sport-scan daily brief - nhl.comjets.nhl.com/v2/ext/files/clippings/03 22 2014.pdfsport-scan daily...

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/22/2014

Anaheim Ducks 738893 Ducks return Etem to their AHL team

Boston Bruins 738894 Bruins blank Avalanche for 11th straight win 738895 Bruins extend tear, clinch playoff spot 738896 Dennis Seidenberg has remote chance at playoff return 738897 Game 70: Bruins at Avalanche 738899 Bruins notch 11th straight win 738900 Bruins keep streaking on 738901 Bruins Notebook: Julien keeps door open for Seids 738902 Door open for Seidenberg return?

Buffalo Sabres 738903 Conacher's 'magic helmet' from Scott goes viral 738904 ‘Conehead’ Conacher goes viral 738905 Losing to the Sabres is no fun as Edmonton media lashes out

Calgary Flames 738906 Agostino “excited” to make NHL debut; Predators struggling 738907 Johnson: Never-quit always appreciated 738908 Preds offence douses Flames 738909 Westgarth won’t repeat fight mistakes 738910 Calgary Flames' Tyler Wotherspoon catches up with old partner 738911 Calgary Flames lose run-and-gun battle with Nashville Predators

Carolina Hurricanes 738912 Blackhawks edge Hurricanes 3-2 without Kane 738913 Blackhawks edge Hurricanes 3-2 on shorthanded goal in 3rd

Chicago Blackhawks 738914 Teevo? Tyvo? A pronunciation guide to the new Hawk 738915 Teravainen ready for 'good opportunity' with Blackhawks 738916 Blackhawks defense comes to fore in 3-2 victory 738917 Teuvo Teravainen's arrival has Blackhawks excited 738918 Blackhawks handle Hurricanes 3-2 738919 Teuvo Teravainen, not ‘Superman,’ arrives to Blackhawks 738920 Jonathan Toews’ shorty puts Blackhawks past Hurricanes 3-2 738921 Even without Kane, Hawks still find way to win 738922 Hawks expect Kane back for start of playoffs 738923 Hawks not expecting miracles from Teravainen 738924 Konroyd's keys to Hurricanes-Blackhawks 738925 Teravainen getting acclimated to the Blackhawks 738926 Teuvo Teravainen ready for opportunity with the Blackhawks 738927 Blackhawks aim to keep up momentum vs. Hurricanes 738928 Teuvo Teravainen officially joins Blackhawks 738929 Toews tallies short-handed goal to win it for Blackhawks 738930 Five things to watch as Blackhawks host Hurricanes

Colorado Avalanche 738931 Paul Stastny to return to Avalanche vs. Boston Bruins 738932 Avs prepare to face red-hot Bruins; Bordeleau and Berra look back to Winnipeg 738933 While Paul Stastny returns to Avs lineup, John Mitchell remains sidelined 738934 Avs lose at home to red-hot Boston Bruins 738935 Avs get zero bounces against Bruins, lose 2-0 as Boston’s winning streak climbs to 11

Columbus Blue Jackets 738936 Before the CBJ puck drops: New York Rangers 738937 Nash set for return to Nationwide Arena 738938 Johansen continues coming of age for Blue Jackets

Dallas Stars 738939 Stars know playoff math but have to show their work 738940 Friday practice update: Shawn Horcoff ready to come back into the line Saturday against Ottawa 738941 Stars play host to young Philadelphia fan with irregular heartbeat 738942 GameDay: Ottawa Senators at Dallas Stars

Detroit Red Wings 738943 Detroit Red Wings' Darren Helm: 'I feel good and ready to go' 738944 Darren Helm's possible return spurs hope on Wings' injury front 738945 Two home wins give Red Wings big lift 738946 Detroit Red Wings' David Legwand, Pittsburgh Penguins' James Neal both fined $5,000 by NHL 738947 Red Wings' Darren Helm says he's ready to play Saturday at Minnesota; final decision after warmups 738948 Daniel Alfredsson's leadership proving to be invaluable for Red Wings during playoff push 738949 Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist seeing great results after changing mindset from passer to shooter 738950 Darren Helm cleared to return to lineup; expects to play Saturday

Edmonton Oilers 738951 Gazdic makes pitch for more ice time 738952 Eberle ready to rejoin Oilers’ lineup after knee injury 738953 Edmonton Oilers Jordan Eberle on highlight reel goal scored by Ales Hemsky: “No surprise to me.” 738954 Oilers tough guy Luke Gazdic doesn't expect retaliation from Flames for Westgarth KO 738955 Oilers winger Jordan Eberle says knee feeling good, could be ready for Flames

Florida Panthers 738956 Roberto Luongo solid despite Florida Panthers’ loss to Phoenix Coyotes 738958 Preview: Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings; Saturday, 4 p.m. 738959 NHL apologizes to Panthers for blown call, according to source 738960 Smith, Coyotes win 3rd straight, 2-1 over Panthers

Los Angeles Kings 738961 Kings' Jeff Carter and Mike Richards get a change of practice partners 738962 Newly acquired forward Marian Gaborik proving worth to Kings 738963 March 21 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter 738964 The view from Washington 738965 March 21 morning line rushes 738966 Waking up with the Kings: March 21 738967 Brown analyzes his Washington performance 738968 Regular season accolades mean little to Sutter

Minnesota Wild 738969 Erik Haula to return to lineup Saturday as Wild opens home-and-home with Detroit; Nate Prosser off the hook 738970 Wild notes: Coyle, Niederreiter seek to end struggles 738971 Gameday preview: Detroit at Wild 738972 Minnesota Wild: Mike Yeo wants young forwards to get physical

Montreal Canadiens 738973 Galchenyuk eager for chance to play centre as Canadiens visit Leafs 738974 Habs’ Prust out for rest of regular season; Galchenyuk moves to centre 738975 Habs will be without Prust for rest of regular season 738976 NHL tries to clear up some playoff confusion 738977 Hickey on Hockey Notebook 738978 Vanek deal looking good for Canadiens

New Jersey Devils 738979 Devils say Rangers are the right opponent at the right time as season reaches must-win stage 738980 Devils' Cory Schneider: This has got to be the turning point for us 738981 Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter on signing with Devils: 'Never ever really an option' 738982 His Jaromir Jagr mullet gone, Devils' Marek Zidlicky in hairy situation again due to uncertain future 738983 Carter: “Good chance” he’ll play vs. Rangers; Brodeur hoping Devils’ fans boo Clarkson, too 738984 Carter joins Devils for small-group practice; Brodeur to start vs. Rangers; Parise loses goal 738985 Parise hears boos, gets goal in return to Rock; Sestito “feels all right” after taking elbow to head 738986 Jagr, Brodeur: All Devils' games are must-win 738987 Clarkson OK with jeers or cheers in return to The Rock 738988 Saturday’s showdown with Rangers has even more meaning for desperate Devils

New York Islanders 738990 Visnovsky, Okposo join expanding Islanders' injured list

New York Rangers 738991 Rangers Top Columbus in Nash’s Return 738992 Rangers v. Blue Jackets lineups and preview from Columbus: Vigneault says top players normally take lead when 738993 Rick Nash punches goalie as NY Rangers beat Blue Jackets in his return to Columbus 738994 Martin St. Louis and NY Rangers power play could snap skids all in one shift - if they get set up in the zone, 738995 Diaz may make Rangers debut on Saturday 738996 Rangers top Blue Jackets in Nash’s return to Columbus 738997 Rangers can’t dwell on Nash’s homecoming amid playoff battle 738998 Same lineup expected for lastest crucial game 738999 Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1: Wrapping up 739000 Nash on fight(s), return to Columbus 739001 Live Blog: Rangers at Blue Jackets, 3/21 739002 Rangers notes: Lundqvist ready to come to teammates' defense 739003 Returning to play in Columbus is special for Rangers' Rick Nash 739004 Power plays, Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis 739005 Rangers top Blue Jackets; Rick Nash booed in return to Columbus 739006 Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1 … post-game notes 739007 Rangers at Blue Jackets … It’s Go Time!

Ottawa Senators 739008 Ken Warren’s 10 Takes: How to start fixing the Senators 739009 Anderson able to practice, but not play 739010 Scanlan: Ceci rises above the Senators’ struggles 739011 Ottawa Senators' Cody Ceci a rare bright spot 739012 Oddsmakers give Ottawa Senators 0.8% chance 739013 Ottawa Senators' Lehner getting thick skin

Philadelphia Flyers 739014 Flyers sign draft pick Robert Hagg 739015 Phillies Notebook: Disappointed Ruf heading to the disabled list 739016 Flyers have high hopes for Swede Hagg 739017 Flyers' Read and Couturier getting downright defensive 739018 Flyers Notes: Flyers sign draft pick Hagg 739019 Former Flyers coach Hitchcock has Blues on a roll 739020 Hitchcock: Flyers will be a 'bear in the playoffs' 739021 Berube well-acquainted with Hitchcock 739022 Blues offer no letup for rejuvenated Flyers 739023 Flyers ink prospect Robert Hagg to entry-level deal 739024 MacDonald, Schenn clicking on blue line for Flyers 739025 Flyers Notes: Mason, Simmonds hot at right time 739026 Flyers must be patient against Hitchcock's Blues

Phoenix Coyotes 739027 Streaking Coyotes welcome red-hot Bruins

Pittsburgh Penguins 739028 Penguins notebook: Bennett headed to AHL for conditioning 739029 Book on Penguins is easy to read 739030 Penguins' Neal fined for cross-checking Detroit player 739031 Penguins notebook: Beau Bennett returns … to AHL team 739032 Penguins facing big weekend at home 739033 Penguins' winger Bennett on the mend

San Jose Sharks 739034 San Jose Sharks could clinch playoff spot Saturday night 739035 Sharks have history of success against Caps, Ovechkin 739036 Sharks can clinch playoff spot Saturday against Capitals 739037 Sharks notes: Wingels draws another key penalty 739038 No talk of avoiding Kings in Sharks' dressing room

St Louis Blues 739039 Blues try to block out negative comments 739040 Blues vs. Flyers preview 739041 Miller's new goalie mask has a musical theme 739042 Blues hope to refocus after stinging loss to Blackhawks

Tampa Bay Lightning 739043 Bolts’ Purcell hopes to break out 739044 Remembering Lightning's lost chance at repeat 739045 Lightning to Teddy Purcell: Shoot!

Toronto Maple Leafs 739046 Leafs’ Ranger has sore neck but feeling fortunate after scary hit 739047 Leafs’ Paul Ranger on the mend after scary hit from behind 739048 Dave Bolland set to rejoin Maple Leafs 739049 Maple Leafs-Canadiens game preview: 7 p.m., Saturday, CBC 739050 Maple Leafs: Jonathan Bernier, Dave Bolland participate in full practice 739051 Maple Leafs: Little margin for error in battle for playoff berth 739052 Leafs Bolland, Bernier could return to face Canadiens on Saturday 739053 Maple Leafs defenceman Paul Ranger says he's thankful to avoid serious injury 739054 Maple Leafs' Troy Bodie joins father-in-law in team portrait 739055 Toronto Maple Leafs’ Paul Ranger recovering after ‘scary’ hit from behind 739056 Maple Leafs may get Bernier, Bolland back for big game against Canadiens

Vancouver Canucks 739071 Torts talk: ‘If they deem my decisions wrong, they’ll show me the door’ 739072 Canucks, Vancouver hockey fans shouldn’t be fooled by too-late revival 739073 Canucks Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler skate at practice but Alex Burrows out again 739074 PITB chats with Roberto Luongo about Twitter silence and Eddie’s readiness 739075 Quirky new Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom dancing on the sidelines for now

Washington Capitals 739057 Five thoughts on the Capitals’ 2-1 shootout loss to Los Angeles 739058 Joel Ward’s 22nd goal of the year secures point for Capitals in loss to Kings 739059 Capitals sign Caleb Herbert, 2010 draft pick 739060 Capitals sign 2010 5th-round draft pick Herbert 739061 Caps can’t beat Jonathan Quick, fall to Kings in shootout

Websites 739076 ESPN / Smith stellar since Olympic break 739077 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Mixed emotions in Columbus for Rick Nash’s return to Nationwide Arena 739078 CNN/Sports Illustrated / FanSided Friday: A Better look At The Buffalo Sabres 739079 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Jamming The Crease: NHL rookies impress; Toronto turmoil; more notes 739080 CNN/Sports Illustrated / SI.com NHL fan misery rankings: No. 3 Buffalo Sabres 739081 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: John Tortorella’s future; New York Rangers’ next captain; more links 739082 TSN.CA Kerry Fraser/ The 'stick work' on James Neal's interference call 739083 USA TODAY / Blackhawks call up prized prospect Teuvo Teravainen

Winnipeg Jets 739062 Buff, Bogo and Slater could lace 'em up against Hurricanes 739063 Jets fans quick to renew season tickets 739064 Could Monty be No. 1? 739065 Proud papa Slater sporting ear-to-ear grin 739066 Paper tigers lose edge on ice 739067 Hurricanes at Jets 739068 Jets roster in question for latest biggest game of the year 739069 Jets' Montoya making the most of his chance to start 739070 Thomson tips hat to Wheeler’s OT winner

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 3.22.2014 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

SPORT-SCAN, INC. ♦ [email protected]

Pag

e1

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks returned winger Emerson Etem to the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League on Friday after bringing him up for Thursday's game against San Jose.

Etem was recalled with center Rickard Rakell on Thursday as the Ducks were shorthanded up front with Nick Bonino (foot) and Matt Beleskey (illness) unavailable. Bonino and Beleskey could be available for Sunday's home game against Florida if they're able to practice Saturday.

Boston Bruins

When Dennis Seidenberg injured his ACL and MCL Dec. 27 against Ottawa, the word was that the defenseman was out for the season. The timetable given was 6-8 months, and he was not expected back until training camp.

But that might not be the case anymore. While there is still not a significant chance that Seidenberg will return for the postseason, the Bruins are not ruling it out. Seidenberg is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the injury, after having surgery in early January, though he has not yet started skating.

Johnny Boychuk took part in the team’s morning skate, and participated in pregame warm-ups, but was a scratch for the third straight game since injuring his leg Saturday against Carolina.

Calgary Flames

Following the game, the Flames dispatched Joni Ortio to the minors while Flames head coach Bob Hartley appointed Karri Ramo the starter Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Hartley, the Flames were forced to send Ortio down because of the CBA rules (Ortio was originally recalled to replace the injured Ramo).

Ramo has missed the last 15 games with a knee injury.

Flames RW Jiri Hudler returned to the lineup Friday after missing seven straight outings due to a lower-body injury and had an impressive showing. He’s still the Flames’ leading point-producer, but D Mark Giordano is now just four points back

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina D John-Michael Liles returned after missing six games with a concussion, C Jiri Tlusty came back after sitting out two with a lower-body injury, and C Elias Lindholm and D Justin Faulk played after missing the previous game because of illnesses.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Hawks prevailed despite the absences of Patrick Kane (left knee), Bryan Bickell (upper body), Brandon Saad (upper body) and Michal Rozsival (lower body) from the lineup.

With the Hawks' lineup depleted, Jeremy Morin was recalled from Rockford, marking his fourth stint with the big club this season.

Matt Carey, with whom the Hawks agreed to a two-year, free-agent contract Thursday after the center finished his season at St. Lawrence University, will join the team for the stretch run.

Colorado Avalanche

Avs C John Mitchell sat out for a second time after leaving Tuesday’s game at Montreal with a back injury. He remains day to day.

Paul Stastny returned to the Avalanche lineup Friday night against the Bruins.

The Avs' healthy scratches were defenseman Ryan Wilson, rookie forward Paul Carey and goalie Reto Berra. Right winger P.A. Parenteau (knee) remains unavailable.

Dallas Stars

Shawn Horcoff missed the roadtrip with a broken pinkie, but was in full practice Friday and said he's ready to go for Saturday.

Lindy Ruff wouldn't say so, but it seems Kari Lehtonen will go back into net. He missed four games with a concussion and then allowed five goals in a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh, but the Stars are going to need their big netminder down the stretch, and it seems a perfect time to start climbing on his back.

With Horcoff coming in, there is a good chance that Chris Mueller comes out of the lineup. Although Erik Cole was given a maintenance day Friday and Alex Chiasson left practice early when he didn't feel well, so we'll see how this reads on Saturday.

Detroit Red Wings

Darren Helm, who has been sidelined with a concussion, will likely be a game-time decision against the Wild Saturday.

It appears the return of Helm may well be imminent and Joakim Andersson is skating better and better, but still has some pain in his broken foot.

Andersson said he will not travel to Minnesota because the Wings have no pregame skate scheduled before the matinee against the Wild. He will remain in Detroit, and skate.

The NHL fined Red Wings center David Legwand $5,000 for butt-ending Penguins center Evgeni Malkin on Thursday. Legwand served major and match penalties.

Edmonton Oilers

Defenceman Anton Belov has been cleared and is back practising with the team. He could return as early as Saturday.

Jordan Eberle tested out his wonky knee Friday morning during a brisk practice at Russ Barnes arena.

The Edmonton Oilers winger was forced to sit out Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, having been injured late in the win over the Nashville Predators two nights earlier.

Eberle could be back in the lineup when the Oilers host the Flames Saturday.

Minnesota Wild

Defenseman Keith Ballard will miss his third game in a row with a groin injury.

Darcy Kuemper will get back in the net for Minnesota. It’s his first start since Monday’s game in Boston. He allowed three goals in that one.

Rookie forward Erik Haula, scratched in the previous two games, will draw back into the Wild’s lineup against the Red Wings. Cody McCormick appears to be the scratch. Haula will play on a line with Charlie Coyle and Dany Heatley, and coach Mike Yeo said Haula will see some shifts at center. But he skated mostly as a wing this morning.

Montreal Canadiens

Michel Therrien also said forward Brandon Prust has been shut down for the rest of the regular season in hope that his upper-body injury will heal in time for the playoffs.

Alex Galchenyuk was moved to centre during the practice with Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque, who has missed five games as a healthy scratch. Lars Eller was dropped to the fourth line with Travis Moen and Dale Weise.

New Jersey Devils

Left winger Ryan Carter (upper body) took part in a limited practice with six players and said he believes he can play tonight barring a setback. Tim Sestito (head injury) is improved but will not play.

Devils left wing Tim Sestito was knocked woozy by an elbow from Nate Prosser when he went to hit the Wild defenseman behind the Minnesota net with 2:01 left in the first period. Sestito remained down for a while and had to be helped to the locker room. He did not return.

New York Islanders

Lubomir Visnovsky has an upper-body injury, suffered in Tuesday's 6-0 loss to the Wild. He sat out Friday's practice, is unlikely to play on Sunday against Columbus and could miss some time going forward.

Kyle Okposo left practice with a lower-body injury and Jack Capuano had no time frame for his leading scorer. Asked if the Isles need to be cautious with anyone injured now in the lame-duck segment of the season, Capuano sighed. "I suppose we do," he said.

Brian Strait (broken hand) and Michael Grabner (concussion) are out indefinitely. John Tavares (torn MCL) is out for the season. As Matt Martin noted, it's not as if the Islanders were going gangbusters when everyone was healthy, but it still seems to be a bit demoralizing to lose so many regulars.

Big defenseman Scott Mayfield may be next in line for a recall with Visnovsky and Strait out. Mayfield would be the fifth rookie defenseman to dress for the Islanders this season if he comes up.

SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 3.22.2014 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

SPORT-SCAN, INC. ♦ [email protected]

Pag

e2

New York Rangers

Healthy scratches: F Derek Dorsett, D Raphael Diaz, D Justin Falk, F Ryan Haggerty.

Ottawa Senators

On Friday, the erstwhile starter Craig Anderson and Binghamton call-up Andrew Hammond were the first players on the practice ice, followed soon by recent starter Robin Lehner.

Anderson took a lengthy turn in goal, but eventually yielded to Hammond. It will be a familiar story on Saturday, as Lehner starts and Hammond backs him up, while Anderson continues to recover from a collision with teammate Milan Michalek in the Nashville game March 10.

The club has not said what Anderson’s health issue is, but poor Lehner, just 22, has been in goal for four straight losses, plus he came on in relief for a fifth Ottawa loss, to the Predators. Head coach Paul MacLean insists he is not frustrated by Anderson’s lingering health problem, which seems to be a recurring theme.

Forwards Bobby Ryan, Ales Hemsky and Colin Greening all missed the short Friday practice, but MacLean said they involved “maintenance days” and all three are expected to be available versus Dallas.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers announced on Friday morning that they've agreed to terms with Robert Hagg to a three-year entry level contract.

Hagg, 19, will arrive in the United States on Monday and report to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms.

Paul Holmgren said the Flyers have had "internal conversations" on defenseman Valeri Vasiliev, whom the team chose in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. Vasiliev has decided not to return to the KHL and may come to North America to play.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Beau Bennett is ready to play — just not in the NHL. Bennett, out since Nov. 22 recovering from a broken right wrist, will play for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL starting Saturday night.

“The plan is for him to go to Wilkes-Barre and play a few games,” coach Dan Bylsma said after the Penguins practiced at Southpointe Iceoplex on Friday.

Forward Joe Vitale is with an upper-body injury, Bylsma said Friday.

Although he is practicing with the Penguins with no limitations, and looking strong while doing it, defenseman Kris Letang does not foresee an imminent return to the lineup.

Top-line center Sidney Crosby and left winger Chris Kunitz were given the day off from practice but are expected to play today.

Defenseman Paul Martin (broken hand/surgery) continues to skate separately from practice.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Paul Ranger does not know when he will be able to play another NHL game for the Toronto Maple Leafs but he still feels lucky.

The Leafs defenceman spoke to the media Friday for the first time since he was discharged Wednesday night after undergoing tests.

The best Ranger could manage on Friday was appearing for the Leafs’ team photo and he isn’t sure when he can start practising again.

Centre Dave Bolland took part in a full practice for the first time since he sustained a torn ankle tendon Nov. 2 that kept him out for 52 games. He skated between Mason Raymond and David Clarkson but a decision about playing Saturday against the Canadiens will not be made until shortly before the game.

Also on the maybe list is goaltender Jonathan Bernier, whose groin injury progressed enough for him to participate in most of Friday’s practice. But a decision about whether Bernier or James Reimer will start against the Habs will also be held until game-time.

If Bolland is able to play, the Leafs may have to send two players down to their farm team to get under the NHL salary cap unless Ranger is placed on the long-term injured list. The likely candidates are forwards Peter Holland and Carter Ashton, neither of whom needs to clear waivers first.

St Louis Blues

LW Magnus Paajarvi (upper-body injury) and D Jordan Leopold (flu), questionable; Vladimir Tarasenko (hand), out.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals have signed right-handed center Caleb Herbert to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next season and have assigned him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

Winnipeg Jets

The most immediate concern is how much of his team will be on the ice to face the Hurricanes Saturday night.

Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime win was accomplished without the services of No. 1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec (lower body), defenceman Zach Bogosian (upper body) and forwards Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and Jim Slater (lower body) — the injured Jets who are not out long-term like Mark Scheifele (knee) and Chris Thorburn (ankle).

Slater did skate before Jets practice today, and went the full distance with the team, likely leaving his case as the most optimistic.

As well today, forward John Albert worked out with the team. He has missed five games since being hurt in Colorado on March 10.

As for Pavelec, he will be absent again against the Hurricanes, though he has been back on the ice. Maurice said his No. 1 goalie skated for 40 minutes on Thursday and did so again today, and might be a possibility for Monday’s game in Dallas.

Vancouver Canucks

The door to the Canucks' infirmary swung both ways Friday as Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler both returned to full practice while Alex Burrows, a long-time resident this season, re-entered with a thumb injury.

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis indicated the news on Burrows is not good. The veteran winger has already missed significant time with a broken foot and broken jaw. His latest mishap occurred Wednesday night when he was slashed by Predators captain Shea Weber on the play in which Nicklas Jensen scored the game-winning goal.

The Canucks, five points out of a playoff spot, have another practice scheduled for Saturday and if Daniel Sedin and Kesler both emerge without any further damage, they should be able to go Sunday against the Sabres.

NHL Daily Transactions

Calgary Flames Joni Ortio Sent to minors, Abbotsford-AHL

Chicago Blackhawks Jeremy Morin Called up from minors, from Rockford-AHL

Chicago Blackhawks Teuvo Teravainen Called up from minors, from Jokerit-SM-liiga (Finland)

Columbus Blue Jackets Joonas Korpisalo Signed, Three-year contract

Pittsburgh Penguins Beau Bennett Sent to minors, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-AHL

St. Louis Blues Petteri Lindbohm Signed, Three-year contract

Washington Capitals Caleb Herbert Signed, Two-year contract

END

738893 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks return Etem to their AHL team

March 21st, 2014, 5:49 pm ·

ERIC STEPHENS

The Ducks returned winger Emerson Etem to the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League on Friday after bringing him up for Thursday's game against San Jose.

Etem, 21, played 10 minutes, 11 seconds and had one shot on goal in the Ducks' 3-2 loss to the Sharks. He has appeared in 29 games with Anaheim this season, totaling seven goals and four assists to go along with a plus-3 rating.

Etem was recalled with center Rickard Rakell on Thursday as the Ducks were shorthanded up front with Nick Bonino (foot) and Matt Beleskey (illness) unavailable. Bonino and Beleskey could be available for Sunday's home game against Florida if they're able to practice Saturday.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.22.2014

738894 Boston Bruins

Bruins blank Avalanche for 11th straight win

DENNIS GEORGATOS

DENVER (AP) — Patrice Bergeron and Carl Soderberg each had a goal, Chad Johnson stopped 31 shots for his third career shutout, and the Boston Bruins beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 on Friday night for their 11th win in a row.

Boston became the first team to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It is the longest run for the Bruins since a 13-game winning streak in the 1970-71 season. They pushed their point total to 101, the 21st time the team has reached the 100-point threshold.

Colorado pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an extra attacker with five minutes remaining but couldn’t avert its first shoutout of the season. The Avalanche had scored at least once in 80 straight games since their previous shutout last April 6 at Phoenix.

Colorado, which handed Boston its only shutout of the season on Oct. 10, was the last NHL team to be blanked this season.

Johnson was at the center of the effort, turning away one scoring opportunity after another. One of his best saves came in the second period when he used his glove to stop Nathan MacKinnon’s shot on a breakaway. Johnson improved to 10-0-1 in his last 11 starts, a career-best point streak which includes a pair of shutouts.

With the Bruins on the power play, Loui Eriksson passed to Soderberg in the lower right circle for a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net on Varlamov’s stick side. That made it 2-0 at 13:11 of the second period.

Boston also struck in the first period. Bergeron slipped through Colorado’s defense, taking a pass from Dougie Hamilton in the slot and firing a shot that Varlamov stopped. But the rebound trickled out, and Bergeron knocked the loose puck back into the net at 5:12.

NOTES: Avs C John Mitchell sat out for a second time after leaving Tuesday’s game at Montreal with a back injury. He remains day to day. ... Colorado D Erik Johnson turned 26 on Friday. ... Boston hasn’t lost since a 4-2 defeat to Washington on March 1. ... The Bruins have also won their last six road games and earned a point in their past 13 (10-0-3). ... Boston has won its last three games in Denver.

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.22.2014


Bruins extend tear, clinch playoff spot

Amalie Benjamin

DENVER — The dressing room had mostly cleared out, with the Bruins headed to the showers before boarding their bus to the airport for their trip to Phoenix. But from behind a curtain came a shout, “First team to clinch!” A rather subdued cheer followed.

That was it. The Bruins had just taken care of business, handing the Avalanche their first shut out of the season, 2-0, at the Pepsi Center that also counted as their 11th straight win. Boston became the first to clinch a playoff berth and is tied with St. Louis for the most points in the league at 101.

“I don’t think that does kind of change our mind-set,’’ Zdeno Chara said. “We still have to play our hockey and really focusing on the little details going into the playoffs. Not getting satisfied and complacent. We’ve just got to still push our team to our best maximum results, and basically get ready for the playoffs.”

The Bruins hardly came out giving maximum effort. Chad Johnson, who earned his second shutout of the season, was peppered with 14 shots in the first period and 10 more in the second as the Avalanche used their speed and creativity to create chance after chance.

“He stopped the pucks,” coach Claude Julien said. “He had to get better after the first because there were a lot of loose pucks around the net that he wasn’t able to freeze, so in the second period he was better. I think our whole team got better throughout the game. But when you give up, I think, 14 shots in the first and some pretty good scoring chances, I think Chad did a pretty good job for us tonight.”

Johnson acknowledged he gave up fewere rebounds and second chances as the game went on. Still, Johnson and the Bruins didn’t allow a first-period goal, the 10th consecutive time that has happened, dating to their March 2 win over the Rangers.

“If you look at the first period, we’re probably not going to have a lot of great things to say about our players, but from the second period on we just got better,” Julien said. “I kind of look at that more as a team game, more than analyzing the individuals here.”

The Bruins had far fewer opportunities, but they converted. At 5:12 of the first period Patrice Bergeron collected his own rebound off a pretty feed from Dougie Hamilton. The puck hit off his skate to his stick, and Bergeron poked it past Semyon Varlamov, giving the Bruins the early lead.

“He made a good play to go to the net, just put it into him, think I hit him right in the chest at the start,” Hamilton said. “It was a good finish after that. Pretty happy to have that.”

And they got a second in the second, making good on their only power play of the night, an interference penalty on Gabriel Landeskog. Carl Soderberg snapped off a shot at 13:11 with Loui Eriksson screening Varlamov, a goal that stood even after it was initially waved off.

They had their lead. In the end, that was all they would need.

The third period brought out the best in the Bruins defensively. They didn’t allow a shot for the first 10 minutes, then managed to withstand a full five minutes of 5-on-6 play after Colorado coach Patrick Roy pulled Varlamov early. Hamilton was so surprised that, as he said, “I was on the ice and I kind of thought there was a penalty. I was looking around.”

There wasn’t. There was just the empty net.

“When you look back, we didn’t score. Not a bad move,” Julien said. “I think he was trying to get his team some energy and some excitement there to finish the game, and it did.”

But not enough. The Avalanche weren’t able to use the extra skater to their advantage.

The win gave the Bruins points in 13 consecutive road games, a stretch that has seen them go 10-0-3. Boston’s last regulation road loss came in Los Angeles Jan. 9. It’s the longest such stretch since 14 games in 1975-76.

“For the most part, we’ve played smart [on the road],” Julien said. “I think that’s the main thing. You look at Z tonight. He was just stellar as you could ask back there. Everything looked easy for him, simple plays. He kind of dominated the back end there. And that’s what you want. You want some smart decisions on the road.

“We’re not the ones that have to put on a show, but we’re the ones that want to come out of here with a win.”

And yet again, they did.



Dennis Seidenberg has remote chance at playoff return

Amalie Benjamin

March 22, 2014

When Dennis Seidenberg injured his ACL and MCL Dec. 27 against Ottawa, the word was that the defenseman was out for the season. The timetable given was 6-8 months, and he was not expected back until training camp.

But that might not be the case anymore. While there is still not a significant chance that Seidenberg will return for the postseason, the Bruins are not ruling it out. Seidenberg is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the injury, after having surgery in early January, though he has not yet started skating.

“I’m not counting on this,” general manager Peter Chiarelli said by phone Friday morning. “He’s ahead of schedule. I don’t like to say, ‘Hey, if we’re in the Finals and we’re in Game 4,’ but that’s the type of scenario. He’s ahead of schedule and you can’t rule anything out, but I’m not counting on it.”

For the Bruins, who currently lead the NHL in points and have won 11 straight after a 2-0 win over the Avalanche, the deeper into the playoffs they go, the better the chance that Seidenberg could return. The start of the Stanley Cup Final would be in early June.

But the team will be extremely cautious concerning Seidenberg’s return.

“What’s important is that people have come back early from ACLs, right?” Chiarelli said. “And they come back and they’re either not the same player or their conditioning and their rehab is good but the actual healing of the ligament is still a little raw. So we’ve got to be careful.

“He’s a tremendously conditioned athlete. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s ahead of schedule, but you can’t ignore the biological time to heal these things.”

Empty feeling

The Colorado net stood empty for a full 5:05, with Avalanche coach Patrick Roy taking the opportunity to try to get his team on the board in the final minutes against the Bruins. It was a strategy applauded by those in the Bruins dressing room, even if it didn’t lead to a goal — on either side.

“No I haven’t, but it was obviously a good move,” Zdeno Chara said, when asked if he’d seen that before. “Put a lot of pressure on us. At that point, they had nothing to lose. They could only gain. For sure, it was earlier than we all kind of anticipated, but it was for sure a good move.”

Bruins goaltender Chad Johnson didn’t have time to analyze the situation. “I was kind of sucking wind there,” Johnson said.

“It was a surprise, but they were coming down really quick. There wasn’t much time to really think about anything.”

They’re in

The Bruins became the first team to clinch a playoff spot. But that wasn’t the team’s focus heading into its matchup with Colorado. “Giving guys rest is important,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “Continuing to win is important, too, and moreso continuing to play well. If you play well, you win, and we’re not so much worried about the end result as much as doing the right things from here on in. We’d like to get the end result that everybody’s looking for, but we don’t want to jeopardize some rational decision . . . to do that, and then having to suffer in the first round of playoffs because of that.” . . . Johnny Boychuk took part in the team’s morning skate, and participated in pregame warm-ups, but was a scratch for the third straight game since injuring his leg Saturday against Carolina.



Game 70: Bruins at Avalanche

March 21, 2014 04:36 PM

Amalie Benjamin

DENVER – Welcome to the Pepsi Center, where the Bruins will take on the Avs tonight in the first game of a back-to-back against Western Conference opponents. The Bruins head to Phoenix to play the Coyotoes Saturday to conclude their three-game road trip.

The big question for the Bruins tonight is whether they will be the first team in the NHL to clinch a spot in the playoffs. They can clinch if they beat the Avalanche tonight, or if they get one point against Colorado and the Rangers lose to the Blue Jackets in regulation.

Boston, of course, also comes into this game looking to extend its 10-game winning streak.

Game time: 9 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub

Records: Bruins 47-17-5, Avalanche 44-20-6

Projected lineups:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Reilly Smith

Chris Kelly-Carl Soderberg-Loui Eriksson

Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dougie Hamilton

Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk

Torey Krug-Kevan Miller

Chad Johnson

Tuukka Rask

Notes: Johnny Boychuk will take part in warmups before the game tonight, and will be a game-time decision for coach Claude Julien. ... The Avalanche boast teenage phenom Nathan MacKinnon, who has played in all 70 games for the Avs and has 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points. ... The Bruins' last streak of at least 11 consecutive wins came on a 13-game stretch in 1970-1971. ... The Bruins are still on a streak of getting at least a point in each of their last 12 road games, at 9-0-3, their longest such streak since 1975-1976. ... The referees are Francis Charron and Dave Jackson. The linesmen are Scott Driscoll and Derek Nansen.



Bruins blank Avalanche for 11th straight win

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Staff Writer

DENVER — The Boston Bruins became the first NHL team to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And they did it by refusing to get ahead of themselves.

Patrice Bergeron and Carl Soderberg each had a goal, Chad Johnson stopped 31 shots for his third career shutout, and the Bruins beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 on Friday night for their 11th win in a row.

"We don't really worry about how many we've won or who we're playing in one day or two days," Johnson said. "We just worry about who's next. That's sort of where our mindset is. Just staying in the moment, I think, is the biggest key to our success right now."

Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara said clinching a postseason berth won't alter that mindset.

"We still have to play our hockey, really focusing on the little details going into the playoffs, and not getting satisfied and complacent," he said. "We just still have to push our team to the best, maximum results."

Johnson was at the center of their latest success, which pushed their point total to 101, the 21st time the team has reached the 100-point threshold.

"He made some saves that helped us a lot," Boston defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. "I thought he played really well."

Colorado pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an extra attacker with five minutes remaining but couldn't avert its first shoutout of the season. The Avalanche had scored at least once in 80 straight games since their previous shutout last April 6 at Phoenix.

"They slowed us down and they did a good job," Colorado's Matt Duchene said of Boston. "We hadn't been shut out all year. Usually, it happens against great teams."

Colorado, which handed Boston its only shutout of the season on Oct. 10, was the last NHL team to be blanked this season.

"I thought our play was very positive," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "We had a lot of good chances early on. Except for maybe the first six or seven minutes of the start of the third, I thought we played better than them. Their goalie played really well. He made some great saves."

Johnson turned away a flurry of shots in the final minutes and delivered two key saves in the second period, using his glove to stop Nathan MacKinnon's shot on a breakaway and stuffing Jan Hejda's shot from up close with his upper body.

"They had some good chances there in the second, and I just tried to be in position and make the saves when I thought I could," said Johnson, who improved to 10-0-1 in his last 11 starts, a career-best point streak that includes a pair of shutouts.

With the Bruins on the power play, Loui Eriksson passed to Soderberg in the lower right circle for a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net on Varlamov's stick side. That made it 2-0 at 13:11 of the second period.

Boston also struck in the first. Bergeron slipped through Colorado's defense, taking a pass from Hamilton in the slot and firing a shot that Varlamov stopped. But the rebound trickled out, and Bergeron knocked the loose puck back into the net at 5:12.

"He made a good play to go to the net. I just put it in to him," Hamilton said. "He hit him right in the chest and he had a good finish off of that. I was pretty happy to have that there."

NOTES: The Bruins' win streak is the longest since a 13-game run in the 1970-71 season. ... Avs C John Mitchell sat out for a second time after leaving Tuesday's game at Montreal with a back injury. He remains day to day. ... Colorado D Erik Johnson turned 26 on Friday. ... Boston hasn't lost since a 4-2 defeat to Washington on March 1. ... The Bruins have also won

their last six road games and earned a point in their past 13 (10-0-3). ... Boston has won its last three games in Denver.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.22.2014


Bruins notch 11th straight win


Steve Conroy

DENVER--They had to weather an early storm from the Colorado Avalanche, but the Bruins were able to do just that and they pulled out their 11th straight victory at the Pepsi Center last night.

Chad Johnson made 31 saves and the B's got goals from Patrice Bergeron in the first and Carl Soderberg in the second to capture the victory.

The Avs outshot the Bruins 14-6 in the first -- and some of their best chances didn't even hit the net -- but the B's were able to survive and slowly turn the game around in the second.

"It's not something we didn't anticipate," said coach Claude Julien. "It's a normal situation being off for a couple of days and then the thin air here. The first period here is always a bit of a challenge. All those things put together, we knew we had to grind it out in the first."

But by the time Soderberg scored a power-play goal at 13:11 of the second, the B's were fully in control of the game. The B's choked off the Avs attack so well in the third that coach Patrick Roy decided to to pull his goalie Semyon Varlamov with 5:05 left to play. That didn't create a little more pressure and the B's could never come up with the final dagger of an empty netter. But in the end, it didn't matter.

“I was on the ice (when Varlamov was pulled) and I kind of thought there was a penalty,” said Dougie Hamilton with a chuckle. “It was kind of weird that there were no goals scored. Playing five minutes with the goalie out is pretty tough, but we played good defense and we're happy with the win.”

The B's will try to make it an even dozen Saturday night in Phoenix against the Coyotes.



Bruins keep streaking on


Steve Conroy

.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche had the better legs through most of the first 40 minutes last night. The better scoring chances, too. And they had more for which to play, being in a battle for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

But it just didn’t matter.

The Bruins continued to roll on, notching their 11th straight victory and becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 2-0 victory at the Pepsi Center. They also pulled into a points tie with St. Louis for the overall NHL lead.

Chad Johnson (31 saves) shook off some early rebound control problems to have an excellent game and the B’s got goals from Patrice Bergeron (21) and Carl Soderberg (13).

Bergeron gave the Bruins the lead early in the first period and they weathered a long storm before Soderberg scored a power play goal in the second period to turn the game fully in their favor.

Then in the third, the Bruins simply shut down the speedy Avs. Colorado coach Patrick Roy was so desperate that he pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov with a whopping five minutes to go. They finally got some pressure, but simply couldn’t penetrate the Bruins’ stout team defense enough to seriously challenge Johnson.

It was the first time the Avalanche have been shut out this year.

The unusual empty net strategy employed by Roy was a nod to just how well the B’s played.

“We had layers and we didn’t give them much,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “Our team just got better as the game went on. That’s exactly what we expected and what we anticipated. We knew the first period was going to be a challenge for a lot of different reasons. But we got through it with a 1-0 lead and you couldn’t have asked for a better situation for us to be in.”

With the playoff berth in hand, the B’s now have the Presidents Trophy in their sights. But so far they’ve shown an excellent knack for compartmentalizing each game and have given every indication that it will continue.

“I don’t think (clinching) is going to change our mindset,” said captain Zdeno Chara, who was stellar in an economical 22:10 of ice time. “We’re still going to have to play our hockey and really focus on the little details going into the playoffs, not getting satisfied, complacent. We’ve got to still push our team to the best maximum results and be ready for the playoffs.”

Despite being outplayed for much of the first period, the Bruins got the first goal for the sixth straight game.

Dougie Hamilton made a terrific pass to Bergeron down the slot and he walked in alone. Varlamov made the initial save, but Bergeron poked the rebound home at 5:12.

While the Bruins would take their 1-0 lead into the first intermission, they were fortunate to do so. The Avs, whose team speed was quite evident in the early going, outshot the B’s 14-6, and that didn’t count a couple of their best chances that missed the net.

The B’s handed their hosts a great chance when David Krejci’s drop pass intended for Jarome Iginla missed the mark, turning it into a quick 2-on-1 for the Avs. Paul Stastny sent a nice pass over to Gabriel Landeskog, but the Colorado captain’s one-timer went wide. Later, Johnson left a fat rebound that Jamie McGinn couldn’t corral and put in the empty net.

In the second period, the Avs continued to get some good chances, but the B’s slowly got their game going, stringing together several strong shifts.

At 12:25, they got their only power play on a questionable interference call on Landeskog. The Bruins made the most of the opportunity. At 13:11,

Soderberg came off the right boards and sniped a shot over Varlamov’s shoulder.

That took the zip out the Avs’ attack and the B’s completely stifled them in the third until Roy pulled Varlamov.

“I was on the ice and I kind of thought there was a penalty,” said Hamilton with a chuckle. “It was kind of weird that there were no goals scored. Playing five minutes with the goalie out is pretty tough, but we played good defense and we’re happy with the win.”

The Bruins will try to up their streak to an even dozen tonight in Phoenix against the Coyotes.

“Yeah, it’s impressive,” said Soderberg of the streak. “We just want to keep this rolling. We know sooner or later we’re going to lose, but we want later.”



Bruins Notebook: Julien keeps door open for Seids


Steve Conroy

DENVER — So, you’re telling us there’s a chance, are you?

Both Bruins president Cam Neely, on his Thursday radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, and coach Claude Julien here yesterday did their best to throw cold water on the notion that Dennis Seidenberg could possibly return to the lineup if the team makes a run in the playoffs. But neither of them could quite close the door on the idea.

Seidenberg suffered a torn ACL and MCL in a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27 and was given the prognosis of 6-8 months recovery. The low end of that time frame would keep him out until late June, meaning he would not be back in time for the Stanley Cup finals.

But Seidenberg has not yet been ruled out for returning some time in the postseason.

“It’s still up in the air,” said Julien after the team’s morning skate at the Pepsi Center yesterday. “It’s kind of like (Patrice Bergeron’s) situation (in 2008). Would he come back? Is it risky? Again, I think there’s a lot of question marks there.

“I’m not going to say no, but I’m certainly not going to stand here and say there’s a great chance he’ll be back. When the time comes, he’ll be evaluated. But the surgery was a pretty serious one and we have to make a real good decision there. If you see him back, it will be because everybody feels pretty comfortable about it and the doctors feel strongly that he can. Right now, it’s not something that we’re entertaining here in the dressing room at this stage.”

While not shutting the door on a return, general manager Peter Chiarelli was not hopeful Seidenberg would return before the start of next season.

“Basically, we are not counting on him,” wrote Chiarelli in a text. “He is ahead of schedule but we have to be cautious of the actual healing time.”

In Bergeron’s case, the Bruins remained cautious and, though he was cleared, they kept him out of the first round loss to Montreal that went seven games.

One would think that if there’s any chance of a return by Seidenberg, who has been doing some pretty strenuous off-ice training recently, the B’s would have to make a very deep postseason run. And if he was cleared, the B’s would have to make a tough decision to put someone who hadn’t played in approximately five months into the lineup, taking out a player who’d helped the team advance in the playoffs.

But while most signs point against Seidenberg making a return this season, no one seems to want to count out an athlete so dedicated just yet.

“I’m not involved in the medical decisions,” said Julien, “but he’s such an elite athlete that trains hard, he might be ahead of schedule a little bit. But is he ahead of the big schedule that was put in front of him? I’m not sure about that.”

Not drawing enough

The Bruins practiced their power play a bit during the morning skate and they needed to, because they haven’t been getting many opportunities to practice during games lately.

The fact that the B’s don’t draw many penalties is an old story. The B’s have gotten 193 power-play opportunities this year, which ranks them dead last in the league by a wide margin. They were 30th last year and 25th the year before.

But it’s been particularly bad lately for them. Before last night, they had just seven power-play chances in their previous five games, and weren’t able to convert any of them. That rut, however, ended last night when the B’s cashed in on their lone power-play chance, thanks to Carl Soderberg, in the 2-0 win over the Avalanche.

“I’m not going to stand here and say that it doesn’t frustrate us to see the amount of power plays that we don’t get. It does,” said Julien, especially with his club ranking ninth in the league in power-play proficiency (20.7 percent) after last night’s tally. “You look at games and you see areas where you could have, but somehow it’s been a challenge for us.

“And not just this year, it’s been for many years. You look at the league overall, you look at the number of penalties we take, we’re a pretty disciplined team. We’re in the middle of the pack (14th with 227 times shorthanded). But when you look at the power-play opportunities, for a team that does a pretty good job of winning battles along the wall and playing at a pretty good pace, it’s surprising that we don’t have more than that . . . it gives you reason for concern.” . . .

Johnny Boychuk skated for the second consecutive day and took part in pregame warmups, but he wound up sitting out his third straight game with a foot injury. He has a good shot to get back in tonight against Phoenix. . . .

The B’s have now taken points in 13 straight road games (10-0-3), which is the longest such streak since 1975-76 when they went 10-0-4 on the road. Their 11-game win streak is the longest since the B’s won 13 straight in 1970-71. Their last regulation road loss was in Los Angeles on Jan. 9.



Door open for Seidenberg return?

Friday, March 21, 2014

Steve Conroy

DENVER--When Dennis Seidenberg went down with a torn ACL and MCL on December 27, the Bruins defenseman was given a timetable of six to eight monthsfollowing his surgery. The low end of that prognosis would have him returning too late for the Stanley Cup Finals.

But on his weekly appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, team on Thursday, team president Cam Neely, though not exactly encouraging about a Seidenberg return, did not rule out the possibility when he was asked, as Seidenberg has been ramping up his off-ice rehab lately.

And today coach Claude Julien struck the same tone.

"It's still up in the air," said Julien. "It's kind of like (Patrice Bergeron's) situation (in 2008 when he was trying to return from a concussion). Would he come back? Is it risky? Again, I think there's a lot of question marks there. I'm not going to say no, but I'm certainly not going to stand here and say there's a great chance he'll be back. When the time comes, he'll be evaluated. But the surgery was a pretty serious one and we have to make a real good decision there. If you see him back, it will be because everybody feels pretty comfortable about it and the doctors feel strongly that he can. Right now, it's not something that we're entertaining here in the dressing room at this stage."

Judging by the original timetable, one would assume that the Bruins would have to make a deep run if Seidenbeg has any chance to return.

"I'm not involved in the medical decisions, but he's such an elite athlete that trains hard, he might be ahead of schedule a little bit. But is he ahead of the big schedule that was put in front of him? I'm not sure about that," said Julien.

As for more pressing Bruin medical matters, Johnny Boychuk took part in the morning skate and then took some extra on-ice work with presumed scratches Corey Potter and Jordan Caron. But Julien said that Boychuk, who has missed two games with a lower body injury he suffered when he crashed into the end boards last Saturda, will take warmups and a decision will be made after that on whether he plays tonight against the Avalanche.

"He's looking better, I've just got to take time to make that decision, whether it's worth throwing him in now or waiting till tomorrow," said Julien.

The Bruins can become the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Avalanche tonight or they get a point against the Avs and the Rangers lose in regulation to Columbus tonight.

"Believe it or not, I didn't look at it that way. I'm just looking at our game tonight. But it would be nice," said Julien.

Chad Johnson, getting his second straight start, will oppose Semyon Varlamov tonight.


738903 Buffalo Sabres

Conacher's 'magic helmet' from Scott goes viral

March 21, 2014 - 6:30 AM

Mike Harrington

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Cory Conacher got into a first-period scrum after a whistle Thursday with Edmonton goalie Ben Scrivens and drew a roughing penalty for knocking the chirping Oilers' keeper to the ice.

Conacher went to the penalty box but his helmet went to the Buffalo bench for repairs. So referee Rob Martell brought Conacher a replacement and Conacher quickly noted the No. 32 of 6-foot-7 enforcer John Scott. TSN cameras caught Conacher putting the helment on and laughing while the oversized thing stayed on his head in a scene that mde him look something like the Great Gazoo of Flintstones theme.

Conacher went on to score his first two goals as a Sabre in the 3-1 win. Some power in the magic helmet?

"If you know John Scott, he's that kind of guy," Conacher said. "He's a character guy. I wasn't surprised he was the one to give me his helmet. I'm sure I'll get a couple pictures and tweets of me with that picture three sizes too big."

Scott was surprised to learn Conacher's video had gone viral in places like Yahoo's Puck Daddy blog and SB Nation

"Is it really? Scott said. "Well he looked like a little kid. It was funny."

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.22.2014


‘Conehead’ Conacher goes viral

Mike Harrington

March 21, 2014 - 10:40 PM

VANCOUVER — Cory Conacher had not scored a goal in six games since joining the Buffalo Sabres, but his drought was worse than that. Conacher hadn’t scored in 2014, dating back to a goal Dec. 28 for the Ottawa Senators against Boston. That was 27 games ago.

Coach Ted Nolan pulled him off the top line for Thursday’s game in Edmonton, moving him with Cody Hodgson and Torrey Mitchell. Conacher started the game pretty feisty, running over Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and then getting into a pushing match with Ben Scrivens when the Edmonton goaltender came to his teammate’s defense.

Conacher and Scrivens both got penalties but Conacher’s helmet got damaged in the brief scrum so he briefly sat in the penalty box without one. That’s against the rules, so one had to be brought for him.

Then it happened. A magic helmet? Sure seems that way.

Referee Rob Martell delivered Conacher a helmet from the bench belonging to Sabres enforcer John Scott. With the TSN cameras focusing on him, the 5-foot-8 Conacher donned the huge headgear of the 6-foot-7 Scott, let out a big laugh as the helmet just about covered his eyes and the image has become a viral sensation.

Must have been some crazy powers in there because Conacher went on to score his first two goals as a Sabre, powering Buffalo’s 3-1 win that snapped an ugly seven-game losing streak.

“If you know John Scott, he’s that kind of guy,” Conacher said after the game. “He’s a character guy. I wasn’t surprised he was the one to give me his helmet. I’m sure I’ll get a couple pictures and tweets of me with that picture of it three sizes too big.

“John Scott’s a character. I’m just lucky I didn’t have to play a shift in it.”

Scott is one of the biggest cutups in the Sabres’ dressing room so it was no surprise to anyone around he volunteered his helmet. The image was named the Worst Play of the Day by TSN in Canada and has been featured on Yahoo and SB Nation, among notable websites.

“They needed a helmet and I wasn’t going to play so I just gave him mine,” said Scott, who certainly wasn’t going to see the ice while the teams were skating four on four.

Scott had a good laugh when told the gig had gone viral.

“Is it really? Well, he looked like a little kid in my helmet,” Scott said. “That was funny stuff.”

Aside from that sight-gag, there was nothing funny about the 24-year-old Conacher’s best game as a Sabre. The former Canisius College star showed slick hands with a pair of tip-ins on shots by Jamie McBain and Hodgson.

“It’s been great coming here and playing the minutes I play,” said Conacher, who was waived by Ottawa earlier this month. “It’s been a lot of fun. The coaches show confidence in me and I just have to do the little things. As the games have gone on, I’ve got that confidence to hold on to the puck a little more, put more pucks on net. Maybe this is the game I needed to let the floodgates open a little bit.”

As Nolan said, Conacher had lots of help from his linemates and from Scott on his power-play goal. It was Scott who screened Scrivens on the McBain shot, allowing Conacher’s tip from the top of the circle to whizz past the goalie.

“I don’t think many goalies will be able to stop a puck with him in front of the net,” Conacher said. “He’s a big man and you’ve got to give a lot of credit to him for that goal, and McBain made a nice play on net and luckily I got a stick on it.”

“We’ve worked on that in practice,” said Scott, who got the go-ahead from Nolan to head to the net after other Buffalo forwards weren’t doing it in earlier situations. “The goalies tell me which way to go and how to use my body to

my advantage so it wasn’t completely foreign. I tried to look at the goalie’s eyes. He was looking one way and the puck went the other way.”

Conacher already had a 30-game goal drought with Ottawa that he ended on Dec. 23 against Pittsburgh. When he fell into a second rut, the Senators gave up on him. With Marcus Foligno in Conacher’s spot with Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford, the Sabres hope they can count on two offensive lines when they play the Vancouver Canucks here Sunday night.

“Mitchell is a fast player like myself and he’s got some grit like myself. ... Maybe I fit better with those two guys tonight,” Conacher said. “It was nice. It’s definitely refreshing. I already had the monkey off my back one time this year and it feels like it came off again tonight.”

Said Nolan: “They were buzzing all over the place making some plays.”

...

The Sabres took a CBA-mandated day off Friday and will practice today at Rogers Arena. The game against the Canucks is a 5 p.m. local start on Sunday, meaning it goes at 8 p.m. in Buffalo.



Losing to the Sabres is no fun as Edmonton media lashes out

March 21, 2014 - 5:16 PM

Mike Harrington

VANCOUVER -- The Sabres are mired in 30th place in the NHL and the Edmonton Oilers are struggling to get out of 29th but they had been going well (10-4-3) until Buffalo's 3-1 win Thursday in Rexall Place. By the tenor of Friday's Edmonton newspapers, you'd have thought the Oil was in the thick of the playoff hunt and not washed up weeks agao.

The Oilers took a beating in their hometown media Friday, as the pictures that accompany this post show. Veteran Sun columnist Terry Jones called the game a "Grade A Large egg" in his column, pictured at left and linked above.

Oilers star Taylor Hall was left to answer whether the NHL's 29th-place team could have actually taken someone lightly. He didn't seem too pleased at getting those questions.

The win was the Sabres' 20th of the season, making them the last team in the NHL to reach that mark and ensuring they wouldn't join the 1971-72 team as the only ones in franchise history to not win 20 a season. Oddly enough, the Sabres won 22 and 21 games, respectively, in the lockout seasons of 1995 and 2013.

And the franchise record-low of 51 points from the 71-72 team that went 16-43-19 should be safe. The current Sabres have 48 points and still have 12 games to go.

In regulation, the Sabres have beaten Florida, Toronto, Winnipeg, Boston, New Jersey, Columbus, Phoenix, Carolina, San Jose, Tampa Bay and Edmonton. They've beaten Toronto, Phoenix and Boston a second time, all in overtime. And they have shootout wins over the New York Islanders, San Jose, Los Angeles, Ottawa and Washington (twice).

So two wins apiece over Boston and San Jose, as well as Toronto, Phoenix and Washington.

Hey Edmonton: Settle down.


738906 Calgary Flames

Agostino “excited” to make NHL debut; Predators struggling

March 21, 2014. 12:41 pm

Kristen Odland

Last weekend, Kenny Agostino was studying political science on the Yale University campus and worrying about trying to help his Bulldogs capture an ECAC hockey championship.

This week, he’s still studying and skating — only now he’s been trying to learn the Calgary Flames systems.

And, today, trying to keep calm with his National Hockey League debut only hours away. Against the Nashville Predators, he’ll be on a line with Sean Monahan and Joe Colborne.

“Feeling great,” said the 21-year-old who’ll be playing in front of his Italian (read: emotions-on-their-sleeve) parents. “I’m excited. There’ll be some nerves. All the players and coaches are telling me it’s just hockey. Have fun, enjoy, and soak it all in … (There will be) some tears flowing, and I couldn’t ask for two better parents throughout my hockey career. This debut is just as much for them as it is for me.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night. But I’ll get a good nap in.”

At first blush, Flames head coach boss Bob Hartley likes the hockey sense of Agostino, who was part of the return deal for Jarome Iginla along with forward Ben Hanowski, along with his skill-set and decision-making. Tonight, of course, will be everyone’s first look at the kid.

“I don’t know how well he’s sleeping,” chuckled Hartley. “You can ask him the question. At least he had a few good days to settle down here in Calgary. Today, we just basically left him alone. We filled him with all kinds of info in the last two days. Basically, my message is very simple. Don’t overthink. Don’t try to put out there everything we gave you. Just play your game and it’s a game of mistakes. We’ll adjust. It’s his first game. More importantly, we want him to enjoy his first game.”

As for tonight’s game… Calgary is riding a nice home stretch of nine of 11 games won at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Since the Olympic break, the Flames have broken down their games into a seven-game series to simulate a playoff-atmosphere and to create small goals for the remainder of the season.

And it’s a formula that seems to be working. They finished 3-4 in their first bunch and are currently 3-1 in their second while the coaching staff stresses special teams, five-on-five play, discipline, and creating energy and excitement for the fans.

“That’s our motivation right now,” he said. “It’s an investment for next year. System-wise, it’s fun because the guys are buying in and we have great leadership and great guys. We just work hard and I think we play a very simple game.”

So, looking at the Nashville Predators — who have pretty much taken themselves out of the picture on a three-game losing skid — they aren’t using tonight’s opponent as motivation to vault ahead of them in the standings.

The Preds (29-31-10) are sitting above the Flames in 25th with 68 points and are the next team they can catch in their final 13 games of the year.

Ahead of them are the Carolina Hurricanes (30-30-9) and Ottawa (28-28-13).

“I’ll use this when we’re a playoff team,” Hartley said. “Our mindset, is a seven game series. Right now, we’re up 3-1 so hopefully tonight we close this series. Tomorrow night (against the Oilers) we open up a new seven game series.

“If we lose, we adjust. If we win, we adjust. People from the outside can think what they want — I don’t control this. I don’t really care. But what we’re doing is an investment and the guys seem to like it.”

Flames Lines:

Mike Cammalleri-Mikael Backlund-Paul Byron

Curtis Glencross-Matt Stajan-Jiri Hudler

Kenny Agostino-Sean Monahan-Joe Colborne

Lance Bouma-TJ Galiardi-Brian McGrattan

Flames Pairings:

TJ Brodie-Mark Giordano

Kris Russell-Chris Butler

Ladislav Smid-Tyler Wotherspoon

Flames Goalies:

Joni Ortio

Joey MacDonald

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Johnson: Never-quit always appreciated

George Johnson

March 21, 2014 11:40 PM

This town has taken an undeniable shine to them.

Win or lose.

If the try is there, the care is there, the spirit and spunk are non-negotiable characteristics of their game, people hereabouts are obviously willing to take some tough knocks.

As the scoreclock wound down to zeros Friday, with the Nashville Predators lashed to the mast and trying to weather a ferocious typhoon raging around then, the customary 19,289 patrons at the Saddledome let the Calgary Flames know how much they appreciated another one of their customary never-surrender efforts.

These guys are becoming harder to kill off than a particularly crafty roach in a New York tenement.

“Yeah, nice to see,” said skipper Mark Giordano, asked about the warm applause at game’s end. “We had a great last two minutes where we put the pressure on and had tons of chances to sort of bury it.

“Nice to see but we’ve got to be better in our own zone. Giving up six goals won’t win you many games in this league.”

No hole, apparently, is too deep. No deficit to great. No time in too short abundance.

The Predators held on for a chaotic 6-5 victory, but barely.

“They’re awesome,” praised centre Mikael Backlund of the fans’ support. “Even though we came up short they were still cheering us after the game. We appreciate everything they do for us.

“Whether we’re up or down, they cheer. That’s a boost.”

Mike Cammalleri’s second of the night and 23rd of the season, a centring pass that caromed off a Predator and squeezed underneath goaltender Carter Hudson and over the line at 17:36 sliced a two-goal Nashville advantage in half. In the final minute, with goalie Joey MacDonald on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, Preds’ backup Carter Hutton was called upon to produce two exquisite stops, getting a chunk of a close-in Sean Monahan chance, arranged beautifully by Jiri Hudler, and then, right at the close, a nimble right pad save off a Kris Russell.

“We never give up,” said Giordano. “That’s been our thing all year. But moral victories aren’t enough. We did a lot of great things offensively, a lot of good spurts. A lot of bad things defensively.

“That was an old-school game, I guess. Back and forth. But too many odd-man rushes. That killed us.”

The Weber howitzer, with Curtis Glencross off for interference, snapped a 4-4 tie with five and a half minutes to go and made life extremely difficult for the Flames. Playmaking centreman Matt Cullen set the table perfectly and the Olympic gold-medal winning defenceman bombarded the shot home with typical ferocity.

“We were in our box,” said Giordano. “But it was … weird. A set play, obviously. The way they had all the guys on the perimeter. Tough because you could see them loading him up. If he gets a shot off from there. Doesn’t look like a great scoring chance but for him, it’s a Grade A chance.”

Cullen then scored on a lovely downward deflection of a Roman Josi shot at 17:08, and the deal appeared done and dusted.

The starting goaltending left, uh, well … something to be desired.

By the time the teams trooped into their respective dressing rooms for the second intermission, Joey MacDonald and Hutton, both who’d begun the evening on the bench, were the men in crosshairs.

Flames’ starter Jonio Ortio lasted 28:06, coughing up four goals on 13 shots. Bob Hartley had seen more than enough when Viktor Stalberg stepped out

from the side and jammed — that might be too strong a description — the puck into the short side.

Nashville’s Pekka Rinne, meanwhile, hung in for an additional 5:25, but got the oil’ vaudeville hook from a Barry Trotz when Lance Bouma casually frisked him of the puck behind the Nashville net and centred for an unattended Backlund to ring up No. 18.

From there, back and forth, up and down, a crazy smorgasbord of

nothing predictable. Expect, as we’ve come to understand, the Flames’ inability to do the sensible thing and admit they’ve been licked.

“We battled all the way to the end,” said Backlund. “We made too many turnovers, for sure, but we did a lot of good things offensively.

“Obviously when you get that close, and come back that way, you want to win those games. But it was a fun game to play.”

And, irrespective of the outcome, as the Scotiabank Saddledome faithful’s reaction proved, to watch, too.



Preds offence douses Flames

Kristen Odland

March 21, 2014 10:57 PM

No one needed to be reminded of the last time the Nashville Predators were in town.

Former Calgary Flame Eric Nystrom piled up four goals and it still wasn’t enough to beat the home side which won (somehow) 5-4 in a shootout.

Nystrom, as it turned out Friday night, was the least of their worries. Shea Weber (two goals), Matt Cullen (one goal, three assists), and Patric Hornqvist (one goal, two assists), however, were a serious problem as the Predators dealt the Flames a 6-5 loss.

Tied 4-4 heading into the third period, Weber broke the tie (and nearly broke Flames goalie Joey MacDonald’s back) with a hard slapshot in the top corner. Cullen tipped a puck with just under three minutes remaining to go ahead 6-4. But the Flames, as always, continued to make a game out of it and Michael Cammalleri scored (for ninth in his last 10 games) on an odd angle which had to be reviewed with 2:24 remaining.

“We know they’ve been playing hard,” said Weber. “They’ve beat us this year and scored some goals lately against good teams. They’re sneaky good offensively and really capable of putting up goals.

“For us to score that many, we were a little bit surprised the way things have been going lately (having only scored four goals in three straight losses prior to Friday’s game). But we knew they’ve been scoring and the coaches have talked to us about it.”

The wheels had really fallen off for both teams in the second period as both starting goalies — Joni Ortio for Calgary and Pekka Rinne for Nashville — were pulled after allowing four goals apiece. Hornqvist and Viktor Stalberg spelled the end of Ortio’s night in the second period after already allowing two in the first and four on 18 shot in 25:46 of work.

“It was just one of those nights,” said Ortio. “It felt like the puck wasn’t bouncing for us or me. A tough game.

“We battled back nice and had a chance to tie it up at the end there. But it just didn’t go our way tonight.

“When you let in the first two shots, you know it’s going to be a struggle.”

Meanwhile, Cammalleri, Jiri Hudler, and Mikael Backlund finished off Rinne — and his reaction said it all.

The lanky 31-year-old Finn had a fit and threw his helmet in the hallway after he’d made a terrible decision to leave his net only to be out-battled by Lance Bouma in the trapezoid. Bouma smartly passed it out to Backlund who was gift-wrapped his 18th of the year and knotted the game 4-4. This was the second time on the Predators Western Canadian road trip that he’d been pulled after a 5-1 loss to the Oilers on Tuesday.

Following the game, the Flames dispatched Ortio to the minors while Flames head coach Bob Hartley appointed Karri Ramo the starter Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers (8 p.m., CBC). According to Hartley, the Flames were forced to send Ortio down because of the CBA rules (Ortio was originally recalled to replace the injured Ramo).

“It wasn’t an easy night for him, but with the way we executed, we put him in that position,” said Hartley of Ortio. “Not blaming him, by any means. It was a team loss.

“We still have lots of work ahead of us. We’ll fix with video and practice. This is the NHL and its tough schedule. It’s a game if mistakes, I felt they had three scoring chances after first period, and two goals.”

Ramo has missed the last 15 games with a knee injury. In Ortio’s absence from the Abbotsford Heat, the team has gone 2-8-1-1 since his call-up in mid-February.



Westgarth won’t repeat fight mistakes

Sheldon Smith

March 21, 2014

The last time Kevin Westgarth was in Edmonton, he was being helped off the ice after a nasty fight with Edmonton Oilers tough-guy Luke Gazdic.

It was a sight that’s become all too familiar among the eyes of the NHL, NHLPA and its fans. The dust-up left Westgarth unconscious.

“Yeah, I’ve watched it a couple times,” said Westgarth, after the Flames completed their game-day skate prior to hosting the Nashville Predators on Friday evening.

The Flames will be back in Edmonton Saturday night for a Hockey Night in Canada return date with the Oilers.

Westgarth admitted to making some mistakes the last time that gave Gazdic the upper hand, culminating in a violent fall to the ice. After that game on March 1, he missed five outings with a concussion.

“I had a little switch in my footwork, and he got me in a bad spot,” Westgarth said. “Luke hit me pretty good. It’s the first and last time it’s happened.

“I’m not going to let it happen again, rest assured.”

The fight appeared to be one the league’s infamous staged fights, as the tussle was right after Flames rookie Sean Monahan scored to give Calgary the early lead. The staged fights are an element of the game those against fighting would like to see removed.

“(Gazdic) was kind of running around out there, taking shots at our D,” Westgarth said.

Like most tough guys, Westgarth never expects to lose a fight, as he can take full advantage of his six-foot-four wingspan and 234 lb. frame. He’s a noted NHL enforcer, using his heavy hands when need be.

Fighting is always a risk, but Westgarth sees it as a way to ensure that his teammates are safe, and that no opponent is allowed to take liberties with Flames’ players.

“It makes the game safer, in my opinion,” Westgarth said. “The point is to incur damage to the other guy.”

The incurring damage towards an opponent is one of the side-effects of fighting, though. Westgarth was concussed on the fight with Gazdic.

Westgarth admitted that the league and the players have a formidable concussion protocol in place — making sure its players take time off to recover properly from any head injury. A week off is the first mandate.

“It’s frustrating, for the players, especially not being at the rink everyday with the guys,” Westgarth said.

The protocol assures that a player may rethink his stance on fighting.

Westgarth is in favour of what the NHL has done, though.

“We’re all adults, here,” Westgarth said. “It’s our responsibility.”

The Princeton graduate admitted that he hasn’t been afraid drop the mitts since the injury, and says getting back into the flow of the game was a smooth transition.



Calgary Flames' Tyler Wotherspoon catches up with old partner

WES GILBERTSON

Friday, March 21, 2014 10:53 PM MDT

The first NHL contest that Calgary Flames callup Tyler Wotherspoon attended this season was as a guest of Nashville Predators rookie standout Seth Jones.

Crazy how quickly things change in this business.

Wotherspoon was still stationed at AHL Abbotsford when he scored tickets from Jones — his defence partner last season as members of Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks — to a Jan. 23 tilt between the Predators and Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Wotherspoon caught up with his old pal again Friday at the Saddledome.

Except this time, both were on the ice.

“It’s really special to be able to play against him in the NHL this soon,” Wotherspoon said. “I didn’t really think about it at the time, just went to see a good buddy of mine play in the NHL, but to be able to get the call-up and to stay up here this long to be actually playing against him, it’s funny to look back and think about that.”

Wotherspoon, 21, now has eight games under his skates as an emergency recall on the Flames’ blueline and is expected to stick around the Saddledome for the rest of the season.

He and Jones, who was the fourth-overall pick of the Preds in the 2013 NHL Draft, formed a terrific tandem in 2012-13, combining for 108 points and a plus-124 rating to help the Winterhawks claim a WHL crown.

While the scouts were drooling over the draft-eligible Jones, Flames head coach Bob Hartley got a good look at Wotherspoon — a second-rounder in ’11 — at the Memorial Cup last spring and was immediately excited about his own prospect.

“Watching him, he was very solid,” Hartley recalled. “The intensity he was putting in practice and the intensity he was putting in games, I would call Jay (Feaster) and I told him: ‘This kid is going to play. This kid might not be the flashiest defenceman in Flames history, but he’ll get the job done.’

“I really believe he’s going to become a very important part of this team.”

Jones, 19, also figures Wotherspoon has a bright future ahead.

