sport-scan daily brief - nhl.comsharks.nhl.com/v2/ext/media/20141124-sportscan.pdf2014/11/24 ·...

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/24/2014

Anaheim Ducks 757706 Ducks struggle to hold lead in 2-1 win over Coyotes 757707 Manson, 23, way ahead of schedule with Ducks 757708 Ducks delighted to beat Coyotes in regulation 757709 Anaheim Ducks mostly get it right in victory over Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes 757710 Arizona Coyotes' quiet offense results in loss to Anaheim Ducks 757711 Arizona Coyotes backup goalie Devan Dubnyk builds case for more opportunities 757712 Game day: Coyotes at Ducks 757713 Coyotes can't get offense going, fall to Ducks

Boston Bruins 757714 Bruins will recall David Pastrnak from Providence 757715 Tuukka Rask’s position clear on subject of shot-blocking 757716 Bruins stay positive as injuries mount 757717 Pastrnak promotion is the right move for Bruins 757718 Caron, Lindblad sent back down to Providence 757719 What we learned: Rough stretch looms for Bruins 757720 Games against Montreal have become a bad Hab-it for Bruins

Buffalo Sabres 757721 Predators, Flames turning heads in NHL 757722 Flip gives team December to remember 757723 Sabres win 3rd straight

Calgary Flames 757724 Glencross snaps drought while Flames stay red-hot going into three-game road trip 757725 Calgary Flames Five Burning Questions -- Nov. 24 0

Carolina Hurricanes 757726 Why NHL teams speed up when they fall behind

Chicago Blackhawks 757727 Quenneville: Blackhawks 'didn't have much going' against Canucks 757728 Sunday's results: Canucks 4, Blackhawks 1 757729 Blackhawks' Daniel Carcillo not all about fighting these days 757730 Canucks snap flat Blackhawks’ three-game win streak 757731 After slow start, Blackhawks are scoring in bunches again 757732 Blackhawks give up 4 to Canucks 757733 Blackhawks' offense goes quiet in loss to Canucks 757734 Corey Crawford starts again as Blackhawks face Canucks 757735 Konroyd's keys for Blackhawks win over Canucks 757736 Hawks fall despite Corey Crawford's exceptional effort 757737 Rapid Reaction: Canucks 4, Hawks 1 757738 Corey Crawford to make 11th straight start in net at Vancouver 757739 Blackhawks' 20-game season review

Colorado Avalanche 757740 AVALANCHE HAS A LOT ON THE LINE WITH RETO BERRA 757741 CALVIN PICKARD SAVORS FIRST NHL WIN WITH AVALANCHE 757742 WILL CALVIN PICKARD START TUESDAY'S GAME FOR THE COLORADO AVALANCHE?

Columbus Blue Jackets 757743 Blue Jackets: Troubling trends develop after 20 games 757744 Blue Jackets alumni come together for charity game 757745 Blue Jackets notebook: Bruins’ Lucic talks revenge for punch by Prout

Dallas Stars 757746 Heika: Right-handed Jason Demers a big hit early for Stars, could be key to season turnaround

Detroit Red Wings 757747 At quarter of season, Red Wings in plus territory 757748 Red Wings rookie Ouellet impressive in brief stint 757749 Justin Abdelkader fulfilling potential, having big impact for Detroit Red Wings in several areas 757750 Seven-year-old transplant recipient to attend Red Wings game courtesy of Daniel Cleary 757751 Stephen Weiss ready to produce for Red Wings after successful two-game stint with Grand Rapids Griffins 757752 Tatar producing like a top six forward

Edmonton Oilers 757753 Oilers’ dismal play in November ‘disheartening’ 757754 Player grades – Beaten, dejected Edmonton Oilers crushed by Chicago, fall to last in the NHL 757755 So where do Oilers start if the coach is safe and they’re making a trade? 757756 No easy answers for Oilers

Florida Panthers 757757 Late-game comeback energizes Florida Panthers 757758 RAMPAGE INSIDER: San Antonio rolls Texas Stars, set franchise record with seventh straight win 757759 TENNESSEE QUICK STEP: Panthers score twice in final minute, force OT in 3-2 shootout loss to Preds ... Grimald 757760 Preview: Panthers vs. Wild, 7:30 p.m., Monday 757761 Panthers' Grimaldi gets first goal, return trip to minors

Los Angeles Kings 757762 What we learned from the Kings' 5-4 loss at Dallas on Saturday 757763 The view from Dallas 757764 Waking up with the Kings: November 23 757765 Good morning, Nashville

Minnesota Wild 757766 Now in the NHL, ex-Gophers stars set to tangle in Florida 757767 Gameday preview: Wild at Florida

Montreal Canadiens 757768 Rangers cruise to shutout win over Habs in rematch of East final 757769 About last night … 757770 Canadiens will face well-rested Rangers team; prospect Nikita Scherbak suffers back injury

Nashville Predators 757771 Predators’ Roman Josi logging minutes, blocks

New Jersey Devils 757772 Fell asleep for Devils shootout? Here's what happened 757773 Adam Larsson adapting and gaining confidence in unexpected role on Devils' defense 757774 Devils trying to avoid another slip in trip finale 757775 Devils blow two-goal lead to Flames in 5-4 shootout loss

New York Islanders 757776 Islanders enjoying their new vantage point at the top of their division

New York Rangers 757777 Well-Rested Rangers Post Second Straight Shutout 757778 NY Rangers rout NHL’s top team, Canadiens, 5-0 757779 Rangers dominate Canadiens in early statement game 757780 Rangers 5, Canadiens 0: Rewind 757781 Live Blog: Rangers dominate Habs, 5-0 757782 Stepan knows he’s close to regaining form 757783 Rangers notes: Henrik Lundqvist goes flying 757784 Rangers blast Canadiens, 5-0 757785 Rangers collect their second straight shutout in 5-0 win over Canadiens 757786 Henrik gets clobbered and Klein takes it up with Prust 757787 Canadiens at Rangers … It’s Go Time! 757788 Rangers-Canadiens in review 757789 Rangers 5, Canadiens 0 … post-game notes & quotes

Ottawa Senators 757790 Erik Karlsson toasts Daniel Alfredsson's career 757791 Game Day Preview: Senators vs. Red Wings 757792 Five Takes for a five-game road trip 757793 Captain Erik Karlsson will support Alfie's decision no matter what 757794 Senators know 'every point counts' on road trip 757795 Senators centre Mika Zibanejad searching for consistency in his game

Philadelphia Flyers 757796 Unconventional lineup helps Flyers break losing streak 757797 Flyers brace for upstart Islanders 757798 Rebuilt Islanders present much tougher challenge 757799 Simmonds makes Jackets blue; Flyers snap skid with 4-2 win 757800 Flyers Weekly Observations: Which team shows up? 757801 Luke Schenn could be benched vs. Islanders 757802 After lengthy slump, Simmonds sparked by nifty goal 757803 Flyers Notes: Berube rolls 7 defensemen for 1st time 757804 Strong 3rd-period response helps Flyers nail down win 757805 Islanders have improved through vision similar to Ron Hextall’s 757806 Flyers' Luke Schenn, benched Saturday after 'mistake at a bad time,' unlikely to dress Monday (with VIDEO) 757807 Flyers end losing streak; 5 reasons for optimism 757808 Flyers' Luke Schenn, benched Saturday after 'mistake at a bad time,' unlikely to dress Monday

Pittsburgh Penguins 757809 Finding balance between toughness, excessiveness key for Penguins' Downie 757810 Penguins look for pick-me-up after two losses 757811 Penguins notebook: Downie’s aggression has downside 757812 Mario Lemieux's 30 years of highlights: May 25, 1991

San Jose Sharks 757813 Sharks recall Tennyson, assign Burish to Worcester of AHL 757814 Sharks recall Tennyson; Burish assigned to Worcester

St Louis Blues 757815 Bluenotes: Bouwmeester's 'Iron Man' streak ends at 737 games 757816 Blues' Reaves scores winner at 'home' 757817 Reaves scores game-winner for Blues 757818 Bouwmeester's 'Ironman' streak comes to an end 757819 Reaves game winning goal lifts Blues over Jets 4-2

Tampa Bay Lightning 757820 Bolts notes: Killorn making up for injuries, slow start 757821 What we've learned about Lightning at quarter mark of season

Toronto Maple Leafs 757822 Roman Polak injury leaves hole on Leafs’ blue line 757823 Maple Leafs' late push leaves Mike Babcock in shock 757824 Never a dull moment with Maple Leafs 757825 Toronto Maple Leafs salute crowd after snubbing fans the previous game 757826 Toronto Maple Leafs’ Tyler Bozak scores twice in win over Detroit Red Wings 757827 Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Nylander kicked in head during Swedish league game: report 757828 Don Cherry says Toronto Maple Leafs ‘dumb’ for not saluting fans after game

Vancouver Canucks 757839 Jannik Hansen’s hat trick propels Canucks past Hawks, 4-1 757840 Canucks' Bo Horvat will be sticking around 757841 Jannik Hansen scores three as Canucks down Hawks 4-1 757842 Canucks Game Day: Milestone night for Daniel Sedin as Canucks face Blackhawks 757843 Daniel Sedin honoured for 1000th game 757844 Canucks Post Game: Fourth-line ‘hat’ fits Hansen, Horvat cements roster spot, Daniel digs honour, convincing w 757845 Gallagher: Without Hamhuis, Canucks defend by committee 757846 The Provies: The Drance Strikes Back Edition 757847 Canucks 4 'Hawks 1: Hansen's hat trick badgers Blackhawks 757848 Canucks Game Day: Daniel Sedin gets his 1,000 regular season game against old foe Chicago 757849 Willes' Musings: Canucks’ Sedin twins join elite company 757850 Kuzma: Physiotherapist Rick Celebrini’s impact worth celebrating 757851 Jamieson: Roland Melanson makes his mark on Jacob Markstrom 757852 Jon joins Johns in Canucks broadcast booth 757853 Oh, how we loved to hate the Hawks 757854 Willes: Jannik Hansen paves the way for Danish invasion

Washington Capitals 757829 Matt Niskanen scores first goal with the Capitals, looks for more shots 757830 Capitals needed ‘greasy’ goals in loss to Sabres 757831 Legendary Caps scorer Dennis Maruk gets his due in pop-culture flashback 757832 Capitals keep firing but fall 2-1 to Buffalo 757833 Next up for Capitals: Red-hot Islanders 757834 Does Braden Holtby have his 'swagger' back?

Websites 757855 Sportsnet.ca / Tumultuous week ends on a high for Leafs 757856 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers desperate for deal, won’t move core pieces 757857 USA TODAY / Trades pick up after GM meetings; will it continue? 757858 USA TODAY / Jay Bouwmeester's ironman streak comes to an end 757859 USA TODAY / Islanders turning the corner to being a contender 757860 Wall Street Journal / Rested Rangers Beat Up on Weary Canadiens

Winnipeg Jets 757835 One lousy rut ends Bouwmeester's streak 757836 Jets' penalty-kill has lost its mojo 757837 Butter-finger Jets can't hold lead 757838 Winnipegger Ryan Reaves scores winner to help Blues beat Jets SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

757706 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks struggle to hold lead in 2-1 win over Coyotes

By AUSTIN KNOBLAUCH contact the reporter Anaheim DucksSportsIce HockeyKyle PalmieriBruce BoudreauPatrick MaroonFrederik Andersen

Anaheim Ducks have to overcome penalties and defensive lapses to defeat the Arizona Coyotes, 2-1

Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon score goals while Frederik Andersen is outstanding in goal for Ducks

The inconsistent play that plagued the Ducks during their Western Canada trip last week made an unwelcomed return Sunday at Honda Center.

Behind a strong performance from goalie Frederik Andersen and goals from Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon, the Ducks overcame penalties and defensive lapses in the third period to hold on for a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

Kevin Baxter

Andersen was key in helping the Ducks weather the storm in the third, making several strong saves in addition to helping kill off an Arizona power play in the final minute. Andersen finished with 26 saves en route to his ninth win of season.

"This was the first real Freddie performance I've seen," Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Freddie knows he can play, and we have all the faith in him that he's a real good goalie.

"It's got to be a confidence booster for him."

Boudreau wasn't as pleased with the Ducks' overall effort. Playing "for a full 60 minutes" was a common refrain by coach and players after the game; the Ducks have struggled to deliver that in recent contests.

Last week, the Ducks led in games against Calgary and Vancouver before settling for a loss and a win in shootouts. They've earned points in 10 of their last 11 games but have suffered defensive breakdowns while leading in recent games.

"I think we're still way too tentative in the third period with the lead," Boudreau said. "The more we get to hold these leads, the better we'll be going forward."

The Ducks dominated the first two periods against the Coyotes, outshooting them, 25-10. Goalie Mike Smith made several point-blank saves to keep the game scoreless, but his first mistake proved costly. Smith fell while playing the puck behind the net in the second, allowing Ryan Kesler to fling the puck to Palmieri, who fired at an empty net for his second goal of the season.

"It was a lucky one, but I'll take it," Palmieri said.

Minutes later, Maroon scored his first of the season when he snapped in a rebound off a Sami Vatanen slapshot.

"It feels good," Maroon said about his goal. "I haven't been playing good hockey the past few games I've been back. I've been trying too hard, I guess. I just need to get back to my game, and I thought I did OK."

The Coyotes' strong third period culminated in a goal by Keith Yandle with just over 11 minutes left. Arizona's last and best chance to score again came when Francois Beauchemin was called for cross-checking with 41 seconds left. Despite having two extra attackers after pulling their goalie, the Coyotes managed just one more shot.

The absence of defenseman Clayton Stoner hurt the Ducks. He was held out of the game after experiencing "mumps-like symptoms." Corey Perry and Beauchemin missed five games after being diagnosed with mumps this month.

If Stoner misses more games, the Ducks' defensive corps will be limited to six skaters as the team adjusts to playing without Bryan Allen, who was sent to Montreal in the Rene Bourque trade. Bourque saw limited ice time in his Ducks' debut, but made a big hit on Arizona's Joe Vitale.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Manson, 23, way ahead of schedule with Ducks

BY ERIC STEPHENS / STAFF WRITER

Published: Nov. 23, 2014 Updated: 10:34 p.m.

ANAHEIM – There is being ahead of schedule and then there is the place where Josh Manson is at in his development.

Manson is playing 20 minutes – some nights a lot more, others a bit less – every night for the Ducks. The former college standout at Northeastern did so again Sunday night in their 2-1 home victory over Arizona.

No one in the organization saw this development coming. At least not right now. Most certainly, the 23-year-old didn’t see it.

“I just try to take it in stride,” Manson said. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. I just want to go in every game and play my game. Try and make a name for myself and help the team any way I can.

“It’s been kind of a rollercoaster ride so far. I didn’t expect it to happen this fast. I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities and I just want to make the most of it.”

Manson has been soaring in the Ducks’ eyes for a while since they drafted him in the sixth round in 2011. But the plan was to have the young defender play a ton of minutes in the American Hockey League for their team, the Norfolk Admirals.

Plans have a way of changing in the physical sport that is hockey. Bryan Allen was already out because of a lower-body injury, Ben Lovejoy broke his finger during a fight and Mark Fistric hurt his back, which necessitated Manson’s call-up from Norfolk.

Manson made his debut Oct. 31 in Dallas. He has been scratched just once since and his role expanded when Francois Beauchemin fell ill. And his play effectively pushed him past Allen, who was ultimately shipped to Montreal on Thursday.

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said Manson has played only one bad game and is most impressed with his poise on the ice.

“The words that I heard were he’s a good player and he’s got a future,” Boudreau said. “I didn’t know it’d come this quick.”

Manson experienced the thrill of playing his first NHL game with his father, Dave, watching him when the Ducks were in Calgary. Now an assistant coach with the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders, Dave Manson played in 1,103 games as a defenseman with six teams.

The elder Manson chartered a bus for 30 family members and friends for the eight-hour trip from Saskatchewan.

“It was amazing,” Josh said. “Just knowing he’s in the stands. Him being able to come out and watch. It’s tough when he’s coaching. His schedule’s just as busy as mine. So for him to be able to come out like that, it was amazing.”

RETURN OF MUMPS?

The Ducks might not be done with the mumps yet. Defenseman Clayton Stoner was held out because of what the club said was some symptoms associated with the disease, which Corey Perry and Beauchemin dealt with earlier this month.

Stoner didn’t finish practice Saturday, but is believed to have begun feeling the symptoms come on when the Ducks were in Vancouver. The club said that Stoner has not been diagnosed with the mumps virus, though he is expected to be re-examined.

The virus knocked Perry and Beauchemin out for five games each. Beauchemin was playing in his second game since making a full recovery.

BOURQUE DEBUTS

Rene Bourque made his Ducks debut after being acquired from the Canadiens for Allen. Bourque played on the fourth line and had three shots on goal along with three credited hits.

“He did good,” Boudreau said. “I didn’t want to put him in a position late in the third there that it became a problem. He doesn’t know completely the systems yet. You could tell there was a little confusion in the first period on a couple of shifts.

“But he hit some guys. He got some shots on goal. I thought he played OK.”

With Bourque coming into the lineup, Emerson Etem was scratched for the first time.

NOTES

Center William Karlsson has recovered from a nasty bout of the stomach flu and should be ready to resume practicing. Karlsson has missed three games. … Andrew Cogliano is now the active NHL leader in consecutive games played with 562. An injury to St. Louis defenseman Jay Bouwmeester ended his run Sunday at 737, which ranks fifth all-time.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Ducks delighted to beat Coyotes in regulation

BY ERIC STEPHENS / STAFF WRITER

Published: Nov. 23, 2014 Updated: 9:45 p.m.

ANAHEIM – Relief came in various forms on Sunday night for the Ducks, whom we know will often take the toughest path to their desired destination.

Patrick Maroon snapped out of his lengthy season-opening slump. Frederik Andersen made the big saves as he did during his early winning streak. And the Ducks didn’t blow a two-goal lead and need to put in overtime to taste victory.

Maroon scored his first goal and the Ducks would need it for the decisive margin as they held on for a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes in front of an announced 15,928 at Honda Center.

Kyle Palmieri also scored and Andersen stopped 26 shots in his sharpest outing over his past few starts as the Pacific Division-leading Ducks (13-4-5) won their second straight. They’ve also gained points in 10 out of their past 11 games.

The Ducks also avoided overtime after going beyond regulation play in eight of their previous 10 contests. Two key penalty kills in the third period and Andersen’s work in goal took care of that.

“I would have liked a 6-0 game,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “But it’s good to finally get a game that you succeed in that doesn’t go to overtime.”

Arizona goalie Mike Smith was doing all he could to keep the Ducks from blowing the game open early. It remained scoreless after the first 20 minutes because he stopped all 12 shots he faced while the Coyotes were being badly outplayed.

It took a blunder of his own doing for the Ducks to finally get a puck by him. As he went behind the net to play a puck dumped there by Palmieri, Smith lost his balance and fell backward to the ice.

Hopelessly out of position, Smith was nowhere to be found near his net and Ducks center Ryan Kesler eventually got the puck toward the slot area. Palmieri followed the play and deposited the piece of rubber into the empty cage for a 1-0 lead.

“Yeah, that was nice,” Palmieri said. “When I saw him go down, I didn’t see Kes at that point. I saw him get the puck and I just went to the front of the net. He just threw it and it happened to find my stick.

“It was definitely a lucky one. I’ll take it.”

Maroon doubled the advantage when he got position on Arizona defenseman Michael Stone in the slot and swept in a rebound that was created by Sami Vatanen's point shot. He hadn’t scored a goal in the regular season since last year’s finale against Colorado.

After the puck went in, Maroon put his arms in the air and admitted that he exhaled “a little bit.”

“I think there’s more to my game I can give every night,” Maroon said. “Tonight was a steppingstone for me. I just got to continue to do that.”

Arizona (9-11-2) put a big push on in the third but Andersen was up to the task, making 17 of his saves there. Keith Yandle did cut into the lead at the 8:56 mark but Andersen and the Ducks killed off two Coyotes power plays, including one for 41 seconds to end the game.

“I think we got to learn to play with a lead a little better and finish them off instead of inviting them back in,” Andersen said. “We did a good job in the (first) 40 minutes. It was kind of easy for me.”

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Anaheim Ducks mostly get it right in victory over Arizona Coyotes

By Elliott Teaford, Daily Breeze

POSTED: 11/23/14, 9:21 PM PST | UPDATED: 17 SECS AGO # COMMENTS

The Ducks dominated the first 40 minutes of Sunday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes at the Honda Center. They scored twice in the pivotal second period and might have held a larger lead if not for the superb goaltending of Mike Smith.

Then came the inevitable letdown, when the Ducks halted their aggressive attack and adopted a defensive stance. Instead of pushing for more, they retreated and watched the Coyotes swarm their net in an attempt to rally in the third period.

The Coyotes cracked goalie Frederik Andersen only once, however, and the Ducks held on for a perfectly imperfect 2-1 victory. The Western Conference-leading Ducks (13-4-5) won their second consecutive game and recorded at least one point for the 10th time in 11 games.

“I think we’re way too tentative in the third period with a lead,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I think that comes from playing so many overtime and close games. The more we play these close games the better off we’ll be as we go forward.”

Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon scored for the Ducks in the second period, and Andersen made 26 saves while improving to 9-2-4. Maroon’s goal was his first of 2014-15. Keith Yandle scored the Coyotes’ only goal, which cut the Ducks’ lead to 2-1 at 8:56 of the third.

“This was the first real Freddie performance we’ve seen (in a while) and he made some big saves in the third period when he needed to, and that’s what we’ve become accustomed to, watching him play like that,” Boudreau said after Andersen stopped 16 shots in the final period.

Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner was scratched from the game after coming down with symptoms similar to the cases of the mumps that sidelined defenseman Francois Beauchemin and right wing Corey Perry earlier this month.

A team spokesman said the move was only precautionary and that Stoner hadn’t been diagnosed with mumps. Stoner practiced Saturday with his teammates, who were inoculated in the days after the initial diagnosis of mumps in Beauchemin and Perry on Nov. 12.

Meanwhile, veteran winger Rene Bourque made his Ducks debut after he was acquired Thursday from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Bryan Allen. Bourque had three shots on goal and three hits in 9:54 of ice time.

Boudreau said he didn’t wish to overload Bourque, who only practiced once with the Ducks. Bourque skated on the Ducks’ fourth line, joining center Rickard Rakell and right wing Devante Smith-Pelly, and they had several quality shifts in the first two periods.

“He did good,” Boudreau said of Bourque, who played only two shifts in the third. “He doesn’t know the systems completely yet. You could see there was some confusion in the first period. But he hit some guys. He got some good shots on goal. I thought he played OK.”

LA Daily News: LOADED: 11.24.2014

757710 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes' quiet offense results in loss to Anaheim Ducks

Sarah McLellan, azcentral sports 11:31 p.m. MST November 23, 2014

ANAHEIM – The Coyotes made only one lineup change from Saturday's photo finish in San Jose, subbing out their goaltenders, but that wasn't enough to combat the fatigue that was bogging everyone else down.

Goalie Mike Smith had two days' rest before suiting up Sunday to take on the Ducks, and that extra energy came in handy as Smith was the busiest among the Coyotes.

But the players in front of him weren't able to generate much of anything through the first two periods, and by the time they found their legs, they ran out of time to complete a rally and instead fell 2-1 to the Ducks in front of 15,928 at Honda Center to close out their three-game road trip with two points out of a possible six.

"We played the first two periods like we expected to be tired," Smith said. "You gotta push through that. Tired is a bad excuse. A lot of teams in this league are tired."

BOX SCORE: Ducks 2, Coyotes 1

A pair of goals – one of which saw the Ducks capitalize with Smith out of his net – in a span of 3:12 in the second period were the difference makers with winger Patrick Maroon scoring one and assisting on the other.

That cushion was enough to withstand a frenetic push in the third by the Coyotes – their best effort in the game. They outshot the Ducks 17-5, had three power play chances that despite not converting produced momentum, and ultimately moved within one on a goal from defenseman Keith Yandle.

"Third period was an indication that we weren't that tired because we came out with a lot of jump and did the things that we needed to do from the start of the game," Smith said. "Unfortunately, it was a little too late."

But Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen, who finished with 26 saves, was hardly noticeable in the early going. He was tested only four times in the first and another six times in the second. Smith, meanwhile, made 12 of his 28 saves in the first to keep it scoreless.

"Mike was excellent," coach Dave Tippett said. "He took the responsibility, and he knew we were going to be in a tough situation, tough turnaround. I loved the way he came out and played. He battled. Without him in the first couple of periods, that's not even a game we can come close to getting into. He did his job."

The trip finale came less than 19 hours after the Coyotes posted a much-deserved 4-3 win shootout win over the Sharks. With that in mind, Tippett gave Smith the start even though backup Devan Dubnyk was steady in a 40-save win over the Sharks.

Coach Dave Tippett and defenseman Keith Yandle react to the loss.

"I knew I needed to come out with a good performance and for the most part, I thought it was there," Smith said. "It's a result-based industry, though. At the end of the day, we lost the game. It'd be easy for me to sit here and say I feel about it. But, realistically, it's not. It's not good enough.

"Gotta get back on track here and as a group, we need to find consistency in our game. We can't be winning one game, losing two, winning two, losing one. This is what's gone on the last two years, and we understand that needs to stop."

In the second period, Smith left his crease to corral a dump-in behind the net, but he lost his balance and fell. What's more, defenseman Zbynek Michalek fell on Smith, preventing him from getting back to his crease, and the Ducks' Kyle Palmieri buried the puck into the yawning cage at 14:08.

"Heel pick caught a rut in the ice," Smith said.

NOTES: Devan Dubnyk builds his case

The Ducks made it 2-0 at 17:20 after Maroon spun off defender Michael Stone and one-timed a rebound past Smith.

The Coyotes were unsuccessful on their first power-play chance in the third but made it 2-1 after Martin Erat sent the puck toward the middle of the ice, and a pinching Yandle was there to deliver the one-timer at 8:56.

The Coyotes had two more power plays in the period with one developing into a brief 6-on-4 but couldn't find the equalizer.

"We got players that have played all right, but we need better than all right from a lot of players," Tippett said. "In a game like that, really hard circumstances, it's a really good test for people. You find out a lot about your team, who's willing to play at the next level in games like that."

Report

Key player

Ducks winger Patrick Maroon had a goal and an assist.

Key moment

Goalie Mike Smith fell behind the net while trying to play a dump-in and with the crease empty, Ducks winger Kyle Palmieri buried the puck at 14:08 of the second period.

Key number

10 shots by the Coyotes through the first two periods.

View from the press box

Clearly, this was a challenging back-to-back, especially after going to a shootout in San Jose the night before, but considering where they are in the standings, the Coyotes can't afford to have letdowns like this. Much of their offensive success stems from work ethic – a stubborn cycle, eager forecheck and tenaciousness along the boards. That was missing against the Ducks for too much of the game and was reflected in how little Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen was tested in the early stages.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.24.2014


Arizona Coyotes backup goalie Devan Dubnyk builds case for more opportunities


ANAHEIM – After a 40-save performance Saturday against the Sharks that included three more stops in a shootout, Coyotes backup Devan Dubnyk was in his usual spot at the end of the Coyotes' bench Sunday against the Ducks while No. 1

Mike Smith earned the start to close out a three-game road trip.

"Devan had a lot of work (Saturday) night. That's a heavy game for him," coach Dave Tippett said. "We've got two goaltenders that we believe in. It's an opportunity for Mike to jump in and give us a good game."

Dubnyk improved to 5-0-1 with a 2.34 goals-against average and .926 save percentage – which is tied for the seventh-best clip in the NHL along with Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury and Florida's Roberto Luongo. Following the win over the Sharks, Dubnyk had backstopped the Coyotes to 11 of the team's 20 points – production that only helps his case for more playing time.

"We're a results-orientated business," Tippett said. "Those things we'll continue to monitor. He's certainly not hurting his chances to do that."

Back on track

It had been 46 games since he last scored, but defenseman David Schlemko remembered the goal clearly.

"It was on Barbs (former Coyotes backup Jason LaBarbera), and he texted me after the game," Schlemko said with a laugh.

That goal came Oct. 26, 2013 against the Oilers, so there was certainly a feeling of relief with his first-period marker Saturday against the Sharks – especially since a week prior Schlemko cleared waivers and was assigned to the American Hockey League. He was quickly recalled, though, before he could make the cross-country trip to Portland, Maine, because of an injury to Brandon Gormley.

"I give him a lot of credit," Tippett said. "That's a tough week when you go through waivers. That's a little bit of a wakeup call, and he's come in and played very well."

But the goal – Schlemko's second point in as many games – wasn't the only encouraging aspect of his night as Schlemko also blocked five shots.

"It's a start," he said. "It's always nice to contribute on the scoreboard. I think I can still bring a little more. That's tough when you've only played once a week or so for a little bit so just trying to get into a rhythm and get some consistency."

Iron men

Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester had played in 737 consecutive regular-season games until Sunday when he was held out of the lineup with a lower-body injury against the Jets. The streak was the longest in professional sports.

The three NHLers previously trailing Bouwmeester were all on the ice for Sunday's meeting between the Coyotes and Ducks. With Bouwmeester's reign of reliability over, Ducks center Andrew Cogliano is the new league leader at 562. Coyotes center Antoine Vermette (415) is second, while defenseman Keith Yandle now sits third (407).

Injury update

Center Martin Hanzal skated Sunday morning but wasn't ready to play against the Ducks, missing a fourth straight game with a lower-body injury.

"I think Tuesday (against the Avalanche) is a real possibility if he keeps progressing like he is," Tippett said.

The team's 2014 first-round pick Brendan Perlini, who suffered a broken bone in his right hand during training camp, has been given clearance to start using a stick and has resumed practicing with the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League. The 12th overall pick is scheduled to receive an X-ray Dec. 1 in Ontario.

"If it looks good, then he'll have the green light to play," General Manager Don Maloney said.



Game day: Coyotes at Ducks


Coyotes (9-10-2) at Ducks (12-4-5)

Puck drop: Sunday at 6 p.m.

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620).

Possible Coyotes lines:

Korpikoski-Vermette-Boedker

Rieder-Gagner-Doan

Lessio-Chipchura-Erat

McMillan-Vitale-Crombeen

Ekman-Larsson-Michalek

Yandle-Murphy

Schlemko-Stone

Smith

Potential scratches: Hanzal, Klinkhammer and Schlemko.

Injury update: Center Martin Hanzal (lower-body injury) remains day-to-day. Winger Dave Moss is week-to-week with an upper-body injury after blocking a shot with his hand.

Possible Ducks lines:

Maroon-Getzlaf-Perry

Palmieri-Kesler-Beleskey

Silfverberg-Thompson-Cogliano

Etem-Rakell-Smith-Pelly

Lindholm-Beauchemin

Fowler-Vatanen

Manson-Stoner

Andersen

Potential scratches: Bourque, Jackman and Clark.

Injury update: Defenseman Ben Lovejoy (finger), goalie John Gibson (groin) and winger Dany Heatley (groin).

Goalie Mike Smith returns to the crease against the Ducks after backup Devan Dubnyk played Saturday in San Jose:

"Devan had a lot of work last night," coach Dave Tippett said. "That's a heavy game for him. We've got two goaltenders that we believe in. It's an opportunity for Mike to jump in and give us a good game. We played here a few weeks ago, and Mike played a very strong game for us and won in a shootout so we expect him to come in and play well again."

On Tobias Rieder, who had an assist and four shots in 17:24 of ice time against the Sharks:

"He's a really smart player," Tippett said. 'He's on the puck. He does little things right, and he's going to be a really good player in the NHL for a long time."

On Hanzal's injury status:

"I think Tuesday is real possibility if he keeps progressing like he is," Tippett said.

--Center Antoine Vermette leads the Coyotes with four power play goals.

--Captain Shane Doan's seven road goals are tied for the most in the NHL.

--Doan has five points in his last five games against the Ducks.

--The Coyotes have scored five power play goals in their last six games.

--Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf has seven multi-point games this season.

--Winger Corey Perry ranks fifth among NHL leaders in shooting percentage (23.4).

--The Ducks have the league's sixth-best faceoff win percentage (52.6).

--Defenseman Sami Vatanen has points in seven of his last eight games.



Coyotes can't get offense going, fall to Ducks

AP

NOV 23, 2014 10:47p ET SHARE 0 TWEET 0 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After going three weeks without a win in regulation, the Anaheim Ducks were in desperate need of a break. Fortunately, Arizona Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith obliged with a slip-and-fall straight out of the Keystone Kops.

Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon each scored a goal, and Ryan Kesler had two assists in the Ducks' 2-1 victory over the Coyotes on Sunday night.

"This team has played a lot of hockey, and everyone in this locker room is a little glad we kept it at 60 minutes tonight," Palmieri said.

Frederik Andersen stopped 26 shots for the Ducks, who extended their unbeaten streak against the Coyotes to seven games. And while the Ducks (13-4-5) have maintained their lead in the Western Conference despite a string of overtimes, they played the third period like a team fearful of seeing another game go past regulation.

"Once we got that two-goal lead we gave away the initiative again," Andersen said. "We got to learn to play with the lead a little bit better and learn to finish them off instead of inviting them back in."

Keith Yandle scored and Mike Smith made 28 saves for the Coyotes, who ended their three-game road trip in comically frustrating fashion. Smith lost his footing trying to play the puck behind his own goal in the second period, and teammate Zbynek Michalek landed on top of him.

They left a gaping net for Palmieri after Kesler collected the misplayed puck and calmly delivered it for the game's opening goal.

"He's very good at playing the puck and everyone in the league knows that," said Palmieri, acknowledging that the plan was actually to keep the puck away from Smith. "It was not a great dump by me, but, hey, it worked out and was a great goal for us."

Ducks 2, Coyotes 1

Box score

NHL standings

Barely three minutes later, Maroon knocked home the rebound off Sami Vatanen's thunderous shot from the point for the 2-0 advantage. Kesler won the faceoff and dropped the puck right back to Vatanen, giving him 11 assists this season.

Those two sequences were a stark reversal from the play that preceded it, with Smith making a number of decisive saves for the Coyotes (9-11-2) and the Ducks wasting their most promising scoring opportunities.

"They were dominating us and the only reason it wasn't 4-0 after the first was because of him," Yandle said of Smith. "He made huge saves, timely saves. He was awesome for us and we weren't able to help him out."

After Yandle scored with 11:04 remaining, the Coyotes couldn't force overtime even with two late power plays. Shane Doan drew a holding penalty on a near-breakaway 46 seconds after Yandle's goal and Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin was called cross-checking with 36.6 seconds left.

"I think we are still way too tentative in the third period with a lead, but I think quite frankly that comes with playing so many overtime and close games," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "The more we get to hold these leads, the better we'll be as we go forward."Newly acquired forward Rene Bourque made his debut for the Ducks, who couldn't crack Smith on numerous scoring chances before his awkward tumble to the ice. Anaheim traded defenseman Bryan Allen to Montreal in exchange for Bourque, who skated largely on a line with Devante Smith-Pelly and Rickard Rakell.

Before the Ducks scored their two second-period goals, Corey Perry and Maroon had several whacks at the puck from close range early in the second period. Hampus Lindholm also couldn't follow up on a promising rebound off Smith-Pelly's blistering one-timer.

"Mike was excellent," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "He took the responsibility. He knew we were going to be in a tough situation, a tough turnaround. He did his job."

Smith wanted no part of that praise, calling the game a "results-based industry."

"We have to get back on track here," Smith said. "As a group, we need to find consistency in our game."

On that, both the Ducks and Coyotes can agree.

NOTES: Ducks D Clayton Stoner was held out with possible mumps symptoms and will undergo further evaluation. Perry and Beauchemin each previously missed five games with the virus, which is characterized by the swelling of salivary glands and flu-like symptoms including fever and aches. ... Mat Clark took Stoner's spot in the lineup. ... The Coyotes entered the game with the second-best power play on the road in the NHL this season at 27.8 percent, but did not score on any of their three opportunities with the man-advantage.

foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 11.24.2014

757714 Boston Bruins

Bruins will recall David Pastrnak from Providence

By Fluto ShinzawaGLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 24, 2014

The Bruins will recall 18-year-old David Pastrnak from Providence in advance of Monday’s game against Pittsburgh, according to a team source. The New England Hockey Journal first reported the transaction.

The Bruins picked Pastrnak 25th overall in the 2014 draft. In 17 games for Providence, Pastrnak has five goals and 13 assists for 18 points, most of any rookie in the AHL. Pastrnak did not play in Providence’s 5-4 loss to Springfield on Sunday.

The Bruins were thrilled with Pastrnak’s play during their summer development camp and in a four-team rookie tournament in Nashville prior to training camp. Pastrnak’s performance put him in consideration to start the season with the varsity, but a shoulder injury during main camp limited him to only two preseason games.

The right wing is a dynamic and skilled offensive player. He has played most of the season with Alexander Khokhlachev, who centered the fourth line between Matt Lindblad and Matt Fraser in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Montreal. Khokhlachev and Pastrnak could be reunited against the Penguins.

The Bruins are averaging 2.5 goals per game.

A place at the table

The Bruins take Thanksgiving seriously, and not because of Gregory Campbell’s tradition of delivering pies on the holiday.

The Bruins believe in the notion that if you are among the conference’s top eight by Thanksgiving, your chances of qualifying for the playoffs are very good.

The Bruins have made the playoffs in each of coach Claude Julien’s first seven seasons in Boston. Of the six full seasons — not counting the 2012-13 lockout year — they’ve been in the top eight at Thanksgiving.

In those six seasons, teams in the top eight in each conference had an 82.3 percent chance of retaining their position and making the playoffs.

Last year, Toronto (sixth place at Thanksgiving) and Washington (eighth) tumbled out of the top eight and were replaced by Columbus (12th) and Philadelphia (13th). In the Western Conference, the Stars (12th) were the only team outside the top eight to make the playoffs. Otherwise, 13 of the 16 top-eight Thanksgiving teams qualified for the postseason.

When the turkeys go in ovens Thursday, the Bruins will be in a top-eight position. They are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points. A win Monday over Pittsburgh, however, will make them even more comfortable.

If they skate and manage the puck against the Penguins as well as they did against the Canadiens Saturday, they’ll put themselves in position to enter the holiday with 28 points. Despite Saturday’s 2-0 loss, the Bruins did not have any complaints about their effort or execution. Their only lament was their inability to score a greasy goal on Carey Price. It did not help that they were missing a forward from each of their top three lines.

“You almost need a perfect game,” said Julien. “You need a bounce here or there.”

The Bruins will be hunting for that perfect game against Pittsburgh. The Penguins lost to the Islanders Saturday, 4-1. But the Penguins are arguably the most complete team in the Eastern Conference. They are 5 points behind top-seeded Montreal, but Pittsburgh has an NHL-best plus-25 goal differential.

It will not help that the Bruins will be shorthanded once more. Zdeno Chara and Adam McQuaid will not play. David Krejci, Brad Marchand, and Chris Kelly, all missing against Montreal, could be out again.

Julien made the most of the situation Saturday. He assembled two good lines: Carl Soderberg centering Milan Lucic and Loui Eriksson, and Patrice Bergeron between Reilly Smith and Seth Griffith. The beefy Soderberg line played a heavy game, combining for 11 of the Bruins’ 33 shots on Price.

They will be together against the Penguins if Krejci, Marchand, and Kelly remain unavailable.

The challenge for Soderberg’s line and the other nine forwards will be to apply the last bit of pressure down low. Against the Canadiens, they gained the zone and possessed the puck. But they couldn’t breach Montreal’s net-front formation to make life tough on Price.

“I thought we played a real hard, competitive game,” Lucic said. “We could have been hungrier around their net to find loose pucks and create more second-chance opportunities. We just have to focus on playing a strong team game, and know that if you do that, it will give you success.”

Chara on long term IR

The Bruins placed Chara on long-term injured reserve. This maneuver allowed the Bruins to exceed the cap by part of Chara’s $6,916,667 annual hit to bring up Lindblad and Jordan Caron on an emergency basis. Had the Bruins not used the long-term exception with Chara, they would not have had enough space to recall both players. Because Chara is on long-term injured reserve, he is ineligible to play for 10 games and 24 calendar days. Both thresholds already have been met. Chara tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Oct. 23 . . . The Bruins returned Lindblad and Caron to Providence Sunday. Both were eligible to play in Providence’s game against Springfield. Lindblad played on the fourth line with Khokhlachev and Fraser. Caron was a healthy scratch . . . When the Bruins are at full strength, Torey Krug is usually the left-side defenseman on the No. 3 pairing. But because of injuries to Chara and McQuaid, Krug is playing the right side next to Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins matched Krug and Seidenberg mostly against Montreal’s Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec, and Brendan Gallagher. Krug recorded his first NHL fight when he tangled with Galchenyuk in the third . . . The Bruins had Sunday off.

Boston Globe LOADED: 11.24.2014


Tuukka Rask’s position clear on subject of shot-blocking

By Fluto ShinzawaGLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 23, 2014

There are many reasons why Tuukka Rask plays goalie for the Bruins. He’s played the position his entire life. He’s very good at it. He’s wearing gear that protects him from frozen pucks that angry men shoot his way at 100 miles per hour.

Stopping the puck is Rask’s job. Not that of his teammates.

“Just stay in the lane and try not to play goalie,” Rask said of what he wants from the men in front of him. “A lot of times when you try to stop it like a goalie, you open up holes and screen the goalie even more. Our guys do a pretty good job of focusing on the puck, staying in the lane, and not trying to do too much.”

Goalies such as Rask are playing the position better than ever. If they see the puck, they’re going to stop it. Even if they don’t see it, they’re big and technical enough to get into position and be stop-and-block robots.

Yet the game continues to emphasize the significance of blocking shots, regardless of the hazards that are inherent in the practice.

A defenseman who steps in front of a shot takes away his goalie’s eyes. The puck may glance off a defenseman’s stick or body, causing a late deflection that catches a goalie with his pants down. The frozen hunk of rubber can break bones of players who are not armored up like a goalie, making them unavailable for months (see Adam McQuaid and his broken thumb) when it might have been preferable just to get the heck out of the way.

McQuaid was unlucky. Kevin Shattenkirk’s slap shot hit McQuaid when he opened his right hand and exposed an unprotected patch. But there are other areas where skaters are at risk of injury. Trouble spots include ankles, toes, inside of the feet, and faces. A goalie wears gear that covers all these areas.

“I don’t think I’m ready to change a philosophy because of that one injury,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “You have to think about those things when they happen. How can we make it better? Right now, I don’t have the solution. I think there’s a lot more good things coming out of blocking shots right now than negative.”

As an example, Julien points to the strategy of turning a blocked shot into a scoring chance the other way. If an opposing defenseman winds up for a point shot, two things can happen. One of the defending forwards can close on the defenseman at the point. In front of the net, a defending defenseman can fill the shooting lane and front the down-low forward.

There are two possible results: The forward can block the shot and slip away. Or the net-front defenseman can step in front of the shot and hit the forward for a breakaway. These two maneuvers can turn an opposing shot into a Grade-A scoring chance.

The Canadiens are among the best in the league at pulling this off. They pack it in defensively and blow the zone after a blocked shot.

Rask doesn’t mind when forwards challenge the points. That’s their job. Even if they prevent him from seeing the shooter’s release, there’s enough distance between the shot and the net for Rask to pick up its trajectory and slide into the right position.

But when his defensemen try to block shots, more things can go wrong.

“The D’s should take their man instead of focusing on blocking the shot if they’re in position of taking their man,” Rask said. “That’s how we got burned earlier in the year. Guys were focusing on the puck and trying to block it. They forgot about the other guy. There’s a shot, rebound, and an empty net.”

The NHL’s shot-blocking statistics are not entirely reliable. Off-ice officials at one rink may count more blocks than those from another arena. But entering the weekend, the five teams credited with the most blocks were Calgary, Montreal, Buffalo, Colorado, and Arizona. Only the Flames and Canadiens are in playoff position, and they are both being outshot and

outpossessed, which signal a decline in future performance. Teams that are blocking more shots are generally chasing the puck instead of controlling it.

Coaches may not want their players to change their shot-blocking approaches. They like how a blocked shot can scrub out a chance. Blocking a shot shows that a player is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the team, which pleases every man standing behind a bench.

But if the players listened to their goalies before their coaches, they would step in front of pucks only when a full and complete block is possible.

“If you’re going to be in front, you’d better block it,” Torey Krug said. “If it gets through, you can get screwed. It’s got to be 100 percent.”

Blues were in no rush to promote Allen

Cam Ward was 21 years old when he backstopped Carolina to the Stanley Cup. Marc-Andre Fleury was also 21 when he became a full-time NHLer. John Gibson was 20 when he appeared in four playoff games last season.

These goalies are the exception. Jake Allen is a better example of reality.

Allen is 24 years old. He was St. Louis’s second-round pick in 2008. He did not become a full-time NHL goalie until this year. By then, Drew Doughty, who also was selected in 2008, had won two Cups and dressed in 442 NHL games.

There is no rushing goalies, even a high-pedigree one such as Allen, who was the fourth netminder drafted in 2008 (Chet Pickard, Tom McCollum, and Jacob Markstrom went before him).

“I felt I could have played up here last year, as well,” said Allen. “But I wanted to go back down and play as many games as I could.”

Allen did just that for Chicago, St. Louis’s AHL affiliate. Allen dressed in a career-high 52 games. He responded to the heavy workload by posting a 33-16-3 record with a 2.03 goals-against average and .928 save percentage, all career bests. Had the Blues tried to accelerate Allen’s development, he might not have learned how to win in the AHL and bring that performance up to the varsity.

“Rebounds, learning the game, being a student of the game, understanding what’s going on around you constantly,” Allen said of the things he worked on in the AHL. “Guys are so much smarter, quicker, faster. It’s just knowing yourself and knowing the little details that are going to make the difference. Once you figure that out, most goalies will be all right.”

This season, Allen is 5-2-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .922 save percentage. With Allen supporting starter Brian Elliott, the Blues have the best GAA in the league (2.00). They are especially stingy in five-on-five play, where through 19 games their save percentage was .940.

But where Allen has made his biggest contribution is on the payroll. Ryan Miller, acquired from Buffalo last season, never adjusted to the Blues’ system. Miller did not do anything in the playoffs to merit more years in St. Louis. But the Blues’ decision to say goodbye to Miller coincided with Allen’s graduation from the AHL. Had Allen not been ready, general manager Doug Armstrong would have had to explore secondary options to complement Elliott.

Miller is costing Vancouver $6 million per season for three years. Allen is in the second season of a two-year, $1.6 million contract. The Blues applied the savings toward skaters such as Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera, two of their top three centers. Stastny was Armstrong’s big-ticket signing, one that also made division rival Colorado much weaker. Lehtera, meanwhile, has been centering Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz on the league’s most explosive line.

Allen may become the ace. But the Blues are being patient. Last week, Allen was the last player off the TD Garden ice following the morning skate. With help from the healthy scratches, goaltending coach Jim Corsi ran Allen through multiple drills.

The previous evening, Corsi was in Toronto, attending the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Dominik Hasek, his former pupil in Buffalo. In terms of teachers, Allen’s got one of the best.

Dry run prior to OT didn’t work out well

There was universal agreement on the failure of the pre-overtime dry scrape, which the GMs agreed to ditch after a little more than a month of play. The Zambonis took too long — more than six minutes, in some cases — to remove the snow from the ice at the end of regulation.

It killed the buzz in the building. TV viewers clicked to other channels. Some never returned. The players’ legs went away as they sat on the bench.

But two good things came from the experiment:

First, the GMs tried something new to decrease the number of games going to shootouts, the red nose and clown shoes of hockey. It is a cheap and degrading gimmick that turns outcomes into coin flips. They believed a no-snow zone would make for cleaner skating, better passes, and more scoring chances.

Second, the GMs recognized it wasn’t working and eliminated it immediately.

The NHL is not one for on-the-fly changes. Its stewards prefer to evaluate new ideas through time and data. The GMs like conducting breakout groups to discuss granular segments of the game. They look to other leagues such as the AHL, which has implemented three-on-three play in overtime, as test labs before trying changes in the NHL.

This time, common sense worked out. The GMs acknowledged that humans pushing shovels would do the job faster and just as well as Zambonis.

Adam Clendening takes advantage of first shot

Former Boston University defenseman Adam Clendening launched his NHL career in the best way possible: by scoring his first career goal. On Thursday, in Chicago’s 4-3 win over Calgary, Clendening one-timed his first NHL shot past Flames goalie Jonas Hiller. Clendening became the third current Blackhawk to score on his first shot, joining Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks promoted Clendening to replace fellow Hockey East alum Trevor van Riemsdyk, who is out 3-4 months because of a broken kneecap. If Clendening can prove he is worthy of NHL play, he could be a full-time replacement next season for Michal Rozsival, who will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. The Blackhawks are not likely to re-sign the 36-year-old Rozsival.

Andrej Sekera’s price is increasing

On July 1, Andrej Sekera will become very rich. The Hurricane will be the most sought-after defenseman in unrestricted free agency because of his smooth skating and steady three-zone play. The left-shot Sekera will be 29 years old then, still well within the sweet spot of his career. So it stands to reason that the small-market Hurricanes will not be in a good position to re-up Sekera before then, considering he could do much better on the free market. Carolina’s top-heavy deals, such as those for Eric Staal ($8.25 million annually), Alexander Semin ($7 million), Cam Ward ($6.3 million), and Jordan Staal ($6 million) will not leave GM Ron Francis much wiggle room to bring back a dependable defenseman such as Sekera. Trading Sekera is the more likely scenario.

Vladimir Sobotka hasn’t been missed

The Blues took a hit this summer when ex-Bruin Vladimir Sobotka signed to play in the KHL. Sobotka was a favorite of coach Ken Hitchcock because of his abrasive play and three-zone work in the middle. But the Blues have survived the departure of their do-it-all forward. They re-signed Steve Ott, their fourth-line center. Some of Sobotka’s shifts have gone to Jori Lehtera, who’s taken off with the opportunity. The 26-year-old Lehtera, St. Louis’s third-round pick in 2008, plays a creative but dependable two-way game. The Blues retain control over Sobotka if the center opts to return to the NHL. But there may not be room for him in St. Louis.

Marian Hossa not hitting his target

The Blackhawks entered this weekend in seventh place in the Western Conference, which is not a spot they are used to seeing. But their spot in the standings does not reflect their overall play. Chicago remains the league’s elite puck-possession team in even-strength play. Their star players are healthy. Corey Crawford has been excellent (8-4-1, 1.97 GAA, .926 save percentage). Their main issue has been bad luck, with Marian Hossa being front and center. The do-it-all wing always has the puck on his stick. It’s just that when it comes off his blade, it’s not going in the net. Through 19 games, Hossa had buried only 3.4 percent of his shots, the worst shooting percentage of his career. Hossa had only two goals on 58 shots. By comparison, Hossa scored 30 goals on 241 shots last season (12.4 percent). He didn’t forget how to score. Those shots will start going in.

Doubleheader for Rocco Grimaldi

On Tuesday, San Antonio, Florida’s AHL affiliate, hosted Oklahoma City at the AT&T Center at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time. That was a good thing for Rocco

Grimaldi and the Panthers. That morning, prior to Florida’s night game in Los Angeles, the Panthers learned that Aleksander Barkov would be unavailable to play because he was sick. This left the Panthers a forward short. So two periods into San Antonio’s game against Oklahoma City, Grimaldi scooted out of the rink with his gear, returned to his home, then made the 1,300-mile flight to Los Angeles. After landing three AHL shots on goal that morning, the 21-year-old Grimaldi recorded two NHL shots in 10:36 of ice time that night. Must be nice to be young.

Loose pucks

There aren’t many defensive pairings better than Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo. Among some of the elite duos — Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty being others — Bouwmeester and Pietrangelo are probably the best at executing rapid regroups because of their skating and vision. This keeps opponents from changing lines or getting set defensively . . . The prompt canning of the dry scrape has left some networks scrambling. Because they had projected a five-minute pause after regulation, they had sold part of the time to advertisers. Now that the post-regulation window is down to approximately two minutes, the networks are trying to give back some of that sold time elsewhere in their broadcasts . . . For the Maple Leafs, there was one good thing about Nashville’s 9-2 thrashing of Toronto on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre. At Columbus’s Nationwide Arena, the ear-wrecking cannon blasts after every home goal. Had the Leafs been in Columbus for the nine-spot, everybody in the building would have reported to the nearest emergency room with eardrum damage.

Boston Globe LOADED: 11.24.2014


Bruins stay positive as injuries mount

Monday, November 24, 2014 PrintEmailComments

Matt Kalman

“Who’s next?”

Or maybe the better question would be, “Am I next?”

The Bruins don’t have the luxury of sitting around asking those questions. The only question they can ask, even as another player seemingly gets injured and leaves the lineup every day, is, “How can I do my best to help this team win?”

That’s the message from president Cam Neely.

“I think, as a player, you can’t think about who’s not in the lineup,” said Neely, whose team hosts Pittsburgh tonight at the Garden. “You just have to worry about your game and what you’re supposed to do out there. And then as an individual, when you do that as a team, you can collectively play better.

“You know, you start worrying who’s not in your lineup then you’re going to feel sorry for yourself or start making excuses that we would be better if . . .

“And I think when you start to say, ‘OK, here’s the guys that are lacing up and hitting the ice. This is what we’ve got.’ And go out and compete and work hard.”

So far that mindset has worked. The Bruins are 9-4-0 without defenseman Zdeno Chara and 6-5-0 without center David Krejci, inarguably the two most important players who have missed extended periods of games this season. Overall they’re 13-9-0, which was good enough as of yesterday morning for a postseason spot as the third-place team in the Atlantic Division.

The Bruins have weathered the storm even as they’ve lost 53 man games to injuries through 22 contests.

“It’s tough because you know in this locker room we have a lot of great chemistry and guys are close and you don’t want to see anybody get hurt,” defenseman Torey Krug said. “But as it is, these guys come up from Providence and it’s exciting to see them play in NHL action because they’re excited about the opportunity. So it’s definitely tough to see the regulars go down, but guys step in and do a good job.”

Obviously the Bruins don’t have an equivalent for Chara, Krejci or winger Brad Marchand waiting to get called up from Providence of the American Hockey League. There aren’t any players with the farm team who boast the experience of center Chris Kelly or defenseman Adam McQuaid.

Nonetheless, many of the Bruins call-ups earned the confidence of their peers during training camp and past recalls. So when they return to Boston to fill in, sometimes even without a practice or a morning skate, they can fit in seamlessly.

“I think you don’t have to tell them much because they’re all very excited, very happy to be up here playing hockey with us, and we are happy to have them,” defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said. “I mean they’re all good players. All they have to do is listen to the coaches and do their job and everything else is going to fall into place.”

If there’s a silver lining in the rash of injuries, it’s that players are learning more about the limits of their abilities.

“We’re hopefully developing some players who are going to be better down the road because of what we’re going through,” coach Claude Julien said. “And that’s why you’ve got to stay positive, and that’s why you’ve got to stay with the program here. Our guys have got a great attitude — the guys that are playing — and that’s why they deserve a lot of credit.”

Bruins notes

The Bruins returned forwards Jordan Caron and Matt Lindblad to Providence yesterday. Both had been on emergency recall Saturday for the game against Montreal. Lindblad played against the Canadiens while Caron was a healthy scratch.

Unless an injured forward is able to get back in the lineup, the Bruins will need to call someone up to face the Penguins tonight.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.24.2014


Pastrnak promotion is the right move for Bruins

November 23, 2014, 8:30 pm

Joe Haggerty

The Bruins will finally tip the tarp covering off the Pastrnak Porsche, and open it up to see what it can do on the highway.

The 18-year-old wunderkind, David Pastrnak, has been called up to the NHL and the Boston Bruins, according to a report from New England Hockey Journal prospect guru Kirk Luedeke, and the move makes all the sense in the world.

After all the Bruins brass had just finished watching a patchwork group of Bruins players labor to create anything offensively in a 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and they’re well aware that a challenging stretch is upcoming with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, the Winnipeg Jets at the end of the week, and then a trip to California against the Western Conference’s elite in Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose.

They’re also aware that the Bruins rank 21st in the NHL scoring only 2.5 goals per game, and had scored just 24 goals in 10 games during the month of November. So a quick jolt of the kind of offensive adrenaline that Pastrnak can provide would be wholly welcome for a Bruins team that’s seen fellow standout rookie Seth Griffith’s play level off in the last few games.

In an ideal world the Bruins might have been able to simply let Pastrnak continue developing at the AHL level over the next month or so, and then promote him to the NHL after skating for Team Czech Republic in the World Junior tournament. But the injuries to skill players like David Krejci and Brad Marchand have made it a more urgent situation for the Black and Gold, and they clearly need a little more offensive magic in their group.

That’s where Pastrnak comes in: he’s been a point-per-game player for the Providence Bruins as one of the youngest players in the league with five goals and 18 points in 17 games along with a plus-12 rating, and he’s had a chance to get more accustomed to the Bruins’ offensive and defensive system playing the last two months in Providence.

So while he’s clearly not a finished product as a 5-foot-10, 170-pound teenager that was playing in the Swedish second league last season, the 2014 first round pick has elite offensive skills with skating, shooting, passing and playmaking skills that will immediately make an impact on a Bruins roster that could use all of the above.

Pastrnak stood out immediately at Bruins development camp over the summer, was one of the best players in the Bruins rookie tournament along with Nashville forward Filip Forsberg, who is currently tearing up the NHL for the Predators and was simply waiting for an NHL call that was clearly going to come at some point this season. The Bruins haven’t had a player with the offensive flash and puck-handling ability of Pastrnak in quite some time, so it will be fascinating to see how his skills translate with the group in Boston that only got a brief look at him at the end of training camp.

The only question is whether Pastrnak can withstand the physical rigors of an NHL schedule and big, strong opponents making him an easy target for physical punishment. But he’s survived over the last two months at the AHL level, which can sometimes be even more dangerous for a young player still learning survival skills in pro hockey.

But that’s all part of the learning process for Pastrnak, who will get his first taste of the NHL this week and is the kind of player that may never look back at the AHL again if he can make the challenging jump from AHL prodigy to NHL threat.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2014


Caron, Lindblad sent back down to Providence

Joe Haggerty

November 23, 2014, 12:45 pm

The Bruins will take Sunday off after taking two of four points in the back-to-back games against the Blue Jackets and Canadiens, and as such returned a pair of forwards to the Providence Bruins.

The P-Bruins barely have enough players to ice their own team given all of the names called up to Boston amid the injury situation, and will certainly welcome both Matt Lindblad and Jordan Caron back into their ranks for a Sunday afternoon game vs. Springfield.

Lindblad played pretty well in a limited role on a "kid line" with Alex Khokhlachev and Matt Fraser in Saturday night's loss to Montreal. The youngster played in place of the injured Chris Kelly.

Caron didn't play in Saturday night's game after getting called up from Providence, but has five goals and nine points along with a plus-7 rating in nine AHL games this season.

It remains to be seen if Chris Kelly will be feeling healthy enough to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, or if more emergency recalls will be necessary with another tough game on tap for the Black and Gold.



What we learned: Rough stretch looms for Bruins

Joe Haggerty

November 23, 2014, 11:00 am

BOSTON -- Here’s what we learned from the Bruins’ 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at TD Garden, which dropped them to 0-3 against the arch-rival Habs this season:

1) The Bruins simply aren’t getting enough offensive pressure on the Canadiens, and it’s been that way for a couple of seasons. They've scored just 28 goals in 14 games against Montreal over the last two years, including the playoffs, and only six times have the B’s scored more than two goals. Part of it is the Habs' Bruins-esque defensive system that collapses everything in front of the Canadiens net, part of it is a very good goalie in Carey Price behind that defense, and part of it is the B’s inability to battle close to the net for dirty area goals. The ability to get good net-front presence is certainly compromised to some degree when players like Zdeno Chara, David Krejci and Chris Kelly -- all players willing to muck it up in front -- are out of the lineup, but it becomes the responsibility of big bodies like Carl Soderberg and Milan Lucic to get that job done instead. They weren’t able to do it Saturday night.

2) The Bruins might have reached critical mass with the injuries. They are now missing five regulars from the lineup, with Kelly joining Chara, Krejci, Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid on the sideline, and that represents 20 percent of the 20-man lineup. It’s one thing to grind through cupcakes like Edmonton, Florida and Buffalo, but with Pittsburgh, an improved Winnipeg team and a road trip to California on tap for the upcoming weeks, the Bruins could be in for a very rough stretch. The good is, they’ve got some time off around Thanksgiving to heal up a bit; the bad news is, they seemed resigned to their present circumstance when talking to the media after Saturday's loss, which is a bad mindset to have. At least they’ve built up a bit of a cushion in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and should be able to weather the storm as long as bodies start filtering back into the lineup in the next two weeks.

3) Matt Bartkowski’s confidence looks like its here to stay. The 26-year-old finished with 21:21 of ice time against the Canadiens, used his skating jets to escape pressure and help create some disruption to the Montreal defensive system, and launched five shot attempts. He also threw three hits in a nice mix of moving the puck and physicality, and continues to show all of the things he did last season while playing a top-four role with Dennis Seidenberg out of the lineup. It was 100 percent a necessity for Bartkowski to step up once both Chara and McQuaid went down, and he’s done that in impressive fashion.

PLUS

-- The defensemen by and large did a very good job in the D-zone against the Canadiens, and didn’t give Montreal much offensively at all. It came down to other mistakes and zero sustained offense that doomed the Black and Gold.

MINUS

-- With injuries to so many other centers, now is the time for Carl Soderberg to step up if he wants to be paid like a top-six forward. He was decent with four shots on net and 7-of-12 faceoff wins, but the Bruins needed more. Hbotched a 3-on-2 where he had a shooting lane to the net and Milan Lucic open for a split-second on the left wing, turning down the open shot and throwing a pass that was late and behind Lucic. The play killed the team’s chances of getting a scoring opportunity, and set up Montreal’s second goal on the counter-attack headed back to the Boston net.

-- One shot and very little impact for 34-year-old Simon Gagne in 12-plus minutes of ice time with so many other impact forwards out of the lineup. Gagne is an awfully nice guy, but one point in 16 games just isn’t cutting it. He looks slow on the ice and isn’t particularly strong on the puck. The Bruins could use some younger, fresher legs in that spot, and that would allow them to carry Gagne as the 13th forward in a role that’s probably better suited for him.

-- The Bruins are now 1-7-2 in their last 10 games against the Montreal Canadiens. That is cause for a lot of frowns on Causeway Street at this

point, with a seemingly inevitable match against Montreal again looming in the divisional rounds of the playoffs again.



Games against Montreal have become a bad Hab-it for Bruins

November 23, 2014, 10:30 am

Joe Haggerty

BOSTON -- The battered Bruins have just one more chance to show something, anything, to the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens before another potential showdown in the playoffs.

It’s difficult to be too upset about the Black and Gold’s 2-0 loss to the Habs on Saturday night, given they’re missing 20 percent of their normal lineup due to a plague of injuries that’s missing only a mumps outbreak at this point. The absence of No. 1 defenseman Zdeno Chara, No. 1 center David Krejci and one of their leading scorers in Brad Marchand, along with hardnosed veterans Chris Kelly and Adam McQuaid, creates a significant impact on the team’s performance that’s obvious on the scoreboard, and to the naked eye.

The Bruins seem to understand that, in their present condition, it takes something approaching a miraculous effort -- like the one they got against St. Louis earlier this week -- for them to take down a team at the top of the NHL heap.

