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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 2/27/2014

Boston Bruins 730121 Game 58 preview: Bruins at Sabres 730122 Bergeron, Eriksson return to ice with Bruins 730123 Bruins’ third line plays big in OT loss 730124 Bruins hike season ticket prices 730125 D'Agostini lifts Sabres to 5-4 OT win over Bruins 730126 Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson try to find their legs 730127 NHL Capsules 730128 Bergy battles Olympic jet lag 730129 B’s start on wrong foot 730130 Bruins lose in overtime

Buffalo Sabres 730131 Fans may have had last look at Miller at his goaltending best 730132 Bruins' Team Canada connection still has Golden glow 730133 Miller has long list of 40-save performances during his career with Sabres 730134 On the Air: Miller talk on Sirius 730135 Banged-up Ennis to sit vs. Bruins 730136 Sabres show grit in second straight win 730137 Murray’s maneuvers strike the right chords 730138 Enroth stays low-key while trade clock ticks 730139 Video/audio: Sabres stun Bruins with tying goal, overtime winner

Calgary Flames 730140 Game Day: Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames 730141 Flames’ alumni from 1989 Stanley Cup will be well represented at Alzheimer’s tourney 730142 Johnson: McGrattan, Glencross take next step in recovery, skating with Flames on Wednesday 730143 Flames youngsters Ortio, Granlund set to make NHL debuts against Los Angeles on Thursday night 730144 For Calgary Flames, no untouchables here 730145 Joni Ortio gets the nod, first NHL start 730146 Flames Notes: Glencross, McGrattan return to practice

Chicago Blackhawks 730147 Blackhawks trade brings Connelly back to Rockford 730148 Kane, other Olympians rejoin Hawks on ice 730149 Thursday's matchup: Blackhawks at Rangers 730150 After Olympics, Rocky Wirtz hungry for NHL action 730151 Blackhawks need to overcome nagging problem 730152 Blackhawks game day 730153 Kane, Toews ready to get back to work with Hawks 730154 Blackhawks acquire defenseman Brian Connelly 730155 Where do Blackhawks rank among NHL's most engaged fan bases? 730156 Patrick Kane says Olympics were overall great experience 730157 Blackhawks' Team Sweden players happy with Olympic turnout 730158 Is Jonathan Toews the greatest Blackhawk ever? 730159 Which Soldier Field seat is the best for the Stadium Series? 730160 Blackhawks' Team Canada members relive Olympic experience

Colorado Avalanche 730161 Max Talbot might miss Avs' first game since break for Sochi Games 730162 Hochman: For Avalanche's Marc-André Cliche, it is what it is 730163 Avalanche, Kings prepare to begin post-Olympic break in Denver 730164 Avalanche plays minus a forward as Talbot excused for fiancee's birth 730165 Avalanche fall to Kings after Olympic break 730166 Avs blow 4-2 lead, lose 6-4 to L.A. Kings 730167 Kopitar rallies Kings past Avs for 6-4 win

Columbus Blue Jackets 730168 Blue Jackets: Fans losing Chill benefit on tickets 730169 Blue Jackets see Gaborik as additional firepower 730170 Bob Hunter commentary: Injury tests fans, Jackets on Olympics participation 730171 Blue Jackets notebook: Gaborik will start on fourth line 730172 Blue Jackets aim for fast start after break 730173 Michael Arace commentary: Columbus becoming hotbed for hockey 730174 Blue Jackets, Devils at a glance 730175 Blue Jackets activate Marian Gaborik off IR list 730176 Blue Jackets ready for stretch run

Dallas Stars 730177 Stars fans can get picture made next to Olympic medals for Jamie Benn, Kari Lehtonen before Thursday's game at 730178 Stars pre-game/post-game co-host Bruce Levine calling KHL games 730179 Stars to participate in Try Hockey for Free Day Saturday 730180 Cowlishaw: Injuries should end NHL's Olympic presence, but they probably won't 730181 Olympic success for Benn, Lehtonen has Stars hungering for more in NHL 730182 Stars’ Olympians ready for NHL play

Detroit Red Wings 730183 Detroit Red Wings' Ken Holland open to trade, but unwilling to pay high price for rental 730184 Pavel Datsyuk 'good to go' for Detroit Red Wings tonight; Johan Franzen probable 730185 Big names coming in, game time pushed back for Nicklas Lidstrom jersey retirement 730186 Ticker: Singer Mike Posner got to hang out with Detroit Red Wings greats in Sochi 730187 Detroit 2, Montreal 1 (OT): Lead wasted, but Red Wings secure win this time 730188 Red Wings' Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk in lineup against Canadiens 730189 Red Wings GM: 'We're not selling' at trade deadline, but impact trade unlikely 730190 Wings unveil star-studded guest list for Nicklas Lidstrom's jersey retirement ceremony 730191 Red Wings back in business with thrilling OT triumph over Canadiens 730192 Red Wings' Ken Holland says he'd like to acquire a defenseman but won't pay high price for rental 730193 Red Wings' Todd Bertuzzi returns to lineup; Johan Franzen likely to play against Carey Price-less Canadiens 730194 Red Wings announce details for Nicklas Lidstrom night; game vs. Colorado pushed back to 8 p.m. 730195 Gustav Nyquist scores in overtime to lift Red Wings over Canadiens, 2-1, after late goal in third 730196 Nyquist scores in OT, Red Wings edge Canadiens

Edmonton Oilers 730197 Oilers look for successful run down the stretch, even if the playoffs are not in sight 730198 No gloom in Oilers room 730199 Jones: Oilers musical chairs

Florida Panthers 730200 Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon insists there will be no fire sale as trade deadline approaches 730201 Preview: Panthers vs. Capitals, 7:30 p.m., Thursday 730202 Shore aims to shore up future with Panthers

Los Angeles Kings 730203 Kings turn back Avalanche, 6-4 730204 Kopitar's two goals lift Kings in Colorado 730205 Anze Koptar rallies Kings past Colorado as NHL season resumes 730206 February 26 morning skate quotes: Drew Doughty 730207 Opportunity awaits Pearson alongside Richards, Carter 730208 February 26 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter 730209 Jones likely to start; February 26 morning line rushes 730210 February 26 postgame quotes: Anze Kopitar 730211 February 26 postgame quotes: Matt Greene

Minnesota Wild 730212 Blackhawks get D Connelly from Wild for F Winchester 730213 Koivu, Scandella questionable for Wild's return 730214 Wild coach Mike Yeo: seizing opportunity

Montreal Canadiens 730215 Habs goaltender Carey Price leaves practice with lower-body injury 730216 Habs prospect Andrighetto growing in Hamilton 730217 Habs call up Tokarski to replace injured Price 730218 Price leaves Habs’ morning skate early; will miss at least two games

Nashville Predators 730219 Nashville Predators sending Pekka Rinne to AHL to continue rehab

New Jersey Devils 730220 Should Devils trade Jaromir Jagr? Here are 10 reasons to keep him 730221 Devils' Patrik Elias and wife, Petra, celebrate birth of daughter 730222 Jaromir Jagr likes Devils' chances of making playoffs 730223 Devils' Martin Brodeur: What happens in days before trade deadline is my business, should be kept privateJpgLo 730224 Devils: Steve Bernier practices; Patrik Elias awaiting birth of child 730225 Lamoriello looking to be a buyer - not a seller - prior to trade deadline; Eliases welcome daughter 730226 Brodeur “waiting” as trade deadline approaches; Jagr hasn’t discussed Devils’ future with Lamoriello 730227 Elias missing Devils’ practice for birth of second child; Bernier returns

New York Islanders 730228 Isles trade talk heating up with Vanek, MacDonald

New York Rangers 730229 Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis has asked to be dealt only to NY Rangers: report 730230 Alain Vigneault trying to maintain balance by slotting J.T. Miller with Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot for Ra 730231 Rangers aim to keep focus with key players on block 730232 Rangers tab J.T. Miller for injured Zuccarello’s spot 730233 Why John Tortorella is apologizing to all of Canada 730234 Miller in lineup, Dorsett out, Staal a game-day decision; Lundqvist to start Saturday at Philly 730235 Rangers resume full-squad practice

NHL 730236 NHL Capsules

Ottawa Senators 730237 Optimistic Karlsson returns to Senators 730238 Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson couldn't be happier to be home 730239 Sens know they need to win if they want to makes the playoffs 730240 Ottawa Senators Bobby Ryan needed the Olympic break 730241 Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock gearing up fight for playoff spot 730242 Daniel Alfredsson still has plenty of gas in the tank

Philadelphia Flyers 730243 Inside the Flyers: What Flyers need to contend for the Cup 730244 Tired Timonen will sit out Thursday 730245 Flyers' Timonen won't play Thursday vs. Sharks 730246 Don't expect a championship anytime soon 730247 Timonen brings message to Flyers 730248 Timonen happy, but likely not playing as Flyers return 730249 Berube confident in Flyers' form in return from Olympic hiatus 730250 Clutching bronze medal, Timonen ready to go for another goal 730251 Timonen: Flyers can win if they play like Finland 730252 Will Flyers' post-break barriers be mental or physical? 730253 5* key games remaining in Flyers schedule

Phoenix Coyotes 730254 Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan’s shattered hockey stick finds new purpose 730255 Crunch time for Coyotes: 5 things to watch

Pittsburgh Penguins 730256 Malkin 'glad' to be back with Penguins 730257 Penguins notebook: Captain Crosby refreshed, ready resume play 730258 Penguins face challenging second half in NHL 730259 Mixed results, mixed emotions as Penguins return to NHL play 730260 Moving on after Sochi key to Penguins future 730261 Penguins notebook: Ready to play, but very rusty

San Jose Sharks 730262 San Jose Sharks welcome back their Olympians 730263 Sharks get a boost for their stretch run 730264 Olympians rejoin Sharks for practice in Philly 730265 Sharks question No. 1: Is this the year? 730266 Sharks' Hertl could resume skating this week

St Louis Blues 730267 Blues Bytes: Challenges ahead for The Note 730268 Team Canada shows Blues the potential for Hitchcock's system 730269 Hansen's third-period goal lifts Vancouver over Blues 730270 Bernie: Blues are back to the grind

Tampa Bay Lightning 730271 St. Louis returns to Lightning amid trade rumors 730272 Goalie Gudlevskis’ journey continues with Bolts 730273 St. Louis needs to think like a captain 730274 It's time for Marty St. Louis to let bruised feelings go 730275 Lightning's St. Louis, Yzerman fail to quash trade rumors 730276 It appears Marty St. Louis trade rumors will fester

Toronto Maple Leafs 730277 Mirtle: Leafs have plenty of trade deadline decisions to make 730278 Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Islanders: Thursday NHL game preview 730279 Leafs’ Dave Bolland suffers injury setback amid contract talk 730280 Maple Leafs: Phil Kessel off to a sluggish start in first practice after Sochi Olympics 730281 Maple Leafs: A puzzle of individual skill sets 730282 Maple Leafs unlikely to make trade deadline splash: Cox 730283 Bolland's return to Leafs lineup postponed; Orr, Carter listed day-to-day 730284 Game Day: Maple Leafs at Islanders 730285 Leafs' Trevor Smith looks for rhythm 730286 Five Leafs who need to step up their game 730287 Five Leafs storylines to watch 730288 Leafs' Holland keeping chin up on the farm 730289 Toronto Maple Leafs’ Dave Bolland hits setback in recovery from ankle injury

Vancouver Canucks 730303 Ryan Kesler's home, but his availability is still up in the air 730304 Canucks' Alex Burrows back with new perspective 730305 Canucks' Roberto Luongo, Dan Hamhuis bring winning feeling home 730306 John Tortorella sorry for rooting against Team Canada: ‘Careless use of words’ 730307 Jet-lagged D-men lead red-hot Blues against Canucks 730308 Torts says sorry for favouring Sweden over Canada in Olympic final 730309 Canucks shut out Blues to end seven-game skid 730310 Gallagher: A Kesler trade might just be the start for the Canucks 730311 Canucks 1 Blues 0: Kesler trade talk overshadows Canucks win 730312 Canucks Hat Trick: Ticking Kesler trade-request bomb, how bad is that hand?, Backes has more bark 730313 Daniel Sedin’s slump and the concussion question 730314 Canucks face tough decision regarding future of Kesler

Washington Capitals 730290 Alex Ovechkin on Olympic disappointment: ‘I have to handle it. I have to fight through it’ 730291 Nicklas Backstrom trying to focus on Capitals amid fallout from failed IOC doping test 730292 Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom back on the ice for Capitals’ practice 730293 Jack Hillen assigned to Hershey for conditioning stint 730294 Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom back with Caps and in need of quick recoveries 730295 Ovechkin apologizes for Russia hockey performance

Websites 730315 NBCSports.com / Get your game notes: Kings at Avalanche 730316 NBCSports.com / After 22-game absence, Gaborik returns for Jackets tomorrow 730317 NBCSports.com / Get your game notes: Bruins at Sabres 730318 NBCSports.com / Get your game notes: Bruins at Sabres 730319 NBCSports.com / Malkin’s Olympic experience sounds pretty lousy 730320 NBCSports.com / Kesler (hand) out vs. St. Louis, listed as day-to-day 730321 NBCSports.com / Kesler (hand) out vs. St. Louis, listed as day-to-day 730322 NBCSports.com / Big step: Rinne heads to AHL for conditioning stint, will play Friday 730323 NBCSports.com / Looking to Bolt? St. Louis says ‘I’ve had conversations’ with Yzerman about future in Tampa Ba 730324 NBCSports.com / Fallout continues: Price aggravates Olympic injury, will miss next two games 730325 NBCSports.com / Blues insist they’re not worried about Halak after rough Olympic outing 730326 NBCSports.com / Trade: Wild acquire Winchester from ‘Hawks 730327 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Hansen scores as Canucks blank Blues 1-0 730328 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Report: Ryan Kesler requests trade from Vancouver Canucks 730329 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Does Martin St. Louis really want a trade out of Tampa Bay? 730330 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Ryan Miller a goner; Alex Ovechkin mans up; more links 730331 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Canadiens goalie Price aggravates Olympics injury, out at least two games 730332 USA TODAY / Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Post-Olympic Questions 730333 USA TODAY / Predators' Pekka Rinne sent to AHL to continue rehab 730334 USA TODAY / Five bold predictions for the NHL's homestretch

Winnipeg Jets 730296 Oly success has Jokinen energized for stretch run 730297 Olympic experience envigorates Wheeler for playoff push 730298 Pushing for the post-season 730299 What's next in Jetsville? 730300 What's next in Jetsville? 730301 Wheeler back from Olympics, hits ice at Jets practice 730302 Eager Jets dismiss notion of Oly hangover SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 2.27.2014 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

SPORT-SCAN, INC. ♦ [email protected]

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Boston Bruins

Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson were back on the ice for morning skate, and will play for the team tonight despite still suffering from a bit of jet lag. Tuukka Rask, however, did not make the trip to Buffalo, with the Bruins bringing Chad Johnson and Niklas Svedberg.

Notes: Adam McQuaid, who Claude Julien had said was doubtful for tonight's game, is officially out against the Sabres. The Bruins are hoping he can make his return on Saturday. He has been out since Jan. 19. ... The game is the fourth of five this season against the Sabres. .

Buffalo Sabres

Sabres C Tyler Ennis did not play due to undisclosed soreness.

Center Zenon Konopka confirmed he had surgery on his left pinkie over the Olympic hiatus after breaking the finger in October while playing for Minnesota. Ted Nolan said he should be ready to go Friday....

Calgary Flames

Joni Ortio gets his first NHL start. With Swiss goalie Reto Berra still jet-lagged from Sochi and injured Karri Ramo still on the mend.

LW Curtis Glencross (ankle), RW Brian McGrattan (upper body), RW Lee Stempniak (personal), G Karri Ramo (knee)

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks acquired defenseman Brian Connelly from the Wild on Wednesday for forward Brad Winchester, bringing Connelly back to the organization that originally signed him.

Connelly will report to Rockford of the American Hockey League.

A jet-lagged but energized Patrick Kane rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday and practiced with the team as did four other Olympians.

Captain Jonathan Toews, now a two-time gold medalist, watched the workout. Forwards Patrick Sharp and Marcus Kruger and defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya participated.

Afterward, the team headed to the airport, where it planned to pick up defenseman Duncan Keith and fly east for Thursday night’s game against the Rangers.

Colorado Avalanche

Winger Max Talbot missed the Avs' first game back from the Olympic break to be with his pregnant fiancee, who is past her due date.

Avalanche D Erik Johnson served the first of his two-game suspension.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Fedor Tyutin is out 2 to 3 weeks because of a sprained ankle.

The Blue Jackets recalled Dalton Prout after a month-long stint with minor-league Springfield and likely will recall Tim Erixon, Cody Goloubef or Fredric St. Denis today before leaving for New Jersey.

Marian Gaborik will return to the Blue Jackets tonight at the New Jersey Devils, but he will have to play his way up to a scoring line.

The right wing, out since Dec. 21 because of a broken collarbone, was activated yesterday from injured reserve after another intense practice. He will skate on the fourth line with left wing Mark Letestu and center Derek MacKenzie.

Defenseman James Wisniewski said his broken right pinkie toe is less painful than before the Olympic break, but he’ll wear a protective plastic piece inside his boot indefinitely.

Forwards Blake Comeau and Corey Tropp are expected to be healthy scratches.

New Jersey Devils

Devils forward Patrik Elias missed practice Wednesday to attend the birth of their second daughter.

Steve Bernier, who missed practice Tuesday for personal reasons, was back on the ice with the Devils Wednesday.

Detroit Red Wings

Henrik Zetterberg is out for the foreseeable future.

Top defensive prospect Alexey Marchenko suffered an ankle injury with AHL Grand Rapids on Sunday and might have surgery that could sideline him for 6-8 weeks, Ken Holland said.

Pavel Datsyuk will skate for the Detroit Red Wings tonight in Montreal.

Datsyuk, 35, has been battling a left knee issue. Datsyuk told reporters after Tuesday’s practice in Detroit that the pain in his knee has not gone away. Holland said today that after Russia was ousted by Finland in the Olympic quarterfinals, Datsyuk went home for a few days and saw some doctors there.

He skated on a line with Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen during today’s morning skate.

Franzen, who missed the Olympics because of complications from a concussion, is a game-time decision, according to coach Mike Babcock.

Franzen was cleared to return to action by doctors Tuesday in Detroit.

Florida Panthers

Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov (knee) and Tomas Kopecky (concussion) are on injured reserve.

Los Angeles Kings

D Alex Martinez (elbow)

C Jordan Nolan of the Kings was shaken up when he lost his balance and barreled into the boards early in the second period. A trainer assisted him off the ice and he was taken to the locker room for treatment. …

Minnesota Wild

The Blackhawks acquired defenseman Brian Connelly from the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday in exchange for forward Brad Winchester.

Captain Mikko Koivu and defenseman Marco Scandella continue to recover from injuries, and both are questionable for the Wild's first game back from the Olympic break against the Oilers on Thursday night.

Koivu underwent ankle surgery Jan. 6. Scandella, who sprained his knee Feb. 4, was placed on injured reserve, along with winger Jason Zucker (lower body).

The Wild play Friday night at Vancouver, which Mike Yeo said complicates the issue.

Scandella and Zucker's IR move is retroactive to Feb. 7, so they're eligible to play at any time. The move makes room for goaltender John Curry and winger Stephane Veilleux, recalled from AHL Iowa.

Zucker won't join the team on this road trip and has yet to skate since the Olympic break started Feb. 7.

Niklas Backstrom was unable to practice Tuesday because of soreness.

Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk and Travis Moen returned from injuries, but Michael Bournival and Brandon Prust remain sidelined. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski was recalled from AHL Hamilton.

Nashville Predators

Pekka Rinne’s road back to the ice for the Predators will go through Milwaukee.

The veteran goaltender — continuing his recovery from surgery for a hip infection that has sidelined him since October — is being sent to Nashville’s American Hockey League affiliate to begin playing in games, the Predators announced on Wednesday.

Rinne will play for the Admirals in a home game on Friday against the Iowa Wild. They have a home game on Sunday against the Rochester Americans.

There is no timetable for his return to Nashville, according to the team. Said Rinne: “I feel like I’m really close to game shape. I think it’s a final couple of games before I jump on the ice with the Nashville team.”

SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 2.27.2014 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

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New York Islanders

C Frans Nielsen (injured reserve) with a fractured left hand

New York Rangers

The Rangers will be without Mats Zuccarello because of a broken hand suffered while playing in the Olympics. Ottawa Senators

Erik Karlsson insists that post-Games fatigue won’t be a problem as the Senators get back in action Thursday against the Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre.

Philadelphia Flyers

Veteran Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, exhausted from the Olympics and the travel, will sit out Thursday's game against visiting San Jose to give him an extra day of rest after his return from Sochi, Russia.

Coach Craig Berube said Timonen will return to the lineup Saturday afternoon against the New York Rangers.

At Wednesday's practice, Nick Grossmann replaced Timonen on a pairing with Braydon Coburn. The other pairs had Andrej Meszaros with Mark Streit, and Erik Gustafsson with Luke Schenn.

Logan Couture (34 points in 43 games) is expected to play his first game since Jan. 5 (hand surgery). The Sharks, however, will be missing defenseman Brad Stuart (upper body) and rookie Tomas Hertl (knee).

Pittsburgh Penguins

Coach Dan Bylsma said that the team will continue to work with three goaltenders but that starter Marc-Andre Fleury will receive his regular practice workload, while Jeff Zatkoff and Tomas Vokoun will share time in some drills.

Defenseman Kris Letang (stroke) has lost weight because he is unable to train. He is at least a month from being re-evaluated to determine whether he can stop taking blood-thinning medication.

Paul Martin, who is out at least four weeks and may yet require surgery because of a broken right hand.

San Jose Sharks

Rookie Tomas Hertl accompanied the Sharks on the road for the first time since a Dec. 19 knee injury. Hertl stayed off the ice Wednesday, but the Czech forward is expected to skate sometime this week.

The Sharks recalled defenseman Matt Tennyson from Worcester to replace the injured Brad Stuart.

St Louis Blues

Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo returned to the Blues’ lineup Wednesday, playing his first game since Jan. 2.

Forward Vladimir Sobotka (broken kneecap) and defenseman Jordan Leopold (high-ankle sprain) are traveling with the Blues but aren’t expected to play on the trip.

Tampa Bay Lightning

NOTES: Goaltender Anders Lindback (ankle) was sent to AHL Syracuse for conditioning, meaning Kristers Gudlevskis will be the backup.

Center Vlad Namestnikov was recalled from the Crunch. It was unclear if either center Valtteri Filppula (ankle) or Tyler Johnson (foot), both of whom practiced Wednesday, was too sore to play or if the move was precautionary.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Dave Bolland suffered a setback in his recovery from a severed ankle tendon and won’t return to action Thursday when the Leafs visit the New York Islanders.

Bolland has six goals and four assists in 15 games and is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. Sportsnet reported Wednesday that he is seeking a seven- or eight-year deal worth $40 million to stay in Toronto.

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Martin Erat all took part in what was the most full-fledged practice the team has held since it reconvened last week after the Olympic break.

Ovechkin and Backstrom, both coming off difficult Olympic tournaments, were back in their usual spots as two-thirds of the Capitals’ top line.

Marcus Johansson is the only Capital who played in Sochi that has yet to return. He’s been delayed by visa and passport problems but he’s expected to rejoin the team in time for Thursday’s game at Florida. Without Johansson in the mix, Aaron Volpatti who is on long-term injured reserve with an injured left shoulder is filling in on the second line.

Winnipeg Jets

Paul Maurice said all of his players (except for defenceman Grant Clitsome, who is out for the season with a back injury) have received full medical clearance, but still need to pass his test before being inserted into the lineup, since he was happy with the way the group was playing leading into the Olympic break.

Evander Kane will return to the lineup after missing the past six games with a hand infection.

That leaves the status of centre Jim Slater (sports hernia) and right-winger Matt Halischuk (fractured forearm) up in the air for Thursday.

Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom (lower-body) and forward Devin Setoguchi (elbow) were full participants for the first time since the Olympic break came to an end.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks got injured players Kevin Bieksa and Alex Burrows back to practice Tuesday, along with Olympians Roberto Luongo, Dan Hamhuis, Daniel Sedin and Alex Edler, but will be without Ryan Kesler when they resume NHL play Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues. The team is not revealing anything about Kesler's injury, but if he's gone a long time the team could be in trouble. Vancouver Sun reporter Brad Ziemer and columnist Iain MacIntyre provide analysis.

NHL Daily Transactions

Chicago Blackhawks Brian Connelly Traded, for Brad Winchester

Columbus Blue Jackets Cody Goloubef Called up from minors, from Springfield-AHL

Detroit Red Wings Ryan Sproul Sent to minors, Grand Rapids-AHL

Minnesota Wild Stephane Veilleux Called up from minors, from Iowa-AHL

Minnesota Wild John Curry Called up from minors, from Iowa-AHL

Minnesota Wild Brad Winchester Traded, for Brian Connelly

Montreal Canadiens Brandon Prust Placed on IR, Upper-body injury

Montreal Canadiens Dustin Tokarski Called up from minors, from Hamilton-AHL

Nashville Predators Pekka Rinne Sent to minors, Milwaukee-AHL for conditioning stint

Ottawa Senators Andrew Hammond Called up from minors, from Binghamton-AHL

San Jose Sharks Matt Tennyson Called up from minors, from Worcester-AHL

Tampa Bay Lightning Vladislav Namestnikov Called up from minors, from Syracuse-AHL

Tampa Bay Lightning Anders Lindback Sent to minors, Syracuse-AHL

Washington Capitals Julien Brouillette Called up from minors, from Hershey-AHL

Washington Capitals Nicolas Deschamps Called up from minors, from Hershey-AHL

END

730121 Boston Bruins

Game 58 preview: Bruins at Sabres

Posted by Amalie Benjamin February 26, 2014 12:15 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It's been two and a half weeks since the Bruins played their last game, but the team gets back on the ice tonight in Buffalo at the First Niagara Center against the Sabres.

Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson were back on the ice for morning skate, and will play for the team tonight despite still suffering from a bit of jet lag. Tuukka Rask, however, did not make the trip to Buffalo, with the Bruins bringing Chad Johnson and Niklas Svedberg.

The Bruins are well aware that it might be a sluggish start for them after the break.

"The hands are certainly going to be a bit of a debate there," coach Claude Julien said. "Your timing is a little bit off, even if you've practiced. Practices and games are very different.

"So it’s going to be important for us to simplify our game but to focus on our skating a lot and the hands will follow.

"I think as the game goes on you’re going to see the team getting better and better, and probably that’s an advantage Buffalo has right now is they were able to get a lot of those kinks out and get themselves a win yesterday."

Game time: 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: NBC Sports Network/98.5 The Sports Hub

Records: Bruins 37-16-4, Sabres 16-34-8

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

Notes: Adam McQuaid, who Julien had said was doubtful for tonight's game, is officially out against the Sabres. The Bruins are hoping he can make his return on Saturday. He has been out since Jan. 19. ... The game is the fourth of five this season against the Sabres. ... The Bruins have 25 games left in the season, which will be played in a 47-day span. Ten of those games are at the TD Garden, and 15 are on the road. ... The referees are Francois St. Laurent and Brian Pochmara. The linesmen are Mike Cvik and Brad Kovachik.

Boston Globe LOADED: 02.27.2014


Bergeron, Eriksson return to ice with Bruins

Posted by Amalie Benjamin February 26, 2014 12:15 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson returned to the ice with the Bruins this morning, skating with the team for the first time since the players came back from winning gold and silver at the Olympics in Russia.

Both players admitted that they're suffering from jet lag, and said they were unsure of how they would feel for tonight's game, which will start at 4:30 a.m. Sochi time.

Asked if he was ready to go to sleep at noon, Bergeron said, "Yeah, I am."

"I'm going to have to battle through it," Bergeron continued. "I don't know exactly how I'm going to feel, but we'll see. I'm just going to try to do whatever I can to help and be good tonight and see how it goes."

Bergeron, who won his second gold medal in Sochi, said that it was a different experience for him than in Vancouver, when he played a small role as the team's 13th forward, mostly on the penalty kill and on faceoffs. That was not the case in Sochi, where he was one of the team's most important players and spent time playing on a line with Sidney Crosby.

"It was great," Bergeron said, of playing an increased role in Sochi. "It's something that made it even more special, I think. Vancouver was amazing to win and to be there, be part of the experience and get the gold medal, but every time you have a chance [to] help even more the team win it makes you feel a little better about yourself.

"That was a great experience from day one to the last day. It was something very special, something I'll never forget, and I'm very happy and proud of the way we've all done it."

For Eriksson, who won a silver with Team Sweden, the Olympics could prove crucial down the stretch. The forward has not really been able to get into a rhythm this season, suffering two concussions that have cost him 20 games.

"I thought so," Eriksson said. "I thought it really helped me to go over there and play a lot. It's fun games to play too, when you get to the quarters and the semifinals. It's important games. I'll take a lot of things with me from that and go on from it."



Bruins’ third line plays big in OT loss

By Fluto Shinzawa

| Globe Staff

February 27, 2014

BUFFALO — It was no coincidence that Claude Julien picked his third line to start Wednesday’s overtime against Buffalo.

Chris Kelly, Carl Soderberg, and Loui Eriksson had earned that right.

“They did a great job every time they were on the ice,” said the Bruins’ coach following the 5-4 loss to the Sabres. “They created a lot of stuff. I continue to like that line.”

Prior to Matt D’Agostini’s winning goal, the third-liners were doing what they had done throughout the game: control the puck down low and along the walls.

Eriksson had fished the puck off the right boards and was looking for help up top. Eriksson couldn’t connect, however, with Zdeno Chara. Moments later, D’Agostini was sprinting past a flat-footed Chara and tucking a backhander past a leaky Chad Johnson.

It was not a good loss. The Bruins had wiped out a two-goal deficit to grab a 4-3 third-period lead. They were less than a minute away from grabbing a regulation win in their first post-break game.

But in the big picture, they will take another good game from the No. 3 line, even framed against a foul-tasting setback.

The Bruins dominated the puck-possession game. They took 65 shots to Buffalo’s 35 attempts. Thirty-three hit the net. Eighteen were blocked. Fourteen went wide. Kelly, Soderberg, and Eriksson combined for 18 attempts, most of any line. In contrast, the sputtering first line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Jarome Iginla attempted only eight shots.

It was just three years ago that Kelly and his wingmen proved how third lines can be difference-makers. In the playoffs, top-six forwards regularly cancel each other out. It often comes down to the third- and fourth-line plumbers who pop in the much-needed goal or submit the momentum-changing shift.

Kelly, Michael Ryder, and Rich Peverley helped the Bruins fight past Montreal in the opening round of the playoffs in 2011. This time, instead of centering Ryder and Peverley, Kelly is on the left side. It’s where he should stay. Soderberg has the middle on lockdown.

The Bruins originally projected Soderberg to be a left wing, but he is a natural center. It’s much easier for a 216-pound tank such as Soderberg to remain at full flight when he’s flowing through the middle instead of stopping and starting on the wing.

“I like center, for sure,” Soderberg said. “We’ll see what happens. But I like that spot. I think Kells is pretty comfortable on the wing, too. Our line is really good right now. I have a big body. It’s easier to play at center to get your speed going. I’ve been playing center for my whole career, almost.”

In the first period, Soderberg showed his hands are as dangerous as his wide body. Soderberg pursued a puck that had glanced off the end boards. When Soderberg went in on the forecheck, he knew Kelly was behind him providing support. As soon as Soderberg retrieved the puck, he flashed a blind backhand pass off Cody Hodgson and onto Kelly’s stick. Kelly snapped a shot past Jhonas Enroth for the Bruins’ first goal.

“Our feet were moving,” Kelly said. “I thought we controlled the pace pretty well. We did some good things in the offensive zone. Obviously, it’s not the way you want to end the game. But I think at this point, you want to take the positives out of that game. I thought we did a lot of good things.”

Eriksson was the best of the three. He landed a team-high five shots on goal. Enroth stole a goal from Eriksson with a save in the second period.

Lucic, steaming down the left wing, spotted Eriksson open at the far post. Lucic connected with his pass. Eriksson fired a shot on goal. A stretched-out Enroth punted Eriksson’s shot away from the net.

“Loui was a good player again tonight,” Julien said. “He continues to play well. He’s strong. Good heads-up play. Smart decision-making. I really liked his game.”

This has not been the season Eriksson nor his employer expected. The Bruins thought they had landed the perfect two-way fit for the No. 2 line. In Dallas, Eriksson was strong on the puck. He got open in the danger areas. Eriksson made smart plays in all three zones.

Whether it was the change of leaving the only organization he’d known or the concussions that rattled his brain, Eriksson has been a shadow. He was deservedly dropped to the third line. The Bruins are not paying Eriksson $4.25 million this season to be their No. 10 scorer.

But finally, Eriksson looks like he’s gaining traction. He led all forwards with 18:37 of ice time, which is a designation usually claimed by Krejci or Patrice Bergeron. Eriksson manned the right boards on the No. 2 power-play unit. Eriksson killed penalties with Kelly. Eriksson logged 4:43 of shorthanded ice time, most of any forward.

Eriksson was a go-to player for Sweden in the Olympics. He trailed only Daniel Sedin in average ice time. For one game, Eriksson’s Olympic rhythm carried back into his stateside performance.

“I thought it really helped me to go over there and play a lot,” Eriksson said before Wednesday’s game. “It’s fun games to play, too, when you get to the quarters and the semifinals. It’s important games. I’ll take a lot of things with me from that and go on from it.”



Bruins hike season ticket prices

By Amalie Benjamin

| Globe Staff

February 27, 2014

BUFFALO — Perhaps it should be expected that the season after a Stanley Cup Final run comes with a price increase.

So maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise the Bruins announced on Wednesday — the day they returned from the two-plus-week Olympic break — they are hiking season ticket prices for the 2014-15 season.

“We want to make sure that we put the best product on the ice, that’s the No. 1,” said Glen Thornborough, the Bruins’ senior vice president of sales. “We want to make sure that our fans are happy every time they walk into this building and watch the Bruins perform. I think the hockey side has done a tremendous job of doing that and we believe that we really are going to be at the same level as our competition or our peers in like markets. I think that’s really the direction we’re going, and we really are not in a place where we’re at the top of the league in pricing, by a long shot.”

Under the new price structure, loge seats will cost $88 to $145 and balcony seats $45 to $98. This season, those tickets cost $70 to $132 for loge and $32 to $91 for balcony.

The price changes are even more dramatic when viewed through the prism of the last five years. Back in 2010-11, the season the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, prices ranged from $59 to $101 for loge and $18 to $65 for balcony.

That means the least-expensive tickets — those $18 balcony seats — have increased 150 percent over the last five years. Other prices have gone up by 40 to 50 percent in that period.

Thornborough said factors that typically go into the team’s decision about whether to increase prices include team performance, market demand, prices charged by other NHL franchises, and amenities provided to the ticket-holders. Plus, the team has a waiting list for season tickets of more than 5,000.

“Right now we’re probably in the 10, 12th as far as an average ticket price in the National Hockey League,” Thornborough said. “We believe that we put out a very, very competitive product on the ice, obviously, an elite product on the ice on our team performance. We feel our game presentation is as good as any. Our amenities are very, very strong.

“So, we are just trying to get to a place where it’s close to our like markets. We believe that we sit at an elite level where it comes to our whole operation when it comes to presentation and our product, and that is really just a correction of where we’re at today.”

Thornborough added, “The price the season ticket-holders enjoy right now up against the box office price, the difference between those two prices we lead the league in, so our season ticket-holder base we feel has a tremendous value up against the box office pricing.”

Ultimately, though, the Bruins felt they could raise prices based on performance, which has been extremely good in recent years.

So, as Thornborough said, “we’re trying to get to a place where not only our product on the ice is at the top of the league, but also our business operations, as well.”



D'Agostini lifts Sabres to 5-4 OT win over Bruins

By JOHN WAWROW / AP Sports Writer / February 26, 2014

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Matt D'Agostini and the last-place Buffalo Sabres caught Zdeno Chara and the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins by surprise Wednesday night.

After squandering a 3-1 lead, the Sabres rallied for two goals in the span of 75 seconds to steal away a 5-4 overtime victory. D'Agostini sealed it by outracing a flat-footed Chara to a loose puck and scoring on a partial breakaway 22 seconds into the extra period.

Forcing the turnover at the Bruins’ blue line, D'Agostini managed to shift the puck from his forehand to his backhand and slip a shot in under Chad Johnson’s pad.

‘‘I could tell (Chara) didn’t know I'd be coming up from behind him. I think he just thought he had time to go back and retrieve the puck,’’ D'Agostini said. ‘‘I heard their bench screaming. I tried a little sneak attack on him in there, so it was good that I got by him.’’

Matt Moulson forced overtime by scoring with 53 seconds left in regulation. Brian Flynn had a goal and assist, while Tyler Myers and Zemgus Girgensons also scored for Buffalo.

It was a big win for Sabres backup goalie Jhonas Enroth, who stopped 29 shots and snapped an 0-10-4 skid to improve to 2-12-5 this season.

‘‘That felt very nice to get a win finally again,’’ said Enroth, who also won for the first time in 12 home starts, dating to a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay on April 14 of last season. ‘‘I've had these kind of games go against me, so it was nice to have one of these for me.’’

Chara, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Chris Kelly scored for the Bruins (37-16-5) in their first game after the NHL’s two-week Olympic break.

The Sabres (17-34-8) at least had the benefit of having opened the break with a 3-2 win over Carolina on Tuesday night.

The Bruins had been off since a 7-2 win against Ottawa on Feb. 8, and featured five players — including Chara — still dealing with the effects of jetlag after competing at the Sochi Games.

‘‘I thought offensively, I didn’t mind our game,’’ Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ‘‘You score four goals, you should win those kind of games. But certainly, we were definitely rusty defensively.’’

That was particularly the case on D'Agostini’s goal.

‘‘I think (Chara) was surprised,’’ Julien said. ‘‘But definitely we should have that puck.’’

Boston is still 8-1-3 in its past 12, and hasn’t lost in regulation in seven straight road games (4-0-3).

The game featured several swings of momentum, with Buffalo building a 3-1 lead when Flynn scored 9:10 into the second period.

The Bruins stormed back.

Chara scored 2:25 later by stuffing in a rebound for a power-play goal during a scramble in front. Marchand then tied it at 3 with 2:14 left in the frame, and was set up by teammate Reilly Smith, who stripped the puck from Buffalo forward-turned-defenseman John Scott in the right corner.

Boston then appeared to take control when Lucic made it 4-3 by scoring a power-play goal with 10:17 left.

The Sabres responded with Moulson’s goal.

With Enroth pulled for an extra attacker, Moulson got the puck in the right corner of the Bruins’ end. In attempting to feed a pass to Drew Stafford in front, the puck hit off the skate of Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk. Moulson got to the loose puck and stuffed it in.

‘‘It’s tough to not get that feeling of, ‘It’s the Boston Bruins, they’re back in the game now,'’’ D'Agostini said. ‘‘But we kept playing. We defended. We got big saves from Jhonas, which was huge, and we ended up gutting one out.’’

Enroth got the start a day after Ryan Miller made 36 saves and also added two assists against Carolina. Enroth, who returned to Buffalo on Monday, was backup to Sweden starter Henrik Lundqvist at Sochi.

Buffalo won consecutive games for only the third time this season, and first since Dec. 17-19.

NOTES: Sabres C Tyler Ennis did not play due to undisclosed soreness. ... By scoring the winner against Carolina with 44 seconds left, Christian Ehrhoff became the Sabres’ first defenseman to score the go-ahead goal in the final minute of the third period. ... The Bruins went with Johnson, who stopped 21 shots. Johnson started in place of Tuukka Rask, who remained in Boston to refresh after returning from Sochi, where he helped Finland beat the United States for the bronze medal Saturday.



Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson try to find their legs

By Amalie Benjamin

| Globe Staff

February 26, 2014

BUFFALO — It was just after the morning skate, around noon, and Patrice Bergeron was ready to go to bed. He was standing in the visitors’ dressing room at the First Niagara Center, still feeling the effects of the trip home from Sochi, Russia.

He wasn’t alone. Loui Eriksson also had just come back from the Olympics, and wasn’t sure how he — or his body — would react to the Bruins’ 7:30 p.m. game against the Sabres, which is 4:30 a.m. in Sochi.

Despite the travel and the jet lag, both came back from their second Olympics pleased with the experience. It didn’t hurt that they also both came back with medals — gold for Bergeron and silver for Eriksson.

For Bergeron, these Olympics were different than in 2010 in Vancouver. Then, the Bruins center was Team Canada’s 13th forward, deployed mostly on the penalty kill and faceoffs. That wasn’t the case this time, with Bergeron among the team’s most important and best forwards, eventually moving up to a line with Sidney Crosby.

“It was great,” Bergeron said of his increased role. “It’s something that made it even more special, I think. Vancouver was amazing to win and be there, be part of the experience and get the gold medal, but every time you have a chance [to] help even more the team win, it makes you feel a little better about yourself.

“That was a great experience from Day One to the last day. It was something very special, something I’ll never forget, and I’m very happy and proud of the way we’ve all done it.”

That included Team Canada’s final game in Russia, a near-perfect 3-0 victory over Sweden for the gold.

“I would say the last two games were close to [perfect]. I mean, it was a great example of everyone buying in and just sticking to the system, playing to what the coaches asked us to play and we got the result,” Bergeron said.

That, though, was at the expense of an overmatched Swedish team missing some of its key players because of injuries and a failed drug test. But for Eriksson, who has missed 20 games this season with two concussions, the Olympics also provided a chance to get back his rhythm, in addition to a silver medal.

“I thought it really helped me to go over there and play a lot,’’ Eriksson said. “It’s fun games to play, too, when you get to the quarters and the semifinals. It’s important games. I’ll take a lot of things with me from that and go on from it.”

He added, “We have a tough stretch coming up here. I want to continue to work hard here and try to find my game. I’m looking forward to it.”

Although Team Sweden “didn’t come up to the level we should have” against Canada, Eriksson echoed Bergeron’s sentiments that were also expressed earlier in the week by Zdeno Chara and David Krejci.

Asked if he’d like to see the NHL return to the Olympics in 2018, Bergeron said, “It was an amazing experience being able to win two gold medals at the Olympics, the biggest sports event. It’s something very special, something I’ll cherish and I’m thankful for, so I would say yes.”

And as for that jet lag?

“I’ve just got to battle through, then we have two days — Thursday, Friday — before another game,” he said. “So hopefully that gets me back on schedule.”

Rest on the schedule

Coach Claude Julien said the best way to build in some rest for the Bruins’ Olympians was full days of rest, not limiting minutes as the team gets back into games. That was the reason the team decided to leave Tuukka Rask behind in Boston. As Julien said, “I don’t think worrying about their minutes in

a game, cutting them down two, three minutes, is going to help them more than maybe a full day off during practices and stuff like that,” Julien said. “I’m looking more at giving them that opportunity.” . . . With the return to action after two-plus weeks off, Julien said the biggest issue for his players was likely to be their hands rather than their legs. “Your timing is a little bit off, even if you’ve practiced,” he said. “Practices and games are very different. So it’s going to be important for us to simplify our game, to focus on our skating a lot, and the hands will follow.” . . . Adam McQuaid has a chance to play Saturday if he continues to progress . . . Julien praised the job done by Sabres interim coach Ted Nolan, who coached the Latvian team at the Olympics. Latvia gave Canada a scare in the quarterfinals, in which they were tied, 1-1, deep into the third period. “They played with a lot of emotion,” Julien said. “We all know Teddy’s a good motivator.”



NHL Capsules

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Matt D'Agostini outraced Zdeno Chara to a loose puck and scored 22 seconds into overtime, lifting the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

Matt Moulson forced overtime by scoring with 53 seconds left in regulation in a game the Sabres won after squandering a 3-1 second-period lead. Brian Flynn had a goal and assist, while Tyler Myers and Zemgus Girgensons also scored for Buffalo.

Coming off a 3-2 win over Carolina on Tuesday, the Sabres (17-34-8) won consecutive games for only the third time this season, and first since Dec. 17-19.

Chara, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Chris Kelly scored for the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins (37-16-5), in their first game after the NHL's two-week Olympic break.

RED WINGS 2, CANADIENS 1, OT

MONTREAL (AP) — Gustav Nyquist scored on a rebound with 28 seconds left in overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a win over the Montreal Canadiens in the first post-Olympic game for both teams.

Montreal had goalie Peter Budaj pulled for an extra attacker when captain Brian Gionta scored with 29 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

A team coached by Detroit's Mike Babcock, who led Canada to the gold medal, had not allowed a goal since Lauris Darzins got one at 15:41 of the first period of Canada's 2-1 win over Latvia in the quarterfinals in Sochi.

Todd Bertuzzi scored in the first period for Detroit.

CANUCKS 1, BLUES 0

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jannik Hansen scored the game's only goal and Eddie Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Vancouver Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues.

The Canucks ended their losing streak at seven games while moving into sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference. The Blues dropped their third straight decision to Vancouver this season.

Hansen broke a scoreless deadlock at 11:13 of the third period. He took a backhand stretch pass from Tom Sestito from deep in the Vancouver zone just past center ice, raced in on a breakaway and beat Jaroslav Halak with a high shot.

KINGS 6, AVALANCHE 4

DENVER (AP) — Anze Kopitar had two goals, including the decisive score in the third period, and the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche.

Kopitar's second goal of the night and 19th of the season put the Kings, who trailed by two goals midway through the second period, back in front.

The Kings were on the power play when Jeff Carter, in the middle of a scramble in front of the net, swung at a loose puck, sending it straight up in the air. When the puck hit the ice, Kopitar got his stick on it and sent it into the net past goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere at 3:13 of the third period.

Justin Williams added an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left to round out the scoring.

Boston Herald LOADED: 02.27.2014


Bergy battles Olympic jet lag


Stephen Harris, Bruins Notebook

BUFFALO — Patrice Bergeron’s body was telling him it was just about time for a good night’s sleep.

At noon.

The Bruins center, who arrived home from Sochi, Russia, Monday afternoon after a 10-hour flight and four-hour drive from Newark, N.J., was understandably jet-legged yesterday as he rejoined the B’s for their morning skate in advance of their game against the Sabres.

On Bergeron’s internal body clock, after all, it was about 9 p.m., and it would be like 4:30 a.m. when last night’s game started.

But he was aiming to handle it the best he could. He did fine, playing 18 solid minutes in the B’s disappointing 5-4 overtime loss.

“He looked fine,” said coach Claude Julien. “He did exactly what we wanted him to do: Work hard and keep the shifts short.”

Bergeron, and the B’s other Olympians, will likely get a day off today to rest.

“I’ve just got to battle through (last night), and then we have two days before another game,” Bergeron said. “Hopefully that gets me back on schedule. I don’t know exactly how I’m going to feel. We’ll see. I’m just going to do whatever I can to help and be good. It’s nice to be back with the guys. I’m excited to be here and ready for this last stretch.”

Bergeron was asked if Canada’s gold medal game performance Sunday against Sweden was essentially perfect.

“I would say the last two games were close to that,” he said. “It was a great example of everyone just buying in, sticking to the system the coaches asked us to play, and we got the result.”

In his second Olympics, Bergeron played a far larger role than he had in Vancouver, basically going from the No. 4 line to the top trio with Sidney Crosby.

“It was great,” he said. “It was something that made it even more special. (In) Vancouver, it was amazing to win, to be there, be part of the experience and get the gold medal. But every time you get the chance (to play a lot) and you feel you can help the team win even more, it makes you feel better about yourself. That was an amazing experience from Day 1 to the last day. It was something very special I’ll never forget. I’m very happy and proud with how we all did it.”

Something to build on

Loui Eriksson, a key performer for Team Sweden, which lost the Olympic title game, 3-0, also jumped back into regular-season action and also looked good.

“I thought we didn’t come up to the level we should have, but Canada played really good,” Eriksson said. “They’re a tough team to play. I felt pretty good over there. I played a lot in all different situations. It was really fun to be part of it and go that far.”

After a rough season, Eriksson hopes his play in Sochi will springboard him to a strong finish.

“I thought it helped me to go there and play a lot,” he said. “It was fun games, too. I take a lot of things with me from that, going forward.”

Said Julien: “Loui was a good player (last night). He continues to play well, (he’s) strong, (with) good heads-up play, smart decision-making. I really liked his game.”

Extra rest for Rask

Goalie Tuukka Rask did not accompany the team to Buffalo, given an extra day to rest and re-adjust.

“I think it was important for him to get that rest,” Julien said. “He’ll be on the ice for practice (today) and get himself going. That gives him a good 4-5 days of rest, and hopefully he’ll get back to playing the same way he did in that tournament because he was extremely good.” . . .

Julien, on Canada’s tremendous team defense: “We played so well defensively, we never gave the other teams much of a chance to score goals. There was an unbelievable commitment from our whole group to do it right. The guys really enjoyed their roles. We had great chemistry, (which) really kept building as the tournament went on. Because of that, I felt our team got better as the tournament went on.”

Fight stopped

As Period 2 ended last night, Bruin Kevan Miller squared off with Marcus Foligno. But before a punch was thrown, the linesmen stepped in and broke it up. . . .

Adam McQuaid sat out for a 10th successive game, apparently with the same ailment (suspected to be a groin-area strain) that sidelined him twice earlier. Julien said he may be ready Saturday, when the B’s host Washington. . . . Defenseman Johnny Boychuk played his 300th NHL game.

GM keeps eyes open

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was on hand for Buffalo’s game against Carolina Tuesday night and may have been focused on Sabres 35-year-old defenseman Henrik Tallinder, a solid, stay-at-home sort who might offer the blue line depth Chiarelli hopes to add before next week’s trade deadline.

“I’ve been a couple of years in this league, so I know the situation,” Tallinder said. “I think everyone realizes what the situation is. You just try to deal with it as you go along. There’s nothing you can control. If it happens, it happens. You deal with it.”



B’s start on wrong foot


Stephen Harris

BUFFALO — A major drawback to shutting down the NHL for 21⁄2 weeks: Teams that were playing extremely well before the Olympic break, like the Bruins, have to start from scratch again.

After last night’s performance, it’s clear they have plenty of work to do.

The Bruins suffered a disappointing loss in their return to the regular season, allowing a game-tying goal to Buffalo’s Matt Moulson with an extra attacker on the ice in the final minute of regulation.

Then they watched Matt D’Agostini sneak behind a slow-reacting Zdeno Chara 22 seconds into overtime and walk in to stick a backhander past Chad Johnson, giving the lowly Sabres a 5-4 victory.

Getting one point wasn’t good enough for coach Claude Julien, not on a night when they had two all but sewn up.

“We should have walked out of here with a win,” he said. “We had the game under control, and then we gave them the tying goal, and then it was our own mistakes on the winning goal.

“You’ve got to look at yourself and say, ‘We had the game under control with less than a minute left, but we gave them that first point and then we gave them that second one.’ ”

Milan Lucic’s power-play goal (No. 18) at 9:43 of the third period, set up nicely by Torey Krug, gave the B’s their first lead of the night, 4-3. Krug took the puck to the net for a shot, retrieved his own rebound behind the cage, then fed a pass out to Lucic in the left slot for a slapper past Jhonas Enroth.

But with Enroth on the bench in the final minute, the Sabres tied it when Moulson’s attempted goalmouth pass hit the skate of Johnny Boychuk and bounced perfectly back to him for an easy flip past goalie Johnson with 52.3 seconds left.

“I kind of lost it in his feet,” Johnson said. “It was frustrating. I thought we played a good game. You score four goals and you should win games like that.”

Instead, on the first shift of OT, an attempted pass out to the point by Loui Eriksson slid out of the Buffalo zone and up the ice. Chara drifted back to get it, not at top speed, and D’Agostini sprinted past him to break in alone.

“I think he was surprised,” Julien said of Chara. “Defenitely, we should have had that puck.

“Offensively, I didn’t mind our game. We moved the puck well and had some good offensive-zone time. But when you score four goals, you should win.

“We were definitely rusty defensively. . . . And we needed some timely saves. We didn’t get them.”

The B’s had done a good job bouncing back to take charge after a so-so start, giving up the first goal early and trailing 3-1 past the midpoint of the game.

The comeback featured goals by Chris Kelly (5) on a top-shelf wrister from the left circle, Chara (14) on a persistent goal-mouth jam-in on a power play and Brad Marchand (20) on snap from out front. And then Lucic’s bomb from mid-slot finally gave the B’s the lead after Moulson drew a four-minute penalty for a nasty high stick under the visor of Kelly.

It wouldn’t have gone down as a perfect night’s work for the Bruins, but it should have been a win.

“We hold ourselves to a pretty high standard,” said Krug, who was beaten on one Buffalo goal but delivered a pair of assists.

“When you have the opportunity to get two points with a lead in the third period, we’re going to be pretty disappointed when we don’t come out with two points. The most frustrating part is the lead in the third period. You put yourself in a good position to win a game, but unfortunately you give it away.”

Marchand gave credit, too, to the Sabres. One of the few NHL teams hopelessly out of the playoffs, they played well.

“You’ve got to give them credit,” he said. “They’ve completely changed from the start of the year. They played hard. They’re a lot tougher to play against.

“I think we had a pretty good game. We did a really good job of battling back from a two-goal deficit. It would have been nice to get two points, but we did get one.”



Bruins lose in overtime

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Stephen Harris

BUFFALO — A major drawback in shutting down the NHL for 21⁄2 weeks: Teams that were playing extremely well before the Olympic break, like the Bruins, have to start from scratch again.

After one game back, they still do.

The Bruins suffered a disappointing loss in their return to the regular season, as they gave up a game-tying Matt Moulson goal in the final minute of regulation, then watched Matt D’Agostini sneak behind a slow-reacting Zdeno Chara 22 seconds into overtime and walk in to stick a game-winning backhander past Chad Johnson, giving the lowly Sabres a 5-4 victory.

Milan Lucic’s power play goal at 9:43 of the third period, set up nicely by Torey Krug, gave the B’s their first lead of the night, 4-3. Krug took the puck to the net for a shot, retrieved his own rebound behind the cage, then fed a pass out to Lucic in the left slot for a slapper past goalie Jhonas Enroth.

But with Enroth gone to the bench in the final minute, the Sabres tied the game, 4-4, when Moulson’s attempted goalmouth pass hit the skate of defenseman Johnny Boychuk and bounced perfectly back to Moulson for an easy flip past goalie Chad Johnson with 52.3 seconds left.

The Bruins also got goals from Chris Kelly (No. 5), Chara (14) and Brad Marchand (20). Johnson took a tough OT loss.

Coach Claude Julien made a pregame prediction that proved accurate: That timing and puck skills might be a bit rusty after the long Olympic break.

“I don’t know if it’s so much the legs, but the hands are going to be a bit of a debate,” said Julien. “Your timing is a little bit off even if you’ve practiced. Practices and games are very dfferent. So it’s important to simplify your game.

“Focus on your skating a lot and the hands will follow. I don’t think the skating part, the conditioning, will be much of an issue. But the playmaking may be a challenge. As the game goes on I think you’ll see the team getting better and better.”

For much of the first period, the Bruins did look a little out of synch, their passes off just enough to lead to fumbles and turnovers. The B’s didn’t get a shot on goal until nearly 8 1⁄2 minutes had gone by.


730131 Buffalo Sabres

Fans may have had last look at Miller at his goaltending best

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

on February 25, 2014 - 10:33 PM

, updated February 26, 2014 at 1:44 AM

I really hope everyone got a good look at Ryan Miller in his classic Blue and Gold Tuesday night. We already know Miller won’t play tonight against Boston, as Jhonas Enroth gets his return-from-Sochi start.

But in what was a remarkable 8-minute meeting with reporters in the press box shortly before the opening faceoff, general manager Tim Murray just about ensured Miller is on his way out of town. And the GM let a big cat out of the bag: It’s Miller’s choice.

Enroth will play tonight and thus should play Friday against San Jose. Ditto for Monday in Dallas in the final game before the trade deadline. No way should Miller be in the action anymore.

“I’m going to be 34 this year and let’s be realistic,” Miller admitted after making 36 saves to steal a 3-2 win over Carolina. “There’s only a handful of guys who played effectively longer into their 30s.

“I’d like to be one of those guys, but there’s no guarantees. I’m not going to close anything off because maybe as we go through, some things change here. The things they’re going to have to do are probably going to come during the trade deadline and maybe I’m one of them.”

Miller has done just about all he can for this franchise. Murray used the phrase “good soldier” when referring to him and said there are contenders interested. It’s widely believed the St. Louis Blues, currently second overall in the NHL, are at the top of that list. The Sabres are known to covet 23-year-old Jake Allen, a top prospect goalie with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, in a potential Miller deal with the Blues.

Memo to Murray: You want Allen or anyone else, get Miller off the ice. Starting today. You can’t blow this trade by getting him banged up now.

Miller, ever the competitor, knows a seat on the bench could be in the offing.

Naturally, he wants no part of it.

“I want to continue to play and get a rhythm and keep enjoying the fact I’m playing in the NHL,” Miller said. “It’s not something where you want to shut it down and just sit and watch. Every game is kind of a blessing. You’ve got an opportunity to play at the highest level. It wouldn’t be my choice.”

Trading Miller clearly isn’t Ted Nolan’s choice either. Nolan was as down in the mouth as we’ve seen him during his postgame briefing, even though his team had won. He clearly knows what’s coming.

As for Murray, there wasn’t a raised eyebrow or other body language to decipher. Murray just put it all out there:

• No need to pay attention to the any of those Internet “insiders” when Miller’s own GM says, “I don’t think signing here is his first choice at his age and where we’re at.” That’s pretty much your answer.

• Murray said he’s negotiating an extension with Nolan. Good move. Get it done today, tomorrow or the next day. Sooner the better.

• Murray is just like Nolan in that he apparently loves captain Steve Ott. But there’s too many teams, especially playoff contenders, who like the sandpaper finish Ott can add to their lineup to keep him.

Still, when Murray drops a gem like “Steve Ott is the type of player that I’ve looked for for 21 years,” it’s the first negotiating salvo.

You better believe the Sabres are trading Ott – and you better believe in that talking period allowed before July 1, they’re going to be all over bringing their captain back too.

With the “For Sale” sign clearly up for pretty much anybody except Zemgus Girgensons, the press box was one busy place.

As far as telling you which teams had scouts in the house, it’s easier to tell you which ones didn’t.

That list would include Florida, the New York Rangers and Islanders, Anaheim, Phoenix and Calgary. I have never seen such a scout troop upstairs.

St. Louis has long been the top target for Miller, but you wonder about Washington and Minnesota, too.

And maybe even a trip home to Detroit, where Jimmy Howard’s health remains a question.

It’s pretty obvious why the goalie market is tight. If you’re a strong team expecting a deep playoff run, chances are pretty good you already have a solid No. 1 in net. So someone is going to have to take a real chance by moving in Miller and moving out their current guy.

What’s Miller going to do over the next week?

“Prepare to play hockey,” he said. “If it’s going to be here, it’s been my home for 12 years. I love this area. The fans have always been great. I feel at home in this community, lot of friends. Enjoy that. If it happens I’m traded, I’m preparing to play somewhere else. It all just comes down to it’s going to be hockey. I’m looking forward to any of those challenges.”

Any scout watching Tuesday had to be impressed with what they saw from Miller, especially just off the plane from Russia. It should be their last look.

Buffalo News LOADED: 02.27.2014


Bruins' Team Canada connection still has Golden glow

February 26, 2014 - 3:43 PM

By Mike Harrington

Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien is a little tired. So are Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron (Canada) and Loui Eriksson (Sweden), who joined Julien as part of Sunday's gold medal game at the Sochi Olympics. The Bs are in town for their first post-Olympic game tonight against the Sabres but the gold-medal glow is still on Julien, one of Mike Babcock's assistants, and Bergeron in the wake of Canada's 3-0 win over the Swedes in the finale.

Team Canada, of course, blanked Team USA, 1-0, in the semifinals and allowed just three goals the whole tournament.

"You got 20 elite players and they're all committed to playing hard," Julien said today. "The fact we had really good numbers coming back, we had set from the get-go in the summer that we wanted players that could play both ends of the ice and that's what we got. Even though we didn't score as much as we would have liked to, the scoring chances were there. We created a lot.

"Maybe the finish was a bit of a challenge for whatever reason but at the same time, we played so well defensively that we never gave other teams much of a chance to score some goals. There was an unbelievable commitment from our whole group to do it right."

Was the finale The Perfect Game, like so many international hockey experts have called it?

"I would say the last two games were close to that," Bergeron said. "It was a great example of everyone buying in and just playing, sticking to the system, to do what the coaches asked us to play and we got the result. Every shift you could see guys back-pressuring like there was no tomorrow. The Ds were stepping up. We were really closing up and not giving up much time and it gave us the success that we got."

"It was a great experience from day one to the last day," Bergeron added. "It was something very special, something I'll never forget. I'm very happy and proud of the way we've all done it."



Miller has long list of 40-save performances during his career with Sabres

February 26, 2014 - 12:46 PM

By John Vogl

During his 12 seasons in Buffalo, Ryan Miller has faced 17,587 shots. He's stopped 16,217. That's a lot of rubber hitting his pads, glove and mask.

The more he faces, the better he gets. Miller has made 40 or more saves 33 times in his career, and he's 23-7-3 when topping the magic number.

Not surprisingly, most of those shot-heavy performances have come during the Sabres' recent struggles. Of the 33 times Miller was forced to make at least 40 saves, 11 came during the 2013 calendar year.

Here's a look at the performances. For select games, click on the link to read the recap:

Saves - Date - Opponent - Result

49 - Dec. 29, 2013 - Washington - Win

48 - Jan. 8, 2010 - Toronto - Win

47 - Nov. 5, 2013 - San Jose - Win

45 - Oct. 4, 2013 - Ottawa - Loss

Jan. 10, 2009 - Detroit - Loss

March 18, 2006 - Ottawa - Loss

44 - Oct. 31, 2013 - Rangers - Loss

March 27, 2012 - Washington - Win

April 24, 2011 - Philadelphia - Loss (playoffs)

April 29, 2007 - Rangers - Loss (playoffs)

43 - Nov. 12, 2013 - Los Angeles - Win

Feb. 29, 2012 - Anaheim - Win

Jan. 9, 2009 - Rangers - Win

May 8, 2006 - Ottawa - Win (playoffs)

April 15, 2006 - Montreal - Win

42 - Nov. 21, 2013 - Philadelphia - Loss

Dec. 20, 2008 - Montreal - Overtime loss

Dec. 19, 2007 - Islanders - Win

41 - Oct. 15, 2013 - Islanders - Win

April 17, 2013 - Boston - Win

Feb. 9, 2013 - Islanders - Win

Dec. 13, 2011 - Ottawa - Overtime loss

Oct. 21, 2009 - Florida - Win

Oct. 13, 2006 - Detroit - Win

40 - April 23, 2013 - Pittsburgh - Win

Feb. 28, 2013 - Florida - Win

Oct. 18, 2011 - Montreal - Win

Feb. 23, 2011 - Atlanta - Win

March 29, 2010 - Boston - Win

Dec. 18, 2009 - Toronto - Win

Feb. 7, 2009 - Ottawa - Overtime loss

Dec. 19, 2008 - Los Angeles - Win

March 23, 2007 - Toronto - Win



On the Air: Miller talk on Sirius

February 26, 2014 - 12:21 PM

By Mike Harrington

A reminder that tonight's game against Boston is a 7:30 faceoff on the NBC Sports Network, which will be airing a one-hour pregame show starting at 6:30. The peacock folks will have plenty to talk about in the wake of last night's 3-2 win over Carolina, and the game itself was obviously irrelevant.

The talk of the town -- and the talk of the league -- is GM Tim Murray's pregame press conference, where he confirmed the Sabres are actively shopping Ryan Miller. And Miller's postgame admission that a trade would probably be best for all sides was the first time the veteran goaltender definitively came out with that stance.

In my column for today's editions, I wrote that the Sabres should immediately shut Miller down and not risk an injury that could derail a deal. Apologies to folks who have tickets for Friday's game against San Jose but Miller took quite a shot early last night when Marcus Foligno dumped Carolina's Riley Nash right on top of him. Those are the kind of plays where goalies get hurt and that can't happen now.

I talked about Miller some more earlier today on SiriusXM's "Hockey This Morning" with Mike Rossy and Mick Kern. You can hear the audio of that interview by clicking the file below.



Banged-up Ennis to sit vs. Bruins

February 26, 2014 - 11:53 AM

By Mike Harrington

The Sabres' lineup for tonight's game against Boston will be a game-time decision but interim coach Ted Nolan said this morning that Tyler Ennis won't play. Stand down, trade rumor mongers: Ennis took a hard hit into the boards in the third period last night and Nolan said he's day to day with "general body soreness".

Ennis is Buffalo's second-leading scorer with 30 points (14-16) and has seven points in the last seven games. He scored a go-ahead goal in the third period last night against Carolina, making a headlong dive to puck the poke through the crease past Carolina's Cam Ward. Only a few players skated this morning and the lines won't be formed until warmups but the scuttlebutt is that Ville Leino will get the first chance to go between Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford.

Henrik Tallinder will go back in on defense after sitting out last night's win following his return from Sochi. John Scott, who played on defense last night with Jamie McBain, could sit tonight or move up to forward. As Nolan planned over the weekend, Jhonas Enroth will be in goal against Boston's Chad Johnson in a battle of backups.

Center Zenon Konopka confirmed this morning he had surgery on his left pinkie over the Olympic hiatus after breaking the finger in October while playing for Minnesota. Konopka said he's going to play tonight although Nolan did not confirm his spot in the lineup.

"You love to get back in there," said Konopka, who has one assist in 13 games with the Sabres. "You love to play hockey so it's going to be exciting. It's always a good rivalry with Boston so it will be fun."

TSN floated Konopka's name yesterday as a possible trade acquisition for a team looking for a veteran to help with faceoffs. Konopka said simply it's that time of year.

"The older you get, the more you realize you can't control it so why worry about it?" he said. "Everything happens for a reason. It's an adventure. I've been outspoken growing up right around Buffalo (in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.). I love it here. I want to be here long term. But I understand it's a business and there will be guys moved at the deadline. What's meant to be is meant to be."

The Sabres will have to play a much better game tonight in front of Enroth than they did last night against Ryan Miller. Nolan expected them to be moving well and it didn't work out that way as Carolina had a 38-18 advantage in shots.

"I was a little bit surprised but this year a lot of things don't surprise me," Nolan said. "We weren't up to par, it took us a little while to get our game going but we got it going enough to get that win.

"You look at the first games of the regular season and they're a little bit rusty and shaky. It takes a little while no matter how much preparation and practice you do. There's nothing like game time. I thought both teams were a little bit shaky at points but it's going to get better."



Sabres show grit in second straight win

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

on February 27, 2014 - 12:15 AM

The Buffalo Sabres have come out of the Olympic break with some dramatic flair, producing their first two-game winning streak since before Christmas.

Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins before 19,070 in First Niagara Center was definitely one of their grittiest of the season.

Matt Moulson tied the game with 52.3 seconds left and Matt D’Agostini won it on a backhand from the edge of the crease 22 seconds into OT. It came after he sped past Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara to corral a loose puck that had skittered into the Bruins’ zone.

The Sabres had a 3-1 lead midway through the second period, gave up the next three goals but rallied to beat the Bruins here for the second time this season.

“It was a game of momentum shifts, that’s for sure,” said D’Agostini, who netted his fourth goal of the season when he stuffed the puck under Boston backup goalie Chad Johnson. “They kind of had it after the second there … but we stuck with it and played hard all night. It was a good character win.”

The Sabres won their return to play Tuesday against Carolina as Christian Ehrhoff’s goal with 43.4 seconds left in regulation produced a 3-2 victory. And in their final game prior to the break, they suffered a 3-2 loss in Ottawa on a goal in the final 30 seconds.

“I guess we like to keep it exciting here in Buffalo,” joked a smiling Moulson, who poked home the tying goal off Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk. “I know the fans appreciate a good game, so hopefully they like the last two nights.”

Moulson had plenty of reason to smile about his tying goal because the Bruins had taken a 4-3 lead with 10:17 to go on Milan Lucic’s power-play tally – which came with Moulson serving a double minor for an inadvertent high stick.

“Matty didn’t really mean to do it and it was just unfortunate,” coach Ted Nolan said. “Matty is a very caring guy. I’m quite sure he felt bad that they had the go-ahead goal, but I’m quite sure he’s very happy he got the equalizer.”

The Sabres have won back-to-back games for the first time since beating Winnipeg and Boston on Dec. 17 and 19, and eight goals in two games equals their most in consecutive contests this season.

“When you get guys to net and pucks to net, that’s when you start to get bounces,” Moulson said. “I thought we’ve done a better job of doing that lately and that’s what happens.

Zemgus Girgensons, Tyler Myers and Brian Flynn staked Buffalo to its two-goal lead before the Bruins rallied to tie on goals by Chara and Brad Marchand.

Flynn and Ville Leino had two assists for the Sabres. It was Flynn’s second multi-point game of his career and the Massachusetts native has posted both against the Bruins. He had a short-handed goal and an assist in the Dec. 19 game.

The Sabres host San Jose here Friday looking for their first three-game winning streak since last April. It is the last home game prior to the trade deadline, meaning it could be the final appearance here for players like goaltender Ryan Miller, captain Steve Ott and Moulson.

Boston coach Claude Julien and center Patrice Bergeron won gold medals for Canada at the Olympics but both lauded the work of Nolan behind the bench for Latvia, which played Canada to a 2-1 game in the quarterfinals that was tied with less than seven minutes to go.

“They played with a lot of emotion and we all know Teddy is a good motivator,” Julien said. “It was a 1-1 game in the third period. As the Canadian team, you’re looking that there could be a bad bounce to go your way and it could be in your net.”

“He did a tremendous job,” Bergeron said of Nolan. “They played really hard and it was a tough game to win. We were expecting that from watching them throughout the tournament.”

Center Tyler Ennis missed Wednesday’s game with what Nolan termed “general body soreness” after taking a hard spill into the boards Tuesday.

Center Zenon Konopka confirmed he had surgery on his left pinkie over the Olympic hiatus after breaking the finger in October while playing for Minnesota. Nolan said he should be ready to go Friday.

Johnson played goal for the Bruins in place of starter Tuukka Rask, who stayed behind in Boston after leading Finland to the bronze medal ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Ehrhoff’s winning goal against the Hurricanes marked the first time in Sabres history a defenseman had scored a go-ahead tally in the final minute of the third period. ... The Sabres are 3-4 in overtime-winning goals this year – and 97-97 in their history in regular-season play.



Murray’s maneuvers strike the right chords

By Bucky Gleason | News Sports Columnist | @TBNbucky | Google+

on February 26, 2014 - 11:55 PM


For generations, the NHL has abided by the basic law of opposites. Teams like to keep people guessing. When they say Johnny Slapper has an upper-body injury, bet the ranch he’s nursing an ankle problem. Coaches who receive a vote of confidence might as well start packing their bags.

So it was refreshing the other day when Sabres General Manager Tim Murray stood before the media and outlined his plans the best he could. Yes, his best available option was trading Ryan Miller. Yes, he’s had conversations about a dozen or so players on his roster. Yes, he’s working on a contract extension with Ted Nolan.

What’s this? The truth?

It was a foreign concept for so long that I forgot how it sounded. The Sabres’ previous hierarchy for years duped their naive owner and apologetic fan base into believing everything was under control. Meanwhile, the organization was buried in a pile of rubble. The truth was left somewhere in the ruins.

Murray was so honest and forthright Tuesday that he was almost too good to be, well, true. He’s not trying to outsmart anyone, least of all himself. He knows you can see what he’s up against. Rather than run and hide or concoct some delusional, transparent excuse for failure, the general manager faced reality.

The truth almost always works. In fact, in this case, it can help Murray in the massive cleanup that awaits him. Here’s how:

Murray offered enough details but was sufficiently vague when stating more than two and fewer than 10 teams were interested in Miller. By releasing that information, he told prospective trade partners to pony up with their best offer. In essence, he’s leveraging teams against one another to jack up Miller’s trade value.

The same stroke of genius was applied to Steve Ott. Ott isn’t a franchise player, but you would have thought he was Steve Yzerman by the time Murray was finished gushing over his leadership and toughness. Murray was reminding teams that he does everything well. Ott hits, plays defense, wins faceoffs, scores when given the opportunity and plays with jam. He’s a gamer, an ideal addition for a playoff team.

Murray is selling the idea he has two potential difference makers on a lousy team. It’s a wise play a week before the deadline, when good teams are vulnerable. The Sabres aren’t headed for the playoffs any time soon. As it stands now, it’s going to take a few seasons. They need to stockpile assets to accelerate the process.

OK, boys, let’s make a deal.

The Sabres are miles away from the Bruins, who have become a standard of sorts even though Buffalo beat Boston, 5-4, in overtime Wednesday. How many players who suited up for the Sabres will be on the roster in two years – six, maybe seven?

Murray will need to make some bold moves along the way, but trading Miller, Ott and Matt Moulson aren’t among them. They’re obvious ones. All three players are pending free agents. Even if Murray only slightly increases the ante for any of them before next week, he will have earned his keep.

Murray has never been in the big chair at the trade deadline, so we’ll see how he handles himself the first time around. He’s already been an upgrade for the organization. Almost anybody connected to the Sabres would confirm that the dark cloud that was hanging over the organization for far too long no longer exists.

If anything, management types are still getting familiar with Murray because he’s not milling around and micromanaging his subordinates in the front office. He doesn’t travel much with the Sabres. He doesn’t need to evaluate his roster, three-quarters of which need to be replaced. He’s on the road searching for upgrades.

What a concept.

Murray may be a newbie, but you don’t get the feeling he’s about to get worked over. His greatest need, young talent, happens to be his specialty. Buffalo could have two of the top five picks in the upcoming draft. Thank the previous regime for the extra first-rounder, but don’t forget to acknowledge the pick costs $1.4 million in salary for Thomas Vanek.

Regardless, Murray is moving forward. He would like to find contending teams for Miller, Ott and Moulson. All three veterans deserved better than playing this season in Buffalo. Handling them with special care would show management is committed to doing right by their players. It would be a sign of class.

And that can only help Murray.

Let’s face it, teams looking to rent veterans are likely in playoff contention or trying to get into contention. They’re often willing to take gambles with the idea one push from a single player can make the difference. They’re also more likely to give up more than they had planned, which is precisely what Murray is seeking.

Murray over the next week also can help restore credibility that was lost over the years. An overall lack of trust started at the top, filtered through the dressing room and washed over the fan base. Sabres management lost respect within the organization and around the league before Pat LaFontaine showed up with a rescue plan.

LaFontaine is revered for his professionalism. He has helped re-energize a fan base that had exhausted its patience. People can withstand the suffering if they trust the people in charge and believe better days are ahead. Murray provided reasons for people to trust him when he stood before the masses and told the truth.

Sometimes, the truth hurts.

But, usually, it’s the opposite.



Enroth stays low-key while trade clock ticks

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

on February 26, 2014 - 11:04 PM


Jhonas Enroth still shares a dressing room with Ryan Miller, so he chose to defer to Miller on Wednesday when the future of the Sabres’ crease came up in conversation.

“I don’t really think about it that much,” Enroth said. “Ryan is still a Sabre here, so I’m just trying to be professional about it and take it as it comes.”

While it’s respectful of Enroth to remain in Miller’s shadow, it doesn’t change the fact that Buffalo’s No. 1 goalie has one skate out the door. It’s a near certainty Miller will be traded by the deadline Wednesday, so someone has to become the starter for the final 23 games of the season.

Enroth finally put another win on his resume with a 5-4 overtime victory over Boston in First Niagara Center. He made 29 saves to improve to 2-12-5. It was his first victory since a 3-1 decision Oct. 25 in Florida, and it was made possible when Matt Moulson tied the game with 52.3 seconds left and Matt D’Agostini ended it 22 seconds into overtime.