“He’s going to do great,” Jones said. “He’s smart defensively. He’s definitely a shutdown guy, but he has offensive skill, as well. He has a pretty good shot, great passer, good vision. He was definitely a real treat to play with last year.”

Around the boards

The Flames assigned G Joni Ortio to Abbotsford after Friday’s loss, a move that would have been necessary even if the 22-year-old pitched a shutout against the Predators. Ortio was an emergency recall, meaning he had to be returned to the minors once G Karri Ramo (knee) was ready to go. Ramo will start Saturday’s Battle of Alberta ... Saddledome-goers, how do you know if you were seated Friday beside Ken and Anne Agostino, whose son Kenny made his NHL debut against the Predators? “My mom will probably be the loudest woman in the arena,” Agostino predicted. The 21-year-old left-winger figured there might be some waterworks, too. “They’re an emotional Italian family, so I’m sure there will be some tears flowing. I couldn’t ask for two better parents throughout my hockey career, with all the support. This is as just much for them as it is for me, and they’re just as much as part of this as I am. It’s going to be special for all of us” ... Flames RW Jiri Hudler returned to the lineup Friday after missing seven straight outings due to a lower-body injury and had an impressive showing. He’s still the Flames’ leading point-producer, but D Mark Giordano is now just four points back

Off the glass

Predators LW Eric Nystrom scored four times in 16:13 of icetime in his last trip to the Saddledome and has two goals in 18 outings since then. Go figure ... Flames C Mikael Backlund needs two tallies to hit the 20-goal plateau. Yeah, this is the same guy that scored only twice in his first 25 appearances

of this season, and that doesn’t even count the night he was a healthy scratch. “I’m not going to lie — that would be huge for me,” Backlund said of his quest for 20-plus goals ... Not to scare off all the scouts asking about my beer-league schedule, but you’ll have to pay me more than a million bucks per season to slide in front of Predators D Shea Weber’s slapshots.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Calgary Flames lose run-and-gun battle with Nashville Predators

Saturday, March 22, 2014 12:06 AM MDT

Usually when these teams meet in the Stampede City, it becomes western night..

This time, the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators decided to make it turn-back-the-clock-night — all the way to the 1980s.

The Flames and Predators are both low-scoring teams in wait-until-next-year territory as far as their Stanley Cup playoff hopes, which prompted expectations Friday’s clash at the Dome would be a snoozer.

Instead, the Preds came out on top of a 6-5 clash that harkened back to the days of mullets, acid-wash jeans and Atari.

“That was an old-school game, I guess. It was back and forth,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano, who collected a pair of assists. “We did a lot of great things and had a lot of good spurts, especially offensively, but we gave way too many chances off the rush. We had too many turnovers. That’s what hurt us in the end.”

Shea Weber’s late powerplay goal — to nobody’s surprise, it was a rocket of a shot — broke open a 4-4 deadlock, and moments later Matt Cullen netted the eventual winner to cap a four-point game to snap Nashville’s three-game losing skid.

Michael Cammalleri’s second goal of the game — his seventh in six outings — with just over two minutes remaining led to a wild finish, but the hosts couldn’t net the equalizer despite several close chances.

“I thought we almost had one at the end there, too,” Cammalleri said. “It would have been nice. You can’t expect to win games when you give up six, for sure. One thing we’re proud of, especially in the last little while, is not giving up as many chances.”

Sure, the Flames weren’t enthralled with their game — head coach Bob Hartley was succinct: “We worked very hard to come back a few times in the game, but the way that we were committed defensively tonight, I don’t think we had a chance.” — but those among the announced sellout crowd of 19,289 gave their charges a huge ovation at the final buzzer.

You don’t often see that when a team loses and sits 26th overall at 28-35-7.

“That was nice to see,” Giordano said. “We had a great last two minutes where we put the pressure on and had tons of chances to bury it. It just wouldn’t go for us.

“Nice to see, but we have to be better in our own zone to get wins out of those games.”

The Preds arrived in Calgary having managed just two goals in their last three games, but equalled that on their first two shots when Victor Bartley potted his first NHL goal 49 seconds before Weber made it a 2-0 lead.

Instead of leading to a runaway affair, it set the wheels in motion for a crazy clash.

By the time the second period was in the books, both starting goalies — the Preds’ Pekka Rinne and the Flames’ Joni Ortio — were hooked.

The Flames also scored a pair of goals less than a minute apart, with Cammalleri and Jiri Hudler doing those honours to make it a 3-3 affair before the midway point, only to see Viktor Stalberg restore the Predators lead but Mikael Backlund make it a 4-4 game heading into the third period.

It took a while for more scoring to come in the final frame, but nobody left the building feeling they were cheated of entertainment.

“We knew they hadn’t scored many goals lately, and sometimes when that happens, teams are due for bounces,” Giordano said. “A couple of their goals were good plays, but they knocked them out of the air and put them in.

“It was just one of those weird games.”

Kris Russell also scored for the hosts in a three-point performance, while Patric Hornqvist added Nashville’s other marker.

Ortio was sent to the minors after the game, a move due to the return of starting goalie Karri Ramo, not indicative of his performance.

The Flames travel to Edmonton to face the Oilers Saturday in the fifth and the final instalment of the Battle of Alberta.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.22.2014

738912 Carolina Hurricanes

Blackhawks edge Hurricanes 3-2 without Kane

MATT CARLSON

March 21, 2014

CHICAGO — Even without Patrick Kane — and despite a run of sloppy plays and penalties — the Chicago Blackhawks found a way to buckle down and beat the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jonathan Toews' short-handed breakaway goal early in the third period snapped a tie, and lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory on Friday night.

Patrick Sharp scored his team-leading 30th goal and Kris Versteeg ended an eight-game drought to help the Blackhawks pull out a win without Kane, the team's leading scorer who was placed on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury in Chicago's victory over St. Louis on Wednesday.

The Blackhawks were also without injured forwards Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell, and defenseman Michal Rozsival.

"That's one of those things, we have to learn how to play without our best players," Toews said. "We've done it without Hoss (Marian Hossa), and now Sadder and Kaner.

"It doesn't matter. If someone's nursing something, we have to find a way to fill that void."

Sharp has scored at least 30 goals four times in his career. He has reached the mark in the past three full NHL seasons.

Corey Crawford made 26 saves as defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago tightened up defensively and overcame mistakes late in the second period and early in the third that helped the Hurricanes fight back from a two goal deficit.

"That's a game we can look back on during the playoffs as being able to shut a team down in the last five minutes," Crawford said. "I don't think they got a shot in the last five minutes. That's the way you want to play."

Carolina's Alexander Semin scored his 20th and 21st goals 3:36 apart, but the Hurricanes lost to Chicago for the second time this season. The Blackhawks beat Carolina in a road shootout on Oct. 15 in their only other meeting this season.

Semin tied it off a faceoff during a 5-on-3 power play at 2:58 of the third. Eric Staal won the draw and fed Semin, who fired in a screened shot from the top of the left circle.

Semin had cut Chicago's lead to 2-1 with 37.7 seconds left in the second. He was open in the right circle, took Staal's pass from the left boards and fired a quick shot past Crawford's glove.

"We gave them some excitement to their game at the end of the second," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We took six penalties in a row, a stretch of six penalties that got them right back in the game.

"Then Johnny scored a huge goal for us, which was very timely."

Toews' third short-handed goal at 3:29 of the third put Chicago ahead for good.

A shot by Staal rimmed all the way around the boards in the Chicago zone and came out to center ice. Toews got the puck, skated in alone, and beat Anton Khudobin with a high backhander.

"Obviously I missed the shot down the wing," Staal said. "I wanted to go high glove, and they got a good bounce and good player going the other way on a breakaway."

Once Toews put Chicago in front, the Blackhawks sparkled defensively in the third period and held on to extend their point streak to four games (3-0-1).

Khudobin stopped 22 shots after a career-best 46 saves in Carolina's win at Columbus on Tuesday.

Kane, who could miss the rest of the regular season, was injured in a collision with St. Louis' Brenden Morrow. He left the ice under his own power, favoring his left leg.

Earlier Friday, Chicago recalled top prospect Teuvo Teravainen and forward Jeremy Morin from Rockford of the AHL.

The 19-year-old Teravainen, Chicago's first-round selection in the 2012 draft, didn't play against Carolina.

The Blackhawks came out flying in the scoreless first and outshot Carolina 11-4.

The Hurricanes didn't record their first shot until Nathan Gerbe forced Crawford to make a glove save 11:21 in.

Sharp opened the scoring on a breakaway at 3:09 of the second. He took a stretch pass up the middle from Andrew Shaw and accelerated past defensemen Justin Faulk and Ron Hainsey. He beat Khudobin with a high backhander on the stick side.

Versteeg made it 2-0 with 3:34 left in the second during 4-on-4 play. Defenseman Nick Leddy carried the puck down to the left corner, then centered a pass to Versteeg, who beat Khudobin on the glove side.

NOTES: Kane must sit out a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said there is "no reason to think he won't" be ready for the playoffs. ... Morin has one goal and four assists in 15 games with Chicago this season. ... D David Rundblad played in his second game with the Blackhawks since being acquired from Phoenix. ... Carolina D John-Michael Liles returned after missing six games with a concussion, C Jiri Tlusty came back after sitting out two with a lower-body injury, and C Elias Lindholm and D Justin Faulk played after missing the previous game because of illnesses.

News Observer LOADED: 03.22.2014

738913 Carolina Hurricanes

Blackhawks edge Hurricanes 3-2 on shorthanded goal in 3rd

Mar. 21, 2014 @ 11:10 PM

MATT CARLSON

CHICAGO —

Jonathan Toews’ short-handed breakaway goal early in the third period snapped a tie, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Friday night.

Patrick Sharp scored his team-leading 30th goal and Kris Versteeg ended an eight-game drought to help the Blackhawks win without leading scorer Patrick Kane, who was placed on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury in Chicago’s victory over St. Louis on Wednesday.

Corey Crawford made 26 saves.

Alexander Semin scored his 20th and 21st goals as the Hurricanes fought back from a two-goal deficit, but lost to Chicago for the second time this season. The Blackhawks beat the Hurricanes in a road shootout on Oct. 15 in their only other meeting this season.

Anton Khudobin stopped 22 shots after a career-best 46 saves in Carolina’s win at Columbus on Tuesday.



Kane, who could miss the rest of the regular season, was injured in a collision with St. Louis’ Brenden Morrow. He left the ice under his own power, favoring his left leg.


The 19-year-old Teravainen, Chicago’s first-round selection in the 2012 draft, didn’t play against Carolina.


The Hurricanes didn’t record their first shot until Nathan Gerbe forced Crawford to make a glove save 11:21 in.



Semin cut it to 2-1 with 37.7 seconds left in the period. He was open in the right circle, took Eric Staal’s pass from the left boards and fired a quick shot past Crawford’s glove.

Semin tied it off a faceoff during a 5-on-3 power play at 2:58 of the third. Staal won the draw and fed Semin, who fired in a screened shot from the top of the left circle.

Toews’ third short-handed goal just 31 seconds later put Chicago ahead for good.

A shot by Staal rimmed all the way around the boards in the Chicago zone and came out to center ice. Toews got the puck, skated in alone, and beat Khudobin with a high backhander.

NOTES: Kane must sit out a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said there is “no reason to think he won’t” be ready for the playoffs. ... Morin has one goal and four assists in 15 games with Chicago this season. ... D David Rundblad played in his second game with the Blackhawks since being acquired from Phoenix. ... Carolina D John-Michael Liles returned after missing six games with a concussion, C Jiri

Tlusty came back after sitting out two with a lower-body injury, and C Elias Lindholm and D Justin Faulk played after missing the previous game because of illnesses.

BLACKHAWKS 3, HURRICANES 2

Carolina 0 1 1—2

Chicago 0 2 1—3

First Period_None. Penalties_E.Staal, Car (tripping), 10:29; Semin, Car (hooking), 18:32.

Second Period_1, Chicago, Sharp 30 (Shaw, Handzus), 3:09. 2, Chicago, Versteeg 11 (Leddy, Seabrook), 16:26. 3, Carolina, Semin 20 (E.Staal, Sekera), 19:22. Penalties_Oduya, Chi (cross-checking), 3:23; Toews, Chi (hooking), 7:55; Harrison, Car (interference), 14:29; Toews, Chi (slashing), 15:44.

Third Period_4, Carolina, Semin 21 (E.Staal), 2:58 (pp). 5, Chicago, Toews 28, 3:29 (sh). Penalties_Keith, Chi (slashing), 1:26; Handzus, Chi (holding), 1:44; Handzus, Chi (tripping), 4:11; E.Staal, Car (tripping), 4:49; Faulk, Car (holding), 15:27.

Shots on Goal_Carolina 4-14-10_28. Chicago 11-9-5_25.

Power-play opportunities_Carolina 1 of 6; Chicago 0 of 5.

Goalies_Carolina, Khudobin 15-11-0 (25 shots-22 saves). Chicago, Crawford 28-12-10 (28-26).

A_21,857 (19,717). T_2:22.

Referees_Frederick L'Ecuyer, Chris Lee. Linesmen_Andy McElman, Mark Shewchyk.

Herald-Sun LOADED: 03.22.2014

738914 Chicago Blackhawks

Teevo? Tyvo? A pronunciation guide to the new Hawk

Chric Kuc

2:05 PM CDT, March 21, 2014

If you’re having trouble pronouncing Teuvo Teravainen’s name, you’re not alone.

The Blackhawks provided a handy guide in their announcement that the 19-year-old Finnish native was joining the team Friday: TAY-voh tair-uh-VIGH-nehn.

That didn’t help some of his teammates and coach when they spoke of the new addition prior to the Hawks’ game against the Hurricanes on Friday night at the United Center.

Forward Andrew Shaw nailed the last name but stumbled on the first.

“Teevo?” Shaw asked.

When then informed of the correct pronunciation, Shaw said: “Don’t tell him I messed up.”

Teravainen said he was “getting use to” the name follies.

“Everybody is saying a different name,” he said. "Some are ‘Teevo, Tyvo, Toovo.’ It’s OK.”

Coach Joel Quenneville took a run at it during his media session.

“Teevo?” Quenneville offered. “We’ll have to check. Sounds good to me. I’ve got to work on that. We’ll have to figure that one out. Maybe his nickname might be ‘Teevo.’ ”

Teravainen did say he had a nickname and then uttered something that sounded like “TAY-oh-ka” before adding with a laugh: “It’s even harder.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.22.2014


Teravainen ready for 'good opportunity' with Blackhawks

Chris Kuc

12:31 PM CDT, March 21, 2014

The future is now for the Chicago Blackhawks.

The defending Stanley Cup champions recalled forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Jeremy Morin on Friday. To make room under the NHL's salary cap, the Hawks placed winger Patrick Kane on the long-term injury list.

Teravainen is the Hawks' top forward prospect and came to North America after the conclusion of the 19-year-old's season with Jokeri of SM-liiga in Finland. He will wear No. 86 for the Hawks but will not be in the lineup when the Hawks face the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night at the United Center.

"It’s great thing for me," Teravainen said of joining the Hawks. "It was bad we lost in Finland, an early out ... but I still have a good opportunity to play hockey and it’s fun."

As a top draft pick, Teravainen said he realizes expecations will be high once he hits the ice in the Hawks' next game or two.

"Of course there are big expectations and pressure but I don’t think of those too much," Teravainen said. "Just play and … come here. I think everything I do here is bonus. I’m just trying to have fun. There are so many good players on this team. If I play here I’m just one of those guys. I don’t need to be superman here. I’m just doing my things and I hope I can help the team."

Teravainen was the Hawks' first-round selection (18th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft and is a playmaking forward who has been penciled in as the No. 2 center for the 2014-15 season. The injury to Kane, who left the ice with an apparent knee injury during Wednesday night's game against the Blues, helped pave the way for Teravainen's addition.

In 49 games with Jokerit, Teravainen had nine goals and 35 assists.

"It's a great opportunity for him as well as the organization," general manager Stan Bowman said. "The thing we just want to be cautious about is he's a 19-year old kid. He's not coming in here to carry the team. We certainly have high hopes for him in the future, but this is more just an experience for Teuvo to come in and see what the NHL is all about. We've been really pleased with his progress since we drafted him and looking at his season this year he showed that he could be a dominant player in the top league in Finland and he's going to come in here and just be a piece of the puzzle."

"I think the strength of our team this year has been the fact that we do use all our lines," Bowman added. "(Coach Joel Quenneville) likes to give even minutes across the board and we're not having Teuvo to come in and replace anybody. He's just going to fit in like the other guys on the team. So, I think we're certainly excited for that, but we're trying to be aware that there's a lot of excitement around him and understandably so, but he's just another player on our team and it's a team sport."

Added Quenneville: "I think he’s really progressed this year. He’s not going to play (Friday) but we look forward to getting him a chance to play here in the next little bit. Certainly, we saw what he can do in training camp with his skill set and what he can bring to our team and our organization as well. In the games I saw in the World (Junior) Championships and reports we have from the Finnish league it was a nice year for him as well. We’ll see how it works out."

Morin had 24 goals and 23 assists in 47 games with Rockford of the AHL. The 22-year-old has also appeared in 15 games with the Hawks, and had a goal and four assists in those games.

"We’ve seen him here this year," Quenneville said. "He’s really made some progress in his game, especially when he was playing up here. He had some purpose to his game. I thought he had some good energy, physically involved. He really had some good pace. He’s played well down there. He’s had a real good stretch over some recent games."

Bryan (Bickell) upper body), Brandon Saad (upper body) and Michal Rozsival (lower body) will be sidelined against the Hurricanes.

Corey Crawford will start in goal.



Blackhawks defense comes to fore in 3-2 victory

Chris Kuc

10:49 PM CDT, March 21, 2014

With the Blackhawks clinging to a one-goal lead midway through the third period, Corey Crawford was ready to stop anything that came his way.

But the goaltender didn't have to as his Hawks teammates threw themselves in front of everything the Hurricanes sent toward the net to lock down a 3-2 victory Friday night at the United Center.

The Hurricanes failed to record a shot on goal during the final 9 minutes, 40 seconds of the game and during a final-minute scramble, the Hawks came up with four blocks — two by Ben Smith — to seal their second consecutive victory.

"That's a game we can take a look back on during the playoffs when we were able to shut a team down," said Crawford, who made 26 saves. "That's the way you want to play. You don't want to give them any opportunities to tie it up. That was some solid play."

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg scored to provide the offense for Crawford and help the Hawks extend their points streak to four and pull within four points of the idle Blues in the Central Division and take a three-point lead on the Avalanche, who lost to the Bruins. Alexander Semin had both tallies for the Hurricanes but it wasn't enough as Anton Khudobin suffered the loss in goal.

The Hawks prevailed despite the absences of Patrick Kane (left knee), Bryan Bickell (upper body), Brandon Saad (upper body) and Michal Rozsival (lower body) from the lineup.

"You need to learn how to play without some of your best players," said Toews, who had the game-winner with a goal off a breakaway with the Hawks short-handed early in the third. "We've done it without (Marian) Hossa and now Saad and Kane.

"It doesn't matter if someone is nursing something, we need to find a way to fill that void. Some guys are ready to assume some more responsibility and they showed that preparation (Friday night)."

Back again: With the Hawks' lineup depleted, Jeremy Morin was recalled from Rockford, marking his fourth stint with the big club this season. Morin was the leading goal-scorer for the IceHogs with 24 goals in 47 games and said he is prepared to contribute in the NHL.

"I feel really comfortable on the ice and I'm maturing and getting stronger," Morin said. "I feel like I'm skating the best I've ever skated."

Luxury item: Invoices were sent to Hawks season ticket-holders for the 2014-15 campaign and they showed a blended 8 percent price increase from '13-14. Seats range from $410 per game in the 100-level prime areas (up from $380) to $42 in the 300-level Tier 3 (up from $36).

The club pointed out those who hold season tickets receive discounts of 25-49 percent over single-game buyers. Last season, the renewal rate for season tickets was more than 99 percent.

Friday's game drew 21,857, marking the Hawks' 262nd consecutive capacity crowd.

Coming soon: Matt Carey, with whom the Hawks agreed to a two-year, free-agent contract Thursday after the center finished his season at St. Lawrence University, will join the team for the stretch run.

"Matt's a big, strong centerman and he has a little bit of versatility to his game," general manager Stan Bowman said. "He plays a skill game. He can score goals … but he also plays a two-way game."



Teuvo Teravainen's arrival has Blackhawks excited

Chris Kuc

8:03 PM CDT, March 21, 2014

General manager Stan Bowman remembers well sitting at the Blackhawks' table during the 2012 NHL draft in Pittsburgh and seeing Teuvo Teravainen's name slip lower and lower.

After a run on defensemen resulted in eight of them going in the first 10 picks, the flashy Finnish prospect was suddenly in play for the Hawks at No. 18 overall.

"We weren't targeting him because we had him as one of the top players in the draft," Bowman said Friday, not long after the Hawks announced the 19-year-old Teravainen was joining the team. "We never thought he would slide to us that far. So we started looking at one another when it got to 13 or 14 and we said, 'Wow, he might be there.' And our scouts said, 'No question, if he's there we have to take him.'"

The Hawks are about to get their best look at that talent with Teravainen likely to make his NHL debut in the next game or two. After his season with Jokerit of SM-Liiga in Finland ended earlier this week, he came to Chicago. On Friday, he participated in the Hawks' morning skate before the game against the Hurricanes at the United Center.

To make room under the league's salary cap to fit Teravainen, the Hawks placed winger Patrick Kane on the long-term injury list, which is a minimum of 24 days and 10 games.

Bowman reiterated Friday what coach Joel Quenneville said after Kane suffered an apparent left knee injury Wednesday night against the Blues.

"It's nothing too serious and we're going to get (Kane) back leading into the playoffs," Bowman said.

Kane's likely absence for the remaining 12 games of the regular season creates more of an opportunity for Teravainen to showcase the talents that have some in the organization and legions of fans salivating.

Bowman and Quenneville cautioned, however, that Teravainen is just a piece of the puzzle and expectations should be tempered.

"The thing we want to be cautious about is he's a 19-year old kid — he's not here to carry the team," Bowman said. "We certainly have high hopes for him, but this is more just an experience for Teuvo to see what the NHL is all about.

"This year he showed that he could be a dominant player in the top league in Finland."

Said Quenneville: "I don't want to put … I don't want to say pressure or expectations on him. I just think he could be a special player in our league. Offensively, he has a great set of skills as far as puck possession and recognition of plays."

After impressing the Hawks in training camp, Teravainen stood out playing for Finland in the World Junior Championships. Then, in 49 games with Jokerit of SM-Liiga, he had nine goals and 35 assists — all while shifting from wing to center, an area of need for the Hawks.

Getting a chance to ease into a talent-laden Hawks lineup could be the perfect formula for the soft-spoken teenager.

"There are so many good players on this team," Teravainen said. "If I play here, I'm just one of those guys. I don't need to be Superman here."

As one of the most ballyhooed Hawks prospects in years, Teravainen realizes expectations will be high.

"But I don't think of those too much," he said. "Everything I do here is bonus."

Bowman said he had no qualms about burning a year of Teravainen's three-year entry level contract if he reaches 10 games played throughout the course of the regular season and playoffs.

"If Teuvo's helping us … it's not a factor at all," Bowman said. "Sometimes you can get caught up in that, but for us, whether he plays two games, 10 games, 20 games … that's not a factor."

Even while cautioning against skyrocketing expectations, Bowman couldn't help but gush about Teravainen's potential.

"He's very skilled (and a) very talented offensive player," Bowman said. "He has … just innate hockey sense, which is sort of knowing where your teammates are on the ice without even looking. He has that ability to anticipate and create time and space. When he has the puck he can find the open man and create offensive plays.

"That certainly is the style of hockey we play so he fits in well with our group. We like his offensive patience with the puck. That's something you can't really teach. You sort of have that or you don't."



Blackhawks handle Hurricanes 3-2

Chris Kuc

9:31 PM CDT, March 21, 2014

After making plenty of news off the ice Friday, the Blackhawks still had a hockey game to play.

The defending Stanley Cup champions faced off against the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center hoping to edge closer to the idle St. Louis Blues in the Central Division.

They did just that as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg scored to lift the Hawks past the Hurricanes 3-2. The Hawks won their second consecutive game and extended their points streak to four to pull within four points of the idle Blues.

Corey Crawford made 26 saves to earn the victory as the Hawks improved to 41-15-15 on the season. Alexander Semin had both goals for the Hurricanes, who dropped to 30-31-9. Anton Khudobin suffered the loss in goal.

After a scoreless first, Sharp scored on a breakaway and Versteeg off a shot from the slot to stake the Hawks to a 2-0 lead. In the waning moments of the second, Semin scored to halve the deficit.

In the third, Semin added his second of the game with the Hurricanes holding a five-on-three advantage. Just 31 seconds later, Toews broke in on Khudobin with the Hawks shorthanded and beat the netminder with a forehand-backhand move to notch the game-winner.

The Hawks were short-handed as Patrick Kane (left knee), Bryan Bickell (upper body), Brandon Saad (upper body) and Michal Rozsival (lower body) were all sidelined with injuries.

Jeremy Morin, who was recalled along with top prospect Teuvo Teravainen on Friday, was in the lineup. Morin was the leading goal-scorer for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL this season with 24 goals in 47 games.

“I feel really comfortable on the ice and I’m maturing and getting stronger,” said Morin, who is in his fourth stint with the Hawks this season. “I feel like I’m skating the best I’ve ever skated. That obviously helps your game out a lot so hopefully I can bring that up here and bring some energy.”

Teravainen participated in the Hawks’ morning skate but did not play and is expected to make his NHL debut in the next game or two. To make room for Teravainen under the NHL's salary cap, the Hawks placed Kane on the long-term injury list, which means he can't play for 24 days and 10 games.



Teuvo Teravainen, not ‘Superman,’ arrives to Blackhawks

MARK POTASH

March 21, 2014 2:56PM

The most ballyhooed Blackhawks prospect since Toews and Kane just wants to do his job, learn well and help his team win.

‘‘I don’t need to be Superman here,’’ 19-year-old Teuvo Teravainen said Friday after his first morning skate with the Blackhawks at the United Center. ‘‘I’m just doing my things and I hope I can help the team.’’

Those are relatively modest early goals for a player who has excited the masses — not only outside the Blackhawks organization, but within. But that’s the way the Hawks want to handle the introduction of the talented Finn from Helsinki who joined the team Friday.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Teravainen will not play tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center and hopes to get him in during this homestand — probably Sunday against the the Predators or next Tuesday against the Stars.

‘‘We want to be cautious — he’s a 19-year-old kid. He’s not coming in here to carry the team,’’ Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. ‘‘We have high hopes for him in the future, but this is more an experience for him to come in and see what the NHL’s all about.’’

That’s a plan that should work on a team with as many established stars as the Blackhawks. But the timing complicates matters — Teravainen enters as Patrick Kane begins a three-week rehabilitation for a lower-body injury presumed to be a knee sprain. Teuvo has Kane-like offensive skills and hockey intuition. But he’s still 19. It’s unlikely he’s ready for that role today.

‘‘Of course there are big expectations and pressure, but I don’t think of those too much,’’ the 5-11, 169-pound Teravainen said. ‘‘Everything I do here is a bonus. I’m just trying to have fun.’’

Still, Kane’s absence magnifies Teravainen’s presence. The real pressure is on Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and the supporting cast to pick up the slack for Kane and take the attention off Teravainen.

‘‘We’re pleased with his progress since we drafted him,’’ Bowman said. ‘‘And he showed he can be a dominant layer in the top league in Finland. He’s going to come in here and be a piece of the puzzle.

‘‘The strength of our team this year is [that] we use all four lines. Joel likes to give even minutes across the board and we’re not having Teuvo come in and replace anybody. He’ll fit in like the other guys on the team. We’re trying to be aware that there’s a lot of excitement around him and understandably so. But he’s just another player on our team and it’s a team sport.’’

Quenneville likewise is downplaying the importance of Teravainen’s presence in Chicago. ‘‘I don’t want to put that much emphasis on him, or put that much — I don’t want to say pressure or expections on him,’’ the Blackhawks coach said. ‘‘I just think he could be a special player in our league.’’

Teravainen, the Blackhawks’ first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2012 draft, scored 44 points (nine goals, 35 assists) in 49 games with Jokerit of Helsinki this season. He led Finland to the championship game of the World Junior Championships, leading the tournament with 15 points (two goals, 13 points) in seven games.

‘‘Offensively he has a great set of skills as far as puck possession and recognition of plays,’’ Quenneville sid. ‘‘The reports are that he’s progressed in the areas that he’s going to need to as a young player. He’s gotten stronger in the puck area, defensively gotten responsible. I’m sure that’s always going to be a work-in-progress. But the things he does offensively are things you can’t teach. We look forward to seeing how that all plays out.’’

He’s not alone. ‘‘I’m kind of curious myself,’’ teammate Kris Versteeg said. ‘‘I’m excited about the possibiities of what you hear about him and the little bits you see. I’ve never seen him play besides the world juniors. I saw the final game and he’s got extreme talent. He can really make somehting out of nothing with his abilities and hockey sense. I’m excited to see him play.’’

It’s that hockey sense that could make Teravainen’s transition to the NHL faster that anticipated. ‘‘He just knows and thinks the game so well,’’ forward Andrew Shaw said. ‘‘He’s always in the right spot where he needs to be. And he’s always making those incredible plays.’’

Quenneville said he likes Teravainen’s versatility — he can play center or either wing — but ‘‘I’d like to try him at center right of the bat and we’ll see how he handles it,’’ he said.

The big question on this team that could determin e Teravainen’s ice time is whether Teravainen can be the two-way player Quenneville demands. But even Quenneville sounded like he’ll give the kid some leeway in that regard. The offensive potential is worth it.

‘‘There’s always a learning curve,’’ Quenneville said when asked about Teravainen’s defense. ‘‘We’ve had some young players here who have gotten better each year. Offensively play to your strengths and as long as you progress ... we expect him to get better defensively and get stronger and aware in all zones away from the puck. The expectation is you’re playing a 200-foot game, I think there are some things you can work your way through.’’

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Jonathan Toews’ shorty puts Blackhawks past Hurricanes 3-2

MARK POTASH

March 22, 2014 2:14AM

Coming off an emotional victory over the Blues in which they lost leading scorer Patrick Kane for the rest of the regular season — and playing without injured forwards Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell — the Blackhawks were happy to take their two points and move on Friday night.

They took too six penalties and lost a two-goal lead against the Carolina Hurricanes, but made the most of a tough night as Jonathan Toews scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway early in the third period for a 3-2 victory before 21,857 fans at the United Center.

Patrick Sharp scored his 30th goal of the season and Kris Versteeg also scored as the Blackhawks (41-15-15, 97 points) moved three points ahead of the Avalanche (44-21-6, 94 points), who lost to the Bruins 2-0 at home Friday night. The Hawks trail the Central Division-leading Blues by four points.

‘‘I just think we’re playing better,’’ said Toews, who scored his 28th goal of the season 31 seconds after the Hurricanes’ Alexander Semin scored on a 5-on-3 advantage to tie the game 2-2. ‘‘Maybe got away from it for a few moments in the second period when we coughed up that goal. Other than that, we’ve been playing really well, especially in the last couple of games. That’s two team efforts we definitely need to build on. So we can be happy with that.’’

Coach Joel Quenneville said Saad and Bickell could return on Sunday against the Predators at the United Center, but didn’t sound all that optimistic. The Hawks, though, have a knack for overcoming adversity.

‘‘We’ve been lucky to be really healthy all season. I hope that continues,’’ Toews said. ‘‘You need to learn to play without some of your best players. We’ve done it with Hoss [Marian Hossa]. Now Sodder and Kaner. It doesn’t matter. If someone’s nursing something we need to find a way to fill that void. Other guys are going ot have to step up and that’s what we’re looking for.’’

The Hawks scored on two well-executed pass plays to take a 2-0 lead. Sharp scored on a breakaway off a center-ice feed from Andrew Shaw for a 1-0 lead 3:09 into the second period. Nick Leddy fed Versteeg for a wrist shot from the slot to make it 2-0 with 3:34 left in the period.

Sharp has scored 30 or more goals in four of his last six full seasons with the Blackhawks.

‘‘He makes it look easy. It’s something we’ve come to expect from him,’’ Toews said. ‘‘He’s a talented goal-scorere, no doubt about it. It’s great to see him get the 30th. I think he’s been trying to get that 30th for awhile. It’s nice to see one go in. He’s been playing really well the last couple of games, so hopefully he keeps filling the net going into the end of the season.’’

But Semin scored off a bad Hawks change with 38 seconds left in the period and tied it early in the third on the 5-on-3.

‘‘We played all right for the first part,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said. ‘‘We gave them some excitement to their game at the end of the second [period]. That’s a goal we have to be smarter about and don’t give the team a chance to get back in the game. We took six penalties, which got them right back in the game, and Johnny scored a huge goal for us, which was very timely.’’

Toews’ made the difference when he alertly retrieved a shot by Eric Staal that bounded around the boards and fortuitously caromed right to him at the blue line for a breakaway. He beat Anton Khudobin with a backhand for the tie-breaking goal.

It was the best of a tough night for Toews, who took two penalties and won 3-of-13 faceoffs in the first two periods. But he often finds himself at the right place at the right time.

‘‘They scored to tie it up — that’s the way it goes,’’ Toews said. ‘‘You just have to find a way to get the next one. To get that break — I just saw the shot coming that might be rimming around the other side and ended up being by myself all the way down the ice. It was one of those games where I didn’t get a whole lot of chances and didn’t create much. But I was able to take advantage of one chance like that.’’

Despite all the injuries, the uncanniness of Toews continues to be a good trump card to have.

‘‘He’s one of those players, he anticipates well,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘He knew it was wide of the net, it was off the glass. He got a funny bounce and he took off at the right time, knowing the puck wasn’t going to be sustained in the zone. He beat the guy off the rush and made a nice move. It was obviously a huge goal for us.’’

Kane return: Playoff opener

General manager Stan Bowman said Kane’s injury ‘‘thankfully was not too serious’’ and he expects Kane to be ready to go for the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin April 16.

Kane technically will be eligible for the final regular-season game April 12 against the Nashville Predators, but Bowman made it clear he would not play until the playoff opener.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Even without Kane, Hawks still find way to win

Staff Writer

Even without Patrick Kane — and despite a run of sloppy plays and penalties — the Chicago Blackhawks found a way to buckle down and beat the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jonathan Toews' short-handed breakaway goal early in the third period snapped a tie, and lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory on Friday night.

Patrick Sharp scored his team-leading 30th goal and Kris Versteeg ended an eight-game drought to help the Blackhawks pull out a win without Kane, the team's leading scorer who was placed on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury in Chicago's victory over St. Louis on Wednesday.


"That's one of those things, we have to learn how to play without our best players," Toews said. "We've done it without Hoss (Marian Hossa), and now Sadder and Kaner.

"It doesn't matter. If someone's nursing something, we have to find a way to fill that void."


Corey Crawford made 26 saves as defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago tightened up defensively and overcame mistakes late in the second period and early in the third that helped the Hurricanes fight back from a two goal deficit.

"That's a game we can look back on during the playoffs as being able to shut a team down in the last five minutes," Crawford said. "I don't think they got a shot in the last five minutes. That's the way you want to play."

Carolina's Alexander Semin scored his 20th and 21st goals 3:36 apart, but the Hurricanes lost to Chicago for the second time this season. The Blackhawks beat Carolina in a road shootout on Oct. 15 in their only other meeting this season.

Semin tied it off a faceoff during a 5-on-3 power play at 2:58 of the third. Eric Staal won the draw and fed Semin, who fired in a screened shot from the top of the left circle.

Semin had cut Chicago's lead to 2-1 with 37.7 seconds left in the second. He was open in the right circle, took Staal's pass from the left boards and fired a quick shot past Crawford's glove.

"We gave them some excitement to their game at the end of the second," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We took six penalties in a row, a stretch of six penalties that got them right back in the game.

"Then Johnny scored a huge goal for us, which was very timely."

Toews' third short-handed goal at 3:29 of the third put Chicago ahead for good.

A shot by Staal rimmed all the way around the boards in the Chicago zone and came out to center ice. Toews got the puck, skated in alone, and beat Anton Khudobin with a high backhander.

"Obviously I missed the shot down the wing," Staal said. "I wanted to go high glove, and they got a good bounce and good player going the other way on a breakaway."

Once Toews put Chicago in front, the Blackhawks sparkled defensively in the third period and held on to extend their point streak to four games (3-0-1).

Khudobin stopped 22 shots after a career-best 46 saves in Carolina's win at Columbus on Tuesday.

Kane, who could miss the rest of the regular season, was injured in a collision with St. Louis' Brenden Morrow. He left the ice under his own power, favoring his left leg.


The 19-year-old Teravainen, Chicago's first-round selection in the 2012 draft, didn't play against Carolina.


The Hurricanes didn't record their first shot until Nathan Gerbe forced Crawford to make a glove save 11:21 in.



Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Hawks expect Kane back for start of playoffs

Mike Spellman

It’s official: Patrick Kane will miss the remainder of the regular season.

But he is expected to be back for the start of the postseason.

The Blackhawks’ leading scorer (69 points) was placed on long-term injured reserve Friday with an apparent knee injury he suffered in Wednesday’s win over St. Louis.

“We’re going to get him ready, and if things go as planned, he should be fine in the playoffs,” said Hawks general manager Stan Bowman. “There’s nothing that’s changed since the original injury.

“He’s going to follow the same rehab protocol and he should be fine.”

And despite Kane’s style of play on the ice, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said that should not be a factor when No. 88 returns.

“I don’t think so at all,” Quenneville said. “I look back and I can’t remember the last time, health-wise, that Kaner missed a game. He’s gotten stronger and built himself up every single summer and progressed over the course of a season. I don’t think that should change at all.

“I think the rest is probably the part, him being freshened going into the playoffs will be something that could be a bonus. Looking on both the injury and the rest, I think it could be healthy for his game.”

Comings and goings:

Patrick Kane’s departure and Teuvo Teravainen’s arrival were just two of a plethora of lineup changes the Blackhawks have gone through the past couple of days.

With Bryan Bickell (upper body) joining Michal Rozsival and Brandon Saad on the sidelines Friday against Carolina, the Hawks on Thursday signed free-agent forward Matt Carey and recalled forward Jeremy Morin from Rockford.

“There’s a lot happening and it’s an exciting time,” Stan Bowman said. “But we’ll try not to lose focus of the important thing, which is just keeping the effort going forward.”

Morin has 24 goals and 23 assists in 47 games with the IceHogs, and lately he has been red-hot with 15 points in his last 16 games.

“I’ve had some success down in Rockford; I feel good about my game right now,” Morin said “They wanted me to mature as a player and that’s what I’ve been working on.”

Carey, 22, who joined the team late Friday, recorded 37 points in 38 games this season as a freshman at St. Lawrence University.



Hawks not expecting miracles from Teravainen

Mike Spellman

You call him Tee-vo, you call him Tay-vo, or you can even call him Tayowka, his nickname in Finland.

It's alright.

Teuvo Teravainen has heard 'em all.

"Tivo, Tyvo, Toovo ... it's OK," Teravainen said with a smile while reacquainting himself with the Chicago media after Friday's morning skate.

But whatever you call him, just don't call the 19-year-old Finnish center, who will see his first action with the Blackhawks sometime over the next couple of games, a savior.

"What we want to be cautious about is, he's a 19-year-old kid. He's not coming in here to carry the team," general manager Stan Bowman said. "We have high hopes for him in the future, but this is more of an experience for him to come in and see what the NHL's all about."

But with all the buildup surrounding the Hawks' 2012 first-round pick — including a sterling performance in the World Championships — that may be easier said than done for a fan base that's been salivating over Teravainen's impending arrival.

"We're trying to be aware that there's a lot of excitement around him and understandably so, but he's just another player on our team and it's a team sport," Bowman said. "We're trying to be cautious with that."

After a late arrival in town, Terravainen, sporting sweater No. 86, hit the ice for the morning skate about 10 minutes after his teammates. Afterward, he downplayed the feeling he has to perform in a big way right away.

"Of course there are big expectations and pressure, but I don't think of those too much," said Teravainen, who had 9 goals and 35 assists in 49 games with Jokerit. "Just play and I think everything I do here is bonus. I'm just trying to have fun."

His new coach likes the way the youngster is thinking.

"I don't want to put that much pressure or expectations on him," said Joel Quenneville, who hinted he might insert Teravainen into the lineup either Sunday against Nashville or Tuesday against the Stars. "I just think he could be a special player in our league. Offensively he has a great set of skills as far as puck possession and recognition of plays.

"The reports are that he's progressed in the areas that he's going to need to as a young player. He's gotten stronger in the puck area, and defensively he's gotten responsible.

"I'm sure that's always going to be a work in progress, but the things he does offensively are things you can't teach. And I think we look forward to seeing how that all plays out."

As for going past that magic 10-game threshold with Teravainen this year, which would burn the first of three years on his entry-level contract, Bowman said that's not a factor.

"Yeah, that's not a focus. If Teuvo's here and helping us, I mean, it's not a factor at all," Bowman said.

"I think sometimes you can get caught up in that, but for us, whether he plays two games, 10 games, 20 games ... that's not a factor."



Konroyd's keys to Hurricanes-Blackhawks

March 21, 2014, 3:00 pm

Steve Konroyd

1. Keep playing the same way: hard-nosed in the tough areas. The Blackhawks played maybe their best game of the year against the best team in the league, the St. Louis Blues, in their last game a couple of nights ago. They put pucks deep, got pucks back, and didn’t back away from the rough stuff. I thought a turning point in the first period was Patrick Kane getting belted to the ice by David Backes, and 10 seconds later going back for more against the much larger captain of St. Louis. That shows heart, and it was great to see Bryan Bickell jump in after the second Kane/Backes collision. When Bix showed up, Backes skated away. Both benches were keenly aware of this and it certainly sparked the Hawks.

2. Respect Hurricane Speed. The Carolina Hurricanes are struggling this year to make the playoffs. They are nine points out with four teams to leapfrog to try and qualify for the postseason. What this team does possess is speed. Skinner, Gerbe, and the Staal brothers all have above average speed. They are especially dangerous shorthanded, where their 10 goals rank second best in the league. Respect their quickness, and no turnovers before the center red line.

3. Let your depth be a strength - again. Awfully tough when you take two of your best wingers out of tonight’s game. Both Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell will be huge holes to fill for Chicago. But look at what has happened to Ben Smith since being promoted from fourth line wing to second line center. It has sparked that line, and they are hoping the Jeremy Morin, just up from Rockford, can have the same type of effect on his line. Peter Regin is playing a lot better of late, so let the new faces shine. David Rundblad will get his second look on defense.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.22.2014


Teravainen getting acclimated to the Blackhawks

March 21, 2014, 2:45 pm

Tracey Myers

Teuvo Teravainen stood in front of the media contingent on Friday morning, camera lights glaring as he joined the Chicago Blackhawks for the second time this season.

The attention was massive. In some circles, so are the expectations placed upon the 19-year-old whom the Blackhawks drafted 18th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. But be it those lofty expectations or acclimating himself to the Blackhawks and the NHL, Teravainen is taking it all in stride.

Teravainen will likely play soon, although it won’t be tonight when the Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Coach Joel Quenneville said, “I don’t want to say exactly when the date (is he’ll play) but hopefully we can get him in during this home stand, the next one or two games.”

Until then, Teravainen is looking forward to reacquainting himself with the Blackhawks he met at training camp, get some on-ice work with them – and shrug off those expectations.

“I don’t need to be Superman here,” Teravainen said. “There are so many good players on this team. If I play here I’m just one of those guys. I just don’t think about all the media things and (I’ll) just try to have fun.”

A few teammates were having fun trying to pronounce Teuvo Teravainen (TAY-voh tair-uh-VIGH-nehn). Some were pronouncing his first name like the well-known DVR – “don’t tell him I messed it up,” Andrew Shaw said. But all kidding aside, some know exactly what Teravainen’s going through regarding the acclimation process. Shaw was thrown into the lineup in January of 2012.

“Have fun and just work,” was Shaw’s advice to Teravainen. “You’re going to be on the ice with some great players. Just do what got you here. Those are my words of wisdom.”

Marcus Kruger can also relate, especially from the across-the-pond standpoint. Kruger was brought over from Sweden in April of 2011, having never participated in the Blackhawks’ training camp or played on the smaller ice surface.

“Of course it’s different, but he’s a good player so he’ll adjust quick,” Kruger said of Teravainen. “Give him some time; he’ll be effective for us.”

There’s no doubt Teravainen was effective with Jokerit and with Finland’s team at the World Juniors, where it won the gold medal. Teravainen showed the Blackhawks some of that potential in training camp, and he could very well show it again this spring.

“He’s gotten stronger in the puck area and defensively he’s gotten responsible. I’m sure that’s always going to be a work in progress. But the things he does offensively are things you can’t teach,” said Quenneville, who added Teravainen could play center or wing. “And I think we look forward to seeing how that all plays out.”

Teravainen will get adjusted as quickly as he can. He knows some of the Blackhawks from camp and he also has fellow Finn Antti Raanta here -- “there are too many Swedish guys. It’s good there’s one Finnish, also,” he joked. When Teravainen does play, he hopes to do his best. As for the massive expectations, he’ll shrug those off, along with the travel fatigue.

“I don’t feel it,” Teravainen said of the pressure. “I’m just trying to live day by day. I’m just doing my things and I hope I can help the team.”

Tags:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS, Blackhawks, hawks, chicago, nhl, Hockey, Finland, Teuvo Teravainen, NHL draft, Draft, Carolina Hurricanes, Hurricanes, Carolina, Joel Quenneville, Andrew Shaw, Marcus Kruger, Sweden, Jokerit, Antti Raanta



Teuvo Teravainen ready for opportunity with the Blackhawks

March 21, 2014, 1:15 pm

Tracey Myers

The Chicago Blackhawks were midway through Friday morning’s skate when one of their newest members joined them. Pretty soon, he should be joining them in a game, too.

Teuvo Teravainen made his United Center debut, sort of, when he participated in the last few minutes of Chicago’s morning skate on Friday. For Teravainen, who just arrived in the states, it’s an opportunity to see what he can do. The 19-year-old had a tremendous season with Jokerit in his native Finland and he was also a star at the World Juniors, where Finland took home the gold medal.

“It’s a great thing for me,” Teravainen told the media throng on Friday morning. “It was bad that we lost in Finland but I still have a good opportunity to play hockey and it’s fun. I can bring something. I’ll try to play with my strengths and maybe some offense. I hope I can help.”

Now, when does he play? Obviously he needs some time to get acclimated and shake off some of that travel fatigue. But coach Joel Quenneville said Teravainen could be in the lineup soon – although it won’t be tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“Certainly today was too much to ask. We’ll give some consideration over the next day or so,” Quenneville said. “We want to get him on the ice, get him acclimated to his teammates and get him a little bit familiar with our team game. I’m sure tonight, watching for him will help ease him into the transition. I don’t want to say exactly when the date (is he’ll play) but hopefully we can get him in during this home stand, the next one or two games.”

Teravainen’s trip to Chicago has been a much-ballyhooed one. As Jokerit wrapped up its regular season and brief stint in the playoffs, “Teuvo watch” was in full swing. General manager Stan Bowman said on March 1 that he hoped Teravainen would join the Blackhawks at some point this season. But Bowman, speaking Friday morning, reiterated that the Blackhawks will not put overly lofty expectations on Teravainen.

“We want to be cautious about is: he’s a 19-year-old kid. He’s not coming in here to carry the team,” Bowman said. “We have high hopes for him in the future but this is more of an experience for him to come in and see what the NHL is all about. We’re pleased with his progress since we drafted him, and he showed he can be a dominant player in the top league in Finland. He’s going to come in here and be a piece of the puzzle. The strength of our team this year is the fact we use all four lines, Joel likes to give even minutes across the board and we’re not having Teuvo come in and replace anybody.”

That includes the irreplaceable Patrick Kane, who’s sidelined the next three weeks with a left leg injury. To make room for his contract – and Jeremy Morin, who was recalled from Rockford and will play in tonight’s game – the Blackhawks put Kane on long-term injured reserve. Per LTIR rules, Kane has to be out 10 games and 24 days, so he’s out until the start of the playoffs.

As far as Teravainen’s contract – if he plays in 10 games, the first year of his contract is “burned” -- the Blackhawks aren’t worried about it.

“If he’s here and helping us, it’s not a factor at all,” Bowman said. “I think sometimes you can get caught up in that. But whether he plays two games, 10 games or 20 games, it’s not a factor.”

Teravainen was admittedly tired on Friday morning. He’ll take a few days to rest, get used to the Blackhawks and then he’ll see what he can do on the NHL stage.

“I’m just trying to get my own game, my own strengths. I’m trying to play my own game,” he said. “I if I try to defend well and offensively play my best, I think it’s enough.”

Tags:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS, Blackhawks, hawks, chicago, nhl, Hockey, Teuvo Teravainen, United Center, Joel Quenneville, Carolina Hurricanes, Hurricanes, Carolina, Jokerit, Stan Bowman, Patrick Kane, Jeremy Morin, Rockford IceHogs, Rockford, Icehogs



Blackhawks aim to keep up momentum vs. Hurricanes

March 21, 2014, 8:00 am

Nina Falcone

The Blackhawks are looking to build off their 4-0 shutout victory over the Blues on Wednesday as they host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Catch all the action on Comcast SportsNet beginning at 6:30 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live.

Aside from the loss of Patrick Kane, Wednesday went about as well as the Blackhawks could have hoped for.

The defending champions looked more like their former selves as they shut out the league-leading Blues to tally their first win against their rival this season. The Blackhawks' victory also marked the first time that the Blues lost to a Central Division opponent in regulation this season.

Now they hope to take the confidence they gained from that game and carry it over to Friday's matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes (30-30-9) are coming into the game following a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. It was a much-needed victory for a team still battling to beat five teams out for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hurricanes are 2-7-0 in their last nine road games and allowed five goals in three of their last four prior to Tuesday's victory.

These two teams met previously on Oct. 15. The game resulted in a 3-2 shootout victory for Chicago.

Point leaders

Blackhawks: Patrick Kane (29G, 40A), Patrick Sharp (29G, 39A), Jonathan Toews (27G, 38A), Duncan Keith (5G, 50A), Marian Hossa (25G, 29A)

Hurricanes: Eric Staal (16G, 36A), Jeff Skinner (26G, 18A), Andrej Sekera (11G, 30A), Alexander Semin (19G, 20A), Jordan Staal (14G, 22A)



Teuvo Teravainen officially joins Blackhawks

March 21, 2014, 8:30 am

Tracey Myers

The question had been out there for some time now: When will Teuvo Teravainen join the Chicago Blackhawks? Today, he does just that.

Teravainen was officially recalled from Jokerit of SM-Liija in Finland, as the Blackhawks prepare to host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at the United Center.

The Blackhawks also recalled Jeremy Morin from the Rockford IceHogs on Friday morning. With those moves, and the signing of free-agent forward Matt Carey to a two-year deal on Thursday, the Blackhawks also placed Patrick Kane on long-term injured reserve. Kane is expected to miss three weeks with a lower left-leg injury in the Blackhawks’ 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Going on LTIR means a player has an injury that will cause him to miss 10 games and 24 days.

Teravainen’s Finnish team, Jokerit, was eliminated from its league’s postseason last week. Since then, the big question was when Teravainen would join the Blackhawks. The explosive forward was impressive in the Blackhawks’ camp in September and he also had a tremendous World Junior tournament (two goals, 13 assists in seven games), helping Finland win the gold medal. Teravainen had nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games with Jokerit this season.

While there’s much ado about Teravainen’s arrival, general manager Stan Bowman, speaking on March 1, said the Blackhawks will not put overzealous expectations on the 19-year-old Teravainen.

“The nice thing for us with Teuvo is we don’t need to rely on him, even if he does come over,” Bowman said prior to the Stadium Series game that day. “He’s not going to be focal point of our team. At that age, you can’t put expectations too high. He’s going to be another player if he comes in, but he certainly has the talent to play with high-end players here.”

The Blackhawks will also get a familiar face back with the 22-year-old Morin, who’s played 15 games here this season. Morin’s been tremendous for the IceHogs this season, with 47 points (24 goals, 23 assists) in 47 games.



Toews tallies short-handed goal to win it for Blackhawks

March 21, 2014, 9:30 pm

Tracey Myers

Timing is everything.

The Chicago Blackhawks watched another two-goal lead evaporate thanks in part to their own errors and the deft shooting of Alex Semin. But just a few seconds after a deflating Carolina Hurricanes goal tied the game, Jonathan Toews was untying it and ultimately winning it.

Toews scored a short-handed goal just 31 seconds after Carolina tied the game, and Patrick Sharp scored his 30th goal of the season as the Blackhawks beat the Hurricanes 3-2 at the United Center on Friday night. The Blackhawks remain in fourth place in the Western Conference, four points behind first-place St. Louis (101 points). Chicago’s also three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche who lost 2-0 to the Boston Bruins.

It wasn’t the prettiest game the Blackhawks have played, but they were missing a few bodies. Bryan Bickell, Brandon Saad (both upper body), Michal Rozsival (lower body) and, of course, Patrick Kane (lower left leg) were sidelined for this one. The Blackhawks had their sloppy moments and took way too many penalties.

“We played all right for the first part. We gave them excitement to their game at the end of the second,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We had a stretch of penalties and then Johnny scores a huge goal for us, which is very timely.”

But be it timely goals (Sharp’s to start, Toews’ to finish) and solid goaltending (Corey Crawford stopped 26 of 28), the Blackhawks prevailed. Crawford has won five of his last six starts.

“He was excellent,” Quenneville said of Crawford. “He had a strong game, one where he made a difference. Timely saves on the penalty kill, a couple all-alone looks, we’re happy with his effort. He looked big, quick and in control.”

Sharp got it started, scoring his first goal since the Stadium Series game on March 1. Up to that point Hurricanes goaltender Anton Khudobin had been stalwart. Toews wasn’t surprised Sharp finally notched that 30th this season.

“He makes it look easy. It’s something we expect from him,” Toews said. “He’s a talented goal scorer, no doubt about it. It’s good to see him get to 30 tonight; he’s been trying to get it for a while. He’s been playing really well the last couple of games. Hopefully he keeps filling the net.”

Kris Versteeg potted his 11th of the season, a 4-on-4 goal that gave the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead at the time. But the Hurricanes weren’t done. The Blackhawks had a bad change and a turnover, and Semin cut Chicago’s lead to 2-1 with 37.7 seconds remaining in the second. Less than three minutes into the third, on a 5-on-3 power play, Semin scored again to tie it.

[WATCH: Toews happy with Blackhawks' overall improvements]

The tie lasted all of 31 seconds, however, before Toews scored his 28th of the season.

“If they score that’s the way it goes. You have to find a way to get the next one,” Toews said. “Myself, to get that break, I just saw the shot coming and that it might be rimming around the other side and I might be myself. It’s another game where I didn’t get a whole lot of chances and I didn’t create much, but it’s nice to take advantage of a chance like that.”

The Blackhawks certainly won’t put this performance up there like their Wednesday night outing vs. St. Louis. They did, however, battle through it.

“I think we’re just playing better,” Toews said. “We’re just focusing on the details how we have to, and maybe got away from it a few moments there in the second period when we coughed up that goal. But I think other than that, we’ve been playing really well, especially the last couple of games. That’s two team efforts we definitely need to build on, so I think we can be happy with that.”



Five things to watch as Blackhawks host Hurricanes

March 21, 2014, 4:00 pm

Tracey Myers

The United Center was abuzz for Teuvo Teravainen’s arrival on Friday morning. The 19-year-old has tremendous potential and the Chicago Blackhawks will soon see what he can do after a great season in Finland.

But this isn’t about Teravainen – count this as one of the FEW stories we write today that isn’t. No, this is about the Blackhawks, who have to push through the rest of the regular season without Patrick Kane (left leg) beginning tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Actually, for at least tonight the Blackhawks will also be sans Bryan Bickell, Brandon Saad (both upper body) and Michal Rozsival (lower body).

Still, the Blackhawks and their retooled lineup want to build off that convincing 4-0 victory they had against the St. Louis Blues. They’ll try to do it against a Carolina team that’s currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. So while Teravainen watches tonight from afar – and by afar we mean somewhere in the United Center – we’ll look at the Five Things to watch for in tonight’s Hurricanes-Blackhawks game.

1. Bring the by-committee mentality.

The Blackhawks, almost to a player, said the same thing about Kane’s absence: they all have to make up for it. The Blackhawks are at their best when their team game is rolling, all four lines are contributing and every player is adding something to the pot. They’ll need that same mentality, and game, tonight.

2. Don’t take the Hurricanes lightly.

Hey, the Nashville Predators weren’t exactly in the thick of the postseason race when they were here last week, either. Yet they made the Blackhawks their personal punching bag in one of Chicago’s worst performances this season. The Blackhawks need to treat the Hurricanes like they’re the Blues: be intense, be tough, be ready from the start and play another 60-minute game.

3. Bring the energy, Jeremy Morin.

The 22-year-old forward has had a great season in Rockford and tonight he’ll play his first game with the Blackhawks since Dec. 14 vs. Toronto. Morin was on a line with Ben Smith and Peter Regin at Friday morning’s skate, and that line will be expected to bring energy and vigor. Morin, understandably happy to be back, should bring plenty of that himself.

4. Onus may be on you, Corey Crawford.

The Blackhawks’ goaltender is coming off a shutout, his second of the season, against the St. Louis Blues. With several players missing from the lineup, it may take some time for new linemates (in some cases) to adjust. Don’t be surprised if the Hurricanes try to take advantage of that, try to get off to a hot start. Crawford has to be prepared for that.

5. Our pick to click tonight is Marian Hossa.

He’s done well against a few Eastern Conference teams, mostly from his days with the Atlanta Thrashers. We figure he adds to those career numbers vs. Carolina, which include 24 goals and 31 assists in 50 games.


738931 Colorado Avalanche

Paul Stastny to return to Avalanche vs. Boston Bruins

Mike Chambers

03/21/2014 12:16:28 PM MDT

Paul Stastny will return to the Avalanche lineup Friday night against the Boston Bruins, but John Mitchell will miss his second consecutive game with a back injury.

Stastny, who has missed five of the past six games with a back ailment, did not play Wednesday at Winnipeg after playing the previous night in Montreal. He will center left wing Gabe Landeskog and right wing Nathan MacKinnon against the red-hot Bruins, who are riding a 10-game winning streak.

"He could have played in Winnipeg, but it was the team doctor's decision to not play back-to-back, especially with the traveling," Roy said of Stastny.

Mitchell's return is cloudy. He awkwardly collided with the end boards in Montreal and went to a hospital there for evaluation. Mitchell traveled with the team to Winnipeg, but did not play. Roy said the versatile forward is day-to-day.

"Could be two days, could be 10 days," Roy said.

Defenseman Tyson Barrie played forward Wednesday and will again be utilized up front, but now on a line centered by Max Talbot, with Cody McLeod at left wing.

The Avs' healthy scratches are expected to be defenseman Ryan Wilson, rookie forward Paul Carey and goalie Reto Berra. Right winger P.A. Parenteau (knee) remains unavailable.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Avs prepare to face red-hot Bruins; Bordeleau and Berra look back to Winnipeg

Mike Chambers

Enforcer Patrick Bordeleau fought for the first time since Dec. 5 on Wednesday at Winnipeg. I asked him about dropping ‘em with the Jets’ Anthony Peluso at this morning’s skate:

Here’s the video of Bordeleau’s interference minor and fight with Peluso (Bordeleau noted that he, too, was surprised that both players didn’t get extra minors for ripping their helmets off).

Third-string goalie Reto Berra made his debut with the Avs in Wednesday’s 5-4 OT loss at Winnipeg, and here’s what the 6-foot-5 Swiss netminder had to say about the game:

“They were good shots but for sure it was not my best game. For sure I can play better. I look forward to a great future here. I had a sick (presumably similarly poor) game in my first NHL game with Calgary, so maybe it’s better to not have the best start and know you have to work hard. I need to read the shots better and react better but I’m excited to be here and go to work with Francois (Allair).”

Meanwhile, here’s some video to help set up tonight’s big game against the B’s, who are riding a 10-game winning streak and are the kind of the Eastern Conference.



While Paul Stastny returns to Avs lineup, John Mitchell remains sidelined

Mike Chambers

03/22/2014 12:01:00 AM MDT

Versatile forward John Mitchell missed his second consecutive game Friday night because of a back injury, but center Paul Stastny returned to the Avalanche lineup.

Mitchell, who was injured Tuesday during the Avs' 6-4 loss at Montreal, is day to day. But coach Patrick Roy said he could miss more than a week.

"Could be two days, could be 10 days," Roy said.

Mitchell has played in all situations with the Avs, from the first line to the fourth line, to the power play and penalty kill. He recently signed a three-year contract extension.

Stastny, meanwhile, missed five of his previous six games because of a sore back. He played Tuesday but sat out Wednesday.

"He could have played in Winnipeg, but it was the team doctor's decision to not (have him) play back to back, especially with the traveling," Roy said.

Barrie back up front. Despite Stastny's return, skilled two-way defenseman Tyson Barrie played forward for the second consecutive game. Rookie forward Paul Carey was a healthy scratch. Barrie, 22, played right wing on the third line with center Max Talbot and also played the point on the power play.

Not Berra good. Third-string goalie Reto Berra had a couple of days to think about the five goals he allowed Wednesday in the 5-4 overtime loss at Winnipeg. It was Berra's debut with the Avs, who recently acquired him from the Calgary Flames for a second-round draft choice.

"It was not my best game. For sure I can play better," Berra said after Friday's morning skate. "I look forward to a great future here. I had a sick game (42 saves in 3-2 overtime win against Chicago on Nov. 3) in my first NHL game with Calgary, so maybe it's better to not have the best start and know you have to work hard.

"I need to read the shots better and react better, but I'm excited to be here."

Footnotes. Defenseman Erik Johnson celebrated his 26th birthday Friday. ... Colorado has 11 regular-season games left, beginning Tuesday at Nashville.



Avs lose at home to red-hot Boston Bruins

Mike Chambers

03/21/2014 09:35:30 PM MDT

Adrian Dater takes readers' questions about the Avalanche and NHL.

A 10-game winning streak in any professional sport requires some luck, and the lack of seemingly any fortuitous puck bounces for the Avalanche on Friday night led to the 11th consecutive triumph for the visiting Boston Bruins.

In an exciting, end-to-end affair before a bipartisan crowd that featured as many black-and-gold sweaters as burgundy and blue, the Bruins beat the hard-luck Avs 2-0 at the Pepsi Center to split the season series at one game apiece.

Colorado, which put 31 shots on backup Bruins goaltender Chad Johnson on Friday, won 2-0 at Boston in October. Both teams are gearing up for the playoffs, with the Bruins clinching a postseason spot with an Eastern Conference-high 101 points. The Avs have a 15-point lead over Phoenix, which currently has the last Western Conference playoff seed.

"I thought we played an outstanding game (and) have nothing to show for it," Avs coach Patrick Roy said. "I thought it was very positive. We had a lot of good chances early on. We outshot them almost double at some point midway in the game but it was 2-0. Their goalie played really well. He made some great saves and they know how to win."

Canadian Olympian Patrice Bergeron scored off his own rebound in the first period and Carl Soderberg buried a rising wrist shot through traffic and behind Avs goaltender Semyon Varlamov in the second, and Colorado was blanked for the first time this season and fell to 1-3-1 in its last five games. Cause for concern?

"No, not at all," captain Gabe Landeskog said. "We know what we're all about, we know what we're capable doing and we've had a tough stretch with a lot of games. It's certainly not a concern. We've stayed even-keeled all season and we're going to keep truckin' along."

The Avs, who still are in a comfortable playoff position with 11 remaining regular-season games, don't play next until Tuesday at Nashville. But the rest is needed for a banged-up team that played five games in an eight-night stretch ending Friday. Forwards John Mitchell (back) and P.A. Parenteau (knee) should return to the lineup before the April 13 regular-season finale.

"We thought it was a good test for us and we still know we can play with them," Avs winger Jamie McGinn said of the Bruins, the 2011 Stanley Cup champions who lost in the Finals a year ago to the Chicago Blackhawks. "We just didn't bury our chances and their goalie was really good."

The B's and Avs have been among the NHL's best teams since Dec. 31. Boston is a league-best 22-6-3 (47 points) during that stretch, and Colorado and the Central Division-leading St. Louis Blues have 44 points, with the Avs going 21-11-2.

The Avs were looking for their 45th victory, which would have been their most since 2001-02, the year after Colorado won its second Stanley Cup. Still, the Avs' 44 wins are tied for the most through 70 games in franchise history.

Boston is the NHL's second team to reach 100 points, joining St. Louis which also has 101.



Avs get zero bounces against Bruins, lose 2-0 as Boston’s winning streak climbs to 11

Mike Chambers

Boston Bruins, Claude Julien, Colorado Avalanche, Gabe Landeskog, Matt Duchene, Mike Chambers, NHL, Patrick Roy

Tough luck tonight for the Avalanche, which came out strong, outshot the Eastern Conference-elite Boston Bruins by a 2-to-1 margin midway through the game but lost 2-0 at the Pepsi Center to finish a five-game, eight-day stretch 1-3-1.

Worried? “No, not at all,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog. That quote and others are in the game story.

Avs D Nick Holden is having an outstanding year, but he admitted he should have played Patrice Bergeron stronger on the game-winning goal. Bergeron took a nifty pass from D Dougie Hamilton and put a shot on goalie Semyon Varlamov, and then put the puck past Varly on his own rebound. Holden seemed passive and lacked the urgency to clear Bergeron away for the net, or at least take his stick away. Still, there appeared to be a mix-up in coverage and Holden was left covering two Bruins. That said, “I got to be stronger on him,” Holden told me.

Other stuff: The Avs became the last NHL team to be shutout this season, and not being blanked for the first 70 games is a club record. The previous high was 60 games in 1997-98. … Dating to last season, Colorado hadn’t been blanked in 80 games. The B’s and Avs each been shutout only once this year and both by each other (and both by the same exact score). . . . Semyon Varlamov made his 52nd start of the year, tying his career high set in 2011-12 with Colorado. Varlamov’s 55 games are already a personal best, two more than he played in 2011-12. . . . The Bruins won their 11th straight game, longest NHL streak of its kind this season, and their longest winning streak since winning 13 in a row in 1971. . . . Boston is 10-0-3 in its last 13 games on the road. Last time the B’s were this good on the road was 1975-76 (14-game unbeaten streak).

Here’s Boston coach Claude Julien: “Second period we kind of started getting pucks behind their Ds and playing more in their end. The further the game went, the better we got and I thought we played a smart third just getting pucks in deep and making them go back for every puck they wanted to bring up the ice. So that was kind of what we looked for and again, as the game wore on, I thought we got better all the time.”

About Johnson’s 31-save shutout, Julien said: “He stopped the pucks. The first period, same thing with him. He had to get better after the first because a lot of loose pucks around the net that he wasn’t able to freeze so in the second period, he got better. I think our whole team got better throughout the game but when you give up, I think 14 shots in the first, some pretty good scoring chances. I think Chad did a pretty good job for us tonight.”


738936 Columbus Blue Jackets

Before the CBJ puck drops: New York Rangers

Tom Fellrath

MAR 21, 2014 1:20p ET

SINCE WE LAST MET (on January 6th):

One of those Metropolitan Division teams in the standings scrum after Pittsburgh excuses itself for a sip of lemonade, the New York Rangers have made quite a run of it this season. They've never been too far from the coveted second place spot, always (I think) right at or above the playoff qualification line. They're a worthy adversary.

What amazes me about the Rangers is that for all the bluster about the team's well-paid stars - and there are a number of them, including Brad Richards, Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis (just acquired at the trade deadline for Rangers captain Ryan Callahan) and Henrik Lundqvist - the fact of the matter is that the stars getting paid are on offense. The incredible on-ice performance, however, is on defense, where the Rangers are sixth in the league in goals against. They're actually in the bottom half of the league in goals for. Ah well, nobody ever accused general manager Glen Sather of spending his owners' money wisely.

The Rangers remain stocked with all sorts of ex-Blue Jackets, including Nash, Derick Brassard, John Moore, Derek Dorsett (who apparently is a scratch for tonight) and Anton Stralman. Should this matchup carry over into the first round of the playoffs, which would happen if Columbus and New York finish the season at second and third in the Metropolitan Division, I can see all sorts of energy and hilarity from the fans at Nationwide Arena.

Top scorers on Broadway are:

- Forward Derek Stepan (13 goals, 34 assists, 47 points)

- Forward Mats Zucarello (15 G, 32 A, 47 pts.)

- Forward Brad Richards (16 G, 30 A, 46 pts.)

- Forward Derick Brassard (15 G, 24 A, 39 pts.)

- Defenseman Ryan MacDonagh (12 G, 25 A, 37 pts.)

Because Columbus fans will be wondering, Rick Nash isn't in the top scorers despite his eighth highest salary cap hit in the entire league largely due to his missing nearly 20 games due to an early season concussion.

I'll presume that Lundqvist is getting the start in goal tonight. In 52 starts, Lundqvist is 26-22-4, has a 2.50 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.

WHY THIS GAME IS IMPORTANT:

The Blue Jackets have 78 points and are in 3rd place in the Metro. The Rangers are in 4th place with the same number of points due to tiebreakers. This is a true "separation" game, especially if it is decided in regulation. Presuming that they can keep up a winning pace, tonight's victor will have much greater control of its divisional destiny over the last dozen games of the season. The loser will be looking for help in a Metropolitan Division where it seems that nobody is interested in helping the others out.

WHO I'LL BE WATCHING:

I appreciate that this is Rick Nash's first game back at Nationwide Arena as a Ranger. Truth be told, I don't care. This is a meaningful playoff race game, and that trumps everything else.