It’s also an admission the Bruins just aren’t good enough right now to beat the Montreal Canadiens.

“We’ve just got to find a way to beat them,” said Milan Lucic. “[We need] to get hungry in those areas where we can score goals, and not be denied. They are a team that doesn’t give you much and when you get your chances, you have to make sure that you make the most of them. Especially with a great goalie and a team that plays a pretty good defensive game. For us, we just have to find a way to get a few past [Carey Price].

“Moving forward we can’t get discouraged, try to keep our spirits high, especially with another top team in the Eastern Conference (Pittsburgh) coming in [on Monday].”

Though Tuukka Rask’s career record dropped to 3-12-3 in the regular season against the Habs, it’s difficult to blame him in a defeat where the Canadiens simply cashed in on the B’s mistakes. He was screened on the Andrei Markov power-play goal that came immediately after a Patrice Bergeron faceoff loss in the D-zone, and Carl Soderberg failed to convert a golden 3-on-2 chance into a scoring opportunity that Montreal turned into a fast-break rush moving the other way. Tomas Plekanec pushed the puck home after Rask tried to clear the front of the net on his own, and that was it for a Bruins team that just doesn’t have enough offensive juice to come from behind against a quality Montreal team.

Still, the Bruins are now 1-7-2 in their last 10 games against the Habs, and have been outscored by a 13-5 margin in three losses to Montreal this season.

“They’re another team,” said Torey Krug, who engaged in a fight with Alex Galchenyuk in a game that wasn’t without some emotion and passion from the Boston end. “When we play them, it’s worth two points just like every other game along the way. But we have to find a way to get pucks behind Price, find a way to get success and win hockey games. That’s just the issue right now.

“I think we do it to ourselves. They’re obviously a great hockey club and they play with a lot of speed, and a lot of energy. So if we just focus on ourselves and play our solid game and take away their chances, and their time with the puck, we should have a chance of success. But they’re a good hockey team.”

Going back to the beginning of last season -- and including the playoffs -- the Bruins have scored just 28 goals in 14 games against Montreal, and have scored more than one goal in just six of those games. The Habs have found a way defensively to frustrate the Bruins by beating them at their own game: Protecting the house defensively in front of Price, and going on the counter-attack when the Bruins make a rare mistake.

It’s not the exact same style as the Bruins, given Montreal’s penchant for stretch passes and a lack of out-and-out size among their forward ranks, but they block shots and grind much more than the Habs teams of

yesteryear. The rest seems very similar to the Claude Julien system that’s given Boston much of its success.

“We try to play like them,” said Max Pacioretty. “When they had success and have had success, when they were dominating teams, that was kind of the recipe that everyone tried to model. I think more teams are trying to play like them and that’s keeping things simple, and trying to grind teams down. When you put pucks behind D-men, make them skate and try to grind them down, the chances come as the game goes on. We are trying to do that with everybody.”

They also do it with an element of speed that can turn a quick miscalculation in the offensive zone (see the Soderberg play where he didn’t pull the trigger with a clear shot at the net) into a full blown odd-man rush and scoring chance headed in the other direction. The balance makes the Habs a very good team right now, even if the numbers say they're middle of the pack in most areas (ninth in goals against and penalty kill, 26th in the power play and 19th in goals for per game), and don’t have any one category where they dominate other teams.

They just play their game plan consistently night in and night out, and with a talented enough roster to have big success in the salary-cap era.

As for the Bruins, they’ll need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a different plan when they host the Habs in their final regular-season meeting on Feb. 8.

The Bruins played a pretty good game on Saturday night with a woefully undermanned crew, but the Habs once again took their lunch money. It’s going to take a lot more than “pretty good” to bust through the Montreal blockade in front of the net, score some goals and get a good feeling going against the arch-rival Canadiens headed into the playoffs.


757721 Buffalo Sabres

Predators, Flames turning heads in NHL

By John Vogl | News Sports Reporter | @BuffNewsVogl | Google+

on November 23, 2014 - 11:13 PM

While folks in Western New York were counting Buffalo’s early losses, recent wins and ridiculous snowfall totals, a quarter of the NHL season slipped by. Here’s a look at some of the biggest stories:

• Surprises near the top of the standings.

OK, so who had Nashville leading the Central Division and Calgary in second place in the Pacific? The Predators and Flames are easily the biggest shockers so far.

Nashville (13-5-2) is getting it done with goaltending. Pekka Rinne, who missed most of last year because of two hip surgeries, leads the league with 13 victories and is fourth in save percentage (.930) and goals-against average (1.92). Rookie Filip Forsberg, 20, leads the Preds with nine goals and 22 points.

The Flames, on the other hand, are winning by scoring. Calgary (13-7-2) is fifth in the NHL at 3.09 goals per game. Defenseman Mark Giordano is getting early Norris Trophy consideration with six goals, 23 points and a plus-10 rating. Rookie Johnny Gaudreau, who excelled at Boston College, has 12 assists and 15 points.

“The passing grade in the NHL is to be a playoff team,” said Flames coach Bob Hartley, whose team hasn’t made the postseason since 2009. “Right now we’ve only had a few tests, so we’re not moving up to the sixth grade right away. We’re still in fifth grade. We have to keep it going.”

• Two of the Sabres’ three first-round picks probably won’t be in the draft lottery.

Buffalo owns the selections of the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders, and both teams are thinking playoffs. The Blues, as expected, are contenders in the Western Conference. They trail the Predators by one point.

The Islanders, meanwhile, are tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Their preseason acquisitions of Johnny Boychuk (13 points, plus-7) and Nick Leddy (nine points, plus-8) dramatically improved the defense and showed the rest of the team that management was serious about winning.

“This is a new hockey club with a new attitude,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said after Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Penguins.

• Buffalo has company in the basement.

As expected, the Sabres (6-13-2) are last with 14 points. However, they are tied with injury-riddled Columbus (6-12-2) and perennial punching bag Edmonton (6-13-2). Carolina (6-11-3) is just one point ahead.

A preseason injury to Jordan Staal got the Hurricanes off on the wrong foot. They’re not deep enough to overcome ailments and figure to linger near the bottom.

The Blue Jackets’ health woes could keep them in the running for the first overall pick. Nathan Horton’s career is probably over, while Sergei Bobrovsky, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Murray, Fedor Tyutin and Mark Letestu have joined him on the injured list for extended periods of time.

Oilers goaltenders Ben Scrivens (.887) and Viktor Fasth (.890) have subpar save percentages, while recent draft picks Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov have failed to cover for injured Taylor Hall.

The Sabres, riding a three-game winning streak, host Winnipeg on Wednesday in their next game. They sent goaltender Nathan Lieuwen back to Rochester on Sunday, which means Michal Neuvirth is healthy again. Neuvirth left Tuesday’s game against San Jose after one period with a lower-body injury.

• Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have lived up to the hype.

Before breaking his hand in a fight, McDavid put up 16 goals and 51 points in 18 games. The center should return before the world juniors next month. Eichel, a freshman at Boston University, leads the Terriers with seven goals and 19 points in 10 games.

The team that finishes last is guaranteed to draft one of them.

“This is like choosing between Kate Upton and Kate Upton,” wrote Kris Baker of SabresProspects.com.

• Sidney Crosby is still great, but others have impressed, too.

Hockey’s best player continues to prove it. Crosby has 26 points in 19 games, but that’s good for only a second-place tie. Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek leads the NHL with 29 points and 22 assists. The 25-year-old set a career high with 62 points in 82 games last season.

Crosby is tied with Tyler Seguin, who has made a home in Dallas after a trade from Boston last season. Seguin leads the league with 15 goals, one more than Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos. Seguin’s team, however, is just 8-9-4 and in sixth place in the Central Division.

“We have to be better,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’ve got some guys that have to grab ahold of moments in a game and be able to change it.”

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2014


Flip gives team December to remember

By Mike Harrington | News Sports Reporter | @BNHarrington | Google+

on November 22, 2014 - 11:22 PM

WASHINGTON – The Buffalo Sabres lost one set of back-to-back games with the postponement of Friday’s visit by the New York Rangers to First Niagara Center. But the NHL sure gives Buffalo a doozy of a replacement when changes were announced Friday, creating an even busier December schedule

The Sabres-Rangers game that was wiped out is being played on Feb. 20, which was originally a visit by the Ottawa Senators. That game will now be played on Monday, Dec. 15, which was an off day on the schedule. Right after that one ends, the Sabres will have to fly all the way to Winnipeg for a previously slated game against the Jets the next night in MTS Centre.

Even worse, the Winnipeg game will now mean the Sabres have three games in four nights and five in eight nights. Buffalo hosts Los Angeles on Dec. 9, Calgary on Dec. 11 and Florida on Dec. 13 before meeting the Senators and Jets.

The Sabres’ new December total is 14 games, a schedule that’s even more compacted because teams are not allowed to practice or travel from Dec. 24 to 26 because of the players’ collective bargaining agreement.

The Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets lead the NHL with 19 sets of back-to-back games on the schedule this season. Buffalo is 0-5 in the first game of back-to-backs so far, but 2-3 in the second half of those combos.

The next set comes this weekend, when the Sabres meet Montreal in a home-and-home series Friday in Buffalo and Saturday in the Bell Centre.

...

Fans unable to attend the rescheduled games can exchange their unused tickets for tickets to any available home game. The exchanges can be done at Sabres.com or the FNC box office. Tickets and seat locations will be based on availability.

The Sabres have also announced several other ticket notes:

• For season ticket-holders, the original Nov. 21 tickets will be valid for the rescheduled game against the Rangers on Feb. 20. The original Feb. 20 tickets against Ottawa will be good for Dec. 15, but will no longer be valid on Feb. 20. A season ticket-holder who cannot attend the Dec. 15 game can exchange them for another game or have the price credited to their account for next season.

Original tickets may be mailed or dropped off at the First Niagara Center box office to receive the credit.

• Single-game ticket holders have to make sure they’re using their tickets on the right date. Nov. 21 Rangers tickets are only valid on Feb. 20. The original Feb. 20 Ottawa tickets are no longer valid on Feb. 20, and are instead only good for Dec. 15.

...

Even though they had not played a game since Tuesday, the Sabres did not have a morning skate Saturday because the Verizon Center was hosting a Georgetown-Robert Morris basketball game at noon.

The Sabres decided against trekking to Arlington, Va., to skate at the Washington Capitals’ facility, the Kettler Iceplex. The rinks are located on the top floor of a mall and served as the inspiration for the building of the Rinks at HarborCenter on the sixth and seventh floor of that new complex.

...

Entering Saturday’s game against the Capitals on a two-game winning streak, the Sabres kept the same lineup of skaters in front of goaltender Jhonas Enroth. That meant that defenseman Andre Benoit was a healthy scratch for the third straight game and the fifth time in six games.

Andrej Meszaros appeared in his 600th career game, becoming the 53rd active defenseman to reach that mark. Meanwhile, Caps star Alex Ovechkin

played in his 699th career game and will hit No. 700 Wednesday against the New York Islanders.

East Amherst’s Brooks Orpik entered the game with six assists and a minus-3 rating in his first season with the Caps. He signed a five-year, $27.5 million deal with Washington in July after playing 703 regular-season games and 92 playoff games over 11 seasons for Pittsburgh. Orpik entered Saturday’s game third in the NHL in blocked shots (54) and sixth in hits (69).

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2014


Sabres win 3rd straight

Associated Press 7:53 a.m. EST November 23, 2014

WASHINGTON – Torrey Mitchell scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:42 left, Jhonas Enroth stopped 43 shots, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 Saturday night for their third straight win.

Washington’s Braden Holtby made the initial save after Brian Gionta picked up a loose puck in the left circle, but Mitchell knocked in the rebound for his third goal of the season.

Matt Moulson also scored for Buffalo, which began the day last in the league with 12 points and has won three in a row for the first time since Feb. 25-28.

Matt Niskanen tied the score for Washington with a power-play goal at 5:54 of the third period, and Holtby finished with 24 saves.

Islanders 4, Penguins 1: Anders Lee scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, Jaroslav Halak made 27 saves, and New York beat Pittsburgh to sweep a home-and-home series.

Lee’s third goal of the season at 2:38 came on a tip-in of Lubomir Visnovsky’s slap shot that got past backup goalie Thomas Greiss. Brock Nelson added a power-play goal at 9:47 — his team-leading 10th tally — and Islanders captain John Tavares closed the scoring with his eighth at 15:46.

Blues 3, Senators 2: Alex Steen’s second-period goal stood up as the game-winner in St. Louis’ victory over Ottaw.

Maxim Lapierre and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Blues (13-6-1), and Brian Elliott stopped 24 shots.

Flyers 4, Blue Jackets 2: Brayden Schenn, Mark Streit, Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Coburn scored for Philadelphia, which broke a season-worst four-game losing streak with a victory over Columbus.

Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux both had two assists and Voracek improved his NHL-leading points total to 29.

Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 11.24.2014

757724 Calgary Flames

Glencross snaps drought while Flames stay red-hot going into three-game road trip

BY KRISTEN ODLAND, CALGARY HERALD NOVEMBER 23, 2014

Glencross snaps drought while Flames stay red-hot going into three-game road trip

Calgary Flames players mob Curtis Glencross after he scored the tying goal with five seconds left on Saturday vs. New Jersey. The Flames won 5-4 in a shootout after trailing 4-2 at one point.

The first goal, well, the celebration said it all for Curtis Glencross, who snapped an eight game drought.

His second one of Saturday night’s 5-4 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils was very much the same — only the timing of that one was a little more exciting for everyone.

With exactly five seconds remaining in the third period and the Calgary Flames behind 4-3, the veteran winger was in his usual spot in the blue paint and dug in the game-tying tally.

“We stuck with it,” said Glencross following the thrilling finale at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “We were talking on the bench and just said, ‘Come on, we’re two shots away. Let’s keep going. We played a good first half of the third period and knew we had some confidence and were buzzing.

“We wanted to finish this home stand on a positive and get a win here before we go on the road. It’s going to be a good test going to San Jose, Anaheim, and Phoenix.”

The Flames, taking a very much deserved Sunday off after gutting out another come-from-behind victory, are off on a three-game road trip.

So, you couldn’t have scripted Saturday’s win any better — and it was a positive way to wrap up a five-game home stand during which the Flames finished 4-1.

For Glencross, though, the joy of finally connecting after too many missed opportunities this season (he only had two goals in 21 games prior to Saturday) was visible.

“Probably everyone could have seen it, there was a little relief there,” he said. “I think even more relief after the second one. It’s been a rough go. Usually, it’s the opposite — I have more goals than assists and it’s the complete opposite this year. But it doesn’t really matter.

“We’re putting two points up and look at us in the standings. We’re going to keep trying and climbing. We’re in a good spot so we’re going to keep moving forward.”

Heading into Sunday’s NHL action, the lovable come back kids were sitting second in the Pacific Division with 28 points, one point behind the Anaheim Ducks (12-4-5) and seventh in the league (the New York Islanders also had 28 points with a 14-6-0 record).

But what’s really remarkable was their resilience on Saturday.

Down 4-2 in the third and making the call to pull Karri Ramo with less than four minutes left in the third period, Jiri Hudler made the impossible possible when he tucked in a rebound (thanks to Lance Bouma and Michael Ferland distracting in front) to pull the Flames within one.

Then, on another six-on-five and figuring the game was over, Glencross came to the rescue.

“Look at his first goal,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “Great forecheck, kept his stick on the ice, broke up the pass, and a great wrist shot as well.

“I feel that was Curtis’s best game of the season.”

As for the rest of the club, it should be mentioned they were also down 2-0 and 3-1 at the end of the first and second periods.

In other words, it was definitely a game worth the admission price.

“I think so, yeah,” Ramo said, grinning. “Saturday was one of those games that fans can go home happy. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of drama in the game. The main thing is we took the two points.”

The Flames now lead the league with 30 (!) third period goals, are 8-0-1 following any loss this season, and finish off a five-game homestand improving their record at the Scotiabank Saddledome to 6-3-2.

Calgary now has a 13-7-2 record overall.

“As soon as we won, you look at the number of fans that were still in the building,” Hartley said. “At 4-2, it would have been easy for them to say, ‘The game is done,’ and they’d be in the parking lot. But they stayed with us.

“That’s the kind of relationship we have with our fans and our players pulled it out again.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.24.2014

757725 Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames Five Burning Questions -- Nov. 24 0

Wes Gilbertson BY WES GILBERTSON, CALGARY SUN

With whispers of advertisements on NHL jerseys, the staff at the Saddledome are probably fielding calls from pacemaker manufacturers wanting to see their logo on the Calgary Flames’ sweaters.

The comeback kids are hard on the heart, but they sure are entertaining.

Saturday’s 5-4 shootout triumph over the New Jersey Devils marked the fifth time this season that the Flames have pulled off a victory despite trailing after two periods.

To put that in perspective, they managed just four wins in the same scenario last season, when they posted a 4-26-1 record when falling behind after 40 minutes.

The Flames (13-7-2) will try to keep rolling this week on a three-game road-swing, which includes Tuesday’s tilt with the Anaheim Ducks, Wednesday’s scuffle with the San Jose Sharks and Saturday’s clash with the Arizona Coyotes.

Here are 5 Burning Questions for the week ahead ...

Does Hartley need to borrow my pen?

It’s no secret the Flames are talking contract extension with head coach Bob Hartley.

It’s no secret Hartley wants to stay.

So yeah, it’s a safe assumption Hartley will find a pen and put his signature on a new deal in the not-too-distant future.

He deserves it.

With the support of captain Mark Giordano and the other leaders in the locker-room, Hartley has established a new culture around the Saddledome. That’s not an easy job — just ask Oilers bench boss Dallas Eakins or the handful of others who’ve tried to do the same at Rexall Place in Edmonton.

He’s shown his faith in the Flames’ youngsters by using them in key situations, and his emphasis on conditioning is likely a factor in all those third-period comebacks.

It’s only a matter of time before he’s officially rewarded.

Is this reporter eligible for stress-leave?

Third-period comebacks are certainly exciting for the fans, but these last-minute rewrites are awfully tough on the coffee-swilling scribes in the press-box.

I know, I know ... You don’t care.

It has nothing to do with the well-being of the local newspaper writers, but you can bet Hartley would like to witness a few wire-to-wire wins from his squad.

The Flames have now surrendered the first two goals in three straight games. It’s impressive that they turned two of those into shootout wins, but digging an early deficit is certainly not a recipe for continued success.

Stronger starts are a must, and not just as a favour to the media.

Can they finally win in Anaheim?

The Flames haven’t escaped Honda Center in Anaheim with a victory since Jan. 19, 2004, back when the Ducks were still Mighty, Giordano was still an undrafted junior and centre Sean Monahan was still an atom.

The crew from Calgary is 0-13-5 in Anaheim during that span.

Yikes.

The Flames showed in the late stages of Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout triumph at the Dome — another third-period comeback, in case you’d forgotten — that their speed can create problems for the Ducks’ defenders.

It won’t be easy to win the rematch in Anaheim, where Ducks skipper Bruce Boudreau can dictate the matchups, but this Flames team has shown oodles of character and that losing skid has to end eventually, right?

Can Monahan be a 30-goal guy?

Monahan has a sky-high hockey IQ, but he apparently doesn’t know the meaning of ‘sophomore slump.’

And that’s not a bad thing.

Thirty goals isn’t a random number — that’s exactly how many the 20-year-old Monahan is on pace for after lighting the lamp eight times in 22 outings so far this season.

There’s no doubt that Monahan has a deadly shot — just check the replays of his two shootout snipes last week — and it doesn’t seem far-fetched to think the Flames’ star-in-the-making will reach the 30-goal plateau this season. What’s most impressive is he’s providing that offensive punch while matched up against the top lines for the opposition.

Can Jooris get settled in Calgary?

Rookie winger Johnny Gaudreau checked out of his hotel room and found a permanent place in Calgary.

It’s probably time for Flames brass to tell fellow freshman Josh Jooris to do the same.

The 24-year-old Jooris emerged as a pleasant surprise at training camp and has shown since his early-season recall that he has staying power, too.

The speedy forward notched his fifth goal during Saturday’s third-period comeback. In fact, only two Flames forwards — Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler — logged more icetime in final frame against Devils than Jooris, who was appearing in just his 15th NHL game but was working on both the penalty-kill and powerplay units.

He might want to check the Yellow Pages for a real estate agent. You know, just to be ready.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2014

757726 Carolina Hurricanes

Why NHL teams speed up when they fall behind

BY IJAY PALANSKY

Department of Hockey AnalyticsNovember 23, 2014

Have you ever noticed that it seems every time your team appears about to dominate a game it somehow ends up clinging to the lead as its opponent spends the final 10 minutes of the game in relentless attack mode?

This phenomenon is called a “score effect.”

Score effects are much more pronounced than most people realize. Last year the number of teams with a CF% (Corsi For: shots on goal, plus missed shots, plus blocked shots) above 50 when they were leading was a whopping three (LA 53.2, Chicago 50.7 and New Jersey 50.1). Mirroring that, only three teams had a CF% below 50 when trailing (Toronto 48.0, Buffalo 47.7 and Edmonton 47.5. Stats are courtesy of stats.hockeyanalysis.com.

On average, the difference between teams’ CF% when trailing versus leading was a massive 9.8 points.

This leads to questions:

• If teams do so much better when trailing, why don’t they play that same way when they’re tied or ahead?

• How much of this effect is caused by leading teams retreating into a defensive shell as opposed to the trailing team playing more aggressively?

• If teams are retreating into a defensive shell, is the reduction in the opponent’s shot quality really enough to offset the big increase in the number of shot attempts?

• Is there a relationship between a team’s overall record and its ability to crank up the volume of shot attempts when it’s behind?

One thing does seem clear: If a team isn’t able to really “turn it on” and slant the ice in its favor when it’s trailing, it’s going to have a tough time winning games.

And that’s one reason last year’s darling, the Colorado Avalanche, should be particularly concerned right now. The season’s still young, but the Avs have shown a disturbing trend of not only falling behind but also not being able to ramp up the offense when they do.

For comparison let’s look at the Canadiens. As of Nov. 11, the Habs had spent 298 minutes trailing, behind only Buffalo (328 minutes),. Colorado ranked seventh highest, having played 255 minutes while behind.

So how is it that Montreal had a record of 10-4-1 and Colorado was 4-7-5?

One reason is that the Canadiens’ 55.6 CF% when trailing has been enough for them to keep their heads above water. The Avalanche on the other hand have been able to generate a trailing CF% of 48.0%, ranking 27th, ahead of only perennial bottom-feeders Toronto, Calgary and Buffalo.

It’s too early to write the Avalanche off, but if they continue to get outshot even when they’re behind – a distinction earned last year only by league laughingstocks Buffalo, Toronto and Edmonton – they’re in for a very disappointing season.

News Observer LOADED: 11.24.2014

757727 Chicago Blackhawks

Quenneville: Blackhawks 'didn't have much going' against Canucks

By Chris Kuc,

Chicago Tribune

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Blackhawks are ready to put Western Canada in their rearview mirror.

The Hawks concluded the Canadian portion of their six-game road trip with a 4-1 defeat to the Canucks on Sunday night at Rogers Arena. Jannik Hansen scored three times for his first career hat trick and Radim Vrbata also had a goal as the Canucks broke open a close game with three goals in the third period.

All the action from Rogers Arena.

The Hawks got a goal from Kris Versteeg but that was all the offense they could muster as they dropped to 2-1-0 on the trip. In their third game in four nights—and the second of back-to-backs--the Hawks couldn’t keep pace with the Canucks.

“It was a tough one,” Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook said. “I don’t think we played our best. We felt pretty good coming in and we obviously could have done some things differently but we didn’t.”

Tied at 1-1 after two periods, the Canucks seized the momentum on Hansen’s second goal off a feed from Derek Dorsett. Rookie defenseman Adam Clendening lost Hansen in front and Hansen banged in the game-winner.

“It was a 1-1 game going into the third you have to be happy with the position you’re in and then you give up the goal to make it 2-1 and you’re kind of pressing,” Hawks winger Patrick Kane said. “Then things unraveled pretty quickly.”

Corey Crawford was strong in goal for the Hawks but was the victim of some suspect defensive play in front of him and suffered the loss. Ryan Miller made 24 saves to earn the win for the Canucks.

“We didn’t have much going,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “They were definitely the harder working team. They had way more pace and energy and puck support. We were lucky we were in the game going into the third.”

The Hawks will travel to Denver on Monday to prepare for Game 4 of the trip Wednesday night against the Avalanche.

“We have to get some rest and move on,” Seabrook said.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2014


Sunday's results: Canucks 4, Blackhawks 1

By Chris Kuc contact the reporter

Jannik Hansen scored three times and Radim Vrbata also had a goal to lead the Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday night at Rogers Arena. Kris Versteeg had a goal for the Hawks but it wasn't enough as they fell to 2-1-0 at the midway point of their six-game trip. Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller outdueled the Hawks' Corey Crawford to earn the victory.

Highlight reel

All the action from Rogers Arena.

With the game tied 1-1 late in the second period, Crawford made a sensational stop on a power-play chance by the Canucks' Henrik Sedin after a terrific dish by brother Daniel. Crawford lunged to get his left skate on Henrik Sedin's shot from just outside the right post that was headed toward an open net.

Tribune's Three Stars

1: Hansen: Picked up his first career hat trick to propel the Canucks to the win.

2: Derek Dorsett, Canucks: Assisted on two of Hansen's goals, including a nice feed on the winning score.

3. Crawford: Didn't get much help in front of him but kept the Hawks in the game until late.

Hanging in

Despite still feeling ill, Antti Raanta served as Crawford's backup. Raanta had been scheduled to start against the Oilers on Saturday night but missed it after feeling sick.

Roster report

Andrew Shaw (upper body), Jeremy Morin (healthy) and David Rundblad (healthy) were scratches for the Hawks. Sitting for the Canucks were Alexandre Burrows (upper body), Dan Hamhuis (lower body) and Frank Corrado (healthy).

Big number

1,000 Career NHL games for Canucks' Daniel Sedin.

Big number II

300 Career NHL games for Hawks' Bryan Bickell.

The quote

"We just didn't take control of the game. We let them move the puck side-to-side across the ice and get their rush game going a little bit too easily. Pucks were just going through us everywhere. We weren't checking very well. We made their puck possession game really easy. We didn't deserve to win that one." — Hawks captain Jonathan Toews

Up next

At Avalanche, 8 p.m. Wednesday.



Blackhawks' Daniel Carcillo not all about fighting these days

By Chris Kuc contact the reporter Ice HockeyDaniel CarcilloChicago BlackhawksNHLPhoenix CoyotesAndrew ShawEdmonton Oilers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Midway through the Blackhawks' shellacking of the Oilers on Saturday night, Edmonton's Steven Pinizzotto dropped his gloves and challenged Daniel Carcillo to a fight.

Carcillo didn't oblige and skated away while Pinizzotto, who was appearing in his 21st career NHL game, was escorted to the penalty box.

Sunday's results: Canucks 4, Blackhawks 1

Chris Kuc

"It was a 6-0 game and there really wasn't much going on," Carcillo said before the Hawks continued their six-game road trip against the Canucks at Rogers Arena. "(Pinizzotto) hasn't done anything to kind of warrant me to fight him. You don't just go up to guys and ask them to fight and then I'm going to fight. That's not the way it works. There was no advantage in me fighting him."

There was a time when Carcillo would have happily exchanged punches with just about anyone who glanced in his direction.

Welcome to the disciplined world of Daniel Carcillo. It is one where the 29-year-old is drawing more penalties from opponents than committing them himself. Entering Sunday's game, Carcillo had taken two minor penalties — neither of which was for roughing. This is the same player who amassed 1,183 penalty minutes over his first 400 NHL games, including a staggering 324 in 57 contests with the Coyotes during the 2007-08 season.

"When you come into the league you want to make a name for yourself," Carcillo said. "Not everyone is a top-six forward so you have to do other things that people take notice. If one of those things is when someone is taking liberties, you're going to step up and answer the bell and not let them do that. I kind of figured that out early. Sometimes you get pigeon-holed, but I've always known what I can do on the ice. I knew how to play the game before I knew how to fight."

The kinder, gentler Carcillo is an offensive threat these days, having scored two goals and adding an assist.

"You have to adapt," he said. "The league changes and if you don't change with it you're not going to be in the league anymore."

It also helps that Hawks coach Joel Quenneville doesn't rely on Carcillo to be a true enforcer, instead embracing the agitator in him — but in an intelligent way. That wasn't always the case during stints with the Coyotes and Flyers. Carcillo would receive a tap on the shoulder from a coach and he would take the ice and try to take an opponent's head off.

"Now, 'Q' taps me on the shoulder and tells me not to fight," Carcillo said with a grin. "It's a lot better situation. I've been in the league long enough to know when to fight and when not to fight. It's always nice to have a coach that kind of encourages you to play rather than goon it up."

With an extensive history of suspensions and fines from the NHL throughout his career, Carcillo also realizes every move he makes will be closely scrutinized.

"When you're a repeat offender and you're on every referee's radar you just have to be careful what you do," he said. "It's just playing hard and playing the game the right way. There is a game in between the physical stuff and the fighting and the agitating."

Also helping ground Carcillo is a recent engagement and the impending birth of his first child, which could occur during the Hawks' two off days in Denver beginning Monday. A plan is in place for Carcillo to head back to Chicago when his fiancee gives birth and he said he is prepared to miss a game if it comes to that, because, "the birth of a child is more important than a hockey game."

Carcillo, who was running out of options before the Hawks signed him just before the season, is now playing for more than just himself.

"You do this not to take care of yourself, but to take care of family," Carcillo said. "I was single for a long time and it was just worrying about myself. It's going to be a nice change to have two other people in your life and kind of do everything for them."

Health report: Hawks forward Andrew Shaw skated Sunday and wanted to play but was held out for the third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Patrick Sharp, who missed his eighth game in a row with a right knee injury, continues to skate in Chicago and could join the Hawks during the second leg of the trip for practices.



Canucks snap flat Blackhawks’ three-game win streak

Mark Lazerus

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It’s just not the same. Roberto Luongo and Dave Bolland are in Florida. Ryan Kesler’s in Anaheim; Alexandre Burrows a scratch. Even the boos for Duncan Keith are half-hearted, mere echoes of what was once the most ferocious rivalry in the NHL.

It wasn’t even a sellout, a couple hundred seats left empty for the Blackhawks’ 4-1 loss to the Canucks — their only visit to Vancouver this season. The crowd enjoyed it, though, as Jannik Hansen had a hat trick for the Canucks, who snapped the Hawks’ three-game win streak.

A few short years ago, the idea of the Hawks coming out flat in a Canucks game was unthinkable. But after arriving in Vancouver at around 1:30 a.m. for their third road game in four nights, that’s exactly what happened, and the Canucks pulled away with three third-period goals to win it.

“Yeah, we didn’t have much going tonight,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “They were definitely the harder-working team. They had way more pace and energy, and puck support. Lucky we were in the game going into the third.”

Instead of a hotly contested, hate-fueled blood feud, the Hawks and Canucks simply played an entertaining, fast-paced hockey game, with pretty much no extracurriculars. The only time the temperature rose even a bit was when Luca Sbisa poked the puck away from Patrick Kane, then plastered him face-first into the glass — a rare big hit on the elusive Kane. Kris Versteeg immediately pounced on Sbisa, went off for roughing and that was that.

“No, it’s not the same rivalry,” Versteeg said. “What was going on in 2009 and 2010, that was pretty much war on ice. That was pretty crazy.”

Hansen scored the first of his three goals from the low slot just as Versteeg’s penalty was expiring to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead. Then Versteeg answered midway through the second period with a power-play goal of his own, deflecting a Duncan Keith shot past Ryan Miller, who had lost his last four meetings against the Hawks — Games 3 through 6 of the first round of the playoffs last spring, when he was with the St. Louis Blues.

Corey Crawford, pressed into action for the second time in less than 24 hours as Antti Raanta continued to battle an illness, made 26 saves. His best one came on a penalty kill later in the second period, when a tic-tac-toe passing play gave Henrik Sedin a golden opportunity in the corner of the goalmouth. Crawford got over just in time and caught the puck with his left skate to preserve the tie.

But the Canucks went back in front at 6:24 of the third period, when rookie Adam Clendening lost Hansen, allowing him to bat in a Derek Dorsett pass from the corner for a 2-1 lead. Radim Vrbata scored with 2:24 to go, and Hansen completed the hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute.

The Hawks had won three straight and five of their last six. They now head to Colorado for the fourth game of the six-game circus trip. A couple of days off in Denver come at just the right time.

“It’s a 1-1 game going into the third, you’ve got to be happy with the position you’re in,” Kane said. “Things unraveled pretty quickly there. Back-to-back games, they were waiting for us. They were ready. They had a lot of motivation for this one, but not to make excuses — we were in the game. We just didn’t find a way to win.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


After slow start, Blackhawks are scoring in bunches again

Mark Lazerus

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Remember when the Blackhawks couldn’t score? When Patrick Kane was slumping and Marian Hossa was snakebitten and every goaltender they ran into turned into a future Hall of Famer?

It was only a week or two ago. But it’s starting to seem like a distant memory.

After averaging just 2.4 goals through the first 17 games of the season, the Hawks enter Sunday night’s game in Vancouver with 17 in their last three. They put up six on the Dallas Stars at home, then started the circus trip with a 4-3 win in Calgary and a 7-1 pasting of Edmonton. Kane entered the Canucks game with four goals and four assists in his last four games. Hossa snapped a nine-game goal drought against the Oilers and has a goal and nine assists in his previous nine games.

And the Hawks, who were uncharacteristically in the bottom third of the league rankings in goals per game all season, suddenly are tied for seventh at a healthy 2.95. And they’ve done it without last year’s leading scorer Patrick Sharp, and without 20-goal-scorer Andrew Shaw.

The way they see it, it was only a matter of time.

“As long as I feel good out there, good things will happen,” Hossa said. “I don’t try to squeeze the stick too hard, and I just try to relax and let good things happen.”

Some of the blame for the early offensive woes fell on coach Joel Quenneville, who was jumbling his lines nearly every game — sometimes every period — in a desperate attempt to find a spark. It might have had the opposite effect, as players couldn’t develop any cohesiveness or chemistry. But — and stop us if you’ve heard this one before — Quenneville’s latest lineup, which was assembled before the Dallas game, might finally be the right one.

Entering Sunday’s game, the top line of Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Hossa — the same line that led the Hawks to the Presidents’ Trophy in the 2013 regular season — has produced four even-strength goals in the three games it’s been together. The second line of Kris Versteeg, Brad Richards and Kane has produced six. Massive numbers.

Quenneville said it all “flows” from those two lines.

“Our four-line rotation’s been better, the combination with [Toews] has been good and Richards’ line has been real solid, as well,” he said. “I think that kind of sets the tone for our team. And the last three games, particularly, has been our best stretch all year.”

Kane has been particularly enthusiastic about his new line, even though it meant separating him from Toews, an experiment that lasted five games but didn’t yield much.

“I’m playing with two very skilled players right now with Steeger and Richie,” Kane said. “They’re finding me in good areas, in good spots. It seems like we’ve had a [few] big games in a row. There’s some excitement there playing with each other, and hopefully we can continue that and just enjoy this run.”

It’s certainly more enjoyable than the alternative. You could see that in Hossa’s face after he finally scored in Edmonton, when he looked up and raised his palms to the sky in mock exultation and relief. As Hossa kept saying as his shooting percentage shrank to the low single digits — an unsustainably low level for such a high-end player — they were bound to start going in eventually.

“Certain guys, when you’re expecting them to score and they’re not at that level where they’re [accustomed to], eventually they’re going to find it,” Quenneville said. “And then usually they take off from there.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


Blackhawks give up 4 to Canucks

Mike Spellman

Follow @dhspellman

Coach Joel Quenneville knew not to expect a repeat of Saturday's romp over Edmonton when the Blackhawks took the ice Sunday night in Vancouver.

"They're playing well in all aspects of their game," Quenneville said of the Canucks, who are now tied atop the Pacific Division standings after beating the Blackhawks 4-1 on Sunday. "They're right back on track."

And one of the reasons has been the play of goalie Ryan Miller, who came into the game sporting a 12-3 record.

Miller also came into the game hoping to exact a little bit of revenge considering what the Blackhawks did to him and the St. Louis Blues in the final four games of their first-round playoff series last spring, a series the Hawks won in six games.

"It would be nice to get back on track against these guys," Miller told reporters Sunday morning. "They took the last four games from me.

"This Chicago team has been consistently good for a number of years. They have a good core group of guys. We have a good core group of guys here as well and we're trying to show that we're growing as a group.

"Part of that growth is we got through the first 20 games, and now we need to keep building."

The Canucks began their next 20 on a good note when they hit the board at 13:13 of the first as Jannik Hansen beat Corey Crawford from close range to open the scoring.

Crawford was in net for the third time in four days. He was supposed to back up Antti Raanta Saturday in Edmonton, but Raanta came down with the illness before the game and couldn't go.

"We've been comfortable and confident with him all year; he's been excellent for us," Quenneville told WGN Radio of Crawford. "He's been very consistent.

"Nice to see him respond when he thought he was going to get a breather (Saturday in Edmonton). He put in a real strong effort for us."

Crawford had the save of the game in the second period when he did the splits to somehow stop a shot by a bewildered Henrik Sedin.

The Hawks tied the game seven minutes into the second on the power play when Kris Versteeg deflected in a shot by Duncan Keith. It was Versteeg's third power play goal of the season and his seventh overall.

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead early in the third when Hansen struck again, scoring his seventh on the season off a tip-in.

Hansen added a late goal to finish with a hat trick.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


Blackhawks' offense goes quiet in loss to Canucks

Tracey Myers

November 23, 2014, 11:00 pm

VANCOUVER – The Blackhawks were finding their offense again in recent games, the scoring slumps from the early season waning.

But on Sunday they went quiet again.

Kris Versteeg scored his seventh of the season, a power-play goal, but the Blackhawks were otherwise flat and listless in a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The loss snapped the Blackhawks’ three-game winning streak.

Jannik Hansen had a hat trick, including an empty-netter with 43 seconds remaining, to pace the Canucks. Corey Crawford, who started his 11th consecutive game, stopped 26 of 29 in the loss.

The Blackhawks were dynamite on Saturday night, when they exploded for seven goals in their victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks proved a bigger challenge, obviously, especially in their own building where they’re now 9-3-0 this season. Couple that with celebrating Daniel Sedin’s 1,000th NHL game, and the Canucks were buzzing.

Their opponents were not.

“I think we didn’t have the jump we wanted to,” Versteeg said. “They were obviously buzzing pretty good. On a back to back you try to play a simple game because you may be out of gas or travel the night before. We held ourselves in against a team that’s playing really well and had some jump. Obviously in the third period, some good players on their team were going to make plays, and that’s what they did.”

[NBC SHOP: Buy a Patrick Kane Winter Classic sweater]

The Blackhawks fired 25 shots on Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller, but it was hard to remember if many, if any, of those shots were great scoring opportunities. They didn’t have traffic in front again. They were just flat, creating little against the Canucks.

Coach Joel Quenneville said the Canucks were the harder-working team on Sunday.

“We didn’t have much going tonight,” Quenneville said. “They had more pace, more energy, puck support. We were lucky we were in the game going into the third.”

The Blackhawks were there to start the third, thanks to Versteeg’s goal, a redirect off Duncan Keith’s shot that tied the game 1-1 in the second. Crawford was also a big reason the Blackhawks were tied, as he kept a lot of the Canucks’ prime scoring chances from getting past him.

But in the third period, when the Blackhawks are usually at their best, things went awry. Hansen put the Canucks up 2-1 less than seven minutes into the period and Radim Vrbata put it out of reach in the waning minutes.

“Things unraveled quickly,” Patrick Kane said. “[We had] back-to-back games and they were waiting and ready. They had a lot of motivation. Not to make excuses. We were in the game. We just didn’t find a way to win it.”

The Blackhawks will have a few days in Denver before they play the Avalanche on Wednesday night. They’ll regroup and look at what they’ve done in the first quarter of this season and what’s left to do for the remainder of it. Then they need to get the spark back because on Sunday, they had none.

“They made plays and we made it too easy. We didn’t make them earn it,” Jonathan Toews said. “I think it’s always the same pace [against Vancouver]; it just gets better as the game goes along. We saw that tonight. We didn’t finish the game off."



Corey Crawford starts again as Blackhawks face Canucks

Tracey Myers

November 23, 2014, 7:15 pm

VANOUVER, British Columbia – Corey Crawford will start and Adam Clendening and Phillip Danault will be in the lineup when the Chicago Blackhawks face the Vancouver Canucks later tonight.

Crawford, who’s coming off a 7-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, will make his 11th consecutive start. Antti Raanta was originally scheduled to play that game but fell ill yesterday afternoon.

“He’s feeling better today but we’ll probably do what we did with him last night tonight,” said coach Joel Quenneville. Raanta was the backup last night, as he will be this evening, but he’ll be watching in the locker room and not on the bench. “We’ll see how he progresses but that’s probably where he’ll begin.”

[NBC SHOP: Buy a Corey Crawford Winter Classic jersey]

Clendening will play in his third NHL game tonight and Danault will participate in his second. Clendening and Danault were called up from Rockford in the wake of injuries to Trevor van Riemsdyk and Andrew Shaw, respectively.

Speaking of Shaw, Quenneville said he’s improving from his upper-body injury and skated this morning. Shaw will be out tonight, however, but he is close to returning.

Patrick Sharp (right leg) continues to skate back in Chicago. Quenneville said Sharp could still join the Blackhawks on this trip although it’s doubtful he would play.



Konroyd's keys for Blackhawks win over Canucks

November 23, 2014, 4:15 pm

STEVE KONROYD

1. Keep the "Mo" train rolling.

Life is good for the Blackhawks right now. Five wins in their last six games, and currently undefeated on their annual Thanksgiving Hiatus from the United Center. Mix in the fact that the offense has thrown up 17 goals in the last three wins and it makes for a fun and happy road trip. Sometimes winning begets winning in the NHL, and that is certainly evident with the Hawks. When you feel good about yourself and your game, you play with confidence and purpose. Don't let your foot off the gas.

[SHOP: Gear up, Blackhawks fans!]

2. Ruin Daniel's night.

Daniel Sedin is playing in game number 1,000 tonight, quite an accomplishment for a key member of the Canucks. He's a gifted winger who is playing a rejuvenated game under new head coach Willie Desjardins. Daniel realizes that the Blackhawks have been the Canucks nemesis these last six years, and would like nothing better than to beat the Hawks in this milestone game. Keep an eye on him and his brother Henrik because their chemistry is second to none in the NHL.

3. Good defense generates your offense.

On the highlights each night, you get to see a five-second clip of a nice play in the offensive zone. What you don't get to see are the great defensive plays that lead to a lot of these goals. Coach Q hammers it home every night: It's not what you get, it's what you give up that concerns him most. The Blackhawks have not given up much this year, and that's why Quenneville was not overly concerned when the Hawks weren't winning. Let your defense feed your offense.



Hawks fall despite Corey Crawford's exceptional effort

By Ryan Dittrick

Special to ESPNChicago.com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Chicago Blackhawks looked very much like a team on the second half of a back-to-back set Sunday night.

Disjointed, chaotic, on and on.

Crawford

"Game in, game out, he's giving us a chance," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said of his netminder. "We didn't give him the result he deserved."

For everyone but Corey Crawford, that is.

Fortunate to be tied after 40 minutes of play, the well ran dry -- a sputtering offense failed to produce when, on the flip side, Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen was busy putting the finishing touches on his first career hat trick in a 4-1 final.

"We didn't have much of anything going tonight," Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said. "Vancouver had way more pace, way more energy and puck support.

"We were lucky to be in the game."

Making his 11th straight start, Crawford was exceptional -- an elite performance from one of the NHL's best, preventing an otherwise lopsided game from getting out of hand.

"He was amazing. Absolutely amazing," Kris Versteeg, who scored the Hawks’ lone goal, said postgame. “Crow's been great all year, but he was something special tonight, no question. If it wasn't for him, we're probably looking at a different result on the scoreboard. He kept us in it and gave us a chance, which is all you can ever ask from your goaltender … but when we make the kind of saves he was making tonight, it's such a boost. It's a shame we didn't get the result for him tonight."

Among his 26 saves, Crawford’s best will make the highlight reels coast-to-coast for the days, weeks and months ahead -- sure goals thwarted by fine displays of athleticism.

Radim Vrbata, whose deflected shot from the high slot was emphatically picked off by the netminder's glove, was the first to bear witness. Then, in a tie game late in the second period, Crawford had a little magic left in tow, lunging across and extending every inch of his 6-foot-2 frame to negate Henrik Sedin's one-touch offering with the tip of his skate blade.

Crawford came into the night with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage -- elite numbers, indeed.

"He's been excellent. Consistent. Game in, game out, he's giving us a chance," Quenneville said. "We didn't give him the result he deserved."

The Blackhawks were outshot 30-25, but the discrepancy in quality scoring chances was far greater.

The Hawks got on the board at 7:55 of the second period, scoring just 12 seconds into a power-play opportunity.

"On back-to-back nights, you try to play a simple game,” Versteeg said of the team’s lack of execution. "We held ourselves in it for a while … They have some good players over there that can make some great plays, and that's exactly what they did. It was a pace we're generally comfortable with, but whether it was fatigue or something else at play, we couldn't keep up. Tied going into the third period, you've got to be happy with the position you're in. Then we gave up the first one, the next one. Before you know it, we're down by a bunch. We're better than that, and we'll show it.”

Added Hawks forward Patrick Kane: "We have a lot more to give. Tonight wasn't good enough."

Alongside Kane and Brad Richards, Versteeg now has three goals and seven points in his past four games. The winger was one of the Hawks'

better forwards tonight, playing nearly 19 minutes and coming to the aid of Kane after No. 88 was drilled with a questionable hit from behind by Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa late in the opening 20.

Beyond that, the emotion, and the myriad "wow" moments from their all-star netminder, the Blackhawks just couldn't get anything going offensively. The 50-foot neutral zone may as well have been a chasm, entrenched -- appropriately, along the shores of the Pacific Ocean here in Vancouver -- by a sea of blue sweaters.

"Even if we're not dictating the pace of the game, we've got to make sure we're making things more difficult on them to create offense," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "We made mistakes all over the place and it cost us. We've had a good trip, 'til tonight. It will be good to get some rest before we get back at it on Wednesday in Denver."

ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 11.24.2014


Rapid Reaction: Canucks 4, Hawks 1

By Ryan Dittrick


VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at Rogers Arena.

How it happened: Jannik Hansen's first career hat trick provided the bulk of the offense in a lopsided game from start to finish. The Canucks, who controlled the pace for much of the evening, drew first blood at 13:13 of the opening period as Hansen capitalized on a bit of a broken play in the slot, slapping a shot past Corey Crawford after eluding checks in the slot. While the Hawks' power-play struggled mightily on the night, it did engineer the equalizer just shy of the 8-minute mark of the second. The red-hot Kris Versteeg connected with a Duncan Keith point blast, redirecting a shot past Ryan Miller just 12 seconds into their third advantage of the night. But the Canucks took over from that point forward, scoring three times in the final frame -- Hansen at 6:24, Radim Vrbata at 17:36 and Hansen again at 19:17, an empty-netter -- sealing victory on a night when the Blackhawks just couldn't get anything going offensively.

What it means: The Hawks suffer their first loss of the circus trip after stringing together a pair of wins off the top. Chicago is now 12-8-1 on the year, third in the Central, and four points back of the division-leading St. Louis Blues.

Player of the game: With the help of an empty-netter, Hansen's hat trick performance lifted the Canucks to victory, but getting there was no easy task. Simply put, Crawford was incredible. Making his 11th straight start, the veteran made 26 saves on the night, many of them miraculous, and was the difference in a game that could have easily gotten out of hand. A pair of world-class stops highlighted the night -- the first coming hot off the stick of Vrbata, who redirected a point shot into the webbing of the goalie’s trapper, while the second, a cross-crease one-time shot by Henrik Sedin, was literally stopped by the width of a skate blade. Crawford lunged across to meet the offering foot-first, stretching his heel to deny the opportunity.

Stat of the game: Versteeg extended his point streak to three, tallying the Hawks' lone goal in the defeat. Alongside Patrick Kane and Brad Richards, the winger now has three goals and seven points in his past three games.

What’s next: The circus trip enters the back half as the Hawks travel back to the States to take on the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday before wrapping up their season-long, six-game excursion with a back-to-back set versus the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings on Friday and Saturday, respectively.



Corey Crawford to make 11th straight start in net at Vancouver

By Ryan Dittrick


VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Corey Crawford will make his 11th straight start Sunday night as the Circus Trip reaches the halfway point with a date against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Antti Raanta was scheduled to get the start Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers, but the Finn fell ill following Saturday’s morning skate, opening the door for Crawford to slot in at Edmonton. Crawford made 24 saves on 25 shots to earn his ninth victory of the season.

According to Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, Raanta is feeling better Sunday but isn’t yet ready to go in a starting capacity.

“We'll probably do what we did with him last night, tonight,” Quenneville said of having Raanta off the bench and in the dressing room. “We’ll see how he feels. That’s probably where he’ll start the game, anyway.”

Shaw 'getting close'

The Blackhawks will once again be without the services of Andrew Shaw, who will miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Shaw did skate Sunday morning for the first time since Wednesday’s practice in Chicago but isn’t quite ready as he returns from what Quenneville originally figured to be a “short-term” ailment.

“He’s doing much better,” Quenneville said. “He wanted to play tonight. He’s close.”

Delightful debuts

Ben Smith assumed one of the vacant positions at center before Phillip Danault was recalled late Friday afternoon.

Danault has recorded three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 14 games this season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Playing over 11 minutes on a line with Bryan Bickell and Daniel Carcillo, the 21-year-old amassed three hits and an even rating in his NHL debut Saturday, earning praise from the normally reserved Hawks head coach.

“Excellent,” Quenneville said, commending the youngster’s “tenacious” performance in Saturday’s 7-1 rout of the Oilers.

The same can be said of Adam Clendening, who scored in his NHL debut Thursday, then added his first assist and second point of the season in Edmonton.

Clendening and Danault will be in the lineup again Sunday night.

“Both players have done well in the time we’ve seen them,” Quenneville said. “It’s important we keep that going and reward them for their contributions so far. It will be a tough test tonight. Vancouver’s playing very well, so we’re excited to see how the guys handle it.”

It’s unclear which defenseman will sit out in Clendening’s place -- Michal Rozsival or David Rundblad.



Blackhawks' 20-game season review

By Scott Powers

Corey Crawford

Corey Crawford has played some of the best hockey of his career through the first 20 games.

The Chicago Blackhawks are almost a quarter of the way through the season after playing 20 games. Here are 15 things we have learned about them so far:

1. The Blackhawks don’t have an amazing record at 12-7-1, but it’s not bad considering their early scoring troubles and they are still right there among the Central Division leaders. They’re in third place in the Central behind the Nashville Predators (13-5-2, 28 points) and St. Louis Blues (13-6-1, 27 points). The Blackhawks are trending upward. They’re on their first three-game winning streak of the season and have won five of their last six games. One area they have already corrected from last season is their overtime/shootout record. They were 3-8 last year and are 4-1 this season.

2. The Blackhawks can still fill the net. They went through an unlucky stretch early in the season, when they were leading the league in shots but didn’t have the results to show for it. That’s changed in the last few weeks. Their shooting percentage is getting back to normal. They have scored 32 goals over the last eight games. They still lead the league in shots (36.7 per game) and their scoring average is up to 2.95, which is tied for seventh. Their shooting percentage is still a few percentage points below their average the last few years, so expect the goals average to increase some more over time. The Blackhawks were third in shots-per game (33.1) and second in goals-per-game (3.18) last season.

3. Corey Crawford is playing at an elite level. He has a 1.90 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 14 games. He ranks fifth in the league in save percentage. His start to the season is comparable to what he did in the shortened 2012-13 season, when he was consistent throughout the season and finished ranked sixth in the league in save percentage. It’s the only time he’s finished in the top 10 in save percentage. He has held opponents to two goals or less in 10 of his 14 games this season. He’s especially improved against the power play. He had a .864 power-play save percentage last season and it’s currently at .905.

4. Brad Richards had to wait longer than he and most people expected for him to become the Blackhawks’ second-line center and play alongside Patrick Kane, but he’s finally there. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville finally gave Richards a long look beside Kane in the 18th game, and it’s worked out for everyone. The line of Kris Versteeg, Richards and Kane has created six goals over the last three games. Richards has eight points and is a plus-5 in November.

Jonathan Toews

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews share the team lead in points with 18.

5. Kane and Jonathan Toews continue to not disappoint. Both have a team-leading 18 points. Kane got off to a slow start, but he’s making up for it now. He’s on a four-game scoring streak and has eight points in the last four games. He has eight goals and 10 assists on the season. Toews has been steady most of the season. He’s recorded points in 12 games and has nine goals and nine assists. He has also continued to play the most minutes by a forward and he plays in all situations.

6. There’s no mistaking Versteeg is a different player this season. A full offseason of rehab has done him wonders. He has six goals, seven assists and is plus-7 in 16 games this season. He scored all of 10 goals in 63 games for the Blackhawks last season. The Blackhawks miss Patrick Sharp, but Versteeg has helped fill that void. The Blackhawks also have to figure it’s a matter of time before Marian Hossa starts scoring. Hossa scored his third goal of the season on Saturday. He has a 5.1 shooting percentage, and that is usually around 13 percent. He does lead the team with 12 assists.

7. Bryan Bickell was hopeful this past offseason would have a similar effect on him as it did Versteeg, and that hasn't been the case. Bickell trimmed down and felt great entering the season. He set a goal for this regular

season to be like his recent playoffs. He hasn't met those expectations. He has two goals and five assists in 20 games. Since being rewarded with a four-year, $16 million deal after his 2013 playoff performance, he’s had 13 goals and nine assists in 79 regular-season games and seven goals and three assists in 19 playoff games.

8. Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Brent Seabrook have lived up to their roles as top-4 defensemen. Hjalmarsson leads the defensemen as a plus-7. Keith leads the defensemen with 12 points and an average of 25:27 of ice time. Oduya remains consistent beside Hjalmarsson. Seabrook has had a few miscues and is a minus-2 on the season, but he’s still contributed on the penalty kill, power play and has 11 points.

9. The Blackhawks still need to shore up their final defenseman pairing. Trevor Van Riemsdyk's injury was a hit in that area for them. Quenneville will now rely on Michal Rozsival, David Rundblad and Adam Clendening to fill two defenseman spots every game. Clendening has shown some offensive ability, but he had a couple miscues in the Blackhawks’ defensive zone on Saturday that Quenneville couldn’t have been happy about. Rozsival has started the last two games, but the question is whether his body and play can hold up over time. Rundblad had earned some of Quenneville’s confidence recently, but that seems to be gone again.

Blackhawks/Sharks

Brandon Saad has recorded a point in 10 of his 20 games this season.

10. Brandon Saad appears to be taking another step forward in his third season. Consistency is what Saad lacked the first two seasons. He recorded points in 55 of 124 games his first two full seasons. He’s registered points in 10 of 20 games this season and has points in seven of the last 10 games. He’s fourth on the team with 14 points, which includes three goals and 11 assists.

11. The Blackhawks still can’t get both of sides of their special teams to click at the same. Their penalty kill is second in the league with a 90 percent success rate. Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger have been effective as the top forward pairing. The Blackhawks’ power play is still inconsistent. They rank 15th at 19.5 percent.

12. Quenneville isn’t completely mad when it comes to his lines. His latest mixtures have been successful, especially on the top two lines 0f Saad, Toews and Hossa; and Versteeg, Richards and Kane. A line with Bickell, Phillip Danault and Daniel Carcillo and another line with Joakim Nordstrom, Kruger and Smith had strong possession numbers on Saturday.

13. Injuries have already impacted the Blackhawks this season. Van Riemsdyk is out 3-4 months with a lower-body injury. Sharp has missed seven games and is likely out a few more weeks with a lower-body injury. Andrew Shaw has missed two games with an upper-body injury. Carcillo missed 10 games with a lower-body injury. Crawford missed six games with an upper-body injury. Versteeg missed four games with a lower-body injury. The Blackhawks would like to get Shaw on a better track when he returns. He’s struggled defensively this season and is last on the team in Corsi and is a minus-4. Playing more consistently on the third line could benefit him.

14. With all those injuries, the Blackhawks have turned to their organization’s depth. Peter Regin, Nordstrom, Danault, Clendening and goaltender Scott Darling have all been recalled and stepped into the lineup this season. The Rockford IceHogs, the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, are playing well, too. They are off to a 13-4-0-1 start. Forwards Mark McNeill and Teuvo Teravainen and a few other defensemen could be worthy of recalls later in the season as well.

15. While a lot of the Blackhawks youngsters are drawing praise from Quenneville, forward Jeremy Morin hasn’t been able to earn his trust this season. Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman said they expected Morin to have a larger role this season, but Morin hasn’t won over Quenneville. Morin has averaged 7:44 in 15 games and been scratched five times this season. He was scratched on Saturday.


757740 Colorado Avalanche

AVALANCHE HAS A LOT ON THE LINE WITH RETO BERRA

By Terry Frei

The Denver Post

POSTED: 11/23/2014 04:18:39 PM MST

UPDATED: 11/23/2014 11:28:50 PM MST

On Sunday at the Avalanche's optional practice, the rink rats — including the most notorious of all, Ryan O'Reilly — helped set up an innovative version of a "shooter tutor" contraption in one of the nets and continued to fire away.

The shooter tutor won't be in the Avalanche net on the road against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Barring a sudden Semyon Varlamov recovery from a groin injury, Patrick Roy will choose between Reto Berra and recent call-up Calvin Pickard, 22.

The Avalanche has a lot on the line with Berra.

His often-shaky play has done little to quiet the fears that Colorado made mistakes both when it acquired him at the trading deadline on March 5 from Calgary, and — perhaps even more important — signed him to a three-year, $4.35-million contract extension only nine days later.

That's less that a fourth of what Varlamov makes, but the 27-year-old Swiss is under contract through the 2016-17 season. Yet it's still a significant commitment.

It isn't just a money issue, but also a competitive one in a league with a hard salary cap, guaranteed contracts, and limited potential buyout relief. A long-term commitment to a presumed backup still should come with a belief that he not only can capably play 25 games a year, but take over the No. 1 job for stretches in case of injury or even because he deserves to stay in the net .

Berra has had solid games this season, and at least didn't reprise his shaky showings in his cameo appearances down the stretch last season. But with Varlamov out, this is his latest chance to win over the skeptics, and so far, he's failing. After Roy pulled him when Carolina took a 3-1 lead late in the first period Saturday night, Pickard shut out the Hurricanes the rest of the way in a 4-3 Colorado victory.

Berra's save percentage is below the Astrom Line, at .895, his goals-against average is 3.16.

Also at stake here is Avalanche organizational goaltender evaluation credibility. And that's a very strange thing to have to say about a team that has Roy as its head coach and Francois Allaire, renowned if occasionally a bit controversial as a goaltending whisperer, as its goaltending coach.

I was on the Avalanche trip at the trading deadline in March when Colorado acquired Berra, and to this day I remain a bit mystified by the organization's seemingly sudden dissatisfaction with Jean-Sebastien Giguere. He was in the twilight of his career, his contract was up, he was having back issues, but he had been terrific at the start of the season. Unless the Avalanche got a steal at the deadline to acquire a guy perfect for the backup role (or more) in future seasons, the trade — and the sudden contract extension — made little sense. Colorado could have dealt with the backup issue in the offseson.

It might be too soon to write off Berra, who didn't come over from Switzerland to play in the NHL until a year ago, when he was 26. Still, his Saturday yanking, which happens to the best of NHL goalies, seems to be part of a pattern of shakiness. Joe Sakic was quite open that Allaire, who spends considerable time tutoring goalies in Switzerland at camps and privately, recommended Berra, who struggled as a rookie with the Flames last season before the trade. The thought apparently was that he was going through a difficult transition to the North American game with a bad team, and that he would get better. Much better.

He hasn't yet lived up to that faith.

There will come a point where Sakic, Roy and everyone else involved will have to confront and deal with a possible misstep.

Perhaps it's ludicrous to think that the fiercely competitive Roy ever is going to let denial and saving face be a factor in deciding how — or even if — to use Berra, and whether he's deserving of being locked in as Varlamov's backup.

But admitting mistakes can be difficult.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.24.2014


CALVIN PICKARD SAVORS FIRST NHL WIN WITH AVALANCHE

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

POSTED: 11/23/2014 03:21:43 PM MST

UPDATED: 11/23/2014 11:19:56 PM MST

The texts and phone calls came with great rapidity from Winnipeg, Manitoba. All were addressed to Avalanche goaltender Calvin Pickard, owner of his first NHL victory.

"It was a pretty surreal night. I didn't get much sleep. I was up pretty late, or pretty early in the morning in reality," Pickard said Sunday. "I heard from a lot of people. My mom especially was pretty excited. The first guy to hug me was Jarome Iginla, and he was always a favorite of my mom, so it was amazing for her."

Saturday night, Pickard lived the dream he grew up fantasizing about mostly in Winnipeg, where his parents and other family still reside. A career that has seen its share of fits and starts all fit, for one night at least.

Coming on in relief of starter Reto Berra and his team staring at a 3-1 deficit, Pickard stopped all 17 shots he faced to help Colorado post a 4-3 victory over Carolina at the Pepsi Center. The question is: Will he get the start in the Avs' next game, Tuesday at Arizona?

There was no answer to that question Sunday, as the Avs held an optional practice that several players chose not to attend. Coach Patrick Roy was on the ice for part of the session but did not talk to the media.

"If I get the start, I'll be ready," Pickard said. "Anytime I get a chance to play here, it's a big opportunity."

It might be a stretch to say that Pickard, 22, was at crossroads in his career entering training camp, but not much of one. A second-round draft choice of the Avalanche in 2010, he spent the next two years in junior with the Seattle Thunderbirds, and the two years after that with Lake Erie of the American Hockey League.

In his first full season with the Monsters, he posted a 20-19-5 record with a .918 save percentage. But his save percentage slipped to .906 last season. He resolved to re-examine his technique during the summer, and came to a conclusion:

"Last year was a step back for me. I was a little too 'liquid.' I would just kind of rip around and make saves whichever way I wanted," Pickard said. "But at this level, guys will make you pay. You just have to quiet your game down and be in position to make as many saves as possible."

Pickard adopted a more conventional approach to goaltending by playing the odds of being in predetermined, set positions over a more freelance approach.

"You want to be in position for the first shot, but also give yourself the best chance if there's a rebound," he said. "I think I've gained more confidence in the system, and being up here and working with (Avalanche goalies coach) Francois Allaire more has really helped a lot. I feel more confident in the approach."

But Pickard isn't about to get comfortable after posting one victory in relief.

"I know I'm here now because of an injury (to Semyon Varlamov), but my job is to just try to make the most of it, and it felt great to contribute something to this team," Pickard said.

Footnote. The Avs recalled forward Paul Carey from Lake Erie and reassigned forward Andrew Agozzino to the Monsters. Agozzino recorded the first point of his NHL career, an assist, in Saturday's victory over Carolina.

Pickard file

A look at Avalanche backup goaltender Calvin Pickard:

• Age: 22.

• Drafted: 49th overall in the second round of the 2010 NHL draft by the Avs.

• First NHL victory: Saturday night in relief of Reto Berra, stopping 17-of-17 shots in the Avs' 4-3 win over Carolina.