“It was nice to win finally,” said Enroth, who received hearty congratulatory hugs from his teammates. “This was the kind of game that I have had against me, so it was nice to get it for me.”

The Sabres are expected to make a number of trades in the next week, and it’s likely a goalie will come to Buffalo in the transactions. One will be needed because the Sabres’ minor-league netminders – Nathan Lieuwen and Matt Hackett – aren’t ready for NHL work.

“We have a couple good young goalies here, and if one of them is the goalie of the future, it’s not the near future,” General Manager Tim Murray said in Rochester this month while watching the Amerks. “It’s a little bit down the road. I don’t think either one of them is ready to step in and start for the Buffalo Sabres.”

Amerks coach Chadd Cassidy concurred Wednesday.

“It’s a little bit early for these guys to kind of be thrust into that position,” Cassidy said by phone from Iowa. “Down the road? Absolutely.”

Hackett is 23 years old and has played 178 professional games, including one in the NHL. Lieuwen, 22, has played 56 games in the minors.

“If we do lose someone like Ryan, that’s a lot to put on a 22-, 23-year-old kid to go into that situation,” Cassidy said. “I think there’s a certain amount of minutes and a certain amount of professional hockey that you need to play before you’re ready for it.”

Hackett may be more familiar to Sabres fans because he came to the organization in the Jason Pominville trade, but Lieuwen is surging up the depth chart. The 22-year-old AHL rookie is 14-7-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and .920 save percentage, including a 2.06 and .932 since December.

“Nathan Lieuwen has been a really outstanding surprise,” Cassidy said of the Sabres’ sixth-round draft pick in 2011. “He really is developing nicely and has taken the ball and run with it in terms of the opportunity that we’ve given him.

“He’s got a tremendous work ethic, and probably his best attribute is he’s got a pretty short-term memory and a good outlook on life. Those are things you’ve got to have at the goaltending position. He doesn’t let things bother him.”

Hackett, who appeared in one game for Minnesota last year before being dealt to Buffalo, hasn’t shown he’s ready for his second NHL game. He’s 13-14-2 with a 2.78 GAA and .907 save percentage.

“He hasn’t probably had as good a year as he would have liked to have had,” Cassidy said. “He got off to a little bit of a slow start, and I think he’s kind of been climbing uphill and working on building his habits back and working on building his game back up. In our recent surge where we’ve started playing better as a team, he’s played much, much better.”

Though Lieuwen and Hackett are younger and less experienced than the 25-year-old Enroth, they do have one advantage. Lieuwen is 6-foot-5 and Hackett is 6-2. Enroth is 5-10.

“They’re both good size, which I like,” Murray said. “I like big goalies.”

The most important thing will be to find a goalie who can come up big when Miller is gone.

“That would be the one position that I’ll waffle on,” Murray said. “I don’t waffle very often, but I’ll leave that out there and let those guys decide who it is.”



Video/audio: Sabres stun Bruins with tying goal, overtime winner

February 26, 2014 - 10:50 PM

By John Vogl

The few thousand folks who stuck around until the end were rewarded tonight. They paid the Sabres back in applause.

Buffalo's Matt Moulson scored with 52.3 seconds left to tie the game, and Matt D'Agostini scored the winner on a breakaway 22 seconds into overtime as the Sabres stunned Boston, 5-4.

Goaltender Jhonas Enroth improved to 2-12-5 with his first win since Oct. 25.

Ted Nolan

Jhonas Enroth


730140 Calgary Flames

Game Day: Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames

By KRISTEN ODLAND, Calgary Herald February 26, 2014

Game Day: Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames

Flames goalie Joni Ortio stops Vancouver’s Niklas Jensen during a Young Stars game in Penticton, B.C. last September. On Thursday, Ortio will make his NHL regular-season debut.

Photograph by: Ward Perrin , PNG

Los Angeles Kings (32-22-6) at Calgary Flames (22-29-7)

7:30 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome

TV: TSN

Radio: Sportsnet 960 The FAN

THE FLAMES

Keep an eye on

Joni Ortio — The 22-year-old Finn gets his first NHL start. With Swiss goalie Reto Berra still jet-lagged from Sochi and injured Karri Ramo still on the mend, the timing is perfect. And against the former Stanley Cup champions, why not? He’ll be the fourth goalie to step between the pipes for the Flames this season.

The Lineup

* L. Bouma-M. Stajan-D. Jones

* J. Colborne-S. Monahan-M. Cammalleri

* T. Galiardi-M. Backlund-J. Hudler

* K. Westgarth-M. Granlund-P. Byron

* M. Giordano-T. Brodie

* K. Russell-C. Butler

* L. Smid-D. Wideman

* J. Ortio

* R. Berra

The Injuries

* LW Curtis Glencross (ankle), RW Brian McGrattan (upper body), RW Lee Stempniak (personal), G Karri Ramo (knee)

THE KINGS

Keep an eye on

Drew Doughty — The anchor on the league’s best defence and fresh off a fine performance in Sochi. With four goals and two assists at the tournament and an Olympic gold medal in his trophy case, the 24-year-old blueliner is always a difference-maker.

The Lineup

* T. Toffoli-A. Kopitar-J. Williams

* T. Pearson-M. Richards-J. Carter

* D. King-J. Stoll-D. Brown

* J. Nolan-L. Vey-T. Lewis

* J. Muzzin-D. Doughty

* R. Regehr-S. Voynov

* W. Mitchell-M. Greene

*J. Quick

*M. Jones

The Injuries

* D Alex Martinez (elbow)

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

1. BACK TO THE GRIND — There are varying opinions on the expected pace of the National Hockey League following the Olympic break. “There might be rust, there might be the odd bad pass. But games mean so much and everyone is under pressure right now,” Flames head coach Bob Hartley said. “Teams are falling off the playoff hunt. Some teams are making a push. Some teams want home ice advantage. There are all kinds of situations that are going to force us to be at our best. As a coach, even in our situation, we can’t wait 10 or 15 games to get right back where we left off and get on our toes and move.”

2. INJURY UPDATE — The good news was LW Curtis Glencross (ankle) and RW Brian McGrattan (upper body) were both in yellow no-contact practice jerseys on Wednesday. The bad news? Neither will be available for Thursday’s game. “The medical staff gave them permission to stay with the team,” Hartley said. “Semi-body contact . . . it was not a physical practice. It’s good to have them back.” McGrattan is “not very far” from returning while Glencross still needs more recovery time. Meanwhile, RW Lee Stempniak (personal) going to be away for a few more days. Still no sign of G Karri Ramo (knee) on the ice.

3. TRADE DEADLINE LOOMS — Before the Olympic break, Hartley addressed the elephant in the room and he plans on addressing it again. Next week’s National Hockey League trade deadline activity is on the horizon and, no doubt, this group will be affected. “We know it’s that time of the year,” he said. “We’re pros. It’s not a surprise, the trade deadline. It’s not something you wake up and all of a sudden everyone is talking about trades. We know it’s there. You guys (media) will do your job. The GM’s will be on the phone. And the coaches will answer questions about speculations . . . hey, we’ll let (interim GM) Brian (Burke) do his work and if something happens, you will be the first to know.”

4. ABOUT THE KINGS — Before the break, the Kings were on a 6-14-2 slide and were in a scoring drought. Prior to Wednesday’s game versus Colorado, they had the NHL’s second-worst offence (2.25 goals per game average) . . . They do have an easier load in the last bit of the season. Of the team’s 23 remaining games, only nine are against teams currently in a playoff position . . . Six of their players were in Sochi including Canadian gold medallists Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown represented the U.S., while Slava Voynov (Russia) and Anze Kopitar (Slovenia) were also in Russia.

5. THIS N’ THAT — Prior to Thursday’s puck-drop, a tribute will be paid to over 50 Canadian Olympians that competed in Sochi. A video tribute, ceremonial puck drop by two of Canada’s Olympians and the introduction of athletes will take place prior to the Canadian anthem. Flames representatives at the Olympics included D Ladislav Smid (Czech Republic), G Reto Berra (Switzerland), interim GM and president of hockey operations Brian Burke (U.S.A.), and two of Canada’s men’s hockey team training staff Kent Kobelka and Dr. Jim Thorne . . . Tuesday’s ninth annual Texas Hold ’Em Poker Tournament raised $420,000 for the Flames Foundation for Life . . . The last Flames player standing was Chris Butler . . . The easiest remaining schedules for NHL teams include: New York Islanders (.512 opponents’ point percentage), New Jersey Devils (.534), Calgary Flames (.542), Boston Bruins (.543), and the Tampa Bay Lightning (.545). The toughest remaining schedules? Colorado (.613), Washington (.607), Philadelphia (.607), Pittsburgh (.596), and Winnipeg (.594).

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Flames’ alumni from 1989 Stanley Cup will be well represented at Alzheimer’s tourney

Staff

Calgary Herald February 26, 2014

Flames’ alumni from 1989 Stanley Cup will be well represented at Alzheimer’s tourney

Former Calgary Flames captain Lanny McDonald will be among a slew of NHL greats who will suit up in the Calgary Pro-Am Alzheimer’s Hockey Tournament, set for first weekend of April.

Photograph by: Ted Rhodes Ted Rhodes , Calgary Herald

The Calgary Pro-Am Alzheimer’s Hockey Tournament is back for 2014, and better than ever.

Among those ex-NHLers taking part in this year’s edition are a group of the Calgary Flames’ 1989 Stanley Cup-winning team including Lanny McDonald, Gary Roberts, Colin Patterson, Theo Fleury, Dana Murzyn, Joel Otto, Jim Peplinski, Tim Hunter and Jamie Macoun, along with the likes of other stars from that era — Guy Carbonneau, Bryan Trottier, Jeremy Roenick, Stephane Richer, Mark Napier and Marty McSorley.

Special guests include Mr. Hockey, Gordie, Howe, the Roadrunner, Yvan Cournoyer, and the architect of that ’89 championship Flames’ team, general manager Cliff Fletcher.

The tournament kicks off with a luncheon at the Westin hotel on Friday, April 4th and runs through Sunday.

All proceeds from the event will be directed to Alzheimer’s care and research through the charitable arm of the Calgary Flames, the Flames Foundation for Life. For more information on the tournament, to donate or register a team, visit calgaryproamhockey.com.



Johnson: McGrattan, Glencross take next step in recovery, skating with Flames on Wednesday

GEORGE JOHNSON, Calgary Herald February 26, 2014

Johnson: McGrattan, Glencross take next step in recovery, skating with Flames on Wednesday

Brian McGrattan of the Calgary Flames shoots on goal past San Jose’s John McCarthy during the first period on Monday night.

Photograph by: Thearon W. Henderson , Getty Images

Nothing much can scare Brian McGrattan. Nuthin’ human, anyway.

But when he caught a rut in the ice and found himself momentarily airborne, catapulting headfirst towards the end boards 20 minutes into practice a week ago, he’ll admit it: He was scared.

Terrified, actually.

The ensuing crash sounded awful for those not paying the slightest bit of attention, sitting chatting idly away in the rink that day. And looked far worse later, captured by chance on a cellphone video.

There were unsubstantiated rumours of the citizenry out Okotoks way feeling a slight tremor as the big man crashed into the woodwork.

“My shoulder,” McGrattan replied Wednesday, when asked what hurt most as he lay there, aching, on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice for a good 20 minutes or so. “Shoulder. Head. Ribs. Actually, anything on the left side of my body. I was probably better off just to stand in the middle of the street and get hit by a car.

“There would’ve been less force.

“Probably the only time in my life I’m like ‘Oh, God ...’ ”

After skating apart from their teammates for the last three days together, both the man known affectionately around the Scotiabank Saddledome as ‘Big Ern’ and hard-luck winger Curtis Glencross were back as part of the practice group on Wednesday, an encouraging sign for both. Leaving only Lee Stempniak, away on a personal matter, absent. But he’s expected back in a couple of days.

McGrattan is close to returning.

Glencross, still less so.

“The medical staff gave them permission to skat with the team,” reported boss Bob Hartley. “There was kind of semi body contact, not a very physical practice, though.

“It’s good to have them back. I don’t think Grats is very far (away).”

This season has been nothing less than a relentless litany of pain and frustration for Glencross, who must wonder if some particularly sadistic shaman with a personal hate on isn’t off somewhere, maliciously jabbing pins into a hexed No. 20 doll fashioned in his likeness. Fifteen games in he blew out a knee. Fifteen games after returning from that unfortunate mishap he suffered a high-ankle sprain. The second owie occurred on the first shift Dec. 21st in Pittsbu rgh. And a Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas to you, too . . .

Devilishly tricky things, high-ankle sprains.

“It’s tough because you can walk and it feels fine out and about, balance stuff in the gym and that kind of stuff,” sighed Glencross. “It’s getting better and better. Then you go and put your skate on, with the little narrow blade, and you’ve pretty much wrecked every muscle and tendon in your ankle.

“It’s a little bit of a learning curve coming back and getting all that stuff strengthened and be at the point where you can get in a game situation.”

McGrattan’s accident occurred on a completely innocent play, with no one around him in the middle of a routine drill, catching everyone off guard.

“I was going in on a 1-on-1, the puck kinda went off the end of my stick. I didn’t want to give up on the play, you know, it was our first or second

practice back. And I wind up catching an edge five or six feet from the boards. The worst place you can.

“I felt it mainly in my upper body. Everybody was asking me ‘What’s wrong?’ but I was winded so bad, I couldn’t talk, couldn’t answer them. It was like ‘Is your neck OK? Is your head OK?’ And I’m like ‘Errrrrrr . . .’

“Fortunately I came out with what I got. Could’ve been a lot worse than it was.”

For Glencross, in contract, the season couldn’t actually get much worse. Now, at least, returning to duty with the group, there’s optimism he can return in the not-too-distant future.

“Obviously it’s going to be a little bit yet,” he cautioned. “We want to make sure it’s right before coming back and testing it out too much. I don’t want to get in a game situation and have a setback, a tweak, that might be something more serious going down the road. Management’s been good with that — ‘Make sure you come back when it’s ready and don’t force it.’

“Obviously it’s nice that they’ve said that to me, too. So we’ll take it day-by-day.”

The psychological impact of the compounding injuries, the mounting time away, has proven as difficult an obstacle as the actual physical rehabbing. It’s only human nature to wonder ‘Why me?’

“I was fortunate enough that they let me go away for the (Olympic) break, for a week,” said Glencross. “I needed that probably as much as any of these guys in here needed it, just for my mental state. Then you come back and you haven’t skated for almost 11 weeks. I’ve pretty much been bag-skated every day.

“But it was fun to get back on the ice today with the guys for the first time.

“I’m just hoping I’m getting all my problems out the way this year and not have to worry about this again. It’s been a tough stretch. You’ve got to stay with it as much as you can.

“This hasn’t been a good year for me. Obviously.” A wry, weary smile. “I can’t wait for next year to start.”



Flames youngsters Ortio, Granlund set to make NHL debuts against Los Angeles on Thursday night

By Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald February 27, 2014 12:15 AM

Flames youngsters Ortio, Granlund set to make NHL debuts against Los Angeles on Thursday night

Calgary Flames goalie Joni Ortio takes a breather during their split squad pre-season game against the Edmonton Oilers at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

Photograph by: Leah Hennel

Joni Ortio insisted that a full eight hours of shut-eye was ahead of him.

Really.

“I’m going to sleep like a baby,” said the Calgary Flames netminder, holding court in his (temporary) corner of the team dressing room following Wednesday’s declaration of his starting goaltending duties tonight against the L.A. Kings. “I think. I’m pretty sure. I’m a good sleeper . . . the kind that sleeps through the night.”

But regardless of uninterrupted snooze time or not, Thursday (7:30 p.m., TSN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN) couldn’t have come soon enough for Ortio.

His National Hockey League debut. Finally. A long time coming for the 22-year-old Finn who was drafted in the sixth round (171st overall) of the 2009 entry draft.

But Ortio’s development has been a progression — and a natural one in the NHL goaltending world.

His path this season began with a decent rookie camp, but he wound up posting in the East Coast Hockey League (briefly) anyway.

After the Flames’ goaltending shuffle took place (Reto Berra summoned and Joey MacDonald demoted), he assumed the No. 1 starter with the Abbotsford Heat. Then, he proved himself with a 20-6-0 record a 2.22 goals against average and 0.926 save percentage in the American Hockey League.

So, naturally, when fellow Finn Karri Ramo went down before the Olympic break with a knee injury, calling up Ortio was an easy decision while the Flames hit the road for three games. His first NHL start was only a matter of time.

Now, giving Reto Berra an extra few days of recovery from the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the kid gets a shot.

“Oh yeah, even going back two years ago, I never doubted that I couldn’t make it some day,” said the well-spoken Ortio who’ll become the fourth goaltender in net for the Flames this season. “It was just like postponing it. My confidence didn’t get too low. Last year (in Finland), playing as many minutes as I did, huge. It helped me a lot.”

With a crowded crease in Abbotsford last season, the six-foot-one, 185-pounder had spent the 2012-13 lockout playing 54 game for Helsinki-Finland and posted a 2.42 goals against average.

And, sure, this season didn’t start like he wanted to. No matter.

He’s here now.

“It’s not fun going to the Coast, I’m not going to sugar coat it,” Ortio said. “But playing those games, four games or whatever, down there. When you look at it now, it really helped me . . . for me, I’m 22. I’m still young.

“Most guys play four to five years down in the minors. It’s all about paying your dues. You’ve gotta put in the work and, sooner or later, you’re going to get rewarded. But you’ve gotta be patient. For us goalies, the development curve is a lot different than players.”

Like Ortio, another roster spot was made available for fellow Finn Markus Granlund in Thursday’s clash.

The crafty 20-year-old pivot, too, had paid his dues and turned heads in Abbotsford with 23 goals and 21 assists in 50 games. He was recalled on Dec. 29 but unfortunately, his services weren’t needed.

Now, with right winger Brian McGrattan out with an upper body injury and right winger Lee Stempniak missing for personal reasons, Granlund was summoned again and is set to be rewarded.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a young kid,” he said. “Now the dream comes true. I’m so excited.

“But I don’t want to think too much about it. I want to enjoy it and play my own game.”

Thursday, he’ll play on the fourth line with Kevin Westgarth and Paul Byron on the wing. And based on reports from Heat head coach Troy Ward and Craig Conroy, Granlund brings hockey sense and vision.

“As soon as he gets the puck, it seems his chin is going up and he’s looking for his wingers,” Hartley said. “He seems to be very creative. He skates well. He had a great camp and some great games . . . we had plenty of bodies here and there was a number of factors that prevented Grans from getting called up. Now he’s here and we’ll play him.”

As for Ortio? The scenario is perfect.

“He’s done real well in Abby,” Hartley said. “Reto had a good run before the Olympics and, right now, with the time change from Russia and everything, I think it’s a win-win. We give two extra days to Reto to fall back on his feet in North America. And at the same time, Joni came over to get a taste of the NHL.

“I think he deserves it.”



For Calgary Flames, no untouchables here

By Scott Fisher ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:08 PM MST | Updated: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:12 PM MST

Flames win over Predators in shoot out 5-4_5 Flames Jiri Hudler (L) and Predators Michael Del Zotto (R) battle in front of the net during NHL action in Calgary, Alta. between the Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators on Friday January 24, 2014 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Jim Wells/Calgary Sun/QMI Agency

Eliot Ness, if you believe the 1987 movie starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro, was one of four Untouchables.

With the NHL’s trade deadline looming, the Calgary Flames really shouldn’t have that many players who fall under the same category.

In fact, if somebody’s willing to make a ridiculous over-payment of young talent for the likes of rookie Sean Monahan, captain Mark Giordano or up-and-coming blueliner TJ Brodie, it could be argued the Flames shouldn’t have any untouchables on their roster.

Not if they truly want to fast forward their rebuild.

(Since Monahan and Brodie are prime examples of the young talent the Flames will need to be a Stanley Cup contender down the road, we’re talking a serious over-payment.)

The point is, the Flames will eventually need to do more than just simply unload pending unrestricted free-agents for second- or third- round draft choices or mid-level prospects if they want to inject the kind of young talent needed to climb to the top five of the league standings from their current spot in the bottom five.

That means, as president of hockey operations and interim GM Brian Burke puts it, hockey trades.

It’s expected by next Wednesday that Burke will be able to reel in young prospects or draft picks for the likes of forwards Michael Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak or defenceman Chris Butler.

But what would that compare to making a trade that sends top-scorer Jiri Hudler elsewhere?

Hudler, who turned 30 last month, has two more seasons after the 2013-14 year on a contract worth US$4 million per season.

That deal was panned in some corners when signed in the summer of ’12, but with Hudler’s production — 14 goals and 43 points in 58 games — and the salary cap expected to increase to around $71 million for the ’14-15 season (from $64.3 million this campaign), all kinds of teams in dire need of a second-line winger could be approached.

What about the thought of moving defenceman Ladislav Smid?

Smid is just 28, and with three more years after this season on his deal, that comes with a $3.5-million salary cap-hit.

Again, all kinds of teams in the hunt and looking for a blood-and-guts blueliner for the third pairing could be approached amidst the trade-deadline frenzy — especially when it comes to clubs clamouring for defencemen at that time — to try prying out a young player who could become a bigger piece of the Flames puzzle in a couple of years.

The list of possible hockey trade candidates certainly doesn’t have to end there.

The Flames are now paying the price for holding on to the likes of Jarome Iginla, Alex Tanguay, Jay Bouwmeester and goalie Miikka Kiprusoff instead of trading them while a Stanley Cup was nothing more than a pipe-dream.

Nobody will argue the return for any of those aforementioned current Flames could compare to what Calgary would have received by dealing away those former standouts before things when sideways, but it would beat a mid-round pick down the road.

Besides, untouchables should only be in the movies.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Joni Ortio gets the nod, first NHL start

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun


Ortio Calgary Flames goalie Joni Ortio was recently called up from the AHL's Abbotsford Heat.

The 40 winks, Joni Ortio contended, wouldn’t be a problem.

Told early Wednesday he’d play his first NHL game when the Calgary Flames met the Los Angeles Kings, the goalkeeper insisted he wouldn’t be too nervous to be well rested.

“I think I’m going to sleep like a baby,” Ortio said after practice. “I’m pretty sure.”

Ask any parent who can remember their children as a newborn, and that phrase doesn’t make sense.

“The kind that sleeps through the night,” the puck-stopper countered.

The Flames will have a couple of youngsters from Finland make their big-league debuts in the first game following the Olympic break Thursday at the Saddledome (7:30 p.m., TSN/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

Head coach Bob Hartley said centre Markus Granlund is to suit up with a pair of forwards on the shelf due to injury — Brian McGrattan and Curtis Glencross — and Lee Stempniak still away from the team due to personal issues.

The fact Hartley would turn to Ortio instead of Reto Berra is something of a surprise, but it stands to reason with Berra back in North America only a few days from the Olympics.

“With the time change from Russia and everything … I think it’s a win-win, to give two extra days to Reto to fall back on his feet over here in North America,” Hartley said. “At the same time, Joni came from Finland to get a taste of the NHL, and I think that he deserves it. He’s been one of the best players all year (with the AHL’s) Abbotsford (Heat).”

Ortio’s numbers prove it.

He’s the AHL’s top rookie goalie with a sparkling 20-6 record, along with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage for the Heat.

He was summoned from the minors a week before the Olympic break after Karri Ramo suffered a knee injury but served as backup for three NHL games.

“It would have been nice (making his debut) on the road, too, but playing here at the Saddledome, it’s going to be special,” said Ortio, a sixth-round draft pick in 2009. “I’m happy that I’m getting my debut here, in front of all of the fans.”

Ortio, who started the season fifth on the depth chart and with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces, fell somewhat off the radar a couple of years ago when he started the ’11-12 season with the Heat but returned home to Finland midway through the season frustrated with a lack of playing time.

However, he returned this fall much more seasoned and mature from a full year being a starting netminder in his home country.

“I never doubted that I can’t make it some day. It was just postponing it, but my confidence didn’t get too low,” Orto recalled. “Even though I didn’t play much, when I got in, I felt I played pretty good.

“But last year, playing so many games that I did (in Finland) was huge.”

It’s only a coincidence that Granlund, the Flames second-round pick from ’11, is also to see his first NHL game at the same time as his friend.

“I’ll just try to play my own game — nothing special. Just do my best,” said the forward who leads the Heat with 23 goals and 44 points in 50 games. “I’m just going to try to enjoy it. You can play only one first NHL game, so I’m just trying to enjoy the game.”



Flames Notes: Glencross, McGrattan return to practice

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun


A new rosary could be what Curtis Glencross needs now.

Or maybe a visit with a voodoo witch doctor.

As he nears a return from a third major injury of 2013, the Calgary Flames left-winger would be willing to give anything a shot.

“I’m going for whatever I can right now,” Glencross said Wednesday after practising with his teammates for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain Dec. 21. “It’s been a tough stretch, but you have try and stay with it as much as you can.”

A tough stretch is maybe putting it kindly.

Glencross, whose return to game action is still up in the air, has missed 22 games since that first-minute injury suffered in Pittsburgh.

He missed 15 games earlier in the season with a second degree MCL sprain.

Don’t forget, his ’12-13 year also ended four games early due to a knee injury.

“I’m just hoping I get all my problems out this year and not have to worry about this again,” said Glencross, who has netted six goals and 12 points in 21 games this season.

The way things have gone for him this season, Glencross and the Flames are champing at the bit to have him back in action as soon as possible, but the cautious approach is best — and they all know it.

Getting to practice with the team, even with a bright yellow caution sweater, is a big step — but just a step.

“I wouldn’t even put (a number) of days,” Flames head coach Bob Hartley said as to when he expects Glencross to play. “Today was his first practice, and Glennie basically hasn’t played all year. We’re not going to jeopardize anything. We’re going to make sure conditioning-wise, he’s good, pain-wise, he’s good. We want to do what’s right for Glennie.”

Right-winger Brian McGrattan also practised with a yellow sweater Wednesday, his first session after crashing in to the boards in practice last week.

“That’s maybe the only time in my life I’m like, ‘oh, God’ — just the way I was going in,” the burly McGrattan said. “Fortunately, I came out with what I got. It could have been a lot worse than what it was.”

That said, McGrattan won’t suit up for Thursday’s clash with the Los Angeles Kings.

In fact, he’s thinking a few more days will be needed, based on all his aches.

“Shoulder, head, ribs, anything on the left side of my body,” McGrattan said of all the places hurt. “I was probably better off to stand in the middle of the street and get hit by a car. It would’ve been less force — it’s pretty minor (compared to) what could have happened.”

Ice chips

The team’s annual Texas Hold’Em Poker Tournament held Tuesday raised $420,000 for the Flames Foundation for Life. In nine years, the event has raised more than $3 million.

The overall winner of the tournament was Navrozk Khimji, who won a $10,000 ring among a plethora of prizes. Chris Butler was the final Flames player to be eliminated … The Flames will honour more than 50 Olympians prior to Thursday’s clash with the Kings, who boast a couple of players who were part of Canada’s gold-medal winning men’s hockey team in Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter.


730147 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks trade brings Connelly back to Rockford

By Chris Hine, Tribune reporter

4:40 PM CST, February 26, 2014

The Blackhawks acquired defenseman Brian Connelly from the Wild on Wednesday for forward Brad Winchester, bringing Connelly back to the organization that originally signed him.

Connelly will report to Rockford of the American Hockey League. Connelly played for Rockford for parts of four seasons from 2009-12 but never saw action with the Blackhawks.

Connelly played 50 games this season for the Iowa Wild, Minnesota's AHL affiliate. He led the team with 32 points, 27 assists.

Connelly twice played in the AHL All-Star Game.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 02.27.2014


Kane, other Olympians rejoin Hawks on ice

By Rich Campbell

1:35 PM CST, February 26, 2014

A jet-lagged but energized Patrick Kane rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday and practiced with the team at Johnny’s IceHouse West, as did four other Olympians.

Captain Jonathan Toews, now a two-time gold medalist, watched the workout. Forwards Patrick Sharp and Marcus Kruger and defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya participated.

Afterward, the team headed to the airport, where it planned to pick up defenseman Duncan Keith and fly east for Thursday night’s game against the Rangers.

“It’s fun getting back here today, fun skating with all the guys you’re used to playing with,” Kane said. “Sometimes you go over there to Russia, and it can be a (benefit) because you realize how good you have it over here and how exciting it is to come to the rink everyday with good teammates and good coaches and a good team, most importantly.”

Coach Joel Quenneville congratulated the five medal winners who have re-joined the team. Toews had his gold medal with him Tuesday, which Quenneville got to see.

The Hawks turned their attention to the remaining 22 games and trying to secure home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Their 84 points are tied with the St. Louis Blues for second-most in the conference.

Quenneville hopes to ease the physical strain on the Hawks’ Olympians as they resume the regular-season schedule, but winning will take precedent, he said.

“We’d like to balance out even more than we do, which is pretty even on a lot of nights,” Quenneville said. “But the score and the way the game is being played, sometimes — and penalties and special teams — dictate a lot of that a little bit more. Every game could be different, but if we could spread it out, that’d be great.”



Thursday's matchup: Blackhawks at Rangers

Staff

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews on his Olympics experience and rejoining his NHL team.

6:04 p.m. CST, February 26, 2014

TV/radio: 6 p.m. Thursday; CSN, WGN-AM 720.

Series: Rangers 1-0-0.

Last meeting: The Rangers won 3-2 on Jan. 8 at the United Center.

Probable goalies, rec, gaa

Chi, Corey Crawford, 22-9-10, 2.35

NY, Henrik Lundqvist, 22-18-3, 2.44

Team comparison

HAWKS (35-11-14); CATEGORY; RANGERS (32-24-3)

3.37 (1); Goals for; 2.56 (18)

2.58 (13); Goals against; 2.44 (10)

22.1 (3); Power-play pct.; 20.1 (9)

79.7 (26); Penalty-kill pct.; 82.8 (12)

Statistics through Tuesday (NHL rank)

Storyline: With 10 Olympians still adjusting their body clocks, coach Joel Quenneville might have to keep a closer eye on ice time than usual. The Rangers won five of their last six before the Olympic break. They have found success despite not having a player among the league's top 30 scorers.



After Olympics, Rocky Wirtz hungry for NHL action

David Haugh In the Wake of the News


To feed his appetite for hockey during the 34 days between Blackhawks home games, Chairman Rocky Wirtz went to Rockford to see the IceHogs, his team's minor league affiliate.

After Wirtz's visit, the IceHogs went 8-0-1. Somewhere, an IceHogs marketing executive is planning Rocky-ford Wirtz Night to snap the next AHL losing streak.

"It has nothing to do with me, but I'll take credit for anything," Wirtz kidded Wednesday.

In that case, Chicago, all hail the man who finally brought a world champion back to Soldier Field.

The home of the Bears belongs to the defending Stanley Cup champs Saturday night against the Penguins as part of the NHL Stadium Series. Not since Mike Ditka have those sidelines seen a Chicago coach with a mustache as macho as Joel Quenneville's.

Billed as a potential Cup preview, Canadian Olympic teammates Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews will square off less than a week after beating Sweden in the gold-medal game in Sochi, Russia. Hello, NBC ratings gold.

If you can remember what a Bears playoff game atmosphere feels like, expect a similar vibe. The city craves the return of a Hawks team with a legitimate chance to repeat that hasn't played in Chicago since Jan. 26. Organizers expect a capacity crowd of 61,000 even if temperatures dip into single digits — ideal weather for Penguins, who Wirtz warned will be well-represented.

"Pittsburgh is going to have a great crowd here," Wirtz said. "They're expecting at least 20,000 people from out of town, which is nice."

At some point the novelty of NHL outdoor games will wear off — the league is staging six this season — but nobody appears overly concerned yet. Rotating cities will help avoid reaching the point of diminishing returns. Minneapolis deserves an outdoor game. Denver and St. Louis are in line. And the next time Chicago makes a bid, Blackhawks President John McDonough endorsed U.S. Cellular Field in an interview on WGWG-FM 87.7 — though Wirtz wondered about The Cell's feasibility for a winter event.

He expressed fewer doubts about the overall success of one of the league's brightest ideas under Commissioner Gary Bettman.

"Outdoor games pique everyone's curiosity," Wirtz said. "For the Wrigley (Field game in 2009) our fan base was still pretty small. We've increased some but not to the level of the NFL, the gold standard. If we can bring any new fan in, it's all about growing the game."

Continuing to grow the game through the Olympics gives Wirtz understandable pause. Asked if he supports using NHL players in the 2018 Games in South Korea, Wirtz deflected responsibility to the league and the players association. But Wirtz's tone left the impression that if America goes back to letting amateurs represent the country on ice, he can go back to watching without holding his breath.

Seeing Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson block shots for Team Sweden, for example, "scared me to death," Wirtz said. He felt terrible for the Islanders, who lost John Tavares for the season with a knee injury sustained in Sochi — the example NHL owners will remember before making a decision within six months.

"Using amateurs is something we have to look at," Wirtz said. "I'm about growing the sport but I'll say this: I don't know any other sport in the middle of a season that just shuts down for 21/2 weeks. Imagine that as a baseball fan."

Added McDonough: "The first concern is obviously injury. But you also recognize there is a patriotic fervor. These players love to represent their country. The jury is still out. I can see merits on both sides."

True, but without NHL players participating, Olympic hockey becomes a Broadway play starring understudies. Team USA dropping the puck against Russia on a Saturday morning served as America's alarm clock. Besides the chance for guys like T.J. Oshie to establish legends, the allure of patriotism can't be dismissed. Nor can the opinion of someone like Toews, who called the NHL's involvement "great for the game."

Speaking of Toews, with two gold medals and two Stanley Cup rings at age 25, he looks poised eventually too enter rarefied air of icons like Michael Jordan as one of the most distinguished leaders in Chicago sports history. Wirtz would trade Toews for nobody.

"The last Olympics is when the Canadians realized, even though Crosby scored the winning goal, that Toews was the best player on the ice," Wirtz said. "It was the same way this gold-medal game."

Penguins fans who disagree can complain to Wirtz in person Saturday night. He will be the guy smiling from his suite.

"I have a box because the league gave it to me free and I can't say no," Wirtz said, chuckling.

Under the lights on the lakefront, there won't be a bad seat in the house.



Blackhawks need to overcome nagging problem

By Chris Hine, Chicago Tribune reporter


All in all, the Blackhawks were fairly content with their first 60 games of the season. They lead the league in scoring and have positioned themselves to contend for the top seed in the Western Conference over the final 22 games.

But one statistic has gnawed at them throughout the season and over the Olympic break: their losses in overtimes or shootouts. That number sits at an NHL-high 14 entering their game Thursday against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

That's 14 points left on the ice and 14 chances to become the pacesetters in the West rather than be three points behind the conference-leading Ducks.

"We can't get that extra point, which could be crucial the next couple of games," winger Bryan Bickell said Wednesday. "We get into OT, we need to bear down. We practice our shootouts enough in practice. We have to keep it simpler, not try too much."

The Hawks are 5-8 in shootouts but have lost six of their last seven. For as much as the number bothers them, it's not as if the Hawks have neglected practicing shootout situations.

"It's probably a fluky stat over the course of this year," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Over the past couple, three four years it has been a positive stat for us."

Quenneville did say the Hawks could improve their four-on-four alignments during overtimes. The Hawks are 0-6 in games that have ended in overtime. When the extra period comes, Bickell said, the Hawks' strategy changes and their mindset differs from the 60 minutes of regulation.

"Q doesn't like us dumping the puck in," Bickell said. "He wants us to have the puck as much as possible. Get the defense in the rush for odd-man rushes, doing things we usually don't do five-on-five. We just have to capitalize on our opportunities. These are crucial points for home ice, especially in the long run."

The Olympic break represented an opportunity for the Hawks to forget about that statistic for a while.

"Maybe after this break we can … put it behind us and not let it snowball in the wrong direction the way it has all year," captain Jonathan Toews said.

For now, the snowball isn't about to turn into an avalanche, but if the problem isn't solved soon, it could.

"We maybe just need to get some confidence," center Marcus Kruger said. "Get a win, get some confidence, and that solves everything. It could be that easy."

It just hasn't looked that easy so far.



Blackhawks game day

Tim Sassone

Blackhawks vs. New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, 6 p.m., Thursday

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Radio: WGN-AM 720

The skinny: The Rangers will be without Mats Zuccarello because of a broken hand suffered while playing in the Olympics. They are in a mad scramble with Philadelphia, Columbus and Washington for second and third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Hawks have 22 games to play as they try to catch St. Louis and hold off Colorado in the Central Division. It will be Corey Crawford and Henrik Lundqvist in goal.

Next: Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field, 7 p.m. Saturday.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 02.27.2014


Kane, Toews ready to get back to work with Hawks

By Tim Sassone

Most of the Blackhawks Olympians were back at Johnny's West on Wednesday, although Jonathan Toews didn't go on the ice for practice.

Toews, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp were part of Canada's gold medal-winning team that beat Sweden in the final. Keith didn't attend practice, but he was scheduled to rejoin the team for its flight to New York.

Hawks Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger played for Sweden. All three Swedes practiced Wednesday, along with Sharp and Patrick Kane.

Kane was on the ice for the first time since returning from Sochi, where the U.S. failed to come home with a medal. He doesn't consider it a setback for USA hockey.

"Not at all," Kane said. "I think we proved we were one the best teams in the tournament the first four games."

Kane struggled in the tournament with no goals. He missed on 2 penalty shots in the Americans' loss to Finland in the bronze-medal game.

"We had a tough game against Canada," Kane said. "It's tough to come back after a loss like that, to come back and play the next night. Obviously we knew it was for a bronze medal.

"I think our thoughts going in was kind of gold or nothing. When you get that ripped away from you, and you still have a chance to play for a medal, it's still tough.

"We were playing against a team like Finland, who probably appreciate those bronze medals a little bit more than we could. It would have been nice to bring it home, but it obviously didn't work out that way. But I still thought we had a good tournament and proved ourselves that we're a good hockey country."

Kane was pleased with the way he played despite not scoring.

"Going through the Olympics is obviously a little bit of a struggle, but I felt like I played decent and had enough chances to put up some good numbers," he said. "It just didn't happen that way. I'm actually, if you can believe it, excited where my game is, where I can improve and get better."

With 22 games to play starting Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers, the Hawks will need Kane to be at his best if they are going to catch St. Louis in the Central Division.

Toews is ready to get back at it after winning gold for the second time. Now he's thinking of a third Stanley Cup with the Hawks.

"I guess it's hard to say it any differently than I've said it," Toews said. "Every time you have a chance to win, you don't want to pass it up. I think the same goes for the rest of this year and the opportunity we have.

"As well as we've played as a team this year, the number of Olympians we had, it's been a great season so far. We want to keep that momentum going and play well going into the playoffs. The goal is always the same."

Toews refuses to take his many accomplishments for granted. He has won two Stanley Cups and 2 Olympic gold medals, and he's still just 25.

"I guess it's kind of hard to believe now," he said. "It seems to be adding up a little bit. But every time you're there, you don't feel surprised to have a chance to win and be a part of a team like that.

"The first opportunity to make the team and to win in Vancouver was amazing. Being back there was just trying to find a way to repeat that. It was such a different experience being over there and a different style of game and all the different things you can talk about and how different the Olympics were.

"But it was a lot of fun. It was amazing to be in a different circumstance and win that tournament again."

• In a minor trade Wednesday, the Hawks acquired defenseman Brian Connelly from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Brad Winchester. Connelly will report directly to Rockford.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 02.27.2014


Blackhawks acquire defenseman Brian Connelly

February 26, 2014, 4:45 pm

Nina Falcone

The Blackhawks announced Wednesday that they acquired defenseman Brian Connelly from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Brad Winchester. He will report directly to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs.

This won't be Connelly's first stint in the Blackhawks organization as he played with the IceHogs at times between the 2009 and 2012 seasons.

Connelly's appeared in 50 games with the AHL's Iowa Wild this year, where he led the team in points (32) and assists (27). The 27-year-old has tallied 213 points in 343 career AHL games.

Winchester was signed by the Blackhawks as a free agent on July 24, 2013. He recorded 30 points in 55 games with the IceHogs this season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.27.2014


Where do Blackhawks rank among NHL's most engaged fan bases?

February 26, 2014, 4:15 pm

Nina Falcone

One visit to the United Center is about all it takes to see just how much the Blackhawks' fan base has grown over the last few years. After winning two Stanley Cups in four seasons, the defending champions have become quite an attraction as they continue to draw in fans across the country.

But in today's world, a sporting event goes so much beyond watching a game in-person or on TV as social media has become key in sharing the in-game experience. TicketCity communications director Meredith Owen helped take a look at the numbers behind game attendance, social media following and ticket demand to determine which NHL teams have the most engaged fans this season.

So just where do the Blackhawks rank according to TicketCity's research?

1. Toronto Maple Leafs (same as 2012-13)

2. Boston Bruins (+2 from 2012-13)

3. Chicago Blackhawks (+4 from 2012-13)

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1 from 2012-13)

5. Detroit Red Wings (+1 from 2012-13)

The Blackhawks experienced a 33 percent increase in its Facebook following beginning with the 2012-13 playoff run, earning the most "likes" in the NHL at 1.6 million. Last season the Hawks ranked fourth in this category.

Additionally, the number of Blackhawks' Twitter followers has increased by 95 percent in the last 12 months — now giving them the fourth-most followers among NHL teams — while the cost for tickets on the secondary market has increased by 20 percent.

**Note: The overall rankings are computed in terms of the following metrics: Average home attendance (20), average ticket price (20), Facebook likes (5), Facebook talking about (5), Twitter following (10), average monthly Google searches for team-based keywords (10)**

A look around the rest of the league:

— The Maple Leafs hold the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the league for the most Twitter followers, average attendance and most expensive ticket on the secondary market ($191 average price).

— TicketCity stated that the "Boston Strong effect" likely played a big role in the Bruins' jump, in addition to their appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. The Bruins' Twitter following increased by 76 percent since last season.

— The NHL as a whole has seen a huge bump in social media numbers throughout the last 12 months since the lockout ended. The average growth in Twitter followers for each NHL team was at 56 percent.



Patrick Kane says Olympics were overall great experience

February 26, 2014, 3:45 pm

Tracey Myers

Patrick Kane was surrounded by a sizable media throng on Wednesday, his first day practicing with the Chicago Blackhawks since returning from Sochi.

He seemed to be in the same boat as other Blackhawks Olympians: a little tired, adjusting to the time changes but nevertheless happy to be back. And just as happy that he participated, despite that outcome.

“It’s one of those experiences you look back on and you’ll never forget,” he said. “Playing in Russia for your country, it’s a pretty amazing experience. I had a blast with it. Obviously you wish things would have gone differently, but overall it was a great experience for me.”

We’ve been through Team USA’s disappointing Olympic outing ad nauseam. As far as Kane’s game, he came up empty in the goal department, including two missed penalty shots against Finland in the bronze-medal game. But Kane’s back with the Blackhawks now and ready to regain the game he’s had for most of this season. While some fans will worry about whether it’ll return, his head coach won’t.

“I think the consistency of his game this year is the best we’ve seen it throughout his career here,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “He had an outstanding start but game in, game out he’s been very effective. Whether his production is high or not in games, I still think he has the puck a lot. He’s doing a lot of good things to control the shifts when he’s on the ice and generating some stuff offensively. Defensively, he’s improved his game. To produce at that (early) rate all year long is a pretty tough challenge. But we’ve liked the way he’s played all year.”

Jonathan Toews said several players struggled to generate a lot of offense over in Sochi. He’s guessing Kane returns to form quickly with the Blackhawks. Toews said the Winter Olympics may give Kane a jolt, too.

“I think if anything, it’s going to motivate him to play better the rest of the season,” he said. “He’s been having a great year so far and I’m sure his team didn’t have the success he wanted to. But I don’t think that’s going to slow him down.”

As for those Olympics, the tournament was considered a failed one for Team USA in the end. Was it a step back for the program? Kane says no.

“We had a tough game against Canada and it’s tough after a loss like that to play the next night,” Kane said of the 1-0 loss to the eventual gold-medal winners. “We knew (Saturday’s game) was for bronze. Our thoughts going in were gold or nothing, and when you get that ripped away and still have a chance to play for a medal, it’s still tough. We were playing against a team like Finland, (it) probably appreciate those bronze medals more than maybe we could. It would’ve been nice to bring it home but it didn’t work out that way. But I still thought we proved that we’re a good hockey country.”



Blackhawks' Team Sweden players happy with Olympic turnout

February 26, 2014, 3:30 pm

Tracey Myers

Niklas Hjalmarsson had a quick and definite answer to the question, “Have you readjusted to this time zone again?”

“Not at all,” he said with a laugh. “I felt good on the ice. But today I’m going to drink 20 cups of coffee, try to stay awake until 10 tonight and hopefully get a good night’s sleep.”

All jet lag and not sleeping in aside, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Swedish contingent thoroughly enjoyed its time over at the Winter Olympics. They didn’t come back with the gold medal — Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger took silver — but the experience was nevertheless a rewarding one.

“We wanted that gold but we weren’t close to winning that game (against Team Canada),” Hjalmarsson said. “It would’ve been different if we were losing in overtime or something like that, if we were actually close. But (Canada) really deserved to win. It was a good tournament; I’m pretty proud, to be honest with you.”

Kruger echoed the same sentiments. He said he hasn’t struggled too bad readjusting — “getting home in the morning and then trying to stay up as long as I could.” As for the tournament, it was a pleasure for the first-time Olympian.

“It was a great experience going there and playing for my country; a great atmosphere,” Kruger said. “I’m happy with that experience. We wanted a gold (medal), that’s why we went. We didn’t achieve that, but it was a great experience.”

Considering the player losses the Swedes had, be it entering the Games or during them, their silver-medal finish is that much more impressive. Team Canada, however, brought Sweden’s momentum to a screeching halt in its 3-0 victory. As Hjalmarsson said, the loss was tough immediately following but didn’t linger, given Canada’s domination in the game. Hjalmarsson said (and Kruger agreed) that Team Canada was “the best team I ever played against.”

“Especially in their own zone; we didn’t have a lot of chances throughout,” Hjalmarsson said of Canada’s stifling defense, which allowed just three goals the entire tournament. “We were disappointed right after the game but we all came away pretty satisfied with the silver. Canada had a really good performance; it was a tough team to beat.”

Hjalmarsson said he felt better getting back on the ice on Wednesday, when all but two Blackhawks (Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith) skated. Much like Michal Rozsival the other day, Hjalmarsson hopes the skate will lead to his first good night’s sleep since returning.

“I haven’t been sleeping good at all the last two nights, but that’s usually how it is,” he said. “Hopefully I can get back (to normal). Game-day routines help, too. Once the game starts (on Thursday), it’ll be easy to adjust.”



Is Jonathan Toews the greatest Blackhawk ever?

February 26, 2014, 9:15 pm

CSN Staff

Is Jonathan Toews the greatest Blackhawk of all time?

That topic came up on Wednesday's edition of SportsTalk Live, and CSN's David Kaplan believes he has the potential to be eventually, but not yet at this point in his career.

"He's a great player, he's probably the only untouchable on the team, he'll be a Hall of Famer at this pace, but the greatest Hawk right now? Bobby Hull."



Which Soldier Field seat is the best for the Stadium Series?

February 26, 2014, 8:30 pm

CSN Staff

Still looking for a last minute ticket to Saturday's Stadium Series game between the Blackhawks and Penguins at Soldier Field?

CSN's Chuck Garfien has you covered.

Garfien took a trip to Soldier Field on Wednesday afternoon to find out which seat is the best to take in the game. Although Garfien believes you can't really go wrong with where you sit, he has one piece of advice for those making the trek to the game.

"Dress warm and have a good time."



Blackhawks' Team Canada members relive Olympic experience

February 26, 2014, 6:15 pm

Staff

Patrick Sharp could use a nap — or at least a schedule to remind him to take one.

“Team Canada laid it out all for us — when to sleep, when to take our sleeping pills, when to take our coffees and all that stuff. I came home and I’m a lost kid,” Sharp said to laughs following Wednesday’s practice. “I thought (coach Joel Quenneville) and (Mike) Kitchen would have put something together for me, just so I could just follow it when to have my nap, when to go to sleep. I came to practice today trying to get back on schedule.”

Sharp’s in the same boat as a lot of Olympic teammates, getting readjusted from the lengthy travel. Where he, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith differ is in the hardware they brought home: it was another gold medal for Toews and Keith and a first for Sharp as part of Team Canada’s powerhouse lineup in Sochi. The Blackhawks returned six medal winners, including these three (Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger claimed silver).

For the two Olympic Canadians who practiced on Wednesday — Duncan Keith did not, instead meeting the team at the airport for their trip to New York — reliving the Olympic experience was understandably pleasant. That goes doubly for Toews, who continues to gather hardware on the NHL and international levels.

“I guess it’s kind of hard to believe now. It seems to be adding up a little bit,” Toews said with a smile. “I think the first opportunity to make the team and to win in Vancouver was amazing. Being back there was just trying to find a way to repeat that. It was such a different experience being over there, a different style of game and all the different things you can talk about how different the Olympics were. But it was a lot of fun. It was amazing to be in a different circumstance and win that tournament again.”

Sharp’s first trip there was rewarding team-wise, but also individually.

“When you play in those games on the big stage you learn a lot about yourself as a player. You kind of tend to improve,” said Sharp, who later elaborated on the improvement. “I just think it’s having the experience of playing in those big games. You learn a lot from playing with great players and the pressure-packed situations. You put that all together, it helps you as a player.”

Sure, Sharp already had that to some degree in helping to win those two Stanley Cups. But playing internationally, and the pressure that Team Canada faces every time it goes to the Olympics, that’s something different and it could help him moving forward.

The Team Canada gents will probably be putting their latest gold medals in a safe place. Sharp’s daughter, Madelyn currently has possession of his — “my wife told my daughter (when) I was coming home that dad’s bringing a shiny necklace home for you. She was excited for it. She’s been playing with it ever since.” Their games, however, won’t be shelved, as they’re back at it Thursday night in New York against the Rangers. It’s time to turn the page back to the Blackhawks’ run to the postseason, and Toews and Sharp are ready to do so.

“The way we came out of the lockout last year, I think we showed maturity. We showed that we’re prepared and that guys were professionals and were ready to play some good hockey. I’m sure it’ll be the same way this time around (out of this break),” Toews said. ”I think — knock on wood — we’ve been healthy; and coming out of the Olympic tournament, we have guys that can carry that momentum, that confidence of playing that high-speed game and bringing it back to Chicago.”


730161 Colorado Avalanche

Max Talbot might miss Avs' first game since break for Sochi Games

By Mike Chambers

Posted: 02/26/2014 12:00:04 PM MST

Updated: 02/26/2014 12:01:55 PM MST

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy is carrying just 12 forwards, and only 11 could be in Wednesday night's lineup against the Los Angeles Kings at the Pepsi Center.

Winger Max Talbot might miss the Avs' first game back from the Olympic break to be with his pregnant fiancee, who is past her due date. Talbot participated in the morning skate, but if his fiancee goes into labor, Roy will complete his 20-man lineup with an extra defenseman, Cory Sarich, who hasn't played since Jan. 11 because of a back injury.

In that case, Roy would promote winger Cody McLeod to the third line, where Talbot usually plays, with center John Mitchell and Jamie McGinn, and fourth-liners Marc-Andre Cliche and Patrick Bordeleau would get spot-shifted with various linemates.

The Avs' top two lines are the same from their previous game, a 5-2 win at the New York Islanders on Feb. 8. Matt Duchene will center Ryan O'Reilly (left) and P.A. Parenteau (right), and Paul Stastny will be between left wing Gabe Landeskog and rookie Nathan MacKinnon on the right.

The 8 p.m. game is also the Kings' first contest since the break, in which they had six players compete at the Sochi Games. The Avs had four in Sochi; each will be in the lineup, although goalie Semyon Varlamov of Russia will be in a backup role.

Denver Post: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Hochman: For Avalanche's Marc-André Cliche, it is what it is

By Benjamin Hochman

Posted: 02/26/2014 12:01:00 AM MST1 comments | Updated: about 3 hours ago

In sportswriting, there's nothing more cliché than opening a column with a dictionary definition — such as: Webster's defines "grit" as "firmness of mind or spirit, unyielding courage in the face of hardship." I define it as ... the Arvada West girls basketball team.

But since I'm writing about Avalanche forward Marc-André Cliche, I shall point out that a cliché is "a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought," which, of course, is my bread and butter.

The editor asked me Tuesday if my plan really was to write a column about Cliche while using a bunch of clichés.

I told him it was, and that I'd naturally give it 110 percent.

The penalty-killing forward Cliche finally has gotten an NHL chance this season for the Arvada West-gritty Avalanche, which enters Wednesday's game at 37-16-5, third in the Central Division. Indeed, the Avs have been bringing their A-game, though taking it one game at a time, because, of course, the NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

Now, to be honest, Cliche is pronounced "Kleesh," though to have a cliché-spewing athlete named Cliché is kind of like saying "you are what you eat." That being said, our guy Cliche is Canadian (a Canadian hockey player, huh — I'll tell you what that is), so to use the vernacular from up there, the phrase "Cliche, eh," is actually pronounced cliché. So when the French-Canadian says his last name, he has an accent — but his last name doesn't have an accent.

"No accent on the E — the computer puts it, though," Cliche told me, which I'm finding it out right now, going back and furiously deleting the accents on all the Cliches like there's no tomorrow.

"My favorite cliché," Cliche revealed, "is giving it one day at the time."

I wanted to find out more about my favorite silly-word-named athlete since former Houston Astros infielder Bill Onomatopoeia. So I went to Avs coach Patrick Roy, who said of Cliche: "Every day, he comes to work. He pushes the other guys.

"We were looking to have a 13th forward who could play penalty killing and a good defensive role as much as possible. And a right-handed shooter for faceoffs, that would give us some options. When he became available by the Kings, it was a great opportunity for us. It was a great fit, and I'm very happy with him."

Before joining the Avs this fall, the 26-year-old Cliche had played in only one NHL game — he had a cup of coffee, if you will. He's scored only one goal and has five assists, but Colorado star Matt Duchene gushed about Cliche on Tuesday: "He's just a hard-nosed, gritty player, and he's got more skill than people think too. It's shocking to me that he only has one goal, because he has had so many great chances. He's taken some great shots, made some great moves but had the goalie come up big on him. But he's a guy who's going to be big in our future."

Talking about returning to action Wednesday, now that the Olympics are over, Cliche said, "The break felt good, but I think everybody's obnoxious about starting again." A Cliche malapropism— the way former New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Rivers would use malapropisms as clichés.

"We'll do all right," Rivers once said, "if we can capitalize on our mistakes."



Avalanche, Kings prepare to begin post-Olympic break in Denver

By Mike Chambers

The Avalanche is thin at forward, and could be down to 11 available bodies tonight against the Los Angeles Kings at the Pepsi Center. Click the above link to learn about what coach Patrick Roy has in mind.

Avs top-two lines tonight will be the same from their previous game, a 5-2 win at the New York Islanders on Feb. 8. Matt Duchene will be between Ryan O’Reilly (left) and P.A. Parenteau, and Paul Stastny will center Gabe Landeskog (left) and Nathan MacKinnon. The third line will consist of center John Mitchell and reversible left-shooting wingers Jame McGinn and Max Talbot (or Cody McLeod). I gathered some video and other stuff from the Kings locker room. LA’s Olympian semifinalists — Canada’s Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter and the Americans’ Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown — flew into Denver on Monday, via New York, after the long flight from Sochi. Rookie goalie Martin Jones was first off the ice this morning so it appears Quick will serve as his backup. LA plays Thursday night at Calgary and Saturday afternoon in LA in a brutal post-Olympic-break stretch.

No Erik Johnson tonight as the big D begins a two-game suspension for his slash against the NYI’s Frans Nielsen.



Avalanche plays minus a forward as Talbot excused for fiancee's birth

By Mike Chambers

Posted: 02/27/2014 12:01:00 AM MST

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy likes his tight-knit team, so much so that he doesn't seem to want any reinforcements from the minor leagues.

Carrying just 12 forwards — the minimum to field a traditional 20-player lineup — meant the Avs had only 11 for Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Pepsi Center after Max Talbot was excused to be with his fiancée, who went into labor.

Talbot participated in the morning skate, but Roy warned that he could have more important things to do than play in Colorado's first game back from the Olympic break. Talbot's fiancée was beyond her due date and had gone through a false labor, and Roy anticipated the couple's first child would be born Wednesday.

Talbot's absence meant the Avs' "stick kid" was the only extra player during introductions, and defenseman Cory Sarich completed the 20-player lineup. Sarich, who was activated from injured reserve after missing the past 13 games because of a back ailment, gave Colorado a seven-defensemen look, one more than normal.

The Avs are at the bare minimum partly because of the NHL suspension to defenseman Erik Johnson and forward Alex Tanguay's season-ending hip surgery. Johnson began his two-game suspension against the Kings and will also miss Friday's game against the visiting Phoenix Coyotes. Johnson's first NHL suspension was for slashing the New York Islanders' Frans Nielsen on Feb. 8, the last game before the Olympic break.

Roy said the team doesn't plan to add a minor-league forward to replace Tanguay. That could mean David Van Der Gulik, who is on injured reserve with a head injury, is on the verge of being cleared to play.

Royal travel. Four of Los Angeles' six Olympians returned to the U.S. on Monday from the Sochi Games, landing in Denver via New York. Gold medalists Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty of Canada and disappointed U.S. teammates Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick arrived in the Mile High City a day before the rest of the Kings.

The Kings' post-Olympic schedule is difficult as it is, with a game Thursday night in Calgary and an afternoon game in L.A. on Saturday.

Three of the four Avs Olympians also returned to Colorado on Monday, but Matt Duchene (Canada), Gabe Landeksog (Sweden) and Paul Stastny (U.S.) have two nights sleep in their own beds.

Footnote. The Avs' Nathan MacKinnon had an assist and is on a career-high nine-game points streak (five goals, 12 points).



Avalanche fall to Kings after Olympic break

By Mike Chambers

Posted: 02/26/2014 10:56:15 PM MST

Updated: 02/26/2014 11:35:29 PM MST

There was no evidence of a hangover from the Avalanche's Olympians on Wednesday night — and certainly not from the Los Angeles Kings' international stars — but both teams contributed to a rash of defensive miscues in a rare shootout at the Pepsi Center.

The Avs, who were playing for the first time since Feb. 8, two days after the Kings adjourned for the Olympic break, watched a two-goal lead evaporate late in the second period, and the 2012 Stanley Cup champions went on to a 6-4 victory.

"We let them off the hook," Avs winger P.A. Parenteau said. "We had them 4-2, and we let them come back in the game. They're a good hockey team, and if you give a team like that opportunities to come back, they're going to hurt you."

Olympians Anze Kopitar (Slovenia) and Jeff Carter (Canada) combined for three consecutive L.A. goals, and rookie goalie Martin Jones was sensational down the stretch to prevent Colorado from winning its 20th home game and reaching 80 points. The Avs (37-17-5, 79 points), who allowed an empty-net goal in the final minute, remain in excellent playoff position with 23 regular-season games to go.

Avs center Matt Duchene of Team Canada had two assists just two days after returning from Sochi with a goal medal.

"I felt terrible all day, like I had the flu, but the adrenaline got going and I felt good on the ice," he said. "I thought our line played well, scoring three goals, but we didn't play hard enough down low. To give up five goals, that's disappointing. Two-goal lead, you have to step on their throat. We beat ourselves tonight."

After building a 4-2 lead, the Kings built momentum on consecutive power plays, and Nick Holden's boarding minor early in the third period led to Kopitar's second goal and a 5-4 L.A. lead. Holden and the rest of Colorado's defensemen struggled in front of goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, although Holden and fellow blue-liner Andre Benoit made nice offensive plays that led to goals.

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Rookie sensation Nathan MacKinnon assisted on a power-play goal late in the second period to give the Avs a 4-2 lead. MacKinnon tried to jam the puck past Jones, and the rebound caromed off the leg of Benoit. The assist gave MacKinnon 21 points (12 goals) since Jan. 1, third most in the NHL behind Toronto's Phil Kessel (28) and the New York Islanders' John Tavares (22) in 2014.

Colorado's two-goal lead was built at 15:42 of the second period, but it didn't last long, nor did the ensuing one-goal advantage. L.A. got goals from Kopitar at 16:49 and Carter at 18:53 to knot it at 4-4 going into the second intermission. Kopitar cashed in on a Jason Williams rebound, and Carter made a skilled redirect on Mike Richards' shot.

Former Avs No. 1 draft pick Robin Regehr scored the game's first goal on a seemingly soft shot from atop the left circle, but the Avs produced the first of three consecutive power-play goals shortly after to tie it and took the lead late in the period with Parenteau's tap-in off a great individual effort from Duchene.

L.A.'s Jarret Stoll and the Avs' Jamie McGinn traded goals before Benoit's fortunate bounce gave Colorado its biggest lead of the game.

The Kings' Jordan Nolan and Colorado's Patrick Bordeleau exchanged several big hits, and one missed opportunity by Nolan sent him head-first into the boards that make up the Kings' bench. Nolan lunged forward to try to make a mid-ice hit on Bordeleau, who dodged it and might have accidentally

tripped Nolan. The L.A. forward appeared to be seriously hurt but returned to the ice after being checked out by a trainer in the visiting dressing room.

"We had tons of chances, and I've got to bear down at the end," said Avs winger Ryan O'Reilly.

Mike Chambers: [email protected] or twitter.com/mchambers

Lethal weapon

The Avs began the post-Olympic break in great playoff position, and rookie phenom Nathan MacKinnon has been prolific of late:

MOST GOALS SINCE JAN. 1:

Joe Pavelski, Sharks 13

Nathan MacKinnon, Avs 12

Phil Kessel, Maple Leafs 11

Rick Nash, Rangers 11

Mike Chambers, The Denver Post



Avs blow 4-2 lead, lose 6-4 to L.A. Kings

By Mike Chambers

Our evolving game story is here. Tremendous game for 35 minutes for the Avs, but Los Angeles was better down the stretch — particularly rookie goalie Martin Jones — and the Kings rally to win 6-4 at the Pepsi Center.

The Avs were 3-of-4 on the power play to take a 4-2 lead, before the Kings struck twice late in the second period and Anze Kopitar scored the game-winning goal on the power play 3:13 into the third. Patrick Roy didn’t have a problem with his team blowing the relatively big lead, and thought it was a great offensive game by two great offensive teams. But as Matt Duchene and P.A. Parenteau say in the game story, the Avs weren’t very good down low in front of J.S. Giguere.

“It was great, you know, down by two,” said Kings defenseman Matt Greene, whose kneeing penalty at 16:36 led to a 6-on-4 Avalanche attack and Jones’ heroics with Jean-Sebastien Giguere on the bench for a sixth attacker. “I don’t think we can say we’ve done that a lot of times, especially coming out of the break there and being in a shootout like we were tonight. Obviously, we got to buckle down defensively, especially on the PK. For us to come out and put up six, it’s huge for our team, when you’re down by two that’s awesome.”

Jones had 25 saves, including 11 in the third period. “Jonesy was awesome, he was lights out,” Greene said.

Avs rookie Nathan MacKinnon had his moments in 19:45, but I thought he was a little sluggish. Still, he got an assist to extend his point streak to nine games (five goals, 12 points), the longest streak by an NHL rookie this season. Remember defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, now with the St. Louis Blues? MacKinnon is the first NHL rookie to have points in nine straight games since Shattenkirk did it for Colorado in 2010.

The Duchene line with Parenteau and Ryan O’Reilly was really good, combining for five points (two goals), plus Jamie McGinn’s goal on the power play while skating with Duchene and O’Reilly. Tough way to lose, but certainly an entertaining affair that featured a combined 10 Olympians (including backup goalies Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Quick).



Kopitar rallies Kings past Avs for 6-4 win

The Associated Press • Updated: February 26, 2014 at 11:38 pm • Published: February 26, 2014 •

DENVER — Anze Kopitar had two goals, including the decisive score in the third period, and the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 on Wednesday night.

Kopitar's second goal of the night and 19th of the season put the Kings, who trailed by two goals midway through the second period, back in front.


Justin Williams added an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left to round out the scoring as both teams returned to action after the Olympic break.

Jamie McGinn snapped a 2-2 tie when he scored on the power play at 8:57 of the second period off a centering pass from Ryan O'Reilly, who scored the Avalanche's first goal earlier. It was McGinn's 15th goal of the season.

Colorado went up 4-2 later in the second on Andre Benoit's third goal of the season. He knocked in a rebound on the power play, Colorado's third score with the man advantage. Nathan MacKinnon helped set up the score with a shot that was stopped by Martin Jones, but the puck trickled out and Benoit punched it with his stick into the net.

The Kings re-tied it at 4 with a pair of goals little more than two minutes apart. Kopitar back-handed a shot into the net at 16:49 and Carter put in an equalizer at 18:53 of the second, redirecting Mike Richards' shot past Giguere.

Los Angeles opened the scoring on Robyn Regeher's first-period goal and pulled even at 2-all when Jarret Stoll knocked the puck past Giguere 24 seconds into the second period.

P.A. Parenteau gave the Avs a short-lived 2-1 lead at 16:32 of the first. Matt Duchene sent a pass across the slot and Parenteau slapped into right corner of the net before Kings goalie Martin Jones could slide over to block it.

NOTES: Avalanche D Erik Johnson served the first of his two-game suspension for his slash on New York Islanders C Frans Nielsen on Feb. 8. Nielsen was placed on injured reserve with a fractured left hand. ... Avs C Maxime Talbot was a late scratch, leaving the team to be with his fiancee after she went into labor. ... Avs D Andre Benoit is one shy of his 100th career NHL game. ... The Kings' Dustin Brown played in his 700th NHL game. ... C Jordan Nolan of the Kings was shaken up when he lost his balance and barreled into the boards early in the second period. A trainer assisted him off the ice and he was taken to the locker room for treatment. ... The Kings allowed more than three goals in a game for only the 10th time in 60 games this season.

Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 02.27.2014

730168 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets: Fans losing Chill benefit on tickets

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday February 26, 2014 5:23 AM

In 1999, when the Blue Jackets began selling season tickets in advance of their inaugural season, they gave Columbus Chill season-ticket holders a chance to buy NHL seats at a discounted price.

It was a kind gesture meant to welcome those hard-core hockey fans who filled the Fairgrounds Coliseum for ECHL games when the NHL coming to central Ohio wasn’t even a pipe dream. But 15 years later, that gesture is being phased out.

The Blue Jackets have notified some season-ticket holders in sections 209, 210 and 211 in Nationwide Arena — in the upper concourse — that their tickets will see price increases over the next two seasons. The aim, the club said, is to put those fans in line with those sitting around them who didn’t sign up under the Chill benefit.

It will affect roughly 160 accounts and more than 330 fans, club spokesman Todd Sharrock said.

One fan said his single-game seats will go from $16.87 to $21.11 next season, an increase of $173.84 for a 41-game home season. A similar increase is likely for 2015-16. Affected fans were notified of the change in a letter from Blue Jackets vice president of business operations Larry Hoepfner on Monday.

“For a number of years, you have been afforded a special season-ticket price, currently as much as $340 per seat less than that paid by others in the same seating area,” Hoepfner wrote. “In fact, your current price is less than you paid in the 2008-09 season.

“Over the next two seasons, pricing for your seats will be adjusted to be more in line with your fellow season-ticket holders sitting in the AEP Power Level — Shoot Twice Area. Next season, your price will be $950 per season ($21.11 per game for 41 regular-season games and four exhibition games), a price that is still $175 less than the standard price for your seating area next season.”

Not all fans affected were holdovers from the Chill. A few seasons into the club’s existence, other fans began buying tickets in the same sections for the same price, Sharrock said, and it became impossible to differentiate between Chill fans and those who came later. So the price remained stagnant.

Sharrock said the club wanted to reach fans early so they would have time to decide in advance of the season-ticket push for next season. The club will make Blue Jackets’ staffers available to answer questions before Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

Season-ticket holders all around Nationwide Arena will likely see a price increase for next season, Sharrock said. It likely will be roughly $2.50 per ticket per game, though tickets in some areas will rise more than others. That information will be announced in March.

The Chill played at the Fairgrounds Coliseum from 1991 to ’99, leaving one season before the Blue Jackets arrived.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 02.27.2014


Blue Jackets see Gaborik as additional firepower

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday February 26, 2014 5:23 AM

With one week to go before the NHL trade deadline, signs point to the Blue Jackets treating right wing Marian Gaborik like their own late-season acquisition, not like trade bait.

Gaborik said he expects to be medically cleared today before the Blue Jackets travel to New Jersey. The Jackets end a 19-day Olympic break when they play the Devils on Thursday at the Prudential Center.

It has been a season of withering injury news for the Blue Jackets, especially Gaborik. He has played all of four shifts since mid-November, his season sidetracked by a knee sprain and then a broken collarbone.

There have been no contract talks between general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and Gaborik’s agent, Ron Salcer, which typically is a sign that a pending unrestricted free agent, like Gaborik, is soon headed out of town. Although Kekalainen might still trade Gaborik, 32, he suggested strongly that he views Gaborik as the kind of highly skilled threat that his working-class team needs.

“I still don’t think we’ve seen the Marian Gaborik who can score big goals, and what he can mean to our power play, how he can create so much space for other guys on the ice,” Kekalainen said. “If he can play at the top of his game and bring that every night, he could be exactly what this team needs the rest of the way.

“He hasn’t lost the ability to score goals. He has been hurt; it has been unfortunate. But he’s still the same guy who scored all those goals. He’s not old. He’s worked his (butt) off to get back into our lineup.”

Gaborik, a 14-year veteran, has been through many trade deadlines, enough to not worry anymore. But the thought of staying put made him smile.

“It has been tough, yeah, with the injuries,” Gaborik said. “What can you do? But I want to play well for this team. I want this team to make the playoffs. That’s just the bottom line.”

Beyond Gaborik, Kekalainen said he’s not in any hurry to make any moves leading up to the deadline on March 5. It could be his poker face, but last season Kekalainen made clear his desire to improve the Blue Jackets down the stretch. That led to the trade with the Rangers for Gaborik.

“I don’t think we have to do anything,” Kekalainen said. “We have good chemistry. We have a lot of good qualities about us. I like the structure of our team, the roles that have evolved.

“If the right deal for the right player is there, we’ll look at it, of course. We’re preparing for every possible scenario, believe me. But we’re not going to make a deal to make it look like we’re doing something. I like this group.”

The Blue Jackets are ranked seventh in the NHL and second in the Metropolitan Division (behind Pittsburgh) in scoring, at 2.86 goals per game. Keep in mind, that has been without the three-time 40-goal scorer Gaborik, who has played in only 18 games.

Defensively, Kekalainen seems just as content, even though veteran Fedor Tyutin is out 2 to 3 weeks because of a sprained ankle.

“I’m comfortable with our depth on defense,” he said. “I talked to Fedor today, and he said he’s feeling great. I get the feeling he’s going to be back in the lineup sooner than we thought.”

The Blue Jackets recalled Dalton Prout after a month-long stint with minor-league Springfield and likely will recall Tim Erixon, Cody Goloubef or Fredric St. Denis today before leaving for New Jersey.

“We have very strong goaltending,” Kekalainen said. “We have a defense that has all kind of different ingredients, from skill to toughness to special teams play. On the forward side we have speed and energy and size and grit.”

And they have a healthy Gaborik.

“I believe in Marian,” Kekalainen said. “He could be the perfect addition to our team.”



Bob Hunter commentary: Injury tests fans, Jackets on Olympics participation

By Bob Hunter The Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday February 26, 2014 5:19 AM

Now that the circuits in our big-screen televisions have had a chance to cool after all those fantastic, frenetic, fast-paced Olympic hockey games, some fans, coaches and NHL executives are left feeling like a hung-over guy who awakens after what seemed like the best night of his life to discover that he can’t find his new car.

The Blue Jackets are among a handful of NHL teams who lost a key player to injury during the Olympics, which somehow don’t seem so important now that Sochi is as much a part of the past as Lillehammer or Salt Lake City.

No one around here much cares whether the Red Wings (Henrik Zetterberg) and the Islanders (John Tavares) lost players during the Olympics. But Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin devoured more than 21 minutes of ice time per game alongside Jack Johnson on the team’s top pairing before Sochi, so his absence for two to three weeks because of an ankle injury suffered while playing for Russia could be a deciding factor in the team’s quest for a playoff spot.

Given the Blue Jackets’ dubious playoff history — one appearance, one sweep by Detroit in 12 seasons — a fan could hardly be blamed for wondering whether a couple of weeks of good TV is worth risking a scrappy team’s chance of doing some postseason damage.

Coach Todd Richards struggles to answer that question. He seems almost euphoric when taking about his experience as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic team, using the word great so many times that it starts to resemble a bald, threadbare tire. But now that he is back in Columbus, presiding over a team that is just a sniff outside of the eighth playoff position with 24 games left, Tyutin’s loss presents him with an uncomfortable reality.

This might be the most exciting time in franchise history. It might also be time for a lot of curling-curious, figure-skating infatuated patriots to curse the Olympics until their red, white and blue faces turn the color of a ripe tomato.

“It’s tough to balance that when you’ve got a guy who is hurt and you lost him in that fashion,” Richards said. “Some of the best players in the world (were) playing, so it was great hockey to watch. But there are a lot of things that are part of it that everyone is going to have to take a step back and look at it and try to make the right decision.”

Because of all of those other things — the travel, a three-week break in the middle of the season, a condensed schedule, the chance of injury to star players, etc. — the NHL has been pondering whether to participate in the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea. It is clearly easier for the NHL to bypass South Korea than Canada (Vancouver) or Russia (Sochi), home to many of its stars.

The NHL’s surge in popularity also suggests that it might not need the exposure of the Olympics, which rarely sticks with once-every-four-year fans who don’t make the connection between American, Canadian or Russian players and the NHL teams where they spend the rest of their time.

The complication is that the players love it, as anyone with a chance to play in the Olympics surely would.

But for good players who haven’t been invited, such as the Blue Jackets’ Brandon Dubinsky, the loss of a player of Tyutin’s value clouds his feelings.

“Tough question,” Dubinsky said. “It’s a double-edged sword. To lose one of your top players, yeah, it’s not easy. But you’re taking a risk every time you step on the ice, so if it’s not in the Olympics, it could be here.

“I think, personally, the Olympics is good not only for hockey, it’s good for the guys. I don’t think you grow up dreaming of a gold medal, but to have an opportunity to win a gold medal is really cool.”

Cool? Definitely. But if Tyutin’s loss means the Blue Jackets barely miss the playoffs, would the Olympics be worth it?

“We’ll never know the real answer to that, whether he was the difference or not,” Richards said.

More words must have been hiding behind his serious expression.

Namely: Lord, I hope that question never has to be asked.



Blue Jackets notebook: Gaborik will start on fourth line

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Thursday February 27, 2014 5:06 AM

Marian Gaborik will return to the Blue Jackets tonight at the New Jersey Devils, but he will have to play his way up to a scoring line.

The right wing, out since Dec. 21 because of a broken collarbone, was activated yesterday from injured reserve after another intense practice. He will skate on the fourth line with left wing Mark Letestu and center Derek MacKenzie.

“A lot of it is going to be dependent on his play, how he’s going throughout the game,” coach Todd Richards said. “I’ve got him there because he’s coming back after a long injury, and plus I like the way the other lines were playing (before the Olympic break), so we’re keeping them intact.

“Gabby’s a kind of guy who might have to get slowly involved, just because he’s missed so much time. But he could also have an immediate impact because he’s so talented. We’ll see.”

Gaborik, who has three 40-goal seasons and 341 career goals, will play on the No. 1 power play unit with forwards Ryan Johansen and Nathan Horton.

