jobing.com Arena, they were at the top of the league standings, and things had never been easier for them. On Thursday night, simply trying to finish the game healthy was a challenge. But for the first time in six games, they got a win.

"We (expletive) needed it," center Warren Peters said. "As hard as it is to try and explain, guys have been working. It's mentally very hard to get yourself up from situations we've experienced in the last two weeks. That's all we can control at this point. Guys did a great job."

The Wild began the night with five defensemen, with Jared Spurgeon out sick, Clayton Stoner still nursing a hip injury and 2008

first-round pick Tyler Cuma unable to make a connecting flight to Phoenix after returning to Houston from the Aeros' Wednesday game in Abbotsford, British Columbia. And only four of those defensemen were completely healthy; Kurtis Foster has been nursing a back strain since he came to the team two weeks ago.

Up front, they were still without Cal Clutterbuck, who hasn't been feeling well all week. The turnover even extended to their coaching staff; assistant Darryl Sydor had to miss the game for personal reasons, moving Darby Hendrickson down from the press box to the bench. Then the game started.

Nick Palmieri crashed into the right goal post after getting stopped on a breakaway in the second period. Devin Setoguchi went in and out of the game, also dealing with an illness. And with 8:22 to go in the second period, Josh Harding left with a lower body injury, unable to put weight on his right leg.

That forced Matt Hackett into the game cold after he had given up four goals on Tuesday night and been lifted for Harding. But the Wild played tougher in front of him than they did in a 7-1 loss to the Avalanche, clearing out traffic and rebounds. Though Hackett allowed two goals, he made enough saves to get the Wild to a shootout, where he stopped three of five attempts and Dany Heatley put a backhand past Jason LaBarbera to win the game.

Hackett, who turned 21 on Wednesday, could spend the remainder of the season as the No. 1 goalie with Harding and Niklas Backstrom hurt, though coach Mike Yeo said general manager Chuck Fletcher already had been looking for goalies in case another injury happened. But Hackett has been angling for the opportunity.

"He has got a swagger about him," Yeo said. "I'm pretty sure he wants the net. He's young, there's no question. But he wants that opportunity."

If it's the start of a season-ending audition for Hackett, it came with some turmoil. Then again, everything seems to come to the Wild that way.

"The only way out is hard work," Peters said. "We've tried every other method."


618049 Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens: Max Pacioretty scores twice in 5-3 win

The Gazette March 9, 2012

EDMONTON –A year to the day after a Zdeno Chara hit that looked like it might end his career, Max Pacioretty scored his 29th and 30th goals of the Canadiens’ star-crossed season. Pacioretty also picked up an assist and had three hits in the Canadiens’ 5-3 win.

The Canadiens got third-period goals from Tomas Kaberle (on the power play) and Lars Eller to settle the titanic struggle for 28th place.

The Canadiens also got a power-play goal from P.K. Subban. Shawn Horcoff, Linus Omark and Taylor Hall replied for the Oilers.

• David Desharnais sustained a lower-body injury during the first period. He played one shift in the second period and did not return in the third.

• The three-lane expressway leading to Rexall Place is called Wayne Gretzky Drive. You turn left at the Dave Semenko guardrail …

• The motto on the wall of the Oilers dressing room is “Relentless together.” Replicas of Edmonton’s five Stanley Cups fill a display case outside the room. There wouldn’t be room for that in Montreal.

• Rene Bourque grew up in Lac La Biche, 220 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. A couple dozen of his hometown fans renewed acquaintances after the morning skate on Thursday. Bourque has a history of playing well in Edmonton. He entered Thursday’s action riding a streak of eight straight games in which Bourque was a minus – a cumulative minus-13, including minus-2 in his return to Calgary.

• They peaked early: The Oilers were 7-2-2 in October. They haven’t had a winning month since … although February’s record was 6-6-1.

• The Don Cherry Index: The Oilers have two Albertans on their roster: Ryan Smyth and Taylor Hall. Edmonton has five players from Ontario, four from Saskatchewan.

• Erik Cole retains good memories of the 63 games he played as an Oiler in the 2008-09 season. For someone who had spent his NHL career in Carolina, Edmonton was his “first experience in a hockey market, and I thought it was great. The experience in Edmonton certainly helped in my transition to Montreal.”

• Line of the Day: In response to an Edmonton broadcaster who asked if the Canadiens were on the same up-from-the-bottom trajectory as the Oilers, 98.5 play-by-play announcer Martin McGuire said: “We like rebuilds in Montreal … but only in summer. July to August, that’s our rebuild season.”

• What's next? The Canadiens chartered out of Edmonton immediately after the game, headed Vancouver. They will practice at Rogers Arena Friday afternoon and play the mighty Canucks Saturday night. After staying over in Vancouver, the Canadiens board a 10 a.m. flight to Buffalo on Sunday, where the road trip concludes with a game against the Sabres Monday evening.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.09.2012

618050 Montreal Canadiens

One year later, Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty shows no ill effects of The Hit

By Mike Boone, The Gazette March 8, 2012

EDMONTON – It wasn’t remotely as momentous as the Kennedy assassination, but most Canadiens fans can recall where they were and what they were doing on the night of March 8, 2011.

And they don’t need a Zapruder film to remind them.

The Hit lives forever on YouTube. Type “Pacioretty Chara” in the Search box and several versions pop up. The most popular one runs three minutes and has had almost 1.8 million views.

Spoiler alert: This does not end well for the player in red.

It begins as Gregory Campbell wins a faceoff and clears to the right-wing boards in the Canadiens’ zone.

Max Pacioretty scoops up the puck and begins skating up-ice. He seems to be gaining a step on Zdeno Chara, but the Bruins defenceman … Well, we all remember what happened. Chara ran Pacioretty into a rink-side stanchion, the Canadiens forward's head bounced off rigid metal and he went down like he’d been shot.

It got deathly quiet in the Bell Centre. And another blood-soaked chapter was added to the chronicle of Bruins-Canadiens hatred.

A year to the day later, Pacioretty was swarmed by cameras, microphones and notebooks after the Canadiens’ Thursday morning skate. The bemused centre of attention saw the mob descending and yelled at a member of the Canadiens’ public-relations staff: “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Ready or not, Pacioretty had to answer questions about the hit … again.

At least no one brought a First Anniversary cake, with a Pacioretty figurine laying face-down in white icing.

When asked repeatedly about the incident, Pacioretty kept repeating a simple mantra: “I’m just trying to be the best player I can be.”

Was he tired of discussing this about 100 questions ago?

“Like I keep saying, I’m just trying to take things day by day,” Pacioretty said. “I don’t look in the past. I look toward the future.

“Today is a new day and I try to build off of yesterday.”

Pacioretty has forged an amazing comeback. From what looked to all the world like a career-ending injury, Pacioretty skated into the game against the Oilers with a team-leading 28 goals.

He also has 71 hits – including a check on Kris Letang that knocked the defenceman out of the Pittsburgh lineup and cost Pacioretty a three-game suspension.

“This year I set a lot of goals for myself,” Pacioretty said. “I wanted to get better every day and work hard in practice. My goal is to develop as a player, and I’m sticking to that.”

• • •

For Pierre Houde, Chara’s hit on Pacioretty brought back morbid memories.

The RDS play-by-play announcer also works Grand Prix races for the network. Houde has “very vivid” memories of the 1994 F1 race at Imola in which driver Ayrton Senna was involved in a fatal crash and the 1999 CART event in California that claimed the life of Greg Moore.

“I felt literally sick watching Max get hit,” Houde said as we watched the Canadiens’ morning skate. “I don’t want to overly dramatize the situation, but I had to call fatal races live.

“For a quick second, I had this nauseous feeling that I was calling something tragic again. Thank God it turned out okay for Max Pacioretty, but for me it was like déja vu.”

Houde and Benoit Brunet, who was the RDS colour man on the telecast, were careful to keep excessive emotion out of their narration.

“You don’t want to play doctor,” Houde said. “You want to stay calm.”

It wasn’t easy. The hit happened in an area of the Bell Centre where a hand-held camera was able to zoom in tight on Pacioretty, who wasn’t even moving his eyelids.

When RDS cut to a commercial, Houde and Brunet got to watch several replays of the incident.

“It wasn’t that clear-cut,” Houde says, “as was proved by the NHL’s non-decision on the incident.”

Calling the play live, however, Houde thought Chara “knew exactly where the play was and who was coming.”

“You can look at the replay 50 times, 100 times,” he said. “Fans from one team will see it one way, fans from another team will see it another way.

“I still think, deep down, that it was a deliberate play and should have been sanctioned heavily.”

The memory I retain is the atmosphere in the Bell Centre. The normally raucous building went silent as medical staff worked over Pacioretty.

“In one game I called early in my career in Philadelphia, Marc Bureau nailed Petr Svoboda at centre ice,” Houde recalled. “There was a pool of blood

from his head when it hit the ice. That’s the only other time I can recall a building so quiet.

“And it’s a heavy silence.”

• • •

In the recent Hockey Night in Canada/NHL Players Association poll, the Rexall Centre was a runaway winner as best ice in the league.

The Oilers’ home rink was picked first by 37 per cent of respondents. The Bell Centre was a distant second, favoured by 15 per cent of the players.

Erik Cole was an Oiler for 63 games during the 2008-09 season. Thursday’s game was his first on Rexall Centre Ice since that season.

“No, this isn’t the best ice,” Cole said. “It used to be. I don’t know what happened, but it isn’t anymore.

“I think it started to deteriorate a bit just after the lockout.”

Cole said choosing the best ice was a tough call.

“Calgary was pretty good the other night. It’s trying to choose the best of the worst because there aren’t too many places that are very good.”

Ice quality is compromised, Cole said, by the number of events held in multi-use arenas. He has played most of his career in Carolina, where the warm weather of Raleigh made the ice particularly dicey during deep playoff runs by those good Hurricanes teams.

“You can’t control things like humidity there,” Cole said. “It’s not only the ice. It affects your skates and makes everything feel a little softer.”

Ice quality is a factor in the likelihood of injury.

“On bad ice,” Cole said, “you have to work a little harder on each stride, and injuries can happen when you get caught in ruts. You’re more likely to twist an ankle, sprain a knee or whatever.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.09.2012

618051 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators beat Colorado Avalanche 4-2

Josh Cooper

With the calendar in March and games against teams vying to make the playoffs on the schedule, the Predators knew they had to kick their desperation factor up a notch or two.

Nashville showed that emotion and then some in a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in front of an announced sellout crowd of 17,113 on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators were not happy with their Tuesday loss to the Kings and showed it against the Avalanche.

“It’s a mindset. Obviously we made some big moves at the deadline, and maybe we thought things would come easy,” defenseman Shea Weber said. “We need to realize we’re a hardworking team and we have to stick to our foundation, and that will lead to success.”

The win for the Predators (39-21-7) was their first on this three-game homestand, and gave them points in seven of their last nine games. The homestand ends Saturday with a game against the Red Wings, the team just in front of the Predators in the Central Division standings.

One game after being pulled early, goaltender Pekka Rinne made 15 saves. Avalanche netminder Semyon Varlamov made 27.

The Predators were emotional but controlled. Nashville took two penalties — a fighting major by Jordin Tootoo and a roughing by Mike Fisher in which he dropped the gloves — but neither turned into a power play.

Sergei Kostitsyn netted the eventual game-winner on a wrist shot with 31.6 seconds left in the second period for a 3-1 lead.

“The one thing we do have is a group where the core is strong with the guys here and the veteran additions we have,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “We didn’t have a good game against L.A. We thought we could be much better and there was more of that attachment to the battle than last game. And tonight we were attached and if we had that same mindset, I think we would have had a better result on Tuesday.”

Tennessean LOADED: 03.09.2012


Brandon Yip savors goal, win against former team

Josh Cooper

The morning before Nashville’s 4-2 win over Colorado, Brandon Yip said how he departed Colorado earlier this season left a “salty taste” in his mouth.

The Avalanche put Yip on waivers in January, and the Predators claimed him. After being scratched the previous three games, Yip scored a goal Thursday, tipping Roman Josi’s slapshot into the net with 13:02 left in the first period.

“Any time a team lets you go or trades you there’s a little salt in your mouth after that, and it was a big win for the team and me as well,” Yip said. “It’s definitely nice to get a goal there and contribute and help the team, and it was a big goal for us and gave us a lead there.”

The official scorer gave the goal at first to Yip, and then gave it to Josi. It was eventually given back to Yip.

“Either way, it was a big goal. I was happy either way,” Yip joked.

Halischuk in: Forward Matt Halischuk came back after two consecutive healthy scratches with an assist on the game-winning goal by Sergei Kostitsyn. Halischuk’s pressure led to a Colorado turnover, and the puck landed on Kostitsyn’s stick.

“It’s always tough to watch,” Halischuk said. “At the same time we have a great group here and a great group of guys, and you have to make sure you prepare yourself for a chance to get back in and when you do you play hard and play together.”

O’Brien back: Former Predator Shane O’Brien played his first game against his former team this season. O’Brien, who signed with Colorado in the offseason, played 20:02 and had several scoring chances. He also provided some verbal jabs on the ice.

“He told me to keep my head up the whole game,” Kostitsyn said with a smile.

Wilson, Smith sit: To make room for Halischuk and Yip, the Predators sat forwards Craig Smith and Colin Wilson.

Coach Barry Trotz said he sat Smith to give him some rest. Smith is a rookie and played 41 regular-season games with the University of Wisconsin last season. It was Wilson’s first healthy scratch of the season. The forward was a healthy scratch for nine of Nashville’s 12 playoff games a year ago. He played in all 82 regular-season games.

Klein update: Defenseman Kevin Klein will likely be out with an upper-body injury until the Predators start their West Coast trip Monday at Phoenix.

“He’s riding (the bike) and doing the things he can do at a pretty high pace,” Trotz said.

Rinne record: Goaltender Pekka Rinne set the franchise record with his 37th win this season. The previous record of 36 was set by Tomas Vokoun in 2005-06.

Tennessean LOADED: 03.09.2012


Rinne sets franchise record for wins in a season

By David Boclair

The stat sheet says that Pekka Rinne made it look easy. The stat sheet is wrong.

Rinne set a Nashville Predators record for wins in a single season when he faced just 17 shots — and stopped 15 — in a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.

Only once in the previous 66 games had the Predators allowed fewer shots on goal. Colorado managed just three in the first period and no more than nine in either of the final two.

The final shot count was 31-17 in Nashville’s favor.

“It’s easier to play when you face more shots and kind of stay in the game all the time.” Rinne said. “[The shot total] is a sign of the fact that we play well. We didn’t give them much.”

Rinne improved to 37-14-7 on the season and surpassed the previous mark of 36 wins set by Tomas Vokoun in 2005-06. Earlier this season, Rinne broke Vokoun’s mark for career shutouts.

Rinne and Vokoun are the only goalies in franchise history to win as many as 30 times in a season. Rinne has done it in each of the last three.

With this victory, he also maintained his league lead, which currently is two better than Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury.

“The [scoring] chances in the game were pretty lopsided, according to our video coach’s count,” coach Barry Trotz said. “But it was a very uncomfortable game. … They hung around and hung around and [were] a crossbar away.”

One shot that did not register in the final tally came in the third period off the stick of forward Cody McLeod, who hit the crossbar behind Rinne when Nashville’s lead was one, 3-2. Rinne fell on the puck as it lay in the crease behind him to end that threat and made back-to-back saves with fewer than three minutes remaining.

“You always know they’re going to have a real good push at the end of the game,” Rinne said. “We managed the game really well even though they got close a couple times there [and] hit the crossbar.

“But we deserved a couple of those bounces.”

Chances are that no one would argue he deserves his place in the record book as well.

Nashville City Paper LOADED: 03.09.2012


Lineup changes do little to alter how Predators score goals

By David Boclair

Even with the trades they made in recent weeks, the Nashville Predators do not have anyone who would cause them to change their score-by-committee approach to offense.

Thursday, though, that committee was short a couple. Two of the eight Nashville forwards who have at least 12 goals — Craig Smith and Colin Wilson — were scratched for the third of this season’s four meetings with the Colorado Avalanche.

The scoring did not suffer and the defense allowed just 17 shots on goal, which equaled the team’s second fewest against of the season. Ultimately, it added up to a 4-2 victory before a sellout crowd at Bridgestone Arena.

“We’re trying to look at what might fit,” coach Barry Trotz said. “We have 24 or 25 guys, and we can only dress 20 so there’s some decisions that are hard to make. I thought that would sort of be the way to go for [Thursday] night.”

Even without Wilson (15 goals, including four in his last eight appearances) and Smith (12 goals), forwards scored all four Predators’ goals. Among them was Mike Fisher’s 20th of the season, which gave him a share of the team lead again, and Martin Erat’s empty-netter with 44 seconds to go.

The victory was Nashville’s 39th of the season and kept it closer to fourth place (four points back of Detroit) than sixth (six points ahead of Chicago) with 15 games remaining.

The Predators have won three of five since the trade deadline, when they added forwards Andrei Kostitsyn and Paul Gaustad.

“We have a lot of depth and that’s key for our team to make a deep push in the playoffs here,” right wing Brandon Yip, who was scratched Tuesday but scored Nashville’s second goal in this one, said. “Everyone’s great up front and on the back end so there’s a lot of health competition. But I think it’s good.”

Yip spent the first three months of the season with the Avalanche but appeared in just 10 games for them. Two different injuries caused him to miss a total of 22 contests and the rest of the time, he simply was scratched.

His goal gave him four points (two goals, two assists) in 24 games (he’s also been scratched seven times) for the Predators. That was four points more than he had for Colorado this season.

“He’s been great for us ever since we claimed him off waivers,” captain Shea Weber said. “He’s been great when he’s been in the lineup, and when he’s out he still works hard and he gets back in and he’s still that same player. That’s not an easy thing to do.”

That’s the challenge now for Wilson, who is tied for third among Nashville forwards with 63 games played. The only ones he missed before Thursday were three straight in early January because of an injury.

“Wilson was a little bit of a tougher decision for me,” Trotz said. “… I want him to play a little bit better with pace and with detail. … I know he’ll respond well. I had to make a tough decision.

“I think he’s going to be fine. I think he’s going to be determined. I think when he’s back in the lineup he’s going to be romping around and doing the things he needs to do.”

As a team, the Predators need to continue to get scoring throughout the lineup — they’re among the NHL’s top 10 in goals per game — regardless of which players actually are in the lineup.

Nashville City Paper LOADED: 03.09.2012

618055 New Jersey Devils

Kovalchuk Scores 3 to Lead Devils Over Islanders

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sign In to NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Ilya Kovalchuk scored three goals to record his second hat trick in just over three weeks to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Patrik Elias and David Clarkson also scored and Martin Brodeur made 29 saves as the Devils earned their 38th win, matching last season's total when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

Kovalchuk's linemates, Adam Henrique and Zach Parise, each had two assists, with Parise scoring his 400th NHL point.

Defenseman Andy MacDonald scored for the Islanders, who had a two-game winning streak snapped and taking another hit to their already dim playoff hopes. Evgeni Nabokov stopped 15 shots and lost for the sixth time in 16 games (10-5-1).

The streaky Kovalchuk has a team-high 29 goals, and he appears to be on a run. He scored in an emotional win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday and has four goals in two games after going nine without one.

His final goal at 8:09 of the third period came a little more than a minute after Elias scored off a rebound to give New Jersey a 3-1 lead.

Parise found Kovalchuk between the circles, and the Russian one-timed a shot past Nabokov. He pumped his fists to celebrate as hats started fluttering to the ice.

Kovalchuk staked the Devils to a 2-0 lead with an even-strength goal at 8:07 of the first period and a power-play tally at 3:33 of the second.

Parise set up the first one with a great pass to Kovalchuk at the left side of the net. His initial shot at an open cage missed everything and hit off the end boards, but the puck bounced right back to him, and he lifted a shot over Nabokov.

Kovalchuk's second goal came 14 seconds after Islanders defenseman Steve Staios was whistled for tripping him. Defenseman Marek Zidlicky slid the puck to Kovalchuk for a shot that he ripped past a defenseless Nabokov.

The Islanders, who outshot the Devils 19-11 in the first two periods, didn't get on the board until MacDonald scored a fluke goal with 3:39 left in the second. The Islanders broke into the Devils' zone on a 3-on-2 rush, and MacDonald chased down a loose puck behind the New Jersey net. He fired a shot that hit Brodeur's right arm and went in. Brodeur immediately looked up at the rafters in disgust.

The Devils blew the game open with three goals in the third.

NOTES: Zidlicky got two points, his first since joining the Devils last month. ... The teams have split the first four games of the six-game season series. ... Devils F Alexei Ponikarovsky returned to the lineup after missing three games with an undisclosed lower body injury. ... The game was the 599th of Nabokov's career. ... MacDonald's goal snapped a 31-game goal drought.

New York Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Devils and Kovalchuk Show Signs of Surging

By DAVE CALDWELL

NEWARK — The game was stopped early in the third period Thursday so a crew could use shovels to clear the ice of hundreds of baseball caps. Ilya Kovalchuk had his second hat trick in less than a month, and the Devils had fired a warning shot to the N.H.L. Although the Devils played the Islanders for the second time in a quirky week that will end with another game against, yes, the Islanders, Kovalchuk seemed to skate and shoot at warp speed, powering the Devils to a resounding 5-1 victory at Prudential Center.

The Devils (38-24-5) have won three of four games since a four-game losing streak, and Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, his linemate and the Devils’ captain, have each had three-goal nights. Parise had a hat trick in a 5-0 victory Friday over the Washington Capitals.

“We’re pretty dangerous when we play the right way,” said the veteran forward Patrik Elias, who also scored a goal. “We have guys who can put the puck in.”

Kovalchuk has 29 goals this season, which does not put him in the top 10 in the N.H.L., and he weathered a nine-game stretch without a goal that ended Monday, when he scored 49 seconds into a 4-1 victory over the Rangers.

But he launched himself into Thursday’s game, scoring a goal 8 minutes 7 seconds into the game, then scoring his second goal on a power-play slap shot at 3:33 of the second period. Parise set him up for his third goal, a slap shot that caught the far corner of the net.

“I don’t think I was looking that bad,” Kovalchuk said of his scoreless streak.

Asked if he were on a hot streak now, Kovalchuk said: “Let’s not talk about it. We’ll see Saturday.”

At least he finally had his first hat trick at home for the Devils. He scored three goals in a Feb. 14 victory at Buffalo, and his third goal that night came when he slapped a puck into an empty net. His performance Thursday might have been his most impressive in two years with the team.

Not coincidentally, Kovalchuk, following team-wide orders from the first-year coach Peter DeBoer, is shooting more, rather than passing it. He has 12 shots on goal in the Devils’ last two games. His rising, searing slap shot all but tears holes in the net.

“The last couple of games, he’s come out fast,” the Devils rookie center Adam Henrique said. “That’s something we’ve been trying to focus on, is fast starts.”

Kovalchuk also benefited early from a break. Parise passed to Kovalchuk, who was not much more than 15 feet from Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Kovalchuk’s shot missed the goal — but caromed off the end boards right back to him. He flipped in the rebound, untouched.

BLUES 3, DUCKS 1 Patrik Berglund scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and Jaroslav Halak made 24 saves for his career-high seventh straight win. St. Louis improved to a league-best 28-4-4 at home. The Blues have a league-leading 93 points. (AP)

FLYERS 5, PANTHERS 0 Ilya Bryzgalov made 28 saves to record his second shutout in three games and Philadelphia beat visiting Florida for its fourth straight win. The victory moved the Flyers within two points of fourth-place Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference. (AP)

CAPITALS 3, LIGHTNING 2 Alex Ovechkin scored on a wrist shot at 4:09 of overtime, and host Washington came back to beat Tampa Bay, snapping a three-game losing streak. Washington trailed, 2-1, late in the third period, before Marcus Johansson forced overtime by scoring with 3:58 left. (AP)

BRUINS 3, SABRES 1 David Krejci scored for the fifth time in the last five games and host Boston won consecutive games for the first time in almost two months. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal at 12:56 of the third period and Krejci scored 2:58 later to make it 3-1. (AP)

PREDATORS 4, AVALANCHE 2 Sergei Kostitsyn scored at 19:28 of the second period, and Nashville improved to 18-3-2 in its last 23 home games. Pekka Rinne stopped 15 shots in his N.H.L.-best 37th win. (AP)

STARS 4, SHARKS 3 Tomas Vincour scored in the final minute of regulation, and added the lone goal of the shootout in the fifth round. Kari Lehtonen made 45 saves through overtime and then was perfect in the shootout. Pacific Division-leading Dallas won its fourth straight and improved to 79 points, four ahead of San Jose. (AP)

BLUE JACKETS 3, KINGS 1 Mark Letestu scored twice and Jack Johnson had a goal against his former teammates to lead host Columbus to its fourth straight win. (AP)



Coach Pete DeBoer hopes Devils are bitter after last loss to Islanders

By Rich Chere

Devils coach Pete DeBoer hopes his players still have a bitter taste in their mouths after Sunday's 1-0 loss to the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

The two teams meet again Thursday night at the Prudential Center.

"I hope so. I think when we look back at the tape and reflect on the game you have to give the Islanders credit. They were the more desperate team. They won the races for the pucks in most of the puck battles," DeBoer said. "Whatever the reason that was, whether it was fatigue, we have to correct that. We have to fix that tonight."

DeBoer was asked if the necessary emotion is manufactured in preparation for the game or during the match.

"I think it's a little bit of both," he said. "We've got a good group. There has not been many nights we haven't been emotionally invested in the game. And if there has been I can usually point to a reason why, either scheduling or fatigue or things like that.

"It hasn't been an issue over the season for us. The guys in the room I think have done a good job of making sure they've got that edge on a nightly basis. If you don't have it, you have to find a way to manufacture it. That's the tough part, whether it's the fourth line goes out there and grabs some momentum or it's a fight or a hit. Those are the things you have to try to manufacture if they're not there."

The Devils have scored only three goals in the three meetings with the Islanders this season.

"You have to give them credit. They played hard. They did a lot of good things against us last game," DeBoer said. "Last game full marks to them for getting the job done. We have to be better.

"We lost most of the puck races and most of the battles in the game. That's a staple of our game. If we're not the stronger team in that area, we're in trouble. That's where it starts. From an Xs and Os point of view, it was a pretty even game. We didn't give up a ton of chances. We took too many penalties, but that's a result of losing races for pucks and battles for pucks. This isn't an Xs and Os fix for me, it's a speed and battle level fix."

DeBoer is enjoying the stretch run.

"Just the nightly battle. Everybody's foot is on the gas across the league right now," he said. "It's pretty much playoff hockey a month ahead of time. It's nice to be in that environment where the stakes are that high and the games are played that hard every night."

*DeBoer on Ilya Kovalchuk: "He's been good for me all year. He's playing hard. He's playing both ways. He's been a motivated guy from day one. Like all great players, you have ups and downs during the year and stretches where everything is going right and then nothing is going right. For me that consistency to work has been there from day one. That's really one of the reasons we are where we are."

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.09.2012


Devils' Alexei Ponikarovsky might've played hurt if it had been the playoffs

Rich Chere/

Devils winger Alexei Ponikarovsky confirmed that he will return to the lineup Thursday night against the Islanders after missing three games with a light MCL sprain in his right knee.

He will skate at left wing on the third line with center Jacob Josefson and right winger David Clarkson.

"Yep. I'm playing tonight. I'm ready to go," Ponikarovsky said. "Obviously I missed three games. It's just a matter of fitting in right away and feeling comfortable. If you don't play for a little bit, you have to get that momentum going. I think I'll be fine."

He said he could have come back sooner had it been the playoffs.

"You don't want to get too cocky about it. You have to look at the big picture. The playoffs are coming up and you kind of want to pace yourself with injuries just to make sure everything is okay.

"The playoffs is a little different thing. Everything is in perspective. When you play playoff hockey you have guys playing with broken feet and hands and everything else. It's a little bit different definition of an injury and how you'll handle it. If it had been the playoffs I probably would talk a little different about it. Right now it's not the playoffs yet."

He would've kept it quiet.

"I don't know. It probably would've leaked out anyway," Ponikarovsky said.

Coach Pete DeBoer spoke of the benefit of getting Ponikarovsky back.

"It gives us some options. He's exactly the type of identity player that brings the things taht we were missing against the Islanders the other night," he said. "He wins battles. He wins foot races. He plays in hard areas. So it helps us there.

"It allows us to slot a fourth line I think can go out and play tonight and create some momentum. And it allows you to keep (Dainius) Zubrus with (Patrik) Elias and (Petr) Sykora, which I think has shown over the first few months of the season is a good combination for us."

The Devils have 16 games remaining.

"It's a big push for us. We know we are a few points ahead of eighth place. We're trying to secure our spot in the playoffs right now," Ponikarovsky said. "With 16 games, everything could go either way. We have to take care of our own business and play for 60 minutes every game and win some games."



Light turnout for Devils' optional morning skate

Rich Chere/

The Devils held an optional morning skate today and it was a light turnout.

Not skating were: Andy Greene, Petr Sykora, Bryce Salvador, David Clarkson, Ilya Kovalchuk, Dainius Zubrus and Zach Parise.

Those who skated were:

Forwards: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jacob Josefson, Patrik Elias, Adam Henrique, Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter, Eric Boulton, Cam Janssen

Defensemen: Marek Zidlicky, Anton Volchenkov, Mark Fayne, Adam Larsson, Matt Taormina,

Goalies: Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg

Brodeur will be in goal Thursday night against the Islanders at the Prudential Center.

Coach Pete DeBoer did not go on the ice.



Marek Zidlicky's two assists are his first points for the Devils

Rich Chere/

It took some time for Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky to become adjusted to his new team.

Finally, in his seventh game since being acquired in the Feb. 24 trade with the Minnesota Wild, Zidlicky scored his first two points as a Devil. He assisted on goals by Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson in a 5-1 win over the Islanders Thursday night.

"We had a lot of scoring chances in the last game, too," Zidlicky said. "It's pretty good (to score), especially on a new team. Everybody asks me what I bring to the game."

What he brought was a pass that set up Kovalchuk's power play one timer and a feed that was redirected in by Clarkson. But that isn't all.

"He's been playing pretty well. You see his breakout passes," said Patrik Elias, who is putting his longtime Czech buddy up at his house. "He keeps his head up. You'd like to see him shoot more."

But Zidlicky says that's Kovalchuk's job.

"He's got the good shot. He hit the hat trick," the defenseman said.

So is Zidlicky feeling more at home?

"The last two games I think I feel pretty good. I'm feeling better each game," he said. "The first couple of games you have to learn your teammates. It wasn't easy the first couple of games."

Johan Hedberg will start Saturday night's game against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.



Ilya Kovalchuk leads Devils over Islanders, 5-1, with hat trick

By Rich Chere

The Devils' Zach Parise congratulates teammate Ilya Kovalchuk (17) after Kovalchuk scored in the first period against the Islanders tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Another 30-goal season is in sight for Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk.

With the big Russian scoring a hat trick to give him 29, the Devils equalled last season’s total for wins (38) and points (81) as they hammered the Islanders, 5-1, tonight at the Prudential Center.

Kovalchuk had gone nine games without scoring a goal, but now has four in his last two games.

The Devils brought a 2-1 lead into the third period. A delayed penalty was being called against the Islanders when Patrik Elias scored at 7:05.

Rookie defenseman Adam Larsson took a shot from the right point. Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov made a right pad save, but Elias had two tries from below the left circle and scored his 23rd goal of the season on his own rebound.

Kovalchuk completed his hat trick at 8:09 with a one-timer from just above the slot. Zach Parise set up the goal with an assist for his 400th career point, moving him past Bruce Driver into sole possession of ninth place on the Devils’ all-time scoring list.

It was Kovalchuk’s second hat trick of the season and 13th of his NHL career.

The Devils’ third-period goals came 64 seconds apart.

David Clarkson redirected a Marek Zidlicky pass in at 15:59 for his 27th goal. The assist was the second of the game for Zidlicky, his first two points for the Devils.



Devils-Islanders: As they play

By Rich Chere

Alexei Ponikarovsky returned to the lineup as the Devils hosted the Islanders tonight at the Prudential Center.

Martin Brodeur was in goal for the Devisl against Evgeni Nabokov.

Cam Janssen and Matt Taormina were healthy Devils scratches.

Devils' lines: Zach Parise-Adam Henrique-Ilya Kovalchuk; Petr Sykora-Patrik Elias-Dainius Zubrus; Alexei Ponikarovsky-Jacob Josefson-David Clarkson; Eric Boulton-Ryan Carter-Steve Bernier.

Defense: Anton Volchenkov-Marek Zidlicky; Andy Greene-Mark Fayne; Bryce Salvador-Adam Larsson.

Three-time Stanley Cup champ Sergei Brylin was at the game. Shown on the scoreboard video screen, he received a nice ovation.

THIRD PERIOD

A delayed penalty was being called against the Islanders when Elias scored at 7:05 for a 3-1 lead.

Larsson took a shot from the right point. Nabokov made a right pad save, but Elias had two tries from below the left circle and scored his 23rd goal of the season on his own rebound.

Kovalchuk completed his hat trick at 8:09 with a one-timer from just above the slot. Parise set up the goal for his 400th career point.

It was Kovalchuk's second hat trick of the season and 13th of his career.

The Devils' third-period goals came 64 seconds apart.

Clarkson's 27th goal came at 15:59 when he redirected a Zidlicky pass into the net from near the left post. Two assists in the game are Zidlicky's first two points as a Devil.

Attendance was 14,573.

SECOND PERIOD

Islanders defenseman Steve Staios tripped Kovalchuk as he cut cross the front of the net at 3:19 and it proved costly.

It was Kovalchuk who scored on the power play at 3:33 when he took a Zidlicky pass and drilled a one-timer from the left circle past Nabokov's short stick side. With three goals in two games, Kovalchuk has 28 goals this season.

Zidlicky's assist was his first points for the Devils since being acquired in the trade with the Minnesota Wild. This is his seventh game.

Salvador was called for tripping Parenteau at 4:41.

Brodeur stopped a chance from John Tavares at 10:20.

A fluke goal from Andrew MacDonald at 16:21 got the Islanders back in the game. MacDonald flipped a bad angle shot from along the goal line in the left corner and the puck hit Brodeur in the right shoulder and went in.

The Islanders were outshooting the Devils, 19-11.

End of period: Devils 2, Islanders 1

FIRST PERIOD

The Devils started the Elias line with Volchenkov and Zidlicky on defense.

Clarkson's shot at 4:52 went through the crease.

Nabokov made a save on Carter's shot at 6:32.

Kovalchuk's 27th goal of the season gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 8:07. Parise took a feed from Henrique and was in the right circle when his cross-slot pass found Kovalchuk below the left circle. The winger's first shot missed the net, but Kovalchuk played the carom off the end boards and put it past Nabokov.

After going nine games without a goal, Kovalchuk has two in two games. The assist for Parise gave him 399 career points, tying him with Bruce Driver for ninth place on the team's all-time list.

Islanders defenseman Mark Eaton went awkwardly into the corner boards on a hit from Elias with 4:53 left, but no penalty was called.

Volchenkov was sent off for tripping at 15:48.

Brodeur made a glove save on PA Parenteau's shot from the left circle with 2:50 to go. Volchenkov came out of the box and took a pass from Elias, but didn't make much out of it.

Marty Reasoner was called for interference on Parise at 18:27. Kovalchuk had several chances on the power play but couldn't hit the net.

The shots were 6-6.

End of period: Devils 1, Islanders 0



Petr Sykora honored to be Devils' candidate for Masterton Trophy

By Rich Chere

Petr Sykora, the Devils' candidate for the 2011-12 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, said he was honored to be nominated as the team's representative by the New Jersey chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

"It feels very special," Sykora said. "I just came back and played hockey and had fun. I'm just trying to enjoy it because you never know how long it's going to last."

Sykora was out of the NHL and playing in Europe before winning a job with the Devils this season on a training camp tryout. He beat Zach Parise and Bryce Salvador as the Devils' nominee.

The Masterton Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Sykora will be on the ballot against 29 other nominees for the Masterton Trophy.

Parise missed all but 13 games last season with a torn meniscus that required surgery. Salvador missed the entire 2010-11 season with a cochlear concussion.

Ken Daneyko is the only Devils players to win the Masterton. He won it in 1999-2000.

The 2012 New Jersey Devils/NJSIAA State High School Ice Hockey

Championships will take place with three games this Friday at the Prudential Center.

The three games are the Public B Championship: Tenafly vs. Summit (5 p.m.); Public A Final: Randolph vs. Morristown (7 p.m.); and Non-Public

Championship: Delbarton School vs. Christian Brothers Academy (9 p.m.).



Zach Parise moves past Bruce Driver on Devils' all-time scoring list

By Rich Chere

With assists on two goals by Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise now has 400 career points. That moved him ahead of Bruce Driver into sole possession of eighth place on the Devils’ all-time scoring list.

“I didn’t know until (Matt) Taormina told me after the game,” Parise said following the Devils' 5-1 victory over the Islanders tonight at the Prudential Center. “That’s a pretty good number.”

Does it make him feel old? He’s 27.

“Yes it does,” he said. “I didn’t realize I’ve been around that long.”

Scott Stevens and Aaron Broten are ahead of him with 430 points.

“I’ll have to wait for next year for that,” Parise said. “Maybe not. Who knows?”

Martin Brodeur stopped 29 shots, losing his shutout on a sharp angle goal by Andrew MacDonald in the second period that deflected off his right shoulder.

“It was kind of my fault a little bit,” Brodeur said. “I thought MacDonald was going to turn and go up the boards. I was sitting there and I could’ve gotten up. I looked at him and he looked at me. I thought, ‘I’m in trouble now.’ Like a deer in the headlights. I knew what he was going to do and I couldn’t get out of the way.

“It’s an unfortunate bounce. I’ll be smarter next time. You learn. Even at 39 you’re still learning.”

I asked coach Pete DeBoer if he thinks Ilya Kovalchuk is a streaky scorer.

Kovalchuk went nine games without a goal and has four in the last two.

"He seems to score in bunches this year," DeBoer said. "I haven't looked at his history that way but he's definitely gotten hot for periods this year where everything seems to go in."

I asked Kovalchuk.

"Let’s not talk about it. We’ll see on Saturday,” he said.

Kovalchuk said he wanted to shoot more, but DeBoer claims he never talked to him about that.

"No. I never talked specifically with him about that," the coach said. "He's an unselfish guy. I think our message in general to the team has been not to pass up shots. From kind of the Rangers game in Madison Square Garden, the focus has been to take shots that we can get, not to over-pass. We were falling into that trap and maybe he took that message to heart personally and is shooting more."

This much is certain: He is the single biggest goal-scoring talent the Devils have seen in the Brodeur era.

"He is definitely the most-skilled player I've played with," Brodeur said. "Not to take away from some of the guys I've played with throughout the years,

but this guy is special. It's how explosive he is on his skates, how strong he is with his legs that makes him such a tough player to defend.

"He gets away. He jumps like he weighs about 170 out there (he weighs 230 pounds). The way he skates he barely touches the ice. That's pretty impressive for a big guy like that to be able to move that good. He brings that element teams have to worry about, especially when he's surrounded by other good players. You take him away and Zach is going to be there. Patrik (Elias) is going to be there. It's a good situation we have with our first two lines, that's for sure."

Alexei Ponikarovsky returned after missing three games with a slight MCL sprain in his right knee. How did he feel?

“Wonderful,” he said. “I didn’t score. Other than that, I felt good.”

The Devils have outscored their opponents, 9-2, in the last two games.

“We’re pretty dangerous when we play the right way,” Patrik Elias said.



Devils must maintain intensity

By TOM GULITTI

NEWARK – The Devils can elevate their game when they take on the Eastern Conference’s first-place team and their biggest rival.

This much they have shown in their five games against the Rangers this season, winning three of them, including Tuesday night’s 4-1 victory at Prudential Center.

The challenge they face tonight is to play at the same high level against a lesser team and a lesser rival.

The Devils have had trouble doing that this season against the Islanders. Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Nassau Coliseum was the perfect example.

They managed only 12 shots on rookie goaltender Anders Nilsson in the first two periods, then couldn’t break through against the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Swede in the third when they finally made a push.

That lesson should be fresh in their minds when the Isles visit The Rock tonight for the second of three games between the teams this week.

"When you come off an emotional win like you just did, the next game is always a tough one, trying to remanufacture that again," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said Wednesday.

The Devils weren’t able to do it Sunday after snapping a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 win in Washington on Friday. It was their second loss in three games against the Isles this season.

The Islanders are an Atlantic Division and area rival, but not nearly on the level of the Rangers, and because they are a team on the fringe of the Eastern Conference playoff race (seven points out of eighth place), there is not that same urgency to measure up to one of the league’s best.

"I really think at this time of the season with where the standings are, how tight everything is, that it doesn’t matter who we’re playing right now," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "We should be able to generate that type [of emotion]. Everyone understands that in our building, we don’t have that same type of energy that we do for a Ranger game any other time of the season. That’s just the way it is.

"So, I think for us we have to find ways to get some excitement and always have that type of energy level and excitement for the game."

The Devils will get a boost from the return of left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky after he missed three games with a sprained MCL in his right knee.

Parise said his left hand felt "much better" Wednesday than it did during Tuesday’s game. Parise was hit in the hand by a shot from Islanders defenseman Milan Jurcina during Sunday’s game. An X-ray was negative, but Parise still had some pain he played through Tuesday.

"It was one of those things where you warm up and the game kind of consumes your mind, so you just kind of forget about it," he said. "You get reminded once in a while on the ice, but it was fine."

BRIEF: G Martin Brodeur will start his third consecutive game. He allowed only one goal in each of the first two.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.09.2012


Kovalchuk's hat trick leads Devils to 5-1 win over Isles

By TOM GULITTI

NEWARK – It was somewhat understandable that Ilya Kovalchuk did not initially recall the first time hats were thrown on the ice in his honor at Prudential Center.

It happened after he scored his first goal as a Devil on Feb. 12, 2010, against Nashville, the fifth game after the Feb. 4, 2010 trade that brought him to New Jersey from Atlanta.

The fans were so happy to see the puck go in for him they treated it as if Kovalchuk had scored three times on that one shot past Pekka Rinne.

“Maybe that’s why I couldn’t score the hat trick for that long,” he joked Thursday night after making the hats rain onto The Rock’s ice for the traditional reason with three goals in a 5-1 win over the Islanders.

Patrik Elias and David Clarkson also scored goals and Adam Henrique, Zach Parise and Marek Zidlicky had two assists apiece.

With the win, the Devils equaled their 2010-11 point total with 81 and remained in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Ottawa (4-1 winners over the Rangers).

Kovalchuk notched the 13th hat trick of his career and his second as a Devil. The first came in a 4-1 win in Buffalo on Feb. 14 of this season.

After that, Kovalchuk went nine games without scoring but now has four goals in the past two games to increase his season total to a team-high 29.

“I liked his play even when he went nine games without scoring,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer insisted. “Every night he’s been a threat for me for the other team. He’s creating offense or room or opportunities. So, the difference between the nights he gets one and the nights he doesn’t aren’t real big other than a little luck around the net and maybe a little more of a shot mentality.”

Kovalchuk has had that shot mentality the past two games. After having a goal, an assist and eight shots on goal in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Rangers, Kovalchuk had four shots — and the three goals.

The turning point came after Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Islanders, after which Kovalchuk thought he had been guilty of over-passing a bit and decided, “I’ll be a shooter again.”

“I’ve noticed he’s been shooting more the last couple of games, which is great,” said Parise, who reached the 400-point mark for his career with his two assists. “We all want him to have that scoring confidence. We all know how dangerous he is when he gets hot.”

Even after the emotional high of Tuesday’s win over the rival Rangers, the Devils had fresh in their mind the disappointing loss to the Islanders on Sunday and wanted to make amends.

Kovalchuk got the Devils off to another good start with his goal 8:07 in.

Parise passed up an open shot in the slot to feed Kovalchuk at the left side of the net. Kovalchuk fired wide left on his first attempt, but the puck caromed back to him off the end boards and he lifted it over goaltender Evgeni Nabokov for his 27th goal of the season.

Kovalchuk scored his second of the night – a power-play one-timer from the left circle off a slick feed from Zidlicky — 3:33 into the second period to up the Devils’ lead to 2-0.

Kovalchuk’s hat trick goal came 8:09 into the third period and only 1:04 after Elias had made it 3-1 with his rebound goal. Again, it came on a one-

timer – this one from the high slot off a feed from Parise out of the right corner that beat Nabokov low to the stick side.

And with that, the hat shower began.

“He picked those clean, those two one-timers, especially the third one,” Parise said. “There’s not a lot of players that can pick a long pass like that clean and beat a goalie clean at the same time.”

BRIEFS: Zidlicky’s two assists were his first two points since the Feb. 24 trade that brought him to the Devils from Minnesota. … LW Alexei Ponikarovsky returned to the Devils’ lineup after missing three games with a sprained MCL in his right knee. … C Travis Zajac (left Achilles’ tendon) and D Henrik Tallinder (blood clot in left leg) skated again Thursday morning.



Ilya Kovalchuk records hat trick in NJ Devils' 5-1 win over NY Islanders

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Jersey Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk, left, of Russia, skates by Islanders' Thursday night to record his second hat trick in three weeks.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored three goals to record his second hat trick in just over three weeks to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Patrik Elias and David Clarkson also scored and Martin Brodeur made 29 saves as the Devils earned their 38th win, matching last season’s total when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996....

New York Daily News LOADED: 03.09.2012


For NJ Devils’ Petr Sykora, 1,000th-game mark makes it a grand return to the ice

By Kristie Ackert

Petr Sykora turned a Devils training camp invite into an opportunity to reach a milestone that looked like a distant reach one year ago.

Most of the Devils would like to forget Sunday’s loss 1-0 to the Islanders. In the dressing room after that defeat, the Devils were angry and disappointed in themselves, feeling that they let a game they should have won get away....



Kovalchuk scores 3 to lead Devils over Islanders

AP

NEWARK, N.J. — Ilya Kovalchuk recorded his second hat trick in just over three weeks to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.




New York Post LOADED: 03.09.2012


Ilya gives Devs ‘trick’ & treat

By MARK EVERSON

Some thought it could never be done, but Ilya Kovalchuk is winning over the skeptics. Two hat tricks and 15 points in 12 games work wonders.

To so many, the trade that brought him to New Jersey as a rental was too expensive. To even more, the $100 million contract that kept him here was worse, a budget-buster and on top of that, another first-rounder as circumvention punishment. Missed playoffs compounded the ill will.

Last night in Newark they were cheering him as their hero, his first home hat trick as a Devil, powering a 5-1 victory over the Islanders. It was just November and December when it was doubtful he would ever live down cough-ups for shorthanded goals.

“If you’re going to win, then nobody can say anything,” Kovalchuk told The Post after reclaiming the team lead with his 29th of the year and 13th career hat trick. “I really want to win.”

The 28-year-old with 398 career goals is aware owner Jeff Vanderbeek and general manager Lou Lamoriello went out on a limb for him. Twice.

“Our owner and our GM are competitive people. They always put a team on the ice that will compete for the Stanley Cup,” Kovalchuk said. “I have no doubt in my mind I made a good decision, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to be successful here.”

The Devils last night matched last season’s final total of 81 points, when they finished 11th in the East, the first time in 14 seasons they missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Islanders moved closer to a fifth straight year without postseason after winning their previous two, beating Boston and the Devils, 1-0 Sunday.

Kovalchuk stands 7-8-15 in his last 12, including a nine-game goal drought, and he opened the scoring for the second straight game, converting his second chance at a back-door play from Zach Parise.

Kovalchuk and Marek Zidlicky worked overtime after practice Wednesday working on Zidlicky’s pass to the left circle for a one-timer, and it paid off with New Jersey’s third power play goal in 11 games at 3:33 of the second, Zidlicky’s first Devils point seven games with New Jersey.

“I used to score a lot of goals from that spot. I hope it’s going to come back,” said the two-time 52-goal man with Atlanta.

Islander defenseman Andy MacDonald spoiled Martin Brodeur’s shutout bid by bouncing one in off Brodeur’s arm at 16:21 of the second, but Patrik Elias reopened New Jersey’s two-goal lead at 7:05 of the third with his second swat at an Adam Larsson rebound during a delayed penalty.

Kovalchuk completed his hat trick 1:04 later as Parise took ninth place on the Devils’ list with 400 points, one ahead of Bruce Driver. David Clarkson completed the scoring with his 27th with 4:01 left.


618071 New York Islanders

Kovalchuk scores 3 to lead Devils over Islanders

AP

NEWARK, N.J. — Ilya Kovalchuk recorded his second hat trick in just over three weeks to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.






Ilya gives Devs ‘trick’ & treat

By MARK EVERSON

Some thought it could never be done, but Ilya Kovalchuk is winning over the skeptics. Two hat tricks and 15 points in 12 games work wonders.

To so many, the trade that brought him to New Jersey as a rental was too expensive. To even more, the $100 million contract that kept him here was worse, a budget-buster and on top of that, another first-rounder as circumvention punishment. Missed playoffs compounded the ill will.

Last night in Newark they were cheering him as their hero, his first home hat trick as a Devil, powering a 5-1 victory over the Islanders. It was just November and December when it was doubtful he would ever live down cough-ups for shorthanded goals.

“If you’re going to win, then nobody can say anything,” Kovalchuk told The Post after reclaiming the team lead with his 29th of the year and 13th career hat trick. “I really want to win.”

The 28-year-old with 398 career goals is aware owner Jeff Vanderbeek and general manager Lou Lamoriello went out on a limb for him. Twice.

“Our owner and our GM are competitive people. They always put a team on the ice that will compete for the Stanley Cup,” Kovalchuk said. “I have no doubt in my mind I made a good decision, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to be successful here.”

The Devils last night matched last season’s final total of 81 points, when they finished 11th in the East, the first time in 14 seasons they missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Islanders moved closer to a fifth straight year without postseason after winning their previous two, beating Boston and the Devils, 1-0 Sunday.

Kovalchuk stands 7-8-15 in his last 12, including a nine-game goal drought, and he opened the scoring for the second straight game, converting his second chance at a back-door play from Zach Parise.

Kovalchuk and Marek Zidlicky worked overtime after practice Wednesday working on Zidlicky’s pass to the left circle for a one-timer, and it paid off with New Jersey’s third power play goal in 11 games at 3:33 of the second, Zidlicky’s first Devils point seven games with New Jersey.

“I used to score a lot of goals from that spot. I hope it’s going to come back,” said the two-time 52-goal man with Atlanta.

Islander defenseman Andy MacDonald spoiled Martin Brodeur’s shutout bid by bouncing one in off Brodeur’s arm at 16:21 of the second, but Patrik Elias reopened New Jersey’s two-goal lead at 7:05 of the third with his second swat at an Adam Larsson rebound during a delayed penalty.

Kovalchuk completed his hat trick 1:04 later as Parise took ninth place on the Devils’ list with 400 points, one ahead of Bruce Driver. David Clarkson completed the scoring with his 27th with 4:01 left.



Islanders don't do enough, lose to Devils

by ARTHUR STAPLE

NEWARK -- They didn't start well and they certainly didn't finish well. For a team that professes to be in a playoff chase, the Islanders' desperation level rose up only for about a 15-minute stretch of the second period in their 5-1 loss to the Devils Thursday night.

And that was only long enough to cut a 2-0 deficit to 2-1. Once the third period got under way, the Devils were dumping pucks, cycling around the Islanders and creating offense. The final indicated a rout, which it wasn't, considering the Devils scored five times on only 20 shots, three of the goals from Ilya Kovalchuk, who was by far the best player on the ice.