• Fun fact: Pickard's brother, Chet, also a goaltender, was a first-round draft pick of Nashville in 2008.



WILL CALVIN PICKARD START TUESDAY'S GAME FOR THE COLORADO AVALANCHE?

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

POSTED: 11/23/2014 01:22:32 PM MST

UPDATED: 11/23/2014 01:36:56 PM MST

It was a quiet day at Avalanche practice, which was probably a good thing. There were no injuries, for instance.

In fact, the Avs got some good news regarding one player's health. Tomas Vincour, who played his first game of the season for the Avs Saturday, spent his time after the contest getting X-rays on his left foot. He took a shot off the foot in the third period against Carolina and didn't return, but the film showed that things were fine, other than a bruise, and he practiced Sunday.

Otherwise, it was an optional practice, and several players exercised their choice to sit it out.

Coach Patrick Roy even took the practice off, and also the day from reporters. That left the question unanswered as to whom will start in goal for the Avs' next game, Tuesday in Arizona.

Will it be rookie Calvin Pickard, who earned his first career victory in relief of Reto Berra against Carolina, or will Roy give Berra another chance despite allowing six goals on the last 36 shots faced?

We'll know definitively the answer to that question after practice Monday.


757743 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets: Troubling trends develop after 20 games

By Aaron Portzline

The Columbus Dispatch • MONDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2014 5:03 AM

The Blue Jackets have reached the quarter point of the season like a runner that hasn’t prepared for the race.

We have (gasp!) three more (hack!) laps to go?

Saturday’s 4-2 loss in Philadelphia was like so many others early this season: an emotional engagement was not evident for 60 minutes, the penalty kill faltered and there were ill-timed defensive breakdowns.

By this point of the season, trends have developed. And some of them are troubling for the Blue Jackets.

Through the first 20 games:

• The Blue Jackets have allowed 3.55 goals a game, the most in the NHL and a startling increase of almost one goal from last season (2.61). At this rate, the Blue Jackets will allow 291 goals, a franchise record.

• Blue Jackets goaltenders have an .893 save percentage, tied with Dallas for 29th in the league. Only Edmonton (.883) is worse. Last season, Jackets goalies had a .915 save percentage, tied for seventh in the league. Sergei Bobrovsky has a .911 save percentage in 12 games, but he has not conjured “The Bob.”

• The penalty kill is atrocious — 26th in the league at 75.3 percent. The Jackets have allowed 18 power-play goals in the past 15 games.

• The Blue Jackets have scored 18 power-play goals, the second-highest figure in the league behind Pittsburgh (22). But that accounts for more than a third of their goal-scoring. At 5-on-5 play, the Jackets have scored just 29 goals in 20 games.

• Columbus hasn’t played one game with all four of its projected centers in the lineup because of injuries. Where it has shown up most is on the faceoff dot, where the Jackets are 28th in the league with a 47.8 percent success rate. Only Calgary (46.5) and Buffalo (42.0) are worse. The Blue Jackets were tied with Boston for eighth in the league at 51.6 percent last season.

• The Blue Jackets have not been able to lean on the third or fourth lines as a source of energy as they did the past two seasons. Instead, those lines have been a drain. Never are players like center Derek MacKenzie so admired as when they have gone away. MacKenzie, who signed as a free agent with Florida, brought speed and faceoff victories to the fourth line. He is missed.

• The Blue Jackets have racked up 136 man-games lost to injuries, putting them on a franchise-record pace. The club has taken pains to not use this as an excuse, but there is no better reason for underperforming than not having your best players in the lineup. At one point early in the season, four of their top six forwards were out. Now, their two most reliable defensemen (Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Murray) are on the shelf.

The Blue Jackets are eight points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Eight points over 62 remaining games might seem doable, but history shows that only 10 percent of clubs that are out of the playoff picture by the end of November are able to work their way into the top eight.

One of them was Columbus last season. The Blue Jackets of 2013-14 were 6-10-3 in mid-November and didn’t get above .500 until Jan. 11, but finished as the seventh seed in the East.

This year’s group is 6-12-2, having lost 12 of their past 14 games.

The Blue Jackets are hoping center Brandon Dubinsky returns soon from abdominal surgery. Center Mark Letestu, out because of a lower-body injury, is a little further out on the horizon. Tyutin and Murray could be out another month.

If those players don’t bring a massive boost of energy, composure and stability to the lineup, it will be time to start kicking around other names in Columbus.

Such as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, the presumed first and second overall picks in next summer’s NHL draft.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2014


Blue Jackets alumni come together for charity game

By Michael Arace

The Columbus Dispatch • SUNDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2014 6:28 AM

The Blue Jackets alumni are assembled and ready to play money games, for charity. This is a terrific idea. These outfits are special.

Some 30 years ago, when I was covering high-school hockey in Connecticut, I often ran into the Hartford Whalers Alumni at one local barn or another. If you had a beer-league team and you put up enough money to make a donation to a children’s cancer fund, the retired Whalers would pay you a visit and gladly defeat you.

Gordie Howe, although a right wing, would always take the opening faceoff. He would get in a crouch, the puck would drop, and he would “win” the faceoff by planting one of his famous elbows somewhere in the facial area of his opponent. He knew his audience.

The other guy might be holding a sore chin as he peeled himself off center ice. He might have a little blood coming out of his nose. He always was grinning. These guys, they all said the same thing: “I just got elbowed by Gordie Howe!” For a plumber who played hockey at midnight twice a week, it was better than shaking hands with the president.

Howe, 86, is suffering from dementia. Recently, he had a series of strokes, and he did not have a good week last week. The time is coming when we will lose one of the greatest players in hockey’s history,. and the game’s greatest ambassador.

Gordie forever will be a giant for his prolific scoring records and unprecedented longevity. His greatest legacy, though, is as Mr. Hockey. He always reminded us that the game does not exist without the fans. He delivered this message with humility, humor and the occasional elbow.

The Blue Jackets Alumni Association is being dispatched to deliver the same message in our neck of the woods. The idea came from John Davidson, the president of hockey operations. The organizing is being done by Jody Shelley, a Jacket of early vintage who now works as the team’s television analyst.

“There are a lot of guys who are so proud to have been part of this franchise and who still live in the area,” Shelley said. “It’s just a good thing. And the organization is really helping us lift this off.”

Their first game is Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. They will play a group of Dublin-area youngsters who played hockey with, and knew, Daron Richardson, a daughter of former Jackets captain Luke Richardson.

Daron was 14 when she committed suicide on Nov. 10, 2010. From the tragedy sprang “Do it for Daron,” or DIFD, a program to raise awareness of teenage suicide. The goal of DIFD is to get more children who might be suffering from depression to open up and talk.

“Last year, the kids themselves did an event on their own,” said Luke Richardson, now the coach of the Binghamton (N.Y) Senators of the American Hockey League. “It has been a youth movement right from the beginning. It started in Ottawa and spread to wherever we’ve lived.

“The kids are trying to get rid of the stigma that surrounds mental health and make it more comfortable for kids to talk about it. We want to know if they are hurting.”

The first Jackets Alumni game will benefit DIFD. Former Jackets Andrew Cassels, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Fred Modin, Brett Harkins, Chris Clark and Martin Spanhel will put on their old sweaters, or some reasonable facsimiles. The puck drops in the Ice Haus at 3 p.m.

The price of admission is a donation at the door. There will be a silent auction. Current Jacket Nick Foligno is doing a postgame meet-and-greet. VIP packages are for sale that include entry to a reception with the alumni and lower-bowl tickets for the Jackets-Canucks game that night. To order, visit bluejackets.com/hockeytalks.

The Richardsons and their children loved their four years in Columbus. The bond remains strong. But watch the elbows.



Blue Jackets notebook: Bruins’ Lucic talks revenge for punch by Prout

By Aaron Portzline

The Columbus Dispatch • SUNDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2014 10:01 AM

The Boston Bruins are irate at the altercation between forward Milan Lucic and Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout at the end of overtime on Friday and are vowing revenge when the teams meet on Dec. 27 at Nationwide Arena.

Lucic told the Boston Herald that he let Prout know he wasn’t going to fight, and he let his guard down just before Prout buckled his knees with a heavy right to the chin.

“It’s the end of the game,” Lucic said. “I let him know I wasn’t going to fight him. I wasn’t prepared, I let my guard down, and that’s what happens sometimes when you let your guard down. I’ve been in over 100 fights, and I never took a shot like that. Like I said, we get two opportunities to play the Blue Jackets, and I’ll be ready.”

Prout and Lucic had traded blows as the final seconds of overtime ticked away, with Prout shoving Lucic from behind and knocking the stick out of his hands, and Lucic responding with a punch to the back of Prout’s head.

Prout then wheeled around to face Lucic as the Bruins forward skated directly at him, and the two exchanged shoves before they came together.

Lucic took off his left glove and grabbed Prout’s jersey but curiously kept his right glove on, even though the players were clearly locked in a fighting stance.

“As soon as he grabbed my collar and looked away … it’s on,” Prout said after the game. “We’re both players who have had altercations like that, and it’s just flipping switches. As far as I was concerned, we were engaged in a fight.”

Lucic was furious when he got back on his skates, screaming at Prout as he tried to get loose from the officials. When Lucic’s left hook only grazed Prout’s face, Lucic ripped off his glove and threw it at Prout.

Officials gave both Prout and Lucic two-minute minor penalties for roughing, but Lucic also got a 10-minute game misconduct for “continuing an altercation.”

Prout has nine fighting majors during his 99-game NHL career, two of them against Lucic. Chances are a third one is coming.

“There’s many a times when I could have done the exact same thing, and I held off because the guy’s refusing to drop his gloves,” Lucic said. “I find it to be gutless, and that’s my thoughts on it.”


757746 Dallas Stars

Heika: Right-handed Jason Demers a big hit early for Stars, could be key to season turnaround

BY MIKE HEIKA Follow @MikeHeika [email protected]

Staff Writer

Published: 23 November 2014 08:24 PM

Updated: 23 November 2014 08:29 PM

Jason Demers made quite an impression in his Stars debut Saturday night.

No, not the team-leading 25:32 in time on ice, showing that Demers has the potential to make a huge difference on the Stars’ defense very quickly.

No, not the booming shot on the power play, which can come in handy for a team still seeking to find the right combination with the man advantage.

And no, not even the three takeaways vs. one giveaway, an area where the Dallas defensemen have been most harshly criticized this season.

Demers made a ton of fans just a few minutes into the game, when he checked Los Angeles center Jarret Stoll at center ice with a thundering hit that electrified a sold out American Airlines Center.

“I know they like it a little rough and tough, so I tried to win them over quick,” Demers said.

Consider that task accomplished. Demers was fantastic in his first game in Victory Green. He mixed his skill with some physicality and helped the Stars take a 5-4 win over the Kings. In earning their second win over the defending Stanley Cup champions in just over a week, Dallas began to show signs that things are turning around.

And why? Because of guys like John Klingberg and Demers. General manager Jim Nill has reshaped the forward group in less than two years, but he left the defensive corps alone last summer. He had seen improvement from players last season, and there just weren’t deals out there to be done, he decided. So why not let the season start, check the pulse of the team, and then make adjustments down the line?

The Stars had several young defensemen percolating in the minors, but why rush the Swedish-born Klingberg, who had hip surgery in the summer and no extended experience playing on North America’s smaller rinks? Why not see if Sergei Gonchar, Kevin Connauton or Brenden Dillon was going to step up?

But a quarter of the way into the season, the defense was struggling and needed tweaking. So Nill shipped off Gonchar, Connauton and Dillon, opening the door for Klingberg and Demers, who are both right-handed. They become the first righties the Stars have had on the blueline since Stephane Robidas departed, and they give Dallas needed balance in moving the puck.

“It’s something we’ve talked about ever since I got here,” Nill said. “I think you look at all the successful teams, a lefty-righty situation is very important. So it’s something we knew we had to get to. It’s just a process to get there.”

It also took some faith. It was a risk to bring Klingberg up after just 10 AHL games, although it’s looking like a very smart one. It was a risk to send Dillon to San Jose for Demers, who is smaller at 6-1, 195, and a couple of years older at 26.

But again, if one game is the test, it’s looking like a very smart risk.

“He's very outgoing, very social, brings good things into the locker room,” forward Tyler Seguin said of Demers. “I knew him before this trade, and I knew he was going help out. I thought he had a great two-way game, and he had that great shot.”

Demers scored on the power play in his first game with his new team. It ended up being the game-winning goal, so there was a ton of excitement. Mix that with the hit, and you have a darn fine first date.

Now, all parties have to go about the task of making the relationship work.

“It happened quick, the whole trade, and I’ve had one day with them,” Demers said of flying in Friday night and playing Saturday. “They’ve welcomed me great and made me feel right at home right away. I couldn’t ask for any better reception.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.24.2014

757747 Detroit Red Wings

At quarter of season, Red Wings in plus territory

By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 8:09 p.m. EST November 23, 2014

The Red Wings have reached the quarter pole of their season and have several positives to take into a hectic schedule in which they play every other day for the next two weeks.

They host the Ottawa Senators tonight with a 10-5-5 record, good for 25 points, the same amount as Stanley Cup favorite Chicago. All 10 victories have come in regulation or overtime (a positive come playoff time, as it's the first tiebreaker). A goal differential of plus-six is in the middle of the pack, close to that of defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles.

One of the brightest spots is Jimmy Howard, who has responded to off-season pressure from management to rebound from last year's subpar performance. After 16 games he has a 2.03 goals-against average that ranks seventh in the NHL and a .922 save percentage that ranks 11th.

The penalty kill — 4-for-4 in Saturday's 4-1 loss at Toronto — ranks first in the league at 90.1%. Much of the time, the skaters are so efficient the goaltender doesn't have to make a save.

Production has come from many sources — after Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk carried the Wings into November, the younger generation has delivered the past couple of weeks. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist lead the team with nine goals each. Zetterberg has 17 points in 20 games. Johan Franzen is nearly a point-a-game player, with 13 points in 14 games. Riley Sheahan already has nine points.

Defensively, the Wings are eighth in the league with 2.30 goals allowed per game, better than Montreal, Anaheim, Boston and Tampa Bay. Blue liners Brendan Smith (out until early December due to a hand infection) and Kyle Quincey have been much better than last season. Rookie Xavier Ouellet has used two games this past week to make a hard argument against being sent back to the minors.

One noticeable stain has been the power play. It has been better the past eight games (10-for-70), but an absolutely dismal October means the Wings have managed only to climb from near bottom to 19th in the NHL. There's no question a right-handed shooter is needed, be it at forward or defense.

All in all, there have been far more positives than negatives, and that's why the Wings get a solid B for their first-quarter performance.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.24.2014


Red Wings rookie Ouellet impressive in brief stint

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 11:22 p.m. EST November 23, 2014

Detroit — It's a small sample, two games last week, on top of the five games Xavier Ouellet played in the NHL last season.

But Ouellet, in this brief appearance, sure looks as if he's ready for the NHL.

Ouellet, 21, was called up from Grand Rapids when Brendan Smith (infected hand) was placed on the seven-day injured reserve list.

In two games, Ouellet looked every bit the prized prospect the Red Wings thought he was.

"He's a good hockey player," coach Mike Babcock said. "He plays like a veteran."

That was the thing scouts talked about regarding Ouellet (2011 second-round draft pick) coming out of juniors, and then last season in Grand Rapids.

Ouellet is a young player, but he had the poise and look of a player who has been in the NHL for years.

And there were glimpses of that in the two games last week.

If he made a mistake, Ouellet quickly shook it off. He found a wide-open Tomas Tatar for a goal Saturday against Toronto. Ouellet is physical when needs to be. Defensively, he rarely is in the wrong place.

Or, another popular scouting report on Ouellet: He doesn't do any one thing outstanding — but he's very good in every aspect.

"X looks great," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "He makes the right plays, he's in the right position. He looks like a veteran out there."

One of those five games Ouellet appeared in last season was Game 5 of the first-round playoff series against Boston, replacing Jakub Kindl in the lineup (which Ouellet has done similarly these past two games).

Unless the Red Wings can trade a defenseman or someone else gets hurt, Ouellet will return to Grand Rapids.

But you get the impression he isn't going to be a Grand Rapids Griffin for long.

"He's a smart defenseman who sees the ice real well," Henrik Zetterberg said. "He's an NHL player."

Alfredsson update

The Ottawa Senators, the team with which Daniel Alfredsson starred for 17 seasons, will be at Joe Louis Arena Monday but it's unlikely Alfredsson will announce his retirement just yet.

More likely in December, with the announcement coming in Ottawa, where Alfredsson's popularity remains huge.

The Red Wings have felt for a long time Alfredsson, who turns 42 on Dec. 11, will retire this season after stopping skating shortly after Labor Day because of back pain.

But teammates and coaches appreciated the year they shared with Alfredsson last season.

"Alfie's a great, great man," Babcock said. "We acquired him to help our team. He had an injury (most of the season) and didn't skate (as much in practice), but he was our leading scorer.

"He's a good man in the room, knows how to play in key situations. He's been a great Ottawa Senator, he had a great NHL career. It's always disappointing to (a player) when it ends."

Ice chips

Stephen Weiss had a goal in each of the two games he played in Grand Rapids on a conditioning assignment.

Weiss will return to the Red Wings and be eligible to play today.

… What aggravated the Wings most about Saturday's 4-1 loss in Toronto were two turnovers in the third period that led to Maple Leafs goals.

The Red Wings felt they gave the game away after putting themselves in position to come away with a victory.

"We played good for two periods, then we gave the game away with turnovers," Zetterberg said. "Both their late goals, we turned the puck over, and (there) were odd-man rushes or breakaways (going the other way)."

… Pavel Datsyuk (groin) skated Saturday but he remains day-to-day. Datsyuk has missed the last three games.

Detroit News LOADED: 11.24.2014


Justin Abdelkader fulfilling potential, having big impact for Detroit Red Wings in several areas

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

on November 23, 2014 at 6:04 PM, updated November 23, 2014 at 6:05 PM

TORONTO - Justin Abdelkader has evolved from a role player, a complementary piece to the Detroit Red Wings' skilled players, to an impact player in his sixth season.

Always relied on for forechecking, penalty killing, physical play and energy, Abdelkader now is scoring more. His performance is vital to the team's success.

One quarter of the way into the season, Abdelkader has six goals and is second on the team with 14 points. He is averaging almost two minutes per game more than he did in 2013-14 and is rewarding coaches for their faith in him.

This is the type of player Abdelkader thought he could be when the Red Wings selected the Muskegon native with their second pick in the 2005 entry draft out of Michigan State.

"In this league it takes time to become the player you're capable of being," Abdelkader said. "I felt like I had more to bring. Over the past few seasons I think I've shown potential, but it's one thing to show and one thing to do it."

This is the most confident he has felt on the ice. That has been apparent.

"I'm learning from the veteran guys how to prepare night in and night out, learning what kind of role I need to bring every night," Abdelkader said. "It's not always going to be points. It's being physical, being around the net, being in the hard areas. That's important to me. I've been fortunate to put points up at the same time."

Abdelkader spent much of the past couple of seasons doing the heavy lifting on Pavel Datsyuk's line - providing a net-front presence, retrieving pucks. He also picked up some pointers on becoming a better finisher.

"Last year, getting a good opportunity to play with Pav and getting in more scoring situations, I kind of learned how to be more patient with pucks and around the front of the net and when you have the puck on your stick trying to make more plays," Abdelkader said.

Coach Mike Babcock trusts Abdelkader to put him in any role - top line, checking line, penalty kill and net front on the power play. He is the only Red Wings forward averaging more than a minute of ice time on both the power play (2:16) and the penalty kill (1:39).

"That's a big confidence boost, your coach putting you in all those situations," Abdelkader said. "I started on the penalty kill, got a little power play time, and as the years went by I got more of an opportunity.

Justin Abdelkader The Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader on his strong start.

"You can come into the league and have a good year, but it's do it consecutively, year after year. For me it's just trying to improve every day on my game and just little things I can bring. It's not always going to be points but you want to have a positive effect on the game somehow. If it's not points, I want to lead the team in hits or blocked shots or do whatever I can to help the team win."

Babcock called Abdelkader a work in progress.

"Abby's got to be a physical forechecker who skates and who's at the net," Babcock said. "When he does those things scoring comes with it. When he focuses on scoring he won't be doing any of those other things.

"The other thing about Abby is he comes to work every day. As long as he does that his career's going to get better and better."

Abdelkader has played on a line with Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan the past three games. It has been the team's most dangerous unit by far. Abdelkader, at 27, is the most experienced of the trio.

"He's a good guy to get energy from, how hard he plays," Sheahan said. "He does an unbelievable job of getting to those hard areas and he's tough and strong on the puck.

"He brings some leadership to the team and it's definitely been pleasant playing with him. He's a good player to model your game after."

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.24.2014


Seven-year-old transplant recipient to attend Red Wings game courtesy of Daniel Cleary

Brendan Savage | [email protected] By Brendan Savage | [email protected]

on November 23, 2014 at 11:11 AM, updated November 23, 2014 at 10:00 PM

DETROIT - Doug Warren was hoping to find a couple of Daniel Cleary jerseys for him and son Luke to wear at Monday's Detroit Red Wings game.

The Warrens will be Cleary's guest at the game against the Ottawa Senators and they want everyone to know who was responsible for getting them to their first NHL game.

Doug has attended a University of Michigan hockey game in the past but he wasn't able to take Luke, 7, because the youngster wasn't up to making the trip after undergoing a liver transplant when he was 10 months old.

But thanks to Cleary, Luke will finally get to see his first hockey game tonight at Joe Louis Arena.

Cleary, in his 10th season with the Red Wings, purchased a pair of season tickets and has been donating them to a child that has survived a transplant. The youngsters gets to bring a guardian, attend practice and meet the Red Wings' veteran forward in addition to getting a goodie bag and other baubles.

Luke's dad says the youngster is looking forward to making the trip from their home in Jerome Township near Jackson to Joe Louis Arena.

"We're pretty excited about it," Doug Warren said. "I don't think he's actually ever seen a hockey game because we don't have cable or anything and I don't think they have (Red Wings) game on regular TV.

"He's never been to a game."

Warren is grateful that Cleary is helping raise awareness for organ transplants.

"I think it's a great thing to bring attention to The Gift of Life and to the awareness of how important it is for transplants, for people to sign up," he said. "My wife (Brenda) is an advocate for Gift of Life. She's a Gift of Life volunteer."

In addition to the tickets, the Red Wings told the Warrens that they'll receive meal vouchers in addition to having a goody bag and other memorabilia delivered to their seats during the game.

Cleary also hopes to meet the Warrens after the game.

"I know people who've been waiting for organ transplants and kids, especially, just touches me a little bit," Cleary said. "So I decided to talk to the Wings and donated some season tickets to each game for someone to come down watch practice, meet me after the games."

"It feels good for sure. I've got an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old at home. It's just rewarding. It feels good. Nice to see kids smile. It's not easy to go through."

Luke's first NHL game will hold a special significance because Nov. 24 marks the seven-year anniversary of his liver transplant.

Doug Warren said his son spent about 25 days in critical care before going on a transplant list. Three days later, a liver became available and Luke underwent surgery after originally being given just 90 days to live.

"He's doing really good," Doug Warren said. "He has to get his blood drawn every other month and every six months we go to (the University of Michigan hospital) and they do blood work and he has to see all the doctors there.

"We still have to watch him because he takes anti-rejection drugs. His immune system is low most of the time. We have to kind of monitor when people are sick. He wears masks when he we go out in public, especially in the season when people get colds."

But Luke attends school - he's in the second grade - and participated in the 2012 Transplant Games of America in Grand Rapids.

He won gold medals in the softball throw, 25-meter dash and long jump - the only events participants in his age group were eligible to enter.

"He's pretty much a normal kid," Doug Warren said.

Luke and his dad have also become Daniel Cleary fans.

"I've started to like hockey a lot more," Doug Warren said. "I like football. I've always been a big Michigan fan. I talked to other people who have been lifelong fans of the Red Wings. They said Dan Cleary is a stand-up guy. He's always been a real steady player.

"That's probably why he's still around."



Stephen Weiss ready to produce for Red Wings after successful two-game stint with Grand Rapids Griffins

Zach Kukkonen By Zach Kukkonen

on November 23, 2014 at 8:00 AM, updated November 23, 2014 at 8:17 AM

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- In two games with Grand Rapids over the weekend, Stephen Weiss matched his two-goal output in 27 games with the Red Wings over a pair of campaigns.

It certainly helps that he finally feels completely healthy for the first time since training camp with Detroit last season, and just in time for a call-up to the Red Wings on Sunday.

"It's always nice to score, but it's just nice to play in the game and feel healthy," Weiss said. "Starting in training camp last year I was playing with one leg and pretty much no stomach, and it's a hard enough league to play at that level when you're healthy, let alone when struggling with injuries."

After scoring at least 49 points from 2008-12 -- and playing at least 76 games every season -Weiss only participated in 44 games the past three seasons due to a myriad of injuries. While his physical health appears to have returned to form, the mental half of his recovery was part of the process of his conditioning stint with the Griffins.

"Coming off a seven-hour travel day in Cleveland, it was a little worrisome, as I was worried that (the groin injury) would tense up," Weiss said. "I was a little tentative early tonight, but that stuff has got to get out of my mind. I just have to trust that everything's fine, and go play."

This was Weiss' second stop with the Griffins this season, as his first attempt to rehab his groin injury in late October resulted in a setback. The second time appears to have been the charm, however, as Griffins coach Jeff Blashill saw an improvement in Weiss' performance just from Friday's game to Saturday's.

"I was real happy with his play and even the progress from last night [Friday] to tonight," Blashill said. "He competed hard on pucks, he was good defensively and he obviously has the offensive ability."

Weiss spent his time on the Griffins' first line with Mitch Callahan and Teemu Pulkkinen Saturday, and that line got Grand Rapids the momentum back after a first-period goal by Lake Erie started off the scoring. Off a nice pass from Callahan, Weiss fired a shot past Monsters goalie Sami Aittokallio and sparked a three-goal first-period burst for the Griffins.

Scoring was Weiss' calling card when he excelled as a Florida Panther, and he's looking to get back to being that player when he returns to Detroit Sunday.

"I'm looking forward to being healthy now, being able to play and play consistently," Weiss said.

Although Weiss was not in Grand Rapids for long, his veteran presence did have an effect on some of the Griffins' players, including first-round draft pick Anthony Mantha.

"It feels good to have Stephen here," Mantha said. "He helped us a lot this weekend, and I hope for him that he goes back up and does a lot."

That's the plan now for Weiss, who hopes this will have to be the last rehabilitation he will have to do for a while.

"I've put in a lot of work," Weiss said. "I've changed up some things I've been doing off the ice as well, and that seems to be really helping."

Weiss hopes to return to the lineup for the Red Wings' next game - Monday at home against Ottawa - but knows he can only control what he does.

"I'll go back at it Monday, and if I'm not in (the lineup) Monday I'll keep grinding it out and get in sometime soon, and hopefully play well enough to keep going," Weiss said.



Tatar producing like a top six forward

By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily

Posted: 11/23/14, 4:31 PM EST |

DETROIT >> Nine games into the season and Tomas Tatar had just one goal.

Since then, Tatar has eight goals in this last 12.

“I told you guys, I wasn’t worried about it at all,” Tatar said. “You won’t lose it if you can’t find the net once. I’m not afraid I’m not going to score goals. It’s all about confidence, keep shooting the puck. It eventually will find the net.”

He’s got goals in three straight games and is tied with Gustav Nyquist for the team lead with nine on the season.

“Earlier in the season I still had chances I just couldn’t for some reason find the net,” Tatar said. “Right now it gives you a boost of confidence after scoring a few goals. You feel good about yourself, but more importantly the team is winning and everybody is feeling really well right now and everybody is playing really good and we’re feeling good.”

Tatar began his first full season in the league a year ago a healthy scratch in eight of the first nine games. He finished the year a goal shy of 20.

“Tats considers himself a scorer,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “When you think you’re scorer and you don’t score you probably press a little bit. Tats has just got to become a 200-footer. He’s got to learn to play and play without the puck all the time and he’s got to be competitive every night. If he does those things he’s going to score more. So that’s his biggest challenge, just to become a player.

“He wants to be a top-six forward,” Babcock continued. “If you want to be a top-six forward you got to play every night.”

Tatar admits he likes to slow the game down by holding onto the puck more and he gets to learn from one of the best in the business at every practice, Pavel Datsyuk.

“There aren’t many players who can slow down the game, but I think one of the best is Pavel,’ Tatar said. “He can make his space and look around. I think every player wishes he could be as good as him at that. That’s a big benefit to have.

“I’m not a big fan of the fast game either,” Tatar continued. “I like to take my time and think about what I’m going to do, whether I want to shoot or pass. Pavel’s a great example for me.”

Tatar has also been shooting the puck more this season, averaging 2.65 shots on goal. He averaged 2.16 on net a season ago.

“I’m trying to create more chances and opportunities to score and so far it’s working,” Tatar said. “Hopefully I’ll keep shooting and finding the net.”

Tatar proved he was a goal scorer during Grand Rapids run to the Calder Cup in 2013, totaling 16 goals and five assists. He was named the playoff MVP.

“Tats is a competitive kid,” Babcock said. “I might be harder on Tats than anybody on the team just because I think Tats has a chance to be a real player. We’re going to hold him to that. We think he should be good every night because he’s capable of being good every night and every shift. We expect a lot from Tats and he’s capable of doing that.”

In four seasons with the Griffins he tallied 87 goals.

“He’s one of those guys who loves to score,” Johan Franzen said. “He’s a little hard on himself when he doesn’t score but he’s always a great player. He’s strong on the puck and creates a lot of offense but it’s great to see him score. It really makes him better. His confidence grows a lot, it’s good to see.”

Stephen Weiss is heading back to Detroit has scoring a goal in each of his two-game conditioning stint with Grand Rapids.

“If Mike wants to put him in, Mike will put him in,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said.

Weiss has played in 47 out of a possible 150 regular season games for his teams since the start of 2013.

“We’re trying to find ways to get him some games because you need to play games,” Holland said. “We’re trying to win games to compete with teams in our division. We can’t be holding tryouts during the season.”

Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.24.2014

757753 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers’ dismal play in November ‘disheartening’

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal November 23, 2014

EDMONTON - And just like that, the Edmonton Oilers are once again irrelevant before the month of November has drawn to a close.

After back-to-back losses on home ice — a woeful weekend punctuated by a 7-1 shellacking by the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday — the Oilers’ record dropped to 6-13-2, equalling the record of the last-place Buffalo Sabres.

“It sucks,” said Taylor Hall, who had never considered this scenario when his fifth NHL season got underway seven weeks ago.

“The season ends and you’re full of pessimism — it was a tough year last year — then as the summer goes on, you naturally get more amped and more excited to play ... you start thinking of the positives of the organization, the city, the team.

“For it not to happen at this juncture of the season is depressing. It’s disheartening.”

But if the answer is a coaching change, it’s not the solution Hall supports.

“Absolutely not,” he said.

Not long after the Oilers were embarrassed by the Blackhawks, closing out their five-game home stand without a measly win, was emphatic in his support of head coach Dallas Eakins.

Hall has played for three head coaches — Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger and Eakins — since he was drafted first overall in 2010.

“A new coach isn’t going to come in here and not let in seven goals as a team. I’m saying with all honesty, I don’t want to play for anyone else,” Hall said. “For Dallas to take the brunt of the blame ... wouldn’t be fair to him. It’s on us as players.”

That was the same message from David Perron, who said after Friday’s 2-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils that there were too many players making the same mistakes over and over again.

“He doesn’t have a stall in the room,” said Perron. “It’s the guys in the room who aren’t getting it done right now.”

Before the set of weekend losses, Sunday had been designated as one of the Oilers’ mandatory days off. Every team has to give players four days off a month as per the collective bargaining agreement.

If general manager Craig MacTavish was going to discuss his next plan of action, it wasn’t going to happen on Sunday. Presumably, he was making calls to his peers, looking for potential trade partners, but even then, where does he start?

The Oilers have given up a league-high 25 goals while scoring just 10, so the goaltending, defensive corps and centre positions are still problematic, just as they were when the season opened.

In the last six games, the Oilers have been outscored 11-0 by the first intermission. They are also winless in their last seven games at Rexall Place and 0-10-1 versus Western Conference opponents entering a three-game road trip that starts Tuesday against the Dallas Stars and includes the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. Edmonton is 2-5-1 on the road.

“It was 2-0 before we even knew what happened,” Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said after Saturday’s defeat. “Getting down early in games really kills you.

“It’s all on us,” he continued. “Nobody can control the game except us. We just have to find a way to motivate ourselves to get back on track. We have to find a way not to get too frustrated or else the negative just seeps into your game.”

Eakins, meanwhile, said he could handle the questions about his job security and he was not expecting a quick fix by way of a trade. He said the group of players in the room had shown, at times, that they were capable of getting the job done.

“Everyone has to take ownership,” Eakins said. “You can keep talking about it or you can do it. It’s as simple as that.”

No matter what moves are (or aren’t) made, the Oilers have 61 games left to play.

“It sucks. It sucks for us. It sucks for the fans, for the organization,” said Hall, “but we’re going to have to make it through.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Player grades – Beaten, dejected Edmonton Oilers crushed by Chicago, fall to last in the NHL

November 22, 2014. 11:20 pm • Section: Cult of Hockey, Oilers

Jonathan Willis

If ever a team looked completely beaten, it was the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.

The Oilers played a decent two-to-three minutes to start the game, and then completely imploded. It was incredible to watch, because there weren’t any redeeming virtues. Not on player on the team was good; the best of the group was average and the worst was almost unspeakably bad.

Even score effects couldn’t save the team. Normally, a team that goes down 3-0 finds some life as their opposition eases off the gas and they try to make things respectable; instead the Oilers got worse as Chicago continued to inflict punishment upon them.

The forwards were bad, the defence was worse and the goaltending was everything we’ve come to expect from the 2014-15 Edmonton Oilers. The loss, in combination with a regulation win by the Buffalo Sabres, drops the Oilers to dead last in the league.

Maybe the team quit on the coach, maybe they were just so thoroughly demoralized that they couldn’t rouse themselves to even a minimum of effort. Whatever the reason, they looked the very picture of the worst team in the NHL.

Player Grades

The following are the player grades for the Oilers, with 10 being a “perfect” game, 9 extraordinary, 8 great, 7 good, 6 above average, 5 average, 4 below average, 3 poor, 2 terrible and 1 deserving of almost instant demotion. Compiled by Jonathan Willis.

#26 Mark Arcobello, 5. He didn’t stop working, even with the game well out of reach, and he was one of very few Oilers who showed constant dedication on the defensive side of the puck. Twice he averted disaster with strong backchecks, but there was a lot of disaster to try and cover over. He was also the only Oiler to win more faceoffs than he lost.

#27 Boyd Gordon, 5. The nice thing about Gordon is that he’s reliable. Even as the team around him implodes, he continues to provide his same quietly solid performance.

#57 David Perron, 5. Perron was fine. He did some nice work in front of the net on the Oilers’ only goal, and he was only really to blame on Chicago’s sixth marker, where he collapsed to the front of the net rather than skating out to cut down the target Duncan Keith had to shoot at. On a night like this one, he was strongly in the running for best forward.

#14 Jordan Eberle, 4. He really wasn’t that bad by the standards of ‘7-1 loss to Chicago’. That’s not to say he was good, but his worst moment was probably a (marginal) penalty that he took and he did manage a second assist.

#35 Viktor Fasth, 4. He was screened on Chicago’s sixth goal (his first of the night) and it was a hard accurate shot though it’s also worth noting that it came on something of an angle. He couldn’t be blamed for the seventh goal, a two-on-one rush where Schultz failed to seal off the passing lane. Turned aside 15 of 17 shots against.

#23 Matt Hendricks, 4. He didn’t get credited for the bad angle shot he tossed on Corey Crawford early in the game; it created a little chaos and caused some trouble. Finished with four hits and three blocked shots and provided honest effort.

#13 Steve Pinizzotto, 4. It’s hard to blame Pinizzotto too much for his biggest gaffe of the night, which was getting suckered into dropping the gloves by Dan Carcillo. He was obviously trying to turn things around with a fight and the game was already out of reach.

#10 Nail Yakupov, 4. He wasn’t good on the defensive side of the puck, mishandling pucks in his own end and getting caught out of position in the neutral zone. He works his way up to a ‘4’ because he showed some

offensive flair late in the game, aggressively getting pucks away in the offensive zone.

#29 Leon Draisaitl, 3. His most notable contribution to the game was getting buried behind the net by Michal Rozsival; he had one shot and made at least one pivotal mistake on a Chicago goal. Minus-two on the night.

#5 Mark Fayne, 3. Got dinged on an icing call when he quickly dumped the puck in from south of the red line with a hit incoming and later blew a tire on the Blackhawks’ sixth goal.

#21 Andrew Ference, 3. It wasn’t a bad game for Ference compared to a lot of the other guys on defence, but it wasn’t really a good game either. His lowlight was on the five-on-three, where he couldn’t block the cross-crease pass and appeared to knock the puck into his own net.

#4 Taylor Hall, 3. He made bad plays on at least two of the Chicago goals and had a pretty quiet night offensively by his standards. Minus-three on the night.

#6 Jesse Joensuu, 3. He was physical but not effective.

#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 3. Nugent-Hopkins was napping a little on Chicago’s first goal, and it was his penalty which sent the Blackhawks to a five-on-three power play (and yet another goal). He also gave the opposition a glorious two-on-one rush after coughing up the puck while on the power play.

#2 Jeff Petry, 3. His partner was completely lost and after a while it seemed to wear Petry down too. He had some really nice moments, including a lovely hit on Brandon Saad as the Chicago forward approached the Oilers’ blue line, but he also had some lousy ones. He got trapped behind the net when he went to retrieve a puck (it slowed down unexpectedly; it was hard to tell from the replay but it may have hit the referee’s skates) on one goal and got hurt blocking a shot on another and then couldn’t get off the ice

#19 Justin Schultz, 3. He was fighting the puck, and earns a ‘3’ largely thanks to his point shot which was key to the Oilers’ one and only goal. But he made big mistakes on two Chicago goals and didn’t bring the assured puck-moving that normally helps to somewhat compensate for his defensive failings.

#16 Teddy Purcell, 2. He had some nice moments, including a decent scoring chance and a strong forecheck, and that’s why he’s not getting a ‘1’. Laissez faire on defence, making critical mistakes on at least two Blackhawks’ markers. He was bad right from the get go, taking a lazy skate through the offensive zone on Chicago’s first goal and he single-handedly turned a three-on-two into a two-on-one with a wretched play in the neutral zone a while later.

#22 Keith Aulie, 1. He had a lovely hit on Ben Smith, but that wasn’t nearly enough in a game that was otherwise a total disaster. He got trapped after terrible reads on two different Chicago goals. He turned the puck over repeatedly. He lost position on Dan Carcillo(!) in front of the net and then took a penalty after Carcillo put the puck off the post. Physical but lousy with the puck and lousy without the puck, too.

#85 Martin Marincin, 1. Oof. What a brutal night, particularly after being one of the few Oilers to stand out in a positive way against New Jersey. Made mistake after mistake after mistake with the puck in all three zones; I literally lost track of the number of defensive zone turnovers he made as the game went on.

#30 Ben Scrivens, 1. Scrivens was beat on the first two shots he faced, and while it’s hard to blame him on the first the angle on that second shot meant he really needed to have it. The third, fourth and fifth goals were all varying degrees of justifiable but on balance he allowed five goals on 13 shots. Even by 2014-15 Ben Scrivens standards he was terrible.



So where do Oilers start if the coach is safe and they’re making a trade?

November 23, 2014. 8:24 pm • Section: Oil Spills

Jim Matheson

Unless Edmonton Oilers’ GM Craig MacTavish has a sudden change of heart or somebody higher up the food chain tells him to make a coaching change (or I’m reading the wrong tea leaves), it doesn’t appear the beleagured Dallas Eakins is going anywhere; he will probably be running practice Monday morning before the Edmonton Oilers fly to his namesake city to play the Stars Tuesday.

That may not sit well with some folks in OilerNation, who seem mad as hell and not willing to take it anymore as Peter Finch was in that great movie Network, but MacTavish reportedly was interested in telling one and all shortly after Eakins’ post-game presser Saturday in the wake of a 7-1 Blackhawks drubbing, that Eakins was still his guy but it was decided the GM wait until the dust settled. And, really, firing the coach is always the knee-jerk remedy for fans.

Unless MacTavish is an NHL outlier, GM’s always try to make trades before they look at the coach (unless, say, the Oilers, losers of six in a row, also get blown out three in a row in Dallas, Nashville and St. Louis on the upcoming road trip). Really, this is the GM’s team. He put it together. He signed free-agents this summer (Mark Fayne, Benoit Pouliot) or before this (Justin Schultz) and he traded for players (Nikita Nikitin, who was also signed to a new deal, and Teddy Purcell). None of the guys brought in this summer by MacTavish (Fayne, Pouliot, now out 5-6 weeks with a broken foot, Purcell or Nikitin) has been a revelation, some far from it. Fayne has been the best, fairly steady on the back-end.

It’s up to the GM to look at his team and try and fix what’s wrong on the ice.

Like pretty much every NHL GM, he would rather make a trade or two to change the makeup of the team to help the coach out before making a move behind the bench. And, really, who would replace Eakins in a season that looks lost as far as the playoffs go? MacTavish, who was burned out in 2009 and left? Farm coach Todd Nelson? Oiler assistant coach Craig Ramsay, who has had head coaching experience elsewhere? Somebody unemployed like Pittsburgh’s Dan Bylsma? It makes some sense to ride this out, at least until the season ends.

So we’re back at making a few trades to get the Oilers, who have fallen behind by 2-0 scores in six straight games, some different players. What do they need? There’s lots of boxes to cross off for MacTavish who was probably working the phones hard Sunday before the Oiler staff Xmas party. A No. 1 goalie might help, or somebody who has been that for a number of years. A defenceman who is a slam-dunk first-pairing guy who can provide offence and go against the other team’s top guns nightly–Mark Giordano in Calgary or Drew Doughty in LA–would be a windfall but teams aren’t trading them. A No. 2 or No. 3 centre if you feel Leon Draisaitl is being sucked into the vortex of losing at 19 and Mark Arcobello can’t be a productive third-line pivot?

MacTavish knows he has to make a trade, but what is his No. 1 priority? It’s tough to finger Ben Scrivens or Vitkor Fasth completely for their .887 and .890 save percentages because the team defence gives up so many chances. Against the Hawks, there were so many 3-on-2 breaks it looked like a normal morning line-rush practice. Is that the goalie’s fault? Do they need a 26 to 30-year-old centre with a 500 to 700-game pedigree and 500 or so NHL points to help No. 1 centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? They aren’t getting a Giordano or a Doughty or a Weber or a PK Subban. Normally you have to draft them. They thought Justin Schultz could be that guy, but he’s struggling mightily.

Here’s what the Oilers could be looking at:

Goal: Antti Niemi, 31, (San Jose). He’s played 293 games and is an unrestricted free-agent July 1, and his halcyon days in Chicago when he won the Cup in 2010 seem light years away. He does have good numbers since then in regular-season (2.38, 2.42, 2.17 and 2.39) but he is 20-20 in the playoffs in those four yeas. This year he’s 7-6-3 with a 2.58 average and .915 save percentage and the Sharks feel Alex Stalock can be as good, and they have young Troy Grosenick, who got a shutout in his first

NHL game, coming. Would they take back, say, Fasth, also UFA and a young forward or D-man? Niemi’s cap hit is $3.8 mil, Fasth’s is $2.9 mil.

Josh Harding, Minnesota. Well actually he’s in Iowa, their AHL farm team. He hasn’t played in about a year, battling MS, then busting a foot before camp. He’s got good career numbers (2.45 average, 151 games), and he’s also UFA this summer, but he’s never really been a starting goalie. Plus, his multiple scerlosis saps his energy.

Centre:

Patrik Berglund (St. Louis). He’s the third centre there behind Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera, the first-year Finn. His cap hit for this year and next is $3.9 million. He’s having a poor year (four points) and he’s only a 47.2 face-off guy, but he’s only 26 and he’s 6’3″, 217 pounds. Scouts say he may be more comfortable on the wing; he’s got a very good shot. The Blues are short of depth D-men after their top six, especially trading Jordan Leopold to Columbus, although they do have Chris Butler, who played in Calgary last year. If the Oilers wanted Berglund, they’d have to give up more than one piece.

Brayden Schenn (Philadelphia). He’s been on a tear and he’s been used on the wing there, too. The Flyers have Claude Giroux as the No. 1 centre and they love Sean Couturier. Can’t see them dealing Schenn unless they got a top-flight D-man in return because they have a slow-footed back-end.

Vinny Lecavlier (Flyers). Nah, forget him. He’s got six points and he makes way too much ($7.1 million) for years to come. Feeling he he doesn’t have much left in his tank and his legs are going on him. The Flyers would love to unburden themselves of his contract but they’d have to eat a chunk of it in any deal.

Lars Eller (Montreal). Lots of rumours there that the Habs could move Alex Galchenyuk, Nail Yakupov’s junior teammate, from wing to the middle to replace Eller but they really like him on the wing. Consensus of pro scouts is Eller, even with his four game-winning goals and nine points in Montreal, is a third-line centre not a No. 2. The Habs certainly would have interest in David Perron but would that be a fair swap. A second-line winger for a No. 3 centre?

Stephen Weiss (Detroit). Once upon a time he was a No. 1 in Florida before signing a five-year free-agent deal with the Wings for about $5 mil a season when they let Val Filppula go but he’s been hurt continually in Detroit (groin problems). Detroit might like to move his contract which has the rest of this season and three more, but his injury status should be scaring teams, plus the term left on his deal.



No easy answers for Oilers

By Robert Tychkowski, Edmonton Sun

First posted: Sunday, November 23, 2014 03:59 PM MST | Updated: Sunday, November 23, 2014 04:05 PM MST

Taylor Hall Taylor Hall and goalie Ben Scrivens face another barrage of opposition shots (David Bloom, Edmonton Sun).

Now what?

Six losses in a row.

Seven straight losses at home.

Last place overall. Again.

Power play in the toilet.

And all this after just having wrapped up the easiest part of their schedule.

What, as this shell of an Edmonton Oilers hockey team prepares for 17 of its next 18 games against the Western Conference, does it do now?

Blow up the management team? Fire the coach? Bombshell trades?

All of the above?

Don’t count in it.

Owner Daryl Katz doesn’t look like he has the stomach to make the hard decision and the Tier 1 fans don’t look like they’ll ever have the stomach to make the owner accountable, so a managerial change seems highly unlikely.

Firing the coach one year and 21 games into a four-year contract and replacing him with the sixth coach in seven years would make the organization look even more ridiculous than it already does.

And how does Craig MacTavish possibly stand up at a news conference and say “I’m firing the guy I fired Ralph Krueger for and replacing him with the third coach of my two-year tenure because I think you should be able to win with Leon Draisaitl and Mark Arcobello as two of your top three centres, Justin Schultz and Nikita Nikitin as top four defencemen and Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth in net.”

Nobody has that much gall.

That leaves a trade. Or trades.

There is something coming, guaranteed, but it’s hard to imagine MacTavish trading his way out of this mess.

Outside of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, what player on the Oilers roster would you give up a big, solid second-line centre or top pairing defenceman to get?

(Cricket sounds).

Something has to happen, but at this stage of the “process” it’s hard to imagine anything that this woeful organization can do to stop another runaway train headed straight for another disaster.

“It’s probably the highest it’s ever been since I’ve been here,” a visibly upset Taylor Hall said of his frustration level after Saturday’s 7-1 loss to Chicago. “We’re frustrated, the fans are frustrated, I think everyone is. It’s on us, that’s about all you can say.

“It sucks. It sucks for us, it sucks for the fans, for the organization, but we’re going to have to make it through. We try and regroup as best we can. It’s our fault as players and we’re going to have to make up for that.”

The heat is on head coach Dallas Eakins, but Hall says he is the least of their problems right now, and that firing him will not provide a solution.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I would be extremely disappointed if that happened. That would be so unfair.

“For Dallas to take the brunt of the blame, that wouldn’t be fair to him. That’s on us as players. It’s what we do on the ice. We get applauded when we do well and on games like (Saturday) we have to take onus on it. It’s not his fault.”

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t think a major trade or two is absolutely necessary, either.

“Personnel wise I don’t think anything needs to change at all,” he said. “At the start of the year we had some really good games … then we got a few wins in a row. We’ve shown what we CAN do, it’s just a matter of going out there and doing it every night.”

If that was going to happen you have to think it would have happened long before the 22nd game of the season, but given the limited options, trying to fix this from the inside out, as far fetched as that seems, is pretty much the only solution they have.

“It’s the only way you can go about it,” said Eakins. “I think the guys in the room, when they’re on and they’re playing their best, have shown they can get it done. I believe in every one of those players in there.

“Are there guys who need to get better, who are going to take some more time to get better? Absolutely. But they’ve all shown so far, in small spurts, that they can get it done.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2014

757757 Florida Panthers

Late-game comeback energizes Florida Panthers

BY GEORGE RICHARDS

[email protected]

11/23/2014 5:34 PM

11/23/2014 5:35 PM

The Panthers don’t like losing, but the shootout loss to the host Nashville Predators on Saturday night felt as close to a victory as it possibly could.

Down 2-0 in the final minute, Florida scored two goals in a 12-second span to force overtime and gain at least a point in the standings. The Panthers had a chance to win it in the shootout, but only rookie Filip Forsberg scored in the four-round session, and the Predators escaped with a 3-2 win.

“Nice way to end a road trip,” coach Gerard Gallant told reporters afterward. “We played against a really good hockey team. ... The guys never quit. We’re not happy with the performance, but to get a big point out of it here at the end of a trip is real good for us.”

The shootout loss gave the Panthers five of the available eight points on their four-game trip with wins at Anaheim and San Jose, as well as a regulation loss at Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Florida kicks off its Thanksgiving three-game homestand Monday against the Minnesota Wild at 7-5-6 in its first 18 games.

The Panthers came into Sunday four points back of Toronto for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Rocco Grimaldi got the Panthers going by scoring his first NHL goal in his seventh game with 43 seconds remaining. Grimaldi, who passed up a prime scoring chance in the second, didn’t do any second guessing on this one as he teed off on a Brian Campbell rebound with a hard slapshot from the left circle.

“Well, obviously, it’s good. It’s a relief,” said Grimaldi, who was sent back to the minors on Sunday. “Obviously I wanted to win. We almost had it. We had a good comeback, just came up short.”

On Florida’s next trip up the ice, the Panthers carried the puck deep in the Nashville zone with Nick Bjugstad throwing up a shot shot from the right circle.

Somehow, some way, the puck got past Pekka Rinne with 31 seconds left in regulation.

“We didn’t play like we wanted to,” said Bjugstad, who has seven goals in his past eight games going into Monday’s game against his hometown Wild. “We figured it out at the end and waited a while to score, but [Roberto Luongo] kept us in it, which was nice. [Grimaldi] had a big goal. I just kind of threw it on net. Didn’t even know it went in.”

Tied 2-2, goalie Roberto Luongo returned to his post as both of Florida’s goals came with Luongo on the bench and the Panthers going with the extra attacker.

According to Elias Sports, Saturday marked just the fourth time since 2006 that a team avoided a regulation loss while trailing by two in the final minute of a game.

Luongo was strong throughout Saturday’s game, with both of Nashville’s regulation goals coming thanks to a bit of luck.

Nashville’s initial goal, which came on its 31st shot of the game, bounced off a Florida defenseman as Colin Wilson tossed it from the back boards and hit Luongo in the mask before going in.

“You could try that 100 times and it wouldn’t happen again,” Luongo said.

The Predators made it 2-0 with 5:59 left when Matt Cullen’s shot appeared to clip Dmitry Kulikov and get past Luongo.

Luongo ended with 48 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped three of four in the shootout.

“It’s the kind of game I enjoy,” Luongo told Fox Sports Florida after the game. “They were throwing pucks from everywhere, so I was able to get in the game early and get a good feeling going. Unfortunately, both of their goals weren’t even really shots on net, they both deflected off our guys. But we battled in the last minute and tied it up. That was good.”

▪ Florida’s eight overtime games — two wins — are second highest in the league just behind Anaheim with nine. The Panthers are now 1-3 in shootouts with goals on four of 12 shots. Florida was 0 for 4 against Rinne on Saturday with Jonathan Huberdeau, Jussi Jokinen, Bjugstad and Brad Boyes all failing to score.

▪ The Panthers sent Grimaldi back to San Antonio on Sunday as it appears a number of players are ready to come off the injured list. Scottie Upshall (lower body), Sean Bergenheim (lower body), Dave Bolland (groin) and Brandon Pirri (concussion) all skated before Saturday’s game.

▪ The Panthers are adding four more Spanish-language broadcasts to their schedule and will do a total of seven games this season including Wednesday’s game against the visiting Hurricanes.

Miami Herald LOADED: 11.24.2014


RAMPAGE INSIDER: San Antonio rolls Texas Stars, set franchise record with seventh straight win

Posted by George Richards

SAN ANTONIO -- There was no feel-you-out period at the start of this one, a 3-0 Rampage win over interstate rival Texas at the AT&T Center. The Rampage stomped the Stars Friday night in Cedar Park, a record-setting 7-1 win that totally embarrassed the defending Calder Cup champs in their own den. It was the largest margin of victory for the Rampage over Texas, which had won all but eight of 30 games played in the Austin suburb.

The Rampage tied a franchise record with their seventh straight win Sunday.

The Stars were ready to rebound Sunday afternoon. Fortunately for the Rampage, veteran goaltender Dan Ellis was ready as well.

Right off the opening faceoff Ellis slid across the crease to stop the Stars' Derek Hulak’s breakaway backhander just seconds into the game.

Couple of nice stops with seven minutes to go in the first on Scott Glennie kept it scoreless.

On a pretty hockey play, Connor Brickley, a Panthers second round pick in 2010, found Mark Mancari at the side of the net and the veteran tucked it in under Stars goaltender Jack Campbell at 18:55 of the first period. Drew Shore kept the puck alive in the corner, Brickley skated parallel to the goal line to the slot, drew Campbell with him and backhanded a pass to Mancari on the doorstep. It was Brickley’s first assist of the season.

"You got to go hard and beat their defenseman to the net," said the veteran Mancari. "I got a step on their D-man and (Brickley) made a great pass."

Brickley’s work ethic paid off in the second period on the power play. Defenseman Alex Petrovic’s blast from the point had just enough juice on it to trickle between Campbell’s pads. Brickley found the puck in the crease behind Campbell and jammed it into the open net.

"Petro made a great shot and coach just re-iterates (remember, he’s a college kid) always get inside players, try and go to the net," said the former University of Vermont standout. "Right when I see the D get ready to shoot the puck, I just get to the net, hopefully find loose pucks. It was just laying there for me so I was just able to put it in."

Brickley now has five goals on the season, including two Friday night against the Stars.

Seven straight wins for the third time in their history...the last time was in January 2012, and they’ve outscored opponents 26-11 during this run. They will try and break the record at home Friday night vs. Oklahoma City.

Ellis has been phenomenal during the streak, winning six of them. He’s allowed only eight goals in seven games, and nearly shutout OKC last Sunday, only to have the Barons score in the last two minutes of a 3-1 Rampage win.

"He stays on an even keel, even when things we’re going so great for him," said Rowe of Ellis. "They had their chances today. They took advantage of our misreads on the D and Dan came up big for us."

Ellis is also picking on his former organization, the Dallas Stars, who selected him in the second round in 2000 after his college career at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and re-acquired him last season before dealing the Saskatoon native to the Panthers last year for Tim Thomas. Ellis has allowed only seven goals in five games against the AHL Stars.

"You try and play your best, regardless of the team," said Ellis after the win. "If you have success against one team, it’s great. It’s better for our team. But most important it’s just about points."

Special teams play has also spurred success for the Rampage. The penalty killers have been successful on 28 of 32 power play attempts. Against the Stars, a perennial power point leader in the AHL and especially against the Rampage over the years, San Antonio skaters stopped all eight Stars chances.

On the power play, the Rampage began the streak near the bottom of the league in that category, but have gone 9 of 35, including a PP goal in each of the last five games.

Brickley has been the surprise of the season, however. The Everett, Massachusetts native and nephew of Boston Bruins TV announcer, Andy Brickley, scored five goals last season for the Catamounts. That was an improvement of two goals from his junior year. His best season was his sophomore year, when he tallied nine in 23 games.

"I don’t know what happened to him in college, but I don’t really care at this point. He’s been very consistent with us," said Rampage head coach Tom Rowe. "He’s probably a better pro. I think the pro game is more suited to his personality."

"I think it’s a reflection of the guys around me," said Brickley. "I’m playing with a lot of better players and I’m trying to feed off their energy, get in the right spots and the puck’s just been bouncing for me."

From his first shift last season when he signed his first pro contract and got eight games under his belt with a goal and an assist, Brickley has been a charger off the bench. His grind it down approach has paid dividends at this level.

"He’s a kid who can play for you anywhere from fourth line to first line," added Rowe. "He’s got skills, he’s got heart. He likes to bang around out there and is a little more reckless than some guys, which is an advantage. Our scouts did a great job, obviously, getting a kid like that to help you put points on the board. He’s a tough kid to play against."

Linemate Mancari, a veteran of 677 pro games and who was acquired last season from the Blues organization for Eric Selleck, said, "Connor’s playing great hockey. He works hard every shift and he made a great pass there."

At the beginning of the season, the Rampage were looking for big scoring seasons from Shore, Bobby Butler – who is tied for third in the AHL with 19 points – Garrett Wilson and Quentin Howden, who has been hurt most of the season.

Enter Brickley. Now, if he can just make a few more passes like today, his scoring line will fill in just nicely (5-1-6).

About the writer: Tony Uminski was born in Boston and settled in San Antonio after a 22-year Air Force career, where he served as a broadcasting and journalism specialist. He broadcast San Antonio Iguanas (CHL) and San Antonio Dragons (IHL) games, along with a year with the Indianapolis Ice. Following his return to San Antonio, Uminski has been covering the San Antonio Rampage since the team's inception in 2002 for the San Antonio Express-News, and is widely hailed as Mr. Hockey in the Alamo City. Currently, a high school teacher full-time, Uminski teaches speech and world geography at Incarnate Word High School.



TENNESSEE QUICK STEP: Panthers score twice in final minute, force OT in 3-2 shootout loss to Preds ... Grimaldi gets first NHL goal, sent back to minors ... Bjugstad remains red-hot heading into game v Wild

Posted by George Richards

The Panthers don't like losing but Saturday's shootout loss to the host Nashville Predators felt as close to a victory as it possibly could.

Down 2-0 in the final minute, Florida scored two goals within a 12 second span to force overtime and gain at least a point in the standings.

The Panthers had a chance to win it in the shootout but only rookie Filip Forsberg scored in the four-round session and the Predators escaped with a 3-2 win.

"Nice way to end a road trip,'' coach Gerard Gallant told reporters afterward. "We played against a really good hockey team. .-.-. The guys never quit. We're not happy with the performance, but to get a big point out of it here at the end of a trip is real good for us.''

The shootout loss gave the Panthers five of the available eight points on their four-game trip with wins at Anaheim and San Jose as well as a regulation loss at Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Florida kicks off its Thanksgiving three-game homestand Monday against the Minnesota Wild at 7-5-6 in its first 18 games.

The Panthers came into Sunday four points back of Toronto for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Rocco Grimaldi got the Panthers going by scoring his first NHL goal in his seventh game with 43 seconds remaining.

Grimaldi, who passed up a prime scoring chance in the second, didn't do any second guessing on this one as he teed off on a Brian Campbell rebound with a hard slapshot from the left circle.

"Well, obviously, it's good. It's a relief,'' said Grimaldi, who was sent back to the minors on Sunday.

"Obviously I wanted to win. We almost had it. We had a good comeback, just came up short.''

On Florida's next trip up the ice, the Panthers carried the puck deep in the Nashville zone with Nick Bjugstad throwing up a shot shot from the right circle.

Somehow, some way, the puck got past Pekka Rinne with 31 seconds left in regulation.

"We didn't play like we wanted to,'' said Bjugstad, who has seven goals in his past eight games going into Monday's game against his hometown Wild.

"We figured it out at the end and waited a while to score but [Roberto Luongo] kept us in it which was nice. [Grimaldi] had a big goal. I just kind of threw it on net. Didn't even know it went in.''

Tied 2-2, goalie Roberto Luongo returned to his post as both of Florida's goals came with Luongo on the bench and the Panthers going with the extra attacker.

According to Elias Sports, Saturday marked just the fourth time since 2006 that a team avoided a regulation loss while trailing by two in the final minute of a game.

Luongo was strong throughout Saturday's game with both of Nashville's regulation goals coming thanks to a bit of luck.

Nashville's initial goal, which came on its 31st shot of the game, bounced off a Florida defenseman as Colin Wilson tossed it from the back boards and hit Luongo in the mask before going in.

"You could try that 100 times and it wouldn't happen again,'' Luongo said.

The Predators made it 2-0 with 5:59 left when Matt Cullen's shot appeared to clip Dmitry Kulikov and get past Luongo.

Luongo ended with 48 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped three of four in the shootout.

"It's the kind of game I enjoy,'' Luongo told Fox Sports Florida after the game.

"They were throwing pucks from everywhere so I was able to get in the game early and get a good feeling going. Unfortunately both of their goals weren't even really shots on net, they both deflected off our guys. But we battled in the last minute and tied it up. That was good.''

Said Gallant: [Luongo] was the star of the game. He kept us in it.''

-- Florida's eight overtime games -- two wins -- are second-highest in the league just behind Anaheim with nine.

The Panthers are now 1-3 in shootouts with goals on four of 12 shots. Florida was 0-for-4 against Rinne on Saturday with Jonathan Huberdeau, Jussi Jokinen, Bjugstad and Brad Boyes all failing to score.

-- The Panthers sent Grimaldi back to San Antonio on Sunday as it appears a number of players are ready to come off the injured list.

Scottie Upshall (lower body), Sean Bergenheim (lower body), Dave Bolland (groin) and Brandon Pirri (concussion) all skated before Saturday's game.

-- The Panthers are adding four more Spanish-language broadcasts to their schedule and will do a total of seven games this season including Wednesday's game against the visiting Hurricanes.

Monday: Wild at Panthers

When, Where: 7:30 p.m.; BB&T Center, Sunrise

TV/Radio: FSFL; WQAM 560

The series: Minnesota leads 10-4-1

Of note: The Wild had its four-game winning streak snapped in a 2-1 loss at Tampa on Saturday. Minnesota winger Thomas Vanek seems to like playing the Panthers, scoring 21 goals with 11 assists in 33 games against Florida.



Preview: Panthers vs. Wild, 7:30 p.m., Monday

By Craig Davis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel contact the reporter

Panthers vs. Wild

When/where: 7:30 p.m., BB&T Center, Sunrise

TV: FSF; Radio: 560-AM.

Scouting report: The Panthers have shown to be sturdy denizens of the road, going 2-1-1 on the tough swing that included the top two teams in the Western Conference. They earned six of a possible eight points on a previous four-game trip, and are 4-2-5 on the road. Now they will try to establish a home edge during the next four at BB&T Center, where they are 3-3-1. While away, second-year C Nick Bjugstad emerged as a bonafide scoring leader with five goals and eight points in the four games. Rookie D Aaron Ekblad has nine points in his past 11 games. LW Jonathan Huberdeau had a run of five points in three games end in Saturday's loss. The 11-8 Wild are another tough Western team that had a four-game winning streak halted Saturday in a 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay. They have struggled on the power play, their 9.7 percent conversion rate third-worst in the NHL. LW Zach Parise leads Minnesota with 13 points; RW Nino Niederreiter has nine goals.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.24.2014


Panthers' Grimaldi gets first goal, return trip to minors

By Craig Davis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel contact the reporter

Rocco Grimaldi rewarded for persistence with timely first goal, then sent back to minors.