Down the stretch

Richards referred to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as the club’s “thoroughbred” but cautioned they can’t treat him like a county fair trotter.

The Blue Jackets have 24 games in 45 days, an exhaustive sprint to the end of the season.

“The one thing we have to be careful of is how we use him,” Richards said. “You have to play him and ride him, but you have to be careful. Every game is going to be important, but (backup) Curtis McElhinney has done a good job for us. There’s a comfort level with him that when Bob does rest, we can still win games.”

Bobrovsky said he’s fully adjusted his body clock after playing for Russia in the Sochi Olympics. The final adjustment — getting used to smaller NHL ice after the Olympics — requires game speed. The bigger ice required goaltenders to cover a wider array of angles, especially on 2-on-1s.

Prout’s role

Defenseman Dalton Prout, called up from minor league Springfield, will replace Fedor Tyutin (ankle) on the No. 1 defensive pair with Jack Johnson. Johnson, who plays on the right side with Tyutin, will switch to the left side to pair with Prout. Cody Goloubef was recalled from Springfield to serve as the No. 7 defenseman.

Slap shots

Defenseman James Wisniewski said his broken right pinkie toe is less painful than before the Olympic break, but he’ll wear a protective plastic piece inside his boot indefinitely. … Forwards Blake Comeau and Corey Tropp are expected to be healthy scratches.



Blue Jackets aim for fast start after break

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Thursday February 27, 2014 5:05 AM

The Blue Jackets started last season in a 5-12-2 hole that, in a shortened season, proved too deep to overcome and reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It was supposed to be a lesson learned, but this year’s team started 5-10-0 before awakening, prompting many to wonder why these guys always seem to trip over the starting line.

With 24 games left and the Blue Jackets one point out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the Eastern Conference, it would only take a stumble — a four- or five-game faceplant — to spoil yet another season.

“We talked about that, absolutely,” center Brandon Dubinsky said. “I think a carrot is dangling right in front of us, and we know what’s at stake. If that’s not incentive enough to bring out the level we need to have to win hockey games, then this team wasn’t meant to go very far.

“I believe we have the right character in this room. We have the right guys in here. I think we’re going to chase that carrot down and be ready right from the get-go.”

After a 19-day Olympics break, the Blue Jackets begin the stretch drive tonight at the New Jersey Devils.

They will play 24 games in 45 days — 12 of them at Nationwide Arena, 15 against Eastern Conference opponents, and eight against Metropolitan Division rivals. The Blue Jackets are as healthy as they’ve been all season, although they’ll face the next two weeks or so without defenseman Fedor Tyutin and right wing Jared Boll.

Right wing Marian Gaborik — the only forward on the roster to reach 40 goals in a season — will play tonight for the first time since suffering a broken collarbone on Dec. 21.

“If you’ve watched practice the last few days, you saw a pretty focused group, a pretty hungry group,” center Mark Letestu said. “We know what we’ve been through together. We know where we want to go, and I think we’ve learned how we have to play to achieve that. It’s a tight group. It’s a group that really likes playing together, and we really want to get that winning taste in here.”

Along with realignment, the NHL ushered in a new playoff format this season. The top three in each division make the playoffs, along with two clubs in each conference with the next best records.

The Eastern Conference amounts to a pile-up of teams from the sixth-place New York Rangers to the 12th-place Devils. Heading into last night’s play, only six points separated those eight clubs.

The Blue Jackets, with 63 points, are tied with Ottawa and Washington, only two points ahead of Carolina and New Jersey and only four points behind the Rangers, who have played one more game.

A handful of these are dealing with strife, caused either by injuries, the impending March 5 trade deadline or both.

The Rangers, for instance, might be about to trade captain Ryan Callahan because contract extension talks have gone nowhere, TSN of Canada has reported. And wing Mats Zuccarello — the Rangers’ points leader with 43 — is out at least a few weeks because of a broken hand.

The Red Wings, one point ahead of the Blue Jackets for the final playoff spot in the East, will be without winger Henrik Zetterberg for the rest of the season after back surgery.

But other teams’ hardships will only help if the Blue Jackets seize the day. That’s what general manager Jarmo Kekalainen expects.

“We’ll know soon enough the desire level of our team to make the playoffs,” Kekalainen said. “We have to be better prepared as individuals and as a team.

“There are individuals on our team that might consider themselves slow starters, but to me a slow starter is a guy who is not prepared. It’s not a magic

thing. If you accept being a slow starter, well, then, you’re a slow starter. If you prepare the right way, you’re not a slow starter.

“We can’t accept that excuse with our players anymore. They’re professionals. They’re being paid for 82 games, they should be prepared for 82. This is about having a good, high team standard. This is big for us.”



Michael Arace commentary: Columbus becoming hotbed for hockey

By Michael Arace The Columbus Dispatch • Thursday February 27, 2014 5:02 AM

Like the residential renaissance Downtown, or the resplendent restaurant scene throughout the city, or any other marker of growth that helps define the culture of Columbus, hockey is thriving here. It is another one of those things that visitors and residents alike do not fully comprehend. Columbus is a hockey city?

It is a huge hockey city. The latest testament came last weekend, when the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets won their tier of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament in front of a full house at Colisee Pepsi. They defeated a team from Switzerland in the final.

The tournament, founded in 1960, draws teams of 11- and 12-year olds worldwide. Nearly 1,000 NHL players — Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur among them — played the event well before they could grow a playoff beard.

“It’s an incredible experience just to be a part of the event, but to see the kids win … it is beyond words to describe,” coach Todd Ehrie said. “These kids will remember it the rest of their lives.”

In 2011, AAA Blue Jackets alums Connor Murphy and Sean Kuraly were taken in the NHL draft; Murphy in the first round and Kuraly in the fifth. Earlier this season, Murphy became the first Columbus-trained player to make it to the NHL. Last month, Columbus-bred Jack Roslovic played for a U.S. national team that won the gold medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Fielding a team that wins the Quebec Pee-Wee tournament is an even weightier marker of the growing might of our city’s hockey establishment.

There is a place for high-level competition for some children, but the place must be handled properly by adults, who are more prone to screwing things up. Ed Gingher, who runs the AAA Blue Jackets program, has a reputation for doing things the right way. Character and education are stressed first. Dreams are not discouraged, but the greater emphasis is on tangible life lessons that can be learned amid spirited competition.

Word of Columbus’ balance of priorities, strength of coaching and lack of politicking is disseminating.

“Six years ago, when we first got here, Cleveland was considered the hockey city of Ohio and the Cleveland Suburban League was the top league,” said John Carper, a parent of one of the Jackets peewees. “That is not the case anymore.”

The Carpers used to commute from Dayton to Cleveland for hockey. Then, they switched to the AAA Jackets program. Now, they have their house up for sale, with the plan to move to Columbus.

“The Blue Jackets got involved in growing the game from the start — and they have stayed involved, and they have continued to invest,” Gingher said. “It’s not just our program, either. It’s the Easton Youth Association, the CCYHA, CAHA, the Columbus Ice Hockey Club, which has done a terrific job teaching the sport. It’s learn-to-skate programs and rec leagues and high-school development. Everyone is pulling the same direction.”

Players from all over the state are being drawn to many sheets that have been laid in central Ohio. Elite players from outside the state are beginning to trickle into town. High-school teams from Cincinnati are coming up I-71 to find better competition.

“I’ve been coaching in Columbus for 18 years, and I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly,” Ehrie said.

“We’ve gone from base-level skills to elite hockey city.”

Imagine if the big club won a playoff round. Everything for an explosion is in place.



Blue Jackets, Devils at a glance

Thursday February 27, 2014 5:00 AM

Staff

Blue Jackets at a glance

• Past 10 games: 5-4-1

• Power play: 18.6 percent (15th in NHL)

• Penalty kill: 80.7 percent (17th)

• Injury update: D Fedor Tyutin (ankle) and RW Jared Boll (ankle) are out.

New Jersey Devils at a glance

• Past 10 games: 4-4-2

• Power play: 19 percent (14th in NHL)

• Penalty kill: 87.4 percent (first)

• Injury update: None reported



Blue Jackets activate Marian Gaborik off IR list

AP

FEB 26, 2014 3:19p ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated forward Marian Gaborik off injured reserve after he missed the past 22 games, along with the Sochi Olympics, because of a broken collarbone.

The Blue Jackets play Thursday night at New Jersey in their first game after the NHL's Olympic hiatus.

A native of Trencin, Slovakia, Gaborik has represented his country at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics but was unable to play in Sochi because of his injury.

Gaborik was hurt in a 6-3 home win over Philadelphia on Dec. 21. He has five goals and seven assists in 18 games with Columbus this season.

He has scored 40 or more goals in a season three times.

foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 02.27.2014


Blue Jackets ready for stretch run

Rick Gethin

FEB 26, 2014 9:03a ET

In the last ten games before the break, Columbus went 5-4-1.

Columbus starts their stretch run Thursday night with a trip to New Jersey to take on the Devils at the Prudential Center. The tightness that is the Metro division sees the Devils (7th) sit just two points behind the Blue Jackets (4th). There are just six points separating second place (NY Rangers) from seventh place. The race is on.

"I think we've done the preparation work here, so that we come out strong", said Mark Letestu. "We know what's at stake, looking at the standings, where they are, where we are and where we want to get to. Every game is going to be important, not just the one in (New) Jersey. Starting strong and starting on the right foot will put us in the right direction."

In the last ten games before the break, Columbus went 5-4-1. While sitting just one point behind Detroit for the second wildcard spot (8th place), what they would like is to solidify their playoff seeding by finishing in second or third in the division. They're currently three points behind Philadelphia (3rd) and four points behind the Rangers (2nd).

"We're probably going to have to go another good run", Letestu continued. "I think playing .500 or a little bit above is not going to get it done. We're definitely focused on putting together some wins. We need to take care of business on home ice and hopefully break that threshold of whatever it takes to get into the playoffs."

Their identity as a hard working team is becoming enmeshed within the fabric of the club. The mandate that President of Hockey Ops John Davidson laid down is starting to come to fruition. With the second best record (tied with NYR and STL) in the NHL since January 1 (12-5-1), they are gelling on individual lines and as a team.

Prout recalled as CBJ place Tyutin on IR

The Blue Jackets announced Monday they have placed defenseman Fedor Tyutin on Injured Reserve and recalled Dalton Prout from Springfield.

"I think that's what our whole season should have been like", said Letestu. "We know what we are. We're a hard working team. If we're going to put together winning streaks like that (eight games in a row), we need to get to our identity as quick as possible."

"We can't dip our toe in the water. There has to be no 'feeling out' process or any kind of 'wading into it'. We have to pick up right where we left off. We've got to be all-in right from the start."

With the lone playoff appearance of 2009 becoming a distant memory, Letestu and the rest of the players see a fan base that is excited, yet somewhat cynical. Talk is cheap and he knows that action speaks much louder than words.

"The way the franchise has gone, there are probably a lot of doubters right now", he said. "I think until you win, and win consistently, I guess that's fair. It's on us to change the dynamic and to change the culture."

Associate coach Dan Hinote has been to the playoffs six times in his career as a player in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup on 2001 while a member of the Colorado Avalanche. He has a wealth of experience that he brings to club and is not that far removed, at age 37, from the guys in the room.

"You try not to look too far ahead, especially now with the parity in the NHL", Hinote said. "Basically, the way I look at it is that you can't go around and lose two in a row. If you can go two out of three, I think that's what it is going to take in our conference and division. It's going to come down to the last game of the year, no question."

Slow starts for Columbus have been their bane. Most teams will do their level best to come out of the gates with their guns blazing, and the Blue Jackets are no exception.

"We can't look at it as the beginning of the season where we've kind of fallen asleep in the last couple of years. We had the momentum going into the

break and we have to maintain that. To me, the teams that are able to come off the break full-tilt are going to give themselves an advantage at about the ten game mark after the break."

"If you come out sleepy, and I've seen it, it's tough to come back after the Olympics. When I was in Colorado, we had twelve guys go and it was tough to get the team going again. To me, the most important thing is to come out and start playing 'our' hockey right away."

For the Blue Jackets, the playoffs start now

The Blue Jackets currently sit one point out of eighth place in the conference (wildcard spot).

"(New) Jersey plays a real tight system. It's going to be a tough game, a 2-1 game. They play like us in the D-zone. If we come out and we're sleeping for even a period, it's probably going to be over."

Columbus is a club that many teams might have looked past in the last few years. That attitude started to change last year during the 19-5-5 stretch run. The Blue Jackets started to gain the respect of teams, as they had to take Columbus seriously. Since January 1, the same dynamic seems to be unfolding.

"We're not surprising anybody anymore", said Hinote. "The Blue Jackets they saw in the past, they might have thought they could take us 'lightly'. But for the most part, in this league, there is no easy game. Our style of play, before we ever get to your barn, is pretty well known. We're going to play a hard game against you. If you're sitting in the other locker room, you pretty much know what to expect."

Focus and determination are the two words that come to mind to describe this club as they enter the final twenty-four games of the season. They know what they have to do and they know how they have to do it. It all comes down to execution. They want their actions to speak volumes.

foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 02.27.2014

730177 Dallas Stars

Stars fans can get picture made next to Olympic medals for Jamie Benn, Kari Lehtonen before Thursday's game at AAC

MIKE HEIKA Published: 26 February 2014 09:40 AM

Jamie Benn's gold medal and Kari Lehtonen's bronze medal will be on display on the north side of the American Airlines Center concourse (near section 113) from 6:00 - 7:30pm prior to the Stars game on Thursday, Feb. 27 vs. Carolina. Fans can stand alongside the display and take a photo (will need to bring their own camera) with the medals.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.27.2014

730178 Dallas Stars

Stars pre-game/post-game co-host Bruce Levine calling KHL games

MIKE HEIKA Published: 26 February 2014 07:59 PM

Bruce Levine, who co-hosts with Josh Bogorad on pre-game and post-game shows during Stars radio coverage, will miss the next few games. He is calling KHL games for ONE World Sports.

Here is the schedule of games he'll be calling (Time for first run):

WEDNESDAY, FEB 26, 2014 SKA Avangard 10:30 AM ET (10 PM ET SAME DAY)

THURSDAY, FEB 27, 2014 Admiral Metallurg Nk 4:00 AM ET (7PM ET SAME DAY)

FRIDAY, FEB 27, 2014 Metallurg Mg Dynamo Msk 8:00 AM ET (10PM ET SAME DAY)

FRIDAY, FEB 27, 2014 SKA Barys 10:30 AM ET (5PM ET SAME DAY)


730179 Dallas Stars

Stars to participate in Try Hockey for Free Day Saturday

MIKE HEIKA Published: 26 February 2014 08:34 AM

Here is the press release:

FRISCO, Texas

- The Dallas Stars and USA Hockey will host Try Hockey For Free Day at American Airlines Center following the Stars game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, March 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Try Hockey for Free Day is a national effort to have more than 500 local rinks and associations introduce kids between the ages of four and nine to youth hockey. The first 400 kids to register will receive a free jersey courtesy of USA Hockey. Stars defensemen

Trevor Daley and Brenden Dillon will spend time on the ice with select groups of young skaters participating in the event.

"By providing the opportunity for children to experience the sport of hockey for the first time, we are helping create the next generation of hockey fans," Dallas Stars President and CEO Jim Lites said. "Try Hockey For Free Day is an incredible event that fits perfectly with our organizational commitment to help grow the game of hockey in North Texas."

Children will be provided with skates, helmets and sticks for use during the event, along with further information regarding hockey programs at local ice rinks. Registration for the event is available at tryhockeyforfree.com by selecting American Airlines Center as your preferred location. Free parking for the event is available at the AudiPark Garage beginning at 5:15 p.m. Children taking part in the event do not need to know how to skate before coming.

All 10 ice rinks in the Metroplex are partnering with the Dallas Stars for Try Hockey For Free Day. All children participating in Fitness Stars, the organization's physical education pilot program aimed at fighting childhood obesity through hockey-based fitness challenges, have been invited to participate in Saturday's event. Fitness Stars debuted in 28 schools over the last year as phase one of the initiative. To learn more about Fitness Stars, visit dallasstars.com/fitnessstars.


730180 Dallas Stars

Cowlishaw: Injuries should end NHL's Olympic presence, but they probably won't

TIM COWLISHAW Published: 27 February 2014 12:10 AM

You can count your lucky stars that the Stars were lucky to escape the Sochi Olympics in one piece. It wasn't that way for everyone.

To understand that, all you had to do was watch Canada celebrating its 3-0 gold medal win over Sweden early Sunday. There was Jamie Benn, the star of Canada's 1-0 win over Team USA in the semifinals, hugging his Stars coach, Lindy Ruff (an assistant for Canada), at center ice.

And right next to them was John Tavares, walking slowly around the ice in street shoes, slacks and his Canada jersey, the last one he will wear this season. The New York Islanders' best player and the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 draft is out for the season with a knee injury suffered in Russia.

But it's the go-nowhere Islanders, so who cares, right?

Well, the New York Rangers lost leading scorer Mats Zuccarello for about a month. He was injured playing for a Norway team that had a slightly better chance of leaving Russia with a medal than I did.

How about Detroit? The Red Wings sent the most players of any Eastern Conference team--certainly way more than most of the teams they're competing with for the final playoff spot--and saw Henrik Zetterberg, one of the game's top all-around players, come home to face back surgery.

Now it's true Zetterberg missed games with back problems already this season for Detroit. However, I think it's fair to ask why he even made the long flight to Russia to lead the Swedish team under these risky conditions. He may miss the rest of the season.

I didn't think the NHL players should go before the Games were played. I don't think the NHL players should go to Korea in four years. Yes, I know I'm in the minority here, and I have no problem with it.

If you think the flag-waving aspect of these Games constitutes some sort of patriotism, you might want to think deeper on that subject.

I grow weary of hearing that "the players love to go." I think young players love it the most, which is why I'd be excited to see the "Under 23" teams competing, showcasing the future stars of the game instead of shutting the NHL doors for 16 days just when things are getting good.

Beyond that, the players may love it, but Sweden's paying Zetterberg nothing and the Red Wings are paying him $7.75 million this season. When does that issue come into play when we're discussing right and wrong here?

I think the players would love to play in a hockey World Cup in September as well, an event that the powers of the game could actually control, allowing the games to be shown live in prime time. In the Winter Games, hockey will always be the ugly stepchild, relegated to cable channels at odd times of the morning.

NBC analyst Ed Olczyk, the former player and coach, suggested hockey move to the Summer Games, which seemed to make sense for about 15 minutes before you thought about ice rinks in Brazil and an even lower rung on the Olympic pecking order.

The reality is this topic will generate considerable discussion for the next few years. And then the NHL will say, OK, let's give it one more try in Korea. Apparently not until Sidney Crosby tears up a knee will the unbalanced risk-reward factor at play here get any real consideration.

Tavares tearing up a knee and Zetterberg injuring his back won't be enough, it seems.

So, as I said, enjoy the fact that Benn got a gold medal and raised his profile in these Games. Be happy that goaltender Kari Lehtonen was not overly stressed, filling in for Boston's Tuukka Rask in Finland’s 2-1 semifinal loss to Sweden. And it's great that 18-year-old Valeri Nichushkin scored a breakaway goal for a Russian team that, for the host country, was the disappointment of the Games.

Yes, good things happened for Dallas. And the NHL's participation in the last five Olympics has rendered many good moments. If that weren't the case, the decision to stop giving in to Olympic pressure would be simple.

But it no longer makes sense to shut down a successful league, one that is thriving compared with the NHL of 1998 when this participation began. I mean, basketball is a winter sport, too. Explain to me why the NBA at the height of its season doesn't shut down for three weeks to accommodate the Winter Olympics. Or why, when baseball was an Olympic sport, the major leagues didn't shut down for three weeks in the summer.

Of course you can't. Those would be crazy things to do, wouldn't they?


730181 Dallas Stars

Olympic success for Benn, Lehtonen has Stars hungering for more in NHL

MIKE HEIKA Published: 26 February 2014 08:39 PM

As much as Stars fans are desperate to end a five-year playoff drought, the players might want to taste the postseason even more.

Stars captain Jamie Benn said winning a gold medal with Canada at the Olympics has made him even hungrier to experience the same thrill in the NHL, and goalie Kari Lehtonen seconded that emotion after winning a bronze medal with Finland.

“I came out of there with confidence,” Benn said. “I want to be a go-to guy and hopefully lead our team into the playoffs.”

And Lehtonen added: “This was a good warm-up for those [playoff] games, and I really believe we can be there in a few weeks.”

The Stars were on a 6-1-2 roll heading into the 18-day break for the Olympics and must now try to find that groove again as they return to play Thursday against Carolina and start a 24-game sprint to the end of the season. Benn, Lehtonen, rookie Valeri Nichushkin (Russia) and coach Lindy Ruff participated in the Olympics and returned this week, while the rest of the team has been working out since last Wednesday.

And though it’s easy to put a positive spin on their chances, the players and coaches really do believe they are well-positioned for a strong finish. Benn came from not even being invited to the summer orientation camp for Canada to being one of its best forwards. Lehtonen played in two full games and allowed three goals on 44 shots. Nichushkin, who turns 19 Tuesday, averaged seven minutes a game and scored a goal while playing with a very talented team from Russia.

Mix that with the fact the other Stars players are healthy and rested, and the opportunity to make the playoffs is sitting right in front of them.

“We talked as a team today that we put together a heck of a run just before we left. We’ve put ourselves in a good position,’’ Ruff said. “Jamie’s experience, Leht’s experience and even Val, sitting in the room with the talent he sat with, it should be a big boost for him, too. We’re ready to start playing.”

Despite playing in 321 NHL games, Benn has not played in the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, he led his junior team to the Memorial Cup Final in 2009 and his AHL team to the Turner Cup Final in 2010. Add in the Olympic experience, and there seems to be a pattern there.

“We definitely believe in his leadership ability and his ability to step up in key situations,’’ general manager Jim Nill said. “That’s one of the reasons we named him captain this year.’’

Benn said he loved being able to play intense games.

“The biggest games and the high-pressure situations are the ones you want to be in,” Benn said. “The pressure is fun.”

Lehtonen too had to deal with pressure. He was notified about 90 minutes before Finland’s semifinal game with archrival Sweden that he would have to start because No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask was sick. It was estimated that 2.5 million of Finland’s 5 million residents were watching on television. Lehtonen lost a 2-1 game but proved a lot to himself.

“I was told by everybody that they liked how calm I was and how our guys were really comfortable playing in front of me, so that was a good thing,’’ he said. “It was good to be in a big situation there. I think that’s going to help me.’’

The Stars players have to fight from hitting a wall or seeing a post-tournament letdown, because they are joining their team at a time when wins are desperately needed.

Dallas (27-21-10, 64 points) sits in the final wild-card playoff spot by only a tiebreaker over Phoenix and is scant points ahead of Vancouver, Winnipeg and Nashville. There won’t be much time for looking back this week.

“It’s good that we have a game [Thursday], and it kind of starts the routine again,’’ Lehtonen said when asked about the playoff push. “It’s a good time to be a hockey player. It feels more like reality this year.’’

And you can credit the Olympics just a little for helping to create that feeling.


730182 Dallas Stars

Stars’ Olympians ready for NHL play

By Travis L. Brown

FRISCO — Snap back to reality.

The dream that was the Winter Olympics for Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn and goalie Kari Lehtonen, both medalists for their respective countries, came to an end Wednesday as the players rejoined their NHL teammates for a single practice to prepare for Thursday’s return to action against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Benn won a gold medal with Canada. Lehtonen got a bronze with Finland.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Benn said. “To have it go by so fast and to come out on top was pretty surreal. I’m sure it will sink in in the next couple of days.”

Benn, a non-invitee to Team Canada’s combine last summer, worked his way onto the Canadian roster through his stellar play through the first portion of the NHL season. He was the lone scorer in Team Canada’s semifinal victory over Team USA, which Benn said had the intensity of a gold medal match. Canada beat Sweden 3-0 in the gold medal game.

“It’s hard not to forget it,” Benn said of the goal. “It’s probably one of the biggest goals I’ve ever scored, if not the biggest. It was a great pass by [Jay] Bouwmeester, and I was lucky enough to get my stick on it.”

Benn finished with two goals in the Olympics.

“You want to be the guy that steps up in big games and big pressure situations,” Benn said. “It was great to score that goal. It’s something that I’ll never forget. It’s pretty cool that it was the only goal scored, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”

It was working in those pressure situations and learning from the world’s best that Benn and Lehtonen hope to bring back to the Stars’ locker room as Dallas hunts for its first playoff berth in five seasons.

Lehtonen, who has limited playoff experience in the NHL, was thrown into the pressure cooker of an Olympic semifinal against Finland’s arch rival Sweden. Lehtonen took a loss in the match, but gained the experience of playing in a big game on an hour’s notice when Finnish starting goalie Tuukka Rask became ill.

“It was a new situation for me,” Lehtonen said. “I’ve been on the other side of that a few times through my career. Something has come up that I’ve not been able to play and now I know how it feels for the other guy. It was a little payback, but it was a nice situation to get put in.”

The Stars’ goalkeeper said he found out about Rask’s illness from a phone call from his wife, but dismissed it as a faulty rumor until he was notified by coaches an hour prior to the game.

Lehtonen saw action in two games for Finland, winning his first against Norway 6-1.

It’s a quick turnaround for not only those two Stars players but also Russian Olympian and Stars rookie winger Valeri Nichushkin and coach Lindy Ruff, who served as an assistant for Team Canada. Sleep has been necessary to work off the “fog” of jet lag and living in Russia over the past two weeks.

However, the Stars left themselves in a good position as the season came to a halt before the Olympic break by moving into the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

“[The desire to get into the playoffs has] been strong, but I think it feels more like reality this year the way we’ve been playing and just how our overall team is performing,” Lehtonen said.

Star-Telegram LOADED: 02.27.2014

730183 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings' Ken Holland open to trade, but unwilling to pay high price for rental

4:58 PM, February 26, 2014 | By Anthony Fenech

MONTREAL — The marketplace is starting to take shape, the phone calls are starting to come in and Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is going to have a decision to make before next Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline.

“You’re always looking to upgrade,” Holland said on Wednesday. “But again, when you’re one point up on the last playoff spot, it’s hard to trade.”

And that’s the predicament the Wings are faced with: Trade an asset for a 24-game rental to further bolster the roster with the hopes of extending the franchise’s 22-year playoff streak, or stand pat and hope the current roster can get them there.

In so many words before the team’s first game after the Olympic break, Holland offered clues that point to staying the course.

“I think first off, what’s the expense of the rental?” Holland said. “I think it’s hard to trade a top prospect or a first-round draft pick to rent a player. At the same time, we’re always looking to upgrade.

“If there’s a hockey trade out there, I’m obviously open to it.”

A ‘hockey trade’, Holland explained, is “a trade that affects your team going into next season.”

He said that he talked to between 6-8 general managers at the Sochi Olympics and that most teams are looking for exactly what the Wings are – defensemen.

“I don’t see us paying a big price on a rental,” Holland said. “I don’t believe that’s the way we should go. But you never know until you get to Wednesday.”

One thing Holland knows, he said, is “we’re not selling” and he looks at this year’s team as not too different than last year’s, which got healthy late and came within a goal of the Western Conference finals.

“We weren’t a buyer, we weren’t a seller,” Holland said. “I felt if we could just get our team together, we could play our way in, which we did.”

But this year, with the loss of captain Henrik Zetterberg for the foreseeable future, and with key players like Pavel Datsyuk fighting through injuries and youth scattered around the ice, that task could prove tougher.

And coach Mike Babcock isn’t counting on any outside help.

“We’re in a real battle here to get into the playoffs,” Babcock said. “We take a lot of pride in the Red Wings being in the playoffs each and every year. We’ve had a struggle this year with some of the injuries but there’s no excuses, we have to find a way to get in.”

■ Notes: Top defensive prospect Alexey Marchenko suffered an ankle injury with AHL Grand Rapids on Sunday and might have surgery that could sideline him for 6-8 weeks, Holland said. ... Coach Mike Babcock visited his alma mater, McGill University in Montreal, to make his annual donation and visit the men’s and women’s hockey teams of the university. He’ll also wear a red McGill neck tie during the game tonight.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.27.2014


Pavel Datsyuk 'good to go' for Detroit Red Wings tonight; Johan Franzen probable

3:52 PM, February 26, 2014 | By Anthony Fenech

MONTREAL — After skating for the Russians in the Sochi Olympics, forward Pavel Datsyuk will skate for the Detroit Red Wings tonight in Montreal (7:30 p.m., FSD).

“He’s good to go,” general manager Ken Holland said this morning.

Datsyuk, 35, has been battling a left knee issue that kept him out of action with the Wings for more than a month before the Olympics but didn’t keep him from starring for the home team in Sochi. He tallied six points — including three goals — in five games.

“He was very good,” Holland said. “I thought he was very good. I think the issue he’s got is something he’s just going to have to play through.”

Datsyuk told reporters after Tuesday’s practice in Detroit that the pain in his knee has not gone away. Holland said today that after Russia was ousted by Finland in the Olympic quarterfinals, Datsyuk went home for a few days and saw some doctors there.

“I think they’re telling him the same things that he’s hearing over here, which is good news,” Holland said. “He’s got an ongoing issue. He’s got to deal with it and so, obviously, we saw in the Olympics how he can play.”

Datsyuk has 15 goals and 18 assists in 37 games this season.

He skated on a line with Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen during today’s morning skate.

Franzen, who missed the Olympics because of complications from a concussion, is a game-time decision, according to coach Mike Babcock.

Franzen was cleared to return to action by doctors Tuesday in Detroit.

He practiced Tuesday, skated this morning, and Holland expects him to suit up tonight, as the Wings embark on the final 24 games of their schedule. They hold the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by one point.

Note: Babcock visited his alma mater, McGill University in Montreal, to make his annual donation and visit the men’s and women’s hockey teams of the university. He’ll also wear a red McGill neck tie during the game tonight.



Big names coming in, game time pushed back for Nicklas Lidstrom jersey retirement

Staff

The Detroit Red Wings announced today that the game time for Nicklas Lidstrom’s jersey-retirement night on March 6 has been pushed back a half-hour, from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., to accommodate a pregame ceremony.

Doors to Joe Louis Arena for the game against the Colorado Avalanche will open at 5:30 p.m.

City Theatre hosting pregame party

The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m., conclude by 7:20 p.m. and will feature speeches by Mike Babcock, Ken Holland, Christopher Ilitch and Lidstrom.

Expected to be in attendance are a number of Wings legends, including Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio and Steve Yzerman.

Former coaches Scotty Bowman, Dave Lewis and Barry Smith, and former teammates, including Chris Chelios, Igor Larionov, Brendan Shanahan, Kris Draper and Vladimir Konstantinov, will be seated on-ice for the ceremony.

The game is sold out.



Ticker: Singer Mike Posner got to hang out with Detroit Red Wings greats in Sochi

9:15 AM, February 26, 2014 | By Steve Schrader

How did Southfield-raised singer/songwriter Mike Posner end up at the Sochi Games in Russia last week, partying with Sergei Fedorov and Slava Fetisov, and watching his pal Pavel Datsyuk play hockey?

Well, the trail kind of starts with Justin Bieber.

Posner first met Datsyuk because he toured with Bieber last summer, and one of the stops was at Joe Louis Arena.

“Before the show, they opened up the Red Wings’ locker room for me,” Posner said in a phone interview from L.A. “I immediately took a picture in front of Pasha’s locker because he’s my favorite player.

“I tweeted the picture to him and said, ‘Hey, man, look where I’m at.’ He tweeted back, ‘Finally, someone talented’s in that locker.’ ”

They stayed in touch, and Datsyuk did a cameo in Posner’s video for “Top of the World,” a salute to Detroit sports. And then Datsyuk’s manager — Gold Star Financial CEO Dan Milstein, a native of Ukraine — invited Posner to go with them to Sochi.

“It was incredible, man, it was really once in a lifetime,” Posner said. “I saw hockey, hockey, hockey.”

But he said his favorite memory came at a party one night in Sochi that was also attended by the Stanley Cup and Fedorov, one of his childhood heroes.

“I found myself at a table with Slava Fetisov, and the Stanley Cup was just full of champagne,” Posner said. “Before I know it, Slava is tipping the Cup over and I’m drinking out of it. That was, like, ridiculous, man.”

His new album, “Pages,” comes out this year.

Quick tweets

■ Draymond Green, on his relationship with his old coach, Tom Izzo: “He’ll still call me and tell me what I’m doing wrong, and I’ll call him and tell him what he’s doing wrong.”

■ Dick Vitale: “Robin Thicke calling it quits with Paula Patton — that is a shock ha ha — That lifestyle is conducive to being single — a report from Dr Dick.”

On the tube

■ Our gold medal ice dancers, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, are making the rounds of the New York TV shows, including skating in Lincoln Center during today’s 8:30 a.m. segment of NBC’s “Today.” Then they’ll stick around to talk to Kathie Lee and Hoda with their moms.

■ NBC has a new gig for rookie figure skating commetators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir: Critiquing fashion at Sunday’s Oscars for “Access Hollywood.”

■ CBS and TBS set their top crew for the Final Four and title games: Jim Nantz, with Greg Anthony, Steve Kerr and Tracy Wolfson. Ernie Johnson will host the studio show with Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith. And Grant Hill will be a studio analyst throughout the tournament.

■ Allen Iverson? We’re talking Allen Iverson? Larry Brown, on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”: “I liked practice better when he wasn’t there. You know, I really did. I got to coach other guys. You know what I mean?”

■ Headline at sportspickle.com: “Alabama punter Cody Mandell runs 40 in No One Cares.”



Detroit 2, Montreal 1 (OT): Lead wasted, but Red Wings secure win this time

February 27, 2014 | By Anthony Fenech

MONTREAL — You’ve seen the movie.

The one where the Red Wings dominate their opponent for the better part of 60 minutes. The one where they play solidly on both ends of the ice. The one where they’re close, oh so close, to a pair of points that could loom large in their playoff hunt.

And the one where they squander all that dominance, all that solid play, and come so close yet oh so far from those pair of points by allowing a late goal and end up losing in extra time.

The latest showing of that movie came Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.

Except this time, there was a different ending.

Gustav Nyquist wrote it with 28 seconds left in overtime, scoring on a rebound off a Danny DeKeyser shot from the blue line as the Wings did blow that late lead but recovered to beat the Canadiens, 2-1.

“That’s what we need,” Nyquist said. “We have to catch them so we control our own fate there, so we wanted to start up on a good note here after the Olympic break and obviously we don’t want to let up a goal that late but it was nice to get that win.”

The credits rolled as follows: Nyquist, for the game-winner. Johan Franzen, back in the lineup after missing six games, and the Olympics, with concussion-like symptoms, for two assists. Todd Bertuzzi, back in the lineup after sitting out eight games as a healthy scratch, for scoring his first goal in 18 games. And last but not least, Jimmy Howard, for playing 59:32 seconds of flawless goalie until Canadiens center Brian Gionta tied the game with a wicked backhander in the waning seconds, past Howard’s blocker and into the top shelf.

“Down the stretch here,” Howard said, “we have to find ways to close out these games in these types of situations but we found a way to get two points and that’s all that matters.”

Howard wasn’t tested much — once, most notably, halfway through the third period when Brendan Gallagher crashed the net from his right and nearly pushed the puck past the red line — and stopped 19 of 20 shots.

The 20 shots were tied for sixth-least against this season.

Bertuzzi opened the scoring at 14:01 of the first period, when Franzen found him camped at the side of the net and Canadiens’ goaltender Peter Budaj looking the other way for the veteran’s first goal since Dec. 10.

It stayed that way until Gionta’s goal, with the Wings’ neutralizing a pair of Montreal power-plays with strong penalty kills, and playing effective hockey much the way last year’s team did in scrapping into the playoffs.

“We have to limit our mistakes to the best of our abilities,” Howard said. “It’s been a constant reminder looking at that big board back in Detroit.”

In his return, Franzen tallied two assists for his first multi-point game since Dec. 10, the same game Bertuzzi was last seen in the scoresheet.

“You just have to be ready, prepared and professional and when you’re called upon, you have to make sure that you go out there and you try to do something,” Bertuzzi said. “Obviously, the two points were huge for us. I know Montreal is ahead of us, so they were big points.”



Red Wings' Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk in lineup against Canadiens

Ted Kulfan

Montreal, Quebec — Well, that’s some good news.

Johan Franzen (concussion) and Pavel Datsyuk (lower body) both are expected to be in the lineup Wednesday night for the Red Wings.

Franzen has played only one of the last 23 games before the Olympic break. Datsyuk played the last two games before the break, then played in the Olympics — but previously hadn’t played since Jan. 1.

Coach Mike Babcock also will reinsert Todd Bertuzzi into the lineup after not using Bertuzzi since Jan. 22.

Franzen and Bertuzzi essentially replace Luke Glendening and Henrik Zetterberg (back surgery) in the lineup from the last game before the break.

Detroit News LOADED: 02.27.2014


Red Wings GM: 'We're not selling' at trade deadline, but impact trade unlikely

Ted Kulfan

Montreal, Quebec — The Red Wings definitely won’t be sellers at the March 5 trade deadline.

As for buyers, it sounds like they could be, but only for non-rentals — which usually makes finding a trade partner more difficult. So don’t be shocked if the Red Wings basically stand pat.

For sure, with the Red Wings only holding a one point lead in the wild-card standings, general manager Ken Holland wants to hold on to his prospects and first-round draft picks going forward.

“When you’re one point up on the last playoff spot, it’s hard to trade top prospects or high draft picks to rent a player,” Holland said. “At the same time, we’re always looking to upgrade if there’s a hockey trade out there. I call a hockey trade one that affects your team into next season (a non-rental player). I’m open to it.

“I don’t see us paying a big price for a rental. I don’t believe that’s the direction we should go. But you never know when you get to Wednesday.”

Holland then added:

“We’re not selling.”

The Red Wings would like to add another experienced defenseman.

“On defense, beyond the seven (on the NHL roster) we have a lot of kids in Grand Rapids,” said Holland, adding defenseman Alexey Marchenko will be out six to eight weeks in Grand Rapids with an ankle injury. “We’re set in goal.

“With the development of (Tomas) Jurco, (Gustav) Nyquist, (Tomas) Tatar, and (Riley) Sheahan, and you have a healthy (Johan) Franzen and (Pavel) Datsyuk, and we expect (Stephen) Weiss back next week, I don’t know if I can make a deal for many forwards out there that will be better than those forwards.

“This time of year you’re always looking for defensemen, but obviously there are a lot of teams looking for defensemen.”

Holland views this season similarly to last season, when the Red Wings stood pat at the trade deadline, got healthy, and still reached the playoffs.

“We weren’t a buyer or a seller,” Holland said. “I felt if we could get our team together, we could play our way in which we did. Unfortunately we were a goal short from going into the Final Four.”



Wings unveil star-studded guest list for Nicklas Lidstrom's jersey retirement ceremony

The Detroit News

Detroit — The Red Wings are starting to roll out the details for Nicklas Lidstrom’s jersey retirement ceremony next month.

The captain’s No. 5 will be sent to the Joe Louis Arena rafters on Thursday, March 6, before the team’s game against the Colorodo Avalanche. Faceoff has been pushed back to 8 p.m., from the original start time of 7:30.

The ceremony will feature speeches by coach Mike Babcock, general manager Ken Holland, Chris Ilitch and Lidstrom.

Among the featured guests will be: Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Steve Yzerman and members of the Abel and Sawchuck families. Seated on the ice for the ceremony will be Lidstrom’s former coaches Scotty Bowman, Dave Lewis and Barry Smith, as well as Lidstrom’s former teammates, Chris Chelios, Igor Larionov, Brendan Shanahan, Robert Lang, Bob Rouse, Yves Racine, Mathieu Schneider, Manny Legace, Tomas Holmstrom, Anders Eriksson, Kris Draper and Vladimir Konstantinov.

The ceremony is set to start at 6:30 p.m., and conclude by 7:20 p.m. It will be shown in its entirety on Fox Sports Detroit.

The game is sold out, though there also will be a viewing party at Detroit’s 4-person City Theatre.



Red Wings back in business with thrilling OT triumph over Canadiens

Ted Kulfan

Montreal — For the Red Wings to reach the playoffs, and overcome the loss of Henrik Zetterberg, they will need to play this way.

Gustav Nyquist scored with 27.3 seconds left in overtime Wednesday, giving the Red Wings a valuable second point in a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in their first game since the Olympic break.

Nyquist put back a rebound past goalie Peter Budaj, driving to the net, for his 15th goal.

“We control out fate here,” Nyquist said of this post-Olympic schedule. “We wanted to start up on a good note after the Olympic break. It was nice to get that win.”

The game wasn’t particularly pretty in terms of offense, but it was beauty of a defensive effort. The prime scoring opportunities goalie Jimmy Howard had to face were few and far between.

Very similar to how the Red Wings played last season down the stretch to secure a playoff spot.

“For sure, that’s what we talked about, about what we did last year to get into the playoffs,” Nyquist said. “We wanted to work on our defense. It hasn’t been good enough this year.

“It’s what we’ve talked about and it was nice to see it happen.”

One shot Howard didn’t get was Montreal’s Brian Gionta scoring with 28.6 seconds left in regulation, during a scramble in front of Howard after the Canadiens had pulled Budaj.

But the Red Wings were able to overcome it in overtime.

“We played good, even in the final minute — that’s all part of it,” coach Mike Babcock said. “It was a tight game. I wish we would have shot the puck more. Other than that, it was two teams checking real hard and there wasn’t a lot of room.”

The other Red Wings goal was scored by Todd Bertuzzi, on the power play, at 14:01 of the first period.

Yes, there was a Todd Bertuzzi sighting.

It was Bertuzzi’s first goal in 18 games, and first appearance after being a healthy scratch the last eight games.

“You have to be ready and prepared and professional and when you’re called upon; you go out there and try to do something,” Bertuzzi said. “The two points were huge for us. Montreal is ahead of us, so they are important points.”

With the victory the Red Wings (27-20-12, 66 points) increased to their lead to three points for the final wild-card spot — while inching to within only five points of fourth-place Montreal (32-21-7, 71 points) and four of Toronto (70) in the division race.

On Bertuzzi’s goal Johan Franzen, who also reappeared in the lineup after not playing since Jan. 26 because of a concussion, set up Bertuzzi in front.

Franzen carried the puck behind the net, and found Bertuzzi alone just outside the post. Bertuzzi one-timed a shot past Budaj.

The Red Wings were on the power play, thanks to an iffy roughing penalty on Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban against Darren Helm.

Subban’s penalty negated a Montreal power play after Niklas Kronwall was called for holding at 11:14.

Whatever pressure Montreal mounted actually occurred in the first period.

Howard stopped Gionta on a good scoring opportunity in the slot early in the first period.

But from there, it was mostly a suffocating Red Wings defensive effort, reminiscent of the way they played toward the end of last season to secure a playoff position.

“This is what we are,” Babcock said. “If you’re looking for us to score a touchdown every game, you’re looking for a different team. We’re not going to outscore a lot of teams with the group we have. We’re aware of that.”



Red Wings' Ken Holland says he'd like to acquire a defenseman but won't pay high price for rental

Ansar Khan | February 26, 2014

MONTREAL – Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland likes his team’s depth and offensive potential, despite suffering a big blow when Henrik Zetterberg was sidelined for the rest of the season following back surgery.

The club is not as deep or as solid on defense, however.

So if the Red Wings make a move before the March 5 trading deadline, more than likely it will be to acquire a defenseman, not a forward.

Holland said Wednesday that he is not going to spend valuable assets (top prospect, first-round draft pick) on a rental player. He also said he is not going to be a seller.

He’d like to make a trade for a player who can help the club now and in the future.

“What’s the expense of the rental?” Holland said. “When you’re one point up on the last playoff spot it’s hard to trade a top prospect or a first-round draft pick to rent a player.

“At the same time we’re always looking to upgrade. If there’s a hockey trade out there – I call a hockey trade a trade that affects your team going into next season – I’m obviously open to it.

“Those days in the late ’90s and early 2000s when you would trade one or two or three first-round picks to acquire players is hard to do when you’re in our position.”

Holland said he will be busy exploring the marketplace over the next week. He said calls are starting to come in; he spoke to a half-dozen or so general managers at the Olympics.

“I think this time of year you’re always looking for defensemen, but obviously there’s a lot of teams looking for defensemen,” Holland said. “We’ll see. It depends on what’s available. I don’t see us playing a big price on a rental. I don’t believe that’s the direction we should go but you never know when you get to Wednesday.”

The Red Wings had interest in Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler at last year’s draft, before the no-trade clause kicked in on the six-year, $30 million extension he signed in January 2013.

A source said they also have interest in defenseman Andrew MacDonald of the New York Islanders, who leads the NHL in blocked shots. He is certain to be dealt as a rental; he’s in the last year of a deal earning just $550,000.

“We’re set in goal,” Holland said. “With the development of (Tomas) Jurco, (Gustav) Nyquist, (Tomas) Tatar, (Riley) Sheahan, -- if you have a healthy (Johan) Franzen, (Pavel) Datsyuk, we expect to get (Stephen) Weiss back next week – we feel up front (they’re set).

“Tonight (at Montreal) we’re going to sit out veteran players who could play in the NHL. I don’t know that I can make a deal that there’s many players out there that are better than those forwards.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 02.27.2014


Red Wings' Todd Bertuzzi returns to lineup; Johan Franzen likely to play against Carey Price-less Canadiens


Update: Johan Franzen was activated from injured reserve and will play tonight. To make room on the 23-man roster, the Red Wings reassigned defenseman Ryan Sproul to Grand Rapids.

MONTREAL – Todd Bertuzzi and, in all likelihood, Johan Franzen will be back in the lineup tonight for the Detroit Red Wings as they begin their post-Olympic break playoff push against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

Pavel Datsyuk also will be in the lineup, one day after saying he felt the same as he did before the Olympics (inflamed knee).

“I think the issue he’s got is probably something he’s going to have to play through," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "He’s seen our doctors. After the Russians got eliminated (from the Olympics) he went home for a few days and saw some people back there and I think they’re telling him the same things they’re telling him over here, which is good news.

"He’s got an ongoing issue, he’s going to have to deal with it. We saw in the Olympics how he can play.”

The Red Wings will be facing Peter Budaj in net, not Canadian Olympic hero Carey Price, who is out the next two games after reggravating a lower-body injury suffered during his nation’s gold-medal run in Sochi, Russia.

Price recorded shutouts against the United States in the semifinals (1-0) and Sweden in the gold-medal game (3-0).

Franzen has been cleared to play after missing 22 of the past 23 games with a concussion but coach Mike Babcock said his status would be determined at game time. The club wants to make sure he doesn’t have another relapse.

“It looks like we got Franzen back; game-time decision, obviously, with any of those guys who’ve been injured a long time," Babcock said. "We got a lineup in flux but the reality is the puck’s going to drop tonight and we got to find a way to get it done.”

This will be Bertuzzi’s first game since Jan. 22. He’s been a healthy scratch the past eight games.

Here are the lines the Red Wings skated with this morning:

Johan Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Todd Bertuzzi

Justin Abdelkader-Darren Helm-Daniel Alfredsson

Tomas Tatar-Riley Sheahan-Tomas Jurco

Drew Miller-Joakim Andersson-Gustav Nyquist

Healthy scratches: Daniel Cleary, Patrick Eaves, Luke Glendening.

Injured reserve: Stephen Weiss.

On defense:

Jonathan Ericsson-Niklas Kronwall

Danny DeKeyser-Kyle Quincey

Brian Lashoff-Brendan Smith

Healthy scratch: Ryan Sproul

The Red Wings will need to reassign a player to Grand Rapids if Franzen plays.

Jimmy Howard is starting in goal, with Jonas Gustavsson backing up.



Red Wings announce details for Nicklas Lidstrom night; game vs. Colorado pushed back to 8 p.m.


The Detroit Red Wings announced Wednesday that their March 6 game against the Colorado Avalanche at Joe Louis Arena has been pushed back to 8 p.m. to accommodate the pregame ceremony on Nicklas Lidstrom Jersey Retirement Night.

The seven-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, who retired after the 2011-12 season, will have his No. 5 raised to the rafters in a ceremony that starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. and will end at 7:20.

The ceremony will be hosted by Fox Sports Detroit’s Ken Daniels and will feature speeches by Mike Babcock, Ken Holland, Christopher Ilitch and Lidstrom.

Attending the ceremony will be Red Wings legends Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Steve Yzerman and members of the Abel and Sawchuck families.

Lidstrom’s former coaches Scotty Bowman, Dave Lewis and Barry Smith, as well as Lidstrom’s former teammates; Chris Chelios, Igor Larionov, Brendan Shanahan, Robert Lang, Bob Rouse, Yves Racine, Mathieu Schneider, Manny Legace, Tomas Holmstrom, Anders Eriksson, Kris Draper and Vladimir Konstantinov will all be seated on the ice for the ceremony.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and fans are encouraged to arrive early. The Red Wings said the game is sold out.

The pre-game ceremony will be carried live by Fox Sports Detroit beginning at 6:30 p.m., and will be available for viewing in its entirety on DetroitRedWings.com shortly after the start of the game.



Gustav Nyquist scores in overtime to lift Red Wings over Canadiens, 2-1, after late goal in third


MONTREAL – The Detroit Red Wings couldn’t afford to get into any wide-open, high-scoring games even if they had Henrik Zetterberg in their lineup.

Without Zetterberg for at least the remainder of the regular season, it’s even more imperative for this offensively challenged group to tighten up defensively and not surrender too many chances.

That’s what the Red Wings did on Wednesday, turning in a stifling defensive performance against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

The effort was nearly spoiled by a goal in the final minute of regulation, but Gustav Nyquist scored with 27.1 seconds left in overtime to give the Red Wings a 2-1 victory.

“I thought we played good, even in the final minute,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “I wish we would have shot the puck a little more. Other than that, it was two teams checking hard; there wasn’t a lot of room out there. To me, we controlled a lot of tonight’s game. I was happy with our effort.”

It was a good way to start for the Red Wings (27-20-12) to start the post-Olympics playoff push. Jimmy Howard needed to make only 19 saves.

“We played with good structure,” Babcock said. “This is what we are. If you’re looking for us to get a touchdown, you’re watching the wrong team. If you’re looking for us to check well, that’s what we are.”

Nyquist, the hottest player on the team before the Olympic break, picked up where he left off. He drove to the net and deposited in the rebound of a shot by Danny DeKeyser. It was Nyquist’s 15th goal of the season, his 10th in his past 11 games.

“It was from a set breakout,” Nyquist said. “We gained the zone, I dropped it back to DK, who got a good shot on net and I think Mule (Johan Franzen) got a good tip on it. It bounced right back out to me and I just put it in the open net.”

Franzen, who hadn’t played since Jan. 26 and had missed 22 of the past 23 games with a concussion, drew an assist on the game-winner as well as Todd Bertuzzi’s power-play goal that opened the scoring at 14:01 of the first.

Franzen has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in his past 18 games.

“It’s good to be back,” Franzen said. “I missed playing hockey.

“We need to play exactly like this and hopefully we can get more than one goal for 60 minutes.”

The Canadiens (32-21-7) started Peter Budaj in net because Canadian Olympic star Carey Price aggravated a lower-body injury he suffered during the tournament in Sochi, Russia.

Bertuzzi was parked in front of the net when he slammed home a pass from behind the net by Franzen. It was Bertuzzi’s first goal in 19 games, since Dec. 10, and his seventh of the season.

“When you’re coming off a break you got to make sure you come out with some intensity and get that first (goal),” Bertuzzi said. “I thought everyone was playing as a five-man unit and we took a lot of their space and time away.”

Montreal’s Brian Gionta scored on a backhand shot with 28.7 seconds remaining in the third period to tie it, after Budaj was pulled for the extra skater.

“Typical six-on-five goal,” Howard said. “Point shot, net-front scramble, I was able to get a couple body parts on the first couple (shots) and I just played the percentages on the one where Gionta made a great shot. I decided to take away everything down low and he was able to get a backhander that went post and in.”

It was disappointing to yield a point to a team they’re chasing in the Atlantic Division, but the Red Wings were just happy to earn two points. And they have solid team defense to thank for it.

“A lot of it stemmed from our forwards,” Howard said. “Our forwards came back hard. We caught (the Canadiens) by our blue line. (The forwards) did a great job of providing back pressure all night long.”



Nyquist scores in OT, Red Wings edge Canadiens

By The Associated Press Posted: 02/26/14, 10:55 PM EST

MONTREAL (AP) — Gustav Nyquist scored on a rebound with 28 seconds left in overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in the first post-Olympic game for both teams Wednesday night.


A team coached by Detroit's Mike Babcock, who led Canada to the gold medal, had not allowed a goal since Lauris Darzins got one at 15:41 of the first period of Canada's 2-1 win over Latvia in the quarterfinals in Sochi.


The Bell Centre crowd booed as the Canadiens tested the Red Wings' Jimmy Howard only twice in the second period. Detroit had a 30-20 shot advantage overall. But the fans were on their feet as Gionta collected a puck at the side of the net in a scramble and backhanded the tying goal into a top corner.

Two players who used the Olympic break to heal from injuries combined for the opening goal as Johan Franzen, back from a concussion, fed Bertuzzi at the edge of the crease for a power-play goal 14:01 into the game. Bertuzzi had missed eight games with an upper-body problem.

The goal came after P.K. Subban was called for roughing.

Budaj had been slated to start in goal for Montreal even before Canadian Olympian Carey Price injured his left leg during the team's game-day skate. He is expected to start again when Montreal visits Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

Notes: The 21,273 at the Bell Centre gave a rousing ovation to 12 members of Canadian men's and women's hockey gold medal teams in a pregame ceremony. The biggest cheers went to Marie-Philip Poulin, who had two goals in the women's final, and to Babcock and Canadiens players Price and Subban. ... Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk and Travis Moen returned from injuries, but Michael Bournival and Brandon Prust remain sidelined. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski was recalled from AHL Hamilton. ... The Red Wings played the 3,000th road game in their history.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 02.27.2014

730197 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers look for successful run down the stretch, even if the playoffs are not in sight

Eakins wants to see team continue to build for the future

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal February 26, 2014

EDMONTON - As Jordan Eberle fixed his eyes on what remains of another lost season, he concluded that the objective for the Edmonton Oilers was pretty clear cut: Tomorrow begins today.

That seemed to be the consensus as the Oilers emerged from their post-Olympic mini-camp with no playoff possibilities.

“The way we’re looking at it is that we have 22 games to put us into a position where we feel good about our game going into next year. We don’t want to have to go into (training) camp and restart from the basics,” Eberle said as the Oilers prepared for Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. game against the Minnesota Wild at Rexall Place.

“As much as it sucks, we have an opportunity to play spoiler in some of these games. We can knock teams out of the playoffs or put them in a hole,” Eberle continued. “These games are going to be meaningful for these teams, so they will be high tempo.”

Twenty days ago, the Oilers headed into the Olympic break with a 5-1-1 run — a modest stretch of success that came on the heels of a six-game losing skid.

Since they returned to the ice last week, head coach Dallas Eakins set out to remedy the power play and adjust the penalty-killing units, including the addition of Taylor Hall.

Only a handful of Edmonton’s remaining games are against teams out of the playoff mix, so the testing ground will be awash in opportunity.

It is also a stretch which will be interrupted by the March 5 trade deadline.

“It’s unfortunate to be in this position, but the only good I’m going to take out of it is to see how the players react,” Eakins said. “I think we’re going to get to another level as to who some of these guys are with the way they come out and play some of these games.

“I don’t get any sense of ‘Hey, let’s just get through this.’ They’re committed to getting better. They understand that what we’re trying to do through this stretch is going to give us a jump start on training camp next year and that’s extremely important.”

Despite their 29th-place standing, winger David Perron said the Oilers still have to play hard.

“Most of the top teams have been through some process like we’re going through and the way to get out of it is not to say, ‘Oh well, in a few years we’ll be fine,’ ” Perron said. “It’s a matter of working at it and everyone in this room needs to find a way to be a leader in their own way. Once everyone does their job on a consistent basis, we’ll be a successful team for 82 games.”

“It’s our job to show up and play and work and be professional and do the things we need to do to help this organization win hockey games,” said Matt Hendricks. “I think the culture is changing here and it’s changing for the better.”

As far as captain Andrew Ference is concerned, there’s no place for moral victories, particularly at this juncture, but there’s no harm in adding more wins to the standings.

“Wins create such a better atmosphere for learning, for acceptance of the game plan, for sticking with it,” Ference said. “It’s a lot easier on the coaches to pump that message through when individuals are having success, and as a team you’re not only feeling good after games but winning games.”

The Wild, winners of all but two of their last 14 games at Rexall Place, defeated the Oilers 4-1 in the first meeting of this season’s series on Jan. 16 in Minnesota.

“Anxious, more than anything,” Eberle said as the week of practice wrapped up. “There comes a point when you get sick of practising and you just want to get ready for the real thing, but that being said, we got a lot accomplished.

“It’s been a tough seven, eight days here. We really worked hard on the ice. We got our conditioning back to where it needs to be and implemented a few more systems.”

“It’s been a really good week of practice,” said Hall. “Whether we’ve become a better team or not remains to be seen. You can’t tell that until you play a game, but I think we’ve come together a little bit and enjoyed battling with each other in practice.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 02.27.2014


No gloom in Oilers room

Robert Tychkowski First posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Missing the playoffs is not something you ever want to be really good at, but at least the last few years have given the Edmonton Oilers the necessary skills to deal with another depressing stretch drive.

That’s why nobody’s depressed.

If there’s one stark difference between this lost season and Edmonton’s previous seven death marches, it’s the absence of a big, dark cloud in the dressing room. It doesn’t mean the Oilers are slowing coming to accept failure, but rather that they understand how pouting will only make things worse.

“This is my fourth year, it’s not fun,” said winger Jordan Eberle, after an upbeat and spirited practice in advance of Thursday’s return to action against the Minnesota Wild.

“Plain and simply you want to be in a spot where you’re fighting for a position late in the season. But I’ve been here before, and the biggest thing is you have to keep positive.

“As soon as you start getting negative things get a lot worse. It’s a matter of coming to the rink with a smile and putting your work boots on.”

There’s still time for the mood to change if things really take a bad turn, but as of right now the atmosphere is a lot more cheerful and positive than you’d expect from a lottery team

“As soon as you start getting down on yourself, that’s when things start to get pretty negative in here,” said Eberle. “That’s the culture we don’t want. So we’re looking at this as an opportunity to go out and finish these 22 games as strong as we can.

“We have a chance to maybe upset some teams that are in a playoff spot, but, mainly, for us, we want to feel good about our game going into next season.”

While still trying to feel as good as they can about the here and now.

“I’ve been a part of this for four years now and it’s not as bad as it seems,” said Taylor Hall, adding you have to make the best of whatever situation you’re in. “You almost really have no pressure. We just go out and have fun.

“I think that’s the biggest thing for us, to go out and enjoy these last 22 games and not put pressure on ourselves. Like I told some guys who aren’t used to this, it’s not as bad as it seems.”

For David Perron, this is usually when he and the St. Louis Blues would be gearing up for a long playoff push. Instead, he and the Oilers will be spending March and April winding down the season. That’s a tough adjustment, but he wants to do his part to make the best of this.

“You want to show that you’re part of the solution,” he said. “Some guys are playing for contracts next year, some guys on the bubble want to show they’re NHL players. Guys on the top two lines want to show that they’re guys you can rely on every single night.

“And all of us, we have to play like we want to be a top team right now. We can’t just say ‘We’ll wait another year and see what happens.’ That’s not how those top teams went about it.

“I remember the first few years in St. Louis (before they were a playoff team). We would want to knock Chicago off, we would want to knock Detroit off. And when we did that we were proud of ourselves, we could tell we were going the right way.”

Head coach Dallas Eakins will use this team to measure character as much as talent.

“Going down the stretch here, I don’t get any sense of ‘Let’s just get through this,’” he said of the mood in the room. “It’s unfortunate to be in this position but the only good I’m going to take out of it is to see how the players react. I think we’re going to get another level of who some of these guys are.”

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Oilers drivin' for jobs

Is this a stretch drive or a training camp?

It’s probably a little of both as the Edmonton Oilers head into the last 22 games of another lost season.

On one hand, they want to set a foundation for next year by locking down some systems changes and giving a handful of call-ups from the AHL a chance to gain experience and get noticed.

On the other hand, they wouldn’t mind winning a few games. Maybe even a lot.

“Will we take some different looks at people in different situations now?” said Eakins. “Yes. But I want to go into these games not doing so much auditioning, I want to go into the games to win them.

“I’ve let the group know that and they seem to be in on that as well. It’s a tightrope; we still want guys to earn (ice time) and the players still want us to coach to win games.

“I think your theme should never change. Your theme is we’re going to play to win this game.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Jones: Oilers musical chairs

Terry Jones First posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014

It was almost impossible Wednesday to walk around the Edmonton Oilers dressing room, look at the names above the stalls and not wonder how many of those names are going to be gone in the next week.

Three or four for sure.

Maybe six or seven.

Then you look at the names of the players who aren’t going anywhere.

The No. 1 overall picks like Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov. Jordan Eberle. Justin Schultz.

And you think about how many teammates those core players have already had in their NHL careers here.

Take Hall and Eberle. In their time already, the number of the names that have been above those stalls around that room is getting ridiculous.

Acton. Arcobello. Bachman. Barker. Belanger. Belle. Belov. Brown. Brule. Bryzgalov. Cogliano. Chorney. Cornet. Danis. Dubnyk. Eager. Fedun. Ferrence. Fistric. Foster. Fraser. Gazdic. Gagner. Gerber. Gilbert. Giroux. Gordon. Grebeshkov. Green. Hamilton. Hartikainen. Hemsky. Hendricks. Horak. Horcoff. Hordichuk. Hunt. Jacques. Joensuu. Jones. Khabibulin. Kytnar. LaBarbara. Lander. Larson. MacIntyre. Marincin. Nugent-Hopkins. O’Marra. Omark. Pajaarvi. Peckham. Penner. Perron. Petiot. Petrell. Petry. Pitlik. Plante. Potter. Reddox. Rodney. J. Schultz. N. Schultz. Scrivens. Smid. Smyth. Smithson. Stortini. Strudwick. Sutton. Teubert. Whitney. Vandermere. VanderVelde. Yakupov.

That’s 76. And it doesn’t include some of the pros they played with in Oklahoma City last year during the lockout.

Before they hit the quarter-pole in their NHL careers, they’ll have hit 100.

“We’re in second-last place as everyone knows,” said Hall.

“That’s the way it goes when you’re not going well as a team. You can always expect turnover. You can always expect new faces to come in and try to turn it around.

“When you are a young player coming from junior, you are used to playing with the same guys all the time. When I came to the NHL everyone has a dog and a kid and a family at home and you realize it’s just a whole different situation. You have to get used to seeing guys go.

“As far as having good guys in the room we have a good group and have a lot of fun together. We enjoy each other. And the trade deadline is always a weird day for everyone. It’s going to be sad to see some guys go.

“At the end of the day we come to work every day, we wear a number and we can be replaced.”

That said, Hall says he looks forward to the day when the core group numbers about double of what it is now and playing together for the better part of a decade.

“You look at the rest of the league and their turnover each year isn’t many guys. They keep the same nucleus. They keep the same guys together because it’s working. We have to get to that point,” added Hall.

Eberle said you lose games, you lose teammates.

“It’s just a byproduct of losing. So far in my career we haven’t been a great team. We haven’t made the playoffs. When you have that, changes are made. I’m sure there will be guys leaving. It’s part of the game.

“But it is tough. I’ve made friends here and it’s tough seeing guys get traded, especially guys with families here and kids in school. When you talk to people outside the game they think it’s crazy that you just have to pick up and move to a different city. But it’s part of the game. It’s a business.”

Eberle said the turnover will stop when the winning starts.

“That’s what happens when you’re winning, when you are a good team and in a playoff spot. That’s when you start adding pieces instead of getting rid of them,” added the player who will play his 255th NHL game while Hall plays his 225th Thursday as the Oilers relaunch their season against the Minnesota Wild.

“I’ve only been here for three years,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has 160 games NHL experience so far. “In junior I never got traded or anything. I remember in junior when the first guy got traded it was so weird for me. All of a sudden you lose this friend you were playing with for so long.

“It still seems a little bit weird for me to see guys come and go. Obviously it’s out of our control. It’s something that you just have to roll with and one day, I’m sure, it won’t be like that,” he said.

“I think it’s extremely tough,” said coach Dallas Eakins.

“There’s all the coaches, too. When there’s a turnover on coaches there’s always a lot of turnover on players because that means the team is not doing very well.

“Not having continuity is a tough thing, I don’t care how old you are, whether you are Ebs’s age or Ryan Smyth’s age. It’s hard when there’s such turnover.

“And that’s what we’re trying to do here. We’re trying to build a program similar to some of the other teams that are kind of in it every year. You don’t see a lot of change with them. They have their core group. They add a couple pieces here, a couple pieces there. It’s not this constant five or six guys out the door, five or six guys in the door.

“That’s exactly what we’re trying to get to so our players aren’t seeing this constant change of players coming in and out. It’s extremely hard to build chemistry then.

“What’s a good example? Getzlaf and Perry,” he said of the Anaheim Ducks Olympic gold medal winners.

“Their team wasn’t great early when they came. Those guys are joined at the hip. And they’re extremely good joined at the hip. And that’s kinda what we want to do here with our group.”

In the meantime, more players will go out the door to make room for new ones now and mostly later.

The Oilers are sellers as usual. And unlike most trade deadlines, there aren’t that many general managers setting up stalls and putting their goods out on the table.

“There are a lot of buyers. There are a lot of teams in it,” said MacTavish.

Belov. Bryzgalov. Hemsky. Jones. Potter. N. Schultz.

Best offer gets a lot of guys.

Draft choices. Prospects. Oilers eating half the remaining contracts of a couple of them to sweeten the deals. There should be a lot of action.

“Teams are having their internal meetings now. It’s starting to heat up now,” said MacTavish.

But it’s more likely to end up about who is going than who is coming. And so Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, Schultz and Yakupov sit and watch the game of musical chairs around them being played again.

Where she stops, nobody knows.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.27.2014

730200 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon insists there will be no fire sale as trade deadline approaches

By George Richards

When the Panthers take the ice Thursday against Washington, it could be the last home game for a number of players who have spent varying degrees of time in South Florida.

With the NHL’s trade deadline less than a week away, the Panthers could undergo another massive roster overhaul.

For a team miles out of a playoff spot, that may not be a bad thing.

Yet general manager Dale Tallon hasn’t given off the vibe of someone planning a major fire sale.

Do the Panthers have some assets available for the right price? Sure. Will the Panthers have a complete veteran purge? Probably not.

“We’re going to do what’s best for the Panthers to build a championship team,” Tallon said during the recent Olympic break. “We’re not blowing this thing up. If we can sell some assets to get better, we’ll do that. It depends what happens in the next few weeks. We’ll be aggressive either way.”

Although Tallon and and the Panthers have moved NHL players for prospects and draft picks in the past, they may not do that as much as in years past despite a similar spot in the standings.

Coach Peter Horachek said he hopes the Panthers don’t ship off his key players with only draft picks returning.

He has a vested interest in this.

As the interim coach, Horachek knows the more wins that come in the final 24 games, the better his chances of returning next year are.

“I don’t really want any draft picks. They don’t do me any good,” Horachek said. “I want to win these games, I want the guys to care about winning these games. I want the guys to put it on the line whether we have an opportunity or mathematically out. I want to make sure we care about winning these games.”

Of Florida’s biggest ‘available’ pieces, Tallon he had interest in keeping all of them. Goalie Tim Thomas, winger Brad Boyes and defenseman Tom Gilbert all came to Florida during training camp on try-outs and signed one-year contracts.

Tallon said all three deserve to stick around if they so wish.

“Performance is important and desire [to stay] is as well,” Tallon said, adding that Thomas — perhaps Florida’s biggest trade chip since Jay Bouwmeester — has expressed an interest to return next year.

“Those guys have had good years and deserve the chance to stay. … I’m happy with the way they’ve played, happy with their professionalism.”

Other free agents the Panthers could offer other teams include center Marcel Goc, defenseman Mike Weaver and restricted free agent Dmitry Kulikov.

When the Panthers return to the BB&T Center next Friday, they could look drastically different than they do on Thursday.

Or not.

“Management is going to look to do what they think is right long-term,” Horachek said.

Power search

Horachek spent a big portion of Wednesday’s practice working on Florida’s woeful power play.

The Panthers have scored on 9 percent of their power play chances this year; the NHL record for worst power play percentage belongs to the 1997-98 Lightning which scored on 9.35 percent of its chances.

The franchise record for power play futility is a comparatively robust 13 percent (2000-01).

“I don’t know the stat, won’t look it up and don’t care about it,’’ Horachek said. “Someone telling me a stat doesn’t change anything.”

Well, wait, there’s more.

Florida is also on pace to obliterate its franchise record for fewest power play goals.

The Panthers have scored 17 power play goals in 58 games this year; last year, despite playing just 48 games, the Panthers had 29. Florida is on track to score 24 this year. Florida’s fewest power play goals in a full season: 35 (2010-11).

“It would certainly generate some confidence and get things jumping,” Horachek said.

Miami Herald LOADED: 02.27.2014


Preview: Panthers vs. Capitals, 7:30 p.m., Thursday

Craig Davis

Florida Panthers begin stretch of 24 games in 45 days by playing host to the Washington Capitals at the BB&T Center

4:35 PM EST, February 26, 2014

Panthers vs. Capitals

When/where: 7:30 p.m., BB&T Center, Sunrise

TV: FSF; Radio: 560-AM

Scouting report: The Panthers, losers of five of their last six before the Olympic break, face the Capitals for the final time. They split the first two meetings by identical 3-2 scores in shootouts, each winning at home. The schedule then gets hectic with 17 games in March. Caps C Nicklas Backstrom, banned from playing for Sweden in the gold-medal game for testing positive for a banned substance found in the common allergy medication Zyrtec-D, will play because the substance is not restricted by the NHL. He is second on the team with 56 points. Panthers G Tim Thomas is 11-5-3 against Washington. Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov (knee) and Tomas Kopecky (concussion) are on injured reserve.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 02.27.2014


Shore aims to shore up future with Panthers

With playoff hopes dim, Panthers look to young, motivated players over final 24 games as Olympic break ends

By Craig Davis, 4:07 PM EST, February 26, 2014

CORAL SPRINGS-To measure the meaning of the Panthers' remaining 24 games, consider the opportunity they present to young forward Drew Shore.

The 23-year-old center has been a frequent passenger on the San Antonio shuttle to and from the team's top minor league affiliate. The most recent stint was primarily to keep him playing during the Olympic break, and Shore made the most of it with five goals in his past six games.

With forwards Aleksander Barkov and Tomas Kopecky injured at the Sochi Games, Shore was summoned back to Florida and will have a chance to make his case for next year beginning Thursday against Washington.

"It's a huge opportunity. When you're an up-and-down guy it's not something you want to be. You want to be a full-time NHL player," said Shore, who the Panthers drafted in the second round out of the University of Denver in 2009.

"Any time you go back down, that's a terrible, terrible feeling. This time was a little easier than the first time. I feel really good about my game right now. I've kind of been on a roll, and hopefully I can hop in here and keep on going."

Shore made a positive impression in his previous call-up with three goals and an assist in his last six games with the Panthers. But he is well aware that favor is fleeting. He played in 43 of the Panthers' 48 games in the lockout-shortened season, only to get shipped out two games into this one.

"I think he's learned a lot; he's gone down with the right approach. I'd like to see him really step up and prove that he belongs here full time," Panthers interim coach Peter Horachek said after Wednesday's practice at Panthers IceDen. "He's got to take it and embrace every moment he has in these 24 games."

Horachek is counting on motivated players such as Shore to keep the season afloat as the Panthers average a game every two days over the final month and a half. The playoffs are a long shot after they lost five of six before the break to fall 13 points behind the last spot in the postseason.

"You've almost got to win them all. To have a 55-percent chance to make the playoffs, you'd have to win 19 out of the 24 games," Horachek said.

The grim reality has the Panthers viewed as sellers leading to the March 5 trade deadline, as they are one of only five teams that are more than four points out of a playoff berth. Horachek doesn't relish the likelihood of veterans being dealt for draft picks and propects.

"I don't really want any draft picks. They don't do me any good," he said. "I want to win these games. I want the guys to care about winning the games."

Toward that objective, the Panthers worked Wednesday on improving an anemic power play that ranks last in the league by a considerable margin. Forwards Jimmy Hayes and Scottie Upshall spent considerable time stationed in front of the net deflecting slap shots.

Boy for Boyes

Forward Brad Boyes returned to practice after his wife, Elissa, gave birth Tuesday to a son. Hunter Sterling Boyes weighed in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces. The couple has a daughter, age 2½.

Boyes is a veteran who could appeal to teams in playoff contention. He leads the Panthers with 15 goals and is the all-time leader in shootout goals. He said a trade would be more difficult with a newborn at home.

"It wouldn't be ideal, it would be tougher. We were speaking to a nurse there and she said they delivered a baby and that day the guy got traded," Boyes said. "I'd definitely like to stick around and enjoy being here and spending time with the new one."

Meanwhile, Boyes and Sean Bergenheim are adjusting to a new linemate with Nick Bjugstad replacing injured Barkov as center of the top line.

"It's going to be a little different," Boyes said of playing with Bjugstad. He's a right-handed shot versus [Barkov] a left-handed shot. The kid can skate. He's got some long strides, so it's going to be a little harder for me and Bergy to keep up with him."

Sun Sentinel LOADED: =

730203 Los Angeles Kings

Kings turn back Avalanche, 6-4

Anze Kopitar scores twice, including the decisive goal in the third period, to lead a rally from two goals down in the second period.

By Kevin Baxter February 26, 2014, 11:02 p.m

.

DENVER — The Kings returned from their three-week Olympic break Wednesday in Colorado. And like most people coming back to work after a long vacation, they were a little rusty.

But they refused to knock off early and were rewarded when a tip-in by Anze Kopitar from the edge of the crease 3 minutes 13 seconds into the final period ended a tie and lifted the Kings to a wild 6-4 victory over the Avalanche.

“We could have packed it in easily and blamed it on the Olympic break, and it was the first game back and chalk it up with a couple of excuses,” Kopitar said. “But we didn't get down and we believed and we were playing hard for each other.

Kings hit the break and stop their slide Kings hit the break and stop their slide

Olympics are over, but memories linger for Kings' Anze Kopitar Olympics are over, but memories linger for Kings' Anze Kopitar

Kings can still have numbers add up right Kings can still have numbers add up right

SUMMARY: Kings 6, Colorado Avalanche 4

“And at the end of the day the result was good for us.”

Added goalie Martin Jones, who made three game-saving stops in the final 12 minutes: “It was a really, really gutsy win. A good character win.”

Robyn Regehr, Jarret Stoll, Jeff Carter and Justin Williams also scored for the Kings, whose six goals were the most in one game since early December.

Colorado's goals, three of them power-play goals, came from Ryan O'Reilly, P.A. Parenteau, Jamie McGinn and Andre Benoit.

But it was Kopitar's second goal of the game that stood out, and only partly because it proved to be the game winner.

What was also notable was the fact that it was only the third in 38 power-play chances for the Kings dating to January.

Regehr, who had the Kings' last goal before the break, got the team's first goal after it with a slap shot from beyond the left faceoff circle 5:48 into the opening period.

That marked the first time in Regehr's 14-year career that he has scored in consecutive games.

Some shoddy defense helped Colorado erase that deficit.

O'Reilly turned a nifty backhand pass from Nick Holden into a power-play goal midway through the first period.

Parenteau then put Colorado in front, crashing the net at the right post and lifting a Matt Duchene feed into the net for a 2-1 lead.