But it did reveal the Islanders' inability to be aggressive from the outset and stay that way through until the end. And that hurts far more than a four-goal loss.

"Our chances are dwindling here, and every game we lose we're that much closer to being out of it," said Andrew MacDonald, who banked a shot off Martin Brodeur at 16:21 of the second for the Isles' lone goal. "We can't afford to be losing games like this."

Jack Capuano was a bit stupefied, seeing as how his team gave up only 11 shots through 40 minutes but still only began to dictate the tempo and hunt down on the forecheck after Kovalchuk's second goal, a one-timed rocket past Evgeni Nabokov on the power play at 3:33 of the second.

"It's mind-boggling the way we didn't execute," Capuano said. "You give up 11 shots to that team, you're doing something right . . . We had some guys, quite frankly, that were invisible."

The only Islander benched was Matt Martin, who barely played in the third period. Marty Reasoner went just 2 of 8 on faceoffs and took a penalty; Jay Pandolfo missed a golden scoring chance early and was going to be whistled for a minor in the third when Patrik Elias scored on his third whack at a loose puck.

Kovalchuk completed his hat trick 64 seconds after Elias' goal, and the game was out of reach.

John Tavares was held without a point; he still doesn't have one against the Devils in four games this season. There were several shifts where Tavares' line simply didn't have the puck, as the Elias-Dainius Zubrus-Petr Sykora line played keepaway.

"You look at the whole game, and it's not enough," P.A. Parenteau said. "We had some moments, Brodeur made some good saves, but we still have to make more happen."

The odd scheduling that has these two teams playing three times in six days wraps up Saturday night at the Coliseum, with the Islanders then facing the Rangers at the Garden on Sunday night. The Isles are closer to 15th in the East than eighth, with 15 games to go.

If anything more needs to be said, then it's already too late.

"It seems like we just didn't have enough jump at the start," MacDonald said. "We have to come out stronger."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.09.2012

618074 New York Rangers

Biron Is Flat as Rangers Find Reason to Worry

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

OTTAWA — When a team has as big a lead in its conference as the Rangers have had for the last several weeks in the East, there is a tendency to manufacture crises just to keep things interesting. The latest involves the recent performance of Martin Biron, the backup goalie.

Biron stopped 18 of 21 shots as the Rangers lost, 4-1, to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He did not play poorly, but at least two of the goals he gave up stung.

The Rangers still have a 6-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins, but have won only four of their last nine games.

“We’re beating ourselves,” Coach John Tortorella said. “We’re finding ways to lose right now.”

In falling to Ottawa, the Rangers lost their second straight in regulation for the first time since Dec. 15 — 36 games ago. Meanwhile, the surging Penguins are set to have Sidney Crosby return to the lineup in the next few days.

Maybe the crisis is real.

Henrik Lundqvist had gotten the start in the Rangers’ previous 13 games against the Senators. But Biron started Thursday because the Rangers will play in Chicago on Friday with Lundqvist in net.

Biron had an excellent start to his season, compiling a .928 save percentage before Jan. 31. The plan to have him play 22 or so games to spell Lundqvist was going well.

But in the six games he has played since that date, Biron has a startlingly poor .871 save percentage.

Ryan Callahan opened the scoring against Ottawa, despite a swollen right foot that has bothered him the last week and a half. He tucked home a great cross-ice pass from Brad Richards at 4 minutes 36 seconds — a good sign for the Rangers, who entered with a 30-1-3 record this season when scoring the first goal.

But just 1:14 later, Biron whiffed on a clear 42-foot slap shot from Ottawa’s Zack Smith, the puck going in under Biron’s glove hand. The play began when Marc Staal was stripped of the puck at the Rangers’ blue line by Erik Condra, who fed to Smith, but Biron should have had it.

“He got everything behind it,” Biron said of Smith’s shot. “It was just a bomb. It’s tough to react when it’s going that fast.”

Ottawa took a 2-1 lead at 18:50 on a goal for which Biron was not to blame, but made him look bad nevertheless. Nick Foligno got away from Staal and tipped Jim O’Brien’s long slap shot just a couple of feet in front of Biron, stopping it cold. Foligno then shoveled the puck niftily behind Biron, who was frozen in place.

Biron stopped two of four shots in the first period.

At 5:53 of the third period, Biron gave up a rebound goal to Kyle Turris. Daniel Alfredsson went around Staal and shot, and Turris fired home the puck to make the score 3-1.

Jason Spezza scored into an empty net with 1:27 to play.

“It’s frustrating,” Biron said of the loss. “Hopefully, we can turn it around quickly tomorrow night in Chicago.”

The Senators also started their backup goalie, Ben Bishop. The 6-foot-7 Bishop, who was acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, looked shaky but was fortunate to stop 25 of 26 Rangers shots.

Bishop was helped by the Rangers’ struggling power play, which went 0 for 6 after entering the game ranked 29th in the 30-team league.

“We just don’t have a big shot from the point,” Tortorella said.

Tortorella was asked how he felt about falling behind, 2-1, after his team had faced only four shots.

“We just talked about that,” he said and moved on to the next question.

It was unclear what Tortorella meant. But Biron’s play must be a matter of concern now, with the Rangers hurtling toward the season’s homestretch.

SLAP SHOTS

Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky sat out the game after being injured in a fight with the Devils’ Ryan Carter three minutes into Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at Newark. Dubinsky, who sustained a hand injury and a cut to the nose in the fight, is experiencing sinus pressure and is listed as day to day.



Injured in Fight, Rangers’ Dubinsky Is Out for Ottawa Game

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

OTTAWA — Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky will miss Thursday’s game against the Senators after being injured in a fight with the Devils’ Ryan Carter during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss in Newark. Dubinsky sustained a hand injury and a cut to the nose in the fight and is experiencing sinus pressure. He is listed as day to day.

Dubinsky is at least the 13th N.H.L player to miss games this season because of injuries sustained in a fight.

Other players include Colby Armstrong of Toronto, Tim Sestito of Philadelphia, Clayton Stoner of Minnesota, Ed Jovanovski of Florida, Adam Hall of Edmonton, Christian Ehrhoff of Buffalo, Dan Carcillo of Chicago, Jakub Kindl of Detroit, Eric Boulton of the Devils, Dustin Penner of Los Angeles, Jay Beagle of Washington and Jared Boll of Columbus.

Most reported hand or leg injuries from trading punches or falling awkwardly. Raitis Ivanans of Calgary sustained a concussion in a fight on Oct. 7, 2010, and missed the rest of the season. The injury lingered into this season; Ivanans played one game with the Flames and a handful of games in the A.H.L.



Turnovers cost NY Rangers in 4-1 road loss vs. Ottawa Senators, as Pittsburgh Penguins trail by six points

By Pat Leonard

KANATA, Ont. - When the Rangers discuss their shortcomings, they describe it as bad habits "creeping" into their game. In Thursday night's 4-1 loss to the Senators, that same gradual - and recently, familiar - process unfolded painfully before their eyes....

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/turnovers-cost-ny-rangers-4-1-road-loss-ottawa-senators-pittsburgh-penguins-trail-points-article-1.1035870#ixzz1oaYlKo4g



Rangers suffer 2nd straight loss

By BRETT CYRGALIS

OTTAWA— It can work both ways, that ruts and peaks in a team’s game become self-sustaining.

So the rare dip the Rangers are going through as of late manifested itself again last night, as they played a tight game where just a few mistakes resulted in a 4-1 loss to the Senators in front of 18,854 at Scotiabank Place. It is the first time the Blueshirts have lost consecutive games in regulation since Dec. 15.

“I think we’re beating ourselves sometimes, and we’re finding ways to lose right now,” John Tortorella said as his team tries to ready itself for tonight’s game in Chicago. “We have to continue to work on our game, take out the mistakes and see if we can get some traction here.”

In what was a very tight-checking affair, the Rangers managed to outshoot the Senators 26-22, and had the wide advantage of 17-7 after two periods. But all the Senators needed was four shots in the opening 20 minutes, two

of which got past backup goalie Martin Biron, one apiece from Zach Smith and Nick Foligno.

“One of those games where it seemed like there wasn’t a lot of opportunity out there for both teams,” said Biron, who in his 18th start of the season had 18 saves. “They’re up 2-1 and they’re playing that very close-the-middle-of-the-ice type of game. ... There was nothing in the slot, nothing in the middle of the neutral zone. They just crammed it up pretty good.”

That’s how most of the third period went, with Ryan Callahan’s opening score 4:36 into the game a distant memory. The Senators dominated play in the third period and added a rebound goal from Kyle Turris and an empty-netter from Jason Spezza to put a bow on it.

“They’re a talented team,” said Brad Richards. “We have to find a way to make it 2-2 before they make it 3-1, for sure.”

Both Smith’s and Foligno’s goals were results of sloppy turnovers, while Tortorella blamed the third goal on the fact that his forwards weren’t back-checking hard enough as Daniel Alfredsson rushed up the ice and got a hard wrist shot on net.

“We just didn’t generate enough,” Tortorella said. “That’s been a big part of our game, that third period, and right now it isn’t.”

All of those are attention to details, exactly what the Rangers have been working on and what has gotten them to the top of the Eastern Conference, still six points clear of the Penguins in the division and eight clear of Boston.

“We played all right, the way we wanted to play, just a couple mistakes and they’ve got a lot of skill,” Brian Boyle said. “Small mistakes — we like to call them details — they can turn into really costly plays. That’s part of our team, we pride ourselves on the details of the game and we let it slip a little bit.”

Brandon Dubinsky sat out because of what is now being called both a hand and a nose/sinus injury, according to the team. Dubinsky hurt himself in a fight with Ryan Carter during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Devils. John Mitchell took his spot up front, playing 12:06, including 2:38 on the power play.



Rangers’ power play flops again

By BRETT CYRGALIS

OTTAWA — The Rangers’ power play continued to struggle during Thursday night’s 4-1 loss to the Senators, going 0-for-4 during 7:27 of total time. That makes them 8-for-46 of the past 15 games.

“I think as the power play progressed through the game it got better because we were shooting the puck,” Tortorella said. “We just don’t shot the puck enough.

“We don’t’ have a big shot from the point, first of all,” Tortorella added. “I thought it got better as we were banging away.”

What is normally a boost to a team’s momentum, the power play has become a burden for the Rangers. Look no further than when they started the second period on the man-advantage, down 2-1, and over 1:29 they couldn’t generate a single shot.

“It doesn’t help us tonight when we need something for us to work for us to get into the game,” Tortorella said.

The first unit was made up of Michael Del Zotto, Derek Stepan, Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan.

In his second game back from injuring his foot, captain Callahan played 17:59 and scored his 26th goal of the season on a diving tip-in of a cross-ice pass from Brad Richards. He has tallied 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in his last 12 games, including three goals in his last four games.

Callahan did not participate in the morning skate — which is not unusual — but was seen leaving Scotiabank Place Thursday afternoon with his right foot in a walking boot. He injured the right foot blocking a shot by Ilya Kovalchuk on Feb. 27 and missed three games.

This was just the second time this season the Rangers have lost after scoring the first goal, their record an astounding 30-2-3.

It was a one-game swap on defense, as Anton Stralman re-entered the lineup in place of rookie Steve Eminger. Though Stralman has gone through his fair share of troubles this season — all acutely recognized by Tortorella — he played a solid 13:53 and recorded an assist on Callahan’s goal.

Though Eminger came out for warm-ups, he was scratched for the seventh time in his past eight games.

Martin Biron’s start snapped Henrik Lundqvist’s 26-game appearance streak against the Senators, dating back to Dec. 26, 2005. ... With Friday night’s game in Chicago, the Rangers will complete their 12th of 14 back-to-backs this season. Thursday night’s loss took their season record in the first game to 8-1-3 (3-0-0 at home, 5-1-3 on the road). In the second game, they are 8-1-2 (6-0-0 at home, 2-1-2 on the road). Since 2009-10, the team is 29-9-4 in the second game of back-to-backs, with a 15-3-1 mark at the Garden and 14-6-3 on the road over that span.



Rangers lose 4-1 to Senators, on rare 2-game skid

Staff

OTTAWA — Ben Bishop made 25 saves in his home debut with the Senators, and Ottawa beat the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers 4-1 Thursday night.

Nick Foligno had the winning goal, and Zack Smith, Kyle Turris and Jason Spezza, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Senators (36-25-8).

The Rangers (42-17-7) grabbed a 1-0 lead on Ryan Callahan's first-period goal, but dropped to 30-2-3 in games in which they scored first. New York, which lost 4-1 at New Jersey on Tuesday, hadn't lost two straight in regulation since Dec. 13 and 15.

Martin Biron made 18 saves. New York, which began a stretch of three games in four days, is expected to have No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist in net Friday at Chicago.

With just seven shots through two periods, the Senators rarely tested Biron, but Ottawa took advantage of a number of rebounds.

Turris scored his eighth of the season, jumping on the rebound of Daniel Alfredsson's shot from the point to give the Senators a 3-1 lead early in the third. Spezza made it 4-1 with just over a minute remaining.

Despite being outshot 9-3 in the second, the Senators held their own against the Rangers because of the play of Bishop, who made his second with the Senators. The 25-year-old goalie made a number of big saves, including a great stop on Ruslan Fedotenko late in the period.

Bishop looked a little nervous at the start as the Rangers grabbed the lead 4:36 in. Callahan tipped a pass from Brad Richards into an open right side of the net as he caught Bishop moving.

The lead was short-lived as Smith fired in a slap shot from the top of the left circle at 5:50 for his first goal in 13 games.

With just over a minute left in the period, Foligno banged in Jim O'Brien's rebound to give the Senators a 2-1 lead. It was Foligno's third goal of 2012, and the first that wasn't an empty-netter.

The Senators split the season series with the Rangers at two wins each.

NOTES: The Rangers have lost back-to-back games in regulation only three times this season. They dropped one in regulation and one in a shootout on Feb. 21 and 24. ... The Senators were without G Craig Anderson (finger, indefinitely), C Peter Regin (shoulder, out for season), C Jesse Winchester (concussion, indefinitely). D Matt Carkner, RW Bobby Butler and C Zenon Konopka were healthy scratches. The Rangers were without D Michael Sauer (concussion, indefinitely) and C Brandon Dubinsky (broken nose, day-to-day). D Steve Eminger and D Jeff Woywitka were healthy scratches.



Rangers get hammered by Senators, 4-1

By ANDREW GROSS

OTTAWA – Beyond their need to play a more mean game or to rediscover their lost hard edge, there also is the element of togetherness the slumping Rangers must re-establish.

“It’s frustrating, obviously,” Marian Gaborik said. “We just have to play better and support each other more in the neutral zone and play straight ahead. We have to play together as five.”

Instead, the Rangers’ once-seemingly comfortable lead atop both the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division is starting to get a little less secure as they lost to the Senators, 4-1, Thursday night at Scotiabank Place. The Rangers squandered an early lead despite holding Ottawa to seven shots through the first two periods.

But the Senators (36-25-8) completely controlled the third period and Marty Biron – who allowed two goals on four first-period shots — wound up making 18 saves for the Rangers (42-17-7).

Combined with Tuesday’s 4-1 road loss to the Devils, the Rangers have lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time since Dec. 13-15.

“I thought we played a good first period,” coach John Tortorella said. “But we turn the puck over and it ends up in the back of the net twice, I think we’re beating ourselves in a game and finding ways to lose right now.”

Turnovers and a failure to backcheck again hurt the Rangers defensively. They are 5-4-2 since a 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Feb. 16 and the Rangers are at Chicago tonight. The Rangers have not dropped three straight since opening the season 0-1-2.

“It’s not easy to talk about it and then turn a switch,” Brad Richards said when asked whether he thought the Rangers regained some of the meanness he said after Tuesday’s game was lacking.

“It was a step in the right direction but clearly not enough to win the game,” Mike Rupp added.

The Rangers lead the Bruins by eight points in the conference but their real concern is maintaining their Atlantic Division lead over the hard-charging Penguins, who are six points out of first place and host the Panthers tonight.

Ryan Callahan gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 4:36 of the first period off Richards’ seeing-eye crossing pass from the left boards. But Zack Smith’s low slap shot to the far post – “It was a bomb,” Biron said – tied the game at 1 at 5:53 after Marc Staal turned over the puck .

Nick Foligno beat Staal to tip Jim O’Brien’s point shot, then put in his own rebound to make it 2-1 at 18:50 of the first period.

Still, the game remained in doubt until Kyle Turris pounced on the rebound of Daniel Alfredsson’s shot at the crease to make it 3-1 at 5:53 of the third period. Michael Del Zotto had turned over the puck and Alfredsson outskated Anton Stralman.

“The third goal, it really should be a 2-on-4, we don’t come back hard enough because we think Stralsie is going to be able to be on Alfredsson,” Tortorella said. “Alfredsson spanks him with a move and we just didn’t backcheck away from the puck.”

Ben Bishop, 6-foot-7, stopped 25 shots including a save on 6-foot-8 enforcer John Scott’s first-period breakaway.

BRIEFS: The Rangers went 0-for-4 on the power play. … Left wing Brandon Dubinsky (nose/hand) was not able to play after getting hurt in Tuesday’s fight with the Devils’ Ryan Carter at 3:03 of the first period and missing the remainder of that loss. Dubinsky, who needed stitches for his nose, said he was having trouble breathing and sleeping and that his hand hurt. … Henrik Lundqvist had appeared in 26 games in a row against the Senators, dating to Dec. 26, 2005.



Rangers seek mean streak

By ANDREW GROSS

OTTAWA – As far as the Rangers are concerned, there’s no better way to knock themselves out of their current funk than by ramping up the hitting at practice.

So Wednesday’s practice in Greenburgh, N.Y., the day after a turnover-prone 4-1 loss to the Devils that some players termed a "wake-up call" was high on intensity and heavy on the battle drills, though minus left wing Brandon Dubinsky (nose).

"Worried about it all the time," coach John Tortorella said when asked whether his team needed to re-find its hardworking, hard-hitting identity for the first time this season, starting tonight against the Senators. "We haven’t had that problem, but our guys will know how to handle it."

Dubinsky was injured in a fight with the Devils’ Ryan Carter at 3:03 of the first period – the Rangers said during the game it was a hand injury – and remains day to day. He accompanied the team to Ottawa, where it plays the first of a back-to-back set before heading to Chicago on Friday.

"He just didn’t feel well," Tortorella said of Dubinsky, who did not return to Tuesday’s loss. "He got hit in the nose pretty hard. He’s just having problems with his sinuses and just isn’t on top of it so he took today off."

The loss to the Devils marked the fourth straight game where the Rangers’ game was noticeably off, though the NHL-leading Rangers are 5-3-2, dating to a 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Feb. 16.

"Maybe we need to get a little more edge," gritty right wing Brandon Prust said. "Me especially. I need to get a little more edge. Previous teams who have succeeded have shown that. We definitely have that. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get comfortable up where we are.

"It wasn’t just last night," Prust added. "It’s been the last couple of weeks."

A high-intensity practice is one possible cure.

"We don’t like where our game is at right now," said defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who engaged in some physical one-on-one work along the boards with left wing Ruslan Fedotenko. "So, today, we upped the intensity. We had a little more contact and, hopefully, this will help us get out of this funk that we’re in."

Of course, practice is just that.

Tortorella wants to see a renewed intensity starting tonight.

He answered "absolutely" when asked whether the Rangers needed to play with more meanness in their game.

"We know how to play with edge," Tortorella said. "It’s the only way we can win."

BRIEF: Captain Ryan Callahan, who returned Tuesday after missing three games with a right foot contusion, left practice early for treatment but is expected to play tonight.



Struggling Rangers lose to Senators, 4-1

by STEVE ZIPAY /

OTTAWA -- The Rangers are missing something, and it's not just Brandon Dubinsky. It's goals. Big goals. Power-play goals.

After losing to the Senators, 4-1, at ScotiaBank Place Thursday night, the Rangers have scored only two goals in the last two games and, more importantly, have collected only three points in the last four games.

It was the first time since Dec. 13 through 15 that the suddenly struggling Rangers have lost consecutive games in regulation, a span of 36 games.

The Rangers (42-17-7, 91 points), who lost to the Devils, 4-1, on Tuesday at Prudential Center, remain six points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Atlantic Division.

The Rangers fell to a league-leading 30-2-3 when they score first.

Rangers turnovers -- and the Senators' quick transition game -- set the unsettling tone on the Ottawa goals. It didn't help that the Blueshirts were 0-for-4 on the power play and that standout defenseman Erik Karlsson was matched up against Marian Gaborik.

With the Rangers down 2-1 in the third, Daniel Alfredsson grabbed Michael Del Zotto's turnover in the Rangers' end, wheeled through center ice and went around defenseman Anton Stralman. Martin Biron stopped the puck, but Kyle Turris fired in the rebound for a two-goal lead at 14:07.

Jason Spezza finished it off with an empty-netter, and coach John Tortorella's sour look on the bench told the story.

Biron, who made 21 saves in a 3-2 win in Carolina in his last start March 1, was victimized on two of the first four shots by the Senators, who had only seven shots through 40 minutes.

After Ryan Callahan dived on his stomach to poke a cross-ice pass from Brad Richards past 6-7 goaltender Ben Bishop at 4:36 of the opening period, the Senators answered just 1:14 later.

Marc Staal was stripped at the blue line by Erik Condra, who passed to the left circle, where Zach Smith wound up and fired. The shot appeared to hit Stu Bickel's stick and go past Biron's far side.

With the score tied at 1, John Mitchell's clearing attempt from his own zone was picked off, Biron couldn't control Jim O'Brien's rebound, and Nick Foligno buried the puck at 18:50. It was only the fourth shot on goal for the Senators.

Down 2-1 late in the second, the Rangers came close to tying it on the fourth power play. Bishop slid to his right to knock the puck off Gaborik's stick and then stopped Ruslan Fedotenko on the doorstep with 3:32 left in the period. Biron (18 saves) kept the Rangers within a goal by stuffing Milan Michalek, who has 32 goals, with 1:31 left, his best save to that point.

Bishop, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues just before the trade deadline, won his first game as a Senator on Tuesday, making 25 saves in a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He really wasn't tested by the Rangers, who managed only 26 shots and few quality scoring chances.



Sinus pressure bothering Dubinsky

by STEVE ZIPAY

OTTAWA -- His eyes don't have that raccoon look sometimes associated with a broken nose. Brandon Dubinsky's nose is stitched but not busted, and he sat out Thursday night's game against Ottawa with sinus pressure stemming from a few blows absorbed in a fight with the Devils' Ryan Carter on Tuesday night.

"I'm OK. I took it in the nose pretty good," he said after skipping the morning skate. "The issue is the [sinus] pressure. The flight here was OK. It affects me more when I'm sleeping, lying down. [Skating] could potentially be a wind issue. My hand's banged up a little, too, so we decided to take a couple days."

Dubinsky has some stitches on the lower left of his nose and also injured his hand during the first-period fight. The hand kept him out of the rest of the game; then the nasal problem developed.

Dubinsky was using a sinus spray, "trying to clear it all out," and icing the hand. Asked if he knows how he hurt his hand (both players tossed their helmets off), Dubinsky grinned and said, "I don't know. I didn't throw many [punches], I took a lot."

It is unclear whether he will play Friday night in Chicago.

Henrik rested

Henrik Lundqvist, who served as the backup Thursday night, had started 19 straight games against the Senators and is expected to play Friday night against the Blackhawks.

Lundqvist is 4-0-2 against Chicago with a 1.80 goals-against-average and a .940 save percentage. Martin Biron played in the 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks at the Garden Feb. 16.

Blue notes

Defensemen Jeff Woywitka and Steve Eminger also were scratched . . . The Rangers entered the game with a 5-0-3 mark in the first game of back-to-backs on the road . . . The Rangers outshot the Senators 17-7 through two periods but trailed 2-1. John Scott got only four shifts through two periods.


618084 NHL

Red Wings GM to make pitch for 3-on-3 extra OT

ERIC DUHATSCHEK | Columnist profile | From Friday's Globe and Mail

Mr. (Ken) Holland’s latest opus will be brought to the attention of his fellow NHL general managers at their semi-annual meetings, which begin in hockey country – sunny Boca Raton, Fla. – on Monday.

Holland, the architect behind the most successful NHL team of the past two decades, the Detroit Red Wings, will pitch a new/old concept that would see overtime periods extended to 10 minutes from five.

The twist? The second five-minute period would be played 3-on-3, in the hope games would be decided in a more conventional hockey environment, rather than in a shootout.

Holland’s thinking is that playing 3-on-3 would open up the ice so much that a goal would almost certainly be scored. On the rare occasions it didn’t happen, the shootout would be the last-resort tiebreaker.

Shootouts might eventually become as rare as ties in the NFL – something theoretically achievable, but in practice almost never happens. Through Thursday, 13.54 per cent of NHL games were decided in shootouts this year, the second-highest total since the league introduced the format in 2005-06.

If successful, the measure would further devalue the shootout in the NHL standings – which can only be a good thing to all the purists and old fogeys out there. The GMs made a similar, but far-less radical shift a couple of years back, when revamping the criteria for playoff qualification.

It used to be the first tie-breaker for teams tied in the standings at the end of the regular season was total wins. Holland, and a handful of like-minded peers, convinced the league that only regulation and overtime wins should count for such an important matter – and no one should slip into the playoffs because of an ability to win games on penalty shots.

Once upon a time, Holland was also in favour of revamping the NHL points system, so regulation victories would be worth three; overtime or shootout victories would earn two; overtime and shootout losses would be rewarded with a single point; and regulation losses count for zero.

However, Holland’s thinking has shifted there, he says, because of the closeness of the playoff races.

“I was a big believer that we should go to the three-point game three or four years ago,” the Wings GM said. “I’m not a fan any more. What do you want? More separation? Less races?

“In the [Western Conference], you could maybe say there are two teams out of it, but from [No.] 13 on, they have a chance. I mean, we’re sitting here in early March and realistically, 28 teams can say, if they win nine out of 10, they would make the playoffs,” he said.

“I like it the way it is. If you look at the West, Vancouver, St. Louis, Detroit, Nashville, you’ve got four teams at the top, all within about six points. You’ve got about five teams at the eight-hole, between seventh and 11th, within four or five points. What more do you want? It’s stretch run time.

We’re all rounding the bend and it’s a horse race. I think the races are incredible. So I’m not a fan. I was a fan. I’m not a fan any more.”

Still, there is something a little nonsensical about a standings system in which some games are worth three points and others just two. That creates a scenario which is mathematically improbable: a false .500 that makes it look as if 23 out of 30 NHL teams have winning records. And even though Holland understands that is not a rational system exactly, he thinks the ends justify the means.

“I agree … from the mathematical point of view,” he said, “but last year, on the final day of the season, we beat Chicago in the afternoon and Dallas lost to Minnesota [to decide the last playoff spot]. In the East, Carolina lost their last game. If they win, they get in. Two or three years ago, Philadelphia and the Rangers had a shootout to decide a playoff spot. Why do you want separation?

“History shows there are great races right until the last weekend. Why would we change that – and run the risk of losing that intrigue?”

Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.09.2012

618085 NHL

Canucks aren’t worried, but maybe they should be

Iain MacIntyre Mar 8, 2012 – 5:31 PM ET | Last Updated: Mar 8, 2012 5:44 PM ET

VANCOUVER – This was going to be a sentimental column about a National Hockey League team from Winnipeg visiting the Vancouver Canucks for the first time since 1996, the history the teams share, new yarn in the fabric hockey weaves through our country.

We could tell you the Jets’ last visit was a day before Valentine’s 16 years ago, and how hearts in Winnipeg had already been broken by the sale of the team to owners who were taking it to Phoenix and by the trade a week earlier of Teemu Selanne to Anaheim for luminaries Oleg Tverdovsky and Chad Kilger. And that neither the franchise nor the city it was abandoning was the same after that.

And how February in Phoenix is nice and all and February in Winnipeg is never nice at all, but weather aside we missed the Jets and the rivalry of a team whose fans possessed the same values and passion for the game that we did.

But screw the Jets. The Canucks have lost four out of five!

Only in Canada — maybe even only on the intemperate West Coast — could a pre-playoff lull by an elite team take on the gravity of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yes, our children’s future is at stake. Henrik Sedin has gone six games without a point.

Probably everything will be okay. Probably Khrushchev’s ships will make a U-turn and so will the Canucks. But just in case, make sure the bomb shelter is ready.

“We’ve got 15 more games,” Sedin calmly explained Wednesday to reporters carrying microphones, notepads, pitchforks and torches. “I wouldn’t say we’re worried. We know where we are right now, but we’ve got time to make changes and make it right.”

Earlier, the Canuck captain observed: “It feels like we’re the least-worried guys in the city.”

Henrik, who won the Art Ross and Hart trophies two years ago with a 112-point season, has two goals and 14 points in 22 games. He had a four-point night against the Toronto Maple Leafs — hey, who doesn’t? — which otherwise leaves him with 10 points in 21 games.

Brother Daniel, who won the Ross and Ted Lindsay awards last year with a 104-point season, has nine goals and 15 points in 21 games.

And the power play, paramount to the success of the twins and the Canucks, is five-for-51 in the last 20 games. That is a 9.8% success rate over the equivalent of an entire quarter of the NHL season. For context, the Phoenix Coyotes have the worst power play in the league this season at 13 per cent.

Vancouver’s power play scored 33 times in the first 29 games and only 16 times in 38 games since then.

Now, for the record, the Canucks are a single point out of the lead in the Western Conference and NHL, and would have topped both had they won Tuesday against the Dallas Stars instead of losing 5-2 to a far hungrier team, which the Winnipeg Jets will be tonight.

Also, we often look back at these Canuck “slumps” with a what-were-we-thinking sense of embarrassment — like seeing video of yourself dancing or remembering how you wore red mittens during the Olympics.

But it’s the sneaky duration of the power play’s failure and scoring problems of Vancouver’s best players that make this Canuck crisis exceptional compared with the bimonthly ones.

The Sedins feel great, but look tired. The team says it badly wants to win the Presidents’ Trophy, but lacks the motivation of opponents desperate to make the playoffs. The Canucks say “don’t worry.” But we do. If people had cared this much in Atlanta, Winnipeg would still be trying to get its team back from Arizona.

“They might come out to you and say: ‘Well, it’s not that bad,” coach Alain Vigneault, who said he hasn’t seen the Sedins struggle like this during his six years in Vancouver, explained after Wednesday’s brisk, brief practice. “Not to say that you guys are negative in any way — I wouldn’t want to insinuate that at all — but sometimes you like to spin things in a more negative way. So we’re trying to look at the glass half-full, trying to be a little bit more positive. I’m telling you I believe in these guys, and I do. I do believe in Hank and Danny and the players that we have.”

The Sedins are accustomed to criticism. Daniel said the volume of complaints hurled at them early in their careers, often lacking common sense but not venom, made them stronger.

“We’re worried about winning in the playoffs,” he said Wednesday. “We know we have to be better and score some goals for this team to win. This is the best we’ve felt all season, to be honest with you. Our legs feel really good. I’m more happy about that than anything else. We would love to score goals, too. But right now … we’re going to work through this and become better players.”

“How long do I stick with the power play?” Vigneault asked. “How long do I stick with those guys? I’m going to stick with them a while because I believe in those people. At the end of the day, that’s what it is.”

National Post LOADED: 03.09.2012

618086 NHL

Alexander Ovechkin is too predictable: Retired NHLer

Sean Fitz-Gerald Mar 8, 2012 – 1:32 PM ET | Last Updated: Mar 8, 2012 6:28 PM ET

Alex Ovechkin has 26 goals and 49 points through 62 games this season. His shooting percentage (11%) is not far off his career average (11.8%), but he has not been taking as many shots.

Alexander Ovechkin has been struggling to generate offence because he has not adapted his style of play, giving opposing coaches and players time to catch up to a forward who was once unstoppable, according to one former opponent.

Bobby Holik, who retired from the National Hockey League three years ago after playing in more than 1,300 games, said it was only a matter of time before the pace and the grind caught up with the Russian star. Ovechkin, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, was 53rd on the NHL’s scoring list Thursday and has been benched by both men who have coached the Washington Capitals this season.

“I think he was always predictable,” Holik said. “I played quite a few games against him, but at that time, it was new to everyone. He was just so physically dominating that he was unstoppable on most nights. You just tried to contain him.”

Holik faced Ovechkin over four seasons.

“As your career progresses, you don’t have the same physical edge, because that’s just the way it is – you’re just playing so much hockey,” he said. “You have to become smarter, because in the long run, you cannot sustain that kind of physical edge.”

Ovechkin had 26 goals and 49 points through 62 games. His shooting percentage (11%) was not far off his career average (11.8%), but he has not been taking as many shots. The 26-year-old was held off the ice for more than six minutes in a recent game, with coach Dale Hunter later claiming he was only trying to match lines, and not bench Ovechkin.

“Defencemen on teams, they start knowing top guys, what they do, and of course you have to adjust,” Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne said in a story about Ovechkin that appeared on the front page of The Washington Times in November. “And you have to find a way to maybe do different things.”

Holik won a pair of Stanley Cup titles with the New Jersey Devils before retiring after the 2008-09 season. He has a home in Wyoming and aspirations of returning to the game in a hockey operations role at some point. In the meantime, he has launched a blog filled with his own opinion – holikonhockey.com – with one recent entry titled, “What’s wrong with Ovechkin.”

“I have yet to see putting a minor-league player on his wing, or at centre, and him helping him become a regular NHL player,” Holik said. “I know it’s not his role when he makes US$10-million a year, but that kind of ability makes you better and makes the team better.”

Without his otherworldly skills, along with long-term injuries to players such as forward Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and defenceman Mike Green (sports hernia), the team has been teetering on the brink of disaster all season. Washington sat ninth in the Eastern Conference before Thursday night’s games, still two points out of a playoff spot.

“Alex is an exceptional athlete with such great willpower that, at any point, on any night, he believes he can impose his will on the other team and be the difference maker,” Capitals general manager George McPhee said this week, in The Washington Post. “He has the ability to carry this team and no one would love to do it more than him … He can still be great and for the next 10 years.”

Can he do it, at all, this year, though?

“It’s not too late, or it’s not over for Ovechkin,” Holik said over the phone. “But I don’t see anybody in the organization mentoring him, or guiding him. And I think it has to come from the top.”


618087 Ottawa Senators

Scanlan: Wondering what to wish for in a first round matchup

Posted on 08 March 2012. By Wayne Scanlan Tags: Bruins, Rangers, Senators, Spezza

It’s that time of year when fans and media grow restless for the NHL playoff dance to begin.

This is especially true for teams that have more or less locked up one of the top eight spots in either conference.

When two such teams meet at this time of the year, with the possibility that they could even form a first round matchup, well, hockey players start to hear the questions they hate the most. Questions about how their team matches up against a certain other team.

Not many will touch the question about a preferred matchup for obvious reasons, although it would be refreshing to hear:

“We’d really rather play Team X because, you know, their defencemen are little more than pylons and their goaltender couldn’t stop a basketball.”

Nobody from the Ottawa Senators or any other club is likely to provide such bulletin board material as that in the weeks ahead, but at least some will admit to paying attention to the races and potential matchups.

“I think everybody is aware of it – the standings are right behind us here in the room,” Maxime Talbot of the Philadelphia Flyers told Tim Panaccio of

CSNPhilly.com. “You look at it every day. You follow teams even more when the season is winding down. Who’s 8-9-10 (in the standings) and what the match-ups could be.”

With the New York Rangers in Ottawa, representing one of many potential first round matchups (Ottawa-Boston is the more likely at the moment),

players were bound to be asked how they stack up against opponents like the Rangers and Bruins.

While the Senators got a break, not having to face Henrik Lundqvist on Thursday, Ottawa has had success against the Rangers this season (2-1 before Thursday), and are just 1-4 against Boston. Does that make the Rangers the preferred first round opponent? Probably, and not just because of the record but because of the Bruins depth and grit.

Senators centre Jason Spezza doesn’t put much stock in regular season records against potential playoff opponents.

“I think it just shows how close the league is and how close the competition is,” Spezza said, prior to the fourth game of the season against the Blueshirts. “We could be 0-3 against the Rangers in the three games we’ve played them and we probably could’ve won a few more games against Boston than we’ve won. That just shows the nature of how close those games have been with those two clubs.”

The way Spezza sees it, Ottawa matches up well against physical teams like the Bruins, Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. In the Bruins and Rangers, especially, a young Senators team finds a decent role model.

“When we look at teams we want to play like, we look at Boston and New York, the way they play 60 minutes a night,” Spezza says. “They don’t win every night but they give a pretty consistent effort and that’s the team we’re trying to be, too.”

Considering the style of play on the menu from game to game, most of the Eastern Conference teams cook from the same book. They’ll send a player in deep on the forecheck, but otherwise try to chip pucks deep and use a defensive strategy in the neutral zone to create turnovers. Ain’t fancy but . . .

Spezza sees a lot of style similarities among the Bruins, Rangers and Senators.

“We work hard, we skate hard, they do the same thing,” he says. “We roll four lines for the most part. Our team has a real good understanding of what guys’ roles are, and you look at their teams they have similar situations. I don’t know if that makes a good matchup or a bad matchup, we don’t really think about that kind of stuff as much.”

No, but judging by the excitement level at Scotiabank Place for most of Thursday – shots were 10-5 for New York through 30 boring minutes, and 17-7 after 40 – fans might prefer a more adventurous first round opponent than the Rangers.

Although they hail from the west and wouldn’t meet any eastern opponent until a final, the Chicago Blackhawks dazzled fans in Ottawa with their puck control game last week. The Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks play a similar style.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see a team like that in a series.

“We’re not as flashy, but the way we play can be just as effective against an offensive team,” Spezza says. “We may not have the puck as much but I think you can make a team like that make mistakes and capitalize on those mistakes. You play a team that is free flowing in a playoff series you hope that our structure and patience will kind of wear them down.”

In the east the style is more chip and chase, hit and grunt. No one worries about extra marks for finesse.

With less than a month to go to sort out matchups, Ottawa should have strong incentive to aim for a modest leap to sixth place and a date with whatever team survives the Southeast, the division with the least.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.09.2012


Senators notebook: Bishop’s Lalime link

Posted on 08 March 2012. By Ken Warren Tags: Ben Bishop, Ottawa Senators

If Patrick Lalime hadn’t played goal for the Ottawa Senators in that game so many years ago, maybe Big Ben Bishop wouldn’t be here now.

“It’s kind of a funny story,” Bishop, a St. Louis native, said before making his home debut for the Senators Thursday against the New York Rangers. Bishop and his high school buddies regularly went to the St. Louis arena early and scalped “cheap” tickets before games, earning enough money to pay their way in.

“The Blues were playing the Senators and we went down to the glass and Lalime was playing. He used to wear his pads so loose and that’s where I got the idea to (wear) mine loose.”

Obviously, it worked.

For the longest time, Bishop was the pride of St. Louis – a hometown boy who worked his way up through the Blues system, even sporting an image of the old Checkerdome Arena on his mask – before being traded here.

Bishop, who wore the old St. Louis mask in his Senators debut Tuesday against the Tampa Bay, has since retired it. He sported a plain mask against the Rangers – he labelled it “White Lightning” — but a new Senators-theme mask is now being painted by an artist in Sweden.

Bishop remains a hot topic around the NHL. Even though Rangers coach John Tortorella wasn’t keen on talking about him Thursday, Rangers goaltender Martin Biron, who is rarely quiet on any subject, says Bishop is hard to miss.

“I know that if I ever got in a fight with him, I would try to stay with the low blows, I wouldn’t try to go up high,” said Biron, who at 6-2, gives away five inches to Bishop.

Biron, incidentally, had an intriguing equipment story of his own to tell Thursday. Most of his stuff is battered and bruised and his goalie skates could almost be considered antiques.

“I like to mix some new gear in, but my skates are from around 1995 or 1996, my first or second year of junior. They’ve been with me awhile. And these pants, they’re probably 10 years old. You’re catching me at a vulnerable moment.”

DON’T CALL HIM COLONEL: Rob Klinkhammer, who played his third game for the Senators on a line with Daniel Alfredsson and Kyle Turris Thursday, says he has heard his share of nicknames over the years. “Hammer, Stinkhammer, weird things, any variation on that,” he said. “Especially playing in the United States, a lot of people gravitate towards my name and like it. I’ve seen some weird signs in the stands sometimes, but I’m proud of my name.”

The most obvious nickname is Colonel Klink, referring to the character in the old TV series Hogan’s Heroes, but Klinkhammer says that’s taken by his father, a lineman in their hometown of Lethbridge.

In the big picture, Klinkhammer could care less what he’s called, especially if he remains on a line with Alfredsson.

“I was shocked, I walked into the dressing room on the first day and I saw the lineup and my eyes kind of popped out of my head,” he said. “Holy Cow. I was expecting to play five or six minutes. I have so much respect for a guy like Alfredsson. He’s the franchise, the captain and I’m just honoured to be able to play with him.”

Klinkhammer played 13:34 against Florida on Sunday and was on the ice for 14:31 on Tuesday against Tampa Bay.



Senators bury Biron, Rangers

Posted on 08 March 2012. By Ken Warren

Senators bury Biron, Rangers

Martin Biron was a sight for sore Ottawa Senators sticks Thursday.

When the New York Rangers back-up goaltender opened the door with shaky netminding, some long overdue Senators took advantage in a 4-1 win at Scotiabank Place.

Zack Smith scored his first goal in 13 games and Nick Foligno netted only his second in his past 26 games as the Senators carried a 2-1 lead into the third period. The Senators held the lead despite having only seven shots and four scoring chances against Biron in the first two periods.

Kyle Turris provided the third period insurance, banging a rebound past Biron after the Rangers goaltender stopped a Daniel Alfredsson shot. It was Turris second goal in as many games, following a dry stretch where he had scored only once in 14 games. Jason Spezza added the finishing touch, scoring into an empty net with 1:27 left.

The victory serves as a confidence booster for the Senators (36-25-8), as they finished their season series against the Eastern Conference leading Rangers (42-17-7) with a record of three wins and one loss.

“Some big goals by different guys, just a good complete team win,” said Spezza, who was especially pleased with how the Senators played while holding the lead in the final period. “It’s a good team, trying to come back on us. We played more in their end in the third period than our own and that’s usually the best way to play defence.”

Goaltender Big Ben Bishop, making his home debut for the Senators, was also solid in stopping 25 Rangers shots. Bishop also withstood a late flurry, with Biron on the bench for an extra skater, before Spezza’s goal.

Bishop, who won his first Senators game 7-3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, didn’t let an early goal by Ryan Callahan rattle him.

Bishop received excellent support from his defence in eliminating rebound attempts. In particular, Jared Cowen had a standout game, delivering five hits, blocking two shots and helping the Senators kill off all four Rangers power plays.

“I like that kind of game,” said Cowen. “They have big guys out there and they play a big game and I think it brings that out in me, as well.”

The Rangers aren’t the same team without number one goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who is in the running for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, sporting a goals against average of 1.84 and a save percentage of .937.

That was evident on Smith’s long slapshot, which broke a 13-game scoreless stretch and on Foligno’s goal, which erased Callahan’s game opening goal.

Coming into the game, the Rangers also owned a record of 30-1-3 when they scored the first goal.

On Thursday, though, Biron and the Rangers let the Senators off the hook.

“I thought our team played real well from start to finish,” said Senators coach Paul MacLean. “The Rangers bring the best out of you. They are a real, real good team and I felt our competition level was good. I thought that the physicality of the game was there on both sides.”

MacLean acknowledged the Senators received some “timely offence” in the opening two periods, but liked the way the team responded by shooting more in the third period. He also likes the “rhythm” of the offence, where some players pick up others who are in slumps.

“When someone starts to go down, somebody steps up and goes and gets hot. That’s a sign of a good team and a growing team. People can go quiet for maybe too long a time, but at the same time, we’re still able to have consistent offence.”

GAME FILE

Why They Won: They made the most of their chances, taking advantage of the shaky goaltending by Rangers netminder Martin Biron.

Stud: Jared Cowen, Senators. In tight checking games, you need tough defencemen to win board battles and clear the front of the net. That was Cowen on Thursday. No points, but he led the Senators hit brigade and helped out goaltender Ben Bishop by blocking shots and clearing pucks.

Dud: Martin Biron, Rangers. Rangers coach John Tortorella will be crossing his fingers, hoping that starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stays healthy. Biron allowed Zack Smith to score on the first shot he faced and kicked out some fat rebounds on the few other shots he faced.

LUCKY SEVEN: The Senators had only seven shots after two periods, threatening to break their all-time lowest shot total of 10, set on Jan.5, 2002 in a 3-1 loss to Toronto. Former Senators defenceman Jason York had 12 shots on goal himself on Jan. 30, 1999.



Morning skate update: Bishop to make home debut

Posted on 08 March 2012. By James Gordon Tags: New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators

Morning skate update: Bishop to make home debut

Ben Bishop will start his second straight game and Jim O’Brien will draw back into the lineup when the Ottawa Senators face off against the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Place Thursday night.

Chris Phillips, who broke his nose in the Senators’ 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday, will also play — albeit with a bigger face shield.

For Bishop, the game will be a chance to show the fans why general manager Bryan Murray traded for him in an attempt to create some competition for the backup job in Ottawa.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Denver-born Bishop said following the morning skate Thursday. “I’ve played in Edmonton and Calgary, so I kind of have an idea what the Canadian rinks are like, the crowd, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Bishop picked up his first win as a Senator in Tampa Tuesday.

With O’Brien entering the lineup, Zenon Konopka will sit as a healthy scratch.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

— No. 1 goaltender Craig Anderson skated before his teammates Thursday and held a full-sized goalie stick for the first time. Anderson is recovering from a cut tendon on his pinkie finger. (@ian_Mendes)

— While Bishop continues his tryout in Ottawa, Robin Lehner pitched a 22-save shutout in his return to the Binghamton Senators lineup Wednesday afternoon. (@PSBJoyOnTheSens)

— Martin Biron will start in goal for the Rangers.



Senators prediction panel: Game 69

Posted on 08 March 2012. By James Gordon Tags: New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators

Senators prediction panel: Game 69

The Ottawa Senators return home to take on the New York Rangers. Which team will come out on top? Our prediction panel weighs in.

New York Rangers (42-16-7) at Ottawa Senators (35-25-8)

James Gordon, SenatorsExtra.com editor/Citizen hockey writer

Senators 1, Rangers 2

The Senators are playing some decent hockey lately, but we’re talking about arguably the best team in the league here. Rangers will be motivated after a terrible outing against New Jersey Tuesday.

Record: 35-33

Exact scored predicted: 1

Wayne Scanlan, Citizen columnist


I will try the visitors here coming off a loss, knowing that neither team is particularly desperate for a win.

Record: 38-30

Exact scores predicted: 3

Ian Mendes, Sportnet.ca Senators reporter and blogger


New York was embarrassed by the Devils on Tuesday night. Tortorella’s team rarely loses two in a row.

Record: 40-28


Graeme Nichols, writer/editor, The Sixth Sens blog and podcast, defending prediction panel champion


Coming off a 4-1 loss to New Jersey, the quotes coming out the Rangers camp leave me believing that they’ll come out hard against the Senators. I mean, anytime a player like Brian Boyle says, “They wanted to kill us and we need to match that,” you can’t ignore it.

Record: 40-28


Steve Lloyd, host, Healthy Scratches on Team 1200


I’ve been saying all season that I can’t believe how good the Rangers are. Their record is better than the sum of their parts. It’s time to give them some real credit. They deserve to be the best team in the east, and they’ll beat the Sens that tonight.

Record: 40-28


Peter Raaymakers, writer/editor, Silver Seven Sens blog


I think Tuesday’s 7-3 score was pretty forgiving to the Senators, and if Tampa Bay had anyone in net besides Dwayne Roloson, the game would have been a different thing altogether. The Rangers have someone in net who isn’t Dwayne Roloson; in fact, Lundqvist is about as far removed as one can get. Alfredsson and Karlsson will likely have a bit of extra emotion in their game, but I still don’t like Ottawa’s chances.

Record: 40-28


Russell, host, SensUnderground podcast


By now, we pretty much know what the Sens are about: Good enough to beat bottom feeders, good enough to win their share against the second tier teams but not good enough to win consistently against the elite clubs. Rangers take this one, but not easily.

Record: 42-26


Jeremy Milks, writer/editor, Black Aces blog


Ottawa seems to get their wins in bunches and they’ve stacked up pretty well against New York so far. Bit of a coin toss but I’ll take the home side by a goal.

Record: 37-30



Banged-up Greening the picture of success


Even the guy sporting the black eye and the five-centimetre cut on his badly swollen left cheek was smiling in the Ottawa Senators dressing room Wednesday afternoon.

“My face has had a little bit of ice on it and my hand is a little banged up, but that’s what happens when you hit a visor, I guess,” said left winger Colin Greening, looking not so fresh after registering his first career Gordie Howe hat trick – goal, assist, fight – in Tuesday’s 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. “Overall, I’m fine.”

Greening is currently sharing the Senators spotlight with Milan Michalek, who delivered the more traditional three-goal hat trick against Tampa Bay, and goaltender Big Ben Bishop, who registered his first win in the Senators net.

Yet it was also a personal victory of sorts for Greening, who will be back on the top line with Michalek and Jason Spezza when the Senators play the Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers Thursday at Scotiabank Place. Greening, who had scored no goals and one assist in his previous 14 games, had gradually slipped down the depth chart in February and early March. Considering his combination of size and strength – he also delivered six hits in the win – he has a variety of attributes that Bobby Butler, the former Michalek and Spezza linemate, doesn’t have. Butler is expected to be a healthy scratch again against the Rangers.

“It showed the confidence the coaching staff had in me to put me back with Spezza and Michalek,” said Greening. “It was nice to be able to put that goal finally in. I think when you play (fewer) minutes, like I had been playing in the previous five games, you kind of reflect on it and realize maybe you should be getting back to basics and kind of focus on what makes you strong as a player. Over 82 games, you can lose sight of that at times. I had to play the way I was at the beginning of the year.”

The fight against Tampa’s Keith Aulie was out of character – Greening has had two other bouts this season – but he says it was necessary because he had knocked down Aulie with a questionable hit seconds earlier.

“I looked at the hit and it looked a little bit dirty, I’m not going to lie to you, so obviously I can see why he was mad,” he said. “I just wanted to stand up for myself.”

Meanwhile, across the room, his linemate Michalek was smiling widely as he talked about hitting the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. The gravy came when he potted a pair of empty net goals to complete the hat trick, joining Mario Lemieux and Marcel Dionne as the only players in NHL history to score two of their goals in a game into a vacated net. Michalek now has 32 goals and he’s casting his eyes towards an even loftier goal.

“It was probably one of my targets at the start of the year, to hit 30,” said Michalek, crediting Spezza, Erik Karlsson for helping set him up so often.“But I hit that now and I just want to continue. I didn’t set a target for 40, but if I keep playing my game, we’ll see.”

For all the success Greening and Michalek had Tuesday, the biggest man in the room was Bishop, the 6-7 goaltender who stopped 25 of 28 shots in his Seantors debut. Bishop will start again against the Rangers.

Bishop claims that all the activity of the past two weeks – being traded to the Senators from St. Louis, playing three games in Binghamton and then drawing the start Tuesday “is your job.”

It’s an odd situation, with the youngsters Bishop and Robin Lehner each receiving their turn to replace the injured Craig Anderson while the veteran back-up Alex Auld sits idly on the bench, but Bishop is keeping blinders on to that.

“You can’t really worry about anybody else,” he said. “Just go out and do your job each night. It’s more just worrying about how you’re playing.”

