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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/2/2011

Anaheim Ducks 597732 Ducks hope coaching change gives them a boost of energy 597733 Up next for the Ducks: Friday vs. Philadelphia 597734 Ducks' lost weekend brought down Carlyle 597735 No more excuses for Duck players 597736 Boudreau quickly takes charge of Ducks 597737 Ducks’ Boudreau familiar with change 597738 Selanne on Carlyle: ‘This came as a big shock’ 597739 Boudreau hiring a real slap shot 597740 First task for new Ducks' coach Bruce Boudreau: Creating a belief system Boston Bruins 597741 Bruins take care of first order of business 597742 Comfortable in his new home 597743 Krejci: Chance to win biggest reason to re-up 597744 David Krejci signs extension with Bruins 597745 David Krejci at center of $15.75M deal 597746 Clutch Krejci rewarded with 3-year extension Buffalo Sabres 597747 Ennis prepared to step in, step up 597748 Curiosity surrounds Finley in debut 597749 Finley grateful for chance to make NHL debut 597750 Grier calls it a career 597751 Ennis with Roy and Stafford 597752 Ducks fire Carlyle, hire Boudreau; trade talks over? 597753 Sabres' season at crossroads Calgary Flames 597754 Game Story: Columbus 4 (SO) Calgary 3 597755 Flames suffer stinging result in shootout stumble Carolina Hurricanes 597756 No quick fixes for the Hurricanes 597757 Strong second carries Rangers past Canes 5-3 597758 Canes add MacLean to coaching staff 597759 Canes' Muller takes charge with 'energy-based' coaching Chicago Blackhawks 597760 Preview: Islanders at Blackhawks 597761 Kane heading back to right wing 597762 Hawks' Crawford making adjustments 597763 Kane no longer man in middle for Blackhawks 597764 Toews earns 'Second Star' honor for November 597765 Patrick Kane moved back to right wing on line with Jonathan Toews 597766 Marcus Kruger lands on new line 597767 Without consistent effort, Hawks aren't a very good team 597768 Kane going back home to right wing 597769 Hawks expect Crawford to work way out of slump 597770 Kruger earns shot as second-line center 597771 Line changes: Kane back at right wing Colorado Avalanche 597772 Jaden Schwartz delays NHL to play for Colorado College 597773 St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche: 7 p.m. Friday, ALT, 950 AM Columbus Blue Jackets 597774 Blue Jackets 4, Flames 3 (SO): Late goals by Nikitin, Nash spark rally 597775 Blue Jackets notebook: Brassard is ‘fall guy’ for Arniel, agent says 597776 Nash provides tying, winning goals in Jackets’ 4-3 shootout victory over Flames

Dallas Stars 597777 Stars learning that patience is a virtue when it comes to slumping power play 597778 Eric Nystrom's stout 'stache leads NHL in fund raising 597779 Alex Goligoski will get cast off Friday, hopes to return next week 597780 Mounting injuries give Stars first big test with Gulutzan at helm 597781 Eric Nystrom's late goal propels Stars past Senators Detroit Red Wings 597782 Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula thriving next to Henrik Zetterberg 597783 Red Wings remain interested in hosting Winter Classic, waiting to hear from NHL 597784 Red Wings call up Chris Conner; Datsyuk promises 'bold December' 597785 Livonia's Chris Conner makes debut for Wings Friday 597786 Red Wings: Notebook 597787 Red Wings' Jimmy Howard has never looked better as team hits the road 597788 Goaltender Joey MacDonald getting closer to making return for Grand Rapids Griffins 597789 Red Wing Fabian Brunnstrom gets another chance to impress 597790 Buffalo Wings on the menu Edmonton Oilers 597791 Oilers sense a difference this season 597792 Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins among NHL scoring leaders 597793 Mike Grier was the consummate pro 597794 Nugent-Hopkins a top-five scorer 597795 Hall hits the ice 597796 The long and short of shootouts 597797 Oilers enjoy not sucking Florida Panthers 597798 Panthers fall to L.A. Kings, 2-1 597799 Florida Panther’s Shawn Matthias intense play pays off 597800 Florida Panthers Not 'Quick' Enough to Beat LA Kings 597801 Shawn Matthias' Work Paying Off ... Kris Versteeg Out, Dmitry Kulikov IN ... Say Hello to Bracken Kearns 597802 Florida Panthers' Jose Theodore goes from 'stinky' to savior Los Angeles Kings 597803 Kings defeat the Panthers for second win in a row 597804 Kings claw their way to victory 597805 Murray postgame quotes (Dec. 1) 597806 Johnson postgame quotes (Dec. 1) 597807 Quick postgame quotes (Dec. 1) Minnesota Wild 597808 Will Devils always have Parise? 597809 Wild-New Jersey game preview 597810 Clutterbuck, Powe doubtful for Friday's game 597811 Wild recalls Almond 597812 Clutterbuck, Powe injured? No problem as Wild pulls another W out of its hat 597813 Kyle Brodziak excels in all phases for Wild 597814 Could Zach Parise be headed to the Wild next season? Montreal Canadiens 597815 Sharks down Habs in shootout 597816 Montreal Canadiens edged by San Jose Sharks in shootout 597817 About last night … with audio 597818 Where’s Andrei? 597819 Coaching continuity keys success in pro sports

Nashville Predators 597820 Predators beat Vancouver Canucks on Mike Fisher's goal 597821 Jordin Tootoo's goal swings momentum for Nashville Predators 597822 Former Predator Alex Sulzer hopes for playoff series 597823 Predators rally for high-scoring victory at Vancouver New Jersey Devils 597824 Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk after minus-4: I don't think anyone slept well 597825 X-rays on ankle negative, Devils expect Dainius Zubrus to play vs. Wild 597826 Dainius Zubrus (ankle) does not practice with Devils in Minnesota 597827 Devils' Wild idea: Bounce back tonight New York Islanders 597828 Islanders call up Reese just in case New York Rangers 597829 Second-Period Outburst Powers Streaking Rangers 597830 NY Rangers' Marc Staal back on practice ice, but return from concussion is still 'long ways away' 597831 NY Rangers collect fourth straight win, beat Hurricanes 5-3 behind Ryan McDonagh, Marian Gaborik, Sean Avery 597832 Rangers never made proposal to Ducks for Ryan 597833 Rangers' Staal long way from return 597834 Confident Rangers clock ’Canes for 4th straight win 597835 Rangers rally to beat Canes, win 4th straight 597836 Marc Staal plans to return this season 597837 Rangers blow away Hurricanes, 5-3, for fourth win in a row 597838 Rangers' Marc Staal expects to play this season 597839 Rangers beat 'Canes for 4th straight win 597840 Staal takes step forward by skating 597841 Rangers beat Carolina for fourth straight win NHL 597842 Predators win wild one in Vancouver 597843 Revenge proves sweet for Jets 597844 Alex Burmistrov goes through growing pains 597845 Don Cherry’s ratings take a hit 597846 Changing the coach takes away players' excuses 597847 Coach’s Plan to Rouse Ovechkin Produces Little 597848 Ducks Look to Boudreau’s Softer Touch for More Wins 597849 Leading Off: What’s Gotten Into Hockey? Ottawa Senators 597850 Senators collapse late in loss to Stars 597851 Senators and Ducks a shadow of their former selves 597852 Attrition decimates 2007 Cup rosters 597853 Cheapseats: Foligno has Movember to remember 597854 Clean-shaven Sens take on the Stars Philadelphia Flyers 597855 Flyers seeking to recall defenseman Walker 597856 Flyers' Pronger still fighting mysterious virus 597857 Staying with Flyers suits Bourdon just fine 597858 Walker likely to play Friday 597859 Pronger baffled by virus, starts knee rehab Friday 597860 Pronger disheartened but still determined 597861 Simmonds' success based on courage, dignity 597862 Pronger concerned over 'mystery' ailment 597863 Flyers can expect the unexpected from Ducks 597864 Flyers arrive in Anaheim at odd time for Ducks 597865 Pronger on virus: 'Never felt like this before' 597866 Walker to rejoin Flyers ... if he clears waivers

Phoenix Coyotes 597867 Winnipeg Jets shut out Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes Pittsburgh Penguins 597868 Defensive Penguins put clamps on Capitals 597869 Boudreau aims to boost Ducks' confidence 597870 Penguins make call to top prospect Despres 597871 Fourth line pushes Penguins past Capitals 597872 Penguins' Despres to make NHL debut tonight 597873 Penguins Notebook: Defenseman Simon Despres makes NHL debut 597874 Penguins beat Capitals, 2-1 597875 Kunitz goal pushes Penguins past Capitals San Jose Sharks 597876 San Jose Sharks beat Montreal Canadiens in shootout 4-3 597877 Former San Jose Shark Mike Grier retires from NHL 597878 Sharks beat Canadiens 4-3 in shootout St Louis Blues 597879 Blues still have unanswered questions 597880 Matchup box: Blues at Colorado 597881 Hockey Guy: Avs suffering from Kroenke neglect? Tampa Bay Lightning 597882 Deficits becoming a habit 597883 Roloson, Lecavalier lead Lightning past Pens, 4-1 597884 Bolts notes: Detroit fans welcome back Yzerman 597885 Guy Boucher's Tampa Bay Lightning must strike with speed Toronto Maple Leafs 597915 The greatest show on ice bids farewell 597916 Canadian junior team hit by injury bug 597917 Kadri named AHL player of the month 597918 Young gym rats taking over the NHL 597919 Maple Leafs most valuable team in NHL: Forbes 597920 Carlyle available but Burke backs Wilson 597921 Don't jump gun on Wilson contract 597922 Leafs' coach Wilson 'isn't going anywhere' 597923 Leafs most valuable in Forbes list Vancouver Canucks 597924 Game Within a Game - No goal line stands 597925 Predators send Canucks reeling, 6-5 597926 Not so fast - Raymond's debut delayed 597927 Coaches need the message to reach the right people 597928 So who’s starting now? 597929 Predators beat Canucks 6-5 in wild, inexplicable game 597930 Canucks vs. Predators Game Day preview 597931 Toothless Nashville Predators can still bite Canucks 597932 Paperwork glitch keeps Raymond out of game Washington Capitals 597886 Kings get goals from Brown, Johnson, run penalty-kill string to 24 in 2-1 win over Panthers 597887 NHL Capsules 597888 Kunitz scores tiebreaking goal as Penguins beat Capitals 2- 1, keeping Hunter winless 597889 Dale Hunter is ready to fight for the Washington Capitals, as always 597890 Back to work: New coach Bruce Boudreau returns to NHL after 2 days off, aiming to fix Ducks 597891 F Mike Grier retires after 14-year NHL career, that included stops in Buffalo, San Jose 597892 Capitals lacking offense in 2-1 loss to Penguins 597893 Roman Hamrlik will be healthy scratch against Penguins 597894 Bruce Boudreau introduced as head coach of Anaheim Ducks 597895 Arron Asham ‘had a couple of sleepless nights’ after fight with Jay Beagle 597896 On the history of fisticuffs between Dale Hunter, Caps’ assistant coaches 597897 Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma: ‘You always circle the

calendar and know when you’re playing the Capitals’ 597898 In five games back, Sidney Crosby has ‘played some awesome hockey’ 597899 Capitals-Penguins rivalry: Share your experiences 597900 Capitals react to Bruce Boudreau taking over in Anaheim 597901 Tomas Vokoun will start for Capitals against Penguins 597902 Dale Hunter’s first project: Altering Capitals’ defensive system 597903 Mike Green not concerned about his role changing under Dale Hunter 597904 Offense is hard to come by for Capitals as they drop fourth straight, 2-1 to Penguins) 597905 apitals’ Roman Hamrlik a healthy scratch against Penguins 597906 Canned by Capitals, Bruce Boudreau wastes no time landing job with Ducks 597907 Dale Hunter’s priority is getting most out of Alex Ovechkin 597908 SNYDER: Bruce Boudreau fared well among firings, hirings 597909 Sources: Woods joins Boudreau’s staff with Ducks 597910 Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry on back burner with Penguins, Capitals 597911 Ducks hire ex-Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau 597912 New system, same result for Capitals in loss to Penguins 597913 Caps Postgame - 2-1 loss to Penguins 597914 Penguins beat Capitals 2-1 to keep Hunter winless

Websites 597938 ESPN / Is Dale Hunter perfect choice for Caps? 597939 ESPN / Time can't dampen Pens-Caps rivalry 597940 ESPN / Daily Debate: Does coaching change keep Bobby Ryan in Anaheim? 597941 NBCSports.com / Bruce Boudreau talks to the media in Anaheim 597942 NBCSports.com / Anaheim GM quells the Bobby Ryan storm 597943 NBCSports.com / Hunter raises eyebrows by scratching Hamrlik (healthy scratch, that is…he’s not literally scra 597944 NBCSports.com / Schneider will start seventh straight, but is it a controversy? 597945 NBCSports.com / Pronger on mystery illness: “I really don’t know what’s going on” 597946 NBCSports.com / Five interesting facts about “Carlyle fired, Boudreau hired” 597947 NBCSports.com / Tim Thomas is the NHL’s Player of the Month for November 597948 NBCSports.com / Derick Brassard’s agent slams Columbus head coach 597949 NBCSports.com / Marc Staal expects to play again this season 597950 NBCSports.com / Caps coach preaching defense in DC 597951 Sportsnet.ca / Waiting his turn 597952 Sportsnet.ca / Glass remains half full 597953 USA TODAY / Ducks opt for personality transplant behind bench 597954 Wall Street Journal / Surprise! You're an NHL Player 597955 YAHOO SPORTS / Can Ovechkin catch Crosby in best- player race? Winnipeg Jets 597933 Old Jets swoop into New Jets' territory 597934 Jets down Coyotes 1-0 597935 Jets Snapshots: Boos for Doan? Classy 597936 Jets showing some finish 597937 Jets ready to do battle versus Coyotes

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 597732 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks hope coaching change gives them a boost of energy

General Manager Bob Murray thought the team didn't believe in itself anymore, so he fired Randy Carlyle and replaced him with Bruce Boudreau.

By Helene Elliott

December 1, 2011, 10:15 p.m.

The Ducks had gone through many slumps under Coach Randy Carlyle but he had always steered them through a screeching U-turn and back into playoff position. So when they slipped into a funk after a 4-1 start, General Manager Bob Murray wasn't initially alarmed.

But when Murray saw players lose hope as often as they lost games, when slumped shoulders and bowed heads became their natural posture, he knew Carlyle could no longer lead them.

Up next for the Ducks: Friday vs. Philadelphia Up next for the Ducks: Friday vs. Philadelphia

Penguins beat the Capitals, 2-1 Penguins beat the Capitals, 2-1

Ducks fire Randy Carlyle, hire Bruce Boudreau as coach Ducks fire Randy Carlyle, hire Bruce Boudreau as coach

NBA can learn some things from the NHL NBA can learn some things from the NHL

NHL: Pluses and minuses around the league NHL: Pluses and minuses around the league

"It was just the way we were losing, the body language and how we were losing," Murray said. "I just don't think they believed in themselves anymore and I had never seen that before in six years we've been here."

He first thought of making a change Sunday after the Ducks coughed up several leads against Chicago and fell flat against Toronto, and the idea solidified Monday after the Washington Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau as their coach. Granted permission by Washington to contact Boudreau, Murray heard an unmistakable enthusiasm the Ducks needed.

"It was time for this group to have a new voice in the locker room," said Murray, who insisted he acted on his own and not under pressure from owners Henry and Susan Samueli.

Minutes after the Ducks defeated Montreal on Wednesday, Murray fired Carlyle and signed Boudreau to a two-year deal. Orange ballcap jammed on his head, the 56-year-old Toronto native presided over his first practice Thursday at Anaheim Ice with a positive voice that had been missing for too long.

"They've been a really good team. They've just sort of lost their way a little bit," Boudreau said at a news conference. "I told them this morning that I believe in them. I think they're a really good team.

"I wouldn't have done this if I didn't believe they have a really good shot at doing a lot of good things this year. I want them to believe in themselves and if they do, then good things can happen."

He instantly won their approval by reuniting the big line of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, a significant move because Murray had said he was listening to trade offers for Ryan. Murray said the coaching switch might be change enough and that he'd "like to settle things down right now," rather than deal the winger who has scored 100 goals the last three seasons.

Boudreau, who will make his debut Friday when the Ducks face the Philadelphia Flyers at Honda Center, also sketched plans to cycle the puck less and score off the rush more. The promise of more offensive freedom appealed to players who felt constrained by Carlyle's system.

"I think the guys are excited to have him here and you could just tell in practice everybody was ready to go, even in the dressing room," Perry said. "The dressing room just feels a little livelier right now."

Carlyle hasn't commented publicly since his dismissal, and a Ducks spokesman said the former coach requested a few days to retrench. Murray said Carlyle is "a terrific coach and will be a terrific coach again," but he wasn't the right coach for the Ducks anymore.

That's partly an occupational hazard. It's worth noting that of the last 10 Stanley Cup-winning coaches — a list that includes Carlyle in 2007 — only Scotty Bowman was with that team more than four seasons at the time he won. Carlyle was the fourth NHL coach fired this season and third this week.

Winger Teemu Selanne, who credited Carlyle with reviving his career in 2005, said he was shocked that Carlyle and assistants Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno were dismissed. "I thought some players were going to go before the coaches," Selanne said. "It has been a great, long road together so I really felt sorry for those guys. They had to pay the price for what we did on the ice."

Carlyle, gruff and old-school, got a lot out of not much raw material for a while, including a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference last spring. But his words became background noise, his bark ignored.

"I think that over time it's a natural progression for some guys to tune out certain things and maybe not buy in quite as much as they should be," Getzlaf said. "That's on us as players, not on the coach. …

"Nobody could really put their finger on why everything was going on and why we couldn't put things together. I thought that Randy was trying different things and trying to get through to us and it just didn't work."

Now, Boudreau gets his chance to fix what's broken.

"This is a team that before the season started, if you read a lot of the clippings, should really contend for the West and Pacific crown and I think they're very capable of doing it," he said. "I want them to believe in themselves. That's the message for today, believing in themselves."

But never forgetting that the clock starts Friday for him, and for them.

LA Times: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597733 Anaheim Ducks

Up next for the Ducks: Friday vs. Philadelphia

Anaheim will play its first game under new Coach Bruce Boudreau.

December 2, 2011

When: 7.

Where: Honda Center.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830.

Records: Ducks 7-13-4, Flyers 13-7-3.

Update: Welcome to the first game of the Bruce Boudreau era. Boudreau, who was dismissed Monday by Washington, replaced the fired Randy Carlyle on Wednesday and conducted his first practice with the Ducks on Thursday. He put left wing Bobby Ryan back with center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry and said they would be that way from the opening shift Friday night. "That's good news," Ryan said. "I'll take that." Ryan was also reassured by General Manager Bob Murray that things would be settled down for the time being on the potential trade front. The Ducks won for the first time in eight games, beating Montreal on Wednesday, but Murray acknowledged the sizable task, saying, "This is a fresh start for them all and they've got a mountain to climb. And I fully expect them to start climbing it."

— Lisa Dillman



Ducks' lost weekend brought down Carlyle

By ERIC STEPHENS

2011-12-01 22:40:57

ANAHEIM – Giving up a lead and then a game in a matter of minutes that could have ended a long losing streak would turn the stomach of any NHL general manager.

Losing the next game in a dreary manner sent Bob Murray, the Ducks' chief architect, into action.

Murray responded to consecutive home defeats to Chicago and Toronto over the weekend by discussing a coaching change with owners Henry and Susan Samueli and Ducks CEO Michael Schulman.

Then Murray replaced Randy Carlyle on Wednesday night with Bruce Boudreau, whom he began to court three days earlier.

"I called Mike late Sunday night and said I'd like to talk to you all Monday morning," Murray said. "And we all came to ... it was a total conclusion that it was time to start looking for something else. Once I talked to them, it was unanimous."

The Ducks had won just two of 18 games until they defeated Montreal, 4-1, on Wednesday, which ended a losing streak that stretched to seven games. Carlyle was on the bench, but the victory did nothing for his status as Murray's mind was made up.

Murray received permission from Washington general manager George McPhee to speak with Boudreau, whom McPhee fired Monday after a 5-9-1 swoon after opening the season with seven consecutive victories.

Boudreau had one more year on his contract with Washington. Murray was on the telephone with him Tuesday morning.

"I'm a patient person with lots of things and it took me a long time to get to this point," Murray said. "But once I make my mind up on things, I'm going in that direction."

Boudreau, 56, expressed to his new team how much he wanted them to be positive and play with energy.

"This was a team before the season started, if you read a lot of the clippings, which they said would really contend for the Pacific Division crown," Boudreau said. "I think they are very capable of doing it.

"I want them to believe in themselves. That is the message for today, to believe in themselves."

Murray acknowledged the awkwardness of seeking a replacement for Carlyle while having him coach the team in practice earlier this week and in Wednesday's game.

"It's been an awful three or four days," he said, solemnly.

The slow starts in every season since Carlyle coached them to the 2007 Stanley Cup title were overcome with tremendous second-half pushes, resulting in playoff appearances in all but 2009-10.

But this season was different. The players were no longer responding to Carlyle and the message he was selling.

"That is exactly what led me to the decision that it was time," Murray said. "We had done this before, but it was just the way we were losing, the body language and how we were losing. It hadn't been there before.

"I just didn't think they believed in themselves anymore. I had never seen that before in the six years we've been here."

The Ducks are expected to hire Bob Woods as an assistant coach. Woods coached with Boudreau and also was let go Monday.

Woods will join Brad Lauer, who was hired Wednesday night. Lauer, a former assistant with Ottawa, was on the staff at Syracuse (AHL), the Ducks' AHL affiliate.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.02.2011


No more excuses for Duck players

By JEFF MILLER

2011-12-01 20:36:14

ANAHEIM – So, like they always do, the players ultimately got their way.

That's how it works in sports, where removing dozens of hands is simply too messy when, as an alternative, a head or two can be lopped off.

These Ducks underachieved – more dramatically than any team in franchise history – to the point where they got four people fired, including Randy Carlyle and his two assistants.

The old coaches are gone. So are the old excuses.

Ducks, if this is what you wanted – and all the talk Thursday about suddenly being re-energized and filled with fire again certainly suggests that's the case – congratulations! Now prove Carlyle was the problem.

A team everyone agrees is sufficiently skilled, was good enough last spring to be the No. 4 seed in a steep Western Conference and still possess the reigning league MVP, today is free to display the will it has chosen to mostly hide this season.

General manager Bob Murray said Thursday that this group's potential was the only reason he decided to fire rather than torch. To be accurate, Murray used the phrase "blown things up" in reference to what he could have done to the Ducks' roster.

From his position on the ice, goaltender Jonas Hiller can see the bigger picture better than anyone. Identifying the source of the embarrassment we've all witnessed lately wasn't difficult.

"I don't think it was wrong or anything, what Randy taught," Hiller said. "But it seemed like he couldn't get through to all the guys. Some guys, I don't know if they were tired of hearing it, if they didn't believe in it, but it seemed like he couldn't get us going every night."

We're not saying Carlyle deserved to keep his job, no. This team had every symptom of a group that had stopped listening to the message. The players left Murray no choice but to replace the voice delivering that message.

We're also not suggesting anyone should feel sorry for Carlyle. This is a big-boy business and people are canned all the time. Besides, we'd probably have more success trying to convince Ducks fans to feel sorry for the swine flu virus.

Our point here is that the players are more accountable, more responsible than ever today, accountable for what they've done or not done, responsible for what they'll do or not do in the future. Ducks, it's on you, each of you.


OK, Ryan Getzlaf, now you're playing for Bruce Boudreau, who talked more about offense on Thursday than Carlyle did in a typical month. Time to develop into a top-10 player to match your top-10 talent.

Bobby Ryan, you're officially unleashed now, too, free to play hard every shift and every night because Boudreau will embrace your creativity, encourage you to be a blur all over the ice.

Luca Sbisa? Boudreau's system could make you an offensive weapon. Francois Beauchemin? You could emerge, as well, if you stop spitting out turnovers. Cam Fowler? Just hang on until Lubomir Visnovsky returns, OK?

Calling out these guys would be more satisfying if there were a Sean Avery among the group. But there's nothing even close to that here.

Getzlaf never has been anything but accommodating and professional, always standing up even when he or his teammates fall face-first.

Ryan is as decent a person as we've ever encountered, inside a locker room or otherwise.

Beauchemin? Sbisa? Fowler? These are guys we'd gladly sit and drink a beer with, even if Fowler's still too young to do so legally.

All the Ducks who've spoken publicly about Carlyle so far have said the exact proper things. And, sure, we believe them when they say they feel badly for their former boss.

"You almost feel like you let coach down, you let all three coaches down," Ryan said. "They worked. They were fair in all categories. They wanted to provide us with a winning atmosphere. There's a little bit of a letdown there."

Said Getzlaf: "We feel like we let Randy down a little bit. You never want to see your coach, or anybody for that matter, get fired...We let him down a little bit."

And Hiller: "I owe him a lot. He gave me the chance to play here. He gave me the chance to be a No. 1. So I really appreciate that."

They've taken the classy route, which is admirable, even if some of the Ducks privately rooted for this day.

Well, they ultimately got their way and now have to prove they deserved it.


The new Ducks have dawned, that light Carlyle spoke of recently eclipsed by deaf ears and relentless underachievement.



Boudreau quickly takes charge of Ducks

By ERIC STEPHENS

2011-12-01 17:14:42

ANAHEIM – Bruce Boudreau was introduced on Thursday as the Ducks' eighth coach in franchise history but not without some lament for the previous bench boss.

Boudreau replaces Randy Carlyle, who won the most games by far of any coach over the Ducks' 17 seasons and guided them to their only Stanley Cup championship.

Carlyle got the news Wednesday night from Ducks general manager Bob Murray less than an hour following the team's 4-1 home victory over Montreal.

"I think he's very sad," Murray said at a press conference at Anaheim Ice. "As I said, he did a terrific job here. Unfortunately, this is part of our business. When you've been with a team for awhile, it happens.

"It's not his fault. It seems to be happening more and more with these teams that have won championships. ... They go for awhile and it just happens."

Murray moved into action when Boudreau was cut loose by Washington on Monday, first informing ownership that he wanted to look for a potential replacement and then asking Capitals GM George McPhee for permission to talk to Boudreau.

Boudreau, 56, flew into Orange County on Wednesday in order to sign a two-year contract and meet the team Thursday morning before running his first practice. He was 201-88-40 in four seasons with the Capitals, winning Southeast Division titles in each.

"If I didn't believe that this was a team that had the possibilities and the makings of something special, I think I would have sat at home and waited," Boudreau said. "But I don't think opportunities like this come around every day, with the talent that we have here."

Said Murray: "When I talked to Bruce, I wanted to sense in his voice if he was ready to go right back at it or not. That was important to me. I moved fairly quickly."

Murray consistently supported Carlyle, his good friend, through the slow starts the Ducks have had ever since their Cup season and resisted call for his firing. But the team's 2-12-4 run over six weeks and weekend home losses to Chicago and Toronto were the final straw.

"We've been through funks before with this group and we were in one," he said. "After watching the way we played on Friday and Sunday, I decided that it was time for a new voice. It doesn't mean that the guy has become a bad coach or a bad person.

"It was just time for this group to have a new voice in the locker room. It was time to move forward."



Ducks’ Boudreau familiar with change

By MARK WHICKER

2011-12-01 17:06:15

ANAHEIM – If you're making a change, make a real one.

If you think the former coach was too negative, get positive.

If you think your offense was too stuffy, release Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa and all the other hounds.

And if you have seen Bruce Boudreau pull a hockey team out of deepest quicksand, you must figure he can do it again.

The Ducks' awfulness finally dissolved Bob Murray's reluctance to fire Randy Carlyle. It presented him with the choice – players or coach – that only brings one answer.

So, about 13 hours after Carlyle was summing up the Ducks' victory over Montreal Wednesday night, Boudreau was standing at a greaseboard at Anaheim Ice and coaching Carlyle's former Ducks.

That was three days after Washington had dismissed Boudreau.

It is the way meritocracy is.

When things don't work, the leader does not take a $100 million parting gift.

When things don't work, the leader is not allowed to blame others (i.e., Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio, who threw offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter under one too many motorboat).

When things don't work, the leader cannot extend his failed five-year plan to 10.

He gets replaced, just as Carlyle will replace another NHL coach someday.

Boudreau told the Ducks how much he believed in them.

He also said, "There's no reason we can't be a great team defensively and offensively."

Later, he remembered Mike Green, who is the only active defenseman besides Nicklas Lidstrom who has a 70-point season.

"I had Mike in Hershey (in the AHL)," Boudreau said. "I said, make as many mistakes as you want and eventually you'll learn, you'll get it.

"Now you can't do that on the NHL level because the costs are much higher. But I see a little bit of the same qualities with Cam. And in time, maybe Cam will develop like Mike did."

A little wistfully, he added, "We were 8-0 this year (in Washington) when Mike was healthy."

Boudreau was still in Hershey when the Capitals fired Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving Day, 2007.

Those Capitals and these Ducks could have been twins. Washington was 6-14-1 when the axe fell. Boudreau's debut game was a 4-3 victory over the Flyers, whom the Ducks play tonight.

"I had some advantages there because I had coached seven of the guys in Hershey," Boudreau said. "Here I don't have that knowledge of the players. But, back then, I was a little wide-eyed about being in the NHL."

His players couldn't tell. Five minutes into his first practice Boudreau made one Capital skate a lap because he was the final man to get to the team huddle.

But he unbuttoned Washington's skill, particularly Alex Ovechkin, and owner Ted Leonsis observed, "Glen was a technically wonderful coach but he didn't want to make a mistake. With Bruce, he wants teams to succumb to our will."

By Jan. 9 of that first season the Capitals were 21-21-5, and Boudeau announced, "We've officially reached mediocrity."

They won 11 of their final 12 regular-season games, began filling the arena (there is a waiting list for season tickets now) and lost in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs.

That pattern continued, but Boudreau got to 200 victories quicker than any NHL coach.

Still, he did not forget the midnight buses of Biloxi and the shivering locker rooms of Muskegon. For 15 years he was a continuous head coach in the minors and won two championships.

On Thursday, Boudreau was discussing Game 7 of the 2006 AHL semifinals, when Hershey beat Portland.

"I'm just glad Ryan hit the post in overtime," he said, meaning Ryan Getzlaf, who joined Portland, with Corey Perry and Dustin Penner, for that specific game.

What he didn't say was that he and Portland coach Kevin Dineen had shouted each other down that morning when Dineen tried to scout Boudreau's practice.

It was "Slap Shot" brought to life, and in fact Boudreau appeared in that 1977 classic, with Paul Newman as Reg Dunlop. The apartment where Dunlap lived? It was really Boudreau's, in Johnstown, Pa.

Boudreau was a great minor league player – his junior hockey scoring record stood until Wayne Gretzky arrived – and so loved coaching the Kings' affiliate in Manchester, N.H., that he plans to retire there.

"I coached George Parros there for three years," Boudreau said. "And I coached Andrew Gordon in Washington. Now I'm waiting for three guys (here) to tell me I coached them in the minors."

You never know. When Boudreau scored his first NHL goal, for Toronto in 1976, he got an assist from a combative defenseman named Carlyle.

Boudreau's concentric circles stretch to hockey's ceiling. The Ducks hope one of them is still unbroken.



Selanne on Carlyle: ‘This came as a big shock’

December 1st, 2011, 10:15 am · · posted by Eric Stephens, Staff writer

Randy Carlyle had been the Ducks’ only coach since the 2004-05 NHL lockout and his time behind their bench will always be marked by the franchise’s greatest success.

As with the majority of coaches in sports, Carlyle’s time ultimately ran out Wednesday night as Ducks GM Bob Murray fired him and brought in former Washington bench boss Bruce Boudreau.

Teemu Selanne weighed in on the firing after the Ducks’ 4-1 victory over Montreal as Samuel Savolainen of Finnish-language sports magazine Urheilulehti caught up with him for his thoughts. Here’s the original article in their native tongue but Savolainen was gracious to provide Ducks Blog an English translation:

“This came as a big shock,” Selanne told the magazine. ”I feel sorry for him, also behalf of myself. The business is tough sometimes.”

“We sat with five players at the GM’s office, when he told us. All of us just sat there quietly. When he [got] his three-year extension, I couldn’t expect that he could be fired. This was tough news. All I can hope is that this will rejuvenate the team. It’s sad that a wake-up call like this has to be made, before we get back on track.”

“I’m very grateful for the coaching staff for them giving me an opportunity to get a silver lining to my career. After all, we won a Stanley Cup together. All of the guys have been very important for my career, especially Randy. He gave me an opportunity after my reconstructive knee surgery, even though I was an older guy.

“I’m quite down about the news right now.”



Boudreau hiring a real slap shot

November 30th, 2011, 11:01 pm · · posted by Mark Whicker, ocregister.com

Wow.

Bruce Boudreau began the week as the coach of the Washington Capitals. On Thursday he will be introduced as the coach of the Ducks.

They announced Randy Carlyle was fired after the victory over Montreal. Carlyle led the Ducks to the ’07 Stanley Cup and to playoff berths every year but one since 2006.

Will Boudreau do for the Ducks what he did for the C’apitals? Ducks fans can only hope. He took over the Capitals when they were 6-14-1 in 2007-

08. They finished the season 37-17-7 and finished first in the Southeast Division.

The next three years, Washington won 50, 54 and 48 games. But this year, after being picked as Stanley Cup favorites by most, the Capitals started the season 12-9-1 and Boudreau was fired.

The Capitals won only one playoff series during Boudreau’s tenure, but the Ducks aren’t worried about that. They wanted a different voice, even though Boudreau’s voice will sometimes be as raspy and demanding as Carlyle’s.

Boudreau is also one of the game’s characters. He was a proliic minor league scorer and coached six different minor league teams, including Manhester in the Kings ‘ organization.

“Slap Shot,” the definitive movie about minor league hockey, featured Boudreau in a cameo role, skating against the Hanson Brothers.

Hiring Boudreau was about as bold a move as the Ducks could make. And it didn’t cost them Bobby Ryan.

Posted in: Ducks front office • Bruce Boudreau



First task for new Ducks' coach Bruce Boudreau: Creating a belief system

By Elliott Teaford Staff Writer

Posted: 12/01/2011 10:18:07 PM PST

Updated: 12/01/2011 10:53:30 PM PST

ANAHEIM - Losing was difficult enough to take, but it was the way they were losing that started Ducks general manager Bob Murray on the path toward a coaching change this week. He believed it was obvious the team needed someone new as its leader.

"We've been through funks before, but after watching the way we played Friday and Sunday (during losses to the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs), I decided it was time for a new voice," he said Thursday.

"They didn't seem to believe in themselves anymore."

So, when the Washington Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau as their coach Monday, Murray called to gauge his interest in relocating to Anaheim and trying to work his magic in turning around the underachieving Ducks.

"I told ownership Monday it was time to look around," Murray said during a news conference to introduce Boudreau as the replacement for Randy Carlyle, who was fired less than an hour after the Ducks' 4-1 victory Wednesday over the Montreal Canadiens.

The first order of business after Boudreau signed a two-season contract was to conduct practice Thursday and get to work restoring the Ducks' confidence, which had been sagging noticeably during a seven-game losing streak.

"They have been a really good team," Boudreau said of the Ducks, who are 7-13-4 and in last place in the Pacific Division. "They

just lost their way a little bit. I want them to believe in themselves. If they do, good things can happen."

Boudreau has experience rescuing foundering ships. He did it after the Capitals hired him early in the 2007-08 season, with the team dead last in the NHL's overall standings. Washington rebounded with a 37-17-7 finish.

The 56-year-old Boudreau was 201-88-40 with the Capitals, winning the Southeast Division four times, earning the best record in the regular season in 2009-10 and being honored with the Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach in 2007-08.

"I hope they buy into the message and we surge from here," Boudreau said after his first practice with the Ducks, a spirited workout that lasted well over

an hour. "I want them to believe in themselves. That was the message for today."

Murray said the rampant speculation he would break up the team by trading right wing Bobby Ryan should now come to an end. He said his big move was to replace the coach rather than one of the team's top young talents, which was a relief for Ryan.

"It's been pretty much of a nightmare," Ryan said of the rumors of a trade. "It seemed like every time I turned the TV on or changed the channel or tweeted or whatever, it was out there. I tried to block out as much as I could, but it was there."

Said Murray: "If I didn't believe in what they (the players) can do, I would have gone in a totally different direction and blown the whole thing up.

"I'm hoping everything settles down (on the rumor mill), and I think it will."

Certainly, the players were focused more on the possibility of a trade in the wake of a mind-boggling 6-5 loss last Friday to the Blackhawks, when the team collapsed after leading 4-2 going into the third period, or after a dreary 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Murray has resisted making a dramatic roster move in the past, but as the Ducks' losses mounted, it seemed every team in the league was rumored to be interested in swapping a player or two to get Ryan or one of the other top Ducks.

So, instead of watching their teammate pack his bags, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry welcomed Ryan back onto the top line for Thursday's practice. Carlyle had shifted Ryan to the third line for Wednesday's game against Montreal.

Carlyle, 55, left the Ducks as their most successful coach, guiding them to the Stanley Cup championship in 2006-07 after they advanced to the Western Conference finals in his first season in 2005-06. He had a 273-182-61 record in 516 games.

"These moves are very difficult, but we respect Bob Murray's decision and are optimistic we can turn this season around, led by Bruce and his staff," team owners Henry and Susan Samueli said in a statement emailed by the team.

Carlyle was not available for comment.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597741 Boston Bruins

Bruins take care of first order of business

By Fluto Shinzawa

Globe Staff / December 1, 2011

TORONTO - When November began, the Bruins were the 15th-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, and the second-worst team in the league.

A month later, after last night’s 6-3 win over Toronto at the Air Canada Centre, they are the No. 1 team in the Northeast Division, a point ahead of the Maple Leafs, and a point behind conference-leading Pittsburgh.

“Going 12-0-1 is more than I think anyone imagined,’’ said Milan Lucic, who busted an eight-game goal-scoring drought with a pair of strikes. “It all comes down to the commitment of all the guys and our game plan that we did this whole month. A big reason for that is that it wasn’t one line or a pair of defensemen. It was everyone stepping up, doing their job, and playing more like we ended off last year.’’

It was the first time the Bruins finished an entire month without a regulation loss since January 1969, when they went 10-0-4. They have recorded points in 13 straight games, a feat last accomplished in 1983. That season, they rolled off points in 17 straight.

Last night wasn’t their best game. Tim Thomas allowed a rare softie, a bad-angle Matt Frattin goal in the third that rattled through his equipment and trickled over the line. The fourth line, usually a dependable crew, was on the ice for a handful of Toronto’s scoring chances. With the Bruins clinging to a 4-3 lead in the third, the Leafs sent wave after wave of pressure on Thomas.

But like they did during the entire month, the Bruins came up big when big performances were required. Lucic broke Toronto’s back with his second goal at 15:21 of the third. Brad Marchand capped the win with an empty-net goal at 19:08.

“I didn’t necessarily think we played that well tonight,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “We didn’t get much support. We didn’t defend as well. But sometimes you have to find a way to win in a long schedule. We did tonight. We made the most of our opportunities.’’

Thomas (34 saves) didn’t look like an NHL puck-stopper on Frattin’s goal. But in the first, Thomas bailed out his boys - Joe Corvo and Dennis Seidenberg flubbed an exchange in the offensive zone - when Phil Kessel, of all people, pulled away for a breakaway.

“I quickly think, ‘Man, I know he wants to score really bad,’ ’’ Thomas said. “I didn’t really start thinking about what he was going to do. I just decided to play him honestly. I realized there was just enough back pressure to keep him pretty much to one side of the net, which really helped me out.’’

Kessel tried to slip the puck five-hole. Thomas jammed his pads shut at 16:00, keeping the score tied at 1-1.

From there, Thomas’s boys took over.

Entering last night, Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton had been ghosts on the scoresheet. Krejci’s last goal was on Nov. 7. Lucic hadn’t found the back of the net since Nov. 10. Horton had just one assist in his last four games.

Last night, the power line played like a No. 1 threesome. In the second, they hurtled out of the defensive zone with enough speed that Horton had a close-range shot on goal. Jonas Gustavsson kicked out the shot, but Krejci was coming so quickly that the center was in perfect position to knock home the rebound at 3:33, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

Later in the second, after Joffrey Lupul slammed in a Kessel feed to tie the game at 2-2, Krejci’s line came through once more. Again, they attacked Toronto with speed. Because of the size of Lucic and Horton, few teams can repel the forwards when their legs are whirring. After Horton fed a feathery pass to Krejci, the center spotted Zdeno Chara joining the rush. Once Chara took Krejci’s dish, the captain whistled a wrister past Gustavsson at 15:30 to give the Bruins a 3-2 edge.

“I think it’s important for those guys to build on that,’’ Julien said of his power line’s performance. “They’ve got the confidence now. They’ve got to make the most of it more than they can relax and say, ‘Well, now we’re getting points.’ I’d like to see them build on it.’’

In the third, Frattin’s goal gave the Leafs late life. Thomas was under siege.

For the last time, Krejci’s line came through to apply the crushing blow. Late in the third, Krejci slipped behind the net and waited for Toronto to make a mistake. Luke Schenn obliged by leaving his net-front position to apply pressure on Krejci. The shifty center floated away from Schenn, who then had to scramble back to cover Lucic in front of the net.

By then, Lucic had gained a foothold in the slot. Schenn arrived too late, as Lucic directed Krejci’s pass past Gustavsson at 15:21, giving the Bruins a 5-3 lead.

“We always talk about the third period being our best period,’’ Lucic said. “That’s been the case this year. We always talk about the killer instinct and pushing for more. We didn’t have it in October. But we found it here in November. That’s a big reason why we’ve been able to put together the record that we have.’’

Boston Globe LOADED: 12.02.2011


Comfortable in his new home

By Fluto Shinzawa

Globe Staff / December 1, 2011

TORONTO - It was tough for Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. It was hard for Toronto counterpart Brian Burke.

But when Joe Colborne was traded to Toronto last Feb. 18 in a package for Tomas Kaberle, the person who felt the sting the most was the youngster himself.

“I was pretty disappointed when it happened,’’ Colborne said. “I loved Boston. I loved everything about Boston. You could see they were on a path for a lot of success. It was tough.

“But since I’ve been here, the organization’s welcomed me with open arms. It’s been unbelievable. I love the city. I love the guys, management - they’ve been great to me. I’m pretty happy with where I am now.’’

Last night was the third meeting of the season between the Bruins and Maple Leafs, but Colborne was with the Marlies, Toronto’s AHL affiliate, for the first two. This time, Colborne was up with the big club, where he’s been since Nov. 19.

It was Colborne’s first opportunity to play against the club that selected him 16th overall in the 2008 draft.

“A lot of good memories,’’ said Colborne. “I have Boston to thank for a lot of my development over the past few years.’’

Colborne, centering the third line between Joey Crabb and Matt Frattin, skated 16 shifts for 14:36 of ice time. Colborne didn’t record a shot, and lost seven of 10 faceoffs, looking more like a rookie than a center who had racked up a goal and three assists in his five previous NHL games.

The Bruins were wary of trading Colborne. The former University of Denver star projected to be a top-six forward, either at center or wing. He was a leader during development camps. Last year, in his only training camp with the Bruins, management and the coaching staff liked Colborne’s mature approach.

But Colborne, who will turn 22 Jan. 30, might not have made the varsity roster until next season. The Bruins are deep in the middle. Colborne’s better shot might have been at left wing.

“It’s all speculation now,’’ said Colborne. “They’re deep at center, too. It would have been a tough decision, I’m sure.’’

But trading Colborne was part of doing business for the Bruins in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The Leafs needed a young, broad-shouldered presence up front. Zach Hamill wouldn’t have gotten the deal done.

The trade can be considered from two angles. Trading Colborne, a 2011 first-rounder, and a 2012 second-rounder was costly for Kaberle. However, given that the Bruins wouldn’t have won the Cup without Kaberle (11 assists in 25 playoff games), it is a trade Chiarelli would make every day.

For now, it will be Colborne’s job to prove the Bruins paid too much for the Kaberle rental. He only has to look back at last year as motivation.

“It was hard watching, knowing that I could have been up there, watching and being a part of it,’’ said Colborne. “At the same time, you feel happy for them.

“I went through the whole Philadelphia series the year before. I realized how much hard work went into that. Right from management on down, they had one big gut-check. The way they came back and bounced back was pretty neat. I’m happy for the guys.’’

An eye on Seguin

Tyler Seguin entered last night’s game without a point in his two previous matches, and had not gone scoreless in three straight games all season.

“Right now, being the leading scorer on our team, there’s no doubt other teams are paying more attention to him,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “Now he’s got to overcome the challenge of teams playing him harder than maybe they did during the beginning of the season, when they probably didn’t respect him as much as they do now.

“That’s another area he’s going to have to grow in. I have confidence in his personality and his demeanor that he can overcome that.’’

Seguin assisted on Boston’s first goal. During a first-period power play, he slipped a cross-ice pass to Milan Lucic. After Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson hit the deck, Lucic went upstairs to tie the game at 1-1 at 15:08 of the first period.

Spreading the wealth

Every Bruin played 10 or more minutes, with Zdeno Chara leading the charge with 27:25 of ice time. “Every time we win, it’s usually a constant thing in our game,’’ Andrew Ference said. “Going back into last year, that’s the only way we won, when we had a whole team effort. Not necessarily scoring-wise. Just the ability for the coach to roll four lines and have consistency out of every line. It’s no secret that’s an important part of what we need.’’ . . . Tim Thomas (34 saves) completed a perfect month by winning his ninth game in nine starts. Appropriately, Thomas will most likely trim his November moustache instead of shaving it off. Thomas cautioned, however, that a mistake with the clippers could lead to another result. “A lot of times when you trim it, you mess it up,’’ Thomas said. “Then you have to take the whole thing off.’’ . . . Rich Peverley (9 for 11) and Gregory Campbell (8 for 11) submitted excellent performances on faceoffs . . . Chara led the Bruins with six shots on goal . . . Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron were the healthy scratches.



Krejci: Chance to win biggest reason to re-up

By Jake Seiner, Globe Correspondent

Bruins center David Krejci and general manager Peter Chiarelli held court with the media today to announce a three-year extension for the 25-year-old pivot.

The Czech Republic native will earn $5.25 million per year over the life of the extension, as was confirmed by Chiarelli during the press conference.

Talks for the deal began last summer, and were finalized Wednesday afternoon, when Krejci signed the contract in Chiarelli's hotel room before registering three points in a 6-3 win over Toronto.

Chiarelli said Krejci could've earned more money testing the free agent waters as a restricted free agent at year's end. Krejci said the decision to lock up with Boston through 2014-15 was fairly simple.

"We won the Cup last year, and I feel this team can do it again and I want to be part of it," Krejci said. "It was a great experience, and I hope that I’ll win it one more time. I feel like I have a really good chance here with this team. That was the biggest reason."

He also praised the team's fans.

"It’s great to play in front of these fans," he said. "They can get pretty loud. They are our seventh player on the ice. Last year, they showed it in the playoffs. They were outstanding. It was so much fun to play for them. They definitely helped us to win the Cup. That’s for sure."



David Krejci signs extension with Bruins

December 01, 2011|Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff, Globe Staff

Bruins center David Krejci has agreed to a three-year contract extension, the team announced today.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to ESPN, the deal averages $5.25 million per season.

Krejci played a key role on the Bruins' Stanley Cup championship team in June, and has 62 goals, 165 assists and 227 career points. Krejci was a second-round draft pick of the Bruins in 2004.



David Krejci at center of $15.75M deal

By Steve Conroy | Friday, December 2, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said yesterday there’s a lot to like about David Krejci’s game. He’s a gifted offensive player. He’s an underrated two-way player.

But one thing that the GM touched upon might be the aspect of Krejci’s game that make some of his inconsistencies palatable.

“We saw him shine in the playoffs last year,” said Chiarelli. “We saw what the loss of him meant to us the year before in the playoffs.”

Indeed, Krejci has been a money player, and he has been rewarded with a lot of it. The Bruins announced yesterday they came to terms with the centerman on a three-year deal worth $15.75 million.

Two years ago, the Bruins looked like they were headed to a sure berth in the Eastern Conference finals, thanks in great part to Krejci, when he suffered a broken wrist in Game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers. With Krejci out, the B’s blew a 3-0 series lead. But last season Krejci made that bad memory ancient history, leading in postseason scoring with 12-11-23 totals in 25 games and helping to deliver the Stanley Cup to Boston for the first time in 39 years. In 52 playoff games, Krejci has 44 points.

His motivation in wanting to remain a Bruin?

“It’s pretty simple,” said the 25-year-old Krejci, who would have been a restricted free agent after this season. “We won the Cup last year and we feel this team can do it again, and I want to be a part of it.”

One agent felt the dollars were a bit high.

“It sounds about right, with him having won a Cup,” said the agent. “It’s a little more than maybe I would have paid. I probably would have gone around $4.5 (million). But their players’ value are pretty high right now coming off the Cup run and, like with (Rich) Peverley (who recently signed a three-year extension worth $3.25 million annually), they had to overpay just a little to keep them because that’s what their market value is now.”

Krejci was relieved that the deal, percolating since last summer, finally got done. He signed it in Chiarelli’s hotel room in Toronto Wednesday afternoon, just prior to scoring a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

“I know that my agent (Larry Kelly) and Peter talked in the summer, but I didn’t really know what’s going on,” said Krejci. “Obviously it was on my mind a little bit, especially when things weren’t going my way at the beginning of the season and it got me thinking a lot. But then we got the deal done and I’m happy to be here four more years and now I can just focus on hockey.”

Chiarelli also said there has been no determination on whether budding star Tyler Seguin, a natural centerman, will slot as a center or wing, long term, but the GM has no problem with having a lot of players adept at playing the pivot.

“I feel a team gets built from the back end and down the middle and to have a strong middle is obviously an asset in my mind,” said Chiarelli. “And David is part of that. David’s shown that he can play different kind of games. (Patrice Bergeron) has shown that he can play different kind of games, we see Chris Kelly now, Tyler can play center or wing. We’ve got a lot of options here. Chris Kelly can play wing. .?.?. The fact that these guys are compatible and that they can play together and not have to play the 22, 23 minutes that you see some of the top centers play is a testament to all of them as a group.”

Krejci has a modified no-trade clause in the second and third years with a short no-trade list of teams.

Meanwhile, the collective bargaining agreement runs out after this season and there’s some uncertainty as to what the new salary cap number will be. The Bruins have just under $53 million committed next season. Still

unsigned are unrestricted free agents Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton, Daniel Paille, Joe Corvo, Johnny Boychuk and Kelly and restricted free agents Tuukka Rask and Benoit Pouliot.

“In an ideal world you’d like to have everybody back and have everybody happy, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” said Chiarelli.

Bruins notes

Forward Jordan Caron and defenseman Steven Kampfer were assigned to Providence yesterday and are expected to play for the Baby B’s tonight. Both need playing time. .?.?. Tim Thomas, who posted a 9-0 record, a 1.76 goals-against average and .941 save percentage, was named the NHL’s No. 1 star for November.

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.02.2011


Clutch Krejci rewarded with 3-year extension

By Steve Conroy | Thursday, December 1, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said there’s a lot to like about David Krejci’s game. He’s a gifted offensive player. He’s an underrated two-way player.

But one thing that the GM touched upon might be the aspect of Krejci’s game that make some of his inconsistencies palatable.

“We saw him shine in the playoffs last year,” said Chiarelli. “We saw what the loss of him meant to us the year before in the playoffs.”

Indeed, Krejci, who alongside Chiarelli met the press after signing a three-year $15.75 million extension, has played his best hockey when it’s mattered most. The 25-year-old led all playoff scorers last year with 12-11-23 totals during the B’s Stanley Cup and has had 44 points in 52 postseason games. Two years ago, the B’s looked like they were headed for a sure berth in the Eastern Conference finals when Krejci suffered a season-ending broken wrist in Game 4 against Philadelphia. The B’s went on to lose that series, blowing a 3-0 lead to the Flyers.

But with a Cup under his belt, in addition to the shine of a 12-0-1 November, that loss to Philly feels like ancient history.

“It’s pretty simple,” said Krejci of his desire to stay in Boston. “We won the Cup last year and we feel this team can do it again and I want to be part of it.”

The deal makes Krejci the highest paid forward on the Bruins’ roster, nudging him past Patrice Bergeron, who is signed for two more years with a cap hit of $5 million.

Krejci would have been a restricted free agent at the end of this year, but the crafty centerman wanted to keep the good times rolling here in Boston. The deal keeps him locked up through the 2014-15 season. He said there was a sense of relief in getting this bit of business done.

“I know my agent (Larry Kelly) and Peter talked in the summer, but I didn’t really know what was going on,” said Krejci. “But obviously it was on my mind a little bit, especially when things weren’t going my way at the beginning of the season and it got me thinking a lot. But we got a deal done and I’m happy to be here for three more years and now I can just focus on hockey.”

One agent felt the dollar amount might have been a touch high for Krejci, who has totals of 4-9-13 this season, but understandably so.

“It sounds about right, with him having won a Cup,” said the agent. “It’s a little more than maybe I would have paid. I probably would have gone around $4.5 (million). But their players’ value are pretty high right now coming off the Cup run and, like with (Rich) Peverley, they had to overpay just a little to keep them because that’s what their market value is now.”

What this means for Tyler Seguin, who came up as a center but has been playing wing (and doing a very good job of it), remains to be seen. Chiarelli said that there has been no hard and fast determination of where Seguin

slots for the long-term, but he sees no problem with having a lot of players who are adept at playing center.

“I feel a team gets built from the back end and down the middle and to have a strong middle is obviously an asset in my mind,” Chiarelli said. “And David is part of that. David’s shown that he can play different kinds of games. (Patrice Bergeron) has shown that he can play different kinds of games, we’ve seen Chris Kelly now, Tyler can play center or wing. We’ve got a lot of options here. Chris Kelly can play wing. And we’ve got a lot of good centers coming.

“The fact that these guys are compatible and that they can play together and not have to play the 22, 23 minutes that you see some of the top centers play is a testament to all of them as a group.”

The B’s still have to sign their third and fourth line centers, Chris Kelly and Gregory Campbell, who are both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this summer.

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.02.2011

597747 Buffalo Sabres

Ennis prepared to step in, step up

By Mike Harrington

News Sports Reporter

Published:December 1, 2011, 11:09 PM

The Buffalo Sabres' offense figures to get a boost tonight with the return of winger Tyler Ennis to the lineup for the game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Ennis suffered a high ankle sprain Oct. 22 at Tampa Bay and has missed 17 games. He hits December pointless in seven games -- after collecting 20 goals and 49 points last year as a rookie.

"I feel ready. I felt good," Ennis said. "I can use my speed. I feel fast, like I can do everything I need to do."

Ennis skated Thursday on left wing with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Ville Leino was moved off that line and joined Luke Adam and Zack Kassian.

The hope is that Ennis can boost a sagging group of forwards full of slumps. Paul Gaustad has gone 22 games without a goal while Nathan Gerbe (12 games), Stafford (11), Leino (9) and Roy (7) all have goalless droughts going. Even leading scorer Thomas Vanek is struggling, with just one goal in his last eight games.

"We need production," said coach Lindy Ruff. "I don't need to stand here after [tonight's] game and explain to you how we missed all these opportunities again. We need to take some pride, be harder in those situations, bear down and make sure they go into the back of the net."

Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff played 32 minutes, 48 seconds Tuesday against the New York Islanders, a career-high in regulation, and should again play huge minutes tonight.

Ehrhoff exceeded that total for Vancouver by playing 33:08 in an overtime game against Calgary on Jan. 22. He also played more twice in multiple-overtime playoff games, including a whopping 43:44 in a four-OT win over Dallas on May 4, 2008.

Ehrhoff has a team-high average of 24:04 this season -- and is at 28:02 over the last five games. And he's seemed to thrive on the extra ice time.

"Thirty minutes is a lot to play, not something for a nightly basis," Ehrhoff said. "But if guys are down and I need to play those minutes, I'm all for it."

Former Sabres winger Mike Grier, who was not playing this season, officially announced his retirement Thursday. Grier had been dogged by knee injuries in Buffalo the last couple of years.

Grier played in 1,060 regular season NHL games, recording 162 goals and 221 assists. He also played in 101 playoff games, including stints as a

member of the Sabres' 2006 Eastern Conference finalists and 2010 Northeast Division champions.

"Mike was one of the ultimate competitors," said Ruff. "A big man who played the game hard. He was great in the locker room. Was well-respected by his teammates and if there's anybody you'd like to be like as a young guy walking in the locker room, you'd want to follow in Mike's footsteps."

Grier had five goals and 11 assists in 73 games for the Sabres last season. His career high in goals was 20, set in Edmonton in 1998-99 and again in 2000-01. He will live in Boston, where he was raised.

"I was very fortunate to be able to play 14 seasons in the NHL with some great players," Grier said in a statement releasted through the NHLPA.

"The memories and friendships that I have built during my time in the league will last a lifetime. I would like to thank my former teammates, family and fans for helping make my career so memorable for me."

The Red Wings enter tonight's game having won six straight and coming off a 10-3-1 November that has pushed them into second place in the Western Conference.

The Red Wings, however, have a brutal December schedule. Tonight's game opens a month that features of 10 of 15 games on the road and includes trips to Colorado, Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary.

Buffalo News LOADED: 12.02.2011


Curiosity surrounds Finley in debut

Defenseman impressed Sabres with toughness

By Mike Harrington



The newest Buffalo Sabre is a big curiosity. A very big one.

So much is known about the Sabres' major prospects, some of whom have been in the organization for three or four years. Very little is known about 6-foot-8, 260-pound defenseman Joe Finley, who will make his NHL debut tonight against the Detroit Red Wings in First Niagara Center.

Finley, 24, is a former No. 1 pick of the Washington Capitals in 2005 who stayed at the University of North Dakota until 2009. His last two pro seasons were marred by injuries, including a serious artery rupture in his hand, and he came to Buffalo's training camp on a tryout.

He impressed coaches with his skating ability and got a ticket to Rochester that turned into an NHL contract on Monday. Eighteen games and a surprising spot on the Amerks' top defensive pairing later, Finley is in the NHL while Jordan Leopold sits out the weekend with an upper body injury.

"I really just took it upon myself to focus on things I can control and that's trying to play a real simple, solid brand of hockey," Finley said after joining his new teammates for practice Thursday. "I've been fortunate to do that so far."

Finley leads the Amerks in penalty minutes (57) and in plus-minus at plus-10. He had just one goal and one assist in 18 games but has been impressive with his defensive play and his toughness. Sabres and Amerks fans are so curious about him that he became the No. 1 Trending Topic in the United States on Twitter for an hour after his callup Wednesday night.

"I haven't met these people yet but if the fans got me to be the No. 1 Trending Topic, that's all positive stuff and I'm all for it," he said."

If you Google Finley, you'll find a couple outlandish stories from his college days at North Dakota that have prompted a lot of the chatter.

He was once arrested for disorderly conduct with an ex-teammate for throwing large objects -- including a lawn mower and a kitchen table -- onto a street at 3 a.m. in Grand Forks. In another incident during a game against

archrival Wisconsin, Finley smacked mascot Bucky Badger in the leg with his stick as the two passed each other in a dressing room runway.

Finley was disciplined by North Dakota for that action and had to write a letter of apology to the student mascot.

Finley knows those bizarre tales will follow him around but he's trying to get past being the big guy who threw a lawn mower and whacked a mascot.

"It's not funny. It's a growing experience but I'm not an 18- or 20-year-old kid anymore," he said. "I'm 24 years old and I'm above and beyond that. A lot of the stuff I dealt with the last two years has got me to mature."

Finley's career has been helped by being paired with former NHL veteran Sheldon Souray with Washington's AHL affiliate in Hershey and with former Capitals and Sabres blueliner Shaone Morrisonn in Rochester.

"He's defended really well down there," said coach Lindy Ruff. "You look at that and if he can continue to progress and stay hungry, you don't find those type of players."

T.J. Brennan (upper body) is injured in Rochester and could not come back to the Sabres so Amerks coaches told Ruff that Finley should be his man. He's likely to play tonight with former Amerk teammate Brayden McNabb.

"He was able to skate and make plays," Ruff said. "For a big man, that's always a challenge. He skates very well. He's able to handle the puck. His first pass has been good and when you have that size and reach you have an automatic advantage over a lot of players."

Finley isn't fretting over his NHL debut.

"I'm not really thinking about it too much, that's the good thing," he said. "You just have to worry about waking up [today], having a pregame skate and worrying about the things you have control."

Finley made sure Thursday to give plenty of credit for his development to his offseason training. He's worked for several years with veterans Capitals strength coach Jack Blatherwick, the strength coach under Herb Brooks for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team.

"Jack's been huge for me, getting me to where I am now," Finley said. "As far as being a young kid and being too muscular up top and working on explosive leg work, I owe a ton of credit to him."

And his summer workout partners in his native Minnesota? Vancouver's Andrew Alberts and the man he's replacing tonight, Leopold.

"If he has to be my sacrificial lamb, I guess he's OK in doing that," Finley joked of Leopold, who was not in the dressing room Thursday. "These guys need to get healthy here and get back and continue this thing on track. That's the most important thing. I'm here to fill a void and to play good hockey."



Finley grateful for chance to make NHL debut

December 1, 2011 - 2:33 PM

The numbers -- 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds -- already tell you Joe Finley is huge. But the Sabres' newest defenseman stood up on skates while meeting with the media Thursday afternoon and I was right next to him. And let me tell you, he is H.U.G.E.

Finley is up from Rochester and will likely pair with Brayden McNabb Friday night while making his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings. Not an easy spot. But the 24-year-old, a former No. 1 pick of the Washington Capitals, has overcome serious injuries the last two years and is grateful for the chance.

"I really just took it upon myself to focus on things I can control and that's trying to play a real simple, solid brand of hockey," Finley said. "I've been fortunate to do that so far. Things are moving in the right direction but there's a long way to go to being here fulltime, that's for sure."

Finley leads the Amerks with a plus-10 rating and 57 penalty minutes this year. He's been on the No. 1 pair with former Sabre Shaone Morrisonn in a meteoric rise from training camp tryout when coach Lindy Ruff said the Sabres were "test-driving a used car."

"I'm not really thinking about it too much, that's the good thing," Finley said of his debut. "You just have to worry about waking up tomorrow, having a pregame skate and worrying about the things you have control. That physical play comes. It's about playing good positional hhockey. All the guys up here are in fantastic position and they're on you that much quicker."

Ruff acknowledged that Finley got the call because T.J. Brennan is out in Rochester with an upper-body injury but the coach was intrigued by Finley in training camp, especially with his skating ability, and remains intrigued now.

"We've got another man 6-foot-8 who can skate almost as well as Tyler Myers can," Ruff said. " He's defended really well down there. You look at that and if he can continue to progress and stay hungry, you don't find those type of players. You don't find them in the draft anymore and it takes a long time to develop them."

In other news, Tyler Ennis is a go for Friday night after missing all of November with a high ankle sprain while Patrick Kaleta (groin) remains up in the air. Ryan Miller still has some concussion testing to take later Thursday and is on target to play either Friday or Saturday. Drew MacIntyre has been sent back to the Amerks.

Hear Finley's meeting with reporters below.

Joe Finley



Grier calls it a career

December 1, 2011 - 1:22 PM

Mike Grier made his retirement from the NHL official today as the NHLPA sent out a release announcing the end of the career of the 14-year veteran.

Grier played in 1,060 regular season NHL games, recording 162 goals and 221 assists for 383 points. He also played in 101 playoff games, including stints as a member of the Sabres' 2006 Eastern Conference finalists and 2010 Northeast Division champions.

"I was very fortunate to be able to play 14 seasons in the NHL with some great players," said Grier. "The memories and friendships that I have built during my time in the league will last a lifetime. I would like to thank my former teammates, family and fans for helping make my career so memorable for me. It was a great ride, and I am now excited and looking forward to my post-playing future."

The NHLPA announced Grier will be living in Boston, where he was raised and starred collegiately for Boston University. He should be a coach someday. He'd be a good one. A very positive influence in the locker room. I think the Sabres miss him this year.

---Mike Harrington



Ennis with Roy and Stafford

December 1, 2011 - 11:29 AM

All signs point to Tyler Ennis returning for Friday's game against Detroit as he is skating in practice today in First Niagara Center on left wing with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Ville Leino is with Luke Adam and Zack Kassian. Patrick Kaleta and Matt Ellis are both taking turns on the fourth line. New defenseman Joe Finley is here skating with former Rochester teammate Brayden McNabb.

How much is Ryan Miller progressing? Drew MacIntyre is not here so he's clearly on the way back to Rochester as Miller continues the road to recovery.

Lines currently look like this:

Vanek-Hecht-Pominville

Ennis-Roy-Stafford

Leino-Adam-Kassian

Gerbe-Gaustad-Kaleta (Ellis)

On defense, it's Ehrhoff-Gragnani, Regehr-Sekera and Finley-McNabb.

---Mike Harrington



Ducks fire Carlyle, hire Boudreau; trade talks over?

December 1, 2011 - 9:01 AM

I stayed up last night to watch the Ducks snap their seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the going-nowhere Canadiens and turned the TV off at the final buzzer since NHL Center Ice doesn't show teams' local postgame shows. Too bad on this night.

Woke up this morning to find out the Ducks had fired coach Randy Carlyle, who led them to the Stanley Cup in 2007, and hired Bruce Boudreau just three days after he was fired in Washington.

You have to wonder how this changes the Ducks' approach going forward. As I wrote this morning, Ryan Miller wants to stay in Buffalo but the Ducks are known to be all over the trade market right now while dangling star winger Bobby Ryan. GM Bob Murray led a trio of Anaheim reps in the First Niagara Center press box Tuesday night.

Carlyle's contract ran through 2014 and the theory was that Murray was going to keep him and try to shake up the team with trades Showing up with two scouts for a late November game in Buffalo was a clear indication of that. But I agree with the likes of Hall of Fame writer Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times who tweeted this early this morning: Ownership must have ordered Murray to change course and fire the coach or he was going to be gone, too.

It will be interesting to see how this effects the Ducks moving forward. Do they hold off on any trades now that they have a new voice in the locker room? Can't imagine Boudreau wants to see them ship off a 30-goal scorer. For a team in California that was 14th in the West, the Ducks were creating chatter around the hockey world. It's possible they silenced all of that early this morning while most of us were sleeping.

As for the next coaching move, you wonder how much longer Jacques Martin lasts in Montreal. The Canadiens look terrible. The Carlyle firing is the 167th change in the NHL since Lindy Ruff took over the Sabres in 1997. In fact, the only three teams that haven't switched coaches since the 2005 lockout are the Sabres, Nashville (Barry Trotz) and Detroit (Mike Babcock). Ruff is a complete anomaly.

---Mike Harrington



Sabres' season at crossroads

By Bucky Gleason



It's funny, sometimes, how the schedule works out. The Sabres entered Thursday night's games in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with back-to-back games this weekend against Detroit and Nashville. The Red Wings and Predators are the only two teams other than Buffalo that haven't changed their head coach or general manager since the lockout.

The Sabres have been out of sorts for the better part of three weeks and haven't offered many, if any, indications they're built for anything but a first-round playoff knockout.

They haven't played well at home. They looked sloppy and disorganized before injuries piled up. Their second and third lines were mostly inconsistent and unproductive. Their defense and goaltending have been suspect and they've lacked competitive toughness and cohesion commonly found in legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

Based on what's being said in the community, fans are doing what comes naturally in true Buffalo fashion when a team nears a crisis. They're panicking. They want swift and decisive action. They want the goalie traded or key players waived or the coach and general manager fired, as if any or all changes would provide the necessary fix.

In fact, a good, stiff jolt could be in order if the Sabres don't start winning on a consistent basis and playing to the standard they set before the season began. I'm all for showing patience while waiting for the Sabres to come together, but their idea of stability is starting to look more like the same old, same old.

Who should go where, for whom and when? Well, that's the tough part.

There's no telling how players will respond when management makes a drastic move in an effort to get back on course. The ship could be righted, certainly, but it also could sink. It certainly beats floating around in circles, which was not what Terry Pegula had in mind when he bought the team and convinced people to climb aboard.

Pegula is a good man who arrived with noble intentions. More than anything, he wanted to help his favorite team win the whole thing. He backed up his commitment and passion for the Sabres by giving them everything they needed and more. He threw unbridled support behind General Manager Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff.

Four coaches already have been fired this season, and 167 coaching changes have been made since Ruff was hired in 1997. Bruce Boudreau was fired by Washington and hired by Anaheim in less than 72 hours this week.

Rather than change the personnel, the Ducks fired coach Randy Carlyle and plucked Boudreau from the NHL merry-go-round. And to think the Capitals opened the season with seven straight wins under Boudreau.

To be clear, I'm not saying Ruff or Regier should be fired or that Ryan Miller should be traded or some major swap should be made. Not yet, anyway. But nobody should feel comfortable with a continuing pattern of mediocrity or an underachieving team that entered Thursday night equidistant from first place and 13th in the conference.

Ultimately, it comes down to winning and losing.

One drawback of ownership is not always being able to view their team the way a fan would, not if winning comes first. At times, they need to take a cold, objective look and detach themselves from personalities and emotion that comes with having likable people under them. It could be a problem for Pegula, who has said many times he's not going to stand over his team with a sword.

Actually, putting people on notice wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Remember, Pegula could have fired Regier and allowed the next general manager to make a decision about Ruff. He could have sent both packing and created a fresh start, a common strategy for many new owners.

You can't help but wonder if Pegula showering his people with so many gifts spoiled his players and further empowered Regier and Ruff. The last thing anyone in the organization needed was a sense of entitlement and the feeling they're untouchable.

OK, now what? Do they make a change or maintain status quo? Let me know if you have the right answer. Unfortunately, a big move doesn't guarantee success any more than standing pat equates to failure.

For an example, look no further than the schedule for this weekend.

Detroit is a model franchise under GM Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock, who took the Red Wings to the conference finals in three straight seasons and won the Cup in 2007-08. The Predators have had GM David Poile and coach Barry Trotz in charge since Day One. They have never played past the second round.

Pittsburgh fired coach Michel Therrien less than a year after he guided them to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to Detroit. The Penguins replaced him with rookie coach Dan Bylsma, who led them to the title over the Red Wings the following season. Detroit was a mess early this year before coming around.

Every situation is different. The Sabres look the same, which is to say they don't look good enough.


597754 Calgary Flames

Game Story: Columbus 4 (SO) Calgary 3

By George Johnson, Calgary Herald December 2, 2011 1:15 AM

Three Stars

1. Columbus G Curtis Sanford: Besieged throughout a ridiculously one-sided second period, gave his mates a chance, and then stopped all three in shootout.

2. Calgary LW Blake Comeau: A goal, a helper, his first two points of the season in his second port of call.

3. Columbus LW Rick Nash: Totally non-existent until deflecting in the game winner with 57.2 seconds left, then adds the SO winner.

Why the flames lost

Because they coughed up a huge fur ball when in complete control of the affair, allowing two goals in the final 4:05, including Rick Nash’s equalizer with 57.2 seconds left.

Flames forwards

C. Glencross O. Jokinen J. Iginla

B. Comeau M. Backlund L. Stempniak

A. Tanguay R. Horak R. Bourque

T. Kostopoulos M. Stajan T. Jackman

Flames defence

C.Butler J.Bouwmeester

T.J.Brodie S.Hannan

D.Smith C.Sarich

Flames goaltenders

M. Kiprusoff

H. Karlsson

Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets forwards

V. Prospal J. Carter R. Nash

R.J. Umberger M. Letestu R. Johansen

A. Vermette S. Pahlsson D. Dorsett

C. Bass D. MacKenzie J. Boll

Blue Jackets defence

F.Tyutin N.Nikitin

M.Methot J. Wisniewski

J. Moore G. Clitsomelum

Blue Jackets goaltenders

C.Sanford

S.Mason

Scratches

Calgary — D Mark Giordano (hamstring), D Anton Babchuk (hand), RW David Moss (foot). Man-games lost: 72

Columbus — D Aaron Johnson, C Derick Brassard, G Mark Dekanich (groin), D Radek Martinek (concussion), LW Kristian Huselius (pectoral). Man-games lost: 111

The Summary

First Period

1. Columbus, A Vermette 3 (N Nikitin, S Pahlsson) 5:23.

2. Calgary, L Stempniak 6 (J Bouwmeester, B Comeau) 13:02.

Penalties — J Boll Cls (Fighting) 2:24; T Jackman Cgy (Fighting) 2:24; C Sarich Cgy (Cross-checking) 17:48.

Second Period

3. Calgary, R Bourque 7 (A Tanguay, C Butler) 19:41.

Penalties — R Nash Cls (Roughing) 1:18; C Butler Cgy (Roughing) 1:18; M Methot Cls (Interference) 4:35; S Hannan Cgy (Cross-checking) 13:11.

Third Period

4. Calgary, B Comeau 1 (unassisted) 5:48.

5. Columbus, N Nikitin 1 (V Prospal, D MacKenzie) 15:55.

6. Columbus, R Nash 8 (N Nikitin, J Wisniewski) 19:02.

Penalties — B Comeau Cgy (High-sticking) 3:30; M Stajan Cgy (Hooking) 13:20.

Overtime

No Scoring

Penalties — None.

Shootout — Calgary, Alex Tanguay (saved), Lee Stempniak (saved), Rene Bourque (saved).

Columbus, Jeff Carter (saved), Fedor Tyutin (saved), Rick Nash (goal).

Shots on goal by

Columbus 15 3 13 2 —33

Calgary 5 15 10 5 —35

Power plays (goals-chances) — Columbus: 0-4, Calgary: 0-1.

Goal (shots-saves) — Columbus: C Sanford (35-32, W, 4-2-2). Calgary: M Kiprusoff (33-30, L, 10-9-1).

Referees: Chris Lee, Ghislain Hebert.

Linesmen: David Brisebois, Anthony Sericolo.

Att. at Calgary — 19,289.

Next Up

The Flames shoot up the road today in advance of Saturday’s match against Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Lladislav Smid and the Edmonton Oilers (8 p.m., SN 960, CBC).

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597755 Calgary Flames

Flames suffer stinging result in shootout stumble

By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald December 2, 2011 1:21 AM

Rick Nash was the man of the moment.

And, truth be told, he hadn’t had many. Through the first 59 minutes he’d coasted his way to a minus-three rating. No points.

But the Columbus Blue Jackets captain snapped to attention in the nick of time. With 57.2 seconds remaining in regulation time, Nash tipped in the equalizer.

Then, in the shootout, Nash was the only one who could score. Going in the third round, his attempt — he wanted high on the glove side, but, mid-flight, changed to five-hole — barely dribbled in.

Meaning, after Rene Bourque failed to convert, that the Blue Jackets had pulled out a 4-3 shootout win Thursday in National Hockey League action at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Meaning, after blowing a two-goal lead with barely four minutes to go, the Calgary Flames failed grandly on their attempt to win three straight games for the first time since April.

“Yeah, it was tough,” said Bourque. “We’ve got to bear down in the last four and half minutes. We should be able to close those games out this late in the year. It was a big point (missed) for us. There goes our winning streak. We’re going to have to start over and learn from our mistakes.

“We turned the puck over a couple times in the last few minutes. We lost position. On Nash’s goal, he was wide open for that slap-tip. They outworked us in the last five minutes.”

What a colossal hairball this was.

Ahead 3-1 . . . on home ice . . . against the league’s very worst outfit.

Still, the Flames couldn’t put it to bed.

“It is disappointing,” said Chris Butler, whose squad had been 9-0-0 when leading after 40 minutes — till Thursday, that is. “We’ve been pretty good so far with the lead in third periods. A couple of breakdowns and you let them right back into the game.’’

‘‘It just goes to show you — it’s a terrible cliche — that every shift matters. You can’t take anything for granted.