That advantage lasted only 24 seconds into the second period before Stoll redirected in a Dustin Brown pass, starting a torrid 20 minutes in which the teams combine for five goals, including power-play goals by McGinn and Benoit to give Colorado a 4-2 lead less than five minutes before the second intermission.

Kopitar started the Kings' comeback with his 18th goal 67 second later and Jeff Carter then tied the score 72 seconds before the intermission, redirecting a pass from Mike Richards at the near post.

And after Kopitar put the Kings ahead early in the final period, Jones kept them there with two splendid saves before Williams closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal.

“It was great. Down by two. I don't think we can say we've done that a lot of times,” defenseman Matt Greene said. “The guys were going at it, paying the price. It's good to get rewarded for it.”

TONIGHT

AT CALGARY

When: 6:30 p.m.

On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 1150.

Etc.: These are two points the Kings can't let slip away if they're serious about the playoffs. Not only is Calgary the second-worst team in the Western Conference, but it has lost a conference-high 14 games at home as well. And it gets worse. With forward Brian McGrattan still recovering from an accident in practice last week, the Flames will play two Finns who will be making their NHL debuts in Markus Granlund, a forward, and Joni Ortio in goal

LA Times: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Kopitar's two goals lift Kings in Colorado

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: Feb. 26, 2014

DENVER – Anze Kopitar's first goal helped the Kings get back in the game. His second stood up for the winner.

Kopitar had two goals and an assist, knocking in the decisive score in the final period, and the Kings rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 on Wednesday night.

“Those two quick (goals) at the end of the second were huge and we carried that momentum into the third,” Kopitar said. “It's nice to start off the third with a power play.”

The Kings had the man advantage when Jeff Carter, in the middle of a scramble in front of the net, swung at a loose puck, sending it straight up in the air. When the puck hit the ice, Kopitar got his stick on it and sent it into the net past Jean-Sebastian Giguere at 3:13 of the third.

Justin Williams added an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left to cap the scoring as both teams returned to action after the Olympic break.

“At the end of the day, we got the two points. It wasn't the easiest two points, but we'll take it,” Kopitar said.

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said for the most part, he liked the way his squad competed in the first game back off the break, despite blowing a two-goal lead.

“No one is perfect after two weeks off,” Roy said. “But we've been working hard and you don't want to let a game like this affect you, especially because I think there are a lot of positives. I think we need to come back on Friday (against Phoenix) with the same attitude that we had today.”

Jamie McGinn snapped a 2-2 tie when he scored on the power play at 8:57 of the second period off a centering pass from Ryan O'Reilly, who scored the Avalanche's first goal earlier. It was McGinn's 15th goal of the season.

Colorado went up 4-2 later in the second on Andre Benoit's third goal of the season. He knocked in a rebound on the power play, Colorado's third score with the man advantage. Nathan MacKinnon helped set up the score with a shot that was stopped by Martin Jones, but the puck trickled out and Benoit punched it with his stick into the net.

The Kings re-tied it at 4 with a pair of goals little more than two minutes apart. Kopitar back-handed a shot into the net at 16:49 and Carter put in an equalizer at 18:53 of the second, redirecting Mike Richards' shot past Giguere.

“Great play by Kopi, just stick it out there,” Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. “When you get down by two, you've got to answer, and we got that pretty quickly.”

The Kings opened the scoring on Robyn Regeher's first-period goal and pulled even at 2-all when Jarret Stoll knocked the puck past Giguere 24 seconds into the second period.

P.A. Parenteau gave the Avs a short-lived 2-1 lead at 16:32 of the first. Matt Duchene sent a pass across the slot and Parenteau slapped it into the right corner of the net before Kings goalie Martin Jones could slide over to block it.

NOTES

Avalanche D Erik Johnson served the first of his two-game suspension for his slash on New York Islanders C Frans Nielsen on Feb. 8. Nielsen was placed on injured reserve with a fractured left hand. …

Avs C Maxime Talbot was a late scratch, leaving the team to be with his fiancee after she went into labor. …

The Kings' Dustin Brown played in his 700th NHL game. …

C Jordan Nolan of the Kings was shaken up when he lost his balance and barreled into the boards early in the second period. A trainer assisted him off the ice and he was taken to the locker room for treatment. …

The Kings allowed more than three goals in a game for only the 10th time in 60 games this season.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Anze Koptar rallies Kings past Colorado as NHL season resumes

By Dennis Georgatos, Posted: 02/26/14, 10:35 PM PST

DENVER — Anze Kopitar had two goals, including the decisive score in the third period, and the Kings rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 on Wednesday night.

Kopitar’s second goal of the night and 19th of the season put the Kings, who trailed by two goals midway through the second period, back in front.


Justin Williams added an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left to round out the scoring as both teams returned to action after the Olympic break.

Jamie McGinn snapped a 2-2 tie when he scored on the power play at 8:57 of the second period off a centering pass from Ryan O’Reilly, who scored the Avalanche’s first goal earlier. It was McGinn’s 15th goal of the season.

Colorado went up 4-2 later in the second on Andre Benoit’s third goal of the season. He knocked in a rebound on the power play, Colorado’s third score with the man advantage. Nathan MacKinnon helped set up the score with a shot that was stopped by Martin Jones, but the puck trickled out and Benoit punched it with his stick into the net.

The Kings re-tied it at 4 with a pair of goals little more than two minutes apart. Kopitar back-handed a shot into the net at 16:49 and Carter put in an equalizer at 18:53 of the second, redirecting Mike Richards’ shot past Giguere.

Los Angeles opened the scoring on Robyn Regeher’s first-period goal and pulled even at 2-all when Jarret Stoll knocked the puck past Giguere 24 seconds into the second period.

P.A. Parenteau gave the Avs a short-lived 2-1 lead at 16:32 of the first. Matt Duchene sent a pass across the slot and Parenteau slapped into right corner of the net before Kings goalie Martin Jones could slide over to block it.

NOTES >> Avalanche D Erik Johnson served the first of his two-game suspension for his slash on New York Islanders C Frans Nielsen on Feb. 8. Nielsen was placed on injured reserve with a fractured left hand. ... Avs C Maxime Talbot was a late scratch, leaving the team to be with his fiancee after she went into labor. ... Avs D Andre Benoit is one shy of his 100th career NHL game. ... The Kings’ Dustin Brown played in his 700th NHL game. ... C Jordan Nolan of the Kings was shaken up when he lost his balance and barreled into the boards early in the second period. A trainer assisted him off the ice and he was taken to the locker room for treatment. ... The Kings allowed more than three goals in a game for only the 10th time in 60 games this season.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 02.27.2014


February 26 morning skate quotes: Drew Doughty

Posted by JonRosen

Next: Game 60 Preview: Los Angeles at Colorado

Previous: Opportunity awaits Pearson alongside Richards, Carter

On the excitement of returning to NHL action:

This is the time we play best, our team. Every year, we seem to put ourselves in a hole with 20 games left and then, all the sudden, we’re fighting for a spot in the playoffs and we claw at it and we start to play well. We usually start playing well going into playoffs, which is important because in the playoffs we’re playing well too. We’re fully prepared for this. We know what we have to do and we’re ready to do it.

On what has changed in the locker room since the break:

I don’t know about right this second, but I think once it comes to game time it will be. We’re desperate right now to be getting points and to be winning games. We need to get on a streak. We need to be winning games, going into playoffs and we have to make the playoffs still. We’re still not secure, by any means. So we’re going to have fun tonight and we’re going to treat it as if it was a playoff game already.

On moving past the outdoor game and the Olympics, and focusing on the last 23 games:

Oh yeah, it’s great. This is the best time of year. It’s fun at the very start of the year, with the adrenaline going and you’re back to playing hockey. It’s fun. Then you have that little stretch where it’s Game 20 to 60, where it’s just different. And now you get hungry. You know the playoffs are approaching. You know you need to get a spot in there and it’s the most fun time. So we’re all excited to play these last 20 games and win as many as we can. [Reporter: You can see the finish line now, right?] Yeah, well we’re not far away. 23 games and I think we’re playing 23 in 46 days or something crazy like that. So we’re not going to have much time to practice. So the days we do get off, the days in between games, we need to re-focus, reset and get some rest.

On Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche:

Obviously, he’s done a great job. I don’t know him personally or anything like that, but clearly he’s doing something right with how much better this team has gotten. I think in the past, they always had really good forwards on this team and good offensive instincts, but I thought defensively is where they struggled. I think they’ve got a lot better in that department this year and that’s why they’re a better team.

On whether he learned anything new about Matt Duchene while at the Olympics:

No, I know what kind of player he is. I’ve played against him more than enough. He’s an unbelievable player. Playing with him is easy, and he’s one of the leaders on this team obviously, and we have to shut him down.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Opportunity awaits Pearson alongside Richards, Carter

Posted by JonRosen

There have been six games this season in which the names of Tanner Pearson, Linden Vey, and Tyler Toffoli have been written into the same lineup card.

The Kings are 4-0-2 in those games, which were played between November 14 and 23.

Tonight, all three will be in the lineup when the Kings face the Colorado Avalanche.

“They’ve got to give us something on one of those lines,” Darryl Sutter said. “If they don’t, then there’s two good guys that don’t get to play tonight that’ll play tomorrow. “It’s not hard to figure out.”

Toffoli, the most accomplished of the three at the NHL level with 12 goals and 24 points in 49 regular season games, skated to the left of Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams at practice Tuesday and at Wednesday’s morning skate. He is a natural right wing.

Vey has skated in between Jordan Nolan and Trevor Lewis on the fourth line.

One of the more interesting developments in the post-Olympic alignments has been Pearson skating to the left of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Pearson, 21, has scored one goal in eight regular season games and one playoff game since he was drafted by Los Angeles with the final pick of the first round in 2012.

He noted that while he has skated with both Richards and Toffoli, this would mark the first game he has skated with Richards and Carter.

“When you come into this league I think it’s all about confidence and chemistry with those guys,” Pearson said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “So it’s kind of new, but hopefully we get the chemistry going quickly off the start and generate offense.”

He’s surely being put in position to do so. Six-foot-one and 200 pounds, he’s already fairly well filled out and has etched out a career as a power forward who drives to the net and possesses a potent shot. In 41 games with AHL-Manchester, the second-year pro has 17 goals and 32 points.

Skating alongside a pair of former Olympic gold medal winners should offer him a fine stage to demonstrate his ability.

“I think, maybe I’m looking more into crashing [the net] and also creating offense and then play my game up here – what’s going to get my confidence up here,” Pearson said. “So I’m just going to take it shift by shift and try to generate offense.”

Richards articulated how the chemistry with Pearson is developing in their limited time together.

“He’s a shooter. He’s a good player,” Richards said.”I mean, with Jeff too there, hopefully we can create something. That’s going to take some time in games. I’ve only played with him a short period, but chemistry is obviously big and hopefully we can stay together for a period of time, where we can actually kind of create some.”

Generating chemistry and continuity with his wingers will be a goal of Richards’, who appeared with different sets of linemates earlier this month as the Kings attempted to ignite a stagnant offense that scored only 15 times in the 11 games leading up to the Olympic break.

“We’ve had some success,” Richards said about playing with Carter. “It’s a player who you’re comfortable playing with. I think anytime you can play with any type of player, any player for an extended period and gain some chemistry and know where each other are on the ice, it makes things a lot easier. That’s one of the parts that’s been missing, I think, prior to the break is some chemistry. It seems like just a lot of line juggling just to try to get things going and sometimes it’s just you try to keep it as simple as possible and you go back to things that have worked in the past.”

Mike Richards, on any adjustment when playing three games in three and a half days:

No, all you can do is just take care of the first one and just kind of go from there. It’s a matter of, I think, just taking care of the back-to-back and getting your break on Friday and re-energizing and coming back on Saturday. We just had two weeks off, so we should be rested. So, I think if there was ever a time to do it, it should be now.

Richards, on the excitement of returning from the Olympic break:

I obviously enjoyed the break, but it’s nice to get back and just get started again. We have a lot of hockey here. It’s probably the most important and most exciting time to play is March and into April. So I think everyone is excited for it.

Tanner Pearson, on whether he has proven himself at the AHL level:

You can always get better each and every day. Here, you do get better every day. From practice to games, it’s a different league. Everything is so much faster. You have to be on your toes all the time.



February 26 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter

Posted by JonRosen

On the Olympians rejoining the team in advance of tonight’s game:

It’s be like the whole team going to travel somewhere the day before. You know what? They got here a day [early]. That’s why we set it up. There’s no way around it. I don’t think it made sense to bring ‘em all the way back to L.A. and then turn around and come here again. Basically, Brownie and Quicker are pretty good. Other than the flight, they haven’t played, and actually with Jonathan, during the tournament he had a three-day break in there between after the first game and then…Slovenia, I think. So, really, with three goalies, he had three days in there between games and practices in terms of what he took. With him, it’s just the travel.

On whether he’ll “play it by ear” in assigning ice time to Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter:

No, you don’t play it by ear. Drew Doughty is a special player. If we don’t play Drew Doughty, then we’ve got a problem. Same thing with Carts. Obviously you need four lines. You’re playing three games in three and a half days. It’s not where they’re coming from. It’s what we’ve got to do. So you’re probably pulling your forwards off two or three minutes anyways to be able to accomplish what you want. With Drew, that’s a little bit different deal.

On what Patrick Roy has done well with the Avalanche:

We’ve seen them in training camp. We played them in the preseason, right? We played ‘em up here and then in Vegas. You know what? They’ve gotten excellent goaltending this year, and obviously with the kid coming in, MacKinnon doesn’t get enough credit. He could score 30 goals. So obviously Patrick’s leadership – at the end of the day, Patrick, even though he was a goaltender, he was known as a great leader. So he’s taken those kids and pushed ‘em…Quite honest, they’re a strong team up front. So if they get the goaltending, they’re a strong team. They’re going to score.

On what he’d like to see from the Kings tonight:

Get off to a good start. Keep it simple. Keep your shifts short. Be as good at the end of the shift as you are at the start. Try and get some flow to our game. Kind of do what we do.

And, lastly, Darryl Sutter offered a recollection about playing at McNichols Sports Arena after yesterday’s practice. I had been planning on using it for my LAKings.com story today (post coming), but it didn’t end up in there. It’s not a particularly useful quote, but it does reference the thinner air that the players will contend with today – not that this Kings team relies on Denver’s altitude as an excuse.

Darryl Sutter, on restarting the NHL schedule at a high altitude:

Altitude – there’s not much difference than Calgary’s, when you look at it, if that’s a factor at all. Been doing it for a long time now. I’ve never used it as an excuse and never allowed it to be a factor. The first thing you did when you walked into the old arena…remember the sign when you walked into the old arena?… 5,280 feet.



Jones likely to start; February 26 morning line rushes

State

Martin Jones left the ice first at the morning skate, which would be an indication that he will draw the start tonight against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. The Kings also face the Calgary Flames Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome before returning home to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon to complete the three games-in-66 hours stretch.

As for the rest of the lines, there were no changes to what the team used at Tuesday’s practice. Expect to see a lineup that features:

Toffoli – Kopitar – Williams

Pearson – Richards – Carter

King – Stoll – Brown

Nolan – Vey – Lewis

Muzzin – Doughty

Regehr – Voynov

Mitchell – Greene

Jones

Quick

Tonight’s game begins at 7:00 p.m. PT and will be broadcast by John Forslund and Drew Remenda on NBCSN.



February 26 postgame quotes: Anze Kopitar

Staff

On the game:

It was not as sharp as we wanted to be, but we have to give them, obviously credit. They made a couple of nice plays. But at the end of the day we got the two points and it wasn’t the easiest two points, but we’ll take them.

On establishing momentum in the game:

I mean the first period wasn’t as sharp as we wanted to be, and then after that I thought we played pretty well. But we were down two goals, so obviously the two late in the second gave us the boost for the third.

On Robyn Regehr’s goal:

He’s been hot. He’s been riding the streak for what, Three weeks now? It’s awesome.

On the adjustments that have to be made in a high scoring game:

You know at some point you’re going to have to do a good job of checking, and I thought we did that really well late in the third. Jonesy came up some huge saves obviously, and we locked it down pretty well.

On this being a “character win” for the team:

Yeah, I think so. We could’ve packed it in easily and blamed it on the Olympic break. Okay, it’s the first game back. Chalk it up with a couple of excuses, but we didn’t’ get down. We believed and we were playing hard for each other and at the end of the day, the results were good for us.



February 26 postgame quotes: Matt Greene

Staff

On the team’s resiliency in the win over Colorado:

It was great, you know? Down by two. I don’t think we can say we’ve done that a lot of times, especially coming out of the break there and being in a shootout like we were tonight. Obviously you’ve got to buckle down defensively, especially om the P.K. I think for us to come out and pop six, it’s huge for our team, and when you do it when you’re down by two, that’s awesome.

On whether the team was due for a game like this:

It’s about time. About time. Something had to happen, you know? But, obviously it’s not our best game. We’ve played better than this and have been shut out, but when they come, you’ve got to take ‘em.

On Martin Jones’ saves in the third period:

Huge. Jonesy was awesome. He’s lights out. He’s great, man. We’ve got a great one-two punch going right now, and it gives the team a lot of confidence, too. They can dress both guys and give Quickie a little rest and [we’ll] see what’s going to happen tomorrow.

On what shifted the momentum late in the second period:

Great play by Kopi to stick it out there. When you drop down, you get down by two, you’ve got to answer back with one quick one, and we got that right away with Kopi, and then at the end there, just a good cycle. Rick, Carts and Tanner are doing a good job down there. That’s what we need. You need net-front. Those goals weren’t going in for us pretty much all year, and then guys were going to the net and paying the price. It’s good they get rewarded for it.


730212 Minnesota Wild

Blackhawks get D Connelly from Wild for F Winchester

Article by: Associated Press

Updated: February 26, 2014 - 4:25 PM

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks acquired defenseman Brian Connelly from the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday in exchange for forward Brad Winchester.

The 27-year-old Connelly has played in 50 games this season with the AHL's Iowa Wild, leading the team in points (32) and assists (27). He also ranks second among team defensemen in goals (5).

The 32-year-old Winchester has 16 goals and 14 assists in 55 games this season with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. He has played in 390 NHL games over seven seasons with Edmonton, Dallas, St. Louis, Anaheim and San Jose, recording 68 points and 552 penalty minutes

Star Tribune LOADED: 02.27.2014


Koivu, Scandella questionable for Wild's return

By Chad Graff

[email protected]

Posted: 02/26/2014 12:01:00 AM CST

Updated: 02/26/2014 06:34:19 PM CST

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Captain Mikko Koivu and defenseman Marco Scandella continue to recover from injuries, and both are questionable for the Wild's first game back from the Olympic break against the Oilers on Thursday night.

Koivu underwent ankle surgery Jan. 6. Scandella, who sprained his knee Feb. 4, was placed on injured reserve, along with winger Jason Zucker (lower body).

The Wild play Friday night at Vancouver, which Yeo said complicates the issue.

"Back-to-back games might be tough for (Koivu)," Yeo said. "But that said, I don't want to say that he's in, I don't want to say that he's out. But those are the things that we'd have to consider along with making sure that he's 100 percent.

"I know from speaking to him, he's not quite there yet so we'll see."

Koivu said he's likely past the point of reinjuring his ankle but needs to feel more comfortable skating with the pain before he plays in his first game since Jan. 4.

"I'm just waiting for it to feel like it's game ready, and then I'll play," Koivu said. "The key is always how it responds the next day to (make sure) it's not getting worse."

Scandella and Zucker's IR move is retroactive to Feb. 7, so they're eligible to play at any time. The move makes room for goaltender John Curry and winger Stephane Veilleux, recalled from AHL Iowa.

Zucker won't join the team on this road trip and has yet to skate since the Olympic break started Feb. 7.

Curry, who is 7-5-2 with a 2.08 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in 15 games with Iowa, was called up as insurance after Niklas Backstrom was unable to practice Tuesday because of soreness.

Briefly

The Wild and Chicago Blackhawks swapped minor league players Wednesday. Minnesota acquired veteran left winger Brad Winchester in exchange for minor league defenseman Brian Connelly. Winchester, 32, is a tough fourth-liner with 390 career NHL games and 24 playoff games on his resume. He was set to report to the Wild's AHL affiliate in Iowa but could bring energy and a veteran presence to the Wild this season.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 02.27.2014


Wild coach Mike Yeo: seizing opportunity

By Chad Graff

[email protected]

Posted: 02/26/2014 12:01:00 AM CST | Updated: about 3 hours ago

EDMONTON, Alberta -- At rock bottom, coach Mike Yeo had trouble sleeping. It had grown nearly impossible to block out the noise.

After a franchise-worst six straight regulation losses to close out 2013, Yeo's job -- his first as an NHL head coach -- was the subject of rumor, conjecture and criticism. After investing roughly $200 million to sign stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2012, the Wild were expecting more.

If they were to lose a seventh straight game, a coaching change seemed inevitable.

So, at rock bottom, the NHL's youngest head coach arrived at his corner office in Xcel Energy Center during the wee hours of Jan. 1. His team needed something. He needed something.

He pulled up a computer file, a collection of motivational and meaningful quotes that he has built over the years. One caught his eye.

He erased the writing from a white board that sits just above his desk and scribbled down the quote in small, messy handwriting with a black marker.

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

OPPORTUNITY SEIZED

The next day, the Wild beat the Buffalo Sabres -- then beat the Capitals, Kings and Coyotes. In all, the Wild have gone 11-4-2 since Jan. 1 and moved up four places in the Western Conference, sitting sixth as they traveled to Edmonton to kick off the final stretch of the season with a Thursday night game against the Oilers.

Before the team left Minnesota, Yeo, 40, looked up from his desk at that whiteboard and was reminded of how far he and the team had come since he scrawled that message on a cold New Year's Day eight weeks ago.

"It's still there," Yeo said with a smile.

Perhaps that's because, as the Wild enter their final 23 regular-season games, the quote applies as much as ever.

After pulling his team back from the abyss, Yeo is not going to lose his job. But he's still in the final season of his contract, meaning he's in the final months of his contract.

At the end of this season -- whenever that it is -- Wild management will decide whether Yeo has shown enough improvement to earn his second NHL coaching contract.

It's still a fluid subject, and much can change or be misinterpreted in the next six weeks, which is why the Wild front office and ownership declined comment for this story.

With his most talented roster yet, Yeo has 23 regular-season games and, perhaps most important, a possible playoff run to cement his reputation with the Wild brass. If seized, more opportunities will come. If not, the same speculation over Yeo's job will return at season's end.

"I believe in myself," Yeo said. "I believe in the job here and I believe in our team and what we're capable of. To me, there's always going to be talk and speculation and opinions, and that's fine. But when you're not behind the closed doors, and you don't know what's going on, then it's only speculations and opinions.

"I know what's reality, and I know where this group is at and what we're capable of as a team -- and I can't help but feel good."

EXPERIENCE

It's easy to coach a team that's winning, Yeo said. You just let them continue playing the way they are. It's on a losing team, he said, where a coach makes the biggest difference.

This is not just an observational assertion. Yeo spent six years as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2005-10) under Michael Therrien and Dan Bylsma. During that time, the Penguins advanced to two Stanley Cup Finals, including a title in 2009. He then coached the Wild's American Hockey League affiliate in Houston, leading his team to the Calder Cup Final in 2011.

As he looks back on his first two-plus seasons as an NHL head coach, that's one area in which Yeo feels he has improved greatly.

Coaching is a lot like playing, he said. The more you do it, the better you get. Because of that, he studies other coaches. What do they say? How do they prepare? What do they do differently?

"The coach that I am now isn't the coach that I'm going to be in five years or 10 years," he said. "I think there's a lot more potential for growth, and I feel good about that. I also feel good about the fact that this is my third year and I have improved a lot. There's a lot of areas where I'm doing things differently than I would have two years ago, and things that I've learned."

BAD STRETCH

Deserved or undeserved, late-season collapses have been a theme in Yeo's tenure with the Wild.

Two seasons ago, he took an overachieving team to the top of the Western Conference before injuries to four of the top six forwards started a plummet down the standings and the Wild missed the playoffs.

"I'll sit here and argue with anybody that it was because of the injuries that we had," Yeo said.

Last season, the Wild were third in the conference before going 5-8-1 in April, winning on the last day to secure the eighth and final playoff spot in the West -- and drawing top seed and eventual champion Chicago in the first round.

That series, a 4-1 loss, wasn't pretty. That's why, fairly or unfairly, these next 23 games are the most important of Yeo's coaching career.

"I think if they want to categorize that (going into a slump) as a reflection of me that's, whatever," Yeo said. "They can do whatever they want. If you want to be realistic, every team does.

"The teams that are successful are the teams that are able to just stay focused on the short term and deal with where they're at. That's how you end up being where you want to be at the end."

Yeo said he learned more about coaching last year than any other time. He learned from a great stretch in March and a down stretch in April. He learned from an embarrassing loss to Edmonton in the last home game of the season, and a huge road win in Denver on the last day of the season.

And, he said, he learned from the team's playoff experience.

"I felt like I grew an incredible amount last year during the toughest times," Yeo said. "Those were growing moments for me, as well as our team. We've been on this journey together. We still have a young team, and we're still learning how to deal with all this stuff."

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Yeo has never backed down from questions about his contract or job status. Even at the worst of times, his demeanor didn't change. He wanted his players to be able to look from the bench and see a calm coach.

And he never flinched after the team lost six straight games and appeared to be spiraling out of control.

That's why he showed up to his office early on Jan. 1. That's why he searched for a quote.

And that's why the quote is still there as the Wild enter the most important stretch of the season.

"That's just part of my character," Yeo said. "I love a challenge, and certainly we've faced one this year. If I can provide anything more than X's and O's, it's to help show the guys how you should preform and behave when you're under the gun."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 02.27.2014

730215 Montreal Canadiens

Habs goaltender Carey Price leaves practice with lower-body injury

BROSSARD, Que. — The Canadian Press

Published Wednesday, Feb. 26 2014, 11:32 AM EST

Last updated Wednesday, Feb. 26 2014, 5:04 PM EST

Montreal Canadiens star goaltender Carey Price left the team’s morning skate with what the club is calling a lower-body injury.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said Price aggravated the injury while representing Canada at the Sochi Olympics.

“He will not play the next two games and he’s day-to-day,” Therrien said.

The Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings tonight. Peter Budaj will start in goal, and Dustin Tokarski has been called up from the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs to serve as backup.

Therrien said that Price will not accompany the team on a trip to Pittsburgh for a game Thursday night and would be re-evaluated on Friday.

He was originally expected to make his return Saturday against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. His status for that game is unclear.

Price was participating in his first practice with the Canadiens since helping Canada win a gold medal in Sochi. He was injured while moving laterally to make a save during a five-on-0 power play drill.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock, who also coached Canada in Sochi, said he was unaware of Price being injured during the Games.

But Canada captain Sidney Crosby, speaking to reporters in Pittsburgh, said Price was ailing in Sochi and handled both the pressure of the starting job and his injury well.

“I think it was something that didn’t just happen at the Olympics,” said Crosby. “I think it’s something he’s been battling for a while.”

Price played in all but one of Canada’s Olympic games, including a 3-0 win over Sweden in the gold medal game.

Price has a 26-17-5 record, a .925 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average with Montreal this season.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 02.27.2014


Habs prospect Andrighetto growing in Hamilton

By Brenda Branswell, THE GAZETTE February 26, 2014 7:15 PM

Habs prospect Andrighetto growing in Hamilton

Canadiens prospect Sven Andrighetto was named the AHL player of the week early this month — a stretch when he amassed eight points in four road games, including a highlight-reel, end-to-end goal against the Toronto Marlies.

Photograph by: Dario Ayala , The Gazette

The transition from major junior to the American Hockey League is an adjustment for any rookie and it was no different for Canadiens prospect Sven Andrighetto.

“It was hard at the beginning because it’s men’s hockey now,” said Andrighetto, the Swiss forward with the Hamilton Bulldogs who was selected by the Canadiens in the third round of last June’s National Hockey League entry draft.

“Junior hockey everyone is about the same size and everyone is as strong. And here, you play against men. They’re all grown up. They’re stronger, they’re meaner, they’re faster and everything.

“You’ve got to keep your head up all the time,” added Andrighetto, a native of Zurich, whose height has been listed as 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-9.

“It depends on who measures me, yeah. But I say I’m 5-10. It sounds better,” Andrighetto said, smiling.

His transition to the AHL went “pretty fast” at the beginning, Andrighetto said. But he had trouble finding his game after missing a month and a half with a back injury and returning to the lineup just before Christmas.

That problem had been rectified by early this month when Andrighetto was named the AHL player of the week — a stretch when he amassed eight points in four road games, including a highlight-reel, end-to-end goal against the Toronto Marlies.

“I’m on my game again so it’s fun now,” Andrighetto said after practice in Hamilton in mid-February.

Andrighetto has the second-most goals on the Bulldogs and is also second in points with 12 goals and 16 assists, despite having missed 12 games. In 53 games last season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Andrighetto posted 31-67-98 totals — the sixth-highest point tally in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

“That’s why he got drafted because scouts knew that he had some offensive abilities,” said Sylvain Lefebvre, the Bulldogs’ head coach.

“He’s a good skater, he can shoot the puck, he can also make plays, and I think right now he’s having a lot more fun playing hockey,” Lefebvre said this month.

“You know sometimes when you come in as a young guy you start your professional career where — not that it’s always been easy, but it was easier at the junior level. And sometimes when it doesn’t go your way, when you have a little bit of adversity, it’s the way you react to it. And I think he’s reacting a lot better to it now than he was at the start of the season,” said Lefebvre, who acknowledged Andrighetto would get frustrated at times.

“Right now he’s improving every day,” Lefebvre said. “We’re going to keep pushing him and pushing him. We know that he’s got potential. It’s just a matter of living up to his potential.”

“There are some things he needs to learn,” the Bulldogs’ coach added. “And he’s doing well right now.”

Andrighetto said he tries to compensate for his size with his speed and his skills.

“I think I can go around bigger defenceman with my speed,” he said. “I can use it against them and in the corners with quick turns. That’s my game.”

It’s been his dream to play in the NHL since Andrighetto was 4 years old.

“It’s always been my dream to play in Canada once, and I think for me it was the right step to reach the NHL maybe one day,” said Andrighetto, who turns 21 next month.

He played two seasons in the QMJHL, where he landed the nickname ‘Ghetto”, which has stuck.

It was a big adjustment leaving home for Rouyn-Noranda, “especially at the beginning because it’s a different culture. I’m far away from my family and friends for the first time. But I really liked it there. It was good. I made some friends really fast and they helped me though this. It was great,” said Andrighetto, who has improved his English and speaks it well. He added that he doesn’t speak French, but understands it a bit after playing in Quebec.

Andrighetto thought that playing in North America would boost his chances of getting drafted. He wasn’t picked at age 18 when he was first eligible for the draft, which wasn’t a surprise to him. But after his first year in the QMJHL, “I was pretty disappointed, to be honest, that I didn’t get drafted,” he said.

That season he had 36 goals and 38 assists in 62 games. He produced at a pace of almost two points a game last season with the Huskies.

Andrighetto wasn’t sure whether he would be selected at last June’s NHL draft in New Jersey and initially didn’t want to attend the event. But André Tourigny, the head coach and general manager of the Huskies when he played there, told him there was a really good chance he would get picked, Andrighetto recounted. Tourigny, now an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche, wanted him to enjoy the experience, Andrighetto said.

“I don’t regret it,” Andrighetto said. “I mean, it was one of the best days of my life.”

The Canadiens picked him 86th overall.

“I was so excited. I played in the Q and Montreal is the biggest thing there,” said Andrighetto, who also knew of the Habs in his native Switzerland.

“There have been a couple of Swiss players already playing for Montreal and I want to be the next one.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.27.2014


Habs call up Tokarski to replace injured Price

By PAT HICKEY, The Gazette February 26, 2014

MONTREAL - Add Canadiens goaltender Carey Price to the list of casualties from the Sochi Olympics.

Price, who was named the top goalie at the Olymics after shutting out the U.S. in the semifinals and Sweden in the final, returned to the ice with the Habs on Wednesday morning but went to the dressing room after facing one shot during a power play drill.

“Carey aggravated an injury during the Olympics but he played through it,” said coach Michel Therrien.

Price had been scheduled to back up Peter Budaj on Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. Instead, the team has recalled Dustin Tokarski from the Hamilton Bulldogs to serve as backup.

Therrien said Price will remain in Montreal while the team travels to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins on Thursday night.

He said Price will be re-evaluated before Saturday’s home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.



Price leaves Habs’ morning skate early; will miss at least two games

Posted by Stu Cowan

Carey Price was back on the ice with his Canadiens teammates for the first time since the Olympics at Wednesday’s morning skate in Brossard.

But the goaltender left shortly after practice started after taking a shot off the leg, suffering what the club is calling a “lower-body injury”. Price won’t dress for Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690) and won’t travel with the team to Pittsburgh, where they will face the Penguins Thursday (7 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

Price aggravated a lower-body injury he suffered in Sochi, but he was able to play through it and lead Team Canada to the gold medal. The Canadiens will re-evaluate the goaltender on Friday. The Canadiens play the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

“During the Olympics, Carey aggravated a lower-body injury,” coach Michel Therrien told reporters after the morning skate. “He will not play the next two games and he’s day-to-day.”

Therrien announced on Tuesday that Peter Budaj would get the start in goal against the Red Wings and the Canadiens recalled Dustin Tokarski from the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs after Price was injured Wednesday morning to fill the backup role.

Below is a video The Gazette’s Brenda Branswell shot of Tokarski during a Bulldogs practice when she was in Hamilton during the Olympic break.

Alex Galchenyuk will return to the Habs’ lineup against the Red Wings after missing 15 games with a broken hand. Jarred Tinordi, called up from the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday, will also be in the lineup.

Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at the morning skate:

Gallagher – Desharnais – Pacioretty

Bourque – Eller – Galchenyuk

Weise – White – Moen

Gionta – Plekanec – Briere

Parros

Markov – Emelin

Subban – Gorges

Murray – Tinordi

Drewiske – Bouillon

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who led Team Canada to the gold medal in Sochi (see video below from Wednesday’s morning skate) is expected to wear his lucky McGill tie behind the bench against the Habs.


730219 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators sending Pekka Rinne to AHL to continue rehab

Feb. 26, 2014 1:32 PM |

Josh Cooper

Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) watches a shot as he prepares to make the save during his first team practice since going out with an injured hip at Centennial Sportsplex Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014 in Nashville, TN.

Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.

Pekka Rinne’s road back to the ice for the Predators will go through Milwaukee.

The veteran goaltender — continuing his recovery from surgery for a hip infection that has sidelined him since October — is being sent to Nashville’s American Hockey League affiliate to begin playing in games, the Predators announced on Wednesday.

Rinne will play for the Admirals in a home game on Friday against the Iowa Wild. They have a home game on Sunday against the Rochester Americans.

There is no timetable for his return to Nashville, according to the team. Said Rinne: “I feel like I’m really close to game shape. I think it’s a final couple of games before I jump on the ice with the Nashville team.”

Rinne played in only nine games before needing surgery to clean out the infection, which on Wednesday he confirmed was E.coli. That surgery followed a “hip arthroscopy” in early May. Both procedures were done at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

His rehab has been delicate. He only started practicing with the team when it returned from its 10-day Olympic break on Feb. 19.

The Predators are pinning a lot of their playoff hopes on the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, who is in the second year of a $49 million contract extension.

For now, however, coach Barry Trotz said Carter Hutton would remain the starter. Nashville faces Tampa Bay on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena (7 p.m., Fox TN, 102.5-FM).

Tennessean LOADED: 02.27.2014

730220 New Jersey Devils

Should Devils trade Jaromir Jagr? Here are 10 reasons to keep him

Randy Miller/NJ.com By Randy Miller/NJ.com

Email the author | on February 26, 2014 at 9:45 AM, updated February 26, 2014 at 3:19 PM

NEWARK - Devils president/GM Lou Lamoriello has some big decisions to make by March 5, NHL trade deadline day.

Will the Devils be buyers, sellers or stand pat?

Is it time to cut ties with goaltender Martin Brodeur?

Should some of the veteran defensemen be moved to open roster spots and playing time for three young players ... Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas (just back from the AHL) and Adam Larsson (still in Albany)?

And what should the Devils do about Jaromir Jagr, whose first season in New Jersey has been a smashing success. He's been the Devils' top line right wing all season and has been their most productive offensive player, but he turned 42 on Feb. 15 and is on a one-year contract, which means he'll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

So should the Devils trade Jagr, to get something for him, or keep him?

In the comments below, tell us what you think the Devils should do with their roster, while pondering our 10 reasons to keep Jagr:

1. BEST PLAYER

Is there any doubt who the Devils' MVP has been this season? You could make a case for goaltender Cory Schneider, but Jagr leads the Devils with 17 goals, 32 assists and 49 points. He's also tied for 17th in the NHL in plus-minus at plus-21, and of the players ahead of him, every one of them plays for the top three teams in the West or top two in the East, except for Anze Kopitar, whose LA Kings (31-22-6) also have a better record than Jagr's Devils (24-22-13). He's the top scoring threat on a offensively challenged team.

2. NO BETTER BANG FOR BUCK

There is no bigger bargain in the league than Jagr, who is tied with Thomas Vanek for 26th in the NHL scoring race while being a $2 million cap hit and having a $4 million salary (counting the $2 million bonus he's earned for playing 45 games). The average cap hit for the 25 NHL players with more points, plus Vanek, is $5.82 million, and Jagr's $2 million hit is by far the lowest. The only other player in this group below $3 million is Islanders right wing Kyle Opkoso, who has 24 goals, 59 points and a $2.8 million cap hit through 2015-16.

3. FUN TO WATCH

Jagr has slowed over the years, his once-famous mullet is long gone and a lot of his whiskers are gray or white, but No. 68 still is one of the most exciting players in the league. He's fun to watch when cycling with the puck or speeding into the zone and stopping on a dime to make a tape-to-tape pass for a scoring opportunity.

And Jagr still has his infectious smile. People say the Devils are boring because they lack star players and employ a stifling defensive system, but they'd be a lot less entertaining to watch without Jagr. He already has passed a lot of greats this season on the league's all-time goals, assists and points list and now he's two goals away from becoming the seventh player to reach 700. He could reach that milestone in a Devils uniform.

4. WHAT'S ALTERNATIVE?

If the Devils trade Jagr, they're waving a white flag on the season, even though they're still bunched up with a handful of teams fighting for the final Eastern Conference playoff berths. They might not be a favorite to get in, but the Devils have a chance, thanks to a favorable schedule that is home heavy and not loaded with top teams. And if they get into the postseason, they could be dangerous if Schneider gets hot. With Jagr, the Devils are in most games. Without him, they're done.

5. KEEPS DRESSING ROOM LOOSE

It never gets old when Jagr starts his comedy act during interviews, often poking fun at himself, reporters or teammates -- especially his No. 1 target, Dainius Zubrus. The teasing is all in good fun, though, and it seems to have built togetherness on a team that hears from fans and media that it's not good enough.

6. WEAK DRAFT

When Dallas dealt Jagr to Boston at last year's NHL trade deadline, the Stars received a conditional No. 1 draft pick that went from a second to a first when the Bruins advanced to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Early indications are that the Devils could receive a conditional first for Jagr but likely would get a second -- in a draft that is considered poor in top prospects and depth.

7. WORK HABITS

Jagr is famous for getting a key to the practice rink so that he can show up late at night to work on his game. He did that in Philly and Dallas. He trains hard on and off the ice, and watches what he eats. His health-nut habits don't go unnoticed by his teammates, especially the younger ones. He's a role model for guys like Adam Henrique and Damien Brunner, Reid Boucher while he was in the NHL, Gelinas, Merrill ... most everyone.

8. GIVES DEVILS IDENTITY

For two decades, Brodeur was the face of the Devils. Now that he’s backing up Schneider, Jagr is most recognizable player on the team. When the Devils visit a city, Jagr is a reason to buy a ticket. Better yet, he's a reason for Devils fans to buy tickets.

9. NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT

When the Devils lose a close game or are going through a bad spell, Jagr often is waiting at his locker to answer the tough questions. And when pointing out reasons why the Devils lost games, he's not calling out teammates by name but his words still are powerful messages.

10. BEST CHANCE AT RE-SIGNING HIM

If the Devils are interested in signing Jagr for next season, it doesn't make sense to trade him and hope he returns. That strategy has worked with other players, but it probably won't with Jagr, who craves organizational love and respect. He'll look for an opportunity to play on the first or second line and on the power play next season, and if the Devils can add a piece or two next summer, they'll be able to offer Jagr all of that. A fair deal for next season probably will be around $4.5 million to $5 million. That's not too much if Jagr produces next year like he has this season. But he's probably not coming back if you trade him.

Star Ledger LOADED: 02.27.2014


Devils' Patrik Elias and wife, Petra, celebrate birth of daughter

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on February 26, 2014 at 3:37 PM, updated February 26, 2014 at 3:44 PM

NEWARK— Devils forward Patrik Elias and wife Petra celebrated the birth Wednesday of their second daughter.

Kaila Patricie Elias, 7 1/2 pounds and 19 inches, was born at 8:53 a.m. Wednesday.

Mom and baby were both doing fine.

Elias missed practice Wednesday to attend the birth of their second daughter. Sophia Gabrialla was born Nov. 27, 2010.

Congratulations to the Elias family.

New York Times LOADED: 02.27.2014


Jaromir Jagr likes Devils' chances of making playoffs



NEWARK— Jaromir Jagr likes the Devils’ chances of making the playoffs, even if they have to climb over several teams to earn a spot in the postseason.

The veteran right winger pointed out several factors in the Devils’ favor: Fourteen of their final 23 games are at home, they will go head-to-head against the teams they must pass and third place in the Metropolitan Division is well within reach, meaning the Devils wouldn’t have to climb over five teams.

The top three teams in each division will earn a playoff spot, along with two wild cards in each conference. So it isn't strictly finishing in the conference's top eight.

“You don’t have to jump over four or five teams,” Jagr told The Star-Ledger. “It’s still in your hands. You’re going to face all the teams fighting for the playoffs. And in our division it’s pretty much open. Even the second spot.

“We’re not behind by much with 23 games left. And you’ll play those teams twice, at least. Plus, we’re going to play at home more than anybody. I don’t know if it’s an advantage, but it should be. It’s pretty much open.”

It begins with an important game Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team the Devils trail by two points.

“They’re all important,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think when we look at the 23 games that are left, it’s not only important to win but it’s important to win some of the right games. Those teams around us are definitely the right games.”

As long as they don’t get distracted by the task at hand.

“The hardest part is we’re going to become a game-watching team. Who is helping us today? Sometimes you lose your focus because of that,” goalie Martin Brodeur suggested. “That’s something we need to avoid. Right now we don’t need teams to fall. We need to do well. At some point it might be different, but we can’t start thinking about that right away.

“Like Buffalo beat Carolina (Tuesday night). That’s nice, but you can’t get too (wrapped up) in watching who is winning and who is losing. You do that at the end. The focus is on playing well and winning our games to give ourselves the best chance when it really counts.”

In addition to 14 home games and the second easiest remaining schedule in the league based on the points percentages of opponents, the Devils play only four out of conference games--- vs. San Jose, Minnesota, Phoenix and Calgary. All of those games are at home.

“We paid a price for that earlier in the year. We had a tough schedule compared to a lot of teams,” DeBoer pointed out. “Again, I use the adage that the table is set for us to win some games because of that, but we have to follow through.”

The Devils wrapped up seven days of practices Wednesday.

“We’re excited. It feels like a long time, so we’re trying to manage the energy,” DeBoer said. “We come right out of the gate with basically three games in 3 ½ days with the afternoon games, so it’s going to come quickly.”

Making the playoffs won’t be easy, but the team’s leading scorer thinks they’ll do it.

“Of course I do,” Jagr said.



Devils' Martin Brodeur: What happens in days before trade deadline is my business, should be kept privateJpgLoading Photo Gallery



NEWARK— Don’t expect Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to announce publicly that he wants to be traded.

In fact, even if he is asked to waive his no-trade clause, Brodeur probably won’t say so unless a deal actually happens.

“Oh, no. It’s not going to be like that. I don’t think so, anyway,” Brodeur told The Star-Ledger after practice Wednesday. “It’s nobody else’s business but mine as for the direction I want to go.

“It’s been tough because you go through ups and downs. The more questions I’m asked, sometimes my answers change. That’s why in the last few weeks I’ve been more quiet about it. It’s on purpose, because I want to make sure my decision is an educated decision and there are no influences from the outside. Show up Thursday and you’ll know if I’m on the plane to Detroit (where the Devils play Friday).”

The NHL trade deadline is 3 p.m. next Wednesday (March 5). Brodeur did say he hasn’t discussed the situation with general manager Lou Lamoriello.

“Not yet. I’m sure I’ll talk to him, but there’s no plan to do anything,” said the goalie, who will be on the bench Thursday night when Cory Schneider starts against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Prudential Center.

“You can ask all the questions you want about the situation and you’ll probably get the same answers until something happens or doesn’t happen. You’ll probably never know what happened (behind the scenes). I feel that’s the most appropriate way to deal with things when you’ve been with an organization. It’s definitely a difficult situation for both the organization and myself to go through at this point, but we’ll see what transpires in the next week.”

It is not as difficult for Jaromir Jagr, who does not have a no-trade clause and confirmed he hasn’t spoken to Lamoriello about his own situation.

“The one thing that is good about this team is we don’t have much media coverage. Less media, less rumors and less trade rumors. I haven’t even heard any rumors,” Jagr said with a smile.

“Hey, I’ve been traded twice during the season. From Dallas to Boston (April 2 last season) and to New York from Washington (Jan. 23, 2004). Going to the Rangers from Washington, they told me they were trying to trade me so I was kind of expecting it. The last one, Dallas to Boston, I was surprised. For me it’s easier than somebody with a big family. I pack my stuff and go, if something happens. Or not go.”

Coach Pete DeBoer admitted the days leading up to the trade deadline can be a distraction.

“Sure it is. It’s a tough week,” DeBoer said. “Unsettling is probably the best word for it from a player’s perspective because there is uncertainty with what’s going on. The nice thing is we’ve got a veteran group. This isn’t their first time through this and they realize you can’t waste energy thinking about it. It is what it is.”

He isn’t worrying about whether the Devils will acquire a goal-scorer.

“I take the same mindset as the players. I try to,” DeBoer said. “I don’t waste energy thinking about possibilities or what we’re going to have when we come out the other end. I’m just going in anticipating this is going to be our group until the end of the season. If it’s different, then we’ll work with that.

“We went through some trade deadlines when I was in Florida where we moved a lot of guys. I realized it’s out of your control and you can’t waste energy on that.”

Nevertheless, the Brodeur drama has everyone’s attention. Including teammates.

“I’m sure,” Brodeur said. “They know what’s going on. But it’s a lot different than if it would have happened five years ago with all my boys (longtime

teammates) here from the past. It’s a little different with a lot of new faces here.

“You do have relationships, but they’re not as strong as they used to be. That’s just part of hockey. You build relationships through winning.”



Devils: Steve Bernier practices; Patrik Elias awaiting birth of child


on February 26, 2014 at 10:28 AM, updated February 26, 2014 at 2:39 PM

NEWARK— Steve Bernier, who missed practice Tuesday for personal reasons, was back on the ice with the Devils Wednesday in AmeriHealth Pavilion.

Patrik Elias did not practice. His wife, Petra, is due to give birth.

Devils' practice lines:

Dainius Zubrus-Travis Zajac-Jaromir Jagr

Adam Henrique-Jacob Josefson-Damien Brunner

Ryane Clowe-Andrei Loktionov-Michael Ryder

Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier

Defense:

Andy Greene-Mark Fayne

Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky

Eric Gelinas-Jon Merrill

Anton Volchenkov-Peter Harrold

Goalies:

Cory Schneider

Martin Brodeur



Lamoriello looking to be a buyer - not a seller - prior to trade deadline; Eliases welcome daughter

Posted by Tom Gulitti

As the clock ticks toward the next Wednesday’s 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline – now less than a week away – this is the situation the Devils and general manager Lou Lamoriello face.

The Devils have 23 regular season games remaining and sit three points out of a playoff spot with four teams to jump over to get in. In the shorter term, they have four games to play before the deadline – Thursday at home against Columbus, Saturday at Nassau Coliseum against the Islanders, Sunday at home against San Jose and Tuesday at home against Detroit.

That four-game window will give Lamoriello one final chance to assess which direction he should go.

Should he be a buyer and try to pick up pieces – most notably a scoring forward – to help this team in its bid to make the playoffs? Or should he forget about this season and be a seller by trying to deal some of the team’s valuable potential unrestricted free agents such as Jaromir Jagr, Marek Zidlicky and even Martin Brodeur in hope of adding some pieces for the future?

(For more on Jagr and Brodeur, see the previous post.)

As it stands right now, Lamoriello says “it’s not even a question” that he views himself as a buyer looking to supplement a roster he says he still believes is good enough to qualify for the playoffs and not someone looking to sell off pieces and look toward next season.

“If we can get better, that’s absolutely what we’ll do,” he said. “I’m really happy with this team. You’re not going to do anything for the sake of doing it, but this team has overcome a lot through a difficult period of time right now and we have some things going in our favor: we have a favorable schedule, we have a sort of healthy team and the new players who we brought in are really comfortable within the system. They’re comfortable in their own skin. They’re comfortable with the coaches. So, there’s a lot of things that have been overcome and throughout that we weathered the storm (such as) injuries to key players.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be (easy) by any means. We’ve got to go out and play. But I think we have the ingredients to have success is what I’m saying.”

That said, Lamoriello does not deny that what the team does in its next four games will impact his pre-deadline thinking. If the Devils fall further out in the race – with the Detroit playing Montreal tonight they could drop five points out of a playoff spot before they play their first post-Olympics game – that could push him toward at least exploring his selling options.

“That would be unfair for me to say that it wouldn’t influence it,” Lamoriello said of the next four games. “Everything influences your thinking, every single day. It’s like I’ve always said I have a five-year plan that changes every day. That’s the way I look at it. So, for anybody to say it no it doesn’t is kidding themselves, but the emphasis and the focus or the sort of magnitude of it you have to be careful.”

For example, Lamoriello already has a pretty good idea of his team’s needs – scoring is the biggest one – and barring an injury, little can happen to change that. So, his assessment of his roster isn’t likely to change over the next four games

Actually, Lamoriello sounds as if he has been trying for some time to make a trade for scoring help, but there hasn’t been much of a market available. The deadline has a way of making that market expand, though.

“You have the whole year to try to make a trade and you’re always doing it,” Lamoriello said. “Yet, no one focuses in on it the way you’d like to see until the end when you know you can’t do it anymore. So, sometimes the games appear to be more important, but they shouldn’t really be. It’s just the appearance of it.

“You know your team and you know what you need to do. You know what your assets and liabilities are and four games doesn’t change that.”

Right now, there are only three teams in the East that are clearly out of the playoff race – Buffalo, the Islanders and Florida. In the West, only Edmonton and Calgary are the only teams more than four points out of a playoff spot.

The Devils hope to be in a better position a week from now, but other teams might think differently about their spot in the postseason race by then.

“Every game is critical, but it’s the path the team is going to take that they’re going to decide to go for it or try it or let it go,” Brodeur said. “That’s when the market is going to open up. You just hope as a team that we do well so we can stay put and, hopefully, whatever (Lamoriello) decides to do could help us out along the way. But, it’s going to be interesting.”

Lamoriello has rarely been a seller around the trade deadline. In 2011, when the team was nine points out of a playoff spot with 20 games to go, he dealt center Jason Arnott to Washington for a second-round pick and center David Center, but it usually is not his inclination to give up on a season if the playoffs are still within reach.

“No matter what happens, I don’t think we’re going to be out of the playoffs in a week and I think Lou is a guy who will fight to the end,” Jagr said. “So, I don’t think he would be a seller. So, we shouldn’t be worried about the trade deadline at all. We should be worried about the games we play.”

To Devils captain Bryce Salvador, trading away a potential unrestricted free agent won’t necessarily mean that Lamoriello is giving up on the season. At least, it certainly won’t mean that to him.

“I just know regardless of what happens, the guys here are not going to count ourselves out,” he said. “You’ve got to be ready for everything. Even if we make some moves, I don’t think that would be giving up. That’s just my honest opinion because we have such a strong core of guys here.

“Maybe there’s a business decision that’s got to be made. I don’t think it’s necessarily going to have us packing the tents away.”

It’s not inconceivable that Lamoriello liquidates some of his depth on defense – Zidlicky (who has a no-trade clause) and Mark Fayne are both potential UFAs that might interest teams seeking rental players – for a draft pick or some piece of the future and then uses a draft pick or different piece of the future to swing another deal for a rental forward.

Another alternative is to try to make a trade in which the Devils trade a player under contract beyond this season for another player under contract beyond this season. Those types of trades are rarer around deadline time, though, because the main market usually is for rental players with expiring contracts.

It appears clear that if Lamoriello does make a trade it will be for scoring help. The Devils rank 27th in the 30-team NHL with a scoring average of just 2.29 goals per game and have scored one or no goals 18 times in their 59 games so far.

Lamoriello believes adding a scoring forward can only be part of the solution, though. He still more has to come from the existing roster.

“I’d like to add scoring,” Lamoriello said. “I’ve like to get a couple of our guys who have the ability to score and have scored get on a hot streak. I don’t think anything coming in here would make a difference. It would be supportive. But it has to come from within. I’ve always said this: your best players have to be your best players and that’s what we need to have happen right now and your support players have to be there. When things are cold, they come up with the big goal or a big play.

“So, I think right now we just have to take one day at a time and just feel good about what we’re doing.”

***

Devils forward Patrik Elias’s wife, Petra, gave birth today to a daughter—the couple’s second child, who they named Kaila Patricie. Kaila measured 19 inches and weighed 7 1/2 pounds. According to Elias’ agent Allan Walsh, mother and baby are “doing spectacular.”

Congratulations to them.

Patrik and Petra now have two daughters. Kaila’s big sister, Sophia, was born on Nov. 27, 2010.

Elias missed practice today to be with Petra and welcome Kaila into the world. He is expected to be back for Thursday’s game.

***

A clarification on the picture Tuesday of Brodeur shooting on goaltender Cory Schneider at the end of practice: Brodeur said today he was trying to

demonstrate to some of the shooters what path to take to the net on their shootout attempts and not actually trying to score. He said he just flipped the puck on net when it came time to shoot. Schneider stopped it with his stick.

Bergen Record LOADED: 02.27.2014


Brodeur “waiting” as trade deadline approaches; Jagr hasn’t discussed Devils’ future with Lamoriello


With the trade deadline a week away, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said again today that he has not spoken to general manager Lou Lamoriello about his future with the team and has no plans to do so at this time. He thinks they will probably talk at some point, though, before the deadline at 3 p.m. next Wednesday.

“There’s nothing that’s planned, so I’m just kind of sitting and waiting it out and we’ll see,” Brodeur said. “I’m sure I’ll be talking somewhat to him regardless of what happens in the next four games. But there’s no plan on doing anything.”

The Devils, who are three points out of a playoff spot with 23 regular season games remaining, have four games left before the deadline – Thursday at home vs. Columbus, Saturday at the Islanders, Sunday at home against San Jose and Tuesday at home against Detroit. How they do in those games might influence Lamoriello’s thinking on the moves he’ll try to make before the deadline, but probably won’t impact Brodeur’s situation that much.

Brodeur, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has said he is “open” to waiving the no-trade clause in his contract if Lamoriello can find a team with “a better situation” for him as far as playing time and also get back some assets that will help the Devils. Lamoriello continues to decline commenting on Brodeur’s future with the team.

“We’re not talking about it,” Lamoriello said.

Brodeur, 41, said he has not been asked to waive his no-trade clause and repeated that he has no plans—at this time – to request a trade.

“Not yet,” he said.

Cory Schneider will start his seventh game in a row when the Devils host the Blue Jackets Thursday. Devils coach Pete DeBoer has said both goaltenders will play, though, with the team playing three games over the next four days. Brodeur said again today that he has not been told which of the games this weekend he will start.

When I asked him today if he thinks he’ll still be a Devil after the trade deadline, Brodeur replied, “Time will tell. Show up on Thursday morning and you’ll see if I’m on the plane to Detroit.”

The Devils play their first game after the trade deadline next Friday in Detroit.

***

Right wing Jaromir Jagr continues to say he is not thinking about the trade deadline. Like Brodeur, he is in the final season of his contract, but does not have a no-trade clause, so he has less control over his future if Lamoriello does decide to trade him – which doesn’t appear to be his plan right now.

Jagr has said repeatedly he would like to stay with the Devils. He said Lamoriello hasn’t talked to him about his future with the team or the trade deadline.

Although Jagr, 42, doesn’t have a no-trade clause, he sounded confident that if Lamoriello did try to move him he would still have some say in it. That was the case last season when Dallas traded him to Boston before the deadline. He suggested he might not go to some teams if they traded for him.

“If something were to happen, I think the other team would call first (to talk to him), like they did before,” Jagr said. “If they give up something, they have to make sure I want to go there. I don’t have a contract. I have one month left, so if I decide I’m not going (a team wouldn’t trade for him).”

DeBoer admitted that the trade deadline is a concern for coaches as far as it being a potential distraction for the players.

“Sure it is. It’s a tough week,” he said. “Unsettling is probably the best word for it from a player’s perspective because there is uncertainty with what’s going on and I think the nice thing is we’ve got a veteran group that this isn’t their first time through this and they realize that you can’t waste energy thinking about it. It is what it is.”

DeBoer said he’s taking a similar approach to the deadline, concentrating only on the team he has now and not what it might look like after 3 p.m. next Wednesday.

“I take the same mindset as the players or I try to,” he said. “I don’t waste energy thinking about possibilities or what we’re going to have when we come out the other end. I’m just going in anticipating this is going to be our group until the end of the season and then if it’s different then we’ll work with that. We went through some trade deadlines when I was in Florida that we moved a lot of guys and I realize that it’s out of your control and you can’t waste energy on that.”

The Devils have enough to worry about with the four games they play before the deadline. It starts Thursday with an important one against a Columbus team they will probably have to beat out to make the playoffs. The Devils are 0-2-1 against the Blue Jackets so far this season.

“They’re all important, obviously,” DeBoer said. “I think when we look at the 23 games that are left, it’s not only important to win, but it’s important to win some of the right games. Those teams around us are definitely the right games.”

Of the Devils’ 23 remaining games, only four are outside the conference (the fewest for any team in the league). So, that will give them head-to-head opportunities to gain ground on the teams they are battling to get into the playoffs.

They play Detroit (the team they are currently chasing for the last spot in the East) and Carolina twice apiece and Philadelphia, Columbus, Washington, the Rangers and Ottawa once each.

They also have six games against teams out of the Eastern playoff race - three against the Islanders, two against Florida and one against Buffalo (but also two against Atlantic Division leading Boston).

“We paid a price for that,” DeBoer said of the head-to-head opportunities the Devils will have. “Earlier in the year, we had a tough schedule compared to a lot of teams. I’ve used the adage that the table is set for us to win some games here because of that, but we have to follow through.”

The Devils have had had seven practice days (and one day off) since returning from their time off for the Olympics. They finally play their first game since Feb. 8 Thursday.

“We’re excited,” DeBoer said. “It feels like a long time. We’re trying to manage the energy. We come right out of the gate with basically three games in three and a half days with the afternoon games, so it’s going to come quickly.”

“Everyone’s ready to go and everyone’s recharged,” Devils captain Bryce Salvador said. “It’s going to be a great rush to the end. There’s so many teams in the hunt here and I think it’s going to be exciting.”

***

There was no indication from today’s practice or after it which two defensemen will sit out Thursday. Center Jacob Josefson has been the extra forward – or filled in for players missing practice – all week, so it appears he will be a healthy scratch again.



Elias missing Devils’ practice for birth of second child; Bernier returns


Devils forward Patrik Elias is not practicing with the team today so he can be with his wife, Petra, while she gives birth to the couple’s second child.

Jacob Josefson is filling in for Elias as the center on the line with Adam Henrique and Damien Brunner.

All of the other players on the team’s active roster are practicing today as they prepare for their first post-Olympics game Thursday against Columbus. Right wing Steve Bernier is back after missing Tuesday’s practice for what the team called “personal” reasons.

Other than Josefson subbing for Elias and Bernier returning to his spot on the fourth line, the line combinations remain the same as the last two days. The defense pairs also remain the same.

Cory Schneider said Tuesday that he will start in net Thursday.

After warming up with some drills, the Devils went into some 5-on-5 scrimmaging with head coach Pete DeBoer stopping play from time to time to point certain things out. After that, they worked on the power play.

With Elias not here, Andrei Loktionov took his spot up front on the first power-play unit with Jaromir Jagr and Travis Zajac. Brunner and Marek Zidlicky were the point men again on the first unit.

The second unit had Ryane Clowe, Henrique and Michael Ryder up front with defensemen Andy Greene and Eric Gelinas on the points. Rookie defenseman Jon Merrill also rotated in with the point men on the second unit.

Here is the breakdown of the players practicing today:

Forwards: Dainius Zubrus-Travis Zajac-Jaromir Jagr; Adam Henrique-Jacob Josefson-Damien Brunner; Ryane Clowe-Andrei Loktionov-Michael Ryder; Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier.

Defensemen: Andy Greene-Mark Fayne; Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky; Anton Volcnenkov-Peter Harrold; Eric Gelinas-Jon Merrill.

Goaltenders: Cory Schneider, Martin Brodeur.


730228 New York Islanders

Isles trade talk heating up with Vanek, MacDonald

10:55 AM By Arthur Staple

Thomas Vanek skates during an outdoor practice at

Thomas Vanek skates during an outdoor practice at Grant Park in Hewlett on Feb 24, 2014. (Credit: James Escher)

The trade deadline is seven days away and the Islanders will be busy -- just not quite yet.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on Tuesday night that six teams have called Islanders GM Garth Snow about Thomas Vanek, with one team making a “serious offer” that was, obviously, rejected. McKenzie said there are a similar number of teams inquiring about Andrew MacDonald, with no offers made as of yet.

My indications are that, barring a “can’t refuse” offer from anyone in the next few days, Snow will take this as close to the 3 p.m. deadline on March 5 as possible to entice better offers for both Vanek and MacDonald.

Some might think that strategy could backfire. There’s the possibility that either player could get hurt, with the Isles playing three games in the next four days, or that a prospective buyer could get tired of waiting and jump at another player available.

But the Islanders feel they have two unique assets in this trade market: In Vanek, they have the most talented offensive player out there, beyond some of the other forwards rumored to be available (the Oilers’ Sam Gagner, the Sabres’ Matt Moulson, the Rangers’ Ryan Callahan and the Flames’ Mike Cammalleri). Vanek is viewed as an immediate difference-maker; we’ll see if there will be more than one or two clubs who will keep in the hunt for Vanek over the coming days.

MacDonald is even more unique: A minutes-eating defenseman whose small salary ($550,000) fits into any team’s cap structure. As games go on through the weekend, the number of suitors for MacDonald may go up.

The Islanders have no intention of moving goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. It’s hard to see a scenario where Snow would be swayed by an offer. No team is surrendering a first-round pick for Nabokov, so I imagine he’s staying put.

Not necessarily Islanders-related, but I’ve now heard from three different NHL people that Martin St. Louis did indeed request a trade last month. He has a full no-move clause, so he could pick his destination. That would seem to be the Rangers. St. Louis has an offseason home in Greenwich, Conn.

Have to see how that plays out and whether St. Louis ultimately getting to go to Sochi and win a gold medal has changed his feelings. But if this all stemmed from Steve Yzerman passing St. Louis over for the initial Team Canada roster, that may trump John Tavares’ season-ending injury as exhibit A for owners and GMs never wanting the NHL in the Olympics again.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.27.2014

730229 New York Rangers

Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis has asked to be dealt only to NY Rangers: report

By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 7:12 PM

Rumors that the Rangers could trade their 28-year-old captain for a 38-year-old former Stanley Cup champion took a noteworthy twist on Wednesday evening.

Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis has requested a trade from Tampa Bay, according to several reports, but according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie in a Toronto radio interview, St. Louis (“Saint Lou-ee”) asked to be dealt only to one team: the Rangers.

St. Louis, who stands just 5-8, 180 pounds, won the 2004 Cup as a teammate of current Rangers center Brad Richards under John Tortorella, and he has 968 points in 1,037 career NHL games. Rangers GM Glen Sather does not want to lose captain Ryan Callahan for nothing this summer to free agency, so he openly has explored potential options in the event he can’t get Callahan re-signed prior to next Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.

Trading Callahan, however, would mean dealing the man who wears the “C,” not just a hardnosed, goal-scoring right wing with heart. Undoubtedly, without Callahan, it would be a “different team,” as multiple Rangers said after practice Wednesday in Greenburgh. The same would be true if Sather traded away top-four defenseman Dan Girardi, who also remains unsigned and has not spoken to the media yet this week.

St. Louis’ contract only extends through next season at $5.625 million per year. Add that to his age, and if Sather were to make a deal involving these two players, he wouldn’t be addressing any long-term needs.

Also, acquiring St. Louis, who has an offseason home in Greenwich, Conn., could point to Sather’s leaning toward retaining Richards, 33, past this season rather than using a compliance buyout on his contract. That would be a surprise, considering other major contracts on the books already for Henrik Lundqvist and Rick Nash.

Last week’s reported one-for-one offer of Callahan for St. Louis never happened, a source said, and many Callahan trade rumors have seemed designed to pressure him to lower his reported seven-year, just under $49 million asking price.

St. Louis has 25 goals and 56 points in 58 games this season. Steve Yzerman initially did not select St. Louis for Team Canada’s Olympic squad before putting him on the team as an alternate, and their relationship has soured. St. Louis’ request to be moved to the Rangers could mean something for the Callahan situation, or it could be a detail floated by the Lightning to demonstrate how they feel their own player is backing them in.

Either way, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault admitted on Wednesday, after the Rangers’ only full team practice prior to Thursday night’s return to the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks, that the swirling rumors surrounding Callahan and Girardi are unique in that they also are team leaders – similar to how Lundqvist’s early-season contract uncertainty seemed to affect the team off the ice and threatened further damage prior to his signing of an extension.

“For me, coming in here and having our three New York Rangers – Hank, Dan and (Callahan) – going into their final years, having the situation in front of us has been a little bit challenging in the sense that those are the key guys, those are the guys that I’ve got to work with on a daily basis to make sure that when I’m not around, the right message and the right behavior is there,” Vigneault said. “Those are the guys that I make sure when the coaches are not around and when the big guy, the head coach, is not around, that the culture and what we’re trying to do, they’re setting the tone. Having those guys go through this has been a little bit challenging.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 02.27.2014


Alain Vigneault trying to maintain balance by slotting J.T. Miller with Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot for Rangers vs. 'Hawks

BY Pat Leonard

Alain Vigneault will begin the Rangers’ post-Olympic stretch by trying to maintain the same balance his team found prior to the break, inserting J.T. Miller on the right wing of Derick Brassard’s line opposite left wing Benoit Pouliot for Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Garden to fill the spot vacated by an injured Mats Zuccarello, rather than shaking up all of his lines.

Forward Derek Dorsett (broken right fibula, Jan. 3) is healed and could play on Thursday if the Rangers absolutely needed him to, but Vigneault said after Wednesday’s practice in Greenburgh that he would prefer Dorsett practice more, while Miller adds the type of offensive threat that is lost with Zuccarello out until at least March 9.

“The fact that we lost Mats, we felt him being one of our best offensive players, we thought it would be better not to juggle everything and just bring in another offensive-type player,” Vigneault said. “J.T., from what I can understand, (associate head coach Scott Arniel) went down with (assistant GM Jeff Gorton) last Friday to watch (the Hartford Wolf Pack’s) game, he was their best player on the ice … He’s been playing well, he’s been playing, hopefully he can step in with (Brassard) and (Pouliot). That’s been one of our better lines for quite some time.”

It will be interesting, though, to see when Dorsett does crack the lineup again. Vigneault has liked the fourth line of Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore and Dan Carcillo, and it’s not like he’s itching to break them up.

Obviously, if the Miller experiment flames out or someone starts terribly out of the gate here, Dorsett would get a shot immediately somewhere, particularly because he also kills penalties. Still, Vigneault was non-committal when asked Wednesday whether Dorsett automatically would go back in when his coach deems he’s ready, or if it’s now Carcillo’s spot to lose.

“Dan’s playing extremely well,” Vigneault said. “He’s really brought the energy our scouts thought he would. Our record with him in the lineup is very good, so basically now, the team is playing well. That line has got a pretty good identity.”

The Rangers (32-24-3, 67 points) will have Cam Talbot in net against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks (35-11-14, 84 points). Then Henrik Lundqvist will start Saturday afternoon’s matinee against the Flyers in Philadelphia.

Miller is excited about his most recent call-up and said he’ll look to play a physical, forechecking role to create space for his linemates. He has played well in the AHL centering a line with Jesper Fast and Ryan Bourque, and now he’ll move to the wing.

Brassard and Pouliot are confident Miller can help them rekindle the momentum their line gained prior to the Olympic break. After all they are missing Zuccarello, the Rangers’ points leader who is “one of the best players on the whole team,” as Pouliot said.

“When (our line) get(s) the puck, we try to spend more time in the (other team’s) zone,” Pouliot said, when asked to name his line’s key strength in the team’s latest stretch. “For us, our success was puck possession and then we get chances in their end. We didn’t play as much in our defensive end compared to theirs, so I think that’s what it is, keeping the puck, keeping it moving, spreading out the play and making plays. It’s just a matter of the chemistry is good, everything is good, and Millsy was playing well when he was up here, so I think it’s going to be good.”

Brassard added: “We’re going to defend first, like we’ve been doing, and scoring chances are going to happen, but for us, me and Benny, we’re not going to change anything. We’ll keep working, we’re really excited to have JT on our line. He’s a shooter that’s really strong on the puck. He’s physical. We’re really excited.”

Pouliot also has one eye on the home front as his girlfriend, Isabel, is expecting a baby girl in mid-March that the couple plans to name Alexia.

By the way, as a side note, Zuccarello was skating and stickhandling with the two goalies prior to practice on Wednesday in Greenburgh, but when practice started he left the ice. The non-displaced fracture in his left hand is supposed to sideline him at least until March 9, but we will have to monitor this situation, obviously.

RANGERS LINEUP VS. BLACKHAWKS ON THURSDAY NIGHT

Forwards: Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash, Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan, Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello, Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo

Defensemen: Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi, Marc Staal-Anton Stralman, John Moore-Kevin Klein

Goalie: Cam Talbot (starter), Henrik Lundqvist (backup)

Healthy scratches: F Derek Dorsett, D Justin Falk

Injured: Mats Zuccarello

New York Daily News LOADED: 02.27.2014


Rangers aim to keep focus with key players on block

By Larry Brooks

February 26, 2014 | 7:39pm

Core Four charter members Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan are both one day closer to the end of their respective Rangers careers than they were on Tuesday.

For without any progress made toward signing the marquee pair of pending free agents to contract extensions, management is devoting its attention to evaluating personnel who might become available in trades for the first-pair right defenseman and the captain in advance of Wednesday’s deadline.

The uncertainty regarding the immediate and long-term fate of two of the four Rangers (plus Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal) who predated John Tortorella’s tour on Broadway represents the elephant in the room at the top of the 23-game stretch that commences Thursday night at the Garden against the Blackhawks.

“For me, having our three New York Rangers going into their final year and having this situation in front of us has been a little bit challenging in the sense that those are the guys I’ve got to work with on a daily basis to make sure that when I’m not around, the right message and right behavior is there,” coach Alain Vigneault said, citing Callahan, Girardi and Lundqvist, whose own extension was not completed until late November.

“They’re the guys setting the tone so far as the culture is concerned,” said the coach, who chose his words carefully. “And having those guys go through this has been a little bit challenging.”

General manager Glen Sather, who waited too long to get down to business on all his pending free agents and presumably will act early in the offseason to address Staal’s potential 2015 free agency, is committed to trading Callahan and Girardi if he can’t sign them to extensions.

The gap is huge between the Rangers and their captain, who is seeking a seven-year deal worth between $45 and $50 million and has been offered a five-year deal worth approximately $30 million. There is widespread belief throughout the industry the Sabres will be willing to meet Callahan’s asking price if the Rochester native does indeed get to the July 1 open market.

The Rangers, who are concerned over contract length, are seeking to get at least one NHL player and one prospect or high draft pick in exchange for Callahan, who turns 29 next month.

The Blueshirts would send Callahan to Tampa Bay in a straight-up exchange for Martin St. Louis, but Lightning GM Steve Yzerman has no interest in such a swap, even if the 38-year-old winger who is under contract through next season at a $5.625 million cap hit told management just prior to the Olympic break he would welcome a trade to the Rangers, and only to the Rangers.

Sather is not willing to add young pieces and draft picks to the exchange. Talks between the Rangers and Lightning have not advanced since the roster freeze lifted on Monday.

But if the gap of nearly $20 million between the Rangers and Callahan makes it easy to understand why the parties are on the verge of a divorce, the same isn’t true regarding Girardi.

The Post has learned the difference between the parties is minimal (at most), with the Blueshirts finally having closed in on Girardi’s original asking price of six years at approximately $5.5 million per that would be a slam-dunk get on the free-agent market.

But Girardi, who is believed to have first proposed this deal in November, has not indicated he’s willing now to sign at those terms. Perhaps the defenseman has changed his mind, or increased his price with the proximity to free agency.

Or perhaps Girardi and Callahan, who were first teammates in 2002-03 for the OHL Guelph Storm and whose wives are close, have decided to hit the open market together and sign with the same team in July if they can’t both get their asking prices to remain in New York.

If Girardi is placed on the trade market by Sather, the defenseman could well become the prize rental of this year’s deadline even if that does little for Vigneault and the 2013-14 Rangers.

New York Post LOADED: 02.27.2014


Rangers tab J.T. Miller for injured Zuccarello’s spot

By Larry Brooks

February 26, 2014 | 3:40pm

J.T. Miller, recalled on Tuesday from the AHL Wolf Pack, will take Mats Zuccarello’s spot in the lineup when the Rangers face the Blackhawks in Thursday night’s season reopener at the Garden.

Zuccarello, who leads the Blueshirts with 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists), is expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks with a non-displaced fracture of the left hand he sustained in the Olympics.

The Norwegian had been playing right wing on the line with center Derick Brassard and left wing Benoit Pouliot beginning Jan. 4 for a 17-game stretch leading into the hiatus during which the Blueshirts went with the same top-three line combinations.

Rather than break up another unit so that grinding winger Derek Dorsett, out since Jan. 3 with a left leg fracture, would make his return against the Blackhawks or change the club’s balance, coach Alain Vigneault is opting to go with the 20-year-old Miller.

“J.T. is a more offensive-type player that we can put in whether it be [Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, Dan Carcillo or Dorsett],” Vigneault said. “The [Boyle-Moore-Carcillo] line has a pretty good identity, and I felt it was better not to juggle them and better to have an offensive player in there.”

Zuccarello recorded eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in his last six consecutive matches prior to the Olympics and 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in the final 15 games. Pouliot scored two goals in the club’s last match and three in the five immediately prior to the hiatus while Brassard recorded three goals in the final four games.

Moving Miller into Zuccarello’s spot allows the line to retain more of a semblance of continuity than would moving Dorsett or, say, Boyle onto the unit.

“I know [Dorsett] was a little disappointed when I told him he wasn’t going to start [Thursday], but he has been away for almost seven weeks now and I just felt he needs another full team practice,” Vigneault said. “Considering the opponent, I thought it was smarter to wait.”

Miller had been playing the middle between Pouliot and Carl Hagelin on the Rangers’ third line in late December while Ryan Callahan was sidelined with a knee injury. When Callahan returned in early January, Miller was dispatched to Hartford, for whom he continued to play center, though between Jesper Fast and Ryan Bourque.