Tonight, I think that Columbus fans have to watch Ryan Johansen. Johansen bailed the team out in a hard fought game against the Montreal Canadiens last night with a third period goal to break the 2-2 deadlock and win the game in regulation, and his forceful presence will be needed to help his team break through the impressive (at least statistically so) Rangers defense. With a .917 save percentage, Lundqvist appears to be good but beatable. It's the blue liners that the Blue Jackets offense will need to break through.

YOUR FOX SPORTS OHIO BROADCAST INFORMATION:

FOX Sports Ohio has it all for you tonight:

- Brian Giesenschlag and Dan Kamal bring you the "Blue Jackets Live Pregame" at 6:30PM.

- The puck drops at Nationwide Arena at 7PM, with Jeff Rimer and Bill Davidge on the call.

- Brian and Dan return immediately following for "Blue Jackets Live Postgame" with postgame interviews, insight and analysis.

It's a big, Big, BIG game in Columbus tonight! Enjoy it, and go Jackets!

foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 03.22.2014


Nash set for return to Nationwide Arena

MAR 21, 2014 10:55a ET

Staff Writer

Rick Nash spent his first nine NHL seasons as the face of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Now, he's back at Nationwide Arena for the first time since they traded him to the New York Rangers.

While Nash isn't sure of the type of reception awaiting him Friday night, he's looking to build on his first multi-goal performance in almost two months in order to help the Rangers split the season series with the Blue Jackets.

Nash was selected first overall by Columbus in 2002, and lived up to the billing. The star left wing is the franchise leader with 674 games, 289 goals, 258 assists and 547 points, 230 more than the next player on the list.

He also netted a team-record 44 game-winning goals, but only managed to help the Blue Jackets reach the playoffs once. And that was short-lived as they were swept in the opening round by Detroit in 2009.

With Columbus on its way to missing the postseason again in 2011-12, Nash requested a trade, and a blockbuster deal with New York materialized that summer.

Johansen continues coming of age for CBJ

Since then, Nash has faced the Jackets twice in New York - both losses - and scored twice in a 4-3 shootout defeat on Jan. 6. A concussion forced him to miss a 4-2 win at Columbus on Nov. 7.

"It's a lot of excitement for me to come back and play in front of the fans I played in front of for 10 years," said Nash, the Rangers' leader with 22 goals. "A lot of good memories here.

"I'm not sure what to expect. Me and the Blue Jackets fans have been through so much together. If I get cheers great. If I get boos - and I'm sure there will some - I'll move on from that."

Nash's first game as a visitor to Nationwide Arena comes after he scored two goals in an 8-4 win at Ottawa. He had two over his previous 15 games, and hadn't managed two in a game since a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders on Jan. 21.

Coach Alain Vigneault is hoping the Rangers can build on their best scoring performance of the season after totaling two goals in three losses over the prior four games.

"I'm hoping that it'll be a start for us, and some of our guys are going to find the net on a regular basis," coach Alain Vigneault said. "We definitely need that. We need to make the other teams pay for their mistakes."

Derick Brassard is looking to build on his two goals and one assist from Tuesday after going eight games without a point. The center, who came over with Nash, hasn't managed a point in two meetings against Columbus.

Like the Rangers, the Blue Jackets are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, and are trying to improve upon Thursday's 3-2 win at Montreal.

"We skated, we were physical, we fore-checked hard," said center Brandon Dubinsky, who scored his 14th goal. "I liked our tenacity. We created turnovers."

Dubinsky has one goal and two assists in three games versus the Rangers after they sent him to Columbus as part of the Nash trade. The center had one goal and one assist in the most recent meeting with his former team.

Ryan Johansen came up big against the Canadiens, scoring the decisive goal with 3:01 left in regulation. The center has a team-high 27 tallies on the season, but has just one in four meetings with New York.



Johansen continues coming of age for Blue Jackets

Rich Gethin

MAR 21, 2014 9:54a ET

When so much is riding on every game, perhaps even every shift, at this point of the season, the two points being offered usually comes down to one player making one pivotal play. Last night, within the Bell Centre in Montreal, Ryan Johansen was the owner of that pivotal moment.

With the game tied at two goals apiece between the Blue Jackets and Canadiens and three minutes left in the third, Johansen intercepted a pass from the Canadiens Jarred Tinordi as they crossed center ice. The 21-year-old center was off to races with two Canadiens in pursuit. He hit the brakes as he entered the slot and beat Carey Price for the game-winning goal.

"I was wondering what the far defenseman (Mike Weaver) was going to do," said Johansen, "whether he was going to charge at me or poke it with his stick. I kind of stopped up and I guess I caught him off-guard a little bit and just tried to fire it far side."

His 27th goal of the season puts him in third place all-time for the Blue Jackets for goals scored in a season, behind only Rick Nash and Geoff Sanderson. In the span of 10 months, Johansen (27-25-52) has gone from being scratched in the playoffs while with the Springfield Falcons last May to emerging as bona-fide star for Columbus.

Although this is his third year as an NHL player, the normally mild-mannered Johansen had his entrÃ©e into the pantheon of an NHL fight with the Canadiens Max Pacioretty in the first period. After taking two, almost back-to-back penalties, Johansen gave Pacioretty a bit a shove in the back. Seconds later, the gloves were dropped.

Asked post-game if he liked seeing Johansen drop the gloves, Columbus head coach Todd Richards said, "Absolutely. The christening... whatever you want to call it... the baptism of playing in the league, you know, sometimes you've got to get into a fight. This was his first fight.

"He had two penalties. I didn't really care for the calls on the penalties. When you see somebody like that get into a fight, you have to be into the game. You have to. So when you see Joey drop the gloves, not that we want to see it that often with him. A young guy, getting into his first NHL fight, that's over with and done. Sometimes, that's a rite of passage, too."

The team surrounding Johansen played with a measured physicality that served to limit Montreal's speedy transition game. They outshot Montreal 40-27 and outhit the Habs 36-17.

Columbus moved away, somewhat, from the dump and chase strategy, choosing to enter the Canadiens zone with speed and alacrity, all the while keeping possession of the puck. They were fore-checking well and playing with an efficient intensity. The playoffs might be just around the corner, but they started for this club a few weeks ago.

"I thought a lot of things went right," said Richards. "It was a 3-2 win in a tough building. Five-on-five I thought, for the most part, we were carrying the play. I thought really the only downer and we had good moments on the power play, but our power play needed to be better, at times.

"I thought we battled and competed. I thought our defensemen were good. (Bobrovsky) made some key saves for us when we needed him to. And I thought that our forwards did a great job skating tonight, tracking the puck and putting pressure on (Montreal)."

While Johansen's game-winning goal is highlight worthy, a major force of the Blue Jackets drive comes from the grit and energy of the fourth line players. They've got speed and opportunistic scoring ability. They are not afraid to go the hard areas around the net to try and pot a goal.

And the mainstays of this line are Mark Letestu and Derek MacKenzie. Last night, they were joined by Blake Comeau. They are a tough line of two-way players and have been for the majority of the season.

"That's those guys' game," said Mark Letestu. "I try and get pucks in deep for them and let them do their thing. Whether it's PK (Subban) or other elite

defensemen in this league, you've got to make them pay. Kind of body-blows all game and take their legs away from them. That's the goal for our line every night, make it hard on the other 'D' and hopefully get some scoring chances out of it."

The 3-2 victory vaults Columbus back into third place in the Metro division with the second tilt of back-to-back games set for tonight within the friendly confines as the Blue Jackets host the New York Rangers. This game also marks the return of former captain Rick Nash to Nationwide Arena.

With 13 games remaining on the schedule and a very tight divisional playoff race, the intensity of this matchup in Columbus should be sky-high. Emotions will need to be kept in check, as both clubs look to skate away with the two points that are up for grabs.


738939 Dallas Stars

Stars know playoff math but have to show their work

MIKE HEIKA

22 March 2014 02:31 AM

Math can be scary, but it can be especially frightening to a hockey team that realizes it has a hill to climb to get into the playoffs.

That’s where the Stars are today.

After going through an 0-3-1 slump, Dallas finds itself four points behind Phoenix for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference. With each team trying to target a final point total that will result in a postseason berth, numbers are flying around.

An early-season total that many aimed at was 94 points. The Stars have 75 points with 13 games to play (a possible 26 points). That means they would need 19 out of 26 points to hit 94, or they need to play at a .730 percentage the remainder of the season.

That’s pretty daunting when you sit back and stare at it. So do the Stars stare?

“Sometimes, you think it’s best not to, but I know it’s there. I’ve done the math, and I know what we have to do,” center Vern Fiddler said. “I think the veterans can handle it, and we have to help the younger players with that. You obviously have to concentrate on each game and each shift, but I don’t think there’s any harm in knowing where you stand.”

When you consider the Stars are playing at a .543 clip for the season, .730 seems almost ridiculous. But when you consider they just went through a stretch of 11-3-2 (.750), it creates a more realistic hope.

“There shouldn't be a whole lot of panic,” veteran forward Shawn Horcoff said. “We were going at a pretty good clip, and there's going to be a dip. We just had ours, hopefully, so you've got to hope that the law of averages works out.”

On this three-game road trip, Dallas was terrible in Winnipeg, a little better in Pittsburgh and pretty good in Philadelphia. The Stars lost a 4-2 game against the Flyers on Thursday but missed on several scoring opportunities and gave up a few bad goals.

While that’s a shaky foundation on which to place a playoff burden, coach Lindy Ruff said he’s encouraged by the signs he’s seeing.

“I think the last 40 minutes, the zone time, the play-making, we looked like our old team again,” Ruff said of the Flyers game. “That’s a big step in the right direction.”

And that’s how you figure the new math. When a team is playing well, the numbers add up. When a team is playing poorly, no amount of calculus can create solutions.

The fact the Stars can focus on Phoenix means 94 points might not be necessary if the Coyotes play at a lower clip. The fact the Coyotes have a challenging schedule means Dallas might get a little wiggle room. The fact Dallas has played one fewer game and also gets one head-to-head meeting with Phoenix in the last game of the season means it’s a little easier to make up four points.

Dallas has a one-game edge in ROW (regulation and overtime wins), the first tie-breaker in determining the playoff teams. So the Stars could actually tie Phoenix and still get the bid.

“I do a lot of mental number crunching, especially after this road trip,” Ruff said. “I think if we win the game against Phoenix, then it depends, because we own the tie-breaker. This could come down to the last game of the year. I don’t think they’re going to win the rest of their games, so I think winning seven out of 10 is a good number.”

A number the team seems to understand.

“We’ve played that level of hockey before, and there’s no reason we can’t play it again,” Fiddler said. “You find that spot where you’re really pushing, but you’re also calm. I honestly think we’ve been at our best when our backs

have been against the wall, so if our backs are against the wall now, let’s see what we can do.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.22.2014

738940 Dallas Stars

Friday practice update: Shawn Horcoff ready to come back into the line Saturday against Ottawa

MIKE HEIKA

22 March 2014 01:32 AM

The Stars returned from a horrendous roadtrip Friday and still had pretty good spirits at a practice in Frisco.

Dallas actually put together a very good game in Philadelphia and took a 4-2 loss because of a lack of goal-scoring and a few weak goals against. Both problems appear to be repairable. The problem is that the Stars have lost four straight and now slip four points behind Phoenix for the final wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference.

That means things are pretty tight right now as they prepare for a day game against Ottawa on Saturday.

"There shouldn't be a whole lot of panic," said veteran forward Shawn Horcoff. "We were going at a pretty good clip and there's going to be a dip. We just had our's hopefully, so you've got to hope that the the law of averages work out (and Phoenix has a slump, as well). If we go and play well and win our game in hand and we beat them head to head, then we're in. That has to be our thinking."

Horcoff missed the roadtrip with a broken pinkie, but was in full practice Friday and said he's ready to go for Saturday. At the very least, he should bring a calming presence. At the most, he's a solid penalty killer, a good faceoff man and a guy who can go to the front of the net on the power play.

"He's just another veteran guy who has been through these situations," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's been an important piece in parts of our game and with him out, we've been hurt by it."

Ruff said he feels good about where the team is, because it responded to some bad games, fixed some problems and looked much better against the Flyers. Had Dallas not missed some plum scoring opportunities and Tim Thomas not flubbed a key goal, there was a real chance the Stars could have beat the red hot Flyers in Philadelphia. Now, they have to take the next step and beat an Ottawa team in a slump.

"We have to focus on each game, but you get a feel for where you game is at," said veteran forward Vern Fiddler. "We know we didn't play well in Winnipeg or Pittsburgh, we just didn't. But we played much better in Philadelphia and now we have to improve on that and get back to winning games."

Ruff agreed: "We put a lot of work into last night's game. We didn't get the results, but I think we finally tipped the table in the direction we want to go. I thought we skated really well. Our Puck possession was and O zone opportunities were back to where we need it. We just have to have a little more finish, and obviously a timely save."

Ruff wouldn't say so, but it seems Kari Lehtonen will go back into net. He missed four games with a concussion and then allowed five goals in a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh, but the Stars are going to need their big netminder down the stretch, and it seems a perfect time to start climbing on his back.

With Horcoff coming in, there is a good chance that Chris Mueller comes out of the lineup. Although Erik Cole was given a maintenance day Friday and Alex Chiasson left practice early when he didn't feel well, so we'll see how this reads on Saturday.

There still are some decisions to be made, it seems.


738941 Dallas Stars

Stars play host to young Philadelphia fan with irregular heartbeat

MIKE HEIKA

22 March 2014 01:34 AM

The Stars on Thursday played host to young Philadelphia fan T.J. Ramos, who had a similar experience to Rich Peverley when he collapsed walking to baseball practice because of an irregular heartbeat and had to be revived.

Ramos' dad said the 9-year-old saw the new story on Peverley's collapse on the bench March 10 and was following it because of the similarities. When the Stars came to Philadelphia, Ramos' dad said he asked about Peverley.

Here's an outtake from the NHL.com story:

Thanks to the public relations staffs from the Flyers and Stars, they did more than just get the family tickets to the game Thursday. T.J., along with his father, mother Micki and 11-year-old brother Aidan, got a tour of Wells Fargo Center, and got to spend time with the Stars players, coaches and training staff before the team's morning skate.

"The Flyers are his favorite team but he said Dallas is his next favorite team," Stars general manager Jim Nill, who spent time with the family Thursday morning, told NHL.com. "He [T.J.] wrote a nice letter we're going to give to Rich."


738942 Dallas Stars

GameDay: Ottawa Senators at Dallas Stars

Friday, Mar. 21, 2014

Staff Writer

Senator at Stars

2 p.m. Saturday, American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW Radio: KTCK/1310 AM and 96.7 FM

Records: Senators 28-28-13, 69 points; Stars 32-26-11, 75 pts.

About the Senators: Ottawa is out of the playoff chase, entering Friday’s NHL schedule nine points out of the second wild-card spot in the East. ... Ottawa has a five-game losing streak (0-3-2). ... The Senators haven’t won since a March 10 shoulder injury to goalie Craig Anderson. ... Ales Hemsky leads a Senators offense that has been good despite the losses.

About the Stars: With a four-game losing streak (0-3-1), Dallas has fallen four points behind Phoenix for the second wild-card playoff spot in the West. ... Vancouver and Winnipeg are right behind the ninth-place Stars. ... Tim Thomas (four goals in 29 shots) was in net for Dallas on Thursday in a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia. ... Three of the next four Stars games are in Dallas against teams currently out of the playoffs, NHL.com reports. ... Jamie Benn, who scored the two goals against Philadelphia, has six goals and four assists in the past seven games.

Star-Telegram LOADED: 03.22.2014

738943 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings' Darren Helm: 'I feel good and ready to go'

3:25 PM, March 21, 2014

Anthony Fenech

Darren Helm was asked after today’s practice whether he could sum up his season in one word.

“Painful,” he said. “Not physically, but mentally.”

And the Detroit Red Wings forward is hoping that all of that pain is in the past.

Helm has been cleared to play in Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild (2 p.m., FSD). He hopes that the myriad of injuries that have sidelined him for 40 games this season — first a back injury, then shoulder, then groin, then concussion — are behind him.

“I feel good and ready to go,” he said.

But coach Mike Babcock took a more tempered approach to Helm’s return to the ice.

“We’ll see in the morning, after warm-ups, when we’ll know whether he’s going or not,” Babcock said.

Helm said he expects to center a line with rookie Landon Ferraro and Cory Emmerton.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I’ve been watching this team do a lot of good things. I felt a little bit left out but I have a chance to be a part of that now and, hopefully, I won’t upset anything and keep a good thing going.”

Helm has seven goals and five assists in 29 games this season.

He said his approach to returning to the lineup will be to keep things “short and simple. Not making too many hard plays, smart at the blue line and just making sure pucks are getting out of our zone and are getting into their zone.

“And shoot a lot of pucks to the net.”

Goaltender Jimmy Howard, who is starting Saturday, said that, first and foremost, getting Helm’s speed back on the ice is big.

“It’s a huge factor,” he said. “It’s great on the penalty kill, getting up the ice and pressuring, and it’s another center to impact the lineup. It’s good to have him back.”

Also sounding not too far away in his comeback was forward Joakim Andersson, who skated at full speed today. He’s recovering from a broken left foot.

“It’s day-to-day now,” Andersson said. “It’s getting better.”

Andersson returned to the ice Thursday, skated with the team today and said that the pain has subsided significantly in the past two weeks.

“It has been getting better, so like I said, it’s good enough to skate right now. Hopefully, I can play pretty soon.”

Andersson has 15 points in 58 games this season.

But even with Helm’s impending return and Andersson’s optimistic recovery report, the Wings still have a laundry list of injuries hampering their quest for a 23rd consecutive playoff berth, something that Babcock still isn’t using as an excuse.

“We feel like we’re a group that can compete,” he said. “Instead of focusing on the people that aren’t here, if we just focus on the people that are here and get them to play to their maximum and really compete really hard, play good defensively and get good goaltending from Howie, we have an opportunity. And we understand that, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.22.2014


Darren Helm's possible return spurs hope on Wings' injury front

Gregg Krupa

Detroit – Among the skating wounded for the Red Wings, it appears the return of Darren Helm may well be imminent and Joakim Andersson is skating better and better, but still has some pain in his broken foot.

Reinforcements are crucial.

The Wings have won three of four, despite playing with a lineup that includes only about half of their regulars.

They are a point behind the Rangers and Blue Jackets and three behind the Maple Leafs in the playoff race, despite having played a game less than New York and Columbus and two less than Toronto.

An important cog in the Wings' attack, penalty kill and defensive schemes, Helm says he is feeling completely better after sustaining a concussion. The often-injured, speedy center missed eight games since March 4 against the Devils.

While he declared his readiness to go against the Wild Saturday, Mike Babcock said the determination will be made at game time, after Helm warms up.

Such considerations are routine in the NHL, given the new awareness of brain trauma and concussions.

"I just want to get back in, obviously," Helm said. "I want to get back out there and get going with the team."

Helm said he has had "a bunch of good skates" and has been cleared by doctors.

More cautious, Babcock did not rule out the return of one of four injured centers from the normal lineup.

"I don't know," he said. "We'll see in the morning after warm-up whether he's ready or not."

Helm has seven goals and five assists in 29 games played, of the 69 the Red Wings have played.

Andersson said he will not travel to Minnesota because the Wings have no pregame skate scheduled before the matinee against the Wild. He will remain in Detroit, and skate.

He said he has been told his return to the line-up is a matter of his ability to tolerate the pain, as the fracture heals.

Andersson has missed five games, since March 9 against the Rangers. He has seven goals and eight assists in 58 games played.

Asked about his prospective return, the stout 25-year-old forward said, "We don't know, yet. It's day-to-day, now.

"Foot takes a while to heel. But it's good enough to skate. I felt pretty good out there, actually."

Detroit News LOADED: 03.22.2014


Two home wins give Red Wings big lift

Gregg Krupa

Detroit— In the stretch drive of an NHL season, it seems there is even less time to savor a big, exciting win.

The Red Wings seemed galvanized at practice and around the room Friday after the 5-4 defeat of the Penguins in overtime Thursday. But the schedule just keeps on rolling.

“You have energy after you win, when you go to practice the next day, which is positive,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “We understand the standings and what we have to do here, so we just have to keep grinding.”

He liked that the Red Wings worked hard against their Eastern Conference rival, but said they gave up too many opportunities and too often were penalized.

The power play, he said, has been “a little more dangerous.”

Winners of three of four and hot at home, where they are 8-0-2 since Jan. 22, the Red Wings persist in the playoff hunt despite a lineup half-filled with replacement players. The Red Wings also got a big win at home Tuesday, 3-2 against the Maple Leafs

“Obviously, we feel we are a group that can compete,” Babcock said. “Instead of focusing on our people that aren’t here, if we just focus on who is here and we get them to play to their maximum, really compete hard, play good defensively and get good goaltending from Howie, we have an opportunity.”

DeKeyser comes through

Fine play by young players is the theme this season, and Jimmy Howard appreciates a great one right in front of him with three seconds left in regulation Thursday.

With Sidney Crosby keen on a developing scoring opportunity, Danny DeKeyser used his angle of attack, size and stick to ride off the thick-bodied scoring leader, who is one of the most tenacious forwards in the NHL.

DeKeyser’s effort might well have delivered the Red Wings to overtime, where they won with 0.4 seconds remaining.

“It was a great play,” Howard said of the play he saw from perhaps 20 feet away. “He used his reach to his advantage, there.

“Danny does a great job out there just by using his smarts. He’s got a lot of great hockey sense.

“He’s a big body back there, for us.”

Injury update

An important cog in the Red Wings attack, penalty kill and defensive schemes, Darren Helm said he is fully recovered from a concussion. The often-injured, speedy center missed eight games since March 4.

While he declared his readiness to go against the Wild tonight, Babcock was somewhat more cautious, saying the determination will be made at game time to see how Helm feels after the warm-up.

“I just want to get back in, obviously,” Helm said. “I want to get back out there and get going with the team.”

Helm said he has had “a bunch of good skates” and has been cleared by doctors.

Helm has seven goals and five assists in 29 games of the 69 the Red Wings games.

... Joakim Andersson said he is considered “day-to-day” and has been told his return to the lineup is a matter of his ability to tolerate the pain as his fractured foot heals. He will not travel to Minnesota.

Andersson has missed five games since March 9. He has seven goals and eight assists in 58 games.

“Foot takes a while to heal,” he said. “But it’s good enough to skate. I felt pretty good out there, actually.”

Legwand fined

The NHL fined Red Wings center David Legwand $5,000 for butt-ending Penguins center Evgeni Malkin on Thursday. Legwand served major and match penalties.

Penguins forward James Neal also received a $5,000 fine for cross-checking forward Luke

Glendening in the second period.

Red Wings at Wild

Faceoff: 2 today, Excel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

TV/radio: FSD/97.1

Outlook: The Wild is a disciplined, deeper team with the acquisition of F Matt Moulson and G Ilya Bryzgalov. ... The Red Wings still are playing with several inexperienced players.

Detroit News LOADED: 03.22.2014


Detroit Red Wings' David Legwand, Pittsburgh Penguins' James Neal both fined $5,000 by NHL

Brendan Savage

March 21, 2014 at 4:21 PM

David Legwand of the Detroit Red Wings and James Neal of the Pittsburgh Penguins were both fined $5,000 today by the NHL for separate incidents during the Red Wings' 5-4 overtime victory Thursday.

Legward received a major penalty for butt-ending Evgeni Malkin and was ejected from the game at 16:14 of the third period.

Neal received a minor penalty for cross-checking Luke Glendening at 5:19 of the second period.

Neither play resulted in an injury.

The fine money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.22.2014


Red Wings' Darren Helm says he's ready to play Saturday at Minnesota; final decision after warmups

Ansar Khan

March 21, 2014 at 4:14 PM

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings center Darren Helm said Friday that he has been cleared to play Saturday at Minnesota (2 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

Coach Mike Babcock is taking more of a wait-and-see approach; a decision on Helm will be made after the pregame warmups.

After missing eight games with a concussion, the club wants to make sure he doesn’t experience a setback.

But Helm practiced Friday like he has the green light, centering a line with Cory Emmerton and Landon Ferraro (Teemu Pulkkinen was rotating in with Ferraro).

“I’m excited to get back in,” Helm said. “I’ve done this (return from injury) a few times. I want to get back out there and get going with the team.

“A bunch of good skates, cleared by the doctor, did my concussion test; did well on that and I feel good and ready to go.”

Helm described his season as painful, not physically but mentally. He has missed a total of 40 games with four separate injuries (14 due to his groin/back, then 11 due to his shoulder, then seven due to his groin and then the concussion).

He has seven goals and 12 points in 29 games. He is anxious to help during the team’s playoff drive.

“I’ve been watching this team do a lot of good things,” Helm said. “Last night, the night before, last couple games I really wanted to be a part of seeing what the guys did, how they laid it on the line, how excited everybody was with those wins, myself included.

“Felt a little left out, but get a chance to be a part of it now and hopefully keep a good thing going.”

The Red Wings (32-24-13, 77 points) have won two in a row but have lost four consecutive road games, dating back to Feb. 27 (6-1 win at Ottawa).

Helm hopes to provide speed and energy to a team decimated by injuries, particularly at center.

“Short (shifts) and simple, not making too many hard plays,” Helm said. “Smart at the blue line, making sure the pucks are getting out of our zone and into their zone. Try to shoot a lot of pucks on net. Not make it too hard on myself.”

Said goaltender Jimmy Howard: “His speed, it’s a huge factor. He’s great on the penalty kill, getting up the ice, pressuring. It’s a center we get back in the lineup. Good to have him back.”

Andersson skates full-out, return is near

Center Joakim Andersson (hairline fracture in left foot) said he skated full-out in practice Friday and is day-to-day. He won’t play Saturday, but his return is near.

“It’s getting better,” Andersson said. “The foot takes a while to heal, but it’s good enough to skate. I felt pretty good out there, actually.”

Andersson said now it’s just a matter of pain tolerance. He has missed five games.

“I was skating full out there; I didn’t hold back or anything,” Andersson said. “I can do most stuff out there.”

Howard starts against the Wild

Here are the lines and defense pairs the Red Wings skated with Friday:

Johan Franzen-David Legwand-Daniel Alfredsson

Tomas Tatar-Riley Sheahan-Gustav Nyquist

Drew Miller-Luke Glendening-Todd Bertuzzi

Cory Emmerton-Darren Helm-Landon Ferraro/Teemu Pulkkinen

Joakim Andersson skated during the whole practice. Daniel Cleary (knee) skated before practice.

Niklas Kronwall-Brendan Smith

Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser

Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl

Jimmy Howard (starting Saturday)

Jonas Gustavsson



Daniel Alfredsson's leadership proving to be invaluable for Red Wings during playoff push

Brendan Savage

March 21, 2014 at 6:07 AM

DETROIT – Daniel Alfredsson wasn't about to get discouraged by a nine-game goal drought.

Not at age 41 and in his 18th NHL season.

The Detroit Red Wings' elder statesman knew it was only a matter of time before his scoring touch returned and his patience has been paying off at the most crucial of times.

Alfredsson scored his second game-winning goal in as many games Thursday , this time with four-tenths of a second left in overtime to give the Red Wings a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena.

It was his second goal against the Penguins, who entered the game with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and erased a pair of Detroit leads before Alfredsson scored the dramatic game-winner.

Daniel Alfredsson scores game-winner in OT for Red Wings Alfredsson's second goal of the game with four-tenths of a second left in OT gave the Red Wings a 5-4 win over Pittsburgh

Alfredsson's 17th goal of the season came two days after he scored to give Detroit a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. That gave him three goals in two games after the aforementioned slump.

"That's just the way it goes sometimes," Alfredsson said. "I went however long without scoring then you get one where I was the recipient of a great pass from (Johan) Franzen on the first one and then the second, but that's how it goes ... if you've been around here long enough and you're patient.

"These are exciting games. We know pretty much every game we play will go down to the wire. There's not going to be any easy wins. Winning like this, two in a row, late in games will give us confidence."

When the Red Wings signed Alfredsson – the Ottawa Senators' long-time captain – to a one-year contract as a free agent last summer, it was in an effort to add some more scoring punch to their lineup.

And he's done that with 42 points in 57 games after picking up three points vs. Pittsburgh.

But his leadership has been a real key these days as the Red Wings try and keep their 22-season playoff streak alive with Henrik Zetterberg (back) and Pavel Datsyuk (knee) among Detroit players currently sidelined by injuries.

"He's a leader right now," said forward Tomas Tatar, who scored his 15th goal in the third period. "He was leader actually all the time but right now we need him most like with all the injuries that we have and all the experience we miss.

"Alfie's irreplaceable right now too, so he's been great. He's been great leader. He's helping coach. He's been really important piece for us right now."

Alfredsson opened the scoring 7:21 into the first period and then scored the game-winner during a 3-on-1 rush as time was expiring in overtime.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped his initial shot but the puck bounced off Pittsburgh defenseman Rob Scuderi and into the net. After a review, the officials ruled the goal came with four-tenths of a second left.

Red Wings beat Penguins in last second of OT Daniel Alfredsson's second goal of the game with four-tenths of a second left in OT gave Detroit a 5-4 win

"I saw it," Alfredsson said. "I didn't know there was just a few seconds left, but I know I didn't hear the horn go off before the puck went in so I thought it would be good. Big break for us, rebound goes off their D and in so we'll gladly take it today.

"They got a few bounces, too. That's the way it goes sometimes. You do a lot of good things, you get lucky. We've been on the other side of those a few times. This time it feels great to be able to pull out a big win tonight against a good team."

The victory moved the Red Wings (32-24-13) into ninth place, one point behind the New York Rangers in the bid for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

With 13 games remaining in the regular season, Alfredsson is among the veterans who will be counted on to help the young Red Wings keep their poise in the playoff push.

"(Niklas) Kronwall's really done a job for us leadership-wise but Alfredsson's another one of those guys who's been around a long time," said coach Mike Babcock. "This is what I'd say, (Alfredsson's) a high-end thinker. Obviously, when you're (41), you don't skate like you did when you're 25.

"But your mind is so good and we need his leadership as much as his playing and that's what he does for us."

Despite being the oldest player on the team by two years – Todd Bertuzzi turned 39 last month – Alfredsson is third among Red Wings in scoring. And that's after missing 12 games because of injuries to his groin and back.

"Alfie's been a huge part of our team ever since he signed," Kronwall said. "The leadership he brings, both on and off the ice ... you got to be (41) and played through a few different situations to keep that calm.

"Things like that rub off on other guys."



Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist seeing great results after changing mindset from passer to shooter

Ansar Khan

March 21, 2014 at 7:02 PM

DETROIT – Gustav Nyquist has always racked up more assists than goals at each level of his hockey career, preferring to be a facilitator rather than a finisher.

That changed midway through this season, and the Detroit Red Wings are benefiting because of it.

Nyquist has an NHL-leading 15 goals since Jan. 20. He leads the Red Wings with 20 goals in just 44 games, after spending the first month-and-a-half of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Why the sudden surge? One simple reason is he’s shooting the puck more.

“He’s getting good opportunity, but the other thing he’s doing is shoot the puck; he’s got to continue to shoot the puck,” coach Mike Babcock said. “In the National League you score by shooting, not by passing. So he’s done a good job in that area.”

Nyquist is averaging 3.19 shots per game over his past 21 games. He averaged only 1.89 shots per game in his first 63 NHL games, when he scored nine goals.

“We’ve been talking about (shooting more) my whole year and the time I’ve been here, really,” Nyquist said. “I’ve always been more of a passing player. I’m trying to shoot the puck more. I’m getting great passes, too.”

Missing injured stars Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, the Red Wings have desperately needed Nyquist’s production. He is determined to fire the puck whenever possible.

“That’s how you create chances, too, getting rebounds for goals,” Nyquist said. “All goals aren’t going to be pretty tic-tac-toe plays for an open net, you got to put the puck on net.

“A couple of my goals have gone off deflections from the other team’s skates. So you just got to keep putting it on net.”

After flourishing for many games on a line with Johan Franzen and Zetterberg before the Olympics, Nyquist recently was moved to the Kid Line, with Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar, replacing the injured Tomas Jurco.

Nyquist has four goals in the past three games heading into Saturday’s contest at Minnesota (2 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

“He’s doing everything right; the puck is bouncing for him and he’s skilled enough to put it in,” Tatar said. “He’s playing great. Sometimes the puck just finds you in the right spot and the right time. Gus is smart enough and he knows where to be; he’s really skilled, so he can finish.”

Daniel Alfredsson, Nyquist’s Swedish Olympic teammate, has witnessed tremendous growth in the talented 24-year-old winger.

“It’s a natural progression from what I’ve seen from camp and since coming up from Grand Rapids he’s been really good,” Alfredsson said. “He brings speed, brings work ethic. He’s a young guy who really is mature in terms of where to be on the ice in different situations and he’s been very impressive.”

Having the freedom to be creative also has helped Nyquist.

“I think coaching today is better and sometimes I think it’s too good for young kids,” Alfredsson said. “I think they should worry more about individual skills because they’ll be coached up enough as they get to older stages in their careers.

“But guys who are 20 or 22 and played pros for a few years here or in Europe, everybody is so well-coached it seems like the transition to the NHL isn’t a huge step. Not like it used to be.”



Darren Helm cleared to return to lineup; expects to play Saturday

Chuck Pleiness

03/21/14, 2:09 PM EDT

DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings will get one player back in the lineup and it could come as soon as Saturday afternoon.

Darren Helm has been cleared to return to the lineup after missing eight straight games dealing with a concussion.

“I’m excited to get back in, obviously,” Helm said after practice Friday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena. “I’ve done this a few times. I want to get back out there and get going with the team.”

Helm expects to play Saturday afternoon in Minnesota.

“I’ve had a bunch of good skates, cleared by the doctor, did my concussion test, I guess you could call it, did well on that and I feel good and ready to go,” Helm said. “I’m really excited. I’ve been watching this team do a lot of good things. (Thursday) night, the night before, last couple games I really wanted to be a part of seeing what the guys did, how they laid it on the line, how excited everybody was with those wins, for myself included. I felt a little left out, but get a chance to be a part of it now and hopefully keep a good thing going.”

Helm said he’s centering the fourth line with Cory Emmerton and Landon Ferraro.

“I’ve played with those guys a couple of times, played with Lando in GR when I went down, good kid, and Emmer’s been here for a while,” Helm said. “Hopefully we can find some chemistry quick and I don’t think we’ll be playing huge minutes but hopefully we can be effective.”

His coach wasn’t ready to deem him back in the lineup though.

“I don’t know, we’ll see after (Saturday’s) warmup if he’s going or not,” Wings coach Mike Babcock.

Helm, who was diagnosed with a concussion by the same specialist the saw Patrick Eaves and Johan Franzen, was injured in Ottawa on Feb. 27 when he hit his head hard on the ice. Later in the game he was grazed in the chin which also could have triggered it.

In the Wings’ next game his vision became blurry.

Helm has missed 40 games this season (14 for a back and groin, 11 for a shoulder, seven for a groin and eight for a concussion). He has seven goals and five assists in 29 games.

“I’d say painful, not physically but mentally,” Helm said when asked to pick a one word to describe his season thus far.

Helm didn’t make his season debut until Nov. 2 after playing in just two games over 19 months.

“Keep it short and simple, not making too many hard plays,” Helm said of how he’s got to play in his return. “Smart at the blue line, making sure the pucks are getting out of our zone and into their zone. Try to shoot a lot of pucks on net. Not make it too hard on myself.”

Andersson progressing

Joakim Andersson continues to skate, taking part in his first full practice since breaking his foot on March 9 against the New York Rangers.

“It’s day-to-day now,” Andersson said. “I was on the ice for a little bit yesterday and today I was skating with the team, so obviously it’s getting better.

“The foot takes a while to heal, but it’s good enough to skate,” Andersson continued. “I felt pretty good out there, actually.”

Andersson, who has missed five games, said it’s really about how much pain he’s able to tolerate at this point.

“I was skating full out there, I didn’t hold back or anything,” Andersson said. “I can do most stuff out there, I felt like.”

This and that

David Legwand received a $5,000 fine from the league after his butt-ending major and game misconduct he received in Thursday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Legwand drew the penalty after Evgeni Malkin raked his stick over the back of Legwand’s head. … Jimmy Howard will start Saturday in Minnesota. … Babcock said this went asked when Jonas Gustavsson will get another start, “I have no idea. I know he just got back. You have to stay healthy if you want to play.”

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.22.2014

738951 Edmonton Oilers

Gazdic makes pitch for more ice time

Joanne Ireland

March 21, 2014

EDMONTON - Over the last several weeks his minutes had been starting to increase at a rate that fuelled Luke Gazdic’s resolve to curtail his time on the bench. Eight minutes against the Nashville Predators, seven against the St. Louis Blues, just over five against the Carolina Hurricanes.

But against the Buffalo Sabres, in a game pockmarked with penalties, he spent 2:41 on the ice and five minutes in the penalty box after an early first period scrap with Zenon Konopka.

“It’s tough for a guy like me to get into the rhythm of the game,” said the rookie who played just six shifts. “It takes a toll, more mentally than physically, to stay engaged for a full 60 minutes but that’s the job I signed up for and I’m just going to try and do whatever I can with the ice time I get.”

Gazdic’s scrap with Konopka was his 14th of the season and his first since he dropped Kevin Westgarth to the ice in a March 1 tilt against the Calgary Flames. Westgarth, who collapsed after a punishing punch, was left with a concussion but did return to the lineup less than two weeks later.

Both should be in the lineup tonight when the Oilers attempt to erase the sting of Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Sabres with a different outcome against the Flames. It will be the final game of the season series between the provincial foes.

“I was a little taken aback with how fast he came back but it’s good he’s back on the ice,” Gazdic continued.

“Obviously you don’t like to see guys out for too long with something like that, but that’s the breaks with fighting. You can go down anytime.”

Westgarth said a few days after the fight that he watched the replay and the big takeaway was that he had made a mistake that cost him. “I guess everybody’s number comes up at some point,” he told Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. “Part of the job, part of the game. It was pretty ugly, but I got out of it relatively unscathed in the big picture of things. I don’t plan on making a routine out of it by any stretch.

“I made a mistake and he made me pay for it.”

Gazdic has no idea if he’s going to be challenged again tonight but he does know that his reputation is starting to proceed him. The fights aren’t as frequent, because there aren’t as many willing opponents, which has afforded Gazdic more time to work on the rest of his game.

He’s even been hounding head coach Dallas Eakins to let him kill penalties, just so he can get on the ice more often.

“It will be harder for me to find one now and again, especially with the middle to light heavyweight guys, but I do think that’s a positive,” he said. “It means I’ve been getting some respect around the league. It means I’ll have a little more room out there to play and that my teammates will have a little more room.

“I can focus more on playing the game. I’ve been trying to get that reputation, ever since I got here: that I can be a guy who can do both, and my minutes have gone up, with the exception of last night.”

Gazdic has been culling what information he can from veteran Ryan Smyth, who has spent time on the same line as the rookie with the wicked right, and recently, he’s been bending the ear of Steve MacIntyre.

With a number of injuries in the forward ranks, MacIntyre was reeled up from the Oklahoma City Barons as an emergency recall. He didn’t play against the Sabres and likely won’t play against the Flames if Jordan Eberle is back in the lineup. What he has been doing is sharing what information he can with Gazdic.

“I have a lot of tools at my disposal so I’m trying to use everybody,” said Gazdic, who was sporting a noticeable bruise under his left eye. He hadn’t yet gone over the video to see what may have caused the damage. “I think I popped a blood vessel or something. I don’t know if he caught me or what...but it’s good. It’s a good conversation starter.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Eberle ready to rejoin Oilers’ lineup after knee injury

Joanne Ireland

March 21, 2014

EDMONTON - It had never occurred to Jordan Eberle to just take the night off, which is why he elected to give his bothersome knee a test run prior to Thursday’s morning skate.

But the Edmonton Oilers winger said that in hindsight, he was better off for not having played against the Buffalo Sabres, so much so that he could be back as soon as Saturday when the Oilers host the Calgary Flames.

“Our team had been playing really well and it’s great to be a part of that,” he said after taking part in an optional practice session on Friday. “Against Nashville, it was a great game for myself and (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins). I felt good about myself and when that happens, you just want to keep playing.

“I was really trying to get back for the last game. I tried in the morning but just knew it wasn’t ready,” he continued. “It felt great today. It felt strong...and I tried to push it at the end with some battles. We’ll see how it is.”

Eblere’s injury stems from a collision with Mike Fisher in the last shift of Tuesday’s game against the Predators.

Lander’s versatility comes into play

Anton Lander, four games into his most recent call-up, flexed his skills as an utility man against the Sabres, moving from wing to centre, from the power play to the penalty kill.

“When he’s been up before, he’s usually played that fourth line role and we wanted to see how he could handle playing with a different group of guys,” said Oilers’ coach Dallas Eakins. “He certainly looks like he has more confidence than he had earlier in the season.”

At one point in the game, Eakins said he considered sending Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out for another shift at centre but instead elected to send out Lander, who started the game on the wing, alongside Nugent-Hopkins and Tyler Pitlick.

“What are you going to do with it? Are you rattled by it? Are you okay with it? He’s reacted great,” Eakins said. “I had talked to him before and he just looked me and said you play me where you want. I’m ready.

“I think he’s up for the challenge. I think if I told him to go play D, he’d go. He’s just doing anything he can to impress not only the staff but the management as well.”

He got no argument from Lander.

“I’m fine with it,” he said. “I’m just happy to play. Obviously I don’t want to be in Oklahoma, I want to be here. I want to be a part of this team.”

Oil drops

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 27:10 minutes of work Taylor Hall logged against the Sabres is the most by an Oilers forward in a regulation game since Todd Marchant played 28:51 against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 9, 2003.

Defenceman Anton Belov has been cleared and is back practising with the team. He could return as early as Saturday.

Eakins said he would like to have gotten Tyler Pitlick more ice time in his first game back with the big club since a knee injury derailed his first NHL call-up back in October. He’ll also have some words of advice for the winger if he plays again against the Flames. “I thought he was playing really safe and that’s natural,” said Eakins. “He’s got to have a conscience but when you’re playing with Nuge, you have to make plays too.”



Edmonton Oilers Jordan Eberle on highlight reel goal scored by Ales Hemsky: “No surprise to me.”

March 21, 2014. 5:08 pm

Joanne Ireland

Since he was moved to the Ottawa Senators on trade deadline day, ending a 12 year stay with the Edmonton Oilers, Ales Hemsky has registered six assists and two goals for his new club – none more notable than the one he scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

Hemsky single-handidly tied the game3-3 with this showstopper:

“I’m used to it,” said Oilers winger Jordan Eberle. “He’s one of the most skilled players I’ve played with so I’ve seen that five or six times since I’ve been here.

“Really no surprise to me.”

The Ottawa Senators would go on to lose the contest 5-4.

“Beautiful,” surmised Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins when asked about the goal. “That’s something that Hemmer has in his back pocket. He can undress people then undress goalies given the opportunity.”



Oilers tough guy Luke Gazdic doesn't expect retaliation from Flames for Westgarth KO

Derek Van Diest


EDMONTON - Luke Gazdic and the Edmonton Oilers don’t expect retribution to be on the minds of the Calgary Flames heading into their encounter Saturday night.

Particularly with Flames winger Kevin Westgarth back healthy.

The last time the Flames were in town, Westgarth was on the wrong end of a Gazdic punch, which knocked him unconscious.

“Unless it’s been some crazy incident that was a really dirty one, maybe then, there’s conversation that the players have amongst themselves,” said Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. “That wasn’t fun to watch. I reached out immediately to (Flames GM) Brian Burke to make sure the kid was OK and Luke was shook-up a little bit.

“If there is a fight in the game, there is a fight in the game, but I highly doubt they’re going to come looking for retribution when it was something they both agreed to do.”

Gazdic took over the Oilers enforcer’s role this season and has traded blows with some of the toughest players in the game. He’s scored a couple of devastating knockouts this season including the one against Westgarth.

BACK IN THE LEAGUE

It had been a while since Tyler Pitlick had played an NHL game.

And even though the Oilers prospect made his league debut earlier this year and already has a goal to show for it, there were still a few nerves Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

“I was doing a lot of thinking out there,” Pitlick said. “There was a lot of new stuff out there for me and I didn’t want to be in the wrong position. So I think I was doing too much thinking at the beginning and now that I got it down it’ll help me out for the next game.”

Selected in the second round — 31st overall — in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Pitlick, 22, was called up early in the year and scored a goal against the Phoenix Coyotes before injuring his knee later in that game.

Once healthy, Pitlick was sent back to the Oilers AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City before being recalled on Wednesday.

“Playing those games early in the year, it definitely helps,” Pitlick said. “But I don’t think I came into last night with as much confidence as I hoped. I was doing a lot of thinking and I just need to play my game.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Oilers winger Jordan Eberle says knee feeling good, could be ready for Flames

Derek Van Diest


EDMONTON - Jordan Eberle tested out his wonky knee Friday morning during a brisk practice at Russ Barnes arena.

The Edmonton Oilers winger was forced to sit out Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, having been injured late in the win over the Nashville Predators two nights earlier.

Eberle was buried from behind by Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis early in the contest, but was actually injured in a collision late in the game.

“It was the last shift of the game, I collided with (Mike) Fisher and I tweaked it,” Eberle said. “It was real unlucky, but that’s part of the game.”

Eberle could be back in the lineup when the Oilers host the Calgary Flames Saturday (8 p.m.) at Rexall Place.

“It felt great (Friday),” Eberle said. “I really felt strong, I was trying to get my lungs under me and my legs and I really tried to push it at the end with some battles. It felt good today, we’ll see how it is tonight and tomorrow morning and then make a decision.”

With two goals in his previous game, Eberle was hoping to be in the lineup against the Sabres and pushed himself hard trying to get in the lineup for the contest. The Oilers could have used him, falling to the worst team in the NHL on Thursday.

“Our team has been playing really well, we’ve been winning a lot and it’s great to be a part of that, it’s fun,” Eberle said. “Nashville was a great game for myself and Nuge (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) and I felt good about myself, and when you feel good about yourself, you just want to keep playing and helping the team win.

“I was really trying to get back for the last game, I tried it in the morning and it really wasn’t ready. But I think that was the best case, I felt really good on the ice (Friday).”

If Eberle is able to return, he’ll be a boost to the Oilers power-play unit that did score a goal against the Sabres, but squandered five other opportunities.

Outside of just trying to score on the power play, the Oilers appeared to have another agenda heading into the game.

With Ryan Smyth needing a power play goal to take sole possession of the franchise record, the Oilers were trying to set him up all night.

Smyth came agonizingly close on a pair of occasions, but was unable to stuff the puck under Sabres goaltender Matt Hackett.

“It’s definitely in the back of our minds, I know it’s going to come, it’s just a matter of time,” Eberle said. “He had a couple of great chances (Friday) night. When you start focusing a little too much like that it’s not going to work. But if anything, it probably does help us out because you want to throw the puck to the net a little bit more where he is there and that’s how you get power-play goals.”

The majority of Smyth’s 126 power-play goals have been scored within a couple of metres of the net. It’s his net-front presence that makes him so effective.

“Smytty is probably one of the best players to ever play the game in front of the net,” Eberle said. “The way that he gets in front, he’s one of the best tippers I’ve seen and he’s strong on his stick. It’s really no surprise that he’s one of the top power play guys in Oilers history.

“When I’m out there and he’s in front of the net, I just try to get it to him, because I know he’s one of the best in front there.”

Getting a chance to see the power play from the press box Thursday gave Eberle a new perspective on the unit and helped bring to light what the team needs to do better.

“I thought for sure, on our entries, we got in when we stuck to the plan,” Eberle said. “I think once they got outside the box and guys tried to do things by themselves, that’s when we couldn’t enter. As far as getting chances, I thought we had a ton of chances. Guys were getting the puck to the net, shooting a lot and I think we could have gotten one or two more. For the most part, the power play was good (Thursday).”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.22.2014

738956 Florida Panthers

Roberto Luongo solid despite Florida Panthers’ loss to Phoenix Coyotes

George Richards

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Panthers were huge underdogs coming into Thursday's game against the streaking Coyotes.

With Roberto Luongo in net, however, the Panthers believe they always have a chance regardless of what the oddsmakers say.

Two days after upsetting San Jose, Florida couldn't find a late goal and lost 2-1 to Phoenix at Jobing.com Arena.

"He's stuck with it and doesn't get rattled,'' coach Peter Horachek said of Luongo, who is 3-3-1 with a shutout since coming back to the Panthers in a March 4 trade with the Canucks. He's giving up an average of 2.42 goals with a .926 save percentage since his return.

The two goals Luongo gave up Thursday came in the opening period and he wasn't at fault in either. The first came on an early power play in which Oliver Ekman-Larsson's long shot struck teammate Martin Hanzal in the skate while standing in front of the net. The puck snapped right back to Radim Vrbata who one-timed it into the back of the net.

Phoenix's final goal — which turned out to be the game-winner — came late in the first period on a shot Luongo never had a chance at as he was run over by Mikkel Boedker.

The two lay in a heap as Antoine Vermette scored into an open net to make it 2-0 with 1:22 left.

Luongo and Horachek were told by the referee that Florida defenseman Dylan Olsen hooked Boedker and if there was any penalty to be called during the play, it would have been on the Panthers.

"They felt our guy pushed him into me,'' Luongo said afterward. "I felt the guy was already in the blue [paint] when contact was made. It makes it tough for me to do my job when I end up in the corner. It's frustrating because you want to have the chance to make a save. When you're taken out of the play, you can't do anything about it.''

Said Horachek: "They felt Olsen was doing it, but without the ability to look at video, it's hard. It was obviously not the right call. It should have come back. But those things happen and you have to deal with them. Everyone does.''

Phoenix, which beat the Panthers 3-1 in Sunrise earlier this month, had a number of chances against Luongo and the Panthers the rest of the way but couldn't get anything else through.

Early in the third period, Luongo hit the deck after getting caught by the stick of Martin Erat. As Erat was swinging around the cage, Luongo went out to make some contact and Erat's stick got under his mask and knocked him to the ice.

After being looked at by head athletic trainer David Zenobi, Luongo got up and continued the game.

"I don't think it was intentional but they're a big team, like to play the body,'' Luongo said. "That was a physical game.''

Florida finally scored when Scott Gomez got his second of the season with 4:07 left.

Gomez whipped a shot past goalie Mike Smith's glove to give the Panthers hope. Despite playing a skater up for the final minute, Florida couldn't get anything else past the former Tampa Bay netminder.

"We knew it was going to be a tight game against these guys,'' Brian Campbell said. "I didn't think we were at our best and that's frustrating. We could have given a better effort.''

GOMEZ'S DROUGHT

Gomez says he has gone longer stretches during his career between goals, but unless he's talking about months away from the game because of a work stoppage, it's hard to fathom that math.

His goal Thursday was his first since he scored the team's first of the season late in the opening period in Florida's win at Dallas to kick off the season.

Gomez, 34, went six months between scoring on Oct. 3 and again on Tuesday.

"It came a little too late and we didn't get the two points, so it really doesn't matter to me,'' said Gomez, who was a healthy scratch for big chunks of this season before becoming the full-time fourth line center after the trade deadline.

"My job is, I don't know when it started, but I'm so into the passing the puck. My job is to get the wingers the puck. I've been yelled at my whole career for not shooting.''

Gomez scored 33 goals in 2005-06 with the Devils and averaged over 16 goals through his first nine seasons. His scoring has slowed considerably.

After scoring 148 goals in 706 games with the Devils and Rangers, he has 25 in 272 games over the past five seasons with Montreal, San Jose (two goals last year) and the Panthers.

Florida has placed Gomez on waivers twice this season, so this well could be the end of his 14-year career. Gomez is 28 games away from playing in 1,000 NHL games with 12 games left in this season.

"I have to give a lot of credit to him. He missed all those games and never complained,'' Horachek said. "He's such a positive influence on the bench, always says the right things. He's been a very good pro. If anyone has had a rough situation it's him. And he's handled it.''

Saturday: Panthers at Kings

When, where: 4 p.m.; Staples Center, Los Angeles.

TV/radio: FSNF; WQAM 560.

The series: Los Angeles leads 13-9-3.

Scouting report: These two teams haven't played since October so the Panthers look much different than when the Kings left Sunrise with a 3-0 win. The Kings, third in the Pacific, snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Washington in a shootout on Thursday.

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.22.2014


Roberto Luongo solid despite Florida Panthers’ loss to Phoenix Coyotes

George Richards

The Panthers were huge underdogs coming into Thursday’s game against the streaking Coyotes.

With Roberto Luongo in net, however, the Panthers believe they always have a chance regardless of what the oddsmakers say.

Two days after upsetting San Jose, Florida couldn’t find a late goal and lost 2-1 to Phoenix at Jobing.com Arena.

“He’s stuck with it and doesn’t get rattled,” coach Peter Horachek said of Luongo, who is 3-3-1 with a shutout since coming back to the Panthers in a March 4 trade with the Canucks. He’s giving up an average of 2.42 goals with a .926 save percentage since his return.

The two goals Luongo gave up Thursday came in the opening period, and he wasn’t at fault in either. The first came on an early power play in which Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s long shot struck teammate Martin Hanzal in the skate while standing in front of the net. The puck snapped right back to Radim Vrbata who one-timed it into the back of the net.

Phoenix’s final goal — which turned out to be the game-winner — came late in the first period on a shot Luongo never had a chance at as he was run over by Mikkel Boedker.

The two lay in a heap as Antoine Vermette scored into an open net to make it 2-0 with 1:22 left.

Luongo and Horachek were told by the referee that Florida defenseman Dylan Olsen hooked Boedker and that if there was any penalty to be called during the play, it would have been on the Panthers.

“They felt our guy pushed him into me,” Luongo said afterward. “I felt the guy was already in the blue [paint] when contact was made. It makes it tough for me to do my job when I end up in the corner. It’s frustrating because you want to have the chance to make a save. When you’re taken out of the play, you can’t do anything about it.”

Said Horachek: “They felt Olsen was doing it, but without the ability to look at video, it’s hard. It was obviously not the right call. It should have come back. But those things happen and you have to deal with them. Everyone does.”

Phoenix, which beat the Panthers 3-1 in Sunrise earlier this month, had a number of chances against Luongo and the Panthers the rest of the way but couldn’t get anything else through.

Early in the third period, Luongo hit the deck after getting caught by the stick of Martin Erat. As Erat was swinging around the cage, Luongo went out to make some contact, and Erat’s stick got under his mask and knocked him to the ice.

After being looked at by head athletic trainer David Zenobi, Luongo got up and continued the game.

“I don’t think it was intentional, but they’re a big team, like to play the body,” Luongo said. “That was a physical game.”

Florida finally scored when Scott Gomez got his second of the season with 4:07 left.

Gomez whipped a shot past goalie Mike Smith’s glove to give the Panthers hope. Despite playing a skater up for the final minute, Florida couldn’t get anything else past the former Tampa Bay netminder.

“We knew it was going to be a tight game against these guys,” Brian Campbell said. “I didn’t think we were at our best, and that’s frustrating. We could have given a better effort.”

GOMEZ’S DROUGHT

Gomez said he has gone longer stretches during his career between goals, but unless he’s talking about months away from the game because of a work stoppage, it’s hard to fathom that math.

His goal Thursday was the first he scored since the team’s first game of the season late in the opening period in Florida’s win at Dallas.

Gomez, 34, went six months between scoring on Oct. 3 and again Tuesday.

“It came a little too late, and we didn’t get the two points, so it really doesn’t matter to me,” said Gomez, who was a healthy scratch for big chunks of this season before becoming the full-time fourth line center after the trade deadline.

“My job is, I don’t know when it started, but I’m so into passing the puck. My job is to get the wingers the puck. I’ve been yelled at my whole career for not shooting.”

Gomez scored 33 goals in 2005-06 with the Devils and averaged over 16 goals through his first nine seasons. His scoring has slowed considerably.

After scoring 148 goals in 706 games with the Devils and Rangers, he has 25 in 272 games over the past five seasons with Montreal, San Jose (two goals last year) and the Panthers.

Florida has placed Gomez on waivers twice this season, so this well could be the end of his 14-year career. Gomez is 28 games away from playing in 1,000 NHL games with 12 games left in this season.

“I have to give a lot of credit to him. He missed all those games and never complained,” Horachek said. “He’s such a positive influence on the bench, always says the right things. He’s been a very good pro. If anyone has had a rough situation, it’s him. And he’s handled it.”

Saturday: Panthers at Kings

When/where: 4 p.m.; Staples Center, Los Angeles.

TV/radio: FSNF; WQAM 560.

The series: Los Angeles leads 13-9-3.

Scouting report: These two teams haven't played since October, so the Panthers look much different than when the Kings left Sunrise with a 3-0 win. The Kings, third in the Pacific, snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Washington in a shootout Thursday.

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.22.2014


Preview: Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings; Saturday, 4 p.m.

Harvey Fialkov

4:26 PM EDT, March 21, 2014

When/where: 4 p.m, Staples Center, Los Angeles

TV: FSF; Radio: 560-AM

Scouting report: The Panthers are coming off a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Coyotes on Thursday and are 1-1 on this grueling, four-game western swing that shifts to L.A for the first of a back-to-back set. The Kings snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 shootout win at home over the Capitals Thursday on Marian Gaborik's GDG. Kings G Jonathan Quick's 171st win tied G Rogie Vachon for the franchise record. The Kings own the sixth playoff spot and have beaten the Panthers in eight of their last nine meetings, including 3-0 on Oct. 23 behind behind a 20-save shutout by backup goalie Ben Scrivens, who outplayed former Panthers G Jacob Markstrom.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.22.2014


NHL apologizes to Panthers for blown call, according to source

Harvey Fialkov

10:35 PM EDT, March 21, 2014

LOS ANGELES

Four years ago Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon submitted a proposal for a coach's video challenge on goal-related plays after Maple Leafs forward Colton Orr clearly interfered with goalie Scott Clemmensen on the game-winning goal.

Earlier this month at the GM meetings in Boca Raton, Tallon again championed the call for the expansion of video review on goals, especially involving goalie interference, but again no consensus was reached.

So, imagine the always-fiery Tallon's reaction when Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker trampled Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo before Antoine Vermette poked the puck into a vacated net for what turned out to be the game-winning goal in Phoenix's 2-1 victory late Thursday night.

The referee raised his hand as if he was calling the penalty, but Panthers coach Peter Horachek was told the infraction was going to be on Panthers defenseman Dylan Olsen, who was dragged down by Boedker and onto Luongo in a heap.

A furious Luongo argued the non-call to no avail.

After the game, a Panthers source told the Sun Sentinel that the referee admitted to the on-site NHL referee supervisor that he, "missed the call.''

Another Panthers source said on Friday that the league sent out an apology for the blown call via e-mail.

"I think they missed it. He thought it was a penalty on us,'' Panthers coach Peter Horachek said. "They felt like Olsen was [pushing Boedker]. You don't have the ability to look at video for that situation it makes it hard from that side of the net, but obviously, not the right call. It should've been interference, that goal should come back and makes it 1-1.

"You're going to have to deal with them. Everybody else does. … I think that every single goal should be reviewed.''

The non-call didn't matter until Panthers center Scott Gomez skated past a couple of Coyotes before rifling it past goalie Mike Smith (22 saves) at 15:53 of the third.

Of course, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett — whose sixth-place team needs every point it could get and notched its first three-game winning streak since Nov. 5 — saw the controversial play differently.

"Their guy pushed,'' Tippett said. I thought it was the right call. If [Boedker] hadn't been shoved, he wouldn't have been in there.''

The Coyotes' improved power play needed just 10 seconds against the Panthers' 30th-ranked penalty to take a 1-0 lead at 2:56 of the first when Oliver Ekman-Larsson's slapper caromed off Martin Hanzal's foot to Radim Vrbata for a layup rebound.

The Panthers have given up at least one PPG in each of their last seven games (8 goals in 24 chances), and a league-leading 55 PPGs.

"The guys didn't quit, they kept pushing back and had [11] scoring chances in the third with good opportunities, and Smith played well and kept them out of it,'' Horachek said.

"I'd like to stop allowing the first penalty kill, or their first power play to score within 10 seconds, it seems like that happens quite often, so we are going to have to work on that and eliminate that situation.''

The Coyotes, who defeated the Panthers 3-1 in Sunrise on March 11, completed their first two-game series sweep over Florida since 1997-98.

Gomez snaps slump

Gomez, whose last goal was the Panthers' first of the season on opening night, snapped a 35-game goal drought, the longest of his 14-year career.

"I got so into passing the puck. My job is still to get the wingers the puck,'' Gomez said. "[Dmitry Kulikov] read the play and took three guys with him. … It's not part of the game plan. I think I shocked everyone shooting the puck.

"It was a little too late, we didn't get two points, so it really doesn't matter to me. … Goals are nice but wins are better when you get on the plane.''

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.22.2014


Smith, Coyotes win 3rd straight, 2-1 over Panthers

BOB BAUM

GLENDALE, Ariz. —

The Phoenix Coyotes have won three in a row for the first time in 4½ months, and they've done it just in time for the stretch run to the playoffs.

Radim Vrbata and Antoine Vermette scored first-period goals and the Phoenix Coyotes held on for a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

Coyotes goalie Mike Smith had a shutout until Scott Gomez scored with 4:08 to play. Smith had 22 saves.

The game was no thing of beauty.

"They all can't all be masterpieces," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "We got up two goals and we won. We'll leave it at that."

The victory, coupled with Dallas' loss to Philadelphia, put the Coyotes four points ahead of the Stars for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Phoenix has won five of six and seven of nine.

"Maybe desperation," Vrbata said when asked what was driving the recent success. "We know where we are in the standings and that we need every point we can get. We lost too many games before, games we should have won. "

Smith's play has been central to the recent wins and he was strong again Thursday.

"Before they got that goal, he was outstanding," Tippett said, "and then he got some after that."

There weren't many shots, Tippett said, but several were difficult saves.

Robert Luongo had 20 saves for the Panthers.

The Coyotes scored their first goal on a power play after Florida's Jimmy Hayes was sent to the penalty box for holding.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson's shot from directly in front of the net glanced off Martin Hanzal's skate and was knocked into the net by Vrbata for his 20th goal of the season.

Phoenix killed two penalties the rest of the period, then made it 2-0 when Vermette hit the puck into a virtually empty net off a deflected shot by Mike Stone. Stone's shot bounced off Luongo's midsection and right to Vermette. Luongo complained that the goal should have been disallowed because Mikkel Boedker had knocked the goalie to the ice, creating an opening for the goal, but the score stood and it was 2-0 after two.

"I think they missed it," Florida coach Peter Horachek said. ".. It should have been an interference call. A lot of those things are going to happen and you're going to have to deal with them, everybody else does, but when you look back at it, it makes it 1-1."

Luongo said he'd have to look at the tape, but added "it's tough to do my job when I end up in the corner."

Tippett said Boedker was shoved in to the goalie.

"They're guy pushed," Tippett said. "I thought it was the right call. Boedker wouldn't have been in there if he hadn't got pushed."

"If he hadn't been shoved, he wouldn't have been in there," Tippett said.

It was Vermette's team-leading 22nd goal.

Hanzal and Ekman-Larsson got assists on Vrbata's goal, Stone and Boedker on the second.

Gomez's goal, his first in 36 games, came on a wrist shot that fluttered past Smith.

The three-game winning streak is Phoenix's longest since it won five in a row from Oct. 26 to Nov. 5.

NOTES: Florida ranks last in the NHL in power-play goals and last in penalty kills. ... Entering the night, Smith had a 1.92 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in his previous 14 games. ... Phoenix swept the season series 2-0, winning at Florida 3-1 on March 11. ... Phoenix is home against Boston Saturday night. ... The Panthers were on the second stop of a four-game road trip. They are at Los Angeles on Saturday.

Palm Beach Post LOADED: 03.22.2014

738961 Los Angeles Kings

Kings' Jeff Carter and Mike Richards get a change of practice partners

Lisa Dillman

6:25 PM PDT, March 21, 2014

One of the supposed by products of the Kings acquiring Marian Gaborik was the notion that forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards could resume their partnership, helping shake Richards out of a prolonged slump.

It hasn't quite happened.

Richards has three goals in 2014 — nine in all this season — and has no points in the last six games since scoring the game-winner at Winnipeg on March 6. In the last five games, Carter has one assist, but he did score in the shootout of Thursday's win against Washington.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter reacted, in part, by having Carter centering youngsters Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli at practice Friday. The more dramatic move was dropping Richards to the fourth line with Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. Jordan Nolan could be used on the fourth line, but he was a healthy scratch Thursday.

Of course, Sutter has been known to change his lines again as quickly as a day later, the way he did in Tampa in October on the Kings' second trip of the season.

On Friday, Sutter was measured in his criticism. It wasn't like a couple of years ago when he talked about the duo of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown getting "stale." There was the suggestion Carter could help the kids.

"It's not Jeff helping them," Sutter said. "Those kids are playing well. Trying to get Mike and Jeff [going] and Kinger [Dwight King] … they haven't been as quite as effective."

He clarified that last comment, at least in terms of Carter. He leads the Kings in goal scored (24) and is the team's second-leading scorer behind Kopitar.

"Jeff was really sharp coming out of the break. Even when he's average, he's good. Put it that way. We're trying to get Mike and Kinger going and clearly we have to get them going.

"I think [Richards has] had a year like Brownie [Dustin Brown]. Hopefully they're getting their games together at the right time.… These guys are experienced, veteran players on our team. They have to get their game in order if we're going to be a playoff team."

Brown's numbers have declined. In 67 games, he has 12 goals and 22 points. Last season was lockout-shortened, and two seasons ago Brown had 22 goals and 54 points in 82 games. He scored 28 goals the season before that.

He returned to the lineup Thursday after missing two games because of a lower-body injury. Brown said he has felt more patient and able to use his size more since returning from the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"I watched film today and you feel a lot slower than you probably are on the ice, just getting back into it," he said. "Overall, it's good.… I just held on to the puck a lot more. I've said this since the Olympic break, I feel more like myself. I'm holding on to the pucks, making plays, coming out of the corner with pucks … just holding on to the puck and waiting for the play to happen."

SATURDAY

VS. FLORIDA

When: 1 p.m.

On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 1150.

Etc.: The Panthers have stabilized their goaltending with the acquisition of veteran Roberto Luongo from the Canucks, the day before the trade deadline. He has a .926 save percentage and is 3-3-1 since arriving from Vancouver. The most unlikely scoring leader of any NHL team is the Panthers forward Scottie Upshall, who has a career-high 34 points in 64 games. His previous career high was 32 points with the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2009-10 season.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Newly acquired forward Marian Gaborik proving worth to Kings

Elliott Teaford

03/21/14, 9:44 PM PDT

KINGS vs. FLORIDA

Faceoff: 1 p.m., Saturday, Staples Center

TV/Radio: FSW/ 1150-AM

Update: Marian Gaborik, acquired March 5 from the Columbus Blue Jackets, has two goals and two assists in seven games with the Kings. He also has 23 shots on goal and has averaged 18 minutes, 2 seconds of ice time. The Kings, with an assist from Gaborik, ended a three-game losing streak with a shootout victory Thursday over the Washington Capitals and improved their record to 39-25-6. Gaborik recorded the deciding goal in the shootout and assisted on the Kings’ lone goal in regulation. ... Goalie Jonathan Quick won his 171st game with the Kings, tying Rogie Vachon’s franchise record. Darryl Sutter won his 500th career game as an NHL coach, tying Toe Blake for 17th on the all-time list. ... Today’s game is the last on a five-game homestand. The Kings then hit the road for a three-game trip that begins Monday in Philadelphia. ... The Panthers are 26-36-8 after Thursday’s loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.22.2014


March 21 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter

Jon Rosen

On whether Jeff Carter could “help” Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli:

It’s not Jeff helping them. Those kids are both playing well. Trying to get Mike and Jeff and Kinger – they haven’t been as quite as effective. Jeff was really sharp coming out of the break. Jeff’s p[layed – even when he’s average, he’s good. Put it that way. We’re trying to get Mike and Kinger going, and clearly we have to get ‘em going.

On Mike Richards:

I think he’s had a year like Brownie. Hopefully they’re getting their games together at the right time.

On Dustin Brown’s game “coming together”:

He has to. These guys are experienced veteran players on our team, and they have to get their game in order if we’re going to be a playoff team.

On whether Brown’s game is trending in the direction he’d like it to:

He hadn’t played in a week, and we watched how much we used him and moved him around. We needed four lines last night, and he was on one of them. [Reporter: What’d you think of his game last night?] I thought he was like our team. I think it was a grind-it-out game, and there’s nobody below or above anybody. I think you just try to play a solid game.

On Mike Richards not wearing an “A” on his jersey with Greene out:

I really wasn’t aware of that. [Reporter: So it was just a coincidence that he didn’t have an “A” on his jersey?] When Greene doesn’t play, he [wears one]. So if there wasn’t last night, you’d have to ask the trainers why. We have five captains, not just because somebody wears one.

[ED: I asked the asked the equipment staff and was told that he simply wore a jersey with an“A” during warm-ups and without one for the game. Richards remains one of four alternate captains.]

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.22.2014


The view from Washington

James Nicholson

Thursday marked the first time the Capitals have seen Los Angeles this season and while its reputation as the strongest puck possession team in the NHL is no secret, opponents often need time to adjust to the way the Kings take away time and space, making it appear as though they shrunk the rink.

Try to chip the puck off the boards? The Kings block it. Try to make a lackadaisical pass through the neutral zone? The Kings pick it off. Get in the offensive zone with possession? The Kings knock you off the puck. There’s little room for opponents to operate and fleeting seconds to make a decision before Los Angeles skaters converge.

By their own admittance, the Capitals took some time to adjust to Los Angeles’s style of play as it was the first time the teams had met this season. Washington will get another crack at the Kings, though, in just five days at Verizon Center.