“It’s disappointing because I thought we were playing good hockey the last couple of games. With the exception of the start of the game, I thought we played a pretty strong game.

“We’re a team that’s trying to build some momentum, and we can’t be giving away points.

“It’s nice to get one (point), but those are games we need to nail down and win.”

On tap, now, is a dilly of a weekend for the 13th-place Flames — Saturday at Edmonton, Sunday at Vancouver.

First, though, they must shake the misery of this one. Falling apart against a group that had only one road win to its credit before dropping into Calgary.

“We’re definitely not happy,” said Bourque. “Saturday’s a big game for us. We have to put this behind us, try to keep going, and get some wins.”

The Flames received one goal per period — courtesy of Lee Stempniak, slumpy Bourque, newcomer Blake Comeau.

“Yeah, it’s been a tough month here,” said Bourque, who, in his previous 15 games, had rustled up only one goal and one assist. “Getting chances. Getting one or two good chances a game. They haven’t been going in, but, hopefully, that turns around and I can start helping this team win.”

After a hideous opening period — the Flames were outshot 15-5 — the score had been deadlocked 1-1, on goals by Antoine Vermette and Stempniak.

Then the Flames took over.

They did the outshooting in the second period, to the tune of 15-3, and, on a last-minute goal by Bourque, surged ahead going into the second intermission.

Comeau’s goal — his first as a member of the Flames — at 5:48 appeared to have sealed it. Like, really. Up by two against the dreadful Blue Jackets? Should be plenty.

But the guests — specifically, Nikitin at 15:55 and Nash at 19:02 — ruined that.

“They were playing really good,” Sanford said of the Flames.

“We just found a way. Good faceoff play, great shot by (Nikitin). Then another head’s-up play by him to find Rick as the side of the net (for the tip).”

Nothing in overtime.

Then Curtis Sanford stopped Alex Tanguay, Stempniak and Bourque — in that order — to make the Flames’ first shootout of the season a flop.

“San-man was unbelievable,” said Nash.

“It’s pretty lucky when you score one and win the shootout — you’ve got to give your goalie all the credit.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597756 Carolina Hurricanes

No quick fixes for the Hurricanes

By LUKE DECOCK - staff columnist - [email protected]

RALEIGH -- It doesn’t appear the Carolina Hurricanes are going to get the immediate burst of energy and accompanying success that often follows a coaching change. They’re not good enough even for that.

Kirk Muller remained relentlessly upbeat even in the face of Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers, his second since taking over for Paul Maurice on Monday. It was a remarkable feat considering the amount of work that clearly lies ahead for the new coach.

With the score tied 2-2, a pair of basic defensive breakdowns less than two minutes apart in the second period led to a pair of Rangers goals -- a scenario that has been all too familiar this season. If anyone wished for a quick fix, that merely swapping out one coach for a more enthusiastic model would turn things around, those hopes have been quickly dismissed.

Which isn’t to absolve Maurice of any blame for where the Hurricanes are right now; clearly, change was needed. But it does underline just how much weak this team is no matter who’s coaching it, and despite Eric Staal recording four points in the past three games.

“We’ve only just had the one practice,” Muller said. “It’s got to take a little time. They’re trying. There’s a couple little situations where there was a little confusion, and then there’s the other part, where you just can’t get beat one-on-one. So we have some work to do defensively.”

It isn’t just Muller who has work to do. Bringing him in was the first step in a long-term process, which is why he’s under contract through 2015. While Muller does the best he can with the players he has, general manager Jim Rutherford needs to get Muller some new ones.

Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s website, offered a scathing assessment of Carolina’s roster: “They’ve got Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner. Tuomo Ruutu’s OK. But they don’t have any other forwards. Their defense corps, he keeps getting recycled guys. How can you keep winning with recycled players?” At least he liked Cam Ward.

Over the past few days, there was growing hope the roster might change dramatically, as the Anaheim Ducks not-so-quietly (but slightly inexplicably)

made it clear that power forward Bobby Ryan, a 30-goal scorer in each of the last three seasons, was available in a desperate move to shake-up their team with a blockbuster deal.

Whether the Hurricanes even had the assets to stay in the bidding was uncertain, but their interest was not. Ryan would have been an ideal fit on Staal’s wing, one Staal has lacked his entire career. Alas, the Ducks decided to fire coach Randy Carlyle instead, replacing him with former Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, who spent all of 65 hours without a job.

Still, there were scouts from 10 teams in attendance at the RBC Center on Thursday, and a similar number in Charlotte on Wednesday to watch Carolina’s prospects play for the Checkers. It’s the shopping season in the NHL, with struggling teams looking to upgrade their rosters while those dealing from a position of strength circle like vultures.

Other than the coaching change, Rutherford’s moves so far have been modest, claiming Andreas Nodl from the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and adding Muller’s former teammate John MacLean, the former New Jersey Devils coach, as an assistant Thursday.

Bigger changes are coming. They have to be. What’s here now isn’t working, no matter who the coach is. Muller’s enthusiasm hasn’t shaken anything loose yet. Replacing Maurice with Muller was the first step, and in the right direction, but Rutherford can’t stop now.

News Observer LOADED: 12.02.2011


Strong second carries Rangers past Canes 5-3

By CHIP ALEXANDER - [email protected]

RALEIGH -- Kirk Muller is quickly grasping how much work he has to do with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canes' new coach lost his second straight game Thursday as the New York Rangers used a big second period to help themselves to a 5-3 victory at the RBC Center. But Muller was more concerned about his players, who have lost four in a row and 12 of the past 15, than any personal record.

The game over, Muller kept the media waiting a few extra minutes outside the locker room as he addressed the team.

"I said, 'Hey, no one said this thing is going to change overnight,'" Muller said. "We've got to do baby steps."

One positive step, Muller told the players, was Anthony Stewart coming to the defense of Jeff Skinner midway through the third period. After the Rangers' Brian Boyle went head-hunting on the Canes' leading scorer and rammed Skinner into the boards, Stewart went after Boyle, throwing punches.

Skinner, who scored his 11th goal of the season in the first period, was not injured. Stewart received a fighting major plus an instigator penalty and a game misconduct, but Muller said he didn't mind.

"I thought it was great," Muller said. "We're looking at all the positive situations right now that we find, and I thought 'Stewy' did the right thing.

"That's what we want. We want to get these guys bonded together. Skinner is one of our top players .... We want these guys to be a family and protect each other."

But Muller also wants the Canes (8-15-4) to play well together, and soon.

On Thursday, Muller hired John MacLean as an assistant coach. MacLean, once Muller's teammate with the New Jersey Devils, was an assistant for the Devils and New Jersey's head coach for 33 games last season. Muller said MacLean would work with the forwards and head up the penalty killing.

His staff complete, Muller must look to both restore confidence, and get more sound play from the Canes. A goal by Jiri Tlusty early in the first and Skinner late in the period gave the Canes a 2-1 lead, but the Rangers (14-5-3) reeled off three goals in a five-minute span in the second to grab a 4-2 lead.

Moments after the Canes killed off a penalty, Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh ripped a shot from the left circle past Cam Ward for a 2-2 tie. Marian Gaborik scored on a two-on-one rush about three minutes later, and Sean Avery blasted a shot from the slot to make it 4-2 at 13:47 of the second.

"I thought we outplayed them for the most part and then five minutes there ... bang, bang, bang," Canes defenseman Derek Joslin said.

Muller used his timeout at that point, telling his team to relax. When Joslin scored on a shot from the point four minutes later, the Canes had made it a 4-3 game.

But whatever energy Joslin's goal provided was sucked away when defenseman Michael Sauer scored for the Rangers at 5:42 of the third. With backup goalie Martin Biron making 28 saves in his fifth start of the season, the Rangers won their fourth straight.

"It's tough but we've got to keep working," Skinner said. "We have to keep plugging away here. There's some stuff we need to work on but we have to focus on the positives."

Positives such as Stewart's stand. And Eric Staal having two assists in a plus-one game. Or rookie defenseman Justin Faulk blocking four shots in a plus-2 game.

"You can hide in a hole and feel sorry for yourself and get down on yourself -- that's the easy thing to do," said defenseman Bryan Allen, who had a minus-3 game. "It's harder to bring a positive energy and outlook and a belief it is going to turn and things will get better for us eventually.

"We've got to work for it. It has to start that and coming together as a team. What Anthony Stewart did was a start. Maybe we can look at those things and build off that."



Canes add MacLean to coaching staff

The Carolina Hurricanes have added former NHL head coach John MacLean to Kirk Muller's coaching staff, general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

MacLean, 47, spent nine seasons as a coach in the New Jersey Devils organization, including seven years as an assistant coach. He as head coach of the Lowell Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2009-10, leading the Devils’ affiliate to its best-ever record and first-ever playoff berth. He was named head coach of the New Jersey Devils prior to the 2010-11 season, but was replaced 33 games into his first season as an NHL head coach.

"He fits the mold of the coaches we already have," Rutherford said. "In his playing career, he offered a lot of leadership and character. He has great coaching experience. He was a real good assistant coach for the Devils and then a head coach, and he knows Kirk."

Rutherford said MacLean would join assistant coaches Dave Lewis, Tom Barrasso and Rod Brind'Amour. In Muller's first game Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, Brind'Amour was behind the bench.

Rutherford said Brind'Amour, who had made a commitment to coach his son's junior hockey team this year, would become a fulltime assistant coach next season.

"Part of the process of the coaching change was the time commitment (Brind'Amour) would have," Rutherford said. "Kirk walked through it with him. Roddy was true to his word on his commitment and wanted to continue (coaching junior hockey), and he will come on fulltime next year. That opened the door to adding another coach."

Drafted by New Jersey sixth overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, MacLean played 19 NHL seasons with the Devils, Sharks, Rangers and Stars, totaling 413 goals, 429 assists (842 points) and 1,328 penalty minutes in 1,194 career NHL games. A two-time NHL All-Star, MacLean won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995.



Canes' Muller takes charge with 'energy-based' coaching

By CHIP ALEXANDER - [email protected]

RALEIGH -- Kirk Muller's baritone voice echoed around the hockey rink Wednesday at Raleigh Center Ice.

It was Muller's first full practice with the Carolina Hurricanes since being named head coach Monday, and little time was wasted. It was clear he likes things fast on the ice.

"It was up tempo, with a lot of pace," team captain Eric Staal said after a one-hour workout that had a lot of end-to-end skating.

Muller's first two days in Raleigh were hectic. He was introduced as the new coach in a late-afternoon press conference Monday, met the players briefly Tuesday at the RBC Center before the morning skate and then was behind the bench Tuesday night for his Canes debut and his first game as an NHL head coach.

The Hurricanes were beaten 3-1 by the Florida Panthers, giving Muller his first loss but more importantly a starting point in thoroughly dissecting his team's strengths and needs.

After a team meeting to review the game, Muller was vocal and instructional in practice. Telling the Canes forwards he wants more tips in front of the net, Muller shouted, "Let's be hungry."

Later, before a drill, he used his stick to show defensemen how to get better leverage in puck battles along the boards.

"It was speed-based, energy-based, all the things (Muller) wants to implement into our game," forward Patrick Dwyer said. "It was good to get some new perspective on some drills and stuff like that. He brings a lot of energy."

While there wasn't enough time to implement more than a few tweaks before the Panthers game, Muller's style of play and systems will differ from that of former coach Paul Maurice.

"It's a little more attack-type system, with a little more jump in our step," Staal said. "It's a little aggressiveness in the neutral zone, with guys pushing and skating and turning pucks over a little bit more and get on the attack. It's trying to initiate more and go after teams.

"I thought (Tuesday) we were doing that for the most part in the first and second period and maybe a little less in the third. (The Panthers) seemed to find their legs a little more in the third."

The Panthers broke a 1-1 tie late in the third period, scoring twice in the final three and a half minutes to hand the Canes their fourth straight loss. Carolina did not score on five power plays in the game, managing just four shots with a man advantage, but Muller liked the Canes' play at even strength against the Southeast Division leaders.

The Panthers had just two shots in the first period and 21 in the game, and were outshot 23-17 at even strength. The shots-against total was a season-best for Carolina, which is giving up 31.3 shots a game.

Noting the Canes allowed 12 scoring chances five-on-five, Muller said, "If we can get it in that range, things are going to turn around ... If you're anywhere in that nine-to-12 range you're in a pretty good position."

After a mostly dismal November, the Hurricanes (8-14-4) begin December with a home game tonight against the New York Rangers (13-5-3). Defenseman Joni Pitkanen missed practice Wednesday with a minor injury but should play tonight, Muller said.

"We need wins," Muller said. "We've got a lot of things to work on, but we've got to find ways in the meantime to get some wins."

Defenseman Derek Joslin had a disciplinary hearing with the league Wednesday afternoon over his hit on Panthers forward Kris Versteeg late in the first period. Versteeg stumbled forward and was hit with an elbow in the head. Joslin, who was not penalized on the play, received no suspension or fine from the NHL.


597760 Chicago Blackhawks

Preview: Islanders at Blackhawks

9:53 PM CST, December 1, 2011

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

Series: First meeting.

Last meeting: Hawks won 5-0 on Jan. 9 at the United Center.

Probable goaltenders: Islanders, Al Montoya, 4-3-1, 2.07 goals-against average; Hawks, Corey Crawford, 11-7-2, 2.86.

Team comparison

Averages per game (NHL rank)

ISLANDERS (7-11-4) CATEGORY HAWKS(14-8-3)

1.96 (30) Goals for 3.12 (4)

3.09 (24) Goals against 3.04 (21)

15.3 (20) Power-play pct. 16,8 (16)

74.7 (30) Penalty-kill pct. 81.0 (20)

Statistics through Wednesday.

Storyline: The Hawks are coming off listless 4-1 loss to Coyotes. Jonathan Toews leads them in scoring with 13 goals and 12 assists. The Islanders, who are on a two-game winning streak, are led by John Tavares (eight goals, eight assists) and PA Parenteau (three, 13), each with 16 points. Islanders have struggled on road with 2-5-2 record and league-low 16 goals.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.02.2011


Kane heading back to right wing

Hawks' experiment of moving him to center over for now

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter


Patrick Kane raced down the right side of the ice and took a pass from Jonathan Toews before cutting to the net and putting a shot on goal.

It was just like old times during Blackhawks practice Thursday as Kane skated at right wing after playing center since training camp. For now, at least, the experiment to move the 23-year-old from wing to the middle has ended after 24 games.

"Center worked for a little bit," Kane said after practice. "It's still an option. Sometimes you just have to keep things exciting and switch it up. I have to get used to it a bit but it shouldn't take long."

Kane had seven goals and 17 assists while playing the middle this season, but like many of his teammates has tailed off offensively recently with just three assists in the last six games.

"I got pretty comfortable at the position," Kane said. "I'll still try to do some things I did at center where you're trying to get the puck a lot down low (and) moving up ice."

The worry when coach Joel Quenneville initially shifted Kane was that the offensive-minded playmaker would struggle with the defensive tasks of the position. But Kane proved he could handle them, sporting a plus-9 rating.

"(It's) being focused every second you're on the ice, no matter if you're in the offensive or defensive zone," Kane said of the adjustment. "Faceoffs were something I probably would like to improve. Being down low in your own end, I was pretty good at it. I tracked the puck well."

Quenneville said the move worked.

"Kane at center has been a good option for us. We like two of (Patrick) Sharp, Kane, (Marian) Hossa and Toews playing together.

Rookie Marcus Kruger now will center for the second line.

"Marcus gives us an option based on his performance. We'll see how he handles (centering for) top guys (Hossa and Sharp). It's more of an experiment that way as well.

"Knowing you always have Kane in the middle in your back pocket is nice. The flexibility you have can change in the middle of games or periods when you don't like the way things are going."

Being reunited with Toews could provide the spark the offense needs as it has generated only 13 goals in the last six games — six of them coming in a Nov. 25 victory over the Ducks.

"We'll just go back to our old ways and make plays," said Toews, who will have Viktor Stalberg on his left side when the Hawks face the Islanders on Friday night at the United Center. "The good thing about playing with Kane is sometimes you can … get away from all the attention on the ice, sneak back door and hide. He can hold onto the puck, get his head up and back your opponents off and buy some time."

Kruger has developed into an everyday player since being recalled after being the final cut during training camp.

"I'm just going to play my game," he said. "Those guys are good with the puck but I still need to hold onto it to make plays myself."



Hawks' Crawford making adjustments

Goalie working on technique to get past inconsistent stretch

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter


After losing three of his last five starts, Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford isn't waiting for his next game to turn things around. Crawford has been conferring with goaltending coach Stephane Waite and viewing video to try to get his game back on track.

"It has been up and down, not just for the team but for me personally," Crawford said. "I'm just trying to work on some things, do some video and try to adjust the things that need to be adjusted. It's important to do that and work on some stuff technically."

With the Hawks struggling defensively in front of him, Crawford has seen his goals-against average rise to 2.86 and his save percentage drop to .898. The consistency he and the team showed earlier this season has waned with a 6-4-0 mark in the last 10 games.

"The goal is to play at a high level game in and game out," said Crawford, who will start against the Islanders on Friday night at the United Center. "It's a little disappointing when it's kind of up and down like this last little bit. We're done with that. I'm looking forward. I'm excited and confident and ready for the next game."

Honored: Jonathan Toews was named the NHL's second star for November after scoring nine goals and adding nine assists.

"Having a month like that … gives you confidence," said Toews, who had five multiple-point games and three game-winning goals. "I know I have to keep producing the way I have. I'll keep working at it."

Giving: The Hawks will host a toy drive at the next three home games to support the Neighbor's Development Network, Dreams for Kids and NorthShore University HealthSystem. Fans who bring an unwrapped toy to Gates 2, 3, 6 and 7 will be entered in a raffle to win autographed items by Patrick Kane and the team or game tickets.



Kane no longer man in middle for Blackhawks

By Chris Kuc

Tribune reporter


The Chicago Blackhawks' experiment to convert Patrick Kane from a right wing to center has ended after 24 games.

Kane skated on his familiar right side during Thursday's practice on a line with Viktor Stalberg and center Jonathan Toews and afterward coach Joel Quenneville said Kane will remain at wing for the foreseeable future.

"Center worked for a little bit," Kane said. "It's one of those things where it's still an option down the road. Sometimes you just have to keep things exciting and switch it up. I'm back at the right wing (and) I'm familiar with the position. I have to get used to it a little bit but it shouldnt take long."

The play of Marcus Kruger helped enable the shift as the rookie took Kane's spot in the middle on the second line with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Meanwhile, Kane's offensive production has waned recently with no goals and three assists in the last six games.

"Once I start playing and get a few shifts under my belt I'll realize what I used to do on the ice at that position," Kane said. "I used to be good at it, setting up plays and different things like that. I've been playing (wing) since I was 15 years old so that's seven, eight years under my belt and you develop a game over there so I'm excited to be back."

Kane has seven goals and 17 assists this season and features a plus-9 plus-minus rating.

"I felt that I got pretty comfortable at the position," Kane said of playing in the middle. "I'll still try to do some things I did at center where you're trying to get the puck a lot down low, moving up ice.

"It was definitely a bit of a challenge, especially playing a position seven, eight years you get so used to playing the right side. I don't think (playing center) is totally out of the books yet; it's something they probably could go back to if they need it."

Said Quenneville: "We tried it. Kane at center has been a good option for us. Kruger is playing well. We like two of Sharp, Kane, (Marian) Hossa and Toews playing together. That gives us a different look and something we get to try.

"Marcus gives us an option based on his performance. We'll see how he handles it with the top guys. It's more of an experiment that way as well. Knowing you always have Kane in the middle in your back pocket is a nice option to have."

One-timers: Center Jonathan Toews was named the NHL's Second Star for the month of November. ... Corey Crawford will start in goal against the Islanders on Friday night at the United Center.



Toews earns 'Second Star' honor for November

Staff report


Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews might be sorry to put November behind him after earning the NHL's "Second Star" distinction for a month in which he totaled 18 points.

Toews was second only to Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas in the league's player-of-the-month voting after scoring nine goals with nine assists. He had game-winning goals against Edmonton, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

Winger Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs earned "Third Star" honors.

Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune



Patrick Kane moved back to right wing on line with Jonathan Toews

By ADAM L. JAHNS

[email protected]

Last Modified: Dec 2, 2011 02:24AM

The media collapsed Thursday on Patrick Kane, just like defenders try to do on when he’s on the ice.

His storied run at center, which began in the preseason, has been put on the shelf for the time being. He was back at right wing on a line with center Jonathan Toews at practice, and everybody wanted his thoughts.

But before the media left him alone, the Blackhawks star wanted to point something out.

“It’s funny,” Kane said. “[With] people, it seems like everything is going wrong; it’s the end of the world here. But we’re still in a pretty good position. . . . We’re still up there in the standings.”

In other words, don’t view Kane’s move back to wing as a panic move by coach Joel Quenneville. In many ways, it was inevitable, considering how many switches he makes based on players’ performances.

The Hawks view Kane’s stint at center as putting another ace up Quenneville’s sleeve that can be used when needed. Quenneville called it “a good option.”

“That was probably what we were looking for all along,” Kane said. “Maybe not something that would be permanent, but something that’s an option down the road if need be. I’m not expecting to be done at that position.”

A couple of things played into the switch. Rookie center Marcus Kruger’s rapid progression earned him a shot on the second line, while Kane admitted he needed to get going offensively and that a change can be a spark.

“I think they thought I probably played fine, but just probably looking for a little more production,” he said.

Kane faced more challenges and handled more responsibilities at center, especially defensively. But he did well, recording 24 points in 25 games. Even his faceoff percentage (45.4) was respectable for a player who hasn’t taken many.

“[It’s] probably just being focused every second you’re on the ice,” Kane said of playing center. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in the offensive zone, defensive zone or whatever it may be. Faceoffs were something I’d like to improve at. Being down low in your own end, I felt I was pretty good. I tracked the puck well.”

Kane was definitely better in Chicago than on the road, where opponents were able to get better matchups. Five of his seven goals and nine of his 17 assists have been at home. He also is a plus-11 at the United Center, compared to a

minus-2 elsewhere.

Still, he played well enough to be, as St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock put it, a “nightmare” for some teams to handle.

Kane, though, thought he could have been better.

“Everybody was pretty much talking about it at the beginning, and I pretty much proved I can play that position,” Kane said. “After that, we got on the road and we got on a long trip and things didn’t click for me personally at the position. I think they felt my game was fine there. I didn’t, really.”

So it’s exciting for Kane — and Toews, who believes Kane proved he can handle center — that he’s back at the position he became a star in.

“He knows going back on the wing is going to be as comfortable as ever,” Toews said. “I think we’ll go back to the old ways.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


Marcus Kruger lands on new line

By ADAM L. JAHNS

[email protected]

Last Modified: Dec 2, 2011 02:24AM

Praise for rookie Marcus Kruger was already pouring in before coach Joel Quenneville moved him to second-line center between stars Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.

“He’s a very smart hockey player,” veteran forward Andrew Brunette said. “He’s gotten better as we’ve gone along. He’s an easy guy to play with.”

Quenneville is hoping Sharp and Hossa feel the same way Friday against the New York Islanders at the United Center.

“Of course, I know the guys are good with the puck, but I still need to hold on to it and try to make plays for myself as well,” said Kruger, who has two goals and seven points in 24 games.

Kruger said his confidence has grown, and there’s also a sense of satisfaction after being cut in training camp. He was recently moved to wing on Dave Bolland’s line after spending most of the season on the fourth line.

“You want to get as many responsibilities as you can out there,” said Kruger, a key part of the second power-play unit. “I’m just trying to get more and more ice time.”

Quenneville said Kruger is deceptively strong with the puck.

“He controls and influences a lot of pucks,” he said. “He comes up with a lot of pucks in tight areas. .??.??. [But] the thing that got our attention is his patience and play recognition on the offensive side of things.”

Slap shots

Jonathan Toews was named the NHL’s second star of November for tallying nine goals and nine assists. He had five multiple-point games and three game-winning goals.

? Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Steve Montador sat out practice Thursday but are expected to play Friday. Corey Crawford will start in goal.



Without consistent effort, Hawks aren't a very good team

By Adam L. Jahns

[email protected]

Last Modified: Dec 1, 2011 03:21PM

A letdown after a long road trip?

Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith weren’t buying it when they met the media after getting handled by the Phoenix Coyotes.

Sure, it’s tough to feel ready after being gone for so long. But the Hawks are 6-1 in their first game back at the United Center after the circus trip since the lockout. The Hawks also are a solid 4-1-1 in the first home game after the ice-show trip in February.

It’s about focus and effort — or a lack thereof Tuesday in the 4-1 loss against the Coyotes. The fast and star-studded Hawks are one of the best teams in the league when they bring it. Even when they’re not playing their best, as Jonathan Toews often says, when they work hard, good bounces come their way.

The Hawks talked the other day about still being a team in search of an identity. What’s wrong with being a hard-working team every night? Wasn’t that their mantra the season they won the Stanley Cup? It seems to work for starless teams such as the Coyotes.

Instead, the Hawks have retained some bad habits from last season, where inconsistency reigned. They’re an uninspiring 6-6 in their last 12 games.

Tuesday’s loss was another bad regulation defeat for the Hawks in what continues to be a disheartening trend.

In their eight regulation defeats, the Hawks have been outscored 33-8. Their season-opening 2-1 defeat against the Dallas Stars and their 1-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks during the circus trip are the “bright spots.”

“We were playing well there at the end of the California trip, and obviously didn’t carry it over to home ice,” Sharp said. “We’ve got to be way more consistent and put a better effort on home ice than that. I think [the first game back after a long road trip is] an excuse, an easy way out.”

The Hawks didn’t get a power-play opportunity until the final minutes of the third period against the Coyotes.

“You generate power-play opportunities based on offensive-zone time, puck possession, speed, quickness, advantages,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “There were few [examples].”

Fans calling for some sort of bag skate to spur the Hawks will have to wait. They were given the day off Wednesday as Quenneville continues to stick to the team’s schedule. He also prefers to put the Hawks through various battle drills after such losses.

The Hawks do have some positives to lean on. Their power play has converted in seven of the last 10 games. Their penalty-kill ranking is awful, but they’re also one of the least penalized teams. They’re among the top five in shots per game, averaging more than 33.

But there also are such negatives as their pedestrian plus-2 goal differential. Their high position in the Western Conference also is based more on the fact that they’ve played more than any team in the West going into Wednesday.

In a day or two, the Hawks could be lumped among the pack.

“You say we’re at the top, but there are so many teams all within one, two or three points,” Quenneville said. “It’s already looking like it’s going to be a tight race.”



Kane going back home to right wing

By Tim Sassone

Patrick Kane didn’t mean it to be funny, but that’s how it came off Thursday when discussing his move from center back to right wing.

“I realize what I use to do on the ice in that position,” Kane said. “I used to be good at it and set up plays and things like that. I’ve been playing it since I was 15 and have developed my game over there for seven or eight years, so I’m excited to be back.”

Yep, back in the old days the 23-year-old Kane used to be a pretty fair right winger.

Kane was shifted to center at the start of the season to help spread the offense around and the two-month experiment worked well for the most part. But Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville decided to go away from it for the foreseeable future starting with Friday’s game against the New York Islanders at the United Center.

Kane will play right wing on longtime running mate Jonathan Toews’ first line with Viktor Stalberg on the left side.

Quenneville felt it was simply time to try something different, although kick starting Kane’s slumping game was certainly part of the decision. Kane has no goals, 3 assists and is minus-3 in the Hawks’ last six games.

“It gives us a different look and something we get to try,” Quenneville said. “Johnny and Kaner have played well together so we’ll see how it looks. Knowing that you’ve always got Kaner in the middle in your back pocket is a nice option to have.”

Kane couldn’t hide his happiness with going back to wing and didn’t disagree that he might have become stale playing center.

“It was one of those things where everyone was talking about it in the beginning,” Kane said. “I pretty much proved I could play at the position, but after that it was one of those things where we got on the road, got on the long trip and things didn’t click for me personally at that position.

“They thought my game was fine, but I didn’t. I’m excited to be back at wing, playing a position I know and a position I’ve developed over a long time.”

With Kane going back to wing, Marcus Kruger will take over center on the second line between Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.

The 21-year-old Kruger’s game has developed over the last month to the point Quenneville wants to see if the rookie can handle more responsibility.

“Marcus gives us an option, so we’ll see how he handles playing with the top guys,” Quenneville said. “It’s more of an experiment that was as well.”

Kruger was one of the Hawks’ best players on the 3-3 road trip. He has become more confident with the puck offensively while continuing to be one of the most responsible players on the defensive side of the puck.

“He’s a confident player and he’s played a big chunk of minutes here lately,” Sharp said. “He’s good with the puck and he goes to battle areas and he’s composed out there.”

Kruger certainly doesn’t expect to be Kane out there with the puck.

“I’m just going to try to play my game,” Kruger said. “They’re two great players and I’m looking forward to it. I know I can’t change my game.”

Kruger now has gone from being one of the last cuts at training camp to second line center.

“Where he progressed from at the beginning of camp to where he is today, maybe that’s a big surprise, but from watching him in camp two years ago we felt he had the potential to move up in the lineup,” Quenneville said. “He’s really progressed well here and I like his quickness, too.

“The thing that maybe caught our attention is his patience and play recognition on the offensive side of things. Playing with some top guys, we’ll see if maybe more of that can come out.”

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


Hawks expect Crawford to work way out of slump

By Tim Sassone

Whatever problems Corey Crawford is having with his game, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville will continue to let the second-year goalie play his way through them.

Crawford will get the start again Friday night against the New York Islanders despite an off game in Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix and the fact his numbers have dipped over the last several weeks.

Related articles

Kane going back home to right wing

Crawford’s goals-against average has risen to 2.86 while his save percentage is down to .898. Both numbers are among the worst for starting goalies.

“I thought he had an outstanding October and the last month not to that same caliber,” Quenneville said. “That standard he put himself at, that’s an elite goaltender type of numbers or performances that we were seeing.

“It wasn’t at that same level (in November), but at the same time he had some real good games in the middle of that.”

With back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, there’s a chance backup Ray Emery will get the call on Saturday at St. Louis.

The Blues also play back-to-back games and coach Ken Hitchcock said on Thursday that Jaroslav Halak would start on Friday at Colorado and Brian Elliott on Saturday against the Hawks.

Elliott is the hottest goalie in the NHL with a record of 10-1, a 1.31 goals-against average and .951 save percentage.

Toews and Kane:

Jonathan Toews was named the NHL’s second star of the month for November on the strength of 18 points.

Toews will start the new month with long-time wing man Patrick Kane back on his right side.

“You just have to go out and make things happen,” Toews said. “We’ve said all year you throw different combinations in there when maybe you don’t have your best game or you lose one and try to change things up and make them work again.

“Kaner’s proven he can play at center. Who knows if going back on the wing if he’s going to be as comfortable as ever. We just have to go out and make plays and work hard and see what happens and try to generate some offense.”

Not exactly killing it:

Even though the Hawks still rank last in the league in penalty killing, Joel Quenneville believes he sees better things happening.

It’s been all downhill for the Hawks on the PK since they let Vancouver score 5 power plays goals in a Nov. 6 loss at the United Center.

“You take away that Vancouver game and we were very happy with how our PK was coming along,” Quenneville said. “I don’t think we’ve had other games where the penalty killing has been costing us games or it’s been an issue or a problem.

“We don’t like the positioning we’re at. We feel it’s been improved from last year, maybe not reflective in those numbers league-wide when you’re in that area. But the course of quality and number of chances we’re giving up, I think it’s been better.”

Tip-ins:

Brent Seabrook and Dave Bolland missed practice Thursday but will be in the lineup against the Islanders... Steve Montador also sat out practice, but Joel Quenneville didn’t say if Montador would play... “The Bomb Shelter,” Daniel Carcillo’s music-related radio show on WGN, debuts Friday night at 11 p.m. after the game.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


Kruger earns shot as second-line center

Tracey Myers

Marcus Kruger’s play has earned him more time on the power play and more minutes overall. Now it’s earning him a shot at second-line center.

Kruger was skating between Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa on Thursday, and he’ll be there on Friday night when the Blackhawks host the New York Islanders. For Kruger, it’s another opportunity in a young season that’s been full of them.

“I’m just going to try and play my game,” he said. “I know the guys (I’m with) are good with the puck but I still need to hold onto it and make plays myself as well.”

Kruger said he’s gained confidence in his game; his coaches have gained confidence in Kruger.

“What got our attention was his patience and play recognition on the offensive side. Playing with top guys, let’s see if more of that can come out,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Marcus gives us an option based on his performance.”

Kruger has adapted quickly since his arrival here last spring, from different linemates to more playing time to special-teams responsibilities. He’s gotten help from all of his teammates, especially his fellow Swedes Niklas Hjalmarsson and Viktor Stalberg.

“It helped him a little bit, having other Swedish guys he could talk to if there was something he didn’t get,” Stalberg said. “He’s definitely coming into his own. He’s a lot more confident now than I think he was coming into the season. You can’t teach hockey sense and skill he has.”

Yes, folks, there’s more line tinkering afoot. Kruger’s moving to second-line center is worth a shot. It’s more responsibility on both sides of the puck, but Kruger has done well in other tests this season. The Blackhawks are happy with him.

If it doesn’t work, they move Kruger somewhere else and probably put Patrick Kane back at center for a bit. There are options to be had, and Quenneville is going to look into all of them to get the offense going again.

“We’ll see how (Kruger) plays with the top guys. That’s more of an experiment that way as well,” Quenneville said. “But knowing you always have Kaner to the middle in your back pocket is a nice option to have.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.02.2011


Line changes: Kane back at right wing

Patrick Kane said earlier this season he felt more comfortable on right wing. On Thursday, he was back there.

Kane was at wing again with Jonathan Toews and Viktor Stalberg as the Chicago Blackhawks prepped for the New York Islanders. It was one of several line changes for the Blackhawks, who also had Marcus Kruger centering the second line with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa

For Kane, it’s a change that’s not really a change. He feels better there, and it never hurts to reunite with Toews, either.

“We’ve played together a lot and there’s chemistry. Whenever we’re put together, it raises the excitement,” Kane said. “I’m sure it’ll take some shifts to get used to it again but I’m excited about the opportunity. Whenever you play with Johnny, Sharpie or Hossa, you’re going to be excited about it.”

Kane proved he could play the center position just fine through the first two months of the season, and his line with Hossa and Daniel Carcillo thrived through October. But as November continued, that line’s production quieted. Kane has just three assists over his last six games.

“I proved I could play there. But I got on the road and got on a long trip and things didn’t click for me, personally, at that position. They thought my game was fine there, I didn’t,” Kane said. “I’m excited to be back at the wing, playing the game that I know and developed for a long time. It’s not going to come back right away; it may be a couple shifts or periods maybe. But I’ll get familiar with it.”

Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t click right away, however. Kane and Toews just have that chemistry together and it’s likely to come back together again soon. Toews feels it, too.

“The good thing about playing with Kaner is sometimes you can just get away from the puck and get away from all the attention on the ice and sneak back door and hide sometimes,” Toews said. “He can hold onto it, get his head up and back opponents up and buy some time. It’s nice to play with a guy like that.”

Things were getting stagnant, so coach Joel Quenneville is making changes to try and re-invigorate that offense again. Kane proved he can play center with no problem, and he could go back there again this season. He just does right wing better.

“Everybody’s had stretches where they’ve been at top end of their game and producing at rate they’re accustomed to; they’ve all had stretches where it hasn’t come. When you move them around a little bit, sometimes it comes out and all of a sudden they’re more confident in scoring area and get back to where we expect them to be,” Quenneville said. “Both lines should be able to score and produce regularly. We have a lot of options. This is one we haven’t explored yet. It’s one we’ll try.”

Briefly

Jonathan Toews was named the NHL’s No. 2 star for the month of November. Toews finished November with nine goals and 18 assists. He had a career-high five points in the Blackhawks’ 6-5 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

Defensemen Brent Seabrook and Steve Montador also took “maintenance” day on Thursday. They’re both expected to play Friday night. Corey Crawford will start against the Islanders.

Tracey Myers


597772 Colorado Avalanche

Jaden Schwartz delays NHL to play for Colorado College

By Mike Chambers

The Denver Post

Posted: 12/02/2011 01:00:00 AM MST

Jaden Schwartz, right, returned to play for Colorado College this season in part to honor his sister, who died of cancer. ( Mike Christy, The Gazette )

Fortunately for the Avalanche, prized St. Louis Blues prospect Jaden Schwartz is playing another year of college hockey. Thus, he will not be with the Blues tonight at the Pepsi Center.

Unfortunately for the University of Denver, Schwartz is still playing for Colorado College.

When the Pioneers and Tigers collide tonight in a nationally televised game at the Colorado Springs World Arena, the top NHL draft pick in CC history — plus the Gold Pan — will be on display.

"At this day and age, with the NHL utilizing younger players, such as the Avalanche, I felt fortunate that he came back for another year," CC coach Scott Owens said of Schwartz, whom the Blues made the 14th selection in the 2010 draft. "It's good to have a first-round pick for two years, and he's certainly been good for us."

Schwartz, 19, is to CC what 20-year-olds Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly and Stefan Elliott are to the Avalanche. All four players starred while growing up

in Western Canada, represented their country in international tournaments, and appear to have long NHL careers in front of them.

"He's got the whole package," DU coach George Gwozdecky said of Schwartz, who has devoted his entire hockey career to his recently deceased older sister, Mandi. "Not only does he have the skill set, but he's got the vision and temperament to play anywhere, against anybody, in any type of game, and be a huge contributor."

Schwartz, from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, has amassed 64 points (22 goals) in 41 career games with the Tigers. He led the team in scoring last season as a freshman, despite missing 15 games, and has 17 points in 11 games this fall.

"He's got an elite hockey sense and elite vision, and excellent hands. He can see plays develop, and he makes very, very good decisions," Owens said. "The other thing is, he's a team-first, unselfish player."

Schwartz signed with CC with the help of his older brother, Rylan, a junior center who leads the Tigers with 13 goals. Rylan had back-to-back hat tricks last weekend at North Dakota, with Jaden producing four assists in the series.

Rylan, who has four hat tricks this season, is No. 1 nationally in goals per game (1.18). Jaden is his left winger and primary setup man.

"They play real well together," Owens said of the brothers. "Good instincts together. They pull for each other. With the whole family dynamic last year, it's really good for them to be together."

The brothers lost their older sister, Mandi Schwartz, to cancer at age 23 in April. The former Yale women's hockey team player battled the disease for 28 months.

"She's always on my mind. Every time I go on the ice, she's on my mind," Jaden said of Mandi. "Hockey was one of her favorite things to do. Everything I do, everything I accomplish, is credited to her."

Jaden announced in August that he hopes to honor Mandi and his family by leading Team Canada to the gold medal in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. He is scheduled to report to the Calgary-based camp Dec. 10, between the first and second games of a series against visiting Alaska-Anchorage.

Jaden Schwartz played for the 19-under Canadian all-stars last year but broke his ankle in his second game. He was on crutches when the Canadians blew a 3-0 third-period lead and lost to Russia 5-3 in the gold-medal game.

If Schwartz was currently playing for the Blues, he likely wouldn't have been given the chance to play in another WJC. His sister's memory is partly why he returned to CC.

"We have a great team here, great group of guys, and I'm really enjoying this year," Schwartz said. "I wouldn't say I was really, really close to signing, but it came down to what I was comfortable with and what was best for my development. I'm really happy with the decision."

Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or [email protected]

College hockey

No. 10 Denver (6-4-3, 4-2-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) at No. 8 Colorado College (7-4, 5-4 WCHA)

Notes: Tonight's 8 p.m. start is to accommodate CBSSN's live national "rivalry doubleheader" that begins with Boston University at Boston College. . . . DU will again without senior defenseman John Ryder (knee) and junior goalie Adam Murray (groin). . . . This is the 281st meeting between the teams. The Pioneers lead the series 157-109-14 but are 8-18-3 at the World Arena. . . . DU finished 3-2-2 in November, all home games, including 2-1-2 against ranked teams. . . . CC is 4-0 at home, where it has allowed just eight combined goals. . . . The Tigers will go with junior Joe Howe (4-3) between the pipes.

Air Force (7-4-2, 6-2-1 Atlantic Hockey Association) at American International (3-10-2, 2-5-2 AHA)

Notes: Air Force is 20-1-1 against American International, including 8-0 in Springfield. . . . The Yellow Jackets won 5-3 last season at the academy. . . . This is the only series of the season between the teams.

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597773 Colorado Avalanche

St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche: 7 p.m. Friday, ALT, 950 AM

Posted: 12/02/2011 01:00:00 AM MST

The Denver Post's Adrian Dater and Mike Chambers post analysis, notes, video, chats and more on this blog dedicated to the Colorado Avalanche.

Spotlight on Jaroslav Halak: The Blues goalie has been sharing the nets with former Av Brian Elliott, who leads the NHL with a 1.31 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage. But Halak has started seven of the past 12 games and has produced a 1.57 GAA and .937 SP during that stretch. Halak is tonight's starter.

Blues: Since coach Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench Nov. 8, St. Louis is 8-1-2 and went from 14th in the Western Conference to fifth entering Thursday. They are on a four-game winning streak, the longest consecutive nonshootout stretch since 2003, allowing just four goals in the streak. . . . In 50 games since being traded to the Blues, former Avs defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has 31 points (four goals) and is plus-16. He is plus-8 in his last 16 games and has 10 even-strength assists, tying him for second most in the NHL among defensemen.

Avalanche: The Avs didn't practice Thursday after Wednesday's rousing 6-1 triumph over the visiting New Jersey Devils. Colorado is looking for its first back-to-back victories since Oct. 15 at Montreal and at Toronto on Oct. 17. . . . The Avs are 5-9 at home and 3-3 during their eight-game homestand, which concludes Sunday against Detroit. . . . Forward Matt Duchene finished with a team-high 12 points (seven goals) in November, and the Avs averaged 34.2 shots per game for the month.

Mike Chambers, The Denver Post

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597774 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets 4, Flames 3 (SO): Late goals by Nikitin, Nash spark rally

By Aaron Portzline

The Columbus Dispatch Friday December 2, 2011 5:25 AM

CALGARY, Alberta — It had all the makings of another lost night for the Blue Jackets.

After an early surge against the Calgary Flames, the Jackets seemed to lose their grip and fade fast, giving up three straight goals. Then out of nowhere, the Blue Jackets stole a victory from a team that is enduring almost as bad a season as they are.

The Jackets scored two goals in the final 4:05 of regulation last night, including Rick Nash’s deflection of a Nikita Nikitin shot with 57.2 seconds remaining and goaltender Curtis Sanford pulled for an extra skater to force a tie. Nash then delivered a 4-3 shootout win when he scored in the third round of a shootout, splitting the pads of Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

“It’s the first game we’ve won like that all year, coming back late and kind of stealing one,” Nash said. “I don’t think we’ve won a shootout, either. It’s great. It’s a big lift. We’re desperate for points now, fighting for points. These two are big.”

Sanford stopped all three Flames shooters — Alex Tanguay, Lee Stempniak and Rene Bourque, whose third-round attempt was sent wide by Sanford’s stickside blocker.

“It’s huge,” Sanford said. “Anytime you can come back and win in another team’s building, it’s a big step forward. You always want to shut them out in the shootout. As a goaltender, you feel like that’s your job.”

Antoine Vermette and Nikitin also scored for the Blue Jackets. Sanford had 32 saves in his eighth straight start.

Nikitin, acquired last month from St. Louis, had the first three-point game of his career. His goal with 4:05 to play, which started the Jackets’ late surge, snapped a personal 40-game stretch without a goal.

It capped a manic night for the Blue Jackets. They were good in the first period, outshooting the Flames 15-5. But they settled for a 1-1 tie, and the Flames dominated from that point.

Bourque split through Jackets defensemen James Wisniewski and Marc Methot for a breakaway goal with only 18.1 seconds left in the second period for a 2-1 Calgary lead. At 5:48 of the third, Flames forward Blake Comeau made it 3-1.

But slowly the Jackets seemed to get back into it, and the Flames may have been guilty of taking their foot off the pedal.

Nikitin’s goal, scored off a faceoff win by Derek MacKenzie, gave the Jackets life.

“Sometimes you have to win them ugly,” Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. “First period we were very good. Second period we were awful. Third period we got down, but I liked the fact that we didn’t stop playing. We’ve had lots of games where we’ve lost those. This team needs a game like that.”

The Blue Jackets were 0-9-1 when trailing after two periods and 0-3 in shootouts.

“Not until the save at the end (Sanford’s on Bourque) was I taking a breath,” Arniel said. “When we got the second goal (Nikitin’s) our bench kind of came to life. When we tied it up, obviously we were pumped.

“I know we don’t have the best record in the shootout. But to have your captain have a chance to win the hockey game, like we had with Rick there … it’s kind of what you want.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.02.2011


Blue Jackets notebook: Brassard is ‘fall guy’ for Arniel, agent says

By Aaron Portzline


CALGARY, Alberta — Through a string of healthy scratches, Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard has declined to air his frustration.

Again yesterday, before he was out of the lineup for the seventh time in 10 games when the Jackets played the Calgary Flames, Brassard would not speak publicly. His agent, Allan Walsh, also declined an interview request by The Dispatch but issued a statement that blasted coach Scott Arniel.

“While I have tremendous respect for (general manager) Scott Howson and the rest of Columbus’ management team, the situation regarding Derick Brassard has become untenable,” Walsh’s statement read. “The coach has a history of burying players and using them as scapegoats to mask his own lack of success on the ice.

“Derick has been singled out, almost from the very beginning of the season, to be the fall guy in case things don’t go well. The Columbus organization cares about Derick and has been good to him, but at some point, one has to say, enough is enough.”

Walsh would not answer questions after the statement was issued, and he said Brassard would defer all questions to the statement.

Walsh did tell The Dispatch that neither he nor Brassard are requesting a trade.

Arniel was not available for comment before last night’s game, but Howson stepped to his defense with a pregame statement of his own:

“Scott has my full support with respect to his decisions on who plays and the handling of our hockey team. We all want Derick to play better and be

the player we know he can be. The only person who will impact Derick’s playing time is Derick himself.”

Brassard has spent most of the last month going in and out of the lineup, alternating with Cody Bass on the left wing of the fourth line with center Derek MacKenzie and right winger Jared Boll.

On Tuesday in Vancouver, Arniel said he would look for ways to get Brassard more ice time. He earned a power-play shift — on the point, no less — but played only 10 minutes, 44 seconds in a 4-1 loss.

Brassard, 24, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft. He had 17 goals, 30 assists and 47 points last season, while averaging 17:02 of ice time. All were career highs. But in 17 games this season, he has two goals, two assists and a minus-11 rating, drawing just 13:52 of ice time. He’s drawn just 10:20 in ice time over the past three games.

Arniel clashed with defenseman Mike Commodore last season after a string of healthy scratches.

After publicly criticizing Arniel, Commodore was banished to the minor leagues for the rest of the season. His contract was bought out this summer, costing the Blue Jackets roughly $1.14 million through the 2014-15 season.



Nash provides tying, winning goals in Jackets’ 4-3 shootout victory over Flames

By Aaron Portzline


CALGARY, Alberta — It had all the makings of another lost night for the Blue Jackets.

After an early surge against the Calgary Flames, the Jackets seemed to lose their grip and fade fast, giving up three straight goals. Then out of nowhere, the Blue Jackets stole a victory from a team that is enduring almost as bad a season as they are.

The Jackets scored two goals in the final 4:05 of regulation, including Rick Nash’s deflection of a Nikita Nikitin shot with 57.2 seconds remaining and goaltender Curtis Sanford pulled for an extra skater to force a tie. Nash then delivered a 4-3 shootout win when he scored in the third round of a shootout, splitting the pads of Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

“It’s the first game we’ve won like that all year, coming back late and kind of stealing one,” Nash said. “I don’t think we’ve won a shootout, either. It’s great. It’s a big lift. We’re desperate for points now, fighting for points. These two are big.”

Sanford stopped all three Flames shooters — Alex Tanguay, Lee Stempniak and Rene Bourque, whose third-round attempt was sent wide by Sanford’s stickside blocker.

“It’s huge,” Sanford said. “Anytime you can come back and win in another team’s building, it’s a big step forward. You always want to shut them out in the shootout. As a goaltender, you feel like that’s your job.”

Antoine Vermette and Nikitin also scored for the Blue Jackets. Goaltender Curtis Sanford had 30 saves in his eighth straight start.

Nikitin, acquired last month from St. Louis, had the first three-point game of his career. His goal with 4:05 to play, which started the Jackets’ late surge, snapped a personal 40-game stretch without a goal.

It capped a manic night for the Blue Jackets. They were good in the first period, outshooting the Flames 15-5. But they settled for a 1-1 tie, and the Flames dominated from that point.

Rene Bourque split through Jackets defensemen James Wisniewski and Marc Methot for a breakaway goal with only 18.1 seconds left in the second period for a 2-1 Calgary lead. At 5:48 of the third, Flames forward Blake Comeau made it 3-1.

But slowly the Jackets seemed to get back into it, and the Flames may have been guilty of taking their foot off the pedal.

Nikitin’s goal, scored off a faceoff win by Derek MacKenzie, gave the Jackets life.

“Sometimes you have to win them ugly,” Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. “First period we were very good. Second period we were awful. Third period we got down, but I liked the fact that we didn’t stop playing. We’ve had lots of games where we’ve lost those. This team needs a game like that.”

The Blue Jackets were 0-9-1 when trailing after two periods and 0-3 in shootouts.

“Not until the save at the end (Sanford’s on Bourque) was I taking a breath,” Arniel said. “When we got the second goal (Nikitin’s) our bench kind of came to life. When we tied it up, obviously we were pumped.

“I know we don’t’ have the best record in the shootout. But to have your captain have a chance to win the hockey game, like we had with Rick there … it’s kind of what you want.”


597777 Dallas Stars

Stars learning that patience is a virtue when it comes to slumping power play

MIKE HEIKA

Staff writer

[email protected]

Published: 01 December 2011 10:03 PM

Patience is the key to solving any power-play slump, Stars coach Glen Gulutzan reminded reporters at the morning skate Thursday.

And Thursday night, the Stars' patience was rewarded.

Steve Ott deflected in a Toby Petersen shot from the point at 9:38 of the first period to end an 0-for-22 drought. It was the Stars' first power-play goal in nine games.

"We have to start creating those second chances," Gulutzan said. "We have to shoot the puck and make sure we have guys at the net."

Petersen followed the instructions to a tee, saying even before the game that he just needed to get his shots from the point through the maze of bodies.

"I don't think there's enough of that right now," Petersen said. "It is a focus, but we can do an even better job of that."

Gulutzan has maintained lineup balance with two power-play units and has hoped internal competition would fuel better performances. When asked if he has considered loading up one unit in the face of the Stars' injury problems, he said yes.

"Yeah, I've thought about it for sure," Gulutzan said. "But if you have your skill guys out there, someone has to go to the front of the net. You always need a net presence. We're not at the panic point yet. There are dry spells, and we're in one of them. It takes one of those hard-work goals to get out of it and kind of give your power play some confidence."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.02.2011

597778 Dallas Stars

Eric Nystrom's stout 'stache leads NHL in fund raising

MIKE HEIKA

Staff writer

[email protected]


The NHL raised $220,000 for the battle against prostate cancer by participating in "Movember," a fund-raising event where players grew mustaches. The Stars were the second-best team behind Toronto. Dallas raised $13,488 by collecting donations through the internet.

Eric Nystrom led all NHL players with $5,739.

"I just put the word out, and my family and friends stepped up to the plate, donated money," Nystrom said. "It's for a great cause, so why wouldn't you?"


597779 Dallas Stars

Alex Goligoski will get cast off Friday, hopes to return next week

MIKE HEIKA

Staff writer

[email protected]


Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski, who broke his thumb blocking a shot Nov. 11 against Pittsburgh, is expected to get the cast off Friday. After that, he will be able to work his thumb. He said he would like to be ready by Dec. 9, which would be four weeks since the injury.

"They said 4-6 weeks, so I'm hoping for the best," he said.

Brenden Morrow (back) and Trevor Daley (back) will miss Saturday's game, but could be available as soon as Dec. 8 at San Jose. Goalie Kari Lehtonen (groin) is working out in the pool but still is expected to be out at least three weeks.


597780 Dallas Stars

Mounting injuries give Stars first big test with Gulutzan at helm

MIKE HEIKA

Staff writer

[email protected]


If you were putting your fantasy team together, the current group of Stars heroes probably wouldn’t have been high draft picks. But with five key players sidelined by injuries, these guys are exactly what’s needed.

Eric Nystrom and Radek Dvorak scored goals in the final six minutes, and Andrew Raycroft came up with 33 saves, as the Stars beat Ottawa, 3-2, Thursday night at American Airlines Center.

“That’s the character we have on our team,” Nystrom said. “We’re never going to give up until the final buzzer goes.”

If you dissect what the Stars are doing, it really is mind-boggling. Nystrom was pulled out of the minors in a trade with Minnesota and has nine goals in

20 games. Raycroft started the season with five losses but has won two straight since Kari Lehtonen went down with a groin injury. Toby Petersen has been given the first chance to run a power play since his minor league days five years ago and assisted on a key goal.

Now, while Lehtonen, Brenden Morrow (back), Alex Goligoski (thumb), Trevor Daley (back) and Adam Burish (hand) mend, the Stars haven’t had to panic. They are 15-9-1 overall (31 points). They are 9-3-1 at home. They are 8-1-1 in one-goal games. They are 7-3-1 when tied after two periods. Any way you want to slice it up, they are doing good things.

And, remember, this is a team that’s in the bottom five in scoring and was put together on the tightest of budgets. While new owner Tom Gaglardi offers hope for the future, this group is showing that the present’s not so bad either.

While Mike Ribeiro’s stunningly patient move with the puck to set up Dvorak’s game-tying goal with 5:34 remaining was an incredible individual effort, the play that might have been symbolic of what the Stars are doing came when the checking line scored the game-winning goal with 2:20 remaining.

Nystrom, Dvorak and Vernon Fiddler have been tossed together in the last two months and have discovered an amazing chemistry. On the game-winning goal, they worked the puck deep, wore down the Ottawa defense and scored with a slick mix of work and skill.

Nystrom outbattled Erik Karlsson behind the net, worked his way out to the front of the net and whipped a shot past Craig Anderson while Dvorak provided a distraction at the doorstep. For the game, Dvorak had a goal and an assist and two shots on goal. Nystrom had a goal, two shots on goal and four hits, and Fiddler had an assist, two shots on goal and won nine of 15 faceoffs (60 percent).

“They just worked and worked and worked,” coach Glen Gulutzan said. “That’s a huge sign of the character in that group.”

And maybe the character in the team as a whole. The difference between winning and losing is tight in this league and being able to find that difference requires a lot of attention to detail.

“It’s a great test, really,” Gulutzan said. “We have depth, we have good players who want an opportunity, and this is a great time for them. It’s a great time for us. It’s exciting.”

In a way that not many would have predicted.


597781 Dallas Stars

Eric Nystrom's late goal propels Stars past Senators

Posted Thursday, Dec. 01, 2011

DALLAS -- Eric Nystrom scored the tie-breaking goal with 2:20 left and the Dallas Stars rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Nystrom took possession of the puck behind the Ottawa net, drifted to the left circle and fired a shot past goalie Craig Anderson for his ninth goal of the season, one short of matching his career high.

Milan Michalek had given the Senators a 2-1 advantage at 11:42 of the final period.

Daniel Alfredsson took a shot from the right point that rebounded off goalie Andrew Raycroft to the left circle. Michalek beat two Stars to the puck and then beat Raycroft with a shot for his team-high 15th goal.

Radek Dvorak and Steve Ott also scored for Dallas, and Raycroft made 33 saves.

Erik Condra had Ottawa's other goal.

Dvorak got Dallas even at 2 with 5:34 left in the third period when he converted Mike Ribeiro's centering pass for his third of the season.

Ott added a power-play goal for Dallas, and Raycroft made a glove save on a point-blank attempt by Michalek just before the final buzzer.

Raycroft, filling in for injured regular Kari Lehtonen (groin), made back-to-back starts for the first time this season.

Dallas is 4-1-1 in its last six games.

Condra gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead when he worked a 2-on-1 with Jared Cowen and connected on a wrister from the slot at 7:07 for his third of the season.

Ott's deflection of Toby Petersen's pass toward the net tied it at 1 at 9:38 of the first period on Dallas' second power play. It was Ott's fifth goal.

Dallas had been 0 for 22 with the man advantage before Ott scored.

Star-Telegram LOADED: 12.02.2011

597782 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula thriving next to Henrik Zetterberg

By Helene St. James

Detroit

Niklas Kronwall called it just another game from Valtteri Filppula. Doesn't sound like high praise, but it is.

A strong performance from Filppula helped the Red Wings extend their winning streak to six entering Buffalo tonight, starting a three-game trip in a month packed with getaways.

Filppula earned his 13th assist in Wednesday's 4-2 win over Tampa Bay when he swung out the puck from behind the net to set up the second goal. He has six points in his past four games, including four goals, and 20 points in 23 games.

"I think Fil is really coming into his own," coach Mike Babcock said. "This last while, he's been, if not our best, right up there with our best. He's playing with enormous confidence. You've got to give him credit. I don't know if it's just he's come of age or playing the wing with Z, but they're playing well."

Filppula has played wing on a line with Henrik Zetterberg most of the season, freeing Filppula from some of the hard work down low that centers are responsible for in Detroit's system.

"Z plays great at both ends and does most of the defense off the line, so that way it gives a little more opportunity on the offensive side," Filppula said. "Now it seems like pucks are going in, and that's good as long as it lasts. But I am trying to play and work the same way every game. I'm glad I can produce a little bit more."

At 27, Filppula is becoming the player the Wings long have thought him capable of being. He always has been very reliable defensively, but this season he's finally on pace to break 40 points; he's headed for 70 at the moment.

"He's not just showing up here and there, he's playing great for 60 minutes every game," Kronwall said. "It's nice. He's definitely taken a step in the right direction. He's going to have a huge year."

READY FOR ANOTHER CLASSIC: The Wings remain interested in hosting a Winter Classic outdoor game, something they've pursued since playing in the 2009 edition at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

"We've put our name in the hat," general manager Ken Holland said. "Now we wait."

The Wings would like to hold the event at Comerica Park but also would consider Michigan Stadium.

NOTEBOOK: The Wings called up Chris Conner (Michigan Tech) to have him available for the three-game trip that begins tonight. Patrick Eaves (broken jaw) was put on seven-day IR, but plans also were to ship Fabian Brunnstrom back to Grand Rapids, pending his wife giving birth. Conner,

27, a Westland native, leads the Griffins with 23 points in 20 games. He'll give the Wings 13 forwards.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.02.2011


Red Wings remain interested in hosting Winter Classic, waiting to hear from NHL

By Helene St. James

Detroit

Red Wings 4, Lightning 2

General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press this morning that the Detroit Red Wings have told the NHL they'd like to host a Winter Classic outdoors game.

"We expressed interest after we played in Chicago and have expressed interest again," Holland said. "It's in the league's hands. Now we wait."

The Wings would like to hold the event at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers but also would consider Ann Arbor's Michigan Stadium, which hosted a game a year ago between Michigan and Michigan State. That drew a crowd of 104,073, a world record.

The Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, 2009, winning, 6-4. There has been talk ever since of the Wings hosting a Winter Classic.

"It was a special experience," Holland said. "We had a spectacular couple of days in Chicago. It was such a positive experience that we'd love to host one. We've told the league we'd be interested, put our name in the hat. Now it's in the league's hands.

"I'm assuming other teams expressed interest for this year, and it ended up being in Philadelphia. Hopefully, we'll get to host one in the future."

The NHL began its tradition of Winter Classics in 2008, when the Buffalo Sabres hosted Pittsburgh. The Boston Bruins hosted Philadelphia in 2010, and the Penguins reappeared on New Year's Day in 2011, hosting Washington. The Flyers are to meet the New York Rangers in one month at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.



Red Wings call up Chris Conner; Datsyuk promises 'bold December'

By Helene St. James

Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings have called up hard-nosed, if undersized, forward Chris Conner.

"Conner is one of the leading scorers in the AHL. He had a real good camp," general manager Ken Holland said. "Let's give him an opportunity, let him show what he can do."

Patrick Eaves, out two months with a broken jaw, has been put on short-term injured reserve, but the Wings will have the roster space for Conner anyway, as Fabian Brunnstrom is going to be reassigned to Grand Rapids. The Wings are waiting until Brunnstrom's wife has given birth.

Conner, 27, listed as 5-feet-8 and 180 pounds, is a Westland native and Michigan Tech alumnus who has played 139 games in the NHL for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. Conner leads the Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring with seven goals and 16 assists in 20 games.

The Wings anticipate having Jan Mursak back from a broken ankle within two to three weeks, so this is an opportunity to see what Conner can add to the lineup. Conner is gritty, something the Wings see lacking in Brunnstrom. Brunnstrom hasn't stood out in any of the five games he has played in this season; as good as he is protecting the puck, he's too much of a perimeter player.

Wings coach Mike Babcock called off today's practice following Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the offensively challenged Tampa Bay Lightning, saying he thought the Wings lacked energy and maybe had skated too much earlier in the week. The day off also gives the players an opportunity for a little family time before embarking on what forward Pavel Datsyuk put so poetically:

"Now we have big road trip," he said. "December coming. Bold December. It was mustache November, now bold December."

Bold and cold: The Wings are off to Buffalo later tonight, which begins a three-game leg that continues with a Sunday game at Colorado and then Tuesday at St. Louis. Then it's home for two games, then off to Pittsburgh and Nashville. The Wings host the Los Angeles Kings at Joe Louis Arena on Dec. 17, and then leave for everyone's favorite holiday destination: Edmonton, where they play Dec. 19. Then it's off for a back-to-back at Vancouver and Calgary on Dec. 21 and 22.

The post-Christmas week features two home games against St. Louis, including New Year's Eve, and games at Nashville and Chicago. In all, 10 of 15 games this month are on the road.



Livonia's Chris Conner makes debut for Wings Friday

Ted Kulfan/ The Detroit News

Detroit — Chris Conner finally gets an opportunity to be part of his hometown team. The Livonia native was called up by the Red Wings and will be in uniform Friday against Buffalo.

Conner replaces Fabian Brunnstrom. Conner, 27, signed last summer as a free agent, leads Grand Rapids with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 20 games. The 23 points rank sixth in the AHL in scoring.

Conner has played in 139 NHL games and spent most of last season with the Penguins, playing 60 games and scoring 16 points. He scored one goal in seven playoff games.

Conner, who played at Michigan Tech from 2002-06, signed with the Wings as a free agent in July.



Red Wings: Notebook

Wings want outdoor game, possibly at Comerica Park or Michigan Stadium

Ted Kulfan/ The Detroit News

Detroit— The Red Wings will get an opportunity to host an outdoor NHL Winter Classic.

It's just a matter of when.

"We're on a short list," Wings vice president/alternate governor Jimmy Devellano said. "The list isn't very big. One of these years, in the not too distant future, we'll have the game."

Devellano was responding to a flurry of reports Thursday that said the Red Wings could host the Winter Classic in the next couple seasons.

He said league officials are aware of Detroit's interest in hosting the event.

"Things haven't changed a whole lot," Devellano said. "Logistically, only a few North American cities can host the game. We'll have it eventually."

Other likely candidates for the Winter Classic are New York and Minnesota.

Where the Detroit game would be played is still to be determined.

Owner Mike Ilitch owns the Red Wings and Tigers, and would prefer to have the game at Comerica Park.

But, the NHL might be interested in having the game at Michigan Stadium, which hosted The Big Chill (Michigan State at Michigan) in December 2010. The Big Chill attracted a record 85,451 fans, according to Guinness World Records.

The Red Wings played in the second outdoor Winter Classic, against the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field, on Jan. 1, 2009.

"A great experience," Devellano said. "You had two good teams from major markets, and that didn't hurt. But the venue, Wrigley Field, really made people notice."

The Flyers are hosting this year's Winter Classic against the Rangers at Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2.

Buffalo (Rich Stadium), Pittsburgh (Heinz Field) and Boston (Fenway Park) have hosted the event.

Conner to face Sabres

Chris Conner (Westland, Livonia Churchill High) was called up by the Red Wings on Thursday and will be in uniform tonight against the Sabres.

Conner replaces Patrick Eaves (broken jaw), who was placed on injured reserve.

Conner leads Grand Rapids with 23 points (seven goals) in 20 games. He has played in 139 NHL games, and spent most of last season with the Penguins (16 points, seven goals).

Ice chips

Feeling his team looked a bit sluggish during Wednesday's victory over the Lightning, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock canceled practice Thursday.

… Goaltender Jimmy Howard continues to shine, and could be an All-Star, which wouldn't surprise Babcock.

"We're getting excellent goaltending, as good as we've had since I've been here," Babcock said.

… Beginning with tonight's game in Buffalo, Detroit plays 10 of 15 games this month on the road.



Red Wings' Jimmy Howard has never looked better as team hits the road

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has been consistently strong all season.

-- He has allowed two goals or less in 15 of his 20 starts.

-- He leads the NHL in wins (14-5-1).

-- He is second in goals-against average (1.87).

-- He is tied for second in shutouts (three).

-- He is 11th in save percentage (.929).

He has made 16 consecutive starts. That streak likely will continue Friday in Buffalo (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net Detroit), when the Red Wings try to stretch their winning streak to seven games (but it's not confirmed, since they didn't practice today).

"He's earned the right over time to be a good goaltender in the league,'' coach Mike Babcock said on Wednesday. "He's spent a lot of time in the minors, he's worked on his fitness, the mental side of his game seems to have really come.

"I think we're getting excellent goaltending right now, as good as we've had since I've been here, for sure.''

The Red Wings face their biggest test of the season over the next 5-6 weeks. They play 10-of- 15 games on the road in December, and 14 of their next 19 games are away from home.

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.02.2011


Goaltender Joey MacDonald getting closer to making return for Grand Rapids Griffins

By Michael Zuidema | The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Joey MacDonald is tired of being forced to watch his teammates during practice and games.

He’s ready to get back in the net.

The good news for the Grand Rapids Griffins — and, by extension, the parent club Detroit Red Wings — is that the veteran goaltender is close to returning to the team after missing the past eight games with a concussion.

"I hate coming to the rink and watching guys play. I should be out there," MacDonald said. "But it was one of those things. They wanted to make sure I was 100 percent healthy. Even myself, I wanted to know I’m 100 percent and be ready."

MacDonald skated for the first time Thursday morning at Van Andel Arena with Red Wings goaltending development coach Chris Osgood. He said the 30-minute session went well, and he plans to face some shots Friday and hopefully return to practice with the Griffins on Monday.

"I felt good. No headaches," MacDonald said. "That was the main thing, getting rid of the headaches."

MacDonald hasn’t played since he was run over by Chris Terry of the Charlotte Checkers on Nov. 5. MacDonald hit the back of his head on the crossbar and had to leave the ice holding his head with a towel.

Terry subsequently was suspended for two games for the incident.

MacDonald was cleared to resume skating early this week after he traveled to Detroit to meet with the Red Wings’ doctor.

He’s aiming to return to the Griffins lineup for their games against either Milwaukee on Dec. 9 or Rockford on Dec. 10, and wants to get at least four or five games under his belt before the holidays.

The Griffins certainly would welcome that since MacDonald had started this season strong with a .930 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average through nine games. He also had two shutouts.

That also may help put the Red Wings at ease should either Jimmy Howard or Ty Conklin be unavailable.

Griffins coach Curt Fraser said Osgood will remain in Grand Rapids into next week to work with MacDonald.

"Hopefully that will help decrease Joey’s off time and get him back into the mix because we really need him," Fraser said.

MacDonald also is looking forward to returning since he only was able to ride the stationary bike starting this week.

"They didn’t really want you doing anything until the headaches went away," he said. "Once those went away, then I had my concussion test.

"Now, it’s getting back into shape. It sucks. You couldn’t do anything for two weeks, no running, bike or anything."

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.02.2011


Red Wing Fabian Brunnstrom gets another chance to impress

By Chuck Pleiness

Macomb Daily Sports Writer

DETROIT -- Quick update from the Wings' morning skate.

Fabian Brunnstrom will get another chance to get noticed and earn a regular spot in the lineup.

Brunnstrom will dress in his fourth game with Detroit tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"It's important to play games," Brunnstrom said. "When I'm here I'm trying to practice good. Like I said before it's a tough lineup to get into. It's good to play some games.

"I probably picked the hardest forward lineup to break into," Brunnstrom added. "I knew it was going to be very hard. At the same time I'm right where I want to be, on this team. It's just a next step to get into the lineup. We'll see how long that takes."

Brunnstrom will skate with Danny Cleary and Darren Helm.

"Brunner's got to shoot the puck," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Brunner's at a stage now, he's getting an opportunity, he's got to grab hold of it. It's like with all players in the game, you get an opportunity, if you make good on that opportunity you keep getting it and if you don't eventually it slips away on you.

"He's been in the league before," Babcock added. "Actually, he was the YouTube sensation, or something like that, we were all recruiting him. He went to Dallas, things went good, now he's back, he's earned the way to play on our team. Now he's got to find a way to play every day."

Brunnstrom has just one assist in four games with the Wings and is a minus-2.

"He's at the stage of his life where he's got to grab hold," Babcock said. "He's got to find a way to not just have the puck but to get it to the net, to get it to the scoring areas, to be hard out there. If he does that then he has a chance to be a real good player. So the ball's in his court, I'm looking forward to watching him."

Macomb Daily LOADED: 12.02.2011


Buffalo Wings on the menu

By Chuck Pleiness

Macomb Daily Sports Writer

DETROIT – The last time Drew and Ryan Miller were supposed to square off on the ice, Drew was a healthy scratch.

This time it looks like Ryan won’t be able to go tonight in Buffalo after the Sabres’ goalie suffered a concussion a few weeks back on an open-ice hit by Boston’s Milan Lucic.

“I know he's been skating, but I don't know any timeline on his return,” Drew said.

The brothers have met three times on the ice in the NHL with Drew winning two of the meetings. Two of those came when Drew was playing for Anaheim.

“I really haven't gotten any good scoring chances on him,” Drew said. “It's great for both of us being brothers and as close as we are. There's not a lot of that happening in the NHL. It's fun to be a part of that. And it's always fun for our parents and family and friends come and watch.”

Drew has played his way into being a constant fixture in the Wings’ lineup this season after spending all of last year going in-and-out of the game-day roster.

“Every time I'm a healthy scratch I'm not too happy, but especially in that game,” Drew said. “I wanted to play against him especially with the whole family there. It was tough but it's one of those things where it is what it is. I just hope we have a few more games against each other in our careers.

“It's not an easy thing to be a part of and I worked hard over the summer to put myself in a position where I wouldn't work my way out of that,” Drew said. “That's something I believe that I can continue to grow as a player and be someone they can count on to be a regular night guy.”

He has been a healthy scratch just twice this season.

“I try to be consistent and bring something to the team that I feel I can contribute and help the team every night,” Drew said. “They rely on (the fourth line) for energy, be responsible and be one of the guys they can rely on to kill penalties. That's the role we play.

“If we can keep our big guys like Z and Pav rested and not have to worry about the penalty kill as much, we’re doing our jobs,” Drew added. “It gives them more opportunity to play 5-on-5 and on the power play. It takes a little bit of the burden off them to kill off the penalties for them.”

Drew didn’t spend any time searching for another team to play for this offseason, signing a two-year deal worth $837,500 a season just as the free agency period began.

“I could have left and gone to another team and maybe had more of a chance to play and not have to worry about a rotation, but I wanted to stay in Detroit,” Drew said. “I think it's a good fit for me with the system and the guys in the locker room.

“We always have a chance to win the Cup and that's what it's all about,” Drew continued. “You want to push yourself to get better every day and if I'm in a competition to play that's just going to make me a better player.”

Drew took some ribbing from his brother earlier this year when he collided with Minnesota goalie Josh Harding behind the Wild net.

Ryan called Drew and told him he thought his younger brother had more respect for goalies.

It was also a play that may have gotten Drew extended time as a healthy scratch last season.

“I wasn't worried about that,” Drew said. “It was a bad penalty to take. You don't want to take a penalty when you're on the penalty kill especially when you're in the offensive zone.”

Winter Classic coming to Detroit?

The annual Winter Classic could be coming to Detroit next season of the season after according to a source within the organization.

“It’s a short list and we’re on it,” the person said. “We’ll have the game in the not too distant future.”

Possible venues to host would be Comerica Park or Michigan Stadium, which hosted the “Big Chill at the Big House” in 2010 that had an announced crowd of nearly 114,000.

The New York Rangers are also on the short list to host a Winter Classic. The Rangers play in this year’s event against the Flyers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The Wings played in the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, beating Chicago, 6-4.

Conner called up from Grand Rapids

The Grand Rapids Griffins' leading point getting is going to get a chance with the big club.

After Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Wings recalled forward Chris Conner.

Conner, who will join Detroit on its three-game road trip to Buffalo, Colorado and St. Louis, leads the Griffins with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 20 games.

In 139 NHL games, Conner, 27, has 16 goals and 24 assists with Dallas and Pittsburgh.

The Wings placed Patrick Eaves (broken jaw) on short-term injured reserve. He's expected to be out six-to-eight weeks.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 12.02.2011

597791 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers sense a difference this season

Edmonton players feels like they have a chance to win every night

By Joanne Ireland, edmontonjournal.com

December 1, 2011Edmonton Rush

EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers’ fate was irrevocable the last two seasons. They dropped out of the National Hockey League playoff race long before it even heated up.

This year, despite a 3-6-1 stretch in November, the Oilers remain one point back of eighth place in the Western Conference.

“Regardless of where we finish ... there is a difference,” said Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff. “We feel like we’re going to win every night. We feel like we have a chance to make the playoffs and it’s just nice going to the rink every day knowing that.

“It’s been hard the last two years, knowing we were out of it by now. You’d be like, ‘Oh (bleep), we have four more months of this.’

“You’re thinking how do I find the motivation, especially when you’re the captain. You’d go into games and nobody is saying anything, yet you owe it to the fans, to yourself, to be professional,” Horcoff added.

The Oilers, 12-10-3, play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday at Rexall Place, then host the Calgary Flames on Saturday. They do need to snap a three-game losing skid if they are going to stay with the pack. At least, now they have the tools to do it.

The Oilers were 9-12-4 at this juncture last season, 10-12-3 in 2009-10, and the end result was back-to-back 30th-place finishes and the eventual arrival of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was tied for fourth place in the NHL scoring race on Thursday.

“This is energizing,” said centre Sam Gagner, who is in his fifth season and still waiting to play his first post-season game.

“There were times towards the end of last year and the year before that when you’d come to the rink knowing that no matter how well you played, you weren’t getting out of 30th place. That can be frustrating. You try and keep your head up, but it does weigh on you.

“It’s definitely been more fun coming to the rink knowing we have a shot ... knowing that if we play our best hockey, chances are, we’re going to win. This year, we know we’re never out of games.

“As a player, that’s important for your mindset,” Gagner continued the day after the Oilers emerged with a point from a 3-2 shootout loss to the conference-leading Minnesota Wild.

Horcoff said that was another key barometer for him because the players knew they had left a point on the table against the Wild. After relinquishing a two-goal second-period lead, the Oilers took the Wild to overtime and then killed off a penalty for one minutes and 53 seconds to get to the shootout.

“We left a point out there, so you leave the game frustrated,” Horcoff said. “In the past, we’d be like, ‘Ooh, we got a point there.’ ”

Head coach Tom Renney said the key to closing out games is not to back off with a lead, to play to win rather than play not to lose. It’s a mentality that was there earlier in the season, but recently started to slip.

“It was tough mentally the last few years,” said defenceman Ladislav Smid. “(Now) we just have to play the game for 60 minutes. It’s not good enough to play for 40 or 50 or 55. But when we are on, it’s hard to beat us.”