“It shouldn’t be any problem going back to the wing,” Miller said following Wednesday’s practice. “It’s my responsibility to play a physical game and be consistent.

“I’m going to be playing with two skilled players in Benny and Brass, so it will be my job to have that net-front presence for them and try to make it a little easier. I’m thankful to be here.”

Marc Staal skated through his second straight practice after missing three with issues arising from back spasms. The alternate captain said he expects to play against the Blackhawks barring an unexpected reversal. Blueshirts’ seventh defenseman Justin Falk has not played since Dec. 29.

Henrik Lundqvist will start Saturday afternoon’s match in Philadelphia against the Flyers after backing up Cam Talbot for the Chicago game.

“This gives me a couple of days to work hard in practice, get my angles back and make the necessary adjustments to this rink; you can definitely feel the difference,” said Lundqvist. “When the break came, we were working hard and paying attention to detail.

“We need to get right back to that. Let’s not try to overthink it.”



Why John Tortorella is apologizing to all of Canada

By John DeMarzo

February 26, 2014 | 2:46pm

John Tortorella is in hot water yet again.

The irascible former Rangers coach apologized Tuesday for remarks he made regarding the Sweden-Canada Olympics gold medal game.

Tortorella, who is in his first season coaching the Canucks, had bluntly stated that he hoped Sweden would defeat Canada, saying it was likely that Canucks defensemen Dan Hamhuis and goaltender Roberto Luongo would not be playing in the gold-medal game.

“I hope Sweden wins because I don’t think Hammer is going to play judging from what’s happened and I don’t think Louie is going to play,” Tortorella said Saturday. “So I don’t give a [bleep] right now because they’re not playing. I just want them back here. I hope Danny [Sedin] scores two goals and [Alex] Edler gets three assists and Sweden wins so they come back feeling good about themselves because it’s going to help us. That’s all I’m concerned about right now.”

Sweden did not win, as Canada successfully defended its gold medal with a 3-0 victory.

At practice on Tuesday, Tortorella issued a mea culpa.

“If I have insulted anybody that certainly wasn’t my intention and I think all of you know that,” Tortorella said today. “But I did. It was a careless use of words and I should be more cognizant. I want to clear that up. It’s my privilege to be here and I think I did insult people. That’s the furthest thing from my mind. It’s a great country and … It was a careless use of words. That’s on me, I hope I can clear it up today.”

He went on to say how grateful he was to be coaching in Canada, while also adding that he sent a text message apology to one of Team Canada’s coaches.

“As I said when I was hired here, it is an absolute privilege to coach in Canada and I still feel that,” he said. “I love everything about it. I love the pressure, I love the scrutiny, all the second-guessing, all the stuff that comes with it. I couldn’t be happier.”

This isn’t the first time that Tortorella has had to apologize for his actions as coach of the Canucks.

Last month, he was suspended for 15 days after he attempted to enter the Calgary locker room in between periods of a Flames-Canucks game. That came after Tortorella screamed at the Calgary bench following a fight that broke out following the opening faceoff.

“I let a lot of people down,” he said on Feb. 3. “I have to make amends here by getting back at this. I’m going to be who I am. I just can’t go off the rails as I did.

“Off the rails? I was off the country.”



Miller in lineup, Dorsett out, Staal a game-day decision; Lundqvist to start Saturday at Philly

Posted by Andrew Gross

First, your daily Ryan Callahan update. Today, he doesn’t want to talk about the trade rumors or whether he’s prepared to be traded, saying he doesn’t want to discuss that through the media.

Meanwhile, in Tampa Bay, Martin St. Louis all but fanned the flames on his trade rumors by saying he has had discussions with GM Steve Yzerman and he’ll “leave it at that” which doesn’t really mean anything but certainly is not a denial he has requested a trade. But as far as a St. Louis-Callahan trade, still don’t see that happening, mainly because it doesn’t benefit the Lightning - unless the Rangers offer more, potentially a lot more.

“Our job is to play and our job as coaches is to prepare the personnel that we have and that’s what we’ve done and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “After the next three games we’re going to have our team, after we play Toronto next week, we’re going to have the team we’re going to finish with, that being said, I think for quite some time we’ve been playing some good hockey.”

“For me coming in here and having our three New York Rangers, Hank (Lundqvist) Dan (Girardi) and him going into their final year (of their contracts) and having the situation in front of us has been a little bit challenging in the sense that those are our key guys,” Vigneault added. “Those are the guys I’ve got to work with on a daily basis to make sure when I’m not around, the right message, the right behavior is there. Those are the guys that make sure when the coaches aren’t around that the culture and what we’re trying to do, they’re setting the tone. Having those guys go through this has been challenging.”

As for more immediate concerns, Vigneault confirmed J.T. Miller will be in the lineup, on Derick Brassard’s right wing along with Benoit Pouliot and that Derek Dorsett, who went through his first full-squad practice since breaking his left fibula on Jan. 3 at Pittsburgh, will be a healthy scratch Thursday night against the Blackhawks.

Defenseman Marc Staal again made it through a full practice for the second straight day after missing three practices due to back spasms. Staal said if he feels like this on Thursday, he’ll be able to play. That’s Vigneault’s understanding as well but he said the team would wait until Thursday to make sure Staal is OK, making him a game-time decision.

Also, after Cam Talbot starts against the Blackhawks, Lundqvist will be back in net Saturday afternoon at Philadelphia. Vigneault was not ready to name a starter for Sunday night’s game against the Bruins back at Madison Square Garden.

“J.T. is a more offensive type player than we can put whether it be Boyler (Brian Boyle), Dom (Moore) Dan (Carcillo) or Dorse,” Vigneault said. “The fact that Dorse has been away for almost seven weeks now, this was his first full team practice with the full group I know he feels good I know he was a little bit disappointed this morning when I told him he wasn’t going to start tomorrow vs. Chicago. I just felt he needed another full team practice and starting against the defending Stanley Cup champions might not be a real simple and easy thing. I’m sure if I would have told him to play tomorrow he would have been OK. But considering the opponent, considering he’s been out seven full weeks and this was his first full team practice I thought it was smarter to wait.”

Vigneault said assistant coach Scott Arniel scouted Hartford (AHL) this weekend and reported back that Miller was the Wolf Pack’s best player.

Miller, who had three goals and 14 assists in 18 games for Hartford since being sent down on Jan. 11 and 10 goals and 16 assists in 26 AHL games overall as he was selected as an AHL All-Star, was centering a line with Ryan Bourque and Jesper Fast.

“We had good chemistry as a line,” said Miller, who has two goals and two assists in 25 games for the Rangers this season. “Obviously Benny and Brass are two skilled players. I have to have that net-front presence and try to make it a little easier for them. I’m thankful to be here, especially playing with high-talented people. I have high expectations for myself, I’ll try to play my game and play hard and physical.”



Rangers resume full-squad practice

Posted by Andrew Gross

For the first time since the Rangers beat the Penguins in a shootout on Feb. 7, the full squad is on the ice at one time, minus, of course, the injured Mats Zuccarello.

Zuccarello, out with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, did go on the ice before the full squad to skate with the two goalies. But he quickly left the ice once his teammates started coming out.

As expected, J.T. Miller is skating in Zuccarello’s place on a line with Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot. So the lineup choice seemingly will come down to Dan Carcillo or Derek Dorsett on the fourth line. Carcillo started out the line drills in his usual spot on Dominic Moore’s right wing with Brian Boyle and Dorsett skated as an extra defenseman along with healthy scratch Justin Falk.

But after a couple of turns, the two switched spots and Dorsett skated on the fourth line while Carcillo was the extra defenseman.

Otherwise, the lines and defense pairs have remained the same since the Rangers’ last game:

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan

Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-J.T. Miller

Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo/Derek Dorsett

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi

Marc Staal-Anton Stralman

John Moore-Kevin Klein

As reported yesterday, Cam Talbot will get the start in net for Henrik Lundqvist, who is practicing today.

And from today’s Record, here’s the latest on Ryan Callahan.


730236 NHL

NHL Capsules

By The Associated Press


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Matt D'Agostini outraced Zdeno Chara to a loose puck and scored 22 seconds into overtime, lifting the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

Matt Moulson forced overtime by scoring with 53 seconds left in regulation in a game the Sabres won after squandering a 3-1 second-period lead. Brian Flynn had a goal and assist, while Tyler Myers and Zemgus Girgensons also scored for Buffalo.

Coming off a 3-2 win over Carolina on Tuesday, the Sabres (17-34-8) won consecutive games for only the third time this season, and first since Dec. 17-19.

Chara, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Chris Kelly scored for the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins (37-16-5), in their first game after the NHL’s two-week Olympic break.

RED WINGS 2, CANADIENS 1, OT

MONTREAL (AP) - Gustav Nyquist scored on a rebound with 28 seconds left in overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a win over the Montreal Canadiens in the first post-Olympic game for both teams.


A team coached by Detroit’s Mike Babcock, who led Canada to the gold medal, had not allowed a goal since Lauris Darzins got one at 15:41 of the first period of Canada’s 2-1 win over Latvia in the quarterfinals in Sochi.


CANUCKS 1, BLUES 0

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Jannik Hansen scored the game’s only goal and Eddie Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Vancouver Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues.

The Canucks ended their losing streak at seven games while moving into sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference. The Blues dropped their third straight decision to Vancouver this season.


KINGS 6, AVALANCHE 4

DENVER (AP) - Anze Kopitar had two goals, including the decisive score in the third period, and the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche.

Kopitar’s second goal of the night and 19th of the season put the Kings, who trailed by two goals midway through the second period, back in front.


Justin Williams added an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left to round out the scoring.

Washington Times LOADED: 02.27.2014

730237 Ottawa Senators

Optimistic Karlsson returns to Senators

by Ken Warren

on February 26, 2014

Here’s a silver lining for Senators fans looking up the Eastern Conference standings as Ottawa’s drive to the playoffs begins in earnest Thursday.

About the same time as Canadian gold medal goaltending hero Carey Price was setting off alarm bells by aggravating an injury in Montreal late Wednesday morning, silver medal-winning Swedish defenceman Erik Karlsson was generating optimism in Ottawa, jumping back on the ice a day ahead of schedule.

Karlsson insists that post-Games fatigue won’t be a problem as the Senators get back in action Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre.

“It’s not something that’s going to be an issue,” said Karlsson, who practised alongside new/old defence partner Marc Methot Wednesday. “It was fine getting there (to Russia) and it’s always easier coming back.”

Karlsson also says he has turned the page from the disappointment of the Olympic final — more on that later — and is anxious to play in front of his home crowd again.

“Every time you go away, as nice as it is, it’s always nice to come home as well,” he said. “I’m excited to be here and see all the guys and hear about their trips to the sun (during the Olympic break), and I’m looking forward to playing hockey here again. It feels like the vibe is good in the room and we’re looking forward to the last stretch here.”

Karlsson was named the top defenceman at the Olympics and tied with Toronto’s Phil Kessel for the tournament scoring lead. For those who need reminding, he went into the Olympic break on a three-game point scoring streak, and had five goals and seven assists in the Senators’ final 12 games before leaving for Russia. As a team, the Senators were on a 11-4-4 run before the break.

The initial bitterness of Sweden losing 3-0 to Canada in the Olympic final has faded somewhat. Immediately after the game, upset at losing the gold, Karlsson told reporters that he might sell his silver medal on eBay, earning himself some criticism in the process.

A few days removed from it all, Karlsson readily accepts that Canada was the better team when it mattered most.

“We were playing well in the first period and we had a couple of chances and if we would have got the first goal, maybe it would have been different,” he said. “But they weighed a little heavier than we did for most of the game and we didn’t play our best game of the tournament when we needed it most. And they did.”

Karlsson says he believes Sweden will have a good shot at gold again in 2018, if the NHL opts to return to the Olympics the next time around. While he understands it’s a hot topic, he says there’s no question players want to return. He believes it strengthens the game everywhere.

“Hopefully, inspiring kids to start playing hockey back home,” he said. “Definitely the Olympics is one of those things that inspired me starting out and watching the older guys doing so well back in the day.”

One of the older guys, of course, is former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who was Karlsson’s roommate in the Olympic Village.

“We’re good friends and it’s always nice to see some guys you haven’t seen in a while, and we had a really, really good time together, just speaking your own native tongue and drinking some coffee every day and just hanging out,” he said.

Karlsson also joked about the widely circulated photo of him cycling through the streets of Sochi alongside Alfredsson.

“He’s a really, really good bike rider. I don’t know why but he was a little bit faster than I was.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 02.27.2014


Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson couldn't be happier to be home

By Bruce Garrioch,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 04:53 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 06:20 PM EST

No place like home for Erik Karlsson.

After suiting up for Team Sweden in Sochi, the Senators' top defenceman wasn't due back until Thursday's morning skate, but as practice got underway Wednesday Karlsson was on the ice.

He was only three days removed from a tough 3-0 loss to Team Canada in the gold-medal final

"I thought he was a little slower, he just came 14 time zones," said coach Paul MacLean with a smile. "We were pleased that Erik skated, it was his decision to come out and practice.

"I thought it was good, he had a good experience over there. Even though it was settling for a silver medal it was still a good experience for him and that should be good for us."

Refreshed and ready after landing Monday with a serious case of jet lag, Karlsson is ready for the push to the post-season that starts with Thursday's visit by Daniel Alfredsson and the Red Wings.

It was a memorable two weeks at the Olympics for the 23-year-old Karlsson. Not only did he get a chance to compete with -- and against -- the best players in the world he also had time to catch up with his old pal Alfredsson.

Karlsson posted pictures on his Twitter account throughout the Olympics with Alfredsson. The most notable was the one taken of them biking into the rink in their suits. Karlsson has a lifetime of memories.

"It was great," said Karlsson. "We were rooming together and we pretty much spent every day together. We're good friends and it's always nice to see some guys that you haven't seen in a while.

"We had a really, really good time together. Just speaking (Swedish), drinking some coffee every day and just hanging out. The atmosphere was really good and everybody was excited to play for Team Sweden in the Olympics. We got the chance to be part of something special."

Though it didn't have the end Karlsson would have scripted he'd like to go back to the Olympics.

"It's four years from now and I don't think it's a question that will be discussed anytime soon," he said. "Everybody who went to Sochi was really happy and I think everybody really enjoyed themselves.

"From a player point of view I think everybody wants to have the opportunity to go. It's just a matter of making it work with the schedule we have here. I would definitely like to have the opportunity to go in four years again."

Karlsson said he had concerns going because he didn't know what to expect from Sochi. There was a lot of negative talk surrounding the facilities being ready and what the atmosphere would be like.

"It was great. Everbody was a little bit skeptical before we got there and once we got there everybody was a little bit surprised on how good everything was," said Karlsson.

"All the facilities were ready and really good. The arena was beautiful, the dressing room and the accommodations, were unbelievable. Also the food was really, really good. No one got sick from eating and it was nice riding the bike around for two weeks in nice weather."

Now, the focus turns to the Senators.

Karlsson was paired with old defence partner Marc Methot in practice and that's the way it may start against the Wings. Jared Cowen, who had been skating with Karlsson, was alongside Eric Gryba during the 50-minute skate.

"We might (stick with them) yeah, we might. Again, that was another practice day where we decided to see how things would go," said a coy MacLean. "I

was more curious about the Cowen and Gryba pairing, how they would play together today in practice more than I was concerned about Erik and Marc."

Karlsson said he's happy to be back.

"It's always nice to come home again. It's been two amazing weeks," said Karlsson. "The travel was a little bit tough with the time difference but it's not something I think is going to be an issue. It was fun getting there and it's always easier to come back."

The challenge ahead is just as tough as the one he faced at the Olympics.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 02.27.2014


Sens know they need to win if they want to makes the playoffs



The last time we saw the Senators they were hanging their heads after the 7-2 beatdown in Beantown on Feb. 8.

Now, they get back in the race.

With the Detroit Red Wings in town, the ride to the playoffs officially begins Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre as the Olympic break comes to a close for the Senators.

Since there was no news from Florida on whether Craig Anderson's wife had given birth to the couple's second child, Robin Lehner will start and, like everybody else, he is champing at the bit.

"We know where we're at, we know what we've got to do and we can't force anything with the results. We've got to go out, play and do our best," said Lehner.

"If we do that, we'll look good at the end of the season but we've got to take it game-by-game. We've just got to be prepared. We've got to be a little bit more professional and try to be consistent."

Given the way the race is shaping up in the East, the Senators can't afford to lose many of their final 23 games. Every loss will be a devastating blow to their playoff chances.

The club can't afford a slide and many have set the bar at 94 points to try to get in based on history.

"You don't want to overthink that," said captain Jason Spezza. "There is a chance you are going to lose two or three in a row but you don't want it to feel like that is the end of your season.

"If you look at our last month, if we play that type of hockey, then we get in. It's just a matter of playing how we've been playing and not overthinking things. You guys write the articles, the coaches talk about 93-to-94 points (to the make the playoffs). You don't know. This might be the year 91 points gets in."

The Senators are only home for one game before heading to Western Canada for a four-game swing which could be make-or-break for the season.

"You can't (lose) too much in the first five games. Those are really important," said Lehner. "It's hard when you come to the end of the season and every game is live or die. We've got to set ourselves up and try to do as well as possible."



Ottawa Senators Bobby Ryan needed the Olympic break



Turns out Bobby Ryan needed the rest.

The Senators winger will play Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings at the Canadian Tire Centre with an injury that has been nagging him since before the Olympic break started on Feb. 8.

While Ryan is still bothered by the undisclosed injury, he’s trying to play through the ailment and is hopeful the four days he didn’t skate last week will be enough to help him prepare for the difficult stretch drive.

“I feel pretty good after four days and it hasn’t been able to get any worse for 10 days. I feel pretty good now and that’s the plan to be close to (100%) for (Thursday),” said Ryan.

“It was something we (thought we) could keep at bay for awhile and it wasn’t, it continued to fester. It got a little worse, a little more swollen or whatever you want to call it. It wasn’t bad. I certainly played through it and it didn’t hinder me much. I don’t like to use it as an excuse. I felt well enough that I was out there.”

Ryan said it hurt his ability to compete in some situations.

“I don’t want to use it as a crutch by any means,” he added. “There’s a few certain areas where I wasn’t as strong when I was battling for pucks and accelerating through the middle. That stuff was just a little bit off.”

Since he returned, Ryan has been skating with new linemates Mike Hoffman and Mika Zibanejad — a switch from Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris. It has been an adjustment.

“When (Zibanejad) is at centre, he’s much more comfortable and he’s moving the puck a little more,” said Ryan. “He’s a big, strong powerful guy that can create a lot of room for other players.

“We are similar in that we like to be around the puck in the corners, and we’ll have to read off each other there, but there’s certainly a lot of potential for a great matchup and great chemistry.”

THIS N’ THAT: Captain Jason Spezza isn’t sure if the fact the Senators had only two Olympians and Detroit had 10 will make much of a difference. “Who knows? It’s whatever you make of it I guess,” said Spezza. “We look at it as a positive because we’ve been able to run full practices.” ... Ottawa D Erik Karlsson had a pretty simple explanation for the loss to Team Canada Sunday in Sochi. “They played better than us,” said Karlsson. “We played well in the first period and we had a couple of chances. If we would have gotten the first goal it would have been different, but it felt like they weighed a little bit heavier than we did for the most part of the game. We didn’t play our best game of the tournament when we needed it the most and they did.” ... The Senators will hold their annual CN Roger’s House telethon on Sportsnet beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST with co-hosts Leanne Cusack and Rob Faulds. All funds raised will go to the pediatric palliative care facility ... After missing the skate in Gatineau Tuesday, RW Chris Neil was back on the ice.

THE LAST WORD: Though most chose sunny locales during the break, G Robin Lehner went back to Sweden. “It was about as cold as it was here. It wasn’t much of a climate change,” he said after practice. “I thought I’d go home. It’s been a lot of years since I was home at that time of year. I saw some friends and family it was all good. This next little stretch will go by really fast so you’ve got to be prepared for it.” Lehner also got his head shaved. “I do this every year it shouldn’t be anything new,” said Lehner. “I shave it to the bone every year and then let it grow out. It was getting in my eyes in the mask. I’m a little extreme: I either go really long or really short. That’s what I do with everything in my life: I either go full out or I don’t do it at all.” ... It doesn't like G Craig Anderson will be back from Florida in time to dress as the backup against the Wings. The club recalled G Andrew Hammond from Binghamton to sit on the bench Wednesday night ... The Senators have an interest in St. Louis F Chris Stewart but they aren’t alone. He could be part of a deal with the Rangers if the Blues try to get F Ryan Callahan.



Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock gearing up fight for playoff spot

By Don Brennan,Ottawa Sun


MONTREAL - Don't expect Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock to be wearing his lucky red silk McGill tie when he's standing behind the visitor's bench at Canadian Tire Centre Thursday night.

Or his gold medal.

"Spilled a little beer on it, rammed it in a bag ... (Team Canada/Montreal Canadiens' equipment manager Pierre Gervais) actually has my suit and my shoes because I was going to the ceremony," Babcock said when asked the whereabouts of the tie at Bell Centre Wednesday morning. "I'm sure I'll get it back tonight. But the tie was in my bag and it's probably in my closet somewhere."

Speaking to the Canadian media for the first time since he and the tie guided the country's national hockey team to its second Olympic title in four years, Babcock made it clear his focus is now on the immediate future. The Red Wings, who had previously injured forwards Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi return to the lineup Wednesday night, began their post-Olympic schedule with a one-point cushion in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

With captain Henrik Zetterberg shelved for the season by a back he reinjured in Sochi, and star centre Pavel Datsyuk operating with a knee that's less than 100%, Detroit will need to push hard to continue its glorious tradition of not missing the playoffs in 22 seasons.

"As Canadians, we like to think it's our game," Babcock said of the Olympic victory. "If you want to call it your game, you've got to win. I thought our guys played real hard. I thought we were a dominant team. I thought we were good from start to finish, got better each and every day, played our best in the last few games and got rewarded.

"I'm absolutely so thrilled and so proud. You can't believe it. We did a great job. Now it's over. It's about the Red Wings now. We're in a real battle here to get in the playoffs. We take a lot of pride in the Red Wings being in the playoffs each and every year. We've had a struggle this year with so many injuries ... there's no excuses. We've got to find a way to get in. Let's get on with it.

"Don't get me wrong," he added. "I had a great time. You have a bond with those (Team Canada) guys for the rest of your life. Any time you win together, you always do. But I know who pays me."

Did his allegiance to the Red Wings override his duties with Team Canada? Not likely. Babcock jokingly told Habs goalie Carey Price to have a few extra beers on the way home from Russia ("I tried to bribe everybody on the plane. When you see the Red Wings, we need the points," he said with a laugh), but when asked if he knew Price was playing in Sochi with a lower body injury that now has him out for at least the next two games, Babcock turned serious.

"I didn't know anything about Carey Price being injured," he said. "All I know is he played really well for us."



Daniel Alfredsson still has plenty of gas in the tank

By Don Brennan


MONTREAL - The suggestion that a normal 41-year-old would appreciate a little R&R during the dog days of a long, cold NHL winter made Gustav Nyquist laugh.

"No, not Alfie. Not Alfie, for sure," the winger said of his teammate with both the Detroit Red Wings and Swedish national squad after a morning skate at the Bell Centre Wednesday. "It's amazing. Not many people can say they've been to five Olympics as a hockey player.

"He gives a team so much energy with his jump, he always gives his best effort ... he's a really good person," Nyquist added. "You learn a lot from a guy like that. You look up to him as a human being. And obviously on the ice, he's very good still, at a pretty late age. He feels like a 22-year-old out there."

Yeah, but even 22 year olds relished time off during the break. Daniel Alfredsson, who on Thursday makes his second return to Canadian Tire Centre since leaving the Senators as a free agent in the off-season, actually figures he'll flourish without one.

"I think it's all individual, from player-to-player," Alfredsson said after the practice, which included his usual game of keepaway and was followed by a meeting with his Swedish agent's son's midget team. "I think I'll benefit from playing during the break. Being such a positive experience, it's going to help me. I don't think it's going to affect my play that I went."

Naturally disappointed in losing out on a gold medal to the Canadians, Alfredsson did prove he still has plenty in the tank. In Sochi, he was one of Sweden's best players, with two goals and two assists in six games.

It was really just a continuation of the season he's having with the Red Wings, for whom he had scored 14 goals and 35 points in 46 games heading into Wednesday's tilt with the Habs.

All of which leads to the question -- is the greatest Senator of all-time gearing up for his last game ever in Ottawa?

"I'm going to wait until the end of the year and re-evaluate, especially how the body feels," said Alfredsson. "I had a couple of minor injuries where I missed some time, but if I feel I'm playing at a level where I'm not struggling too much, I still think it's fun, I'm contributing, I'll definitely consider playing another year, there's no question.

"But the moment, I don't have an answer and I haven't thought about it too much. I think that was my mindset, and it has been for a few years, that if the body feels it's not too much work to get prepared every day for practice and games, I'll continue."

But where? Judging by the comments of Red Wings GM Ken Holland Wednesday, it sounds like Detroit would like to re-sign him. But does Alfredsson want to shop himself around July 1?

"No," he said. "I think it will likely be that I stay here if I continue, for sure."

Alfredsson is looking forward to being back in Ottawa Thursday, however. When it was pointed out that he has always loved playing at the Bell Centre, he was quick to add: "Yeah, I love (Canadian Tire Centre), too."

"It's going to be easier than it was the first time, emotionally," he said of his return to the capital. "I also believe it's a big game now for both teams. We're fighting for a playoff spot, so it will be a very intense game.

"Being their first game coming back from the break, they're going to try to come out really hard, and it's up to us to match that."

Meanwhile, Alfredsson is still basking in the glow of his most recent Olympic experience.

"I think, apart from playing, it's going up to the mountains and watching Sweden win gold in the cross country sprint relay," he said when asked of his personal highlight. "It was pretty cool. We were standing right on the end of the big hill, before the finishing lap in the stadium. We won pretty comfortably,

but we were cheering on for an hour and a half or whatever it was, and the weather was gorgeous. That was a special memory."

It is those types of moments, along with the pride and thrill of representing his country while it watches and cheers - and the hope that others can also experience it all -- that makes Alfredsson's answer predictable when he is asked if would be disappointed should the NHL decide not to participate at the next Olympics, four years from now in South Korea.

"Yeah, I would be, personally," he said. "Not that I'm going to play."

At this point, would we really be surprised if he did?


730243 Philadelphia Flyers

Inside the Flyers: What Flyers need to contend for the Cup

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: Thursday, February 27, 2014, 3:01 AM

The teams that have a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup - such as St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Anaheim and Boston - are at the top, or near it, in at least one of the two critical categories: goals scored and goals allowed.

Most are among the leaders in both categories.

Which brings us to the Flyers, who own a four-game winning streak as they restart their season Thursday against San Jose at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers are in the middle of the pack in both offense (2.70 goals per game; 16th in NHL) and defense (2.75 goals-against, 17th) and do not look like a team that can go deep into the playoffs.

Yes, the Flyers (30-23-6) deserve credit for overcoming the worst start (1-7) in franchise history and putting themselves into a playoff spot with 23 games remaining.

Yes, they are peaking at the right time, have good chemistry, and should make the playoffs.

Yes, Claude Giroux has battled past an awful start and has been again playing like an all-star.

But if the Flyers are going to make a serious run at a Stanley Cup, they are going to need everything to fall just right.

This team has flaws, lots of flaws, and if it is going to win its first Cup since Gerald Ford was in the White House, it will need a long list of developments to overcome its lack of speed, its mediocre (at best) defense, and its habit of taking too many penalties.

That said, the Flyers are creating good vibes. They are getting excellent goaltending from Steve Mason, solid production from all four lines - putting Scott Hartnell on the top unit and dropping Michael Raffl to center the fourth line has worked well - and the defense has made strides recently.

There has been a lot of talk in the locker room lately about how the Flyers were in a similar spot in 2010 - in danger of not playing in the postseason - and how they got hot at the right time and reached the Stanley Cup Finals.

That's all well and good, but that team had Chris Pronger, who happened to still be one of the game's most dominating defensemen.

This team has a patchwork D that is led by a player, Timonen, who is about to turn 39.

So what has to happen for the Flyers to still be playing in June?

Upgrade the defense before Wednesday's trade deadline.

General manger Paul Holmgren, whose job may hinge on whether the Flyers make the playoffs, says he only expects to make some minor moves and that he likes his defense. It is a smokescreen? Perhaps. But he owes it to his team and the fans to try to add an impact defender.

It seems ludicrous to think Nashville would trade Shea Weber (who would like to play in Philly) since it front-loaded its 14-year, $110 million deal. But Holmgren might make a less-glamorous move by acquiring, say, the Islanders' Andrew MacDonald, a minutes-eater who leads the league with 192 blocked shots and has a small cap hit ($550,000).

Get a rejuvenated Vinny Lecavalier.

Slowed by injuries and a position switch, Lecavalier needs to become more productive as a left winger. If he returns to form, it would be like picking up a quality forward at the trade deadline.

Avoid a wild-card spot.

Assuming they get into the postseason, the Flyers must finish second or third in the Metropolitan Division so they don't have to face probable division winners Boston or Pittsburgh in the opening round.

Ride the hot hand of Mason.

Mason, 25, arguably the Flyers' MVP thus far, hasn't been in the playoffs since his rookie season (2008-09) with Columbus.

Display better discipline.

The Flyers have allowed a league-high 15.2 penalty minutes per game and have committed the second-most minor penalties (260) in the NHL.

All the penalty minutes drain older players like Timonen, coach Craig Berube said, but also affect the younger penalty killers like Matt Read and Sean Couturier.

"They're out there killing a lot and then they go out against the top lines in the third period and they get worn down at times because they kill too much," Berube said. "And that includes the defense."

Gain momentum from a favorable schedule that has them playing 14 of their final 23 games at home.

Yes, there are extremely tough games against Boston (two), Pittsburgh (three), St. Louis (two), Chicago, San Jose and Los Angeles, but the Flyers showed they could compete against top teams with recent road wins over the Sharks, Kings and Avalanche.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 02.27.2014


Tired Timonen will sit out Thursday





Timonen, who practiced with the Flyers Wednesday for the first time since returning from the Olympics, helped Finland win the bronze medal, which he displayed in the locker room.

"Showoff!" cracked defenseman Hal Gill as Timonen proudly lifted the bronze medal for photographers.

Because of the time change, Timonen said he has had a difficult time sleeping since he returned Monday after a 14-hour plane trip.

"I'm not a young boy anymore, so it takes a little time to recover," he said, adding that when he practiced Wednesday it felt "almost like skating in the mud. I haven't skated since the game ended [Saturday]. We celebrated for a couple days, let's put it that way."


Timonen, who turns 39 next month, reiterated that this was his last Olympics. He helped Finland win four medals in his five Olympics.

The Flyers will bring a four-game winning streak into Thursday, when they end their 19-day layoff.

"I think Thursday will be kind of a feeling-out game just for everyone to get back," winger Scott Hartnell said. "It's kind of like a Game 1 or Game 2. The team that is simple and works hard and competes is the team that has the best chance of winning. . . . But I think we believe in here; we've had some great practices and we're really focused."

Breakaways. The Flyers will play their final 23 games over 46 days. . . . Meszaros shrugged off a report that the Bruins are showing interest in acquiring him. . . . The Flyers used a 4-0 third period to rally past the Sharks, 5-2, on Feb. 3



Flyers' Timonen won't play Thursday vs. Sharks


Posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 12:58 PM



Timonen, who practiced with the Flyers Wednesday for the first time since returning from the Olympics, helped Finland win the bronze medal, which he displayed in the locker room.

"Showoff!" cracked defenseman Hal Gill as Timonen proudly lifted the bronze medal for photographers.

Because of the time change, Timonen said he has had a difficult time sleeping since he returned Monday after a 14-hour plane trip.

"I'm not a young boy anymore, so it takes a little time to recover," he said, adding that when he practiced Wednesday it felt "almost like skating in the mud. I haven't skated since the game ended [Saturday]. We celebrated for a couple days, let's put it that way."


Timonen, who turns 39 next month, reiterated that this was his last Olympics. He helped Finland win four medals in his five Olympics.

The Flyers will bring a four-game winning streak into Thursday, when they end their 19-day layoff.

"I think Thursday will be kind of a feeling-out game just for everyone to get back," winger Scott Hartnell said. "It's kind of like a Game 1 or Game 2. The team that is simple and works hard and competes is the team that has the best chance of winning. . . . But I think we believe in here; we've had some great practices and we're really focused."

Breakaways. The Flyers will play their final 23 games over 46 days. . . . Meszaros shrugged off a report that the Bruins are showing interest in acquiring him. . . . The Flyers used a 4-0 third period to rally past the Sharks, 5-2, on Feb. 3



Don't expect a championship anytime soon

Marcus Hayes, Daily News Sports Columnist


THE ANSWER, sadly, is none.

The question: Which of Philadelphia's four major sports teams is closest to winning a championship?

It's an annual question, one that reached a ferocious crescendo around 2008, when it had been 25 years since the city's last title. The Sixers provided the championship that began the drought; then, inexplicably, dismantled themselves.

For a generation, the teams went through cycles of respectability, of competitiveness. They built three new arenas and spent nearly as many millions on talent, but, until 2008, still nothing: Three Stanley Cup finals for the Flyers; a World Series glimpse for the 1993 Phillies; an NBA Finals for the 2000-01 Sixers; a Super Bowl for the 2004 Eagles.

The Phillies' surprising World Series run in 2008 buried the region's frustrations . . . but, 6 years later, those frustrations are surfacing again.

The question arises now, in particular, because, from this past Wednesday through March 8, all of the franchises will make decisions or begin processes that will determine their long-term futures.

Last Wednesday, the NFL Scouting Combine began in Indianapolis. There, the Eagles will examine prospects in hopes of finding players who actually fit Billy Davis' 3-4 defensive scheme, and can better gauge their strategy as the free-agent negotiating period begins March 8.

Last Thursday, at the NBA trade deadline, the Sixers decided to scuttle the ship, trading starters Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes and backup center Lavoy Allen.

Yesterday, the Phillies begin spring-training games.

Tonight, after the Olympic break, the Flyers resume their thrill ride of a season, which began with three losses and the firing of coach Peter Laviolette and continues with the team on a four-game winning streak. How things go over the subsequent three games in 4 days will determine their status as buyers or sellers at the March 5 trade deadline.

Almost certainly, the Flyers will be buying. It is their DNA, their mission statement, to kill whatever wave of momentum they are on until it's long past dead. They will ignore the fragility and speed dropoff of defenseman Kimmo Timonen; the routine disappearances of captain Claude Giroux; the limitations of Scott Hartnell; the streakiness of goalie Steve Mason; the injury history of newcomer Vinny Lecavalier.

They will overrate the contribution of Wayne Simmonds, the team's most consistent player, and they will ignore their astounding lack of depth.

And they will teeter on the playoff bubble as winter turns to spring, and, likely, they will teeter there next season, too.

The Flyers are nearly as stymied as the Phillies; hamstrung by ill-conceived contracts, invested in players whose output cannot be predicted.

With a franchise-record payroll of about $180 million, they are beginning another odyssey toward October, having dropped a hefty $16 million on a 36-year-old pitcher who lost more than he won last season and who considered retiring. A.J. Burnett is this year's Roy Halladay; Cliff Lee; Jonathan Papelbon, only older, and less accomplished.

This likely will be their last such odyssey, should it fail. And it will be expected to fail.

Both Washington and Atlanta, younger and better last season, will be favored over the Phillies in the NL East. That prediction has every chance of being untrue, depending on, in order: Ryan Howard's legs; Cole Hamels' arm (an injury put him behind schedule); Domonic Brown's progress; Jimmy Rollins' attitude; Chase Utley's knees; Mike Adams' comeback, so he can set up Papelbon, the closer whose mouth made bigger news last season than his fading arm.

So, yes, the Phillies could win the division.

They also could suffer a key injury, say, to Howard, or to Lee, and struggle to be a 70-win team.

The Eagles walk a similarly thin line.

They have five utterly irreplaceable players; in order, if you like: left tackle Jason Peters; running back LeSean McCoy; wide receiver DeSean Jackson; linebacker Connor Barwin; and quarterback Nick Foles.

Foles comes last only because defenses scheme first to stop McCoy; then to keep Jackson from deep-route success. Peters, the best left tackle in the game for 5 years, protects Foles. The Eagles' modest defense works only if Barwin is able to do the work of three men. Foles is crucial, too, however. His size, his decision-making and his competence at running Chip Kelly's offense make him only marginally less important than any of the other four. Since he always has the ball in his hands, there is merit to an argument that he is the most important.

Ranked importance doesn't really matter.

The fact that the Eagles have no viable replacements for any of them on the roster - that matters.

If the Eagles expect to contend for something more than a playoff spot, they need to replace their safeties, find at least one more cornerback, acquire a decent pass-rushing defensive lineman and linebacker, develop depth on the offensive line and find a viable backup for Foles. They also must determine whether pending free-agent receiver Riley Cooper is worth his price (after just one productive season); and if pending free-agent receiver Jeremy Maclin is worth the risk, coming off a knee injury. And they need to draft a receiver, too.

Does this sound like the formula for a championship?

No.

It sounds like a formula for respectability; a team flawed, but one with potential.

At least the Flyers, Phillies and Eagles have made it that far.

The Sixers present the least danger of ending the city's current run of also-running. They are in the depths of a rebuilding movement, a movement at least a half-decade from bearing fruit. They don't know if big man Nerlens Noel, taken sixth overall in the 2013 draft, can play in the NBA, since he apparently will spend all of his first season rehabilitating a knee injury suffered in college. They cannot predict who will fall to them in June's draft, in which they currently hold two first-round picks.

They cannot tell how much Rookie of the Year favorite Michael Carter-Williams will grow as a player and as a leader after enduring one of the franchise's more ridiculous seasons.

They can tell, however, that they probably won't be hosting a championship parade before any of their South Philly neighbors.



Timonen brings message to Flyers

FRANK SERAVALLI, Posted: Thursday, February 27, 2014, 3:01 AM

A DEFIANT Kimmo Timonen took his glimmering bronze medal out of a green Rolex box and held it up for all to see in the Flyers' locker room yesterday.

"What a showoff!" teammate Hal Gill chirped.

Timonen laughed.

He was proud of the latest addition to his Olympic medal collection, to go along with two other bronze (2010, 1998) and one silver (2006) decorations. This one meant a little more than the rest.

"I kept reading that some of you [media] thought we didn't have a chance," Timonen said, just about as fiery as he can be during press conferences. "I'll show you the medal. Maybe you'll change your mind."

More than 60 percent of Finland's 5 million residents tuned in to watch their country's 5-0 romp last Saturday of an emotionally gutted United States team.

"It was like a dream come true," Timonen said.

Timonen's parents were in the stands in Sochi for the entire 2-week journey, savoring every last minute of their son in the blue "Suomi" jersey. Saturday was Timonen's 120th and final time - dating back to when he was 16 years old in 1992 - representing Finland in international competition.

When the final horn sounded in Bolshoy Ice Dome, there was lots of hugging. Even a few tears. In many ways, Saturday's test for a medal was the end of an era in Finnish hockey.

It was likely not only Timonen's last game for Finland, but also the end of the rope for familiar faces like 43-year-old Teemu Selanne, even Sami Salo, 39, and Olli Jokinen, 35 - national team stalwarts who have made Finland an international force for a generation.

Five Olympics. Seven World Championships. Three World Junior Championships. One World Cup of Hockey. Timonen's record of service to his country is tough to top.

"The way it ended, it was emotional for me and everyone there," Timonen said. "I knew it was going to be my last time putting that jersey on. We all knew it was our last time. It's been a long time."

Timonen will have at least another day or two to savor his Olympic experience. Coach Craig Berube announced after yesterday's practice that Timonen would not be playing tonight against San Jose, giving him another day to rest his 38-year-old legs.

Timonen played six games in 10 days in Sochi. Tonight, the Flyers are embarking on a sprint toward the Stanley Cup playoffs with 23 games over the final 46 days.

"It was almost like skating in mud," Timonen said of yesterday's practice. "We celebrated for a couple days, let's put it that way. I got back here Monday. It's been kind of weird the last 2 days, tough to sleep. We were on the plane for 14 hours. I'm not a young boy anymore, so it takes time to recover."

Jake Voracek returned from the Olympics last Friday. With the 9-hour time change, Voracek said he had to resist the urge to fall asleep by 9 o'clock at night in Russia. He was exhausted. By the time he fully acclimated, it was time to return to Philadelphia. Voracek said his first night of sound sleep was Tuesday.

For Berube, the decision to rest Timonen was a relatively easy one - as Timonen will be relied on for heavy minutes throughout the final 6 weeks of the season. Timonen was nursing a foot injury and didn't dress for the Flyers' 5-2 win in San Jose.

Plus, Timonen's spot does not force Berube to choose either Andrej Meszaros or Erik Gustafsson, both of whom can be showcased before next Wednesday's trade deadline. As has been rumored all season, Boston reportedly expressed interest in Meszaros as recently as Tuesday.

When Timonen held up his medal in the locker room, it wasn't for bragging rights, much to Gill's dismay. Timonen wanted to impress upon his teammates the story instilled in the shiny jewelry.

Few picked the Finns to win a medal. They were missing Saku and Mikko Koivu on a team already devoid of stars, aside from Selanne. Tuukka Rask missed the semifinal game against rival Sweden, a one-goal loss.

Yet no country, probably not even Canada, banded together like Finland.

"It's a good showing that you never know. It's a team sport. We played as a team," Timonen said. "It was good showing the Flyers that if you play as a team, you can beat anyone. There's a couple goals in my life: It's winning a gold medal and winning a Stanley Cup. If we come together as a team, I really believe we have a good chance."

Slap shots

Steve Mason was nursing a finger injury after practice yesterday. Mason posted a 4-1-0 record with a .955 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average in his five games prior to the break . . . Craig Berube praised his team's work ethic in practices over the last week . . . The Flyers haven't beaten San Jose twice in one season since 1999-2000 . . . Logan Couture (34 points in 43 games) is expected to play his first game since Jan. 5 (hand surgery). The Sharks, however, will be missing defenseman Brad Stuart (upper body) and rookie Tomas Hertl (knee).



Timonen happy, but likely not playing as Flyers return

By Kevin Cooney Staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 4:59 pm

VOORHEES — From the back room, Kimmo Timonen emerged with a little jewelry box in one hand and the bronze medal from the Sochi Olympics in the other.

And as he held it up for reporters to snap pictures with, one of his teammates let the Finnish veteran defensemen know exactly what he thought.

“Showoff,” Hal Gill said as he headed out of the locker room.

After a 14-hour flight back from Russia, Timonen was back on the ice Wednesday. And the results were similar to anyone who has ever tried to work out after a serious case of jet lag.

“It has been weird the past two days,” Timonen said. “It’s been tough to sleep. I’m not a young boy anymore ... It was almost like skating in mud. I haven’t skated since the (bronze medal) game ended (Saturday). We were able to celebrate for a few days.”

And that is one of the reasons why it is unlikely that Timonen, who will turn 39 in the middle of March, will play Thursday night when the Flyers begin their playoff sprint against the San Jose Sharks at the Wells Fargo Center.

“Just going off the other guys who came back, they were off longer and they didn’t have any legs,” Flyers coach Craig Berube said. “Kimmo and I talked about it and I made the decision to give him a little extra time and some extra practices.”

Berube said that the plan is for Timonen to miss one game and come back when Philadelphia takes on the Rangers on Saturday afternoon.

Timonen was part of a veteran core for the Finnish squad, playing in his fourth Olympics. And since he knows that this will likely be his last one, those minutes after winning the bronze were extra emotional for him.

“It has been 23 years since I put that jersey on for the first time, and that was emotional,” Timonen said. “The way it ended — beating a really good team in the USA — and the way we played, it was like a dream come true.”

But there is no time for resting. The Flyers — holding onto the last guaranteed spot out of the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of Columbus — have 23 games left in the span of 46 days until the end of the regular season.

“It’s hard, but you have to get back,” Timonen said. “It is time to get back to focusing on Flyers hockey. If there are a few goals in my life, I wanted to win a gold medal and I wanted to win a Stanley Cup. And we have a chance to do that. It’s now time to focus on Flyers hockey now.”

What will help the Flyers is the fact that 14 of those 23 games are going to be on home ice, where they have been stellar since the struggles of October.

What remains to be seen is whether Philadelphia will be able to continue the momentum that they had before the Olympic Break hit Feb. 8. Up until that point, they had won four straight games and five out of six.

“We’ve been able to work on a lot of different things,” said forward Jacob Vorachek, who played for the Czech Republic team in Sochi. “We had a couple of hard practices in us and we are skating very well. That’s what we have to bring. I’m sure it’s going to be tough the first few minutes and the timing will be off, but I’m sure that we will be able to play well.”

Burlington County Times LOADED: 02.27.2014


Berube confident in Flyers' form in return from Olympic hiatus

By Jack McCaffery, Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: 02/26/14, 6:43 PM EST |

VOORHEES, N.J. — Craig Berube had all but three games of a season to coach the Flyers to play the way they had in their last four before the Olympic break, winning them all.

He had eight days to try it again.

Such was the situation after the NHL’s break for the Olympics, 19 days in all for the Flyers, who will return to the Wells Fargo Center Thursday night at 7 to face the San Jose Sharks.

Such was the deal for Berube, who finished a Wednesday-to-Wednesday mini-camp Wednesday at the Skate Zone, declaring success.

“I was happy with practice from the get-go,” Berube said. “All of our guys came back ready to go. They worked hard right from the start.”

After their slow start, the Flyers recovered before the break to earn third place in the NHL Metro, demonstrating consistent goaltending and resiliency. The four-game streak included a 5-2 triumph over the Sharks in San Jose.

“We put ourselves in a good spot to this point,” Berube said. “And it’s just about finishing now. Now it is about coming out and playing good, hard hockey down the stretch and doing things right. And I think good things will happen for our team.”

Though he said he would play if inserted in the lineup, Kimmo Timonen will be given the night off Thursday as he recovers from the Olympic break.

Timonen’s Team Finland played until the final day of the Olympic games, defeating the United States, 5-0, in the bronze-medal game. He did not return to Philadelphia until Monday, after a 14-hour flight.

“I think just going off the other guys coming back, they didn’t have any legs when they came back,” Berube said. “Kimmo and I discussed it, and I made the decision to give him a little extra time to get some practices in and stuff.”

Berube said he expects Timonen to miss just the one game. The Flyers will next host the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon.

NOTES: The Sharks are 37-16-6 and are in second place in the Pacific Division. After losing to the Flyers, they won their final two pre-Olympics games. … Timonen said 3 million people watched the Olympic bronze-medal game on TV in Finland. “And there are only 5 million people in Finland,” he said, “so that’s great.” ... The Flyers have 23 games to play. “And we know,” Jake Voracek said, “we have to bring our ‘A’ game.”

Delaware County Times LOADED: 02.27.2014


Clutching bronze medal, Timonen ready to go for another goal

By Jack McCaffery, Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: 02/26/14, 6:09 PM EST | Updated: 2 secs ago

VOORHEES, N.J. — Kimmo Timonen returned to practice with the Flyers Wednesday, carrying two souvenirs from the Olympics.

One was the bronze medal he helped Finland win. The other was the practical message that it could convey, 5,400 miles to the west.

“I said, ‘Some of you guys said we never had a chance,’” Timonen said, smiling. “I said, ‘I’ll show you the medal, and maybe you’ll change your mind.’ But it shows that you never know. It’s a team sport. And it is good to show the Flyers that. If you play as a team, you can beat anybody.”

Timonen had played in his fifth and final Olympics, with Finland nearly winning the gold medal, falling, 2-1, to Sweden in the semifinals, then blasting the United States, 5-0, in the third-place game.

Because his team played the maximum number of Olympics games, Timonen’s return to the Flyers was delayed — and will be delayed at least one more night. After practice Wednesday, Craig Berube said Timonen will not play Thursday against the San Jose Sharks at the Wells Fargo Center.

That sounded fine to the 38-year-old defenseman, who admitted that he’d felt like he was “skating in mud” during practice.

“I’ll tell you this, I didn’t get back until Monday, and it has kind of been weird the last two days,” Timonen said. “It has been tough to sleep. And we were on the plane for 14 hours. I am not a young boy anymore, so it takes a little bit of time to recover.

“I haven’t skated since the game ended. And we celebrated for a couple days, let’s put it that way.”

Celebrations happen, and not always on schedule. Despite the pre-Olympics heckling and doubts from his Flyers’ teammates that the trip to Sochi would be worthwhile, Timonen was proud of the bronze medal, displaying it for TV cameras after practice.

“Show-off,” Hal Gill needled.

But a hockey prize is a hockey prize, and the way Timonen has it figured, he’s good for at least one more this season.

“The Olympics are over, and like I said, we celebrated there,” Timonen said. “But now it is time to get back with the Flyers and focus on Flyers hockey. We have some big games coming up. And if there are a couple goals in my life, one was winning the gold medal, the other winning the Stanley Cup. And we still have a chance to do that. So I will enjoy this, but now it is time to focus on playing Flyers hockey.

“If we play as a team and come together as a team, I really believe we have a good chance. And the way we ended before the break, the goalies were playing really well. So if we play as a team, we have a really good chance. But it takes everybody. It takes a team. And the way we played there with Team Finland, we played as a team. We didn’t have any big stars, other than (Teemu) Selanne. And if you play as a team and have good goalies, anything is possible. It’s still hockey. We come here and it’s the same thing. If we play as a team and the goalies play well, we always have a chance.”

The Flyers were on a four-game winning streak at the Olympics break, and Thursday will play for the first time in 19 days. Only Timonen, Mark Streit, Andrej Meszaros, Michael Raffl and Jake Voracek played in Sochi.

“It could be tough in the first period, with the legs a little bit,” Voracek said. “I think the timing is going to be a little bit off. But everybody has to be on the same page and doing well. The big thing will be timing. For us who were at the Olympics, it will be getting back to the smaller ice again. It’s going to be the first game in a while. But almost every team had some players in the Olympics, and the other players had some rest. So it is going to be the same for all of us.

“We have to make sure we play the game the way we did before the break.”

If so, any surprise is possible.

That, at least, is what Kimmo Timonen’s take-aways from the Olympics would suggest. Both of them.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 02.27.2014

When copying make sure you get the writers name at the bottom of articles


Timonen: Flyers can win if they play like Finland

February 26, 2014, 2:30 pm

Tim Panaccio

Kimmo Timonen was showing off his Olympic bronze medal.

“Here it is,” the Flyers' defenseman laughed. “If you don’t want to see it, don’t look!

“We lost a couple of big boys before the tournament (Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula), and you guys don’t think we had a chance, but I’ll show you the medal and maybe you change your mind now. It’s a team sport. We played as a team. It was a good showing for the Flyers, too. You play as a team, you can beat anybody.”

It was classic Timonen on Wednesday afternoon as the soon-to-be 39-year-old returned to practice after his final Olympics with Team Finland, who humiliated the Americans, 5-0, last Saturday to capture the bronze.

Timonen stressed how the Flyers can still win the Stanley Cup this spring simply by playing as a team, even if they’re considered an underdog – much like Finland.

“If we play as a team, I really believe we have a good chance,” Timonen said. “The way we ended before the break with goalie playing really well and playing as a team, we have a good chance. It takes everybody. The way we played on Finland was as a team, and we didn’t have any big stars other than [Teemu] Selanne. You play as a team with a good goalie, anything is possible.”

Timonen won’t play Thursday night against San Jose when the Flyers resume their schedule. The team has 23 games left to play over the next 46 days before the playoffs.

Coach Craig Berube said Timonen needs a few practices to get his legs back. Timonen has also had trouble sleeping and readjusting to the time difference since returning on Monday.

“Almost like skating in the mud,” Timonen said. “Haven’t skated since the game ended. We celebrated a couple days, let’s put it that way.”

He admitted his emotions of having worn the Finnish team jersey for five Olympics remain fresh.

Those emotions were stirred even more watching Selanne, who became the oldest Olympian to medal (age 43), skate around for what seemed like an entire period following the bronze medal game. Selanne is a six-time Olympian.

“The way it ended was emotional for me and everybody there,” Timonen said. “There were a couple guys like him and me and Sami Salo and maybe Olli Jokinen, too. We knew it’s our last time. For me, it’s been 23 years since I put that jersey on for the first time when I was 16 years old. It was like a dream come true. We wanted to win the gold and it was a tight game against Sweden, 2-1, it could have gone either way. I knew when we went into that game against USA that if we played the same way we had the whole tournament, we had a chance.”

And Finland did. Now the focus shifts to the Flyers. Timonen is expected to return on Saturday afternoon against the Rangers.

“It’s going to be a sprint now,” he said. “We got a lot of home games and they are going to be huge. If you look at teams we play against, there are no easy games. Top teams and back-to-back and a lot of afternoon games. It’s going to be a sprint, but I like our chances.”



Will Flyers' post-break barriers be mental or physical?

February 26, 2014, 10:30 am

Tim Panaccio

After 19 days without a game, the Flyers will play three games in four days beginning Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Will it be a physical or mental obstacle to overcome?

“That’s a really good question,” Vinny Lecavalier said. “It’s more physical. Mentally, you have to have a mindset that there is 23 games left and the one goal in mind is to make the playoffs. Mentally, you have to be there. Physically, that is the toughest. We have had some great practices, but nothing is like a game. That first period is going to be important for us to get back into it. Skate and keep it simple.”

The Flyers defeated the Sharks, 5-2, shortly before the Olympic break out on the West Coast.

They have a chance to sweep the two-game series, something the Flyers have not done since Eric Lindros and Craig Berube played back in 1999-2000.

With the exception of the five players who were at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the Flyers have actually been practicing and scrimmaging hard since last Wednesday. They’re itching for real games.

“Seems like we’ve been in this little mini-training camp, but it’s been a great week of practices,” Scott Hartnell said. “I think Thursday will be kind of a feeling-out game just for everyone to get back.

“I think the team that is simple and works hard and competes is the team that has the best chance of winning. It’s almost like Game 1 and Game 2, just kind of feeling out the team. But I think ... we’ve had some great practices and I think we’re really focused.”

Thursday begins the stretch run. Twenty-three games in 46 days, with 14 on home ice.

Any concerns?

“I don’t really have a concern, we haven’t played a game yet,” Berube quipped. “We need to come out of the gate here. Our team is chomping at the bit. I’m just thinking about San Jose.”

Berube’s club went into the break having won four straight. Every team starts even, though some may be handicapped initially by having so many players who played in the Olympics.

Flyers captain Claude Giroux doesn’t worry it will take long for the club to get its mojo back.

“We played really hard,” Giroux said. “Our goal was to outwork the other team. That is not going to change. Guys are pretty anxious to start playing again. It’s a long break. Usually, a two-day break you have had enough, but this is killing us right now.”

That's why it will come down to being mentally prepared to play hard off the drop of the puck while being physically prepared for a grind at the start.

“Ten days is a long time, and especially those first couple of practices,” Hartnell said. “Your hands aren’t there. Everyone has tight hip flexors and groins. It’s nice to be away, obviously, but mentally, I think everyone checks their phones.

“I did a lot during the break to just see how close the races are and how every point will matter from Thursday on. Mentally, I think we’re all there, and physically, we just have to make sure ... we don’t do stupid things.”



5* key games remaining in Flyers schedule

February 26, 2014, 9:00 am

Sarah Baicker

In truth, every game from here on out is a “key game” for the Flyers. They're currently in playoff position in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 66 points, but they’re far from a lock to make the postseason. With, say, a three-game skid, the Flyers could find themselves in seventh place –- fast.

What follows, though, is a list of five* remaining Flyers games that are significant. (Yes, the asterisk is on purpose.)

Note: I’m purposefully leaving out the March 16 and April 12 games against the Penguins. Those games are always intense and fun to watch, but the Penguins are 17 points ahead of the Flyers in the Metropolitan Division. We know what they’re capable of.

March 1: Rangers at Flyers

If things continue as they have been for the Flyers, it will be a battle to the very end for a spot in the playoffs. And it very well might be a battle to the end with the Rangers, just as it was in 2010. Despite their slow start, the Rangers had come on strong in the weeks ahead of the Olympic break –- they’re currently just one point ahead of the Flyers. This game is just the Flyers' second following their three-week break, and it’s critical for the team to start off the final stretch of the season successfully. The two teams play a final time March 26.

March 2: Flyers at Capitals/March 5: Capitals at Flyers

This is more of the same as above. The Capitals have had mixed success this season, but they are divisional opponents. The saying, of course, is that divisional games can seem like they're worth four points instead of two, especially when teams are close in the standings as the Flyers and Caps currently are. Add to that the fact that the two games are a home-and-home series for both teams, and you’ll see there’s a lot of potential Metropolitan Division realty at stake here.

March 30: Bruins at Flyers

Consider this game a chance for retribution. The only other time these two teams met this season resulted in a brutal 6-1 Flyers loss on home ice. They need to prove that they’re capable of keeping pace with this tough Bruins team, and they ought to do it in front of their fans. As impressive as the Penguins have been this season, the Bruins are arguably the scarier team. The Flyers will also travel to Boston April 5, and that game is worth keeping tabs on, too.

April 1: Flyers at Blues

The Blues? Yes, the Blues. I’m looking at it this way: The St. Louis Blues have been one of the best teams in the better conference all season. Add that to the fact that the team had a staggering nine Olympians compete in Sochi, including the particularly impressive David Backes and T.J. Oshie, and there’s no denying the game will be a big test for the Flyers. Consider it a benchmark – how the Flyers are able to handle the Blues, a team they seldom face, will tell us a lot about what they're capable of. Plus, this Blues team was my preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup, so ...

April 3: Blue Jackets at Flyers

Don't scoff. The Blue Jackets are just three points behind the Flyers, and they've also proven they can outskate them. The two points from this game could be the difference between a playoff appearance or playoff opponent. But this one is worth watching for another reason, too ... who will put in a more impressive performance between the pipes: Olympian Sergei Bobrovsky or Steve Mason?


730254 Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan’s shattered hockey stick finds new purpose

By Bob McManaman azcentral sports Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:08 PM

What possible use could Shane Doan have for a blade from a broken hockey stick that was shattered some 16 years ago?

“I want to teach my son a lesson with it,” the Coyotes captain said.

Doan was talking about teaching his son, Josh, a life lesson with a little show-and-tell story based on the remnants of that broken stick he was holding in his hands on Wednesday.

It’s a story about failure and feeling lost, but being able to overcome fear, challenging yourself and ultimately realizing your true potential.

“I remember this,” Doan said, gazing at the stick blade before he and the Coyotes jetted off to the airport for a trip to Winnipeg, the city where he broke into the NHL back in 1995. “Looking back on it, it’s one of those things that didn’t look too promising at that moment.”

The broken stick was among a batch of black Franklin hockey sticks from the 1997-98 season that Doan was using during the Coyotes’ second year in Phoenix following their relocation from Winnipeg.

Upon just learning from then-General Manager Bobby Smith that he had been reassigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League, Doan lost his cool. The third-year pro grabbed each of his sticks and smashed them, one at a time, across a concrete pillar at then-America West Arena (now US Airways Center).

“It wasn’t exactly my finest hour,” Doan recalled, laughing.

“I don’t mind emotion. I love emotion. I think it’s great. But there was an element where you don’t want to let it control you and for a minute there, it had control of me.”

After turning his sticks into shrapnel and sawdust — and then trashing the Coyotes’ locker room to boot — Doan did something you’d probably come to expect from the fan-friendliest father of four.

He immediately cleaned it all up.

He placed his mangled hockey sticks in a garbage bin outside the locker room and went inside to straighten up things he had kicked and knocked over in anger.

For some reason, I picked up one of the broken sticks and took it home. Had it ever since — until Wednesday, when it was reunited with Doan. He didn’t know it even existed until recently during some chit-chat, and he asked if he could have it. Of course, he was told, especially when he explained why.

“I’m going to talk to my daughters, too. I’m going to talk to all four of my kids about this,” Doan promised. “The message will be, ‘Look, you’re going to fail and there are going to be times when things aren’t going to work out the way you thought they would,’ because everybody has a plan about what they think their life’s going to be and how it’s going to go.”

“When things are going your way and all of a sudden it takes a big left turn, that’s sometimes the hardest point to really believe that you’re going to be capable of getting back on the plan that you thought. And maybe the plan is different than what you thought, and it works out even better.”

That’s what happened to Doan after he smashed all those sticks back in the fall of 1997. Initially, his assignment to Springfield didn’t go so well. Doan said he spent the next couple of weeks sulking and taking his frustration out on others, specifically opposing players.

“I think I fought four or five times. I had 60 minutes of penalties in like nine games,” he said, grinning. “I was pouting. My wife (Andrea) came down and told me, ‘Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?’ She wasn’t being mean, either. She was just like, ‘Hey, this isn’t really helping much. It’s only hurting you.’

“And she was right. To this day, I encourage guys with that when they get sent down. I tell them when they get down there, ‘Hey, approach it like this is going to get better. As much as you hate it, as much as you disagree with it —

because I still hate it to this day — it does you no good to pout. Go prove yourself. That gives confidence when you have questions about whether or not you’re good enough to be here.’ ”

Doan, 37, never thought he’d be here this long. Now in his 18th season, he is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,291) and ranks second in career goals (346) and points (846). He remains the team’s last link to its Winnipeg days.

“It’s cool to have done it the way I have, kind of slow and steady wins the race, you know?” Doan said. “I love playing in the NHL. I love playing hockey. I would have been happy playing for two or three years.”

When he got sent down that day and smashed all his sticks, he thought the end might, indeed, be near.

“It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago,” he said. “I might have tried to forget as much of that as I could. But now I can look back at it a little differently. I didn’t think it would work out the way that it did.”

Thursday's game

Coyotes at Jets

When: 6 p.m.

Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620), KPKX-FM (98.7).

Jets update: The Olympic break probably couldn’t have come at a worse time for Winnipeg, which followed up a five-game losing streak with a run that saw the Jets win nine of their final 13 games before Sochi, including one shootout loss. That streak coincided with a coaching change, as Paul Maurice is now behind the bench for the team. His debut with the Jets came on Jan. 13, which happened to be a 5-1 home victory over the Coyotes. RW Blake Wheeler, who skated for Team USA, leads the Jets in scoring with 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists), followed by C Bryan Little with 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists). LW Evander Kane is back after missing the last six games before the break because of a hand infection.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 02.27.2014

730255 Phoenix Coyotes

Crunch time for Coyotes: 5 things to watch

Craig Morgan

FEB 26, 2014 12:31p ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Coyotes held their final practice on Wednesday before their season resumes. The five Olympians were in attendance, defenseman Derek Morris looks close to returning to the lineup, and the team has had ample time to talk about and implement the strategies, structure and style it would like to employ over the season's final 24 games.

"We've had a few real good days and some long days," coach Dave Tippett said. "In practice, things seemed to be going all right, but it's results in the game that matter."

Consistency is the elusive commodity the Coyotes have been chasing all season. They have squandered countless opportunities to put themselves in better playoff position. They have struggled against some of the league's worst clubs, they have struggled on the penalty kill, and they have struggled in their own end.

All of those problems must be solved now because there is no more margin for error in a Western Conference where five playoff spots are already locked down and seven teams are vying for the other three.

John Woods-The Canadian Press via Associated Press

Coyotes at Jets

When: Thursday, 6 p.m.

Where: MTC Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: FOX Sports Arizona

Records: Winnipeg: 28-26-6; Phoenix 27-21-10

Scouting the Jets: Winnipeg is 9-3-1 since Paul Maurice took over as coach and that has vaulted the Jets back into the Western Conference playoff picture. They are just two points behind eighth-place Dallas and Phoenix. Included in that streak is a 5-1 win over the Coyotes on Jan. 13 in Winnipeg. Coyotes 2004 draft pick Blake Wheeler leads the Jets with 22 goals and 48 points while a trio of former Blackhawks (Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Michael Frolik) are among Winnipeg's top seven scorers. Winnipeg's penalty-killing unit is ranked sixth in the NHL at 84.3 percent.

The Coyotes hope to add a couple pieces to the mix before the March 5 trade deadline, but as general manager Don Maloney keeps reminding everyone, it's a tough market when there are 25 buyers and only five sellers.

There are plenty of areas to examine as the Coyotes take the ice on Thursday in Winnipeg. Here are five to focus on as the season enters its final 6½ weeks.

Identity

Tippett has been preaching the need to get back to the old Coyote way for months. What does that mean? It means consistency in work ethic. It means winning puck battles in the corners, along the walls and in open ice. It means playing with more grit. It means sacrificing the body more through physical play or shot-blocking. It means competing for 60 minutes (or more).

"We've got to get into a real sound game," Tippett said. "You're going to see, as these games go on here and teams are trying to get into the playoffs, they're going to be tight games, one-goal games where every play counts.

"How we handle those situations, how we conduct ourselves, how we compete in those situations will dictate our fate."

Do the Coyotes still have the personnel to assume such an identity? That's open for debate. It's a popular notion that this roster is basically the same as the one that went to the Western Conference Final two seasons ago. It's not.

Veteran defensemen Adrian Aucoin, Michaal Rozsival and the old version of Rusty Klesla are not here. Forwards Ray Whitney, Raffi Torres, Boyd Gordon, Daymond Langkow and Taylor Pyatt are not here. That's a lot of experience, a lot of leadership and a lot of grit.

Maybe the Coyotes can add some of those virtues before the trade deadline, but if the market doesn't loosen up, they may have to go to war with the current cast.

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Dave Tippett says the Coyotes should expect nothing but tight games down the stretch: 'How we compete in those situations will dictate our fate.'

Shane Doan's health

Doan got off to one of the best starts of his lengthy NHL career before a bout with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever sidelined him for a month and reduced his effectiveness upon his return to the lineup in January.

We won't know how much that battle took out of Doan, and we won't know how close is he is to 100 percent until after the season, but this Olympic break benefitted the Coyotes captain like no other player on the roster.

"The last few days you can see there's a noticeable jump in him. I think the rest did him good," Tippett said. "I think he's anxious to get playing again. We're going to try to get him over on the right side, his natural side and hopefully get back to where he was at the start of the year."

In practice, Doan has been on a line with center Mike Ribeiro and left wing Brandon McMillan, an intriguing call-up who brings plenty of pace, smarts and defensive responsibility to the game, even if he is a bit lacking in size.

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Coyotes might be looking for an upgrade of their third defensive pairing if David Schlemko can't solidify his contribution.

Trades

Don Maloney has made it clear his first order of business is to add help up front. Whether he'll be afforded that opportunity is anybody's guess, given the difficult market and the availability of players.

"There's not many cookies in the cookie jar," said Tippett, also noting that the available cookies are expensive ones. "We're really going with the mindset that this is our group, and we're going forward with this group right here. We'll do everything we can to get these guys prepared and try to play the right way and see if we can find ways to win."

If the Coyotes are able to acquire players, they'd like to add a forward to their top three lines, with a left wing for the Martin Hanzal-Radim Vrbata line the obvious preference. There's also the feeling that the Coyotes could use a little more grit.

It is unlikely the Coyotes will land one of the big-ticket free agents like the Islanders' Thomas Vanek. Maloney continues to maintain that any deal would likely have to be dollar-for-dollar, but co-owner George Gosbee says that if a great deal presents itself, the team is "opportunity-driven" and would consider adding payroll.

With the market prices currently so high, that seems unlikely.

One more area to watch is the left defenseman on the third pairing. David Schlemko is the incumbent alongside Michael Stone.

"We need both those guys to be real solid players for us," Tippett said. "They don't have to be anything spectacular; they just need to be really solid for us."

If Schlemko can't deliver, Chris Summers is waiting in the wings. If neither can deliver, there's an outside chance the Coyotes could look to add here as well, although that is not Maloney's preference.

The impact of the Olympics

The way the Games played out, the only Coyote who could be suffering from long-term fatigue is wing Lauri Korpikoski, who played significant minutes for Finland's bronze-medal winning team. Defenseman Zbynek Michalek and center Martin Hanzal exited the tournament early after the Czech Republic's disappointing finish, goalie Mike Smith didn't play a minute for Team Canada, and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was relegated to a bit part in the latter stages of Sweden's run to the silver medal.

Once the players move past the jet lag, which could take a couple of days, the only real question is did Smith stay active enough to maintain the mojo he finally found in his last four starts before the break.

"The first 20-30 minutes of practice, I didn't get a ton of work, but I did my best to stay on after and to take shots when I got the opportunity to be in the net," Smith said of Canada's practices. "It will take a couple days to get back adjusted, but I was feeling very confident about my game before I left. I was

able to see some of the best shooters in the world while I practiced over there for two weeks. I hope to start back off where I left. There's a big push now. We know where we are in the standings, and every game is important."

The schedule

There are 24 games left in the Coyotes' season; 13 of those are on the road. Phoenix has two East Coast trips remaining, which might seem like a good thing given the East's struggles this season. But the East has improved against the West since the season started, and the Coyotes are just 10-11-7 away from Jobing.com Arena (23rd in the NHL).

The three-game homestand that begins Sunday is the longest remaining homestand of the season, and the Coyotes must still play 13 of their final 24 games against Western Conference teams -- a bad thing when you consider the conference's strength; a good thing because the team can dictate its own fate.

foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 02.27.2014

730256 Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin 'glad' to be back with Penguins

By Rob Rossi

February 26, 2014 7:24 p.m.

Updated 6 minutes ago

Evgeni Malkin did not do much at the Winter Olympics.

He played hockey, dined with his parents, attended a few figure skating events and watched on TV as some Russians won medals.

“I'm glad to come back (and) see the guys,” Malkin said Wednesday after his second post-Olympics practice with the Penguins at Consol Energy Center. “They help me a lot.”

Malkin conceded he was not completely over Team Russia's failure to medal in men's ice hockey at the Winter Games staged in Sochi, Russia. He revealed few details about his Olympics experience, which friends and Penguins teammates were told was not enjoyable.

Not helping Russia to its first hockey gold medal is at the center of Malkin's disappointment.

“I remember (at the 2010 Vancouver Games) we lost, and now it's more worse (because) we played at home,” Malkin said. “Of course it's tough. (I) need a little bit more time.”

Malkin returned to practice Tuesday and met with Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. No stranger to Olympic disappointment after Team USA failed to medal, Bylsma spoke to Malkin about their respective needs to refocus on trying to win the Stanley Cup that has eluded the Penguins since 2009.

Malkin led that postseason in scoring and was named playoff MVP.

He appears to be inspired by Team Russia's failure in Sochi, Penguins teammates said.

“I think he'll only be down a couple of days,” right winger James Neal said of his regular center. “He looks angry more than anything.

“Geno came back upset, obviously. He also looks confident, and we've seen what he can do when he's feeling confident.”

Malkin began the NHL season with only 10 points in his opening 13 games. He has produced 48 points in his past 34 games — a 1.41 points-per-game pace that is not far off his MVP 2011-12 season ratio (1.45).

Malkin had looked forward to playing for Russia at the Games. However, he finished with only a goal and two assists, no points in the final four games, and his third Olympics ended without a medal.

Malkin and fellow Russian NHL star Alex Ovechkin took issue with their national club's roster composition, coaching and how they were used. Both players felt there was a divide between Russians in the NHL and that country's Kontinental Hockey League.

Malkin took a diplomatic approach to Team Russia's problems on Wednesday.

“I know everyone on (the) team played hard, 100 percent,” Malkin said. “We just (did) not play together.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 02.27.2014


Penguins notebook: Captain Crosby refreshed, ready resume play

By Josh Yohe

February 26, 2014 7:06 p.m.

Updated less than a minute ago

Sidney Crosby barely offered a smile when discussing the second gold medal of his Olympic career.

His work this season, after all, isn't finished.

Sounding relieved that another gold medal was attained, Crosby acknowledged that his mind now is focused on guiding the Penguins to a championship for the second time in his career.

“It will be good to get a routine going again,” Crosby said.

He doesn't need to wait any longer.

The Penguins play 17 times in the next 32 days, including a Thursday matchup with the Montreal Canadiens at Consol Energy Center.

Although Crosby has admitted that fatigue from the 2010 Olympics may have hindered the Penguins, who were eliminated that spring by the Canadiens, he thinks the Sochi experience could enhance his team's chances in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Such a high level of competition, he suggested, can pay dividends.

“I'm going to have to manage and balance rest and things like that,” he said. “That being said, to play at that level for a couple of weeks, I hope it's something that helps all of us who were over there.”

Unlike many Olympians who have complained of jetlag in recent days, Crosby reported feeling fine physically.

His left wing in Sochi and with the Penguins, Chris Kunitz, also is feeling refreshed.

Crosby and Kunitz will be relied upon heavily this spring as the Penguins are unlikely to add a plethora of stars like last season.

Kunitz sounds up to the challenge, even if the Olympic experience was a tiring one.

“You've got to manage your time,” Kunitz said. “We're playing four games a week. On days you're off and not skating, you've just got to take care of yourself and make sure you're still getting better.”

Crosby sounded hungry for the final 24 games of the regular season to begin and even took time to take a subtle shot at members of the Canadian media who didn't seem to think Kunitz was worthy of a spot on Canada's Olympic roster.

“There is a lot of stuff I read and hear about that I think is ridiculous,” he said. “There's stuff I don't always agree with. I don't always agree with everything. That's just the way it is. Chris has handled it well. I see the way he plays daily. As a hockey player, you have to shrug some of that stuff off. There are always going to be opinions and questions. Sometimes those kind of motivate you.”

Price played through pain

Montreal goaltender Carey Price did not play Wednesday and won't play when the Canadiens visit the Penguins on Thursday.

Price is dealing with an injury and, according to Crosby, the goaltender guided Canada to an Olympic gold medal while playing through the pain.

“I think it's something that didn't just happen at the Olympics,” Crosby said. “It's something he's been battling for a while.”

Price allowed only three goals in five Olympic games.

Good advice

A number of the Canadian Olympic players battled sinus problems while in Sochi. Team doctors gave players two medications for battling the condition,

both of which were previously cleared by the International Olympic Committee.

Sweden center Nicklas Backstrom was unable to play against Canada in the tournament's final game because of taking a banned substance.

Full speed ahead

All of the healthy Penguins — Crosby, Kunitz and defenseman Brooks Orpik returned to practice — were available for Wednesday's workout. Coach Dan Bylsma said that the team will continue to work with three goaltenders but that starter Marc-Andre Fleury will receive his regular practice workload, while Jeff Zatkoff and Tomas Vokoun will share time in some drills.



Penguins face challenging second half in NHL

By Rob Rossi

February 26, 2014 8:42 p.m.

Updated 5 hours ago

Dan Bylsma is interested in a Silver-lined run to the Stanley Cup.

His starting goalie is looking at a silver lining to the cloud of injuries that continues to hover over the Penguins.

“Last year, there was not much struggle,” Marc-Andre Fleury said. “This year, we've had more injuries than I can remember from before, and we're always the injured team, right?

“Maybe it's good, all these bumps. Maybe it gives other guys a chance to be ready for the playoffs. We'll probably need them with the way things are going.”

The Penguins begin their annual march to the postseason Thursday night. Montreal visits Consol Energy Center, and the Canadiens will be without Canadian gold-medal goalie Carey Price (lower-body injury).

Not that the Penguins will feel pity for any opponent short of a star, role player or, really, regulars.

No club is within 85 games of the Penguins' league-worst 355 man-games lost to injury.

Two weeks before the Olympic break, the Penguins looked to be a patented trade-deadline move by general manager Ray Shero from cementing their status as the clear favorite in a weak Eastern Conference.

Two days of NHL action after the Olympic break, and the Penguins look nothing like that squad.

Defenseman Kris Letang (stroke) has lost weight because he is unable to train. He is at least a month from being re-evaluated to determine whether he can stop taking blood-thinning medication.

Letang is one of two Penguins defensemen to consistently play at least 24 minutes and work with the top power play.