CSNWASHINGTON.COM

Chuck Gormley: With another point, Caps in thick of playoff hunt

It’s been only six games but it’s hard not to get overly excited about Caps rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov. The 21-year-old native of Chelyabinsk, Russia picked up his fifth assist on Ward’s game-tying goal in the third period by knifing to the right side of the net and, instead of wrapping around the net, snapped a backdoor pass to Ward, catching Jonathan Quick out of position. Kuznetsov also scored on his first career shootout attempt with a quick snap shot.

SB Nation: JAPERS’ RINK

Becca H: Capitals vs. Kings Recap: Ward Secures a Point, Caps Fall in Shootout 2-1

Fun fact: Prior to tonight’s game, Alex Ovechkin had scored 417 goals in his highly-decorated career. Not one of those 417 goals had been scored in Los Angeles. That streak continues.

The Caps have become notorious for giving up a boatload of shots to their opponent, ranking among the League’s worst in that department. Combine that with the fact that LA is no slouch in generating shots, and the fact that the Caps managed to keep the shots-against below 30 is big positive… and makes it almost okay that they didn’t generate a whole lot at the other end, with just 22 shots aimed at Jonathan Quick.

RUSSIAN MACHINE NEVER BREAKS

Peter Hassett: Worth Staying Up For: Kings beat Caps 2-1 (SO)

Again: playoff rules are in effect. I don’t care about possession stats. That’s a good thing, because the Kings stomped a mudhole tonight.

The Caps had no reason to expect a loser point or a win, but they played thick and proud. They truly did limit high-risk shots by LA, and Halak was good enough to stop the remainder. A win would’ve been fantastic, but an overtime loss doesn’t sting at all.



March 21 morning line rushes

Jon Rosen

The Kings moved around their forward lines at practice today in advance of Saturday afternoon’s game against the Florida Panthers.

The forward alignment:

Gaborik – Kopitar – Williams

Pearson – Carter – Toffoli

King – Stoll – Brown

Clifford – Richards – Lewis – Nolan

-These lines are likely in part serving as a reaction to the lack of production recently from the second line. Mike Richards has been held scoreless for six consecutive games, a string of unproductive play that may have had an effect on Jeff Carter, who has four goals in the last 19 games and only five shots on goal over the last three. Carter, who regularly takes faceoffs on his strong side, is interchangeable between center and right wing.



Waking up with the Kings: March 21

Jon Rosen

-They played with the lead for nearly 40 minutes, relied on excellent goaltending and scored twice in the shootout, but the Kings won last night’s game because they killed all three penalties against the league’s top man advantage. Washington entered last night’s game 10-for-21 in recent power play opportunities and won Tuesday’s game in Anaheim when Alex Ovechkin set up in his office in the left circle and slammed a John Carlson pass home for the game-winner in the third period. Ovechkin missed a heavy amount of opportunities wide on Thursday – he had six missed shots and only three shots on goal – but credit Los Angeles’ work around the net and using sticks and bodies to steer, deflect and entice shots to travel wide while shorthanded. Quick was six-of-six on power play shots on goal, so he did his part.

-And how. Los Angeles wasn’t necessarily the better team in regulation on Thursday , and for the final 40 minutes, Washington worked with a quality amount of zone time and generated the superior chances. Quick’s glove deflection on Dustin Penner from close range in the second period was magic and came shortly after a fine pad stop on Dmitry Orlov. A stop on Troy Brouwer during the overtime penalty kill was followed by a block of a Brower shot and Ovechkin fortunately fanning on an opportunity to the left of the slot. Even with the strong play in front of him and a little bit of late luck, Quick was still the better goalie, even in what was one of Jaroslav Halak’s finest performances against the Kings.

Washington Capitals v Los Angeles Kings

-This was a heavy game, and as one would expect, Los Angeles responded well against a collection of forwards that were at least 6-foot-3 in Ovechkin, Brouwer, Penner, Eric Fehr, Tom Wilson and Jay Beagle. With only two goals scored through regulation, superb goaltending at both ends and 50 hits registered by the Kings, last night’s game is the type of game Los Angeles will have to win when they face a first round opponent that will have the same size and heaviness as Washington.

Washington Capitals v Los Angeles Kings

-Evgeni Kuznetsov hadn’t yet made his mark on the game at the time he stickhandled deep down the right wing into the Kings zone with quick hands in the third period and sneaked a sharp diagonal pass towards the bottom of the left circle to Joel Ward, who chipped the puck past Quick after his first attempt got caught in Drew Doughty’s skate. Kuznetsov, who debuted on March 10, has posted five assists in his first six games, and after spending five seasons in the KHL, it’s not entirely a surprise that he has been able to find his footing rather quickly in North America. His shootout marker was an awfully attractive goal, and it’s unclear whether the Kings have anyone on the roster that can match Kuznetsov purely from a skill standpoint.

-Marian Gaborik’s chemistry with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams appears to be getting closer to the level where the three players want it to be, and Kopitar’s first period goal was a representation of Williams and Kopitar gaining a better understanding of Gaborik’s speed and skill set. Risking an icing call, Williams launched a puck from his own zone to the far end of the ice in an area where he felt confident Gaborik would win a race to the puck at. Gaborik beat out both the hybrid icing call and John Carlson before feeding a net-crashing Kopitar, who beat Halak inside the near post with a quick snapper. Those types of plays weren’t available on the left side of the ice prior to Gaborik’s arrival.



Brown analyzes his Washington performance

Jon Rosen

On the playing style changing as the playoffs approach:

I don’t think it’s any different. I think it’s just the attention to detail is magnified. It’s little mistakes that are going to cost you games in the playoffs. It’s just that everything is more magnified this time of year and I think we saw that in that little three-game skid. We played well, but we made one or two small mistakes that ended up costing us games and it’s just bringing awareness to that really. As a forward, as a winger, it’s those plays along the walls. The reads… sometimes the best play is just to eat it and take a hit. It’s that grind mentality along the walls and the blue paint really.

On how he felt after last night’s game:

I felt good… I watched film today and you feel a lot slower than you probably are on the ice, just getting back into it. But overall, it was good.

On what he noticed from studying film:

I just held onto the puck a lot more. Kind of since the Olympic break, I feel more like myself and holding onto the puck, making plays, coming out of the corners with pucks. I had a couple opportunities coming from behind the net making a play to, I think it was Slava, in the third. Just holding onto a puck and waiting for a play to happen. I wasn’t trying to force it to the net or force a play early. Just kind of being a little more patient and using my size, my body to make a better play… Again, I think it’s night and day for me watching film now as opposed to earlier in the year, for whatever reason. If I had an answer we wouldn’t be talking about it. [Reporter: Trevor, do you agree with all that?] [Lewis: I think he fell a lot last night.] I had one good fall. I played one shift with you and then I had to gas it.

On facing Roberto Luongo as a Florida Panther on Saturday:

I mean, it happens. A lot of players move around.

On utilizing video when facing a team like Florida who they haven’t played much:

I think video helps to kind of get to know the players a little better. All the teams kind of play, generally, a similar system. At this time of year it’s not about the X’s and O’s per se. Obviously those are important, but it’s more about the intensity of the games and getting points.

Carolina Hurricanes v Los Angeles Kings



Regular season accolades mean little to Sutter

Jon Rosen

Last night Darryl Sutter was unable to recall the first game he had ever coached at the NHL level, and following the team’s Friday practice, he wasn’t ready to elevate any of his 500 regular season wins over the rest.

“Quite honest, if you ask me next year, I bet I wouldn’t remember this one,” he said.

Regular season accomplishments mean little for the coach who last year referred to winning a divisional title as an opportunity to hang a “dirty banner.” With 500 career wins, he trails Pat Burns by one win for 16th place on the NHL’s all-time list. Only Joel Quenneville (700 wins), Ken Hitchcock (652), Lindy Ruff (603) and Barry Trotz (548) have won more regular season wins amongst active coaches. His .561 career points percentage ranks ahead of Trotz and Ruff but behind Quenneville and Hitchcock.

“All I care about is playoffs,” he said. “The coaches in the history part of it that coach the most playoff games, that’s the only thing that matters. I’d be more interested in seeing that…And those, stats too, the win stat is really not as important as the winning percentage. Coaches that coach a long time and have a winning percentage that’s in the .600s, in a thousand years, they are the best coaches when you do it for a long time.”

As for the total number of games behind a bench – Sutter ranks 18th all-time with 1,027 games coached, one game behind his brother, Brian – it’s another window dressing-type statistic.

“Playoffs. I mean, there are guys that move around and don’t coach many playoff games. I thought that’s why you play the game. It’s the same with players. I think that’s why you play the game,” he said.

Active NHL Head Coaches, Ranked by Playoff Wins:

Rank) Coach (Team) – Total Playoff Wins – All-Time Playoff Win Ranking

1) Joel Quenneville (Chicago) – 88 – 7th

2) Mike Babcock (Detroit) – 78 – t-9th

t-3) Darryl Sutter (Los Angeles) – 72 – t-11th

t-3) Ken Hitchcock (St. Louis) – 72 – t-11th

5) Lindy Ruff (Dallas) – 57 – t-15th

6) Claude Julien (Boston) – 54 – 18th

7) Bob Hartley (Calgary) – 49 – t-24th

8) John Tortorella (Vancouver) – 43 – t-28th

9) Randy Carlyle (Toronto) – 39 – t-32nd

10) Alain Vigneault (New York Rangers) – 37 – 34th

11) Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh) – 36 – t-35th

12) Dave Tippett (Phoenix) – 33 – 38th

t-13) Bruce Boudreau (Anaheim) – 27 – t-47th

t-13) Todd McLellan (San Jose) – 27 – t-47th

15) Paul Maurice (Winnipeg) – 25 – t-52nd

16) Michel Therrien (Montreal) – 22 – t-59th

17) Barry Trotz (Nashville) – 19 – t-62nd

18) Peter DeBoer (New Jersey) – 14 – t-75th

19) Paul MacLean (Ottawa) – 8 – t-102nd

20) Ted Nolan (Buffalo) – 6 – t-118th

21) Adam Oates (Washington) – 3 – t-138th

22) Jack Capuano (New York Islanders) – 2 – t-154th

23) Mike Yeo (Minnesota) – 1 – t-174th

Coaches without playoff wins: Patrick Roy (Colorado), Craig Berube (Philadelphia), Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay), Todd Richards (Columbus), Kirk Muller (Carolina), Peter Horachek (Florida) and Dallas Eakins (Edmonton)


738969 Minnesota Wild

Erik Haula to return to lineup Saturday as Wild opens home-and-home with Detroit; Nate Prosser off the hook

Michael Russo

March 21, 2014 - 3:13 PM

All Wild players present and accounted for at today’s practice, except defenseman Keith Ballard, who will miss his third game in a row with a groin injury.

The Wild plays a home-and-home with the Detroit Red Wings this weekend starting with a 1 p.m. game at the X on Saturday. The Red Wings, absolutely destroyed by injuries, are fighting for their playoff lives and coming off an overtime win against Pittsburgh. The great Daniel Alfredsson literally scored a buzzer beater in OT.

The Red Wings have a lot of young talent, they work their butt off and, as I mentioned, they’re motivated to keep the organEYEzation’s 22-year playoff streak alive. In 9th-place, they’re a point behind the Blue Jackets and Rangers, who play tonight, so the Wild should expect a desperate opponent this weekend.

Darcy Kuemper will get back in the net for Minnesota. It’s his first start since Monday’s game in Boston. He allowed three goals in that one.

Rookie forward Erik Haula, scratched in the previous two games, will draw back into the Wild’s lineup against the Red Wings. Cody McCormick appears to be the scratch. Haula will play on a line with Charlie Coyle and Dany Heatley, and coach Mike Yeo said Haula will see some shifts at center. But he skated mostly as a wing this morning.

Nino Niederreiter moved to a line with Matt Cooke and Kyle Brodziak.

Coyle and Niederreiter have been very up and down lately. Their line with Heatley had a real tough game last night in New Jersey, so Yeo’s mindset is put Haula there and maybe rekindle some of that Jason Zucker-Coyle-Heatley chemistry from earlier this season. The common denominator between Haula and the injured Zucker is speed.

Yeo met with Coyle and Niederreiter before the Islanders game. Both aren’t scoring consistently and because they’re young, that’s eating them up. It’s clearly affecting the rest of their game. Yeo wants them to get it out of their mind and start doing the stuff that makes them successful, like using their size, being strong on pucks, reliable in other areas. That was a major issue last night.

The Wild badly, badly need Coyle and Niederreiter on top of their game consistently. One reason – and I stress just ONE reason (I realize there are other issues, like Heatley fitting in on that line, Mikko Koivu getting back up to speed, etc.) -- why the Wild’s having trouble finding consistent lines right now is their up and down play.

“That’s part of it, there’s no question. When those guys get on top of their game, they’re going to make their lines better. They can’t wait for who they’re playing with. They need to get on top of their game and I will say in fairness we have juggled them around, they have been in different spots, but at the same time these guys have a pretty firm idea of what their identity should be and how they have to play the game and we need to see that consistently. That’ll strengthen the line of whichever line they’re on.”

Yeo continued, “We want these guys to create, we want these guys to be a factor offensively, but that’s only going to happen when the game is consistently there. That’s the big thing they have to learn. As young kids, that’s usually the challenge. When a young kid is pressing or he’s thinking he has to score a goal, there’s other parts of their game that falter. My focus for them is to concentrate on having a good game and the results will come.”

I talked to Niederreiter and Coyle and you’ll hear from them in tomorrow’s paper.

On the Koivu-Moulson line, Yeo said, “We’re still hoping that Fonzy (Justin Fontaine), I didn’t think that that line had as much going on obviously as the game before, but that was kind of our whole team. We’d like to see if Fonzy, we’re going to give him another chance there and see if he can kind of recapture some of what they had in that Islander game. Maybe he’s the guy, I don’t know. Maybe this is an ongoing thing where it’s kind of whoever’s

going, whoever’s on top of their game finds a way to get up there. For us to be a good team, we have guys who can be interchangeable in different positions. But in order to be a good team, they need to be on top of their game.”

What else?

Yeo on Zucker missing the rest of the season (click link), “It’s a tough one for sure. We all thought that he was going to be back after the Olympic break so it’s a tough setback that’s for sure. “It’s disappointing because like I said I thought that his game was going. I thought we were finding kind of the right mix with him and here we are. It’s difficult but he’ll have to bounce back from it for sure.”

Defenseman Nate Prosser is off the hook for his elbowing major and game misconduct on the Devils’ Tim Sestito from Thursday night. Prosser was playing the puck in the corner and Sestito came flying in to check him. Prosser instinctively raised his arm to protect himself. I think he got Sestito with the forearm.

The league says that just because this didn’t rise to the level of supplemental discipline, the correct call was made.

My only issue: If Prosser doesn’t protect himself, he could have been plastered against the wall or glass. Conceivably Sestito could have been penalized for a no-doubt charge, so I’m not sure what Prosser’s supposed to do there other than absorb a potentially-dangerous check or pretend he’s a bullfighter and somehow “Ole.”

Prosser said today, “I was trying to ask the ref on the skate out, ‘Can you talk to me a little bit to tell me what you saw just to give me some kind of perspective?’ In all honesty, I didn’t know what really happened until I saw the replay. I was pretty sure I didn’t get him with my elbow and it obviously wasn’t intentional. I’m just hoping he’s alright.”

On the major, Prosser said, “I was surprised they were bringing me to the box. I thought, ‘OK maybe two,’ but kicking me out of the game, I was shocked.”

Did he know Sestito was coming? “As soon as the puck got dumped in, I knew the line we were out against and I saw some guys barreling down. He probably took 10 strides before he got to me, so he’s at full speed. So I knew he was coming and that was a natural reaction to somewhat protect myself.”

Lastly, Zach Parise’s goal from last night has been changed to Ryan Suter. The puck deflected in off Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador. Jared Spurgeon and Jason Pominville got the helpers, meaning Pominville’s point streak is now at seven games.

OK, I need to begin writing from the paper and get out of this coffee shop. I can barely keep my eyes open right now. Back in the old days covering this league, I would routinely get up for an early flight after getting back to the hotel at 1 a.m., fly home, cover practice and then go party afterward.

I miss being young.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.22.2014


Wild notes: Coyle, Niederreiter seek to end struggles

Michael Russo

March 22, 2014 - 12:42 AM

With 12 games left in the regular season, the Wild can expect to face opponents playing as if their season is on the line.

First up? The injury-riddled Detroit Red Wings, who enter this weekend’s home-and-home series with the Wild with their 22-season playoff streak in jeopardy.

The Wild needs similar desperation down the stretch, especially from two youngsters.

Charlie Coyle, 22, and Nino Niederreiter, 21, play significant roles and have been up and down lately.

Coach Mike Yeo met with both before Tuesday’s game at the New York Islanders.

“The first thing I said is, ‘What do you guys have in common?’ ” Yeo said. “Age wasn’t the answer. It’s size. These guys have to play big, and we need them to play big. Both these guys have played their best hockey when they’ve played a physical brand of hockey, when they’re finishing checks, absorbing hits, controlling the puck, they’re engaged in the physical part of the game. And then everything else is following suit.

“We want these guys to create, we want these guys to be a factor offensively, but that’s only going to happen when the game is consistently there.”

Thursday night at New Jersey, the Dany Heatley-Coyle-Niederreiter line struggled. At Friday’s practice, Niederreiter skated on a line with veterans Matt Cooke and Kyle Brodziak, while rookie Erik Haula, scratched in the past two games, skated on the left side of Coyle and Heatley.

Earlier this season, the Jason Zucker-Coyle-Heatley line developed good chemistry. Zucker, out for the season because of a quadriceps injury, and Haula have similar speed.

“That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the lineup,” Coyle said. “You never know what different combinations will click, but I like a guy with speed on the wing, and Haula’s kind of like a Zucker there. I think it will be good.”

Fighting the puck

Coyle has seven goals and 20 points in 58 games. Niederreiter has 12 goals and 33 points in 70 games. Both admit they’re frustrated.

“I personally put the biggest pressure on myself,” Niederreiter said. “Every night I’m going out there trying to play the same style game and when you have chances and don’t put them in, that’s where you get frustrated.

“Obviously, you think about it. Against the Isles, I had two great chances — one early on the breakaway, one on the power play at the end. Those are chances you have to put in and those are the chances where you look back and get frustrated.”

It’s no coincidence that Niederreiter struggled Thursday in New Jersey, losing battles all game. Similarly, you can tell Coyle isn’t happy.

“Sometimes it’ll get in your head,” he said. “You want to help contribute. But you’ve got to not let it. Everybody goes through slumps and all that. If I’m not scoring and we’re playing good and we’re winning, then it’s fine.

“But I want to help contribute and help this team win in whatever that entails. I want to bring my game every night, be consistent and just make something happen every shift, be a difference maker no matter what that is.”

Yeo wants Coyle and Niederreiter to stop worrying about their lack of scoring.

“When a young kid is pressing or he’s thinking he has to score a goal, other parts of their game falter,” Yeo said. “My focus for them is to concentrate on having a good game and the results will come.”

No suspension

Nate Prosser wasn’t reprimanded by the NHL for his elbowing major Thursday on the Devils’ Tim Sestito, who was injured as he tried to check the Wild defenseman.

“I didn’t know what really happened until I saw the replay,” Prosser said. “I was pretty sure I didn’t get him with my elbow, and it obviously wasn’t intentional.

“As soon as the puck got dumped in, I knew the line we were out against and I saw some guys barreling down. He probably took 10 strides before he got to me, so he’s at full speed. So I knew he was coming and that was a natural reaction to somewhat protect myself.”

Etc.

• A scoring change from Thursday’s game resulted in Zach Parise losing a goal and Ryan Suter gaining one. Suter’s shot on the Wild’s first goal was not tipped in by Parise but went in off a Devils player.



Gameday preview: Detroit at Wild

March 21, 2014 - 9:07 PM

MICHAEL RUSSO

1 P.M. VS. DETROIT • XCEL ENERGY CENTER • FSN, 100.3-FM

Preview: The Wild, 7-2-5 in its past 14, has points in six of its past seven games, but four of those were overtime or shootout losses. The Wild is 7-0-3 in its past 10 at home since Jan. 14 and this is one of onlt two home games in the next 20 days. The Red Wings, ninth in the East, have won three of four, including a win over Pittsburgh on Thursday when veteran Daniel Alfredsson scored with 0.4 seconds left in overtime.

Players to watch: Wild G Darcy Kuemper will start. Since Jan. 7, Kuemper is 12-4-4 with a 2.04 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. The Zach Parise-Mikael Granlund-Jason Pominville line has combined for 16 goals and 42 points in the past 15 games. Pominville is riding a seven-game point streak. Red Wings RW Todd Bertuzzi has 34 points in 50 games against Minnesota. G Jimmy Howard is 9-3-2 with a 2.10 goals-against average and .909 save percentage against the Wild.

Numbers: The Wild is 4-2-1 against Detroit over the past two seasons and has earned a point in nine of the past 10 meetings at home (4-1-5). … The Wild plays in Detroit on Sunday night. The Wild is 3-7 in the front end of back-to-backs.

Injuries: Wild F Jason Zucker (quad) is out. D Keith Ballard (groin) is questionable. Red Wings C Stephen Weiss (sports hernia), LW Henrik Zetterberg (back), C Pavel Datsyuk (knee), F Dan Cleary (knee), F Darren Helm (head), RW Tomas Jurco (ribs), F Justin Abdelkader (leg), F Joakim Andersson (foot) and D Jonathan Ericsson (finger) are out.



Minnesota Wild: Mike Yeo wants young forwards to get physical

Chad Graff

03/21/2014 12:01:00 AM CDT

Coach Mike Yeo sat down this week to talk with Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle, young forwards the Wild need more from as the team tries to nail down one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Yeo asked a simple question: What do the two of them have in common?

Coyle is 22 and Niederreiter 21, but as their coach pointed out, "Age wasn't the answer."

"It's size," Yeo said. "These guys have to play big, and we need them to play big. Both those guys have played their best hockey when they've played a physical brand of hockey, when they're finishing checks, absorbing hits, controlling the puck, and they're engaged in the physical part of the game. And then everything else is following suit.

Minnesota’s Nino Niederreiter, left, gets ready to start the third period against Chicago on Thursday, Janurary 23, 2014 at the Xcel Energy Center in

Coyle and Niederreiter were given the chance to play alongside Matt Moulson and Mikko Koivu on the second line before being demoted this week as part of Yeo's search for scoring beyond the top unit of Zach Parise, Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville.

Coyle has scored just once in his past 23 games, Niederreiter once in his past 11. Justin Fontaine was inserted into the second line after five games as a healthy scratch, and he immediately scored his 13th goal Tuesday in a 6-0 road victory over the New York Islanders.

The Wild have lost six of their past eight games, though they have picked up at least a point in six of those to keep their hold on one of the last playoff spots in the West. With 12 regular-season games left, starting with back-to-back games against the Red Wings in St. Paul on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday, the Wild have a four-point lead on eighth-place Phoenix and an eight-point cushion on ninth-place Dallas.

Off the top of his head Friday, Niederreiter could pick out several recent scoring chances he has failed to finish, including a breakaway and an open power-play look against the Islanders.

"Obviously, you think about (those)," he said. "Those are chances you have to put in, and those are the chances where you look back and get frustrated. But you can't let that happen to your game."

In an attempt to help spark Coyle, Yeo said he plans to play the young forward with Dany Heatley and Erik Haula. The coach hopes Haula can play a role similar to the one Jason Zucker did when he, Coyle and Heatley had success earlier this season.

"Sometimes it'll get in your head -- you want to help contribute -- but you've got to not let it," Coyle said. "Everybody goes through slumps and all that. If I'm not scoring and we're playing good and we're winning, then it's fine. I want to help contribute and help this team win in whatever that entails. For the most part, I put that (frustration) aside."

If Coyle, at 6 feet 3, 221 pounds, and Niederreiter, 6-2, 209, can bring a physical game and play responsible defense, Yeo said, their offensive production will come around.

"We want these guys to create; we want these guys to be a factor offensively. But that's only going to happen when the game is consistently there," Yeo said. "That's the big thing they have to learn. As young kids, that's usually the challenge. When a young kid is pressing, or he's thinking he has to score a goal, there's other parts of their game that falter. My focus for them is to concentrate on having a good game, and the results will come."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.22.2014

738973 Montreal Canadiens

Galchenyuk eager for chance to play centre as Canadiens visit Leafs

Bill Beacon

Friday, Mar. 21 2014, 10:22 PM EDT

It’s probably a matter of time before Alex Galchenyuk becomes a full-time NHL centre.

And it looks like he may get a shot at his natural position when the Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Coach Michel Therrien did some line juggling in practice Friday after a 3-2 home loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had Galchenyuk in the middle between captain Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque but cautioned he hadn’t made a final decision on his forward units.

Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in the 2012 draft, has played at centre only occasionally in his first two NHL seasons.

“I like the position so I’m excited for the game and I’m excited to play,” the 20-year-old said. “We’ll see what happens.

“I want to establish myself as a centre in this league. I’m still young and I still have a long way to go, but I want to make a step in the right direction.”

Galchenyuk has 12 goals and 16 assists in 56 games, including two goals and three assists since returning Feb. 26 from a 15-game layoff with a broken hand.

Getting ice time at centre has been tough.

David Desharnais is producing regularly on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek. Veteran Tomas Plekanec, one of the league’s best two-way players, is at centre on the second line.

Therrien’s new units had the struggling Lars Eller dropped to centre on the fourth line with Travis Moen and Dale Weise.

Gionta feels Galchenyuk has the skill to handle playing centre on a regular line “He’s a good enough and smart enough player, it’s just a matter of being able to handle it night in and night out,” said Gionta. “It would be nice to see how he is out there.”

Bourque, who has endured a miserable season with only five goals in 53 games, hasn’t played in five games. He said it was the first time in his nine-year NHL career he was made a healthy scratch.

He spoke with Therrien this week about what he needs to do to get back in the lineup and now looks like he will get a chance to redeem himself. Therrien said he wants to see Bourque “show some improvement.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Bourque, a two-time 27-goal man. “It’s been a tough go.

“I just have to score – just get myself in position to shoot more. A lot of times I’m too much down in the corner, so maybe let other guys go in the corner more and try to get open.”

Bourque also likes the idea of playing with Galchenyuk, a slick skater and passer who is considered the club’s star of the future. His linemates tend to get scoring chances.

“I was waiting for him to play centre,” said Bourque. “That’s his natural position.

“Davy’s obviously good at distributing the puck up and the middle and I think (Galchenyuk) could be that guy too. We need another play-making centre on our team and he definitely has enough skill in his hands to make a lot of good passes.”

It appeared that rookie defenceman Jarred Tinordi may sit after giving up the puck on Ryan Johansen’s game-winning goal for Columbus. Douglas Murray had moved in beside Mike Weaver on the third pairing.

Therrien also said forward Brandon Prust has been shut down for the rest of the regular season in hope that his upper-body injury will heal in time for the playoffs.

Prust was hurt when hit into the boards in the first period of a 6-3 win over Colorado this week. He returned in the second and had a goal and an assist but sat out against Columbus.

“It’s better to make sure that when he comes back, he’s ready,” said Therrien. “So we’re taking a step back to make sure he’s 100 per cent.”

The Canadiens are entering a tough stretch with three games in four nights. After Toronto, they play in Boston on Monday before returning home to face Buffalo the following night.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.22.2014


Habs’ Prust out for rest of regular season; Galchenyuk moves to centre

Stu Cowan

The Canadiens practised Friday morning in Brossard before heading to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs Saturday night (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

And there was some bad news as the team announced that forward Brandon Prust will miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury. The regular season ends for the Canadiens on April 12.

In 52 games this season, Prust has 6-7-13 totals with 121 penalty minutes and was minus-1.

Coach Michel Therrien told reporters after practice that the club’s medical team decided it would be best if Prust didn’t play for the rest of the regular season, giving him a chance to heal and be 100 per cent for the playoffs.

Alex Galchenyuk was moved to centre during the practice with Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque, who has missed five games as a healthy scratch. Lars Eller was dropped to the fourth line with Travis Moen and Dale Weise.

Therrien said he wanted to see a lot of intensity from Bourque when he gets back in the lineup.

“Will it be tomorrow? Will it be the next game? I don’t know yet,” Therrien said.

Galchenyuk is looking forward to getting a shot at centre.

“I want to establish myself as a great centreman in this league,” the 20-year-old said. “I’m still really young, but I’ve still got a long way to go. I want to make a step in the right direction. And I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s game.”

Therrien cautioned against banking on all the adjustments he made to the lines at Friday’s practice.

As for Saturday’s game in Toronto, Therrien said: “It’s a big game every time we play the Leafs. Those are emotional games. And we’re getting to that crunch. Both teams are fighting to make the playoffs. There are a lot of teams in our situation and so tomorrow won’t be any different. I’m expecting a tight- checking game, a demanding game to play. They’re fun games to be part of.”

Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at Friday’s practice:

Pacioretty-Desharnais-Vanek

Brière-Plekanec-Gallagher

Bourque-Galchenyuk-Gionta

Moen-Eller-Weise

White-Parros

Bouillon-Subban

Markov-Emelin

Murray-Weaver

Tinordi

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.22.2014


Habs will be without Prust for rest of regular season

Brenda Branswell

March 21, 2014

The Canadiens’ final push to secure a playoff spot won’t include Brandon Prust.

The gritty forward will miss the rest of the regular season because of an upper-body injury.

The Canadiens will see where he’s at at that point, said coach Michel Therrien, who acknowledged the possibility of Prust playing in the playoffs hasn’t been ruled out.

Prust banged into the boards early during the Canadiens’ 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. He left the game, but returned in the second period and ended up being named the second star with a goal and an assist. He didn’t play in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Habs’ medical team told Therrien Friday morning that Prust aggravated his injury during the Colorado game, the coach said.

“We’re taking a step back and we’ll ensure that he’s 100 per cent,” Therrien said before the Canadiens left for Toronto, where they will face the Maple Leafs Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

With 11 games left in the regular season, the Canadiens sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 83 points, three more than the fourth-place Leafs.

“It’s a big game every time we play the Leafs,” Therrien said. “Those are emotional games.

“And we’re getting to that crunch (time). Both teams are fighting to make the playoffs. There are a lot of teams in our situation and so tomorrow won’t be any different. I’m expecting a tight-checking game, a demanding game to play. They’re fun games to be part of.”

There was a new look to two lines at practice Friday with Alex Galchenyuk playing centre on a line with Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque, who has missed five games as a healthy scratch. Lars Eller was bumped to the fourth line, centring Travis Moen and Dale Weise.

When asked about putting Galchenyuk at centre, a tight-lipped Therrien said they will try experiments, but in the same breath cautioned not to bank on all the adjustments made at practice.

“I like the position, so I’m excited for the game,” said Galchenyuk, a natural centreman who had a very brief stint at that position this season before being switched back to the wing.

“I’m excited to play. We’ll see what happens,” added Galchenyuk, a 20-year-old first-round draft pick in his sophomore season.

“I want to establish myself as a great centreman in this league. I’m still really young, but I’ve still got a long way to go. I want to make a step in the right direction. And I’m really looking forward to (Saturday’s) game.”

Bourque noted that David Desharnais, who also plays centre, is really good at distributing the puck up the middle “and I think (Galchenyuk) could be that guy, too. We need another playmaking centre on our team and he definitely has the skill and the hands to make a lot of good passes, so hopefully we get more opportunities to score.”

Bourque said he had never been a healthy scratch until this year. He has struggled this season with only 12 points in 53 games and believes he needs to get himself into position to shoot more.

The next time Bourque is in the lineup, the club wants to see a lot of intensity from him, Therrien said.

“Will it be tomorrow? Is it the next game? I don’t know yet,” the coach said.

Therrien talked with Bourque early this week “and let him know where we stand and I want to know how he’s feeling,” the coach said.

“When he’s going to have a chance, obviously, we want to see some improvement.”



NHL tries to clear up some playoff confusion

Pat Hickey

March 21, 2014

Many fans — as well as some members of the media — appear to be confused about the format for this year’s NHL playoffs, and the league took to social media this week in an attempt to clarify the situation.

The major change this season was a return to divisional play in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but it’s not quite as simple as 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3. That’s because only the first three teams in each division are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, along with two wild-cards in each conference — the teams with the best records after the top three in each division are decided.

The kicker is that the wild-cards won’t necessarily face a team from their division. The team with the best overall record in the conference will play the second wild-card, while the wild-card with the best record will play the other division winner.

Let’s look at what would have happened in the Eastern Conference if the season had ended after Thursday’s games:

Boston would have the best record and would play the No. 2 wild-card, which would be the New York Rangers. The next two teams, the Canadians and Tampa Bay Lightning, would meet with the winner facing the Boston-Rangers winner in the conference semifinals.

The key for the Canadiens is to avoid slipping out of the top three, and they can take a step in that direction with a win Saturday night in Toronto. The Canadiens are three points up on the Leafs, but they also have to be aware of the Red Wings, a team the Canadiens face next Thursday in Detroit. The Red Wings are six points behind Montreal, but hold two games in hand.

As the No. 1 wild-card team, Toronto would find itself playing in a bracket with three Metropolitan Division teams. The reward for being the top wild-card team would be a series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The other first-round matchup would pit No. 2 Philadelphia against Columbus, which grabbed the No. 3 spot by beating the Canadiens Thursday night.

While there’s never a guarantee a favourite will advance beyond the first round of the playoffs, there is a guarantee that at least one Stanley Cup contender will make an early exit in the Western Conference.

If the playoffs started Friday, you would have had a first-round matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks — the defending Stanley Cup champions — and the Colorado Avalanche, while the 2 vs. 3 matchup in the Pacific Division would pit Anaheim against the Los Angeles Kings, the 2012 Cup winners. Chicago would be the higher-seeded team in its series, but the Avalanche has a 4-1 edge over Chicago in their season series.



Hickey on Hockey Notebook

Pat Hickey

March 21, 2014

Habs’ Eller slips to fourth line

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien made some interesting moves at practice Friday after learning Brandon Prust has been told by the team’s medical staff to shut it down for the remainder of the regular season. The Canadiens’ fourth line has been playing well, with Prust joining Travis Moen and Dale Weise, and now Lars Eller slips into the middle. Eller had been playing on the third line, but it’s obvious Therrien — who has been happy with Eller’s play as a penalty-killer — feels the Dane can best be employed in a defensive role. The Eller move opens a spot at centre on the third line and Alex Galchenyuk — a natural centre — will play between Rene Bourque and captain Brian Gionta. Having Gionta on his right will help Galchenyuk ease into the position, but he’ll need an improved performance from Bourque, who has been a healthy scratch for the past five games.

Coderre gets close-up look at Desharnais

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, who is on my list of Canada’s greatest sports ministers, attended the Canadiens-Colorado game Tuesday night at the Bell Centre along with his Quebec City counterpart, Régis Labeaume. Their presence was ironic on several levels. For starters, I hope mon ami Denis noticed that David Desharnais collected two assists, including one on Thomas Vanek’s winning goal. When Desharnais was struggling this season, Coderre went into passionate fan mode on Twitter and wanted to give Desharnais a one-way ticket to Hamilton. As for Labeaume, he’s one of the driving forces behind the push for an NHL team in Quebec. He was watching a team that started life as the Quebec Nordiques, and Colorado coach Patrick Roy is a Quebec City native.

Strong season for Habs prospect Vail

The top-scoring Canadiens prospect in the junior ranks this season was Brady Vail of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires, who had 32 goals and 51 assists in 67 games. Vail didn’t get much of a look at the Canadiens’ training camp last fall — he was sent back to junior after the rookie camp — but he’ll get more attention in September because he worked on his defensive game this season. Also look for Connor Crisp to turn some heads. He has size at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, and had 28 goals and 27 assists in 67 games with the Sudbury Wolves. Speaking of size, Michael McCarron had a decent finish to his rookie OHL season with the London Knights. The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder had 14 goals and 20 assists and was a plus-11. Canadiens scouts will be able to compare him with Vail because London and Windsor are meeting in the first round of the OHL playoffs.

Montreal Stars bounced at Clarkson Cup

Olympic gold medallist Natalie Spooner scored the only goal in the shootout Friday to give the Toronto Furies a 2-1 win over the Montreal Stars in round-robin action at the Canadian Women’s Hockey League Clarkson Cup tournament in Markham, Ont. The victory propelled the Furies into the final on Saturday against the defending-champion Boston Blades. Montreal, which dominated the CWHL regular season, finished third in the round-robin with a 1-1-1 record. Earlier in the week, Montreal’s Ann-Sophie Bettez was named the CWHL’s most valuable player and was awarded the Angela James Trophy as the top scorer during the regular season. Stars captain Cathy Chartrand was named defensive player of the year.

Pointe Claire’s Matheson honoured

Mike Matheson of Pointe Claire has been named to the Hockey East first all-star team. The Boston College sophomore, who was drafted in the first round by the Florida Panthers in 2012, was named to the league all-rookie team last season. Northeastern forward Kevin Roy, a Quebec City native, was named to the second all-star team. Their teams were eliminated in the first round of the Hockey East tournament, but Boston College is in line for an at-large berth for the 16-team NCAA tournament after finishing the season at No. 3 in the ranking. Northeastern finished the season at No. 17.



Vanek deal looking good for Canadiens

Pat Hickey

March 21, 2014

NHL coaches and general managers will tell you there’s still a lot of hockey to be played, but it appears that the Canadiens were among the winners at the trading deadline.

After a couple of failed chemistry experiments, coach Michel Therrien has found a home for newcomer Thomas Vanek. The Canadiens acquired him from the New York Islanders at the March 5 deadline to boost their scoring, and he has delivered four goals in the past two games.

General manager Marc Bergevin also added to the depth on defence by adding veteran Mike Weaver, and the GM added some size, depth and grit last month by picking up forward Dale Weise

The trading deadline provides an opportunity for some teams to fill in holes in their roster for a playoff push, while others attempt to shed salaries or get some return on a player who is in line to become an unrestricted free agent. Here’s a look at the best of this year’s trade-deadline pickups to date:

No. 1: Goaltender Ryan Miller, a former Vézina Trophy winner, was wasting away on a very bad Buffalo Sabres team, but has found a new life with the St. Louis Blues, who have emerged as one of the favourites to win the Stanley Cup. Miller has a 7-1-1 record with a 1.92 goals-against average in the Blues’ goalie-friendly environment.

No. 2: Vanek failed to score a goal in his first five games with the Canadiens, but had a hat-trick in a 6-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday and scored again in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Columbus. Therrien tried Vanek at left wing with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta, but the adjustment to a new position — the left-shooting Vanek prefers to play right wing — and new linemates proved difficult.

Things changed when Therrien moved Vanek to right wing on the No. 1 line with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. This was a gamble because Desharnais and Pacioretty have been joined at the hip since they played together in Hamilton, and the third member of their line often has to make his own chances. But Vanek has found that his new linemates are willing to share. Desharnais set Vanek up for his first goal as a Canadien, while his last three goals have been set up by passes from Pacioretty. Vanek has provided a huge bonus by giving the Canadiens a different look on the power play, which had revolved around setting up P.K. Subban at the point. Vanek provides a new threat down low.

No. 3: Jaroslav Halak — remember him? — went from Buffalo to Washington, where fans recall his playoff heroics with the Canadiens in 2011. The Capitals are trying to claw their way back into the playoffs and Halak — who was previously traded from St. Louis to Buffalo — has given them some stability in goal. He has a 3-2-1 record and has picked up three of four points to start the Capitals’ California road trip.

No. 4: Ales Hemsky won’t be the reason the Ottawa Senators miss the playoffs. He has two goals and six assists in seven games as Jason Spezza’s linemate, but the disappointing Senators haven’t been able to turn things around.

No. 5: Marian Gaborik has two goals and two assists in seven games, but he also beat Halak for the shootout winner in the Los Angeles Kings’ 2-1 win over Washington Thursday night.

No. 6: Brandon Pieri rarely played with the powerhouse Chicago Blackhawks, but he’s fitting in nicely with the rebuilding Florida Panthers. He has two goals — including one on the power play — and three assists in seven games.

The Panthers also repatriated goaltender Roberto Luongo. He’s 2-2-1 with a 2.57 goals-against average on a terrible team, and we’ll have to wait to see whether this deal pans out in the long run. In this case, that means the length of Luongo’s contract, which runs through the 2021-22 season with a $5.3-million salary-cap hit each year.

As noted above, there’s still lots of hockey left, and that means there’s still a chance for some of this season’s high-profile additions to step up. Martin St.

Louis went from Tampa to the New York Rangers for Ryan Callahan at the trade deadline, and neither one has made a huge impact.

Matt Moulson, who was traded for Vanek this year, has a goal and an assist in seven games with the Minnesota Wild.


738979 New Jersey Devils

Devils say Rangers are the right opponent at the right time as season reaches must-win stage

Rich Chere

March 21, 2014 at 3:12 PM

NEWARK— The Devils have beaten the Rangers three times this season, but the one loss to their rivals still irks goaltender Martin Brodeur.

That was 7-3 loss in the outdoor game at Yankee Stadium back on Jan. 26.

“When we play in a regular environment we do well. We’re like indoor cats,” Brodeur said with a laugh.

The final meeting of the regular season will be played indoors Saturday night at Prudential Center and Brodeur will be in goal. But no matter were the game is played, it is the perfect opponent at this time for the Devils.

“This is a critical game. I’m glad we’re playing the Rangers,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. “There’s no motivation needed when you play them. Not that we need any right now with the situation we’re in, but I think it’s the right opponent for us at the right time and we have to rise to the occasion.”

The Devils have 12 games remaining and they are approaching them as if they must win every one to make the playoffs. Jaromir Jagr called them 12 Game 7s.

“We need to win. We can’t afford to lose points, especially when you play teams you’re chasing,” Brodeur pointed out. “It’s even a lot more important. It’s probably Game 7 1/2 for these (games).”

A loss would severely dim their playoff chances.

“I think we know," DeBoer said. "We knew we had to get a win (Thursday) night and we got the job done. We’re in the same position tomorrow and the same position Sunday. There is always another crossroad moment until they tell you there isn’t, but you’re really playing with fire if we don’t string some (wins) together here.”

This is how critical it has gotten for the Devils: Fingers are being pointed, albeit behind closed doors, at those who are not carrying their weight.

That started last weekend in Florida and reached full fruition after the loss to the Bruins Tuesday night.

“The guys that are going to come in to just be a passenger I think will be singled out,” Brodeur said. “I think everybody needs to be accountable to each other. I think it’s going to snowball to have efforts like we had (Thursday) night.

“Every penalty you take can make a difference, every selfish play or bad change, all the little things in the game, you’ll get pointed out by the rest of the group. It’s something we need to avoid for the rest of the season. Coaches put the system out there, but you’re the one making the decision with the puck. Nobody else.”

The 4-2 loss to the Bruins was the last straw.

“It was the way we lost the game. It wasn’t like they created a lot. We gave it to them,” Brodeur said. “We looked at tapes and saw some of the mistakes. It wasn’t just that game. It trickled in from the Florida game to the Tampa game to the Boston game. We needed to stop it because we’re really running out of time here.”

The win over the Minnesota Wild may have been a turning point. But, as goalie Cory Schneider pointed out, we’ve heard that before.

“We can’t really afford to give any games away right now,” Schneider said. “It was vitally important that we win that game and get the two points. We hope it’s a turning point. I think we’ve said that a few times before this year, but it’s really got to be it now because there’s not much time left.”

The Rangers will be a true test.

“It’s a good team. It’s a team we respect a lot,” DeBoer said. “They’re skilled and I think it brings the best out of us. We know they're not going to give up

free goals too often. I think it keeps our offense accountable on bearing down.”

The right opponent at the right time.

“This one’s an important one, I guess, with the way the standings are shaping up to be,” Brodeur said. “For us it’s the same story, must-win games from here on out.”

* * *

Left winger Ryan Carter (upper body) took part in a limited practice with six players and said he believes he can play tonight barring a setback. Tim Sestito (head injury) is improved but will not play.

After Zach Parise, the Devils will see another homecoming when David Clarkson and the Maple Leafs visit Pru Center Sunday. Will fans boo Clarkson like they did Parise?

“Probably. I hope so. Get him rattled a little bit,” Brodeur said. “It’s a pretty similar situation. Another gut that went home. Hopefully they’re (fans) all over him.”

The victory over Minnesota was DeBoer’s 200th win as an NHL coach: “I think 199 of them have been one-goal games. Let’s put it this way: It hasn’t been 200 easy ones, I’ll tell you that.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.22.2014


Devils' Cory Schneider: This has got to be the turning point for us

Rich Chere

March 21, 2014 at 12:26 PM

NEWARK— The Devils have been here before.

With their confidence raised after a 4-3 overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild, there was a feeling in the dressing room that they may finally have arrived at a turning point in their season. They have adopted the attitude that a loss could end their playoff hopes, but they believe it is still do-able.

“We can’t really afford to give any games away right now,” goalie Cory Schneider said. “It was vitally important that we win that game and get the two points. We hope it’s a turning point. I think we’ve said that a few times before this year, but it’s really got to be it now because there’s not much time left.”

Coach Pete DeBoer agreed that time is running out.

"I think we know. We knew we had to get a win and we got the job done," he said. "We're in the same position tomorrow."

They even found the positive in blowing a 3-1 lead before finally winning it on Andy Greene’s goal in OT.

“It would’ve been nice if we’d kept the 3-1 (lead) and added on to it,” defenseman Mark Fayne said. “At the same time, I think it was good for our confidence and team character knowing that we collapsed a little bit but we could still keep it together enough and pull through in the end.”

Now come the Rangers, who visit Prudential Center Saturday night. Martin Brodeur will be in goal.

“One at a time,” Schneider said. “We got two points (from the Wild). We’ll worry about the Rangers now. I’m sure it will be a rocking building and a fun game.”

The Devils are now 11th in the Eastern Conference with 73 points. The Rangers, fourth in the Metropolitan Division, are five points ahead.

DeBoer said the Devils are not yet in the position of needing to win in regulation because the Rangers are a team they are chasing.

"There is always another crossroad until they tell you there isn't," he noted.

He said he is happy to be facing the Rangers.

"It's a critical game. I'm glad we're playing the Rangers," DeBoer said. "No motivation needed."

* * *

Greene has eight goals this season, but two of them have been overtime winners.

“He’s just a minutes eater. You can put him into any situation. He’s just a great skater and makes good plays with the puck,” Schneider said. “I know he hasn’t been scoring as much as he’d like to, but he impacts the game so many other ways that it’s really nice to see him get that winner.”

* * *

Only a small group of Devils players skated Friday morning in AmeriHealth Pavilion, but Ryan Carter was one of them.

Carter has been sidelined with an upper body injury. He's missed the last three games.

Only six players skated. They were forwards Carter, Damien Brunner, Steve Bernier and Jacob Josefson; defenseman Eric Gelinas and goalie Martin Brodeur.

Peter Harrold did not skate because he was given the day off for personal reasons.

Coach Pete DeBoer said Tim Sestito is not an option for Saturday's game after suffering a head injury Thursday night. But he seems to be okay.

"He looked good when I talked to him," DeBoer reported.

* * *

The victory over the Wild was DeBoer's 200th NHL coaching win.

"I think 199 of them have been one-goal games," he joked.

His combined record with the Panthers and Devils is 200-181-65. He is 97-74-29 with the Devils



Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter on signing with Devils: 'Never ever really an option'

Randy Miller

March 20, 2014 at 4:14 PM

NEWARK – Before leaving the Devils for the Minnesota Wild two summers ago, star left wing Zach Parise admits thinking about returning to New Jersey in a package deal with his close buddy, star defenseman Ryan Suter.

Well?

"It was never ever really an option," Suter told NJ.com on Thursday before Parise's first game in New Jersey since leaving.

Parise discussed the notion with Suter and even brought it up several times during talks with Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, as all three were unrestricted free agents after the 2011-12 season.

We all know what happened not long after the free agent signing period began on July 1, 2012:

The next day, Brodeur stayed put by signing a two-year, $9 million deal to stay in New Jersey, but on 4th, Parise and Suter signed twin 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Wild.

Looking back, Parise realizes it was a pipe dream trying to convince Suter, then a Nashville Predators UFA, to even consider signing with the Devils.

“I talked to Ryan about it,” Parise said. “I’ll be honest. I was trying to get him to come here. He wanted to stay out West … in the Western Conference. He liked it out there, so that conversation didn’t go very far.”

Did the Devils ever make an offer?

GM Lou Lamoriello didn't shed any light on this whole ordeal during a brief interview with NJ.com this week.

Asked for his memories, the Hall of Fame exec said, "I have a very short memory."

A native of Minnesota, Parise left New Jersey to go home and maintains that he's not a liar for previously saying he wanted to stay put.

Suter, who comes from Madison, Wisc., and still lives there, says he signed with the Wild to be closer to home.

“(Parise) had mentioned, maybe asking, if I would want to come out here (to New Jersey),” Suter said. “I wanted to be in the West, closer to my family."



His Jaromir Jagr mullet gone, Devils' Marek Zidlicky in hairy situation again due to uncertain future

Randy Miller

March 21, 2014 at 7:57 PM

NEWARK – Imagine what Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky, 37 years old and as clean cut as they come, looked like two decades ago when his professional hockey career began.

Well, here’s a big hint: This was 1994-95 and the Czech was playing for a team in his country based in Kladno, hometown of Jaromir Jagr.

Mullet?

“Yes,” Zidlicky said with a look of embarrassment that turned into a lot of giggling.

When he stopped laughing long enough to talk clearly, Zidlicky threw out some details:

“I have picture. I had my hair down to my shoulder. I was 17. I could feel from my helmet a little ponytail. At the time, everybody in Czech had long hair. Everybody. Even Patty.”

Patty, aka Patrik Elias, also was on that Kladno team in 1994-95, the year before he was in the NHL and on his way to becoming the Devils' all-time leading scorer.

And due to an NHL lockout, Jagr was there, too, for the first half of the season. At the time, he was a 22-year-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins superstar known as much for his long wavy locks as being Mario Lemieux's sidekick. In the Czech Republic, he was their Michael Jordan, their Beatles, a national hero beloved by most everyone.

“I think it was because Jagr had long hair, everybody wanted to be like him, especially hockey players,” Zidlicky said.

All these years later, Zidlicky, Elias and Jagr have been together again this season playing for the Devils, as well as the Czech Olympic team in January, too.

Jagr now is an NHL living legend still going strong as the Devils' top scorer at age 42, while Zidlicky is the team's underappreciated and often criticized top-scoring blueliner.

Come July 1, they’ll both be unrestricted free agents.

Jagr wants to keep playing and says the Devils are his No. 1 choice.

Zidlicky wants to keep playing and is saying nothing about whether he wants to return or move on.

Some Devils fans may say good riddance to Zidlicky because he leads the team in minor penalties, because he turns over the puck a lot, because he doesn’t block as many shots as other blueliners, because he's so offensive minded.

Zidlicky is far from a perfect player, but he offers one of the top right-handed shots from the point in hockey and is a big part of a Devils power play that is ranked fourth best in the league with a 20.8 conversation rate.

One of the most impressive things about Zidlicky is his attitude. Talk to him about his 10 goals and 36 points in 69 games, and he'll change the subject to what's most important to him. Nobody in the Devils dressing room cares more about winning as much as Zidlicky, who doesn’t get a lot of pub because he intentionally shies away from the spotlight.

Asked how he feels he's played this season the other day, Zidlicky grumbled about being a minus-7 during a Devils' three-game losing streak that ended with a 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota on Thursday night. He then added, “If we don't make the playoffs, I won't be happy.”

The highlight of Zidlicky’s career was the 2012 playoffs. He waived a no-move clause to accept a late-season trade from Minnesota to the Devils, then suddenly was a main cog on a team that made a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final. He'd never been past the first round before playing for

Nashville or Minnesota, and he hasn't been back to the playoffs since with the Devils, who missed the postseason last season and are in danger of doing so again this year.

“I like that smell of playoff time,” said Zidlicky, who played 24 playoff games in 2012 and 23 in his other nine NHL seasons. “I'm looking for that again. I just want to be in the playoffs. That’s the key right now. Make the playoffs.”

After the season, Zidlicky says he'll think about his future. Last summer, he was a free agent and re-signed with the Devils on a one-year, $4 million deal, the same annual salary he had received in his previous three-year deal.

This summer, Devils management may not want him back at any price because the organization has three young defensemen that need to play – Eric Gelinas, Jon Merrill and Adam Larsson. And Zidlicky may prefer to move on anyway to a franchise that perhaps is closer to winning a Cup.

"I like it here. That's why I came here," said Zidlicky, who lives in Montclair during the season and goes home to the Czech Republic for offseasons. "We'll see what happens after this year. I don't want to talk about that right now because I'm trying to focus on our team. We need points right now. So I'm not thinking about my contract."

Zidlicky says he doesn't even think about his future during his downtime.

“No, I clear my head,” he said. “When the season's over, I'll focus on other stuff. But now I don't think at all about next year or what will happen."

Zidlicky does realize time is running out on his career, running out on his unfulfilled hockey dream.

“Every player wants to win the Cup, but especially at my age,” he said. “I know that I don’t have many years left. Maybe I’ve got two or three more years and that’s it. I’m not like Jags. I don't think I’ll be here when I'm 42.”

Zidlicky smiled again when mentioning Jagr. He grew up 90 minutes from Kladno, then moved to Jagr's town at age 15 for hockey, and two years later he was playing for the pro team there in the Czech League.

“That’s when I grew my hair long,” he said, giggling again. “I met my wife then. It was pretty cool, pretty funny!”

And it was a fad that passed. Jagr eventually cut his hair short, and so did Zidlicky, who has no interest in growing out his hair again.

“No way,” he said.



Carter: “Good chance” he’ll play vs. Rangers; Brodeur hoping Devils’ fans boo Clarkson, too

Tom Gulitti

Left wing Ryan Carter said he felt “pretty good” after participating in the Devils’ small-group practice this afternoon at Prudential Center.

Carter has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury he sustained in last Friday’s 5-3 loss in Florida. He tried to give it a go in pre-game warm-ups the next night in Tampa Bay, but could not play.

“I aggravated an old injury and it needed a couple days to calm down,” Carter said.

Carter said he underwent an MRI, which “showed nothing major, which was good news.”

Carter sounded hopeful that he can play in Saturday night’s game against the Rangers at The Rock.

“I’d like to,” he said. “I think there’s a good chance. Barring no setbacks, I can’t see a reason why I can’t.”

***

Zach Parise made his return to Prudential Center Thursday night for the first time since leaving the Devils to sign with Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent. On Sunday night, it will be David Clarkson’s turn when the Maple Leafs visit The Rock for the first (and only) time this season.

Clarkson left the Devils to sign with a seven-year, $36.75 million contract with Toronto as an unrestricted free agent last summer. Like Parise, Clarkson signed with his hometown NHL team.

Parise was booed every time he touched the puck Thursday night. Goaltender Martin Brodeur would like to see his good friend, Clarkson, receive similar treatment.

“I hope so. Get him rattled a little bit,” Brodeur said. “It will be interesting to see. That’s another guy that was really a favorite here. It’s another guy that went home. So, a pretty similar situation. So, we’ll see. I think Zach would have been a bigger effect on the direction of our hockey club compared to Clarkie, maybe.

“I don’t know if that’s the case, but I hope they’re all over him a little bit.”

Brodeur will start Saturday’s game against the Rangers, so it would appear he will not face Clarkson again. Cory Schneider played in both games the Devils played in Toronto earlier this season (both shootout losses).

Brodeur has yet to play on back-to-back days this season, but, when I asked him today about not facing Clarkson again, he didn’t say definitively that he won’t play Sunday.

“We’ll see,” Brodeur said. “We’ll see.”

Brodeur also mentioned to me Friday that there was an “outside chance” he’d play against the Maple Leafs (before I knew he was starting against the Rangers), so, perhaps, it is possible that he could start again Sunday if he played really well Saturday.

***

After Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Wild, the Devils are 5-1-0 in games in which they dress seven defensemen. DeBoer is still reluctant go with seven defensemen consistently, though, particularly when the team is playing back-to-back games—as it does this weekend.

With Tim Sestito having to leave Thursday’s game in the first period after being elbowed in the head by Wild defenseman Nate Prosser, the Devils had to play the rest of the game with only 10 forwards. In the overtime game, that meant some heavy ice time for some of the forwards such as Adam Henrique (22:18), Travis Zajac (21:41), Jaromir Jagr (21:00) and Patrik Elias (20:51).

“We won again last night with a fresh group with seven D,” DeBoer said. “I think it depends on the circumstances. We’re playing three games in four nights here. There’s going to be a toll on your forwards at some point. We

played Adam Henrique 22 minutes-plus last night. That’s great when he’s fresh. If you do that again tomorrow night, what are you going to have left on Sunday.

“So, that’s the decisions we have to wrestle with every day.”

With the team desperate for wins, the first inclination might be to think only short term and do what is necessary as far as player ice time to win that game that particular night. DeBoer said some advance consideration has to be given, though, to the next game.

“The priority, obviously, is to win tomorrow night,” DeBoer said. “But, what you’re weighing is, is it that much of an advantage to dress 7 D to wear down your forwards to maybe not give you the opportunity to win the next night? We’re not looking much past getting a win tomorrow night, but you have to put some thought into the decisions you’re making.”

***

DeBoer said he was unaware that Thursday’s win was his 200th as an NHL head coach (103-107-36 with Florida and 97-74-29 with the Devils).

“Someone told me that after the game and I think 199 of them have been one-goal games,” he said, laughing. “Let’s put it this way – they haven’t been 200 easy ones, I can tell you that.”

DeBoer’s 97 wins with the Devils tie him for third in team history with Brent Sutter, behind Jacques Lemaire’s 276 and Doug Carpenter’s 100.

***

There were be no supplemental discipline for Prosser for his elbow to Sestito’s head. Prosser received a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play.

If you’re interested, here’s a previously-released video from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety explaining the rules/penalties concerning defensive contact to the head. It applies to this particular incident because Sestito was moving in to hit Prosser, who got his elbow up and made contact with Sestito’s head.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.22.2014


Carter joins Devils for small-group practice; Brodeur to start vs. Rangers; Parise loses goal

Tom Gulitti

Left wing Ryan Carter is among six Devils skating today at Prudential Center.

Also skating are goaltender Martin Brodeur, defenseman Eric Gelinas and forwards Jacob Joserfson, Steve Bernier and Damien Brunner.

Defenseman Peter Harrold., who has not played in the 11 games since the Olympic break, is not skating today because of “personal reasons.”

Carter has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury he sustained a week ago in Florida. Devils coach Pete DeBoer said “there’s a chance” Carter will play in Saturday night’s game against the Rangers, but he’ll wait to see how he feels after skating todayh.

Martin Brodeur will get the start in net Saturday.

DeBoer said left wing Tim Sestito, who left Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota after being elbowed in the head by Wild defenseman Nate Prosser, won’t play Saturday. Devils coach Pete DeBoer said he saw Sestito this morning and “he looked good when I talked to him”, but won’t be available to play against the Rangers.

DeBoer said whoever replaces Sestito in the lineup will come from the players already on the roster and there are no plans to call anyone else up.

***

The official scoring was changed today on the first Wild goal, originally credited to former Devil Zach Parise. Parise never touched the puck so the goal has now been credited to defenseman Ryan Suter.

***

According to Elias Sports Bureau defenseman Andy Greene, who scored the overtime winner Thursday, is only the third defenseman in Devils’ history to score at least two OT goals in in season, joining Scott Niedermayer (four in 2001-02, two in 2002-03) and Johnny Oduya (two in 2008-09).

Greene also scored in overtime on Dec 21 in Washington.



Parise hears boos, gets goal in return to Rock; Sestito “feels all right” after taking elbow to head

Tom Gulitt

Zach Parise knew what was coming, so the former Devils captain wasn’t surprised at all that he was booed every time he touched the puck in his return to Prudential Center tonight.

“No, I really wasn’t,” Parise said after his Minnesota Wild lost 4-3 in overtime to the Devils “I was kind of anticipating that.”

Parise was back at The Rock for the first time since leaving the Devils to sign with the Wild as unrestricted free agent on July 4, 2012. The former Devils captain said he enjoyed everything about the day, “but the outcome of the game.”

“I saw a lot of really good friends and a lot of really good people that you grow special bonds with, so that part was fun,” he said. “Coming back here and playing in this building with a lot of great memories was fun, too.”

Parise’s former teammates seemed a bit amused by the booing.

“It’s all in good fun,” defenseman Mark Fayne said, “I don’t know if they’re having fun with it. I don’t think it’s bothering him too much right now with his situation. I talked to him over the summers and he seems to be happy.

“Then again, I’d love to have him here, so I don’t mind (the fans) giving him a hard time.”

When I asked center Travis Zajac, who was among the Devils to have dinner with Parise Wednesday night, about the booing, he smiled and replied, “You have to ask him. It didn’t bother me.”

Devils coach Pete DeBoer said he wasn’t really surprised by the crowd reaction.

“I understand the fans disappointment with him leaving,” DeBoer said. “I also know we should all be very thankful for the time he put in. I know I feel privileged to have coached him. I hadn’t watched him in a while. You realize seeing him tonight why he’s so special. He’s always around the net, winning battles in the crease. He’s a special player.”

Parise was credited with a power-play goal 21 seconds into the third period when Ryan Suter’s left point shot deflected off Parise, while he was jostling with Bryce Salvador in front, before floating in past goaltender Cory Schneider. (Wild TV apparently had an angle showing the puck hitting Parise, but I have not seen it).

Late in the first period, Parise had been stopped by Schneider on a shorthanded breakaway with Schneider making a left arm save. Parise picked off a Marek Zidlicky pass in the left circle in the Minnesota end and Devils rookie defenseman Jon Merrill fell down at the left point, leading the breakaway.

“I came in and I kind of lost the puck crossing the blue line,” Parise said. “There was a lot of spin on it, so I tried to stickhandle and kind of lost it. By that time, I was right on top of Schneider and I tried to chip it over his glove and he made a good save on it.”

***

Devils left wing Tim Sestito was knocked woozy by an elbow from Nate Prosser when he went to hit the Wild defenseman behind the Minnesota net with 2:01 left in the first period. Sestito remained down for a while and had to be helped to the locker room by Ryane Clowe and Salvador. He did not return.

“I saw him after the game and he’s coherent, he feels all right, but he wasn’t able to come back,” DeBoer said.

Prosser received a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct. The initial indications are that there will be no supplemental discipline for Prosser and that the five-minute major and game misconduct are considered sufficient punishment for the infraction.

***

Reunited as linemates tonight, Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias demonstrated they still have good chemistry. Elias had three assists, giving him five goals and 10 assists in 11 games since the Olympic break. Henrique had a pair of assists.

Elias set up Michael Ryder’s goal with 3:02 left in the first period that ipened the scoring and ended Ryder’s 23-game goal drought.

Elias and Henrique were instrumental in Fayne’s shorthanded goal that made it 2-0 in the second period and then teamed again on Andy Greene’s overtime winner with Henrique going to the net to tip Elias’ feed and Greene potting the rebound.

“They work together well,” DeBoer said. “They both have high hockey IQs and it was a big play at a much-needed time.”

***

DeBoer was asked after tonight’s game (for some unknown reason) if he would consider splitting up Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr. The last time DeBoer did that, Jagr was none too happy and DeBoer seemed to learn his lesson.

“They’ve been the two guys that consistently I’ve liked them and they like playing together,” DeBoer said. “And Jags has a strong opinion of liking it that I listen to.”

As I mentioned earlier, Jagr’s power-play goal tonight got him to the 60-point mark (23 goals, 37 assists) for the 17th time in his career.

***

It was DeBoer’s 200th game as the Devils’ head coach and his 200th NHL win (103-107-36 with Florida and 97-74-29 with the Devils)

DeBoer is only the third coach with at least 200 games with the Devils following Jacques Lemaire (509) and Doug Carpenter (290).

DeBoer’s 97 wins with the Devils tie him with Brent Sutter for third most in team history behind Lemaire’s 276 and Carpenter’s 100.



Jagr, Brodeur: All Devils' games are must-win

Saturday, March 22, 2014, 1:21 AM

TOM GULITTI

NEWARK – Any game against the Rangers has extra meaning for the Devils because of the proximity of the two teams and the history between them.

Tonight’s game at Prudential Center – the final 2013-14 regular-season meeting between the rivals – will be even more important for the Devils, though, because the Rangers are one of the teams they are trying to chase down to earn a playoff spot.

With Columbus losing to the Rangers, 3-1, on Friday night, the Devils trail the Blue Jackets by five points for a playoff spot with only 12 regular-season games remaining.

"This one’s an important one, I guess, with the way the standings are shaping up to be," acknowledged Martin Brodeur, who will start in net tonight. "For us, it’s the same story. It’s must-win games from here on out."

After the Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota on Thursday night, right wing Jaromir Jagr compared it to winning a Game 7 and said, "We’ve got 12 left, Game 7s. We have to win all of them to get in the playoffs."

Brodeur took that comparison a little further, noting that the games against the teams the Devils are chasing are particularly vital. The Devils have a similar one against Toronto, which is seven points ahead in the first wild-card spot in the East, Sunday night at Prudential Center.

"It’s probably Game 7 1/2 for these," Brodeur said.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer always likes games against the Rangers because he knows his team usually gets up for them emotionally without much prodding.

"I’m glad we’re playing the Rangers," DeBoer said. "There’s no motivation needed when you play them. Not that we need them right now with the situation we’re in, but I think it’s the right opponent for us at the right time and we have to rise to the occasion."



Clarkson OK with jeers or cheers in return to The Rock

March 22, 2014, 1:21 AM

TOM GULITTI

Zach Parise made his return to Prudential Center on Thursday night. On Sunday night, it will be David Clarkson’s turn when the Maple Leafs visit The Rock for the first (and only) time this season.

Clarkson left the Devils to sign a seven-year, $36.7 million contract with Toronto as an unrestricted free agent last summer. Like Parise, who signed with the Minnesota Wild in 2012, Clarkson wanted to play near home and, as a Toronto native, dreamed of playing for the Maple Leafs when he was growing up.

Although the Maple Leafs have a home game tonight against Montreal and the Devils host the Rangers tonight, Clarkson admitted Sunday’s contest has been on his mind a little.

"I would be lying if I said it was something that you don’t think about," he said. "I don’t know how the fans will act, but I am looking forward to going back. I spent a long time in my career there and I really enjoyed that city. I met a lot of nice friends and the organization, in my opinion, is if not the best, then one of the best to play for in the NHL."

Parise was booed every time he touched the puck Thursday night. Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur would love it if his good buddy, Clarkson, received similar treatment.

"I hope so," Brodeur said, laughing. "Get him rattled a little bit."

There was always a good deal of teasing between Brodeur and Clarkson during their seven seasons as teammates, so Clarkson was not at all surprised, "Marty’s trying to get the fans started up to boo me."

Clarkson said he didn’t watch the Devils’ game Thursday, so he didn’t see or hear the crowd’s reaction to Parise. Regardless of what the fans do Sunday, Clarkson says New Jersey will always be a special place for him.

"It’s a place I love," he said. "My daughter [was born] there, I really enjoyed playing there and the fans were unbelievable to me. No matter whether they cheer or boo, it’s something I’m going to enjoy and I’m going to play that same way I play every night."



Saturday’s showdown with Rangers has even more meaning for desperate Devils

Tom Gulitti

Whenever the Devils face the Rangers, the game has extra meaning because of the proximity of the two teams and the history between them.

Saturday’s game at Prudential Center – the final 2013-14 regular season meeting between the Hudson River Rivals – will be even more important for the Devils, though, as the Rangers are one of the teams they are trying to chase down to earn a playoff spot.

The Devils trail the Rangers and Columbus, who play each other tonight, by five points apiece. Columbus is technically in third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Rangers hold the final wild card right now because the Rangers have played one more game.

The Devils, who have 12 regular season games left, will be even in games with Columbus and have a game in hand on the Rangers after tonight. So, the best-case scenario for the Devils tonight would be for the Blue Jackets to win in regulation, which would give the Devils a chance to pull within three points of the Rangers (with a game in a hand) with a win Saturday.

“This one’s an important one, I guess, with the way the standings are shaping up to be,” acknowledged Martin Brodeur, who will start in net Saturday. “They still have to play a game tonight, but, for us, it’s the same story. It’s must-win games from here on out.”

After the Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota Thursday night, right wing Jaromir Jagr compared it to winning a Game 7 and said, “We’ve got 12 left, Game 7s. We have to win all of them to get in the playoffs.”

Brodeur took that comparison a little further today, noting that the games against the teams the Devils are chasing are particularly vital. The Devils have a similar one against Toronto, which is seven points ahead in the first wild card spot, Sunday night at Prudential Center.



Carter: “Good chance” he’ll play vs. Rangers; Brodeur hoping Devils’ fans boo Clarkson, too

Tom Gulitti

Left wing Ryan Carter said he felt “pretty good” after participating in the Devils’ small-group practice this afternoon at Prudential Center.

Carter has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury he sustained in last Friday’s 5-3 loss in Florida. He tried to give it a go in pre-game warm-ups the next night in Tampa Bay, but could not play.

“I aggravated an old injury and it needed a couple days to calm down,” Carter said.

Carter said he underwent an MRI, which “showed nothing major, which was good news.”

Carter sounded hopeful that he can play in Saturday night’s game against the Rangers at The Rock.

“I’d like to,” he said. “I think there’s a good chance. Barring no setbacks, I can’t see a reason why I can’t.”

***

Zach Parise made his return to Prudential Center Thursday night for the first time since leaving the Devils to sign with Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent. On Sunday night, it will be David Clarkson’s turn when the Maple Leafs visit The Rock for the first (and only) time this season.

Clarkson left the Devils to sign a seven-year, $36.75 million contract with Toronto as an unrestricted free agent last summer. Like Parise, Clarkson signed with his hometown NHL team.