“This is probably exactly the spot where you’d expect us to be,” Horcoff concluded. “You’re going to see some great games from us, you’re going to see some (crappy) games, then you’re going to see games where we don’t play great for 60 minutes where we do the little things that immature teams do.

“But you can see that when we do play great games, there isn’t a team that we can’t beat. It’s just a matter of trying to figure out how to win games when we’re not playing great. That’s what good teams do. If its Pittsburgh or Detroit and they are up 2-0, the game is over.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins among NHL scoring leaders

By Joanne Ireland, edmontonjournal.com

December 1, 2011

EDMONTON - More seasoned scoring sensations like Daniel Sedin and Steven Stamkos are now playing catch-up to Edmonton Oilers rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Even Evgeni Malkin was sitting behind the 18-year-old centre in the National Hockey League’s scoring race.

After netting his 11th goal of the season in Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, Nugent-Hopkins was tied for fourth place with Thomas Vanek of the Buffalo Sabres and Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks at 27 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Phil Kessel (32 points) and Joffrey Lupul (30 points) are leading the way.

“It’s pretty cool,” said the humble Nugent-Hopkins. “I really don’t go out there with the mentality that I’m going to get a couple of points every night. I just go out there to try to do my best and help out any way I can.

“I’m definitely more comfortable playing here.”

Linemate Jordan Eberle was tied with, among others, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stamkos for seventh place with 26 points prior to Thursday night’s games, while the ageless Ryan Smyth, the third member of the Oilers’ point-producing trio, was in a group that included Daniel Sedin’s twin brother, Henrik, with 24 points. Malkin, of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is tied for 21st place with 23 points.

Hall takes a spin

Taylor Hall, who left the Oilers lineup with a shoulder injury last Saturday, eagerly went out for a skate on Thursday.

Defenceman Corey Potter (ankle injury, Nov. 17) also got out on the ice for the first time since he got hurt, and winger Ben Eager (back) was skating as well. The rest of the team had an off-ice workout.

“It was good to be out there doing things I didn’t think I’d be doing at this point,” said Hall. “I’ve been working hard to get the shoulder strong, so to be out there and shooting pucks, just feeling the puck again, was good.

“But it’s easy to feel good in a setting like that where you’re not really being tested with any fast movements. The biggest test will be when I get some contact. I’m sure in the next couple of days, they’re going to be holding me back to make sure I’m good and ready.”

The initial timeline for Hall’s recovery was two to four weeks.

Potter figures he’s about two weeks away from returning and picking up where he left off. An unheralded off-season signing, the American Hockey

League journeyman played himself into a regular role on the Oilers blue-line before he sprained his ankle.

“I just felt like things were starting to click for me, then to have the injury sidetracks you a little bit but it’s part of the game. You just have to battle back,” said Potter. “(And) I felt pretty good out there. I’m still a ways away, but it’s definitely encouraging to get out onto the ice.”

Gagner turning it around?

Now 18 games into the season, Sam Gagner is still trying to ignite his offensive game, which is why he’s hopeful his shootout goal against the Wild might be the shot in the arm he needs.

“Hopefully, I can start scoring here,” he said. “There was a stretch there where I wasn’t playing my best hockey and I knew that. I wanted to get to back to the way I know I can play and I feel like the last few games I’ve been there. I’m moving my feet more, I have the puck on my stick more. I’m making plays.

“There has to be a little urgency there to try to produce and score goals but, at the same time, you have to relax, knowing it’s going to come.”

Gagner is not alone when it comes to slow starts. Magnus Paajarvi and Eric Belanger also haven’t scored a goal going into Friday’s home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rexall Place.

Captain Shawn Horcoff, for one, is certain the trio will soon be on track.

“That first one is the toughest,” said Horcoff. “Once you get that one goal, more seem to follow.

“I’ve been through it many times and it’s more frustrating when you start the season that way. They’re going to be fine.”



Mike Grier was the consummate pro

Posted by:

Jim Matheson

I would put Mike Grier, who put his skates away for good Thursday, on my list of the 10 classiest Oilers of all-time. And we’re talking a lot of players over the last 30 years. He was respectful of the players, the trainers, the people coming into the dressing room to ask questions. He showed up to work, didn’t complain; there was never a sense of entitlement.

He seemed a throw-in in the Curtis Joseph trade with St. Louis in August of 1995, a huge winger going to Boston University. I remember there were all sorts of questions about his weight then, that he was more linebacker than hockey forward, with all the stories of his dad Bobby working for the New England Patriots.

He wound up playing over 1000 NHL games here, Washington, Buffalo and San Jose. He wore an A on his jersey in many of those places, testament to his leadership ability in all of his stops.

“The scouts all wanted Mike but Glen (GM Sather) didn’t know much about him. I remember Glen saying ‘he weighs 265 pounds, he’ll never fit into a pair of pants,”’ laughed former Oilers’ head of scouting Kevin Prendergast.

People wondered if Grier’s footspeed would be good enough in the NHL. It was never all-world, but he lost weight, got leaner, got a little quicker by the time he came to the Oilers in 1996. But mostly what you got from Mike Grier was his attitude. “If there was one word to describe Mike it was professional…one of the nicest guys that ever came through Edmonton. He knew what he had to work on and he did. If he had to be mean, he was mean. His game wasn’t pretty, but he did everything with class,” said Prendergast.

His hitting ability was legendary. Nobody I’ve ever seen hit harder or cleaner. He obliterated people. He skated right through players, like he was rolling through an amber light at an intersection. He could teach today’s

young players how to body-check, rather than throw themselves at a player. You skate through them.

If you were ever in Grier’s train tracks, you were history.

“After we beat Colorado (1998), one of their trainers told me their players were scared silly of Mike,” said former Oilers’ trainer Ken Lowe.

His pain threshold was off the charts, too. “I’d put him in Jason Smith’s class,” said Lowe, who was there when Grier had his dislocated shoulder during the 2000-2001 season, where you could hear him screaming on the ice when it would pop out during games. “Usually the more times a player dislocates a shoulder the easier it is to put back in but in Mike’s case he was so muscular, there was so much resistance. It was hard,” said Lowe.

“He was one tough kid.”

Grier retires at 36, comfortable in the fact that he could probably get a job with any NHL team in management in a heartbeat. Scouting, assistant coaching. He was universally respected.

“Mike’s a smart guy. He could do just about anything. Heck, maybe he’ll be a general manager one day,” said Prendergast.



Nugent-Hopkins a top-five scorer

By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, QMI Agency

EDMONTON - If you were looking for Alex Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews or either of the Sedins in the NHL scoring race Thursday morning, you could find them somewhere beneath Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Same goes for Steve Stamkos, Joe Thornton, Corey Perry and Martin St. Louis.

Whaa?

In two short months the Edmonton Oilers rookie has gone from just making the team to being a pleasant surprise to establishing himself as a Calder Trophy favourite to serving notice that the Art Ross trophy might not be out of reach.

“It’s pretty cool,” shrugged the 18-year-old centre, a day after his two-point night against Minnesota lifted him to 27 points in 24 games, five points behind league-leading Phil Kessel. “I haven’t actually checked (the scoring race) out yet, people are kind of telling me about it and it’s kind of surreal.”

With 13 points in his last seven games, Nugent-Hopkins is making the NHL look like Junior. It’s not — it just looks that way. He’s 10th in the NHL in shooting percentage (21.2) and leads all other rookies in scoring by 10 points.

“I really didn’t know what to expect coming in, but the team took me in right away and made me feel comfortable, like one of the guys right away,” he said. “I’ve been really lucky that way and really lucky with the guys I’ve been playing with, too.

“I don’t really go out there with the mentality that I’m going to get a couple of points every night, I just go out there and try to do my best. But (the confidence) is getting up there, I’m feeling more comfortable playing here now.”

Wondering if he’d still be in the NHL for his 10th game seems like a long time ago.

“The first nine games I just wanted to get a spot on the team, after that I just wanted to help out any way I could,” he said. “It’s gone really well for me. I’m really happy about that. I hope we can keep it up.”

None of his teammates expected a start like this, but now that it’s happening, they say they’re not surprised.

“You could tell his talent level right from the start,” said Shawn Horcoff. “The first time I skated with him I was, like, ‘This guy does things that are pretty special.’

“And it’s not so much his skill level or his talent, he just thinks the game so much better. You really see the value of having a strong mind for the game. He just knows where to be on the ice, he finds lanes, he knows where everyone is. He keeps the game really simple.

“The flashiest he is, is when he’s in the corners and darting and doing his tight turns. In the neutral zone he plays the game the right way. He does everything right. For a kid at that age to do things like that …”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Hall hits the ice

By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, QMI Agency

EDMONTON - The ice was right there, so what’s Taylor Hall going to do? Not skate?

Fat chance.

When you were born to be a hockey player, a fresh, empty sheet is almost impossible to resist.

So, with the rest of the Edmonton Oilers working out in the team gym, and with the blessing of the training staff, the injured winger went for his first twirl since banging up his shoulder in Denver last Saturday.

“It’s a good feeling to be out there and doing things that I didn’t think I’d be doing this far ahead,” said the 20-year-old sophomore. “I’m not sure if they thought I was going to be out there as soon as this. It feels good to be out so fast and a little bit ahead of schedule.

“To be out there shooting pucks, feeling the puck again feels nice.”

Hall didn’t take any slap shots (have to take it easy on the shoulder), just a few soft wristers.

“I actually wasn’t supposed to take any shots at all,” he said.

But the pucks were right there, what’s he supposed to do … not shoot?

“Sometimes it’s just natural,” he grinned. “I took a couple and it felt good, it felt strong. I’ve very happy with how it went.

“What we’re doing right now is getting it as strong as possible and making it as durable as possible. With any injury there are always going to be some lingering effects but as far as it goes right now, it’s pretty promising.”

With back-to-back games Friday and Saturday the available ice time will dry up for him, which is fine by everyone.

“I’m sure in the next couple of days they’re going to be holding me back a little bit, making sure I come back when I’m really good,” he said. “The biggest test will be when I get some contact in and get some bumps. Without contact you can’t really tell.”

ALSO ON THE MEND

Defenceman Corey Potter also took advantage of the open ice, skating for the first time since his sprained ankle two weeks ago.

“It seems like it’s going pretty good,” said one of the biggest surprises of the season. “I think I’m on track. It’s two weeks in now and doctors were saying about four. So I still have to heal up and get better and get back in shape.

“I’ve talked to some guys and they say it’s a pain threshold that you have to get through and it’s going to re-occur throughout the season, so it’s just going to be something I have to deal with.”

There is never a good time to get injured, but it is particularly frustrating for Potter, who, after five years in the minors, had finally been given a shot and was making the very best of it.

“Definitely bad timing, for sure,” he said. “I felt like I was starting to get comfortable and getting in the groove of things. It’s unfortunate that it had to happen at that time but it’s part of the game and I’ll deal with it.”

CLOSING IN

Sam Gagner scored a beauty on Wednesday night, but is still stuck on zero goals for the season.

His shootout marker against the Minnesota Wild doesn’t count towards his total, but it’s another sign that he’s closing in on his game.

“I feel like I’ve been playing better the last little while and I’m gaining confidence from that,” said the 22-year-old forward. “You have to gain confidence from every thing, whether it’s a blocked shot or a good little play, so a shootout goal definitely helps that.”

Gagner had really good jump in training camp before a high ankle sprain shut him down for the first six games of the season. He came back, but just wasn’t as quick and sharp with the puck as before and found himself playing third-line winger.

“There was a stretch there where I wasn’t playing my best hockey and I knew that,” he said. “I wanted to get back to the way I know I can play. I feel the last few games I’ve been there. I’m moving my feet more I have the puck on my stick more, I’m making plays.

“I have to be happy with that. There has to be a level of urgency to try and produce and score goals but at the same time I just have to relax a little bit and know it’s going to come.”



The long and short of shootouts

By Terry Jones, QMI Agency

They didn’t know it at the time, but Edmonton Oilers fans were experiencing a milestone moment Wednesday.

It was the 1,000th shootout in NHL history.

Funny the way it’s worked.

There have only been 31 Edmonton Oilers games with the horrifying concept of cheerleaders for a Canadian franchise and there’s already virtual total acceptance with the Rexall Place crowds.

But in 1,000 NHL shootouts since the penalty shot concept was added in 2005, there still is nowhere near the acceptance here or anywhere else around the NHL.

Take a 12-year-old kid to a game and it’s the best part of the experience. But to a traditionalist, it’s still as repulsive as the day it was brought in.

I’m from the keep-it-but-get-rid-of-the-loser-point school.

Having three points available for two teams in some games and only two points available in others is just absurd.

The worst part of this shootout business is what it’s done to what should be the absolute best part of the hockey game with the score tied and five minutes or less remaining in regulation. That so many teams play the last five minutes or more to protect at least a loser point makes it the most pathetic part of the game.

The fact that the NHL has played its 1,000th shootout game so soon is an indictment in itself.

That all said, the shootout has provided a whole new set of statistics to contemplate. And in there somewhere is the evidence to support my keep-the-shootout, lose-the-loser-point philosophy.

With the NHL noting that the Minnesota-Edmonton game was the 1,000th, your correspondent reached Bob Waterman of the Elias Sports Bureau who produced some extensive expansion on the subject statistically.

You should know that the Oilers and New York Rangers have been involved in the most shootouts — 80 each. The Rangers are 47-33 and the Oilers 42-38.

Forty of the shootouts have been in Edmonton, tied for second with Los Angeles behind Washington with 43. (Calgary has had the fewest home shootouts with 19 and only won five of them).

Brad Richards has taken the most shootouts at 63 but Jussi Jokinen has the most goals with 28 and Henrik Lundqvist most goalie wins with 38.

The most important thing the statistics appear to prove is that the shootout is nothing more than a coin flip.

The home team has won 490 games and the team choosing to go first, as most home teams do, has won 474. (For the really mathematically challenged that’s 49% and 47.4%.)

And as for my main complaint, teams desperate to tie a game in the last five minutes this year have done so 36 times to teams scoring the go-ahead goal only 24 times. Last year it was 109 teams getting the equalizer in the last five minutes compared to 66 getting a go-ahead goal.

The Oilers shootout statistics are interesting, as well.

In goals, Ales Hemsky has scored 17, Shawn Horcoff 10, Sam Gagner 9, Ryan Smyth 8 and Jordan Eberle 7.

But when it comes to percentage, it’s a different story.

Eberle (53.8%) and Horcoff (52.5%) are your go-to guys, or should be. Indeed, if Tom Renney had used Horcoff second instead of fifth, the Oilers would have won the 1,000th shootout game instead of lost it.

Hemsky, who went second and didn’t score, has a mere 33.3% and sometimes has the body language that he’s just not into it and couldn’t care less.

Smyth, who gets all his goals from within six feet of the net, is 25.8% at trying to dangle from the red line in.

Gagner, an early shootout sensation as a rookie, had dropped to 23.7.

While Eberle is doing just fine, thank you, the rest of the young talent, which you’d figure would make the Oilers an awesome shootout squad, has been firing blanks.

Taylor Hall has scored just two on eight tries and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Magnus Paajarvi are both 0-2 and Anton Lander 0-1.



Oilers enjoy not sucking

By Robert Tychkowski, QMI Agency

It’s December in Edmonton and nobody is embarrassed to look at the standings.

Two months into the season and they need wins for the points, not the learning experience.

After back-to-back years in 30th place, when the season would be over right about now, the Oilers have rediscovered what it’s like to not suck.

And it’s kind of fun.

“It’s energizing,” said Sam Gagner. “There were times toward the end of last year, and the year before, that when you came to the rink you knew no matter how good you played you were not getting out of 30th place.

“That can be frustrating at times. You try and keep your head up but it does weigh on you.

“This year it’s definitely been more fun coming to the rink knowing we have a shot every night and if we play our best hockey, chances are we’re going to win.”

The dark cloud is lifting and so is the weight on their shoulders. Shawn Horcoff, for one, has been waiting a long time for an atmosphere like this.

“It was hard the last two years when you’re out of it by now and you’re, like, ‘(Bleep) four more months of this,’ ” he said. “How do I find motivation? Especially as the captain. You’re going to games and nobody’s saying anything, but you owe it to the fans and you owe it to yourself to be professional and to find ways to bring motivation.”

There are still nights when you watch this wildly inconsistent team and realize the evolution is far from complete and the maturation process will provide as many headaches as thrills, but the high end of their game is as good as anyone’s.

Knowing that, and knowing the other guys know it, beats the heck out of feeling like a loser.

“I didn’t usually like to watch the standings at all,” said defenceman Ladislav Smid. “(Playoffs) wasn’t going to happen, we kind of knew it.

“It was mentally hard the last few years. You don’t want to end up in 30th two years in a row. It felt awful. You had a coaching staff who gave their best to us, you had great guys in the locker room who were working hard and the result was 30th place. That’s not an ideal situation.”

Now, the motivation is easy — it’s in the standings, in the wins, in the fact that they’ve got game enough to hang with anyone. Now, every night matters. The playoff cutline is right there. First place in the Northwest Division is just a few well-placed wins away.

“Every game means something,” said Horcoff. “We left that last game (3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota) frustrated, we left a point out there. In the past we’d be, like, ‘Whoop, we got a point there!’ Last night everyone was pissed off and felt we should have had it.”

That they’ve lost three in a row and seven of their last 10 tells you they’re not they’re yet, but there’s no doubt where this program is headed.

“This is probably exactly where we expected to be,” said Horcoff. “You’re going to see some great games from us and you’re going to see some (crappy) games from us and then you’re going to see games where we play great, but not for 60 minutes, and end up doing the little things that immature teams do.

“But when we play great games there’s no team we can’t beat. It’s just nice coming to the rink every day knowing that.”


597798 Florida Panthers

Panthers fall to L.A. Kings, 2-1

By George Richards

[email protected]

LOS ANGELES – Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi was asked how his team held off the Panthers on Thursday night in a game in which Florida dominated play for much of the night.

“That's easy,'' Scuderi said, sweat pouring off his face as he fought to catch his breath. “Jonathan Quick.''

Quick was the difference as the Kings held off a hard-skating Panthers team 2-1 at Staples Center. Quick made 41 saves in the game, his only blemish coming when Sean Bergenheim slapped at a loose puck as he was falling backward in the slot. The Kings held a 2-0 lead prior to that, but Bergenheim's goal was all the Panthers would get.

“We thoroughly outplayed them and they were trying to run around and hack us and slash us,'' coach Kevin Dineen said. “You know, when you are getting outplayed as badly as they were, that's the response. What are you going to do? We feel very good about the way we played and we move forward from there. There were plenty of opportunities. Their goalie certainly got them a couple of points. [Jose Theodore] gave us every chance to win.''

Thursday's game had plenty of physical moments as Bergenheim knocked Mike Richards out of the game with a hit in the second period, one that led

to a pair of penalties against the former Philadelphia captain as well as penalties against Bergenheim and Jarret Stoll.

Richards, who infamously crushed then-Panthers winger David Booth with an open ice hit in 2009, left the game with an undisclosed 'upper body injury.'

Florida had a four-minute power play (the Kings could have taken two minutes of 5-on-3 play instead) but failed to convert. The Kings were called for eight infractions during the opening 40 minutes but none in the final 20.

Regardless, the Panthers – who threw up 29 shots at Quick in the final two periods and had 17 missed in the game – couldn't get anything past the Los Angeles goalie. Florida went 0-for-6 on the power play as Kris Versteeg missed his first game of the season after breaking his nose on Tuesday. The Panthers say Versteeg should return Saturday against San Jose.

Tomas Kopecky riled up the Kings on Thursday as he camped in front of the net and made a pest of himself. At one point late in the third, Quick had to be pulled away from Kopecky behind the net. When asked if the former Blackhawks forward had any real past with the Kings, Panthers general manager Dale Tallon quipped, ''nah, he annoys a lot of teams. They all hate playing against him.''

Los Angeles opened the scoring on a shot from Jack Johnson 1:35 in on the second shot of the night against Jose Theodore (24 saves). The Kings made it 2-0 with 5:47 left in the second when Dustin Brown scored on a similar shot from outside the circle. Just over a minute later, Bergenheim cut the Florida deficit in half, but that's where the scoring ended.

“He made big saves all night and we just didn't have an answer,'' said Stephen Weiss, who had five of Florida's shots. “We'll regroup and hopefully have the same effort against San Jose, just get some bounces. We had great chances all night. They just weren't going in. The other night in Carolina we didn't have our best game by any means, but we got a bounce and won the game. Those things happen. We got a lot of positive out of tonight that's for sure.''

Miami Herald LOADED: 12.02.2011


Florida Panther’s Shawn Matthias intense play pays off

By George Richards

With top-line winger Kris Versteeg out Thursday against the Kings after sustaining a broken nose on Tuesday, the Panthers offered an opportunity to step up.

In the past few games, it has been Shawn Matthias answering the call. Matthias scored three of Florida’s four goals in its previous two games.

“He’s a player who has shown great development to this point, and we’re really excited about the way he’s going,’’ coach Kevin Dineen said before Florida’s game at Staples Center.

Matthias’ statistics over the past two games have been a reward for his hard play on both ends of the ice for much of the season. Even though Matthias hasn’t been rewarded with goals — his goal on Saturday in Tampa was his first in seven games — Dineen has been appreciative toward what the big-bodied Matthias brings to the team.

This summer, Matthias was one of the last restricted free agents to sign with the team. The Panthers held firm with a two-way contract, meaning Matthias could be sent to the minors and not be paid NHL money.

With a strong training camp, and intense play ever since by Matthias, the Panthers haven’t even considered demoting him.

Even if they had, with the way he has been playing, he would likely be picked up through the waiver process.

Matthias, who has a two-year deal with the team, doesn’t want to go anywhere.

“I’m just working hard, going to the net and moving my feet more. I’m being aggressive,’’ said Matthias, whose line of Tomas Kopecky and Sean

Bergenheim has been creating numerous chances lately. “Even though I wasn’t getting goals, the chances are important. If you’re not getting those, you worry. I just keep throwing things at the net because eventually they’ll go in. That’s what’s happening right now.’’

• Evgenii Dadonov took Versteeg’s place on Florida’s top line as the trio of Versteeg, Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann were broken up for the first time this season.

Dadonov came into the game with two goals in his first two games after being called up but nothing in the seven games since.

Dineen and the Panthers weren’t happy that there were no repercussions for the hit on Versteeg during the opening period of Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Carolina after he got smashed in the face by Derek Joslin. There was no penalty on the play, and the NHL decided Wednesday there would be no suspension nor fine.

“He took a forearm shiver to the nose and it’s fractured,’’ Dineen said. “He’s been having headaches, so for us, it’s wise to give him a night off and see where he is Friday.

“The player in question was challenged [to fight] numerous times and he had no interest. What are you going to do? It sure was nice walking out of there with two points.’’

With Versteeg out, the Panthers recalled center Bracken Kearns, 30, from San Antonio.

• The Panthers hoped to have defenseman Dmitry Kulikov back in the lineup Thursday despite a deep laceration on his right leg suffered when he was clipped by a skate Tuesday.

Kulikov was stitched up and participated in the team’s informal soccer game and took part in warmups before the game.

“I’ll tell you, he’s one tough kid,’’ Dineen said. “He’s a guy who has shown us numerous times that his will to play is extremely large.’’



Florida Panthers Not 'Quick' Enough to Beat LA Kings

... Jonathan Quick Makes 41 Saves in LA's 2-1 Win ... Kevin Dineen: "We Completely Outplayed Them''

LOS ANGELES – Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi was asked how his team held off the Panthers on Thursday night in a game in which Florida dominated play for much of the night.

“That's easy,'' Scuderi said, sweat pouring off his face as he fought to catch his breath. “Jonathan Quick.''

Quick was the difference as the Kings held off a hard-skating Panthers team 2-1 at Staples Center. Quick made 41 saves in the game, his only blemish coming when Sean Bergenheim slapped at a loose puck as he was falling backward in the slot. The Kings held a 2-0 lead prior to that, but Bergenheim's goal was all the Panthers would get.

“We thoroughly outplayed them and they were trying to run around and hack us and slash us,'' coach Kevin Dineen said. “You know, when you are getting outplayed as badly as they were, that's the response. What are you going to do?

"We feel very good about the way we played and we Lalivemove forward from there. There were plenty of opportunities. Their goalie certainly got them a couple of points. [Jose Theodore] gave us every chance to win.''

Thursday's game had plenty of physical moments as Bergenheim knocked Mike Richards out of the game with a hit in the second period, one that led to a pair of penalties against the former Philadelphia captain as well as penalties against Bergenheim and Jarret Stoll.

Richards, who infamously crushed then-Panthers winger David Booth with an open ice hit in 2009, left the game with an undisclosed 'upper body injury.'

Florida had a four-minute power play (the Kings could have taken two minutes of 5-on-3 play instead) but failed to convert. The Kings were called for eight infractions during the opening 40 minutes but none in the final 20.

Regardless, the Panthers – who threw up 29 shots at Quick in the final two periods and had 17 missed in the game – couldn't get anything past the Los Angeles goalie. Florida went 0-for-6 on the power play as Kris Versteeg missed his first game of the season after breaking his nose on Tuesday.

The Panthers say Versteeg should return Saturday against San Jose.

Tomas Kopecky riled up the Kings on Thursday as he camped in front of the net and made a pest of himself.

At one point late in the third, Quick had to be pulled away from Kopecky behind the net. When asked if the former Blackhawks forward had any real past with the Kings, Panthers general manager Dale Tallon quipped, ''nah, he annoys a lot of teams. They all hate playing against him.''

Los Angeles opened the scoring on a shot from Jack Johnson 1:35 in on the second shot of the night against Jose Theodore (24 saves). The Kings made it 2-0 with 5:47 left in the second when Dustin Brown scored on a similar shot from outside the circle. Just over a minute later, Bergenheim cut the Florida deficit in half, but that's where the scoring ended.

“He made big saves all night and we just didn't have an answer,'' said Stephen Weiss, who had five of Florida's shots. “We'll regroup and hopefully have the same effort against San Jose, just get some bounces. We had great chances all night. They just weren't going in.

"The other night in Carolina we didn't have our best game by any means, but we got a bounce and won the game. Those things happen. We got a lot of positive out of tonight that's for sure.''

Posted by George Richards



Shawn Matthias' Work Paying Off ... Kris Versteeg Out, Dmitry Kulikov IN ... Say Hello to Bracken Kearns

LOS ANGELES – With top-line winger Kris Versteeg out Thursday against the Kings after suffering a broken nose on Tuesday, the Panthers offered an opportunity to step up.

In the past few games, it's been Shawn Matthias answering the call. Matthias scored three of Florida's four goals in its previous two games.

“He's a player who has shown great development to this point and we're really excited about the way he's going,'' coach Kevin Dineen said before Florida's late-night game at Staples Center.

Matthias' statistics over the past two games have been a reward for his hard play on both sides of the ice for much of the season. Even though Matthias hasn't been rewarded with goals – his goal on Saturday in Tampa was his first in seven games – Dineen has been appreciative toward what the big-bodied Matthias brings to the team.

This summer, Matthias was one of the last restricted free agents to sign with the team. The Panthers held firm with a two-way contract, meaning Matthias could be sent to the minors and not be paid NHL money.

With a strong training camp, and intense play ever since, the Panthers haven't even considered sending Matthias to the minors.

Even if they had, with the way he's been playing, he would likely be picked up through the waiver process.

Matthias, who has a two-year deal with the team, doesn't want to go anywhere.

“I'm just working hard, going to the net and moving my feet more. I'm being aggressive,'' said Matthias, whose line of Tomas Kopecky and Sean Bergenheim has been creating numerous chances lately. “Even though I wasn't getting goals, the chances are important. If you're not getting those, you worry. I just keep throwing things at the net because eventually they'll go in. That's what's happening right now.''

Evgenii Dadonov took Versteeg's place on Florida's top line as the trio of Versteeg, Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann were broken up for the first time this season.

Dadonov came into the game with two goals in his first two games after being called up but nothing in the seven games since.

“You have to be excited if you're the player on that left side,'' Dineen said. “It's a pretty good spot to be in. You would be thrilled to be there. That's a pretty good role to be in. That's the thing you look forward to and look to take advantage of it.''

Rocky1() Dineen and the Panthers weren't happy there were no repercussions for the hit on Versteeg during the opening period of Tuesday's 3-1 win at Carolina after he got smashed in the face by Derek Joslin.

There was no penalty on the play and the NHL decided Wednesday that there would be no suspension nor fine.

“He took a forearm shiver to the nose and it's fractured,'' Dineen said. “He's been having headaches, so for us, it's wise to give him a night off and see where he is Friday. The player in question was challenged [to fight] numerous times and he had no interest. What are you going to do? It sure was nice walking out of there with two points.''

() The Panthers HAD defenseman Dmitry Kulikov back in the lineup on Thursday despite a deep Kulilaceration on his right leg suffered when he was clipped by a skate on Tuesday.

Kulikov was stitched up and participated in the team's informal soccer game and took part in warmups before the game.

“I'll tell you, he's one tough kid,'' Dineen said. “He's a guy who has shown us numerous times that his will to play is extremely large. He'll give it a test in warmups and see where he's at. We brought his skates to the hotel and saw where the comfort level was. Our training staff is confident they can keep it where it's in a non-infected way. That's the biggest concern. It's a longer cut that what I originally thought.''

() With Versteeg out, the Panthers recalled 30-year-old center Bracken Kearns from San Antonio. Kearns made his NHL debut with Florida on Oct 20 in Buffalo but was sent to the AHL after the following game.

With Dadonov up on the top line, Kearns became the newest member of the fourth line – dubbed the 'San Antonio Express' – as it has changed in each of the past three games.

“The Panthers have been doing great so I just want to help out. It's a fun team to play for,'' Kearns said. “I've kept tabs on them and have a lot of buddies on this team. It's been great to watch.''

() Mark Cullen played in his first NHL game since Nov. 9, 2006 on Tuesday and said while he's excited for the opportunity, he knows it can be pulled away at any time. The Panthers are expected to get veteran Mikael Samuelsson in the lineup soon – he has been practicing but is still on the IR.

Cullen, 33, signed with the Panthers last season but tore his Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp. Cullen was limited to just 28 games at AHL Rochester last year but resigned with the Panthers and recorded 12 points off two goals in 19 games with San Antonio before being recalled Sunday.

“It was very enjoyable. It's been a long time coming,'' said Cullen, who played in 32 NHL games from 2005-06 with Chicago and Philadelphia. “I had a lot of fun out there.''

Posted by George Richards



Florida Panthers' Jose Theodore goes from 'stinky' to savior

Veteran goalie has keyed the team's resurgence with his steady play in net; Versteeg out with broken nose

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

11:41 PM EST, December 1, 2011

LOS ANGELES —

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen has joked a few times about how "stinky" and "brutal" goalie Jose Theodore was during training camp, but those adjectives were left behind in the preseason.

"That's the last time I'll bring up how bad he was in training camp, because as bad as he was in training camp, he's been as good in the regular season,'' Dineen said before the Panthers hit the West Coast for a late-night Thursday meeting with the Los Angeles Kings.

Theodore turned in another strong performance Tuesday night, making 26 saves in the Panthers' 3-1 win against the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., to improve to 10-4-3. Theodore has won three straight starts and is 4-0-1 in his last five, allowing just nine goals. He has a sparkling 2.29 goals-against average and his .924 save percentage would be the year-ending second best of his 15-year career.

"Jose's been really consistent every night. I don't think you can say or give your goalie any better compliment than he gives us a chance to win every single night, no matter how guys are playing in front of him," Dineen said.

Before the season, there were many question marks surrounding the Panthers, but none as critical as their goaltender situation when they opted to sign Theodore to a two-year, $3 million contract after Tomas Vokoun turned down their final offer.

Many hockey observers felt that the 35-year-old Theodore's best days were behind him after sharing the job in Minnesota last season, and getting yanked by former Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau early in the playoffs in the two previous seasons.

Vokoun, 35, is 10-6-0 with a 2.77 GAA and .907 save percentage, but Washington trails the first-place Panthers by five points. Boudreau has been fired and already hired by the Ducks.

"Last year was still a good experience for my career to be able to find ways to win even when you don't play every game," said Theodore, who shared the net with Niklas Backstrom in Minnesota and was 15-11-3 with a 2.71 goals-against-average and .916 save percentage.

"Right off the bat Dineen told me he wanted me to be the guy. Obviously, that's a big challenge. I knew that it was my job to lose. Still, you've got to prove yourself every night you're out there.''

Theodore was supposed to be the Panthers' two-year bridge to Jacob Markstrom, however, he had to fend off a challenge for the starting job from the rookie, who was forced into play by the early-season absence of backup Scott Clemmensen.

Theodore, who won the Vezina and Hart trophies for Montreal in 2001-02, is enjoying the revamped, resurgent Panthers.

"We play so hard that we make it easy on the goalies,'' he said. "You make that big save, they come and they clear it in front of the net. … It's probably the most fun I've had playing for a team."

Versteeg out; Brackens in

Panthers leading scorer Kris Versteeg was scratched Thursday due to the fractured nose sustained on Tuesday when Hurricanes defenseman Derek Joslin hit him in the face with an elbow.

Versteeg, who has 26 points in 24 games, has experienced headaches and a stiff neck since the collision. He's day to day. Amazingly, Joslin was not penalized or disciplined by the league.

"He took a forearm shiver to the nose,'' Dineen said. "It's a wise decision to give him the night off and see how he is tomorrow.''

It's the first time this season the Panthers' torrid top line of Stephen Weiss, Tomas Fleischmann and Versteeg has been broken up. Evgenii Dadonov took Versteeg's place on the line, and San Antonio callup forward Bracken Kearns, 30, filled out the lineup. …

Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, who sustained a deep gash on his leg Tuesday, surprisingly took part in pre-game warmups and was expected to play.

"He's one tough kid,'' Dineen said.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.02.2011

597803 Los Angeles Kings

Kings defeat the Panthers for second win in a row

Jonathan Quick makes 41 saves and adds a rare assist in a 2-1 victory over Florida.

By Lisa Dillman

11:10 PM PST, December 1, 2011

Beware the seemingly ordinary, almost harmless-looking game against an Eastern Conference foe in early December.

The Kings and the Florida Panthers are not exactly associated with bad blood, bile and belligerence. By the time the Kings skated away with a 2-1 victory — and their goalie Jonathan Quick making 41 saves and adding a rare assist — the win ended up being an especially costly one at Staples Center on Thursday night.

Let us count the ways.

Not only did another defenseman, Willie Mitchell, fall by the wayside early on, the Kings lost center and spiritual leader Mike Richards for the third period. Richards took a hit to the head late in the second and the Kings said he was being evaluated.

Afterward, the team only said Richards had an upper-body injury and Kings Coach Terry Murray said they would "have a better idea tomorrow," regarding the injury.

Mitchell played one shift in the first period, a mere 51 seconds, and that was it for him. The Kings announced that he had a lower-body injury but it was unclear whether he sustained the injury in the game or whether it was an existing issue.

It looked more clear-cut with Richards, a byproduct of an incident along the boards with Panthers left wing Sean Bergenheim with 3:08 remaining in the second.

The twin injuries overshadowed what was an often erratic effort as the Kings received an early first-period goal from Jack Johnson, survived a second-period lull and added to the lead late in the second period when Dustin Brown scored his fifth of the season. Quick assisted on Brown's goal, his sixth career assist.

Quick's bid for a second straight shutout ended when Bergenheim scored on a rebound at 15:39 of the second period. Quick was tested and then some but was helped by the Kings' continued excellence killing penalties.

Florida went 0 for 6 on the power play and the Kings have now killed off 24 straight penalties.

"You guys know more stats than I do," Brown said.

The Kings, who are on a two-game winning streak, have won six of their last nine games. But this one was a scrappy one. "It wasn't pretty tonight, by any means," Brown said.

That had a lot to do with the injuries, naturally.

Quick praised the stellar effort of the five remaining defensemen who had to play big minutes after Mitchell left the game.

"They stepped up huge there," Quick said. "That's a big hole on the blue line that we lose for a majority of the game. Guys played big minutes and they played them well and we got two points out of it."

Said Johnson: "We've got four guys that were banged up but it's just fluke things."

But Johnson said it helped narrow his focus.

"It's more fun. You get more engaged in the game and you get into it," he said. "It's not any fun when you are halfway through the period and you feel like you haven't broken a sweat yet. We don't want guys out. But you learn to pace yourself and the game goes on with five D. Hopefully [Mitchell] gets back sooner than later."



Kings claw their way to victory

By The Associated Press

Posted: 12/01/2011 10:33:01 PM PST

Updated: 12/01/2011 11:01:34 PM PST

Jonathan Quick made 41 saves, and the Kings got goals from Dustin Brown and defenseman Jack Johnson to beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night.

Sean Bergenheim scored for Florida, and Jose Theodore stopped 23 shots. The Panthers are 0-7 against the Kings since Nov. 27, 2002, when they beat them 5-2 in Los Angeles.

Kris Versteeg, who leads Florida with 12 goals and 26 points in his first season with the club, was scratched for the first time because of a broken nose after getting elbowed by Carolina's Derek Joslin during Tuesday's 3-1 win.

Johnson gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 1:35 in with a shot from the left boards that deflected off Panthers defenseman Mike Weaver and past Theodore's glove.

The Panthers outshot Los Angeles 10-1 during the first 12:20 of the second period, but came up empty on a 5-on-3 power play they had for 35 seconds. Johnson, Rob Scuderi and Mike Richards kept Florida at bay, blocking several shots in front of Quick.

Los Angeles killed all six Florida power plays - including a double minor to Richards that carried over into the third period.

The Kings have killed 24 straight penalties.

Brown made it 2-0 at 14:13 of the second, beating Theodore high to the glove side with a shot from the left circle after Slava Voynov hit him with a pass from his own zone as the Kings' captain cut across the blue line. Quick earned his sixth career assist on the goal, which came while Mike Santorelli was off for goaltender interference.

Bergenheim

cut the Panthers' deficit to 2-1 with 4:21 left in the period, converting a rebound of Erik Gudbranson's wrist shot from the right point.

Evgenii Dadonov was moved up from the fourth line into Versteeg's spot on the Panthers' top line with Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann. Center Bracken Kearns was recalled from San Antonio of the NHL to fill Versteeg's roster spot and played in his third NHL game. Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was back in the lineup, two nights after sustaining a deep cut on his lower right leg from the skate of Carolina's Eric Staal.

NOTES: Kings D Willie Mitchell sustained a lower body injury on his first shift and didn't return. Richards sat out the third period because of an undisclosed injury. ... Versteeg, Weiss and Fleischmann accounted for 31 goals through the Panthers' first 24 games, six fewer than the rest of the team combined. ... Dadonov has no goals in eight games, after scoring two following his recall from the minors. ... Panthers LW Marco Sturm, who scored 20 or more goals in seven of his 13 previous NHL seasons, has only one in 18 games since being acquired from Vancouver. ... The crowd of 17,720 was the second non-sellout for the Kings in 13 home games. ... The Panthers have allowed two goals in 30 short-handed situations over the last 10 games, but are only 4 for 45 on the power play during that stretch.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Murray postgame quotes (Dec. 1)

Posted by Rich Hammond on 1 December 2011, 11:26 pm

The Kings are schedule to practice tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo…

Terry Murray’s postgame thoughts…

(on Jonathan Quick’s game…)

MURRAY: “He needed to be (good). There were a lot of penalties, a 5-on-3 again, and just coming back with more power plays against us. It makes it hard. You’ve got to have good goaltending, and he was (good). It shortens the bench. It takes a lot of guys out of the game. Tough to get a flow going. That’s the way the game is, and the penalty killers did a big job, especially when you lose Willie Mitchell on the back end. He’s a very good penalty killer. He plays one shift only, and as the game goes along, Mike Richards is gone. He’s a pretty good penalty killer. So it put a little bit of pressure on some guys, but everybody stepped it up and got the job done.’’

(on the Kings’ physical play…)

MURRAY: “There was a little bit both ways. They battled, they competed. They used a lot of speed and a lot of their quickness. They took pucks to the net real hard. One player took Quick right into the net on the one play. So they were doing the same thing. They played hard, and it ended up being a good win for us. A great goal, actually, to win the game.’’

(on facing the Panthers without Kris Versteeg…)

MURRAY: “Versteeg is playing very well. That line, I think they have about 48 percent of their goals. They’re on fire. So it’s a tough line to contend with, especially when you’ve got a back line with Campbell and Garrison, who are putting up big numbers, and they’re on the ice most of the time with them. So you’ve got five guys involved in the deep offensive cycle, and you’ve got to sort it out. I’m not sure if it took a whole lot away from their game, with Versteeg out tonight. I think Weiss played a very good game. Fleischmann played a good game. I think they had some players, they rotated some guys through there and filled in pretty well for them.’’

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Johnson postgame quotes (Dec. 1)


Jack Johnson’s postgame thoughts…

(on the defense holding it together without Mitchell…)

JOHNSON: “It’s not really hanging on. You just kind of pace yourself. You’ve got to pick your spots, knowing that sometimes you’re going to be double-shifted. So you have to pace yourself, and kind of be smart about when you’re going to jump up or use that energy.’’

(on his goal…)

JOHNSON: “It was kind of a lucky goal, but we’ll take it. I think it’s about time we got a lucky bounce. We’ve had a lot of trouble scoring and it seems like we haven’t gotten any lucky breaks, so hopefully we get a few more pretty soon here.’’

(on any nastiness in the game…)

JOHNSON: “I didn’t think it was an overly physical game. More scrums between whistles, but the game itself, I didn’t think it was overly physical. We got a couple guys banged up with just fluke things, but I didn’t think the game was overly physical at all.’’



Quick postgame quotes (Dec. 1)


Jonathan Quick’s postgame thoughts…

(on the Kings’ penalty kill…)

QUICK: “It’s been good these past few games. We put a really big effort on it last game. We had a streak of maybe five or six games where we let up a goal in each game. It’s something, as a team, we’re not used to and we know we’re better than that. It’s been something we’ve been making a big push on. The whole team is just a, `Way to go out there for the PK’ mentality, and it’s been great.”

(on keeping things together after Willie Mitchell’s injury…)

QUICK: “Yeah, they stepped up huge here. That’s a big hole on the blue line that we lost for majority of the game. Guys played big minutes and they played them well. It was a huge effort on the back end from these guys and we got two points out of it because of that.”


597808 Minnesota Wild

Will Devils always have Parise?

Article by: KENT YOUNGBLOOD , Star Tribune

Updated: December 1, 2011 - 11:03 PM

Zach Parise smiled, then deftly eluded the question with a skill that comes with repetition.

He hopes to remain with the New Jersey Devils long-term, he said. The fact that he is playing on a one-year contract had more do with circumstances than calculation.

Parise and his teammates practiced at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday, preparing for Friday's game with the Wild. For Parise, a Minnesota native who played at Faribault Shattuck St. Mary's and then at the University of North Dakota, this is a homecoming. His dad, former North Stars winger J.P. Parise, watched practice from the stands. Zach, his fiancée and parents were all scheduled to have dinner Thursday. Oh, and Parise will also get his first look at the house he recently bought in Orono since the deal closed. About 35 family and friends will be at the game Friday.

So, with Parise about to become a free agent, a lot of Wild fans would like the talented winger to land in Minnesota permanently. The team could use his stellar two-way play, and the Wild figures to have the salary cap room to at least be a player should Parise hit the free-agent market. Because he signed a one-year deal with the Devils -- done with arbitration looming and contract talks going slowly -- he can't talk extension with New Jersey until after Jan. 1.

Parise will be fielding questions about his future all season. All he would say Thursday was that it was great to get home to Minnesota, even for just one game.

But what about that future?

His dad thinks the most important thing for his son will be to be with a team that has a good chance to win. Right now the Devils are struggling on the ice and off, with the franchise in financial difficulty. There are reports the team is headed toward bankruptcy.

"Money will be a factor, of course," J.P. Parise said. "But he likes to win, he likes to have a chance, he likes to compete. ... That's why he decided to accept a one-year contract. He wants to see where [the Devils] are heading, what kind of players they have. They have acquired some good

young players. He's not going to rush into anything. He'll take his time, analyze the whole thing.''

As J.P. said, it should be interesting to see what Zach does. The two will talk, but the decision, of course, will be up to Zach.

Injury update

• Wild coach Mike Yeo said right winger Cal Clutterbuck and center Darroll Powe sustained charley horse injuries in Wednesday's victory in Edmonton and are both doubtful for Friday. "I'm not real optimistic they'll be in the lineup," he said.

• Casey Wellman was skating on the second line with Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Matt Cullen at Thursday's practice. Kyle Brodziak centered the third line with Nick Johnson and David McIntyre.

• Center Cody Almond was called up from Houston of the AHL, where he had two goals in 10 games.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.02.2011


Wild-New Jersey game preview

Preview: The Wild is on a two-game winning streak. It entered Thursday with the most points in the NHL. The Devils have lost their past two, including 6-1 at Colorado on Wednesday.

Players to watch: C Mikko Koivu leads the Wild in points (4-16-20). He is on a seven-game points streak, the longest by a Wild player this season. Devin Setoguchi has four goals in his past eight games. G Niklas Backstrom is 0-2-1. C Patrik Elias leads New Jersey in scoring (8-12-20), followed by C Adam Henrique (5-10-15).

Numbers: The Wild's 11 victories in November was a franchise record for a month. The team is off to its best start in its history, with 33 points after 25 games. The Wild is fourth in the league in blocked shots with 392. Nick Schultz's 42 blocks leads the team.

Injuries: W Guillaume Latendresse (concussion) and D Marek Zidlicky (concussion) are out. W Cal Clutterbuck (charley horse), C Darroll Powe (charley horse) and D Justin Falk (chest) are doubtful. For the Devils, C Travis Zajac (Achilles surgery) and C Jacob Josefson (right clavicle surgery) are out. RW/C Dainius Zubrus (right ankle) is questionable.

KENT YOUNGBLOOD



Clutterbuck, Powe doubtful for Friday's game

Kent Youngblood

Updated: December 1, 2011 - 4:46 PM

Greetings. With Mike Russo returning from Edmonton, I was at a rare afternoon practice today.

Out of it, there was some news:

--Cal Clutterbuck and Darroll Powe, both with charley horses, are doubtful for Friday's game with the New Jersey Devils at Xcel Energy Center. Wild coach Mike Yeo tried to see the bright side, meaning he was happy that the injuries weren't more serious. But don't expect to see them tomorrow. "They're in with the trainers now," Yeo said. "Clutter and Powsie, we'll see how the feel (Friday). But I'm not really optimistic they'll be in the lineup. But you never know about those things. Sometimes you come to the rink the next day and you feel pretty good.''

Without those two, the Wild was running these lines at practice: Mikko Koivu with Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi; center Matt Cullen with Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Casey Wellman; center Kyle Brodziak with Nick Johnson and David McIntyre and newly called-up center Cody Almond with Colton Gillies and Brad Staubitz.

Yeo sounded like both Clutterbuck and Powe might miss more than one game. But much more will be known after both have had a couple days of treatment.

Meanwhile:

--After watching a slow start to practice, Yeo called the players to center ice and reminded them of the need for more energy. And that is a translation that, if not quite literal, is certainly more suitable to a family blog. "I was hoping I wouldn't need to," Yeo said of his speech. "But after we went a couple times it was apparent that we probably should."

--Yeo still isn't saying exactly what is bothering defenseman Justin Falk, but said he was day-to-day but likely won't play tomorrow. Gui Latendresse and Marek Zidlicky are still a long ways from even returning to practice.

--Yeo talked a little bit about how he decides who will take a turn in a shootout should it get past the early rounds. He said he picked Brodziak Wednesday because he thought Brodziak wouldn't psych himself out. He chose Heatley for the crucial turn, even though Heatley doesn't have the greatest shoot stats, because he thought Heatley was uniquely suited to such a critical situation.

--Yeo said Gillies responded well from his one game off as a healthy scratch, but that Gillies still wasn't quite back to where he was earlier in the season.

That's about it for now. Mike will be at tomorrow's morning skate.



Wild recalls Almond

Michael Russo

Updated: December 1, 2011 - 10:20 AM

Cody Almond is flying in from Houston this morning to join the Wild after wingers Cal Clutterbuck and Darroll Powe both went down with leg injuries in last night's victory at Edmonton.

Almond, a 22-year-old forward, has two goals in ten games with the Aeros after the starting the season on the injured list. He was the team's fifth round draft choice in 2007.

We'll get updates on the injuries to Clutterbuck and Powe at the Wild's 2 p.m. practice today.

The Wild plays host to New Jersey on Friday night.

If you get the early paper, here's the final edition story from last night.

And here is the final edition notebook.

More this afternoon.



Clutterbuck, Powe injured? No problem as Wild pulls another W out of its hat

Posted by: Michael Russo


My 7-10 day prediction of Bruce Boudreau being out of work on Twitter the other day turned out to be conservative.

The former Washington Capitals coach will be behind Anaheim’s bench when the Wild waltzes into town Sunday and Randy Carlyle will not. Carlyle lost his job tonight, and that noise in southern California tonight was that of a lot of celebrating players -- not an earthquake.

I was writing about the Ducks in my Sunday column this week anyway, so now my Carlyle criticism will have to be freshened up.

But onto the game at hand and what Wild fans care about.

For the second time this season, the Wild, which make comebacks a common thing, rallied from a two-goal deficit to pull out the W tonight with a six-round shootout win over Edmonton to move back into the top spot in the NHL.

It’s actually the ninth time the Wild’s pulled out a W when being scored on first, and that ranks first in the NHL. The Wild went 11-4 in November, a new team record for most wins in a month, and its 33 points in 25 games is its best start in team history.

Tonight, the Wild won despite injuries to Cal Clutterbuck and Darroll Powe.

Tonight, the Wild won despite a terrible 5-on-3 with a chance to tie in the first period.

Tonight, the Wild won despite being down 2-0

Tonight, the Wild won despite not scoring on a 4-on-3 in overtime.

Clutterbuck was nailed by an extended left knee of Ryan Whitney in the final minute of the first period. He tried to play in the second but eventually left about eight minute in when he fell again after Ladislav Smid stepped into him.

“I didn’t like it,” coach Mike Yeo said of Whitney’s hit. “I know Ryan Whitney well (from Pittsburgh). I know he’s not a dirty player, but I thought that was a penalty and we lost a guy for … hopefully only for tonight.”

Yeo said it was a thigh injury.

The Wild also lost Powe to start the third period. He was nailed late in the second when it looked like he was checked into an open door at the Oilers bench by Eric Belanger. He has a charleyhorse. Yeo said both players will be reevaluated and prays they're short-term injuries. Both players have been key, key contributors, and Clutterbuck has been heating-up.

That left the Wild with 10 forwards, really nine because Brad Staubitz played one shift in the third.

But moments after Clutterbuck left, Devin Setoguchi scored, then Kyle Brodziak tied it.

Brodziak, who hails from nearby Vegreville, Alberta, and was drafted by the Oilers, then scored his first career shootout goal in Round 6 to lift the Wild to the win with a move he said Dustin Penner taught him. The Wild practices shootouts all the time, and he said he tries that move every time.

I thought about this after the game, but two years ago, in that long eight-shootout win by the Wild in that four-goal erased deficit vs. Chicago, Brodziak got an attempt and it was awful.

I just looked up this funny quote to me the next day: "I was getting nervous when I saw some of the picks," defenseman Nick Schultz said, laughing. "When I saw Brodziak go, I figured I might be next."

Well, Brodziak won it tonight.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard also scored, as did Mikko Koivu with his 25th shootout goal, tied for fifth in NHL history (three behind Jussi Jokinen). Dany Heatley scored a bigtime clutch one to extend the shootout. Niklas Backstrom got the win and improved to 3-1 in shootouts. The Wild is 4-1.

The Wild’s power play was awful tonight and has got to get better. It’s time for Yeo to change the personnel of the No. 1 unit, maybe at the point, where Jared Spurgeon and Pierre-Marc Bouchard just hasn’t been good enough. Spurgeon can’t keep pucks in. Time for Matt Cullen to go to the No. 1 point until Marek Zidlicky comes back, in my opinion. Also the Mikko Koivu to Dany Heatley high deflection is becoming way too predictable and isn’t working.

Koivu, by the way, extended his point streak to seven games tonight. That ties his career high.

Backstrom was real good tonight. He made 28 saves and improved to 21-2-1 all-time vs. the Oil.

Marco Scandella had a real tough game in his own zone at times. His turnover and then positioning led to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ first goal.

Again, the Wild just sticks with it. People always ask me, what does it mean when a team buys in? This is the definition, folks. Many teams, when the going gets tough, they change up everything, open things up and a 2-0 deficit becomes 3-0 and 4-0. The Wild just sticks with the system and sticks with the system, and that's why they keep carving out these comeback wins. If they lose, they lose, but they don't change their style.

“It shows you’re unflappable,” Brodziak said. “No matter what they bring, it’s not going to change how we play. Over a 60-minute game, that wears on teams.”

Anyway, that’s it from here. Early flight back to Minnesota. Wild practices at 2 p.m., so there’ll be late updates most likely on Clutterbuck and Powe.



Kyle Brodziak excels in all phases for Wild

By Bruce Brothers

[email protected]

Updated: 12/01/2011 11:25:57 PM CST

Kyle Brodziak had taken one shootout shot in four-plus NHL seasons before Wild coach Mike Yeo tapped him on the shoulder Wednesday night in Edmonton.

He was 0 for 1.

But the faceoff and penalty-killing specialist has been having a career season for Minnesota. Although his best production in four NHL seasons was 16 goals last season, Brodziak already had netted his sixth goal in 25 games to tie the score in Edmonton. He has 32 hits, 23 takeaways, 19 blocked shots and only six turnovers.

Good numbers, but Yeo was more comfortable with his decision than Brodziak was.

Brodziak was stepping onto the Rexall Place ice in front of 16,839, including friends and family from his birthplace of St. Paul, Manitoba, a town of 5,632 about 90 miles from Edmonton.

"You can't hide," he said.

Nevertheless, Brodziak calmed his nerves and beat Nikolai Khabibulin to deliver a win for the Wild that elevated them to the top of the NHL standings through Wednesday's games.

Brodziak was just the latest in a series of players who have delivered as the Wild have raised their record to 15-7-3.

"It's a different guy every night," winger Dany Heatley said Thursday. "Last night Brodzy got a big power-play goal and then the shootout goal to win it."

Heatley was supposed to be the top goal scorer on the Wild but has six goals to tie with Brodziak for fourth behind the eight of Matt Cullen and Devin Setoguchi and the seven of Cal Clutterbuck.

Heatley, Cullen, Setoguchi,

Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and the other top players have bought into sharing the accolades, according to Yeo.

"That's the kind of team that we are," he said. "We're a team that's going to have to do it as a team, and guys recognize that. Every night a different guy gets a chance to be the hero."

Yeo likes to apply pressure during practices, often ending workouts with an intrasquad shootout competition in which the last player to score has to perform some extra duty.

Brodziak was accustomed to that, but that didn't mean his knees weren't shaking before he took his shot. It helped to remind himself that there was considerably less pressure than there had been on Heatley earlier, when he needed to score to keep the shootout going.

"I think I was maybe more nervous after it was all done," Brodziak said. "I'm not used to that feeling. I'm just glad it went in."

Yeo had no qualms about sending Brodziak onto the ice because the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has been playing well and because the line of Brodziak, Nick Johnson and Darroll Powe has become one of Minnesota's most dependable. Those three often line up opposite the opponent's top line with a simple assignment: Move the puck out of the defensive zone and cycle it around the offensive zone.

"Hopefully, it wears on 'em as the game goes on," Brodziak said. "That's been our goal, even if we don't score on certain nights, as long as we're doing our job, playing in the other team's end."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.02.2011


Could Zach Parise be headed to the Wild next season?

By Bruce Brothers

[email protected]

Updated: 12/01/2011 11:56:12 PM CST

Former Minnesota North Stars captain J.P. Parise says his youngest son, New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise, wants to sign next summer with the NHL team that will give him the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Could that be the Wild?

The elder Parise called Minnesota "a young, coming team."

After signing a one-year contract for $6 million with the Devils last summer, Parise is scheduled to become a free agent following this season.

"He likes to win," J.P. said after watching the Devils work out at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday in preparation for tonight's game against the Wild at the X. "He likes to have a chance to win, and right now it's kind of tough with the Devils."

J.P., one of Minnesota's most popular players during his days as a feisty winger for the North Stars and the former director of hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn., said his son wants to see if the Devils are headed toward future playoff success before deciding where he'll end up.

New Jersey goes into tonight's game with a 12-10-1 record after dropping a 6-1 decision to Colorado on Wednesday.

"They have acquired some pretty good players, good young kids," J.P. said. "How this will develop by the time the year is over; then he'll decide. He's not in a rush to do anything."

Zach next summer will marry Alicia Woods, whom he met at the University of North Dakota, and they will live during the offseason in the new home they recently purchased on Lake Minnetonka.

Zach's parents live in Prior Lake.

Parise, 27, scored 49 and 44 goals the past two seasons for New Jersey and, according to his dad, likely will draw interest from 29 teams besides New Jersey if he becomes a free agent.

In his sixth season with New Jersey after growing up in Bloomington and playing college hockey at North Dakota, Parise has 166 goals and 182 assists for 341 points in 430 NHL games.

Asked if he wants to stay in New Jersey, he said: "That's what I hope for. We can't do anything now by league rules."

He said none of his friends in the Twin Cities has told him they'd like to see him with the Wild, but then he admitted he wouldn't say so even if they did.

How about your dad?

"He would love it." Zach said.

Almond recalled: The Wild recalled center Cody Almond from the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, and coach Mike Yeo said Almond and Casey Wellman will play against the Devils if injured forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Darroll Powe can't.

Clutterbuck and Powe both suffered severe charley horses after they were hit in Minnesota's 3-2 shootout victory over Edmonton on Wednesday night. Both missed practice Thursday, as did defenseman Justin Falk. All three are day to day, according to Yeo.

Almond, 22, was given a good chance to make the Wild roster before a back injury sidelined him through much of training camp.

Wellman, who was a healthy scratch in Edmonton, skated on the Wild's second line with Matt Cullen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard at practice Thursday afternoon.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.02.2011

597815 Montreal Canadiens

Sharks down Habs in shootout

Josh Dubow

Joe Pavelski scored in the sixth round of the shootout and Antti Niemi sealed the win with a sliding pad save against P.K. Subban as the San Jose Sharks beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday night.

Ryane Clowe tied the game with 1:26 left in regulation, and after a fast-paced overtime, the Sharks maintained their home dominance over the Canadiens in the shootout. San Jose has won six straight at home against Montreal, last losing 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 23, 1999.

The Canadiens looked as though they would end that dry spell when Erik Cole gave them a 3-2 lead midway through the third. But after Clowe tied it, the Sharks pulled it out in the shootout.

Marty Havlat beat Carey Price in the second round with a forehand before Brian Gionta kept it going in the third round when he stickhandled past Niemi.

Michal Handzus and David Desharnais traded goals in the fourth round before both teams missed in the fifth. Pavelski then beat Price with a forehand wrister before Niemi got his pad out just in time to stop Subban's backhand attempt.

Logan Couture and Jamie McGinn scored and Niemi made 29 saves for the Sharks, who avoided matching a season-worst, three-game losing streak.

Desharnais had a goal and two assists, and Cole and Michael Cammalleri each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have lost four in a row.

That streak appeared to be near an end when Desharnais' wraparound attempt trickled through the crease, and Cole beat Marc-Edouard Vlasic to the loose puck and knocked it past Niemi to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead with 11:14 to go.

But the Sharks tied it late when Marty Havlat fired a puck on Carey Price, and Clowe got the rebound in the slot and knocked it in for his first goal since Nov. 3. Couture also assisted on the goal as San Jose's reunited second line provided the spark coach Todd McLellan was looking for when he put flipped Couture and Patrick Marleau.

That was a pattern that held up all game as Montreal scored first in each period and San Jose answered.

The Canadiens got it started in the first period when Niemi was out of position after he made a save during a scramble in front of the net. Cammalleri then redirected a point shot from Desharnais into the empty net.

Just 41 seconds later, McGinn knocked the rebound of Michal Handzus' wraparound attempt past Price for his third goal.

The Canadiens scored first again in the second period after a turnover in the offensive zone by Pavelski. Cole then banked a blind, backhand pass of the boards that reached Desharnais in stride. He raced up ice and fired a wrist shot past Niemi before Dan Boyle could get over to slow him down.

This time, the Sharks took 1:37 to tie the game when Couture raced in from the blue line to take a pass from Clowe and beat Price with a wrist shot for his eighth goal.

NOTES: Canadiens F Max Pacioretty, whose parents grew up in the Bay Area, served the second game of his of three-game suspension for an illegal head hit on Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, disappointing about 35 family members who bought tickets. ... Handzus returned to the lineup after missing Monday's game with an illness. ... Montreal D Andrei Markov, who has been out for more than a year since tearing ligaments in his right knee on Nov. 13, 2010, is close to returning.

Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.02.2011


Montreal Canadiens edged by San Jose Sharks in shootout

By Pat Hickey, The Gazette December 2, 2011

SAN JOSE - Martin Havlat, Joe Pavelski and Michal Handzus scored in the shootout to give the San Jose Sharks a 4-3 win over the Canadiens at the HP Pavilion Thursday night.

The Canadiens came within 1:26 of ending the game in regulation, but Ryan Clowe scored at 18:34 of the third period as the Sharks rallied to tie the game for the third time. Erik Cole scored at 8:46 of the third period to put the Canadiens ahead at 3-2.

The Canadiens, who never trailed in regulation, also received goals from Michael Cammalleri and David Desharnais. Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture scored the other goals for San Jose.

Desharnais’s line shines: Who’s the Canadiens’ third-leading scorer? Give yourself a pat on the back if you said Desharnais, who led Montreal with a goal and two assists to match linemate Erik Cole with 16 points. Desharnais picked up the second assist on Cammalleri’s opening goal. He scored his fourth after he and Cole ganged up on Joe Pavelski to force a turnover. And he came out from behind the goal to set up Cole in the third period. Desharnais also had a good scoring chance from the slot early in the third period, but Antti Niemi made the save.

Cammalleri steps up: Cammalleri showed what he’s capable of when he gets involved. He opened the scoring when he went to the net and deflected a shot by P.K. Subban. Cammalleri also blocked a slapshot by Brent Burns late in the second period. It was his fourth blocked shot this season.

Weber on the defensive: Yannick Weber was back on defence but did little to support his bid for permanent employment on the blue line. McGinn scored the Sharks’ first goal after a rebound went though Weber’s legs and he didn’t get in Logan Couture’s way on the second San Jose goal.

Leblanc update: Head coach Jacques Martin gave rookie Louis Leblanc more ice time and more responsibility in his second NHL start. He showed a willingness to get involved with a couple of hits and two blocked shots.

Where in the world is Andrei Markov? The Canadiens displayed their usual lack of public relations savvy when it was discovered that defenceman Andrei Markov didn’t accompany the team from Anaheim after Wednesday’s game. In no particular order, there were rumours that Markov was (a) about to be traded, (b) flew to Florida to consult with Dr. James Andrews, (c) was seeing a doctor in Los Angeles, (d) didn’t want to fly because he was afraid his knee would swell and (e) was resting up to make his comeback Saturday in L.A. Martin denied knowing why Markov stayed behind, but said it was unlikely the defenceman would face the Kings.

Cole a class act: Erik Cole played travel agent and flew Leblanc’s parents to California so that they could watch their son make his NHL debut Wednesday in Anaheim.

What’s next: The Canadiens wrap up their California visit Saturday afternoon when they face the Los Angeles Kings (3:30 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio-990).

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.02.2011


About last night … with audio

Posted by Mike Boone

Pop the champagne!

Your Montreal Canadiens are coming back from California with at least a point.

But save room in the baggage compartment for some doubts and playoff anxieties.

The Canadiens have held a lead in each of their last four games.

They’ve lost them all.

But give the team some credit.

Playing the second half of a back-to-back, the Canadiens played courageously.

It might have been David Desharnais’s best game of the season.

Louis Leblanc played 14:25, did not look out of place and had the makings of good chemistry with Lars Eller.

Mike Cammalleri had his best game in a while. So did Brian Gionta.

Josh Gorges was heroic, particularly in the third period and OT.

The Canadiens took only one minor penalty.

But the Canadiens injury-depleted, undersized and inexperienced defence was overmatched against the hulking Sharks, who stormed back with forechecking ferocity each time the Canadiens had the lead.

The Canadiens led 1-0 for all of 41 seconds.

Their 2-1 lead lasted 1:37.

The 3-2 lead provided by Erik Cole was the biggest tease. It lasted until there were 87 seconds left in regulation time.

DD, so good in so many aspects of the game, was lax in his back-pressure coverage on Ryan Clowe.

Carey Price, who made superb saves and could not be faulted on the first two San Jose goals, directed a rebound into the slot, right toward an onrushing Clowe.

It was a dagger to the CH heart – yet another goal-against scored in the dying seconds of a period.

And it was an appropriately disheartening end – the OT and Shootout were anticlimactic – to an evening that began with more speculation and rumours about Andrei Markov.

After skating and practicing with his teammates in Brossard, Markov joined them for the trip to California. But he didn’t play in Anaheim and wasn’t in San Jose.

The Canadiens being the paranoid, Stalinist organization they are, there was no information forthcoming on Markov’s whereabouts, his condition or the likelihood we’ll see him in the lineup any time soon.

As the Markov Mystery deepened, the Canadiens played a gutsy game and salavaged a point that left them tied at 25 with the no-longer-mighty Washington Capitals and imminently-bankrupt New Jersey Devils.

Heading to Los Angeles – where Markov purportedly awaits – the Canadiens are within a point of the eighth-place high-water mark they’ve yet to achieve this season.

This isn’t much of an ALN …, but it’s 2 a.m. in Montreal and I don’t know what to make of this team – beyond the certainty that the Canadiens face a steep uphill climb toward qualifying for the postseason.

Their speed was on display against the Sharks.

So was their lack of size – and depth.

Alexei Emelin played the first half of the game like a D-man staking a claim on a Top Six spot.

Over the last 30 minutes, he joined the Swiss Cheeses in making one yearn for the return of Jaro Spacek and Chris Campoli.

One last throught to haunt the dreams of Habs fans:

Travis Moen in the Shootout?

WTF?????



Where’s Andrei?

Posted by Mike Boone

Andrei Markov did not accompany the Canadiens to San Jose.

There are unconfirmed reports he has gone ahead to Los Angeles, where the team plays Saturday afternoon.

The ever-helpful Canadiens PR staff has supplied no details on the defenceman’s whereabouts, leaving the Twitterverse to explode with speculation … including the suggestion that a 32-year-old defenceman who’s had two knee surgeries and hasn’t played in almost 13 months might be involved in a trade.

And Pierre Lebrun of ESPN, quoting a source close to Markov, Tweets the defenceman is getting a “medical assessment” today.

What a mess!



Coaching continuity keys success in pro sports

By PAT HICKEY, The Gazette December 2, 2011 3:09 AM

It's open season on National Hockey League coaches, and that provided the backdrop as the Canadiens met the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday night.

It was a showdown between two teams desperate for a win, and speculation swirled around both head coaches. Anaheim's Randy Carlyle tried to slough off a suggestion he needed a win to save his job, but he had to be concerned after receiving a vote of confidence from his longtime friend, general manager Bob Murray.

The Ducks emerged 4-1 winners, but that didn't save Carlyle's job. Shortly after the final siren, Murray fired Carlyle.

Murray said it was important to have a new voice in the room, and announced Bruce Boudreau would be taking over. Boudreau was the head coach in Washington until Monday, when Capitals GM George McPhee decided a new voice was needed in the room and he replaced Boudreau with Dale Hunter.

As for the Canadiens' Jacques Martin, we'll never know whether he has received a vote of confidence, because general manager Pierre Gauthier is up there with the Sphinx when it comes to keeping his counsel. What we do know is that Wednesday's loss sparked a new chorus of howls from disgruntled fans who have a coaching change in Montreal at the top of their Christmas wish lists.

Longtime readers will know I'm no fan of coaching changes. I believe if an organization has hired the right person, it should stay the course. That has been the key to success for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Dodgers and any National Basketball Association team coached by Phil Jackson. Barry Trotz in Nashville and Lindy Ruff in Buffalo provide good examples of that theory in the National Hockey League.

Teams aren't going to win every year. There are down cycles created by injuries, free agency, aging players or, quite often, a lack of talent. But the lamest excuse in sports is to say that a coach has "lost the room" or "a new voice is needed." Comments like these say more about the character of the players than they do about the ability of the coach.

I happen to believe Martin is a pretty good coach. In his first season with the Canadiens, he took the team to the Eastern Conference final. Last season, the Canadiens lost to the Stanley Cupchampion Boston Bruins in seven games, and three losses - including Game 7 - were in overtime. As Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli told me: "Montreal probably gave us our toughest series."

The most common complaint about Martin is that his style is boring. Of course, many of the fans who offer this opinion also believe the Canadiens would be better off with Jacques Lemaire, whose New Jersey teams provided an instant cure for insomnia.

Martin has put together high-scoring teams in Ottawa, and the Canadiens' power play was among the best in the NHL in each of the past two seasons.

The Canadiens are struggling this season, but they are not alone, which is why Montreal is within a short winning streak of a playoff spot.

How much of the Canadiens' woes can be traced to Martin?

I don't know, but here are things you can't blame on the coach:

You can't blame Martin for the Canadiens' lack of size. When Bob Gainey blew this team up in 2009, he had a chance to add some size, but instead opted for Scott Gomez, Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta. Gainey took on a bad contract Glen Sather gave to Gomez, and compounded the error by sending defence prospect Ryan McDonagh to the Rangers as a throw-in.

You can't blame Martin for the injuries that have plagued this team, especially the lingering absence of defenceman Andrei Markov.

You can't blame Martin for Gomez's lack of production, or the growing pains experienced by P.K. Subban.

You can't blame Martin for the fact the Canadiens have the least-experienced defence corps in the NHL

You can't blame Martin for the Canadiens' being up against the cap and for the long-term contracts that could prove problematic in the future.

There are signs that some players have tuned Martin out, but there are two encouraging signs in the NHL statistics. The Canadiens rank third on the penalty-kill and lead the NHL in blocked shots.

Those categories are not about skill. They are a reflection of hard work, determination, a willingness to sacrifice yourself for the team. The key is to bring that commitment to the other facets of the game and combine that commitment with a few more healthy bodies.


597820 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators beat Vancouver Canucks on Mike Fisher's goal

Written by

Josh Cooper | The Tennessean

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Barry Trotz didn’t feel like the Predators had defeated the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

After all, a 6-5 victory feels like a loss to a coach who prides himself and his team’s identity on defense.

Still, on the final day of a long roadtrip, against a team that knocked them out of the playoffs last May, Trotz and the Predators will take the wild victory that involved all four goaltenders, three lead changes, and almost the goal total the two teams scored in four games a season ago.

“In the end it was good goaltending and some timely goals,” a subdued Trotz said after the game. “We’ll get out of here very, very quiet because I don’t think we deserved to win the game.”

The victory was Nashville’s highest offensive output of the season and sent the Predators (12-9-4) home with a little momentum after a grueling five-game roadtrip. The Predators finished 2-3-0 on this swing that took them through Minnesota, Detroit and Western Canada.

Mike Fisher notched the game-winner with 1:16 left in the third period. Fisher took a feed from Martin Erat off a rush and buried a backhander past Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo.

“Marty made a great play, I was just trying to get the puck up,” Fisher said. “It was one of those things where it was a quick play and I was able to get it underneath the bar, and in the right spot.”

The offensive output in the game was quite unexpected. In their four regular-season games one year ago, the Predators and Canucks combined for a total of 14 goals. Both teams pulled their starting goaltenders before the game was over. First Vancouver took out starter Cory Schneider after he allowed three goals on just five Nashville shots in the first period.

Then the Predators pulled Pekka Rinne after Jannik Hansen’s goal with 9:31 left in the second. Rinne allowed five goals on 18 total shots from the Canucks. It was the second time since Nov. 22 that Rinne had been pulled. It was the second time it happened in this building this season. The first time the Predators played here in October, Nashville pulled Rinne after the first period. Anders Lindback relieved Rinne. Lindback made 19 saves in 28:37.

“The positives is Anders was really good for us,” Trotz said. “The other positive was when things got turned around in the second, we found a way to stay in it, and we got two goals to get back in the game.”

After the Predators went up 3-1 after the first period, the two teams combined for a second period that saw a total of six goals combined. First, the Canucks notched four scores in the first 10:29 to grab a 5-3 lead after Hansen’s score. Then Nashville got tallies from Jordin Tootoo and Colin Wilson off Luongo. Wilson’s score with 2:30 left in the frame tied it at 5-5.

Tootoo’s goal was considered a momentum changer by the team.

“If it’s 5-3 after two, I’m pretty sure I’m not standing here going ‘hey, we won the game,’ ” Trotz said.

Tennessean LOADED: 12.02.2011


Jordin Tootoo's goal swings momentum for Nashville Predators

Written by


VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Jordin Tootoo didn’t bury the game-winner on Thursday. He didn’t even figure in on the game-tying goal. But the forward was credited with the goal that may have changed the outcome of Nashville’s game.

With the Predators down 5-3 in the second, Tootoo took a feed from Matt Halischuk in front and buried a shot past Roberto Luongo with 3:51 left in the second period. Just 1:21 later, Colin Wilson tied the game at five goals apiece.

“We knew (Luongo’s) confidence level was probably not at its highest, so we wanted to get pucks to the net and get to those second and third chances,” Tootoo said. “Fortunately we got a good bounce there and got us a goal.”

Four goalies: It’s not often that these two teams each play both of their goaltenders. But starters Cory Schneider and Pekka Rinne both struggled. Rinne allowed five goals on 18 shots before being pulled in the second period. Schneider allowed three Nashville goals on five shots in the first before getting yanked.

Nashville backup Anders Lindback ended up besting all three of the other goaltenders – Roberto Luongo took the loss in relief for the Canucks – by stopping all 19 shots he faced.

“They’re a very offensive, skilled team, so they shoot a lot, but I think guys did a really good job of letting me handle the first pucks and taking away the rebounds,” Lindback said. “That’s always nice to get a few (shots) right away and get a confidence boost, and get warm and start to feel the pucks.”

Fisher scores twice: The Predators hope that Mike Fisher’s two goals help get him back on track. The forward, who has struggled to return to form after offseason shoulder surgery and a late October concussion notched the game-winner Thursday.

“Fish had a real good start when he came back, then he sort of dried up,” Nashville Coach Barry Trotz said. “Hopefully he gets on a little bit of a roll.”

Many goals: Last season, both teams combined for 14 goals in four games. Thursday, they notched 11. The second period alone saw six scores. In their regular-season series a year ago, both combined for five.

“I don’t think anybody expected that out of this game,” defenseman Shea Weber said. “The way we’ve played in the past, it has always been a low-scoring, tight-checking game.”

Kositsyn out: Forward Sergei Kostitsyn didn’t play with what Trotz called an upper-body injury. Trotz said Kostitsyn suffered the injury against Calgary on Tuesday. Trotz said there was a possibility Kostitsyn could play Saturday against Buffalo.



Former Predator Alex Sulzer hopes for playoff series

Written by


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — It would be the ideal scenario for Canucks defenseman Alex Sulzer: The Predators and Vancouver square off again in the second round of the NHL playoffs, so Sulzer can be in Nashville when his child is born. His wife is due in May.

Though Sulzer was traded to Florida last year and signed with the Canucks in the offseason, he and his wife call Nashville home.

“I should tell the guys from Nashville to play well so we can meet in the second round,” Sulzer joked.

Last February, the Predators traded Sulzer to the Panthers. The morning of the deal, Predators General Manager David Poile told Sulzer the defenseman was being put on waivers. This meant Sulzer was probably going to be sent to Milwaukee. Then a few hours later, Sulzer was traded.