Panthers face tough roster decisions with veteran forwards returning from injuries.

Keep chipping away at the net, eventually the puck will go in.

Such dogged persistence has always worked for Rocco Grimaldi. It took him seven games in the NHL, but the breakthrough goal came at a fortuitous moment for the Florida Panthers, with 43 seconds remaining Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.

His reward was a return trip to the minors Sunday, not unexpected with several veteran forwards returning from injuries. The move likely sets up center Brandon Pirri (concussion) being activated for Monday’s game against Minnesota.

The night before, Grimaldi’s breakthrough goal provided a much-needed spark that had been missing all night as the Panthers appeared headed for a 2-0 defeat to the host Predators. When Nick Bjugstad followed 12 seconds later with his fifth goal in four games, the Panthers seized a point that seemed out of reach.

That they eventually lost 3-2 in a shootout took some luster off Grimaldi's first career goal, but the diminutive forward was grateful his efforts finally paid off. There had been several near-misses in the past week since he was called up from the minors as an injury replacement.

"I've been doing the little things right, and it's been tough not scoring. That's been my job my whole life, to score goals and make plays," the former North Dakota standout said.

"When you're down 2-0 with a minute left and you pull a point, you're going to be pleased with that, especially with the game we played. They definitely outplayed us, and we're lucky to even get one point."

Despite the loss, the Panthers ended up with five of a possible eight points on a rigorous four-game swing against some of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Grimaldi started the frantic comeback when he seized the puck out of a scrum in front of the Nashville goal and didn't hesitate in firing it past Pekka Rinne, who said Grimaldi's goal "was pretty frustrating, and I was pretty pissed about it."

Grimaldi, 21, has frustrated goalies at every level with his relentless pursuit of goals. That's why the Panthers selected him in the second round (33rd overall) in 2011 even though at 5 feet 6 he was the shortest eligible player.

The measure of the California native has always been in boundless energy and unyielding faith, both in his ability and in divine guidance. He played games for AHL San Antonio and the Panthers on Tuesday when he was called up.

"It's a relief. All glory to God for that," said Grimaldi, who aspires to the ministry after hockey. "It just takes one to keep pouring them into the net. Hopefully this one will propel me forward to keep scoring and keep working hard."

The opportunity for Grimaldi’s next goal as a Panther is very much in the hands of a higher authority: team management. With the team getting healthy, the roster is getting crowded as the Panthers begin a four-game homestand.

In addition to Pirri, Scottie Upshall (lower body) and Sean Bergenheim (core) participated fully in Saturday’s morning skate, and each appeared capable of playing. Dave Bolland, who has appeared in only four games because of groin strain, also skated.

Grimaldi has a bright future in Florida. The present has him returning to San Antonio of the AHL, where it is certain he will “keep working hard. Scoring doesn’t mean I go away from playing strong defensively and doing the little things right. That’s what got me here.”

One shot too many

The last-minute comeback was only possible because of a remarkable performance by goalie Roberto Luongo, who stopped 48 of 50 shots. He also turned away the first three Predators in the shootout before rookie scoring sensation Filip Forsberg threaded the winner through his legs.

"I wasn't expecting that. I was trying to be patient and he just kind of came in nonchalantly and just quick-released [to] the 5-hole. Didn't have time to get my leg down or my stick on it," Luongo said. "He disguised it well, and I didn't get down in time."

As for facing the season-high barrage of shots, he said, "It's the type of game I enjoy. They were just throwing pucks from everywhere. I was able to get in the game early, get a good feeling going, and unfortunately both their goals were not really shots on net. Both deflected off our guys, but we battled in the last minute to tie it up, which was huge for us."

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.24.2014

757762 Los Angeles Kings

What we learned from the Kings' 5-4 loss at Dallas on Saturday

By Helene Elliott contact the reporter

Kings' struggles continue on the road and what else we learned from their 5-4 loss to Dallas Stars

What we learned from the Kings’ 5-4 loss at Dallas on Saturday:

We learned that they’re not winning on the road

Duh ... they’re 1-4-3 away from Staples Center. Their only road victory was a 3-1 decision at Dallas on Nov. 4. Pretty obvious that they’re not tearing it up away from home, eh? But why? And are they worried that they’re not winning on the road?

“It’s frustrating,” center Mike Richards said Saturday, after the Kings nearly came back from a 4-0 deficit. “I think it’s just one of those things where you get more comfortable playing on the road. We’re used to playing at Staples and having the crowd behind us. I think when you’re on the road you’ve got to create your own momentum, and I think that’s what we’ve got to start doing.”

There’s an idea. They were terrible in the first period on Saturday, picked up steam in the second period and were OK in the third, but they’re still only two for 26 on the power play on the road this season. Dallas’ power play was two for six against them Saturday.

“Our power play is not going to win or lose us games,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. “Our power play gave us a chance in the third. I thought our penalty killing was not as good as our power play.”

They’re still playing Drew Doughty a lot -- maybe too much

Doughty played 33 minutes and seven seconds Saturday, a season-high. Doughty, 24, has said he loves playing a lot of minutes, but Sutter doesn’t want him to carry that big a burden every game. The problem is that Doughty is his best defenseman by a large margin and Sutter feels compelled to play him a lot. It’s hard to blame Sutter. Doughty’s average ice time is now 28:58 per game, second in the NHL only to the 29:19 averaged by Minnesota’s Ryan Suter.

Sutter played Jamie McBain only 10:10 on Saturday. Now that the Kings have some salary-cap flexibility with suspended defenseman Slava Voynov on long-term injury status, might they use that cap space to make a move on defense? Sutter said Saturday morning that defenseman Alec Martinez (finger surgery) is still a ways from returning and isn’t day-to-day.

Dallas Stars might be a pretty good team

They’ve reconfigured their defense since the season began, trading Sergei Gonchar and Brenden Dillon and letting Kevin Connauton go on waivers, while acquiring Jason Demers and promoting John Klingberg from their top farm team. They’ve got plenty of scoring potential up front; General Manager Jim Nill said their problem had been getting the puck up to those forwards. They might have found a solution to that problem.

Last thing we learned: There are earthquakes in Texas too

The two Californians in the front row of the press box at the American Airlines Center immediately recognized the shaking during Saturday’s game, but not everyone did. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, it was a magnitude 3.3 quake about six miles northwest of Dallas.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.24.2014


The view from Dallas

Staff

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Mike Heika: Stars suffer from another third-period ‘earthquake,’ avoid negative aftershock with a win

“Despite the rough finish, the Stars continued to discover good things throughout the lineup. Jamie Benn tallied two goals and an assist against the Kings.”

Mike Heika: Demers scores game winner in first game with Dallas, Jordie Benn a healthy scratch

“While Demers is known as a puck-moving defenseman and was immediately placed on the second power play unit, Stars coach Lindy Ruff said he believes Demers plays a strong two-way game.”

Mike Heika: Cold facts: Stars hang on to defeat LA Kings 5-4; Demers scores game winner

“The Stars won two games in a row at home for the first time this season and pushed their home record to 3-5-4.”

DALLAS STARS INSIDE EDGE

Mark Stepneski: Stars Hang on to Defeat Kings, Win Second Straight at Home

“The Stars penalty kill came up big in the first period, stopping the Kings on three power plays in the first 12 minutes of the game. Los Angeles came into the game with six power play goals in their past three games.”

DEFENDING BIG D

Brad Gardner: Dallas Stars Outlast Los Angeles Kings 5-4 at Home

“17-3 was the final shot margin in the third, and if not for a late penalty to the Kings… It was not the shutdown frame they needed to play, by any stretch of the imagination, but two points.”

Brandon Worley: Dallas Stars Shaky 3rd Period Overshadows Another Great Start, Jason Demers Debut

“John Klingberg continues to be a force offensively for the Stars, as well as holding his own defensively against a very tough Kings team.”

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Waking up with the Kings: November 23

Staff

There were ample opportunities for both Los Angeles and Dallas to score in the first period Saturday night. The Kings did not score on their chances, going 0-fer on three early power plays and failing to draw momentum from the offensive opportunities, while the Stars capitalized on most of theirs, taking advantage of turnovers and using their top players to engineer offense in jumping out to a lead that proved too wide a gap to overcome. The most significant turning points occurred late in the first when Tanner Pearson created a neutral zone turnover with the Kings trailing 2-0, skated in alone on Kari Lehtonen but had his wristshot stopped with just over a minute and a half to play. Jake Muzzin was whistled for a penalty 40 seconds later, and after Jonathan Quick made a strong stop on a Tyler Seguin slapshot with time ticking down, John Klingberg found Jamie Benn open with a slick no-look pass that was finished off with a wristshot that beat Quick with 1.3 seconds remaining. There were other important moments – Lehtonen’s fantastic stretch pass to Seguin to turn a three-goal game into a four-goal game early in the second was among them – but the outcome of this game was heavily impacted by the Stars’ opportunistic first period bent, and the Kings’ inability to score on or develop an offensive rhythm from their power plays.

Los Angeles Kings v Dallas Stars

It’s too bad the Kings faced a two-goal margin for 33:28 and a three-goal margin for 8:22 last night, because had they been able to remain in striking distance for a longer period of time, I’d have liked their chances to emerge from the game with at least a point. Territorially, the Kings were dominant from the second period on, especially in the shifts following Tanner Pearson’s goal that got Los Angeles on the scoreboard. They totaled 31 shots on goal over the final 40 minutes and ultimately held a 71-48 shot attempt advantage throughout the full 60. In the third period – where the Kings outshot the Stars 16-2 – a heavy L.A. forecheck prevented Dallas from exiting their zone and advancing the puck in five-man units, though the visitors simply couldn’t fully erase a four-goal gap.

Los Angeles Kings v Dallas Stars

Standout goaltending, special teams play and top players scoring opportune goals can help a team win a road games, and on Saturday, L.A. didn’t grade especially well in any of the three categories. There’s really no blame to be placed on Jonathan Quick, who will be a Vezina Trophy candidate if he maintains his current pace but faced a barrage of Grade-A opportunities late in the first and early in the second period. Though the Kings scored once on the power play, they also allowed two goals while shorthanded and lost the special teams battle in a game in which there was a total of 18:35 of five-on-four play. As for top players – a subject that has been raised frequently in the early stages of the 2014-15 season – hopefully Drew Doughty slept in today, because he logged another exhausting ice time total of 33:07. But it was the not-quite-primary, not-quite-secondary scorers Justin Williams, Mike Richards and Tanner Pearson who found the back of the net while Anze Kopitar (two shots on goal, four shot attempts) and Marian Gaborik (no shots on goal, three shot attempts) acquitted themselves fine possession-wise (while enjoying more offensive zone starts than usual) but were unable to find the scoresheet and finished with minus-one ratings. Both players appeared to be finding their games in the recent seven-games in Southern California; they weren’t bad on Saturday but didn’t necessarily distinguish themselves, either. The rest of the road trip will offer a clearer indication of the trajectory in their game.



Good morning, Nashville

Staff

Dreary, nondescript hotel room view on a rainy day?

NOPE.

IMG_4244

Soft eyes were used to spot these beauties, which, like the Kings, will have a day off on a cool, fall day. They’re hibernating, no doubt, for that next cycle through a scalding Tennessee summer and could give those Glendale, Arizona units a fair showing were we to bracket them together in a March Madness-style competition amongst NHL absorption refrigeration units. We salute you, Carl Munters.

[Carl Munters Wiki-page views explode; Wikipedia's servers irreversibly damaged]

The Kings weren’t the only team to land in Nashville shortly after midnight, though they were the only team to land shortly after midnight that lost by a narrow margin. The Vanderbilt football team, returning from a 51-0 drubbing at the hands of Mississippi State in Starkville, deplaned at the same time as the Kings. No eye contact was made between the two traveling parties.

It’s a rest and recovery day for the Kings, who will return to practice at 1:00 p.m. local time on Monday. Waking up with the Kings will follow, as will The View from Dallas. Enjoy your Sunday, Insiders.


757766 Minnesota Wild

Now in the NHL, ex-Gophers stars set to tangle in Florida

Article by: Michael Russo

Star Tribune

November 23, 2014 - 11:25 PM

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Friendly ribbing will be plentiful Monday when the Wild and Panthers face off in South Florida.

The ice will be littered with former Gophers as Thomas Vanek, Keith Ballard and perhaps Stu Bickel play for the Wild and we get to see Round 1 of the Panthers’ Nick Bjugstad vs. the Wild’s Erik Haula; they were teammates from 2010-13 at the U. In their last two seasons together, Bjugstad was the leading goal-scorer and Haula the top point-getter.

“I definitely had this one marked on the calendar,” Bjugstad said by phone Saturday from Nashville, where later in the day he forced overtime with yet another clutch goal with 30 seconds left. “There’s a little rivalry with me and Haula, so I’m sure we’ll know when one another is on the ice. We were roommates in college, so we’ll have fun with it.”

Bjugstad, 22, accelerated his high school studies at Blaine so he could get to college earlier. He promises to keep the banter aimed at Haula, 23, on Monday night civil and intelligent.

“We had the same major, business marketing, so we went to head-to-head to always see who was smarter,” Bjugstad said, laughing. “But I’m graduated and he’s not, so I’ll probably remind him of that a few times.

“Being from Minnesota, I could always take advantage of summer classes. Erik couldn’t because he wanted to go home to Finland in the summer. That’s how I graduated and he didn’t.”

Bjugstad loves chirping Haula and how he talks in his sleep in Finnish, “which he always gets super-mad about.”

Haula said if Bjugstad plans to go there on the ice, he’ll remind Bjugstad it “took him five tries to pass economics. Honestly, we had a lot of fun in college together, but I better leave it at that.”

Thirteen months ago when Bjugstad played the Wild for the first time, he skated on Florida’s fourth line. A ton has changed. The 22-year-old is centering the top line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Brad Boyes, and he’s riding a four-game point streak (five goals, eight points) into Monday’s game. That includes two goals and two assists last Sunday in Anaheim, two goals and the shootout winner in San Jose and Saturday’s tying goal 12 seconds after teammate Rocco Grimaldi’s first NHL goal in an eventual shootout loss.

“I don’t know what it is, but something’s clicking,” Bjugstad said before Saturday’s game. “First 10 games, I struggled a little bit as far as producing goals, so I don’t know. Sometimes it comes, sometimes it doesn’t. You just have to ride the wave.”

Haula has been paying attention.

“I talked to him recently and he said he was getting a ton of chances but couldn’t buy a goal,” Haula said. “I just talked to him again and he said they’re going in from everywhere. That’s just how it works.”

Under new coach Gerard Gallant, Bjugstad said he’s developing his defensive game and with that, offense has come.

“It really helps playing with Boyes and Huberdeau,” he said. “Boyes played his 700th game the other night. He talked to Huberdeau and me all the time, so it’s nice having an older guy on the line that has been through a lot. And Huberdeau is very skilled and slippery and gets me the puck.”

Haula says Bjugstad is one of the nicest people you’d ever meet, “a guy who just wants to be friends with everybody, whether it’s somebody he knows or somebody he meets on the street.”

Bjugstad attended some Wild playoff games last season and got to see Haula score against Chicago.

“It was great to see him do well in the playoffs. I knew he had it in him,” Bjugstad said. “It was only a matter of time for him to prove that he had it.”

Haula lately has been relegated to the Wild’s fourth line. But remember, Bjugstad has been there, and knows Haula’s role can only expand.

“I still feel I have an important role, but I have things I have to do better,” Haula said.

Bjugstad keeps tabs on all his ex-Gophers teammates. He saw Seth Helgeson make his NHL debut earlier this month against the Wild. And defenseman Nate Schmidt has played all 20 games for Washington and is a team-leading plus-6.

“It’s so crazy to see all of us in the NHL right now,” Bjugstad said. “And there’s more coming. I think it says a lot about the Gophers.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2014

757767 Minnesota Wild

Gameday preview: Wild at Florida

Michael Russo

November 23, 2014 - 11:22 PM

wild gameday

6:30 P.M. at FLORIDA • BB&T ARENA • FSN, 100.3 FM

Preview: The Wild is 10-2-3 all-time against the Panthers and 5-2-1 in Broward County. Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Lightning ended a four-game winning streak. The Panthers are coming off a 2-1-1 road trip, including a game Saturday in Nashville when Rocco Grimaldo and Nick Bjugstad scored 12 seconds apart in the final minute of regulation to force overtime in an eventual shootout loss.

Players to watch: LW Nino Niederreiter, who leads the Wild with nine goals, has eight goals and three assists in the past 14 games. C Charlie Coyle has no goals since Oct. 23. LW Thomas Vanek leads with 10 assists but has one goal and 35 shots in 19 games. C Mikko Koivu has five points in 19 games (he had a five-point game at Florida in October 2008). If G Niklas Backstrom starts, he is 5-0-1 with a 1.95 goals-against average and .941 save percentage vs. Florida. Bjugstad has five goals and three assists during a four-game point streak and leads the Panthers with seven goals. G Roberto Luongo is coming off a season-high 48 saves at Nashville. Leading scorer Jussi Jokinen has 17 points against the Wild in 19 games.

Numbers: The Wild’s power play ranks 28th in the NHL (9.7 percent) and 30th on the road (1-for-38, 2.6 percent). … The Wild has played in six straight scoreless first periods on the road (2-4) and has allowed seven first-period goals.

Injuries: Wild D Jonas Brodin (mumps-like symptoms) and LW Matt Cooke (hip flexor) are out. Panthers C Dave Bolland (lower body), LW Sean Bergenheim (lower body) and C Brandon Pirri (concussion) are out. RW Scottie Upshall (upper body) is day-to-day.

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2014

757768 Montreal Canadiens

Rangers cruise to shutout win over Habs in rematch of East final

Ira Podell

NEW YORK — The Associated Press

Published Sunday, Nov. 23 2014, 9:55 PM EST

Last updated Sunday, Nov. 23 2014, 11:03 PM EST

If a drubbing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning was the wakeup call the New York Rangers really needed, they have gotten the message loud and clear.

Since a four-goal home loss to the Lightning last Monday, the Rangers have been suddenly stingy and haven’t allowed a goal in back-to-back wins. Their latest triumph was a 5-0 rout of the NHL-leading Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

“You get a chance to play a team that has been going very good, you want to see how you stack up,” said Martin St. Louis, who had a goal and assist. “You know it is a fast team, and we have to be sharp. I thought we were.”

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout, following on the heels of backup Cam Talbot’s blanking of Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Lundqvist extended his team record with his 54th career shutout, Dominic Moore scored his first goal, and Derek Stepan added his second in a dominant middle period for the Rangers, who had three days off due to a snow postponement in Buffalo.

“The prior game was also very complete,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “We knew coming in that we were playing against — at this time — the top team as far as points. We needed another very strong team effort, and that’s what we got from our group.”

They will get another shot at the Lightning on Wednesday.

“If we apply ourselves, if we prepare ourselves, we can play against any team in the league,” Vigneault said. “We certainly proved that tonight.”

Carl Hagelin scored at 1:40 of the third and Rick Nash made it 5-0 with his 14th goal with 4:36 left in the second matchup between the teams since New York won the Eastern Conference finals.

Montreal (16-6-1) had won eight of nine. The Rangers were 1-8-1 against the Canadiens in the previous 10 regular-season games.

“A game like this leaves you scratching your head,” Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban said. “We will be fine. We’re still a very positive group. We have to generate more. We just didn’t play our game.”

Dustin Tokarski made 29 saves in the loss. Lundqvist was uncharacteristically aggressive in playing the puck behind and in front of the net. It led to a collision in the third period when former Rangers forward Brandon Prust knocked down the goalie, and then fought defenceman Kevin Klein.

“It felt like he tried to stop, but I’m not going to lie — it hurt a little bit,” Lundqvist said. “When I skate out like that, I’m kind of prepared that something my happen. I just went for it.

“The last year or so, (playing the puck) is something that I’ve really worked on in practice. I’ve tried to get more involved and really help the ‘D’ out in stopping pucks and making plays, especially when we’re under pressure.”

New York carried a 1-0 lead into the second and quickly built on it as Stepan scored 35 seconds in. St. Louis made a pass from the boards to Stepan, who ripped a rising shot past Tokarski.

St. Louis did all the work in pushing the edge to 3-0. The swift forward raced toward defenceman Alexei Emelin, who had his back to him as he tracked the puck in his end. Emelin took a swipe to try to clear it, but missed. St. Louis swooped in, took the puck in on Tokarski and scored his eighth with 4:27 to go in the second.

The well-rested Rangers got off to a good start in the opening minute against the Canadiens, who beat Boston 2-0 on Saturday night behind

Carey Price. New York forced Montreal into back-to-back icings, then received the first power play 48 seconds in.

“They deserve a lot of credit,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said of the Rangers. “They played very well. They had a lot of energy compared to us.”

Moore broke the scoreless deadlock at 9:44 when he took a feed from Tanner Glass and forced the puck past Tokarski. It was Moore’s first goal since New York’s 1-0 win in Game 6 against Montreal that sent the Rangers to the Stanley Cup finals.

Tokarski was in goal that night, too, subbing for the injured Price.

NOTES: Moore hadn’t scored a regular-season goal since March 26, 27 games earlier. Glass earned his first point of the season, and Jesper Fast picked up his first NHL point. ... The Rangers are 128-124-54-1 against the Canadiens at home but only 65-201-40-3 against their Original Six rivals in Montreal. ... Tokarski has allowed at least three goals in two of his six outings. He entered with a 1.78 goals-against average. ... Chris Kreider had two assists.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.24.2014


About last night …

Posted by Mike Boone

Damn you, NHL schedule-makers!

Oh, I’m not blaming them for the Canadiens having to play the second game of a road back-to-back against a well-rested team.

Sunday night’s 5-0 loss to the Rangers completed the fifth set of consecutive games the Canadiens have played this season. On the four previous occasions, they won the second game.

It’s not a big deal to travel from Boston to New York, especially when the team was celebrating a 2-0 conquest of the Bruins. In the Western Conference, they play back-to-backs with five-hour plane rides in between.

So no excuses vis-à-vis the Canadiens game schedule.

No, what the schedule-makers have done to make our lives miserable is four days off before the Canadiens play again.

Between now and a Friday night visit to snowy Buffalo, Montreal hockey fans will have all that time to stew in the juices of the latest one-sided loss.

There will be nothing happy about Happy Hour at your favourite sports bar.

Sports phone-in show –rarely a forum for learned discussion, even when the Canadiens are winning – will be non-stop bitchfests.

As for the Comments section of Hockey Inside/Out … well, on a scale of 1 to 10, the degree of dissatisfaction will register 11.

It’s the last week of November, but the winter of our discontent is starting early.

And there is cause for concern.

In their six regulation losses, the Canadiens have been outscored 30-3.

They’ve been shut out four times. Only Buffalo, with five, has had more goose eggs.

Eleven NHL teams have goal differentials better than the Canadiens plus-4.

To paraphrase the great Bob Dylan, we won’t need a sommelier to know which way the whines flow.

A few themes:

• David Desharnais is not a top-line centre.

• Dressing 11 forwards and seven defencemen doesn’t work.

• P.K. Subban is not earning his $9 million.

• Tom Gilbert and Bryan Allen are crap.

• Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi should be playing.

• Michel Therrien is clueless.

There is some merit to each of these assertions.

And I would expect, with three days of practice before the next game, Therrien and his staff will address some glaring deficiencies.

Defensive zone coverage has been dreadful in all of the Canadiens’ lopsided losses. But you can’t pin all of that on the defencemen. Puck support by the forwards has been ineffective in the lopsided losses.

Against the Rangers, there were too many turnovers in the neutral zone. Wave after wave of blue jerseys swept in on Dustin Tokarski and his outgunned Dmen.

Here’s a stat you don’t see often: all 12 New York forwards got their names on the scoresheet.

Chris Kreider – who is turning into a Habs nemesis, à la Daniel F. Alfredsson – had seven shots on goal, two assists, five hits and a takeway.

The Rangers took Kreider with the 19th pick in the 2009 draft. The Canadiens used the 18th pick for Louis Leblanc.

Speaking of epic Habs’ SNAFUs, Ryan McDonagh didn’t play Sunday night. And the Rangers didn’t need him.

The home team pursued the puck ferociously in all three zones. In none of their previous losses were the Canadiens so consistently pressured and deprived of time and space to make a correct play.

And there was plenty of blame to go around.

Tokarski was weak on the first goal.

Except for Brandon Prust, Manny Malhotra and Mike Weaver, every Canadien on the roster was on the ice for at least one Rangers goal.

P.A. Parenteau, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty were on the ice for three goals-against. P.K., Markov, Gilbert and Allen were each minus-2.

After finally producing a goal on the road in Boston, the Canadiens’ power play settled back into its habitual suckitude.

This is one area Therrien and his staff definitively have to address during the days off. Nothing is working on the PP, which cries out for fresh idea.

It would be great to have a big body in front of the net, but Michael McCarron plays for the London Knights.

Maybe a smart, puck-moving forward – hello Alex Galchenyuk! – at the point with Markov, P.K. or Gonchar?

But hey, what the heck do I know? I’m not a professional hockey coach or a sports radio host.

But there is just too much talent on this team for the power play to be this bad. Something has to change.

As to the other tweaks – well, maybe we won’t see seven D in Buffalo … although I doubt Drayson Bowman would have turned the tide against the Rangers.

It’s just too bad the Canadiens’ mothers had to see that.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2014


Canadiens will face well-rested Rangers team; prospect Nikita Scherbak suffers back injury

Posted by Stu Cowan

Matt Fraser

The Canadiens will face a well-rested Rangers team Sunday night in New York (7 p.m., CITY, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

While the Canadiens are coming off a 2-0 win Saturday night in Boston, the Rangers haven’t played since Wednesday night, when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 in New York. The Rangers were supposed to play Friday night in Buffalo, but that game was postponed because of heavy snowfall in Buffalo.

This is the second meeting between the Canadiens and Rangers this season, with the Habs winning 3-1 on Oct. 25 at the Bell Centre. Dustin Tokarski will start in goal for the Canadiens, who did not hold a morning skate Sunday. That is the only change coach Michel Therrien will make to the lineup that beat the Bruins.

Here's everything you need to know about last night's big win over the Bruins. WATCH-> http://t.co/EE3jZhBI47 #GoHabsGo

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 23, 2014

The Canadiens got some bad news Saturday night when first-round draft pick Nikita Scherbak suffered a back injury during a game with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. Scherbak was hit during the second period by the Seattle Thunderbirds’ Keegan Kolesar during a game the Silvertips won 3-2 in a shootout. No penalty was called on the play, but the game was delayed for 10 minutes while Scherbak was taken off the ice on a stretcher.

The Silvertips reported on their Twitter account that Scherbak, who was selected 26th overall at the 2014 NHL draft, has “movement in all his extremities and his head/neck are okay. Undergoing tests for a potential back injury.”

In 19 games this season, the 18-year-old Scherbak has 11 goals and 17 assists with the Silvertips, who have a 15-4-3 record.

In Boston Saturday, Andrei Markov became only the fourth defenceman in Canadiens history to reach the career 100-goal mark, joining the Big Three of Guy Lapointe (166), Larry Robinson (197) and Serge Savard (100).

Andrei Markov reacts after scoring his 100th NHL goal. WATCH -> http://t.co/8DWyFXPDXI #GoHabsGo

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 23, 2014

“I didn’t know that (about the Big Three) actually,” Markov told reporters in Boston after the game. “It’s something special not just for a defenceman, but for any player to score 100. It’s thanks to all my teammates who supported me and helped me do that. Without them, I never could have done that.”

Bryan Allen, playing his first game with the Canadiens after being acquired from Anaheim on Thursday for Rene Bourque, logged 14:30 of ice time against the Bruins, recorded three hits and was even in plus/minus. Allen received the Superman cape that the Canadiens players award after each game.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2014

757771 Nashville Predators

Predators’ Roman Josi logging minutes, blocks

Maren Angus, [email protected] 10:11 p.m. CST November 23, 2014

Roman Josi has been a consistent force on the blue line for the Predators since the 2011-12 season, but it wasn’t until last season that he put together a career year.

Josi was paired with captain Shea Weber during the 2013-14 season and compiled career bests in goals (13), assists (27) and points (40).

This season, they are paired again and are a big reason the Predators are among the Western Conference leaders going into Tuesday’s game against the Kings at Bridgestone Arena (7 p.m., Fox TN, 102.5-FM).

“I think we complement each other really well on the ice,” Josi said. “I don’t want to spoil it for everyone, but it’s pretty easy for me to play with him. He’s one of the best defensemen in the world and we’ve been playing with each other for what’s our third year now, and you build chemistry every day.”

The two lead the Predators in average ice time, Weber at 26:57 and Josi at 26:32. They are fourth and fifth in the league, respectively.

“They have the hardest task every night, they draw the tough opponents, they take down a lot of minutes and a lot of situations, a lot of d-zone faceoffs,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think they complement each other well out there. One is a more powerful guy with a powerful shot and one likes to jump a little bit more and skate pucks. I think what makes them good is they play all three zones and play them well.”

Before Saturday’s game against Florida, Josi had notched seven points in seven games, which brought his season total to three goals and seven assists. The streak ended Saturday.

Josi leads the team and is sixth in the NHL in blocked shots (51).

“I think blocked shots sometimes are luck to you,” said Josi, “Sometimes you get hit with one, sometimes you just put your stick there. I think everyone on our team, if they have a chance, they try to block a shot and everybody sacrifices their body. I think that’s what you have to do to be successful too.”

Asked what he looks for as he decides when to go down and block a shot, a giggling Josi replied: “I’m just out of position a lot so I got to block them I guess.”

Family day at the rink: The Predators moved practice from Monday to Sunday in order for the players to spend time with their families on the ice.

After practice, many of the children suited up in their own gear and played a pick-up game with the players.

Tennessean LOADED: 11.24.2014

757772 New Jersey Devils

Fell asleep for Devils shootout? Here's what happened

Rich Chere | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Rich Chere | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Email the author | on November 23, 2014 at 6:00 AM, updated November 23, 2014 at 6:14 AM

CALGARY, Alberta — So you fell asleep and missed the Devils-Flames shootout Saturday night?

Here’s what happened:

New Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau couldn’t get one past Devils goalie Scott Clemmensen.

Jacob Josefson was stopped by Flames goalie Karri Ramo.

Sean Monahan scored on Clemmensen’s glove side for a 1-0 Calgary lead.

Mike Cammalleri beat Ramo on his blocker side to tie it, 1-1.

Corban Knight was stopped by Clemmensen. Still, 1-1.

Adam Henrique fanned on his shot and is now 1-for-11 in career shootouts.

Jiri Hudler gave the Flames a 2-1 lead by beating Clemmensen on his stick side.

Needing to score to extend the shootout, Travis Zajac was stopped and the Devils lost.

They are 1-2 in shootouts this season.

Clemmensen was disappointed with the outcome despite getting a point on the road. His starts will be few and far between.

“Definitely frustrating. I’m only going to get a limited number of opportunities. Obviously I would’ve loved to walk out of here with the win regardless of how it happened," Clemmensen said. "So be it. Can’t change the past now.”

* * *

Cammalleri was returning to Calgary, where he had two stints with the Flames.

He was booed when he scored and cheered when he took two penalties.

“A lot of fun,” Cammalleri said. “I thought it was an entertaining game for everybody. A couple of times I let emotions get the better of me out there. I probably should’ve been a little more disciplined.

“There was definitely no shortage of chirps from the other team. I was getting it left, right and center.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 11.24.2014


Adam Larsson adapting and gaining confidence in unexpected role on Devils' defense

Posted by Tom Gulitti

When the Devils drafted Adam Larsson fourth overall in 2011, he was projected to be a two-way defenseman with offensive skill that could play regularly in the top four and, potentially, top two.

Now in his fourth season, Larsson, somewhat by necessity, has morphed into a shot blocking, penalty killing, sometimes physical, stay-at-home type of defenseman and might finally be establishing himself as a regular on the Devils’ blue line.

In Saturday night’s 5-4 shootout loss in Calgary, Larsson, 22, played a season-high 22:30, including 6:04 on the penalty kill (most of any Devil). He blocked three more shots and ranks second on the team with 23 blocks despite playing in only 13 games.

“I feel good,” Larsson said. “My confidence builds up the more games I play and the more minutes I play. I’m just trying to build up the confidence from the coaches.”

Larsson has slowly been gaining that. Head coach Pete DeBoer has relied on him increasingly on the penalty kill and had him on the ice in the final minute Saturday with the Devils trying to protect a 4-3 lead. Unfortunately, Larsson lost position on Curtis Glencross in front prior to Glencross scoring the tying goal.

That’s part of the learning process for Larsson, who has played in the last 12 games after being a healthy scratch for eight of the team’s first nine.

“It’s not easy when you’re in and out all the time,” said Larsson, who picked up his second assist of the season Saturday on Tuomo Ruutu’s goal that made it 4-2. “Your confidence kind of takes a beating from that. But, once you’re in and feel confident, you can play more aggressive and you feel that you can make mistakes, so it goes hand in hand.”

DeBoer has mentioned more than once that Larsson is more effective when he’s physical and the coaches have been encouraging him to play more that way. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Larsson has the frame to be a physical force and has been playing with more of an edge recently while paired with rookie Seth Helgeson.

Part of that is from having the stability of playing regularly.

“When you’re in and out, you want to show so much sometimes you think overaggressively and you can get beat like that, too,” Larsson said. “I think I just have my head in a better place right now.”

Larsson’s opportunity and different role have stemmed from injuries to defenseman Jon Merrill (sore hand/arm) and Bryce Salvador (lower-body). Larsson has gradually taken over Salvador’s minutes on the penalty kill and has helped with its turnaround.

Before Josh Jooris’ power-play goal 2:26 into the third period Saturday, the Devils had killed off 23 in a row and have still allowed only one goal on 26 power plays over the last six games. In the 15 games before that, they had allowed 21 power-play goals on 59 opportunities for a 64.4 percent success rate.

“We’ve stepped up our PK,” Larsson said. “That’s something we talked about a lot during the year and I think it’s paid off now. We’re blocking more shots and helping each other more. I think that’s a big part of it.”

DeBoer has been tough on Larsson at times, but credits him with adapting his game to take advantage of an opportunity when his options for minutes as an offensive-minded defenseman became limited.

“Adam came into the league and everyone saw some offensive instincts and we gave him a chance to play in some offensive situations and as his three or four years in the organization have come – and not just at the NHL level, but at the American League level – some guys have passed him in those offensive situations: the (Eric) Gelinas of the world, even Jon Merrill and (Damon) Severson coming in,” DeBoer said. “So, to his credit, he’s figured out I’d better find a better niche and another way for me to be effective and get some minutes here.

“I give him all the credit in the world because the guys that adapt in order to find ice time and change their game, that’s not an easy thing to do and he deserves full marks for that.”

Larsson admits this is “not really” a role he envisioned himself playing when he came into the league.

“But I kind of realized that there were minutes there for me if I wanted to step up there,” he said. “So far, it’s been working pretty good.”

***

The Devils had the day off today in Vancouver. They will be back on the ice for practice Monday afternoon to prepare for the finale of their four-game road trip Tuesday night against the Canucks.

The Devils are 1-1-1 so far on the trip.

Bergen Record LOADED: 11.24.2014


Devils trying to avoid another slip in trip finale

November 24, 2014 Last updated: Monday, November 24, 2014, 1:21 AM

By TOM GULITTI

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Every time it appears the Devils are about to take a big step forward, they seem to slip and fall.

It happened again in their 5-4 shootout loss in Calgary on Saturday night.

The Devils were on the verge of one of their most complete victories of the season before the Flames scored twice in the final 2:22 to erase a 4-2 deficit. Curtis Glencross' tying goal came with just five seconds remaining in regulation.

So, instead of being 2-1-0 so far on this four-game road trip, the Devils are 1-1-1 and in need of a win in the finale Tuesday night in Vancouver to make the trip a successful one.

The Devils are 5-0-2 this season when leading after two periods, but Saturday's game was the second in eight days in which they had a lead in the final eight minutes and didn't win. In a 3-2 home loss to Colorado on Nov. 15, they gave up two goals in the final 7:30 after leading 2-1.

They also blew a 3-1 third-period lead in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers on Oct. 21.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer insisted, "There is no pattern," however, of the team struggling to protect leads.

"This team [Calgary] has come back on lots of teams before," said DeBoer, referring to the Flames' five wins this season in games in which they trailed after two periods. "We've got some young guys at key positions and we're learning how to win games."

The Devils have been playing four defensemen age 24 or younger and there are some growing pains that go with that, but their veterans also have been responsible. Jaromir Jagr turned the puck over deep in the Calgary zone with 30 seconds remaining, allowing the Flames to make one final rush, and Patrik Elias took responsibly for "a missed coverage" that contributed to Glencross' tying goal.

The Flames first pulled goaltender Karri Ramo for an extra attacker with 3:33 remaining, but the Devils weren't able to score a clinching empty-net goal during that extended stretch.

"We'd like to make some better plays there, get out and make it harder on them," said left wing Mike Camalleri, who scored a goal in his first game back in Calgary since leaving to sign with the Devils. "With that long left, we, hopefully, should bury one ourselves and put the game away."

The Devils are going to have to scratch and claw to make the playoffs after failing to qualify the past two seasons. If they don't figure out how to consistently close out games, that will make that task even more difficult.

"Traditionally that has been one of the strong points of Devils hockey throughout the years," said goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who made 33 saves in his first start of the season. "Each team is different from year to year, but this team plays low-scoring games, they've been in a number of them in the past and, obviously, good teams find ways to win in those situations."



Devils blow two-goal lead to Flames in 5-4 shootout loss

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Updated: Sunday, November 23, 2014, 11:47 AM

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Jiri Hudler scored late in regulation to start Calgary’s comeback and then got the deciding goal in the shootout to lift the Flames to 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

Trailing 4-2, Flames coach Bob Hartley aggressively pulled goaltender Karri Ramo with just under 4 minutes remaining in regulation. Hudler scored from the side of the net with 2:22 left, and Curtis Glencross’ second goal of the game tied it with 5 seconds to go In the shootout, both teams scored once in the first three shooters before Hudler sent a shot past Devils goalie Scott Clemmensen to put Calgary ahead. Ramo clinched the victory by stopping Travis Zajac.

Clemmensen made his first start of the season after Cory Schneider started each of New Jersey’s first 20 games. Clemmensen, a 37-year-old longtime backup, had 33 saves through overtime.

Josh Jooris also scored for Calgary, which finished 4-1 on a five-game homestand. Ramo finished with 25 saves. Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri, Zajac and Tuomo Ruutu scored for New Jersey, which is 1-1-1 on a four-game trip that concludes Tuesday at Vancouver. The Flames improved to 5-6-0 when trailing after two periods.

The five victories lead the NHL and is one more than they had all of last season in such circumstances. Calgary trailed 3-1 entering the third period and pulled with a goal on Jooris’ power-play goal at 2:26. It was the 24-year-old rookie’s fifth score of the season. However, Ruutu restored the Devils’ two-goal cushion about 8 minutes later.

Devils goalie Scott Clemmensen watches the puck fly by him in Saturday's loss to the Flames. Jeff McIntosh/AP Devils goalie Scott Clemmensen watches the puck fly by him in Saturday's loss to the Flames.

He sped into the Flames’ end and while Ramo got a piece of Ruutu’s original shot that rattled off the end boards, the puck came right back out in front and Ruutu calmly flipped the puck over the goalie, who was sprawled on the ice.

Henrique opened the scoring at 4:51 of the first period, scoring his sixth of the season on a pretty setup from Patrick Elias, who faked carrying the puck behind the net, instead sending a backwards pass to Henrique, who put a perfect shot inside the far goal post. Cammalleri made it 2-0 with 6:14 to go in the first when he was left wide open and one-timed a pass from Jaromir Jagr past Ramo. Calgary pulled to 2-1 a little past the midpoint of the second period when Glencross corralled a loose puck in the slot, spun and whipped a shot past Clemmensen.

Zajac gave the Devils a two-goal lead again with 8 seconds left in the second when Henrique’s shot hit the crossbar, hit Ramo in the leg and bounced out to Zajac, who buried his fourth goal of the season.

Notes: Rookie LW Michael Ferland had an assist on Jooris’ goal for his first NHL point. ... Flames LW Brandon Bollig was a healthy scratch for the second time in the past five games. ... Corban Knight made his season debut for the Flames after being called up from Adirondack of the AHL on Friday. Knight played in seven NHL games last season. ... Calgary RW Devin Setoguchi has gone 26 games without a goal, a streak that dates back to last year with Winnipeg. The summer free agent signing has no points in 12 games this season for Calgary.... The Flames have only held the lead after the first period three times. They’re 3-0-0 in those games.

New York Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2014

757776 New York Islanders

Islanders enjoying their new vantage point at the top of their division

November 23, 2014 9:32 PM

By ARTHUR STAPLE [email protected]

John Tavares had to let out a bit of a chuckle when asked about the Islanders sitting in a tie for the Metropolitan Division lead with the Penguins after Saturday's 4-1 win over Pittsburgh.

"There's still 62 games left," Tavares said. "We want to give ourselves the best opportunity to get to the playoffs . . . If we're there at the end of 82, that's what's most important."

He's right about that, so the fact that the Islanders could have first place all to themselves if they get at least a point against the Flyers on Monday night at the Coliseum and the Penguins get no points in Boston is a neat footnote, nothing more.

If anything, the most important thing the Islanders can do is look down the standings, not up. Monday night is the third of six straight games within the division. The Islanders know all too well how much early-season losses can knock a team out of the playoff chase before all the leaves are off the trees.

So the Islanders' 14-6-0 record, 8-2-0 in their past 10, has put some distance between themselves and the Metro Division pack -- the Flyers sit in sixth, 10 points behind the Islanders with a game in hand. The third-place Rangers are six points back.

IslandersIslanders vs. Penguins

Even a cursory glance at the NHL standings on Thanksgiving from the past decade shows that you need to be in playoff position, or within a point or two, by late November to have a realistic shot at the postseason.

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Coach Jack Capuano doesn't want his team thinking about the failures of past seasons.

"This is a new team with a new attitude," he said after the Islanders completed their home-and-home sweep against the Penguins.

Capuano's team -- on this date last season -- was tied for seventh in the Metro, headed in the wrong direction. In fact, they were coming off losses to these same two teams, the Penguins and Flyers, on consecutive road nights a year ago, during a 10-game road losing streak.

So Capuano has it right: new team, new attitude and a new vantage point -- looking down on almost all of the teams in their division. First place is nice, but putting up points and pulling away from the pack is far, far more important right now.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2014

757777 New York Rangers

Well-Rested Rangers Post Second Straight Shutout

By ALLAN KREDANOV. 23, 2014

The Montreal Canadiens skated onto the ice at Madison Square Garden on Sunday having won 16 of their first 22 games, a feat they last accomplished more than 50 years ago. They also arrived bent on avenging their six-game loss to the Rangers in May in the Eastern Conference finals.

So it appeared that the Rangers would have their hands full. It turned out it was the Canadiens who had that problem.

Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves, and his teammates peppered his Montreal counterpart, Dustin Tokarski, with 34 shots as the Rangers dominated the Canadiens en route to a 5-0 victory.

The shutout was Lundqvist’s fourth of the season and the 54th of his career. For the Rangers, who beat the Flyers, 2-0, on Wednesday behind the backup goalie Cam Talbot, it was the first time since 2003 that they had registered back-to-back shutouts.

Continue reading the main story

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“It’s definitely a confidence builder for us,” said Dominic Moore, who scored the only goal the Rangers would need 9 minutes 44 seconds into the game. “We just have to continue to focus on getting better with every game. It’s a process. Tonight we did a lot of good things.”

The Rangers’ attack was so balanced that all 12 forwards registered at least a point. That had not happened since an 8-2 home victory over Winnipeg on Dec. 17, 1980, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“I think the last two games is probably as good as we’ve played all year — playing in our own end coming with speed,” said Lundqvist, who is 6-2-2 in his last 10 home games with a 1.76 goals against average. “We are a fast team. When we play the right way, we have a lot of skill, too.”

Coming off a 2-0 victory at Boston on Saturday, the Canadiens (16-6-1) had no time to rest. The Rangers, meanwhile, had an extra-long gap between games because their scheduled contest against the Sabres on Friday was postponed because of record snowfall in Buffalo.

The Rangers (9-7-4) came out with purpose, and — as occurred the last time the teams had met at the Garden, in Game 6 of their playoff series — Moore scored first.

Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis, who scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 4 at the Garden in the spring, set up Derek Stepan to make it 2-0 35 seconds into the second period and then scored his eighth goal of the season at 15:33.

“You always feel as good as your last game,” said St. Louis, who has 998 career points.

St. Louis will have a chance to reach 1,000 points Wednesday in his return to Tampa Bay, where he played 972 games over 13 seasons before he was traded to the Rangers in March for Ryan Callahan.

“Marty has been playing really well,” Rangers Coach Alain Vigneault said. “He has been one of our most consistent players.”

Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash had third-period goals to complete the scoring. It was the 14th goal of the season for Nash, who has registered points in 15 of 20 games.

“The Rangers had a lot of energy compared to us,” Canadiens Coach Michel Therrien said. “They deserve a lot of credit.”

On May 29, Moore’s third-period score was the only one of the game as the Rangers held off the Canadiens to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup finals. This time, Moore’s goal was a product of hard work by the fourth line, with Jesper Fast and Tanner Glass assisting. It was the first point of the season for Glass and the first career point for Fast.

“We knew tonight coming in that we were playing, at this time, the top team as far as points in the N.H.L.,” Vigneault said. “We needed another very strong team effort, and that’s what we got from our group tonight.”

Tokarski, who played most of the series in May after Carey Price was injured in the opener in a collision with Chris Kreider, stopped 29 shots.

The game had the same edge seen in playoff skirmishes between the longtime rivals. The former Ranger Brandon Prust, who broke Stepan’s jaw in a collision in the spring, sent Lundqvist flying in the third and then fought defenseman Kevin Klein.

New York Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


NY Rangers rout NHL’s top team, Canadiens, 5-0

BY Pat Leonard

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Martin St. Louis is red-hot rolling into his first return to Tampa Bay since last spring’s trade to Broadway. More importantly, so are his Rangers.

The off-and-on Blueshirts suddenly demonstrated the most encouraging type of consistency on Sunday night, thrashing the NHL-leading Montreal Canadiens, 5-0, at the Garden for their second consecutive shutout.

St. Louis (goal, assist) was dominant, drawing within two points of 1,000 for his illustrious career, meaning he could achieve the milestone on Wednesday night against the Lightning franchise he led to the 2004 Stanley Cup and called home for most of his professional life.

“I’ll eventually get there,” St. Louis said of looking ahead to his first trip back as a Ranger. “I try not to think about it too much. It’s going to be a lot of emotion I’m sure, for me.”

St. Louis, though, was still glowing about the Rangers’ “poised game” against Montreal, an understatement considering how thoroughly the Blueshirts (9-7-4) dismantled the Canadiens (16-6-1).

The Rangers have lacked offensive balance all season. They entered with a 3-3-4 record in their last 10 games. But on Sunday night, all four lines scored, and every single Ranger forward registered at least one point for the first time since Dec. 17, 1980, against Winnipeg, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

That was due mainly to fourth-line center Dominic Moore burying his first goal of the season to open the scoring at 9:44 of the first period, on assists from linemates Tanner Glass and Jesper Fast that marked both players’ first points of the season. The goal was refreshingly reminiscent of last spring’s Eastern Conference final, when Moore’s fourth line with Derek Dorsett and Brian Boyle completed a dominant series with the lone goal in a Game 6, 1-0 series-clinching victory.

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpi Ken Goldfield/Ken Goldfield The Rangers shut out the Canadiens -- their second consecutive shutout win.

“We haven’t played our best hockey all year,” Moore said of the team. “We still aren’t, but we are working at it. When things come together, we do know how good we can be.”

Four days after backup goalie Cam Talbot shut out the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-0, Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves against Montreal to record his fourth shutout of the season in 16 starts. That improved Lundqvist’s franchise shutout record to 54 and marked the Rangers’ first consecutive regular-season shutouts as a franchise since March 2003.

Facing backup goalie Dustin Tokarski (29 saves) instead of No. 1 Carey Price may have helped. The Habs were playing the second game of a back-to-back. Still, Montreal also entered with an 8-1 record in its last nine matches and a league-best 33 points.

The Rangers had Friday night’s scheduled game in Buffalo postponed due to snow and rescheduled to Feb. 20. Clearly they couldn’t wait to get back on the ice. A 1-0 lead on Moore’s goal ballooned to 3-0 on second-period goals by Stepan and St. Louis, on a line with Chris Kreider (two assists) that is starting to jell. Then Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash added insurance in the third. Nash’s 14 goals put him just one behind league leader Tyler Seguin of Dallas.

“The last two games were probably as well as we’ve played all year,” Lundqvist said.

Coach Alain Vigneault added: “If we apply ourselves, prepare ourselves, we can play against any team in the league.”

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpi Ken Goldfield/Ken Goldfield Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski laments a Rangers first-period goal.

PRUST IN CASE

Brandon Prust’s days as a Garden fan favorite are long gone. The ex-Ranger and current Canadiens enforcer, who broke Derek Stepan’s jaw in last spring’s conference final, continued to wear out his welcome in New York on Sunday night, thumping Lundqvist to the ice 3:40 into the third period.

Lundqvist had skated out to the left to play the puck, and Prust made no effort to change direction. He did pull up short of laying out Lundqvist, but Prust didn’t avoid the contact, either. Boos rained down from the stands.

“It felt like he tried to stop, but I’m not gonna lie, it hurt a little bit,” Lundqvist said. “At the same time when I skate out like that I’m kind of prepared that something might happen. But I just went for it.”

Defenseman Kevin Klein immediately dropped the gloves and fought Prust for the second time this season.

New York Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2014


Rangers dominate Canadiens in early statement game

By Brett Cyrgalis

November 23, 2014 | 10:04pm

No statements. No hyperbole. No projections.

Instead, what the Rangers did Sunday night at the Garden was put together the type of performance that allows them to feel all their expectations for greatness are warranted.

“When things come together,” Dom Moore would say after a blowout 5-0 win over the Canadiens, “we know how good we can be.”

This was a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference final in name only, as there were no shenanigans — no goalies getting run, no coaches getting tossed from practice, no broken jaws or concussions.

It was the Canadiens (16-6-1) coming in as No. 1 team in the NHL, one day after an emotional 2-0 win in Boston. And then it was the Rangers (9-7-4) taking care of business, stringing together consecutive wins for the first time since Oct. 19-21 and allowing goalie Henrik Lundqvist to collect his fourth shutout of the season in as easy a fashion as possible.

“I think the last two games is probably as good as we’ve played all year,” said Lundqvist, who was forced to stop 21 shots, only 10 of them over the final 40 minutes. “Just really paying attention to all the details in the game that we have to do to have success. So it’s great to see.”

On Wednesday, the Rangers pasted the Flyers in a 2-0 win that came as a bit of redemption after getting stung by the Lightning 5-1 just two nights before. Yet the Blueshirts weren’t about to get ahead of themselves after beating Philadelphia, with players stating it meant very little if they didn’t back it up.

“And we did,” Lundqvist said.

It was clear from the get-go the Rangers were the team with more jump, having some time to practice and rest as Friday night’s game in Buffalo was postponed due to the snow. The fourth line, a force all night, opened things up 9:44 in, as Moore scored his first of the season — and his first since scoring the lone goal in Game 6 of the conference final that sent the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup final since 1994.

“We haven’t played our best hockey all year, but it’s a process,” Moore said. “We’re working at it.”

Marty St. Louis then took things over in the second period, making a sweet pass to Derek Stepan, who finished for a 2-0 lead just 35 seconds in. That was followed with St. Louis pick-pocketing Alexei Emelin later in the period for a little breakaway of his own, on which he froze goalie Dustin Tokasrki — remember him? — and flipped one into the net for a 3-0 lead.

“It was a very poised game,” St. Louis said. “I’m really pleased with how we backed up the performance from Wednesday.”

Sitting on the lead, the Rangers kept pushing in the third, waiting just 1:40 in for 19-year-old winger Anthony Duclair to find Carl Hagelin to make it 4-0, and then with just over four minutes to go, Rick Nash continuing to chase the league lead in goals with his 14th, netting a breakaway set up by Derick Brassard.

“We knew coming in that we were playing, at this time, the top team as far as points in the NHL,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “We needed another very strong team effort, and that’s what we got from our group.”

Now it’s back to Tampa Bay on Wednesday for a rematch with the Lightning, the team with whom St. Louis had collected most of his 998 career NHL points. Surely there will be recognition, and emotion. Yet the goal for the Rangers remains consistency, even if they did just beat the best team in the league.

“We did what we had to do,” Marc Staal said. “I think it’s a confidence builder for us, but we still have to come back tomorrow, get back to work, and repeat, repeat, repeat.”

New York Post LOADED: 11.24.2014


Rangers 5, Canadiens 0: Rewind

Posted by Andrew Gross on 11/24 at 12:41 AM

What it means:

The Rangers, with a 5-0 win over the NHL-leading Canadiens, finally have their first back-to-back wins since Oct. 17-19. And they finally have their first consecutive regulation wins this season. The Rangers vaulted into third place in the Metropolitan Division (the final guaranteed playoff spot), one point ahead of the Capitals and six points behind the Penguins and Islanders.

Why it happened:

Maybe the term complete game gets overused at times but this was a fine example of a team dominating every aspect of the game while playing 60 minutes. From the opening faceoff when the Rangers hemmed the Canadiens into their zone, the Rangers were more physical and the better skaters than the quick Canadiens. The balance the Rangers got throughout their lineup was most impressive. All 12 forwards recorded at least one point. The goaltending was obviously good and the defensemen, as a group, kept the Canadiens from the crease and quickly started the Rangers’ breakouts. Each of the centers had impressive moments - Derek Stepan was really, really good all game, Kevin Hayes was confident with the puck down low, Dominic Moore scored the winner and Derick Brassard sprung Rick Nash for a breakaway goal with a long, head-man pass. The Rangers penalty kill, in their one opportunity, outplayed the Canadiens power play, creating more chances.

Link to Record game story:

Of note:

- Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist was sent airborne as he came out between the circles to play the puck at 3:40 of the third period. Ex-Ranger Brandon Prust, coming from the left, slowed up but still collided hard with Lundqvist, sending the goalie sprawling into the right faceoff circle. Rangers D Kevin Klein immediately dropped the gloves and went after Prust. Klein and Prust had also fought in the Canadiens’ 3-1 win over the Rangers Oct. 25 at the Bell Centre. “It felt like he tried to stop,” Lundqvist said of his ex-teammate. “I’m not going to lie, it hurt a little bit. At the same time, when I skate out like that, I’m kind of prepared that something might happen.”

- Lundqvist’s 54th shutout moved him into a tie with Eddie Giacomin and Bernie Parent for 20th on the NHL’s all-time list.

- The Rangers posted consecutive regular-season shutouts for the first time since March 17 against the Islanders and two days later against the Sabres. Mike Dunham was in net for those games.

- Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time all 12 Rangers’ forwards recorded at least one point was Dec. 17, 1980 against the original Winnipeg Jets.

- Per Elias, the Rangers have three shutouts in a five-game span for the first time since Nov. 18-25, 1973.

- The Rangers now have a shutout streak of 122:51 dating to 17:09 of the third period of this past Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Lightning

- The Rangers had not defeated the Canadiens by five or more goals at Madison Square Garden since a 10-5 win on Dec. 13, 1992

- LW Tanner Glass and RW Jesper Fast both assisted on Dominic Moore’s first-period goal. It marked Glass’ first point with the Rangers and Fast’s first career point.

- The Rangers went 7-4-3 in their just-concluded stretch of playing 14 of 19 games at home.

- The Rangers tied a season high with five goals

- Chris Kreider’s game high seven shots were a career high.

- Marty St. Louis, with a goal and an assist, now has 998 career points and could reach the 1,000-point milestone Wednesday night at Tampa Bay, his first game back there since the Lightning traded him for Ryan Callahan on

March 5. St. Louis acknowledged the game will clearly be an emotional one for him and said he had “nothing but great memories in Tampa, I’m sure I’m going to feel it when I’m there.” As for reaching 1,000 points at Tampa Bay, St. Louis said, “I don’t know. I’ll eventually get there. I’ll try not to think about it too much. There’s going to be a lot of emotion for me. And coach Alain Vigneault wants St. Louis to keep those emotions in check. “I know the game is obviously going to be real special. But one shift at a time and he needs to focus on playing the right way. He knows the right way to play and I’m sure he’ll keep his emotions in check and do the right things out there.”

Quotable:

- “I think our prior game was also very complete. We knew tonight coming in that we were playing, at this time, the top team as far as points in the NHL and we needed another very strong tem effort and that’s what we got from our group tonight,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault

- “I think what this tells us is we know the right way to play. When we apply ourselves, prepare ourselves, we can play against any team in the league and we certainly proved that tonight,” Vigneault

- “Obviously, they had a big game last night and we wanted to take advantage of that and we had a good start to the game. The second period, we made plays that when you’re playing back-to-back, it’s tough for them. We played on our toes,” G Henrik Lundqvist

- “We haven’t played our best hockey all year. It’s a process. We still aren’t but we are working at it. When things come together, we do know how good we can be. Tonight we did a lot of good things in terms of good support in all zones, five men working together,” C Dominic Moore

- “I’m getting rewarded right now with some goals. I try to stay on top of my game, whether I’m producing or not. We’re able to create some chemistry with our line and it’s contagious. Everybody’s going and everybody’s making plays and it’s a really contagious atmosphere,” Marty St. Louis

- “I knew him a long way back in juniors. I knew his game was NHL ready. He’s a strong guy. he skates well, fights, sticks up for teammates. He makes the first pass. blocks shots. He can score. He just does it all real well. He’s been, by far, the most consistent guy on the backend,” D Dan Girardi on Klein

- “That’s pretty impressive (all 12 forwards recording a point). That says a lot about our group. Every line can make a play and get some offense going. The six D, the 12 forwards, Hank, I’ll give Talbs (backup goalie Cam Talbot) a shoutout on the bench. I think everyone was really locked in and focused and it was one of our better games of the year for sure,” Girardi

- “Everyone wants to contribute offensively. You can’t be dependent every night on one or two lines. Those are big goals. The more you can do that, the more consistently you can win hockey games,” D Marc Staal

My three Rangers’ stars:

1. Marty St. Louis: The 39-year-old right wing certainly does appear ageless - and clearly more comfortable at right wing than when he was pressed into service as a center before Derek Stepan returned. He had a goal and an assist and was a plus-2 in 16:37 on two shots. He also had two takeaways, creating his goal by deftly lifting D Alexei Emelin’s stick and going in for a breakaway. He set up Stepan with a cross-ice backhander and now has seven goals and four assists in his last 10 games and a four-game point streak.

2. Henrik Lundqvist: The Rangers mainly played the game in the Canadiens’ zone but Lundqvist came up big when called upon, making 21 saves for his fourth shutout this season and extending his franchise record to 54.

3. Derek Stepan: By his own admission, Stepan’s game was not all the way back after missing the first 12 games - not to mention the preseason - with a fractured left fibula. At times, Stepan said he felt slow mentally. But he was obviously a main reason his line was so dominating tonight, with St. Louis’ performance and left wing Chris Kreider taking a game-high seven shots.

What’s next:

The Rangers are off on Monday, instead flying to Tampa for Wednesday night’s game against the Lightning. The Rangers will next practice Tuesday afternoon in Tampa.



Live Blog: Rangers dominate Habs, 5-0

Posted by Andrew Gross on 11/23 at 07:05 PM

Memories. Misty colored memories…

Except that coach Alain Vigneault isn’t too stuck on reliving the past.

The Canadiens are in Madison Square Garden for the first time since May 29, when the Rangers won the decisive Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final, 1-0, with a goal from Dominic Moore.

The Canadiens come into tonight’s game with an NHL-best 33 points after a 2-0 win at Boston Saturday night.

“What do I remember?” Vigneault said when asked what he remembered about that series. “We won in six.”

Vigneault was then pushed to expound.

“At the end of the day it was just two teams really battling real hard,” Vigneault said. “We won that sixth game 1-0, and it was probably our best game of the playoffs so far. We needed that type of game that type of performance from our group and we got it. It was last year. I’m hoping a lot of our guys learned from that and that they’re getting better. Without a doubt the Habs have learned from last year.

“They have a tremendous amount of skill, a tremendous amount of potential and they’re playing up to that skill and potential right now,” Vigneault added. “We need to find a way to do the same on a consistent basis. We’ve played some great games and we’ve played part of other games where we’ve been real good and some other portions of games where we’ve been real inconsistent. They’re the same good team that they were last year, only better. They’re young players are getting better. It starts from the goaltending out.”

Carey Price pitched the shutout in Boston so it will be Dustin Tokarski, who played such a strong series against the Rangers after Price was injured in a collision with Chris Kreider in Game 1, in net tonight against Henrik Lundqvist.

Rookie right wing Anthony Duclair, 19, who grew up in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Claire, Que., is in the Rangers’ lineup for the third straight game after being a healthy scratch the previous three games.

And much like the Rangers’ 3-1 loss at Montreal on Oct. 25, when he assisted on the Rangers’ lone goal, Duclair was thrilled to play against his former favorite team.

“It’s incredible,” Duclair said. “I thought it was pretty special in Montreal, I have a lot of friends and family there. I’d go and watch them as a kid.

“Just to play that team – there are players I grew up watching still there – just to be on the ice with them, it’s pretty special,” Duclair added.

Duclair entered Sunday night’s game with a goal and five assists in 14 games.

Rookie right wing Jesper Fast is also in the lineup and on the fourth line for the second straight game.

Vigneault was asked whether the speedy Swede eventually projects as a top-six forward.

“He’s a very smart young player that’s got a real good skill set,” Vigneault said. “It’s tough to say but I do think there’s a future for him in this league if he keeps working as hard.”

Fast is scoreless in his first seven games.

Vigneault added Lee Stempniak, who missed Wednesday’s game with lower-back tightness, was available tonight but Vigneault kept the lineup intact, other than Lundqvist going back in instead of Cam Talbot.

Rangers:

Rick Nash-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Marty St. Louis

Carl Hagelin-Kevin Hayes-Anthony Duclair

Tanner Glass-Dominic Moore-Jesper Fast

Marc Staal-Dan Boyle

John Moore-Dan Girardi

Matt Hunwick-Kevin Klein

Henrik Lundqvist (7-5-3, 2.68 goals-against average, .910 save percentage)

Canadiens (going with seven defensemen):

Max Pacioretty-David Desharnais-P.A. Parenteau

Alex Galchenyuk-Tomas Plekanec-Brendan Gallagher

Jiri Sekac-Lars Eller-Brandon Prust

Fourth line: Manny Malhotra-Dale Weise

Andrei Markov-P.K. Subban

Alexei Emelin-Sergei Gonchar

Bryan Allen-Mike Weaver

Tom Gilbert

Dustin Tokarski (3-1-0, 1.78, .937)



Stepan knows he’s close to regaining form

Posted by Andrew Gross on 11/23 at 12:46 PM

The Rangers host the Canadiens tonight at 7 in the conclusion of a stretch of 14 games at Madison Square Garden out of 19. Neither team had much of a morning skate. The Canadiens won 2-0 at Boston Saturday night and now lead the NHL with 33 points so they did not have any morning skate today.