The other is Paul Martin, who is out at least four weeks and may yet require surgery because of a broken right hand.

Defensemen who carry heavy workloads, play in all situations and excel at moving the puck, like Letang and Martin, are the hottest of commodities.

To acquire one is costly.

To replace two has not been done by a general manager at or before the trade deadline during the salary-cap era.

This season is the first of the cap era that the upper payroll limit has decreased. The Penguins lost five regulars — wingers Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow, Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke, and defenseman Douglas Murray — from last postseason's Eastern Conference finalist.

They also lost about $7 million in salary-cap space.

That all happened before a season-ending knee-surgery for top-line right winger Pascal Dupuis, whose obvious in-house replacement, 2010 first-round pick Beau Bennett, has not played since late November. Bennett is out at least another three weeks with an injured right wrist.

Dupuis and Bennett were injured before Letang was lost in late January and Martin went down during the Olympics. Letang and Martin could play again this season, but neither is a guarantee, and only Martin is projected by management as a safe bet.

Another way to look at the Penguins' current situation:

Only Fleury and the second scoring line, center Evgeni Malkin and wingers James Neal and Jussi Jokinen, are not directly impacted by injuries. The top, third and fourth lines feature replacements, and only three of the top seven defensemen were projected to be on the roster in training camp.

This is how Brian Gibbons, who has played 19 games, becomes the lead candidate to playing alongside golden Canadian Olympians Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz on the top line.

This is how Taylor Pyatt, claimed off waivers in January, figures to get another look with center Brandon Sutter, who already has played with 15 different wingers on the third line.

This is how Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres, each in Bylsma's doghouse at one point this season, are viable top-six options.

This is how Deryk Engelland moves from bottom-pairing defense to checking-line forward then back again — and back again.

This is how the Penguins are deeper in goal, with veteran Tomas Vokoun's impending return after not playing this season because of a blood clot, than at any other position.

Crosby, Malkin, Kunitz and Neal face the pressure of carrying the Penguins offensively as they try to perfect a new left-wing lock defensive system that theoretically will be better for the tight-checking playoffs.

The fresh faces around them, from Gibbons to Despres to goalie Jeff Zatkoff, at least don't look unfamiliar because they have played long stretches this season.

There is a “different feel” in the room than a year ago, Neal said. Then Shero, armed with rare cap space, swung four deals before the deadline passed.

Another run of trades, Neal said, “is something we don't worry about.”

“From Day 1, I think we all had a pretty good idea of who we were going into the playoffs with,” Neal said. “We had a core group of guys, and it was going to be up to us even if there were injuries.”

The trade deadline is 3 p.m. March 5, and Shero hinted Tuesday it could pass without him making a move for only the second time in eight seasons.

Asking prices are high in a seller's market, Shero said.

“I wouldn't put anything past Ray,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said.

“But if we don't make any moves, maybe it's because management knows what is has in some of our younger guys. We've been dealing with injuries since training camp, and these guys have come in and played well, and it looks like some of them are going to keep getting that chance.”



Mixed results, mixed emotions as Penguins return to NHL play

February 27, 2014 12:32 AM

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The scene in the Penguins locker room after practice Wednesday was a little like something out of a Peanuts Halloween.

There were linemates Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz, all smiles on their first day back with their NHL team after helping Canada win the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.

There was defenseman Brooks Orpik, who, along with Team USA, fell just short of earning a medal. He still talked about what a treat it was to be at the Olympics.

Then, there was center Evgeni Malkin, who looked like the kid who checked his pillow case and declared, "I got a rock."

Three times, Malkin has played in the Olympics. Three times, he has come away empty-handed. This time, the Winter Games were in his native Russia, and there were tremendous expectations for the team playing at home to win gold, or at least some color of medal.

"Of course, it's big pressure," Malkin said. "It's tough, sad. I didn't read the paper. I just focused on my game. I know everyone on the team played hard, 100 percent. It's tough to lose.

"It's not easy. It's always tough. I remember in Vancouver [in 2010] when we lost, and now it's worse."

The Penguins' six healthy Olympians (defenseman Paul Martin came home with a broken hand) practiced Wednesday and are expected to play tonight against Montreal at Consol Energy Center. The others are winger Jussi Jokinen and defenseman Olli Maatta, who won bronze with Finland.

Malkin seemed to get some relief from being back around his NHL teammates.

"I'm glad to come back and see these guys," he said. "They help me a lot. Just stay positive and focus on my game."

Malkin was all the more miserable because some of his equipment had not made it back from Sochi.

In addition, he was feeling the effects of a layoff since Russia lost in the qualifying round.

Scouting report

Game: Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Consol Energy Center.

When: 7:08 p.m.

TV: Root.

He said he was feeling "not good enough right now because the last six days I didn't skate. This was my first practice. ... Not 100 percent."

Although he remained in Russia until the end of the Games, Malkin did not immerse himself in other Olympic activities. He watched some events on TV "and enjoyed when Russian guys won," although he did attend figure skating a couple of times and hung out with his parents and some friends who had traveled to Sochi.

Orpik, who earned a silver medal in 2010, seemed to savor the Olympic experience more than Malkin did.

"There's a whole bigger part than just the hockey," Orpik said. "Obviously, the hockey didn't go our way, but I had a blast for two weeks, met a lot of people and probably enjoyed the whole experience a lot more than I did four years ago."

Kunitz, a first-time Olympian, and Crosby, who is two-for-two in golds at the Games, also soaked up some atmosphere.

"I tried to remind myself that it's a once-in-lifetime opportunity, to go meet some of the other athletes, take in the experience of being in Russia," he said.

Crosby took advantage of the fact that, other than the skiing and sliding events in the mountains, the venues were in a compact area.

"We went to speed skating, curling, a couple of the women's hockey games," Crosby said. "It was nice. Everything was close, so you could walk everywhere or ride a bike. It was nice to be able to see different things. In Vancouver, we met a lot of different athletes, but didn't get to see as many sports."

Crosby noticed that the speed skaters seemed to tote their long-bladed skates everywhere and, in talking to them, found out that they are incredibly particular about their skates and take care of them -- including sharpening them -- themselves. Crosby is particular about his skates, too, but is grateful that team equipment manager Dana Heinze handles the sharpening.

"It was a great experience," Crosby said of the Olympics. "Winning always makes it better."

Now the Olympians will stow their mixed bags of emotion and turn back toward NHL games.

"It will be good just to get a routine going again," Crosby said.

"You're going to have to manage and balance rest, but to play at that level for a couple of weeks and go through that, hopefully it's something that helps all of us who were there."

Kunitz, one goal shy of 200 in the NHL, is finding it to be a big transition.

"We've put that behind us now," he said of the Olympics. "It's just adjusting and getting back to our systems, relearning to be on the ice in certain areas where you can be responsible and where they're going to expect you to be and play. Playing some other system for two weeks, you forget about some of the things here, but, hopefully, running through the reps, we'll be ready for the game."

Malkin, although his Olympic experience was not what he wanted, was able to put things in perspective.

"I'm happy to play hockey every day," he said. "I'm a lucky guy to play in the NHL and play for my national team, too."

Post Gazette LOADED: 02.27.2014


Moving on after Sochi key to Penguins future

February 27, 2014 12:12 AM

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The United States lost its shot at a gold medal when it was beaten by Canada, 1-0, in the Olympic semifinals Friday.

It likely lost any realistic hope of taking home a bronze medal at the same time.

Oh, it took a 5-0 loss to Finland in the bronze-medal game the next day to make a fourth-place finish official for the U.S., but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who ran Team USA's bench, clearly believes the impact of the Canadians' victory was felt long after that game had ended.

"You play a 1-0 game and what you came there for, really, to win a gold medal, is gone," he said. "We had to deal with that disappointment going on to the next game.

"I don't think you get rid of the disappointment. I don't think you say, 'Hey, you can put this game behind you, and let's move on.' "

Team USA clearly didn't and, after a solid first period against the Finns, turned in a fairly lifeless final 40 minutes to close out the tournament with its second consecutive defeat.

"For sure, we wanted it more, and it showed," said Penguins rookie defenseman Olli Maatta, who played for Finland. "It's not easy to find motivation for the bronze-medal game after a tough loss."

The Finns got theirs by rallying around future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne, who was making his final appearance on the national team.

"He was our idol, growing up," said Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen, who also played for Finland.

The U.S. had no such incentive. Just the empty ache of a one-goal loss to its arch-rival in a rematch of the gold-medal game four years earlier.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero, associate general manager of Team USA, praised the Canadians Tuesday, saying they "might be the greatest Olympic hockey team ever."

Two of that team's members, center Sidney Crosby and left winger Chris Kunitz, play for the Penguins, who now must focus on the final 24 games of the regular season before trying to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

Of the seven Penguins who played in the Olympics, it is likely that none will be more eager to get immersed in the NHL season than Russian center Evgeni Malkin, whose team didn't make it past the quarterfinals.

"I talked to Evgeni," Bylsma said. "Probably the third thing out of Evgeni's mouth was the Stanley Cup and coming back here and being focused on that.

"We have 24 games to get back and be focused on this team being the best it can be and getting to the Stanley Cup [final] and winning."

Malkin should be flanked by his usual linemates, Jokinen and James Neal, when the Penguins face Montreal at 7:08 p.m. Thursday at Consol Energy Center.

Who will line up alongside Crosby and Kunitz on the top unit isn't clear, although Brian Gibbons appears to be the favorite.

He's the most recent replacement for Pascal Dupuis, who will miss the rest of the season after knee surgery two weeks ago. Whether the Penguins will try to bring in a more experienced fill-in before the March 5 trade deadline remains to be seen, although Shero made that seem unlikely.

"In terms of trying to replace Pascal Dupuis with a top-line winger, I think that's going to be a bit far-fetched," he said.

Even if the Penguins were inclined to pursue an established top-six winger, they almost certainly would have to clear salary-cap space to make it possible. Capgeek.com, the leading authority on such matters, says they have no more than $1,195,000 in annual space available.

Most of the movement at this time of year involves "rental players," which are guys -- nearly always from teams out of serious playoff contention -- who are about to become unrestricted free agents. The Penguins added three of those (Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray) near the deadline in 2013.

With so many teams having limited cap space available, however, it's possible that playoff contenders will swap UFAs-to-be, rather than surrendering draft picks or prospects to bring in a rental.

"You could see that," Shero said. "If you want to trade a defenseman for a forward or vice versa, if you have that need, you're not so concerned about the [potential UFA's] status. I could see that happening."

What the Penguins will look like when the deadline passes is hard to predict, but the team as now configured is scheduled to gather for a practice today. At that point, memories of the Olympics, be they golden or ghastly, will have to be put aside as the 2013-14 stretch drive begins.

"You have to put it behind you and [deal with] the task at hand," Bylsma said. "Coming back here and playing for the Penguins."

■ Game: Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Consol Energy Center.

■ When: 7:08 p.m. Thursday.

■ TV: Root.



Penguins notebook: Ready to play, but very rusty

February 26, 2014 9:29 PM

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It has been 20 days since the Penguins previously played a game.

Even though some of them played in four, five or six games at the Sochi Olympics and the others have practiced for a week, they aren’t deluding themselves about being in top form tonight when the Montreal Canadiens visit Consol Energy Center.

“There’s going to be rust,” Penguins defenseman Matt Niskanen said Wednesday. “I don’t think any team is going to be at the same level they were at before the break. Maybe a few individuals, guys who played, will be fine. I know our group, it’s not going to be perfect the first period [tonight].

“Hopefully, it comes back quickly. That’s got to be our focus — get back to that level as soon as we can. Whether it takes a period, two games or whatever it is, we’ve got to get back there soon.”

Coach Dan Bylsma, who coached Team USA at the Olympics, oversaw his second practice since returning, and first with the full squad after some of the club’s Olympians were given an extra day or two off.

“We did a few things systematic-wise, and, in seven minutes, we see our players fall right back into the detail and habit we need to have,” Bylsma said.

But he’s not kidding himself any more than Niskanen is.

After tonight, the Penguins’ next game will be played outdoors Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks at Soldier Field in Chicago, part of the NHL’s Stadium Series.

Those games, with the ice and weather conditions, can be challenging without any rust issues.

“We’re getting ready for two games that you shouldn’t be expecting to be masterpieces of execution,” Bylsma said.

No Price tonight

Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz won’t have to face one of their teammates from Sochi.

Montreal goaltender Carey Price helped Team Canada win the gold medal while nursing a leg injury of some kind. Price took the ice for Montreal’s game-day skate Wednesday, but quickly retreated and was ruled out of the game Wednesday night against Detroit and the one tonight against the Penguins.

Crosby couldn’t hide the fact he knew Price was injured or that he understood how much more impressive that made Price’s performance. Price was 5-0 with a 0.59 goals-against average and a .972 save percentage in Sochi.

“He played really well,” Crosby said. “I think it’s something that didn’t just happen at the Olympics. I think it’s something he’s probably been battling for a while.

“He’s been good all year, but, considering the amount of pressure that’s on a goalie in those circumstances, I think he handled that and the injury pretty well.”

Canadiens backup goaltender Peter Budaj is expected to start tonight instead of Price.

Not so subtle changes

Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury wore new equipment Wednesday in practice. It was designed for the outdoor game.

His helmet is themed like a Steelers football helmet, black with a yellow racing stripe.

“It’s a fun sports city,” Fleury explained. “We cheer for them, go to their games.”

Fleury and backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff brainstormed weeks ago about designs for the Stadium Series game. Fleury liked the Steelers idea, “especially when [the game Saturday night is] in a football stadium.”

Fleury also sported shiny gold pads, glove and blocker.

Zatkoff tweeted pictures of his new helmet for the outdoor game. It picks up on the metallic theme that was used for the team’s Stadium Series jerseys.

Goalie time

The Penguins are trying to make sure three goaltenders will get practice time in the net in practice. Fleury, Zatkoff and Tomas Vokoun, out all season after a blood-clot problem but now cleared to play when he gets back into game shape and sharpness, all need work.

Bylsma said the priorities are to make sure Fleury gets one net for pretty much an entire practice; that Zatkoff gets some playing time with 16 games in March, including three sets of back-to-back games; and that Vokoun faces enough shots and gets enough practice time to get game-ready.

“We’re going to have to invent ways to make that all happen,” Bylsma said.


730262 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks welcome back their Olympians

By David Pollak

Posted: 02/26/2014 11:28:44 AM PST | Updated: about 6 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA -- Set aside for a minute the speculation about the after-effects of jet lag or the lingering emotions tied to the highs and lows of Olympic competition.

Joe Pavelski honed in Wednesday on a more practical adjustment he and the three other Sharks returning from Sochi now face as they prepare for the resumption of their NHL season Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

"Coming back on the ice, it just feels small out there," Pavelski said, drawing a comparison to the bigger European surface he has been playing on. "Just skinny, the offensive zone seems kind of long and narrow."

No, it isn't likely to take long for Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Antti Niemi to get used to the smaller NHL rinks again. But that was only one of many topics on the table after an hour-long practice at Penn's home rink as the Sharks welcomed not only their four Olympians back into the fold, but also the likely return of Logan Couture, Raffi Torres and Tyler Kennedy to the lineup.

"I felt like we were energized a little bit today," Coach Todd McLellan said. "I don't know if that's because we were in a different building or if they're back and guys are excited to see them."

But McLellan was also a little wary about how quickly his world travelers would readjust to their NHL routine.

"It's as much the emotional part of their experience as it is the physical part. Time change, jet lag, all that type of stuff comes into play for every Olympian," McLellan said. "It's who can recover from the emotional part of being a champion or maybe losing a game that you wanted to win. But, I think the players that we sent are very mentally strong."

All four Olympic Sharks talked about the experience in a positive light — even Pavelski, who acknowledged it was "definitely a tough ending" with Team USA coming home empty handed after being shut out by Canada and Finland.

"Overall, great experience," he said adding that anyone "definitely can learn a lot from going to a place like that and being around those types of players."

Vlasic talked about the confidence gained by winning gold as a key presence on a Team Canada defense that shut down opponents by allowing just three goals in six games.

"Obviously we didn't score a lot of goals, but we didn't need to. Everybody was committed, everybody had a part in it and it was a great thrill," he said. "I thought my game grew in the Olympics."

Marleau said he was watching his Team Canada teammate in practice Wednesday just to see how Vlasic might react to his first Olympic competition.

"I think you can see how he has a lot of confidence now, having played against the best and with the best," Marleau said. "I think it raises your game. You see what other players do, how they prepare, how they practice and it can't help but help your game."

Niemi said he didn't find it too difficult to be a spectator at every Team Finland game because he knew ahead of time that he might not start or even play. And, the goalie added, the break provided just the right amount of work and rest.

"I feel it was just the perfect two weeks for me, skating with the team, not skating a lot, just a couple drills a day pretty much," he said. "I didn't play so I think my mind is rested too. I feel pretty good right now."

McLellan said he thinks all NHL teams are facing the same challenge as they get ready for their first games after the nearly three-week break.

"Just the rustiness, the trying to do to much early in a game, we really have to keep it simple," he said. "You'll hear 30 coaches say that today. Keep the shifts short - execute a lot like we are at the beginning of the year."

Rookie Tomas Hertl accompanied the Sharks on the road for the first time since a Dec. 19 knee injury. Hertl stayed off the ice Wednesday, but the Czech forward is expected to skate sometime this week.

The Sharks recalled defenseman Matt Tennyson from Worcester to replace the injured Brad Stuart.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Sharks get a boost for their stretch run

Ross McKeon

Updated 11:51 pm, Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Rejuvenated by the return of previously injured personnel along with three recent Olympic medal winners, the Sharks resume the NHL regular season Thursday following a 20-day break.

San Jose opens a three-game road trip in Philadelphia with their first game since Feb. 7. The league shut down to make way for the Sochi Games, won in men's hockey by Team Canada on Sunday.

Sharks forward Patrick Marleau and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic brought home gold while goalie Antti Niemi won bronze when Finland won 5-0 over the U.S., which included Joe Pavelski.

The Sharks also welcome the return of Logan Couture, Raffi Torres and Tyler Kennedy on the trip. Couture missed 16 games following surgery to repair his injured right wrist. Torres was out the first 59 games of the season after knee surgery, and Kennedy missed the final five games before the break due to a lower-body injury.

Hoping for full health

"We've obviously battled all year long with different guys being out, and now we get them back," team captain Joe Thornton said. "To get the full unit out there is going to be exciting."

It's rare when a team reaches complete health, and the Sharks are no different. Defenseman Brad Stuart suffered an upper-body injury during the team's last game, a 3-2 win over Columbus, and didn't recover in time to join San Jose on the current trip. Matt Tennyson was recalled from Worcester of the AHL on Wednesday.

In addition, rookie Tomas Hertl continues to rehabilitate from early-season knee surgery. He's traveling with teammates for the first time and may start light skating on the trip.

"There's going to be more injuries going forward, probably," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "Some guys that are not up here anymore did an admirable job and got some games under their belt that's going to benefit them down the road."

With 23 games remaining and a majority of those on home ice after this trip, the Sharks hope to chase down Pacific Division-leading Anaheim, which holds a seven-point lead, has played one more game and faces San Jose twice more. Meanwhile, San Jose has a double-digit lead on Los Angeles, so home ice in at least the first round of the playoffs currently looks like a strong probability.

Return to form sought

The Sharks will look to get back on top of their game. San Jose was among the league's top scoring teams before Couture was injured, but dropped from an average of 3.3 goals during the 43 games with him in the lineup to 2.01 during the 16 he was out.

The Sharks' power play dipped, too, converting only one goal in 29 tries over the final nine games before the break.

"It feels like I haven't played in a long time, so I'm looking forward to getting back," Couture said. "You realize how much you miss it. I know going in I'm going to expect a lot out of myself, but we'll see how it goes."

Torres' return should spark a third line that will likely be centered by Pavelski, giving San Jose the kind of attack it envisioned since the end of last season.

"The thing that helped us down the stretch last year, and that helped us early this year, was our balance," Boyle said. "Although the guys who came in did an admirable job, I think going forward our balance is going to be the key in us being successful."

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 02.27.2014


Olympians rejoin Sharks for practice in Philly

February 26, 2014, 11:45 am

Kevin Kurz

PHILADELPHIA – The band is back together.

Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Antti Niemi all skated with their Sharks teammates for the first time in nearly three weeks, joining the team in Philadelphia for practice on Wednesday. The final 23-game stretch starts on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center against the Flyers.

“I felt like we were energized a little bit today,” said Todd McLellan, who led the skate at a rink on campus at the University of Pennsylvania. “I don’t know if that’s because we were in a different building, or if they’re back and guys are excited to see them, but our first full workout as a group. Now, back to work. It’s time to play games, it really is. It’s been long enough.”

Each of the four Sharks that participated in the Olympics had a unique experience.

For Marleau, it was his second time on Team Canada, and thus his second career gold medal. The forward played a key role, finishing with four assists and looking particularly strong on a line that included the Kings’ Jeff Carter. He’ll now try and get his NHL season back on track, after he was arguably the team’s best player through December before slowing down.

“You have to switch gears pretty quickly and get back into Shark mode, and what we’re trying to accomplish here,” Marleau said. “Over there, it was about Team Canada and winning there. Now, it’s about Sharks and winning here. Having a lot of guys coming back (from injury), there’s a lot of excitement about our team right now, I feel.”

Vlasic played in his first Olympics, and was part of a smothering defense that allowed just three goals in six games. He was scoreless with a +3 rating.

“I had a lot of confidence in the tournament and I can bring that to the Sharks for the rest of the year,” said Vlasic, who was paired primarily with the Kings’ Drew Doughty. “I thought my game grew in the Olympics. Personally, I thought I played well, and I can bring that to help the team win the Cup.”

There were no issues playing with Doughty, and other players typically skating on rival clubs, such as the Anaheim Ducks’ Corey Perry.

“I got along very well with Doughty. He’s a great guy on and off the ice,” Vlasic said.

“Corey Perry’s a great guy. When you win a [gold medal], later on you always have a bond with somebody. That’s what we’ve got.”

Niemi did not play for Team Finland as the third string goaltender. Still, he was proud to be a part of the country that captured the bronze medal, beating the Americans in the consolation game.

“Just a huge thing for the whole country, pretty much,” Niemi said. “Over half the population watched the games, so it was a huge deal.”

He also indicated that he's refreshed and ready to start the stretch run, admitting a break from game action could be beneficial.

“I feel it was just the perfect two weeks for me, skating with the team, not skating a lot, just a couple drills a day pretty much, and not staying out there for too long,” he said. “I feel rested, and I still had good practices, but not too much. I didn’t play, so I think my mind is rested, too. I feel pretty good right now.”

Pavelski was the only player to come home without a medal. Team USA looked dominant through the preliminary round, and Pavelski was part of that on a line with Toronto’s Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, but the Americans failed to score a single goal against Canada and Finland in finishing fourth. Pavelski had one goal and four assists in six games.

“Definitely a tough ending,” said Pavelski, who won a silver medal in 2010 in Vancouver. “You always want it to go better towards the end. We played well to start, we just didn’t get the results we wanted at the end.

“Overall, great experience. Definitely can learn a lot from going to a place like that and being around those types of players.”

The challenge for McLellan, and every other head coach around the league, will be to quickly get everyone on the same page for the final seven weeks of the regular season.

The Sharks do have a solid recent history to reflect upon. In the 2013 shortened season they reeled off seven straight wins, and this year San Jose was 9-1-1 in its first 11.

“We really have to keep it simple. You’ll hear 30 coaches say that today,” McLellan said. “Keep the shifts short, execute, a lot like we were at the beginning of the year. We’ve got off to some pretty good starts over the years, and we’d like to see that again out of this break.”



Sharks question No. 1: Is this the year?

February 26, 2014, 10:30 am

Kevin Kurz

Eight Sharks questions

No. 8: What will forward lines be?

No. 7: Can Anaheim be caught?

No. 6: Will Boyle return to form?

No. 5: Torres to full speed?

No. 4: Trade deadline action?

No. 3: Can vets keep pace?

No. 2: Niemi over Stalock?

No. 1: Is this the year?

Programming note: Sharks-Flyers coverage Thursday at 3:30 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on Comcast SportsNet California

Question 1 – Can the Sharks win the Stanley Cup?

The Sharks mantra of playing “fast, hard and supportive” is painted on a wall inside the dressing room at the practice facility, where the players spend most of their time together.

It’s highlighted somewhere in head coach Todd McLellan’s mind, too, and it’s hard to tell if he even realizes he’s repeating those three personality traits when asked what he wants to see from his club. Or, maybe he’s uttered it to his group so many times that it’s become second nature.

“As we go down the stretch, we want to be fast, we want to be a hard team to play against with and without the puck, and we’ve got to be supportive,” McLellan said. “We have to use everybody. We have to be playing as units of five on the ice, all over the place.”

In order to assess the current state of the Sharks, it’s necessary to rewind back to the last trade deadline. After a torrid start to the shortened 2013 season, the Sharks went into a terrible slump around the beginning of February. They were getting good goaltending and playing solid team defense, but they simply could not put the puck in the net.

From Feb. 2 to March 12, the Sharks managed to score more than two goals just three times in an 18-game span. They were 4-8-6 over that stretch, and looked like they were on their way to dropping out of the playoff picture.

Something had to be done. McLellan recalled gathering several times with general manager Doug Wilson, his staff, and the rest of the Sharks’ brain trust.

“We – not just me and Doug, but everybody in the organization – met, and kept talking about where we we're at and what we needed to do,” McLellan said. “The speed element of our team wasn’t where it needed to be, in my opinion and in ours. We felt we had to become a quicker team to be effective. There were other adjustments that we had to make, but we needed to adjust and adapt in that area. We tried to do that.”

Out were the plodding Douglas Murray, slumping Ryane Clowe and ineffective Michal Handzus. Arriving from Phoenix was Raffi Torres, who essentially embodied all the elements the Sharks were looking for in upping the tempo and intensity to their game.

“From there, it could go either way,” McLellan said.

It went well, and the Sharks were playing their best hockey of the season when they fell in seven games to Los Angeles, which followed a dominant first round sweep of Vancouver.

As for Torres, he’s expected to make his season debut on Thursday in Philadelphia, and is essentially a late season addition all over again. He recalled a conversation with Wilson shortly after the Sharks’ general manager snatched him up from Phoenix for a third round pick.

“When I got traded here, Doug was saying he wanted to go in the direction of being a more north-south team. Obviously, a faster team…It was good to hear from the GM to come in and just go out and play hockey,” Torres remembered.

McLellan said: “Some of the new players that came into the lineup added that speed element, added an energy element, and it became somewhat contagious.”

Which brings us to the current season.

For the most part, the Sharks have been able to maintain their identity that they found nearly a full calendar year ago. Converted defenseman Brent Burns remains a power forward with a wicked shot, Joe Pavelski provides the necessary balance as the third line center, and defensively, San Jose remains a tight team in its own end, sitting fourth in the league in team goals-against average. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture, before he got hurt, have all been as productive as could have been expected.

There have been ups and downs, as any team will experience in an 82-game season, but there is no identity crisis now. Each player in the Sharks locker room is well aware of what the team, and he himself needs to do to be successful.

“We learned a lot from last year,” Thornton said. “We like where we’re at.”

Winning the Pacific Division would be preferable, of course. The Sharks trail the Anaheim Ducks by seven points, with one game in hand and two head-to-head matchups remaining.

Getting out of the division won’t be easy, as the Sharks may need to beat both of their California rivals in order to advance to the Western Conference finals.

“I think home ice is important,” Dan Boyle said. “I’m a believer in home ice advantage. … Winning our division would have us playing Game 7 here, should we have it at some point. I think you’d rather be at home than on the road.”

There’s also the matter of injuries, which could crop up at any time. Torres’ effectiveness after a second major right knee operation has yet to be seen, and the Sharks are still without rookie Tomas Hertl, who is finally set to resume skating after major knee surgery on Dec. 31.

Wilson could always add some depth to the roster at the trade deadline, too. It’s a near certainty he won’t make any major transactions, as the Sharks don’t want to mess with the identity they’ve been able to build for the last 11 months.

“Hertl is going to be the one we’re going to be missing, but I’m excited to see our guys come back and get our balance back,” Boyle said. “I think that was our key at the end of last year, and our key at the start of this year. That’s going to be the element on our team that’s going to hopefully help us get to where we want to be.”

Thornton said: “If we stay healthy, I think I like our odds.”

If the Sharks stick to that mentality of playing fast, hard and supportive, they could very well have what it takes to make a real run at the franchise’s first championship. Expect to hear those three words from McLellan’s mouth often down the stretch, either on purpose or subconsciously.

“We’ll be looking to find that in that 23-game phase before we get to the playoffs, if we’re fortunate enough to make it,” he said.



Sharks' Hertl could resume skating this week

February 26, 2014, 8:15 am

Kevin Kurz

PHILADELPHIA -- Injured Sharks forward Tomas Hertl is with the team in Philadelphia and may start skating this week, according to general manager Doug Wilson.

No further timetable was given regarding the 20-year-old rookie, who has been out since Dec. 19 with a right knee injury suffered from a knee-on-knee hit by the Kings' Dustin Brown. Hertl had the MCL and PCL ligaments repaired in the knee on Dec. 31.

The Sharks practiced on Wednesday on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, and resume their season on Thursday against the Flyers. Olympians Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Antti Niemi rejoined their teammates for the first time since the games in Sochi concluded.

Defenseman Matt Tennyson has been recalled from Worcester to replace Brad Stuart (upper body), who will not play during a three-game road trip that continues in Buffalo and New Jersey. Tennyson has not played an NHL game this season.


730267 St Louis Blues

Blues Bytes: Challenges ahead for The Note

9 hours ago • Bernie Miklasz

As the Blues return to action from the Olympics break with tonight's game at Vancouver, there's a lot to like.

First, a quick review, three-dot style:

With a record of 39-12-6, they have the NHL's best winning percentage at .737 … the Blues rank second in goals scored per game (3.25) and are third in goals allowed per game (2.32) … The Blues are the only NHL team averaging at least a goal more per game than their opponents ... the Blues rank third at +45 in even-strength situations...they have one of the league's best shots-on-goal differentials ... they rank fourth in power play percentage, and fourth in penalty-kill percentage ... the Blues rank first in the NHL in the importan takeaway/giveaway ratio.

Most agree that the Blues can't be judged, and won't be judged, until we see how the do in the postseason. Everything else is just the run-up to a true outcome.

Here are a few things we'll be monitoring:

1. Goaltending. The Blues are once again reaffirming their faith in Jaroslav Halak, who is coming off a depressing Olympics experience. Will the faith last beyond the NHL's March 5 trade deadline? As a team the Blues rank 14th in the NHL in save percentage. Not awful, not great. Good enough to think there can be improvement and big-time play in goal -- and unpredictable enough to keep us nervously tracking goaltender trade rumors.

2. Sochi burnout: Nine Blues competed in the Olympic hockey tournament. Seven of the nine made it to the semifinals; four played in Canada's win over Sweden in the gold medal game. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Blues get acclimated after going through an intense competition that could lead to a letdown … and intense travel that could lead to a break down of body clocks. The Blues' immediate schedule is brutal, with six of the next seven on the road through March 9. During this hard stretch the Blues won't have more than a day off in between games, and conclude with back-to-back road games March 8 (at Colorado) and March 9 (Minnesota.) Can the road-weary Olympians fight through this until normalcy returns?

3. Chris Stewart: With the Olympians facing the considerable challenge of calibrating their body clocks, the fresh and rested Blues have to ramp it up, right away. There's no excuse. And Stewart is at the top of the list of Blues on the spot. Stewart has scored in only two of his last 22 games, and re-enters schedule with no goals in his last 14 games. Over this 22-game stretch he's a minus 8. That's simply ridiculous; Stewart has too much size, strength and ability to languish this way. But now he has the chance to push the reset button and get going. The Blues need a lot more from Stewart; this is an ideal time for a positive impact.

In a related note... the best teams usually get unexpectedly good contributions along the way from non-core players. The Blues have two young forwards with real potential, Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitrij Jaskin. Depending on the extent of their ice-time opportunities, what can the Blues get from Paajarvi and Jaskin? Jaden Schwartz offers a good if imperfect example of what I'm talking about. As a rookie last season Schwartz averaged 10 minutes of ice time in his first 15 games, and scored one goal. Over the final 28 games, Schwartz averaged 15 minutes and scored six goals. And that got him even more ice time in the first-round postseason series vs. Los Angeles.

And then there's the defense. With Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester jumping right back in from helping Canada win the gold, and Jordan Leopold still coping with a high ankle sprain, the Blues will be depending on Ian Cole and Carlo Colaiacovo to reinforce and replenish the group when necessary.

4. Pacifists? The Blues restart the season with three consecutive games against teams from the Pacific Division (Vancouver, Anaheim, Phoenix.) The Blues are 6-8-3 against Pacific teams this season, and that includes a 1-3-2 mark against Vancouver, Anaheim and Phoenix. The Blues have only four games left with Pac division foes, and play three of the four right away. It would be nice to see the boys imediately carve out some points against the Pacific.

5. Right down Central: For all of their mysterious struggles against the Pacific precinct, the Blues have a remarkable record in their own division, and that hasn't received enough attention. The Blues are 15-0-1 against Chicago, Colorado, Minnesota, Dallas, Winnipeg and Nashville. Can the Blues keep this up? That's a lot to ask. The Blues have 13 games remaining versus Central rivals – five at home and eight on the road. And two of the road games are in Chicago. It isn't easy to keep racking up the points in the hardscrabble Western Conference, and the Blues are doing something in their own division that's pretty amazing. But dominating Central teams figures to be more challenging from here on out.

Thanks for reading …

— Bernie

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.27.2014


Team Canada shows Blues the potential for Hitchcock's system

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford

VANCOUVER, British Columbia • The “suffocating” system that Canada used to win a second consecutive Olympic gold medal is nearly identical to the one the Blues hope will carry them to their first Stanley Cup.

The Canadians, whose top assistant coach is Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, allowed only three goals in six games and ended the tournament with a shutout streak of nearly 165 minutes.

Granted, Canada’s roster is a collection of the top players in the world, but two of them — Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester — are members of the Blues, and they now have a further understanding of how successful the system can be when executed properly.

“It’s hard to argue because you saw what we were capable of” at the Olympics, Pietrangelo said. “We were able to frustrate teams and we didn’t give up many opportunities throughout the tournament, so it’s something we can learn from here. Obviously it’s different personnel but we’re an elite team, a lot of good players who can play that system. Our goal is to keep working toward that.”

The system, which requires strong forechecking and back pressure from the forwards and forces the defensemen to be able to move the puck, has proved profitable in Hitchcock’s two-plus seasons with the Blues. They entered Wednesday’s game against Vancouver with a regular-season record of 111-44-29 under his reign.

This year, the Blues are ranked No. 3 in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.32) and No. 2 in shots against (26.6). But the consistency hasn’t always been there, as fans saw in the final five games before the Olympic break. Opponents averaged three goals and 32.4 shots in that stretch.

“When we’re ‘on,’ that’s what we do well,” Bouwmeester said. “But over an 82-game season, the reality is you’re not going to have the energy and you’re not going to be on every night. You want to be, but the reality is there’s going to be ups and downs.”

Indeed, Hitchcock’s system may be easier to employ with an Olympic roster and over the course of a two-week tournament, not a seven-month season. But as the Blues return from a 17-day break, there are just 25 games remaining, and players admitted that a “fresh start” may benefit them in returning to their core strategies.

“You’ve got to be careful, though, because this is an easy way to talk about but a very difficult way to play,” Hitchcock said. “Our team expects a lot from our forwards. You can’t play the way we play without having the forwards do most of the work.

“The players that played for us in the Olympics saw that this is pretty much the same system and saw success with that, so I think the buy-in for them was easy. But it’s not easy playing this way. It’s a tough way to play, but obviously very successful.”

In addition to Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester, three other Blues witnessed first-hand at the Olympics just how successful.

Team USA’s Kevin Shattenkirk, T.J. Oshie and David Backes were part of a 1-0 loss to Canada in the semifinals, in which the Americans were blanked on 31 shots.

“When it’s executed well, it’s a hard system to beat,” Shattenkirk said. “It’s hard to just generate offensive chances off it.”

Shattenkirk and Oshie each had one shot against the Canadians; Backes had none.

“It felt very smothering,” Oshie said. “It felt like you didn’t have very much time, even though we were on the big ice. I remember one time I tipped the puck by (Bouwmeester) and thought I was going to be on a breakaway or 2 on 1. I looked up and there was still a defenseman there. It’s a tough system to play against, and I think you appreciate it a little bit more when you’re on the other side.”

Seeing the elite players of Team Canada sacrifice their style to fit the system, however, could have a lasting effect on the Blues.

“They had guys playing roles that they’re not used to playing, but played them hard and played them well,” Backes said. “They really bought into that team-first concept and that’s what made them such a hard team to play against. They were the best team in the tournament and deserved to win gold.”

BACKES, BERGLUND

ARE LINEMATES

Backes and Patrick Berglund certainly have been teammates for six seasons, but until Wednesday night they had never started a game as linemates.

Hitchcock moved Berglund to the left wing on a line with Backes in the middle and Oshie on the right wing.

“This is an experiment that we’re going to take a look at for a few games here, and see if it looks good,” Hitchcock said. “On paper, it makes sense. I don’t think we can get hurt by it.”

In the past, Berglund has rejected a move out of the middle. But after faring well there earlier this season, he’s been more receptive.

“I didn’t know before because I never played it,” Berglund said. “But now I’ve been enjoying it. I like to forecheck and I think I’m pretty good at it, so now I can actually go whenever I want and be that guy. It puts me in spots where I like to be.”

With the move of Berglund to left wing Wednesday, Alexander Steen switched from wing to center, where he’s also played previously.

BLUENOTES

• Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo returned to the Blues’ lineup Wednesday, playing his first game since Jan. 2.

• Forward Vladimir Sobotka (broken kneecap) and defenseman Jordan Leopold (high-ankle sprain) are traveling with the Blues but aren’t expected to play on the trip.



Hansen's third-period goal lifts Vancouver over Blues

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford

VANCOUVER, British Columbia • For a game featuring 13 Olympians just back from Sochi, a meeting between the Blues and Vancouver Wednesday night at Rogers Arena began perhaps more fast and furious than projected.

The Blues seemed eager to build on a season that saw them grab first place in the Central Division at the break. The Canucks, meanwhile, were desperate to snap a losing streak that stretched to seven games before the layoff.

But for all of the noise, including Ryan Reaves' deposit of Alex Edler head-first onto the ice, the clubs couldn't buy a goal until the third period. With 8 minutes, 47 seconds left in regulation, Vancouver's Jannik Hansen scored his 10th goal of the season, lifting the Canucks to a 1-0 victory over the Blues.

As it turned out, the Blues never bought a goal.

Vancouver backup goalie Eddie Lack has nine wins this season and three of those have come against the Blues. After Hansen's score, they would have preferred to extend their streak of consecutive overtime games to five, but instead the club was shut out for the first time in 2013-14.

"A 1-0 hockey game, it was a hard-fought, well-played game for the most part," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, whose club will continue its three-game road in Anaheim Friday. "I didn't think we had the energy in the third period that we did in the end of the first or the second. But you know we've had trouble beating this goalie. We haven't scored on him and he's made some big saves."

Vancouver has won all three meetings with the Blues this season, including a 3-2 overtime win in October and a 2-1 win in January. But last month was when the Canucks began taking a turn for the worse, the start of a 4-13-2 slid that witnessed them go winless in their last seven.

The offense had scored just 11 goals in those seven games, dropping to No. 24 in the NHL in goals per game (2.38) and No. 28 on the power play (14 percent).

The lack of production has been most glaring on the top line. Daniel Sedin came into Wednesday's game scoreless in his 19 games, Henrik Sedin was scoreless in 17 games and Alex Burrow's drought had reached 28 games.

The challenge was made tougher against the Blues because Ryan Kesler, who leads the Canucks with 20 goals, missed the game with a hand injury.

So Vancouver perhaps wasn't expected to take part in a high-scoring game, but the Blues, who ranked No. 2 in the league with 3.32 goals per game before the break, didn't plan on being blanked through two periods Wednesday.

In fact, a scoreless first period for the Blues ended a streak of 10 consecutive games with a goal in the first frame.

The visitors managed 17 shots through two periods, but Lack was locked in, halting Vladimir Tarasenko on a quick strike and denying Chris Stewart on a 2-on-1 with Jaden Schwartz.

"(Lack) seems to be doing a good job, but I don't think we tested him as much as we could have tonight," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said. "I think he did make some good saves, but I think we could have got a lot more traffic. It seems like a couple of those shots were not necessarily up in the corners, more so in his body."

The Blues' best scoring chance came on the power play late in the second period, but with Lack leaving part of the net open, Vancouver defenseman Alex Edler stuck a leg out and made a save on Oshie.

The failed power play was the Blues' second of the night and they finished 0 for 3 on the man-advantage. That continued a season-long drought that reached 0 for 23 Wednesday.

"We kept a lot of pucks alive," Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. "We were able to get it back and get some chances out of it. I had a couple of

golden chances to put it in. I just have to kind of pick my head up and find those open areas of the net."

Fortunately for the Blues, goaltender Jaroslav Halak successfully bounced back from a disappointing Olympic tournament, matching Lack at the other end.

Halak was particularly strong in the crease in the opening frame and didn't slip, posting back-to-back 14-save periods through 40 minutes.

But in the third period, with time winding down, one slip-up cost the Blues.

Derek Roy either overskated the puck or had it bounce over his stick in the offensive zone. Tom Sestito bankhanded a puck into the neutral zone, where Hansen skated by defenseman Roman Polak and Carlo Colaiacovo and ripped a shot past Halak from an estimated 17 feet.

"We had the puck and we were going on the offensive rush," Hitchcock said. "We were going for an 'under' play behind the net ... the next thing you know, five seconds later, it's in our net. What are you going to do? You're anticipating that the player is going to keep that puck. It's just dribbling along the boards. It must have bounced over his stick or up in the air."

It led to the only puck out of 35 Vancouver shots that found the back of the Blues' net.

"Obviously I'd probably like to have that one back, but there's nothing I could do," Halak said. "I tried to give our guys a chance to win and it's all I could have done. It would be nice to win the game, or at least get some points out of it. When we play teams below us, they want to beat us. Tonight, they played well."



Bernie: Blues are back to the grind

4 hours ago • Bernie Miklasz

Three days after the closing ceremonies at the Sochi Olympics, the Blues were in Vancouver late Wednesday night, taking part in the reopening ceremonies that marked the resumption of their NHL schedule.

It’s time for the final regular-season push, and the Blues hope they’ll find enough petrol to refuel the bodies of the nine players who expended energy in pursuit of Olympic prizes.

With 25 games remaining, this patch of ice figured to be hazardous. When the puck dropped in Vancouver, the Blues began a stretch of playing 11 of 15 games on the road, including six of the first seven.

I realize several NHL teams had contingents in Sochi, but how many are restarting the season with a road-heavy itinerary that means more time in planes and hotels? After tonight’s game at the New York Rangers, Blues rival Chicago has the luxury of playing nine of its next 12 at home.

With some Blues sanding the rust that formed during the break, and others needing to recalibrate post-Olympics body clocks, the Blues had no choice but to jump over the boards and go right back in. There’s no sympathy in hockey.

“The challenge is to be mentally tough,” Blues GM Doug Armstrong said on the phone from Vancouver. “This is the most difficult part of the (regular) season. We have a lot of road games. And from here on out, every game is important. Teams are fighting for playoff spots. Physically, we’ll be fine. But mentally we’ll have to be even tougher. Can we keep our focus?”

Armstrong thinks his team is ready for the grind. He has been impressed by the Blues’ enhanced maturity this season and believes it will last.

“We’ve been much better at handling the flow of the season,” Armstrong said. “This isn’t a team made up of mostly young guys anymore, and there’s a difference. We’re more professional in going about our business. The emotion is there, but we’re more centered in handling the highs and the lows of a season and getting ready for the next game.”

The next 15 games certainly will test Armstrong’s theory, but there’s certainly a lot to like about the Blues.

With a record of 39-12-6 before playing the Canucks, the Blues possessed the NHL’s top winning percentage at .737. They were second in goals scored per game, and third in fewest goals allowed per game.

The Blues have been strong at even strength — with a plus 45 going into Vancouver — but were also functioning at a high level on the special teams, ranking fourth in both power-play success and penalty killing.

Moreover, the Blues are the only NHL team averaging at least a goal more per game than their opponents — and that’s rare. Over the previous seven NHL seasons, only two teams have done it: the 2013 Blackhawks and the 2009-10 Washington Capitals.

As is the case with every team, the Blues have questions.

They need a lot more from power forward Chris Stewart, who entered the game at Vancouver with no goals in his previous 14 games and a minus-8 rating in his previous 22 games. That’s unacceptable.

The Blues are hoping that young forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz can continue their upward trajectory. And injuries could chip away at the Blues’ solid overall depth. If that happens, it could mean expanded roles for forwards Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitrij Jaskin, and defensemen Ian Cole and Carlo Colaiacovo.

The biggest question of all is draped over Jaroslav’s Halak net.

Can the Blues count on Halak to be a money goaltender? A deep postseason runs depends on it.

The Blues have once again reaffirmed their faith in Halak, offering unconditional support following his depressing Olympics experience for Slovakia. Armstrong knows that Halak makes fans nervous. But the GM is confident.

“St. Louis historically has been a graveyard for goaltenders,” Armstrong said. “I’m not being critical of the fans, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve ever been happy with who’s in the net. Jaro doesn’t deserve to have the past put on him.

Because of injuries, “Jaro has been our starting goaltender for exactly two playoff games,” Armstrong said. “He hasn’t failed. He’s going to have the opportunity to show what he’s capable of. That’s how it is in sports. Until you win, you can’t win.”

Armstrong, the former Dallas GM, likens Halak to Eddie Belfour, a goaltender from his Dallas past. Belfour was considered an underachiever and enigma in Chicago until winning the Stanley Cup in Dallas.

“The knock on Jaro, is the same knock I heard on Belfour — that he couldn’t win the big games,” Armstrong said. “We got him in Dallas, and we won it all.”

The Blues continue to bank on Halak’s past, namely the 2010 postseason that saw him lead Montreal to tremendous upsets over Washington and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds.

With the Canadiens winning the final three games of the Washington series, Halak stopped 131 of 134 shots. After giving up five goals to Pittsburgh in the opening game, Halak had a .945 save percentage over the final six.

Armstrong expects to see that version of Halak in the Blues goal. We’ll see if the GM’s confidence remains intact through the NHL’s trade deadline next Wednesday.

Separate from the goaltending, is Armstrong plotting any moves? He’ll be talking to other GMs but isn’t in aggressive mind-set. And Armstrong made so-called depth moves months ago by signing forward Brenden Morrow and Colaiacovo.

Before last year’s deadline Armstrong traded for Buffalo defenseman Jordan Leopold, then made a bold move to acquire world-class defenseman Jay Bouwmeester from Calgary. The Blues subsequently signed both defensemen to contract extensions.

“Last year I felt we had a glaring need, and had to improve the left side of our defense,” Armstrong said. “I don’t feel there’s a glaring need right now.

“You always consider tweaking the roster if it makes sense. And I never say ‘never.’ But in two weeks if we have the same team that we have right now, I’d be happy.”

It’s good to have the Blues back in action. It’s still winter. Now they have to prove that they can last all the way to summer.


730271 Tampa Bay Lightning

St. Louis returns to Lightning amid trade rumors

By Erik Erlendsson

Published: February 26, 2014

BRANDON – Tampa Bay Lightning captain Marty St. Louis returned to practice on Wednesday, three days after capturing an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in Sochi, Russia.

Instead of basking in the glow of the gold medal, however, St. Louis returned to trade rumors surrounding the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner.

Reports surfaced on Sunday that the New York Rangers inquired about a swap of St. Louis in exchange for New York captain Ryan Callahan, who is a pending unrestricted free agent that the Rangers are struggling to get signed to an extension. That was followed by a separate report stating St. Louis requested a trade out of Tampa after he was initially left off the Team Canada roster, which was put together by Tampa Bay general manger Steve Yzerman along with a committee.

When St. Louis was asked about the rumors on Wednesday, he offered up only a brief answer.

“I’ve had talks with Steve about my future with the team and I’ll leave it at that,” St. Louis said.

When pressed further St. Louis declined to elaborate whether he has asked for a trade or of he wants to remain with the team.

Tampa Bay opens the post-Olympic schedule on Thursday in Nashville to start a four-game road trip. With the trade deadline approaching on March 5, it’s possible St. Louis may not suit up again in front of the home fans as the Lightning will next play at home on March 6.

Since arriving in Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2000, St. Louis has gone on to win a Stanley Cup, was named league MVP, win two scoring titles and represented Canada at the Olympics on two occasions and once at the World Cup of Hockey. The 38-year-old is the all-time leading scorer in franchise history and played in his 1,000th career NHL game in November. St. Louis is in his first year as Lightning captain.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 02.27.2014


Goalie Gudlevskis’ journey continues with Bolts

By Erik Erlendsson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two weeks ago, only a small part of the hockey world knew of goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis.

By the end of the Olympics, the Lightning prospect had gained instant notoriety around the world after nearly dashing Canada’s Olympic gold medal run with a 55-save performance in the quarterfinals for Latvia in a 2-1 loss.

Tampa Bay captain Marty St. Louis had an up-close look at the performance by Gudlevskis, which had tension building on the Canadian bench throughout the game. St. Louis shared a few words with the 21-year-old in the handshake line.

“I told him, ‘Great job,’ ” St. Louis said. “Before every game, we talked about the other team, and they knew he played (with Tampa Bay) so they asked me a little bit about him and I told him, from what I saw, he battles in that net and is a big boy. And he made it a little harder than we wanted, that’s for sure.’’

That performance has allowed Gudlevskis to stick with the Lightning for the time being after backup goaltender Anders Lindback, who suffered an ankle sprain Jan. 30 in Ottawa, was sent to Syracuse for a conditioning assignment. Lindback is scheduled to start Friday and Sunday for the Crunch before returning to the Lightning.

After Ben Bishop, nursing a wrist injury, presumably gets the nod tonight in Nashville to open a four-game road trip, Gudlevskis — who dressed as the backup to Bishop on Feb. 8 against Detroit — seems primed to make his NHL debut this weekend as Tampa Bay plays on consecutive days in Dallas and Denver. If he gets some playing time, Gudlevskis would become the first goaltender to appear in games in the East Coast Hockey League, American Hockey League, NHL and the Olympics in the same season.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday he has 100 percent confidence in Gudlevskis if he is called upon.

It has been quite a journey for Gudlevskis, who last year at this time was playing for Riga juniors in the Minor Hockey League, the top farm system for the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, eventually playing two games for the parent team. After a strong showing for Latvia at the World Championships, the Lightning used a fifth-round pick to select Gudlevskis, who was passed over in two previous drafts.

When he showed up for a Lightning prospect camp in July, he had with him a used goalie mask handed down from a former teammate as well as hand-me-down pads that could have been described “glorified pillows.”

“I noticed on his equipment that it wasn’t his name that was stitched on it, it was another goalie,’’ Lightning goaltending coach Frantz Jean said. “He told me it was another goalie from his team, the older goalie had passed it down to him, so he couldn’t remember the last time he had new goalie equipment to play with. So he said he was excited that he was going to get new stuff, and I told him he could order what he wanted, whatever color he wanted. Then, when he came to training camp and saw his equipment, he had a big smile on his face and said ‘It’s like Christmas,’ and it was so humbling to see.’’

In 11 games with Florida in the ECHL to start the season, Gudlevskis posted a 7-4 record with a 1.83 goals-against average and a pair of shutouts before a full-time promotion to Syracuse in the AHL, where he holds an 11-8-2 record with a 2.69 goals-against average and four shutouts.

It’s been like a rag-to-riches story in such a short period of time.

“I don’t think about that so much,” Gudlevskis said. “I think about my goals and what I want to do in this season, and when the season started, I thought I needed to get to the American Hockey League and get some games in there and stay there, that was my goal. And I got there, and continued my season, and now I’m here.’’

Though Gudlevskis garnered plenty of attention for his near-miraculous performance against Canada that had many ready to anoint him an NHL goaltender, it’s merely a step in the process.

“He had a Herculean effort, and it was great to see ... but this is baby steps with him, and one game does not make a career,’’ Cooper said. “(The past year) is a lot to consume in a short time. But he seems to have handled it extremely well.’’



St. Louis needs to think like a captain

Martin Fennelly

BRANDON — It was a Wednesday practice he didn’t need to make, what with his long trip back from the Olympics, gold medal in tow, and now a week-long road trip ahead. Meet us at the airport. That was Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s suggestion. But there was Marty St. Louis, first on the ice. The captain was back with his guys, smiling, joking, ageless.

“He looked like a kid out there,” Cooper said.

But there’s the other Marty these days, seemingly so un-Marty. It sounds childish, but it’s not kid stuff. It’s enough to wreck this Lightning season and damage St. Louis’ legacy.

After practice Wednesday, St. Louis could have canceled the soap opera. He could have doused the fire, speculation about him wanting out of Tampa Bay, demanding a trade, being in a New York (Rangers) state of mind. He could have stopped the nuclear winter with Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, who helped snub St. Louis off Team Canada the first time around.

That was nearly two months ago. Yes, Marty could have sent all of that packing with a few words:

I want to be here.

He didn’t come close.

“The only thing I can say about that is I’ve had conversations with Steve about my future here,” St. Louis said. “Out of respect to my teammates, I think that’s all I’m going to say about that. I’m not going to get into answering this question every day. I’ve had conversations with Steve about my future here. Those conversations are between me and Steve.”

What St. Louis didn’t say said everything.

So it’s out there and it’s real.

Maybe it all blows over, maybe not.

But St. Louis is officially a distraction, by his choosing, up until next week’s trade deadline. After, too.

Yzerman and the Lightning don’t want to trade St. Louis. They’d look awful if they did.

Well, St. Louis would look worse. He’d look selfish.

He’s finally Lightning captain, after all these years, and he’s going to run out on a potential playoff season? With Steven Stamkos about to return? St. Louis has always led by example. Well, it’s time to set another one. He has teammates who admire him and depend on him. He’s forgetting that in the name of his wounded pride.

That’s not what captains do.

I wanted St. Louis on Team Canada all along and thought Yzerman should have included him. I knew he’d pay for it, even after Stamkos’ injury kept him from the Olympics and Yzerman added St. Louis.

You’d think that gold medal around St. Louis’ neck would ease the strain.

Marty needs to suck it up here.

If he wants out this summer, well, fine.

Just not now.

That would go against everything he has stood for in his career.

You don’t abandon your team in the middle of a season, especially one filled with possibilities. It would be no way for St. Louis, the greatest Bolt of all, to leave a town where he made a hockey champion.

“I guess if you watch that practice today, and watched how much fun he was having out there, for people to say that Marty doesn’t want to be on this team, I don’t buy it for a second,” Cooper said.

Maybe this blows over. Maybe St. Louis gets back to playing with Stamkos, gets a new taste of playoff hockey and all is well all over again.

Only right now there are two Martys at play.

There’s the grateful gold medalist and there’s the prideful star. There’s Marty, first on the ice at a practice he could have skipped, all in. But for now, there’s also the Marty who can’t move past that snub, who really might want out, and who for the moment is putting himself ahead of his teammates.

That’s not what captains do. That’s not Marty St. Louis, either.



It's time for Marty St. Louis to let bruised feelings go

Gary Shelton,

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 4:17pm

After all these years, is the bond really this brittle? After all these moments, is the ice really this thin?

After all this time together, could Marty St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning be on the verge of skating in opposite directions?

No, you want to scream, a thousand times no. Not over something this petty. Not with this kind of season on the line. Not with the shared history of a team and the most admired player it has ever had.

Yet, the trade rumors continue to swirl, and St. Louis will not stop them. There are whispers that it bothered St. Louis when he was not on the original list of players picked for the Canadian Olympic hockey team. There are reports that, immediately afterward, St. Louis asked to be traded.

Have we now reached the point where only such a trade will provide relief for a player and for the team that have spent so long leaning upon each other?

None of this is going to make any sense to the rest of us. There is too much shared success for it to all be tossed aside so easily. St. Louis has shed too much sweat, and his fingerprints are too common over the best days of this franchise, for either side to lose sight of it.

And, yet, there was St. Louis on Wednesday morning, speaking one line, tersely, over and again. "Steve (Yzerman) and I have spoken about my future,'' St. Louis kept saying, "and we'll keep that between Steve and I.''

There was so much that St. Louis didn't say, so much that he could have said. He is, after all, the captain around here, and as such, he has a responsibility for the direction of the team far beyond what it means to him as an individual.

He could have shrugged and said, "Yeah, it hurt. It'll take some time for all of the wounds to heal. But the Olympics are over now, and I have to help this team get ready for the playoff run.''

Or, he could have winked and said this: "Oh, you guys know how seriously I take this stuff. I can't help it. But the Lightning didn't snub me. My teammates didn't snub me. I'm going to be here for them.''

Or, he could have grinned and said, "I think the reason everyone is talking about the Rangers is that I have a house up there. Well, you know where else I have a house? In Tampa Bay.''

St. Louis didn't say any of those things. At one point, he was told that he could make the entire storm disappear with one sentence. All he had to say was that he wasn't going anywhere, and that he had the no-move clause in his contract to make it stick. Just that, and all of the controversy disappears.

And St. Louis wouldn't say it. He simply repeated his line, leaving the implication that, yeah, he was ticked, and no, he isn't over it yet.

Look, I get it. St. Louis is 180 pounds of fierce pride stuffed into a pair of skates. Everyone knows how that eternal chip on his shoulder has driven him to be a star. It's the reason you see so many kids wearing his jersey in the stands. Around here, St. Louis is the ultimate overachiever. No one has left the fans with as many warm moments as he has.

Given that, you could understand that it would irritate St. Louis to hear it suggested that he isn't among the best his country has to offer, especially from his own team's general manager. He has spent too many nights proving the opposite is true.

But you know what? It's time for him to get over it. The Olympics are finished. Everything worked out. St. Louis has the gold medal to prove it.

St. Louis is wrong here. He's wrong to cling so stubbornly to his hard feelings, and he's wrong not to make this team's playoff run the point of any conversation. The team has paid him too well, the fans have cheered him too hard, and his teammates need him too badly for him to cling to hard feelings.

Now, it's about being there for the guys in his locker room and for his team. Oh, if St. Louis wants to be ticked at Yzerman, well, he has a right. But the other guys in the room deserve the full Marty down the stretch. What? Is he going to check out now? Really?

So what happens from here on out? My guess is that when the team settles back into its season, very little.

My guess is that Yzerman invites St. Louis into a room, and the two sit across from each other and talk. Maybe they talk about the Stanley Cup. Maybe St. Louis talks about his 365 goals, or his 968 points, or his 1,037 games for the Lightning. Maybe he talks about winning the Hart Memorial Trophy, or his two Art Rosses, or his Ted Lindsay, or his three Lady Bings.

Maybe they talk about the blood he left on the ice along the way. Maybe Yzerman talks about spending so long in one uniform, and what it meant to him to finish in it. Maybe St. Louis remembers that the story of the Lightning is etched in those lines on his face.

This is what a legacy is. And this is why St. Louis cannot let it slip away so easily.

In the end, no one can be sure what kind of return St. Louis would bring. Even at 38, he still has some jump in his legs, and he could help a lot of contenders. But is the Lightning going to get back a player who would help them down the stretch as much as St. Louis? That isn't likely.

Ah, but what if the Lightning keeps St. Louis. Would he be able to turn loose of this so he could focus on the task at hand?

I say yes. Again, we are talking about a prideful player here. I cannot imagine him taking a midnight skate in the middle of a game. There is no way St. Louis would ever be able to look Steven Stamkos or Eric Brewer or Ben Bishop in the eyes again if he had not busted his rump on every shift.

In the end, that's who St. Louis is. It's who he has always been.

No, you don't trade St. Louis.

You trust him.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 02.27.2014


Lightning's St. Louis, Yzerman fail to quash trade rumors

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer


Whether Marty St. Louis formally asked for a trade or not, doesn't really matter much at this point.

The Lightning captain and general manager Steve Yzerman had a chance to squelch speculation St. Louis wants out and Yzerman is talking to other teams.

They didn't.

Instead, St. Louis on Wednesday threw fuel on what had been merely a smoldering fire and at least created the perception he has asked to be moved, and Yzerman took his version of the fifth amendment.

"The only thing I can say about that is I've had conversations with Steve on my future here," he said after practice at the Ice Sports Forum. "Out of respect for my teammates that's all I'm going to say about that."

Said Yzerman: "I'm not going to comment on trade rumors in this situation or any situation."

In other words, fasten your seat belts for seven days of speculation and rumors in the run-up to Wednesday's trade deadline.

It's just the kind of turmoil it would seem the Lightning, which opens a tough four-game road trip tonight against the Predators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, doesn't need.

Defenseman Eric Brewer acknowledged "the uncertainty is not ideal."

But he also said, "Guys aren't made of sugar, right? They're not going to melt."

"It's a couple of extra questions you have to answer," center Steven Stamkos said, "but I don't think it really circulates around the room where guys are thinking about it constantly."

Still, this is about St. Louis, the franchise's greatest player who is having a terrific season with 25 goals, 56 points in 58 games.

It is the continuation of a story that began Jan. 7 when St. Louis was left off the Olympic roster for Team Canada, of which Yzerman was executive director.

St. Louis, admittedly bitter, was added as a replacement for the injured Stamkos and won a gold medal. But St. Louis' feelings are raw enough that even owner Jeff Vinik spoke to him.

The thing is, the Lightning is in the middle of a heated playoff race in which all players need to row in the same direction. Alternate captain Nate Thompson said he's not worried about St. Louis' commitment.

"I don't think anyone is going to question or second-guess Marty's motives, ever," Thompson said. "He's a first-class player, a first-class person. We believe in him no matter what. ... What goes on between him and Steve is between him and Steve."

We really don't know what went on between St. Louis and Yzerman, who have spoken several times since St. Louis, 38, with one year left on his contract, was left off Canada's roster.

"I'm not going to get into answering these questions every day," St. Louis said. "These are conversations I've had between me and Steve and they're going to stay that way."

St. Louis' agent did not return phone and text messages, either.

So with no one saying anything of substance on the record, this is what we get:

Newsday reporting St. Louis did asked for a trade last month; the New York Post reporting the Rangers offered Ryan Callahan; and Bob McKenzie of tsn.ca reporting St. Louis, with a house in Greenwich, Conn., would waive his no-move clause to go to New York.

And St. Louis and Yzerman saying nothing to make us believe otherwise.

NOTES: Goaltender Anders Lindback (ankle) was sent to AHL Syracuse for conditioning, meaning Kristers Gudlevskis will be the backup. ... Center Vlad Namestnikov was recalled from the Crunch. It was unclear if either center Valtteri Filppula (ankle) or Tyler Johnson (foot), both of whom practiced Wednesday, was too sore to play or if the move was precautionary.

Damian Cristodero



It appears Marty St. Louis trade rumors will fester

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer


Lightning captain Marty St. Louis and general manager Steve Yzerman had a chance to squash the trade rumors surrounding St. Louis, but that did not happen on Wednesday.

In his first practice with the team since winning a gold medal with Canada at the Olympics, St. Louis acknowledged he has had discussions with Yzerman about his future with Tampa Bay. Beyond that, he declined to elaborate.

"The only thing I can say about that is I've had conversations with Steve on my future here," St. Louis said. "Out of respect for my teammates I think that's all I'm going to say about that. I'm not going to get into answering this question every day. I've had conversations with Steve about my future here. Those conversations are between me and Steve."

Asked about those conversations, Yzerman, too, declined to be specific.

"I'm not going to comment on trade rumors in this situation or any situation," he said. "That's just the way it is."

The trade rumors exploded after Canada won the Olympic gold medal with a New York Post report that the Rangers had inquired about obtaining St. Louis. The impetus for that, apparently, was St. Louis' admitted bitterness at being being left off Canada's original roster. Yzerman was Team Canada's executive director.

St. Louis was added to Team Canada as a replacement for injured teammate Steven Stamkos. But reports out of Canada indicated St. Louis, who has a no-move clause in his contract and a house in Greenwich, Conn., would be amenable to a trade to the Rangers. But the rumor of a one-to-one swap for New York captain Ryan Callahan clearly was a deal Yzerman was not going to make.

To be fair we don't know the nature of the conversations between St. Louis and Yzerman or if any trade requests actually were made. We do know that by not squelching the rumors they will fester until the March 5 trade deadline.

"I said I'm not going to talk about it," St. Louis reiterated. "These are conversations I've had between me and Steve, and they're going to stay that way."


730277 Toronto Maple Leafs

Mirtle: Leafs have plenty of trade deadline decisions to make

James Mirtle

Published Wednesday, Feb. 26 2014, 7:08 PM EST

Last updated Wednesday, Feb. 26 2014, 10:44 PM EST

To buy or not to buy?

That’s the question facing Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis right now as the days count down to next Wednesday’s trade deadline, and it doesn’t have an easy answer.

The Leafs look like they’re going to be a playoff team – sportsclubstats.com gives them a better than 70 per cent chance of making it with 22 games to go – but not really a contender, meaning buying big on the rental market doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Dion Phaneuf has signed a seven-year, $49-million contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs' captain says it's an exciting team to be on, and believes they have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup.

The puck drops for the men's Olympic hockey final Sunday -- at 7 a.m. eastern standard time. Bars across the country have struggled with the Sochi time difference, with some applying for special liquor licences to compensate.

Colorado for a fourth-round pick, a move that didn’t prove wise when he wasn’t able to play at an NHL level.

The management team learned a lesson and will now likely avoid burning an asset for a short term gain. Instead, what the Leafs are hoping for, is to dip a toe in the market and only complete a deal if it can benefit them beyond this spring.

Those types of trades can be hard to make in the week before the deadline, but they’re not impossible. The Minnesota Wild, for one, landed winger Jason Pominville at the deadline last April with a season remaining on his contract and then extended him on a new five-year deal in the fall.

It was a trade that made sense both at the time and down the road.

What Nonis will be looking for comes back to how his roster is shaping up for next season, especially with several unrestricted free agents to take care of. Nonis will need to make key decisions on at least three top nine forwards, one defenceman and what to do with restricted free agent netminder James Reimer.

After accounting for a few re-signings and the salary cap rising into the $71-million range, the Leafs will have roughly $15-million to fill those five holes, a process that can begin this week if there’s a move that’s a fit. That’s not an awful lot of wiggle room, but it does allow them to change the composition of the roster by allocating dollars in different areas.

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at six Leafs players that could be in play in the next few days, if Nonis does pull the trigger on a trade.

LEAFS POTENTIALLY ON THE BLOCK

Dave Bolland

Contract talks with the injured centre have not progressed well, to the point that the terms are leaking out in the media. And they’re eye-opening.

According to multiple reports, Bolland is seeking a seven– or eight-year deal in the neighbourhood of $5-million a season to stay in Toronto, a contract on par with the behemoth one David Clarkson signed last July.

That’s too rich for management’s tastes, but moving Bolland will also be very difficult given he hasn’t played in four months and remains day-to-day with an ankle injury that could affect him the rest of the way.

This is a stalemate that likely lasts for quite a while, with how Bolland plays upon his return having a significant impact on how talks progress. The Leafs like what he brings to the lineup and believe he will help with a playoff run, but there’s a limit to what they’re willing to spend on a player who slots somewhere between a second– or third-line centre.

James Reimer

Stuck in a backup role with how well Jonathan Bernier has played, Reimer will have arbitration rights this summer and will be due a raise from his $1.8-million cap hit.

Nonis has said repeatedly he wants to keep both goaltenders in the fold this season, but Reimer can still be had for the right offer. One problem is there are numerous veteran starters available this deadline, with Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas two examples of goalies expected to be moved.

It’s unlikely, however, that Reimer is a Leaf beyond this summer.

Nikolai Kulemin and Mason Raymond

Two UFAs that have given the Leafs some solid forward depth, Kulemin and Raymond will both be seeking raises in the off-season, and that makes it unlikely both will be back in Toronto.

It’s easy to look at their point totals and pick out Raymond as the keeper, but Kulemin has played in a more defensive role and his production is similar to Raymond’s at even strength. Kulemin has also shown some versatility in playing well at centre of late.

The tough part about getting him re-signed is it’s probable his agent, Gary Greenstin, looks for a big payday. This will be Kulemin’s first taste of unrestricted free agency, and if history is any indicator, Greenstin will push the envelope just as he did two years ago with another Leafs client, Mikhail Grabovski. Another team might well see more value in Kulemin, too, given he has produced offensively in the past and would be a good fit on the wing with an elite centre like old friend Evgeni Malkin.

For that reason, Kulemin is probably the most available Leaf in the next week.

Nonis isn’t averse to holding onto UFAs and waiting until the summer to get something done – as he did with Tyler Bozak a year ago – but these are two chips the Leafs can possibly play before the deadline.

“I don’t believe you have to have a player signed,” Nonis explained on TSN Radio on Wednesday afternoon. “I’m perfectly content to let the UFAs play it out and see where we are.”

Jake Gardiner and Nazem Kadri

It’s a long shot they go anywhere, but their names continue to surface in the rumour mill, primarily because they can bring back the most in return. There has also been some tension at times between the two young players and coach Randy Carlyle, although the team’s improved play leading up to the Olympic break has alleviated that to some extent.

Nonis would need to land quite an asset to justify trading either player, as they are two of only four Leafs that are under age 25 and playing a significant role. They’re also cost controlled, with Kadri under contract at a reasonable number for another season and Gardiner coming out of his entry level deal and without much leverage.

Either being moved would be a blockbuster, and there’s little indication that’s coming in the next seven days in Leaf land.



Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Islanders: Thursday NHL game preview

By: Curtis Rush Sports reporter, Published on Wed Feb 26 2014

Three things to know about the New York Islanders, who host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday (7 p.m., Sportsnet/Sportsnet 590 The FAN, live blog atTheStar.com):

NO TAVARES

All-star centre John Tavares is out for the season with a left knee injury suffered while playing for Canada at the Sochi Olympics, but won’t need surgery. Tavares was hit awkwardly into the boards by Latvia’s Arturs Kulda and partially tore the MCL and meniscus.

LOST SEASON

The Islanders are 12 points out of a playoff spot and have six teams to jump past with only 22 games remaining.

REINFORCEMENTS

The Islanders have called up rookies Ryan Strome, Anders Lee and Mike Halmo from AHL Bridgeport and they are likely to see action against the Leafs, especially since Matt Martin (lower body) and Frans Nielsen (broken hand) are out indefinitely.

Toronto Star LOADED: 02.27.2014


Leafs’ Dave Bolland suffers injury setback amid contract talk


Dave Bolland suffered a setback in his recovery from a severed ankle tendon and won’t return to action Thursday when the Leafs visit the New York Islanders.

The 27-year-old native of Mimico wore a non-contact maroon jersey at practice on Wednesday and did not participate in line rushes.

“He took a step back (Tuesday). It’s not a positive,” Leaf coach Randy Carlyle said, adding “it’s not a huge negative either.”

Bolland, who was injured Nov. 2, had been making steady progress and was hoping to play in Thursday’s road game. He will still travel with the team and is listed as day-to-day.

Bolland has six goals and four assists in 15 games and is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. Sportsnet reported Wednesday that he is seeking a seven- or eight-year deal worth $40 million to stay in Toronto.

Bolland was shaken up Tuesday when he collided with a teammate and crashed heavily to the ice. He got up limping, but continued to practise before leaving just before the end, tossing his stick angrily.

The two-time Stanley Cup winner, acquired in an off-season trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, said he did tweak his left leg at practice.

“I just had a little bit of a fall,” Bolland said. “It’s going to happen during the game, so that’s what you need to get ready for.”

On the whole, however, the 27-year-old centre said his leg is “getting stronger” but “I don’t want to be a liability out there.”



Maple Leafs: Phil Kessel off to a sluggish start in first practice after Sochi Olympics


Phil Kessel skated for the first time since the Olympics on Wednesday morning at the Maple Leafs practice, and well, he looked sluggish.

He mishandled the puck early on a two-on-one with linemate Tyler Bozak, hung his head and then seemed to drift off. At various times, he took a knee to catch his breath, and he was the first person off the ice at the end.

The Leafs start a road game against the New York Islanders on Thursday without the top line playing together since Feb. 8 — almost three weeks.

Although Kessel, in particular, and James van Riemsdyk sparkled for the U.S. in the Olympics, Leaf coach Randy Carlyle has to be wondering how the top line will respond out of the gate for the 22-game sprint to the finish.

Prior to the Olympics, Carlyle expressed concern that Kessel and van Riemsdyk would have trouble with a post-Olympic letdown.

Van Riemsdyk, who worked out with the Leafs off the ice Tuesday, took the day off Wednesday. Kessel was given the option of having Tuesday or Wednesday off. He took Tuesday off.

Carlyle was asked after practice if Kessel looked sluggish and he quipped that “Phil is not most energetic individual at the start of practice.”

Kessel, who is media shy at the best of times, did not come into the dressing room to meet with the media, who had assembled en masse by his empty locker after practice.

Teammate David Clarkson said the Leafs can’t expect to lean on just Kessel down the stretch.

“We have to lean on each other. It’s not about one player,” Clarkson said. “We’ve got to stick together as a group.”



Maple Leafs: A puzzle of individual skill sets

By: Brendan Kennedy, Published on Wed Feb 26 2014

What if the Maple Leafs had a team made up of players who, despite their flaws, possess a singular elite skill that distinguishes them from the pack?

For example, Phil Kessel may not be the fastest skater in the league, nor is he the finest stickhandler, but he’s arguably the most dangerous player in the NHL on the rush. James van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, may not be the flashiest guy on the ice, but who has better hands in close?

So while the Leafs may not boast the all-around talents of, say, the Boston Bruins or Chicago Blackhawks, the combination of their respective skills are greater than the sum of their parts.

Let’s take a closer look at some of their uniquely skilled individuals.

Phil Kessel: Attacking on the rush

Phil Kessel is neither the league’s fastest skater, best stickhandler nor the hardest shooter, but there’s something about his combination of skills and instincts that makes him among the most lethal in the game, as the Sochi Olympics just showed, on the rush.

“He’s really good at picking up turnovers and creating chances off of odd-man rushes,” says linemate Tyler Bozak, who adds that Kessel doesn’t get enough credit for his hockey smarts.

“It’s like he knows where the puck’s going to go before it gets there.”

Defenceman Cody Franson said Kessel “reads plays very well.”

“He’s one of those guys that can see plays develop before they do. He’s got great bursts of speed. He’s one of those guys that if you’re not paying attention he’s going to go right by you. He’s very agile, he’s quick on his stop-ups and he’s shifty. Good hands, great shot and he sees the ice very well.”

Tyler Bozak: Winning faceoffs

Tyler Bozak won the second-most draws in the league last season and taking key puck-drops is considered one of his main attributes. The 27-year-old Regina native said he used to practise faceoffs as a kid in his family’s backyard rink — albeit reluctantly.

“It was pretty much my Dad who told me how important they were. Personally I never really thought they were that important when I was young and I didn’t really want to practise them. I thought it was just a tiny part of the game. But as you grow up and start playing more, you realize it’s key to have the puck. For me, if I win the draw I don’t have to play defence, so it’s obviously better. You have a lot more fun when you’re attacking than when you’re playing defensively. . . . We had a rink in our backyard back in Saskatchewan, my Dad would always drop me a few pucks. He played centre when he played, so he’d just kind of teach me some tricks and stuff and I guess I kind of learned new things along the way and got the timing down.”

He shared some secrets of his success.

“It all depends who you’re up against, to be honest. If he’s left-handed, if he’s right-handed. Now I’ve kind of gotten to learn. I mean most teams in the East, I’ve gotten to learn their centremen, and I’m sure they have with me. So it’s a little bit of a chess match in there now when you’ve gone against a guy a bunch of times.”