“I was really excited but nervous too. It was a fresh start,” Sulzer said.

During this summer, when Sulzer was an unrestricted free agent, he faced a tough market. He knew he wouldn’t be signed to a one-way contract, so he looked at the defensive depth for different teams and their minor league affiliates. He settled on the Canucks.

“After all that, it made the most sense to sign here,” Sulzer said.

Sulzer isn’t playing regularly. He’s played only five games so far this season. But he’s OK with that, as long as the playoffs go through Nashville in May.

“I really like it here,” Sulzer said. “It’s a great organization and I’m really happy.”

Reach Josh Cooper at 615-259-8917 or [email protected].



Predators rally for high-scoring victory at Vancouver

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:46pm

The Nashville Predators scored on their first two shots and later rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 6-5 Thursday at Vancouver.

Ten different players scored and both teams changed goalies as the Predators set a season-high for goals scored in the last of a five-game road trip. The only player with two goals was Nashville’s Mike Fisher, who got the game-winner with 1:16 remaining.

Vancouver was the first to change goalies as Roberto Luongo replaced starter Cory Schneider after the first period. Schneider allowed three goals on five shots and the Predators led 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Fisher’s first goal came at 8:16 of the first, 2:32 after David Legwand made it 1-0.

Anders Lindback replaced Pekka Rinne between the pipes for Nashville after Rinne allowed four goals in the first 10:29 of the second period. Lindback stopped all 19 shots he faced and earned the victory.

It was the second time in as many visits to Vancouver this season that Rinne started but failed to finish. He allowed four goals in one period back on Oct. 20. The Predators lost that one 5-1.

They trailed 5-3 at the point Rinne was pulled but got even before the second intermission on goals by Jordin Tootoo and Colin Wilson. The Canucks outshot the Predators 21-9 in the second period.

Wilson (one goal, two assists) and rookie Craig Smith (three assists) had three points each and four other Nashville players had two points each. Vancouver had three players with two points each.

The Predators play their first home game in nearly two weeks when they host the Buffalo Sabres 7 p.m. Saturday.

Nashville City Paper LOADED: 12.02.2011

597824 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk after minus-4: I don't think anyone slept well

By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk admitted going minus-4 in a game while scoring a goal, as he did in Colorado on Wednesday night, is not easy to do.

But he also said it was time to look ahead after a 6-1 loss in which he was on the ice for five of the Avs' six goals.

"We talked about it today and it's all in the past," Kovalchuk said. "Why would you point to anybody? It's always a team effort. I was minus-4. It's tough to get minus-4 in the same game. It's all about how you respond in the next game."

Coach Pete DeBoer agreed.

"That was a 20-man effort last night," he said. "That wasn't a one-man deal."

I asked Kovalchuk, who scored his fifth goal of the season, if he lost any sleep after the rout and his own struggle.

"I don't think anybody was sleeping well last night," he said. "You want to be a plus player, obviously. It's another challenge I'll take. There are a lot of games in front of me. It's a five-man unit, a team sport. You can't do much by yourself, but you have to make sure you didn't cause those minuses. That's the first step."

Minus-4 wasn't Kovalchuk's worst game statistically. According to the Elias Sports Bureau he was minus-6 for Atlanta in the Thrashers' 8-1 loss to Ottawa on Jan. 2, 2003.

DeBoer was asked what bothered him most about the loss.

"I just think we're at a point where I believe our Xs and Os and how we want to play technically are in place and it's becoming second nature," he said. "But if you don't come and compete and execute it doesn't matter. We had one of those nights where man one through 20 the compete and execute wasn't there. We've got to fix that.

"The good news is you're going to have a few of those in a season. They just can't happen on a regular basis."

Kovalchuk seemed to be on board with that philosphy.

"You know what? It's a long season and a lot of things happen," Kovalchuk said. "You just have to try to take the positive out of that. I think the second period we played mostly five-on-five. When you lose, 6-1, it's all about how you're going to rebound in that next game. We have to be ready tomorrow.

"Good teams can't drop three in a row, that's for sure. Especially in our situation right now. Everybody is so tight and not confident. We have to play good road hockey and we showed it in the first 20 games.

"What do we fix? The emotions. It seems like every goal we're in the right place where we're supposed to be but we didn't execute. You have to play with patience and a lot of energy in this game. We're playing in the best league in the world and if you try to take it easy on somebody they're going to take advantage."

*

Martin Brodeur, who will start against the Wild Friday night, was happy to see John MacLean get a job as assistant coach with the Carolina Hurricanes.

MacLean joins best friend Kirk Muller, who replaced Paul Maurice as head coach.

"I'm happy for Johnny Mac," Brodeur said. "I always liked Johnny Mac. He was an assistant for us for a long time. He got dealt a tough hand when he took over the team. Fair or not fair, it was just something that happened. It's good he could bounce back on his feet.I wish him all the best. I'm sure he's real happy about getting back in the game."

Andy Greene felt similarly.

"Good for him," Greene said. "Another opportunity for him. You never want to wish anyone ill things or bad luck."

Zach Parise said: "I was surprised. It kind of came out of nowhere."

Minnesota writers asked Parise if friends and family members have been pushing for him to sign with the Wild after this season. Parise is from Minnesota.

"No, I haven't heard anything (like that)," Parise said with a smile. "I wouldn't admit it if I did."

His father, J.P., is now retired from coaching and his duties at Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota. He attended practice today and wouldn't mind seeing Zach in a Wild jersey.

"He would love it," Parise said.

But the Devils' captain repeated that he'd like to stay in New Jersey.

"I hope so. That's what I hope for," he said. "We can't do anything (about a new contract) right now."

Parise's parents will attend the game. His fiance and her family also flew in for the game. The left winger planned to go to his new home at Lake Minnetonka today, which he hasn't seen since closing on the deal.

Originally scheduled to be televised on MSG-Plus, the Devils-Wild game Friday night will be on MSG.

MSG Networks will honor former New Jersey Devils star defenseman Scott Niedermayer by telecasting five of his greatest games starting Monday, December 5 at 8:00 p.m. on MSG Plus leading up to the retirement of his No. 27 jersey by the Devils on “Scott Niedermayer Night” on Friday, December 16.

The five games will be hosted by MSG Plus and Devils play-by-play man Steve Cangialosi and former Devils star and MSG Networks analyst Ken Daneyko as they discuss the significance of each game in Niedermayer’s career.

“Scott obviously had the dramatics for scoring a big goal and setting up a goal with an assist, but what was special about him was that he could control the whole tempo of a game,” says Daneyko, a teammate of Niedermayer’s for 11 seasons, in Monday’s episode “Not many defensemen could do that and Scott Niedermayer was one of the best at it.”

The five games in the series — all on MSG Plus at 8:00 p.m. — include:

Monday, Dec. 5: Bruins at Devils (10/20/01) — Niedermayer scores OT winner

Wednesday, Dec. 7: 2000 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Panthers at Devils (4/16/00) — Niedermayer scores short-handed goal

Friday, Dec. 9: 2003 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Lightning at Devils (5/2/03) — Devils advance to Finals

Monday, Dec. 12: 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, Devils at Red Wings (6/20/95) — Niedermayer ties the game in the 3rd period

Wednesday, Decc 14: 2000 Stanley Cup Finals, Devils at Stars (6/10/2000) — Niedermayer scores short-handed goal and Devils win Cup in 2nd OT

On Friday, Dec. 16, the Devils will retire Niedermayer’s No. 27 jersey before the team hosts the Dallas Stars. MSG Plus will have special coverage of the evening, starting with a pre-game show at 6:30 p.m., which will include the ceremony.

“After winning three Stanley Cups, I don’t know how you can separate one from another,” said Niedermayer when asked about his proudest moment with the Devils. “Those were some very special moments, and when you get a chance to look back and understand how much hard work went into it, you realize that it really takes a team to win.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 12.02.2011


X-rays on ankle negative, Devils expect Dainius Zubrus to play vs. Wild


ST. PAUL, Minn. — X-rays on the right ankle of Devils forward Dainius Zubrus were negative and he said he exoects to be in the lineup Friday night against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center.

Defenseman Andy Greene, who missed the game in Colorado when he was hit in the foot by a shot during Saturday's game against the Islanders, said he also thinks he'll play against the Wild.

Zubrus, who was struck with a shot on the inside of his right ankle with 15:08 left in the 6-1 loss to the Avalanche, did not practice today. He took treatment on his still-swollen ankle instead.

"It's a little bit sore. I'll be OK. It's just a bruise with some swelling," Zubrus reported. "Something like this is going to hurt for a while. There's not a lot of meat to cover the bone."

There was an egg larger than a golf ball when he left Denver, but it had gone down a bit by today. Zubrus said he knew enough to keep his skate on so he could keep playing.

"That's why I don't take it off. If it had happened in the first period I would've kept it on the whole game," Zubrus said. "I don't know if it was that hard. Just the placement."

Rod Pelley skated on the Patrik Elias line today, with Petr Sykora moving from left wing to Zubrus' spot at right wing. But coach Pete DeBoer expects to have Zubrus back.

"The X-rays were negative," DeBoer said. "I haven't thought about the line. Obviously we have Pelley on the trip. He would go in. I'm anticipating that (Zubrus) will play. If he doesn't we;ll deal with that."

He said he doesn't believe there is reason to call anyone up from the minors.

Elias said he would have no problem with Pelley on his line and called him a "very smart player."

And Greene?

"I think so," DeBoer said. "He got through practice and he looked good."

Greene said: "I'm doing good. I felt pretty good out there today. No hiccups."

DeBoer used Greene on the right point of the power play today, with Ilya Kovalchuk on the left point.

"With the power play we're at that point where we're going to look at some different things," DeBoer said. "The last couple of games is the first time I really sensed some frustration from the players.

"I haven't bought into the numbers. I don't think it's as poor as the numbers indicate."

The Devils are 1-for-15 on the power play in the last five games. They've allowed three short-handed goals over that span and six for the season.

DeBoer said he didn't see the benefit in tearing into his players or skating them hard today after the loss in Colorado.

"I used to be one of those guys," he said. "I think you learn that what makes you feel better personally doesn't always help your team get ready for the next game and give them a chance to win the next game.That's the things you learn over time, over 15-20 years of coaching. You try and do everything and keep track of the results. That's experience."

Captain Zach Parise said several players spoke today, himself included.

"There is definitely a time and a place. I'm not going to preach in the media what was said. That's internal," Parise said.

Parise told me the Devils have to forget about the loss.

"Yes. At the same time we had to address it and we did," Parise said. "It's been kind of creeping in the last few games, so it's something we had to address. We have to fix it.

"We haven't been hard to play against the last few games. That's something at the beginning of the season we were winning games, playing under control and getting 40 shots and we were on our toes. We were aggressive. Right now we're hesitating a little bit.

"Way too many times last night we would be outnumbering them and they would come out with the puck. Anytime there was any type of competition for the puck, we lost it. That's why we got beat up pretty good, 6-1."

DeBoer said Martin Brodeur will start against the Wild.



Dainius Zubrus (ankle) does not practice with Devils in Minnesota


ST. PAUL, Minn. — Dainius Zubrus, hit on the inside of his right ankle by a shot during Wednesday night's 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, did not take part in the Devils' practice today at the Xcel Energy Center.

Rod Pelley took his spot on the line with Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias. Sykora shifted to the right side.

Zubrus had X-rays on the ankle, which was badly swollen.

Defenseman Andy Greene, who sat out the game against the Avalanche, did practice today.

If Zubrus is unable to play against the Wild Friday night, which seems very possible, the Devils would likely call up another forward. That could be Nick Palmieri.

Devils lines:

Zach Parise-Adam Henrique-Ilya Kovalkchuk

Rod Pelley-Patrik Elias-Petr Sykora

Mattias Tedenby-Ryan Carter-David Clarkson

Eric Boulton-Tim Sestito-Cam Janssen

The entire defense corps skated: Greene, Adam Larsson, Henrik Tallinder, Bryce Salvador, Mark Fayne, Anton Volchenkov, Mark Fraser.

Both goalies — Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg — also practiced.



Devils' Wild idea: Bounce back tonight

By TOM GULITTI

STAFF WRITER

The Record

ST. PAUL, Minn. – It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Devils though their first 23 games, but, for the most part, they’ve experienced nothing near the crisis mode they seemed to be in almost from the start of last season.

There was reason for concern, however, after an ugly 6-1 loss in Colorado on Wednesday night in which Devils coach Pete DeBoer said the team "didn’t show up." That brought about a meeting prior to the team’s practice Thursday at Xcel Energy Center and an urgency to rebound in tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

First-year captain Zach Parise was among those who spoke as the Devils discussed what went wrong Wednesday and the disturbing trend that preceded it.

"There’s definitely a time and a place and I’m not going to preach in the media about what is said and when it’s said – not just me, but from everybody," Parise said. "Especially after last game, everyone understands it. You guys know me, my personality. But, again, I do feel there’s a time and place for everything. That’s just what goes on in here. That’s internal."

Although there were many little things that added up to Wednesday’s debacle, the main problem was the effort, which is not something DeBoer has had reason to question previously this season.

"We had one of those nights where man one through 20, the compete and the execute wasn’t there," DeBoer said. "We’ve got to fix that."

It would be convenient to dismiss it as a one-game occurrence, but there had been some negative signs leading up to Wednesday’s game with the way the Devils played last week against Columbus and the Islanders – two of the NHL’s lower-level teams. The Devils won in a shootout over the Blue Jackets and split a pair of games with the Isles.

"We haven’t been hard to play against the last couple of games, the last few games," Parise said. "That’s something that at the beginning of the season, when we were winning games and playing in control and getting 40 shots,

we were on our toes, we were aggressive. I feel like now we’re hesitating a little bit and way too many times [Wednesday] night we would be outnumbering them and they would come out with the puck. Any time there was any kind of competition for the puck, we lost it and that’s why we got beat up pretty good, 6-1."

There was good news for the Devils in that the X-ray on right wing Dainius Zubrus’ right ankle came back negative and he expects to be able to play tonight. Zubrus was struck on the inside of the ankle in the third period Wednesday and it ballooned on him when he took his skate off after the game.

"It’s a little bit sore, but I’ll be OK," Zubrus said. "It’s just a bruise and some swelling."

Defenseman Andy Greene is also likely to play tonight after missing Wednesday’s game with a sore foot. He said he had no problems with his foot during Thursday’s practice.

Martin Brodeur will start in net for the third consecutive game and seventh time in eight games.

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.02.2011

597828 New York Islanders

Islanders call up Reese just in case

By JAMES CREPEA [email protected]

New York Islanders' Dylan Reese shoots and scores

The Islanders recalled defenseman Dylan Reese on an emergency basis from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Thursday. Reese, who leads Sound Tigers defensemen with 12 points (10 assists) in 21 games, could fill in for Andrew MacDonald, who is day-to-day with a right leg injury after blocking a shot late in Tuesday's win over Buffalo.

"We told our guys when they left training camp, 'When the phone rings, you've got to be the best player,' and Dylan was playing the best hockey as far as the D go," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said.

Reese had six assists in 27 games with the Islanders last season and is excited about possibly making his season debut Friday in Chicago after he was the last defenseman cut during training camp.

"I wanted to make the team out of camp, and that wasn't in the cards," Reese said. "If I get in, I get in, and I'm going to give it my best effort and do all I can to stay here and help this team right the ship and get on the right path."

MacDonald skated before Thursday's practice. Capuano said he will be looked at Friday and that he has a chance to play against the Blackhawks.

"We don't want to throw somebody in there, put them at risk," Capuano said. "He was walking around pretty good [Thursday], he skated . . . We'll see how it goes."

Reese was paired with Travis Hamonic in practice, but Capuano said the defensive pairings could change if MacDonald is unable to play.

Homecoming for MontoyaAl Montoya came up big in Tuesday's win, especially during a five-on-three penalty kill spanning 1:34 of the third period. Montoya stopped 30 of 31 shots and has allowed only four goals in the last three games.

Capuano would not commit to Montoya, a Chicago native, getting the start Friday, but he complimented his play. "Al has played extremely well the last few games he's been in there," he said.

If Montoya gets the start, he said it would fulfill a dream to play in his "home base."

"I've always wanted to [play in Chicago]. It's always been a dream," he said. "Trying not to think about it too much, think about it after it's over. Never thought this day would come and it's here and it's exciting. Hopefully the first of many."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597829 New York Rangers

Second-Period Outburst Powers Streaking Rangers

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Rangers are on such a good run that their demanding coach, John Tortorella, is having trouble finding anything to complain about.

Ryan McDonagh, Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored in a span of 4 minutes 53 seconds of the second period to lead the Rangers past the host Carolina Hurricanes, 5-3, on Thursday for their fourth straight win.

“I’m happy with the club because they’re playing really well right now as a team,” said Tortorella, whose team has won 11 of 13 games.

Not only did 14 Rangers players post points, but with the Rangers nursing a two-goal lead in the waning minutes, John Mitchell and Derek Stepan sacrificed their bodies and lunged to block shots. Mitchell’s teammates praised his effort because the puck struck him just above the right eye.

Tortorella said the effort was representative of the Rangers’ attitude. “It starts with our leadership,” Tortorella said. “If you look at Ryan Callahan, who is wearing the C, he does all of that stuff. I think it just grows within the team. When you’re winning, as we are now, people just buy into it.”

Callahan and defenseman Michael Sauer had the other goals for the Rangers. Martin Biron made 28 saves in a spot start for No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers (14-5-3) remained 3 points behind Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh, but they have played four fewer games than the Penguins.

Carolina remained winless in two games under their new coach, Kirk Muller, who replaced Paul Maurice on Monday. The Hurricanes (8-15-4) have lost five in a row and are last in the Southeast Division. Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced that the former Devils head coach John MacLean had been added to their coaching staff.

STARS 3, SENATORS 2 Eric Nystrom scored the tie-breaking goal with 2 minutes 20 seconds left and host Dallas rallied past Ottawa. Nystrom took possession of the puck behind the Ottawa net, drifted to the left circle and fired a shot past goalie Craig Anderson for his ninth goal of the season. Milan Michalek had given the Senators a 2-1 advantage at 11:42 of the final period.

JETS 1, COYOTES 0 Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves in his second shutout of the season and Bryan Little’s first-period goal held up in the Coyotes’ first game back in Winnipeg since leaving for the Arizona desert in 1996. Little scored the game’s only goal off a rebound while Coyotes goalie Mike Smith was out of position. After the game, the crowd gave the Jets a standing ovation and saluted them at center ice as the players raised their sticks.

BLUE JACKETS 4, FLAMES 3 Rick Nash scored the tying goal with 58 seconds left in regulation and then netted the only goal in the shootout to give Columbus a victory in Calgary. The Flames led, 3-1, with less than five minutes left in the third period, and appeared to be in control, but Nikita Nikitin and Nash scored to tie it.

New York Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


NY Rangers' Marc Staal back on practice ice, but return from concussion is still 'long ways away'

Brother's hit knocked him out, but Staal is on way back

By Pat Leonard

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Friday, December 2 2011, 1:07 AM

RALEIGH, N.C. - Defenseman Marc Staal skated with a Rangers teammate on Thursday for the first time since Sept. 25, and while he said he believes he’ll return from a concussion this season, his return to the ice is a “long ways away.”

’ll be back this season but holds no grudge against his brother, Hurricanes captain Eric, for the Feb. 22 hit that knocked Staal out of the Blueshirts' lineup.

“I think (given) the rate of improvement the last month or so, I feel that I’ll be back,” Staal said early in the afternoon in the visiting locker room at RBC Arena, the site of his brother Eric’s vicious check on him along the boards last winter. “That’s the plan. It’s just (to) make sure I’m healthy, get back and start playing.”

Staal’s next step toward a recovery involved skating with another injured Ranger, winger Mike Rupp (knee), for about a half-hour at the end of the team’s optional morning session. It was also the first time Rupp had skated since undergoing arthroscopic surgery Nov. 9 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Staal and Rupp skated very lightly while playing 2-on-2 against assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld and video coordinator Jerry Dineen, and Staal said he felt “good” afterward, having not experienced headaches following exertion for the past couple weeks.

Staal last skated with the Rangers on Sept. 25, a Sunday, but the following week, he was off the ice while receiving acupuncture treatment, an MRI and a cortisone shot in his neck. He then skated a couple of times with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Connecticut Whale, but was eventually downgraded from day-to-day to out indefinitely.

Thursday, Staal could not provide a timetable “long ways away. ” . He is working to regain his strength after staying out of the weight room and off the ice for a full month, a shutdown ordered by specialist Dr. Robert Cantu the week of Oct. 16.

“After the injections and the acupunctures, I was kind of hoping or planning on being with the team in the Western Canada trip there,” Staal said of the Rangers’ early four-game road swing from Vancouver through Winnipeg.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ny-rangers-marc-staal-back-practice-ice-return-concussin-stil-long-ways-article-1.985737#ixzz1fN2dFCfd

“I went to see Cantu and he basically told me to shut it down for a month. That’s pretty shocking, but I think it was the right thing to do at that point, and it’s been going well.”

As for whether he blames his brother, Staal said: “I put that behind me the day - maybe the day after - it happened. Not right away. I was pretty upset. But it was tough because it was my brother and it’s a little different situation when that happens. We play hard against each other. That’s just the way we play.”

Staal was cleared to resume “light physical activity” on Nov. 17, and began skating lightly on his own Monday in Greenburgh, but had not skated with a teammate until Thursday.

In February, after being hit, Staal missed three games with a sore knee and two more in March. Despite the concussion, he passed a baseline test and returned to play 15 regular-season games and a first-round playoff series. The Rangers did not publicly reveal Staal’s concussion to the media until training camp.

“Looking back I think personally I would have taken more time,” Staal said when asked if he regrets returning last season. “I told myself I was fine, and I did feel good. I wasn’t feeling 100%. But at that point, it was my decision to get going, and I don’t know if I’d be in the same situation now if I was. It’s hard to tell, it’s all looking back, but it’s been a long journey since.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 12.02.2011


NY Rangers collect fourth straight win, beat Hurricanes 5-3 behind Ryan McDonagh, Marian Gaborik, Sean Avery

By Pat Leonard

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Originally Published: Thursday, December 1 2011, 9:53 PM

Updated: Friday, December 2 2011, 1:03 AM

RALEIGH, N.C. - Martin Biron took a high stick off his helmet. John Mitchell blocked a slap shot with his head. Then Derek Stepan got in the way of another whistler from the point and needed help getting to the bench.

This is when the Rangers are most proud - not when they take leads, but when they protect them.

“It just comes down to battles in the third period, and sacrificing your body like Mitchell and Step,” said Ryan McDonagh, who scored in the second period of the Rangers’ fourth straight win, 5-3 over the host Hurricanes, Thursday night. “They’re blocking big shots, and it’s just a great overall period to close it out.”

The Rangers (14-5-3) now fly to Tampa Bay to finish a two-game road trip against the Lightning on Saturday.

Thursday, the Blueshirts got everyone involved, as 14 of their 18 skaters registered at least one point to drop Carolina (8-15-4). The Hurricanes were playing their second game under new coach Kirk Muller, who replaced the fired Paul Maurice on Monday.

The Rangers used second-period goals from McDonagh, Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery to recover from an early 2-1 deficit. Ryan Callahan scored a power-play goal in the first, making it the fourth straight game where the Blueshirts have scored on the man advantage.

“At worst tonight we were good, and in the best part of the game we were great,” said Biron (28 saves), who gave Henrik Lundqvist a night off and improved to 4-1-0 as a starter this season.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ny-rangers-collect-fourth-straight-win-beat-hurricanes-5-3-behind-ryan-mcdonagh-marian-gaborik-sean-avery-article-1.985665#ixzz1fN2qxe3i

New York Daily News LOADED: 12.02.2011


Rangers never made proposal to Ducks for Ryan

By LARRY BROOKS

Last Updated: 2:29 AM, December 2, 2011

Posted: 2:24 AM, December 2, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rangers’ discussions with Anaheim this week regarding a possible trade for Ducks’ winger Bobby Ryan never reached the stage where the clubs exchanged proposals, a source familiar with the situation told The Post before the Rangers’ 5-3 victory last night over the deficient Hurricanes.

The Ducks, who have taken Ryan off the market at least temporarily after dismissing coach Randy Carlyle and replacing him with Bruce Boudreau, never identified the players they wanted from the Rangers. In turn, general manager Glen Sather never made a concrete proposal, though it is believed he established general parameters about which young men he might be willing to send west.

The source told The Post that if the Ducks later this season seek a bounty for the 24-year-old power winger including two prime players off the NHL roster, a prospect and a draft choice, then the Rangers will not be acquiring him.

Marian Gaborik scored in just 14 of the 62 games in which he played last season while recording 22 goals. After notching his 12th of the season last night, The Great Gabby has scored in 10 of the Rangers’ 22 matches.

Sean Avery scored three goals in 76 games last year. After beating Cam Ward with a short-side right wing wrist shot for what proved to be the winner, Avery has scored three goals in 11 games.

Rangers’ defensemen scored a combined 27 goals all last season. After Ryan McDonagh and Michael Sauer scored last night, the Blueshirts’ blue line has accounted for 12 goals.

The Rangers entered the match eighth in the NHL in faceoff efficiency at 51.4-percent after finishing 25th in that category a year ago at 47.7 percent.

Last night, however, they were 13-24 at the dots through the first two periods before going 14-7 in the third to finish the night 27-31.

Brad Richards, who came in at 55.6 percent (163-130) was 2-10 through 40 minutes before a 5-4 third period.

Ryan Callahan’s first-period goal on the power play extended the Rangers’ streak to four straight games in which they have scored a power-play goal. … The Rangers are in Tampa Bay tomorrow night to face the Lightning.

New York Post LOADED: 12.02.2011


Rangers' Staal long way from return

By LARRY BROOKS



RALEIGH, N.C. — Marc Staal said yesterday “the plan” is for him to join the Rangers’ lineup at some point this season, though the 24-year-old defenseman’s return is far from imminent or even assured.

“It’s a long ways away,” Staal said after skating for approximately a half-hour yesterday morning with the club’s scratches for last night’s match against the Hurricanes. “I just started getting back to light workouts, and after being shut down for a month, my strength basically was gone, so I have to get that back.

“But I think that based on my rate of improvement over the last month, I feel I’ll be back [this season]. I have to make sure I’m healthy, but that’s the plan.”

Staal, who has been sidelined all season with post-concussion issues that arose in the aftermath of the injury he sustained against the Hurricanes Feb. 22 on a hit from his brother, Eric, began light workouts two weeks ago following a month of inactivity prescribed in mid-October by Boston-based concussion specialist Dr. Robert Cantu.

The defenseman, who said he has been symptom-free “for a couple of weeks” began skating on his own on Monday at the Blueshirts’ practice facility after having been off the ice since Oct. 1

“Being shut down for a month helped,” said the 24-year-old, who had thought he would be cleared to join the Rangers the second week of October in western Canada when he first visited Dr. Cantu, but was instead shut down. “The third and fourth weeks I could feel the improvement while I was resting.

“I had a lot of good days, there was a bad one mixed in once in a while, but when there was a bad day, the next day I was back to normal.”

Staal missed three games in the immediate aftermath of sustaining the concussion, though the Rangers said at the time a knee injury he also suffered in the match was the reason for his absence. He rejoined the club for seven games after passing baseline tests and being cleared by the club’s medical staff before sitting out two more games in late March for then-undisclosed reasons.

After again being cleared, Staal returned for the final 10 matches of the regular season and the five-game, first-round playoff series against the Capitals.

“Obviously, I think, looking back [to last year], personally I would have taken more time,” said Staal, who following workouts over the summer began suffering intermittent headaches that returned after he participated in on-ice testing the first couple of days of training camp. “I sugarcoated a lot of things.

“I told myself I was fine, and I did feel good [but] I wasn’t 100-percent. It was my decision to get going. I don’t know if I’d be in the same situation now [if I hadn’t returned]; it’s all looking back.

“It’s been a long journey since.”

Staal said he harbors no grudge against his older brother for delivering the high, mean, albeit legal hit late in the second period of that 4-3 shootout victory over the Hurricanes that has made the journey necessary.

“I put it behind me that day … or the day after,” Staal said, chuckling, before including his younger brother, Pittsburgh center Jordan, in the conversation. “For a day I was pretty upset.

“It’s a whole different situation playing against your brother. We play hard against each other. I play hard against Jordan. I caught Jordan on one play that could have gone a different way. That’s the way it is.

“We’re not taking it easy on each other. That would be noticeable. I don’t think people would like that.”



Confident Rangers clock ’Canes for 4th straight win

By LARRY BROOKS



RALEIGH, N.C. — It doesn’t matter whether winning breeds confidence or confidence breeds winning. Because just as that beer tasted great and was less filling all at once, this Rangers’ season can prove it to you both ways.

The Blueshirts weren’t at their sharpest last night, not by a long shot, but they were pretty much at their deepest, with five different players scoring and 14 different players registering at least one point in the 5-3 victory here over the Candy Canes that stretched the club’s latest winning streak to four games.

“I think we’re really starting to get confidence throughout the entire lineup,” said Ryan Callahan, who scored the club’s first goal and his 10th of the year. “Even when we’re not at our best, there’s a calmness you can feel.

“There’s no panic on the bench. And then we take that onto the ice from one line to another and it builds. And as that builds, and we win games, the winning gives us confidence.

“We know there’s a lot to improve on and that we can and have to get better, but we’re feeling good about our game.”

The Rangers have every right to feel that way. They are 11-2 in their last 13 matches and their 14-5-3 record represents the league’s best point-per-game mark (1.41 per). The Rangers have their best 22-game record in 17 seasons, since the 1993-94 club was 15-5-2 at this milepost, though it should be noted the NHL did not begin awarding loser’s points until 1999-2000.

“I can feel that the confidence is very good throughout the whole team,” said Marian Gaborik, who was the only Ranger to record two points by scoring his 12th goal of the year before setting up Sean Avery’s eventual game-winner. “We don’t want to be too high or too low, we want to be steady.

“We’re not making fancy plays or making it difficult on ourselves. We’re where we’re supposed to be and making it easy to support one another. We’re winning by being good on the fundamentals.”

The Rangers have but to regain the Black-and-Blueshirt identity they established last year. They’re blocking shots with all bodily parts — witness John Mitchell using his face last night to get in the way of a third-period Joni Pitkanen drive — and they’re taking hits, going in straight lines to the net and using their bodies to defend.

In the last two games, they’ve shown both the ability to score in bursts and the ability to remain poised even when yielding the first goal.

Monday, they scored four goals within a span of 10:25, including three within 4:17 in a 4-3 victory over the Penguins. Last night, they scored three goals within a stretch of 4:53 during the gut of the second period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 advantage.

And while Monday marked the first time this year the Rangers had won after giving up the first goal in the first period, they did it again last night after falling behind 1-0 on a goal off a faceoff, and then 2-1 off a goal off another faceoff at 19:51.

“We weren’t bad in the first period but we knew we had another gear we could go to, and that was the message in the intermission,” said Martin Biron, who made 28 saves and outplayed a most ordinary Cam Ward at the other end. “But that’s one of the things about us, we find the way to lift our game when we need to.”



Rangers rally to beat Canes, win 4th straight

Posted: 10:03 PM, December 1, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. — Ryan McDonagh, Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored in a 4:53 span of the second period and the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

Ryan Callahan and Michael Sauer had the other goals for the Rangers, who got points from 14 players and earned their 11th win in 13 games. Martin Biron made 28 saves as he made a spot start for No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

New York remained three points behind Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh, but the Rangers have played four fewer games than the Penguins.

Derek Joslin, Jeff Skinner and Jiri Tlutsy scored goals for Carolina, winless in two games under new coach Kirk Muller.



Marc Staal plans to return this season

By ANDREW GROSS

STAFF WRITER

The Record

RALEIGH, N.C. – The "bad days" are still a rare occurrence for Marc Staal as he continues to recover from a concussion. And while he has no timetable, the defenseman expects to play for the Rangers this season.

"I think the rate of improvement the last month or so, I feel I’ll be back and that’s the plan," Staal said Thursday in his first public comments since Sept. 30.

Staal, accompanying the Rangers for the second straight trip, had a light skate with injured left wing Mike Rupp at the RBC Center. Staal resumed skating Monday after being cleared for light workouts by Boston-based specialist Dr. Robert Cantu on Nov. 15.

The RBC Center is, of course, where his brother, Eric, of the Hurricanes, leveled him on Feb. 22. Marc Staal missed the next three games but only two more the rest of the season and played in all five playoff games. The headaches worsened this summer when he tried to intensify his workouts and he has yet to play again.

"I think, looking back, personally I would have taken more time," Staal said of playing last season. "I sugar-coated a lot of things and told myself I was fine and I did feel good. I wasn’t feeling 100 percent."

Dr. Cantu advised Staal to shut down all physical activities shortly after he skated with Connecticut (AHL) on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. At the time, acupuncture and a cortisone shot did not ease the symptoms.

"The shut-down for a month helped and now it’s just kind of slowly getting to workouts," said Staal, adding he’s been symptom free for a couple of weeks. "It’s been tough. The month when they told me to shut it down, that was hard, the first couple of weeks were pretty miserable. Now, knowing that I feel like I’m getting better, it makes it easier to sit and watch."



Rangers blow away Hurricanes, 5-3, for fourth win in a row

By ANDREW GROSS

STAFF WRITER

The Record

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Rangers proved the past three games they could beat the East’s top contenders. But a true sign of a good team is it doesn’t stumble against the bad ones.

So the Rangers extended their latest winning streak to four as they beat the struggling Hurricanes, 5-3, Thursday night at RBC Center with 14 of their 18 skaters notching at least one point, including five of their six defensemen.

“We talked about that before the game,” said defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who tied the game at 2 at 8:54 of the second period. “We had three pretty big wins and we wanted to make them stand.”

The Rangers (14-5-3) had beaten the Capitals, Flyers and Penguins and are 11-2-1 since Oct. 29. Marty Biron stopped 28 shots in his fifth start while Cam Ward made 22 saves for the Hurricanes (8-15-4), in an 0-4-1 skid and 0-2-0 under new coach Kirk Muller.

“After those three games we wanted to come back on the road and make sure we were sharp mentally and emotionally,” said Marian Gaborik, who made it 3-2 at 11:50 of the second period.

The Rangers wound up scoring three times in 4:53 to go ahead, 4-2, on Sean Avery’s goal at 13:47.

In all, it negated Jiri Tlusty giving the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead 35 seconds into the game, Jeff Skinner making it 2-1 with 8.7 seconds to go in the first period and Derek Joslin bringing the Hurricanes within 4-3 on a video-reviewed goal at 17:47 of the second period.

“Not a lot of teams I’ve seen winning giving up goals in the first minute of the first and the last minute,” said Biron, who remained in the game after being hit under the mask by McDonagh’s stick at 7:47 of the third period.

BRIEFS: Mike Rupp (left knee) skated for the first time since surgery on Nov. 9. … RW Andre Deveaux cleared waivers and was re-assigned to Connecticut (AHL). … The Ducks said they would not trade Bobby Ryan after speculation the Rangers were looking to acquire the left wing. …

Rookie Carl Hagelin, with an assist, has points in all four games with the Rangers.



Rangers' Marc Staal expects to play this season

By ANDREW GROSS

STAFF WRITER

RALEIGH, N.C. – Marc Staal said today he expects to play at some point this season but there’s still no timetable for his return to the Rangers’ lineup from a concussion.

“That’s a long ways away,” said the All-Star defenseman in his first public comments since speaking to The Record on Sept. 30. “I just started getting back into light stuff and my strength over that month has basically gone. I need to get my strength back and all that stuff along with feeling good as far as my head goes too so I have no idea.

“[But] I think the rate of improvement the last month or so, I feel I’ll be back and that’s the plan,” Staal added. “It’s just making sure I’m healthy and get back and start playing.”

Staal took to the ice here at the RBC Center following the Rangers’ morning skate.

A bent-over Staal took a hard, high hit from his brother, Eric, of the Hurricanes on Feb. 22 at the RBC Center and hit his head as he slammed to the ice. Staal missed the three games immediately following and then two additional games in March before finishing the season and playing in all five playoff games.

Looking back, Staal said he might have been fooling himself.

“Obviously I think, looking back, personally I would have taken more time,” Staal said. “I sugarcoated a lot of things and told myself I was fine and I did feel good. I wasn’t feeling 100 percent. But at that point it was my decision to get going. I don’t know if I’d be in the same situation now if I was, it’s hard to tell, it’s all looking back. It’s been a long journey since.”

Staal said he’s gone without headaches for “a couple of weeks” but still experiences the occasional bad day.

After skating with Connecticut on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and after going through acupuncture treatments and a cortisone shot, Staal was advised to shut down all physical activities by Boston-based specialist Dr. Robert Cantu.

Staal was cleared to resume light workouts on Nov. 15 and he began skating lightly on his own Monday at the Rangers’ practice facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. This is the second straight trip Staal has taken with the Rangers after also traveling to Florida and Washington last week.



Rangers beat 'Canes for 4th straight win

By ANTHONY RIEBER

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Worried that the Rangers, after three rousing wins against top conference foes, couldn't get excited for Thursday night's game against the struggling Carolina Hurricanes in a half-empty building?

No worries.

"Well, it's our job," coach John Tortorella said before the Rangers beat Carolina, 5-3, at the RBC Center. "Night in and night out, if you want to be consistent as a hockey team, you need to continue to try to improve. You need to learn the good and bad from the prior game and get ready to play the next one."

The Rangers (14-5-3) were ready Thursday night, using a three-goal second period, five different goal-scorers and 14 different point-getters to top the Hurricanes (8-15-4), who have lost their first two under new coach Kirk Muller.

Marian Gaborik had a goal and an assist and Ryan Callahan, Ryan McDonagh, Sean Avery and Michael Sauer (first of the season) also scored for the Rangers, who started this streak with wins against Washington, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh after a pair of losses.

"I'm happy the way the guys stopped a two-game losing streak early in the season," Tortorella said. "Really, two lousy games against Florida and Montreal. Lousy games. They regrouped and found a way to get back on to another winning streak here. I'm happy with the club because they're playing really well now as a team."

Gaborik is playing well, too. He has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in his last 15 games. With the game tied at 2, he beat Cam Ward off a centering pass from Artem Anisimov at 11:50 of the second period to give the Rangers the lead for good. It was his team-leading 12th goal.

"His legs are always moving," Tortorella said. "Not just with the puck. Without the puck. I think he's been one of our better players without the puck.''

Martin Biron made 28 saves for the Rangers, who fell behind 1-0 just 35 seconds into the game but tied it 1:07 later on Callahan's power-play goal.

John Mitchell and Derek Stepan blocked shots in the third period as the Rangers nursed a 5-3 lead. Stepan was hit in the ankle and returned; Mitchell needed seven stitches to close a gash above his right eye but was OK after the game.

Notes & quotes: Ducks F Bobby Ryan, whom the Rangers reportedly have shown interest in acquiring via trade, said Thursday that he was told by Anaheim GM Bob Murray that he is off the market for now. "Bob told me things should settle down now for the time being," Ryan said. "I'm looking forward to pressing restart on this season." . . . Andre Deveaux cleared waivers and was assigned to Connecticut (AHL).



Staal takes step forward by skating

By ANTHONY RIEBER

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Marc Staal skated with his teammates -- well, one teammate -- Thursday for the first time since post-concussion symptoms delayed his season indefinitely.

The All-Star defenseman practiced with injured teammate Mike Rupp at the end of the Rangers' morning skate at the RBC Center. Staal's presence on the ice was a significant one in a comeback attempt that still has no definite timetable.

"That's a long ways away," he said in his first comments since he was shut down for a month in early October. "I need to get my strength back and all that stuff along with feeling good as far as my head goes, too, so I have no idea [about a timetable]. I think the rate of improvement the last month or so, I feel I'll be back [this season], and that's the plan."

Staal said it has been "a long journey" since he was injured on a high check by his brother Eric on Feb. 22. As for any animosity toward Eric, Marc said: "I put that behind me. Maybe the day after it happened. Not right away. I was pretty upset. It was tough because it was my brother and it's a whole different situation when that happens and you get hit hard like that and get injured. We play hard against each other."

Asked who has helped him through this, Staal said: "There was a lot of people. Obviously, my brothers, which is a funny thing to say. But they've been a big help."

That Thursday's milestone took place in the same rink in which he was injured was dismissed as mere happenstance.

"It just kind of worked out that way," he said. "I skated a few times really lightly on my own in New York and things went pretty well, so we just decided to do it here."

Asked how long he has felt better, Staal said: "It's been a couple of weeks. I've had a lot of good days. I'll still have a bad day mixed in there once in a while. You just adapt and adjust. I feel when I've had a not-so-good day, the improvement the next day has been basically back to normal again."

Staal last skated formally on Oct. 1 in Hartford with the Whale (AHL). He has had a cortisone shot in his neck and underwent acupuncture, but neither treatment worked. The low point was when Boston-based specialist Robert Cantu told Staal he had to refrain from any physical activity for a month.

"It's been tough," he said. "The month when they told me to shut it down -- that was hard. The first couple of weeks were pretty miserable. I saw the improvement going into the third and fourth week of just resting."

After getting hit, Staal played the rest of last season and expected to come into training camp this year ready to go. It didn't happen. "Obviously I think, looking back, personally I would have taken more time," he said. "I sugarcoated a lot of things and told myself I was fine and I did feel good. I wasn't feeling 100 percent. But at that point it was my decision to get going."



Rangers beat Carolina for fourth straight win

Written by

The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rangers are on such a good run that demanding coach John Tortorella is having trouble finding anything to complain about.

Ryan McDonagh, Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored in a 4:53 span of the second period, and the Rangers rallied to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

The Rangers have won 11 times in 13 games.

"I'm happy with the club because they're playing really well right now as a team," Tortorella said. "I think that's the way we can try to sustain this."

The way they knocked off the Hurricanes proved Tortorella's point.

Not only did 14 Rangers players post points, but with the team nursing a two-goal lead in the waning minutes, John Mitchell and Derek Stepan both sacrificed their bodies and lunged to block shots. Mitchell's effort netted him special praise from his teammates because the puck struck him just above the right eye.

Mitchell joked about the play after the game, lamenting that he let the puck hit him in the face. Tortorella said the effort was representative of the Rangers' attitude.

"It starts with our leadership," Tortorella said. "If you look at Ryan Callahan, who is wearing the C, he does all of that stuff. I think it just grows within the team. When you're winning as we are now, people just buy into it."

Callahan and defenseman Michael Sauer had the other goals for the Rangers. Martin Biron made 28 saves in a spot start for No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers (14-5-3) remained three points behind Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh, but they have played four fewer games than the Penguins.

Derek Joslin, Jeff Skinner and Jiri Tlutsy scored goals for Carolina, winless in two games under new coach Kirk Muller. Muller replaced the fired Paul Maurice on Monday, and the Hurricanes lost 3-1 to Florida in his debut behind the bench Tuesday night.

Cam Ward made 22 saves for the Hurricanes (8-15-4), who have lost five in a row and are last in the Southeast Division.

"No one said this is going to change overnight," Muller said. "We've got to do baby steps."

Carolina started well when Tlutsy scored off a faceoff 35 seconds into the game. Even though the Rangers answered a little more than a minute later, the Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission when Skinner scored on a slap shot with nine seconds remaining in the period.

The Rangers took control of the game with three quick goals midway through the second.

McDonagh struck first when he tied the score at 2-2 with a wrist shot from the left circle that deflected off of Joslin's stick.

Gaborik converted on a 2-on-1 break that Rangers defenseman Jeff Woywitka started with a pass to Artem Anisimov up the ice. Anisimov fed Gaborik, who beat Ward with a wrist shot high on the glove side.

"It was a nice outlet pass by Jeff," Gaborik said. "It was pretty much an open net."

Avery gave the Rangers a two-goal lead off a pass from Gaborik. Avery also beat Ward high to the glove side for his third goal this season and second against the Hurricanes.

"It's going to take a little time," Muller said. "They're trying, but there's a couple little situations where there was some confusion. And then there's the other part where you just can't get beat one-on-one."

Carolina cut the deficit to 4-3 when Joslin wristed a shot from the blue line that bounced off the stick of Rangers forward Ruslan Fedotenko and between Biron's legs. The Hurricanes' Eric Staal had an assist on the play and has scored points in three straight games for the first time this season.

Sauer restored the Rangers' two-goal cushion in the third period with a slap shot that beat a screened Ward to the glove side again.

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 12.02.2011

597842 NHL

Predators win wild one in Vancouver

By David Ebner

Globe and Mail Update

Mike Fisher pots winning goal as goaltending duel fails to emerge in 6-5 Nashville victory

The night promised a goaltending duel.

At one end of the rink, Cory Schneider, the 25-year-old Vancouver Canucks sophomore who had displaced Roberto Luongo and began the night as the league's hottest goaltender.

At the other, the 6-foot-5' Finn Pekka Rinne, one of last year's Vezina finalists.

And then, Thursday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, the wild, and sometimes odd, shootout began.

When the bright glow of the often-flashing red lights, behind both nets, finally faded, the Vancouver Canucks juggernaut had stalled, hurt when the magic Schneider train badly derailed in a strange first period, and further undercut when his replacement, Roberto Luongo, also proved shaky.

After Vancouver fell quickly behind in the first, 2-0 on just two Nashville shots, the Canucks bounced back, up 5-3 in the second, before it was tied 5-5 at the end of two. The final tally of 6-5 Nashville ended the Canucks' five-game winning streak, and slowed Vancouver's ascent back to the top echelons of the NHL.

"It was an entertaining game," observed Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault.

Despite the loss - which dropped Vancouver to 14-10-1 and down to seventh in the West from sixth - Vigneault wasn't upset. He noted the Vancouver powerfully outplayed Nashville and the only real disappointment was giving up three power-play goals on five chances.

"You're going to get some games like this," Vigneault said.

The hero was Nashville's Mike Fisher, who scored his second of the night when he put a backhand over Luongo's outstretched blocker - the goaltender didn't really have much of a chance as Vancouver's defence failed. The winner came with about a minute left in the game, which marred a top-flight period on offence for the Canucks, a push that failed to deliver a winning goal.

The second hero of the night was the unlikeliest of candidates, Nashville backup Anders Lindback, who stopped each one of the 19 shots he faced. It can be declared with 99-per-cent-plus confidence that Lindback was nobody's pre-game pick of four 'tenders to actually be the one that kept pucks out of the net.

Schneider stopped two of five shots. Luongo, playing for the first time since Nov. 13, didn't do much better, stopping just 12 of 15.

One reporter asked why Schneider was pulled. Vigneault seemed mildly annoyed.

"Do I really need to explain that?"

So, as of presstime, it was not yet known whether Luongo will get the call to finally start a game, on Sunday against the visiting Calgary Flames, but the odds probably lean in his favour.

Against Nashville, beyond Ryan Kesler briefly lying atop the Predators net, the most peculiar thing about Thursday night's proceedings was the fact that Schneider's save percentage, 19 minutes into the game, was zero. This reflects badly on both Schneider, whose red-hot hand went dead cold, and Nashville. The Predators' first two goals beat Schneider almost exactly the same way, blocker side, high, from the faceoff circle, the first on a cracker slapshot from David Legwand, the second on a soft backhand from Fisher.

The first period ended 3-1 to Nashville - Schneider's save percentage at 40 - and the long-absent Luongo returned for the second. Vancouver's gunners welcomed their old pal back to the ice with an impressive flurry of four goals, the last of which had Rinne skating to the bench midway through the period.

Throughout the game, Vancouver's passing looked great. One particularly memorable sequence had captain Henrik Sedin biding his time behind Rinne's net like Wayne Gretzky. Henrik finally stepped out, to Rinne's left, spun, and sent a backhand in front that Alexandre Burrows deftly tipped up to give Vancouver its first lead of the night, 4-3.

But Luongo did nothing with the 5-3 lead, and it was soon tied, Luongo not looking that much better than the two yanked starters.

Aaron Volpatti, who tied the game with his first goal of the year, was another of the unlikely stories of the evening. He wasn't even supposed to play, but a Canucks front office clerical error is believed to have pushed the planned return of Mason Raymond off until Sunday. Volpatti, who was running afternoon errands, got the call and hustled home to eat, and then to the rink.

"I was just hanging around in front of the net," the 26-year-old from Revelstoke, B.C., said of his goal.

Of the game he said: "Some crazy things happened. It was entertaining for fans."

Schneider, who was first star in each of Vancouver's five wins before Thursday night, was somewhat prophetic earlier in the day about what was to come after darkness fell on the first day of December. Since the start of 2010-11, including last season's playoffs, Vancouver had been 7-4 against Nashville, but it was always Luongo between the pipes.

Schneider told reporters that Nashville was a "tricky team," with a "less traditional offensive" - read: erratic - that was at times tough to defend against.

"We saw last year in the playoffs that they'll whip everything at the net," said Schneider.

The third was a tilt, with Vancouver in full-on flight. Among the near goals was defenceman Dan Hamhuis - a shutdown man who has never been likened to Gretzky - pulling a spin-o-rama to undress a Nashville defender and nearly break the tie. Instead, Vancouver booked its first L since getting smoked 5-1 by Chicago at home in mid-November, with Schneider in net, the last game before he turned into a magician, a performance now concluded.

Hurdle the net

On a night of oddities, Ryan Kesler pulled off probably the strangest manoeuvre. With about six minutes to go in the second, he drove to the night but was stymied by Fisher, backchecking, who ended up half-shoving Kesler into the backup goaltender Anders Lindback, and against the net. Kesler - figuring he might as well roll with momentum - then was briefly, fully on top of the net, before he flipped over and came down on his skates behind it. Back on the bench, we can confirm a smile, almost a laugh, snuck onto the face of the centre, whose play of late has exploded, as he recaptures his Selke-calibre form after hip surgery in the off-season.


597843 NHL

Revenge proves sweet for Jets

By Paul Waldie


A 1-0 win over Phoenix comes as a welcome tonic for fans in Winnipeg

They booed Shane Doan loudly and every other Phoenix Coyote almost as much at the MTS Centre Thursday night. And then they cheered for the Jets, who beat the Coyotes 1-0, and for goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who made 33 saves to get his second shutout of the season.

For many fans this was sweet revenge. Everyone here remembers all too well that Phoenix was the place the old Jets fled to in 1996 because Winnipeg supposedly wasn't capable of hanging onto an NHL franchise. With the tables now turned and Phoenix the league's weakest link, at least ownership-wise, it was a chance for fans to take out 15 years of frustration. And they did.

Boos rained down every time a Coyotes player touched the puck, particularly Doan, who many Winnipeggers believe dissed the city last year when there was talk the Coyotes could move to Manitoba. (Doan insists he never said anything bad about Winnipeg, he just didn't want to leave Phoenix.) Even after the announcer urged the crowd to recognize Doan, who once played for the old Jets, the crowd managed one hearty cheer, with some fans offering a standing ovation, and then went right back to booing.

The Jets harnessed that energy and came out strong, dominating play early, getting the best scoring chances and generally pushing the Coyotes around the ice at first. It was a far cry from the team's weak first-period performance against Ottawa two days ago that helped cost it the game. And the better effort paid off.

Less than seven minutes into the game, Bryan Little poked in a rebound after a strong two-man rush with Evander Kane that flustered Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith. Phoenix didn't do itself any favours early on with seven giveaways in the first period, compared to three for the Jets, and many sloppy passes that ended up on Jets sticks. Pavelec also made at least three superb saves, including one on an open shot by Kyle Turris, something he did not do Tuesday.

"I didn't feel I helped the team to win the last game," Pavelec said afterward. "So it was great to have a chance to be back in the net and

bounce back. ... We deserved to win, we played a great game and we had a lot of scoring chances and played great defensively and got two points."

The Coyotes put up more of a fight in the second period, coming at Pavelec in waves. But the Winnipeg goalie did more than hold on, he made 16 saves in the second, allowing the Jets to hang on to their slim lead. Winnipeg didn't sit back. The Jets took the play to the Coyotes as well, especially some strong rushes by Kane and Little, forcing Smith to make several smart saves. He stopped 31 shots in total on the night.

For Winnipeg, getting a lead has been relatively easy lately, keeping it has not. The Jets gave up a two-goal lead in Boston last Saturday and lost. They gave up two leads against Ottawa on Tuesday and lost. So heading into the third period the pressure was on, especially since, coming into the game, Winnipeg had been outscored 28-19 in the third.

"I was a bit nervous," Little said after the game. "I think everyone was a bit nervous. You are only up by one and when it's in your end you're kind of holding your breath."

But the Jets kept up the pressure and this time it was the opponent, Phoenix, who couldn't keep up. Coyotes defenceman Derek Morris helped the Jets, too, giving up the puck to Chris Thorburn who nearly scored and then hooking Kane to give the Jets a power play late in the period.

"It's a big part of the game, playing with the lead, and we've kind of hit the panic button a bit when we had leads lately," said Little. "But tonight I thought we did a lot better job of managing it and not giving them many scoring chances."

Jets coach Claude Noel agreed and added that "as far as an overall 60-minute game, I think this was one of the better games we've played."

He noted that the Jets took just two penalties and although they didn't score on three power plays, the Coyotes are notorious for not giving up many power plays at all. "We played a lot better, a lot better than what we saw Tuesday," Noel added.

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said he expected the Jets to come out strong. "We just kept turning over the puck and feeding their fire," he said after the game.

"We gave it away in the first 10 minutes," added Doan, who said his turnover led to the Little goal. "We're a lot better team than we played in the first 10."

Doan said he appreciated the ovation he received at the urging of the announcer. "It was pretty special. It's not too often you get to experience something like that," he said. "It meant a lot to me."

The Jets go to 10-11-4 on the season and are now tied with Tampa Bay for third in the Southeast Division. Phoenix is now 13-8-3.

Winnipeg continues this long homestand Saturday with a game against New Jersey and then 10 more at home this month.


597844 NHL

Alex Burmistrov goes through growing pains

By PAUL WALDIE

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Inconsistent play, homesickness all part of learning process for promising 20-year-old Russian

Ask Winnipeg Jets forward Alexander Burmistrov about his family and he's likely to pull up his shirt to show you how much he loves them.

Burmistrov carries a massive tattoo that stretches along the side of his torso with a stream of writing dedicated to his family. "My family will always be first in my heart," he said after a Jets practice on Wednesday.

He's not kidding. Burmistrov keeps in constant touch with his brother and cousins back home in Kazan, Russia, a 1,000-year old city about 800

kilometres east of Moscow. And he can barely contain his excitement that his mother and father have just travelled to Winnipeg to be with him for Christmas. "I always stay home and really don't go anywhere," he said of his life in Winnipeg. "My mom will cook me food and I'll just enjoy the whole time."

These days family is just about the only constant in Burmistrov's life. The 20-year-old centre's hockey playing has been a study in contrasts.

He came out flying this season, his second in the NHL, leading the Jets in scoring and points through the first eight games. Television cameras regularly surrounded the young player whose skating style was once described as something akin to a water spider dancing across a pond.

But then Burmistrov's production stopped. He went 11 games without scoring and had his ice time slashed to less than eight minutes last week in Washington from nearly 21 minutes a game in October. The cameras went elsewhere and head coach Claude Noel, who in October praised Burmistrov as the Jets' best forward, said the Russian needed coaching and more experience.

"I had bad games this year already, I have to move forward and forget those games," Burmistrov said this week. "I have to play better because I want to play here. I want to play in the NHL."

That drive to play in the NHL led Burmistrov to forgo Kazan's Continental Hockey League team three years ago and head to the Ontario Hockey League. He was part of a wave of Russians who joined the OHL in 2009 and he landed with the Barrie Colts bringing lots of potential and just five words of English. He spent one season in the OHL, collecting 22 goals and 43 assists, and was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2010 entry draft. While not physically big (the Jets list him at a very generous 6 foot 1, 180 pounds), Burmistrov drew comparisons to Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk, a fellow Russian who also played in Kazan.

Burmistrov's rookie NHL season was unremarkable. He managed six goals and 14 assists in 74 games. But he got stronger, learned more English and spent time with Thrashers veteran Nik Antropov, even living with the Kazakhstan-born Antropov and babysitting his children. When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, Burmistrov was touted as key part of the new team's future.

That may yet happen. Burmistrov looked more confident during the Jets' 6-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators last Tuesday and he scored a goal, bringing his season totals to five goals and eight assists. His playing time also went back up to 19 minutes. But he has been juggled across several line combinations and he still seems unsure of what Noel expects.

"I'd like him to play with more speed a bit," Noel said this week, quickly adding that he is still high on Burmistrov. "He plays with a little more speed on the wing than he does in the middle. I'd like him to attack more. He's smart. He gets gliding and planting ... and I'd like him to get out of that."

Noel and Burmistrov have had several meetings, including one after the game in Washington last week when Noel benched him for much of the game. "We talked a lot already this year not just once, many times," Burmistrov said. "We both know what we want." But when pressed about exactly what Noel is after, Burmistrov replied: "I don't know. Maybe he wants me to be more, like, confident in my game and don't be scared."

Burmistrov insisted he is having fun in the NHL and he's more comfortable with North America in general. But when asked about his family, he replied: "I miss home, my friends, my brother. Everybody who I played with."


597845 NHL

Don Cherry’s ratings take a hit

Bruce Dowbiggin

Published Thursday, Dec. 01, 2011 7:38PM EST

Last updated Thursday, Dec. 01, 2011 9:06PM EST

It’s been gospel for a long while that Canadians tune in to CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada specifically to watch Coach’s Corner starring Don Cherry. Proclaims a CBC blurb: “Grapes is a Canadian icon. All because of a few minutes every Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.”

The Brioux Report, a blog on Toronto.com, trumpeted: “Cherry continues to be ratings gold at CBC, with Hockey Night in Canada storming back to 2.4 million viewers last Saturday night.” One of the voices promulgating the idea of Cherry as must-see TV has occasionally been Mr. Cherry himself.

But recent TV numbers don’t seem to support the notion that Cherry is leading HNIC’s ratings anywhere. There is a considerable drop in viewers the instant game action ends and the theme music for Coach’s Corner begins. For example, ratings during the first period of last Saturday’s HNIC peaked at about 2.2 million viewers at 7:45 p.m. ET. But ratings show that by 7:58, that figure had plummeted by almost 800,000 to about 1.4 million during the first intermission of the show, precisely when Cherry is in mid-jeremiad.

The week before, first-period numbers peaked around 2.5 million viewers. By the time Cherry was on, almost a million people had found something else to do, as the number dipped to around 1.5 million. The numbers from this season have consistently shown such peaks during the action to more modest figures during the first intermission.

While we do not have data from previous years, Usual Suspects has learned that Cherry’s numbers were reportedly higher before the advent of portable people meters when people used written diaries to record their viewing patterns. But in their almost three years of use, the more sensitive PPMs have detected more volatility in the numbers over the course of the night.

All right, so lots of people use intermission to walk the dog or phone Aunt Ethel. And 1.4 million is still a home run in Canadian TV ratings. By comparison, Cherry’s numbers surpass those when HNIC goes from second-period action to the intermission. Last week, ratings peaked at around 2.4 million dropping to about 1.2 million when HNIC went to its Hotstove intermission segment. The week previous saw a drop from about 2.8 million to 1.3 million for the second intermission.

The question is: Why are people leaving their sets in such large numbers when action stops? Would ratings be higher in the first intermission without Cherry or is he a bulwark against a larger drop? Because the former NHL coach has been in the slot since 1981, it’s impossible to compare until he’s replaced, just as Cherry replaced Howie Meeker.

Coach’s Corner is still good business at CBC, however. Cherry’s advertising spots still sell out and garner significant revenue. Cherry does better than later intermission features, albeit with a larger potential audience.

The conclusion is that Cherry remains a strong brand, but claims that he brings viewers to HNIC or that his segment powers the ratings are not borne out by this season’s numbers. The game itself remains the biggest selling point. We asked the CBC about the variation in ratings when Cherry comes on HNIC, but a spokesman declined to comment.

CHERRY GO BRAGH

Sometimes only your best friends will tell you. Here’s the take of Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan when the topic of The Don came up on George Stroumboulopoulos’s CBC talk show.

SPEEDY BOUDREAU

Getting a kick out of sportscasters saying new Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau was the fastest coach to get to 200 wins in his career. Summons up an image of Boudreau in shorts and track shoes headed for the tape before Dan Bylsma, Mike Babcock and Alain Vigneault in some match race. What the talking heads mean to say is that Boudreau was the soonest to 200 wins of any coach. Donovan Bailey can rest easy.

GET IN THE Q

Finally, nothing says tension like the PGA Tour’s Q-school. This year, nine Canadians are in the final stage, which began Wednesday and ends next Monday. The top 25 and ties in the field of 171 get their tour cards for next year. Rounds can take six hours and dreams are literally answered and lost in this marathon at the PGA West courses in La Quinta, Calif. You can catch the drama on Golf Channel, Saturday and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the final round from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday.


597846 NHL

Changing the coach takes away players' excuses

By DAVID SHOALTS


Reading Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray's rationale for firing head coach Randy Carlyle was just like listening to Washington Capitals GM George McPhee do the same when he fired Bruce Boudreau on Tuesday:

Reading Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray's rationale for firing head coach Randy Carlyle was just like listening to Washington Capitals GM George McPhee do the same when he fired Bruce Boudreau on Tuesday:

"This was an extremely difficult decision," Murray said in a statement released in the wee hours Thursday. "Randy is a terrific head coach, and did a tremendous job for us for six-plus seasons.

"At this time, we simply felt a new voice was needed. Bruce is a proven winner with a great track record, and we are optimistic we can turn this season around under his leadership."

McPhee had this to say on Tuesday: "This was simply a case of the players were no longer responding to Bruce. When you see that, as much as you don't want to make a change, you have to make a change. Bruce came in here and emptied the tank. He gave it everything he could and did a really good job, but the tank was empty. When that happens, you get a new coach, where the tank is full and see if it makes a difference."

So Boudreau took his empty tank across the country where it was filled up by the Ducks. He is their new coach because Murray, after wrestling with the decision for the past few weeks, finally decided Carlyle may have directed the Ducks to their only Stanley Cup in 2007 but the reason the team was sitting near the bottom of the NHL's Western Conference with a 7-13-4 record was that the coach's players tuned him out.

So not even a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on his final night on the job was enough to save Carlyle. He was fired along with assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno. Even the video co-ordinator got the chop.

One side note: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, who hired Carlyle when he was running the Ducks and holds him in high regard, was quick to head off the inevitable speculation Carlyle might replace Leafs coach Ron Wilson, who is awaiting a contract extension. Burke said on his Twitter account he is "sad to hear about Randy Carlyle. But our coach isn't going anywhere!"

This week's firings of Boudreau, Paul Maurice of the Carolina Hurricanes and Carlyle and the quick hiring of Boudreau were all about two things: changing the message to the players and taking away their excuses.

The Capitals slid into ennui partly because Boudreau is not a taskmaster and because their resident superstar, Alexander Ovechkin, took advantage of that and his status as the local saviour of hockey. Boudreau tried to take on the disciplinarian role but that never works when you were a friend to the players for years.

On the left coast, Murray had the opposite problem. Carlyle is a demanding coach in the mould of a Ken Hitchcock or Mike Babcock. Many of their players do not like them but they perform for them, or else.

So just as McPhee realized his team needed someone like Dale Hunter to come in and lay on the whip, Murray came to the conclusion his players needed to hear a more friendly voice. And there just happened to be a player's coach with a great track record (if you overlook the playoffs) available, so hello Boudreau.

It is a tried-and-true formula in the NHL because it usually works. Boudreau got his first job in the NHL because the Capitals were not moving under the defensive, conservative approach of Glen Hanlon and he made it to 200 wins faster than any other NHL coach. Larry Robinson replaced the dour

Robbie Ftorek late in the 1999-2000 season and took the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup. Then he was dumped in mid-season on two occasions in later years.

Now the Anaheim players no longer have the excuse that it's difficult to play for such a demanding coach. Same thing in Washington, where the players admitted they stopped responding to Boudreau, who said as much himself.

This has been a crazy week for coaching changes but there may be more ahead. If these teams all realize immediate dividends then other GMs with under-performing teams may follow suit.

All eyes will be on the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders in this regard. But a team really in need of a change from taskmaster to worker's friend is the Calgary Flames. Head coach Brent Sutter is the leading proponent of the family creed that there is no fun in hockey.

Finally, Carlyle's firing may keep winger Bobby Ryan with the Ducks. Murray reluctantly decided he would trade Ryan but only if he could get a stunning package of players in return. About 20 teams called but if Boudreau gets immediate results Murray may decide he doesn't need to trade a talented young scorer.


597847 NHL

Coach’s Plan to Rouse Ovechkin Produces Little

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

WASHINGTON — Two games into the new regime here, anxiety about the decline of the Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has yet to subside. On Thursday, Washington lost, 2-1, to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals’ eighth defeat in their last 10 games.

The score was close, but the game really wasn’t. The Capitals were outshot by 35-17, and by 10-2 in the third period. They held Crosby without a point and limited him to three shots on goal — “They kept a pretty tight seal on things,” Crosby said — but Ovechkin managed only one shot.

He made a great show of returning to the human-cannonball form that characterized the Ovechkin of old and was credited with 10 hits, but the constant threat of scoring that really defined Ovechkin was absent, as it has been for most of this season. He gave the puck away to the Penguins in his own zone at least three times and managed to mount only one real threat, in the second period when he set up Nicklas Backstrom in front of the Pittsburgh net.

Backstrom hit the crossbar.

Afterward, Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals tried to put their best spin on things, as did their new coach, Dale Hunter, who has now lost both of his games behind the Washington bench by the same score.

“I think it was a great game today,” Ovechkin said. “It was a big battle for us and a great test for us. We didn’t score our chances that we had — we hit the post, and their goalie made great saves a couple times.

“It’s not frustrating,” he continued. “It’s nothing. If we’re going to play like this, it’s going to turn around.”

It was the first time Ovechkin and Crosby had met since the Winter Classic on New Year’s night in Pittsburgh, when Crosby received the first of two hits to the head that led to a concussion that sidelined him for more than 10 months.

Naturally, this game was billed as the renewal of the rivalry between the undisputed two best players in hockey.

While Crosby has re-established his primacy since returning Nov. 21 — he has 11 points in six games, despite going scoreless for only the second time since coming back — Ovechkin is in a funk so profound it helped get his coach fired earlier this week.

“I’m 26, he’s 24 — we’re not young anymore,” Ovechkin said before the game when asked yet again about being compared with Crosby. “We’re in different positions, different teams.

“I don’t pay attention.”

Ovechkin, who averaged 50 goals in his first six N.H.L. seasons, has only one goal in his last 10 games and 18 points in 24 games this season. His play had seemed so indifferent that his ice time was reduced by the former coach, Bruce Boudreau, from his customary 22 minutes a game to less than 19.

Boudreau was fired Monday amid denials from him and Ovechkin that the two were at odds. “I tried every trick that I knew” to revive the slumping Capitals, Boudreau told reporters Wednesday morning. That afternoon Boudreau flew to Southern California to take over as coach of the Anaheim Ducks, having been unemployed less than 66 hours.

Hunter, the Capitals’ new coach, helped the London Knights set a record for the most victories in junior hockey in 11 years as their coach, and has the Ontario Hockey League’s highest career winning percentage. After Thursday’s morning skate, Hunter said he had a plan to jump-start his dormant superstar.

“He’s going to forecheck harder tonight and play more aggressive in their end,” Hunter said. “He’s got to shoot the puck — he’s got a great shot, but he’s got to get open to do it. He’s going to go to the net hard.”

Those were all the things Ovechkin used to do. And while Ovechkin threw his body at the Penguins with abandon Thursday night, he did not shoot, nor did he get open to shoot, nor did he go to the net hard in 19 minutes 22 seconds of ice time.

The score was tied through two periods. But after Pittsburgh’s Chris Kunitz scored the go-ahead goal 2:36 into the third, the Capitals did not come close to responding. Only their goalie, Tomas Vokoun, prevented a worse defeat.


597848 NHL

Ducks Look to Boudreau’s Softer Touch for More Wins

By CHRISTOPHER BOTTA

Bruce Boudreau’s unemployment lasted all of 65 hours.

Fired Monday by the Capitals, Boudreau was named the new head coach of the Anaheim Ducks late Wednesday night. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Boudreau’s mere six-day break between coaching games for two different franchises is the briefest in league history. When he leads his new team Friday against Philadelphia, he will become just the seventh man to coach two N.H.L. teams in one season.

Boudreau replaces Randy Carlyle, who led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup in 2007 and a victory over Montreal at home Wednesday. But Carlyle’s Ducks had lost 16 of 18 games before his final night on the job, prompting General Manager Bob Murray to reluctantly place a call to Boudreau after his sacking in Washington.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” said Murray, thanking his former coach for the Stanley Cup and his work throughout his six-season tenure.

Murray went on to say, “At this time, we simply felt a new voice was needed. Bruce is a proven winner with a great track record, and we are optimistic he can turn this season around.”

Just as Boudreau was charged in Washington with maximizing the talents of the Capitals’ world-class forwards, he takes over a roster with a highly skilled first line, but not much depth. The Ducks seem to go only as far as Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne take them. This season, they are in 14th place in the Western Conference.

Murray is following the N.H.L. tradition of replacing a taskmaster in Carlyle with Boudreau’s softer touch. The easy-going, offensive-minded Boudreau appears to be the perfect fit for the Ducks. Although Ryan, a three-time 30-goal scorer, is still available in a trade for a package of veterans and prospects, Boudreau will give his star forwards the confidence to freestyle.

Of course, to play run-and-gun, he will need superior goaltending. Boudreau rarely had it in important games with Washington. Anaheim’s top

goalie is Jonas Hiller, a Swiss Olympian who has battled the puck all season and has a 3.10 goals against average (28th in the league) and .899 save percentage (33rd). Boudreau can charm Ryan out of his funk and motivate Getzlaf and Perry to dominate more consistently. But if Muller fails to regain his sharpness — or Murray doesn’t make a deal for a reliable goaltender — it won’t matter who is behind the bench.


597849 NHL

Leading Off: What’s Gotten Into Hockey?

By LYNN ZINSER

N.H.L. seasons are usually fairly predictable. Teams muddle around during the fall when most people think the season hasn’t (or shouldn’t have) started yet. Everyone is within three points of a playoff spot in February. Teams throw players around like throw pillows at the trading deadline. Everyone makes a riveting mad dash at the playoffs, which end ridiculously late in the year when people have sunscreen on their shopping lists.

This season, however, there is reason to pay attention early because crazy stuff has broken out all over. We do warn you that looking at the N.H.L. standings might cause whiplash, or at least a bruised forehead where you just slapped it. Yes, the Minnesota Wild are the No. 1 team in the league. Yes, the same Minnesota Wild who have spent their 10-season history trying to prove that scoring goals is not necessary to win games. They have also unsuccessfully tried to make the red and green combination hip on days other than Christmas. If you can name more than one player on their team, you qualify as a devout hockey fan. If you can name their coach, the N.H.L. might ask you to run the New York Islanders.

The Wild solidified that spot with a shootout victory over Edmonton Wednesday night, and Tom Powers of The St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that Wild Coach Mike Yeo credits the team’s unbreakable spirit for its success. Now, should 2011-12 be the season of the unbreakable spirit, Wild fans could make a small fortune if they put money on their team in Vegas. According to Vegasinsider.com, the Wild opened the season with 60-to-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. And now that they are atop the N.H.L.? They are still 60-1 to win the Cup.

Other teams high on the “What?” scale are Florida, which is leading the Southeast Division despite playing in a city that still has no idea it has a hockey team, and Toronto, which despite playing in hockey’s most rabid area hasn’t been relevant in a Stanley Cup conversation since Lyndon Johnson was president. The bankrupt Coyotes are leading the Pacific Division. Conversely, the talent-laden Capitals are sitting out of an Eastern Conference playoff position, as is San Jose in the West.

Anaheim is not only out of a playoff position, but is desperately trying to stay ahead of Columbus as the worst team in creation. That’s why the Ducks, who were rumored to be trading their entire team, instead fired Coach Randy Carlyle despite a rare victory Wednesday night, and replaced him with Bruce Boudreau, just recently axed by Washington. Yahoo.com’s Greg Wyshynski believes it was a great move.

There is other coaching chaos going on in more predictable places, like college football, where the Pac-12 is loading up on big-name coaches seeking fresh starts in unlikely places. This includes Washington State scooping up Mike Leach, hailed by Steve Kelley of The Seattle Times as the perfect hire, which you read almost every time a team hires a new coach its fans have heard of. While Andy Staples of SI.com takes an up-close look at Rich Rodriguez’s first days rebuilding Arizona, Billy Witz of Foxsports.com takes a spin around the wackiness of U.C.L.A., which fired Rick Neuheisel while still sort of in the Rose Bowl picture and seemed already to be plotting its next coaching search failure. If you would like to be considered for the Illinois job, you can apply via the school’s Web site. Or, if you’re in Big Ten country, don’t want to be Illinois’s coach but need some extra cash, there is a chance the conference will pay you to attend its championship game. Of course, it was a hoax.

Baseball, by the way, has almost no chaos going on Thursday, but Jeff Passan of Yahoo.com does speculate that some could be coming if Albert

Pujols decides to become baseball’s LeBron James and signs with the Cubs.

College sports would love for you to get caught up in that story line instead of staying riveted by the child sexual abuse charges against former coaches at Penn State and Syracuse. On Wednesday, the first lawsuit against Jerry Sandusky and Penn State was filed by an alleged victim not included in the grand jury investigation. Sandusky’s lawyer had quite a logic-straining day, telling The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa., that Sandusky might have to plead guilty if more accusers come forward (even though he maintains Sandusky’s innocence) but also claiming that one of the victims has spoken to him about supporting Sandusky. In Syracuse, the Secret Service kept on the case of Fine by searching his office while a Syracuse Post-Standard article explains why a federal investigation might be harsher than a local one for Fine.

We thought that might put you back in the mood to consider on-ice shenanigans in the N.H.L. Just climb on the Minnesota Wild bandwagon. There is still plenty of room.


597850 Ottawa Senators

Senators collapse late in loss to Stars

Posted on 02 December 2011. By James Gordon Tags: Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators

DALLAS — The Ottawa Senators just missed continuing their winning streak when they gave up two goals in the final 5:34 to lose 3-2 to the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

The Senators had just taken a 2-1 lead on Milan Michalek’s 15th goal of the year when Radek Dvorak and Eric Nystrom scored to give Dallas a come-from-behind win.

Erik Condra also scored for the Senators, while Steve Ott got Dallas’ first goal.

Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson made 29 saves and his Dallas counterpart Andrew Raycroft stopped 33 shots.

The Senators were unlucky to leave the first period tied 1-1. They could have been ahead by one or maybe two goals. They controlled the period, outshot the Stars 13-9, and had a big territorial edge.

The Stars didn’t even get their first shot (from Toby Petersen) until the game was more than five minutes old and Condra was in the penalty box for hooking.

And that’s all they would get on that power play — one shot.

Making it worse for the Stars was that within seconds of stepping out of the penalty box, Condra stepped into a pass from Jared Cowen, who had taken the puck from Star defenceman Philip Larsen along the boards.

Condra went in alone and beat Raycroft with a wrist shot over his glove.

But Dallas’ power play, one of the league’s worst, couldn’t stay bad forever and at 9:38, with Nick Foligno off for holding, Ott scored his team’s first power-play goal in 23 chances, a slap shot from the right point.

That was about the only chance the Stars had, though, while the Senators had and missed a few more.

The best came with about eight minutes left when Nikita Filatov nearly surprised Raycroft with a wraparound. But Raycroft got his left leg out and managed to direct the puck into the crease, from where it was cleared.

The Senators also had two near misses during a penalty to Mark Fistric.

It seemed as if the Stars had a wide territorial edge in the second period, and maybe they did, but they sure didn’t get much out it as each team was credited with just four shots apiece.