The Rangers, who held a full team practice on Saturday, had only the non-game day players skating this morning. Coach Alain Vigneault is scheduled to address the media at 5 p.m. and Canadiens coach Michel Therrien at 4:45 p.m.

Meanwhile, maybe tonight will be the game for Derek Stepan.

The Rangers center knows it should be soon enough that he fully recovers his form after missing all of preseason and the season’s first 12 games with a fractured left leg.

“I feel, physically, like I’m 100 percent,” an upbeat Stepan said after Saturday’s practice. “I feel 100 percent at times and sometimes I feel like I’m slow mentally. I don’t know when that will click in but I’m trying to make it as fast as possible.”

Stepan has a goal and five assists in his seven games back and had an assist and a season-high five shots in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over the Flyers. Friday night’s game at Buffalo was postponed due to the extreme snowfall in the region and rescheduled for Feb. 20.

“The strength is slowly starting to get back,” said Stepan, who will center left wing Chris Kreider and Marty St. Louis for the second straight game. “I think after game five I finally felt like I could go back in the weight room and I could have that balance of getting in a lift while still playing. I kind of expected it to be this way.”

This marks the second straight season Stepan has missed all of the preseason. Last year, it was due to a contract dispute that did allow him to rejoin the Rangers for their season opener.

“Last year, at least I was moving, I was able to skate,” said Stepan, who worked out with his old college team at Wisconsin. “I wasn’t in game shape, but I was in shape. This year, I missed training camp but I also couldn’t even walk for two and a half weeks.

“This year was harder for me but I also think I took some things from last year to help me,” Stepan added. “Last year, I relied so much on myself to figure it out and it’s almost impossible to do. You have to lean on so many guys. When I started to play well I started to rely and trust in my teammates.”

Stepan set career highs last season with 40 assists and 57 points in 82 games. Until the start of this season, he had not missed a regular-season game since joining the Rangers in 2010-11.

“Last year, mentally, it was very difficult going through the contract [dispute],” Stepan said. “It wears on you mentally.”



Rangers notes: Henrik Lundqvist goes flying

November 24, 2014 Last updated: Monday, November 24, 2014, 1:21 AM

— Andrew Gross

The Record

Flying goalie

Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist was sent airborne as he came out between the circles to play the puck at 3:40 of the third period.

Ex-Ranger Brandon Prust, coming from the left, slowed up but still collided hard with Lundqvist, sending the goalie sprawling into the right faceoff circle.

Rangers D Kevin Klein immediately dropped the gloves and went after Prust.

Klein and Prust also had fought in the Canadiens’ 3-1 win over the Rangers Oct. 25 at the Bell Centre.

"It felt like he tried to stop," Lundqvist said of his ex-teammate.

"I’m not going to lie, it hurt a little bit. At the same time, when I skate out like that, I’m kind of prepared that something might happen."

Historical

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time all 12 Rangers’ forwards recorded at least one point was Dec. 17, 1980 against the original Winnipeg Jets.

Also per Elias, the Rangers have three shutouts in a five-game span at home for the first time since November 1973.

Injury updates

Captain Ryan McDonagh (separated left shoulder) again skated on his own Sunday morning. … Right wing Lee Stempniak (back) was out of the lineup for the second straight game though coach Alain Vigneault said he could have played.

Briefs

The Rangers now have a shutout streak of 122:51 dating to 17:09 of the third period of their 5-1 loss to the Lightning on Nov. 17. … The Rangers had not defeated the Canadiens by five or more goals at Madison Square Garden since a 10-5 win on Dec. 13, 1992. … Left wing Tanner Glass and RW Jesper Fast both assisted on Dominic Moore’s first-period goal. It marked Glass’ first point with the Rangers and Fast’s first career point. … The Rangers went 7-4-3 in their just-concluded stretch of playing 14 of 19 games at home.



Rangers blast Canadiens, 5-0

November 23, 2014, 10:08 PM Last updated: Monday, November 24, 2014, 12:07 AM

By ANDREW GROSS

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

NEW YORK — Sometimes, turning back the clock has more value than just a nostalgia trip. And the Rangers, very suddenly, are starting to resemble last season’s version.

“The last two games were as good as we’ve played all year,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said.

The Rangers, with a goal and an assist from the red-hot Marty St. Louis, beat the Canadiens, 5-0, on Sunday night in the teams’ first meeting at Madison Square Garden since the Rangers’ 1-0 win in the decisive Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final May 29.

Coupled with Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over the Flyers at the Garden, the Rangers (9-7-4) now have won consecutive games for the first time since Oct. 19 and 21, and it’s the first time this season they’ve won two straight in regulation.

It’s also the first time the Rangers have posted consecutive season shutouts since March 17 and 19, 2003, when Mike Dunham was in net.

“A very poised, game,” said St. Louis, now two points shy of 1,000 for his career heading into Wednesday night’s game at Tampa Bay, his first return since the Lightning traded him for Ryan Callahan on March 5. “We played a very poised game against Philly.”

So it’s not just the winning that’s reminiscent of last season. It was the complete game against the NHL-leading Canadiens (16-6-1), coming off Saturday night’s 2-0 win at Boston.

All 12 forwards recorded at least one point. The Rangers dominated puck possession and the neutral zone. They forechecked and hemmed the Canadiens into their zone. They backchecked when the Canadiens did mount a rush. Lundqvist stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the franchise-record 54th of his career.

For the second straight game, there was no jitter to the Rangers’ game, just a quiet confidence.

“I think everyone was really locked in and focused and it was one of our better games of the year, for sure,” defenseman Dan Girardi said.

“I thought [Sunday] would be a bigger challenge [than Wednesday], this is a team that’s faster,” St. Louis added. “You talk about having the same mentality but we have to execute quicker because they’re going to be on top of us a little quicker. I thought we did that.”

St. Louis set up Derek Stepan’s goal to make it 2-0 just 35 seconds into the second period with a crisp, backhanded cross-ice feed from the right boards. Stepan roofed a wrist shot that beat Dustin Tokarski (29 saves) to the short side.

St. Louis’ goal was an even better play. On the forecheck, he lifted defenseman Alexei Emelin’s stick in the left faceoff circle and went in for a short breakaway, also roofing his shot at 15:33 for a 3-0 lead.

That gave St. Louis, who now has a four-game point streak, seven goals and four assists in his last 10 games.

The Rangers held a 14-5 shot advantage in the second period.

“They had a lot of energy compared to us,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said.

Dominic Moore, whose last goal was the lone goal in Game 6 against the Canadiens, had given the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 9:44 of the first period as banged in a rebound after Tokarski could not glove Tanner Glass’ wrist shot.

Carl Hagelin made it 4-0 at 1:40 of the third off rookie Anthony Duclair’s feed to the right post and Derick Brassard’s head-man pass sprung Rick Nash for a backhanded breakaway to cap the scoring at 15:24, Nash’s 14th goal of the season.

“I don’t think it was as much of a statement for us,” defenseman Marc Staal said. “We did what we had to do. They are coming off a back-to-back. We still have to come back tomorrow and repeat, repeat, repeat.”

Just like last season.



Rangers collect their second straight shutout in 5-0 win over Canadiens

Updated November 23, 2014 11:58 PM

By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]

Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi summed up Sunday night's 5-0 win over the Canadiens, a game in which all four lines scored and supported each other defensively: "Everybody was really locked in and focused."

The rout at Madison Square Garden came after Wednesday's 2-0 defeat of the Flyers, a two-game shutout streak that Henrik Lundqvist described as "probably as good as we played all year."

No one could deny that.

Not only was it the first time the Rangers (9-7-4) had strung together two consecutive wins in regulation, the rested Blueshirts played a complete 60 minutes, even scoring twice in the third period.

Martin St. Louis, who hunted down a long pass, picked defenseman Alexei Emelin's pocket and juked goalie Dustin Tokarski on a breakaway to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead at 15:33 of the second period, also set up Derek Stepan for a goal earlier in the period.

RangersRangers vs. Canadiens

"I'm getting rewarded right now," said St. Louis, who has 11 points in the last 10 games. "Sometimes you don't play too good and get rewarded, and sometimes you play really well and it's just not happening. I think having [Stepan] back helps bring some depth down the middle. We're able to get some chemistry with our lines and it's contagious."

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It was St. Louis' 998th career point. He could reach 1,000 against his former team, when the Rangers visit Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Montreal, which had won two straight, was 8-0-0 when scoring first, but the Rangers never let them get a lead, or many rebounds.

Dom Moore opened the scoring at 9:44 of the first period from in close, his first of the season and reminiscent of his goal in the 1-0 victory in Game 6 against Montreal that lifted the Rangers into the Stanley Cup Final. "I think right from the onset, they knew it wasn't going to be an easy night," defenseman Marc Staal said.

After all, the Canadiens were playing a night after a 2-0 win in Boston. The Rangers stayed home after the postponement of Friday's game in Buffalo. They carried energy into the third period, and the Canadiens sagged.

At 1:40 of the third, Kevin Hayes, on the right boards, sent a pass to Anthony Duclair, who kicked it to his stick and fed the puck back to Carl Hagelin on the doorstep for his fifth of the season. And Rick Nash, getting behind the defense, beat Tokarski at 15:24, for his 14th of the season. The fifth goal tied a season high and was the icing on the cake: All 12 forwards had recorded a point for the first time since Dec. 17, 1980 against Winnipeg.

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Lundqvist, playing his first game after allowing five goals to Tampa six days ago, stopped all 21 shots. It was his fourth, and perhaps easiest, shutout of the season, and the second consecutive blanking for the Blueshirts. Cam Talbot, with 31 saves, shut out the Flyers here on Wednesday. It was the first time in the regular season since 2003 that the Blueshirts posted back-to-back shutouts.

"It helps with not giving up chances," said Lundqvist, whose shutout was the 54th of his career, tying him with Eddie Giacomin and Bernie Parent for 20th on the NHL's all-time list, "but also coming out of our zone with a lot of speed and coming out together. We're a fast team when we play that way."



Henrik gets clobbered and Klein takes it up with Prust

Updated November 23, 2014 11:48 PM

By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]

Henrik Lundqvist was aggressive all night, playing pucks behind the net, but skating up between the circles chasing a long pass almost was a costly venture.

Lundqvist got to the puck and cleared it at about 3:35 of the second period Sunday night, but Brandon Prust collided with him and Lundqvist went flying to his left. Prust looked around sheepishly, but Kevin Klein immediately dropped the gloves with Prust.

"It felt like he tried to stop," Lundqvist said of his former teammate. "When I skate out like that, I'm kinda prepared that something might happen. I just went for it. I'm fine with that no-call. When Klein steps in, I'm happy with that."

Ice chips

RangersRangers vs. Canadiens

The current Rangers shutout streak is 122:51, dating to the 17:09 mark of the third period Nov. 17 against Tampa . . . Chris Kreider, around the puck all night, had two assists and seven shots. He was pointless in the previous six games . . . Tanner Glass' assist on Dom Moore's opening goal was his first point as a Ranger . . . Jesper Fast's assist on that goal was his first regular-season NHL point. He had an assist in the playoffs . . . The Rangers are 7-2-2 when scoring first . . . Derek Stepan has a point in six of the eight games he's played . . . Nineteen-year-old Anthony Duclair's setup of Carl Hagelin's fifth goal was his sixth assist, which ties him for sixth among rookies.

Bravo Beckham

Odell Beckham Jr.'s amazing one-handed touchdown catch for the Giants drew a huge ovation when shown on the center-ice scoreboard.

Saving time and trouble

Having the extra time by not flying to Buffalo was a plus, said Dan Girardi. "We caught a break. But it'll come back to us when we have to play back-to-back in Buffalo in February."



Canadiens at Rangers … It’s Go Time!

23 November 2014, 6:30 pm by Carp in Hockey It's Go Time! New York Rangers NHL Rangers Report - 385 Comments

Canadiens at Rangers.

Are we here already? Virtually a quarter of the way into the season?

The Montreal Canadiens make their first visit since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, when they shook hands and the Rangers punched their ticket to the Cup Final last May.

The Habs (16-5-1) aren’t nearly as whiny or divy as they were last year, and in fact have been quite a bit better than they were at any point last season, coming in as they are off a very complete win over a depleted Bruins team in Boston last night. Their record is the best in the NHL.

The teams met in Montreal earlier this season, a 3-1 Habs win.

The Rangers come off a very impressive 2-0 win over Philadelphia Wednesday, and an unexpected day off when their game in Buffalo Friday was postponed until Feb. 20 due to the snowstorm in Western New York. With the snow-out, the Rangers will have played 14 of their last 18 games at home. They go on the road for the next two, at Tampa Bay Tuesday and in Philadelphia for a matinee Black Friday, then return home for a 1 p.m. game against the Flyers Saturday.

Henrik Lundqvist is back in goal, despite Cam Talbot throwing a shutout in the last game. He is expected to face Dustin Tokarski, after Carey Price beat the Bruins Saturday.

Lee Stempniak (back) is just about ready to play, but will be prucha’d to give him a few more days. So Jesper Fast and Montreal-area native Anthony Duclair both remain in the lineup.

Ryan McDonagh skated again today and is getting closer to returning from a separated shoulder.

Keep an eye on the continuing John Moore-Dale Weise rivalry. They battled in the playoffs last spring until Moore was suspended for a headshot against the ex-Ranger, and they went at it several times in the first meeting this season. Also, as usual, look out for the Habs still seeking retribution against Chris Kreider for what they felt was a semi-intentional sliding into Price that knocked the No. 1 goalie out of the series in Game 1. Meanwhile, there is ex-Ranger Brandon Prust, who broke Derek Stepan’s jaw in Game 3. So a lot of extra-curricular stuff to watch.

Former Ranger Manny Malhotra, the best faceoff man in the NHL since 2007, should have a field day against the Rangers.

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Rangers-Canadiens in review

24 November 2014, 3:10 am by Carp in Game review Hockey New York Rangers NHL Rangers Report - 3 Comments

Thoughts:

1) It all starts with their defensive commitment for the Rangers. If they defend, if they manage the puck, then their speed shows up. If they don’t, it doesn’t. Sounds simple, but the Rangers need to figure this out. They did eventually figure it out last season. They’re faster this year, but they have wasted that speed in a lot of games because they didn’t have the puck and didn’t play well without it .In fairness, Montreal—which is for real, I think, this year—played an emotional and difficult game in Boston the night before, and because this was Dustin Tokarski again, and not Carey Price.Montreal Canadiens v New York Rangers

2) That said, I think the way the Rangers played the last two games, they’re as good as anybody in the East except when Pittsburgh is at the top of its game. They’re going to have bad games, and they will probably have a couple of bad streaks over these last 62 games, but they should and can play this way far more often than not.

3) And now they have consecutive shutouts, by Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot. They were both very strong in the back-to-back (broken up by the snow-out) games. They will need that kind of goaltending—not shutouts every night, but just solid goaltending. It is, and needs to be, one of the critical parts of their team.

4) Martin St. Louis=Monster. Wow, was he (and linemates Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider) good in this game? Did some magic with the puck. Now he goes back to Tampa for the first time since the trade, and he goes two points shy of 1,000 in his career. Remember when St. Louis torched the Rangers last year and Vigneault said his team stood around and watched the “love fest” for St. Louis that night? I think there’s going to be a lot of love, then probably a lot of booing, Wednesday, because St. Louis—let’s face it—forced his way out of there. It might end up being a trade that helped both teams … if St. Louis can have another playoff run here to offset the first-rounders.Montreal Canadiens v New York Rangers

5) Daily Nash-O-Meter. Hit the post on the wraparound, had another strong game, was engaged (exchanged cross-checks with the diver, Tomas Plekanec). Scored the 5-0 goal on a breakaway backhander. Hey, you don’t put up big goal seasons without getting some tack-on goals. Up to 14 in 20 games. That’s a pace for about 57, if my math is correct (rarely is).

6) The fourth line. Finally. It’s been a lot better lately, but had done squat offensively. Dominic Moore, who scored the only goal in Game 6, ECF last May, scored his first goal of the season, Tanner Glass had his first point as Ranger, Jesper Fast his first NHL point (though he had an assist in the playofs). And all 12 Rangers forwards had a point, for the first time since Dec. 17, 1980 against the original Winnipeg Jets.

7) Carl Hagelin had a couple of chances early. Hit Tokarski’s shoulder. Hit the knob of Tokarski’s stick on the short-handed 2-on-1 from Dom Moore. Then scored from his rookie linemates, Kevin Hayes and Anthony Duclair. That line had something going all night. Actually, all four lines did.

8) The Stepan line was dangerous almost every shift and I think Stepan’s gotten better and better every game since his return. Kreider had a bunch of chances. MSL made some ridiculous passes, including the one through Markov’s legs on the Stepan goal :35 into second. That line also had the long offensive-zone shift just before the Dom Moore goal. Then, of course, MSL’s roofer … remember when he roofed that one in OT in Game 4?

9) Though there are still times when Kreider’s instincts are lacking. Sometimes I think Kreider and John Moore should take a page from the Book of Costanza and just do the opposite.Montreal Canadiens v New York Rangers

10) That Brandon Prust bump on Henrik Lundqvist. First of all, I thought he let up, and so did Lundqvist. That said, running over the goalie is and should be a penalty, no? And I think Kevin Klein’s response was perfect. So did Lundqvist. Klein has now fought Prust twice this season, both times in defense of a teammate. Good for him. This guy is becoming more and more and more popular among his teammates and among the Garden fans. Just

a good, honest hockey player and teammate. I also thought Lundqvist might have embellished just a tad (see photo above).

11) How did Plekanec go an entire game without diving?

12) Derick Brassard. He’s still up and down, game to game, shift to shift. But he made a heckuva pass to spring Nash, did some good things deep in the offensive zone and … don’t look now … has 16 points in 20 games, trailing only Nash and St. Louis. His linemate Mats Zuccarello has been noticeably better lately, too.

13) Manny Malhotra is so damn good on draws, best in the league by a lot. He dominated Patrice Bergeron—second best in the NHL—Saturday. On that broadcast they were saying that he’s been No. 1 in the league every year since 2007, except the year he was injured. Thought the hit on Marc Staal was a bit dirty, but I always root for Malhotra.

14) The defense. Can’t possibly mention how good the six of them have been these last two games after that nightmare vs. Tampa Bay (the forwards deserved equal blame for that one). And pretty soon they get the Captain back.

15) This week ought to be fun, with the game in Tampa, Marty vs. the Three Former Amigos and the rematch from that rout, followed by a Black Friday-Saturday pair of matinee games against Mr. Snider’s kids. And some turkey and stuffing and pie shoved in there in between.

16) I just don’t know if 62 games is going to be enough to make up those six points on the runaway Islanders (sarcasm).

*************************************Montreal Canadiens v New York Rangers

My Three Rangers Stars:

1. Martin St. Louis.

2. Henrik Lundqvist.

3. Derek Stepan.

*************************************

Sean Mayer’s Three Rangers Stars:



3. Kevin Klein.

*************************************

John Milewski’s Three Rangers Stars:


2. Kevin Klein.


*************************************

Your poll vote for Three Rangers Stars:



3. Dominic Moore.



Rangers 5, Canadiens 0 … post-game notes & quotes

23 November 2014, 10:53 pm by Carp in Hockey New York Rangers NHL Post-game notes Rangers Report - 25 Comments

Team notes:

- Five different Rangers tallied a goal and 13 different Blueshirts – including all 12 forwards – recorded at least one point in the contest. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time all Ranger forwards tallied at least one point in a game was on December 17, 1980 vs. Winnipeg. In addition, 17 of 18 skaters posted a plus-one rating or better, while seven skaters registered a plus-two or better rating in tonight’s contest.

- The Rangers posted a shutout in consecutive regular season games for the first time since March 17, 2003 vs. the NY Islanders and March 19, 2003 vs. Buffalo. The last time New York registered consecutive shutouts in either the regular season or playoffs was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on May 12, 2013 vs. Washington and Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on May 13, 2013 at Washington.

- New York has now posted three shutouts in its last five home games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Blueshirts registered three shutouts in a five-game span at home during the regular season was when they posted three shutouts in a span of four home games from November 18, 1973 vs. Pittsburgh to November 25, 1973 vs. Vancouver.

- The Rangers extended their shutout streak to 122:51, dating back to the 17:09 mark of the third period on November 17 vs. Tampa Bay.

- The last time the Rangers defeated the Canadiens by five or more goals in a regular season game was on December 13, 1992 at MSG (10-5 win). The Rangers tallied at least five goals in a shutout against Montreal for the first time since they defeated the Canadiens 5-0 on February 25, 1967 in Montreal. The last time the Blueshirts shut out Montreal by five goals or more at home was when they defeated the Canadiens 5-0 on March 24, 1963 at MSG.

- The Blueshirts have posted a 10-5-0 record against Montreal in regular season home games since the start of the 2006-07 season.

- The Rangers have earned at least one point in 12 of their last 16 games (8-4-4 record) and in 10 of their last 12 home games (7-2-3 record).

- The Blueshirts tied a season-high with five goals in the contest. As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, the Rangers are tied for second in the NHL in regulation/overtime goals at home (40) this season.

- The Rangers lead the NHL in regular season games with one or fewer goals allowed (37) since the start of the 2013-14 season, and have posted a 33-2-2 record in those contests.

3 Stars on Broadway:Montreal Canadiens v New York Rangers

- Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves to post his eighth victory and fourth shutout of the season. Lundqvist’s shutout was the 54th of his NHL career, moving him into a tie with Ed Giacomin and Bernie Parent for 20th on the NHL’s all-time shutouts list. The Rangers’ all-time wins and shutouts leader has posted a 7-3-3 record, along with a 1.95 GAA, a .933 SV%, and 4 SO in his last 13 contests, including a 6-2-2 record, along with a 1.76 GAA, a .938 SV%, and 4 SO in his last 10 home games. Lundqvist is tied for the NHL lead in shutouts (four) this season.

- Martin St. Louis registered two points (one goal, one assist) and posted a plus-two rating in 16:37 of ice time. The Rangers’ alternate captain extended his point streak to four games (three goals, two assists over the span) and is now two points away from recording the 1,000th point of his NHL career. St. Louis has registered a point in eight of the last 10 contests, tallying 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in those games. As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, St. Louis is tied for second in the NHL in goals (seven) and is tied for sixth in the NHL in points (11) since November 3. He ranks second on the team in goals (eight), assists (nine), and points (17) in 2014-15.

- Dominic Moore tallied the game-winning goal, posted a plus-one rating, and won five of eight faceoffs (63%) in 14:35 of ice time. Each of

Moore’s last two goals (in regular season and playoffs) has been a game-winning goal against Montreal at MSG (tonight and Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 29, 2014). He has tallied seven points (two goals, five assists) in his last 12 regular season games against Montreal.

Blueshirt breakdown:

- Rick Nash tallied a goal and recorded three shots on goal in 15:09 of ice time. The five-time All-Star has registered a point in 15 of 20 games this season and has tallied a goal in 12 of those contests. Nash leads the NHL in games with a goal in 2014-15, and as of the conclusion of tonight’s game, he is tied for second in the NHL in goals (14) this season. Since joining the Rangers prior to the 2012-13 season, Nash has registered 28 of his 61 regular season goals in the third period (45.9%). He leads the Rangers in goals, points (21), and shots on goal (73) this season.

- Derek Stepan registered a goal, recorded four shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in 17:49 of ice time. The Rangers’ alternate captain extended his point streak to three games (one goal, two assists over the span), and he has tallied a point in six of eight games since returning to the lineup (two goals, five assists over the span). Since making his season debut on Nov. 8, Stepan leads the team in assists (five) and ranks second on the team in points (seven). He has registered a point in 21 of his last 31 regular season games, tallying 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) over the span.

- Carl Hagelin recorded a goal, registered six shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating in 14:26 of ice time. He has tallied a point in nine of his last 15 games (five goals, four assists over the span), including three of his last four contests (one goal, two assists over the span). Hagelin has also posted a plus-one rating in 11 of the last 15 games, eight of the last 10 games, and six of the last seven games. He is tied for second on the team in plus/minus rating (plus-five), ranks fourth in goals (five), and is tied for fifth in points (nine) this season.

- Chris Kreider notched two assists, led all skaters by tying his single-game career-high with seven shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in 16:06 of ice time. Kreider is tied for the first on the team in multi-point games (four) this season. He is tied for second on the team in plus/minus rating (plus-five), ranks third in assists (eight), and ranks fourth in points (12) this season.

- Tanner Glass recorded an assist and was credited with four hits in 12:03 of ice time. The assist was Glass’ first assist/point with the Rangers. He leads the team in hits (65) this season.

- Jesper Fast registered his first career NHL regular season point with an assist, was credited with three hits, and posted a plus-one rating in 11:28 of ice time. Since Fast was recalled on November 10, the Rangers have earned at least one point in all five games he has played (3-0-2 record).

- Derick Brassard tallied an assist and posted a plus-one rating in 15:49 of ice time. He has recorded at least one point in 12 of his last 18 games (six goals, 10 assists over the span), including eight of the last 12 games (three goals, nine assists). Brassard leads the team in assists (10) and ranks third in points (16) in 2014-15.

- Mats Zuccarello notched an assist and recorded five shots on goal in 16:20 of ice time. He has registered eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last 11 games. Zuccarello is tied for fifth on the team in assists (six) and points (nine) this season.

- John Moore recorded an assist, was credited with two hits, blocked two shots, and posted a plus-one rating in 17:33 of ice time. Since November 11 (six games), he ranks third on the team in blocked shots (10) and fourth in hits (13).

- Anthony Duclair notched an assist and posted a plus-one rating in 13:37 of ice time. As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, the 19-year-old is tied for sixth among NHL rookies in assists (six) and plus/minus rating (plus-five) this season. Duclair is tied for second on the Rangers in plus/minus rating and is tied for fifth on the team in assists in 2014-15.

- Kevin Hayes tallied an assist and posted a plus-one rating in 12:34 of ice time. He has tallied four points (one goal, three assists) in his last seven games.

Quotebook:

Alain Vigneault on the play of Martin St. Louis… “Marty has been playing really well. He has been one of our more consistent players. I have asked him for probably eight games to play out of position; he has done it for the

benefit of the team. Obviously he is a much better winger. That line is getting some good chemistry, and they got some good looks tonight.”

Martin St. Louis on tonight’s game… “You always feel you are as good as your last game. For us tonight, we have to go back and try to earn it again and back it up. I thought we did it from the get-go. We hadn’t played in a while. So first it was important to get to a good start. They played last night. I thought we did good.”

Henrik Lundqvist on the team’s play… “I think the last few games, especially the last two games, the strategy was just the close support we had in our own end. It helps with not giving up chances but also coming out of our zone with a lot of speed and coming together. We look fast. We are a fast team I think when we play the right way and we have a lot of skill too. We just need to start from the right end and that’s what we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks here.”


757790 Ottawa Senators

Erik Karlsson toasts Daniel Alfredsson's career

Ken Warren Published on: November 23, 2014Last Updated: November 23, 2014 7:38 PM EST

DETROIT – Erik Karlsson planned to have dinner with Daniel Alfredsson Sunday, no doubt spending some time discussing whether it would be the Last Supper before the former Senators captain announces his retirement.

“I’m going over for a nice little dinner and to see the family,” Karlsson said. “It has been a while.”

Late last week, there were rumblings that Alfredsson, troubled by a back problem, would make the big decision on Monday, with the Senators in town to face the Red Wings, but that speculation has since faded.

It’s possible Alfredsson could wait until the Detroit Red Wings visit Canadian Tire Centre on Dec. 27, a post-Christmas feel good moment when Alfredsson and the Senators organization could publicly mend fences with his No. 11 perhaps being retired.

After spending the first 17 years of his career with the Senators, Alfredsson left for Detroit in the summer of 2013 following a bitter contract dispute.

Even if Karlsson knows where and when Alfredsson will leave the game, he’s not giving anything away.

“If he decides to extend it, great, but he’s had a terrific career and he should be proud of it. He has done everything in his power to be as successful as he has been. Unfortunately, everybody grows old, eventually.”

Alfredsson, who turns 42 on Dec. 11, is on the cusp of the Hall of Fame, with 444 goals, 713 assists and 1,246 regular season games in his 18-year career. He has also scored another 51 goals and 49 assists in the playoffs.

Alfredsson mentored Karlsson, 24, when he first arrived in Ottawa as a teenager. Karlsson lived with Alfredsson and his family – similar to the current Chris Phillips-Curtis Lazar arrangement.

“We developed a great friendship,” said Karlsson. “I didn’t really expect to have a friend that much older. But we helped each other. He helped me early in my career, maybe I helped him later in his career.

“I was lucky to have had a chance to play with him in Ottawa and with the (Swedish) national team.”

Karlsson also watched Alfredsson closely to learn about leadership.

“He didn’t have to say a lot at times,” he said. “He decided to do things by action rather than talking about it. It’s something I looked up to coming here and something I hold on to for myself and try to (copy).”

Karlsson also believes Alfredsson will succeed in whatever he chooses to do after his playing career is over.

“He’s smart man, he has learned a lot of things over the years. He has been very involved with (his family’s) life and things off the ice.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.24.2014


Game Day Preview: Senators vs. Red Wings

Ottawa Citizen

Published on: November 23, 2014Last Updated: November 23, 2014 8:44 PM EST

The Series So Far

The Ottawa Senators and host Detroit Red Wings meet Monday for the second time in November; the Senators won 3-1 at home Nov. 4. Goalie Jimmy Howard kept Detroit in it early. The Red Wings got back into the game and it took an empty-net goal by Clarke MacArthur in the final minute to secure the win. This is a key matchup. On Sunday, Detroit held down the first wild-card spot in the East with 25 points in 20 games; Ottawa was two out of the second and final spot (22 points in 19 games).

Players to Watch

Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings: At 36, Datsyuk, one of the NHL’s best for years, may be wearing down. He battled a knee injury last season and played in 45 games, and this season he’s played in 10 of Detroit’s 20 due to a groin problem. He couldn’t play in the 4-1 loss to Toronto Saturday. On the ice, he’s still a magician. He has five goals and six assists in his 10 games.

Tomas Tatar, Red Wings: Tatar, a 23-year-old Slovak, is a key part of the future when it comes to offensive production. Last season he produced 39 points (19 goals) in 73 games. This season so far hasn’t been great — 12 points in 20 games — but he’s had points his past five games (seven overall), including two goals against Winnipeg on Thursday and his team’s only goal against Toronto Saturday. Tatar and Gustav Nyquist lead the Wings with nine goals apiece.

Milan Michalek, Senators: The Czech veteran played in all 82 games for the first time in his career last year, but produced just 17 goals. He’s been quiet again to start with two goals and five assists in 18 games, but his work down low on Thursday against Nashville was noticeable and he entered the weekend with points in three straight games before being held off the scoresheet by St. Louis.

Capital Connection

Goalies Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek have ties to the Ottawa area. Howard grew up in Ogdensburg, N.Y., just across the St. Lawrence River from Prescott and played junior hockey outside Kingston while Mrazek won 75 games over three seasons with the Ottawa 67’s.

TV: Monday, 7:30 p.m., RDS, TSN5

Radio: TSN 1200



Five Takes for a five-game road trip

Ken Warren

Published on: November 23, 2014Last Updated: November 23, 2014 7:40 PM EST

DETROIT — When the Ottawa Senators left Ottawa for their western Canadian road trip two weeks ago, they were outside of a playoff spot. When they returned home, they were back among the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference.

They’re now hoping history repeats itself: When the Senators left for Detroit and the start of 10-day trip Sunday, they were on the outside looking in at a postseason spot. It figures to be a gruelling, challenge-laden trek against several of the NHL’s toughest teams.

Accordingly, The Citizen offers up Five Takes for a five-game road trip.

ALFIE ON BACKBURNER, FOR NOW: A few days ago, there were rumblings that former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson would choose the arrival of the Senators in Detroit Monday as the time to announce his retirement. Now, it appears as if the official word will wait for another day.

As a result, there should be no background noise for Monday’s intra-division game against Detroit. The Red Wings, Toronto and the Senators are all in Eastern Conference Middle-Of-The-Road Land, spending the past couple of weeks jockeying for wild-card spots. “Any divisional game has a lot more importance to it,” Senators centre Kyle Turris said. “It’s early in the season, but at the same time, everyone realizes these are important games. You have to get points out of it.” Special teams could be a key. The Senators have scored three power play goals in their past two games (including two in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to St. Louis) and Detroit has the NHL’s best penalty killing record.

TURRIS TIME: The Senators’ No. 1 centre — Turris — has three goals, on pace for only 13.

If Turris has more games like Thursday against Nashville (where he missed what he calls several “grade A quality chances”), the goals will come. If he has games like against St. Louis (one shot on goal), the chances will be limited.

The Senators began the year recognizing that they weren’t going to blow many teams out, but they need more consistent front-line scoring.

On that note, it’s also time for Milan Michalek to find the net. As solid as Michalek is defensively and while penalty killing, two goals in 19 games simply isn’t good enough for the veteran who was signed to a three-year, $12-million extension in the summer. When Michalek is at his best, he has an extra jump to get behind opposing defencemen. We haven’t seen that yet this season.

METHOT MANOEUVRING: The Senators have been cautious with all things related to injured defenceman Marc Methot. Even though he has skated with the team for two weeks now — usually paired with Erik Karlsson — coach Paul MacLean insists Methot won’t be rushed back.

Methot also won’t speak publicly about his backside injury until his status changes. That, however, could happen this week. When he does return, the Senators will be forced into making a roster move.

The team held scouting meetings in Binghamton on Friday and Saturday, analyzing the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, while talking about what might be available elsewhere. The Senators could make a trade this week.

Now that the NHL has given the Los Angeles Kings salary cap breathing room in the Slava Voynov legal matter, could they look at the Senators? Patrick Wiercioch, No. 8 on Ottawa’s blueline depth chart, played 15:46 against St. Louis Saturday. With Chris Phillips still nursing an injury, Wiercioch could play again Monday against Detroit.

GOALIE DEPTH A BONUS: Thanks to outstanding goaltending by Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner, the Senators have stolen several points they wouldn’t have received with average goaltending. They’ve allowed the

second-most shots per game and have outshot their opponents only three times in 19 games.

Given the back-to-back games (Monday in Detroit, Tuesday against St. Louis, followed by Friday versus Florida and Saturday at Tampa), both will see work.

MacLean wasn’t announcing anything Sunday, but don’t be surprised to see Anderson against Detroit and Lehner against St. Louis.

Considering that Anderson has a career record of 11-2-1 in his home away from home and shut out Florida 1-0 on the Senators’ first road trip of the season, he should get the call Friday. Lehner, meanwhile, has won his past two games against Tampa and old friend Ben Bishop, including a 40-save effort in a 3-2 shootout win on Oct. 11.

It’s a long trip and Anderson says the Senators must focus on the next shift — not the next game or the one after that — but one key to big-picture improvement is controlling the swings in the game.

“Sunday was an example,” he said. “We scored a big power-play goal and then on the next shift we’re fishing the puck out of our net. When we get momentum, we’ve got to hold on to it, make them panic a little bit.”

ISLAND DREAMS: The New York Islanders play in the worst arena in the NHL, but they’re the hottest team in the league. The Islanders have won eight of their past nine games. Their past three wins have included a home-and-away sweep of Pittsburgh and a win over Tampa.

Suddenly, the Islanders, long the brunt of jokes about their ineptitude and outdated facilities, are sitting atop the Metro Division standings in their final season at the Nassau County Coliseum.

By the time the Senators arrive there on Dec. 2, to conclude the lengthy trip, they can only hope the Islanders have cooled off.

“It’s important we start with the first one in Detroit,” said MacLean. “We can’t play the game in Long Island before we play the one in Detroit. The big thing is to stay in the moment, stay in the present.”



Captain Erik Karlsson will support Alfie's decision no matter what

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun

First posted: Sunday, November 23, 2014 08:39 PM EST | Updated: Sunday, November 23, 2014 09:39 PM EST

DETROIT - Father time may have finally caught up with man who many believe is a second father to captain Erik Karlsson.

Former Senators' captain Daniel Alfredsson, 41, who won't play this season, is expected to announce his retirement because a back issue hasn't improved enough to allow him to suit up again.

After finishing last season with the Detroit Red Wings, Alfredsson, a unrestricted free agent who would have signed with the Wings if able to play, could return to Ottawa to announce his retirement.

There was some thinking Alfredsson may hold a press conference Monday with the Senators in Detroit, but it appears those plans have been scrapped.

He did have dinner with his close friend Karlsson Sunday night at his home in a Detroit suburb. The 24-year-old wanted to catch up with Alfredsson, his wife Bibi and the four kids.

"I'm going over to have a nice little dinner and see the family. It's been awhile," said Karlsson before the club's trip here Sunday following a skate at the Bell Sensplex.

It's believed Alfredsson has reached out to the Senators because he'd like to them to be part of the press conference when he hangs up his skates after what has been a brilliant 18-year career.

Hockey Night in Canada said the Senators are working with Alfredsson on how to make his exit gracious. With the club leaving on a 10-day road trip, the formal decision may not come anytime soon.

It doesn't sound like anything will happen before the end of the trip. The Senators return home to face the New York Islanders on Dec. 4.

Karlsson is hopeful Alfredsson's career isn't over, but if it is he noted it has been a great one for the man who is the all-time leader in games-played with the Senators with 1,178 in his career.

"It ends for everybody sometime," said Karlsson. "He's had a great career. If he decides to extend it, that'd be great. If he doesn't, he has nothing to be ashamed of. He's a had a terrific career and he should be proud of it.

"We'll see what happens. He's done everything in his power to be as successful as he has and as he possibly could have been. Unfortunately, everybody grows old, eventually."

It's no coincidence the day Karlsson was named captain of the Senators before the start of the regular season, one of the first calls he made was to Alfredsson's Detroit home to let him know.

The two became close friends during Karlsson's first training camp in Ottawa when he moved into the Alfredsson family home. It helped the young Karlsson adjust to the North American lifestyle.

Since then, they've grown closer and Alfredsson means a lot to Karlsson.

They also get together in the summer in Gothenburg, Sweden where they both make their off-season homes.

"We've developed a great friendship over the years," Karlsson said. "Being such a big age difference I didn't ever expect having a friend that much older than me being as close to me.

"It's the same for me. He helped me in the beginning of my career and, hopefully, I helped him a little bit in the last part. I'm glad I got the chance to play with him here a little bit in Ottawa and on the national team as well."

Perhaps the biggest lesson Karlsson has taught Alfredsson in his new role is to lead by example on the ice. Words don't always have to be spoken to get the job as captain done.

"That's the kind of the guy he was (as captain): He didn't have to say a lot at times," Karlsson said. "He's a well-spoken man. He decided to do things by action instead of talking about it.

"That's one thing I looked up to (about Alfredsson) coming here and it's something I try to hold onto for myself and something I try right now."

Karlsson said Alfredsson will be good at whatever he chooses to do next.

"He's a smart man. He's learned a lot of things over the years. He's been very involved with his personal life and things off the ice," said Karlsson. "Whatever he decides to do he'll be successful at and he'll be happy."

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.24.2014


Senators know 'every point counts' on road trip



The Senators packed their bags for a long-haul Sunday.

Sitting at No. 8 in the East as they headed for a five-game 10-day road trip that starts Monday night against the Detroit Red Wings, the Senators are hopeful they can stay in a playoff position.

Goaltender Craig Anderson, who is expected to make the start against the Wings, believes if the Senators can continue to get six-of-10 points in five-game segments they'll be good in the end.

"We need to keep winning games," said Anderson. "We've done an excellent job throughout the first 20 games to put ourselves in a good spot, contending for a playoff spot.

"There are some games where maybe we felt we could have had a point here or there but we've felt that we've stolen a couple also. They all even themselves out.

"We've got to keep breaking it down into our five-game segments and trying to get 6-of-10 points. That's going to be the key. If we can achieve our short-term goals, the long-term goal of being in the playoffs usually takes care of itself."

Anderson said this will be a tough stretch. The Senators held a 30-minute skate at the Bell Sensplex Sunday before heading out on the road. This trip closes out Dec. 2 on Long Island, NY.

"Every point counts at the end of the year you just don't know which game or which point is going to make the difference," said Anderson.

"The object is to climb the standings as best as you can. Playing on the road is hard because playing in someone else's building is tough. We're going to have some strong opponents. You've got to make it difficult for them to win at home."



Senators centre Mika Zibanejad searching for consistency in his game



DETROIT - Mika Zibanejad is trying to get his confidence back.

The Senators' centre scored for the first time in nine games Saturday against the St. Louis Blues in a 3-2 loss and he's hopeful this is the start of taking a major step in the right direction.

The 21-year-old hasn't been at all happy with the way he's played this season and admitted Sunday that his effort against the Blues was the first time he's felt good this year.

"I've been trying to get together a good game here," said Zibanejad. "I'm trying to get a game I feel like I'm playing hockey and I'm playing like myself and something I can do on a regular basis.

"Consistent? Yes, but I've got to find my game. It's there somewhere. Confidence is a part of it and, hopefully, it will come."

With centre Jason Spezza dealt to the Dallas Stars, Zibanejad has been thrust into a bigger role this season. He's expected to contribute at both ends of the ice, but especially offensively.

He hasn't been able to do that as much as he'd like. Zibanejad had heard the criticism, seen it on social media and is trying to ignore the noise. The focus is on being the best he can on a nightly basis.

"I feel like (Saturday) was the best game I've played this year," he said. "I felt like I was being active and just playing hockey. That's the only game this year I've been feeling like I actually played and made plays and kept my head up.

"I didn't worry too much about making mistakes or making a bad pass. I just felt like everything came naturally."

Zibanejad said he's gotten caught in the rut of thinking too much.

"That's been the case so far this year. It's been about the pressure and worrying about what people think if I do this or don't do this," said Zibanejad.

"When the points aren't coming, you are feeling the pressure. If I would have listened to everyone saying things on Twitter or on social media, if it was up to them I wouldn't be playing right now. I can't think about what they're thinking. If they like my game, that's great. If they don't, that's not my problem. I've just got to play like I did (Saturday) and focus on my game and what I can do."

Coach Paul MacLean has liked the contribution Zibanejad has made and has no issues with the effort.

"His play without the puck and his play with the puck is getting better. He's shooting the puck more and he's got a better shooters mentality than he had last week," said MacLean.

OFF THE GLASS

Defenceman Marc Methot took the first turn with Erik Karlsson Sunday, but there are no guarantees he'll play on this trip. Methot did accompany the Senators. "He's coming on the trip to be a tour guide I think," said MacLean with a smile. "He's still practicing. Those are all positive. The word is still patience. This practice thing is a slow process because we don't have that many practices. To his credit, he's working hard off the ice as well. Every day that he's out there playing he's closer." Methot has yet to suit up this season with what's believed to be a leg injury. The Senators would have to make a roster move to activate him if they want him to play ... D Chris Phillips wasn't on the ice in Ottawa Sunday but C Curtis Lazar was there as an extra skater. Both should be fine to play against the Wings. "Philly still had some discomfort so we didn't put him out there," said MacLean. "We'll see how he is (Monday). Curtis is available if we want to use him. At this point, we believe that we have all hands on deck." ... MacLean said he hadn't decided on his starter but you can expect Craig Anderson to play ... The Senators have gone 0-for-12 on the power play in their last four road

games. Detroit has the No. 1 penalty killing unit in the NHL so the Wings will be a tough test.

THE LAST WORDS

Karlsson was asked about being on the all-star ballot for the game in Columbus in January and had a good line. "It's a good event. I don't think it's a good game. It's for the fans and everybody is having a good time. It's more like a showoff," said Karlsson ... Winger Clarke MacArthur (4-4) and centre Kyle Turris (2-6) lead the club with eight road points each this season.


757796 Philadelphia Flyers

Unconventional lineup helps Flyers break losing streak

JEFF NEIBURG,

Posted: Monday, November 24, 2014, 3:01 AM

AFTER DROPPING four straight games in which his team never had a lead, Craig Berube went back to the drawing board and threw an unconventional version of an 18-skater lineup against divisional foe Columbus in Saturday night's 4-2 win.

With defenseman Michael Del Zotto returning to the lineup after missing Thursday's game with a lower-body injury, the second-year coach decided to employ seven defensemen and 11 forwards for the first time this season.

Sometimes weird works.

The team responded with arguably its best 60-minute effort of the season, outshooting the Blue Jackets, 41-24, in a game the Flyers never trailed.

But will Berube keep the seven-man defensive corps going forward, even tonight against the Islanders?

"We'll look at things. It's game to game," Berube said after Saturday's game. "We'll look at the Islanders' lineup, look at the way they play."

Berube said after Saturday's morning skate that having forwards who can handle playing a lot of minutes makes utilizing a lineup of seven defensemen a little bit easier.

It was the latest button-pushing from Berube in trying to turn around his slumping group. And he wasn't alone in trying to right the ship. After Wednesday's loss at the Rangers, general manager Ron Hextall came into the dressing room to express his displeasure.

The Flyers were failing to get production beyond of NHL-point leading Jakub Voracek and captain Claude Giroux. So Berube messed with his lines a little bit, putting winger Wayne Simmonds with Sean Couturier and Matt Read before Thursday's loss to Minnesota.

Simmonds was critical of his own play heading into the weekend. After starting the season with six goals in October, the 26-year-old assistant captain had tallied just one goal in November.

That changed Saturday when Simmonds had a puck bounce his way in the air on the power play. In one motion, he batted the puck to the ice and fired it past Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, giving the Flyers a 3-1 advantage and Simmonds his first game-winning goal of the season.

"I think anytime your GM calls out every single player on the team, I think it's going to light a fire under your butt," Simmonds said. "I think we had a good response. We played two strong games in a row. We are going to Long Island, we are going to play a good hockey team on Long Island on Monday night and we've got to be prepared."

The Flyers (8-9-2) begin the most travel-heavy portion of their schedule starting with tonight's game in New York. They'll play seven of their next eight games on the road and 15 of their next 20 away from the Wells Fargo Center.

The Islanders are in the midst of one of the NHL's biggest turnarounds of the season. After finishing dead last in the Metropolitan Division last year, the Islanders - led by captain John Tavares' team-high 20 points - are 14-6 and tied atop the division with Pittsburgh, 4-1 losers to the Isles on Saturday night.

"They've been together for a while and as young guys and they have grown," Berube said. "They are more mature, more alert, and obviously Tavares is one of the best players in the league and he is surrounded by a lot of good players."

After tonight, the Flyers will take on the Red Wings in Detroit on Wednesday night before a crucial home-and-home set against the Rangers, who are currently two points ahead of the Flyers in the Metropolitan standings.

From there comes a trip out to California to take on the likes of the Sharks, Ducks and defending Stanley Cup champion Kings.

As the Flyers continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, the upcoming string of road games could be crucial in determining the fate of the season.

"I think last year we had a similar schedule," Voracek said. "You know when we were out West, it was a tough road trip and we were very successful. And I think that is why we made the playoffs. Because we were very good and picked up some points on the road. And hopefully we are going to do it this year as well."

Slap shots

Jake Voracek extended his league-leading point total to 29 with a pair of assists Saturday night. He has tallied a point in every game, excluding Flyers' shutouts. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Dallas' Tyler Seguin trail Voracek with 26 points apiece . . . Claude Giroux won 23 faceoffs Saturday night. It was the first time a Flyers player won that many since 2005, when Michal Handzus won 23 against the Islanders . . . Brayden Schenn stayed hot, scoring the Flyers' first goal Saturday while again playing on the top line alongside Voracek and Giroux. Schenn has recorded a point in 10 of the last 12 games, a streak that includes six goals and six assists.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2014


Flyers brace for upstart Islanders

Mark Macyk, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: Monday, November 24, 2014, 1:08 AM

For one more year at least, it's still the same old Nassau Coliseum. But the team the Flyers will face Monday night on Long Island is anything but the same old Islanders.

The Islanders (14-6) have won eight of nine and are fresh off a home-and-home sweep of the Penguins. They are currently tied with Pittsburgh atop the Metropolitan Division and are stirring up memories of the glory days of Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin in their home arena's final season.

Mark Streit, who served as Islanders captain from 2011 to '13, is not surprised by the turnaround.

"That was their whole plan, to go and rebuild through the draft," Streit said after Sunday's practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. "Johnny [Tavares] is a top-five talent in the league. For us it's going to be a really big challenge."

Tavares, the 2009 No. 1 overall pick, has 20 points to lead an Islanders offense that ranks third in goals per game (3.20).

No team has more wins all-time over the Islanders than the Flyers (129). Barring a meeting in the playoffs, it will be the Flyers' second-to-last visit to the Coliseum. The Islanders will move to Brooklyn next season.

"Obviously it's a little bit older and outdated, but there's a lot of history in that building," Streit said. "It was a great experience. It will be very special to go and play there tomorrow. I have a lot of good memories."

The Islanders started playing at the Coliseum in 1972. It is the second-oldest, and second-smallest, active arena in the NHL.

"I remember the playoffs there, and it was pretty crazy," said Andrew MacDonald, who played for the Islanders until last season. "It's a small crowd, but there's not a bad seat in that building. It's a pretty exciting place to play when things are going well."

Notes. Craig Berube spoke before practice with Luke Schenn, who was benched for most of the third period on Saturday, but said it was a private matter. When asked whether Schenn, who practiced with Carlo Colaiacovo, would play Monday, Berube said: "We have eight [defensemen]. We'll see."

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2014


Rebuilt Islanders present much tougher challenge

Posted: Sunday, November 23, 2014 2:08 pm

Wayne Fish

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The first-place New York Islanders.

The first-place who?

That’s right, it’s not a misprint.

The New York Islanders, who haven’t won a playoff series since 1993, have come out of the gate like a fire truck headed to a five-alarm blaze.

A weekend home-and-home sweep of Pittsburgh has the Islanders sitting tied with the Penguins atop the Metropolitan Division with a gaudy 14-6 record.

And into this red-hot situation step the Flyers on Monday night at the Nassau Coliseum, which by the way is into its farewell tour this season.

The Flyers, you might recall, have dominated the Islanders since 2006-07, to the tune of a 33-4-3 mark. At one point, the Flyers took 23 of 24 decisions over the New York club, including 13 straight in Philadelphia.

But this year, all of former Flyer goaltender Garth Snow’s work as GM is finally paying off and Isles will not be pushovers this time around.

Already having stockpiled a bunch of first-round picks and turned them into stars like John Tavares, Snow got busy during this past offseason, adding goaltender Jaroslav Halak and defensemen Johnny Boychuk from Boston and Nick Leddy from Chicago.

The Isles are now a quick team with a lot of grit to boot.

“Fast hockey team,’’ Flyers coach Craig Berube said. “Fast, play fast, good attack, score lots of goals, so we’re going to have to check, skate, work for your ice and play a smart game.”

Tavares might be the headliner but there are a whole bunch of foot soldiers backing him up, including Kyle Okposo, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome, Frans Nielsen, Nikolay Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski and Josh Bailey.

“They’ve been together for awhile as young guys and they have grown,’’ Berube said. “They are more mature, more alert, and obviously Tavares is one of the best players in the league and he is surrounded by a lot of good players. They have added some really nice players to that team and they play a good team game.”

One matchup to watch will feature the Islanders’ home power-play, which is clicking at 26.5 percent, going against the Flyers’ road penalty kill, which is last in the NHL at an abysmal 55.6 percent, some 11 points behind 29th place Buffalo.

“We are going to Long Island, we are going to play a good hockey team and we’ve got to be prepared,” said Wayne Simmonds, who broke out of a slump with the game-winning goal in a 4-2 triumph over Columbus on Saturday night.

“They’re a good team, they’ve got some depth. They’ve got a couple other defensemen in there and good goaltending. They are a strong team and I think they have proved it so far this year. We always play the Islanders well. It’s up to us to be prepared for the game. We’ve got to come in mentally and physically ready and play a strong game up there.”

Goaltender Steve Mason wasn’t here for much of that recent dominance of the Islanders but he knows enough about the New York team to understand they’re no longer pushovers.

“They’re a young team with a lot of talent that are just starting to hit their stride,’’ Mason said. “They picked up a real solid goaltender in Halak and two acquisitions on defense, so you can’t take them lightly.’’

Told of that lopsided series in recent years, Mason grinned and said, “Hopefully that continues. We need points against teams in the same conference. We’ll have to make sure we have a good effort.’’

Jake Voracek’s season is one for the ages. He’s off to the third-fastest start in franchise history and his 29 points are good enough for a three-point edge over Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby for the NHL lead.

The Islander game kicks off a stretch where the Flyers play seven of their next eight on the road. The Isles should be a good test.

“They’ve gotten bigger and better on the blue line,’’ Voracek noted. “They’ve got a great goalie in Halak and their offense is skating very well. It’s going to be a very tough game.’’

The road trip will have some difficult games, including stops at Detroit, the New York Rangers and the three California teams.

“We have to make sure we dig in,’’ Voracek said. “It’s going to be a very tough schedule. But I think last year we had a similar schedule. You know when we were out west, it was a tough road trip and we were very successful. And I think that is why we made the playoffs, because we were very good and picked up some points on the road. And hopefully we are going to do it this year as well.’’

Flyers Monday

What: Flyers at New York Islanders.

When: 7:05.

Where: Nassau Coliseum.

TV/Radio: TCN/93.3-FM.

Season series: First meeting.

What to watch: The first of two final games for the Flyers at the soon-to-be-vacated Coliseum. The last contest will be on Jan. 19, unless the two teams meet in the playoffs. Philadelphia will be sorry to see the old place go: Since 1999, the Flyers are 30-7-3 there. Next year the Islanders move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. . .The Flyers’ four road points (off a 2-6 record) are the fewest in the NHL. . .If the Flyers go back to a six-man defense rotation for this game (they played seven vs. Columbus on Saturday night), Luke Schenn would appear to be the odd man out. He played less than nine minutes in the 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


Simmonds makes Jackets blue; Flyers snap skid with 4-2 win

By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: 11/23/14, 5:35 AM EST |

PHILADELPHIA >> Wayne Simmonds was less than thrilled at what he had been producing of late. It had been five games since he last scored a goal, and it probably wasn’t a coincidence that the Flyers were on a four-game losing streak as they commenced battle Saturday night with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Increasingly critical of himself of late, Simmonds had been moved up a spot in the line rotation briefly, then dropped two spots to a checking line during that sad stretch. But after a game of encouraging signs against the Minnesota Wild Thursday night, he finally got himself untracked against the Blue Jackets.

Simmonds scored a goal late in the second period that would go down as the game-winner and also set a nice screen on a third-period insurance shot by Braydon Coburn as the Flyers pounded out a 4-2 victory over the Blue Jackets at Wells Fargo Center.

So goes the losing streak as the Flyers played one of their most complete games in some time. Simmonds certainly felt a part of that.

“I’m a man; I can admit when I’m not doing my best,” Simmonds said. “I wasn’t playing my best hockey. I think I just had to keep it more simple and the same as the team. You try different things, but if they’re not working, you have to go back to basics; start from scratch. You have to do what made you successful as an individual and as a team and I think we’ve done that.”

So the Flyers (8-9-2), who starting with a game on Long Island Monday night play seven of their next eight on the road, seem like they’ve scratched their way back to the surface. And if it came against a Columbus team perhaps tired from playing to a shootout loss against Boston the night before ... well, whatever works.

“Tonight,” goalie Steve Mason said, “I thought was probably our best all-around effort for the season.”

As evidence, Mason could point to the way his club outshot the Blue Jackets (6-12-2) by 37-22, with an 18-4 dominating advantage in the second period, not usually a strong period for the Flyers.

Of course, they were overdue for such diligence.

“Obviously, you lose four straight games and it’s tough to swallow,” Simmonds said. “I thought we played a strong game (Thursday against the Wild) and unfortunately we didn’t get the two points. But we kept playing the same way tonight. We were diligent with our game; we got pucks deep and the forwards were backchecking and the defensemen did a great job and Mason (20 saves) was awesome.”

The Flyers were especially sharp in the faceoff circle. They won better than 60 percent of the puck drops, with Claude Giroux winning 23 of the 28 he tried.

“My wingers do a good job of helping me on faceoffs,” Giroux said. “They are pretty good at winning battles. So any time it’s an even draw they kind of find a way to get their stick on it.”

Winning puck duels in the circles and along the boards, then, the Flyers had plenty of opportunities to make old buddy Sergei Bobrovsky miserable.

The ex-Flyers goalie had lost in a seven-round shootout the night before against the Bruins, a game that saw him flub a 70-foot slapshot by defenseman Dennis Seidenberg for one of the ugliest goals since Ron Hextall was having nightmares about Claude Lemieux.

(Google it).

There were no such Bob follies in this game, though he came close — Coburn’s shot through the Simmonds screen beat Bobrovsky through the pads perhaps because he wasn’t holding a goalie stick at the time. That had been knocked loose a moment before by Sean Couturier.

“We had a great forechecking shift,” Simmonds said. “We got the puck deep ... and I think Bob’s stick actually got caught in Coots’ skate or shin pad or something. He just came around the net.”

The goalie stick was deposited there and Couturier promptly passed the puck around and out to the point, where Coburn saw a screened goalie without a stick in his sights.

“It was good to get that first (goal),” said Coburn, who doesn’t get many. “It felt really good.”

The Flyers, of course, would take them any way they could.

Brayden Schenn started the scoring with a redirection of a Jake Voracek shot 2:37 into the game. The Jackets tied it two minutes later on a goal by Boone Jenner on the power play, another bad mark for the Flyers’ penalty kill, which has been their sorest sore spot of the young season.

They didn’t let that get them down, though, as Mark Streit deposited his own rebound for a 2-1 lead at 14:55 of the first. That keyed a strong second period by the Flyers, who would take a 3-1 lead on Simmonds’ power play goal at 15:17.

The Jackets soon made it a game again as Matt Calvert beat defenseman Luke Schenn to a cross-pass and tipped it past Mason 2:06 into the third. But that moment of focus was soon gone, because just 1:12 later, Bobrovsky was without a stick, Simmonds was dropping a screen in front of him, and Coburn was taking aim.

Oh, and Columbus coach Todd Richards was shooting glares down his bench.

“We weren’t able to execute passes; simple passes,” Richards lamented. “I believe some guys were engaged in the game. Our defensemen had to be, because when you’re going back on pucks and getting forechecked, you have to be. Our goalie had to be into it. (But) we didn’t have enough guys up front that were engaged in the game.”

Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


Flyers Weekly Observations: Which team shows up?

November 23, 2014, 2:00 pm

Tim Riday

This team is difficult to figure out.

One night, the Flyers are getting outclassed on national television. The next, they rebound with a fairly strong performance but still wind up in the loss column. Then they go out and dominant a division rival, pushing back and showing fight every time there's a chance momentum could swing the other way.

Maddening, right? Let’s take a look back at the Flyers’ week that was with 10 observations:

1. How bizarre was the way the Flyers handled Claude Giroux’s injury this week? He missed a team-sponsored event to be evaluated by the Flyers’ medical staff Monday, but was “fine” according to general manager Ron Hextall. Then he missed practiced Tuesday and was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Rangers because of a lower-body injury. Even head coach Craig Berube was puzzled by the status of his star center, saying he was “in the dark” with the entire situation. What did the captain do next? He made a surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden and logged 25:45 of ice time against the Blueshirts, most among Flyers forwards. Yeah, pretty bizarre. Fortunately, the injury didn’t hamper his game. He finished the week with a goal and two assists and enters Sunday tied for fourth in the NHL in scoring with 24 points.

2. With the exception of Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Steve Mason, the Flyers showed no fight in Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at MSG. The Rangers were hungry and pushed the Flyers around with ease. If it wasn’t for Mason, the game could have been a 10-0 blowout. The Flyers were lethargic. They lost battle after battle, were massively outskated and had no sense of urgency. Not the kind of effort you want to see against a division rival.

3. It sounds like the Flyers got a good tongue-lashing from Hextall Wednesday night. So much that Mason had to pause his postgame interview with the media to look over his shoulder at the commotion coming from behind the changing room where the team was when Hextall was yelling. Hextall was much more tame when it was his turn to speak to reporters, simply saying he was “very disappointed” with the Flyers’ performance. In reality, it should have been Mason screaming his lungs out. The Flyers’ netminder made 32 saves and was constantly hung out to dry against the Rangers.

4. The Flyers’ top line of Giroux, Voracek and Schenn has been flat-out fun to watch. It seems like every time they hit the ice, they have the opposition pinned in its defensive zone. They're finishing their checks, finding open lanes and peppering goalies nearly every shift. It’s nice to see chemistry developing between the trio. The top left wing position has been a revolving door since the beginning of last season, but Schenn looks like a perfect fit right now. What’s worrisome is how much the team has relied on the top line for production. At some point they’re going to need some secondary-scoring help.

5. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance to see John LeClair and Eric Lindros get inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame Thursday. Everything about the night was perfect (well, except for the last-minute loss to Minnesota). Bringing back former teammates, showing highlights of the Legion of Doom and giving LeClair and Lindros the opportunity to speak together was a nice touch by the Flyers’ organization. I idolized LeClair and Lindros growing up, as did many kids from the Philadelphia area, so it was a surreal night.

6. Many of the Flyers’ recent issues come down to fundamentals. They’ve been panicking with the puck, which has led to several crippling turnovers. When you lack confidence in your own end, the puck is going to wind up in your net. It just does. Sometimes it’s a mental state. It was encouraging to see the Flyers calm down in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets. They didn’t appear to be gripping their sticks as tightly and actually managed to elevate the puck much better than they had in their previous two games. They still have to clean up several areas of their overall game — most

notably their penalty kill — but snapping their four-game losing skid and playing well in the process should serve as a good building block heading into Monday’s matchup with the New York Islanders.

7. The Flyers will play their 20th game of the season Monday and they have plenty of division contests looming. Saturday’s win over Columbus put the Flyers three points behind the Washington Capitals for third place in the Metropolitan. Why do I say this now? Because the Flyers are just 1-3-0 against division rivals and four points ahead of the last-place Blue Jackets. The division is wide open. Can’t afford to fall behind now.

8. I’ve never been a fan of dressing seven defensemen, but it was the smart thing to do against Columbus. Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn and Michael Del Zotto have all recently returned from injuries. Fresh legs and less minutes can't hurt this group. It’s also difficult to take Nick Schultz out of the lineup right now. He’s actually been one of the Flyers’ most consistent and reliable blueliners this season. Eventually, someone will have to sit, though.

9. You’ve got to be impressed with 20-year-old Scott Laughton, who has given new life to slumping veterans Vinny Lecavalier and R.J. Umberger. The trio has been buzzing the past two games and is long overdue for a goal or two. If they can keep up their intensity, pucks are bound to start bouncing their way. I’d like to see this unit stay together, but it’s unclear how much longer Laughton will be staying with the big club.

10. Have you seen the Flyers’ upcoming schedule? I hope you like their white jerseys. Seven of their next eight games will be played on the road and 15 of their next 20 will take place away from the Wells Fargo Center. Better buckle up.



Luke Schenn could be benched vs. Islanders

November 23, 2014, 1:15 pm

Tim Panaccio

Luke Schenn was benched three straight games early last November by Flyers head coach Craig Berube.

A little over a year later, he could be benched again Monday night against the Islanders in Uniondale, New York.