Lehner continues to make the situation entertaining. Making his return to Binghamton’s lineup Wednesday, he stopped 22 shots in a 2-0 win over the Toronto Marlies.



A lock — minus 5.5 per cent


The Ottawa Senators insist they’re looking no further ahead than Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers, but their odds of making the playoffs are fast becoming a sure bet.

Their chances of playing post-season hockey are now at 94.5 per cent, according to sportsclubstats.com, which analyses the point totals and remaining schedules of NHL teams.

The numbers tell plenty about about the Senators surprising season, as well as the rather shocking struggles of the teams chasing them for one of the precious eight playoff spots in the Conference.

At this point, eight certainly appears to be enough – as in the eight-point gap between the Senators and the Washington Capitals, who currently hold down ninth place. The dysfunctional Capitals blew yet another game Tuesday, losing 4-3, in overtime, to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Senators 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, which ended a modest two-game losing streak, also gave the Senators a double-digit lead on the Lightning and Buffalo Sabres, who went into Wednesday’s games tied for 10th in the Conference.

(Buffalo played Carolina Wednesday. The Toronto Maple Leafs, who trailed Tampa and Buffalo by one point, also played the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday.)

For Tampa, Buffalo or Toronto to catch the Senators now, they would need to win five more games than Ottawa during the final four weeks of the season.

‘As great as their odds are, captain Daniel Alfredsson says the attitude is to “treat the next game as the most important one”. The Senators aren’t flawless, by any means. Despite Tuesday’s victory over Tampa, the Senators haven’t played a complete game since a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Feb. 28.

“We like the position we’re in right now, but we know there are still games we need to play and win,” said MacLean. “We’re not going to get distracted by what’s out there in the bigger picture.”

There are goals beyond simply making the playoffs, too. With a great final stretch, the Senators could climb and they’re within striking distance of the Boston Bruins for top spot in the Northeast Division. The Senators trail the Bruins by three points, but Boston has played three fewer games.

“You really do focus on your own games and taking care of those, but after the game, you check and see the teams around you and how they’ve done,” said Jason Spezza. “It’s not something you stress about everyday, or if somebody picks up two points on you or you pick up two points on them and you worry, but you pay more attention because there are (fewer and fewer) games.”

Ideally, according to captain Daniel Alfredsson, the best preparation for the playoffs is to be playing well during the stretch run. Yet that may not be necessary to qualify.

Generally, it takes at least 91 points to make the post-season in the Eastern Conference, but the magic number is trending to be lower – perhaps 88 or 89 points – this season, considering the inconsistencies of Winnipeg, Washington, Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

If that continues, the Senators might need to only win five or six of their final 14 games to get in.

Relatively speaking, the Senators have a light schedule remaining. They play eight of their final 14 at Scotiabank Place, but the locale doesn’t seem to matter much. Their road record of 18-12-5 is actually a tad better than their home mark of 17-13-3.

In addition, half of their remaining opponents are currently on the outside looking in at a playoff spot. After playing the Rangers, the Senators next four opponents are on the outside looking in: Buffalo, Montreal (twice) and Toronto on St. Patrick’s Day.

While the Senators may be in position to finish off the Maple Leafs in what figures to be a building full of spirit – and spirits – it will complete a tough stretch of three games in four days for Ottawa. In a scheduling quirk, the Maple Leafs will be in Ottawa watching the Senators play the Canadiens the night before. It will also mark the fifth time this season that the Senators have played the Maple Leafs after playing the night before.

The Maple Leafs could have already sealed their own fate by then. The game against the Senators will conclude a five-game road trip for Toronto.

The road could also ultimately determine whether Washington, Winnipeg or Tampa Bay squeaks into the post-season.

Washington is 11-18-3 away from home and its stretch run includes a five-game road trip from March 13-22. Winnipeg, a weak 11-17-4 outside of Manitoba, plays nine of its final 15 games in their opponents’ rinks.

Tampa Bay, an impressive 20-10-4 at home, begins a seven-game homestand on Saturday. That will be be offset by a closing stretch that sees the Lightning play six of their final eight games on the road, where they’ve struggled badly. Among Eastern Conference teams, only Carolina has a worse record. Tampa Bay’s biggest concern, however, is the loss of goaltender Mathieu Garon to injury, forcing Dwayne Roloson back into the net. It’s an area the Senators fully exploited Tuesday to put themselves in a more secure position.



Cheapseats: Lalime helped Bishop pad stats

By Don Brennan ,Ottawa Sun

OTTAWA -

Ben Bishop grew up 10 minutes from the old arena in St. Louis, and as a tall (we’re assuming) little boy, he’d often attend Blues games on his dad’s season tickets.

Other times, he and his high school buddies would buy off scalpers for five bucks.

“I remember going one night when they played the Senators, and we scalped some cheap tickets and sat right next to the glass,” the new Senators goalie said after Thursday’s morning skate. “I was little. And (Patrick) Lalime was playing, and he used to wear his pads so loose? That’s where I got the idea. I’ve always worn mine loose since.

“Kind of a funny story.”

With loose pads, Bishop has yet to lose as a Senator. The 25-year-old is now just 144 wins behind Lalime, the franchise’s all-time leader, after he improved to 2-0 by beating the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers Thursday night.

Bishop stopped 7-of-8 first-period shots — allowing only Ryan Callahan’s conversion of a Brad Richards setup to get by him — then all nine he faced in the second and all nine that came his way in the third.

His best might have been the quick skate save off a Ruslan Fedotenko chance in close, with Ottawa up 3-1 and the Rangers having six skaters on the ice.

Bishop’s strongest two saves in the second period were back-to-backers off Fedotenko, as well.

For the most part, he didn’t have to be spectacular, not like Robin Lehner was in a 2-1 loss to Chicago here last week. But when all was said and done, Bishop had made 25 saves and, with loose pads, moved closer to Lalime.

STARTS AND STOPS

Craig Anderson may be back sooner than we thought. The injured No. 1 goalie wasn’t even wearing a cast or wrap or bandage — and he actually shook hands with his right wounded one — when presented the Molson Cup cheque for being the team’s player of the month in February. Of course, there’s no way of knowing that Anderson didn’t suffer a setback in the kitchen when he got home ... Jim O’Brien made up for letting Callahan slip his check on the Rangers’ first goal covering Matt Gilroy’s point and quickly getting the puck to the net on Nick Foligno’s deflection that put Ottawa up 2-1 ... Almost all things Senator come from Sweden, so it’s no surprise that’s where Bishop’s new mask is being painted by custom mask painter David Gunnarsson of Daveart Designs. Bishop wore an all-white new mask for the Rangers game after having on his Blues equipment for his first win as a Senator, in Tampa on Tuesday. Bishop is letting Gunnarsson come up with his own idea for the new mask because, well frankly, Bishop’s been busy. “It kind of happened so fast, so let him handle this one,” Bishop said of the events that saw him traded to the Senators prior to the deadline. “Maybe over the off-season we’ll talk about getting a good one for next year.”

STUFF I THINK I THUNK

You remember why Matt “Big Country” Carkner should be in the lineup when you see John Scott (6-foot-8, 270 pounds) put Erik Karlsson hard into the boards twice on the same shift ... Halfway through the game with the shots 10-5 in favour of the Rangers, our first star is Senators D Jared Cowen. Not just for the big, open-ice hit he put on huge Brian Boyle, but more because of his hard defensive zone play to that point ... Zack Smith was an assist shy of scoring the Senators’ second Gordie Howe hat trick in consecutive games, but he deserves props for fighting Brandon Prust when there was really no need, with the game secured in the final moments ... Fans liked to see Jason Spezza score to put the team up 4-1, but they wish he would have hung on to the puck for 27 seconds before cashing the empty-netter. The new promotion had everyone getting a Wendy’s Baconator if the team scored in the last minute.

BETWEEN PERIODS

It never fails. Rob Klinkhammer gets called “Colonel Klink” by teammates whenever he joins a new club. You know, as in the character from Hogans Heroes? “But to everyone back in Lethbridge, that’s my dad. That’s the old man. He’s the Colonel,” said Klinkhammer, the Senators winger who picked up his first NHL point when he assisted on Kyle Turris’ third-period goal and was named the game’s third star. It was the third outing as a Senator for Klinkhammer, who has good size and skating ability. Oh, and a great hockey name. His other nicknames? “Klink usually. I’ve got a lot of weird ones. Klink is usually the one they go with. But also Hammer. Stinkhammer. Weird things. Any variation. They’re all weird,” he said ... ... Strong effort by the sign makers from Merivale High School, who had a least at least two dozen holders of a hand-drawn poster come together in a salute to Daniel Alfredsson, then Karlsson, then Spezza and anyone else I missed.

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM

The Senators have an all-time record of 1-0 when Chris Phillips plays with a broken nose. The veteran had a solid game wearing an extended shield to protect the first broken beak of his life, which happened when he collided with Adam Hall in Tampa Tuesday ... Karlsson could have started a small riot when he fired the puck into the open net after the play was whistled down and Foligno given a penalty for running over Marty Biron. That’s just a hockey no-no, right? Well Callahan immediately turned and skated in Karlsson’s direction, but he couldn’t have wanted him too bad as he was re-routed by a linesman’s arm ... How many times is it now in his career that Smith has scored with a shot that looked like it had no business beating the goalie? Either Smith’s efforts are sneaky strong or the goalie, in this case Biron, was just bad on the play.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.09.2012


Sens ride Big Ben past Rangers

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

Big Ben Bishop ended up being a giant-killer Thursday.

Making his home debut in front of 18,553 at Scotiabank Place, the Senators’ new goalie secured his second straight win and helped slay the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers with 25 stops in a 4-1 victory.

“I’m excited. That’s nice,” said Bishop. “Especially against the Rangers. They’re strong and that’s a big two points.”

The Senators closed out the regular season vs. New York with a 3-1 record on the strength of Bishop’s effort along with goals from Jason Spezza (into an empty net), Kyle Turris, Nick Foligno and Zack Smith. Only Ryan Callahan was able to beat Bishop.

Spezza said Bishop was the key.

“Ben has played great,” said Spezza. “He was really calm. I think you’re always more comfortable playing at home. He made some big saves at the right time. It was a big win for us.”

There was no one in the building breathing a bigger sigh of relief than Foligno.

After his last two goals were scored into an empty net, Foligno scored his first on a goalie since Dec. 30. It also turned out to be the winner.

Foligno chuckled at the question, but admitted it was nice to score against an opposing goalie.

“Nice low blow there,” he said with a smile. “It’s good. I’m happy to get the goal for the team. I don’t think I’m cursed in not scoring goals. Hopefully, there’s lots more to come.”

The Senators can feel good that they played a strong third period and shut down the Rangers after giving up way too many opportunities in the first two periods, not getting many shots on Martin Biron, but holding onto the lead.

The shots were 17-7 after two periods. Ottawa had all of three shots in the first period.

Coach Paul MacLean told the players after the second period to pick it up. They responded and were able to shut the door.

“It’s a big two points. The best team in the league. We had a good start and we got some big goals from different guys,” said Spezza. “It was just a good, complete team win. We played more in their end in the third than we did in our own.

“We missed the net a lot in the first two periods. We had the lead, we had a good third and we created a lot of good scoring chances. We’re happy with the result and happy with the way we played.”

You could sense the weight had been lifted off Foligno when he scored his 14th of the season at 18:50 of the first to give the Senators a 2-1 lead.

Smith’s first goal in 13 games had tied it 1-1.

MacLean said it was important 10 players had at least a point.

“We’ve had a balanced attack all year,” said MacLean. “Over 82 games, everybody can’t score every night, but I think the rhythm of our offence has been pretty good. When someone starts to go down, someone else gets hot.”

The Senators didn’t gain any ground in the East, but they hit the 80-point plateau and are inching closer to securing a playoff spot.



Anderson improving, but Bishop to start for Senators

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

Craig Anderson is inching closer to a return.

The Senators goalie took the ice Thursday at Scotiabank Place with a stick in his hand. But, when it came to taking shots, he dropped the stick and took live action for the first time since cutting his hand without anything in his damaged hand.

Still, that’s a good sign for Anderson. He skated Tuesday in Tampa Bay with only a small stick and didn’t take any shots. There’s no timetable for his comeback, but it might not be long if he can return to full practice next week.

Goaltender Ben Bishop, coming off a 25-save performance in a 7-3 victory over Tampa Tuesday, will make his first start at home tonight when the Senators tackle the New York Rangers.

Bishop said this is his not his first time playing in a Canadian city.

“I’ve played in Edmonton and Calgary so I kind of have an idea what the Canadian rinks are like,” said Bishop, who will wear a plain white mask until his new one arrives from a designer in Sweden. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s exciting.”

The Senators will make only one change -- with centre Jim O’Brien returning to the lineup in place of Zenon Konopka. O’Brien was a late scratch versus the Bolts. Defenceman Chris Phillips, who broke his nose after getting hit by Adam Hall during Tuesday's game, is going to be in the lineup.

Phillips will play with a full shield.

The Senators won’t get to see goalie Henrik Lundqvist. His 26-game consecutive start streak vs. the Senators has been halted. Martin Biron will be in the net for New York.

This could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup.

“We’ve been the playoff atmosphere for the last 20 games,” said winger Nick Foligno. “We could possible play a lot of teams, it’s so tight right now. We’re looking to be a real good team. Nothing else.”


618097 Philadelphia Flyers

Voracek out; Jagr a game-time decision

Staff

Winger Jaromir Jagr, who injured his hip in Tuesday’s game, took part in the Flyers’ morning skate Thursday and said he “felt better than I thought I would.”

Jagr, 40, will be a game-time decision as the Flyers host Florida on Thursday.

Winger Jakub Voracek did not take part in the morning skate, and will miss the game, GM Paul Holmgren said.

Voracek was checked in the face and crashed to the ice in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Detroit.

Harry Z, Manning recalled. The Flyers, who have won three straight, recalled forward Harry Zolnierczyk and 21-year-old defenseman Brandon Manning from the Phantoms. Manning, who was an emergency call-up, is insurance in case one of the six defensemen who played Tuesday cannot go against Florida.

"I think it was an opportunity to keep playing," Zolnierczyk said of his demotion. "Just kind of worked on some things down there and built some confidence. I guess ultimately they'd bring me back here when they were ready. Hopefully, I'll get a chance and make it from there."

Zolnierczyk gave a glowing report on Manning.

"He stood out pretty quickly for us as one of our better D," Zolnierczyk said. "He's reliable in all positions. It wasn't too long before he was the quarterback of the power play unit, a big part of penalty killing and a big player 5-on-5. He's definitely built for the pro game and he'll do well when he gets his chance here."

Manning, who had groin surgery in April and hip surgery before the season, didn't expect the promotion.

"Anytime it's your first call-up, you're going to be surprised," Manning said. "I know the backend's been hurting for awhile, so it was a possibility and I've been doing what I can do to get ready and hopefully get the call."

In 32 games with the Phantoms, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Manning had four goals, five assists and 75 penalty minutes. He signed with the Flyers as a free agent on Nov. 23, 2010.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.09.2012


Another defenseman hurt?

Posted by Frank Seravalli

When Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren decided to make the call to Adirondack on Wednesday to summon players to Philadelphia for his injury depleted lineup, it made sense that a forward would be on his way.

Jaromir Jagr is doubtful tonight with an apparent hip injury, and the Flyers still are not sure if Jake Voracek is ready to play after that crushing blow from Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall on Tuesday night.

Turns out, that forward summoned was familiar face Harry Zolnierczyk, who skated in 36 games earlier this season .

But Zolnierczyk curiously arrived with defenseman Brandon Manning.

Has another Flyers defenseman gone done with an injury?

Either that, or the Flyers’ coaching staff has been less than thrilled with the play of third pairing Erik Gustafsson and Andreas Lilja.

Manning, 21, could make his NHL debut tonight against Florida.

James van Riemsdyk, who had surgery on Tuesday to repair a broken bone in his left foot, was already moved to the long-term injured reserve list (LTIR) to create salary cap relief. The NHL’s 23-man roster limit expired at the deadline, so no other player needed to be demoted to the AHL or added to an injury list to make room for Manning.

Neither Kimmo Timonen nor Andrej Meszaros, both out indefinitely with lower-body injuries, are ready to return on Thursday.

It’s tough to tell, based on Tuesday’s ice times, whether another defenseman was injured. There was no apparent hit or slash that might have given it away, either.

Player Ice Time vs. DET Season Avg Deviation

Matt Carle 25:34 22:56 +2:38

Braydon Coburn 21:54 21:40 +0:14

Pavel Kubina 21:17 18:24 +2:53

Nicklas Grossmann 18:28 18:41 -0:13

Erik Gustafsson 16:45 15:54 +0:51

Andreas Lilja 15:08 13:12 +1:56

Coburn finished the game on the ice. Lilja took his last shift with 6:24 left, but it was a one-goal game. Grossmann came off with 17 seconds left. Kubina skated in the final minute. Carle closed out the game. And Gustafsson last came off with 1:57 left.

So, what exactly is the Flyers’ plan with Manning?

We’ll likely have to wait until game time to find out.

Manning, who posted point-per-game numbers with Chilliwack (WHL) last season, has been a steady player on the Phantoms’ blue line. He suffered a semi-serious injury in training camp, which required him to rehab off-ice for the first half of the season in Voorhees with the Flyers before being sent back to the Phantoms.

Since then, he’s collected 9 points (5 G, 4 A) in 32 games.

He is a physical and mobile defenseman, similar to Marc-Andre Bourdon but with offensive upside.

We’ve already mentioned the Flyers’ pickle on their farm team. They would have trouble re-calling veteran Matt Walker due to salary cap restraints, experienced players Bourdon and Oskars Bartulis are currently injured, and

they traded away Kevin Marshall (their only other defenseman with NHL experience) on Feb. 2 to Washington in a minor-league deal.

Manning, instead, is skating in his first professional season.

Stay tuned.



Flyers patch together a shutout

By Sam Carchidi

Their best defensemen, Chris Pronger, was at home with a concussion that has threatened his Hall of Fame career.

Their all-star defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, was nursing a sore back.

Their recently acquired 6-foot-4, 258-pound defenseman, Pavel Kubina, was out with an unspecified injury.

Oh, and the player who was named the team's top defenseman last season, Andrej Meszaros, was sidelined with what is believed to be a groin injury.

But the Flyers, with a patchwork defense that included a rookie making his NHL debut, persevered.

Easily.

Playing with a revamped defense, the Flyers won their fourth straight, defeating the Florida Panthers, 5-0, at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov continued his superb play, the makeshift defense was excellent, and Brayden Schenn (power play), Matt Read (19th goal, tops among NHL rookies), Scott Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr (power play), and Eric Wellwood scored goals to lead the Flyers.

No longer lost in the woods, Bryzgalov was serenaded with "Bryz, Bryz, Bryz" chants after he made a save with a little more than six minutes left.

"I was so concentrated on the game, I didn't hear it, but if they cheer for me, it's very nice and very kind from them," said Bryzgalov, who has a 1.25 goals-against average and .960 save percentage in his last four starts.

"I kind of woke up on the bench and thought we were in Winnipeg," joked Hartnell, referring to the mocking chants Bryzgalov received in that city. "We've always believed in Ilya in our dressing room and I think he's obviously winning some fans now. His confidence is growing and growing, and I don't think we've seen the best of Bryz yet."

Just a few weeks ago, Bryzgalov was hearing boos at the Wells Fargo Center.

"I can't say enough about Bryz - he's been great for us, and his attitude is great, right now," said Claude Giroux, who, along with Danny Briere (playing his 800th career game), collected two assists.

Bryzglaov, making his 10th straight start, recorded his second shutout in the last three games, and he became the first Flyer with two shutouts in the same week since Marty Biron in 2008.

Giroux smiled when talking about the Bryz chants.

"It's good to hear the fans are behind him and behind our team," Giroux said. "I can't even imagine how hard it was for him. At one point there he had a tough stretch, and he was pretty much getting booed at home ice, but now he's our best player - and we need our goalie to be our best player."

The Flyers had 18 blocked shots - 12 more than Florida. Matt Carle had four of the blocks and seemed to inspire the Flyers when he dropped his gloves in a first-period scrap with Jack Skille.

"It all starts with Bryz," Carle said. "He made a lot of big stops. I thought we had a few letdowns, a few breakdowns, but he was always there to make the big save for us."

"Great effort by the team - diving for pucks to block the puck, protecting the passing lanes, and trying to make my job as easy as possible," Bryzgalov said. "They removed the players from the slot and let me see the shot."

Defenseman Brandon Manning, who was plus-2 in his NHL debut after being recalled from AHL Adirondack earlier in the day, drew praise from Bryzgalov, who kiddingly confused the 21-year-old with NFL free agent quarterback Peyton Manning.

"Brandon Manning was released by the Colts and he played tonight here, he stepped up and played very good," Bryzgalov deadpanned before mentioning the rest of the defense.

Three of the Flyers' goals (Schenn, Read, and Wellwood) were scored by rookies, who have produced a league-high 49 goals this season.



Manning's debut a succes as Flyers romp

Posted by Sam Carchidi

On a night when 40-year-old Jaromir Jagr scored his 18th goal, it was a player almost half his age who was drawing rave reviews from Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.

Meet Brandon Manning, a 21-year-old defenseman who made a successful NHL debut in the Flyers’ 5-0 win over visiting Florida on Thursday.

Laviolette gave the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Manning, whom he called “ManDog,” high marks. He was plus-2 in 14:59.

“He moved the puck; he generated some offense, and defensively he held his own out there,” Laviolette said. “I thought he did a terrific job.”

Because of injuries, the Flyers had different defensive pairings: Matt Carle and Erik Gustafsson; Braydon Coburn and Nick Grossmann;(CQ) and Andreas Lilja and Manning.

“I actually got in a game with Lils this year in Adirondack, so that helped,” Manning said.

Manning, recalled from the Phantoms because of an injury to Pavel Kubina, had three shots on goal, and nearly scored from the left circle.

“I think it's part of my game,” he said. “I was just trying to keep it pretty simple out there. When I get an opportunity, I think I want to jump in there. It's part of my game that I want to contribute to the game."

The Flyers had seven rookies in their lineup. Three of them _ Brayden Schenn, Matt Read and Eric Wellwood _ scored goals. Flyers rookies lead the NHL with 49 goals this season, including 18 by Read.

“I’ve never been in a situation where there have been this many rookies available every game,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “There’s lots of reasons why a team has success, but certainly they are a contributing factor. Where we’re at right now, they’ve all been given roles and what we expect of them, and they’ve done a really nice job.”

Speaking of nice jobs, Ilya Bryzgalov (28 saves) notched his fourth shutout of the season and second in the last three games.

Jagr played despite suffering a hip injury Tuesday that was expected to sideline him.

"I had to play because there were no other Czechs,” he said with a smile, referring to injuries to fellow countrymen Jakub Voracek and Kubina. “All of the Czechs were out and everybody knows, if there are no Czechs in the game, it's kind of a boring game. It's like when you want to make food without salt, you know what I mean?"



Brandon Yip savors goal, win against former team

Josh Cooper

The morning before Nashville’s 4-2 win over Colorado, Brandon Yip said how he departed Colorado earlier this season left a “salty taste” in his mouth.

The Avalanche put Yip on waivers in January, and the Predators claimed him. After being scratched the previous three games, Yip scored a goal Thursday, tipping Roman Josi’s slapshot into the net with 13:02 left in the first period.

“Any time a team lets you go or trades you there’s a little salt in your mouth after that, and it was a big win for the team and me as well,” Yip said. “It’s definitely nice to get a goal there and contribute and help the team, and it was a big goal for us and gave us a lead there.”

The official scorer gave the goal at first to Yip, and then gave it to Josi. It was eventually given back to Yip.

“Either way, it was a big goal. I was happy either way,” Yip joked.

Halischuk in: Forward Matt Halischuk came back after two consecutive healthy scratches with an assist on the game-winning goal by Sergei Kostitsyn. Halischuk’s pressure led to a Colorado turnover, and the puck landed on Kostitsyn’s stick.

“It’s always tough to watch,” Halischuk said. “At the same time we have a great group here and a great group of guys, and you have to make sure you prepare yourself for a chance to get back in and when you do you play hard and play together.”

O’Brien back: Former Predator Shane O’Brien played his first game against his former team this season. O’Brien, who signed with Colorado in the offseason, played 20:02 and had several scoring chances. He also provided some verbal jabs on the ice.

“He told me to keep my head up the whole game,” Kostitsyn said with a smile.

Wilson, Smith sit: To make room for Halischuk and Yip, the Predators sat forwards Craig Smith and Colin Wilson.

Coach Barry Trotz said he sat Smith to give him some rest. Smith is a rookie and played 41 regular-season games with the University of Wisconsin last season. It was Wilson’s first healthy scratch of the season. The forward was a healthy scratch for nine of Nashville’s 12 playoff games a year ago. He played in all 82 regular-season games.

Klein update: Defenseman Kevin Klein will likely be out with an upper-body injury until the Predators start their West Coast trip Monday at Phoenix.

“He’s riding (the bike) and doing the things he can do at a pretty high pace,” Trotz said.

Rinne record: Goaltender Pekka Rinne set the franchise record with his 37th win this season. The previous record of 36 was set by Tomas Vokoun in 2005-06.



John Smallwood: Flyers rookie Read seems to have broken through the 'wall'

John Smallwood,

MATT READ wasn't going to acknowledge that he could not wait for February to end.

The Flyers rookie puts little credence in the thing commonly referred to as the "rookie wall."

So despite scoring only one goal and recording four points in February, Read said he wasn't worn down by the grind of the longest season he'd ever played.

Before this season, Read, 25, who made the roster as an undrafted free agent, had played a high of only 58 games, and that was in 2006-07, when he was with the Des Moines (Iowa) Buccaneers, of the USHL junior league.

In fact, when Daily News Flyers beat writer Frank Seravalli asked Read about that issue when he set a personal record for games played with his 59th, Read said that, physically, he actually was feeling the healthiest he had all season.

Well, then, maybe the guy just didn't like the Leap Month.

Last night against the Florida Panthers, Read continued to roar into March like a lion by notching the second goal in a 5-0 Flyers victory.

The goal was Read's third in four games during March.

"To score any goal feels good, whether it's your first or your 600th," said Read, who was more inclined to talk about the Flyers' overall success than any individual success. "Scoring a goal is something everyone strives for."

Read had acknowledged being frustrated at recording only four points in a 15-game stretch.

But on March 1, Read had two goals and an assist in a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders.

Obviously, nobody will score every night, but you hate to see those long stretches of games when nothing seems to go in.

And it's a relief when the puck starts snapping the net again.

"It's great to see the puck go into the back of the net," Read acknowledged. "Hopefully, I can keep getting those lucky bounces, working hard and doing what's best for our team."

Maybe Read's approach to his February scoring drought was the best way, because he didn't allow things to get in his head. A slump is hard enough to deal with without giving some cliché an actual mental manifestation.

"It doesn't matter if you are a rookie or not," Flyers 40-year-old veteran Jaromir Jagr said. "Everybody goes through things like that.

"It doesn't matter if your name is Matt Read or Mario Lemieux. Sometimes in this game, whatever you touch goes in. Sometimes, everything you touch, you miss the net, the goalie makes a great save or you hit the post. That's the way it is."

"That's not just hockey. It's baseball or everything."

With 16 games left in the regular season and then the playoffs, having Read scoring goals again, as he did to begin his surprising rookie campaign, would be a big lift for the Flyers.

Read went into last night tied with Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog for the lead among rookies with 18 goals.

He now has 19.

"It's kind of special to lead the rookies in goals, but it doesn't mean much if we aren't winning," Read said. "The main thing is that we keep playing well and doing those small things right.

"I'd rather be winning and having a good season as a team than just having a good season individually."

But Read is only one goal away from a landmark of 20 goals.

"After I got off to a quick start, I did kind of set a goal for myself to get at least 20 goals this year," Read said. "I think we got 16 or 15 games left.

"It would obviously be a big accomplishment to get 20 goals as a rookie. I'm just happy to still be in the lineup and still contributing positively."

The Flyers are so stocked with rookies, they really have little chance of getting to where they want to go without the youngsters carrying their share.

Against Florida, rookies Brayden Schenn and Eric Wellwood also scored.

"It's great," said left wing Scott Hartnell, who scored his 32nd goal. "Rookies or 15- to 20-year veterans like Jaromir Jagr, we've all got to step up and play hard for us to be successful down the stretch.

"In the playoffs, we've got to have everyone going."

And no one can be bothered by a wall.



South Philly's entertainment venue Xfinity Live! set to open at sports complex

By FRANK SERAVALLI

QUICKLY AND quietly, South Philadelphia's fourth sports venue is rising from rubble where the Spectrum once stood.

With inviting fire pits, patio seating and an outdoor bar built from Spectrum bricks, Xfinity Live! opens in the shadow of the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field with the bang of a free, outdoor concert performed by Third Eye Blind just 3 weeks from today.

Open the doors to South Philly's new, 60,000-square-foot palace and you will be drawn to the centerpiece, NBC Sports Arena's custom-built, 37-foot HD television with a sports ticker that surrounds the "Philadelphia Marketplace."

Picture this: a 37-foot television flanked by nine 65-inch flat panels on the left, another nine on the right, and eight more 65-inchers below, as the backdrop to a room-length granite bar.

The price tag on Xfinity Live's! high-def audio and visual equipment alone is a staggering $3 million.

Call it Philadelphia's new Cathedral of Sport.

The church's doors will be open every day - regardless of whether there is an event in the sports complex - from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. beginning on March 30.

The Daily News was given a hard hat and an exclusive, all-access tour to Xfinity Live! yesterday as a preview for the unfinished entertainment complex.

"It's Philadelphia's new entertainment complex," said developer Reed Cordish, of The Cordish Group. He said more than 800 permanent jobs will be created by the new venue. "Xfinity Live! will work in great synergy with the stadiums in the complex, but fans will soon learn that it is a destination in and of itself."

You will feel an energy and an excitement, like walking into an arena or stadium, when you enter Xfinity Live!, where more than 350 construction workers are hustling day and night to have it open in time for Phillies' Opening Day and the Flyers' and Sixers' playoff runs.

"Personally, I can't wait to see it open," Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider said. "Xfinity Live! will be the most exciting venue of its type, anywhere in the world. We're confident it will be a tremendous success."

Undoubtedly, the hook is the NBC Sports Arena's technology, though that is just the main welcoming hall for fans looking for a drink or a bite to eat before or after a game or concert. In the back of the stadium-like seating and enormous, eight-person booths, various concession stands will boast big names. Take your pick from Chickie's & Pete's famous crab fries, an Original Nick's Roast Beef sandwich, or the fresh catch from Phillip's Seafood's raw bar.

To the left of that, near the entrance at the corner of Pattison Avenue and 11th Street, will be Mitchell & Ness' small retail outlet, which features the Sixers' original center court and actual hockey dasher boards from the Spectrum.

Sound too corporate? Fans won't be bogged down by merchandise and retail sales.

"We want to exceed everyone's expectations when they come here," Cordish said. "At the end of the day, this is a true district. Hopefully, it's something for everybody.

"There's great restaurants. There's entertainment. There's the outdoor event space. Permanent outdoor space and lounge. Very different than a singular restaurant or bar. We want to capture people and let people experience it."

The complex is dedicated to family-friendly activities during the day before switching over to an adult-oriented theme park of booze and eats. There will

be a turf recreation field outside for youngsters and video games for play on some televisions.

There are four anchor restaurants that branch out from the NBC Sports Arena: Broad Street Bullies Pub, the Spectrum Grill, PBR Bar and Grill and Victory Beer Hall. In addition to a unique, sit-down menu in each venue, all will feature a different entertainment aspect. The focus is on an experience.

"I never want to knock arena food, but the culinary options here are going to be incredible," Cordish said. "Also unlike a stadium, the food will be affordable. I think that's going to surprise a lot of people. They're not going to have to pay an arm and a leg."

The wait staff at the Broad Street Bullies Pub, with gastropub type menu and gourmet burgers, is actually required to have a working knowledge of one of the toughest teams in hockey history.

There is also a stage in the Bullies Pub, which will feature acoustic rock 6 nights a week. To the side of the stage will be televisions with Nintendo Wii interactive video games.

If you want a more intimate, fine-dining experience, jump across the hall to the Spectrum Grill, where Comcast-Spectacor is touting a Wolfgang Puck-trained chef.

"It will be on par with any steakhouse in the city," Cordish boasted.

At the other end of Xfinity Live!, facing the Wells Fargo Center and the outdoor patios, will be PBR Bar and Grill and Victory Beer Hall. Yes, PBR stands for Professional Bullriders Association. The Tex-Mex cuisine will be highlighted by flowing tequila and a live, mechanical bull in the center. PBR also has flagship spots in Las Vegas and Kansas City.

Victory Beer Hall, highlighted by the Philadelphia-based brewery's craft choices, may be the coolest stop on the quadrangle. It is designed in a German Oktoberfest style, with live bands and long, conversation-creating tables. No word if Das Boot will be making an appearance for drinking contests.

Overlooking Victory will be a private, VIP lounge that also has private dining rooms and plush leather seating.

"It's a place to see and be seen," Cordish said.

Cordish said athletes and entertainers already have contacted Xfinity Live! about being included, Xfinity Live! is about the fans.

Parking will be free on days when there are not events. The parking fees also will be waived once an event is more than half over, to make it a postgame hangout.

Xfinity Live! will be the new heart and soul of South Philadelphia.

"The neighborhood has grown up," Comcast-Spectacor COO Peter Luukko said. "We've had these development rights since we've owned the . We've got the beautiful new baseball stadium, the football stadium, this arena. All that open space. There is beautiful housing. The Navy Yard has become vibrant again. The timing is finally perfect for it. There won't be anything else like it."



Another Bryz blank as Flyers rout Panthers

By FRANK SERAVALLI

His teammates heard it. The sound of 19,675 chanting "Bryz, Bryz, Bryz" was unmistakable. It actually raised the hair on the necks of some of his teammates, who have traveled from arena to arena listening to the Bronx Cheers when Bryzgalov would finally make an easy save.

"It's good to hear that the fans are behind him and behind our team," Claude Giroux said. "I can't even imagine how hard it was for him at one point. He had a tough stretch. He was pretty much getting booed at home ice.

"Now, he's our best player. We need him to be our best player."

Bryzgalov is cautious.

"From hate to love in one step," Bryzgalov said of Flyers fans. "Then, the same in the other direction."

Can you blame him?

Finally, he is letting his performance do the talking. After games now, he has been all Bryzness. His mouth has barely been big enough to fit a puck in, let alone his foot. And with each win, the sample size of Bryzgalov's recent hot run becomes smaller and smaller. The trend is turning into the norm.

With just about a month left in the season, the depleted Flyers - skating without four top defensemen in Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros and Pavel Kubina - steamrolled a Florida Panthers team, 5-0, that looks like it is drowning in the Everglades.

All Bryzgalov did was post his second shutout of the week and his fourth of the season. It was the first time a Flyers goaltender posted multiple shutouts in the same week since Marty Biron did it in the final two games of the 2007-08 season.

Bryzgalov looks like a programmed Ivan Drago on the ice, putting up a virtual wall in front of the net as he flops and gobbles up every loose puck like it's a ruble.

Yes, the toothless Panthers made it look easy last night, as they may have netted a grand total of five quality scoring chances. It was the fourth time they have been shut out since Feb. 7.

And, it's always easy to look good when Jose "Five or More" Theodore lives up to his name in the other crease.

Still, any tip or deflection or rebound that would have been swatted in a month ago wasn't. Bryzgalov is now 7-2-1 (with one no-decision) with three shutouts, a 1.95 goals against-average and a .926 save percentage over his last 11 starts. He has started 10 consecutive games. And Bryzgalov is making a believer of not only Flyers fans but his teammates.

"If they cheered for me," Bryzgalov said, "it was very nice and kind from them."

Can the support from fans, buying into his rededication, pay dividends for Bryzgalov?

"There's no question, I think confidence always plays in for players," coach Peter Laviolette said. "He seems pretty locked in right now. He's preparing. He's going out. He's executing. And then he gets ready for the next one.

"He's more mechanical now. Not his game or anything, just what he's doing. He's dialed in from day-to-day."

Not coincidentally, the Flyers have won four straight games. And few teams around the league are more banged up than the Flyers right now.

The good news? Florida travels to South Philadelphia again 11 days from now, when the Flyers will gun for the season series sweep (4-0-0).

The bad news? As the Flyers continue to steal points on the back of Bryzgalov, they will continue to move up the standings, making a sixth-place finish and a matchup with the South-least Division leading Panthers less and less likely.

Instead, the Flyers (7-3-0 in their last 10) awake this morning to find themselves firmly in fifth place, with a two-point edge and one game in-hand over New Jersey.

Even so, watching Bryzgalov slowly win over a fickle fan-base is fascinating. It makes the first 5 months of the season seem so trivial.

"I woke up there on the bench and thought we were in Winnipeg," Scott Hartnell said. "We've always believed in Ilya here in our dressing room. I think he's obviously winning some fans. His confidence is growing and growing, and I don't think we've seen the best Bryz yet. It's awesome to see him do well."

Slap shots

Defenseman Brandon Manning made his NHL debut after being recalled from the Phantoms earlier in the day. Manning replaced Pavel Kubina, who sat out with an undisclosed upper-body injury that was not related to the puck to the face he took last Sunday in Washington . . . Jakub Voracek sat out as a precaution with a head injury, suffered in Tuesday's win over Detroit on that vicious hit from Niklas Kronwall that briefly knocked him

unconscious . . . Matt Read passed Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog for the outright rookie lead in goals with his 19th of the season.

Quotable

"I had to play. There were no more Czechs in the lineup. I should stay on the fourth line more. I don't mind it! Nobody touched me!"

- Jaromir Jagr, who started the night as a game-time decision with a hip injury, about the Flyers lineup missing fellow Czech Republic native Jakub Voracek. Jagr added his 18th goal of the season in the third period.



Bryzgalov wins more fans with another gem

By Wayne Fish

PHILADELPHIA -- The Ilya Bryzgalov Fan Club officially has come to order.

Oh, it took a while for the 19,000-plus to warm to their namesake but in the last couple of weeks, the chorus of "boos'' has turned to chants of "Bryz!''

They were in full throat Thursday night as the Flyers goaltender registered his second shutout of the week in a 5-0 domination of the Florida Panthers.

Bryzgalov, 7-2-1 (1.95 goals-against average, .926 save percentage, shutouts) in his last 11 games, appreciates the support and who knows, it might lift his confidence even higher than it is now.

"I was so concentrated in the game, I didn't hear it (cheering),'' Bryzgalov said after his fourth shutout of the season and 27th of his career. "If they cheered for me, it was very nice and very kind from them.''

Florida didn't get that many quality chances (the Flyers blocked 18 shots) but the ones it did manufacture were swallowed up by Bryzgalov. He looks like a player sure of himself again.

The Flyers played without three of their top defensemen (Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros, Pavel Kubina) and still came up with an impressive performance.

As for the recent booing at the Wells Fargo Center, Scott Hartnell said: "Yeah, I woke up on the bench and thought I was in Winnipeg. But we've always believed in Ilya here in our dressing room.

"I think he's winning some fans now. I think his confidence is growing and growing. I don't think we've seen the best of Bryz yet. It's awesome to see him do this, especially at home.''

Added Daniel Briere: "It was a good feeling. He's starting to play well and the fans here are going to support you. It's always a good feeling.''

Claude Giroux gave the impression it's about time the fans got in Bryzgalov's corner.

"It was good to hear the fans behind him and behind our team,'' Giroux said. "I can't even imagine how hard it was for him at one point. He had a tough stretch and was pretty much being booed on home ice. He is our best player and we need our goalie to be the best player."

The Flyers picked up goals from five different players, three of them rookies, in running their winning streak to four games.

That makes 49 goals for the Flyers' rookies, first in the NHL and 19 better than the next team.

"I've never been in a situation where there's been this many rookies available every game,'' coach Peter Laviolette said. "There's lots of reasons why a team has success but certainly they (the rookies) are a contributing factor. They have done a nice job.''

Two of the goals came on power plays, the Flyers' first multiple power-play goal game since Feb. 16.

Brayden Schenn scored with the extra man in the first period for a 1-0 lead and Jaromir Jagr connected in the third with the Flyers holding a two-man advantage.

Schenn used a Claude Giroux feed for his goal at 10:35 past Jose Theodore. Jagr had plenty of room in front to wrist a shot home in the third.

Jagr saw limited time because of a hip injury.

"I had to play because there were no other Czechs,'' Jagr kidded, mindful of the absence of the injured Jake Voracek and Pavel Kubina. "All the Czechs were out. And everybody knows, if there's no Czechs in the game, it's kind of a boring game. It's like when you want to make food without salt.''

In between, Matt Read picked up his 19th goal at 3:06 of the second. He leads all NHL rookies in goals. Later, Hartnell stole a puck from Florida's Tomas Fleischmann and scored on a breakaway at 12:49 of the second.

The Flyers moved to within two points of Pittsburgh for second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Florida, second-to-last in Eastern Conference scoring, really couldn't mount any sustained attack on the Flyer goal.

Short shots

Briere received an ovation from the crowd when it was announced he was playing in his 800th NHL game. He picked up two assists although his two-month goal drought continued. ... Jagr's goal was his 18th. He needs two more for his 18th 20-or-more goal NHL season. Jagr played only 12:19, mostly on a makeshift fourth line. ... Giroux finished with two assists, giving him 55 for the season and the NHL lead in that department.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Manning an underdog success story

By Wayne Fish

PHILADELPHIA — Whenever an undrafted player makes it all the way to the NHL, there’s an “I told you so moment.’’

For defenseman Brandon Manning, that occasion took place Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Manning, called up from the Phantoms to spell the injured Pavel Kubina, made his Flyer debut against the Florida Panthers.

“It’s been kind of an underdog story my whole career,’’ he said before the game. “It’s something I’ve kind of run with. I’ve kind of rubbed it in people’s faces, people who didn’t think I could do it or the teams that passed over me.

“To come in last year and do what I did (for Adirondack) and then this year, I can’t say enough about it.’’

Manning had to overcome hip surgery (labrum tear) he needed back in the fall.

“It took awhile, I missed a few games in December,’’ he said. “It took until about February, a streak of about 10 games to feel really good. I’m just kind of making sure I take care of myself.’’

A lot of people back in his hometown of Prince George, British Columbia, were tuned in to Thursday night’s game.

“It was pretty special to get the call yesterday,’’ the 21-year-old Manning said. “This is what you grow up doing. All my buddies back home, this is what you want to do, play in the NHL. My buddies are excited, I got phone calls from my grandparents, my sisters ... I can’t say enough about what my family has done for my career.’’

Trade secrets

The Flyers held their first game-day morning skate back at the Skate Zone on Thursday.

On Wednesday, coach Peter Laviolette had announced he endorsed the move because he had some things he wanted to go over with his team that he didn’t want to share with an opponent (which also skates at the Wells Fargo Center in the morning).

Any opponent doing some blatant spying?

“It’s a chance to get a little more private, great ice, and the opportunity to work on a few things on the ice,’’ Laviolette said before the game Thursday. “We have new lines, new power plays, new combinations ... everything is new based on injuries.

“I just wanted to make sure we touched on some things.’’

The Flyers had held their pregame skate in Voorhees for decades until two years ago when the team decided to move the sessions to the Wells Fargo Center. The reasons given ranged from “getting used to the boards’’ to “making it feel more like a home rink.’’

But the bottom line was there were a number of young players who broke from tradition and chose to live in Philadelphia instead of South Jersey. This made it an easier commute for the half-dozen players who lived in Old City.

On the flip side, a number of Flyer veterans who had families and bought homes in and around the Voorhees area weren’t happy with the move to WFC.

Most of those former young guns are gone. It will be interesting to see where this goes from here.

Jagr plays, Voracek sits

Jaromir Jagr, who left Tuesday’s game vs. Detroit early with a hip injury, was back in the lineup Thursday night. But Jake Voracek, leveled by a Niklas Kronwall hit, was scratched. Voracek has been undergoing tests for a possible concussion.

Jody Shelley played. Harry Zolnierczyk, called up from Adirondack, was scratched.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Flyers Pre-Game Scoop: Voracek out for tonight, Jagr possible

By ROB PARENT

VOORHEES, N.J. -- Jakub Voracek will not be in the Flyers' lineup tonight when they meet the Florida Panthers at Wells Fargo Center.

It's believed Voracek was undergoing concussion testing this morning while the Flyers went through their morning practice at the Skate Zone. General manager Paul Holmgren subsequently issued a tweet through his public relations department that Voracek would not be in the lineup. There was no immediate update on Voracek's condition.

Voracek was essentially run over Tuesday night by hulking Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall during the Flyers' 3-2 victory over the Red Wings. He received several stitches in his upper lip and the next day said he felt "a little bit different." It was that feeling, perhaps, that moved the Flyers to order baseline concussion tests for today.

As for Jaromir Jagr, who also was injured during that Red Wings game, he was a full participant in practice today but said he did not yet know whether he'd be a go for the Panthers game. Jagr strained his hip and knee while trying to avoid a collision with Braydon Coburn and Detroit's Valtteri Filppula. But he seemed optimistic after the practice.

"I feel good," Jagr said. "Feel better than I thought."

In other news, the Flyers recalled forward Harry Zolnierczyk and 21-year-old offensive defenseman Brandon Manning. Interestingly, Holmgren called both of them "emergency callups," which might indicate there was a question as to the health of another defenseman, though all six that played against the Red Wings practiced today.

More on this later and read full coverage of the Flyers-Panthers game in tomorrow's print edition of the Daily Times.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Voracek, Jagr sum up Flyers hits: That’s hockey (With Video)

By ROB PARENT

VOORHEES, N.J. – After a couple of unfortunate mishaps Tuesday night left the Flyers a little punch drunk on the ice against the Detroit Red Wings, they’re hoping today to make their recovery from that game complete.

After Jakub Voracek and Jaromir Jagr went out midway through the game, the Flyers were able to rally around their surviving forwards and ride goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, holding on for a 3-2 win over the Wings.

Now, with the Florida Panthers visiting the Wells Fargo Center tonight, there is some hope and much uncertainty over whether Voracek and Jagr can return right away.

Voracek received several upper-lip stitches after getting hit with a blind check to the face courtesy of Detroit nice guy Niklas Kronwell. Though it’s agreed the result of the impact could have been worse, Voracek is still unsure of his status pending possible concussion testing today.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said Wednesday after an optional practice at the Skate Zone. “It can change every day. I don’t want to say I feel too good. Every day is different; hopefully I can get back as soon as possible.”

While word leaked from the league rather early Wednesday that there would be no disciplinary review of Kronwell’s hit, it seemed clear upon further review Tuesday night that the hit was within legal bounds … whatever they are. He did hit Voracek in the head area, but he also hit him with a full and seemingly clean body check.

“He probably let Jake think that he was not going to pressure him, then he goes and finishes his hit,” Max Talbot said. “The head was probably the first point of contact, but after that he hits the whole body. So, it’s tough. It happens fast but it’s obviously never fun to see guys go down.”

And if anyone had any doubts – like the thousands of Flyers fans on Twitter – Voracek said, “I think it was clean.”

Then he pled guilty to an offense Eric Lindros made famous here some 10-plus years ago.

“I had my head down,” Voracek said. “I have to be aware that Kronwell is standing on the blue line.

I looked up and he was standing on the blue line, then I started focusing on the puck … he’s very good at it. I was kind of naïve. I thought he was going to back up.”

Nearby observers said Kronwell fooled Voracek into thinking that.

“He kind of faked that he was going to move back,” Jagr said. “When Jake put his head down, (Kronwell) just had him.”

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“I think it’s hockey,” Jagr said, “and if you take those hits away, it’s basketball. Before, there were a lot more hits like that. I got hit many times like that; it’s part of the game. Probably some people think, oh, we have to take it out (of the game). You just have to be careful.”

Speaking of which, Jagr almost found himself in a bad spot during the game. On a play in which Braydon Coburn hit Detroit’s Valtteri Filppula, the Red Wings forward fell into Jagr – who had his skate locked and loaded with his knee in a vulnerable spot.

But Jagr said he moved the leg just in time, though with an awkward twist of the hip.

He might have strained the hip or knee, and was kept out of the rest of the game. But it could have been a lot worse.

“If I wouldn’t have moved my leg I think it would have blown my knee out,” Jagr said. “I have to wait to see … I’ll try to skate (this morning), I guess. It was more my knee and hip, but I was lucky I moved my knee away. It was the last second.”

While Jagr has left the possibility of playing tonight open, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said later that Jagr “is fairly sore and probably not available” for the Panthers game.

As for Voracek, his issue might be more in his head. He was given a quick exam during the Detroit game looking for concussion symptoms, and is preliminarily scheduled to undergo baseline testing today.

“If I feel good we’ll do the concussion testing,” he said. “But I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t really know right now where I am.”

He does, however, recall the hit that put him in this position: “It was a tough hit to take,” Voracek said, “but I think it was a clean hit. It was my bad.”

NOTES: In addition to the possible absences of Jagr and Voracek, Holmgren also said defensemen Andrej Meszaros (groin) and Kimmo Timonen (lower back) will miss their second straight game. … Expect a couple of forwards to be recalled today from the Phantoms just in case.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Flip-flop? Jagr could play vs. Panthers tonight

Staff

It could be a flip-flop for the Flyers.

Jaromir Jagr, who was said to be pretty much out for Thursday night’s game against Florida, now remains a possibility, while Jakub Voracek, who felt pretty good on Wednesday, is out.

Voracek is under a concussion watch and had to pass a baseline test to play. The Flyers gave no medical update, but the assumption is he may have some concussion symptoms.

Jagr (hip injury), who had a long conversation with coach Peter Laviolette on the ice at the morning skate, said his decision to play will come later.

“I don’t know anything right now,” said Jagr, who wasn’t moving very fast on the ice. “I’ll let you know later. I felt good. Better than I thought.”

Given he’s 40 and has had numerous groin issues this season, it wouldn’t surprise if Jagr sat out the game a precaution.

The Flyers recalled Harry Zolnierczyk to take his spot (see story), if necessary.

“When you are talking about players who have been dealing with minors bumps or bruises, there are always conversations to make good decisions,” Laviolette said of Jagr. “We’ll make those decisions and put the lineup that is best.”

Whether Jagr feels he can be effective will play a determining factor.

Now, given the team also called up Phantoms’ defenseman Brandon Manning, you have to assume someone other than Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros -- who are already out -- must be hurting on the blue line.

When asked whether Manning was a depth player tonight, Laviolette replied, “He’s a young player at this point.”

“I haven’t see a lot of him,” Laviolette added. “He missed training camp. I haven’t seen him up here yet and I don’t get to see the guys in the minors that much. [He’s] a good two-way defenseman who plays with some grit, plays with an edge.”

Manning had hip surgery prior to training camp and groin/abdominal surgery last April, which put him at the rear of the Flyers’ pack of defensive prospects.

“Anytime it's your first call-up, you're going to be surprised,” Manning said. “I know the back end's been hurting for awhile, so it's a possibility and I've been doing what I can do to get ready and hopefully get the call.”

Asked whether he was playing, Manning replied, “It's kind of undecided right now. I'm just kind of waiting to hear how the other guys are doing and we'll go from there.”

Loose pucks

Wondering about other Phantoms defensemen? Marc-Andre Bourdon has concussion symptoms but has passed every test … Oskars Bartulis has a confirmed concussion. Hence, Manning gets called up over them.



Injured Timonen back on the ice Thursday

Tim Panaccio

Kimmo Timonen, who will miss his third straight game tonight, skated hard Thursday morning at Skate Zone.