Part of the reason was that the Senators blocked 12 shots in the second and 16 over two periods. Part of it was that Dallas’ power play is in a slump.

“It’s been awful, let’s be honest,” said Ott. “For some reason, we haven’t been executing.”

GAME FILE

ON THE RISE: Michalek’s 15th goal of the season puts him one off the league lead. He has scored three in his last two games and is on pace to score 49.2 goals. Dany who?

DUD: Craig Anderson. He played so well for 55 minutes that he shouldn’t be here, but by allowing two goals in the final 5:34, he has to wear the horns. Nystrom’s goal, to the far corner, was one Anderson won’t like.

STUD: Andrew Raycroft. In a tough goalie battle, he came out on top.

POWER OUTAGE: Until the Stars scored a first-period power play goal, they had been blanked on 23 chances stretching back over their last eight games. Entering the game, they were 22nd in the league overall (14.5 per cent) and 23rd at home (13.5),

THEY SAID IT

Jason Spezza: “We battled to get the lead and to give it up the way we did in the last five minutes makes it a tough loss.

“It was a pretty even game. We finally get the lead and then we lost the game. Not exactly what we wanted to do.”

Paul MacLean: “It’s obviously disappointing. The first 55 minutes I thought we played real well. Unfortunately we couldn’t play defensively in the last five minutes, and we couldn’t clear pucks or get out of our zone when we had the opportunity. When you get the lead in this league, you have to continue to play hard and you have to be committed and I think it’s part of the learning process for us, how to win games on the road. You can’t take things for granted, that things are going to happen.”

Craig Anderson: “We had the lead, then they tie it up, and you think you’ll at least get a point out of it. But we didn’t, and we’ve got to learn from it. For the most we stuck to the game plan and played pretty good hockey. Then maybe we got a little tired at the end and they capitalized on their opportunities.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.02.2011


Senators and Ducks a shadow of their former selves

By Wayne Scanlan, The Ottawa CitizenDecember 1, 2011

OTTAWA — What is harder to keep together — a roster that wins the Stanley Cup, or the one that dies trying?

Judging by what remains of the 2007 finalists from Ottawa and Anaheim, attrition is part of the program, par for a championship course, when teams gear up for a Cup run — whether they ultimately win or lose.

With the firing of Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle on Thursday, the broom has almost swept clean the cast of characters that comprised the 2007 Stanley Cup final between the Senators and Ducks.

Four players — count ’em, four — on each side are all that have stayed with Ottawa and Anaheim during the past four years. That’s one player for every year that has elapsed since Anaheim hoisted the Cup. If we include players that left and have since returned, the Ducks would have five, as defenceman Francois Beauchemin was with Anaheim in 2007, departed for a gig in Toronto, and then went back to Anaheim in the February trade that brought forward Joffrey Lupul and defenceman Jake Gardiner to the Maple Leafs.

Any Senators fan capable of casting an all-star ballot knows the names of the Ottawa holdovers from ’07. They are the remaining core players that can be counted on a single hand — captain Daniel Alfredsson, assistant captains Jason Spezza and Chris Phillips, and veteran winger Chris Neil.

The Senators head coach of the day, Bryan Murray, who came to Ottawa from Anaheim, became the Senators GM just a few weeks after the 2007 series.

The Ottawa-Anaheim connections soldier on. When Carlyle was fired shortly after the Ducks’ 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, he was replaced by Bruce Boudreau, who had to fret and worry about being unemployed for all of 65 hours. Included in the coaching changes was the firing of assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno, father of Senators winger Nick Foligno.

Bonus marks to Ottawa fans who can name the Ducks who have stayed on the Pond: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and George Parros.

What’s interesting about the path of the two teams is how they both arrived at the same end — a departure of 80 per cent of their personnel, despite two very different approaches.

Led by their top line of Spezza, Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, the Senators tried to reload for another run, and then when Heatley demanded a trade and Ottawa missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2011, the club relented and embarked on a well-publicized rebuilding plan.

The Ducks, meanwhile, have tried to contend every year, and with the goaltending of Jonas Hiller last season, and the offensive punch of Perry, Getzlaf, Selanne and Bobby Ryan, they might have been a contender had Hiller not suffered a concussion during the All-Star Game weekend and missed most of the rest of the season.

Sooner than they imagined, the Ducks may now also be en route to a rebuild based on their current 14th place standing in the Western Conference and a salary budget that has its limitations. Toss in the future retirement of Selanne, likely next spring, and pending free agents in Saku Koivu and Jason Blake and the Ducks could be reloading with the help of a lottery pick.

General manager Bob Murray doesn’t think he’s there yet. That’s why he dumped Carlyle just three months after signing him to a three-year contract extension. Murray is hoping that ex-Washington Capitals head coach Boudreau can work a slight miracle and cajole a star-studded offensive group to jump six places in the standings over the final 58 games.

Boudreau and Carlyle were once teammates with the Maple Leafs of the late 1970s, and oddly enough Carlyle assisted on Boudreau’s first NHL goal.

As he assesses what has gone wrong with his team, Bob Murray might want to look in the mirror, because it was his trade of Lupul and Gardiner for Beauchemin that badly hurt the Ducks while boosting Toronto into a playoff contender. Lupul is one of the NHL’s top scorers while Gardiner, a slick-skating defenceman, is just the kind of defensive prospect Anaheim could use in these post-Scott Niedermayer days in Orange County.

When it comes to chirping the Ducks on their coaching issues, the Senators will pass. They have had their own succession issues after Bryan Murray’s departure from the bench, trying to replace him from within the organization twice, (John Paddock and Cory Clouston) and outside the organization twice (Craig Hartsburg and current bench boss Paul MacLean). That’s four coaches in four years (not counting a Murray coaching cameo), or ... just as many Senators as there are left from the roster of the 2007 Stanley Cup finalists.

Ottawa Citizen



Attrition decimates 2007 Cup rosters

By Wayne Scanlan, Ottawa CitizenDecember 2, 2011 3:06 AM

What is harder to keep together - a roster that wins the Stanley Cup, or the one that dies trying?

Judging by what remains of the 2007 finalists from Ottawa and Anaheim, attrition is part of the program, par for a championship course, when teams gear up for a Cup run - whether they ultimately win or lose.

With the firing of Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle on Thursday, the broom has almost swept clean the cast of characters that comprised the 2007 Stanley Cup finals between the Senators and Ducks.

Four players - count 'em, four - on each side are all that have stayed with Ottawa and Anaheim during the past four years. That's one player per each year that has elapsed since Anaheim hoisted the Cup. If we include players that left and have since returned, the Ducks would have five, as defenceman François Beauchemin was with Anaheim in 2007, departed for a gig in Toronto, and then went back to Anaheim in the February trade that brought forward Joffrey Lupul and defenceman Jake Gardiner to the Maple Leafs.

Any Senators fan capable of casting an all-star ballot knows the names of the Ottawa holdovers from '07. They are the remaining core players that can be counted on a single hand - captain Daniel Alfredsson, assistant captains Jason Spezza and Chris Phillips, and veteran winger Chris Neil.

The Senators head coach of the day, Bryan Murray, who came to Ottawa from Anaheim, became the Senators GM just a few weeks after the 2007 series.

The Ottawa-Anaheim connections soldier on. When Carlyle was fired shortly after the Ducks' 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, he was replaced by Bruce Boudreau, who had to fret and worry about being unemployed for all of 65 hours.

Included in the coaching changes was the firing of assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno, father of Senators winger Nick Foligno.

The only new assistant hired so far by Anaheim is former Senators assistant Brad Lauer, who played 30 games for the Senators in 1993-94 and was on the coaching staff from 2009-11.

Bonus marks to Ottawa fans who can name the Ducks who have stayed on the Pond: captain Ryan Getzlaf, 2011 Rocket Richard Trophy winner Corey Perry, the Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne, and fighter George Parros.

What's interesting about the path of the two teams is how they both arrived at the same end - a departure of 80 per cent of their personnel, despite two very different approaches.

Led by their top line of Spezza, Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, the Senators tried to reload for another run, and then when Heatley demanded a trade and Ottawa missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2011, the club relented and embarked on a well-publicized rebuilding plan.

The Ducks, meanwhile, have tried to contend every year, and with the goaltending of Jonas Hiller last season, and the offensive punch of Perry, Getzlaf, Selanne and Bobby Ryan, they might have been a contender had Hiller not suffered a concussion during the All-Star Game weekend and missed most of the rest of the season.

Sooner than they imagined, the Ducks may now also be en route to a rebuild based on their current 14th place standing in the Western Conference and a salary budget that has its limitations. Toss in the future retirement of Selanne, likely next spring, and pending free agents in Saku Koivu and Jason Blake and the Ducks could be reloading with the help of a lottery pick.

General manager Bob Murray doesn't think he's there yet. That's why he dumped Carlyle just three months after signing him to a threeyear contract extension. Murray is hoping that ex-Washington Capitals head coach Boudreau can work a slight miracle and coax and cajole a star-studded offensive group to jump six places in the standings over the final 58 games.

Boudreau and Carlyle were once teammates with the Maple Leafs of the late 1970s, and oddly enough Carlyle assisted on Boudreau's first NHL goal.

As he assesses what has gone wrong with his team, Bob Murray might want to look in the mirror, because it was his trade of Lupul and Jake Gardiner for Beauchemin that badly hurt the Ducks while boosting Toronto into a playoff contender. Lupul is one of the NHL's top scorers while Gardiner, a slick-skating defenceman, is just the kind of defensive prospect Anaheim could use in these post-Scott Niedermayer days in Orange County.

When it comes to chirping the Ducks on their coaching issues, the Senators will pass. They have had their own succession issues after Bryan Murray's departure from the bench, trying to replace him from within the organization twice, (John Paddock and Cory Clouston) and outside the organization twice (Craig Hartsburg and current bench boss Paul MacLean). That's four

coaches in four years (not counting a Murray coaching cameo), or - just as many Senators as there are left from the roster of the 2007 Stanley Cup finalists.



Cheapseats: Foligno has Movember to remember

By DON BRENNAN, QMI Agency

DALLAS - Nick Foligno risked cutting his own throat — in more ways than one — when he shaved Thursday morning.

After picking up just three points in a dozen games during October, he had a very productive Momember. A more superstitious player would have believed getting rid of his moustache would have changed his good fortune. But like most of his teammates, Foligno removed the growth on his upper lip when the calendar flipped a page.

How good was the 24-year-old’s month?

Well, since you asked, Foligno led the Senators in scoring with 11 points, on five goals and six assists, in 12 November games. Erik Karlsson was next with nine points (0-9), followed by Zack Smith (5-3), Jason Spezza (3-5) and Sergei Gonchar (2-6).

Foligno, who has recently been switched from left wing to centre on a line with Milan Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson, didn’t realize he was the offensive leader on a team that had a decent 5-5-2 record in the season’s second month.

“I knew things were going well,” Foligno said before Thursday’s game in Dallas, “but you look around, and Spezz is having a good year, Erik’s having a good year, Milan, Alfie ...”

Listening to the conversation, Alfredsson chimed in.

“I’m not having a good year,” he said.

“Well, you’re going to have a good December,” said Foligno, whose personal success has come primarily because of a vow to get to the net more. “It’s nice to be able to do that for the team. It’s nice to contribute. Things are going well. You just want to keep them going well.”

A few minutes later, coach Paul MacLean was asked which of his players grew the most impressive ‘stache in November.

“It wouldn’t be fair to pick one ... they’re all pretty lackluster,” he quipped. “I’d have to give Erik Karlsson at least an ‘A’ for effort.”

And maybe a warm cloth to wash his off.

MacLean, of course, has the busiest upper lip on the team. But then, he’s had about a 35-year head start on the rest of them.

“Everyone gave it their best grow, and at the end of the day the coach won,” said Zenon Konopka, who might have been the runner-up. “Second place is the first loser in my books. I’m not looking for any charity here. I was looking to win. We just got out-manned.”

Wonder if he realized the pun?

Anyway, Alfredsson’s moustache is alive and well and looking bigger than ever, now that he’s trimmed off the rest of his facial hair.

“My brother and I are keeping them until Christmas, until my dad comes over,” said the captain. “He’s got a big ‘stache. We’re going to have a good Christmas photo, I think.”

And maybe, with the help of the ’stache, he’ll have a Foligno-type December.

STARTS AND STOPS

Spezza and Stars winger Steve Ott were linemates in junior hockey. “He’s come a long way since his little chubby days back with the Windsor Spitfires,” said Ott. “He’s become a real professional, obviously. What a

player, what a tremendous talent.” ... Spezza, a big Dallas Cowboys fan, visited Cowboys Stadium for a TV bit with Sportsnet’s Ian Mendes at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, after arriving from Winnipeg only a few hours earlier. Spezza didn’t have too much trouble getting up, admitting that it felt a little like Christmas morning for him. “Walking on to the field, standing at the star, seeing how big the place is,” he said of the highlights, failing to mention that he jumped high enough to very nearly be able to dunk a ball over the goal posts’ crossbar. “I want to still go to a game there too, at one point. It’s one of the things on my list I’d like to cross off. Probably never another chance to see the dressing room again. It was pretty cool.”

STUFF I THINK I THUNK

Dallas’ Eric Nystrom first met Sportnet’s Denis Potvin when he was a kid, as his dad Bob was an Islanders teammate of the Hall of Fame defenceman. The two were re-acquainted in the Stars room after the morning skate. “He came in and said, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ ” said Nystrom. “I said to (teammate) Toby (Peterson), ‘Do you even know who that is?’ He’s like, ‘No, man.’ I said, ‘That’s Denis Potvin, man. He’s a legend.’ Guys have no idea how good he was. One of the best ever. We’re talking ‘80 Isles, eh?” ... Nystrom’s favourite player back then was Pierre Turgeon. “That was my prime Islander fan fanatic period,” he said. “That was when Turgeon got knocked out by Dale Hunter in the playoffs. (And Hunter was suspended 21 games.) I actually met him one time and said, ‘Hey Dale, I was at that game when you buried Turgeon.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I didn’t see him.’ ” A pause, then seconds later Nystrom added: “S---, Denis Potvin. That guy is legit!”

BETWEEN PERIODS

Forgot my AAC media pass in my bag, in the bottom of the bus. Didn’t want to go to the trouble of getting it. Asked a Senators team official if he had an extra. He did, with Jason York’s name on it. The Sportsnet analyst didn’t do the Dallas leg of this trip. “Can I use his?” yours truly inquired. “Sure,” I was told. “But it’ll cost ya a Grande Bold.” That’s fair. “Deal,” I said. Sportsnet’s Mendes didn’t miss a beat. “Once again,” he said, “Jason York gets traded for a cup of coffee.”

DID YOU GO HMMM ...?

It was Mike Ribeiro Bobblehead Night at the AAC, and judging by the size of the crowd each fan could have gone home with a big bag full. “I’m anxious to see what I look like,” the Stars centre said early in the day. “Hope it’s a good-looking one.” ... The game was just the third time Brian Lee and David Rundblad have been in the lineup together this season. The Senators gave up seven goals in each of the other two, both losses ... Ex-Hull Olympiques wigner Michael Ryder is thriving as a first-liner in Dallas after winning the Cup in Boston. He admitted there was an adjustment to be made after signing with the Stars. “The weather is a little different,” he said. “At first when I got here, it was freakin’ scorching. Little chillier now. Hopefully we can start getting more fans in the stands. Hopefully with a new owner now, things are going in the right direction.” ... Mostly because of their speed and youth, the Senators remind Dallas star Glen Gulutzan of a certain Western Conference team. “They are very scary,” he said before the game. “They’re like the young Oilers, you have to make sure you’re physical and disciplined against them. They’re a real excellent team that’s on the verge.” ... Stars backup goalie Richard Bachman is no relation to Randy, of Bachman-Turner-Overdrive fame. “I’ve got the Stephen King’s pen name: Richard Bachman,” he said. “Those are the two I get a lot.”

KONOPKA KORNER

Konopka: “I would like to know our record when we’re on the road and we don’t have to go home right after the game. We’ve got a pretty good record.”

Cheaps: “It’s 4-1 going into (the Dallas) game. Why is it so good?”

Konopka: “I don’t know why. Maybe we don’t want to go home. I’m just bringing it up. Maybe we should just keep going, rotating it around. Home games are okay. It’s just when the party’s coming to an end ... maybe we should just keep travelling around. Alf, what do you think?”

Alfredsson: “I’ll talk to my wife about that one.”

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.02.2011


Clean-shaven Sens take on the Stars

By DON BRENNAN, QMI Agency

The Senators will have a fresh, new look when they take on the Stars Thursday night at American Airlines Center.

For most of them, the Momember moustaches are down the drain.

“It was a young team today,” coach Paul MacLean said after the morning skate. “They all looked like they lost five years.”

The Senators were 5-5-2 in November to follow up their 7-5 record the month before. Heading into their meeting with the Stars, they were holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

To Glen Gulutzan, the coach of the 14-9-1 Stars, Ottawa looked young before the razor’s scraped the upper lips of the players.

Young and fast.

“Their pace,” Gulutzan said of what impresses him most about the Senators. “They are the second-youngest team in the league and watching their last couple of games, you see how fast they are. They are very scary in that regard. They’re like the young Oilers, you have to make sure you’re physical and disciplined against them.

“They’re a real excellent team that’s on the verge.”

Filip Kuba will miss the game with an upper body injury he sustained in Winnipeg. Brian Lee draws into his spot.

Craig Anderson will start in goal for the Senators while the Stars go with Andrew Raycroft, who has a 9-9-4 career mark versus Ottawa.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.02.2011

597855 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers seeking to recall defenseman Walker

WESTMINSTER, Calif. - Concerned that they may not have enough experience on defense, the Flyers are trying to recall veteran Matt Walker through reentry waivers from AHL Adirondack.

Walker, 31, who has played 10 games with the Phantoms, can clear at noon on Friday. If he clears, he may replace rookie Kevin Marshall in Friday night's lineup against host Anaheim.

He would give the team "experience, size, and a little bit of toughness," general manager Paul Holmgren said after Thursday's practice. "He's been playing well down there."

Teams can claim Walker for half his salary, which is $1.9 million this season and $2 million next year.

The Flyers, who have veterans Chris Pronger and Andreas Lilja on the long-term injured list, have been pleased with the play of rookie defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon. But they haven't seen enough of Marshall to make an evaluation.

Bourdon looks as if he will be with the Flyers for at least a month.

"I'm just going to play hard and practice hard . . . and make the best out of it and try to prove I can stay here for a little longer maybe," Bourdon said.

Bourdon admitted he was "pretty nervous" in his first few games, but said being with his teammates this week in California has made him more relaxed.

"All the boys hung out together, and I know a little bit more about everybody on the team," he said.

New Anaheim coach

The Flyers will be facing an Anaheim team that will be playing its first game under new coach Bruce Boudreau, who replaced the fired Randy Carlyle

after the Ducks' 4-1 win over Montreal on Wednesday. Boudreau was fired by Washington on Monday.

The Flyers expect the Ducks to have lots of energy Friday.

"Usually when you get a new coach in, guys are a lot more fired up and playing with a lot of desperation," center Danny Briere said. He said the Ducks would be "in their own survival mode" and "want to prove to the new coach that they deserve the ice time. It's a blank sheet for each of their players now."

Breakaways

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is expected to face the Ducks, though Laviolette wouldn't confirm it. . . . Claude Giroux leads the Flyers in faceoff percentage (51.1 percent). The team's other primary centers are Briere (48.8 percent), Sean Couturier (46.9 percent), and Max Talbot (41.3 percent). Talbot is expected to move to wing and be replaced at center by Brayden Schenn on Friday. - Sam Carchidi

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.02.2011


Flyers' Pronger still fighting mysterious virus

By Sam Carchidi

Inquirer Staff Writer

WESTMINSTER, Calif. - Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who underwent surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, said he is still battling a mysterious virus.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Pronger said he was not over the virus and added, "I don't know what's going on."

The Flyers had said that his virus symptoms were almost gone and that if he didn't have the knee problem, they were hopeful he would have been able to play Friday.

Pronger, 37, said he has been experiencing headaches and nausea like never before. He revealed he passed a concussion test.

"It's been a bit of a mystery with what exactly is going on," he said. "I did some blood work, and we're trying to get to the bottom of what's going on."

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has said the blood work showed "no worries."

Pronger's surgery was his fifth in 16 months. He said most of the injuries were fluky, caused by getting hit with pucks, and implied he wasn't breaking down because of his age.

He said he would start his knee rehab Friday.

The Flyers said Pronger would be sidelined for four weeks. Pronger said that was a "ballpark number" and that it could be three to six weeks.

The Flyers play in Anaheim, the franchise Pronger helped win its first Stanley Cup in 2007, on Friday night. If the Flyers were playing in the playoffs, Pronger said, he would not have had the surgery and would have played through the pain.

"But it got to the point where I wouldn't have played very well," he said. "We can always say we can play, but at what level and at what detriment are you playing? At this stage in the season, not knowing the other side of it, it was prudent to get it done now so that if I'm able to return in four weeks, let's say, then I'm able to get three weeks in before the all-star break and then put the hammer down after that, as we get into the playoff stretch."

Pronger has missed 10 games this season. He missed 32 regular-season games in 2010-11, which he called "the year from hell."

"It's a little disheartening," he said of his latest surgery. "It sets you back" after "you're just starting to get your rhythm. . . . I have to go through that whole process again whenever I do get back."

The 6-foot-6 captain said his knee has been bothering him since he went out with his eye injury on Oct. 24.

In July 2010, Pronger had surgery on the other knee, and in both operations "loose bodies" were removed. After the 2010 surgery, it took about nine weeks before he played in a game. He said that surgery was more involved than the latest one.

"There was a little bit more damage on the one a couple years ago," Pronger said. "There were pretty big chunks they took out, and it was not as clean as this knee was. The doctor was pretty pleased when he got in there to see what exactly was involved."

Pronger, who leads the Flyers in average time on ice (22 minutes, 28 seconds per game), wasn't sure how he injured the knee.

"I don't remember ever getting hit. I don't remember ever catching it in a rut or doing anything," he said, adding he has "a couple suspicions" on how he was injured, "but I don't really know."

Pronger not only anchors the defense, but he also keys the power play and penalty kill. The Flyers have won just 21 of the 42 regular-season games he has missed the last two years.



Staying with Flyers suits Bourdon just fine

By FRANK SERAVALLI

WESTMINSTER, Calif. - When Marc-Andre Bourdon left Glens Falls, N.Y., on Nov. 21, he decided to pack light. With Chris Pronger and Braydon Coburn out of the lineup against Carolina that night, Bourdon assumed he would play a game or two and be shipped back to Adirondack.

More than a week later, Coburn has since returned to the lineup. Pronger is still out, with Andreas Lilja joining him on the injured reserve, and Bourdon has remained in the lineup.

And with slim pickings on the remaining injury-depleted rosters in the NHL, the Flyers will be sticking with the hard-hitting Bourdon for the time being. General manager Paul Holmgren told the Daily News in a text message that free-agent defenseman Bryan McCabe was not a consideration to sign.

It's safe to say Bourdon, a third-round draft choice in 2008, has reworn his favorite suit a few times over the last 8 days.

"Injuries came, so I might have a little more time here than I thought," Bourdon said yesterday after practice at the Ducks' Westminster Ice. "So, I'm just going to play hard, practice hard and try to prove that I can maybe stay here for a little bit."

Bourdon, 22, admitted that he was nervous when he made his NHL debut last week. Those nerves lasted for two more games, but they've finally started to dissipate.

In his first four games, Bourdon has averaged 13:16 in ice time and is a plus-1. He also has six hits and four blocked shots.

"I was pretty nervous for the first three games. And against Montreal, because I knew a lot of [friends and family] were watching [in Quebec]," Bourdon said. "But now I'm not as nervous. We've been here all week and I know a little bit more about the team."

Bourdon has bent the ear of frequent defensive partner Matt Carle since his arrival, asking the veteran nearly any question that pops into his mind.

"Some things are different here than [the AHL]," Bourdon explained. "I just want to make sure that I know everything I can. I don't want to be in a position that I'm not supposed to be in on the ice."

Now, with an increased role and more familiarity, Bourdon is expected to help shoulder the load without Pronger and Lilja. Fellow rookie Kevin Marshall, who also made his debut on Nov. 21 and has played two games, might not have the same expectations.

The Flyers put defenseman Matt Walker on recall waivers yesterday. Walker, 31, arrived in Southern California last night. If he clears waivers by noon (Eastern Time) today, Walker could bump Marshall from the lineup.

Duckin' Boudreau

The move itself was not surprising - but the timing of it all was mind-boggling. Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle was fired 40 minutes after winning on Wednesday night, as the Ducks snapped a seven-game skid. And Bruce Boudreau, who was fired in Washington on Monday, was plucked from the job line just 66 hours after being canned by the Capitals.

Boudreau's quick turnaround was the fastest from one team to another in league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He was in Anaheim yesterday to run practice with the Ducks for the first time.

And the Flyers, well, they aren't really sure what to expect from the Ducks.

"Guys will be fired up, a lot of desperation, in survival mode," Danny Briere guessed. "It will be their own survival mode. Players will want to prove that they deserve the ice time. They want to play. It's like starting over."

Briere said he believed it would be tough for Boudreau to institute his system in less than 48 hours and with just one practice. That makes it tough for Peter Laviolette's crew to game plan, having to mix between player tendencies, Carlyle's old habits and plays, and Boudreau's familiar tactics.

"It's really hard to tell," Laviolette said. "You can go back and look at what personnel is in the lineup, maybe check what Bruce was doing in Washington. He used to use a 1-3-1 forecheck in the neutral zone, then he switched to the trap. I'm not sure what to expect. We'll have to adjust on the fly."

Pronger still struggling

More than a week after sitting out for four games with a virus, Chris Pronger said yesterday that he is still "not himself." He had surgery on Tuesday to clean out loose bodies in his left knee.

"It's been a bit of a mystery with what exactly is going on," Pronger said. "I've just never felt like this where you get lightheaded, you have headaches, you're nauseous."

Pronger said he took and passed a concussion baseline test. The wonder is whether these symptoms are caused by the high-stick that nearly cost him vision in his left eye on Oct. 26. He has undergone blood work to "try and get to the bottom of what's going on."

With regards to his knee, Pronger said Dr. Peter DeLuca was "pretty pleased" with what he saw during surgery. The 4-week timetable for Pronger's return, though, is just a ballpark figure.

"It could be 3 weeks, it could be 6 weeks," Pronger said. "Once I get my rehab going, I'll know a bit more."

Pronger said he expects to start light rehab activities today in Voorhees.

Slap shots

Jaromir Jagr likely will play tonight against the Ducks . . . James van Riemsdyk was on the ice with his Flyers teammates yesterday for the first time in a week but did not participate in any drills and remains doubtful to play at all this weekend . . . The Flyers held their annual "rookie dinner" on Tuesday night in the Newport Beach, Calif., area with the team's seven first-year players picking up the tab . . . Even with the Flyers' mediocre 6-4-2 record at home this season, the Wells Fargo Center was voted the NHL's toughest place to play by Sports Business Journal. Philly edged out Montreal, Detroit, Boston, the New York Rangers and Chicago.



Walker likely to play Friday

WESTMINSTER, Calif. -- Matt Walker is not a big name acquisition.

But Walker, who is on re-entry waivers today after the Flyers re-called him from Adirondack, will provide the necessary experience and reinforcement on the blue line with Chris Pronger and Andreas Lilja out for the next month.

Walker is en route to California and is expected to arrive later on Thursday night. After all, there isn’t exactly an easy way to get from Glens Falls, N.Y., to Southern California.

Walker, 31, will be available for Peter Laviolette’s lineup on Friday night against Anaheim, provided that he clears waivers.

A source close to the situation said he believes “99 percent” that none of the other 29 teams in the NHL will take a flier on Walker, despite the fact that quite a few other teams are also dealing with injuries, because of his salary.

Walker’s cap hit is $1.7 million and he still has next season left that will pay him $2 million in cash.

Should Walker be claimed, the Flyers will be on the hook for half of his salary and cap hit this season and next, splitting it with the claiming team.

Even though a prorated $850,000 for the remainder of this season would be closer to Walker’s fair market value at this point in his career, the extra year of payment would likely make teams think twice.

Walker has played 3 games with the Flyers this season, as a minus-2 while averaging 11:35 in ice time per game. He’s played 7 games overall with the Flyers since being acquired in July, 2010 in the Simon Gagne trade with Tampa Bay.

Even with the long flight out to the West Coast, Walker would appear to be likely to play against the Ducks on Friday night, which would leave rookie Kevin Marshall as a healthy scratch. Walker will know his fate by 9 o’clock Pacific Time on Friday morning (12 noon Eastern).

Should Walker be claimed, he’ll likely be packing up for another long flight.

Pick up a copy of Friday's Daily News for an in-depth look at the Flyers' defensive plans and what they're expecting against an Anaheim team that just hired Bruce Boudreau on Thursday.

For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers

Posted by Frank Seravalli



Pronger baffled by virus, starts knee rehab Friday

Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who underwent surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, said he is still battling a mysterious virus.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Pronger said he was not over the virus and "I don't know what's going on."

The Flyers had said his virus symptoms were almost gone and that if he didn't have the knee problem, he may have been able to play Friday.

Pronger's surgery was his fifth in 16 months. He said most of the injuries were fluky, caused by getting hit with pucks, and implied he wasn't breaking down because of his age.

Pronger is 37. He said he will start his knee rehab on Friday.

The Flyers said he will sidelined for four weeks. Pronger said it could be three to six weeks.

If the Flyers were playing in the Stanley Cupplayoffs, Pronger said, he would not have had the surgery and would have played through the pain. He wants to be 100 percent for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

As for the virus, Pronger said he has been experiencing headaches and nausea like never before. He revealed he had passed a concussion test.

Pronger has missed 10 games thus far this season; he missed 32 regular-season games in 2010-11, which he called "the year from hell."

"It's a little disheartening," Pronger said of his latest surgery. "It sets you back" after "you start getting into a rhythm."

The 6-foot-6 captain said his knee has been bothering him since he went out with his Oct. 24 eye injury.

In July of 2010, Pronger had surgery on the other knee. In that instance, it took about nine weeks before he played in a game. He said that surgery was more extensive because there was "more damage" to the knee.

In the last two years, Pronger has missed 42 regular-season games; the Flyers have won just 21 of them.

Breakaways. The Flyers will play the Ducks in Anaheim Friday; it will be the first game for Bruce Boudreau as the Ducks' new coach. Boudreau, fired by Washington on Monday, has a career record of 201-88-40, a .672 winning percentage.....Jaromir Jagr, rebounding from a groin injury, is expected to return to the Flyers' lineup, while James van Riemsdyk is doubtful with an upper-body injury.....The Ducks swept the two-game series against the Flyers last season....The Ducks have killed 47 of 52 penalties (90.4 percent) in seven games at at the Honda Center.

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter: @BroadStBull.



Pronger disheartened but still determined

By Wayne Fish Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2011 2:12 pm

When a towering, sure-of-himself player like Chris Pronger admits he’s a “little disheartened’’ by his recent string of injuries, the headline writes itself.

The Flyers’ captain, beginning a month-long rehab from Tuesday’s left knee surgery while still battling the effects of a mysterious virus-like ailment, sounded frustrated by his bad luck in a Thursday conference call.

It’s been one thing after another over the past couple seasons, but he wants to make it clear that some of the problems stem from freak accidents, like suffering a broken hand and a broken foot from blocking shots last year and taking a stick in the eye this season.

What he’s not going to tell you is that his 37-year-old body is breaking down, even though he’s had work done on both knees as well as his back.

“When you have a fluke injury where you get slashed in the face with a stick and now the knee, it’s a little disheartening,’’ Pronger said. “But I felt like I was playing pretty well when I got hurt the first time. It just sets you back.

“You’re just starting to get your rhythm, you’re starting to get in your groove and your comfort level is very high and this kind of sets you back. I have to go through that whole process again whenever I do get back.’’

The way Pronger plays the game — with such a physical style — injuries are bound to happen. Pronger might be disappointed by some of these injuries but hasn’t lost faith in his future in the sport.

“You have to look at the injuries in their totality,’’ he said. “I got hit with a puck and I broke my foot. I got hit with a puck in the hand and I broke my hand. I got slashed in the face and hurt my eye. The knees are things that, you know, I hurt my knee in the game against Boston in the Stanley Cup playoff and this one was from I don’t know what.

“The only one that was really perplexing was the back. I don’t really know how or what happened there and probably never will. It’s just one of those things. You look at the number of the injuries and they would seem to be kind of fluky. Three of them I got hit with the puck or a stick. Are those everyday hockey occurrences? Yeah, it could happen to anybody.’’

While Pronger is sidelined by the knee, he’s hopeful doctors will be able to figure out what’s causing this drag on his overall health. He’s taken concussion tests, which were negative. Now he’s having bloodwork done to see if there’s something going on there.

He’s feeling a little better now but one gets the sense he’s not out of the woods just yet.

“We said it was a virus but I didn’t know what it was,’’ Pronger said. “I had never felt like that before, where I had headaches and nausea and all the rest of that stuff.

“So I had a concussion test. I took the baseline test and passed that. I’ve just never felt like this where you get lightheaded, you have headaches, you’re nauseous. It’s been a bit of a mystery with what exactly is going on. I did some bloodwork and we’re trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on.’’

As for the knee surgery, the theory seems to be this was more of a wear-and-tear thing than a one-shot traumatic incident.

Pronger doesn’t remember anything that happened on the ice.

“Not that I know of,’’ he said. “I don’t remember ever getting hit; I don’t remember ever catching it in a rut or doing anything. I don’t know what it’s from ... have a couple suspicions, but I don’t really know.’’

But it didn’t just pop up over night.

“Well, my knee had kind of been bothering me,’’ he said.

“It’s gradually gotten worse since I came back from the eye injury. When I stopped skating, as I started to try to work out, it started to bother me. I’d do daily workouts and try to do legs every other day and it got to a point where I couldn’t do my leg workouts so I knew something was wrong.’’

Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


Simmonds' success based on courage, dignity

By Wayne Fish Staff writer

When that infamous banana came flying out of the stands onto a London, Ont., rink in September, it was thrown with ill intentions but, in a bizarre way, paid tribute to the life-long courage and fortitude of its intended target.

Wayne Simmonds didn’t need a reminder that racism is always there — in every sport, every culture, every country.

But the 23-year-old Flyer forward of black Nova Scotian descent still hears and sees it from time to time, and that prompts him to keep his chin up and his mind focused on overcoming the odds.

It’s been that way since he was a kid growing up in a suburb of Toronto. Often, he was the only non-white player on the team, so there was no one with whom to commiserate.

But his mom, Wanda Mercury-Simmonds, is a strong-willed woman who did whatever she could to help Wayne achieve his dream.

Whether a pat on the back, a word of admonishment or some hockey equipment money borrowed from the bill-paying envelope, she saw to it that her third son had what he needed to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

“My parents (including his father, Cyril, a construction worker) did whatever they could,’’ he explains. “They would miss work to drive me to the rink, they sacrificed a lot for me.

“They’re two hard-working people and obviously I picked up from that.’’

As a youth player, he showed a lot of promise. But when the Ontario (Junior) Hockey League draft came around, he was skipped over not once, but twice.

There’s no way of knowing if teams in the league simply didn’t think enough of Simmonds’ talent or if there was more to it (such as his heritage) than that. But whatever the case, it was just another episode in his hard knocks journey and showed him he would have to do more than others.

“It was a good year for me anyway, my team won the championship in Double-A,’’ he recalls. “I was hoping to play Junior A ... or go to college. I didn’t think ‘A’ was in the cards at that point after I got skipped over.’’

He applied and was accepted to Bowling Green, a Division 1 program in Ohio. That finally caught the attention of OHL teams and he eventually played instead in that league, first with Owen Sound and later Sault Ste. Marie.

Along the way, there were incidents where derogatory comments were made, both on and off the ice. Rather than run from them, Simmonds stood his ground and the experiences seem to have steeled him for the final test — getting to the NHL.

“I had four brothers and a sister and it was a battle just to get the TV remote,’’ he says with a chuckle. “I’ve always had to battle and fight, scrap for whatever I’ve gotten.’’

Now that he’s made it to the NHL, every word uttered is scrutinized. That keeps overt racism at bay but there are the isolated moments ...

“You rarely hear it anymore,” he says. “But when you’re younger you have the ignorant kid that says something because he’s not educated or his parents don’t teach him, I guess. You’ve kind of got to let those things go by the wayside sometimes, and if you have an opportunity to settle the score, you settle the score.”

Simmonds welcomed his inclusion in the Mike Richards trade and the opportunity to go from Los Angeles to play in an East Coast major metropolis with a passionate hockey fan base and diversified culture.

“It’s unbelievable, the hard-working people here, it’s like my family,’’ he says with a smile. “It’s a completely different change from L.A. to here. L.A. is more flashy. You’re walking around on a Tuesday morning and everyone is at the beach ... I’m like, ‘Does anyone work here?’

“You come to Philly, everyone is at work, doin’ their own thing. This suits me more, it’s more my style. Everyone works hard in this city and that’s the way I try to play, whether I get points or not. That work ethic kind of defines you.’’

Speaking of which, he wasn’t totally thrilled with his first-quarter performance (four goals, four assists, minus-3 through 23 games). In fairness, he’s not a big point producer, averaging 13 goals, 31 points through his first three seasons.

So he’s about on his usual pace.

Simmonds contributes in many other ways, playing a physical game, creating space for more gifted offensive players and willing to drop the gloves when required.

“I put pressure on myself, I expect certain things,’’ he says. “I thought I had a good first seven, eight games. After that, I’ve been up and down, which is not the way I want to play. But I’m starting to settle in now. I have to find my role, that power forward, get to the net, fight if I have to.’’

There only a handful of black players in the NHL, perhaps, in part, because there haven’t been a lot of role models for kids to aspire to. But players like Simmonds just might be changing that.

His journey to get here will show that overcoming adversity and getting to the top can be done.

“I don’t regret anything,’’ Simmonds says. “Everything that’s happened to me, it’s happened for a reason. It’s made me a better person.’’

Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


Pronger concerned over 'mystery' ailment

By ROB PARENT

Chris Pronger has had to deal with a string of injuries dating to last year, but it’s the nagging malady he doesn’t know much about that has him concerned.

Pronger said Thursday he’s awaiting the results of blood work aimed at identifying symptoms that were originally deemed by the club as “a virus.” That pseudo-diagnosis also had been presumed by the media as a cover illness after it was announced Pronger would need the knee procedure.

Not so, says the impatient patient.

“We’re still trying to ascertain what’s going on,” the Flyers captain said of the symptoms. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

Pronger was speaking on a media conference call coming two days after the knee surgery. He said orthopedic surgeon Peter DeLuca had told him the knee procedure was not as extensive as Pronger’s last knee surgery in July 2010, which took him about nine weeks from which to recover.

This time, Pronger’s recovery timeline has him out for about four weeks, though he said it realistically could be anywhere from three to six weeks. That currently pales, however, to Pronger’s concern about what’s going on in his head.

Pronger said he’s been suffering “headaches and nausea and that stuff.” He added that he’d had a baseline test for a concussion and had passed it. The symptoms haven’t passed.

“I got lightheaded, had headaches, you’re nauseous … It’s been a bit of a mystery,” Pronger said. “We’re trying to get to the bottom of what is going on.”

Asked about the timing of this knee surgery – on top of the “virus” he was suffering from, not a month after returning from a right eye injury, not far removed from foot and hand fractures and back problems that came as a result of getting in the way of speeding pucks or errant sticks – Pronger said, “It’s a little disheartening.

“It just sets you back,” he said. “You’re just starting to get your rhythm, you’re starting to get in your groove and your comfort level is very high and this kind of sets you back. I have to go through that whole process again whenever I do get back.”

As with everything with Pronger, questions about his health are going to be underscored by his age.

“You have to look at the injuries in their totality,” he said. “I got hit with a puck and I broke my foot. I got hit with a puck in the hand and I broke my hand. I got slashed in the face and hurt my eye. The knees … I hurt my knee in the game against Boston in the Stanley cup playoffs and this one was from I don’t know what. The only one that was really perplexing was the back.

“You look at the number of the injuries and they would seem to be kind of fluky.”

Now comes something that is just as fluky, not as clear and more than a little concerning. Chris Pronger doesn’t know if or when he’s going to shake these symptoms that sound an awful lot like concussion symptoms, but apparently are not. He’s hoping results of lab tests can help ease concerns.

Until then, only one thing is clear to Pronger: “I don’t really know what’s going on,” he said.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


Flyers can expect the unexpected from Ducks

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – The best that can be said for the Flyers on Friday is to expect the unexpected.

Bruce Boudreau, fired from Washington earlier in the week, replaced Randy Carlyle as Anaheim’s coach less than an hour after the Ducks defeated Montreal 4-1 on Wednesday night.

The thing is, no one knows what to expect from Boudreau’s new club in his first game against the Flyers.

It’s hard to think Boudreau could implement the same “systems” he had in Washington in so short of time.

Then again…

“It’s hard to tell,” said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, who is very familiar with Boudreau, having coached against him in both the Southeast and Atlantic Divisions.

“When coaching changes are made they’re really difficult to play against in the first game. I would expect it be a hard fought game and they’ll be

wanting to prove that their worthy of ice time and power play time, so we have to be ready to play.

“We go back and look at personnel in the lineup. Maybe check with what Bruce was doing in Washington. It’s really hard to tell. Bruce used to play a 1-3-1 in the neutral zone, then, he switched to a trap. I’m not sure what he’ll do. We’ll make adjustments on the fly.”

When Laviolette took over the Flyers on Dec. 4, 2009, his first game was an 8-2 loss the next day to Boudreau’s Capitals in which he threw a lot of new systems at his players and then built upon that as the season went on.

How ironic now that Boudreau’s first game is against Lavy.

“It’s hard and I don’t know what they’ll be putting in,” Laviolette said. “I’d be speculating on all of this. It’s crazy to speculate. I don’t know how much he’ll put in or what we won’t put in. When I’ve done it, I jumped in and put things in right away and worked on things along the way. It’s hard to say what happens tomorrow.”

Danny Briere, who has been in the NHL for 14 seasons, says he doesn’t expect to see the Boudreau-Caps systems, but has a keen sense on what to expect from the Ducks’ players themselves.

“You don’t turn around a new team with a new system in just one day,” Briere said. “Just look at our experience here with Peter. It took three, four weeks before we started playing the way he wanted us to play.

“I think the first two or three games they will be playing on adrenalin. They’ll be skating all over the place and playing with a lot of emotion and passion. That’s what is dangerous for us more than anything.”

Given the Ducks finally snapped a seven-game losing skid on Wednesday, there should be plenty of juice in their collective tanks for this game.

“When you get a new coach in like that, guys are more fired up and play with a lot of desperation,” Briere said.

“Survival mode, their own survival mode, each and every player. They want to prove to their coach that they deserve the ice time. They want to play. It’s like starting anew with a blank sheet for each player. I’m sure they will be fired up.”

The Flyers had four games in six days, ending with a loss to the Rangers in New York last Saturday. They have not played since. After that game, a number of players and even Laviolette said the team was low on energy.

Since then, the Flyers have had some hard practices and three days here at a gorgeous resort to re-energize.

In other words, the Flyers should be ready to play on Friday night.

“I don’t know if the break helps, but I really believe hanging out together the last few days is always good for team spirit,” Briere said.

“And we’ve played a lot of games in the previous 10 days, so this break came at the right time. Our tanks were a little empty that last game in New York. Definitely good timing.”

Maybe.

But it could also be good timing for Anaheim, as well.

Loose pucks

James van Riemsdyk again wore the yellow “no contact” jersey at practice and is doubtful to play on Friday. … Laviolette would not say who his goalie is for Anaheim, but Ilya Bryzgalov indicated earlier that he would be starting that game.



Flyers arrive in Anaheim at odd time for Ducks

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- It figures to be a rather strange situation for the Flyers on Friday night when they meet the Anaheim Ducks.

Randy Carlyle is gone.

Fired less than an hour after his club had ended a seven-game losing skid on Wednesday night with a 4-1 win over Montreal and replaced with a guy more familiar to the Flyers – ex-Caps coach Bruce Boudreau.

Boudreau was fired last week in Washington but didn’t even have to wait long enough to apply for unemployment.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” Ducks general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. “Randy is a terrific coach and did a tremendous job for us for six-plus seasons. We thank him greatly for his hard work and dedication to our franchise.

“At this time, we simply felt a new voice was needed. Bruce is a proven winner with a great track record, and we are optimistic we can turn this season around under his leadership.”

The question that remains unanswered with whether the club will continue to shop winger Bobby Ryan. Sources say the Ducks need to unload salary and have a gaggle of clubs interested in Ryan.

The Rangers and Carolina appear to be the leading candidates if Anaheim moves Ryan. The Flyers are not in the picture.

But now with Boudreau coming aboard, you have to wonder whether he’s going to want Murray to hold off on trading one of the team’s most valuable assets.



Pronger on virus: 'Never felt like this before'

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The good news is that Chris Pronger says his left knee clean-up surgery wasn’t invasive, and he feels pretty good.

The bad news is Pronger is still feeling the effects of a mysterious virus. Despite various medical testing, including for a concussion, he hasn’t found a definitive answer as to what exactly is wrong with him.

“I’ve never felt like this before,” Pronger said during a conference call on Thursday. “We’re still trying to ascertain what is going on … I really don’t know what is going on.”

Pronger has missed four games with this mysterious illness and also elected to have surgery during this time to repair some loose bodies in his left knee.

The virus – not his knee – has him worried because it is lingering.

“I just didn’t feel well, I didn’t know what it was,” Pronger said of the virus, which struck him on his return from Winnipeg on Nov. 19.

“I never felt like that before with headaches and nausea, and that stuff. I had a concussion baseline test and passed that ... I got lightheaded, had headaches, you're nauseous.

“It’s been a bit of a mystery as to what exactly is going on. Did some blood work and we’re trying to get to the bottom of what is going on.”

Pronger had knee surgery on Tuesday and will begin rehab on Friday. He is expected to miss four weeks, but says it could shorter or longer.

“Starting the rehab, as I progress, then I’ll know more,” he said. “We kind of gave a ballpark number because we don’t really know.”

The off-season surgery he underwent on his right knee on July 27, 2010, required about nine weeks of recovery and caused Pronger to miss the first two games of the 2010-11 season.

This surgery, to his left knee had less complications, he said, adding that orthopedic surgeon Peter DeLuca was “pleased” at not finding any major damage.

Pronger’s knee began bothering him when he returned to the lineup in early November after missing six games with a right eye injury. When the knee began affecting his dry-land training, he knew something had to be corrected.

“I don’t remember getting hit, I don’t remember catching it in a rut, or anything,” he said.

That said, Pronger added that if this were June and the Flyers were in the Stanley Cup Final, he would have played through his knee injury.

“But it was to a point where I would not have played very well,” he said.

“We can always say we can play, but at what level and what detriment are you playing? At this stage of the season, not knowing the other side of it, it was prudent to get it [surgery] done now and return in four weeks let’s say, so I’m able to get three weeks in before the All-Star break and put the hammer down after that as we get into the playoff push and stretch drive.”

Pronger said three of his major injuries – broken foot, broken wrist and eye injury – have involved pucks or sticks and are “fluke” injuries that can happen to any player and not an indication that his body is breaking down at age 37.

“I get hit with a puck, I broke my foot,” he said. “Get hit with a puck in the hand, and I broke my hand. Get slashed in the face and hurt my eye. The knees are things, like I hurt my knee in the Stanley Cup playoffs against Boston.

“This one [latest knew], I don’t really know. The only one that was really perplexing was my back [injury last year]. I don’t know how or where and probably never will. It was just one of those things.

“You look at the number of injuries, they would seem to be fluky. You get hit with a puck or stick. They’re everyday hockey occurrences that could happen to anybody. When you play the game hard and that many minutes, you’re inclined to have something happen to you.”

He admitted the five or six surgeries he’s undergone in the past 16 months have “taken a toll” on him and there is frustration involved, as well.

“I was pretty pleased with how my summer training went … I felt like I got off to a good start of the season,” Pronger said.

“Then you have a fluke injury where you get slashed in the face with a stick and now the knee. It’s a little disheartening. I felt I was playing pretty well when I got hurt [eye injury] the first time.

“It sets you back. You just start to get your rhythm, you’re starting to get your groove and your comfort level is very high. This sets you back. You gotta kinda go through that whole process again when I do get back.”



Walker to rejoin Flyers ... if he clears waivers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Assuming he clears re-entry waivers, defenseman Matt Walker will rejoin the Flyers in time for Friday’s morning skate in Anaheim.

Walker was en route to California on Thursday. Given his $1.7 million salary cap hit, Walker should clear waivers.

Right now the Flyers are playing two rookies on defense – Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall - in place of Chris Pronger and Andreas Lilja, both of whom are on long-term injury.

The Flyers will know by 9 a.m. Pacific whether Walker clears.

If claimed, Walker’s pro-rated salary would be split 50/50 this year and his full salary next year in a cap hit to both teams.

Walker, who was with the Phantoms, is expected to replace Marshall in the lineup Friday against the Ducks.

“Right now we have two young kids in our lineup,” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “So, he certainly brings experience, size and toughness. With Chris [Pronger] out and Andreas Lilja out, we lost a lot of experience.

“[Walker] played well down there which was something important to us – just to get him playing.”

Bourdon is paired with Matt Carle and Marshall has been with Andrej Meszaros.

Holmgren said so many NHL clubs are looking for a defenseman that making a trade is difficult. Hence, he went the Phantoms’ route.

“There’s a lot of injuries right now in the league and a lot of them are to defensemen,” Holmgren said.


597867 Phoenix Coyotes

Winnipeg Jets shut out Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes

Jets spoil homecoming of sorts for Doan, who started NHL career in Winnipeg, with 1-0 win

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- A night that started with boos for Winnipeg's former team ended with a well-deserved standing ovation for the new Jets.

Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves in his second shutout of the season, and Bryan Little's first-period goal held up as the Jets beat Phoenix 1-0 on Thursday night in the Coyotes' first game back in Winnipeg since leaving for the desert in 1996.

Some fans showed that hard feelings haven't died when it comes to the Coyotes, who deserted Winnipeg after the 1995-96 season. The Coyotes were booed when they came on the ice, and that treatment continued every time a Phoenix player had the puck, including captain Shane Doan, one of the last original Jets left in the NHL.

Doan wasn't surprised he and his teammates were booed.

"They're a passionate fan base and they love their Jets," he said.

The Jets gave the fans plenty to cheer about, playing a strong team game against one of the better clubs in the Western Conference.

Pavelec was particularly impressive, rebounding from a shaky performance in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to Ottawa in which he gave up five goals.

"It's always important after you don't play well, especially me, I didn't feel good in the Ottawa game," Pavelec said. "It was great I had the chance to play again and bounce back. It's always a good feeling when you help the team to win."

Winnipeg (10-11-4), the former Atlanta Thrashers who relocated before this season, snapped a two-game losing streak. After the game, the crowd gave the new Jets a standing ovation and saluted them at center ice as the players raised their sticks.

Smith faced 31 shots as Phoenix (13-8-3) had a two-game winning streak broken. He was out of position on Little's goal off a rebound at 6:53 of the first period, but was otherwise solid.

Pavelec, making his 22nd start of the season, faced 33 shots. He praised his teammates for limiting the dangerous scoring chances.

"As soon as they crossed the red line they threw the puck on me, and the guys did a great job to (let) me see the puck," he said.

"Outstanding effort, team effort, and that's the way we want to play. We had a lot of scoring chances. We deserved to win and it was a great win."

Doan was a rookie during that last season in Manitoba and is one of only three NHLers still playing from that old squad. The others are Anaheim's Teemu Selanne and Edmonton goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.

Doan later got a standing ovation from the sold out crowd of 15,004 after the rink announcer asked fans to recognize his place in Jets history.

"It's what makes it fun to be in the building," Doan said. "By all means, as a fan that's what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to cheer on your team and make it hard on the other team, and they did a great job."

However, he was surprised by the ovation he got in the first period.

"What do you say other than thanks," said Doan, who turned the puck over just before Little scored. "I was very thankful for that.

"That was above and beyond anything they needed to do, but I really appreciated it that fans would do that."

He even added a joke at his own expense.

"I wasn't sure if (the ovation) was for me turning the puck over on the first goal and giving it to them or if it was for something else," he said.

Evander Kane assisted on Little's goal when his shot hit the post, and Little put in the rebound.

NOTES: C Kyle Turris made his season debut with the Coyotes following a long contract holdout. He played just under 12 minutes and registered a team-high four shots on goal. ... Phoenix couldn't get even despite outshooting the Jets 16-9 in the second period and holding a 27-19 edge in shots after 40 minutes. ... The game had only five penalties. Winnipeg was 0-for-3 on the power play, and Phoenix finished 0-for-2. ... Winnipeg will host New Jersey on Saturday, while the Coyotes will face Philadelphia in Arizona.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 12.02.2011

597868 Pittsburgh Penguins

Defensive Penguins put clamps on Capitals

By Josh Yohe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Friday, December 2, 2011

WASHINGTON — Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin didn't produce any fireworks, but this game wasn't about stars. It was about two teams headed in different directions.

The Penguins put on a defensive clinic, and the Capitals looked lifeless for a second consecutive game under new coach Dale Hunter. Left wing Chris Kunitz scored the winner early in the third period, as the Penguins prevailed, 2-1, at Verizon Center.

The victory was the Penguins' first regulation win in Washington since Game 7 of the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Now 2-1 on their four-game road trip, they visit Carolina on Saturday.

"The guys in front of me were awesome tonight," goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. "They've been awesome all year — and especially tonight."

The Penguins (15-8-4, 34 points) stymied Washington in the third period, holding the Capitals to two shots. Washington did not muster a shot on goal during the final six minutes and was unable to enter the Penguins' zone after pulling goalie Tomas Vokoun in the final minute. The Penguins posted a 35-17 advantage in shots, winning on a night when Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held without a point.

"It's a much better last two or three minutes when the puck is in the offensive zone," coach Dan Bylsma said.

The Penguins dominated the first period and got a rare goal from their fourth line: Right wing Arron Asham set up left wing Craig Adams to put the Penguins ahead.

"You need the fourth line to chip in some goals," said Asham, who was challenged to a fight by Washington's John Erskine six seconds after Adams' tally. "For our line, I thought it was one of our best games of the season."

The same could be said of the Penguins' blue liners. Despite playing without Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek, the Penguins were strong in their end. Perhaps no one was more impressive than rookie Simon Despres, who played his first NHL game.

Despres earned an assist, was on the ice for both Penguins goals and hardly looked out of place in his 10 minutes, 30 seconds of ice time.

"He looked confident, looked good," Bylsma said. "Made some plays."

Ovechkin played emotionally and was credited with 10 hits. But he continued to lack the explosive skating that made his game so exceptional and put only one shot on goal in 19:22.

"Our gap control was really good tonight," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "The forwards didn't turn the puck over. It allowed us to get to our gaps."

Other than Fleury, Ovechkin wasn't keen on giving the Penguins credit.

"It's pretty disappointing when you lose that kind of game," he said. "We just didn't score on the chances we had. We hit the post, I missed an empty net and Fleury made a couple of great saves."

Other than Jason Chimera's second-period goal, Washington's best chance came when Ovechkin found Nicklas Backstrom, who hit the crossbar while looking at an empty net.

Otherwise, the Penguins shut down Washington. Kunitz scored from the slot early in the third, and the defense did the rest.

"We played well," Kunitz said. "It feels great to come here and win."

Scoring summary

First period

Penguins, 1-0 (5:21): RW Arron Asham skated from behind the net and dished a backhand pass through the goal mouth to wide-open LW Craig Adams, who established position in front of D Dmitry Orlov and banged a one-timer into the net.

Second period

Capitals, 1-1 (1:20): Moments after Penguins D Matt Niskanen was unable to touch the puck -- he would have triggered an icing whistle — Capitals C Jason Chimera skated from behind the net and fired a backhand shot past G Marc-Andre Fleury.

Third period

Penguins, 2-1 (2:36): LW Chris Kunitz skated into Washington territory, made a defender miss and launched a shot from the slot that glanced off D John Carlson's stick and past G Tomas Vokoun.

Tribune Review LOADED: 12.02.2011


Boudreau aims to boost Ducks' confidence

By Associated Press


ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bruce Boudreau never even got comfortable in his beloved recliner. Three days after the Washington Capitals fired him, the fast-talking coach was in another rink on the other side of the continent, back at work on another NHL salvage job.

Boudreau took charge of the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, running his first practice with new orange-and-black gear and the same contagious enthusiasm that endeared him to Washington fans. The coach known as "Gabby" is already talking big about the Ducks' chances to save their dismal season.

"If I didn't believe that this was a team that had the possibilities, the makings of something special, I think I would have sat home and waited," Boudreau said after practice. "But I don't think opportunities like this come around every day with the talent that we have here."

While Boudreau delivered an opening speech emphasizing his faith in their talent, the struggling Ducks were still getting over the shock from the departure of Randy Carlyle, the only NHL coach for which MVP Corey Perry, captain Ryan Getzlaf, high-scoring wing Bobby Ryan and goalie Jonas Hiller have played.

General manager Bob Murray fired Carlyle late Wednesday night after Anaheim snapped a seven-game skid with a 4-1 win over Montreal. The Ducks are off to a perplexing 7-13-4 start, stuck in 14th place in the Western Conference with their team confidence completely shot.

"I was shocked," said Teemu Selanne, who formed a close bond with Carlyle during the team's 2007 Stanley Cup run. "I thought some guys were going to go before the coaches. It's a tough business. I'm really disappointed we didn't do better."

Boudreau has never been unemployed for more than a few weeks in his adult life, and he wasn't eager to start. The 2008 NHL coach of the year

reached 200 victories faster than any coach in league history, leading the Capitals to four straight Southeast Division titles and the 2010 Presidents' Trophy, but a big slump and the Caps' overall lack of playoff success doomed him.

He spent just enough time at home to annoy his wife, unable to sit still even in his favorite chair. He was contemplating a trip to Toronto to do some Canadian television until he got a call Tuesday from Murray, who had decided to fire Carlyle, Boudreau's former teammate with Toronto and a CHL club in Dallas during the 1970s.

"I talked to my wife, and I said, 'I think we should jump at this,"' Boudreau said. "I know it's only been a day, but I thought it's a chance that I wouldn't get again. I jumped at it and got on the plane yesterday, and here I am."

Less than five years after winning the franchise's only Stanley Cup title, the Ducks have sunk to the bottom of the NHL with three wins in 19 games despite a wealth of skill and experience. Murray acknowledges fielding offers from multiple teams eager to acquire Ryan or the other big names on the Ducks' roster, but the GM made the gut-wrenching decision to fire a close friend.

"I still believe strongly in the group," Murray said. "If I didn't believe they could do it, I would have gone in a totally different direction and blown things up and started all over. I believe we have the people here that can do this."

The Ducks' struggles have been exacerbated by the injury absence of Lubomir Visnovsky, the NHL's top-scoring defenseman last season, and top-six forward Jason Blake. But injuries can't explain the inconsistent, tentative effort in the club's recent games, featuring a raft of blowout losses characterized by turnovers, defensive-zone mistakes and a general confusion.

"It was just the way we were losing, the body language," Murray said. "I just don't think they believe in themselves anymore, and I hadn't seen that in the six years we've been here."

Anaheim's stars can't argue. Murray informed the club's leaders about his decision after the game, but others heard about it on the way home — including Ryan, who got a text message from his girlfriend.

"I thought it might be a fire sale, so I looked to see if there were any other missed calls or missed texts," said Ryan, who has struggled with just seven goals in 24 games this season. "There was relief, but you also feel like you let down the coaches."

Anaheim also fired assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno. New assistant coach Brad Lauer joined Boudreau at practice, and the Ducks will add another assistant soon.

Boudreau thinks his greatest task is restoring the Ducks' confidence in their abilities. He immediately put Ryan back on a line with Getzlaf and Perry in his first practice, reuniting the once-powerful trio that scuffled through parts of this season before Carlyle broke up the combo.

"They all listened really well," Boudreau said. "When they went on the ice, they looked like they had a jump. This is a really good team. They've just lost their way a little bit. I want them to believe in themselves."



Penguins make call to top prospect Despres



Penguins defenseman Simon Despres never looked out of place in NHL training camps and in preseason games. At 20 years old and with all of two months of professional hockey under his belt, the Penguins figured it was time to give their most highly regarded prospect a taste of the real thing.

With injuries to defensemen Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek preventing them from playing Thursday night at the Washington Capitals, the Penguins

decided to summon Despres from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Coach Dan Bylsma said Despres would play on the third defensive pairing with fellow rookie Robert Bortuzzo and on the second power-play unit. Bylsma also suggested more work for Despres was possible.

"He's played 10, 11 games in exhibition," he said. "I know he's more than capable of playing in a lot of different situations."

>> The promotion caught Despres by surprise. On Tuesday, Bortuzzo and defenseman Alexandre Picard had been recalled; Picard has since been demoted.

"No clue," said Despres, who had three goals and four assists for the Baby Penguins. "It was a surprise. I'm excited, though."

>> Most of the Penguins shaved their mustaches now that "Movember" is over. Sidney Crosby decided to keep his.

"I couldn't find a razor," he explained. More likely, the superstitious Crosby has opted to keep his mustache until he suffers a bad game.

>> Bylsma had nothing to report on Letang and Michalek, both of whom may have suffered a concussion. They returned to Pittsburgh to be observed by doctors, and it appears unlikely either will play Saturday at Carolina.



Fourth line pushes Penguins past Capitals


Thursday, December 1, 2011

WASHINGTON — Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin didn't produce their customary fireworks when playing against each other.

On this night, the Penguins' fourth line was the difference.

Left wing Craig Adams scored a goal, the rest of the fourth line provided consistent energy and left wing Chris Kunitz notched the game-winner as the Penguins held on for a 2-1 win over the Capitals.

New Washington coach Dale Hunter has now already lost more regular season home games against the Penguins at home than recently fired coach Bruce Boudreau.

It's a good thing the Penguins could write a book about their postseason dominance against the Capitals, because their recent regular season meetings haven't been so productive.

The Capitals entered the game with a 13-1-2 record in their past 16 regular season meetings against the Penguins.

But then, these don't appear to be the same Capitals.

Ovechkin, mired in the worst slump of his career, produced a couple of opportunities but was generally quiet, looking far more like the lifeless player who has struggled to score only 18 points in 24 games than the dynamic talent who was once a 60-goal scorer.

His performance against the Penguins had to be especially discouraging given that defensemen Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek — the two guys the Penguins love to have on the ice against Ovechkin — both missed the contest with head injuries.

Nonetheless, the combination of Matt Niskanen, Deryk Engelland, Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin did a wonderful job on Ovechkin.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury wasn't half bad either, allowing only a second period goal to center Jason Chimera.



Penguins' Despres to make NHL debut tonight



WASHINGTON - The Penguins officially announced today that defenseman Simon Despres, the team's 2009 first round draft pick, will make his NHL debut tonight against the Capitals.

Despres, 20, has produced three goals and four assists in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.

All three of his goals have been game-winners. A plus-3 this season, Despres is considered by some the Penguins' top prospect and projects as a top-four, two-way NHL defeseman.

Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo will likely skate with Despres tonight. The two have been defensive partners at times in Wilkes-Barre.

To make room for Despres, the Penguins sent defenseman Alexandre Picard — who did not have a strong game Tuesday against the Rangers — back to Wilkes-Barre.

Defensemen Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek will not play tonight, as both need to be tested for possible concussions before returning to the lineup.

Read more: Penguins' Despres to make NHL debut tonight - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_769878.html#ixzz1fN9HrWh8



Penguins Notebook: Defenseman Simon Despres makes NHL debut

By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON -- Defenseman Simon Despres made his NHL debut Thursday night against Washington at Verizon Center, but it was more than just his first game in the league.

It was the start of a tryout.

How long it will last hasn't been determined.

And won't be until management gets a feel for just how he fits in at this level.

"We'll see how the next couple of games go, probably, see about our injuries and go from there," general manager Ray Shero said Thursday.

"With the four injuries we have on defense, with [Brian] Strait and [Ben] Lovejoy being out long term, and now with [Zbynek] Michalek and [Kris] Letang being out -- we're not sure how long they'll be out for -- our depth is being tested.

"We want to get an idea of what we have, in terms of [Robert] Bortuzzo, [Alexandre] Picard and now, Despres. We'll give these guys opportunities and then, as we move forward, we can have a better idea and give them some experience and go from there."

Picard, an NHL veteran, was returned to the minor league team in Wilkes-Barre to clear space for Despres on the 23-man NHL roster.

Despres, a first-round draft choice in 2009, had three goals and four assists in 22 games with the Baby Penguins this season.

He is 20 years old and plays a solid, though rarely spectacular, overall game. Not surprisingly, he entered the Capitals game intent on adhering to a pretty basic style.

"Just keep it simple, be physical, [make] a good first pass and try not to [make] too many mistakes," Despres said.

That dovetails nicely with what management is looking for from him.

"He just needs to play a simple game," Shero said. "Move the puck, use his body down low, play with confidence."

Close shave minus one

Most Penguins players and staff members were clean-shaven when they reported to Verizon Center for their game-day skate.

No surprise there, since it was Dec. 1, and the campaign to have them grow moustaches to raise awareness of prostate cancer had run in November.

But there was one conspicuous exception.

The notoriously superstitious Sidney Crosby, who entered this month with a three-game scoring streak, still had his moustache.

The consensus among observers was that Crosby's moustache would last as long as his points streak, although Crosby never would admit as much.

And, indeed, he came up with another explanation for why his facial hair survived the turn of the calendar, although it wasn't terribly convincing.

"I couldn't find a razor," he said.

New coach has time

In mid-February, Dan Bylsma replaced Michel Therrien behind the bench of a talented Penguins team that was underachieving and had stopped responding to its coach.

On Monday, Dale Hunter took over for Bruce Boudreau in a similar situation in Washington.

One major difference: The Penguins were entering the stretch drive when Bylsma arrived, while the Capitals have more than five months left before the playoffs start.

"They have a significant amount of time ... still left," Bylsma said.

He didn't deny, however, that Hunter has stepped into a situation with enormous potential.

"They have quite a bit of time and a good team," Bylsma said. "Good situation and good players. A real good opportunity for Dale Hunter to come in and give them a jump-start."

Tip-ins

Bylsma said there was no new information on Letang and Michalek, both of whom got head injuries late in a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday in Montreal. Letang has a broken nose, and it's possible that one, or both, has a concussion. ... The Penguins will close out their four-game road trip Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C., against the Hurricanes.

Post Gazette LOADED: 12.02.2011


Penguins beat Capitals, 2-1


WASHINGTON -- Sidney Crosby had gotten at least one point in each of his previous 11 regular-season visits to Verizon Center.

Not this time.

He had been involved in almost every one of the games in an 11-0-2 streak Washington had built against the Penguins, too.

That streak's over, too.

It ended Thursday night when the Penguins defeated the Capitals, 2-1.

And the trade-off was one Crosby had no problem accepting.

"You play to win," he said.

The Penguins did that, breaking out of a slump against the Capitals that dated to March 9, 2008.

To put the Capitals streak in perspective, consider that Chris Kunitz, who scored the winning goal Thursday, didn't join the Penguins until nearly a year after their most recent regulation-time victory against Washington.

Penguins defenseman Simon Despres acquitted himself well in his NHL debut, logging 10 1/2 minutes of ice time.

Not a heavy workload, to be sure, but Despres still managed to be on the ice for both of the Penguins goals, and to pick up the second assist on Kunitz's goal.

"I thought he looked confident, looked good, made some good plays," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "He was playing against some good players in some tough situations, and I thought he looked strong and aggressive."

Despres seemed nearly as satisfied with his first NHL game as his coach was.

"I enjoyed it a lot," he said. "It was easy to play with these guys. I was comfortable. I still have a lot to learn and I hope I can improve, with the more games I play."

Despres, it should be noted, wasn't the only rookie defenseman in the lineup. Robert Bortuzzo appeared in his third NHL game, and played a solid 12:12.

The Capitals were aware that a third of the Penguins defense corps had virtually no experience at this level but weren't able to take advantage of it.

"I thought we forechecked hard," Capitals coach Dale Hunter said. "We dumped it and went after them pretty good with big hits to stir it up."

Didn't get much to show for it, though. Jason Chimera scored the their only goal 80 seconds into the second period, when he beat Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with a backhander from close range.

Crosby, meanwhile, was held without a point for the second time in six games since returning from a 61-game absence because of a concussion. He has 11 in the other four games.

"I had a few chances," Crosby said, "but they kept a pretty tight seal on things."

True enough, but the Penguins still were able to launch 35 shots at Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun.

Washington, conversely, managed just 17 on Fleury, and only two of those in the third period.

Fact is, Fleury's greatest challenge in those final 20 minutes might have been resisting the urge to curl up in the crease and take a nap.

"I tried to stay focused, in case they did come in, because they have a lot of skill up front," Fleury said. "But the guys in front of me did an amazing job."

After Kunitz broke a 1-1 tie by beating Vokoun from above the right hash at 2:36 of the third, the Penguins played a textbook road period. They kept the play in the Washington zone much of the time, and gave the Capitals nothing that resembled a quality scoring opportunity.

"Most of the chances they got in the first and second [came on] pucks we gave away or mistakes we made," said winger Craig Adams, who scored the first goal. "We limited those in the third."

Consequently, the margin of victory made it seem as if there was a lot more suspense about the outcome than actually existed.

"It's a much better last two or three minutes when the puck's mostly in the offensive zone," Bylsma said.

That's a pretty good feat against a team with the kind of offensive talent Washington has, especially when the Penguins' game hasn't really been in synch for a few games.

"It feels good to come in here and win," Kunitz said. "We'd been stumbling lately, hadn't played that great, so to have a great effort, other than about

six, seven eight minutes in the second period ... we played a great team game."



Kunitz goal pushes Penguins past Capitals


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chris Kunitz scored a goal early in the third period to lead the Penguins to a 2-1 victory against Washington at the Verizon Center tonight.

The victory was the Penguins' first in regulation against the Capitals during the regular season since March 9, 2008 and raised their record to 15-7-4.

Penguins center Sidney Crosby failed to record a point in Washington for the first time in 12 career appearances, while Capitals winger Mike Knuble had a 13-game scoring streak against the Penguins snapped.

Kunitz scored the game-winner at 2:36 of the third, when he fought past Washington defenseman John Erskine and beat goalie Tomas Vokoun from above the right hash mark for his ninth of the season.

Rookie defenseman Simon Despres made his NHL debut for the Penguins, as they played without two of their top four defensemen, Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek, because of head injuries sustained late in a 4-3 overtime victory in Montreal Saturday.

The Penguins got the only goal of the opening period, as Craig Adams, set up at the left side of the crease, rapped in a feed from Arron Asham at 5:21 for his second of the season.

Six seconds later, Capitals defenseman John Erskine (6 feet 4, 220 pounds) earned the decision in a fight with Asham (5 feet 11, 205), presumably going after him to avenge teammate Jay Beagle, who Asham knocked out in a fight in mid-October.

Beagle was injured in the fight and has missed the 21 games since then.

Washington didn't get its first shot until the game was 9 ?? minutes old, but it was a pretty good one and Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was forced to reject an Alex Ovechkin backhand from close range.

The Capitals seemed intent on pounding the Penguins into submission and built a 19-7 edge in hits during the first period, but the Penguins responded by taking a 13-4 edge in shots.

Washington, though, pulled even on their first shot of the second period, as Jason Chimera walked out from the left side of the net and flipped a backhander past Fleury at 1:20.

That was the only goal for either team during the second, when the Penguins had a 12-11 advantage in shots.

The Penguins are off until Saturday, when they will visit Carolina on the final stop of a four-game road trip.


597876 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks beat Montreal Canadiens in shootout 4-3

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 12/01/2011 10:36:45 PM PST

Updated: 12/02/2011 12:56:16 AM PST

Sharks coach Todd McLellan reunited Logan Couture, Ryane Clowe and Marty Havlat on the same line and got goals from each Thursday night as San Jose escaped with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens at HP Pavilion.

Havlat's goal came in the six-round shootout as he, Michal Handzus and Joe Pavelski all scored and Sharks goalie Antti Niemi was beaten by Brian Gionta and David Desharnais.

But it was Clowe's goal with 1:26 left in the third period that put the Sharks in position to come away with the two points that was the most dramatic.

"It was a play we focus on a little bit in practice -- with the shot and drive the net," Clowe said of his 14-foot wrister on the rebound of a shot by Couture. "Sometimes it seems like an innocent shot off the wing, but that's what you're shooting for, the rebound."

Clowe had talked earlier in the day about the need for his line to score "dirty" goals, those that result from hard work and strong positioning in front of the net. Was this one of those?

"Semi-dirty," he said, smiling.

The Sharks, who stopped their losing streak at two games, never led in regulation. But when the Canadiens jumped out to early leads on goals by Mike Cammalleri and David Desharnais, San Jose did not take long to counter with tallies from Jamie McGinn and Couture.

Still, when Montreal left wing Erik Cole punched the puck past Niemi at 8:46 of the third period after an odd-man rush to give the

Canadiens a 3-2 lead, it took a lot longer and a lot of perseverance for San Jose to force overtime.

"We were trying to lose it in the third there when we gave up the goal," McLellan said, "but I'm happy that they stuck with it. There was a group of them that was really determined, and I thought Cooch's line led that way with Clowe and Marty. Perhaps their best games in a long time, and it was nice to see."

On the flip side, San Jose's top line of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Pavelski was on the ice for each Montreal goal and finished a combined minus-8 for the night.

The Sharks offense had been sputtering, scoring only three goals in the previous three games -- including a 2-0 shutout loss in Los Angeles. That prompted McLellan to reunite Couture, Clowe and Havlat.

While Couture and Clowe got the regulation goals, McLellan seemed to save his highest praise for Havlat.

"Marty's best game as a Shark, I don't even think it's close," the coach said, noting Havlat used his speed and offensive skills. "That's the Marty that we think we have and that we'll need moving forward."

The Canadiens took a 1-0 lead at 13:21 of the first period when Cammalleri deflected a shot from the blue line past Niemi. But 41 seconds later, McGinn crashed the net, getting his stick on a puck that Handzus slid into the crease, and the game was tied at 1-1.

Montreal regained the lead at 4:41 of the second when center Desharnais came in alone on Niemi, spotted an opening on the far side and filled it with the puck. But 97 seconds later, the Sharks knotted it up again when Couture took a pass from Clowe and got off a shot almost in one motion that Montreal goalie Carey Price couldn't stop.

Although Clowe had his first goal since Nov. 3 and Couture had his first since Nov. 5, McLellan wasn't ready to declare the line a permanent combination.

"We can't have those security linemates or security blankets," he said. "We have to have the ability to play with anybody. We'll get Clowe's game back and then we may try it again another way."

McLellan is going to be seeing a lot more of an old friend.

McLellan and Bruce Boudreau were minor league roommates when both played for the Springfield Indians of the AHL for more than a season in the late 1980s. This week Boudreau was fired as coach of the Washington Capitals, then hired late Wednesday night by the Anaheim Ducks.

"We were roommates in the minors and now we're state-mates, I guess," McLellan said before Thursday's game.

The two already have coached against each other five times in McLellan's first three seasons behind the San Jose bench. As division rivals, they'll face each other six times per season — including four more games in 2011-12.

Did McLellan have any stories he wanted to share from his days as Boudreau's roommate?

"Not with you guys," he responded.

Former Sharks right wing Mike Grier officially announced his retirement Thursday after 1,060 NHL games over 14 seasons.

He played 221 of those games for San Jose from 2006 to 2009, primarily on the third line, and one of his linemates from those days credited Grier with playing a big role in helping make the adjustment to life in the NHL.

"He had a really good influence on me. He was such a professional," center Torrey Mitchell said. "He was kind of a calming figure for me around the locker room."