More or less, Schenn gave a half-hearted effort on Columbus' second goal Saturday night and was benched the remainder of the third period. He played just one shift.

On Sunday, Berube pulled the 24-year-old aside before practice for a one-on-one talk. Berube nor Schenn would discuss what was said.

After the discussion, Schenn worked the rest of practice with Carlo Colaiacovo, who was a healthy scratch Saturday. Both now figured to be healthy scratches Monday, though in Colaiacovo's case, it's a numbers game.

Is Schenn in or out Monday in Long Island?

"You'll have to ask him, I don't know," Schenn said. "I talked to him a little bit. I am assuming that the reason I sat in the game was because of that goal. As far as tomorrow, I am not sure [if I'm playing].

"There's not too much I can say about this except to work hard. Me and Carlo will work hard as a pairing in practice."

Berube wouldn't say, either.

Talking about the goal that resulted in Schenn's benching Saturday, Berube said, "It was a mistake at a bad time, that's all. He'll learn from it."

Still, Schenn sat nearly the entire third period.

"We had seven defense dressed," Berube said.

Will Schenn play against the Islanders?

“We’ll see,” he said. “[I'll] make a decision tomorrow. Someone had to work with Colaiacovo [in practice].”



After lengthy slump, Simmonds sparked by nifty goal

November 23, 2014, 1:00 pm

Tim Panaccio

When the sum for the month of November reads a single goal and it’s filled with a lot of minuses and some uncertainty, sometimes all you need to feel good about yourself is a nifty goal.

Which is why Wayne Simmonds was so expressive after scoring a key power-play goal Saturday to help the Flyers snap a four-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over Columbus (see game story).

Double hands in the air, the fist pump on one knee, drill.

Don’t often see guys reach up, grab a puck out of the air, fling it to the ice, then turn and shoot it into the net in one and a half motions, but that’s what the Flyers' right wing did on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

“I just followed the puck in the air and obviously Jake (Voracek) was trying to make a pass to me backdoor and it went in the air,” Simmonds said.

“I think I was the only one who was actually paying attention to where the puck went and I got fortunate enough to grab it and put it down on the ice. ‘Bob’ (Bobrovsky) wasn’t looking, so I just put it in the net.”

Simmonds finished with his first “plus” game since Nov. 6 against Florida. He had actually gone five straight games on the negative side of the ledger and admitted he wasn’t happy with his own play after starting the season with five goals and seven points in the opening four games.

“Yeah, I’m a man,” Simmonds said, evoking Steve Winwood’s hit from the Spencer Davis Group way back when. “I can admit when I’m not playing my best hockey and I wasn’t playing my best hockey.

“I think I just had to start keeping it more simple and same as the team. You try different things, you know they’re not working, you gotta go back to basics, and you’ve got to start from scratch. Do what made you successful as an individual and as a team. I think we’ve done that.”

Simmonds has played on six different lines this season, even moved to left wing to accommodate Voracek when Brayden Schenn replaced Claude Giroux briefly on the top line because of an ankle injury.

For the last three games, he’s been on Sean Couturier’s line with Matt Read, which was the club’s intention this season from the get-go as coach Craig Berube felt Simmonds might light an offensive fire under Couturier.

Alas, injuries and under-performing players on other lines forced Berube to move Simmonds, among others, around the lineup.

“That line did some good things, some really good things,” Berube said of Simmonds’ current unit. “Simmer got the power-play goal there, that’s his forte around that net. He made a strong puck power move.

“But the line itself did a good job checking and they did a good job offensively hanging onto the puck more, shooting more pucks, getting to the net.”

Saturday’s game saw the Flyers play a full 60 minutes with an upbeat tempo. The few times the Blue Jackets made a push, the Flyers pushed back to regain the edge.

Columbus made it a one-goal game at 3-2 two minutes into the final period but Braydon Coburn answered to stop whatever momentum the Blue Jackets thought they had stolen.

“I think it was huge, obviously,” Simmonds said. “We knew we were playing good hockey. They got that goal and we didn’t want them to take the wind out of our sails. We just kept on it, kept getting pucks deep and we had a strong shift after that so it was great.

“It’s always huge to stop a team when they are getting momentum. We did a good job of that tonight. After every goal I think we had a strong shift whether it was their goal or our goal, we came back pretty strong and we simplified our game.”

The Flyers have three Metropolitan Division games this week, beginning Monday on Long Island against the Islanders, plus back-to-back games against the Rangers over the weekend.

Sandwiched between that is a quick trip to Detroit. The Flyers have a chance to pick up six division points. They are sixth with 18 — a full 10 points behind the Penguins and Islanders.

“We played two strong games in a row,” Simmonds said. “We are going to Long Island, we are going to play a good hockey team on Long Island on Monday night and we’ve got to be prepared.”



Flyers Notes: Berube rolls 7 defensemen for 1st time

November 23, 2014, 10:00 am

Tim Panaccio

Craig Berube has been reluctant this season to play seven defensemen, even when one of his injured blueliners comes back after a long absence and needs his minutes watched.

That changed Saturday when Berube used seven defensemen for the first time this season in a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets (see game story).

In fact, it was the first time ever he’s done that since taking over for Peter Laviolette.

It coincided with Michael Del Zotto returning to the lineup after a one-game absence for a lower-body injury.

Berube said he wanted to be certain he has another guy available with Del Zotto coming back with a little uncertainty on his total preparedness.

“That and seven healthy defense and we just got (Andrew) MacDonald and (Luke) Schenn back from injuries," he said. "MacDonald was out a while. I think it’s important to have seven defense."

MacDonald, for instance, was rotated with three different pairs against the Wild on Thursday after rejoining the lineup following a 10-game absence because of sprained right knee. MacDonald’s usual ice time of more than 24 minutes was cut to 16 his first game back.

How he used them depended upon situational play and overall ice time.

Del Zotto has been averaging 21 minutes but played 16:28 against Columbus. He rotated as the seventh man, playing with his usual partner Nick Schultz, plus Braydon Coburn and Nicklas Grossmann.

The Del Zotto-Schultz pair is very strong and had been the entire time Coburn was out of the lineup.

“It’s something we have to look at here because we’re all healthy now,” Berube said. “Decide what best for the team. I also think Schultz-Coburn have been good, too.”

As for the fourth line, the extra defenseman meant Chris VandeVelde (lower-body injury) and Jason Akeson (healthy scratch) sat the game out.

“It does [affect[ the line a little bit,” Berube said. “But I can pop guys on the fourth line with (Zac) Rinaldo and (Pierre-Edouard) Bellemare in and out. I don’t think it’s a problem.”

Berube isn’t sure how long he’ll stick with this.

“There’s a fine line in how long you can go with it,” he said. “It’s a good mindset right now to go with it. We’ll look at the Islanders' lineup, look at the way they play, that stuff all comes into it.”

Luke Schenn could find himself coming out (see story). He jogged up the ice on Columbus’ second goal that made it 3-2 in the third period and was benched the rest of the game. Just one shift in the final period.

The truth is, Berube is not getting much offense from some of his forwards and likely figured he didn’t need four lines when he cut Vinny Lecavalier’s ice time by six minutes from playing against the Rangers to playing against Minnesota the next night.

R.J. Umberger has also seen a drop in his minutes. Berube feels he can combine parts of his fourth line with parts of the third to make up the difference and rotate his defense.

They seemed better with rookie Scott Laughton, but they’re still not getting points or shots. During the four previous Flyers losses, Lecavalier had just seven shots while Umberger had one. Umberger had three shots against Columbus and Lecavalier had none.

“They need to play on the offensive side of things and I think Laughton will help them do that,” Berube said.

Penalty kill

Berube stressed it begins with winning faceoffs and then having to chase to regain puck possession.

The penalty kill came into play ranked dead last — 30th — in the NHL.

They gave up a power-play goal in the opening period to Columbus. That’s nine power-play goals the Flyers have given up over the last five games.

“Winning faceoffs, clearing pucks, we got to do a better job up ice in not allowing teams in as easily,” Berube said. “When they do dump it, winning those battles and getting it out again. Little things like that and blocking shots will make your penalty kill better.”

Having Schenn and MacDonald back allowed Berube to break up his defensive pairs and give less ice time to Coburn, who has been getting hammered on the PK, getting burned for seven goals against over a four-game stretch.

Grossmann and Schenn were on the ice for the goal by Columbus. Speaking of, both also recorded points on two Flyers goals that first period against the Blue Jackets.

The last time they earned points in the same game was April 8 of last season against the Florida Panthers.

Drought ended

Coburn’s goal early in the third period restored a two-goal lead (4-2) for the Flyers and couldn’t have come at a better time, given his recent poor play.

Not only was it his first goal this season, but it also broke a 24-game goalless streak, going back to March 8 of last season.

“I’m hitting my stride a little bit,” Coburn, who missed 12 games with a left foot injury, said. “It’s a great feeling to get the first [goal] out of the way. A really, good feeling.”

Del Zotto, who has played with him since coming back, at times, felt good for Coburn, as well.

“That was a big goal he got for us and nice to see,” Del Zotto said.

Faceoffs

Claude Giroux won 23 of 28 faceoffs (82 percent). Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time a Flyer won 23 or more faceoffs in a game was Nov. 29, 2005. That night, Michal Handzus went 23 for 31 (74 percent) in a 4-3 win at the New York Islanders. Giroux went up against five different Blue Jackets in the circle.



Strong 3rd-period response helps Flyers nail down win

November 23, 2014, 9:00 am

Staff

Columbus’ Jack Skille breezed down the right wing, fired a deft pass across the ice to teammate Matt Calvert, who easily tapped the puck past Flyers goalie Steve Mason to cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 just over two minutes into the third period and send a collective groan throughout the Wells Fargo Center.

But unlike in recent games, the Flyers had a response.

And a quick one at that.

Just over a minute after Calvert’s goal, Braydon Coburn scored his first goal of the year to restore the Flyers’ two-goal lead and help lock up a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets to snap the Flyers’ four-game losing streak.

Brayden Schenn, Mark Streit and Wayne Simmonds also scored for Philadelphia.

But that fourth goal was the most important of the night.

It cut any momentum the Jackets had from Calvert’s goal and sent a jolt of energy through both the arena and the Flyers, who used that energy to finish strong.

“We just had to keep the pressure up,” said Coburn, who also assisted on Schenn’s goal in the first period.

“It was a good responder for us to get back into the driver’s seat in the game,”

On the play, Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had lost his stick after a battle with Sean Couturier for a rebound. The Flyers controlled the puck, which eventually found its way to Coburn at the point. He fired a shot low along the ice through a Simmonds screen and it beat Bobrovsky five-hole.

After the goal, the Flyers clamped down on the Jackets and allowed them just six more shots, none of which were testers, on Mason the rest of the game.

“It was huge, obviously,” said Wayne Simmonds, whose goal was his team-leading eighth of the year.

“We were playing good hockey. They got that goal and we didn’t want them to take the wind out of our sails, so we just kept going. We kept on it and kept getting pucks deep. We had a strong shift right after.

“It’s always huge to stop a team when they’re getting momentum, and I think we did a good job of that tonight. After every goal, I think we had a strong shift. Whether it was their goal or our goal, we came back strong.”

It was also the kind of response that wasn’t anywhere near evident during the Flyers’ four-game losing streak and even before that.

During a win over the Avalanche two weeks ago, the Flyers were up 4-0 in the third and allowed the Avs to push play before hanging on to a 4-3 win.

Every time they responded in the loss to the Jackets last week, the Jackets found a way to snatch momentum back with a goal of their own.

The Canadiens were already up 3-0 before the Flyers even had a pulse in last Saturday’s loss.

There was nothing at all in Wednesday’s loss to the Rangers.

And even though they played better against the Wild on Thursday, it still took a late power-play goal to answer before the game-winning goal was allowed with under a minute left.

To swing things back even further, look back at October’s home loss to the Habs when the Flyers blew a 3-0 third period lead and eventually lost in a shootout.

But head coach Craig Berube was happy with the pushback his team showed on Saturday night and how there was no panic.

“We can tend to get on our heels a little bit, but the guys responded well,” he said. “That’s a big thing. We’re going to give up goals. It’s how you respond to them.”

The response and pushback the Flyers showed on Saturday night will need to be there in the coming weeks as the team has just five more home games before the calendar turns to 2015.

That includes seven of their next eight games, beginning with this coming Monday’s trip to Long Island.

On the road trip, goals will be scored, just like Berube said. How will the Flyers respond to them? He hopes the response is the same way it was against the Jackets on Saturday.



Islanders have improved through vision similar to Ron Hextall’s

Dave Isaac, Courier-Post 9:13 p.m. EST November 23, 2014

Back in 1997, when the Flyers were Eastern Conference champions, Ron Hextall was the starter and Garth Snow the backup.

Both former goalies are NHL general managers now and Hextall, who is in his rookie season as GM, is behind Snow, who has been leading the New York Islanders since 2006.

That’s evident in the standings recently. The Islanders are tied for the Metropolitan Division lead with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’ve had quick starts before, but now it’s nearly December.

Face it. These Islanders are legit. Outside of the Penguins, the next closest team is seven points away.

“Obviously they’ve drafted well,” said Andrew MacDonald, a former Islander who will face his old team for the first time Monday. “A lot of their guys have come up through the system and they’re playing well and obviously they had a vision at the beginning and things are working out for them now. They’ve got a lot of young talent there and they’re starting to bring it together. It’s a tough test for us.”

There were tough years on Long Island when MacDonald and Mark Streit were with the Islanders. The team wasn’t very good, but they built around players like John Tavares, who has 20 points and is one of the league’s best young players.

“He’s a top-five player in the league for sure,” Streit said. “Then you have guys like (Kyle) Okposo and (Frans) Nielsen and good goaltending and made some additional defense (moves) and they have a good mix. Even the last two games, I think they beat Pittsburgh twice. Pittsburgh is a really good team.”

The Islanders were supposed to take a step forward this year anyway, but adding blueliners Nick Leddy from Chicago and Johnny Boychuk from Boston just before the season began made more people consider them a force.

Adding those depth players and building through the draft with players like Tavares, Okposo, Josh Bailey, Ryan Strome and Travis Hamonic is the vision that Hextall has for his Flyers. Snow just happens to be a little further along in the process.

“I think it was difficult there for a few years,” said MacDonald, who was there to watch the process unfold. “The team struggles, but at the same time I think they must be pleased with what their product is and that they waited and let it mature and so far, so good for them.”

The Flyers are 33-4-3 in their last 40 games against the Islanders as they went through their growing pains. This is a different Islanders team now, though. That record may not mean as much with the way their roster has turned over and with the maturity of their young players.

“I don’t know,” coach Craig Berube said. “It’s a good question whether it means something. I don’t really care to be honest with you. It’s a different team over there. They’re a good team.”

Courier-Post LOADED: 11.24.2014


Flyers' Luke Schenn, benched Saturday after 'mistake at a bad time,' unlikely to dress Monday (with VIDEO)

Randy Miller on November 23, 2014 at 2:34 PM, updated November 23, 2014 at 2:40 PM

VOORHEES — Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn getting benched probably was going to happen sooner or later.

His minus-8 plus-minus rating through 16 games is the worst on the team and the Flyers, after dealing with a bunch of injuries to blueliners, now have eight healthy ones on their roster.

Thus, the timing wasn't good Saturday when Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Matt Calvert outmuscled Schenn on his way to scoring a goal 2:06 into the third period to cut into a two-goal Flyers lead.

The Flyers got the goal right back almost immediately when Braydon Coburn scored at 3:38, but Schenn was benched after his mistake for the final 17:54 of a 4-2 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.

"I am assuming that the reason I sat in the game was because of that goal," Schenn said.

He assumed right.

"It was just a mistake at a bad time," Flyers coach Craig Berube said Sunday. "That's all. He'll learn from it."

When Schenn will get a chance to redeem himself in game action is another matter.

Based off of how the Flyers used their defensemen in Sunday's practice, it looks like Schenn will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season when they play the Islanders on Monday night in Uniondale, N.Y.

Berube hinted Saturday that dressing seven defensemen won't be a regular occurrence, and on Sunday Schenn was paired with Carlo Colaiacovo, who was a healthy scratch against Columbus.

"We've got eight D, we'll see," Berube said. "I'll make a decision tomorrow."

The decision's probably already been made.

Schenn was on the third pair and struggled for most of his first 13 games this season, then after missing three games with a shoulder injury, he returned last Thursday to go minus-2 in a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. In that one, Schenn blew a coverage, allowing Jason Zucker to score the winning goal 19:15 into the third period.

Back in the lineup Saturday, Schenn was a minus-1 in just 8:48 of ice time.

Schenn, who was a healthy scratch three times last season, sounded like he knows what's coming when he was asked about his situation after Sunday's practice.

"There's not too much I can say about this except to work hard," said Schenn, who is in the fourth season of a five-year, $18-million contract that carries $3.6 million cap hit. "Me and Carlo will work hard as a pairing in practice."



Flyers end losing streak; 5 reasons for optimism

Randy Miller on November 23, 2014 at 8:01 AM, updated November 23, 2014 at 8:08 AM

PHILADELPHIA — There was a lot of commotion in the Flyers' dressing room Saturday night after their 4-2 win over Columbus.

Afterward, there were a bunch of kids in the dressing room getting autographs. Team chairman Ed Snider was in there for a few minutes, too, congratulating everyone as loud music blared.

Players were feeling good that they'd played a lot of good hockey for the second game in a row, and this time they were rewarded with two points to end a season-long four-game losing streak that included that nightmarish performance last Wednesday at Madison Square Garden..

Here are 5 reasons for optimism for the Flyers:

1. Jakub Voracek's great start is turning into a season in which he's transforming from very good player into superstar. The Flyers now have one of the best 1-2 punches in hockey with a top line that has Claude Giroux at center and Voracek at right wing. Giroux quietly is tied for fourth in the league in scoring because Voracek is getting so much (deserved) attention for being the scoring leader six weeks into the season with 29 points in 19 games.

2. Braydon Coburn, hurt for a month and then very rusty his first two weeks back, looked the part of a No. 1 defenseman against the Blue Jackets. Keith Jones picked the 3 stars in this one and Coburn earned No. 1 on a night he excelled in a shutdown role and provided a rare dose of offense with his first two points of the season, a first-period assist and third-period insurance goal. The Flyers don't count on Coburn to score, but they desperately need him playing very solid defense, as he did Saturday for the first time all season.

3. Goalie Steve Mason looks like he's ready to take off on a prolonged hot streak. He played his best game of the year last Wednesday when he made about 10 five-star saves in a 2-0 loss to the Rangers and he was very good again Saturday stopping 20 of 22 shots. The Flyers need Mason playing very well for long stretches if they're going to make the playoffs, but thus far they're lucky to have stayed near .500 at 8-9-2 without consistent play. He was winless in October, which ended with a four-game benching, then he returned to play eel for a few games before having another clunker after sitting for another week due to an extended break in the Flyers schedule. Now he's put together two really good games, games that reminded everyone of how good he was a lot of the time last season, how good he was in that Game 7 playoff loss to the Rangers last spring.

4. The Flyers played their last two games with more of a sense of urgency. They stopped taking shifts off, played more physical and seemed to be more focused. Losing four in a row seemed to have been a wake-up call. Although the season isn't yet a quarter over, GM Ron Hextall screaming at them the other night in New York seems to have made them realize that the collective effort they'd been giving wasn't good enough. They also realized that if the playoffs began now, they wouldn't be a part of them. This team isn't a complete puzzle, even Hextall knows that, but they have enough good pieces to be a strong contender for a playoff berth. They looked like a playoff team in their last two games, even though they dropped the first 3-2 to Minnesota last Thursday due to a great opposition goalie performance.

5. The Flyers are finally getting healthy after a run of bad luck that began with Giroux tweaking something about 10 minutes into the first training camp practice. Giroux returned for the last two preseason games, but Coburn was lost to a foot injury in the season injury, then Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn, Michael Raffl and Vinny Lecavalier all missed time with injuries, some of them for long stretches. They're all back now except for Raffl.



Flyers' Luke Schenn, benched Saturday after 'mistake at a bad time,' unlikely to dress Monday

Randy Miller

on November 23, 2014 at 2:34 PM, updated November 23, 2014 at 2:40 PM

VOORHEES — Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn getting benched probably was going to happen sooner or later.

His minus-8 plus-minus rating through 16 games is the worst on the team and the Flyers, after dealing with a bunch of injuries to blueliners, now have eight healthy ones on their roster.

Thus, the timing wasn't good Saturday when Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Matt Calvert outmuscled Schenn on his way to scoring a goal 2:06 into the third period to cut into a two-goal Flyers lead.

The Flyers got the goal right back almost immediately when Braydon Coburn scored at 3:38, but Schenn was benched after his mistake for the final 17:54 of a 4-2 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.

"I am assuming that the reason I sat in the game was because of that goal," Schenn said.

He assumed right.

"It was just a mistake at a bad time," Flyers coach Craig Berube said Sunday. "That's all. He'll learn from it."

When Schenn will get a chance to redeem himself in game action is another matter.

Based off of how the Flyers used their defensemen in Sunday's practice, it looks like Schenn will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season when they play the Islanders on Monday night in Uniondale, N.Y.

Berube hinted Saturday that dressing seven defensemen won't be a regular occurrence, and on Sunday Schenn was paired with Carlo Colaiacovo, who was a healthy scratch against Columbus.

"We've got eight D, we'll see," Berube said. "I'll make a decision tomorrow."

The decision's probably already been made.

Schenn was on the third pair and struggled for most of his first 13 games this season, then after missing three games with a shoulder injury, he returned last Thursday to go minus-2 in a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. In that one, Schenn blew a coverage, allowing Jason Zucker to score the winning goal 19:15 into the third period.

Back in the lineup Saturday, Schenn was a minus-1 in just 8:48 of ice time.

Schenn, who was a healthy scratch three times last season, sounded like he knows what's coming when he was asked about his situation after Sunday's practice.

"There's not too much I can say about this except to work hard," said Schenn, who is in the fourth season of a five-year, $18-million contract that carries $3.6 million cap hit. "Me and Carlo will work hard as a pairing in practice."


757809 Pittsburgh Penguins

Finding balance between toughness, excessiveness key for Penguins' Downie

By Jason Mackey

Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, 11:36 p.m.

Updated 5 hours ago

Steve Downie has had no problems making friends — with his own team, anyway.

Many Penguins players are thrilled to have the physical forward on their side. He has been a solid locker-room presence, a capable and willing fighter and the agitating presence the Penguins have lacked recently.

But there also has been a downside. Downie, who leads the league in penalty minutes as well as minor penalties, has forced the Penguins to play short handed more than coach Mike Johnston would like.

“We definitely have to talk to ‘Downs' about cutting down in that area, especially the minor penalties,” Johnston said.

With 79 penalty minutes entering Sunday's games, Downie had 26 more than any other player. His 17 minor penalties lead Toronto's Dion Phaneuf by two.

Downie is on pace for 341 penalty minutes and 73 minors for the season.

That would be the most minutes since Florida's Peter Worrell had 354 in 2001-02 and the most minors since Rich Pilon of the New York Islanders received 73 in 1997-98.

Over his past eight games, Downie has played penalty-free once.

Protecting teammates and playing with an edge is one thing. But forcing the Penguins to kill such a large amount of penalties likely isn't in the team's best interest.

“If you're engaging or there's a fight or something like that, that's different,” Johnston said. “But the minor penalties, we've got to cut down.”

Much was made of the Penguins signing Downie to a one-year, $1 million deal this offseason, in part because of his history of physical play against Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

That and his ability to be tough, annoying and hard to play against, something he did plenty of against the Penguins while in Philadelphia.

Even the mix with the coaches was right. Downie rejoined Rick Tocchet, whom he played for in Tampa Bay.

Brandon Sutter appreciates Downie's game perhaps better than most. They have spent the bulk of the season as the center and right wing on the Penguins' third line.

Sutter understands the line Downie must walk and said he believes it's the team's job to pick him up if he happens to cross it.

“He's an energy guy,” Sutter said. “He's going to take penalties doing that. But I think you need someone like that on your team. It's our responsibility to kill those off.”

Downie took a costly penalty during Saturday's 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders when he drilled Thomas Hickey after losing his stick at the opposing blue line.

Hickey wasn't a threat to score, and any misdeed toward a Penguins player wasn't easily perceptible.

Not only did Downie get two minutes for interference, but he also was given a 10-minute misconduct. Brock Nelson scored on the power play 46 seconds later to effectively push the game out of reach.

Downie finished the game with 17 penalty minutes, the third time this year he reached double-digits.

“By no means does he like sitting in the box,” Sutter said. “He's a competitive guy. He wants to be out there. He's a physical presence, and

he's going to take penalties. That's just the way it is, the nature of the game. We need that edge from him, that mentality from him.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.24.2014


Penguins look for pick-me-up after two losses

November 24, 2014 12:00 AM

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

BOSTON — The Penguins should find out soon enough whether their lost weekend was a harbinger or a hiccup.

Whether back-to-back defeats to the New York Islanders exposed serious flaws in their talent and intangibles, or simply was the sort of lapse that’s inevitable in an 82-game season.

Even for a team that went 13-3-1 in its previous 17 games.

The Penguins will try to regain their equilibrium when they face the Boston Bruins at 7:08 p.m. today at TD Garden, and seem to have a good sense of what that will take.

“We just need to simplify our game, and in our zone we need to be positionally better and more committed to defending first,” right winger Craig Adams said. “Then, once we get the puck, we can start thinking about offense.”

Players had a scheduled day off Sunday, but coach Mike Johnston and his staff likely spent much of the day pondering that offense. Specifically, how their forward lines — particularly the No. 1 unit — should be configured.

In the wake of a 4-1 loss Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum, Johnston sounded as if he would at least consider reuniting right winger Patric Hornqvist with center Sidney Crosby and left winger Chris Kunitz on the top line.

“We’ll take a look at everything,” he said. “We’ll take a look at different combinations.”

Crosby, Kunitz and Hornqvist were highly effective when they played together in the early weeks of the season, but Crosby and Kunitz have lost their scoring touches recently.

Crosby has just two points in his past six games, while Kunitz has one in that time.

Blake Comeau, who has filled in for Pascal Dupuis at right wing alongside those two for the past three games, has one goal since being promoted.

Johnston acknowledged that neutralizing the No. 1 line is a priority for every opponent, but made it clear he expects Crosby and his wingers to find a way to put up points.

“They’re under-checking pressure,” Johnston said, “but they have to break through.”

Regardless of who his wingers are, Crosby should get a boost tonight from the absence of Boston’s Zdeno Chara, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound Kodiak of a defenseman who makes life miserable for opposing forwards.

Chara will miss his 14th consecutive game because of an injury to his left knee.

Not having Chara leaves an enormous — literally — void on Boston’s blue line, and he is only one of several key Bruins players injured of late.

Even so, the Bruins have a standout goaltender, Tuukka Rask, and coach Claude Julien’s system stresses fundamentally sound play in their own zone.

“They’re a good team, a good defensive-minded team that comes back hard,” Kunitz said. “They backcheck. They push plays down the [boards]. Their defense does a good job of keeping you outside and their forwards come back.”

The loss on Long Island was just the Penguins’ second in regulation in 10 away games this season, and their 7-2-1 road record is among the NHL’s finest. It is the byproduct of factors ranging from Marc-Andre Fleury’s goaltending to excellent special-teams play to the preparation by Johnston and his staff.

“We have a game plan going into every game,” forward Nick Spaling said. “It’s just a matter of executing it. When we do, we’re playing well and able to get some wins.

“That’s our main focus: Sticking to the plan, and executing it.”

And now, doing it well enough to cure what they hope is a minor case of hiccups.

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2014


Penguins notebook: Downie’s aggression has downside

November 24, 2014 12:00 AM

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

BOSTON — Sidney Crosby isn’t the NHL’s top scorer anymore, but one Penguins player still leads the league in at least one major statistical category: Steve Downie is on pace to lap the field in penalty minutes.

The 17 minutes he picked up in a 4-1 loss Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum swelled his total for the season to 79, 26 more than Antoine Roussel of Dallas, who was second after Saturday.

After the game on Long Island, Downie topped the NHL in minors (17) and 10-minute misconducts (3), and his penchant for spending so much time in the penalty box has gotten the attention of coach Mike Johnston.

“We talked about that last week,” Johnston said. “We talked to [Downie] about cutting down in that area, for sure. Especially the minor penalties.

“If you’re engaging — if there’s a fight or something like that — that’s different. But the minor penalties, we’ve got to cut down.”

Downie has been assessed at least one penalty in 14 of the first 19 games, with a season-high 22 Nov. 6 at Winnipeg.

The Penguins signed Downie as a free agent in the summer because he blends a rugged style with decent skill, but were aware he has a history of taking ill-timed penalties.

That happened again Saturday when, with just less than 11 minutes left in regulation and the Penguins facing a one-goal deficit, he was assessed a retaliatory interference minor (along with a 10-minute misconduct), giving the Islanders a power play they turned into an insurance goal.

“If they want to take a bad penalty in a 2-1 game and give us a two-goal lead,” Islanders winger Matt Martin told New York reporters, “we’ll take that every time.”

Bruins bruised

After losing 529 man-games to injuries and illness in 2013-14, the Penguins aren’t likely to weep for any opponent forced to get by with a depleted lineup.

Still, they no doubt have noticed that Boston might be missing some of its most prominent and productive players tonight.

Defensemen Zdeno Chara and Adam McQuaid definitely are out, and the availability of forwards David Krejci, Brad Marchand and Chris Kelly — all of whom missed Boston’s 2-0 loss Saturday to Montreal — appears to be questionable, at best.

Megna could give boost

Jayson Megna, called up Saturday from the Penguins minor league team in Wilkes-Barre, could make his 2014-15 debut tonight, especially if Johnston opts to seek some offense from his fourth line.

Scoring hardly is a priority for that unit, which is counted on primarily for energy, physicality and sound defense, but Craig Adams, Marcel Goc and Zach Sill have combined for just two goals — one each by Adams and Goc — and zero assists in 55 man-games this season.

“It’s always a concern, [for] every coach,” Johnston said. “You’d like to get scoring throughout your lineup.”

It is not known where Megna will be deployed if he plays tonight.



Mario Lemieux's 30 years of highlights: May 25, 1991

November 23, 2014 11:00 AM

Staff

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

This winter marks 30 years since Mario Lemieux first arrived in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is marking the milestone with a series of trivia questions and stories from the archives leading up to Thanksgiving Day, when the Post-Gazette will publish a special section on Lemieux's three decades in the city. The story features exclusive interviews with Lemieux, his friends and his teammates.

Q: In 1991, as the Penguins made their first run to a Stanley Cup title, how many more points did Mario Lemieux score during the regular season than in the postseason?

A: 1. Mario Lemieux missed more than half the season after an infection complicated his return from back surgery. In 26 regular-season games, he scored 45 points. In 23 postseason games, he notched a whopping 44, earning him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

The best at last: Penguins 8-0 romp wins title

(This story was first published in the Pittsburgh Press on May 26, 1991.)

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Press

It took 24 years, but the Penguins made their choice last night. And they made it stick.

They chose greatness. They chose glory. They chose to be champions.

And they did it in a way so resounding there could be no doubt about their qualifications to reign as the National Hockey League’s finest team.

The Penguins won their first Stanley Cup by crushing the Minnesota North Stars, 8-0, in Game 6 of the championship series at the Met Center. They won the series, 4-2, by taking the final three games, two of them on the road.

“It’s a great thrill to reach the top of the mountain,” Coach Bob Johnson said. “A dream come true for all our players.”

Mario Lemieux received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. He had 16 goals and 28 assists, including five goals and seven assists in the Cup final.

“There are guys who play 10 or 15 years in the league and never get a chance to participate in the final,” Lemieux said. “The feeling is unbelievable.”

That sentiment was expressed a lot as a team whose history has been pockmarked by low points relished the ultimate high.

But all those years of weak management, bad teams, bankruptcy and when victories and fans were scarce were forgotten when National Hockey League President John Ziegler presented the Cup to Lemieux, who paraded it around the Met Center before handing it over to his teammates.

That was more than a symbolic gesture because this championship truly was a team achievement.

It wouldn’t have been possible without goalie Tom Barrasso, who stopped 39 shots to record his first career playoff shutout and called Game 6 “the culmination of everything I’ve played for my entire career.”

Without left winger Kevin Stevens and right winger Mark Recchi, two immensely gifted players who raised their performance level to rarefied heights in the playoffs.

Without veterans such as Gord Roberts and Larry Murphy and Joe Mullen and Ron Francis, who provided stability and leadership. Without Bryan Trottier, who had won four Cups with the New York Islanders and whose enthusiasm and sound play were so vital.

Without backup goalie Frank Pietrangelo, who twice stepped in for Barrasso in these playoffs and produced critical victories.

Without rookie defenseman Jim Paek, who was added to the playoff roster as insurance and gave the Penguins eight strong, steady performances that speak highly of his future. And who got the thrill of a lifetime by scoring the Penguins’ seventh goal last night.

“Don’t ever wake me up,” Paek said.

Without forwards such as Bob Errey and Troy Loney and Phil Bourque, who went through the franchise’s darkest times and were around to contribute to its greatest victory.

“This is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Bourque said. “This puts a blanket over all those years.”

“I never would have expected this is a million years,” Loney said. “It’s unbelievable.”

This victory wasn’t official until 10:48 p.m. EDT, but the 20 Penguins who dressed made it clear early they did not intend to have this series go to a seventh game.

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead two minutes into the game on perhaps their most improbable goal of the playoffs. Ulf Samuelsson scored on a wrist shot from the left point with nine seconds left on an interference penalty to North Stars center Neal Broten.

The Penguins had not gotten a shot on goalie Jon Casey in the first 1:47 of the power play and Johnson had sent out the Errey-Trottier-Jaromir Jagr line and Samuelsson-Peter Taglianetti defense pairing for the final seconds of the man-advantage.

Samuelsson’s goal, the only one the Penguins would need on this night, was his third of the playoffs and second in the Cup final. Taglianetti and Trottier got assists; Trottier’s was the 110th of his playoff career, tying him with Jari Kurri for third place on the all-time NHL list.

Lemieux put the Penguins ahead, 2-0, with a spectacular short-handed goal at 12:19. He chased down a lead pass from Murphy, then beat Casey on a breakaway for his 16th goal.

Mullen made it 3-0 on a power-play goal at 13:14, as he snapped a cross-ice pass from Stevens into an empty net. Stevens and Taglianetti received assists, so Taglianetti earned more points in the first period than he had in his previous 18 games.

North Stars Coach Bob Gainey replaced Casey with Brian Hayward at the start of the second period, but the North Stars could not pull off the same type of inspired comeback they had in Games 4 and 5.


757813 San Jose Sharks

Sharks recall Tennyson, assign Burish to Worcester of AHL

By Curtis Pashelka

Posted: 11/23/2014 11:40:41 AM PST

Updated: 11/23/2014 12:44:08 PM PST

SAN JOSE -- The Sharks recalled defenseman Matt Tennyson from Worcester on Sunday and announced that forward Adam Burish has cleared waivers and was assigned to the Sharks' AHL affiliate.

Tennyson, 24, has six points and eight penalty minutes in 17 games with Worcester this season. With Tennyson, 24, the Sharks presently have eight defenseman and 13 forwards.

Burish, 31, had just one goal and two assists and was a minus-6 in 20 games for the Sharks this season. But perhaps the biggest deterrent to other teams claiming Burish was money, as he carries a $1.85 million cap hit, pro-rated, for the remainder of this season. He will make another $1.85 million next season to complete a four-year, $7.4 million deal he signed with the Sharks before the 2012-13 campaign as a free agent.

For Burish, only a pro-rated $925,000 -- the NHL's minimum salary of $550,000 plus $375,000 -- will count toward the Sharks' salary cap as long as he remains in the minors. Burish, who had one goal and two assists in 20 games, was placed on waivers Saturday.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.24.2014

757814 San Jose Sharks

Sharks recall Tennyson; Burish assigned to Worcester

November 23, 2014, 11:30 am

Kevin Kurz

SAN JOSE - The Sharks have recalled defenseman Matt Tennyson from Worcester and reassigned forward Adam Burish to their AHL affiliate on Sunday.

Tennyson has six points (3g, 3a) and eight penalty minutes in 17 games with Worcester this season. The 24-year-old has not played an NHL game since 2012-13, when he appeared in four games with the Sharks, posting a pair of assists.

The Minneapolis native posted 21 points (7g, 14a) and 33 penalty minutes in 54 games for Worcester last season. He was first in goals and second in points among the team's defensemen.

[REWIND: Offense improves, but mistakes still burning Sharks]

The Sharks are now carrying eight defensemen, but Tennyson could get in right away due to his right-handed shot. The Sharks traded righty Jason Demers to Dallas in exchange for lefty Brenden Dillon on Friday, and on Saturday against the Coyotes, lefties Mirco Mueller and Scott Hannan skated as the team’s third defense pair.

Just like Demers before he was dealt, Hannan and Matt Irwin have struggled to give the Sharks consistent minutes, so it’s fair to wonder about the future of one or both of those blueliners if the Sharks decide to play Tennyson.

Burish was placed on waivers on Friday but went unclaimed, likely in large part to his $1.85 million salary through 2015-16. The 31-year-old has three points (1g, 2a) and 33 penalty minutes in 20 games.

San Jose hosts Calgary on Wednesday.


757815 St Louis Blues

Bluenotes: Bouwmeester's 'Iron Man' streak ends at 737 games

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford

WINNIPEG, Manitoba • On Friday in Ottawa, Blues defensemen Jay Bouwmeester was asked about his “Iron Man” streak, which had reached 736 consecutive games before the team played the Senators.

“I consider it a combination of a lot of things, but you’ve got to have some element of luck,” Bouwmeester said Friday. “There’s all sorts of things that can happen. Obviously I’ve been lucky ...”

The next day, Bouwmeester would leave the Blues’ game in the third period because of a lower-body injury.

He was unable to play Sunday, against Winnipeg, ending the longest active streak of consecutive games played in major North American professional sports at 737.

“It was pretty cut and dry, I knew I couldn’t play,” Bouwmeester said. “Like I said the other day, I’ve been pretty lucky for a long time. Now it’s over — whatever, back to normal.”

The injury isn’t considered serious or long-term, but it was enough for him to need a break in the team’s third game in four days— and the second of a back-to-back matinees.

“I think if you’re ever at a point where you can’t play and you’re going to be a detriment out there, then you’re not going to play,” Bouwmeester said.

The injury occurred when he was making a play in the Blues’ offensive zone. He left the ice in a hurry and didn’t return.

“It was kind of weird,” Bouwmeester said. “Someone fell down, I kind of jumped over his stick and something seized up. Timing was real weird, for that to happen late in the game. But that’s the way it goes.”

Bouwmeester hadn’t missed an NHL game since the 2003-04 season, when he was with the Florida Panthers. Since then, he had played the entire 82-game schedule eight times.

He did only play 47 of 48 games during the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, but that was because he was traded from Calgary to the Blues, who already had played one more game than the Flames.

Now it’s over but as Blues coach Ken Hitchcock joked, Bouwmeester can start another one when he returns from the injury.

“I don’t think I have time to get there,” Bouwmeester said, laughing.

Doug Jarvis holds the NHL record of 964 consecutive games played, set in 1986.

JACKMAN CATCHES HULL

On Sunday, defenseman Barret Jackman played his 744th game for the Blues, tying Brett Hull for No. 3 on the franchise’s list.

“To be in the same sentence as Brett Hull — obviously not for goals and assists but games played — one of the three is not bad,” Jackman quipped.

Jackman, drafted by the Blues No. 17 overall in 1999, has played all 13 of his NHL seasons with the team. He became the club’s leader in games for a defenseman in February 2013 when he surpassed Bobby Plager’s record of 615 .

With his next game, Jackman will be No. 3 by himself, trailing franchise leader Bernie Federko (927 games) and Brian Sutter (779).

BLUENOTES

Defenseman Chris Butler became just the second St. Louis-born player to suit up for the Blues, following Cam Janssen.

• The healthy scratches Sunday for the Blues were Magnus Paajarvi and Chris Porter.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2014


Blues' Reaves scores winner at 'home'


WINNIPEG, Manitoba • Willard Reaves was sitting in a private box Sunday at the MTS Centre, wearing the jersey of his son, Blues forward Ryan Reaves.

A former running back in the Canadian Football League, Willard turned some heads with his celebration when No. 75 scored for the visitors in the third period. The Winnipeg native had his first goal against his hometown team, and it stood as the game-winner in a 4-2 Blues’ victory over the Jets.

“It was great to see him score against his home province,” Willard Reaves said. “I jumped up and cheered and everybody was dead silent, looking at me. I just said, ‘Hey, you guys score, you cheer. My boy scores, I cheer.’”

Reaves’ third goal of the season came just 2 minutes, 25 seconds into the third period, allowing the Blues to leave Winnipeg with their second straight victory, ending their four-game trip 2-2.

The Blues, who played Sunday without defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and were minus David Backes for a 10-minute stretch in the third period, reclaimed the top spot in the Central Division with 29 points. It came with their second win in two days, after beating Ottawa 3-2 on Saturday. They’ll be back at home on Tuesday, against Ottawa.

“This is a very tough schedule and to come out with wins on back-to-back, I’m really impressed with the way we competed yesterday and today,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said.

In addition to Reaves, the Blues got two power-play goals Sunday from Backes and Jaden Schwartz and an empty-netter from Paul Stastny.

Reaves was facing Winnipeg for the sixth time in his career, but had just one assist against the Jets and that came at Scottrade Center. Early in the third period, he gave the Blues the go-ahead goal with the 14th of his career.

A shot by Alex Pietrangelo put the puck deep, and after Steve Ott directed it on net, Reaves turned and wheeled the rebound past Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

“I hope all my friends were celebrating in the crowd,” Reaves said. “I’m sure (Willard Reaves) was going crazy up there.”

The Blues couldn’t extend their lead despite a four-minute power-play when Jets’ forward Evander Kane drew blood from Barret Jackman with a high-stick. (Backes also went to the locker room with about 15 minutes remaining in the game, returning with 5½ minutes to play, after absorbing a high stick that went uncalled).

But Winnipeg, which came into the game ranked No. 29 in the league in goals per game (1.95), couldn’t find the equalizer after receiving earlier goals from Bryan Little and Jim Slater.

Twice the Blues had to erase one-goal deficits Sunday, and they did so both times on the power play.

“We needed it,” Hitchcock said. “We told the players we were going to get our chances. We needed it and it came through both times.”

The unit had gone four games without a goal, but that changed in the second period when a delay-of-game penalty against the Jets’ Adam Lowry, son of former Blue Dave Lowry, put the Blues on the man-advantage.

Steen took aim from the point and his shot was redirected by Schwartz for his eighth goal of the season, tying the score 1-1 just 5:14 into the second period.

The Jets opened with the game’s first seven shots and the first goal.

With Bouwmeester sitting out Sunday’s game because of a lower-body injury, ending his “Iron Man” streak at 737 games, the Blues’ top defensive pairing was Alex Pietrangelo and Jackman.

On the first goal, Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler skated by Jackman around the Blues’ net and the puck ended up in Bryan Little’s lap for a 1-0 Jets’ lead.

The Blues played catch-up, eventually evening the shots at 13-13 and tying the score on Schwartz’s goal. But Winnipeg went ahead 2-1 on Slater’s first goal of the season.

It came with 10:07 left in the second period after a casual play by Pietrangelo in front of the Blues’ net. He tried to flip the puck from the front of the net, but Slater knocked it down with his chest and scored.

The goal started a spree of scoring chances for both teams.

For the Jets, Wheeler hit the post behind Allen, and for the Blues, Lehtera took a laser pass from Schwartz and tried to beat Pavelec but was denied with a brilliant leg save with 4:20 left in the second period.

The game seemed destined to head to the third with the Blues trailing 2-1. But then with 2:59 remaining, Winnipeg’s Evander Kane laid a high hit on Jackman.

Jackman was incensed, dropping his gloves. Kane didn’t respond to that, but was whistled for roughing, putting the Blues back on the power play.

The Blues followed with their second power-goal of the game, and Backes’ fifth of the season, tying the score 2-2 with 2:03 left in the period.

On the second of his two assists, Steen sprung Backes with a stretch pass up the middle.

The Blues’ captain took a few strides across the Blues line before pulling the trigger on a 22-foot shot that beat Pavelec.

“Old-fashion slap pass,” Backes said. “We talked about it a little bit before the game. We haven’t used that play in a while. Maybe they didn’t pre-scout and maybe we can catch them on their heels. He makes a heck of a pass. I let a shot go and closed my eyes.”

Reaves gave the Blues the lead in the third period and Stastny got an empty-netter with 39 seconds to play, his third goal of the season.



Reaves scores game-winner for Blues


WINNIPEG • Willard Reaves was sitting in a private box Sunday at the MTS Centre, wearing the jersey of his son, Blues forward Ryan Reaves.

A former running back in the Canadian Football League, Willard turned some heads with his celebration when No. 75 scored for the visitors in the third period. The Winnipeg native had his first goal against his hometown team, and it stood as the game-winner in a 4-2 Blues' victory over the Jets.

"It was great to see him score against his home province," Willard Reaves said. "I jumped up and cheer and everybody was dead silent, looking at me. I just said, 'Hey, you guys score, you cheer. My boy scores, I cheer.'"

Reaves' third goal of the season came just 2 minutes, 25 seconds into the third period, allowing the Blues to leave Winnipeg with their second straight victory, ending their four-game road trip 2-2.

The Blues, who played Sunday without defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and minus David Backes for a 10-minute stretch in the third period, reclaimed the top spot in the Central Division with 29 points. They will back on home ice Tuesday against Ottawa.

"This is a very tough schedule and to come out with wins on back-to-back, I'm really impressed with the way we competed yesterday and today," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said.

In addition to Reaves, the Blues got two power-play goals Sunday from Backes and Jaden Schwartz and an empty-netter from Paul Stastny.

Reaves was facing Winnipeg for the sixth time in his career, but had just one assist against the Jets and that came at Scottrade Center. Early in the third period, he gave the Blues the go-ahead goal with the 14th of his career.

A shot by Alex Pietrangelo put the puck deep, and after Steve Ott directed it on net, Reaves turned and wheeled the rebound past Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

"I hope all my friends were celebrating in the crowd," Reaves said. "I'm sure (Willard Reaves) was going crazy up there."

The Blues couldn't extend their lead despite a four-minute power-play when Jets' forward Evander Kane drew blood from Barret Jackman with a high-stick. (Backes also went to the locker room with about 15 minutes remaining in the game, returning with 5 1/2 minutes to play, after absorbing a high stick that went uncalled).

But Winnipeg, which came into the game ranked No. 29 in the league in goals per game (1.95), couldn't find the equalizer after receiving earlier goals from Bryan Little and Jim Slater.

Twice the Blues had to erase one-goal deficits Sunday, and they did so both times on the power play.

"We needed it," Hitchcock said. "We told the players we were going to get our chances. We needed it and it came through both times."

The unit had gone four games without a goal, but that changed in the second period when a delay-of-game penalty against the Jets' Adam Lowry, the son of ex-Blue Dave Lowry, put the Blues on the man-advantage.

Steen took aim from the point and his shot was redirected by Schwartz for his eighth goal of the season, tying the score 1-1 just 5:14 into the second period.

The Jets opened with the game's first seven shots and the first goal.

With Bouwmeester sitting out Sunday's game with a lower-body injury, ending his "Iron man" streak at 737 games, the Blues' top defensive pairing was Alex Pietrangelo and Jackman.

On the first goal, Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler skated by Jackman around the Blues' net and the puck ended up in Bryan Little's lap for a 1-0 Jets' lead.

The Blues played catch-up, evening the shots at 13-13 and tying the score on Schwartz's goal, but then Winnipeg went ahead 2-1 on Slater's first goal of the season.

It came with 10:07 left in the second period after a casual play by Pietrangelo in front of the Blues' net. He tried to flip the puck from the front of the net, but Slater knocked it down with his chest and scored.

The goal started a spree of scoring chances for both teams. For the Jets, Wheeler hit the post behind Allen, and for the Blues, Lehtera took a laser pass from Schwartz and tried to beat Pavelec but was denied with a brilliant leg save with 4:20 left in the second period.

The game seemed destined to head to the third with the Blues trailing 2-1, but then with 2:59 remaining, Winnipeg's Evander Kane laid a high lick on Jackman.

Jackman was incensed, dropping his gloves. Kane didn't respond to that, but he was whistled for roughing, putting the Blues back on the power play.

The Blues followed with their second power-goal of the game, and Backes' fifth of the season, tying the score 2-2 with 2:03 left in the period.

On the second of his two assists, Steen sprung Backes with a stretch pass up the middle. The Blues' captain took a few strides across the Blues line before pulling the trigger on a 22-foot shot that beat Pavelec.

"Old-fashion slap pass," Backes said. "We talked about it a little bit before the game. We haven't used that play in a while. Maybe they didn't pre-scout and maybe we can catch them on their heels. He makes a heck of a pass. I let a shot go and closed my eyes."

Reaves gave the Blues the lead in the third period and Paul Stastny tossed in an empty-netter with 39 seconds to play, his third goal of the season.



Bouwmeester's 'Ironman' streak comes to an end


WINNIPEG • The longest active games played streak in professional sports has come to an end.

Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who was injured late in Saturday's 3-2 win over Ottawa, is not in the Blues' lineup for Sunday's game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Bouwmeester's "Iron man" streak ends at 737 consecutive games played. (He has suited up in 743 straight games including playoffs but those games aren't counted toward the record).

Bouwmeester left the ice in pain in the third period of Saturday's game and did not return. The club labeled it a lower-body injury afterward. He was seen walking out of the locker room with no noticeable difference.

"He has a lower-body ailment, and we'll see how he is in the morning," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said after Saturday's game.

Bouwmeester was expected to receive treatment Sunday morning, with the possibility of playing. But instead, he will be replaced by Chris Butler in the Blues' lineup against the Jets.

"I think if you're ever at a point where you can't play and you're going to be a detriment out there, then you're not going to play," Bouwmeester said during an interview about the "Iron man" streak on Friday, the day before the injury.

"I've never really kept track what that streak is at ... the number or anything like that. You don't think about it. You just approach it like you want to play. Most guys, if they're able to play, they're going to play. But you're not going to do anything that's going to take away from the whole team thing."

Bouwmeester hasn't missed an NHL game since the 2003-04 season with the Florida Panthers. Since then, he has played the entire 82-game schedule eight times.

Bouwmeester did only play 47 of 48 games during the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, but that was because of a trade from Calgary to St. Louis, which had already played one more game than the Flames when the deal took place on April 1, 2013.

But Bouwmeester is out Sunday, meaning the NHL's Iron man streak will now belong to Anaheim's Andrew Cogliano, who has played 561 consecutive games.



Reaves game winning goal lifts Blues over Jets 4-2

By JUDY OWENS

The Associated PressNovember 23, 2014 Updated 8 hours ago

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Ryan Reaves and Alex Steen ignited a happy homecoming party in enemy territory on Sunday.

The Winnipeg-born players helped the St. Louis Blues defeat the Jets 4-2 in front of plenty of family and friends at MTS Center.

Reaves, who estimated he had 50 to 60 supporters in the crowd, scored the winner and Steen had two assists for St. Louis.

"My mom invited all her family and I've got a bunch of friends here so I'm sure it's going to be packed in there," said Reaves, referring to a room set aside for visiting players' guests.

Reaves scored 2:25 into the third period when he grabbed a loose puck near the side of Winnipeg's net, spun around and sent a low shot by goalie Ondrej Pavelec for the 3-2 lead.

"It just kind of laid in perfectly for me," said Reaves. "I was going to go to the backhand, but the momentum of the puck kind of took me on the spin-o-rama so I kind of went with it."

Reaves has played about five or six games in Winnipeg with either NHL or AHL clubs.

"I don't think I've ever had a point here so it was fun," he said.

Jaden Schwartz and David Backes each scored on the power play for St. Louis (13-6-1) and Paul Stastny added an empty-netter. Alex Pietrangelo also had a pair of assists.

The Jets (10-9-3) have allowed five power-play goals in their past four games and have one win in their last five games. They were 0 for 1 with the man advantage while St. Louis was 2 for 5.

Bryan Little scored his sixth of the season and Jim Slater got Winnipeg's fourth line its first goal of the year.

"Two power-play goals, that stung a little bit because we take a lot of pride in our PK," Slater said of the penalty kill. "But that's the way it goes some games.

"They're a four-line team and they roll them pretty good. And we knew we'd have to deal with that, get in there and play."

St. Louis backup goalie Jake Allen made 28 saves in the victory. Pavelec turned aside 25 shots.

The Blues were without defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who suffered a lower-body injury in St. Louis's 3-2 win over Ottawa Saturday afternoon. The absence ended Bouwmeester's "iron man" streak at 737 consecutive NHL games, the longest active streak in the league. His first game was March 6, 2004. The league record is Doug Jarvis with 964 straight games.

It was the first of five games between the Central Division rivals. The victory put the Blues atop the division.

"It was a war out there," Allen said. "You just saw a lot of guys getting clipped in the face, a lot of big hits and potential fights so it's definitely going to be fun."

The Blues didn't get a shot on goal until almost seven minutes into the first period, when Pavelec's stop made the shots-on-goal 7-1 in favor of the Jets.

Little scored at 9:04 when he poked the rebound of Andrew Ladd's shot between Allen's pads. The goal ended Little's 13-game scoring drought.

Schwartz deflected a Steen point shot for his eighth goal of the season at 5:14 of the second period while Jets forward Adam Lowry was in the penalty box for delay of game.

Winnipeg regained the lead at 9:53 on Slater's high shot from the slot, but penalty trouble soon cost the Jets again.

With Evander Kane in the box for roughing, Steen sent a long pass from near his goal out to Backes, who went high over Pavelec's glove with 2:03 left for the 2-2 tie.

"It's a tied game going into the third with a team that's at the top of our division and a team we can beat," said Jets defenseman Mark Stuart. "Today was a good example of that. It was just going to come down to one goal, whoever scores first in the third period and, unfortunately, it was them."

Winnipeg pulled Pavelec for the extra attacker with 2:02 left and Stastny scored his third goal of the season with 40 seconds remaining.

"I thought we played good team-wise," Steen said. "Got down, but stayed with it and Jakie made some big saves. Our goalies have been huge for us this year."

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.24.2014

757820 Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts notes: Killorn making up for injuries, slow start

By Erik Erlendsson

TAMPA — Alex Killorn endured a frustratingly slow start to the season.

The third-year wing is now making up for lost time.

With his winning goal in Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Minnesota, Killorn has goals in four consecutive games, a career best, while his five-game scoring streak is also a personal best. His sixth goal of the season came when a shot by Anton Stralman deflected off Killorn’s skate late in the second period.

“I don’t know if I’m feeling it; I think I was just in the right place at the right time,’’ Killorn said. “It went off my skate, and that’s just the way things are going for me right now.’’

It’s a turnaround from the start of the season, when he carried a two-game goal-scoring streak before slamming into the end boards during a morning skate in Edmonton on Oct. 20. He missed four games with an undisclosed upper body injury. Then three games into his return, Killorn suffered another unrelated injury against Washington on Nov. 1 that forced him to miss another four games.

But since returning on Nov. 13 against San Jose, Killorn has points in five of the six games in which he’s appeared. On Saturday, he skated on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan.

“I thought his first game back he was kind of getting a feel for getting back; and to be honest he might be our best forward since then,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “He’s really competed hard and karma is catching him, and good for him.

“He had a tough start to the year with some of these freak injuries. And he’s really thrown a couple of really great games together. He’s been good. So, we put him out there with Stammer and Cally and they did a heck of a job.’’

Long stretch

With Saturday’s victory against Minnesota, Tampa Bay went 6-3-1 over a stretch of 10 games in 17 days that started on Nov. 6. The span included two back-to-back situations and no more than one day off between games.

That limited the Lightning’s opportunities to get in solid practice time, to which Cooper attributed some of the lapses in defensive play at the end of that stretch.

“You can see at times when your habits are slipping a little bit when you don’t get to get out on the ice and practice,” Cooper said. “So, we had a really good one (Friday) later in the afternoon, and I think that set us up for’’ a stronger defensive game against Minnesota.

“These are the stretches you have to fight through,” he said.

The Lightning now play just twice in eight days before beginning a run of 11 games in 20 days on Dec. 1.

Organized chaos

The penalty kill the Lightning endured in the final 1:17 against the Wild gave the appearance Tampa Bay was in full scramble mode as Minnesota had a 6-on-4 skater advantage with the goaltender pulled.

But it had more structure than appeared on the surface.

“It’s a little bit of a panic situation, but we pulled it out,” said Stralman, who was on the ice with Jason Garrison, Brian Boyle and Cedric Paquette for the entire penalty kill. “We blocked some shots and did what we needed to do.”

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2014

757821 Tampa Bay Lightning

What we've learned about Lightning at quarter mark of season

Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

Sunday, November 23, 2014 7:15pm

TAMPA —The Lightning can light up the scoreboard like few teams in the league.

But coaches challenged players Saturday morning to win a 2-1 game, the type of drag-out, defensive battle it will encounter during a playoff push. And the Lightning did just that that night, outlasting the Wild 2-1 at Amalie Arena.

"We blocked shots, we sacrificed," captain Steven Stamkos said. "We found a way to hang on."

"Found a way." That's a fitting way to sum up the first quarter of the season for the Lightning (14-6-2), which has equaled its franchise record for wins (14) and set a mark for points (30) through the first 22 games.

Think about it: Tampa Bay is second in the Eastern Conference despite playing the past five weeks without top defenseman Victor Hedman (fractured finger). Due to injuries, the Lightning has finished seven games a man short. And it hasn't played its best hockey, with just a few complete games (Coyotes, Rangers, Red Wings) so far.

So how is Tampa Bay off to such a hot start? Here's what we've learned about the Lightning at the quarter mark:

It has impressive depth

Stamkos has 14 goals, which ranked second in the league entering Sunday. But the Lightning has not needed to rely solely on its star center, with all four lines contributing to the highest-scoring team in the NHL (76 goals). Eight players have at least five goals, including fourth-line center Brian Boyle and Cedric Paquette, who started the season at AHL Syracuse. Touted rookie Jonathan Drouin is still finding his way. Paquette and center Vladislav Namestnikov have been two of the biggest surprises and most reliable penalty killers. But with those two the only players who don't need to clear waivers, coach Jon Cooper will have another tough choice when Hedman comes off injured reserve.

No sophomore slumps

Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, Calder Trophy (top rookie) finalists last season, have picked up where they left off. Johnson is among the league leaders in assists (15), and Palat's plus-11 is second on the team to defenseman Anton Stralman's plus-12. The two have been at their best since getting reunited on a line in late October, joining Nikita Kucherov for the team's most productive unit.

It is strong in net

Goalie Ben Bishop is proving last year's breakout season, when he became a Vezina Trophy (top goalie) finalist, was no fluke. He is 12-3-2 in 17 starts, with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Bishop has been a difference-maker in many games, but the Lightning hasn't needed him to carry it as much as it did early last season. Veteran Evgeni Nabokov (2-3, 3.71) has struggled to adjust to the backup role. It has been challenging for the 39-year-old to play once every couple of weeks, with four of his five starts coming on the back end of back-to-back games.

It's getting defensive

Cooper said the main emphasis entering the season was giving up fewer goals and fewer shots. And though the numbers don't necessarily reflect it, the Lightning has been better in its zone. Stralman, signed to a five-year deal July 1, has been "nothing short of sensational," Cooper said. Jason Garrison, acquired from Vancouver in June, has been a steady, stabilizing force. Any team would have a dropoff when losing its top defenseman for more than a month, but the Lightning has survived Hedman's absence. It entered Sunday eighth in fewest shots allowed per game, averaging 28.2.

It's found an identity

With all the new faces and an extremely young forward group (nine of the 14 are 24 or younger), the Lightning was going to take time to find an

identity. But it has. "We're a quick team, we're skilled, and we're a puck-possession team," Stamkos said. "If we can stick with that, we're going to be successful."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.24.2014

757822 Toronto Maple Leafs

Roman Polak injury leaves hole on Leafs’ blue line

By: Mark Zwolinski Sports reporter, Published on Sun Nov 23 2014

Roman Polak is likely out with a left foot injury for “a while,” according to the Leafs.

Replacing him won’t be easy, but the Leafs have options.

The most ready appear to be either rookie Stuart Percy, who started the season with the NHL team, and Korbinian Holzer, who is a right-handed shot. The Leafs are now down to two right-handed shooting defencemen with the loss of Polak.

Polak was to have an MRI on his left foot Sunday, and while there were no updates it’s possible he suffered either a bad sprain or a bone fracture.

He was second to Dion Phaneuf in ice time among Leafs blue-liners, first among NHL defenders in hits and top five in blocked shots.

Polak has shown remarkable reliability for the way he plays, having missed only 10 games due to injury over the last three seasons (broken right ankle last January).

Besides Percy and Holzer, the Leafs are keeping close tabs on their three Swedish defenders with the Marlies — Viktor Loov, Petter Granberg and Tom Nilsson.

Toronto also has decisions to make with the return of several injured forwards this week. David Booth (foot) finished up his two-game loan to the Marlies Sunday while Joffrey Lupul (hand) has been participating in regular practice. Both are expected to play as early as Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh, while Brandon Kozun (ankle) is close to returning to full practice.

At the moment, the Leafs are icing a good fourth line of Richard Panik along with Marlie call-ups Trevor Smith and Josh Leivo.

The easy path for the Leafs may be to use Mike Santorelli to centre the fourth line with Booth and Panik (there is some versatility available in that both Santorelli and Daniel Winnik can play either the wing or centre).

Lupul would presumably take a place within the top nine forwards, possibly back on the second unit with Nazem Kadri and either Winnik or Clarkson. Either way, the team would have four solid lines to throw at the opposition.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.24.2014


Maple Leafs' late push leaves Mike Babcock in shock

By Rob Longley, Toronto Sun


TORONTO - Perhaps the biggest compliment for the Maple Leafs' effort on Saturday came from Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who seemed surprised by Toronto's surge in the third period.

Detroit had taken control of the game in the second period and the Leafs were down a man on defence with the injury to Roman Polak. The Leafs figured to be vulnerable. Instead, it was the Leafs that took control in the final 20 minutes, scoring three times on the way to a 4-1 victory.

"I thought we were going to come out and dominate them in the third," Babcock said. "We should have. They were down to five D. All you had to do was attack their net and you would have been off to the races.

"We didn't do it and that's part of the game."

To their credit, the Leafs have had strong third periods this season when they have remained in contention. They have counted a third-period goal in 12 of their past 13 games and have not allowed the opposition to score a game-tying goal in the third period all season.

HE'S SPECIAL

Not only did Tyler Bozak's unassisted, short-handed goal early in the third period stand up as the game-winner on Saturday, it continues the Leafs top centre's solid production on special teams.

Only two of Bozak's eight goals have come at even strength. In addition to the short-handed effort Saturday, he has had five goals on the power play.

"He's a deceptive player," Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said of Bozak. "A lot of times (Bozak) isn't really noticeable but at the end of the night, he's got points and he's made contributions."

Through 21 games, Bozak is second only to linemate Phil Kessel in team scoring with 19 points and is easily on pace to soar past the career-high 49 he had last season (in 58 games.)

"For the first goal, I just caught a nice break to get a breakaway and obviously the last one was an empty-netter," said Bozak, who had his first multi-goal game on home ice in his NHL career.