Sources say Timonen has a back issue, but it’s not a herniated disk. He had played 248 consecutive games until his back began acting up on the Flyers' last road trip out west.

Timonen was on the ice at least 30 minutes with Ian Laperriere, doing sprints, circles and cut drills with cones. He appeared to be moving fine on his skates.

“I’m feeling good, but I can’t do any interviews until next week,” Timonen said. “See you in April.”

He was smiling. We don’t think he intends to sit out until April, either.

General manager Paul Holmgren said he is taking it slowly with Timonen on his recovery to assure he’s ready for the playoff grind that looms in the near distance.

Timonen turns 37 later this month.



Flyers recall Zolnierczyk, Manning

Staff

In advance of their game tonight against the Florida Panthers, the Flyers recalled a pair of skaters from their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms.

Left wing Harry Zolnierczyk and defenseman Brandon Manning will be in Philadelphia for tonight's game and will be available to play.

Zolnierczyk has played in 36 games for the Flyers this season, registering three goals and two assists. He was sent back to the Phantoms after the Flyers' Feb. 5 loss to the New York Rangers.

Manning has yet to play in a game at the NHL level. In 32 games with the Phantoms this year, the 21-year-old defenseman has four goals and five assists. His recall is a bit more curious than Zolnierczyk's, because the Flyers already recalled defenseman Erik Gustafsson from the Phantoms last week. That Manning is with the Flyers could simply mean he's here to provide depth, but it could indicate the team has another injury on defense.

Considering the recent bevy of injuries, that the Flyers have made a pair of recalls does not come as a surprise. The Flyers will be without defenseman Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros for the third straight game against the Panthers on Thursday, and both Jakub Voracek and Jaromir Jagr are questionable.

Voracek is under concussion watch after taking a shoulder-to-the-head hit from Red Wing Niklas Kronwall Tuesday night. Jagr injured his hip in that game, as well.

The call-ups mean the Flyers have hit the maximum number of recalls they're allowed between the trade deadline and end of the season (four). In addition to Zolnierczyk, Manning and Gustafsson, the Flyers called up winger Eric Wellwood last week.



NHL Wrap: Kovalchuk leads Devils past Isles

Staff

Ilya Bryzgalov and the Flyers won their fourth straight game after shutting out the Panthers 5-0 at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night (see full recap).

Now, here's some notable games from around the Atlantic Division and NHL.

Speak of the Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk recorded his second hat trick in just over three weeks to help the New Jersey Devils to a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday (see full recap).

Zach Parise recorded his 400th NHL point and Martin Brodeur made 29 saves for the Devils.

Defenseman Andy MacDonald scored the lone goal for the Islanders. The goal snapped a 31-game drought for MacDonald.

The Blueshirt blues

The New York Rangers dropped their second straight game after suffering a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday (see full recap).

Captain Ryan Callahan scored the only marker for the Rangers. Nick Foligno, Zack Smith, Kyle Turris and Jason Spezza all found the back of the net for the Senators.

The Rangers hadn't lost two straight in regulation since Dec. 13 and 15.

Something Bruin

David Krejci scored for the fifth time in the last five games to help the Boston Bruins win consecutive games for the first time in almost two months.

The B's beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Thursday behind 18 saves from goalie Tim Thomas. Captain Jason Pominville scored the only goal for the Sabres (see full recap).

The Bruins last won two in a row on Jan. 10 and 12.



Focused Bryzgalov guiding Flyers' hot streak

Tim Panaccio

This time, the fans weren’t mocking Ilya Bryzgalov.

This time, when they chanted “Bryz, Bryz” it was with adoration – not spite.

Two shutouts in the same week can change opinions in a hurry, no?

“I was so concentrated I didn’t hear it, but if they cheered for me it’s very nice and very kind for them,” Bryzgalov said.

“From hating to love in one step, in another direction.”

Bryzgalov notched his fourth shutout of the season with Thursday’s 5-0 win over Florida (see story). He has a 1.25 goals against average and a .960 save percentage during the Flyers’ current four-game winning streak.

This was his 10th straight start where he is 7-2 with a no-decision, plus a 2.17 GAA and .921 save percentage.

He’s the first Flyer goalie to get two shutouts in the same week since Marty Biron at the very end of the 2007-08 season.

“Congratulations,” Bryz said, not realizing he was congratulating himself.

The Flyers played determined defense in front of him, blocking 18 shots.

“We’re missing guys, but we have some guys called up,” Bryzgalov said. “Brandon Manning released by the Colts and he played tonight here.”

Bryz paused and winked. That was a joke, but it went over the media’s head because he said it so fast. He continued to mix football references with hockey, too.

“[Manning] stepped up and played very good. Gus [Erik Gustafsson] and Andreas [Lilja] … I can’t say enough about the defensive line and offensive line helping in the defensive zone. It’s a great team effort.”

Relief arrives

Since defenseman Brandon Manning was called up under emergency conditions, he didn’t count against the four-man regular call-up limit after the trade deadline. The Flyers still have two call-ups remaining for the regular season. There is no limit on emergency call-ups.

Loose pucks

Jody Shelley, who had been a healthy scratch for the past five games, played in Jakub Voracek’s absence. Shelley was the fourth line with Eric Wellwood and Jaromir Jagr. Jagr played a reduced role because he has an ailing hip. … Shelley and Krystofer Barch had a rock ‘em, sock ‘em fight right after Matt Read’s goal in the second period with Shelley getting the decision. That was just his fifth fight of the season. Then again, Shelley has only played 24 games. ... Zac Rinaldo dropped gloves in the third with Erik Gudbranson. Rinaldo leads the Flyers with 14 fights. ... The Flyers got three of their five goals from rookies. They now have 49 goals scored by rookies this season, which is 22.7 percent of the team’s total of 216. ... Claude Giroux recorded his 23rd multi-point game of the season. He has 55 assists on the season, jumping him two past Henrik Sedin for the league lead (pending the end of Vancouver’s game against Winnipeg).



Flyers blank Panthers to win fourth straight

Tim Panaccio

Their forward lines were depleted. They were missing three regulars on defense.

Jaromir Jagr’s hip was dicey, so he had to take a powder, going onto the fourth line.

“I had to play because there were no other Czechs – all the Czechs were out,” he kidded. “Everybody knows, if there is no Czech in the game, it’s a boring game.”

So boring the Flyers came up with another gritty effort, blocking 18 shots, getting goals from three rookies, plus their second shutout this week from Ilya Bryzgalov, as they trampled the Florida Panthers, 5-0 at Wells Fargo Center.

That’s four wins in succession and this isn’t even the Flyers roster you’ll see once Peter Laviolette’s team gets healthy.

“Just from a team point of view, guys blocking shots, making smart decisions with pucks, picking up in front of the net and not allowing second opportunities, in that sense it was pretty tight,” Laviolette said.

“We needed some big saves through the course of the game and Bryz was sharp again.”

The last Flyer goalie to get two shutouts the same week was Marty Biron in the final two games of the 2007-08 season. The Russian Bryzly Bear has four shutouts overall this year.

In the final minutes of play, Florida made a push to score. The Flyers’ defense was fighting ferociously in front of the net while Bryzgalov (28 saves), in his 10th consecutive start, was making diving saves to preserve his shutout.

“All 60 minutes it was a great effort by the team, not just the final five minutes,” Bryzgalov said. “Diving for pucks, blocking, protecting the passing lanes to make my job as easy as possible.

“Removing players from the slot to make me see the shot. It was an unbelievable team effort.”

Since coming back from missing two games with the flu, Bryz is 7-2 with a no-decision, and has a 2.17 goals against average and .921 save percentage. If you go back to the last start previous to his illness, the numbers are 1.95, .926.

“It all starts with Bryz,” defenseman Matt Carle said. “He made a lot of big stops. We had a few breakdowns. He was always there to make the big save for us.”

Laviolette’s group pressed the attack the entire game and came away with two power play goals, too.

The win allowed the 5th-seeded Flyers (83 points) to creep within two points of idle Pittsburgh which is holding down the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s been fun the way we’ve been playing at home lately,” said Danny Briere, who played his 800th NHL game.

They’ve won four of their last five games at Wells Fargo, too.

“We’re starting to make it a tough place to play in again,” Briere said. “I don’t why it was the other way around earlier in the season. We’re getting a little of our swagger back.”

The Flyers started strong and never let up. Rookie Brayden Schenn had not gotten a point in his previous nine games. That changed at 10:35 when he scored his ninth goal during a power play.

The bizarre part of this was whether Scott Hartnell intentionally fanned on the play.

It landed on Schenn’s stick for a one-timer to beat goalie Jose Theodore.

“It was a pass across from G,” Schenn said. “[Giroux] tried to get it to Hartnell, but he didn't get any wood on it. The puck slid right to me and I kind of had an open cage.”

Bryzgalov had a strong period with 11 saves, including back-to-back stops on Shawn Matthias, who snuck behind the defense for two attempts at the right post without a defenseman within the 215 area code.

Speaking of defense, Brandon Manning, playing alongside Andreas Lilja, made his rookie debut as Pavel Kubina was an injury scratch.

Matt Read, who went 12 games without a goal until the month of March began, scored his third goal in four games three minutes into the second period to make it 2-0.

His line with Briere and Wayne Simmonds did yeoman’s work at the net to keep the puck down low. Read, who leads all NHL rookies in goals, needs one more goal for 20.

“There were a couple of quick shots coming out of the corner from Danny,” Read said. “One was a rebound and Simmer and I were swinging at the puck. I got a stick on it at the end and I think Theodore may have pushed it into the back of the net.”

Now, Hartnell might have fanned earlier, but his confidence right now is such that if given a second chance, he’s going to bury it.

Which is what transpired at 12:49 when he stripped Panthers’ winger Tomas Fleischmann in neutral ice for a breakaway, then shot from 27-feet for his 32nd goal of the season, making it 3-0.

“We’re not doing too many fancy plays in the neutral zone and we’re scoring some goals,” Hartnell beamed. “This is the time of year where you have to have everything coming together to make a playoff run. We’re building. Every win has been awesome.”

Incidentally, Briere, who has now gone 21 games without a goal, played a strong-all around game with a pair of assists, including one on Jagr’s power play goal in the third period.

“I think I’m retiring from scoring goals,” he laughed. “It’s not happening, anymore. The chances are there, I just can’t finish these days.

“I’m not worried about that. It’s going to turn around at some point. The last 4-5 games, our line is creating a lot of chances. That’s all you can worry about.”



Kubina out, Manning makes NHL debut

Tim Panaccio

Another Flyer rookie in the lineup.

Except this one is making his NHL debut.

Brandon Manning, called up for Thursday’s morning skate, replaced an injured Pavel Kubina against the Florida Panthers and began the game paired with veteran Andreas Lilja. Kubina did not dress because of an upper body injury, the club announced. He took a puck to the face Sunday in Washington but played Tuesday against Detroit. It was unclear whether this was his injury or something else is bothering him.

Manning is the 12th Flyer rookie to play this season and sixth to make his debut.

“I’m excited to see him play because there’s been a lot of positive comments coming up from the minor-league team,” coach Peter Laviolette said before the game.

“He’s done a really nice job. He’s a good two-way defenseman. He plays with an edge. He hits. He fights. It’ll be interesting to watch him play.

“Apparently he’s done a nice job down there, coming off of the injury, working hard this summer to get to a point and now he’s back playing. It’s a good reward to get a game playing and show what he can do.”

Manning wasn’t sure whether he was playing before the game when he met with reporters.

“Big time, for sure,” he replied when asked if he were excited. “Any time this is what you grow up doing, outdoor rinks and my buddies back home, that’s all you want to do is play in the NHL.

“Especially to get the call yesterday and now it’s here, it’s going pretty quick so I think it’s a good thing for me.

“My family is really supportive. Lots of calls from grandparents, aunts and uncles. All my buddies are excited and my sisters and I can’t say enough about what my family’s done for my career.”



Flyers want 4th seed, even if they meet Pens

Tim Panaccio

The Flyers spent nearly the entire season as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Unless you win your division outright, that’s the best you can hope for in the NHL.

As they prep for the Florida Panthers this evening, the Flyers reside in fifth while a familiar foe has emerged from the pack to take a four-point lead on them: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“There’s still 17 games left to play,” said ex-Penguin Max Talbot. “You look at Pittsburgh and know the Rangers are on top right now but you never know what is going to happen.

“Yes, it’s going to be a great race, not only with Pittsburgh but Jersey is in the mix, as well. There’s a lot of games left and it’s definitely going to be interesting.”

The Flyers seem destined at this point to get either Pittsburgh or New Jersey. Truth is, the easiest route for the postseason would be to finish sixth and draw the Southeast Division winner, but Peter Laviolette’s club wants fourth, regardless of the draw.

“I think everybody is aware of it – the standings are right behind us here in the [dressing] room,” Talbot said. “You look at it every day. You follow teams even more when the season is winding down. Who's 8-9-10 and what the match-ups could be.”

Pittsburgh has 85 points and 16 games left. The Flyers will have the same number of games left after tonight. The Devils remain two points behind the Flyers and also have 16 games left.

The Penguins are the hottest team in the East right now – 8-2 in their last 10 games – having won seven straight.

Sidney Crosby emerged from his first full contact practice on Wednesday without any post-concussion effects and is expected back at some point either at the very end of the season or to start the playoffs. It’s been more than three months since he’s seen contact on the ice.

Potentially, he could face the Flyers three times down the stretch here. Talbot is among Crosby’s closest friends.

Talk to Sid, lately?

“Not lately, but we’ve been texting throughout the season,” Talbot said. “Pretty much everybody in this league wants to see him come back healthy. Back on his feet and playing the way he was playing.”

The Flyers have won three in a row and are playing very well while goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has steadily improved his game. He will make his 10th straight start on Thursday.

Over his last nine games, he is 6-2 with a no decision, has a 2.42 goals against average and .912 save percentage.

Every game now seems to get more defensive, a precursor to how things will look come the playoffs.

“With regard to the games themselves, I do believe they are ratcheting up,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “You look at [Tuesday], we gave up a lot but got banged up through the game and gave up a lot of shots. Especially, in the third period, there were some quality ones, but Ilya was really good for us.

“You look around the league and it’s not uncommon to see the shots against are 22, 25, the games seem to be getting tighter. The checking is a little more desperate. Every game means something.

“The teams that are hardest to play are the ones who have the longest stretch to get into the playoffs. The ones that are on the line, those are real desperate games. The ones on the top of the conference are great hockey. You want to see who can put their chest out a little more and say, ‘we got you.’ There are no easy games right now.”


618117 Phoenix Coyotes

Poor start, anemic power play hurting Coyotes

By Sarah McLellan -

During their stretch of winless hockey to start the month of March, the same in-game factors have seemed to be stalling the Coyotes as they attempt to corral a victory and stay in the Western Conference playoff race.

Poor starts and an anemic power play have been the biggest culprits, and they struck again on Thursday.

The Coyotes weren't able to climb out of an early 2-0 hole against the Minnesota Wild and went 0-for-4 with the man-advantage en route to a 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild at Jobing.com Arena.

"You can't put yourself in holes like that," coach Dave Tippett said. "That's a recipe for disaster, and that's not the first time that we've seen it."

The Coyotes are now winless in five, but the point they earned keeps them in seventh in the playoff standings.

The point turned out to be valuable on a night when Pacific Division rivals Dallas and San Jose battled to a three-point decision, with the Stars edging out a shootout win. The Coyotes (76) are now one point up on the Sharks (75) and three behind the Stars (79) for third in the division.

"For us to salvage anything out of this game was definitely a positive," winger Raffi Torres said.

During this five-game skid, the Coyotes have fallen behind by at least two goals in every game. What makes a comeback difficult is the Coyotes haven't scored more than two goals in a game during that span.

"I think we just have to keep it a little bit more simple early," said goalie Jason LaBarbera, who got the nod in favor of Mike Smith against the Wild. "It seems like we turn the puck over a few too many times early. It costs us and then we get back on our heels, and we're not a team that's geared toward coming from behind.

"We play better with the lead, and that's kind of our identity. We're not a team that can score five goals a night. When you're chasing the game the whole night, it makes everything a lot more difficult on everybody."

Barely five minutes into this match against the Wild, the Coyotes were down 2-0. The Wild scored both goals in a span of 58 seconds.

Execution courtesy the power play might have helped the Coyotes establish a lead after they tied the score at 2, but the team blanked on all four of its opportunities.

"We've got to do a better job of getting traffic and getting pucks to the net," Torres said.

A better job in all three areas of the ice -- from the defensive end, through the neutral zone and into the offensive area -- is likely needed to get back in the win column and stay relevant in the West's playoff conversation.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves," winger Lauri Korpikoski said. "No one is going to feel sorry for this team. We've just got to get it together."

Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.09.2012


Coyotes salvage point in shootout loss vs. Wild

By Jim Gintonio

The Coyotes' blueprint read something like this: rest goaltender Mike Smith, who had been struggling, and give backup Jason LaBarbera, who filled in admirably two nights ago, a chance to provide a lift to a team desperate for a win.

And despite 55 minutes of solid play -- those first five proved to be the backbreaker -- the Coyotes remain more desperate than ever.

They dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the injury-depleted Minnesota Wild on Thursday night in front of 11,716 at Jobing.com Arena for their fifth loss in a row. The one point, however, allowed them to retain the second spot in the Pacific Division and seventh place in the Western Conference.

"If you wanted to paint a picture that we didn't want to see that was exactly it, give up two goals on really unearned chances," coach Dave Tippett said.

"You can't chase games like that all the time. Fortunately we got a point: I thought the last two periods played well enough to get two points. You can't put yourselves in holes like that. That's a recipe for disaster, and that's not the first time we've seen it."

Coyotes center Martin Hanzal left the game in the first period with an apparent wrist injury and did not return. He will be re-evaluated today.

Raffi Torres and Lauri Korpikoski scored 65 seconds apart early in the third period to tie the game at 2-2. The Wild notched their two in a span of 58 seconds in the first, and that forced the Coyotes into a chase mode.

Ray Whitney and Shane Doan notched the Coyotes' shootout goals before Dany Heatley, in the fifth round, slipped the game winner past LaBarbera, who shouldered the blame.

"All I have to do is make one save in a shootout, and we're not talking about this," LaBarbera said. "I've been awful in the last two shootouts, and it's cost us point. It's not an easy way to lose a game like that when you feel like you played pretty well and just didn't make the save when you need to.

"That's the frustrating part, play well for 55 minutes. ... The guys played hard tonight. The pucks just didn't bounce our way again."

The Coyotes carried the game after falling behind and outshot the Wild 41-24 but could not get the third goal past Josh Harding, who took over for Matt Hackett with 8:22 left in the second period following a pileup in front of the net.

The Coyotes, whose power play remains anemic, had a man advantage after a high sticking penalty on Devin Setoguchi against Keith Yandle with 2:53 remaining in regulation. Again, however, it went for naught.

"We've got to play better the whole game," Tippett said. "We've given points away this last little streak here that are just unacceptable for our group. Unfortunately, we're digging ourselves big holes, and that doesn't fit our style of game whatsoever, chasing leads like that."

Coyotes report

Key player: The Wild's Dany Heatley scored the shootout-winning goal.

Key moment: Raffi Torres and Lauri Korpikoski scored 65 seconds apart early in the third period as the Coyotes tied the score 2-all.

Key number: 5. Games in a row that the Coyotes have been down at least 2-0 in the first period.

View from the press box

The big mystery for the Coyotes in the past five games is why they are having so much trouble getting untracked early. It's something they will have to figure out very quickly if they want to stay in the mix for a playoff spot. They get another chance to do that Saturday against the San Jose Sharks, the team right behind them in the Western Conference.



Coyotes' Dave Tippett says team isn't playing tight

By Jim Gintonio

The Coyotes are not playing tight, coach Dave Tippett said before Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild in which they tried to snap out of a season-long four-game losing streak. He said the focus is the same as it has been all season -- "do things right all the time."

Not doing enough of the right things at the right time contributed to the skid, and the inability to put together strong first periods is the key culprit because playing from behind does not play into the Coyotes' strength.

The Coyotes have an .826 winning percentage when leading after one period and .150 when trailing. From this point on, it will be the little things that determine the Coyotes' playoff fate.

"I think it's important that we go out and just really feel good about what we're doing out there and don't feel like something bad is going to happen," Tippett said. "You've got to go out and dictate the outcome, that's where we want to be.

"Sometimes when you've given up some leads early, you've got to look at that and say, 'That's not going to happen tonight, we're going to be determine that that's not going to happen; we're going to get our game moving in the right direction and manufacture a win.' ...

"You can't give up unearned chances. Our group is looking at it like every game is the next one we've got to focus on."

Goalie switch

Jason LaBarbera, who played well in the 3-2 loss to Columbus, giving up only a disputed goal, got the call against the Wild.

Tippett said LaBarbera earned the start because he played well in his previous outing, and Tippett thought that LaBarbera could win the game. He called it "a great opportunity" for the backup goaltender," adding that the decision gives Mike Smith a rest and more time to work on his game.

LaBarbera saw the start as an opportunity to build off his past two games.

"It's funny how hockey works," he said. "You go on a nice run (11-0-1) in February and within a week, you've lost four in a row."

The four-game slide, he said, was a combination of things. To give themselves the best chance of winning, the Coyotes need to score first, keep the game close and then find a way to put it away.

"When you go on a run like that, sometimes it's easy to feel a little too good about yourself, I think," he said. "The media wants to talk to you, friends and family tell you how great you're playing, and yada, yada, yada.

"Sometimes you feel better than you probably should, so it's just a matter of getting back to who we are. ... We built an identity around here the last couple years, and that's who we are. If we get away from it, we're not as effective as we need to be. It's just a matter of getting back to who we are."

Ice chip

Secondary scoring could be a sleeping giant for the Coyotes, starting with forwards Mikkel Boedker and Lauri Korpikoski; both have contributed in several areas this season but have been in goal-scoring slumps. Headed into Thursday night's game, Boedker had one goal in his past 29 games, and Korpikoski had one in his past 15.



Coyotes eye chance at a redeeming win vs. Wild

By Jim Gintonio

Confidence is not overflowing with the Coyotes -- they have lost four in a row for the first time in the three-year tenure of coach Dave Tippett and plummeted from leading the Pacific Division to being seventh in the Western Conference.

They get a chance for redemption Thursday, hosting Minnesota, another struggling team that has dropped its past five games. For both the Coyotes and Wild, it becomes more of a mental challenge.

"When you go through a little like we have, it (confidence) definitely drops," said goaltender Mike Smith, who won 11 in a row in February but then lost three in a row and left Tuesday's game trailing 2-0 in the first period.

"But there no time for feeling sorry for ourselves. We've got to find a way to get out of this little slump and start winning hockey games."

A major issue in the Coyotes' skid has been the inability to win first periods, outscored 8-1 during the skid, "not a recipe for winning," Tippett said.

Smith has been victimized early, and he acknowledges that everything starts with goaltending. He said his game is not where it needs to be for the team to be successful, adding that he is trying to work though what he called "a little bit of a funk."

"I played well most of the season, so it's no time to bury my head now and pout about it," he said. "We've got to work and find a way out of it."

Tippett said the slow starts are more the result of mistakes than coming out flat.

"I don't care who you are in this league, if you're chasing games, you're not going to be very successful," he said. "You get away with it now and then, but not very often.

"Our players know what's at stake. Obviously we're in a hard playoff battle. We had a good stretch, and now we've got to look for a way to find our way again."

With 15 games remaining, all against Western Conference teams, the Coyotes are desperate to find that winning touch again. Three of those games are against the San Jose Sharks, the team a spot behind them in the West.

Tippett said the team did not get too high during their winning streak and will not get too low at this point of the season.

"There's some areas of our game that certainly need improvement, but right through our lineup we have to have a little more consistency and ability to push the game along and stay away from the errors.

"You look at every team. When you can play with a lead, you can be a solid team. When you're chasing a game, you look like you're all over the place, and that's kind of what we looked like the last couple of games."

Tippett said the Wild will be in a desperation mode and "a little sour about the situation. ... Our thought process should be the exact same way."


618121 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins defensemen Michalek, Martin flourishing apart

By Chris Harlan,

Zbynek Michalek laughed at the scene from Braveheart that appeared on the arena scoreboard, with Scottish warriors yelling a name that sounded a lot like his.

Michalek?

MacCulloch?

Either way, "it's a fun thing," he said.

For Michalek and Paul Martin, the past few weeks have been more fun than many others this season. They have been outstanding of late and are part of the reason the Penguins carry a seven-game winning streak into Friday night's game against the Florida Panthers at Consol Energy Center.

Michalek and Martin were stellar defensively a season ago, often matched against top lines, but they've struggled this season to match that consistency. Their resurgence has come since Feb. 12, when coaches decided to split the defensemen.

"We took it personally," Michalek said of the split, "but I didn't blame the coaches. I knew that we didn't play our best, that's why they made a change. It's been working so far."

Their stalls still sit side-by-side in the team's dressing room, but on the ice they've been paired with other teammates. Michalek was paired Wednesday with Brooks Orpik. Martin played with Matt Niskanen. But those, too, could change.

"When you play so many games together, you feel like you're in it together," Martin said, "but sometimes changing things up is refreshing. I think we're both taking it in stride."

The two have six combined points in the past four games, including a Michalek goal Monday against Phoenix that prompted the Braveheart scene. It was Michalek's second goal this season and first at home.

But their defensive statistics are even better. Paired together, Martin's plus-minus rating was minus-6 and Michalek's was minus-10. Since the split, Martin is plus-2 and Michalek is plus-7.

"We are proud guys," Michalek said. "We want to play well for this team. When we got split, we definitely took that personally because that means that something was not going well."

Michalek said his improvement started in practice, with a determination to play more consistently. He has gone six straight games with a positive plus-minus rating. That includes a plus-1 in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over Toronto, when he led the team with 27 shifts and blocked three shots.

"I think sometimes a change is a good thing," coach Dan Bylsma said. "They play well together, but I do think having separated a little bit ... has been good for both."

Martin has at least one assist in three of his past four games but said he hasn't changed his approach or game much since the split. He had two assists Saturday in Colorado.

"I don't feel any differently," Martin said. "Sometimes you get a couple points, you get some pluses and people think you're playing well. So it's all relative."

Bylsma agreed that the plus-minus rating from before the split might have been somewhat misleading. But the changes were made after the Penguins

fell behind Tampa Bay, 2-0, in the first period. That came one day after allowing five goals in a victory over Winnipeg.

In the past seven games, the Penguins only once allowed more than two goals.

"A few good games give you a little confidence and you start feeling better," Michalek said.

In the 11 games since the change, the pairings often have switched; first for strategy and later because of injuries to Kris Letang and Deryk Engelland. That has tested the team's depth and made Martin and Michalek's play even more important. They've shared the ice at times, but neither knows whether a reunion lies in their future.

"Nobody has said that we're going to be together any time soon," Michalek said. "Maybe one day we'll be back together. Who knows?"

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.09.2012

618122 Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin? Crosby? Kunitz can't lose on line decision

By Shelly Anderson,

It was a loaded question, to be sure.

Which star center -- Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby -- does Penguns left winger Chris Kunitz prefer or think he's better with?

"Umm ... " Kunitz began.

It's something coach Dan Bylsma will have to determine, perhaps in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Scouting report

Matchup: Penguins vs. Florida Panthers, 7:08 p.m. today, Consol Energy Center.

TV, radio: Root Sports, WXDX-FM (105.9).

Probable goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Jose Theodore for Panthers.

Penguins: Have won seven in row and are 2-0 on four-game homestand. ??? Are 0 for 14 on power play since Kris Letang got hurt. ??? Evgeni Malkin is one point shy of 500 for career, James Neal one point shy of 200.

Panthers: Are 0-3-3 in past six games in Pittsburgh. ??? Are 5-5-1 in second of back-to-back games. ??? Were 14-0-1 when scoring a power-play goal and not allowing a power-play goal before playing Thursday at Philadelphia.

Hidden stat: Before Thursday, Florida had rallied from two-goal deficitdeficits to win three of its previous six games.li>

Kunitz has been playing on a dynamite top line with Malkin and right winger James Neal for a few months, but he has spent the majority of his Penguins career as the left-hand man to Crosby when they both have been healthy. Crosby has missed most of the past 14 months because of a concussion and neck injury.

The team canceled its scheduled practice Thursday, but Crosby apparently skated with forwards Eric Tangradi and Dustin Jeffrey, with contact involved. When he got cleared for contact Tuesday, Crosby said the earliest he would play is Sunday, a day game against Boston at Consol Energy Center.

Bylsma has admitted he has pondered the question of how to arrange his lines when Crosby returns, but he has not divulged any plans, including whether he might reunite Crosby and Kunitz, or keep the Malkin line intact, or move center Jordan Staal to Crosby's wing.

When they have been together, Crosby and Kunitz often have played with Pascal Dupuis on the right side.

Dupuis has been working well lately with Staal and Steve Sullivan. In a 3-2 win Wednesday against Toronto, Dupuis had two goals and an assist, Staal had a goal and an assist and Sullivan had an assist. The members of that

line rank fourth, fifth and sixth in team scoring behind the members of Malkin's line.

Not that it's a burden to find a place for Crosby, considered one of the best, if not the best, player in the world. Malkin has fit the same description this season.

Kunitz, 32, is a physical, smart player willing to set up in front of the net. He has 19 goals, 45 points. It's his fourth season with more than 40 points, and he's a goal away from his fourth 20-goal season. His 45 points put him third on the team behind Malkin, who was tied with Tampa Bay's Steve Stamkos atop the NHL scoring list with 81 points before Thursday, and Neal, who ranked 15th with 62 points.

Kunitz has proven capable of helping any good center and did his best to answer the Malkin-or-Crosby question without choosing sides because, after all, what winger wouldn't like the opportunity to play with any center of that caliber?

"I try to keep my game the same, and I think maybe it adapts well to a few different guys," said Kunitz, who was acquired in a trade with Anaheim in February 2009.

"Even playing with [Staal], I try to do the same thing. Hopefully, that's what makes me successful. It's getting pucks to these guys that are really talented and skilled and going to the areas that they draw a lot of people away from."

Still, there are differences playing with Malkin or Crosby. Malkin (270) and Neal (267) rank one-two in the NHL in shots, while Crosby is less rapid-fire while being equally dangerous.

Of the Malkin line, Kunitz said: "We have different elements, a little bit of everything. Neal's a great shooter. [Malkin] is a guy who is unbelievable with the puck and is dominating in so many areas. It makes my job easy. I just have to go to the net, go look for open space, and they draw a lot of attention."

On playing on a line with Crosby, he said: "It was kind of a different type of scoring threat. Playing with Sid when he was playing to his highest level, we'd score a lot on rushes, odd-man chances. We wouldn't necessarily go through and cycle it down around [as with Malkin's line]. It was more of an on-the-rush type of thing.

"It was a little different because Sid brings a lot of head speed through the blue lines. He's coming out of the [defensive] zone so quickly, whereas [Malkin] can get the puck and go through two or three guys -- not that Sid can't; it's just a different type of coming through the neutral zone."

Both centers have speed. Malkin weaves and dances. Crosby blows by opponents.

Kunitz can't say who he will line up with when Crosby returns -- and that doesn't address working Crosby into the top power-play unit, where the forwards now are Malkin, Neal and Kunitz -- but he's sure looking forward to the addition.

"To add a player of Sid's caliber, it makes you a threat to be able to win any game or any playoff round," Kunitz said.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.09.2012

618123 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks fall to Dallas Stars in shootout, 4-3

By David Pollak

DALLAS -- On a night when they did many things right, the Sharks still came up short.

And after San Jose dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center to extend its current winless streak to four games, it wasn't the fifth-round shot by Tomas Vincour that settled the one-on-one competition that anyone cared about.

It was the relatively unheralded Vincour's final shot in regulation -- one that trickled across the goal line to tie the game with 75 seconds left -- that was gnawing at players.

"We had the lead twice in the third and didn't hold onto it. It's either you do it or you don't play after the regular season," Ryane Clowe said. "You've got to finish off the games."

The loss -- San Jose's first to Dallas in four games this season -- extended the Sharks' winless streak to four and dropped the visitors four points behind their Pacific Division-leading hosts.

The teams entered the game going opposite directions -- Dallas at 7-0-1 over the previous eight games, the Sharks at 2-5-1. But San Jose came up with a strong showing, getting off 48 shots and goals from Torrey Mitchell, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. At the other end of the ice, Antti Niemi made 32 saves and gave up tallies to Michael Ryder, Jamie Benn and Vincour.

"We took strides forward again from where we've been to where we're going," coach Todd McLellan said. "We're climbing the hill. We're not there yet, but I

thought we had a pretty good effort and did a lot of things well for most of the game."

The contest was scoreless through the first period, with Dallas taking a 1-0 lead at 12:16 of the second period when Ryder beat Niemi just eight seconds after Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen made a big save on Clowe.

But two San Jose goals 27 seconds apart in game time -- yet separated by a 17-minute intermission -- gave the Sharks their first lead.

With less than two seconds remaining in the second period, Mitchell stickhandled his way around defenseman Alex Goligoski and beat Lehtonen with a backhand shot. Then 25 seconds into the third, Marleau's 23-foot wrist shot found the back of the Dallas net and San Jose had a 2-1 lead.

After Benn made it 2-2 at 6:42 of the final period, Pavelski put the Sharks back in the lead at 16:28 when he punched in the rebound of a shot by Dan Boyle. But Dallas continued to apply pressure, and Vincour scored after a scramble in front of the crease.

Officials didn't immediately signal a goal, but a video review showed the puck did cross the line before Niemi could stop it.

"I don't know why it came out on the blocker side when my body turned the opposite way," the Sharks goalie said. "I was aware it was behind me, and I was trying to get my glove on the ice and I kind of did. I covered it, but it was already in the net."

Clowe wasn't the only player troubled by the game-tying goal.

"We just can't give up that last goal," said Pavelski, who was on the ice when it happened. "It's frustrating because it's been like that a lot. We need to be on the positive side to win games."

But Clowe did get to the heart of the problem beyond the lost point.

"If you're on the ice in the last minute, you better be taking pride in that," he said. "That's like a coach giving you a little pat on the back. If you're on in the last minute, he's showing trust in you and you've got to take pride."

The one point gave San Jose lone possession of eighth place in the Western Conference with 75 points, one behind the Phoenix Coyotes and one ahead of both the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche.

Onetime Shark and current TV analyst Jeremy Roenick used his blog at nhl.com Thursday to express concern over San Jose's recent struggles and take another shot at Marleau.

"I honestly don't know what is wrong there," Roenick wrote, adding later: "I'm really nervous for this team. I'm nervous for Doug Wilson."

Roenick and the Sharks general manager have been close friends since they were teammates with the Chicago Blackhawks, but the outspoken Roenick has been publicly critical of Marleau since his retirement.

"You're not going to get any consistency out of Patrick Marleau because he can't find it in him to get angry, mad, ticked off enough to help lead this team out of the doldrums," Roenick said.

Marleau, who had a strong game defensively against the Stars in addition to scoring, said he had not heard about Roenick's latest criticism until being told by reporters after the game.

Clowe, Pavelski, Tommy Wingels and Dominic Moore all missed in the shootout. Niemi stopped Benn, Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro before getting beat by Vincour.

McLellan shuffled his lineup against Dallas, subbing Jason Demers for Justin Braun on the blue line and inserting Brad Winchester and Andrew Desjardins up front in place of Michal Handzus and T.J. Galiardi.

Dallas pest Steve Ott was a surprise scratch with back spasms. Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray left the game early with a lower body injury.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Vincour, Lehtonen lead Stars past Sharks in SO

AP

Tomas Vincour scored in the final minute of regulation, and then added the lone goal of the shootout in the fifth round to give the surging Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.














NOTES: Dallas D Sheldon Souray was done after two periods because of an undisclosed lower body injury. ... Sharks RW Martin Havlat (hamstring) missed his 36th consecutive game. ... Lehtonen has started 16 of 18 games. ... LW Steve Ott (back spasms), LW Brenden Morrow (neck, shoulder) and C Jake Dowell (finger) were out for Dallas. Ott missed his first game since Nov. 15. Morrow, the Stars captain, sat out his 18th straight game, but he is practicing with the team and is nearing a return to the lineup.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.09.2012


Effort improves, but result the same

Kevin Kurz

DALLAS – The effort was improved. The result was painfully similar.

The Sharks played their most complete game in weeks – at least offensively – but still lost in heartbreaking and frustrating fashion to the Dallas Stars in a shootout on Thursday night at American Airlines Center, 4-3.

Dallas’ Tomas Vincour scored late in the third and tallied the only goal in the shootout, moving the Stars, 8-0-1 in their last nine games, four points ahead of the Sharks in the Pacific Division. San Jose has two games in hand.

Joe Pavelski had given the Sharks a late lead, when he deposited the rebound of a Dan Boyle shot with just 3:32 to go in regulation.

Dallas didn’t fold, though, tying the game with 1:15 to go and the goaltender pulled on a Vincour goal during a scramble in front of Antti Niemi. The puck barely trickled over the line before Niemi grabbed it with his glove, and a brief video review confirmed it was a good goal.

“I was aware it was behind me, and I was trying to get my glove on the ice,” said the goaltender.

[RELATED: Sharks to face supremely confident Stars]

Vincour’s shootout conversion came on Dallas’ fifth try. Ryane Clowe, Joe Pavelski, Tommy Wingels, Dominic Moore and Logan Couture failed, and the game ended when Lehtonen stopped Couture’s attempt.

A visibly agitated Clowe put the loss, San Jose’s sixth in the last seven games (1-4-2), into perspective.

“Good games don’t count this time of year. It’s putting up the points. I know we got a point, but we had the lead twice in the third and didn’t hold onto it,” Clowe said. "It’s either you learn and you do it, or you don’t play after the regular season.”

Still, the Sharks can take some positives into their next contest on Saturday, another division battle against a club they are fighting for playoff position against in the Phoenix Coyotes.

For one, San Jose scored three times and applied pressure on Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen for the majority of the night, firing 48 shots on goal. The Sharks had scored just four goals total in their recently complete four-game homestand.

“I thought that for a team that’s struggled to score lately and struggled to put up any offensive plays, we had a number of really good looks at the net,” Todd McLellan said.

Torrey Mitchell’s dazzling game-tying goal at the end of the second period gave the Sharks the momentum heading into the third. They took advantage of it when Marleau buried his 27th of the season just 25 seconds after the faceoff, from Joe Thornton.

Regarding Mitchell’s goal, McLellan said: “There was a little bit of a relief there, and then to come back and get a quick one going into the third was a nice start, too.”

Dallas, which had been outplayed for most of the game up to that point, turned it up a notch after Marleau’s goal. Mark Fistric drilled Tommy Wingels hard into the boards, leading to a rush the other way. Jake Dowell rang one off the post, while Niemi smothered Vincour’s shot from the circle.

Dallas did manage to tie it at 2-2, though. Jamie Benn led a rush up the boards, played give and go with Adam Burish in the offensive zone, and then slid it through Niemi at 6:42 after Dan Boyle got tripped up in the slot by Ryan Garbutt.

After Pavelski and Vincour’s goals later in the third, the frantic pace carried into overtime.

Dallas had the better of the chances early in the extra session, but Patrick Marleau broke up a potential Mike Ribiero breakaway and Niemi stopped Loui Eriksson’s shot from the slot with 3:39 left.

The Sharks went to the power play when Michael Ryder was called for holding at 2:37. Marleau’s blast hit the outside of the post, though, while Pavelski’s backhand try was turned away by Kari Lehtonen.

“Make that play, make that shot, and the game’s over,” Pavelski said. “We had a couple looks. Patty hit the post. You’ve got to capitalize. We had our chances.”

Pavelski had a good view of both of Dallas’ tying goals in the third, though, seemingly tempering his emotions for what was a good game from him on the offensive front.

“I’m out on the ice on both those, and it’s frustrating because it’s been like that a lot,” Pavelski said. “We need to be on the positive side. We can’t be a minus. We have to be on the positive side to win games.”

Clowe was upset the Sharks didn’t finish off what would have been an incredibly uplifting win for a struggling hockey club.

“You have to finish off the games. You’ve got a minute left, you’ve got to close it out,” Clowe said. “You’ve just got to take pride in the d-zone and do it right. You’ve got to learn. You’ve got to finish them off, but that’s why you play 60 minutes.”

He continued.

“If you’re on the ice in the last minute, you better be taking pride in that. I know it for me and I’m sure every other guy feels the same way, it’s like a coach is giving you a little pat on the back if you’re out in the last minute. He’s showing trust in you, and you’ve got to take pride. We’ve got to learn. We’ve got to take care of that.”

Lehtonen kept the Stars in the game with some stellar goaltending through the first 39 minutes and 58 seconds.

Mitchell scored with just two seconds to go in the second, though, when the Sharks winger walked past defenseman Alex Goligosi and flipped in a backhand for his seventh marker, making it 1-1 on a play for the highlight reels.

The Sharks nearly got their first goal with about eight minutes left in the second, but it was Dallas that opened the scoring. Clowe’s redirection attempt was stopped by the quick right pad of Lehtonen, leading to a rush the other way. Ryder got behind Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Boyle before depositing a lead pass from Jake Dowell at 12:16.

Dallas was fortunate the game was still scoreless at that point, as Lehtonen thwarted countless scoring chances by the Sharks in the first two periods. He denied Marleau on a Sharks power play with about six minutes left in the first, and later gave Pavelski no room to shoot after a nice set up by Brent Burns in the offensive zone.

Despite the loss, the Sharks moved into sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference, as Los Angeles lost in regulation to Columbus. The Phoenix Coyotes are one point ahead of San Jose, and have played two more games, after a shootout loss to Minnesota.

Odds and ends: San Jose is 2-7-3 in its last 12 games, and 4-10-3 in its last 17. … The Sharks are 3-0-1 against Dallas in the season series, with two games remaining. … Niemi made 32 saves in making his fifth straight start. … The Sharks are 7-11-6 in their last 24 road games. … TJ Galiardi, Michal Handzus, Benn Ferriero and Justin Braun were the Sharks’ scratches. … Tommy Wingels’ head was checked hard into the boards on the hit by Mark Fistric early in the third period, and left the game for about 10 minutes.



Sharks-Stars: What to watch for

Kevin Kurz

DALLAS – It’s been a little more than a month since the Sharks beat the Dallas Stars to take a 10-point lead over their division rivals.

Since then, the Sharks have fallen off of a cliff while the surprising Stars have steadily risen to take over the Pacific Division lead – three points better than the sinking Sharks.

Dallas is 7-0-1 in its last eight games, and will seek its first win over the Sharks this season when they host San Jose tonight at American Airlines Center. For the Sharks, who still have two games in hand on Dallas, they will try to avoid falling behind by as many as five points.

It’s why tonight’s game should probably be considered the biggest game of the season so far. Right, Logan Couture?

“Probably, right now,” Couture said. We’re getting down to [end of] the regular season and we’re trying to make a push for the playoffs, and these guys are ahead of us. I think both teams know how important these points are, and it’s a big game.”

Todd McLellan said: “Thursday’s game is the biggest game of the year, Saturday’s game [in Phoenix] is going to be the biggest game of the year, and we’re going to just keep going on and on. We’re into every night being the biggest game of the year. With big games come big efforts, and we’re looking for that from a lot of guys. It’s a great opportunity for guys, and they have to seize that and go out and play.”

The Sharks have had Dallas’ number this season, winning all three games in regulation. A fourth could do wonders to help reverse a stretch in which San Jose has won just four times in its last 16 games since it’s 5-2 home win over Dallas on Feb. 2.

“We’re going to need a good effort,” Joe Pavelski said. “When we play these guys it’s always a competitive game, and it brings some good play out of the guys.”

Couture said: “It’s a rivalry. They’ve got some players who get under the other team’s skin. I think we have some players who do that as well. It’s going to be a grind playing these guys, and it’s always a tough game."

The clubs will meet twice more after tonight.

Moore line vs. Stars top line? Dominic Moore, along with linemates Torrey Mitchell and Daniel Winnik, did a very good job against the Edmonton Oilers’ top line in the 3-2 shootout loss on Thursday night.

[RECAP: Missed opportunities doom Sharks in loss]

That trio will likely be together again for tonight’s game, and although it will be more difficult on the road, it’s possible McLellan will try and get them out against the Mike Ribeiro, Loui Eriksson and Michael Ryder line as much as possible.

During Dallas’ 7-0-1 stretch, that line has combined for a whopping 31 points (14g, 17a).

“I’m happy to contribute any way I can. I think I’m ready for that, or any assignment,” said Moore, who, in six games with his new team, has yet to be in the lineup for a Sharks victory.

“Their top line is really on fire right now,” McLellan said. “It’s carrying their team.”

Stars on fire: Dallas has been among the NHL’s hottest teams for a couple weeks now, after it was seemingly buried in the standings in early February.

[KURZ: Sharks face supremely confident Stars]

Head coach Glen Gulutzan was asked what is different about his club that wasn’t there a month ago. He sited a “simpler” game plan, but there’s more to it than that.

“Since the trade deadline, our team is a close-knit group," Gulutzan said. "Anyone that’s around us can attest to that. When you’ve got players that are working hard for each other and they are being held accountable to each other, you’ve got something good there. That’s probably been the biggest difference.”

Jamie Benn, tied for second on the team scoring with 52 points, said: “I think you figure out how to win hockey games, and we’re doing it as a team right now and playing the right way. We’re all buying into a system and playing for each other, and that’s what’s going to win us games down the stretch now.”

A look at the lineups: Expect some changes for the Sharks in their lineup – again – when they take the ice tonight.

All indications are that TJ Galiardi will come out, while Brad Winchester is back in. Jason Demers could also be back in after a two-game absence, after he came off of the ice early while Justin Braun stayed out later than usual.

Backup Richard Bachman led the Stars to a 5-2 win in Vancouver on Tuesday, but starter Kari Lehtonen will get the start against the Sharks. Lehtonen is just 3-4-1 in his career against the Sharks, with a 3.70 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.

Antti Niemi gets the call for San Jose, his fifth straight. In 10 games against the Stars, Niemi is 6-2-2 with a 2.24 GAA and .923 SP. He’s won two of the three games against Dallas this season, as Thomas Greiss made 19 saves in the 5-2 Sharks win on Feb. 2 with Niemi injured.

Pavelski, who missed Wednesday’s practice after taking a puck to the face on Tuesday, will play, as will the Stars’ Steve Ott, who has been battling an illness and left Dallas’ morning skate earlier than usual.

Odds and ends: The Sharks have won the first three games of the season series by a combined 14-5 score. … Dallas has killed of 23 of the last 24 opponent power plays. The Sharks were a combined 0-for-8 on the power play during their 1-2-1 homestand.


618127 St Louis Blues

Hockey Guy: Blues surge, rivals falter in West

By JEFF GORDON

The Blues reached the top of the NHL’s Western Conference pile for two reasons.

They are playing extremely well and the long-time powerhouses on this side of the league are not.

A month ago, the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks still appeared to be the class of the conference. They had the big payrolls, established talent and well-defined team personalities.

But consider these developments in recent weeks:

The Red Wings have won just two games since Feb. 19. They are 2-4-1 during that span. Simultaneous injuries to goaltender Jimmy Howard, center Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom punched a big hole in this team. Their power play efficiency has sunk to 16.6 percent for the season, which leaves this would-be juggernaut in the middle of the NHL pack.

The Sharks have won just twice since Feb. 13. They are in the throes of a full-scale offensive collapse despite boasting proven highly skilled players like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Dan Boyle in their lineup.

The Canucks are 1-2-2 in their last five games. They allowed 10 goals while losing their last two games. The Vancouver Province notes that Henrik Sedin is pointless in 10 of 13 games and Daniel Sedin in nine of 13. Their combined total for the past six games: One assist.

Vancouver appears to be solidly entrenched as the No. 2 playoff seed with its commanding division lead. But the Red Wings are suddenly chasing the Blues in the Central Division race and the Sharks are fighting to just make the playoffs.

“You want to stay positive, you want to encourage your teammates to keep working,” Thornton told reporters. “And that's all you really can do. Once it comes to game-time, we have to lay it on the line and fight for those points.”

AROUND THE RINKS: Defenseman Danny Syvret scored twice to rally the Peoria Rivermen to a crucial 4-3 overtime victory over visiting Oklahoma City in the American Hockey League. Newcomer Patrick O’Sullivan scored the winner in overtime and added three assists. Newcomer Alex Stalock earned the goaltending victory in relief of Jake Allen, who needs to elevate his game in the absence of Ben Bishop . . . Although Ken Hitchcock seems like the obvious favorite to win the Jack Adams award as the NHL's coach of the year, this season has produced other worthy candidates . . . On the other hand, new coach Dale Hunter isn't making the desired headway with the Capitals, a Stanley Cup aspirant seemingly headed toward another

coaching change . . . Having failed to build a winner in Toronto, Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has been reduced to going after the media in the Great White North. What an epic disappointment Burke has been. His team has underachieved this season. New coach Randy Carlyle may get the Leafs on track, but it will take some time . . . Don't hold your breath, but it appears that Sidney Crosby is about to return to action for the Penguins . . . The Avalanche didn't need to lose Matt Duchene for up to four weeks with a knee injury . . . Once upon a time, Sean Avery was one of the NHL's great agitators. But then he morphed into one of the sport's biggest goofs -- and now he may be heading out into the sunset.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.09.2012


Blues doing better on penalty kills

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD •

In the last stretch of Blues' games, a few of the NHL's top players have failed to muster a shot on goal. Chicago's Marian Hossa, San Jose's Joe Thornton and Vancouver's Henrik Sedin came up empty, while twin brother Daniel Sedin of the Canucks directed one puck toward the net.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock believes the reason is his team's penalty-killing unit, which is guided by assistant coach Brad Shaw. The PK went into Thursday's game against Anaheim with a streak of 32 straight kills over the past 11-plus games.

"The penalty killing has discouraged a lot of teams lately," Hitchcock said. "I think it's taken out the top players and discouraged them. When you kill penalties and you take out the top players, and they don't get a bite on the game, they get discouraged and then I think the team loses energy."

The Blues were ranked last in the NHL on the penalty kill earlier in the season, and in the streak they have climbed from 23rd to ninth in the league. The success, Hitchcock said, stems from using three pairs of forwards and two pairs of defensemen to keep the shifts short, winning face-offs and solid goaltending.

"The biggest thing is we skate the puck, whether it's three feet, six feet, 20 feet, whatever," he said. "We're not standing still trying to make a 20-foot clear. We're skating to create space for ourselves and I think that what's really helped us. When you see us in the (defensive) zone, we're not checking with our eyes, we're checking with our legs. It's made us close our gaps quicker, it's forced the other team to stand still more and it's forced the other team to make big mistakes."

Shaw joined the Blues in 2006 and the PK finished 25th in the NHL that season. In 2009-10, the unit reached No. 1 in the league, and it's also placed No. 3 and No. 7 under Shaw.

"He definitely does not get enough credit," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said. "The way that he can break down another team's power play and the way he can teach us the right reads ... I've never had anything like it as far as attention to detail."

Added Hitchcock: "I think the players have responded well to his coaching style. He's not afraid to confront if things aren't being done well. He's been at it a little while ... he's got that going right now."

BLUES BEWARE

Beginning with Anaheim, the Blues opened a stretch in which seven of their next eight games will be against teams who weren't holding a playoff spot in the Western or Eastern Conference as of Thursday.

After facing Boston, Nashville, Chicago and Vancouver recently, it might be natural to take the foot off the gas. But Hitchcock has warned the players against that.