Specifically, Mitchell said, Grier relayed the importance of the penalty kill.

"He prided himself in that, and he taught me how important it was and how all the little plays on the ice make a huge difference, especially when you're down a man," Mitchell said.

Grier, 36, was not offered a new contract after the Sharks were eliminated by the Ducks in the 2009 playoffs but went on to play two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bad timing for Montreal left wing Max Pacioretty, who served the second of his three-game suspension Thursday night for an illegal hit to the head of Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang.

Pacioretty is a Connecticut native, but his parents both grew up in San Francisco and he has many relatives still in the Bay Area.

His friends and family ticket list included about 35 persons -- including his parents, who scheduled their annual visit around their son's lone appearance here.

Big number

6 Consecutive wins against the Canadiens at home. The Sharks haven't lost to the Canadiens at home since a 3-2 loss in overtime on Nov. 23, 1999.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Former San Jose Shark Mike Grier retires from NHL

San Jose Mercury News staff and wire report

Posted: 12/01/2011 11:45:05 AM PST

Updated: 12/01/2011 01:18:26 PM PST

Former San Jose Sharks forward Mike Grier, who also played for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres during 14 seasons, announced his retirement from the NHL Thursday.

Grier, 36, signed with the Sharks as a free agent in the summer of 2006 and spent three seasons in San Jose, helping the Sharks make the playoffs each of those seasons. He scored 35 goals and assisted on 43 others during his 221-game Sharks career.

Grier left San Jose after the 2008-09 season, signing with Buffalo as a free agent. He spent his final two seasons with the Sabres.

He finished his career with 162 goals and 221 assists in 1,060 regular-season games.

"I was very fortunate to be able to play 14 seasons in the NHL with some great players," Grier said in a statement released by the NHL Players' Association. "The memories and friendships that I have built during my time in the league will last a lifetime. I would like to thank my former teammates,

family and fans for helping make my career so memorable for me. It was a great ride, and I am now excited and looking forward to my post-playing future."

Born in Detroit and raised in Boston, Grier was a ninth-round draft pick of St. Louis in 1993, and is one of the first black NHL players to have been born, raised and trained in the United States.

Grier played at Boston University, where he was part of the 1994-95 NCAA national championship team. That same season, he also was a Hobey

Baker Award finalist.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Sharks beat Canadiens 4-3 in shootout

By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer


(12-01) 22:40 PST SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) --

Joe Pavelski scored in the sixth round of the shootout and Antti Niemi sealed the win with a sliding pad save against P.K. Subban as the San Jose Sharks beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday night.



Marty Havlat beat Carey Price in the second round with a forehand before Brian Gionta kept it going in the third round when he stickhandled past Niemi.

Michal Handzus and David Desharnais traded goals in the fourth round before both teams missed in the fifth. Pavelski then beat Price with a forehand wrister before Niemi got his pad out just in time to stop Subban's backhand attempt.


Desharnais had a goal and two assists, and Cole and Michael Cammalleri each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have lost four in a row.

That streak appeared to be near an end when Desharnais' wraparound attempt trickled through the crease, and Cole beat Marc-Edouard Vlasic to the loose puck and knocked it past Niemi to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead with 11:14 to go.

But the Sharks tied it late when Marty Havlat fired a puck on Carey Price, and Clowe got the rebound in the slot and knocked it in for his first goal since Nov. 3. Couture also assisted on the goal as San Jose's reunited second line provided the spark coach Todd McLellan was looking for when he put flipped Couture and Patrick Marleau.

That was a pattern that held up all game as Montreal scored first in each period and San Jose answered.

The Canadiens got it started in the first period when Niemi was out of position after he made a save during a scramble in front of the net. Cammalleri then redirected a point shot from Desharnais into the empty net.

Just 41 seconds later, McGinn knocked the rebound of Michal Handzus' wraparound attempt past Price for his third goal.

The Canadiens scored first again in the second period after a turnover in the offensive zone by Pavelski. Cole then banked a blind, backhand pass of the boards that reached Desharnais in stride. He raced up ice and fired a wrist shot past Niemi before Dan Boyle could get over to slow him down.

This time, the Sharks took 1:37 to tie the game when Couture raced in from the blue line to take a pass from Clowe and beat Price with a wrist shot for his eighth goal.

NOTES: Canadiens F Max Pacioretty, whose parents grew up in the Bay Area, served the second game of his of three-game suspension for an illegal head hit on Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, disappointing about 35 family members who bought tickets. ... Handzus returned to the lineup after missing Monday's game with an illness. ... Montreal D Andrei Markov, who has been out for more than a year since tearing ligaments in his right knee on Nov. 13, 2010, is close to returning.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 12.02.2011

597879 St Louis Blues

Blues still have unanswered questions

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD [email protected] > 314-444-7135 | Posted: Friday, December 2, 2011 12:15 am

After Hitchcock, by the numbers

A look at how the Blues have done since Ken Hitchcock coached his first game for them on Nov. 8:

TOP WINNING PERCENTAGES

TEAM RECORD WIN PCT.

1. Boston 9-0-1 .950

2. Blues 8-1-2 .818

3. Detroit 9-2 .818

4. NY Rangers 7-2 .778

4. Vancouver7-2 .778

Thursday's Vancouver game not included

BLUES Before and after Hitchcock

BEFORE CATEGORY AFTER

6-7 Record 8-1-2

2.46 Goals per game 2.45

2.69 GA per game 1.18

30.3 Shots on goal per game 30.8

26.2 Shots allowed per game 24.8

.897 Save percentage .952

7.5 percent Power play 10 percent

73.8 percent Penalty kill 88.1 percent

408 Shifts per game 434.2

29 Even-strength goals 21

23 Even-strength goals allowed 7

50.9 percent Faceoffs won 45.6 percent

Matchup box: Blues at Colorado

When • 8 tonight Where • Pepsi Center

TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)

Blues preview • The Blues are looking for their fifth consecutive victory, which would be their longest streak since last December. Tonight is their first regular-season meeting with Colorado, after going 1-3 against the Avalanche in 2010-11.

Avalanche preview • Colorado has a 5-9 record at Pepsi Center this season, and the Avalanche are near the bottom of the NHL in scoring with 2.14 goals per game. Former Blue Erik Johnson (groin) is expected to play for the Avs.

What to watch • Brian Elliott won't play against his former team as the Blues will go with Jaroslav Halak tonight and Elliott at home Saturday versus Chicago.

Injuries • Blues — LW Vladimir Sobotka (mouth), probable; D Carlo Colaiacovo (hamstring), LW Andy McDonald (head injury), D Kent Huskins (ankle), RW B.J. Crombeen (shoulder) and LW David Perron (concussion), out. Avalanche — D Erik Johnson (groin), probable; LW

When Ken Hitchcock took over as the Blues' coach last month, immediate success didn't seem far-fetched because that's what coaching changes do — they give teams jolts.

When the Blues went 4-1 in their first five games under Hitchcock, the helping factor was that they played all of those games at home — wait until they go on the road.

Now 8-1-2 under Hitchcock, with road victories over Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin's Washington Capitals, the Blues are less concerned about proving their recent surge is a temporary spike and more engrossed in taking it to another level.

Players believe this isn't a streak — it's who they are. Their 81.8 winning percentage since Hitchcock took over on Nov. 8 is the second-best mark in the league, bumping them into a tie for fifth in the Western Conference from 14th.

"We've taken steps to go above (a jolt) ... that's winning games after winning games, not having that letdown," Blues forward Jamie Langenbrunner said. "Maybe we don't play our best game, but we get away with it and then have that push within to get back on top of our game.

"I think that's going to be the telling sign for us, how we can keep pushing through it. We're going to have some bumps. It's not going to go as well as it has right now, but we're learning how we need to play and as long as we continue to do that, we're going to push up the standings."

Hitchcock said Thursday that the Blues are about to find out how legitimate they are. Of the 11 opponents the club has faced under him, the Blues haven't played any of them twice. After tonight's game in Colorado, however, the Blues next play host to Chicago and Detroit, teams they've already beaten since the coaching change.

"We're going to get a push," Hitchcock said. "You can surprise a team, but we're now playing a second wave. When we start playing the Chicago's and Detroit's again, now we'll have a look. They'll be ready for us. They won't be surprised by our game."

Trouble spots

The Blues have warts. They are ranked 30th in the NHL on the power play (8.8 percent) and 21st in goals per game (2.46). In the 11 games under Hitchcock, the Blues are four for 40 with the man advantage and only four times have they scored more than two goals in a game.

But the club is covering those warts with strong five-on-five play, outscoring opponents 21-7 at even-strength; a solid defensive effort, allowing the fewest shots per game (25.6); a penalty-killing unit that has an 88.1-percent success rate under Hitchcock; and perhaps the best goaltending tandem in the league in Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak, who have allowed a microscopic 1.18 goals per game since the coaching change.

"It was a jolt initially, but 'Hitch' has done a really good job of keeping everybody responsible," defenseman Barret Jackman said. "We've all had that responsibility of playing against top lines and really being a part of the team. We don't hesitate when somebody is on the ice and that gets everybody into the game and shows very few holes in our armor."

Aside from the Blues' top line of David Backes, Alex Steen and T.J. Oshie, several of those holes can be found in the offensive game. But Hitchcock says "it'll come" and here's why he believes that: 25 days after he put the whistle around his neck, Hitchcock finally introduced a few of his offensive concepts in Thursday's practice.

"Today was the first time where we spent 20 minutes on a series of drills that had the same structure, the same kind of offensive planning," Hitchcock said. "In order to do these things offensively, you have to put yourself in a position defensively to do it. I don't think we're scoring at the level that we hope to get to, but we're winning because we're not giving up

very much. We're making the other team defend more than they want. But some of the things that allow you to score, we're starting to put in place now."

In the Blues' current four-game winning streak, they've won three games by one goal.

"Yeah, we need to score some more goals, but I'm not sure it's from a lack of opportunity," Langenbrunner said. "The opportunity is there, we're just missing some of them. (Backes') line is obviously clicking pretty high right now and that's great. It's been enough, but we know that our line and (Patrik Berglund's) line is going to have to add a few more. We're all telling each other ... keep pushing and they'll go in."

Although the power play is sputtering, Backes did come through with a game-winning goal on the man-advantage in Sunday's 2-1 win over Columbus. Then Tuesday, after the Blues had chances on the power play against Washington, the team returned to even strength and D'Agostini netted the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over the Capitals.

"It hasn't been terrible lately," Oshie said. "The one thing, it's generating momentum. Maybe we're not scoring on it, but we're scoring a couple of shifts after. We're getting momentum from it that leads up to that next goal."

Perron ABOUT TO RETURN?

The Blues' offense and the power play could be getting a lift soon.

David Perron, who has been sidelined for 14 months while recovering from post-concussion syndrome, could return to the lineup as soon as this weekend.

He practiced with the second-team power-play unit Thursday and will not make the trip to Colorado for the Blues' game tonight, signaling he might be preparing for a good night's rest and a return Saturday when the Blues host Chicago.

"I've been going hard over the last week and a half," Perron said. "I think that it's been going pretty good."

The decision to play will be Perron's. Teammates sense it's coming soon.

"Everyone has been waiting and I think it's time," Oshie said. "We're ready for that 'Perron spark' ... it's going to be a special day when he comes back."

In the meantime, the Blues will continue to rely on their defense and goaltending. Elliott leads the NHL with a 1.31 goals-against average and a .951 save-percentage.

Halak's improved play has allowed the team to climb atop the NHL in goals-against average (2.00).

"Our goalies have played well, but they've also been the product of not many scoring chances against," Hitchcock said. "When you're giving up under 15 scoring chances a game, you give yourself a chance to win."

It's how they upended Pittsburgh 3-2 in overtime recently, holding Crosby to only two shots on goal. The Blues are one of only two teams to keep Crosby scoreless in the six games since his return from a concussion. The Blues followed that outing in Pittsburgh with a 2-1 victory in Washington. Ovechkin had an assist early in the game, but ended the night with only one shot on goal.

The Capitals were supposed to be the team receiving the jolt after the hiring of new coach Dale Hunter, who replaced Bruce Boudreau. But it was the Blues who played energized, and heading into Hitchcock's 12th game on the job, that still appears to be the case.

"It shows what a team game we've been playing," Jackman said. "'Sid the Kid' is back and he scored four points the game before. We knew it was going to be tough, but we just continued to play our game and not get caught up in who we were playing against. We don't get caught up in the stories."

Right now, there's only one story that matters to the Blues — and it's them.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.02.2011


Matchup box: Blues at Colorado

Posted: Friday, December 2, 2011 12:00 am

When • 8 tonight Where • Pepsi Center

TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)

Blues preview • The Blues are looking for their fifth consecutive victory, which would be their longest streak since last December. Tonight is their first regular-season meeting with Colorado, after going 1-3 against the Avalanche in 2010-11.

Avalanche preview • Colorado has a 5-9 record at Pepsi Center this season, and the Avalanche are near the bottom of the NHL in scoring with 2.14 goals per game. Former Blue Erik Johnson (groin) is expected to play for the Avs.

What to watch • Brian Elliott won't play against his former team as the Blues will go with Jaroslav Halak tonight and Elliott at home Saturday versus Chicago.

Injuries • Blues — LW Vladimir Sobotka (mouth), probable; D Carlo Colaiacovo (hamstring), LW Andy McDonald (head injury), D Kent Huskins (ankle), RW B.J. Crombeen (shoulder) and LW David Perron (concussion), out. Avalanche — D Erik Johnson (groin), probable; LW Peter Mueller (head, groin) and C Mark Oliver (head), out.

Jeremy Rutherford



Hockey Guy: Avs suffering from Kroenke neglect?

By JEFF GORDON | Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2011 10:13 am

As Rams fans ponder what changes owner Stan Kroenke might make with his floudering NFL team, it’s instructive to check in on another of his sports properties – the Colorado Avalanche.

Technically that is his son Josh Kroenke’s operation now (wink, wink). And folks in Denver have reason to wonder who is really in charge and how those individuals intend to revitalize this once-formidable operation.

The 'Lanche was 10-13-1 record before putting a 6-1 beating on the Devils on Wednesday night. Coach Joe Sacco is in the walk year of his contract, which makes him the target of much speculation.

Pierre Lacroix built championship teams as the general manager, but he hasn’t done much good since moving upstairs. Does he intend to spring into action any time soon?

General manager Greg Sherman was the Architect of Doom for this franchise, which also had fans asking a lot of questions.

Are Sherman and Sacco in any trouble? Denver Post beat reporter Adrian Dater had this observation in a recent “Mailbag” feature:

“Well, since Avalanche upper management isn't saying much of anything to the press these days, it's up to us to investigate and speculate. As I write this, Tuesday, Sacco's job isn't in ‘immediate” danger . . . Whether Sherman would keep his job should Sacco go is a question only Pierre Lacroix and Josh Kroenke would know, and they aren't talking.”

Sound familiar?

AROUND THE RINKS: Former Blues defenseman Erik Johnson is hoping to return to action Friday night against his old team . . . That $20 million extension Victor Hedman signed in Tampa Bay has to be of interest to other young NHL defensemen like Alex Pietrangelo . . . With Ducks GM Bob Murray firing Randy Carlyle and replacing him with just-fired Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, we should hear fewer Bobby Ryan trade rumors. Surely Boudreau will get Ryan headed back on track as he jumps from one good job to another . . . Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson is in the last year of his contract. Given his team's stellar play this season, he is due an extension to quell speculation about his future . . . The Predators have lost their first four

games on their road trip, although they did pick up their defensive play in their last two two losses. Barry Trotz has his hands full with that offensive challenged squad . . . Carolina GM Jim Rutherford is threatening to trade offensive defenseman Tomas Kaberle, but how many teams are eager to eat his salary? Is it inevitable that the Coyotes will end up in Hamilton, despite Gary Bettman's persistent efforts to prevent that move?


597882 Tampa Bay Lightning

Deficits becoming a habit

By TBO.COM

Published: December 02, 2011

TAMPA --

The Lightning sure know how to climb out of a hole. The problem, however, is digging that hole has become too much of a habit.

In 24 games this season, Tampa Bay has allowed the first goal 15 times, tied for most in the league entering Thursday's play. The Lightning have come back to win five of those games — tied for seventh — and lost one in a shootout for 11 points in those 15 games.

For Tampa Bay, however, it hasn't been about giving up the first goal, but coming back from multiple-goal deficits.

On Wednesday in Detroit, the Lightning erased a 2-0 first-period deficit to tie the game at 2 entering the third period. Tampa Bay lost 4-2.

Then there are the comebacks from 3-0 and 2-0 deficits at Florida to pick up victories.

In that aspect, the Lightning have shown they have the heart and ability to mount comebacks. The problem is digging those holes too often.

"Obviously it takes a lot of energy to have to come back," G Dwayne Roloson said. "We can't keep getting into holes and trying to battle back. We can't make miracles every night."

Dress up your ride

The Lightning are encouraging fans to dress up their cars with team décor and submit a photo or video to

www.tampabaylightning.com/promotions, along with an explanation of why the fan should be selected for a chance to win tickets to a Saturday home game.

During each Saturday home game for the rest of the season, the submission that portrays the most Lightning spirit will win two tickets to the game, recognition on LightningVision during the game and a free Lightning logo license plate.

The promotion begins with Saturday's game against the New York Rangers.

Nuts and Bolts

The team is scheduled to practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon today at 10:30 a.m. … Tampa Bay finished November with a 6-7 record, only the second time under coach Guy Boucher the team had a losing month. The other was in March, when Tampa Bay was 5-6-4. Last season, Tampa Bay was 7-6-2 in November before going 8-3-2 in December. … The Lightning will play seven of their next 10 games on the road.

Erik Erlendsson

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 12.02.2011


Roloson, Lecavalier lead Lightning past Pens, 4-1

By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 15, 2011

Updated: November 17, 2011 - 11:44 PM

TAMPA --

The Lightning knew they had to come out locked-in to face a loaded Pittsburgh team Thursday.

And that's precisely the part Tampa Bay played in knocking off the conference-leading Penguins 4-1 in front of an announced crowd of 18,509.

Goaltender Dwayne Roloson stopped 33 shots, falling 3:11 short of posting his second shutout of the season. Vinny Lecavalier scored twice, while Steve Downie and Brett Connolly scored power-play goals to lead the Lightning to their sixth consecutive victory at home, tied for the third longest home winning streak in franchise history.

"They were as hard as it gets,'' Lightning coach Guy Boucher said of facing the Penguins.

"We knew it was going to be very hard, they have speed and skill, they have hard defensemen to get through. I thought that this is probably the best team in the league. They basically have everything, they have no weaknesses, so if you are going to beat them you have to play almost perfectly defensively. And I think our players were dedicated defensively to block shots and pay the price.''

The Lightning blocked 25 shots, but it was the play of Roloson that keyed Tampa Bay's victory.

After Lecavalier scored the first goal on Tampa Bay's first shot of the game — picking up a puck Jordan Stall lost along the boards and skating in alone before flipping the puck under the legs of Marc-Andre Fleury — Roloson essentially took over the game with his play, particularly in the second period.

As the Penguins started to build some momentum and gain long stretches of time in the Tampa Bay zone after Connolly's tip-in of Dominic Moore's slap shot made it 2-0 at 4:08 of the second, Roloson stood strong in net.

Though the Lightning held the two-goal lead through two periods, Pittsburgh had control of the puck and outshot Tampa Bay 14-6 in the middle period.

"We gave Roli better looks and more help tonight,'' defenseman Eric Brewer said. "He was excellent, and really most nights Roli is excellent. It's the shrapnel that we leave for him and it becomes tough to take second and third shots.

"You give any team second or third shots, they are going to score and tonight we were able to give him better looks.''

Downie made it 3-0 just 2:04 into the third for Tampa Bay's second power-play goal of the night against a Pittsburgh team that had allowed only three power-play goals on 52 short-handed chances coming into the game. The goal was the first for Downie since opening night and his 100th career point.

Things began to get a little chippy late in the game after James Neal gave Roloson a spear to the midsection trying to push the goaltender into the net. That led to Lecavalier's second goal of the night, an empty-net goal with 4:11 left.

Then in the final minute, Steven Stamkos was down on the ice as Matt Niskanen and Matt Cooke took turns cross checking Tampa Bay's leading scorer for several seconds, getting in a few shots to the back of the head.

Stamkos got up and took some swings at Niskanen before the two were separated and sent to the locker room with 52 seconds left.

"If I was Stamkos I would have done the same thing,'' Boucher said. "I thought it was ridiculous. There is one of the best players down on the ice and has two guys cross-checking him one after the other. So he's got six or seven cross checks and a few to the head, so if I was him I would have done the same thing.''



Bolts notes: Detroit fans welcome back Yzerman

By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 30, 2011


DETROIT --

Steve Yzerman tried to downplay his first trip into Hockey Town as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the Red Wings ensured that his first visit back did not go unnoticed.

After spending 22 years with the Red Wings as a player and another four in the front office – winning three Stanley Cups as the team captain and another while in a managerial role – a video tribute was played for Yzerman during the first television timeout.

A montage of clips from his playing days was displayed on the video board, including Yzerman hoisting the Stanley Cup followed by a "Welcome Back'' message that had the Joe Louis Arena crowd roaring in appreciation.

That was followed by a shot of Yzerman standing at the Zamboni entrance as he acknowledged the crowd with a wave as he received a standing ovation, while chants of "Stevie, Stevie'' broke out from fans.

"That was very nice, I appreciated it very much,'' Yzerman said. "It was short and sweet and let's get back to the game.''

Back in the lineup

RW Steve Downie returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing three games with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Downie did not play the third period last week against Toronto and had skated only once since.

But after getting looked at by a "specific'' doctor, according to head coach Guy Boucher, Downie was medically cleared to return and inserted back into the lineup. And though Boucher struggled with the decision to take Ryan Shannon out of the rotation, he said he never contemplated holding Downie out for another game.

"I had major problems (deciding) because we played three good games, and it changed 10 times and the forward coming out does not deserve to be taken out,'' Boucher said. "

Swedish idol

Like most – if not all – young Swedish defensemen, Lightning D Victor Hedman idolized Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom growing up, and tried to model his game after the future Hall of Famer and seven-time Norris Trophy winner as the best defenseman in the league.

"I'm just very excited to play against him,'' said the 20-year-old Hedman, who has faced Lidstrom just one other time. "What's not to like? He just makes things look easy. He's so calm with the puck. He's always in the right position and has a great stick, big shot. He doesn't do anything special, he just does everything so well. I think that's what I look up to as well – simplify your game and do it better than the other guys. And I think he is at least one of the best two defenseman to ever play this game and is an example that I looked up to a lot.''

Moving up

Forbes Magazine's annual report of NHL franchise values was released on Wednesday and Tampa Bay came in ranked 21st out of the 30 teams in the league. According to Forbes, the Lightning franchise is estimated to be worth $174 million, which is up 20 percent from last year's rankings.

The 20 percent increase is the second largest among NHL teams, with only Winnipeg – which moved from Atlanta this season – coming in a higher at a 21 percent increase in value. Despite the increase in value, however, the report states the Lightning had an operating loss of $8.5 million.

A team spokesperson said owner Jeff Vinik declined to comment on the report.

The Toronto Maple Leafs lead the list with an estimated value of $521 million.



Guy Boucher's Tampa Bay Lightning must strike with speed

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Friday, December 2, 2011

Lightning coach Guy Boucher says he has been barking his in-game “speed” to his players “since the first day I coached 14 years ago. … It’s my job to make sure the guys are jolted, especially at this level.” His assistants also yell from the bench, too.

The next time you're at a Lightning game at the St. Pete Times Forum, listen carefully.

Chances are when Tampa Bay goes on offense you will hear someone loudly imploring the players to push the puck up the ice with "speed, speed, speed."

The words — with staccato, tenor-like resonance — cut through the din of the crowd and even reach the ears of those watching from the press box at the top of the arena.

Can't quite place the voice? It is coach Guy Boucher, who from behind the Lightning bench demands to be heard.

"Oh, yeah, we definitely hear it," wing Ryan Shannon said. "We hear it loud and clear."

"Since the first day I coached 14 years ago," Boucher, 40, said about churning out the word "speed" in triplicate at his players. "I know as a player you go fast, but you're rarely 100 percent. You're 95, 98, 93, 92 percent? So it's my job to make sure the guys are jolted, especially at this level."

Boucher isn't alone barking orders from behind the bench. Assistants Marty Raymond and Dan Lacroix have their repertoire of button-pushing slogans and watchwords.

The idea is to create an atmosphere, Raymond said.

"Eighty-two games are hard for players," he said. "We have to make sure we do whatever we can to help them and know that we're there and in the game."

Boucher is the only one, though, with a clarion call.

Funny thing, Raymond said. Last season, when stationed in the press box during games as an eye in the sky, he always noticed Boucher's voice. This season, behind the bench, he doesn't notice at all.

"When you're in the action, you have so many things to pay attention to, you block out a lot of other stuff," Raymond said.

It's different for players getting an earful from their coach.

"Obviously, if you guys hear him in the press box, we can hear him on the ice," left wing Ryan Malone said. "It's just a reminder. He doesn't mean any harm."

Not intentionally, anyway.

"Sometimes you're just trying to get a handle on the puck, and he's screaming 'Move your feet,' and you're like, 'Oh … " Malone said, laughing. "He's an intense coach."

"Oh, yeah, I'm annoying," Boucher said. "I'm ferociously persistent in what I want."

And that is the puck up ice as quickly as possible.

Speed doesn't allow the opposition to set up its defense. Speed forces opponent mistakes, and speed on the transition indicates Tampa Bay is playing its system.

That hasn't always been the case this season, especially in first periods, in which Tampa Bay has been outscored 26-14, and on the road, where it is 4-8-2.

"The minute we're not at our best in terms of speed, we look awful," Boucher said. "If you look at our road games, the problem was when we didn't show up with our speed. We woke up in the second and third periods, but (before that) we didn't have any speed. We didn't have any drive."

Think of it this way, Boucher said, "A really fast guy skates against a really fast guy. What's the difference? Those fractions of seconds."

How do you gain them?

Speed, speed, speed.

St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 12.02.2011

597886 Washington Capitals

Kings get goals from Brown, Johnson, run penalty-kill string to 24 in 2-1 win over Panthers

By Associated Press,

LOS ANGELES — Not only were the Los Angeles Kings short-handed on the ice because of undisciplined penalties, they also were short-handed on the bench because injuries took out a couple of key players.

Jonathan Quick’s stellar goaltending helped the Kings overcome all of it.

Quick made 41 saves, and Los Angeles got goals from Dustin Brown and defenseman Jack Johnson to beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night.

But defenseman Willie Mitchell sustained an undisclosed lower body injury on his first shift and didn’t return. Then center Mike Richards, who had nine goals in his previous 10 games, sat out the third period because of an undisclosed upper body injury.

“We haven’t got a full report yet,” coach Terry Murray said. “The doctors and trainers are busy evaluating them, and they’ll probably let me know a little bit more before I get away tonight. We’ll have a better idea tomorrow.”

Los Angeles killed all six Florida power plays, including a double minor to Richards that carried over into the third period. The Kings have killed 24 straight penalties.

“It’s great for Quickie, but we’ve got to give him more help,” Brown said. “A lot of their chances came on the power play. They moved it around a lot, but we found a way to kill it off with some big blocks and some big saves.”

“We didn’t have our best game, and it wasn’t pretty by any means,” the Kings captain added. “Losing guys like Mitchell and Richards during the game is not easy. It’s not easy when you’re short-handed, but we found a way to win.”

Sean Bergenheim scored for Florida, and Jose Theodore stopped 23 shots. The Panthers are 0-7 against the Kings since Nov. 27, 2002, when they beat them 5-2 in Los Angeles.

“We had great chances all night,” Panthers forward Stephen Weiss said. “It was one of our better efforts, but they just weren’t going in for us. Their goalie played well and made some big saves, and we didn’t have the answer for them.”

Kris Versteeg, who leads Florida with 12 goals and 26 points in his first season with the club, was scratched for the first time because of a broken nose after getting elbowed by Carolina’s Derek Joslin during Tuesday’s 3-1 win.

“We thoroughly outplayed them,” Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. “They were trying to run around and chase us and hack us and slash us. When you are getting outplayed as badly as they were, that’s the response. We walk out of here feeling very good about the way we played.”

Johnson gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 1:35 in with a shot from the left boards that deflected off Florida defenseman Mike Weaver and past Theodore’s glove.

The Panthers outshot Los Angeles 10-1 during the first 12:20 of the second period, but came up empty on a 5-on-3 power play they had for 35 seconds.

Johnson, Richards and Rob Scuderi kept Florida at bay, blocking several shots in front of Quick.

“All those power plays against us makes it hard. It shortens the bench, takes a lot of guys out of the game, and it’s tough to get a flow going,” Murray said. “But the penalty killers did a big job, especially after we lost Willie Mitchell on the back end — because he’s a very good penalty killer.

“He played only one shift, and then as the game goes along, Mike Richards is gone. And he’s a pretty good penalty killer. So that put a little bit of pressure on some guys, but everybody stepped it up and got the job done.”

Brown made it 2-0 at 14:13 of the second, beating Theodore high to the glove side with a shot from the left circle after Slava Voynov hit him with a pass from his own zone as Brown cut across the blue line. Quick earned his sixth career assist on the goal, which came while Mike Santorelli was off for goaltender interference.

Bergenheim cut the Panthers’ deficit to 2-1 with 4:21 left in the period, converting a rebound of Erik Gudbranson’s wrist shot from the right point.

Evgenii Dadonov was moved up from the fourth line into Versteeg’s spot on the Panthers’ top line with Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann. Center Bracken Kearns was recalled from San Antonio of the AHL to fill Versteeg’s roster spot and played in his third NHL game. Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was back in the lineup, two nights after sustaining a deep cut on his lower right leg from the skate of Carolina’s Eric Staal.

NOTES: Versteeg, Weiss and Fleischmann accounted for 31 goals through the Panthers’ first 24 games, six fewer than the rest of the team combined. ... Dadonov has no goals in eight games after scoring two following his recall from the minors. ... Panthers LW Marco Sturm, who scored 20 or more goals in seven of his 13 previous NHL seasons, has only one in 18 games since being acquired from Vancouver. ... The crowd of 17,720 was the second non-sellout for the Kings in 13 home games. ... The Panthers have allowed two goals in 30 short-handed situations over the last 10 games, but are only 4 for 45 on the power play during that stretch.

Washington Post LOADED: 12.02.2011


NHL Capsules

By Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Chris Kunitz scored the tiebreaking goal at 2:36 of the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Washington 2-1 Thursday night to keep the Capitals winless under new coach Dale Hunter.

Craig Adams also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 4-1-1 since captain Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup following an 11-month absence with a concussion.

Jason Chimera got his team-leading 10th goal for the Capitals, who were 11-0-2 against their bitter rivals in the regular season since March 8, 2009.

Tomas Vokoun stopped 33 shots, but the Capitals couldn’t back his effort with any offensive firepower. The Capitals took only 17 shots against Marc-Andre Fleury in their second straight 2-1 loss since Hunter replaced the fired Bruce Boudreau on Monday.

Crosby was held without a point for only the second time in six games since his return.

Washington’s Alex Ovechkin was also held without a point, and he has only one goal in 10 games.

RANGERS 5, HURRICANES 3

RALEIGH, N.C. — Ryan McDonagh, Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored in a 4:53 span of the second period, and the New York Rangers rallied to beat Carolina for their fourth straight win.

Ryan Callahan and Michael Sauer had the other goals for the Rangers, who got points from 14 players and earned their 11th win in 13 games. Martin Biron made 28 saves in a spot start for No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

New York remained three points behind Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh, but the Rangers have played four fewer games than the Penguins.

Derek Joslin, Jeff Skinner and Jiri Tlutsy scored goals for Carolina, winless in two games under new coach Kirk Muller. Cam Ward made 22 saves for the Hurricanes, who have lost five in a row and are last in the Southeast Division.

STARS 3, SENATORS 2

DALLAS — Eric Nystrom scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:20 left and Dallas rallied for a victory over Ottawa,

Milan Michalek had given the Senators a 2-1 advantage at 11:42 of the final period with his team-high 15th goal.

Radek Dvorak and Steve Ott also scored for Dallas, and Andrew Raycroft made 33 saves. Dvorak got Dallas even at 2 with 5:34 left in the third period.

Erik Condra had Ottawa’s other goal.

JETS 1, COYOTES 0

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves in his second shutout of the season and Bryan Little’s first-period goal held up as the Jets beat Phoenix 1-0 in the Coyotes’ first game back in Winnipeg since leaving for the desert in 1996.

Little scored the game’s only goal off a rebound while Coyotes goalie Mike Smith was out of position.

Winnipeg (10-11-4), the former Atlanta Thrashers who relocated before this season, snapped a two-game losing streak. After the game, the crowd gave the new Jets a standing ovation and saluted them at center ice as the players raised their sticks.

Smith faced 31 shots as Phoenix (13-8-3) had a two-game winning streak broken.

BLUE JACKETS 4, FLAMES 3, SO

CALGARY. Alberta — Rick Nash scored the tying goal with 58 seconds left in regulation and then netted the only goal in the shootout to give Columbus a victory over Calgary.

Calgary led 3-1 with less than five minutes left in the third period, and appeared to be in control, but Nikita Nikitin and Nash scored to tie it.

Calgary became the final NHL team to go to a shootout this season, but failed to pull out the win. Alex Tanguay, Lee Stempniak and Rene Bourque were all stopped by Sanford in the tiebreaker.

After Jeff Carter and Fedor Tyutin were denied by Miikka Kiprusoff, Nash scored the decisive goal by faking a shot before sliding the puck between Kiprusoff’s legs.

Antoine Vermette also scored for Columbus (7-15-3), 4-2-2 in its last eight games.

Stempniak, Bourque and Blake Comeau scored for Calgary (10-12-2).

SHARKS 4, CANADIENS 3, SO

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Joe Pavelski scored in the sixth round of the shootout and Antti Niemi sealed the win with a sliding pad save against P.K. Subban as San Jose beat Montreal.




David Desharnais had a goal and two assists, and Cole and Michael Cammalleri each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have lost four in a row.

KINGS 2, PANTHERS 1

LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Quick made 41 saves, and Los Angeles got goals from Dustin Brown and defenseman Jack Johnson to beat Florida.

Sean Bergenheim scored for Florida, and Jose Theodore stopped 23 shots. The Panthers are 0-7 against the Kings since Nov. 27, 2002.

Kris Versteeg, who leads Florida with 12 goals and 26 points in his first season with the club, was scratched for the first time because of a broken nose after getting elbowed by Carolina’s Derek Joslin during Tuesday’s 3-1 win.

Los Angeles killed all six Florida power plays — including a double minor to Mike Richards that carried over into the third period. The Kings have killed 24 straight penalties.

PREDATORS 6, CANUCKS 5

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Mike Fisher scored his second goal of the game with 1:16 left, and Nashville snapped Vancouver backup goalie Cory Schneider’s five-game winning streak.

David Legwand, Shea Weber, Jordin Tootoo and Colin Wilson also scored for the Predators.

Cody Hodgson, Daniel Sedin, Aaron Volpatti, Alex Burrows and Jannick Hansen had goals for the Canucks (14-10-1).

Schneider, who gets sporadic starts behind No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo, was pulled following the first period after giving up three goals on five shots.

Nashville’s Pekka Rinne had it almost as rough, and was replaced by Anders Lindback after the Canucks took a 5-3 lead in the second period. Lindback made several key saves in the third period and stopped all 19 shots he faced.

Schneider was in goal for a seventh straight game.



Kunitz scores tiebreaking goal as Penguins beat Capitals 2-1, keeping Hunter winless

By Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Chris Kunitz scored the tiebreaking goal at 2:36 of the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Washington 2-1 Thursday night to keep the Capitals winless under new coach Dale Hunter.

Craig Adams also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 4-1-1 since captain Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup following an 11-month absence with a concussion.

Jason Chimera got his team-leading 10th goal for the Capitals, who were 11-0-2 against their bitter rivals in the regular season since March 8, 2009.

Tomas Vokoun stopped 33 shots, but the Capitals couldn’t back his effort with any firepower on the other end of the ice. The Capitals took only 17 shots against Marc-Andre Fleury in their second straight 2-1 loss since Hunter, a former Capitals star, replaced the fired Bruce Boudreau on Monday.

Crosby was held without a point for only the second time in six games since his return. He received his concussion by taking two blows to the head last January, the first of which came against the Capitals on New Year’s Day in the Winter Classic. Since coming back, the standout center has two goals and nine assists.

Crosby’s lengthy absence, along with the ineffectiveness this season of Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, has dimmed one of the NHL’s most notable individual duels. Ovechkin was also held without a point, and he has only one goal in his last 10 games.

Kunitz got the game-winner by skating around a check by John Erskine and firing a wrist shot that bounced off Vokoun and bounded into the net.

Washington has lost four straight and seven of nine.

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 5:21 of the first period when Arron Asham gained control of the puck behind the net, skated out and sent a pass across the slot to Adams, who scored from the left side.

Six seconds later, Asham and Erskine dropped their gloves and got into an old-fashioned hockey fight. Both landed several good blows before tumbling to the ice.

The Penguins outshot the Capitals 13-4 in the opening 20 minutes. Crosby had two shots, and 11 of his teammates had one apiece.

Washington pulled even at 1:20 of the second period when Chimera lifted an up-close backhander over Fleury’s left shoulder.

NOTES: Pittsburgh recalled D Simon Despres from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, and in his NHL debut, the 20-year-old Despres got the second assist on Kunitz’s goal. ... Chimera’s 10 goals match his output of last season.



Dale Hunter is ready to fight for the Washington Capitals, as always

By Mike Wise

Knowing the unlikelihood he would have a goal or assist as a rookie at the end of a blowout, Dave Allison tried the only other way he knew how to be included on an NHL score sheet: He pleaded nicely for Dale Hunter to drop his gloves in 1984.

“All right,” Hunter finally said, obliging for the good of the game.

Allison, who briefly coached the Ottawa Senators, played just three games in the NHL. But he fought Hunter.

Dean Evason, the Washington Capitals’ assistant coach, played 13 NHL seasons. He once fought Hunter three times in 11 minutes in the first period of a game, including penalty minutes. Hunter also squared off with another Caps assistant, Jim Johnson. He even put up his dukes once with his brother Mark in an NHL game.

Everybody in hockey, it seems, fought Dale Hunter, whose 3-to-1 penalty-minutes-to-points career ratio says everything about General Manager George McPhee’s coaching change on Monday in Washington.

From Gabby to Crabby, just like that.

“He played in the eye-for-an-eye NHL,” said Alan May, Hunter’s teammate while in Washington and now a Comcast SportsNet hockey analyst. “He told me early on, ‘Anytime we’re in a scrum and my stick goes up, you get your [butt] in there and take care of business.’ I learned right from the start.”

In one season, Hunter amassed 240 penalty minutes, the equivalent of four games.

“Fighting? It’s still part of the game,” the guy who replaced Bruce Boudreau was saying Thursday morning before Sidney Crosby and the Penguins made their first Verizon Center visit this season, a 2-1 Pittsburgh victory in Hunter’s second game behind the Capitals’ bench. “Some people are against it, but as long as it’s part of the game it’s still okay to do it.

“It’s a physical game now, too,” Hunter added. “There’s big hits. When I played, we used to get blocked by the other defensemen and the winger. It was like running a gantlet to get in. Now the defenseman takes big hits because guys don’t have to hold up. Guys are bigger, faster and stronger. The speed of the game is unbelievable.”

Whatever is gleaned from this hiring — and I’ve always been in the camp that the team’s four-headed nucleus of stars, from Alex Ovechkin on down, were the fault of unfulfilled promise much more than Boudreau — there is only one question out there to be answered over the next six months, and McPhee needs its answered in the affirmative:

Can a rugged scrapper and great leader from another NHL era impart physical courage and mental toughness on what has thus far been a cupcake of a Stanley Cup playoff team?

Dale Hunter can do a lot of things differently from Boudreau. He can try and make Ovechkin a force as a forechecker, turn him back into the free-skating scorer he once was. He can stare right through the soul of Alexander Semin and literally startle him into finally realizing his potential.

But he can’t play.

“I’m too slow,” he said. “I’m still learning a lot of things. But I can tell you one thing I do know: There’s nothing like having 20 guys in the dressing room joking after a big win.”

Still the squat, barrel-chested and steely-eyed competitor from his playing days, the only giveaway that Hunter is the coach is the grayish portion of a thick thatch atop his head. He is often monosyllabic in his delivery.

“Big game,” he said of the Pens coming to town. “Emotional.”

Spare and fussy with words, he has little of Gabby’s gift of gab. Hunter has the overall demeanor of a grizzled precinct detective — the hard-boiled, means-business character who clumps into the interrogation room after the good cop has left.

“He just had to say one word to you and that one word was like a paragraph or an essay,” May said of Hunter’s captaincy with the Capitals from 1994 until he was traded to Colorado late in the 1998-99 season. “Sometimes he would just look at a guy and that was all that was needed.”

Yes, from the Most Masculine Man in the World, one finger maims; two kills. Instantly.

We could ruin the tough-guy fable and tell you about the playful side of Hunter, like after Jeff Halpern’s second game in the NHL in 1999, a win over Buffalo, when Hunter was a player-development coach after retiring as a player. “I was wearing these brown docksider shoes with my suit, which in the NHL is taboo or frowned upon,” Halpern said Thursday afternoon. “And so after the game I came in the locker room and my shoes were painted with zebra stripes. I had to walk out to the bus in that. It didn’t take long to figure out who had done it. Dale was the number one suspect. I’m pretty sure it was him.” (“I don’t divulge who did that,” Hunter said, busting up laughing at the memory. “He might get me back.”)

Or the sentimental fact that Hunter always looks up at the arena’s video scoreboard when his Game 7-winning breakaway goal against the Flyers is shown from 1988. (“All the young kids say, ‘Holy .?.?. look how slow you were.’ But I did get a breakaway.”)

And, finally, how much it burns him to this day that the Caps lost a 3-1 series lead to the Penguins in 1992. (“We battled for seven games,” Hunter said. “And then they went on and won the Stanley Cup. We had the team, too. We had the team.”)

But on the night when Sid the Kid is back in town and Hunter is again at the forefront of Caps-Pens, only one fact matters: The present.

No sense going back in time and beating himself up for a missed opportunity. Beginning Monday, Dale Hunter, a fighter, leader and player of great renown, got a chance to rectify everything in the past.



Back to work: New coach Bruce Boudreau returns to NHL after 2 days off, aiming to fix Ducks

By Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bruce Boudreau never even got comfortable in his beloved recliner. Three days after the Washington Capitals fired him, the fast-talking coach was in another rink on the other side of the continent, back at work on another NHL salvage job.

Boudreau took charge of the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, running his first practice with new orange-and-black gear and the same contagious enthusiasm that endeared him to Washington fans. The coach known as “Gabby” is already talking big about the Ducks’ chances to save their dismal season.

“If I didn’t believe that this was a team that had the possibilities, the makings of something special, I think I would have sat home and waited,” Boudreau said after practice. “But I don’t think opportunities like this come around every day with the talent that we have here.”

While Boudreau delivered an opening speech emphasizing his faith in their talent, the struggling Ducks were still getting over the shock from the departure of Randy Carlyle, the only NHL coach for which MVP Corey Perry, captain Ryan Getzlaf, high-scoring wing Bobby Ryan and goalie Jonas Hiller have played.

General manager Bob Murray fired Carlyle late Wednesday night after Anaheim snapped a seven-game skid with a 4-1 win over Montreal. The Ducks are off to a perplexing 7-13-4 start, stuck in 14th place in the Western Conference with their team confidence completely shot.

“I was shocked,” said Teemu Selanne, who formed a close bond with Carlyle during the team’s 2007 Stanley Cup run. “I thought some guys were going to go before the coaches. It’s a tough business. I’m really disappointed we didn’t do better.”

Boudreau has never been unemployed for more than a few weeks in his adult life, and he wasn’t eager to start. The 2008 NHL coach of the year reached 200 victories faster than any coach in league history, leading the Capitals to four straight Southeast Division titles and the 2010 Presidents’ Trophy, but a big slump and the Caps’ overall lack of playoff success doomed him.

He spent just enough time at home to annoy his wife, unable to sit still even in his favorite chair. He was contemplating a trip to Toronto to do some Canadian television until he got a call Tuesday from Murray, who had decided to fire Carlyle, Boudreau’s former teammate with Toronto and a CHL club in Dallas during the 1970s.

“I talked to my wife, and I said, ‘I think we should jump at this,’” Boudreau said. “I know it’s only been a day, but I thought it’s a chance that I wouldn’t get again. I jumped at it and got on the plane yesterday, and here I am.”

Less than five years after winning the franchise’s only Stanley Cup title, the Ducks have sunk to the bottom of the NHL with three wins in 19 games despite a wealth of skill and experience. Murray acknowledges fielding offers from multiple teams eager to acquire Ryan or the other big names on the Ducks’ roster, but the GM made the gut-wrenching decision to fire a close friend.

“I still believe strongly in the group,” Murray said. “If I didn’t believe they could do it, I would have gone in a totally different direction and blown things up and started all over. I believe we have the people here that can do this.”

The Ducks’ struggles have been exacerbated by the injury absence of Lubomir Visnovsky, the NHL’s top-scoring defenseman last season, and top-six forward Jason Blake. But injuries can’t explain the inconsistent, tentative effort in the club’s recent games, featuring a raft of blowout losses characterized by turnovers, defensive-zone mistakes and a general confusion.

“It was just the way we were losing, the body language,” Murray said. “I just don’t think they believe in themselves anymore, and I hadn’t seen that in the six years we’ve been here.”

Anaheim’s stars can’t argue. Murray informed the club’s leaders about his decision after the game, but others heard about it on the way home — including Ryan, who got a text message from his girlfriend.

“I thought it might be a fire sale, so I looked to see if there were any other missed calls or missed texts,” said Ryan, who has struggled with just seven goals in 24 games this season. “There was relief, but you also feel like you let down the coaches.”

Anaheim also fired assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno. New assistant coach Brad Lauer joined Boudreau at practice, and the Ducks will add another assistant soon.

Boudreau thinks his greatest task is restoring the Ducks’ confidence in their abilities. He immediately put Ryan back on a line with Getzlaf and Perry in his first practice, reuniting the once-powerful trio that scuffled through parts of this season before Carlyle broke up the combo.

“They all listened really well,” Boudreau said. “When they went on the ice, they looked like they had a jump. This is a really good team. They’ve just lost their way a little bit. I want them to believe in themselves.”



F Mike Grier retires after 14-year NHL career, that included stops in Buffalo, San Jose

By Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Forward Mike Grier is retiring after a 14-season NHL career that featured stints with four teams, including two separate stops with the Buffalo Sabres.

The 36-year-old announced his retirement in a release issued by the NHL Players’ Association on Thursday. Grier was a free agent after completing a one-year deal with the Sabres last season.

Selected by St. Louis in the ninth round of the 1993 draft, Grier broke into the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers three years later. He was a dependable two-way forward, who also played with Washington and San Jose.

Grier finished with 162 goals and 221 assists for 383 points in 1,060 regular-season games.

Grier was born in Detroit and raised in Boston, where he helped Boston University win a national title in 1995.



Capitals lacking offense in 2-1 loss to Penguins

By Katie Carrera

In the first two games with Dale Hunter as coach, the Capitals have been outshot a combined 65-36. Against the Penguins in a 2-1 loss Thursday night at Verizon Center, Washington was outshot 35-17, took just two shots in the third period and none in the final 5:32 of play.

While part of it can be attributed to the process of fully assimilating to Hunter’s defense-first system and creating offense from it, that doesn’t mean the Capitals don’t want to see their scoring come to life quickly.

“It can’t be down the line. It’s got to be now,” said Jason Chimera, who scored the lone goal against the Penguins for his 10th of the season. “We’ve got to get people stepping up and scoring some goals, doing the little things. It was a good game overall, they had a lot of shots but a lot of them were outside. It’s a tough way to lose, but if we got that kind of effort it’ll be pretty good. We came out pretty good. If we keep up the effort like that, the wins will come.”

Washington had 15 attempted shots blocked and 10 others that missed the net entirely, but given how games may now be tighter and lower-scoring, the team can’t afford spend time in the offensive zone without creating quality chances.

“It was something new for us. It’s new system,” Alex Ovechkin said. “I think when you get the cycle you have to go to the net — right now it’s just a period of time. Goals is going to come, it’s not going to be like we score every game one goal it’s never going to happen to this team. .?.?.We have to get used” to the system.

The Capitals found the physical side of their game against the rivals and were credited with 43 hits to Pittsburgh’s 28. But again they couldn’t seem to find a way to score that second goal that allows them a little bit of a cushion.

Forty-one seconds after Chimera’s goal tied the score at 1 early in the middle stanza, Nicklas Backstrom had arguably the best chance to put Washington ahead by another goal but his shot ticked off the crossbar and above the cage.

“We need to get over that hump, whatever it is we need that big goal to get over that hump from somebody,” Chimera said. “We played well again, we played hard. The effort’s there we’ve just got to get more pucks to the net. We were in their zone but we’ve got to get more pucks to the net.”

By Katie Carrera | 12:38 AM ET, 12/02/2011



Roman Hamrlik will be healthy scratch against Penguins

By Katie Carrera

Veteran Roman Hamrlik will be the healthy scratch among the Capitals’ defensemen as they host the Penguins on Thursday night at Verizon Center.

Hamrlik, 37, has a team-worst minus-10 rating along with one point (a goal) and 18 penalty minutes. Hamrlik is in the first year of a two-year, $7 million contract with the Capitals.

“It’s feeling,” Hunter said. “It’s one of those things that we just decided as a coaching staff.”

That means Jeff Schultz, who was a healthy scratch in Hunter’s debut against St. Louis, will be in the lineup. During the morning skate, Schultz skated primarily with rookie Dmitry Orlov but we’ll know the pairings Hunter intends to start the game with after warmup.



Bruce Boudreau introduced as head coach of Anaheim Ducks

By Katie Carrera

Just three days after it was announced he would be replaced by Dale Hunter in Washington, Bruce Boudreau was on the ice guiding the Anaheim Ducks through his first practice as their new bench boss.

The Ducks announced late Wednesday night that Boudreau, 56, would replace Randy Carlyle as head coach. Boudreau inherits an underachieving Ducks squad that is 7-13-4, second to last in the Western Conference, and 10 points out of a playoff spot. But fixer-uppers are nothing really new for Boudreau, who led a Capitals team that was 6-14-1 when he took over in 2007 to a Southeast Division title and the playoffs.

“It’s going to take time, but I think we can do it in the next four months,” Boudreau said during his press conference Thursday afternoon. “I told them this morning I believe in them.”

Boudreau’s contract is for two years. Ducks General Manager Bob Murray contacted Washington about getting in touch with the coach as soon as the Capitals decided to let him go.

“It’s great to be here,” Boudreau said. “I don’t think opportunities like this come around every day, with the talent we have here I jumped at it.”



Arron Asham ‘had a couple of sleepless nights’ after fight with Jay Beagle

By Tarik El-Bashir

When the Capitals and Penguins last faced one another on Oct. 13, Washington forward Jay Beagle suffered a concussion in a controversial fight with Pittsburgh's Arron Asham. Beagle has not played since.

After today’s morning skate at Verizon Center, Asham was asked about tonight’s game and whether he expected the Capitals to seek any retribution for the knockout and subsequent mocking gestures.

“Not really thinking about it, and I’m sure they’ve got other things on their mind,” Asham said. “But if they decide to send somebody out to fight me, so be it. What happens, happens. Not going to let it affect my game.”

Asham added: “I wasn’t too happy about what I did. To be honest, I had a couple of sleepless nights. I was very embarrassed for myself and my team. I don’t do that stuff. I know it’s never going to happen again.”



On the history of fisticuffs between Dale Hunter, Caps’ assistant coaches

By Katie Carrera

During his playing days, Dale Hunter was one of the most notable middleweights in the game. He didn’t hesitate to drop the gloves with anyone, and as folks have pointed out over the past few days his opponents included two of his assistant coaches on the Capitals’ staff, Dean Evason and Jim Johnson.

Johnson, who was a teammate of Hunter’s in Washington, fought him twice over the course of his career, while Evason squared off with Hunter three times in a single period during his rookie season.

On Thursday after the Capitals’ morning skate, Hunter was asked about that game on Dec. 31, 1985, when, as a member of the Quebec Nordiques, he dropped the gloves with Evason, who played for the Hartford Whalers.

“I finally gave up, he beat me up three times, so I finally gave it up,” Hunter said with a laugh. “He was a competitor; he played hard. We were in the same division so a lot of heat gets involved in these games — like tonight, a lot of heat involved. That’s the way hockey should be, emotional in the big games.”

According to hockeyfights.com, their bouts occurred in rapid succession in the first period that night: 6:27 into the period, then once out of the box at 11:51 and again at 17:37. (h/t Japer’s Rink)

“I think the second time, went to the faceoff circle and he asked me,” said Evason, who admitted the players started bugging them about their fight history. “Then the third time, when I came out our coach was Jack — ‘Tex” — Evans, he said you guys go to check them, I was like, ‘Oookay.’ Third time we just looked at each other, nothing said, just dropped the puck and fought.”

Sadly, there does not appear to be YouTube video of the fights between Hunter and Evason, there are however clips of one of the head coach’s bouts with Johnson. Video of Hunter and Johnson’s fight from Nov. 18, 1992, is below. (h/t Russian Machine)



Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma: ‘You always circle the calendar and know when you’re playing the Capitals’

By Tarik El-Bashir

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net tonight at Verizon Center, and captain Sidney Crosby will face Washington for the first time since suffering a concussion in January.

In other lineup news from Pittsburgh's morning skate, it also appears that the Penguins will be without big-minute defensemen Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek, who are sidelined with head injuries. As a result, the Caps and their struggling offense could see Penguins rookies Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres as a third pairing.

Here are some other notes from F Street to get you ready for tonight’s tilt:

— The Caps are 12-1-2 with two shootout losses against the Pens since 2008.

Reminded of that, Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma smiled, turned to the reporter and said sarcastically, “Thank you.”

Then someone in the back of the media scrum coughed and said under their breath, “Cup.”

To which Byslma cracked, “And thank you.”

Then the Pens coach turned serious and added: “I wish it was better. … There’s nothing I’d like to do than start changing that record around tonight.”

— Bylsma said the Capitals’ coaching change this week means he and his staff only had tape from Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to St. Louis to use for scouting purposes.

“You always circle the calendar and know when you’re playing the Capitals,” he said. “It’s tough to know what to expect from their team systems-wise. But we know we’re playing a good team. We know we’re playing Alexander Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin. We’re expecting an energized team.”



In five games back, Sidney Crosby has ‘played some awesome hockey’

By Tarik El-Bashir

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will face the arch-rival Capitals tonight for the first time since suffering a concussion in January.

Crosby has skated in five games since returning to Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh from a 10-month layoff with a concussion. In those contests, he’s got two goals, nine assists and a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

“I’m not surprised,” Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma said this morning after the morning skate at Verizon Center. “I think he’s played some awesome hockey. The way he’s prepared for months coming into playing these games has been at a high level. So I expected to see him be at that high level speed-wise and skill-wise.”

Crosby, meantime, said he’s still getting his timing back.

“I still think I can get better with timing and stuff like that,” he said. “I don’t expect to be there in five games. I expect to get better with each game.”

— Asked if he had given any thought to Winter Classic and the collision with former Capitals center David Steckel, Crosby said: “I haven’t thought about that at all. It’s always an intense game. They’ve got a new coach [so] they should be fired up and ready to go. Both teams bring out the best in one another and it should be another good one.”

— Movember is over. But Crosby was still sporting a ‘stache this morning. Must be the three-game points streak.

“Decided to keep it,” he joked. “Couldn’t find a razor.”

More to come soon from the Pens’ skate.



Capitals-Penguins rivalry: Share your experiences

By Lindsay Applebaum

The Washington Capitals have faced off against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins 194 times, more than they’ve played any other club. And long before the Winter Classic/HBO/Ovi-Crosby era, many of those contests have been thrillers.

Just ask new Coach Dale Hunter, who played in 63 games against the Penguins in nearly 12 seasons with the Capitals. We’ll have more later on Hunter’s more interesting games against Pittsburgh, but in the meantime, we’d like to hear from you about your Capitals-Penguins memories.

What’s your best Caps-Pens story? Maybe it’s recent, when you saw Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin’s dueling hat tricks at Verizon Center. Or maybe it’s the time your parents let you stay up late as a kid and you watched on TV as Don Beaupre pitched an 8-0 shutout against the defending Stanley Cup champions at the Igloo.

Share your personal story — not just the game, but what you were doing and where you were — in the comments below and we’ll highlight some of our favorites later today.



Capitals react to Bruce Boudreau taking over in Anaheim

By Katie Carrera

The Capitals were focused on their pending matchup against rival Pittsburgh on Thursday night at Verizon Center but a few players offered their reactions on former coach Bruce Boudreau landing the head coaching position in Anaheim just days after being relieved of his duties in Washington.

“Good for him,” Brooks Laich said. “He did a lot around here. We knew he’d land on his feet and I think he’s going into a good situation, actually. They have a good team and he’ll be excellent for them.”

Laich declined to discuss Boudreau’s hiring further and asked for reporters to focus on the evening’s contest instead.

Jason Chimera said he wasn’t too surprised to see Boudreau wind up with another NHL team so quickly, “Good people, good coaches, usually find somewhere that needs them. I’m happy for him,” he said.

Alex Ovechkin also offered his support for his former bench boss.

“It’s NHL it’s a business. They were struggling as well, they just make decision,” Ovechkin said. “He’s a great guy of course, a great coach. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for him and for that team to connect [with] each other.”



Tomas Vokoun will start for Capitals against Penguins

By Katie Carrera

Tomas Vokoun was the first goaltender off the ice at KCI and will get the start against Pittsburgh tonight at Verizon Center.

The 35-year old Czech played in the teams’ first meeting of the season — a 3-2 win in overtime on Oct. 13 — and was stellar stopping 39 of the 41 shots he faced.

In 24 career appearances against the Penguins, Vokoun is 8-9-6 with a .924 save percentage and 2.63 goals-against average.

Other quick lineup notes from the morning skate:

— Mathieu Perreault is taking part in the scratches skate and it appears as though the centerman will sit out for a second consecutive game under Dale Hunter.

— It’s unclear which defenseman will be out tonight as all seven blueliners came off the ice early. Jeff Schultz was a healthy scratch in Hunter’s debut against St. Louis on Tuesday.

— Marcus Johansson is sporting a wrap on his right hand after taking a slap shot to it against the Blues on Tuesday. The second-year center doesn’t appear any worse for wear, though.



Dale Hunter’s first project: Altering Capitals’ defensive system

By Katie Carrera

Since he arrived in Washington to take over as head coach, Dale Hunter has preached defense. Creating defensive stability and structure is the foundation that Hunter has sought to build his system upon, with the belief that once the Capitals can protect their own zone, success in the offensive zone will follow.

Hunter brought in his former teammate Jim Johnson to help institute an aggressive, pressure-based defense that relies on the ability of each player to mark an opposing man.

“The onus is on that individual player to win their battle every time,” Karl Alzner said. “If you don’t win your battle and you get beat then we’re going to have an issue and you hope someone’s going to bail you out -- your goalie or a weak side forward -- but it’s good this way, it keeps everybody extremely honest. You’ve got to make sure you’re doing your job and winning your job our it’s not going to work.”

Capitals defensemen described the system as something of a switch to a more man-on-man approach, but with enough of a space cushion to limit an opponent’s options not be so close that they are then beat easily by someone.

“I think we’re really bringing our forwards back and trying to always be a stick length away from the guy so we’re not giving them that time to make a play,” John Erskine said. “I think if we get on the same page with that it will bring our goals against down quite a bit.”

The hitch with this system is that it can be a more draining style of play to try to maintain over the course of a game and a season.

“It’s a little more demanding physically,” Dennis Wideman said. “To be one-on-one so it tightens up the D-zone a little bit and hopefully we can get the puck out a little quicker.”

Said Alzner: “It’s more tiring…depending on who you’re checking. It could be the fastest guy, wheeling around like Martin St. Louis and it’s tough to follow him. It’s difficult but at the same time it denies a lot of play making ability for the other team.”

The 1-2-2 trap the Capitals utilized at times against St. Louis is likely also going to be a regular feature under Hunter, according to players. By making sure players are back in defensively-sound position, Washington should prevent the plethora of odd-man rushes that have plagued its game and become an opportunistic team off the transition itself.

Cutting down on those breaks for opponents is something that allows the Capitals to build up confidence and regain control in their end.

“In Toronto the puck would go up the boards, I’d try to step up and all they have to do is chip off the boards and if they have a step on our forwards it’s a 2-on-1 like that and creates a scoring chance,” Erskine said. “By just accepting the rush we take that away; that’s a good feeling.”

Washington’s defense has plenty of blueliners who like to jump up and get involved in the play offensively, though. Players like Mike Green, John Carlson, Wideman and Dmitry Orlov. So how does this impact them?

“They’ve got to read the rush,” Hunter said. “I don’t hold D back. They’ve got to read the rush and a forward will cover for them, but they just read it and if it’s the right time, they go.”

There is pressure for the players – defensemen and forwards – to ensure that they make the correct play when it comes to the proper defensive approach. Whether it’s jumping up in the play, trying to get the puck out of the zone or deciding when to take a risk.

“If we’re going to err on a side, I think he wants us to stay on the side of caution, maybe live to fight another time and get the puck out,” Mike Knuble said after the 2-1 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday. “Don’t step up and take a chance. If you do, don’t be 50/50 or even be 80/20, if you’re stepping up you’d better be one hundred percent you’ll get that puck and you better get it, or don’t come back to the bench.”

After spending the bulk of the past four seasons becoming identified as an offensive juggernaut, the Capitals will undoubtedly take time to adjust to Hunter’s defensive-first approach. But when asked if it’s tough to convince players that it can be successful, and fun, to play the way he wants, Hunter said any system that gives the better chance to win should be supported.

“Everybody wants to score goals, everybody does,” Hunter said before drawing on an example of why his system was suited to a game like his debut against St. Louis. “There was no room in the neutral zone; [the Blues] had four guys in there, so it’s a cat and mouse game out there where you can’t just go through it and turn pucks over. Instead of having a chance to win, you’re down 6-1. You’ve got to stick to the system.”



Mike Green not concerned about his role changing under Dale Hunter

By Katie Carrera

Of the players on Washington’s roster, only three – Mike Green, Brooks Laich and Jeff Schultz – remain from the group that won a Calder Cup with Bruce Boudreau in Hershey. They played for Boudreau before he became Washington’s head coach on Thanksgiving Day 2007 and flourished under his tenure with the Capitals.

Perhaps no one so much as Green, who went from a run of the mill defenseman to a two-time Norris Trophy finalist that led all NHL blueliners in offensive statistics. He played 270 NHL games under Boudreau, recording 76 goals, 153 assists and was a plus-79. In 104 games prior to Boudreau’s arrival, playing under Glen Hanlon, Green recorded six goals, nine assists and was a minus-21.

But Green, 26, said Wednesday he had not spoken with Boudreau, who was fired and replaced by Dale Hunter on Monday.

• Ducks hire Bruce Boudreau as head coach

“It’s a new chapter now, but obviously he was a great coach and unfortunately we weren’t responding here in the last couple months,” Green said. “I think it was a necessary thing. We’re definitely happy to have Dale here. He seems like an honest guy, a strict guy and that seems to be what we need maybe for guys to respond properly.”

Green is expected to miss a 10th consecutive game Thursday with a strained right groin muscle. The Capitals’ struggle to win consistently coincided with Green’s absences due to injury, first the twisted right ankle and now the groin problem – Washington is 4-10-1 without him in the

lineup. To be certain, though, Washington’s maladies are not solely related to Green missing from the lineup.

There is no definitive time table for his return, and when Green does he will have a new head coach in Hunter, who has spent the earliest part of his tenure retooling Washington’s defensive system.

Players will be expected to keep up with opponents man-on-man and win each individual battle along with playing a 1-2-2 trap system to help prevent odd-man rushes while capitalizing off of turnovers the method creates. (More on the system a little later this morning.)

System alterations or not, Green insisted he is not concerned about having a new coach might impact his own personal performance.

“No. Not at all. I play the game the way I play and within the system. That’s it,” Green said. “That’s the bottom line, it doesn’t change at all.”



Offense is hard to come by for Capitals as they drop fourth straight, 2-1 to Penguins)

By Stephen Whyno

The Washington Times


If two games are a fair indication, the Washington Capitals under Dale Hunter will play a lot of low-scoring, one-goal games.

That’s exactly what the Capitals got again Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins: a close game where there wasn’t enough offense and a couple notable breakdowns that allowed for a 2-1 loss at Verizon Center.

The Caps are still adjusting to a new system but managed only fits and spurts of sustained offense and mustered just two shots in the third period and none in the final 5:32.

“It’s tough to win with one goal,” goaltender Tomas Vokoun said. “It’s definitely not easy when things are not going well and obviously we’re not getting the pressure in their zone and we’re not scoring.”

It’s impossible to question the effort or intensity after this defeat, the Caps’ 10th in 13 games (3-9-1), as they came out flying and throwing the body around. Alex Ovechkin’s physical presence — perhaps back to the old days of using his body as a forechecking weapon — combined with smart play by John Erskine and other heavy hitters helped Washington set a tone.

“I think that’s the best jump we’ve had in a while,” defenseman Dennis Wideman said. “We still had some confusion and some breakdowns in our own zone. We gave them quite a few shots; we’d like to shore that up a little bit, but we still got to create more offensively. We didn’t get enough shots again.”

Shots — and quality scoring chances were lacking. And when the Caps did get into position, nothing was going right.

On one occasion, Ovechkin put the puck on Nicklas Backstrom’s stick with an empty net waiting, but his shot hit the crossbar.

“It was a tight game again; we just didn’t get the goals,” Wideman said. “We had a couple there; Nicky had an empty net. That could’ve changed the game.”

When the Caps broke down in the neutral and defensive zones and Chris Kunitz took advantage of the space, all it took was one fluttering shot past Vokoun to provide the game-winner. Vokoun credited Kunitz for making a nice play when given space, and Hunter explained that happened because defenseman Erskine fell down.

“He tripped and fell and that’s what opened it up. That’s it,” Hunter said. “That’s part of the hockey where you do trip on the ice and fall and unfortunately it went in.”

Mike Knuble said earlier in the week that the Caps, moving forward, will have “such a fine line between winning or losing.” In this game, it proved to be true yet again.

“We’re still having a tough time manufacturing enough shots,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “But I think that’s going to come, where we’re starting to get a little better in our D-zone — a few too many odd-man rushes. But yeah, capitalize on their chance. That’s what happens when you play a good team.”

It was the Caps’ first regulation loss to the Penguins since March 9, 2008. The Caps had gone 11-0-2 against Pittsburgh in the past 13 meetings.

It’s also the first regulation victory Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has recorded against the Caps. He was 2-6-3 coming in, with both previous wins in a shootout.

While many players talked about the need for patience with the system, leading goal-scorer Jason Chimera, who potted his 10th Thursday, preached urgency about that but was optimistic about the work ethic.

“It can’t be down the line. It’s got to be now,” Chimera said. We got to get people stepping up and scoring some goals and doing the little things. … If we keep effort like that, the wins will come.”

Washington Times LOADED: 12.02.2011


apitals’ Roman Hamrlik a healthy scratch against Penguins

By Stephen Whyno



Roman Hamrlik’s play has raised the ire of fans for being responsible when opponents score on the Washington Capitals. His minus-10 rating and 18 penalty minutes haven’t helped.

On Thursday, the 37-year-old’s seat was in the press box as a healthy scratch for the first time this season.

“It’s feeling,” coach Dale Hunter said before facing the Pittsburgh Penguins. “It’s one of those things that we just decide as a coaching staff.”

Jeff Schultz was inserted back into the lineup in place of Hamrlik and was on the ice for the Penguins‘ first-period goal, along with rookie Dmitry Orlov.

Hunter and systems

The phrase that has been used the most around the Caps since Hunter’s arrival is “baby steps.” That explains how the new coach has been implementing his systems.

“We’re not drastic yet because baby steps,” Hunter said. “If you overwhelm them, they stop skating, they freeze and think and don’t skate. The neutral zone will change and the D-zone and forecheck. Just tweak that a bit.”

The adjustments have forced the Caps to think more than just reacting, though Thursday night featured a much more aggressive forecheck and plenty of hitting.

Vokoun wants rhythm

Tomas Vokoun started Thursday night against Pittsburgh, which didn’t come as any surprise to the 35-year-old with the far better numbers than backup Michal Neuvirth.

Each game and each opportunity is a chance for Vokoun to improve what he has called performance that’s not up to his standards.

“It’s all performance-based. It hasn’t been easy around here for some time, but not everything’s bad,” Vokoun said. “It’s not where I want to be. But it’s not my statistics or the win-loss record — it’s not terrible, either. You have to keep things in perspective and things didn’t go well, and I didn’t play good to my standards. You’re going to go through stuff like that in a season.”

Vokoun and the Caps hope that stuff is over and that he can sharpen up with this “fresh start” under Hunter.



Canned by Capitals, Bruce Boudreau wastes no time landing job with Ducks

By Stephen Whyno



The bad news and bad mood for Bruce Boudreau might have lasted just a few hours. George McPhee fired him early Monday morning, and Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray jumped at the opportunity to talk to the ex-Washington Capitals coach.

“Once he was let go, I called George immediately and then, when I talked to Bruce, I wanted to sense in his voice if he was ready to go right back at it or not,” Murray said Thursday at a news conference to introduce Boudreau. “That was important to me.”

Boudreau was more than willing to jump back in, saying he could have gone to work for TSN in Toronto but coaching the Ducks “was much better.” He officially got the job Wednesday and led his first practice Thursday, as many around the league and with his former team voiced optimism that he could turn around a struggling team the same way he did with the Capitals in 2007.

Boudreau’s time in Washington will be remembered for his leading the Caps on an impressive run to make the playoffs but also failures in the postseason. His former players, though, praised him.

“I know he did a great job here in this organization while he was here. He did a great job for the organization as well as the players,” forward Matt Hendricks said. “A lot of the guys in this room had career years under him.”

That could be a good sign for a talented Ducks team that has lost 16 of its past 19 games going into Boudreau’s debut Friday night against Philadelphia. MVP Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf have struggled and been minus players despite 21 and 19 points, respectively, though Boudreau’s arrival could wake them up after things fell apart under Randy Carlyle.

“I want them to believe in themselves,” Boudreau said. “I hope they buy into the message and we just surge from here.”



Dale Hunter’s priority is getting most out of Alex Ovechkin

By Stephen Whyno



George McPhee insisted the firing of Bruce Boudreau and hiring of Dale Hunter wasn’t about Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals‘ captain whose production and performance have been lacking this season.

But at $9 million this season and more than $95 million left on Ovechkin’s contract, there’s no doubt that something needs to give with the superstar left wing. And that turning Ovechkin’s season around is Hunter’s biggest challenge.

“[Ovechkin will] see how [Hunter] coaches and what he’s going to demand out of him. We’re going to see, I believe, Alex play as hard as he ever has,” assistant coach Dean Evason said. “Alex is still a great player, obviously. … He’s just got to get back to working the way that he always has to allow him to be successful and score goals.”

Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals should expect to take on the personality of their coach, according to Evason. As many have pointed out, that means consistency in work ethic and effort. It also means Ovechkin improving his production and perhaps even his leadership abilities.

He went into Thursday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with eight goals and 10 assists - on pace for just 29 goals and 36 assists. Hunter alluded to wanting Ovechkin to be more assertive offensively.

“He’s got a great shot, and we need shots. But he’s got to get openings to do it,” Hunter said. “No, no. it’s his shot, too. It’s his shot and guys going to the net and getting the rebound. … You get more rubber at the net, the better things happen.”

Hunter said Ovechkin needed to be stronger on the forecheck, and it likely would help the left wing’s all-around game to develop more of a backchecking presence. This new system is about producing offense from stringent, aggressive defense, which means Ovechkin playing better in his end.

Hunter said this first week Ovechkin is “buying into everything,” as far as adjusting to a new system.

“He’s a legend here,” Ovechkin said of his new coach. “He played here, was the captain and he knows how to win the games and how to play.”

Hunter being the captain in Washington from 1994-95 to 1998-99 certainly can’t hurt Ovechkin’s development in that department. McPhee made it clear Monday that the team was not removing the “C” from the face of the franchise.

And while Hunter preached more team leadership, his experience will be vital in Ovechkin’s maturation process as captain.

“Definitely, I can help him,” Hunter said. “It’s responsibility, because you’re dealing with other players and you’re the go-between between the coaches and them. Don’t have it all on your shoulders. He shouldn’t have it all on his shoulders — winning and losing, or getting the players to play right, or dealing with the players.”

Monitoring and managing that responsibility is Hunter’s job now as he tries to turn things around for Ovechkin — because the Caps likely will follow how their captain plays.



SNYDER: Bruce Boudreau fared well among firings, hirings

By Deron Snyder



Bruce Boudreau's message had become lost on a Capitals team that started 7-0-0 but has gone just 5-9-1 since then. Boudreau's record was 201-88-40 since becoming Washington's coach Thanksgiving Day 2007. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)Bruce Boudreau’s message had become lost on a Capitals team that started 7-0-0 but has gone just 5-9-1 since then. Boudreau’s record was 201-88-40 since becoming Washington’s coach Thanksgiving Day 2007. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

After the football games have ended and the leftovers have been stored comes Black Friday, which is supposed to be followed by another uber-shopping spree, Cyber Monday.

But the sports calendar got stuck in color-coded mode this year, resulting in a twist that dampened the holiday spirit in households across the country: Black Monday.

In the NHL, the Washington Capitals fired coach Bruce Boudreau while the Carolina Hurricanes fired coach Paul Maurice. That was nothing compared the clearance sale in college football, as Rick Neuheisel (UCLA), Dennis Erickson (Arizona State) and Ron Zook (Illinois) were discarded Monday.

Kansas got an early start by firing Turner Gill on Sunday. Washington State and the Jacksonville Jaguars straggled in late, jettisoning Paul Wulff and Jack Del Rio, respectively, on Tuesday. The Anaheim Ducks sensed the opportunity for an upgrade Wednesday and exchanged Randy Carlyle for the just-released Boudreau 2.0.

(For those whose Christmas wish list included a new football coach at Maryland, no. That would be too expensive given the athletic department’s current economic state and it would be too tacky, just one season after hiring the current coach. Sorry that the disappointment grew Wednesday when Washington State unwrapped a shiny new Mike Leach, exactly what the Terps needed as Ralph Friedgen’s replacement.)

As for Boudreau, he seemed to sense shaky ground Saturday after his final game, a 5-1 loss against Buffalo. He was bewildered by his inability to push the right buttons during the Caps’ 3-7-1 spiral. He questioned whether he was getting the players’ best effort. “You’ve got to believe there’s more to give,” he told reporters.

If those were pressing concerns on his mind, management was bound to wonder as well and obligated to make a move. He said general manager George McPhee did what he had to do.

But Anaheim hired Boudreau so quickly - they had him in California two days later - you’d think the Ducks had a car waiting outside after his meeting with McPhee. According to time stamps on the press releases from Washington and Anaheim, Boudreau was unemployed for a total of 65 hours and 25 minutes.

The Elias Sports Bureau reported that his six-day span between games coached with two teams will be the shortest in NHL history. The change of address was so swift, Boudreau doesn’t qualify as a coaching retread.

He’s more like a tire that took a little air and kept on rolling.

And in rolls yet another non-retread. What do the Caps have against men who have been there and done that? Dale Hunter is their fourth consecutive coach without any NHL coaching experience.

Presumably, Hunter’s status as a Caps legend and his tenure in the Ontario Hockey League is qualification enough. Boudreau landed the job thanks to his Calder Cup-winning experience with the Caps’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Boudreau replaced Glen Hanlon, who had replaced Bruce Cassidy.