QUICK HITS

Bozak's shorty was the fourth of the season for the Leafs ... Jonathan Bernier's record in two games vs. the Wings this season is 1-0-1 with a 0.96 goals against average and .966 save percentage ... Defenceman Cody Franson played his 200th game as a Leaf and to celebrate played a career-high 26:14 ... How big is scoring first for Toronto? The Leafs improved to 8-0-0 when getting on the board first and are 9-2-2 when leading or tied after the opening 20 minutes ... Leo Komarov, who scored the opener Saturday, has only six goals in his NHL career but they tend to be big for his team. The Leafs are 6-0 when Komarov finds the back of the net.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.24.2014


Never a dull moment with Maple Leafs

By Rob Longley, Toronto Sun


TORONTO - When the Maple Leafs finished off the Red Wings Saturday night, they surpassed the quarter point of the season and did so holding down the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

It sure has felt a lot worse than that at times, hasn’t it?

After 21 games, the Leafs have a record of 11-8-2 for 24 points, just three fewer than at the same point last season. Even the 5-4-1 record in their past 10 games and 8-4-1 in their past 13 sounds better than it should be.

But the ugliness of the blowout losses have somehow been balanced by some credible wins, among them the two most recent efforts.

When asked earlier this week if he had any idea what his team was all about, Leafs coach Randy Carlyle was blunt in his response.

“No,” Carlyle said. “I just think we’re too erratic and inconsistent.”

And that was BEFORE Tuesday’s 9-2 loss to the Nashville Predators, a debacle that was followed quickly by impressively efficient wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and the convincing 4-1 margin against Detroit on Saturday.

The good news, we suppose, is that despite the noise engulfing the team — from contrived crises (silent Phil Kessel, abandoned victory salute) to real ones (blowout losses to Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Nashville etc.) — the Leafs haven’t really done serious damage to themselves in the standings.

Add the prospect of forward Joffrey Lupul returning to the lineup, possibly as soon as their next game, Wednesday in Pittsburgh, and the strong play of Jonathan Bernier in net the past two starts, at least there is room for some optimism.

The Leafs have plenty of areas in which they need to improve, of course, and if they’ve learned a lesson through the tumult of the first 21 games, it’s that they need a little more balance in their lives, both on the ice and off of it.

“It’s definitely a roller coaster,” said Leafs centre Peter Holland, one of the pleasant surprises over the first quarter. “It’s a matter of keeping an even keel in this dressing room.

“When we get a couple of losses, we have a tendency of getting down on ourselves. After a couple of wins, we have a tendency of getting too high on ourselves as well. It’s very easy to get distracted in this market ... It’s part of being a Toronto Maple Leaf.”

If you divide the schedule into quarters, it could be argued that the second one will be the most challenging for the team — on paper, anyway. While home games are split 10-10 over the next 20, towards the end, the Leafs will be on the road for seven in a row as the world junior championship takes over the Air Canada Centre.

To its credit, Carlyle’s team has compiled a decent 4-2-2 road record so far, which has helped keep the overall points haul credible.

“Play the right way is the term we are trying to use,” Carlyle said when asked Saturday about what the team had to do to make the next segment of the 82-game schedule more consistent. “If we can play the right way, we can be competitive in hockey games right now.

“We’ve got to establish a strong road record. We’ve done that so far, but we have to play a lot more road games.”

Wherever they are playing, the Leafs could use the power play to return to its earlier form, hope that the loss of Roman Polak won’t be for too long and pray for the miscues in their own end to lessen.

And if the Leafs are going to be in the thick of the playoff race come spring, they will have to have more nights like this past Saturday and Thursday and less like the two preceding games.

At any rate, the ride so far has been a wild one around a hockey team where there never seems to be a dull moment, justified or not.

“The ebbs and flows in hockey life in a market like this is all part of it,” Carlyle said recently. “If you’re not prepared to live with it, you’re in the wrong business. You’d drive yourself crazy.”

POLAK ON SHELF A ‘BIG LOSS’

Just as he was starting to have a steady and bruising impact on the Maple Leafs blue line, Roman Polak is expected to be out for an extended time.

So who is in line to replace the big body on the back end and when will Polak return?

Polak was expected to go for an MRI on Sunday with his condition updated on Monday, though coach Randy Carlyle suspects he will be out for multiple games.

The Leafs don’t have to make a decision until later in the week, but Korbinian Holzer and Stuart Percy would be the likely leading candidates for promotion from the AHL Marlies.

“(Polak) has been a really big piece to our back end,” Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf said. “He plays hard minutes, he’s a very good shot blocker and he’s a big man who wears other teams down.

“That was a big loss for us.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.24.2014


Toronto Maple Leafs salute crowd after snubbing fans the previous game

Sean Fitz-Gerald Last Updated: Nov 22 10:58 PM ET

TORONTO — Tyler Bozak had a pair of third period goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Saturday night.

Leo Komarov and Peter Holland had the other goals for Toronto (11-8-2). Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves to improve to 7-5-2 on the season.

Read more…

Tension filled the building as the final few seconds melted from the clock on Saturday, a prelude to the final act. The Toronto Maple Leafs were going to win, but that was not the question in the minds of everyone watching.

At the end of a bizarre week — bizarre even by Toronto standards — the major question had to do with what the players would do after they beat the Detroit Red Wings. After all that has unfolded, would they salute their fans?

And then, at the end of a 4-1 game, the answer.

Why?

A week earlier, the Leafs were blown out on the road in Buffalo, falling 6-2 to the worst team in the National Hockey League. Their response was not inspiring, stumbling to a 9-2 loss at home to the Nashville Predators at home on Tuesday.

Somewhere in the haze, forward Phil Kessel snapped at a reporter — “get away from me” — and fan angst grew. More than one fan has thrown a jersey on the ice in protest this season. And it has not gone unnoticed in the dressing room.

“It’s disrespectful, right?” Kessel told reporters (eventually). “Not just to us but to the organization, to all of the Leafs players that have ever played for Toronto.”

And so on Thursday, after the Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning at Air Canada Centre, players left the ice without raising their sticks to the crowd. Several players explained the move as an attempt to change their approach, to change their luck.

Not many accepted that argument. Taking it instead as a protest of fan anger.

On Saturday, the issue passed. Although, for those who really care about the issue, it may be worth noting the Leafs did not skate all the way to centre ice for their salute. Some did the bare minimum, raising their stick for only an instant before trudging off the ice.

I don't really need a salute. Truly. But a Stanley Cup once every 48 years wouldn't be bad.

— Simon Houpt (@simonhoupt) November 23, 2014

National Post LOADED: 11.24.2014


Toronto Maple Leafs’ Tyler Bozak scores twice in win over Detroit Red Wings

Dhiren Mahiban, Canadian Press | November 22, 2014 | Last Updated: Nov 23 12:16 AM ET

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs put the distractions of the past few days behind them to secure a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Don Cherry says Toronto Maple Leafs 'dumb' for not saluting fans after game

And when the game was over, the Leafs raised their sticks to acknowledge their fans.

“I thought we did a really good job of focusing on the process and preparation. That was a big thing for us,” said Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf.

Following backlash from Thursday night’s win over Tampa Bay — in which the Maple Leafs left the ice without saluting the crowd — the players elected for a modified salute on Saturday, raising their sticks to the 19,311 in attendance in front of their net instead of at centre ice.

“That was something we talked about in our room and we did not want to disrespect our fans at all,” said Phaneuf. “We know how much support that we have. That’s our new thing now. We wanted to change it up and that’s what we’re doing now.”

Added Jonathan Bernier, who made 26 saves to improve to 7-5-2 on the season: “There was nothing about disrespecting our fans, it was just switching it up. I thought tonight the crowd was great.”

Tyler Bozak had a pair of third period goals, including one shorthanded, and Leo Komarov and Peter Holland also scored for Toronto (11-8-2).

The game was tied 1-1 after two periods before Toronto responded with three unanswered goals in the third.

“I think we got back on track, playing the way we need to play,” said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. “I thought the game got away from us in the second period. We turned the puck over far too many times and we were receiving the game.

“We were on our heels for the second period.”

Tomas Tatar had the lone goal for Detroit (10-5-5). Jimmy Howard made 24 saves in the loss.

“We just weren’t cautious with the puck tonight,” said Howard, who dropped to 8-4-4 with the loss. “I think it’s been key whenever we’re careful at both blue-lines and don’t turn over in our end and we did that a lot tonight.”

The win was Toronto’s first over Detroit in three tries this season. The Leafs have now won back-to-back games following a three-game skid which saw Toronto out-scored 17-5. The Leafs also improved to 8-4-1 in their last 13.

Toronto will likely resume its schedule Wednesday night in Pittsburgh without the services of defenceman Roman Polak, who was injured just prior to the Tatar goal after he fell awkwardly on his left leg. Polak left the game favouring his left leg and did not return. The team announced he suffered a lower-body injury.

“Polak will have an MRI tomorrow on the lower-body injury and we’ll have an update for you on Monday,” said Carlyle. “(It’s) serious enough that he’ll be out for a while.”

Bozak gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead with his short-handed goal early in the third.

The Toronto centre stripped Detroit defenceman Niklas Kronwall of the puck at the Leafs blue-line, went in all alone and beat Howard with a backhand shot glove-side for his seventh of the season at 3:44. It was Bozak’s fourth career short-handed goal.

Holland added the insurance goal on a partial breakaway, beating Howard short-side for his fifth of the season with 4:21 remaining in the third period. With the goal,

Holland matched his goal totals from last season where he scored five in 39 games for

the Leafs. The goal snapped a four-game drought for Holland.

Bozak added an empty-netter with 1:47 remaining in the third for his eighth of the season.

“For the first goal, I just caught a nice break to get a breakaway and luckily it went in, and obviously the last one was an empty netter,” said Bozak. “It was nice to get those two goals, and (Holland) scored a huge goal for us to give us a two-goal lead late in the third.”

Toronto led 1-0 after 20 minutes thanks to Komarov’s second of the season.

Komarov put his shot off Red Wings defenceman Jonathan Ericsson and in at 11:39 of the first. Komarov had just four goals in 42 games during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season – his last in the NHL.

Tatar tied it 1-1 at 10:28 of the second period.

The Red Wings forward brushed off a hit from Polak and one-timed a feed from Xavier Ouellet for his ninth of the season. Tatar now has five goals and two assists in five games.

“I thought we really played real well in the second period. In my opinion (we) dominated the second period,” said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. “Good win for their team and when you won the first two games on your road trip you like to be greedy.

“You want to win all three and I thought we were set up to do that and we didn’t do it.”



Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Nylander kicked in head during Swedish league game: report

Kaitlyn McGrath | November 22, 2014 | Last Updated: Nov 22 9:19 PM ET

Toronto Maple Leafs' William Nylander was the team's first-round draft pick in 2014.

The Toronto Maple Leafs 2014 first-round draft pick William Nylander was accidentally kicked in the head by his Modo teammate’s skate during a Swedish Hockey League game, according to several reports.

William Nylander hurt in tonight's game. Got accidentally hit in the head by a skate. Could be a concussion. #LeafsNation #TMLtalk

— Uffe Bodin (@UffeBodin) November 22, 2014

Hearing William Nylander was hurt tonight during game in Sweden. Some on here saying head injury. Worth keeping eye on. #Leafs

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) November 22, 2014

The injury was reported by Uffe Bodin, editor-in-chief of hockeysverige.se, a Swedish hockey website as well as the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle.

During the first period of Modo’s game against Skellefteå AIK on Saturday, Nylander’s teammate went down to the ice and his skate came up, clipping Nylander in the back of the head

Nylander left the game following the incident and did not return. There was concern he could have suffered a concussion, as Bodin reported. However, the severity of his injury remains unclear.

In 13 games with Modo this season, Nylander has scored five goals and nine assists. The Leafs prospect returned to Sweden after being cut from the Maple Leafs after scoring one goal and one assist in six pre-season games.



Don Cherry says Toronto Maple Leafs ‘dumb’ for not saluting fans after game

Sean Fitz-Gerald | November 22, 2014 | Last Updated: Nov 22 9:28 PM ET

During the Coach's Corner segment, Don Cherry blasted the Maple Leafs for not saluting their fans after a win.

After confessing his bewilderment with the issue — calling it “the biggest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, with Toronto” — Don Cherry chastised Toronto Maple Leafs players for failing to salute their fans following a game earlier this week.

The Maple Leafs should just admit to snubbing their fans and move on

Players did not acknowledge the home crowd after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning on the Air Canada Centre ice on Thursday. Several players said it was not meant as a snub, though that is precisely how it was received following a stretch of brutal losses — losses that have prompted more than one fan to throw a Leafs jersey on the ice in protest.

Cherry addressed those fans during his Coach’s Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night.

“Everybody thinks that this guy’s a passionate fan,” he said. “This guy is a jerk that threw it on, that doesn’t care about the Leafs at all. He just wants to get his picture … that picture, ‘I did that — look, I did that.’ He’s a jerk, he’s not a fan at all.”

And the Leafs, with their response?

“It’s unbelievable that they would be dumb enough to go out and do something like that,” he said.

Toronto fans endured back-to-back blowout losses before the win over Tampa. The Leafs were routed on the road, 6-2, by the Buffalo Sabres last Saturday. They followed that loss with an even worse performance on Tuesday, with a 9-2 loss at home to Nashville.

Fans were unhappy. And they were not shy in conveying that feeling to the Leafs. And no matter how the Leafs have explained their change of heart about the post-game salute, the absence of one after the Tampa game was seen as a direct response to fan anger.

And that response, Cherry said, will not be soon be forgotten.

“There’s a silver lining for the Toronto Maple Leafs, though,” he said. “Now, these guys going on the ice know they’ll never, ever take a night off at home because the crowd will drive them nuts.”


757829 Washington Capitals

Matt Niskanen scores first goal with the Capitals, looks for more shots

By Alex Prewitt November 23 at 2:00 PM

Brooks Orpik paused and wondered if he should let slip the secret. The Capitals defenseman recalled the second intermission Saturday night, when his old and new teammate became clairvoyant. “Maybe I shouldn’t talk about it,” Orpik said, “but he said before the third period he was going to get one, and then he got one.”

A certain patience had always accompanied Matt Niskanen, a thoughtful pause following each question asked, so he could think of the proper answer. But even he thought about how, 19 games into his first season with Washington, 19 games after signing that massive summer contract for seven years, $40.25 million, he still hadn’t scored a goal.

“Yeah it’s always better to get the first one out of the way,” Niskanen said. “Wish it didn’t take this long. Nice to score. Sucks to lose.”

A breakout season in Pittsburgh last season, with 10 goals and 46 points, helped Niskanen score that gaudy deal, which thrust him into the Capitals’ second defensive pairing beside Karl Alzner and on the second power play unit, mostly assuming the spot occupied by Alex Ovechkin behind the left faceoff circle.

But when defenseman Mike Green suffered an upper-body injury and never appeared for the third period, and when defenseman John Carlson – the point shot on the second power play – had just finished a shift, Coach Barry Trotz sent Niskanen over the boards and onto the top unit. Twenty-eight seconds after Marcus Johansson drew a hooking penalty, Niskanen fired a one-timer from atop the scheme. The puck knuckled toward the crease, struck a Buffalo body and snuck past Jhonas Enroth for Washington’s only goal in a 2-1 loss.

“I think it’ll give him some confidence,” Trotz said. “He’s played very well, arguably as good a defenseman we’ve had all year in terms of his consistent play. Really a sneaky, tough player. Great stick and great sense around our net. Just real good poised player. I think that’s good for him to score a goal and get some offense, because he’s had some good looks. He jumps in the play at the right things, does all that good stuff.”

Niskanen had reconciled his lack of goals with relatively stable shot differential statistics. Even in the aftermath of a loss, he seemed genuinely curious when a reporter mentioned Corsi, effectively a measurement of on-ice total shot differential, including blocked and missed attempts. “That is how that stat works,” Niskanen replied, “isn’t it?”

With Alzner, Niskanen’s puck possession metrics haven’t wavered much from last season in Pittsburgh, his Corsi-for at even strength only dipping to 52.4 percent from 53.6. But Niskanen is also taking two fewer shots per 60 minutes (2.9, down from 4.9) and, without coincidence, his points-per-60 minutes has dropped in half, from a career-high 1.4 to 0.7, all according to Hockey Reference.

He and Alzner have consistently ranked among the team’s most stable defensemen concerning possession, but their individual shot numbers have both dipped, suggesting their on-ice presence has helped create more shots, but they personally haven’t received as many clear looks.

“I’d like to get more shots,” Niskanen said. “Tonight I threw a lot of pucks, so it was nice to do that. That’s really all I worry about. I don’t care if I get points or goals. I feel like I have to get shots to be an effective player, get them around the net.”

Only one question remained: Had Niskanen really called his shot?

“A lot of guys said that,” Niskanen said. “They were feeling it for me.”

Said Orpik: “Maybe he should say that more often.”

Washington Post LOADED: 11.24.2014


Capitals needed ‘greasy’ goals in loss to Sabres

By Alex Prewitt November 23 at 10:39 AM

Matt Niskanen had celebrated his first goal with the Washington Capitals and partook in an unrelenting fusillade onto the opposing net but now, as the defenseman scrunched his brow and scratched his cheek, he considered the prevailing emotion of another night slipped away.

“It’s nice when everyone can touch the puck on the rush and you make a good passing play and shoot from out and score,” Niskanen said, “but to consistently score I think we need to have a consistent net presence.”

Yes, Niskanen admitted, the Capitals pelted Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth with 44 shots which reached the net, and in this they could find solace, if some desired. Yes, they outpaced Buffalo in overall attempts by 30, setting a season-high in proficiency. But they lost, 2-1, Niskanen reminded, and here everyone knew the reason.

“We threw 77 pucks roughly to their net, so it wasn’t like we weren’t trying to throw pucks there, but we need a little more net presence,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “We talk about that all the time. When a goaltender’s good and seeing the puck, you’ve got to make him not see the puck.”

“Just that little extra second effort to get to the crease in front of them,” Niskanen said. “Get a greasy one.”

The search for “greasy” goals has hounded the Capitals through 20 games, through improved puck possession numbers and a recent home scoring drought of one goal in their past two. It buried their chances for overcoming the NHL’s worst team Saturday night, because only Niskanen found the net on a power play shot from the point, and his teammates did little to clog the area before Enroth to slam back rebounds.

“In these games, sometimes the tendency is to look for a better shot, a nice one-time pass across the zone,” Niskanen said, “but a lot of times in those ones, you’ve just got to get really greasy and shoot and crash, shoot and crash, make a pile there every time.”

Only twice did the Capitals’ shots come within five seconds of each other, and even five seconds can be long enough for the defense to reset. The best sequence came less than two minutes into the second period, when Enroth snuffed a Jason Chimera backhand, defenseman John Carlson had a shot blocked, and Beagle fired two rebound attempts, all within four seconds of Chimera’s first attempt.

Despite just four shots on goal during the first period and 26 overall, Buffalo had three pairs of shot attempts within five seconds of each other, including its game-winning goal during the third period.

“We need a little more traffic, second efforts, hanging around the net a little more,” Trotz said. “We had a couple scrambles. [center Nicklas Backstrom’s] line had one in the first, one in the third there. You’ve got to create those second and third efforts around the net, create a little more havoc for them. That’s an area we have to get better at. We’ve been okay on the road, I think, but at home here we have one goal in the last two games.”

The power outage at Verizon Center only underscored Trotz’s point, which he narrowed down to include his big-bodied right wingers. Forward Joel Ward has proven himself as Washington’s most effective net presence this season, but Trotz wants similar play from Tom Wilson, Troy Brouwer and possibly even Eric Fehr on the fourth line.

“We threw enough pucks, but we need to be hungry around the net,” Trotz said. “Need more net presence, bigger bodies, especially on the right side. Those guys can do some of that for us.”

That said, the Capitals also pinged several shots off the post and succumbed to a strong night from Enroth, who made 43 saves. But they have reached the power play once in the past two games, converting on Niskanen’s first Washington goal but unable to tap into the source of their greatest strength and deadliest weapon.

“I think at home, we wanted to establish something at home here,” Trotz said. “The last two games we have one power play goal — tonight. That’s not enough for us. So how do you create offense? Shots, traffic, second

efforts. Power play we’ve only had I think one power play in two games, I think we’ve had three power plays in three games maybe. Not very many. That’s a big part of what we do too. Teams are avoiding that.”

Washington Post LOADED: 11.24.2014


Legendary Caps scorer Dennis Maruk gets his due in pop-culture flashback

By Thom Loverro - The Washington Times - Sunday, November 23, 2014

In an episode of the FX Network program “The Americans” — an espionage drama that takes place in the nation’s capital in the 1980s — a Soviet agent mentioned Washington Capitals center Dennis Maruk.

He referred to Maruk as a “wily” player.

Turns out the staff behind the show are big Dennis Maruk fans — which makes sense.

If you were a Washington hockey fan in the 1980s — especially a Russian hockey fan — you had to be a Dennis Maruk fan. He’s still the single-season assists and points record holder for the Capitals.

“My daughter lives in Los Angeles,” said Maruk, 59, who was in town Saturday night to be honored by the Capitals. “When she saw that on ‘The Americans,’ she texted me and asked, ‘Do you know them?’ I said no. She found out who the writer and director was, and we texted them, and they texted back and asked if I could send them some autographed photos. They wanted ten 8 by 10s.

“I texted it would be kind of cool to have a 60-goal scorer make a cameo appearance on the show,” Maruk said. “They texted me, anytime you are in New York, come down to the set. I could be a spy — a former hockey player who is now a spy. That would be fun.”

The irony of all this is wonderful — a show about Russian spies in Washington in the 1980s highlighting a Caps player, when now the star of that same franchise is a Russian player, Alex Ovechkin, who is good friends with the Russian president who is at odds with America.

Now that’s a TV show.

Maruk was the Ovechkin of his time, a scoring machine who arrived in Washington in a trade with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. Before he came to the Capitals, Maruk’s career had been a roller coaster. He was drafted by the California Gold Seals in 1975, but the team moved to Cleveland a year later and became the Barons. Two years later, Maruk’s second team vanished, as the Barons merged with the Minnesota.

In Washington, he found a home — and a fan base that embraced him as the Capitals made the transition from a struggling expansion franchise to a playoff team.

“The Capitals were not very successful when I got here, but I felt like it was a place where I could do my thing and show them that I could play in the National Hockey League and score some goals,” Maruk said.

He did just that, scoring 50 goals and 97 points in the 1980-1981 season, and following that up with his record-setting year — 60 goals and 76 assists for 136 points. He represented the Caps at the All-Star Game that season — at the Capital Centre.

“I had a chance to go to the White House and meet President Reagan,” Maruk said. “It was special for my parents to be here. I was introduced as the last player on the ice and got a great ovation from the Caps fans there. It was an emotional moment, one I will never forget.”

But the Capitals were still losing.

“We had some up and down years, and it was frustrating,” Maruk said. “I really had to concentrate on my game and hope that either I would be traded or that somehow Washington would wind up a winning team. Then they made the great trade, and that changed everything.”

The “great trade” was the 1982 deal that brought Rod Langway, Doug Jarvis, Brian Engblom and Craig Laughlin from Montreal to Washington — the deal that changed the franchise, with its first winning season and playoff berth.

“It was an exciting time,” Maruk said. “The city and the fans were really into it. The crowds at the Capital Centre were really good. We had great support. It was our place to play, and we enjoyed it and had a good time.”

Still, Maruk was traded back to the North Stars the following year, and finished his career there, retiring in 1989 with 356 goals, 522 assists and 870 points.

Maruk still plays often, in charity games and other events throughout Canada, and runs a hockey school. He looks like he can still play — and, with a Fu Manchu mustache, could certainly pass for a spy.

He still follows the Capitals closely, and, like their fans, hope new coach Barry Trotz can finally deliver some Stanley Cup success to this franchise.

“They’ve got the players, but sometimes bad timing or bad goaltending during a series has kept them from getting over the hump,” Maruk said. “They need to find the right chemistry. What is that? It’s a season when the whole team is healthy and you have a really strong goaltender. He is the key. Now they have told [Braden] Holtby he is the main guy. The new coach seems determined to win.”

That chemistry and determination was nowhere to be seen Saturday night at Verizon Center when the Capitals lost to the woeful Buffalo Sabres 2-1.

“They need to sign me,” Maruk joked.

Washington Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


Capitals keep firing but fall 2-1 to Buffalo

By Harvey Valentine - Associated Press - Sunday, November 23, 2014

Buffalo coach Ted Nolan would rather discuss perseverance than luck. The Sabres used a little of both to extend their winning streak.

Torrey Mitchell scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:42 left, Jhonas Enroth stopped 43 shots, and the Sabres beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 Saturday night for their third straight win.

Buffalo won despite being outshot 44-26, getting a goal after a perfect bounce off the back wall and surviving eight shots from Alex Ovechkin — including one that banged off the post.

“I’m not a big believer in luck. I believe the harder you work the luckier you get, if there is such a thing,” Nolan said. “We kept trying to do the same things over and over again, and it’s nice to see that when you do that and have some perseverance, you get rewarded for it.”

Washington’s Braden Holtby made the initial save on Brian Gionta, but Mitchell knocked in the rebound for his third goal.

Mitchell had left the game briefly earlier in the period after taking a puck off his left foot.

“Lot of smiles (now), once adrenalin wears off he could be a little sore,” Nolan said of Mitchell, who was getting treatment after the game.

Matt Moulson also scored for Buffalo, which began the day last in the league with 12 points and has won three in a row for the first time since Feb. 25-28.

Washington’s Matt Niskanen tied the score with a power-play goal at 5:54 of the third period, and Holtby finished with 24 saves.

Enroth made 20 saves in the second period alone, and closed with several in the final minute after Washington pulled its goalie.

The Sabres were playing their first game since Tuesday following the postponement of Friday night’s home game against the New York Rangers due to the severe snow storm in the Buffalo region.

Washington had won five of seven.

We threw 77 pucks roughly to the net.but we need to have a little more net presence,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “When a goaltender’s good and seeing the puck, then you’ve got to try and make him not see the puck. Need a little more traffic, need second efforts.”

With Mike Weber off for hooking, Niskanen tied it on Washington’s 35th shot. He took a pass from Nicklas Backstrom and his shot from the slot deflected off a Sabres defender and past Enroth for his first goal of the season.

Washington outshot Buffalo 31-14 over the first 40 minutes but trailed 1-0.

Midway through the second, Tyler Ennis fired wide to the right of Holtby. The puck bounced off the end boards to Moulson left of the net, and he backhanded a shot past the sprawling Holtby at the 9:45 mark.

“I think we did a little bit of better job getting pucks toward the net (in the second period), that’s when you start to get bounces,” Moulson said.

Later in the period Ovechkin beat Enroth, but hit the post, not the back of the net.

“You can tell when he’s in the zone, he’s pretty effective,” Nolan said of Enroth. “Tonight he made some big, big saves to keep us in the game, and maybe the only place Ovechkin had to shoot was that goal post.”

NOTES: The Sabres‘ home game against the Rangers has been rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 20. Their game against the Ottawa Senators, scheduled to be played that night in Buffalo, has been moved to Monday, Dec. 15. … Washington re-assigned RW Chris Brown to Hershey of the American Hockey League. Brown scored one goal in five games this season with the Capitals. … Sabres D Nikita Zadorov played in his 10th NHL game of the season, thereby activating his three-year rookie contract.

… Buffalo C Cody McCormick left after being hit on the head by a skate in the first period and didn’t return. … Washington D Mike Green left with an upper body injury.

Washington Times LOADED: 11.24.2014


Next up for Capitals: Red-hot Islanders

November 23, 2014, 5:15 pm

Chuck Gormley

News, notes and assorted ramblings on the Capitals as they prepare to face the NHL’s hottest team, the New York Islanders, in pre- and post-Thanksgiving Day matchups on Wednesday and Friday:

Unleash the fury: The Capitals’ 2-1 loss to the Sabres Saturday night dropped them to 4-4-3 at Verizon Center this season. That is a concern for Caps coach Barry Trotz, whose team is 5-4-0 on the road.

“I would say if you’re going to make it into the playoffs you’ve got to be at least .500 on the road and about .700 at home,” Trotz said. “We’ve got it backwards right now. We’ve got to make home a real good place to be.”

Nisky business: After netting a career-high 10 goals, 46 points and a plus-33 rating for the Penguins last season, it took Niskanen 20 games to net his first goal of the season Saturday night.

He now has one goal, five assists and is a minus-3, putting him on pace for four goals, 21 assists and a minus-12 rating.

“I think it’ll give him some confidence,” Trotz said of Niskanen’s first goal. “He’s played very well. He’s arguably as good a defenseman as we’ve had all year in terms of his consistent play.

“He’s really a sneaky, tough player. Great stick and great sense around our net. Just a real good, poised player. I think that’s good for him to score a goal.”

When in doubt, shoot: The Caps’ 44 shots Saturday night and 20 in the second period were both season highs. They have now outshot their opponents in 14 of 20 games this season. Last season the Caps outshot their opponents just 22 times in 82 games.

Isn’t that special: The Caps have killed 15 consecutive penalties and 18 of their last 20. They’ve also given opponents just two power plays in the last two games, a sign of stronger discipline. The Capitals were 1 for 1 on the power play against the Sabres and are 15 for 59 (25.4 percent) this season.

Here come the Isles: Don’t look now but Jaroslav Halak, Mikhail Grabovski and the rest of the New York Islanders are in a first-place tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins atop the Metropolitan Division with 28 points, seven more than the Caps.

The Isles are 8-1-0 in their last nine games and Halak (9-4-0, 2 shutouts) has won his last six starts, allowing just eight goals in that stretch. Meanwhile, former Caps center Mikhail Grabovski has four goals and five assists and is a plus-5 while playing on the Isles’ second line with Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen.



Does Braden Holtby have his 'swagger' back?

November 23, 2014, 1:30 pm

Chuck Gormley

Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby doesn’t like to dwell on the past, but he certainly wants to learn from it.

A year ago at this time Holtby felt like he was fighting himself, and the puck, as he tried to adapt to a more conservative way of playing his position. [Plenty more on that here].

Today, the 25-year-old netminder is playing the way that got him drafted by the Capitals and made them think he was their goalie of the future.

And his teammates have noticed a difference.

“Even in training camp I was like, ‘Holtby’s back,’” Capitals center Jay Beagle said. “He’s playing his style, the way he wants to play.”

What, exactly, is that style?

“He’s more aggressive,” Beagle said, “more of the Holts swagger. I played with him for five or six years now and right away you notice he’s playing his style. I’ve always thought he’s a great goaltender, one of the best in the league.”

After a three-game losing streak in which he allowed four goals in each defeat, Holtby has won four of his last six starts and has allowed two or fewer goals in each. As a result, he’s lowered his goals-against average to 2.25 [12th best in the NHL] and increased his save percentage to .915.

“I think he’s looked very good in the last little while,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “He and Petey [Justin Peters] both went through a little faze where they just weren’t seeing the puck. I think they’re seeing it better and it shows in their numbers and in the quality of their saves.”

Holtby believes that if he continues to hold opponents to two or fewer goals, the Caps’ record will improve exponentially.

“As a goalie and as a defense your goal is [allowing] two or under and you believe you’ll win the majority of the games that way,” Holtby said following Saturday night’s 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. “But sometimes it calls for different and tonight we didn’t get it done.”

Through 20 games, the Caps have been involved in 13 one-goal games and are 5-5-3 in those games, winning twice in regulation, twice in overtime and once in a shootout, while losing five times in regulation, once in overtime and twice in a shootout.

So, in games decided by one goal, the Caps have gained 13 of a possible 26 points.

“In sports there are always key positions,” Trotz said. “Obviously, in football it’s quarterback and in hockey it’s really the goaltender. They can be such a game breaker or a game maker.

“There are good teams that just need consistent goaltending and there’s other teams that if you have great goaltending you go from an average team to a really good team.”

Which, Trotz was asked, are the Capitals?

“I think we’re probably right in the middle,” he said. “There are some areas we can be better at. We can be a team that has more flow. I don’t think we’re there yet.

“But we’ve played some pretty good teams already and I haven’t feared any team that we’ve played. Now, we have to beat them, but I haven’t feared them. I’ve been in positions [in Nashville] where it didn’t feel like we were going to have too much success against certain teams. I think we can have success against most teams in the league.”

Through 20 games, the Caps have faced just five of the NHL’s current top 10 teams and are 1-3-2 in those games [they faced Calgary twice], with all but one of those losses coming by one goal.

Which brings us back to goaltending. With so much parity in the NHL Trotz acknowledged that goaltending is generally the difference between winning and losing. Jhonas Enroth proved it Saturday night with his 43-save effort for the Sabres.

Holtby says the biggest difference in his game this season is the freedom to challenge shooters and use his athleticism to make saves, while still adhering to many of the techniques introduced by new Capitals goaltending coach Mitch Korn.

“It starts with being able to battle in practice,” Holtby said. “Maybe not always doing it technically right, but just working as hard as you can to do whatever to stop the puck.

“It does more for my mind than maybe other guys. It’s a little bit of freedom, but at the same time we’ve got to find a happy medium where I’m not going too out of control. The main thing is in order for me to feel good I need to work as hard as I can in practice every day in my way.

“We do the technique stuff, but in order for my mind to be right, I have to feel I can stop any puck possible and if I can do that in practice it trains my mind to think that way in games. I can lean on my technique but still know I can scramble when I have to.”


757835 Winnipeg Jets

One lousy rut ends Bouwmeester's streak

Posted: 11/24/2014 1:00 AM

Staff

YOU had to know it was more than a little something that kept St. Louis Blues defenceman Jay Bouwmeester from playing against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday at the MTS Centre.

The veteran blue-liner stepped in a rut in Ottawa Saturday afternoon and the lower-body ailment it caused meant his consecutive-NHL-games-played streak ended at 737 games.

It had been the longest active "ironman" streak in pro sports, having begun on March 6, 2004.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said Bouwmeester is day-to-day going forward. His icetime average this season was more than 23 minutes per game.

Bouwmeester's streak was the fifth-longest in NHL history. Doug Jarvis leads that category at 964 straight games.

Now, the NHL's longest active streak of consecutive games played belongs to Anaheim's Andrew Cogliano at 562 games.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.24.2014


Jets' penalty-kill has lost its mojo

By: Paul Wiecek

Posted: 11/24/2014 1:00 AM

The once-soaring Winnipeg Jets have suddenly lost two games in a row and their once-vaunted penalty-killing unit has now surrendered goals in four straight games, including two to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday at the MTS Centre in a 4-2 loss.

Just as concerning is both of the Jets' most recent losses -- to St. Louis Sunday and Detroit Thursday -- came on just the kind of third-period goals the club wasn't giving up when it was so red-hot during that recent 6-0-2 run.

But if you're a glass-half-full kind of fan and looking for reasons to be optimistic as the Jets head out this week on a gruelling three-games-in-four-nights road trip, how about this: Jim Slater scored on Sunday.

Big deal, you say? Well, yeah actually, it's a huge deal because neither Slater or any of his linemates on Winnipeg's fourth line had scored this season prior to Slater finally ending the long and increasingly frustrating drought with an unassisted goal 9:53 into the second period on Sunday.

Yes, Slater's first of the season came in a losing effort. But it also came at long last from a line that is going to have to find a way to produce offensively at least occasionally this season if the Jets are going to be a winning team.

"For the line, it's a good confidence boost," said Slater. "We try to go out and give it our all every night. And the last few weeks, we've had some really good chances and some really good games. But it's a matter of going out there and doing what we can with what we have. Hopefully this (goal) starts something and gives us a little confidence."

Slater was asked if the drought was weighing on the fourth line, which has this season included another mainstay in Chris Thorburn and then several different players, including T.J. Galiardi, Anthony Peluso and, most recently, Matt Halischuk.

Of those players, Halischuk had the only point coming into Sunday -- a lone assist.

"Of course. Anytime you've got no points in 20 games, that obviously weighs on you," said Slater. "But there's other factors in there. We still felt like we were playing a good solid game. Points just weren't coming and hopefully this kind of kick-starts it."

Jets' top-line centre Bryan Little -- who broke out of a slump of his own Sunday with a goal that represented his first point in eight games -- said he was happy to see his fourth-line teammates finally shake that monkey from their backs.

"It's good to see them get rewarded," said Little. "They've been playing well and they played really good tonight too."

It bears noting, the Jets' fourth line are hardly alone in their offensive struggles -- Winnipeg's 45 goals through 22 games this season is the third fewest in the NHL.

"The whole group in here has obviously had some trouble scoring and hopefully we can get off that and put some pucks in the net," said Slater. "But we're also not a team like that. We're a defensive team and we're going to win games 2-1 and 3-2, that's just how it is for us right now."

All of which brings us back to that penalty-killing issue. While Winnipeg's penalty killing has been one of the very best parts of this team this season -- the PK unit was sixth in the NHL heading into Sunday -- the Jets have now given up power-play goals in the last four games in a row, including two to the Blues Sunday.

Defenceman Mark Stuart says no one is pushing the panic button just yet.

"Sometimes it comes in waves with special teams," said Stuart, "but it's a matter of stopping it now. You don't want to get on too long of a stretch... We've just got to get back to basics and be aggressive clearing pucks.

"That's something we take a lot of pride in -- our penalty kill. And I wouldn't say we're worried about it, but it needs to get better, for sure."

Jets head coach Paul Maurice thinks his PK unit has actually been playing pretty solid lately.

"We're giving up probably fewer chances on our PK," said Maurice. "But you get on runs at times where it's not going for you. We had (penalty kill) runs earlier in the year where we gave up nothing for four or five games but were giving up far better chances."



Butter-finger Jets can't hold lead

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 11/24/2014 1:00 AM

The Winnipeg Jets have begun building a body of work in terms of a style but the job's going to get more difficult if they keep butter-fingering the lead.

For the second game in a row in their own barn, the Jets let advantages slip away and lost third periods, this time falling to the St. Louis Blues 4-2 before 15,016 customers at the MTS Centre.

Winnipegger Ryan Reaves delivered the lethal blow Sunday, scoring 2:25 into the third to put St. Louis ahead for the first time, and to stay. With wins on back-to-back days on the road on the weekend, the multi-talented Blues have risen to the top of the Central Division standings with 29 points.

The Jets, meanwhile, have been stuck on 23 points (now 10-9-3) after losses to the Red Wings on Thursday and Blues Sunday. They go on the road for three games starting Tuesday in Columbus in jeopardy of not collecting points in more than a week.

"The only question I have right now is that since I changed the lines (a week ago), you feel like you're getting more offensive chances but you're giving up four and four (goals)... and is that good enough?" coach Paul Maurice said Sunday.

His defensively-sound team has given up those pair of fours against in the last two games, the first time that's happened all season.

Bump in the road?

'We're

learning how to play a real aggressive game and we're going

to get better at it.'

-- Jets coach Paul Maurice

You'd be hard-pressed to say the Jets' style is falling apart.

They've led in both games but lost to Detroit and St. Louis, two experienced and talented teams who have found the cracks and taken advantage. For substantial stretches of both games, the Jets seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

"We're a better team than moral victories," defenceman Mark Stuart said on the matter. "We did do some good things. We can take a lot from that game as far as that goes, but a loss is a loss and we're not happy with that. We're going to move forward here. We've got a huge week coming up."

Little off schneid

Jets centre Bryan Little scored a first-period goal to give Winnipeg its first of two leads on the afternoon. It was his first point in eight games.

"It's been more than a few (games), but I feel like our line's been playing really good defensively lately," he said. "The offence has been tough to come by."

Little said his team has a ways to go to put it together.

"It was a kind of game where we'd get momentum and control the play and they'd have a good stretch and control the play and we're trapped in our own end," he said. "It was kind of back-and-forth like that and that's not exactly the game we want to play.

"We're going to stay positive."

Discipline no issue

The numbers are starting to hint at an issue, but Maurice doesn't agree the Jets are undisciplined after a game that favoured the Blues in power plays, 5-1.

Four of Winnipeg's infractions were in the offensive zone.

By strict numbers, the Jets, with 84 times short, are second-highest in the NHL. And by time, now 151 minutes 32 seconds, they have been short-handed the most of all 30 teams this season.

"(On time), it means we're not giving up many goals so we're out there for the whole two minutes," Stuart said.

"Not even a remote chance (we're undisciplined)," Maurice said. "I don't like the call on (Evander) Kane. The puck over the glass and a high stick, that will happen. He (Kane) was just trying to get around a guy. He's not casual about it and he's not reaching in from behind. There weren't roughing penalties after plays or tripping penalties for being lazy.

"We had a stretch earlier in the year that we took (them). Just go back to San Jose, we took some undisciplined penalties. I haven't felt that. Times short? We're learning how to play a real aggressive game and we're going to get better at it.

"Minutes short? Good for us. Because if you're not leading the league in times short but you are in minutes short it means you're killing a lot of penalties."



Winnipegger Ryan Reaves scores winner to help Blues beat Jets

By Ken Wiebe, Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, November 23, 2014 06:20 PM CST | Updated: Sunday, November 23, 2014 10:09 PM CST

A quick glance at the game sheet suggests that a lack of discipline got the better of the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

After all, a pair of power-play goals from the St. Louis Blues during the second period erased a pair of one-goal leads that the Jets had worked so hard to build.

However, the first minor that led to a goal was an unlucky play, as rookie Adam Lowry chipped his clearing attempt up and over the glass in the defensive zone, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty.

The second, a roughing minor to Evander Kane for a high check on Barret Jackman, wasn't really a penalty in the eyes of Jets head coach Paul Maurice, whose club fell 4-2 to the Blues on Sunday before a crowd of 15,016 at MTS Centre.

What role, if any, did discipline play in the outcome?

“Nothing. Not even a remote chance,” said Maurice. “We're learning how to play a really aggressive game and we're going to get better at it.”

So, the Jets suddenly find themselves at 10-9-3 on the season as they prepare for a three-game road trip that will be played over four days and includes tilts against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins.

Discipline may not be a concern for Maurice, but the Jets' penalty kill, which has been one of their strengths through the first quarter of the season, has been leaking a bit of oil here of late as opponents have scored at least one goal in four consecutive games and in five of the past six.

“We've played against some top-tier power plays this last bit here and obviously we've got to get better at it,” said Jets centre Jim Slater, who scored his first goal of the season to put the Jets up 2-1. “We just have to clean up some little things. We still have a lot of confidence in our PK. It's a strong point of our team.”

Bryan Little got the Jets on the board at 9:04 of the first period, banging home a rebound for his first goal in 14 games but Jaden Schwartz tipped home a point shot from Alex Steen to even the score at 5:14 of the second.

Slater restored the lead at 9:53, scoring the first goal of the campaign for the Jets' fourth line, roofing his shot after Blues defenceman Alex Pietrangelo couldn't clear a loose puck after an initial shot by Matt Halischuk.

The turning point came at 17:57 of the second, when Blues captain David Backes snuck behind Jets defencemen Toby Enstrom and Zach Bogosian, accepted a crisp pass from Steen and beat Ondrej Pavelec with a shot high to the glove side to even the score 2-2.

That marker seemed to take the wind out of the Jets' sails as they were unable to generate much of an offensive attack in the third period, held to only seven shots on goal.

“We knew they had a good power play coming into this and they catch a couple of breaks and they get a few calls and it’s two quick goals,” said Lowry. “That’s kind of what was swinging the momentum in their favour, so I think that’s the difference.”

Winnipegger Ryan Reaves delivered the knockout punch on the score board, taking advantage of a harmless-looking shot from Steve Ott that caromed off the shin pad of Bogosian and right onto his stick at 2:25 of the third period for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

“I hope all of my friends were celebrating in the crowd,” said Reaves, the son of Winnipeg Blue Bombers legend Willard Reaves. “Getting a goal in front of them is special.”

The Blues were without top-pairing defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, who saw his consecutive games iron man streak end at 737 because of a lower-body injury he sustained on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.

But the Blues weathered an early push from the Jets, got strong goaltending from rookie Jake Allen and scored some timely goals as they improved to 14-6-1 and moved back into top spot in the Central Division, six points up on the Jets while holding a game in hand.

“There’s a reason they are at the top of the standings,” said Little. “It was kind of a game where we’d get momentum and control the play and they’d have a stretch where they would control the play and we were trapped in our own end. It was kind of back and forth like that and it’s not exactly the game we want to play.”

The Jets get only two of a possible six points on this homestand and are facing a little more adversity right now.

How they respond to it during the upcoming week will be very important as they try to keep pace in the Central Division.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.24.2014

757839 Vancouver Canucks

Jannik Hansen’s hat trick propels Canucks past Hawks, 4-1

By Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun columnist November 24, 2014 2:48 AM

VANCOUVER - Even before reporters arrived, there was a receiving line at Jannik Hansen’s locker on Sunday night.

Alex Burrows was first, sitting beside Hansen and talking excitedly about his teammate’s first hat trick since Hansen was a teenager in Denmark, which was at least seven professional seasons and 410 National Hockey League games ago.

Then came Tom Sestito, another injured Canuck, to fist bump Hansen, who smiled like a kid.

Players know. They’ve seen Hansen, how hard he works, how much he cares, how often he misses.

Form the time Hansen skated his way into the NHL from the 10th round of the 2004 entry draft, carrying a frenetic, gritty game — Canuck scout Thomas Gradin once accurately referred to the Dane as the “most North American” style of player on the team — the winger has looked like he could score.

He skates so well, releases his shot so quickly, that Hansen has always seemed like the depth player who would graduate to a place on the first two lines. Every coach and manager he has had would swear Hansen had the game to be a 20-goal scorer.

Three seasons ago, he scored 16. Then he scored 10 in the lockout-shortened campaign.

Then last year, when he withered more than anyone except defenceman Alex Edler under the John Tortorella blowtorch, Hansen scored just 11 goals, the final three of them over a span of 41 games.

Sunday, in the team’s most impressive performance so far this season, Hansen scored three times in 48 minutes as the Canucks dusted their old nemesis, the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-1 at Rogers Arena.

Fans threw hats. The Green Men tossed their wigs on the ice. People ready to lose their minds because Hansen, 28, is up to eight goals in 21 games, which puts him on pace to score 30.

“Confidence is a funny thing,” he said. “You can’t just pluck it out of the air and have it. It’s got to happen for you. And once you have it, the puck bounces your way instead of the other way. You could see that on the second goal; it bounces right on my stick and over his glove and in the far side. There are a lot of little things that happen. If the luck isn’t there, it doesn’t go in.”

Hansen’s second goal, a goalmouth redirect of Derek Dorsett’s pass that went past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford’s glove and into the top corner, broke a 1-1 tie at 6:24 of the third period. His first-period goal, on another Dorsett feed, opened scoring and his hat-trick goal was into an empty net.

Now might be a good time to point out that Hansen, Dorsett and rookie centre, Bo Horvat, are technically the Canucks’ fourth line under new coach Willie Desjardins, who likes those kind of things.

The Canucks have not had an honest-to-goodness fourth line in about a decade.

“We strive this year to make it a four-line team and it’s not a matter of one, two, three and four,” Hansen said. “Obviously, everybody knows the (first-line Sedin) twins are going to get their matchup every night. But after that, it’s up to the nine other guys to provide the secondary scoring.

“Obviously, it would have been different (on the fourth line) last year. Four lines, this year, we’ve made a big deal out of it. You can see in the ice time, too. A lot of nights we’re up at 11, 12, 13 minutes. That’s not fourth-line minutes. It’s a label that kind of gets thrown out there by media more than us. If you’re playing two or three minutes a night, then it’s disappointing.”

But with all his experience, those numerous test runs on offensive lines and his default status as a third-line NHL player, isn’t being on the forward line that typically plays the fewest minutes at least a little disappointing?

“For me, we want to get back to the playoffs,” Hansen said. “If I can contribute in any way possible to make that happen — good defensively, offensively, whatever it might be — it’s nice to be able to contribute and take that pressure off other guys.”

Finally, at least for now, he has shed that pressure from his own shoulders.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Canucks' Bo Horvat will be sticking around

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun November 24, 2014 2:47 AM

VANCOUVER - Sorry, London. You’re not getting him back.

Bo’s not going anywhere.

If there was any doubt about Bo Horvat’s immediate future, it should have ended Sunday after his three assists and a dominating faceoff performance in the Vancouver Canucks’ 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Arena.

Horvat, 19, became the first teenager to record three points in a game for the Canucks in nearly 25 years. You’ve probably heard of the other guy — now team president Trevor Linden, who had a goal and two assists in a game on Feb. 28, 1990 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Horvat won 13 of 16 (or 81 per cent) of his faceoffs against the Blackhawks. A couple of them were against Chicago captain Jonathan Toews.

“Believe it or not, that is my idol,” Horvat said of Toews. “That’s the guy I want to model my game after, that’s the guy I watched growing up playing in the NHL. And to take a faceoff against him a couple of times and to be on the same sheet of ice as him, it’s pretty cool.”

Cool is a good word to describe Horvat’s play. He sure doesn’t look like a 19-year-old out there. He and wingers Jannik Hansen — who had his first career hat trick Sunday — and Derek Dorsett have formed a highly effective fourth line.

On Sunday night, it looked more like the second or third line.

“I wouldn’t believe he was 19 if I didn’t already know that,” Dorsett said after the game. “The way he carries himself on and off the ice, it’s like he has played five or 10 years as a pro already.

“He’s fun to play with, you can trust him. He’s good down low. He’s always got the support there and he’s a big body that can win faceoffs. The last two nights we were matched up against (Ryan) Kesler for a bit and tonight Willie (Desjardins) wasn’t scared to put us out against their top guys, too.”

Sunday’s game was Horvat’s eighth as a Canuck. He can play one more before the Canucks would be forced to return him to the OHL’s London Knights so as not to burn a year of his contract.

That seems highly unlikely. The only junior hockey Horvat could possibly see in the next while may be the World Junior Championship.

Horvat acknowledged the nine-game plateau has been on his mind. It’s interesting to note that ninth game will likely come Tuesday against Cory Schneider and the New Jersey Devils. Schneider, of course, was traded to the Devils in exchange for the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft that the Canucks used to select Horvat.

“You try to block that kind of stuff out,” Horvat said of the nine-game mark. “It’s definitely in the back of your mind, but you try not to think about it. The more it’s in your head, you are going to start thinking about it and for me I just want to play my game and see what happens.

“Each game I keep getting more comfortable.”



Jannik Hansen scores three as Canucks down Hawks 4-1

By Joshua Clipperton, Canadian Press November 24, 2014 2:45 AM

VANCOUVER — Jannik Hansen scored the first hat trick of his career Sunday as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Chicago Blackawks 4-1.

Radim Vrbata had the other goal for the Canucks and Ryan Miller made 24 saves to get the win as Vancouver (14-6-1) celebrated assistant captain Daniel Sedin’s 1,000th NHL game with a hard-fought win.

Bo Horvat had his first three NHL assists, while Derek Dorsett added two of his own.

Kris Versteeg replied for Chicago (12-8-1), while Corey Crawford finished with 26 stops in taking the loss.

After giving Vancouver a 1-0 lead in the first period, Hansen snapped a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal in the last three games at 6:24 of the third. Dorsett chipped the puck down the boards into the Chicago zone before directing a shot towards goal that Hansen deflected into the top corner for his eighth of the season.

Prior to Hansen’s second, Nick Bonino had a great chance to give the Canucks the lead about five minutes into the third, but his shot from the side of a wide open net hit the far post and stayed out.

Chicago had a power play with about eight minutes left in the third, but Vancouver’s penalty kill was up to the task. The Blackhawks, playing their second of a back-to-back and third game in four nights, pressed for the tie late, but were caught out on a rush when Vrbata scored his 10th of the season at 17:36.

Hansen then won a race for the puck and scored into an empty net with 42 seconds left for the hat trick.

Chicago came in having won three straight — including Saturday night’s 7-1 thrashing of the Edmonton Oilers — and five of their last six, but was down 1-0 after the first period before starting to impose their will as the second wore on.

Versteeg, who came in with two goals and four assists in his last three games, scored his seventh of the season tie things at 7:55 on the power play, deflecting home a point shot from Duncan Keith past a helpless Miller.

Hansen wired a shot off a face off earlier in the period that Crawford did well to save before the Blackhawks goalie snagged a Vrbata deflection a few minutes later with his glove.

The Canucks had a great chance to restore the lead on a power play of their own later in the period, but Crawford robbed Henrik Sedin with the heel of his skate after taking a pass at the side of the net from Daniel Sedin.

Vancouver opened the scoring at 13:13 of the first period on the power play when Dorsett’s pass off the rush glanced off Horvat’s stick and right to Hansen, who buried his sixth of the season and third in as many games over Crawford’s blocker.

The assist was Horvat’s first in the NHL after scoring his first goal in Thursday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Canucks had the game’s first chance less than five minutes, but Crawford shot out his pad to thwart Bonino’s effort on a rebound in front.

The Blackhawks’ best opportunity of the period came moments before Hansen’s opener when Miller gobbled up Brandon Saad’s effort on a 2-on-1 short-handed break.

Notes: Henrik Sedin played his 1,000th game with Vancouver in March. ... Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis sat out with a lower-body injury after getting hurt on Thursday. ... Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. ... The Canucks host Cory Schneider and the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday before starting a season-high seven-game road trip in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Friday. The trip will also take Vancouver to Detroit, Washington, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. ... The Blackhawks continue their six-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche.



Canucks Game Day: Milestone night for Daniel Sedin as Canucks face Blackhawks

By ELLIOTT PAP, Vancouver Sun November 23, 2014

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks’ rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks resumes tonight on a milestone evening for star left winger Daniel Sedin.

The 34-year-old Swede will dress for his 1,000th regular-season game, becoming the 52nd player in NHL history to play 1,000 games for the same franchise. His twin, Henrik, hit the milestone last season.

“It means a lot,” said Daniel. “This is our home now. We’ve been able to play with a lot of great teammates and for a great organization. So it’s something I think you think about every day and you’re grateful for that. I enjoy coming to the rink every day.”

Daniel enters the night with 825 points, 69 game-winning goals, 12 of those in overtime. He has scored on 103 different goalies. His only goal tonight is to beat the Blackhawks.

“If we just get the win, I’ll be more than happy,” Daniel said.

The Canucks will have to do so without key defenceman Dan Hamhuis, whose right leg buckled on him during his first shift in Thursday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Canuck head coach Willie Desjardins didn’t offer much new on the Hamhuis situation other than it appears to be a long-term injury. Ryan Stanton, who was a healty scratch against Anaheim, will step into Hamhuis’s left-side spot alongside Yannick Weber.

“Dan is out for a while, for sure, but I haven’t got an update exactly on that,” Desjardins said. “Until we have an exact update, then I can’t tell you exactly but he’s out for a little while, for sure.”

Asked if surgery was a possibility, Desjardins replied: “I can’t tell that. I think that’s why we’re evaluating and trying to figure out what we’re going to do.”

It appears Desjardins will go with the same forward lines that he threw out against Anaheim as Alex Burrows did not skate again this morning and isn’t ready to go.

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, roll into Rogers Arena on a mini-hot streak, They have won three in a row and have outscored their opponents by a 17-6 margin. They have done so without one of their chief weapons, injured winger Patrick Sharp.

“They have a lot of different weapons,” noted Desjardins. “They’re deep, which means everybody on our team has to be good tonight.”

The Blackhawks, who trounced the Oilers 7-1 Saturday night in Edmonton, did not have a morning skate today. Based on Saturday’s successful performance, coach Joel Quenneville will likely stick with these units:

Captain Jonathan Toews between Brandon Saad and Marian Hossa; Brad Richards centring for Kris Versteeg and Patrick Kane; rookie Phillip Danault with Bryan Bickell and Dan Carcillo; and Marcus Kruger between Joakim Nordstrom and Ben Smith.

On defence, it should be: Duncan Keith-Brent Seabrook; Johnny Oduya-Niklas Hjalmarsson; and Michal Rozsival-Adam Clendening.

Toews and Kane, not surprisingly, lead the Chicago offence with 18 points apiece while Marian Hossa is next at 15.

Defensively, Chicago is the league’s stingiest team, allowing 1.96 goals against per game. The Canucks, by contrast, are 21st, with a team GAA of 2.90.

This is the Blackhawks’ lone visit to Rogers Arena this season.

ICE CHIPS: The Canucks have improved their faceoff ranking to 21st at 48.4 per cent. The Blackhawks are fifth at 52.7 per cent… Power plays are a wash as Chicago is at 19.5 per cent (15th) while Vancouver is at 19.4 per cent (17th)… The Blackhawks have the league’s second best penalty kill (90 per cent). The Canucks are seventh (85.9 per cent)… Referees for tonght’s game are Dennis LaRue and Francois Charron.

INJURIES: The Canucks will be without D Dan Hamhuis (leg), RW Alex Burrows (upper body) and LW Tom Sestito (groin)… The Blackhawks are listing LW Patrick Sharp (knee), C Andrew Shaw (upper body) and D Trevor Van Riemsdyk (knee) as their injured players.



Daniel Sedin honoured for 1000th game

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun November 23, 2014

VANCOUVER - Star left-winger Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks appeared in his 1,000th regular-season National Hockey League game on Sunday but admitted he once wondered if he and brother Henrik would even appear in 200 or 300.

“For sure,” Daniel said before the Canucks-Chicago Blackhawks match at Rogers Arena. “I think early on it was tough. But looking back, I think both me and Henrik are happy we went through those tough times because it makes you enjoy things a little bit more now.”

The twins weren’t overnight sensations. They struggled early in their careers before evolving into elite players, scoring champions and all-stars. Henrik, who has been the healthier of the two, reached 1,000 games late last season. Only 52 players, including Daniel and Henrik, have played 1,000 games for the same franchise.

“It means a lot,” said Daniel. “This is our home now. We’ve been able to play with a lot of great teammates and for a great organization. So it’s something I think you think about every day and you’re grateful for that.” Asked if he still felt like a kid, even at age 34, Daniel wouldn’t bite. “I wouldn’t say I feel like a kid,” he replied. “But I enjoy coming to the rink every day. It’s something special as an athlete to play a game with 20-25 other guys to try to accomplish one thing and that’s to win a game, or to win in the playoffs, or whatever it is. You try to reach that final goal together, and that’s special.”

Canuck head coach Willie Desjardins schemed against the twins during his two years as a Dallas Stars assistant from 2010-12, so he knew all about them as players. What he didn’t know, naturally, was the type of character they had.

“I was surprised at what good people they were and how much they care about the team,” said Desjardins. “Like, it’s not about them. I was a little bit surprised about that side of them. On the hockey side, every once in a while on our bench, when those guys are out there, you’ll hear the bench kind of go: ‘Holy!’ So, yeah, they’re pretty talented.”

In a pre-game ceremony, Daniel was honoured by the NHL, the Canucks and his teammates for achieving the 1,000-game milestone. NHL vice-president Jim Gregory presented Daniel with a Tiffany Crystal while Trevor Linden, the Canucks’ president of hockey operations, gave Daniel an engraved silver stick. The Canuck training staff then presented Daniel with a silver puck while his teammates, led by brother Henrik and alternate captain Kevin Bieksa, gave him an original painting (of himself in uniform) by Canadian artist Tony Harris. The Canucks For Kids Fund made a $10,000 donation in Daniel’s name to the charity of his choice and, finally, the Aquilini family and Canucks Sports and Entertainment presented Daniel and his family with a Disney cruise.

NO HAMHUIS UPDATE: With injuries usually guarded like state secrets, it was no surprise that Desjardins offered little in the way of an update Sunday on the condition of defenceman Dan Hamhuis. The latter went down on his first shift in Thursday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the visiting Anaheim Ducks. Hamhuis’ right leg buckled beneath him and he was helped off the ice in considerable distress.

“Dan is out for a while, for sure, but I haven’t got an update exactly on that,” Desjardins said. “Until we have an exact update, then I can’t tell you exactly — but he’s out for a little while, for sure.” Asked if surgery was a possibility, Desjardins replied: “I can’t tell that. I think that’s why we’re evaluating and trying to figure out what we’re going to do.”

Ryan Stanton, a healthy scratch in the Anaheim game, took Hamhuis’ lineup spot on Sunday. He and Luca Sbisa will be asked to absorb more minutes on the left side, along with mainstay Alex Edler.

“It’s definitely a blow to the team having Hammer out,” Stanton said before Sunday’s game. “He’s such a good leader and good player. He definitely played some tough minutes, and important minutes, for us so there are going to have to be guys who take those minutes. I’m sure I’m expected to be one of them. It’s going to be a challenge but I’m looking forward to it.”

QUOTABLE: “I try to take it day by day. I think that’s what he did, too. I think that’s the only way to play for a long time, enjoy each day and see what happens.” – Daniel Sedin on the Devils’ Jaromir Jagr, 42, who has played in 1,494 regular-season games.



Canucks Post Game: Fourth-line ‘hat’ fits Hansen, Horvat cements roster spot, Daniel digs honour, convincing win

Ben Kuzma

Points to ponder after the Canucks received an eight-point effort from their fourth line — including a hat trick from Jannik Hansen and three assists from faceoff-wizard Bo Horvat — en route to a convincing 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday at Rogers Arena:

HANSEN HANDLES HEAT: There’s always pressure to score, especially when you go eight games without a sniff and then find some finish on a breakaway goal to start a streak. And make no mistake. That first career hat-trick effort by Jannik Hansen on Sunday to make it three-consecutive games with a goal not only has him on pace to easily obliterate the 11 he managed under the rough rule of John Tortorella last season — and also better the career-high 16 goals in the 2011-12 season — it has him in a much better place to see the big picture.

Coaches always talk of playing four lines. Few do. Willie Desjardins does. And if 10 minutes on any line are guaranteed, it’s pretty hard for Hansen or any other Canuck to complain. After all, if they’re going to return to the playoffs, the Canucks can’t simply ride their top line to exhaustion.

“We need 12 forwards and six defenceman to make this happen and that’s all that matters,” said Hansen, who logged 13:40 Sunday and is averaging 12:28 this season. “Last year, as a fourth-liner you’re just not involved in the game and we’ve seen in back-to-back games this year that we can push the pace because the twins aren’t playing 24-26 minutes a game. As long as you’re in double-digit minutes, you’re involved in the game and not getting cold and then just getting thrown in there. For the first time since I’ve been here, the discrepancy in minutes between the second and fourth lines isn’t as big as it’s been in the past.”

BO KNOWS, CANUCKS KNOW: At first it was gaining the trust. Then it was transferring all that good play in his own zone into the offensive zone. There were face-off wins against Ryan Kesler and again on Sunday against Jonathan Toews. Bo Horvat won 13 of 16 draws and had three assists in his eighth NHL game and that nine-game window before his entry-level deal kicks in has becoming moot. Horvat has arrived. So long London.

“It’s been awesome,” beamed Horvat. “Jonathan Toews is my idol, I grew up watching him and model my game after him and he’s such a true competitor. He’s a great leader and a great two-way hockey player. To be going against him is something special and Willie (Desjardins) is starting to show a lot more trust in me and I had to earn it in the beginning.”

What Horvat will be earning is more minutes and probably some penalty-kill time because he has always thought the game well and now knows how to transfer that with better tempo and presence.

“Each game I get more comfortable and you’re starting to figure things,” added Horvat. “Having those guys (Derek Dorsett, Hansen) on my line has made my play and my face-offs look a lot easier. If we keep playing like that, we’re going to have a lot of success.

Said Hansen: “He’s strong for a teenager and he’s taken draws with the best of them and winning them. It’s important for us because we got caught on a couple of icings tonight and he won those face-offs for us and that takes a lot of pressure off — we have the puck rather than having to chase it.”