Parise was booed every time he touched the puck Thursday night. Goaltender Martin Brodeur would like to see his good friend, Clarkson, receive similar treatment.

“I hope so. Get him rattled a little bit,” Brodeur said. “It will be interesting to see. That’s another guy that was really a favorite here. It’s another guy that went home. So, a pretty similar situation. So, we’ll see. I think Zach would have been a bigger effect on the direction of our hockey club compared to Clarkie, maybe.

“I don’t know if that’s the case, but I hope they’re all over him a little bit.”


738990 New York Islanders

Visnovsky, Okposo join expanding Islanders' injured list

March 21, 2014 7:26 PM

ARTHUR STAPLE

Add two more veterans to the list of injured Islanders.

Lubomir Visnovsky has an upper-body injury, suffered in Tuesday's 6-0 loss to the Wild. He sat out Friday's practice, is unlikely to play on Sunday against Columbus and could miss some time going forward -- of course, "some time" is relative, given the Islanders have 12 games left and are playing out the string.

Kyle Okposo left practice with a lower-body injury and Jack Capuano had no time frame for his leading scorer. Asked if the Isles need to be cautious with anyone injured now in the lame-duck segment of the season, Capuano sighed. "I suppose we do," he said.

"It takes me longer to read the injury report now than anything else," he said. "It's extremely frustrating."

Brian Strait (broken hand) and Michael Grabner (concussion) are out indefinitely. John Tavares (torn MCL) is out for the season. As Matt Martin noted, it's not as if the Islanders were going gangbusters when everyone was healthy, but it still seems to be a bit demoralizing to lose so many regulars.

If Okposo can't go on Sunday and Visnovsky stays on target to miss that game, the Islanders will dress only 10 of the 20 players who played in the season opener in Newark.

The Islanders' forward depth is pretty much depleted at Bridgeport. About the only real prospect still down there is John Persson, a sturdily-built wing; he may get a call up if Okposo can't play, given that the Islanders have been going with 12 forwards since Thomas Vanek was traded on March 5.

Persson, 21, was a 2011 fifth-round pick and has 12 goals in 41 games for the Sound Tigers.

Big defenseman Scott Mayfield may be next in line for a recall with Visnovsky and Strait out. Mayfield would be the fifth rookie defenseman to dress for the Islanders this season if he comes up.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Mayfield, the Isles' second-round pick in 2011, is the only Sound Tiger to have played all 63 games this season, with three goals and 14 assists.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.22.2014

738991 New York Rangers

Rangers Top Columbus in Nash’s Return

Staff Writer

MARCH 21, 2014

Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan scored third-period goals, and Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves to lead the Rangers to a 3-1 road victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

It was the first game back in Columbus for the Rangers star Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets’ franchise leader in goals, assists and games. He was given a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period but was booed loud and long after a two-handed shove up high on Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in the second period.

Carl Hagelin added an empty-net goal, and defenseman Anton Stralman had two assists for the Rangers, who moved 2 points ahead of the Blue Jackets in the tight Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference playoff races.

“I knew it was going to be a playoff atmosphere,” Nash said of his return to Columbus. “I wouldn’t expect to push their goalie to start a fight and then to be in a fight myself. But the 2 points were huge. That’s what we needed.”

Both teams came in with 78 points, the third most in the Metropolitan. The Blue Jackets have played one game fewer.

After two scoreless periods, Columbus took a 1-0 lead when Foligno intercepted Benoit Pouilot’s pass and scored his 18th goal of the season with a wrist shot from the high slot at 1 minute 12 seconds of the third.

Forty-four seconds later, the Rangers countered when Ryan McDonagh carried the puck along the back wall and fed Stepan for his 14th goal.

With 8:29 left, Brassard — who played his first five N.H.L. seasons with the Blue Jackets — took a pass along the back wall from Stralman and flipped the puck between his legs to the crease. Brassard then pivoted and jammed a shot in off Bobrovsky’s pad.

Nash requested a trade in early 2012 and was dealt on July 23, 2012.

Nash is Columbus’s franchise leader in games, with 674; goals, with 289; assists, with 258; and points, with 547.

The good will from the crowd evaporated in the second period after Nash rushed the net and had a goal disallowed for interfering with Bobrovsky. As Nash went to get his stick, Bobrovsky picked it up with his stick and then dropped it as Nash reached for it. Nash then hit Bobrovsky high with both hands. That touched off five two-man scuffles and sent Nash to the box for roughing.

BRUINS 2, AVALANCHE 0 Patrice Bergeron and Carl Soderberg each had a goal, Chad Johnson stopped 31 shots for his third career shutout, and Boston beat host Colorado to become the first team to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

BLACKHAWKS 3, HURRICANES 2 Jonathan Toews’s short-handed breakaway goal early in the third period snapped a tie, and Chicago beat visiting Carolina.

The Blackhawks were without their leading scorer, Patrick Kane, who was placed on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury in Chicago’s victory over St. Louis on Wednesday.

A version of this article appears in print on March 22, 2014,

New York Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Rangers v. Blue Jackets lineups and preview from Columbus: Vigneault says top players normally take lead when pressure rises

Pat Leonard

COLUMBUS – If anyone forgot how important Friday night’s Rangers-Blue Jackets game is for these teams’ respective playoff hopes – and no one has – Thursday’s results sure provided a harsh reminder.

Columbus (78 points, 13 games left) beat the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, to pass the Rangers (78 points, 12 games left) and become the third seed in the division, leaving the Blueshirts as the second wild-card team in the Eastern Conference.

Plus, the Philadelphia Flyers (81 points, 13 games left) won to take a three-point lead as the Metropolitan Division’s second seed, the Detroit Red Wings (77 points, 13 games left) won to close within one point of the Rangers, and the Washington Capitals (77 points, 11 games left) also grabbed a point in Los Angeles.

STAKES ARE HIGH FOR NASH, BLUESHIRTS IN FRIDAY SHOWDOWN VS. BLUE JACKETS

As Alain Vigneault said Friday morning at Nationwide Arena, it’s impossible for him and his players not to remain aware of the constantly changing and tightening playoff race. From his coaching experience, though, Vigneault believes this late-season pressure can – and should – drive top players to elevate their game.

“I find that within groups, the guys feed off your top players,” Vigneault said. “Some people just thrive on this, and every game, every shift, every time you’re on the ice, you have an opportunity to decide the outcome of a game. Usually your elite players or top players, they thrive on that opportunity make a difference, and I’m confident that that’s what our guys are going to do, from our goaltender out.”

The Rangers will field the same lineup that played in Tuesday’s 8-4 rout of the Ottawa Senators. Benoit Pouliot, who had returned home for two days to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their baby daughter, rejoined his teammates late Thursday night in Columbus and skated at Friday morning’s optional.

The Blueshirts are about to begin a crucial weekend back-to-back against two division rivals: the Blue Jackets here on Friday night and the New Jersey Devils (73 points, 12 games left) in Newark on Saturday night. Three of their next four games are against Metropolitan Division rivals, in fact, including next Wednesday’s showdown with the Flyers at the Garden.

“I’ve gotta believe that with everybody’s environment, the people we know, everybody’s talking about (the playoff race: ‘Did you see last night? Did you see what happened?’” Vigneault said. “So everybody’s up to date on what’s going on, but our focus needs to be on the game at hand, and tonight we’ve got a real tough opponent, probably one of the hardest-working and highest-compete level teams in the league. And it’s gonna be a real tough game for us.”

That’s the Blue Jackets he’s talking about, with a reputation as one of the hardest-working clubs in the NHL thanks to the emotion and leadership of Brandon Dubinsky, whom the Rangers traded here along with Artem Anisimov – another major Columbus contributor – in the July 2012 Rick Nash deal.

In the context of big players stepping up in big moments, Vigneault was asked if he felt Nash would be particularly motivated on Friday night to beat his former team. Indeed, given the types of players Glen Sather has given up the past couple years, this is the time of year when players such as Nash have to step into more prominent roles.

NASH CALLS McDONAGH 'LEADING CANDIDATE' TO BE NEXT RANGERS CAPTAIN

“Rick’s a very quiet type of player,” Vigneault said. “I don’t think you need to be hyper to show that you care and that you really want to win and compete and be out there. Everybody’s got their own way of preparing and dealing with things, but I do know Nasher is a highly competitive player, and it will be

his first opportunity here to play in front of his former fans tonight. I’m sure he wants to do real well.”

The coach also was asked whether he tries to pump up his players or calm the environment down when the pressure is highest this time of year.

“I think right now it’s about having the right preparation,” he said, “knowing the things that we need to do to have success against the team and then going out and executing. To execute, players have to prepare themselves. They hear the word “zone” a lot (as in being ‘in the zone’); the same thing (applies) here as an individual sport. Players (have) got to get in their zone so they can make the right reads and execute on the ice. We helped them with the team preparation, but that individual part is theirs.”

RANGERS LINEUP AT BLUE JACKETS

Forwards: Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello-Derick Brassard-Martin St. Louis, Benoit Pouliot-Brad Richards-Carl Hagelin, Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo.

Defensemen: Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi, Marc Staal-Anton Stralman, John Moore-Kevin Klein.

Goalies: Henrik Lundqvist (starter), Cam Talbot (backup).

Healthy scratches: F Derek Dorsett, D Raphael Diaz, D Justin Falk, F Ryan Haggerty.

PROJECTED BLUE JACKETS LINEUP (from Friday’s Columbus Dispatch)

Forwards: Boone Jenner-Ryan Johansen-Nathan Horton, Matt Calvert-Brandon Dubinsky-Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno-Artem Anisimov-Corey Tropp, Derek MacKenzie-Mark Letestu-Blake Comeau.

Defensemen: Fedor Tyutin-James Wisniewski, Jack Johnson-Dalton Prout, Nikita Nikitin-David Savard.

Goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky.

New York Daily News LOADED: 03.22.2014


Rick Nash punches goalie as NY Rangers beat Blue Jackets in his return to Columbus

Pat Leonard

Saturday, March 22, 2014, 2:41 AM

RANGERS 3, BLUE JACKETS 1

COLUMBUS – The Blue Jackets were wise Friday night to show Rick Nash’s video tribute early in his first game back at Nationwide Arena as a Ranger.

What happened next in an emotional, 3-1 playoff-level Blueshirts victory turned Nash into public enemy No. 1 at the rink he called home for nine seasons prior his July 2012 trade to New York.

Nash, a force with seven shots on goal, threw a double-fisted punch into the face of Columbus netminder Sergei Bobrovsky after having a goal disallowed 17:06 into the second period on a controversial incidental contact ruling.

Things start out well as Rangers star RIck Nash is welcomed back to Columbus by fans but an incident with Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (r.) starts an all-out brawl.

“(Bobrovsky) gave me two slashes in the back of the leg in the first period, and then I go to pick up my stick and he flings it away,” said a battle-scarred Nash, with cuts on his cheeks and forehead. “What am I supposed to do, let a guy push me around?”

A near full-scale brawl ensued. The fans booed their former captain whenever he touched the puck, and Blue Jackets winger Matt Calvert then forced Nash into a fight to open the third period.

No Ranger had dropped the gloves since Jan. 12, yet Benoit Pouliot (fifth career scrap, per hockeyfights.com) and Nash (seventh career fight) tussled on this night.

A full-scale melee ensues after Nash gets into it with his former team.

“I got really fired up. I got mad,” Henrik Lundqvist (25 saves) said of seeing Nash throw down. “I’m like, ‘We’re beating this team now. There’s no way we’re losing.’”

Columbus’ Nick Foligno pounced on a Pouliot defensive zone turnover one minute later and beat Lundqvist high blocker for a 1-0 Jackets lead. But then Derek Stepan answered 44 seconds later off a terrific feed from Ryan McDonagh, who had set up Nash’s disallowed goal with an incredible stretch pass, and ex-Blue Jacket Derick Brassard scored the game-winner 11:31 into the third on a wraparound off the back of Bobrovsky (29 saves). Carl Hagelin added an empty-netter.

Other ex-Jackets were major factors for the Rangers, including defenseman Anton Stralman (two assists) and right wing Derek Dorsett, who brought energy in a surprise start over healthy scratch Dan Carcillo.

“The way the standings are looking, this was the biggest game of the year, I think,” defenseman Dan Girardi said. “Everyone showed up.”

Rangers blue-liner John Moore sat out the third period and could miss Saturday night’s game in Newark due to a hit to the head by Columbus forward Blake Comeau, but with Friday’s win, the Rangers (80 points, 11 games left) reclaimed third place in the Metropolitan from the Blue Jackets (78 points, 12 games left) in their battle as one of six teams competing for four playoff spots.

They also set the table for a riveting potential first-round playoff series. After all, Lundqvist had begun to skate down ice to join that second-period melee, stopping only when he realized Bobrovsky had moved away from the crowd.

“If the other (goalie) gets involved and they have more guys going at it, I guess I have to do something,” Lundqvist said. “I didn’t have to tonight, so…” He paused and smiled. “Lucky him.”



Martin St. Louis and NY Rangers power play could snap skids all in one shift - if they get set up in the zone, that is

March 21, 2014 6:23 PM

Pat Leonard

COLUMBUS – Maybe it’s not fair to count games that Martin St. Louis played in Tampa Bay prior to the March 5 deadline trade, but including his final two matches with the Lightning, the 38-year-old’s goal drought had reached a season-high 10 games going into Friday night’s Rangers showdown with the Blue Jackets.

If there’s anywhere he can snap the skid, it should on the power play. The only problem is the Blueshirts can’t score there as a team, two-for-24 since the trade (8.3% efficiency) and six of their last 50 (12%). St. Louis posited Friday morning at Nationwide Arena that their futility is due to an inability to set up consistently in the offensive zone.

“The power play is a day-to-day thing, and teams play against your power play differently sometimes, but sometimes you focus so much on what you’re supposed to be doing in the zone that you’re not getting it set up in the first place,” St. Louis said. “The biggest thing on the power play is setups, to get the puck in and relieve pressure. To get the set up, you need to win the faceoff, or if you don’t, it’s about going down (through the neutral zone) and making an entry. Lately we haven’t gotten as many setups, and when you don’t, pressure builds.”

St. Louis initially seemed to handle the puck more toward the power-play point when he joined the team, but as of Tuesday night, Alain Vigneault had taken Chris Kreider back off the man advantage and assembled a five-man unit of defenseman Dan Girardi and four forwards: Brad Richards at the point, and Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and St. Louis up front and along the half-wall.

The coach said the left-handed St. Louis has had to adjust to the Rangers’ dearth of right-handed shots and that their left-heavy personnel “complicates things a little bit,” which explains Girardi’s replacement of Ryan McDonagh on that unit. St. Louis, however, said it’s important for him not to try and alter his individual approach or the Rangers’ team concept drastically.

“I’ve played with a lot of right-handed shooting threats (in Tampa Bay), and that plays into my hands a little bit,” he said of how a more balanced unit can facilitate quicker passes directly onto players’ shooting hands. “But I’m trying not to come in here and change anything. I want to add something to my game knowing what’s worked for them (his Ranger teammates).”

The Rangers will try anything at this point: Thursday’s NHL results tightened the Eastern Conference playoff race even more, heightening the urgency for a player with St. Louis’ pedigree to score.

“Usually your elite players or top players, they thrive on that opportunity make a difference, and I’m confident that that’s what our guys are going to do,” Vigneault said.



Diaz may make Rangers debut on Saturday

Larry Brooks

March 22, 2014 | 1:59am

COLUMBUS, Ohio — John Moore, injured in Friday’s 3-1 victory against the Blue Jackets, is questionable for Saturday’s match in New Jersey, thus setting it up for Raphael Diaz to make his Rangers debut 17 days after being acquired from Vancouver at the trade deadline.

Moore took a high, hard hit against the boards from Blake Comeau with 8:31 remaining in the first period. He did not play the remainder of the period, then took six shifts worth 4:04 in the second before he was essentially pulled from the game by trainer Jim Ramsay, according to coach Alain Vigneault.

The coach, who would not elaborate on the nature of the injury, said that Moore would be “reevaluated” on Saturday.

Derek Dorsett, a scratch for six of the previous seven games, replaced Dan Carcillo in the lineup and responded with perhaps his best game of the year. Vigneault explained he hadn’t liked the way the Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Carcillo line had played on Tuesday in Ottawa, and decided to bump Carcillo even though, in his opinion, he hadn’t been the worst culprit.

One wonders, though, if Vigneault was annoyed at Carcillo’s lackadaisical attitude on the final shift against the Senators, on which the Rangers iced the puck four times in the final 59 seconds.

The Blue Jackets saluted Rick Nash with a video tribute on the scoreboard at 6:15 of the first period during the game’s first TV timeout. The fans, who had booed Nash at the start, responded with an ovation. But they booed No. 61 lustily the remainder of the match and with fury after his imbroglio with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at 17:06 of the second.

While players from both teams grabbed hold of one another in the five-on-five tussle that ensued after Nash gave the Columbus goaltender a double-gloved punch to the throat, Henrik Lundqvist moseyed about 40 feet from his net before turning back when he saw Bobrovsky separate from the scrum.

“If it’s six-on-five, I have to go, I can’t let them have the extra guy,” Lundqvist said before breaking into a smile. “But I didn’t have to tonight. … Lucky him [Bobrovsky].”

New York Post LOADED: 03.22.2014


Rangers top Blue Jackets in Nash’s return to Columbus

Larry Brooks

March 21, 2014 | 10:10pm

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here he was, in all his glory, No. 61, Rick Nash … skating, scrapping, battling, driving to the inside, dropping his gloves, fighting … and leading the Rangers to a critical 3-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on Friday night in a match bubbling with all of the inherent passion, intensity and nastiness of playoff hockey.

“There was tons of emotion,” Nash, booed for the most part, said after his first game as a Ranger in Columbus. “I try to play with the same emotion every night but there was a little more [for this game].

“When did I begin to feel the emotion? Probably when we landed Wednesday in Columbus.”

It was another former Blue Jacket, Derick Brassard, who got the winner by beating Sergei Bobrovsky with a bank shot from around the net at 11:31 of the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock. But there is no doubt at all this victory, which allowed the Blueshirts to leapfrog the Jackets into third place in the Metropolitan Division, was driven by Nash’s signature performance as a Ranger.

There was the goalmouth fracas at 17:06 of the second period in which Nash launched a pair of gloved fists at Bobrovsky’s throat when the goaltender swatted away No. 61’s stick after the two men had collided on the winger’s right wing drive to the net on which an apparent goal was waved off for “incidental contact.”

Incidentally, that followed a first period in which Bobrovsky twice whacked Nash across the back of the legs in a game that began nasty and only ratcheted up as it evolved.

“What set me off? Did you see? It’s that [Bobrovsky] flings my stick away when I reach down to pick it up after he gives me two whacks,” said Nash, still on a high in the postgame room. “He’s an emotional guy trying to get into the game and I’m trying to get my team the game.”

Then, there was the fight with Matt Calvert at 0:12 of third, the game still scoreless, after the wingers jostled and sparred before and immediately after the opening draw of the period, and then went down in a heap before Nash started throwing punches when both regained their feet.

“That was probably the two cross-checks to the head, the slew foot and him saying he was going with me and doesn’t care,” said Nash, who had seven shots in 14:44. “Did you see?”

The Rangers saw and that included Henrik Lundqvist, who was magnificent throughout in dealing with constant traffic and physicality in his crease.

“That got me fired up,” The King said of seeing Nash go with Calvert. “It got me mad. It got me to think, ‘There’s no way we’re going to lose this hockey game when they fight our guy.’

“I’m still kind of mad about [the fact] that he had to fight.”

The truculent Jackets, who pounded the Rangers at every opportunity through a match in which they were credited with a 42-17 advantage in hits, actually took a 1-0 lead at 1:12 of the third when Nick Foligno capitalized on an astonishing defensive zone turnover by Benoit Pouliot to beat Lundqvist from the high slot.

But the Rangers tied it 44 seconds later when Derek Stepan converted Ryan McDonagh’s centering feed and then Brassard came from behind—as did his team for the 2-1 lead. Carl Hagelin’s empty-netter sealed it at 19:21 after the Jackets pressed like mad to draw even

“We knew what kind of a game this was going to be, we knew the importance,” said Marc Staal. “The mood in the room was different.

“It was all going to be about winning one-on-one battles and fighting through whatever we faced. And then we got that game from [Nash],” said No. 18. “It was emotional for him, the crowd was kind of bi-polar, booing and cheering, then booing some more, and he responded, playing all night with that edge.

“He got us going. And we followed his lead.”

A signature night for Nash, and a signature win for the Rangers.



Rangers can’t dwell on Nash’s homecoming amid playoff battle

Larry Brooks

March 21, 2014 | 3:43pm

COLUMBUS — Friday night’s match wasn’t going to be a referendum on the years of cross-pollination between the Rangers and Blue Jackets that began with the 2008 unfortunate exchange in which the Blueshirts sent away Fedor Tyutin and received Nikolai Zherdev in return.

No, Friday’s match carried significance well beyond that scope, with the Rangers and Blue Jackets neck-and-neck at the top of the homestretch in what essentially has been distilled to a six-team race for four available playoff spots in the East, with only three points separating top to bottom with three weeks to go in the season.

“I’ve got to believe that with everybody’s environment, the people we know, everybody is talking about: ‘Did you see last night? Did you see what happened?’” coach Alain Vigneault said following the morning skate. “So everybody is up to date on what’s going on, but our focus needs to be on the game at hand.”

The Jackets — with former Rangers Tyutin, Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov playing key roles as they have all season — were coming off a stirring 3-2 victory in Montreal on Thursday. The Rangers — with former Jackets Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, John Moore and Anton Stralman suiting up — had been in Columbus since flying in the day after Tuesday’s 8-4 victory in Ottawa.

“We’ve got a real tough opponent, probably one of the hardest-working and highest-compete-level teams in the league,” Vigneault said. “And it’s going to be a real tough game for us.”

When the puck dropped for Nash’s first game since April 7, 2012 (when he scored for the Jackets against the Islanders) in the city in which No. 61 played the first nine seasons of his career, No. 61’s current team and former team were both in playoff spots, tied with 78 points, though Columbus had played one fewer match.

Both teams were in, but only clear of a spot by one point. The Jackets, by virtue of holding the game in hand, held the third and final guaranteed Metro Division berth while the Rangers held the Eastern Conference’s second and final wild-card spot.

Before play Friday night, three points separated the six clubs realistically vying for the four open bids to the NHL’s tournament. Keep in mind that conference seeding is irrelevant under the revised playoff format. The top three teams in each division plus the two teams with the conference’s next-best records qualify, the latter two as wild card entrants.

Pittsburgh has first place in the Metro locked up, as does Boston in the Atlantic. Tampa Bay and Montreal hold second-place and third-place in the Atlantic. Assuming those four clubs can count on playoff berths — with the disclaimer that assuming can be risky business — that leaves four up for grabs for the Flyers, Jackets, Rangers, Maple Leafs, Red Wings and Caps.

And though the permutations were varied and complex with those six clubs having between 11 and 13 games remaining in the season that ends on April 13, the Rangers would lose control of their own destiny with a defeat to the Jackets.

So while it would certainly be an overstatement to identify any of these upcoming games as must-win situations, the Rangers were going to need to win a lot more of them than not, and they were going to have to be able to count on their leading men to lead men.

“I find that within groups, the guys feed off your top players,” said Vigneault, whose Vancouver teams qualified for the playoffs in six of seven seasons behind the Canucks’ bench, including the last five years. “Some people just thrive on this, and every game, every shift, every time you’re on the ice, you have the opportunity to decide the outcome of a game.

“Usually your elite players or top players, they thrive on that opportunity to make a difference,” the coach said. “I’m confident that’s what our guys are going to do, from our goaltender out.”



Same lineup expected for lastest crucial game

Andrew Gross

Benoit Pouliot arrived in Columbus late Thursday night after the birth of his daughter and participated in this morning’s optional skate at Nationwide Arena and coach Alain Vigneault expected him to be in the lineup tonight.

As a precaution, though, Derek Dorsett did not stay on the ice late with the extras, keeping his legs fresh in case he’s needed tonight.

With Pouliot in, Vigneault expects to keep the lineup the same as Tuesday’s 8-4 win at Ottawa with Henrik Lundqvist making his fourth straight start.

Thursday night was a tough one for the Rangers playoff chances as the Devils, Flyers, Blue Jackets (3-2 at Montreal), Lightning and Red Wings all won and the Capitals earned a point with a shootout loss at Los Angeles.

So the Rangers enter tonight’s Rick Nash-returns-to-Columbus game (here’s today’s article in The Record on Nash’s return), they are clinging to fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers and Blue Jackets each have 78 points but the Blue Jackets have played one fewer game (including tonight, the Rangers have 12 regular-season games remaining). The second-place Flyers have 81 points in the same 69 games the Blue Jackets have played entering tonight. Meanwhile, the Capitals, who have played 71 games - the same amount the Rangers will have after tonight’s game - are one point behind the Rangers. The bigger problem for the Rangers in the wild-card picture is the Red Wings, who also have 77 points in 69 games. The Maple Leafs, who currently hold the first wild-card position, have 80 points in 71 games.

“I’ve got to believe with everyone’s environment, everyone we know, everybody’s talking about it , ‘Did you see last night?’ ‘Did you see what happened?’ so everybody’s up to date on what’s going on,” Vigneault said. “But our focus needs to be on the game at hand and tonight we’ve got a real tough opponent, probably one of the hardest working and highest-compete level teams in the league and it’s going to be a real tough game for us.

“I find that within groups guys feed off your top players,” Vigneault added. “Some people thrive on this and every game, every shift, every time you’re on the ice you have the opportunity to decide the outcome of the game and usually your elite players, your top players thrive on that opportunity to make a difference and I’m confident that’s what our guys are going to do, from our goaltender on out. Right now it’s about having the right preparation, knowing the things we need to do to have success against that team and then going out and execute. To execute players have to prepare themselves. You hear the word ‘zone’ a lot. It’s the same thing here, as an individual sport, players have got to get in their zones so they can make the right reads and execute on the ice. We help them with the team preparation but that individual part is theirs.”

Noting that Nash is “a very quiet type of player,” Vigneault said he hasn’t seen any outward signs from Nash about what this game might mean to him but he doesn’t need to see the signs, he knows it’s special.

Another ex-Blue Jacket, Derick Brassard, playing his second game back in Columbus after the Rangers’ 4-2 win on Nov. 7 that Nash missed due to a concussion, conceded Nash is “probably excited about it.”

“Honestly, we didn’t talk about it,” Brassard said. “He played here a long time, he’s probably excited about it. For us, it’s just another game, another game in the regular season where the two points is important.

“We talk about one game at a time,” Brassard added. “We look at the games and we look at the scores. Some nights you’re going to have help and some nights you’re not. At the end of the day, you have to win your game.”



Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1: Wrapping up

Andres Groww

In short, because of everything surrounding this game, in no order of preference, Rick Nash’s return, the playoff implications and the numerous ex-Blue Jackets playing for the Rangers and vice versa, this one gets my vote for most entertaining game of the season.

“It felt like they were on top of me almost every shot,” Henrik Lundqvist said. “They had someone bumping into me but you kind of like it. It’s an important game. It’s physical. It makes you realize you have to work really hard and fight through screens and the rebounds are huge. You have to make sure you put them in the right place.”

And on a night when the usually reserved Nash was a veritable quote machine, Lundqvist still had the best quip of the night and when he said of counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky, “Lucky him,” that Lundqvist didn’t have to skate the length of the ice to confront him as Bobrovsky and Rick Nash had their angry moment at 17:06 of the second period.

Obviously, the signature moments of the game came with Nash’s confrontation with Bobrovsky and his fight with Matt Calvert.

“He’s a big body that goes hard to the net,” said Derick Brassard, who wore the Broadway Hat after scoring the winner to snap the 1-1 tie. “We don’t want him to fight every game, he’s our best player, but things like that happen and when the game is on the line and your best player is showing emotion like that, I think it just lifted our team.”

Regarding the Bobrovsky confrontation, when the goalie prevented Nash from retrieving his stick, Brassard said, “I thought he could have gotten two minutes for unsportsmanlike.”

As for his winner, which came as Brassard swiped at a backhand from the left post that banked in off Bobrovsky, he said, “I was just trying to put the puck in front of the net. I caught him off guard. He was not on his post and when you put the puck toward the net, good things happen and that’s what happened.

“I didn’t know what to do after I scored,” Brassard added. “I was just really excited, especially with the game on t he line. But for Rick, he led by leadership tonight. He showed some emotion, character. he wanted the win and when he fought in the third period our whole bench was standing up.”

In the end, the Rangers jumped over the Blue Jackets into third place in the Metropolitan Division. They have 80 points in 71 games. The second-place Flyers have 81 points in 69 games while the Blue Jackets have 78 points in 70 games. The Blue Jackets also represent the playoff cutoff as they hold the second and final wild-card spot.



Nash on fight(s), return to Columbus

Andrew Gross

Rick Nash didn’t get a goal in his return to Columbus but he certainly made his presence known through his physical play in a physical game.

First, he mixed it up with Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, then he had his second fight of the season and his first season the season opener at Phoenix on Oct. 3 when Matt Calvert wouldn’t let him not fight to start the third period.

Here are Nash’s post-game comments:

On the game: “It was a playoff atmosphere. They showed up. I thought it was a good hockey game. It was a fun one to be part of.

On why he was angry with Bobrovsky: “What set me off? Did you see me go to pick up my stick? And I got two whacks in the first period then I go to pick up my stick and he flings it away. You’ve got to own up when you do something like that. I had to own up too. I pushed him and took my end of the bargain.”

More on Bobrovsky: “Oh yeah, two whacks, then I tried to pick up my stick. You know, it’s part of the game. He’s an emotional guy, I’m sure, and he’s trying to get into the game and I’m trying to get my team into the game and it’s hockey.”

On when the emotion started to ramp up for him: “Probably when we landed on Wednesday in Columbus. It was a great game. It was a lot of fun. But I’m definitely glad it’s over.”

On the Blue Jackets: “I thought they brought a great game tonight. They were passionate. They were all over the ice, credit to them. We showed up and got the job done.”

On why he fought Calvert: “Probably the two crosschecks to the head, the slew-foot and the fact that he said he’s going at me no matter what, he doesn’t care. That’s enough to set me off.”

On what he expected from the game: “I knew it was going to be a playoff atmosphere. I wouldn’t expect to push a goalie to start a fight and then have a fight myself. I didn’t expect that. But the two points are huge, we needed that.”

On the crowd reaction: “It was boos right from when I grabbed the puck but I still love the Columbus fans. I stayed true to what I say. I appreciate that because they’re passionate and they love their hockey and I wouldn’t expect anything else. They gave me my standing ovation during the video, that means a lot, I’m thankful for that. And they love their Blue Jackets.



Live Blog: Rangers at Blue Jackets, 3/21

Andres Gross

Rick Nash makes his return to Columbus but Derek Dorsett, too, will be in the lineup tonight as coach Alain Vigneault, a day after indicating he would go with the same lineup if Benoit Pouliot was available, apparently changed his mind.

Pouliot, who returned to New York following Tuesday’s 8-4 win at Ottawa for the birth of his daughter, is in lineup but Dan Carcillo will be a healthy scratch.

Dorsett will be playing his fourth game - over a span of 11 Ranges’ games - since returning from a broken left fibula on March 1.

For the Blue Jackets, Sergei Bobrovsky is in net so he’ll play back to back games (as Lundqvist almost certainly will do when the Rangers play the Devils on Saturday night) after the Blue Jackets won at Montreal, 3-2, on Thursday night.

“They have a lot of good structure in their game,” Derick Brassard said of his former team. “They’re a hard working team and have good goaltending. That’s why they’re right there. It’s going to be a good game, they have a good team.”

To review the massive playoff implications of this game:

The Rangers are clinging to fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers and Blue Jackets each have 78 points but the Blue Jackets have played one fewer game (including tonight, the Rangers have 12 regular-season games remaining). The second-place Flyers have 81 points in the same 69 games the Blue Jackets have played entering tonight. Meanwhile, the Capitals, who have played 71 games - the same amount the Rangers will have after tonight’s game - are one point behind the Rangers. The bigger problem for the Rangers in the wild-card picture is the Red Wings, who also have 77 points in 69 games. The Maple Leafs, who currently hold the first wild-card position, have 80 points in 71 games.

The Rangers come into tonight 0 for 10 over their last three games on the power play, 1 for 19 over their six games. At the Rangers’ practice at Nationwide Arena on Thursday, power play work was a big part of it with Marty St. Louis giving significant input.

“A power play is a day to day thing,” St. Louis said. “The biggest thing on the power play is to get the puck in and relieve the pressure. If you don’t get the passes in, the pressure builds up. Two minutes turns in 20 seconds. In order, it’s getting the draw, retrieving the puck and getting it set up.”

The problem, St. Louis said, is the setups haven’t been happening with enough frequency.

Rangers’ lineup:

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash

Mats Zuccarello-Derick Brassard-Marty St. Louis

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Benoit Pouliot

Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Derek Dorsett

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi

Marc Staal-Anton Stralman

John Moore-Kevin Klein

Henrik Lundqvist (26-22-4, 2.50 goals-against, .917 save percentage)

Blue Jackets’ lineup:

Matt Calvert-Brandon Dubinsky-Cam Atkinson

Nathan Horton-Ryan Johansen-Boone Jenner

Nick Foligno-Artem Anisimov-Corey Tropp

Blake Comeau-Mark Letestu-Derek MacKenzie

Fedor Tyutin-James Wisniewski

Jack Johnson-Dalton Prout

Nikita Nikitin-David Savard

Sergei Bobrovsky (27-17-4, 2.48, .919)



Rangers notes: Lundqvist ready to come to teammates' defense

March 22, 2014, 12:22 AM

ANDREW GROSS

As a five-on-five scrum developed around the Blue Jackets’ crease at 17:06 of the second period, with Rick Nash and Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky at the center, Lundqvist considered whether he needed to get involved.

Eventually, though, Bobrovsky skated out of the scrum as it continued.

“It looked like he punched our guy; I wasn’t sure what happened,” Lundqvist said. “If he was getting involved, I’m not going to let them be six-on-five in there. But he skated away and I didn’t have to skate over. If the other guy gets involved, I guess I have to do something there.

“I didn’t have to tonight,” Lundqvist added, smiling. “Lucky him.”

Lundqvist will also start tonight’s game at New Jersey.

Moore hurt

Defenseman John Moore’s availability for tonight’s game against the Devils may be in question after he did not play the third period against the Blue Jackets. Blake Comeau plastered Moore against the backboards at 11:29 of the first period and Moore briefly retreated to the Rangers’ room before returning to the bench but not playing the rest of the period.

Moore did play six shifts in the third period – he logged just 6:02 in the game – before trainer Jim Ramsay made the decision to keep him out in the final period.

Coach Alain Vigneault said Moore would be re-evaluated today, though he did not specify the injury. Vigneault did mention shoulder but was not sure of that.

If Moore is unable to play, Raphael Diaz, acquired from the Canucks for a fifth-round pick on March 5, will likely make his Rangers debut.

Lineup switch

Derek Dorsett played just his fourth game in an 11-game span since returning from a broken left fibula despite Vigneault indicating on Thursday he would keep the same lineup if Benoit Pouliot was available.

“I knew yesterday,” Dorsett said after the game.

Pouliot, who returned to New York following Tuesday’s 8-4 win at Ottawa for the birth of his daughter, logged 12:36 and had his first fight as a Ranger when he dropped the gloves against Derek MacKenzie at 11:42 of the first period.

But Dorsett replaced Dan Carcillo on Dominic Moore’s fourth line with left wing Brian Boyle.

“I thought Dorse the last couple of practices had looked smoother, if you can say that about him, he looked quicker on the ice,” Vigneault said. “I thought in Ottawa Dom’s line had a so-so game and just decided to put Dorse instead of Dan. Boyler and Dom both kill penalties, I decided to keep those guys in. I thought Dan, out of those three, probably wasn’t the worst player there. But tonight they played a better game and Dorse played a good game for us.”

Briefs

The Rangers went 0 for 4 on the power play, including not getting a shot on a 30-second five-on-three in the first period, and are now 0 for 14 over their last four games. … Marty St. Louis had one shot in 21:12 and remains without a goal in nine games with the Rangers. … Carl Hagelin completed the scoring with an empty-net goal with 38.7 seconds remaining.



Returning to play in Columbus is special for Rangers' Rick Nash

March 21, 2014, 1:21 AM

ANDREW GROSS

COLUMBUS, Ohio – His protracted and somewhat clumsy departure from the Blue Jackets belied Rick Nash's low-key personality.

Still, Nash is not hiding that his first return to Nationwide Arena with the Rangers tonight is a special occasion for him beyond the tight Eastern Conference playoff chase that intertwines the Metropolitan Division rivals.

"I'm sure there will be some cheers, some boos, I'm sure there'll be mixed emotions," said Nash, who missed the Rangers' 4-2 win at Columbus on Nov. 7 with a concussion. "It's good to see the organization doing well, they deserve it. Those fans have been through a lot, one playoff in 13 years."

The Blue Jackets made Nash the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, and he was the face of their struggling franchise, their captain, until he was dealt to the Rangers for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and Tim Erixon on July 24, 2012, nearly five months after Rangers general manager Glen Sather began his pursuit.

Then-Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson shocked and upset Nash when he announced after not making a deal at the trade deadline that Nash had requested to be traded. The teams did not play last season with the Blue Jackets still in the Western Conference.

The Blue Jackets are planning a video tribute to Nash during the game.

"It will be [special] for sure," Nash said. "But I don't think as much if I got traded in season or, if last year, we went back. It's kind of overdrawn, spent it's time. It'll still be fun playing in front of the fans. I spent a long time there. Other than that, it's such a cliché thing to say, but the points are most important."

Nash said the Blue Jackets' apparent revitalization under president John Davidson and GM Jarmo Kekalainen pleases him because he had a "strong connection" with late owner John H. McConnell and still considers himself "close" to his son, John P. McConnell, who now runs the ownership group.

"It's a great family, so I'm happy to see them finally get results," said Nash, who had a short-handed goal and an empty-netter as the Rangers opened this three-game road trip with an 8-4 win at Ottawa on Tuesday.

"It seems like [Davidson] has changed a lot," Nash added. "That was one of the problems when I was there."

BRIEFS: Henrik Lundqvist will make his fourth straight start after setting the franchise record with his 302nd regular-season win on Tuesday. … Right wing Benoit Pouliot did not practice with the team at Nationwide Arena after returning to New York following Tuesday's game for the birth of his daughter. He is expected to be available tonight but, if not, Derek Dorsett will take his spot in the lineup.



Power plays, Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis

Steve Zipay

COLUMBUS -- First off, the probable lineup at Nationwide Arena on Friday night:

Benoit Pouliot skated in the Friday optional after arriving from New York following the birth of his daughter on Wednesday and is expected to play, coach Alain Vigneault said. So as of this moment, the scratches are Derek Dorsett, Ryan Haggerty, Raphael Diaz and Justin Falk. It will be Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Bobrovsky in nets, but the rest of the Jackets' lineup is unclear. They did not skate after arriving in late Thursday night from Montreal.

***

With the power play 2 for 24, the Rangers tried some variations during practice on Thursday. Players weren’t as static.

Asked about Martin St. Louis fitting in, Vigneault, who has used him on the half wall, said Friday, “There were a lot of right-handed shots [on the Lightning], and we don’t have very many on our team, so that complicates things a little bit, but we tried a couple things in practice.”

Indeed, St. Louis, who had been discussing positioning with teammates at practice, said Friday that getting the puck in the zone quickly and relieving the pressure was important for a successful setup, which has been noted as an issue earlier in the year. “Otherwise, you’re rushing things,” he said. “Then, it’s making decisions.”

Columbus was 0-for-8 on the power play Thursday night in Montreal. Friday's matchup could be decided on the man-advantage.

***

Nash did at least one more television interview in his former city Friday, and I asked Vigneault if he got the sense that the power forward was more pumped up for this game, which will provide one team with two points and 80 total.

“Rick’s a very quiet type of player,” he said. “I don’t think you need to be hyper to show that you care or that you really want to win and compete and be out there. Everybody’s got their own way of preparing and dealing with things, but I do know Nasher is a highly competitive player. It’ll be his first opportunity to play in front of his former fans tonight and I’m sure he wants to do real well.”

In a playoff-like atmosphere, Vigneault said, “Guys feed off your top players. Some people just thrive on this, every game, every shift, every time you’re on the ice, you have the opportunity to decide the game, and usually your elite players, they thrive on that opportunity to make a difference. And I’m confident that’s what our guys are going to do, from our goaltender out.”

***

Players are well aware of the implications of games in a playoff race, Vigneault said. “I gotta believe that everybody’s environment, the people we know, everybody’s talking about it, ‘Did you see last night, did you see what happened?’ So everybody’s up to date with what’s going on, but our focus needs to be on the game at hand. We’ve got a real tough opponent and probably one of the hardest-working and highest compete-level teams in the league…Right now it’s about having the right preparations. To execute, players have to prepare themselves, players have to get in the right zone…we help them with team preparation, but that individual part is theirs.”



Rangers top Blue Jackets; Rick Nash booed in return to Columbus

March 22, 2014 1:25 AM

STEVE ZIPAY

COLUMBUS, Ohio - In his first return to Nationwide Arena, where he played for 10 years, Rick Nash led the Rangers past the Blue Jackets, 3-1, last night -- not with goals, but with determination and passion that included a scuffle with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and a fight in the third period.

In the two incidents that fired up his teammates, the generally cool and composed Nash retaliated after Bobrovsky twice whacked his stick after a waved-off goal. Nash also dropped the gloves with Matt Calvert.

"I knew it was going to be a playoff atmosphere," said Nash, who received a standing ovation during a first-period video tribute but was booed throughout the game. "I wouldn't expect to push a goalie to start a fight and then have a fight myself. It was a great game, but I'm definitely glad it's over."

After a scoreless, chippy 40 minutes and Nash's fight with Calvert 12 seconds into the third, Nick Foligno scooped up a pass off Benoit Pouliot's broken stick and fired high past Henrik Lundqvist at 1:12. But 44 seconds later, Derek Stepan beat Bobrovsky (29 saves) to tie the score at 1. Derick Brassard then scored the winner, curling from behind the net and backhanding a shot off Bobrovsky at 11:31. Carl Hagelin's empty-netter sealed it with 38.7 seconds left as the Rangers moved into sole possession of third place in the Metro Division, two points ahead of Columbus.

"Rick led by leadership tonight, showed some emotion and character, wanted to win," said Brassard, another former Blue Jacket who was dealt to the Rangers. "We don't want him to fight every game, but things happen."

Tempers were on edge from the opening faceoff. After defenseman John Moore was drilled into the boards by Blake Comeau, Pouliot fought with Derek Mackenzie at 8:09. Moore briefly returned in the second but did not come out for the third and will be re-evaluated Sunday, coach Alain Vigneault said.

Things ramped up when an apparent goal was waved off. On Nash's rush, he was bumped into Bobrovsky by Jack Johnson and the puck slid into the net at 17:06 of the second period. When Nash got to his feet, Bobrovsky prompted Nash to shove him, high and hard.

"I got two whacks . . . then I go to pick up my stick and he flings it away," Nash said. "You've got to own up when you do something like that. I had to own up, too. I pushed him and took my end of the bargain. You know, it's part of the game."

He's an emotional guy, I'm sure, and he's trying to get into the game and I'm trying to get my team into the game and it's hockey."

Asked what triggered his fight with Calvert, Nash said: "Probably the two crosschecks to the head, the slewfoot and the fact that he said he's going at me no matter what, he doesn't care. That's enough to set me off."

So mark this game down as the first real showdown in a budding rivalry, one that could continue in the playoffs if both teams make the cut.

Lundqvist, who had 25 saves, said he contemplated confronting Bobrovsky during the first scrum, "but he skated away and I skated away. If the other guy gets involved and you have more guys going at it, I guess I have to do something. I didn't have to tonight . . . lucky him."



Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1 … post-game notes

21 March 2014, 10:19 pm

Staff Writer

Team notes:

- The Rangers began their final back-to-back set of the season with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Nationwide Arena. After two scoreless periods, the Blueshirts tallied three unanswered goals in the third to pull two points ahead of Columbus into third place in the Metropolitan Division standings. New York has now won three of their last four games, including three straight on the road.

- The Blueshirts have posted a record of 38-29-4 overall (80 pts), including a 22-13-0 mark on the road this season. Their 22 road wins leads the Eastern Conference, and is tied for first in the league overall.

- The Rangers have recorded points in six of their last eight meetings with the Blue Jackets (5-2-1), including three of their last four games at Columbus (3-1-0 in those games).

- The Blueshirts and Blue Jackets have been separated by two goals or fewer in each of their last six meetings, and in 13 of their 16 games all-time.

- The Rangers allowed two goals or fewer for the 42nd time in 71 games this season. The Blueshirts improved to 32-10-0 when allowing two or fewer goals in a game this season.

- The Blueshirts’ penalty kill was 3-3 (6:00) in the contest, and is now 25-26 (96.2%) with four shorthanded goals in the last nine games.

- The Rangers out-shot the Blue Jackets, 32-26, including a 26-15 advantage after two periods. Rick Nash led all skaters with seven shots on goal, while Brad Richards posted six shots on goal in the contest.

Player notes:

- Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves to improve to 27-22-4 overall, including a 15-9-0 mark on the road this season. He has held opponents to two goals or less in 15 of his last 22 games (15-6-1, 2.05 GAA, .933 Sv%, 2 SO), and is 5-2-0 with a 1.87 GAA, .940 Sv%, and one shutout in his last seven contests. The Rangers’ franchise leader in wins is now tied with Olaf Kolzig for 25th on the NHL’s all-time wins list with 303 career victories.

- Derick Brassard registered his 40th point of the season with the game-winning goal at 11:31 of the third period, recorded four shots, and won 7-11 faceoffs (64%) in 16:00 of ice time. He has now registered three goals and four points in the last two games, and is tied for fourth on the team with 16 goals this season. It is the third time Brassard has reached the 40-point mark in the last four seasons.

- Derek Stepan notched a goal and three shots in 17:20 of ice time. He has now tallied a point in 10 of the last 12 games, registering 13 points (four goals, nine assists) over the span, including a goal in each of the last two contests. Stepan now ranks second on the team with 48 points this season.

- Mats Zuccarello recorded two assists and posted a plus-two rating in 18:11 of ice time. He has registered 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in his last 14 games, including four assists in the last two contests. Zuccarello now leads the team with 49 points, and is tied for first on the Rangers with 34 assists this season.

- Anton Stralman registered two assists, was credited with two blocked shots, and posted a game-high, plus-three rating. It was his second multi-assist performance of the season, and he is now nine assists shy of 100 career NHL assists.

- Carl Hagelin notched an empty net goal and logged 14:47 of ice time. He has now registered six points (five goals, one assist) in the last eight games, including five points (four goals, one assist) in the last four contests. Hagelin is now tied for second on the team with 17 goals this season.

- Ryan McDonagh registered an assist, was credited with three blocked shots, and logged a game-high, 27:51 of ice time. He has recorded

eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last 10 games, and has logged 25:00+ of ice time in each of the last five games. McDonagh is now two points shy of 100 career NHL points.

- Marc Staal recorded an assist on Carl Hagelin’s empty net goal, was credited with two blocked shots, and posted a plus-two rating in 23:09 of ice time. He has now posted a plus-five rating in the last two games.

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Rangers at Blue Jackets … It’s Go Time!

21 March 2014, 6:30 pm

Staff Writer

Rangers at Blue Jackets.

It really is Go Time, as in, better get going. As in, now or never.

There is no such thing as a Must Win game with 11 left and so little room among the teams in the playoff race. But this is about as close as it gets, with a four-point swing (assuming there are no Bettman Losers’ Points handed out) in the equation.

The Rangers and Blue Jackets are tied for third in the Lesstropolitan at 78 points. The Rangers have the tiebreaker (regulation/OT wins) by two. Columbus has one game in hand, having beaten the Habs in Montreal last night while the Rangers were relaxing in Columbus.

Both teams trail second-place Philly by three, and the Flyers have the tiebreaker on both and a game in hand on the Rangers. (Philly visits the Garden Wednesday, after the Rangers play the Devils Saturday and Phoenix Monday).

Obviously finishing in the top three in the division is critical in that 2-3 will play in the first round of the playoffs, while the Lesstropolitan wild card gets a visit to Boston for a first-round pounding.

Rick Nash makes his first return to Columbus since the July, 2012 blockbuster that sent him to the Rangers. Of course you know the rest of the cast of former Blue Jackets and former Rangers (notably Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov) in tonight’s game. I suspect a lot of them, Nash included, to be especially fired up.

Derek Dorsett, a former Jacket, is apparently playing in a late lineup change, which means Daniel Carcillo would be prucha’d along with Justin Falk, Raphael Diaz and Ryan Haggerty as Alain Vigneault goes with the same lineup otherwise. Benoit Pouliot rejoined the team in Columbus after the birth of his daughter Thursday. Henrik Lundqvist starts in goal against Sergei Bobrovsky.

Other games that matter tonight: Carolina at Chicago (as if), Boston at Colorado (B’s can clinch a playoff berth).

Games that matter tomorrow: St. Louis at Philadelphia (1 p.m.), Tampa Bay at Pitt (1 p.m.), Ottawa at Dallas (3 p.m.), Montreal at Toronto (7), Rangers at Devils (7), Carolina at Winnipeg (7, as if), Washington at San Jose (10:30).

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 03.22.2014

739008 Ottawa Senators

Ken Warren’s 10 Takes: How to start fixing the Senators

Ken Warren

March 21, 2014

Ken Warren’s 10 Takes: How to start fixing the Senators

Robin Lehner of the Ottawa Senators shows his dejection after letting in a bad fourth goal by the New York Rangers during second period of NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, March 18 2014. (Jean Levac/Ottawa Citizen)

Earlier in the week, the unstoppable train called the Boston Bruins made it impossible for the Ottawa Senators to catch them.

On Thursday, the combination of the Senators’ 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings — in which Daniel Alfredsson scored the game winner — put Pittsburgh out of reach of the Senators.

And on and on it will go for the remaining three weeks, with this team and that team making it mathematically impossible for Ottawa to finish ahead of them. Once that number of teams hits eight, the Senators position’ as outsiders to the Stanley Cup playoffs will become official.

At least the Senators will get a head start on preparing for the — gulp — 2014-15 season. This week’s 10 Takes takes a closer look at how to possibly plug the holes as quick as possible.

1. UGLY DEFENCE

The Senators have allowed 234 goals, better than only the New York Islanders. The last time the Senators finished among the bottom two in goals against was three lockouts and almost two decades ago, when the league consisted of only 26 teams and the world was captivated by the O.J. Simpson trial. The hard questions — from the work in the crease to defensive positioning to the possibility of dealing away skilled forwards for grittier forwards — start with reducing that number.

2. THE CONFIDENCE GAME

If you watched Robin Lehner bail out his team while it was California Dreamin’ in October — he allowed five goals on 97 shots (including perhaps a dozen odd-man rushes) during losses on back-to-back nights — you got the impression that nothing could rattle the guy on track to become the future franchise goaltender. Five months of porous defence in front of him later, Lehner looks lost. He’ll get a new contract this summer, but Lehner must respond to the team’s commitment with a serious commitment to improve his fundamentals and his head game.

3. WHAT ABOUT ANDERSON?

Craig Anderson can be a top-flight No. 1 netminder. Without an injury last season, he would have won the Vezina Trophy. When he returned, he outplayed Carey Price in the first round of the playoffs. This season has been marked by inconsistency and injury. But considering Lehner’s story (see above) and the fact Anderson is heading into the final year of his contract, general manager Bryan Murray faces a tricky situation: sign Anderson to another deal or wait for the season to play out, potentially losing the goalie to free agency for nothing after next season.?

4. THE COWEN LESSON

Nobody should escape blame on the Senators’ blueline, but the starting point for trouble was Jared Cowen’s hard-line stance in negotiating a new deal. Cowen was coming off hip surgery and missed most of training camp before signing a four-year, $12.4 million contract. Upon arrival, he was a step behind, never caught up, and rarely imposed himself physically. In retrospect, the team might have been better off keeping Mark Borowiecki around. As for what Cowen’s upcoming summer should be like, see the take on Lehner.

5. WHAT’S UP WITH WIERCIOCH?

The original plan called for Cowen and Patrick Wiercioch to be the club’s 3-4 defenceman, playing behind Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot. So much for that. Wiercioch has been a healthy scratch for the past six games (baffling,

considering the team has yielded 28 goals in that span) and 27 times this season. It sure looks he’ll be traded away in the summer, especially if the club re-signs Eric Gryba as a restricted free agent. A club with deeper pockets might shop for a proven veteran, but for now the door is wide open for Borowiecki, who owns a guaranteed NHL contract next season.

6. BINGHAMTON BONUS

Borowiecki and Cody Ceci are expected to be part of the Binghamton Senators’ playoff run. It’s too much to expect Binghamton to win the Calder Cup, but when the Senators last missed the playoffs in 2011, the experience of playing in a professional playoff run was invaluable for the growth of Zack Smith, Erik Condra, Colin Greening, Lehner, Cowen and Mike Hoffman. The upcoming AHL playoffs will serve as an audition for Mark Stone, Matt Puempel and Fredrik Claesson to prove they can play full-time in the NHL one day.

7. THAT LOST PICK

Normally, the consolation for watching the Stanley Cup playoffs is the hope that comes from an early first-round pick. Anaheim, of course, now owns that, courtesy of the Bobby Ryan trade. If the Senators want that pick back, there are three players who could possibly make it happen: Ryan, Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza. And forget about Karlsson. He’s not going anywhere.

8. WOULD SPEZZA LEAVE?

Anaheim is among the teams believed to have interest in the Senators captain, who has one year and $4 million left on his contract, but also the option to decline a trade. Spezza certainly has defensive weaknesses, but he’s also one of a handful of players who has produced a point per game during his career. I wonder if the Senators captain ever grows tired of being the far-too-easy target for everything and anything that goes wrong with his team.

9. THE MARKET FOR RYAN

If you buy the premise that the Senators need to trade some skill for grit — they rank 14th in the league in goals scored — perhaps Murray pursues a trade here. Ryan was brought to Ottawa to score goals, but he never meshed with Spezza and has, at times, been used sparingly by MacLean. Ryan also has one year left on his contract ($5.562 million), and if he doesn’t fit into the long-term plans, he could skate away for nothing as a free agent following the 2014-15 season.

10. LAZAR NO SAVIOUR

Patience is a virtue in hockey, as well as in life. For everyone who wants to pencil in Curtis Lazar as the club’s second- or third-line centre next season, remember that he turned 19 last month. As impressive as his regular season with the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings was (41 goals and 35 assists in 58 games), the Senators’ first-rounder from last summer isn’t a lock to make the Senators next season. One bad year shouldn’t change the organization’s smart philosophy about developing prospects properly for long-term success.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.22.2014


Anderson able to practice, but not play

Wayne Scanlan

March 21, 2014

For all their issues preventing goals, the Senators don’t have a shortage of goaltenders at practice.

On Friday, the erstwhile starter Craig Anderson and Binghamton call-up Andrew Hammond were the first players on the practice ice, followed soon by recent starter Robin Lehner.

Anderson took a lengthy turn in goal, but eventually yielded to Hammond. It will be a familiar story on Saturday, as Lehner starts and Hammond backs him up, while Anderson continues to recover from a collision with teammate Milan Michalek in the Nashville game March 10.

The club has not said what Anderson’s health issue is, but poor Lehner, just 22, has been in goal for four straight losses, plus he came on in relief for a fifth Ottawa loss, to the Predators. Head coach Paul MacLean insists he is not frustrated by Anderson’s lingering health problem, which seems to be a recurring theme.

“Circumstances aren’t the best, we would like to have our No. 1 goalie,” MacLean said, “but if he’s hurt, he’s hurt.”

Ideally, Lehner would get a break, a chance to lick his wounds. In seven of his past 10 starts, he has been touched up for five or more goals. Following Thursday’s 5-4 regulation loss to Tampa Bay, Lehner said he was willing again to say, “I suck,” but also criticized his team’s sloppy play in the defensive zone.

MacLean believes the big prospect is ready to recharge for a game against a desperate Dallas Stars team, trying to stay in the Western Conference playoff picture.

“I think he’s human, he’s gone over it. Reviewed it,” MacLean said of Lehner. “And he’s flushed it. He’s ready to go again. It hasn’t gone good for him right now, he’s facing a bit of adversity at the NHL level, which is a hard place to face it. In his position it shows up badly, but at the end of the day, it’s not just him. He’s got five other guys out there that are turning pucks over and taking penalties and putting him in a tough spot. He would like to react better to it, just like everyone else would like to react better to it. But he’s working at his game. He’s working at being a No. 1 goaltender.

Time will tell if being thrown into the fire, while Anderson looks on, might help Lehner eventually. MacLean thinks it should.

“If one thing comes out of this for Robin it’s – that it’s a hard league,” MacLean said. “If you’re going to be a No. 1 goaltender, you’ve got to make sure you can put the past in the past and be ready for the next game.”

In the past year or so, including while Anderson was injured last year, Lehner has been put in some tough spots. He’s faced road games in Boston, New York, Detroit and Toronto, and in MacLean’s view responded “really well” to those challenges.

This time, though, there is no Ben Bishop standing by to help out if he falters.

“Now is an opportunity for him, there’s no Bishop, no Anderson,” MacLean said. “He’s the goalie, so this is his opportunity, in this window right now.”

MacLean believes this will help Lehner down the road.

“And I hope it’s (Saturday),” smiled the coach.

SMITH’S REGRET

Centre Zack Smith has never shied away from owning a mistake. Friday, he admitted he took a “terrible” penalty by whacking Ryan Callahan, who got in the first shot against Smith.

In a cruel twist, Callahan scored a power play goal, which turned out to be the game winner, with Smith in the box for slashing.

“It was a terrible penalty, a retaliation penalty toward the end of the game,” Smith said. “I definitely regret that. But it was a tough play, I was definitely

seeing red and the refs obviously missed the first one (by Callahan), they’re going to be watching the retaliation. That’s definitely one I’d like back.”

Smith, for one, doesn’t feel the Senators will have a hard time finding motivation from here on out.

“We’ve dug ourselves a bit of a hole, there’s not doubt about that,” Smith said, in understatement, “but as long as there is a little bit of hope we have something to play for, not that we wouldn’t play if we were mathematically out. But we’ve got to start winning games, not look too far ahead.”

MAINTENANCE MEN

Forwards Bobby Ryan, Ales Hemsky and Colin Greening all missed the short Friday practice, but MacLean said they involved “maintenance days” and all three are expected to be available versus Dallas.



Scanlan: Ceci rises above the Senators’ struggles

Wayne Scanlan

March 21, 2014

Scanlan: Ceci rises above the Senators’ struggles

Put yourself in the shoes – or skates – of Cody Ceci.

Barely 20 years old, just old enough to shave, and you’re in the NHL.

It’s a WOO-HOO! moment in a hockey player’s life.

At the same time, you’re a player on an Ottawa Senators team going nowhere fast as far as being a playoff contender. Hopes of qualifying for the post-season have faded from slim to virtually non-existent, except for the longest of mathematical odds.

On balance? It has still been a wonderful ride for a boy from Orleans, a lifelong Senators fan, who was playing in the OHL just two years ago.

“I’m definitely excited to be here, it’s just awesome coming here every day,” Ceci said on Friday, before the Senators boarded a plane for Dallas, where they face the Stars Saturday afternoon.

“It does suck, losing a bunch of games in a row,” Ceci says. “We’ve been in a lot of games and it’s just not going our way. We give up one or two goals we shouldn’t and it ends up losing us the game.

“So, we just need to clean that up a bit. But I’m still having a great time. It is too bad things are going the way they are right now but if we could turn it around it would make it that much better.”

Despite the team’s struggles, Ceci has emerged from the debris relatively unscathed – one of the true pleasant surprises of Ottawa’s 2013-14 season. It was expected, after all, that he would spend the entire campaign in the minors. Since coming up, Ceci has been smooth and steady, playing about 17 minutes per game, and is a mere minus-3 on a club laced with double-digit dashes.

In Thursday’s 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay, Ceci was plus 1. To his credit, he hasn’t let the distraction of a sinking ship pull him down.

“I try to learn as much as I can from all the other guys on the team, all the D-men,” Ceci says. “I try to take something from each one of their games and apply it to my own. It’s too bad things aren’t working that well for us right now, but there’s still lots of positives going on and I can still learn.”

Part of the professional learning involves maintaining morale when it’s easier to be negative. For the most part, the Senators have done a decent job of leaving the griping to post-game comments. Between games, they’ve been about as upbeat as a club can be while fading out of a playoff picture they expected to be involved in.

“It is always tougher on a winning team compared to a losing team,” Ceci says. “The dressing room is completely different. But we try to keep it up as much as we can. It’s never fun coming to a rink that’s always down so guys try to pick each other up. And each day, stay positive, work hard and things will turn around.”

Ceci might be the only Senators player with playoffs in his near future. Once the Ottawa season ends, it is likely he will be sent back down to the AHL, where played 37 games this season before being called up in mid-December.

The Binghamton Senators are playoff-bound and Ceci would be a big addition to their team. To him, it wouldn’t be a huge adjustment.

“I still have lots of friends down there, I played the first half of my season in Binghamton, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” Ceci says. “It would be good to go see those guys again but right now, we’ve got to focus on these last games with Ottawa and see what we can do with this last stretch and hopefully we can do something magical.”

In his short time in the organization – Ceci was drafted 15th overall in 2012 – he has heard bits and pieces of lore from the B-Sens Calder Cup run of 2011.

As a junior with the Ottawa 67′s, Ceci also managed to get into 18 playoff games one spring, in the 2011-12 season.

“All playoff runs, no matter where you are, feel the same,” he says. “It’s a special moment with your team. Every game means a ton. It could be the last game you play with a lot of guys so playoffs are a great time of year and anywhere I play playoffs this year will be a good time.”

As the first boyhood Senators booster to grow up and be drafted by his hometown team, Ceci is in strange territory. Those Senators clubs of his youth always made the playoffs, including a stretch from 1997-2009 in which Ottawa was automatic.

Ceci admits it’s “tough” to be on the outside looking in.

“We’re not out yet, but it’s going to be a tough battle to make it so we need to push it hard in these last bunch of games,” he says. “And if it doesn’t happen in these last bunch of games it will light a fire for next year. And we’ll have to sit on that all summer long, which will suck. Hopefully it will make us come back stronger next year.”



Ottawa Senators' Cody Ceci a rare bright spot

Don Brennan

Friday, March 21, 2014 06:37 PM EDT

DALLAS - Through all the Senators ups and downs this season, there has at least been one constant - the continued progression of 20-year-old defenceman Cody Ceci.

In 37 games since being recalled from Binghamton, the Orleans native has two goals (both game winners), five assists and a minus-3 rating, while playing an average of 17:09 a night. Ceci plays his position well, he's steady, not intimidated, and continually proving the Senators were right by both taking him 15th overall in the 2012 draft and by bringing him up from the minors when they did.

Clearly, Ceci has become the bright light in a dismal season.

"It's awesome coming here every day," he said while standing in the middle of the Senators dressing room at Canadian Tire Centre Friday. "But it does suck losing a bunch of games in a row. We've been in a lot of the games, it's just not going our way. We just end up giving up one or two goals that we shouldn't, and it ends up losing us the game. We just need to clean that up a bit.

"I'm still having a great time up here. It is too bad things are going the way they are. If we could turn it around it would make it that much better."

Ceci admits to watching the veterans and allowing the knowledge he gleans from them to sink in.

"I just try to learn as much as I can from all the guys on the team, all the other D-men," he said. "I try to take little things from every one of their games, and apply it to my own. That's what a lot of young guys do when they come up, they just learn as much as they can and try to apply it to their game. It's too bad things aren't working well for us right now, but there's still lots of positives going on and I'm still learning the same way I would if we were winning all the games."

While it's a dream for him to play for his hometown team, he also hoped he could immediately take part in one of those Senators playoff runs he grew up watching.

"If it doesn't happen this year, it'll just light a fire for next year," he said. "We'll have to sit on that all summer long, which will suck, but hopefully it will make us come back stronger next year."

Before that, when this NHL campaign ends for Ottawa, Ceci will be sent back to Binghamton to gain post-season experience with the B-Sens. It could be a long one, perhaps even another Calder Cup run, especially with Ceci in tow.

"I still have lots of friends down there, guys I've met playing "¦ it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to go see those guys again," he said. "But right now I've just got to focus on the last bunch of games with Ottawa and see what we can do with this last stretch. Hopefully we can do something magical.

"Playoffs are a great time of year," he added. "Anywhere I'm playing playoffs this year will be a good time and new for me."

THIS AND THAT

Zack Smith was remorseful over taking a retaliatory penalty on Ryan Callahan in the third period Thursday. Callahan scored what proved to be the game winner with Smith in the box. "It was a terrible penalty, a retaliation penalty, and towards the end of the game .. I definitely regret that," said the Senators centre. "It was a tough play. I was seeing red. "¦ the refs obviously missed the first one and they're going to be watching for retaliation. It was definitely one I'd like back." "¦ The Senators have been reeling ever since they blew a 4-1 in Montreal Saturday, but Smith refuses to pinpoint their lousy week on the collapse. "I'm not sure that was it," he said. "That was definitely a tough loss, guys were pretty upset after that one, but we're professionals, we've got to put that one behind us and work towards the next one. I don't think we can blame that on the outcome of the last two games." "¦ Ales Hemsky, Bobby Ryan and Colin Greening missed Friday's practice. Coach Paul MacLean said they were taking "maintenance days." "¦ Chris Neil

left practice early. "I don't know what happened to him," said MacLean. "As far as I know he'll be fine." "¦ The practice was short, but intense. "We didn't want to be out there very long "¦ we still have to play the games," said MacLean. "We reviewed some stuff, did some stuff that we thought we had to do better, but there's no sense hanging around. If we let them hang around, they'll hang around a long time."

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.22.2014


Oddsmakers give Ottawa Senators 0.8% chance

Don Brennan


DALLAS - The Senators' loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning stung them in oh, so many ways.

It was their fifth in a row and, according to the website sportsclubstats.com, dropped their chances of making the playoffs to 0.8%. In fact, as of Friday, they have better odds (3.6%) of drawing the first overall pick in the 2014 entry draft - not that it will do them any good. The Senators traded that selection to the Anaheim Ducks in the Bobby Ryan deal last summer.

You remember Ryan, the gifted winger they had to acquire July 1 to make up for allowing Daniel Alfredsson to walk as a free agent? His scoring struggles continued Thursday while Alfredsson was netting two - including the overtime winner with less than a second on the clock - and adding an assist in a Detroit victory that allowed the Red Wings to inch to within one point of a wild card spot in the East.

Meanwhile, as Ben Bishop was improving his record against Ottawa to 4-0-0, Cory Conacher was scoring twice, adding a helper and being a general pest in Buffalo's 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

At least it's too late for Conacher to help lift the Sabres into the post-season tournament, right?

The Senators, who are in Dallas for another dreaded matinee Saturday, could still make the playoffs. All they have to do is win 11 or 12 of their last 13 games.

"We've dug ourselves a hole, there's no doubt about that," centre Zack Smith before heading to the team flight for Dallas - which was delayed by about three hours. "As long as there's a little bit of hope, we have something to play for "¦ not that we wouldn't play if we were mathematically out.

"We've got to start winning games, not looking too far ahead. Just win the next game. There's a few parts of our game we've got to clean up "¦ like being harder around our net. If we do that teams aren't going to be scoring the back door goals, the rebound goals in front of our net, like they have been."

And then, they'll just need a miracle to extend their season beyond April 13.



Ottawa Senators' Lehner getting thick skin

Don Brennan


DALLAS - Down to their last gasps, the Senators will forge on without the availability of their No. 1 goalie.

Craig Anderson will miss his fifth straight game with a mysterious "upper body" injury when Ottawa tries to snap a five-game losing streak Saturday afternoon at American Airlines Center.

Anderson, who has been practising with the team this week, will not even be fit enough to serve as back up Robin Lehner against the Stars. He is, however, on the three-game road trip, which at the very least should provide him an opportunity to visit his family in Florida.

Binghamton call up Andrew Hammond will be the Senators' second goalie in Dallas.

"It's still lingering, from the original (issue) against Nashville," coach Paul MacLean said when asked if Anderson had re-aggravated his injury. "It's still there, so you can't put him in there if he's not ready to go."

MacLean denied having to play such an important stretch the last week without his No. 1 goalie had become a source of frustration.

"It is what it is," he said. "We've faced injuries and adversity before. The circumstances aren't the best. We'd like to have our No. 1 goalie playing (now), but if he's hurt, he's hurt. And you have to play the other guy."

Meanwhile, the "other guy" just happens to be going through the worst stretch of his very young NHL career.

Lehner has not tasted victory since Feb. 4 and has been charged with six losses since. The most recent stretch has been particularly troublesome. In the last three games and 3:22 of action - going back to Ottawa's collapse at the Bell Centre Saturday - Lehner has surrendered 17 goals.

And in his last three outings, the Senators have averaged approximately 26 shots against per game.

"I'm just trying to find answers, and just working my ass off, just trying to get better," said Lehner, who at 22 has had to learn to deal with being a backup for the first time in his life this year. "It's a big slide right now. I am not going to say I don't want to play. I really do. I need games. I need to learn. It's big. I know it's a tough last few days "¦ it's really tough. It's a real challenge mentally, and I think every game, even though there's few really hard ones, I feel like I'm getting over it in my head. I'm starting fresh after every goal. I'm coming up with big saves, but then they score. It's not going any way how we want it to, especially not for me. It's tough.

"I'm getting thicker skin every day, and it's good for me I think, going forward."

Along with the disappointment of not meeting his own expectations, Lehner has felt the wrath of the fans.