"I'm seeing teams who aren't in the playoffs and aren't going to make the playoffs, playing as good as any playoff team right now," he said. "It's because they fear for their jobs. They become just as dangerous as a team that's fighting. They play with more risk in their game. They take chances and in most cases they get away with it, but there's a hunger there too."

BLUENOTES

Goalie Jaroslav Halak started for the seventh time in the Blues' last eight games Thursday. Brian Elliott is expected to get the nod Saturday against Columbus. "I'm going to have to make a call sooner or later here (on sticking with one goalie), but it's not yet," Hitchcock said. ... Defenseman Kent Huskins missed his second straight game with a bruised hand Thursday, but Hitchcock said he could be available by the weekend.



Blues' win puts them atop NHL standings

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD

On Tuesday, the Blues climbed into the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference standings and a tie for the NHL points lead. On Thursday, with some help from former teammate Ben Bishop, they took sole possession of the top spot in the league.

A 3-1 victory over Anaheim at Scottrade Center, which ended shortly after Bishop backstopped his new team, the Ottawa Senators, to a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers, lifted the Blues to No 1 in the league with 93 points.

The club won for the seventh time its last eight games, picking up power-play goals by David Backes and Kevin Shattenkirk, and the game-winner from Patrik Berglund at even strength. Goalie Jaroslav Halak made 24 saves to improve to 22-10-5 and the victory gave him a career-best seven-game winning streak.

The Blues will wrap up their three-game homestand Saturday against Columbus before setting out on a seven-game road trip.

The offense seems to be coming alive, registering three-plus goals for the fifth time in the last six games. The power-play unit has played a vital role in that development, nabbing two more goals for Nos. 7-8 in the last six games.

Coming off a 5-1 dusting of Chicago two days earlier, the Blues were a step slow early in the game Thursday. They needed a pick-me-up after Anaheim opened a 1-0 lead earlier in the second period on Corey Perry's 34th goal of the season.

The Ducks' Matt Belesky dropped a pass for Perry and tied defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo, allowing Perry to skate into the slot. He put a wrist shot past Halak for a 1-0 advantage just 4 minutes, 18 seconds into the second period.

The Blues jumped on the scoreboard in the second period, tying the game 1-1, on Backes goal.

It came via the power play, which entered the game ranked a season-best 18th in the NHL. David Perron teed up for a shot but had it blocked. Perron went back for a second shot and this time Backes deflected it past Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller for his sixth power-play goal this season.

Backes' snipe gave him 20 goals this season, marking the third time in his career he's reached that plateau. The goal also marked the fifth time in the last six games the Blues had netted one on the man-advantage.

The Blues had a chance to open the lead early in the third period while shorthanded. For the second time in as many games, Vladimir Sobotka and Scott Nichol found themselves on a 2-on-1 rush. But after scoring in Tuesday's win over Chicago for a 3-0 lead, the duo misfired Thursday, and the scored remained 1-1.

Then with 15:13 left in the third period, Berglund broke a 14-game scoreless drought with his 14th goal of the season.

Andy McDonald dropped a pass for defenseman Ian Cole and Cole fed the puck back to McDonald near the corner. McDonald quickly centered to Berglund, who pumped the puck between Hiller's legs for a 2-1 advantage.

Less than two minutes after Berglund put the Blues ahead, Shattenkirk gave them a two-goal advantage with the team's second power-play goal of the game. He leaned into a slap shot from the point, and with Backes and T.J. Oshie creating traffic in front, netted his 10th goal of the season for a 3-1 lead.

The Blues took three minor penalties in the third period but erased each one of them, extending their streak to 35-for-35 on the penalty-kill.



Blues beat Anaheim 3-1

DAN O'NEILL

The Blues got two third-period goals - by Patrik Berglund and David Backes - and held on to beat the Ducks.

The team's third goal originally was credited to Kevin Shattenkirk. But it was changed to David Backes, who tipped Shattenkirk's shot past goaltender Jonas Hiller. Backes also scored in the second period to tie the game 1-1.

Berglund's goal early in the third gave the Blues a 2-1 lead. It was his first goal in 15 games and his 14th of the season. Backes scored his 21st and second of the night to give the Blues a more comfortable two-goal margin.

Jaroslav Halak stopped 24 of 25 shots in the Blues' net. David Perron had two assists. The Blues took over first place overall in the NHL with 93 points.

Blues get a penalty on Cole with just under two minutes to play.

The Blues score their second power-play goal of the night to make it 3-1. David Backes re-directs a shot by Alex Pietrangelo for his second goal of the game with 13:12 remaiining to play.

Backes now has 21 goals. Kevin Shattenkirk and David Perron get the assists, second of the night for Perron.

The Blues take the lead on a goal by Patrik Berglund, his 14th of the year and fist in 15 games. Holy Slumpin!

Andy McDonald and Ian Cole get assists, as McDonald gave Berglund the lead pass.

Blues lead for the first time tonight with just over 13 minutes to play.

The Blues are going to be shorthanded for the first time tonight. It's a minor on B. J. Crombeen.

Periods ends with the teams tied, setting up what should be a good third. The Blues had 11 shots in the second, the Ducks 10.

Anaheim probably had the better of the scoring chances as Halak made several big saves to keep it 1-1.

Fantastic tip by David Backes, completely changes direction of David Perron's shot and beats Jonas Hiller to tie the game. The power-play goal is the 20th of the season for Backes, his third 20-plus season. Perron and Alex Pietrangelo get the assists with 8:22 remaining.

The Blues are seven for their last 18 on the power play.

Corey Perry beats Jaroslav Halak at 4:18 of the second period to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead. The Ducks broke in 2-on-1 after Carlo Colaiacovo took himself out of the play by hip-checking a Ducks forward at the blueline. Perry kept the puck and fired a wrist shot past Halak, his 34th goal.

The teams go the dressing room scoreless. The Blues out-shot the Ducks 9-5, but were unable to take advantage of two power plays.

Blues get another power play with 8:04 to play.

Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak denies Luca Sbisa in close, than makes two saves on Saku Koivu on the doorstep.

Saku, Jaro, Saku very much.

Blues get a power play with just over 16 minutes to play. Despite some good zone time and four shots, they don't score.



Hitchcock: Beware of Blues' upcoming opponents

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD

The Blues will host the Anaheim Ducks tonight and then face Columbus in a home-and-home series Saturday and Sunday.

After a stretch of opponents that included Boston, Chicago, Nashville, Vancouver and San Jose, the Blues' next three games are against two clubs that are on the outside looking in on the Western Conference playoffs. The Ducks are 12th in the West and the Blue Jackets last in the conference.

However, Anaheim is 4-3 in its last seven games with a 3-1 victory over Chicago recently. Columbus has won three straight games, including back-to-back wins over Phoenix.

"The worst thing you can do right now is look at the standings," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "You go and look at a team that's out of the playoffs, and you say, 'OK, maybe this game is going to be easier.' Well, it's not. This is the time of the year where you've got people fighting for playoff spots or fighting for jobs. They look at their careers on a monthly basis. They don't look at them in the long-term. They look at it as 'I might not be around a month from now, so whatever I've done in the past.'

"Like I'm seeing teams who aren't in the playoffs, and aren't going to make the playoffs, playing as good as any playoff team right now. It's because they fear for their jobs. They become just as dangerous as a team that's fighting. They play with more risk in their game. They take chances and in most cases they get away with it, but there's a hunger there too. Look at the damage Columbus has done to a team like Phoenix. I think you're going to see a lot of that."

The Blues have 15 games remaining in the regular season. Of their next eight, only one vs. Chicago is against a team currently holding a spot in the Western or Eastern Conference playoffs.

TONIGHT'S LINEUP

Forwards

Vladimir Sobotka-David Backes-T.J. Oshie

Andy McDonald-Patrik Berglund-David Perron

Chris Porter-Jason Arnott-Chris Stewart

B.J. Crombeen-Scott Nichol-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Barret Jackman-Kevin Shattenkirk

Carlo Colaiacovo-Alex Pietrangelo

Ian Cole-Roman Polak

Goalie

Jaroslav Halak

SHAW'S TUTELAGE

Hitchcock and the players are complimenting the teaching of Blues assistant coach Brad Shaw for the team's penalty-killing success.

Shaw, who joined the Blues in 2006, is in charge of the PK. The unit finished No. 1 in the NHL in 2009-10, erasing 86.8 percent of opponents' power plays.

This season, after a slow start, the Blues' PK is ranked ninth in the NHL. The group will take a string of 32 consecutive kills into tonight's game against Anaheim. The unit has allowed one PP goal on its last 37 chances against.

"We got challenged by 'Shawsie' to step up our game and take some pride in the PK," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said. "He definitely does not get enough credit. The way that he can breakdown another team's power play and the way he can teach us the right reads ... I've never had anything like it as far as attention to detail."

Hitchcock kept the Blues' assistant coaches on board when he was hired in November. He did not have a previous relationship with Shaw, but has been impressed with his work, particularly on the PK.

"He makes them accountable with details," Hitchcock said. "He's got a good feel for it. It's the one part of video that doesn't look pretty and you're going to have to deal with that. He's been able to handle it without embarrasing players. I think the players have responded well to his coaching style ... he's not afraid to confront if things aren't being done well. There's a confidence that we can outwork people finally. He's been at it a little while... he's got that going right now."

PLAYOFF GOALIE

There are many wondering what decision Hitchcock will make with his two goaltenders, Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, when the postseason arrives.

In the past few weeks, Hitchcock has been asked that question and he rarely acknowledged the situation being a "dilemma." But today, he indicated for the first time that his philosophy might be to go with one goalie.

"I think I'm going to have to make a call sooner or later here," Hitchcock said. "But it's not yet, not yet..."

ODDS & ENDS

- Defenseman Kent Huskins (hand) skated today and Hitchcock said he could be available this weekend. Ian Cole will make his second straight start tonight.

- In their last 13 games, the Blues have outscored their opponents 30-13 in the first and second periods.

- The Blues have 91 points in 67 games. In 1999-2000, when the club won the President's Trophy with 114 points, it had 94 points after 67 games.

- Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller will start in net tonight. Hiller is 6-3 with the Ducks with a 3.21 goals-against average and an .891 save-percentage in his career against the Blues.


618132 Tampa Bay Lightning

Loss of Garon a turning point in Lightning's season

By Erik Erlendsson

The struggling veteran or the inexperienced rookie.

Those are the two choices staring at the Tampa Bay Lightning as they try to solve their goaltending issues after the loss of Mathieu Garon to a partially torn groin muscle that will keep him out three to four weeks, according to general manager Steve Yzerman.

Garon had been carrying the load the past two months as the Lightning crept back into the playoff picture — they sit four points out of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference heading into tonight's matchup with Washington. While Yzerman said the team will continue to explore other options, including looking to players in Europe, the short term has only two choices.

So with Garon out, perhaps for the rest of the regular season, Tampa Bay will turn to either 42-year-old Dwayne Roloson or 22-year-old Dustin Tokarski, who was recalled from Norfolk of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and will suit up for tonight's key meeting with the Capitals.

But who will start?

"These goaltenders will get an opportunity to fight and make a difference and you never know what day is going to be their best day,'' Lightning head coach Guy Boucher said. "I think Roli has shown in the past that he has had some very good days and been able to win some games for us and I'm sure he'll be able to win games for us again.

"And Tokarski, the situation we are in right now, he's going to get in the net at some point. I don't know when. I'll go over a plan that we want, but right now I think we are game-by-game. So I'll talk to (Tokarski) and I'll talk to Roli.''

Here's what the Lightning have to choose from for the time being.

Roloson was one of the main contributors to Tampa Bay's run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, stabilizing the goaltending position. But this year has been a struggle as his 3.82 goals-against average is the highest in the league for anybody who has started more than one game and his .878 save percentage is better than only five others. Roloson has not allowed fewer than three goals in any of his past 11 starts and has allowed five or more goals eight times this season, including his relief appearance Tuesday after Garon went down to injury early in the first period.

Roloson's last start allowing fewer than three goals came Nov. 17, leaving doubt as to whether he'll be capable of recapturing the magic he showed last season.

"He's a veteran guy that has been around a long time and has always thrived in situations where he was counted on,'' Yzerman said of Roloson.

Though the numbers might be ugly, Roloson said he will do whatever he's asked to help Tampa Bay get back to the postseason.

"I feel good. There are just some things you can't control and other things you can. I just focus on the things that I can control and go from there,'' he said. "I just have to focus on doing whatever I can to help my team win and can't worry about anything else.''

In Tokarski, a fifth-round pick in 2008, the Lightning have an unknown commodity at the NHL level who is enjoying a strong season in his third year as a pro. The 22-year-old leads the AHL in victories and is riding an eight-game winning streak for Norfolk, posting a 1.75 goals-against average and .927 save percentage during the streak.

So, does that factor into Boucher's decision when it comes to tabbing his starter for an important game?

"It is a possibility and it's probably the best time to bring him up,'' Boucher said. "This was something that was a possibility at some point this year and I think the circumstances are giving him an opportunity at the best part of the year for him, where it matters in the NHL and at the same time the best moment in regards to his confidence.''

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.09.2012


Syracuse could be new Lightning affiliate

Erik Erlendsson

There is speculation Tampa Bay could be ready to switch AHL affiliates next year, although nothing has been finalized, as the five-year deal between the Lightning and Norfolk is set to expire at the end of the season.

Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has stated his desire to make travel easier on the team's prospects instead of the lengthy bus rides required for road games.

Syracuse, N.Y., seems as if it might be at the top of Tampa Bay's wish list should it choose to make the switch. The Crunch recently parted ways with the Anaheim Ducks, and Syracuse president Howard Dolgon recently told the Syracuse Post-Standard he has a deal in place for a new NHL partnership, but did not name the team.

Lightning assistant general manager Julien BriseBois, who serves Norfolk's GM, did not say whether a deal is in place between Tampa Bay and Syracuse.

"We have not finalized any plans for next season at this time," BriseBois said in an email.

Either way, a decision is expected is soon, according to Yzerman.

"We'll likely wait until the season is over," he said.

Other goalie options

With G Mathieu Garon expected to miss the remainder of the season with a partially torn groin muscle, Yzerman said the team will explore all available options, including signing available goaltenders out of Europe.

However, it appears that 6-foot-7 Russian Vasily Koshechkin might not be in the plans.

An eighth-round pick in 2002 with national-team experience, Koshechkin remains Lightning property. After Cherepovets, his team in the Kontinental Hockey League, was eliminated from the postseason Thursday, his name was mentioned as a possible target for Tampa Bay for the remainder of the season.

But Jay Grossman, Koshechkin's agent, said there has not been contact from the Lightning.

Wallace a sharpshooter

After 57 career games without a goal, newly acquired Lightning RW Tim Wallace had goals in back-to-back games entering Thursday night. Wallace was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders on Feb.23.

"It's been a lot of fun. The systems are a little different than what I'm used to and I feel that I've got them down," Wallace said.

"But winning is definitely more fun than scoring goals. ... The first goal was a huge relief because it took awhile, but hopefully now the floodgates will open and we can get some wins."

While the goals stand out when looking at Wallace's contributions with the Lightning, he has fit in well in other areas, as well.

"He's a pretty responsible guy and seems to know where to go out there. Obviously you see the goals and you like that, but he's been around awhile, had some success in the American Hockey League and played a lot of hockey," Yzerman said. "He's a smart player … and has been reliable for the coaching staff."

Nuts and Bolts

Lightning C Steven Stamkos has four overtime goals this season, matching an NHL record for most in a season shared by 10 other players. The most recent to do so is New Jersey LW Ilya Kovalchuk last season. … RW Brandon Segal was scratched for Thursday's game. … The team said the back surgery on D Marc-Andre Bergeron was deemed successful, but he is expected to be out for the rest of the season. … D Victor Hedman appeared in his 200th career game.



Playoff push stalls as Lightning fall to Capitals, 3-2

By ERIK ERLENDSSON

The Lightning went with the rookie and hung him out to dry.

With starting goaltender Mathieu Garon out with an injury, Tampa Bay started rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski in an important game Thursday in the Lightning's push to the playoffs. The 22-year-old came within 3 minutes of picking up his first career victory but ultimately ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 overtime loss to Washington.

Alex Ovechkin scored with 50.3 seconds left in the overtime as the Capitals erased a third-period deficit to move three points ahead of Tampa Bay in the standings. With the point gained by the Lightning, they pull to within three points of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference standings, pending Winnipeg's late game in Vancouver.

Tokarski finished his first career start with 29 saves to take the overtime loss. After the game he had such bad cramps he required two bags of sodium chloride solution. He said the cramps started affecting him 5 minutes into the third period.

"I felt good, I felt fine, I felt comfortable in there,'' Tokarski said. "But in the end, I have to make another save there, I have to come up with a big save at the end of the third.''

It was a late moment that spoiled a solid outing by Tokarski as Marcus Johansson took advantage of a poor clear attempt and bad turnover just inside the Tampa Bay blue line. Johannson skated in alone and fired a shot under the rookie goalie with 3:58 left to play. It was another similar turnover that led to Ovechkin's overtime winner.

"That was just a dumb, dumb, dumb play at the end and we talk about it all the time, that puck has to get out by the boards and we had one, two, three, four chances to get it out,'' Lightning head coach Guy Boucher said. "Then it gets to the middle and we are right there, our sticks are right there all we have to do is get it out.''

Tokarski settled into the game quickly as Washington had the first five shots on goal. The Capitals still struck first on a pinball-type goal late in the first period. A point shot from Karl Alzner deflected off Marty St. Louis and off the stick of Keith Aucoin just before the puck trickled just inside the far post with 2:52 left in the period. Tokarski finished the period with 12 saves.

The second period saw little action for Tokarski, who had to face only three shots on goal – including a stretch of 16:56 without seeing a shot. Meanwhile, the Lightning took the lead with a pair of power-play goals. Malone tied the game redirecting in a Steven Stamkos pass with his skate at 7:25 to tie the game. Then late in the period, Teddy Purcell took a feed from St. Louis at the left circle and fired a shot on net that was saved by Tomas Vokoun but deflected into the net off the skate of Washington defenseman John Carlson with 1:18 left in the second.

With the lead, the Lightning dropped into defend mode, getting pucks into the zone and changing before defending some more. The strategy, which resulted in no shots on goal by Tampa Bay for most of the period, came back to bite them in the end, even if Boucher said it wasn't a designed strategy.

"They came at us, they were making a push and you have to give them credit. They were throwing everything at us,'' said Purcell, who increased his scoring streak to 11 games. "(Tokarski) is standing on his head in his first (start) and we are up with about three to play, we have to get that puck out.

"But we are confident in games like that where we can lock things up ... and I thought we did a real good job of weathering that and that one mistake ended up costing us.''



Syracuse could be new Lightning affiliate

Erik Erlendsson

There is speculation Tampa Bay could be ready to switch AHL affiliates next year, although nothing has been finalized, as the five-year deal between the Lightning and Norfolk is set to expire at the end of the season.

Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has stated his desire to make travel easier on the team's prospects instead of the lengthy bus rides required for road games.

Syracuse, N.Y., seems as if it might be at the top of Tampa Bay's wish list should it choose to make the switch. The Crunch recently parted ways with the Anaheim Ducks, and Syracuse president Howard Dolgon recently told the Syracuse Post-Standard he has a deal in place for a new NHL partnership, but did not name the team.

Lightning assistant general manager Julien BriseBois, who serves Norfolk's GM, did not say whether a deal is in place between Tampa Bay and Syracuse.

"We have not finalized any plans for next season at this time," BriseBois said in an email.

Either way, a decision is expected is soon, according to Yzerman.

"We'll likely wait until the season is over," he said.

Other goalie options

With G Mathieu Garon expected to miss the remainder of the season with a partially torn groin muscle, Yzerman said the team will explore all available options, including signing available goaltenders out of Europe.

However, it appears that 6-foot-7 Russian Vasily Koshechkin might not be in the plans.

An eighth-round pick in 2002 with national-team experience, Koshechkin remains Lightning property. After Cherepovets, his team in the Kontinental Hockey League, was eliminated from the postseason Thursday, his name was mentioned as a possible target for Tampa Bay for the remainder of the season.

But Jay Grossman, Koshechkin's agent, said there has not been contact from the Lightning.

Wallace a sharpshooter

After 57 career games without a goal, newly acquired Lightning RW Tim Wallace had goals in back-to-back games entering Thursday night. Wallace was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders on Feb.23.

"It's been a lot of fun. The systems are a little different than what I'm used to and I feel that I've got them down," Wallace said.

"But winning is definitely more fun than scoring goals. ... The first goal was a huge relief because it took awhile, but hopefully now the floodgates will open and we can get some wins."

While the goals stand out when looking at Wallace's contributions with the Lightning, he has fit in well in other areas, as well.

"He's a pretty responsible guy and seems to know where to go out there. Obviously you see the goals and you like that, but he's been around awhile, had some success in the American Hockey League and played a lot of hockey," Yzerman said. "He's a smart player … and has been reliable for the coaching staff."

Nuts and Bolts

Lightning C Steven Stamkos has four overtime goals this season, matching an NHL record for most in a season shared by 10 other players. The most recent to do so is New Jersey LW Ilya Kovalchuk last season. … RW Brandon Segal was scratched for Thursday's game. … The team said the back surgery on D Marc-Andre Bergeron was deemed successful, but he is expected to be out for the rest of the season. … D Victor Hedman appeared in his 200th career game.



Tampa Bay Lightning's Dan Lacroix, Nigel Kirwan raise money for fellow assistant Wayne Fleming

By Damian Cristodero,

WASHINGTON — Lightning assistant coach Dan Lacroix figured since his wife was bugging him to run in last Sunday's Gasparilla half-marathon anyway, he might as well do it for a good cause.

So Lacroix and video coach Nigel Kirwan asked players to donate on a per-mile basis with the funds going to assistant coach Wayne Fleming, who is fighting brain cancer and back at his Calgary home after a two-week hospital stay.

"Very impressive," Lacroix said of the players' response to what was called the Flemmer Run.

It was yet another gesture by the team, which has kept Fleming in its thoughts by carrying on the road the nameplate to his locker. In December, players sent him a specially equipped reclining medical chair for his home.

"He sounds good," Lacroix said Thursday. "I talked to him Monday, and he said he can't believe the support he's had in Tampa with the team and the overall hockey community."

Fleming, 61, who was diagnosed in April and went through an eight-hour surgery to remove a malignant tumor, still undergoes monthly chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and a hospital bed has been moved into his home, Lacroix said.

Fleming rides a stationary bike as part of his physical therapy, and he even gave a scouting report on D Mike Commodore, whom the Lightning acquired from the Red Wings at the trade deadline.

"His hockey knowledge is there," Lacroix said. "He wants to make sure he keeps us up to date on his thoughts."

BAD HIT: Capitals D Mike Green was not penalized for an elbow to the face of Lightning rookie Brett Connolly, but the hit likely will get scrutiny from league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan.

"The head targeted was clear," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said.

The hit came with 8:54 left in the second period and Connolly against the end boards being held up by a Capitals defender. Green led with his elbow and bounced Connolly's head off the end glass.

Connolly, 19, who stayed on the ice briefly before skating off under his own power and did not play again until the third said he might have put himself in a bad position.

"I don't know what happened," said Connolly, who had a bruise under his right eye. "His elbows were up. I'm not going to point any fingers. It's a hockey play, and it happens. So it's all good. No hard feelings."

Green was not made available to reporters.

MEDICAL MATTERS: Marc-Andre Bergeron's back surgery to relieve sciatic nerve irritation was deemed "a success," the team said, though the defenseman's season likely is over. … D Bruno Gervais (upper body) missed his second game, and coach Guy Boucher said it will "be a while" before he returns.

ODDS AND ENDS: RW Teddy Purcell, with a goal and an assist, extended his league-best current points streak (seven goals, 15 assists) to 11 games … D Victor Hedman played in his 200th NHL game. … RW Brandon Segal was scratched.

St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Tampa Bay Lightning falls to Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime

By Damian Cristodero,

WASHINGTON — Dustin Tokarski was so dehydrated after Thursday night's game with the Capitals, he needed two bags of intravenous sodium chloride solution to fight off a full-body cramp.

He walked stiff-legged from the trainers' room — where he spent 45 minutes with emergency medical technicians standing by as a precaution — to the dressing room, where he said he was in so much pain in the third period he almost left the game.

Still, first on his mind after the 3-2 overtime loss at the Verizon Center was the save he said he should have made in the third period.

"I've got to make another save," Tokarski said of Marcus Johansson's shot that slipped through his legs with 3:58 left and tied the score 2-2. "If I make a big save … I can seal the deal for us."

Especially against an opponent Tampa Bay (31-29-7) needs to jump in the playoff race. The Lightning is 11th in the East, three points behind Washington for the final playoff spot.

Tokarski, 22, called up from AHL Norfolk on Wednesday because of Mathieu Garon's groin injury, did make 29 saves in his first NHL start.

But the Lightning, up 2-1 on second-period power-play goals by Ryan Malone and Teddy Purcell, stopped skating in the third.

It seemed as if Tampa Bay played a prevent defense. That let Washington have a 16-3 shot advantage in the third and overtime, which ended on Alex Ovechkin's goal with 50.3 seconds left after a bad defensive read by Ryan Shannon.

"We didn't push the pace," coach Guy Boucher said. "We wanted to push the pace, but maybe we were out of gas. But at 2-1, we have to close those ones. And the overtime goal, just dumb. … We sabotaged ourselves."

Even Johansson's goal came after Victor Hedman's giveaway.

"Just a dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb play," Boucher said. "We talk about it all the time. That puck has to get out by the boards. We had four chances to get it out."

And Tokarski let it in, though he was battling cramps he said began five minutes into the third.

"I almost left," he said. "Every whistle, every timeout I was taking salt, taking pills. I couldn't even stand in the dressing room. As soon as I sat down, my knees, quads, calves, elbows, I couldn't move my hands."

The sodium chloride will help as will constantly drinking water.

"He'll be fine," head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan said.

Except when he thinks about Johansson's goal.

Capitals 1 0 1 1 3

Lightning 0 2 0 0 2

First Period—1, Washington, Aucoin 2 (Alzner, Halpern), 17:08. Penalties—Brewer, TB (tripping), 14:47.

Second Period—2, Tampa Bay, Malone 12 (Stamkos, Purcell), 7:25 (pp). 3, Tampa Bay, Purcell 20 (St. Louis, Clark), 18:42 (pp). Penalties—Wideman, Was (boarding), 6:58; Perreault, Was (high-sticking), 8:44; Beagle, Was (holding), 17:46.

Third Period—4, Wash, Johansson 13 (Wideman), 16:02. Penalties—Brewer, TB (interference), :36.

Overtime—5, Wash, Ovechkin 27 (Orlov, Chimera), 4:09. Shots on Goal—TB 15-8-3-0—26. Wash 13-3-12-4—32. Power-play opportunities—TB 2 of 3; Wash 0 of 2. Goalies—TB, Tokarski 0-0-1 (32 shots-29 saves). Wash, Vokoun 24-16-2 (26-24). A—18,506 (18,398).



Dustin Tokarski will make his first NHL start for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Capitals

Posted by Damian Cristodero

Dustin Tokarski led the Tampa Bay Lightning onto the ice for pregame warmups Thursday night, confirming what had been suspected. The 22-year-old just called up from AHL Norfolk will make his first NHL start against the Capitals in the midst of the heated playoff race. Tokarski also was the first off the ice after the morning skate, but coach Guy Boucher said he had not spoken to his goaltenders yet so could not say publicly which would start.

A case could have been made for either Tokarski or Dwayne Roloson, 42.

Tokarski is on an 8-0-0 streak with the Admirals with a 1.75 goals-against average and .924 save percentage, so his confidence probably is at it's peak. Roloson has not allowed fewer than three goals in a start since Nov. 17, but likely is more comfortable in what will be a hostile and energy-charged atmosphere at the Verizon Center.

Asked what criteria he uses to make such a decision, Boucher said: "Who we're playing, the circumstances, experience and just having some time to get accustomed to thinks for the young guys, and for the older guy to make sure he understands the situation and what is going on. It's always a difficult choice when you have goaltenders who can both go in. But there are good choices to make and I have to make those every game."

Even if Tokarski did not start against the Capitals, he would have seen action, and Tampa Bay goaltenders coach Frantz Jean said, "I think he's ready. He's done the work the last three years and has always paid attention to details and steadily improved. It's an opportunity for him to come to the big league now and let's see where he is."

"It's exciting," Tokarski said. "It's a step towards the dream and I'm enjoying every minute of it."

More stuff from the morning skate: The team said the back surgery performed Wednesday on D Marc-Andre Bergeron to relieve sciatic nerve

irritation was "successful," though his season likely is over. ... Boucher made it sound as if defenseman Bruno Gervais (upper body) will be out for a while. ... Defenseman Victor Hedman, who played Tuesday against the Senators after missing four games with an upper-body injury, said he had "good legs" against Ottawa, but felt his timing was off. "I'll be sure I play a better game tonight," he said. ... Forward Tm Wallace has goals in consecutive games after going the first 57 games of his career without one. "The first one was a huge relief because it took a while," Wallace said. "Hopefully, the flood gates are open." Added Boucher: "He's got a terrific shot. He's a hard-working guy. He's got some jam to him and he deserved the goals he got. And they weren't easy goals to score either. He scored in a tiny little hole the last game (against the Senators) and the previous game (against the Hurricanes), inside-post, low-blocker. They certainly are welcome goals. We need those bonus goals."


618139 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ fall is for the best

JAMES MIRTLE | Columnist profile

Looking back, after a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 6, the Leafs looked poised for their first playoff berth in eight years.

They had a 28-19-6 record, and heading into a road game in Winnipeg, sat two points back of fourth place in the Eastern Conference and six from the Northeast Division lead.

After 53 games, Toronto was one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and on pace for 96 points.

Fourteen games later, they’re bottoming out.

Entering Thursday’s games, the Leafs were in 24th place in the NHL – meaning they would be picking seventh if the league’s annual entry draft was held a few months early. They were also just two points from falling to 27th, with the Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes all able to pass them in the next few days.

With Toronto losing four players to injury – Joffrey Lupul, Cody Franson, Mike Brown and Colby Armstrong – in its last two games, dropping into a top-five pick now seems more likely than ever.

There’s a silver lining beyond that, too.

Because of the NHL’s draft lottery system, the Leafs would have an 8.1-per-cent chance of picking first overall if they finish with the league’s fifth-worst record. That rises to a 10.7-per-cent chance if they finish with the fourth-worst record.

Which is right about how high their playoff chances are these days.

On the heels of blowing a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 loss to the Penguins in Pittsburgh last Wednesday, there is now a growing sense in the fan base that rooting for a better draft pick out of another lost season is the way to go.

Barring being able to select Sarnia Sting star Nail Yakupov first overall, teams drafting in the fourth-to-seventh range in June will have a chance at the likes of Filip Forsberg, Alex Galchenyuk and Radek Faksa.

All three are forwards with size and are likely to be picked in the top 10, with someone like Galchenyuk – a centre who had 83 points in 68 games as Yakupov’s teammate a year ago – an intriguing option for a team needing help down the middle.

History, however, isn’t exactly on the Leafs’ side when it comes to getting a top pick. Toronto has drafted higher than 10th overall only twice in the last 20 years – Luke Schenn (2008) and Nazem Kadri (2009) – and hasn’t picked higher than fifth since drafting Scott Thornton in 1989.

Over that span, the organization has been well-known for either trading its first-rounder (à la the Phil Kessel deal) or going on a late-season run that takes it out of the bottom 10.

Since the 2004-05 lockout, Toronto has had surprisingly poor starts and then a strong record after the all-star (or Olympic) break while missing the postseason every year.

That hasn’t been the trend in 2011-12 – at least so far.

But with only 15 games left, the Leafs will need at least 10 or 11 wins to make the playoffs, something postseason-odds tracker sportsclubstats.com only gives them an 8.3-per-cent chance of accomplishing. (That number doesn’t account for all of their recent injuries, either.)

That’s the cold, hard reality right now for this team: Losing is better than winning.

And any rally short of 89 or 90 points only serves to put the Maple Leafs further from the draft lottery – which may be the only way to find a little salvation in another lost year.

How the Leafs fell

First 53 games Last 14 games

Record 28-19-6 2-11-1

82-game pace 96 29

Goals per game 3.09 2.36

Goals against 2.87 3.86

Power play 20% 18%

Penalty kill 76% 85%

Shooting percentage 10.6% 7.8%

Save percentage .907 .873

Shots per game 29.1 30.2

Shots against 30.8 30.5

Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.09.2012=


Don Cherry and Brian Burke, a couple of divas

Rosie DiManno

Well, at least one of us — respected CTV anchor Jen Burke. She happens to be his wife.

So, the Maple Leaf GM can’t be at truculent odds with every member of the chattering, nattering, palavering class, though it may seem like that at the moment. And, given his intimate association with this side of the quote solicitation street, he’s hardly unfamiliar with that thing we do.

But oy, what a bunch of divas we’ve all become: Burke, columnists, talk-radio jockeys and most especially that big girl’s blouse Don Cherry.

The one-time NHL coach — though not for the past 32 years — has got his bully pulpit on Hockey Night in Canada, from which he spouts the occasionally cantankerous and increasingly irrelevant rant. Wildly funny, actually, how Cherry has accused Burke of being the bully when the reactionary codger has made a career out of browbeating across the airwaves, a tom-tom timpani that grates on the nerves and frequently offends.

I’ve always defended Cherry’s free speech right to be as provocative and irrational and buffoonish as he wishes. This isn’t the fifth estate; it’s jock chat. Cherry may be a hockey anachronism, out of time and out of place, but it is up to the CBC to determine whether his Sonny & Cher shtick with Ron MacLean is still worth the candle. If the tight-sphinctered national broadcaster can squeeze its cheeks tight enough to co-exist with the spluttering old fart, even when he propels Saturday night sports into the arena of politics and military affairs and slapstick patriotism, then who gives a rat’s rump? I don’t have to watch — and I don’t.

But when Cherry uses his platform to launch a personal trash-talking tirade against the Leafs general manager, and that general manager is president of the franchise that brings HNIC its biggest eyeball audience, and the Coach’s Corner carper hijacks the show with an inside baseball bit of highly personal hockey blather, then maybe the CBC should reconsider its priorities. The Leafs are a far more formidable product than the Cherry

brand; Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has been bought by Rogers and Bell, each with their own sports channel tentacle, and no doubt the incoming consortium, spurred by the club, will look less unfavourably upon their Crown corporation rival when broadcasting rights contracts come up for renewal.

Burke was silly to take his whinge about Cherry picking endlessly on Ron Wilson — subsequently canned by the GM — to CBC brass, but that’s hardly a surprising manoeuvre. Cherry’s editorial skewering was over-the-top and, when Wilson allegedly failed to clap like a seal on an evening that the armed forces were being honoured — I know there was no disrespect intended — the intermission show went ridiculously off-point and typically incomprehensible.

In the real world, sponsors have a lot of clout and the Leafs are essentially a self-sponsor. Further, in his most recent fusillade this past weekend, Cherry’s outburst was only superficially correct. There are indeed no Ontario-born players on this Leaf roster. Big deal. Plenty of ripening players are in the Leaf system and Burke has selected no less than eight Ontarians in the last three drafts. This particular criticism, as Burke rightly noted, was “garbage.” Cherry has now managed to extend his well-documented hockey xenophobia to a battle among provinces, where previously he’d limited his antagonizing stereotyping to Quebec and French Canadians.

Dump on Burke all you like for this week making Mikhail Grabovski a very rich man, signing the centre to a five-year deal for $27 million (U.S.), more than Phil Kessel is earning. Hold the GM accountable for a team that is unlikely to qualify for the playoffs a seventh consecutive season. Take issue, as many on my side of the fence have, with Burke’s heated objections to how some reporters cover the beat. We don’t answer to Burke; it’s our editors, and our own concept of professionalism, that drive ethical considerations.

Some people need to feel they’re in a constant state of war. Burke is emotional and combative. It’s also been a most melodramatic week in Leaf Land.

So he curtly cut off a radio interview with John Moore on Newstalk 1010 Tuesday when he didn’t like where the questions were going and felt he had been “dry-gulched’’ — his term. Burke had been led to believe, by the producer, that there would be two specific areas of discussion: when he decided a coaching change was necessary and Toronto’s chances of making the post-season.

Moore, as the interview was concluding, then asked if “it was time for the general manager to be changed?”

Frankly, that’s a pretty stupid question from a veteran. What did Moore expect, that Burke would say, “Yup, I should have my ticket punched?”

When I asked Moore whether questions had been vetted in advance — which no journalist worth his salt should countenance — he said most assuredly not.

“He may be used to setting the terms for interviews because some hosts and reporters don’t want to lose access or (seek) a corporate relationship with him and the team,’’ Moore wrote in an email. “I knew going into the interview that there were key things we had to touch on: Burke’s great work on gay acceptance, firing an old friend, the team’s prospects for a playoff berth and the Don Cherry attack. To a person, everyone I consulted over the weekend told me I also had to ask him if he thought his job was in danger.

“I honestly don’t think it was so incendiary a question.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my friend Joe Warmington, hard-working columnist for the Toronto Sun, has been gleefully shilling for his pal Cherry, leading the charge and having entirely too much fun with the rock ’em, sock ’em verbal punch-up that’s broken out between a couple of ornery mavericks.

I guess we all pick our sides. With this fart in a mitten, I know mine.

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.09.2012


Blue Jay Kyle Drabek’s progress parallels ace Ricky Romero

Damien Cox

DUNEDIN, FLA—It was more face-to-face than nose-to-nose, and while Alex Anthopoulos was waving his arms and chattering in an animated fashion, Kyle Drabek was first listening, then smiling.

“I’m Greek, so I wave my arms a lot,” Anthopoulos explained later.

As the two spoke alone for several minutes just beyond the right-field wall during batting practice on Thursday, the message was simple and clear from the GM to the young pitcher: We like what you’re doing.

Oh, and by the way? Your struggles are reminscent of Ricky Romero at the same stage of his career.

Yup, the same Romero who is now the team’s ace.

Now that’s a comparison to keep the confidence of a young pitcher up, not to mention encourage those Blue Jays fans who may be losing their belief that Drabek will ever figure prominently again after beginning last season in the club’s starting rotation.

“I’m not saying they’re the same guy,” said Anthopoulos when asked about the message he had imparted to Drabek the day after what appeared to be a so-so outing in a split-squad game in Bradenton.

“One’s left-handed, one’s right-handed, Ricky’s ball sinks while Kyle is more pure power. But the issue of throwing strikes? Huge parallel. Because the mechanical problem was the same. The lesson I learned was that Romero is a very good athlete and the better athlete you are, the easier it is to make the adjustments.

“Kyle’s a great athlete. He was a shortstop out of high school. So because it took time with Romero, with Kyle, I always told myself he’s athletic enough that with time he’ll fix that.

“I’m not saying he’s there yet, but he’s well on his way.”

The precise flaw that Drabek shares with Romero is a tendency to over-rotate and fall off the mound away from their pitching side, thus losing the ability to have command of pitches and throw strikes. Romero struggled through Double-A ball with that issue (yearly ERAs of 5.08, 4.89 and 4.96) to the point where many were losing faith that the sixth overall pick from 2005 would ever make the grade.

Finally, in the 2008 season, Romero corrected the flaw and immediately began to see the results, including a strong final part of the season when called up to Triple-A Syracuse. The next year he was in Toronto, won 13 games and hasn’t looked back.

With Drabek, the problem was pronounced enough that, this spring, Jays coaches actually put ropes on either side of the mound leading to home plate during workouts in an effort to get the 24-year-old to land his lead foot more to the right and stop spinning off the mound to his left.

In Bradenton against the Pirates, he had one scoreless inning, then gave up three runs on four hits. Rather than feeling frustrated as he fights for a spot on the major league roster, Drabek is clearly buying into the process and said he’s “enjoying” it.

“It was a little weird because it was different mechanically, not falling off and trying to stay back and stay on line throughout. I’m getting used to it now,” he said. “There’s just a few tweaks and it feels a lot different, because it’s new. (Romero) went through it. He was able to overcome it, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Anthopoulos loves to cite the stat that says only about 20 per cent of the young players who make the majors don’t require at least one return trip to the minors in their first three years, so nobody should be surprised Drabek has taken a step back from this point last spring.

Another case in point would be Brett Cecil, at one time ranked ahead of Romero on the Toronto depth chart, who has lost 32 pounds and, after a wildly inconsistent 2011, is trying to settle back into the rotation.

Cecil started and pitched two scoreless innings in a 6-1 Jays exhibition win over the New York Yankees on Thursday, with J.P. Arencibia pounding his first homer of the spring.

Despite giving up just one hit and walking one, Cecil was displeased and said he continues to feel as though his arm is “too quick” and is throwing off his timing.

As Anthopoulos opined on Drabek and the strong optimism he feels about 2012 that he says is making him “nervous,” balls propelled by Yankee bats

during batting practice clunked off the roof of his office, as though to remind him that powerful opponents in the American League East will have something to say even if his patience with youngsters pays off and projection ultimately turns into performance.

But he’s not giving up on Drabek, not even close. In the struggles, he hears the echoes of another who travelled the same path and emerged a star.

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.09.2012


Ashton's debut a busy day

ROB LONGLEY, Toronto Sun

TORONTO -

Carter Ashton barely was settled into his Toronto hotel room and his life with the AHL Marlies when the first big break of his pro career arrived.

The rookie, who was acquired by the Maple Leafs at the Feb. 27 NHL trade deadline, made his NHL debut Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins to cap off a whirlwind couple of weeks.

When Joffrey Lupul and Colby Armstrong were hurt on Tuesday in a game against the Boston Bruins, Ashton got a call at 11 p.m. to report directly to Pittsburgh. An early morning flight led to a busy day and thrilling night.

"I got traded a week ago and just got settled into my hotel and then got the opportunity," Ashton said. "The last week has been kind of a whirlwind, but it's been a great opportunity. It was exciting. I'll definitely remember this one."

Ashton spent most of his first day in the NHL cramming with video work and supportive talk from coaches and teammates. Then minutes before the game began, he found out he was going to be on the ice for the opening faceoff.

"It was a hectic day trying to learn the systems and going over some video," said Ashton, who is expected to remain with the team for an extended period. "I'm looking forward to getting on the ice and learning more about my teammates and getting more comfortable."

MERCY RULE

After turning his first five days on the job into a mini boot camp, Leafs coach Randy Carlyle showed some mercy on his beleagured troops on Thursday.

Following losses on back-to-back nights to Boston and Pittsburgh, the Leafs had an off day and will resume practice on Friday in advance of another set of weekend back-to-back games -- Saturday at home to Philadelphia and Sunday in Washington.

"When you lose two players as we did (Tuesday) and two more like we did (Wednesday) plus the practices that we put in, it's been a tough week for these guys," Carlyle said. "They've got to feel good about their work ethic and I told them so."

FOLLOW THE LEADER

The Leafs' loss Wednesday marked the second time this season that the Leafs have blown a two-goal lead against the Penguins and lost. While the undermanned Leafs had a license to be weary in the 3-2 defeat, some sloppy defensive play also contributed.

"It's a lot of factors," defenceman Carl Gunnarsson said. "We've got to get that mindset that you have to be used to playing good defence in those situations, especially on the road. I think we are getting better at the small details, but a 2-0 lead on the road, we should be able to protect that.

"We're not doing it for 60 minutes right now."

Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf said the team needs to find a way to play tougher with the lead.

"When we're up in games we've got to learn how to clamp down a little bit more," Phaneuf said. "We made more mistakes than them and that's what it came down to."

MAKING MALKIN

If there was a defensive plus for Carlyle's crew on Wednesday it was their ability to shut down NHL scoring leader Evgeni Malkin, a Leafs killer throughout his career.

Malkin was held pointless against the team he has scored more points against than any team in the NHL (nine goals and 29 assists in 19 career games, and a two-point per game average prior to Wednesday.)

That's the kind of shutdown mode Carlyle will expect against the oppositions's stars.

"We did a good job on him, he's a skilled player," Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson said. "You have to work hard and get in his way all the time. We made it tough for him."

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.09.2012


Gustavsson's fatal flaw

One bad goal a night has been murder on the Leafs

By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun

For all the improvements, all the spectacular saves, all the hard work and effort Jonas Gustavsson has made this season, a rotten stench continues to linger over his desire to become a legitimate No. 1 goalie.

The foul odour comes from the stinky goals he continues to allow on an alarmingly regular basis.

Gustavsson was outstanding at times in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, keeping the high-octane Penguins off the scoreboard in a first period that saw Evgeni Malkin and co. get out to a 9-1 edge in shots on goal.

But all that fine work by the uber-competitive Maple Leafs goaltender was flushed away in the third period when he whiffed on an easily stoppable backhand by the Pens’ Pascal Dupuis with just 15:50 remaining in regulation, the winning tally in a 3-2 victory for the home side at the Consol Energy Center.

These muffs have been far too common.

Back on Feb. 21 at the Air Canada Centre, the Leafs had just forced their game against the New Jersey Devils to overtime on a last-minute goal by Phil Kessel. But any momentum the Leafs may have accrued by knotting the game at 3-3 quickly was evaporated when a harmless-looking Mark Fayne point shot that was going wide deflected off Gustavsson and into the net, giving the Devils an unlikely 4-3 victory.

General manager Brian Burke has a point when he claims Gustavsson allowed the Leafs to stay in playoff contention when James Reimer was sidelined earlier in the season. On the other hand, here in crunch time when the race for post-season berths is heating up, you can’t be losing games on bad goals like this.

New coach Randy Carlyle has shown confidence in Gustavsson, starting him in each of the past three games. But just when the young Swede appears to be making a positive statement with his play, a bad goal spoils it, a disturbing trend that has plagued Gustavsson for much of his brief time in the NHL.

Gustvasson’s contract, which has a cap hit of $1.375 million this season, runs out on July 1. Allowing weak goals at crucial times in games isn’t going to help his sales pitch to be brought back next season.

Gustavsson is a personable kid and a very fierce competitor. He cares. At the same time, he’s got to be better with the game on the line.

Either way, this much is certain: You can’t make the playoffs with inconsistent goaltending like the Leafs have been saddled with.

How bad has it been?

The Maple Leafs have not been to the playoffs since 2004. Their goaltender at that time? Ed Belfour, who is now in the Hall of Fame.

Brutal.

PIPE DREAMS

At first blush, it does not appear that the free agent market contains many potential goaltending saviours this summer, if any at all.

Here is the list of the more prominent potential UFAs among goaltenders, including their 2011-12 cap hits:

Cristobal Huet, Chicago ($5,625,000); Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils ($5,200,000); Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay ($3,000,000); Antero Niittymaki, San Jose ($2,000,000); Chris Mason, Winnipeg ($1,850,000); Michael Leighton, Philadelphia ($1,550,000); Dan Ellis, Anaheim ($1,500,000); Tomas Vokoun, Washington ($1,500,000); Johan Hedberg, New Jersey ($1,250,000); Scott Clemmensen, Florida ($1,200,000): Alex Auld, Ottawa ($1,000,000); Martin Biron, Rangers ($875,000); Johan Backlund, Philadelphia ($800,000); Ty Conklin, Detroit ($750,000); Josh Harding, Minnesota ($750,000); Andrew Raycroft, Dallas Stars ($650,000); Yann Danis, Edmonton ($650,000); Curtis McElhinney, Phoenix ($625,000); Al Montoya, Islanders ($601,000); Ray Emery, Chicago ($600,000); Curtis Sanford, Columbus ($600,000); Brent Johnson, Pittsburgh ($600,000); Evgeni Nabokov, Islanders ($570,000).

Brodeur, Roloson and Hedberg are in the twilight of their careers. Vokoun puts up respectable numbers but always seems to miss the playoffs. Do you take a chance on Nabokov? Emery? Montoya?

A trade might be a better route to go for Toronto, but how steep will the price be for a kid like the Kings Jonathan Bernier? Keep in mind that teams like Tampa Bay and Columbus also are in the hunt for help between the pipes.

As for the Canucks Cory Schneider, just can’t see Vancouver making a deal with Toronto given the animosity between the two organizations.

CROSS CHECKS

While it’s far too soon to make projections, it is interesting to note that, as of Thursday morning, the Leafs were slated to pick seventh overall in the June entry draft. The previous time Toronto found itself in that slot, it was 2009. At that time the selection was Nazem Kadri, a kid the Ottawa Senators admittedly had their eyes on. Almost three years later, Kadri must have wondered what was going on when the Leafs passed over him by calling up recently acquired Carter Ashton from the Marlies for the Penguins game ... One of Carlyle’s biggest challenges might be the process of making Kessel a better defensive player. While Kessel is putting in the effort, the execution is falling short. His inability to get the puck out deep in Pittsburgh led to the Pens winning goal.



It's showtime for Leafs

By Terry Koshan ,Toronto Sun

The Maple Leafs have 15 games remaining in the regular season. Playoffs? Not happening. Even if Joffrey Lupul had not suffered a separated shoulder on Tuesday in a game against the Boston Bruins, it is doubtful he would have made a difference. Randy Carlyle has four weeks to leave his mark on the club, and start making decisions on who he thinks he can go forward with next season. Here are some areas that Carlyle should be giving a fair share of his attention between now and the third-period buzzer on April 7, in Montreal against the Canadiens:

1. Building a relationship with Phil Kessel

There were times when Ron Wilson and the Leafs’ most talented forward didn’t see eye-to-eye but the course was set when Kessel was free to do what he wanted. Kessel usually was the first Leaf off the ice after practice, heading straight for the ping-pong table, and though he was responsible defensively when the season started, he was a big-time liability by the time Wilson was fired. By no means does Carlyle have to coddle Kessel, who won’t be going anywhere in the next couple of seasons, but Carlyle might have to go out of his way to forge something with him. If Kessel bristles at the suggestion he’s going to have to improve when he does not have the puck, Carlyle will have his work cut out. Still, it’s crucial that the head coach and best player are in lockstep (see Ovechkin, Alex).

2. Goaltending

Is there really much point to riding one guy now? No. Jonas Gustavsson started the first three games of the Carlyle regime and won once. With losses in the past two games, it’s time to get James Reimer back between the pipes, beginning on Saturday night when the Philadelphia Flyers visit. Whether goaltending consultant Francois Allaire is whispering in Carlyle’s ear that Reimer has fragile confidence right now is beside the point. Few people in the NHL figure the Leafs will one day be a winning, playoff team in the NHL if Gustavsson and Reimer remain the tandem, so Carlyle has to get a handle on who stays and who goes. For general manager Brian Burke, acquiring a top-notch goalie in the summer must be a priority.

3. Luke Schenn

Can Carlyle, a former Norris Trophy winner, teach the 22-year-old Schenn how to read the play with a keener eye? If so, Schenn’s inconsistent play will improve. But you can’t teach instinct, and that could be a problem. The positive is that Schenn is young and it’s not often that youth and patrolling the blue line in the NHL are quick bedfellows. For now, time is on Carlyle’s side. But he has to be careful that Schenn’s confidence does not completely erode in the last month of the season. Even if Schenn, a healthy scratch on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, rebounds to an extent, he’s probably going to wish 2011-12 never happened.

4. Attention to detail

With Carlyle’s lengthy practices, this has started already. It’s said it’s the little things that count, and considering that Wilson always came across like everything was under control, the Leafs remain a team that doesn’t have a great attention span. Drive hard to the net. Use that extra bit of energy to win puck battles. Get your body, or stick, in shooting and passing lanes. They’re all fairly simple hockey tenets that have eluded the Leafs for long spells this season.