“You’re always going to try to cheat as much as you can as a centreman and get away with as much as you can, and get the little advantage. But they usually keep it pretty clean.”

James van Riemsdyk: Good hands in front of the net

Usually found at the edge of the opponent’s crease, mucking it up in front of the net, James van Riemsdyk has an exceptional knack for handling the puck in tight quarters. Whether redirecting a point shot, banging in a rebound or pulling off his trademark between-the-legs manoeuver, he’s at his best when he’s in the goalie’s face. The 24-year-old New Jersey native said he honed some of those in-close skills playing mini hockey with his two younger brothers.

“We played a lot in the basement and you’re usually right on top of each other. In the driveway my Dad would shoot pucks and I’d try to tip ’em in. Stuff like that. Then, when I got to Philly, that’s when (Flyers assistant coach) Joe Mullen would stand up top and hammer pucks down at me and I’d have to try to tip all of them.”

Mullen also used to do a drill with van Riemsdyk where he would shoot pucks into his feet and van Riemsdyk would have to quickly fish them out and put them on net. “Ideally up under the bar.”

Cody Franson: Strong first pass

Like Bozak, Cody Franson said it was his father who drilled in him the importance of making a clean and crisp first pass out of the defensive zone.

“Being a good passer was kind of one of his things,” Franson said. “He kind of showed me the ropes with that. He forced me to take a lot of pride in it. It keeps the speed of the game up and allows your team to flow offensively a little easier. So if you can be a good passer it helps everybody around you and that was kind of the way he approached it with me and the way he taught me.”

Franson said one of the keys to making a good first pass is recognizing whether you’re passing to your teammate’s forehand or backhand, and also the speed of the player to whom you’re sending the puck.

“On their forehands you can give it a little harder and make sure it gets through,” he said. “When I’m passing to somebody on their backhand I’ll try to ease off a little bit so it’s easier to handle. Some guys are quicker, so you got to know how far to lead one guy so that he can skate into the pass and how far you have to lead the next guy. A lot of it is just being aware and preparing for the people around you.”

Technically speaking, Franson said the key for a hard, flat pass is to sweep the puck from the heel of his blade to the toe.

“A lot of times guys will try to pass off their toe and that’s when it will start wobbling and catch an edge on the ice. So I try to sweep it and make it a harder pass so it blows through the ruts in the ice.”

Mason Raymond: Speed

You don’t have to be a grizzled hockey scout to recognize Mason Raymond’s greatest attribute. His breakaway speed is as obvious as his jersey colour. Deemed expendable by the Vancouver Canucks after last season and brought in by the Leafs originally on a tryout basis, Raymond may be an average NHLer in almost every regard except one — his game-changing wheels. The 28-year-old won the Canucks’ fastest-skater competition in 2008, completing a full lap in just 14.28 seconds. But his quickness is most clearly on display in a straightaway foot race. That’s when he seems to be in a league of his own. After impressing in the preseason, the Leafs were able to sign Raymond to a $1 million one-year deal, which through the season’s first quarter looks like a serious bargain. Raymond is fourth in team scoring with 16 goals and 19 assists.

Jonathan Bernier: Rebound control

Even as an 18-year-old, when Jonathan Bernier was a first-round draft pick of the L.A. Kings in 2006, the Central Scouting Agency marvelled at his ability to “deflect shots out of danger with his stick and blocker.” Bernier was not enough of a standout to wrest L.A.’s starting job away from Jonathan Quick, but due to his expertise in a number of key areas — not only rebound control, but also puck handling and his ability to go post-to-post — he’s turned into a bona fide No. 1 for the Leafs.



Maple Leafs unlikely to make trade deadline splash: Cox

By: Damien Cox, Published on Wed Feb 26 2014

One could be forgiven for looking at where the Maple Leafs are currently sitting and imagining that a second consecutive berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs is a very solid bet.

Just 22 games left. Seven points ahead of the ninth-place Columbus Blue Jackets. One point behind Tampa Bay for second in the division.

Hardly on the brink, at least not today.

Moreover, the Leafs went into the Olympic break on a 7-2-1 tear. They re-open the season after a 19-day furlough in Long Island on Thursday where the Islanders will be finding out just how big a hole Team Latvia left in Jack Capuano’s lineup by injuring star centre John Tavares.

Finally, the Leafs are approaching maximum health, with David Bolland and Marlies captain Trevor Smith, a very useful Leaf earlier this season, both close to returning to action. Only three Leafs — Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Nikolai Kulemin — were in Sochi, and all came back unscathed.

The rest should, in theory, be well rested. Or at least tanned.

So all systems go for the post-season, right?

Well, probably. Which is why GM Dave Nonis isn’t contemplating major changes prior to next Wednesday’s trade deadline, which may include keeping both Bolland and Kulemin, although both are unrestricted free agents in July. While the New York Rangers are unlikely to do that with Ryan Callahan and the Isles seem almost certain to move Thomas Vanek because of his impending unrestricted status, the Leafs feel comfortable after the Tyler Bozak experience last year that they can sign the players they want even if they test the market.

Backup goalie James Reimer also seems likely to stay. Nonis has no intention of turning a team strength into a weakness by leaving Jonathan Bernier without a high-quality understudy.

Anything is possible, one supposes, and sure in an ideal world Nonis would love to think he could add a forward capable of playing in his top nine, or even a top-end defenceman. But the realistic expectation is a depth player added for a middle- to low-round draft pick. So what you currently see is what you’re going to get as far as the Leaf roster goes.

Now here’s where this pretty picture starts to get a little murky.

The Leaf schedule for those 22 remaining games isn’t a walk in the park (skate on the Rideau?) and that’s aside from the fact 13 of those games are on the road where the Leafs have, so far, won 11 and lost 17, with five of those losses coming via overtime or shootout.

Only Carolina, Florida, Washington and Buffalo have garnered fewer points away from home among Eastern Conference teams this season than the Leafs. The most difficult challenges come in the next 10 games, where eight are on the road including a ride through California hell with games against Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles.

Also, 13 of those 22 games left are against teams currently in a playoff position. Two of those other nine are against Detroit, and one each against Winnipeg and Ottawa, all clubs likely to be fighting until the final week of the regular season for a playoff berth.

So what does all this mean? The Leafs aren’t going to be able to just coast their way into the playoffs, or just stay hot (seven straight wins) at the ACC. They’ll need 24 to 26 points out of a possible 44 to make it, and given the schedule that’s a tall order for a team that has already suffered through a long dry spell this season. A repeat of that would mean bye-bye to the playoffs.

The intriguing question, and this applies to the other 29 teams as well, is what will the Leafs look like on Thursday after nearly three weeks off?

The top line of Kessel, van Riemsdyk and Bozak was clicking, but the first two had a sour end to their Olympics and Bozak’s been sitting around. The entire blue-line corps has been idle. and it’ll be interesting to see if Tim

Gleason, such a useful addition New Year’s Day, will continue to add those intangibles he was certainly adding before the break.

On the flip side, Joffrey Lupul has had a middling season, with three goals in his last 15 games to go with a minus-10 rating. Lupul may need to get scoring, particularly if the first-liners can’t stay as hot as they were.

The Leafs, as a group, have been inconsistent and at times erratic this season. They’ve allowed a league-worst 36.2 shots per game, which has translated into the 25th-best goals-against average in the NHL.

Team Canada demonstrated in Sochi that defence still wins championships. But that was the Olympics and that was the big ice.

Still, this much seems true. The combination of a challenging schedule and a defensive shell that keeps showing major cracks is unlikely to be a formula that delivers playoff gates to the ACC in April.

And the Leafs would hate to leave the Raptors with the place to themselves.



Bolland's return to Leafs lineup postponed; Orr, Carter listed day-to-day

By Lance Hornby,Toronto Sun


TORONTO - The Maple Leafs are back — and so is their lineup intrigue.

Toronto begins its final 22 games on Thursday in Long Island, but centre Dave Bolland won’t be on the ice. His long-awaited comeback from ankle tendon surgery must wait until at least Saturday’s tilt in Montreal after the last two days of the post-Olympic mini-camp showed he’s not quite ready for even the limited role the Leafs envisioned.

The first sign of trouble came Monday when he had trouble skating crossovers, then Tuesday he fell hard in practice and departed early. Bolland came out Wednesday as the only forward in an ominous mauve jersey.

While coach Randy Carlyle and general manager Dave Nonis went to great lengths to say his exclusion on Thursday will not be a long-term setback, Bolland had to agree a few more days away meant little when he’s sat almost four months.

“I don’t want to be a liability,” Bolland said. “I wish I was out there a month ahead of schedule, but (waiting a game or two) is the safe route. I’d rather be ready for the long road than be in and out of the lineup.”

Carlyle sets extremely high standards for players returning from injury and Bolland hasn’t met them yet.

“We felt he took a step back yesterday,” Carlyle said. “It’s not a huge negative, but it’s something we can’t deal with. He’ll be on the trip and when he’s ready, he’ll get the green light.”

Nonis, speaking on The Fan 590, tried to calm any public fears Bolland won’t eventually return as the two-way force he showed signs of becoming in his first 15 games as a Leaf.

“This (injury) is not career ending or even career threatening,” the Nonis said. “But muscles, plus tendon were severed. I have no doubt he’ll come back, but not (look like it) in the next two weeks.”

Meanwhile, after many NHLers returned from Sochi to get back on ice with teammates and spin tales of the highs and lows of the Olympic Games, Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk did little of both. Van Riemsdyk used all of the two days the Leafs offered to stay at home or in the gym, while Kessel practised Wednesday, made his usual quick dash to the room and kept a crowd of cameras waiting in vain.

The absence of van Riemsdyk left Carlyle to deal with rumours the winger had suffered a worse bruise than feared from taking a puck in the throat area, as well as a hand injury in the Americans’ bronze-medal loss to Finland.

“Both players were cleared medically, though I’m sure they have bumps, bruises and sore muscles,” Carlyle said. “James worked out with us Tuesday (off-ice) and we gave Phil the same option.”

Trevor Smith, himself recovering from a hand injury, filled in for van Riemsdyk with Kessel and Tyler Bozak on the first line. But barring the revelation of an injury to either Yanks, Smith will drop back into the scramble for work on the third and fourth line. With Bolland out, Nikolai Kulemin shifted over to centre between Mason Raymond and Troy Bodie on the third unit.

“We put Kulemin at centre the last two games and were happy with what he brought to the table,” Carlyle said. “He, Raymond and Bodie gave us some offence and some checking ability.”

The fourth line’s potential make-up was changed when Colton Orr tweaked a suspected lower body injury on Tuesday and Carter Ashton did not come back Wednesday after a bone scan on his broken hand the day before. So much for the hope of starting the final push with a completely healthy lineup.

Nonis listed Orr and Ashton as day to day, but when Bolland and Smith come off the injury list, someone will have to be demoted to keep the roster manageable.

Carlyle’s other option is one that worked before the break, using Paul Ranger as a seventh defenceman. That cuts down the pressure on young third pairing Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 02.27.2014


Game Day: Maple Leafs at Islanders

By Terry Koshan,Toronto Sun


TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Thursday, 7 p.m., Nassau Coliseum

TV: Sportsnet

Radio: 590 AM

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

No Olympic hangover

Phil Kessel was the NHL's hottest player heading into the Olympics and then tied for the scoring lead with eight points in Sochi. Both Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, who had seven points in Russia, have little choice but to keep going full steam ahead.

Show no mercy

The Islanders were rocked when they lost centre John Tavares to a knee injury for the rest of the season, and their lineup reads mostly like an AHL roster. The Leafs have to get the jump early and not let up. There's no excuse for that not to happen.

Fragile Isles

With Tavares done, so too are the Isles' playoff hopes, not that they were bright anyway. Thomas Vanek and Andrew MacDonald, among others, are likely to be traded by the March 5 deadline. Taking advantage of a jittery bunch of Islanders should be high on the Leafs' agenda.

Give Bernier a hand

Coach Randy Carlyle, like so many other NHL coaches, had admiration for Canada's defensive display at the Olympics. He would love to see even a slice of that rub off on his group. Goalie Jonathan Bernier has faced 1,444 shots, fewer only than Phoenix's Mike Smith and Montreal's Carey Price.

Positive memories

There's probably no Leaf who would want to make more of a splash down the stretch than Nazem Kadri, whose confidence never is a question. And why not start on Long Island, where Kadri registered his first NHL career hat trick, almost a year to the day on Feb. 28, 2013?

THE BIG MATCHUP

Thomas Vanek vs. Jonathan Bernier

Vanek often would pad his stats against the Leafs as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, and has 48 points (22 goals and 26 assists) in 48 games versus Toronto. Likely to be traded before the deadline, Vanek is the biggest threat against Bernier, who is 1-1 in two career games against the Islanders.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Toronto -- PP 22.2% (2nd), PK 78.0% (28th)

N.Y. Islanders -- PP 16.6% (21st), PK 77.6% (29th)

SICK BAY

Toronto -- C Dave Bolland (ankle) is out. LW Carter Ashton (hand) and RW Colton Orr (lower body) are questionable.

N.Y. Islanders -- C John Tavares (knee), C Frans Nielsen (hand) and LW Matt Martin (lower body) are out.



Leafs' Trevor Smith looks for rhythm



TORONTO - Trevor Smith's comeback with the Leafs this week coincides with a visit to the team that gave him his start.

Late in the 2008-09 season, the New York Islanders brought up the Ottawa-born centre from the farm team for a seven-game cup of coffee. In the New York lineup in Smith's first game was veteran forward Doug Weight.

"I remember missing a back-door tap in for Dougie's 1,500th point," Smith said, laughing. "Dougie was good about it, and I was kicking myself. But it was exciting. There's a lot of memories in that place (Nassau Coliseum)."

Smith's 24-game NHL tour after that debut included stops with the Lightning and Penguins. He joked that playing with John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, and Sidney Crosby is not a bad resume for what amounts to a quarter of a season. With the Leafs, he already had played 25 games, before breaking his hand Dec. 17.

"It's always frustrating when you get an injury, but what's done is done," the 29-year-old said. "I'm just trying to get back in the rhythm of the game."

Though many Marlies have come and gone this season as Leafs needs dictated, Smith has earned the trust of coach Randy Carlyle.

"They've given me the opportunity when guys were hurt to jump in there with some offence or whatever situations they needed me," Smith said "You never know what's going to happen in hockey, so you take it as it comes."

HIGH COST OF BUSINESS

The delay in Dave Bolland's re-launch overtook a Sportsnet report this week that he's going to be looking for a seven to eight-year extension in the summer in the $40 million US range. That would be in response to the kind of money the Leafs gave David Clarkson. But they're in somewhat different circumstances and Bolland has played just 15 games so far.

"His situation has been a tough one," Maple Leafs general manager David Nonis told the Fan 590 on Wednesday. "I don't want to talk contract (but) if a player wants to play here and you want to keep him, generally you find a way to make it happen."

TRADE WIND PROTECTION?

With less than a week until the National Hockey League trade deadline, the Leafs are certain to feel some jitters.

But not nearly as bad as other teams who already have fallen from the playoff race. The press box in Buffalo for the Carolina Hurricanes' visit on Tuesday had almost the whole league represented. This would be the second season that the Leafs can breath a bit easier after seven seasons of missing the post-season dance and facing the prospect of changes.

"We all have to go through it every year," veteran centre Jay McClement said. "Usually when you're in playoff position, less happens. You're more on edge if you're on teams that are rebuilding. Obviously we have a good group in here and made really good strides coming into the break. We've put ourselves in a good spot."

SPEEDING TICKET

Any time a player darts off the ice as fast as Phil Kessel did after Wednesday's practice, thoughts turn to injury or emergency.

But Kessel, for all his talent as a sniper and his overall play this season, simply isn't a fan of staying around any longer than he has to if it's not a game situation. An amused Carlyle interpreted his quick exit as a sign things are back to normal after his trip to Sochi.

"I would say Phil is not an energetic individual to the start of practice," Carlyle said. "It seems to be the way he approaches it. I don't know how else to put it."

LOOSE LEAFS

Kessel resumes his pursuit of 40 goals on Thursday. He's sitting at 31 ... Nonis spent the break scouting some college and major junior games ... The GM believes the time off during the Olympics will be most appreciated long-term by captain Dion Phaneuf, who plays a lot of minutes, and goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who could end up playing close to 60 regular-season games.



Five Leafs who need to step up their game

By Terry Koshan,Toronto Sun

First posted: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 11:27 PM EST

TORONTO - The Maple Leafs enter their final 22 games with 10 more wins in regulation than losses, and with 70 points are seven points clear of Ottawa and Columbus in the wild-card race (never mind the Leafs’ desire, a challenge on a good day, to win the Atlantic Division). It goes without saying that Jonathan Bernier, Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf will have to remain at the top level of their respective games for the Leafs to have a shot at cementing a playoff spot. Here’s a glance at five Leafs who are capable of bringing more than they have been (keeping in mind the thoughts of coach Randy Carlyle, who figures every player can be better):

1. David Clarkson

The challenge for Clarkson is to take “he has been getting better” and make it “he has been effective on a consistent basis.” Clarkson has a mere 10 points in 39 games, but that’s not the point. Leo Komarov didn’t score much for the Leafs last season but impacted the game in other positive ways. Clarkson can be a game-changer without seeing his name on the scoresheet, and will get more ice time on the second line.

2. Joffrey Lupul

Healthy since early December, Lupul hasn’t lit up the scoreboard at an alarming rate, scoring just nine goals in his past 29 games. Perhaps we were teased when Lupul scored 11 times in 16 games last season, but he remains on pace for 24 in 2013-14. Overall, a game-in, game-out production rate has been lacking. There has been some chemistry with centre Nazem Kadri and Clarkson, but that has to translate into more offence.

3. Cody Franson

While it’s easy to be taken in by Franson’s production from the blue line — his 27 points (four goals and 23 assists) are the most among Leafs defencemen — his defensive game has taken a step back and his minus-14 is the worst on the team. Franson made strides last season, but has been stuck in neutral for much of this one. If there was a poster boy for why it’s not overly wise to miss training camp, Franson is it.

4. Nikolai Kulemin

If you accept that the 30-goal season of 2010-11 was an aberration, it’s hard to fathom how just about all of that offence could have dried up, isn’t it? There’s no questioning Kulemin’s work ethic. But he doesn’t get his great shot off as much as he can (10 teammates have more than his 54 shots). When he does, it’s worth noting four of his eight goals are game-winners. On the Leafs, only Kessel has more, with five.

5. Jake Gardiner

Again, it’s the consistency factor. Perhaps we should cut Gardiner some slack because he’s just 23, but there have been too many tear-the-hair-out moments for Carlyle and his staff this season. Gardiner looked like he had it figured out during the playoffs against the Bruins last spring, but we know now that sample size was too small. The talent is there for Gardiner; it’s a matter of working out the frustrating kinks.



Five Leafs storylines to watch



TORONTO - 1. Sweating the trade deadline

A consequence of the salary cap world is that general manager Dave Nonis must endure questions about major moves when he hasn’t seen his whole team together yet this season. It’s highly unlikely Nonis would act rash on or before March 5, having showed great patience when the Leafs had an early winter slump and post-Winter Classic hiccup that had some calling for coach Randy Carlyle’s job. With the Leafs losing just twice in regulation since Jan. 12 and Dave Bolland’s imminent return, there is reason the Leafs could be even better than their recent streak. All of which should make the Leafs mere window-shoppers next week, though a minor depth move is probable. Nonis is adamant he won’t chase rental players or cash out potential UFAs such as Bolland, Nikolai Kulemin and James Reimer to avoid contract hassles later in the summer. And any frustration the coaches have with Jake Gardiner on his slow learning curve is not enough to move him without a great return. “I don’t see us parting with a Gardiner for an older player,” Nonis told The Fan 590 on Wednesday. As Nonis told the Sun earlier this week, the market is quiet, in part because so many teams are still in the playoff race. “Not having a whole lot of sellers is affecting it,” Nonis said.

2. Getting defensive

The addition of Tim Gleason and small improvements in their own end during the Leafs’ recent win streak are promising. And the experiment with seven defencemen might continue versus dressing a near-idle full fourth line. But in its current state, still leading the NHL in shots allowed and giveaways, the Leafs remain too dependent on Jonathan Bernier. They certainly won’t match up against more disciplined blueline brigades or hold up against puck-pressure offences. “Can this group play better defence? Yes,” GM Dave Nonis said. “I think every player can, but some are obviously better at it than others. You have to pay the price to do things. “People often pull the negatives out of the Boston series’ (collapse). I like to pull the positives. Our players did things that didn’t come naturally to them. That’s what playing defence is.” Coach Randy Carlyle made that one of his mini-camp tenets this week and what little practice time the Leafs get once the compressed schedule kicks in, expect him to keep trying to clean up his team’s mess.

3. Mark those calendars

Twelve of the remaining 22 games are against teams currently behind the Leafs in points. But just as previous Toronto clubs had a curious custom of turning on the jets only when far behind the playoff pack, no team can be taken lightly. That starts with Thursday’s foe, the Islanders, who lost John Tavares and likely their post-season ticket and will have three farmhands plugged in for the game. “I’ve been in that situation and you always have something to play for, you always have people watching you,” warned centre Jay McClement. “There is still quite a ways to go, still lots to play for. Sometimes younger guys lay it all on the line. No teams mail it in and sometimes that’s the best way to evaluate players, when they’re in those tough situations.” Then there’s a three-game swing through California in a couple of weeks where three big, belligerent and likely playoff-bound teams reside. The Leafs come home through Washington and Detroit, two Eastern contenders. Breaking even on that trip will be hard.

4. Raving about Daves

The real David Clarkson and David Bolland have yet to show up despite the late date. Clarkson jumped into his Leafs role too soon — literally — and was suspended before a series of injuries and ill-fitting roles made fans balk about his big contract. Bolland, the other hometown kid who aimed to do good, suffered a freak injury Nov. 2. Yet the Leafs had enough contributions elsewhere to reach the break in a decent playoff perch. If Bolland and Clarkson can now deliver some of what was expected, their off-season acquisitions will be lauded again. “I’d agree right now (Clarkson) hasn’t played as well as hoped,” Nonis said. “But he’s shown signs. I wish he hadn’t gone into the break because the Florida trip (a split in Tampa and Sunrise) was his best hockey for us.” And if Toronto does make the post-season, both

men have the experience of playing into June, an element the inexperienced Leafs lacked in their early spring meltdown in Game 7 against the Bruins.

5. The X Factors

Can Dion Phaneuf keep playing around 25 minutes a game on defence without wearing down? ... Will Marlies captain Trevor Smith continue to hold his place in the lineup? His absence with a broken hand has allowed players such as Peter Holland and Troy Bodie to gain favour with coaches and management ... And what of the other Marlies? Rather than restrict themselves to nurturing the kids, coach Steve Spott’s farm team is in first place in its division and provided a chance for veterans Jerrod Smithson and T.J. Brennan to excel. Jerry D’Amigo, Jamie Devane, David Broll, Spencer Abbott, Greg McKegg and Josh Leivo have also been up with the Leafs already ... How will James Reimer respond when he does get a chance in goal? ... Will Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren continue to see limited or increased roles as games become more intense?



Leafs' Holland keeping chin up on the farm



TORONTO - Centre Peter Holland has not sulked about his demotion to the Marlies.

Holland, who might yet be recalled by the Leafs if Dave Bolland is not ready and Nikolai Kulemin doesn’t stay as third-line centre in the coming games, had an assist and was plus-2 in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Binghamton Senators at Ricoh Coliseum. Holland is on a point-a-game pace for the four appearances he has made with the farm team.

It was a noteworthy morning start for the whole Marlies club and a crowd of school-aged fans. They managed to score four different ways, even-strength (Mike Duco, assisted by Holland), short-handed (Kenny Ryan), power play (Jerry D’Amigo) and empty net (Josh Leivo).

Team scoring leader Spencer Abbott picked up two helpers himself for 56 points in 50 games. Not only did goaltender Drew MacIntyre record his 24th victory, he secured his own assist on Ryan’s game-opening shortie. MacIntyre now has 24 wins and 37 overall in his short career as a Marlie.

Ottawa’s 2011 first-round pick Matt Puempel, who was in an exchange with Holland that led to unsportsmanlike conduct minors, had the first Sens goal, Mark Stone the other.

The division-leading Marlies now have won four straight and have a record of 6-2 on their 10-game homestand, which concludes next weekend against Hamilton and Lake Erie.



Toronto Maple Leafs’ Dave Bolland hits setback in recovery from ankle injury

Michael Traikos | February 26, 2014 | Last Updated: Feb 26 1:06 PM ET

Dave Bolland has been out for almost four months because of a severed tendon in his left ankle.

Dave Bolland took what his coach called a “step back” in his rehabilitation that will prevent him from returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on Thursday.

Why the Maple Leafs still need both Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer

“It’s one where we felt he took a step back yesterday,” said Carlyle. “So we felt it was best suited that he did not participate on a line today in terms of practising with the group.”

The 27-year-old Bolland, who has been out for almost four months because of a severed tendon in his left ankle, is still day-to-day. But head coach Randy Carlyle said the latest development was not encouraging.

“To say it’s a bad sign, well it’s not a positive sign,” said Carlyle. “I don’t want you to view into it as something that we can’t deal with … We feel it’s a day-to-day issue and when he gives us the green light he’ll be in the lineup.

Could Leo Komarov return to the Maple Leafs in the off-season?

Bolland stumbled in practice on Tuesday and was noticeably labouring around the ice afterwards. Leafs GM Dave Nonis was on Sportsnet Hockey Central at Noon on Wednesday, where he said “It’s not quite there in terms of strength for [Bolland] to participate in a game tomorrow.”

With Bolland not expected to play against the New York Islanders on Thursday, Nikolai Kulemin was centring the third line with Mason Raymond and Troy Bodie on the wings.

“Right now, it’s just day-to-day,” said Bolland, who expected to make the trip to New York. “It’s just getting stronger. You want to be 100% when you get back into the lineup. You don’t want to be a liability out there.”

National Post LOADED: 02.27.2014

730290 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin on Olympic disappointment: ‘I have to handle it. I have to fight through it’

By Katie Carrera | February 25 at 3:08 pm

There may be no more encouraging sign for the Washington Capitals as they prepare to resume their season than that of an upbeat Alex Ovechkin.

The star right wing seemed to be in good spirits Tuesday following his first practice back with his teammates in Arlington, despite having his time as the face of the Winter Olympics in Sochi turn nightmarish.

Last week, Ovechkin and Russia were eliminated from the tournament by Finland in the quarterfinals in what was a national disgrace for the host country. Ovechkin recorded only one goal in the tournament and has been singled out by everyone from the Russian coach to NBC pundits for the lack of offensive production, but he didn’t seem fazed.

“I want to say sorry to the fans because it’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent your country in the Olympics and you didn’t get the results you didn’t get any medal,” Ovechkin said. “Of course the fans, the media and the people who support Russia, family, was upset but life goes on. Right now we here and we’re going to do our best to take a playoff spot and try to win the Cup.”

On the heels of that loss Ovechkin was informed that his father Mikhail had suffered a heart attack and underwent heart surgery in Sochi days earlier. Mikhail Ovechkin, 62, was able to travel home to Moscow with Ovechkin’s mother and brother Tuesday.

“Soon as I found out that he’s in hospital and he’s feeling not that good and he could be dying, I just forget the game that we lose against Finland,” Ovechkin said. “He’s fine. Just talked to him this morning. He’s getting better and that’s probably most thing I worry about.”

With his father’s health improving and Russia’s elimination nearly a week in the past, Ovechkin made it clear that while he wasn’t pleased with his results in Sochi he’s determined to not let it affect his play in the NHL.

“This is my third Olympics that we didn’t get success. In Vancouver [in 2010] it was tough loss and this is a very tough loss for me and for Russia, but I’m almost 30. I have to handle it. I have to fight through it,” Ovechkin said. “The coaching staff, my family and my teammates I’m pretty sure they’re going to support me and I’m going to support them. That’s why we play in a team sport not an individual sport.”

Washington Post LOADED: 02.27.2014


Nicklas Backstrom trying to focus on Capitals amid fallout from failed IOC doping test

By Katie Carrera | February 25 at 2:24 pm

Before the Washington Capitals went out to practice Tuesday, Nicklas Backstrom told his teammates that while he continues to deal with fallout from testing positive for a substance that is banned by the International Olympic Committee, he will do his best to make sure it doesn’t cause a distraction for the group moving forward.

“I was talking to the guys today and I said, ‘I’ll deal with this on the side.’ I think we have a really important situation here in Washington right now. We’re not in a playoff spot and we have to look forward to that,” Backstrom said. “I’m focusing on Washington right now, how we have to deal with this as a team, how we have to win hockey games. That’s what I’m going to do.”

That was easier said than done Tuesday, though, as many in Sweden and the international community are still looking to assign blame for the situation.

With several Swedish news outlets at KCI Tuesday, pressing for more details Backstrom reiterated that he has taken the allergy medication Zyrtec-D for seven years. While Zyrtec-D is an approved drug, it contains pseudoephedrine which is prohibited by the IOC at certain levels. Backstrom’s test results showed an elevated amount.

“I’ve had allergies for seven years, since I got here. Everyone that lives in the Washington area knows how bad it is here,” Backstrom said. “Who do I blame? Well, I followed the doctor’s recommendation.”

Sweden’s team doctor Bjorn Waldeback told reporters in Sochi Sunday that Backstrom asked him before the Olympic tournament began if he could continue taking the medication and said yes.

“I can definitely question my own function as Tre Kronor’s and the Swedish Olympic Committee’s doctor, recommending a patient to take a doping classed medication in a too high dose. But if he’d ask me again I would still tell him to take it,” Waldback said in Sochi. “I feel a very big responsibility for this as I am medically responsible. But on the other hand, we could’ve never imagined the consequences of taking a medication that hardly affects the person and ruins the greatest day of his life.”

Backstrom has already missed out on the opportunity to play in that important contest but he’ll now have to wait up to two weeks to find out if he will receive a silver medal while the IOC investigates the issue.

“It’s up to the IOC,” Backstrom said. “We’re still waiting and talking to the Swedish Federation and we’ll see what’s going to happen. It’s up to them.”

The Capitals are trying to offer all the support they can, knowing how much the opportunity to play for Sweden in the gold-medal game meant to Backstrom.

“I think it’s [garbage]. It’s probably one of the highlights of his career and to not play in a game like because of something like Zyrtec,” fellow Olympian Martin Erat said. “I just think that it’s stupidity. Take a guy like him, he works all his life for a tournament like that and he gets to the point where he plays in the biggest game of his career probably and some politicians or whatever just messed it up for him. It’s stupid.”



Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom back on the ice for Capitals’ practice

By Katie Carrera | February 25 at 11:14 am

Four of the Capitals’ five Olympians have returned to Washington and were back on the ice with their teammates Tuesday morning, offering a realistic glimpse of how the team will be configured when their season starts back up in two days.

Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Martin Erat all took part in what was the most full-fledged practice the team has held since it reconvened last week after the Olympic break.

Ovechkin and Backstrom, both coming off difficult Olympic tournaments, were back in their usual spots as two-thirds of the Capitals’ top line.

Both players are expected to speak with reporters after practice wraps up. Given how eventful the past few weeks have been for Ovechkin, what with Russia’s early exit and his father’s health problems, and Backstrom, with the questions surrounding his being held out of the gold-medal game after testing positive for a banned substance found in his allergy medication, there will be plenty to discuss so be sure to check back for updates from them throughout the day.

Marcus Johansson is the only Capital who played in Sochi that has yet to return. He’s been delayed by visa and passport problems but he’s expected to rejoin the team in time for Thursday’s game at Florida. Without Johansson in the mix, Aaron Volpatti who is on long-term injured reserve with an injured left shoulder is filling in on the second line.

Here’s what the lineup looks like:



Jack Hillen assigned to Hershey for conditioning stint

By Katie Carrera

February 25 at 10:47 am

The Capitals assigned Jack Hillen to the AHL’s Hershey Bears for a conditioning stint Tuesday, as the defenseman takes his next step in recovering from a fractured tibial plateau in his right leg.

Hillen is expected to suit up for the Bears on Tuesday night as they visit Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which will be the first game he’s played at any level since breaking his leg on Oct. 3 against Calgary in the Capitals’ second game of the season.

While the rehabilitation process has been a long one – Hillen wasn’t even allowed to walk on the injured leg for nine weeks – the 28-year-old defenseman has been working out with his teammates regularly since before the Olympic break. How he fares in AHL games should offer Hillen and the Capitals a good assessment of where he stands, and when he might be able to get back in the NHL lineup.

“There’s still some work to be done there before I can get back. “I need to make sure I can recover better, play back-to-back games” Hillen said last week, adding that the process has gone well so far. “I’m very happy with where I’m at. I think everything’s going great. I’m working hard the leg feels good on the ice and that’s important.”

According to Article 13.9 of the CBA, Hillen’s conditioning loan cannot exceed the longer of six days and three games. As for how it impacts the Capitals’ roster, Hillen remains on long-term injured reserve meaning he does not count toward the 23-man active roster and his salary still offers relief should the team exceed the salary cap.



Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom back with Caps and in need of quick recoveries

By Brian McNally

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

There is no summer off to push past the heartbreak, no time to process a disastrous Winter Olympics in Sochi or grieve what happened there.

Capitals stars Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom returned to Kettler Iceplex on Tuesday for their first practice with their NHL teammates as the league returns to action following a three-week Olympic break. But with a Stanley Cup playoff push looming, each man must find a way to quickly recover.

Ovechkin’s father, Mikhail, 62, suffered a heart attack on Feb. 16 – news that was kept from his son during the tournament. Russia then flamed out in the quarterfinals, a massive disappointment for the host country.

Backstrom, meanwhile, is still dealing with the shock of his failed doping test and ensuing suspension just hours before Sweden played Canada in the gold-medal final on Sunday.

“This is my third Olympics that we didn’t get success. In Vancouver [in 2010] it was tough loss and this is a very tough loss for me and for Russia,” Ovechkin said. “But I’m almost 30. I have to handle it. I have to fight through it.”

Ovechkin was able to smile during a 10-minute chat with reporters. He cracked a few jokes and seemed his old self, clearly relieved that his father had left the hospital in Sochi and was flying home to Moscow with his wife, Tatyana, and son, Mikhail.

But Backstrom remained visibly upset on Tuesday, especially after pointed questions from Swedish reporters about how such a blunder could occur.

Backstrom had too much pseudoephedrine in his system (190 micrograms per milliliter) thanks to taking the allergy medicine Zyrtec-D. The International Olympic Committee allows levels of only 150 micrograms/milliliter. Backstrom’s “B” sample also tested too high and it remains in question if he’ll even receive the silver medal that his Swedish teammates earned after the 3-0 loss to Canada.

“It’s obviously been couple tough days,” Backstrom said. “You miss Olympic final, something you don’t want to do and obviously maybe you don’t have that chance again in your career, so it’s very sad and disappointing.”

Backstrom again insisted that he’s taken Zyrtec-D for seven years to treat the allergies he struggles with while living in the Washington area. He played in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and multiple World Championships and never had a problem. But the International Olympic Committee follows the code set down by the World Anti-Doping Agency, whose handbook is explicit about how muchpseudoephedrine is allowed in an athletes’ system.

Backstrom said he took his standard one pill per day and was told by Sweden’s team doctor, Bjorn Waldeback, that would keep him under the legal limit. Waldenback took responsibility for the mishap, but told reporters in Sochi that he had checked with International Ice Hockey Federation doctors and was told there was no danger with taking one Zyretc-D a day.

“Who do I blame? Well, I followed the doctor’s recommendation,” Backstrom said.

And Backstrom’s teammates defended him, too.

“It’s probably one of the highlights of his career and to not play in a game like that because of something like Zyrtec [is unfortunate],” said Martin Erat, who played in Sochi for the Czech Republic. “Everybody takes [Zyrtec]. It’s a medication for allergies if you’re sick or whatever, but I don’t think it helps you at all. It’s just ridiculous that it can happen at a big tournament like this, at the Olympics just before the finals when everybody is ready to go and you just want to enjoy the sport.”

Ovechkin received heavy criticism after scoring just one goal in Russia’s five games. Not all agree it was warranted. He did fire 24 shots on goal, after all, and Russia’s blueline played poorly during the tournament. But even Russian

coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov appeared to take shots at Ovechkin afterward, expressing bafflement why he didn’t score more.

“When you accept the accolades, you have to stand up and accept the criticism, and I thought [Ovechkin] did that,” Caps coach Adam Oates said. “In terms of how people lay it on him, I have my own opinions, which him and I talk about all the time. In terms of his game, we talked before he left. He can only control himself, right? And I thought he’s done a great job and been professional about it, and we move on.”

And now Backstrom and Ovechkin are tasked with helping Washington reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. The Caps resume play Thursday night in Florida with just 23 games to go. They are 27-23-9 with 63 standings points and are one point out of a playoff position.

“It’s not fun to deal with,” Backstrom said. “I don’t wish no one to have to go through this, if I’m gonna be honest with you. It’s not fun. But I’ve got to look forward to play next game on Thursday. I’ve got to focus on Washington right now. That’s why I’m here.”



Ovechkin apologizes for Russia hockey performance

By JOSEPH WHITE

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Alex Ovechkin apologized for Russia’s hockey performance at the Olympics, a sentiment put in perspective by the encouraging news that his father was on the way home after heart surgery.

Far more upset was Nicklas Backstrom, who remains clearly miffed that an allergy medication he’s taken for years cost him a chance to play for a gold medal.

The Washington Capitals held their first post-Olympics practice Tuesday, a session overshadowed by residue from the Winter Games even as they tried to focus on the resumption of their NHL schedule.

Ovechkin was one of the faces of Sochi, bent on winning the gold on home ice. Instead, the Russians were eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive Olympics.

“First of all, I want to say sorry to the fans,” Ovechkin said. “Because it’s once in a lifetime opportunity to represent your country in the Olympics, and you didn’t get the results, you didn’t get any medal. Of course the fans, the media and the people who support Russia, family, was upset, but life goes on.”

Ovechkin took the Olympic disappointment especially hard four years ago, but this time he had to immediately turn his attention to his family. His father, who has a history of heart problems, became ill following one of his son’s games and required surgery. Ovechkin wasn’t told until three days later, after Russia had been eliminated.

“Soon as I found out that he’s in hospital and he’s feeling not that good and he could be dying, I just forget the game that we lose against Finland. … Just go there and spend time with him and saw him,” Ovechkin said. “It was great feelings to see what’s happening and how he’s feeling. That’s most important thing.”

Ovechkin said his father, mother and brother were flying home to Moscow on Tuesday.

Ovechkin said he understands the criticism he received for his play during the Olympics - “I didn’t score lots of goals out there” - but the 28-year-old three-time league MVP appears ready to refocus on the Capitals, who resume play Thursday at Florida.

“This is a very tough loss for me and for Russia, but I’m almost 30,” Ovechkin said. “I have to handle it. I have to fight through it.”

The lingering Olympic sting was more evident on the face of Backstrom, who helped lead Sweden to the gold medal game but was pulled from the lineup shortly before faceoff because he had failed a doping test. Without one of its top players, Sweden lost 3-0 to Canada.

“I’ve had allergies for seven years, since I got here,” Backstrom said. “Everyone that lives in the Washington area knows how bad it is here. I’ve been taking Zyrtec-D for the last seven years and I haven’t been doing anything differently. I’ve been playing internationally, in the world championships (and) Olympics before, and so I haven’t done anything differently.”

An ingredient in the allergy medicine is on the list of banned substances for Olympic competition, but Backstrom said he was told by the Sweden team doctor that he could take one pill a day without triggering a positive test.

“Who do I blame?” Backstrom said. “Well, I followed the doctor’s recommendation.”

Backstrom said he expects a two-week wait to find out whether he will be awarded his silver medal, which is being held at the International Ice Hockey Federation offices in Zurich.

“Obviously, it’s not fun to deal with,” Backstrom said. “I don’t wish no one to have to go through this, if I’m going to be honest with you. It’s not fun. But I’ve got to look forward to play next game on Thursday. I’ve got to focus on Washington right now.”

Backstrom’s teammates, much like the international hockey community in general, were shocked at how his situation was handled.

“It’s just ridiculous that it can happen at a big tournament like this,” forward Martin Erat said, “at the Olympics just before the finals when everybody is ready to go and you just want to enjoy the sport. It just happened because of some stupidity, and it’s just unbelievable that this can happen in the Olympics.”

The Capitals sent five players to Sochi, and four of them have dealt with some sort of unexpected life event that has derailed an attempt to return to normalcy after the Olympics. Ovechkin had the health scare with his father, Backstrom has the fallout from the doping test, Swedish forward Marcus Johansson is stuck in Stockholm because of an visa issue - the Capitals expect him to join them in Florida for Thursday’s game - and Erat returned to his family in Nashville, Tenn., as soon as he could after the Czech Republic was eliminated.

“We just finished our quarterfinal game, and I went for my phone, and our friend had called me and said your baby girl, Victoria Bella, is born,” Erat said. “First we lost in the quarterfinal, it was hard to swallow, and when I got the news, it brought back a smile on my face.”


730296 Winnipeg Jets

Oly success has Jokinen energized for stretch run

By: Tim Campbell and Ed Tait

Posted: 02/27/2014 1:00 AM | Comments: 0g

Winnipeg-Canadian celebrations aside, some found the hockey of the Olympic men's tournament dreary and tedious, and to back that opinion, you can point to the Sochi event registering just 31 total goals, the fewest since the event incorporated a playoff round in 1992.

"I don't think it was boring. I didn't find it boring," said Jets centre Olli Jokinen, who came back to Winnipeg a winner, having helped Finland defeat the U.S. 5-0 in the bronze-medal game last Saturday.

"Other countries might have found it differently but our goal was to go there and play good defence and believe that the system that was in place, with the goaltending we have, that we'd win games 2-1, 1-0, 2-0.

"You weren't going to win games by five goals at that level."

Jokinen said Wednesday that he returns energized for the NHL's stretch run.

"It's two weeks, a fun time, being a part of something good," he said. "It gives you energy. It gives you the tools that you want to bring here when you got to play for your teams.

"I think it was more of an energy boost, a confidence boost."

Jokinen was asked how the Finns were able to get past their disappointment after a 2-1 semifinal loss to Sweden last Friday.

"We had a meeting a couple of hours after the game, before we went back to the village. The coaches and some of the older players were talking to the rest of the team that there's going to be one other country that's going to be disappointed later that night," Jokinen said. "For us, the big thing was that there's a huge difference to be fourth or third, a big, big difference. You finish top three or be in fourth place with nothing to bring home.

"So for us it was a big thing to try to regroup and energize and try to win the medal.

"We were able to do that. I think we wanted to win that last game more than the U.S. did. We were able to overcome that tough loss against the Swedes."

Jokinen said there was only joy to be playing alongside former Jets' sniper Teemu Selanne, who was the Olympic hockey tournament's top forward.

"Teemu's Teemu," Jokinen said. "He hasn't changed. He's he same type of guy he's always been. He's done so much for Finnish hockey over 25 years.

"It's pretty scary thing that at 43 years old, he's still able to play at the level he's playing at. He was a big (reason) we were able to get a medal."

BORED STIFF: Bryan Little didn't hide his joy at being almost back to game action for the Jets. But he didn't waste his Oly break, either. The Jets centre picked up his guitar again for the first time in eons.

"I don't really get to play that much during the year because we're on the road a lot," he said. "But when I'm home with my fiancée I play a lot of guitar and tried to improve a bit."

Asked if he cranked it up to 11, Little grinned: "Oh yeah. But I have the headphones in when someone else is in the house so I don't drive them crazy."

QUOTABLE: "We definitely don't want to be at the end of the season talking about the same stuff we have for the past four years, for me. It's something we're definitely tired of and hopefully we can show it on the ice." -- Evander Kane on the Jets' playoff push.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 02.27.2014


Olympic experience envigorates Wheeler for playoff push

By Ken Wiebe ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 01:20 PM CST | Updated: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 10:17 PM CST

After being involved in a tournament that featured some of the best hockey he’s ever been a part of, Blake Wheeler is more determined than ever to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Winnipeg Jets’ winger was back on the ice with his teammates on Tuesday, on the heels of a fourth-place finish with the United States at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

“One hundred percent. Everything that goes into every game, especially when you got into the playoff mode of the quarter-final. One loss and you’re out. It’s a feeling you haven’t had since you’ve played playoff hockey, so it makes you hungry to want to get back to that level,” said Wheeler, who hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2010 when he was a member of the Boston Bruins. “I’m really excited about the direction we’re going and the way we left things here. I just can’t wait for Thursday.”

The Jets face the Phoenix Coyotes at MTS Centre on Thursday, as the stretch drive of the final 22 games of the regular season begins in earnest.

As for his Olympic experience, Wheeler wasn’t at all discouraged by the fact he saw limited ice time, often as the 13th forward.

“Everything was first class, it was a great experience for everyone and it was a treat to be a part of,” said Wheeler, who was given the option of skipping Tuesday’s session by head coach Paul Maurice. “You know what, it wasn’t about one guy. We were buzzing through the tournament pretty good the first four games and to be a part of that was awesome. To make it to the semis, realistically we all believed we had a pretty good shot to take the whole thing.

“For me, my role was a non-issue. I was just really happy to be a part of that group. Such a great group of guys. It’s tough now, with all the travel and the chaos but one day soon, I’ll be able to look back and think it was pretty cool to have participated in the Olympics.”

The only real disappointment was coming back without a medal, especially after Team USA cruised to a 4-0 record before being blanked 1-0 by Canada in the semis and 5-0 by Finland in the bronze-medal game.

“The last two days were really disappointing. That Canada game was really tough. To come up short kind of sucks the wind out of you a little bit,” said Wheeler, who got back to Winnipeg on Monday. “It’s too bad we come back empty-handed. Fourth place is probably the worst place to finish in a tournament like that.”

Fellow Olympian Olli Jokinen also returned to Winnipeg on Monday after helping Finland capture bronze and will be on the ice with the Jets on Wednesday.

Maurice said all of his players (except for defenceman Grant Clitsome, who is out for the season with a back injury) have received full medical clearance, but still need to pass his test before being inserted into the lineup, since he was happy with the way the group was playing leading into the Olympic break.

The exception to that rule is left-winger Evander Kane, who has been reunited with Wheeler and Mark Scheifele and will return to the lineup after missing the past six games with a hand infection.

That leaves the status of centre Jim Slater (sports hernia) and right-winger Matt Halischuk (fractured forearm) up in the air for Thursday.

Given the Jets’ struggles in the face-off circle, it seems likely Slater will return as the fourth-line centre before long.

AROUND THE GLASS

Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom (lower-body) and forward Devin Setoguchi (elbow) were full participants for the first time since the Olympic break came to an end ... St. John’s IceCaps centre John Albert was named American Hockey League player of the week after producing five goals (including three shorthanded markers) and six points in four wins.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 02.27.2014


Pushing for the post-season

By: Tim Campbell


PLAYOFF MATH

Games remaining vs. teams not in playoff positions at Olympic break

Winnipeg 8

Nashville 10

Phoenix 11

Minnesota 11

Vancouver 11

Los Angeles 14

Dallas 15

Home-road split

Vancouver 13-9

Winnipeg 12-10

Dallas 12-12

Nashville 11-12

Minnesota 11-12

Los Angeles 11-12

Phoenix 11-13

Games remaining vs.

Western Conference teams

Nashville 16

Winnipeg 15

Los Angeles 15

Vancouver 15

Minnesota 14

Phoenix 13

Dallas 12

Games remaining vs. last-place teams (Buffalo, Edmonton)

Winnipeg 0

Phoenix 1

Dallas 1

Minnesota 2

Los Angeles 2

Vancouver 2

Nashville 3

Jets Scores

Phoenix-

Winnipeg-

Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.

Powered by Sports Direct Inc.

If the Winnipeg Jets are to be in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, there's little question they'll be worthy participants.

How do we know that?

Elementary, my dear Watson.

The race is tight, yes, but of the teams left chasing the final Western Conference playoff berth or berths (if you actually believe two are still up for grabs, and not one), Winnipeg has the most difficult assignment.

As the schedule resumes following the 19-day Olympic schedule interruption, the Dallas Stars held down the eighth and final playoff berth in the west.

From the eighth to 12th spots in the standings, however, the difference was a mere four points (64-60). Minnesota, holding the other wild-card berth at the moment, has 69 points.

And if you want to consider the Los Angeles Kings in the mix -- they would be so only if the ninth-ranked Phoenix Coyotes passed them -- then it's a six-point gap between the Jets and Kings.

Of seven teams that might be in play, from sixth-best Minnesota to 12-ranked Nashville, the Jets have the toughest schedule.

Starting tonight against the Coyotes at the MTS Centre (7 p.m., TSN Jets, TSN 1290), the Jets have 22 games to play and only eight of them are against teams not in a playoff spot at the Olympic break.

The first three, tonight, Saturday in Nashville and next Tuesday at home vs. the Islanders qualify there, so if you also factor in the season's final game against Calgary, the Jets will have an 18-game span in which they face just four non-playoff teams.

In this area, the Stars appear to have the best odds. Of their remaining 24 games, 15 are against current non-playoff teams.

"It's the old cliché of taking it one game at a time," Jets captain Andrew Ladd said Wednesday.

"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. We've got to get back to playing the way we were before the break and I think we can even get to another level, which is an exciting prospect for this group."

That pre-break competence was 9-3-1 in 13 games. It rocketed the sagging Jets back in touch with the Western pack.

Winnipeg gained 13 points on Vancouver, 10 on the Kings, six on Phoenix, four on Nashville, but just three on Minnesota and two on Dallas in that time.

"I know we have Phoenix and then I know we have Nashville," Ladd said of the schedule ahead. "That's all I know. It doesn't really matter at the end of the day. You're trying to win as many games as possible. That approach is a lot better, taking it one game at a time, than trying to figure out calculations in your head and how many games you have to win, how many games you can lose... that just gets you nowhere."

If the Jets are wondering about any good news in the stiff test ahead, they could be buoyed by what's right in front of them -- nine of the next 12 are at the MTS Centre.

"I don't think it really matters at this point, we're going to have to be playing good at home and on the road to give ourselves a chance," said centre Bryan Little. "I didn't even know that we were playing nine of the next whatever at home. We've just got to be good every night to give ourselves a chance."

Jets coach Paul Maurice, though, likes having the enthusiasm of home ice in the next few weeks.

"This is a great place to play," Maurice said. "We'd prefer to play 82 of them at home.

"The guys, they've had enough time off away from each other. So they don't mind spending time here at home together.

"I think in this block, a little less travel and put all your energy in the game, conserve your energy, this is going to be a really intense, physically exhausting time for every team. The fact we can get a couple of weeks in before we have to go back out on the road, let's take it as a positive."



What's next in Jetsville?

By: Ed Tait


They last broke a sweat in a game some 19 days ago in St. Louis, just shortly before four of their own began their chase for Olympic glory and others disappeared to warmer climes.

So just to rewind, when we last saw the Winnipeg Jets in action they were playing their best hockey of the season, obviously energized by a coaching change and with confidence levels soaring.

But almost three weeks between games can be an eternity in pro sports and, especially, in hockey where winter routines have been carved in stone for ages. And as much as the Olympic break seemed to arrive at the perfect time for a squad that had been through an emotional and physical grinder since the firing of Claude Noel on Jan. 12, the evidence what kind of impact it will have had -- positively or negatively -- won't be known until the puck drops Thursday night against the Phoenix Coyotes.

"Once we get out there and shake the rust off early I think we'll be right back into it," said centre Bryan Little. "We left pretty excited about how things were going and how we were turning things around. You come in here and you can still feel that excitement. Everyone's ready to play and get going in again."

Now seems as a good a time as any, then, for a bit of a reboot for Jets' faithful. What we present here is a bit of a hodgepodge -- part refresher, part look ahead courtesy some unanswered questions and notable numbers:

1. Is there more Mo magic?

Andrew Ladd spoke Wednesday of this team, as good as it has been recently, still having more to give. Can Maurice squeeze even more out of a squad that seemed dead and buried in mid-January and guide it into the post-season for the first time since 2006-07?

2. Who tends the net?

Ondrej Pavelec's name was once written in ink at the goaltender spot on the Jets' depth chart. And while he's been solid since Maurice took over, Al Montoya's numbers have been just that much better. So who carries the load here during arguably the most-important stretch of hockey this franchise will play since it was relocated to River City -- the goalie with the long-term deal in Pavelec or Montoya, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 41/2 months?

3. Is Kevin Cheveldayoff a buyer, seller or a GM who sits on his hands at the trade deadline?

Try as he may, the Jets' GM has done very little tinkering in two previous trade deadlines -- dealing Johnny Oduya for a pair of picks in 2012 and then scooping up Mike Santorelli off waivers last year. But with three games left before next week's deadline, he finds himself at a spot where two goals are seemingly colliding: the organization's desperation to make the playoffs vs. the core draft-and-develop blueprint.

The next six days aren't really going to make the playoff picture any clearer so Cheveldayoff must weigh, as a possible what-if, moving out a piece like Olli Jokinen for a draft pick against his importance in this spring's playoff push.

4. Do freshmen phenoms Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba have another gear?

The two Jets rookies have been marvellous of late -- Scheifele centring the Jets' 1A line; Trouba leading all NHL rookies in ice time at 21:52. But their contributions are well beyond being considered just a bonus now and will be key cogs in a push for a playoff spot. Bright futures? Sure. But their work has been damn good in the right here and now, too.

5. Can Evander Kane be a difference-maker?

Winnipeg's most-gifted finisher has been out with injuries on four different occasions this year, the trips costing him 18 games in sick bay. And yet he still leads the club with four game-winning goals. If his touch returns quickly,

the Jets -- a team which has played in 34 one-goal games this season, including nine of their last 11 -- become that much tougher down the stretch.

6. Can the Jets put 'power' back in the power play?

They spent a good chunk of Wednesday's practice working two different power-play units simultaneously and with good reason: the Jets remain in the bottom third in the NHL with the man advantage, ranked just 24th. In the shootout loss to St. Louis just before the Oly break the Jets ended a six-game power-play drought.

7. Where do Slater and Halischuk fit?

Hey, we get that Maurice doesn't want to bust up a lineup that has been on a 9-3-1 run since he stepped behind the bench. But the two vets, now healthy and practising Wednesday with Eric Tangradi on what could be called the fifth line, offer so much as role players: Slater as a face-off specialist; Halischuk as a responsible forward who can play both wings.

8. Is Olli re-energized?

None of the four Jets who headed to the Olympics seemed to get more out of the tournament than Jokinen, the bronze medallist. He had two goals and four points in six games in Russia while playing big minutes for Finland. Question now is, did he bring some of that back to Winnipeg? Worth noting: Jokinen had one assist in 11 games prior to the Olympic break.

9. Is this Blake at his best?

He's big and he's quick and when Blake Wheeler uses those two key skills together, he is absolutely deadly. The Jets' right winter had six goals and nine assists in his last 13 games before heading over to the Olympics. He didn't play a ton for the Americans, but will be pivotal for his regular squad.

10. Does Devin Setoguchi have a future in Winnipeg beyond next Wednesday?

Maurice has pushed his buttons a couple of times and, as a result, Jets' fans have seen some of Setoguchi's best hockey under the new boss. Still, the man the Jets traded a second-round pick for last summer -- a player who has had three seasons of 20 goals or more -- still has a tendency to disappear for stretches. He's an unrestricted free agent and the Jets are his third NHL team since 2010-11. Both those facts are worth munching on as the trade deadline approaches.



Wheeler back from Olympics, hits ice at Jets practice

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 1:09 PM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 6:50 PM | Updates

WINNIPEG — Blake Wheeler brought some disappointment back from Sochi after the U.S. men’s hockey team failed to win a medal but he certainly wasn’t letting it ruin his first day back with the Winnipeg Jets.

Wheeler and Olli Jokinen were the last of the four Jets to return from the Olympic Winter Games — both got in Monday — and the 27-year-old Minnesotan was on the ice at the MTS Centre this morning with his NHL teammates while Jokinen opted for the day off.

"It was awesome," Wheeler said of his Olympic experience. "We were well taken care of, the village, the Olympic park, the venues, everything was first-class. I think it was a great experience for everyone, a treat to be a part of."

Falling flat in the medal round with losses of 1-0 Canada and 5-0 to Finland was not what he had in mind.

"It’s kind of tough now with all the travel and the chaos but one day soon I’ll be able to look back and think it was pretty cool to participate in the Olympics," Wheeler said. "It’s disappointing. The last two days there were really disappointing. That Canada game was obviously really tough. I think you lost a 1-0 game, to a team that a lot of us put on a pedestal, to get back at them for 2010, then to come up short, 1-0, it just kind of sucks the wind out of you a little.

"It’s too bad we came back empty-handed. Fourth place is probably the worst place to finish in a tournament like that."

A new day, however, with the Jets just two points off the playoff line in the Western Conference, is what Wheeler’s concentrating on.

"I was really excited to get back on the ice with these guys today," he said. "I’m really excited about the direction we’re going and the way we left things here and I can’t wait for Thursday."

The Jets begin the final 22-game portion of their schedule with a Thursday night home game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

For that game, head coach Paul Maurice said today that he has a lineup full of healthy players, with the exception of defenceman Grant Clitsome, who’s done for the year after back surgery.

That means that forwards Evander Kane, Jim Slater and Matt Halischuk are are cleared to play and ready to go.

Maurice said, however, that only Kane is a certain addition to Thursday’s lineup. The coach said he prefers to go with the players who had the team humming along before the break and that Slater and Halischuk will be options if changes are going to be made.

When the day or game comes that both players will be officially activated, it will mean — barring any other injuries or transactions — that the team will need to subtract one player from the roster to stay within the league’s 23-player maximum.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 02.27.2014


Eager Jets dismiss notion of Oly hangover

By: Ed Tait

Posted: 02/25/2014 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 8:23 AM | Updates

The Jets are hoping to get right back in the air, such as here, where Blake Wheeler (26) and Devin Setoguchi celebrate the winner over Vancouver Jan. 31.

It always works like this after any decent bash: the messy clean-up reluctantly begins and, for many, the nursing of some hellacious hangovers becomes a minute-by-minute struggle.

Yes, Sochi threw a heckuva hockey party during the Winter Olympics, even if Canada's domination of the Tre Kronor in the gold-medal finale wasn't what any of the Russian populace had crossed their fingers and prayed for when the tournament opened.

As captain Sidney Crosby puts an exclamation mark on Canada's dominance over Sweden Sunday, NHL teams look toward another Holy Grail -- the Stanley Cup.

Five players who where helped by their Sochi experience:

Carey Price, Canada: Simply dominant in backstopping our country to its second consecutive gold medal. Montreal Canadiens fans, as always, will now expect the same in April, May and June. And then in October, November...

Teemu Selanne, Finland: A spectacular finish to a spectacular international career.

Drew Doughty, Canada: The tournament's best player, it says here, from the opening puck drop to the final seconds of the gold-medal game.

(Tie) Michael Granlund, Finland, Jonathan Toews, Canada: Toews was solid in cementing his place among the game's elite while Granlund, who had three goals and four assists, was outstanding for a Finnish squad missing Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula.

Kristers Gudlevskis, Latvia: The 21-year-old Tampa draft pick began the year tending net for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, was promoted to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL and then kicked out 55 saves in a 2-1 loss to Canada in the Olympic quarterfinal.

Five players who would just as soon forget their Sochi experience:

Alex Ovechkin, Russia: He was the face of the Games and the man, along with Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and a host of other Russian stars, who was to help lead the home country back to hockey respectability. Instead? Nada. Nyet.

Thomas Vanek, Austria: Spotted, along with teammates Michael Raffl and Michael Grabner, partying late into the night of their qualification game against Slovenia. They lost hours later 4-0 and that might make it a nightmare for Islanders' GM Garth Snow to move him before the trade deadline.

Nicklas Backstrom, Sweden: Missed the gold-medal game after failing a drug test because of a high level of his allergy medication. Even the IIHF's chief medical officer called Backstrom 'an innocent victim of circumstances.'

John Tavares, Canada: His season ended with a knee injury in the win over Latvia. The silver, err, gold lining? That big, fat winner's medal around his neck when the tourney ended.

Team USA: It was gold or bust after the OT loss to Canada in the final game in Vancouver in 2010. So fourth place won't sit well with anyone in the red, white and blue.

Hangover or not?

A look at the number of Olympic players on each NHL team:

10: Chicago Blackhawks; Detroit Red Wings

9: St. Louis Blues

7: Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks

6: Los Angeles Kings

5: Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals

4: Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks

3: Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs

2: Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators

Carey Price (TRIBUNE MEDIA MCT)

But as National Hockey League players continued to return to North America -- some of them with their chins on their chest in a post-Olympic walk-of-shame -- a quadrennial question is once again being asked:

Is there really such a thing as an Olympic hangover, as many have insisted since the NHL started participating in 1998?

And if there is, what impact might the lingering after-effects have on the sprint to the playoffs and beyond?

We start with how this might impact the club in our own backyard, the Winnipeg Jets, who had four players represented in Russia -- Czechs Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Frolik, Blake Wheeler of the United States and bronze medallist Olli Jokinen of Finland.

'I don't remember anything changing when the guys came back to Chicago in 2010 or when I was in Carolina in 2006'

-- Jets captain Andrew Ladd, left, looking forward to celebrating more goals with Finnish bronze medallist and teammate Olli Jokinen

Both Pavelec and Frolik returned to Winnipeg late last week and were on the ice on Saturday. Wheeler and Jokinen -- who played against each other in the bronze medal game -- are anticipated to be back with the Jets on Tuesday.

Unless there is a trade before next week's deadline that quartet, which features one player from each of the top three lines and Pavelec, figures to play a critical role in the Jets' 22-game push to a playoff spot.

The unknown at this point: did the Olympics steal any precious late-season fuel from their tanks?

"I don't remember anything changing when the guys came back to Chicago in 2010 or when I was in Carolina in 2006," said Jets' captain Andrew Ladd, a former Blackhawk and Hurricane, when quizzed whether an Oly-hangover affected those squads.

"Those guys that went over there (to the Olympics) were playing hockey or practising every day so they're in game shape. A lot of them are riding high from playing in the Olympics and those up-tempo games. I think that translates well for the guys coming back.

"And for our guys coming back they're coming back to the challenge of getting this team into the playoffs. That's something that will keep them going."

Just FYI, Chicago won the 2010 Stanley Cup, but it's worth noting that club -- featuring six Olympians -- went 6-7-2 right after the Vancouver Games before rolling to a 5-0-1 record in April and losing just six games in the playoffs.

"It went pretty good that year," Swedish Olympian Niklas Hjalmarsson told the Chicago Sun-Times last month. "Hopefully, we could do something like that again."

And in 2006, when Ladd was a member of the Hurricanes, Carolina sent three players to Turin and -- like the Hawks -- was hardly affected at all as they won the Stanley Cup that June.

But it's here where the Olympic-hangover theory might need some further examining. That's because for as much as the Hawks and Canes -- and the Olympian-heavy Detroit Red Wings of 1998 and 2002, also champions -- are evidence the mid-season quest for medals can be healthy, there are others who believe participation might have hurt their team's Stanley Cup runs.

The 2006 Wings, for example, sent 10 players to Turin -- four of them on the Swedish gold-medal squad -- and then, looking completely spent by the

spring, flamed out in a first-round playoff loss to the eighth-seeded Edmonton Oilers.

That same winter the New York Rangers had nine players wearing their countries' colours at the Olympics and entered on a 10-1-1 roll but, once the Turin Games were completed, returned to go 0-4-2 before finishing the regular season on a five-game winless streak and were then swept in the first round by New Jersey.

This year's Rangers must also feel cursed, as they lost leading scorer Mats Zuccarello to injury for approximately a month, part of an Olympic hurt list that includes John Tavares of the Islanders, Aleksander Barkov of Florida, Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg and Fedor Tyutin of Columbus. Tavares is the worst of that bunch as he is now gone for the season with a mangled knee.

All of which brings us back to the Jets of 2013-14 and the possibility of an Oly hangover...

Frolik and Pavelec, as previously noted, will have been back on the ground here in Winnipeg for almost a week by the time the Jets meet the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday. Neither would speak negatively about the soap opera that was the Czech national team, but may find solace with the news of the resignation of head coach Alois Hadamczik, who stepped aside Monday.

Wheeler appeared in six games for the Americans in Sochi, but was on the ice for a grand total of 29 minutes and 26 seconds. And Jokinen, while centering the Finnish top line, seemed to rediscover his scoring touch with four points (2G, 2A) in six games.

Will they -- check that, CAN they -- still be key cogs in the gruelling grind that will be a race to possibly the Jets' first playoff spot in their rebirth?

We're all about to find out, beginning Thursday against the Coyotes.

"What I remember about 2010," said Dustin Byfuglien, a member of the champion Blackhawks four years ago, "is the key was the guys that didn't go to the Olympics had to stay focused. And the guys that went, they had to keep focused while also getting a rest when they got back. They needed their days off and to get their bodies healed up. We just had to be smart about that.

"I think we'll be just fine."


730303 Vancouver Canucks

Ryan Kesler's home, but his availability is still up in the air

By Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun columnist February 25, 2014 7:58 PM

VANCOUVER - In order, the Vancouver Canucks' four centres for Tuesday's practice were Jordan Schroeder, Zac Dalpe, Brad Richardson and Kellan Lain.

Richardson is a gritty, veteran checker whose 449 games in the National Hockey League are more than triple the combined experience of the other three. Richardson's eight goals this season in 58 games are also more than Schroeder, Dalpe and Lain have amassed between them.

And while there is a good chance that top centre Henrik Sedin will play Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues after flying home to Sweden for a family emergency, there is an equally good chance that No. 2 centre Ryan Kesler will not.

Without either Sedin or Kesler – playmaking forward Mike Santorelli is already lost for the year due to a shoulder injury – the Canucks haven't much chance of salvaging their season despite the return to health of other players and a 2½-week break that gave the team a chance to scrub from its memory the disheartening, seven-game losing streak that preceded the Olympics.

This assumes the Canucks, despite speculative reports, aren't planning to trade Kesler.

A trade involving Kesler, widely coveted for his two-way game the way Canuck Trevor Linden was a generation ago, would cause a seismic shift in an organization whose core group of players has gone largely unchanged for years even as the team slips a little farther each season from its Stanley Cup final peak of 2011.

If the Canucks are considering leveraging their U.S. Olympian and former Selke Trophy winner, the hand injury suffered by Kesler in Sochi immensely complicates matters.

Kesler is among 10 Canuck players who bargained no-trade clauses into their contracts in exchange for less-than-market-value salaries. And while general manager Mike Gillis said three weeks ago that he remains philosophically opposed to asking players to waive their NTCs, he said sometimes players change their mind about where they wish to play.

Gillis gave no indication that any of Vancouver's core players had asked for a move, and chatter around around the league about Kesler and defenceman Alex Edler being in play ahead of next Wednesday's NHL trading deadline may be the result simply of other teams circling the floundering Canucks like sharks.

Trade or not, it's possible Kesler won't be available. The 29-year-old, caught by cameras arriving for Team USA's bronze-medal game last weekend with his hand heavily taped, was to undergo a CT-scan and MRI on Tuesday. If his hand is broken, Kesler could be out for weeks.

Canuck defenceman Chris Tanev broke his thumb on Jan. 27 and still isn't practising with the team, which opens its 22-game stretch drive tonight.

“You don't think about that, don't jump to conclusions,” defenceman Kevin Bieksa, ready to play after fracturing his foot on Jan. 29, said Tuesday when asked about Kesler. “Anybody can get hurt on any given play. You just go out and you play and the group that you have, it's up to us to get wins. We feel like we can play a lot better than we have. We're a deeper team than we've shown and have to absorb these injuries a little bit better.”

But injuries matter. Every player, coach and manager has been conditioned to vow that injuries are no excuse for losing. But other than a lack of talent, a lack of health is often the biggest reason teams fail. It last happened to the Canucks in 2008 when their defence was decimated by injuries, causing chain-reaction consequences that led to the team missing the playoffs and general manager Dave Nonis losing his job.

The Vancouver blueline was similarly depleted as the calendar turned this month. The crisis may have reached its nadir in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Feb. 4 when the Canucks played without five NHL defencemen.

But it is Henrik Sedin's absence, in the wake of a rib injury suffered Jan. 16, that has been most keenly felt.

“I need to be a realist: We were ravaged with injuries,” Canuck coach John Tortorella said. “It has eroded us. We have to be honest about that. I'm not using it as an excuse (but) it has eroded us, it has changed our demeanor. . . as a club.

“No matter what happens, we have to find a way to get back to an aggressive style, a style with some strut, and not be afraid to make a mistake. The momentum changes, that's a huge thing we have to correct. We can't be afraid of a bad thing happening in our game and turning it into five or six (bad things). That's a mindset.”

Sedin withdrew from the Olympics and was finally practising with the Canucks when he took his personal leave on the weekend. Despite struggling to score, Kesler was one of the best American forwards in Sochi.

“Henrik is due in in the morning,” Tortorella said. “I don't think he'll be here for the skate. We'll see how it goes as far as travel and we'll see where we go from there.”

Here comes Sedin, there goes Kesler?

“Yeah, I know it's been like that a lot this year,” Canuck winger Alex Burrows, who has endured foot, jaw and hand injuries this season, said. “I'm sure he'll be fine. Hopefully.”

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Canucks' Alex Burrows back with new perspective

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun February 25, 2014 5:48 PM

VANCOUVER — If he needed perspective, Alex Burrows got it Monday when he and the rest of the Vancouver Canucks made a visit to B.C. Children’s Hospital.

Burrows has been there countless times before and each visit has a profound effect on him and his teammates, who leave feeling blessed to be playing in the National Hockey League.

In the past, many of Burrows’ visits have come in the midst of 25- or even 35-goal seasons. This time, Burrows was feeling a little bit down, having endured a frustrating injury-filled season that has yet to yield a single goal.

But spending time with children and their families who are facing much more meaningful struggles helped Burrows put his season in perspective.

“Those are people that are really going through a struggle,” Burrows said Tuesday. “It’s one thing not scoring goals in the NHL, but when you see what some of those kids and what some of those families are going through you see that you have a lucky star above you and it makes you want to come back to work and dig even deeper to get out of your personal struggles.”

Burrows hopes to begin that journey Wednesday night when the Canucks resume their schedule with a game against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena.

Burrows, who injured his left thumb in a Feb. 8 fight with Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs, returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since the Olympic break and hopes to play Wednesday night.

“It is much more fun to skate with the boys than skate on your own,” he said. “It was fun to get back out there, a step in the right direction.”

Another step in the right direction would be a goal or two from Burrows. The Canucks desperately need some production from Burrows in their remaining 22 games and coach John Tortorella indicated that he will be reunited with Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

“You talk about a guy that cares,” Tortorella said of Burrows. “He is one of the guys. I have never seen anyone care as much. It has been a very frustrating year for him with all the injuries. . .I think if he plays he’ll play with the Sedins. We are going to try and get them working together again.”

Tortorella thinks the mental break Burrows got during the Olympics will help him snap out of his slump.

“I think this is the beginning of the season,” Tortorella said. “I think that is how he should look at it and take off from there because we need him.. He is a goal-scorer, a 20- or 30-goal scorer. It has just been one of those years that has just mounted up on him.”

While Burrows does not have any goals this season, he does have an injury hat trick. He suffered a broken foot in the regular-season opener on Oct. 3 in San Jose and then fractured his jaw Dec. 1 in Carolina. He has played in only 28 of Vancouver’s 60 games to date.

“What’s in the past is in the past, it only makes you stronger,” Burrows said. “That is how I look at it. I am ready to go for the last stretch of the season.”

Burrows’ goal drought is hard to explain, although the injuries certainly have not helped. It’s not like he hasn’t been shooting the puck. Burrows has 68 shots in the 28 games he has played this season. He literally hasn’t been able to buy a goal.

“It’s not a fun feeling but you look at it like you have to keep working hard,” he said. “There’s good things around the corner. That’s how I like to see it. Don’t dwell on it, don’t feel sorry for me, I don’t feel sorry for myself. I just have to keep working hard, put in some extra effort and that is what I have been doing lately.”

For Burrows and other members of the Canucks’ core group, the stretch run to this season will have a decidedly different feel to it. There is no coasting to the finish line this season. The Canucks start the final quarter of the season in 10th place, one point behind the eighth-place Dallas Stars, who have two games in hand on Vancouver.

“For sure, it is much different than the last four or five years where we have kind of coasted the last 20 games,” Burrows said. “So it will be playoff hockey, we should be gearing up like every game really means something and we need the points in every game. It should be exciting and if we get it done we will feel good about ourselves heading into the playoffs.”

Burrows will play with a splint on his left thumb. He’s not exactly sure how he injured it in his scuffle with Kessel.

“I can’t really say when it happened. I really didn’t notice it until the next morning when I woke up and saw it was all messed up.”

It may take as many as 95 points to earn a playoff spot in the West. If that’s the case, the Canucks would need to go 14-4-4 in their final 22 games.

“I was looking at it more as 16-6,” Burrows said with a smile. “I think it’s doable. It will be tough, it won’t be easy that’s for sure, but we have guys coming back from injuries, we have guys coming back with extra motivation after the Olympics. It should be an exciting last quarter of the year.”

Even more exciting if Alex Burrows can start scoring some goals.



Canucks' Roberto Luongo, Dan Hamhuis bring winning feeling home

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun February 25, 2014 4:44 PM

VANCOUVER — Roberto Luongo has demonstrated time and again, often through his twitter account, that his sense of humour is among the best in the Vancouver Canuck dressing room, if not the entire National Hockey League.

So should we expect nothing less from the man on his return from the Sochi Olympics? We should not.

“I feel good, I haven't given up a goal in two and a half weeks,” Luongo quipped Tuesday after re-joining the Canucks at practice.

Luongo, of course, backed up Carey Price for five of Team Canada's six games in Sochi, including the 3-0 gold-medal triumph over Sweden. He appeared in just one game himself, a 6-0 rout of Austria in which he stopped all 23 shots he faced. The last goal he has allowed in any game was Feb. 8 in Toronto.

That result was a 3-1 loss and it extended the Canucks' losing streak to seven. In Sochi, Luongo was on the winning side for six straight.

“It doesn't matter how tough you are mentally, losing wears on you,” Luongo said. “It's not easy when you're not winning. I feel energized right now.”

Barring an 11th-hour change in plans, Luongo will back up Eddie Lack when the Canucks meet the St. Louis Blues in their first post-Olympic match Wednesday night at Rogers Arena. It will give him another two days to adjust to the 12-hour time change from Sochi. It will also give him time to come down from the high of a second Olympic gold medal, even though he wasn't the starter this time.

He said he did not know Team Canada's goaltending strategy until he was told, prior to the third game, that Price would be starting against the Finns.

“I obviously knew then what the plan was,” Luongo explained. “It's not about personal agendas going over there, it's about representing your country. Guys had different roles. At the end of the day, it's about representing your country and trying to win a gold.

“The team's performance was amazing. It was unlike anything I've ever seen the way we competed, battled for pucks, the urgency. And I'm not even talking about the offensive side. As soon as the other team had the puck, we had two guys on them. We just suffocated the other team. They couldn't make plays. It was really amazing to watch, to be honest with you.”

As the gold-medal winning goalie four years ago in Vancouver, Luongo had plenty of advice he could have passed along to Price before Sunday's big game. He didn't need to, however.

“Carey is laid back,” Luongo said, smiling. “He didn't seem nervous at all so I just let him do his thing. I mean, he took a two-hour nap gameday no problem. I don't know how he does it. It was pretty amazing to see how he was able to be relaxed and not get bothered by moments like that.”

Like Luongo, Canuck blueliner Dan Hamhuis played only a supporting role for Team Canada. He was the seventh man in a six-man defensive rotation and did not see the ice at all in the 1-0 semi-final win over the U.S. In the gold-medal victory, he played just the final 1:04 of the third period. He was also a healthy scratch for the Austrian game.