"It's not fun to see your cell phone after games "¦ it's a new age," he said, forcing a smile. "It can get very personalized. That's fine. If people want to say I suck, that's fine. Maybe I do. But I'm working on it and I know what I can do.

"Twitter, facebook whatever it is, they're tough forums during a stretch like this, especially in a Canadian city. The team matters a lot to a lot of people, and it does for us too. Every one has their right to their opinion. It's freedom of speech or whatever you want to say."

Depicted as a fighter, Lehner is trying to fight out of his slump. But, he says, it's not an easy thing to do for a goalie.

"It's not like a player, a goal scorer," explained Lehner. "If it doesn't go his way he can change his game. He can start hitting, he can play physical. He can change in a lot of different ways.

"That's not the same way for a goalie. I don't dictate what I get to do. I can have 40 shots and people can say I battled real hard, but if I have 20 shots it

can be different types of shots, it can be better shots. It's not that I'm not fighting. I can just do whatever I'm given.

"Right now it's a lot of tough shots, and it's tough positions. It's tough mentally. I hate to lose."

From all the video watching he's done, Lehner sees that he's over-playing situations, leaving himself out of position. That goes against one of his strengths - the ability to read plays.

"I'm worried, but I'm not worried," said Lehner. "I'll come back from this. The team will come back from this."

MacLean, meanwhile, is not worried about any long lasting damaging affects these tough times will have on Lehner.

"He's gone over it, he's reviewed it, he's flushed it and now he's ready to go again," said MacLean. "It hasn't gone good for him right now, so he's facing a little bit of adversity here at the NHL level, which is a hard place to face it. But at the end of the day, it's not all just him. He's got five other guys other there that are turning pucks over and taking penalties and putting him in a tough spot. He would like to react better to it, just like everyone else would like to react better to it.

"But he's working at being a No. 1 goaltender. If one thing comes out of this for Robin is a realization that's it a hard league. If you're going to be the No. 1 goaltender, you've got to really make sure you can put the past in the past and get ready for the next game.

"I'm confident it's something he can learn from and it's going to make him better down the road. I just hope it's (Saturday)."


739014 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers sign draft pick Robert Hagg

Frank Seravalli

Friday, March 21, 2014, 11:28 AM

Flyers second round pick Robert Hagg is moving to North America.

The Flyers announced on Friday morning that they've agreed to terms with Hagg, their 41st overall pick in 2013 behind Samuel Morin, to a three-year entry level contract.

Hagg, 19, will arrive in the United States on Monday and report to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms.

Although he has been a highly touted prospect, we haven't learned much about him yet other than a trip to the Flyers' development camp last summer. He has been playing a man's game in Sweden - unlike most of his junior-aged counterparts in North America.

He's spent the last two seasons playing for MODO in Sweden's Elite League - where former Flyer Peter Forsberg is the assistant general manager. Hagg played 50 games this season and collected one goal and five assists for six points with 49 penalty minutes. He averaged a little over 13 minutes in ice time per game. Hagg was third on Modo in hits (77) and finished the season with an even rating - on the ice for 21 goals-for and against.

Hagg played more games this season than all but 3 other junior-aged players in the Swedish Elite League.

The Flyers have kept a close eye on Hagg, with player development coach Kjell Samuelsson making multiple trips over to Sweden to work with him and see him play.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.22.2014


Phillies Notebook: Disappointed Ruf heading to the disabled list

RYAN LAWRENCE

Sunday, March 23, 2014, 3:01 AM

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Darin Ruf appeared to be a favorite to not only be on his first major league Opening Day roster on March 31, but to also be in the lineup as a designated hitter when the Phillies open the season in Arlington against the Rangers. But Ruf will not be able to do either of those things after an MRI on his rib cage yesterday. He is likely to miss the entire first month of the season.

Ruf was diagnosed with a Grade 1/2 left oblique strain and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, the Phillies announced after yesterday's exhibition game against Boston.

Ruf said yesterday morning that he had felt mild discomfort throughout the week but that he aggravated it during his second round of pregame batting practice Thursday in Kissimmee, where he was scratched out of the lineup prior to the game.

"It was one swing that took it to another level," Ruf said. "When that swing happened, it was very disappointing."

Ruf was still sore when he arrived at the Phillies clubhouse at Bright House Field yesterday.

"It wasn't a great sign when he was sore this morning," GM Ruben Amaro said. "We'll have to deal with it."

Last May, Chase Utley was diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain after similarly suffering the injury in batting practice. Utley missed a month.

Ruf hit .217 with two home runs and two doubles in 18 games this spring, but he also had 18 total bases, one behind the trio of Ben Revere, Marlon Byrd and John Mayberry Jr. for the team lead.

The Phillies arguably lost two of their best pieces on the bench in less than 24 hours. Freddy Galvis will also begin the season on the DL after begin diagnosed with a MRSA infection stemming from a minor surgical procedure on his left knee.

With Ruf and Galvis out, Mayberry, Kevin Frandsen, Bobby Abreu, Tony Gwynn Jr. and reserve catcher Wil Nieves are near-roster locks while non-roster infielders Ronny Cedeno and Reid Brignac will compete to fill Galvis' shoes as a backup behind shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Cesar Hernandez hasn't played shortstop regularly since 2007, so he isn't a candidate for that job, but he did play five innings at short in the minor league game in Clearwater yesterday.

"We have 8 days," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Yeah, it's a blow. We have 8 days to look at everybody and it creates an opportunity. We don't have to make decisions right now. I'm going to look at everybody. We have eight games."

Lee looking sharp

Cliff Lee looked to be in midseason form last Saturday in Fort Myers, when he blanked the Boston Red Sox over five innings. Lee took it a step further 6 days later, when he was once again pitted against the defending World Series champions.

Lee didn't throw a ball in the first four innings of yesterday's game in Clearwater, and the Phillies rallied to earn a 2-2 tie in 10 innings.

"He had like 30 or 40 straight strikes - he didn't throw a ball until the end of the fifth," Sandberg said. "Cliff was great."

Lee matched fellow lefthander Jon Lester with five zeroes on the scoreboard, but yielded a two-out walk to Jonny Gomes that led to Boston scoring twice in the sixth.

It was just Lee's third walk in 19 2/3 innings this spring. Lee will have one more tuneup before taking the ball on March 31, Opening Day in Texas.

Yesterday, the Phillies rallied back with two runs in the eighth, sparked by a solo homer from Gwynn, his first of the spring.

Gwynn is hitting .333 with a .487 OBP, four extra-base hits, seven walks and three strikeouts in 16 games this spring.

Phillers

Cole Hamels is scheduled to pitch to hitters for the first time this spring today. Hamels entered spring training behind schedule after battling biceps tendinitis in November and then had his spring progression slowed earlier this month with fatigue. He could join the rotation in late April or early May . . . Both Mike Adams and Jonathan Pettibone are scheduled to pitch in minor league games in Clearwater today. Adams, who had shoulder surgery on July 31, is eyeing a return to the bullpen in mid-April. Pettibone, who dealt with shoulder soreness in the beginning of camp, hopes to be ready when the Phillies need a fifth starter next month . . . Ethan Martin resumed his throwing program on Thursday and threw again yesterday. He had been shut down for 3 weeks with a shoulder strain . . . Martin and catching prospect Tommy Joseph will shave their heads next Wednesday in support of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation's "Cut for a Cure" campaign.



Flyers have high hopes for Swede Hagg

FRANK SERAVALLI


AFTER MAKING a few trips to Sweden to watch him, work with him and track his development, the Flyers couldn't wait to get their hands on second-round pick Robert Hagg.

Just a few days after Hagg's season ended with MODO in the Swedish Hockey League, the Flyers announced yesterday that they had come to agreement on a 3-year, entry-level deal to bring the 19-year-old defenseman to North America.

Hagg was selected 41st overall in 2013, behind first-round pick Samuel Morin. Hagg will arrive in the United States on Monday and report to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms for the final 15 games of their season. His professional contract will begin next fall.

"He's progressed to the point where some options opened up for us," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "To have him in North America, I think it's a good thing for both Robert and the Flyers down the road."

Holmgren conceded that it's "a little bit of a stretch" to think Hagg could jump into the NHL next season - say, if Kimmo Timonen were to retire or play elsewhere - but he "didn't want to rule anything out."

Unlike Morin, in junior hockey, or even fellow defenseman and second-round pick Shayne Gostisbehere at Union College Hagg has been playing a man's game. He averaged 13 minutes per night over 50 games this season with MODO, while collecting one goal and five assists for six points and 49 penalty minutes. He had 77 hits and finished the season with an even rating.

Only three other junior-aged players skated in more games in the Swedish Elite League this season than Hagg. For that, Holmgren said Hagg (6-2, 203 pounds) is probably more physically developed than Morin or Gostisbehere.

Former Flyer Peter Forsberg, MODO's assistant general manager, did not respond to a request for comment on Hagg yesterday.

"He's a steady, two-way guy," Holmgren said. "His ability to move the puck is exceptional. And his ability to play defense and defend is exceptional. This number of games he can get in with the Phantoms will be crucial for his development. His reaction time is going to need to improve with the smaller ice. We're excited to have him."

Free-agent watch

After striking gold with college free agent Matt Read out of Bemidji State in 2011, the Flyers are again on the hunt for NCAA players who will be wrapping up their seasons in the coming weeks. One player Holmgren admitted the Flyers have their eye on is UMass-Lowell defenseman Christian Folin.

Lowell is, at the very least, more than a week away from the end of its season - but the Flyers and Bruins are among the teams in the hunt for Folin's services, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. Holmgren personally saw Folin play this season. He's a player many believe can jump right to the NHL, like Western Michigan's Dan DeKeyser did last spring, sliding into the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Red Wings. The Flyers were among the finalists for DeKeyser's services. They'd love to snag Folin, a 23-year-old from Sweden, this spring.

"He's a good, young defenseman," Holmgren said. "He's a good-looking player. He's big. He looks good. He moves the puck well. Could he jump right in? Probably on the right team, yeah. We have a few guys on our list that we'll check in when the time comes."

Slap shots

When asked to compare his personality to former Flyers and current St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock, Craig Berube quipped: "Mine's better." Berube, 48, played for Hitchcock in junior hockey in 1985-86, had him as an assistant

coach in 1990-91 with the Flyers, and was the Phantoms' head coach while Hitchcock coached the Flyers (2006-07) . . . Today marks the Flyers' first matchup with St. Louis in more than 2 years (Oct. 22, 2011). They will now face the NHL-best Blues twice in 2 weeks . . . Ryan Miller, who is 7-1-1 with a 1.92 goals-against average since being acquired from Buffalo on Feb. 28, will start for the Blues . . . The Blues' top line of T.J. Oshie, Alexander Steen and David Backes is also expected to be reunited against the Flyers.



Flyers' Read and Couturier getting downright defensive

FRANK SERAVALLI


PRAISE FROM around the hockey world has been heaped on Sean Couturier over the past week.

Rightfully so, after the Flyers held Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews to a combined one assist in three consecutive outings.

Couturier had Crosby, the NHL's runaway points leader, so frustrated at one point in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon that "Sid the Kid" was willing to throw down the gloves for his first fight in four regular seasons.

Far less attention has been paid to Couturier's linemate, Matt Read - who added three goals in the weekend set against the Penguins. If it were up to Couturier, that wouldn't be the case.

"I've been saying it all season, it's a line thing," Couturier said. "We seem to have good chemistry together. We have such good chemistry that we seem to find each other out there. We're both pretty smart defensively - and I think that's what makes us successful."

Read, 27, has been every bit as good as Couturier defensively this season. Every shift that Couturier was on the ice against the Penguins' and Blackhawks' stars, Read was right there with him as the perfect complementary piece.

On Tuesday night, he took only two shifts - both late in overtime - without Toews, a fine defensive player in his own right, not on the ice, according to ShiftChart.com.

"At the end of the night, you just want to make sure that you don't get scored on," Read said. "You're helping your team eliminate their top line, and you're hoping that our top line can score against their third line."

Said Couturier: "At the end of the night, if we're 'plus' players, then we've done our job."

Both players, and third linemate Steve Downie, will have their work cut out for them this week. The Blues are expected to reunite top line T.J. Oshie, David Backes and Alexander Steen against them today. Then, they'll have their hands full with the Kings' Marian Gaborik, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams on Monday.

The work isn't getting any easier, but Read doesn't seem to mind. Some nights, he said, it can feel like he's chasing the puck all over and not making a lot happen. Then, there are other games when he is spending a lot of time in the offensive zone, where it's easier to defend from there.

Read is unlikely to hit the 47-point plateau he set as a rookie in 2011-12, even though he is averaging nearly 3 more minutes per game than he did then. His minutes - and production at both ends of the ice - are far more valuable and complete than they were then.

The fact that both Read and Couturier are locked up for a combined $5.4 million through 2015-16 is looking very promising for the Flyers.

"We're not trying not to score," Read said. "Teams that go far in the playoffs seem to have all four lines scoring. We take our chances when we have the opportunity."



Flyers Notes: Flyers sign draft pick Hagg

Sam Carchidi

March 22, 2014, 1:08 AM

The Flyers agreed to terms with defenseman Robert Hagg, their second-round pick last June, to an entry-level contract Friday, and there are indications they are in the hunt for free-agent defenseman Christian Folin of UMass-Lowell.

Hagg, 19, who was the youngest regular defenseman in the Sweden Hockey League, will report to the Phantoms on Tuesday, and his three-year entry-level deal will start next season.

If Kimmo Timonen retires, Hagg could be in the discussion for a spot with the Flyers next season - though he likely will need a full year of AHL seasoning.

General manager Paul Holmgren said it was a "little bit of a stretch" that the 6-foot-2, 204-pound Hagg, a strong two-way player, would be with the Flyers next season, but added he didn't want to rule anything out. "Having him over here in North America is good for Robert and good for the Flyers down the road," he said.

The Flyers and Boston are reportedly among the teams that have Folin on their radar. Folin is close to being NHL-ready.

Holmgren said the Flyers have had "internal conversations" on defenseman Valeri Vasiliev, whom the team chose in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. Vasiliev has decided not to return to the KHL and may come to North America to play.



Former Flyers coach Hitchcock has Blues on a roll

Sam Carchidi

March 22, 2014, 1:08 AM

Ken Hitchcock coaches the NHL's best team, the St. Louis Blues, but he is leery of his surging opponent in Saturday's matinee at the Wells Fargo Center.

To Hitchcock, the Flyers are going to be an ultra-dangerous team when the playoffs roll around.

"If I was in the East, I'd be really nervous to play them," Hitchcock, who coached the Flyers for three-plus seasons before being fired early in 2006-07, said in a phone interview from St. Louis on Friday. "They look like a team right now that not only has a lot of resolve, but they are fully committed to checking - and that's the coach who has gotten that out of them."

The Flyers have won four straight and hold second place in the Metropolitan Division.

"There's lots of talented teams in the National Hockey League, but that team is fully invested in checking," Hitchcock said. "You see it in their penalty killing. You see it in their forecheck, their five-on-five play. They are going to be a bear in the playoffs."

While Hitchcock was praising the Flyers (37-25-7), coach Craig Berube was raving about the Blues (47-15-7), a hardworking team that has an active forecheck and an NHL-best 101 points heading into Friday.

"They're a structurally sound hockey team," Berube said. "Good size. Physical team. Pretty solid all around."

To beat St. Louis, Berube said, the Flyers have to play better than they did in their 4-2 win over Dallas on Thursday.

"The second period was sloppy and we turned pucks over," he said. "We didn't really get engaged or involved in the second period at all along the walls."

The Blues are built around an outstanding defense and balanced scoring. Their top scorer, Olympic hero T.J. Oshie, is tied for 36th in the NHL with 54 points.

"We know we don't have maybe the top-end guys that some other teams do, but we are very much the sum of our parts," said Hitchcock, who will be coaching his first game in Philadelphia since he took over the Blues in 2011-12. "Our leaders don't allow our team to dip very far or for very long; they've got a full grip on the team. That's one of the reasons we've been consistent.

"Our leaders are willing to talk about the hard things that have to be discussed without the coaches being involved. We expect a lot out of ourselves, but the players are driving the bus."

Goalie Ryan Miller has excelled since being acquired Feb. 28 from Buffalo, along with pesky forward Steve Ott.

"It wasn't just Ryan Miller we wanted. We really wanted to get our hands on a guy like Steve Ott, who to me is built for the playoffs," Hitchcock said. "He's a guy who has really added to our team. It was a combination of Miller-Ott that we felt we needed to take a chance on to help our team to the next level."

Oshie gives the Blues an edge if the game goes into a shootout.

"What he did in the Olympics was an unbelievable display of talent in an extremely high-pressured situation," said Flyers goalie Steve Mason, referring to Oshie's four shootout goals that enabled Team USA to defeat Russia, 3-2, last month.

The Flyers, winger Scott Hartnell said, have focused on "cleaning up our game in areas - turnovers, bad penalties, things like that. I like where we're going, and this will be a big test for us."



Hitchcock: Flyers will be a 'bear in the playoffs'

Sam Carchidi

March 21, 2014, 5:25 PM

Ken Hitchcock coaches the NHL’s best team, the St. Louis Blues, but he is leery of his surging opponent in Saturday’s matinee at the Wells Fargo Center.

To Hitchcock, the Flyers are going to be an ultra-dangerous team when the playoffs roll around.

“If I was in the East, I’d be really nervous to play them,” Hitchcock, who coached the Flyers for parts of four years before being fired early in the 2006-07 season, said in a phone interview from St. Louis on Friday. “They look like a team right now that not only has a lot of resolve, but they are fully committed to checking _ and that’s the coach who has gotten that out of them.”

The Flyers have won four straight and hold second place in the Metropolitan Division.

“There’s lots of talented teams in the National Hockey League, but that team is fully invested in checking,” Hitchcock said. “You see it in their penalty killing. You see it in their forecheck, their five-on-five play. They are going to be a bear in the playoffs.”

While Hitchcock was praising the Flyers (37-25-7), coach Craig Berube was raving about the Blues (47-15-7), a hard-working team that has an active forecheck and an NHL-best 101 points heading into Friday.

“They’re a structurally sound hockey team,” Berube said. “Good size. Physical team. Pretty solid all around.”

To beat St. Louis, Berube said the Flyers have to play better than they did in Thursday’s 4-2 win over Dallas. “The second period was sloppy and we turned pucks over,” he said. “We didn’t really get engaged or involved in the second period at all along the walls.”

The Blues are built around an outstanding defense and balanced scoring. Their top scorer, Olympic hero T.J. Oshie, is tied for 36th in the NHL with 54 points.

“We know we don’t have maybe the top-end guys that some other teams do, but we are very much the sum of our parts,” said Hitchcock, who will be coaching his first game in Philadelphia since he took over the Blues in 2011-12. “Our leaders don’t allow our team to dip very far or for very long; they’ve got a full grip on the team. That’s one of the reasons we’ve been consistent.

“Our leaders are willing to talk about the hard things that have to be discussed without the coaches being involved. We expect a lot out of ourselves, but the players are driving the bus.”

Goalie Ryan Miller has excelled since being acquired Feb. 28 from Buffalo, along with pesky forward Steve Ott.

“It wasn’t just Ryan Miller we wanted. We really wanted to get our hands on a guy like Steve Ott, who to me is built for the playoffs,” Hitchcock said. “He’s a guy who has really added to our team. It was a combination of Miller-Ott that we felt we needed to take a chance on to help our team to the next level.”ome

Flyers winger Jake Voracek and goalie Steve Mason had Hitchcock as their first NHL coach when they played in Columbus.

Voracek expects a “very gritty game. (Teams) tough to play against. Very good defense, very physical.”

Oschie gives the Blues an edge if the game goes into a shootout.

“What he did in the Olympics was an unbelievable display of talent in an extremely high-pressured situation,” said Mason, referring to Oshie’s four shootout goals that enabled Team USA to defeat Russia, 3-2, last month.

The Flyers, winger Scott Hartnell said, have focused on “cleaning up our game in areas _ turnovers bad penalties, things like that. I like where we’re going, and this will be a big test for us.”



Berube well-acquainted with Hitchcock

Rob Parent


VOORHEES, N.J. — Part of the challenge the St. Louis Blues will present to the Flyers Saturday afternoon is the system head coach Ken Hitchcock has built an impressive coaching career around. It’s a system Flyers fans would be well acquainted with. It’s a career that included a Stanley Cup championship and a second trip to the Cup finals in successive springs of 1999 and 2000 with the Dallas Stars, a tough 2004 loss to Tampa Bay in seven games of the Eastern Conference finals while coaching the Flyers, and perhaps Hitchcock’s greatest accomplishment as a coach: leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to the playoffs once.

That team had a flashy rookie goalie named Steve Mason and underachieving young forward with vast potential named Jake Voracek on it.

“I think he’s a great coach, Mason said Friday. “He knows the game inside-out. One of the most knowledgeable coaches I ever played for.

“We had a tough go my second year in Columbus and unfortunately he’s the one that took a fall for it. But I think he’s a great coach and he’s showing that there in St. Louis right now.”

Flyers coach Craig Berube goes back with Hitchcock further than most. Berube played for a young coach Hitchcock with Kamloops in the Western (Junior) Hockey League in 1985-86. Berube was traded to another WHL team that year.

Fast forward to training camp in Voorhees in 1990, and Berube, now an established young enforcer with the Flyers, welcomed in new general manager Russ Farwell’s hand-picked assistant coach, Ken Hitchcock. He was told to mesh well with holdover head coach Paul Holmgren.

Anyway, that would be Berube’s final season of his first tenure as a Flyers player. Not that there’s any connection between his relationship with Hitchcock and being traded. Maybe it just seems that way.

“I’ve known Hitch a long time, played for him and stuff, and so I’ve been around him a long time,” Berube said. “I learned a lot from him, obviously. He was coaching here when I was (coaching) with the Phantoms (in the mid-2000s), and I was always around talking with him and learning stuff from him. He’s a smart hockey guy. He’s been around a long time and he’s done some great things in the game.

“His teams are always good defensively. They work hard, they’re sound with their system and they always play physical.”

Considering the impact Hitchcock had on him, Berube was asked if his personality was a lot like Hitchcock’s.

“Mine’s a lot better,” Berube said with a patented evil grin.

“He’s hard on guys,” Berube added, “but that’s what makes him a good coach. He doesn’t stand for lackadaisical play. He knows when things are going the other way and he tries to fix it quickly. He’s good at that.”

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Blues offer no letup for rejuvenated Flyers

Rob Parent


VOORHEES, N.J. — It’s too early for vindication, but you can tell the Flyers are getting closer to that long desired state with each passing victory. In the wake of what they could call a comparatively so-so performance in a 4-2 win over the desperate Dallas Stars Tuesday night, the Flyers can point to their accomplishments of the past few weeks with a measure of growing pride and ballooning confidence.

Just so long as they don’t overdo it.

“We had a tough start, obviously,” Jake Voracek said after a practice at Skate Zone Friday. “Not everybody is going to talk about us when we lose seven of our first eight. It took us a long time to get back, but I think we’ve done a great job. And I think we’ve made the Wells Fargo Center a tough building to play in. That’s what you have to do. We play very solid defensively in our building. I think over the last couple of weeks ... we’ve sent a message that we are a very good team and that we are contenders.”

Contenders, certainly.

Vindicated challengers? Well, not quite yet.

From that club that started 1-7, the Flyers (37-25-7) have taken several major leaps as a team this season. Even in going 7-1-1 in the month of March, the Flyers have again proven to not only being a resilient team, but one that can play with the league’s big boys.

It didn’t appear that way in their first game back from the Olympic break on Feb. 27, a game with the visiting San Jose Sharks that turned into a 7-3 loss. But two days later, on March 1, the Flyers beat the Rangers and they essentially haven’t looked back.

Even their one regulation loss in that stretch, against the rival Devils, came with the post-game acknowledgement that they had outplayed New Jersey for most of the game. That accepted, the Flyers have beaten Metropolitan Division leader Pittsburgh twice, took down defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago and dispatched a very competitive Dallas team despite playing a lousy second period.

Now comes another tough test, as the St. Louis Blues pay a Saturday afternoon visit to Wells Fargo Center. At 47-15-7, coach Ken Hitchcock’s club only owns the league’s best record.

“They’re one of the top teams in the league, no question about it.” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “They have 101 (standings) points already and they added Ryan Miller at the trade deadline. That’s a tough task for us.”

Miller, the former U.S. Olympian and a longtime star in Buffalo, won seven of his first eight starts for the Blues. But then came a Chicago team Wednesday night that was still smarting from a loss in Philadelphia the night before. The Blackhawks ripped off a 4-0 win over the Blues that in the long run could go as a Hawks loss since Patrick Kane suffered an injury that could keep him out for the balance of the regular season.

All in all, however, the Blues have had a fantastic season with balanced scoring throughout the lineup and one of the league’s most dangerous and mobile defensive units. Now it has an All-Star goalie in Miller smiling behind it. Hitchcock said they will reunite the top line of T.J. Oshie, Alexander Steen and David Backes against the Flyers, and Miller will be in net.

“They can throw any line out at you and you have to always worry about who’s out on the ice,” Flyers goalie Steve Mason said. “They don’t have that one player who’s going to put up points every single night. They have a committee of players that comes to compete every single game. That makes it extremely difficult to play against them.”

With 13 games remaining in the regular season, including two against St. Louis, two against the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins, one more against Pittsburgh and one each against close Metro Division chasers the Rangers and Blue Jackets, any talk of playoffs would be premature for the Flyers, no matter how well-balanced they’ve looked lately.

“It’s what a championship team has to be, you know?” Voracek said. “They have to have balanced scoring. And even when you look at (Sean Couturier’s) line, playing with (Matt) Read and whether it’s (Steve) Downie or (Michael) Raffl there, they’ve been outstanding. They have been shutting down guys and scoring big goals for us. It’s very good for us right now, because everybody’s scoring, and the power play is working very well.”

So, all’s good. Now comes the best team in the league.

“Honestly, it’s going to be a good test for us,” Voracek said of the Blues visit, “because it’s a top team. But I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the playoffs.”

Why? Because it’s too early to talk about them, that’s why.

•••

NOTES: Prospect Robert Hagg, a second-round pick last June, signed an entry-level contract Friday and is expected to report to the Phantoms Tuesday. ... Another Flyers defensive prospect, Shayne Gostisbehere of Union College, is the lone defenseman among 10 finalists for college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Flyers ink prospect Robert Hagg to entry-level deal

Tim Panaccio

March 21, 2014, 12:00 pm

Swedish defensive prospect Robert Hagg agreed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers on Friday.

The 6-foot-2, 204-pound blue liner was the Flyers' second-round pick (41st overall) in last summer’s NHL Draft.

Hagg is among the Flyers’ top blue-line prospects who are all about a year or two away from playing in the NHL.

The Flyers’ other top two defenseman prospects are Samuel Morin (Rimouski of the QMJHL) and Shayne Gostisbehere (Union College).

Who's closest to wearing a Flyers jersey?

“I don’t know -- 1A, 1B, 1C, how’s that?” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “We like them all. They all bring something different to the table. They’re all good, young defensemen to have in our organization.”

Hagg, who is 19 and has outstanding puck skill and mobility, played in 50 games for MODO in the Swedish Elite League this season, scoring a goal and tallying five assists. He also appeared for Sweden in the World Junior Championships as a shutdown defenseman.

“Before the world juniors, some options opened up for us,” Holmgren said. “We moved forward with it.”

Holmgren said it was “a stretch” to have Hagg playing in the NHL next season.

Hagg projects as a two-way, puck-moving defenseman with the Flyers.

“He’s not like Shayne in terms of getting up in the play with speed,” Holmgren said. “He’s a good, all-round player. He is strong, fit and physically, he is probably more developed than the other two right now.”

Hagg is on a tryout agreement with the Phantoms for the remainder of the year. Holmgren said no decision has been made as to whether the team will also sign Gostisberhere this spring.

There are 15 games left in the Phantoms' season.

Holmgren said the Flyers remain in the hunt for free agent defenseman Christian Folin (UMass-Lowell), who has a number of NHL clubs pursuing him.

“He’s a good-looking player, big, moves the puck," Holmgren said. "Could he jump right in? Probably on the right team, he could.”

Meanwhile, defenseman Valeri Vasiliev, a seventh-round pick of the Flyers in 2012, has informed his club Spartak of the KHL that he won’t be coming back and may come to North America this fall.

“We’ve had some internal conversations about Vasiliev but no decision has been made as to what direction we’re taking,” Holmgren said.



MacDonald, Schenn clicking on blue line for Flyers

Tim Panaccio

March 21, 2014, 10:45 am

When the Flyers went out and traded for Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald 24 hours before the NHL trade deadline earlier this month, their intent was succinct.

A young, mobile, up-and-coming defenseman in the final year of an entry-level contract who could be molded into an existing cast and re-signed long term.

The only question was whom to pair MacDonald with. The answer seemed obvious, since MacDonald was soon to replace Andrej Meszaros on the blue line: Luke Schenn, Meszaros' former partner.

That's exactly what happened.

What the Flyers didn’t expect, however, was the instant chemistry the two would develop. Or that Schenn, who has struggled to find consistency in his game this season -- even being benched at one point -- would suddenly look like a more relaxed, confident and better player on the ice.

Seven games in, it’s working.

MacDonald is making Schenn a better defenseman, and that’s become a bonus to his defense. He can cover more lateral area in front of the slot more quickly, which allows Schenn to focus on his strengths -- his ability to hit and his penchant to block shots.

It’s even allowed Schenn to get a little more room to make first passes out of the back end -- stretch passes like the one he hit Vinny Lecavalier with last Saturday for a goal that broke the Pittsburgh Penguins' back at 3-0.

“Even before seeing Andy, you could imagine it as a good pairing,” said assistant coach John Paddock, who handles the defense.

“One is a bigger, physical guy. The other one is a slighter build, puck-mover. Those complements don’t always work out, but sometimes they do. This looks like a good pair.”

The pairing has given the Flyers a more versatile look on the back end. Now the team has three pairs of defensemen who can play in more situations.

Against Chicago, Paddock used Nick Grossmann and Mark Streit against Patrick Sharp. MacDonald went against Patrick Kane because of his skating ability. The toughest matchup saw Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen against Jonathan Toews.

“That was a handful for anybody,” Paddock said of Toews. “This allows us more flexibility of not worrying about the matchups.”

Remember when the Flyers hooked up Chris Therien and Eric Desjardins back in 1995 after the latter arrived in the trade from Montreal? Instant chemistry.

They went on to play a decade together. Desjardins the mobile puck-mover; Therien the big, physical presence who owned Jaromir Jagr in one-on-one matchups.

Schenn doesn’t skate as well as Therien, and MacDonald admits he has a ways to go to match Desjardins, but the idea here is similar: one guy complementing the other to become a very good pair and raise the level of play.

“Luke does a lot of things really well out there,” MacDonald said. “He’s big, physical, moves the puck well when the opportunity is there. For me, playing with Luke, we try to complement each other.

“We’ve been doing a good job of making day-to-day plays. He’s found the stretch guys a few times and so have I. We’re creating good chemistry out there. Get the puck in our forwards' hands with speed and transition.”

Schenn is noticeably more confident on the ice.

“You don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself and compare us to Desjardins and Therien who did a lot for the franchise, but I think MacDonald -- it’s only

been a few games, but we’re developing chemistry and learning how to play together,” Schenn said.

“We complement each other well. He’s helped me out there. He’s a steady player to play with. We knew what type of player he was: steady and consistent. Probably not a real flashy guy or things you would notice about him.

“He is always in good position, makes a good first pass and puts pucks on the tape. He can play some offense, but I think the big thing is he is sound defensively.”

Paddock is blunt when asked how MacDonald-Schenn holds up against Meszaros-Schenn.

“No disrespect to anyone else or any pairing this year, but MacDonald is a better player,” Paddock said. “A calm, cool guy who moves the puck and is in position defensively.

“Good position all the time. A smart player who can skate and pass the puck. Some guys get chemistry. They got it.”

And how does Schenn feel right now?

“Throughout the whole year, I had bumpy ground, had a few different partners,” he said. “This is the first time where I had a few games with the same guy to develop a relationship as a defensive pairing. I enjoy playing with him.”



Flyers Notes: Mason, Simmonds hot at right time

Tim Panaccio

March 21, 2014, 9:00 am

Steve Mason looked a little drained.

He had good reason. For more than half the game, he was the lone difference between the Flyers clinging to a one-goal lead and losing by several.

Just that simple.

“Games have ways of sorting themselves out,” Mason said after the Flyers' narrow 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars (see game recap).

Mason was the ultimate defensive difference, while Wayne Simmonds provided clutch offense with two goals.

“It was a tough one because we were clinging onto that one-goal lead for such a long time,” Mason said. “The guys found a way to come out and get some big goals that third period [after leading 2-1]. This is a team win.”

The Dallas Stars are big and fast, and they came at Mason all night. Jamie Benn had two goals -- his second made it 3-2 before Michael Raffl put it away for good.

“Sometimes bounces go your way and sometimes they don’t,” Mason said. “When they’re not going your way, things tend to be magnified a little bit.

“Right now the guys are working hard. You can really see it in our last three games, including this one, just on the back check. We’re not giving teams too much time. Our games against Pittsburgh and Chicago were really solid team efforts and tonight was the same.”

That’s nine starts in the last 10 games for Mason. His record is 7-2-1. He admits the night off against Chicago helped.

“Anytime you can utilize the rest you get coming down this home stretch is going to be big,” Mason said. “We’re in a good spot right now. We have to keep playing well. Every game is going to be a must-win down the road.”

Simmonds now has 23 goals, five shy of career high set with the Flyers in 2011-12.

“I think I’m playing more consistently,” Simmonds said. “My first year here I did get the 28 goals, but I think there were some lapses in the season where I’d probably go 15, 16 games. I think there was one time I went like 17 games without a goal, and I just try to make sure I play a more complete game and more consistently.”

So what’s changed?

“I don’t know,” Simmonds replied. “I think it’s just getting used to the league more and more. It’s my sixth year in the league now, and as you get older the game starts to slow down a little bit. Things, I don’t want to say it gets easier, but I guess it does get a little bit easier.”

Flyers coach Craig Berube has seen the difference in Simmonds.

“He’s grown this year as a power forward,” Berube said. “I think his game has improved on the rush. He’s become a very good rush player.

“You could see tonight, he takes the puck and shoots it off the rush and scores. To me, that’s where his game has really improved this year.”

Point streak

Claude Giroux had an assist, extending his scoring streak to five games (1-7-8). The Flyers have a record of 30-12-3 when Giroux earns at least one point. He has had at least one point in the Flyers’ last 14 wins.

Defensive scoring

Mark Streit’s first-period goal was the 30th by a Flyers defenseman this season. The last time that occurred was in 2009-10, when their blue liners had 32 goals. The Flyers got 38 goals from defensemen in the 2005-06 and 2003-04 seasons.

Blocked shots

The Flyers blocked 24 Dallas shots. That ties with two other games for second-most this season.

Goals

In the 10 games since the Olympic break, the Flyers have scored 16 goals in the first period. That’s an average of 1.6 first-period goals. Prior to the Olympic break, the Flyers had scored 38 first-period goals in 59 games for an average of 0.65.



Flyers must be patient against Hitchcock's Blues

Staff Writer

March 21, 2014, 8:30 pm

Craig Berube played for Ken Hitchcock in Kamloops as a junior player.

As an NHL player he knew Hitchcock and knew him even better when Hitch was here coaching the Flyers while Berube was handling the Phantoms.

On Saturday, the Flyers will face the No. 1 club in the NHL in the St. Louis Blues at the Wells Fargo Center.

It’s the first time the Flyers will meet Hitchcock as the Blues coach.

Berube says nothing has changed about Hitchcock, the kind of club he builds, or the system he employs. It’s all about defensive structure.

“They’ve been a very good team a couple of years, good size, a physical team, pretty solid all-around,” Berube said.

Ten Blues players have better than 30 points, yet none rank among the top 30 in league scoring leaders. Meanwhile, trade deadline pickup Ryan Miller has been outstanding in net with a 7-1-1 record, 1.92 goals-against average and .923 save percentage since joining St. Louis.

While the Flyers, who have won four straight, have 30 goals from their defense, the Blues have 36, led by Alex Pietrangelo.

“We can’t have anyone not showing up and not competing hard tomorrow,” Berube said. “We need a 60-minute effort. His teams are always good defensively, they work hard, [they are] sound with their system, they play physical.”

Unlike the Penguins or Blackhawks, the Blues don’t play an up-tempo, skating game. No shinny hockey. The Blues will check and check much like New Jersey and try to frustrate the Flyers into making turnovers and taking bad penalties.

“Chicago and Pittsburgh are maybe more of an attack team,” Berube said. “They [Blues] have some real good defensemen who can move the puck and get up in the rush.

“They’re dangerous. They’re going to be physical on the forecheck. What they do differently is they really check. There’s not a lot of room out there. You got to stay patient and wait for your chances, but you got to earn them.”

Flyers goalie Steve Mason won his Calder Trophy under Hitchcock when he coached in Columbus.

“He’s a great coach, knows the game inside-out, one of the most knowledgeable [men] I ever played for,” Mason recalled. “We had a tough go in my second year in Columbus and unfortunately he’s the one who took the fall for it.

“They can throw any line at you and you have to worry who is on the ice. They don’t have that one player who will put up points every single night. They have a committee of players that compete every single game.”

Alex Steen leads the Blues with 30 goals while T.J. Oshie has 54 points. Many consider centerman David Backes (23 goals, 49 points), however, the Blues’ best all-around player.

“It’s going to be very gritty, tough defense, very physical,” said Jakub Voracek, who also played for Hitchcock in Columbus. “He was my first coach in the NHL and I had a good experience with him.”

Voracek said that Hitchcock’s influence was all over Team Canada at the Sochi Winter Olympics in how Canada won the gold medal -- defense. Hitchcock was an assistant coach.

“They won because they play defense,” Voracek said. “That’s how you win those championships. Have a very solid defense and play physical ... We got to be patient.”


739027 Phoenix Coyotes

Streaking Coyotes welcome red-hot Bruins

Bob McManaman,

8:13 p.m. EDT March 21, 2014

It will be standing-room-only, maybe the biggest crowd of the season, if not in all of Jobing.com Arena history for a hockey game.

Talk about big. It doesn't get much bigger than Saturday, when the Coyotes, winners of three straight, take on the visiting Boston Bruins, who brought a 10-game win streak into their game Friday night in Denver against the Avalanche.

"There's a lot on the line no matter who we play," Coyotes goalie Mike Smith said. "It doesn't matter if we just played Florida or we've got Boston coming in. With the position we're in, we don't have time to think about stuff like that.

"You want to play your best against the best teams in the league, obviously, but I think every game is so important right now that you need to play well every single game to get this team into the playoffs."

If the season ended today, the Coyotes would be in. But they've got 12 more regular-season games to go and seemingly every one of them will be more magnified than the last.

Trying to dump the Bruins, though, will take a mammoth team effort. Boston was averaging four goals a game during its win streak and allowing an average of just 1.5 — tops in the NHL on both ends over that stretch.

"It's going to have to be the ultimate team game for us. We have to win as a committee, make good plays everywhere, be good on special teams," Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle said. "It sounds a little cliché, but it's the way we've got to win as a group. We take pride in that. We like winning like that."

But if it takes having to score five goals to beat the Bruins, are the Coyotes capable?

"We've shown we can do that," Yandle said, "but for us, we're more comfortable when it's a lower game like 3-2 or 2-1. We don't mind playing those games. We've got to try to keep them off the scoreboard. They're going to get their opportunities, but we have to have the second effort to keep them from getting second and third chances."

The Coyotes got a good look at the Bruins last week in Boston, falling 2-1 after a disappointing first period. But there were positives in the loss and things from which to learn, little details that may help this time around.

That's what the Coyotes worked on in practice Friday and defenseman Derek Morris said it will help.

"Last time we played them, we had four or five point-blank chances and (Tuukka) Rask makes the save," said Morris, who will appear in his 1,100th game Saturday. "If we get chances like that, we've got to find ways to score them and the way to get one by him is a screen or a rebound."

Smith, meanwhile, likes what he's been seeing out of the defense being played in front of him. The tracking by the forwards has been "tremendous." They are aggressively back-pressuring the puck. The defensemen are playing inside the dots more, Smith added, "which gives you more shots from the outside and that's been our M.O. since I've gotten here."

If the Coyotes hopes to score one of their biggest wins of the season, they'll have to do everything right against a team like the Bruins. And even then it might not be enough.

"I don't care who you're playing in this league," coach Dave Tippett said, "if you're going to give up four or five goals a night you're not going to win very often."

Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.22.2014

739028 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: Bennett headed to AHL for conditioning

Rob Rossi

Beau Bennett is ready to play — just not in the NHL.

Bennett, out since Nov. 22 recovering from a broken right wrist, will play for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL starting Saturday night.

“The plan is for him to go to Wilkes-Barre and play a few games,” coach Dan Bylsma said after the Penguins practiced at Southpointe Iceoplex on Friday.

The AHL Penguins played at Syracuse on Friday night. They are at home against Utica on Saturday night, at Albany on Sunday and at home against Providence on Wednesday.

The NHL's labor contract with the Players' Association states that players on conditioning assignments can stay with an AHL club for no more than six days and play in up to three games.

Bennett returned to full practices March 9 after experiencing a setback near the end of his initial recovery. His injury required surgery, and Bennett was projected to play after the NHL's Olympics break in late-February.

Bennett has played in 12 games and scored one goal this season.

A skilled winger and the Penguins' first-round pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Bennett is not expected to step into a top-six role, Bylsma has said.

Bennett was the right winger on the Penguins' top line, which includes captain Sidney Crosby at center and left winger Chris Kunitz, when he was injured. Lee Stempniak, acquired from Florida on March 5, currently fills that spot.

Since debuting last season, Bennett has played on every line, also seeing time at his off-wing on the second line with center Evgeni Malkin and right winger James Neal. Bennett began this season as the third-line right winger.

Vitale out

The Penguins' ever-changing group of bottom-six forwards will look different again for home games against Tampa Bay and St. Louis this weekend. Forward Joe Vitale is out for those contests with an upper-body injury, Bylsma said Friday.

Vitale played in an overtime loss at Detroit on Thursday but only took 11 shifts — his low in as many games.

The Penguins should hit 432 man-games lost to injury after facing Tampa Bay at Consol Energy Center on Saturday.

Day away

Crosby and Kunitz did not practice Friday, although neither is expected to miss the Tampa Bay game.

Bylsma said they were given maintenance days, which often suggests a player did not take the ice because of an injury that is not or has not yet been diagnosed as severe enough to miss a game.

Aside from Vitale, Crosby and Kunitz, all available Penguins practiced Friday.

Neal fined

NHL Player Safety fined Neal and Red Wings center David Legwand $5,000 apiece for infractions from Thursday night.

Neal cross-checked Red Wings winger Luke Glendening in the second period. He received a minor penalty.

Legwand hit Malkin with the butt-end of his stick in the third. He received a major penalty and a game misconduct.

Player Safety reviews all hits/infractions, and players are subject to supplemental discipline.

Around the boards

Two top Penguins prospects received Western Hockey League honors Friday.

Derrick Pouliot (8th overall, 2012) was nominated for Defenseman of the Year and selected as a first-team Western Conference All-Star. He has 70 points in 58 games for Portland.

Tristan Jarry (44th overall, 2013) was nominated for Goaltender of the Year and was selected a first-team All-Star for the Eastern Conference. He leads WHL goalies in wins (44), goals-against average (2.24) and shutouts (eight) for Edmonton.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.22.2014


Book on Penguins is easy to read

Rob Rossi

Brooks Orpik knows the book on the Penguins. It is a best seller in hockey circles.

“Every team knows it,” Orpik said. “Target certain guys, and try to get under our skin. (Opponents) know eventually they can get us off of our game and get us to lose our focus.

“It's something you can talk about over and over. Until you do it and show some maturity with it, it's going to keep biting us.”

The Penguins admit they talk a great game regarding discipline. They just often do not play the disciplined hockey great teams do.

“It has to be a personal decision for each guy,” forward Craig Adams said. “You can't make somebody do it. We've talked about it enough. It's one of those things you have to do if you want to win.”

Injuries have defined the Penguins' season. They will pass 430 man-games lost against Tampa Bay at Consol Energy Center on Saturday.

However, health has nothing to do with discipline, winger Tanner Glass said after the Penguins practiced Friday at Southpointe Iceoplex.

There is a line, and the Penguins too often cross it, Glass said.

“Retaliation is almost always over the line,” he said. “I don't know why we're not learning.”

The Penguins are 5-4-2 since the NHL returned from its Olympics break. They have allowed opponents 42 power plays over that span — and officiating is not to blame, Orpik said.

“Let's be honest. We've gone pretty far over the line with some of the penalties we've taken,” he said, adding that no player is without blame. “It hasn't been riding that line. There have been a couple where maybe it's marginal calls, but there have been others where we've watched replays and it's not even questionable.”

An overtime loss Thursday at Detroit offered a glaring example of how — as several veterans phrased it a day later — the Penguins are usually their worst enemy.

The Penguins erased a two-goal deficit early in the second period to carry a 3-2 lead into the third. However, they were called for four penalties within the opening 11 minutes of the second period — including cross-checking minors by wingers James Neal and Jussi Jokinen.

Rarely have the Penguins carried less momentum into a final period after such a dominant offensive showing.

With 11 games remaining and the Penguins seemingly locked into the East's No. 2 seed, coach Dan Bylsma said his players' challenge is to avoid the kinds of penalties they have made habit of taking lately and in recent postseasons.

“That's at the top or near the top (of challenges) for our team,” Bylsma said.

The Penguins have lost four of seven playoff series since winning the Cup in 2009. Each defeat has included an in-game meltdown to which a lack of discipline or composure has contributed.

• 2010: Blown second-round series leads of 2-1 and 3-2 against Montreal, and a Game 7 home loss that started with captain Sidney Crosby's boarding penalty after the opening faceoff.

• 2011: A blown first-round series lead of 3-1 — albeit without Crosby and Evgeni Malkin playing — featuring a suspension for an illegal hit by winger Chris Kunitz and a home loss in Game 7 in which Tampa Bay raced to a 7-0 lead.

• 2012: A first-round series during which Philadelphia erased multiple-goal deficits in Games 1 and 2 at Consol Energy Center and later won two games at home by a combined score of 13-5. In a must-win Game 3, Crosby was most noticeable for a fight, Malkin for being unable to shake off a pesky

rookie, winger James Neal for a hit that led to a suspension and defenseman Kris Letang for an ejection.

• 2013: A conference final loss against Boston in which the Penguins scored two goals and dropped a crucial Game 2 at home after unforced turnovers contributed mightily to allowing three goals in the opening 16 minutes.

In four crucial games in those series, the Penguins combined for 35 penalties, trailed early by multiple goals in each and were outscored overall 27-9.

Though players on Friday did not mention names, the Penguins' brightest scoring stars – Crosby, Malkin and Neal — often either have allowed themselves to be taken out of games or they have come unhinged.

Defenseman Deryk Engelland guessed how that happens. It is from the action he takes against opponents' stars.

“A little whack in the back of the legs, finishing every hit or between-whistles bumping a guy as he goes to the bench,” Engelland said. “You want to just a guy know you're around, see if you can get him thinking more about you than playing hockey.”

Neal said “that stuff” is most prominent in the playoffs.

“You've got to let it go and work through it, not let it bother you and try to not let it affect your play,” Neal said.

“It starts with guys like myself.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.22.2014


Penguins' Neal fined for cross-checking Detroit player

March 21, 2014 3:43 PM

Shelly Anderson

Penguins winger James Neal has been fined $5,000 for cross-checking Detroit's Luke Glendening.

The incident happened in the second period of Thursday's 5-4 Red Wings overtime win. Neal was assessed a minor penalty on the play.

Later in the third period, Detroit's David Legwand was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for butt-ending Penguins center Evgeni Malkin. Legwand, like Neal, received a $5,000 fine from the NHL.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.22.2014


Penguins notebook: Beau Bennett returns … to AHL team

March 21, 2014 9:48 PM

Shelly Anderson

Winger Beau Bennett has recovered sufficiently from a hand/wrist injury to play today, but it won’t be with the Penguins. He will play with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on a conditioning assignment that coach Dan Bylsma said will last “a few games.”

That’s fine with Bennett, who has been out since late November. He had surgery, and then had a setback in February.

“I’m just excited to play some games and get back into some action,” Bennett said Friday after practicing with the Penguins at Southpointe. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Bennett has been skating for some time, on his own, then in a limited capacity with the team and, finally, with full clearance for contact the past several days.

“My legs feel as good as they’ve ever felt,” he said. “I’ve never had three months of just ‘bag skating.’

“Hands are coming along. My shot is not where I want it to be, but I still feel pretty comfortable [on the ice].”

Wilkes-Barre plays tonight at home against Utica, and Sunday at Albany.

Letang update

Although he is practicing with the Penguins with no limitations, and looking strong while doing it, defenseman Kris Letang does not foresee an imminent return to the lineup.

“There are still some days I don’t feel quite right,” said Letang, who had a stroke Jan. 29. “I just happen to be enjoying some practices, getting back into a rhythm with my teammates. It’s been fun. It’s something I was missing.

“On the ice, it’s fine. It’s more outside the ice that it’s a problem.”

He added that he’s “trying to get into game shape.”

Friday, among other drills, he practiced with a top penalty-killing unit but not on the power play.

Letang is in touch with doctors every day. While he’s not sure when he might play, he has no fear about exertion.

“It happened in my bathroom, so it could happen anywhere,” he said of the stroke. “I don’t feel [at risk] skating with the guys and [having] contact.”

Letang disputed the notion that the stroke caused him to lose weight.

“I don’t know why people were saying that,” he said. “I was pretty heavy, actually. I had to shrink down a little bit.

“I feel normal. I feel fine right now. I don’t even know why people were worrying about my weight.”

Vitale out

Center Joe Vitale missed the team practice because of an unspecified injury. He won’t play today against Tampa Bay or Sunday against St. Louis, Bylsma said.

Top-line center Sidney Crosby and left winger Chris Kunitz were given the day off from practice but are expected to play today.

Defenseman Paul Martin (broken hand/surgery) continues to skate separately from practice.

Neal’s pocket takes a hit

Penguins winger James Neal and Detroit Red Wings forward David Legwand each were fined $5,000 by the NHL for incidents Thursday in Detroit.

Neal’s fine was for cross-checking Detroit’s Luke Glendening in the second period of the Red Wings’ 5-4 overtime win. Neal received a minor penalty.

In the third period, Legwand butt-ended Penguins center Evgeni Malkin in the midsection. Legwand received a major penalty and a game misconduct.

Time to cut back

Taking retaliatory and unnecessary penalties ranks high as a problem the Penguins want to correct before the playoffs begin in less than a month.

“I think that’s at the top or near the top” of the team’s priorities, Bylsma said.

“As a group, we have to understand. We’ve noted it. We’ve pointed it out.”

Center Brandon Sutter backed up Bylsma.

“The last few games, we’ve been talking about some of the penalties we’ve been taking,” Sutter said. “We can be better. We don’t need to give teams opportunity like that. They’re not great plays or smart plays. We can be a little bit smarter there.”



Penguins facing big weekend at home

March 21, 2014 9:18 PM

Shelly Anderson

A week ago, the Penguins were entering a weekend home-and-home series of day games against rival Philadelphia. That didn’t go so well — two losses.

This weekend, the Penguins get to try again, under slightly different circumstances — two afternoon games on successive days, but this time both are at home and against different opponents.

Today it’s Tampa Bay, a team that got its star, Steven Stamkos, back earlier this month, has won five games in a row and has earned at least one point in seven consecutive games.

Sunday it’s St. Louis, the top team in the NHL and 8-1-1 in its past 10 games.

“I don’t think they’re redemption games for last weekend. You can’t get them back,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Friday of the losses to the Flyers. “But two good opponents.

“If you want to try to go back, let’s go back to the [previous] weekend and do that weekend over again.”

Two weeks ago, the Penguins swept Washington in a home-and-home series.

The Lightning and Blues, in terms of points, standings and recent records, are better than Philadelphia and Washington.

The Penguins, though they have a large lead atop the Metropolitan Division, are 5-4-1 in their past 10.

“We need these kinds of games,” Penguins defenseman Matt Niskanen said of Tampa Bay and St. Louis. “Recently, as we’ve seen, unless our level comes up, we’re not going to have much success. It’s a good challenge for us.’”

The Lightning has moved into second place in the Atlantic Division, buoyed by Stamkos’ return from a broken leg that kept him out almost four months. He also has ascended to the team captaincy, with Martin St. Louis traded earlier this month to the New York Rangers.

Stamkos has 5 goals, 7 points and 27 shots in the eight games since he returned.

“If he’s inside the blue line, he’s a threat,” Niskanen said. “He has certain areas of the ice that he likes to go to. On the power play, he’s really lethal. And they’ve got some pretty slick passers who can get him the puck.”

Stamkos is especially dangerous when set up for a one-timer in the left circle, particularly on the power play. Because of that, Bylsma and Penguins penalty-killer Brandon Sutter said there’s a similarity between Stamkos and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who leads the NHL with 46 goals.

“They stay in the same spot,” Sutter said. “It’s very similar in that sense, but I think each team sets it up a little bit differently with who’s handling the puck, but those are definitely the shooters on both teams.”

Bylsma has statistical proof.

“When you look at their goal chart, where they score their goals from, it’s almost a carbon copy for Ovechkin and Stamkos — where they shoot and where they score from — the power play, especially,” Bylsma said.

In the recent sweep of Washington, Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik, who was paired with rookie Olli Maatta, was instrumental in shutting down Ovechkin, who had no points and a plus-minus rating of minus-2.

“We’ll make sure we get that matchup out against [Stamkos],” Bylsma said.

The Blues don’t have a player equivalent to Stamkos, but are physical and one of the stingiest teams in the league. Opponents average 2.22 goals against St. Louis.

“They’re an inside-out team — they play a heavy defensive game, but they come at you on the forecheck, as well,” Bylsma said.

“It’s a little bit different type of test, and you feel like you know the Tampa team a little bit better. We play them more often. Then you get the best team in the league coming in for Game 2.”

The Penguins make no secret of the fact they want to finish first overall in the NHL to claim the Presidents’ Trophy. With 95 points, they are six behind the Blues and each team has played 69 games. The Penguins also had fallen four points behind first-place Boston in the Eastern Conference before the Bruins chased their 11th win in a row Friday night against Colorado.

“We still want to finish first,” Sutter said. “We still want to get back ahead of Boston, too. To do that, we’ve got to keep winning.

“We know the best teams right now are winning lots of games. We’ve got to try to do the same or win more. We’re playing the best team in the league this weekend, so that’s a good test for us.”

So, too, will be the challenge of adjusting to both visiting opponents.

“Stylistically, two very different teams this weekend, so it will be interesting to see how we handle both,” Niskanen said.



Penguins' winger Bennett on the mend

March 21, 2014 2:54 PM

Shelly Anderson

Penguins winger Beau Bennett, out since late November because of a wrist injury that required surgery, will join Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning assignment and play with the American Hockey League affiliate beginning Saturday.

Forward Joe Vitale, meanwhile, has an unspecified injury. He did not practice with the Penguins today at Southpointe and is not expected to play Saturday in a game against Tampa Bay at Consol Energy Center.

Top-line forwards Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz also did not practice, but coach Dan Bylsma said they were simply given a day off and are expected to play Saturday.


739034 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks could clinch playoff spot Saturday night

David Pollak

03/21/2014 04:02:26 PM

SAN JOSE -- Unlike the last two seasons with their almost down-to-the-wire finishes, the Sharks could clinch their 2014 playoff spot as early as Saturday night when they face the Washington Capitals.

The postseason is a foregone conclusion and, with 99 points, San Jose also is creeping into the conversation as a long-shot candidate for the Presidents Trophy. But don't expect any of the Sharks players or coaches to start speculating on how high they can finish or -- worse yet -- the ideal first-round opponent.

"Lesson number one is you never pick your opponent because all you do is get yourself in trouble," coach Todd McLellan said. "You take whoever is presented to you and do the best you can against them irregardless of how they play or what they may throw at you."

The prevailing wisdom outside the organization is that the Sharks want to finish ahead of the Anaheim Ducks so they won't have to open against the Los Angeles Kings in what would be a hard-grinding, physical series that leaves the eventual winner battered and bruised.

"That's the outside talking," Logan Couture said after an optional Friday skate. "In this room, it's win the division so you've got home-ice advantage. That's what we believe in here. Our goal is to get home-ice advantage and see who we play. It doesn't matter who we play in the West. They're going to be a good team."

McLellan won't even concede the premise that the Kings would be the most physical opponent.

"How do we know that? We don't know that. We can't assume that," he said. "There's a lot of hockey left. To begin to predict who we might play and what kind of series it might be is a complete waste of time on our behalf."

A Pacific Division title would mean a first-round matchup with one of two Western Conference wild-card teams -- at the moment, either the Minnesota Wild or Phoenix Coyotes. But there's also the possibility the Coyotes will pass the Kings -- and the Sharks could face L.A. even if San Jose finishes ahead of Anaheim.

What McLellan does acknowledge with 11 games left is that the Sharks aren't focused only on finishing higher than teams in the Pacific but in the Central Division and Eastern Conference as well. Right now, for example, San Jose trails the St. Louis Blues but leads the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche by a narrow margin.

"We want to put ourselves in the best situation for a long run," the coach said. "Will that happen? I don't know."

The Capitals are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and have picked up three points in the first two stops of their California tour by beating Anaheim 3-2 and losing 2-1 in a shootout in Los Angeles.

With Alexander Ovechkin scoring 20 of his 46 goals on the power play, Washington was tied for first in the NHL with a 23.9 success rate with the man advantage before Friday's games.

"Their power play alone can win them games," McLellan said. "They move the puck so well. They've got triggermen all over the place. If you spend a lot of time in the penalty box, no matter how good your penalty kill is, they'll eventually get one by you."

Most of the attention Thursday night was on Brent Burns after San Jose's 3-2 win over Anaheim. But Joe Thornton figured in all of the scoring with a goal and two assists while facing the challenge of defending Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf.

"I thought Jumbo led the way he needed to lead," said McLellan, adding praise for linemates Burns and Joe Pavelski as well.

With the three points, Thornton moved into a tie for sixth in the NHL scoring race with 69 points. His two assists moved him into a tie for first with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, each with 58.

Saturday's game

Washington (33-27-11) at Sharks (46-18-7), 7:30 p.m., CSNCA

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Sharks have history of success against Caps, Ovechkin

Ross McKeon

11:26 pm, Friday, March 21, 2014

While the Sharks compete for a division title and the President's Trophy, Saturday's visitors - the Washington Capitals - are in a fight to even reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When Alex Ovechkin was signed to a 13-year, $125 million contract extension in 2008, the thought was that the Capitals would be perennial Cup contenders and regular visitors to the playoffs. Although Washington has a run of six straight appearances in the postseason, the Caps have fallen short of expectations.

This season, they are three points out of third place in their division and one point out of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot.

While Ovechkin is doing his part (46 goals, 69 points in 67 games), other pieces are needed to complete the puzzle. To that end, the Capitals have added six players since just before the Olympic break, most notably goalie Jaroslav Halak.

"You're always looking for chemistry and a little spark," coach Adam Oates said Thursday in Los Angeles. "You want to inject new guys into the lineup. ... We've added some size, maybe a little stronger on the walls. So the guys have come in and helped."

The Sharks have had remarkable success against the Caps, winning 17 of their past 18 meetings and going unbeaten against them in San Jose in 12 games dating to 1993.

San Jose has also contained Ovechkin, keeping him off the score sheet entirely in five of his 10 career games against the Sharks. Only in the Capitals' lone win over San Jose in the past 20 years (4-1 on Oct. 15, 2009, in Washington) did Ovechkin hurt the Sharks, scoring twice on 13 shots.

Ovechkin has three goals, five points, 32 shots and is a collective minus-5 in the other nine games against San Jose.

Blues' clues: The Blues finally lost to a division opponent. They were 20-0-2 against the Central before Wednesday's 4-0 loss in Chicago. St. Louis had reached the 100-point level for the sixth time in club history, and goalie Ryan Miller had started 7-0-1 with a 1.61 goals-against average and .933 save percentage before getting chased by the Blackhawks.

Rising star: Keep an eye on Ryan Johansen, a 21-year-old center for the Blue Jackets who was the fourth overall pick in 2010. A native of suburban Vancouver, Johansen leads Columbus with 27 goals and 52 points in 70 games and is quietly sparking the Jackets in the East playoff race.

Slap shots: With a goal and two assists against Anaheim, the Sharks' Joe Thornton recorded his 100th career three-point game Thursday. Jaromir Jagr (189) and Teemu Selanne (126) are the only active players with more. ... Selanne's eighth goal of the season Thursday improved his career numbers against San Jose to 51 goals and 97 points in 91 games, his second most against any opponent in both categories. ... Los Angeles' Darryl Sutter became the 18th coach to reach 500 NHL coaching wins Thursday.

Sharks on Saturday

Who: Washington (33-27-11) at Sharks (46-18-7)

Where: SAP Center

When: 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNCA / 98.5, 102.1

Ross McKeon

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.22.2014


Sharks can clinch playoff spot Saturday against Capitals

Staff Writer

March 21, 2014, 11:00 am

Programming note: Capitals-Sharks coverage starts Saturday at 7 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live, only on Comcast SportsNet California

The Sharks can clinch their 10th straight playoff appearance on Saturday when they host the Washington Capitals.

A San Jose win or overtime/shootout loss against Washington, coupled with a regulation loss by Dallas in their game vs. Ottawa or a regulation loss by Phoenix against Boston, would give San Jose it’s automatic berth.

If San Jose beats Washington and the Stars earn only one point, the Sharks are in.

The Sharks have the second-longest streak of playoff appearances in the NHL, trailing Detroit’s 22 in a row. The Red Wings, who moved to the Eastern Conference in the offseason, are currently one point out of the final wild card spot.



Sharks notes: Wingels draws another key penalty

March 21, 2014, 9:15 am

Kevin Kurz

SAN JOSE – Tommy Wingels has a knack for getting drilled at opportune times.

In last season’s first round against Vancouver, Wingels got under the skin of the Canucks so badly that he drew several penalties that led to goals, including the game-tying and game-winning markers in the clinching Game 4.

In the biggest game of the season on Thursday against the Ducks, Wingels was leveled into the end boards twice in succession by Anaheim defenseman Luca Sbisa. The roughing penalty led to the Sharks’ first goal by Patrick Marleau on the power play.

Wingels seemed to be an early target, getting run by Bryan Allen before the Sbisa incident.

“Like I said before the game, these are more physical games. There’s less space out there,” Wingels said. “By being physical, the attempt is to try and create space for your linemates. Whether you’re getting hit, or giving hits out, I think it’s an effective way to do that. Something I tried to do tonight.”

The forward wasn’t sure if he was specifically targeted, pointing out that he didn’t even play in the most recent meeting on Dec. 31 in Anaheim due to injury.

“I don’t know. They seemed to take exception when I finished my checks in there on the forecheck,” he said. “That’s OK with me. If they’re going to take a penalty, we’re going to make them pay. Our power play did that tonight.”

* * *

Todd McLellan downplayed the significance of the game in the days leading up to it, and maintained that tone even after it was over.

“In my opinion it wasn’t a must win for either team,” he said. “It was a nice win for our team tonight. But there’s still for us 22 points and 24 points left for them. There’s a lot of hockey left. When you start putting that pressure on individuals or groups that you have to win game 70, that’s a tough thing to maintain. We just want to get better night in and night out.”

Thornton, who agreed on Wednesday that it was the biggest game of the year, said there wasn’t too much talk before the game of going out and reclaiming first place.

"Not too much. We all realize where we are, but there wasn't too much said about getting first place,” said the captain.

“We've been hungry to win every night. We've been getting good goaltending and all four lines have been chipping in. We're just playing as a team right now."

* * *

Bruce Boudreau wasn’t upset with his team’s performance, despite just 18 shots on goal, a season low. The Ducks were playing with a bit of a depleted lineup, and missing several key forwards.

"It was a pretty even game, all game,” Boudreau said. “A bounce goes their way, it goes in. A bounce doesn't go our way, it doesn't go in. It's a tough game, but that's what happens when you have two good teams going at it. It's tooth and nail all the way down. We made a mistake on the two-on-one (Thornton’s goal). It wasn't a good play, and those are the things that are going to cost you."

Ryan Getzlaf said before the game that the start was going to be key, as he expected the Sharks to come out hard in front of their home fans, which they typically do. Corey Perry said the Ducks handled the early pressure well.

"I thought we played a great period. I thought we weathered the storm,” Perry said. “We know they're going to come out the first five minutes and try to win the game right then and there. We weathered the storm. We stayed right with them. Yeah, they got a power-play goal, but we thought we did a great job."



No talk of avoiding Kings in Sharks' dressing room

Kevin Kurz

March 21, 2014, 4:15 pm

SAN JOSE – The common notion among those closely monitoring the Pacific Division race is that finishing in first is of utmost importance. The three California teams have established themselves as the best in the division, and avoiding a first round clash with the Los Angeles Kings, it's thought, is no doubt the preference of the Sharks and the Ducks.

That external opinion doesn’t play in the Sharks’ dressing room. Or, if it does, no one will admit it.

“I think that’s the outside talking. I think in this room, it’s win the division, so we can get home ice advantage,” Logan Couture said. “I think that’s what we believe in here. Our goal is to get home ice advantage, and then see who we play.”

Todd McLellan called it a “waste of time and energy” to look ahead at potential playoff opponents with 11 games left in the regular season.

“Lesson number one, you never pick your opponent because all you do is get yourself in trouble,” said the head coach. “You take whoever is presented to you and you do the best you can against them, regardless of how they play or what they may throw at you.”

The Sharks and Ducks will finish as the top two teams in the Pacific, barring a miracle. According to SportsClubStats.com, Los Angeles has a 92 percent chance of ending up in the three hole, thereby playing the second seeded team in the Pacific.

The 2012 Stanley Cup champs would be a tough matchup at any point in the postseason, but the Sharks would likely rather see the Kings and Ducks beat each other up in what would surely be a physically taxing series, and then take on the winner, beginning at The Tank. That would leave San Jose a more preferable meeting with Phoenix, Minnesota or Dallas in the first round.

But, again, that’s not something anyone in the Sharks’ room would ever say publically. Actually, Marc-Edouard Vlasic went an entirely different route.

“You don’t want to try to avoid anybody. If you do that, then you end up not in a matchup you want,” Vlasic said. “I’d love to play the Kings the first round. They beat us last year, so we have something to prove … LA was the eighth seed when they came in and beat everybody easily (in 2012). To me, it doesn’t matter where you finish. As long as you play together, and when you’re going into the playoffs, everybody’s playing the right way.”

The Sharks can officially clinch a playoff spot on Saturday, but even if they don’t, that will happen some time early next week. It’s a change from the past two seasons, when the playoffs were not a certainty until much later in the regular season.

In a perfect world, they would wrap up the division with a few games to go, and maybe get a chance to rest some key guys before the postseason if they are not in the race for the President’s Trophy or top spot in the Western Conference.

That, too, is looking a bit too far ahead, according to McLellan. He just hopes his team finishes as high in the overall league standings as possible, and that it doesn’t let up after Thursday’s enormous 3-2 win over Anaheim. Home ice, where the Sharks are 26-5-4, is vital.

“I think we have to continue with the ‘let’s go’ approach. Let’s push our game. Let’s get going,” McLellan said.

“St. Louis isn’t an easy place to play, Colorado is not an easy place to play, Chicago is not an easy place to play. … We want to put ourselves in the best situation possible for a long run. Will that happen? I don’t know. That’s the goal, that’s what we want. We need to keep competing with those other teams, as well.”


739039 St Louis Blues

Blues try to block out negative comments

Jeremy Rutherford

PHILADELPHIA • The final horn hadn’t yet sounded Wednesday on the Blues’ 4-0 loss to Chicago, and many panicking fans were sounding off with predictions about what will prevent the club from winning its first Stanley Cup this season.

The defeat was the Blues’ first in regulation in their last 10 games, but after legitimate fretting this season over the inability to beat the three California teams, an outcry that they can’t beat the NHL’s top squads continued after a loss to the defending champions.

“Well, we’re 3-1 against Chicago this year,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo countered. “People can say what they want but we’ve outplayed them when we’ve played them. They outplayed us last game. It’s going to happen. We believe in what we have in this room. We’ve been playing some really good hockey all year. A loss is a loss. Unfortunately it came against them and the way it happened. We’re moving on.”

The Blues have fared well against the league’s elite this season with the exception of the trend of losses to San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

Going into Friday’s games, the Blues were a combined 23-10-1 against the other 15 teams holding down a postseason spot in the Western and Eastern Conference. Eight of those 11 defeats were to the California teams, meaning they have only three losses in 25 games against the remainder of the playoff field, and one was in overtime.

The Blues’ record is 11-1 against the eight playoff teams in the East, including 2-0 against Boston. The Bruins, winners of 11 in a row after Friday night’s 2-0 win at Colorado, joined the Blues in the 100-point club. The Blues (47-15-7) and Bruins (48-17-5) each have 101 points for the season.

Yet, the Blues’ credentials are viewed differently.

“There’s no reason for us to think or worry about that stuff,” forward Alexander Steen said. “We don’t want to be disrespectful but it’s what happens in here that ultimately wins the games. We can’t let outside negativity get in here. What’s going to go wrong? Nothing has gone wrong. We don’t have a championship. We’ve got to go get one.”

The loss to Chicago, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said, could turn out to be a benefit for their Stanley Cup aspirations.

“I think there was a renewed vigor of focus, both by the coaches and players,” said Hitchcock, whose team went through a brisk practice Friday after a day off Thursday. “Quite frankly we’ve been sailing along with not a lot of rough water, and it’s the first bit of rough water we hit in that game. We wanted to play really well, but we found out that wanting to play really well ... you still have to execute.