ALL HAIL MILESTONE DANIEL: Daniel Sedin got the video tribute, a portrait of himself in uniform and a family cruise vacation to mark his 1,000th regular-season game Sunday.

“It meant a lot,” said Daniel who, of course, preferred to talk about the game. “We rolled four lines, we were fresh and we did all the little things we needed to do and everyone is buying in. It’s a lot of fun when you can do that and nobody wants the pressure to score each and every game, but it’s good to know everybody can do it. That’s a great feeling.”

It’s also great for a raw rookie like Bo Horvat or newcomers like Radim Vrbata, Nick Bonino, Linden Vey and Derek Dorsett to quickly feel a part of something in the room. Especially Horvat.

“It’s crazy,” said Horvat. “This was my eighth game and Daniel has played 1,000 and it’s such a great achievement and he’s such a great guy. He welcomed me with open arms here and he’s a great pro and person. I’m just grateful to be a part of this.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.24.2014


Gallagher: Without Hamhuis, Canucks defend by committee

By Tony Gallagher, The Province November 24, 2014 2:47 AM

On a night when Jonathan Toews left Rogers Arena with an ugly minus-4 beside his name, you had to pause for a moment and consider how well the Vancouver Canucks back end played in the absence of Dan Hamhuis.

Yes, it was only one game and the odds against the team being able to sustain his absence for a long period of time are most certainly long. But in this one game against a very good team, they didn’t miss a beat.

Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler in particular drew praise from coach Wille Desjardins, who noted that his defence played particularly well but definitely had some help from the forwards — who appeared to come in with the idea that they were going to do their best to help out by keeping the puck in front of them tonight.

While Jannik Hansen with his three goals and Bo Horvat with his 13-3 mark on faceoffs and three assists drew much of the attention, it was the start of this long-term project of filling in for Hamhuis which seemed the most intriguing.

Obviously, this team needs some of the lesser lights on defence to step up and there’s no question some of the people involved were paying attention to the memo. Early on in the first period Luca Sbisa drove Patrick Kane into the corner boards face first, drawing the ire of Kris Versteeg who proceeded to jump him and take a penalty for his efforts. And from there things seemed to flow for these guys, with Desjardins chosing to leave Edler with Chris Tanev, obviously now the number one pairing if they remain together.

“Everyone is going to have to step up whether it’s us or Kevin and Sbize or Webby (Yannik Weber) or whomever,” said Tanev, who finished the evening a plus-three on his team-leading 33 shifts. “Tonight we knew they played last night and looked very good. I watched the game on television last night (from Edmonton where the Hawks hammered the Oilers 7-1) and we know they’re a good team from the number of times we’ve played against them. They’ve got some really dynamic players but tonight we all seemed to have a good game.”

“We did play well tonight but you know, in this league, it’s just one game in November, so you take it and go on to the next one,” said Bieksa, who is going to have to be a rock out there if this is to continue. And it will have to come in the face of higher numbers in minutes. He was nine seconds short of the 25-minute mark in this one so there’s very little doubt in OT games he’s going to get up into those numbers — where any NHL defencemen begins to have trouble coping, let alone a guy in his mid-30s who seems to be nursing some minor injuries. But on this night, he comfortably led the charge in ice time with Edler at 22:42.

“Right now we don’t have any plans to do anything with the defence,” said GM Jim Benning, who also was impressed with the way his team performed, but also added he was painfully aware of how long an NHL season is and how far there is still yet to go. “Obviously part of what we want to do is development and right now we’re going to go with the guys we have and if something develops, someone else gets hurt, well then we might have to do something. We brought up Frankie Corrado and we’ll go with these guys and see how they go.”

Obviously the cost of a quality defenceman these days is either a significant player, a significant draft pick or having to take on a sizeable, disagreeable contract as has been the case around the league recently. Clearly they would prefer not to have to go that route. They’re positioned to give up a forward if they must, given the emergence of Horvat who hit game eight last night, but at the same time they’re enjoying the touch of depth they do have up front and would like to keep it that way.

So it’s examine the issue as they go, and the players most of all seem to understand it best.

Said Bieksa while referring to the logo on the carpet in the middle of the dressing room: “We played a solid game tonight and we’re happy all six guys were contributing but hey … we’re not going to be doing cartwheels across the emblem in here yet.”



The Provies: The Drance Strikes Back Edition

November 23, 2014. 10:20 pm • Section: The White Towel

Wyatt Arndt

It’s time for the vaunted back-up to take over Provies duty for the night, as Botch is on what I assume is a glamorous vacation in Tahiti. I hear it’s a magical place.

While the Blackhawks aren’t as exciting as a return visit from Ryan Kesler, they still provide plenty more opportunities for excitement than the soul sucking Coyotes, so let’s break this one down, shall we?

BEST SIGN YOU’RE IN VANCOUVER

I can't help but wondering where Daniel's wife is though… #Canucks #Daniel1000

— O-Town Girl (@JustAnOTownGirl) November 24, 2014

During the presentation to Daniel Sedin for playing 1,000 games in the NHL, it was announced his three kids and wife were on hand.

While his kids were shown, his wife was not, which in Vancouver is the equivalent of running into a crowded building and screaming “BOMB!” at the top of your lungs.

People still talk about Artem Chubarov leaving his car in the then GM Place’s garage when he bolted to the KHL.

Twitter went into overdrive with theories, but I assume she was just sitting off-screen in the corner, waiting for a pass, as is the Sedin family way.

BEST ANSON CARTER IMPRESSION

Heck I could score 30 goals if I had the Sedins as line mates #Canucks

— Eric Edlund (@EdlundEric) November 24, 2014

Don’t forget to demand millions of dollars after those thirty goals and claim you made the Sedins take off. That’s the most important step in the official “Anson Carter: How To Ruin a Good Thing” playbook.

BEST SIGN KESLER WILL NEVER GO AWAY

@TheStanchion Apparently Kesler is playing with the twins tonight! pic.twitter.com/IUeu34aU05

— PDXNucksFan (@pdxnucksfan) November 24, 2014

Chicago hasn’t gotten over the fact they have nobody left on the Canucks to boo and jeer anymore.

With Kesler and Luongo off the team, they have to try and pretend to hate Jannik Hansen. Which oddly enough, they managed to do by the end of the night.

BEST HELL NO BO WON’T GO

Horvat should find a place to stay in Vancouver because he isn't going anywhere

— Taj (@taj1944) November 24, 2014

Bo Horvat continues to make a case for himself to never leave Vancouver ever again.

Faceoffs? 13-3, for 81%.

Points? 3 assists.

Super serious interviews: 5

BEST BO STAT INJECTION

Bo Horvat was +7/-1 (87.5%) Corsi against Patrick Kane tonight

— Rhys Jessop (@Thats_Offside) November 24, 2014

Not only does Bo Horvat have the demeanor of a seasoned vet, he is coming up big in games against tough opponents.

Bo ended up with almost 15 minutes of ice time on the night as a result of his strong play. And Hansen’s strong play. Hell, even Dorsett was flying out there.

Has there been a better fourth line in recent memory than Horvat, Dorsett, and Hansen?

It seems so long ago that Tanner Glass and a bunch of french players were running the fourth line show.

BEST CODY HODGSON SHOUT OUT

My father just yelled "HEY GRAINNE. BO HORVAT HAS MORE POINTS THAN CODY HODGSON. TWEET THAT TO SOMEONE."

— Gráinne (@wholegrainne) November 24, 2014

Cody Hodgson is still stuck at two points on the year. But I am sure they were very pretty points.

BEST MELANSON AND MARKSTROM UPDATE

Jim Jamieson ran a great interview he did with Canucks goalie coach Roalie Melanson on Friday. The most interesting part was when Melanson talked about what he told Markstrom over the summer:

You’re going to have to go back in the summer and get your body super fit and do the right drills and not go back to what you used to do, which was over-challenging and over-committing and putting everything into the first save. You have to play a smarter game,’” Melanson says.

Melanson’s love of his goalies playing in the blue paint is well known (who knew Felix Potvin was before his time, he practically lived inside of his net), so it’s interesting to see the continued relationship develop between Ryan Miller and Rollie Melanson.

How much of Melanson’s tutoring will Miller adapt into his game? Remember, Luongo bristled at times dealing with different goalie coaches during his time in Vancouver, so it’s not unheard of for a veteran goalie to struggle at changing up their game.

It’s not as if Miller is out there hot dogging it up, stacking pads and diving left and right in his crease just for the hell of it, but he definitely has his moments where he goes back to his roots and starts playing aggressive:

Miller2

That’s not exactly a typical butterfly save attempt.

Whether you like it or not, people are going to continue talking about Ryan Miller’s play all year, because $6 million on a goalie has to show that it’s an obvious upgrade on the two Swedes you already had in net.

Ryan Miller either seems to get blown out or he wins in games where he just had to be average. This has left many fans with questions about just how good Ryan Miller is playing this year.

BEST “I TOLD YOU SO.”

You might have noticed I didn’t make much mention of Hansen’s hat trick yet. You would think in the Provies, where The Great Hansen War has raged on for many months now, it would be front and center.

Funnily enough, before this game even went down, I had asked Thomas Drance, leader of the Hansen Rebel Alliance, to do a “Best of” for Hansen after this game.

He has heard so much written about him in The Provies that it seemed only fair to give the man a stage to defend himself.

Little did I know Hansen would get a hat trick on the night, giving Drance even more fuel to his Hansen fire. As per Drance:

So Jannik Hansen is hotter than a steamy cup of tea being sipped by a puppet frog in a pleasant, sun-lit breakfast nook.

Maybe Hansen isn't a complete offensive liability, but that's none of my business. pic.twitter.com/E4UpNQ6KyP

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) November 24, 2014

The checking winger – who has no finish and should never be in the top-six ever (according to your usual Provies narrator) – scored his first career hat-trick on Sunday. In the past three games he’s scored five goals on seven

shots.Hansen is a career 10 percent shooter and obviously won’t continue to cash in opportunities at the 71 percent clip he’s managed this week. Even the 17 percent clip he’s on for the season won’t last.

It’s fun to see him get some breaks though, particularly because Canucks fans and the Vancouver hockey media have decided that Hansen has zero finishing ability. Never mind the facts – be it his roughly average career shooting percentage, or his strong career goal scoring rate, or his well above average on-ice shooting percentage – he’s an offensive liability.

Except that he’s not. That’s the great thing about covering sports: if you’re really, really, really wrong about something, reality will usually force you to confront your wrongness in short order. Like Botch will do on Tuesday, I’m sure.

At 28, Hansen is what he is, and that’s a capable middle-six forward on a reasonable contract who can help a good defensive centre move the river in tough minutes while pitching in some secondary offense. What he’s not is a fourth-line meatloaf who can’t score on breakaways and doesn’t ever belong in the top-six.

Oh, and don’t tell me he was on the fourth-line on Sunday and that’s the reason why he was successful (just like Botch said!). Bo Horvat’s line with Derek Dorsett and Hansen played way more than the Richardson line did all game. By the third period, Willie Desjardins was actually using them as much as the Nick Bonino line.

Bonino hasn’t scored in seven games by the way. Maybe someone should convince Botch to focus on how Bonino can’t finish on an empty net. It might get him going.

While I fear Botch may never let me do the Provies again due to letting the enemy dine at our table, you have to give Drance his moment. He earned it.

BEST MATTY RUMOR

Have to think the Dan Hamhuis injury has the #Canucks inquiring further about Tyler Myers in Buffalo. Need a horse D-man short & long term.

— Matthew Sekeres (@mattsekeres) November 24, 2014

With the rumors that Dan Hamhuis will be out long term (unless that 57th doctor’s opinion pans out in telling them it’s just a scratch), the Canucks defense looks like it could be in a bit of trouble.

Yes, they got the win over a very good Chicago team (though they were playing their second of a back to back game), but it’s tough to envision riding Luca Sbisa for 21 minutes a night, like they did tonight.

In the past, you know the Canucks would have battened down the hatches and ridden the injury out, but Jim Benning is a different beast. Who knows what that wily veteran has up his sleeves.

That being said, Tyler Myers, a defenseman who has seen his stock drop dramatically since his rookie year, seems like as much of a roll of the dice as Sbisa.

BEST LIE EVER TOLD

They're back. #greenmen #Canucks pic.twitter.com/eqF7E34vpF

— Dave Cee (@CanucksIn4) November 24, 2014

I was told the Green Men had retired. Apparently this is the first of four final games.

Did Derek Jeter teach us nothing? Will we have to sit through pre-game ceremonies for the green men?

Do they get silver sticks? Do the Canucks put on Green Men patches for the season?

The Clapper did things the right way. He just disappeared into the night after tearing off his pants one final time, without any announcements.

BEST SIGN GILLIS IS GONE

tomlar The Provies: The Drance Strikes Back Edition

Long time Canucks color commentary man Tom Larscheid was removed from his spot during Gilly’s reign, with the rumors suggesting that Tom’s on air negativity (or realism) was not wanted.

Basically the Gilly regime wanted a Ned Flanders approach to observing the Canucks. Always positive and always smiling.

Well one thing that has changed since Lord Linden returned was Larscheid being spotted around the building again. Heck, he’s even made it onto TV again (where he quickly talked up Linden and co. ).

It’s great to see someone who is a deep part of the Canucks history make their escape from the Canucks blacklist. If it wasn’t for Tom, how would we have known Pavel Bure’s groin had never felt better?

Seriously, though, Tom made some pretty awful Canucks games watchable, so kudos to him for getting back into the Canucks good graces again.

BEST ADVICE

Don't tell Jannik Hansen this isn't his contract year. #canucks @TheStanchion

— Fraser Neave (@FWNeave) November 24, 2014

After missing around 7,819 breakaways, Hansen now finds himself with eight goals on the year.

Alex Mogilny was the king of the contract year boost. Nobody tried harder than Alex when money was on the line. Hansen has a lot left to learn.

BEST PENALTY TO STOP CALLING

Stick was already broken before @Twigy15 slashed it! @blakeprice1040 @mattsekeres @patersonjeff @RyanRA10 pic.twitter.com/QFIVT1cK3E

— tweet tweet (@Alfa1Seven) November 24, 2014

There are two penalties I can’t stand in hockey. The delay of game penalty for a puck over the glass, and the broken stick being used as evidence of a slash.

It makes no sense that sticks that sometimes appear made out of balsa wood, will be used as evidence of a slash. Alex Edler sneezes and half his sticks break.

Tonight, Derek Dorsett got called for slashing, and because the stick broke, it “looked bad” and the refs gave him a penalty. This led to Chicago tying the game up on the power play.

I would much rather the refs actually use their heads and decide if it’s a slash, instead of using a broken stick as a sign of wrongdoing. It’s not a murder weapon. It does not prove guilt.

#Canucks Dorsett says no doubt Clendening's stick broke when Hawks D tried to check him. Said he heard it break in corner.

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) November 24, 2014

BEST POT CALLING KETTLE

RT if you find the #Canucks green men an embarrassment. #enoughalready

— Raffi Cavoukian (@Raffi_RC) November 24, 2014

From a man who has seen a resurgence in popularity due to a song about a banana phone, it seems odd to be calling out the Green Men.

BEST PHOTO BOMB

@TheStanchion Schneider…"that was supposed to be me" pic.twitter.com/cnmkx4BgMT

— JD (@Joeplumber007) November 24, 2014

Oh Cory, sweet sweet Cory.

BEST PREDICTION ON THE GAME FROM MY DAD

Me: “Who do you think it gonna win tonight?”

My Dad: “I think Vancouver might take it because they’ve got to get things happening on a regular basis. They’ve got the people who are able to do it, it just has to come together!”

Who knew my Dad had the political skills of a seasoned veteran? I can read into this that he correctly predicted a Hansen hat trick.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

bowman The Provies: The Drance Strikes Back Edition

If they truly want to merge the WWE and the Canucks, then Mike Gillis will have to appear out of nowhere and offer Sting a two year, $20 million dollar deal.

sting2 The Provies: The Drance Strikes Back Edition

BEST EDDIE LACK COOKING STORY

While Eddie Lack “Taco Night” has entered into the official Cauncks canon, I wanted to dig deeper than “Taco Night”. I wanted to know more about Eddie Lack’s cooking history, so I asked him if he cooks anything else besides tacos.

“I made Tanev breakfast every morning when we played in Manitoba. Eggs over easy! I had to scream ten times for him to come downstairs. He couldn’t open his eyes before 11am.”

New theory, Chris Tanev looks so calm on the ice because he’s sleep walking his way through the game.

BEST PROOF THAT EDDIE LACK HONESTLY JUST LOVES FOOD

#Canucks Watermelon Eddie @eddielack takes the time for some post practice target shooting. pic.twitter.com/V3RFq4Turq

— Jeff Vinnick (@jeffvinnick) November 23, 2014

It doesn’t matter if he’s in gear or not, Eddie is always doing something with food.

BEST BOO YAH



Canucks 4 'Hawks 1: Hansen's hat trick badgers Blackhawks

By Ben Kuzma November 24, 2014 2:46 AM

Vancouver Canucks' Jannik Hansen, left, of Denmark, and Chris Higgins celebrate Hansen's third goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday November 23, 2014.

Daniel is often the better quote because Henrik has to be the diplomatic captain. Daniel is usually the better shooter and Henrik the premier playmaker, but those analytical lines can become blurry and make you as dizzy as defending the Sedins on a cycle because their artistry is not defined by one asset. And while Daniel received a video tribute, portrait and family cruise to celebrate his 1,000th NHL regular-season game Sunday, it's what the twins have brought to the Vancouver Canucks that goes far beyond career statistics.

In a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, the trickle-down effect of everything that the Sedins bring to the room and the ice was on display. And because the old guard looked as energized as the newbies, Jannik Hansen's hat trick, to make it three-straight games with a goal — after going eight without one — was a salute to the Sedins' perseverance. Same for Bo Horvat, who can't say enough about soaking up the Sedins' tutelage. The teenager had three assists, won 13 of 16 draws and schooled a minus-4 Jonathan Toews because a four-line team every coach talks about is why the Canucks are 14-6-1. The fourth unit was as a good as any Sunday with eight points.

"Confidence is a funny thing," said Hansen. "Once the puck goes in, you feel like every shot that you take might have a chance and obviously it can be the other way around."

Hansen's second goal spoke of everything that's going right because it took a five-man effort to get the puck out of the zone, up to Derek Dorsett and then the deft deflection by Hansen. His empty-netter came after Radim Vrbata made it 3-1 to make for the most rewarding victory of the season.

WHAT WE LEARNED: With Dan Hamhuis suffering a long-term, right-leg injury Thursday, the Canucks will learn help comes at a cost. The Ducks sent former Canucks blueliner Bryan Allen and pending UFA to the Canadiens on Thursday and are taking a chance on winger Rene Bourque, who has another year left at a $3.3 million US cap hit. That might have been the cost of doing business. Andrej Sekera, 28, of the Hurricanes is a pending UFA making $1.75 million and will strike it rich. Either way, the Canucks must either promote or pay.

WHAT THIS MEANS: There’s some mystery surrounding that upper-body injury that has sidelined Alex Burrows for two games, but in his absence the Canucks may have finally found the right spot for Linden Vey, even though it’s likely temporary. Perhaps being scratched for the first time Wednesday in Edmonton had the right effect on Vey because as a second-line winger Sunday, he looked fast, creative and confident in an up-tempo game so suited to his abilities. Maybe the responsibilities as a centre are too great for now at this level for Vey. But he’s part of the future and while he looked vulnerable in the middle against a big-bodied club like Los Angeles, he looked at home on the four-forward first power-play alignment against the Blackhawks and started the passing sequence in which Henrik Sedin was robbed on a second-period, power-play glove save by Corey Crawford. If his battle level in one-on-one situations along the wall can also improve, Vey won’t be scratched.

IN A WORD

HOT-SHOT: Jannik Hansen went nine games without a goal and now has goals in three straight games after snapping his sixth, seventh and eighth of the season Sunday.

STRONG: Bo Horvat had three assists and won 13 of his 16 faceoffs. So long London of the Ontario Hockey League, hello Vancouver.

MIFFED: Derek Dorsett protested all the way to the penalty box on a second-period phantom slashing penalty that broke the stick of Adam Clendening.

ADVANCED STATS

81 — The faceoff winning percentage of Bo Horvat in his breakout, three-assist game, by far the best on either team.

23 — The number of even-strength offensive zone starts for the Canucks, as opposed to 16 for Chicago when the score was either tied or within one goal.

38 — The even-strength CorsiFor% for Hawks captain Joanthan Toews, meaning his team had 11 attempts at goal while he was on the ice as opposed to 18 against. Rare for one of the NHL’s top two-way players.

80 — The percentage of offensive zone starts for Daniel Sedin, who led the team but was held off the scoresheet in his 1,000th NHL game.



Canucks Game Day: Daniel Sedin gets his 1,000 regular season game against old foe Chicago

November 23, 2014. 11:07 am •

Steve Ewen

Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and the rest of those merry Blackhawks come to Vancouver tonight for their first of four games this season against the Canucks. Here are five things we’re pondering heading into the action.

1. Daniel Sedin lines up for his 1,000 regular season game career game tonight. That prompted some of the best quotes we’ve seen out of coach Willie Desjardins.

On what surprised him about Daniel and Henrik Sedin once he got to know them: “I was surprised what good people they are and how much they care about the team. It’s not about them. I was a little bit surprised about that side of them.”

On the twins skill level: “Every once and a while on the bench, when those guys are out there, you’ll hear the bench kind of go, ‘Holy.’ You don’t get that very often. These guys are used to high-end plays.”

On whether he can tell the twins apart: “I might be able to. It’s still up for debate. I don’t go that way very often. I usually call them in together.”

Sedin will become the 52nd player in NHL history to play 1,000 regular season with the same team. Henrik is also on that list. Henrik played his 1,000 game with Vancouver last March in Winnipeg.

Expect the Canucks to have video tribute to Daniel tonight.

Dan Hamhuis won't be playing for the Canucks Sunday, but coach Willie Desjardins wasn't offering much more than that on the injured defenceman. (Province Files.)

2. Desjardins wouldn’t comment on the status of Dan Hamhuis (lower body) other than to say, “he’s out for a little while for sure.”

Hamhuis is third on the Canucks in minutes played (20:36), so that’s a big chunk of time for the defence to make up. Vancouver had an optional morning skate Sunday, with only 10 skaters taking part, so it’s hard to guess their line-up, but it’s a good bet that Ryan Stanton, who was scratched for the game against Anaheim, will draw in for Hamhuis.

GIF: Hamhuis injury http://t.co/TWAxwP91As

— Steph (@myregularface) November 21, 2014

Fellow blueliner Luca Sbisa said of missing Hamhuis: “He brings a lot to the table. He’s good in every zone. He’s a guy who can play big minutes. He’s definitely a leader in this room. He’ll be missed, but it’s an opportunity for other guys to step up and fill his shoes. Big shoes for sure, but you have to find a way.”

Winger Alex Burrows (undisclosed) also won’t play tonight, according to Desjardins.

3. Ryan Miller is expected to get the start in the Vancouver net. It’s fair to say he might be inspired. The Blackhawks were the team that knocked he and the St. Louis Blues out of the playoffs last year in six games. Miller finished the series with an .897 save percentage and a 2.70 goals against

In the regular season, Miller is 1-0-0 with a 2.53 goals against and a .924 save percentage versus Chicago

It’s hard to guess what Chicago might do with their goaltending. The Blackhawks were supposed to start Antti Raanta Saturday night in Edmonton, but he was reportedly ill and they went with Corey Crawford instead.

Crawford is 1-0-2, with a 2.08 goals against and a .931 save percentage in the regular season against the Canucks.

It could be Crawford’s 11th straight start. Raanta hasn’t played an NHL game since Oct. 25.

Chicago, coming off that 7-1 drubbing of the Oilers, only had an optional morning skate Sunday.

Province Sports Radio’s Hockey Numbers, featuring Drance & Johnston, podcast talked about Canucks goalies this week.

link identities Canucks Game Day: Daniel Sedin gets his 1,000 regular season game against old foe Chicago

4. The Blackhawks are well known for their firepower up front with Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews, but, Sbisa pointed to their mobile blueline, saying, “I think their Ds are more dangerous,” when asked about the challenges of playing Chicago.

“They try to cause havoc in the offensive zone and you have to be aware of that,” said Sbisa. “Lots of talks needs to be going on in our zone. There’s going to be a lot of switching your guy off. If you play them man-on-man, you’re going to run into picks.”

Sbisa says that Chicago’s star rearguard Duncan Keith is “one of a kind,” and contends, “he’s the guy that makes plays that you don’t expect to. You need to be on your toes and play with caution.”

LoneBewitchedAoudad Canucks Game Day: Daniel Sedin gets his 1,000 regular season game against old foe Chicago

5. Kane is starting to heat up. He comes in on a four-game goal streak. He has four goals and four assists in that span.

In 26 regular season games versus Vancouver, he has 21 points, including nine goals.



Willes' Musings: Canucks’ Sedin twins join elite company

By Ed Willes, The Province November 23, 2014

Let’s see. Two CFL divisional finals. Seahawks-Cardinals. And, to top it off, Canucks-Blackhawks. I’m told the sun was out on Sunday. Can anyone confirm that? While we’re waiting, here are the Monday morning musings and meditations on the world of sports. — Daniel Sedin had played 979 games for the Vancouver Canucks before Ryan Miller joined the team, but Miller, it seems, is a quick study. Here’s his take on the importance of Daniel and his brother to the Canucks:

“It’s something we want to have in this locker-room, the commitment and the buy-in to the group, the dedication and the professionalism,” Miller says. “They’re the living, breathing embodiment of all those things. It’s hard to miss when you walk in here.” Daniel played his 1,000th game as a Canuck on Sunday night in a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks. To put that milestone in perspective, consider there are now 293 players in NHL history who’ve reached the millennium mark and just 28 played 1,000 games with the same team.

It’s an eclectic mix, ranging from the true immortals — Nick Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman, Stan Mikita, Bob Clarke, Jean Beliveau — to the greats — Alex Delvecchio, Henri Richard, Rod Gilbert — to the loyal foot soldiers — Ken Daneyko, George Armstrong, Chris Phillips, Ron Ellis. But when you look at the list, the common denominator among all those players is those qualities Miller talked about with the Sedins: dedication, professionalism, commitment.

Henrik said there was a time when the brothers didn’t think they’d last past their third season in Vancouver but through all the obstacles and all the BS, they persevered and triumphed. It helped that they had allies in the early years — Markus Naslund, Mattias Ohlund, Trevor Linden. But their greatest resource was and remains their character, and that’s the real reason to celebrate Daniel’s achievement on Sunday night.

“We got better and better every year,” Daniel said on what amounted to a state-of-the-union address for him. “I think that’s what I’m most proud of, just being able to get better.”

Such a simple statement. Such a powerful statement.

— The point was amplified to a deafening degree on Sunday night but the biggest difference between this year's Canucks and the Torts' Tire Fires of last season is the presence of an effective and productive fourth line.

OK, you're not going to get three goals every night from Jannik Hansen, but the point is Hansen, Bo Horvat, and Derek Dorsett all played at least 13 minutes against a huge Conference rival and that was a week's worth of work for the fourth line under Tortorella.

There is a balance and symmetry to this Canucks team which makes you think their current form is sustainable. And here's something else to chew on. What if Horvat is that one forward who's been missing from the lineup? On Sunday, he recorded three assists and won 81 per cent of his face-offs going up against Jonathan Toews for most of the evening. If Horvat is an impact player, it changes a lot of things for the Canucks.

— After a forgettable CFL season, the Grey Cup will at least feature an intriguing matchup and two good partying cities.

Calgary, top to bottom, is clearly the best team in the CFL and they’re playing for a legacy. Hamilton isn’t as deep but they have some weapons and we’ll say this:

If Brandon Banks goes for 294 all-purpose yards and returns two punts for touchdowns next Sunday, you have to like the Ticats’ chances.

Maybe the best development from the two Sunday playoff games concerned the four starting quarterbacks on display. As mentioned, this year didn’t show the CFL to its best advantage, but somewhere among Jonathan Crompton, Zach Collaros, Bo Levi Mitchell and Mike Reilly there’s a generation change at the league’s most important position.

This year, thankfully, is almost over but the future looks brighter.

— Speaking of quarterbacks, Russell Wilson’s numbers against Arizona weren’t gaudy but there was still something admirable about his performance against the Cardinals in a must-win game. Wilson was treated like a human pinata — seven sacks, 753 hits — and produced just one touchdown drive against a ferocious defence. But he was also responsible for 284 yards (211 passing, 73 rushing) of the Seahawks’ 335 yards in total offence.

Week-in, week-out the league’s glamour quarterbacks — Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers — put up crazy numbers but, in terms of value to his team, Wilson is the equal of any of them. The problem is, right now, the Seahawks offence is completely reliant on Wilson’s mobility and improvisational skills. If they’re going to repeat, they’re going to have to develop a ground game outside of Wilson and a more conventional passing attack.

— And finally, there was a scene on the B.C. Lions’ charter flight home from Montreal last weekend which told you all you needed to know about this year’s team. While most of the plane was quiet, there was a group of about five players who were laughing and joking most of the way home. Head coach Mike Benevides, who looked absolutely gutted when he got on the plane, stood up and stared back at them. So did Wally Buono.

It didn’t have much of an effect. This, we remind you, was a team that had just been embarrassed on national television and there was a group of players who were treating it like a joke.

There was something vital missing from the 2014 Lions, something that is at the core of all successful teams and that shows up when the stakes are highest. In their two biggest games of the season, a 37-3 loss to Edmonton in their penultimate regular season game and the 50-17 debacle in Montreal, the Lions quit on themselves, each other and their coach. For a team, there isn’t a more damning indictment.

Benevides, as is always the case in sports, paid with his job, but if the Lions are going to turn things around, they have to address the character issue. Maybe firing the coach sends the appropriate message to the players. But the changes can’t stop there.

GRAND CLUB

The 1,000-game, one-franchise club:

Nick Lidstrom, Detroit

Alex Delvecchio, Detroit

Steve Yzerman, Detroit

Stan Mikita, Chicago

Joe Sakic, Quebec/Colorado

Shane Doan, Winnipeg/Arizona

Ken Daneyko, New Jersey

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey

Henri Richard, Montreal

Patrick Marleau, San Jose

Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo

George Armstrong, Toronto

Bob Gainey, Montreal

Patrik Elias, New Jersey

Bob Clarke, Philadelphia

Chris Phillips, Ottawa

Jean Beliveau, Montreal

Dave Taylor, Los Angeles

Craig Ramsay, Buffalo

Rod Gilbert, Rangers

Denis Potvin, Islanders

Ron Ellis, Toronto

Wayne Cashman, Boston

Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit

Henrik Sedin, Vancouver

Bob Murray, Chicago

Claude Provost, Montreal

Daniel Sedin, Vancouver



Kuzma: Physiotherapist Rick Celebrini’s impact worth celebrating

By Ben kuzma, The Province November 21, 2014

Rick Celebrini says he’s excited with the direction the Canucks want to take their sports medicine and science.

You can talk to Kevin Bieksa about his game, charity ventures, mental-health awareness or a dry sense of humour that keeps his teammates — and even the media — in check.

Just don’t talk about injuries.

The Vancouver Canucks defenceman is loath to discuss anything that could or should keep him from his chosen craft because he considers it a crutch.

However, you didn’t need to be a doctor — or internationally acclaimed physiotherapist Rick Celebrini who’s now a consultant with the NHL club — to conclude that something was seriously amiss with Bieksa the last time the Canucks made a postseason appearance.

In Game 4 and about to be swept by the San Jose Sharks on May 7, 2013, the pain he was enduring was obvious. He wasn’t himself in one-on-one battles, had trouble moving in his own zone and struggled to get up ice. Playing through a groin strain during a six-week stretch of that shortened NHL season took a toll by the postseason. With his body compensating for the strain, his discomfort shifted.

“I’m fine,” Bieksa said at that time. “I’m not pulling that s--t. I’m not playing the injury card, nobody is.”

That summer, Bieksa struggled as his hips began to lock up during training to compensate for core issues. He worked with Celebrini and what you see today is a result of new-age preventive and proactive treatments to restore mobility and add durability.

“He’s helped me avoid two surgeries in my hips to the point where with everyday maintenance, I feel great,” said Bieksa.

“Surgery should always be the last option. A lot of times, there are no options for guys who go and get a consult and then surgery because they don’t have the luxury of having a Celebrini in town.

“He knows your body inside and out and gets the origin (of an injury) and doesn’t put band-aids on things. He figures out what the problem is and more than anything, he teaches you how to learn from your injuries and how to make yourself feel better.”

Celebrini also worked with former Canucks defenceman Jason Garrison on groin issues and current Canucks Brad Richardson and Ryan Stanton with back and groin problems, respectively. And when Dan Hamhuis suffered a right-leg injury Thursday, he moved to the front of the line to see Celebrini, a Burnaby native and a former soccer player who’s also head of sports medicine and science for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Celebrini met with Canucks president Trevor Linden and vice-president of hockey administration T. C. Carling in the summer to talk of injury prevention and cure. It evolved into a consulting position for Celebrini because of the passion the parties have for advancing the study.

Everything from injury risk factors to fatigue to body balance and how the body compensates for loads and ailments was on the table. Management of soft-tissue injuries includes how players can tailor their training to replicate more of what they experience in a 45-second shift.

All this piqued Celebrini’s interest to join Canucks director of human performance Mike Wilkinson, strength and conditioning coaches Roger Takahashi and Eric Renaghan and athletic trainers Mike Burnstein, Jon Sanderson and Dave Zarn in a collective endeavour.

However, as co-founder and partner in the Fortius Institute and senior member of Fortius Sport & Health in Burnaby, time management was going to be an issue for the father of four.

“When I met with Trevor and T.C., I was honestly impressed and inspired with their energy and vision of where they not only wanted to take the organization, but the sports science group,” said the 47-year-old Celebrini. “It was one of those things where, let’s see how we can make this work.

“Globally, in terms of our health care, injury prevention is where the winds are shifting and with elite sports, it’s an area where I have a passion, as does the Canucks staff.

“It’s a realization fairly recently that with athletes, there is scientific support where you can recognize risk factors and put things in place to decrease the incidents of non-contact injuries. The soft-tissue injury is an area I hope to contribute to and I just want to fit in with this group because of the respect of have for the openness and integration.

“The focal point is the fascinating world of sports science and, like a player, I just want to contribute to the team.”

The Canucks have one of the most arduous travel schedules and have employed a sleep doctor and even a mind-room concept to ensure the mental and physical strains placed upon professional athletes can be held in balance and that one area doesn’t suffer and overload.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Players do play hurt and one part of the body will compensate for another that’s under strain and the next thing you know a minor injury can become major.

“I would even expand it beyond that to overall loading and fatigue and travel and the mental aspect — they all contribute to the perfect storm of when an injury happens,” added Celebrini.

“If you can influence enough of those modifiable factors to just bring it below soft-tissue failure, then you’ve succeeded. Even if it’s not perfect, you’ve extended it beyond and it forms a systems approach where everything has to work together.

“You might be thinking you’re doing a good job with the strength and mobility of the body, but there are other factors in play.

“Injury prevention is only really effective when you have the integration of all the parts — conditioning, staff and fitness application.”



Jamieson: Roland Melanson makes his mark on Jacob Markstrom

By Jim Jamieson, The Province November 21, 2014

Jacob Markstrom in practice at Britannia Rink in September. The Swede spent two months over the summer working on an intensive technical makeover with Canucks goaltending coach Roland Melanson.

It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Jacob Markstrom.

One that took him on a steep downhill run and threatened to spit him out on some sharp curves.

But after he was considered one of the top goaltending prospects in the world as a teenager, then mired in the minors five years later, Markstrom’s career is back on the uphill track again.

Markstrom, 24, is in the minors playing for the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Utica, but he’s showing he’s ready for another shot in the NHL.

That message was sent loud and clear by Markstrom’s four shutouts in his first six starts, and putting together a streak of 238:08 in which he kept the opposition off the scoreboard. It was just 30 minutes and nine seconds short of the AHL record.

His save percentage was a ridiculous .955 going into the Comets’ weekend games.

So what allowed Markstrom to turn his career around?

“I would have to say it started with the summer,” says the Swede over the phone from Utica. “I had a great summer of training. It really worked for me. It was a good boost of my confidence.”

Every goaltender works on his game in the summer, and Markstrom had in previous years focused on making continued adjustments to the North American game since he signed with Florida in the summer of 2010.

But this past summer was different for Markstrom. He had a chance to put into practice the work he’d done with Canucks goaltending coach Roland Melanson. The two worked for two solid months after he was acquired from Florida, along with forward Shawn Matthias, in the Roberto Luongo trade.

Melanson was eager to get Markstrom into his Petri dish. It was clear to him that the young goaltender needed a technical makeover.

“I was excited that we were able to get a young prospect like that,” says Melanson. “I loved his size (6-foot-6, 195 pounds), the athletic ability. This guy at 18 years old was rated as the No. 1 (European) goalie (prospect) on the planet. Somewhere in between, the plan for him to get better, he either didn’t understand it or he didn’t buy into it.”

Melanson sat down with Markstrom and sketched out a road map. Part of it was getting Markstrom to agree to some significant changes to his playing style.

“The way I sold it to him, I said: ‘We’re going to give you a plan and we’re going to get you ready for the NHL. But I can only meet you halfway. You’re going to have to go back in the summer and get your body super fit and do the right drills and not go back to what you used to do, which was over-challenging and over-committing and putting everything into the first save. You have to play a smarter game,’” Melanson says.

“He did that. He saw he could play the game the easier way and be more effective.”

Markstrom acknowledges the changes were big, but he also knew that Melanson was highly regarded for his work with NHL goalies.

“It wasn’t too hard, really (to make the changes),” says Markstrom. “A lot of it wasn’t new.

“When somebody tells you it’s a better way to do things, you want to have a look at it. I feel really grateful. You just knew he’s been doing this a long time and he’s worked with some really good goalies, like Luongo and (Cory) Schneider and now Eddie Lack.”

Melanson pulled Markstrom’s positioning back from the top of the crease and worked with him to improve his puck tracking.

“When you are 6-foot-6, you don’t need to chase the game,” says Melanson. “You can let the game come to you. The game has changed so much in the last five to seven years, there is so much more east-west movement — the puck going from one side to the other. You want to play in your zone, deep in your net, with a five-on-three mentality when it’s five-on-five.

“If you start playing too aggressive, and those passes go cross-ice, you can’t get there.

“When you start understanding that, you start letting the game come to you. You start making the same saves in the middle of your chest where before you were scrambling to get an arm there.”

In 2010 Markstrom signed with the Panthers, who drafted him 31st overall in 2008. He played three seasons in the AHL while getting in 31 NHL games and had worked his way into the Panthers’ No. 1 spot by the end of the 2012-13 lockout season.

But before the start of last season, GM Dale Tallon signed Tim Thomas to be the No. 1 and the ripple effects pushed Markstrom back to the minors. Markstrom got into 12 NHL games, but his numbers went backwards. He had a save percentage of .874.

The thunderbolt Luongo trade last March gave Markstrom hope he’d be back in the NHL as backup to fellow Swede Eddie Lack. But then the Canucks’ new GM, Jim Benning, signed free agent Ryan Miller in July and everyone moved back a step.

Markstrom makes it clear he wants to be in the NHL, but he’s biding his time for now.

The Canucks brass clearly believes he’s a high-value prospect and, after seeing Markstrom 2.0 at training camp, only played him in one preseason game — at Stockton, Calif., where no video was shot of the game. Knowing they couldn’t keep three goalies, the Canucks put him on waivers the first day possible to get him to the minors and hoped he’d pass through — which he did.

Melanson sees a bright future.

“He really put the time in to get his feet moving the right way and in the right depth of the goal and now his talent is starting to come out,” Melanson says.

“I think he’s going to be a pretty good NHL guy. If his puck tracking continues to improve, I definitely think he’s got all the criteria to be a good NHL goalie. Not a backup, but a No. 1.”

Whether it’s in Vancouver — or elsewhere — is yet to be determined.



Jon joins Johns in Canucks broadcast booth

By Jordan Bowman, Legion of Blog November 21, 2014

Vancouver Canucks radio play-by-play man Jon Abbott in the broadcast gondola at Rogers Arena.

If you’ve been listening to Canucks games on TSN 1040 this season, chances are you’ve heard a new voice (with a familiar name). That voice belongs to Jon Abbott, a newly adopted British Columbian who is living his childhood dream as a hockey play-by-play announcer.

J. Bowman: Obviously you weren’t covering the Canucks last year. What was the outside perspective of the last Canucks season?

Jon Abbott: Surprising might be the best word. In a lot of ways actually. Surprising to see Torts start a fight with the Flames. Surprising to see some of the struggles that the team incurred, surprising to see the club not make the playoffs, especially now knowing that there are so many talented players I’ve been watching this year that were part of that season.

JB: How did you feel when you found out you’d be coming to Vancouver to cover the Canucks?

JA: Well, it happened very quick. I thought I was heading to London, Ontario, to do the Leafs rookie camp, then I ended up on a plane to Vancouver then in a car with Dave Tomlinson to Penticton. I was thrilled to get the job.

JB: How has the welcoming been?

JA: Between John Shorthouse and Tomlinson and the Canucks staff and people I would meet, everyone was so positive, both with being welcoming and with the direction the hockey team was going. It just was an unbelievable place to be right away; so I was excited.

JB: Was that car ride with Dave Tomlinson the first time you had ever met him?

JA: Well, I met him when I was interviewed, so that was a quick one-off there, but we had a good bonding experience on the way up to Penticton. And I found out Dave Tomlinson likes to … drive fast (laughs).

JB: So we’ve got John Shorthouse. We got John Garrett and now we have Jon Abbott. Is there a secret Jo (h) n invasion in Canucks broadcasting? Should Dave be worried?

JA: Oddly enough Shorty is an ex-goalie, which is what I played as well. And of course Garrett takes the cake because he played it for a living.

JB: Wow, so three ex-goalies named Jon?

JA: Yeah. Dave is lucky because it doesn’t matter who is in the booth, he just has to go “OK, John” (laughs). It’s the easiest thing ever. He can go into auto-mode.

JB: (laughs) What’s the one thing about doing play-by-play that people listening at home don’t understand?

JA: It’s moving a lot quicker than they could expect. Especially at this level, you notice it going from AHL to NHL. As much as the players say that’s one of the first things they notice, holy crap! You notice that as a broadcaster too.

JB: Have you ever considered having your own goal catchphrase? Something like “Boom goes the dynamite” but not that one.

JA: (laughs) Yeah NOT that one. It’s honestly never been something I’ve sat down and said I have to have. If I grew into one, I’d be OK with it, but I also … (sigh) it just seems to work so well for the guys that have it, yet it something they have to say every time. Besides, Dave has a pretty good goal line I think. He brings the intensity so I enjoy that (laughs).

JB: You know, I’ve never heard a dual catchphrase, where one person finishes the other’s sentence.

JA: Oh yeah, that would be kind of cool. Like a “shake and bake” type thing (laughs). That could be new ground. Next trip to Penticton maybe we’ll work on that.

JB: Say it’s June, and the Vancouver Canucks have defied the odds (all of them) and won the Stanley Cup ...

JA: Amazing.

JB: … What are the first words you would say as the final buzzer sounded?

JA: Oh man … I like to be unscripted but … it would probably be something along the lines of “it’s worth waiting for, Vancouver. You have your Stanley Cup.” Something like that, but I try to go off the cuff and see what I say in the moment.

JB: Well I look forward to being in that moment in June, and hearing what you come up with.



Oh, how we loved to hate the Hawks

By Adam Segal, Special to The Province November 21, 2014

The Chicago Blackhawks are in town Sunday (Rogers Arena, Sportsnet Pacific, TSN 1040) for what should be another spirited and testy affair at Rogers Arena.

It was only a few short years ago that the likes of Dave Bolland, Adam Burish, John Scott and Dustin Byfuglien’s on-and-off-ice antics were enough to make any Canucks fan’s blood boil.

If you were a Canucks fan from 2009 to 2011, there was no other team you loved to hate more than the Blackhawks. Vancouver/Chicago playoff series had more drama than an episode of the Real Housewives of Vancouver (and more hair-pulling, too).

Even if you weren’t a fan of either team it was must-watch hockey. You could feel the hate between the players, and even the coaches.

After every whistle there was some sort of extracurricular activity, whether it be shoving or chirping or biting. Heck, even some Canucks supporters extended their hate of Chicago to actor Vince Vaughn, who conveniently made appearances at Hawks playoff games. It was only until very recently that I lifted the ban for all of Vaughn’s movies in our house, so my wife is happy she can watch Wedding Crashers again.

There was something so unique and pure about this rivalry, which started taking form in 2009. The Canucks and Hawks were evenly matched, with all three of the recent playoff series going six or seven games. However, since Alex Burrows slew the Blackhawks dragon in overtime of Game 7 in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, and the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in the Cup final, the two teams have gone in seemingly opposite directions both personnel and results-wise:

Bolland is a Florida Panther, Burish and Scott are with the San Jose Sharks and Byfuglien is in Winnipeg.

Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, Ryan Kesler, Max Lapierre, Raffi Torres and Alain Vigneault are no longer in Vancouver.

The Canucks have only won one measly playoff game since their 2011 loss in the final.

The Blackhawks have won two Stanley Cups since 2010.

As much as I would like to conjure up the same kind of hatred for the Blackhawks now that I did three or four years ago, I just can’t. Yes, the thought of Patrick Kane still makes me cringe — and Duncan Keith’s cheap-shot elbow almost ended Daniel Sedin’s career.

But the combination of Chicago’s antagonists no longer being on their roster, along with the incredible playoff success Chicago has had in the last five seasons, makes me more jealous than anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I still can’t stand the Hawks and their repugnant Chelsea Dagger goal song. But it’s time to move on.

These days, the NHL has so much parity, which is largely due to salary-cap restrictions. Teams can only afford to keep their star players locked up on long-term contracts for big dollars; the depth guys — the Lapierres, the Burishes — are deemed expendable and often find themselves on a new team every one or two seasons.

It’s hard to promote rivalries and hatred against another team when the casual fan doesn’t know the majority of players on the opposition’s bench.

But all hope is not lost. What makes good sports rivalries is a fiercely battled playoff series, so if the Canucks manage to make the post-season this year, we Canucks fans may have a new team to loathe in April, 2015.

Or if they end up meeting the Sharks in the playoffs, we can have fun hating Adam Burish and John Scott — all over again.



Willes: Jannik Hansen paves the way for Danish invasion

By Ed Willes, The Province November 21, 2014

Jannik Hansen #36 of the Vancouver Canucks makes a pass in front of Ryan Kesler #17 of the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Honda Center on November 9, 2014 in Anaheim, California.

In his — can it be? — nine seasons with the Vancouver Canucks organization, Jannik Hansen hasn’t excited the masses with his production, but has managed to stay employed with a workman-like approach and the willingness to play an honest, two-way game within the team concept.

It’s been a solid career and if it’s lacked drama, that’s a reflection of Hansen’s personality and his game. He is not colourful. He’s not charismatic. He is, however, a pioneer in one of the game’s most intriguing recent developments and, while it’s hard to think of Hansen as an agent of change, he’s been right there at the frontlines, helping pave the way.

And now, Hansen finds himself in the golden age of Danish hockey.

Bet you didn’t know this was the golden age of Danish hockey.

“I remember, when I was in school, people told me you can’t play hockey,” says Hansen. “I was lucky. I lived in a city (Herlev, just outside Copenhagen) where there was hockey. When I was growing up, there might have been 15 rinks in the whole country. If you didn’t live in a city where there was a rink, either your parents had to drive you, or you were playing soccer.”

And now?

“It’s just the fact that they know there’s a chance out there and they might pick hockey over soccer or handball. It makes you feel good.”

At the ripe old age of 28, Hansen can look back and see that he’s made a difference as part of the first wave of Danes to make an impact on the NHL. That wave has also grown in size and strength over the last decade, and now includes players such as the Montreal Canadiens’ Lars Eller, the Arizona Coyotes’ Mikkel Boedker and Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen, as well as Nik Ehlers, Winnipeg’s ninth overall pick from last summer’s draft, former Canucks’ first-rounder Nick Jensen and another handful of players on the fringes of the NHL.

True, the Danes aren’t an imminent threat to take over the NHL but, considering it’s just been eight years since the New York Islanders’ Frans Nielsen became the first Danish citizen to play in the NHL in 2006, their rise has been remarkable.

“It’s still really hard to compete with soccer,” says Eller. “But it’s been different in the last decade or so. There’s definitely stuff happening. We’d just like to see more kids playing. We take a lot of pride in making it to this level from such a small country, with a small amount of players.”

Denmark, in fact, has just over 4,000 registered players and, until the turn of the millennium, the game was largely played at a recreational level. A couple of things, however, changed the landscape. The most notable, according to Hansen, was the arrival of Swedish coaches Mikael Lundstrom, who ran the national team, and Stefan Bergkvist, who ran the junior team. The two Swedes, it seems, introduced a level of professionalism to the game and were instrumental in the development of Hansen and his peers.

“They changed the focus of Danish hockey: the way we train in the summer, the way we train on the ice, the selection process, everything,” Hansen says. “We were really the first group — Frans, myself, (Chicago Blackhawks centre) Peter Regin.

“That’s really where it started. Up until that point it had been really spread out. There were no national team camps. You played your national team games at the end of each year, but we weren’t really competing against good players that often. Before that, we just had a great time in Danish hockey.”

Lundholm and Bergkvist also succeeded where Canadian coaches had failed.

“We tried the Canadian coaching,” Hansen says. “It doesn’t work with the Danish mentality. The suit and tie, the strict manner. It’s a little more laid back (in Denmark). The Swedes had a softer hand.”

Nielsen, as mentioned, is the Jackie Robinson of Danish hockey but Hansen is the Roy Campanella. Shortly after Nielsen, a third-rounder in 2002, was called up to the Islanders in 2006-07. Hansen, a 2004 draft, was promoted to the Canucks and played 10 playoff games that spring. He would spend most of the next season in Manitoba, but he’s been a fixture in the Canucks’ lineup ever since.

In the meantime, the St. Louis Blues shocked the hockey world when they took Eller with the 13th overall pick of the 2007 draft. The next summer, Boedker went to the Coyotes with the eighth overall pick. By the time the Jets took Ehlers, who had 49 goals and 104 points with Halifax in the QMJHL last season, drafting a Dane was no longer a novelty.

“We didn’t have anyone who was playing in the NHL when I was coming up,” says Hansen. “There were a couple of guys playing in the big leagues in Europe. Those were the guys we’d look up to. I think I saw one NHL game before I came over here in 2005. It just wasn’t a big sport.

“I think we opened some doors. Teams started thinking, maybe they have a Danish passport, but they can play.”

The next step for the Danes will be to make an impact on the international stage. They failed to qualify for the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, largely because the qualifying process took place in-season, when the Danish NHLers weren’t available to the national team. For the 2016 World Cup or, depending on Gary Bettman’s whims, the 2018 Olympics, the qualifying will take place in late summer. That means Denmark will ice a team with Nielsen — coming off a season where he merited serious consideration for the Lady Byng and Selke trophies — Hansen, Eller, Boedker, Ehlers, Andersen and some proven international players.

“The Olympics are the biggest event in Denmark,” says Hansen. “If we get there, it will be the biggest exposure for our sport, and more exposure means more opportunities.”

“Maybe we can’t compete with the best in the world but we should be there with the next tier: Switzerland, Germany, those teams,” says Eller. “The future looks bright.”

Especially when you consider where all this began. Hansen didn’t start playing organized hockey until he was 11. But by the time he was in his teens, he was playing with Nielsen and Regin and for Eller’s father Olaf. He also went to the same middle school as Eller, who grew up playing with Boedker and Andersen.

“Our world is small.” says Eller.

Funny, it’s looking bigger and brighter now.


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Sportsnet.ca / Tumultuous week ends on a high for Leafs

Chris Johnston November 23, 2014, 12:36 AM

TORONTO — Now that is how you finish a game. That’s how you polish off a victory.

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have been fortunate to keep the score tied entering the third period on Saturday, but there was nothing fortunate about the 20 minutes that made the difference against the Detroit Red Wings.

“Good win for their team,” Mike Babcock conceded afterwards.

The Leafs were down to five defencemen after Roman Polak suffered an undisclosed injury to his left leg or ankle midway through the game. Detroit had also put them on spin cycle, dominating possession at even strength for considerable stretches.

The score may have been 1-1 at the second intermission, but the Red Wings had a pretty clear expectation of how it was going to end up.

“I thought we were going to come out and dominate them in the third,” said Babcock. “We should have been — they were down to five D, all you had to do was attack their net and you would have been off to the races.”

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

The Leafs clearly had other ideas and used nice individual efforts from Tyler Bozak and Peter Holland — both turned a defensive zone turnover by the Red Wings into a goal — to flip the script.

However, what was most encouraging for Toronto is the fact they held Detroit to just five shots in the decisive period, thereby limiting the Red Wings to a total of 27 for the game.

The players view that as a progress. It’s a tangible sign that they can become a better defensive team, which is an absolute must if they’re going to get back to the postseason.

“I think it just goes to show that if we stick with the game plan we’re going to get rewarded,” said Holland.

The Leafs seem to have a penchant for lopsided outcomes — Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Detroit was the 12th time in 21 games they’ve either won or lost by at least three goals.

Faced with all of those crazy ups and downs, coach Randy Carlyle decided this week to start giving his players “process goals” to focus on each night. For the foreseeable future, they’re going to worry more about details in the game rather than the score of the game.

As a result, this latest victory was also a reminder that there is work to do.

Part of the focus for Saturday was holding Detroit to 25 shots or less. They allowed 22 through two periods before really buckling down.

“We were looking like it was pretty glum going into the third there, but I thought we did a great job in the third period of holding them off from getting pucks at our net,” said Holland.

It was a far cry from the middle frame, which saw Tomas Tatar tie the game 1-1 and Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier make his sharpest saves.

“They were directing pucks to the net,” said captain Dion Phaneuf. “When that happens you get running around a bit and it wears on your team because you’re spending more time in your zone.”

Most importantly, the win pulled Toronto within one point of Detroit in the Atlantic Division standings a quarter of the way into the season. The Red Wings swept a back-to-back earlier in the year and that left an impression.

“We knew that we had to get the points because we owed them,” said Phaneuf. “To stay composed and to stay the course of our system and to stay disciplined to the way that we wanted to play, we did a lot of real good things and we have to build on it.”

It was a satisfying end to a tumultuous week.

After the humiliating losses to Buffalo and Nashville by a combined score of 15-4 and the uproar that followed the decision not to salute the home fans after Thursday’s win over Tampa, the Leafs wanted to make a statement on the ice.

They walked the tightrope for two periods but got the job done when it mattered most.

“That felt good,” said Holland.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2014

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Sportsnet.ca / Oilers desperate for deal, won’t move core pieces

Jeff Simmons November 22, 2014, 10:11 PM

The Edmonton Oilers are desperate to make a trade, but opposing general managers are under the impression that the club is uninterested in dealing their young core players, according to Sportsnet’s Damien Cox and Elliotte Friedman.

The Oilers have gotten off to a slow start in 2014-15. They currently sit in last place in the Western Conference with just six wins and 14 points in 20 games.

Edmonton could use help everywhere but the most logical position to upgrade would be on the back end, as the club has the worst goal differential in the conference (minus-19), and only the Dallas Stars have allowed more goals than Edmonton in their conference.

The difficulty for Edmonton would be acquiring a substantial upgrade without dealing a core player or a high draft pick. In recent years, the Oilers have used high picks on forwards Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Nail Yakupov, but the team has yet to see an improvement on the ice.

They have seen improved possession numbers in head coach Dallas Eakins’ second season, but that has not translated into wins.

Edmonton has lost five straight entering Saturday’s action and have yet to defeat a Western Conference opponent this season.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2014

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USA TODAY / Trades pick up after GM meetings; will it continue?

Sarah McLellan, USA TODAY Sports 8:10 p.m. EST November 23, 2014

NHL general managers descended on Toronto last Tuesday for a state-of-the-league summit, and with all 30 bosses in one room, trade chatter was bound to happen.

Perhaps the get-together can be credited for opening the lines of communication as the final two opponents on the Arizona Coyotes' three-game road trip made deals recently.

The Anaheim Ducks added winger Rene Bourque from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Bryan Allen, and the San Jose Sharks sent defenseman Jason Demers and a 2016 third-round pick to the Dallas Stars to land defenseman Brenden Dillon.

After playing against the Coyotes on Thursday with the Stars, Dillon made his Sharks debut Saturday.

"There's a lot of teams that would love to make deals," Coyotes GM Don Maloney said. "It's just finding the match."

USA TODAY

Jay Bouwmeester's ironman streak comes to an end

The length of contracts combined with the uncertainty about where the salary cap could land next season has forced many managers to be cautious in their dealings. Maloney isn't sure if the market will change any time soon.

"I don't know if there's an ability to shake it loose unless you get teams very desperate to do something," he said.

Ownership update

Maloney said he has been told the Coyotes' ownership situation will be on the agenda at the Board of Governors meeting Dec. 8-9 in Boca Raton, Fla., but it's unclear whether the group will give its approval to Andrew Barroway's 51% purchase of the club.

Barroway agreed to buy a majority stake of the franchise Oct.10, but the deal is still awaiting approval from the league to be finalized.

"I think we're all hopeful that it will be resolved at that stage," Maloney said. "At one point, when it was announced, there was a thought it would happen earlier. So consequently, if it does happen, then shortly there after I'll meet Mr. Barroway and get a better sense of where we're going to be going forward."

USA TODAY LOADED: 11.24.2014

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USA TODAY / Jay Bouwmeester's ironman streak comes to an end

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports 9:05 p.m. EST November 23, 2014

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester's streak is over.

He didn't suit up for Sunday's game at the Winnipeg Jets, ending his ironman streak at 737 games. The run, which began on March 6, 2004, was the longest active one in pro sports..

Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano (562 games tonight) moves into the active lead. He has not missed a game since making his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 4, 2007.

Bouwmeester's streak was the fifth-longest in NHL history behind Doug Jarvis (964), Garry Unger (914), Steve Larmer (884) and Craig Ramsay (776).

The Blues player suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday's 3-2 victory against the Ottawa Senators. He had stepped in a rut in the ice, coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters after the game.

It will be the first time he has missed a game because of injury since the 2003-04 season, his second in the league, with the Florida Panthers. He missed 18 games with a broken foot, returned for one game and missed the next three. The 2002 third-overall pick played all 82 games as a rookie.

FOR THE WIN

Islanders turning the corner to being a contender

Bouwmeester also missed a game during the 2012-13 season, but that was because he was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Blues and didn't arrive in time to play.

The defenseman had one goal, one assist and a plus-1 rating in 20 games this season. He averaged 23 minutes, 13 seconds a game, ranking second on the team.

Defenseman Chris Butler took his place in the lineup for Sunday's game.


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USA TODAY / Islanders turning the corner to being a contender

By: Kevin Allen

CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS: An earlier version of this story included the wrong record for the New York Islanders. It is 14-6.

It hasn’t been this much fun being a New York Islanders fan since the days when Billy Smith was in net, Denis Potvin was anchoring the defense and Bryan Trottier was the team’s No. 1 center.

Smith turns 64 next month, and Potvin turned 61 last month. Trottier is the youngster at 58. That tells you are long it has been.

After waylaying the Pittsburgh Penguins in a home-and-home series, the Islanders are 14-6, representing their best start since 1987-88.

This isn’t a hot team riding a wave. This could be an indication of a franchise turning the corner to becoming a contending team.

Unquestionably, there is much work to be done, but the Islanders are showing they have the essential building blocks of a contender. John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Brock Nelson, Frans Nielsen, Ryan Strome, Johnny Boychuk, Travis Hamonic, Lubomir Visnovsky represent a noteworthy core group.

Jaroslav Halak’s .918 save percentage is the best save percentage the Islanders have seen from a No. 1 goalie since the days when a healthy Rick DiPietro was at his best.

Around the NHL, the Islanders are now viewed as an intriguing team, instead of the patchwork team they were for many seasons.

If the Islanders’ penalty kill was better – currently ranked 25th overall at 75.4% – the Islanders might be vying with the Montreal Canadiens to be the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.

Scoring 3.2 goals per game, the Islanders have the NHL’s third-best offense. They are a strong 5-on-5 team. They are also rank third in the league in the number of hits per game. They averaged more than 30 hits per game.

The team’s defensive game needs improvement, but they haven’t yet lost when they took a lead into the third period. The Islanders are 7-0 when leading after two.

New York’s defense should continue to improve over the next few seasons, because the Islanders’ top two prospects, Griffin Reinhart and Ryan Pulock, are both defensemen.

However, if the Islanders want to assure their defense stays competitive, they must re-sign Boychuk. His molten competitive nature has made a major difference on the Islanders defense since he was acquired just before the start of the season.

He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and the Islanders would take a step backward if he goes elsewhere.

It is strangely appropriate that the Islanders seem to be turning the corner to respectability in their last season in Nassau Coliseum. The team moves to Barclays Center next season in Brooklyn.

If the Islanders continue to make the strides they have made this season, it will be a new beginning for the team in more ways than one. The Islanders become like the Chicago Blackhawks, or Boston Bruins, or Detroit Red Wings – a team makes the playoffs every season.

Your games tonight

St. Louis at Winnipeg, 4:30

Montreal at N.Y. Rangers, 7

Arizona at Anaheim, 8

Chicago at Vancouver, 10


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Wall Street Journal / Rested Rangers Beat Up on Weary Canadiens

Dave Caldwell

Nov. 23, 2014 10:38 p.m. ET

The Rangers clearly benefitted Sunday from the weather-related postponement of their game in Buffalo, which was originally scheduled for Friday. Playing for the first time in four days, they pounced on the weary Montreal Canadiens and rolled to a 5-0 victory.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the 54th of his career, giving the Rangers back-to-back shutouts. Cam Talbot, Lundqvist’s backup, stopped 31 shots Wednesday to help the Rangers beat Philadelphia, 2-0.

On Sunday, a relentless attack was the key to the victory for the Rangers (9-7-4). Montreal (16-6-1), the top team in the Eastern Conference, had shut out the Boston Bruins a day earlier, and as a result the Canadiens’ first visit of the season to Madison Square Garden turned into a mismatch, with the Rangers taking 34 shots.

Rick Nash ended the scoring in the final five minutes by beating two Montreal defenders to whisk in his 14th goal of the season.

Fourth-line center Dominic Moore gave the Rangers a 1-0 first-period lead by hustling to a rebound to beat Montreal goaltender Dustin Tokarski and score his first goal of the season. Tanner Glass notched his first assist as a Ranger, and Jesper Fast recorded his first NHL point.

It was, in fact, Moore’s first goal since May 29, when he beat Tokarski with a second-period goal that lifted the Rangers to a 1-0 victory at the Garden in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, pushing them into the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Rangers padded their lead on Derek Stepan’s second goal of the season 35 seconds into the second period, in which they ended up outshooting Montreal, 14-5. Stepan took a backhand cross-ice pass from Martin St. Louis and beat Tokarski high.

Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin misplayed the puck deep in his zone with less than five minutes left in the period, leading to a takeaway by St. Louis and his eighth goal of the season and fourth in six games. Carl Hagelin added a third-period goal for the Rangers.

The Rangers are to play Wednesday at Tampa Bay and Friday in Philadelphia. Sunday’s game against Montreal ended a string in which they played six of seven games at home. They have played only six road games but now play seven of their next 10 on the road.

Wall Street Journal LOADED: 11.24.2014

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