There was little doubt that Boudreau would get another opportunity, and rightfully so. His playoff record caused plenty of grief in Washington but many teams crave the success he’s enjoyed in the regular season. Maybe he’ll figure out how to win playoff games in Anaheim, which missed the postseason in two of the past three years.

The Ducks won the Stanley Cup under Carlyle in 2007 after he led them to the conference finals in 2006, heights the Caps never reached with Boudreau. But the explanation for Carlyle’s firing just as easily could have come out of McPhee’s mouth regarding Boudreau.

“Randy is a terrific head coach and did a tremendous job for us,” Ducks GM Bob Murray said in a statement. “We thank him greatly for his hard work and dedication to our franchise, not the least of which was a Stanley Cup championship. At this time, we simply felt a new voice was needed.”

I can’t decide what’s more shocking about Boudreau. Was it surviving the way-too-soon offseason and returning for another go? Or was it being fired just 22 games into the season after going 7-0 to start?

Plenty of observers opined that Boudreau never should have been retained after last season’s four-game flameout against Tampa Bay in the second round. I favored bringing him back but figured this would be his last season unless there was significant improvement in the playoffs.

Now he’s gone. And Washington would have missed the playoffs if they started Thursday.

At least Boudreau didn’t have to wait long for the carousel to swing his way. Unemployment is still sinking in for other coaches fired this week.



Sources: Woods joins Boudreau’s staff with Ducks

Caps assistant reunited with former boss in Anaheim

By Stephen Whyno



It didn’t take long for Bruce Boudreau to find a new job after getting fired as Washington Capitals coach. It also didn’t take long for Bob Woods to find a new job after getting fired as assistant coach.

Boudreau got the gig at the Anaheim Ducks coach late Wednesday night, and Woods was added to his staff Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the situation told The Washington Times.

It seemed like a foregone conclusion when Anaheim fired Randy Carlyle and all of his assistants. The Ducks immediately announced that Brad Lauer was part of Boudreau’s staff, promoted from their minor league affiliate in Syracuse. But with Woods out of a job following the Caps’ loss Tuesday, he was the logical choice to go West with Boudreau.

“They’re probably pretty happy today where they’re going,” Caps assistant coach Dean Evason said. “At the end of the day, hopefully you believe that good people will get another opportunity. And certainly they did.”

Boudreau led his first practice Thursday morning, and he, Woods and Lauer will be behind the bench Friday night as the Ducks host the Philadelphia Flyers.



Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry on back burner with Penguins, Capitals

Coaching news this week has overshadowed stars

By Stephen Whyno



Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin — the stuff “24/7,” the Winter Classic and, let’s face it, the NHL is made of. For a while it was the biggest rivalry in the league, reinvigorating the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Washington Capitals as must-see TV and even more of a must-see in person.

But Crosby missed over 10 months with a concussion, and events this week, from the firing of Bruce Boudreau to the hiring of Dale Hunter (and then Boudreau’s move to Anaheim to replace Randy Carlyle) have seemingly made Sid vs. Ovi a side act.

“New coaching change, Hunter coming in — really only played one game under him. It’s tough to know what to expect totally from their team system-wise, but we know we’re playing a good team,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

The talk this week, at least in Washington, has centered on the regime change from Boudreau to Hunter and the adjustments that lie within. Players could be seen sprinting out of the locker room, one even falling over himself, to get to a team meeting after Thursday’s morning skate — believed to be the first time that has happened here in a while.

But to the principals involved in this rivalry, Crosby vs. Ovechkin is still worth talking about.

“It’s good for league for guys and good for everybody when he’s come back,” Ovechkin said. “You get more attention to the game — especially it’s

back to the attention that it used to be. It’s going to be another game. You have to compete and you have to win the battles.”

Crosby has two goals and nine assists in just five games this season. Ovechkin has eight goals and 10 assists in 23 games.

But Ovechkin likes the “attention” and the spotlight that comes with facing the Penguins, especially with Crosby in the lineup.

“It’s always a challenge for any player,” Hunter said. “I know any player that wants to play and you’re going head-to-head with another great player … it brings the blood flowing and you’re going to be ready to play.”

Crosby is chugging along with points in four of his five games since returning from post-concussion symptoms. But even that might not be his ceiling.

“I think he’s played some awesome hockey,” Bylsma. “I think he’d tell you and he will tell you and he has told you that there’s more there. But I’m not surprised to see him be on the score sheet, make plays and guys around him benefiting and getting goals from him and the way he has been preparing and playing and practicing for two months.”

Crosby, who hasn’t shaved his mustache because of superstitious intentions, said he’s not “right there” and in a groove yet.

“I still think I can be better, timing and stuff like that. I think with each game it’s gotten better,” Crosby said. “I don’t expect to be there in five games. But I expect to get better with each game in certain areas. Some things have been like that; some other things take time. But I’m happy with the way I’ve felt for the most part.”

Whether a healthy Crosby means a more focused or productive Ovechkin remains to be seen.

“I think it’s a good rivalry for the teams,” Caps forward Brooks Laich said. “I know he seems to have good games against Pittsburgh, Ovi does. We’ll look for another good performance from him tonight.”



Ducks hire ex-Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau

Anaheim looks to former Washington bench boss to lead turnaround

By Stephen Whyno



Bruce Boudreau’s whirlwind week started with a meeting just after 6 a.m. Monday morning. When the general manager of the Capitals wants to talk at that time, it can’t be good news.

“There was never something that I knew something was going to happen until the moment happened,” Boudreau said.

But then came Wednesday and a 10:30 p.m. Pacific time announcement: The Anaheim Ducks had fired coach Randy Carlyle and hired Boudreau as his replacement. That’s a 67-hour turnaround between jobs — officially — and Boudreau knew well before because he was in Anaheim late Wednesday night ready to run Thursday’s practice.

Boudreau might have even known but couldn’t say anything Wednesday morning when asked in a wide-ranging interview about the Ducks contacting him. He denied it, but noted he’d love to get right back into coaching if an NHL team approached him.

“Absolutely. It’s what I do. I love hockey and I love my job,” Boudreau said. “Even when things are going bad, I love my job. I love going to work in the morning, and I feel comfortable when I’m behind my desk or behind the bench or talking to guys or being on the ice. It’s something that I would relish doing.”

Carlyle and the Ducks had just wrapped up a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens when the team announced he and his entire staff were out. They had previously lost seven games in a row and 16 of 18.

“At this time, we simply felt a new voice was needed,” Anaheim general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. “Bruce is a proven winner with a great track record, and we are optimistic we can turn this season around under his leadership.”

The talk about changing voice sounded similar to what Caps GM George McPhee said when referencing Boudreau’s firing in Washington – that this was “simply a case of the players were no longer responding to Bruce.”

But McPhee also praised Boudreau as a person and a coach.

“I think Bruce came in here and emptied the tank,” McPhee said. “He gave it everything he could and did a really good job, but the tank was empty.”

Earlier Wednesday, players and ex-assistant Bob Woods also glowed about Boudreau and how he could be an excellent fit somewhere in the NHL.

“I think he’s good at making believers out of guys,” Woods said in a phone interview. “He can make teams come together.”

Added Caps forward Matt Hendricks: “If there’s opportunities out there for coaching jobs, I would assume he’s at the top of a lot of peoples’ lists.”

He was obviously atop Anaheim’s, and Boudreau will get the chance to refill his tank there and try to turn around the Ducks like he did with the Caps four years ago. At that time, Washington was on a five-game skid until Boudreau took over on Thanksgiving. That team made the playoffs, and he received the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year.



New system, same result for Capitals in loss to Penguins

By: Brian McNally | 12/01/11 8:05 PM

Two games into the Dale Hunter era, the Capitals are still working on the nuances of a new system. Hockey is hockey, players and coaches have said all week, but results are nice, too. And so far Washington has come up empty in that area.

Chris Kunitz scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, a shot from the right wing that slipped through goalie Tomas Vokoun, and the Pittsburgh Penguins held on for a 2-1 victory over the Caps at Verizon Center on Thursday night.

No one was handing out merit badges after Hunter's second game as coach since taking over for the fired Bruce Boudreau. Washington (12-11-1, 25 points) tied the game early in the second period on a pretty backhand shot by leading-goal scorer Jason Chimera. But they managed just two shots on goal in the third period and never had a chance to push for the tying goal in the final 90 seconds even after Vokoun was pulled for the extra attacker.

This is a process, for sure. But in the midst of a 5-11-1 stretch, Washington just needs a win -- any win -- to rebuild its confidence. How long can subtle improvements be considered enough?

"It depends on how the games are going. If we start losing games 4-0, 4-1 or 5-1, then maybe you start [questioning]," defenseman Karl Alzner said. "But 2-1 [loss to St. Louis], 2-1 [loss to Pittsburgh] and we should have scored a few more goals. We can score more than one goal a game. ... I thought we were better than we were last game."

One major issue was putting just two shots on Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in the third period. That won't be good enough going forward. But Washington is also transitioning to a counter-attacking style. They generated the necessary turnovers against the Penguins. They didn't generate the goals.

"It's pretty disappointing when you lose that kind of game," Caps captain Alex Ovechkin said. "We just didn't score on the chances we had. We hit the post. I missed an empty net, and Fleury made a couple great saves."

Nicklas Backstrom was the player who hit the post, sending a shot that appeared to catch the nob of Fleury's stick and then ring the crossbar. Craig Adams had put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0 at 5:21 of the first period when he was all alone at the left post to tap home a pass from teammate Arron Asham. Chimera recorded his 10th goal at 1:20 of the second, roofing a backhand past Fleury. But it wasn't enough.

"It can't be down the line," Chimera said of his team's adjustments. "It's got to be now. We got to get people stepping up and scoring some goals, doing the little things. It was a good game overall. They had a lot of shots, but a lot were from the outside. It's a tough way to lose, but we give that kind of effort, it'll get better."

Washington Examiner LOADED: 12.02.2011


Caps Postgame - 2-1 loss to Penguins

By: Brian McNally | 12/01/11 11:12 PM

They could reasonably call it progress. The Caps looked more dangerous offensively in Dale Hunter’s second NHL game than they did in the first. They absolutely were more physical. Buy or sell on the 43 hits credited to Washington, but they took the body more than maybe any game this season, I thought.

Unfortunately, they had a defensive breakdown that led to a Craig Adams goal. Someone left him alone at the left post for a tap-in goal in the first period. And in the second, Chris Kunitz stripped the puck from Marcus Johansson and knocked down defenseman John Erskine – who otherwise had a strong night – and his shot on goal found a way to beat goalie Tomas Vokoun. That was all they needed in a 2-1 win. Read the details in our game story here.

Tough one on that second goal for Vokoun, who tried to shrug the shot away only to see it slip through his seven hole. He looked as surprised as anyone when he heard the crowd groan and the saw the Penguins celebrating. That came 2:36 into the third period and allowed Pittsburgh to play simple road hockey the rest of the way. Blame Johansson for getting stripped by Kunitz and Erskine for tripping to the ice. Blame Vokoun for not seeing a relatively soft shot from open ice. Not what Washington needed in a tie game.

“You play the game. You're not thinking about mistakes,” Vokoun said. “You're in the game and you worry about stopping the puck. It's tough to win with one goal. It's definitely not easy when things are not going well and obviously we're not getting the pressure in their zone and we're not scoring.”

He has a point there. The Caps just can’t seem to get the lead in these tight games late. Blame the new system. Blame a lack of confidence. Blame scorers like Alex Ovechkin or Alex Semin or Nick Backstrom, each of whom failed to finish some quality chances tonight. Backstrom apparently did not hit Marc-Andre Fleury’s stick nob, just the crossbar on a shot at 2:01 of the second period with an open net yawning. But even so - two goals allowed should be enough for this team on most nights. This is a pair of 2-1 losses in a row.

The last time Pittsburgh beat the Caps in regulation? A 4-2 win on March 9, 2008. Otherwise, Washington was on an 11-0-2 run. That’s regular season only, folks. Obviously, the 2009 Stanley Cup playoff series had a different tone.

Washington defenseman John Carlson may be hearing from NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan later this week. He caught Penguins forward Matt Cooke with an elbow or a shoulder late. Cooke’s head was down, but it was also the principle point of contact. That’s a no-no. Don’t think it’s a suspension, but Carlson may be short $2,500 or so after a fine. More on that Friday.

“The players competed and we had some chances,” Hunter said. “They’re a good team over there. But it’s a 1-1 game and they get a chance and they bury it. That’s the way the game goes. We had a few chances around the net and we’re getting better at it. It just takes time.”

Hunter also agreed with an earlier assessment by defenseman Karl Alzner, which made my game story. The players should remain confident they’re making progress with the new 1-2-2 system through these first two games. Make no mistake – they need a positive result against Ottawa at home on Saturday night. But these losses are a far cry from 7-1 to Toronto and 5-1 to Buffalo last month.

“It’s tight games now,” Hunter said. “If you’re getting blown out you start to doubt. But 2-1 and 2-1 we were right in it. That’s the game of hockey.”

A little retribution from Erskine on Pittsburgh forward Arron Asham, who admitted he went over the line after whipping Caps forward Jay Beagle in a fight on Oct. 13 in Pittsburgh. Beagle is still experiencing concussion-related symptoms and has already had one aborted comeback attempt. Asham’s over-the-top reaction to his win didn’t sit well with Washington. And although he apologized, it appears the Caps still wanted to send a message. Asham was ready and acquitted himself well – though the bigger Erskine eventually got the best of him.

“There’s a lot of pride in the room there and he was sticking up for his teammate,” Hunter said. “He did a great job.”

Nice job by an especially aggressive Caps penalty kill tonight. Hunter has left assistant coach Dean Evason in charge of the PK after this week’s coaching changes. They allowed five shots on three Pittsburgh power plays and kept the Penguins off the board.



Penguins beat Capitals 2-1 to keep Hunter winless

By: DAVID GINSBURG | 12/01/11 9:35 PM

Washington Capitals left wing Jason Chimera, right, celebrates his goal with teammate Brooks Laich, left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Washington.

Locked in a defensive struggle against their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't get a point from Sidney Crosby and scored only twice, yet still found a way to beat the Washington Capitals.

Chris Kunitz netted the tiebreaking goal at 2:36 of the third period, and the Penguins escaped with a 2-1 win Thursday night to keep Washington winless under new coach Dale Hunter.

Craig Adams also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 4-1-1 since Crosby returned to the lineup following an 11-month absence with a concussion. It was the fewest goals that Pittsburgh has scored in a victory this season.

After taking over for Bruce Boudreau on Monday, Hunter has attempted to install a new system that stresses defense and forechecking. The Penguins adjusted accordingly and outdid the Capitals at their own game, allowing only two shots in the decisive third period.

"We were pretty committed to making sure we didn't turn pucks over," Crosby said. "Our 'D' did a great job. We've got some guys who are new, and they did a great job of going in there and taking some hits to make plays. That's what you've got to do."

Earlier in the day, Pittsburgh recalled defenseman Simon Despres from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. In his NHL debut, the 20-year-old got the second assist on Kunitz's goal.

Crosby was held without a point for only the second time in six games since his return. He sustained his concussion by taking two blows to the head last January, the first of which came against the Capitals on New Year's Day in the Winter Classic. Since coming back, the standout center has two goals and nine assists.

Even though he didn't add to those numbers, Crosby had no complaints.

"You play to win," he said. "I had a few chances but they kept a pretty tight seal on things, and when teams do that, you have to capitalize. Unfortunately, I didn't. But we did a good job and played a good game."

Crosby's lengthy absence, along with the ineffectiveness this season of Washington's Alex Ovechkin, has dimmed one of the NHL's most notable individual duels. Ovechkin was also held without a point, and he has only one goal in his last 10 games.

Ovechkin remains confident that the Capitals will start to supplement their defense with a few goals on the other end.

"I think it's a little period of time when we have to find our way back to get success, back to what we used to be," he said. "We're not going to lose every game. But we have to score more than one goal to win the game."

Jason Chimera scored his team-leading 10th goal for the Capitals, who were 11-0-2 against their bitter rivals in the regular season since March 8, 2009.

Tomas Vokoun stopped 33 shots, but Washington couldn't back his effort with any firepower on the offensive end. The Capitals took only 17 shots against Marc-Andre Fleury in their second straight 2-1 loss under Hunter.

"We had a few chances around the net," Hunter said. "We're getting better at it. It just takes time."

Asked if he was worried about the team losing confidence, he replied, "It's tight games. If you're getting blown out you start to doubt, but 2-1 and 2-1, we were right in it."

Kunitz got the game-winner by skating around a check by John Erskine and firing a wrist shot that bounced off Vokoun and bounded into the net.

"Erskine tripped and fell. That's what opened it up," Hunter said.

Washington has lost four straight and seven of nine.

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 5:21 of the first period when Arron Asham gained control of the puck behind the net, skated out and sent a pass across the slot to Adams, who scored from the left side.

Six seconds later, Asham and Erskine dropped their gloves and got into an old-fashioned hockey fight. Both landed several good blows before tumbling to the ice.

The Penguins outshot the Capitals 13-4 in the opening 20 minutes. Crosby had two shots, and 11 of his teammates had one apiece.

It got tougher for Pittsburgh after that.

"Starting in the second, they came at us hard and forechecked hard," coach Dan Bylsma said. "They were tough to handle that way and were very aggressive on the forecheck and getting to the offensive zone. That may be something we hadn't seen."

Washington pulled even at 1:20 of the second period when Chimera lifted an up-close backhander over Fleury's left shoulder.

NOTES: Seven of the last 11 games between the teams have been decided by one goal. ... In the 22 games that Ovechkin and Crosby have gone head-to-head, Pittsburgh is 13-7-2. ... Chimera's 10 goals match his output last season.


597915 Toronto Maple Leafs

The greatest show on ice bids farewell

Damien Cox

WASHINGTON

In a way, it’s rather sad. The circus has officially left town.

For four or five years there, the Washington Capitals were one thrilling high-wire act, their stars capable of creating chances at both ends of the ice. You score four? We’ll score five. Six? Yep, we can top that.

It was a blast. Unleash the Fury and all that. But it is over.

That doesn’t mean the Caps won’t be a winning hockey club this season or in seasons to come. It’s just hard to imagine they’ll be as enjoyable and imaginative and, at their best, electrifying.

Those days are gone. Now, it’s Dale Hunter hockey. Get it out and get it in deep. Bang bodies. Cycle. Take it hard to the net. Bang some more bodies.

After consecutive 2-1 defeats under Hunter in his first two games behind an NHL bench, including Thursday’s setback to Pittsburgh, the Caps have yet to see the fruits of the “new system” the former London Knights owner and coach has installed.

Star forward Alex Ovechkin has yet to score for Hunter, and while being outshot 35-17 by the Pens, one could only barely make out the shadows of the former run-and-gun Caps.

“It’s gonna come,” said Ovechkin, sounding as upbeat and supportive as possible after being identified as one of the Capitals who stopped pulling on the oars during the final days of the Bruce Boudreau regime.

“We just have to get used to it.”

Okay, they do. But do we? Does the hockey world have to like a Washington team that had two shots in the third period and none in the final five minutes?

If you believe that parity in the NHL means the gradual homogenization of team styles into one big trapping glob, then parity has finally overtaken the Caps. They were trapping against the Pens, as was Pittsburgh, and on this night that famous playoff game in May 2009 when Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby potted matching hat tricks seemed a faint memory.

Ovechkin, in 19:22 of playing time, was actually more dangerous than Crosby, who couldn’t seem to get untracked in his sixth game back — and first against the Caps since that infamous rain game on Jan. 1 — while going pointless. As usual, the two were rarely on the ice together, rarely crossed paths, and while Ovechkin delivered a game-high 10 hits, many of them bone-rattlers, none of them were aimed at No. 87.

“It’s a little period of time where we have to find our way back to get success, back to what we used to be,” said Ovechkin, now with two goals in his last 12 games and only eight in 24 games this season.

To be fair, the first loss under Hunter came against Ken Hitchcock and the sizzling St. Louis Blues, and the second against the Penguins, who arguably were due after failing to win a regulation game against the Caps in their previous 13 meetings.

Ovechkin set up Nicklas Backstrom for a glorious chance in the second, but Backstrom’s shot hit either the crossbar or the post, or maybe even the knob of a lunging Marc-Andre Fleury’s stick. Then, early in the third, Chris Kunitz fluttered a wrist shot under the left arm of Caps goalie Tomas Vokoun that Vokoun should have stopped, and that was the difference in the game.

“The kids competed ... er, the players competed,” said Hunter, still shifting out of his junior hockey mode.

“We played a little too much in our own end. We’ve got to spend less time there.”

While Boudreau will try to get the Anaheim Ducks to open up, Hunter is trying to convince the Capitals they need to play a more buttoned-down game. An interesting question, however, is how this style of hockey will play in Washington. It was the circus, remember, that filled this once-empty building in a town still ruled by the Redskins, that and the image of a superstar in Ovechkin who was both an exuberant presence and to many the best player in the world.

Now Ovie’s subdued and not nearly as productive. Perhaps if winning comes under Hunter, that will be enough, particularly if the winning continues into May and even June.

But while wondering what Hunter will make of defenceman/rover Mike Green when he returns after missing 15 of the last 16 games, it’s worth nothing that we’ll miss the circus. Everyone should.

With the memory of Philly and Tampa and their shameful stand-and-wait performance of several weeks ago still fresh, the devolving of the Caps into a team that plays the same way everyone else does should concern a league that suddenly seems to be short a few shooting stars.

Toronto Star LOADED: 12.02.2011


Canadian junior team hit by injury bug

Daniel Girard

Selection camp is yet to open and the first game is still more than three weeks away, but Canada is already facing some key injuries ahead of the world junior hockey championship.

First-round NHL draft pick Jonathan Huberdeau, a forward with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec league, is on the shelf with a broken foot, while defenceman Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips, the top 2012 draft eligible prospect in the WHL according to NHL Central Scouting, has been out since mid-October with an ankle injury.

“Obviously they both would be key players for us and players that we’re hoping will be healthy,” Canadian head coach Don Hay told reporters in unveiling the selection camp roster, adding that both are expected back on the ice before camp opens Dec. 10.

There are also concerns about first-round NHL draft pick Ryan Murphy. The Kitchener Rangers defenceman was to play his first game in nearly a month Thursday after a concussion from a hit by Niagara’s Tom Kuhnhackl, who was suspended 20 games.

Team Canada brass is still confident the trio will be ready for the tournament that opens in Alberta on Boxing Day, but also say there’s enough depth among the other 38 invitees.

“It’s part of the game. You have to live with it,” Kevin Prendergast, Canada’s chief scout, said of the injuries. “We have a lot of good hockey players in this country.

“If for some reason they’re not available to us, we’ll just move on.”

KNIGHTS STILL ON TOP: The OHL-leading London Knights may have lost their head coach this week when Dale Hunter replaced Bruce Boudreau behind the bench of the Washington Capitals, but they kept their foothold atop the CHL rankings.

The Knights (20-5-0-1) have the best winning percentage of any major junior team in the country at .788, though the two Quebec league powerhouses — second-ranked and defending Memorial Cup champion Saint John (24-7-0-1) and No. 4 Quebec Remparts (21-5-2-1) — have more wins.

The WHL’s Tri-City Americans (19-6-0-0), who are ranked third this week, and Saskatoon Blades (18-8-0-1) round out the top five.

CAGING BULL: For the second time in a month, the Belleville Bulls’ Malcolm Subban has been named CHL goaltender of the week. The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban was nearly flawless last week, going 3-0-0 with a shutout, a 0.67 GAA and .978 save percentage.

Subban, who turns 18 later this month and is eligible for the 2012 NHL draft, has been spectacular since returning from an ankle injury, which sidelined him for a month. In the 10 games he’s been back from the first injury of his career, he’s 9-1-0 with a 1.48 GAA and .952 save percentage.

Subban leads the OHL in GAA (1.90) and save percentage (.939).

The only goalie in the entire CHL with better statistics is Nathan Lieuwen of the Kootenay Ice. The 20-year-old, who was taken in the sixth round, 167th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres last spring after leading Kootenay to the WHL championship, betters Subban with a 1.75 GAA but has the same save percentage and the same number of shutouts on the season, at two.

STING STILL STUNG: Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov, who was the top-rated draft eligible OHL skater in last month’s preliminary rankings from NHL Central Scouting, remains out of the lineup with a back injury.

Sting head coach Jacques Beaulieu said Thursday that the 18-year-old Russian is still experiencing the “lingering effects” of a hit by Saginaw Spirit forward Garrett Ross in a game in Sarnia on Nov. 18. Yakupov missed a game the next day after waking up with a headache and sore back but returned in the Sting’s next game, scoring twice and adding an assist.

Yakupov, who went into Thursday’s action still ranked third in OHL scoring with 46 points in 23 games, has missed two games since that brief return and will not play in any of the Sting’s three weekend games, Beaulieu said.

“It’s got nothing to do with his head. It’s his back,” Beaulieu said, adding he was scheduled for an MRI Thursday and there’s no timetable for his return.

Ross was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit on Yakupov but did not receive any further discipline from the OHL.

HITMEN BY A WHISKER: Like many men, players — and officials — in the CHL grew moustaches in November in the name of prostate cancer awareness and fundraising. Being athletes, they, of course, made a competition out of the whole thing.

In the end, the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen raised $13,747, the most among the 60 CHL teams. The OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs were next with $11,051 followed by the P.E.I. Rocket at $9,710.



Kadri named AHL player of the month

Bob Mitchell Sports Reporter

For the second time this season, a Toronto Marlie has been named the American Hockey League player of the month.

Nazem Kadri, 21, earned the honour after scoring six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 12 games in leading Marlies to first place in the North Division.

A Toronto player has now won back-to-back monthly awards.

Centre Joe Colborne, 21, now with the Leafs, was named AHL player of the month for September when he scored eight goals and eight assists.



Young gym rats taking over the NHL

Kevin McGran

Tyler Seguin may not be the best player in the NHL younger than Sidney Crosby.

But he’s certainly joined what has become a crowded conversation.

The NHL is loaded with burgeoning superstars who are following a fitness-devotion trail blazed by Crosby.

There’s Seguin, 19, who leads the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in scoring; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 18, who’s reminding Oilers fans of Wayne Gretzky; and Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, 19, last season’s rookie of the year.

The remarkable thing about this season’s scoring race is that so many of its leaders are younger than Crosby. Nine of the top 15 point producers, heading into Thursday’s games, are younger than Crosby’s 24 years.

Some in the scoring race, like Phil Kessel (born only a few months after Crosby), Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Claude Giroux, have been making their jaw-dropping moves for a few years now.

A second wave has come in behind them. Seguin, Skinner, Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Matt Duchene, John Tavares, Erik Karlsson and others are just beginning to make an impact.

“I haven’t seen this kind of plethora of youth and skill at that age, ever,” said CBC hockey analyst Glenn Healy. “So that tells me the next decade of hockey is going to be something special for the league.”

Where did they all come from and how did they all get here? Used to be that 18- and 19-year-olds had to wait, finish junior and spend a year in the

minors before making the NHL. Now they’re not just making the NHL, but making an impact.

The thread that ties them together is a devotion to fitness and nutrition, like Crosby before them.

“Robots,” jokes Scott Thornton, Seguin’s grizzled veteran teammate with the Bruins. “It’s the evolution of the game. Kids are getting stronger and faster at a younger age.

“I didn’t start training that way until I was 24 and kids now have professional trainers at 12 or 13. I guess they’ve learned to get a step ahead at a young age.”

Eyebrows were raised 10 years ago when it was revealed that 14-year-old Crosby had his own personal trainer. Now that’s the norm for elite-level hockey players.

“They’ve got fitness people like Sidney (had) at 13, they’re watching what they eat at 14,” said Healy. “Do you think I could have spelled hydrogenated fat at 14?

“They take it so seriously.”

Canada, and by extension hockey, lags well behind the United States, and by extension football, basketball and baseball, in terms of fitness training for elite-level teenage athletes, says Matt Nichol, the former Leaf trainer who helps train Stamkos and Seguin.

“The industry has come a long way in Canada in the last 10 years. It’s been around in the U.S. for a much longer time,” says Nichol, who prefers younger teenagers to play sports and stay out of the gym. “When I started 13 years ago, there weren’t many places in Canada, let alone Toronto, that were doing proper strength and conditioning for athletes.

“It’s becoming more and more popular.”

There are other factors, too, contributing to the rise of the insta-stud NHL teenagers.

The salary cap has played a role. Players on entry level contracts tend to be bargains. But they still have to make team, and be as good as pros 10 to 15 years older than them.

“They have better coaching when they’re younger, in addition to more intense training,” says former NHLer Ray Ferraro, now a TSN analyst. “The high performance programs these kids are in mean they compete against the best kids at an earlier age.”

CROSBY: GENERATION NEXT

The five best young players who have emerged in the last three NHL seasons:

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 18

Hockey people don’t throw Wayne Gretzky’s name around lightly. Few players are ever compared to The Great One. But ask about Nugent-Hopkins — Edmonton’s first overall pick last summer — and Gretzky’s name inevitably comes up.

“He seems to see the ice like Gretzky did,” says ex-Leafs coach Pat Quinn. “That’s unfair to compare him to Gretzky. But he has beautiful vision. Puck’s always around him. He always seems to go to the right spots.”

Ex-Leaf captain Rick Vaive says Nugent-Hopkins is something special.

“There’s that vision, there’s not that many guys have that. Gretzky, Crosby, almost like they’re thinking a pass or two ahead of everybody else on the ice,” says Vaive. “It’s uncanny when you see some of the passes. Going behind the net, throwing a backhand to a guy who’s wide open. You just don’t teach that.”

2. Tyler Seguin, 19

The second-year Bruin has elevated his game, having taken on a leadership role this year from having been a third-liner, sometime healthy scratch in his rookie season.

“There’s a gallop to his stride that’s just a little special,” says Ferraro. When he gets out in the open, it’s a pretty thing to watch.

And, heading into Thursday’s games, Seguin leads the NHL in plus-minus at plus-19, a reflection that he’s added defence to offence in trying to become a complete player.

“He had to bide his time all through last season,” says Bruins coach Claude Julien. “He’s come back this year, the confidence level is there. He has gotten stronger. He had to adapt to playing with men pretty quickly.”

3. Jeff Skinner, 19

The reigning NHL rookie of the year is the best player on a very mediocre Carolina Hurricanes. He leads the team in scoring while its captain and star, Eric Staal, struggles through the worst start of his career.

Vaive coached Skinner in minor-midget and tried to teach him how to play defence, but since the puck was on his stick most of the time, Skinner played his minor hockey years in the offensive zone.

“It was incredible,” says Vaive, “his ability to find the holes and get in there and score goals.”

4. Taylor Hall, 20

If Nugent-Hopkins reminds people of Gretzky, then the comparable for Hall is inevitable. “Looks like (Mark) Messier,” says Quinn. “Speed and hell-bent for leather and drives to the net. … He’s wonderful to watch when he gets the puck.”

Hall also impresses Vaive, who played against the Go-Go Oilers of the 1980s.

“Hall can score goals, and has speed and that power to go wide. Certainly he’s a great player and playing with Nugent-Hopkins and (Jordan) Eberle. … They’re kind of molding it to what the Oilers were in the ’80s.”

5. Erik Karlsson, 21

The third-year Senators defenceman has rushed to the top of a pretty good class of young blueliners like Drew Doughty, Cam Fowler and Alex Pietrangelo.

Karlsson — with 21 assists in 24 games — stands out because he’s a big reason the Senators are punching above their weight, sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, just four points behind the Leafs after Wednesday’s games.

“He’s able to jump into the rush because if it gets turned over he’s able to get back into a good defensive position quickly,” says Vaive. “When you have that ability you can take more chances.

“He passes the puck extremely well, sees guys that are open.”



Maple Leafs most valuable team in NHL: Forbes

December 01, 2011

NEW YORK—Forbes magazine has ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs as the most valuable NHL franchise with a worth of $521 million.

Forbes says the average team value hit a record $240 million, while operating income fell 21 percent due to soaring player salaries.

Hockey’s wealth gap is widening: 18 of the 30 teams are losing money while top markets like Toronto, New York City and Montreal see their values rising, thanks to ticket revenue and cable television deals.

The Rangers are second at $507 million and the Montreal Canadiens third at $445 million.

Forbes has Detroit fourth at $336 million and Stanley Cup-champion Boston is fifth at $325 million.

Chicago, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Kings round out the top 10.



Carlyle available but Burke backs Wilson

Mark Zwolinski

Leafs GM Brian Burke insists coach Ron Wilson “isn’t going anywhere.”

Apparently, neither is the likelihood of an immediate Wilson contract extension.

Burke came to the defence of his coach Thursday following another rocky day in the coaching fraternity that led to speculation about fired Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle coming to Toronto.

Carlyle, whose club was on a 1-12 tailspin before winning Wednesday night against Montreal, was dismissed as Ducks coach and immediately replaced by Bruce Boudreau, himself only three days removed from the coaching duties in Washington.

Carlyle’s sudden availability sparked talk of a possible move to Toronto and a reunion with Burke, who had Carlyle as his coach in Anaheim when he Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007.

“Sorry to hear about (Carlyle) but our coach isn’t going anywhere,” Burke said bluntly in a radio interview Thursday.

Burke, though, would only say a contract extension for Wilson, whose Leafs have a 32-17-8 record since the all-star break last season, would come at an “appropriate” time.

According to the world of Twitter, the blogosphere and the speculation highway that is the Toronto hockey market, Burke could have ended all speculation about Wilson-Carlyle by defining Wilson’s contract status, or putting a timeline on it.

Burke, however, has never bowed to any such pressure. If there is an extension in the future for Wilson — and there’s strong support for one now — it could come once the Leafs lock up a playoff berth.

Carlyle, the winningest coach in Ducks history, is considered a brilliant tactician, guiding Anaheim to the playoffs in five of his first six seasons and winning more playoff games than any other team in that stretch outside of Detroit.

The Ducks, however, have won only one playoff round since winning the Cup four seasons ago.

Boudreau, who ran his first practice with the Ducks on Thursday,says he planned to do a little television work after Washington dismissed him, but couldn’t resist the chance to take over a roster with Anaheim’s depth and talent.



Don't jump gun on Wilson contract

By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun

Good on Brian Burke for jumping to the aid of Ron Wilson so quickly.

Of course, he didn’t have much choice.

Had Burke not used his twitter account as a forum to publicly state that he has Wilson’s back, the Randy Carlyle-to-Toronto speculation would have exploded into a full-blown controversy.

As it was, Burke’s blackberry probably was buzzing like a hive of bees before he’d even gulped down his first cup o’ java on Thursday morning, inquiring minds all wanting to know if Carlyle’s firing by the Anaheim Ducks would impact Wilson’s job status down the road.

“Sad to hear about Randy Carlyle,” Burke tweeted. “But our coach isn’t going anywhere!”

It’s easy to see why there was such an eagerness to connect the dots between Burke and Carlyle. The two men, after all, combined to help the Ducks win the 2007 Stanley Cup, a special moment for all involved.

It was also premature, given the job Wilson has done behind the Maple Leafs bench of late.

It says here that Wilson, barring a collapse of catastrophic proportions by his Leafs in the next month or so, deserves to finish out his term behind the bench, playoffs or no playoffs.

Wilson has become a polarizing figure in Toronto, both among fans and media members. He can be enlightening, funny, riveting, sarcastic, abrasive, patronizing and condescending, sometimes all in the same press conference.

Those that don’t like his personality would be waiting to pick up Carlyle at the airport if it meant Wilson was hitting the road. But changing coaches right now would not make sense. Certainly not in light of the way his young team seems to be playing for him.

Wilson’s impact on this young squad can be seen by the way these Leafs have overcome a rash of injuries, including one that sidelined No. 1 goalie James Reimer, The Leafs arguably are off to their best start since the lockout, an obvious indication of how kids like Jake Gardiner and Tyler Bozak are buying what the coach is selling, whether they started the season with the Leafs or the Marlies.

Sorry Randy. The head coach’s job in Toronto is taken. For now.

On the other hand, the suggestion made by my well-respected colleague Steve Buffery, along with others in the pro-Ronnie fraternity, that Wilson is entitled to a contract extension is curious, at least in the opinion of this ink-stained wretch.

Despite the fact the Leafs can leapfrog the Bruins into top spot in the Northeast Division with a rare victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions in Boston on Saturday night, why would you lock up a coach at this point who has yet to lead this team to the post-season in the past three-plus seasons?

Sure, the Leafs are near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. But they also are a five-game losing streak from being out of a playoff spot.

On Thursday morning, the Leafs had 30 points. The New Jersey Devils, meanwhile, were ninth in the East with 25 points. Not a lot of wiggle room there.

True, Burke is on record as saying he does not like it when teams put their bench bosses in position to be “lame-duck” coaches — in other words, a coach who is playing out the string in the final year of his contract. But if college roommates Burke and Wilson have the type of strong relationship we’ve been led to believe, what’s the rush?

There is plenty of speculation that Burke is primed to lock up his coach long-term. With the Teachers Pension Plan no longer putting their shares of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment up for sale (until they are blown away by an offer, that is), perhaps the MLSE board will now be more open to rubber stamping an extension, something they are said to have not been willing to do over the summer given all the uncertainty around the company at the time.

At the same time, how do you justify extending a guy in mid-season who has never taken this franchise to the post-season to date?

Burke recently tweeted that the Leafs are 32-17-8 since last year’s all-star break, a message he tapped out prior to Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Bruins. But let’s face it: those numbers mean nothing if the Leafs miss the playoffs. Again.

History shows that Pat Quinn was fired by the Leafs after failing to reach the post-season just once in his seven seasons as Toronto coach. True, reported rifts between Quinn and GM John Ferguson along with an alleged one within the board hovered over the ornery Irishman’s dismissal, but his ability to regularly lead the Leafs to the playoffs can’t be questioned.

Admittedly, Quinn didn’t have to work under the shackles of a salary cap, which Wilson does now. Then again, Phoenix and Nashville, teams with lower payrolls than Toronto, have made multiple visits to the post-season dance since the Leafs last appeared in the playoffs back in 2004.

Carlyle or no Carlyle, Wilson deserves to finish out the season. He has earned that right. If he makes the playoffs, show him the money. If he

doesn’t, replace him with Marlies coach Dallas Eakins, who has done an outstanding job of prepping kids for the pros.

But giving an extension in mid-season to a coach who has yet to step behind the bench for a playoff date at the Air Canada Centre? Doesn’t make sense.

Then again, the suggestion to replace Wilson with Carlyle in the near future doesn’t seem logical either.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.02.2011


Leafs' coach Wilson 'isn't going anywhere'

By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun

TORONTO -

Randy Carlyle barely had the opportunity to hit the unemployment line when rumours of his imminent arrival to the Maple Leafs engulfed the city of Toronto.

But before many Torontonians had the chance to sip their first cup of steaming morning java, Leafs president Brian Burke attempted to put an end to all the out-of-control Carlyle-to-Hogtown speculation.

“Sad to hear about Randy Carlyle,” Burke tweeted on Thursday morning. “But our coach isn’t going anywhere!”

That’s good news for Ron Wilson, notsomuch for his detractors who wanted him gone after last season already.

There was no shortage of observers connecting the dots for a potential Burke-Carlyle reunion when the Ducks fired their long-time coach after, of all things, a victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the story out of Orange County was that Carlyle’s replacement is Bruce Boudreau, who had been axed by the Washington Capitals just two days earlier.

Yes, Carlyle and Burke did win a Stanley Cup together in 2007, making the connection between the two an obvious one.

And, yes, Carlyle should be a relatively hot commodity on the NHL’s open coaching market.

But there are several factors that come into play here.

First off, while Wilson’s contract is up at the end of the season, the Leafs are off to their best two-month start in recent memory. Whether you want him gone or not by next summer, turfing him now while the team is actually practising what he is preaching, well, it makes no sense.

Secondly, if the Leafs did eventually have a coaching vacancy, does the Marlies’ Dallas Eakins, considered one of the top up-and-coming candidates for an NHL job, not warrant consideration?

Finally, with volatile coaching situations still going on in places like Columbus, who’s to say Carlyle won’t end up coaching somewhere else by season’s end?

Given how Boudreau’s quick hiring in Anaheim caught much of the hockey world off guard, nothing in the NHL can be considered a surprise any more. To that end, maybe Randy Carlyle will be behind the bench of the Maple Leafs one day.

But not now. Not yet.

At least that’s the impression you get from Brian Burke.



Leafs most valuable in Forbes list

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hot — and you can take that to the bank.

The Leafs, who are on course to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004, have seen their value rise 3% since last year to $521 million.

That makes them the most valuable team in the NHL, based on Forbes.com's rankings announced Wednesday.

Coincidentally, the Original Six teams take the top half-dozen spots.

The Montreal Canadiens are ranked third at $445 million and the Vancouver Canucks are seventh at $300 million -- the only other Canadian franchises to crack the top 10.

The Calgary Flames ($220 million) are 13th; Edmonton Oilers ($212 million) 15th; Ottawa Senators ($201 million) 17th; and the Winnipeg Jets ($164 million) 24th.

The value of the Jets franchise has increased by 21% thanks to its move from Atlanta. It was worth $135 million last year.

The average NHL franchise is now valued at $240 million, Forbes says, 47% more than it was before the lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season.

Revenue in 2010-11 was up 5% to an average of $103 million per team. But player costs increased by 11% to an average of $59 million per team and, as a result, 18 of 30 franchises lost money, Forbes reported,

RankTeam(2010 rank)2011 value $mil(2010 value)% change 2010 to '11

1) Toronto Maple Leafs (1)521 (505)3%

2) New York Rangers (2)507 (461)10%

3) Montreal Canadiens (3)445 (408)9%

4) Detroit Red Wings (4)336 (315)7%

5) Boston Bruins (5)325 (302)8%

6) Chicago Blackhawks (7)306 (300)2%

7) Vancouver Canucks (8)300 (262)15%

8) Philadelphia Flyers (6)290 (301)-4%

9) Pittsburgh Penguins (9)264 (235)12%

10) Los Angeles Kings (12)232 (215)8%

11) Dallas Stars (10)230 (227)1%

12) Washington Capitals (16)225 (197)14%

13) Calgary Flames (13)220 (206)7%

14) Minnesota Wild (14)213 (202)5%

15) Edmonton Oilers (20)212 (183)16%

16) San Jose Sharks (18)211 (194)9%

17) Ottawa Senators (17)201 (196)3%

18) Colorado Avalanche (15)198 (198)E

19) Anaheim Ducks (19)184 (188)-2%

20) New Jersey Devils (11)181 (218)-17%

21) Tampa Bay Lightning (28)174 (145)20%

22) Buffalo Sabres (21)173 million (169)2%

23) Carolina Hurricanes (24)169 (162)4%

24) Winnipeg Jets (29)164 (135)21%

25) Nashville Predators (27)163 (148)10%

26) Florida Panthers (22)162 (168)-4%

27) St. Louis Blues (23)157 (165)-5%

28) Columbus Blue Jackets (25) 152 (153)-1%

29) New York Islanders (26)149 (151) -1%

30) Phoenix Coyotes (30)134 (134)E

-- Source: Forbes.com


597924 Vancouver Canucks

Game Within a Game - No goal line stands

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver SunDecember 1, 2011

THREE STARS

1. Mike Fisher, Predators. Two goals on two shots, plus-2 and 11-for-18 on faceoffs.

2. Colin Wilson, Predators. One goal, a beauty deke, and two assists.

3. Henrik Sedin, Canucks. Two assists and making plays all night long.

PIVOTAL POINT – With the game late in the third period and the Canucks all over the Preds, Nashville countered on the rush, Martin Erat manage to get a shoulder around Aaron Rome on the right wing and set up Mike Fisher for a far-post tap-in for the game winner.

By THE NUMBERS – The Canucks surrendered the first goal for the first time in eight games...The last time the Canucks surrendered three first-period goals was Oct. 12 in Philadelphia – the third game of the season – when they wound up losing 5-4... After two periods, the Canucks save percentage by their goaltending duo of was a dreadful .643 (nine saves on 14 shots). They finished with 14 saves on 20 shots.

PEKKA FINN-ISHED: Preds No. 1 netminder Pekka Rinne will be happy his team doesn't play in Vancouver again this season. In two starts at Rogers Arena, the lanky Finn was hooked in both. On Oct. 20, he gave up four in the first period and was gone. Last night, he coughed up five on 18 shots and was out halfway through the second. His save percentage on Vancouver ice this season is a ghastly .735.

DID YOU NOTICE? The first five Nashville goals were shot directly into the Vancouver without a deflection, or rebound chance. Schneider gave up two shortside and one far side while Luongo surrendered two far side. That's two shorts and three longs and a cry for the return of Morse code.

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA: The B.C. Lions were honoured in a brief pre-game ceremony and, as they were leaving the ice, safety J.R. Larose and guard Jesse Newman had their picture taken with Cory Schneider. Schneider then allowed two goals on the first two shots he faced. Wonder if he'll ever agree to that kind of photo shoot again...

MISS OF THE NIGHT: Midway through the third period. Preds winger Jordin Tootoo had Canuck defenceman Andrew Alberts lined up for what appeared to be a potential thunderous hit. Alberts, however, saw Tootoo coming, danced out of the way and Tootoo almost went through the end boards like a missle.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Predators send Canucks reeling, 6-5

By IAIN MacINTYRE, Vancouver Sun columnist

December 1, 2011 10:55 PM

VANCOUVER - Last goalie in wins.

The Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators ran through their entire inventory of National Hockey League goalies Thursday night. The Canucks may have two No. 1s in Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo, but they could have used a third as the low-scoring Predators pumped in six goals on 20 shots to win 6-5.

Nashville reliever Anders Lindback was the only netminder who played well, stopping all 19 shots after inheriting a 5-3 deficit from starter Pekka Rinne and getting the win when Mike Fisher directed Martin Erat's centring pass past Luongo with 1:16 remaining.

You remember Luongo? Sixty-four-million-dollar goalie who has won everything but a Stanley Cup and last played Nov. 13, before a minor injury and a major surge by Schneider forced him to miss seven starts?

Luongo was beaten three times on 15 shots after replacing Schneider, whose bubble was obliterated with three goals on five shots in the first period.

Talk about winning together and losing together.

“Me and Schneids are not really happy right now,” Luongo said. “We want to be better for our teammates and we're going to go work to do that.

“Sometimes you don't deserve to win and you do. That's the way hockey goes. It's just a matter of realizing we played a really good game as a team. We dominated play most of the night. Tidy up a bit defensively and make a couple of big saves and we get a win there.”

The Canucks did dominate. They trailed 2-0 when they could have been leading by three.

After exploding for four straight second-period goals to go ahead 5-3, then quickly blowing the lead, Vancouver had another pile of scoring chances in the third period but lost when Fisher got a step on Jannik Hansen and the Canucks couldn't defend a 3-on-3 rush.

“I put us in an early hole and it probably cost us the game,” Schneider said.

Asked if he was surprised coach Alain Vigneault hooked him in the first intermission so soon after the hottest week of Schneider's career, the netminder said: “Not really. I made two saves and gave up three. I don't see what other option he had. I wasn't good enough.”

Vigneault agreed during a testy post-game press conference.

Luongo wasn't good enough, either, although a couple of initial saves turned crowd boos to Loos.

But when it looked like Luongo might be the conquering, returning hero, he allowed goals on consecutive shots 81 seconds apart late in the second period as the Predators suddenly revived themselves and pulled into a 5-5 tie.

Jordin Tootoo, left unchecked in the slot, one-timed a quick, low shot past Luongo to make it 5-4 at 16:09, and the goalie was easily beaten by Colin Wilson's breakaway deke – picture Luongo in a shootout – at 18:30 after the Canucks poorly timed a change of penalty-killers.

At that point, Vigneault may have been scanning the bench for a third goalie.

The first one he tried allowed questionable goals on the first two shots he faced. David Legwand forced the puck through Schneider from a sharp angle at 5:46 of the first. On Nashville's second shot, 2 1/2 minutes later, Fisher zipped a backhand past Schneider short-side.

Schneider's save percentage was crumbling before our eyes.

The Canucks, who by that point had already failed on at least four good scoring chances, made it 2-1 on the power play at 9:58 when Cody Hodgson finished a give-and-go with Chris Higgins by shooting off Rinne and in from close range.

But Nashville defenceman Shea Weber, robbed by Schneider's glove on the Predators' third shot, overpowered the Canuck with a 40-foot one-timer that nearly burst the net on a power play with 10 seconds remaining in the period.

A few fans nearly burst a lung booing when Vigneault sent in Luongo, but their mood was cheered when Rinne was ventilated.

Daniel Sedin purposefully banked a shot between Rinne's pads from an acute angle to get Vancouver within a goal at 3:10, and 48 seconds later a

terrific fourth-line shift ended with the puck bouncing to Aaron Volpatti and the Canuck slinging a 20-foot shot under Rinne to make it 3-3.

Nashville coach Barry Trotz called for a timeout but not for backup Lindback, so Rinne was still in net at 8:16 when Alex Burrows jumped in front of defenceman Kevin Klein to deftly direct in Henrik Sedin's whirling, backhand, centring pass.

And Rinne was still in at 10:29 when Hansen made it 5-3 with an unscreened slapshot from deep right wing that the Nashville netminder overplayed and let slide under his right pad.

Rinne didn't make it to 10:30 as Trotz located Lindback and pulled his starter for the second time in Vancouver this season.

The last goalie in won. Too bad he wasn't a Canuck.

“We really don't care who's in net,” Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa said. “Both of them are big parts of our team.”

For now, Luongo is still the bigger, more expensive part. He is expected to start Sunday against the Calgary Flames.

“I've been through a lot in my career,” Luongo said when asked about his backup phase. “It's just another thing you've got to get through – just keep working and keep your head up and stay positive. I've been in the league long enough I know how to handle a lot of situations. I'm not going to get affected by something like that.”



Not so fast - Raymond's debut delayed

By IAIN MacINTYRE, Vancouver Sun columnist

December 1, 2011

VANCOUVER - After waiting more than 5 1/2 months to make his return to the National Hockey League, Vancouver Canuck winger Mason Raymond learned Thursday afternoon he'd have to wait three more days.

The Canucks missed the deadline to file paperwork re-activating Raymond, which meant winger Aaron Volpatti stayed in the lineup Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. Raymond, who has recovered from fractured vertebrae and other back injuries, will make his debut Sunday against the Calgary Flames.

“It was an oversight,” Canuck assistant general manager Laurence Gilman said before the game. “We thought the paperwork had been filed but it hadn't, and by the time we realized it it was five minutes too late. We're not happy about it. But at the end of the day, it's a mistake that forces one player to wait another couple of days to play his first game in five months. Meanwhile, we go with the same lineup that has won five straight games. There have been a lot worse mistakes in this league.”

In this electronic age, the NHL still requires teams to send paperwork by 5 pm Eastern time on game days to change rosters. West Coast teams have long felt at a disadvantage because the deadline means they must finalize rosters three hours earlier.

Gilman, however, refused to use the earlier deadline as an excuse. The hockey operations' mistake is one of the few made by the Canucks since Mike Gillis became general manager 3 1/2 years ago and made Gilman his first hire. The team has masterfully managed the salary cap, which is a non-factor in Raymond's situation.

The winger, injured in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final, has been counting against the Canucks' cap since the season began.



Coaches need the message to reach the right people

By Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun columnistDecember 1, 2011

VANCOUVER — David Legwand clearly needs to get his ears checked.

He’s been hearing Barry Trotz’s voice for nearly 13 years — no active player in the National Hockey League has played as long under the same coach — and still hasn’t tuned him out.

How is that possible?

Is it because the Nashville Predators’ head coach is a skilled orator? Endlessly inventive? Does he do impressions, delivering last month’s game plan in a terse Toe Blake, last week’s in a Scotty Bowman stream-of-consciousness and today’s in a fire-and-brimstone Mike Babcock?

Or is the very idea of firing a coach because he has “lost the room” and the players are tired of his voice just another way of management saying: this isn’t working, let’s try that?

“I think it’s a bunch of crap,” Alain Vigneault said Thursday morning, feeling for the members of his fraternity who have been deep-sixed in the past four days — Bruce Boudreau by Washington, Paul Maurice by Carolina and most recently, Randy Carlyle by Anaheim, where he was promptly replaced by ... Bruce Boudreau.

“Obviously I’m going to give you a pro-coach answer,” said Vigneault, the Vancouver Canucks’ head coach who, with Carlyle’s dismissal, moved up to No. 4 on the NHL’s continuous tenure list.

“You know, you hear all these comments about guys not playing for their coach, coach losing the room, etc. Anybody who’s been around the room knows that players don’t play for their coach, they play for their teammates, and they play for themselves.

“I mean, you look at the way personnel changes. How many guys are left from my first year here? The [seven] core guys. Everybody else has moved. It’s the same with every team.

“I look at guys like Barry Trotz tonight: there’s a guy who gets the max out of his team year in and year out — his message hasn’t changed, he hasn’t reinvented the way that he coaches every year.

“Same with Lindy [Ruff] in Buffalo, look at Babcock in Detroit, their teams play hard. Our team plays hard.”

But buried in that answer, though passionate and well-intentioned, is the real story. The nucleus Canucks who were here when Vigneault started have bought what he and his staff are selling. If they hadn’t. ...

“Your top players make your team go, and you’ve got to make sure your top players are on your side,” said Trotz.

There it is. No big secret.

“And it’s not that you give in to them, but you’ve got to have a relationship where there’s a mutual understanding, and mutual respect. And you work together. It’s a little more of a relationship than it was in the past, where it was ‘Do it my way, or out the door.’

“For you to win hockey games, to win championships, sometimes you need your top guys to change, and if they’re unwilling to change, it becomes a very difficult situation.

“The great hockey players, and the great team guys, the great leaders will always change. But today’s day and age is a little bit different than it was 20 years ago, because players are their own companies.”

In other words, and it’s hardly a revelation, all it takes is for one or two stars to threaten to hold their breath until they turn blue, and it’s the coach who’s going to die of asphyxiation.

Ask Boudreau how it went in Washington, when Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin stopped playing. Ask Carlyle how long he lasted after he lost Bobby Ryan, which led to Corey Perry, which led to Ryan Getzlaf, which. ...

Maybe part of the secret of Trotz’s success is that he has never had an abundance of superstar egos that required stroking.

Legwand said Trotz “gets it across, and changes it up a lot. But the coach isn’t out there on the ice with you, the players have got to respect his message and some of the onus has to be on them. We know that in here, as a group.

“Obviously, you want to play for the guy next to you, for the guys in the room, the trainers and equipment guys and everyone who’s part of the family in here. Everyone’s in it.”

Predators’ Mike Fisher — who went through enough head coaches in Ottawa that he had a momentary brain lock Thursday and forgot one of their names (Craig Hartsburg?) — said that on occasion, changing coaches just seemed to be the only way out of a team’s V-shaped depression.

“I always felt bad, a little bit responsible, because for the most part if everyone’s pulling together, it almost doesn’t matter what the game plan is,” Fisher said.

“I had Jacques Martin for quite a few years, and he was a great coach, but for whatever reason you quit responding, or get into a lull and you can’t get out of it. That’s why it’s amazing that Trotzy here has stayed so long ... but I think the fact that he really respects each player, treats everyone fairly, I think that goes a long way. He’s a great leader, a good communicator, and finds a way to get a lot out of guys.”

Compared to Trotz’s tenure as the only coach the Preds have ever had, Vigneault five-plus seasons in Vancouver “feels like I got here yesterday,” he said.

He was joking. He’s had his rough spots — under both Dave Nonis and Mike Gillis — but the Aquilinis have been good owners for spending to the cap, staying out of the kitchen and letting the cooks do the work, “and I believe that’s the only way an organization can be accountable and have success,” said Vigneault.

“Obvously, I’m giving you the pro-coach answer here, but that’s what I think is the right way of doing things.”

Not everyone thinks so, but even a patient management — particularly in a market that doesn’t automatically sell out every night — can hit what it thinks is a point of no return.

“I guess it’s the nature of the business, and that’s not going to change,” Vigneault sighed.

On the bright side, Boudreau was out of a job for all of 48 hours. He was on the plane from Washington to Anaheim before Carlyle’s Ducks had even finished beating the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

“It took me six years,” said Vigneault, who was fired by the Habs 20 games into the 2000-01 season and didn’t resurface in the NHL until Nonis hired him to start the 2006-07 campaign.

“I can’t speak for Bruce’s situation. I don’t know how he felt mentally after [his firing]. I can only speak for myself. There’s only 30 of these jobs, and I’ve got a great one, and I’m going to do everything I can to keep it.”

He smiled.

“... Especially working with you people.”

Um, sure, coach. Ditto. Win or tie.



So who’s starting now?

When Cory Schneider’s bubble burst in the first period Thursdayagainst Nashville – 3 goals on 5 shots — Roberto Luongo came out of the bullpen with a chance to silence his critics and regain his net. Sadly for Bobby Lou, he did neither. He was beaten far side by Jordin Tootoo and then easily deked by Colin Wilson in the second period. The third-period winner was more of a coverage error — Jannik Hansen a half step behind Mike Fisher — but nonetheless, Luongo wound up as the losing goalie and allowed 3 goals on 15 shots. That’s a save rate of .800 for the night, far lower than the already poor ,896 he had entering the game. I’m betting my first born on Luongo starting Sunday against the Flames. But did he earn it? Hardly.



Predators beat Canucks 6-5 in wild, inexplicable game

By Jason Botchford, The Province

December 1, 2011 11:05 PM

If the Canucks have two No. 1 goalies, neither of them showed up Thursday.

Neither did defence, hitting or Pekka Rinne.

In a wild, loose and inexplicable game, the Canucks and Predators looked nothing like the Canucks and Predators. They combined for 11 goals, 10 goal scorers, four goalies, one net climb and a season's worth of soft defence. Jordin Tootoo got a goal. So did Aaron Volpatti. Anders Lindback was the best goalie, the Canucks were the best team and the best defenceman may have been a goalpost. It sure wasn't Andrew Alberts who, at times, played like one.

Mike Fisher got the winner with just 1:16 to play for a 6-5 win Nashville didn't deserve.

For the first time in weeks, it was head coach Alain Vigneault who was left complaining about his goaltending. Cory Schneider looked flat-footed getting beat on the first two shots he faced. He ended the first period giving up three goals on five shots. The third one was an impossible Shea Weber blast, but it was enough to get Schneider hooked, and get the fans Luuuing again. Vigneault said the move was not just to give his team a jolt. Call it performance based and get used to it.

"Do I really need to explain that," an agitated Vigneault said.

Why yes, it's about goalies and we're in Vancouver, so we need details.

"They got three goals on five shots and two of them were scoring chances," Vigneault said. "Let's figure it out, here.

"There's going to be some breakdowns in games. There's going to be mistakes. We're not going to be perfect all the time. Obviously, we we made some mistakes that ended up in the back of our net."

By the end of the first it was 3-1 and Schneider's night was over. So was his run.

"It wasn't good enough," Schneider said. "I put us in a hole we had to dig out of and it probably cost us the game. Not really (surprised to get pulled). You make two saves and give up three. I'm not sure what other option he had.

"I was frustrated I put my team in that position and put my goaltending partner in that position."

Enter Roberto Luongo, playing in his first game since Nov. 13, and in the uncomfortable spot of coming in cold.

"It's different," Luongo said. "It's not something that I enjoy. But you can't use that as an excuse. You have to be a professional and ready to go. I made a couple big saves early and felt really good."

Whatever Vigneault's motivation, the goalie change paid immediate dividends. Either that woke the Canucks up, or they spent the first intermission bathing in smelling salts. With two goals in 48 seconds, one from Daniel Sedin and the other from Volpatti, the Canucks tied the game at three.

Daniel scored on a bank shot on the the power play. Volpatti finished a great fourth line shift with the tying goal. Not bad for a player who wasn't even supposed to be in the lineup. Mason Raymond was set to take Volpatti's spot but the Canucks failed to get a fax to the NHL before the 2 p.m. deadline. The fax SNAFU meant Raymond wasn't activated, and Volpatti was the last minute addition.

For most games against the Predators, a paperwork glitch by the usually meticulous Canucks would have been enough to qualify for the day's most exciting moment.

Not Thursday.

Two more unanswered Vancouver goals chased Rinne from the game in the second and the Canucks had a 5-3 lead. The first was a chip in by Alex Burrows thanks to a fantastic, spinning pass from Daniel Sedin. It was Burrows' sixth great scoring chance of the night. Just 2:13 later, Jannik Hansen's goal slipped under Rinne's pad, ending his night 10:29 into the second.

For a moment, it all looked like an ideal situation for Luongo. The pressure was off, the team was playing well. Everyone was laughing when Kesler drove the net,and ended up scaling it like Spiderman to avoid hitting Lindback, Rinne's replacement.

But Luongo couldn't hold the two-goal lead.

"They scored a couple of nice goals," Luongo said. "Me and Schneids are not really happy right now. We want to be better for our teammates."

Luongo started by talking about the game and then veered off script, touching on what he's been going through, having backed up Schneider for five straight games.

"I've been through a lot in my career and it was just another thing that you have to get through," he said. "I just have to keep working, keep my head up and stay positive. I've been in the league enough, I know how to handle situations and I'm not going to be affected by things like that."

Luongo didn't get much help on the first one. With Alberts and Keith Ballard chasing players behind and around the net, Tootoo was left alone in the faceoff circle where he blasted a one-timer by Luongo.

The second was a great play by Colin Wilson who tied it with 2:30 left in the second. He eked Luongo in front of the net, left the goalie on his belly and the then backhanded one into the net.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.02.2011


Canucks vs. Predators Game Day preview

By Jim Jamieson, The ProvinceDecember 1, 2011

NASHVILLE (11-9-4) at CANUCKS (14-9-1), 7 p.m., ROGERS ARENA

TV: SNET, Radio: TEAM 1040

The Canucks face the Predators in a matchup of two teams going in different directions.

Nashville is coming off a 1-0 loss in Calgary on Tuesday and has just one win in its last six (1-4-1), while the Canucks have won five straight and have their sights set on overtaking Minnesota for the Northwest Division lead.

The Preds don't score many goals, but the Canucks will need to be wary of a team that knows it must put more pucks on goal and get more from its offensive players.

“They're a tricky team to figure out,” said Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider, who'll get his seventh consecutive start tonight.

“They're so good defensively usually that your margin of error is so slim that you can't really give up any bad goals or any free ones because it might stand up. They do work hard, they go to the net, they tip pucks, they screen, they throw pucks from bad angles. We saw last year in the playoffs that they'll whip everything at the net. Sometimes, your less traditional offences are harder to defend against, so we can't really key on one guy.”

The Canucks will make two lineup changes from Tuesday's 4-1 win over Columbus. Defenceman Sami Salo, who didn't finish the game after suffering a groin pull, will sit out. As well, winger Mason Raymond, who's been out since June when he suffered a serious back injury in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final, makes his return to the lineup. He'll play on the third

line with Cody Hodgson and Jannik Hansen. Fourth line winger Aaron Volpatti will sit out, to make room for Manny Malhotra there.

Nashville will start goaltender Pekka Rinne, who didn't last past the first period in the Canucks' 5-1 win on Oct. 20 at Rogers Arena.

Rinne remembers that well and wants to make amends.

“You always want to bounce back,” he said. “I like this building. I like the atmosphere here and I like the challenge of playing against the Canucks. Last time it wasn't a good game for me or my team so we all want to bounce back and play a better game.”

Predators coach Barry Trotz said his team needs to have more determination to get pucks to the net.

“We've got to be a bit more determined to get pucks to the net,” said Trotz. “We don't have that shot-first mentality. We've just got to get pucks into the blue paint and go get them. In Calgary, we did a lot of good things in the offensive zone but we were too light on the puck.”

Trotz knows his team will be facing the hottest goaltender in the league in Schneider, who's been named first star in each of the Canucks' last five wins.

“He's seeing the puck right now, he's zoned in,” said Trotz. “You've got to make sure you take his eyes away. A goaltender will be less of a factor if he can't see the puck. Guys like Patric Hornqvist, who already does that, needs to go to the front of the net more. We need more guys to do that. We've got some guys who don't want to go there.”

Trotz is clearly not happy with his players' effort. He offered this comment regarding the full attendance at the Preds' morning skate, which are typically optional:

“Our skates aren't optional any more because our games started being optional.”

The Preds will make one lineup change, scratching winger Sergei Kostitsyn, who's got an upper body injury. Kyle Wilson, who's just been recalled from the minors, will play.

Expected lineups:

Canucks

Forwards

D.Sedin-H.Sedin-Burrows

Higgins-Kesler-Booth

Malhotra-Hodgson-Hansen

Volpatti-Lapierre-Weise

Defence

Hamhuis-Bieksa

Edler-Rome

Alberts-Ballard

Goal

Schneider

Injuries

C Andrew Ebbett (fractured foot)

Predators

Forwards

C.Wilson-Legwand-Erat

Smith-Fisher-Hornqvist

K.Wilson-Spaling-Tootoo

Halischuk-Smithson-McGrattan

Defence

Suter-Weber

Hillen-Klein

Josi-Blum

Goal

Rinne

Injuries

Canucks: D Sami Salo (groin, day to day), F Andrew Ebbett (broken foot, out indefinitely).

Predators: D Teemu, Laakso (cyst surgery, out indefinitely), D Francis Boullion (groin, out), C Blake Geoffrion (shoulder, out)

LEADERBOARD

CANUCKS

GOALS 8 2 PLAYERS

ASSISTS 20 D. SEDIN

POINTS 27 D. SEDIN

PIM 37 VOLPATTI

IN NET 7-4-0 SCHNEIDER

1.93 GAA / .937 SV%

PREDATORS

GOALS 7 TWO PLAYERS

ASSISTS 12 WEBER

POINTS 17 SMITH

PIM 34 MCGRATTAN

IN NET 10-8-4 RINNE

2.40 GAA / .927 SV%



Toothless Nashville Predators can still bite Canucks

Misfiring Nashville packs urgency to redeem 1-4-1 road trip

By Jim Jamieson, The ProvinceDecember 1, 2011

They're the kind of opponent that has streak-buster written all over them.

The Nashville Predators are in such a funk that coach Barry Trotz gave them a day off on Wednesday, even though they were shut out 1-0 by the Oilers the previous night in Calgary.

Expected to build on an encouraging second half last season and a first-ever journey to the second round of the NHL playoffs, the Preds were on track at 10-5-3 after 18 games, but have fallen into the ditch over the last six.

They are 1-4-1 in that span, goal scoring - never a luxury in Nashville - has dried up, and the Predators have fallen to 11th in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

Urgency to salvage something from this so-far disastrous fivegame road trip? You bet.

"We have to do a few more things offensively," Trotz told the Tennessean on Wednesday.

"We have to have that 'shot' mentality. We have to get our people a little more involved in the offence and get some people to produce some numbers for us. We have some guys who are pretty dry right now."

And, for the Canucks - winners of five straight - it's something to be wary of.

"They'll be pushing harder and focusing on creating offence, so it'll be up to us to not allow them to build any confidence," said Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis, who played six seasons in Nashville before coming to Vancouver as an unrestricted free agent in July last year.

The Canucks have surrendered a disturbing 93 shots on goal in the last two games. The Predators don't tend to get a lot of shots on net - they're 27th overall in that category (26.2 per game) - but that's not something the Canucks can get caught up in.

"We need to be better than we have been the last couple of games," Hamhuis said.

"We gave up some good chances. We need to be better structurally. We've got to get the scoring opportunities down. Even though we won, there's a lot of room for improvement."

The Canucks eliminated Nashville from that second-round series in six games, but the series was hard fought and all but one of the games was a one-goal decision.

Although Vancouver beat the Preds 5-1 in Nashville on Oct. 20, chasing elite goaltender Pekka Rinne after one period, Hamhuis expects the usual close-checking game.

"You always get the same game from them," he said. "They work hard and they play a real tight defensive game, which makes it tough for us to generate flow.

"It's going to be on us to really stick to our game and not get frustrated by a lack of scoring opportunities and not take chances and open it up. We need to just stick to what we do and that should give us a good chance to win."

The Preds haven't typically been known for their offence, but the underachieving of young forwards Patric Hornqvist (no points in nine games) and Sergei Kostitsyn (three goals) - along with centre Mike Fisher struggling to find form after a concussion forced him to miss one game a month ago - have been crippling.

"They can be a tough team to play against," said Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider. "They throw pucks from weird places, they have a lot of screens and tips. Sometimes those types of teams are harder to play against than a wide-open game."



Paperwork glitch keeps Raymond out of game

Staff Report

Some confusion over paperwork upended Mason Raymonds anticipated return to the lineup.

Raymond was set to make his season debut against the Nashville Predators Thursday but a slip up by the Canucks made him unavailable.

To acticate Raymond, the Canucks had to get a fax to the NHL by 2 p.m. PT. They did not, however, manage to get the fax out on time

“It was a clerical issue,” Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman said. “We thought the paper work had been sent in. The worst aspect of it, I guess, is that a player who hasn’t played in five months is going to have a couple more days to prepare.”

Head coach Alain Vigneault had to break the news to Raymond, who was amped to play. Raymond hasn’t played since fracturing vertebrae on June 13 on a hit by Johnny Boychuk.

Raymond was cleared to play in Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and could have been activated any time this week. He will play Sunday against the Calgary Flames.


597933 Winnipeg Jets

Old Jets swoop into New Jets' territory

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/1/2011 9:14 PM | Comments: 5 (including replies)

The Jets are back… in more ways than one.

The Phoenix Coyotes visited the MTS Centre Thursday night to face off against the Winnipeg Jets. A sea of Jets jerseys, old and new, spilled into the arena to catch the game along with a few Coyotes fans.

This is the second time the Jets 1.0 have played the Jets 2.0. The Coyotes clenched a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets down in the desert on October 15. But local fans only had one thing on their minds Thursday night: showing the Coyotes love for hockey never died in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.02.2011


Jets down Coyotes 1-0

By: Ed Tait

Say this about your Winnipeg Jets: they’ve got more layers than an onion, more personalities than Sybil and, depending on the night, can either thrill with their seemingly endless potential or have fans cursing their frightening inconsistencies.

So, place Thursday night’s 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in front of 15,004 at MTS Centre — old Jets vs. new Jets — in the ‘endless potential’ category.

Yes, fresh from a two-game losing streak in which they surrendered 10 goals and recklessly protected a lead, any lead, the Jets — backed by another stellar effort from netminder Ondrej Pavelec — served up one of their best defensive efforts of the season.

As a result, the club is now 10-11-4, tied with Tampa and within one point of Washington in the tightening Southeast Division.

"That was huge," said Jets winger Blake Wheeler. "We’ve kind of learned that the two biggest things when you have a lead in the third period are: 1. make them come 200 feet at you and get the puck in deep and 2. stay out of the penalty box. And when we do those two things you can see they didn’t get many chances in the third period.

"It’s a big win and obviously with all the sentimental stuff with the crowd it’s great to see the old Jets come back here and the new Jets take care of them."

To no one’s surprise, the Coyotes — the ‘old Jets’ — were booed from the opening face-off to the final horn. And captain Shane Doan, the loyal foot soldier, heard his share, too. In fact, during a brief stoppage in the first period Doan — who began his career with the Jets — drew a standing ovation from the crowd when the PA announcer asked for fans to salute his career in the NHL.

And then the booing lustily resumed immediately after.

The Jets got the game’s only goal when centre Bryan Little fed Evander Kane on a two-on-one, and then deftly gathered up the rebound after Kane clanged one off the post and deposited it behind Coyotes’ netminder Mike Smith.

And while there were some scrambly moments as the Jets protected the slim advantage, they did limit Phoenix — fresh from a 4-1 win over Chicago,

winners of two straight and sporting one of the best road records in the West — to just six shots in the third period.

All this, it should be pointed out, without Nik Antropov and Eric Fehr and with defencemen Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Randy Jones and Derek Meech still in sick bay.

"I think we traded a couple more chances than we would have liked to with that team, but Pavelec shut the door for us and played great," said Little, who since scoring his first of the season now has seven goals and 11 points in last 11 games.

"That’s something we’ve been trying to work on lately: finishing teams off and having good third periods and we did exactly that tonight. If we can play like this every night at home it would be great."

True that.

The Jets were 0-for-3 on the power-play but, it’s worth noting, took only two penalties all night in a much more disciplined effort.

"That’s a big thing we’ve been struggling on: staying out of the penalty box," said Dustin Byfuglien. "We did a great job on that. We can take a lot of good things out of this, but we can’t be satisfied. There’s a lot of work to be done."

Game preview

The Winnipeg Jets (9-11-4) will have a new face in the lineup when they host the Phoenix Coyotes (13-7-3) at MTS Centre Thursday night.

With forwards Nik Antropov and Eric Fehr listed as game-time decisions by the coaching staff (both have undisclosed injuries), winger Carl Klingberg, who was recalled from St. John’s Wednesday, makes his Jets debut. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Swede skated on a line with Jason Jaffray and Tim Stapleton during the morning skate, and is looking forward to just his second NHL game in his young pro career.

“Everybody’s dream is to play in the NHL and today is the day,” the easy-going 20-year-old told a throng of reporters Thursday. “For me, I’m just going to go out there and do my best. Don’t think so much -- just go out and have some fun.”

Klingberg has earned the promotion. In 20 games with the IceCaps, the former second round draft pick (34th overall, 2009 NHL Entry Draft) scored nine goals and added seven assists before getting the call up to the parent club.

“We just wanted him to have impact on games there, not more or less create offence so much, but just be a reliable winger,” Jets head coach Claude Noel said. “He went to St. John’s and created quite a bit of offence; a lot of it has (come) from getting rebounds and going to the net. For us, we just want to make sure he’s dependable.”

A lot of attention is placed on this contest, naturally, with the former Winnipeg Jets franchise returning to its roots for the first time since the 1996 season. That fact, and the fact the Coyotes were once on the verge of coming back to Manitoba last spring, has created some buzz in the lead up.

“It’s probably pretty fresh in everyone’s mind, given everything that’s happened in the last year in this community -- trying to get a team back,” Jets forward Blake Wheeler said. “Every time the Dallas Stars went back to Minnesota they (the fans) gave it to them, especially the first couple (games).”

The Jets are treating it like just another game, the players say, looking past the history of the opponent and focusing on their own efforts of late. Winnipeg wasn’t pleased with the way it opened this extended stretch of games at home against Ottawa Tuesday (a 6-4 loss to the Senators), and say the ‘big event’ status of having the Coyotes in town won’t play a factor tonight.

“It shouldn’t at all,” captain Andrew Ladd added. “The energy in this building has been the same -- it’s been great since the start of the year. It doesn’t change much for us. I think it’s a bigger thing for Winnipeg, having the opportunity for the (Coyotes) to come back it’s probably a big thing.”

Ondrej Pavelec gets the call for Winnipeg, his third straight start between the pipes. Phoenix is expected to counter with goaltender Mike Smith.

Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.

The new Winnipeg Jets host the former incarnation of the Jets, now the Phoenix Coyotes, at the MTS Centre Dec. 1.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.02.2011


Jets Snapshots: Boos for Doan? Classy

By KIRK PENTON, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - So they booed Shane Doan. And Adrian Aucoin. And Mikkel Boedker. And Oliver Ekman-Larsson. And everyone wearing a Phoenix Coyotes jersey.

Classy, Winnipeg.

Doan got the extra loud jeers, because he had the gall to say last spring that he didn’t want to leave his home for the last 15 years. And he was a former Jet!

When they showed Doan on the video scoreboard at the first commercial break and the public address announcer noted his existence, the crowd cheered, Doan smiled, and then the audience rose to its feet.

Then they went back to booing him and his teammates every time he touched the puck.

The guy didn’t want to leave Phoenix because it was home for him and his family. Why can’t people understand that? I’m sure if you were told you were being transferred to Iqaluit you’d be all over it. No offence to Iqaluit.