5. Compete level

Another facet that Carlyle has started to impact. The Leafs can expect a lot of bag skates in the coming weeks, something in practice that almost never happened under Wilson. It’s pretty bad that a coach can take over a team with 20 games left in the regular season and finds the players don’t have the proper fitness/stamina to compete in a 60-minute game. Once they have it, competition should not be a problem (at least, from a physical standpoint). Mentally, though, Carlyle could get a stiff push-back from some of his players.

6. Truculence

Given a moment of truth, Burke might admit he wishes he had never mentioned the word back when he took over in November 2008. It’s interesting now that he acknowledged he and Wilson didn’t agree 100% on this part of the game, but in Carlyle, he has a like-minded thinker. Whether Carlyle can really get much out of the team as it stands now is debatable. We don’t mean Tim Connolly almost fighting a couple of times (don’t worry, that’s not something that is going to last). The Leafs are a soft team up front, and don’t have a defenceman who carries a true mean streak on to the ice with every shift. It’s one area that Burke probably will have to improve upon by bringing in other players.

7. Dion Phaneuf

The captain has his detractors but we’re not in the group that thinks it was a mistake to give him the captaincy in June 2010. What matters most is whether Carlyle thinks Phaneuf is captain material, but it’s difficult to see a change happening if Phaneuf’s first impression is lacking. Doubt that happens, as Carlyle and Burke come from the same mould. Phaneuf can be a defensive liability at times, but that’s not something that sets him apart from the Leafs’ other defencemen. Under Carlyle, Phaneuf should grow.

8. Overall team defence

Getting the saves helps. Clearing the puck once those saves are made? Now we’re getting somewhere. And moving that puck with efficiency through the neutral zone and into the opponent’s end for scoring chances — it’s starting to make sense. John-Michael Liles is good at knowing when to move the puck, but has taken a step back since returning from a concussion. Rookie Jake Gardiner also has the brains for it, but Wilson went to him a lot and might have over-taxed the 21-year-old.

9. The bubble boys

It’s not so much an area that Carlyle has to worry about, but more that some Leafs can’t help but hope to make a good impression in the next four weeks. We’re looking at you, Mike Komisarek, Matthew Lombardi, Joey Crabb, Nikolai Kulemin, Connolly and Jay Rosehill, to name a few. If it can

be expected that Burke and David Nonis change, perhaps, one third of this team during the summer, the players mentioned will have to demonstrate to Carlyle they are worthy of sticking around next season. Ditto for both goaltenders. Komisarek could get a new lease on life under Carlyle if he can be physical without losing position. Lombardi has speed to burn, but defensively and physically does not bring much. Crabb could be interchangeable with many other players. Kulemin’s drop to seven goals from 30 is more staggering when one remembers that he is one of three Leafs (along with Phaneuf and Kessel) who have played in all 67 games. Connolly, no matter what he does, will not get anything close to $4.75 million US a season on his next contract.

10. Winning at home

If many of the mentioned areas fall into place, then becoming loss-proof at the Air Canada Centre should come naturally. The Leafs are 16-13-5 at the ACC this season, a record that is not good enough. Contending teams dominate at home — it doesn’t get much simpler than that. With only seven games left in Toronto, though, we might want to re-visit this next season.



Both Cherry and MacLean were Burke's targets

By Joe Warmington ,Toronto Sun

It was as if somebody kicked his dog Blue.

Turns out part of what set Don Cherry off Saturday night was that his old friend and Coach’s Corner partner Ron MacLean had been lumped in with him — the two became one in complaints from Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke to the CBC.

“I didn’t like it,” Cherry said of his 26-year Coach’s Corner partner being involved in Burke “going behind our backs to our bosses” to tell the CBC they “should get rid of Cherry and MacLean.”

Say it ain’t so.

For his part, MacLean confirmed that Burke did indeed go to their superiors.

“I don’t think it was as much to get us fired as much as he wanted to see us muzzled, which is ridiculous,” MacLean said.

To Burke’s credit, MacLean said, the Leafs GM phoned him before he met with CBC executive director of sports properties Jeff Orridge, who, like Burke, is a Harvard-educated lawyer, several days after the NHL all-star weekend.

“He said, ‘I am feeling kind of lousy doing it this way without talking to you first,’ ” MacLean said of the Burke call.

MacLean was offered a chance to meet with Burke before the meeting but declined — explaining to the Leafs president his and Cherry's job is not to present “all rainbows” in their broadcast.

“Brian feels that I egg Grapes on but in his call he was cordial,” MacLean said.

Cherry and Stephen Brunt were on Sportsnet 590 The Fan Tuesday with Bob McCown saying Burke also met with the league with similar concerns.

Said Brunt: “At the board of governors I guess what was implied was if you guys want to get this contract, if you want to renew Hockey Night in Canada when it comes next year, you better get rid of this guy.”

Said Cherry: “That’s what I heard, too” with word being presented to the governors: “Don’t forget we are going to be the guys in charge here and this guy’s a loose cannon.”

Burke in an e-mail did not respond to questions about this.

The CBC has also not commented on this issue.

Meanwhile, MacLean said Orridge did not divulge the discussions of the meetings that happened two days after the Burke phone call.

“I am not losing any sleep over it,” said Ron. “I understand Brian is under a lot of pressure and he treats each day like it’s a hockey game. A general

manager of such a major professional sports franchise should be able to handle it but it’s the way he is. I like him a lot and he is a good guest.”

He said he harbours no resentment over Burke going behind his and Don’s backs to their boss.

“I forgive Brian,” said MacLean. “It’s over as far as I am concerned.”

But for Cherry, who told McCown and Brunt “it wasn’t a very Irish thing for Burke to do,” when it comes to forgiveness, there can be a different time frame.

MacLean laughed.

“Don gets mad at me, too, sometimes but he always comes around,” he said. “Actually he and Brian are similar like that.”

And MacLean made the point that while Burke is under scrutiny, “don’t forget Don is under enormous pressure to deliver to his audience too.”

He said it didn’t surprise him that Cherry would take offence to somebody complaining about MacLean and be the enforcer for his old buddy and teammate.

“He has had my back before when necessary and I have done the same for him,” he said.

During the playoffs on the road they often end up “buying a 12-pack” and watching the late game in the hotel room.

“I will drink seven and he will drink five,” Cherry said. “We are like Frick and Frack. Sometimes, mostly in the playoffs, we have a foxhole mentality.”

It would, he said, be difficult to drive a wedge between them.

“We are close friends.”

Brian Burke found that out first-hand this week.



Leafs’ Nazem Kadri trying to pick up offensive pace with Marlies

By Dustin Pollack

TORONTO — Nazem Kadri scratched his beard and took a breath before taking questions from the small group of reporters that gathered around him.

The Toronto Marlies had just lost their third game in row, falling 2-0 to the Binghamton Senators at the Ricoh Centre, and Kadri had gone another game without a goal. If his frustration did not show in his post-game body language and the quiet tone in his voice, it was clear on the ice where he slammed his stick after missed opportunities and threw out double-fisted jabs in post-whistle scrums.

Kadri, similar to his team, is in a funk. Since returning from a 16-game stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs in late December and January, Kadri has just three goals and six points in 14 games.

But the chances are there.

Kadri had the best opportunity Wednesday afternoon with the Marlies down 1-0 in the third period. Picking up the puck in the offensive zone, he dragged it on the toe of his stick and across the Senators crease. But on his attempt to pick the top corner on Senators goaltender Robin Lehner, he was robbed by Lehner’s glove.

“I have to say I was pretty shocked when he made that save,” Kadri said. “I thought I had that corner picked. I guess it was a bit of desperation to throw out his glove, but that about sums up my last few weeks here.”

It has been that type of season for Kadri. But he is doing his best to remain positive.

“I feel like I’ve been getting better and better every single game,” he said.

It has been nearly three years since he was drafted seventh overall by the Leafs and the 21-year-old has yet to make a big enough impression to earn a regular spot with the Leafs.

And while his defensive zone play and ability to play without the puck might still be a concern for the Leafs, it is something he has been working on.

“He has his ups and downs with his puck management,” Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins said. “I know he continues to work on it and, as of late, he’s been pretty good with that. It’s one of those things that it just takes time to turn into a good pro.”

Still, Kadri might be behind schedule. When he was called up to the Leafs in November 2010, general manager Brian Burke admitted the team might have been hurrying Kadri because of the team’s needs, but suggested the forward was close to being ready for the NHL.

“He’s been responsible and he’s been good offensively so he’s made a lot of the transformations that we needed him to make,” Burke said then. “In an ideal world, [we would have waited] maybe another couple weeks, maybe three weeks, but it’s not an ideal world.”

And the weeks have turned into months for Kadri.

He played just 29 games with the Leafs last season, and another 44 with the Marlies. He has played 19 games with the Leafs this season, and 35 — and counting — with the Marlies.

Kadri is not the only prospect who has taken time to make the jump from junior hockey to the NHL. Cody Hodgson, drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2008, did not have a significant impact in the NHL until this year. Like Kadri, Hodgson was sent back to the Ontario Hockey League and spent time in the AHL, finishing with just 30 points in 52 games with the Manitoba Moose.

But after playing eight NHL games last season, Hodgson made the Canucks out of training camp in the fall, and had 16 goals and 33 points in 63 games. He gave Vancouver offensive depth and played on the second power-play unit before the Canucks sent him to Buffalo for physical forward Zack Kassian at the trade deadline.

Vancouver also stuck with Hodgson when things weren’t going as well offensively. Kadri, on the other hand, has bounced between the Leafs and Marlies. He had three goals in four games to start his second stint of the season with the Leafs but, after managing just one more goal and one assist in the next 12 games, he was returned to the Marlies to await another opportunity.

When it seemed like an injury to Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul might open the door for the crafty forward, the newly acquired Carter Ashton was called up instead. Ashton is bigger and probably more suited to the physical game the Leafs want to play under Randy Carlyle.

It will only lead to more questions about Kadri’s development — and how both he and the Leafs have handled it — and about his future in Toronto.

But on Wednesday, the conversation was about Ashton, and Kadri had only good things to say.

“He’s a big boy, he can skate and I think he’ll make a contribution to that team,” Kadri said. “He’s a determined kid and I wish him all the best.”


618147 Vancouver Canucks

Kesler top gun as a Jet-fighter

Flash of forward's form against Winnipeg that made him last season's playoff star

By Iain MacIntyre

Frankly, the Vancouver Canucks liked the Winnipeg Jets better when they were the Atlanta Thrashers.

Sure, the franchise in Georgia had a couple of nifty players over the years and spiffy uniforms. But the Thrashers were rarely difficult to play against, didn't bring intensity or urgency to their infrequent visits to Vancouver. They never drew a maniacal cheering section on the road. Or at home, come to think of it.

It was hard to believe Thursday that the Jets were the same franchise, so full of determination and motivated by playoffs. So vocally backed by

Manitoban transplants who hadn't seen a National Hockey League team from their beloved Winnipeg play on the West Coast since 1996.

The Canucks won that won, too, also with a third-period charge.

Vancouver's 3-2 win Thursday was the only hint that these Jets had once been the Thrashers, who beat the Canucks in regulation time only twice during their 11 miserable years before they moved north and discovered what it was like to be loved.

The return of the Jets made for a rollicking atmosphere that was matched by a terrifically entertaining game. It belonged to the fans, at least until Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec seized it. Eventually, it wound up in Ryan Kesler's hands.

Even with a Selke Trophy and a $30-million contract that looks already like a bargain, Kesler faces neither the nitpicking scrutiny nor the default criticism teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin endure.

But it's the three of them that drive the team, even if only Kesler was at full throttle against the Jets.

The Art Ross brothers had a few good moments, but went pointless again as the twins' worst slump in eight years continued.

Kesler, however, had easily his best night since a five-game goal-scoring streak ended a month ago.

He had scored only once in 13 games since then until he took a lucky bounce off referee Tom Kowal's skate and squibbed a shot that might have been his worst of the night through Pavelec's pads to make it 1-0 1:44 into the second period.

Kesler dented the iron with fierce blasts before and after his goal – “the puck was magnetized,” he said – and finished with six shots. Reunited with Chris Higgins and David Booth, Kesler and his linemates generated 16 shots.

It was a virtuoso performance, the kind of dominant two-way game that Kesler struggled this season to find and then maintain.

“If I'm not [making a difference] I'm not happy,” he said. “Obviously it's a team game, but you want to be a difference-maker. It was a tough start to the year for me, but I feel I've been getting better ever since. Tonight, I felt good out there.”

He claimed he didn't know he had scored only once in 13 games.

“I was obviously not shooting the puck a lot, but I thought I was using my teammates a lot and using that aspect of my game,” he said, the remark possibly a wry reference to coach Alain Vigneault's observation earlier this season that Kesler needed to better use his linemates. “I know I'm a shooter and that has to be my first option. I had a lot of good looks tonight. My linemates made openings for me and it was fun to play tonight.”

Not many people could see Kesler's 30-foot rocket off the crossbar during a revamped power play nine minutes into the game, but everyone could hear it. It was not a happy sound for a player and team struggling to score.

“It's a game, you know,” he said of luck. “It all evens out in the end. For me, I can't get down. The game is funny like that. I felt good tonight and just told myself to keep shooting. I got a bit of a lucky one off the ref's skate. That's the way the game is.”

This game seemed to centre around Kesler.

So often the straw that stirs the Canucks, he was in the middle of everything, protecting the puck and taking it to the net, throwing hits, grating on opponents and taking a penalty.

He was assessed the lone minor at 10:15 of the second period when he dug at a puck held by Pavelec.

Needless penalties are never a good thing. But the Canucks do need Kesler fully involved, and if a bad penalty or reputation call now and then is the cost of his commitment, it's a tariff the team should be willing to absorb.

Rarely can Kesler be accused of not trying.

The same can be said for Vigneault's team, which has been in a lull since the emotional win in Detroit two weeks ago. Just like the lull the Canucks suffered after winning in Boston in January.

The coach held a meeting Thursday morning to remind players to get back to the daily grind of winning “It cleared up a few things,” Kesler said. “Not so much a kick in the ass, but it was something where our structure and the

way we need to play had to be better. And we had to show more urgency. We've been saying it for a while, but we finally went out and did it.

“We're in a comfortable lead for our division right now, but we haven't won anything yet. We haven't gotten that check mark by our name for the playoffs. By no means, are we a team that wants to limp into the playoffs. We want to improve every game.”

Thursday was a good start.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Pahlsson's first Canuck goal is a game-winner

Defensive specialist scores late in third to give Vancouver a 3-2 win over Winnipeg

By BRAD ZIEMER

VANCOUVER -- The puck just hasn't been finding the net this season for Sammy Pahlsson.

Mind you, that could be said for most of Pahlsson's National Hockey League career.

The 34-year-old makes his living at the other end of the ice, shutting down the opposition's top guns. That has earned him the label defensive specialist and is the reason the Vancouver Canucks acquired him at the trade deadline.

But on Thursday night, Pahlsson the shut-down guy became Sammy the sniper as he scored the game-winner in Vancouver's highly entertaining 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Arena.

Pahlsson took a pass from defenceman Kevin Bieksa just inside the blue line and launched a long slap shot that beat Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec high to the glove side at 14:17 of the third period.

The goal was Pahlsson's third of the season and his first as a Canuck.

"It hasn't been going in for me at all this season, so it's nice to get the first one for the new team," Pahlsson said. "It's fun to score a goal and it's better when it's a game-winner."

Pahlsson has never scored more than 11 goals in a NHL career now in its 11th season. But this year has been an especially frustrating one at the offensive end of the ice for Pahlsson, who was acquired from the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets.

"Absolutely, I should get some more (goals) than I have this year, of course. I need to score more than the three goals that I have now. I need to help the team more. I know I am not going to score every game, but neither are the twins or the top lines, so we have to, too.

But Pahlsson also knows his role. Any offence he can provide is a bonus. He's here mainly to prevent goals, not score them.

"I would like to be the guy who scores all the time, but that's not the way it is," he said. "I am trying to score, but it's not my role. Even though I have to chip in every once in a while, I know what I am (supposed to be) doing out there."

Daniel Sedin, who lives two doors down from Pahlsson in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, during the summer, wasn't surprised to see Pahlsson contribute on offence.

"He has always had a great shot," Daniel said. "That's the kind of chances he is going to get, high slot taking slappers, and I think he showed tonight that he can score and that he can produce."

Pahlsson's goal capped a comeback that saw the Canucks rebound from a 2-1 deficit early in the third period.

Defenceman Alex Edler made amends for a gaffe on a Blake Wheeler goal early in the third when he bounced a long shot from the left point off Wheeler and past Pavelec at 6:28 of the third to tie the game.

Wheeler had given the Jets a 2-1 lead at 3:34 of the third when he wheeled by Edler down the right wing and beat Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider short side from in close.

"I lost my edge there and fell down." Edler said. "That happens some times. It was good that I could get it back there."

The win kept the Canucks, now 42-18-8 on the season, within one point of the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues.

"They got that early goal in the third, but we didn't quit, we didn't hang our heads, we worked even harder and came up with two big goals," said Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider, who faced 32 shots.

The Canucks, who snapped a two-game losing streak, had considerably more jump than they had shown of late. They peppered Pavelec with a season-high 45 shots. Twenty of them came in a scoreless first period.

"I thought the first 18 minute there were the best hockey we have played in a while," Schneider said.

The Canucks got a big game from the reunited AMEX line of Ryan Kesler, David Booth and Chris Higgins. The all-American trio combined for 16 shots, not including the two posts that Kesler hit.

Kesler took advantage of a fortuitous bounce off the skate of referee Tom Kowal to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 1:44 of the second. Winnipeg defenceman Tobias Enstrom attempted to pass the puck up the side boards to a teammate but it bounced off Kowal's skate and went right to Kesler. He put a shot between the legs of Pavelec for his 20th of the season and just his second goal in the past 14 games.

"I got one there, but had a lot of good looks," Kesler said. "It's a game that I have to focus on and improve on."

Former Canuck Kyle Wellwood tied it at 15:23 of the second when he banged home a rebound off an Evander Kane shot from the side boards past Schneider.

"We haven't played well on the road and we're trying to find a way to get some points," Wellwood said. "We gave ourselves a chance but, in the end, they were good enough to get the win. We let it slip away."

The game had a terrific atmosphere, thanks in part to a large number of Jets fans in the building.

"I think everybody felt the buzz in the building," said Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault. "I mean, this was a real strong atmosphere tonight. It was almost like we were playing an Original Six team."

ICE CHIPS: The Montreal Canadiens visit Rogers Arena on Saturday night. . .Edler's goal was his 10th of the season, matching a career high. . .The Canucks now have a four-game winning streak over the Jets that stretches some 16 years. The teams hadn't played since late in the 1995-96 season.



Jets’ ascent no surprise to Canucks coach Vigneault

Notebook: Coach recognized Chipman’s drive to lure NHL while working on Moose bench

By Elliott Pap

VANCOUVER — Once known as Loser-Peg for its bad hockey teams, Winnipeg is clearly revelling in the return of its beloved Jets.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault had no doubts the NHL would be embraced in the Manitoba capital after working there one season, 2005-06, while coaching the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose. He became big fans of Moose owner Mark Chipman and GM Craig Heisinger.

Chipman, of course, led the group (also including the extremely wealthy David Thomson) in purchasing the failing Atlanta Thrashers and moving them north. Heisinger was retained as the Jets' assistant GM.

“I got to know Mark Chipman that year I was there and he was a very passionate and driven man,” Vigneault explained. “Right from the start, I knew he wanted to bring an NHL team back to Winnipeg. He really felt people would embrace it and, obviously, he was right. That franchise right now is a great story for Canada and a great story for the NHL. He pursued that dream and brought that team to Winnipeg.”

COLLAR HOLLER: Canucks depth forward Andrew Ebbett has been a forgotten man since his right collarbone was obliterated by Boston Bruins defenceman Dennis Seidenberg in the tumultuous Jan. 7 game won 4-3 by Vancouver.

Ebbettt required surgery the next day — “a plate and screws are holding it together,” he explained — and was inactive for five weeks. He then began working out again off-ice before returning to the ice Monday. He skated Thursday morning for the fourth straight day. He hopes to be ready to play before the regular season is over.

“It's been frustrating,” Ebbett conceded. “I was getting comfortable and starting to play a little bit more and having some fun. Then this happened. It will be nine weeks on Sunday. It's been a long couple of months.”

Ebbett, 29, has been dogged by hard luck this season. A frequent healthy scratch early on, he was in the lineup Nov. 10 against the L.A. Kings when he scored and then broke his foot. He returned Dec. 21 and was gone again 17 days later. Add 'em up and he's appeared in just 14 games this season. He still managed to score four times and represents offensive depth should the Canucks opt for fewer checkers, and more scoring threats, at some point in the playoffs.

“I started skating on Monday and I've been happy with the way things have gone so far,” Ebbett said. “Shooting has been no problem at all. It's going to be the doc's call on when I can take contact. It's going to be close if I can play before the end of the regular season, right around there. It all depends on how the doc sees it.

"I will probably have to get one more CT scan to make sure the bone is healed," he added. "I just don't want to have any setbacks and we've had none so far. It's been pretty good, maybe a little bit ahead of schedule.”

HAIR APPARENT: Former Canucks winger Tanner Glass hasn't changed hairdos even though he has changed cities. Yes, this Jet is still rocking the mullet.

“Of course I am,” chuckled Glass. “It's my trademark.”

By THE NUMBER: Another ex-Canuck, Kyle Wellwood, signed with the Jets on Sept. 8 and has been a regular in their lineup. After wearing No. 42 for both the Leafs and Canucks, he is sporting No. 13. Asked if he was paying homage to former Leaf teammate and captain Mats Sundin, Wellwood replied in the affirmative.

“Yeah, yeah, it's a bit to Mats,” Wellwood said. “I also played with Ray Whitney in camp [with Phoenix] and I liked him. I just felt it was a fun number to change to and there wasn't much available in signing there so late. It was a good fit.”



Game Day: Canucks look to bump slump against the Jets

Winnipeg makes its first visit to Vancouver in 16 years

By Brad Ziemer,

VANCOUVER — This is one hat trick the Vancouver Canucks do not want.

For the first time all season, the Canucks have lost two straight games in regulation on home ice and will be looking to snap that streak tonight when the Winnipeg Jets pay their first visit to Vancouver in 16 years (7 p.m., Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040).

The Canucks had a team meeting before this morning's optional game-day skate and the consensus seemed to be that the team has not been matching the intensity of many of its recent opponents.

The Jets are the latest in a long string of recent Canuck opponents who are fighting for their playoff lives.

"These teams are playing hard trying to get into the playoffs and it's a good challenge to play these feisty and intense teams and we need to bring our level up a bit and play with more intensity," said defenceman Dan Hamhuis.

"We need to take pride in our game. Sure, we're not in a battle to make the playoffs, but we need to take a lot of pride in how we play. If we don't we get lazy and that leads to bad habits. That's not the way you want to go into a post-season."

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault has heard too much recent talk about the playoffs for his liking. His message to the players this morning was to focus on the game at hand.

"We have been talking a lot about playoffs this, playoffs that," Vigneault said. "We are not there yet. What is here tonight is Winnipeg, a real good team. That's what we need to focus on. When we focus on one game at a time, staying in the moment, taking care of business, we are a really effective group and that is what we need to do."

Vigneault will once again tinker with his lines tonight. He's reunited the AMEX line of Ryan Kesler, David Booth and Chris Higgins, who sounded excited about being back with his fellow Americans tonight.

"It seemed like it was working well before I got sick and then when I came back the trades happened and Sammy (Pahlsson) got here and I started playing with him, so I'm excited about it," Higgins said.

"I enjoyed playing with both of them and I think we can have a little fun tonight … we are all Americans and we want to make it work. Our three styles complement each other well."

Mason Raymond will replace Higgins on the third line with Pahlsson and Jannik Hansen. Rookie Zack Kassian will skate on the fourth line with Manny Malhotra and Maxim Lapierre.

There will also be one change tonight on defence as Chris Tanev returns to play with Marc-Andre Gragnani. Aaron Rome will be a healthy scratch tonight.

Cory Schneider gets the start in goal for the Canucks, who have surrendered 10 goals in the last two games.

The Jets have been terrific at home this season and not so good on the road, where they are 11-17-4.

"We feed off our fans, we feed off the extra energy we get," said Winnipeg centre and former Canuck Kyle Wellwood. "The travel has been an adjustment, I think, for the guys, getting used to the different time zones and moving around. There is a lot to having a new team in a new city and it shows on the road."

Winnipeg coach Claude Noel knows the Canucks will be up for tonight's game.

"They have faced some teams that are battling for their playoff lives, so they are doing it again tonight," Noel said. "They have lost their last couple of home games, but we all know it is a very good team and we are treating it as a tough game … they can play with a lot of skill and they can hurt you in a lot of ways."

• PLAYERS TO WATCH:

• Jets forward Bryan Little has 11 points in his last eight games. Goalie Ondrej Pavelec has stopped 56 of 57 shots over his last two games for a save percentage of .982.

• Daniel and Henrik Sedin have just one point between them in the last six games. Ryan Kesler has just one goal in his last 13 games.

• INJURIES:

• The Jets are without defenceman Zach Bogosian (wrist).

• The Canucks are missing wingers Andrew Ebbett (collarbone) and Aaron Volpatti (shoulder) and defenceman Keith Ballard (concussion).

ICE CHIPS: Vigneault on the Jets being back in the NHL: "That franchise is a great story for Canada and it's a great story for the NHL." … The Montreal Canadiens visit the Canucks on Saturday night.



Random quotes following Canucks’ 3-2 win over Jets

By Elliott Pap

Random quotes from Coach Vee after 2-0 win over BluesPosted on Mar 1, 2012

Jets forward Kyle Wellwood was his usual impish self post-game Thursday. The ex-Canuck and ex-Leaf (and ex-Shark) was asked if the crowd support the Jets received at Rogers Arena reminded him of coming into Vancouver with the Buds. ‘No,” he replied. “Since it’s the first year Winnipeg is back, everyone is kind of excited. Not everyone wants the Leafs to win.”

Wellwood on squandering a 2-1 third-period lead: “We haven’t played well on the road and we’re trying to find a way to get some points. We gave ourselves a chance but, in the end, they were good enough to get the win. We let it slip away.”

Canuck coach Alain Vigneault on the crowd: “I think everybody felt the buzz in the building. I mean, this was a real strong atmosphere tonight. It was almost like we were playing an Original Six team.”

AV on defenceman Alex Edler, who was on the ice for both Winnipeg goals but also scored himself and flung 12 shots at the Jet net (with seven making it through): “I’m not quite sure what to answer there. I’m going to look at the tape and give you an answer tomorrow.”



Canucks' Pahlsson plays the role of goal-scorer, for one night

By Jason Botchford,

For starters, it's Samme Pahlsson. Not Sami. Or Sammy.

That's how Pahlsson rolls, and if he's going to be scoring goals, you should start getting his name right.

There may be a few other misconceptions, too. Like anything people gleaned from that first impression. If you thought he looked distant, passionless and generally bored and disinterested after he first learned about the trade to the Vancouver Canucks, you were wrong.

"Maybe some people saw him as quiet or not real excited, I saw a really excited Samme Pahlsson," Henrik Sedin recalled. "That's the way he is."

Is he also the guy who scores clutch third-period goals?

"That's the scouting report on him," Jannik Hansen said. "No, I'm just joking."

Not like he had to add the last part. What Pahlsson has not been is a goal-scoring threat. Though he wouldn't mind changing that.

"I would like to be the guy who scores all the time," Pahlsson said. "But that's not the way it is. I'm trying to score, but it's not my role.

"It hasn't been going in for me at all this season."

He picked an ideal time to mix things up. The Canucks spent most of Thursday dominating puck possession and the shot clock. Interesting, in a wildly entertaining game with all sorts of flow, the game-winner was from the centre who plays sometimes like he's wearing a shock collar which jolts every time he leaves the defensive zone.

That wasn't a garbage goal, either. Pahlsson unloaded his slapper from the high slot 14:17 into the third, or just in time to finish off a game Winnipeg Jets team that just kept coming and coming. And no, it was not a dump-in attempt gone awry.

"It's fun to score a goal, and it's better when it's a game-winner," he said. "We came on the rush, and I got a drop pass there and I tried to get on net as quick as I could."

With Zack Kassian taking Cody Hodgson's spot on the bench for the third period, Jannik Hansen looked Thursday to be the biggest beneficiary of the trade.

"Pahlsson is so good defensively, he's always in the right spot and it has a calming effect on a line when he's out there," Hansen said. "You see it right away. You see how he approaches guys in corners. You see how he brings the puck out. He doesn't look like he's rushed or nervous. He's so calm.

"That comes with the experience he has."

It goes without saying it's experience Hodgson lacked. The Canucks' third line of Hansen, Pahlsson and Mason Raymond had speed Thursday, and produced a goal. But it was the defensive work which Hansen couldn't stop talking about.

"With Cody, it was a whole different set up," Hansen said. "It was about producing and trying to score goals. With Samme, it's a checking game again for me and being able to play against other team's top lines.

"And not being a liability."

For the first time in a long time, Hansen said he feels like he has an identity. Good thing, because despite Hansen's career high in goals he hasn't been anywhere near the tenacious player he was last year.

"I like that identity," Hansen said. "It's nice to score goals and put up points. Everyone wants to do that. But where I've been the most successful, and had the most fun playing the game is when I have this role.

"Especially last year with Raffi (Torres) and Manny (Malhotra). Just to be able to play that type of game again. It's a grind game.

"We're not relied on to score goals in bunches, it's about securing our own end and being sound defensively."

"Whenever we can chip in, it's going to be huge for us."

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.09.2012


Canucks done with slump: optimists; Canucks barely beat road weakling Jets: pessimists

By Tony Gallagher

You could presume the Vancouver Canucks are beginning to come out of their slumber at long last if you were an optimist.

If a pessimist, you would assume they moved far enough down the NHL food chain so as to find a team weak enough on the road for them to scrape out a victory on a game winner from Samuel Pahlsson, which is pretty much the definition of offensive manna from heaven. It comes around about as often as a Leafs' playoff game.

The optimist would cheerfully point out the 45 shots on goal for the Canucks and the energy brought to the second line by Chris Higgins, his presence seeming to get both Ryan Kesler and David Booth humming again and leaving you to happily wonder what took the coach so long to put these three back together.

The pessimist would look at the way this team once again sat on the lead the moment they had one and found themselves backed up in their own zone for most of the second half of the third period by a team they should be pimp-slapping just for practice.

The optimist would see the energy returning and how well the young pairing of Chris Tanev and Marc-Andre Gragnani aquitted themselves while the pessimist would look at more "good" news from Henrik Sedin. And here we refer to his words yesterday when he spun this one: “It feels like we're the least worried guys in this city right now. I think it's good that it happens now.”

Well, that being the case, the further good news for the Sedins last night was that they again came up zilch, and if you're an optimist you think it's good that it's happening now and cite all the scoring chances they generated for real this time. The pessimist would offer the rejoinder that this came against lowly Winnipeg, and against real opposition, this could go on

forever. If the Jets keep them off the scoreboard, they'll be lucky to get over the blueline against Nashville or St. Louis.

The optimist would look at the Kesler performance whereby his energy and skating came back and got him all his traditional opportunities he enjoys when he's at his best and would indeed be cheered by his words claiming he's feeling better this year at this time than ever before. The pessimist might consider the words window dressing, something a hockey player always says.

The optimist would again marvel at how good Cory Schneider is coming off the layoffs any back up goaltender endures, his consistency in this role nothing short of magnificent. Every time he shows up he gives you an outstanding performance no matter how long he's been in mothballs. If that doesn't make you feel good going into the playoffs, nothing will.

The pessimist would duly note the third-period benching of Zack Kassian and lament this was done in a game that in the overall picture didn't mean a great deal and mourn this as an inappropriate way to develop an extremely important young player to this team going forward. If he's going to play 6:52, he may as well be in Chicago.

The optimist would look at that superbly evolving Chris Higgins' wrist shot which is mildly evocative of Mark Messier when he releases coming in on the right side on his off wing and conclude it's not going to be long before he starts to score with regularity. The pessimist would moan loud and long that it took a team meeting, a buzzing building full of Jets fans and the Van fans chanting 'go Canucks go' at the start to eke out at 3-2 win over a team that struggles on the road against the lame and drooling.

The optimist would look at the play Jannik Hansen made on Pahlsson's game-winner and conclude the Great Dane is starting back to form. The pessimist would ask "when is he announcing his retirement?"

That's what March has done to fans of the Vancouver Canucks. You can bet most are choosing the "O" role, but there's no question this group is forcing you to think carefully before making a decision.



THE PROVIES: From Kesler using his teammates to Ochocinco friending Ovechkin

By Jason Botchford

Best quip

"Kesler, unassisted. Just the way he likes it."

— The Stanchion

Best comparison

Mason Raymond with and without his stick. I can't see a difference, can you see a difference?

Best bitterness

Ryan Kesler: When I wasn't using my shot a lot I thought I was using my teammates.

Best increase

Good times over at TEAM 1040. New ratings book has the station over the moon. Every show was up, pushing the all-sports radio station from fifth in its key demo last year to first. The morning show got the biggest bump, up 62% (from a 4.9 a year ago to a 7.9 share in its key demo).

Best "Mr. Ovechkin I'm Chad and I'm new to the game of hockey but I'm friends with @malkin71_ It'd be cool if you were my friend as well."

— Chad Ochocinco tweeting Alex Ovechkin

Best metaphor

There are Terminators less unrelenting than Chris Higgins on the wall.

Best question

"Has Kassian officially completed his inaugural AV 'Penthouse to (doghouse) shuffle?"



Pahlsson's first goal for Canucks the difference in win over Jets

By Ben Kuzma

First the coach referenced a morning team meeting to focus on the present. Then the general manager suggested in the afternoon that some rest for his players might be best down the stretch. And finally, a revamped power play was supposed to make their day.

At the end of it all, there was still room for head-scratching about how to best plod through the dog days after the Vancouver Canucks managed to eke out a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at Rogers Arena. Despite firing a season-high 45 shots, the issue wasn't settled until Sammy Pahlsson took a drop pass and sent a screened snapshot past goaltender Ondrej Pavelec at 14:17 of the third period on the Canucks' 43rd shot. It was also the centre's first goal as a Canuck and just his third of the season.

"I just tried to get it to the net as quick as I could," said a relieved Pahlsson.

The surprise goal was the end to a strange sequence of events. After a sprawling Alex Edler allowed Blake Wheeler to cruise in and roof a short-side effort on a cheating Cory Schneider at 3:34 of the third period to give the Jets a 2-1 lead, Edler got his redemption less than three minutes later. His point shot struck Wheeler and floated by Ondrej Pavelec to force the Canucks to rally back.

"They [goals] definitely haven't been pretty lately, but if I get the chance I'll keep shooting," said Edler, who had seven shots. "If we have a good net presence, it might go in. Sometimes you're lucky with the shots and sometimes it feels like nothing goes in."

The Canucks got one thing right. Putting Chris Higgins back on the second line from his hiatus on the third line was like injecting the all-American alignment with a vitamin shot. The chemistry was instant and the results could be lasting if the trio can stay healthy. Higgins had seven shots, while Ryan Kesler had six and David Booth three.

Not only did Kesler's unassisted shorthanded effort from the slot open scoring in the second period off an Alexander Burmistrov turnover, he also clanged two shots off the post. But it was Higgins who did the spade work on the walls, causing turnovers and giving the Jets fits in their own zone trying to contain the winger.

"He's one of the most underrated players in the game," Kesler said of Higgins. "He plays with a lot of energy and has a great skill-set and is easy to play with. I love playing with the guy and I can't say enough about him. My linemates were hitting me in stride and I was finding those openings. My release felt good and came off my stick well."

There was a dominant second-period shift when Higgins and Kesler controlled the play to such an extent on the end boards that Mark Stuart was forced to take an obvious penalty on the centre, who was then called for a mysterious slashing penalty on Pavelec while poking at the puck. Later in the same period, Higgins broke away and put a shot over the net before a Kesler slapshot hit the post. Then on another giveaway, Higgins had two more chances to snap a 1-1 draw after former Canuck centre Kyle Wellwood got position on Edler and stuffed a rebound past Schneider.

"I thought we had a lot of opportunities, played with a lot of speed and played pretty direct," said Higgins. "Kes could have had a couple of more goals. I could have had a couple and Booth was driving the net hard — all things we need to keep doing. We're three guys who skate well and are hard on the puck and win puck battles. A hard line to play against."

The Canucks were hard to play against early and looked like they were going to make short work of the Jets.

Entering the game in a 1-for-21 funk on the power play in their previous eight games, Kesler was put on the point on the first unit and Alex Burrows bumped up to the wing. Kesler promptly hit the post on a slapshot and forced Pavelec to make a glove save. The Canucks didn't score, but the six shots they managed was something to build upon.

"It was good to get a new look and get excited by things," said Daniel Sedin, who had four shots but has combined with Henrik Sedin to produce just one assist in the last seven games.

Schneider stood out after the Canucks held an early 15-2 shot advantage. His best effort was when Evander Kane muscled past Edler on the wall and forced the stopper to stop the original effort and the rebound. As much as he would like the Wheeler goal back, a 30-save effort was impressive.

"He came with a lot of speed, and it's a real tough play when guys are coming in from the side," said Schneider. "If he cuts across and you're sitting on your post, you're never going to get there. He caught me cheating. (It was) a tough goal to give up early in the third like that."

The Canucks were also good on the penalty kill. The Jets were 10-for-20 on the power play in their previous seven games and really didn't get a sniff in their two chances Thursday.



Canucks' Andrew Ebbett might return before playoffs

By Jim Jamieson

Andrew Ebbett is recovering sooner than expected from a collarbone he broke badly in early January, and is hopeful he can return to the lineup before the end of the regular season.

The Canucks forward began skating on Monday and participated in Thursday's sparsely attended optional morning skate before Vancouver took on the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Arena.

Ebbett suffered the injury on hard hit along the end boards by Bruins defenceman Dennis Seidenberg early in the Canucks' 4-3 win in Boston on Jan. 7 and had to have surgery the next day to implant a steel plate and screws to repair the damage. The Canucks pronounced him out for the season at the time – but, of course, they didn't say which season.

“I feel really good, doing a lot of cardio in the gym and I'm happy with the way things have gone this week so far,” said Ebbett, 29. “We initially thought it would be the regular season and maybe the first round, but I've just had no setbacks so far. It seems like I'm ahead of schedule, but it's up to the docs. Hopefully, I can get a couple of games in before the playoffs, but we've got a lot of guys here, so that might be tough, too.”

The likely return of Ebbett at least to begin the playoffs is an added bonus beyond the obvious depth another healthy body brings. A versatile player, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Ebbett could also add some offensive flavour to a third line that now features Samuel Pahlsson, not Cody Hodgson. Ebbett centered the Anaheim Ducks second line for half a season in 2008-09.

“I've played that role and a lot of my career at centre, but last year in Phoenix I played a lot of wing,” said Ebbett. “I'll be happy to fill in where ever there's a spot for me.”

Right now, Ebbett is working on his cardio – he had to be completely inactive for five weeks after the injury – and building up muscle strength. It was the right collarbone, so the left-shooting Ebbett said shooting has not been a problem.

“I feel really good,” he said. “I've been doing a lot of cardio in the gym and really amped it up the last two weeks. I'm happy with the way things have gone this week so far.”

The next step is to get clearance for contact. Ebbett is hoping that's going to be granted in the next one to two weeks, though he doesn't want to rush anything.

“That's going to be the doc's call,” he said. “It's going to be close. I'll have one more CT scan to make sure the bone is fully healed. I just don't want to have any setbacks by coming back too early.”

It's been a tough season for Ebbett, who was signed to a one-year, one-way free agent deal for $525,000 by the Canucks last July. A healthy scratch 11 of the first 13 games, he'd played three straight and had scored his first goal as a Canuck in Los Angeles on Nov. 10 when a shot broke a

bone in his foot. He recovered and had played nine straight when injured in Boston.

“It was a clean hit but he took a good run at me,” said Ebbett. “It was just a fluke and he caught me at the right time.

“Hopefully, I've still got a lot of hockey to play this year.”



Winnipeg Jets a rousing success on, and off, the ice

By Ed Willes

If you looked at this through the eyes of an accountant, there are any number of reasons be excited about the Winnipeg Jets, 2.0.

There’s the mind-boggling ticket demand. Back in June, the 6,300 available season-ticket packages were sold in 17 seconds when 240,000 computers attempted to access the website.


There’s also the question of sustainability. The Jets’ various stakeholders — advertisers, suite-renters, etc. — were required to sign long-term agreements, which means the franchise’s revenue streams will be flowing at peak capacity for the next five years or so.

As for the size of those streams, the Jets ranked second in the NHL in merchandising as late as a month ago, and with an average ticket price of $82, they sit comfortably in the top-10 in the league in per-game revenues.

So there’s a huge dollars-and-cents component to the Jets’ resurrection, and before you get all misty over the feelgood aspects of this story, you have to be aware their existence is dependent on their business success.

But it’s funny. When you talk about the Jets these days, no one talks about the licensing fees or sponsorship agreements or season-ticket numbers. Instead, they talk about the magic that occurs every night the Jets’ play on the tundra; the passion and energy which envelops this team and which has carried them this season.

Yes, it’s big business, about $100 million-worth. But if you haven’t been moved by what’s happened in Winnipeg, then you’re the kind of person who didn’t cry at the end of Ol’ Yeller.

“It’s driven us,” Jets head coach Claude Noel said before Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the Canucks.

“I don’t know if this process would have been the same anywhere else. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Team Lazarus, of course, made their only appearance of the season at Rogers Arena on Thursday night, and it was difficult not to get caught up in the emotion around the game. Eight of the current Canucks played in Winnipeg when the Orcans had their AHL farm team in the Manitoba capital. Alain Vigneault coached the Moose for a season. Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger ran the show there and was an invaluable resource for the Canucks.

Prior to May 31 of 2011, in fact, the Canucks were still affiliated with the Moose and the decade-long partnership had been successful for all concerned. But they would also become a distant after-thought in Winnipeg because that day the NHL announced it was moving back to the city it rejected 15 years before.

In so doing, they released the kind of energy that’s released when an atom is split.

“We thought we had a model that made sense,” Jets president Jim Ludlow said from Winnipeg.

“But no one anticipated the passion and emotion of our fans. All of us were rocked on our heels. It’s been overwhelming.”

And loud. Very loud. The build-up at the MTS Centre generally starts BEFORE the warm-up, rises to the opening faceoff, then hits something approaching mass hysteria when the puck is finally dropped.

“It’s ferocious,” said current Jet and ex-Canuck Tanner Glass. “It gives you goosebumps every time you play.”


“Coming from Atlanta, where you could be pretty anonymous, it’s been a little different,” said team captain and B.C. boy Andrew Ladd. “But I’d trade the anonymity any day for the crowds we get and the passion they have for the game.”

That passion was also there in 1996. The problem was, that’s about the Jets had working for them. The Canadian dollar was trading at about 65 cents. The old Winnipeg Arena was hopelessly out of date. There was no salary cap and big-market American teams were throwing money around like drunken sailors.

Add it all up and it wasn’t a huge surprise no one wanted to own or operate the Jets in Winnipeg.

Fifteen years later, however, those circumstances have been turned on their head. The Canadian dollar is trading at par and there’s a salary cap. The MTS Centre might not be the Taj Mahal, but it serves its purpose and it’s among the most profitable buildings in North American.

In Mark Chipman, the Jets also have an able owner-operator and, if that wasn’t enough, his partner is David Thompson, who’s one of the 20 wealthiest men in the world.

“It was like the Jets had to go away for 15 years before they could come back,” said Ludlow.

But they’re back now, back with a vengeance, and this time it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere.



Schneider and the Jets

By Ben Kuzma

Sixteen years ago, Cory Schneider was just nine and still learning to skate at the grassroots level in Boston. His reference point to the old Winnipeg Jets, whose last game in Vancouver was Feb. 13, 1996, was an obsolete video game. However, his ties to the prairie city helped hone his career as a budding NHL prospect with the Manitoba Moose.

"I probably remember the Jets the most from the old Sega video game — NHL '94 — and other than that, I didn't know a whole lot about them," the Canucks goaltender said Thursday before facing the new Jets at Rogers Arena.

Schneider found out a lot about himself with the Moose. The Boston College grad found out about coming an every-day professional on and off the ice and found out the hard way in his rookie AHL season when former Moose coach Scott Arniel benched him.

"It made me grow up and mature," admitted Schneider. "It got me out of my comfort zone and as a 21-year-old, it seemed a little overwhelming at times but I had to adapt quickly. You have to. You have no choice and they did a good job of not coddling me and letting me develop at my own pace. They pushed me and didn't give me anything and I learned you have to earn everything at this level."

As one of the Canucks' most-consistent performers this season with a 14-6-1 record — his 2.09 goals-against average ranks third and his .932 saves percentage seventh — Schneider must help stem a red-hot Jets power-play that is 10-for-20 in the last seven games because the Canucks are in a 1-for-21 funk in their last eight outings. That has a lot to do with the club dropping two-consecutive home games for the first time since November and looking a lot like a team with its focus on mid-April instead of March. A team meeting was held to snap the Canucks to attention.

"Our guys are a real professional group and they have common sense," said coach Alain Vigneault. "They know what we need to do is get back to focusing on one game at a time. We've been talking a lot about playoffs this and playoffs that and we're not there yet. What is here is Winnipeg — a

good team — and we have to stay in the moment and when we do that, we're a real effective group."

With Henrik and Daniel Sedin combining for just one assist in the last six games, Vigneault will put Chris Higgins back on the second line with Ryan Kesler and David Booth for a second wave of attack. He'll also have Sammy Pahlsson between Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen and Maxim Lapierre between Manny Malhotra and Zack Kassian. Vigneault will also pair Marc-Andre Gragnani with Chris Tanev as Aaron Rome sits this one out.

More than the pairings, the Canucks have to correct their penchant for giving up odd-man rushes with defencemen either caught pinching or making lackadaisical cute plays in the neutral zone. That should be easier against the Jets who have the league's sixth-worst road record at 11-17-4, but have won five of their last seven away from Winnipeg.

"It's details," said Schneider. It's working hard to get back playing smart and making good reads and not giving up odd-man rushes. And protecting the front of the net. We're getting a little spread out and leaving guys with too much time in front of the net and you just can't do that.

Although a defenceman by trade, Dustin Byfuglien isn't the monster he once was down low when he crashed Roberto Luongo as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, but the move is not out of his regimen.

"Duck and cover," laughed Schneider. "Hopefully, he won't be cruising around the net. I'm more worried about his slapshot from the point."

Schneider knows the Canucks need to be more worried about their own approach. With the division long locked up and the Sedins out of the Art Ross Trophy race, it often appears like they know how hard the postseason grind will be and are in cruise mode. Then again, facing teams likes the Jets clawing for a playoff position helps manufacture urgency.

"It's tough," admitted Schneider. "We've seen it the last five or six games with a lot of teams who are working hard for playoffs spots and we should be able to match that no problem. We know how to rev up the intensity when we have to and these are the type of games we're going to be playing from here on out and in the playoffs, so we better get comfortable playing them."

Dan Hamhuis has not only been a steadying influence on the back end, he has bailed Kevin Bieksa out of some of his ill-timed pinches that have resulted in too many odd-man rushes. The Canucks have surrendered five goals in each of their last two games.

"We need to take pride in our game," said Hamhuis. "We're not in a battle to make the playoffs, but if we get lazy and have bad habits that's not the way you want to go into the postseason. We're not as sharp as we need to be, Bad passes and poor defensive coverage where it should be more of an automatic thing. Some are just mental mistakes and a lack of execution.

"We need to put focus on these games and maybe we were caught looking a little ahead. It's good to play these teams like the Jets and we need to bring up our level of intensity."



Canucks vs. Jets Gameday

Jets (32-27-8) at Canucks (41-18-8), - 7 p.m., Rogers Arena

By Jim Jamieson

Jets (32-27-8) at Canucks (41-18-8), - 7 p.m., Rogers Arena

Adio: TEAM 1040

TV: SNP, R

THE SETUP

The Canucks:

Vancouver is coming off a 5-2 setback to the Dallas Stars - its second consecutive regulation loss at home and the first time they've done that all

season. They can't score, their power play is misfiring and they're having trouble in their own end. They need to turn it around against the Jets.

The Jets:

Winnipeg is on an impressive and timely 6-1-2 run that's put them in the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Jets aren't great on the road, but they know they need to crank out some wins to hang on to that playoff spot or - hey - maybe overtake division leader Florida for third in the conference.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1 The storylines seem endless with this Jets team: Vancouver native and former Giants star Evander Kane, former Blackhawks pain in the rear Andrew Ladd of Maple Ridge, another despised ex-Hawk Dustin Byfuglien, ex-Canucks Kyle Wellwood and Tanner Glass.

2 Can the Sedins break their slump? Daniel has one assist in six games. Henrik has zero points over the same span. This has been unheard of for the last two-and-a-half seasons. The head coach says he's staying the course, although he did break them up briefly.

3 The Canucks power play. It led the league most of the first half of the season, but is now firing on about half the efficiency. Point two above explains part of it, but the Canucks have to find a way to get it going again with the playoffs barely a month away.

By THE NUMBERS

16: The number of years since the Winnipeg Jets have played a game in Vancouver.

LEADERBOARD

vancouver canucks

GOALS 28 D. SEDIN

assists 53 H. SEDIN

POINTS 66 H. SEDIN

PIM 120 LAPIERRE

IN NET 25-14-6 SCHNEIDER

2.09 GAA / .932 SV%

winnipeg jets

GOALS 26 KANE

assists 39 WHEELER

POINTS 54 WHEELER

PIM 94 STUART

IN NET 25-21-7 PAVELEC

2.74 GAA / .912 SV%

INJURIES

CANUCKS:

D Keith Ballard (neck/concussion, out), LW Aar-on Volpatti (shoulder surgery, out for the season), LW Andrew Ebbett (fractured collar-bone, out for sea-son).

JETS:

D Zach Bogosian (wrist, doubtful).



Canucks Hat Trick: Three things to watch for tonight vs. the Jets

By Jim Jamieson

Three things to ponder heading into tonight's special matchup with the formerly defunct Winnipeg Jets:

1. They are two players who Canucks fans loved to hate when they played with the Blackhawks, but it'll be the first time they're back at Rogers Arena – now wearing Winnipeg Jets uniforms. Of course, it's Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien. Both were big parts of the Chicago teams in 2008-09 and 2009-10 who dumped the Canucks out of the playoffs in six-game second-round series each year. Ladd, the Maple Ridge native, is remembered for his sometimes over-the-line play, but Byfuglien was Public Enemy No. 1 after practising the sport of goalie bowling on Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo.

Tanner Glass, the ex-Canuck and current Jet, was part of the Canucks' 2009-10 team and that hotly contested playoff series. He was as incensed at Byfuglien as anybody on the Canucks, so who knew he and the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Minnesota native would be buds when they became teammates?

“He's such an easy going fun guy off the ice,:” says Glass. “He's such a character, always smiling. He and I hit it off pretty quickly. It didn't take too long for us to become friends.”

Byfuglien, a winger early in the his NHL career and mostly in those iconic playoff series with Vancouver, has been a full-time defenceman the last two seasons. He collected an impressive 12 goals and 53 points last season and has 42 points so far this season.

Pretty impressive for a guy who looked like he was just going to be a bottom six energy player.

“He's so big and strong, he can take the game on his back at times,” says Glass. “And playing defence he gets out there more.”