“Obviously I would have loved to have been a part of the regular six and play more minutes but I took pride in being the seventh defenceman,” said Hamhuis, a first time Olympian. “I wanted to do the best job I could and contribute when I was on the ice. I wanted to be a great teammate on the bench and in the dressing room.

“It was really cool to be able to play the last 1:04 and finish the gold-medal game out. The coaches expressed to me that they really appreciated the role that I accepted. It was nice to kind of get that little reward there at the end.”

Hamhuis brought his gold medal to the rink Tuesday, and did so with a purpose.

“I wanted to certainly show all our Canadian guys,” he said. “Everyone was very proud of it and excited to see it.”



John Tortorella sorry for rooting against Team Canada: ‘Careless use of words’

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun February 25, 2014

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella apologized today for saying on the weekend that he hoped Sweden would beat Canada in Sunday’s Olympic men’s hockey final.

Tortorella had made the remarks following Saturday’s Canucks’ practice at Rogers Arena, noting that it seemed likely that Dan Hamhuis and Roberto Luongo were not going to play for Team Canada in the final.

“I hope Sweden wins because I don't think Hammer is going to play judging from what's happened and I don't think Louie is going to play,” Tortorella, an American, said on Saturday. “So I don't give a (bleep) right now because they're not playing. I just want them back here. I hope Danny (Sedin) scores two goals and (Alex) Edler gets three assists and Sweden wins so they come back feeling good about themselves because it's going to help us. That's all I'm concerned about right now.”

Today, Tortorella opened his post-practice session with the media by issuing an apology to those who were offended by his comments.

“If I have insulted anybody that certainly wasn’t my intention and I think all of you know that,” Tortorella said today. “But I did. It was a careless use of words and I should be more cognizant. I want to clear that up. It’s my privilege to be here and I think I did insult people. That’s the furthest thing from my mind. It’s a great country and … It was a careless use of words. That’s on me, I hope I can clear it up today.”

Tortorella reiterated that he feels privileged to coach in Canada.

“As I said when I was hired here, it is an absolute privilege to coach in Canada and I still feel that,” he said. “I love everything about it. I love the pressure, I love the scrutiny, all the second-guessing, all the stuff that comes with it. I couldn’t be happier.”

Tortorella said he sent a text to one of Team Canada’s coaches apologizing for his remarks.



Jet-lagged D-men lead red-hot Blues against Canucks

By Ben Kuzma, The Province February 25, 2014 7:32 PM

After a whirlwind 22 hours of travel — from Sochi, Russia, to Newark, N.J., to St. Louis and finally Vancouver — it wasn’t surprising that Alex Pietrangelo was having problems adjusting to time zones and an NHL ice surface Tuesday at Rogers Arena before facing the Canucks on Wednesday.

“It’s been a long couple of days and I went out there today and just tried to get my bearings down,” said the Blues defenceman, who paired with teammate Jay Bouwmeester to help Canada claim a second-consecutive Olympic gold medal Sunday. “I ran into the boards a couple of times because the zones are smaller, but I think we’re all OK. We’re just trying to catch up on some sleep.”

Team Canada couldn’t be caught because of its speed in transition and backchecking. A lot of that had to do with the skill level and Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, a stickler for preaching a 200-foot game, getting the complete buy-in as an assistant to Mike Babcock.

“Its pretty impressive what we did,” added Pietrangelo. “I’ve never played on a team that was so strong. We were able to frustrate teams. The team we have here (St. Louis) and the success we’ve had, we’ve invested a lot and our goal is to keep those emotions up. We’re pretty excited to be back.”

They should be. The Blues are three points out of the Western Conference lead with three games in hand and were on a 7-2-1 run heading into the Olympic break.They’re built to compete with big, physical teams. They’re also in the top four of offensive and defensive team categories, and the only thing that might drive them off the playoff road is if the goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott isn’t air tight in the post-season.

Pietrangelo is fourth among NHL defencemen in scoring with 41 points (6-35) and Kevin Shattenkirk is ninth with 36 points (8-28). Bouwmeester is 17th with 32 points (4-28). And because of great back-end depth, Pietrangelo is ninth in average ice time, while Bouwmeester in 22nd and Shattenkirk 88th. Up front, the Blues don’t have a player in top 30 league scoring, but they do have four in the top 50. Alex Steen has 28 goals, David Backes has 20, Jaden Schwartz 19 and Vladimir Tarasenko 18. Ryan Kesler is the only Canuck to hit the 20-goal plateau.

But the Blues believe they need to get better.

“In the competitive framework of a hockey game we need to find another gear,” said Hitchcock. “We can go 10 per cent further across the board — special teams and individual battles or in front of the net — and all the little critical things that add up to wins. Teams are going to find another gear because they see light at the end of the tunnel.

“I know having coached (Olympic) players from San Jose and Anaheim and Los Angeles, they all feel this is their year and their chance if they get better.”

The Blues should feel the same way. The Canucks were once fed a steady diet of Barret Jackman and Roman Polak as the prime shutdown pair. Now it’s Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester, who looked as comfortable in Sochi as they are in St. Louis.

“There was no feeling-out process,” said Pietrangelo. “You get out there and it feels so natural because you’ve played every shift in every game. Playing in the Olympics with the best of the best is going to make you a better player. Our goal now is to keep winning and I know everybody keeps saying that, but we believe in what we have here.”

Added Bouwmeester: “The nice thing about the Olympics was you could get some separation in the athletes’ village from the media and we knew if we put everything together, we’d have a chance. Any of those (Team Canada) teams I’ve been a part of, that’s probably the quickest we’ve come together.”

For Hitchcock, it’s always been about how you play in your end first and the other end last. In Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester, he has guys who are so good at both ends. They bought in to Team Canada and buy in on a nightly basis for the Blues.

“They’re dependable players and play heavy minutes for us and the second-unit power play, yet they play the most minutes on the club,” said Hitchcock. “That’s what’s impressive. They have learned to play together

instead of bouncing up the ice ahead of each other like they were at the start of the year.”

If anything, what Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester witnessed in Sochi could help the Blues down the stretch. Giving up just three tournament goals was the big story, but that came through an element that doesn’t get enough attention.

“It was how fast we played defensively,” said Hitchcock. “We spent no time in our zone, so the numbers looked great because we spent the whole darn game in the other team’s end.”

NOT SINGING THE BLUES

Here’s how the red-hot St. Louis Blues rate in NHL team statistics:

Goals for per game: (2nd) 3.32

Power play: (4th) 21.7 per cent

Goals against per game: (3rd) 2.32

Penalty killing: (4th) 85.1 per cent

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 02.27.2014


Torts says sorry for favouring Sweden over Canada in Olympic final

By MONTE STEWART, THE CANADIAN PRESS February 25, 2014

VANCOUVER — Sorry, Canada.

Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella has apologized for favouring Sweden over Canada in the men’s Olympic gold-medal hockey game.

“If I have insulted anybody, that certainly wasn’t my intention and I think all of you know that,” he said after practice Tuesday. “But it was a careless use of words and where I should be more cognizant. I want to clear that up.”

Tortorella said he wanted Sweden to win in order to help struggling Canucks defenceman Alex Edler and winger Daniel Sedin turn their seasons around. Edler and Sedin played for Sweden in the Games while goaltender Roberto Luongo and Dan Hamhuis were members of the gold-medal-winning Canada squad.

“My sole intent — and still is — was worrying about the Vancouver Canucks and the players (who were in the Olympics), how good they’re feeling,” said Tortorella.

The Canucks are mired in a seven-game losing streak that has left them in a battle for a playoff berth heading into the stretch drive of the season.

Canada beat the U.S. in the semifinal to qualify for the final against Sweden. Tortorella, a 55-year-old Boston native known for his outspoken ways that often rankle people, was an assistant with the American squad that lost the 2010 gold-medal game to Canada in Vancouver.

He joined the Canucks after being fired by the New York Rangers in the off-season, and former Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault replaced him in the Big Apple.

“As I said when I was hired here, it’s an absolute privilege to coach in Canada, and I still feel that,” said Tortorella. “I love everything about it. I love the pressure. I love the scrutiny, all the second-guessing (and) all that stuff that comes with it. I couldn’t be happier and, to me, more complete as far as what I want to do as a coach and to coach in this country.”

Tortorella said he sent a text message of apology to one Team Canada coach and it was passed on to all of the others after Canada blanked the Swedes 3-0 on Sunday. He also praised Hockey Canada for the work that it does.



Canucks shut out Blues to end seven-game skid

By Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun columnist

February 26, 2014

VANCOUVER - It's only Thursday, but already this has been one wacky week for the Vancouver Canucks. And after Wednesday, things will probably get wackier still – at least until the National Hockey League trading deadline next week.

One day after the Canucks' American coach, John Tortorella, issued an unsolicited, two-minute apology for saying four days earlier he hoped Sweden would beat Canada at the Olympics – it's not like he insulted Canadian health care or Canadian beer – an anonymously-sourced story out of Quebec said Canuck star Ryan Kesler had demanded out of Vancouver and was awaiting a trade.

Already out of the Canuck lineup due to a hand injury suffered in Sochi, Kesler wasn't around to refute the story. And general manager Mike Gillis didn't, saying he wasn't going to talk publicly about players' private issues because if he did the team would go out of business.

And as if all this weren't strange enough, the Canucks went out and beat the St. Louis Blues 1-0 Wednesday night for their first win since Jan. 26. Jannik Hansen's wrist shot on a partial breakaway at 11:13 of the third period ended the Canucks' seven-game losing streak, the team's longest since 1998.

It was the first third-period goal by a Canuck forward since Mike Santorelli scored the winning goal against the Blues on Jan. 10. Out for the season with a shoulder injury, Santorelli hasn't played in six weeks.

“You don't have to look too hard at the standings to know we need to win games and we need to win them fast,” Hansen said. “A game like this goes a long way. If we can play a full 60 minutes – something we've been preaching for a while – we have a good chance to win games.

“Obviously, you need to score some goals in order to win games, but we were very sound defensively.”

Tortorella said: “I thought everybody contributed and played a good game. I felt we didn't give them much (in the third period). We scored a big goal, I thought we were trying to make plays right on through it. Like I said, take small steps here to try and regain our confidence and play in those situations. Tonight helped us."

The Canucks had first-line centre Henrik Sedin back in their lineup for the first time since Feb. 4, but it's the absence of Kesler that will dominate discussions about the Canucks ahead of Friday's visit by the Minnesota Wild, Sunday's stadium game against the Ottawa Senators and next Wednesday's trading deadline.

The Canucks win against the Blues was impressive because, well, any win for them is impressive right now, and Vancouver actually seized and held a third-period lead.

But with five goals in their last five games, it's natural to wonder how many more games they can win without Kesler. Or, more compellingly, without the assets Kesler might fetch in a trade.

Most teams would love to have Kesler, whose play at the last two Olympics and his Selke Trophy season in 2011 have made the American a huge star.

Regardless of whether he has demanded a trade after a decade in the Canuck organization – rumours swirled in Sochi that he wanted out – Gillis is listening to offers from other teams on Kesler and others. The GM isn't hanging up the phone like he would have not long ago.

He can't afford to – not with the Canucks possessing five wins in 21 games since Dec. 29 and in danger of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2008. Wednesday's win nudged them into eighth place.

Good goaltending and a solid defence isn't going to carry the Canucks very far without an infusion of offence and some freshening of the team's core group.

It looks like Eddie Lack might one day be part of that core.

The rookie goalie is one the few good-news stories on the Canucks this season.

Yet he had lost his previous five starts before Wednesday despite allowing only one goal in three of them. Against the Blues, it looked again like he might need to “win” 0-0.

After the Canucks outplayed the Blues, whose nine Olympians included seven who played on the weekend in Russia, in the first half of the game but failed to score, Lack kept the game scoreless until the third period by stopping Chris Stewart and Derek Roy on 2-on-1s.

"Outstanding,” Tortorella said of his goalie. “Big saves at key times. I think he settles the team down, just the way he plays. There is not a lot of extra motion. He ate pucks tonight. There wasn't a lot of rebounds. He played very well.”

THE SKINNY

If the Canucks do make the playoffs, they probably wouldn’t mind meeting the St. Louis Blues in the first round. The Canucks completed a three-game season series sweep of the Blues Wednesday with a 1-0 win at Rogers Arena. Eddie Lack turned aside 20 shots to earn his third shutout of the season and Jannik Hansen scored the game’s only goal at 11:13 of the third period on a breakaway. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Canucks and moved them into eighth place in the Western Conference.

BY THE NUMBERS

Lack has been in the net for all three wins over the Blues this season. . .Hansen’s goal was his 10th of the season. . .Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin, who left the team for personal reasons on the weekend and returned to Sweden, got back to Vancouver Wednesday morning and saw 19:34 of ice time against the Blues. . .Defenceman Yannick Weber was a healthy scratch for the Canucks. . .The Blues, who heading into the game had scored 50 more goals than Vancouver this season, have managed just three in their three games versus the Canucks this season.

HEAVY MEDAL

A tribute to the Canuck and Blues Olympians was held just before the opening faceoff. . .Vancouver defenceman Dan Hamhuis said all three of his children have taken turns trying on his gold medal. “They’ve all worn it,” Hamhuis said. “Everyone who holds it or wears it seems to be surprised how heavy it is.” Hamhuis also joked that his wife Sarah, who accompanied him to Sochi, complained she is suffering from “Olympics withdrawal.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The Canucks’ homestand continues Friday night when the Minnesota Wild visit Rogers Arena. The Canucks then move across the street to B.C. Place for Sunday afternoon’s Heritage Classic game against the Ottawa Senators. Both the Senators and Canucks are scheduled to practise Saturday at B.C. Place before Sunday’s game. Tickets are still available for that game.



Gallagher: A Kesler trade might just be the start for the Canucks

By Tony Gallagher, The Province February 27, 2014 1:06 AM

Gallagher: A Kesler trade might just be the start for the Canucks

It looks like the Canucks’ Kesler could be on the move.

When the Vancouver Canucks trade Ryan Kesler either within the week or at the summer draft, it’s almost certainly going to have to be the first of at least two major deals — if there is to be a successful remake of this club.

The team wasn’t denying reports Wednesday night that Kesler has asked to be traded, and given all the things that have happened to him in this city over the years, it can’t come as much of a surprise that he has requested a change of scenery.

Some would argue that given he’s been their best player other than perhaps Roberto Luongo this season, there’s no way the Canucks can win a Kesler trade. But there’s quite another way of looking at things. Perhaps his body has been through so much, playing as much and as hard as he’s played in this town his whole career that there is no way to lose on making such a move unless Samuel Pahlsson is involved. Whatever camp you most subscribe to, there has to be another shoe drop if it’s going to work.

There’s no way this team can trade Kesler and not get another quality centre back, whether it’s in the deal for the Livonia, Mich., star or whether it comes in the drop of a second large shoe before this team plays its first game next season.

After all, which team is going to improve itself by trading for Kesler if that same team gives back another centre in return? Who’s interested in doing that unless they’re going to give Vancouver a much-lesser player and a couple of draft picks, which isn’t likely to interest Vancouver.

And if Vancouver makes the determination they have to get a quality centre back in a Kesler deal, they narrow the field to absurd levels, something general manager Mike Gillis isn’t going to do when he says: “We’re going to look at everything.”

Everything has to include a second major deal.

This year has been such a shocker, such a mess for this team, not making some moves at this point would be both bad management and bad business, given the way interest in this town is beginning to sag.

And if the right moves are made — with another major player on the move as well as Kesler — this team could find itself in much better shape in the very near future with the likes of Bo Horvat, Nicklas Jensen and Hunter Shinkaruk coming, with the goaltending and mix of youth and veterans they still have on the back end.

Look at what happened when the Anaheim Ducks moved Chris Pronger four years back when it looked like they were headed for a long, Calgary Flames-like snooze after their Stanley Cup of 2007. It was a trade many thought they couldn’t win. That was then and look where they are now — that happens to be atop the Western Conference with obscene depth in goal, youth at every position, but particularly on the back end and two picks in both the first and second rounds of the draft this June.

If things are done properly — and that’s the key — with the disposition of a couple of the key pieces starting with Kesler, this team’s image could be remade rather quickly.

To say Kesler has been a solid citizen here as a player is a massive understatement. Even though for the past four years he’s broken down somewhere along the trail toward the end of the season, it’s because he’s played in such a totally invested fashion. And while he broke down in that run to the Cup final getting hurt against San Jose and not being of much use in the final against Boston, he almost won the Nashville series by himself.

There are many factors adding up to the request for this change of scenery and many of them are outlined in this publication. But with the depth they have at the back, you can be pretty sure Kesler won’t be the only big name headed out if what appears to be a pending remake of this team is going to be successful.



Canucks 1 Blues 0: Kesler trade talk overshadows Canucks win

By Ben Kuzma, The Province February 27, 2014 1:07 AM

Canucks 1 Blues 0: Kesler trade talk overshadows Canucks win

Vancouver Canucks #36 Jannik Hansen celebrates his goal on the St Louis Blues in the third period of a regular season NHL hockey game at Rogers Arena, Vancouver February 26 2014.

This much we know for sure.

Ryan Kesler's left hand is a mess. And the Vancouver Canucks will be in a world of hurt in their long climb to a playoff position if the centre is sidelined with a fracture from his Sochi shot-blocking sacrifice — or if Kesler is dealt before or at the March 5 deadline. Either way, it will be hard to manage the pain.

Did somebody say trade?

A pre-game report that Kesler has asked to be dealt brought a swift "it's a bunch of BS" denial from his agent, an "I won't comment on it under any circumstances" response from general manager Mike Gillis and plenty of speculation. After all, the former Selke Trophy winner has a team high 20 goals and was leading all NHL forwards in average ice time (22:12), was third in blocked shots (59), fifth in shots (205) and sixth in road goals (15). Kesler is also a prime shutdown centre and special-teams performer. His absence in any projected scenario could have easily overshadowed a 1-0 victory as the Canucks held the Blues to three third-period shots, ended a seven-game losing streak and beat the Western Conference powerhouse for the third time this season.

The suspense ended when Tom Sesito lifted a backhand pass in the neutral zone and Jannik Hansen sped away from Roman Polak to beat Jaroslav Halak to the stick side at 11:13. It vaulted the Canucks from 10th to eighth in the conference and Eddie Lack to fan-favourite status with his third career shutout and third win over the Blues this campaign.

"A great play by Tommy," Hansen said of his 10th goal. "He saw that I was sprung and feathered a nice pass and it was a matter of getting it through the goalie. This was the 60-minute game that we've been talking about for a while now. We put out that kind of effort, we've got a good chance to win games."

On a night where there was plenty of post-Olympic break rust, there were also some encouraging signs and goaltending isn't going to be a problem down the stretch. Lack's 20-save performance was crisp and the team played better in front of its net than it has in a long time.

"I had some good D-men who did an excellent job and our forwards blocked a couple of big shots," said Lack. "It was a really good game overall for us. We've been talking for quite a while about being able to shut the door and I barely saw the puck in the third period. Rollie (goaltending coach Melanson) has been bugging me a for a few weeks that we need to win these 1-0 games and this was huge."

If that giddy-up that David Booth had in his stride stays — it created three first-period shots and a sequence where he released a heavy wrist shot from the slot and got his own rebound — there may be something on a third line with Zack Kassian and Brad Richardson. Then again, what continues to concern the Canucks is their 24th-ranked offence. They were reminded before the game that they needed to go 14-4-4 — or 16-6-0 according to an optimistic Alex Burrows — just to get to the projected 95-point playoff bar and squeeze into the postseason. And with the top line re-united with Henrik Sedin healed from bruised ribs, Burrows from a sprained hand and Daniel Sedin buoyed by his Olympic experience, one thing didn't change. Daniel hasn't scored in 20 games, Henrik in 18 and Burrows in all of his 29 outings. Burrows did slide a puck wide in the third period after hanging on to it too long on another chance. But they won.

"In my mind, they (Blues) are probably the most complete team in the league and we've played them well and did again tonight," said Henrik. "If they would have scored in the third and we're standing here talking about how good we played and lost another game — that would have been tough."

As much as the Canucks held the league's second-ranked offence and fourth-ranked power play in check, the lack of finish could kill the club before it finished up with five of six April games on home ice. That's because the second line now consists of Jordan Schroeder between Chris Higgins and Hansen. There's a lot of try in the trio and Higgins nearly opened scoring in the second period with a backhander from the slot. But you could count the decent scoring chances on one hand and that meant Lack had to be the difference. He stopped David Backes during a delayed penalty in the second period and then frustrated Chris Stewart. He got some help later in the period when Alex Edler sprawled to make a left-leg save on a Blues power play.

"We stayed within ourselves," said Canucks coach John Tortorella. "We stayed with our game. People wanted the puck. They didn't want to get rid of it. They wanted to make plays."



Canucks Hat Trick: Ticking Kesler trade-request bomb, how bad is that hand?, Backes has more bark

February 26, 2014. 11:52 pm • Section: The White Towel

Ben Kuzma

Three things to ponder after the Canucks climbed from 10th to eighth in the Western Conference with an encouraging 1-0 victory over the Blues on Wednesday at Rogers Arena:

1. KESLER TRADE SPECULATION: When a pre-game report suggested that Ryan Kesler has demanded to be dealt, Twitter blew up and so did those closest to the situation.

“It’s a bunch of BS.”

— Kesler’s agent Kurt Overhardt

“Nothing has changed. Some report came out of Sochi. I won’t comment on it under any circumstances and whether Ryan asked or didn’t ask (to be traded), I’m not discussing this. I don’t know who (reporter) Louis Jean is, I never met the guy. He could have called me and he didn’t.”

— Canucks general manager Mike Gillis on Twitter report by Jean.

“We’re looking to improve this team whether it means that or something different. We’ve got teams calling us about all kinds of different situations and circumstances.”

— Gillis on saying earlier in the week he was trying to find a winger for Kesler.

If the smoke that’s billowing from rampant speculation will spark a fire of desire for Kesler to demand to be traded, here are some circumstances to consider:

A. No ‘A’ isn’t OK: The story has been under the radar all season but not wearing an ‘A’ this season got to Kesler more than most realized. He’s always considered himself part of the leadership group.

B. Not winging it: John Tortorella has strong opinions and he thought Kesler was better served playing wing, rather than the middle earlier in the season, because he would get better looks. Not sure Kesler ever warmed up to that concept.

“It keeps him on the boards more and keeps him in the areas we want him playing in. It’s a big body. I want him underneath the hash marks and in the corners and retrieving pucks. The more he has it the better.”

—Tortorella’s rationale on the switch earlier this season.

C. Re-tool versus re-build: If it’s really next-year country for the Canucks at the trade deadline and they stand pat and hope to advance to the postseason, it’s another scenario Kesler wouldn’t welcome. He wants to win now, not in the future. He’ll be 30 this summer.

Most importantly, how would you replace Kesler? He’s a friendly cap hit at $5 million US in each of the next two seasons and any contender would gladly wait out his injury and have the centre ready for a postseason run. The Canucks can get younger in a swap, but cheaper? Nope. There are restricted free agents of note in Philadelphia centre Brayden Schenn, 22, who’s earning $3.1 million this season. The Flyers have long coveted Kesler and did try to lure him with an offer sheet. And there’s Pittsburgh centre Brandon Sutter, 25, who’s making $2.05 million this season. But he’ll have arbitration rights and both are in line for significant raises. Forget about Columbus centre Ryan Johansen, a budding 21-year-old star and an RFA making $1.945 million. Maybe a couple of years ago when the Blue Jackets needed a goalie. Not now.

“He’s that rare combination of skill and speed and that’s very difficult to play against. There are a lot of players who have size, but very few who have size, speed and skill like he does. That’s very rare. In baseball, they call it five tools. He has the tools to kill penalties, play on the power play and play on top lines. There are few who can do that.”

— Blues coach Ken Hitchcock on Kesler.

2. KESLER’S INJURY MYSTERY: His Olympic teammates wonder how Kesler continued to play after taking a heavy, one-timer Ilya Kovalchuk slapshot that injured his left hand Feb. 15. What the MRI (magnetic resonance image) was expected to reveal Tuesday was that the former Selke Trophy winner took one for his country and kept playing through what one insider called “excruciating pain” because of the IOC’s ban on particular pain relievers. Did he put the U.S. ahead of the Canucks? Or is something else bugging him? Listed as day-to-day with what could be a finger or hand fracture — his agent and the Canucks remain mysteriously mum of the subject — so we’ll let his Team USA teammates have a say on what they saw in Sochi.

T.J. Oshie: “He was great. He took a tough shot there — and I guess for us (Blues) that’s a good thing — but he was very reliable on the ice and brought a lot of grit to the lineup. Seeing what it (hand) looked like afterwards, I was very surprised. It was pretty swollen. Tough guy. I’ve played against him enough to understand how he plays and he did the same thing for us over there. He’s a big player who makes big plays no matter what team he’s on. They may not be the prettiest plays — or the ones that make the highlights — but they’re the plays that help you win games.”

David Backes: “Well, I watched him and all the rehab he was doing — he was a warrior to keep playing through the injury that he had. Hopefully, he’s healed up and back in the lineup sooner than later. But he was battling to stay in the lineup with us in the Olympics. I’m not surprised that he’s not in — he was pretty swollen when you saw him in the days after the injury. But he battled through then. I can imagine things like the 13-hour plane ride make things tend to swell up.”

Kevin Shattenkirk: “It’s amazing his hand wasn’t broken.”

Or, is it?

3. BACKES HAS BARK(S): The Canucks tried to trade for the Blues centre/winger in July 2008 and then submitted an offer sheet for three years, $7.5 million that St. Louis matched. The interest was understandable. Backes is big, hard to move and moves well for a big man. Among centres, his 20 goals rank 11th, his eight power-play goals are second and his 182 hits are third. But Backes the person might be better than Backes the player.

When stray dogs in Sochi started hanging around the resort where Team USA was housed at the Olympics, it didn’t take long for Backes to notice. He has four rescue dogs and two rescue cats and has created an Athletes for Animals foundation. With his wife, Kelly, they have always wanted to create awareness. They weren’t planning to bring stray pups home from Sochi, but they did. Sochi Junior and Sochi Jake are male pure-bred mutts. Let’s let Backes tell the tale of getting them back to St. Louis.

“It was a battle to get those two back, but we think through their stories, we can shed a light on the mistreatment of animals and encourage a lot more people to be responsible pet owners. A lot of people volunteered to take them off our hands, but the message to those people is that there are a lot of adoptable dogs in their shelters. Giving them a home is just as noble as giving one that comes from Sochi. They were little angels on the flight. It’s like they knew they weren’t going to have to fight for food or water and just sleep at night. It makes all the work worthwhile to bring them home.”



Daniel Sedin’s slump and the concussion question

DAVID EBNER

Three years ago, Daniel Sedin was the No. 1 scorer in the NHL, hoisting the Art Ross Trophy after a magisterial 2010-11 season. He also won the Ted Lindsay Award, as the most outstanding player, voted on by the league’s players.

Today, the 33-year-old Vancouver Canucks forward is mired in the worst scoring slump – goalless in 19 consecutive NHL games – since his second year in the league, when he was 21. His shooting percentage – goals per shots taken – is his worst ever, at 6.8 per cent, and among the lowest in the league.

It didn’t get better at the recent Sochi Winter Olympics, where his country, Sweden, reached the gold-medal game but was shut out by Canada 3-0. In six games for Sweden, Sedin registered 16 shots, scoring only once.

What is wrong with Daniel Sedin is a question Canucks fans and hockey watchers have debated with increased urgency this season. Theories range from advancing age to the changing style of play in the NHL that favours more grinding goals rather than the skilled plays in which Sedin and his twin brother, Henrik, specialize.

But others note a striking demarcation point: The major concussion Sedin suffered two years ago (March 21, 2012), when Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith elbowed him in the head. Keith was suspended five games and Sedin, whose symptoms included dizziness, was out four weeks.

According to interviews with concussion experts, there is no way to prove a link between Sedin’s brain injury and his drop in performancein the ensuing years.

Many players recover from concussions, their skills restored, and, in an interview, Sedin insisted he is fine and healthy. In fact, there is an absence of research on athletes’ performance in the years after a concussion. Even with the spotlight on concussions in recent years, the injury – especially its nuances – remains poorly understood.

“It’s a really good question,” said Anthony Kontos, assistant director of research at the renowned concussion program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Currently, we don’t have longer-term research follow-ups where we look at athletes two and maybe three and four years down the road to see what if any lingering effects there are related to this injury.”

There is no doubting Sedin’s extraordinary fall, however, and a Globe and Mail data analysis illustrates the depth of the decline compared to other players.

The collapse of his shooting percentage is far greater than any other goal-scoring forward in the league of his age, and notably worse compared with other NHL scoring title winners or MVPs since 1980.

The main analysis looked at players’ shooting percentage in the four years up through age 31 – when Sedin suffered his concussion – and the two years after. In the four seasons, including playoffs, up to his concussion, Sedin played 346 games and scored 149 goals on 1,178 shots – a 12.6-per-cent rate, the level of a top-end scorer. In the 113 games after the concussion, Sedin has 25 goals on 343 shots – a 7.3-per-cent rate.

The decline in scoring potency is 42.1 per cent, far greater than the 11 other forwards in the NHL considered in the data analysis – players who are the same age as Sedin and have scored at least five goals this season.

In fact, the median result of the 11 players is not a decline but a 5.5-per-cent improvement in shooting percentage, buoyed by the likes of Joel Ward of the Washington Capitals and his hot hand the last two seasons. The two players most similar to Sedin have seen modest declines: fellow Swede Henrik Zetterberg, whose shooting percentage has fallen 10 per cent; and Henrik Sedin, a pass-first centre whose percentage is down 7.1 per cent.

Analysis of 12 other players – from Wayne Gretzky to Jarome Iginla – who have either won a scoring title or MVP award since 1980 reveals similar results, using the same time spans.

Is Daniel Sedin’s decline a result of his concussion? According to brain-injury experts, it is impossible to make a causal connection.

Recent research by Kontos indicates symptoms such as dizziness, which Sedin experienced, is a risk factor for prolonged recovery. Still, experts say if a brain properly heals after a concussion, an athlete should not be adversely affected afterward. Doctors in interviews did note each person experiences brain injuries differently and some seem to be more susceptible than others.

“Concussions,” Kontos said, “are individual, much like snowflakes are.”

Scientific research on brain injuries has reached a new level of intensity in the past several years, spiralling out from the controversies in the NFL.

“It’s hot and heavy in a number of centres to track down exactly what are the long-term effects and can we quantify those with an objective test,” said Charles Tator, a neurosurgery professor at the University of Toronto and senior scientist with Toronto Western Hospital.

Tator and his colleagues have recently completed a study of more than 125 athletes who had postconcussion syndrome – which Sedin has not been diagnosed with – and the analysis is being reviewed for publication in a scientific journal. The syndrome can last years, and sometimes forever, Tator noted.

Many other star NHL players, such as Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews in recent years, have returned from concussions and played as well after as before. While Crosby and Toews are younger than Sedin, Crosby suffered a far-more difficult and lengthy recovery, during which his future in hockey was in jeopardy.

“The analysis [of Sedin] is pretty striking,” said Chris Nowinski, co-director of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, a nexus of work on concussions and their long-term impact on retired football players. “The most likely scenario is it’s a natural drop off, but you’d never overlook a brain injury, just like you’d never overlook a knee injury.”

To Sedin, everything is fine – except the feel of his now-seemingly vanished scoring touch. He blames himself for being unable to convert scoring chances into goals.

“People keep asking about that incident, but I’m fine,” Sedin said in an interview after a practice in late January. “I was fine playing in the playoffs that year, and it’s been good. So it’s not a problem. I feel totally fine.”

Sedin is getting shots on net, and there is no discounting the simple matter of luck.

“I can only blame myself for missing the chances,” he said. “I mean, I’ve had breakaways, empty nets. It’s more about executing, more than anything. The chances are there. It’s a matter of putting them in.”

Sedin has had successful stretches since his concussion. In the first month of this season, last October, before he and his brother signed a four-year contract extension, Sedin had six goals in 15 games, scoring on 11.5 per cent of his 52 shots. The new contract is for $7-million (U.S.) per year, a raise from the $6.1-million per year, five-season deal the twins are finishing.

The Canucks return to post-Olympics action on Wednesday, at home against the St. Louis Blues, with fans hoping Daniel Sedin will return to form as Vancouver fights for a playoff spot.

Team officials have pondered the concussion question as well.

“I don’t like to make presumptions about any head injuries and lingering effects, short-term and long-term issues,” Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said in late January, on sports radio in Vancouver. “We’re really at the beginning of trying to understand how brain injuries occur and what the long-term results are.”

Gillis pointed to last year’s unusual lockout-shortened season, in which the Canucks were without Ryan Kesler for much of the campaign, which allowed opponents to focus more on the Sedins. Also, while Gillis did not note it, the Canucks‘ power play has fallen apart and ranks among the lowest in the league, in part because of Sedin’s decline.

Gillis cited a broader change in the NHL’s style of play, last season and this one, which he said has teams defending more aggressively, with more focus on shot blocking. The Canucks, he said, have been slow to adjust. Highlight-reel goals are rarer.

“That, more than anything,” Gillis said, “has resulted in skill players not scoring skill goals a lot of the time.”



Canucks face tough decision regarding future of Kesler

By DAVID EBNER

If the 29-year-old is available, he would change the dynamic leading up to the National Hockey League trade deadline, next Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, being likely the best all-around player by far available, writes David Ebner

Ryan Kesler, with an injured hand, has been thrust into the trade spotlight.

If the 29-year-old is available for a trade, he would change the dynamic leading up to the National Hockey League trade deadline, next Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. Kesler would be a rare marquee player if available.

On Wednesday night, before the Canucks returned to play at home against the St. Louis Blues, with Kesler out "day-to-day," Louis Jean of TVA reported on Twitter1 that Kesler had requested a trade last fall. Jean also reported that a trade may not happen by the deadline and instead occur by the draft, which is June 27-28 in Philadelphia.

Then Kesler's agent, Kurt Overhardt, denied it to reporters, and Canucks general manager Mike Gillis didn't answer the question at Rogers Arena, instead saying that the Canucks are fielding calls on numerous scenarios.

The Canucks won 1-0, breaking a seven-game losing streak, their longest in 15 years with their last win coming on Jan. 26.

Kesler is a keystone of the Canucks. The question of his injured hand is unanswered. With the Canucks, day to day could actually be much longer. Currently, Vancouver defenceman Chris Tanev has been out a month with a broken thumb.

Kesler, the 2010-11 Selke Trophy winner, has had a good season, after fighting through several years of hip and shoulder injuries. He leads all Vancouver forwards in ice time and is the only forward at more than 22 minutes a game. Of that, Kesler plays 3:39 on the power play and 2:06 on penalty kill. Under the influence of Coach John Tortorella, Kesler is third on the team in blocked shots with 59. He has 20 goals and 38 points in 60 games and is 12th in faceoffs taken league-wide, winning an impressive 52.5 per cent of them.

Kesler would immediately bolster teams that are ambitious for the playoffs.

The Canucks are in a tight situation, standing 10th in the Western Conference, facing a first playoff miss in six years. A Kesler trade could significantly remake the team, possibly sacrificing the short term – in what looks like something of a lost season, unless there's a big winning streak – to bolster the team over the next several years. With Vancouver's management all signed to long term deals, (Gillis is in the first year of a five-year contract, assistant general manager Lauren Gilman also has a number of years on his contract and Tortorella is likewise in the first of five years) a look towards the future is a luxury they can afford.

A lot of the roster, as well, is in place for several years, starting with the Sedins, who are now signed through 2018 at $7-million apiece a year. Kesler has two years left, $5-million per, and a no-trade clause, so it will be Kesler who decides if he becomes the centre of the story of the deadline.


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NBCSports.com / Get your game notes: Kings at Avalanche

Mike Halford Feb 26, 2014, 4:55 PM EST

This evening on NBCSN, it’s the Colorado Avalanche hosting the L.A. Kings starting at 10 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

– Los Angeles, 3rd in the Pacific Division, visits Colorado, 3rd in the Central Division, in the third and final meeting this season. The teams split the first two matchups, both in L.A., with the Avalanche winning 1-0 in OT on Nov. 23 & the Kings winning 3-2 in a shootout on Dec. 21.

– Overall, the Kings have lost nine of their last 11 games (2-8-1), but did win their last game before the break, 2-1 OT vs. CBJ on Feb. 6. The Avalanche have won 10 of their past 14 including also winning their final game prior to the Olympics, 5-2 at NYI on Feb 8.

– Colorado, 19-7-3 at home this season, has won their last two home games & earned a point in eight of their last 10 at home (7-2-1). They played their last four games before the Olympics on the road however and last played at the Pepsi Center on Feb. 1, 7-1 win over BUF. Conversely, L.A. played their last four games before the break at home and last was on the road for a 3-0 loss at PHX on Jan. 28. The Kings are 2-9-1 in their last 12 road games.

– Six Kings return from competing in Sochi: Dustin Brown (USA), Drew Doughty (CAN), Jonathan Quick (USA), Jeff Carter (CAN), Slava Voynov (RUS) & Anze Kopitar (SLO) while four Avalanche players participated in the Olympics as well: Paul Stastny (USA), Semyon Varlamov (RUS), Matt Duchene (CAN) & Gabriel Landeskog (SWE).

Brown, Quick (L.A.) & Stastny (COL) left Sochi without a medal while Doughty, Carter (L.A.) & Duchene (COL) each won the top prize, Doughty’s second gold.

Voynov (L.A.) & Varlamov (COL), playing for the host country, also return without a medal while Kopitar has no hardware to show for his efforts as well although his country did win their first-ever Olympic hockey game participating in their first-ever Olympic hockey tournament.

Landeskog won silver with team Sweden.

– 63 NHLers – representing 25 of the league’s 30 clubs – won a medal.

– Since Jan. 1, Colorado boasts the second highest points percentage in the league at .711 (13-5-1, 27 points). PIT is the only team with a better stretch at .750 (11-3-2, 24 points). The Avalanche currently have their third best record after 58 games in franchise history (79 points) – in 1996-97 they had 80 points through 58 games and 82 points in the 2000-01 season after the same amount of games.

– Jonathan Quick, who backstopped team USA in Sochi, is expected to be back in net for the Kings tonight. In Russia, he stopped 132 of 143 shots (.923 SV%) and had a 2.17 GAA. Quick’s record was 2-2 overall although he was in net for team USA’s win over RUS as well despite it not officially counting in his W/L record due to the game going to a shootout. Quick is 9-4-1 lifetime against Colorado.

– Gabriel Landeskog (4G-8A in last 9 games) & Nathan MacKinnon (5G-6A in last 8 games) have the second and third longest active point streaks in the NHL short of PHX’s Antoine Vermette (8G-5A in 10 games). Both are tied in third for the most points in the league since Jan. 1 (20 points).

– Drew Doughty led team CAN with 6 points (4G-2A) in 6 games at the Olympics; he was selected to the tournament All-Star Team by the media.

– Los Angeles ranks 29th in the league in goals per game (2.25), outpacing only Buffalo (1.84).

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 02.27.2014

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NBCSports.com / After 22-game absence, Gaborik returns for Jackets tomorrow


Marian Gaborik will look to get his injury-riddled campaign on track Thursday in New Jersey.

The Columbus winger, who has missed the last 22 games with a broken collarbone, will return to the Blue Jackets’ lineup for the first time since late December, the club announced on today.

“I expect him to come out hard and play hard,” Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards told the Columbus Dispatch. “And if he does that, he’s going to play fast and generate some offensive chances for us.”

As mentioned above, it’s been a trying season for Gaborik’s health. The broken collarbone was the second major injury suffered this year — in November, he sprained his knee and missed 17 games (and actually broke the collarbone in his first game back from the knee ailment.)

On the year, Gaborik has 12 points in 18 games, averaging 17:47 TOI per game.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Jackets respond to having the Slovakian sniper back in the lineup. The team has fared extremely well every since Nathan Horton returned from offseason shoulder surgery, and will have almost its full compliment of forwards with Gaborik back in the mix.

According to the Dispatch, Gaborik will open on a line with Mark Letestu and Derek MacKenzie, and will be on the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 power play unit with Horton and Ryan Johansen.


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NBCSports.com / Get your game notes: Bruins at Sabres


This evening on NBCSN, it’s the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

– Boston, 1st in the Atlantic Division, visits Buffalo, last in the Atlantic Division, in the fourth of five meetings this season – Bruins have won two of the three meetings including the most recent matchup, 4-1 in Boston on Dec. 21, but lost the last meeting in Buffalo, 4-2 on Dec. 19.

– Buffalo is coming off a 3-2 win at home last night over Carolina, the first game on the NHL calendar post-Olympics. The win snapped an eight-game home losing streak for the Sabres dating back to Jan. 4 & improved their home record to 10-17-5; only the N.Y. Islanders (8-14-8 at home) have fewer home wins this season. Buffalo’s 17 regulation home losses are the most in the NHL.

– Four Sabres returned from competing in Sochi: Henrik Tallinder (SWE), Ryan Miller (USA), Zemgus Girgensons (LAT) & Jhonas Enroth (SWE), while five Bruins also participated in the Olympics: Patrice Bergeron (CAN), Zdeno Chara (SVK), Loui Eriksson (SWE), David Krejci (CZE) & Tuukka Rask (FIN).

Tallinder, playing in his second Olympics (2010) won his first medal (silver) playing alongside teammate & first-time Olympian Enroth.

Bergeron, playing in his second Olympics (2010), now has two gold medals – he played in each of Canada’s 6 games in Sochi & registered 2 assists. Eriksson (2G-A), also in his second Olympics (2010), won his first medal (silver) while Rask (3-1, 1 SO) picked up a bronze in his Olympic debut as Finland came in third for the second straight Games.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan led Latvia to the nation’s first-ever quarterfinal Olympic game, a 2-1 loss to Canada. Their 8th-place finish was the best in the country’s five Olympic appearances.

63 NHLers – representing 25 of the league’s 30 clubs – won a medal

ANA, BOS & PHX were the only teams to have players win the gold, silver and bronze.

– Boston last played on Feb. 8, a 7-2 home win over OTT, & last played on the road on Feb. 6, a 3-2 OT loss at St. Louis. The Bruins won their previous road game, 6-3, at NYI on Jan. 27. Boston went into the Olympic break having earned at least one point in 10 of their last 11 games (8-1-2). Buffalo, before winning last night, had lost 4 straight in regulation & went 2-8-3 in their last 13 before the break.

– Tuukka Rask (BOS) did not travel with the team as he was given the game off to rest post-Olympics. Rask was under the weather in Sochi & did not play in Finland’s semifinal game against Sweden but returned to pitch a 27-save shutout against the U.S. in a 5-0 bronze-medal-game win. Chad Johnson (11-3-0 this season) will start in net tonight for the Bruins; he last was in goal on Feb. 8 (7-2 win over OTT). Johnson started in two of the three meetings against Buffalo this season (his only career games vs. the Sabres), winning on the road on Oct. 23, 5-2, and then losing at Buffalo on Dec. 19, 4-2.

– Jhonas Enroth (1-12-5 on the season) is expected to be in net for the Sabres in place of Ryan Miller, who backed up Jonathan Quick on team USA in Sochi & stopped 36 of 38 shots last night (& added 2 assists). In his career, Enroth is 0-4-2 against Boston & lost 4-1 on Dec. 21 in his only meeting against them this season. He dressed in five of six games in Sochi but Ranger Henrik Lundqvist was in net the entire tournament for Sweden. Enroth last played on Feb. 6 at OTT in a 3-2 loss.

– Buffalo is last in the league in scoring, 1.84 goals/game (L.A. is next at 2.25) & have the worst goal differential at -1.09 (FLA is next at -0.79). Boston averages 3.07 goals/game (5th-best) with a 0.93 goal differential (2nd-best). The Bruins have the second best goals allowed per game mark at 2.14 this season and the best team save percentage, .927.


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NBCSports.com / Get your game notes: Bruins at Sabres

Mike Halford Feb 26, 2014, 3:40 P EST

This evening on NBCSN, it’s the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

– Boston, 1st in the Atlantic Division, visits Buffalo, last in the Atlantic Division, in the fourth of five meetings this season – Bruins have won two of the three meetings including the most recent matchup, 4-1 in Boston on Dec. 21, but lost the last meeting in Buffalo, 4-2 on Dec. 19.

– Buffalo is coming off a 3-2 win at home last night over Carolina, the first game on the NHL calendar post-Olympics. The win snapped an eight-game home losing streak for the Sabres dating back to Jan. 4 & improved their home record to 10-17-5; only the N.Y. Islanders (8-14-8 at home) have fewer home wins this season. Buffalo’s 17 regulation home losses are the most in the NHL.

– Four Sabres returned from competing in Sochi: Henrik Tallinder (SWE), Ryan Miller (USA), Zemgus Girgensons (LAT) & Jhonas Enroth (SWE), while five Bruins also participated in the Olympics: Patrice Bergeron (CAN), Zdeno Chara (SVK), Loui Eriksson (SWE), David Krejci (CZE) & Tuukka Rask (FIN).

Tallinder, playing in his second Olympics (2010) won his first medal (silver) playing alongside teammate & first-time Olympian Enroth.

Bergeron, playing in his second Olympics (2010), now has two gold medals – he played in each of Canada’s 6 games in Sochi & registered 2 assists. Eriksson (2G-A), also in his second Olympics (2010), won his first medal (silver) while Rask (3-1, 1 SO) picked up a bronze in his Olympic debut as Finland came in third for the second straight Games.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan led Latvia to the nation’s first-ever quarterfinal Olympic game, a 2-1 loss to Canada. Their 8th-place finish was the best in the country’s five Olympic appearances.

63 NHLers – representing 25 of the league’s 30 clubs – won a medal

ANA, BOS & PHX were the only teams to have players win the gold, silver and bronze.

– Boston last played on Feb. 8, a 7-2 home win over OTT, & last played on the road on Feb. 6, a 3-2 OT loss at St. Louis. The Bruins won their previous road game, 6-3, at NYI on Jan. 27. Boston went into the Olympic break having earned at least one point in 10 of their last 11 games (8-1-2). Buffalo, before winning last night, had lost 4 straight in regulation & went 2-8-3 in their last 13 before the break.

– Tuukka Rask (BOS) did not travel with the team as he was given the game off to rest post-Olympics. Rask was under the weather in Sochi & did not play in Finland’s semifinal game against Sweden but returned to pitch a 27-save shutout against the U.S. in a 5-0 bronze-medal-game win. Chad Johnson (11-3-0 this season) will start in net tonight for the Bruins; he last was in goal on Feb. 8 (7-2 win over OTT). Johnson started in two of the three meetings against Buffalo this season (his only career games vs. the Sabres), winning on the road on Oct. 23, 5-2, and then losing at Buffalo on Dec. 19, 4-2.

– Jhonas Enroth (1-12-5 on the season) is expected to be in net for the Sabres in place of Ryan Miller, who backed up Jonathan Quick on team USA in Sochi & stopped 36 of 38 shots last night (& added 2 assists). In his career, Enroth is 0-4-2 against Boston & lost 4-1 on Dec. 21 in his only meeting against them this season. He dressed in five of six games in Sochi but Ranger Henrik Lundqvist was in net the entire tournament for Sweden. Enroth last played on Feb. 6 at OTT in a 3-2 loss.

– Buffalo is last in the league in scoring, 1.84 goals/game (L.A. is next at 2.25) & have the worst goal differential at -1.09 (FLA is next at -0.79). Boston averages 3.07 goals/game (5th-best) with a 0.93 goal differential (2nd-best). The Bruins have the second best goals allowed per game mark at 2.14 this season and the best team save percentage, .927.


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NBCSports.com / Malkin’s Olympic experience sounds pretty lousy


Over at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Rob Rossi’s penned a rather intriguing account of Evgeni Malkin‘s experience at the Sochi Olympics.

Malkin — like many of his Russian teammates — struggled during the Winter Games. He recorded all three of his points in a tournament-0pening win over Slovenia, then went scoreless over the final four games as Russia crashed out in the quarterfinals to Finland.

Rossi’s piece is lengthy, informative and full of anecdotes giving insight into the dysfunction of the Russian team, from questionable player selections to constantly changing strategy to a rift between NHLers and KHLers.


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NBCSports.com / Kesler (hand) out vs. St. Louis, listed as day-to-day


The narrative continues.

Vancouver center Ryan Kesler will miss tonight’s game against the Blues with a hand injury suffered during the Winter Olympics. Yes, that’s right. Another Olympic injury.

Kesler was hurt during Team USA’s group stage win over Russia while blocking an Ilya Kovalchuk shot. He fought through the pain to play in the rest of the American games, but underwent a MRI upon returning to Vancouver and was subsequently ruled out.

The Canucks haven’t released the results of the MRI, only saying that Kesler is day-to-day.

With the injury, Kesler joins the likes of John Tavares, Henrik Zetterberg, Carey Price, Paul Martin, Mats Zuccarello, Aleksander Barkov, Tomas Kopecky and Fedor Tyutin as players that got hurt during the Olympics and were unable to suit up upon their NHL returns.

As for how much time Kesler will miss?


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NBCSports.com / Kesler (hand) out vs. St. Louis, listed as day-to-day


The narrative continues.

Vancouver center Ryan Kesler will miss tonight’s game against the Blues with a hand injury suffered during the Winter Olympics. Yes, that’s right. Another Olympic injury.

Kesler was hurt during Team USA’s group stage win over Russia while blocking an Ilya Kovalchuk shot. He fought through the pain to play in the rest of the American games, but underwent a MRI upon returning to Vancouver and was subsequently ruled out.

The Canucks haven’t released the results of the MRI, only saying that Kesler is day-to-day.

With the injury, Kesler joins the likes of John Tavares, Henrik Zetterberg, Carey Price, Paul Martin, Mats Zuccarello, Aleksander Barkov, Tomas Kopecky and Fedor Tyutin as players that got hurt during the Olympics and were unable to suit up upon their NHL returns.

As for how much time Kesler will miss?


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NBCSports.com / Big step: Rinne heads to AHL for conditioning stint, will play Friday


Pekka Rinne is set to face game action for the first time in fourth months, as he’ll suit up for Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee when the Admirals take on Iowa this Friday.

Rinne, 31, underwent major hip surgery during the summer and returned to play in just nine games before being hit with a serious bacterial infection. The setback sidelined Rinne on Oct. 22 and he’s missed the last 49 games a result.

The Preds have been extremely cautious with his rehabilitation, pushing back a number of timetables and set dates to ensure the hip recovers fully and without issue.

Last week, the Finnish netminder returned to practice and was allowed to “amp up” his level of intensity, suggesting a return to game action was close. That said, Nashville GM David Poile said there’s no timetable for Rinne’s return to the Predators, and head coach Barry Trotz said Carter Hutton would remain the starter in the meantime.


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NBCSports.com / Looking to Bolt? St. Louis says ‘I’ve had conversations’ with Yzerman about future in Tampa Bay


Martin St. Louis has been at the center of numerous trade rumors recently, stemming from reports he demanded a trade out of Tampa Bay after Steve Yzerman left him off the Canadian Olympic team.

On Wednesday, St. Louis addressed the rumors… and didn’t exactly douse water on the flames. From the Tampa Bay Times:

“The only thing I can say about that is I’ve had conversations with Steve on my future here,” St. Louis said. “Out of respect for my teammates I think that’s all I’m going to say about that. I’m not going to get into answering this question every day. I’ve had conversations with Steve about my future here. Those conversations are between me and Steve.”

Asked about those conversations, Yzerman, too, declined to be specific.

“I’m not going to comment on trade rumors in this situation or any situation,” he said. “That’s just the way it is.”

St. Louis was bitterly (and openly) disappointed about his Team Canada snub and, according to Sportsnet, had to sleep on the decision to join the team as an injury replacement after Steve Stamkos was ruled out.

Yzerman acknowledged the difficulty in leaving St. Louis off the team — “I can honestly say that’s not a decision that I enjoy making, it’s a tough one,” he said — and St. Louis wasn’t pleased either.

“You know for Team Canada, you guys can’t imagine how I feel,” St. Louis told reporters following the snub. “Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed. Let’s just leave it at that.”

St. Louis eventually joined the team and helped Canada capture gold, firing three shots on goal in nearly seven minutes of action in a 3-0 over Sweden in the final.

On Sunday, though, things really got interesting.

Reports surfaced that the Rangers had inquired about obtaining St. Louis, with rumors suggesting New York was one of the teams he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause for, because he maintains a residence in nearby Connecticut.

On Wednesday, Newsday’s Arthur Staple reported he’s “heard from three different NHL people,” that St. Louis demanded a trade last month.


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NBCSports.com / Fallout continues: Price aggravates Olympic injury, will miss next two games

Mike Halford Feb 26, 2014, 11:39 AM EST

Another day, another NHL player sidelined with an injury suffered in Sochi.

On Wednesday, Montreal announced that Carey Price will miss the next two games with a lower-body injury he re-aggravated during the Olympics.

Price took Wednesday’s morning skate — Montreal hosts Detroit tonight — and left after making a stop in a drill, favoring his leg. He didn’t return to the ice and, shortly after the skate, the Habs recalled Dustin Tokarski from their AHL affiliate in Hamilton.

If you’re wondering why Price was practicing with a preexisting injury, you’re not alone:

Price, 26, is coming off a stellar Olympics in which he backstopped Canada to gold and was named the top goaltender of the tournament after going 5-0-0 with a 0.59 goals-against average, .972 save percentage and two shutouts.

As mentioned above, the list of players hurt in Sochi seems to be growing by the day:

– Islanders captain John Tavares tore his MCL playing for Canada, and will miss the remainder of the season.

– Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg re-injured his back in Sweden’s tournament opener, underwent surgery and will be out eight weeks.

– Rangers leading scorer Mats Zuccarello broke his hand in the Norway’s final group game, and will be out 3-4 weeks.

– Penguins defenseman Paul Martin broke his hand prior to the U.S.’s semifinal loss to Canada, and will miss the next 4-6 weeks.

– Florida rookie Aleksander Barkov hurt his knee playing for Finland, and will be out indefinitely.

– Florida forward Tomas Kopecky suffered a concussion playing for Slovakia, and is also out indefinitely.

– Columbus defenseman Fedor Tyutin suffered an ankle sprain playing for Russia, and is out 2-3 weeks.

Montreal head coach Michel Therrien said Price is day-to-day, but won’t travel with the club to Pittsburgh for Thursday’s game against the Penguins.


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NBCSports.com / Blues insist they’re not worried about Halak after rough Olympic outing

Mike Halford Feb 26, 2014, 11:26 AM EST

Jaroslav Halak had an Olympics to forget, allowing eight goals on 48 shots before getting replaced by KHL backup Jan Laco.

But the Blues say it’s of little concern.

“This isn’t to dismiss the Olympics at all, but I think it’s a difficult game to (evaluate a goalie),” head coach Ken Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I saw (Henrik) Lundqvist, who basically sat on the goal line because it’s a protected area from the blue paint. I saw teams who had five (players) back on every rush, so they just defended.

“I just think it’s a real improper evaluation of any goaltender.”

Halak was hooked in a tournament-opening loss to the Americans after allowing five goals on 25 shots, but was given a chance to make amends with a start against Slovenia. He dropped the ball in stunning fashion, though, surrendering three goals as the Slovenians won for the first time in Olympic competition.

Afterwards, Halak took full responsibility for the defeat.

“I think the first goal, that was a really weak goal for me,” he said, per NHL.com. “I think that kind of set the tone for the rest of the period for us. If we’re going to blame somebody, I’ll take the full blame for this loss.”

Halak was then replaced by Laco, who currently serves as Michael Leighton’s backup with HC Donbass. While Halak wasn’t officially told he was done for the tournament, he figured he was — and that proved accurate, as Laco played against Russia and in the Slovaks’ quarterfinal loss to the Czechs.

This rough outing couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the Blues and Halak were already the subject of trade rumors prior to the Games. They’ve been linked to Ryan Miller and haven’t exactly set about anointing Halak as their No. 1, as Hitchcock said the club will continue to employ the Halak-Brian Elliott timeshare.

That said, Hitchcock continues to have faith in Halak.

“Halak has been really good for us, he’s been really competitive after a tough outing, he’s had the mental capability of bouncing back and playing great the next night,” he explained. “So we’ve got all kind of confidence in him.”


730326 Websites

NBCSports.com / Trade: Wild acquire Winchester from ‘Hawks

Mike HalfordFeb 26, 2014, 5:33 PM EST

Minnesota has acquired veteran forward Brad Winchester from Chicago in exchange for d-man Brian Connelly, the club announced on Wednesday.

Winchester, 32, has spent all of this year with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford, where he’s put up good numbers — 16 goals, 30 points in 55 games — while Connelly has spent the entire season with Minny’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, emerging as a decent offensive defenseman (32 points in 50 games).

Of the two, Winchester is the more established professional. The 6-foot-5, 230 pound winger was the 35th overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft and has almost 400 games of NHL experience, scoring a career-high 13 goals with St. Louis in 2008-09.

Winchester’s last NHL action came during the 2011-12 campaign, when he scored 10 points in 67 games for San Jose.


730327 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Hansen scores as Canucks blank Blues 1-0

AP

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Eddie Lack was stubborn in goal and ended the Vancouver Canucks ' seven-game skid.

Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season and Jannik Hansen scored the only goal as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams Wednesday night.

" It feels very good to be able to shut the door," Lack said. " It was very big for our team. It's a big relief."

The Canucks moved into sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference, while the Blues dropped their third straight decision to Vancouver this season and were shut out for the first time.

The Canucks outshot the Blues 35-20, but Lack, Vancouver's backup who is in his first full NHL season, was forced to make many difficult saves. And he was able to do exactly what goalie coach Rollie Melanson had been asking of him.

" I feel like I have been working on this start for a while and I was really excited to play," Lack said. " And, Rollie has been bugging me for weeks saying we need to win these 1-0 games, so it's huge."


It was Hansen's first goal in just over a month, a span of eight games, after he last scored Jan. 26 against Phoenix.

" Great play by Tommy," Hansen said. " He could see I was taking off a little early and he fed me a nice pass, and I was able to get it through the goalie."

Vancouver was blanked on four power plays while St. Louis failed to score on three. Lack drew the start after backstopping the Canucks to a pair of wins over St. Louis earlier this season.

" You don't have to look at the standings very long to see we need to win a lot of games here to make the playoffs, and it's obviously a very strong opponent today, a playoff team," Hansen said. " These are the teams you have to beat. We can't just beat the teams below us."

The Canucks played with the added aggression coach John Tortorella has been seeking as they outshot the Blues 14-6 in the first period. But the hosts could not beat a steady Halak, who was relatively fresh after playing just two games for Slovakia in the Olympics and getting plenty of rest after arriving back in St. Louis last Thursday.

" It was a pretty good pace for 60 minutes," Halak said. " It was just that we came up short. We couldn't score. " I tried to do my best. I tried to give the guys a chance to win. I'd like to get (Hansen's goal) back."

Lack made some difficult saves, including one on a slap shot by Brendan Morrow with just under eight minutes left. The Canucks averted a dangerous chance when St. Louis defenseman Roman Polak slid the puck off the goal post and a few players crashed into the net, knocking it off its moorings.

St. Louis had nine players in Sochi and the Canucks had seven. But Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, who served as an assistant with Canada's gold medal-winning team, did not think post-Olympic fatigue was a factor.

" It was a hard-fought, well-played game for the most part," he said. " I didn't think we had the energy in the third period that we did in the end of the first and the second. We had a great second period. But we've had trouble beating (Lack).

Hitchcock lamented his team's inability to score on odd-man rushes in two losses in Vancouver this season.

" When you get 2-on-1s and 3-on-1s on the road, you've got to capitalize," he said. " I think that was the difference in the hockey game."

Lack denied Blues captain David Backes on a one-timer during a delayed penalty and Alex Steen on a deflection, and got his pad on a shot by T.J. Oshie before defenseman Alex Edler blocked the puck as he attempted to put in the rebound.

After the save, fans chanted " Eddie! Eddie!"

" He made some good saves, but I don't think we really tested him like we could have," Oshie said. " We let him see a lot of pucks."

Notes: Olympians from both teams were honored in a pregame ceremony. Blues defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo drew loud cheers from the crowd when they were saluted, along with Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis and goaltender Roberto Luongo, for helping Canada win the gold medal. ... Tortorella worked his first home game since receiving a six-game suspension for storming the Calgary Flames ' dressing room area Jan. 18. ... Canucks captain Henrik Sedin returned to action after suffering an undisclosed injury before the Olympics.

CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 02.27.2014

730328 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Report: Ryan Kesler requests trade from Vancouver Canucks

Ryan Kesler, Trade Rumors, Vancouver Canucks

Ryan Kesler has scored 177 goals and 388 points in his 10-year NHL career, all with the Canucks.(Minas Panagiotakis/Icon SMI)

Ryan Kesler has scored 177 goals and 388 points in his 10-year career, all with the Canucks.(Minas Panagiotakis/Icon SMI)

It was just two days ago that Vancouver GM Mike Gillis told reporters that he was approaching next week’s trade deadline as a buyer, with an eye on adding a player to complement second-line center Ryan Kesler.

Now he may have to put the Team USA star up for auction instead.

Jean, a reporter with Canada’s French-language TVA network, tweeted shortly afterward that it might be tough to move Kesler before the deadline and that a deal might be easier to construct around the NHL Draft.

There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is the big center’s health. Kesler was hurt while blocking an Ilya Kovalchuk shot during Team USA’s win over Russia. He played through the injury in the rest of the American games, then underwent a MRI upon returning to Vancouver. The team hasn’t released the results of the test, but did rule Kesler out for tonight’s game against St. Louis.

Kesler also has a no-trade clause which could limit Gillis’ options, as would his desired return. Jean believes the Canucks would be looking for a hockey trade, meaning that Gillis wants a player or players who could immediately help the team rather than picks or prospects. Those deals are always tougher in-season, especially for a team in contention that might want to avoid a significant shift in chemistry.

Still, Kesler, who currently leads Vancouver with 20 goals, will earn $5 million per season through 2015-16. That’s a pretty reasonable bite considering all he brings to the table when healthy, and two more years at that cost would appeal to a number of teams. If the MRI comes back clean, he’ll be the center of attention heading into next Wednesday’s deadline.


730329 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Does Martin St. Louis really want a trade out of Tampa Bay?

By Allan Muir

So the media in Tampa had a chance to speak with Martin St. Louis after practice on Wednesday morning. They had plenty to talk about: his Olympic success, the stretch run for the Lightning.

Oh, and those rumors.

You know, the ones that suggested that he’d been so insulted when Steve Yzerman, the GM for both Team Canada and Tampa Bay, initially snubbed him for Sochi that he demanded a trade? Well, St. Louis could have put them sweetly to rest. Instead, this is what he had to say:

Not too hard to read between those well-spaced lines, but less than an hour later came this:

That gold medal may have been the highlight of his career, but apparently it wasn’t enough to make all the bad feelings go away.

You could feel for the guy six weeks ago when the roster was originally named. The reigning scoring champ, a natural winger, a great two-way player — he seemed like a good bet to make the national team. When he didn’t it was a real blow to his pride.

But that’s the way it goes when you’re competing with the world’s deepest talent pool and trying to fit into a very specific vision for Team Canada. And it’s not like he was alone in being snubbed. Joe Thornton didn’t get a sniff despite being the NHL’s assist leader this season. And P.K. Subban, who was named to the club, spent all but one game in the press box despite being the most recent winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman. Both accepted their fates like the professionals they are.

But whether St. Louis’ feelings are right or wrong, they’re still his. And even though he eventually was named to the squad as a replacement for injured Lightning teammate Steven Stamkos, the wound he suffered is obviously still very raw. If St. Louis feels both sides would be best served by going their separate ways, that’s something Tampa Bay will likely respect.

The 38-year-old winger has one year remaining with the Lightning on a deal that pays him $5.625 million per year (both actual salary and cap hit). He also has a no-movement clause that could limit where Yzerman is able to send him, but there should be no shortage of suitors for his services, including the Kings and Canucks.


730330 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Ryan Miller a goner; Alex Ovechkin mans up; more links

By Allan Muir

An annotated guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• So much for yesterday’s rumors. Sabres GM Tim Murray says he is “pursuing a proper trade” and that he expects to move Ryan Miller before the trade deadline. If that’s the case, last night’s win might have been his last for Buffalo. The smart play is to sit him out to reduce the chance of injury.

• Alex Ovechkin manned up about his Olympic failure and Nicklas Backstrom expressed concern about receiving his silver medal as the two Capitals stars discussed their nightmarish Olympic journeys.

• Evgeni Malkin, still angry a week after the Games, hints at what went wrong for Team Russia in Sochi.

• Joe Starkey writes that the Penguins should rip a page out of Team Canada’s playbook and refocus their efforts down the stretch.

• TSN’s insiders discuss the latest trade rumors here, and the names of a couple of Miller’s Olympic teammates are prominently featured.

• History shows that teams should loosen their grip on first-round picks if that’s the cost to obtain an impact player at the deadline.

• The Lightning are trying to manage expectations while protecting the development of Olympic hero Kristers Gudlevskis. As the kid pointed out himself, that 55-save performance against Canada was just one game, and he has a ways to go before he’s ready for a regular NHL gig.

• While everyone is looking at the Flames’ expiring contracts ahead of the deadline, acting GM Brian Burke says that he’s open to making hockey deals, too. That means anyone — yes, anyone – is available for the right package.

• Turns out there is a silver lining for John Tavares: the Islanders star won’t need surgery to repair the MCL injury he suffered in Sochi. Here’s what that means.

• The performance of rookie goaltender Darcy Kuemper is one of Mike Russo’s four keys to the Wild making the playoffs.

• Kevin Lowe says that the Oilers will be involved in all deadline discussions, and that he has his sights set on a couple of players in particular.

• Could a two-year-old injury be what’s behind Daniel Sedin’s 19-game scoring drought?

• Canucks coach John Tortorella had an apology to make before practice on Tuesday.

• The Loui Eriksson that the Bruins traded for over the summer finally showed up in Sochi for Team Sweden. Boston is hoping he brought that 20-minute, two-way game home along with his silver medal.

• Now that Marian Gaborik is off the IR, do the Blue Jackets view the mercurial winger as trade bait or additional firepower for the stretch drive?

• Dave Bolland and Nikolai Kulemin are steaming toward free agency, but both could play significant roles for the Maple Leafs over the season’s final weeks. Toronto GM Dave Nonis has a tough call to make with the trade deadline approaching.

• Blackhawks back-up Antti Raanta likely won’t see the ice in this weekend’s Stadium Series game against Pittsburgh, so get a look now at the awesome gear he ordered up for the event. Gotta love that Ed Belfour tribute mask.

• Justin Bourne tips his cap to Lane MacDermid, the Calgary farmhand who walked away from hockey yesterday at 24.

• Heads up to the Faces In The Crowd crew: you might want to find a spot for this kid in next week’s issue of SI.


730331 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Canadiens goalie Price aggravates Olympics injury, out at least two games

By Allan Muir

Add Carey Price to the list of Olympic casualties.

The all-tournament goaltender suffered a lower-body injury while leading Team Canada to gold in Sochi but was expected to be ready to go for the Canadiens on Wednesday night against the Red Wings and coach Mike Babcock. Plans changed though when Price came up limping after facing his first shot in practice on Wednesday morning.

Montreal coach Michel Therrien said that Price is expected to miss at least two games, which means he’ll be out on Thursday for the match against the Penguins and Team Canada mate Sidney Crosby.

The Habs have recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski to backup Peter Budaj.


730332 Websites

USA TODAY / Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Post-Olympic Questions

February 26, 2014 3:41 pm·Staff

Joffrey Lupul

The Leafs will be hoping Joffrey Lupul can rediscover his scoring touch after the Olympic break. (John E. Sokolowski-US PRESSWIRE)

The Maple Leafs entered the Olympic break with an impressive 7-2-1 record. But with 22 games to go, a playoff position is anything but guaranteed. With that in mind, here are 5 questions that Leafs Nation should be asking ahead of a meeting with the New York Islanders on Thursday.

[Keep Vivid Seats in mind for your Toronto Maple Leafs tickets needs]

1. Can the top line keep on firing?

In what is undoubtedly a flawed group of players, one factor has remained consistent – the stellar form of James van Riemsdyk, Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak. Whilst the first two had a solid Olympics until the 5-0 drubbing by Finland, Bozak has been sitting idle and it will be interesting to see whether the trio can pick up straight from where they left off.

Kessel returns on the back of being named the best forward in the Olympics and was in deadly form prior to the break – with 31 goals the 26-year-old is 2nd in NHL scoring behind only the rejuvenated Alex Ovechkin. With an unbalanced offence, Randy Carlyle will need the readjustment period for his most productive forward line to be minimal.

2. Will Joffrey Lupul rediscover his form?

Lupul has endured a difficult campaign by his standards, with only 3 goals in his last 15 and a -10 rating. Playing with Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin, two players who encapsulate the Leafs’ erratic form, may be a contributing factor but Lupul will need to find his touch to redress the balance of scoring.

It is a shame for both player and club that Lupul’s form has been unreliable – his is a face of leadership and character arguably lacking in Toronto and especially on the forward lines. The form of the top line means it is unlikely he will find himself promoted unless that line suffers a slow start.

(Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

Trading James Reimer would appear to make little sense for the Toront Maple Leafs at this stage. (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

3. Will Dave Nonis make a splash in the trade market?

The trade deadline is next Wednesday and drastic change to the Leafs’ roster, for the moment at least, is looking unlikely. Dave Bolland, out of the lineup since early November but due for an imminent return, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season along with Kulemin, whose defensive strengths haven’t prevented his name continually being banded about as as player the Leafs might look to offload. Getting rid of James Reimer would seem to make very little sense – leaving the talented if occasionally leaky Jonathan Bernier without a decent backup would be risk not worth taking.

4. How will the Leafs cope with the upcoming schedule?

Road form has been tricky for the Leafs so far. They’re 11-17 on the road, and 13 of their remaining 22 games are outside the comforts of the Air Canada Centre. Moreover, in the next 10 games the Leafs will have to face the West Coast powerhouses of Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles. For what has been an unreliable season for this group, a bad road trip could dent confidence and make the run to the playoffs a very nervous time indeed. On the flip side of course, claiming the scalps of those teams could give the Leafs a welcome boost ahead of a final run to the playoffs.

5. Are the Leafs for real this time?

The eternal question. The truth is, noone really knows what this Leaf team is capable of. They were many who were convinced (and still are, including pessimistic Leafs faithful) that the club overachieved last season, and that the dramatic loss to the Bruins was merely a smokescreen to the fact that they didn’t particularly deserve to be in the playoffs in the first place.

This inconsistency this season has done nothing to convince the doubters otherwise. Solid runs of victories have been followed by abject defeats to poor teams, with little or no explanation other than they were having an off night. The major worry remains that beyond the top line, the Leafs are a majorly flawed hockey team, with weaknesses in secondary scoring and at the blue line. Captain Dion Phaneuf, who has been largely solid and impressive this season, will need to muster all his qualities of leadership and inspiration to ensure his team get to the playoffs. Then, and only then, can they start thinking about laying the ghosts of the TD Garden to rest

USA TODAY LOADED: 02.27.2014

730333 Websites

USA TODAY / Predators' Pekka Rinne sent to AHL to continue rehab

Josh Cooper, USA TODAY Sports 2:02 p.m. EST February 26, 2014

Pekka Rinne's road back to the ice for the Predators will go through Milwaukee.

The veteran goaltender — continuing his recovery from surgery for a hip infection that has sidelined him since October — is being sent to Nashville's American Hockey League affiliate to begin playing in games, the Predators announced on Wednesday.

Rinne will play for the Admirals in a home game on Friday against the Iowa Wild. They also have a home game on Sunday against the Rochester Americans.

BOLD PREDICTIONS: For the rest of the NHL season

There is no timetable for his return to Nashville, the team said.

Rinne played in only nine games before needing surgery to clean out the infection, which on Wednesday he confirmed was E.coli. That surgery followed a "hip arthroscopy" in early May. Both procedures were done at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

His rehab has been delicate. He only started practicing with the team when it returned from its 10-day Olympic break on Feb. 19.

CAREY PRICE: Leaves practice early with injury

The Predators are pinning a lot of their playoff hopes on the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, who is in the second year of a $49 million contract extension.

For now, however, coach Barry Trotz said Carter Hutton would remain the starter. Nashville faces Tampa Bay on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.


730334 Websites

USA TODAY / Five bold predictions for the NHL's homestretch

By Jimmy Hascup

With a month and half left in the NHL season, it’s time to take a look at some of the notable story lines (and make some predictions) as the stretch run kicks into gear.

The Rangers will trade Ryan Callahan and not Dan Girardi.

Callahan will be dealt before the March 5 deadline, and Girardi will re-sign. The Rangers captain is asking for too much term (reportedly seven years) at too high a price (just under $7 million). There’s no doubt the 28-year-old captain has been the heartbeat of the team over the last five-plus seasons. But his black-and-blue style isn’t conducive to longevity and he’s seen his role diminish under coach Alain Vigneault (17:52 is lowest ice time in five years.) When it comes to Girardi, first-pair, shutdown, right-handed blue liners are hard to come by. His loss would be greater, and at 29, he is right in the middle of his prime.

The Ducks will not finish as the league’s best team.

The Ducks have been extremely impressive; they are a loaded team with great goaltending and have an excellent coach. But the Blues are my pick to win the Presidents’ Trophy. St. Louis has played the fewest games in the NHL — 57, compared to Anaheim’s 60, and it is three points behind the Ducks with 84. The Blues’ plus-61 goal differential leads the league. They are deep, physical team that is hard to play against and doesn’t give an inch on defense. Their goaltending is the only worry.

Ryan Miller will be a Vezina Trophy finalist.

If he stays with Buffalo, he will continue to stand out as he faces a ton of shots. If he is traded, he’s likely to improve on his other rates as well. Miller will not win the award, but he’s been nearly as good as as the “frontrunners.” Let’s look at this example:

Player A: 43 games, 1210 shots against, 1123 saves, .928 save percentage, 2.11 goals-against average

Player B: 40 games, 1411 shots against, 1303 saves, .923 save percentage, 2.72 goals-against average

Player B has faced 201 more shots than Player A, seven more per game, and he’s seven saves away from the same save percentage. Miller’s GAA is elevated, but that’s not an entirely accurate way to judge a goalie’s performance. Player A is Tuukka Rask, who is in the conversation because he’s also 25-13-4.

It’s not Miller’s fault he plays for the Sabres. His 15-22-3 record won’t be looked at favorably, but he’s certainly playing under a tough situation.

The Red Wings will not make a big trade.

The Red Wings are clinging to the second wild-card spot in the East by one point, so it seems like something big needs to be done to ensure a playoff spot. In reality, the Red Wings have been ravaged by injuries all year, at times without their top-three centers. They need to get healthy, and they need to stay healthy. Arguably their most important player, Henrik Zetterberg, is done for the regular season. But a return of forwards Johan Franzen and Stephen Weiss and defensemen Jakub Kindl in the near future will help. Pavel Datsyuk also needs to overcome his knee injury.

The Canucks will not make the playoffs.

Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports

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Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports

Canucks are one point out of a playoff spot in the West, but they’ve also lost seven in a row and played two more games than the teams they’re chasing, the Stars and Coyotes. The Canucks don’t score enough (2.38 per game), they are too “top heavy” at the forward position and they don’t have great assets to make a substantial trade. Their big-money defensemen have underperformed and while Roberto Luongo has been better this season, he has been inconsistent. The West is far too deep for them to make a run.

Your games tonight

Boston at Buffalo, 7:30

Detroit at Montreal, 7:30

Los Angeles at Colorado, 10

St. Louis at Vancouver, 10:30


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