“This is not a group that is going to write off that game. Other people might say that it’s just a bad game. This group doesn’t do that. These players are invested in a lot of things this year that are important for them. One of the things is playing well in big games. They were really disappointed by the way things went.

“I think quite frankly that that might be the impetus to get us to another level and get us back refocused. Because things have been sailing along, we’ve been playing OK, winning games. But we needed to amp it up, and didn’t get it done, so know we’re going to amp it up.”

Steen compared the Blues’ situation to how Los Angeles rebounded to win last year’s second-round playoff series.

“Everybody was all pumped after one and two (wins) and you’ve got to win four,” Steen said. “LA beat us at that game. They lost the first two, regrouped and then won four in a row. You’ve got to be better the next game. Even if you won the game, you’ve got to be better the next game because the other team is going to be better.”

Blues goalie Ryan Miller, who wasn’t around for that series, agreed with Steen.

“You’re going to have things pop up and it’s how you handle that kind of thing,” Miller said. “There can’t be panic, you just have to remain calm. I haven’t been here all year, but they’ve proven they can play with anybody, they can get points against anybody. It’s mainly just about learning lessons and addressing the right things at the right time. We have something to learn and something to address right now.”

The Blues know that without feeling panic around them.

“I know there’s going to be some frustration and I know there’s going to be some times when people are going to make comments,” Hitchcock said. “But we’re at the stage right now where we’ve got a playoff spot, we know we’re going to be in the playoffs. Now it’s how much can we dial up our game and get ready to play?

“These competitions and these types of opponents, they give you great measuring sticks for what you need to work on. Regardless, our next judgment is going to be moving forward into the playoffs. Getting every significant opponent is going to do nothing but help us.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.22.2014


Blues vs. Flyers preview

Jeremy Rutherford

BLUES AT FLYERS

When • Today at noon

Where • Wells Fargo Center

TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)

Blues • The Blues will attempt once again to lock down an inevitable spot in the NHL playoffs when they face the Philadelphia for the first time this season. The club will face the Flyers twice in the final 13 games of the regular season, including April 1 at Scottrade Center. ... To clinch a postseason seat with a win today, the Blues will need to bounce back from Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, only the third time this season they have been blanked. ... The final three games on the Blues’ four-game road trip are against Eastern Conference opponents, and they are 19-4-2 against the East this year. ... Ryan Miller will remain in net today and Carlo Colaiacovo will replace Ian Cole on the blue line.

Flyers • Philadelphia is in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points, but the Flyers are clinging to a playoff spot. They have been one of the NHL’s best teams in March with a record of 7-1-1 this month. They are carrying a four-game winning streak into today’s game, including back-to-back wins over Pittsburgh and an overtime win over Chicago. ... Goalie Steve Mason, a castoff from the Columbus Blue Jackets, is 3-0 in his last three games with a 1.67 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage. ... Captain Claude Giroux has points in eight of 10 games (five goals, 10 assists) since the Olympic break.

Injuries • Blues — LW Magnus Paajarvi (upper-body injury) and D Jordan Leopold (flu), questionable; Vladimir Tarasenko (hand), out. Flyers – none.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.22.2014


Miller's new goalie mask has a musical theme

NORM SANDERS

March 22, 2014

ST. LOUIS — With a new mask that is part tribute to former Blues goaltender Curtis Joseph and also some great guitar players, Ryan Miller is happy with a rock-solid design.

Miller's new mask was special enough to have its own debut Thursday through various social media outlets, including Twitter and Facebook and the Blues' web site.

It features a large Blue Note logo, a Gibson Les Paul guitar played by legendary Led Zeppelin member Jimmy Page and a Fender Stratocaster model favored by Jimi Hendrix.

An avid rock fan, Miller also paid tribute to St. Louis' blues music history with a "Saint Louis Blues" logo taken from the sheet music of the famous song by composer and musician W.C. Handy.

"I like to get involved and I had a little more input than usual," Miller said. "I sit around and just tried to come up with some ideas. This time I was a little more pressed for time.

"I got some basic sketches together and just pulled up everything I could on Google about the area."

The design has the definite feel of some masks worn by Joseph during his tenure here, minus the famous "Cujo" dog design taken from the crazed St. Bernard from the Stephen King book and movie of the same name.

"I don't think you can take somebody's mask like that," said Miller, who has long considered Joseph one of his favorite goalies. "That's more iconic. I always liked that mask, Cujo is probably the only guy that can wear it"

The rear of the mask includes "Miller Time," the name of his wife, actress Noureen DeWulf, and more personal remembrances.

Miller played his first nine games with the Blues wearing a white mask reminiscent of one once worn by his agent, former Blues goalie Mike Liut.

Ray Bishop of Bishop Designs played a major role in putting the new mask together, taking original sketch work by Miller and working with several others.

The rock guitars on both sides really stand out.

"It turned out great," Miller said. "I think it's a fun theme; there's a lot of great guitarists out there so if I get another mask I've still got a lot of blues to cover.

"Stevie Ray Vaughan still hasn't made an appearance yet. You can have some fun with it."

Like many goalies, Miller was determined to work with several themes as he tried to come up with a design.

"I didn't want to just throw something together" he said. "I wanted to do something that might look good, or at least look good to me. It was kind of a collaborative effort this time because we were playing every other day and I didn't have time to sit around and do it like I usually do."

Colaiacovo in

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said veteran defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo will return to the lineup Saturday in Philadelphia, replacing Ian Cole in the defense pairing with Roman Polak.

"I've liked his game," Hitchcock said of Colaiacovo, who hasn't played since March 9. "One thing about Carlo is he really moves the puck and we're playing against teams that are hard on the forecheck, so we need people who can transition it quickly."

Hitchcock said defenseman Jordan Leopold needs a bit more recovery time after dealing with the flu. Winger Magnus Paajarvi participated in practice Friday and will likely see action in one of the weekend games in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

Prospect signs

The Blues on Friday announced they had signed defense prospect Petteri Lindbohm to a three-year entry level contract.

Lindbohm is a 20-year-old from Finland who was the Blues' sixth-round draft pick in 2012. He has one goal and six points in 37 games with Assat Pori and Jokerit Helsinki in Finland's pro league this season.

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 03.22.2014


Blues hope to refocus after stinging loss to Blackhawks

NORM SANDERS

March 22, 2014

ST. LOUIS — It was the only regulation loss in a stretch of 10 games by the St. Louis Blues, but the 4-0 defeat to Chicago on Wednesday seemed to carry a lot more weight than usual.

"You're always going to have a tough time against people who have won championships because they're not going to go away easy," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, whose club has a three-game road trip that kicks off Saturday in Philadelphia and includes a Sunday afternoon game in Pittsburgh before finishing up Tuesday in Toronto. "You're going to have to push them. I thought Chicago played very well and we didn't play well at all. We didn't make them pay for their mistakes, they made us pay."

The Blues have beaten the Blackhawks three times in four games this season.

Hitchcock's club also owns two wins over Eastern Conference leader Boston and three over Western Conference heavyweight Colorado, along with one win apiece against Stanely Cup contenders Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

While it's true the Blues have struggled mightily against California teams, losing a combined eight times to San Jose, Anaheim and the Kings, they still own the best record in the NHL and should be the first team to nail down a playoff berth.

"We're 3-1 against Chicago this year, so people can say what they want," Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "We've outplayed them when we've played them (before), they outplayed us last game. It's going to happen.

"We believe in what we have in this room and we've been playing some really good hockey all year. A loss is a loss, unfortunately it came against them and the way it happened."

Hitchcock gave his players the day off Thursday, then was pleased with what he saw during practice Friday.

"This is not a group that's going to write off that (Chicago) game," he said. "Other people might say well it's just a bad game, but this group doesn't do that. These players are invested in a lot of things this year that are important to them and one of them is playing well in big games.

"They were ticked off, disappointed at the way things turned out. The way they practiced to me showed how much they cared. They care deeply and I think quite frankly that might be the impetus to get us to another level."

Hitchcock said an attention-getting loss like that might actually help the Blues refocus and take their play up a notch or two.

"I think quite frankly we've been sailing along with not a lot of rough water," he said. "It's the first bit of rough water we hit in that game."

Blues veteran goaltender Ryan Miller has been around long enough to know how tough the ups and downs can shake a team.

The good teams remain level-headed instead of falling into a panic.

"If you're going to win in the postseason, not everything's going to go your way," Miller said. "You're going to have things pop up, it's how you handle that kind of thing. You can't panic, you just have to remain calm. We'll see how we respond.

"That's going to be the best lesson we can learn for the first playoffs. When you have something that really falls apart and you have something that doesn't go your way, you're going to have to recover and play well."

Hitchcock liked the way the Blues played early, but turnovers and mistakes helped the deficit snowball to four goals.

"I thought we started to get careless," Hitchcock said. "When we got careless they jumped all over us. When (Patrick) Kane went out I thought they controlled the tempo.

"They competed on every puck, like it meant something every shift. We've done that to them this year at times, but I thought they did it for more minutes (against us)."

Pietrangelo didn't want to overlook what the Blues had done against Chicago earlier this season.

"It was important when we played them the first three games of the year too, to gain points on them in the standings," he said. "We've beaten them three times this year. We don't want to overlook the fact that we didn't play our best game against them.

"But that could have been against anybody and it came against a divisional opponent we have a very good chance of facing in the playoffs."

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2014/03/22/3121665/blues-hope-to-refocus-after-stinging.html#storylink=cpy

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 03.22.2014

739043 Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts’ Purcell hopes to break out

Erik Erlendsson

March 22, 2014

PITTSBURGH — Teddy Purcell often tantalizes with his skill level and sometimes frustrates with his production level.

That’s been the story of the talented 28-year-old winger throughout most of his career.

Purcell is prone to prolonged stretches where piling up points is elusive. At other times, his skill shines through.

The Lightning hope the latter is about to begin as Tampa Bay closes out a three-game road trip with this afternoon’s game against Pittsburgh.

Purcell, in the first year of a three-year contract extension that pays him $4.5 million per year, scored twice during Thursday’s victory at Ottawa to bring his season total to 12, putting him on pace for his lowest full-season total since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings (Purcell scored 11 in last year’s lockout-shortened schedule).

Those two goals for Purcell, both coming in the first period, also match the number he scored in the previous 34 games of the season, which included a 19-game drought that he snapped 23 seconds into the Ottawa game. He had last scored Jan. 19 at Carolina.

Though he did have 18 assists in that 34-game span, going two months without producing a goal weighed on Purcell’s mind and affected his confidence level.

“For sure, you put extra pressure on yourself as an athlete to help,’’ Purcell said. “It’s always a little bit easier when your team is winning, but when you are getting chances (and not scoring), sometimes you are holding your stick a little tight, and it’s tough.’’

At earlier points in his career, when he would find himself in these sort of scoring droughts, he would often find himself sitting out games as a healthy scratch. That didn’t happen in this case, but he did see his ice time drop as he was moved down into a third-line role, playing 13 minutes for a three-game stretch from March 13-17, more than 3:30 below his average for the season. The thought of possibly being benched did cross his mind.

“When you don’t score in (nearly) 20 games, you are still getting assists, but this business is about production and getting the job done,’’ Purcell said. “I guess when you play less minutes, everything goes through your head, but you just have to try to stay positive and realize that every player in the league goes through it, and you just try to get lucky and keep grinding away.’’

An opportunity opened up for Purcell on Wednesday in Toronto when Alex Killorn was ejected from the game for a hit on Paul Ranger, creating a spot on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson for the final two periods. Purcell remained on that line Thursday and responded with the two goals, and he also tied a season high with seven shots on goal, something coach Jon Cooper would like to see Purcell do on a more consistent basis.

“I’m sure he’s a little rattled he hasn’t scored the way he has, but you show him the stat sheet (from Thursday) and he led our team in shots,’’ Cooper said. “Teddy has a good shot, he just likes to pass first. So, hopefully getting results like he did ... the kid has a shot, and he got in his wheelhouse and he was shooting pucks. So it was a really good effort from him.’’

For most of the season, Purcell’s lack of production was masked by the emergence of rookies Ondrej Palat and Johnson and the play of free agent acquisition Valtteri Filppula while Stamkos was out of the lineup with a broken leg. But as the season winds down to the final weeks and the Lightning gear up for what they hope will be a playoff appearance, the team will need Purcell to be a more consistent presence than he has been the past few months.

“We need everybody to click, you can’t just rely on the same guys game in and game out,’’ Cooper said. “Everybody is going to have ups and downs throughout the year, and the one thing is, Teddy has gone from the first line to the fourth line, and the one thing he has always done is he always has a

smile on his face, he’s been great in the (locker) room, he keeps the room light and he’s worked his way back into the ice time he’s been getting.

“And he has it in him, there is no question. But the one thing about Teddy is, he is a team player and he knows what the standard is here and he’s living up to it now, so that’s good for him.’’

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.22.2014


Remembering Lightning's lost chance at repeat

Tom Jones

Friday, March 21, 2014 6:12pm

Members of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup championship team gathered last week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their championship.

They returned to remember what they did. And to lament what they couldn't do.

They never got a real chance to defend their title.

The 2004-05 season was wiped out by a lockout and that's too bad. The Lightning probably would have been the favorite to win the Stanley Cup that season. But the lockout and new collective bargaining agreement led to a chain of events that cost the Lightning a legitimate chance to start a dynasty.

Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin never played another game in a Lightning uniform after Game 7 of the 2004 final. He became a free agent and signed with the Blackhawks. The Lightning then spent the next few years trying to replace Khabibulin, trading such stars as Brad Richards and Fredrik Modin for goalies. Others left for free agency, too.

"You would have liked to see if we could have done it again,'' then-Lightning coach John Tortorella said.

The lockout never allowed it.

"It wasn't like a normal situation where maybe you could try to repeat or at least take a run at it,'' Tortorella said. "It gave us the Cup for a couple of years. ... But I wish it was different.''

When you look back at that team that won the Cup, it's stunning just how young the nucleus of that team was. On the night the Lightning won the Cup, Richards and Vinny Lecavalier were 24. Marty St. Louis was 28. Modin was 29. Dan Boyle and Pavel Kubina were 27. Cory Sarich was 25. Khabibulin was 31.

Here we are, 10 years later, and the three best players on that team — St. Louis, Richards and Lecavalier — are still playing at a high level.

"We and the whole community kind of got ripped off because of the lockout,'' said Dave Andreychuk, the captain of the Cup-winning team. "We were all signed and ready to come back that next year.''

Ironically, the new collective bargaining agreement put in place included a salary cap that was intended to help small-market teams such as the Lightning. It turned out to be the reason why the Lightning could not properly defend its Stanley Cup.

Off and on

If you watch Keith Olbermann's show on ESPN2, you have noticed that the host had missed a few shows here and there. The reason?

"So let me tell you about shingles,'' Olbermann told his audience. "Not the gross part, (but) after the gross part where it feels like you fell out of an airplane onto pointy poison ivy that then catches fire."

Olbermann said as long as he can manage the pain, he'll be there.

"I can play through the pain, I can play through the drugs, I can play through the limp,'' Olbermann said, "But mix in one thing like the drugs messing with sleep, and on TV, I become a danger to humanity.''

World Cup announcers

ESPN has set its roster of announcers for this summer's World Cup. Ian Darke will lead the network's play-by-play team. He will call the final and all U.S. matches. The rest of ESPN's play-by-play team will include Jon Champion, Adrian Healey, Daniel Mann, Fernando Palomo and Derek Rae. All are British except for Palomo, who is from El Salvador. ESPN's World Cup coverage will run from June 12 through July 13.

Newest show

The Press Box, Bright House Newtork's roundtable sports-talk show featuring local sports media personalties, is going daily. Previously airing once a week, Press Box will go to a half-hour format Monday through Friday on Ch. 47 on Bright House. The daily show debuts March 31 from Tropicana Field, the day of the Rays' season opener. The show will air at 6 p.m. with a rerun airing at 11 p.m. Longtime Bright House sports anchor Rock Riley will host.

Funniest tweet

"Can I get fined if I comment about basketball officiating?"

— Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini, who has been known to bark a time or two at football officials.

Three things that popped into my head

1. The Lightning trade of Cory Conacher to Ottawa for goalie Ben Bishop is turning out to be one of the most lopsided in Lightning history. Bishop has a club record for goalie victories in a season, while Conacher is not even with the Senators any longer. He was claimed off waivers by Buffalo and is on pace for seven goals this season.

2. ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard, a Michigan grad, took to Twitter to take shots at Ohio State basketball guard Aaron Craft. If I'm ESPN, I'm not happy. One can't help but wonder if Howard's cheap shots were because of a bias against Ohio State, which hurts his credibility when it comes to making comments about Big Ten football. If I'm ESPN, I'm telling Howard that it's just not worth the damage it might cause to make unnecessary comments about a college basketball player, especially if you're a college football announcer.

3. So USF is going to play its spring football game on campus at the soccer stadium. At least USF is smart enough to recognize there isn't widespread interested in the spring game. Other than that, I'm not sure how you spin it to make this seem like a good thing

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Lightning to Teddy Purcell: Shoot!

Damian Cristodero

Friday, March 21, 2014 5:58pm

PITTSBURGH — There have been times this season that Lightning center Valtteri Filppula was so frustrated with Teddy Purcell's reluctance to shoot the puck, he really let Purcell know.

Goaltender Ben Bishop, who has known Purcell since they played together at the University of Maine, hasn't been afraid to speak up, either.

"He has such a great shot," Filppula said.

It's just that "sometimes," Bishop said, "you have to pound it into his head to use it."

Like he did during Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Senators in which Purcell took a team-most seven shots and scored twice, something he hadn't done since Nov. 25 against the Rangers.

Purcell, with 12 goals this season, hadn't scored in 19 games before Thursday and had just three goals in his previous 45 games.

Here's a clue as to why: Purcell, 28, a wing, has just 138 shots in 70 games, an average of 1.97. Teammate Steven Stamkos, out four months with a broken right tibia, has 86 shots in 25 games, an average of 3.44.

Purcell acknowledges he has to shoot more and called his reluctance "a bad habit ever since I was a kid."

Unselfishness is a noble trait, and Purcell, by all accounts a terrific teammate, has admitted wanting to keep his linemates and buddies happy by feeding them the puck.

And it's not as if Purcell is invisible. His 28 assists are fourth on the team, and even with his lack of goals, he is plus-2.

But for a player who might have the best wrist shot on the team, and for one just starting a new three-year, $13.5 million contract, a more me-first vibe would be welcomed.

"That's what we need," coach Jon Cooper said. "We need everybody to click. You just can't rely on the same guys game in and game out. He's got it in him, there's no question. The kid has got a shot."

And a track record of 24 goals and 65 points in 2011-12.

Perhaps that is why Cooper stuck with Purcell —- bouncing him from line to line but keeping him on the power play — when even the player admitted he wondered during his drought if he would become a healthy scratch.

Purcell, now on a line with Stamkos and wing Tyler Johnson, said he has tried to stay upbeat. And Cooper praised Purcell's ability to "keep the locker room light."

"It's easier said than done," Purcell said of keeping his head up. "You're not really in rhythm when you're not as confident as you should be.

"You've just got to stay positive and realize every player in the league, except maybe (Stamkos), goes through it. You just have to try to get lucky and keep grinding away."

Luck had nothing to do with Purcell's two goals against the Senators. One came on a quick snap shot, the other from in front of the net after outhustling defenseman Erik Karlsson.

That kind of determination will come in handy today against the powerful Penguins at Consol Energy Center.

The key, though, is generating shots. Purcell's seven against the Senators was as many as he had in his previous 10 games.

"I've gotten some looks lately," he said, "and maybe I'm shooting (the puck) a little quicker than holding on to it a little too long."

"I feel like he plays the game the right way," Filppula said. "He just needs to shoot more."

. Today

Lightning at Penguins

When/where: 1; Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh.

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM.

Key stats: The Lightning has won five straight. The last time it won six straight was Jan. 18-Feb. 1, 2011. … Tampa Bay has lost eight straight to the Penguins and six straight at Pittsburgh, where it has been outscored 34-11. … C Valtteri Filppula has three goals, eight assists in a seven-game points streak. … G Anders Lindback is 0-2-0 in three games against the Penguins with a 5.14 goals-against average and a .815 save percentage. … The Penguins' five home losses are tied for fewest in the league. … Pittsburgh is tied for the league's top power play at 25.9 percent but is on a 1 for 20 streak.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.22.2014

739046 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs’ Ranger has sore neck but feeling fortunate after scary hit

DAVID SHOALTS

Friday, Mar. 21 2014, 3:48 PM EDT

Paul Ranger does not know when he will be able to play another NHL game for the Toronto Maple Leafs but he still feels lucky.

The Leafs defenceman spoke to the media Friday for the first time since he was driven into the glass from behind by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn during a game Wednesday night. Ranger, 29, lay on the ice for several frightening minutes, then was immobilized and taken to hospital before he was discharged later Wednesday night after undergoing tests.

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Phil Kessel (81) skates with the puck up ice in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

James Mirtle

Five things we learned on the Leafs' five-game road trip

The best Ranger could manage on Friday was appearing for the Leafs’ team photo and he isn’t sure when he can start practising again. But he feels lucky to have escaped with a sore neck and no concussion.

“Yeah, I’m thankful,” he said. “It was pretty scary.”

Ranger said he did not feel any pain in the first few seconds after the hit, perhaps because he “went into preservation mode.” But the pain in his neck came quickly, although Ranger said he was able to quickly push any fear out of his mind.

While he was lying on the ice as the Leafs’ medical staff worked on him, Ranger said he kept thinking, “I can move my legs, I can feel my hands, I can feel my feet and I'm going to be okay no matter what.”

Ranger was hit with four seconds left in the first period and his Leafs teammates stayed on the ice to make sure he was all right by the time he was wheeled off on a stretcher. Also staying on the ice were several Lightning players, as Ranger was their friend from his days playing in Tampa.

Some of his former teammates told him that Killorn, who called Ranger and left a voice message after the game, was not the kind of person who would deliberately run someone from behind. Ranger did not seem upset the NHL decided the hit did not rate further punishment than the major penalty and game misconduct Killorn received, probably because it appeared Ranger turned into the hit. But Ranger would like to see such hits be reviewed closely.

“I haven’t really seen the replays [of the hit], nor do I want to,” Ranger said. “I watched it once. That was enough. I think it is something that happens a lot in our game. I think it needs looking at [but] I don’t think it’s up to me if someone gets suspended or not.”

Ranger said he spoke to Killorn at some point following his discharge from hospital but “what was said will remain between us.”

The other good news for the Leafs concerns centre Dave Bolland, who took part in a full practice for the first time since he sustained a torn ankle tendon Nov. 2 that kept him out for 52 games. He skated between Mason Raymond and David Clarkson but a decision about playing Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens will not be made until shortly before the game.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Bolland said.

Also on the maybe list is goaltender Jonathan Bernier, whose groin injury progressed enough for him to participate in most of Friday’s practice. But a decision about whether Bernier or James Reimer will start against the Habs will also be held until game-time.

Bernier said he feels better but was non-committal about his status.

“It’s a critical time so I want to make sure I’m 100-per-cent and my body feels pretty good,” he said.

If Bolland is able to play, the Leafs may have to send two players down to their farm team to get under the NHL salary cap unless Ranger is placed on

the long-term injured list. The likely candidates are forwards Peter Holland and Carter Ashton, neither of whom needs to clear waivers first.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.22.2014


Leafs’ Paul Ranger on the mend after scary hit from behind

Mark Zwolinski

Fri Mar 21 2014

“I’m okay. I’m thankful, it was pretty scary but I’m okay.”

So said Maple Leafs defenceman Paul Ranger on Friday, less than 48 hours after a hit from behind left him crumpled on the ice and needing a stretcher and a hospital visit before he could be sure he was not seriously injured.

Ranger, who took a nasty hit into the boards from Tampa’s Alex Killorn in Wednesday’s loss to the Lightning, spoke to the media for the first time since the incident after Friday’s practice.

Ranger and Leafs coach Randy Carlyle pronounced the defenceman day-to-day in his timeline to return to game action.

Carlyle on Friday said Ranger has a “stiff neck . . . he was released from the hospital and he said he was okay but you have to wait 24 hours before assessment.”

When asked if Ranger had suffered a concussion, Carlyle said “that’s not the word they (medical staff) described to me. They haven’t told me a (concucssion) is part of it.”

An all-star defenceman back during his tenure with Tampa, Ranger left hockey in 2009 for three years for personal reasons. He returned to the Leafs, spending a year with the Marlies before making the jump back to the NHL.

“I think I was in shock, (the hit) happened really quick,” Ranger said in an interview with a throng of media in the dressing room Friday.

“I remember feeling pain. My thinking was I went into preservation mode right away. All I could think about was staying straight up and breathe, just breathe . . . probably for the next 3-4 hours after it happened, I thought ‘just breathe.’ ”

Ranger was thankful, realizing the outcome could have been much worse.

He was taken into the boards by Killorn and the play was reminiscent of many the NHL has seen the past few seasons — a hit from behind against an unaware player, body slamming into the boards head-first, neck snapping backward.

Ranger was tended to by Leafs team doctor Noah Forman and athletic therapists Paul Ayotte and Marty Dudgeon.

“I was pretty anxious, but the doctors said I was relaxed and co-operative all the way through,” said Ranger, who was released from hospital the same night of the incident.

“I want to thank Dr. Noah and all the Leafs’ training staff. My former trainer in Tampa was there too, they all did a great job. All the way I felt confident . . . and loved really. The whole time, Dr. Noah kept speaking with me, every minute the whole night.”

Ranger said Killorn contacted him but that what was said between them “will stay between us.”

In the meantime, Ranger would like to see the NHL step up its reviews and policies regarding dangerous hits from behind and hits to the head. Killorn received a major penalty and a game misconduct, but no suspension or additional discipline. Ranger, in some explanations of the incident, was also regarded as responsible for putting himself in a vulnerable position.

“I didn’t see the replays and I don’t want to,” Ranger said.

“It’s not for me to decide who gets suspended. From what I know, he (Killorn) is a good kid. All my friends on Tampa say he’s a good person and doesn’t play that way. Having said that, it can be dangerous, but a suspension is not my call.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.22.2014


Dave Bolland set to rejoin Maple Leafs

Mark Zwolinski

Fri Mar 21 2014

For Dave Bolland, the wait appears to be over.

For Maple Leafs fans, his return from injury can’t come soon enough.

Virtually everyone in Leafs Nation — fans to players and coaches to Bolland himself — are anticipating the centre’s return Saturday night from a 56-game injury layoff.

Bolland lined up at practice on the third line and was taking line rushes for the first time since he suffered an ankle tendon injury Nov. 2 in Vancouver.

This was solid evidence Bolland was on the verge of returning to a Leafs team that has lost its past three games.

But the Leafs, who also have goalie Jonathan Bernier poised for a return from his groin strain injury, are remaining cautious on the timeline. They are avoiding a definitive answer, in part because they do not want to rush a player back and risk further injury at such a critical time of the season.

“Bolly (Bolland) is getting closer and closer, he’s practiced for a month now and it’s getting closer to a decision on whether he plays for us the next game or the game after that,” Carlyle said after practice Friday.

“It’s day to day now. It was week to week, but it’s day to day now.”

Toronto, which has lost four of its last six games in a slide which has trimmed its hold on a playoff spot to three points, meets Montreal at home Saturday night.

The game, followed by a road tilt in New Jersey Sunday, is almost a must-win game. Toronto has 11 games remaining and sits at 80 points, good for the first wild-card berth but only three points up on a pack of five teams gunning for that spot, too.

Four of the next five games are back-to-back as well. And Toronto, which clinched a playoff berth on the fourth-last game of the regular season last season, would like to clinch as soon as possible. The team finishes its regular season with three road games, including a tilt in Ottawa on the final night of the season.

For now, Bolland is going along with the company line that he’s day-to-day.

“I haven’t been told but it’s a decision I think we make (Saturday) . . . but I’m getting sick of skating with the coaches after practice,” Bolland said.

With Bolland in the lineup, the Leafs would have their first fully healthy lineup of the season since opening night. Bolland skated on a line with Mason Raymond and David Clarkson in practice Friday.

Nik Kulemin, who had been centering the third line for the past month or more in Bolland’s absence, was restored to right wing on the second line, with Nazem Kadri at centre and Joffrey Lupul on the left side.

The top line remained unchanged, while the fourth line saw five players — Jay McClement, Colton Orr, Troy Bodie, Carter Ashton and Peter Holland.

The Leafs, if they activate Bolland, will be roughly $1.2 million over the cap limit. It’s likely Ashton and Holland — neither of whom needs waivers to be returned to the Marlies — would be sent to the AHL to clear room.

Meanwhile, Bernier practised in full gear Friday and was doing so for the first time since he suffered a groin injury March 13 in Los Angeles.

Bernier could also return Saturday against his hometown team.

“He was on the ice taking some shots,” Carlyle said of Bernier. “We think Bernie (Bernier) has showed progress.”

Marlies callup Drew MacIntyre was at practice. Bernier took part in the vast majority of drills and scrimmages but gave way late to MacIntyre during some closing shooting drills.



Maple Leafs-Canadiens game preview: 7 p.m., Saturday, CBC

Mark Zwolinski

Fri Mar 21 2014

The Maple Leafs play host to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at the ACC (7 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet 590 The Fan). Here are three things to know about the Habs:

TIGHT RACE

Montreal enters the game with a three-point bulge over the Leafs in the Eastern Conference playoff race. While not comfortable, it does give Montreal home ice advantage and the likelihood of avoiding Boston and Pittsburgh in the first round.

EXPOSED

Montreal lost 3-2 to Columbus in a tight game on home ice Thursday. The Blue Jackets exposed some of the Habs’ weaknesses, outworking them in tight spaces and outmuscling a Montreal lineup among the league’s smallest in size. Goalie Carey Price, however, made 37 saves and Montreal killed off eight penalties to keep the game close. Brandon Prust, meanwhile, suffered an upper body injury and is out long-term.

VANEK UP TO SPEED

Thomas Vanek, acquired at the trade deadline, scored a goal in that loss to Columbus. He now has 25 goals on the season and four in his last two games after a slow start following his acquisition.



Maple Leafs: Jonathan Bernier, Dave Bolland participate in full practice

Mark Zwolinski

Fri Mar 21 2014

Leafs coach Randy Carlyle has the definitive word on Dave Bolland’s return, and as of Friday, the coach stuck with the insistence that he will make a decision on Saturday.

Bolland “is getting closer and closer, he’s practiced for a month now and it’s getting closer to a decision on whether he plays for us the next game or the game after that,” Carlyle said after practice Friday.

“It’s day to day now . . . it was week to week, but it’s day to day now.”

Toronto has lost its last three games, a slide which has chopped its hold on a playoff berth to three points, and meets Montreal at home Saturday night.

The game, followed by a road tilt in New Jersey on Sunday, is almost a must-win.

Bolland, who has missed 56 games since suffering an ankle tendon injury Nov. 2, is obviously anxious to return to the lineup.

“I haven’t been told but it’s a decision I think we make (Saturday) . . . but I’m getting sick of skating with the coaches after practice,” Bolland said.

The Leafs, with Bolland in the lineup, would have their first fully healthy lineup of the season since opening night. Bolland skated on a line with Mason Raymond and David Clarkson in practice Friday, and the look of the Leafs lines kicked the Bolland return story into high gear.

Nik Kulemin, who had been centring the third line for the past month or more in Bolland’s absence, was restored to right wing on the second line, with Nazem Kadri at centre and Joffrey Lupul on the left side. That line has been at its most potent with Kulemin on the wing (Clarkson had been skating there with Kulemin at centre).

The top line remained unchanged, while the fourth line saw a hodgepodge of five players — Jay McClement, Colton Orr, Troy Bodie, Carter Ashton and Peter Holland.

The Leafs, if they activate Bolland, will be roughly $1.2 million over the cap limit. It’s likely Ashton and Holland — neither of whom needs waivers to be returned to the Marlies — would be sent to the AHL to clear room for Bolland.

That would leave a fourth line of McClement between Orr and Bodie.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Bernier practiced in full gear Friday and was doing so for the first time since he suffered a groin injury March 13 in Los Angeles.

Bernier could also return Saturday — against his hometown team, Montreal — but his timeline appears to be more day to day.

“He was on the ice taking some shots,” Carlyle said of Bernier. “We think Bernie (Bernier) has showed progress. To say he’s available for tomorrow night (vs. Montreal), I can’t say right now. It’s another decision that’s likely to come (Saturday) afternoon.”

Bernier said his return is somewhat uncertain. While he said he’s day to day, he made a return Saturday sound somewhat unlikely.

When asked what it would take for him to return, he said “a full practice.”

“Didn’t you just have a full practice (Friday),” he was asked. “No, it was not a full practice.”

In fact, Marlie call-up Drew MacIntyre was at practice; Bernier took more than 95 per cent of the drills and scrimmages, but gave way late in the practice to MacIntyre during some closing shooting drills.



Maple Leafs: Little margin for error in battle for playoff berth

Graham Hughes

The Leafs have 11 games remaining, and their next one Saturday against the Habs will no doubt be a tough test.

By: Curtis Rush Sports reporter, Published on Fri Mar 21 2014

The good news for the Maple Leafs is that there are no more punishing West Coast road swings, but there are two more of those dreaded back-to-backs that have left them drained and chugging toward the finish line.

With only 11 games remaining, the Leafs are in a playoff position, holding down one of two wild-card spots, but the playoffs certainly are no sure thing.

In a perfect world, they would climb into the top three in the Atlantic Division to get a more favourable first-round opponent. Otherwise, they might get stuck meeting the Boston Bruins or Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.

RELATED:

NHL playoff race: Remaining games for teams in Eastern Conference hunt

The magic number to nail down a post-season berth ranges from a low of 89 points to a high of 95, based on the last five full regular seasons. That means the Leafs, with 80 points, have to basically get a point every game from here on in to book their ticket.

In other words, a 6-5 finish would likely do it. They might fall out if they go .500 or less.

Another piece of good news: Six of the final 11 games are at home, including four straight (Red Wings, Flames, Bruins, Jets) but the last three are on the road (Lightning, Panthers and Senators).

There are two more back-to-backs and these could be a major pothole on the road to the post-season. After entertaining the Canadiens on Saturday, the Leafs travel to New Jersey on Sunday. Then next Friday, they are in Philadelphia to face the Flyers and back in Toronto the next night to tangle with the pesky Red Wings.

In the final 11 games, there are some soft spots, with six games against teams currently out of a playoff spot, including New Jersey (March 23), Detroit at the ACC (March 29), the Calgary Flames at the ACC (April 1), the Winnipeg Jets at the ACC (April 5), the Florida Panthers (April 10) and the Sens in the season finale (April 12).

Detroit isn’t going to be a pushover because the Wings have a legitimate chance of making a playoff run and don’t want to see their run of 22 consecutive playoff berths end. And Philadelphia seems to be peaking.

New Jersey and Ottawa are division rivals who would love to play spoilers.

The biggest danger ahead for the Leafs comes down to five games against teams currently in a playoff spot, including two legitimate Stanley Cup contenders (Boston and St. Louis).

The biggest tests like ahead — Montreal on Saturday at the ACC, the Blues at the ACC (March 25), at the Flyers on March 28, the Boston Bruins at the ACC (April 3), and the Tampa Bay Lightning (April 8).

As the Leafs said after losing to Steven Stamkos and the Lightning on Wednesday night, they need to regain the confidence they established on that West Coast trip, and nothing would reignite that confidence better than a victory against the Canadiens on Saturday night.



Leafs Bolland, Bernier could return to face Canadiens on Saturday

Lance Hornby

March 21, 2014 03:03 PM EDT

TORONTO - Grade the Maple Leafs with a B for Friday’s practice, for the work put in by Dave Bolland and Jonathan Bernier.

One or both of the sore - and sorely missed - players could be back for Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, which winger Joffrey Lupul has described without too much hyperbole as the biggest of the year. Squeezed in the NHL standngs by a rally of teams beneath them, the Leafs need a win to either firm up their tenuous wildcard position or get back in the division’s top three. A regulation win over the Habs helps the latter cause and the possibility of pulling that off increases overall with a healthy Bolland and Bernier.

Bolland appears closer, with no setbacks after a strenuous workout between David Clarkson and Mason Raymond on Friday. Before the Leafs five-game road trip, just when it seemed he was ready, he apparently aggravated the ankle tendon surgical procedure that has sidelined him almost five months.

“I thought he looked great today,” remarked Clarkson.

But the final decision will be up to coach Randy Carlyle.

“It’s getting close to a decision whether he can play (Saturday) or (Sunday in New Jersey),” Carlyle said. “We’ll make that decision after the morning skate or later in the day.”

Skating crossovers that were giving Bolland difficulty on the ice earlier this month are smoother now and he certainly sounded like someone ready to get back.

“Once you get that first shift out of the way, things will fall into place,” Bolland said. “You can only do so much in the dressing room (working out), helping to motivate others. It’s not fun to come early to the rink and stay late all the time. I’m pretty sick of skating after practice with the assistant coaches.”

Bernier lasted almost all of Friday’s 90 minute practice after returning to the ice on Wednesday following a groin strain injury eight days earlier.

“He’s showing progress, but to say he’s going to be in tomorrow night, I can’t tell you,” Carlyle said. “We’ll make that decision more than likely tomorrow afternoon.”

The presence of some Montreal reporters on Friday underlined how badly the Laval native would like to be in for the big game against the Habs. But Bernier also thought he could play through the injury against the Kings, his former team, in a start he’d been eyeing all season.

“From yesterday and two days before, I can see the progress,” Bernier said. “I don’t want to push it. We’ll see tomorrow after practice. Everyone on the staff is on the same page with the recovery.”

The uncertainly, coupled with the loss of defenceman Paul Ranger, leave Carlyle with some difficult lineup choices. He has Carter Ashton and Peter Holland with the team if third-liner Bolland can’t go, but one or both could be demoted to make salary cap room if Bolland is activated.

James Reimer will likely start against the Habs if Bernier doesn’t, testing his career record of 5-3 and .919 save percentage against Montreal. Drew MacIntyre remained with the club Friday with an outside chance of playing Sunday if Bernier is still sidelined.

Ranger, who was enjoying a restoration of his playing time as a seventh defencemen, came out to meet the press on Friday after being wheeled off Wednseday night with a serious-looking neck injury. He was still moving his head gingerly, but was able to suit up for the team photo prior to practice.

Ranger had not being able to move much after turning into a hit from Alex Killorn of the Lightning in Wednesday’s first period. He was released from a Toronto hospital the same night after an assessment for spinal and concussion issues.

“I was in shock, my body and my mind just went into preservation mode,” Ranger said. “All I could think of was ‘don’t move’. From what the doctors

said, I was relaxed and co-operative the whole time. I thank everyone involved.”

Killorn and Ranger spoke on the phone, but Ranger wouldn’t go into details. As expected, Killorn didn’t face any further league discipline than the boarding major and game miscoduct, but Ranger did say the issue should keep the NHL vigilant about hits from behind.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.22.2014


Maple Leafs defenceman Paul Ranger says he's thankful to avoid serious injury

Lance Hornby

Saturday, March 22, 2014 12:17 AM EDT

Paul Ranger has seen the replay of the hit that left him immobilized on a stretcher Wednesday night.

“I watched it once and that was enough,” the Maple Leaf defenceman declared on Friday afternoon.

His neck still stiff, he had gingerly walked from the trainer’s room to speak to the media for the first time since he changed direction during pursuit of a puck was plowed into the boards by Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn.

“I’m thankful, it was pretty scary,” said Ranger, who spent part of Wednesday night in hospital getting a precautionary assessment and slowly regaining his movement. “At first, I think I was in shock a bit. I just remember feeling pain. I don’t really want to get into details and re-live it, but ... I really didn’t know what was going to happen. I just remember feeling I’m going to be okay, I can feel my hands, feel my feet.

“I breathed three (times) in and out for the next three or four hours.”

Up to seven trainers, doctors and paramedics were on the ice, along with players from both teams to attend to Ranger for 15 minutes until they could safely get him on a stretcher. Ranger spent Thursday under observation and felt well enough to come into the practice rink and be part of the team picture Friday morning.

“From what the doctors said, I was relaxed and co-operative the whole time (Wednesday),” Ranger said. “I thank them very much. Dr. Noah Forman, (trainers) Paul Ayotte and Marty Dudgeon and my old trainer from Tampa, Tommy (Mulligan). They did a great job. Dr. Forman came with me to the hospital and stayed the whole time.”

Ranger and Killorn had a private phone chat and while Ranger agreed with most that no NHL suspension was warranted other than the standard major-misconduct assessed in the game, the issue of hitting from behind remains a sensitive one.

“I think it’s something that happens a lot in our game and it’s dangerous. It needs some looking at. But from what I gather about him (Killorn), he is a good kid who wouldn’t want to hurt anybody. And I play that way, too.”

Ranger said it would likely take a few days to recover fully and be able to resume practice.



Maple Leafs' Troy Bodie joins father-in-law in team portrait

Lance Hornby

March 21, 2014 11:08 PM EDT

Unlike Harold Ballard, Tim Leiweke didn’t have his sheepdog at the front of the annual Maple Leafs team photo.

But the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment had his son-in-law as part of the picture. Winger Troy Bodie, who married Francesca Leiweke last year, was with the tall boys in the last row.

“I was more excited for myself just to be in a team photo,” laughed the well-travelled Bodie. “I didn’t even think of (sitting near his father-in-law). But it will be cool to have that picture of both of us on the wall.”

Another grateful participant was goaltender Drew MacIntyre, who is about to be returned to the Marlies.

MacIntyre hasn’t played in his week of back-up service and it’s going on six years since he had a cup of coffee with the Vancouver Canucks.

“I thought you had to play a game to get in the photo,” said MacIntyre, who stood in the second row behind Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer. “I didn’t shave last night because I didn’t think I’d be in it, but I quickly shaved when I got here this morning.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be in one again, but that was cool.”

PUTTING OUT THE FIRE

Bernier didn’t quite buy that Rome was burning just because he missed a few games. He was supportive of his team and the embattled Reimer in a three-game losing streak.

“It’s tough to watch your team lose,” Bernier said as his return nears. “I don’t think we played our best (but) we just have to re-focus. We’re not in a bad (playoff) spot, we’re still looking in. We just have to stay positive as a team.”

Alternate captain Joffrey Lupul, who has also quelled media and fan reaction when the team has dipped this year, said the Leafs aren’t making constant mistakes, just costly ones.

“If you go back and watch the game tapes, I don’t think you can say we’re playing terrible games,” Lupul said. “We’re working. But we’re making critical mistakes.

“You can’t lose special teams battles and expect to win the game.”

UP FOR GRABS

GTA-based Frozen Pond collectibles, which brought you the toilet from Maple Leaf Gardens that sold for $5,300, is staging another online auction of hockey goods.

The highlights include a Terry Sawchuk game-worn mask, a net from the earliest days at the Gardens, a pre-war Leafs team equipment trunk, a locker room clock, team scoreboard signs and old MLG stock certificates.

Amid a number of game-used sticks from Mike Bossy, Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming, Paul Henderson, Steve Yzerman, Scott Stevens and Ron Ellis, the company says it has the stick Michel Plasse used to score the first goal by a netminder in pro hockey when he was with the CHL Kansas City Blues in 1971.

The auction runs until the evening of April 3 at www.frozenpond.com

RYERSON SCORES

Speaking of Maple Leafs Gardens, it’s new configuration as Ryerson University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre is getting a state-of-the-art broadcasting centre.

Sportsnet is donating $750,000 to the university’s sport media program, setting up the latest technology in field production at the rink and to fund student scholarships and digital media training. Foster (‘He shoots, he scores!’) Hewitt was a broadcast pioneer at the Gardens in the 1930s.

LOOSE LEAFS

The inevitable concern about a concussion was raised when defenceman Paul Ranger was kept off the ice on Friday. “Right now, they’re not treating him for anything more than a stiff neck,” said coach Randy Carlyle. “(Concussion) is not the word they ever described to me, though I know it’s the word in today’s sports.” ...

Winger David Clarkson on the combination of a visit by Montreal, a tight playoff race and a Hockey Night In Canada date: “Anytime you play Montreal it’s a playoff atmosphere. These last 11 games, everything will have a playoff atmosphere.” ... After Detroit’s 5-4 win against Pittsburgh on Thursday, sportsclubstats.com negated Leaf odds on making the playoffs by 5.4% to about 60% overall ... Leafs also entered Friday night as the NHL’s only playoff seeded team with a double digit negative goal differential (minus 11).



Toronto Maple Leafs’ Paul Ranger recovering after ‘scary’ hit from behind

Michael Traikos

Mar 21 5:47 PM ET

TORONTO — Two days after he was carted off the ice on a stretcher, Paul Ranger spoke about the hit from behind that sent him to a hospital and how lucky he was to escape the incident without a major injury.

Lightning’s Alex Killorn will escape supplementary discipline for hit on Maple Leafs’ Paul Ranger: report

“I’m thankful,” said an emotional Ranger. “That was pretty scary. I’m ok.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman was retrieving a puck in his own end when Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn hit him headfirst towards the end boards. Ranger, who did not suffer a concussion, said he is still day-to-day with a sore neck.

He did not practice with the team on Friday, but it could have been in part because he is still in shock from the hit.

“I remember just feeling pain,” said Ranger. “My body and mind just went into preservation mode. All I could think was, ‘don’t move, just stay straight and breathe.’

“Even through that stressful time I felt comforted and loved really, and cared for during that whole time.”

Ranger said he has watched the replay once — “that was enough,” he said — and added that Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn, who was not suspended for the hit, reached out to him. He wanted to keep that conversation between himself and Killorn, but seemed to forgive Killorn for what happened.

“I think that’s something that happens a lot in our game and it’s dangerous,” he said. “It’s not up to me to decide whether he should be suspended or not. From what I can gather, he’s a good kid. And I felt that and I knew that right from the start that it wasn’t intentional. My friends that I know close in Tampa say that he’s a good person.”

* * *

The Leafs continue to be an outlier in the evolution of advanced stats.

The team, which is currently holding down a playoff spot despite having one of the worst shot-differentials in the NHL, actually reversed the trend in their last two games. But interestingly enough, the Toronto lost both games. It is an incredibly small sample size, but head coach Randy Carlyle said it just shows that other factors are at play in deciding a game.

“We’ve had our issues with far too many shots-against, but you should know in the last three games, we’ve outshot the opponent and not had the success,” said Carlye, whose Leafs actually were outshot 33-29 against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. “Shots on goal are not the end-all.”

* * *

Prior to Friday’s practice, the Leafs assembled on the ice for their annual team photo. It was a special moment for Troy Bodie, not only because the part-time player has been up-and-down with the Leafs this season. But also because he got to pose with his father-in-law, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Tim Leiweke.

“It will be cool to have it on the wall,” he said.

National Post LOADED: 03.22.2014


Maple Leafs may get Bernier, Bolland back for big game against Canadiens

Michael Traikos

Mar 21 8:28 PM ET

They are still hurting. David Bolland admitted he still has trouble doing crossovers on an ankle that was severely injured in November. They are still healing. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier said the groin he strained a week ago is probably going to bother him for another seven days.

'Don’t move, just stay straight and breathe': Leafs' Paul Ranger on seconds after 'scary' hit that saw him carted of ice on a stretcher

But as one reporter asked, only half-joking, does playing the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday speed up the recovery process? In this case, the answer is probably yes.

If it were any other game, Bolland and Bernier most likely would be sitting out. But this is not any other game. Inside the dressing room, the Toronto Maple Leafs are calling Saturday’s game against the Canadiens the biggest of the season. It’s not far from the truth.

After losing their last three games, Toronto needs this one, as well as Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. The Leafs are only three points behind of Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Divison. The Leafs do hold one of the wild-card positions, but they have just a three-point lead on the Detroit Red Wings, who have played two fewer games.

With 11 games remaining in the regular season, Toronto has to treat Saturday night’s game — and the ones that follow — like it’s the playoffs. And in the playoffs, you need your best players in the lineup, whether they are 100% or playing through pain.

“They’re definitely tougher to win,” Carlyle said of the games at this time of year. “But that’s the recipe you’re dealt with when you’re in a push to make the playoffs and you’re in a push to get your team situated for a playoff position and home ice.”

Bernier’s addition almost goes without saying. The Leafs lost just once in regulation in the 13 games prior to his injury. Since then, the team has dropped three straight and created a minor maelstrom because of post-game comments this week by head coach Randy Carlyle regarding goaltender James Reimer.

Carlyle said the decision on whether Bolland and Bernier are in the lineup on Saturday night would be left up to the players. That is another way of saying they have the green light and are expected to put their bodies in gear.

No offence to the guys who have filled the spot, but our team looks a little tougher on paper with Bolland

“Bringing a guy like Bolland back into the lineup, that’s a veteran presence and the exact type of player you need at this time of year,” Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul said. “No offence to the guys who have filled the spot, but our team looks a little tougher on paper with Bolland.”

Bolland, who has been skating with the team since before the Olympic break, practised on a line with David Clarkson and Mason Raymond for the first time in three weeks. Despite what he said about his ability to perform crossovers, he looked fine. Bernier shared the net with third-string goalie Drew MacIntyre, but did not show any signs that his groin was limiting his mobility.

Are they 100% healthy? No, but few are at this point in the season.

“The thing is I don’t think you’re ever 100%,” Bernier said when asked about his injury. “I think every injury you want to be cautious. But like I said earlier, you can never be 100%. So this injury might last for a few days after I play my first game, but as long as it doesn’t get worse.”

Captain Dion Phaneuf has been missing practices with regularity because of so-called “maintenance days,” and several others are disguising minor injuries. The leaves the question to Bolland and Bernier: Would they help or hurt the team by playing on Saturday?

With the real possibility that Toronto might fall out of a playoff spot unless the team can stop this current slide, Bolland and Bernier also cannot afford to wait too long before returning.

National Post LOADED: 03.22.2014

739057 Washington Capitals

Five thoughts on the Capitals’ 2-1 shootout loss to Los Angeles

Katie Carrera

March 21 at 12:57 pm

LOS ANGELES – It took half the game but the Capitals mustered the ability to match the Kings’ grinding style of play. Washington secured a point on a goal by Joel Ward but fell, 2-1, in a shootout.

Five thoughts on Thursday’s loss:

1. Shootout struggles. Remember when the Capitals were nearly infallible in shootouts? That seems like a long time ago now. After falling to the Kings, Washington has lost its last five contests decided by the tiebreak to fall to 8-8 on the season in shootouts. The Capitals’ last shootout win was Dec. 15 against Philadelphia.

Of Washington’s three shooters on Thursday — Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom – only Kuznetsov recorded a goal against Jonathan Quick. It was a doozy of a shot by the rookie, placed between the top of Quick’s right pad and his stick, on his first shootout attempt in the NHL.

But then Ovechkin’s attempt to go between the legs was smothered by Quick and the goaltender knocked away the try by Backstrom, who is 6 for 14 on the year. For one reason or another, Ovechkin has struggled mightily in the tiebreak, going 2 for 15 on the season.

He’s received more chances in the shootout than any other Capital (the only one he didn’t take part in was on Nov. 2 vs. Florida, when he was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury) but there’s something amiss. Goaltenders don’t necessarily make stellar saves to thwart his chances, but they take away the five-hole option late because they know Ovechkin has a tendency to try that shot.

It’s not surprising that Coach Adam Oates keeps going back to the person who has carried the bulk of the offensive load this season – and leads the NHL with 46 goals. But as points become increasingly precious for the Capitals perhaps the next time they reach the tiebreak it’s worth seeing how a different configuration could work for the first three shooters.

2. Kuznetsov. The early stages of Thursday’s game resembled culture shock for many of the Capitals as they were pushed off the puck, rattled with physical play and unable to complete even simple outlet passes against a Los Angeles squad that is extremely committed to its relentless defensive style. It was quite the introduction for Kuznetsov, who while having faced Pittsburgh in his first two games hasn’t ever seen a team like the Kings.

“I thought he was affected early in the game,” Oates said, “and it took him a while to get into the game.”

There were times where Kuznetsov tried to force a play, attempting to dangle the puck past multiple Los Angeles skaters only to be stopped in his tracks and then left out of position as they went the other way with the puck. But, like the Capitals as a whole, as the game progressed he made the necessary adjustments.

His play to set up Ward’s game-tying goal was a superb misdirection. On the play, Kuznetsov carried the puck in along the right-wing boards from the blue line and began to skate around the net only to pass the puck out in front as he reached the right post.

“He’s got great hands, that’s what he’s known for, but he’s got to recognize when those plays are available,” Oates said. “He can’t turn it over early, can’t turn it over entering the zone, can’t get too cute, but he does have the skill set that when he does have some time and space he can make plays.”

It’s going to be a gradual evolution for Kuznetsov, but it’s neat to watch how he adapts on the fly at this early stage because there’s no question his skill level is tremendous.

3. Ward. The Capitals’ feel-good story of the year keeps getting better as Joel Ward continues to make a positive impact. His game-tying tally marked his 22nd goal of the year, his 13th five-on-five tally and extended his current scoring streak to a personal best four games.

As has been well documented, Oates challenged Ward to be more than a bottom-six role player when he took over as coach and the 33-year-old winger has run with the opportunity. Ward isn’t just a solid two-way player anymore, but someone who can make a difference at either end of the ice on any given night.

His defensive instincts, along with the rest of his third-line mates, help move the puck quickly out of the Capitals’ zone. But when they’re in the offensive end Ward can consistently be found lurking in the weeds around the crease, biding his time while waiting for a rebound or a centering pass. Once those opportunities come, Ward’s confidence is readily apparent. He fights off opponents to protect the puck and will battle for second- or third-chance opportunities like his goal against the Kings.

4. An absence of even-strength goals for a certain right wing. Ovechkin has scored six goals in the 12 games since the Olympic break but only one of them came at even strength and that was back on Feb. 27 at Florida.

He had opportunities against the Kings, including a chance when he emerged from the corner and drove to the front of the net but Quick poke checked the puck away before he could take a shot. Ovechkin finished the game with three shots on goal, one blocked shot and six attempts that missed the net. Of those misses, five came at even strength and Ovechkin acknowledged something seems a little off.

“When I have opportunity to shoot the puck, I try to see where goalie is and that kind of situation when you look where the goalie … it seems like it’s too late,” Ovechkin said. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to find a way but I have to score five-on-five, especially that chances what I have, they have to be in 100 percent.”

5. Second time’s the charm? By their own admittance, the Capitals took some time to adjust to Los Angeles’s style of play as it was the first time the teams had met this season. Washington will get another crack at the Kings, though, in just five days at Verizon Center.

“It’s the same reads all the time and I think sometimes when you play a team that you haven’t played and they won the Stanley Cup recently – [the Capitals] know that and they’re in a foreign building — sometimes you’re a little behind on your reads and it takes some time to get into the pace of the game even though we played two nights ago,” Oates said. “I’m proud of the guys, the way they stood up to it. Second half of the game we kind of took it too them we had a lot of good chances and I think we carried the pace a little bit.”

If they can take the lessons from this shootout loss and find a way to get involved the game before the midway point of the second period, it should serve them well in the on-going quest to capture wins down the stretch.

Washington Post LOADED: 03.22.2014


Joel Ward’s 22nd goal of the year secures point for Capitals in loss to Kings

Katie Carrera

March 21 at 8:14 am

LOS ANGELES – As the Capitals pushed for a goal in the third period Thursday night, generating numerous quality scoring chances, it was hard not to wonder if they would ever find a way past Kings netminder Jonathan Quick.

Finally, with more than 52 minutes gone at Staples Center, their ability to match Los Angeles’s grinding style allowed them to break through.

From down low in the corner Nicklas Backstrom passed to Evgeny Kuznetsov at the top of the offensive zone. Kuznetsov curled down the right wing boards, started to make his way around the net but paused at the right post and sent a pass out in front to Joel Ward. It was a dazzling play by the rookie, who caught Los Angeles off guard with the reversal. Ward didn’t get a shot off cleanly when the puck first arrived but fought off Kings defenseman Drew Doughty to corral it long enough to lift a shot above Quick and into the net.

Ward’s goal, his 22nd of the year, pulled Washington even at 12:24 of the third period and ensured the visitors would capture at least one point before succumbing, 2-1, to the Kings in a shootout.

“I kind of had a feeling it was coming and I just tried to gain some separation with the D-man in front,” said Ward, who has scored a goal in each of the last four contests. “I just kind of had a quick hunch that he was going to slip one over and I tried to take a whack at it. … I was battling with the D-man there and just kind of kicked it up from my skate to my stick — I tried to scoop it in.”

As disappointed as the mood in the dressing room was postgame, that point was valuable for the Capitals and the way they continued to force the issue – making smart plays, not unnecessarily risky ones – was encouraging in itself as well.

Washington Post LOADED: 03.22.2014


Capitals sign Caleb Herbert, 2010 draft pick

Chuck Gormley


The Capitals have signed right-handed center Caleb Herbert to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next season and have assigned him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

Herbert, 22, was drafted by the Capitals in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2010 NHL draft and spent the last three seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth. In 36 games this season, he recorded 12 goals and 19 assists, along with 85 penalty minutes.

The St. Paul, Minn., native was named to the 2013-14 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Academic All-Conference Team.

Last season Herbert finished second among Minnesota Duluth skaters in assists (19), third in penalty minutes (53) and fourth in points (25). The Bulldogs list him as a junior business major at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds.

Washington Times LOADED: 03.22.2014


Capitals sign 2010 5th-round draft pick Herbert


Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Minnesota Duluth center Caleb Herbert signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.

The team announced the deal Friday.

The 22-year-old Herbert was a fifth-round draft pick in 2010. He spent the past three seasons in college at Minnesota Duluth, leading the team with 31 points and 85 penalty minutes this season.

Herbert will go to Hershey of the American Hockey League.



Caps can’t beat Jonathan Quick, fall to Kings in shootout

By Joe Resnick

Associated Press


LOS ANGELES — Darryl Sutter doesn’t remember his first win as an NHL coach. And now that he’s gotten his 500th in the regular season, he didn’t make anything special out of this one, either.

Marian Gaborik got the deciding goal in the shootout and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 Thursday night to make Sutter the 18th coach to reach that milestone.

“It’s a lot,” Sutter acknowledged. “I’ve been around a long time. I’ve gotten a lot in shootouts, though.”

Sutter, who guided the Kings to their first Stanley Cup title in 2011-12 after Terry Murray was fired less than 2½ months into that season, tied Montreal legend Hector “Toe” Blake on the career list and is fifth among active coaches behind Joel Quenneville, Ken Hitchcock, Lindy Ruff and Barry Trotz.

“When Darryl came in two years ago, he did exactly what he needed to do and pressed the right buttons to get the team going — because at that time we were taking one step forward and two steps back,” goalie Jonathan quick said.

Quick tied Rogie Vachon for the most career victories by a Kings goaltender and stopped Alex Ovechkin, who leads the league with 46 goals, on the Capitals‘ second shot in the tiebreaker.

Quick, who has spent his entire seven-year career with the Kings, is 171-115, with 11 overtime losses and 20 additional defeats that ended in shootouts. Vachon was 171-148 with 66 ties during his six-plus seasons with Los Angeles after he was traded by Montreal, and made all three of his All-Star game appearances during his time with the Kings.

“It means a lot, and it’s special because wins are a team effort — 20 guys each night contributing to every win,” Quick said. “The biggest thing is I’ve had the luxury of shootouts and Rogie didn’t. If you took away those shootout wins, I’d still be behind Rogie, so I guess I’m fortunate they implemented that a few years back.”

Ovechkin is 2 for 15 this season in the tiebreaker and 25 for 83 in his career.

“He has a couple of good moves and he was trying to go five-hole there,” Quick said. “Maybe it hasn’t gone his way this year, but he’s had success in the past. So he’s always somebody you’re preparing for.”

Quick finished with 21 saves, losing his shutout bid with 7:36 remaining when Joel Ward extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-best four games with his 22nd of the season.

The Capitals got a power play in overtime after Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr was sent off for hooking Marcus Johansson at the 53-second mark. But Quick robbed Troy Brouwer on a point-blank shot from the low slot during the ensuing 4-on-3 advantage.

Another of Quick’s best saves came at 8:10 of the second period, when he stoned ex-teammate Dustin Penner with the heel of his glove at the last instant from the edge of the crease after leaving a bad rebound on Dmitry Orlov’s slap shot from the left point.

“Their goalie played great, and maybe stole it for them. But they also played a hard-nose physical game, and I’m proud of our guys and the way they stood up to it,” Washington coach Adam Oates said. “The second half of the game I thought we kind of took it to them. We had a lot of good chances, and I would say we carried the pace a little bit.”

The Kings, coming off their third consecutive one-goal loss following an eight-game winning streak, opened the scoring at 14:09 of the first period. Gaborik beat defenseman John Carlson to the puck after a long dump-in by Justin Williams and fed it in front to Anze Kopitar, who slid his 22nd goal between Jaroslav Halak’s pads.

Halak made 27 saves for Washington, after stopping 43 shots Tuesday in a 3-2 win at Anaheim. The eight-year veteran is 4-2-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average in seven starts since the Capitals acquired him in a trade with Buffalo on March 5 — just five days after the Sabres picked him up in a trade with St. Louis.

Captain Dustin Brown returned to the Kings‘ lineup after missing two games because of a lower-body injury.

NOTES: Vachon finished his 16-year career with 355 wins, which was fifth all-time when he retired after the 1981-82 season. He has since dropped to 17th place. … Williams played in his 200th consecutive game, becoming the 13th different player in franchise history to reach that figure — including Kopitar, who holds the club record with 330. … The Kings are 14-0 when scoring more than three goals.


739062 Winnipeg Jets

Buff, Bogo and Slater could lace 'em up against Hurricanes

Tim Campbell

Mar. 22 at 6 p.m.

WINNIPEG — If he goes on much longer with such an involved daily medical update, Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice could be the new face of the Red Cross.

The most immediate concern is how much of his team will be on the ice to face the Carolina Hurricanes at the MTS Centre Saturday night (6 p.m., CBC, TSN1290).

Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime win was accomplished without the services of No. 1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec (lower body), defenceman Zach Bogosian (upper body) and forwards Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and Jim Slater (lower body) — the injured Jets who are not out long-term like Mark Scheifele (knee) and Chris Thorburn (ankle).

"I would expect Byfuglien, Bogosian, Slater in the morning skate (Saturday) and could be available to play," the coach said after Friday’s hour-long practice downtown. "I’m fairly optimistic that’s going to happen."

Byfuglien, in particuar, had a hot stick before he went out after Monday’s 3-1 loss in St. Louis.

"He’s had improvement over the two days, that was positive," the coach reported. "He could have skated today but one more day, we’re hopeful."

Slater did skate before Jets practice today, and went the full distance with the team, likely leaving his case as the most optimistic.

As well today, forward John Albert worked out with the team. He has missed five games since being hurt in Colorado on March 10.

As for Pavelec, he will be absent again against the Hurricanes, though he has been back on the ice. Maurice said his No. 1 goalie skated for 40 minutes on Thursday and did so again today, and might be a possibility for Monday’s game in Dallas.

"Maybe Dallas, then I would said probably San Jose, available," Maurice said. "I’m basing that solely on the progression he’s on right now, if it continues."

All the ifs, ands or maybes complicate the Jets’ urgent need for points as they try to keep alive their dream of qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

After Thursday night’s action, Winnipeg trails the eighth-place Phoenix Coyotes by six points (79-73), with Dallas (75) and Vancouver (74) in between them and the last playoff team in the Western Conference.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.22.2014


Jets fans quick to renew season tickets

Tim Campbell

03/22/2014 1:00 AM

More than 96 per cent of eligible Winnipeg Jets season-ticket holders have renewed their tickets.

RENEWAL TIME

Q: What just happened?

A: True North just renewed 96 per cent of P6 and P7 customers, about 4,300 upper-deck seats in the MTS Centre, to new deals of between three and six years; the customers' choice of new term.

Q: What about the rest of the 13,000 season tickets?

A: All sections in the P3, P4 and P5 price group go next year when their original four-year commitment is up; P1 and P2, with five-year deals, follow in 2016.

Q: How will I make out if I'm on the wait list?

A: Patience will still be your biggest asset. With this year's renewal process, it appears about 175 upper-deck tickets will come open to the wait list. It's impossible to tell what that number will be in future years.

Q: I have friends who aren't sure they want to keep their tickets. Can I just cut a deal with one of them to take over their tickets?

A: No. Generally, direct transfers may only take place to immediate family members over the age of 18 and an official agreement must be executed.

The questions have been out there -- in Winnipeg and around the NHL -- since the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg and became the Jets.

Was the whole episode of the Jets selling all 13,000 available season tickets in about three days just an overbought hysteria that wouldn't last?

Could the demand possibly remain that high?

The first real answers to those questions are in.

In the first renewal window for Winnipeg Jets season-ticket holders, more than 96 per cent of the approximately 4,300 upper-deck seats in the P6 and P7 group of the MTS Centre have been renewed, True North senior vice-president of business partnerships and account services Norva Riddell confirmed Friday.

Those sections originally required a three-year commitment back in 2011 and when the renewal window was open between Jan. 14 and Feb. 21, True North offered those customers another three years, or a longer extension up to six years.

Half re-upped for three years and the other half chose terms between four and six years, Riddell said.

"That was surprising," she said Friday about the choice for extra years. "And we are delighted with that. We just didn't know. Delighted with those results, for sure."

The overall renewal number pleased True North officials, Riddell added.

"Absolutely thrilled," she said.

The results of this first renewal period -- seats in the P3, P4 and P5 zones go next year while P1 and P2 come up in 2016 -- confirm for True North that Jets fans are eager for these ticket partnerships, Riddell said.

"The partnership with our seatholders is important to us and it's imperative that the investments we're making back into the MTS Centre coincide with investments people are making with us," she said.

True North has already started with renovations and upgrades to the MTS Centre, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this fall. The new merchandise store at the north end of the suite concourse is complete and upgrades to washroom space, concession options and crowd flow, costing between $5

and $7 million, will take place on the upper (300) concourse this summer, part of an overall five-year plan to re-invest $30 million in the facility.

This year's renewal process for P6 and P7 ticket-holders included those who bought half-season packages. The number of those seats is being maintained but are only available in P6 and P7 sections.

The only disappointment in these developments -- disappointment being in the eye of the beholder -- is this renewal process leaves only about 175 seats to go to current wait-list customers.

From the start of this process in 2011 until now, only about 200 seats have changed hands to those on the 8,000-seat wait list.

"Keep in mind the wait list serves two purposes," Riddell said. "One, that you want to purchase Winnipeg Jets season tickets in time, and two, those people still have privileges associated with game-day ticket releases and other benefits... making sure you get information first about events and things like outdoor practices and wait-list customer practices."



Could Monty be No. 1?

Ed Tait

03/22/2014 1:00 AM

THE MONTOYA FILE

BORN: Feb. 13, 1985, Chicago, Ill.

DRAFTED: New York Rangers, 6th overall, 2004.

CURRENT: Earning $601,000 this season for the Jets; unrestricted free agent this summer.

FIVE MONTOYA FACTS:

1. Backstopped the U.S. to its first-ever gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship in 2004 and was named to the all-star team.

2. Has appeared in 17 World Junior and World Championship games for the United States, posting a 12-4 record.

3. Became the first Cuban-American to play in the NHL in 2009. His grandparents and parents were born in Cuba. He has an airplane depicted on the back of his goalie mask along with his nickname, Big Cubano.

4. The Rangers sent Montoya and Marcel Hossa to Phoenix for Fredrik Sjstrm, David LeNeveu and Josh Gratton. He was shipped by the Coyotes to the Islanders for a sixth-round pick in 2011, which Phoenix used to select Andrew Fritsch, who is with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

5. Montoya's .921 save percentage is 10th best in the NHL; his 2.26 goals-against average ranks 11th. By comparison, Ondrej Pavelec is 36th in GAA (2.97) and 37th (.902) in save percentage.

THE COACH SAYS:

Paul Maurice, when asked if Montoya could be a No. 1:

"I don't know the answer to that question, and I'll tell you right now absolutely nobody knows the answer to that question. Even with a year under your belt, I don't know if the question gets answered. This is what I do know about him: The guys in the locker-room love him. He competes in that net, covers a lot of net. If he grows into a No. 1 role, good for him and good for the Winnipeg Jets. But personality-wise, he'd fit the role perfectly. He came off the bench and won a game in Chicago. And when your No. 1 guy goes down, he can come in and the players feel they have a chance. That's the key piece to all this -- when the backup is in your net, or the guy perceived as your backup, how does the bench feel? They love the guy and are going to play hard for him.

"Whether a player can do it long-term, nobody knows until he's given that opportunity. What he's got to do is what he's doing, (earn more) starts. He's got to stop pucks and win games."

Al MONTOYA has spent 10 years as a professional puckstopper, kicking out saves for three different NHL teams, three minor-league squads and, on several occasions, in the red, white and blue of the good ol' USA.

But somewhere along the way -- likely between being traded twice by NHL teams and suffering through myriad injuries before signing dirt-cheap as a free agent with the Winnipeg Jets -- the former first-round draft pick has been typecast as a backup.

He has essentially been pigeonholed as the goaltending version of the supporting actor; a guy counted on for a quality start here and there but seldom offered the chance to stand in the spotlight for long.

But with Ondrej Pavelec currently shelved with an injury -- he'll likely be green-lighted to play next week -- Montoya has made three consecutive starts for a Jets team still clinging to a playoff dream.

And so, as the questions about the Jets' goaltending have become a hot-button issue of late -- both in the short and long term -- here's another to ponder:

Why not Al as a possible No. 1?

Now, make no mistake, the veteran goaltender has always steered clear of this kind of chatter, politely and professionally deferring to Pavelec as the No. 1. It even came up again on Friday when Global's Joe Pascucci asked Montoya, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, if his price goes up with every game.