2. Right of the top, I'll say I've always been of the opinion that Cody Hodgson was going to be a very good NHL player. Maybe not a first-liner, but a valuable all-arounder who can be a key part of any team's core. Having said that, how concerned are the Buffalo Sabres right now, five games after they essentially swapped their top prospect Zack Kassian for Hodgson at the trade deadline? Hodgson, centring the Sabres' second line and getting regular power play time, has no points. Going back 11 games, Hodgson has one point – a goal against Detroit on Feb. 23. Kassian, a year younger, has three points (1-2-3) in his first four games with Vancouver.

3. If there was any doubt how big a deal it is for Winnipeg to have an NHL team again, it was put into perspective by Canucks defenceman Aaron Rome – who was born in Brandon, Man., but grew up in tiny Nesbitt. “It's pretty cool,” said Rome. “They've been out of the league for 15 years or whatever. It's good for the province of Manitoba and the city of Winnipeg and I think good for the Western Canadian teams in terms of travel.

“I was a Jets fan, but I think I was about 11 when they left. I only saw one game because we were about a two and a half hour drive away and in the winter that's a brutal drive in from our farm. After they left I became a de facto Leafs fan.”


618161 Washington Capitals

Capitals must limit league-leading scorer Steven Stamkos

By Katie Carrera

On his blog Wednesday, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis offered something of a back-handed compliment to the NHL’s league-leading scorer, Steven Stamkos.

(AP) “Here is a sentence I never though I would type,” Leonsis wrote. “A Lightning player has scored more goals this season than Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Mike Green combined.”

That fact is a reflection of Washington’s woes, certainly, as Ovechkin, Semin and Green have 26, 17 and 3 goals, respectively, for a total of 46. But it also shows how Stamkos has continued to stake his claim as an elite player in the NHL.

If the Capitals are going to succeed against the Lightning on Thursday night, they’ll need to find a way to minimize the damage done by Stamkos, who heads into this contest with a league-leading 48 goals, 10 more than second-best Evgeni Malkin, and tied for tops in points with 81.

Stamkos’s scoring prowess is of the automatic variety. Opposing teams know the threat he poses, but can do little to prevent him from either setting up a tally or rifling a shot of his own into the back of the net.

“Personally, I think he’s upped his game to not just the superstar status but that elite status, like when Ovi had 65 goals. He’s up there now,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “If you’re playing video games, they’re the game-breakers on the video game. That’s why they get that tag, because they can go out there and when you’re against the wall they do it.”

The 22-year-old has a rapid release on his shot, and an extra second or two before a defenseman closes the gap is all Stamkos needs to whip a puck past an opposing netminder. That makes him all the more dangerous when he manages to shake his coverage and make his way to an opening, where he can take feeds from regular linemate Martin St. Louis.

Given the praise Jay Beagle received from Coach Dale Hunter following his efforts at shutting down the Carolina Hurricanes’ top line and star center, Eric Staal, it’s possible he receives a chance to do the same against Stamkos. If so, Beagle knows he’ll have a tough task.

“He always finds the back door and kind of sneaks away. If you’re not paying attention you could lose him,” Beagle said. “You’ve got to be on top of him all the time. You’ve got to take his time and space away and just make it a really hard game for him to play. If you’re hounding him constantly he’s going to get frustrated hopefully. Just make it tough on him, that’s all you can do.”

Washington Post LOADED: 03.09.2012


Dale Hunter on Capitals’ game against Tampa Bay: ‘It’s a must win for both teams’

By Katie Carrera

Games have been important for the Capitals for a while now, but with each missed opportunity to inch back up the standings, the magnitude of each contest grows.

In the final contest of a five-game homestand that has brought insufficient results – only three points in the first four games – Washington hosts 11th-place Tampa Bay (68 points) tonight.

The Lightning sit only two points behind ninth-place Washington despite being a seller at the trade deadline and parting ways with the likes of Pavel Kubina and Steve Downie. Tampa Bay is also without captain Vincent Lecavalier (broken hand) but led by the efforts of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell it has won four of its past five heading into this meeting at Verizon Center.

For the Capitals, who trail Winnipeg in the final playoff spot by two entering tonight’s game, a win would provide the opportunity to move up, depending on the result of Jets’ late game in Vancouver. But a loss in any form would result in the Lightning jumping ahead of them.

“It’s a playoff game again. You see where it’s kind of a playoff atmosphere on the ice,” Coach Dale Hunter said of the importance of tonight’s contest against Tampa Bay. “It’s a must win for both teams.”

Said Mike Green: “We’ve got to treat this like it’s do or die.”

A note for those scoreboard watching tonight, here are the three games that will impact the Capitals the most: Buffalo at Boston, Florida at Philadelphia, Winnipeg at Vancouver.



Tomas Vokoun to start against Tampa Bay

By Katie Carrera

Tomas Vokoun will start tonight for the Capitals against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Verizon Center. It marks the veteran goaltender’s first game since Feb. 22 at Ottawa, when he allowed four goals on 11 shots and was pulled after 32 minutes of play.

Vokoun missed time briefly with a lower-body injury, possibly a groin ailment, but has practiced for four consecutive days and said he isn’t concerned about any rust.

“It’s [16] games left in the season, so it shouldn’t be any,” Vokoun said. “We’ll see tonight, I guess.”

Said Coach Dale Hunter: “I thought Neuvy has played well but he was playing a lot of games and Tomas is feeling great so we’ll go with him. We can’t let them sit too long. Tomas is good to go.”

With Mathieu Garon out for three to four weeks with a torn groin muscle, it’s uncertain whether Tampa Bay will opt to start veteran Dwayne Roloson, who has struggled this season, going 8-13-2 with a 3.82 goals-against average and .878 save percentage, or prospect Dustin Tokarski.

The Lightning recalled Tokarski, 22, from the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals after Garon’s injury. He has appeared in two games during the 2009-10 season for Tampa Bay but both were relief outings and he has only 44 minutes of NHL playing time in his career. Tokarski has done well in the AHL this season, though, as he leads that league in victories (27-11-0) and boasts a 2.34 goals against average and .907 save percentage.

A few other notes from the morning skate:

— Several players chose to take their option and not take part in the skate. They were: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Brooks Laich, Troy Brouwer, Mike Green, Jeff Halpern and Dennis Wideman.

Given the number of players who were absent, it’s tough to predict the line combinations. They may be similar to what Hunter used in practice Wednesday and against Carolina on Tuesday.

— It appears as though Mike Knuble, Roman Hamrlik and John Erskine will be healthy scratches once again.



Mike Green still adjusting since return to Capitals’ lineup

By Katie Carrera

(Nick Wass - AP) In the nine games he’s played since returning to the Capitals’ lineup, Mike Green hasn’t always looked like, well, himself. Or the Green that everyone grew accustomed to during his seasons as a Norris Trophy finalist.

While Green is pain free for the first time since October, his anticipation of when to jump into a rush has been less than perfectly timed, his passes sometimes miss the mark and there’s a hesitance to his game when reading the play.

It’s all understandable, though, and even expected after he missed 47 games between October and mid-February with various injuries. While his physical rehabilitation may be done, getting back into the flow of the game is another challenge altogether.

“Right now I feel like I’m kind of like a robot,” Green said. “I’m in position – but you want to be at a point when really the mental part of the game just flows. You create and you see things before they even happen and that’s the part of the game that I think has taken a step back. Hopefully, it peaks soon.”

Green, who was out of the lineup with an ankle injury and groin strain before finally undergoing sports-hernia surgery in January, hasn’t recorded a point and has a minus-3 rating since he rejoined the lineup on Feb. 18 at

Tampa Bay. His ice time ratcheted up rapidly to more than 20 minutes per game and he’s played more than that in seven of the nine games.

While the Capitals could definitely benefit from his offensive instincts, particularly on a power play that is 2 for its last 35, they understand it may take time. Coach Dale Hunter said he’s noticed Green putting extra pressure on himself to return to form but that it’s a matter of time.

“The offensive part, he’ll get some points. It will come,” Hunter said. “I think sometimes you push. He hasn’t got it, so you push a little harder than you should and it’s creating defensive lapses. He just has to go out, play his game and relax.”

Hunter’s system has required some adjustment as well. Not only is Green trying to regain his own form, but this is the first real opportunity he’s had to learn Hunter’s defense-first approach in games.

“It’s different,” Green said. “When you have a different game plan, different structure, obviously things change, guys aren’t in the same spots as they used to be and whatnot. We need to find that and click, and we need to do it quick.”

Hunter has little doubt that Green will smooth out his game and serve a significant role on the Washington roster.

“He’s a big part of this team and we need him,” Hunter said. “He’s a character guy, who wants to win and that’s why he’s hard on himself – he wants to win.”



Turnovers still an issue for Capitals under Hunter

By Neil Greenberg

One of the changes Dale Hunter made when he replaced Bruce Boudreau behind the Capitals bench was implementing a man-on-man approach to defense in an effort to limit the odd-man rushes against while allowing the team to become more opportunistic off the transition. So far, it hasn't worked out that way.

Looking at this season, goals-for off turnovers have upticked slightly, but so have goals-against with Hunter as coach.

As a group, there have been more players involved in goals off turnovers under Hunter than under Boudreau. The most opportunistic of the Capitals has been Troy Brouwer, who has garnered four goals within a few seconds of a turnover, three of those coming with Hunter as coach.

On the defensive side, there is one player who looks to be struggling under the new system: John Carlson.

Carlson, who played one season under Hunter with the OHL’s London Knights, has been on the ice for more than half of the goals against that have come off of turnovers this season, and that includes a hefty 63 percent of the ones since Hunter took over. Roman Hamrlik, however, has gone the other way: He was on the ice for half of the goals against via turnovers under Boudreau; now he has been on the ice for just 21 percent under Hunter.

There is never a good time to play poorly during an NHL season — especially when you are fighting to make the playoffs. But that's exactly what is happening in Washington, and if the Capitals don't find a way to limit the turnovers they will find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture in April.



Mike Green could face supplementary discipline for hit on Lightning winger

By Katie Carrera

Capitals defenseman Mike Green could face supplementary discipline for a hit he delivered on Tampa Bay rookie Brett Connolly in the middle of the second period of Thursday night’s game.

Dmitry Orlov was riding Connolly into the boards behind the Washington net when Green skated in and drove the upper portion of his left arm and shoulder into the Lightning winger’s head 11 minutes 6 seconds into the period.

Connolly dropped to the ice in a heap unable to stand but eventually skated off under his own power and would return to the game in the third period and play another 3:44. If you haven’t seen the hit yet, check out the video below and resume reading.

After the game, Green was not made available to comment but a team spokesman said the defenseman would speak to reporters on Friday.

Tampa Bay Coach Guy Boucher believes the league will look at the hit.

“I saw it. The league has to look at that. It’s right at the head. The head’s targeted. For me, it’s clear,” Boucher said. “The ref didn’t see it. But, you know, the refs are on the ice. They can’t see everything. It happens so fast. There’s people beside them.

“To me, it could have been a five [minute major penalty],” Boucher added. “It’s a head target. It’s clear. We just watched it on video.”

No penalty was called on the play but given that Connolly’s head was the principle point of contact and the winger was already in a vulnerable position – both points of emphasis in previous suspensions this year -- it is possible that Green could face a disciplinary hearing with Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s vice president of player safety.

Connolly simply said “I’m not going to point any fingers. It’s a hockey play it happens.”

Green has received supplementary discipline once before in his career. In January 2010, Green received a three-game suspension for elbowing then-Florida forward Michal Frolik in the head.



Should Mike Green be disciplined for hit on Lightning’s Brett Connolly?

By Stephen Whyno

Debate was sharp on both sides. What was certain: Mike Green’s left arm made contact with Brett Connolly’s head along the boards and sent the Tampa Bay Lightning forward crumbling to the ice.

Green didn’t get a penalty on the play, but the Washington Capitals defenseman will have a disciplinary hearing with the NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan on Friday, according to TSN.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher watched the replay after the game and feels something more should be coming for Green.

“The league has to look at that. It’s right at the head. The head’s targeted. For me, it’s clear,” Boucher said. “The ref didn’t see it. But, you know, the refs are on the ice. They can’t see everything. It happens so fast.”

Referees Stephane Auger and Dan O'Halloran might not have seen the play clearly, but replays showed that as Dmitry Orlov was riding Connolly into the boards and out of the play, Green came skating in and delivered the blow to the rookie’s head.

The play occurred at the 11:06 mark of the second, and Connolly returned to the game in the third. Afterward, he brushed off most conversation about it because he hadn’t seen a replay.

“I’m not going to point any fingers,” he said. “It’s a hockey play. It happens.”

Green was not made available for comment, as a team spokesman said he was receiving treatment. General manager George McPhee politely declined to talk about the hit as he was leaving the Caps’ locker room.

Coach Dale Hunter said he didn’t see a replay.

“I thought it was, especially early in the game, it was really physical out there,” he said. “Both teams were hitting hard.”

Green was suspended three games in January 2010 for an elbow to the head of then-Panthers forward Michael Frolik. Though that goes beyond the 18-month statute of limitations to determine how much of a fine he would potentially receive, Shanahan has used past incidents in figuring out punishment.

Boucher thought it should have been a five-minute major. But Capitals right wing Troy Brouwer knew the game had to go on.

“There’s no call on the play,” he said. “We play on and sometimes the other team’s not going to be very happy with a hit or how it’s distributed. But if there’s no call on the play, then we’ve got to keep playing.”

Shanahan ultimately will decide whether Green is able to keep playing when Washington travels to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

Washington Times LOADED: 03.09.2012


Dale Hunter’s 2nd-intermission speech prompts Capitals’ spirited rally

By Stephen Whyno

When Dale Hunter took the job as Washington Capitals coach in November, former teammates made it clear that he wasn’t a player who would throw fits in the locker room to fire teams up.

“He was a pretty quiet guy,” former Capitals defenseman Rod Langway said. “He had fun with the game. It wasn’t all hoopla and yelling and screaming.”

Those who know Hunter the coach have said the same thing, referring to his quiet, almost timid personality. But on Thursday night Hunter flashed something different, using an impassioned second-intermission speech to fire up the Caps en route to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“We were frustrated. We were a little down on ourselves for the way we sucked, I guess, you could say on the penalty kill and taking some penalties there,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “He just came in and pretty much told us to man up and start playing, everybody, five guys on the ice at a time.”

The Capitals “manned up” after a second period in which they managed just three shots and nothing for 16:56. The message was clear.

“Yeah, he said just quit trying to use your skill and use your will a little bit more,” forward Brooks Laich said.

Alzner said it was unusual for this coach to yell like that. But Hunter didn’t open up much about what he said.

“You know, just we’ve got to go out and work hard,” he said with a smile and a laugh.

That’s certainly not all he said, and players filled in the details. This was about playing as a team and players not skating around like individuals.

“We just have to work hard, and we can’t always try to make the nice plays,” said center Marcus Johansson, who had the game-tying in the third. “I think everybody here got a little wake-up call, and we went out and did it as a team. And everybody works just as hard as the other guy.”

The third period was pure domination as Washington pressured the Lightning and rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski until he cracked in allowing Johansson’s goal with just under four minutes left.

It was a familiar refrain of strong play late.

“We come into the third period usually down and we kind of yell at each other a little bit and ask ourselves what we’re doing and just kind of throw everything we have at a time,” Alzner said. “Sometimes, I guess it takes them a little bit by surprise and guys just put the puck in the net.”

But this time the yelling came from the coach who enjoyed success at the junior level with an even keel. The volume was different this time, but the message got through.

“We showed character,” said captain Alex Ovechkin, who had the game-winner. “After second period we don’t play well and coach give us hard time. And we win.”



Ovechkin’s OT goal vs. Lightning gives Capitals something to build on

By Stephen Whyno

This homestand hasn’t been about consistent, winning hockey for the Washington Capitals. But it has included plenty of third-period magic.

So the Capitals fall behind, then find a way in the final minutes to snatch a point. Maybe two. Thursday night, it was two in the most meaningful of situations, as they managed to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime at Verizon Center to salvage the homestand and stay very much in the Southeast Division race.

“We felt coming into this game that it was going to be our season, and if we could get two points tonight, it was going to put us in a good spot to contend for a playoff spot here,” right wing Troy Brouwer said. “If we weren’t able to get these two points, we’d be on the outside looking in, and a real tough place to get back in.”

Marcus Johansson supplied the magic with 3:58 left, as he cracked Lightning rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski to finish off a third period that seemed as if the ice was tilted in the Capitals‘ favor. Tomas Vokoun only saw three shots (to Washington’s 12) the entire period because his teammates woke up following a second-intermission berating from coach Dale Hunter.

“Just got to go out and work hard,” Hunter said with a wry smile. Karl Alzner said the message was to “man up” and play like a team.

The desired result came and Washington managed to crack Tampa Bay’s trap and force overtime.

“I think the work ethic in the third period was unbelievable,” said Alex Ovechkin, who scored the game-winner in overtime. “I don’t think we play well in the second, and I think we just make only couple shots on net. … If we put puck in deep and get a chip and make a physical game, they going to tire in the end and you see what happened in the third.”

It wasn’t perfect for the Capitals, who might rue allowing Tampa Bay a point at all if it keeps up this furious, improbable playoff run. But in showing a legitimate push in the third period, Washington made it feel like old times.

“That’s what we used to be like,” Alzner said. “We come into the third period usually down and we kind of yell at each other a little bit and ask ourselves what we’re doing and just kind of throw everything we have at a time. Sometimes, I guess it takes them a little bit by surprise and guys just put the puck in the net.”

Players lamented not being able to play with such urgency the entire game. But what mattered was being able to pick up two points, especially on a night the division-leading Florida Panthers got waxed in Philadelphia and the chasing Buffalo Sabres lost in Boston. The Capitals ended Thursday night just two back of the Panthers.

“There’s guys breathing down your neck, and if you slip up one night, you can find yourself going from eighth to 11th in a matter of probably 48 hours, actually,” forward Brooks Laich said. “But it also works the other way; you have a couple days and you can move up. Just keep winning, man. That’s the name of the game: Just keep winning.”



Lightning’s Steven Stamkos wanted to be more than just a flash in the pan

By Stephen Whyno

There was a time when Steven Stamkos‘ one-timer on the power play gave opponents’ nightmares. Quick pass, quicker shot and the Tampa Bay Lightning phenom cruised to a 51 goals in 2009-10 as a 20-year-old.

Naturally, defenses figured out how to stop the No. 1 pick from the 2008 draft. But Stamkos is on the way to another 50-goal season because he has done what Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin hasn’t: reinvent his game and discover new ways to fill up the net.

“When you’ve played in the league for a while, people pick up on things, they pick up on where you score from, what you like to do when you’re in the offensive zone, so you have to make adjustments and be able to adapt to your surroundings,” Stamkos said. “It was something that I wanted to adjust. As you mature throughout your career, you’ll always keep finding new ways to get opportunities.”

For Stamkos, it has been scoring a plethora of even-strength goals as the power play is no longer the primary source of his production. Entering Thursday night’s game in Washington, 38 of his 48 goals this season have come five-on-five.

As the Lightning try to steal a playoff spot despite floundering for parts of the season, one of Stamkos‘ partners in crime is not the least bit surprised by the 22-year-old’s torrid scoring pace, nor his ability to adapt.

“I feel in this league you have to reinvent yourself all the time,” Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis said. “If you score a lot of goals from one spot, you take it away. You always have to find a way to reinvent yourself. He’s done that.”

That’s one of the top criticisms of Ovechkin, as players around the NHL have noted his patented curl-and-drag move and repeatedly snuffed it out. Ovechkin, 26, has scored at least 50 goals four times but dropped to 32 last season and is on pace for the same number this time around.

Meanwhile, Stamkos could earn Hart Trophy consideration if the Lightning make the playoffs, as it’s hard to argue any other player perhaps outside of Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has been more valuable to his team’s success.

Coach Guy Boucher praised his young star for his willingness to buy in to changing up his game.

“He’s worked hard at, is very receptive,” Boucher said. “He’s taken this quest of becoming a complete player and a winner very, very seriously, and that’s why he’s benefiting from scoring from all angles, all kinds of situations: whether it’s a breakaway, two-on-one, wraparound, screen, tip, jam. He does it all.”

Teammates such as St. Louis don’t marvel at it anymore. “It’s nothing new for us,” the former MVP quipped. But players such as Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner watch Stamkos score game-winners (he has an NHL-best 10) and recall that Ovechkin has shown flashes of that.

“That’s what those players do,” Alzner said. “It’s like when you’re playing video games. They’re the ‘game breakers’ on the video game. That’s why they get that tag is because they can go out there and when you’re against the wall they do it.”

Stamkos has done all this with St. Louis and Teddy Purcell. Tampa Bay captain Vinny Lecavalier (broken hand) remains out and after the Lightning traded forwards Dominic Moore and Steve Downie and defenseman Pavel Kubina. That’s a lot of pressure for a guy who just signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract last offseason and is earning every dollar by carrying his team.

“I put that pressure on myself regardless of who is in the lineup. Obviously, it’s magnified now with the trades that we made and with Vinny out … But for right now for Teddy, Marty and I, we realize that we need to score goals to help our team win, and we like that pressure.”



Lapses are proving costly for Capitals

Brian McNally

The goals appear to come out of the blue. The Capitals will be cruising along playing a fine game, and all of the sudden a simple mistake proves costly.

It happened repeatedly Friday in a 5-0 loss to the Devils. It happened just once against the Flyers on Sunday -- but that was more than enough in a 1-0 loss. And Tuesday against Carolina, in a game in which it put a season-high 49 shots on goal, Washington still gave up far too many odd-man rushes, including one in overtime that led to the game-winning goal by Justin Faulk.

It's a worrisome trend that has contributed to what so far has been a 1-2-1 homestand. That's not what the Caps imagined when they began this stretch hoping to improve on their playoff position. Instead, they enter Thursday night's home game against Tampa Bay two points out of the No. 8 spot.

"We were doing it earlier in the season where we just kind of get a mental lapse for a few minutes and we get scored on in bunches," said forward Troy Brouwer, who admitted one of those goals against was a direct result of him losing his man in coverage. "It seems that when we get scored on, we get scored on in bunches."

Indeed, the Hurricanes registered two goals in a span of 3:39 on Tuesday to erase a 2-0 Washington lead. Later, defenseman Dennis Wideman tried to keep a puck in the offensive zone as the Caps buzzed the Carolina net. He missed, and Brandon Sutter raced up ice for an easy breakaway goal. Later, Wideman pinched into the offensive zone during four-on-four play in overtime. That left partner Mike Green in a bind as the Hurricanes took off on a two-on-one. Faulk scored, and the Caps lost a valuable standings point.

"I think we're just making mental errors. That play at the blueline was a mental error," Wideman said after Tuesday's loss. "You can't make those at any time. You can play your best game all night and play solid and then have one mistake that costs you a hockey game."

Washington is just two points ahead of the 10th-place Lightning and two points behind No. 8 Winnipeg with a game in hand. It still controls its fate, owning the top tiebreaker with 31 regulation wins. But with six of the next seven games on the road, the Caps can't afford to drop any more points at Verizon Center. That starts with limiting those key errors.

"It's split-seconds out there that the player has to make the right read. And if they make the wrong one, a player's going to get burnt on it," Caps coach Dale Hunter said. "We've got to read better. We've got to maybe side on the defensive side instead of the offensive side late in the game like that."

Washington Examiner LOADED: 03.09.2012


Ovie scores in overtime

Brian McNally

These are the games that can turn a season around. Down a goal late in regulation, another blown opportunity loomed for the Capitals.

But for the second time in this roller-coaster homestand, they somehow found a way. Marcus Johansson scored the game-tying goal with 3 minutes, 58 seconds remaining and Alex Ovechkin netted the game-winner in overtime for a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Verizon Center on Thursday night.

It was the second time in the five-game homestand that Ovechkin scored in overtime. Washington (33-28-6, 72 points) gained ground on most of its competitors in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Pending Winnipeg's late game at Vancouver on Thursday night, they gave themselves a chance to leap into the No.?8 spot. Florida, the first-place team in the Southeast Division, Buffalo and, of course, Tampa Bay all lost on Thursday.

"After every win we talk about 'Is this the game like we maybe turn it up?'" said Ovechkin, whose team next plays Boston on Saturday afternoon. "Tomorrow's going to be different day. Tomorrow's going to be new game. Of course we going to take good things about this game. But we have to concentrate and not think 'OK, we win this game we going to be in.'?"

But even getting this one was dicey. Tampa Bay scored twice on the power play in the second period, and Washington managed just three shots on goal in an awful period that led to a chewing out from coach Dale Hunter at intermission. Twice a skate was the culprit -- the first goal tapped in off Lightning forward Ryan Malone in front of goalie Tomas Vokoun's crease, and the second an own goal when Caps defenseman John Carlson watched in horror as a shot clicked off his skate and in.

But in the third period and overtime, the Caps responded by outshooting the Lightning 16-3 in a dominating stretch of hockey. Time and again they fired quality shots at Tampa Bay rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski (29 saves), who held up well until the final minutes when his teammates let him down.

Washington Examiner LOADED: 03.09.2012

618173 Winnipeg Jets

Canucks beat Jets 3-2

By: Staff Writer

VANCOUVER — They were close and might have deserved something on Thursday night but the only move the Winnipeg Jets made was down in the standings.

Losing 3-2 on a late goal by Sami Pahlsson of the Vancouver Canucks, the Jets dropped to ninth spot in the Eastern Conference after the Washington Capitals pulled a late comeback and won in overtime.

Washington and the Jets are at 72 points, but the Caps have played one fewer game.

Pahlsson scored with a wicked screen shot with just 5:43 left in regulation time, capping a rally that saw Vancouver overcome a 2-1 Jets lead early in the third.

"I didn’t see it at all," Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec said on Pahlsson’s winning shot under the cross-bar. "No way. It was over my shoulder.

"We did a turnover in their zone and then they come up to our zone and got the middle. It was too late to do something about it.

"We could have won the game but too many mistakes."

Once Blake Wheeler had established the Jets’ 2-1 lead early in the third, the Canucks really bumped the pace to win their first game in three outings before 18,890 fans at Rogers Arena, more than just a few of them cheering for the Jets.

"We didn’t really skate most of the game," Wheeler said. "Those guys are good, a good team but if we skate and play a certain way, they’re no better than us.

"You’ve go to give them credit because they really turned things up in the third after we scored the second goal but it was a byproduct of us, not pushing the force like we really can.

"We were back, not really an odd-man opportunity and the guy made a hell of a shot, right under the bar. It wasn’t much of a breakdown. It was too good of a spot we let him get a shot off from."

The Jets fell to 32-28-8, with the bad news that they’re 11-18-4 on the road. They have just 14 games to play, the next tonight in for a game against the Flames.

Early in the third, following an Pavelec save on a David Booth rush for Vancouver, the Jets turned it the other way and Wheeler picked the short side form a sharp angle to put the Jets ahead for the first time in the game.

Wheeler was able to dance around a diving attempt at a check by Canucks defenceman Alex Edler and he caught Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider leaning away from the close post, anticpating a pass.

The lead held for just less than three minutes as the Canucks upped the tempo.

Vancouver squared the game when Edler’s weak, wobbly shot from the point bounced and found the back of the net behind Pavelec.

Thursday’s game was a game with a definite buzz and yet another Jets road contest with a considerable portion of the crowd pulling for the visitors.

Games between Canadian teams generally are this way, and the "Go Jets Go" chants throughout the night were evidence of the support.

Vancouver is now 42-18-8 and one back of St. Louis for the NHL’s overall lead.

Game advancer

VANCOUVER — On a night of so many intertwined stories between the Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets — the people, the players, the former affiliation — the NHL game may come down to who has more success reversing trends.

The Jets, at 72 points with 15 games left, are one of the league's poorest road teams at 11-17-4. They can’t afford to be as they try to hang on to their current eighth-place standing in the Eastern Conference.

The Canucks, at 90, are just one point off the overall NHL lead, but they’ve lost four of their last five and the last two at home, and looked sluggish doing it.

Though his team has won two of its last three away from the MTS Centre, Jets winger Tanner Glass — the former Canuck — thinks the team’s recent homestand of 5-1-2 can push the Jets in the right direction starting tonight (9 p.m. CT, TSN Jets, TSN 1290).

"It’s tough to put your finger on, really," Glass said about the road record. "We haven’t been as sharp as we’ve been at home, whether it’s the boost you get from the crowd or the home cooking or how nice our wives are to us.

"I think we’ve taken a good step with this last homestand and we’re looking forward to getting on the road again."

Jets coach Claude Noel said this morning that he knows his team has got its hands full tonight, the first of back-to-back road games that continues to Calgary on Friday.

"They’ve faced some teams battling for their playoff lives," Noel said. "They’re doing it again tonight. They’ve lost their last couple of home games but we all know it’s a very good team. They can play with a lot of skill and hurt you in a lot of ways."

But Noel said he has seen some of the right signs with his team, which won an important Monday home game, 3-1 over Buffalo.

"I’m expecting us to carry the same game we’ve had," Noel said. "I’m not hoping, I’m expecting."

Tonight the Jets will face a goalie familiar to their fans. Cory Schneider was a standout netminder when he played for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose — leading that team to a Calder Cup final in 2009 — and he’s no slouch as an NHL goalie, either, with 14-6-1 record this season.

"We know he’s a tough goalie," said Jets winger Kyle Wellwood, also a former Canuck. "This should be a fun game and we look forward to playing them."

Schneider said there’s certainly an energy around Rogers Arena for the last couple of days with the Jets on the schedule.

"It’s good to see some old faces and some people who helped me get to where I am," said the former Moose all-star.

And he knows the Canucks, who are certain to be in the playoffs, will be facing yet another desperate team tonight. Buffalo and Dallas have won games here in the last week.

"We’ve seen it the last five, six games, teams working hard for playoff spots," Schneider said. "We should be able to match that, no problem. We’re a team that knows how to play our A game, ratchet up the intensity when we have to."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.09.2012


Canucks take it up a notch

By: Tim Campbell

VANCOUVER -- They were close and might have deserved something on Thursday night, but the only move the Winnipeg Jets made was down in the standings.

Losing 3-2 on a late goal by Sami Pahlsson of the Vancouver Canucks, the Jets dropped to ninth spot in the Eastern Conference after the Washington Capitals pulled a late comeback and won in overtime.

Washington and the Jets are at 72 points, but the Caps have played one fewer game.

Pahlsson scored with a wicked screen shot with just 5:43 left in regulation time, capping a rally that saw Vancouver overcome a 2-1 Jets lead early in the third.

"I didn't see it at all," Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec said of Pahlsson's winning shot under the crossbar. "No way. It was over my shoulder.

"We did a turnover in their zone and then they come up to our zone and got the middle. It was too late to do something about it.

"We could have won the game but too many mistakes."

Once Blake Wheeler had established the Jets' 2-1 lead early in the third, the Canucks really bumped the pace to win their first game in three outings before 18,890 fans at Rogers Arena, more than just a few of them cheering for the Jets.

"We didn't really skate most of the game," Wheeler said. "Those guys are good, a good team, but if we skate and play a certain way, they're no better than us.

"You've go to give them credit because they really turned things up in the third after we scored the second goal, but it was a byproduct of us not pushing the force like we really can.

"We were back, not really an odd-man opportunity and the guy made a hell of a shot, right under the bar. It wasn't much of a breakdown. It was too good of a spot we let him get a shot off from."

The Jets fell to 32-28-8, with the bad news that they're 11-18-4 on the road. They have just 14 games to play, the next tonight in Calgary.

Early in the third, following a Pavelec save on a David Booth rush for Vancouver, the Jets turned it the other way and Wheeler picked the short side form a sharp angle to put the Jets ahead for the first time in the game.

Wheeler was able to dance around a diving attempt at a check by Canucks defenceman Alex Edler and he caught Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider leaning away from the close post, anticpating a pass.

The lead held for just less than three minutes as the Canucks upped the tempo.

Vancouver squared the game when Edler's weak, wobbly shot from the point bounced and found the back of the net behind Pavelec.



HIGHLIGHT REEL Canucks 3 / Jets 2

By: Staff Writer

The Jets started the night in ninth place after the Washington Capitals won in overtime to get to 72 points with 33 wins and the edge in the tiebreaker were the season to end at that point. The Jets then got within six minutes of moving back into eighth but couldn't contain the dangerous Canucks, who pushed the pace much of the evening.

Little picture

Winnipeg had the lead early in the third period after Blake Wheeler's 16th goal of the season but Alex Edler and then Sami Pahlsson scored to send the Canucks to their first win in three starts. Pahlsson's shot from the high slot came after two drop passes on a four-on-three rush and Jets goalie

Ondrej Pavelec couldn't handle the high, hard shot. The Jets pressed hard themselves for the final few minutes but couldn't find the goal they needed to get it to overtime.

Game-breaker

Tanner Glass barely missed the rebound on a Jets two-on-one and when the Canucks turned the puck to the other end of the ice, Pahlsson put the home team ahead for good with just 5:43 left in regulation time.

Free Press 'Ö'Ö'Ö

1122233

-- Campbell

SUMMARY

First Period

No Scoring.

Penalty -- Clitsome Wpg (high-sticking) 8:52.

Second Period

1. Vancouver, Kesler 20, 1:44 (sh)

2. Winnipeg, Wellwood 15 (Kane) 15:22

Penalties -- Edler Vcr (tripping) 0:37, Gragnani Vcr (tripping) 6:08, Kesler Vcr (slashing) 9:52.

Third Period

3. Winnipeg, Wheeler 16 (Ladd) 3:34

4. Vancouver, Edler 10 (Salo, Higgins) 6:28

5. Vancouver, Pahlsson 3 (Bieksa, Hansen) 14:17

Penalties -- None.

Shots on goal by

Winnipeg11911--32

Vancouver201213--45

Goal -- Winnipeg: Pavelec (L,25-22-7); Vancouver: Schneider (W,15-6-1).

Power plays (goals-chances) -- Winnipeg: 0-3; Vancouver: 0-1.

Referees -- Tom Kowal, Dave Jackson. Linesmen -- Lonnie Cameron, Greg Devorski.

Attendance -- 18,860 (18,860).



Jets Report

By: Staff Writer

Will be without D Zach Bogosian for a third straight game tonight. He did not make the road trip... Winnipeg entered Thursday night's game in Vancouver with a road record of 11-17-4. It has failed to win the second game of back-to-backs nine out of 10 times this season... The Jets' 6-1-2 run heading into this road trip had put them into a good position for the final three-plus weeks of the race for Eastern Conference playoff spots... This will be the first and only meeting with the Flames this season... Under the current schedule format, which is likely to continue next season, both Vancouver and Calgary will play in Winnipeg next season... Winnipeg's next action after tonight will be the start of a three-game homestand Wednesday vs. Dallas... Going into Thursday's action, RW Blake Wheeler led the Jets with 54 points, including 15 goals.

About the Flames

Calgary is coming off a 5-4 home win over Montreal on Tuesday, moving them to 72 points but still outside the line in the Western Conference

chase...LW Curtis Glencross had a big night for Calgary against the Habs, with three points, giving him 40 on the season. He has scored in five straight gtames...The win was No. 1 goalie Mikka Kiprusoff's 58th appearance of the year (29-19-8)... The Flames are 17-10-5 at home this season, and just 2-2-2 in their last six games... Calgary's 4-12 record when games go extra time has not been an asset... D Jay Bouwmeester has played 573 straight NHL games, currently the longest streak in the league... Captain Jarome Iginla had two goals Tuesday and has points in three of his last four games.

WINNIPEG JETS

31 Ondrej Pavelec

50 Chris Mason

4 Zach Bogosian

5 Mark Stuart

6 Ron Hainsey

8 Alexander Burmistrov

9 Evander Kane

12 Randy Jones

13 Kyle Wellwood

14 Tim Stapleton

15 Tanner Glass

16 Andrew Ladd

17 Eric Fehr

18 Bryan Little

19 Jim Slater

20 Antti Miettinen

22 Chris Thorburn

24 Grant Clitsome

26 Blake Wheeler

33 Dustin Byfuglien

36 Mark Flood

39 Tobias Enstrom

80 Nik Antropov

CALGARY FLAMES

34 Miikka Kiprusoff

35 Henrik Karlsson

4 Jay Bouwmeester

5 Mark Giordano

6 Cory Sarich

7 TJ Brodie

8 Krys Kolanos

12 Jarome Iginla

13 Olli Jokinen

15 Tim Jackman

16 Tom Kostopoulos

18 Matt Stajan

20 Curtis Glencross

23 Scott Hannan

25 David Moss

26 Guillaume Desbiens

27 Derek Smith

33 Anton Babchuk

40 Alex Tanguay

48 Greg Nemisz

51 Roman Horak

93 Mike Cammalleri



Thanks for the memories

By: Tim Campbell

VANCOUVER -- The switch of allegiances in Winnipeg could not be any more dramatic.

The Vancouver Canucks? Don't let the door hit you on the way out of town because the Jets are the city's new passion.

A little gratitude for the Canucks, however, is more than appropriate.

It was nearly 10 years to the day that the Canucks and Winnipeg's True North Sports and Entertainment, owners of the Jets and their predecessors, the Manitoba Moose, were in an affiliation agreement to operate Vancouver's development team in the Manitoba capital.

It was a requirement to jump from the IHL to the AHL, so from 2001 to 2011, the Moose and Canucks had a relationship. In the end, those dealings provided key people on the True North side with the know-how that has made the new Jets franchise mature beyond their new-membership tenure.

In the NHL, the games are won and lost on the ice but rarely is success achieved without background wisdom.

And so we arrived at Thursday night's first-ever meeting between the Canucks and the Jets 2.0, a story that had so many intersections of people, players and cities it made Confusion Corner look like a mere crosswalk.

"I'm really looking forward to that game in Vancouver. ... this is a special game because they've been our partner for a long period of time. It'll be fun to compete against them and it's good to see the people there," said Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger earlier this week.

The affiliation between True North and the Canucks was by no means a love-fest. Like any relationship, it had its ups and downs, its good and bad.

With the perfection of hindsight, could mercuric forward Fedor Fedorov have been handled worse by the Canucks between 2002 and 2004? Did the Canucks really need to spirit Cody Hodgson out of town with an alleged injury last April while the Moose were fighting for first place?

On the flip side, there were more than enough highlights.

Could the Moose have made the Calder Cup final in 2009 without brilliant draft pick goalie Cory Schneider? Would the Moose have been able to sustain momentum and excellence without Vancouver helping them acquire character captain Nolan Baumgartner on two separate occasions?

Through the regimes of Vancouver GMs Brian Burke, Dave Nonis and Mike Gillis, all the good and all the bad, all the arguments, discussions and decisions in the end helped Heisinger and the True North team broaden their horizons in the real hockey world.

"Everything in Vancouver, with the number of regimes we dealt with, everything wasn't positive but everything wasn't negative," Heisinger said. "We learned lots from everybody, Brian Burke, Dave Nonis, Mike Gillis, Steve Tambellini, Lorne Henning, Laurence Gilman, learned from them all.

"And I think they learned from us. We had a lot of people come through (Winnipeg) that either directly or indirectly wound up in Vancouver and are still doing a real good job for them."

Current Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault, who coached the Moose in 2005-06, wanted no credit for assisting True North's graduation to the NHL.

"The only little, itsy bitsy help that I might have been able to give is any time anybody would talk to me about the people in Winnipeg, after I had moved on to Vancouver, talking about Zinger or Mark (Chipman) and the job they were doing, I would say the same thing every time.

"And that's that it's an American League team pretty much run like an NHL team. Those guys did everything first class. They take care of the players, the staff.

"If people around maybe heard that, then maybe that's the only thing (I did). The rest, the reason they have an NHL team, is all because of Mark and his group."

[email protected]

Intersections of teams runs deep

Among the connections:

Jets Tanner Glass and Kyle Wellwood once played for the Canucks.

Jets Evander Kane and Andrew Ladd are from B.C., as is goalie coach Wade Flaherty.

Jets coach Claude Noel was the Moose coach and under contract to Vancouver last season.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault coached the Manitoba Moose in 2005-06.

Canucks players Cory Schneider, Kevin Bieksa, Chris Tanev, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond, Alex Edler, Jannik Hansen and Aaron Volpatti were once regulars with the Moose; defencemen Aaron Rome and Sami Salo have played for the Moose on conditioning assignments, making 11 players in all formerly in antlers.

Canucks players Rome and Dale Weise are Manitobans.

Canucks equipment manager Pat O'Neill was once in the same job with Jets 1.0.

Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman is from Winnipeg and once worked for the Jets.

Canucks associate coach Rick Bowness is a former Jets player and coach, including head coach; for good measure his son Ryan is the Jets' manager of hockey operations and team services.

Former Moose assistant coach Eric Crawford is the Canucks' director of player personnel, and former Jets defenceman Dave Babych is a scout for the Canucks.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and Canucks assistant GM Lorne Henning have a connection, in the Islanders organization as player and coach, respectively, in the early 1990s.



Jets' resurrection gets attention

By: Ed Willes

VANCOUVER -- If you looked at this through the eyes of an accountant, there are any number of reasons to be excited about the Winnipeg Jets, 2.0.

There's the mind-boggling ticket demand. Back in June, the 6,300 available season-ticket packages were sold in 17 seconds when 240,000 computers attempted to access the website.


There's also the question of sustainability. The Jets' various stakeholders -- advertisers, suite-renters, etc. -- were required to sign long-term agreements which means the franchise's revenue streams will be flowing at peak capacity for the next five years or so.

As for the size of those streams, the Jets ranked second in the NHL in merchandising as late as a month ago and, with an average ticket price of $82, they sit comfortably in the top 10 in the league in per-game revenues.

So there's a huge dollars-and-cents component to the Jets' resurrection and, before you get all misty over the feel-good aspects of this story, you have to be aware their existence is dependent on their business success.

But it's funny. When you talk about the Jets these days, no one talks about the licensing fees or sponsorship agreements or season-ticket numbers. Instead, they talk about the magic that occurs every night the Jets play on the tundra; the passion and energy that envelops this team and has carried them this season.

Yes, it's big business, about $100 million worth. But if you haven't been moved by what's happened in Winnipeg, then you're the kind of person who didn't cry at the end of Old Yeller.

"It's driven us," Jets head coach Claude Noel said in advance of Thursday night's meeting with the Vancouver Canucks. "I don't know if this process would have been the same anywhere else. I've never seen anything like it."

Team Lazarus made its only appearance of the season at Rogers Arena on Thursday night and it was difficult not to get caught up in the emotion around the game. Eight of the current Canucks played in Winnipeg when the American Hockey League farm team was situated in the Manitoba capital. Alain Vigneault coached the Manitoba Moose for a season. Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger ran the show there and was an invaluable resource for the Canucks.

Prior to May 31, 2011, in fact, the Canucks were still affiliated with the Moose and the decade-long partnership had been successful for all concerned. But they would also become a distant afterthought in Winnipeg because that day the NHL announced it was moving back to the city it rejected 15 years before.

In so doing, they released the kind of energy that's released when an atom is split.

"We thought we had a model that made sense," Jim Ludlow, president and CEO of True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Jets, said from Winnipeg. "But no one anticipated the passion and emotion of our fans. All of us were rocked on our heels. It's been overwhelming."

And loud. Very loud. The buildup at the MTS Centre generally starts BEFORE the warm-up, rises to the opening faceoff, then hits something approaching mass hysteria when the puck is finally dropped.

"It's ferocious," said current Jet/ex-Canuck Tanner Glass. "It gives you goose bumps every time you play."


"Coming from Atlanta, where you could be pretty anonymous, it's been a little different," said team captain Andrew Ladd. "But I'd trade the anonymity any day for the crowds we get and the passion they have for the game."

That passion was also there in '96. The problem was, that's about the Jets 1.0 had working for them. The Canadian dollar was trading at about 65 cents. The old Winnipeg Arena was hopelessly out of date. There was no salary cap and big-market American teams were throwing money around like drunken sailors.

Add it all up and it wasn't a huge surprise no one wanted to own or operate the Jets in Winnipeg.

Fifteen years later, however, those circumstances have been turned on their head. The Canadian dollar is trading right around par and there's a salary cap. The MTS Centre might not be the Taj Mahal but it serves its purpose and it's among the most profitable buildings in North America.

In Mark Chipman, the Jets also have an able owner-operator and, if that wasn't enough, his partner is David Thomson, one of the 20 wealthiest men in the world.

"It was like the Jets had to go away for 15 years before they could come back," said Ludlow.

They're back with a vengeance.



Jets snapshots: Third-period struggles resurface

By Ken Wiebe ,

The harsh reality is that the Winnipeg Jets have slipped back below the playoff line.

Despite putting forth a game effort against one of the Western Conference powerhouses, the Jets coughed up a third-period lead and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks before a packed house at Rogers Arena on Thursday night.

A pair of former Manitoba Moose players — defenceman Kevin Bieksa and winger Jannik Hansen assisted on the game-winner from Sami Pahlsson, an important trade-deadline pick-up by the Canucks.

With the loss, the Jets slipped to 32-28-8 on the season (11-18-4 on the road) and dropped into ninth spot in the Eastern Conference standings behind the Washington Capitals, who rallied to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime on Thursday.

The Caps and Jets each have 72 points, but Washington holds a game in hand and has more regulation and overtime wins (32 to 28)

There’s no time for the Jets to lament on what might have been, as they flew to Calgary after the game for a date with the Flames — battling for a playoff spot of their own in the Western Conference — on Friday night.

The Jets struggles in the back end of games on consecutive nights have been well-documented, but they snapped a string of nine straight losses under those circumstances on Feb. 17 against the Boston Bruins.

It wasn’t all bad news for the Jets on the out-of-town scoreboard though, as the Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers were blanked 5-0 by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Those results left the Jets two points behind the Panthers, who have two games in hand and two points up on the Sabres, who are even in games played.

The Lightning, meanwhile, have 69 points and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are fading but not out of it, have 67.

Third period

With the game tied, it was no surprise to see Blake Wheeler score the go-ahead goal for the Jets as he’s been on fire of late. After scoring the game-winner on a breakaway Monday against the Buffalo Sabres, Wheeler drove around Alex Edler and showed great patience before beating Cory Schneider for his 16th of the season. Not bad for a guy who didn’t score his first of the season until his 19th game ... Edler fell down on the Wheeler goal, but redeemed himself a few shifts later when his shot from left point changed direction after hitting Wheeler and sneaking past Ondrej Pavelec, who finished with 42 saves in his 56th appearance ... On the game-winner, Bieksa joined the rush and left a drop pass for Pahlsson, who wired his shot from the slot high to the glove side of Pavelec at 14:17 for just his third goal of the season. It also helped the Canucks snap a two-game losing skid and improve to 42-18-8 on the season.

Second period

Wheeler also showed off his blazing speed early in the second, driving past Edler to draw a penalty but he crashed heavily into the post with his ribs and left the ice awkwardly ... Wheeler didn’t miss a shift, but the Canucks managed a shorthanded goal from former Moose Ryan Kesler during the minor penalty. Kesler, who put up 30 goals and 58 points in 78 games with the Moose during the 2004-05 season, entered the game with only one goal in his past 13 games but has now cracked the 20 goal mark for the fifth consecutive season (after putting up a career-high 41 last season) ... As for the goal itself, Toby Enstrom was being chased by Kesler so he chipped the puck off the boards but it went off one of the referees before it reached Alex Burmistrov and right onto the stick of Kesler, who wired a shot through the five-hole of Pavelec ... The Jets managed to even the score before the period was out though as Evander Kane picked up a loose puck along the boards and got a quick shot off that Cory Schneider kicked right onto the stick of Kyle Wellwood, who scored his 15th of the campaign — which is three short of the career high of 18 he scored for the Canucks in 2008-09.

First period

The Canucks had a burr in their saddle in the early going after winnning just once in the past five games (1-2-2) and losing the previous two games on home ice. They’re an up-tempo team and they carried the play in the early going ... One of the 11 former Moose in the Canucks’ lineup, Kesler, had a tremendous chance midway through the period, wiring a one-timer past Pavelec but he couldn’t beat the crossbar ... It was the first of two crossbars Kesler would hit in the contest ... The Jets best chance of the period came with just under two minutes to go. After Tanner Glass and Chris Thorburn worked the cycle down low, Jim Slater snuck free in the slot but his low shot was stopped by the pad of Cory Schneider ... That shift seemed to spark the Jets, who managed a few other quality chances late in the period but were unable to dent the twine in the opening frame.

ETC...

Speaking of Schneider, going into the season I figured the Jets would be one of the teams who could be in hot pursuit of the former Moose netminder. Given his history with True North, it made sense but that was before seeing Pavelec put up an MVP-type season with the Jets. There’s little doubt Schneider will be a starting goalie in the NHL next season, but we don’t see it being with the Jets. Pavelec is going to be due for a substantial raise and we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the New Jersey Devils made a play for Schneider to pick up the mantle should Marty Brodeur decide to retire ... Brian Burke and the Maple Leafs will likely prepare an offer as well, but I’m not sure they have the assets to get that deal done ... The Panthers are my sleeper team in the Schneider sweepstakes for two reasons: general manager Dale Tallon isn’t scared to make a bold move and Schneider would be an upgrade over Jose Theodore ... Speaking of the Panthers, might they be the type of team that might consider taking on Roberto Luongo’s lengthy contract, should the Canucks decide to make Schneider the starter next season?

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.09.2012


Bobblehead of Jets Kane a popular souvenir

By Ted Wyman ,

The only problem Evander Kane had after being honoured by the Vancouver Giants Wednesday night was that everybody wanted one of his bobbleheads.

The Winnipeg Jets left-winger was inducted into the Giants ring of honour before the WHL team’s game against the Tri-City Americans and about 1,000 bobbleheads were handed out to fans at Pacific Coliseum.

On Thursday, as the Jets prepared to play the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena, everybody wanted a piece of the action.

“We’ve had a few good laughs and quite a lot of the guys have commented on it since then,” Kane said. “I think some of the guys actually want some so I’m gonna slide some into the room and hand them out.”

Kane said the experience of joining players like Milan Lucic and Gilbert Brule in the Giants ring of honour was a special one.

“It was great to go back to the Coliseum and see the Giants play again … it was a special night.”

Jets coach Claude Noel even got in on the fun, expressing his disappointment at not getting a Kane souvenir.

“No special gifts for the coach, so might have to diminish the ice time,” he quipped.

Wheeler appeal

Jets defenceman Ron Hainsey is not at all surprised to see Blake Wheeler emerging as a top NHL forward in recent weeks.

He shares an agent with the Jets leading scorer and was always a believer in the big winger’s abilities.

“We added Wheels at the end of last year and he had a great finish for us and he’s playing even better than that the last 50-60 games,” Hainsey said.

“When he came here he was going to get an opportunity to play first-line minutes and he put a lot of pressure on himself at the start of the year to be successful right away.

“He didn’t have the start that he wanted but with his skating ability and the way he can carry the puck, there’s just not a lot of guys in the league that have that. The way he carries it through the neutral zone with speed — he’s fearless with that — and he just creates so many opportunities not only for himself but for his linemates.”



Jets fall from playoff spot

By Ted Wyman ,

It was an intense, playoff-like game, with a playoff-like atmosphere created mostly by their own fans

And the Winnipeg Jets played accordingly, giving the mighty Vancouver Canucks all they could handle, battling for every puck, charging hard to the net and doing whatever it took to find success.

In the end the Jets couldn’t get the job done, getting badly outshot by the Canucks, and ultimately falling 3-2.

It was a good sign that the Jets were not taking any satisfaction from what was a pretty strong effort despite the loss.