The cheer for him was nice, even if it was prompted. He just didn’t have to be booed the rest of the night. And don’t say it was because he was from the visiting team, because other visiting teams don’t hear it like Doan had to hear it on Thursday night.

Bryan Little opened the scoring and has seven goals this season. Are they giving him credit for two every time he scores one? I know my math is off on that one, but you get my point … There were a few signs directed at Doan on Thursday night. One said, “Bon Voyage, Doan.” Then it had the Coyotes logo with an arrow pointing to the Quebec Nordiques symbol. On the back it had Kansas crossed out, Vegas crossed out, and then it said “Les Coyotes des Quebec.” … Another sign: “Hey Phoenix, Hope You Enjoy Quebec.” … I hope Kyle Wellwood has insured his hands, which have to be some of the softest in the world. He took the puck in the first period and flipped it up nicely to Andrew Ladd, creating a glorious scoring opportunity. Then in the second period he did the same thing for Tanner Glass, who got in all alone on Mike Smith but couldn’t bury it … Jets head coach Claude Noel went back to Mark Stuart and Zach Bogosian as his top defence pairing, and it appeared Dustin Byfuglien was in the dog house for the first two periods. He had just 13:30 of ice time in the opening 40 minutes, but he was out there for more than 10 in the third, including the final minute with the Phoenix net pulled … Byfuglien turned the puck over to Ray Whitney behind the Jets net in the second period, and after Ondrej Pavelec had to bail him out again, Byfuglien looked at his new partner, Johnny Oduya, like it was his fault.

Kyle Turris made his debut for the Coyotes after holding out for the first two months of the season. The best tweet from last week after he settled on a new contract came from Paul Bissonnette: “As punishment for Kyle Turris holding out he has to play on my line for a few days.” Now that’s funny. Unfortunately for Biz Nasty, he was a healthy scratch on Thursday night … They were showing some of the best goals this season, and Matt Duchene’s between-the-legs goal against Pittsburgh drew the following call from the play-by-play man: “An absolute sick goal by Matt Duchene!” Wasn’t that Foster Hewitt’s trademark call? … Going into the game, Byfuglien was second in the NHL in shots on goal with 97. He was 411th in shooting percentage at 5.2% … Tim Stapleton had a solid night for the Jets. He had one shift in the second period that was particularly impressive. He roared down the right side, and then he avoided a pair of hits along the boards and still held on to the puck.

The fans stopped booing Doan long enough to chant “Go Jets Go!” in the second period. That was more like it … The Jets crowd might soon have a reputation similar to that of a Philadelphia sporting audience. It relentlessly booed the guy who screwed up the shell game on the scoreboard during a second-period break in the action … Props to the line of Evander Kane, Little and Blake Wheeler. They were pretty darn good on Thursday night,

generating lots of scoring chances … Cotton Eye Joe was released on Aug. 12, 1994. We can all stop playing it any time now … They had to squeegee the ice 1:22 into the third period. Seriously, how hard is it to freeze ice in Winnipeg in December? … The crowd also booed the winner of the Smooch Cam, and rightly so. The wrong couple won … Pavelec was dynamite. We said in Thursday’s paper that he needed to be better and, boy, was he ever … Derek Morris sent the puck to the slot, and it bounced off Byfuglien and Oduya before sliding through the crease and just past the post with 1:21 to go. The hockey gods were with the Jets on this night. Maybe it was a little bit of payback for 15 years ago.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.02.2011


Jets showing some finish

Pavelec backstops Jets to win over Coyotes

By KEN WIEBE, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - It’s one of the most important lessons a young team like the Winnipeg Jets is going to have to learn as they work to move the franchise forward.

After struggling on numerous occasions to close out games this season, the Jets had another prime opportunity to get the job done again on Thursday night.

And this one had some special meaning for the patrons watching inside the MTS Centre (and out, for that matter) as it was the former Jets facing the 2.0 version of the club.

Those hometown fans —some of whom made the voyage to Arizona for the first meeting back on Oct. 15 — booed the Phoenix Coyotes nearly every time they touched the puck but thanks to some excellent netminding and a timely goal, the Jets found a way to get the job done, skating off with a 1-0 triumph before 15,004 at the MTS Centre.

“Something we’ve been trying to work on lately is finishing teams off and having good third periods — we did exactly that,” said Jets centre Bryan Little, who scored the lone goal of this contest by stuffing in a rebound after Evander Kane rattled his shot off the post on a 2-on-1 rush. “It’s a good feeling. We haven’t been able to do that a lot this year. It was a good finish.”

Discipline didn’t come back and hurt the Jets on this night either, as they took only two minor penalties and none in the third period.

“It’s another big thing we’ve been struggling with is staying out of the penalty box, but we did a great job,” said Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who played just over 25 minutes and was on the ice protecting the one-goal lead in the final minute. “They’re a team that sits back and waits for you to make mistakes and we didn’t make too many.”

Rather than take chances or turn pucks over, the Jets made a concerted effort to do the little things required to preserve the lead.

“To a man, when the puck was at the blue-line it was either getting out of our zone or in their zone,” said Jets winger Blake Wheeler. “We’ve faced it a few times when we’re coming from behind. It makes your life so much tougher when you have to carry the puck out of your corner and go through five guys to get a good opportunity. We figured we’d try that out and it worked well for us.

“We knew everyone had this game marked on their calendar and we wanted to have a good performance. For our team, 1-0 is about as good as we can play.”

Once again, the man at the middle of it all was goalie Ondrej Pavelec — who was vocal in his displeasure for the way he played in Tuesday’s 6-4 defeat to the Ottawa Senators.

Pavelec wasn’t overworked in this one, but did make several big saves during the second period when the Jets were outshot 16-9 and found themselves back on their heels for a few long shifts in their own zone.

“It was great to have a chance to be back in the net and bounce back,” said Pavelec, who made 33 saves and posted his second shutout of the season

in what was his 22nd appearance in 25 games. “Without those guys, I couldn’t do it.”

That may be true, but without the steady goaltending from Pavelec, the Jets couldn’t have gotten the job done either.



Jets ready to do battle versus Coyotes

By Ken Wiebe, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets are looking to bounce back from a sluggish start to their five-game homestand.

After dropping a 6-4 decision to the Ottawa Senatros on Tuesday, the Jets face the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday at MTS Centre (7:35 p.m., TSN Jets, TSN 1290).

“It’s something that we talked about, we need to improve on finishing teams,” said Jets captain Andrew Ladd. “We had a 2-0 lead in Boston and let them back in the game. You’ve got to keep your foot on the gas and when (teams ) are vulnerable, take advantage of it.”

It’s the second — and final — meeting of the season, but the first in Winnipeg since the team up and moved to the desert.

The Jets lost 4-1 to the Coyotes back on Oct. 15 at jobing.com Arena, but are expecting to put forth a much better effort tonight.

“I didn’t like that game at all, I didn’t think we worked hard enough, battled hard enough. It was early in the season and I’ve moved so far past that game — I’m not looking at that game, it was so long ago and we’re not the same team as then, from a play standpoint,” said Jets head coach Claude Noel. “They’re a methodical team, a consistent team and they don’t beat themselves or give you too many scoring chances. You’re going to have to be focused on what you’re doing in this game. I don’t think it’s going to be about what they do, it’s what we do that concerns me. We have to be way better, we have to get a lot out of a lot of guys. We’ve got to get 20 guys going.”

Although Noel said that forwards Eric Fehr and Nik Antropov would be game-time decisions, both are questionable at best to suit up on Thursday.

That should open the door for Tim Stapleton to return to the lineup and for winger Carl Klingberg, who was recalled by the Jets from the St. John’s IceCaps on Wednesday, to draw in on the fourth line for his second NHL game.

“Everybody’s dream is to play in the NHL and today is the day,” said Klingberg, who has nine goals and 16 points in 20 AHL games this season. “For me, I’m just going to go out there and do my best. Go really hard and don’t think so much. Just go out there and have fun.”

It will be a special game for Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who was a Jets rookie during the 1995-96 season.

“This is something that you’ll definitely remember,” said Doan, who was asked what type of reaction he expected from the hometown fans. “I really don’t know. Obviously, I enjoyed my time here. This city gave me the chance to play in the NHL and fulfill my dream. That’s something that you never, ever forget.

“At the same time, I realize I’m playing against their team and you’re not going to get the welcome wagon put out for you at all.”

Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett said that forward Kyle Turris was “available for selection” but wouldn’t commit to him playing his first game of the season against the Jets.

Ondrej Pavelec will start in goal for the Jets, while Mike Smith is expected to get the call for the Coyotes.

Puck drop is 7:35 p.m. at the downtown arena.


597938 Websites

ESPN / Is Dale Hunter perfect choice for Caps?

By Scott Burnside

ESPN.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Before Dale Hunter's first game as head coach of the Washington Capitals, the video scoreboard showed a montage of Hunter moments when he was a player here.

Most of the clips involved the famous bug-eyed stare that opponents knew to mean some sort of violence was about to rain down upon them.

And then in small print on the screen appeared the words: "History says, Welcome Back."

The past three or four days have done little to diminish the significant mythology that surrounds Dale Hunter in this market.

Every day when the players step onto the ice at the Kettler Ice Complex in Arlington, Va., where their practice facility is located, they see a banner of their new head coach fluttering at one end of the rink along with Images of other Caps luminaries.

It is different from the mythology that surrounded Wayne Gretzky when he took over the coaching duties of the Phoenix Coyotes after the lockout. But it is significant nonetheless.

Hunter is irrevocably connected to this franchise in a way that few players are.

During one of his first full practices, several dozen fans crowded around to get autographs, a number of them with Hunter jerseys from his playing days.

"I'm not surprised that Dale Hunter became the head coach of the Capitals," former Caps general manager David Poile told ESPN.com. "It totally makes sense to me."

Poile would know. The current Nashville Predators GM acquired the rugged forward from the Quebec Nordiques back at the 1987 draft in Detroit.

Hunter, already an established player, had driven down from the family farm in the Petrolia, Ontario, area to take in the proceedings when he found out he'd been traded.

When the trade was made, people were motioning for Hunter to come down from the stands. His thought was, "Oh no, I don't want to meet people. I'm just here to watch."

Dale Hunter

"That's Huntsy. He was just first guy on the ice, first guy at the rink in the morning," former Capitals teammate Olaf Kolzig said of Dale Hunter. "I think that more than anything was his leadership ability."

"Then it was like, no, you really need to come down," Hunter recalled with a grin.

"That's how interested he was in the world of hockey," Poile said.

Over the years, Poile found that Hunter could talk hockey nonstop.

"He was very interested in the game, the league, the teams, the strategies," Poile said.

He didn't know it at the time, but Hunter was storing away bits of information that would help him forge a wildly successful, not to mention lucrative, post-playing career as coach and owner of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

Empire is not too strong a word for what Hunter and his brother Mark, another longtime NHLer, built in London. The team and the sprawling 2,000-acre family farm have been the twin pillars of Hunter's life for the past decade or so.

Often the two worlds would bleed into each other.

"Especially at harvest time or planting time we go from the arena, me and Mark both, we have combines and we have planters and we help out until it's too dark to see," Hunter told ESPN.com.

"We combine until 12 o'clock or so and then shut 'er down and get ready for the rink again."

Capitals GM George McPhee has known Hunter for years and the two communicated regularly. He recalled after Hunter joined the Caps approaching him during the season about renewing his contract. Hunter stopped McPhee and told him they would talk in the summer.

"He said, 'If you want me to come back I'll sign,'" McPhee recalled.

Then Hunter added something to the effect that he wasn't worried about getting a deal done and that he wasn't interested in stealing anyone's money. He ended up staying in Washington for most of 12 seasons. He played in 1,407 regular-season games and another 186 postseason contests. He made it to the Stanley Cup finals once with the Caps in 1998.

Longtime Washington Capital Peter Bondra said he was always pleased to have played alongside Hunter as opposed to playing against him. Still, it didn't stop Hunter from every once in a while sticking his elbow in Bondra's ear during practice.

"I wouldn't give this title to just anyone," Bondra told ESPN.com. "But if I could just label him now, I would call him 'old-time hockey.'

"The way he practiced, the way he played, you had to respect him. I was lucky to have him on my side for nine years."

Another former teammate, Olaf Kolzig, is now a goaltending consultant with the Caps. As a rookie, Kolzig became close friends with Hunter even though the forward had already been in Washington for a couple years.

"He lived for the playoffs," Kolzig said. "He was a guy he couldn't wait for the playoffs to come around and just one of those guys that would just seem to bring everybody along for the ride in playoffs by the way he elevated his game and his tenacity and his play right through the whistle. Even though he maybe didn't hear the whistle.

"That's Huntsy. He was just first guy on the ice, first guy at the rink in the morning. I think that more than anything was his leadership ability."

Now, as the scoreboard noted, history says welcome back.

If this looks like some sort of nostalgia trip meant to appease fans, well, that would be a shame. But that's hardly Hunter's style, and it's not how McPhee does business.

And separating the mythology from the man who is now charged with getting this talented Capitals team into the playoff hunt and beyond will be an interesting exercise.

Certainly there are lots of examples of coaches who have struggled to make the jump from coaching junior hockey to coaching grown men at the NHL level. There are also lots of people who think Hunter is exactly the right person for this job at this time.

"He understands the game as well as anyone I've ever met," McPhee said. "He was a highly intelligent player and he's a highly intelligent coach. He just has a great way with people."

When the team started to go sideways after a 7-0 start, McPhee said he really considered making only one move -- bringing in Hunter.

He wasn't looking for an anti-Bruce Boudreau or someone to run against type, but simply to bring in Dale Hunter.

"I wasn't looking for a contrast," McPhee said. "I was looking for a good hockey coach and a good hockey man."

There is no pretense about Hunter. There is an earthiness about him, a simplicity that is appealing but which should not be mistaken for a lack of intelligence. Just as opposing players underestimated Hunter, to their own peril, no one should underestimate his ability to do this job, Poile said.

Hunter didn't have to take this job. But the lure of coming home, at least to his longtime NHL home, was great, as was the chance to tackle an even greater challenge.

"It's because it's the Capitals," Hunter told ESPN.com. "It's a challenge.

"It does feel good. A lot of good memories here. A lot of the same people. It's memories. Lots of battles, finals, even when we got beat by Pittsburgh two years in a row, they won the Stanley Cup, stuff like that, we were right there with them. A break here or two, but that's hockey and that's what makes it fun."

Like the Caps, Hunter is searching for his first ring.

"I wanted to go and coach and see if we can get a winner here," he said.

"It's a challenge and everybody needs challenges in life and, for myself right here, it's a challenge. I have to use the noodle very much," Hunter said with a laugh.

"It gets the old spark going again. You know what I mean?"

Much will be made in the coming days about getting Alex Ovechkin going and his relationship with the team's franchise player. Hunter doesn't view it that way.

"He's keyed on every night so it's a tough job," Hunter said of his captain. "It puts pressure on these guys. Every top-end guy feels it. But I try and rally everybody, it's a team game, it's a team game.

"It's not one guy doing it. We need him to go just like we need our checkers to check, we need our D to play D, we need our offensive D to make good plays, you know what I mean? We need goaltending. No one individual ever won the Stanley Cup. It's always a team game."

And does he really have only one suit?

Hunter laughs again.

"Yeah, that's true," he said. Then he whispers conspiratorially that he's got a new tie, one that came courtesy of owner Ted Leonsis.

"I got a new red tie. Ted bought that. I got rid of my green colors of the [London] Knights. He said you've got to get some red."

Welcome back.

ESPN LOADED: 12.02.2011

597939 Websites

ESPN / Time can't dampen Pens-Caps rivalry

Burnside By Scott Burnside

ESPN.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The foundation of a rivalry is equal parts history, personalities and anticipation.

It does not mean rivalries do not evolve and change, and wax and wane.

It is so with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

But make no mistake, the downturn in Alex Ovechkin's offensive production and the long-term absence (and now dramatic return) of Sidney Crosby have done little to blunt what is as good a rivalry as there is in the National Hockey League.

It is a rivalry that dates back decades to when the Penguins regularly ate the Capitals' lunch in the playoffs -- something new Caps coach Dale Hunter remembers vividly, if with little nostalgia. Since the lockout, the rivalry has taken on a different tenor with the arrival of twin superstars Ovechkin and Crosby and driven up the emotional meter on the moments when the two teams cross paths.

The rivalry is different now, but no less enthralling.

The drama of a slumping Caps team and its decision to fire Bruce Boudreau on Monday and replace him with Hunter certainly adds an element of urgency to Thursday's clash, at least from Washington's side of the equation.

"Any time you get a new coach, I think everyone's trying to impress them and earn their ice. I think that's pretty common no matter what team it is," Crosby said after Thursday's morning skate. "I would expect no different

from them. I don't think they need any extra motivation. It's always a big game [between the two teams]."

For the Pens, the game marks the first time Crosby has faced Washington since the 2011 Winter Classic on Jan. 1, when he was hit by then-Caps forward David Steckel late in the second period. Crosby played one more game on Jan. 5 and took another hard hit (that time by Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman) before being sidelined with a concussion until his Nov. 21 return. But Crosby said those memories are not front and center.

"I haven't thought about that at all, more just looking forward to playing against them," Crosby said. "It's always an intense game. They've got a new coach, they should be fired up and ready to go. I think both teams bring out the best in one another, and it should be another good one."

The talented center has enjoyed a remarkable return from his layoff with 11 points in five games, and the Penguins are 3-1-1 over that span.

"I still think I can be better, timing and stuff like that," Crosby said. "I think with each game, it's gotten better. Am I right there? No. I don't expect to be there in five games, but I expect to get better with each game in certain areas. Some things have been like that, some other things take time. But I'm happy with the way I've felt for the most part."

The interesting part of the clashes between the two teams is while the Penguins are the team that has enjoyed greater successes in the playoffs, the Capitals have owned the Penguins during the regular season (since 2008, Washington is 12-1-2 against Pittsburgh). Ovechkin has collected 33 points in 25 career games against Pittsburgh, although Crosby has outdueled Ovechkin in points (35-28 in 21 games) in head-to-head competition.

"Thank you, thank you, by the way," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma joked when reminded of his team's regular-season struggles against the Caps. "I wish it was better. I wish it was different. I know three or four of those are overtime games; I know there are shootouts in there. Our win is a shootout. It's been worse on home ice for us against the Capitals. That's not a good thing.

"We know we're playing a great team, and they've given us problems. They have been hard-fought games. That's what we're anticipating again. There's nothing more I'd like to do than to start changing that record around right here tonight with a win."

What off-sets the regular season imbalance is the classic seven-game playoff series the two teams had in the spring of 2009. The Caps won the first two games but were blown out in Game 7 at Verizon Center as the Penguins went on to win their first Cup since 1992. The series reinforced the natural dislike between the two teams, GM Ray Shero told ESPN.com on Thursday.

"Our fans hate them, their fans hate us," Shero said.

Part of the rivalry's foundation comes from the fact that both teams have gone through difficult times. The Penguins nearly moved until owner Mario Lemieux was able to secure a new building. The Caps, meanwhile, struggled to carve out a niche in the local sporting landscape until Ovechkin and a group of dynamic young players the likes of Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green et al helped spur the team into exalted status. Downtown Washington is vibrant on game nights, and the Verizon Center is as lively a place as any in the NHL during the postseason.

"They've got a brand going here. It's an exciting building to play in," Shero said.

The Capitals' struggles in the playoffs while the Penguins went to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009 have only heightened the emotional charge between the two teams. The franchise-wide feelings, kind of like jealous siblings, are also played out on the individual stage between Ovechkin and Crosby. Ovechkin has won two Hart Trophies to Crosby's one, but Crosby owns the Stanley Cup ring and an Olympic gold medal.

Thursday's clash comes at a time when Ovechkin's stock is at an all-time low and, with Crosby surging back into the lineup, offers a chance at some redemption. Or depending on the outcome, another illustration of the growing gap between the two players.

"Certainly we'll see some replays and highlights. We'll see them if they bump into each other by the benches like they did two years ago. We'll see that over and over again," Bylsma said. "Two of the more dynamic players in the game. Two very good teams going together. There's going to be an aspect of this that you're going to enjoy.

"But for us, it's always a test against a great team and one we measure ourselves with and always look at. Regardless of the situation here right now, we're seeing it as that coming into this game."


597940 Websites

ESPN / Daily Debate: Does coaching change keep Bobby Ryan in Anaheim?

By Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun debate how the Ducks' coaching change will affect Bobby Ryan's future in Anaheim:

Burnside: Good day, my friend. You had a late story Wednesday night with the late-breaking news that the Anaheim Ducks had put coach Randy Carlyle out of his misery and replaced him with Bruce Boudreau. Surprised? I guess I'm not; from the moment we learned Boudreau had been fired in Washington early Monday, I wondered how long he’d be out of work long given his successes at revitalizing a down-and-out Washington team.

I spoke to Boudreau on Tuesday and asked him how he would respond if he got a call right away. (Some coaches need to decompress a bit, but not Boudreau, who is manic about work.) “I would probably want to do it right away,” he said. Guess he got his wish, as he'll be headed west to try to pull off Miracle Part Deux.

The Caps were in last place when he took in November 2007 and led them to the top of the Southeast Division and a playoff berth. The Ducks are way better than their record suggests, but it's a pretty big hill to climb. What say you?

LeBrun: We weren’t kidding on Monday during our Faceoff video when we suggested Carlyle could be next after the firings of Boudreau and Carolina’s Paul Maurice. The sense I was getting out of Anaheim suggested the Ducks were thinking long and hard about a coaching change, which was a big departure from how they felt just 10 days ago. But the two weekend losses to Chicago and Toronto were a tipping point, and the players looked like they had no interest in playing for Carlyle on Sunday especially.

Despite the fact Carlyle that had two more years on his contract past this season and the Ducks are a frugal operation, GM Bob Murray delivered the news to him about 40 minutes after the game last night. Then Murray met with the team leaders. The hope, of course, is Carlyle quickly finds NHL work and his contract is then off-set. Carlyle won’t be unemployed for too long; he’s a great coach. But every coach has his time expire after too many years in the same place. The message gets stale. It was time for a fresh one in Anaheim, and the energetic Boudreau will certainly bring that.

Burnside: Well, I was ranting about this yesterday in our podcast, but I'm pleased the organization gave Murray leave to make the change as opposed to simply looking at the bottom line. Good for the Ducks and, ultimately, for Randy Carlyle.

So how long before the Carlyle-to-Toronto rumors surface? The Leafs hung with red-hot Boston for a couple of periods, but were ultimately outclassed in a 6-3 loss. The Leafs are another team that can't afford to let a good start go to waste. I’m not suggesting that Toronto coach Ron Wilson is in trouble, but with Carlyle’s strong connections to GM Brian Burke, who hired him en route to a 2007 Cup win in Anaheim, it won't take much to get the rumor tongues wagging.

LeBrun: There’s no question Burke is a big fan of Carlyle, but he did send out a tweet this morning in a likely attempt to stop those rumor tongues: “Sad to hear about Randy Carlyle. But our coach isn't going anywhere!”

It’s going to be an interesting dynamic now here in Toronto. Wilson's deal expires at the end of this season. Furthermore, the Leafs view AHL coach Dallas Eakins as a possible future head coach for them, as well, so there’s a lot to chew on for Burke, et al, in the coming months.

As for the Ducks, I think this move buys them more time to make sure they make the right kind of deal if they want to trade Bobby Ryan. I know teams were calling again yesterday; there’s no shortage of interest. But my sense is the Ducks were going to be extremely patient on that front and only make

a deal they believe is a home run. The asking price is very high, as it should be for a 24-year-old power winger.

Burnside: I think it's going to be interesting to see what happens personnel-wise now that Boudreau is behind the bench. Ryan picked up an assist in Wednesday’s win over Montreal and was moved away from his usual linemates, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. When it came to mixing and matching lines, Boudreau always had a lot of options when he was in Washington with the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin (when he was tuned in), Nicklas Backstrom, etc.

In Anaheim, does he go back to the Big Three and hope they'll turn a corner with a new voice in their ear, or does he try to find some balance on a team that ranks 29th in goals per game? I'm with you, though, I'll be surprised if Ryan is moved, at least in the short term, given the coaching change, unless a team is prepared to overpay in draft picks and prospects. Doesn't make sense to make a trade that tells the players this season is toast. Will we be talking about Ryan being on the move a month from now? Perhaps, but I doubt if it happens now.

LeBrun: Let me be clear, I’m not saying I don’t think Ryan will move, I think there’s still a real chance of that. I’m just saying the coaching change allows Murray to breathe and focus on the offers he’s getting instead of feeling rushed into that kind of move. But I think if he gets the kind of offer he wants, he could still move Ryan. OK, my friend, enjoy your game tonight in Washington, where the rival Penguins visit. Let’s see if we can go through a whole day without another coach being fired. Three coaches gone in three days and one of them already re-hired. What a week!


597941 Websites

NBCSports.com / Bruce Boudreau talks to the media in Anaheim

Matt Reitz

Dec 1, 2011, 8:28 PM EST

It only took about twelve hours for Randy Carlyle to be fired, Bruce Boudreau to be hired, and for the new coach to meet with the media in Anaheim. Pro Hockey Talk was there as Boudreau addressed the media, talked about his expectations for the rest of the season, and the Ducks players should still expect to make a run at the playoffs.

Here’s the transcript of Bruce Boudreau’s portion of the press conference:

Boudreau statement:

“It’s great to be here. It’s been a wild ride for me for the last week as well. Like Bob said, I sat there on Tuesday and I didn’t believe that this was a team that had the possibilities and the makings of something special, I think I would have sat at home and waited. But I don’t think opportunities like this come around every day with the talent we have here. I talked to my wife about it, I said: ‘I think we should jump at this.’ I know it’s only been a day basically since I got let go, it was something that I thought was a chance that I wouldn’t get again. So, I jumped at it and got in the plane yesterday, and here I am. It’s a new start, I’m looking forward to it, can’t wait to play, and let’s get going.”

Boudreau: “Salvaging the season is winning regularly. Every team has its warts; it’s a question of making less mistakes than the other team. I know it’s very basic, but we don’t get a chance, and I didn’t get a chance, to see Anaheim play as often as I’d like to being a) in the Eastern time zone, and b) the Eastern Conference; we didn’t pay that much attention to them. I do know a few of their players and I do know that they have some great players. They have the players in really prominent role positions that need to be to be a good team. So, not taking anything away from Randy [Carlyle], if we do it together, we should hopefully make strides. Every night and every day. And it’s going to take time, but I think it could be done within the next four months.

On the circumstances being very similar to when Boudreau took over the Caps, memories of first days and months when he took over Caps:

Boudreau: “I think the biggest thing I tried to instill in the Capitals was confidence. They were beaten down a little bit and they had lost for many

years. They didn’t believe in themselves. This is a totally different story in that respect, is that they haven’t lost. They have been a really good team. They have just sort of lost their way a little bit. But I told them this morning, I believe in them. I think they’re a really good team and I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t believe that they have a really good shot of doing a lot of good things this year. I want them to believe in themselves. If they do, then good things can happen.”

On the Bobby Ryan rumors that have been floating around this week:

Boudreau: “I just got here. I haven’t paid too much attention to that. I’ll let the first day go before I address [the rumors]. You know, [I need to] talk to Bobby…

On his reputation of being an offensive coach and will he have defensemen jumping into the play?

Boudreau: “I don’t know. I’d like to walk before I can run a little bit. It doesn’t really matter if you win 8-7 or 2-1, I just want to win. If you know me, losing grates on me quite a lot. But I think it’s assessing where your strengths are, then work to your strengths.”

On the comments that said Boudreau had nothing left in the tank in Washington:

Boudreau: “No, I had told George [McPhee] that I had tried everything that I knew with this group right now and it wasn’t working right now. It didn’t mean that it wouldn’t work a week from now, it just didn’t work right then—for those two games I was talking about. It was the Buffalo game and the Winnipeg game. And that hadn’t happened in the previous 4+ years that I was there, so it was more of a surprise for me that it hadn’t worked. I was sort of taken aback by it and I told George that.”

About extracting Carlyle’s philosophies and instilling his own with the Ducks:

Boudreau: “Well, I just do what I do. I can’t say we’re not doing this. Randy is a great coach, good teammate, good friend—all of those things. But I just got to do what I’ve done and what I’ve been used to; what I’ve done has been successful. And those are the things that I know. So we integrate those things, we did a couple of things today. Systems—there’s no right system or wrong system. Coaches have faith in what they’ve done and has been successful for them. What I was doing today [at practice] may have been different from what Randy did, but at the same time, they were both successful. We’ll see if the group can do it, whether it was better for them what I’m showing or it isn’t and we’ll adjust accordingly. I mean, I’ve been with them for one practice, so we’ll see their strengths and their weakness. I just can’t go on and do things that aren’t me. I just have to be me and see how that works.”

On the mood of the team this morning:

Boudreau: “Like all team, when there’s a change, they’re waiting to see how it affects them. It’s hard to tell. They listened very well, I thought, and they looked [like] when they went on the ice they had some ‘jump.’ But I don’t know them individually well enough to know if that was the norm or if it was a different thing for them. Time will tell. But I thought, for me, it was OK.”

On everything moving quickly over the last week, if he would have hung around the house for a while:

Boudreau: “Oh, my wife wouldn’t have liked that very much. No, I was looking for something to do. It’s always important, for me anyway, to get out. I can’t lie around and [not] do anything. I was going to start watching games somewhere, going somewhere. At that time, I was making plans to go to Toronto and do some work with TSN or something. But, this was much better.”

On if any other teams contacted him (or the Capitals about him):

Boudreau: “No, not that I know of. Not with the Capitals, not that I know of; with me no.”

On which place was furthest way from Anaheim:

Boudreau: “…boy, I’ve been everywhere. I don’t know. Just distance-wise, Manchester was the furthest. But when I first started getting into coaching, when you’re coaching in Muskegon, Michigan or Biloxi, Mississippi, you really aren’t looking far enough ahead to think that you’re going to be coaching in Anaheim or Washington. I’ve been lucky.”

On the month (November) starting with his Capitals facing off with the Ducks:

Boudreau: “No, quite frankly I wouldn’t have laid [money on it]. If you could have a crystal ball, this wouldn’t have been something I thought was going to happen.”

On if he’s spoken to Randy Carlyle:

Boudreau: “No. It’s too early.”

On filling the coaching staff out:

Boudreau: “I think we’ll talk to Bob when this is done and we’ll see where it goes.”

GM Bob Murray: “We have some things in the fire that may happen fairly quickly.”

On how he can prevent the players from tuning him out:

Boudreau: “If I knew how to prevent it, I wouldn’t let it happen. So I just hope it doesn’t happen. I hope that they buy into the message and we just surge from here.”

On what his message is to the players:

Boudreau: “I want them to be very positive. I want to be aggressive, I want them to play the way they’re capable of playing. With energy and thinking that they’re going to be successful. The way they should be successful. This was a team that before the season started, if you read a lot of the clippings, they said they would really contend for the Pacific Division crown, and I think they’re very capable of doing it. I want them to believe in themselves. That’s the message for today. Believe in themselves.”

On Ryan/Getzlaf/Perry being linemates going forward:

Boudreau: “The first shift tomorrow they will be. Beyond that, we’ll have to see how they do.”

On any lessons he could take away from the Ovechkin/Semin stuff that went down over the last month in Washington:

Boudreau: “You know what; I mean a lot was blown out [of proportion]. I got along really well with both of those guys and I think I’ve said that for the last week that there was never a problem. With either one. But we all tend to want to make something out of nothing. And we did. So there’s really no story there.”

On the excitement to get started:

Boudreau: “I think nervous excitement goes hand-in-hand. I’m excited, don’t get me wrong. Any time you take a new challenge on, you get excited. And nervous. I’m trying to put a good analogy together—it’s like going to a new school. You want to put your first step, you want to make a good impression with everybody. And you’re following someone who had a lot of success and is really popular. So it’s tough.”

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 12.02.2011

597942 Websites

NBCSports.com / Anaheim GM quells the Bobby Ryan storm

Mike Halford

Dec 1, 2011, 6:33 PM EST

And just like that, as mysteriously as they arrived, the Bobby Ryan trade rumors were gone.

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting Anaheim GM Bob Murray has “quieted things down” on the Ryan trade front. Murray informed both Ryan and inquiring teams he wants to see how the Ducks respond to new head coach Bruce Boudreau before making any (other) significant moves.

So case closed? I guess, even though we’re still left with the mystery of why Ryan was made available in the first place. James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail suggested that “reading between the lines…Ryan and Carlyle weren’t getting along and one had to go,” which is probably as legit a theory as any, even though it’s difficult to find corresponding evidence.

Ryan was third among all Ducks forwards in minutes per game (19:01) and routinely got to play with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He’s also enjoyed three 30-goals seasons on Carlyle’s watch (an average 20:11 TOI last year), so it’s not like he was being stifled offensively.

Digging deeper for a conflict…there has always been befuddlement over Ryan’s lack of powerplay opportunities. Carlyle often rode his first unit of Visnovsky-Fowler-Getzlaf-Perry-Selanne, meaning Ryan only got around two minutes of PP time a game. Carlyle also dropped Ryan to the third line with Maxime Macenauer and Niklas Hagman, one of his final moves as head coach.

None of those seem indicative of a major rift between coach and player, though.


597943 Websites

NBCSports.com / Hunter raises eyebrows by scratching Hamrlik (healthy scratch, that is…he’s not literally scratching him, though that would also raise eyebrows)

Mike Halford

Dec 1, 2011, 5:53 PM EST

Dale Hunter’s first curious decision as Washington Capitals head coach is in the books. He’s made defenseman Roman Hamrlik a healthy scratch for tonight’s big game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s the first time the 19-year veteran has been a healthy scratch this season.

“It’s feeling,” Hunter explained to the Washington Times. “It’s one of those things that we just decide as a coaching staff.”

Hamrlik’s played all 23 games this season, recording 1G-0A-1PT with a minus-10 rating — so yeah, there are a few reasons to drop him from the lineup. The Caps are also carrying seven healthy defensemen, meaning someone had to be the odd man out. (Most recently, that guy had been Jeff Schultz.)

All that said, the move is still surprising. Even with Hamrlik’s anemic stats, he’s still averaging close to 20 minutes per game and leading the team in blocked shots (46). He’s also in the first season of a two-year, $7 million contract that makes him Washington’s third highest-paid blueliner.

Final note: If you say “scratch” over and over it starts to sound really weird. Go ahead, try it.


597944 Websites

NBCSports.com / Schneider will start seventh straight, but is it a controversy?

Mike Halford

Dec 1, 2011, 2:31 PM EST

Schneider Sign

“Who’s calling it that? Well, again, who cares? That’s not being said in this room. We had two good goalies last year and it helped us in a lot of games. I don’t know why it’s being spun into a bad thing.”

– Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa on Vancouver’s “goaltending controversy“.

Cory Schneider will start his seventh straight tonight while Roberto Luongo backs him up (for the fifth straight time). It looks and feels like a hot story. Yet somehow, it’s not the hot story.

The hot story is how to classify the story.

Or, if it should be classified at all.

At the moment there are two predominant opinions about Schneider, Luonogo and the current state of Vancouver’s goaltending. The first is that it’s a full-blown controversy. The other is move along, nothing to see here.

Those of the first opinion are ink-stained, coffee-breathed pencil pushers from mainstream media (or sweatpants-wearing, Doritos-munching basement dwellers from the blogosphere).

They’re churning out headlines like:

Is there a ‘goalie controversy?’ The Canucks don’t think so

Cory Schneider’s play keeping Luongo on the bench

Daily Debate: Best net option for Canucks?

Would the Canucks have won Tuesday with Roberto Luongo in net?

Canucks goalie controversy: Schneider has won five straight

It’s not like the controversy theme has been pulled out of thin air. Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault acknowledged the potential uneasiness looming with every Schneider start (and Luongo non-start.)

“I understand how unpleasant it could become,” Vigneault told the Vancouver Province. “But at the end of the day, he’s [Luongo's] a professional, it’s part of his responsibilities and knowing him, he wants to win, and the team is winning right now.

That said, there are plenty of people holding opinion No. 2 — that there is no goalie controversy.

Bieksa is one of those people. So too is GM Mike Gillis, who told TEAM 1040 radio in Vancouver that “there’s no controversy,” and that “the controversy is in the media.”

Put Schneider and Luongo in this category as well.

“We just do what we normally do,” Schneider said. “It’s not awkward.”

“He never complained and was always 100-per-cent behind me,” Luongo said of Schneider. “The same thing goes for me. He deserves what he’s getting right now. There’s no doubt that he could be a starter in this league. It’s about the Vancouver Canucks winning games.”


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NBCSports.com / Pronger on mystery illness: “I really don’t know what’s going on”

Mike Halford

Dec 1, 2011, 1:04 PM EST

Flyers captain Chris Pronger told reporters he’s still feeling the effects of an undiagnosed virus.

“I’ve never felt like this before,” Pronger said during a conference call on Thursday (courtesy CSN Philadelphia). “We’re still trying to ascertain what is going on…I really don’t know what is going on.”

Various medical tests — including those for a concussion — haven’t found a definitive answer as to what’s wrong with the 37-year-old rearguard. The virus first hit Pronger upon his return from Winnipeg on Nov. 19 — he played a season-high 26:41 against the Jets, coincidentally — and he’s been out of the lineup ever since.

“I just didn’t feel well, I didn’t know what it was,” Pronger said. “I never felt like that before with headaches and nausea, and that stuff. I had a concussion baseline test and passed that…I got lightheaded, had headaches, you’re nauseous.

“It’s been a bit of a mystery as to what exactly is going on. Did some blood work and we’re trying to get to the bottom of what is going on.”

Even though the illness and uncertainty surrounding it are worrisome, there is a bright side. The illness allowed Pronger the opportunity to get clean-up surgery on his left knee, which had been bothering him for most of the season.

“At this stage of the season, not knowing the other side of it, it was prudent to get it [surgery] done now and return in four weeks let’s say,” Pronger said. “So I’m able to get three weeks in before the All-Star break and put the hammer down after that as we get into the playoff push and stretch drive.”


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NBCSports.com / Five interesting facts about “Carlyle fired, Boudreau hired”

Mike Halford

Dec 1, 2011, 12:25 PM EST

Boudreau Carlyle

1. According to Elias Sports Bureau (courtesy CP’s Chris Johnston), Bruce Boudreau will have the fewest days pass (six) between coaching teams in NHL history.

Boudreau will coach the Ducks Friday when they host the Flyers; his last game with the Capitals was a 5-1 loss to Buffalo on Saturday.

2. Boudreau and Randy Carlyle were teammates with the Toronto Maple Leafs and CHL’s Dallas Black Hawks (best known for their ’10 cent beer night’ riot with the Fort Worth Wings).

Boudreau notes in his book, Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer, that Carlyle had an assist on his first career NHL goal.

I played with my nonbiological twin, Randy Carlyle, in Toronto and Dallas.

A lot of people thought we were brothers then and we could pass for brothers now. Randy is one of the most underrated players ever. Not too many people win the Norris Trophy. I don’t think he’s gotten his due as a great player

My goal was the first one of the game in a 6-0 Toronto win at Maple Leaf Gardens. I don’t know if I was floating or not. I came back near our blue line, and Randy Carlyle collected the puck behind our goal and fed me a pass that set up a breakaway … I shot over [Jim] Rutherford’s glove hand, top shelf and the puck went in. I jumped and went nuts.

3. From the 2007-08 season on (the year Boudreau took the Washington job; the year after Carlyle won a Cup in Anaheim), the two coaches combined for a 383-223-75 regular-season record.

4. From the 2007-08 season on, the two coaches combined for a 28-34 postseason record.

5. Bruce Cassidy, the 12th coach in Capitals history, coached in Washington from 2002-04. His assistants during that time were Glen Hanlon and Randy Carlyle. Boudreau replaced Hanlon as Caps head coach in 2007 (Hanlon had replaced Cassidy) and now replaces Carlyle as head coach of the Ducks. (h/t Japer’s Rink)


597947 Websites

NBCSports.com / Tim Thomas is the NHL’s Player of the Month for November

Mike Halford

Dec 1, 2011, 11:47 AM EST

Millions of men woke up this morning, looked at themselves in the mirror, whipped out the razor and bid adieu to their dusters, signifying that — yes indeed — Movember is now over.

To celebrate, the National Hockey League announced that Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was named Player of the Month.

(Appropriate, given the mask Thomas rocked throughout Movember.)

Thomas won all nine of his starts, which included three shutouts — one against Toronto, then two back-to-back against the Isles and Habs. His save percentage for the month was .941, topping his seemingly untoppable .938 from a season ago (an NHL record.) Most impressive, though, was the role he played in Boston’s amazing turnaround. The Bruins started November dead last in the Northeast Division at 4-7-0.

Today, they’re in first place at 15-7-1.

Second star of the month went to Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. Captain Serious pushed the Blackhawks to a first-place tie with Detroit in the Central Division with a huge effort — nine goals and 18 points, including a late-month evisceration of California. He had 2G3A-5PTS in a win over the Ducks on Nov. 25, then followed that up with the game-winning goal 24 hours later against Los Angeles.

Third star went to Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul. He registered at least a point in 12 of the Leafs’ 14 November games and saved his best performance for one of the biggest games — three assists in a 7-1 drubbing of the Washington Capitals. Lupul now has 30 points on the year, second-most in the NHL and just two back of the leader — teammate Phil Kessel.

Of note, Kessel was the NHL’s Player of the Month for October.


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NBCSports.com / Derick Brassard’s agent slams Columbus head coach

Jason Brough

Dec 1, 2011, 7:09 PM EST

You know how there were a bunch of trade rumors surrounding Blue Jackets forward Derick Brassard? Yeah, you’re about to hear a bunch more thanks to Brassard’s agent, Allan Walsh, who absolutely ripped Columbus coach Scott Arniel in a statement to Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline.

Apparently Walsh is none too pleased with his client spending so much time in the press box as a healthy scratch.

“While I have tremendous respect for (general manager) Scott Howson and the rest of Columbus’ management team, the situation regarding Derick Brassard has become untenable,” said Walsh. “The coach has a history of burying players and using them as scapegoats to mask his own lack of success on the ice. Derick has been singled out, almost from the very beginning of the season, to be the fall guy in case things don’t go well. The Columbus organization cares about Derick and has been good to him, but at some point, one has to say, enough is enough.”

Brassard has two goals and two assists in 18 games, so obviously his coach has it out for him. I mean, what else does the guy have to do? Score three goals?


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NBCSports.com / Marc Staal expects to play again this season

Jason Brough

Dec 1, 2011, 1:16 PM EST

Rangers defenseman Marc Staal is “feeling better” and plans to play hockey sometime this season, but a return to action is still “a ways away.”

“I feel that I’ll be back,” he told reporters today after taking a light skate, adding he needs to get back in the gym and regain his strength after being shut down for a month.

Staal suffered a concussion in February in a game against Carolina, courtesy a check from his brother, Eric.

Staal (Marc) came back in March and played all the way until the Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. He said it was “his decision to play,” though maybe he “sugar coated things” with regards to how he actually felt.

The Rangers (13-5-3) have been rolling along just fine without Staal, but you have to wonder how long before fatigue becomes a factor for fellow blue-liners Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh. Both defensemen have been forced to play big minutes in Staal’s absence. Girardi’s 27:41 per game is the highest in the NHL.


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NBCSports.com / Caps coach preaching defense in DC

Jason Brough

Dec 1, 2011, 12:35 PM EST

When the Washington Capitals brought in Dale Hunter to replace Bruce Boudreau behind the bench, the hope among many fans was that the team would return to its high-flying ways. However, those fans might be disappointed to learn Hunter’s main focus so far has been defense.

The Washington Post explains, “Creating defensive stability and structure is the foundation that Hunter has sought to build his system upon, with the belief that once the Capitals can protect their own zone, success in the offensive zone will follow.”

Hunter’s early priority isn’t much of a surprise considering the Caps have been one of the worst defensive teams this season. But can they thrive under a “pressure-based” system that demands each player on the ice picks up his own man? (I’ll leave it to you to decide which players might have issues with such a system.)

“The onus is on that individual player to win their battle every time,” Karl Alzner said. “If you don’t win your battle and you get beat then we’re going to have an issue and you hope someone’s going to bail you out – your goalie or a weak side forward – but it’s good this way, it keeps everybody extremely honest. You’ve got to make sure you’re doing your job and winning your job or it’s not going to work.”

In other words, no flying the zone early. No getting caught on the wrong side of the puck. High-percentage plays over high-risk.

“I think we’re really bringing our forwards back and trying to always be a stick length away from the guy so we’re not giving them that time to make a play,” John Erskine said. “I think if we get on the same page with that it will bring our goals against down quite a bit.”

The new system might also help the offense, considering so much offense starts from the back end in the NHL. Teams that move as a five-man unit and provide multiple passing options for the puck-carrier can be tough to defend. But first, the players need to buy in. And that might be Hunter’s biggest challenge.


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Sportsnet.ca / Waiting his turn

Nazem Kadri was named the AHL's player of the month for November after scoring 17 points in 12 games.

Mike Brophy | December 1, 2011, 4:33 pm

Halfway through the seven hour bus ride to Grand Rapids where the Toronto Marlies will begin a busy weekend of three games in three cities in two and a half days, Nazem Kadri takes a few minutes to talk about his current hot streak.

With 10 points in the last five games, Kadri, the American Hockey League's player of the month for November, is suddenly the talk of the league. So what has changed?

"Nothing, really, I think I'm just doing all the little things right," Kadri said. "It starts in your own end and if you play well defensively, then you're going to get chances on offence. It's working out so far for me."

Kadri, the Toronto Maple Leafs first pick (seventh overall) in 2009, is still trying to establish himself as a pro. A freewheeling offensive force as a junior, Kadri has played 33 NHL games over the past three years. He enjoyed a little success scoring-wise last year when he had three goals and 12 points in 29 games, but his overall game, particularly his discipline, have held him back.

"Just being able to recognize danger is the biggest change in my game," Kadri said. "Turnovers have been pretty bad news for me; especially in junior when I kind of did whatever I felt like doing. Since junior I'm trying to be more of a complete player and I'm limiting my turnovers. I'm starting to be less of a risky player and more of a reward player. It is tough to change. It has taken me some time to adjust, but I think each day I'm getting better. I just keep working hard and if I do that, things will pan out for me."

It was never a given that Kadri would make a permanent jump to the NHL this season, but a knee injury during training camp definitely hurt his chances of making the Leafs. He was assigned to the Marlies to start the year, but almost immediately recalled. In three games with the Leafs he had an assist and averaged 13 minutes of ice time. He said he is now fully recovered and his current hot streak backs that up.

A year ago if the Maple Leafs had run into injury problems, Kadri would have been at the top, or at least very close, of a list of potential recalls. This year, however, thanks to the handy work of Leafs GM Brian Burke who has added to his team's depth, he's not the obvious choice. So when the Leafs did have injuries, they turned to centre Joe Colborne and winger Joey Crabb and both have played very well in the NHL.

Kadri said he wasn't surprised at all that others got the call ahead of him.

"You just have to keep your head down and keep working hard," Kadri said. "You know, a lot worse things could happen to you. I'm in a pretty fortunate situation and I believe it will work out if I just keep working hard. I knew that from the get-go I wouldn't necessarily be called up if the Leafs had injuries so it really wasn't a surprise to me. Those are the guys who have earned those spots and they deserve to be in the NHL. They came down here and worked hard, just like I have, and they made some noise. They kind of forced the Leafs to call them up and that's the situation I'm trying to put myself in. I'm happy for those guys. They really deserved it. It's nice to see them succeed."

The other thing that comes with being a top draft pick who hasn't made it to the NHL as a regular at this stage is you are often the victim of trade rumors. So when it is reported the Anaheim Ducks are contemplating trading high-scoring winger Bobby Ryan, who was drafted by Burke, and Toronto is a possible trade suitor, Kadri's name is linked to the potential transaction. He said it comes with the territory.

"I've been asked about it a couple times, but I know as much as you do," he said. "It doesn't really bother me. I try to stay out of all the rumors. I'm just trying to play my game and take care of what I need to on the ice. The rest will take care of itself."

Regardless of what happens, Kadri believes the changes he has made to his game has him NHL-ready.

"Yeah, hands down I'm ready," he said. "I think I've been ready since the start of the year. I'm just waiting to get my shot."

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.02.2011

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Sportsnet.ca / Glass remains half full

Mike Brophy | December 1, 2011, 8:43 am

All day long I kept hearing how it was the biggest game of the year for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Of course, any time you play the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins –- a team that was riding an 11-0-1 streak and has already spanked you twice already this year -- it is certainly a test.

But the biggest game of the year? A game that will single-handedly decide if your team is moving in the right direction? With five regulars, including your No. 1 goalie, out of the lineup?

I’d say that’s overstating things just a wee bit.

The Leafs actually played decently in losing their third game this season to the Bruins, this time 6-3. It snapped a three-game winning streak for Toronto and, ultimately, was one of those games that it is worth noting, Boston’s sixth goal was scored into an empty net. You know, one of those it-wasn’t-as-bad-as-it-looked games.

The Leafs were without goalie James Reimer, who will probably serve as backup when the two teams meet again Saturday in Boston after being out since Oct. 22, as well as defenceman Mike Komisarek and forwards Colby Armstrong, Mike Brown and Matthew Lombardi. If healthy, all five of those players would have played Wednesday.

"We haven’t used (injuries) as an excuse up until now and we’re not going to," said Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf. "We’ve been playing some really good hockey with the guys that we’ve had in the lineup. I think everyone we’ve had in the lineup has really stepped up for the guys we’ve lost and it shows what kind of group we have and the kind of depth we have. The bottom line is we made a couple of more mistakes than they did and that cost us."

Even with a handful of depth players in action, the Leafs had more than their share of opportunities to beat the visitors. They were out-shot 40-37, but had as many or more quality scoring opportunities.

When you are severely shorthanded, however, it might be a good idea to come as close as you can to playing mistake-free hockey. At the end of the night and as good as the Bruins are, the Leafs must feel they were the architects of their own demise. It seemed that for everything they did well, they also made miscues that burned them.

Centre Tyler Bozak, for example, made a few casual clearing attempts that were picked off and caused his team to remain on defence when it was clearly running on fumes. Goalie Jonas Gustavsson had several great saves, especially early in the game, but in his own words, let in a few goals that were stoppable.

With the score 4-3 for Boston late in the third period, defenceman Luke Schenn made a costly giveaway behind his team’s net that resulted in the Bruins scoring the insurance goal.

"My bad," Schenn said afterwards. "All in all, I think our guys actually played pretty strong tonight. It wasn’t a complete blowout or anything like that. We hung in there and had some good quality chances, but (Boston goalie) Tim Thomas was great tonight.

"We had lots of confidence going in and I think our depth players have played great. There have been a lot of call-ups and a lot of guys are getting opportunities that they otherwise might not have gotten. It’s tough when you have regulars out, but we have been playing well so we’re definitely not going to use that as an excuse."

Toronto has been outscored 19-5 by the Bruins this season, but when the dust settled after Tuesday’s game, there weren’t too many chins dragging on the ground.

"That’s the game that we expected from them and I’m sure they expected the same effort from us," Phaneuf said. "I thought we played hard right until

the end. I thought we deserved a better outcome. Give them credit; they played extremely well, too, but I think the way the score ended up didn’t reflect how we played.

"No loss is good. We wanted to win the hockey game and we wanted to get two points, but we’ll take the good out of this game. We learn from the bad and we move forward. I think it sets up Saturday as an even bigger game. Both teams played extremely hard; both team played well and I expect it will be the same on Saturday."

Toronto coach Ron Wilson was encouraged by his team’s play versus the Bruins.

"I mean, that’s a good hockey team," he said. "They seem to have our number. I was actually pleased with the way we played. Unfortunately they got five power plays and we got one and a half. I thought we worked hard enough to draw a few more penalties, but we didn’t get them.

"We had our opportunities and clear scoring chances where we misfired or they happened to get a leg on the puck, but overall I was happy with the way we played…If we keep playing like that we’ll eventually beat these guys."

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.02.2011

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USA TODAY / Ducks opt for personality transplant behind bench

By Geoff Burke, US Presswire

Carlyle's coaching style is to play the bad cop. He can be gruff, unnerving, direct, to the point. I've talked to enough current and former Anaheim players to know that playing for him can be as fun as a police interrogation. It made perfect sense for Murray to go with Boudreau, the loveable, potty-mouthed father figure who primarily likes to play the good cop role.

Although Boudreau tried to adopt a more defensive-oriented style over the past two seasons, he's a move-the-puck, offensive coach in his heart. His let's-have-some-fun-while-we-win approach could be what the Ducks need to snap out of their funk. This team should be more dangerous than it has demonstrated in the first two months of the season.

My take on Boudreau is that he's a much better NHL coach today than he was when he arrived in Washington. I think he has learned on the job, and I'm betting he has learned more from his firing. He'll get the Anaheim boys going again, as hockey folks like to say. They will play with more enthusiasm because Boudreau coaches with gusto. You can bleeping count on that, as Boudreau might say.

He might have more success in Anaheim because the Ducks don't seem to have the core issues that Washington appears to have. The Capitals seem like the NHL's most dysfunctional family. There is no Alexander Semin in Anaheim, and certainly no megastar like Alex Ovechkin. No matter how much Boudreau evolved as a coach, he couldn't change the dynamic in Washington.

Boudreau's new job is going to be a lot more fun than his old job. Can you imagine how much fun Boudreau and Teemu Selanne will have together on and off the ice?

The Ducks' situation is the oldest coaching story in sports: Team plays well for its coach and then over time his message becomes stale. Players grow weary of hearing his voice. The Ducks won a Stanley Cup under Carlyle four years ago? Did he forget how it is done? Of course not. But players have heard every one of Carlyle's stories in his five-plus seasons with the team, and they know all of his strategies. They have heard him yell one time too often. Obviously, Murray sensed they wanted a divorce. Irreconcilable differences.

The Ducks' coaching change is the NHL's fourth already this season, and we might not be done. Certainly, Brent Sutter is under the microscope in Calgary. GM Scott Howson and coach Scott Arniel certainly can't be sleeping easy, considering the Columbus Blue Jackets' place in the standings. New York Islanders GM Garth Snow has shown support for coach Jack Capuano, but it's fair to wonder if that support will remain solid if the Islanders don't climb out of last place in the East.

USA TODAY LOADED: 12.02.2011

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Wall Street Journal / Surprise! You're an NHL Player

An Obscure Rule Lets Anyone Go Pro for 24 Hours; a Video Guy Suits Up

By MIKE SIELSKI

At around 3 p.m. on Nov. 23, Paul Deutsch was working at DePaul Lettering, the print and embroidery shop he owns in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minn., when he got a surprising phone call.

It was Bob Mason, the goaltending coach for Deutsch's hometown NHL team, the Minnesota Wild. Mason told Deutsch the Wild was in a fix: One of the team's two goaltenders, Niklas Backstrom, couldn't play that night against the Nashville Predators because of personal reasons.

The team's regular backup, Josh Harding, would take the ice instead, but the guy the team had tapped to back him up, a minor-leaguer named Matt Hackett, had to catch a flight from Houston. It was possible Hackett wouldn't make it to the Wild's arena on time—so if Harding had to leave the game for any reason, they wouldn't have anyone to mind the net.

Deutsch, a 51-year-old father of three who had been playing goalie in pickup and senior league games with his drinking buddies for the last 14 years, was being called up to the NHL.

Through his long friendship with former Wild assistant coach Mike Ramsey, Deutsch sometimes had filled in as a goalie during the team's rookie camps. "I always had thought that maybe there was a chance I might be able to play someday," he said. A few hours after Mason's call, Deutsch found himself on the ice at Xcel Energy Center for pregame warm-ups, clad in NHL gear and batting away practice shots from his new—and much younger—teammates.

In the end, his fairy tale wasn't to be. By the time the shoot-around ended, Hackett had arrived from the airport. "I walked to the locker room and I saw that my locker was cleared out," Deutsch said. "And then everything dropped. It was over."

Deutsch's brush with history isn't the first of its kind. An obscure provision in the NHL's labor agreement allows its franchises to replace an injured player on its roster by offering a 24-hour tryout to an amateur player. NHL teams operate under a salary cap, so if they were to sign a professional player to cover them during an emergency, the money would count against their limit. This rule allows teams to avoid that inconvenience by hiring a temp, so long as he agrees to play for free. "It's kind of a fantasy-hockey thing," said Jim Nill, assistant general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

According to Stats LLC, Deutsch was the 16th player to join the NHL through the amateur-tryout provision since the start of the 2007-08 season. Here are some of the others, including a few who actually took the ice.

Justin Abdelkader,

Detroit Red Wings

The Wings, who were short a forward because of injuries, signed Abdelkader—then a junior at Michigan State—to an amateur tryout before a 3-2 win over Columbus on April 3, 2008. He not only suited up, he played 11 minutes in the game. The next day, the Red Wings signed him to a three-year contract. This wasn't a huge surprise: Detroit had drafted Abdelkader in the second round in 2005. But with 12 goals and 30 points in 151 career Red Wings games, he's made the most of the opportunity. "We thought, 'He's here. Let's do it,'" Nill said. "It worked out well."

Matt Campanale, New York Islanders

This spring, after a pair of Islanders defensemen went down, Campanale—who wasn't playing pro hockey at all—got his big shot. First, the Bridgeport (Conn.) Sound Tigers, the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate, signed him to an amateur tryout. Then, the Islanders called him up to play in a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on April 6, 2011. At one point, Campanale was manning his spot on the left side of the ice when Boston star Zdeno Chara started skating toward him. "That was a little startling to see

someone of his size coming down on me," Campanale said. "He definitely looks a lot bigger in person."

Torrie Jung, Edmonton Oilers

Having just finished morning practice with his junior team on Nov. 21, 2009, Jung—a goaltender—was planning a quiet afternoon of movies and videogames. Instead, his coach called to tell him that Edmonton Oilers' goalie Nikolai Khabibulin had hurt his back, and the team needed an emergency sub for a home game against Chicago. Jung, then 20, ate a quick lunch, showered, put on his favorite shirt and tie and "did my hair up nice" before hustling over to Rexall Place for the game—a 5-2 Edmonton loss. "I wanted to make sure I didn't have bed head or anything," said Jung, who plays for the minor-league Laredo Bucks. "I didn't want to look like a bum walking into an NHL rink."

Brett Leonhardt, Washington Capitals

By the end of 2008, Leonhardt had been working for the Capitals for two years interviewing players and shooting video for the team website. A former goaltender at Oswego State, he'd occasionally suited up for practices when the Caps needed a body. But on Dec. 12, when Jose Theodore suffered a hip flexor, the team video guy was tapped as the backup for a game against Ottawa.

Walking through the locker room before the game, Leonhardt said he realized he was still wearing dress socks. Upon entering the training room, he saw the equipment manager sewing "LEONHARDT" onto the back of a jersey. "That's something you dream about," he said. Today Leonhardt, now 29, coordinates video for the league's officiating department.

Shane Sims, Islanders

Sims was still completing his degree in family financial management at Ohio State when the Isles summoned him to play defense against Philadelphia Flyers in the April 9, 2011, season finale. Sims flew to Long Island to catch a bus with the team to Philadelphia. Sims, a fifth-round draft pick of the Islanders in 2006, still has the game's summary sheet (the Flyers won 7-4). He now plays for the minor-league Gwinnett Gladiators. "It gave me a chance to show I can play at that level," he said.

Wall Street Journal LOADED: 12.02.2011

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YAHOO SPORTS / Can Ovechkin catch Crosby in best-player race?

By Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Yahoo! Sports 15 hours, 10 minutes ago

@Cotsonika The last time Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby faced each other, it was New Year’s Day. It was the Winter Classic, the NHL’s annual outdoor game, and it was used to showcase supposedly the top two players in hockey.

HBO cameras followed Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals and Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins for a first-of-its-kind, behind-the-scenes series culminating with the Classic. A TV commercial showed Ovechkin and Crosby standing face-to-face at Heinz Field, rain turning to snow, symbolizing a coming Cold War. Ovi and Sid literally were the faces of the game, their dueling Images facing off on the side of the truck that carried the equipment that made the very ice.

By then, though, Crosby had clearly separated himself from Ovechkin and everyone else. He was streaking as his Penguins soared. Ovechkin was slumping as his Capitals struggled. And as they meet again Thursday night, the chasm is even greater – even though Crosby took a hit to the head in the Classic, took another one four days later and suffered concussion symptoms that sidelined him for 10-1/2 months.

Crosby had 32 goals in exactly half a season when he went down; Ovechkin finished with 32 goals last season playing only three games short of a full schedule. Crosby returned from a 61-game absence in dramatic fashion last Monday night with two goals and two assists; Ovechkin shouldered blame this Monday morning when the Capitals fired coach Bruce Boudreau.

It seems only a matter of time before Crosby catches Ovechkin statistically. With 11 points in five games, he’s just seven behind the 18 Ovechkin has posted in 23 games. For Crosby, the question is if – or when – he will factor into the scoring race. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Phil Kessel leads the league with 32 points. At this pace, Crosby would catch him by the end of February.

For Ovechkin, the question is if he will catch back up to Crosby, if he will make the best-in-the-game debate a debate again. Ovechkin is only 26. He still has every ounce of the ability that once made him the Great Eight. He should be entering his prime, and he should stage a rivalry with the 24-year-old Crosby for years to come. But how does he become the player he used to be, and can he under new coach Dale Hunter?

“Everybody wants to win MVPs and scoring title, but again, right now, in this situation – especially when the team fire the coach – you don’t have to think about you have to score 20 goals in two games,” Ovechkin said. “You just have to play hard and show the coach we’re going to fight for you. We just have to play for each other and for him, too.”

What’s wrong with Ovechkin? To the many theories – his lack of evolution, his sometimes subpar conditioning, his waning enthusiasm – let’s add another: Part of the problem might be the question itself.

Ovechkin and the Capitals became a fun-loving, high-flying, elite team by playing one way, but because they failed in the playoffs, all they heard was that their way didn’t work. They changed – and for valid reasons – but they got away from what made them great and got worse. Is it any wonder that they haven’t been themselves since they tried to be something else?

Crosby’s and Ovechkin’s paths really diverged in the spring of 2010. Both Crosby’s Penguins and Ovechkin’s Capitals were upset in seven-game series by the same suffocating defensive team (the Montreal Canadiens) and the same hot goalie (Jaroslav Halak). Ovechkin put up better numbers against the Habs. He had five goals and 10 points. Crosby had one goal and five points.

The difference was that Crosby’s Penguins lost in the second round and had won the Stanley Cup the year before. They had confidence that their way could win because it had won, and they had the benefit of the doubt from the public. They stuck to their plan. Rightfully so.

Ovechkin’s Capitals lost in the first round – the top regular-season team falling to an eighth seed – blowing a two-game lead in a series early in the playoffs for the second straight year. Instead of patience, a feeling that they were close, there was panic, a feeling that there was a fatal flaw.

I sat down with Ovechkin one-on-one before last season. At that point, there was still a strong argument that Ovechkin was the best player in the NHL. Ovechkin and Crosby each had one scoring title, but after voting Crosby the league’s most outstanding player in 2007, the players had chosen Ovechkin three years in a row. Ovechkin led Crosby in most individual categories: goals (269-183), points (529-506), goal-scoring titles (2-1) and MVP awards (2-1). But, of course, Crosby had a Cup and an Olympic gold, and he was being touted as the superior team player.

And that’s what we talked about. That’s all anyone talked about. Ovechkin said all the right things (“You have to win something to say, ‘Yeah, I’m the greatest player in the world’ “), and I think he meant them. But you could also tell he was worn down by the talk his greatness wasn’t good enough, saying his friends kept asking him why the Caps had lost to the Habs (“I’m pretty tired to hear why. ‘Why? Why? Why?’ “). He repeated what he had been told so often (“It doesn’t matter how good you play in the [regular] season”), and then, well, he played like it.

Yes, this is where mental toughness comes in – the stuff Boudreau said he didn’t know quite how to teach the team just before he got canned. But it was more than that. Ovechkin’s teammates struggled, too, and the coach changed his philosophy to buckle down defensively. Though Ovechkin looked like the Ovi of old late in the season and the Caps got hot, finishing first in the East, he finished with the worst regular-season numbers of his career and it didn’t translate into playoff success. The Caps were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The rest is history. Following orders from ownership and management, Boudreau tried to enforce accountability this season. He benched Ovechkin for one key shift Nov. 1 against the Anaheim Ducks, the cameras caught Ovechkin calling Boudreau a “fat [fellow],” and the snowball grew even bigger. Ovechkin and others stopped responding to Boudreau. Just as Crosby came back, with TV analysts showing iso shots of the returning hero streaking back into his own zone, Ovechkin stopped backchecking altogether. The captain helped his coach get fired.

So now what? Though Hunter has made adjustments to Boudreau’s systems, his message isn’t much different than Boudreau’s was at the end – no run-and-gun hockey, be responsible defensively, play hard all the time. He said he will base ice time on merit, but he acknowledged that he likes to ride his star players if they earn it.

Maybe Ovechkin will never score like Crosby again. Remember that the Penguins were ahead of the Capitals in their development as a team when Crosby and Ovechkin arrived, and their lineup is even more stacked now. Meanwhile, Caps center Brooks Laich said it will take “months” to perfect Hunter’s system, and Caps winger Mike Knuble said he expects a lot of low-scoring, tight games. We might have to recalibrate our expectations of Ovi.

But the Capitals wouldn’t have made this change if they didn’t think it would give them a greater return on their biggest asset – a guy signed through 2021 at an annual salary-cap hit of more than $9.5 million.

“I guess we’ll see in the next couple weeks how it plays out,” Knuble said. “He may feel a little bit fresher mentally … if the situation with Bruce was bogging him down for some reason. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a new lease on life for him. I don’t know. But it’s not going to get easier. I don’t think he’s going to have a free pass, either.”

Maybe Hunter will motivate Ovechkin, instill more discipline in him, help him adjust so opponents don’t key on his signature moves. Maybe the Capitals will find the right balance between offense and defense. Maybe the pucks will start going in for Ovi again, he’ll earn more ice time and the joy, the leaping celebrations, will return.

Asked what kind of captain he wanted Ovechkin to be, Hunter said he needed to be a big part of the game every night.

“He’s got to get everybody’s confidence back,” Hunter said.

Starting with his own.

FIRST PERIOD

As Puck Daddy put it so well, the Ducks’ hiring of Boudreau to replace Randy Carlyle was “absolutely a genius hire.”

The Capitals didn’t fire Boudreau because he was a bad coach. He was the best coach they ever had – four straight division titles, a Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2008, a Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team in 2009-10, the fastest coach ever to 200 NHL victories. I wrote that owner Ted Leonsis’ thank-you note read like a happy retirement send-off. I should have said it read like a recommendation letter.

The Ducks reportedly asked for permission to speak to Boudreau not long after he was let go Monday, and they hired him late Wednesday night. Boudreau can be the fresh voice for the Ducks’ struggling stars that he couldn’t be for the Capitals anymore. He can go to a team that needs a player’s coach to replace a disciplinarian instead of the other way around. After trying to coax an offensive juggernaut to play defense, he can go back to doing what he does best and help talented offensive players score goals.

Whether he knew something or not – or whether he just knew Boudreau – St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock was prophetic Tuesday night as he spoke before his team played in Washington.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if in the next 72 hours Bruce is back in rinks again,” Hitchcock said. “He’s a lifer. He will bounce back the quickest of anybody because he loves the game so much. He loves the people in the game. … He’s the guy for me I worry the least about because he’s had to bounce back lots, and he knows how to do it. He’ll mentally position himself very quickly here and get back in the saddle again.”

SECOND PERIOD

It isn’t unusual to see Jimmy Howard leading NHL goaltenders in victories, as he does now with 14. He has led the league in that category before, playing for the talented Detroit Red Wings, even when he hasn’t had spectacular statistics.

But this is different. Howard ranks second in goals-against average at 1.87 – behind only the hugely surprising Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues, who is first at 1.31. Howard also has a .929 save percentage. That ranks 11th, but this has been a season of remarkably high save percentages.

The Wings have tightened up defensively, but Howard has been consistent overall and spectacular at times. He said he is being more patient in his third season as a starter – reading plays better, being aggressive at the right times instead of rushing out on every single shooter, seeing things out

of the corners of his eyes and closing the back door. He has won six straight.

“The mental side of his game seems to have really come,” said coach Mike Babcock. “He seems to be a good goaltender in the league, and I think we get excellent goaltending right now – as good as we’ve had since I’ve been here, for sure.”

Babcock won a Stanley Cup in 2008 and came within a victory of repeating in 2009 with Chris Osgood behind the pipes. Osgood mentored Howard. He still works with the Wings’ goaltenders now that he’s retired, but he spends a lot of time working with the minor-leaguers. Howard is ready to fly on his own.

“He’s always been calm and always been confident,” said Wings center Henrik Zetterberg. “But now we know every time he will be good. Even if we make mistakes, he will save us. Just to have that in the back of your head, it is a good feeling to have.”

THIRD PERIOD

The Philadelphia Flyers just aren’t the same without their captain. They’re 8-3-1 with Chris Pronger; 5-4-2 without him. They need the physical presence he provides on the back end. They need the accountability he demands in the dressing room. They even need his smirk and sarcastic wit.

So it’s scary that the 37-year-old keeps getting hurt from head to toe – eye, hand, back, knee, the other knee, foot – and keeps having surgeries. It’s especially scary that his latest surgery came Tuesday to fix a knee problem he can’t pinpoint on any particular play, while he still has headaches and nausea that the Flyers are attributing to a mysterious virus. (And it will be a shame if he’s less of a presence in HBO’s upcoming “24/7” series while he’s out for about four weeks.)

Pronger doesn’t think he’s falling apart.

“You look at the number of the injuries, and they would seem to be kind of fluky,” Pronger said in a media conference call Thursday. “Three of them, I got hit with the puck or a stick. Are those everyday hockey occurrences? Yeah, it could happen to anybody. When you play the game hard and you play a lot of minutes, you’re that much more inclined to have something happen to you because you’re always out there.”

The only positive is that this might help him be out there when it matters most.

“I think if it was the playoffs or the Stanley Cup final, I could play, but it was to the point where I wouldn’t have played very well,” Pronger said. “We can always say we can play. But at what level and at what detriment are you playing? At this stage in the season, not knowing the other side of it, it was prudent to get it done now so that if I’m able to return in four weeks, let’s say, then I’m able to get three weeks in before the all-star break and then put the hammer down after that as we get into the playoff stretch.”

POWER RANKINGS

TOP 6

Boston 1. Boston Bruins: The defending Stanley Cup champions played 13 games in November and won all but one – and that lone loss was in overtime. They get another chance to beat up on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, then comes a great Monday night matchup at Pittsburgh.

New York Rangers 2. New York Rangers: The Rangers were almost as good as the Bruins in November, going 9-2-0. Their excellence has been lost in the shuffle a bit, but that’s about to change with the “24/7” coverage and the buildup to the Winter Classic.

Minnesota 3. Minnesota Wild: This team continues to be the biggest surprise of the season. The Wild seems short on offense, which would lead you to believe the first goal would be critical. Yet the Wild has won nine games after allowing the first goal. Coach Mike Yeo has his guys playing the same way no matter the score.

Pittsburgh 4. Pittsburgh Penguins: The scariest thing about Crosby’s 11 points in five games is that he could have even more if his teammates had cashed in on some golden opportunities. It started with his first shift when Chris Kunitz hit a crossbar and hasn’t stopped.

Detroit 5. Detroit Red Wings: Told you that six-game losing streak was just a funk. The Red Wings have gone 10-2-0 since. They have won six straight and are back atop the Central Division.

Phoenix 6. Phoenix Coyotes: One of the games of the year on Thursday night: The Coyotes return to their ancestral home of Winnipeg, where they will face the team that bears the name they once did. It is even more remarkable that the Coyotes’ future is still uncertain. Could the original Jets have taken off from The ‘Peg, only to connect in Phoenix on their way to Quebec City?

BOTTOM 6

Calgary 25. Calgary Flames: Wouldn’t it be great if Jarome Iginla really were part of the solution? People want players to be loyal – until those players can be traded to upgrade the roster. Iginla is an icon in Calgary. He knows it. He values it. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to win; it means he wants to win there.

Winnipeg 26. Winnipeg Jets: The atmosphere ought to be great for the return of the Coyotes. The emotion of the MTS Centre has made a little bit of a difference this season, but not an overly dramatic one. The Jets are 5-4-0 at home and 4-7-4 on the road.

New York Islanders 27. New York Islanders: John Tavares is tied for the team lead in goals with eight, even though he hasn’t scored in 11 consecutive games.

Carolina 28. Carolina Hurricanes: Replacing Paul Maurice with Kirk Muller looks like a great move. Muller needs to instill some confidence in slumping captain Eric Staal, but he’ll really prove his coaching ability if he can get anything out of Tomas Kaberle – no goals, five assists, minus-12.

Anaheim 29. Anaheim Ducks: It was one thing to let Carlyle coach Wednesday night. It was another to let him walk out and speak to reporters after a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens snapped a seven-game losing streak. He looked relieved, not knowing he was going to be fired. Not a classy move.

Columbus 30. Columbus Blue Jackets: Curtis Sanford is a great story amid the misery. He told the Columbus Dispatch he considered quitting as recently as last month after toiling in the minors and suffering injuries. Now he’s 3-2-2 – with a .939 save percentage – for a team that couldn’t win.

PLUS/MINUS

PLUS: The Red Wings are reportedly in deep discussions with the NHL about hosting the Winter Classic in 2013 or ’14. Owner Mike Ilitch might want it at Comerica Park, home of his Detroit Tigers. But as someone who was part of the largest crowd ever to watch a hockey game – and, for full disclosure, as a Michigan alum – here’s pushing for the Big House. Wings-Leafs. More than 113,000 fans. Another world record. Make it happen.

MINUS: Left winger Michael Frolik had a chance to snag a top-six role with the Chicago Blackhawks, playing on the top line with Jonathan Toews at one point, on the second unit with Patrick Kane at another. But he didn’t seize the opportunity, and now he’s on the fourth line.

PLUS: Ottawa Senators fans might be stuffing the ballot box with the All-Star Game coming to their city, but one player who is deserving is defenseman Erik Karlsson. He leads the league in assists (21) and defensemen in points (22), and he ranks second overall in the voting.

MINUS: Ilya Kovalchuk scored Wednesday night. But that gave him only five goals this season, and he was minus-4 in the New Jersey Devils’ 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He has slipped to minus-8 on the season. Zach Parise has only six goals and is minus-8, too.

PLUS: Boudreau and Maurice couldn’t have been classier after their firings. Boudreau said he should have been fired after trying every trick in the book, and Maurice left Muller a good-luck message on the whiteboard in the Hurricanes dressing room calling the players a “great bunch of guys” and the staff “A-1.” That’s A-1.

MINUS: People are already talking about Crosby making a run at the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. But the Penguins went 37-19-8 without him, and they rank first in the East even though he has played only five games. I have gushed over his remarkable comeback and written that he makes a good team great, and he might deserve the Hart in the end. But the fact remains that the Pens were a good team already, and we’re talking about the most valuable player, not the best player. Would the Leafs be where they are without Kessel? Just sayin’.

@COTSONIKA “Oh, Roberto Luongo. If he supports Cory Schneider, he looks weak. But if he didn’t support him, how would he look then?”

Luongo can’t win. (No, I don’t mean that literally.) Backup Cory Schneider is hot, allowing only five goals over five straight victories for the Vancouver

Canucks. Luongo is saying all the right things, most notably that they’re both No. 1 goaltenders, but it’s coming out wrong because he’s the one in the second year of a 12-year, $64-million contract.

Look, Schneider always defended Luongo strongly – even when Luongo was at his lowest moments, even though Schneider seems ready to be a starter in the NHL and must feel he could do the job in Vancouver. Luongo is just returning the favor.

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