"What price is that?," said Montoya with a laugh. "I can't even look ahead to tomorrow. I just take it day by day here.

"For me, (the paycheque) has been a non-issue. I've been here showing what I'm capable of, not only to this team, but to the rest of the NHL. This is where my heart is right now. I'm taking it day by day, but I know what I'm capable of doing and feeling better every day."

Montoya was the first goaltender selected in the 2004 NHL draft, sixth overall, when the New York Rangers grabbed him after the names Ovechkin, Malkin, Barker, Ladd and Wheeler had been called out.

But Montoya just so happened to turn pro around the same time as another Rangers goaltending prospect -- that would be Henrik Lundqvist -- and the franchise opted to deal him to Phoenix where, in his pro debut, he posted a shutout in a 3-zip win over Colorado. Again, however, he was deemed expendable and traded to the Islanders in 2011. And when Rick DiPietro got injured, Montoya stepped in for his first real crack as a starter and went 9-5-5 with a .921 save percentage.

After signing a one-year extension, he went 9-11-5 for the Isles, finished the season on the injured list and -- with just a .893 save percentage -- hit the open market that summer as a free agent. That's when the Jets, seeking a replacement for Chris Mason to back up Pavelec, came calling.

Interestingly, Montoya now insists that at age 29 and with all those miles on his odometer he is a better goaltender than at any point in his career.

"When I first got drafted in this league in '04, I thought I should be in the NHL probably the next day," he said. "Go figure... I come up behind Lundqvist, turn pro the same year and have shoulder surgery. Then I get traded to a bankrupt team in Phoenix, where I get bumped around...

"I've been up and down. I've experienced that emotionally and physically. So when I got back to that chance in Long Island, I ran with it and I'm still running with it to this day."

Why not Al? Over to you, Mr. Montoya...

"I feel like I can play games and I feel that I can win games. Other than that, I'm not really focused on anything else," he said. "It's about coming in here and showing what I'm capable of doing, and I feel like I'm doing it. And I'm going to keep doing it.

"I've always been hungry, don't get me wrong. I've always wanted a piece of it. The only difference is I appreciated this team giving me a chance, to allow me to come here and perform and go through that process. But at the same time, I'm a gamer. I want to play. I can win games and help the team win. So at the end of the day, it's what I want to be doing.

"It's been a long time coming for me, I feel. It's about when you get that opportunity, running with it."



Proud papa Slater sporting ear-to-ear grin

Tim Campbell and Ed Tait

03/22/2014 1:00 AM

Though he's struggled with injuries this season, Jets centre Jim Slater is wearing a smile like no other this week.

His first child, daughter Wyn Elizabeth, was born early Wednesday morning.

"I'm just thrilled," Slater said Friday, back at practice with his teammates. "Every time you look at her face brings a smile to yours. I'm loving it so far.

"You have to change your routine a little bit. I'm someone that wants to be hands on and help out. It's one of those things where no matter what happens in a game, you come home and you see her and it brightens your day."

Cigars are ready to go.

"I got 'em," Slater smiled. "I'm just waiting for the right time to pass them out."

-- -- --

It was remarked after Wednesday's overtime winner against Colorado it was the second-best extra-time goal Blake Wheeler has ever scored.

"I think they were talking about the one where I was at Minnesota and that one won a championship. That was pretty special, given the opponent, our bitter rival North Dakota, and the quality of that game," said Wheeler, referring to his WCHA championship winner seven years and two days previous to his strike on Wednesday. "That one's probably going to stand out for the rest of my life, until I get a big one here in the playoffs."

Wheeler has been getting a lot of questions about his patient effort in Wednesday's winning goal, when he hung onto the puck for what seemed like an eternity.

"I saw Posty (teammate Paul Postma) coming out of the corner of my eye and I turned and faced him a little bit and the puck actually came off my stick a little," Wheeler explained of his waiting to find something to do. "I was going to pass it, but saw their guy had him (Eric Johnson actually submarined Postma) and I kind of lost the puck and that might have been what caused him (Avs goalie Reto Berra) to bite so hard.

"Then, finally, when I regained control and looked up, the net was empty."

-- -- --

Postma, who has played just two games since being cleared for action in late January, factored into Wednesday's win with two assists.

He missed three months this season because of a blood clot in his leg and has been forced to be a patient extra in the Jets' story.

"It's been the most frustrating thing I've ever been through in my career, just for the amount of time I was out..." he said Friday.

When he was finally cleared to play, he couldn't crack the lineup.

"The coaches went with who they thought was going to be the most successful out there. I always have to be ready and last game was one of those situations where I was ready."

He's eager to show more, he said Friday.

"Honestly I don't think (head coach Paul) Maurice has really gotten the chance to see exactly what I can do out there," he said. "Hasn't really gotten the chance yet. I hope I get the chance to show him a little more of what I'm all about."

-- -- --

On the interesting new hairstyles sported by roommates Zach Bogosian and rookie Jacob Trouba this week, Jets teammate Evander Kane, himself a man of many hair looks, said this Friday: "That suits them. They look good, look mean. It's always good to have mean-looking players on your team. I'll take that."

-- -- --

Jets rookie Mark Scheifele was in full gear on Friday, but only for the annual team picture.

Scheifele, who hurt the MCL in his right knee on March 4, is out indefinitely. He is not close to returning.

"Everybody's angling for that (his return)," Maurice said Friday. "I said when Scheif was in his gear for the team picture: 'I'm going to get asked about how far off you are.' He's moving on the ice, trying a little bit."



Paper tigers lose edge on ice

Tim Campbell

03/22/2014 1:00 AM

THE Winnipeg Jets lose way too often on the ice to teams they should beat on paper.

That's a big reason they find themselves still trying to claw into an NHL playoff spot.

This is relevant because tonight's visitors at the MTS Centre are the Carolina Hurricanes, a team that stands below the Jets in the standings. It's a scenario that too often promotes the feeling of "should win" when the Jets' track record in the 2013-14 season shows defeats to numerous teams below them in the standings, including Ottawa (twice), Buffalo, the Islanders, Nashville, Calgary and Edmonton.

No team's perfect in this regard, but...

"I know there's the thought we should beat Carolina because they're below us in the standings, but they've got a good team," Jets coach Paul Maurice said Friday. "When you say that, my back gets up because I'm thinking Staal, Staal, Skinner, Semin, Ward. This is a pretty good hockey team coming in here."

Winnipeg, at 73 points and six back of the eighth-place Phoenix Coyotes, meets the Hurricanes, at 69 points and nine points out of a berth prior to Friday's game in Chicago, tonight at 6 p.m. (CBC, TSN 1290).

The Jets have won two of the last three and should feel some momentum, said Wednesday's overtime hero, Blake Wheeler.

"Our game overall should be having us go in the right direction," Wheeler said. "We're still in the middle of this thing, very much in the fight, and we're playing teams that are in front of us still. I think the excitement of having 10 or 11 games left and having important games to play, that should be our focus right now.

"We've had games where we've played well and haven't gotten the result. It was nice to see one go our way."

In snapping their six-game slide with wins in two of the last three, the Jets have enjoyed goals from Evander Kane in both wins.

He's now up to three goals under Maurice, the new coach.

"I think my last couple of games haven't been my best ones," Kane said after Friday's practice. "I've been able to score, but when I wasn't scoring I thought I was playing pretty well, so hopefully will try to put both together tomorrow night and look forward to a big week ahead.

"It's an opportunity for us to grab two points and get that much closer."

The importance of the game tonight is something the Jets are used to, Kane agreed.

"Probably just because we haven't been cemented in the playoffs this time of year," he said. "We've always been coming from behind or trying to get in.

"We're kind of used to it. Hopefully next time we're talking about positioning and not trying to get in.

"There's definitely pressure but that comes with the job description. We have to take it one game at a time. We knew there was still a lot of hockey left and we could still get back into it."

The rash of injuries that has hamstrung the Jets could improve tonight, Maurice said Friday.

He expects forwards Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and Jim Slater (lower) and defenceman Zach Bogosian (upper) will take today's morning skate and be possibilities against Carolina.

Goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who left the March 14 game against the Rangers after one period, is still out but skated Thursday and Friday. He might be ready next week.



Hurricanes at Jets

03/22/2014 1:00 AM

Staff Writer

The Canes will play 20 sets of back-to-back games this season. Only New Jersey, with 22, has more. Carolina is 4-10-3 in the back halves thus far.

Canes netminder Anton Khudobin made a career-high 46 saves in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Columbus, a game in which Carolina was outshot 19-0 in the third period -- a first for the franchise since March 6, 2006.

Carolina is led by Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner offensively, but defenceman Andrej Sekera is quietly having a fantastic season. Sekera has already established career highs for goals (11), assists (30) and points (41) in a season and is among the NHL's top 10 defencemen in scoring.

WINNIPEG JETS

34 Michael Hutchinson

35 Al Montoya

2 Adam Pardy

4 Paul Postma

5 Mark Stuart

7 Keaton Ellerby

8 Jacob Trouba

9 Evander Kane

12 Olli Jokinen

14 Anthony Peluso

15 Matt Halischuk

16 Andrew Ladd

18 Bryan Little

19 Jim Slater

26 Blake Wheeler

27 Eric Tangradi

28 Patrice Cormier

33 Dustin Byfuglien

39 Toby Enstrom

40 Devin Setoguchi

44 Zach Bogosian

58 Eric O'Dell

67 Michael Frolik

70 John Albert

CAROLINA

HURRICANES

30 Cam Ward

31 Anton Khudobin

35 Justin Peters

4 Andrej Sekera

5 Mike Komisarek

7 Ryan Murphy

8 Andrei Loktionov

11 Jordan Staal

12 Eric Staal

14 Nathan Gerbe

16 Elias Lindholm

18 Radek Dvorak

19 Jiri Tlusty

20 Riley Nash

21 Drayson Bowman

22 Manny Malhotra

26 John-Michael Liles

27 Justin Faulk

28 Alexander Semin

39 Patrick Dwyer

44 Jay Harrison

53 Jeff Skinner

65 Ron Hainsey

73 Brett Bellemore



Jets roster in question for latest biggest game of the year

Paul Friesen

March 21, 2014 02:31 PM CDT

The Winnipeg Jets still aren't sure who'll be healthy enough to play when they host Carolina in another critical game, Saturday.

Head coach Paul Maurice today said he's optimistic Dustin Byfuglien, Zach Bogosian and Jim Slater will be ready to go, but he won't be sure until after the morning skate.

Byfuglien and Bogosian were late scratches for Wednesday's overtime win against Colorado, Bogosian pulled midway through the pre-game warmup.

Slater has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury.

"We're hopeful," Maurice said. "If the potential setback would be a week to 10 days if they got worse, then they won't play. What's the point in doing that, anyway ... if you've lost a guy like that long-term, you've really shot yourself."

The Jets are six points out of the final wild-card playoff spot in the NHL's Western Conference, with 11 games left.

Maurice said goalie Ondrej Pavelec will be out for at least one more game, possibly two.

"I'm basing that solely on the progression he's on right now, if it continues," the coach said.

That means Al Montoya will get the call for a fourth straight game, at least, more consecutive starts than he's ever enjoyed in his two years with the Jets.

"This is great," Montoya said. "This is why you strap on the pads, why you become a goalie -- to be able to make a difference. The last game was our biggest and now tomorrow is our biggest game of the year."

Carolina is nine points off the playoff line in the Eastern Conference and will be coming off a game in Chicago, tonight.

"There's the thought you would look at Carolina and say they're below us in the standings so this should be easy," Maurice said. "This is a pretty good hockey team ... and when they're going, they're going. They've got some speed. There's going to be really good players on the ice. We've got to do our things well."

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.22.2014


Jets' Montoya making the most of his chance to start

Paul Friesen

Friday, March 21, 2014 11:15 PM CDT

Al Montoya Winnipeg Jets goaltender Al Montoya (centre) celebrates a shutout in his first start of the season against the New Jersey Devils with Bryan Little (left) and Mark Stuart after NHL action at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Man. on Sun., Oct. 13, 2013. Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency

The Winnipeg Jets "other" masked man is having a hard time masking his enthusiasm these days.

It's been a while since Al Montoya started any four consecutive NHL games, let alone four with the win-or-go-home feel of playoff contests.

"This is why you strap on the pads, why you become a goalie -- to be able to make a difference," Montoya was saying, Friday. "The last game was our biggest, and now (Saturday) is our biggest game of the year.

"This is awesome ... this is what you circle on the calendar."

Montoya, of course, is playing because of an injury to Ondrej Pavelec, who's expected to be available sometime during next week's road trip.

Until then, including Saturday against Carolina, the stage belongs to the man who's a bit like the actor who gets pigeon-holed into certain supporting roles.

Deep, down inside, the guy yearns for a shot at the lead.

Bit-part by bit-part, Montoya has been building an argument he deserves that break.

"For me it's been an audition," the 29-year-old said. "I've been here showing what I'm capable of, not only to this team but to the rest of the NHL.

"It's about rising to the occasion. It's tough with Pavs going down. But at the same time it's something I've been preparing for. It's the reason you play hockey -- you want to play games. You want to be the last line of defence. That's why I became a goalie."

He didn't plan on this, though.

A first-round pick of the Rangers in 2004, Montoya thought he should be in the NHL the next day.

Instead, he's bounced around like a puck somebody forgot to freeze, his nine years as a pro passing through six different cities in three different leagues.

"Go figure I came up behind Lundqvist, who turned pro the same year," Montoya said. "And then I had a shoulder surgery... get traded to a bankrupt team in Phoenix where I got bumped around, there.

"So I've been up and down. I've experienced that, emotionally, physically -- all of that."

Five years into his career, he'd played just five NHL games, reaching a point where he wondered if it was about to end before it began.

"I think I sat out 17 games straight, 15 straight in the American League ... so that's when the time was down-and-out," he said. "And then all of a sudden you get traded and someone starts believing in you. And then you start believing in yourself again."

That someone was the Islanders, who acquired Montoya from Phoenix, three years ago. The price: a sixth-round draft pick.

A season-and-a-half, 51 NHL games and one concussion later, he signed in Winnipeg, only to have a labour dispute limit him to seven games.

"And the year before that I ended the season with an injury. But up until then I'd been going pretty good in this league, feeling pretty good about myself. It's just about staying with it. I don't expect anything overnight."

This season, he's put up solid numbers when given the chance. Better than Pavelec's.

In short, he's been the ideal backup.

"Personality-wise, he's perfect," head coach Paul Maurice said. "You've got a guy that can come off the bench and win a game in Chicago. And then when your No. 1 guy at the time goes down, the players feel they have a chance. That's the key piece to all this.

"Whether a player can do it long term... nobody knows the answer until he's given that opportunity."

Even now, the opportunity is wobbling like a tipped slapper from centre ice.

"He makes some wild saves," a chuckling Maurice continued. "He can be fun to watch back there. He's got a little sizzle in his game. There's some Tim Thomas in there. The toe save the other night is worth watching four or five times."

Four or five times.

That could be it for the audition.

All Montoya can do is act like a starting goalie.

And nail the part.



Thomson tips hat to Wheeler’s OT winner

Paul Friesen

March 21, 2014 11:13 PM CDT

Blake Wheeler didn’t just have the highlight of the night the other day.

It turns out his overtime goal against Colorado got attention in some pretty exclusive circles.

You might even say it was a work of art.

Jets co-owner and billionaire art collector David Thomson dropped in for the team photo, Friday, and took time to compliment Wheeler on his masterpiece.

“He said he forwarded it on to some colleagues and friends,” Wheeler said. “That was pretty cool to get some feedback from him and know he’s keeping a close eye on us.”

Wheeler’s Picasso saw him weave through the Colorado zone and hold onto the puck long enough for four members of the Avalanche, including goalie Reto Berra, to go down, before he found the open net from near the corner boards.

“It just all kind of came together,” Wheeler said. “What I wanted to do with the puck never really materialized, so I just kind of kept holding onto it. Finally when I looked at the net, it was empty, and I just had to find a way to squeeze it in there — and I found a hole.”

The Jets leader with 24 goals, Wheeler says this last one doesn’t quite match the overtime winner he scored to give the University of Minnesota a league championship victory over North Dakota and berth in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

“That one’s going to probably stand up for the rest of my life,” he said. “Unless .... not unless, until — until I get a big one here in the playoffs, soon.”


739071 Vancouver Canucks

Torts talk: ‘If they deem my decisions wrong, they’ll show me the door’

March 21, 2014. 8:55 am

Staff Writer

Canucks head coach John Tortorella appeared on the franchise’s flagship radio station’s morning show today and was asked by host Bro Jake if he felt he would be coaching the team again next season. Here’s how he responded:

“You’re asking the wrong guy. I think you need to ask the guy that makes that decision. Do I want to be here? Absolutely. I like the guys. I think we made the right decision as far as trying to re-tool this team. But I am not going to make decisions to try to keep my job. I’m going to make decisions for what I think is best for the hockey club and if Francesco (Aquilini) and his family, or Mike (Gillis), deem those decisions are wrong, they will show me the door. And that’s fine. That is part of the business. I mean, that’s what I love about the business is you do have that pressure. But I can’t cower away from it and try to keep my job. I need to try to do my job the best way I think I possibly can. Again, if the people that make those decisions as far as my job, and they’re not happy, they’re going to show me the door. So I think you need to get the other guys on the radio station and ask them that question.”

Tortorella also discussed his relationship with GM Mike Gillis: “Mike and I get along fine. We have a very good working relationship. We talk about a lot of things, and outside the business, too. I think he’s one of the most interesting men I’ve met. The thing I like about mike is that he is searching for, and trying to turn over every stone, to try and give us an advantage. So, yeah, we talk about everything. It’s been a wide open relationship and a good one.”

And on living under the microscope: “I know people are mad. I get it. They want to win. So do I. So does the coaching staff. When things don’t go well, there is going to criticism and there is going to be speculation. That’s part of it. I’d rather be here than not have it covered at all, and not be relevant and important to people. So I’m right in it. When it’s not going well, you handle it and take it. You go about your business and do what you think is right for your team and keep banging away at this.”

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 03.22.2014


Canucks, Vancouver hockey fans shouldn’t be fooled by too-late revival

Cam Cole

March 21, 2014 3:17 PM

VANCOUVER — An old football coach, trying to explain the pressure his team was under, once used the following delicate phrase:

“They’re so tight, you couldn’t drive an inflating pin up their (butts) with a jackhammer.”

Evocative, no?

This was the state of the Vancouver Canucks in January and February, going into and coming out of the Olympic break. Beset by jitters, pressure, bad luck and injuries that led to too much ice time for the survivors, many of whom were in over their heads, theirs was a black hole that drew more and more of the troops into its vortex, dragging down even the best of them.

From Dec. 30 until March 6, John Tortorella’s team played 25 games and lost 20 of them, and at the end of that ordeal, the Canucks were, in every sense but mathematical, done for the season.

Repeat: Done.

And from the moment that fact became plain to all but the most delusional of loyalists, anything this team did the rest of the way should have been viewed with extreme suspicion.

That includes now, this confusing period in which the Canucks have won four out of seven, a thing that might be worth getting excited about if it happened, say, in the first round of the playoffs.

But barring some cataclysmic occurrence in the cosmos, there aren’t going to be any playoffs for Vancouver.

So along with the occasional fist-pump when the Canucks manage to subdue a juggernaut like the Calgary Flames or Winnipeg Jets or Florida Panthers or Nashville Predators — their net earnings from the past two weeks — a savvy sports town would be well-advised to listen to the alarm bells ringing insistently in the background.

It’s coming up on April Fool’s Day. This is Fool’s Gold time in the National Hockey League season. And nobody, from owner Francesco Aquilini to the most fervent fan, wants to be among those getting snookered.

In other words, it might pay to hold onto to a bit of skepticism of all the rediscovered hands ever since the Canucks essentially played their way out of the first division. Suddenly, no one’s squeezing the sticks into sawdust, victims of long droughts (Alex Burrows) have sprung to life, rookies (Nicklas Jensen) and heretofore extras (Shawn Matthias) have injected newfound energy into a sagging team and the captain, Henrik Sedin, is standing up in the dressing room to say: “We’re still in the race.”

And good on him, and them, for refusing to give up.

But everyone can name a team that lost all hope and then suddenly started to freewheel. The Leafs, to cite but one, did it for years — play just well enough after they’d been eliminated to lose a good position in the entry draft.

Teams win down the stretch, players save their jobs, maybe save their coaches’ jobs, and then turn out to have all the same old problems when they tee it up for the following season.

That’s not to say opponents aren’t trying against the Canucks. Nobody is curling up in the fetal position and saying: “Go ahead, score.” But none of the teams they’ve beaten in this recent stretch have been playoff teams, and the one they face here Sunday, Buffalo, is dead last out of 30 teams.

So it’s important, on that day when the Canucks’ reality is finally backed up by the arithmetic, not to place too much faith in what we’re seeing and hearing now, or the rest of the way.

It might provide some clues, but it’s not the final answer.

Tortorella went on the Canucks’ flagship station, the Team 1040, on Friday and gave a remarkably candid, 15-minute interview with the morning crew.

Jake Edwards and Dave Pratt asked the right questions, and Tortorella — who’s been unfailingly polite and responsive all season — handled them all with aplomb.

GM Mike Gillis was similarly impressive outside the league meetings in Florida last week. Everything they say sounds eminently reasonable.

Injuries to the top players, Tortorella said, were no excuse, “but as an organization we haven’t been able to absorb them with our depth.” Who can argue? Burrows, both Sedins, Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, now Ryan Kesler ... it’s been a long list of casualties.

The criticism, the calls for his head on a platter, and/or Gillis’s?

“This is part of the business. I love it here. I love the scrutiny. I wish it could be more positive, but listen, we make our own bed. When you’re not winning, it’s going to go the other way,” Tortorella said.

“Is it fun when it’s going off the rails a bit? No, but we gotta have some (thick) skin here.”

Gillis hasn’t come right out with a vote of confidence in Tortorella, so the coach wouldn’t hazard a guess as to his own future.

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” he said. “Do I want to be here? Absolutely. I like the guys. I think we made the right decision as far as trying to re-tool this team.

“But I am not going to make decisions to try to keep my job. I’m going to make decisions for what I think is best for the hockey club and if Francesco and his family or Mike deem those decisions are wrong, they will show me the door.”

Having gone off the rails, himself, charging the Calgary dressing room in mid-January after Flames coach Bob Hartley iced his enforcers for the opening faceoff, Tortorella has already explained himself adequately on that front.

Calling it a “huge mistake” on Friday, he added: “As my good friend Jim Schoenfeld always told me, ‘Everybody has rats in their basement.’ And I am trying to distill my rats. But the rats crawled out of the basement that night, and I regret it.”

The idea that he may regret it while still employed in Vancouver next year is one of many imponderables facing ownership. The hockey he wants the Canucks to play, and which they have played successfully in stretches this season, is not attractive, and it’s nothing like the style Gillis had in mind when he took over as GM six seasons ago.

But the game has changed, and Gillis has known it for a while. The old way wasn’t good enough, and if the new way is better, it hasn’t given much evidence of it. Can they blame it on injuries, and a coach briefly losing his mind, and sell the fans on a hope for better days ahead?

Which team was real: the one that couldn’t get out of its own way for two long months, or the one that just about ran the table in December and showed this spasm of life again, too late to matter?

Ultimately, it’s the Aquilinis’ call. Tough one.



Canucks Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler skate at practice but Alex Burrows out again

Elliott Pap

Sun March 21, 2014 2:39 PM

VANCOUVER — The door to the Vancouver Canucks' infirmary swung both ways Friday as Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler both returned to full practice while Alex Burrows, a long-time resident this season, re-entered with a thumb injury.

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis indicated the news on Burrows is not good. The veteran winger has already missed significant time with a broken foot and broken jaw. His latest mishap occurred Wednesday night when he was slashed by Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber on the play in which Nicklas Jensen scored the game-winning goal.

“We don't have a final medical report yet but it doesn't look good,” Gillis said as he watched the Canucks practise at Rogers Arena. “The preliminary analysis is not positive.”

Burrows' spot on the top line at practice was taken by Daniel Sedin, who has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the March 2 Heritage Classic. Daniel has missed nine games. The Canucks next see action Sunday when they host Cody Hodgson and the last overall Buffalo Sabres (5 p.m., Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040).

“It felt good today,” Daniel said. “We'll see how it is tomorrow and take it from there. But today was a good day.”

Kesler, meanwhile, practised in his usual spot between wingers Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen. Shawn Matthias, who had been skating there, was relegated to the fourth line with Tom Sestito and Zac Dalpe. Brad Richardson remained between David Booth and Zack Kassian. Jordan Schroeder was out of the top 12.

“I knew from Day 1 it wasn't go to be long,” said Kesler, who injured his right knee in Winnipeg on March 12. “The next day I wasn't that sore.”

The Canucks, five points out of a playoff spot, have another practice scheduled for Saturday and if Daniel Sedin and Kesler both emerge without any further damage, they should be able to go Sunday against the Sabres.



PITB chats with Roberto Luongo about Twitter silence and Eddie’s readiness

Daniel Wagner,

March 21, 2014 -

Roberto Luongo hasn’t tweeted since the Canucks’ disastrous 6-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on March 6th, when he sent out a few mildly snarky missives sympathizing with Lack’s plight.

“There was a little mishap there,” said Luongo, “a little confusion on what I was tweeting. I think some people took it the wrong way.”

The main someone was Don Cherry, who lambasted Luongo on Coach’s Corner the following Saturday, telling him to “keep his mouth shut.” Is anyone surprised that Cherry badly misinterpreted Luongo’s tweets?

“There was no maliciousness behind those [tweets],” said Luongo. “It was mostly making fun of myself and I felt bad for Eddie that game. It was nothing about him or his play, I mostly felt bad for him the way the guys were playing in front of him.”

Somebody in an uncharitable mood could try to get upset at Luongo for criticizing his former teammates, but there’s no denying how awful the team was in front of Lack in that game. In many ways, Luongo’s tweets were one of the few highlights from the perspective of a Canucks’ fan during that game.

But, because those that didn’t like the tweets seemed to speak loudest, Luongo’s gone silent for the time-being on Twitter. “I think for now I’m just going to take a little bit of a break and focus on playing hockey,” he said. “Then once the season is over maybe I’ll get back into it.”

It would be a shame if he didn’t and he clarified when asked that the Panthers organization did not ask him to stop tweeting, saying, “it’s on my own terms.” If anything, I would see his Twitter account as a boon to a team that could use an engaging personality on social media to potentially bring in more fans.

The trade left some large skates to fill in Vancouver, but Luongo is confident in Lack’s ability to step in.

“Definitely,” he said when asked if Lack was ready. “Of course, he’s a rookie. But he’s definitely got the talent to be a number one. He was kind of thrown into the fire a little bit as a rookie to be a starter, especially in a market like that, but he’s strong enough mentally that he can handle that kind of stuff.”

A market like that? Whatever could he mean? Vancouver has never been tough on their goaltenders. Ever.

Luongo thinks Lack can handle the pressure, however and is also confident that Lack can step into his role as the team’s top tweeter. “He’s pretty good at it,” he laughed, “He can hold his own.”

Lately, Lack has used his Twitter account to show his mental fortitude, handling the booing and hate tweets he received during the Heritage Classic by sending out an amusingly passive aggressive tweet of his own and favouriting a small selection of his preferred haters. A week ago, he replied to another hater with a cheery “hope this made u [sic] feel better” before tearing him a new one when he didn’t know well enough to back down.

Lack seems to have the right mental makeup to take things in stride.

As for Luongo, he’s happy to look ahead. “Now that it’s been a few weeks, I think I’ve been able to move on and really focus on being here [with the Panthers], so it’s nice,” he said, adding at the end, “I want to thank the fans again for eight years. It was a great ride and I look forward to playing there again in the future.”

I can hear the chorus of “Luuuuuuu” already.



Quirky new Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom dancing on the sidelines for now

Ben Kuzma

March 21, 2014 1:01 PM

The ink snakes its way up the right arm of Jacob Markstrom. There are other tattoos dotting his towering body, and if it takes a quirky nature and an addiction to the art form to help stand in the way of vulcanized rubbed, so be it.

And if it took a spontaneous head-shaking, arm-flailing, hip-swaying, two-minute dance, during a stoppage to fix broken plexiglass in 2011 at San Antonio — the video went viral with more than 205,000 YouTube views — to solidify his status as a perfect pairing with the enigmatic Eddie Lack, so be it. The Vancouver Canucks starter has a leg-up, arm-pumping jig after a win, but it pales in comparison to Markstrom’s impromptu show in the AHL.

“I did it once and I think that’s going to be the first and last time,” he chuckled. “I didn’t really expect it to be viral or anything like that. I just did it and it was a good time. I don’t regret it. The fans were all dancing and so I just danced with them.”

If that’s not enough of a window on Markstrom’s wacky world, consider the fact that he will endure as many aches outside of the crease as in it to turn a hobby into an obsession. Talk to anyone in the tats world and they all say the same — one is good and two are better — and it often continues until you’re a personalized billboard.

“I had planned it for a while,” said Markstrom. “My brothers started getting a couple of tattoos and kind of kicked it off. I kind of liked it and it became kind of an addiction. It’s painful but it’s a good feeling. It probably takes two months to forget how it hurts, but then you want to go and get more.”

As much as Markstrom was the starter and Lack the back-up for Byrnas of the Swedish Elite League in the 2009-10 season — the two have also stared each other down in minor-league matchups — the 24-year-old native of Galve, Sweden, is ready to carve his own NHL niche. The problem is Lack. He deserves the crease as the Canucks cling to a tiny thread of hope to claim a postseason berth. And his 12 consecutive starts — including a 2-0 blanking of the Nashville Predators on Wednesday — means Markstrom must play cheerleader and be a willing student to mentor Rollie Melanson. After being acquired with Shawn Matthias from the Florida Panthers on March 4 in the Roberto Luongo swap, Markstrom is being pushed to develop a calm crease composure with his 6-foot-6 frame.

“Rollie knows how to be most successful and you’ve seen it with Luongo and (Cory) Schneider and now Lack,” added Markstrom. “And Eddie has really improved his game. I’ve never really had a problem with the goalie partner. I’ve been lucky. We’re almost the same age and pretty much gone through the same process in our careers. And with the way he’s playing, I just try to support Eddie and bring a good vibe into the room.”

Of course, the irony is the Canucks need to get a read on Markstrom. If they feel in the offseason that the 26-year-old Lack can’t handle mental and physical strains of being the last line of defence, then Markstrom, who will be a $1.2 million US salary cap hit, makes sense as a back-up or a 1A and 1B tandem. But there’s also Joacim Eriksson, 23, who has another year on a two-way deal that pays $925,000 in the NHL while Joe Cannata, 24, is a restricted free agent. The Canucks could also consider unrestricted free agent Jaroslav Halak as a bridge option because he worked with Melanson in Montreal. Run all this by Markstrom and you can understand his anxiousness to see the crease.

Outside of being thrown to the wolves in a Dallas debacle on March 6 — allowing one goal on five shots in 19:48 of relief work after Lack was yanked — it’s still wait-and-see time. Markstrom was just 1-6-3 for the Panthers this season and his 3.52 goals-against average and .874 saves percentage raised eyebrows in concern. Being AHL goalie of the month for February with San Antonio has helped his learning curve and confidence.

“It’s a little bit of transition and it’s not frustrating, but you want to play,” he stressed. “I feel like I get better every day. Eddie has shown he can win games this year and you’ve got to respect that. Right now, I just try to work on all the techniques.”

Swedish stoppers have become the norm in the NHL, and with Henrik Lundqvist, Jhonas Enroth, Viktor Fasth, Anders Lindback, Jonas Gustavsson and Robert Lehner also in The Show this season, it’s proof that the system is the solution in Sweden. There’s the club system that keeps players under one watchful eye through their development and also a high-school curriculum that now includes hockey.

“On Tuesday and Wednesday, from 7:30 a.m. until noon, we’d be on the ice and in the gym,” recalled Markstrom. “It was really good and made school a little bit more fun, too. And Sweden saw what Finland did and really committed to hiring full-time goalie coaches. For me, my goalie coach in the Swedish Elite League is one I knew him since I was five or six years old. That’s really the difference.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.22.2014

739076 Websites

ESPN / Smith stellar since Olympic break

Scott Burnside

You might not think hanging around chilly Russian practice rinks and watching games from the press box or locker room would be a catalyst for an NHL turnaround, but if the Phoenix Coyotes sneak into the playoffs, they'll have goalie Mike Smith's Olympic adventure to thank, at least in part.

The experience of third goaltenders at the Olympics -- which is what Smith was for Team Canada -- is always a hit-or-miss kind of thing. Outside of extreme circumstances, the third goaltender rarely dresses, even more rarely plays and spends a lot of time on the ice working with other players on the lineup bubble, receiving little or no recognition.

It can be an unfulfilling, even frustrating experience. But for Smith -- who never dressed for a game but was nonetheless a part of Canada's run to a gold medal in Sochi -- the experience was both memorable and rejuvenating. Not that Smith was playing poorly before he left for the Olympics. He wasn't. But over the last month, he has returned to the form that helped him lead the Coyotes to a surprise berth in the Western Conference final in 2012 and made him an attractive addition to the Olympic roster.

Smith's .937 save percentage in 15 games since Feb. 1 ranks second among all NHL netminders who have appeared in at least 10 games over that span. Over that period he's turned in a 1.86 GAA, also second in the league, to help guide Phoenix back into the second Western Conference wild-card playoff spot with less than a month to play in the regular season.

"I think I was playing well before I went to the Olympics, but I definitely came back with a lot of confidence," Smith told ESPN.com this week.

"It was just an incredible experience to be a part of. I just kind of started where I left off when the break happened."

Phoenix goaltending coach Sean Burke, a former Canadian Olympian, admits the coaching staff and management in Phoenix wondered how the trip to Sochi would work out for their workhorse No. 1 netminder. It was pretty clear from the outset that Smith wouldn't see any playing time behind Carey Price and Roberto Luongo. There was discussion in Phoenix about whether it would be better for Smith to be resting and working out at home.

In the end, things couldn't have turned out better for Team Canada, Smith or the Coyotes, who missed the playoffs last season and appeared, a month ago, to be headed for a second straight spring on the outside looking in.

"We were hoping he would take the experience and he would gain some confidence from it, and it looks like he has," Burke said in an interview. "It just seems that mentally he's in a better place."

It has been a most curious season for the Coyotes. After being a ward of the NHL for four years, then finally resolving its ownership issues, the team found itself scoring more goals than in the past -- but seemingly at the expense of the stingy team defense that has marked head coach Dave Tippett's time in Phoenix.

While the Coyotes have spent much of the season in the top 10 in goals scored per game, they have likewise spent most of the season in the bottom third in goals allowed per game. It is a stark departure from the identity of recent Phoenix teams and simply not a recipe for a playoff berth. But those numbers have started to shift in recent weeks.

"I think we've struggled to find our consistency definitely, and that goes with me also," Smith said.

The intensely competitive goaltender admits he was "chasing the game" earlier in the season and not being patient enough, and that led to allowing goals that shouldn't have beaten him.

"It cost us some games, cost us some goals," Smith said of his play. "I've really focused on calming my game down again."

Before missing the playoffs last season, the Coyotes had qualified for the postseason three straight years, including their memorable run to the final four in 2012. With new ownership in place, returning to the postseason this spring is imperative to prove to the fan base that the team is on the right track and deserves support.

Smith regaining his calm in net has boosted his play recently.

"Last year missing the playoffs was extremely disappointing for our organization," Burke said, adding, "This year we expect to make the playoffs."

If the Coyotes do, Smith will be a catalyst. His play against other Pacific Division powers has been exemplary; he has gone 11-4-4 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.76 GAA in 22 games against teams in what is the toughest division in the league. Overall, Smith leads all NHL netminders in appearances, starts, shots against, saves and total ice time. And he'll shoulder the bulk of the workload down the stretch for the Coyotes.

"At a time of year when wins are so hard to come by, he's probably playing his best hockey," said Burke, who has been instrumental in reviving Smith's career as a top-flight NHL goalie since signing with Phoenix in the summer of 2011.

Former NHL netminder and current broadcast analyst Kevin Weekes agrees with Smith's self-analysis -- that the patience required for the kind of game Smith plays is back on display. Weekes said that Smith plays deeper in the net, similar to former Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, which means he can't cheat and commit to a play in front too early because it will allow opportunities for severe-angle shots to find the back of the net.

But when a team isn't playing well defensively, as was the case earlier in the season for the Coyotes, "it's easy to lose a little bit of that patience," Weekes told ESPN.com.

Weekes isn't surprised that the Olympic experience had such a profound impact on Smith. He said Team Canada members and others he's talked to praised Smith's attitude in Sochi.

"Look at the guys he was practicing with -- those guys are world-class players," Weekes noted.

It's interesting that the Coyotes are battling the Dallas Stars for the final wild-card spot in the West. The Stars are another team that has endured financial issues and an ownership change in recent years. Dallas has missed the playoffs for five straight years, and if there are two teams more desperate to qualify for the playoffs to prove something to their fans -- and owners -- you'd be hard-pressed to find them. Call this duel the Desperation Cup.

Burke admits the Coyotes haven't played the way they need to at times this season, hence their life-and-death struggle for the last playoff spot.

"We're probably right where we should be," he said.

But over the past three weeks or so, the Coyotes have started to reaffirm their identity and their play. And their climb through the standings has reflected that.

"I think we're a lot closer to that [identity] now," Burke said.

Can the Coyotes complete the charge?

Both Dallas and the Yotes have difficult schedules closing out the season. Starting with their visit to Philadelphia on Thursday -- a 4-2 loss to the Flyers that put them at 69 points, four behind Phoenix with a game in hand -- the Stars close with eight road games in their final 13 contests. The Coyotes play seven of their final 12 against teams currently occupying playoff spots.

Game 82 on the final day of the regular season? Dallas visits the Coyotes in Glendale. Oh boy.

"One thing I learned a long time ago, never bet against the Phoenix Coyotes," Weekes said. "I really think they have a great chance of getting in [the playoffs]. And after that, they might be able to make some noise."

ESPN LOADED: 03.22.2014

739077 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Mixed emotions in Columbus for Rick Nash’s return to Nationwide Arena

Nick Stoico

The big question heading into Friday night’s game between the Rangers and the Blue Jackets was whether Rick Nash would be welcomed warmly or booed in his first game back in Columbus since being traded in 2012.

Just a day after Zach Parise received a not-so-warm welcome back to New Jersey, who would have thought Nash would get both?

The initial reception was a little icy, as the Rangers winger was booed after being introduced in the starting lineup:

Heavy boos as Rick Nash is announced among the #NYR starters here in Columbus

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 21, 2014

It didn’t get much better when the game started, either.

More boos than I expected when Rick Nash touches the puck. A roar when Johansen slams into him and knocks him over.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) March 21, 2014

Nash now booed loudly everytime he touches the puck. Cheers when he’s knocked down.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) March 21, 2014

From there, however, things took a turn for the better when the Blue Jackets played a video tribute in the first period, honoring the former first-overall pick’s nine years with the team. The crowed of 18,153 cheered Nash and gave him a standing ovation.

The sentiment was short-lived, however, especially by those on the ice:

With about three minutes left in the second, Nash broke into the offensive zone and ran into Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. The puck slid into the net, but the goal was immediately waved off. Bobrovsky, who’d been poking at Nash all game, swatted the winger’s stick away, and Nash retaliated with a shove before being tackled to the ice by a gang of Blue Jackets skaters.

At the third period puck-drop, Nash brought the fans to their feet again by dropping the gloves with Matt Calvert. When the dust settled and the final buzzer sounded, Nash finished the night with seven SOG, nine PIM, and more importantly, two big points for the Rangers in the Metropolitan standings.

Following the game, Nash said he still loved the Columbus fans despite the jeers (he estimated the crowd to be about 90 percent boos and 10 percent cheers). He explained the interaction that took place with Bobrovsky and said it was a fun game but was happy to hear the final horn.

“It was a great game, it was a lot of fun,” Nash said. “But I’m definitely glad it’s over.”

CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 03.22.2014

739078 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / FanSided Friday: A Better look At The Buffalo Sabres

Patrick Helper

Mar 21st, 2014 at 9:18 am

The Buffalo Sabres may be the worst team in the NHL, but that does not mean that there is not a lot to know. Today we will share answers from a Q and A with FanSided NHL Editorial Director, and founding Editor of Sabre Noise Tim Redinger.

- With all the turnover in the front office has the faith of the Sabres fan base been shaken?

I think most Buffalo Sabres fans are – I almost want to say numb to what is going on with the franchise, but it is more of a don’t care anymore. They are tired of losing; they are tired of the front office games. More and more I hear of people who haven’t watched a game all year, or spent money on the team – and wont until they right the ship at First Niagara Center.

Call them fair weather fans – but it’s the only way some of them have any recourse for standing up against the NHL. I see their point; don’t give them any of their money.

- The trade deadline was an active time for the Sabre, and they got more picks and prospects in to their system. Who or what was the biggest addition?

I think the biggest addition wasn’t necessarily one player or one pick in particular. With the report coming out that the league is trying to put the top three to five picks in the lottery it kind of changes the landscape of the rebuild. The biggest addition was subtraction. Tim Murray had to get rid of the Darcy Regier core – and he has for the most part done as much as he could to get rid of that style of team. He got something for all his expiring contracts, and got a couple of guys to fill in the roster that have at least a year on their contract – players he can flip next year before those contracts expire.

- There is a real chance that the Sabres could have a top 3 draft pick this season and next. Are the Sabres hoping for this, or do you believe they want to show vast improvement next season?

The Sabres are fully prepared to be a terrible team again next year. It is painful as not only a writer, but a fan – because, well I can make a couple of analogies here to explain it. It like having a zit on your back that is just out of your reach – that is painful, and you know will eventually go away, but tomorrow will still be there and it will still hurt like hell. The other analogy is the Buffalo Sabres are like that relative your parents forced you to go visit even though you hated it. You know another visit is coming, you know you’re going to have to deal with it, but it will eventually end.

- Is having Ted Nolan behind the bench a PR move or do you believe he is the guy the Sabres need to start the rebuild? Could it be a little of both?

If you look at Ted Nolan’s overall record – he coached teams that were barely over .500 if they even got to that point. Ted Nolan is a motivator. He knows how to get the most out of guys, and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. The Buffalo Sabres needed a coach like that. The Sabres don’t necessarily want to be good – but they don’t want a statue behind the bench either. I don’t see Nolan being around as the rebuild finishes, but it would be nice to see what he can do with a team that has actual talent as opposed to a bunch of underdogs.

-What is one thing you wish other NHL fans understood about the Sabres and their fans?

I think Buffalo fans are understood throughout the league. We are a hardcore passionate fan base that has a very solid hockey acumen.

- There has been some talk that Tim Murray is trying to build a Western Conference style team. Is that what’s best for the Sabres? Also, do they have the players in the system to make that change? If not how do they get there?

The Sabres have to get bigger and stronger. I am not talking about adding another John Scott either. You look at how dominant West Coast teams are. If Tim Murray wants to bring that brand of hockey into Buffalo – I wouldn’t be opposed to it, and if it means were a dominant club that could

push the better teams in the East around – wouldn’t every GM want to be that team? Is it necessary to win a Cup – not really, 7 of 13 cups won since 2000 were West Coast, and 6 were East Coast. Odds are the 2005 Cup that was never awarded would have gone to an East Coast team.

Final thought: I’ve lived in Buffalo all my life, and have watched the Sabres and their fans during high times, and low times. It seems to be that the Sabres as an organization are still trying to get their feet wet. Ever NHL team has a stretch of bad years, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In another three-five years the Sabres may once again be a team fans can be proud of.


739079 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Jamming The Crease: NHL rookies impress; Toronto turmoil; more notes

Allan Muir

News and notes from around the NHL…

The biggest beneficiary of the Martin St. Louis trade? Try Tampa Bay Lightning rookie Ondrej Palat. With just three assists to show for his first eight games in New York, St. Louis hasn’t exactly taken the Rangers’ offense into brave, new directions as expected. He’s looked disengaged at times, frustrated at others and has just two shots on net over his past three games. He’ll snap out of this slump eventually (he survived a nine-game drought earlier this season), but it won’t matter much if the Blueshirts don’t start piling up some wins. Given the importance of Friday night’s game against Columbus, this would be a good time for him to show up. Meanwhile, Palat has put up 11 points since St. Louis pouted his way out of Tampa, and he’s done it while meshing seamlessly with new linemates. Funny how that works when you don’t need an excuse. Then again, the kid isn’t looking for one. Watch Palat and you can see his work ethic and focus every shift. That’s where the results are coming from, and that’s the difference right now between him and his old linemate.

Martin St. Louis joins Rangers’ long line of aging marquee names

The other Colorado kid

He won’t get much attention when Calder Trophy votes are being cast, but one of the most impressive rookies this season has been Colorado’s Tyson Barrie. Give coach Patrick Roy the primary assist for Barrie’s quick assimilation to the league. Instead of asking him to be something he’s not, Roy’s given the 22-year-old blueliner the green light to read the play and take advantage of his offensive skills when appropriate. The result: Seven goals and 23 points since the calendar flipped to 2014 and a solid effort in his own end. “He’s a smart kid and he does a good job picking his spots,” one Western Conference scout said. “But Roy … well, you know that’s not a risk a lot of coaches would be willing to take with a rookie. Most would do everything they could to minimize the risk, but that’s how you ruin a player. You get him second-guessing himself and that’s when the mistakes come. But he trusted him, you know, built up his confidence and Barrie’s really come through nicely. He’s a player.”

The kid’s versatile, too. With checking forward John Mitchell out of the lineup, Barrie has stepped up to play forward the past two games for the Avs.

MUIR: Can anyone beat Nathan MacKinnon for the Calder?

As the Maple Leafs turn

It’s a soap opera in Toronto, but the apparent estrangement between goalie James Reimer and coach Randy Carlyle isn’t the end of the world. The Leafs have won just four of Reimer’s past 17 starts and while that’s not all on him, it suggests that they’ll survive if they take the chance of moving forward without him. And still, there will be more than one bidder for his services over the summer — the Jets and Islanders should be at the front of the line — and there are plenty of backups heading to market who can take his place. Winnipeg’s Al Montoya might be a nice fit.

Meanwhile, hopes are rising in Hogtown after Dave Bolland skated with regular linemates David Clarkson and Mason Raymond on Friday. The veteran center could return to action as soon as Saturday after missing 56 games with a ruptured tendon in his ankle. His grit would be a nice add for a team that’s struggling defensively, but Leafs fans might want to tap the brakes on their expectations. You can come back from these injuries without being anywhere near 100 percent, and even a fully healthy Bolland won’t be enough to solve the problems that this team has in its own zone.

No respect

It’s exhausting constantly beating down on the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for disciplinary decisions that seem to have everything but punishment and/or deterrence in mind. That’s why there’s little to be said about Friday’s decision to fine repeat offender James Neal a whopping five grand for his vicious crosscheck to the face of Detroit’s Luke Glendening on Thursday night. Neal is a solid player, but he clearly has little respect for the

safety of his opponents. Judging by this latest slap on the wrist, the DOPS doesn’t either.

Big shot

There’s a lot to like about Christian Folin. The U-Mass Lowell defender has premium size (6′-3″, 209 pounds), an unpleasant disposition, and a smart two-way game.

Oh, and he shoots the puck hard. Really, really hard.

Folin earned a moment of notoriety last weekend when he hammered a shot through the net in a Hockey East Tournament game against Vermont. But long before that made-for-YouTube moment, Folin had caught the eyes of scouts who are scouring the college scene for free agents with big league potential. And Folin, arguably the premier UFA up for grabs this spring, has plenty of that.

While that heavy shot makes for a great hook, he’s at his best in his own zone where he is very effective with his body and his stick. He’d be the ideal complement to a more offensive-minded partner and, given the right situation, could immediately challenge for a spot on an NHL roster.

Scouts suggest there are plenty of teams waiting to make a pitch to the big Swede when his season ends, and while there’s a chance he could return to UML for his junior year, he’s expected to forgo his remaining eligibility to turn pro.

The Senators and Canucks are said to be in the thick of the hunt, along with the Oilers, Bruins, Sabres, Red Wings, Flyers and Flames.

Teams that miss out on Folin might look at Boston University’s Ahti Oksanen as an intriguing fall-back. The backliner has the size (6′-3″, 201) and offensive game that could translate into a No. 3 defender over time, but he needs to polish his defensive game. The Canucks are thought to have a bead on Notre Dame blueliner Shayne Taker, a Surrey BC native with a similar skill set. He’s not just a local boy: he’s previously attended one of their prospect camps.

Short shifts

• If the Red Wings manage to extend their playoff streak to 23 years, credit their turnaround to home improvement. Detroit is on an 8-0-2 tear at Joe Louis Arena after losing 16 of 20 in their own barn from Oct. 23 to Dec. 23. Part of the difference? Ending up on the right side of games that go to extra time. The Wings, 1-5 in the shootout/OT during that losing skid, are 4-2 during the hot streak.

• The quiet whispers over the past few days suggesting that Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg’s recovery from a devastating knee injury is ahead of schedule turned to real news on Friday afternoon, as did the rumor he could be available at some point during the playoffs. Never say never, but I’m not sure dropping a guy who’s been out since Christmas into the middle of a postseason battle makes a lot of sense.

• A scout on the hockey future of Dallas forward Rich Peverley: “How do you put him on the bench again with those guys after what happened last time? Maybe the doctors figure it out, maybe everything’s fine, but there’s always going to be that doubt, that worry. How do you do that to the team?”

• The Blackhawks have until Aug. 15 to sign 2010 first rounder Kevin Hayes or risk losing him to free agency. The Boston College senior, named one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award on Thursday, was the second-leading scorer in the nation this season, but would be in tough to earn a spot in Chicago any time soon. Word is he’d like to sign with the Hawks, but he’d be crazy not to explore his options if he’s looking to fast-track his NHL career. Buffalo and Calgary (which owns the rights to his BC linemate Johnny Gaudreau) might be appealing. The Hawks also need to make a call by that date on 2010 second rounder Stephen Johns.

• Reports out of Russia suggest the Sochi Shayba arena that saw action in the Olympics will be disassembled and moved elsewhere in the country. Crimea is said to be an option. Really.


739080 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / SI.com NHL fan misery rankings: No. 3 Buffalo Sabres

Sarah Kwak

Sometimes it’s just plain awful to be a fan.

We’re not talking about the occasional emotional bump and bruise, the kind fans get from a devastating last-second loss or a disastrous season-ending injury — or even when they watch their favorite team bow out in the conference finals, one round shy of a shot at the Stanley Cup. We mean years of suffering at the hands of a club that almost seems to delight in tormenting those who freely give to it their hearts, minds, time and money.

This is the eighth in our series on the 10 NHL franchises that take an ongoing toll on their fans, the teams that suggest that their devoted followers are either bottomless wells of hope or certified masochists — or perhaps just a touch crazy. Today we look at the Buffalo Sabres, a team that inspires exceptional passion and dedication in its followers while often languishing on the lower end of the spectrum between bad and promising while cruel fate lurks to darken its brightest moments.

Nestled into the western rump of New York State, hard against the Canadian border, Buffalo has to live in the shadows of big markets on two fronts. The Sabres share a state with New York City’s marquee teams, while also living on Toronto’s doorstep. Location, and losing in heartbreaking ways, has surely contributed to Buffalo’s sports inferiority complex. Always out to prove itself against big market teams — and often falling just short — the city’s indelible moments of failure make up the scars of Sabres and Bills fans. (Beware of uttering “no goal” or “wide right” within earshot of a Buffalonian.)

Since joining the NHL in 1970, Buffalo has seen plenty of legends pass through its dressing room. From renowned coaches Punch Imlach and Scotty Bowman, to Hall of Fame centers Gilbert Perreault and Pat LaFontaine, to goaltending wonder Domink Hasek, the team has rarely been light on talent. But the Sabres have never had all the pieces at the same time, or at the right time. Their stars shone brightly before ultimately burning out, including Hasek, who was a franchise pillar for nine years. He made the team more than competitive, but he also had strained relations (with his coaches, as well as reporters) along the way. Buffalo traded Hasek away after he led the Sabres to their most recent bid for the Stanley Cup, which was infamously snuffed out in 1999. Two years later, he won the chalice with the Red Wings.

Back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference finals came up one win short in 2006 and ’07, after which Buffalo fans watched offensive stalwarts Chris Drury and Danny Briere sign big contracts with bigger-market teams (Drury with the Rangers, Briere with the Flyers). In five of the next seven seasons, the Sabres were postseason no-shows. It’s almost as if Buffalo is the league’s bridge team, a stepping-stone to bigger things. Whether Ryan Miller, once Buffalo’s cornerstone goalie, will find glory with the Blues remains to be seen, but a Sabres fan can be forgiven for wondering if Buffalo will ever be blessed with a moment of glory.

Most Notorious Moments

The skate in the paint: That aforementioned “no goal” occurred 114 minutes and 51 seconds into Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup finals. The Stars held a 3-2 series lead over Buffalo, and with the score tied a 1-1 after regulation, the Sabres were fighting for a Game 7. One overtime, and then two overtimes passed without a score. Goalies Hasek and Ed Belfour of the Stars were spectacular through nearly six periods, making a combined 101 saves. Then Dallas winger Brett Hull kicked a rebound onto his stick and shot it over the scrambling, sprawling Hasek. While the Stars celebrated, the Sabres seethed. An alternate camera angle (which the NHL’s officiating crew did not see) revealed that Hull’s left skate was in Hasek’s crease, breaking a now-defunct NHL rule that stated, “Unless the puck is in the goal crease area, a player of the attacking side may not stand in the goal crease.” Overhead photos, too, showed the puck, moments before the goal, outside the crease and Hull’s foot in the paint. The league’s officiating director explained that Hull maintained possession of the puck through the whole sequence (the NHL had quietly issued a memo that such a play was legal), but it was no solace to Buffalo and its faithful. “I believe everybody will remember this as the Stanley Cup that was never won in 1999,” Buffalo

forward Joe Juneau said after the game. “It was given away to a good team, but the goal was not a legal goal.”

And if that wasn’t enough, the following spring, the Sabres fell victim to another questionable goal in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Flyers. Philadelphia winger John LeClair’s shot entered Hasek’s net through the mesh on the side. The shot was ruled a good goal and it stood. Philly won the game, 2-1, taking a two games to none lead en route to eliminating Buffalo.

Glass pain: Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference final against the Hurricanes was one of the most painful losses in the Sabres’ history. Buffalo had gamely forced a deciding game when Briere scored in overtime of Game 6 at home. Returning to Raleigh, the Sabres were forced to play without playmaking center Tim Connolly and defensemen Jay McKee, Teppo Numminen, Henrik Tallinder and Dmitri Kalinin — all of whom were injured. Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third period, their doom descended when Carolina’s Doug Weight tied the game at 1:34, and their fate was sealed when blueliner Brian Campbell drew a delay of game penalty by violating a new rule against shooting the puck over the glass. On the ensuing power play, Miller couldn’t control a rebound that wasn’t seen by Sabres defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick, who was tied up with the Hurricanes’ Justin Williams. The puck sat on the ice until Carolina captain Rod Brind’Amour pounced on it and drove home the decisive goal at 11:22. Buffalo went home and the Hurricanes went on to win the Cup.

The front office soap opera: The Sabres’ first season in sparkling Marine Midland Arena (1996-97) ushered in a new look — black and red uniforms that featured the precursor to the infamous 2006 Buffaslug logo. The new identity couldn’t mask the growing discord within the organization, however. Despite the team’s division-leading 92-point season, and a trip to the second round of the playoffs, front-office dysfunction led to president Larry Quinn firing general manager John Muckler after the season due to his strained relations with coach Ted Nolan, who had won the Jack Adams Award that season. Buffalo then parted ways with Nolan after the coach rejected a one-year extension offered by new GM Darcy Regier. Reportedly, Nolan didn’t have a great rapport with Hasek, who held the keys to the Sabres’ success in that era, and it ultimately doomed the coach (who is now back behind the bench in Buffalo). Fans were upset and some protested by canceling their season tickets. The silver lining was that Nolan’s departure ushered in the tenure of bench boss Lindy Ruff, who guided the team to the ’98 conference finals and ’99 Cup final. Ruff was a fixture on the bench until 2013 when, with the Sabres struggling, he and Regier were dispatched.

The Rigas debacle: John Rigas, founder of one-time cable TV giant Adelphia Communications Corp., bought control of the Sabres in 1998 at the height of his company’s success. In 2002, he was indicted for bank, wire and securities fraud. He was convicted of those charges in 2004 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. His company and the team went bankrupt. The NHL took control of the Sabres and fans feared that the team would fold or relocate until a new owner, Tom Golisano, was found in ’03. Neverthless, the effects of the ownership debacle spilled over onto the ice as Buffalo failed to make the playoffs from ’02 to ’06. Hopes were raised when Golisano sold the team to deep-pocketed gas/oil tycoon Terry Pegula, a lifelong Sabres fan, in ’11, but progress has been slow and clouded by front office turmoil. In November 2013, Sabres icon Pat LaFontaine was brought in as president of hockey operations only to suddenly quit less than four months later due to a reported conflict with new GM Tim Murray over the trade of Miller to St. Louis.

Real tragedy: As difficult as Buffalo’s on-ice or organizational hardships have been through the years, the team has also dealt with even darker times. In February 1974, Sabres defenseman Tim Horton was killed in an accident while driving drunk from Toronto to Buffalo. Even though the team, which boasted the famed French Connection line of Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin, reached the Stanley Cup finals the following season, the Hall of Famer’s death cast a shadow over the franchise. (The Sabres lost the Cup series to the Flyers in six games, the final defeat coming on home ice.) There was also the scary and nearly fatal incident involving goalie Clint Malarchuk on March 22, 1989, when he took a skate blade to throat that severed his carotid artery. Bleeding out on the ice, he later said he thought he was going to die. Miraculously, doctors were able to stop the bleeding and stitch him up after he lost a third of his blood . Malarchuk returned four days later, but was emotionally as well as physically scarred. In 2008, Buffalo was the scene of a similar accident when Panthers forward Richard Zednik lost five pints of blood after his throat was slashed by a skate.

Current Misfortune

On March 16, the Sabres became the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but the team had figuratively thrown in the towel weeks earlier. Approaching the trade deadline, there was all but a fire sale in

Buffalo as the team parted ways with longtime goalie Miller, and winger Matt Moulson, who they had acquired the Islanders for Thomas Vanek in October 2013. In terms of statistical ineptitude, Buffalo ranks 28th on the power play, 27th in face-off percentage, 24th in goals-against, and last in shots per game and scoring. The Sabres’ .343 winning percentage is the worst the league has seen since the ’06-07 Flyers, and attendance, which has historically been at or near capacity every night, has dipped slightly, to 97.2 percent. The Sabres are on pace to finish with 56 points, which would be their lowest non-shortened-season total since 1970-71, their second year in the league. This, friends, is what rock bottom looks like.

In the System

Ask around and you won’t have a hard time finding someone in hockey who is willing to tell you that the Sabres have the best farm system in the game. It’s deep, with star potential at almost every position, but the real strength is on defense, where 2013 draft picks Rasmus Ristolainen (No. 8) and Nikita Zadorov (No. 16) are blue-chip candidates with potential to play on the top pairing. Ristolainen has made real strides this season, playing within himself and keeping things simple. He’s a great skater with terrific hockey sense and a heavy shot that’ll become a real weapon on the power play. Zadorov is a redwood on skates, mobile and physical. He was named this week as one of the top offensive and defensive defenders in the OHL’s coaches poll. Jake McCabe (No. 44 in ’12) will succeed as a hard rock blueliner who could someday wear a letter on his sweater.

Up front, the Sabres have high hopes for a pair of recent USNTDP graduates. J.T. Compher (No. 35, 2013) compensates for a small frame with a strong two-way game. If the hands that served him so well as a junior continue to develop, the Big Ten Freshmen of the Year could slot in as a second-line center. Hudson Fasching, acquired from the Kings at the trade deadline, has size, speed and a willingness to drive the net, painting a picture of a second-line power forward. The development of Finnish forward Joel Armia (No. 16, ’11) was stalled by injuries — and perhaps his adjustment to smaller American ice — this season in Rochester, but he’s still regarded as having the puck skills, quick release and creativity to be a top liner (though he’s not as highly regarded as he was at this time last year). William Carrier, acquired from St. Louis at the deadline, projects as a good third- or decent second-line left wing with good hands and solid net presence. He could end up opposite Justin Bailey (No. 52, ’13), another power forward hopeful with a heavy shot and decent speed, who may lack the elite hockey sense to be a top-six winger. Johan Larsson, acquired from the Wild, is a solid all-around center with bottom-six potential, but he has some growing up to do.

While all of those players have issues to address, there’s a big question mark surrounding the one who arguably ranks as Buffalo’s top prospect. Mikhail Grigorenko (No. 12, 2012) is a spectacularly gifted pivot blessed with the size, puck skills and hockey sense of a franchise center. Too often, though, he struggles to elevate his effort level, especially away from the puck, and his tendency to disappear for long stretches raises questions about his desire. He could be the centerpiece of this rebuild … or he could be a massive bust. — Allan Muir

Better Days Ahead?

The good thing about rock bottom is that things can only get better, and indeed, in Buffalo, there are reasons for hope. Ownership is stable and determined to succeed with Pegula writing the checks. After purchasing the team in February 2011, he declared: “Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres’ reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup.” He’s backed up his talk with his wallet, letting them invest in players (defenseman Tyler Myers, for one, was showered with a seven-year, $38.5 million contract in ’11), re-acquire the AHL’s Rochester Americans, and give the First Niagara Center a state-of-the-art facelift. The team may now have, perhaps, a more forward-looking front office group, led by Tim Murray. As an assistant GM in Ottawa, Murray learned a lot about managing a hockey team from his uncle Bryan, but has also shown that he’s not afraid to make bold moves that he feels are necessary, such as the Miller trade. He’s decisive and direct, a man who says he believes in action over posturing. So, with a boatload of talent in the pipeline and money to spend, things do look promising down the road. But Buffalonians, who know a thing or two about harsh winters, can be forgiven for expecting potholes along the way.


739081 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: John Tortorella’s future; New York Rangers’ next captain; more links

Allan Muir

An annotated guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• Ed Willes says there’s still a chance that John Tortorella will be back with the Canucks next season, but some pieces have to fall into place.

• Here’s the New York perspective on the Columbus homecoming of Rick Nash on Friday.

• Nash says that there’s an obvious choice to succeed Ryan Callahan as the next captain of the Rangers.

• Nicklas Lidstrom may be gone, but a new captain of calm has emerged in Detroit as the season goes down to the wire for the Red Wings.

• Gentlemen, a moment of silence for Evgeni Malkin’s, um, “midsection”:

• The Blackhawks need a team effort, not Teuvo Teravainen, to overcome the loss of Patrick Kane. Number 88 was placed on LTIR this morning, meaning he’ll miss at least 10 games or 24 days, and while the team called up the Finnish rookie this morning, Chicago is doing everything it can to lower expectations for the kid.

• The Sharks trailed the Ducks by as many as 13 points in January. This morning, San Jose finds itself atop the Pacific Division after knocking off Anaheim in an epic battle.

• Ducks fans really seem to dislike Luca Sbisa.

• Mike Heika says that the Stars failed another test last night in Philadelphia, but there’s still time to earn the final grade they want.

• Don’t think I agree with Sam Carchidi’s assessment that the Flyers were “the winners” in the deal that brought Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn to Philly — after all, the Kings won the Stanley Cup with their end of the swap — but it’s fair to say that the trade has been working out pretty well for both sides.

• Sabres forward Cory Conacher has a little fun with the wrong helmet. Apparently John Scott’s melon is a bit larger than his.

• Gary Lawless looks at the Jets’ number one problem this summer and wonders if the Maple Leafs might help them solve it.

• Keep this non-call in mind if the Coyotes squeeze into the playoffs.

• Kevin Dineen is becoming the go-to guy for Team Canada.

• More evidence that Luke Gazdic is the best fighter in the league this season:


739082 Websites

TSN.CA Kerry Fraser/ The 'stick work' on James Neal's interference call

Kerry Fraser

3/21/2014 2:59:59 PM

Hi Kerry,

At 8:54 in the third period of Thursday's game between Pittsburgh and Detroit, James Neal was assessed an interference penalty on Luke Glendening for moving his stick towards the board after Glendening had lost it earlier.

Glendening was not trying to retrieve it and Neal's actions did not interfere with the play.

According to rule 53.2 it would appear that the interference call is not justified. Is there something I am missing?

Mathieu Benoit

Saint John, NB

Mathieu:

Your question was selected from one of ten pertaining to the interference penalty called against James Neal for shooting Luke Glendening's stick to the side boards with the Penguins on the power play. A very tricky rule application was created after Glendening lost his stick at the top of the Wings end zone face-off circle following an attempted poke-check on James Neal. Glendening lost his one handed grip through the check motion which caused the stick to travel 15 feet to the bottom of the circle close to the goal line where teammate Kyle Quincey was positioned. Quincey then shot/slid Glendening's stick to a carefully placed location out into the high slot near where Glendening was attempting to defend without his stick. Herein lies the first potential rule violation on this play!

Rule 10.3 states that a player who has lost or broken his stick may only receive a stick at his own players' bench or be handed one from a teammate on the ice. A player will be penalized if he throws, tosses, slides or shoots a stick to a teammate on the ice. Fortunately for the Red Wings, Luke Glendening was fronting Matt Niskanen who had the puck near the point. As such, Glendening was unable to pick up the attempted 'helper' from Quincey. If Luke Glendening had picked up his stick at that moment, Kyle Quincey should receive a minor penalty placing the Wings two men short for a minute and forty seconds!

James Neal, from the high slot position just behind Glendening, felt his skate contact the stick that had been illegally passed by Quincey. I am quite certain that James Neal was unaware of the potential penalty to Quincey if Luke Glendening had picked up the twig. Instead, Neal jockeyed around Glendening with a 'cute' series of deliberate skate drag maneuvers that moved the stick safely out of the reach of the Red Wing defender and effectively nullified the potential penalty to Quincey.

Even though Glendening moved away from the immediate area of the stick to defend the opposite side point, it was incumbent upon James Neal to simply step away from the stick and leave it in the position it now rested. Once Neal shot Luke Glendening's stick 30 plus feet to the sidewall he violated rule 56.2 by effectively preventing Glendening from regaining possession of it. The inability Neal created for Glendening to retrieve his stick was further compounded by the fact that the Red Wings were already a man down by virtue of the penalty being served by Brendan Smith.

The eventual outcome of this play highlights the need for players to clearly understand the rules. Just 20 seconds into a Penguins power play once Luke Glendening lost his hockey stick, things quickly transitioned from a potential penalty to Kyle Quincey that would have placed the Wings two men short; to additional freedom of end zone puck movement the Penguins enjoyed once Glendening lost his stick; to the creation of a four-on-four when James Neal was penalized for interference.

I offer the following advice to players: If you encounter a stick lying on the ice that isn't broken, think twice before relocating it. It the stick is clearly broken, make sure any action taken to remove or discard the broken portion doesn't interfere with the movements of the puck or an opposing player!

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.22.2014

739083 Websites

USA TODAY / Blackhawks call up prized prospect Teuvo Teravainen

Kevin Allen

11:48 a.m. EDT March 21, 2014

The Chicago Blackhawks promoted Finnish prospect Teuvo Teravainen Friday for what could viewed as an audition for a place in the postseason lineup.

Teravainen is 19, and the Blackhawks clearly are not counting on him being ready at his age. However, Teravainen (pronounced tair-uh-VIGH-nehn) has been a dominant player in the Finnish Elite League and he is considered to have star potential.

"He is a super skilled player who is very elusive," said NBC analyst Pierre McGuire. "He makes players around him better because he has slick hands and excellent vision. "

Teravainen posted nine goals and 35 assists for 44 points in 49 games playing for Jokerit in Finland. Only one other Finnish player had more assists than Teravainen, who ranked seventh in the league in points.

"He has exceptional puck-handling skills and vision – a cut above even for very good players," said Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director.

MORE: Sharks grab first in Pacific

Johannson has seen Teravainen play often and he says the player's hockey sense is impressive.

"He is on the puck a lot and then has the poise and confidence in very tight areas to make plays," Johannson said.

Teravainen will wear No. 86 for the Blackhawks.

"If a player is going to transition quickly into the NHL, he either has to have played against older players or dominated at the World Junior Tourney," McGuire said. "Teravainen has done both."

Teravainen led Finland to a gold medal at the most recent World Junior Championships with a tournament-leading 15 points on two goals and 13 assists. He was plus-11.

"He's really taken off since then," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said earlier this month.

Bowman talked about Teravainen before Chicago's outdoor victory against Pittsburgh, and reminded everyone that younger players need time to adjust to the NHL.

"I think the nice thing for us with Teuvo is we don't need to rely on him," Bowman said. "He's not going to be the focal point of our team. I think at that age, you have to be careful you don't put your expectations too high. He's just going to be another player if he comes in. But he certainly has the talent to be able to play with high-end players here."

Bowman said that Teravainen, at 19, was named interim captain in Jokerit after an injury. That speaks to how much respect this youngster commands.

MORE: The latest draft preview

"He should be a top six forward and a player who should make an offensive impact," McGuire said. "He is also fortunate to be breaking in with a team that has great leadership and skill. It reminds me a lot of when (Henrik) Zetterberg and (Pavel) Datsyuk broke in with Detroit. They had the chance to learn from Hall of Fame-type players and coaches. Teravainen will have the same opportunity in Chicago."

There are forward minutes temporarily available in Chicago because Patrick Kane is on injured reserve and out for three weeks. The Blackhawks have also called up Jeremy Morin, who has 24 goals and 47 points in 47 games in the American Hockey League. He has five points in 15 games with the Blackhawks.

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.22.2014

sport-scan daily brief - nhl.comjets.nhl.com/v2/ext/files/clippings/03 22 2014.pdfsport-scan daily...

Documents