“You could say that it was a one-goal game and we had a chance to win it and that’s awesome, but there’s a certain way that we play that makes us a good team and tonight wasn’t that,” said Jets leading scorer Blake Wheeler.

“We’re way better than what we showed tonight. We can skate way better, we can make teams defend a lot harder and we just don’t really do that as much on the road as we do at home. That’s the big elephant in the room. At home, we fly around, the crowd’s roaring, we’re having fun and on the road, we don’t do the same thing.”

It was a result that cost the Jets a chance to move into a tie for first place in the Southeast Division after the Florida Panthers lost Thursday night and also dropped them into a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference with the Washington Capitals, who won in overtime.

What’s most frustrating for the Jets was the fact they kept the Sedin twins completely in check, but were done in by players like defenceman Alex Edler, who scored on a soft shot from the blue-line, and checking centre Sami Pahlsson, who blasted the winner past Pavelec with just over five minutes left in the third.

That, combined with a shorthanded goal by Ryan Kesler, was enough to bring down the Jets, who played with all the necessary fire for such an important game, but couldn’t make that count. Vancouver simply got too many chances, outshooting the Jets 45-32, and got one more timely goal than the visitors could muster.

The Jets even held the lead in the third period when Wheeler used his speed and reach to get around a diving Alexander Edler and beat Canucks goalie Cory Schneider on the short side. Wheeler’s speed was a factor all night as he scored the goal and drew a couple of penalties.

But the lead was short-lived and in the end it was the Canucks fans, who were barely able to make more noise than the huge throng of Jets fans in the crowd, who had something to celebrate.

That group of Jets fans was impressively loud, announcing its presence at every opportunity with “Go Jets go” chants and loud ovations for the visitors. They were particularly noticeable when Kyle Wellwood scored on a rebound of an Evander Kane shot late in the second period to tie the game at 1-1 and when Wheeler gave the Jets the lead.

Though they certainly held their own against an ultra-tough opponent, the Jets could have been burned more badly had it not been for some stellar goaltending from Ondrej Pavelec and a couple of bullet shots off the iron by Kesler, who was the best player on the ice.

Pavelec finished with 42 saves, but likely would want at least two of the goals back, especially the long shot by Edler.

There were times when the game was far too wide open for Jets coach Claude Noel’s liking.

“We didn’t deserve to friggin win the game,” Noel said. “We were lacking our good solid play that we’ve been playing in the past. We’ve been a good, organized team and it just goes to show you that it’s a hard game to play for us every night.

“It certainly wasn’t our best game. Vancouver’s obviously got a really good team and we gave them a lot of scoring chances. It was a very sporadic game. Having said that we were 1-1 after 40 minutes and we had a chance to win the game after going up 2-1. I thought our will was there but we didn’t play to the level we were playing to before.”

The Jets played a style that hasn’t worked well when playing elite teams on the road, but it made for an exciting, entertaining game and the visitors did a good job of keeping it close.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t count for much when it comes to the playoff race.

At this time of year, there are never any moral victories.

The Jets can certainly say they ran with one of the big dogs for 55 minutes and can feel good about their chances of being successful if they make the playoffs.

But that very task didn’t get any easier.



Maturing Jets grow into contenders

By Ted Wyman ,

Way back in September, before training camp even officially opened, Ron Hainsey took a look at all the young talent at the IcePlex and knew his team had an opportunity to be vastly improved.

At the time, the veteran defenceman said if young players like Evander Kane, Blake Wheeler, Zach Bogosian, Alex Burmistrov, Bryan Little and Ondrej Pavelec could improve on the seasons they had last year in Atlanta, the Jets would be a playoff contender.

Hainsey remembered those prophetic words Thursday as the eighth-place Jets got ready for a game against the Vancouver Canucks.

“The guys who get the bulk of the ice time, we have younger players in a lot of those roles, so if they’re trending upwards, we all felt we were going to be in a position to have success,” Hainsey said.

“In the last two months, when all those guys have really played well, you’ve seen our team record improve. I don’t think it’s just at home. We’ve played better on the road as well and the team’s had more success.”

The numbers support Hainsey’s theory that the Jets key to success lies with their emerging players.

Kane (26 goals, 46 points), Wheeler (15 goals, 54 points) and Pavelec (25 wins, 2.74 GAA) are having career years. Little (19 goals, 37 points) has rebounded from a couple of down years to get back near the level of his rookie season when he scored 31 goals. Burmistrov (13 goals, 26 points) has flourished as a second-line centre and his modest point total doesn’t come close to telling how well he has played all season in a variety of roles. Bogosian (three goals, 22 points) has emerged as a smooth-skating, strong puckhandling defenceman with a great shot and a penchant for big hits.

All that improvement has the Jets in the thick of a playoff race and even a shot at the Southeast Division title with 72 points heading into Thursday’s game.

“The maturity level of everyone has gone up,” Jets veteran right-winger Chris Thorburn said. “We don’t really have an old team but this year we’ve just been able to grow. The young guys are getting more minutes and what they’re doing with those minutes is unbelievable.

“The bottom line is we need those guys to be our best players and so far this year they have been.”

Kane’s had a few ups and downs this season, but has been the Jets most consistent goal scorer. He long ago bettered his career high of 19 goals and leads the team with 26.

Still just 20, Kane was one of the players with the most need for maturation, and he’s gained a lot of it just by being on a team that is in the playoff race.

“We’ve gotten better as players and we’ve never been at this level in a playoff hunt at this point of the season,” Kane said. “Probably the biggest thing is learning how to bring your top game, every night, consistently until the last game of the season.

“The young guys and pretty much everyone in the room hasn’t been in this situation and I think we’re holding up pretty well.”

Jets coach Claude Noel has noticed the growth in his team and just as he was publicly vocal in his displeasure with some players earlier in the season, he has been equally quick to hand out pats on the back lately.

“From an age standpoint, you look at Wheeler, Kane and down the list … there’s a whole slew of them, Noel said. “It’s evident that our team has matured a lot and we’ve gained some experience in a lot of different ways. Last year’s production from Atlanta has improved, and there’s so much maturity that we’re really in a good place right now.”

A good place that Hainsey envisioned all those months ago.



Burrows hopes Jets get a point

By Ted Wyman ,

Alex Burrows is so appreciative of his time in Winnipeg that he didn’t even want to see the Jets lose outright Thursday night when they faced his Vancouver Canucks.

“Hopefully we’ll have a good game and maybe it will be an overtime win for us so they get one point and we get two,” the Vancouver Canucks forward said Thursday morning as his team prepared to take on the Jets at Rogers Arena.

“Winnipeg was the first place I played pro hockey and Mr. (Mark) Chipman and Mr. (Craig) Heisinger were such a big part of the start of my career. They gave me my first chance and now to have them being part of the Winnipeg Jets and playing them tonight means a lot.”

Chipman and Heisinger gave a lot of Canucks players their start when they were owner and general manager of the Manitoba Moose, Vancouver’s AHL farm team for many years.

They’ve moved on to become owner and assistant general manager of the NHL’s reborn Jets, and people in the Vancouver organization couldn’t be happier.

“For a lot of us, Winnipeg was a great city and a great home for a little bit so now to be able to play against their NHL team is great to see,” Burrows said. “We’re looking forward to it … It’s a team we’ve been hoping to see sooner rather than later.”

Canucks goalie Cory Schneider, who got the start against Ondrej Pavelec and the Jets Thursday, still feels a strong connection to Winnipeg and the former Moose ownership group.

“There’s a great connection between here and Winnipeg and we’re all very excited to see the Jets back in town,” Schneider said. “From the fan base, to the media, to the accommodations we had as top notch an organization as it could be when I was in Winnipeg. The ownership in Mark Chipman and Craig Heisinger did everything they could to help guys on the ice, off the ice, and that’s a pretty rare sight even in the NHL sometimes so it’s stuff that sticks with you for sure.

“They were pretty patient, and they always still put everything into the Moose. They were patient, they waited and they got rewarded. All the guys in here who played there are very appreciative of what they did for us and now they’re getting a chance to show the rest of the league what they’re capable of.”

Former Moose head coach Alain Vigneault showed up for his media availability in shorts and a sweatshirt and said he was going for the “Heisinger look.”

He said he wasn’t remotely surprised when his former bosses became part of the NHL fraternity last off-season.

“Did I see it coming? Yes I did,” Vigneault said.

“In my short time there you could tell it was a hockey market where fans love the game and give players the surroundings they need. I really enjoyed my time there with Craig and Mark. They ran an American League team like an NHL team. It was really well run and they took great care of the people that worked for them and for the players.

“That franchise right now is a great story for Canada and for the NHL and they’ve even got a real good team.”

ICE CHIPS

Jets defenceman Zach Bogosian remains out with a wrist injury, while two Manitobans on the Canucks roster did not dress — defenceman Aaron Rome of Nesbitt and forward Dale Weise of Winnipeg.

Canucks who spent time with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose

G Cory Schneider

D Aaron Rome

D Alexander Edler

D Kevin Bieksa

D Chris Tanev

F Alex Burrows

F Jannik Hansen

F Ryan Kesler

F Mason Raymond

F Aaron Volpatti (injured)

Coach Alain Vigneault


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ESPN / 5 Things: You Can Play ads, 2014 Olympics

By Scott Burnside

1. NHL promotes You Can Play

Anyone who spends any time around the game understands there’s a powerful amount of good work that gets done. Each team has its own foundation helping charities in their communities to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars annually. The NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams fund does a remarkable job of helping kids who couldn’t otherwise afford to play hockey get a chance to enjoy the game. But every once in a while you run across something that gives you a special sense of pride at being connected to the game and its people. One of those moments came watching the new public service advertisements promoting the You Can Play initiative that hopes to break down the homophobia that exists in athletics.

You Can Play is the brainchild of Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke -- son of Toronto Maple Leafs president and GM Brian Burke and brother of Brendan Burke, who championed the cause of the gay community in athletics prior to his death in a car accident in early 2010. Brendan Burke told his family that he was gay in 2007 and then came out publicly to the University of Miami Ohio hockey team, for whom he worked as a manager in 2009.

The public service spots, produced by HBO, features top NHL players delivering a simple message: If you have the skills and drive and determination, you can play the game regardless of who you are or what your orientation might be.

Patrick Burke said the idea came to him after sitting in on countless scouting meetings over the years. Invariably when discussing a player someone will ask the simple question: "Can he play?"

“That’s all that matters, can he play,” Burke told ESPN.com.

In memorializing his brother, Patrick thought that simple query was apropos given the path his brother had forged in trying to break down the barriers that often confront the gay community vis-a-vis team sports.

“That line just kind of stuck with me,” he said.

Working with a couple of investors, including Glen Witman and Brian Kitts, who are members of the high-profile GForce Sports organization in Denver, Burke established the You Can Play initiative as a tool for helping to break down homophobia across the athletic landscape. Then he approached the NHL’s 30 GMs about getting some players to help out.

He admitted more than a little nervousness about the response, but all 30 teams committed to supporting the project and then the players contacted were universally supportive.

In all, 35 NHLers have committed to be involved with You Can Play.

“I had a real faith that our guys would step up and they did,” said Burke, who appeared in the first spot with his father talking about Brendan and his efforts to promote understanding and acceptance.

The first of the public service spots appeared on NBC’s national broadcast Sunday and featured New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist, Philadelphia’s Scott Hartnell, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, former Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith of Chicago and defending Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry of Anaheim. Filming of the spots with other players continues, and by next spring Burke said he and the group’s other directors hope to have produced a "playbook" for athletic directors, sports team managers, coaches and others about how to create a safe environment for athletes from the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

There are also plans to expand the video PSAs into other sports and broaden the message by employing athletes outside of North America.

Young people look to players like the ones that appear in the ads for cues on how to behave, how to tape their sticks, how to celebrate a goal or a win. And to hear these players talking about treating people with respect and judging them solely on their abilities is key, Burke said.

“That’s when the message gets across,” he said.

Hartnell said he thought the campaign was a “huge step” not just for the NHL but all of athletics, and he said he’s been impressed with the response from the public to the ads.

“We live in a diverse world now,” Hartnell told ESPN.com. “It’s been very positive. I haven’t had one bad thing said to me."

The rough and tumble winger, who is having a career year with the Flyers, said he had no hesitation about doing the spots.

“It was a no-brainer,” he said. “It just shows the quality of the guys there are in the NHL and I’m happy to be one of those guys.”

2. 2014 Sochi Olympics

Lots of pre-Olympic discussion this week as Hockey Canada made the unusual decision to anoint Steve Yzerman executive director of the 2014 Canadian Olympic team two years out from the Sochi tournament -- without even knowing if the NHL will be involved, something that will have to be bargained this summer with the NHLPA.

Still, it got us thinking about what the rosters would look like and specifically how the U.S. defense -- which played extremely well in Vancouver, when the Americans lost the gold medal game in overtime to Canada -- would look dramatically different by the time the 2014 Games rolled around.

Ryan Suter is a lock for 2014 and in our estimation so, too, is Brooks Orpik, given his tough-as-nails approach and the leadership he brings to the table. Orpik’s teammate in Pittsburgh, Paul Martin, was injured for the Vancouver Games but would provide a steadying influence and some veteran leadership along the U.S. blue line.

But there are a handful of young emerging defensemen who will give Brian Burke (assuming he returns as GM) and his management team pause. For instance, hard to imagine a guy like Ryan McDonagh won’t be part of the mix for Team USA given his emergence as a key part of a New York Rangers team that is among the most difficult to play against in the league.

Keith Yandle, the slick young defenseman for the Phoenix Coyotes, would appear to be an almost sure bet to be on the team, while Kevin Shattenkirk of the St. Louis Blues has become an integral part of the Blues’ surprising success. John Carlson made his mark on the international stage for the U.S. juniors a few years back and is a mainstay for the Washington Capitals. And how about a guy like Nick Leddy, who has shown great promise since coming over to Chicago? Where will Jake Gardiner, one of Burke’s prized young defensive assets, be in terms of his evolution in two years? Or Justin Faulk, who has matured so quickly along the Carolina blue line? Those young players are going to put a lot of pressure on incumbents like Jack Johnson and Ryan Whitney. If Burke is going to assemble a fast, skilled puck-moving blue line for the big ice in Sochi, it appears he'll have lots of options and lots of hard decisions.

3. Hemsky versus Grabovski

Some folks were wondering why we were so critical of Ales Hemsky's two-year, $10 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers and less skeptical of Mikhail Grabovski's new five-year, $27.5 million pact. Well, it’s really a case of simple math.

First, let’s start by saying it’s a moot point to debate whether anyone who has never scored 30 goals in an NHL season or topped the 60-point plateau is "worth" more than $5 million a year, as is the case with Grabovski.

What is more illuminating is to examine the two teams’ options when it came to these players and what were their relative needs.

The Oilers have a plethora of young talent up front. They are woefully thin on defense. Hemsky, while skilled, has shown nothing to suggest he can play more than 60 or so games per season given his lack of durability, so his two-year deal seems more than a little bloated and a misguided use of resources for a team that appears stuck in a perpetual rebuild. The fact he wanted to stay in Edmonton is a bonus for a team that struggles to attract top players, and he does not have a no-trade or no-movement clause, although one GM told ESPN.com that the $5 million annual cap hit is in effect a no-trade clause, so all in all, his deal remains a curiosity.

As for Grabovski, he is a moderately skilled center on a team with virtually no depth down the middle. Furthermore, what were Toronto’s options if it didn’t sign Grabovski, who could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1? Even if you thought you could convert Zach Parise to a full-time center, think the Devils’ captain is packing his bags for a team that is on a collision course with missing the playoffs for a seventh straight year? Uh, no. Olli Jokinen? The Flames would like to re-sign the veteran pivot and he’s older than the 28-year-old Grabovski by five years and has shown no signs throughout his career of being a significant difference-maker (he has played in a grand total of six playoff games in his career). Further, Jokinen is likely looking at similar dollars and term given the dearth of quality centers that look to be available July 1.

In short, the Leafs were boxed in. Hard to imagine that Grabovski will ever live up to the expectations created by the contract, but that’s life in this NHL, and all in all, his deal still makes more sense than the Hemsky deal.

4. West Coast math

All five Pacific Division teams, all with a bead on the playoffs with fewer than 20 games to go in the regular season, are in action Thursday night, including the top four teams in the division that are separated by just three points.

With teams like Colorado and Calgary in the mix, it’s possible that in spite of the closeness just the division winner will qualify for the postseason dance. So, how do you handicap the often weak-kneed but nonetheless wooly Pacific?

The problem is that there appears to be few patterns on which to hang your hat.

The Dallas Stars are the current division leader and have shown remarkable resolve in going 7-0-1 in their past eight heading into an interesting showdown with the slumping San Jose Sharks on Thursday. In their seven victories over that period, the Stars have not given up more than two goals in any one game, a testament to rookie head coach Glen Gulutzan’s defensive game plan and the play of netminder Kari Lehtonen. But the Stars have a road-heavy schedule down the stretch with five of their last seven away from the American Airlines Center. Will that prove a tipping point when it comes to deciding the top post in the division and a possible playoff berth?

The Los Angeles Kings likewise appear to be peaking at just the right time, having won four in a row including a big 5-4 win over Nashville on Tuesday.

They are in Columbus on Thursday for Jeff Carter's homecoming, but counting Thursday’s game, the Kings face nine of their final 16 games on the road. They close the season on April 7 in San Jose as part of a home-and-home to close things out and one wonders just how important that tilt will be. The Kings have won two in a row on the road but are just 4-4-2 in their past 10 road games and that record won’t get them into the playoffs.

Phoenix, currently second in the division and seventh overall in the conference, remains a mystery. After roaring through February without a single regulation loss, the Coyotes have gone sideways, losing four straight, including two to woeful Columbus. They have been outscored 14-7 in those four games but face another soft touch, in theory, Thursday night with the Wild in town. The Yotes play four of their last six at home and finish with Minnesota on the road, which could be enough to push them into the playoffs for the third straight year.

The most perplexing team of the lot is the San Jose Sharks, who have managed to win just twice in their past 11 outings but still miraculously hold onto the last playoff spot in the conference -- they are tied with L.A. and Colorado in points -- heading into Thursday’s showdown with the Stars in Dallas.

It seems no one in San Jose has a handle on how to arrest this skid, but they could also control their own destiny, which is a meaningful statement only if you’ve got the wherewithal to actually win some games -- something the Sharks seem to have misplaced. The Sharks close out the season with a home-and-home against the Kings, so stay tuned.

Anaheim, meanwhile, remains the ultimate playoff dark horse, sitting six points back of eighth in 12th place heading into Thursday’s tough test in St. Louis. The Ducks have just five more games against division opponents and it’s not a stretch to suggest they will need to run the table in those five games plus keep winning in order to have a shot at the postseason.

Here’s how we figure things to shake down: Dallas on top with Phoenix the only other Pacific Division team to crack the top eight.

5. Avs' moves paying off

There is a pretty small sample to look at with the trade deadline less than two weeks ago, but you have to hand it to Colorado GM Greg Sherman for making moves that have paid immediate dividends, while also looking to bolster his club long-term. Sherman is a bit of an unknown quantity in the hockey world, even though he’s a longtime Avs employee. He was roundly ridiculed for spending a first- and a second-round draft pick on erstwhile Washington netminder Semyon Varlamov. Then he traded an everyday defenseman in Kyle Quincey for agitating forward Steve Downie, and then traded two everyday forwards in Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi to San Jose for Jamie McGinn. From the outside, all of the pre-deadline maneuvering looked a little like shuffling the deck chairs, but Sherman’s plan may just get his squad into the postseason as it has won six of eight with both Downie and McGinn playing significant roles.

Downie has two goals and eight assists and is plus-10 in seven games since joining the Avs. McGinn, buried in the Sharks' offensive depth chart, has three goals and an assist in his first four games in Denver and has scored the game winner in the past two games.

ESPN LOADED: 03.09.2012

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ESPN / Daily Debate: Full night of statement games

By Scott Burnside and Craig Custance

Scott Burnside and Craig Custance preview a full night of action in the NHL and discuss the playoff implications surrounding the games.

BURNSIDE: Good day, my friend. How is Columbus? Is the city abuzz over Thursday's Jeff Carter homecoming as the suddenly smoking-hot Blue Jackets entertain the L.A. Kings? Interesting tilt to say the least, but that's the great thing about this time of the season: Every night seems to have at least one "statement" game on the docket.

For me, I like to see how teams under extreme pressure respond, not just to setbacks, but to success too. Take Buffalo. The Sabres were bounced in a big game Monday in Winnipeg that could have moved them back into the

playoff bracket but rebounded Wednesday to beat Carolina in overtime at home. The power play managed to score twice in one game for the first time since Dec. 26. The Sabres are 7-1-2 in their past 10, but they head to Boston on Thursday to play a Bruins team that is more than a little ornery given their tepid play of late. The two teams have lots of bad blood between them thanks in large part to Milan Lucic steamrolling Sabres netminder Ryan Miller earlier this season. For me this is one of those "show me" games. Buffalo is just two points out of eighth once again and a win in Boston would go a long way to suggesting their renaissance is more fire than smoke. What say you -- are you a Buffalo believer or not? My prediction, by the way: Boston 5, Buffalo 2.

CUSTANCE: Columbus is fantastic, especially the sweet potato fries from Tip Top, but part of me does wish I could be in Boston to watch what should be an intense game. I have to admit that I thought it was a bit puzzling the Sabres weren't more active in selling off pieces at the deadline, but maybe GM Darcy Regier had a better feel for how close his team was to getting back in the race. Since the deadline, in which Regier landed the ultra-talented Cody Hodgson, the Sabres are 4-1. Now, if you're looking at the Eastern Conference playoff race and you're betting on goalies, who better than Ryan Miller? Since the All-Star break, he's 11-3-3 with a 1.84 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. And not to oversimplify the race, but if you look at the teams fighting for the No. 8 spot -- Winnipeg, Buffalo, Washington, Tampa Bay, Toronto -- not one of them has a winning record on the road, and that's being kind. It could just come down to who plays at home the most. But I'll pick the Sabres in Boston. Miller is 2-1 against the Bruins this season with a 1.45 goals-against average. He'll keep it going.

What about your favorite division, the Southeast? Big one Thursday in Washington, where the Lightning can actually catch the Capitals in the standings with a regulation win. Can they pull it off?

BURNSIDE: The Lightning remain an enigma wrapped up inside a paradox covered by a layer of "huh?" And the questions keep coming for a team that stayed in the playoff hunt in spite of unloading three everyday players before the deadline in Dominic Moore, Pavel Kubina and Steve Downie and now have no No. 1 goaltender with the surprising Mathieu Garon gone long-term with a groin injury. Last year’s playoff hero, Dwayne Roloson, has been, well, awful, and that leads me to believe that Guy Boucher will give AHL call-up Dustin Tokarski every chance to keep the Lightning’s modest playoff hopes alive. The 22-year-old has been on a tear for the Lightning’s AHL squad in Norfolk, but this will truly be a baptism by fire as the Lightning are just four points out of eighth with a game in hand. They have to leap over three teams to get to the playoffs, including their opponent Thursday, the puzzling Washington Capitals.

The Caps continue to suggest they are a team without a clue as they blew a 2-0 lead against Carolina the other night and lost in overtime. I know this isn’t all about Alex Ovechkin; it’s never about one guy, but if there ever was a time for Ovechkin to prove he’s "the man," that he’s a leader and that this is his team, now would be it. Honestly, though, I don’t see it. With Steven Stamkos making a late bid for a Hart Trophy a la Corey Perry of last season, I think the Bolts keep it interesting and the Caps keep floundering. You?

CUSTANCE: Well, if Brad Thiessen can all but end Toronto's playoff hopes, I guess Tokarski can extend Tampa's. The Lightning are proving to be a stubborn group, which shouldn't be surprising considering Martin St. Louis is the heart and soul of that group. And Stamkos has certainly propelled himself into Hart Trophy consideration, but boy, games like the other night scare me. Ottawa put up seven on Tampa, and I know two were empty-net goals, but still, five goals is a lot to surrender in the midst of a playoff race. I realize Tokarski was down in the AHL setting records with his eight-game winning streak, but now he's in the middle of an NHL playoff race. That's a lot to ask of a 22-year-old. I guess the bottom line is, all these teams fighting for that No. 8 spot in the East have serious flaws and it's hard to get really excited about any of them.

Can we talk about the West instead? Big one in Dallas on Thursday between the Sharks and Stars. San Jose is reeling and struggling to score goals, but the Sharks have owned Dallas this season. The Stars are playing great and coming off an impressive 5-2 win in Vancouver and absolutely killed it during a Western Canadian road trip. But I see an opportunity for the Sharks to come out of their slumber. We've seen them struggle for long stretches in the past before putting it together in time for the playoffs. It needs to happen soon for the Sharks, and I say they come out on top 4-2. What about you?

BURNSIDE: The Sharks remind me of the Washington Capitals both historically and in their current state. So much talent. So much promise.

And yet they seem to be missing some key ingredient. The Sharks have managed to win just twice in their past 11 games. Given the mediocrity of the Pacific Division, they should have been running away with the division lead. Instead, they appear aimless. We’ve asked all season (and beyond, really) about the leadership abilities of Ovechkin. OK, so where is Joe Thornton in all of this? Dan Boyle? Patrick Marleau? When GM Doug Wilson struck out on the Rick Nash front at the deadline, he seemed to have settled on an acceptable Plan B by beefing up his offensive corps with Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi, whom he acquired from Colorado for Jamie McGinn. Now it’s McGinn lighting it up for the Avs and Colorado is now tied in points with the Sharks (although the Avs have played three more games).

Whether the Sharks have owned the Stars or not, I am becoming a believer in Glen Gulutzan and, yes, even Kari Lehtonen, whom you and I have both seen wilt under the pressure of being "the man," so I see the misery continuing for the Sharks on Thursday. In fact, I’ll be a bit surprised if we don’t wake up tomorrow to find that the Sharks are outside the playoff bubble altogether.

But before I leave you to the city of Columbus, I want your prediction for Thursday’s homecoming ball at Nationwide Arena.

CUSTANCE: The Kings are going to keep things rolling in Columbus. We've seen nearly every other Western Conference team go on a long winning streak, except for Los Angeles. The Kings have now won three games in a row, and they're actually scoring goals, which wasn't the case earlier this season.

"We're playing well, we're getting pucks to the net -- couple lucky breaks," center Mike Richards said when we chatted following practice Wednesday. "We're giving up a little too much defensively right now, but we're winning hockey games."

Jeff Carter is proving to be a good fit with the Kings and has clearly sparked the team offensively, but just as importantly, Los Angeles is excited about the ability of defenseman Slava Voynov, who is helping fill the void created by Jack Johnson's departure.

"You look at how [Dean Lombardi] built his team -- you don't weaken one to strengthen another," Darryl Sutter said. "Voynov for his age is a pretty good player. And he's going to be a really good player."

Columbus is playing well right now under Todd Richards, but the Kings are just three points out of first in the Pacific and fighting for their lives in the playoff race. They need this one.

Well, Scott, it's been fun. Enjoy the games!

ESPN LOADED: 03.09.2012

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NBCSports.com / Vancouver making plans to avoid another riot

Jason Brough

If the Sedins keep playing the way they’ve been playing, Vancouver won’t have to worry about another Stanley Cup riot.

But just in case the Canucks make it to the finals again, The Province reports steps are being taken to avoid a repeat of June 15’s smashy-smashy-burny-burny fiasco.

“We all want to ensure a fun atmosphere during the playoffs, but obviously it’s not going to be the same as last year,” said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

No, obviously it won’t.

For starters, the city’s decided against the “cram thousands upon thousands of wasted fans into a city block with nary a cop to be seen” strategy. They’ll be going with smaller venues this time around, with ticket-only outdoor events.

Stopping trainloads of young suburbanites from streaming into the downtown core is another objective. Most rioters, at least the ones that were charged, came from outside Vancouver. And they brought their alcohol along.

“We need to stop people from getting on the train with alcohol, to stop people getting out of the train with alcohol,” said deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston.

No specific plans to keep revelers from flooding downtown in June were provided, though trading Cody Hodgson was probably a good start.

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 03.09.2012

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CNN/Sports Illustrated / Darren Eliot>VIEW FROM THE ICE

Darren Eliot

The movie Goon (here's Sarah Kwak's review from the Feb. 27 issue of Sports Illustrated) came out in Canada and the U.S. (video on demand until its limited theatrical run starts March 30) less than a year after the deaths of NHL tough guys Wade Belak, Rick Rypien and Derek Boogaard. Filming took place prior to the trio's tragic demise, but Goon's release more closely coincides with news that the governing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey are jointly looking at effectively ending fighting in their respective domains. Meanwhile, concussions continue to occupy hockey's headlines as the game's marquee player, Sidney Crosby, gets ready to return to game action after 14 months of dealing with the symptoms and related effects of head and neck trauma.

It is certainly an unsettling environment with different touch points of emotion, from the deceased tough guys to the star players sidelined across the continent in various states of fogginess. How much is too much -- and that cuts both ways in terms of protectionism and pugilism -- and what is the proper course of action? And how can any meaningful concern over concussions not include the inherent dangers in fighting? Not just the punches absorbed, but the helmetless takedowns and body slams that end many of today's melees? These are the issues that the powers that be in junior hockey are mulling over.

Let's be clear, I am not a bleeding heart pacifist when it comes to fighting in hockey and I come by my sensibilities honestly. I've written here in the past that the NHL should stop apologizing for what it isn't and embrace what it is -- warts and all. Our game remains the purest blend of speed, skill and savagery in any sport, where breathtaking grace coexists alongside belligerent gravitas. I experienced full-fledged bench-clearing bouts and line brawls at the NHL level, played with Tiger Williams and Bob Probert (GALLERY: NHL's most notorious enforcers) and used my blocker as a weapon countless times on teammates in practice and opponents alike. In the broadcast booth, on many occasions I've enthusiastically pointed out how the fans were standing and cheering in unison during a fight.

Growing up as a young fan, my point of reference was the 1970's NHL where fighting as an intimidation tactic propelled Philadelphia's Broad Street Bullies to successive Stanley Cup Championships in 1974 and 1975, making those Flyers the toast of the town in Philly and the bane of every other franchise. They took the rough and tumble element of the game and morphed it into a tactical advantage. No more settling old vendettas in the vein of Eddie Shore and Gordie Howe, which was one-on-one retribution with stick, elbow or fists. The Flyers introduced contrived chaos to the equation. The natural course of action became natural selection.

From there, we've seen goon tactics move from enforcers enlisted to protect stars in the 1980's to rambunctious role players in the '90s whose main task was to answer the bell when the situation warranted or the coach deemed it necessary to change a game's momentum, to the 2000's phase of the one-dimensional designated hitter in which one team's tough guy fought the other's simply 'cause they oughta and then the game moved on.

In today's cap era, having a roster spot taken up by a guy who can punch but can't play doesn't make fiscal sense to many people. Still, the players who perform that duty for a team have typically been held in high esteem, thus the rationale for a movie like Goon.

SEVERYN: My life as an enforcer

Despite the sanitizing of the sport over time and the current conjecture at the major junior level, the New York Rangers lead the NHL in fights and are enjoying one of their best seasons since winning the Cup in 1994. Conversely, the perennially relevant Detroit Red Wings eschew fighting as a part of their DNA, yet their youngsters Justin Abdelkader and Brendan

Smith -- two former college players, no less, who came from leagues (CCHA, WCHA respectively) where fighting leads to automatic ejection and game misconduct -- have dropped their gloves recently, demonstrating that they won't be intimidated at this level. It's a test that every young player must pass. I think that's the way fighting in hockey was meant to be -- two players settling something between them and proving their willingness to engage in fisticuffs versus willfully and repeatedly throwing down.

The requirement is still there that if you play a feisty game, you'd better prove you can back it up, especially as a raw rookie like Smith or an emerging, energetic twenty-something like Abdelkader, who took up boxing to be better prepared for what awaited him in the NHL.

Hockey Canada and USA Hockey are looking at it from the perspective of getting rid of staged fights and the mayhem mongers who repeatedly wreak havoc that is meaningless and unnecessary. Spontaneous bursts of bare knuckle brawling might still have a place. I hope so because it is far easier to change the sport's rules than its culture. This is the next step in the evolution of fighting and its place in the game, which is just another point on the continuum. Certainly, taking only the "unnecessary" fights out of the mix doesn't reconcile with player safety and the concussion epidemic. Getting rid of the nonsense, however, is a logical beginning.

Is that enough? Well, history will judge these blustery times as a perfect storm or truly the moment when the winds of change gave new meaning to the lives of three players who played the hard way and died too soon while pop culture fare like Goon became a retrospective piece before it even hit theatres.

CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 03.09.2012

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Sportsnet.ca / Carlyle's system will take time

Mike Brophy

PITTSBURGH -- Despite the results, Randy Carlyle's message remains the same.

After losing its second straight game and having accumulated just five points in their last 15 games, the Toronto Maple Leafs put forth a solid effort in dropping a 3-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"There were a lot of positives that came out of (Wednesday's) hockey game," Carlyle said. "That's part of the coaching staff's responsibility. You are going to hear it a lot of times from me; it's about the environment we are able to create for them. They have to feel good about their work ethic and I told them so. But, again, the mental mistakes are correctable. The positional mistakes we made and the turnovers at inopportune times are correctable."

It was a second straight solid effort. It was also the second consecutive night the Leafs lost two players to injury.

Joffrey Lupul and right winger Colby Armstrong went down against the Bruins. Lupul, who will be out 3-4 weeks, suffered a separated shoulder while Armstrong broke his nose in a fight and is listed as day-to-day.

Early in the first period, Mike Brown -- who missed Tuesday's game with a sore hand -- crashed heavily into the end boards behind the Penguins' goal and got up slowly before heading to the dressing room with a leg injury. Not long afterwards defenceman Cody Franson took the butt end of teammate Tim Connolly's stick in the eye and also did not return to the game.

Carlyle, who was coaching just his third game since joining the Leafs last Friday, leaned heavily on some of his players who were given additional ice time and responsibility. Captain Dion Phaneuf led the Leafs at 29:20 and responded with a plus-2 rating. "I think that we showed signs of enthusiasm and kind of stuck with our game plan," Carlyle explained. "I thought we were better from a defensive standpoint in the critical areas and I thought that our work-ethic was stronger, but we ran out of bodies. We lost two bodies in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game again (Wednesday) and it taxes everybody else.

"Then it showed in some of the questionable decisions in terms of when to pinch and when not to pinch; turnovers and positioning. It's the little things

that are costing us and my message to the players was, until we adopt the mentality that we are going to correct those little things, the work they are putting in they are not being rewarded for."

On a day when the Penguins organization honoured the great Mario Lemieux by unveiling a statue of No. 66 in front of the CONSOL Energy Center, it was the visitors who got off to a fast start in the game.

Right winger Phil Kessel scored his second goal in as many nights and 34th of the season a minute into the second period with the teams playing four aside. The puck was directed to him at the side of the goal and he swept it past Brad Thiessen, who was playing in just his second NHL game.

Six minutes later defenceman Carl Gunnarsson scored his second in as many games when a shot by Mikhail Grabovski banked in off his leg. Pascal Dupuis pulled the Penguins to within a goal when he deflected a shot past Jonas Gustavsson.

There's a reason why the Penguins are one of the best teams in the NHL and were entering Wednesday's tilt riding a six-game winning streak and the Leafs found out why as the game progressed. Quite simply, the Penguins don't quit. They pounded the shorthanded Leafs every chance they got.

Jordan Staal tied it a minute and a half into the third on a similar tip-in and then Dupuis gave the home side the lead with a shot that somehow found its way through The Monster.

For the second straight night, Carlyle came to the defence of his goalie.

"They were out-shooting us (by a ratio of) 2-1 at one point until we finally got some shots so you really can't fault The Monster," Carlyle said. "I thought he gave us a chance in the game. I'm sure he'd like to have the one goal back, but he gave us a pile of saves and we weren't able to get the third goal to tie the hockey game."

In a vote of confidence, the Leafs once again turned to Gustavsson. Carlyle was very clear Tuesday after the Leafs were beaten by the Boston Bruins that Gustavsson was not to blame. The coach said he was abandoned by his teammates.

It is clear the Maple Leafs believe Gustavsson, and not James Reimer, gives them the best chance to win at this stage of the season.

While Kessel has continued to score under Carlyle, his poor defensive play has been an issue. Carlyle, however, wasn't willing to throw him under the bus.

"I think there's work for our group; not just the Kessel line," he said. "He scored again and you need offence to win in this league, but you also need defence and right now our mixture hasn't been what is required for success in the last two games."

Judging by the players' reaction after the game, they are starting to get the coach's message.

"In the second period we turned the puck over too many times and that's when it gets tough," said Gunnarsson.

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YAHOO SPORTS / NHL rule reversal: Will GMs backtrack in the name of player safety?

By Nicholas J. Cotsonika,

It wasn’t enough to outlaw blindside hits to the head. It wasn’t enough to outlaw all targeted hits to the head, to broaden the boarding rule, to give a video explanation of each suspension. The NHL is still too much of a demolition derby, and concussions continue to be a crisis.

So when the league’s general managers hold their annual March meeting next week in Boca Raton, Fla., they will discuss whether to go back to their roots. Should they reintroduce the red line to outlaw two-line passes? Should they eliminate the trapezoid behind the net to allow goaltenders to play the puck in the corners again? Should they do something else?

“The game is fast,” said Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland. “We want the game to be fast. But how do you get the game to be a little bit controlled?”

These are good questions, and they need to be asked when Sidney Crosby has played only eight games in more than a year, when so many other players are suffering from concussions – Chris Pronger, Nicklas Backstrom, Jonathan Toews, on and on and on.

“My opinion is that we should discuss it,” said Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. “I think we’ve done a lot of different things to speed up the game. I think maybe looking at putting [the red line] back in, in some way shape or form, would help moderate the speed.”

But there seems to be no consensus within the league. There isn’t a consensus within organizations. Take the Red Wings: Holland isn’t a big fan of reintroducing the red line; his coach, Mike Babcock, is. Some think it would make the game safer and more aesthetically pleasing; others doubt it.

If the experience of the past decade has taught us anything, it’s that the game evolves and rule changes can lead to unintended consequences. You can look back for solutions – and you might find some there – but the real trick is thinking a step ahead.

The NHL changed the rules after the 2004-05 lockout to open up the game. Coaches learned how to exploit them. Teams now fire the puck up ice to the far blue line. One player tips the puck into the offensive zone to avoid icing, while forecheckers race ahead unimpeded. They smash into the defensemen, who are racing back and can’t be helped by a goaltender who can’t play the puck.

It’s dangerous. It’s also unimaginative.

“If you want more puck possession in the game, you’ve got to bring the red line back in the game so there’s more control,” said St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. “It slows down a little bit. Second thing, the big hits on the defensemen, it comes from the middle of the ice. It doesn’t come from the walls. It comes from the middle of the ice.”

In theory, the red line would force players to carry the puck up ice. It would keep forecheckers from gathering so much speed and closing on defensemen so quickly. Without the trapezoid, goaltenders could relieve some of the stress on their defense.

The argument is that the new rules didn’t increase offense much in the long run, so going back to some of the old rules wouldn’t decrease it that much, either. There is less of an appetite for allowing some level of obstruction to creep back into the game, because it is more of a gray area and a slippery slope. Players would still be freer to make plays than in the past.

“I’d put [the red line] back,” Hitchcock said. “I’d put it back in for sure. It’d add to puck possession, and it would really decrease accidents. … You’re going to have more rush attacks, more puck-possession attacks and less chip and dip.”

But some are unconvinced that the lack of the red line is a root cause of concussions.

“In theory, I understand it,” said Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. “I don’t know in actuality. Is that why there’s been injuries? Because of the red line? Or is it more that there’s no obstruction? … I don’t know if there’s a correlation between the red line and injuries. … If you really broke it down, I’m not so sure that allowing the stretch pass is going to result in more concussions.”

Others are worried that reintroducing the red line would lead to teams clogging up the middle again, like Hitchcock’s Dallas Stars used to do.

“I think actually it would hurt the game, putting the red line back in, to be honest, because of the fact that you could just back up and keep everybody in front of you,” said Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz. “Now they can spread you out, and it allows the skill players a little bit more room.”

Then there are those who wonder whether the red line would really slow down the game and lead to more playmaking. It’s nice to think there would be Harlem Globetrotters hockey in the middle of the ice. It’s nice to think that goaltenders would relieve the stress on their defense if they could play the puck in the corner. But how many teams have that many playmakers? How many teams have goaltenders who are that skilled?

Coaches like low-risk strategies that can be employed consistently by everyone in the lineup. They have learned that their odds are better if they get the puck into the offensive end as quickly and efficiently as possible, and they aren’t going to unlearn that even if the red line comes back.

Instead of allowing players to carry the puck through the middle – where they can commit dreaded neutral-zone turnovers, especially with today’s back pressure – coaches might just find new ways to get the puck deep and chase with speed. Perhaps they’ll have somebody chip in the puck at the red line instead of the far blue line. Perhaps forecheckers will still be racing in so fast that goaltenders won’t be able to play the puck in the corners even without the trapezoid.

“Coaches are paid to win, right?” said Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. “The hitting part and the safety part, to me, that’s out of the coaches’ hands. You can have rules that dictate things. But … it’s a tactical battle as much as a physical battle. The thing is now, every team is tactically sound. Every team is prepared.”

Remember, the GMs have been discussing these same subjects for at least two years. They might decide they need to go further after they receive another study breaking down the causes of concussions. They also might decide that they have made many rule changes already and that they’re starting to work, and they might want to see if equipment changes like lighter shoulder pads can have an effect.

“There is more speed,” Trotz said. “Because there is more speed, there is a little more contact, especially for defensemen going back. But now that we have the NHL police on head injuries, I don’t think the game’s very physical at all right now compared to what it was 10 years ago.”

They also might come up with something different. Years ago, legendary coach Scotty Bowman suggested borrowing a rule from ringette. You can’t pass from behind your net to the far blue line. You have to work your way to a line at the top of the circles first. Holland recognizes that would change the game. He wonders how it would be officiated. He isn’t proposing it. But it interests him.

“I like it the way it is, I don’t like it the way it is,” Holland said. “I guess ultimately I’m interested in having further conversations.”

FIRST PERIOD

There remains a responsibility among players to protect themselves. Why anyone would come up the right wing wall in his own zone with his head down against the Red Wings is beyond me, when defenseman Niklas Kronwall has become famous for blowing guys up in that spot.

Chicago’s Patrick Sharp almost got it Sunday night, but he picked his head up just in time. Kronwall might actually have gotten the worst of that hit. But the Philadelphia Flyers’ Jakub Voracek tried to carry the puck with one hand and his head down Tuesday night. He picked up his head just in time to get smacked by Kronwall’s left shoulder.

Kronwall wasn’t penalized on the play. He wasn’t suspended, either. He has never been suspended, and he might represent the very line between vicious, clean hits and vicious, dirty hits. It seems like he has adjusted slightly to the new era, keeping his feet on the ice better than he used to and turning his back into hits to make sure he makes full body contact and doesn’t pick the head.

There are more examples, though. The Flyers’ Danny Briere stopped in front of the San Jose Sharks’ Marc-Edouard Vlasic on Feb. 28 and ended up going into the boards. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kris Letang lowered his head to reach for a puck at the last instant on Feb. 29 and was drilled by the Dallas Stars’ Eric Nystrom.

“I see a lot of hits that I think everybody’s jumping on and saying are dangerous now, but I would like to see players have the mindset to protect themselves better, not put themselves in a vulnerable position,” said Tippett long before all of these incidents. “I’m not letting any bad hitters off the hook here. I think we’ve got to get that out of our game, too. But there’s a lot of hits I think players could protect themselves a lot more, be more aware of their surroundings on the ice.”

SECOND PERIOD

Five years and $27.5 million for Mikhail Grabovski? And a limited no-trade clause, too? It seems like an awfully generous contract for a guy who has never reached 30 goals or 60 points. But it’s a decent deal for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it’s a good little human interest story.

The Leafs lack a No.1 center. Grabovski is only a No. 2. Had they lost Grabovski, they would have needed two top-six centers, and prospects Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne apparently aren’t ready to fill those roles for a team that is desperate to end a long playoff drought. There won’t be a lot of options on the free-agent market, which means the price will be high – if

you get the guy you want. A trade would cost assets, and the Leafs need assets to fill other holes.

So the Leafs paid up to keep Grabovski. No, he isn’t big and tough. He’s a 5-foot-11, 183-pound skill guy. But he’s 28, entering his prime, and he’s the type of guy who stays out long after practice to do extra work.

“The competitiveness that he displays and the size that he is proves to us that the little man can compete,” said new Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. “He’s displayed that, and he’s been rewarded for it. Besides, he’s got some offensive flair. He’s a real solid NHL centericeman. Yes, small men can compete against big men, and you have to utilize the strengths you possess. If you’re a quick player, you’ve got to be inside and get on the puck.”

As for all that money, know this: Grabovski grew up in Minsk in what is now Belarus, living in a two-bedroom apartment with his parents and grandparents. “Oh, I have tiny house,” he said. “We don’t have, like, big house, but I always have good food.” He sends money home to his father, a retired engineer, so his father can take care of his grandparents and spend time following his career. “He don’t want to go to work anymore,” Grabovski said. “He watch hockey every night and support me.”

Grabovski loves Toronto – his girlfriend and their two children are Canadian – and he knows his money needs to pay off for the Leafs. “Deal doesn’t make any sense if you’re loser, you know?” he said. “Deal make sense if you win something and you play your best.”

THIRD PERIOD

It was 2 a.m. in Austria. Marty Turco woke up, rolled over and checked his smartphone. He had a message asking for his passport and green card information.

Oh, and it said congratulations. After almost a year out of the NHL – working as a TV analyst, practicing with a junior team, playing in Europe, hoping for another shot – he had been signed by the Bruins.

Turco, 36, passed through re-entry waivers and could play a key role in Boston. Although he can’t play in the playoffs because he was signed after the trade deadline, he can help the Bruins prepare for them.

Tuukka Rask is out for at least a month with lower abdomen and groin strains. Tim Thomas doesn’t look like the goaltender that won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player last season, and he will turn 38 on April 15. He can’t play every game down the stretch and be expected to carry the Bruins to another Stanley Cup.

“The history shows it’s important to spell him,” Chiarelli said. “In an ideal situation, you want to rest him for the playoffs, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The thought is that Turco needs to get the Bruins through four or five games. The Bruins have 17 games left, including two sets of back-to-backs. Thomas, who has started the Bruins’ last six games, started 12 of the Bruins’ final 17 games last season and went four rounds.

POWER RANKINGS

Now that the regular season is headed down the stretch, we’re shaking up the format for NHL Power Rankings. No more top six, bottom six. It’s time for the top 10.

Pittsburgh 1. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens have won seven straight without Sidney Crosby, and now their captain could return as soon as Sunday. Letang still has to come back, too. But at full strength, this is the best team in the NHL.

New York Rangers 2. New York Rangers: The Rangers are the real deal, and their shot-blocking style and excellent goaltending seems conducive to playoff success. But it remains to be seen whether this young group can rise as quickly in the playoffs as it has in the regular season. Lots of good teams need to take their lumps to learn how to win a championship.

Vancouver 3. Vancouver Canucks: The Sedin twins have combined for only one point in the past six games – Daniel has one, Henrik zero – and Ryan Kesler has one goal in his past 13 games. The Canucks are 1-2-2 in their past five. Time to panic? Um, no.

Detroit 4. Detroit Red Wings: No panic in Detroit, either, even though the Wings have run into injury trouble and a little slump. At least Henrik Zetterberg is heating up. He has 20 points in his past 15 games.

St. Louis 5. St. Louis Blues: Since returning from a concussion on Feb. 12, Andy McDonald has added speed and scoring to one of the best teams in the league. He has five goals in his past four games, eight in his past 11.

Boston 6. Boston Bruins: Keep an eye on Jordan Caron. The 21-year-old, a first-round pick in 2009, has three goals and five points in his past two games. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder drove to the net impressively to set up a goal Tuesday night in Toronto.

Nashville 7. Nashville Predators: The deadline acquisitions seem to be fitting in well. Scoring winger Andrei Kostitsyn has four points in his past two games. Checking center Paul Gaustad won 56 percent of his faceoffs in his second game with the Preds.

Philadelphia 8. Philadelphia Flyers: Though Ilya Bryzgalov seems to have found his form in net, finally, injuries are testing the Flyers’ depth. Jaromir Jagr. James van Riemsdyk. Jakub Voracek. Kimmo Timonen. Andrej Meszaros. Tom Sestito. It’s a long list, and we didn’t even include Chris Pronger.

New Jersey 9. New Jersey Devils: Huge 4-1 victory for the Devils on Tuesday night. They seem to rise to the occasion against the Rangers, and here’s hoping somehow, some way, the cross-river rivals meet in the playoffs.

Chicago 10. Chicago Blackhawks: Just when you think the ‘Hawks might have their goaltending figured out, Ray Emery goes and gives up five against the Blues on Tuesday night. He had won three straight with a 1.13 goals-against average and .959 save percentage, earning the NHL’s third star of the week.

PLUS/MINUS

PLUS: Who picked the Dallas Stars to lead the Pacific Division this late in the season? They’re on a 7-0-1 run, and they have six of their next eight games at home.

MINUS: Only problem is that Pacific is so weak, the Stars’ spot in the standings is deceiving. They’re third in the West with 77 points, but that means they have fewer points than their playoff matchup, the sixth-seeded ‘Hawks (79), and are only three points ahead of the eighth-place San Jose Sharks. Same for the Florida Panthers in the East. They’re third with 74 points, but the sixth-seeded Devils have 79 and the eighth-place Winnipeg Jets have 72.

PLUS: We’ll call this a plus, but maybe it should be a minus. Asked about the New York Islanders’ future, Brian Rolston said: “They have the talent right now to be in the playoffs. We’ll see what happens, but they have great young talent there obviously. I think their power play’s one of the best in the league. They have all the pieces, in my opinion.” So why are they 13th in the East, then? “Growth and maybe a few other things,” Rolston said, “but I think they’re right there.” Rolston declined to say what those other things are, but it might have something to do with leadership. The Isles didn’t use Rolston much, passed the proud veteran through waivers and then traded him to Boston before the deadline.

MINUS: The Phoenix Coyotes couldn’t lose in February (11-0-1). Now they haven’t won in March (0-4-0), falling out of first place in the Pacific and slipping back onto the bubble in the West. They have struggled on the power play and gotten off to slow starts, and two of their losses have been to the cellar-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets.

PLUS: The Blue Jackets didn’t honor his trade request before the deadline, but so far Rick Nash has lived up to his word that he would continue to compete hard as team captain. He has three goals and four points in four games since the deadline, and the Jackets have gone 3-1-0.

MINUS: Holland didn’t put his overtime idea on the agenda for the GM meetings. He’d like 10 minutes of overtime – five minutes of 4-on-4 and five of 3-on-3 – to de-emphasize the shootout. There was some support after almost 15 percent of games went to shootouts in 2009-10. But only 12.1 percent of games went to shootouts last season, and that number has risen to only 13.5 percent so far this season.

@COTSONIKA “Nicklas Lidstrom is in the press box. The only Nick up here should be me.”

In 20 regular seasons with the Red Wings, Lidstrom has missed only 37 games. He has sat out only 2.3 percent of the time. That’s amazing durability for a man who has logged a lot of minutes against top opponents in all situations – and has done it at such a high level that he has won seven Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman.

Lidstrom, 41, has missed five games this season. The Wings, one of the top teams in the league, have gone 2-3-0 without him.

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